Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

blog tour

Long Shadows by Kate Sherwood: Blog Tour Spotlight and $100 Riptide Giveaway

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longshadows_500x750synopsisLA cop Jericho Crewe got the hell out of Mosely, Montana, when he was seventeen. Fifteen years later, he’s back, and everything is just as messed up as when he left. He planned a quick visit to deal with his injured father, but of course things are never that simple. Family complications, police complications, social complications—and, as always, Wade Granger complications.

Jericho and Wade had been so close, once upon a time. First friends, then more than friends—and then, after Jericho’s escape, nothing. Wade’s magnetism hasn’t been lessened by a decade and a half apart; even when Jericho learns that Wade is the prime suspect in the death of Jericho’s father, the old connection still sparks.

When Jericho’s newly discovered half siblings are kidnapped, he needs to trust someone to help him find them. Wade’s a terrible choice, but Jericho’s never been known for his good judgment. Anyway, he’d rather make a bad decision with Wade than a good one with anybody else.

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Riptide Publishing

 

meet the author

Kate Sherwood started writing about the same time she got back on a horse after almost twenty years away from riding. She’d like to think she was too young for it to be a midlife crisis, but apparently she was ready for some changes!

Kate grew up near Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and went to school in Montreal, then Vancouver. But for the last decade or so she’s been a country girl. Sure, she misses some of the conveniences of the city, but living close to nature makes up for those lacks. She’s living in Ontario’s “cottage country”–other people save up their time and come to spend their vacations in her neighborhood, but she gets to live there all year round!

Since her first book was published in 2010, she’s kept herself busy with novels, novellas, and short stories in almost all the sub-genres of m/m romance. Contemporary, suspense, scifi or fantasy–the settings are just the backdrop for her characters to answer the important questions. How much can they share, and what do they need to keep? Can they bring themselves to trust someone, after being disappointed so many times? Are they brave enough to take a chance on love?

Kate’s books balance drama with humor, angst with optimism. They feature strong, damaged men who fight themselves harder than they fight anyone else. And, wherever possible, there are animals: horses, dogs, cats ferrets, squirrels… sometimes it’s easier to bond with a non-human, and most of Kate’s men need all the help they can get.

After five years of writing, Kate is still learning, still stretching herself, and still enjoying what she does. She’s looking forward to sharing a lot more stories in the future.

Twitter: @kate_sherwood

giveaway

To celebrate the release of all four books in the Common Law series, we’re giving away one four-tour-wide GRAND PRIZE of $100 in Riptide credit! Enter at each stop on each tour (once they go live) to maximize your chances to win! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 8, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the Long Shadows tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

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Painted on my Heart by Kindle Alexander: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review, and Giveaway

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Title: Painted On My Heart
Author: Kindle Alexander
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: January 2, 2017
synopsis
Artist Kellus Hardin let love and loyalty cloud his past decisions, a mistake he definitely won’t make again. Now, lost and alone, he’s left to pick up the shattered pieces of his broken heart while facing the truth of his reality.
Arik Layne exudes power, confidence, and determination. But when an encounter with the guarded artist shakes him to the core and alters all his future goals, he finds more than just his heart on the line.
For Kellus, opening himself to love isn’t an option.
All Arik wants is to make the artist his.
Can love create a masterpiece when it’s painted on your heart?

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Painted on My Heart by Kindle Alexander from Bibliophile Productions on Vimeo.

teaser

deanna review

Wow! There isn’t one aspect of this book that I don’t adore. The writing is stellar, the characters are complex and relatable and the plot line kept you on the edge of your seat.

Arik owns a chain of popular hotels and is opening one in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. His cousin Gage has hired local artist Kellus to make an original piece to hang in the lobby of the hotel. Kellus has made other pieces for his hotel chain but Arik has never had the opportunity to meet the artist face to face. One look and Arik is hooked.

Kellus has come to learn that he can’t depend on anyone but himself. His family has turned their back on him and his best friend/boyfriend has chosen his drug habit over him, but not before taking everything of value from him and leaving his life in tatters. Kellus has the weight of the world on his shoulders and he doesn’t have time for a relationship. Kellus’s big dream is for stability, it both his personal and professional life.

Arik is offering both, but it will take a huge leap of faith from Kellus to believe they won’t be snatched away. Just as Kellus starts to get comfortable with Arik, his ex rears his ugly head, sending Kellus off doing damage control. Kellus is so afraid that he isn’t worth the drama and extra effort and that Arik will walk away, when all Arik wants to do is hold onto his gorgeous artist tighter.

I love the character crossover. We get to see Gage and Trent and Colt and Jace again, which is always a good thing.

This was a long book, but an amazing book. Despite the length, the plot never got stuck it always kept moving. For me there weren’t any parts that were slower that others, the whole storyline was well developed and entertaining.

Arik, what can I say about Arik. His confidence was a delight. He saw who he wanted and he barreled through Kellus’s defenses to get to his heart. The way Arik could take one look at Kellus’s art and see exactly what Kellus was going through at that point one in his life was one more foundation block in building their rock solid relationship.

