Join Us for the Release Blitz for Not Another Statistic by JM Dabney (excerpt)

Not Another Statistic

Yuri Sorenson Mysteries

J.M. Dabney

MM/Gay Fiction/Romance, Mystery/Suspense

Release Date: 09.24.19

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Cover Image – FuriousFotog (Golden Czermak)

Cover Model – Kevin R. Davis

Cover Art – J.M. Dabney

Blurb

Former Federal Agent Yuri Sorenson had left the bureau behind to become a private investigator. His ex-partner came to him asking for a favor, not knowing who else to trust. Yuri had always had a way of keeping his emotional distance from the people he protected, yet that changed the day Clarkson hesitantly limped into his life.

What happens when love is confused with pain? That’s the exact question Josh Clarkson had asked himself for years. He’d grown up in an overburdened foster care system, and from what he knew of love, he couldn’t expect anything but to be something tolerated. Was he meant to be more than a plaything or a piece of scenery? H could hope.

Two men who know nothing but being broken find that patience and acceptance are harder than losing hope. Is the leap of faith worth the reward of letting someone else in? Maybe they’ll find the strength to find out before the danger of Josh’s past tries to tear them apart.

Universal Link – https://books2read.com/u/bw2vV0

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Excerpt

The or, what the hell had I been thinking? I cursed myself as I unbuttoned my baby blue dress shirt that conformed to my slender upper body. As I stripped it off I studied myself in the bathroom mirror and draped the fine linen over the edge of the sink counter. I traced the fading scars that covered my chest and stomach. A few were still sensitive as I stroked the raised edges of tissue.

“They’re healing nicely.”

I jerked my eyes to the right in the mirror to find him watching me. An odd expression in his green eyes. I wondered what he thought of me. His attitude toward me had shifted but I still feared he saw me as he had the night I was led into his office. In his opinion was I still the pain addict whore that everyone made me out to be? At the club earlier I’d almost felt—normal. Like a well-adjusted man curled up against my date.

I mentally shook off my thoughts and my brain started to focus on other things. His unbuttoned shirt exposed the thick hair on his chest and stomach, his tie hanging loose. To keep from getting caught I returned to my perusal. My stomach was no longer concave and my ribs didn’t show through my pale skin. My cheeks face was filling out and I didn’t look like a skeleton. I knew I had more weight to gain in order to get up to fighting weight as he called it.

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong, baby boy?” His grumbly voice was low and soft, yet seemed to fill the room effortlessly.

“Just remembering.”

“Remembering what?” He asked as he entered the bathroom and stood behind me. There were several inches between us but I could still feel his body heat—his overwhelming presence—and my weakness called to me to lean back into his strength.

Something inside me was sick and rotten, I relied on him to keep me safe. He did little things that weren’t necessary. Like the espresso or candy, letting me pick a show on TV. They were stupid things but men didn’t do nice things for me just out of the kindness of their hearts. It always came with a price.

“Talk it out.”

Resistance was futile when his hands rested on my hips and he flexed his arms, pulling me back to his larger frame. The slightly coarse chest hair tickled my skin and my gaze flew to his. Nothing in his expression gave away his thoughts. He was as stoic as I remembered. That emotionless mask made me warier. While I didn’t think he’d physically hurt me, emotionally and mentally he could destroy me.

J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes Body Positive/Diverse Romance and Fiction. They live with a constant diverse cast of characters in their head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. J.M. lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure they do them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and they makes sure their characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more they want from telling their stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.

The author is Gender Nonconforming are uses the preferred pronouns They/Them.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/J.M.DabneyAuthor/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/jmdabney_author

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authorjmdabney/?hl=en

Reader Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/585182991553194

Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/J.M.-Dabney/e/B006QZIFLE

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-m-dabney

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Love a bit of Mystery with your Romance Stories? Check Out the Release Blitz for Ground Zero by Aimee Nicole Walker (excerpt)

Ground Zero

Zero Hours Series

Aimee Nicole Walker

M/M Romance/Mystery

Release Date: 09.22.19

Ground Zero Cover

Cover Design: Jay Aheer

Photographer: Wander Aguiar

Model: Jacob

Blurb

Ground zero, noun: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change.

Heat, humidity, and homicide are things veteran detective Sawyer Key expects to encounter on his first day with the Savannah Police Department, but the hostile reception from his new partner catches him by surprise. Sawyer isn’t a stranger to heartache and recognizes that Royce Locke is a wounded man who’s reeling from a devastating loss. Relentless and patient in all things, Sawyer is determined to make the new partnership work.

Savannah, Georgia is known for her quirky people, oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and antebellum architecture. Beneath the Southern charm and hospitality, festering hatred and violence is soaring with the summer temperatures. Locke and Key find themselves at the epicenter when their first case involves the death of a former shock jock who appears to be the victim of vigilante justice.

Opposites in nearly every way, the two detectives set aside their differences to take back their city and restore law and order. From this reluctant truce, an intense attraction grows that will either tighten or shatter their tenuous bond. Falling for his partner spells inevitable disaster, but Sawyer’s always been a sucker for wounded things. Sawyer could be the key to the life Royce has always wanted, if he’s brave enough to trust him. The fuse is lit, the clock is running, and the zero hour is upon them. Tick tock.

Ground Zero is the first book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. Ground Zero has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.

http://mybook.to/GroundZero

Ground Zero Teaser 2 Ground Zero Teaser 1

Excerpt

Locke tossed a file onto the conference table and ran his hands through his hair. “Maybe they saw our perp and are too scared to talk to the police, or maybe they invited them in to dry off and drink a cup of coffee to celebrate a job well done.”

Sawyer shook his head. “I’m serious.”

