Book Excerpt

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Noah is Griffin Colewater’s best friend and absolutely no one knows him better. Certainly not any of the parade of girlfriends he’s had over the years. Even his most recent, Lauren, whom he has been with the longest.

And just broke up with.

Does it make Noah a terrible friend if he’s just a little bit thrilled about that?

It doesn’t really matter, though. Griffin is the oldest son of the owners of Colewater Properties, a multi-gazillion dollar hotel conglomerate. He is also next in line to take over when his father retires which makes Griffin the most sought-after bachelor in the city. So, another girl is right around the corner.

The issue? Griffin’s mother claims to be desperately tired of his playboy antics. She is demanding Griffin settle down with a wife and family “or else”. Being that Griffin has never actually been able to please his mother in anything, Noah doesn’t understand Griffin’s hopeless mission to make that happen now.

Which makes the huge charity bash his parents are throwing a bit problematic. His mother is insisting on meeting Lauren. Yep. Griffin has yet to tell her he’s single again. And he insists he’s not going to. Instead, Griffin does something insane. He hires a fake girlfriend. Yah. A fake Lauren. Well ― not fake. She’s a ‘Lauren’, too. But that’s not the point. Griffin asked Noah to provide the “girlfriend for months” knowledge to Lauren number two so she could pull this whole ‘girlfriend’ thing off.

Honestly. What can go wrong with that?

Everything.

Because Griffin is not only Noah’s very best friend in all the world, Noah is also so crazy in love with the man, he hurts. A stupid stunt like this could reveal that very thing and freak Griffin’s parents out so badly, he’s sure they will gift Noah with cement boots and personally pitch him off the pier themselves. But the bigger problem in Noah’s mind? Griffin is totally not gay and if he ever found out Noah’s true feelings?

Damn.

Griffin would more than likely be the one mixing the cement.

Title: His Fake Boyfriend

Author Name: Hurri Cosmo

Word Count: 53,000

Genres: Contemporary

Keywords/Categories: friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, rich man/poor man, discovery of self, millionaire boyfriend, friends to lovers, fake boyfriend, contemporary, gay romance, mm romance, gay, romance, MM, new release, announcement, giveaway, bi, bisexual, gay

Amazon – All Regions

What was your first published work? Tell me a little about it.

That would be “Until You”. It was actually a fan fic for the “Finder” Manga which I converted into a novel by changing some of the details. I love the “Finder” series. I also wrote a few others for that series that I converted into books. “I Believe Now”, which is a sequel for “Until You”, “Baby, Think It Over” which became “Unexpected Heart”, “Ladders” which is not available at the moment and even “The Astral Mage” had an influence from that Manga.

Have you ever taken a trip to research a story? Tell me about it.

We went to New Orleans for a wedding and the “Crow Boy” story manifested in my mind. I didn’t GO to New Orleans to research it, but once I was there, I had to do that. It will be about a boy who can enter people’s memories and can change them. He also has a “pet” crow but I think the crow is actually a shifter that has yet to show himself. I don’t have the entire premise for that story yet. I have the cover for it though. Great, odd, creepy cover. Bits and pieces. Soon.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Noise. People talking to me. Too many things on my plate.

Do you use a pseudonym? If so, why?

Hurri Cosmo is a pen name. I also wrote a novel under the name Teri Yorek. Teri was my sister. When she passed away way too young and more than twenty years ago now the family went through her things and found a number of notebooks where she had written stories. I asked if I could have those notebooks because someday I was going to be an author and I swore to my mother that when I did I would publish her story. I pieced together all of the writings and finally came up with “Every Breath”. Painted Hearts Publishing published it for me. That was amazing. Thankfully because my mother had become ill as well so prior to my mother passing away it was done. When the book came out, my mother put it on Teri’s silent piano on a small easel. That was a bigger compliment then any five star review I could get. However, I DID get two five star reviews for this book.

Do you ever base your characters on real people?

Absolutely. In fact, most of my characters are based on “real” people. They have to be. I used to consider myself an artist. But the problem was, even though I came up with stuff in my head, I couldn’t get it down on paper. So in my stories I use personalities that I know. Even so, often times, they go off in directions I am totally not prepared for. But I love that.

How long do you write each day?

I don’t write every day. I do WORK at my craft every day. I read, research, write, think, dream. All that stuff. It all contributes.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

It’s hard not to read the bad ones. It’s hard TO read them, but if I do, I try to pull from them something I can use. The good ones uplift me, just like any other author. But it’s the bad ones that stick. Scar.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

In the past it was just months. I was working parttime back then and now I am working fulltime. More than fulltime. I get up at three in the morning to get that time alone but that is often interrupted these days since my husband gets up shortly after that now, loving those early morning hours. With less and less time to myself, it unfortunately takes upwards of a year.

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?

I am not sure why I write Gay Romance. All I know is that when I discovered it, started to consume it, I knew this was the genre for me. At least for now. I have written one romance that had a man and woman. That was the story I wrote for my sister, Teri. I also have one mystery story I wrote. No romance at all. Paranormal. It’s not published. I need to update it. It is truly the first book I wrote. I might get it out. We will see. I have all of these ideas written down, too. Mystery, fantasy, paranormal. Prior to discovering gay romance, I was writing all kinds of genres.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?

Part time. I wish it was full time. Someday when I retire I can maybe say that I am full time. It affects my writing by me not being able to actually get my ideas out as quickly as I want to and I don’t have a great memory. So… I lose a lot.

Do your books spring to life from a character first or an idea?

Both. It really depends. Many things.

How do you approach covers for your indie stories?

