Blog Tours

Ann Lister: Meant for Me (Rock Gods #5) Blog Tour, Author Interview, Review and Giveaway

June 2, 2015 by Denise

Story Blurb:

Tony Wilcox, the quiet keyboard player for
Ivory Tower, has always believed he was straight. A sexual encounter with his
best friend leaves Tony questioning his heart and the unwavering attraction he
has for Jared. Living and working together is no longer enough for Tony… he
wants more. He wants Jared as his.

Jared Baker, the bass player for the band, has
a past that is getting in the way of him fully embracing what he wants… Tony.
He’s tried everything to create distance between them, but none of it
eliminated the feelings he has developed for Tony.

Trying to
suppress the anger and confusion from Jared withdrawing from his life, Tony
does his best to get beyond the feelings he has for his friend. When Jared becomes
deathly ill, it’s Tony that he calls for help and Tony has to decide if he can
heal Jared without giving away too much of his heart.

Can best friends find their way to true love
and discover if they were meant for each other, or will the challenges of life
force them to choose separate paths?

Book Details:

Author Name: Ann Lister

Book Title: Meant For Me, The Rock Gods series, Book 5

Publisher: SleighFarm Publishing Group

Book Length: 270 pages, 85,000 words

Genre: Gay Romance, Erotic

Book Release Date: May 28, 2015

Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis from Book Cover By Design

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/519355.Ann_Lister

Purchase Link:

Meant For Me

Denise’s Review:

What can I say about Meant for Me? First, I want to take Tony and Jared and give them huge hugs!

I really enjoyed the sweetness of Jared and Tony. Sometimes you just need the sweetness. And honestly for me, at the time that I read this book, I needed one just like that. It wasn’t filled with angst (other than my own, by being pissed at Harry), and they had such a loving connection. It made my heart happy. I didn’t want to read the rest of the night, once I finished MFM, because Ann Lister book cover front and back I wanted that feeling to just stay and soak it up.

I liked the fact that the angst in this book was low. They were connected, not just emotionally, but by their friendship. They both were afraid to take it further because losing a friendship over something that may not work was not worth it for them. I loved that connection, it felt real. It was organic, and had been portrayed throughout the series. In fact, there were several mentions during the book about how everyone knew they were together…before Tony and Jared knew they were together. That shows a growing of characters over a long period of time, and really made this book easy to read and believable.

I’m hoping most people come away with that feeling and enjoy it for the story it is. Not every book needs to be overdone with angst. Sometimes enjoying that connection leaves the reader feeling fulfilled.

Now, don’t get me wrong, that does not mean there wasn’t also hotness, because, I have said this before and I stand behind my statement. NOBODY writes hotter sex scenes than Ann Lister. No one! So, while their connection was emotional, and sweet, and mostly angst-free…their connection in the bedroom almost lit my iPad on fire!

In addition, Meant for Me got me totally revved for Dante and Ash. Those boys are gonna probably crash hard before they actually burn it up! 😀 That ones gonna be a hot one. Definitely some angst ahead there!!!

My final call for Meant for Me is 4.5 pieces of eye candy. When you have a book that you want to re-read, you know its going to get the rating, and this one is definitely on my re-read list.

Author Interview:

Welcome to Ann Lister! Thank you so much for joining us here on Two Chicks Obsessed!

TCO: When you started writing the first book in the Rock Gods series, did you foresee that you would take it this far? Where did you envision it going at the beginning?

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how far this would go. I started with Dagger’s band, Black Ice, and I had rough outline planned for stories about the guys in that band. What surprised me was while I was writing Fall For Me, I started hearing the voices from the men in Ivory Tower and they were LOUD. Next thing I knew I was jumping from Black Ice over to write stories for Ivory Tower. Same thing happened again when I was writing Meant For Me.

Suddenly Dante and Ashton were screaming at me to write their story and I couldn’t shut them up. First time ever, I ended up writing Tony and Jared’s story at the same time I was writing Dante and Ashton’s. Talk about head hopping!

TCO: This story is very different than the other books in the series-in my estimation. It is much more about connection and a sweet romance, supporting each other when times are tough. Was that how you saw Jared and Tony from the beginning?

