Author Interview

Cross to Bare by Susan Mac Nicol : Blog Tour, Author Interview and Excerpt

January 11, 2016 by Denise

Blog Tour

Title: Cross to Bare

Series: Men of London

Author: Susan Mac Nicol

Publishing Company: Boroughs Publishing Group

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Tough in business but romantic at heart, fashion designer Lenny James isn’t hiding his masculinity behind his super successful female alter ego, but a vulnerability that only handsome financier Brook Hunter will be man enough to reveal…and worship.

TWO OF A KIND

It’s amazing what a little mascara and lipstick, a blonde wig, false boobs, and top-notch female fashion can hide. Not that Lenny James is hiding his masculinity. He uses his normal voice when he’s Laverne, and he’s not particularly camp as a man. His reasons for creating his alter ego are locked deep in his past. He is who he is: tough in business, and a romantic at heart. What he’s hiding is vulnerability. He wants a man to accept both sides of him.

Gorgeous, commanding, and dark as sin, Brook Hunter meets Lenny and knows nothing about Laverne until fate pushes her into his path. Cross-dressing is as far from Brook’s reality as fashion is from his world of diplomacy and high finance. Understanding and truth take time, and trust doesn’t come easy. But Brook is about to show Lenny that there are no sides to true love, just the place where they meet in the middle.

Goodreads Link

Author Interview

Welcome to Susan Mac Nicol! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions.

TCO: When you started writing the first book in Men of London series, did you foresee that you would take it this far? Where did you envision it going at the beginning?

SM: When my publisher pitched the series to me mid-2014, I didn’t really think I’d be writing eight books, no. I thought maybe four, then back to stand alone novels, as this is what I enjoy. So now I’m busy writing the final and eight book in this series, I have to say I look back and think -wow! I love this series though and have plans of keeping it going, perhaps not being as prolific as I have been.

I don’t want to see the series disappear, and I hope to keep it going, albeit a little slower than I’ve produced books in the past.

TCO: This story is very different than the other books in the series-in my estimation. It’s still a love story, but I feel like the differences in the characters, which are always tortured in some way by you, are more internal struggles. What was your inspiration to write specifically with Lenny/Laverne?

Laverne crept into Suit Yourself in her designer suit and then demanded her own story. In Suit Yourself, I needed a fashion diva to run the fashion ‘empire’ called Debussy’s, and rather than create a specific male or female character, there was the germ of an idea that perhaps I could do something different. I’d been exposed to the world of drag queens and cross dressing at the time this happened and I think that seed grew into Cross to Bare. I knew it would be a tough challenge to write, but I was determined to give both Lenny and Laverne a voice.

TCO: How did you research this story? Finding someone who was able to talk about finding a connection with a man who dresses as a woman professionally must have been a challenge.

I am very fortunate in that having my male pole dancing group on Facebook, I am privileged to know a lot of men who are willing to help me out when it comes to advice on the creative and different outlook of being a performer, a dancer and an athlete. This group is diverse, with artistes and performers who are not shy about showing their feminine side, their love for heels and women’s clothes and wearing corsets. And of course, Johnny O’Connell, the gorgeous model for Leslie on Suit Yourself cover, was the best person to ask. He performs in Boylesque, wears said corsets and heels, (and looks fabulous doing so) and had a wonderful frank view to share with me on the reasons a man likes wearing women’s clothing and what it felt like to be someone else. I don’t know what I’d do without him 🙂 His insight made Laverne who she was and did Lenny justice in encapsulating his desire to create his alter ego.

TCO: We get a small peek of what’s ahead, but what do you have coming in the series? Where do you see it going? I believe there is a YA ahead?

The next book in the series, book six, is called Flying Solo. This is about Maxwell Lewis, who we met in Suit Yourself, meeting geeky gamer Gibson Henry. This will be released on January 28^th. I don’t have a blurb or cover to share yet, as it’s still in the works but the Pinterest board might give you some insight. Maxwell is loosely based on my good friend Warren Allen and some of the facts about Maxwell ring true for Warren as well. My lips are sealed.

https://www.pinterest.com/susiemax777/flying-solo-men-of-london-book-6/

And hmm, it’s not a YA on the way, it’s more of a NA I think. Jax, from Feat of Clay, is eighteen and his love interest, Dare, is twenty-five. I see it simply as a first love story; a coming of age romance between two men of very different backgrounds. This is the seventh book in the series and is called Damaged Goods.

