Book Blitz: All the Way to Shore by CJane Elliott (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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Title:  All the Way to Shore

Author: CJane Elliott

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: 11/23/16

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 56,000

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

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Synopsis

Jonathan Vallen has never felt good enough. A gentle musician who loves to garden, he’s woefully unsuited to running Vallen Industries, the family business. When his father hires a hotshot executive, Marco Pellegrini, to save the company, Jonathan moves away and leaves his humiliation behind. A year later and forty pounds lighter, Jonathan runs into Marco on an LGBT cruise. Marco doesn’t recognize him, the sparks fly, and Jonathan pretends to be someone else for the week—Jonah Rutledge—someone good enough to be loved.

Marco Pellegrini has always been driven. He rose from poverty to the pinnacle of business success, and he’ll do anything to protect his reputation—including hiding his bisexuality. Having saved Vallen Industries, he’s weary of the rat race and ready for a more meaningful life. When Marco meets his soul mate for that new life—Jonah Rutledge—on an LGBT cruise, he prepares to stop hiding and start living.

Back on land, the romance crashes when Marco discovers his perfect man is not only a lie but the son of his boss, Frederick Vallen. Jonathan resolves to win Marco back, but Frederick takes vengeful action. Jonathan and Marco must battle their own fears as well as Frederick’s challenge to get to the future that awaits them on the horizon.

Excerpt

Jonathan eyed the moon and waited for Marco, who was getting something from the bar to bring back with them to his stateroom. He smiled up at the stars, heart full, ready to ride the wave of this fairy tale all the way to shore. Then a hand caressed his neck, and he turned to smile at his handsome prince. Marco smiled back, his pendant glimmering on his chest and a bottle in his hand.

“What did you get?”

“Courvoisier.”

“Nice.”

“I thought it’d be nice for an after-dinner drink as we listen to Debussy.”

They strolled along the deck. “We are almost too fancy for words.”

Marco chuckled. “I’ve never been accused of being fancy before.”

Jonathan eyed him, tall and elegant with his black curls and Roman nose. “You seem fancy to me. Or, well, sophisticated is more like it.”

“If only Mama could hear you. She’d know her bambino had made it in the world.”

“You’re funny.”

Jonathan followed Marco into his stateroom, letting his Jonah Persona take the lead lest he pass out from sheer nervousness. “Nice digs.” Digs? Where’d that come from?

“Thanks.” Marco picked up a large envelope that had been shoved under the door, glanced at the front of it, and tossed it to join a pile of others on the desk. “Work faxes. They don’t seem to get I’m on vacation in the middle of the ocean. They can wait.”

A shiver took hold of Jonathan, thinking of Father and how totally like him it was to be bugging his CEO in the middle of his vacation.

“You aren’t cold, are you?” Marco asked.

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s good.” And I’m running off at the mouth. Cool it.

“Oh, okay. Good. Let me get the Debussy up on my iPod. They have a docking station with pretty decent speakers in here.” Marco sounded a little nervous himself.

As Marco fiddled with the iPod, Jonathan opened the Courvoisier and poured each of them a moderate amount, thinking they could both use some loosening up. “Do you want yours over ice?”

Marco turned. “No. That’s okay. There should still be some ice in the bucket if you like it that way. Here we go.” He pushed a button and Debussy’s La Mer started to play.

They sat in two armchairs at one end of the large room, listening to Debussy’s sensual and passionate music while sipping the brandy. The music swelled and crashed down in eerie imitation of the ocean all around them. With the curtains drawn back, they stared out at the real thing, moonlight dappling the midnight waves. Everything about this moment was surreal—a beautiful dream.

After a time, Marco set down his glass, his eyes burning into Jonathan’s. Jonathan gulped down the rest of his drink for courage and put his glass next to Marco’s. Marco held out his hand, and they rose from their chairs. As Jonathan followed Marco to the bed, his palms grew clammy and his heart raced so much he thought he might pass out. Now that his Jonah Persona had been successful in luring Marco to bed, performance anxiety crowded out everything else. God. It had been so long since he’d had sex. Did he even know what he was doing? Anthony’s voice chimed in on the proceedings. Relax, doll! It’s just like riding a bicycle. You never forget. Now, hop on that man and ride!

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Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

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Meet the Author

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After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.

In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

Website | eMail | Facebook | Twitter |
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Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive an ebook of their chose from CJane’s backlist.


 

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Blog Tour: Learning to Want by Tami Veldura (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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Title:  Learning to Want

Author: Tami Veldura

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: November 21, 2016

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 32,000

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, BDSM, Gay Romance, Novella

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Synopsis

Khoram is an enforcer, a bodyguard, but his boss has just betrayed him. Now he’s stranded on a desert planet he’s never heard of, chained to the only other human around.

Atash grew up in the cracks of Dulia’s complex social structure, where dominance and submission are a man’s worth. He’s struggled for years on a lower caste but Khoram could be his ticket to a better life if they can find common ground.

Atash wants to teach Khoram the art of submitting by choice and maybe make a name for himself along the way. Khoram, however, isn’t here to play Atash’s political games. He’s going to escape, if his former employer doesn’t see him killed first.

