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Fortune’s Slings and Cupid’s Arrows by Ari McKay: Exclusive Guest Post, Release Day Review with Giveaway

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Successful attorneys Dane Coulter and Cal Monroe are rivals in the courtroom and friends behind the scenes. But can they be more?

Cal’s always carried a torch for Dane, but Dane is so deep in the closet, he can’t even admit that he might be gay. His father, a raging homophobe who rules the family with an iron fist, forces Dane into an engagement—to a woman. Dane goes along with it to keep the peace and protect his mother, but for Cal, it’s the last straw.

He can’t let Dane make a mistake that could ruin the rest of his life, and he only knows one surefire way to make Dane admit what’s in his heart. But confessing his feelings to his friend could backfire, driving a wedge between them. And even then, the choice must be Dane’s—to live the life his father wants, or to give up everything he has for a chance at happiness in Cal’s arms.

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Greetings, everyone! Ari here, the red-haired half of Ari McKay. I’d like to thank Two Chicks Obsessed for having me here on the blog today to promote our re-release of Fortune’s Slings and Cupid’s Arrows, book two in the Lawyers in Love trilogy!

Even though this is a re-release, we wanted to bring attention to the story because we have rewritten it almost completely from its original form. We were never completely satisfied with the original story, but it took some time and distance — as well as some growth as writers — for us to be able to put our fingers on exactly what it was that didn’t sit right with us. It’s always interesting as a writer to look back at early works and see how we’ve changed and evolved over time. When Dreamspinner offered us the chance to revisit our Lawyers in Love stories, it seemed like fate was stepping in to tell us that we needed to give Cal and Dane’s story new life, to fix what we’d sensed was wrong but had never been able to fully identify. We tossed around several ideas, but it was McKay who was able to finally pinpoint the moment in the story where things started to go wrong. It turns out that when we shifted one of the first scenes from Cal’s POV to Dane’s, everything just sort of fell into place the way it should have from the first.

At it’s heart, this is a story about lawyer Dane Coulter finding the strength to break free of the mold his father has forced him into and begin to live life on his own terms. But it’s also about Cal Monroe, who is in love with Dane, and the strength Cal has to find within himself to take a step back and give Dane room grow at his own pace. Cal recognizes that in his own way he’s just as strong willed as Dane’s father, and he’s aware that Dane might feel that he’s stepping out of his father’s shadow and into Cal’s. When you love someone, doing the thing that is right and best for them is easy when it’s also what you want to do; it says a lot about a person, I think, if they can do what’s right for the person they love, even if they know they might end up with a broken heart in the end.

I don’t want to give away too much, especially since the story is a novella rather than a novel, but both McKay and I hope that if you like stories about someone breaking free of the bonds of obligation and making their own path, you’ll find Dane and Cal’s journey to be worth your time.

The premise for Fortune’s Slings and Cupid’s Arrows roped me in. Dane’s the rich kid whose daddy controls his life. Cal’s the man who’s in love with him, determined to help keep Dane from making a huge mistake.

Now, before I get into everything, let me say this was an enjoyable book. There was nothing that made me think about putting it down. Unfortunately, I did wind up eye rolling a fair bit. The scenario felt forced. The dialogue, at times, too over the top to be believed.

But, Cal did what he set out to do. Not because he waged war against Dane’s dad (which he did), but because Dane realized he couldn’t go through with a marriage out of obligation.

At this point, I still would’ve given the book 3.5 pieces of candy. But then…

The whole book felt like this huge build up, like there should’ve been a massive conflict with dear old dad. But it never happened. Once Dane goes after what he wants, we jump forward in time and they all live happily ever after.

I suppose, that’s the whole point of reading a romance, but in the end, I had  more questions than answers. I was left wanting more, not because I was so in love with Dane and Cal, but because the story felt unfinished.

3 pieces of candy

 

Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.

Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.

McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.

Website: http://arimckay.wordpress.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ari-Mckay/266185570179748

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ari.mckay.7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriMcKay1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6153630.Ari_McKay


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Tender Mercies by Eli Easton: Exclusive Guest Post incl Recipes, Review and Giveaway

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A Men of Lancaster County Novel

Eddie Graber’s dream of a sanctuary for rescued farm animals was about to come true when his partner backed out at the last minute. Now Eddie risks losing the twenty-five acre property in Lancaster County—and all the hopes he held for it—before the project even gets off the ground. He needs help, he needs money, but most importantly, he needs to rediscover the belief in a higher purpose that brought him here in the first place.

