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Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4) by Morgan Brice: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

January 31, 2020 by Denise

As a deadly trap closes around them, can Simon and Vic tie up the loose ends to stop the threat, or will they become the newest ghosts of the Grand Strand?

Cold cases, old enemies, ex-lovers, and vengeful spirits are making life dangerous for psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his boyfriend, homicide detective Vic D’Amato.

The ghosts of Myrtle Beach are restless, trapped by love, secrets, scandals, and spells, keeping Simon busy protecting the living from the unhappy dead. Someone from Vic’s past is out to destroy him and everyone he holds dear, and the high-profile trial of the first case Simon and Vic worked together puts them in the spotlight—and put a target on their backs. As a deadly trap closes around them, can Simon and Vic tie up the loose ends to stop the threat, or will they become the newest ghosts of the Grand Strand?

Loose Ends is an urban fantasy MM paranormal romance with spooky supernatural suspense, hot sex, hurt/comfort, feisty friends, found family, ghosts galore, and dark magic. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone and features an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels. Intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

Book Title: Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4)

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Natania Barron

Release Date: December 30, 2019

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy, MM paranormal romance

Trope/s: Spooky supernatural suspense, hurt/comfort, dark magic.

Themes: Trust, loyalty, commitment, partnership

Heat Rating: 4 flames

It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone and

features an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels.

Intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

Length: 62 000 words/ 220 pages

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The Pros/Cons Of Established Couples By Morgan Brice

Romance seems split between series that follow an established couple, and series in which each book highlights a new couple falling in love. I love both kinds of books as a reader, and as a writer, I see pros and cons to both.

So far, all three of my urban fantasy MM paranormal romance series focus on couples in established, evolving relationships. One big reason is because the series also focus on solving mysteries/crimes as well as on the dynamics of the couple involved, so there’s more to each book than how to get the main characters to fall in love (which happens in the first of each series).

I also have been salty for years about the so-called ‘Moonlighting Effect’. A 1980s TV show had two characters who finally ended the sexual tension to get together and then the show got cancelled, and ever since, scriptwriters believe they have to keep breaking couples apart to keep us ‘interested’. I think established couples can be very interesting, especially if they are growing personally and as a couple as the story progresses. As someone who’s been married for a long time, I can attest that there is plenty of story gold in the ups and downs of figuring out how to evolve as both an individual as a couple. And I like to read about characters who share that dynamic of my own life.

At the same time, I understand the appeal of reading about a new couple in each book, to get that rush and uncertainty of discovery and falling in love. It’s lots of fun to meet the relatives and friends of the characters as they find their perfect partner, and get cameo glimpses of prior couples as the series moves on. Having a different couple in each book suits certain types of stories better than others, and I have some new series in mind that will probably follow this pattern.

Of course, while the upside to having a different couple in each book is that readers repeat that emotional rollercoaster of falling in love, the downside is that once the couple gets their happily ever after, we don’t get to have more stories about them. That’s very frustrating for me as a reader when I really connect to a character or couple. I want to know more!

Ultimately, the love story has to work for the type of overall tale being told. My hope is that you’ll fall in love with my characters as they fall in love with each other, and want to continue the ride!

“I’ve been poking around on the Buccaneer story since the place shut down,” Josh said. “My team’s visited probably a dozen times. Plus, I knew people who worked on the construction and dismantling, and who ran the rides when it was open.” He leaned forward, dropping his voice. “They won’t talk on the record, or to the police, but I’ve heard all their stories. And the rumors that got out? They’re just a fraction of how fucked up that place was.”

Simon sat back in his chair, settling his lanky body and long legs as best he could. He warmed his hands on the hot paper cup and tucked a strand of long chestnut hair behind one ear. “Tell me.”

“One of my sources was a crane operator when they were installing the Riptide Roll steel coaster,” Josh confided. “He saw one of the workmen fall from the top of the first hill when they were assembling the ride. Says the guy died on impact. The company paid to hush it up. Same thing happened when another worker was crushed to death. A load of steel pipe shifted, and he ended up underneath it.”

“Jesus.”

“That’s not all of it. The place was only open for barely two seasons, but the ride operators had stories that would curl your hair. Riders got whiplash, one girl lost a couple of fingers, and a kid died from head injuries when his ride car came loose and crashed. Not to mention the operator who got electrocuted when he had to run his ride in the rain.”

“If the owners had to cover all that up, no wonder they went bankrupt,” Simon said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe they didn’t get shut down.”

“Their rides continued to pass inspections from the state office—or maybe someone got paid off. Still, they closed suddenly before the end of their last season,” Josh said. “Whistleblowers went to the media. The situation was going to be ugly. But then it turned out to be even worse.”

