Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

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Puzzle Me This by Eli Easton: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

Luke Schumaker designs computer games, working from his home. Every day he walks his dog in the woods nearby, never suspecting that someone who is completely smitten is watching.

The watcher is Alex Shaw, and he too works from home, designing logic and crossword puzzles. Alex’s options are limited: he’s too shy to approach Luke and his wheelchair won’t let him follow into the woods. His solution? Secret messages for Luke in the crosswords he writes for the local paper.

When Luke decodes them, romance begins, but then they face greater puzzles, like Alex’s interfering sister and what commitment to a man in a wheelchair really takes. And, most puzzling of all, how do you know if love is real?

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Amazon US

Amazon UK 

Universal Link

A mixed, but still positive review from me.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, I just felt it was rushed and could have been fleshed out a bit more. I loved that the beginning had Alex wooing Luke with crossword puzzle clues. And while Luke was having fun with it, he also wanted to know RIGHT NOW who it was. That whole part could have been longer to really bring the romance early.

Both characters are lovable nerds. Luke, who is a video game designer and works from home and Alex, a crossword puzzle designer who may work from home part time? That was a bit unclear. But neither guy is a jerk, neither guy has the proverbial walls up, neither guy says hey let’s keep it casual. They are both grown ass men ready to find that special someone.

There are challenges of course. The biggest is that Alex is in a wheelchair and Luke likes to hike. In the grand scheme of things- this is a work around. Alex never gets upset if he can’t do something- but he encourages Luke to do it without him.

Of course there was a bit of conflict, mostly because Alex’s sister is overprotective and tried to scare Luke off. And there actually could have been a lot more angst and drama- family stuff, work stuff, etc etc. But it was mostly a light hearted romance between two men who really weren’t afraid of commitment. Shocker!

3 Pieces of Eye Candy

Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, and organic farmer, Eli has been a m/m romance author since 2013. She has over 30 books published.

Eli has loved romance since her teens and she particular admires writers who can combine literary merit, genuine humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, bulldogs, cows, a cat, and lots of groundhogs.

In romance, Eli is best known for her Christmas stories because she’s a total Christmas sap. These include “Blame it on the Mistletoe”, “Unwrapping Hank” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”. Her “Howl at the Moon” series of paranormal romances featuring the town of Mad Creek and its dog shifters has been popular with readers. And her series of Amish-themed romances, Men of Lancaster County, has won genre awards.

Her website is www.elieaston.com

You can email her at eli@elieaston.com


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Pure (Trenton Security Book 4) by J.M. Dabney: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Innocence wasn’t a personality flaw.

Nicolas “Pure” Warner lived with the curse of a cute face and a terminal blush. He was waiting for his happily ever after. Yet he’d given up on finding his one. His partner and spotter wasn’t the type to settle down but he’d always been drawn to the other man. Pure decided he could live with that, but when powers outside their control took Raul away, Pure would stop at nothing to get Raul back even if that meant leaving the Trenton Security team behind.

Touching the sun only left you burned.

Raul Martinez was a brutal fighter. He’d worked freelance for several years at Trenton Security. There was one dark spot to the perfect job: Pure. The man was sweet and looking for forever. How did the damaged and unworthy ever hope to touch the sun without getting burned? And touching Pure would be a dream come true. When Pure endangers his freedom to save him, how could Raul convince his boy that letting him go was the only option?

Title – Pure

Series – Trenton Security Book 4

Author – JM Dabney

Word Count – 46,000

Genre – MM Romantic Suspense, Daddy/boy

Cover Design – Reese Dante

Release Date: 08.17.19

Amazon

 

He still felt Raul staring at him and it pissed him off, “I said go away.”

“Not happening.”

“Hey, Pure, back to see me again?”

He lifted his head to see the usual ER doctor breeze in. The man was handsome, probably about his age. His visits normally correlated with this doctor’s, his name was Carlton and the man had asked him out for coffee. He’d politely declined and it hadn’t been brought up again.

“Not by choice.”

“I see that,” Carl said with a friendly smile. The man turned to where Raul stood. “Sir, will you leave us so I can–”

“Like that, wouldn’t you, pretty boy?” Raul started to push away from the wall.

No one might think he paid much attention to the dangerous man other than when they were fighting but that wasn’t true, he knew what the man was getting ready to do. “Raul!”

Raul pivoted with the grace of a trained warrior and glared at him. “What?”

“Quit being an asshole.”

“He wants–”

“Shut up, he wants to know if he should call the cops in case I’m being abused.”

“I would never fucking put my hands on you, Pure, what the fuck?”

