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A Right To Know (County Durham Quad) by Jude Tresswell: Exclusive Author Interview and Excerpt

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“A son! A child! How? Why? Fuck! Phil! You can’t have! And does this sperm-child want to see you?”

Abandonment, trust, suspicion and compromise—integral parts of a mystery that involves industrial espionage, sperm donation and coming to terms with oneself and the truth.

Sperm donors know that now, under UK law, offspring who reach eighteen have the right to learn a donor’s identity and last known address, but Phil Roberts donated before the law was changed. He is shocked and dismayed to learn that he has a son called Lewis who intends to visit. Phil’s husband, Raith, is furious—and very scared.

What does Lewis Lennon really want? The man he has always called ‘dad’ is dead. Was his death suicide or was he murdered? Lewis wants Phil to find out. So, Phil, Raith, Mike and Ross, the County Durham Quad, plus their special friend, Nick, are embroiled in another investigation, but, as always, their relationships come under scrutiny too.

Title:  A Right To Know

Series: County Durham Quad 7

Author: Jude Tresswell

Publisher: KDP

Release Date: 31st July 2021

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Male Menage

Length: 57300

Genre: Mystery, asexual/sexual relationship, family drama/biological father, polyamorous relationship

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

When did you write your first story and what was the inspiration for it?

I wrote a 60,000+ word fan fic in 2015.  It was based on a detective series by the British author, Reginald Hill. I was fascinated by one of the secondary characters, a gay detective. I wrote the story around him and gave him a choice: be loyal to his job or to his lover. I knew I couldn’t publish: I’d have been arrested for copyright infringements! I liked the idea, though, so I altered the characters totally and turned the plot on its head to suit them, not Reginald Hill’s original ones. My main guy was Mike Angells and the book became Badge of Loyalty, my first published novel.

Do you have a writing schedule or do you just write when you can find the time?

I’m definitely a morning person. In fact, I’m writing this at seven am. I write or do research most mornings. However, whenever thoughts come, no matter how rough they are, I’ll write them down and if that means getting out of bed at midnight, I’ll get out.

Briefly describe the writing process. Do you create an outline first?  Do you seek out inspirational pictures, videos or music? Do you just let the words flow and then go back and try and make some sense out it?

No outline. No inspirational music etc. The springboard is nearly always something on the news. Once I have something that interests me, the plot develops automatically. That’s because I know how my characters will react to events. We’re talking four polyamorous men, though, plus a fifth one somewhere on the sidelines.  So, although non-dialogue words come fairly easily, I do have to think at times about the words and language they use. Easy to distinguish Mike and Raith. Phil, too, because he’s always so worried and careful. Ross and Nick, though…similar backgrounds and education. Harder. I’ve become much better at giving each of the men a unique voice. I can definitely see an improvement over the series.

Where did the desire to write LGBT romance come from?

I appreciate that people can be aromantic (non-romantic).

I don’t write heavy romance, but I do write about care and concern and the willingness to sacrifice yourself for the people who mean most to you. To me, that’s love and it’s at the heart of the Quad’s polyamorous relationships. Everything represented by the Infinity Heart tattoos they have. (The infinity heart is also my logo.) Nick and Mike’s relationship is also based on love. Nick is asexual. Mike isn’t. Exploring and developing their relationship is very important to me because it’s a means of voicing some ace rep. Sex and love are different. You can be asexual and romantic. Like Nick, and like me too.

How much research do you do when writing a story and what are the best sources you’ve found for giving an authentic voice to your characters?

I certainly research the facts. Both Mike and Nick are cops who become ex-cops as the series develops, so, as I write mysteries where crime is prime, I have to ensure that the two of them sound knowledgeable.  Luckily, I enjoy reading factual stuff – reports etc. It probably shows in my writing, which is very stripped down and non-descriptive. I read a lot of UK government legal stuff on the internet. For example, for Polyamory on Trial, I researched laws and procedures relating to asylum applications. For A Share in a Secret, I read up on sentencing guidelines so’s I’d know what Raith could expect when he stood trial for assault. From then on, it’s anything that will make my characters sound as though they know what they’re talking about. Phil’s a surgeon. He often uses his professional knowledge. Ross is an art dealer. His background knowledge is crucial in Ace in the Picture. Searching the net on key words usually gives me the website of a useful specialist organisation. For example, searching on ’sperm donor’ for A Right To Know gave me the HFEA (Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority).

