Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Release Day Review

I Wished For You by Colette Davison: RDB, Excerpt and New Release Review

by

Three wishes.

Seb wants to be happy.

Matt wants to find ‘the one.’

Connor wants them.

Two drunken kisses.

Seb didn’t plan to kiss Matt and Connor, but he doesn’t regret it, even if it has changed their friendship forever.

Matt has never considered dating a man before, let alone two. Despite his confusion, being with Seb and Connor feels right.

One uncertain future.

Connor’s potential fate has stopped him living and loving. Can he face his fears to be with the men he loves?

Book Title: I Wished For You

Author: Colette Davison

Cover Artist: Designs by Dana

Genre/s: mmm contemporary romance

Release Date: January 22, 2019

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Matt adjusted his jogging bottoms and leaned back against the sofa. The next words popped out of his mouth unfiltered. “I could do with a blow job.”

Seb snorted out a loud laugh. “Too much information.” He patted Matt’s shoulder. “But hey, if you’re desperate, I don’t mind obliging.” Seb’s laughter trailed off into a nervous chuckle. “Umm… that was a joke.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Matt couldn’t look at Seb. A week ago, he’d have taken a comment like that and ribbed his friend with it mercilessly. Now, he wasn’t sure at all that it had been meant in jest. He wasn’t even sure that he wanted it to be a joke. He rubbed his jaw, clearing his throat again. “What would you do if I said yes?”

Seb twisted on the sofa so he was facing Matt. “You’re not going to say yes.”

“What if I did?” Matt kept his stare on the ceiling, but he was still able to see Seb shrug out of the corner of his eye.

“I’d give you one.”

Seb’s reply was so matter-of-fact that it sent a chill running up Matt’s spine. It did nothing to ease the pressure in his cock. If anything, blood pumped to it faster.

“Really?” Matt asked. Why the hell was he still talking? It was like he was engaged in a game of chicken with Seb, trying to see which one of them would back down first. He had no idea how far his head, or his cock, was willing to take it.

“Sure, why not? It’s just a blow job, right? It wouldn’t mean anything.”

“But we’re friends,” Matt stuttered.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve sucked off a friend.”

First time author for me. I wanted to read it because I enjoy menage stories when they are done well, I love gay for you/only for you and I really love friends to lovers. This had all of that and demisexual representation.

Three best friends. One is straight, one is gay and one is…unsure.

These three guys are so different, but there differences mean nothing to them. That shines throughout. Above all their friendship is rock solid and means the world to them all. One is a mechanic, one a lawyer and the other a software engineer. Yet it hardly matters at all to the story.

Central to the story is discovering their new found attraction to each other. It was sweet and sexy and even a little romantic. You get all three points of view throughout the book as she changes them with the chapters. Very easy to follow along though.

I am going to say that this is a really good “starter menage” for those who aren’t sure if they would like it or not. The sex is slow going because no one wants to jump all in and the relationship is equal and well developed.

4 pieces of eye candy

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Author Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter

Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

BookBub

Goodreads

Instagram

RELEASE BLITZ SCHEDULE

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Is It Over Yet? by L.A. Witt: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Release Day Review * 2 and Giveaway

by

Rhys Powell and Derek Scott are divorcing. Mistakes have been made, lines have been crossed, and there’s no going back. Both men are exhausted and ready to move on.

But their daughter is getting married soon. In the name of not putting a damper on her wedding, Derek and Rhys agree to keep the divorce on the down-low and show up as the happy couple everyone still believes they are.

And between a roller coaster of a road trip and the love and joy surrounding the wedding… Derek and Rhys just might remember why they fell for each other in the first place.

Are they only kidding themselves? Or can a rekindled spark really light the way to forgiveness?

Length: 60,000 words

Cover Design: Lori Witt

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK

Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Chapter 1

Rhys

The suburban Chicago house I’d lived in for the past six years came into view, and my stomach knotted tighter. It was the same feeling I’d had on my way to a job I’d hated a lifetime ago, when pulling up to the building made me groan out loud at the prospect of another shift in that godforsaken place. Didn’t seem right to feel that way coming home, but there it was, same as it had been for the past two months.

By the time I pulled into the garage beside the familiar red Corolla, my jaw ached from clenching my teeth. Probably because that’s what I’d been doing every night this week at the same time. Ugh. If I didn’t move out of this place soon, my dental bills were going to be astronomical. That was a good enough reason to step things up, wasn’t it? So I didn’t grind my teeth to dust?

As if I didn’t already have a laundry list of reasons why I needed to get out of here.

With an ache in my jaw and a sour feeling in my throat, I collected my coffee cup, lunch bag, and briefcase, and got out of the car. On the way inside, I couldn’t help limping a little, which added to my festering annoyance. It wasn’t unusual for my leg to be sore by the end of the day, especially after I’d been coaching basketball, but it wasn’t doing much for my shitty mood. I couldn’t think of much that would, though. Nothing short of substances that would get me fired. Or maybe finding a note on the counter that said I moved out. There wasn’t a plant on this earth that would get me higher than reading those three sweet little words.

But unless my soon-to-be ex-husband had won the lottery since this morning, he was just as stuck here as I was.