Locke sat up straight and stretched his arms over his head, working kinks out in his shoulders and upper back. “I am too. It’s hard to get witnesses to come forward when someone they like is a victim of a homicide. They’re often scared of payback if the killer finds out, and sometimes people are afraid of pointing the finger at a person who could be innocent.”He gestured to the stacks of boxes in the corner of the conference room. “Putz was a well-hated man.”

“You make a good point,”Sawyer agreed.

“I normally do, which is why you should listen when you hear the magnanimous gesture I’m about to make.”

“Magnanimous gesture?”

“Hey, you’re not the only one who knows big words, Golden Boy. I just wait to use mine when it really matters.”

“And it matters right this moment?” Sawyer asked.

“Yes, so are you ready to hear what I have to say?”

Sawyer dramatically gripped the conference table like he was bracing himself. “Ready.”

“He’s got jokes, folks,”Locke yelled through the open conference room door.

“Give him hell, Key,” Detective Blue from arson said as he passed by. He was built like a tank and spoke in a deep voice, reminding Sawyer of the late actor Michael Clarke Duncan.

Locke gave Blue the middle finger then looked at Sawyer once more. “Go home.”

“Or I’ll regret it?” Sawyer asked, uncertain where the hell Locke was going.

“Go home because it’s your birthday, and there has to be a thousand things you’d rather do than sit here and sift through Putz’s hate mail.”

Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day. I’d love to hear from you

https://linktr.ee/AimeeNicoleWalker

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Check Out KC Well’s Chatting about Covers and her new release Kel’s Keeper by KC Wells (guest blog and excerpt)

Kel’s Keeper

KC Wells

M/M Romance, Daddy/boy, Age gap

Release Date: 09.01.19

Kel's Keeper Cover

Cover by Meredith Russell

Photographer by Ben Fink

Models: Adam Keith and Joe Ryan

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host KC Wells here today talking about her new release Kel’s Keeper and cover art. Welcome, KC!

✒︎

You can’t judge a book by its cover.

We’ve all heard that a thousand times, right?

Yet…

How many of us choose a book for precisely that?

As an author, that’s one very important piece of marketing right there. Because if readers don’t like a cover, they might not be willing to go any further.

So who judges a book by its cover? EVERYBODY.

That’s why I spend a lot of time looking for THE perfect cover.

Take the cover of Kel’s Keeper as a for instance.

I was on a stock photo site, looking for Daddies. And not having a lot of luck. Just then, a dear friend, author Wulf Francu Godgluck, messaged me. I shared the couple of photos I’d found by that point, neither of which made me go OOOH YEAH.

“Try this guy.” Wulf sent me a link to Ben Fink’s page on Instagram, and BAM. I was lost in a sea of gorgeous daddies and bears. I scrolled down, looking for the right one. And suddenly I was stopped by a familiar face.

Adam?

Yup, it was someone I’d met twice in the US, as we shared a mutual friend. And the guy with him was his partner, who I’d also met. Adam Keith and Joe Ryan.

I LOVED that photo. I messaged Ben Fink immediately, and his reply was pretty quick. He wanted to know more about the book. I could understand that. I sent him the blurb, and he asked me to call him. He was actually filming a commercial for McDonalds when we got to chat.

He liked the book idea, and he was happy for me to use the photo, as long as Adam and Joe were okay with it too.

You can guess the rest.

Why did I choose that photo? The way they looked at each other. The emotional connection that was so obvious. Last week, I got to meet up with them in London for a few hours, and they are such a lovely couple.

A few of my books have featured real-life couples on the covers: An Unlocked Heart, Trusting Thomas, and Make Me Soar were all by one man, Terry Cyr. I chose the photo for Step by Step because of the way they looked at each other. And as for the cover of On The Same Page, (Secrets #4) I love photographer Ron Amato’s work. I used one of his photos for the cover of Threepeat, and when I saw this photo, I fell in love with it instantly. It’s a good thing Parker Williams liked it too, right?

I’ve been really fortunate with my publisher. I’ve heard from so many authors who have been sent a draft of their cover and they’ve had little input in its creation. In my case, if I find a photo I like, I send it to the Art department at Dreamspinner, and they have never said, ‘Oh no, that’s awful.’

They’ve also contacted photographers to purchase the rights to photos that I had to have. (Think First. That photo was freaking PERFECT for the book.)

Of course, good photos cost money. I’ve paid anywhere from $50 to $600 for a photo, and believe me, that’s not expensive. For some of your favorite covers out there, we’re talking $1,000+.

But for the right cover? It’s SO worth it.

BLURB
When Kel Taylor’s life changes irrevocably, he finds himself alone in the world. He might have rebelled a little against his parents, but that didn’t mean he was ready to lose them. Unable to cope with his grief and feelings of guilt, he turns to booze, but before he hits rock bottom, someone dives into the murky waters to save him.

Luc Bryant watched Kel grow from the little kid whose football broke a pane in his greenhouse, into the sexy young man who sent heat racing through him. That was when Luc stopped watching and distanced himself, because he didn’t want to be that kind of a man. And that’s how things continued, until he saw to what depths the boy had sunk. Luc will be damned if he’ll let Kel kill himself. What Kel needs is a friend, and Luc’s shoulders are plenty big enough to bear his burdens.

Kel doesn’t need a friend. He needs a pair of strong arms to hold him, a broad chest to curl up against, someone to listen to him, someone who cares for him… and a whole lot more.
What he needs is a Daddy.
He just doesn’t know it yet.

A stand-alone book that contains an age gap relationship between a sexy daddy and a virgin.

Amazon US

Barnes and Noble

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EXCERPT

The time for worrying about Kel had long past. Luc had to do something.

After the funeral, he’d kept his promise and checked in on the boy regularly, and at first it had looked like Kel was coming through this. At least, Luc assumed he was. He didn’t get to see Kel all that much, but their brief conversations over the property boundary were proof that Kel was alive and well, if looking a little thin.

