m/m romance

A Mended Man by Jaime Reese : Cover Reveal

April 15, 2016 by Denise

A story of healing, confronting demons, and how two men fight like hell to finally get their happily ever after.

Title: A Mended Man

Series: The Men of Halfway House #4

Author: Jaime Reese

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 28, 2016
Photographer: wagnerLA Photography
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Detective Aidan Calloway is rock-solid strong. He’s a man of justice—loyal to his friends, family, and job—even if it requires bending a law…or two. He shields himself behind an abrasive, fearless facade, until a phone call one night chips his armor and throws his perfectly planned, hollow life into a tailspin.Jessie Vega is the epitome of optimism. His carefully crafted attitude of hope and positivity protects him from a past filled with too much pain. When a ghost from a dark time resurfaces and nearly breaks him, he must tap into his inner strength or risk losing everything he’s worked so hard to build.But Jessie can’t do it alone. He must fight to break through Aidan’s ironclad defenses to reveal the heart of the man hiding beneath the tough surface and mend his damaged spirit. Only then can they truly heal and become strong enough to battle the demons that haunt them and threaten their chance to finally be together.

———

***This book contains scenes and subject matter some readers may find distressing.***

———

Although part of a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone.

Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.

The Men of Halfway House
A Better Man
A Hunted Man
A Restored Man
A Mended Man

…More to come…

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Imperfect Harmony by Jay Northcote : Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

April 15, 2016 by Denise

Imperfect harmony can still be beautiful…

John Fletcher, a former musician, is stuck in limbo after losing his long-term partner two years ago. He’s shut himself off from everything that reminds him of what he’s lost. When his neighbour persuades him to join the local community choir, John rediscovers his love of music and finds a reason to start living again.

Rhys Callington, the talented and charismatic choir leader, captures John’s attention from the first moment they meet. He appears to be the polar opposite of John: young, vibrant, and full of life. But Rhys has darkness in his own past that is holding him back from following his dreams.

Despite the nineteen-year age gap, the two men grow close and a fragile relationship blossoms. Ghosts of the past and insecurities about the future threaten their newfound happiness. If they’re going to harmonise in life and love as they do in their music, they’ll need to start following the same score.

Author Name: Jay Northcote

Book Name: Imperfect Harmony

Release Date: April 15, 2016

Pages or Words: 66,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Jaybird Press

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

Luckily there were still some parking spaces outside the church hall where Maggie’s choir met. John made sure they arrived a little early so Maggie wouldn’t have to walk too far. She was managing well on one crutch, but she still tired easily. After he parked, he got out and hurried around to help her out of the passenger door.

“Thanks, love,” she said, patting him on the arm. “I can manage now.”

A vicious gust of wind whipped a strand of hair into her face. It was dark, still sleeting, and probably slippery underfoot. There was no way John was going to leave until she was safely indoors. “I’ll just see you inside. Let me take your bag.”

Maggie let him have it without argument, and he popped it over his arm. He hovered close to Maggie as she made her way slowly to the double doors. He held one open for her and was hit by a blast of warm air. Then he accompanied her inside as she crutched along the corridor towards an open door. Yellow light flooded out, and the sound of a tenor voice singing “I Can See Clearly Now” raised the hairs on the back of John’s neck with its pure, clear beauty.

“I thought you said the emphasis was on fun rather than perfection?” he said quietly. “He’s got quite a voice.”

“That’ll be Rhys, our choir leader,” Maggie said with a smile. “Come and meet him, even if you’re not staying.”

Maggie paused when she reached the doorway and put a finger to her lips. They listened and waited for Rhys to finish singing. John peered over Maggie’s shoulder, hoping for a glimpse of the man the voice belonged to. Rhys, John presumed, was alone in the room. With his back to the door, he stood at a table pushed to the edge of the room, shuffling through some papers as he sang. All John could see of him was that he was small and slight, and quite young, based on the cut of his clothes. A hood covered his hair.