Book eight will be the last one for now and is tentatively titled Hard Climate. It’s Ryan Bishop’s and Mango Munroe’s story, from Cross to Bare. Fierce eco-warrior Mango and his volatile relationship with nightclub owner and part time drag queen, Ryan aka Delilah Delish. Once again I am counting on my good friends Warren and Johnny to help me out. I think we have a weekend trip planned to Blackpool to visit a drag queen club called Funny Girls. I can’t wait.

I have an idea for a spin off series featuring two of the characters (I’m not saying who!) which will lead into this couple’s story developing, but with a different case each time. Oops. Perhaps that might give you a clue? It’s early days yet though so I’ll need to see where it takes me.

TCO Note: **rubs hands in glee**

TCO: Fun Question.

You’ve been arrested and call me to come bail you out. What have you been arrested for, and what three things do you ask me to bring to you?

OMG, let me think. I think I’d be arrested for trying to kidnap Benedict Cumberbatch. It’s the most likely scenario *snorts* I’ve been arrested lurking around the film studio with handcuffs, a blindfold, a ball gag and some lube. Sorry? What did you say? Oh, I see. That does sound rather kinky, doesn’t it *winks* More like a fantasy than an abduction plan.

What will I ask you to bring me? Well, seeing as how I’m bound to be released soon, as I’m a famous author who simply couldn’t be a common stalker and would be kidnapper, could you bring *whispers* handcuffs, lube and a ball gag? Mine seem to have gone missing….

Thank you so much to Sue for stopping by!!! Can’t wait to see what comes ahead for her Men of London. 🙂

Any Susan Mac Nicol book I read, always manages to touch my heart in ways that I never would imagine.

We met Laverne and Lenny in a previous book in the Men of London series (one of my favorite series btw) and you couldn’t help but fall in love with both of them. Two personalities of the same person. Different in many ways, but so much in common. Lenny wanted to be loved, for who he was, warts and all, cross dressing or not. And I loved Laverne, just as much as Lenny.

I’ll admit, I have not read a lot of books with cross dressing as a theme, not because I avoid them, but merely because I haven’t come across them, but Susan managed to take what could be a very challenging subject, and one I imagine she researched heavily, and made it a very important part of a strong personality, like Lenny, and not a “problem” or a fault. Lenny was completely comfortable in the world he had created for himself. Until Brook. 🙂

Brook meanwhile, confused, but still did not want to let Lenny go, had to learn to love Laverne as well. What a fantastic pair these two made, as Brook had to decide what he could and couldn’t deal with from a partner.

I just loved this pairing. Susan always manages to find a pairing that doesn’t seem like it will work from the outside, but when they get to know each other, they find the exact thing they are looking for from a boyfriend/husband/partner.

Another winner in this series, which has been a winner from the beginning.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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Brook smiled. “The chemistry is still there, though. No doubt about that.” His brows furrowed. “And if I remember from our last window encounter, you promised to return the favour,” he murmured as he reached out and removed the glass from Lenny’s hands. He put the whisky down on the table by the window then dipped his finger in the cool liquid. Brook’s finger came up, and he slid it across Lenny’s bottom lip, slowly. He thought he was going to shoot in his pants with the eroticism of that gesture. The whisky flavour burned into his lips and he slid his tongue out and sucked the finger caressing his mouth. Brook’s eyes widened in lust, the pupils expanding. His lips parted and Lenny wanted to thrust his tongue and his cock inside the hot, wet heat of that mouth.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we, because obviously neither of us can wait,” Brook whispered, as his tongue slid into Lenny’s ear. His hands slid under the red jacket, tugging the shirt from his trousers, and then caressing the heated skin beneath. “Otherwise we’ll not enjoy my wonderful Chicken Cacciatore that I slaved over all day. Let’s fuck first, talk later.”

