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Swann’s Revenge by Shira Anthony: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, and Giveaway

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Can a swan make peace with his ugly duckling past?

Chubby geek Jimmy Zebulon’s heart broke the day his high school crush, Danny Parker, looked on as his teammates tormented Jimmy. Fifteen years later, Jimmy is long gone, and from his ashes has risen Graham Swann, a movie-star-handsome law firm owner. Graham thinks Jimmy and his past are long forgotten—until attorney Dan Parker shows up for his first day of work.

Getting injured playing college ball was the best thing that ever happened to Dan. It turned his future in a better direction and allowed him to emerge from the closet that trapped him.

Graham wants to believe his childhood dream can come true, but he can’t bring himself to tell Dan who he really is—and their pasts might ruin any chance for a happily ever after….

Title: Swann’s Revenge
Author: Shira Anthony
Release Date: February 6, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 224

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Shira’s Recipe for Romance: Swann’s Revenge (Dreamspun Desires)

Thank you, Two Chicks Obsessed, for hosting the first stop on the Swann’s Revenge Book Tour! I’m so happy to share my latest entry in the Dreamspun Desires line of romance-forward, tropey love stories from Dreamspinner Press. Be sure to read to the bottom of the post about how to enter to win a cool unisex leather heart bracelet to celebrate the book tour and read an excerpt from the story.

Swann’s Revenge is an honest to goodness “category romance.” The term comes from the old tradition of publishing a certain number of books on a monthly basis in a certain category. You remember these. When I was a kid, they were the Harlequin and Silhouette romances that were shipped, 4 books a month, on subscription.

Category romances were sweet, sometimes funny, standalone stories with a yummy happy ending. These were romances that made you feel good. For me, I remember being an angsty teen and reading these books. They made my heart pound, made my arms ache, and gave me that rush of “oh yeah!” at the end of the story that made me want to devour more romances.

When I worked on Swann’s Revenge and the other Dreamspun Desires I’ve written, I did a lot of thinking about what makes a classic category romance make me feel so damn good. I’ve reread a few of the old romances, and I really thought about what makes them work for a reader like me. My husband, the scientist, would call that “reverse engineering.” It was a bit like eating a really good piece of cake and figuring out what ingredients went into it because you don’t have the recipe!

So what’s the recipe?

Take two main characters and ratchet up the heat. I’m talking a very slow burn that builds until you are fanning yourself and ready to scream, “Tell him you love him already!” Or at least, “Tell him you want to have sex with him already!”  In the case of Swann’s Revenge, it’s “Tell him who you are already!” that comes to mind, since the MC, Graham Swann, has a secret past he can’t bring himself to tell the other MC, Dan Parker, about.

Stir in something that presents a bit of a sticking point for both characters and threatens to keep them apart. Nothing too angsty here, just something they have to overcome separately or, even better, together. In Swann’s Revenge, it’s Graham’s secret that keeps him from allowing himself to be vulnerable and letting himself fall for Dan.

Add a secondary character or two who just might derail the budding romance or help it happen for our main characters. In Swann’s Revenge, the secondary character isn’t out to derail the romance, but she does up the ante between our two men.

Add doubts and stir again. Little niggles or fears. Maybe sprinkle a little misunderstanding in while you’re at it. Pour all the ingredients into a pan and bake it at high temperature. What do you get? Sexy, sweet, and spicy romance that tastes as good as tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day, or maybe some really good mac ‘n cheese. We’re not talking prime rib that you eat with expensive French wine, but the kind of meal that leaves you satisfied and smiling. Simply fun and feel-good fare.

Swann’s Revenge releases February 6th from Dreamspinner Press! You can buy it alone, or you can subscribe to the Dreamspun Desires line and get two books a month at a significant discount (ebook and paperback). Read down for an excerpt and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! -Shira

“Terri tells me you’re from my neck of the woods,” Dan said and leaned back in his chair.

Graham met Dan’s gaze. The urge to shift in his seat passed as he reasserted control. “Oh? Where would that be?” He made it his practice never to divulge too much about himself. Even Terri, whom he’d met when they were both taking prep classes for the Tennessee bar examination, only knew so much. The past was best forgotten.

“Carletonville. My folks still live out there.” Dan chuckled. “They still go to all the football games at Merrill High.”

