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Fighter (Survivor Trilogy Book 3) by TM Smith: Audiobook Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 16, 2019 by Denise

Fighter – A Survivor story

Dedication and smarts have given Blair Cummings a leg up in the Bureau. His job is all-consuming, but rewarding. It doesn’t leave much time for a love life though, not that Blair believes in love. At nearly thirty, he’s only ever been in one long- term relationship due to his inability to commit to anything other than his job and his family.

Born into a family that is as successful as they are hateful, Howard Manning Tullor Junior ran so far away from his last name that he wound up in the arms of Satan himself. Freedom comes at a high price but it’s one Mannie is willing to pay, setting him on a path that leads him to a quiet, laid -back FBI agent.

Their attraction is unexpected, and yet, welcomed. Blair seems to have finally found something worth fighting for, but Mannie, still haunted by ghosts of the past, wonders if he’ll ever be able to move on. The two are working toward their future, but can a budding romance survive when past and present collide?

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Fighter is the third book in the Survivor trilogy by TM Smith. It finishes the arc that begins back in Book 1 with Survivor, the story with Taylor and Frank, which was a really tragic story, with a happy ending.

These three books run very concurrently, which in some ways makes it difficult to keep up. Because you are only reading (or listening) to one book at a time, you have some idea of what is happening elsewhere at the time you are reading the current story. So, the timeline changes, and moves forward many years, and then moves back at start of the next book.

The over-reaching arc is suspenseful and well documented, so you can see how careful that the author was with the details to ensure that when all three victims beginning having their stories converge, the differences between their stories are evident. Yet, there is a clear path about how much they diverge and reconnect.

The writing style is a bit formal to me as a reader, with quite a bit of flowery prose, and phrases that seemed somewhat dated in today’s society. However, the connections between all the characters was created clearly, and showed how they grew and morphed over the years. I love stories that show connections with all characters, and create a new family.

Nick J. Russo’s narration was fantastic, as always, with clear character voices and accents. His voice goes from playful to angry to passionate so very well.

Story: 3.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 4 pieces of eye candy

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant, she now calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good book, or ticking away on her next novel.

Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, she is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because, seriously people, Love is Love!

Website: www.authortmsmith.com

Blog: www.ttcbooksandmore.com

Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTMSmith

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/994621997270606/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/TTCBooksandmore

GoodReads: https://goo.gl/XQugse

Pinterest: https://goo.gl/cq9R9t

Youtube: https://goo.gl/Rpq5gX

Merry Christmas! Prize box (US only!)… You Got This! Personalizable journal (Hey… you totally got this!) This Classic Happy Notes™ notebook is perfect for journaling, taking notes, making lists, and writing down your BIG IDEAS! Three dividers included so you can create different sections to fit your needs!

60 sheets of lined paper
3 dividers included)
relaxation coloring book with color pencils & sharpner, chapstick, Kleenex with a motivational note, Incense w/holder, various Author swag, Captain Marvel pic, passport binder, 750 piece puzzle and a reversable canvas bag from ‘Fresh off the Boat, ABC network.

*Full size 2020 Calendar (US only)

*Headphones w/Audible codes (Headphones US only, Audiobook codes can be either US or UK Audible)

*Full size 2020 Calendar (US only)

*Jay Aheer prints (International)

*Signed paperback copy of Fighter (US only)

*Starbucks Giftcard (IF your country has a Starbucks and I can forward you an e-giftcard, you can win!)

*Jay Aheer prints (International)

*Signed paperback copy of The Messenger (US only)

*direct from prime (International) Something bookish!

*3 best selling eBooks —- Ann Lister (eBook copies of… Fall Again, Book 10 in The Rock Gods and A Rhythm You Feel, Book 1 in The Rock Gods: East Coast Label) Morticia Knight (eBook copy of In the Name of the Father)

*Storiarts Black Beauty fingerless writing gloves (US only)

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Mr Frosty Pants by Leta Blake: Audiobook Review

December 16, 2019 by Denise

Frosty former friends get a steamy second chance in this Christmas gay romance!

Can true love warm his frozen heart?

When Casey Stevens went away to college four years ago, he ghosted on his straight best friend, Joel Vreeland. He hoped time and distance would lessen the unrequited affection he felt, but all it did was make him miss Joel more. Home for the holidays, Casey hopes they might find a way to be friends again. But Joel’s frosty reception reminds Casey of just how hard he had to fight to be Joel’s friend in the first place. It’s going to take a Christmas miracle to get past that cool façade again.

