Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Love’s Magic by Janice Jarrell: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

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If you love gay romance that contains both heated passion and steadfast love, Love’s Magic is for you! Professor Nate Reese rushes to protect a female student and is severely injured at the hands of her assailant. Traumatized by the attack, Nate sets his feet on a no-holds-barred path of activism designed to force university officials into addressing the issue of on-campus assault. At the same time, terrified of losing his hard-won status at the university, his partner, David Gardener, a veteran of 12 years as a very popular Professor, is reluctant to support Nate’s militant efforts. Seemingly abandoned by his partner, Nate sees David’s aversion to his activism as indifference to the trauma he suffered. Day by day they watch as their relationship disintegrates, while still struggling to resolve the disruptive issues engulfing the school they love.

In the meantime, Irishman Colin Campbell, handsome and charismatic Sergeant for the campus police force, fights his own on-going war against campus assault. But behind his obsessive desire to gain justice for victims lies a devastating secret which could forever destroy his fiercely independent facade and expose his deepest fear. Ultimately, it is Colin’s powerful connection to a steady, dark-eyed Title IX consultant which threatens to tear down his defenses and shatter the barriers protecting his heart.

Cocky and irresistible, the dynamic police officer was everything Joshua Abrams had ever longed for in a man, but Colin simply didn’t ‘do’ relationships. Unless Joshua would settle for a one night stand, or a very short-term liaison, there was no room for him in Colin’s life. Yet even knowing this, he couldn’t keep himself from falling hopelessly in love with his ‘magic man’. Despite the passion between them, he knew his quiet, reclusive nature could never hope to entice the vibrant, freedom-loving Irishman, so eventually he begins to back slowly away.

Eventually, a disagreement over an oddly disturbing case causes Colin’s hot Irish temper to erupt and their relationship is irrevocably shattered. Heartbroken, and convinced that Colin is gone forever, Joshua flees Charlottesville without a word, leaving Colin adrift and inconsolable.

But Joshua Abrams hadn’t merely stepped over the indelible line Colin had drawn between his heart and the dangers of real love, he had burned through it like hot lava. Finally forced to acknowledge his love for Joshua and his desperate need to have the quiet, Jewish man by his side, Colin must now face the dark and long-suppressed memories which are irrevocably linked to his love for the handsome consultant. Without even a forwarding address to guide him, he vows to find Joshua and bring him home. Colin’s struggle to conquer his pride and fear in order to find the love of his life and achieve their happily ever after will touch your heart.

Four lives in turmoil fighting for the relationships they cherish, and at the heart of the struggle, a great university struggles to survive its most harrowing challenge.

Length: 82,406 words

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

Love’s Magic is about two couples, Nate and David, who live together and Colin and Josh, recent friends with benefits. All four work at the university but only meet each other after Nate thwarts a would-be rapist on campus and is sent to the hospital badly beaten. From there, the conflict between Nate and David arises from Nate’s determination to have the school acknowledge the security issues on campus and implement real change for student and staff safety. David is afraid it will affect both his and Nate’s careers and the two grow increasingly estranged. Colin finds himself falling for Joshua, but refuses to commit further than casual dating.

This book was just okay for me. It had some yummy angst between both couples, and I admit I was sad when it looked like Nate and David were caput. The issues I had were the mechanics of the writing. There were many typos, mistakes or misused words (advice vs. advise) or incorrect homonyms (peaked vs. piqued). String enough of those together and it can drive me mad. There are also odd word choices, for instance, the author chose to use “quarreled” almost exclusively and that’s just an odd word for people to use today. There’s mention of a fax machine — what? There are many, many exclamation points which prevent me from feeling the characters and their conversations are real. It isn’t until several chapters in, after we’ve met Nate and David and learned the mechanics of their relationship, that we learn David has an ex-wife and two children. It seemed completely out of nowhere. The plot itself was okay, and I was happy when David finally realized why Nate was slowly being driven away, because David’s dick behavior was getting on my nerves. Colin and Joshua are perfectly fine together though they have their own angst as the two fight about the future of their relationship and Joshua leaves town without telling Colin or leaving him any forwarding information. Angst like that, I like. But it was a little slow going with all the problems I found with the writing itself.

