Denise

Sink or Swim, an Anchor Point title by L.A. Witt: Blog Tour Spotlight, Quick Review and Giveaway

July 20, 2018 by Denise

When need meets fear, can two very different men find common ground?

Alhazar Bukhari spent his Navy career in the closet. Now he’s retired, divorced, and hungry for the love he’s never had a chance to experience. He tries to put his faith in Allah to bring the right man into his life, but it’s hard to be patient after all this time.

Chaplain Dylan Pedersen spends his days counseling Sailors, and his nights with men he doesn’t know. Months after finally escaping an abusive relationship, he’s terrified of anything more than a physical connection. Maybe it’s a sin, but he’s too lonely to not let men into his bed, and too scared to let them into his heart.

When Alhazar’s civilian job brings him aboard the USS Fort Stevens, and his daily prayers bring him into Dylan’s chapel, the chemistry is instantaneous. Sex and friendship quickly evolve into more, but Dylan’s too haunted by his recent past to be the man Alhazar wants. Alhazar needs love, Dylan needs time, and if they can’t find some sort of balance, they’ll sink before they ever have a chance to swim.

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

Welcome to Anchor Point!

Nestled on the northern coast of Oregon, this small town is home to Naval Air Station Adams. On base, you’ll find freshly minted Sailors who’ve just graduated boot camp, salty officers counting down till retirement, grounded pilots who’ve landed behind desks, and everyone in between—and they’re all looking for love. Well, not all of them, but that won’t stop love from finding them.

So pull up a barstool, grab a beer, and get ready for some sea stories as these men in uniform—or not—navigate the waters of love and life in the military.

Anchor Point stories can be enjoyed in any order. Hop in wherever you’d like!

I finished this book by Lori Gallagher Witt today, and I was so astonished at all I learned. In the Midwestern suburbs, it is very difficult to connect with people of the Muslim faith (and to be honest, people in the Navy-cause “fly over country”) and it was so fascinating to me to read a gay romance with someone of the Muslim faith as an MC, where his faith was a vital part of the story-but not in the way people might think. Knowing how Lori researches (follow her on twitter, and you will absolutely see), I can imagine this was not cobbled together from several blog posts someone wrote 6 years ago in passing. This turned how I thought of Muslims living day to day lives on its ears. I cried, for sure, but I also left that book feeling like I gained an, admittedly small, understanding of the good, the bad, and the oh so ugly (the things they deal with-my heart broke at some of it) of people who are Muslim. This book hit me hard, and I am left knowing that I have much more to learn. I’m not sure if that was what Lori was going for, but if she was, she hit it on the head for me.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut. L.A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

To celebrate the release of Sink or Swim, L.A. is giving away reader’s choice of two eBooks off of her backlist and a $10 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 21, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Daisy, Yellow by Angelique Jurd: New Release Review and Excerpt

July 19, 2018 by Denise

Just months after breaking up with his boyfriend, Noah Jenkins inherits his grandfather’s farm and he decides it’s time for a change of scenery. He packs his bags, buys a dog, and moves onto the property. When his Labrador puppy Daisy gets hurt he meets local vet Hunter Ross and life starts to look interesting again.

Hunter Ross has always lived in small, conservative Newton, in rural Illinois. At 39 he’s never been in love and never had a lover and mayhave neglected to tell anyone he’s close to that he’s gay. It’s never been a problem – until Daisy, Yellow and her owner, Noah, show up.

Is Noah’s love enough for Hunter to risk everything? Does Hunter have the strength to make the hardest choices he’ll ever make and survive?

Book Title: Daisy, Yellow

Author: Angelique Jurd

Publisher: Small Black Cat Media

Cover Artist: May Dawney Designs

Genre/s: Contemporary Gay Romance

Length: 177 pages

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Amazon US

Amazon UK

The great thing about small towns it turns out is that delivery is free and it’s quick. His new furniture will arrive tomorrow morning, which gives him time to get the living room ready. The parking lot in front of the clinic is empty but Noah can see Hunter’s truck parked further back and, on a whim, he follows the driveway down. He parks, unbuckles Daisy from her harness, and clips her leash on before he gets out of the car. When he turns around, Hunter is leaning against the doorway, wearing low slung jeans and a threadbare tee-shirt, arms crossed over his chest.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Noah croaks. His mouth and throat have gone dry and when Daisy pulls the leash free from his grasp, he barely notices. Hunter pushes the screen door open with a bare foot and she rushes inside.

