Book Excerpt

My Whole World by Davidson King: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

May 5, 2020 by Denise

I’m so excited today to have Davidson King here to talk about her newest release, My Whole World. A “sort of” spin-off of her very popular Haven Hart series, as she explains below. She also brought along a sweet little giveaway, so make sure you enter the rafflecopter at the bottom. Leave a comment for Davidson, let her know your thoughts on her series, and her “sort of” spin-off.

Atlas Durand’s whole world is built from the spoils of his past. Joker’s Sin is the most popular gay club in all of Haven Hart. Many clubs have come and gone, none able to compete with Atlas and his enigmatic power over his patrons. He would do anything to keep it thriving and anyone who stands in his way will be met with serious regrets.

Toby St. Claire hates working at Vick’s Tricks and longs for his nights off so he can go to Joker’s Sin. Like everyone who steps foot into Atlas’s club, he’s taken by the owner himself and the magical pulse that owns him when he’s there. Joker’s Sin is Toby’s escape from his life and Atlas is his dream come true.

When Toby’s boss realizes he can use Toby to help take down Joker’s Sin and make Vick’s Tricks the club to beat in Haven Hart, it turns everything upside down. Lies, deceit, and corruption threaten to tear Atlas and Toby apart. Is their love strong enough to survive it all or will they become victims of mayhem?

My Whole World

Joker’s Sin Book One

Davidson King

M/M Romance

Release Date: 04.20.20

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Thank you so much for allowing me to be here to promote my new book My Whole World, Joker’s Sin Book One. I’m here today to ask a burning question I keep getting asked: Is Joker’s Sin a spinoff?

Obviously if you’ve read the synopsis for My Whole World you can see it takes place in Haven Hart. And you may or may not be familiar with my last series “Haven Hart” It is a seven-book flowing story arc. I get asked if it’s a spinoff and if they need to read Haven Hart series first and I want to answer these questions in this post here.

Is it a spinoff? Yes and no. LOL. Let me explain. Yes, in that it’s in the same universe so you’ll see places like the coffee shop, restaurants, or other places mentioned. But Joker’s Sin stands on it’s own, away from the Haven Hart Series.

Do I need to read Haven Hart First? No. Not even a little bit. Sure, there are Easter eggs in the stories like a place someone who read the HH series might recognize, but you can successfully read the entire Joker’s Sin series having never opened a HH book.

Why did I do this? Well, like I said before, HH was a large story arc. It spanned over seven books. Those characters, while amazing and will always be loved, had their stories told. The guys of Joker’s Sin live in a different world from those other characters. It’s their time to shine all on their own.

So, yes, it’s a spinoff but you don’t have to have read the Haven Hart books.

I couldn’t do this. I mean, I wanted Atlas to finally notice me, but not like this. There was a reason I only sat at the bar when I came here. I. Couldn’t. Dance. Not like the music intended, anyway.

“Shake it, sister,” Sparkles said to me as he took my hand and tried his hardest to get me to move.

“I can’t dance.”

Sparkles’s eyes widened. “But…” He looked around; everyone was watching Sparkles and me not dancing. “That’s what you do here.”

“Move it, boys,” DJ Edge’s voice rang out. I saw Lance and the others dancing like their lives depended on it. One took to the pole and another to the cage.

“Leave me, save yourself,” I urged Sparkles.

“I never leave a man behind.” He winked and I watched as he grabbed the chair Lance was about to sit on and dragged it over to me. “Sit.”

I did as I was told because I was terrified and everyone was watching, even Atlas. He crouched down over by Max, and they were talking.

“Let’s do this, tin man. I’ll get you oiled up.” And Sparkles straddled my lap. “Grab my ass.” I did exactly as I was told; I sat there while Sparkles danced on my lap. He was like liquid as he slid to the floor, climbed up, and wow, he was really rubbing himself on me. “Touch me,” he said. When I glided my hands along his waist, over sequins and rhinestones, I felt so alive. The crowd was cheering, and Atlas only had eyes for us.

Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.

When she’s not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.

