Tag: Romance

Love a Menage? Check Out Blended Family (Briar Rose #3) by Sean Michael (excerpt & Giveaway)

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Blended Family (Briar Rose #3) by Sean Michael
Release Date: July 15, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

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Sales Links:   Torquere Press

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Matt and Adam are back and this time they’re welcoming two established Master/sub pairs who want to play together. Without ruining their friendship.

Subs Peter and Max have been best friends forever, since before they met their masters. They were lovers once, but both men needed the influence of a Dom to stay on an even keel. Happily in love with their masters, Devon and Swan, the boys nonetheless want more.

Devon and Swan care deeply for each other and are willing to give becoming something more a try and the Briar Rose seems like the perfect place to give it a go. As neutral ground, if things go wrong, they should be able to put the whole thing behind them and go back to their lives as simply friends.

Can Devon, Peter, Swan, and Max become the blended family they yearn to be?

Pages or Words: 36,000 words

Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt


Matt filled out all the paperwork and double-checked his e-mail, making sure that he was on top of everything. The truth was that he was thinking about everything but the guests they were expecting today.

They’d had couples’ stays overlap before, and once there had been three couples all wanting to learn rope bondage. That had been fun — day after day of demonstrations and checking the Doms’ work.

This was different, though.

Today they had two couples coming in who were friends and had decided they wanted to try playing together, perhaps becoming a foursome. Without ruining their friendship. That was the trick.

They were coming for over a week to work with him and Adam.

Matt wasn’t sure what to say to them. This didn’t seem like a BDSM situation, but a marriage counseling one. Adam had been sure they could help them, though, and he trusted his sub completely. That didn’t mean it was going to be easy.

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago.”

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004713810507
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites
Twitter: @seanmichael09
Blog: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca

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Tour Dates & Stops: July 13, 2015
Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, My Fiction Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, Havan Fellows, Hearts on Fire, Full Moon Dreaming, Up All Night, Read All Day, BFD Book Blog, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Kimi-Chan, Iyana Jenna, Dawn’s Reading Nook, VS Reads, Charley Descoteaux, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Molly Lolly

 

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Enter to win a  Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Briar Rose: Blended Family’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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The Luckiest is Out! A Mila McWarren Interview on The Luckiest, Inspiration and Writing! (interview and giveaway)

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The Luckiest by Mila McWarren
Release Date: July 7, 2015

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Goodreads Link 
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

Sales Links:  Interlude Press  |  Amazon

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A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Author Interview with Mila McWarren

• I love it when an author chooses unusual professions for their characters.  Why a memoirist?  Does his profession play an important role in the story or was the choice separate from what you wanted to “get” from the plot?

Oh, man, I love this question.

So (a) I love the hubris of Aaron being a memoirist. I love the hubris of ANYBODY being a memoirist, but especially this kid who is still, in so many ways, really actively figuring out who he is. I mean, really, how dare he – but of course he does. It’s actually a central piece of thinking about who he is and how he understands himself; the kid has balls, for sure. (b) In my heart of hearts, I totally want to be a memoirist. I wish I had the skill of capturing a moment of my life and distilling it into a perfect story that somebody else might actually find some beauty in. I wish I felt like my own experience was important enough that other people should care about it more! That must be an amazing way to live! (c) You’re right on with the point about what it does for the plot – I think, ideally, it helps encourage us to slow down a little bit and think about the impact of experiences. It’s just a week at a beach house, right? Or maybe it’s more. And, finally, (d) man did it help do some structural work. It’s a common cheat, diary entries and the like, as a way to sneak in a little more exposition without dumping it all over your reader. I’m not even a little sorry, because I ended up really loving and enjoying the little interstitial bits of Nik and Aaron’s writing that it allowed me to sneak in there.

  •   What was the inspiration for the title?

So there’s a scene in the book where they sing at the wedding, and the song they sing is Ben Folds’ The Luckiest. Google it – it’s gorgeous. But I loved the parallel of that title with the two central characters, because really: who is lucky enough to get it so damn right the first time out, and then also get a second chance after you’ve blown it all to hell by being a dumb teenager? They are, most sincerely, the luckiest.

  •   Do you stay in touch with your old school friends and did that help inspire your story?

Not. Even. A little bit. I have a really active and close group of friends in the city where I live, and most of those I’ve met on the internet over the last 10 years, or through work. It’s definitely the case that Aaron and Nik’s friends from The Luckiest are more wish-fulfillment than anything inspired by my real life. (Also, though: I’m so much older than Aaron and Nik! A thing I’ve thought about a lot is which of those people they’ll still be close to in another 10 years. I think Alex and David will stay, and probably Stephanie, in her own slightly distant, self-absorbed way. I am really not sure about Jasmine. That girl worries me. I am probably too attached.)

  • .  How do you choose a setting?