Lenny agreed wholeheartedly. With a low moan, he mashed his mouth against Brook’s and took possession of it. Familiar and wanton in return, Brook’s questing tongue slid into Lenny’s mouth. The slippery sensation of that deliciously heated organ, currently on a quest to drive him crazy, took him back to those passion fuelled days when he and Brook had been together. The feel of strong fingers against Lenny’s skin and the heat of that body pressed against his – it was if they’d never been apart. Lenny wasn’t one for insta-love but insta-lust he could definitely understand.

“I’d forgotten how damn good you taste and feel,” Brook gasped as his hands fumbled with buttons, opening Lenny’s trousers. He cried out as Brook’s hand slid inside his silk boxers and slid fingers down his hardened and wet cock. “This – this is what I want, you inside me.”

That phrase made Lenny thrust his cock harder into the tight confines of Brook’s hand.

“You keep saying that and I won’t have anything to fuck you with because you’ll make me come,” he managed to get out. “Turn around, face the glass.” He didn’t wait for Brook to obey, simply spun him round hard and slammed him against the cold, silken wall. “You’d better hope this is one way glass, because otherwise your neighbours are going to see you being royally skewered this time.” Lenny kicked off his trousers and underwear, giving a sigh of relief as his cock sprung free.

Susan Mac Nicol is a self-confessed bookaholic, an avid watcher of videos of sexy pole dancing men, geek and nerd and in love with her Smartphone. She is never happier than when sitting scribbling down words and making two men fall in love.

In an ideal world, Susan Mac Nicol would be Queen of England and banish all the bad people to the Never Never Lands of Wherever -Who Cares. As that’s never going to happen, she contents herself with writing her HEA stories and pretending, that just for a little while, good things happen to good people.

Sue is a member of Romance Writers of America and Romantic Novelists Association in the UK. She lives in the quaint village of Bocking in Essex, set in the countryside and not far from the sea should she get the yen to eat crab or oysters on the Cromer Pier.

Social Media:

website: www.susanmacnicol.com
blog: susanmacnicol.wordpress.com
facebook: www.facebook.com/susiemax77
twitter: www.twitter.com/SusanMacNicol7
linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/susanmacnicol/48/a44/602

Read all the Men of London

Something Like a Love Song by Becca Burton: Blog Tour, Review, Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

December 2, 2015 by Denise

One tragic night left Landon and Dylan’s dreams of happily ever after in apparent ruin. Forced to overcome physical and emotional trauma, the young lovers turn to a network of family and friends as they attempt to rebuild their lives. But can their one constant—their love—survive the changes both undergo on the road to recovery?

Author Name: Becca Burton

Book Name: Something Like a Love Song

Release Date: November 19, 2015

Pages or Words: 308 pages

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

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Interlude Press

Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

This is a beautiful story of enduring love. This was a story that truly shows how two people who love each other can overcom 960x350 e anything. Dylan was a really well written character. He has so much love for Landon and it shows throughout the entire story. There was never any questioning on his part about not being with Landon. He was a rock and my heart went out to him. There was some mention of him dealing with his feelings of guilt throughout the story, but it’s very clear throughout that he doesn’t stay with Landon out of guilt. Landon on the other hand has such a hard road of recovery. I like the insights to his feelings of inadaquacy and frustration. I was really thrilled to read how the characters came to terms with a “life before” vs “life after.” This is definitely a story to be read with a box of tissues.

4 pieces of Eye Candy

Landon’s bed is in the center of the room, and Dylan’s heart begins to pound in his chest as he takes a step forward, hesitates. Landon looks so small, tucked into the middle of the bed, and everything about the scene is unnatural and wrong. His head is wrapped with thick bandages, for which Dylan is grateful—he isn’t sure he could handle that. Just the thought of what’s happening to Landon, to his fiancé, is enough to make his throat constrict, his chest tighten.