It was odd to see Raul looking offended and slightly hurt. They fought, a lot, but he never once thought Raul would ever hit him. The man seemed obsessively protective of him. Which was weird since he was at least three inches taller and about fifty pounds heavier than Raul. Raul was a fighter. Brutal when it came to his work. And, yes, the man was an asshole but he wasn’t bad when Raul wasn’t ordering him around.

“It’s standard procedure when someone has as many visits as Pure does and you always seem to be the one with him. I’m aware of his profession, but that doesn’t erase the chance of domestic abuse. Let’s check you out.”

Raul was strangely quiet. The man was eerily silent on most days, an observer, and Raul didn’t miss a thing. Except when Raul had anger rolling off him in waves, he knew the man was ready to strike. They’d spent several years anticipating their moods and moves, they worked as a perfectly synchronized team.

“I don’t have a concussion, I’m not nauseous, my head does hurt but nothing out of the ordinary when you head butt a wall.” He heard Raul’s deep growl and knew what was coming. He didn’t need another lecture. “Raul, don’t start.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge if you have a concussion or not?”

“Yes, sir,” Pure grumbled.

I feel like I’ve been waiting for Pure and Raul forever! I knew I was going to love Pure, I have such a thing for the wounded bird and he was the very definition. After a teenage trauma, you understand why he’s been saving himself for “the one”…. I wasn’t sure how the type of relationship was going to work with that, and he seemed to get over his hangups really quickly without any therapy or even talking to someone, but.. hey… to each their own, right?

Now, Raul has wanted Pure from the moment he met him, but has kept him in the partners at work and acquaintance category because he didn’t think he was good enough for the innocent man. But Pure, as much as he pushed Raul away in previous books, he was done waiting on him to make a move and when Raul gets arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, Pure makes his move…. Pure makes all the moves, actually, to ensure his Daddy’s safety. I loved watching Pure fight for his man when usually, especially in these tropes, it’s the other way around. I also liked the bottoming Daddy… hot.

What I didn’t like….is that the Crew, none of them took their back, when had it been literally anyone else, they would have. Even Peaches….. all these guys are bordering on insane, but for Pure and Raul, who like Pure pointed out, has gone above and beyond for every one of them at least once, and they were in the wind when it came time for Raul and Pure to need them? It’s unforgivable…

I don’t even think any of them apologized really… not like they needed to, and then Gage had the nerve to talk to Raul like he was the one in the wrong?? Uhm, no sir… I lost a lot of love that I had for the crew in this one, so it wasn’t my favorite. We did get more Horace and Freddie, I really hope they get their own story… I’d love for them to get their happily ever after’s!

I loved Pure’s mom… she was the only one who had their backs no matter what. She was the family that Raul needed and it was good Pure had her, because the guys proved they weren’t worthy of that title in this one. I’m really disappointed about that… and I’m bitter lol

But…. alls well that ends well…it ended beautifully between the two of them and everything Pure ever wanted… I just hope the guys come together in the next one and remember where their loyalties lie and who’s had their back and do better.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes Body Positive/Diverse Romance and Fiction. They live with a constant diverse cast of characters in their head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. J.M. lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure they do them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and they makes sure their characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more they want from telling their stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.

The author is Gender Nonconforming are uses the preferred pronouns They/Them.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/J.M.DabneyAuthor/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/jmdabney_author

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authorjmdabney/?hl=en

Reader Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/585182991553194

Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/J.M.-Dabney/e/B006QZIFLE

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-m-dabney

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In Safe Keeping by Victoria Sue: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

He can’t save everyone…

Firefighter Lucas Attiker is mired in guilt by his inability to save his young son, who perished in a fire three years ago. When he rescues a troubled young man and his baby daughter from a Colorado forest fire, Lucas finally begins to forgive himself. But the wildfire is only the beginning of the dangers facing them.

Hell-bent on saving his daughter from his crime boss ex, Owen Michaels is on the run with the baby in tow—fleeing both the killers who are after him and the US Marshals Service deputies assigned to protect him. When his desperate flight lands them in the midst of an inferno, the man who saves them offers hope for more than just survival.

They might have escaped a blazing forest and a hail of bullets, but both men will need to risk their lives—and their hearts—to give a little girl a loving family… if they can make it out alive.

Title: In Safe Keeping
Series: Heroes and Babies: Book Two
Author: Victoria Sue
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Category: Romantic Suspsense
Pages: 199

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Owen closed his eyes. Sometimes the fight was too hard. He felt a touch on his leg and opened his eyes to see Mia grabbing his sweatpants. Smiling. He smiled back. Or maybe, sometimes to protect those you loved, the fight wasn’t hard enough.