When he finished, Maggie started clapping.

Rhys wheeled around. “Oh my God! You made me jump.” He pushed his hood down and his face lit up as he beamed. “Maggie. How are you?”

John’s eyes widened as he took in Rhys’s front view as he approached Maggie and gave her a careful hug. His hair, which was shaved at the back and sides, was long on top and dyed peacock blue. His eyebrow was pierced, his arms were covered with tattoos, and the front of his T-shirt was emblazoned with a glittery equals sign in rainbow colours. All in all, he was at least twenty years younger than John had expected and completely unlike how John would have imagined a choir leader to look. In this dingy church hall in their small market town, Rhys looked like a bird of paradise that had accidentally ended up in a cage full of sparrows.

Being a music lover and a fan of Jay Northcote, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Imperfect Harmony. Of course, the icing on the cake was that this is a May/December story, which I also love.

Unfortunately, I was left trying to figure out how I feel about the book. The pacing felt off from what I’ve gotten used to with Jay’s books. The first third of the book felt like too much detail about the music and not enough about John and Rhys. Then, they got together, but that almost felt too easy because I didn’t have a clear picture of what they’d experienced in the past and how that shaped their present. When the book ended, I was happy to see them together, but I still wished there was a clearer picture of why they were going to work.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

Where to find the author:

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Happily Ever Chapter, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie,

Oh My Shelves, Gay Book Reviews, Man2ManTastic, Andrew Q. Gordon, QUEERcentric Books,

The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Unquietly Me, Bookaholic Confessions,

Full Moon Dreaming, Molly Lolly, Alpha Book Club, My Fiction Nook, Dawn’s Reading Nook,

Velvet Panic, Attention Is Arbitrary, Open Skye Book Reviews, V’s Reads, Multitasking Mommas,

Louise Lyons, Kirsty Loves Books, MM Good Book Reviews, Foxylutely Book Reviews,

Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Inked Rainbow Reads, Outrageous Heroes,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Three Books Over The Rainbow

Win a title from Jay’s backlist, just by leaving a comment here. What appeals to you about this book? 🙂

Unstable Stud by Ariel Tachna Release Day Review and Guest Post

April 14, 2016 by Denise

Horses were his passion, until he laid eyes on his boss.

Eighteen months ago, tragedy struck Bywater Farm when a riding accident killed Clay Hunter’s lover and traumatized his prize horse, King of Hearts. Clay and King lingered in limbo, surviving but not really living, until a breath of fresh air in the form of Luke Davis, a new groom in the stud barn, revives them both.

When a fall from King’s back sends Luke to the emergency room, Clay watches the shaky foundation of their budding relationship tumble down. Can Clay really love a jockey again, or will his fear of losing another man he loves keep them apart for good?

Title: Unstable Stud
Series: Lexington Lovers
Author: Ariel Tachna
Release Date: April 15, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 204

Going Home

I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, but I haven’t lived there, not really, since I was eighteen. It hasn’t even been my official permanent address since I was twenty-three. (We won’t discuss how many years ago that was.) And yet when you say “home,” Lexington is still what comes to my mind. It’s also what comes to mind when you say a number of other words.

Horses.

Racing.

Stables.

Those were the words Elizabeth said to me not quite a year ago when we were first discussing the Dreamspun Desires line and my possible contribution to it. It would perhaps have been more logical to set the book in Texas, where I live now, instead of setting it in Lexington, where I haven’t lived in a number of years, but people don’t ride the same in Texas as they do in Lexington. It’s a horse culture, but it’s not my horse culture. My horse culture is English saddles, three-day events, Thoroughbred auctions, and Derby Day. (No, not Kentucky Derby Day. Nobody in Kentucky needs to specify which Derby we’re talking about because really, in our world, there’s only one.) Big hats, fancy parties with betting pools, the race on every TV in sight. That’s my horse culture. In Texas you can barely find it on TV at home, much less out in a bar or restaurant. Sacrilege!

