Dec 11

Release Blitz: Life Drawing by Suzanne Clay (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Life Drawing

Series: Chiaroscuro, Book Three

Author: Suzanne Clay

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 11, 2017

Heat Level: 5 – Erotica

Pairing: Female/Female

Length: 19000

Genre: Contemporary, artist, lesbian, teacher/student, contemporary, age-gap, interracial, light D/s, leash play, toys

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Synopsis

After two intense encounters with her former student, Ainsley must admit to herself that she can see a future with Noma—but at what cost? Years spent protecting herself from heartbreak have left Ainsley terrified to take a chance on love. Everything—from their age gap to the judgment of others to a commitment to deeper intimacy—makes a relationship seem impossible.

When Noma asks Ainsley to go away with her to a secluded mountain cabin for Noma’s final weekend in town, there’s nowhere for Ainsley to run. And Noma is asking for harder scenes than either of them have ever explored before. Such intimate isolation with the only woman that she’s been drawn to in years, and with nothing but raw chemistry and honesty between them, could unlock the last of Ainsley’s crumbling defenses once and for all.

Ainsley and Noma’s relationship comes to a head in the third and final story of the Chiaroscuro series.

Excerpt

Life Drawing
Suzanne Clay © 2017
All Rights Reserved

The text from Noma came through as Ainsley was finishing up yoga in her living room. She paused before pushing into cobra, dragged her phone over instead, and rested her chin on her arms.

Hey can we FaceTime in about an hour? Ive got some good news and some bad news.

Ainsley frowned as she rolled on her back and held the phone above her. She considered her answer, thumbs hovering over the keyboard. “Of course” was what she finally settled on, and then she promptly pulled up a search engine to find out exactly what FaceTiming was.

I’m almost forty, she thought. I’m not in contact with my family, and my closest friend is a man who hates cell phones. I have an excuse for being clueless. But there was no way that a twenty-two-year-old woman needed to know that, especially if it led to the extensive teasing Ainsley thought it would.

It wasn’t the first time Ainsley had felt out of her depth with her young lover. For a week now, she’d been talking to Noma whenever possible—texting her, calling her, Skyping her—and every time she spent just five minutes listening to her talk, she had her mind blown.

How quickly this next generation could pick things up from nothing with only a search engine. How incredibly fast their minds could move from one topic to the next. How talented they were at multitasking. And Noma had the fortune of an education she’d fought hard to receive—MIT was nothing to flinch at—as well as technology advancing so quickly that the world was only a short time away from hitting a technological singularity.

And then, here was Ainsley—squinting at Photoshop like she didn’t need glasses and looking up trivial information everyone else seemed born with. Incredible.

Refusing to let heavy thoughts weigh her down, Ainsley came to her feet and folded herself into dancer pose. Twisting into positions her body had all but forgotten—her hand behind her back and around her ankle, balancing like a flamingo on her other leg—meant that her thoughts ran a little more smoothly, as if her stretching muscles made her mind work differently.

Noma seemed to like her. That much was apparent. They’d only spent one night and day together so far, but they’d sunk into each other so perfectly, Ainsley had all but forgotten how bland her day-to-day life used to be. While Noma had familial commitments to uphold as a new college graduate, she never let a night go by without sending Ainsley sweet words that made her feel missed.

New pictures filled Ainsley’s phone nowadays, and they were pictures she wasn’t sure she had a right to: a bored Noma snapping a photo of herself in the back of a car, bracketed by her two young siblings; Noma, shy and half-asleep and smiling up from her silk pillow; a scandalous mirror picture of her in matching lingerie with a wink. But Noma wouldn’t have sent them if she didn’t like Ainsley or if she didn’t see some potential in their relationship. Right?

Ainsley lost her balance and caught herself on the edge of the coffee table, trying to stop panting. That was really the weight of it all: they’d played together, they’d had scenes together, but they still hadn’t talked about what they were looking for with each other in a serious way. And Ainsley couldn’t figure out if she was wrong for wanting that.

An hour later, Ainsley tucked herself against the arm of her couch and waited for Noma’s call. She didn’t have to wait long. When she answered, alarm bells went off in her head at how her phone camera decided to show the least attractive angle of herself possible—namely, giving a peek at her nose hairs.

“Oh my God,” Noma said with a laugh. “Ainsley, please.”

“Just a moment.” Ainsley tried to adjust the phone so she could look a little less wrinkly and a little more striking. Her hand trembled, and when she propped her arm up on her knee she looked…washed-out, actually, and pale. But it was the best she could do. “Hi.”

Noma, brilliant in her royal-purple tank top with a slash of matching eyeliner, looked like she’d just come off a photo shoot somewhere. She grinned. “Hey there, gorgeous.”

“Stop.” Ainsley rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face or the warmth from her cheeks.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Noma murmured, and when Ainsley looked back at her, she saw how Noma was drinking her in. Her pupils were huge, her lids were languid, and every part of her expression felt like something sweet and treasured that Ainsley didn’t deserve. “Missed you.”

Ainsley beamed. “Did you, sweetheart?”

“More than I wanted to.” Noma sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry I had to cancel on our little get-together we talked about a few days back—”

“It’s fine,” Ainsley interrupted. “You have a lot going on. I completely understand.”

“Yeah, but like, I’m not trying to stay away from you, if you get what I’m saying.” Noma watched her closely. “There’s just been a lot of time-sensitive things going on, since my aunts could only be in town for a week or whatever.”

“And I’m not upset about it at all.” Ainsley smiled. “You said a lot of your family couldn’t even be at your graduation ceremony, right? It makes perfect sense that you need to see them all right now. Especially with how big your family is.”

Noma frowned. “About that, I, uh…”

Ainsley blinked and then adjusted herself so she could see Noma a little better and try to read her face. “What is it?”

“That’s the bad news I talked about,” Noma said, wincing. “I’ve got a pretty full plate this next week too. I won’t be able to see you till it’s over.”

“Oh.” It had been years since Ainsley had been strung along, but she remembered the feeling—the tightness of her chest, the inability to breathe. “Oh, okay.”

“I’m sorry,” Noma said.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for.” Ainsley forced a smile, but it felt cold compared to the last one. “You’ll be heading back to Massachusetts soon after that, right? I know how hard it can be to fit such a huge number of things into a month.” It was easier to pull out excuses for Noma to pick from than watch her try to make them herself.

Noma looked away for a moment and dropped her voice. “Here’s the thing, though. My uncle? You know, the divorced one I told you about? The doting one?”

“Of course,” Ainsley said. She had a picture of them together too.

“So, he’s got this cabin in the mountains, and he wants me and my friends to go up there next weekend so we can get some time together before I have to go, and I told him yes.”

Ainsley swallowed down her disappointment. “That sounds like a lot of fun. You’ll have to take lots of pictures.”

“We’ll have to take lots of pictures.”

Ainsley furrowed her brow. “What?”

“I want you go to with me, Ainsley.” Noma smiled—that same shy smile she’d given her when she peeked up out of Ainsley’s bed that first morning. “Nobody else. Just you and me up in the mountains, enjoying nature and shit.”

