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Not Another Statistic by J.M. Dabney: RDB, Excerpt and New Release Review

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Former Federal Agent Yuri Sorenson had left the bureau behind to become a private investigator. His ex-partner came to him asking for a favor, not knowing who else to trust. Yuri had always had a way of keeping his emotional distance from the people he protected, yet that changed the day Clarkson hesitantly limped into his life.

What happens when love is confused with pain? That’s the exact question Josh Clarkson had asked himself for years. He’d grown up in an overburdened foster care system, and from what he knew of love, he couldn’t expect anything but to be something tolerated. Was he meant to be more than a plaything or a piece of scenery? He could hope.

Two men who know nothing but being broken find that patience and acceptance are harder than losing hope. Is the leap of faith worth the reward of letting someone else in? Maybe they’ll find the strength to find out before the danger of Josh’s past tries to tear them apart.

Not Another Statistic

Yuri Sorenson Mysteries

J.M. Dabney

Genre – MM/Gay Fiction/Romance, Mystery/Suspense

Release Date: 09.24.19

Cover Image – FuriousFotog (Golden Czermak)

Cover Model – Kevin R. Davis

Cover Art – J.M. Dabney

Amazon

I awakened from the best dreams I’d ever had. One of the few times I hadn’t come to with a scream and then I froze as I found myself draped over Yuri. My thighs on either side of his hips and I tried to slip to the side without being noticed only to squeak as a very strong, large hand squeezed my ass to keep me in place. This was so not good. I bit my lip and tried again only to be stopped by a deep growl that rumbled the chest under me.

All I remembered last night was falling asleep as far on the other side of the bed as I could get. I’d never really shared a bed with someone before. Usually when the man I was with went to sleep, I left or found a couch or a portion of the floor to curl up on. At Vernon’s I had my own tiny room which he locked me in every night.

This was the first time I’d ever cuddled with a man and I wasn’t sure it was a welcomed act. I needed to get away before he woke up. His opinion was important and I didn’t want him to think that I’d done this on purpose. I planted my hands beside his ribs, and then lifted onto my toes.

I was able to get an inch between our bodies before my hips were slammed back down onto a very impressive bulge.

“Shit.” I whispered and started the attempt again.

“Baby boy, what do you think you’re doing?”

His gruff question had me lifting my gaze to his and realized he was very much awake. “How long have you been awake?”

“Maybe an hour or so.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize—” My apology ended when I noticed the corner of his mouth pulled into a smirk. It made the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes deeper.

“Sleeping you didn’t seem to mind rubbing on me.”

I surged to a seated position and stared down at him. “I was sleeping. I could’ve done anything.” His smile got wider. “What else did I do?”

“Nothing, but we have shit to do today so get on up.”

He smacked my ass and rolled out from under me, dumping me onto the bed. I hurriedly crawled off  and followed him. I was too shocked by the grin and the suddenly playful attitude to protest the swat. 

“What did I do,” I demanded.

“You get pretty affectionate, now, are you going to watch me piss and demand to know every grope you didn’t get to enjoy?”

I’ve been on such a suspense kick lately and this one was one hit after another, it had me on my toes. So, as the title suggests, we have Yuri, an almost retired cop turned PI who’s running out of funds and needs to figure out what he’s going to be doing…. all that, when his ex-partner West drops by with an unsuspecting case in the form of a broken down and badly abused man, Josh.

Josh has been used and abused for what seems like his whole life so when a
Senator’s son keeps him locked away for his sick enjoyment, he’s only too happy to get away by chance and has to go into hiding until the trial to put the twisted, evil man away. Unfortunately, like anyone with a little bit of power, he controls the very people designed to help keep him safe, so he doesn’t know who to trust. That’s where West comes in and takes him to Yuri.

