Quick Reviews

Squared Away by Annabeth Albert: Exclusive Author Guest Post, Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

April 16, 2018 by Denise

In the wake of tragedy, SEAL Mark Whitley rushed stateside to act as guardian to his sister’s three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to someone else—someone Mark remembers as a too young, too hot, wild party boy. Even after six years, Mark can’t shake the memory of his close encounter with Isaiah James, or face up to what it says about his own sexuality.

Isaiah’s totally over the crush that made him proposition Mark all those years ago. In fact, he’s done with crushing on the wrong men altogether. For now, he’s throwing himself into proving he’s the best person to care for his cousin’s kids. But there’s no denying there’s something sexy about a big, tough military man with a baby in his arms.

As the legal details get sorted out, their long-buried attraction resurfaces, leading to intimate evenings after the kids are tucked in. A forever future is within reach for all of them, if only Mark can find the courage he needs to trust Isaiah with his secrets—and his heart.

When a SEAL medic inherits three young children, he must battle to keep the family together and keep his long-held feelings for the man challenging him for custody at bay.

Squared Away

Series: Out of Uniform #5

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date (Print & Ebook): April 16. Print, ebook, and audio all available.

Length (Print & Ebook): 80,000 words

Subgenre: m/m military romance

Includes: military romance, insta-family, hurt/comfort, angst, interracial, heroes-with-kids, gay romance, demisexual/gray ace hero, first time, loss, reunion, forced proximity

Amazon

Paperback

Audible

iBooks

Kobo

B&N

Carina Press

Greetings! I’m so excited to be here today, talking about SQUARED AWAY, the latest book in my out of uniform series. One of the heroes, Isaiah, shows up as a minor character in AT ATTENTION as a new friend for Dylan, the AT ATTENTION hero. Isaiah intrigued me from the start and when he insisted on reappearing in WHEELS UP in a minor role for a scene, I knew he was getting a book.

He demanded Mark “Wizard” Whitley who appeared in ON POINT as a medic. Isaiah has had a crush on Mark ever since Mark’s sister married Isaiah’s beloved cousin. He really believed that they shared a special connection, but Mark gently turned him down, and now years have gone by and Isaiah’s tried to push his crush aside.

But when tragedy throws him and Mark together to raise three young children, old feelings come rising to the surface. Isaiah’s deep feelings for Mark are contrasted with his fun-loving personality. He’s great with the kids because he loves playing around, dancing, and inventing games. He’s learning skills like cooking as he goes along, and he does a really admirable job coping with the tragedy.

Isaiah is something of a hedonist—he loves long baths, massages, and finding ways to share pleasure. He’s good at taking pleasure in the small things in life too. His big ambition is to run his own landscaping business, and he takes particular pride in designing gardens for families. Something of a party boy when he was younger, Isaiah is coming to see how much of a homebody side he really has—he loves movies, dinners in, and sneaking cuddles on the couch.

His story was one of my very favorites to write, and I can’t wait for you to meet Isaiah in SQUARED AWAY! Enjoy!

What Annabeth Albert has to say about this book in her Out of Uniform series:

“I wanted to write a book about the nature of family and how loss and tragedy can shape family, mold it into something stronger, force growth and change. I’m enormously proud of SQUARED AWAY as a result because how I fell in love with this little family.”

“When Wizard first appeared in ON POINT as a secondary character, I was intrigued by him, but it wasn’t until I let myself get into his head that I really saw how complicated he was. I feel honored and privileged to have been able to tell his story.”

“No book gets written in a vacuum and this one is no different. I owe a huge debt on this book to my sensitivity readers who really encouraged me to dig deep.”

Mark and Isaiah…Mark’s sister married Isaiah’s cousin, and thus a crush is born.

At their wedding several years ago, Isaiah saw Mark and wanted him so bad. Unfortuntaely, Mark being a Navy SEAL, and Isaiah being so young, Mark turned him down when Isaiah propositioned him, then spent the next several years avoiding him as best he could. Then, tragedy strikes and they lose the people they had in common, and it’s so hard on both of them. Harder even because they’ve left their three kids behind, with a confusing will and neither know what to do about it, but both of them want the kids. Have I mentioned, ever how big of a sucker I am for hot guys with cute kids? I mean come on! Who doesn’t love that?!?!

