blog tour

La Famiglia by Deanna Wadsworth: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt

January 25, 2018 by Denise

Forrester Giordano comes from a huge, nosy Italian family, and with their homophobic jokes and slurs, he’s decided to stay in the closet. He finds respite in his bookstore in the quaint village of Gilead—where he has a huge crush on one of his customers, Kyle Benson.

Kyle is determined to live his dreams, and though life isn’t easy being deaf, one by one he’s making them come true. He’s scored a great job practicing law, bought a cute bungalow where he can finally have a big flower garden, and he has a dog he loves, Jasper. Now he just needs one thing to complete his happiness: a family of his own to make up for the one he never had.

Forrester and Kyle’s relationship starts off hot and heavy, and neither man can deny the depth of their connection. When Forrester’s little brother gets mixed up with their heroin-dealing cousin and his mother falls ill, Forrester has a decision to make—maybe the hardest of his life. For the first time, he’s found a man worth coming out for.

Unfortunately nothing ever goes according to plan with la famiglia.

Amazon

Dreamspinner

iTunes

Google Play

Kobo

B&N

Thanks for hosting me, Two Chicks Obsessed! I brought along a sexy and funny excerpt exclusive for your readers. For those of you who fell in love with Phin and Scott from THE RHUBARB PATCH, my first Men of Gilead novel, you know that Scott was working on a short story about an alien with three cocks. LOL, crazy right? Well, Forrester from my latest book LA FAMIGLIA, owns a bookstore and that’s where he meets Kyle. Naturally two guys into books and sci-fi would read a book about an alien with three cocks as foreplay, right?

Enjoy!

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

Forrester followed Kyle to the sink to wash their dishes, letting his hand linger on the small of Kyle’s back. “You got plans today?”

“I was going to plant my flowers, but the weather isn’t cooperating. Don’t you have plans?”

“Nope.” Forrester glanced out the window into Kyle’s little backyard. The rain was still coming down, but not as torrential as last night. He grinned at Kyle. “I was planning a lazy Sunday curled up with a good book. Care to join me?”

Kyle grinned too. “I know just the book.”

As Kyle put the disgruntled Jasper in his kennel—he would give them no peace if he were free—Forrester retrieved the book from the laundry room. He headed for the stairs, but Kyle halted him with an “Ah-ah! We’ll read in the living room like civilized people.”

Grinning, Forrester followed him. They sat on the love seat, Forrester positioning himself sideways so Kyle could sit in front of him and between his legs.

Kyle put his feet up and cuddled back into Forrester’s arms. “I haven’t had story time in years.”

Forrester chuckled and gave him a squeeze. He opened the book. “Ever read a book as foreplay?”

“Can’t say as I have.”

“Me neither. How many pages before the sex starts?”

“Page four or five? Aren’t you going to read it from the beginning?”

“Nope, I wanna get to the good parts,” Forrester said.

“Impatient, impatient.”

If this book was as hot as advertised, it wouldn’t take long before reading led to fucking. And after discovering Kyle’s offer to sleep over had been far more significant than mere sex—though that had been amazing—Forrester longed to be connected to Kyle again, to solidify what was already building between them.

Forrester held the book in front of them and speed-read the first couple of pages. “Lonely bear in the woods, taking a bath all by himself,” he summarized for Kyle. “Woah! Here we go.” He began to read, surprised by his husky voice. “The village was busy this time of year, so I hadn’t had a chance to be alone in some time. I immediately took my cock in hand, stroking myself to erection. My shaft was long and thick, warm beneath my fingers. At night, alone, I dreamed of having a cock like mine—or even bigger—inside me. They were never big enough.” He chuckled. “Well, I don’t know about that.”

Kyle giggled with nervous excitement.

Forrester read on. “I tugged on my nipples, pulling them until they were aching and hard. Grunting, I shifted to the edge of the bank, opening my legs so I could play with my asshole while I imagined being stuffed with a bigger cock than the one in my hand.”

Kyle traced a finger down Forrester’s arm then up and down Forrester’s thigh. When he moved, Forrester was more than aware of the heat of Kyle’s body leaning against him. Inside his khakis, his cock throbbed.

Smiling, he shifted until he had one knee up and Kyle’s bottom pressed against his groin. He thrust a little, dreaming about making Kyle feel as good as he’d made Forrester feel last night.

“Keep reading,” Kyle said.

“Where were we?”

“The guy was about to finger his ass.”