I absolutely did see them as the quiet, secretive, and very private twosome that everyone questioned what they were up to. For those that have followed the series they should remember Tony and Jared always being in the background which is where they prefer to be, while quietly observing the others. Tony and Jared are immensely loyal to each other and truly enjoy spending time with each other. But spending all that time together opened up a door for them. All they had to do was decide if they had the balls to step through it and explore what was waiting for them on the other side.

TCO: You talk in your dedicatio

n about how this book was the first time you hadn’t been writing while dealing with the grief from the loss of a loved one. How did writing this story compare to writing under what had to be difficult emotional conditions for you.

I think by now many probably know I recently lost most of my immediate family in a relatively short period of time and it did throw me into a tailspin that led to some pretty dark days. I think the writing helped me to crawl out of the hole I was in emotionally. On some days, writing felt like therapy and it was healing. There are a few sections in this story where Tony deals with a little bit of what I was going through. I’ve learned a lot about myself from having gone through the last four years. I believe I am a much stronger person from having lived it and I also feel my writing has improved because I’ve been able to fold some of this emotion into the stories that is raw and very real. I’m happy to say that I am well on my way to having the old Ann back. I missed that crazy bitch, so it is good to feel whole again.

TCO: We get a peek at what is next for this series at the end of Meant for Me. Can you give our readers what you see ahead for Dante and Ashes?

Oh, Dante and Ashton are my fighters! They love to hate each other, but beneath the surface the passion bubbling between them can only lead to one thing: heat that burns up the sheets. Both are total alphas and that leads to some loud and physical…..interactions, once they finally allow the other into their hearts.

TCO: Fun Question.

You and I are in Vegas, and get ourselves arrested. What are we arrested for? And who do we call to bail us out of jail?

Well, we were in Vegas recently, but we shall not speak of what may or may not have happened there due to the Vegas Code of silence. But, if I were to hypothetically answer your question…..I might say we were arrested for one count of soliciting a go-go boy and several counts of lewd and lascivious behavior on stage while we were soliciting this poor boy. The actual arrest got ugly, since we thought it might be fun – and naughty, if we resisted (totally your idea), and that led to yet another count against us of assault on a police officer. Our one phone call was to Sandrine Gasq Dion because we knew she would come into the police station with her guns blazing and break us out of there. And, at the moment, there may or may

not be a warrant out for both of our arrests. 🙂

Excerpt:

“I’m thinking champagne and maybe some strawberries,” Jared suggested.

“Hmmm, romantic,” Tony teased. “I didn’t know you were capable.”

“Capable? I’ll show you what I’m capable of,” Jared countered. “I’ll dribble the champagne all over your naked body and lick you clean, and then I’ll get you dirty with my spunk. I’ll use my dick to paint my name across your chest in the come smears and fuck you while I watch it dry. How’s that sound?”

“Jesussss!” Tony moaned. “It sounds fucking filthy. I love it.”

Jared laughed, a deep, throaty sound that aroused Tony even more. “I knew you’d like that scenario,” Jared said. “It’s why we’re so good together.”

“We do bring out the best in each other,” Tony bit at Jared’s neck and sucked with force.

“Let’s get naked,” Jared suggested.

“I’ll get the champagne,” Tony added.

Author Bio:

Ann Lister writes erotic love stories using beautifully drawn characters; flawed and emotionally damaged, and at the height of their careers, each in search of the one thing that still eludes them: love.

The Rock Gods series gave her Bestselling Author status on Amazon. Each book in this series brings her two favorite elements together: musicians and the love between two men. These stories focus on what it truly means to love; love unconditionally, love without restrictions or labels, love without fear or judgment – to just simply love.

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Lister/95422803480?fref=photo

Website: www.annlisterpublications.com

Twitter: @AnnListerAuthor

Amazon Buy Links: Rock Gods Series

Fall For Me (part 1)

·
Take What You Want (part 2)

·
Make You Mine (part 3)

·
Looking at Forever (part 4)

·
Meant For Me (part 5)

Giveaway:

*** US ONLY

5 signed copies of one Rock Gods title (5 winners)
5 swag bundles (5 winners)
1 signed set (4 titles) of The Rock Gods series

*** WORLDWIDE

1 digital set of The complete Rock Gods Series (1 winner)
5 e copies of a Rock God book of choice (5 winners)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ann Lister Schedule

Blog Tour Stop Review and Giveaway: Fourth and Long by Michele Micheal Rakes

April 28, 2015 by Denise

Synopsis:

Irus Beaumont, cornerback for the Highlanders, has an issue with his nemesis: wideout for the Pirates, Jackson McCoy. Partly jealous over Jackson’s skill and ability to scrub coverage, Irus also struggles against an unbearable attraction to the receiver. Firmly ensconced in the closet, Irus also has a no football player rule, leaving his desires for Jackson unfulfilled. Anti-gay sentiment in the league keeps Irus closeted, even though he’d rather be out and proud.

