Book Excerpt

Treasure Trail by Morgan Brice: Guest Post, Excerpt and New Release Review

July 18, 2019 by Denise

Erik Mitchell traveled the world uncovering art fraud and relic theft, which pitted him against spoiled billionaires, unscrupulous collectors, mobsters and cartels. He worked with law enforcement across the US and Europe, but a sting goes wrong and Erik ends up injured, then returns to find his partner cheating. Erik decides to stop globe trotting and buy an antique shop in scenic Cape May, NJ, rebuild his life, and nurse his broken heart.

Undercover Newark cop Ben Nolan went down in a hail of bullets when a bust went sideways, after a tip-off from a traitor inside the department. After he recovers, he spends a couple of years as a private investigator, only to tire of seeing the worst of human nature. So when his aunt offers him the chance to take over her rental real estate business in Cape May, it seems too good to be true. Now if he could just believe he could ever be lucky again in love.

When a missing antique shows up under mysterious circumstances, Ben and Erik are plunged into danger as a cursed hotel’s long-ago scandals resurface. Someone wants those secrets to stay buried—and is willing to add Ben and Erik to the death toll to keep the past hidden.

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Book Title: Treasure Trail

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy MM paranormal romance

Trope/s: Second chance, friends to lovers, starting over, psychic/medium and a cop, mystery, action/adventure,

Themes: Taking a chance on love, running from your past, trust, friendship, found family

Heat Rating: 4 flames

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Sexy Supernatural Suspense

I love stories with spooky stuff and sexy men. Add in some magic, a few ghosts, and maybe a creature or two, and I’m in my happy place. Oh, and throw in a murder or two just for good measure!

Treasure Trail checks off all my boxes—spooky, sexy, supernatural stuff, along with old scandals and unsolved murders. Throw in two hot guys with dangerous pasts and sparks really fly! Treasure Trail is set in Cape May, New Jersey. Erik Mitchell used to track art fraud and bust up forgery rings, but after a close call, he moves to Cape May to make a fresh start. Ex-cop Ben Nolan is also starting over, and sparks fly when the two men meet. But when old scandals and murders come to light, they’re going to need each other and every bit of luck to get their happy ending!

I’ve always loved ghost stories and murder mysteries, as well as urban fantasy tales where magic and creatures lurk in the shadows. Cape May is said to be one of the most haunted towns on the coast, with ghosts from shipwrecks, pirates, tragedy and lost loves—and some who just didn’t want to leave when their vacation time was up! Erik can see ghosts, but not talk to them. He sometimes also gets visions when he touches objects that have been part of a crime or trauma, letting him see what happened near the item at the time. Ben believes him about the ghosts—almost everyone in Cape May, including Ben, has seen a ghost or two. But when the spirits are linked to unsolved crimes, Ben and Erik need to solve the mystery fast, or risk becoming ghosts themselves!

Treasure Trail is the first in a new series. If you’ve read my Badlands and Witchbane series, you’ll see familiar characters make cameo appearances, since all of my characters and series overlap and cross over, including characters from my non-romance urban fantasy series that I write as Gail Z. Martin. It’s one big spooktacular universe!

“What the hell did you pack in these boxes? Rocks?” Sean Meirlach shifted the heavy moving box on his shoulder. Sean looked and sounded like the Jersey Shore guy he was, brawny and blunt.

“Books,” Ben replied. “You know, those rectangular paper things? Ever read one?” The teasing was good-natured. Ben Nolan had spent most of his summers working for his cousin’s mom, and they were thick as thieves. Which, Ben reflected, was a poor analogy for an ex-cop-turned-former-private-investigator. And now, at least for this summer, a vacation rental manager in beautiful Cape May, New Jersey.

“Yes, dumbass. I’ve read lots of books. And not just the ones with pictures in them,” Sean said with a smirk. Sean played up his bad boy persona, but Ben knew his cousin had plenty of brains, hustle, and street smarts.

“Good to know. I’d hate to have to break it to Aunt Meg that her favorite son was illiterate.”

Sean snorted. “Favorite son? I’m her onlyson, asshole. And she’s already pissed at me because I just want to run my food truck in Wildwood. Which is why you’re doing me a huge solid, taking over the family business.”

“Whoa, there! Hold up. I’m here for the summer. Justthe summer. I said I’d see how it went. No promises.”

“Just the summer? You sure brought a lot of shit with you if it’s just for the summer.” Sean set the box down a little harder than necessary on a table in the upstairs apartment over the rental office, which would be Ben’s home for the next few months. Ben dumped the tangle of odds and ends he had carried up from the rented van and flopped onto the couch. He had put most of his things in storage when he left Newark and brought what he didn’t want to do without, or what the apartment didn’t have. Sean had driven the truck up to Cape May, while Ben drove his black Mustang, packed to the roof.