“Jeez,” he said, trembling. He found the page but couldn’t concentrate long enough to make sense of the words because Kyle’s fingers were toying with his inner thigh and making his insides flutter and ache.

“Am I distracting you?” Kyle shifted and took the book, his eyes alight with mischief. He studied the page, then turned it. “Here ya go, bright light, spaceship, green alien, and now: My gaze traveled down the corded muscles of his torso, and much to my surprise, I saw three long shafts hanging above a large smooth ball sac. Arousal began to burn within me, and my mouth watered. I was already fully erect, and my cock ached to come. The green man with three cocks saw this and smiled. He took a cock in each of his hands and began to stroke them, leaving one neglected in the middle. He came toward me, and I fell to my knees, knowing what I had to do.”

Forrester groaned. “Enough.” He took the book and dropped it to the floor. He was already so primed his ears were throbbing with the static of his pulse. He turned Kyle’s upper body so he could kiss him.

“Too much stimuli for you?” Kyle asked.

“You’re too much stimuli.”

With very little effort he had Kyle’s shirt off and him on his back. Smiling, he undid the button on Kyle’s pants and slowly, teasingly, slid the zipper down.

Mmmm, black boxers.

When he revealed the bulge, he palmed it, running up the warm length. Kyle thrust into the touch, and a visceral jolt shot through Forrester’s body.

“I know we just had breakfast, but I’m still hungry.” Forrester kissed his way down Kyle’s body, in no hurry, sucking at his nipples along the way.

“Well, by all means, help your—oh!” His words ended in a cry of surprise as Forrester mouthed the ample swell still hidden beneath those boxers.

Forrester inhaled the savory scent and a sudden flash of heat and desire whipped through him. Touching Kyle still felt new and exciting.

But it also felt as easy as if they’d done it a million times.

Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. She has served multiple board positions for different RWA chapters, including President of the Rainbow Romance Writers in 2017. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. An avid reader, she also loves gardening, cooking, music, and dancing. Often she can be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

Website │Facebook │ Twitter │Pinterest │goodreads │Amazon │Instagram │ BookBub

You can also find her young adult alter ego, K.D. Worth Facebook │Twitter

Buy Deanna’s books at Dreamspinner Press, Decadent Publishing or at any reputable eBook seller like Amazon

Sound of Silence by Mia Kerick and Raine O’Tierney: Exclusive Excerpt, Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

January 24, 2018 by Denise

High school senior Renzy Callen hasn’t uttered a word in years. He likes being invisible to all around him; it keeps life safe and predictable. In his attic bedroom, he experiences a world far from the drama of his family. He doodles, listens to music, and contemplates the troubled souls he observes when attending self-help meetings designed for people with problems he doesn’t have. Renzy lives his life like a spectator, always on the outside of life’s games, looking in at others.

Everything changes when Seven and Morning Moreau-Maddox relocate from their glitzy lives in Paris to boring, picturesque Redcliff Hills, Missouri. Tall, platinum blond, and as put-together as a pair of European high-fashion models, the sophisticated siblings befriend Renzy, drawing him in and then pushing him away. What starts as nothing more than a means to an end for Seven, however, quickly becomes something more. Could icy-hearted Seven be thawing for the silent, quirky charm of Renzy Callen?

Determined to find the cause of Renzy’s selective mutism, the three teens set off on a road trip, during which they discover that flawless physical facades can conceal the most scarred souls, and that sometimes silence is better than golden.

Title: Sound of Silence

Authors: Mia Kerick and Raine O’Tierney

Release Date: January 23rd 2018

Genre: MM Contemporary Romance

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Harmony Ink

iBooks

Goodreads

EXCERPT

Renzy

Maybe someone “like me” is supposed to feel shitty about himself. Maybe I’m supposed to feel small and broken and weak. But I never really did. When I was small, I thought of it like a superpower. It vanquished my stutter and got the other kids to ignore me. It was like turning invisible and even had a name, so sayeth the GP I saw when I was seven.

Selective mutism. Isn’t that amazing? Selective mutism is such a misnomer, at least to me. That makes it sound like seven-year-old Renzy could talk, but he chose not to. I promise you this, I wasn’t hoarding my words back then. I couldn’t speak. When I would try, I would become so anxious and get so dizzy, my nose would bleed. I even passed out a couple of times.

Does that sound like a dragon hoarding his prized words? No. I couldn’t speak.