Excerpt

Khoram couldn’t help testing his bonds. The metal chain between his hands and feet rattled, laughing at his attempts. The line of slaves shuffled forward one space, and Khoram was dragged along whether he wanted it or not. A lot of things were happening whether he wanted them to or not. The food he ate, the beer he drank, the clothes they took, the hands that verified he was in working condition. He flinched at the memory.

To distract himself he looked up and tried to count the days. Four behind bars on Elliot’s ship thanks to good-for-nothing Nik, six on the small space hopper, three in the holding cells while he and the Ohiri waited for another connection, two in the transport that left them here on Dulia, five—no, six now—at the auction house. Twenty-one days for Nik to cover his tracks. Almost a full cycle for the trail to go cold. Khoram grit his teeth. At the very least something different was happening.

The slave line shuffled forward.

Here, off stage, they kept the rooms mostly dim. It didn’t diminish Dulia’s oppressive heat in the slightest, but the closer Khoram was guided to the glowing roll-up door of the slave block, the more he longed for home. His fitful dreams tortured him with visions of Avois’s wet jungles and waterfalls. He hadn’t actually been home in over a decade, too busy making his fortune as an enforcer and bodyguard, but he was starting to see the error of his ways. Or at least the error of Nik’s.

Khoram licked his lips. He pressed them together, already regretting it. They’d been chapped dry for days. His wrists and ankles chafed under the iron. These were better discomforts than the lingering slick between his legs and exactly what lay on the other side of that bright doorway.

A Dulia lizardman flared the red frill around his neck as he walked the slave line, clicking orders in his native tongue and emphasizing them with a small electric prod. Khoram had tested the prod’s worth enough times to know it could knock him on his ass without much effort. He looked away from the mercenary and shuffled forward with the line.

He wasn’t exactly inconspicuous. The group he was chained to consisted largely of Ohiri natives: light-skinned, five-foot average, and generally docile. They were just as likely to stay in line without the chains and prod. Khoram stood out among them: a tall, dark, massive human furious in his captivity. Khoram was highly trained and just waiting for a chance to show it. In a fair fight, the lizardmen would fold like paper and they knew it. He’d never been unchained, left alone, or handled by fewer than four, and they were always armed with their electric prods. Always on alert.

Khoram grit his teeth. From capture to sale, he hadn’t managed a single successful bid for freedom, and he’d tried more than a few times. Now he took a breath and let his patience steady his hands, let the line of slaves tug him along. If the lizardmen couldn’t be overcome, whoever purchased him could be. Khoram wasn’t entirely familiar with Dulia’s customs, but if the easily dominated Ohiri were slaves of choice, Khoram wasn’t going to fetch much interest or profit.

The slave in front of him was unleashed from the line and yanked out the bright door. A lizardman pointed at the vacated spot, and Khoram shuffled forward to occupy it. The heat pulsed through the door in bright waves, bringing scents of sand, sweat, and a light spice that was unfamiliar. He could hear voices, now: the auctioneer yelling in rapid Duliana, the crowd barking their bids in turn, the sound of rhythmic smacking, a chorus of cheers. Another winning bid.

Then Khoram’s chains were unleashed and, flanked by two lizardmen with prods, he was led through the door. Hot metal rattled under his feet, and the blinding sun limited his view of more than the circular platform onto which he was pulled. A lizardman unhooked his wrists from his ankles, instead latching the chain to something that hoisted his arms suddenly overhead. His breath whooshed out. They tightened his ankle chains to the platform, and with a metal screech, it slowly began to rotate. They were showing him off. A tingle of awareness tripped over his skin and exposed groin—the attention of a hundred eyes.

Khoram squinted. The auctioneer espoused in Duliana for several minutes, likely explaining why the hell this bear of a human was on the block instead of a lithe Ohiri, spinning his assets to garner the crowd’s favor. Khoram knew a snake-oil salesman when he saw one, even if he didn’t share their language.

The platform turned him, and he faced the crowd. More of a species mix than he expected. Lizardmen were not the primary slave-owners if this was a decent selection. Mostly tall Frea, in fact, their black scales draped in white gossamer. They were members of Dulia’s refined upper caste, and other than video, this was the first he’d seen them. They weren’t known to ever leave Dulia, though they profited from the wider galaxy’s trade gladly. Pockets of Slone-dogs made the most noise in the crowd. They barked in their hybrid dialect, likely obscene things Khoram didn’t want translated. He curled his lip at the closest pack, and they yipped at each other.

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NineStar Press | Amazon

Learning to Want Square

Meet the Author

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Tami Veldura is a writer, reader, lover and artist. She currently resides in Ventura, CA. She writes science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, and queer fiction.