Samuel Miller worked hard to fit into his Amish community despite his clubfoot. But when his father learns Samuel is gay, he is whipped and shunned. With just a few hundred dollars to his name, Samuel responds to an ad for a farmhand and finds himself employed by a city guy who has strange ideas about animals, no clue how to run his small farm, and a gentle heart.

Samuel isn’t the only lost soul to serendipitously find his way to Meadow Lake Farm. There’s Fred and Ginger, two cows who’d been living in a garage, a gang of sheep, and a little black pig named Benny who might be the key to life, love, money—and even a happily ever after for two castoffs.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

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Exploring Eddie’s Veganism (with recipes!)

By Eli Easton

I’m celebrating the release of TENDER MERCIES, the second book in the “Men of Lancaster County” series.  It features a new couple and can be read as a stand-alone. What the books in this series have in common is being set in Lancaster County, a rural area of Pennsylvania where there are a lot of Amish and Mennonite. It also happens to be where my husband and I have a farm.

In TENDER MERCIES, the protagonists are a tender-hearted city vegan who bought a farm in the country to start a farm sanctuary, and a young Amish man kicked out of his community for being gay.  My husband and I have dreamed about having a farm sanctuary. It’s fun as an author to be able to live your dreams vicariously as I did in TENDER MERCIES.

Part of our personal journey has been going vegetarian and then vegan. When we bought our farm seven years ago, we were both lifelong carnivores. But having our own chickens, cows, and even a pig taught us that these animals are just as personable and “aware” as our beloved dogs. Eventually we got to the place where it felt too hypocritical to dote on our own cows, pig, and chickens, and still buy meat at the market. We also went vegan for health reasons after watching documentaries like “Forks Over Knives” and “What the Health”.

I don’t talk about this a lot in my books because I don’t want to come off as preachy or offensive with my personal beliefs. I myself couldn’t imagine going vegan most of my life, so I get it. However, in the case of TENDER MERCIES it was critical to the farm sanctuary theme of the book that Eddie be a vegan. Samuel, the other main character, is Amish and grew up with, of course, lots of meat at every meal. He learns to eat vegan living with Eddie, but he does miss meat. 😊

Since going vegan I’ve found a lot of terrific recipes and meals that we love. We eat a lot of whole grains, beans, starches like potatoes and squash, veggies and fruit. I love carbs, so I’ve enjoyed eating this way and I lost 90 pounds as well!

I thought I’d share a recipe as part of this blog tour. Here’s a simple vegan soup (the beans add lots of protein) and cornbread recipe—perfect for fall!

WHITE CHILI RECIPE

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (16-oz) vegetable broth
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2-3 tsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 4-oz can of diced green chiles
  • 30-oz can white beans (undrained)
  • 3 cups (16-oz) corn, fresh or frozen
  • green onions or cilantro for garnish (optional)
  • hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

  1. Sauté onions and garlic in ¼ cup water or broth (or olive oil if you prefer) until translucent.
  2. Add carrots and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Stir in tomato paste and spices, stirring to coat well.
  4. Continue to cook until carrots are almost tender, adding broth as necessary.
  5. Add green chiles and beans (plus bean liquid).
  6. Using a potato masher or immersion blender, smash some of the beans to

create a thick and creamy chili.

  1. Add remaining broth or water to thin as desired.
  2. Add corn plus salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Garnish with green onions and/or a drizzle of hot sauce.

Vegan Cornbread

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
  • 1 cup plant-based milk (almond, soy, etc)
  • 1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons raw sugar (optional)

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat over to 400°F. Use a nonstick 9 inch bread pan, 8 inch square baking pan or shallow glass pie dish and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt together until well combined.
  3. Add sage, plant-based milk, pumpkin puree, liquid sweetener, plus optional sugar if using and anise if using, and stir until combined.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and the bread is firm to the touch.

I use these two recipes regularly and our non-vegan friends who have visited have also enjoyed them. The recipes are from Meal Mentor (https://www.getmealplans.com/) which is a great source of vegan recipes that I highly recommend.