Simon remembered the end of the story. Investors clamored for their money back when the park abruptly shut down, only to find out that the accounts were empty, the books had been cooked, and the profits were never real. Before it could turn into a media circus and authorities asked for serious jail time, Ellington killed himself, and Stevens skipped town.

“Any clue about who’s haunting the place?”

Josh chewed on his lip and looked at Simon. “I was hoping you’d come over with us this afternoon and help me figure that out. I’m doing my best to learn, but my skills aren’t as powerful as yours, and I don’t know how to really use them. I can sense when spirits are nearby, and I see them better than the average person, but having a conversation is beyond what I can do.”

This series is definitely out of my normal wheelhouse. I’ve read all of them, and this might be my favorite since Book 1. Because like all romance novels, we saw a lot of connection between the established couple. You can’t have a romance if you don’t have two (or more) characters connecting and finding their HFN/HEA. And Simon and Vic have been doing that all along.

This book though, I thought, gave such a strong tug on the heartstrings from an emotional standpoint. It really spent a good portion of the book (or at least when there wasn’t some villain trying to step where they shouldn’t) on showing how the relationship between Simon and Vic has developed, how they feel about each other, and, because I love my HEA, where it was headed. 🙂

It’s so rare to be able to continue to see how a couple you fell in love with handle their everyday lives, as well as when trouble rears its ugly head. And now four books plus later, we are still seeing this.

I don’t know if Morgan Brice does a lot of research or just has a bit of crazy brain, but the things she comes up with for the supernatural elements are insane (in a very good way!), and bring such a special touch to the books. As an example, there is a part in the book when one of Simon’s friends is helping to deal with a paranormal issue, and Simon brings a long list of things, some of which I recognize the names of, some could be made up, or maybe researched and added in. Either way, it adds a sense of realistic need for the items, and their usage.

Vic, well, his sweetness showed itself again. He is devoted to Simon, and has been since practically day one. All he wants to do is make sure Simon has all the happiness he desires, and Vic will do what he can to make sure that happens. So sweet!

Anyway, another winner for me. 4 pieces of eye candy

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.

On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.

Series include Witchbane, Badlands, and Treasure Trail. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

Read a copy of my Badlands short story Restless Nights here for free

Social Media Links

Facebook Group | Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) | Twitter: @MorganBriceBook

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Earnest Ink by Alex Hall: Book Blast, Excerpt and Review

January 28, 2020 by Denise

While twenty-year-old FTM Hemingway is making an excellent living as a tattoo artist in a near-future version of Hell’s Kitchen, the rest of the country is splintered and struggling in the wake of a war gone on for too long. Technology has collapsed, borders rise and fall overnight, and magic has awakened without rhyme, reason, or rule, turning average unwitting citizens into wielders of strange and specific strands of magic.

Hemingway’s particular brand of magic has made him a household name. Not only is he a talented artist, but his work comes to life. Literally.

When NYC’s most infamous serial killer—the East River Ripper—abducts Hemingway’s best friend, Grace, he has only days to save her. Hemingway teams up with his stoic cop roommate to hunt for the killer and rescue Grace before she becomes the Ripper’s latest victim. But as the duo chase clues to the serial killer’s identity, Hemingway begins to fear the magic he and the Ripper share might eventually corrupt him too.

Book Title: Earnest Ink

Author: Alex Hall

Publisher: Nine Star Press

Published: October 14, 2019

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Genre/s: Queer Spec Fic, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense

Trope/s: Found family

Themes: Mystery/adventure

Heat Rating: 1 flame

Orientation: Asexual, Pansexual

Identity: Cisgender, Trans

Warning: Depictions of Trauma, Blood, Violence, Murder, Eating disorders, Body hatred, Transphobia, PTSD, War

Length: 72 100 words/244 pages

It is a standalone book.

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I work without speaking because that’s the way I prefer it. The vibration of my machine, the softer buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead, the tap of my foot on the pedal—it’s the best music in the world.

When I hit a ticklish spot, the girl I’m working on gasps, jolting in my chair.

“Don’t move,” I say. And then, with a salesman’s false cheer: “Almost done!”

The girl is sweating down the crook of her neck. She’s got silver glitter paint on her eyelids and cheeks, a new fashion trend I just can’t quite get behind. Under my lights the mix of perspiration and makeup looks like a blurry constellation.

She wanted a bee inked onto her collarbone, one of those tiny honeybees you find on good tequila bottles. Easily done, and she met the cash requirement. She’s eager, nervous, and breathing in and out in little puffs.

I can’t remember her name, but that’s fine. Customer relations is Eric’s job.

There’s another kid leaning over my glass counter, watching eagerly as I work. “Does it hurt?” he asks. “When the magic happens?”

The bee’s fat yellow thorax wriggles from side to side as it begins to wake, fighting the pressure of my needle, hungry for life.

“It looks like it hurts,” the kid says. I ignore him.