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Meet the Author

Suzanne is an asexual woman with a great love for writing erotica and enjoys spending her time confusing people with that fact. She believes there is a need for heightened diversity in erotic fiction and strives to write enough stories so that everyone can see themselves mirrored in a protagonist. She lives with her husband and cat, and, when not writing, Suzanne enjoys reading, playing video games poorly, and refusing to interact outdoors with other human beings.

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Dec 11

Release Blitz: Sunburnt by Joey Jameson (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Sunburnt

Author: Joey Jameson

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 11, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 50900

Genre: Contemporary Thriller, horror, suspense, medical, mental illness, Contemporary, amnesia, vacation, Ibiza, serial killer

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Synopsis

Lenox Winter is the son of rock royalty. Although born into the London elite, his laid-back style and relaxed vibe has always made him feel better suited for something or somewhere outside of the legacy his parents have built. Some place where the sun shines all year long and the people move to a different beat. Ibiza.

Far away from the busy streets and dreary skies of London rests the white isle. Home to hedonism, immaculate sandy beaches, and utter tranquility. While holidaying on the island with a group of his best friends, and desperate to leave behind the stresses of London as well as the harmful memories of his ex, he meets Lyric; a man who epitomises the bohemian vibe of his beloved Ibiza.

As romance quickly blossoms between the two, Lenox begins to feel that he may have finally found someone special to help him escape the suffocating clutches of his life in the UK. But when things take a drastic turn, both begin to realise that there are two sides to every person and that some things are better kept hidden.

Sunburnt is a story of romance, intrigue, and deep twisted secrets that takes the idea of a holiday romance to catastrophic new heights.

Excerpt

Sunburnt
Joey Jameson © 2017
All Rights Reserved

Prologue – Now

His thoughts shifted back to that first moment, back to where it all began. If he concentrated long enough he could picture that face perfectly, as if it were directly in front of him—the shape of his eyes, the strong line of his jaw, the curve of his lips as he smiled. He remembered his smell, sweet and yet salty, like something citrusy mixed with the scent of the sea air.

As he closed his eyes and rested his heavy head in his hands, he imagined the sound of his voice, caressing him gently as it washed over him with its deep, liquid tones. How warm it made him feel once. Safe and cared for, like no ill could ever come as long as they were together. How quickly he felt at ease when he was around. A gentle caress of his warm touch on his cool skin was all it took to make the questions and doubts that filled his head slip away like sand through his fingers.

How foolish he had been.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he gritted his teeth together until his whole jaw ached, attempting to shake the images from his head. But the harder he tried, the more resilient they became, like a stain on his thoughts that got darker and darker the more he tried to scrub them clean.

He could feel the all-too-familiar sense of panic rising in his chest as the memories began to flood his consciousness. Still images, like photographs in an album, seemed to litter the ground around him, tumbling from his mind until he was practically drowning in them. Their relationship played itself out before his very eyes and the more he willed it to stop the more feverish the memories became. He balled his hands into fists against his temples and pressed them so hard to his skull he thought his head would implode. The panic was strong now. It began as a tremor in his gut that poisoned his whole frame as it wormed its way upwards, until it grasped his throat and closed in as if squeezing all the air out of the room.

Then, just as his body temperature was reaching boiling point, an unexpected hand on his shoulder yanked him back from the disease of his own thoughts.

His whole body jolted as he raised his eyes, squinting into the harsh light of the hallway in which he sat. A person stood just before him, towering over him in an authoritative stance. The fluorescent lights caught the metal of the person’s badge, drawing his gaze south as if entranced by the glimmering effect.

“It’s time.”

The figure gestured with a weathered hand towards a room across the hall, his stance signalling a less-than-patient nature.

He took a strained breath which burned as it worked its way through his core, and quietly calmed his nerves. The panic subsided slowly as he took in the reality of where he was. Pulling himself from the seat to which he had become glued, he braced himself for what was about to happen next.

As he walked through the doorway he was greeted by a man and a woman who sat behind a long, grey table. The lights were strong and the air was tense.

The woman was the first to speak.

“Please,” she said, motioning to the chair across from them. The table was covered with an array of manila folders arranged neatly in front of them. Their contents were left to his imagination as he moved further into the room and to the lone chair in front of the table.

He heard the heavy door shut behind him and lock as he sat down carefully, at once feeling uneasy and self-conscious. Looking up into the eyes of the man and woman across from him, he felt vulnerable and small, like a mouse in a cage facing his attacker. The room was cold and sterile and void of any emotion, which seemed to suit the situation perfectly. Their eyes burned into him in expectant fashion, as if assessing the situation before he had a chance to even utter a word. The silence was heavy but soon shattered.

“So,” began the man in a voice that was startlingly low, “You know why you’re here.” His words were more of a statement than a question. “Please begin by telling us about your relationship with the deceased…”

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Meet the Author

Joey Jameson lives in Brighton, UK; a world of decadence, glamour and intrigue. He believes life is better when drizzled with naughtiness and drenched in layer upon layer of sparkling glitter. His work is best appreciated with a hard drink and the lights down low and will leave you wondering just what goes on in that twisted little mind of his.

He is the author of Candy from Strangers, Blackout, Twisted and Interview with the Porn Star.

Stay tuned for more scintillating work to come your way soon…

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Dec 11

Release Blitz: Dragon Fire, Angel Light by Shara Godwinson (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Dragon Fire, Angel Light

Author: Shara Godwinson

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 11, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 46000

Genre: Paranormal, dark romance, paranormal, shifters, dragons, magic, kidnapping, captive

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Synopsis

William is a dragon shifter who, despite having lived for over two thousand years, has never found a true love. When he meets Evyn, a quirky musician/journalist who wants to be a real photographer, he immediately finds him irresistible.

But Evyn’s a little supernatural too, and an evil brotherhood and a band of soul reavers are after him to destroy his pure soul.

Can William protect his love from evil?

Excerpt

Dragon Fire, Angel Light
Shara Godwinson © 2017
All Rights Reserved

Prologue

October 14th, 1066 A.D. The Battle of Hastings

The battle for Britain was done. The enemy had won. The fighting had lasted for nine hours, an unprecedented amount of time. When it was over, King Harold lay dead, and William of Normandy stood victorious over his slain enemy. However, for Willan, a humble Anglo-Saxon soldier, the battle was still very much ongoing. Willan lay on the slick bloody grass. He had suffered a blow to the head that had left him unconscious for some time. But now, he woke to find himself surrounded by his dead comrades and in a dire situation.

The Norman soldiers were walking the battlefield, seeking out their wounded and killing any of the enemy that they came across. His life meant nothing to them, and if they attempted to kill him, they would learn the truth about what he truly was. Still, he had no choice. If he stayed here, they would find him. If he got up and ran, it would mean a fight he was not sure he could manage, and he would still face destruction. He looked around as best he could. From his position on the ground, with the other bodies lying around him, his vision was obscured. If he rose even the slightest bit, he was sure that he would attract attention and probably get an arrow to the head, just like his king.

