Book Excerpts

Off Base by Annabeth Albert: Release Day Blitz, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

January 9, 2017 by Denise

Title: Off Base

Series: Out of Uniform #1

Author: Annabeth Albert

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: January 9th 2017

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 73,000

Genre: Romance, Military, SEALs, Contemporary, Roommates-to-lovers

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After trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate—especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike’s flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike’s arrival would spark from Zack’s teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can’t refuse.

Pike Reynolds knows there won’t be a warm welcome in his new home. What can he say? He’s an acquired taste. But he needs this chance to get his life together. Also, teasing the uptight SEAL will be hella fun. Still, Pike has to tread carefully; he’s had his fill of tourists in the past, and he can’t risk his heart on another, not even one as hot, as built—and, okay, yeah, as adorable—as Zack.

Living with Pike crumbles Zack’s restraint and fuels his curiosity. He discovers how well they fit together in bed…in the shower…in the hallway… He needs Pike more than he could have imagined, yet he doesn’t know how to be the man Pike deserves.

Book One of the Out of Uniform series

This book is approximately 73,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise

“What do you mean they’re not coming?” Zack tried hard to sound like the badass navy SEAL he was now. He’d passed all sorts of interrogation training—there was no reason he couldn’t hide that he didn’t particularly like this guy. Or this fancy bar where he and his nontrendy clothes and military haircut were out of place. He’d agreed to go out for drinks with a group. His friend Ryan had promised him a drink for finishing his SEAL qualification training and getting his trident, and Zack had figured dealing with the rest of Ryan’s crowd wouldn’t be horrible. But tolerable was a far cry from being stranded alone with Pike freaking Reynolds without Ryan as a buffer.

“They blew two tires getting out of Santa Monica and are waiting on a repair truck now. Ryan said to have fun without them.” Pike looked harmless enough—shorter than Zack with a lean build and bright red hair and freckles that made him look too young to drink—but Zack knew from experience he was anything but benign. Pike was the type of guy who would flirt with wallpaper, but he seemed to have singled Zack out for special attention ever since their first meeting at a LAN party.

Which was all well and good, but unlike a lot of Ryan’s crowd, Zack wasn’t openly gay. And what Zack hated was that Pike seemed to see through all his “no, really I’m straight” protests and see things Zack refused to even think about. And a whole night with Pike? Torture. And that was coming from someone who’d been tossed into frigid water with his arms and legs bound. Repeatedly.

But he’d happily endure another round of drownproof training if it meant an easy out of this situation.

“Is Landon coming?” Please say it’s not just us. Surely, Pike’s omnipresent sidekick would be there to bail Zack out.

“Nope. He’s doing research at the Hadron Collider for the next few months. Just us, I think.” Pike grinned at him. “Alone at last, right?”

Zack guessed that the Hadron was one of those supersmart things Pike’s crowd just assumed everyone else knew about. He certainly wasn’t about to appear dumb and ask. “You don’t have to stick around on my account,” he said instead.

“Dude.” Pike smacked him on the shoulder. “I’ve had a shit week. Another three interviews for jobs for the fall, another three fuckups on my part. Don’t make me drink alone.”

“I guess I could do a beer.”

“On me, right? We’re all super stoked that you passed SQT.” Pike gave him another of those disarming smiles.

Ba-deep-deep. Zack’s phone chimed. Sure enough, there was a message from Ryan apologizing for bailing. Have fun with Pike, Ryan ended. But whatever you do, don’t let him talk you into shots. He looks scrawny, but he can drink you under the table. Trust me.

Zack shoved his phone away. Nope, no way was he doing shots with Pike. Last thing he needed was to get drunk and forget himself around the guy.

“So what’ll it be? They have a whole selection of craft beers here.” Pike offered him one of the little bar menus artfully strewn around on the huge antique wood bar.

“A Bud’s fine,” Zack said. He’d never developed a taste for the fancy stuff. This whole place was fancier than he was used to, what with the exposed hardwoods everywhere, the prettified bar food emerging from the kitchen, and the painted inspirational quotes behind the bar. Even the name, Mellow, was a far cry from the hole-in-the-wall places he’d drunk at in college or even Big Ted’s, the little sports bar right off base that his fellow SEALs favored.

Pike signaled the burly bartender, who frowned at them after Pike gave their order for a Bud and some fancy-ass beer Zack had never heard of. “Hand stamps, please. Both of you.”

