author

Monthly Author Column-with a Giveaway: Avon Gale

August 26, 2016 by Denise

Hello there!
Last month, I talked about how awesome (and also weird!) it was to have one of my books turned into an audiobook. So I thought maybe it would be nifty if I did a giveaway for an audio copy! I love the narration, and Scott R. Smith really made the characters come to life. I was impressed by his audition because he nailed that earnestness that so defined Lane Courtnall as a character, but I have to tell you – his Jared is hot like burning. Seriously it made me want to write an entire book of just Jared saying things so that Scott would maybe read it. Gah.
You can enter the giveaway via this handy Rafflecopter! (I can’t ever not giggle when I say/type that word, “Rafflecopter” – is that just me??)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway runs until September 1st, and it will choose one random winner for an audio copy (via Audible) of the book.
In a few weeks, I’ll be back to talk about the newest Scoring Chances title, Empty Net, which releases on September 2nd. Yay! It’s a story about goalie Isaac Drake, who you may remember from Power Play as the angry, blue-haired Spitfires’ goalie. Isaac has a new reason to be cranky when his hockey nemesis, fellow goalie Laurent St. Savoy, is traded to the Spitfires. I’m super excited to share this one, because if you can’t tell, Isaac maaaaay be my favorite (shhh, don’t tell the others I said that!) and I definitely made him work for his HEA 😉

The Luckiest Master by Sean Michael: Release Day Review

August 22, 2016 by Denise

the luckiest master

synopsis

When Master Damien Richardson (Day to his friends) takes over the front desk manager job at the Iron Eagle Gym, he knows he’s going to need an assistant. But finding the right person for the job is harder than he thought it would be. When he meets Saw, he thinks he’s found the solution to all his problems, and maybe something more.

Sawyer Whitehead lost his master to a tragic car accident some years ago, and since then one opportunity after another has gone sour on him. Thoroughly convinced he’s cursed and a jinx to everything and everyone he touches, he refuses to officially become Day’s assistant because he knows that as soon as he does, something terrible will happen. He’s even more determined not to get involved with Day, despite his attraction, because it would kill him to be responsible for tragedy befalling the lovely man.

Day must convince Saw that he’s not cursed and that together, they can face any challenge that comes their way—in both their professional and personal partnerships.

Title: The Luckiest Master
Series: Iron Eagle Gym
Author: Sean Michael
Release Date: August 22, 2016
Category: Contemporary, BDSM
Pages: 210

buy now

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

paula review
Sean Michael delivers another wonderful book. Damien and Sawyer were awesome. I thought Damien’s determination when it came to Sawyer was perfect. Sawyer was so stubborn at times it frustrated me. The way Damien slowly but surely insinuated himself into Sawyers life was great to see. For every time Sawyer balked at Damien being in his life, Damien knew just how to handle it. Sawyer has had so much tragedy in his life, his views about himself are terrible. My heart went out to him and everything he had suffered. Hiding himself away to protect everyone else was so sad. Damien finally reaching him and making him understand that it wasn’t him was beautiful. With such a well written story and characters, this was a great addition to this series.

5 pieces of eye candy

5-pieces-eye-candy5

deanna review

This is a great read. It’s part of a series but you don’t have to have read the others, I didn’t.

Day has taken over running the day to day operations of the Iron Eagle Gym. He needs some help, it’s definitely a two person job. Saw offers to help him temporarily until he can find a permanent replacement.

Saw lost his master to a terrible car accident a few years ago and he feels that anything he touches turns to shit. People leave and job opportunities dry up. He has every intention of leaving when Day finds a replacement, the only problem is that Day doesn’t intend to replace him.

Day plans on biding his time until he can talk Saw into the job and into his bed permanently. Day feels like he is getting Saw to lower his barriers when an attempted robbery at the gym leaves Day with a broken arm and Saw running scared.

Now Day has to figure out a way to prove to Saw that he isn’t bad luck and that accidents happen without pushing him further away.

Loved this story. Saw was an amazingly strong character that I fell in love with immediately. He was so caring and thoughtful for someone who had been through so much. Don’t get me started on Day, I get the warm fuzzies over him. Day is such a strong master without being domineering or heavy handed. He is so in tune with Saw’s emotions that their relationship feels effortless, minus the anxiety Saw has.