At the door, I paused for a deep breath to steel myself, then went inside. The kitchen and living room were empty. Derek’s car was here, so it was a safe bet he was home, but he was somewhere else in the house. Good enough for me. If I was lucky, he’d stay that way long enough for me to wind down.

I went through my usual motions—cleaning out my lunch bag, rinsing the Tupperware dishes, checking the cats’ food and water, perusing the mail. For years this routine had soothed me. Helped me shift from work to home so I could relax. Not so much these days.

Our long-haired calico, Lucy, hopped upon the counter and chirped at me, and I managed to crack a smile as I scratched her back the way she loved. She arched under my hand and purred. I chuckled, and I didn’t even mind that she was kicking the mail everywhere as she strutted back and forth on the counter.

“Hey, sweetheart. You miss me?”

More purring.

I kept scratching and petting her for a moment, trying not to think about the future. Or the fact that Derek and I still hadn’t come to a custody agreement about the cats. They were littermates, and though they could fight almost as loudly as we could, they were inseparable. There was no “you take Lucy and I’ll take Chico.” When this was all over and we finally went our separate ways, someone was taking both cats, and someone would be living without them.

I scooped Lucy into my arms, and I hugged her tight, which just made her purr louder and my conscience burn hotter. Guilt had been a constant friend for the past couple of months, and every time I thought about either losing my cats or taking them away from Derek, I wanted to cry. As if I hadn’t done enough of that recently.

I’m so sorry, guys. I buried my face in Lucy’s plush fur. I fucked everything up.

The click of a door at the opposite end of the house made my spine stiffen. Lucy tensed too. By the time Derek was halfway up the hall, she’d stopped purring. As he cleared the corner into the living room, she wriggled in my arms, and I sighed as I set her back down on the counter. She jumped to the floor and trotted out of the room, probably to the office where Chico was likely watching birds.

I watched her go, fresh guilt gnawing at me. Things had really gone to shit when even the cats didn’t want to be in the same room with the two of us.

Without the cat to hold my attention anymore, I turned to see where Derek was headed so I could make my own escape. I still needed to change clothes anyway, not to mention take off my prosthetic and sit for a while to give my joints a rest. If he was going to hang out in the living room, then I could go into my bedroom or join the cats in the office.

But Derek wasn’t heading into the living room. He was coming into the kitchen. And from the way his gaze was fixed on me, he wanted to talk about something.

I swallowed. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Do you have a few minutes?”

I struggled to hold his gaze. He didn’t seem like he was looking for a fight. There was some tension in his features, but it didn’t read as hostility or anger.

I shifted my weight, wincing at the vicious ache in my hip. “Yeah. Do you mind if we sit, though?”

“Sure. Yeah. Living room?”

“Okay.” I followed him out of the kitchen, and we sat on opposite ends of the sofa. As soon as I was seated, I leaned down, rolled up my pant leg, and disconnected my prosthetic. Derek didn’t speak while I removed it; for all our inability to coexist lately, he was still in the habit of giving me a minute to get situated, particularly when I needed to kick off the prosthetic after a long day on my feet.

I leaned the prosthetic against the end table and sat back, releasing a relieved sigh. Everything ached, especially my hips, knees, and right ankle, and taking some weight off them felt so good. I might’ve even relaxed if not for Derek waiting a cushion away to have a conversation. Ugh. God. What now?

Schooling my expression, I twisted toward him. I stole a second just to look at him. There would come a time in the very near future when all I had left of him was pictures, and even with the constant tension hanging between us, it hurt to imagine not seeing him anymore. Seeing him like this hurt too. The dark eyes that had tongue-tied me on day one were cold now. Beside his eyes and mouth were lines that deepened whenever he smiled or laughed, and they were barely visible now. The near-black hair I’d run my fingers through millions of times, the soft lips I’d tasted more times than I could count, that spot on his neck where a single kiss could make him shudder all over—it was all out of my reach now.

Maybe it was time to take my sister up on the offer to come stay with her. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could handle.

Forcing back my emotions, I tried to sound casual. “All right. What’s up?”

He mirrored me, pulling his knee up onto the cushion and drumming his fingers on his inseam. “Um.” He stared down at his hand. “So, I talked to Vanessa this morning.”

My gut clenched. Instantly my mind was filled with a million worst case scenarios. I’d expected him to have something on his mind about us, not about our daughter, and panic shot through me. Had something happened? Was she hurt? Sick? “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah. Everything’s fine.” He made a calm down gesture. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Okay. Good.” I exhaled, my heartbeat coming back down. It wasn’t unusual for her to call him, but the whole “we need to talk” thing had me on edge. “So…” I raised my eyebrows. Oh God, had he told her? Did he finally tell her we were divorcing? He’d been dancing around that for two months.

Derek cleared his throat, and to my surprise, he smiled, though he still seemed guarded. “She’s, um… She’s getting married.”

I blinked. “She is?”

He nodded. “Corbin proposed last night.”

“Oh. Wow.” I actually laughed because I was so relieved that instead of something horrible, he was breaking the news that Vanessa was engaged. “That’s great!”

“Yeah. It is.” He met my gaze, but then he broke eye contact, and his smile faltered.

How could a conversation be this much of a roller coaster after thirty seconds? Oh, right, because it was us and we were a disaster. A disaster our daughter still didn’t know about.