Zack stuck his hand out, showing that the bouncer had indeed checked his ID. Pike put his arm right next to Zack’s—way too close for comfort. “See, look at us, finding things in common.”

“Getting carded is hardly something to be proud of,” Zack mumbled as he pulled his arm away. Back in San Diego, when he went to the bars with his friends, they never got carded anymore. And he liked that—he was twenty-three now, for crying out loud.

“Of course it’s not for you, Muscles.” Pike did that whole standing-too-close thing again, moving over so others could get to the bar.

Zack really shouldn’t like that Pike noticed what the past few months of training had done for his physique. He’d always been lean, but days of log- and boat-carry drills had carved out muscles he hadn’t even been aware he had. Zack accepted his beer from the bartender, then followed Pike to one of the little high-top tables ringing the bar area.

“Seriously, you are jacked now.” Pike winked at him, giving him the sort of once-over Zack’s buddies gave girls in bikinis. “Look at those shoulders. It even makes you look taller.”

Flattery was not going to work on Zack. Not even a bit. Besides, Pike was the short one, probably five seven or so. But Zack was a perfectly respectable five ten. In your boots.

“Truth, man. I just call it like I see it.” Pike shrugged. And that right there was the whole problem with Pike—he had absolutely no filter and a way too keen sense of observation.

Heather's Review

My list of auto-buy authors is short. As in, you could probably count them on two hands and have some fingers left over. But right near the top of that list is Annabeth Albert. Seriously, the same woman whose characters I first met in a series about reality television then made me fall in love with a bunch of gamers, even though I hate video games. And now, she’s taken another turn, getting me to fall in love with a Navy SEAL and his math geek boyfriend in Off Base.

What worked:
Zack. This man’s got enough issues to fill an aircraft carrier. If it’d been any other author, I’d have been nervous that it was overkill. But it all worked! Sure, DADT is a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s comfortable being out. And yeah, we live in a more accepting world than we had years ago, but that doesn’t mean every family is going to openly accept their children for who they are. Combine all the aspects of Zack’s life and you have one big, sloppy, denial sandwich.

Pike. Who better to win over a man who won’t even admit that he’s gay than an out and proud, take no prisoners gay man? The best part about Pike is I never felt icky. You know, that feeling you get when you’re reading and the openly gay guy is pushing too hard to get the man of his dreams to admit his feelings? Yeah, that’s not Pike. In fact, I was impressed that he was the one putting on the brakes at times.

The chemistry. In and out of the bedroom, Zack and Pike had chemistry in spades! And unlike some of Annabeth Alberts’s stories, which are sweet with a pinch of spice, this one definitely turned up the heat! Don’t get me wrong, stories can work both ways and it’s a testament to her talent to know which stories need what level of heat.

The tension. At no point did it feel easy for either character. They didn’t throw their own issues to the side for the sake of an easy story. They truly met in the middle to decide whether or not they were going to take the next step.

What didn’t work:
Nothing. There wasn’t a single thing in this story that didn’t work for me. It’s not often that I can say that, but this is one of those cases. Seriously, this is an instant-buy, re-read, love it for life type of book! I may already be trying to figure out how to hack computers so I can get an early copy of the sequel!

5 mother effing stars!!!

5-pieces-eye-candy3

Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Annabeth’s Angels | Sign Up for Annabeth’s Newsletter!

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

January 3, 2017 by Denise

Title: Painted On My Heart

Author: Kindle Alexander

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: January 2, 2017

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?

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

5-pieces-eye-candy2

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.

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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A Collision with Reality by Storm Duffy: Release Day Book Blitz, Excerpt and Giveaway

January 2, 2017 by Denise

Title: A Collision with Reality

Series: In Like Flynn

Author: Storm Duffy

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: January 2nd

Heat Level: 5 – Erotica

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 7100

Genre: Erotica, contemporary, UK, D/s, kink, businessmen, online chat, workplace relationship, erotica

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Flynn’s new boss is so hot he can’t wait to get home to tell the chatroom how much he wants Dom’s cock down his throat. By Friday, he’s shared quite a few thoughts on what he’d like his boss to do to him. But he’s not as anonymous as he thinks, and Dom’s intent on disciplining him for breaching company policy on social networking. Dom gives him a choice of put up or shut up: he can play out the fantasy in real life, or he can walk out of the office without a word to HR as long as he never talks that way about Dom again. Flynn chooses “put up”—but he’s forgotten about one of the things he said he wouldn’t mind doing.