3 pieces of eye candy

 

June 25 – Mirrigold, June 26 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, June 27 – MM Good Book Reviews, June 28 – Bayou Book Junkie, July 2 – Love Bytes, July 3 – Two Chicks Obsessed, The Novel Approach, July 4 – Joyfully Jay, July 5 – Drops Of Ink, Sarandipity

My name is Jan Jarrrell. I am a 74 year old retired grandmother who lives in Seattle, WA. I have been a writer of Lord of the Rings slash fan fiction for almost twenty years under the name Rakshi. I have written both RPS fiction and FPS and my list of works stands at three hundred and thirty seven, including stories as short as drabbles (stories of 100 words) and a series entitled ‘Time’ that was 119,012 words long. I have never had a work officially published, though two of my stories, Char ar’ I’ear (Earth and Sea) and ‘To The Distant Shore’ were included in the Vilya II fanzine. You can find my works on Archive of our Own and on LiveJournal under the username Rakshi.

I began writing original character fiction about a year ago and found I love it more than anything. I tend to fall in love with my characters and always want to give them that happy ending that I just know they deserve.

Reach me at: jjarrell@lovesmagic.online

Facebook: Revolutionary Heart- Love’s Magic

Goodreads Author Profile Page

Follow me on Twitter @Revolut35174972

 

 

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From a Jack to a King by Scotty Cade: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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New York Times best-selling mystery writer Bay Whitman leads the life of a celebrity—at least on the surface. In public he’s self-assured and in control. Women hang on his every word, while men envy his confidence and swagger. But in reality, Bay is a loner. He’s shy and introverted, and his life consists of sitting in a dimly lit room writing his famous Jack Robbins mystery novels. His one vice—gambling. Winning an escort in a poker game will change Bay’s life in ways he never imagined.

Matthew “King” Slater is one of the hottest tickets in gay porn. He spends his days in front of the camera and his nights as a highly paid escort to the rich and famous. Deep down, he craves romance and a real connection, but his past makes it hard to separate the needs of his body from those of his heart. For now, it’s easier to think of sex as just a job. But while doing a shoot in Vegas, King is hired for a tryst at a famous hotel and casino, and his handsome client might blur the line between work and play.

Title: From a Jack to a King
Author: Scotty Cade
Release Date: July 3, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 194

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

iTunes

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Happy July 3 to you and Happy Release Day to me!

Firstly, I’d like to thank Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy for having me stop in today. I truly appreciate your support.

I’m here to bring a little attention to my new release “From a Jack to a King.” The blurb pretty much gives you all the information you need, but I’ll add a little flavor to sweeten the pot. Here goes: Bay Whitman is a New York Times Best Selling mystery writer who loves nothing more than hiding away within the confines of his New York apartment writing his “Jack Robbins” mystery novels. He avoids the spotlight as much as he can, but the sudden success of his “Jack Robbins” series has thrown his life into a tailspin and he can no longer simply hide away. His one vice is gambling so when he has to go to Las Vegas for a book signing, he decides to make the best of it and sit in on a couple high stakes poker games. And lucky for him he wins big, including an escort for the evening.

King Slater is a strong but sensitive man with a past. He’s currently the hottest ticket in gay porn and while doing a shoot in Vegas gets a call for an escort job. When he knocks at the door to Bay’s room, he wasn’t the least bit prepared for the handsome man standing on the other side. But all is not as easy as it seems. Bay is practically asexual and although he’s fallen into a couple experiences with women, sex was never at the top of his list. For the record, nothing goes as planned that night and a story starts to unfold that will hopefully keep you very interested.

Now I’ll leave it here to avoid any spoilers and let you read an excerpt. But before I let you go, I’d like to know if you were a gambler would you accept an escort as part of your winnings at a poker game? I mean…I guess your personal circumstances would play a part in your answer but if you had no attachments and no significant other would you go for it? If you post, you’ll automatically be entered into a drawing for an e-book of “From a Jack to a King.”

Thanks for spending the time with me and I wish you and yours a wonderful and relaxed 4th of July weekend.

Now here’s your excerpt and lot of other stuff about where to find me and my books, especially “From a Jack to a King.”

It was just before eleven and they’d been at it for almost six hours. Rich and Zeke had excused themselves a little while ago, and Bay and Paul had agreed to one more hand. The night had been mostly in Bay’s favor, and he had over a half-million dollars in chips in front of him. On the other hand, the night hadn’t been as kind to Paul. From Bay’s best calculations, the poor guy was in the red almost as much as Bay was in the black, and he was down to four one-thousand-dollar chips.