Derek took a deep breath and sat up a little. “Here’s the thing—they want to get married sooner than later. Corbin is going to be transferring within the next year, and he’ll probably deploy at some point. So they want to get all their ducks in a row quickly.”

I nodded. “Makes sense. How soon is soon?”

“They’re thinking February.”

I whistled. “Really not letting the grass grow, are they?”

He laughed quietly. “No. But it’s still three months away. It isn’t like they’re eloping next week.”

“True.” And why was this line of conversation making me apprehensive? Like it was going somewhere I really didn’t want it to go? I was thrilled for our daughter and her husband-to-be, but something about this discussion with Derek…didn’t feel right. After nine years together, I knew him, I knew his tells, and I knew there was more to this than just telling me Vanessa was getting married.

Chewing his lip, Derek dropped his gaze and watched his fingers drumming on his knee again. There was definitely something on his mind. Something he needed to say, but either couldn’t figure out how to or couldn’t quite work up the nerve.

“Derek?” I nudged. “What am I missing here? You’re happy about this, right?”

“Yeah. Of course. I’m… There’s just…” He closed his eyes. Finally, he met mine again. “Vanessa still doesn’t know about, um, us.”

I winced. In the two months since we’d decided to split up, we’d debated more than once when and how we should tell her. The holidays were almost upon us, so that hadn’t seemed like the right time, and we’d agreed to keep a lid on it until after the New Year. She couldn’t make it out for Thanksgiving, and she was spending Christmas with her mom, so it wasn’t as if we’d have to play happy husbands right in front of her. Just keep up the illusion on social media and on the phone. Easy. Except for the part where it meant we’d had to keep it quiet from almost everyone else so no one accidentally let it slip on Facebook. And we were still stuck living together anyway because neither of us could afford to move out yet, so the whole fucking world thought everything was quiet on the home front. The closest we’d come to letting it slip was when a friend noticed our wedding portrait wasn’t on the mantle anymore. Derek had quickly said the frame had broken, and the subject had dropped. For now.

“Right,” I said. “So what does that have to do with her getting—” I tensed, then inclined my head. “Derek, please tell me you’re not going where I think you’re going.”

He looked at me plaintively. “It’s her wedding, Rhys. The next couple of months are going to be stressful as hell for her, and I’d rather all that stress be about planning her wedding. Not worrying about her dads splitting up.”

Closing my eyes, I pushed out a long breath through my nose. We’d been married for seven years, and even though our happier days seemed like a lifetime ago, I remembered the stressful months leading up to the wedding like it was yesterday. The thought of my parents dropping a bomb like that in the middle of all that chaos? Of trying to enjoy my damn wedding while I worried myself sick about making them be in the same room? Okay, yeah, I got what he was driving at. But…fuck.

Honestly… just punch me in the face, it’ll hurt less.

I love, love, love stories like this one, that are so real and honest and hard !! People mess up and make mistakes, who can’t relate to that?

So, we come in to this one, with an already established relationship, Rhys and
Derek are married and have been for near on a decade. But during a rough patch, after a few too many drinks, one of them ends up going home with another man. I know cheating stories are a deal breaker for some… and for someone like myself, who’s ex-husband cheated and got someone else pregnant… it hurt, reading about it. (Though, there is no on-page cheating)… The anger and bitterness that Derek felt… the need for revenge and just so much hurt….

And I loved seeing Rhys guilt and the ownership of the mistake. He never once tried to blame it on anything other than his mess up. He never tried to make excuses, he never tried to justify the mistake, because as much as it killed Derek, it was killing Rhys too.

So, planning to get divorced… they decide to wait until after their daughter’s wedding to drop the news, plus, anyone who’s been divorced, knows that it’s not just easy as 1, 2, 3. It takes planning and money and it completely flips your life upside down.

There’s one little snibbit that I loved so hard, when Derek says, “Who knew this would be the hardest part about breaking up? Not just the hurt and betrayal, not just the upheaval of our peaceful life, but realizing that small things were gone.”
And it’s true… little things that you maybe took for granted while you were busy living life. Like watching tv together, or a book series you both loved and hadn’t finished. You have to mourn those things, losing them… it’s hard… and it was so perfectly written in this.

So, okay….enough of my psychoanalyzing…back to the story…. The guys had planned to wait to tell their daughter about their separation until after her wedding, but until then, and during the wedding, they wanted to put on the front that they were still together and happy. Not ideal, but I got it.

Over a 4 day long road trip and remembering all the reasons they loved each other in the first place, maybe the anger and hurt and resentment could be worked through. At times it feels like it can’t, and we go back and forth with Derek and how he feels, and then Rhys, I just wanted to hug him through the whole thing, but I loved how it ended. LOVED IT!! Could ya tell?

I could go on and on about this for days, I feel like… but I’ll spare you so you can actually read the story yourself… But, if you love second chance romances with real life hardships and mistakes.. you’ll love this one. You’ll cry over the love, the hurt, the anger, the guilt, and then the forgiveness, the relief and then the love again. I loved this book, SO MUCH! I absolutely recommend it.

5 well deserved pieces of eye candy from me!

