Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Darkest Hour Before Dawn by Charlie Cochet: Release Day Review with Giveaway

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darkest hoursynopsis

THIRDS Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs and Chief Medical Examiner Hudson Colbourn are as much in love now as they were nearly seven years ago when a tragic event on the job destroyed their relationship. The two drift together only to be pulled apart time and time again. When Hudson draws the interest of dangerous enemies, both within and outside the organization, Seb wants nothing more than to protect the man who still means everything to him.

As life-and-death events, an uncertain future, and startling truths draw Hudson and Seb to each other yet again, they must make a choice: trust their love and take strength from what they share, or lose what matters most… for good this time.

Title: Darkest Hour Before Dawn
Series: THIRDS: Book Nine
Author: Charlie Cochet
Release Date: April 25, 2017
Category: Mystery/Suspense; Paranormal: Werewolves/Shifters, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 224

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denise review

What can I say about the THIRDS world that I haven’t said previously? Charlie Cochet has created an alternate world that is steeped in so much realism, grit and humor that sometimes it is hard to remember that I don’t really know these men. (On a side note, someone PLEASE pitch this book series for a TV series!!!!)

So, back to my review. I went into this, anxious for the HEA for Seb and Hudson. The THIRDS Nerds have been waiting a long time to see these two finally find their way back together for good. It was definitely worth the wait. The obvious love between these two has been there since the first moment we met Hudson. Seb’s devotion to the British man has never wavered, and continues to be just as strong through the book.

Every single time I read one of Charlie’s books, I am completely surprised by something. Like blown away, wasn’t expecting that at all, surprised. This time as I began reading Darkest Hour Before Dawn, I initially thought, this will be a sweet, second chance at love story. And it was a second chance at love story, but rather than sweet, I would use the word intense to describe the book. There was so much happening here, that just when you thought “oh, now they will get their HEA”, Charlie hit you with another surprise from left field. Nothing that this family couldn’t handle, but definitely a stretch to continue on.

And the surprise that you always get at the end of any THIRDS novel, well this one has been a long time coming, and the ramifications will be long lasting and far-reaching. This touches everybody in the Unit Alpha family, and beyond.

If you are looking for a lot of Dex and Sloane, Ash and Cael, or Calvin and Hobbs, you won’t see a lot. This was definitely a story about Seb and Hudson, as it should have been. But you definitely get a few glimpses of all your favorite THIRDS characters, which make you itch wondering where they will all be going next.

My love for this series has not ebbed one bit. It continues to be fresh and different from book to book, and character to character. I have no idea what Charlie has in store for all these men coming up, but I honestly cannot wait to find out.

Now, excuse me, because I just finished this book, and I am going to go read it again, just in case I missed anything. 😉

5 pieces of eye candy

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE – CHARLIE COCHET IS A FREAKING GENIUS.

Gahhhh – I have never loved an author or a series more than Charlie Cochet and her THIRDS Series. Darkest Hour Before Dawn is book 9 in the series. I have yet to find a series that compares to the THIRDS series with it’s exciting and jaw dropping plots, sexy Alpha men and world building like no other. The way Cochet intertwines each book in the continuation of the story is poor freaking genius.

DHBD is Seb & Hudson’s story about second chances. We met them in book 1 where we get bits and pieces of how they were once a mated a couple but are no longer together. I was intrigued from the beginning about what happened and how each one is coping with not being together.

Cochet does an outstanding job in giving us a piece of them as we watch them come full circle. The writing is superior and the ongoing plot will once again make you wonder how Cochet keeps coming up with the twist and turns. The story will keep you engaged and captivated until the very end. AND….of course Cochet ends it with a WTF moment and goes out with a bang. We get a little bit of everyone & everything and of course Sparks is sneaky as always.

As usual, I will be over here waiting for the next book and I hope this series never stops. I love the world Cochet as created with all the sex, secrets and lies. I am on the edge of my seat wondering what will happen next.

If you have not started this series I hope you will give it a try.

