3.75 stars

A Friend in the Dark (An Auden & O’Callaghan Mystery Book 1) by Gregory Ashe & C.S. Poe: New Release Review *2

September 29, 2020 by Denise

Rufus O’Callaghan has eked out a living on the streets of New York City by helping the police put away criminals as a confidential informant. But when Rufus shows up for an arranged meeting and finds his handler dead, his already-uncertain life is thrown into a tailspin. Now someone is trying to kill Rufus too, and he’s determined to find out why.

After leaving the Army under less than desirable circumstances, Sam Auden has drifted from town to town, hitching rides and catching Greyhounds, until he learns that a former Army buddy, now a police detective in New York City, has died by suicide. Sam knows that’s not right, and he immediately sets out to get answers.

As Rufus and Sam work together to learn the truth of their friend’s death, they find themselves entangled in a web of lies, cover-ups, and accelerating danger. And when they witness a suspect killed in cold blood, they realize they’re running out of time.

Title: A Friend in the Dark

Book #: 1

Series: An Auden & O’Callaghan Mystery

Author(s): Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe

Length: 70,000k (novel)

Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Genre: Amateur sleuth mystery, romance

Release: September 8, 2020

Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Okay, I don’t even know where to start!

First, if it is by C.S. Poe, I am reading it. Plus, she got me hooked on a Gregory Ashe newsletter story…so this was without question something I wanted to read. Okay, but there’s a cliffhanger!!!! Dang you, authors!!! I wanted to scream and shout, but understood why, and what it was for, so I have settled in to wait for book 2 (I will be in the corner with my blanket and my pacifier…) lol

These two authors wrote seamlessly together. They created two characters that on the surface, and deep, deep below the surface were hot messes. They both have a lot of shadows in their eyes, but somehow managed to work really well together, as they learned that they might want to do more than just sleuth together.

As they work together to find out what happened to Jake, they move all around NYC, not the glizty, glamour areas, but the underbelly, the places tourists never see, and NYC doesn’t want to show them. These are the places only locals would know about, which is why Sam needed Rufus’s help, just as much as Rufus needed Sam’s help because you have to come out of the dark sometimes to find answers.

If you are looking for a flowery, beach read, this isn’t going to be it. However, if you want some suspense, maybe a little murder and mayhem, with two men who discover that they might need each other for more than just how to navigate New York’s subway system, this might be it. And I know that I will be waiting in line for book 2, because I need to know more about how these guys navigate their way back to each other.

3.75 pieces of eye candy

Gritty NYC is the backdrop for this story. Rufus is a paid police informant. And then at a meet he finds the cop he worked with murdered. Rufus has no one. No family, no friends, and now he lost the one human who cared about him.

Sam knows Jake from their time in the military. Sam is harboring some serious demons from his years at war. But when he hears that his friend has killed himself, he summons the courage to get to NYC to look into it. Because there is no way that Jake offed himself.

Sam and Rufus discover each other trying to come up with answers themselves. They begrudgingly decide to work together.

Both of these guys are rough. They are just broken shells. Rufus is so used to being in the shadows as an informant, he has nothing and no one. You can feel his desperation even though he didn’t show it to anyone. He only knows the ugly underbelly of NYC and sees most people the same way

Sam is also a mess. Some PTSD, anxiety, tremors. He hates crowds and loud and people. But he is willing to deal with it to find out the real story of his friend. The friend who emailed him drunken secrets in the middle of the night.

Sam and Rufus, both so used to working and being alone, actually work really well together. They challenge each other, help each other and never pity each other. The clues they follow are like needles in a haystack, but they do it. One at a time.

Sam makes a move on Rufus as a one off and Rufus declines. When Rufus finally tells Sam why, it just broke me. Ugh these guys. I just wanted to mother both of them.

They make sense of the web of lies using their own smarts, Jake’s drunken emails and a sex worker in the Ramble of Central Park.

I did enjoy the book. There were times when I said to myself, “Ok, enough, move on” because sometimes the descriptions of things were so long and flowery. Like the authors were showing that they can write well. Sometimes less is more.