I hope you enjoy fall and spending time on the farm with Eddie in Samuel in TENDER MERCIES.

Eli

I was a huge fan of Second Harvest by Eli Easton. I love stories that explore men who are fighting their sexuality based on religion. It’s a storyline that is, and will continue to be, realistic for years to come. So, when I saw Tender Mercies, I knew I had to get it, push back everything else in my life, and read it. And I might have kept on reading it in the car (NOT while driving), at a party with the hubster’s friends, at a chili cookoff, and through pizza night with the fam. Yeah, I’m a horrible person when it comes to a good book.

I wasn’t sure what to think at the start of the book. Eddie is a city boy moving to the country. It felt too similar to the start of Second Harvest. But his reasons were different, so I moved along. I still didn’t understand how a city slicker thought it was a good idea to move to the country without prior planning and research to start an animal sanctuary, but whatever… this is Eli Easton and she won’t let me down.

Samuel’s storyline broke my heart. An Amish man, caught giving in to his nature as a gay man. Beaten. Shunned. Broken. Yeah, he stole my heart and had me ignoring the clock across the room.

I will fully admit there were times I caught myself thinking too hard about the story, trying to figure out if what was happening was realistic, but it didn’t matter. This isn’t real life, it’s a grown-up fairy tale about two men falling in love. And I don’t care where Benedict came from, I just know I want a Benny (and maybe a Carrot) of my own.

In the end, I’d give Tender Mercies 4.5 stars.

 

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Our Reason by Jessie G: Blog Tour, Exclusive Friday Five-ish Q’s and Excerpt

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Our Reason Tour Banner

AUTHOR: Jessie G

TITLE: Our Reason

SERIES: Sizzling Miami #8 (Red & Bull #3)

COVER ARTIST: Andrew Reyna

PHOTOGRAPHER: Randy RLS Images

COVER MODEL: Alfie Gordillo

CATEGORIES: Gay Romance, Contemporary Romance

RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2017

Our Reason CoverMarried life is everything Bull and Red could have hoped for. It’s not something they’d ever take for granted and the need to pay it forward is a trait the husbands happily share. When the new director of the Bennett House asks Red to teach an art class, he isn’t entirely sure how it will help, but he’s more than willing to try. Before Bull, he used his art to purge his demons and sharing that with those in need of an outlet for their own pain was a gift he never considered giving. Each week he is rocked by the artful outpouring of emotion and the gratitude of his students. One by one, they burrow into his heart…but none more so than Dillon Young.

Always holding himself apart from the others, the wisp of a boy keeps his head down and hides behind a mangy, overgrown length of dark hair like a shield. Despite his best attempts not to see himself in all the young men that come through the center, everything about Dillon calls out to Red. Needing to share their encounters, and maybe hoping for a little perspective, he turns to the one man he knows he can always count on. Expecting Bull to be the voice of reason had been a fool’s mission from the start and soon they’re both invested in helping Dillon.

There’s no doubt they have an abundance of love to share and if ever there was someone who needed it, Dillon was the one. Between Bull’s strength and Red’s patience, they’ll help Dillon learn to trust again, and in the process, create a family that none of them intended. Though they never envisioned themselves as parents, Bull and Red will find room in their happily ever after to save the child they didn’t know lived in their hearts.

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2xYW6RI

ABOUT THE CHARITY: The Zebra Coalition® is a network of organizations which provide services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all youth (LGBT+) ages 13 – 24. The Coalition assists young people facing homelessness, bullying, isolation from their families, and physical, sexual and drug abuse with individualized programs to guide them to recovery and stability. A portion of the royalties from Our Reason will be donated by the author, but you can donate now at http://www.zebrayouth.org/donate/

UNIVERSAL LINK

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KOBO

 