FAVORITE LINE: “Who knew this would be the hardest part about breaking up? Not just the hurt and betrayal, not just the upheaval of our peaceful life, but realizing that small things were gone.”

 

I’ll read almost anything by LA Witt, so I was excited to see this new release as it was something different. A married couple on their way to divorce, but faking it for the sake of their daughter’s wedding. And I enjoyed it mostly. It certainly wasn’t amazing, but entirely readable with a decent story.

Derek and Rhys are broken up but still living together. Mostly for financial reasons but also because it never seems to be the right time to tell their daughter. So when she announces that she is getting married, they figure they should wait until after the wedding. But first they have to get through the wedding.

The tension between the two was very real. It didn’t come out right away why they were splitting up, but suffice it to say that one man was incredibly mad and the other was incredibly broken. But they have a 4 day each way road trip and a wedding to get through. They mutually agree to leave their problems behind for the trip and try to not only not kill each other, but maybe enjoy themselves.

Being that I live in a sort of similar situation in real life, I am going to tell you that a lot of what was going on with them was spot on. If you’re just basically nice to the other person will they assume that means you are wanting to get back together? Are they reading more into it? How can you be nice when you are so mad? But how can you ignore your past which was mostly happy?

So ya, spot on.

A lot of the back story was slow to come by and lacked a bit of punch for me. When and how they met, their daughter, their daughter’s mother, even the fact that Rhys wore a prosthetic leg and the story behind it felt like it was added to the story because it should be in there. But it also didn’t add anything to the story.

There was a bit of repetition with their daughter that got old and it wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly for me. I appreciated the epilogue, but again, it felt a bit like they were saying the same things over and over again.

Not her best, but worth the read for the feelings portrayed and the different story line.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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

Jan 8 – Sexy Erotic Xciting, OMG Reads, Engaging Secrets, Two Chicks Obsessed, Jan 10 – Mainely Stories, Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Diverse Reader, Gay Media Reviews, Jan 12 – Love Unchained Book Reviews, Books, Tattoos & Tea, Jan 14 – The Geekery Book Review, We Three Queens BB, Making It Happen, Jan 16 – Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Jan 18 – Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, Southern Babes Book Blog, Lillian Francis, Book Corner Reviews, Mirrigold, Dog-Eared Daydreams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Xtreme Delusions, Wicked Reads

Gabriel and the Devil by Robert P. Rowe: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

by

Flirting with the devil can lead to a helluva good time.

Gabriel is a regular angel. The former altar boy plans to graduate from college, become an accountant, get a good job, find a wife, and live a faithful Catholic life.

But one Halloween night, the devil pops in out of nowhere, challenges everything he believes, and heats up Gabriel’s lonely life.

Marcello is full of the devil. He’s lusted after Gabriel forever, but what he really wants is Gabriel’s eternal soul. Still, his mischievous sense of humor, along with his tricks and jokes, leads to a misunderstanding that could condemn him to hell on Earth. Only the truth will let these souls find true love and happiness.

Title: Gabriel and the Devil
Author: Robert P. Rowe
Release Date: January 4, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 104

 

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

iTunes

Guest Post by Robert P. Rowe

Spirituality:

It’s pretty hard to write about the devil without including more than a few nuggets of spirituality. I’m a recovering Catholic who has embraced a healthy dose of New Age philosophy. I’ve even included some reading resources in the back matter of this novella for those curious about the topic.

New Age philosophies can help one to understand gay romance. Reincarnation is a big part of the philosophy along with learning various lessons in each and every life. In one life one might be slave master and in the next life a lowly slave. This allows us all to see the world from multiple points of view. And we don’t always come back with the same gender. Often men are expected to experience a power roll in life while women are expected to be more subservient. Yet we’ve all met that alpha woman who dominates all around her, sometimes by size and sometimes by shear force of presence. Perhaps she has spent most of her previous lifetimes as a man and has come back to experience life as a woman?

In the same way a gay man may enter this world in search of that soul mate who just so happens to be gay too. Our souls are much more fluid and free than our mortal bodies.

Dreamspinner Press has one of the most amazing editorial departments. Each author is assigned a senior editor and then three more editors will also review the manuscript. I pay close attention to these experts, especially when one doesn’t quite understand something I’ve written.

That was the case with my use of the term soul mates. For many New Age thinkers soul mates are understood to be anyone whom we share a close spiritual tie to here on Earth. We likely share the same tie on the other side. But one editor believed that soul mates were exclusively romantic love interests. Because she questioned the term I realized that others might too. That gave me a chance to further develop my characters with the question while educating my readers with the answer.

My sister is one of my soul mates here on Earth. We can simply think to hard about the other and the phone will ring. But she’s not alone. I’ve shared that same psychic connection with a number of my friends and exes. A therapist once told me about a patient who didn’t believe in ghosts, yet felt he’d had a close encounter with one. The therapist explained that you don’t have to believe the unexplainable, you just have to accept it.

I’m sure that Alexander Graham Bell would find today’s mobile phones unbelievable, but who among us doesn’t simply accept them?

It’s the same with faith. Faith is a belief in something that cannot be proven. My characters have faith. They follow their hearts to do what they feel is right. Hopefully they can share their faith with you and maybe even can capture your heart.