AND there was a cliffhanger ending. Enough that I definitely want to read book 2.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Gregory Ashe is a longtime Midwesterner. He has lived in Chicago, Bloomington (IN), and Saint Louis, his current home. When not reading and writing (which take up a lot of his time), he is an educator.

C.S. Poe is a Lambda Literary and two-time EPIC award finalist, and a FAPA award-winning author of gay mystery, romance, and speculative fiction.

Under His Protection by LaQuette: Exclusive Guest Post & Excerpt and Release Day Review

April 19, 2019 by Denise

TCO is very excited to have LaQuette here today, talking about her new Dreamspinner Press release, Under His Protection. In her guest post, she talks about that one moment…where you fall in love in that instant. Check it out!

They can escape their enemies, but not the desire between them.

Prosecutor Camden Warren is on the fast track to professional nirvana. With his charm, his sharp legal mind, and his father as chief judge in the highest court in NY, he can’t fail. Nothing can derail his rise to the top… until an attempt on his life forces him to accept the help of a man he walked out on five years ago.

Wounded in the line of duty, Lieutenant Elijah Stephenson wants to ride his new desk job until retirement—not take a glorified babysitting gig with more risk than it’s worth… especially not protecting the entitled lawyer who disappeared after the best sex of their lives.

The threat against Camden’s life is real, but their passion for each other might prove the greatest danger they’ve yet to face.

Title: Under His Protection
Author: LaQuette
Release Date: April 16, 2019
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 250

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Hello, I’m LaQuette, and I’m so happy to be here at Two Chicks Obsessed. Sending a huge shout-out to Denise for inviting me to chat for a bit.

As both a romance author and reader, I’m always looking at life events through a romance lens. It’s a quirky habit of mine, but it also makes it so much fun to live in my head.

When writing my latest release, Under His Protection, I was thinking of how sometimes a single experience with a certain person can have an enormous impact on our future lives. Hence, when crafting Elijah and Camden’s story, I wondered if one night with the right person could lead to forever.

Love at first sight is something we all laugh at. It’s improbable if not impossible, and no one can build a future on today’s whim.

Although I don’t know how wise it is to jump in with both feet so to speak, I do believe that all it takes is an instant for hearts to connect. Camden and Elijah are the perfect example of that. They met once, had an amazing encounter, and five years later when their paths crossed again, they still couldn’t forget that one night.

Perhaps the idea of wagering your future on a whim seems ridiculous. But, if there is magic in the world, I believe it’s love. How great would the world be if we all stopped for a second to embrace the magic of love the way romance novel characters do? It might not be realistic, but it sure is an amazing thought to have.

Check out the excerpt below to see how the sparks still fly between Camden and Elijah when they meet for the first time five years after their initial encounter.

Camden turned around at the call of his name. His gaze followed the familiar sound until he was staring into eyes he hadn’t seen for five years.

Still tall, with long locs still hanging just below his shoulders, and a trimmed goatee. Skin still the same color as smooth, tanned oak. Camden’s eyes continued to travel down a broad chest and shoulders that made his fingers itch to caress them. Arms still wide with carved muscle, and a lean waist that tapered down into a thin vee made Camden swallow to push the dry knot blocking his airway free.

He forced his eyes closed as his gaze fell on the metal belt buckle sitting at the bottom of this walking memory’s waist. If he continued his perusal, if he kept remembering the fire that burned through him with every touch and taste of his tormentor’s body parts, this encounter was liable to turn into something very different from a police matter.

“Elijah?”

Camden shook his head, uncertain why he’d said the man’s name as if it were a question. This was Elijah Stephenson. Hard, beautiful, and so sexy he made Camden’s mouth water.

“You remember my name? I’m impressed,” Elijah added.

Remember? Camden laughed at that. Who in the hell could forget a real-life walking sex dream? If big, muscular men with an imposing presence were your cup of tea, Elijah Stephenson was a person you wouldn’t soon forget.