Bay and Paul were at the river stage of the last hand. There was $80,000 in the pot, and Bay knew Paul must have an impressive hand since he continued to bet when his funds were so depleted. But Bay had an impressive hand as well. Very impressive.

Bay locked eyes with Paul as the croupier removed the burn and prepared to flip the river card faceup and add it to the flop. Already on the table were a six of clubs, seven of spades, ten of clubs, and three of hearts. Bay saw the makings of a straight and figured that’s what Paul was working up to. The croupier flipped the card and laid it on the table. Three of clubs. Bay saw a definite twinkle in Paul’s eye and figured he had the straight.

This time it was up to Paul to raise, call, or fold. Bay felt certain there would be no folding since Paul had come this far, but in order to raise, he needed $5,000. He had only $4,000 on the table, and unless he had chips in his pocket, all he could do was call.

“I’ll raise,” Paul said.

The croupier looked at Paul. “Excuse me, Mr. Gilman, but you need $5,000 to raise.”

Paul slid the four chips to the center of the table and looked at Bay. “I have an escort worth a grand scheduled to join me at the hotel in an hour. Will you take that as collateral for the final thousand?”

Bay thought for a second. He had no use for an escort. He was pretty inexperienced in that department, but what the hell? He was in Las Vegas—and what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Right? Besides, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex. He’d had offers, of course, but he’d turned them down all but a couple of times, never knowing if they were made because of his celebrity or, even worse, his Jack Robbins persona. An encounter with an escort should be pretty cut-and-dried. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.

“Sure,” Bay said before he could stop himself.

Since Paul was out of chips, Bay had no reason to raise again, so he called.

Paul flipped over his two cards. One was a nine of clubs and the other was an eight of spades. “Straight,” he said, smiling.

Bay smiled back and flipped his cards over. “Four threes.”

The blood drained out of Paul’s face, and he hung his head briefly. When he raised it again, he was smiling. “Definitely not my night,” he said, standing. “But hey. You win some. You lose some.”

He offered his hand to Bay. Bay accepted it and the two men shook. “It was a pleasure, Paul. I hope we get to do it again.”

“Likewise,” Paul said. “Oh! I almost forgot. What is your room number?”

“It’s 3001,” Bay said. “Why?”

“Because your escort will be there at midnight.”

Bay was about to protest when he changed his mind. He was still undecided, but he simply said, “Thanks.”

Paul turned and walked out of the game room without another word.

“Can you verify your winnings with me, Mr. Whitman, before I call the cashier to cut you a check? Or would you prefer a wire transfer?” the croupier asked.

“Certainly. And a check will be fine.”

Bay had just returned to his suite and put his rather large check in the safe when he heard a knock at his door. He walked through the foyer and then stopped dead in his tracks. Shit! The escort. He nervously smoothed the front of his jacket, then opened the door. When he saw the person standing on the other side, his mouth fell open and stayed there. He blinked twice to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. He wasn’t, and he could neither move nor speak.

One of the things that I enjoy most about any Scotty Cade book is that he writes characters and stories that are often vastly different than anything the reader might find in the m/m romance genre. The characters are multi-layered, and often in unique situations. His book Losing Faith, which I loved, is just one example of this. His newest release also hits all those buttons for me.

With From A Jack to a King, which interestingly is a very polar opposite to Losing Faith, Scotty finds a way to bring several layers to these two MC’s. This includes a layer that would seem to be very much at odds with the MC’s chosen line of work, but which the author somehow makes work on a level I would  not have expected. Both MC’s lead very different lives, and yet what drives them, behind their lives, their insecurities and day to day issues, come from very similar pasts.

I found myself questioning how King was able to separate himself so much from his work, but he made it work, and Bay made it work, as they moved forward with establishing a relationship. It did make me wonder if part of where Bay was coming from was a deep need to have that connection, and having only have found it with King, he was willing to do whatever he could to keep it. Yet, Bay’s character proved me wrong by continuing to become more self-confident, and able to deal with the outside world more. His connection with King made him stronger, not weaker.