Yuri doesn’t trust West and to be honest, I don’t either, even still at the end. What he said and his little “joke” to Josh, it didn’t feel like a joke to me and I hate that Yuri even a little bit trusted him. A “joke” like the one he made was awful, especially given Josh’s history. Had I been Josh, I’d have maybe taken a shot at his knee caps or his jaw bone or something….

So, while Yuri hated his job at first, he couldn’t help but fall for the younger, tortured man, even when he was trying to do what’s best for him. I loved how Josh came into his own the more he felt safe with Yuri, it wasn’t hard to fall for him. I also liked how Josh wanted to do what he could to help Yuri too, it wasn’t one-sided, even though Josh needed a little bit extra for the time being. I loved the people Josh had on his side, too. Arianna especially, she reminded me a lot of Peaches.

I cannot wait to see what happens with Kluge…doesn’t he just seem perfect? I really hope we see more from him and maybe West, if he’s gonna be around for a while, he can redeem himself and at least apologize for the horrible way he treated Josh.

Either way, I was happy to see that all is well that ended well, I kind of wished for a more karmic justice for the Senator and his son, but, there’s always next time, eh? I don’t think it’s the last we’ll be seeing or hearing from those two. I’m very much looking forward to what’s next.

Great start to what I know will be an awesome new series!

4 pieces of eye candy

J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes Body Positive/Diverse Romance and Fiction. They live with a constant diverse cast of characters in their head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. J.M. lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure they do them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and they makes sure their characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more they want from telling their stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.

The author is Gender Nonconforming are uses the preferred pronouns They/Them.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/J.M.DabneyAuthor/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/jmdabney_author

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authorjmdabney/?hl=en

Reader Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/585182991553194

Amazon Author Page – https://amzn.to/2lKNlGh

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-m-dabney

 

Tallowwood by N.R. Walker: Excerpt and New Release Review

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Cold cases, murder, lies, and an unimaginable truth.

Sydney detective August Shaw has spent the last decade of work solving cold cases. Since the death of his boyfriend eight years ago, August works alone, lives alone, is alone — and that’s exactly how he likes it. His work is his entire life, and he’s convinced a string of unsolved cold-case suicides are linked to what could be Australia’s worst ever serial killer. Problem is, no one believes him.

Senior Constable Jacob Porter loves his life in the small town of Tallowwood in the middle of the rainforests in northern New South Wales. He runs summer camps for the local Indigenous kids, plays rugby with his mates, has a close family, and he’s the local LGBTQIA+ Liaison and the Indigenous Liaison Officer.

When human remains are found in the camping grounds at Tallowwood Reserve, Jake’s new case turns out to be linked to August’s cold cases, and Jake agrees they’re not suicides at all. With Jacob now firmly in August’s corner, they face one hurdle after another, even when more remains are found, they still can’t seem to gain ground.

But when the body of a fellow police officer turns up under the same MO, it can’t be ignored anymore. August and Jake must trace the untraceable before the killer takes his next victim or before he stops one of them, permanently.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

(August and Jacob have just been given the identity of a man who was found deceased. They’re about to inform the family)

 

Two hours later, they sat in the car in a quiet suburban street in Cronulla. They had a name, the case file, and the address of the parents and were about to drop a bombshell on the guy’s family.

Tristan Kurtz was twenty-six years old when he was reported missing by his mother, when he never arrived home in Sydney from an LGBTQIA+ music festival in Byron Bay. He’d reportedly hitchhiked from Byron Bay to Coffs Harbour, having travelled with local residents who he’d met at the festival, and had given him a lift. The missing person’s report had said Kurtz was dropped off in the main street, and had waved them off. He was later seen on CCTV footage walking toward the highway, at 8:11pm.

He never arrived at his parents’ house, he never contacted them to say his plans had changed, which was out of character for him. His parents had called everyone he knew—friends, workmates, old boyfriends—to no avail, and twenty-four hours later he was reported as a missing person.

Well, he wasn’t missing anymore.