A ventilator tube parts Landon’s lips, and his chest rises and falls in equal, rhythmic whirrs. IVs line his arms; the wires snake from under his hospital gown. His freckles stand out starkly against the unnatural pale hue of his skin, except where the deep purple of a bruise creeps from under the bandages and swells down to his left cheekbone. It seems impossible that only hours ago they were laughing in the park, holding hands and eating ice cream from the small corner stand; it’s like some distant memory, a fading dream. But the ache deep in Dylan’s chest, the way his stomach is knotting itself, the too-clean smell of the hospital burning his nose, Landon’s face, battered and bruised—Dylan can’t look away—all this is too real to be a dream, no matter how badly Dylan wants to just wake up, wants all this to go away and everything to be okay.

“You can touch him, if you want,” Brittany says, her voice soft. “We need to make sure to reduce extra stimulation, to allow his brain time to recover, but it’s okay to hold his hand.”

Dylan looks up at her. Her smile is kind and understanding. Then he turns back to Landon and takes a small step forward. Landon’s hand is right there, resting above the covers, and Dylan doesn’t know why he’s so nervous; he’s held Landon’s hand more times than he could begin to count. But, surrounded by machines and tubes, Landon has never looked so utterly fragile, as if he could shatter at the lightest touch.

“It’s okay,” Brittany says from behind him, and Dylan squeezes his eyes shut, tears pricking behind his eyelids. “You won’t hurt him.”

Landon’s skin is cold; his hand is unnaturally still. Even in sleep Landon’s hand would always find Dylan’s, their fingers would curl together like a reflex.

Not now.

“I’m so sorry,” Dylan whispers, holding on a little tighter. “I’m so…”

His voice catches, the words bottling up in his throat, unable to escape. Landon’s chest rises, falls, in, out.

In, out.

“You’re so hurt, and it’s my fault,” Dylan manages, his voice barely audible above the machines keeping Landon alive. “It’s all my fault and I’m…” He exhales slowly. “I’m so sorry.”

He swipes his thumb across Landon’s knuckles, over the dips and grooves, and vaguely notes that Brittany has left them alone. He sinks down into the small chair beside the bed, not letting go of Landon’s hand.

“You need to fight, okay? I need you here, with me, and I can’t…” There’s nothing left inside him except an empty, hollow feeling and the knowledge that Landon can’t hear him. Landon’s engagement ring is in a dish on a table beside the bed, along with his watch, and Dylan fishes them out and tucks them into his pocket.

Author Interview:

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Becca Burton, author of Something Like a Love Song. Hi Becca, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Thank you for having me. Something Like a Love Song is my first novel, a story about two long time boyfriends who find themselves facing a life changing tragedy and have to find the courage and love for each other to fight through.

While this is my first novel, I have posted many stories online, and have been writing ever since I learned how. I currently work as a nurse in a Neonatal ICU, and medicine has been a big interest in my life, and always seems to find a way into my writing. I am passionate about diverse, LGBTQ fiction, and am very excited to contribute to this genre.

What is your least favorite part of the publishing/writing process?

This is a hard question because there was nothing that I really disliked about the process. I guess the first round of editing and rewrites was the hardest part, because I really had to take a step back and think about what I wanted to accomplish or convey with a scene, and what was important to keep or to cut. It’s hard to cut scenes, especially when I put a lot of work into them, but I had to learn to really think about what was best for the book!

As an author, is there one subject you would never write about? What would it be?

I don’t know if there’s one particular subject. I’m sure there are lots of subjects I don’t know enough about to write about them. I don’t think I could write accurately about many things that I haven’t experienced in my life… not that I’ve been through everything I’ve written about, but I think there are certain situations that require enough care and sensitivity, and are so close to some people, that it would be very difficult to write them without experience.

When did you first realize you wanted to write?

I think it’s something I’ve always known! Even when I was really little, I was always making up stories and writing them down in books made of construction paper. From there the stories started to become longer and more elaborate, and now I can’t imagine not having writing in my life. It’s been there for so long, it’s just a part of who I am!

How long did it take to write your book?

The original story that I posted online I wrote over the course of several years. When I adapted that story for this book, it took me about two months to write it. It both helped and hindered that I had the first version of this online, because I wanted to make it original, but I also wanted to keep it true to the heart of the story that people had loved. So it was a difficult two months of writing!