Someone drew near. Their footsteps rattled the fallen shields and armor. If he was going to move, he had to do it now. His weapons were lost to him, and all he had were his feet. He jumped up, but he was grabbed from behind and thrown back to the ground. A large armored foot slammed down on his armor-plated chest, knocking the air from him. The man standing over him raised his sword, ready to strike. Willan looked up at his enemy’s face. When he stared into his enemy’s eyes, he realized that he knew them.

“Marcus?” he cried, hoping he was right. That his words would stay the man’s blade. For Marcus was not a man either. Willan and Marcus were the same.

It worked, and the man knelt down by Willan’s side and gazed into his eyes as if not completely sure what he saw was true. Finally, he said, “Wit? Is that you, Wit?”

“It is, Marcus. It is Wit.”

Marcus stared at him again for a moment. Then he said, “Wait here. I will not hurt you. Wait here until after nightfall and I will come back for you. You understand, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Do not move a muscle. You need to act dead.”

“I will.”

“I have to go report that all are dead in this area. I will be back for you. Do not move.”

“I will not, Marcus.”

Marcus left him then. Willan lay there and tried to think about the last time he had seen Marcus. It had been about a thousand years or so ago when they were living together in Rome. Marcus had been a soldier, and he had been Marcus’s servant. He had left the night that Marcus had hit him and Willan had decided he couldn’t take the other man’s anger anymore. He had loved Marcus, but Marcus…could Marcus love? He had loved being with Willan. But did he love me?

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Meet the Author

Shara has always loved fantasy, having fallen in love with it as a child. She loved fairy tales from Authors such as Hans Christian Anderson and The Brothers Grimm. J.R.R. Tolkien has always been a massive influence, especially characters like Fili, Kili, Faramir and Sam (a personal favorite). She graduated from Eastern Oregon University in 2015 with Bachelors in History and Liberal Studies. She lives in Eastern Oregon with her cat, Isabella, her Chihuahua Maisie, and her Ring Necked Parakeet, Pretty.

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Dec 04

Release Blitz: Ivory by J. Rocci (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Ivory

Author: J. Rocci

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 4, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 28500

Genre: Contemporary, Chefs, Depression, Doctors, Homophobia, Interracial

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Synopsis

Trapped by familial obligations, engaged to a fiancée he doesn’t love, and crippled by the regrets of his past, Dr. Bradley Durrant is miserable and rapidly caring less about his own health as he works himself to the bone at the family hospital. But then he meets Nashan Windham, the grandson of his late father’s scandalous old friend, and Brad’s downward spiral is derailed, at least for the moment.

Brad lets Nashan and his grandfather pull him into a world where families—blood and the ones you choose—support each other and understand that love is unconditional. Brad gets his life together again, with Nashan’s help, and he can finally accept who he is and knows what he wants, but can he convince Nashan?

Excerpt

Ivory
J. Rocci © 2017
All Rights Reserved

“—is a very influential woman who is a close friend of Dr. Mathews. Bradley? Are you still there?”

Bradley made an affirmative noise in his throat, adjusting his reading glasses as he turned a page in the patient file spread across his desk.

“I said that Mrs. Ambrose is a close friend of Dr. Mathews. Bradley, you need to secure this invitation if you want to join—”

He let his mother continue on speakerphone as he studied the latest blood panel results. A little girl, age nineteen months, neuroblastoma. Her response to chemotherapy was not what he’d been hoping for, but with children especially, every cancer case was unique. He dragged one of his reference books across his desk and started flipping through it.

“—that noise? Bradley?”

“Yes, Mother, I am,” he responded absently, pulling out his sticky notes.

“It’s getting late, darling. Why are you still at the office?” she asked with a sigh in her cultured tones. She was nearing sixty but looked and sounded as though she were still in her mid-forties. She had guided Bradley’s father through social galas, philanthropic work, and maintaining the proper connections, and now Bradley bore the brunt of her energies as she attempted to groom him to become the chair of the hospital board.

Thirty-four years old and he had learned to rebel in small ways.

“Mother,” he said gently, “I’m almost finished here, then I’ll head out.”

“Ah yes, your Tuesday dinner with Brianna,” she said with an undertone of satisfaction. “Please give her my regards, darling.”

“I will. Goodnight, Mother.” He disconnected and returned the phone to its customary position under several medical journals.

Checking his watch, he pushed away from his desk and headed for the door, pausing only to return the stray toys on his carpet to the basket on his bookshelf. The pictures of patients and their families on the shelves always made him smile.

Scrubbing tiredly at his face, he strode down the hall to the elevator banks and debated getting a cup of coffee from the cafeteria but ultimately decided against it. He’d be fine.

Only one of the four night-shift nurses was sitting behind the children’s oncology station when Bradley arrived. He waved and she blushed, looking down at her desk.

“Oh, Dr. Durrant,” Glen said, glancing up again. “Monica left a note for you on Room 342.”

He slowed down. “Is it urgent?”

“No, her parents have requested a visit in the morning, after your rounds.”

He nodded. “Let them know that I’ll stop by, please.”

She grinned at him and he gave a halfhearted smile before continuing to the recreation room. Visiting hours and rec time were long past, but Bradley didn’t need more than the light of the city streets outside to navigate the room.

His objective gripped firmly in one hand, he went to see his nightly “problem” patient.

He popped his head around the privacy curtain in Room 355. Sure enough, Mrs. Lewkowski was snoring in her cot, exhausted, and a pair of bored seven-year-old eyes blinked at him from the hospital bed.

“Hey there,” Bradley whispered. “You up for company?”

Tommy nodded eagerly. “Yeah. What do you have tonight?”

The drugs always affected kids differently. Tommy had the worst of it in the evenings, when he’d get restless and was prone to making a fuss, which could set off half the floor. His parents traded off nights at the hospital so someone was always home with Tommy’s brother and sisters. Tommy had a clip-on book light and comic books for when he couldn’t settle down, but even with palliative care, the pain could be taxing on a kid.

If Bradley could be a distraction for a couple hours a night to let either parent rest, he considered it part of maintaining his patient’s overall health.

“How are you at Uno?” he asked conspiratorially, tucking himself in the visitor’s chair and ready to stay for a while.

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Meet the Author

Since 2006, J. Rocci has published romance stories, ranging from contemporary to steampunk to fantasy. Rocci currently lives near Washington D.C. with the love of her life and their furry children, and loves giving her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s equally likely to be found out on the town or curled up at home with a good book.

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Dec 04

Release Blitz: Obsession by Theophilia St. Claire (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Obsession

Author: Theophilia St. Claire

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 4, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: No Romance, Male/Male

Length: 59000

Genre: Contemporary Thriller, contemporary, genre fiction, thriller, gangs, drugs, gay, mental illness

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Synopsis

Nick has a hard life. Not only is he working at an East Harlem bar to make ends meet and pay for his sister’s medical expenses, he’s also on the run from a shady past that’s surely catching up to him.