Camden was no slouch. His bulk remained tight with a personalized fitness plan that kept his muscle shirts filled and his jeans fitted. But Elijah didn’t need a gym plan or a personal trainer. His physique and power came from things like running down criminals on the street and lifting cinder blocks or some such real-world thing Camden would never engage in. He didn’t care to get his own hands soiled, but a man who liked to play in the grit of life was always Camden’s weakness.

Camden blinked his eyes again, flipped the switch in his head that turned on his prosecutor’s facade. Hands on his waist, shoulders pushed back, and eyes narrowed at his target. Camden stepped toward Elijah, refusing to let his memories or the delicious sight Elijah made shake his fortitude.

“Why are you here, Elijah? How are you involved with my case?”

“I’m your assigned babysitter, Counselor.”

Camden caught the faint hint of amusement in Elijah’s voice, and his mood soured. To keep his calm, he dismissed Elijah with a cold glare and turned to the captain at his side. “Not a possibility. Get someone else,” he demanded.

“Mr. Warren,” Captain Searlington began. If the deep breath she’d taken just before she said his name was any sign, she wasn’t all that thrilled with Camden now.

Camden sighed and pressed his fingers firmly against his temple. If he were the man his father raised him to be, he’d be throwing his weight around right now, making demands of everyone in the room. But after how poorly Camden behaved five years ago, treating Elijah like a discarded one-off, he found it difficult to muster up his practiced asshole tendencies.

“Mr. Warren, Lieutenant Stephenson has an impressive career record. He is the best at what he does.”

Camden ran a frantic hand through his raven locks. “And what does Lieutenant Stephenson do?”

“He has a nose for sniffing out the bad guys. He’s the best tactical mind I’ve seen in our house in a long time. He also has a protective streak for simpletons who find themselves in situations they can’t get out of. And when he’s called on to protect someone who can’t defend themselves, he locks like a Pit and doesn’t let go until either he or the threat is destroyed.”

Camden’s shoulders rose with every breath he drew in through his flared nostrils. Did she call him a simpleton? Did she reprimand him without so much as raising her voice?

“So,” Captain Searlington continued, “are there other officers I can assign this case? Yes. But if you want to live through this experience, I’d suggest Lieutenant Stephenson is the man for the job.”

Not gonna lie. It was the cover that sucked me in. I mean. Did you see it? Because damn.

Camden and Elijah are a second chance love story. I guess my biggest issue was that really they had one date, one night before Camden ghosted. So ya, there was chemistry and attraction and everything. But I wish there was more than a one time thing between them to spark back up five years later.

Still, I really enjoyed this story.

Camden is prosecuting the leaders of a cult who want him dead. Because they think that will stop the trial I guess? So Elijah, a lieutenant in the police force coming back from medical leave after almost dying in a bust gone wrong is tasked with keeping him safe for a week. Elijah was hoping to sit at a desk and work cyber crimes but he can’t say no to this job and the one that got away.

The hide out in Elijah’s house outside the city thinking they will have peace and quiet. Except Elijah forgot he invited his family for a long weekend. What could have been awkward was really just kind of fun. Mom wasn’t too over bearing, Dad wasn’t too scary, brother wasn’t too annoying. It was just a family enjoying themselves and hanging out. And Camden and Elijah rediscovering each other.

There was a few things that were just far too convenient- a house Elijah bought with a shell company (plus what cop can afford a house in Westchester AND an apartment in Brooklyn?), a garage apartment at his house that is unoccupied, etc.

The chemistry between the men was undeniable. And she can write a sex scene like no one’s business. They flowed though, the scenes weren’t forced at all.

The entire book only took place over the course of a week but it wasn’t rushed at all. Elijah’s family added to the story instead of getting in the way and the ending wrap up was well done without being contrived.

Won’t be my last story by this author, that’s for sure.

3.75 pieces of eye candy

LaQuette is the 2016 Golden Apple Award Author of the year winner. She writes bold & sexy tales for diverse characters who are confident in their right to appear on the page. Represented by Latoya C. Smith of LCS Literary Agency. Visit her at LaQuette.com and LaQuette@LaQuette.com

Amazon | Newsletter Signup

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Trex or Treat by Tara Lain: Release Day Review

October 31, 2018 by Denise

Josh Harris is all dad all the time. A busy college professor and devoted single father, Josh tries to be happy with only his son for company. But then Bradley “Trex” Trexler moves in across the street with his stepbrother, Bogo, and takes advantage of their empty home, making it into a haunted house for Halloween.