One minute more and—thanks to my peculiar magic—this bee will fly free.

I’m perched on a swivel stool, a wet paper towel in my hand to wipe away ink. It’s too hot in my studio, even with the industrial fans whirling overhead and the door propped wide open. Evening light slants in through the door and the north-facing, floor-to-ceiling window panes that look out onto West Forty-Sixth. It’s muggy, too warm for New York in October, and all of Hell’s Kitchen is wilting, including my client.

“What does it feel like?” the kid demands. He’s leaving greasy fingerprints on the surface of the glass as he strains to get a better look at what I’m doing. I study him out the corner of my eye, wiping sweat off my nose with the back of my wrist before it drips on my customer. He looks like one of the street punks who have taken to running in packs near the cruise terminals, sleeping in old, abandoned cargo containers and panhandling up and down the marina.

He’s skinny and tall, hair dyed an unsettling violet and styled into spikes all over his head. He’s got a silver ring in his septum and more hoops in his ears; his eyelashes are coated with purple mascara to match his hair. Green glitter paint sparkles on his lids. His T-shirt and jeans are torn and dirty, and he’s got a pack of black-market cigarettes rolled into one sleeve against his upper arm.

I am trying to branch out more. Take on a book to review that maybe I normally wouldn’t automatically reach for.

Earnest Ink is not a book I would automatically grab. It is a dystopian serial killer mystery. And I am glad I took a chance. In fact, I want more.

The blurb says Hemingway is a FTM trans tattoo artist. Honestly, except for representation, him being trans has no bearing on the story at all. There are a few passages throughout the book about it, but it isn’t an overall theme at all.

Instead the themes are serial killers, magic, friendship and a really messed up world post- World War III.

The East River Ripper kills on a schedule. He is very methodical about kidnapping someone, holding them for a few days, using magic to literally suck the life out of them before slicing their throats and throwing them in the river.

Hemingway almost seems like a bystander in this story that is at it heart, his. He just wants to create art. His magic turns his tattoos three dimensional. But he is sucked into this murder mystery by his roommate who is obsessed with it since her brother became a victim. And because there aren’t a lot of people out there with magic and they are under the watchful eye of the government.

The first 25% at least of the book was world building, but much of it seemed self indulgent. Prose with fifty cent words to describe a scene on the street. It got to be a bit much. But after that we got more into the different characters and the meat of the story.

And it was a good story. Well thought out with interesting characters that didn’t just take up page space. I actually wanted more story behind what exactly happened to the United States that fateful day that changed everything. Instead of describing the entire trip to meet his therapist, more time on what actually happened to leave the country in a shambles.

But don’t take that to mean I didn’t like the book. Because I did, very much. It was so different from anything I’ve read. Once I really got into it (past that first 25ish%) I didn’t want to put it down.

If you are a fan of dystopian, you will really like this. Even if you aren’t, give it a chance.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Sarah Remy/Alex Hall is a nonbinary, animal-loving, proud gamer Geek.

Their work can be found in a variety of cool places, including HarperVoyager, EDGE and NineStar Press.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Twitter: @sarahremywrites

Adam Bomb by Kilby Blades: Exclusive Author Interview, Excerpt and Release Day Review

January 23, 2020 by Denise

We love it when authors stop by TCO to talk about their latest releases (or even old releases!), and I’m very excited to have Kilby Blades stop by and talk about her latest release, Adam Bomb. I kept putting off reading this book, not because I didn’t want to read it, but because I was a little too excited to read it, and wanted to allow myself to relax a little and take the time to enjoy it. 🙂 And the author interview that Kilby has below hits on a topic that was very prevalent in the book, the heritages of these two very different, but so compatible men. With two heritages that are just not seen often in romance novels, it was fantastic to see how they were able to integrate their worlds. Take a peek and let us know what you think!

Levi Cossio’s best friend Adam has always been larger than life: a smoking-hot billionaire hotelier whose charm can bend the world to his whim. When New York City stops being big enough for both of them—at least if Levi ever wants to fall out of love with Adam—he leaves it behind for a job in in San Francisco.

But when Adam pulls an Adam—upending the calm new life Levi has come to love with a plea to lend his talent to a worthy cause—Levi is helpless to resist. Adam will be the first Fortune 100 CEO to come out of the closet on a grand scale. He needs a trusted ally on his PR team. Levi is a lauded portrait photographer. And the job will only last three weeks.

Levi accepts on one hidden condition: he’ll keep his new friends away from Adam, certain that if they get a whiff, they, too, will fall under Adam’s spell. Bent on keeping his two lives separate, Levi barely makes it through the first two weeks unscathed—and then Adam drops another bomb….

Title: Adam Bomb
Author: Kilby Blades
Series: Moguls, Royals, and Rogues
Release Date: January 21, 2020
Category: Contemporary Romance, Dreamspun Desires, Bisexual, Gay
Pages: 240

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Q: So your heroes are named Levi and Adam. Can you describe them for us, physically? You know…not that we care whether they’re hot.