If you are #THIRDSNERD like me I hope you love Seb, Hudson and their story as much as I have.

Another outstanding book for Charlie Cochet.

FAVORITE LINE: “Whatever happens, whatever storms come our way, I will be here, holding your hand, facing it with you.”

5 pieces of eye candy

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Devour by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: Pre-Release Review and Giveaway

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Ian Pierce is the chef and part owner of the hottest restaurant in Cincinnati, his chosen family is full of happy relationships, and the scruffy, snarky cop who has been haunting his dreams is one step closer to being in his bed. But everything comes crashing down when the past he narrowly escaped nine years ago comes to a deadly head.

Hollis Banner was enamored of Ian at first sight. He’s kept his distance, knowing the gorgeous, self-confident man is out of his league. Yet there’s no standing aside when Boris Jagger escapes a raid. Jagger’s world has been nearly destroyed and this time, the crime boss is coming after Ian and his friends personally.

Hollis will do whatever it takes to keep Ian safe as they escape to a safe house with a couple of Ian’s overprotective friends. And Ian finds himself in a race to unlock painful memories—memories containing information that could take down the very last of Jagger’s illegal operations forever.

Amazon

 

**SIGH** I really didn’t want this series to end. I fell in love with Lucas, Snow, Rowe and Ian in Shiver (book 1). The series name definitely fits the friendships of these 4 men – there is nothing that will tear them apart and they will always have each other’s backs. I am a sucker for series that is revolved around a group friends and with each book you see how strong their bond is. With this series, you get the bond of friendship as well as the bond with their partner and I will forever love these 4 and the man they claim as their own.

Devour is book 4 in the Unbreakable Bonds Series and is best read in order as the storyline continues through all 4 books. I’ve been waiting, what feels like a lifetime, for Ian and Hollis’s story. I was a little worried about Hollis when he showed up in Torch (book 3) and was undercover. Ian holds a special place in my heart for what he has been through. In the previous books we only had a glimpse of what is early life was like but with Devour we finally are able to get the whole picture. You will definitely shed some tears – some happy and some gut wrenchingly sad.

Drake & Elliott are a duo team but you will never know there are 2 separate personalities writing this series. They write as one and it shows in how well composed the plot is. The story picks up where Torch left off. There are a lot of unknowns with Lucas leaving, Jagger out to get Ian and the rest of the group trying to pick up pieces to keep their family together. Devour is a thrilling rollercoaster of emotions. The suspense was throughout the whole book and I loved every minute of it despite my heart pounding the entire time. The book flowed with gripping ease you will not want to stop reading.

Drake & Elliott have given us another phenomenal read. It wasn’t always hearts and flowers but in the end they gave us an ending so wonderful I was fighting back the happy tears. This series will be a re-read for years to come. I am hoping they make a spin off series with the secondary characters we have come to love ***cough cough…Sven and Geoffrey**

A huge thank you to Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott for creating a gripping series for me to love.

5 pieces of eye candy

FAVORITE LINE: He got it. The sweet message that Ian was so subtly sharing – Rowe had his back no matter what. Over the past year, he’d marveled at his tight-knit family Ian was a part of. He’d never seen such a group of men so devoted to each other, willing to give up anything and everything for one another’s safety and happiness.

We will be giving away two copies of Devour (or any book in the Unbreakable Bonds series) on release day. Tell us about your most unbreakable bond, person, place or thing.

Unsteady by Melissa Collins: Cover Reveal with Giveaway

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Happy Cover Reveal Day!
We are so excited to share this amazingly HOT cover with you!

Unsteady by Melissa Collins
Release date: 4/28/2017
A stand alone, M/M romance

Cover design: Sommer Stein at Perfect Pair Creative Covers

Photography: Wander Aguiar at WANDER AGUIAR :: PHOTOGRAPHY

Models: Jacob Cooley and Ryan Dick

Micah Hudson and Jude MacMillian were both lonely teenagers. One the new kid
and one the target of relentless bullying, they quickly became friends. But
when friendship grew into more, the relationship was too much for either to
handle. As their tenuous bond was tested, everything tumbled down, leaving
them lonely once again.