Josh’s son, Ernie, can’t wait to go, so Josh dresses up like a movie cowboy and saunters over. It’ll be the best Halloween of Ernie’s life, but there’s another sharpshooter roaming the dark corridors, and this one might have a special treat for Josh….

Title: Trex or Treat
Author: Tara Lain
Release Date: October 31, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Holiday
Pages: 34

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

This was a quick short story, but fun! I really enjoyed the fact that these two, although had not “officially” met, Trex knew of Josh and his books, and already wanted to connect with him. That took this short story from a sexy one night stand (although with kids connected, that usually keeps it from being just a hookup) to potential relationship material.

It was cute, and had just enough sweetness that it felt more romantic. And I really loved how Trex really thought the entire date evening through. I’d actually have loved a little more of their story.

3.75 pieces of eye candy

Lincoln’s Park by Parker Williams: Exclusive Character Interview and Release Day Review

October 16, 2018 by Denise

Lincoln Merriweather was born an entitled brat with a silver spoon lodged so deep, it might never have come out. At the BDSM club or in business, Lincoln was a storm, blowing in and disrupting the lives of everyone he touched, until the day he met a man who peeled away the tarnished layers to expose a decent person.

Lincoln found—then lost—love.

Since then, he’s tried to atone for his past, including walking away from his family’s wealth. He opened a diner, hiring people to work for him that he would have spit on before his epiphany. He’s found peace, which he’s about to lose to a hazel-eyed man.

Noel Simmons wound up on the street when his parents discovered he was gay. His path leads him to Lincoln’s diner, where he asks for a job. He’s thrilled when Lincoln agrees to hire him, but finds his new boss perplexing. Can anyone be this kind and decent?

What starts out as business becomes something more. Noel discovers he needs Lincoln in order to feel safe. Lincoln needs Noel to complete him. But when Lincoln’s past gets in the way of his present, will the two have a future?

Title: Lincoln’s Park
Series: Links In the Chain
Author: Parker Williams
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Category: BDSM, Contemporary
Pages: 237

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

iBooks

Character Interview Questions: Lincoln Merriweather

What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they’ve known you for a while?

I used to be this hardass guy who could make grown men weep with a quirk of his brow. I used that power to bring men to their knees, figuratively and literally. Even after they got to know me, my reputation as an asshole was well deserved.

Then I met Ev, and that had to change. It wasn’t overnight, and there are still times I can channel that vibe, but now people think I’m a kind, compassionate man, and that’s the image I want to cultivate.

What’s your idea of a good marriage? Do you think that’ll happen in your life?

Trust and mutual respect is essential. My parents slept with anyone that would lay still long enough. I thought that was the way of the world, and I used to ride rough over a lot of men, both at the club and just as one night stands.

When I met Ev, I wanted more out of life. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be with Ev, but years later I met a hazel-eyed man who took my breath away. As for whether it will happen in my life, you need to read the book. 😉

What are you most proud of about your life?

The diner. No, wait. That’s not right. What I’ve accomplished with the diner. See, before I opened the Park View, I wasn’t a good man. I never thought about anything beyond making money and lording it over everyone.

My epiphany changed me and made me, I hope, a better person. Once I opened the diner, I wanted to do something to give back to the people I’d wronged. I knew I couldn’t go back and undo it, so I tried to pay for my sins by hiring those people who I always thought were beneath me.

I learned a valuable lesson from Ev, and I tried to pay it forward. I’d like to think I succeeded.

What are you most ashamed of in your life? (Again, if necessary ask “What about on a personal level?”)

Oh, God. Looking back, I’m ashamed of so many things. The way I treated people, the backstabbing, the double dealing, the looking the other way while my father took people’s jobs and homes and lives. I’m ashamed of the way I treated the guys at the club. I guess overall, I’m ashamed of the person I was. I’d give anything to be able to go back and undo it.