Most people think Claude has it easy due to the money and luxury surrounding him. But they would be wrong. Firmly trapped beneath his stern father’s thumb, Claude’s pre-determined life took a nosedive when his lover, Christian, left him a year ago.

When the two meet, sparks do not instantly fly between them. Claude thinks Nick is his ex-lover returned to him. Nick thinks Claude is crazy.

However, circumstances bring these two men together. And despite Claude’s jealousy and possessive nature, Nick is falling for him. Sick of being mistaken for Claude’s ex, Nick is willing to find out what happened to him—the real Christian. He’ll have to if he wants a stable relationship with Claude. How Claude takes the truth, however, is the only thing that scares him.

Excerpt

Obsession
Theophilia St. Claire © 2017
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

“Christian?”

Nick glared at the fingers on his arm, the grip tight enough to be offensive. His gaze crawled its way up to the owner’s face. Handsome guy. Tall. European-looking with stylish dark-blond hair and piercing hazel eyes. He stared at Nick expectantly, waiting for his response. His full mouth parted slightly.

I’m at work, Nick reminded himself. He couldn’t go off on a rude customer again. Not if he wanted to keep his job. Nick shrugged off the stranger’s grip. “Sorry, no.” He carried the empty water pitcher through the lively crowd toward the bar.

His best friend, Eric Ruiz, raised a brow at him. “What was that about?”

“No clue. He called me Christian.”

Eric frowned, stroking his goatee. “Christian? What? The name or the religion?”

“Do I care?”

“Sounds like a poor attempt at hollering at you, hermano.” Eric sneered as he took in the customer’s appearance. “Upper East Side boys ain’t got no game.”

Nick glanced over his shoulder, back at the table he’d just walked by. Even though he had company, the stranger focused on Nick. His expression hardened, dangerously so. “What the hell is his problem?”

“Don’t worry about it, yo. Let’s get back to work before Phil sees us slacking.”

Nick agreed. Taking his thoughts away from the man, Nick headed off to check on his tables.

It was Valentine’s Day, so Jenkins’ Jazz Bar was busier than usual. Loving couples and groups of friends celebrating their singleness occupied every table and booth. Food and drinks flew from the kitchen at a rate almost too quickly to comprehend. Hell, Nick wasn’t even sure the house band had taken a break yet. Since the bar opened that evening, it’d been one fast-paced blur.

Nick checked on a stylish older couple who should have been dining on Madison Avenue, not a basement joint in East Harlem.

That guy too, Nick thought. He stole a glance at table nine, which Mercedes tended. The stranger wasn’t looking his way anymore, so Nick studied him a moment. The guy was groomed and decked out in top-notch designer clothes. Everything about him—from the way he sat to the way he sipped his cocktail—screamed money. He probably owned a penthouse on Fifth Avenue too. Nick gave a wry smile at the thought.

“We’ll take two rum cakes. And I’d love another glass of this wine, if you don’t mind.”

Nick brought his attention back to the smiling woman. “Sure thing.” He headed to the brand-new station to key in their orders.

The front door opened.

A young man wearing a black hoodie paired with loose-fit jeans stepped inside.

Nick sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the mingled scents of soul food. The visible tattoos on the guy’s knuckles and neck did not bode well for Nick. Had they found him already? After only a year?

“Shit.” Nick needed to check on two tables, but he didn’t care about anything other than staying out of the guy’s sight. He rushed into the kitchen, glad for the safety of the steel double doors.

“You okay? Look like you saw a ghost.” Mercedes Shaw was the eighteen-year-old niece of Phil Jenkins, the bar’s owner.

“Yeah,” Nick replied. “Actually, you mind taking these rolls to table seven for me? I need a breather.”

Mercedes’s brown eyes softened with understanding. “Yeah, I got you. It’s been like this all day, huh?”

Nick nodded, even though the fast pace wasn’t the problem. He hurried out the back door with a sigh of relief.

The temperature had dropped into the low twenties, but the cold air soothed his flustered skin. Nick leaned against the building, raking a hand through his hair while trying not to think about the tattooed newcomer inside. Instead, he focused on his immediate surroundings, though there wasn’t much to look at. The back door led to an alley that smelled like trash and piss. Police sirens and the occasional gunshot created life’s soundtrack there in his corner of Manhattan. That, he was used to. He didn’t want to give up the life he’d found there. Not yet. More than anything, he dreaded being back on the streets.

Nick didn’t stay outside long. He wasn’t looking to give Mr. Jenkins any reason to fire him. He just hoped the asshole had left already.

 

Nick’s shift ended at one in the morning. Fortunately for him, the night flew by without further incident. Only the staff remained, bussing tables and cleaning floors, while the band put away their instruments and wiped sweat from their foreheads.

“Good job, everyone,” Phil called out. He draped the towel onto his graying ‘fro and glanced about the space with a hearty smile. “Boy, it’s been a long time since I’ve played back-to-back like that. Stamina ain’t what it used to be. I’m getting too old for this.”

Nick nodded in agreement as he took a seat at the bar. He was only twenty-four, but all the running around had him feeling like a middle-aged man.

Eric set a shot of something in front of him. “You wanna stay at my place tonight?”

Nick barely peered up. He sifted through his tip money, calculating how much he needed for Amy’s medical expenses and to get caught up on his rent. The night had been packed, but his tips were only marginally better than what he usually made on a good night. Most of the couples had probably bought expensive gifts first, then came out to dinner. Nick inwardly groaned. He was still short a few hundred dollars.

“Yo, Nicky. You ignoring me?”

“My bad.” Nick grabbed the shot glass and downed the alcohol in one go. Tequila. He stuffed the money back into his pocket. “I’m just gonna go home. Coming with me to the bus stop?”

“Naw, I’m here ’til two. Inventory and shit. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good luck with that.” Nick gathered his things and left the bar.

Outside, the temperature had dropped from earlier, but the cold didn’t faze Nick as he slid into his worn puffer coat. The bus stop was a half mile away on East 116th Street.

The darkness seemed heavy whenever Nick left work alone around that time. Sometimes, listening to music helped him not to notice the lack of streetlights in the area or imagine what lurked in the shadows, waiting to jump out at any moment. But he wouldn’t be listening to anything, not after earlier. He pulled the hood of his coat on top of his head and tucked his hands into the pockets like he clenched something other than his MP3 player. He looked menacing, no doubt about it. The defense mechanism surprisingly kept him from being bothered most times.

Nick quickened his pace to the bus stop. He didn’t enjoy being alone out there. Heavy footsteps followed closely behind Nick, noticeable without the sound of traffic. Nick glimpsed over his shoulder.

There, following a few feet behind him, was the tattooed gangster from earlier.

Nick’s heart pounded. He almost stumbled as he continued to move forward, even while gazing backward.

The guy reached into his coat pocket.

Nick ran.

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Meet the Author

Theophilia St. Claire is an up-and-coming author who loves to explore everything dark, taboo, psychological, and gay in her fiction. The more uncomfortable, the better. On the bright side, however, she enjoys romance, anime, yaoi, and laughing at cats. She lives with her family somewhere in the South, and is currently on a journey to becoming a bestseller.