Then the conversations dwindled, as did the phone calls. Kel politely refused Luc’s invitations to eat with him. He refused Luc’s offers of assistance. And lately there had been far too many occasions when Kel didn’t answer his phone. No reply to texts. When Luc had ventured across to knock at the door, there had been no answer. Of course, he could have been out, but somehow Luc doubted that. When April gave way to May, Luc’s disquiet increased.

There were signs of life at the house next door, however. Walmart trucks came and went, and more than once, Luc dashed out to catch Kel before he closed the front door, but he was never fast enough.

Almost as though the boy was avoiding him, which if it were true, would be extremely ironic.

The day arrived when Luc wasn’t content to sit back anymore and wait for something to happen. It was time for the last resort—and that meant Christine’s spare key, the one he’d never gotten around to giving back to Kel. Thank God.

Luc grabbed it from the hook in the kitchen where he kept his keys, and went out of the house. Kel’s car was in the driveway, and judging by the state of the ground beneath it, Kel hadn’t moved it for a while. That only added to Luc’s sense of foreboding.

He went around to the front door, not bothering to ring the bell. After weeks of his knocks going unanswered, there seemed little point. Luc inserted the key into the lock, praying there wasn’t a chain attached on the other side. Thankfully, the door opened, and Luc stepped quietly into the silent interior. He peered into the sitting room, then the dining room, but there was no sign of Kel. When he entered the kitchen, the sight was enough to stop him in his tracks.

Dishes were piled high on every countertop. The dishwasher door was open, and Luc peeked inside. It was full of dirty dishes. The sink was full too, and the trash looked like it hadn’t been taken out for weeks.

Luc noted the pizza boxes and take-out cartons. At least he’s eating something. It was only when he took a closer look at one corner of the kitchen that the full extent of the situation hit him.

Bottles. Lots and lots of empty bottles. And most of it was the hard stuff, Luc was dismayed to see. There were empty cans and bottles of hard cider, and bottles of wine too. It appeared as if Kel had drunk his way through the contents of a bar.

Dear God, what state is he in, if he’s drunk all that?

Luc checked the rest of the first floor, but there was still no sign. He paused at the foot of the stairs, his nostrils flaring. The smell of stale alcohol was very noticeable. Luc mounted the stairs, his heart pounding. This is not good. This is way worse than I thought. Already he was kicking himself for not charging in sooner.

When he reached the door to Kel’s room, Luc paused, steeling himself for whatever lay beyond it, and praying fervently that the boy hadn’t choked to death on his own vomit. He pushed open the door and heaved an internal sigh of relief at the sight that awaited him.

Kel was in his bed, only the top of his head visible above the comforter, but he was clearly breathing. The room was in semidarkness, and the reek of alcohol was at its strongest, accompanied by the smell of stale sweat. Luc crossed the floor, put his hand to the lump beneath the covers, and gave Kel a light shake.

Nothing.

Luc gave him a stronger shake, and Kel’s groggy voice shattered the quiet. “Wha?”

“Kel,” Luc said urgently. “It’s Luc.”

“Go ’way.”

Like Luc was going to do that. “No, I’m not going anywhere. Remember?” He slowly drew back the comforter, only to have Kel seize it from him and pull it back over himself. Half-closed brown eyes regarded him with incredulity.

“How’d you get in here?”

“I have a key. You mom gave it to me. Remember, she asked me to check on the house?”

Kel propped himself up on his elbows, and the comforter slid lower, revealing…

Well, I certainly didn’t expect that.

Kel had a tattoo, a pattern of black swirls and spikes that covered his right shoulder, his pec and came halfway down his upper arm. There was also a lot more body hair than Luc had been prepared for. Before Luc could utter another word, Kel set his jaw. “I want it back, then I want you to leave.”

Luc slowly shook his head. “No. You need help.”

Kel’s eyes blazed, and he sat bolt upright. “You. Need. To. Go. Now.”

“And let you keep doing this to yourself? Kel, you’re better than this.”

Kel’s jaw dropped, then he snapped it shut. “You need to go,” he repeated through gritted teeth. “I don’t want you seeing me like this. I’m a pathetic excuse for a human being. Help me? You couldn’t help me. I’m a hopeless case. I’m worse than useless.”

Luc’s stomach turned over. What the fuck had happened? “I have no idea where all this is coming from,” he said, doing his best to keep his voice even. “I know you, Kel. You’re nothing like the person you just described.”

Kel stared up at him, a dazed look in his eyes, his mouth open. “Know me? You don’t know me! Even my parents didn’t know me!” His chest rose and fell rapidly, his breathing harsh and staccato. “If they did, they’d have shunned me for the abomination that I am.”

Abomination? “Kel, I—”

“I was not a good son!” Kel yelled, the cords of his neck standing out. “And if they’d seen into my heart, they’d have been horrified. I went against their teachings.” He brought his left hand down hard on his right pec, wincing. “This. This would have given them so much pain, and I still had it done, knowing that.” His eyes glistened. “And there was worse than this. So many things I wanted to tell them, but I couldn’t, because they’d have been so damned disappointed in me. And now it’s too late. They’re never going to know what I’m really like. And I can’t bear that.” Tears spilled over his cheeks, his shoulders shook, and he sobbed.

Luc knew what he was seeing. In an instant, he sat on the bed, drew back the comforter, and pulled Kel into his lap, his arms around him. It was no surprise when the boy threw his arms around Luc’s neck and buried his face in Luc’s chest, his knees up to his chest, harsh sobs racking his body. “It’s okay,” Luc whispered. “Let it out. It’s all right to let it out, Kel.” Hot tears soaked into his shirt.

“I… can’t… stop… it from… hurting…” Kel choked out between sobs.

“It’s supposed to hurt.” Luc held onto him, one arm around his back, the other around his legs, cradling him, aware of the tremors that jolted through Kel’s frame. “This is grief. You’ve held on to your emotions so tightly, but now you have to let go.”