Well, first of all: I have to have been there. The internet is great and all, but honestly, you can get so much just from sitting on a bench for an hour – who’s walking by, what the air smells like, whether it sounds like bells or traffic or trucks or water, where the shade is, whether you need a sweater at night. And then I like to think about what kinds of stories that place might have to tell. Texas was an easy pick, in this case, because I know it so well. Texans are proud and so many never leave the state because they don’t have to; it’s a huge place, the economy is growing well, and there is work to be had. The people who do leave (especially those who have deep roots there) do so because they have reasons: they don’t feel comfortable there, or they want to try something very distinctively different, or because they needed some kind of escape. Being from a place like that, a place you never HAVE to leave, marks you as a little bit different when you do – and that is a story worth thinking about, I think.

  •  Favorite wedding themed book or movie?

Besides this one?

So, first: when I was thinking about this book, way way back in the beginning, I thought about it as a ‘Big Chill’ story. Obviously it’s a little bit different – a funeral story is especially depressing about characters so young – but the central idea of all these people in a house as the central setting was the common thread.

Which, now that you’ve asked this question, makes me feel kind of dumb. Because one of my all-time favorite favorite movies is ‘Monsoon Wedding’, a Mira Nair film from 2001, and there’s a good handful of common elements: people coming together for a wedding; that exciting/manic/ awkward energy of people who don’t see each other very often anymore coming together; and a secondary love story between the guy who comes to build the whole wedding and another member of the household. Huh. Look at that.

  • What’s next for Mila McWarren?

So much work to catch up on! In terms of fiction writing, though: I honestly have no idea. I really believe in the value of letting my brain go fallow for a little bit and then waiting to see what grows up. There are just the barest green shoots now and there’s not even a central character attached but I’ll say this: every year I go to San Diego with my husband for Comic-Con, and we nerd out pretty hard. This year it just might turn into a little bit of a research trip.

Thanks! This was really fun!

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Blurb:

When New York-based memoirist Aaron Wilkinson gathers with his high school friends to marry off two of their own, he is forced to spend a week with Nik, the boy who broke his heart.

As they settle into the Texas beach house where the nuptials will be performed, Nik quickly makes his intentions clear: he wants Aaron back. “He’s coming hard, baby,” a friend warns, setting the tone for a week of transition where Aaron and Nik must decide if they are playing for keeps.

Pages or Words: 256 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Excerpt:

Aaron finishes the song and Stephanie snatches the mic out of his hand, crooks her finger at Nik and launches them into a reprise of their performance of “Dancing on My Own” from the homecoming weekend they all spent here at the house back in senior year. Stephanie still has questionable rhythm and tragic pitch—she loves to sing, which is why they have a karaoke machine in this house, but it’s one thing she will admit she doesn’t have much of a gift for—but there’s a reason Nik majored in music at The University of Texas, and his voice has come a long way.

Somehow, this deliberate throwback to a memory that was never anything but happy seems different than what Aaron has just done. He sits on the sofa, flanked by Alex and Jasmine, hating them both a little for participating in it even while he smiles. Nik dances—how can you not, with this song—but he still watches Aaron, gives him a little head-tilt during the chorus, and it’s charming and devastating and infuriating.

Jasmine leans to murmur, “Oh, I see how it is.”

“Oh, shut up.”


“You might not be desperate, but I’m not sure about him. He’s coming hard, baby.”

About the author:

Mila McWarren grew up in Texas, but has happily made her home on the East Coast for the last decade. In her day job she works as a social scientist and has spent the last 10 years developing her fiction writing online. She lives with her husband and their two kids. When she isn’t using working, writing, or hanging out with her family, she likes knitting and watching television, because they go together like peanut butter and chocolate, two of her other great loves.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: @milamcwarren
Tumblr: https://www.milamcwarren.tumblr.com
Website: https://www.milamcwarren.com

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Contest

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: One $25 Interlude Press gift card. Five e-book copies of ‘The Luckiest’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Tour Dates & Stops: July 7 – July 20, 2015
7-Jul

Prism Book Alliance

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Foxylutely Book Reviews 

8-Jul

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

Nic Starr

Hearts on Fire 

9-Jul

MM Good Book Reviews

Mikky’s World of Books

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words 

10-Jul

Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

Inked Rainbow Reads 

13-Jul

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

Bike Book Reviews 

14-Jul

Happily Ever Chapter

Amanda C. Stone 

15-Jul

Bayou Book Junkie

BFD Book Blog 

16-Jul

Velvet Panic

Chris McHart

Love Bytes 

17-Jul

Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

My Fiction Nook

Full Moon Dreaming 

20-Jul

Molly Lolly

Multitasking Mommas

Divine Magazine

Rainbow Gold Reviewsul
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
Nic Starr
Hearts on Fire