A decade later, Micah is on the brink of losing his will to live. Beyond
exhausted from lying to everyone, including himself, Micah thinks of the one
person who knows his deepest secret. Desperate and alone, Micah makes the
only decision he feels he has: he must leave. But his need for closure
depends on one thing.

Can Jude make room in his Unsteady life for Micah once again?

Pre-order Unsteady today for a special price of $2.99!
Grab it here –> Amazon

As an extra special treat On Solid Ground is FREE!
Grab it here –> Amazon

And! You can catch up with Dax and Beck in On Higher Ground for only 99 cents!
Grab it here –> Amazon

Join me on Facebook where you will find a $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!
Melissa Collins Author Page


Melissa Collins has always been a book worm. Studying Literature in college ensured that her nose was always stuck in a book. She followed her passion for reading to the most logical career choice: English teacher. Her hope was to share her passion for reading and the escapism of books to her students. Having spent more than a decade in front of a classroom, she can easily say that it’s been a dream.
Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.

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If you steal books, you are an a**hole…

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Recently an author who regularly hits the top of the Gay Romance/Gay Fiction charts found her book had been pirated, prior to release date. To say she was upset would be an understatement, and who could blame her? She worked hard on writing a sequel to a book that people loved (myself included) only to have someone, a blogger, or someone who received it from a blogger, think it was okay to steal it, and put it up for free for the taking.

This angered me as a blogger. Angered might be a little bit on the nice side. I was pissed! I was furious for the author, and I was pissed at the blogger, but even more, I was pissed at the reader(s) who think its okay to steal!

First, it makes bloggers look bad, like we all steal or pirate authors’ books, when that is far from the case. However, when they say “One bad apple ruins the entire barrel”, it’s true. Authors may hesitate to then give bloggers access to ARCs of their books, which makes it that much harder for us to promote their books, a huge part of what we are trying to do.

Second, WHY? This book was $2.99, or on Kindle Unlimited. How much do these assholes (and I will call thieves what they are-assholes) pay for their beloved Starbucks in the morning, or to buy their kids a Happy Meal at McDonald’s instead of making a meal for them at home? When they go to a restaurant, do they say “well, I’m going to go ahead and take the silverware home, because I want it”? (And I have seen a friend of mine do this, and it pissed me off just as much). It’s THREE FRICKING DOLLARS!!!! And it isn’t yours, so you are STEALING. Plain and simple. If you are a reader who has done this, you can call yourself a great person, and even in this genre an ally, but you are still a thief, which means you are not a great person, you are an asshole. Even if the book is $5.99, does that give you the right? Where is the point where you feel it is okay to steal from people? Where the amount doesn’t matter in your mind, even if there are mouths to feed at the other end of that $6 you just ripped out of someone’s hand?

Third, the snowball effect is HUGE! An author works hard to write and publish their book–>Said book is pirated–>Author may or may not spend time and money on filing Cease and Desist or Takedown orders–>They are not able to support their family–>They may or may not have to find another source of income, so they cannot write any longer. Meanwhile, Thieving Blogger receives an ARC–>Hands over to someone that they know will put it on a pirate site–>Author finds out and files Cease and Desist or Takedown orders–>Author is less likely to give ARCs to bloggers to review for the honest readers.

How about instead of stealing, you spend some time finding ways to earn that book that you want so much? Maybe become a reviewer for a blogger? Maybe forgo that Starbucks you have every single day, and make it only twice a week? Maybe take on a part time job? Perhaps enter some of the TONS of giveaways that authors and bloggers put on so people can get something for free legally? But don’t steal, because no matter how you might justify it to yourself by saying things like “I can’t afford it right now” or “Well, they won’t notice, it’s just one copy” or “I want it before its released, because I want IT” (like Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), it hurts everyone. It hurts the author’s income, it hurts bloggers who also are creating some income, as well as trying to promote those authors, and it makes you an asshole. Stop being an asshole. Buy the book.