Kel’s sobs increased in volume and frequency, and Luc remained silent, gently rocking him in his arms, a weeping young man dressed only in his briefs, curled up against Luc’s chest and clinging to him. Luc’s arms were full to capacity: Kel might have been shorter than him, but he’d obviously been working out at some point. Little by little the tears subsided, and Kel’s breathing became less erratic. Luc brought his rocking to a halt, his nose buried in Kel’s hair. Finally, Kel moved gingerly, as though embarrassed by his position.

Luc let go, and Kel sat on the bed beside him. He sniffed, then wiped a hand across his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. If you knew how long I’ve been waiting for you to show some emotion over their deaths….” Luc stroked Kel’s hair. “It’s perfectly normal. And nothing to be embarrassed about. Although….” Luc wrinkled his nose.

Kel swallowed. “I guess I smell a bit ripe, huh?”

“Just a little,” Luc lied. “Nothing a good shower wouldn’t put right. If you think you can stay upright for that long. You might be a little shaky on your legs.” He stood, and held out a hand to Kel, who took it and pulled himself to his feet. Luc watched him anxiously. “Well?”

Kel expelled a long shuddering breath. “I can manage a shower.”

Luc nodded in approval. “And while you’re doing that, I’ll go downstairs and make you something to eat.” He cocked his head to one side. “That’s assuming there’s food in your kitchen. Edible food.”

Kel bit his lip. “Yeah, about that…”

Luc rolled his eyes. “Get washed. I’ll go to my place and raid the refrigerator. Take as long as you like.”

For the first time since Luc had entered his room, there was a flash of the old Kel. “Is that Luc-speak for ‘you stink’?”

Luc laughed. “Shower, dirty boy. Then I’ll feed you. And then… we can talk.” He felt a good deal lighter. That had been a cathartic moment, and while Kel still had a way to go, the outlook was hopeful.

What puzzled him were a couple of things Kel had said. At this point Luc wasn’t sure if he was going to leave them for now, or bring them out into the open. Because sooner or later, they had to talk about them.

K.C. Wells started writing in 2012, although the idea of writing a novel had been in her head since she was a child. But after reading that first gay romance in 2009, she was hooked.

She now writes full time, and the line of men in her head, clamouring to tell their story, is getting longer and longer. If the frequent visits by plot bunnies are anything to go by, that’s not about to change anytime soon.

If you want to follow her exploits, you can sign up for her monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT

You can stalk – er, find – her in the following places:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld

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KC’s men In Love (my readers group): http://bit.ly/2hXL6wJ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6576876.K_C_Wells

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B00AECQ1LQ

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Blog: http://kcwellsworld.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.kcwellsworld.com/

Love Historical Romance with a Twist? Check Out the Release Blitz Ride the Whirlwind by Jackie North (excerpt)

Ride the Whirlwind

Jackie North

M/M Romance, Time travel, Historical

Release Date: 09.17.19

Ride the Whirlwind-ebook

Cover Designer – Jay Aheer

Blurb

Soulmates across time. Two hearts, stronger together.

In present day, Maxton is good at finding trouble and bad at everything else. Then he receives a letter from his friend Laurie, who went missing. The letter is dated over one hundred years in the past.

In 1892, Trent Harrington, sheriff of Trinidad, Colorado, cast off by his family, lives a respectable but lonely life, devoid of any closeness. He knows he will be alone forever.

Trying to escape a past that keeps chasing him, Maxton drives south to Mexico. When his car spins off the road, he is swept up in a desert whirlwind, which takes him back in time to the year 1892. There, unused to the laws of the wild west, Maxton gets arrested, and is subject to the terrifying whims of two deputies who can do whatever they want to him.

Sheriff Trent Harrington of Trinidad is tasked with escorting Maxton to Trinidad. The request isn’t unusual, but the young miscreant is. Maxton draws Trent’s heart out of its shell with his flashing green eyes and lush head of hair. It isn’t right. It isn’t natural. It’s illegal. Yet Trent cannot resist the impetuous young man.

As the two men travel through the dry, lonely desert to their destination, will they find in each other the love and companionship they never thought they’d have?

A male/male time travel romance, complete with the scent of desert roses, brilliantly colored sunsets, starlit nights, roast rabbit over an open fire, growing honesty and trust, and true love across time.

Buy Link: http://mybook.to/RideTheWhirlwind

Contains references to Honey From the Lion and Wild as the West Texas Wind but can be read on its own.

RideComingSeptember2019 RideTheWhirlwindTeaser RideTheWhirlwindBasicAd

Excerpt

Though he very well knew that pride went before a fall, Trent felt quite pleased with himself. He’d managed to purchase two sturdy mounts: Old Sue, a calm-eyed mare who looked pleased to be saddled up and given something to do, and Lathalad, a pinto with remarkable blue eyes, an even more remarkable mostly white coat with a narrow black streak running down the center of his long tail.

He was a beauty for sure, but carried a scar across his breast, which might be the reason he was a tad skittish when he was brought out and trotted around. Trent worried until the man at the stables convinced him the horse could carry a man and supplies easily, that he was built for long rides. As well, Trent caught Maxton looking at the horses, and thought that the gelding was of the appropriate size.

They’d bought supplies of beans, packets of jerky, and, of course, ground coffee. He purchased a coffee pot, two tin cups and bowls, two tin spoons, and a used cutting knife, which he strapped to his right thigh below his gun belt. Whatever meat they needed Trent would shoot along the way.

Trent packed the saddlebags on each horse, showing Maxton how it was done, how to tighten the girth on a saddle, how to adjust the stirrups. How to fasten a pair of canteens across the cantle and tie them tight so they wouldn’t knock about and startle the horse. Then he tied his carpetbag behind the saddle on Old Sue, and the two bedrolls behind the saddle on Lathalad.