9-Jul
MM Good Book Reviews
Mikky’s World of Books
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

10-Jul
Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
Inked Rainbow Reads

13-Jul
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
Bike Book Reviews

14-Jul
Happily Ever Chapter
Amanda C. Stone

15-Jul
Bayou Book Junkie
BFD Book Blog

16-Jul
Velvet Panic
Chris McHart
Love Bytes

17-Jul
Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My
My Fiction Nook
Full Moon Dreaming

20-Jul
Molly Lolly
Multitasking Mommas
Divine Magazine
Rainbow Gold Reviews

Love A Sexy Historical Romp? Turn to Bound with Passion by Megan Mulry! (and a chance to win a Kindle)

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Bound with Passion by Megan Mulry
Published by Riptide Publishing
Release Date: July 6, 2015

Cover Artist L. C. Chase
Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing

I discovered author Megan Mulry and the Regency Reimagined series with her book, Bound to be A Groom, a wildly funny and imaginative  sexual romp! Now Megan Mulry is back with another  story in this universe, Bound with Passion.  It gave me a chance for a interview and a closer look at this terrific author.

 My Interview with Megan Mulry on Passion, Historical Fiction and Regency Romance!

Q.  I love how you combine your passion of history and a certain era with your passionate and unusual couples and their relationships. What was the inspiration behind using that era?

I’ve always loved Regency romances, so it just made sense that when I tried my hand at writing historicals, they would take place in that time period. And for some reason when I write in a historical world, I feel freer to explore all these ‘passionate and unusual couples’ so it all kind of fell together.

Q. What was your inspiration for your characters?

I tend to find inspiration everywhere I look: Georgie was (fictionally) inspired by Judith McNaught’s Whitney, My Love as well as real life British adventuresses like Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762), Lady Hester Stanhope (1776-1839), and Freya Stark (1893-1993). I was fascinated with all sorts of elements of these real-life women while writing Vanessa, Nora, Georgie, and Selina.

Q. Why polyamory? Why use that in a M/M historical romance or do you consider this a LGBT historical romance?

I think all my characters are pansexual, rather than M/M or F/F or MMFF or what-have-you. I think Riptide has done a great job of embracing all of that. Yes, if the primary characters are in a lesbian relationship when the story takes place (like in Bound with Love), then that book will be marketed as lesbian fiction, but both of those women also had relationships with men in their pasts. I guess I think my characters fall in love with each other’s minds or humanity, and it doesn’t really matter if they are male or female falling in love with male or female. And, consequently, if/when they are attracted to both men and women, well, polyamory is kind of…necessary.

Q. What era would you choose to live in other than our current one?

Maybe 700 AD Japan, when women still held equal power, but with a timeslip that would grant me access to 100% effective birth control.

Q. Some lovers of M/M fiction don’t want to see a M/F or F/F element in their stories. The same probably goes for those lovers of F/F romance. What is your response to that?

I think people should read what they love, but… if we never try something new, we might be missing out on more to love! I used to read only literary fiction because I didn’t think I would like romance (and look how that turned out!) You never know until you try, right? That said, I’m not a proselytizer by nature so I don’t ever like to tell people what to read or not read. For me personally, I love watching people fall in love on the page, and over time it’s come to matter less and less whether they are male or female. Even so, I totally respect that the gender of characters is a powerful part of why others enjoy a book. To each his own!

Q. What you do like to read? What are you currently reading now?

I read romances almost all the time, with a smattering of nonfiction about the history of sex or, rarely, literary fiction. I just finished Alisha Rai’s “Serving Pleasure” (be still my heart for tortured artist Micah Hale!) and am now reading Mary Balogh “Only Enchanting”. I also love vintage Harlequin Presents and have about 30 of those lined up to read over the rest of the summer.

Q. What’s next for Megan Mulry? Any more in this series?

The last book in this series comes out in August (Bound with Honor) and then that is it for now in the Regency Reimagined fictional universe. I have three other major projects that I’ll be writing over the next year, and a contemporary romance, Encore, coming out in December 2015.

Thank you for having me!

The pleasure is ours, thanks for stopping by.

 

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About Bound with Passion….

Lady Georgiana Elizabeth Cambury has been a “wild romping girl” all her life: dressing in trousers, riding astride, and doing just fine, thank you very much. Her father’s exceedingly generous bequest—and her mother’s liberal views of the world—have ensured that Georgie will never be a slave to the barbarous institutions of marriage or motherhood. Or so she thinks.

When she returns from five years in North Africa to boring Derbyshire for a brief, obligatory family visit, she finds herself in the midst of a legal snarl involving Mr. James Rushford and Lord Trevor Mayson—neighbors, lovers, and her two closest friends. Mayson’s father has declared that he must marry or forfeit his vast inheritance, so Georgie blithely offers to walk down the aisle, in name only. Problem solved.