He owed Sean a lot for helping him move—and, if truth be told, for pushing him as the perfect candidate for the job to Aunt Meg.

“Don’t screw up the master plan, dude!” Sean chided. “You’re sick of the big city and getting shot. And I need a little of that good life, somewhere not quite as buttoned-down.” He reached for a bottle of water and took a swig. “I love this town, but I need to stretch my wings. And the vibe in Wildwood is different. People come for the Pier and the Boardwalk and the rides. More singles, not just families. And they all have to eat!”

Sean’s truck, Put A Ring On It, specialized in kickass onion rings, which went on everything—burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, even chili. The combination of great food, a catchy name, and Sean’s outgoing personality had made for a very successful launch.

I’ve just been enjoying this author’s books so much. Happened upon one audio by accident, and have been working my way through them here and there. I love a little supernatural, and a little mystery with my romance, and Morgan Brice brings all of that.

In the case of (pun intended) Treasure Trail, we also get some historical including antiques, so this book hit all of my buttons. The mystery portion was a bit convoluted, and lost me a little a few times, but overall, it was exciting, and had current badies-so they weren’t literally chasing ghosts-and some supernatural aspects thrown in.

Ben was a bit tough to win over initially, but Erik was able to get him to understand a bit more of what their world consisted of. Throw in some sexy times and you end up with a fun, sexy thriller, and makes you want to dig around into that universe even more…which I might have done. 😉

4 pieces of eye candy

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

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

Other books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, and Badlands. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

Join my Worlds of Morgan Brice Facebook Group! Get the early scoop on upcoming books and new series, see new covers first, enjoy insider news and special contests and giveaways! Plus it’s where I get my beta readers and launch team!

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Check out the other blog posts and reviews here

Survive and Conquer by Andrew Grey: Exclusive Guest Post, and Release Day Review

July 15, 2019 by Denise

Newton DeSantis was on the ground when the towers collapsed on 9/11. Though he still carries the scars on his body and his heart, he’s determined to ease some of the world’s suffering. Now a social worker and father to two children with special needs, he’s doing his best. But when his son’s health takes a drastic turn, Newton knows he can’t do it alone.

Family law attorney Chase Matthews is a rising star, and he’s in high demand. Still, Newton is very persuasive, and Chase takes his case pro bono. Everything about the other man appeals to Chase, but he’s determined to keep the relationship professional—even though, after meeting Newton’s kids, he wants to be a part of their lives.

Chase’s job doesn’t always allow him to pick his clients, though, and a case that could make him partner will put him on the opposite side of the courtroom from Newton—along with everything he believes in and the future they could build together.

Title: Survive and Conquer
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 193

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I love top 5 posts. They’re fun and it isn’t me talking about my book and why I think you should read it. We all get enough of those posts and I get tired of writing them. 🙂 So I thought I would write about my Top 5 special places in the world. These are ones that have a very special meaning for me.

1) Willow Alaska – My aunt had a cabin there and I spent many happy hours boating and swimming in the lake. (The swimming was when I was a kid and didn’t know what real cold felt like)

2) Albuquerque NM – My dear friends BA and Julia live there and we always have an amazing time

3) S Lake Tahoe CA – A dear friend of my aunts lived there and she gave me a refuge of sorts when I was trying to figure things out as a relatively young adult

4) Ludington, Michigan – I spent part of my teenage years there, but this is before that, when my family used to vacation there. We camped, hiked, and basically learned to grow up under the trees on the shores of Lake Michigan.

5) Carlisle PA – This is home and where I have lived longer than anywhere else in my life. And its been with my husband. So much has happened int he 16 years we’ve been here that its hard a list them all.

Siiiiiigh, how I love this author and his way of writing the sweetest dads.

In this one, we meet Newton, who was on the ground when the towers were hit on 9/11, and he did his part to help in the way that he could and was injured from it, not only physically, but mentally as well. Having flashbacks is almost as bad as his scarred foot and constant pain, causing him to limp with a cane. He’s forty-two and has adopted two of the cutest, well-behaved kids, a boy and a girl that also has physical handicaps that made it harder for them to get adopted. Not with Newton, though, he loved them immediately and you can see it throughout the entire story. Love that.

Now, Newton is a social worker and he’s working a case with a woman who’s in-laws are trying to get her kids out of spite, and Newton knows just the person to help, although he’s very busy and turns him away at first… that’s how we meet Chase… a family attorney that has children’s best interest at heart not only because it’s morally right, but because of his own childhood that broke my heart for him.