Maxton followed along with only half of his attention, as his other half seemed to be scanning the horizon on the edge of town where the stable was located. As well, he was making an expression that Trent couldn’t quite define, but he thought Maxton felt he was being treated like a fool who didn’t know any better. Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t, but it was better safe than sorry.

“It’s just past noon,” said Trent. He took his hat off, wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, then settled his hat on his head again. “But we can head out now and make our way out into the wild.”

Trent smiled, and wondered if he should actually share what he was thinking, but why not? He and Maxton would be together for several days, what harm would it to do admit this one little thing.

“I do love sleeping beneath the stars,” he said, now, looking at Maxton as he said it. Testing the waters. “Which is a little foolish, seeing as how if we waited a few days and taken the stage, we’d sleep in a hotel every night.”

“I don’t mind sleeping under the stars,” said Maxton. “Took a class on the constellations once, so I know a lot of them.”

Maxton stopped himself from saying more, and shrugged as if it was of no consequence to him. It was the same devil-may-care attitude that he’d carried with him from the moment Trent had laid eyes on him in the cell in Dilia.

Someone had taught Maxton not to care or, if he did, not to let on. Someone had taught him to hide every thought, whether foolish or wise. Someone had taught him to carry himself as though he might be under attack at any given moment.

Trent knew the feeling. Knew what it was like to hide what you were and what you thought. Knew what it was like to be wary and to dance beneath the surface of your own life until you forgot what it was like to breathe fresh air, to hold your head high and be exactly who you were.

Though, as to what Maxton was hiding, Trent didn’t know. He wanted to know, though, because there was a fire in that young man’s eyes. A soft shy tenderness, which Trent saw as Maxton looked out at the horizon and chewed his lower lip, like he was expecting something to come blasting at him from out of the desert.

Jackie-logo1

Jackie North has been writing stories since grade school and spent years absorbing the mainstream romances that she found at her local grocery store. Her dream was to someday leave her corporate day job behind and travel the world. She also wanted to put her English degree to good use and write romance novels, because for years she’s had a never-ending movie of made-up love stories in her head that simply wouldn’t leave her alone.

As fate would have it, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write books about. In this dazzling new world, she turned her grocery-store romance ideas around and is now putting them to paper as fast as her fingers can type. She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)

She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.

Website – http://www.jackienorth.com/

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Adore a Little Kink with Your Romance Story? Check Out the Blog Tour Dominated but not Subdued by JP Sayles (excerpt and giveaway)

Dominated But Not Subdued

La Trattoria Di Amore series

JP Sayle

Genre: M/M Romance/BDSM/Daddy Kink/Age Gap

Release Date: 08.30.19

ebook cover

Blurb

Why does he want to be a “boy” to a man twenty years his senior? A man who is so much more than big and burly. Is he a Daddy or a Dom?

Adam Grainger learnt the hard way that coming from an affluent family does not guarantee love or affection. It makes him doubt anyone could ever love him.

That is until Carl.

Carl showing him the darker pleasures in life leaves Adam revelling in the true meaning of letting go.

Carl standing up for him allows Adam’s need for a “Daddy” to surface.

But too many secrets and a driving force to not submit might prevent Adam from gaining what he never knew he craved: a Dom Daddy.

Dominated but not Subdued is the second book in the La Trattoria Di Amore series and can be read as a standalone. It is M/M romance with Daddy kink, aspects of BDSM play, an age gap, and a Dom Daddy who needs a strong boy to keep him on his toes.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W6Z8Q7R

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W6Z8Q7R

Excerpt

When Adam stopped complaining, Carl hopped off the bed. “Come on, we’re a mess, and I’m starving. I hope you bought something good at the shops.” He halted, his face aghast, sure he hadn’t heard what he thought he’d heard. “What did you say?” he asked.

“I said I’ve got tinned ravioli. That should do, with some toast,” Adam replied, shrugging at him as he walked towards him, bowlegged and stiff.

To see if he was serious Carl checked Adam’s face. His eyes widened as he spluttered indignantly. “You can’t seriously be considering giving me tinned, fucking ravioli. Me! An Italian-trained chef. You’ve gotta be having a fucking laugh.”

His boy stepped into him, his small hands pulling his sweaty head down. “Nope.” Adam giggled, laying a soft kiss against his mouth before lifting his head, smirking.

Frozen to the spot, Carl’s mouth gaped open. He couldn’t believe his boy thought he was ever going to eat pasta from a fucking tin. Whoever the fuck thought pasta even went in a tin needed bloody shooting. Shit, pasta in a tin. Carl shuddered. Whatever fucking next?

He grumbled at his boy, who had already disappeared out the door. He followed, complaining with every step he took. “Fucking pasta in a tin. Seriously, who thinks up this shit?”

My name is Jayne and I recently decided that writing was going to be my new career. I have spent most st of my life in the caring profession and I currently work as a nurse manager out of hours, managing a hospital site at night. I have always wanted to write and as I got more disheartened by my role at the time it gave me the impetus to change and live my dream. I am happily married and have been for 25 years. I have a beautiful daughter and currently one grandchild. I’m an identical twin, so if you see me, check first it’s me. I live on a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea and I’m what is known as a amand person. I love reading as much as writing and am an avid yoga fan

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In the Mood for a New Love Story? Check Out the Blog Tour for Resonance (A Rhythm of Love #2) by Neve Wilder (excerpt)

Picture_20190904_222640725

Resonance

A Rhythm of Love Series, Book 2

Neve Wilder

M/M Romance

Release Date: 08.21.19

Resonance - eBook

Blurb

I gave the rumor mill fodder for a lifetime the day I walked away from a lucrative music career without explanation.

People can talk all they like; my record stores are my lifeblood now, and I’m devoted solely to keeping them afloat in the digital age. There’s just one little thing distracting me: an earth-dwelling sunbeam named Owen Harper. I don’t know what I was thinking when I hired him. In fact, maybe I wasn’t thinking at all.