If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?

Wow. Though the answer is easy, the question isn’t. I’d like to sit down and talk with Ev one last time. To let him know of the positive impact he made in my life and, most of all, to tell him the secret that I never had a chance to share with him.

Do you think you’ve turned out the way your parents expected?

HA! Oh, you’re serious? Okay, sorry. No. The day I told my father I quit, he told me I’d regret it. He went to extraordinary lengths to keep me under his thumb, including cutting me off monetarily.

I love Parker’s romance writing, so I was looking forward to this one. And I think the character interview above really does a great job of getting into Lincoln’s mindset.

However, I will admit I spent some of the book slightly confused. I know it was labeled BDSM as a portion, but it didn’t seem to really touch on that between the character’s for a while. So, I guess I understood it was a past hobby for him, until it wasn’t. I thought it was he had given it up along after Ev passed away.

However, what I did really like was the personalities of the MC’s, as well as one spitfire of a server who took no crap from anyone, and went after her own happiness.

The other piece that confused me was based on reality. Noel didn’t want Lincoln to hire another cook. So, Lincoln worked basically 5am to midnight or later 6 days a week, and brunch on Sunday. With no other cooks help. I understood his reasoning, but at the same time, without having seen much of the actual customers that Lincoln was so connected to, it made it difficult to understand what would happen if Lincoln got sick or injured, or was just too exhausted to get out of bed. (I know, I know, you have to suspend some reality in romance novels, obviously, but this one just made me confused.)

That being said, the MC’s were so well fleshed out, it made their motivations and personalities pop off the page, and I wanted to know more about what would be happening in the future at the diner.

3.75 piece of eye candy

Parker Williams is a bestselling author of MM romance and suspense. One of his recent works was nominated for the Lambda Literary Awards, and several books have been runners-up at the Rainbow Awards.

Parker loves the written word. A chance encounter with an amazing author changed the course of his life as he began to write the stories his men were whispering to him. With the help of some amazing friends and a community of writers he’s proud to be part of, Parker continues telling stories of love, hurt, comfort, and sometimes tosses in a little angst for fun. He believes in love, but also knows that anything worth having requires work and sacrifice (and maybe a little hurt and comfort too). The course of true love never runs smooth, and he enjoys writing about it.

Parker lives in Milwaukee, WI, with his husband, Paul, and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Most days you’ll find him on Facebook, sharing stories and pictures of the zoo, or even about Paul, who is always good for a laugh.

Website: www.parkerwilliamsauthor.com

Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641

Email: parker@parkerwilliamsauthor.com

The Foxling Soldati by Charlie Cochet: Release Day Review and Giveaway

August 16, 2017 by Denise

Foxling Toka has served the Soldati king for centuries, and now he attends to the kingdom’s cherished Soldati prince. It’s a position of honor, and as Toka helps the once-human prince adapt to their magical realm, he finds joy in their friendship. He also grows bolder in his encounters with Rayner, Soldati warrior and the king’s second. But the laws are clear: servants and Soldati are not permitted to mate. It doesn’t matter that Toka lost his heart to the dashing cad long ago.

Rayner never imagined he would fall in love with a servant, but the clever and beautiful foxling has ensnared him, and he resents the regulations keeping them apart. When an arrogant and spiteful king visits from a neighboring realm, Rayner is in danger of losing everything. But Soldati warriors don’t surrender, and he intends to fight all the harder to keep Toka where he belongs—in Rayner’s arms.

Title: The Foxling Soldati
Series: Soldati Hearts: Book Two
Author: Charlie Cochet
Release Date: August 16, 2017
Category: Fantasy: Urban Fantasy; Paranomal: Angels & Demons; Paranormal: Werewolves/Shapeshifters
Pages: TBD (Novella)

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

Welp, that didn’t turn out like I thought it would.

Let me explain. I tend to shy away from fantasy books in general and shifter stories specifically. I’m not sure why. But this is an m/m and has a historical feel, so I gave it a try. What’s the worst that can happen?