Isaiah may have been a party boy and may have been flighty and irresponsible before, but with those kids…he’s fierce and protective and they all love each other so much. He would’ve went down swinging for them for sure. Unfortunately, Mark had been deployed and busy with his own life, so he didn’t have a relationship with them, but wanted to, now that he could. He couldn’t do it without Isaiah though, he was the one holding them all together.

Now, there were terms I had to look up, because I didn’t understand what gray ace was, or demisexual, there are so many different labels, I had to look them up. I wonder how many people struggle with that? Thinking that there’s something wrong with them and not knowing what…Or feeling broken somehow and not knowing that there are other people out there with the same preferences. I loved that this story used that. I was ignorant to it before and I like learning new things, so… thanks for that!

There were times I wanted to shake Mark and wonder how in the world he didn’t know that some of the things he was doing, could and probably would hurt Isaiah, because in my opinion…Isaiah was so much more patient and understanding than I would’ve been. Not about Mark coming out, but just about everything. Mark was kind of lost, and trying to find his way with this new “relationship”, not only romantically, but as uncles who were raising 3 children and trying to the best they could with that they had. A lot fell on Isaiah, and it had to be a lot of strain on him…I admired him for keeping it together and wanting to do what was right for the babies, even when he was hurting so bad, with everything that was getting thrown at him, left and right. I was rooting for both of them, but I had such a soft spot in my heart for Isaiah.

I also loved seeing the other guys from this series, and seeing how they took Mark’s back when he needed them, even though it took him forever to let his guard down and trust them to have it. Tackling same sex marriages in the military at all is tricky business, so I love reading stories where it’s accepted and even celebrated, even if only in small ways. One of these days we’ll get to a place where it won’t be a thing we even have to differientiate. Fingers crossed.

Until then, I’ll keep reading and loving these stories, and I thought this one was an excellent addition.

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

To his surprise, Mark didn’t laugh. Instead, he looked thoughtful. “What if I asked you to?” he said softly.

“To put out?” Isaiah’s throat had never seemed drier.

“We’re sitting here. Talking. Like adults. Just a couple of guys. And I can’t quit thinking about your lips, and I don’t know why.” Mark’s voice had a sleepy, dreamlike quality to it, and Isaiah was fully prepared to wake up any second because he’d been dreaming about Mark saying shit like this for years.

“I do.” Moving slowly as to not bang heads or—more likely—spook Mark, Isaiah moved so that their faces were level, inches apart. “You want to kiss me.”

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. The #OutOfUniform series joins her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat and #PerfectHarmony series. To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: www.annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two active children.

Connect with Annabeth:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Captain Merric by Rebecca Cohen: Exclusive Excerpt, Blog Tour and Review

April 13, 2018 by Denise

A tale of pirates, lost love, and the fight for a happy ending.

After he’s set adrift and left to die by his mutinous crew, the last person Royal Navy officer Daniel Horton expects to come to his rescue is Captain Merric. An infamous pirate, Merric is known as much for stealing his victims’ hearts as their jewels. Daniel’s world is about to be turned upside down when he recognises Captain Merric as none other than Edward Merriston, someone he thought he’d never see again.

Edward can’t believe Daniel Horton is aboard his ship. While Edward is willing to do anything he can to get a second chance at their happy ending, Daniel isn’t interested in digging up the past. But Daniel is one priceless treasure Captain Merric isn’t about to let go of without a fight.

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design

Length: 55,000 words approx.

Amazon

Exclusive Excerpt

Edward chewed thoughtfully on a hunk of bread before speaking. “I admit I was surprised to hear Captain Horton was unmarried. I thought your father would have pushed for a good match.”

“Oh, he has tried several times, but me being at sea so often had been an inconvenience to his plans. Henry had it far worse, but as older brother and next baron he was always the priority.”

“Marriage is not about love when you are a member of the peerage, it is about allegiances and power,” said Edward with a sneer. “You could have married someone and lived at opposite ends of country and no one would have thought it strange.”