If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she’d tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you’re afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/davidsonkingauthor

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Beautiful Beast (Those Other Books #4) by Roe Horvat: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

May 4, 2020 by Denise

Kevin used to hold himself back, trying to keep his less conventional desires to himself. With Joakim, he feels free. It’s almost as if Joakim can read Kevin’s subconscious, touching the right places at exactly the right time, and whispering the most shameless things…filthy, and oh so satisfying.

Falling for Kevin is easy. Joakim can feel it happening and he’s powerless to do anything about it. With every touch, his desire grows. Men have chased him for his money and status before, but Kevin doesn’t seem to care about any of that. Maybe this time, Joakim should let himself fall, and hope the landing will be soft.

Beautiful Beast is a light tale of lust and love, about a beautiful dancer who keeps a wild beast locked inside him, and the man who sets it free.

Book Title: Beautiful Beast

Author: Roe Horvat

Publisher: Roe Horvat

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh (Black Jazz Design)

Release Date: May 1, 2020

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Instant lust, rich & famous

Themes: Dancer & tycoon, light kink (bondage, dirty talk), sexual self-discovery

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 42 000 words

It is a standalone story.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon AU

Goodreads

Joakim recognized him immediately. Kevin’s heart-shaped, plump lips stretched in a careful smile; he was stunning. There weren’t good enough words to describe the man’s angelic face. Light blue eyes, big, round and sparkling, with long lashes. His nose was small and perfectly straight, cheekbones high and sharply cut, jawline soft and boyish, even though the thin lines on his forehead said he must be closer to thirty than twenty. Kevin had an exquisite face and an exquisite smile.

He moved like the dancer he was, drifting gracefully among the people in the crowded restaurant until he stood close to the tall table Joakim waited by. He blinked nervously, and those full lips parted. Joakim wanted to suck on them, see if they turned a darker shade of red… And he was just sitting there, gaping like a fool. Realizing his mistake, he jumped up from his seat to welcome his date properly. The chair scraped on the floor, making an awful sound over the sultry music in the restaurant. Joakim winced.

“Sorry,” he said. “Hi. Hello. Lovely to finally meet you properly.”

“Hi,” Kevin said and smiled a shy smile, which would have buckled Joakim’s knees if he hadn’t been leaning on the table with one hand.

“Hi,” he repeated dumbly. Then he had to laugh. “Sorry, I’m just…” He gestured helplessly at Kevin and shook his head. He’d spent the past few days telling himself it was nothing. Just a lark. But now the beautiful creature that had been following him in his dreams was here in the flesh, and Joakim floundered like he never had before. Could he at least stay coherent, for fuck’s sakes?

“What?” Kevin said, perplexed. He looked down, perusing his own body, probably looking for stains or an open fly.

“No! God, no. You look great. I’m just a bit stunned, that’s all. I’ll put myself back together in a minute, I promise.”

Kevin only looked more bewildered.

“Sit down,” Joakim said decisively. “Sit, and we’ll have a drink. I definitely need it.”

Kevin chuckled, still puzzled, and sat opposite Joakim at the tall round table. The chairs were as high as bar stools but more comfortable with plush armrests. Joakim couldn’t help but follow the lines of Kevin’s body with his gaze as the man settled into his chair, all long, slim limbs and graceful movements. He was dressed casually, in light beige chinos, tight over his sculpted thighs and calves, a blue button-up with a fine pink flowery print, and a silver-gray jacket. His clothes and movements had that subtle feminine flair Joakim always admired. It spoke of courage and honesty, of being comfortable with your true self. Combined with the shine of his blond, windswept hair and his milky skin, Kevin shone in the dim restaurant like a fucking supernova.

Joakim was still staring. Say something normal. Anything! Joakim only thought of telling Kevin he was the most gorgeous being he’d ever seen in his whole damned life, but he stopped himself. Other than that, nothing came. First date, dammit. You’ve done this hundreds of times. Get a grip.

Kevin was nervous now, fiddling with his sleeve, and he looked at Joakim from the corner of his eye. Joakim realized that in order to restart his brain, he needed to look away. Tearing his gaze away from Kevin was painful, but Joakim managed to steer his attention to the bar. Look, there are glasses and shakers. Bottles. Personnel. A bartender. Say something normal.