Graham pretended the name hadn’t made his stomach drop into his feet. The back of his neck felt cold and clammy. “How nice,” he said evenly. “Did you play?”

“I did. But that was a long time ago,” Dan said with a sigh and shake of his head. “A different lifetime.”

“I see.” Graham glanced at his watch. He needed to end this interview soon or he’d lose his composure.

Fortunately, Dan got the message and stood. “I’m probably keeping you from something. I’m sure we’ll have more time to chat later.”

“I’ll have my assistant set up a few hours for us to go over strategy tomorrow morning.” Graham smiled and added, “Good to have you aboard.”

“Thanks again.”

Graham watched Dan leave, all the while struggling to keep his discomfort from showing. Dan closed the door behind him and Graham let out a long breath. How had he missed it before?

The Invincible Danny Parker. North Carolina All- State Quarterback of the Year. Full ride at Carolina. NCAA All-America Quarterback. A shoo-in for the pros until he tore his ACL in his senior year and had to quit the game.

Graham thought he’d forgotten what it felt like to sit in the mud as half the football team looked on and laughed, but he’d been wrong. All his memories came barreling back, and with them the pain and humiliation of fifteen years before.

The day after, he’d quit the band. When his mother remarried in June, they moved to Memphis and he took his stepfather’s name. He grew nearly eight inches his senior year.  He put high school and the chubby kid behind him. In college, he learned he didn’t have asthma at all—he’d been allergic to the mold in the Carletonville apartment where he and his mother lived. He started to exercise. His roommate taught him to play racquetball and he started running regularly. He got into shape and learned to imitate the way the popular students dressed. He was accepted into a great law school and never looked back.

Fifteen years before, Jimmy Zebulon, the chubby kid with a face covered in zits, left Carletonville and never returned. Jimmy had moved on with his life. He’d banished the memories and the shame. He’d been absolutely fine.

Until now.

Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, i Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. You can hear Shira singing “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca by clicking here: Shira’s Singing

Shira loves a great happily-ever-after and never writes a story without one. She’s happy to write what her muse tells her, whether it’s fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, or contemporary romance. She particularly loves writing series, because she thinks of her characters as old friends and she wants to visit them even after their stories are told.

In real life, Shira sang professionally for 14 years, and she currently works as a public sector attorney advocating for children. She’s happy to have made writing her second full-time job, even if it means she rarely has time to watch TV or go to the movies. Shira writes about the things she knows and loves, whether it’s music and musicians, the ocean, or the places she’s lived or traveled to. She spent her middle school years living in France, and tries to visit as often as she can.

Shira and her husband spend as many weekends as they can aboard their 35′ catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen, at the Carolina Coast. Not only has sailing inspired her to write about pirates and mermen, her sailboat is her favorite place to write. And although the only mermen she’s found to date are in her own imagination, she keeps a sharp lookout for them when she’s on the water.

 

Color Me In by Riley Hart: Exclusive Excerpt and Release Day Review

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Caleb White has been a lot of places and made a lot of decisions he isn’t proud of. He’s ready to settle down and figure out who he really is. Where better to do that than Last Chance, the home he was ripped away from at sixteen? A fresh start is in order, but he has no idea how the hell to do that when he’s not even sure what he wants in the first place.

Ryan Daily is a pro at hiding his insecurities. He’s never fit in and has spent most of his life knowing there’s something missing. Just when he thought he’d found it, his whole world fell apart and he lost everything.

Then comes a sleepless night in a twenty-four-hour café, where Caleb and Ryan forge a connection full of laughs, junk food, and whispered secrets. In the middle of a budding friendship, they see the blossoming of desire neither of them expected. Ryan has kept his heart protected after having it shattered, and Caleb—no stranger to attraction—finds what he has with Ryan is on a whole new level from anything he’s experienced before. In a world of black and white, they bring each other color.

But life is never simple. When the past comes knocking, Ryan and Caleb will have to reach through the darkness to find the light they see in each other or risk slipping into the shadows for good.

COLOR ME IN

LAST CHANCE, BOOK 2

RILEY HART

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 30, 2018

COVER DESIGN: X-Potion Designs

COVER IMAGE: Stone Creek City

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2ByOVfZ

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 “It’s weird…getting touched by you this way…by someone this way. I feel it in my bones. Like this sweet, relentless sensation I’ve been denied so long.”

