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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Author Guest Post

As the Sun Sets by RJ Jones: Blog Tour, Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

March 2, 2017 by Denise

As the sun sets 600 synopsis

Doctor Scott Penney used to be a Paediatric Oncologist—until he burned out. Watching children suffer and die took its toll on his mental health. To cope, he used anonymous sex as an emotional crutch, thinking it was better than hitting the bottle. But that inevitably destroyed his relationship with the man he loved.

With his tail between his legs and a year’s worth of celibacy under his belt, Scott accepts a position as an Accident and Emergency consultant, leaving his career in oncology and London behind.

Ben Jenkins is a paediatric nurse who loves his seaside city, his job, and his faithful old Labrador, Happy. When he meets the new doctor, Ben falls for Scott’s kind-yet-reserved personality—not to mention his good looks. Scott is great with the children who come through the hospital, but Ben senses there’s more to Scott than meets the eye.

Scott tries to resist Ben’s sunny charm—Scott’s not boyfriend material, after all—but it’s impossible not to fall in love with the sad looking old dog and his charming owner. As Scott and Ben get closer and the weather heats up, tragedy strikes and Ben is left wondering how much of Scott’s history he actually knows.

For them to move forward, Ben must show Scott that no matter what happened in the past, a beautiful day can always start after the sun sets.

**This can be read as a standalone**

buy now

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Goodreads

 

Guest Post

This guest post was supposed to be what I’ve got coming up this year, but it’s not a lot.

After As the Sun Sets, I have a story set in Australia called Solid Rock that I plan to release in May, all things going well. It’s about a British boy, James, who has been left his estranged father’s ashes to scatter at Uluru. He thinks he can go to the middle of Australia, release his dad’s ashes, and then return to England within a few days. Little does he realise the magical lure of the rock. Cue Matt. An Aussie tour guide and Alice Springs native. Matt helps James and decides a distraction couldn’t hurt. After all, it’s not often Matt comes across another gay man in the middle of nowhere.

They build a friendship, learning about each other, and James discovers there’s more to Australia than just a hunk of rock and deadly animals. But James has to return home. You’ll have to wait and see what happens when it’s released, but this may be my favourite ever story I’ve written.

I don’t have much else in the works. I started writing a short ménage with very little plot, but that’s been sitting on the shelf for some time. I’ll probably finish it soon, though. Sex scenes are fun to write. 🙂

I don’t know if I’ll get anything else out this year. Potentially, there’s a big move on the horizon with my family moving to Portugal. This will mean very little time to write, but that may not be a bad thing. My mojo is starting to run out. Competition is fierce and if you don’t promote yourself constantly then you don’t get many sales. I get enough sales to keep going and readers seem to like what I write, so I can’t complain. But the pressure to promote and put myself out there is too great.

So, we’ll see. I’ll still write, but the pressure is starting to take the joy out of it, so I may not publish. You’ll have at least another full-length novel from me, but I can’t promise much past that at this stage. Who knows? I may start publishing everything for free to escape the pressure.

Thanks for having me. <3 RJ

jennifer

Okay, I came in late in this series. Book 3, however, it must be okay to read as a standalone because I didn’t feel I missed anything at all by not starting from the beginning. I’m going to go back and read the others though, because I really enjoyed this one.
Scott Penney was a pediatric oncologist. Can you imagine how terrible of a job that would be? Rewarding, sure….absolutely, but, losing children? Caring for little kids and seeing them get sicker and eventually not being able to beat the cancer, ravaging their bodies? That takes a special kind of person to do and I wasn’t surprised that it was too hard for him. He felt each loss, it hurt him not to be able to save every one…
Getting burnt out on the job and running from the relationship he ruined by not being able to cope with everything; he decided to get out of the area and try something new…New beginnings and all that. He moved to Brighton and began working in an A&E service. That’s where he met Nurse Rainbow…
Ben is a pediatric nurse who works alongside his volunteer mother at a hospital. She’s a trip too, Glo. She’s everything that is a hippy mom and you cannot help but love her.
Ben starts out just meeting and having a couple lunches with Scott, but their attraction for one another is palpable. Ben is patient and kind and caring and he’s so understanding and willing to help Scott. He’s there for him when he needs him, just to listen. He doesn’t push and he’s such a genuine person, I loved that he was exactly what Scott needed, when he needed it. Scott had been beating himself for a long time over what happened in his last relationship and he just didn’t think that he deserved to be happy.
Ben and his puppy, Happy, wanted to prove to him that he did.
This story was heartbreaking in places and so hopeful in others. I adored the way Ben was with Scott and I loved when Scott finally started opening up and allowing himself something good….something happy. He truly deserved it. The way he grew up and family he had to tolerate…smh… it’s a wonder he turned out to be the kind of man he did at all. He has a good heart and like I said… it takes a special person to do the work that he done with such passion and blinding hope to make people better. I enjoyed that.
Overall, this was a really sweet read. The ending was just perfect as well. I’m looking forward to reading the others in this story.
4 pieces of eye candy from me!