Kilby: (Laughs). Well they are hot and I’d date both of them, ideally at the same time. Levi’s the one on the cover of the book. He’s got hazel eyes and a cropped beard and this really silky hair that kind of falls in front of his eyes and that he’s always pushing back so he can look through the view finder of his camera (he’s a photographer). Adam is an inch or two taller, so about six-foot-two. He’s also got dark hair and he vacillates between being clean shaven and letting it go until he has a little sexy stubble, but he also has a dimple that Levi really loves. Adam’s other distinctive feature are his golden eyes.

Q: Can you say more about heritage? The two heroes in Adam Bomb have backgrounds that are seldom represented in romance. How did you come up with their characters?

Kilby: Levi’s parents are from Argentina, but Levi himself has never been to Argentina; that circumstance—as well as South American identity—aligns to my own family ties. Adam’s parents are from Iran and his ethnicity is Persian Jewish. His family is loosely based on the family of a friend of mine. Being raised by driven, ambitious immigrant parents explains the parallels in some of their world views. But a lot of the tension between them comes from the inevitable encroachment of their class differences. Their dynamic is one I’ve personally lived. They’re dealing with some layered issues related to that.

Q: Uh-oh. Adam Bomb sounds angsty. Is it?

Kilby: There’s no high angst on the page. Actually, there are a lot of funny parts because Adam and Levi are best friends of twenty years, so they’re half-old married couple, half-bro banter and they really enjoy one another. The chemistry is really fun. Still, Levi is desperately trying to fall out of love with Adam and when he makes the unilateral decision to move to San Francisco, it forces both of them to talk about what it means for their friendship.

Q: Let me get this straight: Levi is in love with Adam so he moves away from where Adam is? How does this remotely make sense?

Kilby: (Laughs). It’s an act of self-preservation. Not only is Levi in love with Adam—Levi has been in love with Adam for ten years. He’s never going to tell Adam because he’s not willing to risk losing their amazing friendship in case things get weird. And he’s also realized he can never get over Adam if they live in the same city. Adam has been away from the U.S. for nine months because he was running the Tehran hotel. When the story starts and Adam announces he’ll be there for an extended stay, it upsets the cocoon of psychological safety Levi has built. That’s where the title comes from: Adam Bomb.

Q: So Adam Bomb means that Adam’s return is running, or, “bombing” Levi’s plan?

Kilby: Adam has a big personality and he has a tendency to disrupt. Levi has a tendency to get steamrolled by Adam. But it’s more nuanced than that—Adam isn’t a heartless, oblivious dick and Levi isn’t a shrinking violet. Like a lot of relationships, it’s complicated 🙂

Three things happened to Levi every time he saw Adam: anticipation prickled his neck, he quelled the impulse to wet his lips, and his dick got a little hard. Then there was the tunnel vision thing—the way that, when Adam walked into a room, noises dulled and periphery faded for a pregnant moment and there was no one but the two of them.

They weren’t alone, of course. Adam was never alone. Today, a gaggle of smartly dressed flight attendants flocked around him.

“Fucking Adam,” Levi muttered. Even as he shook his head, Levi’s lips curved into a smile. Adam didn’t notice him at first. But that was the way it always was—Adam busy noticing whoever’s pheromone he liked best, and bystanders busy noticing Adam.

Levi had forgotten how comical it could be. Adam had that kind of charisma. When he walked into a room, records scratched to astonished silence, and people stopped what they were doing to look. Levi had seen babies stop crying to smile at him and fierce-looking dogs leave their masters’ sides to be petted by this man. It wasn’t just Levi. Everyone was attracted to Adam.

Recollection of what a nuisance Adam’s ridiculous magic could be didn’t stop Levi’s grin from widening. The man was a golden-eyed god. He had his Iranian-born parents to thank for regal bone structure, pouty lips, and luminous, polished-bronze skin. Levi appreciated Adam’s utter perfection as a specimen of the male ideal just as much as anyone else. But unlike everyone else, Levi saw Adam for more than sex on legs. Levi knew his heart. They’d known one another since they were boys.

“Come out with us tonight.” A flight attendant in a dark pencil skirt suit smiled with suggestive lips painted in the same shade of vermilion as the ascot around her neck.

“Sorry, babe… I got plans.” Adam said it with a billion-dollar smile. She leaned in and gazed at him dreamily, as if he’d just invited her to join him in a suite at the Kerr instead of turning her down flat. Adam was the only person Levi knew who could hand someone a steaming, stinking shit burger and have the person he served it to beg him for more.

And just like that, Adam’s gaze slid right to Levi—with precision—as if he’d known where Levi stood all along. Adam kept walking, never missing a beat, disentangling both women from beneath his arms.