I interviewed the above author, N.R. Walker to get her take on the situation. Her book, Imagines (if you want to buy it, go here), was pirated prior to it actually going on sale, so we know it was an ARC that was stolen.

  1. How is it you find out about a truly pirated book? (Often, they are viruses used to lure people in).

A quick Google search. It’s actually really easy. Yes, there are a lot phishing sites and virus sites, but there a LOT of legit pirate sites. Typing in a book title, author name and something like ‘free download’ or ‘read online’ is all it takes.

Unfortunately, more often than not, you’ll find it at a legit pirate site.

I also use a ‘takedown service’ which scans the internet for my titles. But recently, in the case of the ARC being out before release day, a friend told me about it. She will sometimes do internet searches for me (her Google-fu is strong) and she emailed me with links etc.

  1. How much time do you think you spend on a weekly or monthly basis on tracking down pirated copies of your books, and sending takedown notices?

I use a site called Muso, which is a monthly subscription per title. It costs me about $16AUD per book per month, so it’s a bloody expensive investment. I have seven titles listed at the moment and do swap them around (because I have so many titles, it’s not feasible to have them all listed at the one time). And thankfully, when I Google my titles for pirated copies, there aren’t too many. If/when I do find one, I send the URL to Muso and they issue the DMCA to have it removed.

I know a lot of authors write pirating off as a lost cause, and I get it, I really do. It’s expensive, it’s exhausting, and it’s never ending. But part of me, the stubborn part, hates to let them get away with it. I don’t care if they don’t want to pay for books, but I’ll do what I can to make sure they can’t get their grubby paws on mine. I like to think of it as a digital middle finger salute 🙂

  1. In the case of your most recent release, it was pirated prior to you actually uploading it to Amazon (correct me if I am wrong NR). So, how does that affect your new release? Sales, promo, etc

Yes, an ARC of my book Imagines was on a pirate site before release day. I know it was an ARC because there was a certain typo in the book that went out in the ARCs for my blog tour. I didn’t fix the typo until after I’d sent them.

There’s no way of knowing just how much it affects sales. A lot of authors do believe that people who download from pirate sites would never buy a copy anyway, I, while I do agree with that, I’m sure there are some people who will pay when/if they can’t get it for free.

How it affected me personally, was a whole other matter. I found out the day before release day and the hurt part of me wanted to not upload the book and shut the internet down for a week or two. But that wouldn’t have been fair (on anyone) so I hit ‘publish’ with every intention of taking a few hours break from the world while it uploaded (it can take up to 48-72 hours). Amazon had other ideas however, because it only took 30 minutes to go live. LOL

And I must say, my readers are so lovely and so loyal, they helped spread the news and made my release day such a positive experience. I’d felt betrayed by this person who had received an ARC of the book and shared it, but my readers reminded me why I do what I do.

  1. There are many methods that authors employ to try to combat piracy. Will you talk about how you’ve tried to do that? (And I understand if this is a question you DO NOT want to answer)

LOL Yeah, I’m not gonna answer this. In case anyone knows what to look for haha

  1. When the piracy is from a book that you sent to a blogger it makes us all look bad. Will this change how you distribute ARC’s in the future?

Well, unfortunately, I’m considering no longer doing ARCs.

Does this suck? Yes. Is this fair on those who do the right thing? No. But if you could imagine how betrayed and hurt I felt knowing someone violated my trust, then times that by a hundred, and you can begin to understand why I’m reluctant to put myself in that position again.

I’m still undecided, and my feelings might change, but right this minute, my answer is no.

  1. It’s frustrating that you are going through all this. What is it you hope to be the outcome of your follow up on this particular issue?

My “hope” is that the person who shared the ARC is named and shamed, and the site is removed from the internet. LOL But that’s not too likely to happen (the last part anyway). It’s still a process at the moment so I can’t say too much, but the support I’ve had from other authors helping where they can is awesome! I really do love this community  <3

Thank you to N.R. Walker for her candor regarding the piracy of her book.