For Fun: Where is one place you’d like to visit you haven’t been before?

Someday I would love to go to Ireland or Scotland. I have friends that have been to both, and the pictures I’ve seen are so gorgeous! It looks like an absolute fairy tale place to go on vacation and especially for some writing inspiration! I feel inspired just thinking about it!

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IP Web Store

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Barnes and Noble

Becca Burton penned her first Nancy Drew fan fiction at the age of nine and has been an avid writer ever since. Currently working as a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse, Becca is a recent Oregon transplant from the Midwest. Becca has a weakness for coffee, the smell of old books, rainy days and her cat, Luna. Something Like a Love Song is her first novel.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: facebook.com/missbeccaburton;

Twitter: @missbeccaburton

Tour Dates & Stops:

19-Nov: Lee Brazil, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Velvet Panic, It’s Raining Men, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Hearts on Fire

20-Nov: Three Books Over The Rainbow, Mikky’s World of Books, Happily Ever Chapter

23-Nov: Jessie G. Books, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Michael Mandrake, Boys on the Brink Reviews

24-Nov: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Divine Magazine

25-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews

26-Nov: Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog

27-Nov: Alpha Book Club, The Blogger Girls, Elaine White

30-Nov: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Dawn’s Reading Nook, QUEERcentric Books, Love Bytes

1-Dec: My Fiction Nook, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

2-Dec: Gay Media Reviews, Just Love Romance, Inked Rainbow Reads, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy

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Please Understand by Fai Marie Dawson : Blog Tour, Author Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

September 16, 2015 by Denise

To keep his mother off his back, Fox struggles to live life as a straight man. Following his failed marriage, he thinks he’s found a piece of heaven when he meets Audrey, a sexy dark-haired beauty. When he’s introduced to her twin brother, his life turns upside down. Mrs. Jones, a regular shopper at Fox’s quaint neighborhood bookstore, steps in to referee the fall-out. Can Fox maintain relationships with both Audrey and her brother? Can a late night train chase bring Fox closer to the one he loves? How far will Fox’s mother go to keep her son tight in her clutches?

Author Name: Fai Marie Dawson

Book Name: Please Understand

Release Date: July 30, 2015

Pages or Words: 239 pages/82,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, *Trans

Goodreads Link

Publisher: MLR Press

Cover Artist: Melody Pond

It was shortly after lunch on Friday that Mrs. Jones came in. Although she had shown such tenderness to Audrey, I was still in fear and awe of this woman. To me she was curt and demanding. I still dreaded Fridays on account of her. Today she barged through the door: middle aged, shaped like a tank, with a formidable purse that I suspected she could brandish as a weapon if she so chose. I shamefully admit that I hid, shaking, in the back room. I remained hidden behind the door as I watched through the space under the hinge.

She marched straight over to Tommie, who was innocently concentrating in his chair, bent over his laptop. He didn’t stand a chance.

“You, there!”

Tommie looked up and scanned the shop. Not finding me, he sacrificed himself for the greater cause.

“Yes?”

“Tommie?”

He said something I couldn’t hear then he looked around the shop again, I supposed in a vain hope that I might come rescue him. I saw him take a deep breath, preparing himself for the inevitable. Poor man didn’t have a clue what he was up against. I knew I should come out of hiding, but so help me, I didn’t have the strength. I had been dealing with her on my own every Friday for over a year, and my morbid curiosity wanted to see what she could do to someone else.

“What can I help you with, Ms. ––?

“Mrs. Jones.” She said it decisively and firmly. No question about it, she was Mrs. Jones. Like no other, she stood like a rock.

He nodded and snapped his laptop shut. “What can I help you with, Mrs. Jones?” When he stood, her eyes scanned down his body like a CT scan, slowly taking in and savoring every inch carefully.

He carried his laptop and set it on the shelf under the front counter. Mrs. Jones took in the view from behind, her head tilted thoughtfully.

I remained silent. This was getting interesting. I was seeing a side of Mrs. Jones I hadn’t known existed. I was anxious to see if Tommie could handle her.