“They have cocktails, but there’s also sake. They’re known for their great sake selection. Or Japanese beer? Lager?” And now he was rambling. Jesus! After an epic dry spell, I finally meet a man I actually want to impress, and that’s when my intellect decides to take a day off? Really?

“Sake sounds great. I haven’t had sake in ages.”

“You’re in for a treat. They’re quite busy, so we might have to wait a tiny bit longer, but the food is worth it.”

“I trust you,” Kevin said with a soft smile, and Joakim’s brain scrambled again.

“Wow, I can’t even look at you,” he blurted.

Kevin’s eyes widened. He blinked, obviously at a loss as to what to say and jumping to the wrong conclusions already.

“No! Shit, sorry. Not like that. I… your face is very distracting.”

Still confused, Kevin parted his amazing mouth to speak, but Joakim intercepted him. “You are beautiful, Kevin. Gorgeous. And it’s messing with my head a little. I’ll be fine in a minute. I better stop babbling before you run away.”

“I… erm. Thank you?”

Joakim had to laugh at the sincere bewilderment of the man.

“Let’s order some sake,” Joakim said, trying to climb out of the hole he’d managed to dig himself during the first two minutes of the date.

“Yeah. I think I need a drink too,” Kevin said in a perfectly natural voice, and Joakim thanked all the gods and all the elements and Kevin for saving him from lethal embarrassment. Joakim could talk about food and sake without saying something stupid. He was almost sure he could.

Sometimes a novella or shorter story can be just about all sex with very little substance. But this novella gave us both. AND gave us some quality BDSM play- mostly bondage and some control. But it was really well done.

Kevin and Joakim were background players in the previous Other books. I honestly can’t say that I gave them much thought. But maybe that is good because I didn’t have any preconceived notions about them. Instead, I got to know them as they got to know each other.

Joakim was probably 15 years older than Kevin but really that made no difference. Instead, Joakim was honest that he wanted more than a hook up. He was willing to actually DATE someone. And Kevin, not one for hook ups either, was all for it. They took their time, taking each other on dates, while still having crazy hot sex together.

Neither guy had walls up. Or had mommy issues. Or were in the closet. They were just two regular gay men looking for love.

You absolutely do not have to read any of the previous books to read this. It is an excellent stand alone.

4 pieces of eye candy

Queer fiction author Roe Horvat was born in the post-communist wasteland of former Czechoslovakia. Equipped with a dark sense of sarcasm, Roe traveled Europe and finally settled in Sweden. He came out as transgender in 2017 and has been fabulous since. He loves Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, bad action movies, stand-up comedy, pale ale, and daiquiri. When not hiding in the studio doing graphics, he can be found trolling cafés in Gothenburg, writing, and people-watching.

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Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win one of five e-books by Roe Horvat (Beautiful Beast or any from my backlist)

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Charlie Sunshine (Close Proximity Book 2) by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

April 30, 2020 by Denise

Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.

Charlie Burroughs can’t keep a man. All he wants is a good relationship like the ones he sees his friends having, but none of the men he picks ever work out. Despite him trying to be the perfect boyfriend, the men are either threatened by his looks or his epilepsy or a combination of the two. It’s lucky that he has his best friend Misha to turn to. The two of them are closer than peas in a pod and fiercely loyal to each other. He can’t imagine his life without Misha in it.

Misha Lebedinsky is the complete opposite of his best friend. Being the support system for his mum and twin sisters leaves Misha with neither the time nor the inclination for a relationship. Quick and frequent hook-ups are his favourite means of communication and any other pesky emotional needs he has are met by Charlie, who he’s devoted to. He lives a life of happy compartmentalization with no intention of ever changing.

All of this changes when the two best friends move in together. Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a cynical banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Misha comes to stand next to me and looks at his own family home, which is a mirror image of mine. He sighs, and there’s something weary in the sound. He’s always like this when a family meeting is called. Probably because he feels a lot of responsibility for his mum and the girls since his dad died. I rub his arm, feeling how tight the muscles are.

“You okay?” I ask, concerned.