“I don’t know who to trust,” he admitted. “We were in an apartment—some kind of safe house they used—and Terry got a call. I didn’t even get a chance to ask who was on the line because I’ve never seen people move so fast in all my life. Terry grabbed the diaper bag, Barry lifted Mia from the small cot we had and handed her to me, and what seemed like only two minutes later, we were running from the building.” And being fired upon. He swallowed. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life. Barry got hit as we came out—”

“You were shot at?” Lucas interrupted, sounding shocked.

“Yes. There was more than one shooter. Terry bundled me between two cars. It was dark, around midnight, and pretty deserted.”

“Where were you?”

“Just north of Old Town in Fort Collins, but it was a Tuesday and really quiet.” Not like the weekends, which were kind of wild. “Mia woke up at the sound of gunfire. She started crying, so it was obvious where we were. There were footsteps, and Terry just stood up and started firing. He shouted for me to run. His truck was only a few feet away, but he was shot.” It hadn’t been the first time Owen had seen someone killed by a bullet, but he hoped to God it was the last.

Something told him that was unlikely.

“Terry must have shot them. I don’t know if they were killed, but they didn’t come after me.”

“Why are people shooting at you?”

And there it was—the question he had been expecting since yesterday and still didn’t know how to answer. “Are you sure you really want to know?”

Lucas didn’t reply, but then he didn’t have to. His confidence, some deep assurance on a different level screamed the answer to Owen. Trust me.

He glanced down at Mia, not only for the little bolt of courage he needed, but to remind himself of why he was here and why he would fight to his last breath to keep her safe. “Because I saw my ex-boyfriend kill her mother.” Lucas’s eyes widened a little, but he still kept silent. Waiting. Owen half smiled. “That’s a good interrogation technique you’ve got going on there.”

“Patience?” Lucas’s lips tilted upward at the corner, and from out of nowhere, Owen suddenly had the desperate urge to press his lips to that spot. Shocked, he jerked back a little.

“Did you know her?”

Owen refocused himself, pushing the inexplicable urge away. “She was my friend.” And he was the reason she was dead.

Lucas waited again, but Owen knew he had to answer. He would see the disappointment on Lucas’s face. Maybe even judgment. Disgust was a given, but he might as well get it over with. He shouldn’t forget that Lucas had saved his life yesterday, and even though Owen had sometimes been in that strange halfway place between fighting for your life and being ready to give up, he was the only thing keeping Mia from Damien. And if there was one thing he absolutely had to do for his best friend, it was to keep her daughter safe. Especially since he had failed so spectacularly at being a friend.

“I met Mary two days after I left home. A couple of guys followed me after I had used the cash machine.” He had been so clueless. “One pinned me, and the other took my cash and card. He wanted the PIN number, and I thought I’d be hard-core and refuse. Turned out they had a knife.” And really shaky hands. He would never forget the press of metal against his throat and the sheer terror he’d felt as it slid across his skin. “I thought they were gonna kill me, even after I told them, but Mary walked into the alley and called them by name. Told them to stop fucking with me.” And they laughed. He had thought he was going to die, and they had thought it was funny. “They took all the money I had left, but Mary stayed.” She’d even gotten him some water after he had puked his guts up. “That was four years ago.”

He glanced out the window, praying Lucas wasn’t going to want it all. He wasn’t ready for that.

“How did you get a car?”

Owen shot Lucas a grateful glance. Lucas could easily push, and Owen was in no position to say no, but as he focused on the deep understanding in Lucas’s gaze, he knew Lucas was giving him a breather. “I stole it.” He watched Lucas carefully, but again, there was no reaction. “I wish I’d gotten a better one, but it wasn’t even locked, and old cars are easier to hot-wire.”

Lucas’s eyes crinkled with sudden humor, and he laughed quietly. “I’m not surprised, if it was that blue Ford Taurus from the cabins. I think rust was holding it together.”

Owen stared. Lucas didn’t seem to be judging him. He’d done a lot of things over the years he wasn’t proud of.

“How long have you got to wait to give evidence?”

“I was supposed to give evidence to the grand jury three weeks ago so they could indict Damien, before we had to run. Now I’m not sure what will happen.” He didn’t know how he was going to last that long on his own. “I just want to disappear.”

“Not easy with a baby,” Lucas said doubtfully.

“I know.” Owen knew he was right. “But I don’t know who to trust.”

“Have you met Deputies DuPree and O’Connor? They’re the two who came to see me in the ER.”

“I like DuPree. She said her niece was called Mia.” He wasn’t sure about O’Connor, though. “I saw her with Terry a couple of times, once just after we left their offices the first time. I have absolutely no idea if I can trust either of them.”