The quirky relationship Arik has with Gage had be laughing, it was much needed comic relief. They fight like children and at times it was just the levity that was needed. While Arik and Gage are the larger than life jokesters, Kellus and Trent are the quiet strength.

Kellus reminds me of a wounded warrior, he may have been broken by his ex at one point but his spirit is still fierce. The words were so well written that at the height of the drama with his ex I could actually feel his embarrassment, despair and soul crushing ache of not being in control of anything. Even when it appeared that nothing else could be heaped on top of Kellus without breaking him, his inner strength would surprise the hell out of you.

This book was a great way to start out 2017.

5 pieces of eye candy

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excerpt

Chapter 1

The shrill ring of his phone should have startled him awake, but Kellus Hardin was just too damn tired to do much more than roll in the direction of the irritating sound and throw a hand out to half-ass search around his mattress for the device. When he came up empty handed, he managed to turn the other way and do the same. By the time his exhausted sleep-hazed brain identified the phone wasn’t anywhere around him, he heard the chirp indicating a voice mail. He cracked an eyelid and lifted his head enough to look over at the alarm clock. Four thirty in the morning. Seriously? Nothing good could come from a call that time of night. He collapsed back to the bed with an annoyed groan. He’d been asleep less than an hour after working the fifteen before on the pieces he had due for the art gallery opening.
“Fuck,” he growled out, turning over again. He tucked a soft pillow into his side and decided he’d deal with that call in the morning. His exhausted state gave a solid thumbs-up on the plan, and he easily drifted back to sleep. What had to be a mere second later, the ringing started again. Stupid cell phone.
Kellus threw the covers away from his body and darted off the bed, angrier than he’d been in a very long time. He was fucking tired—tired of his fucked-up life and tired of this motherfucker who wouldn’t leave him the fuck alone.
Fuck!
With a vengeance, he zeroed in on the location of the noise. He marched to his laundry basket by the bedroom door and began tearing through the clothes to find the stupid phone, no doubt still inside his paint-spattered coveralls where he’d dropped it not fifty-three minutes ago before he’d finally managed to crawl into bed.
Palming the device, he glared at the caller ID. John. Of course. Who else would call in the middle of the fucking night?
“What?” he shouted as he connected the call.
“Come get him.” A deep masculine voice with a Spanish accent had him pulling the phone from his ear to look down at the screen in confusion.
Wait. Great. Even fucking better—John’s dealer.
“No,” he said firmly as he stood tall and fisted his free hand at his side. His chest bowed in defiance as if the guy on the other end of the phone were right there in his darkened bedroom. “You give him that shit, you deal with him.”
The harsh laugh on the other end of the line held what might have been genuine amusement. “I deal with him and it won’t end well.” The line went dead. Kellus shoved his fingers through his hair to help push the long strands out of his eyes.
“Fuck!” he bellowed to the empty room, spinning in a complete circle, gripping his phone in his hand and punching his fist through the air. Thank God he was alone, because if anybody had witnessed that little outburst he’d have been carted off to the nearest mental facility. He was just so fucking sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Breath heaving as anger and dread coursed through his veins, Kellus stood there, staring absently at his bed. The fatigue of the day settled heavy on his shoulders. He had responsibilities. He couldn’t take on more of John’s bullshit. He jammed the heels of his palms against his tired eyes and released an exhausted sigh. After so many hours holding a brush for the fine details of his painting, his hands cramped with the movement, and the muscles in his neck and back protested the long hours he’d put in today. He needed sleep. More than the fifty-three minutes he’d gotten.
“I’m not fucking doing this again. I warned him the last time. I made it clear. No more!” Kellus sliced the hand still holding his cell through the air with finality. With that decision made, he stalked across the room and tossed his phone on the nightstand. He climbed back in his bed, whipping the covers over his exhausted body.
He hadn’t heard from John in six days.
Six glorious, productive, happy days.
Staring up at the ceiling, unable to get his mind to shut off, he told himself he’d made the right decision. John needed to stay away. Kellus forced his eyelids closed. At this point, he’d still get a few good hours sleep before he had to start his day. The longer he lay there, the more guilt crept in.
It always did.
Images of his best friend came to mind. Happier times. Memories of his and John’s younger days and all the trouble they’d managed to get into. Those thoughts actually calmed his breathing. His mind drifted to the summer of their senior year. He hadn’t thought about that time in so long. He and John had gone to the lake with some friends. A healthy, glowing, handsome John had teased him unmercifully until he had finally agreed to skinny dip…
“Fuck!” Kellus whipped off the covers and rose, angry and worried.
He couldn’t leave John in that place.
Kellus stopped dead center in his bedroom, fuming; he was so pissed at himself, at his own indecision, at John. What the fuck was wrong with him? John had destroyed both their lives, shit on him over and over with absolutely no regard for his feelings whatsoever. He’d lost everything because of John. He swore he’d never do this again.
But he couldn’t leave John there.
Not there.
Dejected, Kellus ran a frustrated hand over his face, sighed, then went for his closet to dress.
~~~
Topping out at max speed, Arik Layne flew down the Dallas North Tollway. Being the only one on the highway might have been the only benefit of flying home in the middle of the night from his Escape Del Mar property.