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Dec 04

Release Blitz: Holiday Collection, Week Three by Multiple (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Holiday Collection, Week Three

Author: Multiple

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 4, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male, Female/Female

Length: Multiple

Genre: Contemporary, contemporary, holidays, New Year’s Eve, reunited, established couples, grief, family, interracial, kids, teacher, sweet, lesbian, coming of age, historical, gay, bisexual

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Synopsis

A SEASON OF NEW BEGINNINGS
Joshua just wants to be alone. Happy holidays be damned; the last place he wants to be is at a Christmas Eve party surrounded by overly jolly friends. After a breakup with his boyfriend, Clay, he’s having a hard time watching other people be merry when all he wants is to drown himself in booze.

If it wasn’t for a promise to two dear friends, he’d have been home on his couch watching the least festive thing possible. Instead, he’s got to deal with flamboyant Desi flirting up a storm with him. Only Desi has a past too, and his own pain, as well as a bit of unsolicited advice for Joshua that could turn his bleak night into a bright future.

HOME IN A SNOWSTORM
Daniel Wu is an elementary school teacher with a big heart and a collection of snow globes to match his travels. The small town he has settled in, however, feels like it could be home. All that’s missing is someone special and a family to call his own.

Resigned to spending the holidays alone, Daniel finishes work on the last day of school, only to stumble upon one his students, Abby Weber, who needs a ride home. Jeffrey Weber, single father and recent owner of a cast on his broken leg, needs quite a bit of help around the house when Daniel drops Abby off. Christmas Eve is around the corner, so Daniel can’t let the two fend for themselves. What he doesn’t expect, however, is the snowstorm that strands him in their remote home in the forest. But is this misfortune, or could it be a wish come true?

DALA HORSE INN
Six months after she inherits the Dala Horse Inn, Tilde’s family has arrived to celebrate Christmas and critique Tilde’s every move. When her grandma walks in on Tilde while with Emma, her friend with benefits, Tilde suddenly has a fake girlfriend for the holidays. Fueled by stress, glögg, and Emma’s help, Tilde is determined to make Christmas a success. As the big day approaches, she isn’t sure if being interrupted by Grandma was another hurdle to surpass or the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

CANDLELIGHT KISSES
Malmö, Sweden, 1994

Erika Stolt is a feminist activist, and not one of the slick, lipstick lesbian variety. She’s the kind who trashes beauty contests, who graffitis her own subversive messages over commercial billboards, and who fucks people mainly as a political statement. But then a community service sentence lands her a spot as the unlikely new assistant of one of the candidates for the Malmö Lucia contest, and the world as she knows it is promptly turned on its head.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES
After losing his husband, David, to a tragic accident the previous year, Russ doesn’t feel much like celebrating the upcoming holidays. When his daughter unexpectedly asks for one of David’s cookie recipes, Russ makes a decision that lands him in a baking class. After a few mishaps with an inept partner, Russ is ready to give up, but then the teacher, Amos, offers private lessons to help him recreate David’s smorgasbord of holiday treats. Somewhere along the way, Russ develops an attraction to the younger man, but is he ready to move on and let Amos in?

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Nov 27

Release Blitz: Holiday Collection, Week Two by Multiple Authors (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Holiday Collection, Week Two

Author: Multiple

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: November 27, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male, Female/Female

Length: Multiple

Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, MM, FF, asexual, bisexual, holiday, contemporary, Hanukkah, family drama, second chances, historical-1900s, fantasy, steampunk, Victorian US, Christmas, airships, military, disability, children, sweet, HFN, Abduction, magic users

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Synopsis

DEAR SANTA…
Contemporary, 11650 words

The holidays don’t mean much to Nadia. There are be tons of socialite parties her parents will force her to attend. She’ll be expected to find just the right outfits to pass the inspection of her mother, as well as to hopefully catch the eye of one of the belles at the ball. None of which she cares about in the least. To say she’s a Scrooge is an understatement.

Before the kick-off event takes place, Nadia receives an unexpected call from the daughter of one of her parents’ friends. They’ve met before, but for the life of her, Nadia just can’t place her. They exchange pictures through text—a gorgeous woman to match the sultry voice. As her mood is heightened slightly, enter nerves galore.

How will the holidays turn out? Will this mysterious woman from the past be able to pull the Christmas spirit out of her after all? And when is the right time to tell her she’s asexual?

LIGHT ONE CANDLE
Contemporary, 9700 words

Nerdy, struggling graphic novelist Josh Reben expected to work at his comic book store job all through the holidays. The only thing he had to look forward to was a possible hookup with a guy who—let’s be honest—didn’t seem that into him. So when his brother Ben calls to tell him he’ll be flying home for Hanukkah, along with his wife and new baby, Josh pleads for the day off for a family visit.

With the best of intentions, Ben also invites their former neighbor Marc Birnbaum to dinner. Only, he didn’t know that Marc bullied Josh for years when they were children. Josh approaches the evening with the idea of getting some closure, but when he finds Marc to be completely changed from his childhood self, things get a little confusing.

Family drama and personal baggage make for holiday tensions, but during the Festival of Lights, the Rebens and their guest just might find their way to some new understandings.

THE GLOW OF LUMINIFEROUS AETHER ON TINSEL
Stempunk, 10300 words

As Chief Tactician for the airship DeGrasse, Jacob Scarberry has spent the last six months on a wearying tour of duty. He’s missing home, and his prosthetic leg is conducting the December cold straight to his core. But with the holidays coming up, he’s looking forward to a well-earned leave, sharing some Christmas surprises with his lover, Dr. H. Alphus Troyer, and welcoming in the dawn of the 20th century.

A professor at Ohio University, Al is already on Christmas break, and his unconventional household is in a festive frenzy. Al is a bit less joyous, his anticipation of Jacob’s return warring with uncertainty over the special gift he had commissioned for him. Would Jacob appreciate it, or will it put a strain on their relationship?

Suddenly Al’s worries become trivial when the newspapers report an attack on the DeGrasse. With Jacob fighting for his life miles away, Al is left to wonder whether Jacob will return at all, or whether the planned festivities will become holiday heartbreak instead.

ORANGES AND CLOVES
Contemporary, 3100 words

Landon, father of three, accidentally runs into another shopper while looking at oranges in the supermarket. He thinks little of the incident, but after being tasked to find a church by his mother and testing out a Children’s Advent Celebration with his kids, he discovers that the shopper is actually one of the instructors helping all of the children make spiced orange pomanders. The man gives Landon a pomander with his phone number on it, but since Landon swore off men for 2017 after his partner left him and his dates have all flaked on him, will he take the instructor up on his offer of a date?

SEVEN TRICKS
Fantasy, 16500 words

Some say a mouse king has seven heads. Hah, trust a human to get our legends wrong.