Thankfully he has an amazing mother, which is more than I can say for Newton… which sucks, because she plays a side part in this story that was more annoying than anything. She’s a basketcase that uses her religion and Newton’s sexuality to cause trouble… I wish we’d have gotten a better karmic smackdown in her face, but I’m petty and vindictive and mother or not, that woman was awful. Prepare to not like her.

Now, Newton needing Chase’s help, he bribes him a little bit with a homecooked meal to meet the mother and two kids that need his help and that’s how things with them start. At dinner, a medical emergency with Newton’s son has them spending time together outside of the professional setting and it was just easy to fall for
Newton and his kids, especially seeing how loving of a father he is and how he’s willing to put himself on the back burner to make his kids happy. It’s sweet and admirable and Chase is smitten with them all.

Things get complicated when the guys find out they’re working on the same case, but they handle it like adults and though things are rocky for a minute, it gets resolved quickly. I like the low angst and the mature way things are handled in
Andrew’s stories…. Little drama, little frustration…. I like that the couple is a bit older and don’t play games or let their pride get in the way of not communicating and unnecessary problems….

Overall, it’s a cute read with adorable kids and a sweet dad who finds love for them all…. Perfect!

4 pieces of eye candy

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

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

Author Links

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For Other Works by Andrew Grey

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

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

Home Improvement – A Love Story by TaraLain: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt and Release Day Review

July 11, 2019 by Denise

Romance on Aisle Sixteen—opposites attract amid the hammers and screws of the home improvement store.

Gabe Mason became a father at seventeen, and his daughter, Ellie, is the most important thing in his life. But being the parent the courts demand means Gabe has given up most of his dreams—education, making furniture, a gay social life—to be a model dad with a steady, reliable job in a home improvement store. Life’s predictable until Jerry, a shy, eccentric guy in a hat and sunglasses, begs Gabe to oversee the renovation of his run-down mansion.

Gabe loves the house and the work, and Jerry’s pretty lovable too, but when Gabe discovers Jerry’s secret identity, he fears their passion could overturn both their lives forever.

Title: Home Improvement – A Love Story
Author: Tara Lain
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 192

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Favorite Tropes – What are Yours?

Welcome. I’m so happy to be here to introduce my new romance, HOME IMPROVEMENT – A LOVE STORY. This is a single dad, opposites attract, secret identity story. Funny how I use those words and we all have a solid idea what they mean in a book. In literature, we call them tropes. While the literal definition of the word trope has to do with figures of speech, in novels, especially genre fiction, tropes have come to mean the familiar themes that we find in stories– especially romances – that have thrilled us since the days of the Greeks, Shakespeare, and Moliere. These are themes like “secret baby”, arranged marriage, rich boy/poor girl (or boy!), friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, boy disguised as girl or vice versa, studly cowboy, dashing sheik, and on and on. Our love for these familiar plot devices unite and connect us through shared experience.

Tropes always remind me of the famous Star Trek The Next Generation episode called Darmok, one of the most praised shows of any scifi series. (Look it up.) The premise was that there was a planet that had been unable to join the community of nations because no one could understand their language. The reason? All the words and references were based on cultural norms and common experiences that other planetary societies didn’t share. That’s how we are with tropes. If we refer to a Romeo and Juliet story, virtually anyone vaguely familiar with the play knows just what we mean. Rich girl/poor boy suggest immediate conflicts that we all know, and friends-to-lovers means something to everyone who reads or watches any kind of popular culture.

What are your favorite tropes? I only have to glance at my books to know what mine are. Opposites attract has been way at the top of my list from my earliest novels. I love the immediate conflict that arises from two people who appear to be different in most every way like a blue collar guy and a fashion stylist, an NFL football center and a drag queen, or a guy who works in a home improvement store and someone rich and famous.

I also find I love single dad stories. It took me a while to get into this trope. Most of my early books don’t have kids in them. But once I dipped in a toe – I think it might have been in my short story, Trex or Treat, I was hooked. I’ve written lots of single dads since then, in Lord of a Thousand Steps, High Balls, Cowboys Don’t Come Out, and, of course, in HOME IMPROVEMENT – A LOVE STORY.

Shakespeare and I share a love of secret identities. Shakespeare constantly dressed his woman as boys and got them in all kinds of trouble. I tend to do the opposite, of course and dress my guys as girls, but I also like stories where the identity of one of the lovers is hidden for some reason. That’s true in my new book.

I hope you love reading HOME IMPROVEMENT – A LOVE STORY and that it captures some of your favorite tropes.

When he got to the end of the aisle, he looked casually to his left. Tight against a display of light fixtures, back turned to Gabe, stood the guy in the beanie. He had long legs in baggy jeans, an equally baggy sweatshirt that still stretched across really wide shoulders, all his hair covered by the cap, and still the total strangeness didn’t obscure the view of one world-class ass inside the jeans.