Bywater Farms, the horse farm in Unstable Stud, is a Kentucky horse farm through and through, an amalgam of a couple of different farms I spent quite a bit of time on when I was younger, but ultimately a true racing farm with hot-blooded stallions kept separate from the mares, in stalls that are nicer than some houses I’ve seen, with heat in the winter and fans or even air conditioning in the summer. They each have their own paddock, because everyone knows stallions don’t play nicely with each other. They have their own equipment, their own grooms, and their every whim catered to because their bloodlines are golden and their sperm is worth thousands or even tens of thousands per ounce.

This is the world Clay Hunter has grown up in, fallen in love in, and lost his lover in. He’s jaded and heartbroken and used to being as universally recognized and revered as his horses. And then there’s Luke Davis. Stable boy, not even a groom when the book starts. He’s a literal muckraker, cleaning up after the stallions because at least that lets him be with the horses. He’s poor, has only a high-school education, and grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. He has no place in Clay’s world except to get rid of the detritus left behind by the beautiful beasts he adores.

This is the horse world I grew up in, the one that still calls to my soul. Yes, writing a book set in a town I know, but from twenty years ago, is a challenge, but it couldn’t be set anywhere else. Fortunately for me, my family is still there, and my mother is tickled every time I ask her a question. You’ll see more of her and her input in A Matchless Man, which comes out in October, but for now, enjoy Unstable Stud!

Thank you, Two Chicks Obsessed, for hosting a stop on my blog tour, and thank all of you for reading. Leave a comment with a horse-related entry to be eligible to win an ebook of your choice from my Dreamspinner publications.

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Dreamspinner Press ebook

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ARe

I’ve really enjoyed the Dreamspun Desires series so far, and Ariel Tachna’s book in this category was another one I enjoyed. Luke was a sweet, kind, gentle man who just wanted to pay the bills left behind by his mother and find someone who would love him. Meanwhile, Clay still mourning the tragic accident that took his partner allowed Luke to take on the care of King, his partner’s horse.

This book was a very slow burn, first kiss at about 70%. It harkened back to the sweet Harlequin books that rarely went much further than a consummation with a virgin bride. I enjoyed the sweetness of it, as that is what I have come to expect from this series.

However, there were areas of the book that I felt could have been expanded, questions that I thought should have been dealt with or answered. Those things left me feeling like the book was somewhat unfinished. They reached their HEA, but as a reader, I was left somewhat unsatisfied with how things were glossed over, or left unanswered.

I did like the relationship between the two MC’s, as well as their relationships with the secondary characters. I just wished for a little more development.

3.5 pieces of eye candy.

“Is Mr. Hunter as handsome in person as he is on TV?”

So much for not talking about his reaction to his boss. “Yes,” Luke said simply, hoping that would be the end of it.

“Don’t give me that, young man,” Mrs. Twitchell scolded. “I’m old, not dead. I know how these things work. He’s gay and single, and so are you. There’s no reason for you not to have noticed him.”

“He’s also my boss and completely out of my league,” Luke reminded her. “I may be single, but that doesn’t make me interesting to a man like him.”

“A man like what?” Mrs. Twitchell pressed. “Lonely because his partner died almost two years ago? Or maybe afraid to trust again because all the news ever talks about is how much money he has? Oh, or maybe ostracized by at least half the horse world for being gay in the first place? Have I forgotten anything?”

Luke squirmed in his chair, trying to formulate a reply. The waiter brought their steaks before he could decide what to say. Luke hoped the distraction would allow him to change the subject, but Mrs. Twitchell had the bit between her teeth. “You didn’t answer me.”

“I think he is lonely,” Luke said, “but he’s used to cultured, powerful men like him who know which fork to use and which wine to pair with what dish. Men who have a different suit for each day of the week and a full wardrobe for the change of seasons. I watch the news too, and I hear how people in his circles are judged. I wouldn’t last ten minutes at his side. They’d crucify me and take him with me.”