A mouse prince must perform seven tricks before the twelve days of Christmas are up. It’s how he wins his crown, but the prince has whiskers set on something else. A stiff beauty with a magnificent jaw, waiting for him under the holiday shrub. He caught his scent in a dream, which he’s been sniffing after ever since.

Scamper with him through his adventures and misadventures, dodging traps, cats, and giants, while he wins a steadfast nutcracker’s heart.

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Nov 27

Release Blitz: Callum’s Fate by Dianne Hartsock (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Callum’s Fate

Author: Dianne Hartsock

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: November 27, 2017

Heat Level: 5 – Erotica

Pairing: Male/Male Menage

Length: 16000

Genre: Fantasy, fantasy, threesome, paranormal, historical, bisexual, pansexual, gay

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Synopsis

In 1780, Scotland, following a harsh year of drought, Callum Mackenzie is forced from his father’s farm in the hopes of finding work. But as fate would have it, Callum is lured onto the moors by the will-o-the-wisp. Lost in the dark, he falls into enchantment, encountering faeries and nymphs, until he stumbles into the arms of a licentious Barrow-Wight who lays claim to his soul.

Hearing his silent pleas, Donal sends Liam the gruagach (faery) to rescue Callum and bring him to his farm, a place of refuge from the Fae. Callum is happy working on Donal’s farm, slowly falling in love with the beautiful, silver-haired gruagach.

Yet there’s something wrong in the nearby forest… Despite Donal’s warnings, Callum is lured into the forest and becomes tangled in its magic, easy prey for the Barrow-Wight. Will Liam be able to strike a deal with the Barrow-Wight to save Callum’s life, or has Callum found his last resting place instead?

Excerpt

Callum’s Fate
Dianne Hartsock © 2017
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

Callum ran until his lungs burned, every breath ragged and painful. Fear spurred him on, though fog began to cling to the rough mounds of the barrows, making such flight dangerous. Stones stabbed through his worn boots with each footfall, but he daren’t stop. There had been voices in the shadows…

Exhaustion slowed him, his chest heaving as he fought for air. Dusk spread its dark mantle on the landscape, and he shivered as a finger of dread traveled up his spine. Perilous to be on the moors at night without shelter. He cursed the misfortune that had sent him this way, but he was hungry and ill. He’d followed the will-o’-the wisp, thinking they were the lights of a farmhouse. His brothers would crudely have called them swamp gas and continued on the road, but Callum had always been the fool.

An owl hooted in the semidarkness, making his skin crawl. “Sweet Lord,” he muttered, heart thumping. “Protect me—”

He stumbled on a loose stone and fell heavily against a dark mound of earth. Oh, God! The ground caved in under him, and he dropped into the barrow in a shower of dirt.

“Save me!” he sobbed as he scrambled to his knees.

Sinewy arms reached up from the blackness and twined around him. Callum screamed, but no sound escaped his throat, choked with terror. He was yanked against a hard chest and hands ran over him, disembodied in the darkness.

“Soft. Sweet,” a voice sliced the silence, and a cold breath washed over his face. He gagged on the waft of rot and decay. The tip of a dry tongue scraped along his jaw, and he shuddered against the body under him. “Nice strong bones to gnaw,” the voice continued. “Sweet marrow to suck and swallow. Shall I eat you, my lovely one?”

Callum whimpered as the low tones wound through his head. The mists parted, and moonlight filled the barrow, showing him the creature. He gasped at the cold beauty of its face. Eyes dark as pitch burned into him and brushed against his soul. Lush lips, dripping honey, overripe, took his mouth in a kiss that sent his pulse into a riot of hunger and desire.

A vague warning sounded in his head, urging him to run. The wight slid its hands down Callum’s back and squeezed his ass, and Callum groaned as he was rocked against the long, hard length of the creature’s erection. His own cock grew heavy, aching as it rubbed along the impossible thickness of the ghoul’s shaft.

Nimble fingers pushed against his balls and sensitive hole through his clothing, and Callum’s deep moan spilled into the lush mouth sucking his tongue. There’d been a boy back home he’d touched on occasion, but they’d never… He never… Even so, the thought of the wight’s huge cock sliding into him, stretching him open, filled him with a wild lust he couldn’t control.

He trembled and sobbed with need as the creature masked as a man trailed kisses down his neck. It moved his long hair aside to nibble at his collarbone. The thing reached a hand between them and clutched Callum’s cock, and pleasure, hot as fire, swept through him.

The wight returned its plump lips to his ear. “Stay with me,” it whispered as it stroked and squeezed him into a frenzy of bliss.

Callum fought to catch his breath, dizzy. “Yes.” He panted. He’d promise anything to keep the creature stroking his dick. The wight snaked its other hand into his trousers and tugged his balls, and he cried out as he came, his orgasm ripping through him in waves of ecstasy. His seed spilled in a warm gush into the creature’s hand. Even when he was spent, the thing continued to pull on his sensitive cock, sending unbearable sparks of bliss through him. He fell weeping against its chest, begging to be let go.

“Mine.”

The wight’s whisper nudged Callum from the dream into which he was falling. What?

“No!” He pushed up in a panic. What had he sworn to do? Large hands reached for him, but terror gave him strength and he scrambled for the ledge above him. Catching hold of the crumbling lip, he swung his legs over and rolled from the barrow. The wight’s screech of fury chased him across the glen. Running in terror, he skirted the remaining mounds and fled onto the moors.

Merciful Lord! He’d been with a barrow wight, allowing the wicked thing to slide its tongue into his mouth and touch his cock. Was his soul now tainted by this ghost guarding a long forgotten grave? Was he doomed?

Mists closed around him and hid the moon in a veil of cold gray. He came to a stumbling halt, fear pounding through him in time to the wild beat of his heart. As he caught his breath, he heard the unmistakable sound of flowing water, perhaps a creek winding through the heather. Callum gnawed his lips. Danger lurked on the water’s edge for an unwary man.

On the other hand, men built homes along the waterways and learned to guard against the faery folk. He sighed. Either choice spelled risk, but hunger and loneliness won out and sent him through the thick heath in search of the water’s path.

The gray fog made it hard to see his way, and he cursed when he stepped into the creek before he knew he’d come to it. An icy chill raced up his leg, and he glanced around, feeling as if he’d been startled from a dream. The mists were gone, leaving the fields brilliant with moonlight. Faint music caught his ears and he spied several globes of light in the distance. Will-o’-the-wisp? He didn’t know, but the haunting melody tugged at his heart and he walked toward it, careful of his footing.

It was caution that saved him before he made the fatal mistake of stepping into the faery ring that suddenly appeared at his feet. He might have become lost in their dark realm. He stared down, delighted with the brightly dressed wee folk fluttering and dancing in the circle of mushrooms. Laughter floated up to him and he smiled reflexively. Several of the pretty creatures spied him and flittered up to tug at his clothing with tiny hands. These were male, scantily dressed, and one saucy lad winked a bright eye and flew up to nibble at his lips.