Gabe cleared his throat but didn’t get too close. “Can I help you find something, sir?”

“Wha—” He half turned, and Gabe saw he’d put on sunglasses after he’d withdrawn from peering around the corner.

“Can I help you, sir?” Gabe thought he should probably walk away, but the guy had become kind of a challenge.

The customer reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a drawer handle. He muttered, “Need handles this size.”

Gabe took it. “All right, sir. If you’ll come with me, we have the drawer pulls at the end of aisle sixteen.”

The guy nodded and turned but never raised his head enough to look Gabe in the eye. Still, his high cheekbones and full lips made his face striking, even when it was pointed at his shoes.

Gabe started walking, trusting from the soft scuffling of sneakers behind him that the man was following. Those footsteps slowed when they passed the woman with the kids as she gathered the last of her screws, but he sped up again after she dragged the children toward the checkout registers. In front of the rows of drawers containing handles and knobs, Gabe pointed to the samples attached to the front of each drawer. “See any you like?”

The guy’s head barely moved, so through the glasses, Gabe couldn’t see if he even looked. He shrugged.

“Do you like modern? Traditional?”

“Modern.”

“Brushed nickel, maybe? Or are you a chrome guy?”

The slim nose wrinkled.

“So no chrome. Nickel, then.” Gabe walked to the drawers and held out the sample the guy had given him to check for size and spacing center to center. He picked a couple of modern pulls he liked and took them from the drawers, then held them out to the man.

He looked at the pulls intently, cocked his head, and then ripped off the glasses somewhat impatiently, as if someone had made him wear them.

Gabe sucked in a soft breath. The guy’s eyes were two different colors, one a deep blue and the other light green. Startling and very distinctive. Maybe it affected his eyesight or sensitivity to light and that’s why he was wearing sunglasses in ImproveMart?

The guy reached out a long-fingered hand and tapped the handle that was Gabe’s favorite—a simple wide U-shape of brushed nickel. Gabe nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good one. How many do you need?”

“Uh, eight.” His voice was soft to the point of nonexistence.

Gabe pulled the drawer out farther and began counting out the plastic packages that contained the handle and necessary screws, piling them on the shelf beside him. “Need anything else?”

The guy had put his glasses back on by the time Gabe turned to him. Darn. Those eyes are something. The man nodded his head and pointed to some simple, ball-shaped drawer pulls. “Ten.”

“Oh, I hope I have enough.” Gabe pulled open the drawer and started counting.

The dude stepped closer to watch the counting, which turned out to be a bad idea for Gabe’s autonomic responses. What is that smell? Like some mix of orange and spice. Whatever it was, Gabe’s lower regions came out for a sniff. He shifted his feet and pressed his elbows against his work vest to be sure it covered his crotch. Down boy.

He forced a smile as he scraped the last package from the drawer. “There you go. We just made ten.” Gabe looked around. The guy had no cart. Not even a carry basket. What exactly was he planning on hauling stuff in?

The man seemed to realize it at the same time as Gabe. He grabbed his lip between his teeth, looked down, took hold of the hem of his giant sweatshirt, and held the bottom out like a bag.

Gabe chuckled. “Excellent save.” The problem with the dude’s invention was it raised the shirt from his narrow hips—and what might, just might, have been a half-mast condition thrusting out the front of his jeans. Don’t need to know that—if it’s true. Hell, just what he needed. To get turned on by weird customers.

Gabe’s life consists of two things… working at the homewares store and providing the best life he can for his teenage daughter. He puts everything else on the back burner, partly because he wants her to have the best life, but also because his ex-wife, depending on the man she’s with at the moment, is just itching to take him back to court to get custody of their daughter, even though she’s almost 17 and able to make those decisions for herself…..

I first want to say that I adored this story, but the whole storyline with the ex and all the trouble she makes, is ridiculous when at the end, she just kind of gets over it when the whole story she’s been this evil, bigoted, hate-spewing woman that causes both Ellie and Gabe nothing but stress and misery. Gabe even goes so far and spends his life alone, not dating….ever, just because she’d make trouble! Then all the sudden she calls, they go running and all is forgiven??? Uhm, no.

So, Gabe is excellent at his job and he’s probably the most experienced man there, so when a clueless and shy guy comes in for help, Gabe is sent to help him out. That’s when he meets Jerry.
I adored Jerry… Painfully shy and socially awkward, I knew there was something about him that he was hiding. It’s obvious from the beginning and though it was easy to figure out, I can’t believe Gabe didn’t before he did.