The new manager was really something: tall, dark, and handsome, with a superb arse that looked great in a suit. Flynn wouldn’t mind seeing what it looked like out of the suit. Unfortunately the suit was respectably cut at the front, making it impossible to tell without staring whether the guy dressed to the left or the right, let alone how big his cock was.

Not the sort of thing one ought to be thinking about while listening to the big boss introduce the new manager. He barely caught the guy’s name—Dominic.

“Pleasure to meet you all,” Dominic said. “I look forward to getting to know you better over the next few weeks.”

Flynn looked forward to it as well. He particularly looked forward to getting to know him better in the gents, at least well enough to idly glance down and check out the cock. A pity he wasn’t likely to get to know Dominic in the gents any better than that, not in real life; but it was his own business what he did in the privacy of his own head.

And in the privacy of his favourite board online that evening. No wallet names, no ID. Not even your location listed unless you wanted it out there in the hope of hooking up with someone for a night’s fuck. A safe place to talk about just how much he fancied the new boss.

[New boss arrived today. Absolutely bloody gorgeous, if you like older men. Wouldn’t mind having him discipline me for poor performance.]

[Better if he disciplines you for good performance] an anon said.

[Oh, I think I could perform well for him.]

Flynn could think of a number of ways he could perform, starting with:

[Down on my knees with my mouth open.]

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Storm Duffy has a number of erotica shorts published under that and other names in a variety of venues, including “The Mammoth Book of Quick and Dirty Erotica”. As Jules Jones, she has written several erotic romance novellas and novels, including the first M/M romance published by Loose Id.

Amongst the 2500 or so books on shelves in her house, there is room for rather a lot of cross-stitch thread and entirely too many balls of wool. There are also more bits of computer kit than is quite reasonable for someone who doesn’t do that for a living. The two microscopes, on the other hand, are entirely in keeping with a career in science.

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Catch and Release by BA Tortuga: Blog Tour, Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

December 23, 2016 by Denise

catchandreleaseorig-final-01 synopsis
Dakota Landry just got out of prison after twelve years. If anyone can understand how that feels, it’s his new friend, Sage, who is determined to help him get used to life on the outside—and believes Dakota didn’t commit the crime he was in for.
Jayden Wilson is a former prosecutor who agrees to look into the case at the request of Sage’s lover, Adam. He sets out to prove Dakota is just another “innocent” ex-con, but once they meet, Jayden is more and more convinced Dakota just didn’t do what everyone thinks he did.
Trouble follows Dakota, and nothing is easy as he struggles to figure out how to live, now that he has choices. And Jayden isn’t sure how Dakota, or any lover for that matter, fits into his life. Their path from friendship to romance is a slow one, but Dakota begins to believe he deserves a chance at life, and Jayden falls a little more for Dakota every day. Now they just need to tell each other how they feel.

Title: Catch and Release
Series: The Release Series book 3
Author: BA Tortuga
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 19, 2016
Heat Level: 1 – No Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 75000
Genre: Romance, cowboys, ex-con, lawyer, sweet romance
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excerpt
“One wallet with six dollars and eighty-three cents. One pair of jeans, T-shirt, pair of boots. Belt with buckle. Sign here.” The paper bag was shoved over to him, and Dakota Landry scratched his signature on the paper, his hand shaking harder than he wanted to admit.
One wallet with six dollars and eighty-three cents.
One pair of Wranglers.
Twelve years, three months, and eight days.
Dakota sighed and rolled his shoulders. The Unitarians had donated a gently worn pair of tennis shoes, a button-down from the Walmart, and a pair of new jeans, which hung on his scrawny ass like a bad costume. They were what he had, though. He’d lost seventy pounds since he was twenty, and he read way more bull rider than bulldogger these days.
The rest of the processing flew by, and he walked out of the gate half an hour later, blinking at the late-afternoon sun. He was gonna puke.
He had a suitcase of his shit from his cell and this paper sack and….
A white pickup pulled up, the window rolling down to expose this weathered face peering out from under a straw brim. “You Landry?”
“Yessir.” He braced himself, waiting for a barrel to appear from the window. God hated him, he had no doubt, and it would be just like the evil bastard to have one of the McCarthys come to shoot him as soon as he walked outside as a free man.
It wasn’t a pistol that appeared, though. It was a gnarled cowboy hand. “Sage. Sage Redding. You want a ride, man?”
A lump lodged in his throat. Sage. Okay, he knew this guy from letters and the occasional call. When he knew he was getting out, he’d been assigned… what? Sage was no counselor. He was a godsend, though. “I do, yeah.”
“Cool. Come on. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Please.” He climbed up into the truck, breathing in the smell of horseshit and Old Spice and hay, and suddenly he was thirteen again and had a whole summer in front of him and all these dreams and….
“Hey.” The word was short and sharp, dragging his attention right to Sage’s face.“Stay here. Stay with me, man. You start thinking and the fucking world goes straight to shit.”
“I just….”
“We’ll go to the next town over, and we’ll grab some burgers and a Coke. You ain’t a vegetarian, are you?”
“I’m pretty fucking sure they put all of them in minimum security.”
Sage hooted, the sound natural as breathing. “I bet so.”
“Thanks. I didn’t expect….” He hadn’t known what to expect. He had the numbers for the Salvation Army and a halfway house, neither of which he intended to call.
“No sweat. I been there.”
“Yeah.”
Manslaughter, Sage had said, and the man never once claimed to be innocent. But he was out and living on a ranch, doing his parole and writing prisoners in this exchange deal. Dakota wasn’t sure what the fuck Sage got out of it, but it looked good to the parole board, and to his credit, Sage had written a letter to them.
Sorta like the murderers speaking for the rapists. Whoopdi-fucking-doo.