“Shit, sorry!” He leaps after her, but Hunter doesn’t seem concerned, only amused.

From the depths of the house comes a volley of high pitched barks followed by an angry hiss.

“Sounds like she’s found Rosie.”

Noah trails behind him as Hunter goes inside, taking in his surroundings as walks. The cluttered living room is small with plain, simple furnishings in faded colors. In contrast, Noah notices, the sounds system, hooked to a laptop and a flat screen television, is state of the art. In the middle of the room stands the cat from the clinic, back arched and tail puffed up. Daisy bounces forward with a yip only to be met by a grey and white paw that smacks her nose three times in quick succession and sends her scuttling back to Noah with a yelp and a whimper.

As he picks her up he spots two scratches across her nose, both beading with blood.

“Hey, your cat scratched my pup.”

“Your pup tried to chase my cat.”

Annoyed, Noah clutches Daisy to his chest and braces his shoulders. She’s bleeding.

“You should control her better.”

The statement is met by laughter. That he likes the sound of it annoys Noah even more than the laughter itself.

“She’s a cat. How do you propose I control her?”

“I don’t know but you’re a vet, you should be able to think of something.”

Hunter steps over and peers at the scratches on Daisy’s nose.

“She’ll live. You can trust me on this, I’m a vet.” The mocking tone makes it very clear what Hunter thinks of Noah’s reaction. He bends and gathers Rosie up and puts her on the back of an armchair. She immediately jumps off, flicks her tail at the room and saunters down the hallway.

In Noah’s arms, Daisy quivers and whimpers.

Noah is about to protest again when Hunter leans forward and brushes a kiss over his mouth. It’s brief and rough, over before Noah can even register it’s happening. Stunned, he runs his finger over his bottom lip and hugs Daisy to his chest as he watches Hunter walk away, calling over his shoulder as he goes.

“Do you want coffee?”

Two hot guys and a cute puppy? Absolutely!

So, Noah inherits his grandpa’s little farm house in smallminded USA. After catching his boyfriend of a year cheating on him, literally in the act, he figures the country life would be a nice change of pace. Afterall, he can do his job anywhere… something about bridges and architecture or something? Anyway… he packs up, buys a puppy and settles in just fine. It’s tricky, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but it feels good and he’s happy….

When Daisy, his new puppy gets a bee sting, he gets scared, thinking it could be a snake bite and rushes her to the vet… that’s where he meets hot veterinarian, Hunter. Now, Hunter has lived in this town his entire life. He knows everybody and everybody knows him and his family…..which I think is why this upset me so bad.

Small town livin’ ain’t easy…. This, I know…. But Hunter is forty years old and never had a relationship, never even so much as dated, all because he knows the town won’t be accepting of his sexual preference. How sad is that? His entire life he’s been alone, taking care of everyone’s pets and genuinely being a good person. I hated that he went so long without at least companionship, until Noah….

The two were so cute together, I really liked them together. Noah with his puppy and Hunter with his cat, they were the epitome of adorbs! But, it was hard because Hunter knew that they couldn’t be “out”…. And boy, he was not wrong…. After an accident leaves Noah in the hospital, someone sees them together and assumes, then spreads that gossip like wildfire… in twenty-four hours, the town was bent on making these guys lives miserable.

People were so mean and hateful; vandalizing cars and businesses…. Burning houses down… and though the guys get to have their say to a couple of the terrible people….it in no way made up for the horrible things they went through….and to me, it was so disappointing, because the story itself was so cute, so, so cute…but I cannot get over the ending… sure, the people got arrested, (it was merely mentioned)…. But then what? I was so disappointed by the end. Ugh, I hated that they just ran away. It felt like they let the bigoted townspeople run them off… they won…. They got exactly what they’d set out to do and I HATE that. I hate when the bad people get away with being bad people. It’s kind of made me sick to my stomach a little bit, if I’m honest. I wasn’t expecting that.

I did love how amazing both men’s parents were though… Both sets of parents loved their boys unconditionally and it was nice to see.

So, in conclusion…overall, good story…. Hated the last 15-20 percent. Don’t think I’ll follow up in the series.

3 pieces of eye candy from me.