Jesus, he really fucking wanted to kiss Ryan. His lips tingled with the need, but Caleb knew it wasn’t the time or place.

When Ryan’s eyes opened, he saw a moment of panic there. “I’m not trying to get heavy. I know what this is, and frankly, that’s all I can handle. We’re friends. For whatever reason, we’ve connected with each other and I’m attracted to you. I know it ends there, and truthfully, I don’t know how far it’ll even go sexually.”

Was that a warning, or was Ryan just being honest? Caleb didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it either way. It wasn’t as if he was looking for anything serious either, but Ryan’s need to put it out there did make discomfort slide down his spine. If those were the rules, he guessed he should know about them.

Caleb dropped his hand and nodded. “bGotcha. Sounds like we’re on the same page. I appreciate your honesty.” He could keep this at just making Ryan feel good. Fuck, he wanted to keep touching him until he lost his fucking head, and when they were done, they’d be done.

“We should probably go inside.”

“You think? I’m not sure…”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “So damn funny.”

“Glad you think so.”

When they got out of the car, they were both smiling. *

 

Ahhhh…yet another Riley Hart book I loved. This is book 2 in the series, but seeing as how I missed book 1 (who??) you definitely don’t have to read book 1 to enjoy book 2.

Caleb returns to Last Chance- the town he grew up in until he was 16. That was when his parents forced them to move without notice or word to his best friend Shane. Shane, the boy he had been friends with forever and who he started experimenting with. And then they got caught.

After a quick reconnection with Shane, Caleb is out of sorts. He still feels like things are unresolved with Shane, he has no job- and doesn’t need one- and he is living in a big house by himself. He finds himself at the town’s all night diner where he runs into Ryan. They quickly bond over cars and late night snacks. And even though Caleb is out, he thinks Ryan is straight. So instead of a flirtatious romance, Caleb shoots for friendship.

Their friendship is, at times, awkward. But they forge ahead, both needing the connection. Caleb never crosses the line though. Lots of fantasies and longing looks- but hands off. Until they start talking one night and it comes out (haha!) that Ryan just doesn’t feel sexual attraction to anyone. Caleb gives him a name, a label, of demisexual. And it is like a light bulb went off.

Their friendship turns a corner. It grows into experimentation, flirting and a bit of romance. But they are both holding back secrets that need to be told.

I really love that more colors of the rainbow are being represented in books. Acknowledging that there are more than gay/straight/bi people out there. And this was beautifully done. Seeing Ryan blossom into the man he was meant to be, accepting affection and enjoying sex. He is still scared of what the world will think, but that isn’t surprising. Identifying as straight his whole life and now being with a man can rock the boat.

Caleb and Ryan have their ups and downs. And even though some of their misunderstandings are silly- they always end up talking to each other and working things out. Being that they started out as friends, they have that solid base to work from.

Ms Hart does an excellent job of explaining demisexual. Not only to us, but to Ryan. It was really well done, sensitive and loving. Of course I am going to recommend this book!

4 pieces of eye candy

 

Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a hopeless romantic, a lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together.

She loves reading, flawed characters, and hanging out with her husband and children, who she adores. She and her family live in Southern California, soaking up the sunshine while also missing seasons. Not a day goes by that she isn’t thankful she gets to wake up and do what she loves.

Life is good. Riley also writes young adult and new adult under the name Nyrae Dawn.

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Hurricane Reese by R.L. Merrill: Exclusive Guest Post, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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The life of Tony-winning musician Reese Matheson resembles a natural disaster, and caregiver Jude De La Torre is caught in the eye of the storm. But can the love of two opposites survive caring for an ornery octogenarian with wayward balls and a meddling family insistent upon tradition?

Fresh off the successful London run of his musical, the last thing Reese expects when he comes home is a house surrounded by paparazzi and his girlfriend throwing his stuff into the pool. All he wants to do is spend time with his beloved grandfather and musical mentor who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Reese knows he doesn’t have much time left before the elder Matheson forgets who he is. In classic “Hurricane Reese” form, he moves into the cottage by the sea and displaces Jude, the intriguing caregiver he hired two years before. When Grandpa proves too much for Reese to handle on his own, Jude comes to his rescue, taming Grandpa… and the Hurricane as well. Soon all Reese can think about is how to get Jude out of his scrubs and into his bed—permanently. Will Hurricane Reese destroy everything in his path, or will this odd couple learn to harmonize together?