  1. Bull and Red were adamant that they were never going to have kids in previous books. What “made” you choose to have them bring a child into their life? Over a year ago, I was stopped at a light when I saw a group of kids holding a car wash at gas station to raise money for baseball uniforms. The little kernel of an idea hovered in the background until I went to a book signing in Dallas and saw Alfie Gordillo, the model on the cover of Our Reason. He was as close to what I envisioned Bull to be and I suppose I could have just repackaged For a Reason, but what fun would that be? I don’t have any logical reason why these two things intersected and I’m thrilled with the result.
  2. There is a lot of legalities addressed in Our Reason (and in several other books in this series). How do you ensure that you won’t get those pieces incorrect? First, I don’t claim that those details are to the letter of the law. My bestie is an attorney and she’s happy to answer all my questions, but I always reserve creative license. Yes, I want to be as close as possible for believability, but I also need it to work with the story.
  3. Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)? Uh, I can’t write if there’s clutter on my desk. It makes me itchy. I write several books at once, but then when I hit that sweet spot in a book when it becomes my focus (and therefore, next release), I have to switch from my desktop to my laptop. I can’t finish a book in my office, it has to be anywhere else.
  4. Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy? Not anymore. That’s why I write multiple stories at once. For me, if I’m not feeling it and it’s hard to write, then it’s because the characters aren’t talking to me. So I switch to the ones that are.
  5. A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here? Salt or sugar? He’s there to bring the margaritas for Taco Thursday, of course.

 

Our Reason by Jessie G - Teaser #2

They stopped at a light and Bull glanced at him thoughtfully. “Did Dillon show up for Thursday’s art class?”

There was no denying that the troubled teen was at least partly responsible for his need to give more or that Bull knew his interest far exceeded his role in the boy’s life. “Yeah. He was a few minutes late and he looked rough, but he was there. Even stayed for the food the center brought in afterward.”

Rail thin and tall for his age, Dillon Young slumped like life had already beaten him into submission. He always kept his head down and his dark hair long enough to cover his eyes, but Red had glimpsed at them once and the familiarity had grabbed him by the throat. The feeling was so strong that he reached for Dillon, needing to just hug him as tight as he could, but the boy flinched back and took off.

Dillon disappeared for a few days after that and Red had been beside himself until director called to say he’d come around again. After that, Red kept his approach cautious. He wouldn’t avoid him because he needed to know how to help him, but he never got too close and made sure there was no physical contact even in passing. Months later, he thought they were making headway, but then Dillon disappeared again and Red didn’t know why. Like before, he returned with little fanfare and zero desire to explain his absence. With his own past acting as a reminder of all the possible shit Dillon could be dealing with, it was a cycle that Red wasn’t sure he could continue to live with.

“I know the center has rules it has to follow, but there’s no reason we can’t find out more information about his home life, is there?” They had been trying not to go around the center because he didn’t want to cause them any issues, but the fear of something happening to Dillon was forcing his hand. Red wasn’t scared and destitute anymore. He was a grown man with resources and friends who could help this kid. They had to help because the alternative was unacceptable.

“None at all,” Bull agreed as he reached for his hand. “I’ll talk to Ric. If it’s a conflict of interest for him, I’m sure he can point me in the direction of someone who can help.”

Like many readers, the dream of being a writer has been with me a long time. After three decades of trying, I’d begun to doubt. Thanks to social media, I followed my favorite authors hoping to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. Two repetitive themes emerged: to be a great writer you must read a lot and your butt must be in the chair every day like it’s a job. I took that advice to heart and write every day. With three series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it’s been amazing to have made this dream my reality.

I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics, and happily ever after. I’m a lover of strong secondary characters, and series filled with families—biological or chosen. All are themes you’ll find throughout my books.

Contact Links:

Website: http://www.jessiegbooks.com

Email: jessie@jessiegbooks.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bhuja1

Social Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessieGBooks

Google +: google.com/+Jessiegbooksmm
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessiegbooks

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jessiegbooks

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jessiegbooks/

Tumblr (NSFW 18+): http://jessiegbooks.tumblr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessieGBooks

Author Pages:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jessieg

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

Life on Pause by Erin McLellan: Blog tour with Giveaway

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Welcome to the Life on Pause blog tour! Follow along as I stop off at several blogs this week to learn more about this small town m/m romance, which follows a nerdy museum worker and a high school choir teacher as they watch way too much sci-fi on Netflix, wear ridiculous historical costumes, and fall in love.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a $20 Riptide Publishing gift card!