“They can’t all be dirty. Jacko—remember him from the fire? African American? Big guy?”

Owen couldn’t help a short laugh. “You’re all big guys.”

“Well, Jacko comes from a family of cops. His dad and two brothers are on the force, and his uncle is a vice detective.” Lucas grinned. “It took months before his old man forgave him for becoming a firefighter. Anyway, we could ask Jacko to ask his uncle to check into the situation.”

That might work. It was just such a huge risk.

“You can’t run forever.” Lucas pointed to Mia, where she was chewing her fist. “Not with her, anyway.”

No. “So what? You’ll talk to Jacko?”

“How about this? You stay here with me while I sound things out. I don’t even have to mention your name—”

“No? How many witnesses running for their lives do you usually keep around—” Owen clamped his lips closed. He was joking, but his throat had suddenly gotten really tight.

Lucas’s face softened. He’d seen. Owen had a feeling Lucas didn’t miss much. “Why don’t you both plan to stay—at least for today. I don’t think you’re going to be any worse off, and you both need a rest.”

Owen nearly laughed. He possibly would have, if he hadn’t been keeping his lips clamped shut. A rest? When was the last time he’d had that? “I need some things for Mia.”

Lucas stood up. “Help yourself to anything in the fridge for her and make me a list.”

A loving home.

A father who knows what he’s doing.

But they’d start with diapers and milk.

Wow, what a ride!

Lucas is part of the wildfire first responders for the fire department. During a dangerous wildfire, he and his team are sent to check the area and make sure the park and cabins are cleared out of anyone who might be there and in the path of the fire. As I’ve realized over the last several years, and again with this story… the saying, “spread like wildfire” is faster and more dangerous than you realize.
When the team gives the all clear, Lucas chances a glance behind him and sees someone in a car, trying and failing to get it to start. He jumps into action, and that’s where he meets Owen and baby Mia.

Owen is on the run from a very powerful mob boss kind of guy with more power and more reach than any of them know what to do with. Inprisoned by Damien for far too long, he risks his life by running with the baby that was his best friends, who he saw murdered at the hand of the Damien, who happened to be his ex. The things that man put him through will turn your stomach. It was hard to read, at least for me, because I know that these things happen in real life and the police and judges and people of power who are in on it too, make it impossible to tell anyone or escape. So, he run… runs with the baby he considers his daughter, and luckily finds Lucas who isn’t willing to let them go without a fight.

Struggling to deal with his own demons from a life that got taken from him, he feels strongly for Owen and baby Mia. They kind of come in and bring him back to life, when he’d just been going from one day to the next, wallowing in guilt, shame and memories, both painful and beautiful.

Unfortunately, the guys don’t know who they can trust and are surprised a couple of times at who Damien has under his thumb, even someone close to Lucas…. That kind of sprung up out of nowhere, because it was either a small town or Damien’s reach was so long that he just had people sprinkled along everywhere. It seemed a little too convenient, but, whatever. I’d hoped we’d gotten closure from the man’s wife or at least an explanation, so that Lucas didn’t have to live with anymore guilt than he already had.

Being on the run together, trying to keep one another and the baby safe, and having to put all your trust into another person when it was proven that you literally couldn’t trust anyone… had brought these two together and thought was both insta-lovey and slow burny for me… I enjoyed them together. I loved Lucas and the way he was with both Owen and the baby, and I loved how Owen was with both Lucas and the baby… They made a cute little family that would do anything to protect one another and they proved it time and time again throughout this action packed story.

Fortunately, the bad guy doesn’t get away with being the bad guy and everything gets worked out. I won’t tell you how or what happens or why, but it’s a crazy ride and if you like suspenseful reads and don’t mind pricy ebooks, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

4 pieces of eye candy

Victoria Sue fell in love with love stories as a child when she would hide away with her mom’s library books and dream of the dashing hero coming to rescue her from math homework. She never mastered math but never stopped loving her heroes and decided to give them the happy ever afters they fight so hard for.
She loves reading and writing about gorgeous boys loving each other the best—and creating a family for them to adore. Thrilled to hear from her readers, she can be found most days lurking on Facebook where she doesn’t need factor 1000 sun-cream to hide her freckles.

www.victoriasue.com

@vickysuewrites

https://www.facebook.com/victoriasueauthor

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1182647028418709/

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/VictoriaSueNewsletter

Leave a comment for Sue about her new book, and you could win a ebook copy of any of her backlist books.

Heel (Working Out the Kinks Series, Book 2) by K.M. Neuhold: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

“I’ve never thought of calling a man Daddy before, but I can’t think of a word that fits Vale better. He’s my Daddy, and I’m his pup.”