He was only twenty-six. A kid, August thought, with his whole life in front of him. A life stolen, stripped away, and thrown away like garbage.

August stared at the house and sighed. He was spread too thin, he was stretched as far as his skin would allow. Another murder, another gay man slaughtered for no other reason than pure bigotry and disregard for human life. “I hate this. I hate everything about it.”

Jacob was quiet for so long, August looked over at him. “Yeah, me too,” he said flatly. He was reading through Tristan’s file. He finally closed the folder and met August’s gaze. “We need to find this bastard.”

“We do.”

“We need to see his parents and tell them.” Jacob looked over at the house and frowned. “Fuck, I hate this part.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Neither of them made a move to get out of the car. “Is it better to know?” Jacob asked quietly. “Is it better to find out what happened, for closure? Or is it worse, because when you don’t know you still have hope?”

August was pretty sure it was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but it was one he knew the answer to. “It’s better to know. In the long run.” He cleared his throat. “Hope can break your heart every day for years, and living with false hope is hell on earth.”

Jacob stared at him, and August wondered if he’d said too much. But Jacob nodded and unclipped his seatbelt. “Then we shouldn’t wait another minute.”

August got out of the car and together they walked up to the front door and rang the bell. They’d called ahead, so they were expected, but when a tall, middle-aged man opened the door to greet them, Jacob took off his hat and with that single gesture, the man nodded and began to cry.

Hope was a cruel and brutal thing.

One of the things I love about NR Walker is that her books are always different. I am sure I have mentioned that before. This time she is tackling murder mysteries. And as much as I love her books- including this one- maybe no more murder mysteries.

August is a detective who strictly works cold cases. He believes that there is a serial killer on the loose but can’t get anyone in power to corroborate that. Instead, they are all labeled as suicides.

There was so much wrong with that from beginning to end. They were all killed the same way, with the same instrument and 2 things left on the body that are the same with all of them. But he can’t get any of the higher ups to say, oh ya, serial killer? And a huge piece of evidence is never looked into. So, yea. I mean, I am overly analytical most of the time so maybe others won’t notice. Or care. But when I am shaking my kindle saying “WHAT ABOUT …???” I can’t look past it.

But if we take that poor detective work out, it was a good book. Oy, I know! I’m sorry!

August was such a broken man. You just wanted to love him and make him better. With all of the roadblocks he had investigating these cases, it’s a wonder he didn’t just give up.

Jacob is the complete opposite. He is a cop, but in a very small town bordering a rain forest. As he said, his toughest cases are old ladies fighting over a recipe. Until a dead body shows up. He is all sunshine and happiness. The August of old is everything Jacob wanted to be. Out, proud, a working cop with a boyfriend on his arm.

At least half of the book is Jacob falling for August, but August totally oblivious to it. But slowly but surly Jacob gets him to notice him. It is so sweet to see August slowly come back to life.

I loved the setting of the small town with Aboriginal ties. Jacob is Aboriginal and sprinkled throughout the book he mentions different way he is STILL discriminated against.

If you are a fan of NR Walker you are going to want to read this. Above all, she is a great story teller with characters you really can’t help but love.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

For more about N.R. Walker you can find her at:

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Facebook Author Page

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Email:

nrwalker@nrwalker.net

Mystery of the Bones by C.S. Poe: Release Day Review

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It’s been a full year since the mystery that brought antique shop owner and part-time amateur sleuth Sebastian Snow together with NYPD homicide detective Calvin Winter. Patience, sanity, and their very lives have been put to the test, but love has persevered. Although Sebastian is now New York City’s best-known busybody, he’s done solving crimes and wants nothing more than to plan a romantic budget wedding.

Then Snow’s Antique Emporium receives a decapitated human head in the mail and the holidays are gory once again. Sebastian patently disregards the mystery of a lifetime because he is done with death and danger—but the killer escalates. Before Sebastian knows it, his closest friends and family are dragged into a series of horrific murders with antiquated clues hinting to the infamous Victorian American Bones Wars.