He scrubs his hand down his face. “Just mentally preparing myself for what’s coming.”

“They’re teenage girls,” I say consolingly. “How bad could it be?”

He looks at me incredulously. “I’m sorry, have you met them? The trouble could be anything on a scale between staging a sit-in outside the council buildings or robbing a mail train.”

“When did they become cowboys? Surely I should have been told about these developments?”

He snorts and shakes his head. Then he bounces on his toes for a few seconds, shaking out his arms like a boxer readying himself for a fight. It looks rather odd in a man wearing a three-piece suit. He finishes and nods. “Okay, I’m ready.” I go to walk towards his front door and he grabs my arm. “Wait,” he says. I look at him enquiringly. “Have you got any alcohol on you?”

I start to laugh. “No, of course I haven’t. Because I’m a librarian and not Colin Farrell.”

“More’s the pity.”

From the moment that I discovered my first Lily Morton book, she has never let me down. Quirky, fun characters who can laugh at themselves and are just fun. Even the grumpy ones end up being fun.

Charlie is the perennially happy guy. Even after a freak accident that left him with epilepsy, he still won’t be anything but happy. In front of people. He is always that “I’m fine!” guy. But his best friend since he was 6 years old can see through it.

Misha is the opposite of Charlie. Hedge fund manager, snappy suits, fancy car, the right address. But together, they are perfect. How could they not be after 20 something years of friendship?

Charlie loses his last roommate and instead of looking for another, Misha invites him to be HIS roommate. No big deal, right? HA! HA I say! Since they each have crushes on each other but won’t do anything about it because 1. best friends and 2. they want different things. Charlie is the settle down, white picket fence with a chocolate lab kind of guy. But Misha is only about the one night stand.

Plus Charlie has a boyfriend, who works with Misha and they hate each other. And he really doesn’t treat Charlie well. The last straw was when Charlie started having a seizure and the evil boyfriend didn’t catch him before he fell. In fact, he moved away. Bastard.

Now everyone is single and tip toeing around each other’s hot selves and ignoring the giant condom shaped elephant in the room.

Of course they end up together! It is a romance with a happily ever after. But watching them discover the love they have that is beyond best friend love is wonderful. And it isn’t just Charlie who changes Misha from a one off guy to a happily in love buy. But Misha also changes Charlie. From always having a happy face on to finally asking for help when he needs it and letting people know that sometimes he isn’t great.

They were just super adorable and I LOVED Charlie’s parents- mom, step dad, father and step father. Do the math.

If you are a Lily Morton fan, don’t miss this one.

4 Pieces of Candy

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

To celebrate Lily’s new release, we are giving you the chance to win 1 of 3 copies of a book of your choice from Lily’s Backlist!
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Lucien: A Dark Mafia Romance (The Marchesi Family Book 1) by Silvia Violet: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

April 29, 2020 by Denise

I never imagined the protector I longed for would be a mob boss who demanded complete control.
I shouldn’t have gone to Lucien’s office.
Once I looked into his eyes, I couldn’t leave.
He commanded me to kneel.
Beg.
Obey.
I couldn’t help myself.
One taste, and I craved more.
Lucien vowed to protect me from his enemies…
But who’s going to protect my heart from him?

This MM mafia romance is the first book in the Marchesi Family series.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“Yeah. You’re all danger and power, and you fit so well here, among all this.” He gestured around, indicating the balcony and my room.

If he thought this house was extravagant, I couldn’t wait until I could take him to our house in Weston. “There’s no point in doing what we do if you’re not going to enjoy the spoils.”

“I guess not, but there’s always someone wanting to kill you, isn’t there?”

“Or kill my family or take everything I’ve worked for or all of the above.” I took another long pull on the cigar and blew out the smoke.

“And it’s still worth it?”

“You name anything you want, and I’ll get it for you.”

“I want to know you’re safe.”

I shook my head. “You know that’s not what I mean. No one, not even a nondescript accountant who’s never done anything more criminal than drive sixty in a fifty-five can promise you nothing will happen to them. Any of us could get hit by a car tomorrow.”

Peter scowled at me, and I smiled. I loved that he wanted to protect me too. “If you don’t tell me what you want, I’ll just keep buying you gifts until I find something that wows you.”