Well, I’m not going to lie, I didn’t see that coming. 🙂 Which is to say I was pleasantly surprised at the turn of events with Gabe and Marcello.

Gabriel had a lot of learning and growing to do, and although Marcello helped him to understand more about himself, and who he loved, I think Father Christopher had an even bigger impact. I was so surprised and fascinated with the turn that Father Christopher took, and helped to bring Gabriel back around.

This love story started one way, and completely turned on me, and I couldn’t have been happier. I was disappointed with Gabriel, and his mental method of closing off that side of him, and yet Gabriel, and later Father Christopher helped him to open up his mind, and his heart even more.

I can’t say anything more, because honestly you need to read it to understand…plus no spoilers here…but taking a story that starts lighthearted and fun, and turning it into a spiritual journey, and still touching the reader…that was not an easily task Robert P. Rowe set for himself, but he came through on it.

4 pieces of eye candy

Robert P. Rowe has spent his entire career as a storyteller making an incredible leap from Disneyland ride operator to show-designer and art director at Walt Disney Imagineering. Immersive storytelling presents a distinctive challenge unlike that of live theater, film, radio, or print media. He is currently on staff as an art director for Universal Orlando. His many other works can be found around the world, primarily in Disney and Universal Studios parks.

His “real” job takes up much of his time, but his active imagination can’t stop dreaming up new stories. Whenever time permits, he’s writing about new characters off on their own incredible journeys.

Additionally, his outside interests include all aspects of architecture, with a specific fascination for the theatrical design of homes from midcentury movies and television. He has a keen enthusiasm for midcentury science fiction.

Website: www.robertprowe.com

A Whole Latte Sass by Marguerite Labbe: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt, Release Day Review

by

It’s no secret cosplayer Felipe Suero is looking for his happily ever after—in his love life as well as his career. He’s getting his degree so he can quit his miserable job and start his own costume business. Now he just needs to land the sexiest silver fox to ever attend a con.

Trask Briscoe’s life revolves around staying clean and sober, running the Magick Den, and attending local cons. His rules haven’t left much room for romance. But he can’t deny Felipe has caught his complete attention. He’s just not sure what he can offer a man so full of joy and sass.

When Trask finally accepts Felipe’s offer for a cup of coffee, he soon finds himself on a second date and a third. Between cosplay projects and roleplaying games, they discover a deeper connection than either of them expected. And Trask realizes that sometimes rules are made to be broken.

Now Felipe just has to convince his family—and Trask—that Trask has more love to offer than he ever dreamed.

Title: A Whole Latte Sass
Series: Geek Life: Book 2
Author: Marguerite Labbe
Release Date: January 1, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 284

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

A Whole Latte Sass and Holiday Traditions

Happy New Year’s everyone. Thank you for coming out to check on my release for A Whole Latte Sass. I love this time of year. As Felipe says it’s a non-stop party from Halloween to New Year’s Day. When I was younger, I thought of New Year’s Day as that sleepy holiday where nothing happened when you recovered from being up too late the night before. You couldn’t go anywhere because everything was closed. Little did I know that New Year’s Day would change my life. Sixteen years ago today, my son was born. So now we have a whole new set of traditions that mostly revolve around him and I can say it’s never boring.

A Whole Latte Sass takes us through the holidays. Felipe’s family is like mine. It’s a sprawling, noisy, multigenerational affair. Every day after Christmas we drive down to Charleston and stay until after Christian’s birthday. The whole family is there. For Felipe, his home is the gathering place, all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins come and join him and his immediate family including his grandparents. For Thanksgiving they start with the Macy’s Day Parade and ends with some kind of family board game. Trask’s holidays are more low-key. Growing up he didn’t have a happy home life and all of his good memories come from his grandmother. Once he got clean, he often spends his holidays with a friend from Narcotics Anonymous.

When families merge you have the opportunity to mingle traditions and create your own. One tradition my husband picked up from my family is the la benediction paternelle, where the head of the household blesses each member individually on New Year’s Day. One tradition we picked up from him was setting out a couple presents from Santa unwrapped under the tree after midnight. That was a whole lot of fun when our son was little.

Trask is a vegetarian and a bachelor loner, so for the holidays he orders the special from Marie’s Diner down the street, but with extra mac-n-cheese and apple pie instead of turkey. He’s a man who shows his caring through deeds instead of words. He takes his holiday time and uses it to make things for others whether it’s helping to winterize Old Joe’s home or rehabbing a crafting table for Felipe. For him that’s a celebration and he doesn’t feel like he’s missing out. He’s more worried about feeling like he’s intruding on other families.

For Felipe family is everything, even when they piss him off he’s home for holidays and he can’t let anger linger through that time even if that anger is sometimes justified. And he’s determined to show Trask that having a family doesn’t mean it has to be dysfunctional, even when you’re not getting along. On Christmas Eve, he returns home to surprise his family by lighting up the tree and setting out the post-Mass snacks and finds his grandfather thinking along the same lines and they have a long overdue heart-to-heart. Sometimes the person you butt heads with the most is the one you’re most like.

I’d like to share a little holiday excerpt and then please, drop me a note and tell me about some of your holiday traditions.

“Oh yes, Abby. The girl who stole your crayon.” Lola’s husky voice enveloped Felipe in a thousand comforting memories.