I loved how slow their relationship formed and progressed. It was sweet and realistic, watching them tip toe around each other and hope that the other was feeling the same way… you could tell they had feelings for each other but neither of them would come out and say it. It was a little bit annoying that Gabe kept jumping to conclusions and ran away when things got even a little bit tricky, but they always worked it out.

I also didn’t understand Jerry’s brother…. He seemed shady and bad news, and I thought for sure that Jerry would have it out with him, but he just kind of disappeared as well. Causing trouble one second and then gone the next. I’d have liked for Jerry to have told him off and not let him have all the say in his life anymore. I’d have liked the satisfaction… but meh, I’m petty.

It was tricky, being a celebrity and trying to be a normal person with a private life, as Jerry tried to do, and it proved a bit tricky to be the little piece of normal for the celebrity that so very much needed that, but they got there in the end.

Overall though, I loved how Gabe and Jerry was with each other, and I loved each one’s relationship with Gabe’s daughter Ellie. She’s sweet and helpful and she just wanted them both to be happy. Other than the ex-wife and Jerry’s brother… I really enjoyed it!

4 pieces of eye candy

Tara Lain believes in happy ever afters – and magic. Same thing. In fact, she says, she doesn’t believe, she knows. Tara shares this passion in her best-selling stories that star her unique, charismatic heroes — the beautiful boys of romance — and adventurous heroines. Quarterbacks and cops, werewolves and witches, blue collar or billionaires, Tara’s characters, readers say, love deeply, resolve seemingly insurmountable differences, and ultimately live their lives authentically. After many years living in southern California, Tara, her soulmate honey and her soulmate dog decided they wanted less cars and more trees, prompting a move to Ashland, Oregon where Tara’s creating new stories and loving living in a small town with big culture. Likely a Gryffindor but possessed of Parseltongue, Tara loves animals of all kinds, diversity, open minds, coconut crunch ice cream from Zoeys, and her readers. She also loves to hear from you.

Author Links:

Website: http://taralain.com/

Blog: http://www.taralain.com/blog

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Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2ICPcCZ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/taralain/

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Complementary Colors by Adrienne Wilder: RDB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

July 11, 2019 by Denise

My sister Julia manipulated my life into a prison to keep me silent about our dirty family secret. Her greed made me a slave and circumstance left me with no way to escape.

Trapped, the only way I could silence the nightmares driving me to insanity was to wrap them in color, hold them with shadow, and stitch them to negative space with line.

But no matter how bright the pigments, no one could see my confession.

Except for Roy Callahan.

I thought he was just another nameless one-night stand in a long line of many.

But I was wrong. Roy could see past the façade of my life and through the veil color over the canvas. He could see what the world couldn’t.

And with him I’d find the courage to tell the truth about the boy.

The boy who kissed me.

The boy who loved me.

The boy whose name I couldn’t remember.

Book Title: Complementary Colors

Author: Adrienne Wilder

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Adrienne Wilder

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: From different worlds

Themes: mental illness, PTSD, HEA

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 362 pages

It is a standalone story.

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Chapter One

I knew he didn’t belong the moment I saw him.

He wasn’t cut by money or shaped by political interests, and the rental he wore was a bad joke in the ocean of Versace suits and Chanel ball gowns, fitting him tight across the shoulders and short in the arms. A belt held up his pants, and the waves of extra fabric did nothing to accentuate the ass I knew was just as perfect as the rest of him.

I drank my champagne while the stranger picked his way through the clumps of people gathered in front of the hideous paintings I had on display.

“Paris, darling, Mr. Darcy was asking you about one of your works.” Julia put her hand on my arm. I ignored my sister and Mr. Darcy. Whatever it was he wanted to say to me, I’d heard it before; Mind-blowing, so unique, see the passion, the fire, and my favorite, it speaks to me.

Bullshit.

Only one person could see the dirty secret hidden within the lines, the color, the violence.

Me.

I handed Julia my empty glass.

She tightened her grip on my arm. “These people came a long way to meet you.”

They always came a long way to meet me. Even if it was a block away.

“Bathroom,” I said. Julia frowned. I think she knew I was lying but didn’t want to call me out on it in front of her friends. I peeled away her fingers. “If you don’t mind, of course.” I slipped into the crowd.

Julia would give Mr. Darcy and his flavor-of-the-year wife some excuse on my behalf. Then she’d slay them with her silver tongue, and by the end of the night, they’d write a check for some ungodly amount and buy a piece of hell I’d spewed out into the world.

They’d hang it in their country home or put it in their yacht. They’d smile and laugh and remain deaf to the confession screaming to be told.

Heat from the track lighting pressed down on my shoulders. Greetings cast out by guests floated in shades of black and gray.

I followed the stranger’s trail of color all the way to the back of the gallery. He disappeared around a partition and through a door. I checked to see if anyone was watching before I went in.