Tami can host blog tours and interviews for any artist, writer, or publishing professional. She is also available for hire as a freelance editor of complete fiction stories of any length. She loves editing fantasy, science fiction, erotica, and paranormal stories for Adults or Young Adults.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodreadseMail | Instagram | Tumblr | Patreon

Tour Schedule

11-21 Andrew Grey

11-22 – ZA Maxfield

11-23 – Anne Barwell

11-24  – Prism Book Alliance

11-25 – Dirk Greyson

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Book Blitz: Tow Trucks & New Year’s Kisses by Lila Leigh Hunter (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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Title:  Tow Trucks & New Year’s Kisses

Series: Cupcakes & Brews, #1

Author: Lila Leigh Hunter

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: November 21, 2016

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 10,100 words

Genre: Romance, Gay, Pansexual, Cisgender

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Synopsis

A Jag with out-of-state plates is the last car Scott DeLaney expected to find when answering a tow call as a favor to his drunken godson. But, the tall man in the fedora seems like a nice reward until Scott finds out the stranger’s destination. Yes, he’d take care of the brooding man, but he has a selfish reason for it.

Finding himself in a ditch after dodging a deer is the least of Patrick Samuels’s problems when his rescuer arrives, wearing a tuxedo and driving a hot pink flatbed. Perhaps his older brother’s scheme will benefit Patrick after all.

Who knew that a New Year’s kiss is far more efficient than any boardroom strategy to seal a deal?

Excerpt

The rumble of an engine brought him back to his cold predicament. He adjusted his fedora and covered his mouth with his scarf as he moved closer to his brother’s Jag to signal the newcomer. It had been thirty-nine minutes. At least they had arrived before he froze his balls off. The truck lights illuminated the area, making Patrick cover his eyes. It took him a moment to readjust to the dark night after moving out of its reach. The flatbed was better than he had expected in a small town in the Valley. He did a double take when he realized it was hot pink, not exactly your everyday color. Well, that’s what he could see without being blinded again, anyway. The driver’s door opened, and Patrick moved closer. Before he could acknowledge the driver, Patrick ran out of words. A tall man in a well-tailored tuxedo stepped out of the truck, the lights reflecting on the shiny tips of his dress shoes. Patrick continued to gawk since the man was putting on some type of dirty work coat. He moved even closer, wanting to examine his savior’s features. They seemed to be about the same height, but the trucker had broader shoulders. Patrick was mesmerized by the geeky glasses and the long beard that concealed a hint of a smile. He wanted to run his tongue over the man’s thin upper lip and feel the coarse hairs partially hiding it.

The thwack of the closing door startled him back to reality, and the knowing smirk on the other man’s face made his body warm up for the first time that night. “About time,” he said, trying to cover his discomfort. He followed the trucker’s movements as he checked the time.

“I quoted you forty-five minutes, Mr. Samuels. I arrived with three minutes to spare.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Patrick said over his shoulder as he made his way back to the car. “You know you’re a little overdressed to respond to a tow call, right?”

“You’re correct, Mr. Samuels, but my superhero cape is at the dry cleaners. The tux will have to do for now.”

Patrick turned to berate the smartass but collided with him instead. The trucker held Patrick’s biceps, preventing him from falling, and once again, Patrick stared at the man’s lips. He shook his head to break the connection and winced at the pain instead. The cold and the bruises were getting to his brain

“You need to be careful, Mr. Samuels. You don’t want to hurt yourself any further.” The tow driver released one of Patrick’s biceps and traced Patrick’s bruised cheek with a long, cold finger.

Patrick shivered and immediately pulled away from the wanted but unnerving touch. “If you’re done manhandling me, Mr…”

“You forgot my name already? It’s Scott, baby face,” Scott said before tapping Patrick’s fedora.

The vibration traveled all the way to Patrick’s cock and back up to his nipples. The cold had been forgotten too. Even so, Patrick couldn’t believe his traitorous body’s response to the man’s forwardness. Yeah, if they were anywhere else, he’d be the one propositioning Mr. Scott, but they were in the middle of the boonies, for God’s sake. He couldn’t be that desperate. After looking into those hazel eyes again, he might have to change his opinion.

“No matter how much I’m enjoying this, we need to get moving before we have to ring in the New Year inside the truck.”

©2016 Lila Leigh Hunter
All Rights Reserved

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NineStar Press | Amazon | Allromance eBooks/OmnitLit | Barnes & Noble Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

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Meet the Author

Lila Leigh Hunter is the pen name of a Puerto Rican author with a hyphenated surname. Born and raised on the island, Lila grew up making up stories her siblings pretended to like. But no matter what they say, as the youngest of six, she’s still their mom’s favorite. According to the dusty diplomas on her wall, she’s an architectural designer living in Southern Texas with her husband and four military brats.

She spends most of her free time writing homoerotic romances about middle-aged men finding happiness and the rest hiding from pesky house chores. When outside of her cave, she likes to observe people and try to guess their stories. Sometimes she wishes the voices in her head were real; going out with the boys in her books sounds like a plan made in heaven.

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Giveaway

Three lucky winners will each win an ebook copy of Tow Trucks & New Year’s Kisses


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Book Blitz: Tru Smoke by Edie Danford (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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Title:  Tru Smoke

Series: Ember Peak Book One

Author: Edie Danford

Publisher: Edie Danford

Release Date: November 3, 2016

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 90,100 words

Genre: Romance

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Synopsis

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire… Whenever Jones touches him, flames flicker in Truitt Larkin’s smoky-gray eyes.