“Well,” she said a bit breathlessly. “Tommie, your jeans are a bit tight.” He turned slowly, but her eyes settled on his midsection, centering on the zipper of his jeans.

“My eyes are up here, Mrs. Jones.”

“Totally inappropriate!” But her eyes still wandered appreciatively over Tommie’s landscape.

“Very well, Mrs. Jones,” I saw him smile pleasantly then ask, “But may I help you find something?”

I didn’t hear what she said, but to my dismay, he led her to the closet where my adult books were stashed. I almost came out to prevent the disaster that I anticipated, but instead of indignation, within moments they returned to the front desk, and I watched as he rang up her purchases. She had chosen several books.

“I hope you enjoy these, Mrs. Jones.”

“You’ve been most helpful, Tommie, not like that naughty Fox that you work for.”

She waved goodbye happily and blew him a kiss as she went out the door, her purchases held tightly to her ample chest.

“Coward!” I assumed he was talking to me, although he didn’t look up.

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Fai Marie Dawson author of Please Understand. Hi Fai, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Author Interview:

Tell us about your book.

Please Understand challenges my characters to face many problems that LGBTQ people still deal with on a daily basis. Gender issues, understanding and accepting their own sexuality, coming out, all this while dealing with curiosity, fear and hostility of family and society. Sometimes there is no safe place, even within your own heart. In my story, Fox is a young man who struggles with owning his sexuality. His life is complicated with a nasty divorce and an overpowering mother intent on defining his life. In walks Audrey. Petite, long black hair, beautiful. He thinks he’s in love. Then he meets her twin brother and confusion reigns. But with the help of Mrs. Jones, they reach an HEA ending.

How difficult was it to get into the main character’s head?

It’s usually easy for me to move in to my characters’ minds and Fox and Tommie were no exception. I felt comfortable there. To get into character, I listen to specific songs, which helps me feel their attitude. Climbing out of their heads when I finish writing for the day can be harder than climbing in. There’s probably a diagnosis for that…

Is this book a standalone or do you plan on visiting it again?

I wrote Please Understand as a standalone book. While in the editing process, I became curious about Mrs. Jones. What is her background? Does she have a story to tell? She hints at her backstory, and may not leave me alone until I work on her character some more. Perhaps there is something to be done with her?

Why did you choose to write M/M stories?

I chose to write this as a m/m story because of the questions, emotions and situation it presents. When I came out seventeen years ago, I was thrown into situations I was not prepared for. Today, things are much better, but it’s still a scary place out there. I hope this story can show that. Please understand, love is love.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find inspiration everywhere. The files in my studio are bulging with story ideas. Some have research pages, some have outlines, some are mere scraps of paper with scribbles, some are photographs. As a writer friend of mine always says, “It’s all research!” Anything that brings emotion is possible ingredients for a story. Any interesting stranger. Houses, events, cars. It’s all research! My cat, however, believes he is my muse. He thinks he is my inspiration. You can see him on Instagram @Faidrah. We will let him believe that. Even now he is watching me…

Amazon

MLR Books

Fai Dawson lives in a small town thirty miles northeast of Seattle Washington in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains with her beloved wife, Becky. Together, they work on restoring their 110-year-old Victorian home. She spends her days writing, blogging and walking Moxie, their Newfie-Chow through the rainy streets of town. Pepe, a brave and proud tuxedo cat is her muse, ever mindful of providing inspiration for her next project. Although she has filled countless journals in her life, she began writing seriously in 2009 as a way to deal with anxiety. She is currently working on her next manuscript.