What’s harder, naming your characters, creating the title for your book or the cover design process?

I’ve posts on my polyallsorts blog about my covers and the characters’ names, but I’ve never written about the titles. That’s strange because the titles are the hardest in a way. I always want there to be more than one level of meaning. Badge of Loyalty – which badge? Mike’s professional police badge or the infinity heart tattoo that represents his personal relationships? Ace in the Picture – the picture, literally, is a forged painting, but the story introduces Nick, who is asexual, so he is the ace in the picture. A Share in a Secret – yes, Nick learns of an old secret’s contents, but will doing so bind him to the Quad irrevocably? Almost like having a share in a business or a property. And the new tale, A Right To Know – a right to know your parents, a right to know how your dad died, freedom of information… lots of ways of applying the title. The others, Polyamory on Trial, Body Parts and Mind Games, Fast Free and Flying…they all have more than one meaning. Definitely a future blog post there!

“How do you answer the question “Oh, you’re an author…what do you write?”

I used to be very coy about saying what I do. Not now. I say that I write gay mysteries. Responses vary, but the most common one is shock! Not necessarily shock horror (though I have been asked, ‘What do you do that for?’) More just surprise at not getting the expected response. I’m assuming that the expected response would be historical novels or mysteries without the ‘gay’ bit. Something less niche, anyway and more appropriate for a none-too-young, long-married-to-a-man lady!

Do you have any advice for all the aspiring writers out there?

For aspiring writers who don’t have many personal or professional contacts, yes, one thing anyway. I think you have to ask yourself why you are writing. If it’s for fame and fortune, then you are probably going to have to spend a lot of time and money achieving your goal. If you write mainly for your own enjoyment though, then you can budget your PR (if any) accordingly. It’s something to think about.

We’ve all got a little voyeurism in us right?  If you could be a fly on the wall during an intimate encounter between two characters, not your own, who would they be?

One of my favourite books is Jack Dickson’s Some Kind of Love. Similar genre to my own, but more brutal but, actually, no, I wouldn’t want to watch Jas and Stevie, the protagonists, doing anything in real life. I love reading about their relationship, but, watch them? No! Never. I’m asking myself why not. I haven’t come up with an answer. Don’t think it’s connected with being asexual, tho’ maybe it is: I like the fantasy but not the real thing. Ugh! No! Not even Jas and Stevie. (So I’m not voyeuristic.)

If I were snooping around your kitchen and looked in your refrigerator right now, what would I find?

I’ll go and look… Actually, very little. It’s been an odd couple of years with Corona Virus altering the way we do things and shopping is one of the changes. I wait until I’ve run out of everything before I venture to the supermarket. I’ll have to go soon. The only things in the fridge are eggs, cheese and yoghurt in the main part, a wrinkled pepper and some limp-looking celery in the veg compartment and some frozen raspberries and green veg in the freezer bit. I wish I were a more creative cook!

If you could trade places with one of your characters, who would it be and why?

Any of the Quad. That is, Mike or Ross or Raith or Phil. Not Nick. Reason – the first four like partnered sex. Like Nick, I’m ace. That’s not necessarily a problem, but there are times when I think that it would be good to experience the sorts of intense sexual experiences the Quad have. (Experiences that are rarely explicitly there on the page. The books have a low flame count.)  On further thought, I’d discount Phil too. He’s too much of a worrier. And on even further thought, I’d discount Raith. He’s a total one-off and much misunderstood. Not Mike either! He’s too emotionally intense. Sooner or later, he’s going to get into a spot that he can’t wriggle out of. That leaves Ross. Okay, Ross.

If you could sequester yourself for a week somewhere and just focus on your writing, where would you go and what would the environment be like?