Growing up in Ember Peak, Colorado, Jones nurtured dreams as big as the Rockies. Why else would a flat-broke college student believe he has a shot with Truitt Larkin, the billionaire CEO of Larkin Corp? And, sure, Tru might own the fab, five-thousand-acre Ember Peak Ranch, where Jones is just the son of a ranch employee, but that doesn’t mean a future with Tru is doomed, does it? When he finally, finally convinces Tru to break his chiseled-in-rock no-sex-ever policy, Jones is sure smoke will never shroud Tru’s silver-flame eyes again.

But fire burns and dreams crash. And when Tru shuts down Jones’s hopes, Jones leaves Ember Peak—and a big chunk of his heart—for good.

Tru knows he’s responsible for fracturing his valued friendship with Jones. Indulging his attraction to the younger man was selfish and destructive—something he’ll always regret. When Jones returns to Ember Peak for a family wedding, Tru wants a chance to heal their friendship and give back to Jones the comfort of coming home. But sparks fly the moment they reunite, and they scramble to douse the passion that’s burned them both before. Yet a flicker of hope glows brightly, and soon they need all their courage to see their way to a future together.

Excerpt

I was playing with fire. The phrase churned through my head even though it was the kind of cliché I’d usually have no use for. I knew too well that every worthwhile risk had a good chance at ending up in flames. I also knew fire could be hypnotic and beautiful and feel fucking great, especially if your soul had been encased in ice for a good long while.

Being scorched by Jones Hudson and his amazing fire was like a ride to hell I never wanted to end. But what I wanted wasn’t good for me or for him, and so…

This morning was gonna suck. It was time to pay the price for my selfishness, my weakness. I held back a sigh and glanced at the clock. 5:45. I had two hours. Two.

Sweet Jesus.

My fingers tangled gently in his hair. He’d fallen asleep like this—smashed against my side, one arm draped over my chest, one leg draped over my thigh, his face nestled into my neck—at least twenty times in the last week.

Sex wore him out.

For about ten minutes.

My lips curved into a smile even though my heart was beginning to thump a pained rhythm beneath his warm grasp. It was dawn and the curtains were open on the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The sun wasn’t strong yet, but the newborn beams making it through the glass had found Jones’s hair.

Talk about fire.

My first horse had been a sharp little chestnut with a coat that had turned to flame in the sun. So pretty it had made my eyes hurt. Jones’s hair was the exact same color.

His fingers tightened suddenly on my ribcage and I prepared myself to get hit with a dose of pure autumn sky. “Morning,” he mumbled, his voice scritchy as rough-grade sandpaper.

More guilt there. I’d gone a little wild when he’d blown me in the elevator last night, his welcoming throat a temptation I couldn’t resist.

He propped himself on my chest, opened his eyes all the way, and smiled. And there it was—eyes heartstoppingly blue and a smile that inspired me no matter how stale my dreams had become.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, tracing the curve of my lower lip with his fingertip.

He asked it, of course, even though I was wearing my best everything’s-cool face. Never could fool Jones. I could occasionally fool his mother. And on very rare occasions my half-sister, Sandra. But never Jones.

I shook my head and tipped my chin for a kiss. His lips were chapped and I licked at them gently before going deep, wanting to taste him, refusing—goddamn forbidding myself—to think about how this was the last time I’d be with him this way.

“Mmm,” he sighed into my mouth. “How can you taste this good?”

“Because you crave the flavor of morning-after jizz, wine, and pizza?”

He licked my smile. “Yep. Must be it.”

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Edie Danford | Amazon

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Meet the Author

Although her extended family hails from the Rockies, the Plains, and the Midwest, Edie has spent the last ten years in her Green Mountain home. She seeks romance wherever and whenever possible.

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One lucky winner will win a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card



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Review: Reading The Signs by Keira Andrews

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00072]Title:  Reading The Signs

Author: Keira Andrews

Publisher:  KA Books

Release Date: 9/22/2016

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 293 Pages

Genre: Contemporary, M/M, Sports, Romance

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

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Synopsis

This hot-headed rookie needs discipline—on and off the field.

Pitcher Nico Agresta is desperate to live up to his family’s baseball legacy. Since he was a teenager crushing on his big brother’s teammate, he’s known he can’t act on his desires. His father made it clear there should be no queers on the field, but if Nico can win Rookie of the Year like his dad and brother did, maybe he can prove he’s worthy after all.

At 34, veteran catcher Jake Fitzgerald just wants to finish out his contract and retire. His team doesn’t have a prayer of making the playoffs, but who needs the stress? Jake lost his passion for the game—and life—after driving away the man he loved, and he swore he’d never risk his heart again.

Then he’s traded to a team that wants a vet behind the plate to tame their new star pitcher. Jake is shocked to find the gangly kid he once knew has grown into a gorgeous young man. But tightly wound Nico is having trouble controlling his temper in his quest for perfection, and Jake needs to teach him patience and restraint on the mound.