Toka is a playful shape-shifting foxling who lives in the Soldati realm which is ruled by tiger shifters. It’s a nice place, actually: everyone seems to be happy and gets along, the king, Khalon, is easy going with a sense of humor, humility and since finding his fated mate, Riley, is pretty much in honeymoon mode 24/7. Toka’s lot in life is to be a servant, but the Soldati treat their servants (though let’s be honest, they’re slaves) kindly and respectfully. Rayner is the king’s sexy, tiger-shifting right-hand man whose (mutual) interest in Toka goes from flirtation in Book 1 (The Soldati Prince) to physical almost right away here. Pair up a tiger-shifting warrior with a lean twink-like foxling and you’re going to have some sexy times.

Toka and Rayner’s flirtations grow more heated and draw them closer together, physically and emotionally. Toka is just… so sweet, and I always like to see a big, tough alpha like Rayner show his soft, gooey center trying to please his little fox. There’s a bit of angst about whether this coupling is a fun distraction or true love — but it hardly matters because there’s a stupid ancient rule on the books that forbids Soldati and servants to mate. So, while the two can fool around all they want, they can never legally, officially, or openly pledge themselves to each other. Doesn’t that make you so mad? Me too.

The real trouble starts when the Soldati are visited by the king of a neighboring realm who is, essentially, a bear-shifting bully whose desire for revenge against Rayner fuels an uproar amongst the Soldatis and pits long-time friends — and new lovers — against each other. Toka finds himself in an intolerable situation and Rayner has to decide how far he will go, how much he will give up to keep Toka with him.

This is a short, sweet read and the short format naturally requires a sped-up lust-to-love-to-angst-to-resolution timeline and that may not be for everyone. Cochet’s writing is quick and to the point, and the plot flows smoothly. There are light hearted moments, the characters are drawn well and I’m mad, sad and a bit angsty along with them at times. There’s threat of rape and a couple of beatings that take place. Still, things may be a little too happy-happy for some, but I think it worked here for me because of the short-length format (Do not give me 800 pages of happy-happy). I liked Riley, the king’s husband, a lot and while you don’t need to read his book (The Soldati Prince) first, you do need to read it. DO IT. I knew I would get an HEA (because otherwise I would break things) but a little detail at the end made me even happier. So, while I shy away from shape shifting books in general, I was pleasantly surprised in how much I enjoyed this book and the series. Looking forward to reading more Charlie Cochet.

3.75 pieces of eye candy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend by Nicki Bennett : Release Day Review, Exclusive Guest Post and Giveaway

May 18, 2016 by Denise

It might be a sham to his boss, but it’s all too real to him.

Administrative assistant Jonah Hollis has nurtured a hopeless crush on his boss, millionaire cattle rancher Lincoln Courtwright, ever since he started working for him. But hope is kindled when Linc and beautiful rodeo star Melissa Cutler break up just weeks before the biggest event of the Dallas social season, the Cattle Baron’s Ball, and Linc asks Jonah to accompany him in her place.

Is it all a ploy to make Melissa jealous? Can Jonah fit into Linc’s world? It takes some encouragement from his roommates and his best friend, Caylee, for Jonah to agree. Before long, Jonah dares to believe Linc might just feel something for him… until interfering family and a series of misunderstandings threaten his fragile dream of happiness.

Title: The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend
Author: Nicki Bennett
Release Date: May 15, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 216

The Dreamspun Desires series is full of sweet, a little sexy, and a little angsty books that hit you in the feels. The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend is no exception to this rule. It has what so many of the old Harlequin romances had, a sweet virgin, and a strong sexy cowboy who means business.

There were a few misses in this book, chances at showing growth in the characters, and that did pull the overall rating down somewhat.

What I did enjoy though was that although there was the “evil step-mother”, there were glimpses into her caring loving nature. This was the same with all the characters. Even with the stress and anxiety that they had created amongst themselves, they showed that they cared about the people around them, often with the small things, such as Jonah ordering lunch for Linc, or Linc going out of his way to make sure that Jonah was safe and healthy, even when their misunderstandings drew them apart.

The HEA that these two fought for had a winding road through Caylee, but I honestly loved how they found that happy ending. It seemed so true to how I would have expected Jonah to react to something like that.