The clock is ticking to recover a long-lost artifact linked to paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope and to capture a murderer. But it’s not Sebastian who may become the next target—it’s Calvin.

Title: Mystery of the Bones
Series: Snow in Winter: Book Four
Authors: C.S. Poe
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Category: Mystery, Suspense

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

It’s no secret, I kind of have a crush on Sebastian Snow. In my family, sarcasm is our second language, so if an author can create that kind of character…well maybe my crush is on the author as much as the character. 😉 I highlighted more passages in this book than I have in years, and I’m not sorry about that in the least. The snark was strong with this one.

Small spoiler: This book is a little different than the previous three in that Seb was absolutely determined to keep his snooping to a minimum, or even zero, and yet he is forced into doing it in order to save Calvin’s life.

Seb’s knowledge and fascination with the Victorian era (another reason I love him, always my favorite time in history) is what gets him into the situation he is in. Side note: I have always wanted to look up the books’ events in history (E.g. Bone Wars), but what if they were not real events? I did look up Bone Wars and it was real, including the Cope-Marsh rivalry, so I can only assume CS Poe does an incredible amount of research on each book to find just the perfect situation to draw Sebastian Snow into the mystery.

In this book, we don’t see a lot of Calvin, but the reader definitely feels the emotions between Snow and Winter throughout. Their reunion will bring tears to your eyes. I’m definitely not ready to let go of these two characters.

There was one piece in the book that wasn’t solved to my satisfaction (I was hoping to see it in an epilogue, etc), however, I can only hope that we will see that resolution in a future book? Is it too much to ask? J Also, let’s not forget Max. Oh, and Neil…so many places this series could go, if the author wants to take it there. But always, always, we need Sebastian Snow’s snark.

Picking one line that was my favorite was hard, and I’m not sure I can even call any my favorite, (it’s like your children) but here is one that I loved:

“Do you know the deceased, Mr. Snow?”

I stared at her, at Rossi, then back at her again. “Do I—know—the head? We’re not acquainted, no.”

Another winner for me. 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Of Autumn Leaves and New Beginnings by Nell Iris: New Release Review

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At 47, Oren Walker isn’t looking for love. When he knocks on Pete Higgins’ door, all he wants is to thank him for helping his mom after she broke her femur. He never expected that one look at the man would make his knees weak and heart flutter.

Pete is happy, albeit a bit lonely, after divorcing his wife of twenty years and isn’t looking to replace her. But when Oren shows up, all grateful and handsome and in that fancy suit, the longing for the deep connection of a relationship flares up inside him.

As the leaves turn yellow, Oren and Pete spend a lot of time in honest conversations. Their attraction grows. Will the two men recognize the promise of new beginnings, and take the chance to find the happiness they both deserve?

Amazon

Very sweet read. The two characters in this one, Oren and Pete are two middle-aged men who have lived a lifetime already. Oren has spent his life traveling for work, though I’m not a hundred percent sure what it is he does, something to do with the internet lol but, it doesn’t matter. His company is constantly sending here and there so he’s never had the time to settle down and start a family, which is okay because he’s got an amazingly sweet and supportive mom, who happens to have taken a fall and broken her leg at 75, which is why he comes home and goes to check on her. When he finds out this it’s her neighbor, Pete, who heard her crying out for help, he of course, has to go and thank him.

Pete married his college sweetheart and had two kids that they raised to adulthood before he realized that even though he loves her, he wasn’t in love with her anymore. Same with her, they just kind of fell out of love, but stayed best friends. She’s very supportive and encouraging when the neighbors son comes over to thank him for helping his mother when he was out of town, and develops a little crush.

They get along well, but Oren thinks Pete’s married, and why wouldn’t he? The man has pictures of his family together and sees the ex-wife at Pete’s, so it was an honest mistake to make.
When Pete makes it clear that he’s not married and interested, he asks Oren on a date.