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tco-also in series

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Buy: As the Leaves Fall

Buy: As the Ice Melts

meet the author

rjones-avatar_hiresRJ started as a reader and eventually made the progression to reviewing. It wasn’t until two men popped into her thoughts, insisting on telling her their story that she started to write. It started with one scene. A hot and dirty one in the shower.

RJ’s initial thought was if she could write their scene then they’d shut up and allow her to concentrate on other aspects of the day. That shower scene was 3000 words long and three hours of work.  But they didn’t shut up.  They told her their entire story and she didn’t sleep for days.  Sometimes she couldn’t keep up with what they were telling her and she had to keep a notebook by the bed.

Whilst RJ was writing their story a side character decided he needed his story told too. Then other characters followed suit.

You see the problem? If RJ ever wants to sleep again then she needs to write.

RJ is a wife and a mother to two boys. Even her dog is a boy.

She is surrounded by males.

RJ writes emotionally charged, character driven romances. Her guys will always get their HEA, but it will never be easy.

Where to find me

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/robyn.j.jones.1711

Twitter – https://twitter.com/rjjonesauthor

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/rjjonesauthor/

Website – http://rjjonesauthor.com

Email – rjjonesauthor@gmail.com

Amazon page

giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Author Guest Post, Release Day Review, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Jennifer Tagged With: 4 stars, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Reviews, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, new release, review, RJ Jones, romance

Rainbow Sprinkles by Anna Martin: Exclusive Cover Reveal

February 28, 2017 by Denise

Guest Post

Thank you so much Two Chicks Obsessed for hosting my cover reveal! I had so much fun with this story and I think Garrett Leigh did a great job in capturing that fun on the cover. When the States of Love series was announced I snapped California right up, knowing it would be a great opportunity to write a story that had been in the back of my head for ages, about a grumpy guy who works in an ice cream parlor and the real life Disney Prince he falls in love with.

I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

Rainbow Sprinkles - Anna Martin

synopsis

Cooper Reed has a fairly relaxed life for someone who lives in LA. He’s no celebrity—just the guy who makes sundaes at the Dreamy Creamery, and that’s the way he likes it. The highlight of every week is the beautiful guy who turns up and orders a sundae with rainbow sprinkles. Cooper still isn’t sure if that’s a code, because he has a huge crush and the hot guy is terrible at flirting.

It turns out Drew Tanner is an original California dreamer. He’s as wholesome as apple pie and twice as sweet, a real-life Disney Prince at Disneyland. But while Drew’s head is in the clouds, Cooper’s feet are firmly on the ground, and their different outlooks might be more than their new relationship can take.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

Title – Rainbow Sprinkles
Author – Anna Martin
Release date – 29.03.17
Cover art – Garrett Leigh/Black Jazz Design

excerpt

California was sweltering through an early heat wave, the temperatures hitting the low 90s—and it was only April. Cooper’s hottie was sweating at the temples, just a little, just enough to dampen his dark blond hair.

“Amen to that. Can I get a….”

He looked over the menu like he didn’t stop by here at least once a week. Cooper would have expected anyone who got two sundaes a week to be a little chubby around the edges, but not his hottie. He was tall and broad shouldered, with a narrow waist and long legs. Most of the time he came by in workout gear. Whoever thought to put an ice cream parlor on the same patch as a gym was either an idiot or a genius. Probably a genius, since the Dreamy Creamery was signposted on billboards for miles, and they were on the main route into Disneyland. The place saw a lot of tourist traffic.

“Birthday Cake and Green Tea.”

Cooper winced. “You sure?”

“I’m adventurous.”

“You’re sure something,” Cooper laughed, turning back to the freezers and his scoop. “In a cup, right?”

“Yeah. And with—”

“Rainbow sprinkles,” Cooper finished for him.

Always the same. Always gross combinations of ice cream, topped with rainbow sprinkles, and if that wasn’t code, Cooper was going to die.

buy now

Dreamspinner Press

 

meet the author

Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the southwest of England and now lives in the Bristol, a city that embraces her love for the arts. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.

Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, Anna is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theater (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), going to visit friends in other countries, and reading anything that’s put under her nose.

Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, prereading, and creative ass kicking provided by her best friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept responsibility for anything Anna has written.

giveaway

 

 

Anna is giving away one eBook copy of Rainbow Sprinkles available on release day. Leave a comment for a chance to win!

Filed Under: Author Guest Post, Cover Reveals, TCO Exclusives Tagged With: Anna Martin, cover reveal, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, romance

Dating Ryan Alback by J.E. Birk: Blog Tour, Author Interview, Review and Giveaway

February 24, 2017 by Denise

TCO is super excited to have J.E. Birk here today. We asked her very last minute to throw us a bone (see what I did there? 🙂 ) and do a last minute Friday Five-ish Questions, because I found the book so timely. She was so generous and did it right away. So, thank you. Read up on Dating Ryan Alback, then run out and grab it! 

dating ryansynopsisRyan Alback has almost everything he’s ever wanted: a successful acting career, a dog who adores him, great family and friends, and a life outside the closet. The only thing missing is a boyfriend—but Ryan’s been burned by Hollywood relationships before, and he’s not eager to try one again.