Where to find Fai Dawson:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fai.dawson

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/faimariedawson?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Faidrah

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

Instagram: https://instagram.com/faidrah/

Tour Dates & Stops:

31-Aug MM Good Book Reviews

1-Sep Inked Rainbow Reads

2-Sep Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

3-Sep Iyana Jenna

4-Sep Molly Lolly

7-Sep Jessie G. Books

8-Sep Love Bytes

9-Sep Mikky’s World of Books

10-Sep Divine Magazine

11-Sep Nephylim

14-Sep Prism Book Alliance

15-Sep LeAnn’s Book Reviews

16-Sep BFD Book Blog, Two Chicks Obsessed

17-Sep Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

18-Sep My Fiction Nook

21-Sep Kimi-Chan, Happily Ever Chapter

22-Sep Bayou Book Junkie

23-Sep Hearts on Fire

24-Sep Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

25-Sep Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

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Uncharted Hearts by Amelia Bishop: Blog Tour, Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

August 14, 2015 by Denise

Clayton Taylor is smart and skilled, and born into privilege. His expertise with navigation lands him a job on The Irish Lady, a ship which promises a world of new experiences. Half in love with Peter, The Lady’s roguish captain, Clayton signs on for adventure and a chance to test his skill against the sea. Once aboard he meets Jorge, a pillar of quiet strength.

Clayton’s life among the sailors and thieves is happy, wild, and free. He learns to sail, to fit in with the crew, and to cheat at cards. There isn’t a course he can’t chart, or a job he can’t design.

But Clayton can’t navigate love, nor can he plan for the whims of his heart. Bold and direct and often stubborn, Clayton’s uncharted heart will plot its own course, bound for a union with two men who need him as much as he does them.

Together Clayton, Peter, and Jorge will discover the heart has no need of map and compass.

Author Name: Amelia Bishop

Book Name: Uncharted Hearts

Release Date: August 14, 2015

Pages or Words: 240 pages

Categories: Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, Romance

Cover Artist: Amelia Bishop with photo by Dan Skinner

The Irish Lady’s gangway was up, and I had a flash of panic. Was I too late? I caught a glimpse of Peter on deck, and called out to him. “Sir! Peter Simpson!”

He turned and strode back to the rail, a light in his eyes and a smile on his face. My trunk seemed suddenly much easier to haul.

A large black man lowered the gangway, and looked me over as I struggled up it, raising an eyebrow at my large case. He wore his hair in long twisted locks, and his shirt, open at the chest, revealed heavy glistening muscles. I swallowed hard. Was this a ship full of temptation? Would I spend my entire time here aroused and useless?

“You came!” Peter rushed to me, not hiding his excitement.

I nodded, smiling.

“I’m so glad.” He brushed his fingers over my cheek in a move much too affectionate for public display. I glanced at the large man, but he’d turned away.

“Come, I’ll get you settled in and explain your position.” Peter hoisted one end of my trunk, and led us toward the hatch.

I felt as if I had to ask him, before I went below, exactly what kind of situation I was signing on to here. “Just what sort of a ship is this, precisely? I’m sure you aren’t an entirely reputable merchant?”

He dropped his side of the trunk, and I feared I’d erred. Perhaps that was too forward a thing to ask. But his crooked grin told me he was not offended. “Is that a problem?”

Good lord, he was sexy. His chin was shadowed with a fine dark stubble, and his hair was gathered at the top of his head in some sort of ridiculous knot, which only accentuated his chocolate brown eyes and thick brows. “No…” I smiled. “But you’ll have to teach me.”

His mouth opened on a gasp. Finally, I’d unbalanced him.

“Gladly,” he rasped, and picked up the trunk again.

Author Interview:

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Amelia Bishop, author of Uncharted Hearts.

Hi Amelia, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Tell us about your book.

Hi! I’m happy to be here J

My book “Uncharted Hearts” is an m/m/m romance, set in 1795. It’s a story about making that leap from sex and companionship to the stronger bonds of family. In it the main characters are forced to fight to keep each other, but that means different things to each of them.

It’s an historical, I guess, but I wrote it more like a contemporary that just happens to be set in the past. I am not a fan of deep, detailed historical novels, and I found I could not write like that. I even considered re-writing this so that it WAS a contemporary, but in the end I decided to try something new and go ahead with my edge-of-the-genre historical romance. I’m hoping that people who maybe don’t usually like historical novels will enjoy this one.

How difficult was it to get into the main character’s head?

The hardest thing for me is often to write younger characters. If my MC is in his mid-twenties, sometimes I find that difficult to keep consistent. It’s a tough balance to make someone inexperienced enough, and innocent enough, without having them sound like a teenager.