“Perhaps so, but I at least would wish to try and be a good husband if I were to marry—but alas I have not the disposition to make even the most patient woman happy.”

Edward laughed. “Don’t think I will be cowed by your disposition… I have already seen you soften a little in a few days. I imagine you would be a different man after a few weeks. Well, not different, but more as you were.”

“I fear you will be disappointed if you expect to me to revert back to the boy that I was. In the same way life at sea has changed you, it has changed me. You cannot have the blood of men on your hands and not be affected by it all. I have been in sea battles, raids, and skirmishes—none of them pass without leaving a mark. I have seen good and bad men die, come close myself at least once, and every event has in some way made me who I am today.”

Edward placed a hand on his thigh. “I understand that. And I do not challenge it. We are all the reflections of a well-lived past. I want to know the Daniel of today, not then, but you will not persuade me that the fundamentals that were deep in your core aren’t still there.”

“I am still stubborn and argumentative, if that’s what you mean.”

“Good to know. Do you still have a desire to stack coins by size order?”

Daniel laughed, remembering the times Edward had teased him over it. “There are some habits that I will never break. That and ensuring my books are always in alphabetical order by author. You were always an unruly sod—used to mess up my system just to get a rise.”

“I have always loved getting a rise out of you.” Edward leaned closer and raised an eyebrow.

After 15 years, pirate Captain Edward Merric and naval Captain Daniel Horton come face to face again. After a misunderstanding perpetrated by Edward’s father, Daniel has believed Edward to be long dead, while Edward believed Daniel no longer wanted to be with him. The misunderstanding is quickly uncovered but these two still have some issues to overcome if they are going to be together. After the pain of losing his first love, Daniel locked his heart away and became a successful, if not cold and unapproachable, captain in the British Navy. Edward has to decide if he can give up the carefree pirate’s life he’s led and thrived in since he last saw Daniel. Edward is determined to win Daniel back, while Daniel will struggle with what he has to give up in to be with his great love. Count on smexy times at a tropical waterfall, which I think is a requirement for a Carribbean pirate story (or at least should be).

I love pirate stories and second chance stories, but this book was just ok for me. I liked the plot fine, the writing itself just fell flat with paragraphs of dialogue, but no indication as to what else the speaker might be doing as he says a bunch of words or how he might sound as he’s saying them. Which leaves the reader to guess at what the speaker is feeling. The pace was therefore just a bit fast, as reactions to a conversation just sort of happen with no lead up. There’s also a number of typos that can be sort of jarring.

A cute read when you get past the blemishes.

3 pieces of eye candy

Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and young son in Basel, Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other. Blog: http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710

Twitter: http://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes

April 6 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

April 9 – Open Mind For A Different View

April 10 – The Novel Approach

April 11 – Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Making It Happen

April 12 – Diverse Reader

April 13 – Two Chicks Obsessed

April 14 – MM Good Book Reviews

April 16 – My Booked Filled Life, Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings, Velvetpanic, BooksLaidBareBoys, Bayou Book Junkie

April 17 – Love Bytes

Deadly Dorian by Drake & Elliott: Book Blast, Excerpt and Giveaway

April 13, 2018 by Denise

Someone is trying to kill Marc Foster.

Attempted poisoning was bad enough, but when the would-be killer messes with the brakes on Marc’s precious Porsche, the art dealer admits he needs help. He just wasn’t expecting help to be quite so dark and sexy.

Royce Karras loves his job at Ward Security. He’s making up for a lifetime of bad decisions and a bloody past he’d rather forget. But Marc isn’t the spoiled rich boy he thought he’d be protecting. Sticking close to Marc as his “boyfriend” gives Royce insight into his toxic family, but it also reveals a brilliant, compassionate man who completely disarms Royce. Against his better judgment, Royce finds himself falling.

But can they find a way to make it work when Royce’s past threatens to tear their lives apart? Their future hinges on a lost Renaissance painting, six Bichon Frises, and a pornographic Robin Hood.

No worries, right?