Jason Santos has almost everything he’s ever wanted: a fulfilling career teaching middle school, a house in a city he loves, and parents who support him in every way. Too bad he can’t seem to forget the ex-boyfriend who rejected his marriage proposal.

When a talk show host launches a dating contest to find Ryan a boyfriend and Jason accidentally wins, neither of them expect anything to come from it. Yet somewhere between a disastrous massage and a mud sinkhole, they both start to wonder if this date could be more than just a public relations stunt. But before they can move into the future, they’ll both have to learn to let go of the past.

buy now

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

Guest Post

Greetings! I’m J.E. Birk, and right now I’m traversing the internets to discuss my new romantic comedy, DATING RYAN ALBACK. Follow along to learn more about an insecure movie star, a klutzy teacher, and the neurotic dog who loves them. Leave comments for a chance to win a $10 Riptide giftcard and copy of any book from my backlist!

tco-friday 5ish

Five-ish Good Questions for Dating Ryan Alback author J.E. Birk. A sometimes feature on Two Chicks Obsessed.

Thank you to the author who agreed to do this interview very last minute. But I felt like these questions needed to be asked! 🙂

  1. The first question, and what could be the telling question as to your psychic abilities…how long ago was Dating Ryan Alback written? It was published on February 20, but I would imagine it’s been written for some time.

LOL! Great question. One of the main subplots of this book has Jason, the MC, starting a nonprofit to support families who’ve been split apart by deportation. Sadly, in the 2017 political climate, this subplot feels incredibly relevant. But you’re right—I first started drafting this book years ago, back in 2014. At the time we weren’t having the same national conversation about deportation that we are right now. But I was living and working in a community with a huge population of immigrants, and it was an enormous part of our local conversation.

  1. To say that there is a subplot in this story that is timely for current political events would be understating it. There is a portion of that subplot that I literally saw on the news a day after I read it in the book. How much of current events, or even your guess of what might happen in the political climate play into your book?

Ironically, there were points when I was revising this book and selling it when I wondered if I’d have to change Jason’s subplot—because the conversation around immigration was becoming more humane, and more people were starting to see what mass deportation does to families. But then the election cycle leading to the 2016 presidential race began, and that subplot began to feel highly, highly relevant again. Now I’m very glad I never changed it, because I think we need more books that look at how families—especially children—are affected by deportation.

  1. Without giving too much away, what was your inspiration for writing this subplot? Was it something you’ve seen before, or something that you saw coming?

Like Jason, I’m a teacher. And like Jason, I’ve had the horrible experience of watching my students’ families destroyed because of deportation. It’s so easy for people to make blanket statements like “Well, if someone came here illegally, they’ve gotta go.” Logically that’s an understandable statement. Law is law, right? But I suspect most people who say that have never hugged a twelve-year-old whose parents have just been taken away from them to another country. A country that they may have never even seen before. It’s all a very complicated issue, and I wish more nonprofits like Jason’s existed.

  1. How much research did you do for this book? Was it on anything in particular?

The interesting thing about this book is that it’s a romantic comedy. I wrote it as a romcom and I suspect the majority of readers who’ve enjoyed it are people who love romcoms. I’m been talking a lot about how it’s a book I wrote when I needed more comedy in my life…and it is largely very light and fluffy. Except for this one subplot.

So while I was writing this book I spent a lot of time reading and thinking about my favorite romantic comedies. Considering how the best ones stay true to their comedic roots while still allowing for more serious topics to play within the plot.  I hope Dating Ryan Alback is, at the end of the day, a book which gives people a sense of joy and escapism without shying away from real-world issues and topics.

  1. Always, number 5 is the fun one. You receive a genie in a bottle, and are given 1 wish. You can’t wish for more wishes, or world peace, or crap like that. J What would you wish for?

Awww, I wanted a million wishes! Right now I’d probably wish that everyone in the world would show more kindness and empathy. There’s a lot of fear and anger spreading right now. I suspect we’d be in a much better place if we all just spent more time putting ourselves in the shoes of others.

denise review

There is so much I want to say about this book. There were so many elements to it, that made it a surprise for me.

I had not read anything by J.E. Birk before Dating Ryan Alback, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. It looked like a sweet, romantic book (and c’mon, look at that cover, doesn’t that say “sweet and cute” all over it?), with fluffy bunnies, kittens and puppies falling all over the place. And it was (minus the bunnies and kittens, and with the dog being somewhat neurotic). This book made me laugh out loud at points. Case in point, this dialogue between Jason and Natalia (Jason’s best friend):

“Dramatic? Did you call me dramatic? My last date took me to a gyro place. Gryos, Jason!”