Author, acafan, Buddhist. Angelique is owned by four cats, three adult children, two temperamental computers, and a very patient boyfriend (not a partridge in a pear tree).

A former print journalist and editor, she has over the years, written about a wide variety of topics from politics to duck breeding to rock concerts. Her interest in fandom studies was sparked in 2015 when she watched Supernatural for the first time and she has been fascinated by the intersection between fans and creators ever since and is currently completing an MA (Media Studies) in the subject.

She likes cold champagne, hot coffee, neat whiskey, loud Springsteen, and the Winchester brothers kicking butt. When she’s not writing she likes to color, watch movies, and get more tattoos.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter @AngeliqueJurd

Instagram: angeliquejurd

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The Pet Stylist and The Playboy by Rebecca James: New Release Review

July 17, 2018 by Denise

Swish has been in love with Dante since the day the tough biker found him homeless and miserable in a gas station restroom, but Dante’s never shown the younger man anything more than brotherly affection. Deciding it’s time to move out of the MC’s clubhouse and away from Dante, Swish takes a live-in job working in a privately-owned animal shelter where he can continue his pet stylist business. What he doesn’t realize is he’s not going to be as far away from the object of his affection as he thinks.
Dante’s time of being a playboy biker is fast coming to a close. At summer’s end he turns 30, and that means fulfilling his promise to his parents and returning to high society in the Hamptons. That dim prospect should be all Dante can think about, only Swish is moving out, and suddenly Dante can’t do anything but obsess over the kid he’s always thought of as a younger brother. Telling himself he’s only making sure Swish is doing okay on his own, Dante takes a summer job landscaping at the animal shelter where Swish has taken a job. There he learns a few things about the young man he’s never bothered to find out before, including that Swish’s real name is Isaac, and he enjoys wearing a certain something under his jeans–something that Dante’s surprised to find he would really like to remove–preferably with his teeth.
When Dante gives in to his need for Isaac, the playboy biker quickly finds that disentangling himself from the man he once thought of as a kid brother proves harder than expected, and that perhaps after years of one-night-stands and partying, his priorities need to change. Only not in the way his wealthy and controlling parents want them to.

Amazon

I read book 1 of this new to me author because one of the main characters was a ballet dancer. And while I didn’t love it, I wanted to read book 2 because the supporting character, Swish, really drew my attention and I wanted more.

And I really enjoyed getting to know Swish more. Dante though. Dante was kind of a dick.

For whatever reason, he is keeping a secret from EVERYONE except for one guy in the MC. His big secret is that when he turns 30, he has to go work for his father and eventually take over the family business. He feels that he owes it to them. His cold, unfeeling parents. Makes no sense. But what was even more out there to me is that the family business is several high end car dealerships. I wasn’t expecting that. AT ALL. I don’t see how owning car dealerships gave his parents to prestige they had on Long Island in their circle, but ok.

Anyway. Swish was awesome. He took care of himself. When he is offered a place to live and a job doing something he loves- he takes it. I cheered for him. But Dante just had to encroach on that as well.

Basically Dante was a selfish jerk through most of the book. And Swish tried to fight it, but ultimately he couldn’t. He had been crushing on Dante for too long.

But Swish had his new job. His new place to live. New clients with the pet styling. Things were looking up for him.

But Dante keeps coming back.

Yes, he finally gets his head on straight and all of that- but it was pretty outlandish. Kind of silly, like the title. Seriously. Poor, poor title.

Swish kept me reading definitely. AND figuring out who the next book is about will make me read the next. And as much as I love a HEA, I really would have liked it if Swish had told Dante to ride off into the sunset.

3 Pieces of eye candy

Exclusive Monthly Author Column: Victoria Sue talks about Heroes and Babies

July 16, 2018 by Denise

As always, we LOVE having Victoria Sue join us for her monthly guest column. This month, she is talking about her new branding and babies! Make sure you check out her giveaway at the bottom and let her know what you think about her column, her rebranding, her books, her hair, whatever! 🙂

Heroes and Babies

For those of you that have seen my rebranding by the super talented Jay Aheer, I wanted to explain and answer a few questions!

Does that mean you are going to have babies in every book?

Probably not in the way most people think! Its not suddenly going to become about milk and diapers, night time feeds, or saving for college – its more a narrowing down of themes.