Gasping For Air by TS McKinney: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

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How far will Trystan go to win the heart of the man he loves? All the way.

Trystan Matherly is conceited, arrogant, and rich. He has plenty of money, athletic ability, and gorgeous looks to keep the men forming a long line just to be with him. Choosing his next lover has been as simple as down-selecting to the hottest candidate.

Until Dakota.

With his sad eyes, full lips, and perfectly sculpted swimmer’s body, Dakota is justthe kind of lover Trystan wants. After only one look, he knows he has to have him. Too bad Dakota seems to be totally oblivious to all his charms.

Dakota Jacobson is lonely, tired, and depressed. He’s at Alabama Temple to complete his degree, not to put up with idiots. He works diligently to be as invisible as possible. He doesn’t need friends and he sure doesn’t need lovers…especially not football titans that think they rule the world. Nope; been there, done that.

Until Trystan.

With his sexy eyes, arrogant smirk, and muscled physique, Trystan is just the kind of lover Dakota never intends to have…again. Too bad Trystan refuses to allow him to be invisible.

In the Series:

Touchdown (Game Series #1)

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2pQz9IP

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2eozGzo

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2dtQTTL

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2pGmQxY

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2pGiJSs

Okay… So, where to start….

First, let me start by saying that I was not aware when I came into this that it was a 2nd book. I didn’t read the first one, but fear not… it didn’t take anything away from the story for me. I did okay, keeping up even though we see the friends who were in book one… I could still follow along.
So, okay, now, we have Trystan, a.k.a. Tank, football extraordinaire/cocky jock/big man on campus/every stereotype of all those things that I just mentioned all rolled into one. Sometimes, I found him kind of charming, but mostly I found him overcompensating and obnoxious. The dialogue… oh help me, the dialogue… it was not for me.

What I did like about this story is that it touched on some pretty tricky stuff and I thought the way in which Dakota handled some things were a bit ridiculous, but everyone handles things in their own way and I could commend him for calling up that backbone when he needed it. He was determined not to be taken advantage of again, he was determined to not show weakness and he had a little mouth on him when it came to Trystan. Which was awesome, because it was very apparent, nobody ever nay-sayed him before, lol.

Now, Dakota had a past and it was a sad one. He was the victim of kidnap, torture and rape. And I’m trying really hard to understand why the person behind said kidnap, torture and rape was only on an ankle monitor and not rotting his life away in prison or better yet, dead. Sorry for the spoiler there, but I really wish I’d had one at the time so I could’ve skipped over that whole part… I actually had to skip some pages when Evan was talking to Trystan. I couldn’t handle it… I’m not one of those TRIGGERED, kind of people, but… I have to admit, it triggered alright. It made me physically sick to my stomach. I couldn’t hang, y’all, I couldn’t hang. I was not at all sad to see the justice handed down to him although I would’ve liked to have seen him tortured and raped for the rest of his life, in prison… but… I guess we can’t always get what we want.

I also liked the supportive parents, that was an added surprise that I wasn’t expecting but really liked. Towards the end, it got a little mushy and I found myself rooting for these two to make it. Even if I did roll my eyes towards the end where Dakota was being all sacrificial and trying to keep Trystan away… I was like, give it up, kid… he’s not going anywhere, you literally can never tell him what to do because he’d never allow it. This was the only time I was glad about it.

So, overall… not my favorite, but I feel like it’s because it’s just a little too young adulty for me. I didn’t care for the dialogue or the unrealistic situations… The rest, wasn’t so bad.

Pieces of Candy: 3

T.S. McKinney lives in East Tennessee with her high school sweetheart/husband and all the countless dogs she picks up from deserted country roads. Her professional career has been in business but her heart has always belonged to the fantasy world found in books.

Creating wicked worlds where one can meet the perfect hero – and then do anything to him that you want – has been a hobby that has brought her plenty of hours of fun and naughty entertainment.