When Jackson McCoy suffers a gay bashing at the hands of his team mates after winning the national championship, he finds himself traded to the Highlanders. Spring training brings out Jackson’s competitive nature, eliciting the aggression of his new team’s cornerback, Irus Beaumont.

In practice, Irus hurts Jackson badly. The injury places Jackson on the reserve roster. Jacks has plenty of time to contemplate his life, career, and his attraction to the sexy cornerback. Off to Orlando for the best rehab where guilt inspires Irus to call him every evening, Jackson can’t stop thinking about Irus, or what the season holds for his team.

Denise’s Review:

I
happened upon this book and author when my peer blogger Bec from Bike
Book Reviews (bikebookreviews.blogspot.com) raved about it. I read
something about hot men on men action, football and a nice size length
(he he) and decided that this was a book that needed my immediate
attention. So I was excited to get on this blog tour.

I
will admit that I didn’t read Saving Kane, the first in this series, so
I came into this book blind but it can definitely be read as a stand
alone. **Warning, there is discussion of childhood sexual abuse.**

These two men, both broken in different ways, were able to find in each other a missing piece to heal the other.

How Jackson and Irus get together is not your typical m/m romance setup. After a gay bashing, Jackson is traded to Irus’s team, and they become something alongside adversaries. Irus injures Jackson, and they bond following that, as Jackson heads to Florida for rehab.

There are several storylines here that converge, to bring these men to their HFN. Coming out in a sport that is notoriously violent, and being gay just makes it even more challenging. A sexual abuse case that rivals the Penn State one is prevalent. My favorite though, is Miss Beulah, who you will meet through Irus. What a fantastic character, and honestly left me wanting more of her story. I loved that Mikey gave her more purpose than just a side character who pops in and out for moral support. She does that, but has a much bigger place in the story, and I love that Mikey went there with her.

This book is a HFN, as there is more to come for these characters, and the football team. There will be resolution for the football teams, and I forsee a legal trial ahead. However, it was great to see Jackson make good strides ahead in his issues, as he found a soulmate in Irus, who epitomized the big scary football player with a heart of gold. I cannot wait to see where these characters end up.

If I hadn’t known there was another book coming, I might have rated this book 4 pieces of eye candy for leaving us out in the cold at the end. But fortunately the author has been redeemed as book 2 is in the works. 🙂

So, this was an easy 5 pieces of eye candy for me. Hot men, football and an involved and long story. All the things I absolutely love about reading.

Michele Rakes Guest Post: Sex in Romance Novels

Remember back in the day, when if you were lucky, you got
that great paragraph on page 69? Some novel by Kathleen Woodwiss with the
reluctant heroine? The man she was to fall in love with her captor and when he
forces himself upon her… Instead of suffering a tragedy, she blossoms under his
one scornful love.

Bullshit, yeah? Still, though, you recall that spark of
excitement from reading something that usually took place off stage left? There
is a debate on sex in romance novels, either gay or straight, and everyone has
an opinion. Yes, like assholes, but everyone is entitled to that opinion. We
want what we want and we like what we like. Some of us want lust. A few of us
crave the carnal. There are characters meant to suffer and survive. Desire
motivates a lot of people in reality and art seems to imitate that, badly at
times.

There are readers who are over the moon to have the bedroom
hours kept in the dark. As well as those of us who chomp at the bit to see the
guy lashed to the bed with a bit in his mouth. Some of us have dark desires and
some of us have lovey squishy yearnings… And there’s books for all of us.

In my opinion the debate isn’t what books should have, but
what books are for which readers. Desire is a base instinct within humans. Animal
lust. Initial attraction is fueled by this desire. Gay. Straight. Bisexual. We
have people in our lives we love and desire. When a couple first gets together,
there is that flush of heat, the insatiable need to live in each other’s skin.