But try as she might, Georgie cannot ignore the passion that quickly blazes between all three of them. When her marriage of convenience turns into something much deeper, Georgie must decide if she is willing to give up the independence she has fought so hard to achieve—or if love is worth the ultimate surrender.

Read an excerpt here at the Bound with Passion page at Riptide Publishing.

About Megan Mulry!

Megan Mulry writes sexy, stylish, romantic fiction. Her first book, A Royal Pain, was an NPR Best Book of 2012 and USA Today bestseller. Before discovering her passion for romance novels, she worked in magazine publishing and finance. After many years in New York, Boston, London, and Chicago, she now lives with her family in Florida.

Connect with Megan:

Website: http://meganmulry.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4123439.Megan_Mulry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meganmulry
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/meganmulrybooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganMulry
Email:mailto:megan@meganmulry.com

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Giveaway:

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a 6” Kindle! Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 11. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to add your email so we can contact you if you win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Winner chosen and prize provided by the author and Riptide Publishing.

Regency Reimagined (Universe)

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Regency Reimagined invites you to enter a sensual realm that defies the rules of polite society, where convent girls are more than curious, and dukes and earls are eager to oblige them—and each other. Pull back the curtain . . . and step into a passionate world that knows no traditional bounds.

Bound to be A Groom

Bound with Love (A Regency Reimagined Story)

Bound with Passion (A Regency Reimagined Novel)

Bound with Honor (A Regency Reimagined Novel)

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: How to Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton~ audiobook narrated by Matthew Shaw

Rating: 5 stars out of 5audiobook clipart bw

How To Howl At the Moon Audio CoverAn absolutely wonderful audiobook, this one kept me riveted to my iPhone until I finished. The story, the humor, the angst, the voice of the narrator—all combined to make this one A+ in my book.

Sheriff Lance Beaufort is the principal law enforcement officer in the small town of Mad Creek, California, a sleepy little town that also happens to be predominately populated by dog shifters. These “quickened” dogs have gained the ability to become human, some in this generation, but others are born that way, the children and grandchildren of dogs who’ve been quickened. Descended from quickened Border collies on both sides of his family line, Lance is the best guardian the town could have as he takes his job very seriously and never lets personal issues interfere with his mission.

So it’s no surprise that he’s suspicious when a young man shows up who seems to be without resources and smelling of marijuana. Tim Weston is there to grow a new hybrid rose for a woman who owns a property on the edge of town. In exchange for Tim’s skills as a horticulturist, Tim can live there rent-free for six months. While he’s trying to get the hybrid roses to grow, he’s also planting a variety of vegetables that he plans to sell at farmer’s markets in the summer, an endeavor which he hopes will generate enough money to support himself and to begin to pay rent on the property when the six months is up.

But Sheriff Lance doesn’t take his word for the fact that he’s renting the property. Suspicious should be his middle name, so he shifts into his Border collie persona and goes to check out the grounds for himself. Unfortunately, as he’s leaving, Tim’s pickup truck hits him, and he’s forced to go along with the charade of being a dog under Tim’s care for a while. He then finds that Tim isn’t quite what he thought he was. He’s not a pot-smoking loser trying to get rich by planting marijuana in the fields, instead, he’s a sweet young man, who is only trying to make ends meet, and he seems to be very much in need of someone to snuggle. Lance decides he’ll be that man—um, dog—at least until he can get to the bottom of things.

Tim thought he was getting away from all his troubles when he came to Mad Creek. His former boss had taken out patents on the vegetable and flower hybrids that Tim generated, keeping everything in his own name and pocketing all the profits. And as if that’s not bad enough, his father was physically abusive when he was a child so Tim has no home at all. Of course he welcomes the dog into his life, a dog he names Chance.

Naturally, nothing goes according to plan for either man. When Tim’s greenhouse is destroyed by someone who thinks he’s in competition with their own pot-growing operation, and the true story of Lance’s deception comes out, Tim feels totally abandoned and betrayed all over again. Will Lance be able to overcome his foolish mistakes to make Tim believe that they are mates and that Lance loves him with all his heart? Or will the troublemakers lurking in Tim’s past revisit his life and cause even more havoc than before?

Ack! I loved this story! I have been a devout fan of Eli Easton ever since I first read The Lion and the Crow, a story she created for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group in 2012. There is nothing that she’s written that I don’t like, but this one really touched my heart. The canine element, with their big blue soulful eyes, and the humor throughout the story sold me on this one. There were times I laughed out loud as I was listening to the audiobook. Narrator Matthew Shaw did an outstanding job. His narration was fast-paced, and the timing of the humorous parts of the story was spot-on, yet the narrative for the sadder, lonelier times was equally compelling. When he emulated the hopeless, soulful howl which Lance let out when he thought he had lost Tim for good, it brought tears to my eyes.