Title: Hurricane Reese
Author: R.L. Merrill
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 205

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Hurricane Reese is the result of many pieces coming together to create a funny and heartfelt romance. Those pieces include a beloved grandfather with Alzheimer’s disease, interracial dating in the LGBTQ community, musical theater, the Rat Pack days, and a new relationship with not only a power differential, but an age and cultural gap that threatens to halt any progress Reese and Jude make. Throw in an ex hell-bent on making Reese’s private life public, homelessness, a disappearing best friend, and a troubled younger brother and you have the natural disaster that is Hurricane Reese. Readers who enjoyed my self-published works like the Teacher trilogy and The Rock Season will find this new book a natural progression and new readers to my books will hopefully fall in love with Reese and Jude and the crazy families they bring along for the ride.

 

I haven’t read anything by R.L. Merrill before, but I knew when I read the description that I wanted to. And in a way I was not sorry, but more like I paid the price to read it. For the last six months, I’ve been dealing with something similar to what Reese was dealing with. My father had a couple of strokes, and has been left with some lingering effects that six months later we are still trying to manage, and cope with. So, reading about the deterioration of Grandpa and how Reese and Jude dealt with it, had me in tears more than once. I’ve felt some of the pain that Reese felt when my father didn’t recognize me. Or when he said things to me that were hurtful, because it was his disease talking and not him. So, I wasn’t sorry I read it, but my gosh, there were so many flashes of pain there, that it tells me that she hit me a little bit hard in the feels.

The story was well planned and thought out. The characters all written with such detail in their backstory, it really helped to understand things like why Jude struggled with coming out. The opposite side, you could see why Reese really didn’t give a fig about who knew what. There were pieces in the story that I certainly wasn’t expecting, but certainly made sense when you figure that stories like this don’t happen in a vacuum. As your characters are living their lives, so too are the other characters in the story living their own.

There were some areas that seemed a bit rushed, but I think that had more to do with the number of side stories rather than not wanting to hit those areas at all. It didn’t detract from the story, it just made me want just a little more length to some of the scenes where they are acknowledging and addressing their feelings.

In the end, I was happy to read this, and find a good way to address what has been a dark cloud looming over our family for a while. Reminding me that the world does continue to turn, and love continues to flourish, even during dark days was a great way to look at it overall.

4 pieces of eye candy

Once upon a time… a teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock ’n’ roll kinda gal opened up a doc and started purging her demons. Several self-published books and a debut gay romance with Dreamspinner Press later, R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real life and happily ever after. She writes stories set in the places she loves most, such as Hollywood, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Northern California—and Iowa. Ro also loves connecting with other authors online, at the annual Romantic Times Booklovers Convention, and chapter meetings for the Romance Writers of America, of which she’s been a member since 2014.

A sucker for underdogs, Ro has adopted a wide variety of pets including cats, dogs, rats, a snake and fish. Her love of horror is evident the moment you walk in her door and find yourself surrounded by decorative skulls and quirky artwork from around the world. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, educating America’s youth, being a mom taxi to two busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or head banging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Connect with Ro:

Website: www.rlmerrillauthor.com

Twitter: @rlmerrillauthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rowritesrocknromance

And stay Tuned for more Rock ’n’ Romance.

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2001762376761722/

Spotify Playlist Link: https://open.spotify.com/user/rlmerrillauthor/playlist/79BaPjDRZXUwVr5tPI9FNC


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La Famiglia by Deanna Wadsworth: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt

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Forrester Giordano comes from a huge, nosy Italian family, and with their homophobic jokes and slurs, he’s decided to stay in the closet. He finds respite in his bookstore in the quaint village of Gilead—where he has a huge crush on one of his customers, Kyle Benson.

Kyle is determined to live his dreams, and though life isn’t easy being deaf, one by one he’s making them come true. He’s scored a great job practicing law, bought a cute bungalow where he can finally have a big flower garden, and he has a dog he loves, Jasper. Now he just needs one thing to complete his happiness: a family of his own to make up for the one he never had.