When their push and pull explodes into the bedroom, Nico and Jake will both learn how much they’ll risk for love.

This gay sports romance features men who have been repressing their feelings far too long, light BDSM, an age difference, sweaty locker rooms, and a happy ending.

Review

I received a copy of Settling the Score by Eden Winters via Indigo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.

I was glued to this book. Weekend reads are so special when you happen across a story that pulls you in and keeps you focused on a world not your own. It feels like a vacation.

I’ve read several Keira Andrews books and she continues to surprise me. I never know what’s next from her.

In Reading the Signs she gives us a sports romance with no skimping on the sport. If you like baseball, you’re going to appreciate the attention to detail. I may not be baseball’s biggest fan, but I could more than appreciate a sports themed romance that gives much more than a passing wave at the theme.

The romance was heart-breaking/warming. My favorite kind. We are given an amazing set of characters. Each fully developed and shown true-to-life. No caricatures in this book.

Nico’s Italian family:
Nonna – religious, great cook, loving and commanding grandmother who still presides over her family even well into her 80s.
Father Al – American-Italian old fashioned head of the household. These men are intrinsically good but have some bad (offensive) habits and mind frame.
Sister Val – nosy, emotional and supportive
Brother Marco – clueless but accepting

Jake’s Canadian family:
Widowed mother – highly active in her community. Always with a positive outlook and completely accepting.

Jake’s friends:
Ron – the friendly hookup
Brandon – the heartbreak friend
Diego – the forgiving and accepting friend

The teammates and coaches all portrayed so life-like.

Everyone so real that when I finished reading and looked up I had to say “oh, hello world” because I’d been lost in the one Andrews built.

Our MCs:
Jake is an older pro-baseball player at the tail-end of his career. He’s gay and out to his family and close friends but still in the general closet in deference to his career. He’s made mistakes in the past with people who counted. Now, he’s ready to finish out his last two years and retire peacefully. But the sudden, surprise transfer throws his life into turmoil. Even though he gets to go back to Canada, he has to start all over again in a new location with new teammates. It’s unsettling enough even before he meets Nico.

Nico is the little brother of one of Jake’s baseball friends. He used to play catch with Jake when he was 13. That was also when he developed a hopeless crush on Jake. But, Nico is so far in the closet that he can barely admit to himself that he may be gay. Nico’s anxiety and self-esteem issues are affecting his inborn athletic talent. The best thing that’s ever happened to him is getting Jake as a catcher on his team and a soulmate in his life.

Both characters experience growing pains as they resolve past issues and forge a new future. I was rooting for each in turn. For me, the family scenes were the most poignant and brought tears to my eyes. But watching these two men do incredible things for each other by helping to heal old wounds and repair existing holes was beautiful to watch. The epilogue was just perfect.

Reviewed by Fabi

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Book Blitz: Dog Gone by Diane Moat (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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Title:  Dog Gone

Author: Diane Moat

Publisher: Outskirts

Release Date: April 2016

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Female

Length: 203 pages

Genre: Thriller/Suspense, Crime

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Synopsis

Have you ever seen a report of a terrible animal abuse case and thought, “Someone should stop that person from ever being able to harm another animal.”? Then this novel is for you.

Sam Holden is a young woman who comes across a dog after he has been tortured to death. This starts her down a path of learning about animal rescue. Along this path there are times where she must color outside the lines in order to stop an abuser from harming animals. In order to do this, she must enlist the help of some unexpected characters. This includes a mob family retiree, a housebound social media whiz, and a gorgeous “fence” for stolen goods. She needs the fence since she funds her illegal projects by thievery. Sam’s on again, off again boyfriend doesn’t know about her recreational projects. We join Sam as she balances her personal life, thievery and escalating quests to help animals in need. Throughout all of her competing jobs, she never loses sight of her search for the man who started it all by killing the dog she found by the side of the road. Our story culminates when Sam finds the man, with all points of her life intersecting in an amazing finish.

Excerpt

Spring, 2013

Today, the man drove his oldest pickup truck, because of the smell. None of his family ever got in this truck ‘cause of how filthy it was. He liked it that way.

The dead dog lying on the seat next to him no longer resembled the dog he’d “adopted” two months before. The family he’d met back then—who had owned the animal—was so eager to get rid of the dog, they jumped when he tol’ them the story of wanting the dog for his ten-year-old boy. He seen the family on Facebook, advertising the dog to be “free to a good home.”

They didn’t ask him a single question, and he was gone in less than ten minutes. He knew the type. The dog probably looked cute when they first got him, and then prolly peed all over and chewed their shoes. Hit the road, Jack.

The dog spent the next two months at his hunting cabin, along with four or five others. The number changed up, depending on how many died and how many he was able to “adopt.” He went out to the cabin every other weekend, and sometimes he could sneak away for an occasional weekday. His wife called it his “down time.”