“You think I’m not wowed by everything you’ve done. I’m sure this robe cost more than the nicest outfit I’ve ever owned. I’ve never had clothes like the ones you gave me, and my bedroom here is about the size of my whole apartment. But I… I don’t need those things.”

“I want you to have them.”

Peter sighed. I know and… thank you.”

I nodded. “Better. And I will keep giving you gifts because I want to.” And it’s a way I can show you what I might not ever be able to say.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I enjoy suspending reality for things like the mob, and people getting murdered because of some wrong done by them. What I didn’t really like is how quickly Peter literally kneeled for Lucien. And totally accepted it, even though he had never done anything like that before. Lucien didn’t take the time to explain anything. Just “I own you now”. Uh, ok.

The blurb doesn’t SAY BDSM, but you would assume that. If you did, you assumed wrong. It was less BDSM and more Lucien is a control freak. Ok, fine. But with that, Peter just seemed like a wet noodle.

Peter. Poor Peter. His parents died, he works as a temp, and one of his cousins skirts the wrong edge of the law. But he has his uncle, who raised him after his parents died and still looks out for him. Although maybe not very well if he doesn’t realize that Peter moved out of his crappy apartment and in with Lucien like IMMEDIATELY.

The mob stuff was kind of twisty turny and fun to read. I wanted to smack Devil more than once (a cousin and underling of Lucien the boss). But the main focus was heavily on Lucien and Peter and their relationship. Such as it was.

Ok, no, I didn’t love it. I rolled my eyes a few times. It was still fun and readable. And yes, I probably, definitely, will read the next installment. Especially since it moves to a new couple and doesn’t continue the Lucien show.

3 Pieces of Candy

Silvia writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including contemporary, paranormal, and historical. She can often be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinful chocolate treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading children’s books to her wickedly smart offspring.

You can email Silvia at silviaviolet@gmail.com

Silvia enjoys chatting with fans in her Facebook group, Silvia’s Salon and on her Facebook timeline: http://facebook.com/silvia.violet.

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Handsome Death by Sara Dobie Bauer: Excerpt and New Release Review

April 27, 2020 by Denise

I’m not hunting him; I’m protecting him.

At least, that’s what I tell myself.

In New York City, a beautiful creature like Tristan Clement should not be walking the streets alone, and I’m the perfect vampire to watch his back.

But what if keeping him safe isn’t enough anymore? What if I want to touch? And taste?

I need him. But I’ve never needed anyone.

In a world where paranormal creatures live amongst us and must follow certain laws, living life as a dangerous loner works for vampire Ethan. Inhabiting his gleaming apartment, wearing his designer suits, jetting around the world as a fanged killer-for-hire, Ethan does it all alone.

That is, until he literally runs into Tristan. Tristan, who is clearly trouble wrapped in skinny jeans and an oversized sweater. Tristan, with his shock of angelic blond curls. Tristan, who plays piano more beautifully than the old masters– and Ethan would know; he saw Beethoven.

Tristan is gorgeous, a little sassy, and irresistible. Also, Ethan is horrified to note, Tristan has no idea how incredibly tempting he is to things that go bump in the night.

Overcome by the urge to keep Tristan safe, Ethan begins to… well, stalk is such a strong word. What starts as an obsession quickly becomes something more, something that Ethan needs. And to his surprise, Tristan seems to need him, too…

*This darkly romantic tale delivers steamy passion and a happily ever after. Be advised that Handsome Death includes explicit m/m content, stalking, mentions of past abuse, and graphic violence.*

Book Title: Handsome Death

Author: Sara Dobie Bauer

Publisher: Carnation Books

Release Date: April 10, 2020

Genre/s: Paranormal M/M romance, contemporary M/M romance

Trope/s: Vampires, bondage, hurt/comfort, age gap

Themes: explicit sex, past abuse, dark, immortal, graphic violence, stalking

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 72 000 words

It is a standalone story.

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US- Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

I feel an itch on the back of my neck so glance behind me, and indeed, there he is, the blond kid from yesterday. I must have caught him staring, because as soon as I turn to look, he ducks his head and goes back to reading.