Title: Deadly Dorian

Series: Ward Security Series #3

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake and Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: April 13, 2018

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 87K

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39182824-deadly-dorian

Amazon

Marc Foster rose from one of the outdoor couches and came toward him with his right hand out. There was no missing how he shifted his left hand slightly behind his body, but Royce already caught sight of what looked like a bandage. He stood taller than Royce by several inches, his shoulders broad, his body slim. He wore a fashionable suit that probably cost more than a month of Royce’s salary.

But his damn face—that was going to be a problem.

He had the most fascinating combination of features Royce had ever seen. Sharp was the first description that came to mind. He had thick, black, slanting eyebrows over piercing, blue eyes, bladed cheekbones and chin—all of it coming together to form a stunning, intense face that was completely belied by the softest-looking, fullest lips he’d ever seen. The dichotomy of severe and overly sensual startled, sending a punch of surprising lust into Royce’s gut. Marc wore his dark brown hair long on top, and it looked like he’d been running his hands through it, because it curled back off his face in soft waves with one strand falling over his eye.

It was the perfect length for gripping.

“Royce Karras?”

“Yes.” He wanted to say more, but he felt momentarily tongue-tied and shocked. Rich playboys were far from the kind of men he usually liked to get rowdy with, so his gut reaction to this one made him feel off. He’d never been much of a talker, though. He hoped the man didn’t want a chatterbox for a pretend boyfriend.

The smile that stretched those full lips revealed teeth that went along with the program: sharp and flawlessly white. But the smile softened his features, making him seem more welcoming.

And…somewhat devastating. Royce would have no trouble pretending to be attracted to this man.

Marc nodded then, his gaze running down Royce’s body.

Royce wondered what he thought as he took in his black vest over the white button-down shirt tucked into dark jeans. Black motorcycle boots completed the look. He’d also rolled up his sleeves, leaving the tattoos on his left arm in plain sight. He’d trimmed his black beard close to his chin. Normally, he wore the company’s polo or T-shirts on jobs, but Andrei had asked him to “hot it up” a little so he’d appeal to a rich playboy.

He watched that rich playboy now as he eyed him, then turned back to Quinn. Royce followed his gaze to find his coworker standing silently, watching them with a funny smile on his face.

“He will work,” Marc said in a no-nonsense tone. “My acquaintances won’t question me wanting him.”

That particular word choice sent a blast of heat to Royce’s groin, and he ruthlessly ignored it. But the image that had surged into his mind had been this gorgeous, haughty man kneeling before him, and that was harder to push aside. He’d look so pretty like that, his head back, mouth open, waiting on instruction.

Royce knew, without a doubt, that he could have this man on his knees, that he could easily overpower him despite his taller form. If there was one thing that always played out in Royce’s favor, it was the steely strength he carried in his compact body. It had been the reason he’d been a very successful shylock for a bloodthirsty bookie in Virginia. He came with the element of surprise—always underestimated, always triumphant in a fight. He didn’t have the special martial arts training of a lot of his coworkers, but that didn’t matter. There was something to be said for sheer determination.

“You aren’t going to question if he’s big enough to fight someone off for you?” Quinn asked. “He gets that a lot.”

Marc smirked and brought those astute blue eyes back to him. “I have absolutely no doubt this man can protect me. Anyone paying close enough attention would see that he could easily take them down.”

Royce hoped the lust coating his last three words was only in his own imagination. A quick glance at Quinn told him it was not. And the IT guy was finding this situation highly amusing as he lifted one eyebrow behind his black-framed glasses.

Check out Jennifer’s 5 pieces of eye candy review and an additional exclusive excerpt here.

Who are Drake & Elliott?

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.

Author Links

Website: http://www.drakeandelliott.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drakeandelliott/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrakeandElliott

Email: drakeandelliott@gmail.com

Tumblr: http://drakeandelliott.tumblr.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Any Closer by Mary Calmes: TBT Throwback Thursday Review

April 12, 2018 by Denise

Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Sigh… is there anyone that can write some man love, like this author?

I don’t think so either. So, in this one, we have Leo, who owns his own construction company with his brother-in-law, and a lot of really great guys. I loved the way that they seemed like a big family, and I loved that there was no hatefulness or bad words cause trouble. Everything was normal. That’s different to read.