There wasn’t much in the way of angst, and the book didn’t have a big blow up moment, but what it did have was two characters who found they were better together, than they ever were on their own, and how it was able to progress to that HEA, and bring their lives full circle. They became the strong independent men they wanted to be, once they were able to allow themselves to be with each other. A sweet, love story, with some small twists, and a perfect movie happy ending. 🙂

4 pieces of eye candy

Scotty Cade left Corporate America and twenty-five years of Marketing and Public Relations behind to buy an Inn & Restaurant on the island of Martha’s Vineyard with his partner of over twenty years. He started writing stories as soon as he could read, but just eight years ago for publication.  With the Inn and restaurant now sold, you can find him in Greenville South Carolina where he and his husband are restoring a hundred-year-old house or in Charleston South Carolina on their boat simply hanging out.  Being from the south and a lover of commitment and fidelity, all of his characters find their way to long healthy relationships, however long it takes them to get there.  He believes that in the end, the boy should always get the boy.

Here’s where you can find me:

www.scottycade.com

www.facebook.com/scotty.cade

www.twitter.com/ScottyCade

scottycade@gmail.com

Love Me Louder by Christina Lee: Release Blitz, Excerpt and Review

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Noah Dixon is damaged goods. After an accident leaves him physically scarred and emotionally vulnerable, dating isn’t in the cards, so he throws himself head-first into his retail job. When he’s obligated to attend his best friend’s engagement party on Fire Island, it dawns on him he’s about to spend yet another weekend feeling totally invisible and alone among a swarm of gorgeous men.

That’s when the idea of an escort comes in.

After Will Crossen was forced to put his theater major on hold in favor of two jobs to tackle his ailing mother’s hospital bills, he tells himself becoming an escort isn’t that big of a deal. It’s just another form of acting, right? He doesn’t expect his newest customer to be the cheery, overconfident sales associate he avoids like the plague at his day job. Talk about awkward.

But what happens on Fire Island stays on Fire Island…especially when a smoldering attraction sparks into flames. Will doesn’t feel so alone anymore, and for the first time, Noah realizes someone is seeing him behind all the scars. But between their jobs, Will’s massive familial responsibilities, and Noah’s vulnerabilities, they don’t stand a chance unless they find a way to let love speak louder than their demons.

LOVE ME LOUDER

CHRISTINA LEE

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 06.29.18

COVER DESIGN: X-Potion Designs

PHOTOGRAPHER: Eric David Battershell

COVER MODEL: Ryan Harmon

Amazon

 

Will’s thumb pressed against his bottom lip, making his mouth prickle from the contact. “You could at least pretend you’re into me.”

If only Will knew that Noah was totally into him and fighting his body all the way.

Noah’s tongue slipped out, and he licked the pad of Will’s thumb. He heard the all too authentic groan in the back of Will’s throat, and Noah’s cock stirred to life. Holy shit.

“That’s hot,” Will whispered as he watched Noah’s tongue flick against his skin again.

Encouraged, Noah hollowed his cheeks and sucked Will’s thumb into his mouth. He increased pressure as he circled with his tongue before releasing it with a pop.

He arched an eyebrow. “How was that?”

“Nicely done.” Will’s gaze was hungry, and Noah liked that he could surprise him. “Had you kept going, I would be hard as a fucking stone.”

Damn. Will was so incredibly sexy.

Noah bit his lip and batted his eyelashes. He could play along too.

Will tore his gaze away from his eyes, and as it slid down to his mouth, for a split second Noah thought Will might kiss him. His pulse spiked as he admitted to himself that he would want that. So fucking much.

Noah cleared his throat. “Anybody watching us?”

Will glanced around the party. “Definitely.”

He grinned. “Good.”

This review hurts me a bit. Because as much as I usually love Christina lee’s books, I did not love this one. I liked it, I finished it. I enjoyed it for the most part. But I didn’t love it like I wanted to.

My biggest issue was that I felt that a lot of it was repetitive. Saying the same things over and over in different ways. There were paragraphs that were a bit tedious for me.

And I wanted Noah to be *more* broken. I know, I am terrible. But I love angst. I love when a character is broken and someone loves them no matter what. Maybe if his scars were more visible? If we saw people being turned off by it? I don’t know.