God, he was past exhausted.
Less than five minutes later, Arik parked and wearily made his way through the private entrance of his downtown Dallas high-rise, shrugging out of his hand-tailored suit jacket before he reached the elevator. At the elevator, he tossed the garment over his arm and entered his exclusive security code into the wall-mounted keypad, effectively locking the car for his personal use. The doors opened immediately. The technology didn’t require him to do anything more than step inside before the doors closed and the overhead floor-indicator light displayed each passing floor, a soft ding sounding repeatedly as he traveled non-stop up the forty or so floors to his penthouse. Arik rested against the back wall, forcing a finger into the knot of his necktie to loosen its tight hold. He then removed each cuff link at his wrist and absently dropped them into his slacks pockets. The more he removed now, the faster he could hit his perfect Vera Wang mattress and shut his tired eyes.
The entire building was quiet. Another benefit to relocating to this area. Well, sort of. Dallas as a whole was quieter than any place he’d ever lived. He walked the few steps to his front door, pulling out his wallet to wave in front of the security pad when the doors didn’t unlock at his arrival. Strangely, the key card inside his wallet didn’t trigger the lock to release. Arik let out a yawn as he entered his code into the attached keypad. He’d have to remember to check his card in the morning.
The overhead lights automatically lit as he entered his front door, and the motion sensors continued lighting his way the deeper he ventured inside his home. Arik absently tossed his suit jacket on a chair in the living room, never straying from the direct path to his bedroom. He pulled his shirttails from his slacks, his level of sheer exhaustion rising with each step he took. Honestly, that had to be the only reason he didn’t register the glow of lights coming from underneath the closed door until he’d already turned the handle.    
“What the fuck?” His heart almost leaped out of his chest when he stepped inside his bedroom to find someone sprawled across his bed in what probably qualified as a seductive pose. Recognition took another second to seep in.
“Surprise!” A small pop sounded and confetti flew into the air, scattering across his bed.
Arik’s brows snapped together. Oh hell no. He loved that bed.
“What the hell are you doing?” Arik asked as he moved farther inside the room. He registered the slight look of indignation and the flip of that long, black, silky hair before Boy Toy’s face morphed again into a pleasant smile.
“I came to surprise you.” BT wiggled his sexy ass and gave a cheeky little smile.
Even as tired and annoyed as he was, Arik experienced a stir below his belt. He was human after all, and this particular BT was especially skilled. He stopped at his dresser, reached inside his front slacks pockets and casually tossed the contents on the small tray. He didn’t like surprises of any kind, and BT, short for boy toy number one hundred and—hell, he’d lost count of the willing men he’d bedded—had just shocked the hell out of him.
This one was way too pretty and so deliciously tempting that for a split second he almost gave in…almost.
No, he had to stay firm. This was utter bullshit. He couldn’t have random BTs breaking into his home, surprising him at every turn, desecrating his perfect bed with confetti.
“How did you get in here?” he asked, leaning against the dresser, casually crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’ve been planning this since you left me last week. I swiped your card from your wallet when you were in the shower.” Boy Toy lost the erotic pose, probably too much strain for his delicate body.
“I guess I need to keep a closer eye on my wallet in the future.” Arik shoved away from the dresser and headed toward his closet.
“I’m beginning to think you’re not happy that I’m here. You know I’d look good on your arm for the opening of Escape Dallas.” BT hopped up from the bed and trailed after him, following him into the closet.
“Are these your things?” he asked, nodding toward the garment bag hanging in his closet with luggage settled beneath. Arik’s things had been pushed aside and replaced with BT’s, as if the guy planned to stay awhile. First the bed, now the closet. He didn’t allow anyone to breach his private space. That crossed every line he had.
Fuck, he’d known when he first saw this guy he’d be trouble. The gorgeous ones always were. Arik shook his head.
“Yes, I put them next to yours. I arrived late and didn’t have time to unpack.”
Arik abandoned his silk tie on the built-in dresser and began to grab BT’s things. The level of pissed off coursing through him now superseded any desire he might have mustered.
“You can’t ever do this again. I told you from the beginning,” Arik said, shoving the garment bag toward BT as he went for the two suitcases, then he tossed the strap of one over his shoulder and grabbed the other by the handgrip. How long had he even planned to stay that he needed all this?
“Be careful with that. It’s got my mink inside!” BT carefully draped the bag over his arm, allowing Arik to take him by his other arm and forcefully guide him from the closet.
“Why in the hell would you bring a fur coat to Texas?” Arik kept his grip tight, even when BT tried to worm his way out.
“Why would I leave home without… What are you doing?” BT actually held on to the doorframe to keep Arik from removing him from the bedroom.
“You’re going to the guest room, BT. We’ll talk—”
A solid outraged screech cut him off.
“Stop calling me that! I hate that. I have a name.” The guy went into full-on diva mode right there in the middle of his hall.
“You’ve known the deal from the beginning. I don’t like these kinds of surprises. I was very clear,” Arik said. When he realized it might take two hands to deposit BT into the guest bedroom, he went for that door, pushed it open wide, and tossed the suitcase in his hand across the room. For a second there, he’d thought the guy planned to go back to Arik’s bedroom which would have turned things pretty shitty real quick. Luckily, BT came toward him with a very calm, patient look on his face.