I shouldn’t approach him. Granted, he’s stunning. Most vampires would love to get their hands on his bare skin, but I’m not one for picking up humans outside of blood clubs. I’m cautious. Vampires can get in a lot of trouble for biting a human without consent. Like sentenced-to-death trouble. The humans at blood clubs know what they’re getting into. This guy? He looks like a puppy in need of a cuddle. He has no idea what a vampire could do to him.

Maybe some reconnaissance is in order. Just to, you know, make sure he’s all right after yesterday’s altercation.

Or something.

I’m lying to myself. This isn’t a protective detail in Serbia, this is me away from combat too long and bored in New York.

Fuck it.

He sits at one of the heavy wooden tables with the lid off his cup. His hair hangs halfway over his forehead, tilted down over a paperback, but I can still see his mouth, the way he chews his bottom lip, making it pinker, fuller.

I walk right up to his table. I don’t wait for him to look up. I don’t wait for an invitation. I just sit.

He startles at my arrival. His eyes widen and stare at me.

“Who are you?” I ask. I’ve always been really good at openings.

“Uhh.” His forehead wrinkles.

I drum my fingertips on the table. “I’ve never seen you in here before.”

“You saw me yesterday.” He folds the top corner of a page in his paperback: Dracula by Bram Stoker. “You saved my ass yesterday.”

“Before yesterday,” I reply.

He sighs. “A Starbuck’s bought out my favorite coffee shop, so I guess this is now my favorite coffee shop. Buy local.” He scoops his messenger bag off the floor and shoves the book inside.

The kid has one of those runway model faces—gaunt if not so beautiful, sharp and yet soft. Freckles? Zero. Wait, no, he’s got just a smattering that you would only notice close-up … or with well-trained vampiric eyes. He has no shadow of recently shaved facial hair, and that’s no surprise based on the white-blond of his hair. He must moisturize those lips because nobody’s mouth just naturally looks like the perfect mixture of velvet and silk.

He sighs again, louder. “You’re staring at me.”

No, I’m studying him—checking out his vulnerable areas, which are pretty much everywhere considering he’s so thin and fragile-looking.

As for everyone else in the coffee shop, they’re looking at the kid like they want to take him to bed. I catch a girl at the next table over gawking. A big dude with a beard stands in line to our right, his mouth hanging half open as he admires.

“Everyone is staring at you,” I respond.

His pale cheeks burn bright red as he swoops his bag onto his shoulder and stands. “No, that’s …” He shakes his head. “Ha, no.” He doesn’t say goodbye. He even leaves his coffee, half-consumed on the table. He up and abandons me without a word, but I do watch him go—as does half of Inky Grounds.

Once he disappears out into the early October morning, I turn back around and stare at his deserted coffee. Granted, I’m not smooth—I get it—but he didn’t have to run out like that. I just wanted to see that he was safe. Shit, I don’t even know his name.

This is not a typical vampire tale, it’s not full of a hungry vamp searching for his next meal. This is a beautiful story of Tris, a piano student recovering from a bad relationship trying to rebuild his confidence and independence and Ethan, a lonely vampire who hasn’t relied on anyone but himself in far too long. In once instant of happenstance Ethan found the one thing he couldn’t live without. Ethan will need to examine his feeling and decide if this is an infatuation or if he’s willing to give up his lonely, safe existence for a chance at the forever. Tris will need to decide if he can trust Ethan to not crush his spirit and help him blossom into the man he’s trying to become. When fate steps in, Ethan will need to make a split second decision, will he leave Tris to his fate or spend eternity loving him.

The book was very well written, at times you could feel Ethan’s loneliness, you can feel Tris’s apprehension to trust. You can feel the sparks jump off the page at you, but more importantly you can feel the love as these two navigate their new relationship.

The characters were well developed, not just the main characters there are a few supporting characters I love as well. The first time I read this book I devoured it because I just needed to see what happened, before I could write my review I had to read it again at a slower pace so that I could absorb all the amazing details.