Now what I did like. I love the fake boyfriend thing, but this time it was a paid fake boyfriend. And I totally get why Noah did it. It made sense that he wanted a boyfriend for a weekend away with a bunch of coupled up people. And having Max/Will was just perfect. I enjoyed the tension between them. Is it real, is it fake?

Fire Island! Seeing some real gay culture was refreshing. Not just gay men existing in our hetero-normative world with only a club as gay culture.

It was enjoyable, as I stated. And I am super picky (no really, I am). So while I didn’t *love* it, you might. Because I certainly liked it.

 

Once upon a time, Christina Lee lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. She spent her days getting in cabs, shopping for photo shoots, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at her favorite hangouts.

Now she lives in the Midwest with her husband and son—her two favorite guys. She’s been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn’t until she wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that she realized she could turn the fairy tales inside her head into the reality of writing fiction.

She’s addicted to lip balm, coffee, and kissing. Because everything is better with kissing.

She writes MM Contemporary as well as Adult and New Adult Romance. She believes in happily-ever-afters for all, so reading and writing romance for everybody under the rainbow helps quench her soul.

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

THE SWOON ROOM (FAN GROUP)

INSTAGRAM

NEWSLETTER

Believe (Skins #3) by Garrett Leigh: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

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Flight paramedic Rhys Foster is hooked on adrenaline. By day it’s blood and guts, by night it’s the thrill of the club. With a different face in his bed most nights, he doesn’t have time to be lonely…right?

Entertainer Jevon Campbell is a play therapist like no other—dancer, magician, acrobat, he brings it all to his global mission to help children in need laugh again. He’s on a rare home visit when he encounters enigmatic Rhys in a London bar.

Their connection is instant, but Rhys fast realises Jevon’s easy confidence doesn’t stretch as far as the bedroom. He has no idea how mesmerising he is—how beautiful—and Rhys resolves to show him.

They grow closer, but time isn’t on their side. Rhys seems unable to articulate how he feels, and with Jevon’s imminent departure from the UK hanging over them, their separate commitments could tear them apart forever.

As the days slip by, Rhys must learn to believe he’s worth the happiness Jevon is offering.

Length: 55,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

Dream (Book #1) – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Whisper (Book #2) – Amazon US | Amazon UK

 

Angsty books are always difficult for me as a reader. I love my happy endings so much, a part of me wants it from the very beginning, but that wouldn’t make for an interesting story. 🙂 With Garrett’s books, there is always such great character development that it helps me to get through any angst. Believe is that book for me. Well developed characters, living in real world situations, and trying to find love, even when they think they aren’t looking for it.

These two characters had a connection immediately, and it seemed to shine off the page to the reader. And as they explored their relationship, they found a compatibility that helped to ease the loneliness, as well as the stresses of jobs that kept them away from one another. They certainly lit up the pages of my e-reader, as Garrett’s characters so often do! It really touched my heart to have Rhys, who had been to sex clubs, etc, be as gentle and kind with Jevon as he began to explore a relationship he’d never dared have before.

I love it when author’s bring in other characters from previous books in the series, so the reader gets a glimpse of where they are in their new lives, and how they can assist in this one. This author does this very well, allowing us to see the characters and their interactions.

Definitely a love story worth taking a risk on, but I recommend reading books 1 and 2 first to get a fully fleshed out feel for all the characters in the book.

4 pieces of eye candy

 

June 26 – Gay Book Reviews, June 28 – Katie’s Book Corner, Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Jessie G Books, The Blogger Girls, Two Chicks Obsessed, June 30 – My Fiction Nook, Love Unchained, July 2 – Diverse Reader, Urban Smoothie Read, Jim’s Reading Room, July 4 – Mikku-chan, Sanaa’s Book Blog, July 6 – Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter, Wicked Reads, July 9 – Open Mind For A Different View, Gay Media Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, July 11 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bonkers About Books, July 16 – The Geekery Book Review, Mirrigold, My Book Filled Life, July 23 – Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Book Lovers 4Ever, July 25 – Drops of Ink, Lillian Francis, Bayou Book Junkie

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock sitemoonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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All That Glitters by Kate Sherwood: Exclusive Author Guest Post and Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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No matter what he tells himself, wealthy NYC architect Liam has never been able to forget his first love, Ben. But as he approaches midlife and realizes something is missing, can he forgive himself for the worst mistake he ever made—the one that left a hole no amount of career success can fill? Or will fear keep him from the full life he really wants?