“If you would just go with it, we could have a very special relationship,” BT said, placing a delicate hand on Arik’s dress shirt, letting his fingers trail down Arik’s chest as he took a step closer. “I’m good at attending events with you. I look good on your arm. Besides, I’m tired of modeling. It takes up so much of my time. And if we came to some sort of arrangement, with all my extra free time, I could take care of you any way you saw fit.”
“Not gonna happen.”
BT’s words couldn’t have been better deterrent for giving in and indulging in a quick hook-up. Arik preferred his fun with no strings attached. Not that he had anything against the whole finding Mr. Right concept. But the boy toy currently groping his ass was not anywhere close to his idea of relationship material. Arik stopped the hand at his waistband and shrugged the case off his shoulder, dumping it right inside the guest bedroom door. He left the gorgeous but clearly crazy man standing there as he headed back toward his bedroom.
“I need to leave here by eight in the morning. Be ready.’’
“Seriously? You’re just leaving? I stretched myself to be ready for you.”
Arik looked back to see BT stomp his foot for good measure, his now flaccid dick swinging in the process. BT was certainly beautifully put together, tall, lean, chiseled abs, a perfect body that Arik knew from past experience could bring a lot of pleasure.
No, Arik. That was how he’d gotten in this situation in the first place. Stop. No. Walk away.
“Goodnight, BT. Don’t come back to my room,” he said at the door.
“Stop calling me BT! I’m not just your boy toy! My name is Steffan.”
Steffan—yeah, he remembered that now. Steffan twirled around and stalked into the guest bedroom, that long hair floating out around him. The door slammed shut in his wake.
Arik closed his door and reached down to twist the lock when he heard something crashing against the guest room door. Arik chuckled at that one and quickly opened his door again.
“Be ready by eight in the morning. I won’t be happy if you make me late,” he yelled before closing and relocking the door.

He staggered to the bed. His bed. Even with taking the time to rid the bedspread of the confetti and change the pillowcases where that overly strong cologne lingered, he’d still, hopefully, get at least a couple hours’ sleep.

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teaser
meet the author
Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!

I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it’s true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women’s hair!
Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life – I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations – regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal… I don’t want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I’m going to tell you about Kindle.

I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I’ll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died – weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn’t have to be alone.

That time in my life was terrible. It’s everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.

Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness – it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.

Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It’s its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn’t be here today without her.

Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com
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His Needs by Kris T. Bethke: Guest Post, Excerpt and Review

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hisneedsfs_v1synopsisWhen State Trooper Travis Kinslow is injured right before Thanksgiving, the only positive is that for once he won’t be working during the holidays. Since he has no family, Travis was absorbed into his best friend, Joe’s, and he considers them as good as his own. Everyone except Joe’s brother Noah. Travis has been in love with the younger man for much of his life, but he’s always kept his distance.

As an ER nurse, Noah is a caretaker by nature. When his brother’s best friend is hurt, he’s happy to help Travis while he heals. He’s only ever allowed himself to think of Travis as the next best thing to an older brother, but by the light of the Christmas tree, Noah finally sees Travis’s true feelings. And in that moment, everything changes.

When faced with opposition and a Christmas nothing like they imagined, will their hopes for the future be enough to carry them through?

Title: His Needs
Author: Kris T. Bethke
Release Date: December 14, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Holiday
Pages: 113

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ARe

Dreamspinner Press

 

Guest Post

Hi everyone! Kris Bethke here to talk about my latest release, my holiday novella His Needs. First let me say thanks to gang here at Two Chicks Obsessed for letting me have a spot and to (hopefully) entertain!

I’m honestly a little obsessed with Christmas. Not for any religious reasons, though if that’s your thing, good for you. No, for me, I love all the trappings. The decorations. The lights. The snow and the candy canes and pine trees and cookies. I love sappy holiday movies and going all out to make my space as festive and cheery as possible.

So when I got it into my head to write another holiday story, I knew the decorating was going to be a pivotal part of it. Early on in the planning stages (though I can’t say I actually plan too in depth) I knew exactly what the scene was going to look like. What was going to kick it off, and exactly at what moment things were going to go from “everything’s normal” to “oh damn, this is something else.”

And it all centers on decorating the Christmas tree.

Travis has been injured. He can’t do it on his own. And Noah, the sweet man, is right there to help with anything Travis needs. But Travis has wanted Noah for a long time, and this simple act of domesticity is something he’s been aching for. To share this moment with Noah. And Noah, in that moment, finally sees Travis as something more.