We fuck like bunnies. Then we fuck some more. Personally, I
like that kind of reality in the books I read. Have I read books with too many
sex scenes? Yes. Only because they no longer propelled the characters forward
in their arc. Each scene needs to grow something between the main characters,
whether it’s hate and anger, love and lust, or the heartfelt desire to spend
the rest of their lives joined at the hip. Sex in a novel must be there for
more than just the feels. We love the feels, but we need movement. We must have
our characters moving in time or else the story becomes stagnant. No amount of
sex is going to save a stagnant story.

Sometimes, I feel l’ve put too much sex in my stories, but
when you’re writing about a character addicted to sex what’s a writer to do?
Make sure every scene accomplishes something vital to the characterization or
plot. A beta reader sent me an honest critique. It was for Fourth and Long. He said
(a paraphrase), “I was thinking, oh not another sex scene, but then I was
surprised. The character’s had grown. They changed. Irus became less selfish.
The scene was about Jackson.” This made it new. Made it more about the feelings
of the two characters involved. There was depth. Emotion. Growth.

Sex, like violence, can’t be gratuitous. In real life,
violence, death, and sex affect real people. For someone involved, it matters,
and for fictional people, it should matter too. There are people who read these
books because they like the idea of sex, just not the real form and function.
These scenes sweep them away into a world of love, lust, and emotion. A world
they either gladly or unhappily watch from outside the window, looking in with
glorious wonder.

On the flip side, there are folks who don’t want to be
bogged down in sex scene after sex scene. Even one is too much. They want plot.
The good guys pitted against the bad with love winning out in the end. The
feels are enough.

So, how should we write?

We write what the characters need and let the readers find
us. If your characters are wanting to fuck like bunnies, let them, but only
show us the most important moments.

All else can happen exit stage left.

Extended Excerpt:

If you didn’t get to read the Extended Excerpt posted on TCO’s page recently, check it out here:
http://www.twochicksobsessed.com/2015/04/extended-excerpt-and-giveaway-fourth.html

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Loose ID

ARe

B&N

Author Bio

Michele Micheal Rakes lives in a small town in the shadow of a big
mountain. She works as a surgical technologist assisting in the removal of
tonsils and testicles. She has three grown children, two psychotic Egyptian
Mau’s, a husband with hair down to his ass, two Harley’s, and a ferret named
Teeny Tiny Ferret Feet (husband insists her name Little Feet, we all know he’s
wrong).

Contact Michele Rakes:

@MicheleRakes

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8295571.Michele_Micheal_Rakes

https://m.facebook.com/michelemichealrakes

https://www.facebook.com/michele.rakes.1

https://michelerakes.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/michele-micheal-rakes-author-page/

Blog Post and Review: Falling (Fall or Break Book 1) by Barbara Elsborg

March 20, 2015 by Denise

Synopsis:

Harper is no longer behind bars, but it doesn’t feel like
it. Ten years serving time for a crime he didn’t commit have left him shut
down, numb, and a frozen wreck over the simplest of choices.

He’s acutely aware of the dark-haired young man checking him
out in the supermarket, but he’s too deep in panic mode to even meet the guy’s
gaze. Afraid the slightest move will trigger a fall that will never stop.

Fresh off a long-term relationship with a controlling man,
Malachi is stuck living with relatives who think he’s a waste of oxygen. The
tall guy in the long, gray coat is the first bright spot he’s glimpsed in a
long time…though the man’s unblinking stare at a bottle of shower gel is a
touch alarming.

Hard experience tells both of them to turn away before lust
turns to hopeless attraction, and inevitably to disaster. But once their sparks
connect, the arc of electricity is too strong to deny. Even if the cost is too
much to bear.

Author Blog Post:

When I come to think about where to set my stories, I
usually go for somewhere I know quite well. In contrast to the very first
novels I wrote that I set in New York (I’d never even been to America) and
Bogota (I’d never been there either) There was no Internet in those days to
research what places were like.

Nowadays it’s possible to find details of just
about anywhere on Earth. But Falling is the first book I’ve actually set in the
town where I live. Guiseley in West Yorkshire. I had to invent the street for
the house my heroes live in but the swimming pool is there, the retail park is
there and so is the supermarket where the pair first meet.

Did it make it any easier using a place I knew well? No, not
really because I had to make sure I had all the details right. You can’t get
caught out if you make a place up but if I’d said there was a TK Maxx in the
retail park and there wasn’t, you can bet I’d have had people telling me I was
wrong.