Charlie, though… had come to apply for a job almost 4 years ago, and he was broken and scared and jumped at his own shadow, but he was accepted into the makeshift family, and he fit right in. Unfortunately, nobody knew what he was running from, and omg, was it tragic and heartbreaking and I was so, so disappointed that we didn’t get to see any karmic justice for the people who had hurt him… He was okay, though; especially around Leo.

It was clear as day that they both liked each other, but they were sticking to the friend zone because that’s just the way it worked and neither wanted to ruin it. However, once Charlie was done with that… once he got himself together and knew that he would be good for Leo, he was done messing around, and it was sweet and cute and gorgeous, and even really hot. Even if they didn’t go to pound town on page. It was still hot, just trust me.

So, it’s short and sweet, but it was still so big. Does that make sense? It didn’t feel like a short read, even though it was much too short for my liking, but that’s just cuz I’m greedy and wanted more….It also just felt like it all came together so flawlessly that it didn’t “need” anything else, even though I just wanted 100 more chapters…. Sigh…. I love when that happens.

So, it was a perfect feel good read for me, and I loved it.

5 stars from me!

Out of Focus by L.A. Witt: Retro Review with Excerpt and Giveaway

April 11, 2018 by Denise

For the last twelve years, Ryan “Angel” Morgan and Dante James have been partners in every sense of the word. They’re lovers, they run a successful photography business together, and couldn’t be happier. The only problem? They’re both dominants who crave submission. Solution? Bring in submissives for sizzling hot threeway action.

When Jordan Steele hires the photographers from his sister’s wedding to shoot some promo pictures of his stallions, the sparks fly. There’s something about them, something that’s anything but vanilla, and he wants a taste of it. He’s inexperienced, but curious, and Angel and Dante are more than happy to show him the ropes.

Jordan is exactly what they need and they’re exactly what he needs, but when emotions come into play, he may be more than they bargained for. After all, the one thing Angel and Dante can’t give each other is submission. If one of them can get love and submission from Jordan, will the other be pushed out of the picture?

Length: 100,000 words

Amazon

I slid my hand onto Angel’s knee under the table. As he often did, he’d been tapping his foot against the chair leg, but he stilled beneath my hand.

“You get a look at the brother of the bride?” I asked.

He whistled, sliding his hand over mine. “Oh God, yes. I got several looks at him.”

“You and me both.” I shook my head. “That man is liquid distraction.”

“No shit.” He ran his thumb back and forth along my wrist. “Imagine how I felt, trying to focus on the bride when I had that standing there being all gorgeous and entirely too dressed.”

“Too dressed?” I glanced in Jordan’s direction, then turned back to Angel. “He’s in a tux.”

“I know.” He shrugged. “He should be naked in our bed.”

I chuckled. “Pity he’s already got someone.”

“Seriously?” Angel released a sharp huff of breath. “The good ones always do, don’t they? It’s a crime, I’m telling you.” He clicked his tongue. “And his other half probably doesn’t share, either.”

“I don’t know; I didn’t ask. He was pissed enough that I interrupted their little lover’s quarrel.”

He blinked. “You did?”

“Well, I didn’t have much choice.” I turned my hand over under his. “I needed Jordan’s help with something.”

“Yeah,” he said, lacing our fingers together, “I’ll just bet you did.”

“Okay, so I didn’t.” I shrugged. “But things were getting a little heated between them, so…”

“Eh, I’d have done the same.”

That much was true. We had our subtle ways of separating people when tensions got too close to a breaking point. Situations like that, particularly with the way alcohol and grudges made frequent appearances at weddings, could too easily erupt into a screaming match or a fistfight. So, we’d long ago devised ways to casually intervene. Moderately intrusive? Yeah, probably. But if it kept a wedding from turning into a brawl—and that had been known to happen—then it was worth a little social faux pas.

The bride and groom were making the rounds, saying hello to guests while Troy’s and Phoebe’s cameras flashed. Normally I wouldn’t leave assistants to cover anything without at least one of us shooting as well, but these two kids were damned good. They were going to be some serious competition for us when they were out on their own. Assuming Troy ever got a decent pair of shoes, anyway.