It’s all just very cute. Their date is cute and both men know what they want and don’t waste time getting it. No games, no pettiess, no mixed messages or drama. They like each other, they date and then we end on five years later with some wonderful news and the combining of families.

Short and sweet and very worth the read

4 Pieces of Eye Candy 

Science & Jockstraps (Ace’s Wild Book 1) by Riley Hart & Christina Lee: Release Day Review

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Shy science guy Liam and fun-loving jock Isaiah have been roommates since their freshman year in college. On the surface, they couldn’t be more different. What the rest of the world doesn’t know is that tucked between basketball, classes, and hanging with friends are some of Isaiah’s favorite moments—just Liam and Isaiah in their room, watching documentaries or goofing off. Liam certainly never imagined Isaiah would become one of his favorite people, but their friendship was pretty much solidified the first time Isaiah saved Liam from a killer spider.

When Isaiah discovers Liam is looking for a hookup to help him explore a secret kink, the idea of anyone touching Liam that way sparks a protective instinct Isaiah has never felt before. Then, Isaiah confesses that he’d like to be the one Liam experiments with, and Liam is completely bowled over—equal parts thrilled and wary of ruining their friendship.

From the first sting of Isaiah’s palm, Liam’s fantasy finally comes to life. The more they explore together, the closer they become, uncovering feelings neither were willing to admit before. But outside the haven of their room, reality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Isaiah isn’t out, and worries about his college basketball career. And Liam won’t be someone’s secret, not after he promised himself he’d stop hiding and being afraid.

Deciding how to navigate the world together will be the final exam they’ll need to ace.

***PLEASE NOTE: For the first 90 days of this title’s publication, all sales and page reads will be donated to The LGBT Community Center of Cleveland and The LGBT Center of Raleigh.

**Science and Jockstraps is part of a multi-author series of books that take place in the same fictional town. Each story can be read in any order. The connecting element in the Ace’s Wild series is an adult store owned by Ace and Wilder. The main characters from each book will make at least one visit to Ace’s Wild, where they’ll buy a toy to use in their story! The only characters who crossover to each book are Ace and Wilder. And with various heat levels, there’s sure to be something for everyone!

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Fun, fun, fun!

I love a series that is loosely connected and by different authors. Think Bluewater Bay or Tucker Springs. And now we have Ace’s Wild, a new series connected by an adult store owned by Ace and Wilder. And there are a ton of authors. No one is writing more than one book and they are being released quickly. I want to say every two weeks? Anyway, this is book 1 by two of my favorites- Christina Lee and Riley Hart. They have co-authored before and I have always enjoyed the books.

Oh! And the first 90 days of sales and page turns (Kindle Unlimited) go to charity! How is THAT for awesome?

Now to the book!

Isaiah and Liam are pretty much polar opposites, but being roommates in college for over a year now, they have become good friends. Until Isaiah snoops- by accident- and sees that Liam has a kink he’d like to explore. And the more Isaiah thinks about it, the more he wants to be the guy he explores with.

We watch as they navigate this new kink…and new feelings. And the fact that Isaiah isn’t out as bisexual.

There could have been a lot of angst, but it was light instead. Being a shorter book, they guys had to work through the conflict quicker. That being said, it wasn’t rushed at all. The story flowed with the relationship without the awkward “Three months later” starts of chapters.

Both Liam and Isaiah are lovable guys. It was totally adorable how Isaiah did a bunch of research so that he would do it correctly and not hurt Liam. He was pretty swoony to be honest.

We also got our first taste of Ace and Wilder- the couple that ties all of the books together. They are going to be a funny couple.

So yes, read it. College age, unintended romance, funny, a little kinky. It is well written and the change between authors is so seamless you cannot decipher who wrote what.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy 

Arctic Heat by Annabeth Albert: Exclusive Author Guest Post and Interview, Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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A lasting connection needs more than simply surviving a winter together—they’ll have to outsmart danger, let down their defenses and open their hearts.