Cold fluorescents replaced track lighting, and the hum of the ventilation system snuffed out a burst of laughter. There were only two doors in the maintenance hall, besides the one that shut behind me.

A deep mechanical sound chugged from behind the one left open. I slipped inside and turned the knob so I could control the catch.

The man crouched beside an opening in one of the large metal units. Even on his knees, I could tell he was about my height, but his shoulders were wide, and his limbs were thick.

I hoped that trait didn’t stop at his legs and arms.

After a few minutes, he seemed satisfied and replaced the panel. When he stood, I had a brief glimpse of the curve of his ass when his slacks tightened.

He turned and dropped the tools he held. His hip hit the metal hull of the unit, and it boomed.

“Jesus Christ. You scared the shit out of me.”

A five o’clock shadow dusted his jaw, hardening his features enough to make him look dangerous. And there was already no doubt left in my mind that he could kill me if he wanted to.

He wiped his hands with a rag from his pocket. Scars crossed the knuckles of his callused fingers. The thought of his rough grip on my body left me hard.

“I replaced the coil.” The sound of his voice wrapped me in red and tied me up with gold. “That should relieve some of the strain on the unit. It’s pretty old, though.” He put his tools into a toolbox. “You might want to consider replacing it.”

I engaged the lock on the door.

He followed me with his eyes as I made a half circle around him. His physical appearance didn’t make him alluring. It was how he carried himself. Like a man who was one with the world and not above it. I grazed a look up and down his body.

“I’ll send you a bill.” He reached for his toolbox.

I got in the way, trapping him against the air-conditioning unit.

“Is there something else you ne—” He cleared his throat. “Need?”

“Are you afraid of me?”

He pulled himself to his full height. “Do I have a reason to be?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On how much the idea of fucking me appeals to you.”

Mental illness, broken characters, angst, art…all are kryptonite for me. The story is told from Paris’ point of view, which is both beautiful, troubling and terrifying.

Color is everything to Paris. He sees color everywhere. And he puts the color to canvas to tell a story he cannot tell. But his paintings are abstract so no one can see what he is actually saying. Except for Roy.

Roy is everything Paris isn’t. Poor, works labor jobs for little money, has no pretense, tells it like it is, honest to a fault. But they are drawn together like magnets.

Paris has a wildly successful career as an artist, but he is controlled by his sister Julia. She is a classic abuser “you make me” “if it wasn’t for you” “I only do it because I love you”. It was chilling.

This would have been an entirely different book if it was from someone else’s POV or in the third person. But it HAD to be told from Paris’ POV. To understand his mania and PTSD and his life as a victim of abuse.

I absorbed every word of this book. It is long, it is detailed, but it is necessary to tell the story. I almost feel like the relationship between Paris and Roy takes second place to the story of Paris’ mental state. That is almost a character in and of itself.

There was no sugar coating of his mental illness. It was honest and true in a way that not a lot of books are willing to go. But reading books like this help build compassion for the people out there in the world. You have no idea what is going on inside their heads. Armani suits on the outside, bruises and imaginary rabbits on the inside.

4.75 pieces of eye candy

I am a writer of contemporary and speculative fiction and artist of all things monster. I live to create new worlds and the people in them. Several of my books have been best sellers both nationally and internationally. I have also been a finalist in the LAMDA awards, the “Oscars” of gay literary works.

I do my best to write original stories with powerful characters and emotion as well as a fast-paced plot. My goal isn’t just to deliver a good story but to take the reader into the story and let them experience the characters as if they are right there with them.

While almost all my books have a romantic element, I will be the first to admit, they are not traditional romance. In fact, I’d like to think there is nothing traditional about them. And the stories I paint are done so way outside the lines of traditional genres.

One of my favorite things to do as a writer is push the boundaries of what makes a story and to deliver the unexpected and maybe even change the perspective of the reader.

My characters are more often than not, beautifully flawed, not always the good guy, and make mistakes. Their stories will take dark turns which, in the end, make the light at the end of the tunnel all the brighter.

If you’re looking for something different, exciting, and unique, my books are for you.

Check out my website for updates and how to contact me. I love hearing from fans.

Author Links

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Triple Threat by Davidson King: Exclusive Guest Post, Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

July 8, 2019 by Denise

Lee, Jones, and Ginger deal with dangerous situations and mounting stress daily working for the most powerful assassin organization in the world. All of those things seem like a walk in the park compared to the friction that sparks between them. When all three are assigned to the same job, ignoring the heat from the inferno of desire becomes impossible.
Lee is a master at deciphering codes, skilled in hacking complicated systems, and never misses a target, even from over fifty miles away. His feelings for Jones and Ginger, however, may be the first code he’s unable to crack.