This was a great story, with strong characters and a great plot line. I can’t wait to go back and read the rest of the series.

4 pieces of eye candy

4-pieces-of-eye-candy2

Can’t Live Without Out by Andrew Grey: Cover Reveal, Guest Post and Excerpt

August 12, 2016 by Denise

Justin Hawthorne worked hard to realize his silver-screen dreams, making his way from small-town Pennsylvania to Hollywood and success. But it hasn’t come without sacrifice. When Justin’s father kicked him out for being gay, George Miller’s family offered to take him in, but circumstances prevented it. Now Justin is back in town and has come face to face with George, the man he left without so much as a good-bye… and the man he’s never stopped loving.

Justin’s disappearance hit George hard, but he’s made a life for himself as a home nurse and finds fulfillment in helping others. When he sees Justin again, George realizes the hole in his heart never mended, and he isn’t the only one in need of healing. Justin needs time out of the public eye to find himself again, and George and his mother cannot turn him away. As they stay together in George’s home, old feelings are rekindled. Is a second chance possible when everything George cares about is in Pennsylvania and Justin must return to his career in California? First they’ll have to deal with the reason for Justin’s abrupt departure all those years ago.

Title: Can’t Live Without You

Author: Andrew Grey

Series: Standalone

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: Sept 12 2016

Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

One story type that I haven’t written much of until recently are those that feature a love lost and then found again. This is very much one of those stories. For a very long time I didn’t write stories like that and I really have no idea why. Maybe its because I was blessed with an amazing husband and we both recognized our feelings for one another and didn’t go through that kind of angst. But in the last year I have become more and more enamored of stories like that. I wish I could tell you why, but I can’t. I just know that they fascinate me at the moment. I especially love stories where the original relationship broke up because one of the characters thought it was best for the other. The unselfish act that ended up hurting them both.

eBook: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/cant-live-without-you-by-andrew-grey-7501-b

Paperback: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/cant-live-without-you-by-andrew-grey-7502-b

Justin took a deep breath. “I had to get away and try for my dream. You know that.”

“So you would have left anyway, eventually?” George asked. “Regardless of what happened, you were going to leave me.” That hurt.

“I don’t know what I would have done if things had been different. But they weren’t. My home was ripped away, and I had a chance to try for a whole new life. The people who should have loved me most turned their backs, so why wouldn’t everyone else? I left, went out West, rolled the dice, and I came up a winner.”

“Did you really?” George asked, letting his gaze bore into Justin until he turned away.

Justin’s fork jangled when he set it on the plate. Their server had placed the check on the edge of the table, and Justin grabbed it and got up, going to the register.

“That isn’t necessary,” George said, but there was only Ethan to hear it.

“He’s going to need some time,” Ethan told him.

“I don’t understand.”

“I think you do. He’s rediscovering something he thought was lost to him, and from what I’ve heard, you’re part of that.” Ethan shifted to get comfortable on the lumpy seat.

“You really care for him?”

Ethan chuckled. “He’s the brother I wish I had. I’m not his lover, and I never will be, but we need each other. We’re a family of two that we made for ourselves.”

“Would you say that if he wasn’t a huge success?” George asked.

Ethan’s gaze grew cold as ice. “I was his friend when he had nothing after his father kicked him out and his confidence was shot to hell. So you don’t get to ask questions like that. Yes, he pays for things for me and I live in his house, but I also go where he goes and make sure he’s okay.” Ethan leaned over the table, the intensity in his expression not softening one iota. “Do you understand? If anyone wants to get to him, they have to go through me or over my dead body.”

“You’re serious,” George observed.

“He’s my family.” Ethan sat back in the booth. “Justin is strong—very strong—and smart, but he carries the scars of what happened. Don’t let the confident exterior fool you. I picked up the pieces of what happened here, and while he’s never said a word, I know there’s more to it than just his father.”

George swallowed hard. “Excuse me?”

Ethan nodded. “Something else happened after his dad kicked him out. He doesn’t talk about it, but something scared the crap out of him and gave his feet wings that sent him West.” He turned toward the register. “I’m only telling you this because I don’t know anyone in town, and I’m hoping for the sake of your old friendship that you’ll help him exorcise whatever demon has been hounding him.”