“Sonofabitch,” Adam said, the corner of one lip quirking into a smile and his eyes glowing soft embers as he looked at Levi; it was a frat boy thing to say, but Adam was kind of a bro. Adam threw his arms around Levi and they shared a bear of a long hug.

“I missed you, brother,” Adam murmured a second before releasing his embrace and holding Levi by the shoulders, at arm’s length. He said it with earnest intensity that got Levi every time.

I waited a bit to read this book, for several reasons. I was a little too excited to read it, because I knew it had many elements that I love, and I wanted to give myself time to chill out and read it with that mindset. But also, sometimes when you are too excited, there’s a concern that a book is bound to let you down. I shouldn’t have been concerned. The author absolutely didn’t let me down.

As this is a category romance, it had one of the classic tropes of unrequited love. And poor Levi, he had it BAD! He loves his best friend, and he’s in love with his best friend. And he’s not willing to risk his best friend in order to love him by being physically close to him. He knew he needed to keep his distance, so that he had a chance to find a life that didn’t revolve around his love for Adam. I was very impressed with what he did. He was confident, moved himself across the country, took his career to new heights, and was able to make new friends, and a new life for himself that did not include Adam.

Until Adam decided to insert himself there. And so the story begins. 🙂

Adam was definitely a force to be reckoned with. That much personality is hard to come up against and come out the other side feeling like you are not second best. Levi did a great job of doing that, and trying to keep his two lives separate was his mental way of keeping that in place. However, Adam being Adam, he did not allow that for long. 🙂

I loved that their heritages were a huge part of who they were, and ones that are rarely represented in any romance genre, much less m/m romance. However, it wasn’t everything about them, even as some of their motives were driven by their heritages.

The author broke the book into four parts (more three in my eyes, but who am I? 🙂 ) and it was definitely relevant to how the book played out. This isn’t often done, but it provided the reader with the opportunity to see how things evolved during the course of the changing of these two best friends relationships.

This easily could have been way more angsty, but by it being a category romance, I’m glad it was fairly low angst. Levi loved his best friend, just as much as he was in love with him. He never wanted to change him, just to change how they loved each other. With Adam, the type of person he was, that easily could have been a huge issue. That is a lot of personality to go up against.

Overall, I recommend it, especially if you love the trope of unrequited best friend love. That is on the mark 100%.

4 pieces of eye candy

Kilby Blades is a 40-time-award-winning author of Romance and Women’s Fiction. Her debut novel, Snapdragon, was a HOLT Medallion finalist, a two-time Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist, and an IPPY Award medalist. Kilby was honored with an RSJ Emma Award for Best Debut Author in 2018, and has been lauded by critics for “easing feminism and equality into her novels” (IndieReader) and “writing characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal” (Publisher’s Weekly).

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Fire and Onyx (Carlisle Deputies Book 5) by Andrew Grey: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt and Release Day Review

January 20, 2020 by Denise

Andrew Grey is stopping by today (Yeah!) to talk about his newest book in the Carlisle Deputies series, Fire and Onyx. He’s brought a character profile on Wes, the MC who is raising his nephew. Check out the profile as well as the 4 star review on it. Enjoy!

A Carlisle Deputies Novel

Undercover sheriff’s deputy Evan Whittaker is close to infiltrating a vicious local gang. He just needs to find an opening. Instead, he finds Wes Douglas, a web designer who is raising his irresponsible brother’s son. Wes agrees to help with a stakeout, but he pays the price when his home is destroyed in a shootout.

Evan’s always been a loner, but when he invites Wes into his home, living together feels right, and the two men only grow closer as they adapt to each other’s lives and rhythms. A future as a family looks brighter by the day, but all of that could collapse when Wes’s brother—and his connection to the drug dealers—crashes into the life they’re carefully building.

Title: Fire and Onyx

Author: Andrew Grey

Series: Carlisle Deputies #5

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/Law Enforcement

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: Jan 14, 2020

Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

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Character Profile

Full Name: Wesley Douglas

Nickname (if applicable): Wes

Age: 22

General physical description: slim, lanky, and bright eyed.

Hometown: Carlisle PA

Type of home/ neighborhood: lower middle class

Relationship status: Single

Current family: Mom, dad, brother, and nephew.

Family background (parents, previous marriages, etc.): Wes lives at home and takes care of his irresponsible brother’s child.

Friends: A few from school

Relationship with men: He’s had a few, but mostly his effort is taken with raising his nephew

Relationship with women: None

Job: Web designer

Dress style: Casual

Religion: Not if he can help it

Attitude to religion: Neutral

Favorite pastimes: Playing with his nephew

Hobbies: None really.

Favorite foods: Whatever he can grab when he isn’t looking after the baby.