When not working, reading, or writing, she loves to spend time with my family and forcing them (because they don’t really have another choice) to allow me to redecorate their houses…and listen to my naughty…sometimes sadistic stories.
Social Media Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ogp0YN

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9822373.T_S_McKinney

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-TS-McKinney-608447679285321

Publisher Author Site: http://www.darkhollowspress.com/ts-mckinney

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tsmckinney1

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From War to Forever by Andria Large: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, and Giveaway

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from war to foreversynopsisDennis
The love of my life is dead. Is there a reason to live anymore?

I’m a veteran Marine. Terrorists took not only my foot, but also my wife. Recurrent nightmares, a dead-end job, and a painful limp are all I have left. My best friend, Tucker, and my sister, Lizette, keep me afloat. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Tucker… literally. And then, out of nowhere, there are these feelings. The kind I haven’t felt in years. The kind I’m not sure I can handle, or even want to. But they’ve started wrapping around my broken heart, trying to mend it. Only they are not for a woman, but for the man suddenly sharing my bed. I’m not so sure I’m ready to give love another go.

Tucker
The war took my hearing, but I’m alive. Many of my friends are not. I am building a life with my best friend, Dennis. We have become practically inseparable. And now, we are more than friends. I’ve never had feelings like these for a man. My parents, my brother, my buddy, Duke—will they understand how I feel about Dennis? Can I risk losing my family?

First Edition published as At War by KDP Select, 2015.

Title: From War to Forever
Author: Andria Large
Release Date: April 24, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 330

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Guest Post

Hi Everyone! I’m Andria Large and I’m super excited for my first ever traditionally published book to be released! From War To Forever actually started out as a trilogy that I self-published. By some lucky twist of fate, Dreamspinner picked it up, we reworked it into one book, and are now republishing it with a new title.

I need a visual aid for the main characters when writing a story. Sometimes I’ll have an idea of someone in my head before coming up with a character’s description, while other times, I come up with their description first then go looking for someone to match it. I tend not to use celebrities and veer more towards models.

Having a visual aid is extremely important when writing. It gives you something to help describe your characters. It makes your characters more realistic when you pull from someone in real life. You can pick out little nuances that make a person unique, like highlights in their hair, or different colored flecks in their eyes.

When writing From War To Forever, I had someone in mind for Dennis from the very beginning. He’s a male model and photographer by the name of Justin Clyne. He was perfect for the tall, dark, and handsome look I was going for with Denny. There are pictures of him looking kind of broody and dark and those were the ones I focused the most on.

For Tucker, I chose Gary “Leo” Taylor. He’s a fitness and book cover model who has left the scene but was fairly popular a couple years ago. He’s got that laid back, easy-going personality that I wanted for Tucker. He has a naturally cocky and flirtatious smile the ladies drool over. And piecing light blue eyes that seem to see into your soul.

Now for Duke, I had originally pictured John Cena, but as his character developed it changed to fitness model, Kyle Clark. He’s a veteran like Duke and has that tough as nails look about him that I wanted. I don’t know much about Kyle’s personality, I mostly used him for the looks aspect for Duke. Duke is a ball-buster and says some seriously funny things while keeping a straight face, which I think is more John Cena. So, I guess Duke is a mix of both those guys.

Dennis’ sister, Lizette, is actually a main character in another one of my series called, Renegade. For her, I had pictured Jennifer Lawrence (when she had long blonde hair). The pictures that I had used, she looked kind of uptight and business like, but still gorgeous. Her character changes throughout her story and in From War To Forever, she’s more laid-back and cheerful than she was in her book, Sweet Renegade.

Last but not least, there is Beau, who is Lizette’s husband. He is also in Sweet Renegade, as he is the main male character and it’s the story of how he and Lizette got together. For him, I always pictured fitness and cover model, Colin Wayne. Beau is a sweet, southern guy with the accent to match.

Even though Dennis and Tucker’s character first come about in the Renegade Series, you don’t need to read those books to learn all about them, as I cover everything in From War To Forever. Now, if you want a little extra on them, then you can definitely go back and read that series.