In the past I had to rely on someone else to “see” my vision because I published through small publishing houses. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. I have also bought pre-mades. Most recently, for this book, I employed an artist. That was great.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

The scream jarred Noah awake and nearly off the couch. With eyes wide and his heart in his throat, he darted his gaze around the large living room, expecting big foot or murderers or at the very least a hot guy running naked across the floor. But there was none of those things. Just Griffin’s latest, his longest actually, standing there trying to cover her nakedness with perfectly manicured fingers. Her hair was only a bit out of place. However, she had no doubt gone to bed with her makeup on.

“What’s wrong?” Noah croaked out, trying to calm his heart as Griffin came tearing―okay, stumbling―up the hallway behind her, yanking on a robe.

“Lauren? What the fuck?” Griffin made it into the living room to stand beside Lauren. He, too, had perused the room with eyes that were barely open, squinting against the bright early sunshine already pouring in the windows. “Why are you screaming?”

She pointed a finger, having to bare a plump breast to do it, right at Noah. “There’s a man in our house.”

Griffin glanced at Noah and grinned. “Where?”

“Funny,” Noah deadpanned as he flopped back into his pillow, blood still pumping loudly in his ears. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Fuck,” Griffin grouched. “Six. Lauren, what the fuck are you screeching at six in the morning for?”

“I’m not screeching!”

Oh, she so totally was, and it grated on every nerve in Noah’s body.

“There’s a stranger sleeping on the couch in my living room!” she insisted.

Wait. Her living room?

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Griffin yawned. “That’s Noah. You know Noah.”

Which was true. It would be hard not to know him if anyone met Griffin even a little. They were pretty much inseparable.

“How did he get in here, and what is he doing in our condo at six in the morning?”

“He has his own… wait…” There was movement and suddenly Griffin was hunched down near Noah’s head. “Hey buddy, she has a point. What are you doing here? What happened?”

“I was kicked out,” Noah moaned sleepily.

“What? That asshole!”

“Who’s an asshole?” came that shrieking voice again. Evidently, she felt it safer to shout from a distance.

“Can you tell her to tone it down a bit?” Noah whimpered.

“I can tell her. She won’t listen.”

“Quit talking about me like I’m not here!”

“Pretty tough to forget that,” Griffin murmured.

She squealed again but seemed to storm off because it was blessedly quiet again. Noah really did need to learn to like her better. Or at all. The problem was, she hated Noah.

“You’re going to pay for that,” Noah said.

“Believe me, I already am. Tell me what happened.” Griffin picked Noah’s head up, scooted himself under it so he was sitting on the couch and laid Noah’s head in his lap.

“You need to go do this with Lauren.”

“Do what? Besides, I want to find out what happened.”

Damn. Noah should never have come here. He wished now he had barged in on Genny and Marcus instead. Of course, he didn’t have an open invitation there like he did here. Still… “Sorry for… well, ruining your morning with Lauren.”

“You didn’t ruin anything. Quit stalling. Was it that asshole, Sabastian?”

“Who else? He…”

“He what?”

“He’s a jerk. They’re both jerks. They threw me out last night.” Literally. But he didn’t say that out loud. He was still pretty freaked out about it.

“Fuck, Noah, you’re the one on the lease. Not that asshole you let move in with you. Why do you…? Wait. You’re shaking. What else happened?”

“I’m… just cold.” Lie.

“Hmmm. Well, never mind. I’ll deal with it.”

Oh shit. “How?”

“I don’t want you to worry about it.” He patted Noah’s head and smoothed his most likely wild hair. “What time did you get here?”

“About two.” He had somehow misplaced his wallet. Most likely it was laying on his living room floor having fallen out during the scuffle. Having no money or bus card meant he had to walk instead of being able to take a taxi or even mass transit. Thankfully the doorman knew Noah, and Griffin had left explicit instructions with the building’s staff that if Noah ever needed anything, including a spare key card to Griffin’s condo, he would be given it.

“Really? Wow. Go back to sleep.” He continued to stroke Noah’s hair. “Even I got more sleep than that.”

Noah opened his eyes and turned his head to stare up at Griffin. “Are you serious? Two o’clock, Griffin. You guys were going at it like… like…” His anxiety tamped up a bit. “Well, whatever. I shouldn’t have come.” Especially since it always depressed him to be reminded Lauren was front and center. And other things.

“Of course, you should be here, you know that. Why didn’t you just sleep in the guest bedroom?”

Noah rolled his eyes and turned back away. “You mean the one next to your room? You know why.”

Griffin harumphed. “Really? What? We were noisy?”

“You were deafening. Earsplitting. God. I hate the sound of hetero sex.”

I am Hurri Cosmo and I live in Minnesota where I hold tight to the idea that here, where it’s cold a good part of the year, I won’t age as fast. Yep, I avoid the truth as much as I avoid mirrors. But one of the reasons I love writing is reality doesn’t always offer up a “happily ever after” and being able to take control of that is a powerful lure.

Being a happy ending junkie, writing just makes them easier to find. Oh, I don’t mind “real life” and I do try to at least keep it in mind when I write my stories, but I truly love creating a wonderful couple, knowing they will fall in love and have their HEA. Every – single – time. And, of course, that is exactly the reason I love reading this genre, too.

Give me a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate, and my computer, whether I am reading or writing, and I will entertain myself for hours. The fact I actually get paid to do it is Snickers bars on the frosting on the cake.

Author Website: https://www.hurricosmo.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/hurri.cosmo

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/HurriCosmo

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6466687.Hurri_Cosmo

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hurri-Cosmo

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