Owen Han has a fresh lease on life—he’s kicked cancer’s ass and is roaring through his bucket list. The former investment banker hopes to find his next challenge in Alaska, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Of course, those dreams did tend to feature big strapping mountain men in vivid detail…

Ranger Quilleran Ramsey would like to be anywhere other than dealing with newbie volunteers. And really, the only thing he needs less than a green volunteer “partner” is the flirty attentions of a buff city boy who doesn’t look ready to last a week, let alone an Alaskan winter. They’re all wrong for each other, even if Quill’s traitorous body enjoys the flirting more than it should.

As the weeks pass, the two snowbound men give in to temptation. But can their seasonal romance last until spring? For them to have a future together, each will have to trust the other…while hoping that the harsh elements and omnipresent dangers don’t destroy what happiness they’ve found in the moment.

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

This book is approximately 89,000 words

ARCTIC HEAT by Annabeth Albert

Series: Frozen Hearts #3

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: Sept. 23 (ebook/audio), Oct 1 (print)

Length (Print & Ebook): 89,000 words

Subgenre: m/m contemporary romance/ action adventure m/m romance, interracial romance

Warnings: None.

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Hi! I’m so thrilled to be here on Two Chicks Obsessed, one of my favorite blogs! I’m here with some Q&A  about ARCTIC HEAT, my newest release in the Frozen Hearts series set in Alaska. As with the other two books in the series, this one stands alone fine—there’s only the briefest of mentions of the prior books’ couples and no spoilers. This is my opposites-attract, odd couple roommates, snowbound romance as a seasoned ranger finds himself paired with a newbie volunteer for the winter season where they’ll be snowed in together at a remote Alaska state park. Quill and Owen were so much fun to write, and I can’t wait for readers to meet them! Got other questions for me? Be sure and hit me up on social media! I love hearing from my readers!

  • Where did you draw inspiration for an Alaskan series from?
    • I’ve always loved the Arctic setting, and I have a fond place in my heart for the old-school Alaskan romances from authors like Nora Roberts and Debbie Macomber and other category romances taking place in Alaska. When I was brainstorming a new series, I wanted to capture that feel—big scenery, rugged terrain, real dangers, isolated settings—but in a modern way that welcomed some LGBTQ pairings and reflected changes, both in Alaska itself, but also in the romance genre. I wanted romances that felt fresh and real but still had all the appeal of some of my favorite Alaska tropes, like snowbound and close proximity!
  • How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?
    • For this series, there was a ton of background research. Maps. Biographies. Websites. Message boards. State documents. Documentaries. I tried to really immerse myself in the world as best I could and then started fleshing out the plot from that point. While completely fictional, I did try to ground the series in reality, basing locales on actual places I discovered in my research and trying to make the plot points feasible. I also do a lot of characterization work before I start writing, really digging deep into conflict, motivation, wants, need, and desires for each character.
  • When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
    • Each book in the Frozen Hearts series has a different couple with unique background and unique hurdles to their HEA. This keeps things fresh for me because each character needs different things and as a result, each book is very different. I also kept things fresh by doing different times of year—Book 1 is Summer into Fall. Book 2 is Late Spring into Summer. Book 3 is Fall into Winter. Also the tropes vary from book-to-book within the series. Book 1, ARCTIC SUN is very much an opposites-attract, hurt/comfort romance. Book 2, ARCTIC WILD is a May/December romance with a plane crash at its center. Book 3, ARCTIC HEAT, is a fish-out-of-water, close proximity, snowbound romance. Varying the tropes kept me on my toes, and I think it also lets each book stand on its own with readers. I also tried for not too much crossover between books so that each truly can stand alone and reader can read in the order that they prefer.
  • What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?
    • Writing from Oregon, my biggest challenge was in not being there! Absolutely, not being able to take a weekend trip to explore a locale in the book was a big issue for me throughout the series. I had AMAZING beta readers for the series who were from Alaska, and I owe a huge debt to them.
  • What’s your favorite scene from this book?
    • Without giving away too many spoilers, I have to say that while this isn’t a holiday romance, the Christmas scene is probably my favorite romantic moment in the book, but there were so many little moments and scenes I loved!