I can’t recommend this story highly enough, and I’m excited beyond measure to find out that this is the beginning of a series. The next story is a must buy for me. Bring it on, Eli Easton—I want more of these quickened dogs and their human sides, as soon as possible, please. If you like shifter stories and sweet romance, this is the book for you. And don’t hesitate to pick up the audiobook version. It’s bound to add more to the story than you would get from reading it alone.

The bright and cheerful cover art depicts a beautiful black border collie, leashed, and sitting next to his master as they pause to pose. It’s exactly as I’d imagine Chance would look, and though Tim’s face isn’t shown in the picture, it’s evident by his posture that the dog is sitting next to his owner.

Sales Links:  Audible |  Amazon | Buy It Here

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 6 pages
Published March 19th 2015 by Pinkerton Road (first published February 28th 2015)
original titleHowl at the Moon
ASINB00UVVHOTI
edition languageEnglish
seriesHowl at the Moon #1
charactersLance Beaufort, Tim West

In the Book Spotlight: Summer Love Anthology (A YA Collection from Duet, YA Interlude Press) (mini interview &giveaway)

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Summer Love Anthology – A YA Short Story Collection
Published by Duet – a YA imprint at Interlude Press
Release Date: June 23, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Duet, a Young Adult imprint form Interlude Press
Cover Artist: BuckeyeGrrl Designs

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Sales Links:  Interlude Press – Amazon – Independent Bookstores

Our mini interview…

My Best Friend, Summer Love- HJ Coulter

Today I am very lucky to be interviewing HJ Coulter, author of My Best Friend, part of the Summer Love Collection. Hi, HJ, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us about yourself, your background and your current book.

If I was to categorize myself, I guess I would say I am a geeky, classy, redneck. I grew up on the farm so I have an appreciation for wide open spaces and playing in the mud. I LOVE country music and the independent lifestyle that comes with country living. But I also the love the theatre, the sound of cellos, lace and old books. Plus I own more TV shows in DVD than should be legally allowed, dream of owning a replica of Hogwarts and my “ I Want To Believe” poster is one of my most prized possessions.

My current story, My Best Friend, is a letter from a gay young man to his best friend who has recently gotten married and is moving away. When I heard the theme Summer Love, I automatically knew that I did not want to write a romance. I wanted to capture all the other loves in people’s lives. Whether that be something as simple as a love for summer rain storms or as complicated as the love between a young man and his mentally ill father. My goal was to give emphasis to the fact that the epic love stories in your life don’t have to be romance.

What did you want to do when you grew up?

Like most people, I think my career aspirations changed as my interests grew and evolved. When I was very young, 4 or 5, I wanted to be Beethoven. Growing up with my Oma and Opa gave me a very early love for classical music and Beethoven’s 9th was my all-time favourite. I even sat down at the piano one day and played the melody to Ode to Joy by ear. This is what sparked my deep love for music. And like all first loves, music will always be a part of my life.

When I was an adolescent I was obsessed with cop dramas. I was known around school as the “ CSI girl”. I wanted to be everything for a lab tech to a beat cop to forensic psychologist. I read a lot of true crime novels and biographies of serial killers. I was a little creepy, not going to lie. It’s weird because most of my personal library has shifted into fiction. And I now like my procedurals with aliens or super villains. How times change.

I also remembering wanting to be a paramedic, hair dresser and English teacher. In fact when I went to post-secondary I was working towards getting my education degree. But to tell you the truth, I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. And I’m almost 25. Sure I have been thinking a lot lately about being a musical therapist or officially getting my papers to be a recreation facillator for older adults, but who knows? Not too long ago I didn’t think I would a published author and now look at me.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Summer Love is the first collection of short stories published by Duet, the young adult imprint from Interlude Press. These short stories are about the emergence of young love of bonfires and beaches, of the magical in-between time when young lives step from one world to another, and about finding the courage to be who you really are, to follow your heart and live an authentic life. The contributing authors have written stories about both romantic and platonic love featuring characters who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, pansexual and queer/questioning. The authors also represent a spectrum of experience, identity and backgrounds.