Though setting the book in Guiseley did have one impact on
an early reader because she lives just down the road from me and found it a bit
freaky to read a book set in the town where she lives. I’ve tended ot stick to
Yorkshire, Derbyshire or London for my settings. Places I do know well. But the
book I’m working on now is set in Dorset. I know nothing about Dorset. Thank
goodness for Google!

Denise’s Review:

Do you know what I like most about reading romance novels? That I KNOW for sure, I will be getting an HEA, or at the very least a HFN. That knowledge served me well while reading this book!!!

There were times where I questioned it…where I wondered, would these men be able to find a happy ending. Thank goodness, Ms. Elsborg did not disappoint me.

Harper, a man just leaving prison after 10 years for a crime that he was framed for, has to learn how to get by in a world that is different than when he went in, and doesn’t want him back in it. It was truly tragic to see the way he was treated.

Meanwhile Malachi, who himself was being treated by his brother in law like a piece of trash, had just left a controlling relationship, finally trying to stand on his own two feet, despite being unable to find a new job.

These two had so much to work through on their own: hatred, bigotry, violence. Then they had to find a way to work through things together, in order to be with each other on solid and common ground.

My heart broke for Harper each time he was met with hatred and anger for something that he didn’t do. My heart broke for Malachi who was subjected again and again to such cruelty at the hands of his family, both past and present.

In the end, Malachi, who know matter what he faced, always was thinking of others, always had a smile on his face, and a pleasant word, would go to the depths of his pain in order to save Harper from a life of continued pain. Malachi showed his love by putting Harper’s life ahead of his own.

This story was tragic, and yet, so full of love, it was hard not to root for these two lovely men right from the beginning. It was a book I found myself checking often to see how close to the end it was, not because I wanted it to be over, but because I wanted to get to the HFN part. It did eventually come, and I was so happy for them, in a way I haven’t been for a long time in a book. That much tragedy deserves a truly happy ending.

My final determination for this book is 4.5 pieces of eye candy. And if there is another book ahead in this series, I will be at the head of the line to read it. Fantastic job, Ms. Elsborg.

Author Bio:

Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of
England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone
without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her.
Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine
biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide. (Try
saying that fast)

After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy,
devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has
time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop. Her
books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, sometimes two bad boys for each
quirky heroine, and more recently two bad boys all on their own. She hopes her
stories are as much fun to read as they are to write.

You can find out more about Barbara and her books at www.barbaraelsborg.com,
catch more of her scintillating wit at her blog on the same site, and if you
want to tell her how much you love her books, please, email her!
bjel@btinternet.com

https://www.barbaraelsborg.com

I’d like to offer one commentator an ecopy of any book from
my backlist. And if you’d follow me on Facebook, I’d appreciate it. Thanks!

Where to find Falling:

http://amzn.to/18uG8Nt

https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5374/falling

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23521523-falling

Blog Tour Stop, Two Chicks Review and Giveaway: A Restored Man by JaimeReese

February 21, 2015 by Denise

Title: A Restored Man

Series: The Men of Halfway House #3

Author: Jaime Reese

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 17, 2015

Cole Renzo thinks his greatest challenge is to behave for the remainder of his term at Halfway House. Until he meets his new boss, Ty Calloway, a man who ticks off every box on Cole’s list of interests.

A sought-after restorer and customizer of exotic and collectible cars, Ty had enough confidence to command what he wanted in life, until one fateful night changed everything. Almost two years later, he’s slowly rebuilding his life with great control. He’s defied the odds and works tirelessly to be the man he once was—but he still feels broken.

Cole’s candor and unfiltered personality awaken Ty’s barely-remembered desire to greet each new day with a smile, while Ty’s unwavering acceptance of Cole’s quirks and brash humor makes Cole feel as if he fits in for the first time in far too long. When a nemesis threatens Ty’s personal restoration and the things he holds dear, Cole is determined to protect their relationship, even if that means sacrificing everything he’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ty will have to let his guard down, surrender control, and admit he needs Cole first, even if that puts himself at risk of breaking beyond repair.