Strongest positive personality trait: Loyal, hard working

Strongest negative personality trait: Fear of getting hurt

Sense of humor: Definitely. Desperate to laugh

Temper: Sometimes

Consideration for others: He’s willing to put himself behind his nephew and raise him.

How other people see him/her: Most people don’t see him as anything other than a nerd. But Evan sees so much more.

Other traits, especially those to be brought out in story: Nurturer and caring. He puts other ahead of himself.

Ambitions: To build his own family.

Philosophy of life: What you put out comes back to you.

Most important thing to know about this character: He is an amazing parent and blossoms with love and support.

Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? I thin k they will love him.

“Yeah, but you need a diaper because you forgot to bring extras, right?” Evan winked. “I have a few in my trunk.” He slid out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.” He jogged out of the restaurant, and Wes was beginning to wonder what the heck this ruse was about. Evan was a decent guy, and Wes had seen his badge so he knew he was a real cop and not some guy trying to run a scam on him or something.

Greyson gnawed on his cookie and fussed, squirming in the high chair until Evan got back. Then he grinned and played keep-away with his cookie again, smiling each time Evan reached for it so he could pull it away.

Wes nearly swallowed his teeth when Evan handed him a diaper. “Okay, you have these in your trunk. Why? In case you arrest a baby for poop-and-run?”

Evan actually smiled at his joke. “No. I have a box of general things in the back, and a few diapers are in there. One of my friends works for children’s services, and he has a list of things that he wants us to carry so we can be prepared whenever we encounter children. There’s a stuffed bear in there and a small blanket.” He shrugged. “You never know.”

“Did you get the info you needed?” Wes asked as Evan began to eat, seemingly much more at ease than he had been.

“Yup.”

Wes ate his salad. He loved the ranch dressing they had here, and when he was done, Nadine cleared the dishes and brought his sandwich and some more dressing for the fries. He handed one of them to Greyson, who gummed it happily, grinning and sometimes waving his fry around.

“Does he always do that?”

Wes shrugged. “He isn’t really hungry, but he needs something to do, so a fry or two will keep him happy. And hopefully he won’t start fussing until it’s nearly time for us to go.” There were always limits to the amount of time he was capable of sitting relatively quietly. “I’d ask you about your work, but I don’t know if you want to talk about it.” It seemed strange with how cagey Evan was being.

Wes is living with his mom and dad, raising his brother’s almost one-year-old son. He has guardianship of baby Grayson, but if it were up to him, he’d have his brother sign his rights over and adopt him himself. Unfortunately, his brother uses the baby as a “just in case”, he’s needed to help him gain something. It’s disgusting, but Wes doesn’t try to push, for fear that he’d take the baby and leave out of spite. Their parents sometimes seemed like decent people, but other times, just not… I never warmed up to them.

When Wes starts suspecting that his brother is getting in with the wrong crowd, it’s right at the same time Evan is trailing a crew that he suspects is running drugs in Carlile. When they run into each other not once but twice, Evan thinks that he Wes can be of some help to see if he can get an IN with his brother, and Wes hopes that Evan can help his brother get OUT. If only it were that easy.

When a shootout happens in front of Wes’s house and a fire leaves him temporarily homeless with baby Grayson, but thankfully, Evan is there and ready to offer the cute guy and his baby a place to be safe. Unfortunately, they both underestimate Wes’ brother and his importance and involvement of what’s been going on.

I don’t want to give too much of the story away, because there are some twists that I didn’t see coming and it shocked me. But like all the guys in this series, if you enjoy a hot dad (or uncle that turns into Dad), babies, hot cops, lots of action, both in the streets and in the bedroom, and a sweet ending that’ll leave you wanting more… don’t pass this one up! It doesn’t disappoint!

4 pieces of eye candy

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Page

Dreamspinner Press

Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

Goodreads

Twitter @andrewgreybooks

Website

Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from RBTL Book Promotions and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”. *

All the Way to Shore by CJane Elliott: Audio Book Release Blitz, Excerpt and Giveaway

January 7, 2020 by Denise

What happens when a cruise ship romance crashes on the rocky shores of reality?

Poor-little-rich-boy Jonathan Vallen is the heir to Vallen Industries, but is more interested in music and gardens. He clashes with new CEO Marco Pellegrini, a self-made man and rising star in business, who is brought in to salvage the company. Jonathan gladly leaves Vallen and moves to Cape Cod. When they meet again on an LGBTQ Caribbean cruise, Marco doesn’t recognize Jonathan, who has spent a year transforming from an ugly duckling into a very sexy swan. After Marco shows interest and sparks fly, Jonathan reluctantly assumes a false identity, egged on by his cousin Anthony. None of them expect a shipboard fling to deepen into true love.