“I like gyros,” Jason answered mildly.

“Yes, yes, we all like gyros…”

I had several laugh out loud moments highlighted. Ones that I highlighted that later became a bigger part of the storyline. In the end, though, this was a fun, romantic comedy.

Until I realized that there was a sub-plot that made it so relevant to current day politics that I was shocked at the idea that this must have been written well before the U.S. presidency had even been decided. The author nailed the issue so hard, I was in awe at how accurate a portrayal of something that I hadn’t even realized was truly happening (and literally has increased exponentially in the last month). The author’s portrayal of this situation made it hit home even more. And as you read her interview, you’ll see this was deeply personal for her.

All in all this book was such a hit with me, and as I processed it over the next couple days, it felt even more like heaps of fun, with a side of reality thrown in, which I am hoping is how all the readers feel about it.

4 pieces of eye candy

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meet the author

J.E. Birk has been telling stories since she could talk and writing them since she was introduced to the alphabet. She hails from Colorado, where you can usually find her skiing, training for a 5K she won’t end up running, or watching people run into each other on football fields and in hockey rinks. You can follow her ramblings on Twitter by looking for @jebirkwrites. She’s also been known to ramble on Facebook as J Elisabeth Birk.

Connect with J.E. Birk:

  • Facebook: www.facebook.com/jebirk
  • Twitter: @jebirkwrites

giveaway

To celebrate the release of Dating Ryan Alback, one lucky winner will receive a $10 Riptide Publishing credit and their choice of ebook from J.E.’s backlist! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 25, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

DatingRyanAlback_TourBanner

Filed Under: Author Guest Post, Friday Five-ish, TCO Reviewer: Denise Tagged With: 4 stars, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Reviews, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, J.E. Birk, lgbtq, m/m romance, new release, review, Riptide, romance

Dating in Retrospect by Lila Leigh Hunter: Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

February 22, 2017 by Denise

DatingInRetrospectFS_v1

synopsis

Giving the commencement speech at his alma mater doesn’t fit Clay Keller’s meticulous schedule. As Chief Executive Officer of Travel Mogul—the largest travel connoisseur company on the West Coast—he has no time to get back in touch with his country roots. He left fifteen years ago without a second look, but a medical scare makes him change his mind about the speech and brings him face-to-face with his only regret.

Time always moves slower in Southeastern Iowa, and Aaron Grant loves it. He’s added solar farms to the Grant Lanes portfolio and has been teaching at the local university for a decade. The last thing he needs is to have his tenure application compromised by the return of his ex-boyfriend. If he had known who the commencement speaker would be, he would never have volunteered to be the administration liaison.

A proposal—to date for a year—will help them discover that time changes a person, even when everything else stays the same.

Title: Dating in Retrospect (States of Love)

Author: Lila Leigh Hunter

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: February 15, 2017

Category: Romance

Genre: Contemporary

Sex Content: Explicit

Pairing: MM

Orientation: Bisexual

Identity: Cisgender

Length: Novella

Words: 38,800

Pages: 101

buy now

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

 

Guest Post

Pop Culture Infiltration

Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike! What day is it Mike? It’s Hump day! Sorry, but I had to do it. 🙂Riverside, IA

I want to thank the crew of Two Chicks Obsessed for hosting me today. I didn’t realize how many pop culture references I had on my States of Love novella, Dating in Retrospect, until I was halfway through it. Then, I embraced them.

When you first think of Iowa you don’t associate it with Hollywood and TV productions unless you’re from the area. But there are many movies, shows, and books that take place in the Hawkeye state. During their dating year, my main characters—Clay & Aaron—visited several places used or referenced in pop culture, and they quoted some of them as well.

Their first date takes place in Riverside, Iowa—future birthplace of James T. Kirk. You guessed it, my boys are geeks and aren’t afraid to admit it.

They also visited the Field of Dreams and the Bridges of Madison County. There are mentions of singing telegrams, the Radio City Rockettes, Star Trek, and some other popular shows & one-liners.

If you want to see how all of this plays a part in their relationship, you would have to read the story. Oh, and something I didn’t realize until this very moment, one of the characters gives a graduation speech, hint, hint. <3

DatinginRetrospect _headerbanner

 

 

 

excerpt

Clay—May ’15

Back to the future and all of that were Clay’s first thoughts as he stepped out of the car. The campus looked the same—Midwest Americana at its best. Redbrick buildings and perfectly pruned trees surrounded him, but as if the last fifteen years hadn’t happened, Clay’s world narrowed to the man waiting at the top of the portico stairs. The only thing time had changed? Them.

“Here’s your receipt, Mr. Keller,” the valet said, interrupting Clay’s musings. He didn’t remember being as young as the valet. Mr. Keller was his father, but Clay didn’t feel like correcting the man’s error.

“Thank you.”

“Not a problem. The man in the light gray suit is Professor Grant. He will be your escort today.”