Denise’s Review:

I waited patiently for this installment of The Men of Halfway House series. I lie. I wasn’t patient at all, but what can you do. You have to let the author do their thing and only message them every so often to ask how it’s going. 😊

This is Jaime Reese’s third book, in the series as well as as an author, and it is her best without a doubt. I truly enjoyed the first two books. However Cole and Ty’s story was just a knock out of the park for me.

It was insta-love for me with Cole. I have to say I didn’t think a whole lot of him one way or another in book 2. He was there and a little sassy, but I didn’t have much of a strong impression of him. Immediately in this book I just fell in love with Cole. He was smart, sassy, loyal, even to his own detriment, and would go to the ends of the earth for those he cared for, proving that over and over in this book.

Cole meets Ty, his new boss, and the two begin a slow burn romance. The attraction is instant, but with baggage on both sides, taking a chance and trusting was tough. But Cole, with his mismatched eyes and his ever present light, showed Ty that despite the devastation in his past, he could begin to smile again and let go of the guilt he was clinging to like a warm coat.

Fast, exotic cars, and blackmailing ex partners try to get in the way of love, but nobody takes Cole down easily and his past loyalties and happy nature mean he is willing to stand up for what’s right and help the man who has helped him so much.

Jaime did such a fantastic job on this book. The research that must have gone into this book (unless she has a hobby of collecting exotic cars) is incredible. Cars most people have never heard of, and will likely never see in person float in and out of the book, leaving the reader wanting to look up each and every one to see what they look like.

Aidan’s book has to be next, and that is a man with more baggage than the carousel at the airport. He will be a tough nut to crack and the man on the other side is a mystery as we learn during this book.

An HEA was without question in a Jaime Reese book, but the extent to which I enjoyed this book was unexpected for me. I will re read this without question, and cannot recommend it more highly. Reading books 1 and 2 are helpful for backstory but not required. I do recommend them both though.

Without question, five pieces of eye candy from me. Don’t miss this book!!!

Morgan’s Review:

I
loved the new novel in the Men of Halfway House Series. Cole was so
interesting. He has this incredibly unpredictable mouth and you never know
what’s going to come out. There is no filter between his brain and his mouth
for sure. On top of not knowing how to control what he says, Cole struggles
with guilt surrounding his brother’s death. A car boost gone bad landed him a
two year sentence which led him to Halfway House. One stipulation of his stay
is to be able to get a job and keep it. Aidan helps him land a job with his
brother working at his garage where he restores, customizes and does general
repair on all types of cars. This is where he meets Ty.

Ty
has struggles of his own. He survived a horrific accident that took the life of
his parents and is trying to overcome the guilt. He has been in a very dark
place and is still recovering even two years later. He is very quiet and
guarded, and feels he should tackle his problems all on his own.

Cole
sweeps in and makes Ty smile again. The attraction is there from the first
moment and Ty doesn’t stand a chance against Cole’s charm. He pulls Ty out of
that dark place and helps him take his life back. The banter and teasing
between Cole and Ty will really make you smile. These two are a perfect match
for each other.

This
story is packed with emotion from the first page. Definitely a reread for me
and a perfect addition to this series.

5
pieces of eye candy.

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“I thought those were the service bays,”
Cole said, thumbing over his shoulder.

“They’re for the traditional shop work my techs
do on a daily basis. These are my
service calls. Side project I’m doing and there’s no money in it for the guys
so I don’t really want to burden them. I figured we could work on them and, in
between, we could tinker with the Yenko if you want or wrap up the last few
details on the Drayton rig. I worked on most of it over the weekend but there
are still a few things to finish up.”

Cole stopped walking. “You’d let me work on the
Yenko with you?”

Ty nodded. “Sure, why not. I’ve seen how picky
you are with your work.”

“So it’s my reward for helping you with your
service calls?”

Ty chuckled. “Do you do tricks too?”

Cole raised an eyebrow and half smiled. “Oh, I’ve
got a lot of tricks I can show you.” He smiled at the rush of color to
Ty’s cheeks, loving the way Ty always reacted to his teasing.

“You do realize you’re an HR nightmare,” Ty
said, looking at Cole with that glimmer in his eye.

Cole’s pulse raced. “HR?”

“Human Resources. Sexual harassment, all
that,” Ty said, trying to look serious and indifferent, but failing
miserably.