SUMMARIES & AUTHOR BIOS

  • Beautiful Monsters
    A campaign volunteer is assigned to assist his high school’s Gay Straight Alliance for the Pride Parade, forcing him to face the students he had previously avoided, and the truth about himself.
    Author: Rachel Davidson Leigh is a writer, educator, and small town native who tells stories she wishes she could have read as a teen. Beautiful Monsters is her first published work of fiction. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and two dogs who are spoiled out of their tiny minds.
  • The Willow Weeps for Us
    Jack, the young son of a grocer, falls for a charming piano teacher at the dawn of World War II.
    Author: Suzey Ingold is a writer, linguist and coffee addict, currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Brought up in a household where children’s books are quoted over the dinner table, literature has always had a strong influence on her life. She enjoys travelling, scented candles and brunch.
  • The Fire Eater’s Daughter
    When a traveling carnival comes back to town, Ruth must choose between caring for her mother and a life with the beautiful and mysterious Constance, the fire eater’s daughter.
    Author: Amy Stilgenbauer is a writer and aspiring archivist currently based in southeast Michigan. She is the author of the novelette series, Season of the Witch, as well as the Young Adult novel, The Legend of League Park. When she isn’t writing, Amy enjoys all things bergamot and tries to keep her cats away from her knitting.
  • Surface Tension
    Logan just wants a summer where he can be anonymous and fit in without labels, but that all changes when he meets out-and-proud Dave at summer camp.
    Author: Ella J. Ash is a lawyer by day and an author by night. She has been a writer in online fan communities since 2006. She also enjoys dance parties with her family and cooking experimental vegetarian cuisine. She lives in Toronto with her partner, three daughters and four tropical fish.
  • My Best Friend
    In a letter to his best friend, a young gay man reminisces about their relationship.
    Author: H.J. Coulter lives in Winnepeg, Canada, where she works as a respite worker and studies music, in hopes of one day becoming a musical therapist. My Best Friend is her professional writing debut.
  • What the Heart Wants
    A young student discovers attraction and desire through her experience drawing figures in her summer art class.
    Author: Naomi Tajedler was born and raised in Paris, where art has always been a part of her life—including painting, restoring books, and working in auctions. She started writing in online fan communities in 2009.
  • The Most Handsome
    Carter, a Cape Cod boy who recently came out as transgender, meets and falls in love with a college student visiting for the summer.
    Author: S.J. Martin lives with his partner and their cranky, rotund cat in Washington D.C. He’s a barista by day and a writer by night. He makes a mean cappuccino and lives for good coffee, good books, and good company. The Most Handsome is his first published story.
  • Something Like Freedom
    A boy finds a safe space from which to imagine a new future after leaving his conservative parents’ home, thanks in part to a new friend.
    Author: Caroline Hanlin is a full time statistician, a part time stage manager, and an avid sports fan. She currently resides in Boston, where she enjoys writing during her commute. Something Like Freedom is her first published short story.
  • On the Shore
    A young woman retreats to her parents’ beach house to nurse a broken heart, but instead meets a vivacious girl who helps her find joy again.
    Author: Rachel Blackburn is a writer, musician and librarian based in central Ohio. When free from work, she enjoys cuddling with her cats, drinking tea, and baking more cupcakes than necessary. On the Shore is her professional writing debut.

Pages or Words: 276 pages

Categories: Please keep in mind that as an anthology, not all stories contain all elements listed.
Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Lesbian Romance, M/M Romance, Romance, Trans*, Young Adult, Collection

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Excerpt: (From Beautiful Monsters)
Beautiful Monsters
By Rachel Davidson Leigh

“Glad to see you could join the party,” Terrence deadpans, pressing a rainbow bandana into André’s hand. André grabs a second bandana out of the bag, stuffs one in each of his back pockets, and then goes in for a third.
“Cody was checking out the parade route,” André replies, in a smooth lie. “It turns out we’re still walking six blocks through absolutely nothing and then calling it a day.” Terrence laughs, and, as he turns away, André presses a handkerchief into Cody’s hand. “Use it wisely,” he whispers into Cody’s ear. “You’re one of us now.”
One of us. He’s never been part of an “us.” Cody stares down at the lines on the handkerchief and then at the two patches of color on the back of André’s jeans as he walks toward the arriving cars.
Cody expects panic, but it doesn’t come. Maybe he isn’t ready to be Gay with a capital G, but if “us” can mean being one of these idiots, then maybe he’s ready to have people of his own. As he watches the sharp sway of André’s hips, the heat rising up his neck doesn’t feel like fear. It feels like… clarity, as though the run put everything in perspective and now he can’t stop seeing André in crisp, dazzling color.
Someone presses a sign into his hand and guides him toward the parade staging area with the rest of the crew. Once again, he can’t hear himself think over the din, but it’s different now. At the meeting, and for years before that in the hallways, he felt like an invader locked out by a wall of sound, and now he’s somehow wandered inside. 