Felipe cracked a smile at her oh-so-serious tone that meant she was gently teasing him. All around them their family buzzed, talking over each other in cheerful chaos, the way they did at every family holiday. The little ones ran all over the living room, tumbling over each other and squabbling. The teenagers sat in their little spheres of isolation, their faces over their phones, except Mariana, who flitted from one group to another, like she hadn’t seen anyone in decades when they’d all gotten together just on Labor Day and they’d see each other again at Christmas and New Year’s. Felipe’s family was never far away.

“That would be the one,” Felipe admitted.

“The same Abby who dated the gentleman you were pining for in tenth grade.” Lola’s memory was as sharp as ever.

He wished Trask had come. Mariana had asked about Trask’s whereabouts more than once, much to his parents’ discomfort. Felipe pulled out his phone and curled in closer to his grandmother. “Smile, Lola. I need to send a picture to a friend of mine.” He snapped a photo and admired the image before sending it to Trask. Thinking of you. Happy Thanksgiving.

“The young man you were telling me about?”

“He’s not that young, Lola.” Felipe felt that he had to point that out. Not that Trask was as ancient as everyone else complained about either.

She laughed her warm, rich laugh. “At my age everyone is young.”

His phone dinged, and Felipe pulled up the picture of Trask with Sophie, curled up on the floor of his apartment. Miss you too, imp. Felipe’s heart panged. He really wished he was with the aloof twerp. He had so many emotions where Trask was concerned, deep emotions that he’d once longed for but now wasn’t sure what do with. He wanted to talk about it with his grandmother, but he couldn’t with the bedlam surrounding them.

Lola took the phone from Felipe and examined Trask’s picture through her bifocals. “He considers you an imp?” She gave Felipe a fond glance. “I think that name just might serve.”

Felipe loved the way Trask said imp. There was a warmth and affection in his tone when he did, as if he didn’t wish Felipe to be any other way. “Yeah, I’m his imp, and he’s my Tin Man.”

“He has kind eyes.” She handed the phone back to Felipe. “The eyes don’t lie, Felipe.”

The title of this book, A Whole Latte Sass, could not be more perfect for the main character, Felipe. That man has sass going on! And the calming influence of Trask was the perfect foil for Felipe’s high energy personality.

This was a May December romance, which highlighted their differences very well. I really loved their very distinct personalities. Felipe was a confident young man who knew what he wanted, and worked to get it, no matter what it was he wanted.

Trask meanwhile was a bit set in his ways. Running his business, not allowing anyone new in his life, whether canine or human. Then Felipe comes into his life, and turns his life on end, simply by making sure Trask knew he was wanted, and encouraging him to give him a chance.

I thought the book was a bit longer than it needed to be, incorporating things that maybe could have been cut, or used as additional scenes. Overall though, an enjoyable read!

3.5 pieces of eye candy

 

His Cursed Prince by Ryan Loveless: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt and Release Day Review

by

TCO is mad excited to have Ryan Loveless here discussing His Cursed Prince, her latest novella. From the synopsis on, you know you are in for a wild ride with this one, and I just love that Ryan gives us a little touch of what happened the day before these two connect. I hope you guys enjoy this!

Three facts about Tuckington Belle:

1. Given the choice between illegally scaling the royal castle’s walls to steal flowers for a client at his family’s dress shop or going on a date with a girl his brother set him up with (“He’s fertile, and he can sew!”), Tuck will scale the wall like a spider after a fly.

2. If, upon knocking himself unconscious when he falls off the wall, Tuck wakes up bruised, blindfolded, and inside the castle, where—based on the unearthly wails heard nightly—the prince no one has seen in ten years is probably a ghost, Tuck would still choose this over a date with a girl.

3. Tuck thinks it’s time to admit he’s gay.

Three facts about Prince Frederick George Deor (Read and approved with great reluctance by Lord “Protocol is Protocol. Stop Being a Pain About It” Todd):

1. He brought a curse upon himself and now bears the skin of a snake.

2. He can’t take his eyes off the injured thief recovering in the castle.

3. Friendships born from lying and insisting the other person wears a blindfold can blossom into true love—which he needs to break the curse.

Title: His Cursed Prince
Author: Ryan Loveless
Release Date: December 28, 2018
Category: Fantasy
Pages: 98

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I love plotting and writing exercises. Before I start a story, I spend weeks or more filling out worksheets on various and sundry. I even made a special Scrivener file for it that incorporates worksheets from different writing books that I’ve read. (That’s another thing, I love books on writing.) A favorite writing exercise of mine is to write out what each of the characters was doing the day before the story begins. It helps me find a jumping off point for where my story should start. Let me share with you now what Tuck and Frederick did on The Day Before.

 

Tuckington: Tuck stared dejectedly at the empty till. “This won’t keep the shop open past the holidays.”

“The money’s in your hand, doofus,” his brother said.

“Including that. We have to do something special to get the customers in. A gala or a ball–”

“Or a royal wedding. If Prince Jasper were engaged–,” their mother interjected.