3.75 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

ARe

Secondary Characters

Part of the fun of writing for me is creating secondary characters to help tell the story. The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend is told from the point of view of Jonah Hollis, who has a secret crush on his boss, millionaire cattle rancher Lincoln Courtwright. Or a not-so-secret crush, at least to Jonah’s friends in Dallas. Secondary characters, in the form of his roommate Wes and their neighbors Aidan and Sammy, help to reveal information about Jonah without relying on long paragraphs of internal monologue or data dumps of backstory.

The person who knows Jonah best is his childhood friend Caylee Lynch, but Caylee is still back in their hometown of Oktaha, Oklahoma. Though she has an important role to play, we don’t meet her except in references from Jonah until almost halfway into the story. In the meantime, we get to know Jonah through his interactions with Linc at the office and with Wes, Sammy, and Aidan at home.

Jonah’s socializing with his friends shows us that though he’s lived in Dallas for over eighteen months, there’s still more than a bit of the farm boy left in him. Though he’s not the type to draw attention to himself, and he prefers to avoid conflict, he also isn’t a pushover and doesn’t hesitate to put his foot down when he has to. But Wes is a good enough friend that he won’t let Jonah get away with fooling himself about the depth of his feelings for Linc, even when he doesn’t want to admit them to himself.

In creating these characters, I gave them each their own personality and backstory, even if only a part of this makes its way into the novel. Wes is a foodie with aspirations to become a chef. He has a wicked sense of humor, a taste for witty T-shirts, and mixes a mean cocktail. He’s a devoted friend who seems happy to be single, but a part of him hopes for the same kind of relationship Jonah does. Aidan and Sammy are a committed couple but also a study in opposites. Sammy is a willowy, creative—sometimes flamboyant—vegetarian, while Aidan is a more practical, meat-and-potatoes-type guy who has to bring Sammy back down to earth at times. Not all of this may be explicitly revealed in the story, but defining them in my mind made them real people for me and informed their dialogue and actions in a more natural way.

Ideally, a well-crafted secondary character should leave the reader feeling they know him but also want to learn more about him (or her). Maybe that’s why spin-off stories are so popular!

“Are you just getting off work?” Wes asked. The bar was small enough that he could mix the drink order and still talk with Jonah. “What did that slave driver of a boss of yours have you doing this late?”

“Mr. Courtwright isn’t a slave driver!” Jonah was quick to protest. “He didn’t ask me to work late, and when he got out of his meeting, he told me I shouldn’t have stayed.” It’s not like he had anything more important to do, Jonah thought, except for the two nights a week he attended the business class he was taking at El Centro community college.

Wes walked the drink he’d been making to the other end of the bar and started mixing another before answering. “So why did you stay, then? I know you’ve got the hots for him, but if he was in a meeting, you didn’t even get to spend the time with him.”

Jonah flushed, but before he could issue a denial, Wes wagged a finger at him.

“And don’t try to tell me you don’t have the hots for him. I’ve spent too many nights listening to ‘Mr. Courtwright said this’ and ‘Mr. Courtwright did that.’ I like the guy I work for too, but I don’t talk about him constantly.”

“It doesn’t matter how hot he is,” Jonah muttered. “He’s straight. I stayed late to order gifts for his girlfriend to make up for him missing dinner with her because he was working late.”

“You need to forget about him and come out with Aidan and Sammy and me tomorrow night instead,” Wes declared, setting the drink he’d been mixing in front of Jonah. “Try that and tell me what you think.”

“You know I’m not much of a drinker,” Jonah said. “I don’t really like the taste of alcohol.”

“That’s why you’re the perfect taste-tester,” Wes replied. “If you like it, I know I’ve got a winner.”

Jonah picked up the glass of icy liquid and sniffed it. He could smell citrus and a hint of something else, though he couldn’t tell what it was. “What’s in it?”

“I’ve been experimenting with making some vodka infusions. That one’s basil with lime juice and a bit of grapefruit juice, topped off with sparkling water. What do you think?”