Let me explain…

My two best selling series are The Enhanced – an x-men type paranormal, definitely a romantic suspense with guns, action, the odd dead body… and The Kingdom of Askara – wolf shifters MPreg fantasy.

You couldn’t get much different.

But the themes of heroes saving the world either for the younger generation or the younger generation being hands on are crucial.

For example – In my fantasy MPreg book The Alpha King, the baby is actually delivered by the very competent thirteen-year-old younger sister of the Alpha King.

In Five Minutes Longer the key to making the world a better place is by saving the enhanced kids, and there are quite a few talented teenagers involved. Obviously, all of the books are about the enhanced adults falling in love while battling prejudice and the odd serial killer…but you get the idea.

I’ve even thought about writing a young adult in the series.

Heroes?

And not in the way most people think. In my series Sirius Wolves the first ever human to become a pack Alpha wasn’t even a wolf. He was a bilateral amputee and he definitely didn’t need physical perfection to save the day or the pack, he just needed a big heart. Amputees feature in my books frequently because of my dad. He served in the Royal Navy and was an amputee, and growing up he was my biggest hero.

But heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The next “team” enhanced book is called The Strength of His Heart. This is a direct quote from the Disney movie Hercules. “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.”

And for those of you that have read the series I think this sums up Vance perfectly.

Guns Blazing?

Sometimes, okay probably more often than not to be honest. The next enhanced book to be released is called Guarding His Melody – and yes with a bodyguard who brandishes a very large gun. (!) But the real hero is Sebastian who has been deaf since he was six years old. His battle for independence is every bit as fierce as any war.

Future Plans and a Giveaway! 😊

Guarding his Melody (enhanced) is to be released September 25^th

The Strength of His Heart (enhanced) is to be released in December

Matt’s Rainbow (Rainbow Key) somewhere in between I hope.

In Safe Hands – book one of my new series containing – yes you guessed it, heroes and babies will be out early next year. In Safe Hands is the story of an ex-military bilateral amputee who has to be a bodyguard to an actor who is being stalked, threatening not only himself but his seven month orphaned niece.

I have a special give-a-way this month. An audible code for a copy of Beneath This Mask the third book in the enhanced series featuring Gael and Jake, and a very special enhanced child, or any ebook from my backlist. Leave a comment to be entered!

Lost In Indigo by V.L. Locey: Exclusive Guest Post, Blog Tour and Giveaway

July 13, 2018 by Denise

Mathieu Beresford was so close to seeing his dream come true.

The thirty-eight-year-old captain of the Buffalo Surge had led his team to the final round of the playoffs with his aggressive defensive play and leadership. During the first game of the championship series, he was taken down, and his leg snapped upon impact with the boards. From his hospital bed, Mathieu watched his team go on to win it all.

Adrift in anger, resentment, and the new direction of his life, he returns to his mansion along the St. Lawrence River. Alone and sulking, Mathieu is not prepared for Indigo Neu to enter his life. The genderflux twenty-year-old botany major signs on to play nursemaid, confidant, and groundskeeper over the summer and slowly leads Mathieu out of his confusion––one tender smile and touch at a time.

The deeper Mathieu falls, the more he wonders if being lost might not be so bad after all.

Cover: Designs By Sloan

Length: 70,695 words approx.

Amazon US

Hi there! My name is V.L. Locey and I’m thrilled to be here today! In case you’re not familiar with me I’m an MM romance author, primarily hockey romance, but I do also write non-sporty contemporary, paranormal, and mythological gay romances. Today we’re going to talk a bit about when I knew I wanted to write.

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I think that I always had the inkling that I was an author. Way back in the day I always loved English classes, and was the only happy student when essays or book reports had to be written. As far back as I can recall there had always been stories inside my head, I just had no idea that I could put them down and paper, let alone that people would want to read them!

What a shock that was the first time I penned a Marvel fan fiction story umpteen years ago! It was a monstrous mess of tangled grammar and sloppy punctuation – I still have comma issues – but those problems aside, people read it. And they liked it! After a few years of writing tons of fan fiction, I decided to try my hand at novel writing and I’ve never looked back. I believe that people are born creatives. They either have the love of writing, painting, dancing, making music, or any of the other creative outlets or they don’t. I’m so eternally grateful that I have a profession that I adore.

Thanks for dropping by!

Skate hard and love deeply,

V.L.