“There’s nothing those men know that you couldn’t learn given a little time, and there’s nothing they have that you couldn’t have with a little money,” Mrs. Twitchell said with a dismissive wave of her fork. “But I’ll tell you what they don’t have, most of them. They don’t have your passion for the horses in your care. They don’t have your compassion for those less fortunate than you. And they don’t have the kind of heart that has you taking an old woman out to dinner rather than going out for a night on the town when you’ve surely earned it. If you’re right—and I’m not saying you are—but if you’re right, you’re better off without someone like that. But here’s the other thing I know: that horse you spent today taking care of would be a liability in most people’s books. He’s unrideable and barely even useful as a stud. And yet Mr. Hunter kept him. That should tell you something about the kind of man your boss is, no matter what face he shows to the world.”

When Ariel Tachna was twelve years old, she discovered two things: the French language and romance novels. Those two loves have defined her ever since. By the time she finished high school, she’d written four novels, none of which anyone would want to read now, featuring a young woman who was—you guessed it—bilingual. That girl was everything Ariel wanted to be at age twelve and wasn’t.

She now lives on the outskirts of Houston with her husband (who also speaks French), her kids (who understand French even when they’re too lazy to speak it back), and their two dogs (who steadfastly refuse to answer any French commands).

Visit Ariel:

Website: www.arieltachna.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArielTachna

E-mail: arieltachna@gmail.com

Knit Tight by Annabeth Albert : Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

April 12, 2016 by Denise

It’s no secret that Portland, Oregon, has some of best restaurants, shops, and cafés in the country. But it’s the hard-working men who serve it all up that keep us coming back for more…

One of Portland’s hottest young baristas, Brady is famous for his java-topping flair, turning a regular cup of joe into a work of art. Every Wednesday—aka “Knit Night”—hordes of women and their needles descend on the coffeehouse, and Brady’s feeling the heat. Into the fray walks a tall, dark, and distractingly handsome stranger from New York. His name is Evren, and he’s the sexy nephew of Brady’s sweetest customer, the owner of the yarn shop down the street. He’s also got a killer smile, confident air, and masculine charm that’s tying Brady’s stomach in knots. The smitten barista can’t wait to see him at the next week’s gathering. But when he tries to ask Evren out, his plans unravel faster than an unfinished edge. If Brady hopes to warm up more than Evren’s coffee, he’ll have to find a way to untangle their feelings, get out of the friend zone, and form a close-knit bond that’s bound to last a lifetime…

Author Name: Annabeth Albert

Book Name: Knit Tight

Series: #PortlandHeat

Book: Four

This, and all the books of the series, can be read as a standalone as each features a new couple.

Release Date: April 12, 2016

Pages or Words: 43,000

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Kensington

Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

“Why? Am I turning you on?” My hand wandered over my fly. Not stroking, just firm pressure. We’d danced past sexy talk, far out of the friend zone, now meandering into something dark and heady. I pressed hard against my aching erection as I waited to see how far Ev would let himself go.

“Perhaps. I told you some things, now you tell me. What is your favorite thing?”

“Uh. The long, slow grinding ending in oral that you just described sounds amazing and hits a lot of my buttons. For the record, I’m totally good with…mess. And I like giving oral. Love getting my throat fucked. Being pinned down while grinding or getting my throat fucked, that gets me going.”

Ev was silent a long moment. Perhaps I’d pushed him too far. “Tell me about this throat fucking. How do you like it?”

Aw yes. I’d never had phone sex, but I had a feeling we were about to head in that direction. “Where are you right now?”

“In my bed. With a closed door. Are you going to ask me what I’m wearing next?”

“Knitted underwear?” I laughed as I headed for the bathroom—the one room with a lock. My usual jerk-off method was a locked door and a longer-than-necessary shower.

“Sorry to disappoint. Pajama bottoms. I worry Hala Mira could need me in the night.”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize to me. I share a room with a ten-year-old. I’m going to the bathroom now, though. And locking the door.”