This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

5 pieces of eye candy

Sara Dobie Bauer is a bestselling author, model, mental health speaker, and LGBTQ advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. She lives with her hottie husband and two precious pups in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film. Her current obsession with Timothee Chalamet runs deep, and don’t even get her started on Call Me By Your Name.

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Broken Warrior (The Weavers Circle #1) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

April 24, 2020 by Denise

Clay Green

A brotherhood? Monsters? Goddesses? Magic?

The world has become a strange place.

After a life on the run, Clay Green is rescued by a crazy old lady with a shotgun and an even crazier story about monsters, goddesses, and a secret brotherhood.

Gifted with the power of the earth, Clay must locate his missing “brothers” before invading monsters can destroy everything.

As if that’s not enough to contend with, Clay can’t keep his hands off the man trying to rebuild the plantation house he’s temporarily living in.

Dane Briggs

Something strange is going on…

Dane knew restoring the old plantation house wasn’t going to be an easy job, but at least none of the clients were going to be underfoot. Since losing his wife and child, the only way Dane can keep going is to focus on the work.

But that focus crumbles the second Clay appears covered in blood and barely hanging on to life.

Mystery and danger cling to Clay and the other men who suddenly show up. A smart man would walk away.

Dane chucks smart out the window in favor of hungry kisses and the silken slide of skin against skin. He doesn’t understand what’s happening, but there’s no question that Clay needs him.

He’s just not sure his heart can survive being broken again if something happens to Clay.

Broken Warrior is the first book in The Weavers Circle series. It includes fast-paced action, explosions, hurt/comfort, sexy times, animal shenanigans, wounded hearts, three crazy old ladies, and magic!

Title: Broken Warrior

Series: The Weavers Circle #1

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake and Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: April 24, 2020

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 97,304

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal romance, urban fantasy romance

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“And were you attacked on your walk? Some kind of flying suckerfish? Because that’s definitely not a hickey on your neck,” Baer continued.

Grey lifted his mug of coffee to his lips again, but he paused long enough to agree. “Definitely not a hickey.”

Without thinking, Clay slapped his hand to the spot Dane had sucked on during round one—or was it round three? Fuck, he’d come so many times last night, his balls should need a week to recover, but his dick was refusing to take orders from his brain or balls. The damn thing wanted to say “Fuck coffee” and crawl back into bed with Dane.

Laughter rang out in the kitchen, and Clay groaned. He’d never had a roommate, but he sort of imagined this was what it was like. Fuck, when all six of them were in the plantation house, it would be like a goddamn frat house.

Grabbing a mug out of the cabinet, Clay continued to ignore the duo at the table as he poured himself a cup of liquid sanity. He took his time, adding a little sugar, and then turned to the table. Before he took one step, he lifted a hand, and whatever Baer had been about to say stopped in his throat.

“I won’t discuss it. Not one word,” Clay said firmly.

Baer’s shoulder’s slumped, and his mouth snapped shut. He looked like a sad puppy for all of two seconds before he was up and happy again.

“I’m sure Grey is one of us,” Baer announced, moving on to an entirely new subject. At least this was one Clay was willing to tackle, even if he wasn’t sure he had the brainpower for it yet. If anything, it gave him something to think about besides Dane.

“Yeah, I kind of thought that last night too.”

Clay settled into a chair across from Baer and Grey. He could use a long, hot shower and a clean set of clothes, but one look at the eager expression on Baer’s face and he knew the man would follow him to the bathroom to discuss this. He could do without them sharing the bathroom with him.

“When I saw him running with you toward the Jeep last night, I swear I got the weirdest feeling of déjà vu. I know we’ve done this all before. Well, maybe not at that club, but the running together, the fighting together.” Baer rested his forearms on the table and leaned forward. “Even when we got back to the house, I felt like I knew him. Known him my whole life.”

“The same way you feel with me?”

Baer nodded.

Clay looked over at Grey, who had both hands wrapped around the dark-blue coffee mug resting on the table in front of him. A deep frown was pulling at the corners of his mouth and drawing lines between his thick eyebrows. Without the threat of death and destruction looming over their heads, Clay took a moment to actually look at the man. Gray hair highlighted his temples, and more of it flecked the closely trimmed beard lining his jaw and chin. He was paler than himself and Baer, as if he were more likely to spend long hours inside the house, but there was no missing the lean muscles that filled out his wrinkled button-down shirt. Maybe a swimmer. Or a runner.