It’s one of my favorite scenes in the book. Both to write at the time, and still to read. Oh, there’s plenty of other things going on. Hot, sexy times, and some family drama. And falling in love so hard there’s no going back. But that moment, when Noah turns and sees Travis’s face with the Christmas tree and carols playing in the background? That moment is everything.

If you enjoy the holidays, I hope you’ll like that scene just as much as I do.

Happy Holidays!

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excerpt

Noah was still chuckling as he directed me to sit. “You have to chill and relax now, Travis. I’ll do all the work. You tell me where things go and I’ll take care of it. All right?”

I was going to protest. I was, in all honesty, perfectly capable of helping. But there was no denying I was tired. And there was a certain appeal about giving him orders and watching him follow them. We worked that way for a good twenty minutes as I pointed to all the places where I liked the hanging decorations to go. He set the elves on the shelves, end tables, and coffee table. He hung the garland over the door and the string of colored lights around the window. Then he took a break to make us sandwiches for lunch.

I did my best not to watch him eat, because when Noah was hungry, he ate like what he was putting in his mouth was the best thing he ever tasted. There had been times, when we were younger, that just watching him eat had given me wood. So I focused on my own sandwich, steadfastly ignored his moans, and before long we were done. I insisted he leave the plates in the sink, that I would wash them later. I could tell he wanted to protest, but I wasn’t a complete invalid, so I simply said, “Please.”

Noah left the plates without another word and set to work on the tree.

He plugged his iPhone into the dock on my stereo, and seconds later classic carols were playing. Noah let me get up to help with wrapping the tree with lights, but then he insisted I sit back down so I didn’t wear myself out. He put the tote on the coffee table and then pushed it closer to me so I didn’t have to bend or reach too much.

“You hand me the ornaments and I’ll put them on the tree. How’s that?”

I couldn’t speak, so I nodded, reached in and pulled out a classic red ball ornament, and handed it over. The smile he gave me, so full of gratitude and so pleased, was a reward in and of itself. We didn’t say anything as we worked. I handed him an ornament, and he walked the two feet to the tree, humming along with the music. He’d study it for a moment before finding the perfect spot and carefully hanging the ornament.

This was what I wanted with him. Every year. I’d been wanting it for nearly two decades, and I wanted it for all the Christmases to come. I loved him, and I wanted nothing more than to spend quiet days with him, eating together and enjoying each other. To spend Christmas together, and all the other holidays. To do things as partners, both of us being a part of it.

Noah turned, hand outstretched for another ornament, but he froze, his eyes widening and his breath catching. His gaze was glued to my face and he was barely even breathing.

“Noah?” I asked, concerned.

His voice was low. “How long?”

I blinked. “What?”

“How long have you been in love with me?”

denise review

The excerpt above is the pinnacle moment of this short story, the momentof change between Travis and Noah. The moment that Noah discovers that Travis has been in love with him for 20 years. It’s such a touching moment. It creates such a dynamic between them. Noah discovers Travis’s love, and then discovers his own.

Their relationship is sweet, and super sexy. Noah has a dirty mouth that both Travis and the reader don’t expect 😉 However, Noah also cares about Travis and his recovery, assisting him through his recovery.

Travis is sweet, and loves Noah’s family as his own, even more than his own. The family has never been anything but supportive of Travis through the years. Which makes the conflict in the book that much more challenging to accept, as a reader. And although it partially resolves itself at the end of the novella, it wasn’t satisfying as the reader. It felt as if there needed to be more resolution between  the family and Travis.

3.75 pieces of eye candy

3.75-pieces of eye candy

 

meet the author

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 or on Twitter twitter.com/kristbethke

Plaid versus Paisley by KC Burn: Guest Post and Excerpt

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plaidversuspaisleyfs_200synopsisTwo years after his life fell apart, Will Dawson moved to Florida to start over. His job in the tech department of Idyll Fling, a gay porn studio, is ideal for him. When his boss forces him to take on a new hire, the last person he expects is Dallas Greene—the man who cost him his job and his boyfriend back in Connecticut. He doesn’t know what’s on Dallas’s agenda, but he won’t be blindsided by a wolf masquerading as a runway model. Not again.

Dallas might have thrown himself on his brother’s mercy, but his skills are needed at Idyll Fling. Working with Will is a bonus, since Dallas has never forgotten the man. A good working relationship is only the beginning of what Dallas wants with Will.

But Dallas doesn’t realize how deep Will’s distrust runs, and Will doesn’t know that the man he’s torn between loving and hating is the boss’s brother. When all truths are revealed, how can a relationship built on lies still stand?

Title: Plaid versus Paisley
Series: Fabric Hearts
Author: KC Burn
Release Date: December 12, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 216

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ARe

Dreamspinner Press

 

Guest Post

Hello! I’m KC Burn and I’m so excited to be here, chatting about Plaid versus Paisley. This is the second book in my Fabric Hearts series. The first book, Tartan Candy, features an ex porn star who worked at a gay porn studio called Idyll Fling. It’s there that we first meet Will, the IT guy who runs the Idyll Fling web site. In Plaid versus Paisley, we get to know Will a little better, and why he fled to Florida, taking a job that was a significant step down from his prior position. We also meet Dallas, who I just adore. He’s made some unwise choices but he refuses to let them keep him down. They’re two regular guys with geeky aspects, battling it out over the fiefdom of the tech department at a gay porn studio. I hope you enjoy a taste of one of their skirmishes.