Cole belly-laughed so loud it echoed in the shop. He
then stilled, straightened his shoulders, and mocked a serious tone. “I
could, of course, be completely professional and proper with you, Mr. Calloway,
if that is your preference,” he said, mimicking Matt’s formal tone.

Ty turned to face him, the mock seriousness
transitioning into something more genuine. “And I, of course,” he
said, reciprocating Cole’s tone, “would be deeply disappointed.”

He looked up into those brown eyes and smiled.
“My army of superheroes and I would be as well.” He bit back a smile
and bowed.

Ty’s low rumble-laugh shot straight to Cole’s dick.

Cole straightened. “Admit it, you like me.”

Ty raised his hand and put his thumb and index
fingertips together with only a sliver of a gap between them. “Maybe a
little bit.”

Cole
looked at Ty’s fingers then glanced back at him with a huge grin on his face.
“It’s a start,” he said before walking off to the two cars parked in
the bay.

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Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.

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Blog Tour Stop, Two Chicks Review and Giveaway: Memories of the Heart by Felice Stevens

February 19, 2015 by Denise

Title: Memories of the Heart

Author: Felice Stevens

Genre: Adult, Gay Romance

Release Date: February 12, 2015

Ruthless, Controlling, A Loner. All words used to describe Dr. Micah Steinberg by the hospital staff for their next head of surgery. When a letter arrives from his grandmother’s friend at the assisted living facility, his orderly world tilts dangerously out of control.

Josh Rosen had everything until it was revealed much of his world was a lie. Forced to re-evaluate his life, Josh gives up his career and returns home to New York City to care for his beloved grandmother. What Josh didn’t figure on was an attraction to a man who on the surface, appears to be exactly like the life Josh chose to leave behind.

As Micah struggles with the reality of his grandmother’s illness, the bond they share deepens, as Josh helps Micah heal, then open his heart. Micah discovers there is more to life than work, control and success. Josh is in deep but has yet to tell Micah who he really is.

When the fight for the hospital’s head of surgery turns ugly, Josh’s past and present collide. Micah must let go of the past and accept who he is, if his life is going to move forward.

Life is full of surprises, and as both Micah and Josh learn, love can happen whether you plan for it or not.

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Denise’s Review:

First, I have to say, I didn’t have an ugly cry like I did on Felice’s last book, thank goodness. She has just about taken care of my allotment of ugly cries already for a while, I need a break! 🙂

This is Felice’s first self-published book, and what a book it was!!! Weaving a beautiful love story around two men, and the love for their grandmothers as they age.

Micah is a broken man, and hard for Josh to get to know. They slowly allow their bond to build, as they work through their daily lives, as well as the reality that is caring for an elderly family member.

My heart broke for Micah again and again, as his grandmother struggled to remember him each time he visited. The guilt that he had due to his decreased visits was palpable. He knew he had made a huge error by letting so much time lapse, and there was no way to recover from that. He was grieving for the grandmother he had loved, and was losing more and more each day.

This is a struggle millions of families go through on a daily basis. As aging parents and grandparents begin to lose their memories, become debilitated by disease, family members must find a way to work through the grief and guilt that they may not have been as helpful as they could have been to their loved one when they were healthier. (I, myself, struggled with this same issue. The pain is something that you just can’t quite ever come to terms with, you just must learn to live with it.)

Fortunately for Micah, he had Josh, their newfound canine buddy, and Josh’s grandmother who would not let Micah hide away. Sometimes you need someone to kick you out of that guilt pattern and into dealing with what you have right here, right now, and she was just the right person for the job.

This book was a heart breaker in so many ways. When you read romance, whether mm, mf, or any combination, you are reading hoping of an HEA (at least I am!), and Micah and Josh do get HEA. However, it is twinged with sadness because you know that Micah’s grandmother will not get her mind back to where it once was, and you know that he will have his heart broken over and over again.

What a beautiful story this was! I always love that Felice throws in a pet somewhere, me being a crazy cat lady and all. More than a beautiful love story, it was a REAL story, one that is lived every day, and for that, I am grateful to Felice for writing this.

My final determination is a re-read worthy, 4.5 pieces of eye candy.

Morgan’s Review:

WOW, Felice has created another
incredible story.

I was drawn into this from the
minute I picked it up and I immediately fell in love with both of these
characters. The attraction between Micah and Josh was there from the first
moment they saw each other even if it wasn’t a perfect first encounter.