Jones deals in absolutes, but the road to his past is paved with bodies and regrets. Getting Lee to acknowledge the pull they both feel toward Ginger may be the hardest mission he’s ever had to face.

Ginger struggles to cope with the overwhelming guilt that accompanies this new job. Falling for these hired killers will be a risk—one that could wind up with him losing in the end or gaining everything he’s ever wanted.

As the three work together to take down a human trafficking ring—and save a desperate soul—time is of the essence. Their lives are on the line as mysteries unfold and unexpected encounters throw them off course. Will Lee, Jones, and Ginger let doubts come between them, distracting them from their mission and blocking any hope of love? Or can they face the toughest challenge of their lives and become…a triple threat?

Triple Threat

Haven Heart Series, Book 6

Davidson King

Release Date: June 27th

M/M, Suspense, Romance, Action, Menage

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Writing Ménage

Ménage is my most favorite trope to read, and probably not for the reasons you think. While sex is lovely it’s not on the top of my list. Because it’s my favorite, I find myself as a critical reader when it came to ménage. I have found exceptional books that tackled the dynamic perfectly. And others that were just either a big orgy or something felt like it was missing.

Triple Threat is a ménage and the first I’ve ever written. Going into it I was nervous partially because it’s following a story arc and I was tossing in an MMM where some don’t like them, and also because I was writing the one trope, I am somewhat judgmental with.

It was important to me while pushing the story arc forward, to also bring the elements of each character out and connect them in a way that was believable and realistic. I felt I accomplished that but recognize where I find the strengths of a throuple, others may not.

The psychology of a three-person relationship is vital. I need to feel it, believe it, know it in my bones to be true. Yes, sexually— if that’s even their preference— they must work as well. But more than anything you need to say, “Yeah they were never supposed to be two, always three.”

Writing ménage was so very hard because sometimes getting my thoughts out isn’t easy but in the end, I felt I did it justice and wrote Jones, Lee, and Ginger exactly how they were meant to be portrayed, and pushed the story along.

With Lee and Jones busy, I popped my earbuds in, hit play on my Spotify, and drowned in the sounds of Pat Benatar. I loved the ‘80s, some of the ‘90s, but damn the ‘80s had amazing music. As with every time I listened to my music, I started swaying in my seat. I closed my eyes, let my hands tap, my feet slide, and that chorus in “We Belong”… it possessed me, and I couldn’t help myself but to sing. I sang softly as to not disturb Lee and Jones.

“What the absolute fuck!” The sound of Jones’ voice broke through. I opened my eyes and pulled my buds out. The van had stopped and now Lee was standing, staring at me, too.

“Hey,” I said meekly. “What’s up?”

“You scared the crap out of me,” Jones said, and Lee nodded in agreement.

“How?”

“One second it’s all quiet, then it’s like opera cats or something,” Lee answered, and this time Jones agreed.

“Wow, that’s harsh.” I drew my legs up to my chest, hearing the faint sounds of Tiffany singing that she thinks we’re alone now.

“Just warn us when you’re going to break out into song is all,” Lee grumbled, and then got back into the driver’s seat. I slipped the earbuds back in.

A tap on my leg had me pulling out my earbuds again.

“You listen to all ‘80s or you got some not shitty crap in there?” Jones asked, and I gripped my phone like he just shit on my dreams.

“Nothing of what I have is shit!”

Lee started to laugh as he pulled back onto the road and Jones had a huge grin. It was a change I hadn’t really seen in a while. Those two actually enjoying each other. I knew there was history there, everyone did.

If they wanted to be that way, okay. “Just for that,” I said as I put the phone on speaker and hit play. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts started singing about loving rock and roll, and because they love it so much, I sang with them.

Jones’ eyes widened and Lee once again pulled to the side of the road and turned in his seat. Seemed I was entertainment. I knew I didn’t have the best voice, but I had rendered these two dangerous men speechless. I was loving the power, the control.

Feeling daring, I inched over to Jones who looked positively terrified, and began drumming on his legs.

“Sweet Jesus,” Lee said and laughed so loudly I lost track of my words and watched him. Tears ran down his face, and he had his arms wrapped around his middle. It was a contagious laugh, and suddenly the three of us were in hysterics.

Finally we get Lee and Jones! And Ginger!

I loved the entire story line of this book regarding the human trafficking. The “romance” and start of the throuple, meh. Left me wanting a bit as it definitely took a background role.

Lee and Jones have refused to work together for a while. But now they have to. King is making them partner up to take down a human trafficking ring. And when Ginger sees that one of the boys up for auction is is brother, he is all in as well.