Broken and bruised, there’s nothing I won’t do to protect Adrian. I picked him up and made him whole before, and I’ll do it again. Adrian is a sweet pup with a smile full of sunshine and a heart made for love. A sweet pup needs a gentle hand, and that’s exactly what I intend to give him.

There’s nothing quite like slipping an expensive pair of high heels onto Adrian’s feet and watching him light up. If he wants a fairytale, I’ll happily be his Prince Charming.

*** Heel is the second book in the Working Out the Kinks series but can be read as a stand-alone. This book contains a scene of domestic violence. This book also contains an adorable man who loves to be a puppy, fabulous high heels, and the happily ever after Adrian deserves.

Heel

Working Out the Kinks Series, Book 2

K.M. Neuhold

M/M Romance/Daddy/puppy play

Release Date: 08.02.19

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“Be still, Sunshine,” Vale says commandingly, giving my body no choice but to obey, going limp in his arms. “You’re the most tempting, insanity inducing man I’ve ever met,” he accuses affectionately, my mind short circuiting when his lips brush against the base of my neck.

“Please,” I whimper again.

“Shh,” he soothes. “I want you to listen, because this is what we’re going to do.”

The calm domination in his tone settles the place deep inside me that craves direction and structure, to be taken care of by someone who knows better than I do.

“Yes,” I say breathlessly.

“Good boy. Now, first you’re going to give me your fingers to lick clean because I don’t think I can go another minute without a taste.” I groan in agreement, and he brushes another kiss against the back of my neck. “Then, we’re going to get out of bed, and I’m going to make breakfast. We’re going to talk about that kiss and where we go from here.”

Part of me wants to argue that talking is overrated, that I’d much rather have him bury himself inside me, and we can figure things out sweaty and screaming instead of talking over coffee. But the other part of me, the part that went all mushy and calm at the use of his Dom voice, is ready to give Vale anything he asks for if he’ll just tell me I’m his.

“Yes,” I answer, and he groans his approval, his cock jerking against my ass, clearly excited by my easy submission. I’ll say yes to anything to hear him make that sound again.

With great effort, I manage to let go of my cock. Vale’s grasp is still around my wrist, guiding my hand, making sure to slick my fingers with more precum before pulling it out of my underwear and to his mouth. I moan as his hot lips engulf my fingers, sucking them in and holding them in place as his tongue flicks over the tips, seeking out every drop of my arousal.

He grunts as he sucks my fingers clean, my eyes rolling back in my head as I imagine exactly how the same treatment would feel farther south.

“God, you taste even better than I imagined,” he praises in a raspy voice when he finally releases my fingers.

“You imagined what I’d taste like?”

“You have no idea, Sunshine.”

K, so I’m kinda new to this whole puppy play business… I’m not so much a fan of the BDSM, so I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I discovered puppy/kitty play. I’ll also say that I’m coming into this book without having read the first one, but I’m a sucker for a hot daddy, so, I jumped in! I was a smidge confused at first who the people were, but I got the gist pretty quick and it didn’t take away from the story at all for me.

In this one, we have Adrien, who’s been in love with much older Vale since he was eighteen and Vale took him off the streets and helped him get his feet back on the ground so he wasn’t living out of an old car at the junkyard (how fitting, a homeless pup, right?) Unfortunately, Vale didn’t think he was what Adrien needed, not only much older than him, but he’d never had a pup of his own before, content to just teach folks at the club how to get their pups comfortable and how to interact with a dom and his pup.

Now, I’m not one to judge… to each his own. If it’s not hurting anyone (unless you like that sorta thing, heh), then do you, boo boo. It’s just not something I understand. If I saw someone barking and jumping around like a puppy, I wouldn’t know what to do… but I love the aspect that people like Adrien and people who find comfort in those types of power exchanges, enjoys having the structure and routine and someone to care for them and love them and put their needs above their own. And that’s what Vale did… people think that Dom’s have all the power, when it’s the other way around… Dom’s (good ones anyway) want to take care of their subs…. They want to love them and make them feel good and protect them, and that’s all Vale wanted for Adrien… it was sweet and I loved them together.

The ex annoyed me, just because he was so clichédly (is that a word) mean… He tore Adrien down and made him feel terrible and expendable; he cheated and there at the end was physically abusive as well as emotionally and verbally abusive. I was glad that he had such great friends to have his back, but ughhh I can’t stand when bad guys just get away with being bad guys! I needed karmic justice… a kick to the pieces wasn’t nearly satisfying enough for me LOL, petty? Absolutely….

Overall, the cuteness of this story kept me going. Even if you don’t enjoy, or don’t quite “get” the puppy play like I do yet, I think you’d still enjoy this story. Very sweet.