He didn’t worry about leaving the dogs any food when he wasn’t there. They were all kept together in one pen. They could hold out until he returned, starve, or eat each other. He always made sure at least one or two small dogs were in the pack, for that last possibility. Sometimes, he made bets with himself as to which dogs would be alive when he returned. Surprisingly, the small dogs proved to be tougher than he’d expected, and seemed to last longer than the bigger dogs.

The dog next to him, too, had lasted longer than he had bet on. He had enjoyed seeing him go from being a happy and hopeful dog, to one who wouldn’t even open his eyes when the man came near. The dog was so hungry the week before, he had eaten the canned dog food the man had mixed with broken glass. After that, he shot out the dog’s front legs, knowing the dog would be dead when he returned.

Once a dog was dead, he didn’t want it on his property anymore, not even buried. But he was also lazy and didn’t want to dig a hole. So he went with what had worked in the past. He would drive down a deserted dirt road and dump the dog out. He hadn’t seen another car in over five minutes now.

He’d been driving around campgrounds that weren’t s’pposed to be opened for the summer yet. He had seen one parked camper a few minutes back, but that was it. As he rounded a corner, he slowed down and opened the passenger door. One shove and the dog’s body flew out of the car as if it wanted to be released. He slammed the door shut and accelerated with hardly a pause.

He wasn’t worried anyone would trace the dog back to him. No one would care enough to try. In all the years he had been “adopting” dogs and dumping their bodies, not once had anybody questioned him.

The man drove away, confident no one would care about this one dog.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

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Meet the Author

Diane is a Tennessee transplant, animal rescuer, and nurse. Dog Gone is her debut novel, born from years of hearing animal rescuers say about animal abusers, “If only I could get my hands on that person…” Diane is assisted by her many rescue dogs.

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Review: Settling the Score by Eden Winters

settling-blue-400x600Title:  Settling the Score

Author: Eden Winters

Publisher:  Rocky Ridge Books

Release Date: 10/6/2016

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 86,000 words

Genre: Romance, Humor, Age Difference, Movie Star, Author, Small Town, Mechanic, Getting Even

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

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Synopsis

Outed and dumped on national television by his rising star boyfriend, Joey Nichols must face the bigotry of the locals in his small Southern town alone. His dreams of a happy ever after lie crushed at his feet.

Novelist Troy Steele has an axe to grind against Hollywood heartbreaker types. Transforming Joey into a gorgeous, unobtainable hunk would be payback worthy of Troy’s poison pen. It’s a brilliant way to get back at Joey’s image-obsessed ex-boyfriend and the movie producer who’s mutilating Troy’s novels.

What begins as simple revenge may tangle them together in something far more complicated. Living well may be the best revenge, but Troy and Joey could rewrite that to loving well.

Review

I received a copy of Settling the Score by Eden Winters via Indigo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.

Anyone who’s ever been dumped, let alone on national TV, will enjoy this book! The main character Joey is a genuinely sweet closeted guy who not only gets dumped on national TV, but outed as well to his family and the bigots in his small southern town. Overnight his life goes from one of dreams of HEA with his supposed boyfriend Riker to one of pariahdom and hate crimes. His salvation lies in coming to the attention of famous writer Troy Steele, who himself was publically dumped and sees in Joey the means of his revenge against both their exes, who are now a couple. It does not take a crystal ball to know Joey and Troy are meant for each other. The rough road of their relationship just makes the ending even sweeter. I wish I could have gotten as perfect a revenge on my own cheating ex!

Reviewed by Susan

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Rocky Ridge Books | Amazon | Allromance eBooks

Book Blitz: Crazy Joe by A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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Title:  Crazy Joe

Author: A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly

Publisher: Torquere Press

Release Date: September 7, 2016

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 25,000 Words

Genre: Romance, Police Procedural, Humorous

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Synopsis

Montana Delray, a hot, good-looking New Orleans detective, had it made until his captain found him fooling around with his son at the office Christmas party. Even a gold shield and a medal for valor can’t save him from being busted down and transferred to the last place any cop wants to go—the 77th Precinct.

Detective Joe Hunter, nicknamed “Crazy Joe” because he has the sixth sense, flounders in a department where everyone has their “idiosyncrasies.” Then Montana Delray walks through the doors of the 77th and turns psychic Joe’s world upside down.

For the two mismatched detectives, is the 77th Precinct a nightmare or their destiny?

Excerpt

..Joe was pulling up to the curb. I pulled up behind him. I turned off the engine and watched him get out. Joe strolled over to my window. I lowered it. “Coming in, handsome? Or…do you dare?”

 

“You keep that up and I’ll drag you into the back of this car and do you right here.”

 

“Like Elizabeth?” He stuck out his tongue at me.

 

I got out, grinning. “Ha, ha.”

 

He was almost up to the door, a nice side-by-side duplex with red shutters and porch swing. He was putting the key in the door when I got up behind him. I pressed close, making sure he could feel how hard I was. I felt him tremble. “You’re giving yourself away there, Joe.”

 

“It won’t be that easy,” he said softly, pushing open the door. He switched on the light.

 

I looked down to see the tent in his pants. “Oh, okay. Are you sure about that?”

 

Joe inched along the hallway. He threw his keys on the sideboard and smiled. “You sure are a cheeky fellow.”