Niles Longfellow is a nerd, and not the trendy type of nerd, either. He wears a historically accurate homesteader costume to work every day, has a total of one friend, and doesn’t know how to talk to guys. So when he gets a flat tire and the hottest hipster ever stops to help him, all Niles can think is that he’s wearing his stupid cowboy getup. Normally, Niles feels invisible to other men, but he’d take that invisibility any day over Rusty Adams seeing him in suede and fringe.

Rusty moved to Bison Hills to help his sister raise her daughter, and nothing is more important to him than that. He’s also fresh off a breakup, and isn’t prepared for anything complicated. But then he meets Niles. Rusty sees Niles as more than a clumsy, insecure guy in a costume. He sees a man who is funny, quirky, and unexpected.

Nothing about their connection is simple, though, especially the lies and insecurities between them. Niles doesn’t know if he can trust Rusty with his heart, and when Rusty’s sister decides to move away, Rusty doesn’t know if he can stay behind.

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

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Erin McLellan writes contemporary romance, often set in the South or Midwest—particularly Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas—with characters that are complex, good-hearted, and sometimes a little quirky. Erin likes her stories to have a sexy spark and a happily ever after.

Erin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in library and information studies from the University of Oklahoma. She has always enjoyed writing, but becoming a librarian and meeting enthusiastic romance readers helped her find her own writing passion. Now Erin cheerfully writes romance with characters across the LGBTQIA spectrum. A former public librarian, she still enjoys being surrounded by books and readers, but Erin hopes to find her stories on the shelves as well.

Originally from Oklahoma, she currently lives in Alaska with her husband, and spends her time dreaming up love stories set in the Great Plains. She is a lover of chocolate, college sports, antiquing, Dr Pepper, and binge-worthy TV shows.

Connect with Erin:

To celebrate the release of Life on Pause, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 4, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

The Librarian’s Rake by Z. Allora: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, and Giveaway

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Opposites might attract, but is acting on that attraction wise?

Librarian Tristan Cooper can’t steer clear of sexy, motorcycle-riding bad boy Phillip—the man is hot—but Phillip is bound to and quiet, bookish Tristan boring, like all Tristan’s boyfriends. Tristan yearns to explore his wild side, the part of himself he’s only allowed into his fantasies, and maybe rakish Phillip is just what he needs to feel free.

Sexperienced hairdresser Phillip is more of a believer in happy endings than happily ever afters. Experience has taught him not to hope for more— until he meets sweet, vulnerable Tristan, who seems genuinely interested in his heart. But Phillip can’t trust enough to see himself as a man Tristan might want for more than a night.

With the help of a pair of matchmaking grandfathers, Tristan and Phillip might and the courage to step beyond their comfort zones and discover what has been missing from their lives….

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

Greetings! Thank you, Two Chicks Obsessed for the opportunity to share information about my new book The Librarian’s Rake with your readers.                  

To celebrate the release of The Librarian’s Rake I’ll be giving away 3 e-books of Secured and Free, (Book #2 of Entwined Dreams) and a $20 gift card to Dreamspinner Press. Details below.

Tristan is a shy librarian, who may have fantasies of swinging from the rafters but he’s never had the guts to be sexually daring. Phillip, who believes more in happy endings that require a swallow than in happily ever after. After they meet it seems to Tristan everyone seems to be having wild sexy times but him and he’s tired of it. This excerpt is right after he parts company from Phillip. Tristan’s home alone as usual and even his television seems to mock his meek nature.

When the quiet got too loud, he flicked on the TV to hear someone talking to him as he devoured his takeout chicken sandwich.

“I’m Todd Jones, reporting on dogging in America.”

Turning toward the TV—where were the puppies?

The partially blocked-out picture showed a couple having car sex while people stood around in a semicircle watching. A voiceover boomed, “It’s called dogging. People watch a couple have sex or go to participate in some way themselves and to be watched.”

What in the world was this?

The handsome interviewer started chatting with a couple who could be Tristan’s next-door neighbors—for all he knew they might be! They calmly discussed the vast number of websites available for people to find out where others are having sex in public places.

“How long have you two been doing this?” Todd asked.

Not why, which would have been Tristan’s first question. Why would you take a risk? Why would you want others to watch you? Why—

Tristan forced himself to swallow the last bites of his sandwich while the middle-aged woman on TV smiled. “For several years. The kids graduated college and moved across the country, and, well, we wanted to add spice back into our relationship.”