George tried to think of anything that had happened around the time that Justin left town. Justin came back to the table, and Ethan stood, staying next to him. George saw him looking around the restaurant, and then he leaned in, whispering something, and Justin walked to a table back by the window.

George got out of the booth and turned to watch as Justin knelt by a little boy in a wheelchair. “That’s Bobby Masten. He’s been in a chair all his life.”

George watched as Justin and Bobby laughed together, and when Bobby turned to him, Justin gave the slight boy a hug that earned a smile bright enough to light the entire room. Ethan hurried over and handed Justin a card before standing next to him once again.

“Are those pictures or something?”

“No, just blank cards. But this way he has something to sign that’s better than a napkin.”

George watched Justin with Bobby, unable to take his eyes off him. Others moved closer, but Justin kept his attention on Bobby, making him feel special. Then Justin stood, grinned, and headed grinned and headed right for the door. George and Ethan followed him out.

“Always know when to make an exit,” Justin explained with a grin. “The vultures were beginning to circle.”

“What does that mean?” George asked.

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Page

Dreamspinner Press

iBooks Page

Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

Goodreads

Twitter

Website

Monthly Author Column: Avon Gale Writes

July 28, 2016 by Denise

The other day on Twitter (where, it is established, Avon spends a lot of her time) someone asked the question, “What’s the first audiobook you remember listening to?” And I thought about it, because important questions like these deserve thoughtful answers, and realized the answer was…

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews.
Okay, disclaimer, I’m thirty-nine so I grew up in the era when everyone read Flowers in the Attic, even those kids who didn’t read or whose parents were always trying to get books banned in your school. Someone inevitably had it and passed it around to “that one part” in the way of kids. Or, maybe I should say, in the way of kids in the late eighties. Now I guess it would be on Snapchat.
Anyway, my parents actually bought me two box sets of V.C. Andrews’ novels for Christmas when I was twelve – one with the Flowers in the Attic series (three books at the time, I believe) and one with the three-book Heaven series, which was actually my favorite. I have no idea why my parents thought these were appropriate books for a twelve-year-old, except that I read Sybil in the fifth grade and Pet Sematary in the sixth. So maybe they were like, “Dial it down, would you?” There’s a reason I found Bridge to Terabithia boring in school, LOL.
So long story short, I loved the V.C. Andrews’ books. When I was 13, my mom would give me a copy of a gothic romance novel and that was it, I was sunk and I ended up a romance novelist. (I still read a lot of V.C. Andrews along with the romance in my teenage years, I won’t lie. I gave up around Ruby though.) So I have a very vivid memory of checking the audiobook out of the library – they were cassette tapes, of course, because this is the late eighties. We also used to go on a lot of car trips when I was a kid, and my parents would stop at Cracker Barrel because you could rent “books on tape” there and then return them at any other Cracker Barrel, of which there are a lot – especially in the south.
(Apropos of nothing – I still refer to audiobooks as “books on tape.” I can’t help it.)
I remember spending a lot of happy trips listening to Lawrence Sanders’ Archie McNally series with my mom, about a PI in Palm Beach, Florida. And I remember listening to my favorite Disney story, “The Fox and Hound”, on one of those little record players for kids that were popular when I was small.
Recently I had the experience of listening to my own book in audio, as the narrator for Breakaway (Scott R. Smith, who is awesome!) sent me the files as he recorded them. It was one of the coolest experiences in my authorial career thus far, hearing a professional bring my words to life. I was lucky enough to get narrators for both that title and my first book, Let the Wrong Light In, who really sounded like the characters did in my head. Lane and Avery both have distinctive voices to me, and Scott and Derrick McClain (the narrator for Let the Wrong Light In) both nailed those voices to a T. And wow, Scott’s Jared is just to-die-for sexy, let me tell you.