 

I reached out to him. “What did you call me, cheeky?”

 

Joe pulled away and pushed open the door to a bedroom. “Tell me in here.”

 

I followed him and watched while he lowered himself on the bed. “Okay, so…Montana, show me what you got?”

 

I shrugged out of my jacket, undid my gun holster and placed it on the chair. I checked my gun and made sure the safety was on. I smiled at him as I approached the bed. “I assume I have carte blanche to do whatever I have to in order to earn my man badge?”

 

Joe lay back on the pillow. “Whatever you go, I can handle.”

 

“I have no doubt of that,” I said softly, licking my lips. I reached down and undid his shirt, one button at a time. I pressed my lips to each place as I bared his chest. When his shirt was completely open and I’d reached Joe’s waist, he let out a faint moan.

 

I lifted my head and looked at him. “What was that?”

 

“You’re a tease,” he accused, between gritted teeth.

 

“Yes, but I please,” I told him, pressing my lips to his chest as I undid the zipper on his pants.

 

“We’ll see,” he replied…

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Torquere Press | Amazon

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Meet the Authors

A.J. Llewellyn
A.J. Llewellyn’s obsession with myth, magic, love, and romance might have led to serious stalking charges had it not been for the ability to write. Thanks to the existence of some very patient publishers, A.J.’s days are spent writing, reading and dreaming up new worlds. A.J. has definitely stopped Google-searching former boyfriends and given up all ambition to taste test every cupcake in the universe to produce over 200 published gay erotic romance novels.

A.J. wants you to read them all. A.J. can be found lurking on Facebook and Twitter—part-time class clown being another occupation. When not writing or reading, A.J.’s other passions include juggling, kiteboarding, and spending a fortune buying upgrade apps for Pearl’s Peril and Farm Heroes Saga.

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D.J. Manly
I write not only for my own pleasure, but for the pleasure of my readers. I can’t remember a time in my life when I haven’t written and told stories. When I’m not writing, I’m dreaming about writing. Eroticism between consenting adults, in all its many forms is the icing on the cake of life but one does not live by sex alone. The story of how two people find love in spite of the odds is what really turns me on.

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Blog Tour: A Kind of Honesty by Lane Hayes

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Title:  A Kind of Honesty

Series: A Kind of Story, #3

Author: Lane Hayes

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: October 7, 2016

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 85K

Genre: Romance, Bisexual, Rock Star, NYC, Humor

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Synopsis

Music is Tim Chalmers’s great escape and the one thing that’s never let him down. But his band Spiral’s meteoric rise to fame has made it difficult for the drummer to maintain a low profile. Unwanted press pesters him after a public breakup with a volatile ex-girlfriend who loves the limelight as much as he loathes it. Tim’s main goal is to avoid confrontation. However, when he meets a handsome stranger in a dive bar who turns out to be someone he may know, everything changes.

Carter Hamilton-Temple might be a successful financial consultant with more brains, sophistication, and charm than most, but he always falls for the wrong guys: closet cases or men with issues. He can’t fight his attraction to the tattooed rock star, but can he trust his own judgment? When the thrill of danger combined with a fierce physical connection proves too strong for either man to resist, a quiet liaison away from the public eye and curious friends seems like a safe bet. But some secrets are hard to keep. When rumors threaten to rock his world, Tim realizes it’s time to confront his fear with his own kind of honesty.

Excerpt

“What kind of a rock star are you? You’re supposed to love sex, drugs, and alcohol. I haven’t known you long, but you seem to only really like one out of three,” Carter commented idly as he shuffled the cards.

“You’re right. I’m a sucky rock star. I rarely have more than one drink when I go out for dinner or even at a bar. Two at a party. Anything more usually leads to trouble. And I never take drugs. Even cold medicine makes me nervous.” I winked and gave him a lecherous grin that no doubt looked far from provocative in my current condition. “But I love sex.”

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Amazon | Dreamspinner Press | All Romance | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

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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 in the 2014 and 2015 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in an almost empty nest.

Books by Lane Hayes (Dreamspinner Press):

Better Than Good, Better Than Chance, Better Than Friends, Better Than Safe, The Right Words, The Wrong Man & The Right Time

The Kind Of Series:

A Kind Of Truth   A Kind Of RomanceA_Kind_of_Honesty_FINAL_V4

Click on a cover to purchase

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Tour Schedule

10/11     My Fiction Nook

10/11     Dog-Eared Daydreams

10/11     BFD Book Blog

10/13     Diverse Reader

10/13     Gay Book Reviews

10/13     Open Skye Book Reviews

10/18     The Novel Approach

10/18     Divine Magazine

10/18     MM Good Book Reviews

10/20     Joyfully Jay

10/20     Sinfully

10/20     Molly Lolly

10/25     Bayou Book Junkie

10/25     Boy Meets Boy Reviews

10/25     Purple Rose Teahouse

10/27     MM Book Escape

10/27     Prism Book Alliance

10/27     Book Lovers 4Ever

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One lucky winner will win a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card!