“Perfect,” Clay responded, smiling at the mention of having an escort at his service, especially one whose body he knew well. With a nod and a tip, Clay left the valet behind, turning his attention back to Professor Grant. Professor. Aaron had done it after all. Clay had never doubted it, even after Aaron decided to stay and work at his family’s farm instead of moving with him to LA. Now he needed to find out if he had a chance with Aaron. At least having him there, waiting for him, had to be a good sign. Today was his lucky day indeed. True, he hadn’t expected to see Aaron so soon. He had planned to stop by the farm after the commencement, but he was ready either way. Life had been rough lately, but having the opportunity to see Aaron again was worth coming back to the middle of Nowhere, Iowa.

He walked casually toward the man he’d left behind many summers ago—a man standing like a prizefighter, waiting for Clay to reach him. With only a couple of feet between them, Clay’s step faltered. Aaron didn’t seem happy to see him, more like he was ready to bolt before Clay got to him. Shaking his head and keeping his eyes on his prey, he closed the distance and extended his hand in greeting.

“Professor Grant, I believe you’re expecting me?” He hoped his smile would ease Aaron’s frown.

“That I am, Mr. Keller. As the university liaison, it is my pleasure to welcome you back to your alma mater and to convey the president’s and the board of trustees’ deepest regards.”

“How long did it take you to memorize that spiel? As far as I remember, you weren’t fond of formalities.” Neither of them let go of the other’s hand. Aaron’s touch, familiar and foreign, branded him in seconds.

“Ass.”

Aaron didn’t expect the hug that followed. As soon as their bodies touched, Aaron tensed, but Clay held him tighter.

“Relax, sunshine. It’s been a while.” Clay let Aaron go, but not before he rubbed his trimmed beard against Aaron’s clean-shaven face as he moved back.

 

giveaway

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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.

Social Media

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ctHk41

Author’s Page: http://www.facebook.com/HunterRomances

Lila’s Cabana on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/LilasBooks/

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/LilaLeighHunter

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Hunter_Romances

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lila_leigh/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Hunter_Romances/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/HunterRomances

Website: http://lilaleighhunter.wordpress.com

Email: llhunter.romance@gmail.com

Blog Tour Dates

Filed Under: Author Guest Post, Bonus Material, TCO Exclusives Tagged With: 4 stars, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Reviews, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, Lila Leigh Hunter, m/m romance, new release, novella, romance

Better with Bacon by Matthew Lang: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Guest Post and Giveaway

February 21, 2017 by Denise

BetterWithBaconFS_v1synopsis

When Patrick’s long-term girlfriend Li Ling dumps him just as he’s working up the nerve to propose, he ends up drunk on David’s couch—and later in David’s bed. Although initially reluctant to pursue anything beyond a one-time drunken tryst, David throws caution to the wind during an intimate dinner, where the two men also discuss Patrick’s dream of entering the food industry. Just as the friends-turned-lovers are settling into their new romance, Li Ling calls Patrick—she’s pregnant.

Convinced the announcement spells the end of their love affair and a return to their platonic friendship, David flees to Sydney to escape his heartbreak. But upon his return to Melbourne, David discovers the situation hasn’t gone the way he’d expected. There might still be a chance for David and Patrick’s dreams to come true if they can forgive each other’s mistakes and move forward.

 

Guest Post

“Shit, they’ve done it. The Millennials have actually done it. They’ve created a space where you can be whatever gender identity you are, be attracted to whoever you want and no one fucking cares. It’s great!”
This comment recently found its way to my personal Facebook wall, along with another post from the same person decrying the lack of men in assless leather chaps and dykes with their tits out at Midsumma, Melbourne’s annual summer festival of queer art.
And my brain, being the annoyingly wonderfully overthinking and pattern forming organ that it is, immediately linked those two statements together. Normalisation. The process of being normal? The process of becoming normal. The process of having equality and equal rights has created both of the above situations. It’s arguably responsible for the death of lesbian bars, same sex marriage becoming increasingly recognised in the western world, and the fact that police stations in Australia have dedicated gay and lesbian community liaisons. I got a rainbow wristband from them at Carnival this year, actually.
Normalisation means not needing as many safe spaces as the last generation of queers did. It means that people who live vanilla lifestyles can be out proud, visible, and dragging moody teenagers along to queer carnival day when the kids clearly have better things to do I mean really. And people can do all that without having their reputations tarnished. Without social stigma. Without losing their jobs. Once, only those who dared to be overtly different dared to be out, now everyone else can too. At least, mostly. More often than not.
Even me being here, a gay man writing about gay men for a site run by women who love gay men is part of this long, slow movement that’s still being fought today (don’t get me started about how Australia doesn’t have marriage equality yet. Just don’t), but is so much better for each generation. It’s important to remember that we all owe an awful lot to the men in assless chaps, the topless dykes, and the trans women of colour to name just a few groups now eclipsed by the queer mainstream, if such a thing can be said to exist. We owe them for creating a world where you can be exactly where you are right now, reading these words and loving the stories that you read.
Without those who dared to go before, this onetime babygay might never have dreamed about writing stories. Or probably wouldn’t have dared dream of publishing and sharing them openly.
There’s still a lot of work to be done. There’s still a need to be daring – to be the guy with his metaphorical ass hanging out of his metaphorical chaps forging towards a better future for the marginalised. Now I have to check my own abled cisgendered male privilege and support the battles against transphobia and bipjobia in my bubble of liberalism. And not all gay men get that.
I’ll tell you something though – the ones that do? They’re sexy. And if you know any who are gay and single, send them my way, yeah?
In the meantime, I’ll keep writing about the messy realities that face men like me, and not quite like me, as this normalisation thing happens around us. I hope you’ll join me in moving it along.