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excerpt

“Why are you wearing a suit?” Will’s voice cracked the silence, making Dallas jump.

“Uh, well, dress for the job you want, right?”

Will lifted an eyebrow. Based on that “logic,” Dallas must want a job at a different company because not even Stefan, the CEO, wore suits. The only suits Will had seen around Idyll Fling showed up when the guys were filming some sort of office or professor porn.

Judging by the sudden—attractive, damn it— flush on Dallas’s too-thin cheeks, he was well aware that his answer was silly.

“You do realize this is Florida, right?” And Will couldn’t stop himself from sounding like a petulant teenager.

“People in Florida wear suits.” Dallas’s chin firmed mutinously.

He wasn’t wrong, but shit, why would anyone bother if they didn’t have to? Some days, Will could barely even stand the T-shirts and cargo shorts. The apartment back in Connecticut he’d shared with Jesse had only had two window A/C units; he’d thought central air in his apartment in Florida was overkill. Until he realized Florida only had one cool month—January. The continuously high daily temperatures and humidity had him rapidly revising his opinion. Central air was clearly the most important feature of any lodging in Florida.

Nevertheless, Will ought to stop acting like someone cruising for a Human Resources violation. Even if those suits made Dallas look delicious, he hated the purple paisley tie. In fact, he seemed to recall a number of paisley ties Dallas had worn in the past. He’d thought them cute back then. Now he just wanted to rip the damn thing off.

His traitorous mind didn’t stop there, and showed him a tousled Dallas, tie gone, jacket gone, shirt gaping open, lips puffy and moist like he’d either been engaged in a marathon make-out session or had been giving someone—Will—a thorough blow job. A throb from his groin reminded him how utterly inappropriate such thoughts were, and he turned back to his work. “Wear what you want,” he muttered, unable to control the schoolyard impulse to get in the last word.

meet the author

KC Burn has been writing for as long as she can remember and is a sucker for happy endings (of all kinds).  After moving from Toronto to Florida for her husband to take a dream job, she discovered a love of gay romance and fulfilled a dream of her own — getting published.  After a few years of editing web content by day, and neglecting her supportive, understanding hubby and needy cat at night to write stories about men loving men, she was uprooted yet again and now resides in California. Writing is always fun and rewarding, but writing about her guys is the most fun she’s had in a long time, and she hopes you’ll enjoy them as much as she does.

Visit KC at her website, on Twitter, on Facebook, or find out about new releases by signing up for her newsletter.

giveaway

KC would like to give away a $10 ARe gift certificate. Comment on this blog post, and send KC congrats on her new release to be entered.

Christmas Blog Hop with Divine Promotions with Giveaway

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The theme for this year’s Divine Promotions Blog Hop is What Christmas Means to You. Check out the full list here.

That is at once easy and difficult to say. For me it is about family, seeing friends, and remembering those no longer with us. But I also enjoy so much all the happy that goes with it. I enjoy the Black Friday shopping (yes, I do!), the treats, the smiles on people’s faces, even the snow…although if it was gone on December 26th, not to be seen again until December 1st, I would be even happier.

Christmas has always been a fun time for me, and I can’t remember a time when I haven’t loved it. I hope to always have that little kid excitement when I wake up on Christmas morning, even if my excitement is about what everyone else is getting. 🙂

My favorite Christmas recipe is one I found a few years ago that everyone literally goes crazy over. I can’t make a big enough ham when I do this, and it is SO SIMPLE to make.

Dijon Maple Glazed Spiral Ham

Ingredients
1 (9-pound) store bought bone-in spiral ham
3/4 cup water

For the glaze:Christmas
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Optional fixings for ham:
Pumpernickel bread
Assorted mustards
Pickled shallots
Cornichons
Assorted cheeses

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place ham in a roasting pan and pour about 3/4 cup water into the bottom of pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until heated through, soft and tender.
Make the glaze:
Whisk all ingredients together in a saucepan until smooth and heat over medium-low to medium heat until simmering. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
When ham is heated through, remove the aluminum foil, and pour or brush the glaze over the top to cover completely. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Return the ham to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until glaze is caramelized and bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with desired fixings.
Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman

Thanks to the Food Network for this recipe.

 

Check out the full list of bloggers participating:

🎅🏻 Alpha Book Club – http://alphabookclub.org/2016/12/08/divine-promotions-christmas-blog-hop-2016/
🎅🏻 Anna Butler Fiction – http://annabutlerfiction.com/2016/12/08/a-divine-2016-christmas/
🎅🏻 Author Susan Mac Nicol – https://susanmacnicol.net/2016/12/08/what-christmas-means-to-me-blog-hop/
🎅🏻 Cathy Writes Romance – http://cathybrockman.com/2016/12/08/what-christmas-means-to-me-2giveaways-divinepromotions-bloghop/
🎅🏻 Cody Kennedy – http://ckennedyauthor.blogspot.com
🎅🏻 H.L. Holston – https://hlholston.net/2016/12/07/divine-promotions-christmas-blog-hop-2016-giveaway/
🎅🏻 Hot Men in Hot Water – http://www.sarahmadisonfiction.com/2016/12/divine-promotions-christmas-2016-blog-hop-giveaway/
🎅🏻Imaginative Dreams – http://thebooksocial.weebly.com/imaginative-dreams