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Guest Post

Hey y’all! I’m BA Tortuga, resident redneck and all around lover of cowboys.

When I started writing Dakota from Catch and Release, we were starting this weird little learning about each other thing.

I guess I ought to confess that, really, I start with an idea and a basic knowledge about before page one. I know all about the plot and I outline the shit out of that, but let’s be honest, that will change because I have to grow right along with the characters. To me, they’re real, living changeable people.

At any rate, Dakota came to me with the book’s opening lines –

“One wallet with six dollars and eighty-three cents. One pair of jeans, T-shirt, pair of boots. Belt with buckle. Sign here.” The paper bag was shoved over to him, and Dakota Landry scratched his signature on the paper, his hand shaking harder than he wanted to admit.

One wallet with six dollars and eighty-three cents.

One pair of Wranglers.

Twelve years, three months, and eight days.

Dakota sighed and rolled his shoulders. The Unitarians had donated a gently worn pair of tennis shoes, a button-down from the Walmart, and a pair of new jeans, which hung on his scrawny ass like a bad costume. They were what he had, though. He’d lost seventy pounds since he was twenty, and he read way more bull rider than bulldogger these days.

The rest of the processing flew by, and he walked out of the gate half an hour later, blinking at the late-afternoon sun. He was gonna puke.

He had a suitcase of his shit from his cell and this paper sack and….

That’s it. That’s what I knew.

When I started out Dakota was angry and cold as ice, he didn’t want to know me and he sure as shit didn’t want me to know him. Learning to write Dakota was like growing to love a shelter dog – you want to pet him, hold him, comfort him, but you know you’re as likely to be bit as not.

I learned to love him. In fact, he’s still with me. Some characters are like that – Sage Redding was one, too. A good man looking for someone to see that inside him. Sage saw it. Jayden saw it. I saw it.

I hope y’all see it too.

Much love, y’all.

meet the author
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds and her beloved wife, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee. catch-and-release-square
Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

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Tour Schedule
December 19 – Dog-Eared Daydreams
December 19 – Andrew Grey
December 20 – Divine Magazine
December 20 – Happily Ever Chapter

December 20 – Prism Book Alliance
December 21 – Because Two Men Are Better Than One
December 21 – BFD Book Blog
December 22 -Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
December 22 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
December 22 – Bayou Book Junkie
December 23 – V’s Reads
December 23 – Dean Frech

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12 Days of Kissmas: Kindle Alexander

December 23, 2016 by Denise

12 days of kissmas header

TCO has been so excited to bring you 12 Days of Kissmas. We have had 12 of your favorite authors ahead over the last 12 days, bringing you beautiful pictures of men kissing that the authors have chosen themselves, along with exclusive posts, excerpts, and giveaways. The idea sprang from a conversation with an author that just turned into a “what if…”, and when I started asking a few authors, they immediately said they were in. Make sure you enter the giveaways, as there are lots of them! Thanks for stopping by, and a HUGE thank you to all the authors for their generosity, and loving spirit. Happy Holidays to everyone! We have already been asked to bring it back again next year! 🙂

Guest Post

For the final day of 12 Days of Kissmas, we have the wonderful Kindle Alexander. I have personally met these sweet (but fierce) Texas ladies, and they are a force to be reckoned with, but are also fiercely loyal. I asked them to stop by and give us a little taste of their upcoming book, Painted On My Heart, and they sent along this exclusive excerpt.