Quirky and excitable, he’s a walking, talking danger to fragile objects. His energy alone could power a small country. That’s never been my style. Hell, I was probably cutting my first album while he was cutting teeth. He wants a music career, and I’m done with all that. We couldn’t be on more opposite paths.

He’s other things, too, though. Things that keep me up late at night. Things that make me forget I’m supposed to be simplifying.

And damn does he love to push my buttons.

Now I’m struggling to resist his pull, drowning in the memory of his skin under my hands, his mouth on mine. His laugh.

When a long shadow from my past comes calling with an offer I’d be stupid to refuse, there’s more on the line than the survival of the shops I’ve dedicated the last fifteen years of my life to.

Because those fragile objects I mentioned earlier? One of them might well be my heart.

Resonance is the second book in the Rhythm of Love series but can be read on its own. It’s a steamy slow burn bisexual age-gap, boss/employee romance with lots of banter and two obstinate heroes who really, really don’t want to want the very thing they both need.

getbook.at/resonance

Basic Dan 6 Ohhhh Withhold 2 Screen Shot 2019-08-21 at 12.43.10 AM

Excerpt

Spewing that tirade at his bewildered expression felt good for all of a handful of seconds, long enough for me to leave the room, head down the hall, and straight out the back exit.

My stomach lurched as I scurried across the parking lot to my car, and I cast one last glance over my shoulder at the neon sign before tossing my case in the back seat and then sinking into the front and resting my forehead on the steering wheel. I blinked rapidly against the gathering sting in my eyes. Brush it off, inner cheerleader suggested cheerfully.

I groaned and the voice went silent. About damn time. I’d liked the Sparrow. Too bad I couldn’t show my face there again anytime soon. Probably ever.

I thumped my head against the wheel a couple of times and waited until the burn in the back of my throat faded before digging out my phone and opening my messages.

Owen: Done

Ru: How’d it go

Owen: I tripped running off the stage

Ru: Shit

Owen: But I didn’t wet my pants because 97% of the water in my body had already come out of my palms and forehead by then

Ru called me at that point, and I answered with what I thought might be a Guinness World Record–worthy sustained “fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.”

Ru chuckled good-naturedly, the jerk.

“I’m not really in the mood for vocal interaction right now,” I told him.

Neve Wilder lives in the southern US, where the summers are hot and the winters are…sometimes cold. She is a mom to three rambunctious weebeasts who have joined forces in a mission to carpet the family home with toys and small items that really suck to step on at six in the morning.

She reads promiscuously across multiple genres, but her favorite stories always contain an element of romance. Incidentally, this is also what she likes to write. Slow-burners with delicious tension? Yes. Whiplash-inducing page-turners, also yes. Down and dirty scorchers? Yes. And every flavor in between.

She believes David Bowie was the sexiest musician to ever live, and she’s always game to nerd out on anything from music to writing.

And finally, she believes that love conquers all. Except the heat index in July. Nothing can conquer that bastard.

Web site: www.nevewilder.com

FB author page: www.facebook.com/nevewilderwrites

FB Reader Group: www.facebook.com/groups/WildersWildOnes

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Neve-Wilder/e/B07HY29JMG

Bookbub Author page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/neve-wilder

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18429115.Neve_Wilder

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nevewilder

Don’t Miss Out on the Release Blitz Dominated but not Subdued by JP Sayle (excerpt)

Dominated But Not Subdued

La Trattoria Di Amore series

JP Sayle

Genre: M/M Romance/BDSM/Daddy Kink/Age Gap

Release Date: 08.30.19

ebook cover

Blurb

Why does he want to be a “boy” to a man twenty years his senior? A man who is so much more than big and burly. Is he a Daddy or a Dom?

Adam Grainger learnt the hard way that coming from an affluent family does not guarantee love or affection. It makes him doubt anyone could ever love him.

That is until Carl.

Carl showing him the darker pleasures in life leaves Adam revelling in the true meaning of letting go.

Carl standing up for him allows Adam’s need for a “Daddy” to surface.

But too many secrets and a driving force to not submit might prevent Adam from gaining what he never knew he craved: a Dom Daddy.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W6Z8Q7R

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W6Z8Q7R

Excerpt

Carl fiddled with the papers in front of him, though his brooding gaze never left Adam.

An hour later, Carl was desperate for a moment alone. Adam’s herby-scented aftershave was doing a number on him, and he was finding it harder and harder to concentrate as the minutes ticked by. He willed Seb to wrap things up.

“I think that answers all our questions,” Seb stated, flicking a glance at Carl for confirmation.

Carl nodded.

Seb carried on, “Once we’ve reviewed all the applicants, we’ll give you a ring. It should be later today, and if not, it will be tomorrow. Unless you have anything else you want to add, you’re free to go.”

Adam shook his head. “No, I think you answered all my questions.” He stood, giving a toothy smile. “Thank you for your time and your consideration for this post.”

Carl felt the weight of his sea-green eyes.

“I’d just like to say I know I’m young, but you won’t find anyone more dedicated or committed. When I put my mind to something, I always make it work.” He paused, looking at both men. “I’d work my backside off to make sure your business runs smoothly and efficiently.”

Carl imagined said backside doing more than running the restaurant. Instead he’d be bent over Carl’s spanking bench, which would be a more apt place for the gorgeous man. The vivid thoughts ran wild in Carl’s head, and he was reluctant to touch the offered hand as Adam leant over the table towards him and Seb.

He let out a relieved breath when Adam thanked them again for their time. He felt Adam’s final flirty grin all the way down to his toes. Adam spun around, hips swaying, as he walked with confidence across the room and out of sight, not once looking back.