Callum laughed and shooed them gently off. “I’m not fool enough to join you,” he told the three hovering near his face. He was amused by their pouts but felt lonelier than ever as he turned away. Exhaustion unexpectedly slammed into him and he dropped to his knees. Panicked by his sudden weakness, he tried to climb to his feet, but his head swam and he pitched onto his face as the world went dark.

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Meet the Author

Dianne is the author of paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, m/m romance, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. She lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee warming her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

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Nov 27

Blog Tour: Curses, Foiled Again by Sera Trevor (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Curses, Foiled Again

Author: Sera Trevor

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: November 27, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 98700

Genre: Paranormal, vampires, witches, undead, abduction, paranormal, addiction, ghosts, homophobia, immortal, magic users, dark, drug/alcohol use, dark, blood play, curses

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Synopsis

Felix is a vampire—a fierce creature of the night who strikes terror into the hearts of everyone unlucky enough to become his prey. Or at least, that’s what he thought was true, until he met John. John is completely unimpressed with Felix, much to his dismay. Felix becomes fixated on proving his ferocity to John—and when that doesn’t work, he strives to make any impression on him at all.

John is a witch, and as all witches know, vampires are notoriously stupid creatures who only have the power to hurt those who fear them. Besides, he’s under a curse much more frightening than any vampire. Felix’s desperate attempts to impress him annoy John at first, but gradually, they become sort of endearing. Because of his curse, John has pushed everyone in his life away. But Felix can’t be hurt, so there’s no harm in letting him hang around.

Felix is technically dead. John has nothing left to live for. But together, they might have a shot at life.

This dark and witty vampire romance for adults is complete at 100,000 words, with no cliffhanger. Despite some dark twists and turns, it ends with a solid HEA.

Excerpt

Curses, Foiled Again
Sera Trevor © 2017
All Rights Reserved

One: The Witch Boys of Sunset Boulevard

Someone smelled delicious.

Felix really ought to have been sated. He had fed that night already, but in spite of his satiety, the new aroma tempted him like nothing before. It was the same dark tang that normally inspired his appetite, but with a sweet note buried in the scent—like an orange at the peak of its sweetness, right on the cusp of rotting. It didn’t take him long to discover the source of the aroma; it was a young man in a hooded sweatshirt, making his way down Sunset Boulevard. He walked with remarkable confidence for being on his own at two o’clock in the morning. Felix grinned. He liked the confident ones; their shock when confronted with the likes of him was always amusing.

He raced ahead of the young man with superhuman swiftness, jumping in front of him with his fangs bared. Felix loved this part, right before the attack—the moment when human confusion and animal terror mixed together as his victim realized their fate. Any moment now, he would scream. Or at least, he would try to. By then it would be too late.

The young man jumped and inhaled sharply at Felix’s sudden appearance. But once he’d given Felix a good once-over, he let out his breath in a relieved puff. There was no screaming, no futile attempt to flee or freezing in terror. In fact, it was Felix who froze in place, confused by the young man’s strange reaction.

As Felix tried to gather his wits to think of what to do next, the young man brushed past him and continued on. Felix shook himself out of his muddle. He brought a hand up to his mouth, feeling to make sure his fangs were still bared. They were. Perhaps the young man hadn’t seen him clearly; the lighting here was particularly poor, and mortal vision was not very good.

He zipped ahead of the young man and jumped out at him again, making sure he was directly under a streetlight. He raised his arms and hissed for good measure.

“You can stop doing that,” the young man said. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Oh really?” Felix sneered, although in honesty he was taken aback. “We’ll see if your bravery lasts when I sink my fangs into your yielding flesh!”

He attempted to pounce, but nothing happened. He tried again, but his limbs just wouldn’t cooperate. As he stood there in confusion, the young man stepped around him and continued walking.

Once Felix had collected himself, he set out after the young man again, this time trotting beside him. The young man paid him no attention.

“Have you put a spell on me?”

“No.”

“Then why can’t I attack you?”

“Because I’m not afraid of you,” he said. He wasn’t even looking at Felix. “Vampires can only attack people who fear them.”

Felix scoffed. “That can’t be true.”

“Think about it. Can you ever remember a time when a potential victim wasn’t afraid of you?”

“Not that I recall.”

“Then if you only ever confronted people who were afraid of you, how would you have found out you couldn’t attack someone who wasn’t?”

Felix turned that over in his mind. It did make a certain amount of sense.

They continued to walk together. Felix tried to startle him a few more times, hoping it would raise enough fear for Felix to strike, but it didn’t work. The young man’s face remained expressionless, as if Felix weren’t even there. He was a remarkably good-looking fellow, with sandy-blond hair and blue eyes. He was so pleasant to look at that Felix eventually ceased his efforts to frighten him in favor of simply gazing at him. His sweatshirt was not zipped all the way, but the T-shirt underneath was too baggy to give even a suggestion of the body it concealed. He wished the young man would take it off, or at the very least remove the hood.

After some time, they came to an apartment building. The young man approached one of the doors on the first floor. “Well, I would say it was nice meeting you, but it wasn’t, really,” he said as he took out his keys. “Good night.” He unlocked his door.

Felix blocked the door with his body, preventing the young man from entering. “You’ve led me straight to where you live,” he said in his scariest voice. “I could strike when you least expect it, in your very home. Certainly that will frighten you enough for me to attack!”

“Vampires can’t enter a home unless you invite them. Did you really think I wouldn’t know that?”

Felix scowled. “How do you know all this?”

“None of your business. Now unless you want to stand around here until dawn, get your hand off my door and go away.”

“Maybe I do want to stand around here,” Felix said. “You can’t make me leave.”

The young man rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He leaned on the wall a few steps away from the door and took a pack of cigarettes and a silver lighter out of the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. He perched a cigarette between his pink lips and lit it.

Felix remained where he was. The young man didn’t even spare him a glance as he smoked his cigarette, gazing instead at the smoke as it left his lips and dissipated into the night air. Felix felt annoyed; surely he was more interesting than a cloud of smoke!

“Why are you out alone so late?” Felix asked. “While you may not be afraid of vampires, you are still vulnerable to mortal attackers.” An idea flashed through Felix’s mind. “What if I got a gun? Would you be afraid of me then?”

The young man rolled his eyes again. “Why are you so intent on killing me?”

“I don’t want to kill you. I want to drink your blood.”

“And that’s not the same thing?”

Felix had to think about it. “No, I don’t think it is,” he said. “It’s true that my victims swoon, but I’m fairly certain they survive.”

The young man raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know for sure?”

“There isn’t much reason for me to linger after I’ve fed, is there?”

“I guess not.” He took another long drag of his cigarette. “So why do you want to drink my blood? You’ve already fed tonight.”

Felix looked at him with surprise. “How did you know that?”

“You’ve got blood on your chin.”

Felix wiped his face with the hand that wasn’t holding the door shut. Sure enough, it came away red. “Doesn’t that make you feel at least a little scared?” he asked plaintively.

The young man finished his cigarette with one final inhale, dropped the butt on the street, and then stubbed it out with his toe. “Sorry to say, but it takes a lot to make me feel anything at all.” He pulled out his pack of cigarettes again and took another one. “Would you like one?”