Liam and Ben were childhood sweethearts, then college boyfriends. But when Liam cheated on Ben, Ben forced himself to cut ties and move on. He’s still living in the small town where they grew up, teaching, but it’s not the life he imagined for himself as a younger man. Still, when Liam returns, he can’t risk his heart again. He certainly can’t allow himself to love Liam again after fighting so hard to get over him.

Neither man wants to let go of the past and face their apprehension at starting over. They don’t want to fall in love a second time—but sometimes love happens whether it’s wanted or not.

Title: All That Glitters
Author: Kate Sherwood
Release Date: June 26, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 201

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

 

Secondary characters in m/m – the women

Female characters sometimes have a hard time in m/m romance. The main characters don’t want to sleep with them, so some authors don’t seem to have much interest in them, either.

For me, though? If I were to go through my books and pick out my favourite people, I bet a big chunk of them would be my female secondary characters.

The romantic leads are great and everything, but they’re too damn serious! They’re going through big crises and having explosive emotional experiences and that’s all great, but… it doesn’t make me want to pour a glass of wine and just hang out with them.

No, it’s the secondary female characters I want to be friends with. We’d laugh at the male leads together, but then try to help them out with our superior wisdom… we’d be excellent.

In All That Glitters, Dinah is the wife of Ben’s best friend, and a friend of Ben’s in her own right. So when Ben re-encounters an old love after a long time apart, Dinah’s right there to wring the details out of him. And later on, when she gets the old love alone, she gives him the treatment, too. Dinah is a force of nature, and I love her!

Ben and Dinah excerpt

“What does he look like?” Dinah asked. She and Seth had been reasonably discreet while Tamara was with them all in the yard, but now that Seth was off supervising Tamara in the bath and Dinah and Ben were relaxing on the back patio with well-earned drinks, the questions were coming out. “I’ve seen old pictures, obviously, but has he aged well? Sometimes guys like that—I mean, he was so pretty, wasn’t he? Sometimes they kinda lose it when they fill out. Is he still pretty?”

Yup, there it was again. The same conflict, the same desire to talk about Liam, to obsess over him, fighting with the absolutely commonsense instinct to avoid the topic and work on banishing him from Ben’s mind. But Dinah was his hostess and was making pleasant conversation—it would be churlish to shut her down. “He’s not so pretty. But he still looks good. Just in a different way.”

“Still has the cheekbones, though?”

“Really, Dinah, where would his cheekbones go?”

“They could get buried under fat. That happens. Or just—I don’t know. Saggy skin, maybe?”

“We’re in our thirties. I don’t think we need to worry about saggy skin. Not yet.”

She took a sip of her lemonade, then said, “You’re still pretty, in case you were wondering. A bit more manly than in the old pictures, but if I compare now-you to then-you, I’d say you’re still at least as good-looking. He wouldn’t have seen you and been disappointed. In case you were wondering.”

“He’s spent more time with Uncle Calvin than he has with me. Whatever he was doing in North Falls, it had nothing to do with how good-looking anyone is. And he’s gone back to the city now—at least, he was supposed to have—so none of this is important anymore.”

“Was it important before? When he was still here?”

“No.” But Ben really tried not to lie to his friends so he added, “It might have felt important. But it wasn’t.”

“You’re sure?”

“I guess so. I mean—he’s gone. We cleared the air, which was good, and he’s gone back to the city. Which is also good. He’s got a life there.”

“A career,” she said with a sage nod. “And you know about all that because you’ve googled him a bunch of times over the years, right? You probably have an alert set up for any mention of his name.”

“Lots of people Google-stalk their exes every now and then.”

Right now, I don’t get to read as much as I’d like…because RL happens. I’m having a good week if I can read one full book, and listen to half an audio book…again, RL. It usually takes me about five days right now to read a 250 page book. I read All That Glitters in two days, that says a TON about this book for me. In addition, I will admit I was a bit scared to read it. If you read the blurb carefully, you’ll see that Liam cheated on his boyfriend Ben years previously (there are mentions/discussions about it in the book, but no “on screen” cheating), and having been in that situation, I was not sure it was something I wanted to read about. But it was Kate Sherwood, and I had to hope that she would make it so I could get through without too much pain. I need not have worried. I didn’t even cry! (Okay, I got a little teary eyed, but I was expecting it would be an ugly cry, so I was happy!)