So here’s the big Q. Can I speak now? Am I physically able to vibrate those ol’ vocal cords? Could I force a few words out if I were alone in the attic? I honestly don’t know, and right now, even thinking about talking makes my throat seize up. I rub my neck and the muscles there are tight. I was okay until the thing with Seven at the lockers, then I started to feel closed in. The gazelle to Seven’s cheetah—socially claustrophobic. In that moment, I felt more like the seven-year-old with selective mutism than the nineteen-year-old who doesn’t worry about these things. If it came down to vocal confrontation or taking a punch, I would gladly go home with the black eye.

It’s the questions.

It’s when I can’t get away from the questions.

Jesus, even thinking about it is making me crazy. I’ve got to get back to Heart Aflame. What’s going on tonight? Overeaters and a knitters’ prayer group, I think. That’ll do. No one will ask me anything. I can sit in the corner and design some tats. Everything will be fine.

Hmmmm, I did not expect this one. Not usually one for YA’s , I was intreiged by the premise of this story. Renzy, had his voice ripped away from him at a young age, for so long he couldn’t speak, but now that he’s a teenager, he just doesn’t. He doesn’t know if he can or not, he just knows that he doesn’t… It’s fine with the people of his house, though… they just seem to overlook him after all this time. My heart broke for him so much in the beginning, because imagine that, what it would be like to live in a home where nobody even saw you. You were just a shadow that lives in the attic…. Never fitting in anywhere, never belonging, but always wanting to. It was just…sad. Renzy though, he just keeps on, keeping on….

However, Renzy has a thing for group therapy… all kinds, any kinds, he doesn’t care. He just goes. The same building, different groups, he just observes….getting what he needs from all of them, even if he doesn’t quite know what that is. That’s where he meets Morning; at a rape survivor’s meeting. She’s annoyed with him at first, but, he kind of has a way about him. He’s charming and he doesn’t seem to let anyone get him down. Even mornings older brother Seven.

Seven…. Is something else… Have you ever seen the Ryan Phillipe movie, Cruel Intentions? He reminds me so much of that character. He’s arrogant and douchey and thinks mighty highly of himself because he’s so cultured and educated. He was annoying at first and I wasn’t sure I was going to like him. However, something tragic happened to his sister and with absentee parents, he had to take on the role of her mother and father, brother, friend, babysitter, ….everything. He was everything to her, and then she got hurt and he was everything times ten! He took that job very seriously and he liked being needed. He wanted to fix her, and in the beginning, she needed it. Upon meeting Renzy though, they turned their focus on him, on fixing him… and sure, Seven goes about it the wrong way at first and I really wanted to knock him out, but heart was always in the right place. He meant well and once he started caring about Renzy, he just wanted the two people in the world that he cared about, to be happy, instead of haunted. And they both were, they both were haunted by something tragic from their past.

So, here is where it gets tricky…. Trying to find out the reason Renzy didn’t speak. Trying to figure out the thing that happened to him, that caused him to lose his voice. After a big blow out with his parents, Renzy, Seven and Morning jump in the car with what little clues that have and set out about finding out what happened to Renzy. It’s crazy, the whole thing and just when you think you have it figured out…. You don’t.

It’s crazy because, with mysteries such as these, I often find myself bored and skipping to the end to figure out what everything was about… but this one, I was gripping every page until the end. Again, what you think you know…. You don’t.

The ending was a bit bittersweet for me. I hated how it ended so abruptly, just as things were finally okay with Renzy and Seven. It’s like… we went through this whole thing and get a tiny glimpse of their happy and BAM, it’s over. Didn’t like that.

What I loved through all of it though, I loved that Morning and Seven was there for Renzy when he needed someone most. I love how they took care of him and wanted to help him so much and just make him happy. And I loved the way in through all that, it helped Morning to heal. I loved how Seven and Renzy was there for Morning, in a way that gave her something to care about again. It was kind of surprising that these were supposed to be just kids, because their problems were so real and expertly handled. I never once felt like they were kids, in a YA situation.

I also loved Renzy’s dad. His family and how finally, after all the years of overlooking him, they truly did care for him. Especially his dad. I loved that. What a good dad he turned out to be.

Overall, it was a really good, emotional read. I’d definitely recommend it!

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—a daughter in law school, another in dance school, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son still in high school. She writes LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing English papers. Her husband of twenty-four years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on emotional growth in turbulent relationships. As she has a great affinity for the tortured hero, there is, at minimum, one in each book. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of said tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press and Harmony Ink Press for providing alternate places to stash her stories.