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

Title: All the Way to Shore

Author: CJane Elliott

Narrated by: Tim McKiernan

Publisher: Self-Published

Original Release Date: 11/23/16

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

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Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

The strains of a steel band mingled in the air with the tantalizing aroma of meat on the grill. Jonathan was thinking about getting something to eat when Anthony suddenly clutched his arm.

“Jonny! Over there!” Anthony practically hissed the words as he jerked his head to the right.

“What?” Jonathan took another sip of his sangria, not too concerned. Anthony got worked up about everything.

“I think that’s Marco Pellegrini!”

He lifted his head and stared in the direction Anthony indicated. A tall, dark-haired man in glasses stood surveying the crowd next to a younger woman bearing a strong resemblance to him. Both were stunningly good-looking. The man’s tousled curls were longer than Jonathan remembered Marco’s being. But when the breeze lifted them from his face, his Roman nose and defined cheekbones were unmistakable. So was the amazing body clad in a tank top and shorts ensemble that managed to combine elegance with sexiness. Damn. It was Marco. “On this cruise? I thought he was engaged or something. And straight.”

“Guess not. I knew that guy was gay!”

“I think you mean bi.” Jonathan’s mouth grew dry as Marco squinted in their direction, and the humiliation of their past encounters rose in his mind. “Oh, damn, damn it, Tony. What’s he doing here?”

He was about to turn and flee to their stateroom when Anthony said, “He’s staring at you, Jonny. I think he likes what he sees. Stop fidgeting! Let’s go over and say hi.”

“Are you kidding?” Jonathan whispered. “I never want to see that guy again. And he for sure doesn’t want to see me!”

“No? Then why’s he walking over here? My God, the man is gorgeous! If you don’t want him, I get him.”

“You—” Jonathan cut himself off because Marco was indeed strolling in their direction, the woman at his side.

Anthony grabbed Jonathan by the arm and all but dragged him closer, then beamed at Marco. “Hello, there!”

While Jonathan tried not to die a thousand deaths, Marco smiled and said, “Hello.” He showed no recognition that he’d ever met Jonathan before. What he did show, shockingly, was a rather blatant interest in him, running his eyes up and down Jonathan’s body before saying, “I’m Marco.” Jonathan had never seen Marco in shorts or a close-fitting tank before and was having a hard time breathing at the sight of his tanned shapely legs and muscled shoulders.

The woman, who had to be his sister or cousin, nodded at them and smiled warmly. “And I’m Sophia. We’re also known as the Pellegrini twins, only we’re not really twins. Just sister and brother.”

Before Jonathan could respond, Anthony jumped in. “Nice to meet you! I’m Andrew Arrington, and this is my cousin, Jonah Rutledge.”

Jonathan felt his mouth drop open. Then he gave a weak smile, still poised to flee, sure that Marco was going to recognize him any moment. “Um, hello. Where are you from?” After they got through this fiasco, he planned to kill his cousin.

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

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

In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop. Be sure to check out CJane’s new Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowReadersClub.

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A Fluid State by Rob Browatzke: RDB, Excerpt and Release Day Review

January 3, 2020 by Denise

Patrick returns from a tour of duty to find his son very different. Peter is dressing in girl’s clothes, and his hair is too long, and he’s obsessed with drag queens. None of that sits well with Patrick. Patrick then meets the drag queen Ann Moore, and starts to hang out with them.

Andrew is one of River City’s best drag queens. As Ann Moore, he dazzles adults and children alike. When one of those children’s fathers wants to find out more about what his son is enjoying, Andrew is happy to guide him. It doesn’t hurt that Patrick is ridiculously hot. Hot and straight though.

The friendship that forms is unlikely, and even more unlikely, Patrick and Andrew find themselves faced with a chemistry they cannot deny.

Book Title: A Fluid State

Author: Rob Browatzke

Publisher: Self Published

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza

Release Date: January 3, 2020

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Gay for You/Out for You

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 70 000 words/272 pages

It is a standalone book.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“So,” Andrew said, when they were relocated back to the couch, sitting facing each other, beers in hand.

“So.”

“First off, let me, well, set you straight on something. Kent and I aren’t dating, so don’t feel bad about that.”

“Good,” Patrick said. “I’d hate to have some gay guy come at me for hitting on his boyfriend.”

“Is that what it was? You hitting on me?”

Patrick looked away. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“Well, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“You,” he said. “You’re going on in my head. You and only you. Ever since we met. I thought it was all about Peter, but no, it’s about me. You’ve gotten under my skin, Andrew, and I don’t know how to get you out of me.” Their eyes locked. “And honestly, I’m not sure I want you gone.”

“But you’re straight.”

“I’ve always thought that. I’ve never been attracted to a guy before this.”

“Never? Not even in school? Some guys experiment, you know.”

“Never. I’ve looked back and there’s never been anything to make me think I’d ever be into a guy.”

“So you’re into me?”