I won’t lie, listening to someone read a sex scene I’ve written was…well, if you follow me on social media I think I posted a picture of me hiding under a blanket the first time I had to listen to one. It’s a similar feeling to the one I got when my mother-in-law told me she was reading Breakaway because…well, she’s my mother-in-law. (She liked it, though!)
One of the things that I really found interesting as I was listening was how much I hear the rhythm of my own words when I write them – and how the narrator “hears” them so much differently than I do. Not even dialogue, though that is a part of it, of course. It’s the non-dialogue bits, too – my own narrative voice, if you will. I had no idea how strongly I narrate the inflection in my head (since I never stop talking, this is probably a surprise to no one). And it’s not a case of right or wrong, good or bad — it just surprised me to hear how different it could sound.
It’s sort of the same feeling I get when people talk about my characters, and how different other people’s interpretations of them can be than my own. Lane was a character that people either really liked and connected with, or…not so much 😀 Which is fine! As an author, I think it’s sort of awesome when people have strong reactions to my characters, even if they don’t like them. I mean, Lane drove me crazy a lot. They all have things that drive me crazy, to be honest. I try to make them real people and that means they’re not perfect, even if I do tend to write everyone living in a land where people are tolerant and accepting because, well, that’s the world I’d like to live in and that’s a happily-ever-after I can totally get behind.
Writing and putting something out there is scary, but the rewards are pretty awesome – and I really do love the audiobook and hope people who enjoyed Breakaway will love it, too. It’s strange to think about myself when I was younger, listening to Flowers in the Attic or the McNallybooks, scribbling away at my own stories and not knowing one day I’d have the chance to listen to those.
I wonder if V.C. Andrews listened to her books. I bet I know exactly what part made her cringe, too.

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

Dear Author, YOU are your brand…

July 18, 2016 by Denise

Dear Author, you are your brand….

I hope that the following blog post does not anger or upset authors. I would think that any that are angered would likely be those that need to take this information to heart more than anyone. So, dear author, please open your hearts, your mind, and release any ego that you might be holding on for the moment, and just listen to words from your readers.

I will also preface this by saying numerous readers have mentioned some of the below things to me on multiple occasions, so it’s not just the rambling thoughts of one slightly opinionated reader.

YOU ARE YOUR BRAND.

Plain and simple. That can mean so many things, and to authors, it can also mean different things. However, sit back and think about what it is you want to convey to your readers. Is that really what is being conveyed?

Someone recently sent me a FB post that an author put up (this is NOT an author I know) where she said: “I’m just gonna buy copies of all my books, keep one of each, and give the rest to friends and family to remember me by when I’m gone. Then I’m gonna pull all my publications from the market, because no one else cares to read my stuff anyway…”

Now, it could be said that this author really has decided to pull herself from the market completely. But as a reader, how would you feel if you saw that? Would you feel compelled to buy because you “feel bad” that she is going through something, or would you determine you would never buy anything from her again (because my assumption is she WILL continue to publish) because she is being manipulative?

Don’t be manipulative. As your own brand, you have to think about how your readers will see your posts, whether it’s on your FB page, or even when you are out at a signing. The choice of words you use matter, not just in the books you write, but in the words you use for your personal musings.

I saw an author once who was lamenting about how old her car was, and she couldn’t afford for it to be fixed. Then put out a new book a month or two later, with multiple requests to readers to repost for a ranking increase. That was followed a month or two later by an extravagant trip (pictures included) for her and her significant other to an exotic tropical location. That is manipulative branding, like it or not. And readers, do NOT like it.

Be careful what you ask others to do FOR you. Because if they act in your name, they are affecting YOUR brand. Street teams (or friends) that post one author’s new release/sale on another author’s wall, for instance. If the second author wants to promote for the first author, allow that to be their choice. If your street team is tagging readers, or even posting into groups with no thought to what the group rules are, you are risking being completely banned from a group, for something that you may not have been aware of. Even if you have someone posting to your account for you, keep an eye on what is being done. They could easily be posting inappropriately, or perhaps over-saturating your market. No one wants to see the same auto-generated post over and over again.

Businesswoman in the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil poses

Don’t use your FB account as a personal dumping ground. If there are items that you feel strongly about, things in the world that need to be said, a soapbox you have to get up on, do so. But leave your personal issues to PM’ing your friend or your significant other, or even type it all out, and delete it! People want, even need in the climate we are in right now, to have happy, positive interactions with people they have a connection to. In your mind, you may not have a connection to them, but if they have read and loved your books, they feel a connection with you.