Her books have won a Best YA Lesbian Rainbow Award, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, among other awards.

Mia is a Progressive, a little bit too obsessed by politics, and cheers for each and every victory in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com. Visit her website for updates on what is going on in Mia’s world, rants, music, parties, and pictures, and maybe even a little bit of inspiration.

Links: Facebook | Twitter

Raine O’Tierney loves writing about first loves and friendship. She believes the best thing we can do in this life is be kind to one another, and hopes her stories always reflect that. Raine loves encouraging people to write and has been known to repeat the phrase “I believe everyone has a story to tell” endlessly, until she breaks down even the most stubborn non-writer!

Raine lives outside of Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, fellow M/M author Siôn O’Tierney. When she’s not writing, she’s either playing video games or fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom at her library day job.

Contact her if you’re interested in talking about point-and-click adventure games or about which dachshunds are the best kinds of dachshunds!

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romantic Behavior by L.A. Witt and Cari Z: Blog Tour with Giveaway, Double New Release Review

January 19, 2018 by Denise

Detective Andreas Ruffner is no fool—he’s found a man who loves him, puts up with him, and has stuck with him through hell and back, and it’s time to put a ring on it. Darren Corliss is the love of his life, and he wants the whole world to know it.

Now the fun part—the wedding!

Well, after the not-so-fun part of planning the wedding in between dealing with overbearing and impossible-to-please family members. With future mothers-in-law driving them both up a wall, the guest list growing out of control, and the wedding getting ever more complicated, Darren and Andreas have to wonder if they’re in over their heads.

But they’re going to make it to the altar if it kills them . . . and at this rate, it just might.

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

Finally, finally, Darren and Andreas are going to ride off into the sunset. Or are they? If you’ve seen my other reviews for this series, you’ll know I’m a little obsessed. If LA Witt and Cari Z could put out another Darren and Andreas (I tried to ‘ship their names, I’m way too old, so I’ll just keep typing them) every week of the year, I might get tired of them.

Nothing goes smoothly for poor Andreas. The good news is they can laugh about it right along with the readers. With some other couples, the mishaps may have seemed contrived or a bit too much, but not with these guys.

This review is short and sweet, because again, I can’t give away the story and I’m afraid anything I say can or will be held against me. To sum it up, if you haven’t read the Behavior series, you’re totally missing out. Romantic Behavior is, quite possibly, one of the best proposal/marriage stories out there!

4.5 pieces of eye candy

I have to go with Heather’s review here. Short and give very little away.

I’ve loved these men since the first book, through all their many trials and tribulations, and so few actual peaceful times. And although this book is about their Happily Ever After, it certainly isn’t without its own trials. But these men keep smiling and laughing through it, even as it is killing them a little.

The authors have given these guys exactly what they needed, some much needed comic relief when they need it most.

A couple fun quotes from the book (and I just can’t give you the best one, because you just HAVE to read it!):

“…he’d saved the wedding planner as “Satan” in his contacts.”

“You can pick my mom out of a crowd at twenty paces?”

“When she’s the only woman in the crowd who’s both old enough to be your mom–“

“Hey!”

I just love that these men can sit back and laugh and love each other, and know that they are each other’s ports in the storm, no matter if it’s the storm of Andreas’ kids being kidnapped, or Darren nearly dying, or deal with the wedding planner from hell.

Isn’t that what love is really about?

5 pieces of eye candy

It’s “hell no” at first sight for newly partnered detectives Andreas Ruffner and Darren Corliss. Darren is too chipper, Andreas is too gruff, and that whole “IA wants me to prove you’re a dirty cop” thing really doesn’t get them off on the right foot.

It doesn’t matter if they like each other. They’re partners and that’s final. Though Andreas is easy on the eyes. And Darren is kind of cute. And . . . okay, maybe they can make this work.

They’d better, because as their cases get more horrifying—and more personal—they’ll have to trust each other with their lives, and with their hearts.

Check out Bad Behavior!

About Cari Z.

Cari Z was a bookworm as a child and remains one to this day. In an effort to combat her antisocial reading behavior, she did all sorts of crazy things, from competitive gymnastics to alligator wresting (who even knew that was legal!) to finally joining the Peace Corps, which promptly sent her and her husband to the wilds of West Africa, stuck them in a hut, and said, “See ya!” She also started writing, because some things she just thought she could do better. She’s still climbing that ladder, but can’t stop herself from writing, or from sharing what she creates.