4 pieces of eye candy

Author K.M.Neuhold is a complete romance junkie, a total sap in every way. She started her journey as an author in new adult, MF romance, but after a chance reading of an MM book she was completely hooked on everything about lovely- and sometimes damaged- men finding their Happily Ever After together. She has a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well. And she fully admits that her OCD tendencies of making sure every side character has a full backstory will likely always lead to every book having a spin-off or series. When she’s not writing she’s a lion tamer, an astronaut, and a superhero…just kidding, she’s likely watching Netflix and snuggling with her husky while her amazing husband brings her coffee.

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The Doctor’s Orders by Heidi Cullinan: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, and Release Day Review

by

TCO is happy to have Heidi Cullinan back, in celebration of The Doctor’s Orders, Copper Point Medical, Book Three. She has a very relevant, and slightly revealing, guest post, all about local social media…love the point where she calls someone close to her a gossip. lol Anyway, check it all out then pick up The Doctor’s Orders!

Once upon a time Nicolas Beckert was the boy who stole kisses from Jared Kumpel beneath the bleachers, but now Jared’s a pediatrician and Nick is the hospital CEO who won’t glance his way. Everything changes, however, when they’re stranded alone in a hospital elevator. Ten years of cold shoulders melt away in five hours of close contact, and old passions rekindle into hot flames.

Once out of the elevator, Jared has no intention of letting Nick get away. It’s clear he’s desperate for someone to give him space to let go of the reins, and Jared is happy to oblige. But Jared wants Nick as a lover in a full, open relationship, which is a step further than Nick is willing to go. They’ve traded kisses under the bleachers for liaisons in the boardroom… and it looks like the same arguments that drove them apart in high school might do the same thing now.

Jared’s determined not to let that happen this time around. He won’t order Nick from his shell—he’ll *listen* to what his friend says he needs to feel safe. Maybe this time he can prescribe his lover a happy ever after.

Title: The Doctor’s Orders
Series: Copper Point Medical: Book Three
Author: Heidi Cullinan
Release Date: August 20, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 250

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Hi, and thanks for having me here today. I’m going to share a little information about my latest release, The Doctor’s Orders, available August 20 from Dreamspinner Press and wherever books are sold.

The Doctor’s Orders is book three in the Copper Point: Medical series, the final book in that trilogy. In this installment, we get to know Jared, an openly gay pediatrician, and Nick, the very closeted CEO of the hospital. Though Nick and Jared secretly dated in high school, it was clear nothing was ever going to happen between them again…until Jared and Nick are trapped in an elevator together, where sparks fly.

Today I’m going to talk a little bit about small town gossip, which has been a feature in all the Copper Point: Medical stories, but is especially prominent in The Doctor’s Orders.

Mentioned several times in the story, and in the series, is a fictitious Facebook group called Copper Point People. I based this on the very real Ames People, a local group I refuse to join but hear a lot about because my husband is addicted to it.

*

“So, Mr. I-Know-All-the-Gossip. How’s Copper Point’s elite handling yet another physician who isn’t a white male evangelical Christian?”

“Oh my God. Where do I start?” Jared rolled his eyes and picked up his drink, sipping it as he moved closer to Owen so they wouldn’t be overheard. “The retired college president’s wife was in a private chat group pitching a fit because the new cardiologist isn’t only from India, she’s Muslim. Someone pointed out there was nothing wrong with that, and the end result was the country club scrambling to find someone they could send into the women’s locker room to break up a fight when the online spat went abruptly offline. Then on Copper Point People someone else—no one of note, some random MAGA—complained about how it was obvious St. Ann’s had an antiwhite hiring policy.”

Owen buried his face in his hands. “That Facebook group is trash.”

“Wait until you hear how it got resolved. People argued back and forth for two days, but when everyone was starting to cool off, someone came in as the ‘mediating’ voice and pointed out at least she was straight this time.”

Owen sat up slowly, drawing his fingers down his face and staring sightlessly at the table decorations in front of them. “Tell me again why we live here?”

*

You can actually find People groups for just about any city on Facebook, and a lot of them are doozies. Check out the description for The People of Des Moines. I’m biased because I have a Facebook aversion in general, but wow.

In The Doctor’s Orders, and in the whole series, really, Jared is a known lover of gossip and is always in the know. He’s constantly checking in with Copper Point People, and the nurse’s station, and pretty much everyone in town. But as he tries to start seeing Nick in private, the gossip mill starts to bite him from behind.

*

“How do you know all this? I thought you two were estranged?”

Jared waved a hand airily. “People talk. I listen.”