“If he were, he wouldn’t get married in the castle here, not with all the banshee-wailing that goes on. People who live near say it keeps them awake all night.” Daniel eyed Tuck. “No, we need a wedding closer to home. A fine young lady of the town matched with an enterprising young lad. A shop owner. She’ll want all the finery for herself and her maids of honor, which we will provide at a reasonable, but profitable, rate.”

Tuck put the money into a bank envelope and closed the till. He avoided looking at Daniel.

Daniel settled his hand on Tuck’s shoulder and squeezed. “And I’ve got just the lad. What do you say, Tuck?”

 

Frederick: Frederick lay in the center of his bed. Although it was large enough for six of him, he curled tight, trying to be as small as possible. It shouldn’t matter. It’s just an animal. Like me. He clutched his dark cloak, pulling it tighter. The hood covered his face.

“Your Highness? KitKat is sorry. You just surprised him is all.” Gracie sounded plaintive on the other side of the door. “Can we come in?”

She was probably holding the cat. It had been sitting pleasantly in Gracie’s lap, but when Frederick approached to pet it, the thing hissed and reared up. Frederick had taken off in one direction, the cat in another.

“I wish to be alone,” he shouted.

“But–”

“Leave me!” He rose up to roar, then collapsed back down, intending to stay there until he died.

“I’ll leave your dinner out here,” Gracie said after a moment. Frederick laid still, sulking, until the door opened, this time without a knock. Lord Todd entered and moved around the room, doing whatever he did while Frederick ignored him. Frederick hid beneath his hood and wished himself away.

“George has invited me back this evening,” Tuck said after working up the courage. (Sir Michael did not invite comfortable chatter, and they were nearly stopped before Tuck found his nerve.)

“Did he, now?” Sir Michael said. Tuck couldn’t tell if he was disinterested or annoyed. “Going on inviting thieves back, is he? Not giving us a chance to screen them and all, is he?”

Tuck judged that this addendum was not meant for his ears and remained quiet. He did need to clear up one thing, though. “Is he a servant or…. I don’t wish to get him into trouble. If I’m not to return, please tell me.”

When Sir Michael turned in his saddle to look at him, his face was such a mask of power that Tuck gripped his saddle horn a little tighter to distract himself from the need to cower. “George is no servant,” Sir Michael said. “He is held in especial affection by His Royal Highness Prince Frederick. You will consider a request from George as an order from your prince. What time did he request you this evening?”

The information Sir Michael poured on him was enough to make Tuck overlook the concluding question. “Prince Frederick is alive?” He was certain his eyes were bugging out, but there was nothing to be done about it.

“He is.” Sir Michael said nothing more. Tuck had it on the tip of his tongue to tell him about the rumors, what people said outside the castle grounds, but one look at the tightness around Sir Michael’s eyes quelled him into silence. Almost before he knew it, they arrived at the wall and the door that Prince Frederick had once closed on him. Then Tuck was on the cobblestone walkway outside the grounds, flowers in hand, with directions to return to the same door exactly two hours after sunset. The heavy latch had closed before Tuck realized he wanted to ask where the prince was, even though he was certain Sir Michael would not answer.

Tuck turned away and hurried down the hill. Prince Frederick was alive. He swallowed this truth down and hid it away in a place safe in his belly. Sir Michael hadn’t forbidden him from telling it, but something told Tuck that he should keep it to himself and never even hint at this knowledge.

 

Thank you all for reading. I hope you will buy His Cursed Prince and if you do, let me know what you think!

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Grab this! Even if you aren’t into fantasy (I’m normally not!), even if you don’t like historical (which this has pieces of, but there’s still things like cell phones, so go figure), and even if the idea of a crying prince makes you want to cry yourself, grab this!

I completely enjoyed this. It was sweet, with some genuinely funny parts. And I loved that Tuck really just didn’t care, even knowing what he knew when his blindfold came off, he still only cared about the prince. Meanwhile, the prince needed to learn to care about himself.

On top of it, there is a twist on the curse, that I didn’t see coming, that I absolutely loved even more! So, once again, I will say…GRAB THIS! 🙂

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Ryan Loveless is the author of numerous M/M romance novels and short stories. She is honored to be recognized as a Rainbow Book Award winner (several titles), Epic eBook Award finalist (In Me an Invincible Summer), and a Florida Author and Publisher Association Awards bronze medalist (Ethan). She lives in New York with her family, a sentence that brings her great joy to write.

Twitter: @ryanloveless

FB: https://www.facebook.com/ryanlovelessbooks/

Something About Jace (Pineapple Grove Book 1) by Drake & Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

Gallery owner Jace Townsend loves his tiny hometown of Pineapple Grove, deep in South Florida. His life is filled with sunshine, blue skies, jogging on the beach with his dog, and the greatest friends a guy could want. What more could he ask for?

Love would be a great start. After his last relationship fell apart, Jace has begun to wonder if he’s ever going to find someone who would fit into his quiet life.

Of course, the last person who would fit into his life is a major movie star.

Trent Elrige is drowning. He’s constantly on the go from one movie obligation to the next. And after the last stalker got a little too close for comfort, Trent decides it’s time to take a step back and figure out what he’s doing with his life.

Pineapple Grove seemed the perfect spot to hide for six months and figure out his future. He just wasn’t expecting to be tackled by love so quickly.