The young man offered the pack and his lighter. Felix stared at the cigarettes and then back at his face. The young man put his hand forward farther. “Go on. Take one.”

Felix frowned, wondering at the young man’s sudden generosity. John stood just out of reach, so Felix had to step closer to him to accept the pack and the lighter. Felix’s fingers brushed over the skin of the young man’s hand. It was so warm.

“Thank you,” Felix said, a little dazed.

“No problem.” The young man’s smile was dazzling.

Felix smiled back and turned his attention to the pack of cigarettes, pulling one out and readying the lighter—

—and then, quick as lightning, the young man slipped inside his apartment and slammed the door shut behind him.

“Goddamnit!” Felix shouted after him, pounding on the door. “Come back out here!”

There was no answer. Felix stomped around in a circle, cursing. Once he composed himself, he went back to the door. “Well, I’m keeping your cigarettes! And your lighter! And you’ll never get them back!”

This also failed to get a response. Felix examined the lighter. On one side there was a figure etched into the metal: a dragon, or a demon. Some mythical creature, at any rate. On the other side, there was an engraving: To John. Love, Rob.

A gift, then. Perhaps he could use its sentimental nature to his advantage. “I really mean it!” he shouted. “I’ll throw this lighter in the sewer!”

Still no response.

With a huff, he zipped away. His preternatural speed meant he only had to travel a few moments before he reached the estate in Beverly Hills where he resided with his sister, Cat, and her husband, Richard. The sprawling wrought iron gates were shut, but unlike the young man’s closed door, the gates posed no barrier to him. He launched himself upward and over the curled letters that spelled out the name of the estate: HAPPY ENDINGS. Under it was the image of a boar, cast in iron. The sign’s rusted state made the promise of the words ring a bit false. Nevertheless, it was the only home he had, and he had no desire to meet the dawn.

Purchase

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Meet the Author

Sera Trevor is terminally curious and views the thirty-five book limit at her local library as a dare. She’s a little bit interested in just about everything, which is probably why she can’t pin herself to one subgenre. Her books are populated with dragons, vampire movie stars, shadow people, and internet trolls. (Not in the same book, obviously, although that would be interesting!) Her works have been nominated for several Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards, including Best Contemporary, Best Fantasy, and Best Debut, for which she won third prize in 2015 for her novella Consorting with Dragons.

She lives in California with her husband, two kids, and a cat the size of three cats. You can keep up with her new releases and gain access to bonus content by signing up for her newsletter.

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Tour Schedule

11/27 The Blogger Girls

11/27 Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

11/27 Bayou Book Junkie

11/27 Love Bytes

11/28 The Novel Approach

11/28 Divine Magazine

11/28 Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

11/29 Stories That Make You Smile

11/29 Shari Sakurai

11/30 Erotica For All

11/30 Happily Ever Chapter

12/1 MM Good Book Reviews

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Nov 22

Book Blitz: Leaning Into a Wish by Lane Hayes (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Leaning Into a Wish

Series: Leaning Into #5

Author: Lane Hayes

Publisher: Lane Hayes

Release Date: November 22

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 35000

Genre: Romance, Holiday, Bisexual, Humor, Winery, Working Relationship

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Synopsis

Ryan Haskell loves everything about the wine business. He’s fortunate to work at one of the most prestigious wineries in Napa Valley doing something he enjoys with the people who are like family to him. But he could do without the good-natured intern slash former jock with the wicked grin who always seems to be in the way. Ryan isn’t sure why the new guy is under his skin when everyone else loves him. Thankfully he’ll be gone after the holidays.

Danny Meyers can’t believe his luck when he lands an internship at Conrad Winery. It’s the perfect temporary gig to wrap up his graduate studies. He’s left his dreams of tennis stardom on the court to focus on a new career and a new life. However, he didn’t count on the spark of attraction he feels for his prickly co-worker. When their tentative friendship blossoms into something more than either man counted on, they may have to change direction and lean into a holiday wish.

Excerpt

A vacuum-like static rang in my ears. It wasn’t until Danny nudged my arm that the typical raucous bar noises filtered through again. And when he scooted his barstool back a foot or two and raised his hand to flag down a server, everything seemed to return to normal. Sort of.

“Gin and tonic for my friend and I’ll have another martini, please. Thanks.” Danny tipped back the last of his drink then handed it over before twisting to face me. “So other than being out twenty-five bucks and possibly having an awkward conversation at work on Monday, that didn’t go so bad.”

“I—I don’t get it. What just happened?”

“We agreed to let Geordie win the bet, remember?”

“Sure, but how did I get stuck here with you?”

Danny snorted. “We’ve already established that you like me. Stop being an uptight fuddy-duddy.”

“A fuddy—? You’re…” I gritted my teeth and tried to think of a stinging insult to fit the situation. “Annoying.”

Lame. And the “That’s the best you’ve got?” twinkle in Danny’s eye told me he agreed with me. I was about to let him have it when the waiter stopped to deliver our drinks. When we were alone again, I leaned into him and kicked his shin for good measure.

“Ow. Relax, Ry. I still want to kiss you, you know.” He popped the speared olive from his martini into his mouth. “With tongue.”

“You’re reading way too much into a stick of spearmint gum, honey. Don’t flatter yourself. It was a joke,” I huffed derisively.

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“Are you fucking nuts? I’m not kissing you,” I announced primly.

“You want to though. Admit it,” he teased.

I blew out an exaggerated breath, sucked down half my cocktail, and slid off my barstool. “I’m outta here. See you Monday.”

Danny grabbed my belt loop and yanked me to his side. “You didn’t let me finish. I was about to say…”

“Yes?” I prompted with a rolling hand gesture.

“I want it too.”

We stared at each other for a heated moment. I had no clue what he was thinking, but it seemed weird to ask for clarification. When the growing tension went on a beat too long, I wanted out. “See ya, Danny boy.”

I pushed my way through the crowd and gulped for air when I finally reached the sidewalk. I didn’t dare stop to enjoy the refreshing autumn breeze. If I wanted to avoid any further confrontation, I had to boogie. Danny was the type of guy who liked having the last word, and that wasn’t happening on my watch. I fished my keys from my pocket and power-walked toward the parking lot behind the bar.

“Ryan!”

I ignored him and picked up my pace. I spotted my car and clicked my fob to unlock the door. Danny called my name again. I could tell from the sound of his footsteps behind me that he was closing in quickly. I had to hurry or—

Too late. A hand on my elbow yanked me sideways.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I fumed, pushing his chest to no avail.

He moved into my space until his nose was less than an inch from mine. He was too big and imposing, and the look in his eyes was straight-up dangerous.

My dick twitched in my jeans. Of course it did. I had a bad habit of coveting what I couldn’t have and getting turned on by the chase. My past was littered with embarrassing short-term affairs or crushes on guys like Wes and Finn. Men I admired but never had a real shot with. I didn’t want to add Danny to that list because against my better judgment…I liked him. Really liked him.

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Meet the Author

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.

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