Forrester and Kyle’s relationship starts off hot and heavy, and neither man can deny the depth of their connection. When Forrester’s little brother gets mixed up with their heroin-dealing cousin and his mother falls ill, Forrester has a decision to make—maybe the hardest of his life. For the first time, he’s found a man worth coming out for.

Unfortunately nothing ever goes according to plan with la famiglia.

 

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Thanks for hosting me, Two Chicks Obsessed! I brought along a sexy and funny excerpt exclusive for your readers. For those of you who fell in love with Phin and Scott from THE RHUBARB PATCH, my first Men of Gilead novel, you know that Scott was working on a short story about an alien with three cocks. LOL, crazy right? Well, Forrester from my latest book LA FAMIGLIA, owns a bookstore and that’s where he meets Kyle. Naturally two guys into books and sci-fi would read a book about an alien with three cocks as foreplay, right?

Enjoy!

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

Forrester followed Kyle to the sink to wash their dishes, letting his hand linger on the small of Kyle’s back. “You got plans today?”

“I was going to plant my flowers, but the weather isn’t cooperating. Don’t you have plans?”

“Nope.” Forrester glanced out the window into Kyle’s little backyard. The rain was still coming down, but not as torrential as last night. He grinned at Kyle. “I was planning a lazy Sunday curled up with a good book. Care to join me?”

Kyle grinned too. “I know just the book.”

As Kyle put the disgruntled Jasper in his kennel—he would give them no peace if he were free—Forrester retrieved the book from the laundry room. He headed for the stairs, but Kyle halted him with an “Ah-ah! We’ll read in the living room like civilized people.”

Grinning, Forrester followed him. They sat on the love seat, Forrester positioning himself sideways so Kyle could sit in front of him and between his legs.

Kyle put his feet up and cuddled back into Forrester’s arms. “I haven’t had story time in years.”

Forrester chuckled and gave him a squeeze. He opened the book. “Ever read a book as foreplay?”

“Can’t say as I have.”

“Me neither. How many pages before the sex starts?”

“Page four or five? Aren’t you going to read it from the beginning?”

“Nope, I wanna get to the good parts,” Forrester said.

“Impatient, impatient.”

If this book was as hot as advertised, it wouldn’t take long before reading led to fucking. And after discovering Kyle’s offer to sleep over had been far more significant than mere sex—though that had been amazing—Forrester longed to be connected to Kyle again, to solidify what was already building between them.

Forrester held the book in front of them and speed-read the first couple of pages. “Lonely bear in the woods, taking a bath all by himself,” he summarized for Kyle. “Woah! Here we go.” He began to read, surprised by his husky voice. “The village was busy this time of year, so I hadn’t had a chance to be alone in some time. I immediately took my cock in hand, stroking myself to erection. My shaft was long and thick, warm beneath my fingers. At night, alone, I dreamed of having a cock like mine—or even bigger—inside me. They were never big enough.” He chuckled. “Well, I don’t know about that.”

Kyle giggled with nervous excitement.

Forrester read on. “I tugged on my nipples, pulling them until they were aching and hard. Grunting, I shifted to the edge of the bank, opening my legs so I could play with my asshole while I imagined being stuffed with a bigger cock than the one in my hand.”

Kyle traced a finger down Forrester’s arm then up and down Forrester’s thigh. When he moved, Forrester was more than aware of the heat of Kyle’s body leaning against him. Inside his khakis, his cock throbbed.

Smiling, he shifted until he had one knee up and Kyle’s bottom pressed against his groin. He thrust a little, dreaming about making Kyle feel as good as he’d made Forrester feel last night.

“Keep reading,” Kyle said.

“Where were we?”

“The guy was about to finger his ass.”

“Jeez,” he said, trembling. He found the page but couldn’t concentrate long enough to make sense of the words because Kyle’s fingers were toying with his inner thigh and making his insides flutter and ache.

“Am I distracting you?” Kyle shifted and took the book, his eyes alight with mischief. He studied the page, then turned it. “Here ya go, bright light, spaceship, green alien, and now: My gaze traveled down the corded muscles of his torso, and much to my surprise, I saw three long shafts hanging above a large smooth ball sac. Arousal began to burn within me, and my mouth watered. I was already fully erect, and my cock ached to come. The green man with three cocks saw this and smiled. He took a cock in each of his hands and began to stroke them, leaving one neglected in the middle. He came toward me, and I fell to my knees, knowing what I had to do.”