The disembodied voice droned on as various censored encounters played out. “The term dogging originally came from someone walking a dog and stumbling across people having sex. But now the practice has turned into what some consider a sport. Usually the meetups happen in parking lots, but with the use of the internet….”

The man smugly stated, “The wife and I have dogged in a junkyard, mall parking lots, the back of an ice cream parlor, near several drive-thru windows, the drive-ins—”

“My favorite was in long-term parking at the airport.” His wife grinned.

The interviewer cleared his throat and asked, “Do others participate when you…?”

The wife giggled. “Only if we want them to.”

The husband added, “And only a little bit. They can lay their hands on her, but—”

“Oh you! You’re so jealous. I love you.” The women blushed.

“I love you too, Mary Jean.” The husband appeared stupidly in love with the woman.

Tristan sighed and turned off the television.

Was that what Frederick wanted? Was everyone in the world into wild sex? Why was it so amiss to want to have sex in a bed?

As he put the last pots and pans away and shut the dishwasher, his mind beelined to Phillip. He pulled out the card in his pocket and stared at it. Phillip probably used hookup sites on a regular basis. Did he order “oral sex to go” on a recurring schedule?

Tristan wanted to deny the appeal of the straightforward ease but couldn’t. It had to be wrong just having sex with strangers. Didn’t it? Maybe he was too straitlaced and hemmed in by societal norms, but he found the whole thing sordid.

Why even think about the sites he’d never use? The idea of Phillip ordering a blowjob like fast food made Tristan’s cock harden… again. The dirtiness, which had never had appeal, now seemed arousing.

Allora believes in happily ever after for everyone. She met her own true love through the personals and has traveled to over thirty countries with him. She’s lived in Singapore, Israel and China. Now back home to the USA she’s an active member of PFLAG and a strong supporter of those on the rainbow in her community. She wants to promote understanding and acceptance through her actions and words. Writing rainbow romance allows her the opportunity to open hearts and change minds.

To contact Z. Allora:

E-mail: Z.AlloraHappyEndings@gmail.com

FACEBOOK:   Z Allora Allora

Website: www.zallorabooks.com

Twitter: @ZAllora

Blog: http://zallora.blogspot.com

Queer Romance Ink: www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/z-allora

Dreamspinner: www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/z-allora-637-a

 

To enter the giveaway tell us if you’ve ever heard of “dogging” before. Winners will be contacted Nov 8th.

Hugs, Z. Allora

 

Off the Ice by Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn: Blog Tour, Double Reviews and Giveaway

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Tristan Holt is nothing if not pragmatic. Despite a flourishing career as a defenseman for the Atlanta Venom, Tristan knows he can’t play hockey forever. One day he’ll retire—if an injury doesn’t force him to hang up his skates first. His backup plan? Finishing his business degree. But he doesn’t count on a very inappropriate attraction to his standoffish sociology professor, Sebastian Cruz.

Sebastian is on the bottom rung of the Sociology Department at Georgia State. He has his sights set on tenure, and he can’t afford to be distracted, especially not by a sexy student with a body straight out of Sebastian’s dreams. No matter how much Tristan tempts him, that’s one line Sebastian won’t cross. At least not until summer classes end. After that, everything is fair game.

But Sebastian lives loud and proud, and Tristan is terrified of being the first out player in the NHL. Neither of them can afford to risk their hearts when they can’t imagine a happily ever after. The problem is, unlike hockey, when it comes to love, there are no rules.

Thanks for joining Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn on the OFF THE ICE blog tour. In the Hat Trick series, love and hockey collide—and create enough heat to melt the ice. Join the players as they chase both the Stanley Cup and their own personal happily ever afters.

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

I love sports books, but I don’t really know a lot about hockey. Lucky for me, one of the MC’s doesn’t either. The authors took the time to explain the pertinent points of the game while keeping it interesting.

Tristan is a professional hockey player. He’s in the closet with both family and his career. He is going back to school to finish the degree that was interrupted when he was called up to the pros. His sociology professor is a scowly, hard ass that Tristan can’t help but be drawn too.