That doesn’t mean don’t post personal things. You can still post personal things, and keep a positive, meaningful brand. One author I know posts almost entirely personal. He will post about his cat, his weekend, even what he had too much of to drink or eat. But what I have never seen him do is talk about how horrible his life is (except when he says things like “maybe pants today would have been good”, all with a humorous tone), even if it is. Readers are turned off by these types of posts.

Your job as an author is not just to write and sell your books, but also to sell yourself. Part of that is connecting with readers. You may not like everyone who you are “friends” with on FB. You may even choose to not follow them, or like their comments when they comment on your posts, but be respectful of them, and yourself, and you will continue to have them as a reader.

Your brand is vital, and it takes time and effort to build. Yet, it can be irreparably harmed with one simple post, or negative comment. If you make the effort to build your brand, and continue to allow it to grow, it can be a more effective marketing tool than any FB or Twitter ad you can place.

If you ever question whether you should post it, remember YOU ARE YOUR BRAND. What do you want to be out there for everyone to see?

KRANE by Nicole Colville: Cover Reveal and Giveaway

July 7, 2016 by Denise

Book Title: Krane: Knights to Remember

Author: Nicole Colville

Release Date: August 1, 2016

synopsis

At the age of thirty-seven, local giant and semi-professional rugby player, Krane Buchannan, had spent his life hiding behind a tightly locked closet door with a wife as a shield and a gut full of regrets.

Coming out may not have been his decision, but ending his marriage was. With an ugly divorce starting up and a vindictive soon to be ex-wife making his life a living hell, Krane finds his once comfortable life in the small Scottish village changed forever. Unprepared and still unwilling to admit the truth, Krane has some tough decisions to make.

For years he’d been dead inside, going through life but never actually living. He thought he’d never find that one special person, but when he meets an attractive brunette with legs to die for, Krane’s world is tipped upside down.

“I’m going to ruin you for every other man. You’re mine. I own you.”

The heat and the passion scorches them both, and in the space of a few hours, Bailey becomes much more than a one-night experience. Every touch from Bailey was branded onto his skin, forever imprinted like the intricate ink work covering him, something which couldn’t be washed off or forgotten, but worn forever.

Bailey was showing Krane how life should be.

Coming from entirely different worlds, both struggle to overcome the worries and fear of entering into the other’s life, but the searing white hot heat which builds between them with every look can’t be ignored. With hesitant steps, Krane enters into the secretive world of BDSM and Bailey cautiously re-enters the world he’s tired so hard to forget. The world outside the club.

Krane screamed power. Bailey could sense it simmering across the room and filling his lungs with his alpha aroma.

There’s a sadness which clings to Bailey and his unwillingness to open up about the dark secrets from his past makes Krane doubt everything but he’s had enough of giving up and is prepared to fight for what he wants, and what he wants is Bailey. He just has to convince Bailey to want the same thing.

z1wwyh4M Nicole grew bored being a supermodel genius who worked part time for NASA, and decided to take a break from helping solve the mysteries of the universe with Stephen Hawkins to write m/m romance.

She has a loving relationship with her hubby of twenty years, and has achieved a lot in her short life considering she’s only eighteen. She has fourteen dogs of all different breeds, plus twenty cats, and when she’s not tending to their every need, and solving complex math problems, she loves to sew and can be often found knitting in the garden, which she maintains all by herself with her magical green fingers.

Finding time to make all of her own clothing and master the kitchen better than Gordon Ramsey, she’s also a vegan domestic goddess and can often be found cooking up a storm bare foot in her kitchen.

Okay, so that’s not true, especially the cooking part, though I do tend to be bare foot and I swear like Gordon does while burning my latest creation — and I still think NASA will be getting in touch. Any day now!! *crosses fingers* I could sooo do that job because I’m so obviously awesome, but until they do…

I’m a full time author of M/M Romance and Erotica, and somehow I have several bestselling books under my belt. I’ve been writing for four years, and I self publish all my work under Hidden Pleasures Publishing along with my amazing team of helpers in the form my cover designer Kellie Dennis, editor Jessica McKenna, and all of my beta readers and PA’s.

I’m a wife to my beloved hubby and mother to two young girls, and I do in fact have two cats who I adore, but no dog, as the hubby put his foot down. I live in Leeds in the North of England and I love it, despite the terrible weather.

My men are all seeking what everyone is, true love mixed with passion and their own happy-ever-after full of laughter and tears.
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