Forrester groaned. “Enough.” He took the book and dropped it to the floor. He was already so primed his ears were throbbing with the static of his pulse. He turned Kyle’s upper body so he could kiss him.

“Too much stimuli for you?” Kyle asked.

“You’re too much stimuli.”

With very little effort he had Kyle’s shirt off and him on his back. Smiling, he undid the button on Kyle’s pants and slowly, teasingly, slid the zipper down.

Mmmm, black boxers.

When he revealed the bulge, he palmed it, running up the warm length. Kyle thrust into the touch, and a visceral jolt shot through Forrester’s body.

“I know we just had breakfast, but I’m still hungry.” Forrester kissed his way down Kyle’s body, in no hurry, sucking at his nipples along the way.

“Well, by all means, help your—oh!” His words ended in a cry of surprise as Forrester mouthed the ample swell still hidden beneath those boxers.

Forrester inhaled the savory scent and a sudden flash of heat and desire whipped through him. Touching Kyle still felt new and exciting.

But it also felt as easy as if they’d done it a million times.

Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. She has served multiple board positions for different RWA chapters, including President of the Rainbow Romance Writers in 2017. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. An avid reader, she also loves gardening, cooking, music, and dancing. Often she can be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

Website │Facebook │ Twitter │Pinterest │goodreads │Amazon │Instagram │ BookBub

You can also find her young adult alter ego, K.D. Worth Facebook │Twitter

Buy Deanna’s books at Dreamspinner Press, Decadent Publishing or at any reputable eBook seller like Amazon

The Hockey Player’s Heart by Jeff Adams and Will Knauss: Exclusive Video Guest Post, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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I’m so super excited for you guys to see this vlog post by Jeff and Will, and if you haven’t ever watched their Big Gay Fiction Podcast, you need to. Love watching that! Their vlog below is all about their character inspirations. Check out the great giveaway, and congrats to Jeff and Will on the release of The Hockey Player’s Heart. Thanks for stopping by, gentlemen!

 

Hometown hero. Hockey superstar. Perfect boyfriend?

When hockey star Caleb Carter returns to his hometown to recover from an injury, the only thing he’s interested in is a little R & R. He never expects to run into his onetime crush at a grade school fund-raiser . Seeing Aaron Price hits him hard, like being checked into the boards. The attraction is still there, even after all these years, and Caleb decides to make a play for the schoolteacher. You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take, right?

Aaron has been burned by love before and can’t imagine what a celebrity like Caleb could possibly see in a guy like him. Their differences are just too great. But as Aaron spends more time with Caleb, he begins to wonder if he might have what it takes to win the hockey player’s heart.

Title: The Hockey Player’s Heart
Series: Hockey Hearts: Book 1
Author: Jeff Adams and Will Knauss
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 226

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Many thanks to Denise for having us here at Two Chicks Obsessed today so we can talk about our new book The Hockey Player’s Heart. We’ve got a special video for this tour stop, so we hope you’ll have a look. Don’t miss the Rafflecopter below either for your chance to win an ebook, or maybe even a signed paperback!

 

Oh my, how I do love the Dreamspinner Press category romances. They just make me happy. And The Hockey Player’s Heart is no exception. Small town, famous hockey player, an MC who returned back to his hometown jaded and hurt. All adds up to a read just begging for an HEA, and Jeff and Will give us that.

I love that Caleb came back to their hometown, remembering the crush he had on Aaron in high school, and was determined to re-spark that, even if it was just their friendship, despite Aaron’s initial resistance. He allowed Aaron his space, yet continued to express his delight in spending time with Aaron. It allowed these men to build a trust between them, something that Aaron deeply needed in order to feel comfortable enough to ever begin a relationship with someone famous again.

There were so many “feel good” moments, that it allowed you to sit back and enjoy as their romance slowly unfolded. And the ending made a difference, it showed a heart, and such thoughtfulness, the reader has to end up with at least a few tears, even though you had a feeling what was happening. That didn’t matter, because the feelings, the trust, the caring and the honesty all shown through.

Oh, and I’m ready for one best friend of Caleb’s to show up in book 2, please. That one is going to fall hard and fast. Can’t wait! 😉

4 pieces of eye candy

 

Jeff Adams and Will Knauss are husbands, authors, and podcasters based in Northern California. They write gay romances, sometimes together and other times separately. Jeff also writes young adult LGBT fiction. Together they host Jeff & Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast, a weekly show devoted to gay romance literature and the pop culture they love.