But now that he’s found Jace, is he willing to risk everything he’s worked so hard for? And is Jace willing to walk away from his precious Pineapple Grove to be with Trent?

Title:  Something About Jace

Series: Pineapple Grove #1

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott, LLC

Release Date: December 28, 2018

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 63k

Genre: Romance

Add to Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

 

 

As they continued down the block, Trent kept his head down as the random car passed them, so no one could clearly see his face in the splash of headlights. It hit him then—that he was fooling himself. He wanted a normal life with quiet nights, but could he have that? He’d traded privacy for fame when he’d been a teenager. Yeah, too young to realize what he was giving up, but he couldn’t fool himself into thinking he hadn’t entirely known what he was getting into.

And he did love his life—loved acting and all the travel. But he also was ready to have a real home. Was that even possible?

The thought made him tired all of a sudden. Tired of having to watch every little thing he did. He glanced at Jace often as they kept to the shadows and made their way back to his house, his heart achingly heavy. Even Ripley seemed to get that they were trying to escape notice as she trotted along quietly ahead of them, her head up and alert for new people.

Before they reached his back patio, Jace stopped him with a hand on his lower back. “You worried they’re going to figure out where you live?”

“No, I think we lost them.”

“You got quiet on me. If you’re worried that was the sort of thing to chase me off, don’t. I…like you. And I’m not ready for whatever this is to stop. We’ve had dinner only twice, and I really think we should continue to give kissing a try.”

He stared at him for several moments, realizing he hadn’t even been thinking of what kind of hardship anyone who tried having a life with him would experience. Of course, he’d thought of it before, but his thoughts had been a little more on the selfish side tonight. He just had so much to work through.

As he stared at this gorgeous man with his brown eyes, he realized nothing had to be figured out just then, and his morose mood faded away. “Good, because I’m not either.” He grabbed Jace’s hand and tugged him into the house. Ripley trotted in after them and lay down on the rug between the living and dining rooms.

Since the place had about a million windows, Trent flipped off the light as the door slammed behind them. Jace’s laughter pulled him in so hard and fast, he grabbed the man and slanted his mouth over his. He licked along his bottom lip until Jace opened for him with a low growl in the back of his throat. They kissed for long, slow moments before pulling back, their gazes catching in the moonlight and locking as heat flared.

Something passed between them then, something that had Trent catching his breath and Jace’s eyes widening. It made Trent feel like he had butterflies in his chest.

Before he could take another deep breath, they went back at each other like they were starving, tongues stroking in a way that had all Trent’s blood flowing south.

Can we just take a moment of silence for the hot guy on the cover? Just maybe to appreciate him, and objectify him a little bit.

K, thanks for that.

So, I am undeniably a fan of these two authors, as well as their Unbreakable Bond & Ward Security series’. In this one though, we have Trent, who you may remember from one of said series’, but I’m going to be honest, I don’t remember which one. That’s okay though, you don’t need to, as it isn’t really a spin-off, but instead an awesome start to a new series.

So, Trent is a movie star, and now… if you’re like me… the movie star, rock star, billionaire- oh-powerful person meeting the quirky nobody from small town USA isn’t usually my thing. It’s just so unrealistic to me.. I like blue-collar, everyday, real-world problems kinda guys.

However, I adored Trent. Taking six months off to figure out what he wants in life…he goes to Pineapple Grove and rents a house on the beach, knowing that no one would suspect him there. He’d have privacy and time to decide his next move. He’s lonely with his busy schedule and nobody to come home to, but he’s also struggling with the fact that he’s bisexual and what that could mean to his career. It hasn’t been an issue until now, because in a very Hallmark movie kinda way, he meets Jace.

Jace who owns his own art studio where he sells local art, as well as his sister’s, was running on the beach with his dog…. (Of course, there’s a dog) who literally runs right into Trent. Not knowing who he is, the two start chatting and there are sparks and flirty smiles and a cute puppy… SCORE! So, one asks the other out, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Getting to know one another was cute, that part was realistic in the fact that as you would expect, they have to keep their dating a secret, not only because no one knows that Trent is bi, but because he honestly wants to protect the anonymity of Jace as well. With someone targeting his sister’s artwork and defacing her murals from around town, he’s got enough on his plate than having to worry about paparazzi and everything that comes with dating Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor. So, I appreciated that and it only made Trent more charming. You could tell the situation wasn’t ideal, and it never felt like he was trying to keep Jace a secret or using him in any way… he genuinely cared for him and he was stuck between a rock and a hard place too. (

Through it all though, Jace has such great friends and family… They were all so accepting and supportive of Jace and eventually Trent, that even when they were being pushy and nosy, you could tell they loved him and just wanted him happy. , and of course I wasn’t disappointed in that ending… ALL the feels!! I hope we get to see so much more from them….All of them, actually, I’m so excited for Wesley!

I will say that I was a little surprised that this one wasn’t as action-packed and life-threatening as the other two series I mentioned before. There are no dangerous situations where someone could get killed, though the troublemaker was easily figured out the second they popped up on page. I wasn’t disappointed at all. It was a nice change of pace and I enjoyed the slow pace and genuineness of it. Can’t wait for more!

4 Pieces of 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.

Website | Facebook | Twitter |  eMail


a Rafflecopter giveaway