🎅🏻 IrishdaisylovesRomance – https://dawn84blog.wordpress.com/2016/12/08/🎄-christmas-blog-hop-2016-🎄/
🎅🏻 Laz and Lachi Publications – http://www.lazandlachi.com/apps/blog/show/44320268-what-christmas-means-to-me-2016-blog-hop
🎅🏻 Passionate Reads – http://paularadell.com/christmas-blog-hop-divine-promotions/
🎅🏻 Sue Brown’s Stories – http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.com/2016/12/divine-promotion-christmas-blog-hop.html
🎅🏻 Tempeste O’Riley – http://tempesteoriley.com/blog
🎅🏻 The Wasp Nest – http://aewasp.com/divine-magazine-christmas-blog-hop-prizes-great-reads-steamy-holiday-book-recs/
🎅🏻Two Chicks Obsessed with Books – https://twochicksobsessed.com/christmas-blog-hop-with-divine-promotions/

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The Rodeo Knight by Ashavan Doyon: Blog Tour, Exclusive Guest Post and Review

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The Rodeo Knight

Sam’s Café Romances: Book Three

Struck by amnesia after a car crash, Brian Stouten has been living a life laid out by his family, a heterosexual life that just doesn’t fit. When he learns it was all a lie, he returns to the small college town that’s his only clue to his past. But the town is still unfamiliar, and the man he’d hoped would make all his memories return is on a honeymoon with another man. To add insult to injury, everyone thinks Brian died in the crash. It’s only when an out-of-place cowboy asks to bum a smoke that Brian realizes this trip was meant to be.

Sylvester Thomas has always fought a secret desire, and done it successfully. But when geeky Brian offers him a smoke and a light, a simple brush of hands has Sylvester’s hidden passions burning deep. Did he make a mistake letting Brian walk away?

buy now

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

 

 

The Chess Master Chronicles (Dreamspinner)

Sam’s Cafe Romances books 1-3, print only:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-chess-master-chronicles-by-ashavan-doyon-7830-b

 

Guest Post

*Runs in* Am I on time? Did I make it? *wipes brow* Thank goodness.

 

I’m Ashavan Doyon and I’m so pleased to be here at Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy. Two great things to be obsessed by! I’m here today to talk about The Rodeo Knight, my newest release with Dreamspinner Press. It doesn’t come by itself though! As book three of a series, it comes with a rerelease of The King’s Mate (a true second edition that is almost twice the length of the original novella) and the release of a print only edition of an anthology that collects all three of the Sam’s Café Romances into a single volume — The Chess Master Chronicles. I received my copies yesterday and they are gorgeous!

Well yes, I’m biased. Of course I am. But then, Bree Archer does beautiful work. The covers are stunning and I was so very pleased that they were able to get Bree, who did the original artwork for A Wounded Promise, to come back and do new designs for The King’s Mate (as a short story in a novella, it never had unique cover art) and The Rodeo Knight. That process was really fun and interesting and I got to see a lot of options. For The King’s Mate we were a bit more limited, since we didn’t want to show the love interest on that cover, and the model was established, I really only had two poses to choose from. For The Rodeo Knight we went back and forth a lot more. It was important to me that the model look like a geek and not a GQ model trying to look like a geek. I think the cover achieves that for Brian nicely.

For the record, I too am obsessed with books and eye candy. I’m so far behind on my reading I don’t even want to think about it most days. Like a lot of people I read to relax (and look at eye candy to relax, go figure). But as a US resident we’ve been dealing with an election, and the vitriol on both sides has been at a ridiculous high. I’d had hopes it would normalize after the election but I think we all know how that went. So, I’m reading before everything gets censored I hope, and I’m looking at eye candy … likewise. Yes, I have a favorite porn studio. No, I don’t model my characters after the porn models, though I know authors who do that. For me it’s the face more than the body that makes the porn star, and you can see that in my choices for covers. A Wounded Promise, Justin in his hoodie staring right at you. The stare from the cover of I Almost Let You is similar.rodeoknightthe_fbbanner_dsp

When talking about The Rodeo Knight, it’s natural to talk about our chess master, Brian. He is, after all, the return character. Russ’s partner and (almost) husband back from the dead. Makes for some great interesting drama, and it overshadows our other primary character a little.

This was a hard story to write because there’s folks who want the true love between Brian and Russ to win out. But Russ has his happy ending from the first two stories. And it was important to me not to destroy that, though the revelation that Brian is alive certainly brings some drama to Russ’s life for a while. How and why Brian can set that aside is something the story explains. But that same why also leaves Brian open to a new romance, and that romance has a name: Sylvester.

Even though Sylvester is only in his mid-twenties, he understands some of what our amnesiac hero is going through. Sylvester has also lost his entire life because of an accident. A competitive bull rider who poured his life into his work, a freak accident has cost him everything, including the shield that he used to stay alone.

What we know about Sylvester is that he was good. He spent his winnings on his parents and his family. He had some saved, but because of the medical bills from his accident, they’re barely covering his school. This is partly his own fault. He didn’t go to school nearby. He didn’t try for a community college. He ran away, someplace far. Someplace liberal. Someplace no one would take him to a rodeo (though Brian tries!) and he might, if he was brave, be able to finally be himself. He gets to the University and finds himself too broke and too embarrassed by that to pursue anyone. Until he meets Brian.