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excerpt

Painted On My Heart

By Kindle Alexander

Coming very soon.

I mean, really soon. 🙂

It had been exciting to see the Layne complex come to life. Watch the city name the streets after his father and uncle who had taken the risk and started their own business all those years ago. However, the area had lost some of its luster when the cows in the neighboring pasture next to their construction site had gotten loose, leaving big piles of cow shit decorating the middle of the road right after the dedication ceremony.

Not much had changed since that day.

“So how did it go today? Did you find a place?” Arik asked, sliding the cocktail glass across the bar and then taking Gage’s now empty glass and placing it in a plastic bus-tub nearby.

“Yeah, we put in an offer on a place in McKinney. Trent liked the house. He liked the schools there and the highway access. Hunter’s big into baseball and there’s a select program that fits his ability and age. Em’s starting tumbling, so Rhonny’s been on the lookout. She found a gym—a cheerleading gym that she’s got Emalynn all excited about. It’s Colt Michaels’s husband’s place, I think.”

Arik cut him off, laughing as he leaned back against the workspace counter behind him and swallowed a gulp of the drink he’d poured for himself. “It’s honestly hilarious listening to you talk about your kids like that.”

“Whatever. It’s a million times better than that pretty-boy you brought in here this morning. What the hell were you thinking, A?” Gage’s whole attitude and tone changed, like he remembered he wasn’t talking to a card-carrying member of the relationship brigade. He’d watched that same thing happen over and over with his married friends. Parenthood and marriage were clubs he didn’t fully understand.

“I wasn’t. Met him at a party in NYC. We screwed around a few times.” Arik chuckled at his choice of words as his glass touched his lips.

“And you brought him here?” Gage’s voice lifted in question.

“No! Absolutely not. He surprised me.”

Gage shook his head, swirling the ice inside his glass. “That sucks.”

“You have no idea. Why didn’t you plan to get a place on the back forty with our families? They have to be nuts about you being a father. You finally conformed.” Arik grinned at his cousin, changing the subject off him. Hopefully Gage wouldn’t press him about his surprise visitor any further.

The old Gage would have bit at his dig about conforming. They’d both been a bit rebellious, but they had true Layne blood flowing through their veins. They had a deep-seated desire to make it in the world on their own. Only in the last couple of years had Arik made the decision to move his real-estate conglomerate under the Layne, Incorporated umbrella. He’d placed so many stipulations on the deal, he had no doubt his father’s and uncle’s heads swam, but in the end, they were stronger together, and in such a competitive world market, they each needed the strength the other offered.

“I know the family thinks Trent and the kids will adapt well to country life, but I’m not so sure. Besides, I signed an extended contract with Wilder today. I’ll be closer to the airport Wilder uses.”

Arik’s grin widened. So Gage had proved successful for Wilder. They had considered it a short-term experiment, attempting to put relevant news stories at the fingertips of the tech-savvy consumer. Arik had watched every one of the feature stories and breaking news reports Gage had recorded as a hard-hitting, international photojournalist. His cousin always dug deeper than just headline news. His reputation had scored him huge interviews, and he did what Gage did best, got his hands dirty exploring facts. He had also scored a solid hit in his desire to snap pictures of everything, from behind-the-scenes camera footage all the way to taking pictures during an interview. He’d really done quite well.

paintedonmyheart-1400x2100 synopsis

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?

meet the author

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!

Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com

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12 Days of Kissmas: Christa Tomlinson

December 21, 2016 by Denise

15301163_1901555790064065_2104185639_n

TCO is so excited to bring you 12 Days of Kissmas. We have 12 of your favorite authors ahead over the coming days, bringing you beautiful pictures of men kissing that the authors have chosen themselves, along with exclusive posts, excerpts, and giveaways. The idea sprang from a conversation with an author that just turned into a “what if…”, and when I started asking a few authors, they immediately said they were in. Make sure you enter the giveaways, as there are lots of them! Thanks for stopping by, and a HUGE thank you to all the authors for their generosity, and loving spirit. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Guest Post

commission

Isn’t this picture just the most adorable thing? When Denise and TCO asked me to participate in the 12 Days of Kissmas, I knew right off I wanted to do chibi art. It’s something I’m a fan of, and Tapla is my favorite chibi artist. I chose Logan and Clay because I’m currently working on a book two for them, and because they have a Christmas story that was published in 2014.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Logan and Clay are very grown and very sexy, why are they being such cuties? Yes, Logan and Clay are a very sensual couple, but they are also sweet and loving. And I wanted a chance to show the softer side of their relationship. The parts that are cuddles and hugs and hot chocolate in front of the fireplace.