“You require a locked door to tell me about giving head?”

“I require a locked door, a quiet house, and about three hours to show you,” I countered. “Fuck, Ev. I want you to wear me out.”

“Oh, I could. Do not doubt that, Brady. You want me to wear your throat out? Use you so much you need me to feed you some gelato after?”

“Fuck yes,” I whispered. “I’d like it if you were on the bed or in a chair and I were kneeling in front of you. Or you were standing in front of me. Me on my knees is the key thing.”

“You ever try with your head over the edge of the mattress? It happens that this bed is the perfect height for that…”

“Oh yes. Tell me more. I want to jerk off while you fuck my throat like that.”

“Ah. But I don’t want that. Perhaps we will need to find other occupation for your hands.”

Oh man. Ev knew how to turn my crank big-time. “I’m good with having my hands tied.”

I could tell from his inhalation that it worked for him, too. “How flexible are you?”

“Bendier than I look. I had to do yoga stretching exercises to rehab a skateboarding injury. Turns out I dig it.”

“Nice. Very nice. I like your mouth very, very much.”

“Like the beard? Because if you want my mouth more…exposed, I can work with that. Beard is pure Northwest laziness on my part.”

“The beard is…part of the appeal. Your mouth is very full and your beard always seems like it’s…teasing. I think I want your hair down, though, yes?”

“Go for it.” Getting into it, I pulled my hair free of the ponytail, let it flop against my shoulders. Spit gathered in my mouth like I really was about to get a go at Ev’s cock. Fuck. Just the thought had me throbbing. I unzipped to get a little more breathing room. “I want to—”

Knock. Knock. Knock. “Brady, are you in there? I don’t feel so good,” Jonas called through the door.

Fuck. I kept my curse to myself. “Just a minute, buddy,” I called.

“You need to go?” Ev said in my ear. “I understand.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“Another time, Brady, another time.”

Even if he just meant the phone-sex version of the fantasy, part of me thrilled to his words. And I was pulling hard for the in-person

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Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency

Where to find the author:

https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbert

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbertauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnnabethAlbert

Tumblr: www.annabethalbert.tumblr.com

Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/annabethsangels/

NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/Nb9yv

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Divine Magazine, Full Moon Dreaming,

Oh My Shelves, Posy Roberts, Book Lovers 4Ever, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, Decadent Delights, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy,

Alpha Book Club, Bayou Book Junkie, Unquietly Me, My Fiction Nook, Happily Ever Chapter,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, A.M. Leibowitz, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings,

MM Good Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, Gay Media Reviews, Kirsty Loves Books, Havan Fellows,

Dawn’s Reading Nook, Man2ManTastic, Mikky’s World of Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words,

Multitasking Mommas, 3 Chicks After Dark, Rednecks and Romance, Velvet Panic

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Planting His Dream by Andrew Grey: 5 star Release Day Review

April 11, 2016 by Denise

Foster dreams of getting away, but after his father’s death, he has to take over the family dairy farm. It soon becomes clear his father hasn’t been doing the best job of running it, so not only does Foster need to take over the day-to-day operations, he also needs to find new ways of bringing in revenue.

Javi has no time to dream. He and his family are migrant workers, and daily survival is a struggle, so they travel to anywhere they can get work. When they arrive in their old van, Foster arranges for Javi to help him on the farm.

To Javi’s surprise, Foster listens to his ideas and actually puts them into action. Over days that turn into weeks, they grow to like and then care for each other, but they come from two very different worlds, and they both have responsibilities to their families that neither can walk away from. Is it possible for them to discover a dream they can share? Perhaps they can plant their own and nurture it together to see it grow, if their different backgrounds don’t separate them forever.

Title: Planting His Dream
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: April 11, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

ARe

One of my favorite Andrew Grey books yet! Absolutely loved this story.