Thank you so very much for having me! I hope you check out ARCTIC HEAT!

“Tea for everyone. Then a hot shower and lots of blankets,” Owen declared as they entered the building, bossy streak making a blessed reappearance right when Quill really needed to not be the one thinking. If Owen had a plan, so much the better because Quill wasn’t good for much besides stripping off his gear, stowing his piece, stomping upstairs, and flopping into a kitchen chair. Owen draped one of the blankets from the couch around his shoulders before doing the same for himself, wearing it like a cape as he made tea. “Bourbon in yours? I found a bottle in the cabinet the other week.”

“Yeah.” Quill didn’t often imbibe, but he needed the burn of the liquor even more than any warmth-giving properties. The bourbon was there exactly for nights like this one where Quill had done his best and it still hadn’t been enough. Fucking universe and its random acts of cruelty.

After adding a healthy glug of liquor to each of their mugs, Owen shoved a cup at Quill. He also put a plate of cookies from the batch that got baked on the table. “Here you go. Eat something so the alcohol doesn’t hit too hard.”

“Feels like I should be the one taking care of you,” Quill admitted after he’d had a few sips of tea, let the warmth and burn work past the tightness in his throat and chest.

“We can take care of each other,” Owen countered, pulling his chair close to Quill’s. “That’s what we’re here for, right?”

A few hours ago, Quill would have argued that being alone was the best way to cope with something like this—find a way to push through and on to the next day either with the aid of some strong drink or just a restless night spent replaying the events until sleep did its thing, softened the edges of the awfulness. But when Owen grabbed his hand, squeezed, and looked at him with such compassion in his eyes, Quill couldn’t find it in himself to pull away.

“Yeah,” he said, even as he knew that he shouldn’t let himself come to need Owen like this, to lean on him. He and Hattie had always tended to retreat to their own corners after a hard shift, and he prided himself on being a strong man. Sure, accidents like this affected him as they would anyone, but he’d always tried to handle those emotions on his own. Harsh memories of his father’s comments about men who showed their feelings didn’t help any, but lately all those memories, all the family drama, seemed more distant. Less sharp.

And funny how without that mantle of a painful past, his present seemed somehow more hopeful, old wounds and past fears no match for Owen. In fact, they’d been on the verge of another disagreement when Owen had dropped everything to come help. And now here he was, taking care of Quill yet again. Owen simply didn’t seem to have it in him to hold a grudge too long. Quill would be a fool to pull away now, even if he knew the next night like this, the inevitable one after Owen left, would hurt that much more. But that moment, all he wanted to do was hold Owen close, take every comfort he offered from Christmas lights to hot toddies to underdone gingerbread to that strong hand of his, holding on when Quill needed it most.

Sweet, slow burn, opposites attract. It was….nice.

The third in the series she set in Alaska, this time we get the introverted park ranger and extroverted volunteer. Of course they are paired together.

I really loved the story- Owen the volunteer trying so hard to at least be friends with Quill. Hearing about all that they do as rangers and volunteers. The Northern Lights, the super short days, the cabin fever.

I just didn’t really feel the heat with Owen and Quill. And even though I really liked Owen, I just didn’t see him living a remote life like that. Several times in the book he stated he was going crazy from not having anyone to talk to.

The story is definitely readable- especially if you are a fan of the author and/or Alaska. I’m just not going to put it in her top ten.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series include the #FrozenHearts, #OutOfUniform, #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat, #RainbowCove and #PerfectHarmony series.

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