Joel isn’t as straight as Casey believes, and his years of pining for Casey have left him hurting and alone, caring for his abusive father and struggling to get by. Unable to trust anyone except his rescue dog—and with no reason to believe Casey is interested in him for more than a holiday fling—Joel’s icy heart might shatter before it can thaw.

Can Casey and Joel’s love overcome mistrust, parental rejection, class differences, and four long years apart?

Mr. Frosty Pants is a stand-alone, Christmas gay romance by Leta Blake featuring a virgin hero, childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and romantically steamy scenes.

Audible

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I really enjoyed this book when I read it last year on ebook, so I definitely wanted to listen to the audio book. I think I enjoyed the audiobook even more than the ebook. Yeah! (That does happen to me quite often, simply because I enjoy the life and character that the narrator brings to the MC’s.

John Solo’s characterization of Frosty Pants Casey was fantastic. I could hear his grumpiness in every word. Meanwhile, Casey, at first seemed almost too sweet, but gained more strength as he grew in his rediscovery of Casey.

And I had forgotten about the redemption of … one person until I listened to the audio, and I was glad to have that moment again, knowing how Casey felt.

Honestly, this could be a re-read, re-listen Christmas book every year. Casey discovering the joy of Joel discovering the joy of Christmas. They blend so well together, and create a mix of personalities that works well.

Story: 4 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 4 pieces of eye candy

Fall Through Spring by Amy Lane: Exclusive Guest Post

December 11, 2019 by Denise

Amy Lane is here once again (I love it when she stops by!) to talk about her latest release Fall Through Spring, with an exclusive guest post that is near and dear to my heart…about owning cats. I, myself, am a Crazy Cat Lady, and so anything cat related is right up my alley. Check out her post, and make sure you pick up this new book!

As far as Clay Carpenter is concerned, his abusive relationship with food is the best thing he’s got going. When a good friend starts kicking his ass into gear, Clay is forced to reexamine everything he learned about food and love—and that’s right when he meets troubled graduate student, Dane Hayes.

Dane Hayes doesn’t do the whole monogamy thing, but the minute he meets Clay Carpenter, he’s doing the friend thing in spades. The snarky, scruffy bastard not only gets Dane’s wacky sense of humor, he also accepts the things Dane can’t control—like the bipolar disorder Dane has been trying to manage for the past six years.

Dane is hoping for more than friendship, and Clay is looking at him with longing that isn’t platonic. They’re both positive they’re bad at relationships, but with the help of forbidden desserts and new medication regimens, they prove outstanding at being with each other. But can they turn their friendship into the love neither of them has dared to hope for?

Title: Fall Through Spring
Series: Winter Ball: Book Three
Author: Amy Lane
Release Date: December 3, 2019
Category: Contemporary Romance

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The Importance of Owning a Cat By Amy Lane

It’s not that I believe pet ownership is necessary to being human—but it’s got its perks.

Maintaining a relationship is hard work. You have to be mindful not just of one person’s needs, but of two. If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your partner—but if you can’t remember to take care of your partner, you’re not a good bet as a relationship yourself. It’s a delicate balance, and pets have often served as sort of a litmus test to make sure someone is ready to put another creature’s needs ahead of their own.

At the same time, pets are… well, a pain in the ass.

All creatures crap—there’s no getting around it. If you can’t walk your dog or maintain your cat’s litter box, you have just mucked up your home with no way to escape—as well as abused a poor animal who only wants a place to void waste. It is imperative that you not only feed and water a pet, but that you take care of their other needs. Two trips to a vet’s office per year per pet, not counting illness or shots?

That’s a lot of taking care of.

And there’s more to it than that.

Dogs and cats need love. Every day. Every. Day. Cats are fully capable of saying “You can just fuck right off,” and running away—and the odds of them finding another home aren’t great. Dogs just… wither emotionally. They can become mean, or even stop eating.

Opening up to a pet means giving—pets, love, kindness, even your voice—every day. No exceptions.

And this could be the hardest thing. Pet’s don’t live as long as we do. Unless your pet is a parrot or a turtle—and see upkeep, because both of these exotic pets CAN break your house if you’re not careful—your dog or cat, your precious Egyptian Hairless, Pit Bull, Maine Coon or Yorkie—will pass before you’re ready.

Which means in order to own a pet, you need to be strong enough to sustain the worst—and to move on emotionally. That fifteen-year-old thirty-pound diabetic furry tub of lard absolutely cannot be the one thing between a happy you and a you on the edge of a cliff. You need to be able to endure loss and come out on the other side—and do it while loving your pet every day.

When Dane and Carpenter commit to getting cats at the end of Fall Through Spring it’s more than just, “Hey, Dane is not just a veterinary science major, he also owns a pet!” It’s a commitment by the two men to have a stable life. To commit to their pets—and each other—to look at another’s needs before their own. To be responsible enough for themselves to be responsible for another creature. To be prepared to give love every day without fail.