The moment his pert backside disappeared around the partition wall, Carl slumped against the booth and rubbed his sweaty palms down his baggy black chef’s trousers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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http://jpsayle.com/ Website address

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BLOG TOUR for Heel (Working Out the Kinks #2) by KM Neuhold

Heel

Working Out the Kinks Series, Book 2

K.M. Neuhold

M/M Romance/Daddy/puppy play

Release Date: 08.02.19

Heel Final (1)

Blurb

“I’ve never thought of calling a man Daddy before, but I can’t think of a word that fits Vale better. He’s my Daddy, and I’m his pup.”

Broken and bruised, there’s nothing I won’t do to protect Adrian. I picked him up and made him whole before, and I’ll do it again. Adrian is a sweet pup with a smile full of sunshine and a heart made for love. A sweet pup needs a gentle hand, and that’s exactly what I intend to give him.

There’s nothing quite like slipping an expensive pair of high heels onto Adrian’s feet and watching him light up. If he wants a fairytale, I’ll happily be his Prince Charming.

*Heel is the second book in the Working Out the Kinks series but can be read as a stand-alone. This book contains a scene of domestic violence. This book also contains an adorable man who loves to be a puppy, fabulous high heels, and the happily ever after Adrian deserves.

Buy Link: mybook.to/Heel

Heel teaser 2

Heel teaser 3

Excerpt

“Be still, Sunshine,” Vale says commandingly, giving my body no choice but to obey, going limp in his arms. “You’re the most tempting, insanity inducing man I’ve ever met,” he accuses affectionately, my mind short circuiting when his lips brush against the base of my neck.

“Please,” I whimper again.

“Shh,” he soothes. “I want you to listen, because this is what we’re going to do.”

The calm domination in his tone settles the place deep inside me that craves direction and structure, to be taken care of by someone who knows better than I do.

“Yes,” I say breathlessly.

“Good boy. Now, first you’re going to give me your fingers to lick clean because I don’t think I can go another minute without a taste.” I groan in agreement, and he brushes another kiss against the back of my neck. “Then, we’re going to get out of bed, and I’m going to make breakfast. We’re going to talk about that kiss and where we go from here.”

Part of me wants to argue that talking is overrated, that I’d much rather have him bury himself inside me, and we can figure things out sweaty and screaming instead of talking over coffee. But the other part of me, the part that went all mushy and calm at the use of his Dom voice, is ready to give Vale anything he asks for if he’ll just tell me I’m his.

“Yes,” I answer, and he groans his approval, his cock jerking against my ass, clearly excited by my easy submission. I’ll say yes to anything to hear him make that sound again.

With great effort, I manage to let go of my cock. Vale’s grasp is still around my wrist, guiding my hand, making sure to slick my fingers with more precum before pulling it out of my underwear and to his mouth. I moan as his hot lips engulf my fingers, sucking them in and holding them in place as his tongue flicks over the tips, seeking out every drop of my arousal.

He grunts as he sucks my fingers clean, my eyes rolling back in my head as I imagine exactly how the same treatment would feel farther south.

“God, you taste even better than I imagined,” he praises in a raspy voice when he finally releases my fingers.

“You imagined what I’d taste like?”

“You have no idea, Sunshine.”

KM Neuhold Logo__

Author K.M.Neuhold is a complete romance junkie, a total sap in every way. She started her journey as an author in new adult, MF romance, but after a chance reading of an MM book she was completely hooked on everything about lovely- and sometimes damaged- men finding their Happily Ever After together. She has a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well. And she fully admits that her OCD tendencies of making sure every side character has a full backstory will likely always lead to every book having a spin-off or series. When she’s not writing she’s a lion tamer, an astronaut, and a superhero…just kidding, she’s likely watching Netflix and snuggling with her husky while her amazing husband brings her coffee.

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Love a Little Suspense with Your Romance? Check Out the Release Blitz for Kept in the Dark (Locke and Keyes Agency #1) by Charlie Cochet (excerpt and giveaway)

Kept in the Dark

Locke and Keyes Agency Series, Book 1

Charlie Cochet

Gay Romantic Suspense

Release Date: 08.20.19

Blurb

Former Army Ranger turned government assassin Álvaro Montero and CIA Officer Caiden Cardosa crossed paths two years ago in Vienna, where their encounter ended less than amicably—despite the explosive sexual chemistry between them.

Now Caiden is riding a desk at Langley after his cover is blown. And Álvaro—who was “killed”—has a new identity and purpose as Delta/D, an operative for the Locke and Keyes Agency, under the leadership of the mysterious Alpha Orion.

When D and Caiden team up in a deadly black ops mission, the urge to kill each other will have to take a back seat to the desire for revenge against the man who betrayed them both. Surviving the mission won’t be easy. Resisting the passion between them—that might be impossible.

Universal Link: http://getbook.at/KeptInTheDark

Kept in the Dark 2 Kept in the Dark 1

Excerpt

“You don’t need to be a designer to know how not to decorate your house,” D said, scowling at the vintage floral loveseat across from the blue velvet couch. “I think my grandmother had a couch like that. Except it was vacuum sealed in plastic. Nothing like sitting on a plastic-lined couch in the summer with no AC.”

Caiden gasped. “Wait, you had a grandmother?”

“Have. Yes.”

“Which means you had a mother.”

“Have a mother. Yes.” D squinted at him.

“Where are you going with this?”

“Well, damn.”

“What?”

Caiden shrugged. “I was under the impression you emerged from the darkness below. Clawing yourself out from the dirt, like a zombie or a great evil that’s come back to life after a misguided loved one buried you in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary.”

D didn’t appear impressed. “Funny.”

“What does the Dark Lord look like?” Caiden asked, moving to inspect one of the pillars between two bookcases. “Was he like Tim Curry in Legend or sexy and British like Tom Ellis in Lucifer?”