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Book Blitz: Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure by Duane Simolke (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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Title:  Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure

Series: Taldra, 2

Author: Duane Simolke

Publisher: Duane Simolke

Release Date: 8/27/2016

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Female, Male/Male, Female/Female

Length: 42,498 words

Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Science Fiction

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Synopsis

In an alternate reality, an Iroquois woman and her twin gay sons battle shapeshifting aliens.

Valchondria (Earth) developed a one-world government, consisting of Leader, the Maintainers, and the Supreme Science Council. A millennium ago, the Valchondrians sent two ships of colonists into space. The first ship became radicalized by a violent religious cult. Alien creatures called the Naadloosh attacked the second ship. Valchondria banned contact outside its atmosphere and shut down the space program. Over the centuries, freedom and progress decayed.

Now the Naadloosh have found the human world. Leader and her sons must stop the invasion. Maintainer Admiral Nil blames Leader for a series of tragedies and might pose an even greater threat than the changelings that want to feed on humanity.

One of Leader’s twin sons, Telius, simply wants to marry the man he loves. The other, Argen, struggles with the residual effects of a deadly drug addiction. The young men rally to Leader’s side as she faces humanity’s greatest threats.

Native American storytelling inspired this stand-alone sequel to Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Excerpt

 

Telius stepped through the sliding doors, into their two-story home. The aroma of docle bread wafted through the house and led him into the kitchen. A few white petals remained on the cutting board, but the smell came from the oven, now set on “Warm.” His famished stomach tightened even more, but he hoped his favorite dish signaled an even bigger surprise, one he really couldn’t call a surprise.

Multi-colored artwork in synthetic wood frames covered the bland plastic walls of the front entry way. Telius had insisted on displaying the abstract paintings Argen had created during the early phases of his addiction recovery program, during the time the twins got to know each other.

Telius stepped through a holographic mural of Valchondria and approached the wallscreen room’s long brown couch. Its only occupant used voice commands to channel glide the giant screen he faced. Ebony skin showed through his close-cropped hair. Dark brown eyes lit up from his smile when he turned around.

“You’re finally home!” Jase-Dawn said, jumping up from the couch. He gave his boyfriend one of his big hugs, the ones that meant he wanted to share something, followed by an even bigger kiss. “I expected you in sooner.”

“Forgiveness. After class, I spent some extra time in the undermall. The priests were distributing food packages to as many of the walkway people there as possible, and I wanted to help out.”

Jase-Dawn stepped back a little, leaving his hands on Telius’s shoulders. “You didn’t eat, though, did you?”

Telius laughed. “No, I didn’t eat one of those food packages. I’m hardly a walkway person, living here.” He spun his pointed finger around at the oversized house Taldra’s predecessor had commissioned for her, the house that Telius, Argen, and Jase-Dawn now shared. Taldra had moved to Valcine Plaza a year earlier, after accepting her predecessor’s appointment of her as Leader.

Jase-Dawn’s arm moved up and over like a Maintainer directing crowd control. “Don’t start complaining about how easy we have it here! You’ve saved the world enough for today, or should I say tonight? Not that you should have gone to the undermall after dark anyway. It’s dangerous and full of crime, and you’re—”

“One of Leader’s sons? I won’t start if you don’t.” He grinned a little, then returned to the scent that made his stomach growl. “Who baked docle bread?”

“Me.”

“You?” Telius narrowed his eyes.

Jase rubbed his partner’s shoulders. “I’m learning new things. Argen gave me a video chip of your father’s recipes.”

“That was nice of him. Where is Argen, anyway?”

“Finishing something. He knew we needed some time alone.” Jase-Dawn led Telius to the couch, and they sat close together, arms entangled.

“He had a seizure today, from the confidence pills. He’s fine, though. Forgiveness, I didn’t mean to spoil the moment.”

Jase smiled again. “You didn’t, love. Argen told me all about it, while we were programming the tonal androids to help me teach my music class. Actually, though, I wanted to talk about something else.”

“Like what?”

“Like us. Over the past year, I’ve thought constantly about the day I’ll gain Valchondrian citizenship, and no longer be considered a Degran spy. Now that day is almost here.”

“I kind of remember that, considering you wrote it on the holo-calendar…with sparkle font.” Telius winked, his nose still trying to pull him to the kitchen. But he wondered if Jase-Dawn was about to ask a question that involved one of the benefits of becoming Valchondrian.

“Telius, will you become married with me?”

“I knew it!” Telius said, wide eyed.

Jase scrunched his nose. “That was actually a yes or no question.”

“And you already knew the answer. Of course I’ll become married with you! How many people find the perfect spouse, the person they always want to be with?”

Telius leaned forward and kissed him.

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Sons of Taldra SquareMeet the Author

duane-simolke-indie-author

Duane Simolke wrote the books The Acorn Stories, Degranon, Sons of Taldra, Holding Me Together, and New Readings of Winesburg, Ohio. He co-wrote The Return of Innocence and The Acorn Gathering: Writers Uniting Against Cancer. DuaneSimolke.Com includes writings and links. He lives in Lubbock, Texas.

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