Owen laughed.

“Anyway. I think things have been more stable for a long time, with the Beckert family, but they’re so close. Maybe he moved in with them when he came back to Copper Point to save up for his own place, or maybe he just wanted the comfort of people who loved him while he had to deal with those dogs on the board. Maybe he’s just a homebody. All I know is his place is out of the question, and so is mine. People see his car parked in my drive overnight, and it’ll be all over Copper Point People before we’re under the sheets.”

*

My husband is a huge gossip, or at least a huge listener. Once when we were dating I went with him to his family’s house and the first thing he did was go through every cupboard in the kitchen! “What are you looking for?” I asked him. “Oh, just looking,” he said. He insists he isn’t a snoop, though. “I’m interested,” he always professes. He also keeps tabs on my daughter and I whenever we leave the house, checking on Find My Friends to make sure we’re okay. So Jared was not born in a vacuum. I already know all about snoopy (or interested) men!

I hope if you have a gossipy community—or person—in your life, you’re able to view it with humor and love, and I hope you enjoy The Doctor’s Orders.

Jared started to let go of Nick’s arm, then seemed to think better of it, clinging loosely.

Neither one of them wanted to let go of the other. Nick only wished he knew if this were because of the shock, panic, or…

Or what, exactly, he didn’t know.

Well, he had nothing else to do right now but find out.

Definitely he should stop touching the man quite so intimately. He withdrew his hand from Jared’s hair.

Jared clamped it down, trapping it on his own neck. “Please don’t let go.” His breath tickled Nick’s face.

“Are youall right? You were so focused on me. Are you hurt?”

“No.” His voice had a tremor in it, though, and he slid a hand to Nick’s shoulder, holding on. “I… I’m fine.”

Translation: he was a quiet wreck but didn’t want to talk about it. No problem. Nick could work with that, but he wanted some boundaries. “Do you want to lean on me, or…?”

“I felt better when you were petting my hair.”

Was it wrong to feel a rush of lust during an administration crisis? Yes. Except there wasn’t much administration Nick could manage from here. Erin had to handle that part.

The only person he could take care of was the man in his arms.

It’s okay. No one is here but the two of us. It’s okay to let go right now.

“So.” Nick ran his thumb along the thick, tense muscle on the side of Jared’s neck, testing out the touch. He liked how Jared’s breath hitched, how his own blood tingled. They were in a strange cocoon away from the world. “Why am I not surprised you knew about the custodian and the elevator? But it does make me wonder why you let us get on.”

“I was flustered. Besides, Kevin said the company swore it would be fine, that it was just a glitch.”

“I’m going to have Rebecca sue the company within an inch of its life.”

“Funny, Kevin mentioned Rebecca too.” His grip on Nick’s arm tightened. “I know I asked you to do it, but… why are you touching me so much?”

Because my life flashed before my eyes, and when I got a second chance, you were in my arms.He wasn’t ready to say that. Which meant he shouldn’t be doing it.

Except he wanted to keep touching Jared. It was like every time he’d been at a convention and seen the right guy at a bar after too many drinks. Like when in college he couldn’t take it anymore and had gone to those barseven while telling himself he couldn’t, he shouldn’t. This moment was the same except louder, sharper, deeper. Because it was the man who had cracked open the door to this part of himself. The man who had become his friend again after all these years. The man who had just confessed he’d been thinking of Nick all this time.

This moment was more because it was with Jared.

Total mixed review from me on this one. There were parts I liked, parts I loved and parts that had me rolling my eyes.

I really enjoyed books 1 and 2 and I recommend them. And if you read those, you will want to read this one as well. And it is definitely readable, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first two.

We’ve known for a while (if you read the first 2) that Nick and Jared had some kind of past. Now we find out what it was. They were boyfriends in high school. But Nick, being from a religious, fairly conservative family, wasn’t willing to come out. And so ended their relationship.

Twenty years later they mostly growl at each other when they pass at work. Until the elevator they are in breaks and quite nearly kills them. Then all of a sudden they are not only hot and heavy, but they are totally schmoopy with each other. Yes! Let’s get back together! I totally love you! But….I’m still in the closet.

They think they can sneak around, but they live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and gossip is king. So, good luck with that.

There is also the small matter of the elevator almost killing them. So that needs to be investigated as well as if they should fix the hospital as it stands or start fresh with a new building.

Nick and Jared continue to keep their relationship a secret because Nick doesn’t want to come out of the closet. He thinks his family will disown him. He has a strong loyalty to be the man of the family since his father died when Nick was in his teens. But seriously, how long can that go on?