“He was your height, blondish hair, with green eyes. A mouthy motherfucker who never shut up because he was a smart little shit who thought he knew everything.”

“Wow. That’s pretty specific.” Caiden nodded, removing his tablet from inside his messenger bag. “A mouthy motherfucker and a smart little shit. Sounds like an interesting guy.”

“Sounds like a certain pain in my ass,” D hissed from behind him.

Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Website: www.charliecochet.com

Email: charlie@charliecochet.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/charliecochet

Twitter: @charliecochet

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Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CharlieCochet

Instagram: www.instagram.com/charliecochet

THIRDS HQ: www.thirdshq.com

Follow Charlie on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/charliecochet

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Don’t Miss Out On the Blog Tour for Mason’s Run (A Twin Peeks Bookstore Romance) by Mellanie Rourke (excerpt)

Mason’s Run

A Twin Peeks Bookstore Romance

Mellanie Rourke

M/M Romance

Release Date: 08.01.19

Mason Run Cover

BLURB

Mason:

I’ve escaped a past that would have destroyed most men: used, abused and sold for sex from a young age by those who should have protected me, an unexpected moment of compassion from a stranger gives me a chance at a new life.

Though I’ve started over, my scars run deep; I’m an LGBTQ fantasy graphic novel writer and artist with a huge following, but I’m terrified of the world. When I discover that the stranger who saved me from a life of abuse is the same man who has finally awakened my body to desire, I realize the truth: Can I ever really be free if I’m still afraid of my past and the people who shattered me?

Lee:

Serving as a medic in the Middle East, I felt the life of my fiancée slip away under my hands and was powerless to stop it. Discharged with physical and emotional wounds I can’t heal, I go home to my crazy, geeky family and try to learn to live with the damage.

Pain and grief lead me to some acts I’m not proud of, including paying strangers for sex. I’m determined to keep it strictly business, no emotions involved, but when I discover that Mason Malone isn’t a high-end escort, but a battered young man forced into a life of pain and degradation, I’m frozen in indecision. Then the man with the raven curls and blue-gold eyes whispers “”Please…”” and the barriers I built around my heart shatter.

Years later, fate brings us back together. He has a new name and career, but I could never forget those eyes. Mason, unfortunately, doesn’t recognize me. Every day I find myself more and more drawn to him, but I’m terrified of what will happen when our secrets are discovered.

As both of our pasts threaten our future, can we find a path to redemption? Can love and forgiveness overcome soul-shattering pain? Or will the discovery of our shared past create a chasm too wide to bridge?

Warning: PTSD, major anxiety issues, and sexual abuse, including rape, the aftermath of child molestation, and human trafficking.

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/MasonsRun

mason

EXCERPT

I couldn’t have found a better person to help get Mason out of his own head. He saw her freeze outside the door to the alcove where his signing table was located. As soon as Mason saw Jeri, he smiled. Jeri was very slim, just starting that gangly phase of adolescence that let you begin to glimpse the person they would become in five or ten years.

“Hi!” Mason said, sending a small, shy wave her way.

“…Hey,” she squeaked, her voice breaking, and I could see her hand was shaking where she held a dog-eared copy of Mason’s book.

“I’m Mason,” he said softly.

“Of course, you’re Mason. I mean, you look just like him.” She lifted the graphic novel in her hand, which held a small photo of Mason on the back of it. “Not that you have to look like this, of course, because, who knows how real things are with Photoshop and all, but I did see some pictures in the Comics Guide a few months ago, but I didn’t know when the photos were taken and you could have looked completely different by now. I mean…” she continued, barely pausing for breath. “I change my hair color like, all the time, so why couldn’t you? And I’m really babbling, aren’t I?” She stopped suddenly and clamped her lips together tightly. “I do this. I babble. When I’m nervous. I’m Jeri.”

“Well, you want to know a secret, Jeri?” Mason aske-d, leaning forward on the table. Her eyes were wide, and she nodded jerkily.

“I’m nervous, too.” Her eyes got even wider at the disclosure. “Terrified, actually. I’m not really good around groups of people, so the thought of meeting everyone out there…” Mason gestured at the line of people outside the store. “…makes me kinda sick to my stomach.”

“But…” she looked him up and down, puzzlement in her expression. “But why? They… we… are all here because we like you. Like your work, I mean” she said, her hand jerkily waving at the stacks of books and artwork.

“Good question. I wish I knew the answer to it. I think maybe it’s because I’m afraid I’ll never live up to their idea of me. And the thought of meeting this many people scares me, but…” He glanced over at me as I glared at a couple of agitated and excited teens waiting in line, quelling their exuberant spirits with a look. “…a smart man once told me to take it one step at a time. One person at a time. I figure the only way I’m going to get over being scared of people, is to meet more of them,” Mason replied. “Because once you get to know most people, it’s hard to be scared of them. Take Lee over there…”

He nodded toward me, and Jeri’s eyes flitted over for a moment, her posture relaxing and her lips not quite so tight anymore. We had spent a lot of time working on the store together.

“I was scared to death of him a day ago, but today, I know he’s a pretty nice guy who is obsessed with tiny robots.”

Mason grinned at me and Jeri smiled. She had seen my Transformer collection when I’d moved it from my parents’ house to mine. “Kind of hard to be afraid of a guy who likes tiny robots,” she agreed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mellanie Rourke lives in Akron, Ohio with her loving (and long-suffering) husband, two snarky children, and furry menagerie.

She has been writing since she was a child but never had the impulse to publish until she was introduced to the world of M/M Romance. Now her husband has to put up with a variety of new ways to describe a penis, and her children aren’t allowed to tell their teachers what she writes.

For more information on Mellanie’s upcoming work, join her Facebook group “Misfits & Malcontents” at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MisfitsandMalcontents/

To stay informed about upcoming releases, special events and fun contests, join her mailing list at: https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/2hWdMxT/MelRourke

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