Also I notice when I read that many popular Romance MCs in their 20’s talk and act like 50 year olds, so I am never sure how much I should write to reality and how much I should match current trends and reader expectations.

I prefer to write slightly older characters, but for this story I thought a 20-something would be really a full on adult, given the time period. I hope I managed it!

Is this book a standalone or do you plan on visiting it again?

Definitely a standalone. I am really not a series author, though I wish I were. There are a lot of readers who enjoy series books, I think.

Why did you choose to write M/M stories?

I have read m/m for a very long time. Back in the early 90’s, there were mainly gay erotica stories, serious/sad “gay fiction,” and a small amount of campy gay pulp. I was drawn to it all, but fell in love with the gay erotica, for its wild and open sexuality. I loved watching the genre expand, and especially after the introduction of e-books, I spent a lot of time (and money! LOL) reading all kinds of m/m Romance.

So when I started to write, I guess those were the romantic pairings that naturally came into my imagination.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Everywhere! I think most often lately I find myself scrolling through tumblr or pinterest, and I’ll see some photo, or a little factoid, or even an interesting quote, and it will spark an idea. I love that we have so many tools to collect these “inspirations” and save them. What a great time to be a writer!

Thanks so much for having me here today!

I am a reader and writer of romantic erotic fiction of all varieties. Sometimes, the little stories in my head just need to be shared (and sometimes they are just for me). I enjoy red wine, black rum, shell-hunting walks along the seashore, and solo late-night drunken dance parties.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amelia.bishop.507

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anotheramelia

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ameliabishop507/

Blog: www.ameliabishop.wordpress.com
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25953502-uncharted-hearts?ac=1

Publisher: Amelia Bishop

Tour Dates & Stops:

14-Aug

Prism Book Alliance, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Inked Rainbow Reads

17-Aug

BFD Book Blog, Amanda C. Stone

18-Aug

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Just Love Romance

19-Aug

MM Good Book Reviews, Love Bytes

20-Aug

Bayou Book Junkie, EE Montgomery

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Jessie G: Video Interview from 2015 Rainbow Con

July 26, 2015 by Denise

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy just left Rainbow Con in Tampa, Florida, as you may know from some of our posts. What a great opportunity to connect with authors, readers and bloggers. It’s was so much fun!

We thought this would be a great opportunity to bring the authors directly to our followers via video interviews. So, all week, we have brought you the chance to watch videos of some of your favorite authors talk about their current books, upcoming stuff, and just randomness in some cases. Enjoy!

Today’s interview is with the author of Sizzling Miami and Devils Pride MC series, Jessie G. You will get to hear what she has coming up later this year, as well as down the road. And what it is that is coming out TODAY!

Tune in! Give us your feedback, and one commenter will win a copy of Their Reason. Also make sure you check out the family tree below. It has so much great info!

Check out Their Reason (Sizzling Miami, Book 4), only on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1U0Vpsm

Family Tree for the Sizzling Miami Series and the Devils Pride Motorcycle Club Series:

Charlie Cochet: Video Interview from 2015 Rainbow Con

July 24, 2015 by Denise

We thought this would be a great opportunity to bring the authors directly to our followers via video interviews. So, all week, you will get to watch videos of some of your favorite authors talk about their current books, upcoming stuff, and just randomness in some cases. Enjoy!

Today’s interview is with Dreamspinner Press author, Charlie Cochet, author of the THIRDS series. And I fan-girled all over the place, lets just put that out there. I was very nervous to meet Charlie, but she was a dream interview, and so wonderful as you can see. AND she gave TCO an exclusive, the title of Book 7 in the THIRDS series!!!

You will hear all kinds of fun surprises in this video, so tune in! Give us your feedback, and two commenters will win a set of THIRDS playing cards, created by Charlie, and autographed!!!

Against the Grain comes out on Monday August 3rd, and is available for preorder at Dreamspinner Press. I started reading it last night (I’m sick right now so staying up all night was NOT an option) and am just loving Cael and Ash’s story already.