buy now
Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

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excerpt
Stonewall, named after both the New York Inn and the riots, had a name that now evoked a film that no one went to see. It was also one of David’s main haunts in Sydney—a good place to get a drink, get groped, dance a bit, and possibly even pick up. It was an older, mixed crowd than the nightclubs, and although there was a time for dancing for all hours, now didn’t seem to be one of them. David found himself ordering a G&T and kicking back on a couch, and wishing he’d brought his personal phone. Although he was aware there had been a time when people at bars talked to each other, he’d grown up with most people checking their phones first. To be fair, he could easily have gone up and inserted himself into a conversation with a “Hi, I’m new here” or a “Hi, I’m visiting and decided I should meet new people,” which normally worked, but tonight, he let the buzz of conversation swell around him and wrap him in its vibrancy and life. Something dancey in the Top 40 played overhead, and he smiled as he sank into the cushions of the couch and let the beat thrum through his bones.
“Wow, you look relaxed.”
David’s eyes snapped open, and he looked up into calm brown eyes framed by long brown hair that tumbled halfway down the man’s back.
“Yeah, well… stressful week.”
“Pool?” the man asked. “I’m hunting for games.”
“Huh?” Only then did David notice the pool cue gripped loosely in the man’s hand.
“Sure,” he said. “I don’t bet, though.”
“No, no, just a friendly game.” The man flashed him a grin. It was hard to pin down his age, as beard stubble added years to any face. He was of medium height, and had a stocky, muscular build, with forearms that David was a little jealous of. “I like talking to people over a game. There’s something to do besides fumble for the next topic of conversation.”
David laughed. “I suppose lining up your shot gives you an excuse to be silent.”
“It does. Pool also makes it more likely that guys come up and watch—and talk to you. And it also lets you approach interesting people and chat to them without being creepy.”
“Interesting?”
“Are you telling me you’re not?”
“I work in banking,” David said. “By definition….”
The bestubbled man deliberately looked David up and down, his eyes lingering on David’s chest and crotch. “I don’t know. One banker I met moonlighted as a stripper. You’ve got the body for that.”

morgan review

This was the first book I have ever read by Matthew Lang. The story started off pretty good and ended well, I just wasn’t feeling the middle very much. The MC’s have some communication issues and it causes one of them, in my opinion, to make a bad decision that I just couldn’t see him making if he cared about his best friend as much as he said he did. I know the head space he was in might have caused him to run when faced with the big issue, but the other decision he makes just made me itch.  Of course everyone deals with stress in different ways so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and kept reading. When the two get together and finally talk things out their relationship takes off and there are quite a few ‘awwww’ moments, but by that point I still wasn’t feeling it that much. I will check out a few more books by Matthew Lang considering this was the first thing I have read by this author, for sure. I’ll have to go with 3 pieces of eye candy for this one.

3-pieces of eye candy

meet the author
Matthew Lang writes behind a desk, in the park, on the tram, and sometimes backstage at amateur theater productions. He has been known to sing and dance in public and analyze the plots of movies and TV shows, and is a confessed Masterchef addict. He has dabbled in film, machinema, event management, and even insurance, but his first love has always been the written word. He is suspected of frequenting libraries and hanging around in bookstores, and his therapists believe he may be plotting some form of literature.

My Social Media:
Website: www.matthew-lang.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLangWrites/
Twitter: @mattlangwrites

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Filed Under: Author Guest Post, Bonus Material, Release Day Review, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Morgan Tagged With: blog tour, Blog Tours, Book Reviews, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, new release, novella, romance

Daily Grind By Anna Zabo: Blog Tour and Guest Post

February 21, 2017 by Denise

Daily_Grind
synopsisA man discovers that love can show up when you least expect it—and in a much different form—in this piping-hot romance from the author of Due Diligence and Just Business.

Brian Keppler, owner of Ground N’At, the coffee shop beneath SR Anderson Consulting, doesn’t have time for a relationship. His most recent girlfriend broke up with him because he’d become married to his shop, which is falling apart without his favorite barista, Justin.