Cari enjoys a wide range of literary genres, from the classics (get ‘im, Ahab) to science fiction and fantasy of all types, to historical fiction and reference materials (no, seriously, there are so many great encyclopedias out there). She writes in a wide range of genres as well, but somehow 90% of what she produces ends up falling into the broad and exciting category of m/m erotica. There’s a sprinkling of f/m and f/f and even m/f/m in her repertoire, but her true love is man love. And there’s a lot of love to go around.

Cari has published short stories, novellas, and novels with numerous print and e-presses, and she also offers up a tremendous amount of free content on Literotica.com, under the name Carizabeth.

Connect with Cari at http://cari-z.net/ or via her blog, http://carizerotica.blogspot.com/

About L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut . . .

L.A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

To celebrate the release of Romantic Behavior, one lucky winner will receive a $10 Riptide credit and their choice in an ebook from each of Cari and L.A.’s backlist! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 20, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Ghost of a Chance by Kris T. Bethke: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

January 17, 2018 by Denise

Only love makes life worth living—over and over again.

Ghostwalker Blake Jones dies every day. It’s his job and how he helps trapped souls cross over. But to return to life, he needs an anchor. His new partner, Derek Scott, is a surprise. Not only is he male, but his appearance belies a caring and gentle heart. Despite attraction and a strengthening relationship, they know they shouldn’t take things further.

But there’s a big difference between knowing and doing.

Their growing love presents a problem, though not the one they expect. Blake and Derek have to decide if they should take their relationship to the most permanent level—an unbreakable metaphysical bond. Doing so offers both risk and unimaginable reward. Can Blake let go of his fears and put his complete trust in Derek in order to have the happily ever after he’s always craved?

Title: Ghost of a Chance
Series: Requiem Inc.: Book 1
Author: Kris T. Bethke
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Category: Paranormal: Ghosts, Dreamspun Beyond
Pages: 216

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Hello everybody! I’m Kris T. Bethke, and let me start by saying a great big thank you for allowing me to take up a little bit of your time today.

Ghost of a Chance releases today, and it’s a supernatural romance that’s part of Dreamspinner Presses Dreamspun Beyond line. It’s also the first in a series, with other books coming out later this year.

When Blake Jones and Derek Scott first meet, they have a bit of a rocky start. But they also get the opportunity to sequester together for three days in order to really get to know one another. It’s vital for them to connect, or else they can’t do their jobs.

But I was faced with a particular problem. How do I get these guys to share details about their lives with each other without it being a great big info dump for the readers? And have it be fun an interesting too. Fortunately for me, Derek came up with the answer.

He asked Blake to play the Or Game.

The rules are simple enough. Each person asks an “or” question, and everyone has to answer. It’s a great way to break the ice, and often gives you an insight into the other person. Blake and Derek start out playing that first night together with “Chocolate or Strawberry” and continue on from there. They find out a lot about each other by playing the game, and fall back on it when they need to ease the tension between them.

I had a great time thinking up questions that would both be fun to answer and also move the story forward. My characters made it easy on me, and I think they liked it as much as I did.

You can see my MCs answers, and watch them fall in love. The book is out now, and I hope you get a chance to check it out.

I’ve been enjoying the Dreamspun Beyond series of books, and have to say Kris Bethke created an alternate universe that was different, and morbid, and still quite positive all at once. How Kris managed that, I have no idea!

I’m not going to lie, I did NOT like Blake dying for his job…especially how he dies. But I did like that it wasn’t sugar coated. It was quick, a little painful, but made sense.

And Derek. Well, he has to be the nicest guy you will ever read about. He was amazing, so patient and understanding when Blake was…well for lack of a better word…resistant to the idea of having a male anchor. Derek never stopped believing, trusting in their bond, and doing everything he could to make sure Blake’s ghost walking was as painless as possible.

This world intrigued me, and which doesn’t always happen with these types of books…honestly very rarely…it made me want more. It made me want book 2 (and there better be a book 2!!!), which hopefully will be Sam and King. Please?!?!?!?!

This was a surprise of a book for me. I’m glad I decided to take the chance on it, though. Worth it!

4 pieces of eye candy

Kris T. Bethke has been a voracious reader for pretty much her entire life and has been writing stories for nearly as long. An avid and prolific daydreamer, she always has a story in her head. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, or knitting/crocheting her latest project. Her biggest desire is to find a way to accomplish all three tasks at one time. A classic muscle car will always turn her head, and naps on the weekend are one of her greatest guilty pleasures. She lives in a converted attic with a way too fluffy cat and the voices in her head. She’ll tell you she thinks that’s a pretty good deal. Kris believes that love is love, no matter the gender of people involved, and that all love deserves to be celebrated.