In The Sergeant: A Christmas Story, Logan’s entire goal is to give Clay a happy Christmas. That’s all he’s ever wanted to do, make Clay happy. And of course, Clay is appreciative of his Dom’s love. He shows that appreciation with a sweet kiss under the mistletoe. But since he’s naughty, he surprised Logan with that kiss while they’re at work and in SWAT gear. Ooops! He made his Dom blush. Awww, such cuties.

I’d like to thank Tapla for creating this wonderful art for me. And for my excerpt, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite scenes from The Sergeant: A Christmas Story.

excerpt

Logan took him to an actual tree farm. Clay got out of the car, looking at all of the people milling around. An open front shed was set up with a couple of heat lamps inside for the attendant. Next to it were rows of trees that were already cut. He started that way, but Logan grabbed his arm.

“Nope. You wanted a real tree. You’re going to have to work for it.” He nodded towards the shed. A wheelbarrow full of axes stood in front of it.

“Are you serious?”

“Does Dom Santa lie?”

Clay laughed. “Alright then, I’m game for this.”

They approached the attendant, who sat on a stool behind a table, sipping from a Styrofoam cup. Logan paid for them to cut down one tree, and donated extra to help with replanting in other areas. The attendant handed him the ticket they had to show before they could leave the farm with their tree. Logan asked a question as he put his credit card away.

“That hot chocolate smells good. Do you guys sell cups to customers?”

The guy shook his head. “No man, of course not. It’s free. You want two?”

“Actually, just one for now.”

They waited as the guy mixed them a cup of the hot drink. Logan thanked him before they set off.

“I didn’t know Dom Santa was selfish,” Clay said as they left the shed with the ticket, an axe and one cup of hot chocolate, which Logan was drinking.

Logan looked at him with a teasing gleam in his hazel eyes. “You’ll get yours after you cut down our tree.”

Clay scowled. “Do you also have any kibble in your pocket you plan to dole out after each chop of the axe?”

Logan took a sip of the steaming drink. “Wouldn’t you know it? I left the kibble back at the cabin.”

They trudged through the snow, Clay carrying the axe while Logan continued to sip at his hot chocolate. Logan was letting him pick the tree so he headed for a row of Blue Spruce.

“You know those needles are incredibly sharp, right?”

“I know,” He leaned in close to take a whiff of the tree he’d chosen. “But they smell really good.”

Logan shrugged. “Okay. Have at it.”

Clay took off his coat and handed it to Logan. Getting a good grip on the axe, he swung. The blade landed in the tree with a satisfying thunk. Clay tightened his grip and pulled the axe out of the trunk. He swung again, repeating the process until the small spruce fell over into the snow.

“Very good. If we were on a treat system, you’d have earned five pieces of kibble.”

Clay cut his eyes at his Dom as he shrugged back into his coat. “Hahaha. Help me carry this thing up front.”

Logan held out the cup of hot chocolate. “Here finish this off first.”

Clay took the cup, noticing Logan had hardly drunk any of it. He smiled at him over the rim of the cup, sipping slowly until it was all gone. There weren’t any trash cans nearby, so he crumpled the Styrofoam and shoved it into his coat pocket. They’d just grabbed the tree when he was jabbed sharply. “Ouch! That fucking hurt.” He looked down to see a small red mark on his wrist where he’d been pricked by the spruce’s needle.

“I told you.”

He pulled his sleeves down over his gloves to make sure he didn’t have any bare skin showing. “I don’t care. It still smells good.”

Logan laughed as they carried the tree back to the front. “So goddamn stubborn.”

*****

Thank you for reading! And have a wonderful holiday season.

Love,

Christa

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Okay, isn’t that chibi art the cutest thing EVER??? For a chance to win a signed copy of each of the books from The Sergeant series, tell Christa how adorable that picture is…oh, did you see the new cover for The Sergeant A Christmas Story? Let her know your thoughts on it.

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