“What do you think?” Clay prodded when Grey remained silent.

“That this is all stupid, ridiculous, and utterly impossible,” Grey grumbled. His hands tightened on his mug, but he didn’t lift it back to his mouth.

“But?”

“I can’t deny I have the same feeling of déjà vu with both of you. Something-something inside of me keeps claiming that I know.”

Clay glanced over at Baer. “Did you tell him?”

“Oh, he fucking told me so much,” Grey answered for him with a rough bark of laughter. “Powers and goddesses and other dimensions with alien monsters trying to kill us so they can destroy the world. I heard plenty last night.”

Closing his eyes, Clay pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. Yeah, that was pretty much how it all sounded. Insane and impossible. That was his life now to a T. Opening his eyes again, he stared at Baer. “And you told him all this stone-cold sober?”

Baer’s chest puffed up and he grinned broadly at his friend. “No!”

Clay rolled his eyes.

“I found that cheap bottle of whiskey we lost. I think Jo hid it. But anyway, we killed that bottle, and I explained about the pestilents, Weavers, and the Circle.”

Clay looked over at Grey, waiting for his response on how the hell he took this information while loaded up on cheap whiskey.

“And then he turned into an ostrich,” Grey said in a deadpan voice.

“I was trying for a peacock. Something flashy,” Baer commented in a low voice.

“Broke the coffee table.”

“I panicked!”

“You were drunk!” Clay shouted.

“Birds are hard,” Baer muttered under his breath, his eyes locked on his coffee mug in front of him in a pout.

So, I don’t do paranormal. Not usually, anyway. I don’t care for shifters or mind readers or any of that jumbo, cuz I like the real world stuff. Real-world romances and real-world problems, ya know? HOWEVER, I do not pass up anything with this duo, so of course, I put my prejudices aside and gave this one a go…I might be converted, y’all. Maybe not all the way, but for this series I am! Let me just try to put into words how crazy and cute and entertaining this whole whirlwind was.

So, first, we meet Clay, he’s being chased by these rot-smelling half-human things and he doesn’t know why, but he knows they aren’t going to stop until he’s dead. Chasing him for months, Clay is constantly on the run, though something is pulling him in one certain direction, he just can’t imagine what. That is, until one night, the human-looking things find him and he’s saved by a goddess named Jo.
She seems to know him and did just save his life, so what’s the harm in going with her? Right? He had no idea that she was going to open this whole new world to him, that I’ll admit, took a little bit to believe. Not near as long as it would’ve taken me, but she did have some pretty persuasive tactics lol
He also meets Baer, who is so much like a rowdy, restless, happy dog, that you cannot help but to fall in love with him. He might be my favorite so far, though I do have a soft spot for all of them at this point. I can’t wait to meet the other guys.

Sticking with this one though, for now… Jo takes Clay to an old plantation house in Georgia that has laid dormant for the last thirty or so years, you’ll understand why, as you read the book and everything will make sense. I will do ruin it for you, though I really could talk about it for at least another hour.
The plantation is being fixed up by a handyman who’d been doing his own running, named Dane, and he and Clay have an insane connection, though after losing his wife and child a couple of years ago, Dane is certain he can’t start anything with anyone else. Guilt and grief are heavy in him, but there is no denying the feelings he has for Clay, both deep and immediate. I loved their story, I loved how quickly their souls just kind of aligned and I loved how they went about it.

I also loved the guys and their banter, like real life-long brothers, again, I cannot wait to see what’s in store for all of them, especially Baer. I cannot wait!
There’s trouble brewing from one world to the next, but with these guys and now Dane fighting for not only the world and each other, but also love, I have no doubt they’ll all succeed. What a crazy ride, but one so so worth jumping on. Don’t pass this one up, I’m glad I didn’t. I need more! (though there wasn’t a cliffhanger, just a whole lot of hope for what’s to come).

5 pieces of eye candy

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

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