Foster, a young farmer struggling to keep the family farm after his father’s sudden death meets Javi, a young migrant worker at the farm to pick asparagus. Foster is struggling to come to terms with his father’s death and the financial state the farm is in when Javi comes to the farm and awakens all these new feelings in him. Javi is also struggling, with an abusive father and a mother and two younger siblings to help take care of. As a migrant worker, Javi must go where the work is. There is no sense in dreaming of what he could have with Foster, in his life dreams only bring a reminder of what you can’t have.

Slowly, Foster and Javi develop a friendship while repairing the farm. Foster is thankful for the new ideas that Javi has suggested and Javi is awestruck that someone is listening to his suggestions. Over the weeks the two work together they must come to terms with their feelings for each other, knowing their time together is short. Javi is not in a position to leave his family, even if it means missing out on a love like theirs.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps even after Javi and Foster have to go their separate ways maybe they will just find their way to being where they need to be. Together.

I loved this story. The strong sense of family and hard work was endearing. The huge amount of detail about farm life was interesting and gave the story a feeling of authenticity.

It was a great read, I couldn’t put it down.

5 pieces of eye candy

Escapade by Dolce : 5 star Release Day Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

April 11, 2016 by Denise

Twenty-nine-year-old Lucas Thompson is at the top of the corporate ladder. But when his lifelong friend and ex-boyfriend invites him to his last-minute destination wedding in the Bahamas, Lucas realizes his corporate success can’t hide his private loneliness. Nor will he be able to escape seeing his family at the wedding—and having to explain, yet again, why he’s rich, handsome… and still single.

Fate and a taxi ride change everything when Lucas meets the charismatic and clever Jack McQueen, who just so happens to be a male escort. Jack’s presence on Lucas’s arm at the wedding keeps questions at bay, but their pretend relationship turns into something more after ten days of sun, sand, and sex. And before the trip is up, both men will discover that what started as a simple escapade in paradise might just lead to their very own happily ever after.

Title: Escapade
Author: Dolce
Release Date: April 11, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 380

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Dreamspinner eBook

Dreamspinner Paperback

Barnes & Noble (eBook and Paperback)

Kobo eBook

All Romance eBook

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The “Pretty Woman” storyline has been retold many times but not like this one.

Lucas, a successful attorney is forced to attend his ex-boyfriend’s destination wedding on short notice. He doesn’t want to be surrounded by his whole family for 10 days forced to answer questions about why he’s still single. Fate steps in when Lucas ends up sharing a cab with Jack McQueen. Jack is a professional escort, who better to accompany Lucas to the wedding?

As the two iron out the details of there agreement and spend time together on the island they start to realize that their “pretend” feeling maybe real. Can 10 days of fun in the sun be enough to show Jack and Lucas what love is?

This was a great slow burn romance, and boy oh boy once it got hot it was scorching! I loved all of snarky comments and witty banter back and forth between Jack and Lucas. All of the wedding activities were hilarious, especially the Zill-lympics.

The character development was great, by the end of the book I was so invested in the characters they felt like my own family. This was my first read by Dolce, definitely won’t be the last.

5 pieces of eye candy

Let’s go on an Escapade!

Hello! My name is Dolce and I’m a fiction writer. My new contemporary romance novel, Escapade, will be released on Monday April 11, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press. I’m very excited to be a guest on Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy!

Your blog name is so fun and definitely relates to the Escapade characters, who are oiled up on a beach and in swimsuits for a good majority of the story. Even when not at the beach, eye candy is especially applicable to Jack McQueen, one of the lead characters in Escapade. Jack is a high-end male escort who is very conscious of his appearance. Never vain, he merely likes to be prepared. He goes to the gym, takes excellent care of his skin with very specific products, is meticulous with grooming, and dresses well.