Sebastian, said scowly professor fights his attraction to Tristan tooth and nail. Its unethical to date a student in your class becomes his mantra. When Sebastian makes an unfair assumption about Tristan he is forced to admit that his feelings for the man aren’t entirely professional and that even a professor in sociology can stand to learn a thing or two.

Once the semester is over Tristan makes his move and Sebastian meets him out for a night of drinks and music. The two begin casually dating until it isn’t casual anymore and they both need to decide what that might mean. Sebastian is out to everyone, even his less than understanding family while Tristan is out to no one

Tristan will need to decide if Sebastian is important enough to turn his whole world upside down and Sebastian will have to decide if he can wait patiently for Tristan to come out on his own terms.

Such a great story. The hockey parts were written to be interesting and understandable even to a novice like myself. I didn’t have Google any mystery hockey terms. It definitely made me relate to Sebastian who isn’t a sports fan at all.

I loved the connection between Seb and Tristan. It never felt forced, the genuine affection hopped off the page at you. I love that Tristan’s family was so supportive and that the MC’s were able to figure it all out with out the big dramatic blow up.

4 pieces of eye candy

 

The story centers around Tristan, a 23-year-old pro hockey player and his 30-something sociology professor Sebastian. The two are immediately attracted to each other but because of the student-teacher thing they don’t pursue it. Oh yea, also? Sebastian makes a huge error in judgement about Tristan based on his looks: blonde jock type with a great ass — how could he possibly have a brain in his head? Yea, yea, Tristan’s heard it all before and after Sebastian puts his foot in his mouth, Tristan tells off the hot professor and wants nothing more to do with him. And yet. They can’t keep their minds and eyes off each other and once they’re clear of the prof/student relationship, they are full steam ahead. While their relationship is great, the two can’t see eye-to-eye on how public they want to be about it. Tristan isn’t out yet to anyone — not his family, not his teammates and not the public and doesn’t want to become the “NHL’s gay ambassador.” Meanwhile, Sebastian’s hard-won openly gay status has him refusing to get back in the closet, even for Tristan, whom he adores.

I like Tristan, he’s a laid back guy with brains to boot. He’s a jock but not a jerk, and wants to pursue his education in case hockey doesn’t work out for some reason. He’s close with his family and is looking for “the one.” Sebastian is a bit of a cranky control freak and he likes for that control to spill over into the bedroom, where Tristan can enjoy the freedom to submit and be bossed around. I’m not going to say Sebastian is my favorite character, but the “scowly, gay Puerto Rican” makes Tristan happy, so I can accept him as he is.  The character’s personalities don’t evolve much from beginning to end, but I liked that because they already are who they are and will figure out how to be together without changing who they are fundamentally. Besides, the real issue here is if they can — or should — compromise about Tristan coming out.

I’m not a big sports fan, but this was still an enjoyable read so don’t let that put you off. There’s quite a bit of sex, which is never a complaint coming from me. The writing is good and since I’m no true hockey fan, I’m sure I even learned a couple things; in fact, I even have a hankering to go to a game now. A cute, sweet, hot quick read; I liked it.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

About Avon Gale

Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal Midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert, and will never say no to candy.

At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.

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About Piper Vaughn

Piper Vaughn wrote her first love story at eleven and never looked back. Since then, she’s known that writing in some form was exactly what she wanted to do. A reader at the core, Piper loves nothing more than getting lost in a great book—fantasy, young adult, romance, sci-fi, she loves them all (and has an over-two-thousand-book library to prove it!). She’s an avid tea drinker, a hockey fanatic, a vintage typewriter collector, and loves to travel so much she has “wanderlust” tattooed on her ankle and dozens of countries on her bucket list. Recently, she discovered the world of nail art and realized she’s pretty handy with a paintbrush—as long as it’s a miniature one.

As a bisexual and Latinx person, Piper takes great pride in her heritage. She grew up in an ethnically diverse neighborhood and strives to put faces and characters of every ethnicity in her stories, so her fictional worlds are as colorful as the real one. She currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband, son, and a cat that has Piper wrapped around her little paw. Above all, she believes that everyone needs a little true love in their life … even if it’s only in a book.

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To celebrate the release of Off the Ice, one lucky winner will receive a Venom t-shirt in their size and Venom notebook! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 4, 2017. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!