And to be strong enough to sustain loss and failure and come out on the other side.

For any condition—mental illness, drug addiction, or even just the pain of being an imperfect human—this is the ultimate in commitment, and in faith.

For Dane Hayes and Clay Carpenter, having two fat, spoiled diva cats shedding all over Dane’s brother’s nice house means they have hope for the future—and for each other.

For these guys, getting pets isn’t just the nice little bow on the package of romance—it’s a promise to us that their romance is sustainable—and that they will continue to work on themselves so they can be there for each other.

And I think that’s true in most romance books—even if the “pet” is really an herb garden or a tank full of fish.

Having a pet isn’t just bonding with a creature who needs maintenance—it’s a sign of continuously trying to be a better human one who capable of long-term love.

And that’s the core of any romance hero or heroine—it’s the person we all hope we can be.

Amy Lane lives in a crumbling crapmansion with a couple of growing children, a passel of furbabies, and a bemused spouse. Two of her books have received a RITA nomination, she’s won honorable mention for an Indiefab, and has a couple of Rainbow Awards to her name. She also has too damned much yarn, a penchant for action-adventure movies, and a need to know that somewhere in all the pain is a story of Wuv, Twu Wuv, which she continues to believe in to this day! She writes fantasy, urban fantasy, and gay romance–and if you accidentally make eye contact, she’ll bore you to tears with why those three genres go together. She’ll also tell you that sacrifices, large and small, are worth the urge to write.

Notes from Home by Dirk Greyson: Exclusive Excerpt, Blog Tour and New Release Review

December 10, 2019 by Denise

While deployed on a covert mercenary assignment, Johnny doesn’t have much in the way of holiday cheer. But the mysterious notes from Dex that somehow appear in his bunk—reminding him of the gifts, cookies, celebrations, and most of all, love, waiting for him back in Wisconsin—help him get through the long, hot days. Will they be enough to keep his spirits up when the rest of his unit goes home to their families and he’s left alone?

Title: Notes From Home

Author: Dirk Greyson

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: M/M, Contemporary, Holiday Romance

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: Dec 1 2019

Edition/Formats: eBook & Print

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I set the letter aside and closed my eyes, thinking I could almost reach out and touch him. Dex seemed so close for a moment, but he wasn’t here, and I was spending another holiday away from the people I knew, just like I had for the last eight years. Outside, it was hot enough to fry eggs on the vehicle hoods, and yet for a few seconds, the bracing cold and covering of white back home had carried me away.

I stood up, put the letter back in the envelope, and set it next to the other three on the board just above my bed, the carefully crafted construction-paper snowman joining a Christmas tree, an ornament, and a Santa. I stilled, looking at all four of them, and sighed for just a second. Then the door to our quarters opened and thunked closed, popping the bubble of imagination and longing. I turned away from the letters and gathered my things before heading toward the bathroom and a much-needed shower. I stepped out of my cubicle, and Henry Cavit waved from the far side, stopping me.

This was a very short little story, but it was so heartwarming. It didn’t need to have a lot of background to really get the feel of the story.

Dex made mystery happen for Johnny who never really had a chance to have a happy holiday at home. So, Dex made it as happy as he could away from home. I won’t give away much, but I will say, the puppy on the cover does come into play 😉 and there is a happy ending. 🙂

4 pieces of eye candy for this short but sweet holiday story

Dirk is very much an outside kind of man. He loves travel and seeing new things. Dirk worked in corporate America for way too long and now spends his days writing, gardening, and taking care of the home he shares with his partner of more than two decades. He has a Master’s Degree and all the other accessories that go with a corporate job. But he is most proud of the stories he tells and the life he’s built. Dirk lives in Pennsylvania in a century old home and is blessed with an amazing circle of friends.

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We Still Live by Sara Dobie Bauer: Blog Tour with Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt

December 10, 2019 by Denise

Today we have the author of We Still Live, a book so relevant to today’s society. We asked Sara Dobie Bauer to tell us a little about Writing Realistic Characters with Mental Illness, and she has a very personal take on the situation. Take a peek, and then read the excerpt. You will want to grab this book!

To escape the past, accept it.

Running from a scandal that ruined his life, Isaac Twain accepts a teaching position at Hambden University where, three months prior, Professor John Conlon stopped a campus nightmare by stepping in front of an active shooter.

When John and Isaac become faculty advisors for the school’s literary magazine, their professional relationship evolves. Despite the strict code of conduct forbidding faculty fraternization, they delve into a secret affair—until Simon arrives.