So, we didn’t worry about them while they trailed the newlyweds and we took a break. Ah, it was good to be the boss.

As dinner wound down, the cake cutting and such were coming up. Almost time to get back to work. While I did a quick battery check and changed out my memory card, fabric rustled behind me.

“Enjoying yourselves?” Jennifer asked.

“Absolutely.” I started to turn around. “This food is—” The words stopped in my throat. That wasn’t the groom standing next to her.

She gestured at him, as if I hadn’t noticed his presence. “This is my brother, Jordan.”

I smiled. “Oh yes, we’ve met.”

“We haven’t.” Angel stood and extended his hand. “Ryan Morgan.”

Jordan shook his hand. “I—it’s…” He paused, moistening his lips as a hint of pink appeared on his cheeks. “It’s nice to meet you.”

To her brother, Jennifer said, “I need to go pretend to like my in-laws, so I’ll leave you alone with them.”

He chuckled. “Okay, thanks.” She picked up her skirt and headed back toward some of the other tables. After she’d gone, Jordan said, “I, uh, my sister said you guys do pretty much any kind of photography?”

I’m dreaming. I’m totally dreaming. Oh God, please tell me he wants—

I cleared my throat. “What did you have in mind?”

“I breed and train horses,” he said. “And I’m campaigning a couple of stallions this year. I need a few more up-to-date photos for my website and some ads.” He raised his eyebrows. “Is that something you guys would be interested in doing?”

“Well, we’re always happy to help someone flaunt a stud,” Angel deadpanned.

Jordan blushed even more, dropping his gaze as he muffled a cough of laughter. “Right. Well. I haven’t had great luck with my last couple of photographers, so I’m very much in the market for someone new.” He paused, the color in his cheeks deepening slightly. “A new photographer, I mean.”

“Can you handle two?” Angel asked.

If the poor man’s cheeks got any redder…

“I’m sure we can help.” I shot Angel a glare, and he widened his eyes as if to say “What?” I rolled mine and looked at Jordan again. “We haven’t done any equestrian work in a few years, but show us some examples of what you have in mind and we should be able to give you what you want.”

A shy smile played at his lips. “Good. Then—”

His teeth snapped together as his significant other materialized and put a hand on his shoulder. Jordan’s hackles went up, his eyes narrowed, and judging by the way his cheek rippled, he must have been tightly clenching his jaw. The two men exchanged the coldest glare I’d seen at a wedding since the last time we put divorced parents into one picture, and the hand on his shoulder lifted away.

Then Jordan shook himself back to life and made a sharp gesture his companion. “Sorry, I’m being rude. This is Eli. My—”

“Just Eli is fine.” He didn’t offer a handshake or any other greeting, and neither of us made any attempt to do so either. Awkward silence descended, and I had a feeling Jordan was once again seconds away from lashing out at his…just Eli.

“Anyway, you were saying?” I asked Jordan. “About your photos?”

“Right.” Jordan cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’d like to sit down and discuss what I’m pricing, scheduling, all of that.”

“When would be a good time?” I asked. “If you’d like, you can come by the studio, and we’ll sort out the specifics.”

He nodded. “I can do that. During the week would be best. My weekends are usually shot.”

Angel pointed at his camera. “So are ours.”

Jordan laughed. “Yeah, I guess they would be.”

“Would Monday be good for you?” I turned to Angel. “We’re there all day this Monday, aren’t we?”

He nodded. “All in-studio shoots that day. Last one’s at four thirty, and we’re usually there until six or seven.”

“Why don’t I swing in around five, then?” Jordan asked.

“Five works,” I said.

Angel pulled out his wallet and took out a card. “That’s the address. Just give us a call if anything changes.” Jordan took the card, but jumped like Angel had shocked him. Knowing Angel, he’d made sure their fingers brushed, and Jordan’s blood pressure was probably all over the place now.

Jordan recovered quickly though, sliding the card in his back pocket as he said, “Will do.”

Eli shifted beside him. “Good, now why don’t we go grab a couple of drinks?”

“Okay, okay.” Jordan exhaled and added a muttered, “Like you need another fucking drink.”