Man…Ben made Liam work for it, he really did. And to be fair, Liam deserved to work for it. He messed up badly when he cheated, more than once, on Ben. Meanwhile, Ben realized that he was a party to it, by not confronting the situation, despite knowing what was happening behind his back. However, what I appreciated the most was the the author made Liam a deeply flawed character. He clearly had spent years trying to be an image of himself that he thought he needed to be, he kept trying to live up to that, and yet kept coming back home, because he knew that was where his heart was, not just with Ben, but with everyone in North Falls. Liam had spent years trying to amass enough money and prestige, and yet never was satisfied, always wanting to be the one who won, who left the indelible mark.

Ben, at the same time, was afraid of being hurt again, and so avoided it at all costs. He lived in the same town, had the same friends, and worked at the same elementary school he’d gone to as a child. He even had dated a nice steady man, one he knew would not be able to hurt him, but still missed and loved the man who’d broken his heart so completely. His lack of trust for Liam was evident in so many ways. I loved how immediately upon seeing Liam he was still so angry and raw, cursing at him, telling him to leave. It was evident that his pain was as real as the day Liam left, and he wanted the source of that pain away from him. Yet, Liam could not keep himself from going back to North Falls, not necessarily to see Ben, but because he needed the grounding of the town and the people who’d known him his entire life.

On a side note, the secondary characters (including the wife of Ben’s best friend, Dinah, who Kate discusses about) are fantastic in this story. Calvin, well, if every reader doesn’t fall in love with Calvin and his rather pushy matchmaking skills, I will be very surprised. Even Seth, who himself was hurt when his two best friends split up, and Liam went to NYC, couldn’t help but be a little bit of a matchmaker as well. Even Liam’s parents provided some hilarious entertainment (who knew!) while discussing their next stage in life.

This book isn’t about sex either (as I’ve said before there doesn’t have to be a lot of on screen sex for me to love the read, and this is a perfect example for me), it is about love, and the recapture of it, after it has been split right down the middle, cut apart, and then slowly, one painstaking stitch at a time, sewn back together. It was about a deeply flawed character not only trying to get back the love of his life, but find a new life of his own, and a new love of himself. None of that could happen without the love of the man he’d been missing for years, and the time he spent reconnecting with a place and the people that had been the best part of his life.

I highly recommend this book. (And PLEASE don’t let the “cheating” throw you off as a reader…I promise, I don’t like it either, but it is off page, really tells a part of the story that is important to learning who these characters are now, and how they became the men they needed the other to be.)

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Kate Sherwood started writing about the same time she got back on a horse after almost twenty years away from riding. She’d like to think she was too young for it to be a midlife crisis, but apparently she was ready for some changes!

Kate grew up near Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and went to school in Montreal, then Vancouver. But for the last decade or so she’s been a country girl. Sure, she misses some of the conveniences of the city, but living close to nature makes up for those lacks. She’s living in Ontario’s “cottage country”–other people save up their time and come to spend their vacations in her neighborhood, but she gets to live there all year round!

Since her first book was published in 2010, she’s kept herself busy with novels, novellas, and short stories in almost all the sub-genres of m/m romance. Contemporary, suspense, scifi or fantasy–the settings are just the backdrop for her characters to answer the important questions. How much can they share, and what do they need to keep? Can they bring themselves to trust someone, after being disappointed so many times? Are they brave enough to take a chance on love?

Kate’s books balance drama with humor, angst with optimism. They feature strong, damaged men who fight themselves harder than they fight anyone else. And, wherever possible, there are animals: horses, dogs, cats ferrets, squirrels… sometimes it’s easier to bond with a non-human, and most of Kate’s men need all the help they can get.

When she’s not writing as Kate Sherwood (m/m romance), there’s always Cate Cameron (m/f romance, YA romance) and Catherine Dale (everything else). There are so many stories just waiting to be discovered!