Isaac’s violent ex threatens not only their careers, but also John’s life. His PTSD triggered, John must come to terms with that bloody day on College Green while Isaac must accept the heartbreak his secrets have wrought.

***WE STILL LIVE is a standalone M/M friends-to-lovers romance featuring detailed adult content, graphic violence, hurt/comfort, and mental illness.***

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: We Still Live

Author: Sara Dobie Bauer

Publisher: NineStar Press

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: December 9, 2019

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Friends to lovers, hurt/comfort

Themes: Coming out, depression, anxiety, PTSD/post-traumatic stress, mental illness

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 62 000 words

It is a standalone book.

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Writing Realistic Characters with Mental Illness By Sara Dobie Bauer

My new novel We Still Live deals with some heavy stuff. Not only are the characters haunted by a college shooting, but they also must now survive the ramifications of that shooting—most notably, their destroyed mental health.

At the forefront of the story is romantic interest John Conlon, the hero professor who stepped in front of an active shooter. John is passionate and kind and gorgeous (of course), loved by his students and friends alike. However, since the shooting, John is different. He now suffers from depression, extreme anxiety, PTSD, and night terrors.

Who could blame him? He saw students and friends murdered. He felt their blood on his hands, and he survived—but has yet to heal. Newly hired professor Isaac Twain falls for John, considering it’s difficult to not be charmed by this charismatic, beautiful man who seems so strong when he’s absolutely shattered inside.

So where did John come from? How did I develop this complicated character whose mental illness is as much a part of him as his fabulous hair?

I admit, I did some research. I read up on college shootings (which is not fun, let me tell you). I live in a small Ohio town that was shaken by a high school shooting a few years before I moved there. I’ve watched the news and seen the horrors of Paris, Atlanta, insert yet another tragedy here. But the honest to God truth?

John’s mental illness is realistic because I live it every day.

I’m thirty-seven now, but I’ve been suffering from depression and nightmares since puberty. The anxiety and PTSD showed up due to a high pressure hell job that threw my life off-balance. I’m now medicated to deal with all these issues. I revisit therapy when things get really bad. I stopped watching the news, and a lot of that had to do with the myriad shootings that seem to occur daily.

I wrote We Still Live for selfish reasons. It is an exorcism. I took all my fear, pain, and rage and channeled it into John and the other survivors of the fictional Hambden University shooting. Writer, heal thyself, within the safe cocoon of your imagination.

You’ve heard the adage, “Write what you know.” I don’t agree with that in most cases, but I agree with that statement here. Writing fiction has always been a comfort to me. It’s an escape from reality when reality becomes too hard. It’s a hell of a lot healthier than drinking and drugs.

Maybe you suffer from mental illness, too. Maybe there’s an issue that scares you or gets your heart pumping. Maybe you start writing. Iadmit, penning We Still Live wasn’t easy. Putting John and Isaac through the wringer wasn’t fun, and I had days when I would type through my tears. But I kept going, because their story is important to me and hopefully will be to other people, too.

How did I write a realistic character with mental illness? I looked inside myself. What ghouls are in your closet begging to be set free? You never know who you might help by being open about your issues. You might help some troubled reader out there realize they aren’t alone. Like John, you might even save a life.

Close as they were to the foyer, Isaac was the first to notice the front door opening. A student walked inside. The kid dragged a heavy-looking suitcase behind him. Dressed as he was in a slim-fitting button-down, Isaac immediately assumed preppy, although that assumption altered and changed when taking into account the tight black jeans, Converse sneakers, and shaggy hair the color of caramel and chocolate—a mass of waves and curls that fell down the back of his neck but not quite to his shoulders.

The kid pushed his hair out of the way and looked up, eyes finding Isaac and flashing a moment of panicked nonrecognition before seeing Tommy.

“Um.” Isaac pointed toward the new arrival.

Tommy turned and shouted, “John! My man!”

Not a student, then.

Tommy wrapped John in a hug that actually lifted his feet off the ground. Isaac imagined it wouldn’t be difficult. The new guy might have been average height, but he was gangly, skin and bones.

Tommy ruffled his hair. “Have you lost weight?”

John grumbled and scratched his face with his middle finger. “What are you freeloaders doing in my house?” His voice was surprisingly resonant for someone Isaac considered “pretty.” At John’s pronouncement, crows of approval rang from every direction.

“Come meet Isaac,” Tommy said.

John wiped his palms on his jeans before reaching out to shake, and Isaac’s large hand dwarfed his.

“Isaac Twain is the newest addition to our special corner of Hambden hell. Isaac, this is John Conlon.”