Find her on her site https://kristbethke.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Kris-T-Bethke/100014524539852 or on Twitter https://twitter.com/kristbethke

Beneath This Mask by Victoria Sue: Exclusive Monthly Guest Post & Excerpt with Giveaway

January 16, 2018 by Denise

As always, we are super excited to have Victoria Sue here for her monthly guest post. Today is release day for Beneath This Mask, and she has brought us an exclusive excerpt from the book. )I’ve read this one, the entire series in fact, and this one is fantastic. Gael is AMAZING! Jake isn’t so bad either 😉 )

Welcome to Victoria Sue!!!

Gael Peterson has spent years hiding behind the enhanced abilities he wears like a mask, even though he is an important, confident member of the FBI’s exclusive H.E.R.O. team. The hurt and betrayal of his mom’s abandonment and his father’s fists are secrets buried deep beneath the ugly scars on his face, and he doesn’t trust Jake, his new regular human partner, with any of them. In a world where those with special abilities like Gael’s are regarded as freaks and monsters, it won’t be easy for him to rely on Jake to have his back, especially when the abilities of a vulnerable, enhanced, nonspeaking child make that child a murder suspect.

Tempers rise and loyalties are challenged, and when the serial killer targeting the enhanced finally sets his sights on Gael, not only will Gael have to trust Jake with his secrets, he might have to trust him to save his life.

Title: Beneath This Mask
Author: Victoria Sue
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Category: Paranormal Other, Science Fiction
Pages: 206

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Gael was exhausted. Derrick had wiped him out, even though he couldn’t wait to tell the team. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had slept a full night from when he got the letter from his sister. Half sister. He needed to call Wyatt, but Wyatt was visiting his girlfriend’s family, and Gael thought he ought to check out Louise first.

And now, on top of everything else, as he walked into the field office, he was nervous. He hadn’t been lying exactly when he’d told Jake he could rent a room. He could, and he knew his biggest terror would have been the size of the cockroaches that scurried up the walls.

Or was it? Jake had been quite obvious. A harsh man would have said pushy, and it wasn’t like Gael was a virgin. It was true when they said one could buy almost anything. He just had no idea why Jake would have said what he did. Jake was gorgeous. Deep gray eyes he could drown in if he looked for long enough. The intense military cut, and the way he stood at attention without even meaning to. It certainly made certain parts of Gael stand at attention, at least the bits that weren’t attempting to melt, anyway.

Oh my God. Gael came to a stop. Did Jake think that because of his scar he was an easy target? That he was desperate? No, no, no. That didn’t make sense. He might admit to being so sometimes, but Jake was gorgeous. All he had to do was beckon a finger, like every cheesy romance moment he’d ever thought of, and someone would come running. He didn’t need Gael.

Gael blew out a long breath. Jake was stunning. Beautiful pin-up girls should hang from those biceps. Gael put the brakes on his thoughts—just because he was ugly didn’t make “gay” ugly. In fact, it was downright breathtaking sometimes.

He had spent the afternoon with Derrick, but Derrick had mostly slept it away. Dr. Maya had come in a few times and asked what Gael knew about Derrick, but obviously it wasn’t enough. After Gael managed to coax Derrick to eat something before he fell asleep again, his precious tablet clutched tightly, Gael had been all set to call Jake. Then the nurse, who had taken a keen interest in the signing, having done some himself, offered him a ride into town.

“Gael?” Gregory peered at him, and Gael tried to look like he was okay. “How was the boy?”

“He seemed calmer, sir. I’ll type up my report now.”

“Your team is in the gym” was all Gregory said before smiling and walking away.

Gael let them be for a while as he shot into the office and wrote his report on what had happened. Forty minutes later he walked into the gym and found Vance sitting on a bench and Jake laid flat out on the ground. Gael took in Vance’s amused look and Jake’s groan.

“You’re not supposed to kill your partner, you know,” he scolded Vance.

Jake groaned again and sat up. Gael walked to the vending machine and got a bottle of water. He unscrewed it and headed back to Jake, holding it out. Jake grabbed it, tipped his head back, and Gael followed every swallow down that smooth throat. He nearly repeated Jake’s groan.

“You staying here now?” Vance stood. “I’m going for a shower, then finishing my report. Talon says we can leave whenever we want so long as he has them for the morning.”