“Hmm?” Eli asked.

“Nothing.” Jordan looked at us. “I’ll see you guys on Monday. Thanks.”

“Not a problem,” I said. “See you then.”

We watched the happy couple wander toward the bar with a good arm’s length of frosty distance between them.

“You know,” Angel said, “I take back what I said earlier about it being a crime that a man like that is taken.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” He turned back toward the table and picked up his glass. “It’s a crime a man like that is taken by a douche bag like that.”

Out of Focus is one of my all time favorite menage books. Menages are one of my favorite tropes but it has to have that special connection between all three MCs. I, unfortunately, am hard to please when an established couple of years decides to bring in a third.

L.A. Witt is an auto buy for me but I was still nervous about how she would bring all three men together. Angel and Dante have been best friends, work partners and lovers for years. They run a photography business. While shooting a wedding they meet Jordan, the brother of the bride. Their relationship starts out as business associates but morphs into a sensual relationship.

Without giving spoilers….Angel, Dante and Jordan come together during an erotic photoshoot which leads to wanting more. Witt does an outstanding job with telling their story of discovery, longing and persuit of happiness. Angel and Dante need Jordan for more than his submission so we get to see their story unfold into a loving, committed menage. It is so beautifully written you’ll wish for it to continue.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great menage story. If menages are not your thing I beg you to try it…..You won’t be disappointed.

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

Website: http://www.gallagherwitt.com

E-mail: gallagherwitt@gmail.com

Twitter: @GallagherWitt

Blog: http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

April 9 – Mirrigold, Mainely Stories, SLLY, Dreams & Screams Bookaholics, The Way She Reads, My Book Filled Life

April 10 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BooksLaidBareBoys

April 11 – Books To Get Lost In, Momma Says: To Read or Not To Read, Two Chicks Obsessed

Apirl 12 – RAM PA Group, Drops Of Ink, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Queerly Reads, Blazing Zane Book Blog, MM Good Book Reviews

April 13 – Thorns & Ink, Twinsie Talk, Mean Girls Luv Books, MJ’s Book Blog & Reviews, Book Review By Virginia Lee

A Dom and His Artist by Xenia Melzer: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

April 9, 2018 by Denise

Sometimes the perfect man can be found in the most unexpected place….

Martin Carmichael owns a security firm and is part owner of Club Whisper. He’s a Dom in search of the right guy, and when his car breaks down on a lonely stretch of road, he thinks he might have found him.

Artist Collin Malloy is talented, easygoing, but somewhat insecure. Still, he has a big heart and is quick to offer help when he sees Martin in need. To thank him, Martin invites Collin to dinner, where the attraction between them becomes harder to resist.

But what will become of their budding relationship when Martin reveals that he likes his men bound, submissive, and in pain? Is it something Collin can accept… and possibly enjoy exploring? Even if he can, Collin has a secret of his own—a secret he doesn’t even realize he’s keeping.

Title: A Dom and His Artist
Series: Club Whisper: Book 2
Author: Xenia Melzer
Release Date: April 10, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Pages: 194

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

An Interview with Collin Malloy

X.M.: Hello Collin, it’s great to talk to you. How are you doing?

C.M.: Hello Xenia, I’m fine, really fine. You know, Martin and I had a scene just yesterday and it was so nice, with hot wax in different colors, so of course I had to call red and start experimenting right away, and did you know Martin has all kinds of colors and the candles are made from bee’s wax and smell totally good, and I got a very nice dribble pattern on the sheets of our bed, and then I researched candles and wax, and in some parts of Bavaria and Austria people make pictures of holy people, like the Virgin Mary or Christ on the cross, from wax, which is just fascinating, and Martin said we can have some beehives so I can get my own wax, and the honey, though I think it’s kind of mean to take the honey from the bees, since they work so hard for it, and I’m sure sugar water isn’t even half as good, but at least they don’t have to fly far to get the honey, because our garden has all kinds of flowers and they bloom all year round, so perhaps it’s okay to take some of the honey, since the bees can always collect more, and isn’t that just cool?

X.M.: Uh, yeah, I guess so? Now, how did you meet Martin Carmichael?