As he struggles to stay afloat, the arrival of handsome British high-tech whiz Robert Ancroft becomes another complication. Rob quickly becomes a fixture at the shop with his sharp wit and easy charm, and Brian soon finds himself looking forward more and more to Rob’s visits—to the point where his heart skips a beat when he walks in.

But will Brian be able to come to terms with his previously unexplored sexual identity and find happiness now that he has a chance?

Guest Post
While I was writing Just Business back in 2015, two minor characters poked me in the ribs and told me they had books, too. The first was Fazil who pretty much shouted at me that he wasn’t straight, even though Eli was convinced he was (Fazil’s book is Due Diligence).
The other was Brian, the owner of Grounds N’at and Justin White’s boss until Sam hires him away. Brian was a lot quieter about his bisexuality. And I knew his book would be about him exploring that side of his sexuality for the first time—that the book would be, to a certain extent, a coming out book.
I called it my bi-for-you book, and that’s the book that became Daily Grind.
Daily Grind is Brian’s story from start to finish. It’s also Rob’s story, but it’s Brian who must work to get his happy ever after. He has the most to lose—and gain—in the novel.
Brian has known and accepted his attraction to all genders for a long time, but he’s only dated women because that was easier when he was younger. He struggled a lot with bi-phobia in college (being bi was only a stepping stone to gay or that bi was something women did, and only to attract guys) and at that point, pretty much gave up on the idea of being outwardly bi. He’d thought he’d made his peace with that, especially since he was pretty much married to his shop anyway.
Then Rob Ancroft walks in and Brian just can’t help himself.
I really didn’t want the book to be about the angst of being bisexual. That wasn’t really the main thrust of the story. I wanted the story to be about Brian falling for Rob and what has to change in his life for him to have is happy ever after, not about Brian fretting over his sexuality. Brian’s always been bi—that hasn’t changed. At thirty-eight, he doesn’t have much angst about being bi anymore. In fact, at his age now, he feels silly holding on to the worry of his younger self, so he lets it go and jumps right into loving a guy.
The fun bits are all the firsts he gets to experience, even though he’s not at all a virgin.
He’s also utterly relieved to discover that everything feels perfect and normal. Because it is. As Rob says to Brian at one point, there’s nothing wrong with being bisexual.
Now if only Brian can stop being a workaholic…
I do hope you enjoy reading Brian’s book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

DailyGrind_Blog_tour

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meet the author
Anna Zabo writes contemporary and paranormal romance for all colors of the rainbow and believes passionately that happy ever afters are for everyone. Anna lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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We are two chicks who love books (m/m romance with an HEA) and enjoy our eye candy. http://twochickso

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

3 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
My reivew: The One Night Heist by C. RochelleHonestly, this book started out a bit slow for me. Mostly because of all of the italicized words, phrases and sentences. I don't know what that bugs me so much, but it does. Almost as much as the overuse of parenthesis. But it got better. And I continued on.Was it fun? Ya, I guess mostly. I didn't love it, but I liked it. I liked it, but it wasn't very memorable.Giancarlo needs money and wants to sell his mother's art collection to get it. But when it doesn't seem to be worth what he thought, former art thief Rowen has a plan.And it sounds good, but then I realized there was no end game to the plan. /execution, A+, but after that there wasn't a lot.Giancarlo was too naive and Rowen was too much of a grifter. I liked the introduction of people from Rowen's past, but it was still disjointed to me.If you're going to write a heist book, that heist and all of the pieces should be spot on. This wasn't.3 pieces of eye candy ...

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

4 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: ASYSTOLE by @jillian_wray_author releasing September 24th! #PreOrderNowa.co/d/0duS4TrN Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…🚁Friends to Lovers🩺Surgical Resident x Helicopter Pilot🚁Bi-Awakening🩺F*ck It🚁Workplace Romance🩺Cheating (not between MMCs)LOGANI excel at running from my problems and my past.Unfortunately, I’m also really good at running straight into trouble.While trying to get as far away as possible from the man who broke my heart, I ended up sharing an apartment with his fiancé’s best friend.I’m determined to keep Chase at arm’s length, but Chase is determined to get inside my skin. Who knew straight guys with long term girlfriends were so into platonic cuddling?Chase’s stressful days as a medical resident have me doting like an eager housewife—which is ridiculous…Until we cross a line, and I’m left wondering what’s crazier: Chase still thinking he’s straight, or me thinking this could end in anything other than heartbreak.CHASENinety-hour weeks as a general surgery resident leave me hollow and mentally fried, so when running into an old acquaintance offers me a break I desperately need, I jump at the opportunity.As the Life Flight helicopter pilot for Boston Memorial, I expected to see Logan from time to time.What I wasn’t expecting was to become his roommate so soon after reconnecting.Nor was I expecting my platonic feelings for him to turn into something… more.I blame it on my need for physical touch and the long-distance relationship I have with my girlfriend.Until a kiss with Logan at the stroke of a New Year’s midnight changes everything.I need Logan in ways I never imagined, but by the time I figure that out, it may be too late.Asystole is book one in the Boston Memorial series. It can be read as a complete standalone but does feature characters from—and contains light spoilers for—Avalanche (Part of the Ricochet Ridge series).✨INFLUENCERS: Sign up here bit.ly/ASYSTOLESIGNUP#jilliandwray #mmromance The Author Agency ...