“Was the separate gym put in so all the other agents wouldn’t see our humiliation every time Vance put one of us down?” Jake asked, still sitting on the floor.

Vance chuckled and walked out.

“Walk it off a little,” Gael said, grinning.

“How’d it go?” Jake got carefully to his feet and rolled his shoulders.

Gael shook his head. “Incredible. Humbling. I have a ton to tell you. How did your session go with Vance?”

Jake shot him a level look. “For a mammoth he’s surprisingly agile,” he said appreciatively. “You gonna work out or did you just want to see me taken down?” He smiled, softening the question.

Gael chuckled and looked over Jake critically. “You feel okay?”

Jake nodded and quipped, “Still standing.”

“Vance has gone for a shower now that I’m in here.”

Jake’s brows creased a little. “He didn’t actually hurt me or anything.”

“We’re never allowed in here on our own,” Gael explained, and Jake raised his eyebrows. “It’s one of Talon’s rules.”

“Teambuilding?”

“No. The doc does an awful lot of tests on us, and she isn’t sure if adrenaline contributes to our abilities developing.” Gael looked behind him to make sure the doors were closed. “The thing with my skin? It happened suddenly when I was in a shoot-out. When the team first formed, it was me, Talon, and Vance, and they didn’t really know what to do with us. Vance knew a DEA guy, and he asked us for back up. Everyone just thought we were cannon fodder, I suppose. Anyway, the op went wrong, and Vance and Talon were pinned down.”

Jake stilled, waiting for Gael to finish.

“I thought I was gonna die anyway, so I used myself as a shield.”

“Gonna die,” Jake repeated woodenly.

“Cancer.”

“What?” Jake nearly shouted the question and took two steps right up to Gael, raking his eyes over him in concern.

“I’m fine.” Gael smiled. “Remind me to bore you with the science sometime. Anyway, my skin became a barrier for the first time, and the bullets bounced off me. More agents arrived and everything worked out okay. They started proper training for us after that.”

Jake gazed at Gael. His warm gray eyes seemed to slide over Gael’s skin. Gael took another breath, not wanting to see something in Jake’s eyes that wasn’t there. Jake had gotten a loud no the last time he had come on to Gael.

“What I’m trying to explain is why Talon won’t let any of us use the gym on our own. Safety. He always wants someone here in case our abilities increase, alter, whatever.”

“But I’m not enhanced.” Jake said it as almost an apology.

“Doesn’t matter,” Gael said. “You’re part of the team, and Talon doesn’t have separate rules depending on who you are.”

“And you’re sure you’re okay?”

Gael suddenly realized how close Jake was. He’d taken another step while Gael was desperately trying to rein in his imagination. Gael swallowed, and Jake’s gaze fell to his mouth, staring. Gael’s throat was so dry. For a second he wanted to step back in panic, but he was cold, suddenly, and the heat coming from Jake was so inviting.

“I’m not going to do anything that you wouldn’t welcome,” Jake said bluntly. “I want you to feel safe with me.”

Safe? That wasn’t the word Gael would use. The nerves in his gut tripled, but the tingles in his groin were fiercer. He ached. Just one more step and they would be almost touching.

Victoria Sue…

Victoria Sue fell in love with love stories as a child when she would hide away with her mom’s library books and dream of the dashing hero coming to rescue her from math homework. She never mastered math but managed to dream up quite a few heroes. Loves reading and writing about gorgeous boys loving each other the best—especially with a paranormal twist—but always with a happy ending. Is an English northern lass currently serving twenty to life in Florida—unfortunately, she spends more time chained to her computer than on a beach.

Loves to hear from her readers and can be found most days lurking on Facebook where she doesn’t need factor 1000 sun-cream to hide her freckles.

Amazon

www.victoriasue.com

Twitter: @vickysuewrites

Facebook

Leave a comment for Victoria Sue and we’ll pick a winner to receive an ebook from her backlist.

Relay by Layla Reyne: Blog Tour, Exclusive Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

January 8, 2018 by Denise

Welcome to the RELAY Blog Tour, presented by Layla Reyne and Riptide Publishing! RELAY, by Layla Reyne, is Book 1 of the Changing Lanes sports romance series featuring Olympic swimmers. RELAY is an enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance between Alex, the team captain, and his closeted ex, Dane, swimming’s biggest star. Read on to learn more about RELAY, Changing Lanes, and Layla Reyne!