This book definitely gave all of King’s employees a heart. Showing that they aren’t just assassins. Like I said, it was a great story with a lot of twists and turns and tons of characters and even a few other incidental storylines in there.

What I really wanted as well was a good juicy love story between the three guys. But honestly, it seemed like they just kind of fell into it. Lots of flirting and and then BAM! They were a throuple. Very little discussion, Lee and Jones are all happy again like nothing happened between them in the past. Ginger questions his role in the throuple in the beginning, but then he is also all in with very little thought.

Don’t get me wrong, I think they are great together. But they needed to be together without the human trafficking assignment looming as well. They were so busy focusing on their assignment that they really didn’t have time to focus on themselves.

Knowing this author, we will definitely see more of these three. And I hope it is them living together happily.

We also got another fairly big hint as to the entire enigma that surrounds Poe. GAH!

So yes, really good book, fair love story. But if you are a fan of these books, you have to read this one to help connect all the dots leading to the next.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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 to ALL links: https://linktr.ee/davidsonkingauthor

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Waited So Long by J.M. Dabney: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

July 2, 2019 by Denise

What happens when your best friend’s son comes home and he’s all grown up?
Devon Hoffman has a secret. He’s wanted a Daddy all his own, but when you’re pushing fifty, you’re completely over the hill. Newly divorced and trying to be single again after an almost thirty-year relationship, he’s lost and needs someone to ground him. Except he’s anxious and his depression intensifies until Bern returns after leaving the service and the younger man suddenly takes interest. Can he let his guard down and risk losing his best friend or should he do whatever is needed to keep his secret safe?

Waited So Long

J.M. Dabney

Genre: MM Daddy Kink/Light Age Play/Domestic Discipline Romance

Release Date: 06.18.19

Cover Art by J.M. Dabney

Cover Image – Golden Czermak/Furious Fotog

Cover Model – Caylan Hughes

Amazon

“Bern.”

“You know you want to say it, just say it.”

“Daddy,” I whispered the word and marveled at the freedom I felt. As if decades of weight lifted from my chest with a few syllables.

“Yes, baby?”

“Don’t hurt me.”

“There is plenty I want to experience with you, give you and none of them has anything to do with hurting you. I’ve waited way too long.”

I loved his gruff voice and the conviction I heard in it. I truly believed he wanted me and that shocked me. Bern could have any man he wanted and he freely admitted that it was me. No one had desired me in years, I’d always been lacking because of what I required. But I’d hidden those needs and the opportunity was right there, offered freely to me.

“I’ll be there when you get off the plane and then we’ll come home, I’ll hold you and you can ask me all the questions you want.”

“Okay.”

Devon and his Daddy.

What would it be like to love a married man and wait for him for over a decade? I couldn’t imagine it. Devon had been with his husband for almost thirty years and he treated him awful. There were things that Devon needed that he never put a voice too, but he also withheld the little things, like his love and affection. I’m not sure how everyone stayed quiet over the years, especially when they all saw how unhappy he was. I’m a big mouth, if my friend seems unhappy, I’ll be the first one to say it… especially if it’s so blatant that they’re unhappy and being cheated on. I didn’t understand why nobody said anything…

But, when Bern got wind that Devon’s husband up and filed for divorce, he knew he couldn’t stay away any longer. Having been in love with Devon since he was 15, every fantasy he’d ever had included Devon and the kind of relationship he wanted with him. An overheard experience opened up a whole new world for Bern, and he loved what he now knew Devon needed.

I loved the way Bern took care of Devon, because he’d spent so much of his life not getting what he needed from anyone else. He deserved all the happy. I feel like the age play, like cartoons and playtime was sprinkled in just for effect, because it wasn’t paid attention to much, but the way Bern took care of Devon and D/s aspect of their relationship wasn’t BDSM’y, which I’m really not a fan of, so I appreciated that… and it was just about being what the other needed and showing each other that they loved each other in the way that they both needed, and I loved that.

My heart broke for Bern’s dad, but I’m glad things started getting better for him at the end. I like when everybody gets their HEA, and though nothing could bring the love of his life back, he was doing what he could now to move on and keep living, all while remembering this big love that he’d have forever. I adored that.

Overall though, this is just yet another short and sweet read by an author that’s an instant one-click for me. I’m never disappointed….and hello…. Bern was hot when he got all growly and Daddy-like. I’d have read it for that alone…. Having all the love and feels was just a bonus!

I’m also glad the ex got to see Devon being treated the way he deserved. I’m glad it made him mad and I’m glad it got rubbed in his face a little bit. I’d be interested to see if Jeff could get a story, I’d be all about that !!! Hopefullly this is just the beginning of another great series. Would love to read more.

5 pieces of eye candy

J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes mainly LGBT 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.