I liked the idea of a young man in a sporting career who has to start over because it resonated so well with Brian’s own loss of memory. Why a cowboy (well, bull rider)? Because I’m Texan, and I always thought they were sexy. Don’t you? I think if you’re interested in the story you probably do. Cowboys were some of my first sexy images of men as a boy. In the city, the rodeo meant country music and going to the Astrodome to see this epitome of masculinity. It was a touch of country to a city boy even though I was from the suburbs. To this day, I love a man in a cowboy hat who needs just a touch of a shave.

Worse, I’m a product of my generation. I couldn’t make the image work, for me, without putting a cigarette in his mouth. Marlboro man did his job well. But that also gave me a way to have my cowboy and my chess master meet. One of the few things we knew about Brian going into the story (from A Wounded Promise) is that he was a chain smoker.

I hope you enjoy how I portray Sylvester in The Rodeo Knight. If you haven’t already checked it out, there’s a post today at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words with an interview – I talk about my experience with books as a kid and when I first started writing. And I’ll talk more about the second edition of The King’s Mate tomorrow at Tammy’s Two Cents. Until then, you can always contact me through my website www.ashavandoyon.com

denise review

This was the first book I’ve read by Ashavan Doyon. Unfortunately, I didn’t read books 1 and 2, in this series. I might have connected more with the secondary characters, if I had. Although the book seemed a little disjointed in places to me, I know that was likely because I was jumping into the middle of a series. I think I’d like to go back and read books 1 and 2, to get more of a feel for the entire series.

I can see why this might have been difficult to write for the author, with the character having been declared deceased previously, and the surviving husband having moved on. Readers of the first two books would be rooting for Russ to stay with Justin, and still rooting for the MC Brian to still get his HEA, which they both do. However, walking on that tightrope must have been a challenge for the author, and I applaud his efforts. That fine line between wanting a grief stricken former spouse to find a way out of what would be a new type of grief, and yet having read his recovery story might be troubling to some readers.

I think the author did a fantastic job of that. Brian didn’t have any feelings for his former spouse. Period. He thought he should, and yet didn’t. He had instant feelings for Sylvester, and moved forward with those feelings right away. He didn’t hesitate and worry about how other people in the town would see it, he had his life back and wanted to get to living it right away. He’d been forced to live through one hell, then forced to live another hell his parents thrust upon him.

Sylvester was sweet and so proud. Not willing to show a weakness if he could avoid it. He needed someone who was willing to jump all in with him, because he would never have taken that step forward on his own.

There are things I would have liked to see more resolution with. I was left wondering how Russ and Justin were able to move forward and deal with it. I was left wondering how they integrated into the fabric of the community. And I was left wondering if there was resolution with Brian’s parents.

I enjoyed the writing style of the author, and appreciated how very different all of the characters personality quirks were written. They were integral parts of the characters, and the author made sure to keep them incorporated throughout the book.

3.5 pieces of eye candy.

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tco-also in series

kingsmatemedcoverThe King’s Mate

2nd Edition

Sam’s Café Romances: Book One

Russell Pine comes to Sam’s Café every morning to enjoy the best coffee in town and to chat with Sam Tesh, the owner, a loyal friend for the past twenty years. When Sam offers him a challenge, Russ reluctantly takes it on, acting as the master opponent in a chess tournament. As the days pass and the hopefuls fall to the chess mastermind one by one, Russ discovers that the contest isn’t the only game being played.

Russ finds himself the focus of a secret courtship through words and pictures left for him to discover each morning. Will a hint of cologne on the paper lead him to his admirer? In a café full of young and beautiful minds, who is looking at the graying chess master?

First Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, June 2013.

buy now

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press 

 

The Chess Master Chronicles (Dreamspinner)

Sam’s Cafe Romances books 1-3, print only:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-chess-master-chronicles-by-ashavan-doyon-7830-b

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meet the author

For fifteen years, Ashavan Doyon worked with students in the student affairs office of a liberal arts college. He recently decided to shake things up a little, and is now working in the publications and communications office at the college. During lunch, evenings, and when he can escape the grasp of his husband on weekends, he writes, pounding out words day after day in hopes that his ancient typewriter-trained fingers won’t break the glass on his tablet computer. Ashavan is an avid science fiction and fantasy fan and prefers to write while listening to music that fits the mood of his current story. He has no children, but lavishes attention on his sole remaining fur child, a very elderly pug. A Texan by birth, he currently lives in New England, and frequently complains of the weather.

Ashavan went to school at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, getting his degree in Russian and East European Studies, with a focus in language and literature. He has two incomplete manuscripts from college that he goes back compulsively to fiddle with every so often, but is still not happy with either of them. He still loves fantasy and science fiction and reads constantly in the moments between writing stories.

You can find me online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashavandoyon.writer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashavandoyon

Web: www.ashavandoyon.com