Captain is not a title Alejandro “Alex” Cantu takes lightly. Elected by his teammates to helm the US Men’s Swim Team, he proudly accepts the role, despite juggling endless training, team administrative work, and helping out on the family farm. And despite his ex-lover, Dane Ellis—swimming’s biggest star—also making the Olympic Team.

Dane has been a pawn in his celebrity parents’ empire from crib to pool, flashing his camera-ready smile on demand and staying deeply in the closet. Only once did he drop the act—the summer he fell in love with Alex. Ten years later, Dane longs to cut his parents’ strings, drop his too-bright smile, and beg Alex for another chance.

Alex, though, isn’t ready to forgive and forget, and Dane is a distraction he doesn’t need on his team, until an injury forces Alex to accept Dane as his medley relay anchor. Working together, their passion reignites. When Dane’s parents threaten reprisal and Alex is accused of doping, the two must risk everything to prove Alex’s innocence, to love one another, and to win back their spots on the team, together.

Researching for Olympic Swimming

Relay and Medley are contemporary sports romances featuring Olympic swimmers as they train for and compete in the Olympics. Relay’s Alex and Dane, and Medley’s Bas and Jacob, make-up the four-man medley-relay squad for USA Swimming.

While the Olympics are broadcast and we see what goes on at the meet portion of the event, training leading up to it isn’t as much of an open book. In researching and drafting Relay, which is focused more heavily on the training portion of Olympic competition, I gathered what information I could about past Olympic “training camps.” The teams do have domestic and international training camps, which are increasingly covered and attended by the media and fans. There are pictures, for instance, from the past camps that were very helpful in describing facilities and setting the scene.

As for what actually goes on at training camp, practice regimens, etc., that sort of information is not as widely available, so yes, some creative license had to be taken. That said, I have a number of friends who swam at the collegiate level, and I peppered them with questions—from diet, to pool versus dryland training, to swimwear and terminology. They were an invaluable resource to helping me get the details as close as I could.

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

About Changing Lanes

A chance at gold or a chance at love? Members of the US Men’s Swim Team fight for both in this sports romance duology following two couples on one medley relay team as they train and compete in the world’s biggest sporting event: the Olympics. To reach the top of the podium, they’ll need to depend on one another and be willing to change lanes—in their lives and hearts, and in the biggest race of their athletic careers.

Check out Changing Lanes!

Anything Olympics related, especially swimming and gymnastics (anyone on that one???) and I will snap it up right away, without question. So when I saw this up for preorder, it was with grabby hands that I requested this one, and I was not disappointed. The author did a fantastic job with this story.

It has to be difficult to write about an area of sports that is only really seen by the public every four years, but well done by the author to connect with those that have an inside track into how that world works.

Alex and Dane certainly had their work cut out for them to come back together. Lovers at 16, then Dane turned his back when his parents said he had to leave. The anger and hatred that burned between them was palpable from the first day they were back in each other’s orbits. With Alex as captain, he was able to make decisions, along with the coach, who would swim what group events, and he didn’t hesitate to use that power to push Dane to the side, even knowing there was a chance it could affect the team’s chances of bringing home gold. In the end, the choice was taken away from him, once their anger was so out of control, it affected the entire team.

It took time for Alex to come to terms with where Dane was at in his life that he would walk away from what was clearly love, and even when he began to, Dane found a way to make it worse, allowing Alex’s belief in him to falter, because he knew there would be no way he could save him otherwise.

They worked together to overcome the outside forces that worked against them as individuals and a couple, even overcoming a small twist I didn’t see coming.

I do like a book that doesn’t tie everything up neatly, 100%. That to me is real life. There were several unanswered questions, along with people who definitely needed more of a comeuppance, but that is how real life is sometimes. Not all the questions are answered, and not everything ties up in a neat little bow. And that works just fine for me.

These two got their HEA, and the reader gets a glimpse of the next book, and even through how the secondary characters react, what their issues will be. I’m looking forward to it.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bicoastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart-pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs.

Social Media:

Website: http://laylareyne.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/laylareyne

FB Profile: www.facebook.com/laylareynebooks

FB Fan Page: www.facebook.com/laylareyne

FB Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/216903272072959/

Tumblr: laylareyne.tumblr.com

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/laylareyne

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/laylareyne

Amazon: amazon.com/author/laylareyne

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bN9ncH

To celebrate the release of Relay, one lucky winner will receive a signed paperback copy of the book and a $25 Amazon gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 13, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!