Thank you so much for having me here today! I hope you all enjoyed my post! Please check out From War To Forever! Be sure to leave a review when you’re finished, whether it’s good or bad. Don’t forget to like and follow my Facebook page for updates on what is going on in the world of Andria Large!

 

 

excerpt

 

Tucker

The next morning, after I take a shower and get dressed, I walk out into the living room, where I find Duke huffing and puffing to himself as he makes eggs and bacon. I watch him for a minute, an amused smile on my face. I’m only catching a word here and there, but I’m pretty sure he’s talking about me and Dennis.

“Hey, bud, problem?” I ask, making my way over to the coffeemaker as I finish fixing my tie.

Duke shoots me a death glare. “Problem? Why would I have a problem? I’m all fucking unicorns and rainbows here, my man.”

I jerk my chin back and fight off a laugh. “Oookay.”

I grab a mug from the cabinet and move in front of the coffeemaker. “I swear to God, Tuck. If I have to listen to one more night of you and Dennis fucking, I’m going to lose my damn mind.”

I bark out a laugh as I pour myself a cup of coffee.

“Didn’t you find an apartment yet?” I ask.

“Yes, I did, but I can’t move in right away! I need to buy furniture and shit, so I’m stuck here for at least another week or so.”

“You do have a house in Baltimore, you know.” I chuckle.

“No, fuck that. I can’t go back there. Just thinking about it makes me depressed.”

I frown. “You do know you’re going to have to go and pack up all your shit, right?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m hiring a moving company. They go in, pack the whole place up, and then drive it up here.”

“Hmm,” I hum, impressed. I didn’t know there were companies that did that.

“Is there any way you and Dennis can just give it a rest for a couple of days?” he pleads.

I give him an incredulous look. “Are you insane? There is no way in hell I can resist that tight ass,” I say, knowing full well what the effects on Duke will be.

Duke gags exaggeratedly a few times. I can’t help but laugh.

“I hate you. I hate you and your stupid gay dick,” he grumbles as he stabs at the scrambled eggs he’s making with the spatula.

I almost spit out the coffee I just took a sip of with that last comment.

“Why do you have to buy new furniture? Why not use what you have?” I ask him.

“I’m starting fresh. New apartment, new furniture, new life for Duke,” he mumbles.

I nod. “I like it. Sounds like a good plan.”

“You know what a good plan would be? Keeping your dick in your pants while I’m still here. Now that’s a good plan.”

I laugh. “You do know that you giving me a hard time about this makes me want to do it more, just to fuck with you, right?”

Duke turns his hazel eyes to glare at me. “I will stab you to death with this spatula, Tucker,” he threatens, holding up said spatula, which has egg stuck to it.

I slap a hand over my mouth to stop from bursting out laughing. How he can keep a straight face when he says things like that is beyond me.

“I need to get to work,” I choke and set my half-drunk coffee in the sink before starting for the door.

“Yeah, you better get the hell out of here, fucker,” Duke calls after me. “I’d hate to have to kill my best friend with a spatula.”

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meet the author

Andria Large is a traditionally published and self-published contemporary romance author. She doesn’t always follow the rules, so you will find both M/F and M/M books mixed into some of her series.

Henry from the Beck Brothers Series was the first book she self-published. Not expecting anything to really come of it, she was shocked to find the book caught wind and readers were asking for more. Writing books was not something she had set out to do. She wrote stories for herself, as a hobby. Now that it has become her career, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Andria grew up in Philadelphia, but now lives in New Jersey with her two daughters and wonderfully supportive husband, who frequently accompanies her at signings. The events that she attends every year are one of her favorite things about being an author. She loves meeting and conversing with her readers, but also enjoys finding new ones.

Andria considers herself open and friendly, so feel free to send her a message if you have a question or just want to chat.

Website: www.AuthorAndriaLarge.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Author_ALarge

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alarge/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nyD5Pu

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