July 10 – Love By tes, We Three Queens, OMG Reads, July 12 – The Blogger Girls, Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter, Jen’s Corner Spot, Bookaholic & Kindle, Wicked Reads, July 13 – Two Chicks Obsessed, July 14 – Katie’s Book Corner, Megan’s Media Melange, July 15 – My Fiction Nook, July 16 – Urban Smoothie Read, Xtreme Delusions, Mainely Stories, My Book Filled Life, July 18 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales, Jessie G Books, Mirrigold, Bayou Book Junkie, Lillian Francis, Making It Happen, MM Good Book Reviews, July 19 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, July 21 – Bayou Book Junkie

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who, Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, two Jersey steers and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.

When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

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Day of Wrath (Taking Shield Series Book 5) by Anna Butler: Exclusive Guest Post and Giveaway

July 13, 2018 by Denise

In less than a week, Bennet will finally return to the Shield Regiment, leaving behind the Gyrfalcon, his father, his friends… and Flynn. Promotion to Shield Major and being given command of a battle group despite the political fallout from Makepeace the year before is everything he thought he wanted. Everything he’s worked towards for the last three years. Except for leaving Flynn. He really doesn’t want to leave Flynn.

There’s time for one last flight together. A routine mission. Nothing too taxing, just savouring every moment with the best wingman, the best friend, he’s ever had. That’s the plan.

Bennet should know better than to trust to routine because what waits for them out there will change their lives forever.

Length: 106,470 words

Amazon US

Amazon UK

KOBO

Smashwords

The Bitter End

More than a decade ago, I started writing oddments—bits of scenes, action sequences, short stories—that would eventually grow into the five Taking Shield books. At that time, the idea of codifying those bits and pieces into a series telling one big story was just a twinkle in the eye and a mental ‘Someday, maybe’, but even then, I knew how the series would end. Indeed, one of those scraps of a scene held the eleven words that I thought would make the perfect last line.

A couple of months ago, I wrote “The End” at the bottom of the final page. Not just the final page of one of the books in the series, but the final page of the entire series. And I still don’t quite know what I feel about that.

Yes, I’ve only seriously worked on the series for the last four years, but it’s been a part of my writing life for at least the last ten. That’s a big chunk of time. Of course, there’s a real sense of achievement when, close to half a million words after I started, Bennet and Flynn have reached the end of their story. Not to mention the surge of relief that I did it with sanity (mostly) intact, marriage still strong and without ignoring most of my RL responsibilities to family, friends and the dogs. I’ve done it. Finished it. Bennet and Flynn have reached their final paragraph.

So. Yes. Of course I feel some elation and satisfaction. Triumph, even.

And then there’s the regret. The ‘oh no, it can’t be over!’ feeling that wells up from somewhere down near the solar plexus every time I contemplate a future without Bennet, Flynn, Caeden, Cruz, Quist… . The slight feeling I have of being rudderless, aimless, whenever I look at the Shield book covers on the wall and realise there won’t ever be another one. It is one ginormous, universe-wrenching pang of sorrow to write those final words on the last book of five, and send my boys off to editing for the very last time. I feel quite lost, actually, as if someone’s taken all my navigation computers off line. It’s a species of empty nest syndrome, I expect.

A bit of me is dancing and singing at finally finishing. Another bit is very triste and bitter-sweet and woebegone. I shall miss this series both terribly, but it has to be done. I have to let it go. All I can hope is that it gets a good reception and that others come to love Bennet and Flynn almost as much as I do.

There is one thing I’m very proud about. The final line I planned all those years ago? Exactly where I ended up. I was right: those eleven words make the perfect full stop to the Shield series. The adventure getting there has been wonderful. I’ve learned so much about writing, about characterization and plotting—and myself!—en route, and I’m both elated and regretful that the story of Bennet and Flynn is finally done.

Taking Shield Series

Gyrfalcon (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Heart Scarab (Book #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Makepeace (Book #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Chains of Their Sins (Book #4) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Anna Butler was a communications specialist for many years, working in various UK government departments on everything from marketing employment schemes to organizing conferences for 10,000 civil servants to running an internal TV service. These days, though, she is writing full time. She recently moved out of the ethnic and cultural melting pot of East London to the rather slower environs of a quiet village tucked deep in the Nottinghamshire countryside, where she lives with her husband and the Deputy Editor, aka Molly the cockerpoo.

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