C.M.: *bounces up and down on his chair* Uhh, that was so great. I was out looking for dreams, you know, the kind of dreams that you have and you feel they’re kind of real, even though a part of you knows you’re dreaming, and all it takes is a hard pinch to wake you, and somehow you want to wake, but somehow you also don’t want to, because then this feeling of being there and not being there is gone, which is a beautiful paradox that only makes sense in the dream world, which goes to show how important dreams are, and sometimes I wonder if the dream world isn’t the real world and what we think is reality is just some kind of twisted version of what could be if we would only realize it – though I’m not sure how eating and drinking would work when you’re asleep and the dream world was your home, and perhaps things would just switch around and we wouldn’t even notice.

X.M.: Yeah? About Martin…

C.M.: Right. How I met Martin. Sorry, I get distracted sometimes. This world is just so full of wonderful things… Anyway, I was looking for dreams and I found some pretty good ones, a skull, some pipes, old branches, and a few odd stones that reminded me of Stonehenge, the way they were grouped, and I hope I didn’t destroy somebody’s magic site, though I didn’t feel anything magical and there didn’t seem to have been any people recently, so I think it was fine. I was on my way back to Miami when I spotted Martin by the side of the road. His car had just stopped working, and later, nobody at the garage could tell him what the problem had been, but I think it was so that we could meet, and that is a totally logical explanation, even though Martin doesn’t think so, but I know when I’m right, because then I get this tingly feeling deep in my stomach, similar to when Martin makes me feel good in the playroom, and have you ever noticed how your body tries to talk to you and helps you with decisions and stuff, because mine does this all the time, and not only when I need to eat or drink. *smiles happily*

X.M.: Yes, I actually know what you’re talking about. Now, your first meeting with Martin…

C.M.: I still haven’t told you? Funny, how time runs away from us sometimes, as if it’s this living thing, like a puppy, that wants to play with us, and sometimes it runs so fast we can’t keep up, and other times it’s so slow, it seems as if nothing will ever happen again, and I can see why people refer to time as a river, though rivers are also a symbol of life and life’s journey, and perhaps I should start working with water, or no, I have to drive to the next river and find my answers there, and I wonder if it’s possible to build my own river, but then Martin has to buy a bigger yard to fit the river, and where would we put the beehives then, and I have to think about this, though my own river is probably not a good idea, but perhaps I can have my own pond with frogs, and fish, and dragonflies, and water lilies, and ducks. Ducks would be nice, don’t you think?

X.M.: *gives up* Yes. Yes, I think ducks would be nice. Thank you for your time, Collin.

C.M.: *already gone to find ducks*

This book is definitely not your average BDSM story. If you read the above interview with Collin, the sub MC in this book, you will absolutely see that this story will be a bit different than most would expect from a BDSM. However, the characters are just so interesting, it really makes that read just that much more enjoyable.

Collin is a true artist, and I loved this character so much. He saw art in everything, which was amazing. He was fascinated with bees, and skeletons, and tree branches. Honestly anything he saw. There was actually a BDSM scene in the book that I was very intrigued about, where it takes an unexpected turn. His Dom, Martin, at first is irritated, but quickly realizes he is looking at the situation from the wrong perspective.

That scene really honed in on the connection between the two characters, and how perhaps when you find someone, you need to allow them the leeway to be themselves, in order for them to be what you need in your life.

Martin learned quickly as his relationship with Collin developed that what had been his previous rules were never going to work with Collin. Martin quickly found his way into this new role.

A really enjoyable read that brought home the fact that BDSM is not about a set of rules that cannot be broken, but about finding the right set of rules for your situation, and your relationship. What works for one couple will not work for another.

4 pieces of eye candy

Xenia Melzer is a mother of two who enjoys riding and running when she’s not writing stories. She doesn’t like beer but is easily tempted by a Virgin Mojito. Or chocolate. Truffles are especially cherished, even though she doesn’t discriminate. As a true chocoholic, she welcomes any kind of cocoa-based delight.

You can contact her through her website: http//www.xeniamelzer.com

Or befriend and follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xeniamelzer/