Websites:

Jeff: JeffAdamsWrites.com

Will: WillKnauss.com

Podcast: BigGayFictionPodcast.com

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Ghost of a Chance by Kris T. Bethke: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

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Only love makes life worth living—over and over again.

Ghostwalker Blake Jones dies every day. It’s his job and how he helps trapped souls cross over. But to return to life, he needs an anchor. His new partner, Derek Scott, is a surprise. Not only is he male, but his appearance belies a caring and gentle heart. Despite attraction and a strengthening relationship, they know they shouldn’t take things further.

But there’s a big difference between knowing and doing.

Their growing love presents a problem, though not the one they expect. Blake and Derek have to decide if they should take their relationship to the most permanent level—an unbreakable metaphysical bond. Doing so offers both risk and unimaginable reward. Can Blake let go of his fears and put his complete trust in Derek in order to have the happily ever after he’s always craved?

Title: Ghost of a Chance
Series: Requiem Inc.: Book 1
Author: Kris T. Bethke
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Category: Paranormal: Ghosts, Dreamspun Beyond
Pages: 216

 

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Hello everybody! I’m Kris T. Bethke, and let me start by saying a great big thank you for allowing me to take up a little bit of your time today.

Ghost of a Chance releases today, and it’s a supernatural romance that’s part of Dreamspinner Presses Dreamspun Beyond line. It’s also the first in a series, with other books coming out later this year.

When Blake Jones and Derek Scott first meet, they have a bit of a rocky start. But they also get the opportunity to sequester together for three days in order to really get to know one another. It’s vital for them to connect, or else they can’t do their jobs.

But I was faced with a particular problem. How do I get these guys to share details about their lives with each other without it being a great big info dump for the readers? And have it be fun an interesting too. Fortunately for me, Derek came up with the answer.

He asked Blake to play the Or Game.

The rules are simple enough. Each person asks an “or” question, and everyone has to answer. It’s a great way to break the ice, and often gives you an insight into the other person. Blake and Derek start out playing that first night together with “Chocolate or Strawberry” and continue on from there. They find out a lot about each other by playing the game, and fall back on it when they need to ease the tension between them.

I had a great time thinking up questions that would both be fun to answer and also move the story forward. My characters made it easy on me, and I think they liked it as much as I did.

You can see my MCs answers, and watch them fall in love. The book is out now, and I hope you get a chance to check it out.

I’ve been enjoying the Dreamspun Beyond series of books, and have to say Kris Bethke created an alternate universe that was different, and morbid, and still quite positive all at once. How Kris managed that, I have no idea!

I’m not going to lie, I did NOT like Blake dying for his job…especially how he dies. But I did like that it wasn’t sugar coated. It was quick, a little painful, but made sense.

And Derek. Well, he has to be the nicest guy you will ever read about. He was amazing, so patient and understanding when Blake was…well for lack of a better word…resistant to the idea of having a male anchor. Derek never stopped believing, trusting in their bond, and doing everything he could to make sure Blake’s ghost walking was as painless as possible.

This world intrigued me, and which doesn’t always happen with these types of books…honestly very rarely…it made me want more. It made me want book 2 (and there better be a book 2!!!), which hopefully will be Sam and King. Please?!?!?!?!

This was a surprise of a book for me. I’m glad I decided to take the chance on it, though. Worth it!

4 pieces of eye candy

  

Kris T. Bethke has been a voracious reader for pretty much her entire life and has been writing stories for nearly as long.  An avid and prolific daydreamer, she always has a story in her head.  She spends most of her free time reading, writing, or knitting/crocheting her latest project.  Her biggest desire is to find a way to accomplish all three tasks at one time.  A classic muscle car will always turn her head, and naps on the weekend are one of her greatest guilty pleasures.  She lives in a converted attic with a way too fluffy cat and the voices in her head.  She’ll tell you she thinks that’s a pretty good deal. Kris believes that love is love, no matter the gender of people involved, and that all love deserves to be celebrated.

Find her on her site https://kristbethke.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Kris-T-Bethke/100014524539852 or on Twitter https://twitter.com/kristbethke