Micah is a very broken and
vulnerable man that keeps everyone at arms-length to stop himself from getting
hurt. Josh has a huge heart and sweet personality. Getting to see how Josh
cracked all that ice around Micah’s heart had the emotions going and the love
these two show for their grandmothers is so heart-warming.

Felice’s writing is always wonderful
and she creates amazing characters. I really hope we get to see more from Alex
as well.

Definitely a reread and a 5 piece of
eye candy read for me!

I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending just around the corner. I started reading traditional historical romances when I was a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that my interest in romance novels became renewed.

But somewhere along the way, my tastes shifted. While I still enjoys a juicy Historical romance, I began experimenting with newer, more cutting edge genres and discovered the world of Male/Male romance. Once I picked up her first, I became so enamored of the authors, the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion of the books, I knew I wanted to write my own.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

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Blog Tour Stop and Giveaway: Godsend by Sloan Johnson

February 17, 2015 by Denise

Title: Godsend

Author: Sloan Johnson

Genre: Adult, Gay Romance

Release Date: February 4, 2015

You can’t choose who you fall in love with. Despite knowing from a young age that he was gay, Scott Murphy couldn’t imagine life without Shelly. He threw away the labels and had eleven amazing years with her, but now, he feels even more lost trying to figure out how to move on after Shelly’s death. After nearly a year of watching Scott fade away, Shelly’s father forces him to start living again.

As much as Chris loathes the idea of attending a bereavement group week after week, it’s one of the only places he can go in this town, other than the bar, to not feel so alone. When there’s nothing to distract him or dull his senses, he spends too much time obsessing over how he should have been able to help his sister. When Scott shows up at his group session, Chris decides that maybe some good can come out of his sister’s death.

There’s no denying that Chris is the first man to catch Scott’s attention in a long time, but how can he move on when just thinking of Shelly sends him to his dark place?

The road to recovery won’t be an easy one, but Chris is determined to help Scott see that life is still worth living. But before Scott can allow himself to admit what he feels for Chris, he knows he has to reveal the full truth about Shelly’s death.

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I promised Ma that I wouldn’t drink my dinner every night, but some days, it’s impossible to keep that promise. I tell myself that it’s different on days like today because I’m not drinking to forget how much I miss Jill, I’m drinking to forget how miserable some people choose to make one another. Today, I just about lost it and told one couple that there’s no point in them even trying to get along. Unfortunately, my partner frowns upon me telling couples that sometimes two people just aren’t meant to be together, as was this case with this pair.
It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to the dark atmosphere of Brewster’s after walking around for thirty minutes trying to tell myself I didn’t need a drink. I find an empty seat at the end of the bar and signal the bartender for my usual. Okay, so maybe Ma had a point since he simply nods and has a tall whiskey sour sitting in front of me in less than a minute.
I look around, the same way I do every night, wondering if this town will ever start to feel like home. It’s a nice enough place, but there’s a definite divide between those who are from here and those who move here at some point in their lives.
I sit a bit straighter when I see Scott, the quiet, broody guy from group, sitting at one of the high top tables in the center of the room. He looks absolutely miserable. When I catch a glimpse of his date for the evening, Adrian the annoying twink who thinks he’s God’s gift to all gay men in town, the annoyance radiating off Scott is understandable.
I nurse the first drink, rather than down it as quickly as possible. I’ve wanted to talk to Scott the past few weeks, but he’s ducked out as soon as the official meeting ends, even though Jim hangs around for a while. I’ve considered following him when he leaves, to see if I can talk to him, but then I tell myself that he must have his reasons for not wanting to deal with people and I have to respect that.
I feel like a creep, watching Adrian and Scott eating dinner, but I can’t help it. A few times, I’ve thought Scott was checking me out the same way I have been him and this is the first confirmation I have that I might be right. Scott excuses himself from the table and Adrian reaches out for him as he walks away. I laugh when Scott practically jumps back to keep from being part of an awkward and unwelcome embrace.
Once he’s in the restroom, I order another drink before putting a five-dollar bill in the jukebox. I don’t give a shit about the music, but it’s the closest I can get to Scott without following him into the bathroom, which is a level of creepy that I can’t imagine stooping to.

Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s life. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.

When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.

Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?

Now, Sloan is a tattooed mom with a mohawk and two kids. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself with a good book and forget she has somewhere to be.

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