Patrick’s face turned pink and he looked away. “I don’t know. Yes. Yes, I am.” He swallowed hard and looked back at Andrew. “Look, I know this is out of the blue, and I know what you said at the pool, and-”

“What did I say at the pool?”

“That, you know, that you’re not attracted to me.”

It was Andrew’s turn to blush and look away. “Well, since you’re being honest, I guess I should be too. Patrick, of course I’m attracted to you. You… well, look at you. I just said that to set your mind at ease. I was enjoying hanging out. I am enjoying it. I didn’t want you to freak out thinking I found you attractive or worried that I was going to try to jump you.”

“And it ended up being me that jumped at you.”

Andrew looked at him and grinned. “Seems that way.”

“So.”

“Here we are then, both attracted to each other. What do we do now?”

This was soooo hard for me to get into… let’s discuss.

Patrick is masculinity personified. He’s a soldier, his dad was a soldier and I think he had hopes of his son being a soldier….But two years in the desert is a long time and when he gets back, he has to get to know his son all over again. His son who wears “girl” clothes and is obsessed with drag. Now, coming from a family of 100% straight folks and being bi, I get it… it’s a lot to spring on someone, especially if in the two years you’ve been trying to keep up with your son, this is something he and his mother kept from you…I get where he’d be confused and a little worried about his son, when my son came out at 13, I had worry myself. Life will be harder, but only because of people like Patrick and people who use that ignorance as justification to be hateful.

So, Patrick is very straight, very confused and very ignorant (and I don’t say that as him being stupid, I mean, as in, he’s not educated on gender fluidity or any parts of the LGBT+ community) For someone so genuinely confused, he randomly asks to have dinner with the drag queen that reads to his son once a week at the library…(which, such a cute idea, I wish everywhere did this)… It all happens so quickly, their conversations, the way they speak (internally and externally, it’s a lot) and the way they jump to conclusions and everything just seemed so fast and clinical, I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two at all. Patrick is a real….peach. (And I say that with 100% sarcasm) I was FURIOUS when Andrew had dinner with him and Patrick jumped the gun once again and acted like a jerk and then ANDREW was the one apologizing. What? Why? Why would you apologize to him for something that could’ve been taken as a joke or an expression or literally anything other than how he completely overreacted by a simple wording of something. If anyone should’ve been offended by the blatant disgusting ways someone said something, it should’ve been Andrew. Patrick gets testy when Andrew “generalizes” his straightness and masculinity, but that’s literally ALL Patrick is doing. I’ve never heard someone say so many wrong things in the completely wrong way… I hated it. Literally, I hated it.

And I love me a good GFY, especially involving soldiers and overly masc men, but, I just didn’t feel it here. I wanted to so badly, but I just didn’t feel any chemistry between the two or even understand how either of them could about each other. Andrew, you know Patrick is straight, and not only straight, but stupid straight (okay, I called him stupid there, not ignorant, and read the first few chapters, you’ll know why)… but then Patrick…you’re in the desert for two years, surrounded by guys and never been tempted? Never had chemistry and thought, maybe? Or even imagined it or been tempted by situational “what happens in the desert stays in the desert because desperate times calls for desperate measures”? But then, this guy that you continuously offhandedly offend and genuinely do not understand, and that’s what gets ya?

My head hurts.

Now, in saying all that, if you can jump past all that and get to Patrick opening his mind a bit, and their unconventional start, they were hot together. Patrick bottoming, I did not see coming.. hello…

I had a bit of trouble with the bullying aspect. I hate when bad guys get away with being bad guys and Tommy and his dad both and the people in the restaurant, it was all a lot in the way of how nasty the lgbt community gets treated and I just don’t like when people get away with that, especially in books where I like a HEA…which these two did get, so, if you can make it past the first quarter of the beginning, and like angsty, worth it in the end, reads, you might enjoy this one. I might not have been in the right frame of mind for it or something, but I was happy that they ended happy and together. Plus, I love me a hot dad, so, win/win, right?

Rob Browatzke has been writing for as long as he can remember, and is pretty darn excited for someone else to be reading his stuff finally! When it comes to gay bars and booze and drugs and drama, he knows what he’s talking about. He came out in the mid-90s, and liquor and drama went hand in hand. He has 20+ years of experience working in gay clubs in Edmonton, Alberta, and you’ll always find his love for his other career permeating the stories he tells. Rob is now 9+ years clean and sober, although there’s still a bit of drama once in a while, for old times’ sake.

Rob loves the growing market for gay fiction and m/m romance. There are some incredible authors out there, and it’s important to be able to see in print (or on the screen) stories about people just like us. Coming out, our relationships, the issues we face, we all have stories to tell. And this book is just one of the stories coming out of Wonderland.

Feel free to stalk him online. He’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @robbrowatzke.

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter @robbrowatzke | Instagram @robbrowatzke