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About the authors at Interlude Press:

Where to find more information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/interludepress
Twitter: @duetbooks, @interludepress
Pinterest: pinterest.com/interludepress
Other: duetbooks.com
Other: duetbooks.tumblr.com

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Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the press and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: One $25 Interlude Press gift card. Five multi-format Summer Love eBooks.
Rafflecopter Code:
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Tour Dates & Stops:
23-Jun
Hearts on Fire
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
Cathy Brockman Romances

24-Jun
Boys on the Brink Reviews
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

25-Jun
Up All Night, Read All Day
Happily Ever Chapter
Velvet Panic

26-Jun
Bending The Bookshelf
Mikky’s World of Books
Prism Book Alliance

29-Jun
Bike Book Reviews
Rainbow Gold Reviews
Amanda C. Stone

30-Jun
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
BFD Book Blog

1-Jul
TTC Books and More
Foxylutely Book Reviews
Bayou Book Junkie

2-Jul
MM Good Book Reviews
Inked Rainbow Reads

3-Jul
Emotion in Motion
Love Bytes

6-Jul
Molly Lolly
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
My Fiction Nook

In the Book Spotlight: Family Time Anthology from Torquere Books

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Family Time Anthology
Author Names: Sean Michael, Jessica Chase, Nicole McCormick, Nora Birch,
Lynn Townsend, K. Lynn, RJ Schmidt, Katherine Halle, Rob Rosen, Mychael Black,
and Andrea Dalling, Yolande Kleinn

STRW In The Spotlight Header

Release Date: June 17, 2015
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

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Sales Links:   Torquere Books

STRW Author BookSynopsis

These twelve stories range from first-time parents, to a couple still trying to conceive, to a ready-made family hoping to make it official, to parents just trying to get from one day to the next.

But it can’t all be about the kids. Especially when the kid to parent ratio favors the kids. You might have sneak out of your own house. Or remind your spouse what grown-ups can do when the kids are away.

From veteran and new authors, these families contain several m/m couples, an F/F couple, and an asexual mom who has some explaining to do to her genderfluid teen.

Pages or Words: 77,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Humor, Lesbian Romance, M/M Romance, Romance, Anthology, Erotic Romance (Please keep in mind that as an anthology, not all stories may reflect all categories.)

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

 

Excerpt from First Day of School, a And Manny Makes Seven short by Sean Michael

Lizzie stared at Hutch with huge, tear-filled eyes. “Please. Please, Hut. Don’t make me go away. I’ll be the best cooker ever. I promise.”

God, she was breaking his heart. Hutch managed to find a warm smile for her, though, as he crouched to give her a hug. “You’ll be home by three thirty. And I bet you find you like school. There’s so many fun things to do.” He’d known it would be hard to send the twins off to school every day, leaving the house empty until afternoon, but he hadn’t expected it to be this hard.

She shook her head, the tears beginning to fall. Felicia was desperate to be big, to go to school like Darla, but this one had been opposed to the whole idea and finding out she wasn’t in the same Kindergarten class as her twin hadn’t helped. The school claimed they split twins up to let them develop their own individuality.

Well, Hutch knew damn well his girls were plenty individual, each with their own unique personality despite being together since birth.

“When you get home you can help me make supper,” he promised. “That won’t change just because you’re going to school.”

“Please? You can tell Addie-Lou it’s okay. I know you can,” she insisted.

“No, little. He can’t.” Adam shook his head. “School is important.”

“Is not!” She stamped her little foot, glaring at Adam. “I want to stay with Hut!”

“Okay, Lizzie, that’s enough.” Hutch gave her his most firm voice. “School is important and you’re going to make friends and find really fun things to do. Addie-Lou and I will be here when you get home.”

He wanted so badly to tell her she could stay home, but he knew she needed to do this. It was his job to make sure she didn’t need him and Adam anymore and this was how it started. Even if it was the hardest thing ever.

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Family Time Anthology’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link an prizes provided by the publisher and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:

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Tour Dates & Stops:
Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Havan Fellows, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Molly Lolly, Decadent Delights, Just Love Romance, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Bayou Book Junkie, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Mikky’s World of Books, Redz World, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Velvet Panic, Iyana Jenna

M/M Shifter Spotlight: Parker Williams on Writing Shifters & the Scent of the Heart (Shifting Needs #2) by Parker Williams (author interview and giveaway)

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Scent of the Heart (Shifting Needs #2) by Parker Williams
Series should be read in order
Release Date: June 15, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Parker Williams
Cover Artist: Laura Harner

Sales Links:   All Romance (ARe) – Smashwords – Amazon

-Our Interview with Parker Williams-

We are happy to have Parker Williams here today to talk a little about the allure of writing shifters and romance.

Parker, why do you love to write about shifters?

Parker Williams: I love shifters. They’re powerful. They’re quick. They heal fast. But they also find that special someone who completes them, and a bond forms, putting them together for life. To me that’s the ultimate love story, and usually one of them is definitely in charge in the relationship. I do love alpha characters.

My favorite shifter series is from Silvia Violet. She gives me so many goose bumps from he way she writes them. No matter how powerful, they always have a weak spot, some chink in their armor that people can exploit, but they also are the ones who step up to save the day.