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

4 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: CALLOUS SHOT by @authorbeccasteele releasing September 24th!#PreOrderNowmybook.to/callousshot Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…🖤M/M standalone🏒enemies to lovers🖤rival hockey teams🏒morally grey🖤college romance🏒hockey romance🖤crime boss son x lawyer's son🏒obsessed with each otherDaniel Hoyton has been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember. We play for rival hockey teams. We attend rival universities. Our families are on opposite sides of the law. I hate him, with his irritatingly smug smile, his arrogance, and his inability to take anything seriously.I want to wipe that smile from his face with my fist.…Or my mouth.I can’t decide if I want to punch him or kiss him, and it’s beginning to be a problem. A problem with big consequences. Not only is he completely wrong for me, but his family and friends are under investigation…and my uncle is in charge of the operation. I know we’re going to crash and burn.But I can’t seem to stay away from the flames.✨INFLUENCERS: Sign up to review here: bit.ly/CALLOUSSHOTSIGNUP#beccasteele #hockeyromance #spicyromance The Author Agency ...

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

4 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for THESE SECRET YEARS by @augustjonesbooks! Grab it in KU!#OneClickNowmybook.to/TSYWhy you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥college football star x music prodigy🔥forbidden love/secret affair🔥high angst🔥opposites attract🔥grumpy/ sunshine🔥rich boy/poor boy🔥coming of age🔥who did this to you?🔥hurt/comfort🔥mm romance SullivanFour years of keeping secrets, telling lies, and finding the love of a lifetimeSullivan. They say I have a gift because music is as easy as breathing for me. The true gift, however, is the first breath of freedom I’ve had in years—college, bought and paid for by the man who holds my future in his greedy, roaming hands. The first weekend away from him is everything I ever dreamed college would be—a chance to live my own life, form true friendships, and then there’s Knight Winters. The incoming quarterback at our new school who grew up in my hometown is a surprise to me in every way. He makes me question everything. My sexuality, my future, and every mistake I’ve ever made.KnightBecoming the starting quarterback at this school is all part of a plan set in motion since I was old enough to hold a football. As the son of a football giant, playing in the NFL has always been the dream. Here at the University of Southern Missouri, I’m on my way to making it come true. The only thing I have to give up is who I am. I’ve known I was gay for as long as I can remember, but it’s the secret I have to keep to have the life I’ve always wanted.Meeting Sullivan wasn’t part of the plan. From that first night, the attraction, the chemistry, the instant connection has been impossible to push aside and pretend none of it matters. He’s brilliant, he’s beautiful, and he has secrets, too, secrets that are on the verge of breaking him. My obsession ebbsand flows with the seasons here at school, but when we’re back in our hometown, I find myself with a choice I never thought I’d have to make: whether football can give me the life I want, or if it’s him.#newbookalert #augustjones #mmromance The Author Agency ...

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

4 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for THE ONE-NIGHT HEIST by @c.rochelle_author! Grab it in KU!#OneClickHerebooks2read.com/OneNightHeistWhy you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥Standalone Art Heist Adventure🔥MM Romance 🔥Monopoly Man + Con-man🔥Insta-Obsession (on both sides)🔥(Lovers-to-) Enemies-to-Lovers (one-sided)🔥A Con Gone Wrong,🔥Forced Proximity🔥Secret Relationship🔥Partners in Crime &amp; Mutual Destruction🔥So. Much. TENSION.🔥Unhinged Humor &amp; Scorching Spice🔥Betrayal and Redemption🔥“Stop running from me!”🔥Corporate Villain TakedownFor fans of Knives Out, The Thomas Crown Affair, White Collar, The Art Thief, and The Mastermind, with the humor of The Blonde Identity mixed in, this dark MM rom-com asks, how much will you risk to get everything you’ve ever wanted?As the sole heir to his family’s estate, Giancarlo Luxford is focused on one thing: Auctioning off his late mother’s art collection to the highest bidder. A chance encounter with an ex-con has him setting his sights on a new goal, and nothing—not even the threat of mutual destruction—will stand in his way.Longtime grifter Rowen Quincy only cares about the game, but after one too many bad decisions, he finds himself in a tight spot, dreaming of escape. Billionaire Giancarlo Luxford seems like an easy mark, and a ticket out of his situation, but this one-time heist may end up becoming the longest con of all.The One-Night Heist is book 1 in the Stolen Art, Stolen Hearts series of interconnected, contemporary romance standalones centered around the dark underbelly of the art world (and the ridiculousness of wealth/wealth disparity in general). Each book will see a different queer couple finding their HEA.#newbookalert #crochelle #mmromance The Author Agency ...

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