John brushed more hair out of his face. “Nice to—”

“John Conlon?”

John and Tommy froze.

Isaac jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “The books on the shelf. Those are yours?”

John’s face, immobile in what looked like dread a moment before, melted into relief, tinged with a bit of blush. “Oh, yeah. You’ve read?”

“No, but I should. You’ve published a lot of books. You must be good.”

John’s nose wrinkled, and he looked away.

Tommy shook him by the shoulders. “John is an amazing writer. He had a story published in The New Yorker when he was, like, five. Are you working on anything right now?”

John glanced at the bookshelf. “Not lately.”

“You need a drink,” Tommy said.

John’s eyes widened on a big breath. “God, yes, I do.”

“Nice to meet you,” Isaac said, but John just nodded quickly, smile thin, before allowing himself to be herded farther into the house toward the sound of quiet laughter and clinking bottles.

Isaac felt it then—an outsider’s emptiness. He became a nervous-looking coat rack in the corner, a terrified tree waiting for the ax. As the party doubled in auditory volume, he bemoaned his spilled wine. Was it okay for him to leave? It wasn’t like he was supposed to make a speech. He was only there because he figured it was the easiest way to meet everyone before the first official faculty meeting, but he’d been standing around too long. He wanted to run.

Out of curiosity, he reopened John’s book from earlier and read the front flap. It was a coming-of-age story about a gay kid in the Midwest. He flipped to the back, and a picture of John stared back at him. He’d assumed the guy was tired when they first met, but no; apparently, John had perpetual bedroom eyes, and his hair was always an artful mess. He skimmed…creative writing professor at Hambden University…gay rights activist…Converse-wearer and “old-people music” enthusiast.

All arrows pointed to John’s probable sexual preference for men. A spark of interest flickered but quickly went out. True, John Conlon was what most people would consider beautiful, but he wasn’t Isaac’s type. John was the kind of man butch guys fought over in gay clubs, but he was too small for Isaac, too fragile-looking, girly. After all he’d been through, the last thing Isaac wanted was someone feminine.

A thin figure ducked into the library and literally hid against the doorframe. He took a long drink of something brown and leaned his head back. “It’s not good when you want to hide in your own house.”

“Library is the best place for it,” Isaac said.

John kicked away from the wall. “Tommy mentioned you just moved here? I’ve been in Lothos forever, so if you need anything…” He examined Isaac from his brown boat shoes to the top of his blond head. John’s large eyes, dark green, seemed bottomless—drowning pools of intellect and soul—only slightly overshadowed by his thick eyebrows.

Sara Dobie Bauer is a bestselling author, model, and mental health / LGBTQ advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. She lives with her hottie husband and two precious pups in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film. She is author of the paranormal rom-com Bite Somebody series and Escape Trilogy.

Photo credit: Bill Thornhill

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Anyone But You by Brien Michaels: Spotlight Tour with Giveaway

December 9, 2019 by Denise

Murder is one hell of a drag.

Jack Kieza has a problem. He’s deeply attracted to men, but his homophobic family has left him too afraid to act on it. With his thirtieth birthday around the corner, his curiosity gets the best of him, and he finds himself at a gay club. After spending a fiery night with drag queen Sheila Saltue, everything changes. Especially when he discovers her alter ego: his boss, Ryan Swift.

Ryan knew he should’ve said no the second Jack approached him. Now he can’t stop himself from texting Jack every chance he gets. But Jack won’t let him take the wig off during sex, and being Sheila off-stage is wearing thin.

The more time they spend together, the more intense their feelings get, but Jack isn’t ready to date a man yet. When drag queens start turning up murdered, it forces Jack to reexamine his feelings, because what if Ryan is next? While Jack wants their burgeoning relationship to work, it would mean having to admit who he is to the world. And that’s an idea as frightening as death.

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

Brien Michaels was hatched shortly before the turn of the century. He grew up in the DMV area and has been creating characters for as long as he can remember, starting with an imaginary friend named Farquad Beaverhausen. Before turning his considerably wicked imagination to writing, he was an actor, aspiring film student, movie theater concessionist, and the first human to enter the seventy-second dimension. Though it is unclear whether he made it back or if Farquad’s evil twin, Brad, has taken control of his body. He’s currently on the run from the Secret Police, who want to bring him in for questioning regarding the whereabouts of erotica authors L.A. Witt and Lauren Gallagher. If you encounter him, please contact his publishers immediately, as he likely should be chained to a desk writing and not out walking children in nature.

Twitter: @BrienMichaels

To celebrate this release, one lucky person will win a $10 gift card to Riptide. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 14, 2019. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!