When I decided to try my hand at a shifter story, I wanted to do something a little different. In my world, only a human can be the Alpha, because only a human has no allegiance to one shifter race over another, so he can decide fair and impartially. That’s where Zak came in. He’d been groomed for the job since he was a child, having sacrificed many aspects of his life, because his guardians told him that one day he would need to know all these things.

But Jake… Oh gods, I loved Jake. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him when he smelled that delightful aroma that was Zak. Jake didn’t know what a shifter was, didn’t even believe such a thing was possible, but after he scented his mate, his body began to change.

I think that’s what I like best about it. In my world, shifters are two souls who share one body. They’re aware of each other, but each has their own needs. Jake is the exception. His jaguar is an essential part of him, and his mind is in control while he’s in the jaguar’s body.

But for those who never gave a shifter book a chance, pick one up. If you like powerful alpha men, you may very well find yourself fin love with shifters, too.

Thank you, Parker…now more about Scent of the Heart.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Casey Scott grew up being told he’d never amount to anything, and despite the unwavering
love and support from his best friend, Jake, the idea sticks in the back of Casey’s mind. When he
discovers he has a unique destiny in an enclave where shifters and humans live together, he
seizes the chance, wanting for once in his life to be someone special.

Tsvetok Yerokhin lost his parents to the evil ruler of the enclave when he was a boy. The
responsibilities of raising his two younger brothers nearly overwhelmed him and self-doubt
took over. When the new Alpha and his Protector arrive in time to save his life, Sev is grateful,
but he’s even more shocked when he scents his mate with them.

Casey isn’t prepared for the feelings that sweep over him when he meets Sev, but he refuses to
act on them because he’s straight. Still, there is something so alluring about Sev that Casey can’t
help being drawn to him.

As the two explore the edges of their new discovery, an evil returns, determined to control the
enclave or destroy it. The Alpha and Protector are powerless to stop it, but Casey holds the key
to victory. If he can discover what it is, he has a chance to save them all. To be the hero.

Unfortunately, the hero has to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, and for Casey that
means losing his heart.

Pages or Words: Approximately 69,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Bisexual, Fiction, Gay Fiction, New Adult

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“This night is shot,” Casey mumbled. “Hakii, if you’re there, I’m sorry. I need to find him. I’ll try to be back as soon as I can. Oh, and if you’re not there, I hope you’re getting a damn good laugh at me talking to myself.”
The night air had chilled considerably. Casey threw on a sweater and hurried to the Alpha’s house. Before he could pound on the door, it swung open. Jake stood there wearing nothing at all.
“Oh god, my eyes.”
Jake sighed. “You’ve seen me before. A lot, if I recall correctly.”
“And every time I do, I remember that I need to create eye bleach.”
Jake faked a laugh. “Yeah, you’re hilarious. What do you want?”
“A guy came to my house tonight. His name is Sev, and I think he’s in trouble.”
All humor fled from Jake’s face. “What happened?”
Casey told him about the visit. “He…called me his mate. What the hell is that about?”
“Later. We’ve got to find him.”
In an instant, Jake transformed into a beautiful black jaguar. Zak came rushing to the door. “What is wrong?”
Before Casey could answer, Zak grabbed a heavy coat and squirmed into it. “Jake will track him. You will come with us.”
“Zak, he called me his mate. Why would he do that?”
“You worry about this now? I do not see where this matters. If you prefer, you may stay behind.”
Casey sobered immediately. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry.”
They tracked Jake as he hurried to the woods. When they heard him roar, Zak and Casey ran to the edge of the forest. Jake had transformed back to his human form and, man, was he pissed.
“Come out here, now,” he demanded.
There was no movement, but Casey heard a clicking noise, followed by the familiar stamping of feet.
“You spray me and I swear to the gods I will neuter you. Put your damn tail down and face us as a man, Sev.”

Sales Links:

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that come with melding lives together.
Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.

Where to find the author:

Connect with Parker on: Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641
Or you can visit his website: http://www.ParkerWilliamsAuthor.com

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 gift card and a skunk Beanie Baby. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Dates & Stops: June 15 – 19, 2015
15-Jun
Bayou Book Junkie
My Fiction Nook
Inked Rainbow Reads
Nephylim
Amanda C. Stone
Cate Ashwood

16-Jun
Havan Fellows
Emotion in Motion
Wake Up Your Wild Side
TTC Books and More
Christy Loves 2 Read
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
The Blogger Girls

17-Jun
Happily Ever Chapter
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
Bike Book Reviews
Divine Magazine
Prism Book Alliance

18-Jun
Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
Lee Brazil
Molly Lolly
Multitasking Mommas
Love Bytes
Up All Night, Read All Day
Butterfly-O-Meter

19-Jun
The Novel Approach
MM Good Book Reviews
Rainbow Gold Reviews
Cathy Brockman Romances
Full Moon Dreaming
BFD Book Blog
3 Chicks After Dark
Carly’s Book Reviews
Iyana Jenna