I wrote Escapade over the course of about five months. It began in a writing challenge where a friend prompted me to write a story about someone needing a date for their ex-boyfriend’s wedding. I tend to write more at night, but due to my work schedule, I often had to find pockets of time during the day to sneak a thirty-minute writing break in a Starbucks. I think my shoulder is permanently sore from carrying my laptop around. Café workers started to notice that I was always typing things, and I finally earned the honor of baristas remembering my exact order! For the record, I love coconut iced coffee and chocolate chip scones.

I am most definitely not up to Jack’s level of self care, though I do love the spa, but I was surprised to find that my own fictional character inspired me to start working out again once Escapade was written. Unfortunately, those chocolate chip scones add up. I felt pretty out of shape after spending so much time sitting and snacking on baked goods. Thank God for Jack McQueen, who helped me lose the scone weight (and then some) and work to better myself. I have no idea where he came from, but I’m thankful for him, and I hope you enjoy him in the story, too.

I have a background in theatre and music, which makes me moving into writing kind of a shock for family members and friends. They had no idea I was even interested in writing. My writing started very script-like, very barebones, but my style has grown a bit warmer through the years. That said, I still tend to prefer simple. I write in a way that mimics, in my mind, the eye of a camera or the view of an audience. We live in a world where most watch television and films regularly, and I definitely try to tell stories in a similar style.

I also like to take the reader along for the ride with each character. I’d rather not do a quick summary about what has happened over the course of time. I like letting things develop in real time, which can sometimes lead to a longer story, but I’ve found that people who love the story don’t mind an extra few pages.

Escapade was inspired by my own summer reading experiences. When I was younger, I would stock up on romance paperbacks from the library before I went on vacation. I wanted to write a romantic comedy that featured two men falling in love in an exotic, beautiful location with lots of adventure and fun. It might sound silly, but it’s always been a dream of mine to have my book published and available in an airport bookstore. Maybe someone who feels left out by the standard romance novel pairings on the shelf would pick up my book to read on vacation.

Escapade is light and something to read at the beach, but also tackles realistic issues people face. Loneliness, the prick of discomfort you feel when you’re single amongst couples—even if you don’t want a relationship, balancing your personal and professional life, and growing into adulthood with your family.

The main character, Lucas Thompson, deals with all of those things. He is wealthy and successful, but in the eyes of his family, he’s still just Lucas. The secondary main character, the charismatic Jack McQueen, deals with the same issues, though he comes from a completely different place compared to Lucas. My hope is that in reading Escapade, readers see both characters growing together to conquer loneliness with love, laughter, and kindness.

Music plays a huge role in Escapade. I love soundtracks and while I wrote Escapade, I listened almost exclusively to music from the eighties. Something about that era of music fit with Escapade. Fun, sexy, a bit silly—songs that when the DJ throws them on, you know all the words (even if you’re a bit tipsy) and want to dance. Here is a link to a playlist I made while writing, that includes lots of songs from my process:

https://play.spotify.com/user/dolcepiccante/playlist/1Pq1vipoL6ravQ1iCAd7Ne

Strangely enough, when I was editing Escapade, I listened to a mix of pieces from the Star Wars soundtracks, especially “Rey’s Theme” “Cantina Band” and “The Imperial March.” I have no idea where that mix came from, but I listened to “Rey’s Theme” for hours on end while editing in a café. Maybe that’s why one of my next planned projects has to do with a futuristic world!

So! What’s your favorite holiday you’ve ever been on? Where would you want to go? I’m in New York and it’s chilly, so I’m dying for a vacation someplace warm right now. Maybe…Hawaii? That sounds good to me!

Leave a comment about your dream vacation for a chance to win an Escapade eBook! I will randomly select the winner in three days.

Thank you for reading my guest post! I hope you enjoy Escapade.

Love,

Dolce

Dolce is a thirty year old New Yorker who loves to write, cook, sing, and laugh. She got her start writing fan fiction and is excited, and a touch frightened, to make the jump to original fiction. She is a big fan of the band Muse, who inspired her to choose a single word for her pen name: DOLCE. Plus, Cher has the one name thing going for her, too. Everyone loves Cher.

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