*Mild spoiler alert?*

My favorite scene was when Jared’s racist parents come to see him at the hospital after their relationship is made public. His rant to them was EPIC. Bravo.

A lot of the story was spent on the hospital, who wants to buy it, who wants to invest, public support, was their sabotage, etc, etc. It got a little boring. And then it was wrapped up in 4 sentences. Oy.

So, yes, you’ll want to read this if you read the first two. But it is definitely my least favorite.

3 pieces of eye candy

Author of over thirty novels, Midwest-native Heidi Cullinan writes positive-outcome romances for LGBT characters struggling against insurmountable odds because she believes there’s no such thing as too much happy ever after. Heidi is a two-time RITA® finalist and her books have been recommended by Library Journal, USA Today, RT Magazine, and Publisher’s Weekly. When Heidi isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, reading novels and manga, playing with her cats, and watching too much anime. Find out more at heidicullinan.com.

Addiction by Roberta Blablanski: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

Addiction can destroy your life. But if you destroy addiction, can you get your life back?

At twenty-eight, Owen Fredrikson is homeless, unemployed, and grappling with drug addiction. Before he let drugs take over his life, he had a pretty sweet job working the front desk of a fancy hotel, his boss was his best friend, and he had a loving fiancé.

After three years together, thirty-three-year-old middle school math teacher Dex Atterbury could no longer ignore Owen’s demons. Dex made the tough decision to part ways, leaving Owen destitute and Dex heartbroken.

When tragedy befalls Owen and Dex is called to his side, Owen has some tough decisions to make. Both men must determine how far they are willing to go to rebuild the life they once shared.

Can Owen conquer his addiction while facing his demons? And can Dex open his heart and trust Owen again?

Content Warnings:
1. Depictions of drug addiction, drug use and abuse, and drug withdrawal
2. Scenes of violence

Length: 44,000 words approx.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Owen and Dex.

This is a first for me with this author and I knew going in that it was bound to be a “taboo” subject. I knew though, from personal experience loving an addict is something more people need to talk about. It’s affecting more and more people by the day, and you can point fingers and blame whoever you want, until you’ve experienced it… you have no idea.

With this one, like so many people who get addicted to opioids, Owen had suffered a broken ankle and was prescribed pain pills. He had a great job, a wonderful fiancé and great friends. In less than a year, he lost it all.

Dex had tried everything to get his fiancé the help he needed. At first, he ignored the signs and took his word for it, that everything was under control. And then he lied and he stole from the people that meant the most to him, and continued to let them down and too much was too much and he eventual burned all of his bridges and lost everything he’d ever worked for.

That’s the way it is with addiction. People say, you love the drugs more than me, or, are the drugs more important than me? …. The short answer… yes… yes, they are. Yes, they do…. They may not want to, they may hate themselves for it… but until they’re ready to stop.. there is no low that’s too low for an addict. Ugly truth.

I love how realistic it was from Dex’s perspective. I love how much he loved Owen and cared about him and wanted to help him, even after he’d left him. Here he was, ready to pledge in sickness and in health, and that doesn’t go away just because he had to. Sometimes you have to force folks into getting help. Sometimes you have to lose everything in order to be ready to fight to get it back.

I thought it was a little bit too easy for Owen. I mean, it glossed over some pretty important parts of losing everything and feeling the shame of it…. But, real addiction… real rehab… real relapses, especially an addict that didn’t want to get help, doing it for someone else, just isn’t realistic. Going through physical therapy without pain management and only over the counter ibuprofen or something, without withdraws, detoxing, the physical illnesses and ugly symptoms and he just did it like no problem? That isn’t realistic in the slightest…. But for the sake of the story… I was glad it worked out so well for the both of them. It doesn’t always.

Overall though, I did enjoy these two together and I loved the people willing to help, especially the officer and his wife. I loved that Owen had such a good friend in Sammy, even if he was a touch overly dramatic lol I’m kind of hoping we see something good for him, so I hope there’ll be a book 2 with this. And I enjoyed reading something that wasn’t all fairytales and rainbow fluff, though I’m glad it worked out for them in the end.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Roberta Blablanski hails from The Big Easy: New Orleans, Louisiana. She draws inspiration from her colorful hometown and her former life as a college radio DJ. When she isn’t writing, she spends her days searching for the world’s best Bloody Mary and avoiding people she went to high school with. Her normal habitat is curled up in bed with a good book and a cup of coffee.

Roberta developed a love of books at an early age, spending her summers at the library. Years later, after watching the American version of the television show Queer as Folk, she began searching for books featuring queer characters finding love. Most recently, she began writing queer love stories of her own, drawing from her own personal experiences and creating characters and story lines as vibrant as her ever-changing hair color.

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