Social Media Links:

booklives.com (website and blog)

https://twitter.com/kate_sherwood

https://www.facebook.com/kate.sherwood.79

Kate has generously offered a giveaway today of All That Glitters AND an ecopy of anything from her backlist. Lots of ways to enter! Enjoy!
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Made in Portugal by Ana Newfolk: Exclusive Author Interview with Giveaway

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At 10 years old Joel was uprooted from his home and everything he knew in Portugal to start a new life in the States. At 26 he finds himself returning for the first time in thirteen years. So what if looking into the eyes of his childhood best friend again still makes his heart race out of his chest?

Living in sunny, laid-back Portugal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. For David, dreams of being a pastry chef come second to working in his family’s café where his renowned custard tarts draw in the crowds. Seeing Joel brings old feelings back. Feelings he’s not sure he’s brave enough to acknowledge to anyone other than himself.

With the inspiration of an old travel journal, the two friends embark on a real journey through memories in a country where looking back into the past runs as deep as the blood that courses through their veins.

Falling in love was never meant to be a stop along the way, but maybe inevitable when you have the adventurous spirit and courage to pursue what you want, make love under the stars, and even figure out how to jumpstart an old Citroen 2CV in the middle of the Alentejo countryside.

Length: 68,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Jay Aheer

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

10 Questions

Are you a plotter or a pantster?

I’m a plotter but I give myself enough freedom to allow the story to flow. I changed the plot of Made In Portugal as I went along to add new stuff.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be an interpreter. I always loved languages.

Were you a voracious reader as a child?

Absolutely. There are two Portuguese authors who wrote a series called An Adventure In… it featured 5 friends who found themselves in sticky and sometimes dangerous situations in all these different locations. I always got these books for my birthday and Christmas.

What are you reading? 

I am reading the Barista series by my friend AE Ryecart.

Where do you like to write?

I can’t write in complete silence and I can’t write with lots of noise, especially if I can make out words (I get distracted too easily and I’m very nosy – plot bunnies, anyone?). I like to go to my local coffee shop when it’s quiet enough that all the noise is in the background but I also found these YouTube videos of coffee shop background noise and they are brilliant to play in the background when I can’t go out to a coffee shop.

If you had the opportunity to live one year of your life over again, which year would you choose?

This past year to today. I have met so many wonderful people through writing and made some friends I am sure will be with me for a lifetime.

How would you describe your writing style/genre? 

I ramble when I talk so there’s no surprise I ramble when I write. My editor had great fun with that part of my writing style. I also got great compliments on how I describe things and bring them to life so maybe there’s something in my ramblings.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

The power to give myself extra superpowers. I mean, so many different possibilities, why stick with one?

If you could be one of your characters who would you be and why?

I would be Vóvó Violeta because she’s very much like my grandmother, she knows EVERYTHING.

Do you have a character in your head that you have yet to write a story for? 

Yes. The world of Made In Portugal is so real in my head that I have characters for book three, and maybe even a spin off a few years down the line.

 

June 5 – Katie’s Book Corner, June 6 – The Novel Approach, June 7 – BooksLaidBareBoys, Bookaholic & Kindle, Love My Reads, Open Mind For A Different View, June 8 – Love Bytes, June 9 – Mainely Stories, The Geekery Book Review, June 11 – MM Good Book Reviews, June 12 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, June 13 – Making It Happen, June 14 – Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings, Valerie Ullmer, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Wicked Reads, Virginia Lee, June 15 – Bayou Book Junkie, June 18 – Joyfully Jay, June 20 – Gay Book Reviews, June 22 – My Fiction Nook, June 25 – Diverse Reader, June 27 – Two Chicks Obsessed

Ana Newfolk was born in Portugal where she grew up surrounded by sunshine and countryside. She has always had a deep love of reading, and ever since she can remember her favorite presents and treats have always been books. She would often be found in her not-so-secret spot reading her favorite adventure books (when she was younger) and romance novels (when she discovered boys). At 20 years old she moved to the UK where she has lived since.

In 2015 Ana stumbled across her first MM romance novel by chance, and she was hooked. She loves reading about men falling in love, hard, fast and ever so sweetly. This new found love for LGBTQ+ romance has opened a new world for Ana, and in 2017 she decided to finally listen to the voices in her head and write them down.

In addition to the time she spends reading and writing Ana has a full-time job that involves meeting lots of people with interesting stories to tell. She also loves baking as much as she loves watching people eat what she creates, much to the delight of family, friends and work colleagues alike.

You can follow Ana on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or through her blog for up to date news of her book releases.

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