Jonah took a small sip and then a larger one. “I like it. It’s tart and refreshing, especially on a hot night like this.”

“Great! If Mr. Stefanotis likes it, maybe he’ll put it on the menu.” Wes grinned. “It’s not working in the kitchen, but it’s a start.”

Jonah grinned back. Wes Paterson didn’t look like anyone’s idea of a traditional chef. His spiked hair was currently dyed a deep blue, though he changed its color every month or so—Jonah didn’t think he’d seen its natural color in the year and a half they’d lived together. He was wearing a colorful flowered shirt that didn’t hide the tattoos on his arms, and both ears and an eyebrow sported piercings. Despite his appearance, he was the best cook Jonah knew, even better than his mother, which was saying something. He was also the kindest person Jonah knew, except maybe for his best friend, Caylee, back in Oktaha. Not many people would take a total stranger under his wing the way Wes had when Jonah first arrived in Dallas.

“So what’s good for dinner tonight?” Jonah asked, turning to look at the blackboard near the front door that was the restaurant’s only menu. While a few offerings, like the three-pepper mac and cheese and the fried chicken, were mainstays, the rest of the menu depended on what produce was fresh and what Manny, the head cook, felt like making that day.

“Aidan raved about the brisket tacos, and Sammy had the mushroom quinoa risotto.” Aidan Jacobs and Samuel Tanner lived in the townhouse that made up the other half of the building he and Wes shared, though the four of them were in and out of each other’s space so much they might as well have all been living together.

“Are they here? I didn’t see them at a table when I came in.”

“They went to do some shopping, but they said they’d be back before closing time.”

Jonah decided on the fried green tomato BLT on whole-grain toast from Lembas Bakery, a local shop owned by a lesbian couple who made amazing breads and pastries. He was just finishing up the last of the homemade potato chips that came with the sandwich when Aidan and Sammy arrived, carrying bags from Urban Vintage, a clothing store down the street.

“Jonah!” Sammy said loudly. “Tell me you did not come here straight from work. You’re giving gay men a bad name, dressed like that.”

“What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?” Jonah asked. He didn’t think his khakis and pale blue dress shirt looked bad, though maybe they’d gotten a little wrinkled between the long day and the heat.

“Have we taught you nothing, child?” Sammy waved a hand to indicate his and Aidan’s attire. Jonah thought the rich purple V-neck Sammy wore contrasted beautifully with his dark skin, while Aidan’s green-and-white paisley accented his pale complexion and red hair, even though neither of them were shirts he’d be comfortable wearing. “It’s too late to take you shopping now, but I’m coming to look through your closet before we go clubbing tomorrow night. If we can’t find anything fit to be seen with you in, you can borrow something from one of us.”

“I wouldn’t fit in anything of yours,” Jonah pointed out. He certainly wasn’t heavy, but Sammy was half a head taller and at least twenty pounds lighter than he was, while Aidan was built like the construction worker he was.

“Sure you would,” Aidan said. “They just wouldn’t hang on you the way most of your shirts do. You’ve got a good build. You ought to show it off.”

Tight-fitting shirts weren’t very practical for working on a farm, but if Jonah said that, he knew they’d just remind him he didn’t live on a farm anymore. And he didn’t have to dress to hide the fact that he was gay anymore either. But that didn’t make him any more eager to wear clinging shirts and skintight jeans to attract attention in the clubs Sammy and Aidan wanted to take him to. “Maybe I’ll just skip tomorrow night.”

“Absolutely not!” Wes interjected. “You deserve a night out after working late today. And besides, the best way to get over your crush on your boss—your straight boss, as you pointed out to me yourself—is to find someone who is interested in you.”

Growing up in Chicago, Nicki Bennett spent every Saturday at the central library, losing herself in the world of books. A voracious reader, she eventually found it difficult to find enough of the kind of stories she liked to read and decided to start writing them herself.

Visit Nicki at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011754789784&fref=ts

E-mail: nickibennett1@gmail.com

Nicki has generously offered to giveaway an e-book copy of The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend or any of my backlist titles to one randomly selected comment to this post. So, tell us what you like best about cowboy stories.