Definitely Upper Weardale in County Durham, northeast England. It’s the setting of the stories. It’s remote. It’s harsh and bleak on the moors. It’s green and pastoral in the valleys. The only problem would be that internet connections are somewhat hit and miss. I might have to do everything on paper. If you would like to see what it looks like, I’ve a series of videos on YouTube where I read story extracts over drone and road footage shot by a local guy, Andy Ditchfield. There’s a shortened version of one of the vids on my Amazon page. If you like bikes, you might like it.

What’s the one thing, you can’t live without?

Mental one thing: fantasizing. Imagining stuff keeps me sane. It’s a great escape.

Physical one thing: English-style tea. Leaves not bag.

What internet site do you surf to the most?

YouTube. I don’t have a TV and nor do I have access to streaming but I look at a heck of a lot of YouTube. That’s especially so in the evenings when I’m too knackered to do much else. (Knackered = worn out/tired) I’ll watch anything to do with British industrial history, lots of stuff on geology… loads of things really. I subscribe to quite a few channels: Foxes Afloat is one.

When you got your very first manuscript acceptance letter, what was your initial reaction and who was the first person you told?

I’m self-published so it’s not something that has happened to me. However, I used to write occasionally for a national sports magazine and I can recall my delight when they accepted the first article I wrote. I phoned my husband, who was equally delighted. The thing was, they paid me!

Phil sat at the big kitchen table. His beard, neatly trimmed as always, failed to hide the lack of colour in his face. He looked shocked. He was holding a letter.

“You alright, Phil?” Mike was puzzled and concerned. “Bad news?”

“Not ‘bad’ exactly. Unexpected. Very.” He sighed. “I’ve an eighteen-year-old son. Sperm donation.”

Raith, Phil’s husband, dropped the glass of juice he was drinking. It rolled off the table and smashed as it hit the floor.

“A son! A child! How? Why? Fuck! Phil! You can’t have! And does this sperm-child want to see you?” Raith snatched the letter from Phil’s hands. “I can’t read this fucking stuff; it’s in joined-up. Why didn’t he type it?”

“He probably felt that this was more personal,” Mike suggested, retrieving the letter from the floor where Raith had slung it in disgust and shaking it free of orange juice.

“It’s fucking personal alright. You always said they couldn’t identify you, Phil. What the fuck’s gone wrong?”

“It looks as though we might find out,” said Ross, the fourth member of the quad. He was reading the letter over Mike’s shoulder. “He intends to visit. I think we need to talk.”

I’m a long-married, asexual, cis-gender female who lives in southeast England. I’m from northern England though, and the north is the setting of all my stories. You can see the setting on my Youtube channel. This isn’t a #ownvoice tale, though there’s certainly some ace-rep in it. Part of the motivation was my dismay at receiving, unasked for, the results of an ancestry test earlier this year. A different situation from Phil in the story, but I felt for him! A TW: parental suicide. Again, it’s something I have experience of. I hope I have dealt with it sensitively.

Author Links

Website: https://www.polyallsorts.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17706061.Jude_Tresswell

Sleepwalker (In Step book 2) by Rachel Ember: Release Day Review * 2

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Oliver delights in control—at work as a top-tier lawyer, at home as a happy bachelor, and in the bedroom as a demanding Dom. That control slips when he meets Cujo, a stray Chihuahua who is just as vicious as she is tiny. Luckily, Blake, the young artist and dog-walker who comes to Oliver’s aid, is a miracle worker. When Oliver works late or has to travel, Blake is a text away. When Cujo needs a sweater or allergy medicine and growls in that way that promises bloodshed, Blake is there to save the day.

It hasn’t escaped Oliver’s attention that in addition to being useful, Blake is also smart, funny, and sexy. But Oliver can control himself, no matter how wild his imagination runs when he considers what he’d like to do with Blake. Besides, what are the odds that Blake’s tastes would intersect with Oliver’s very specific kinks?

Blake’s life is kind of a mess. He has nothing to show for his art degree except a portfolio reminding him that now, every time he gets in front of a canvas, he’s struck with a splitting headache before he can create anything worthwhile. His dog-walking business isn’t much of a business, really—it doesn’t pay the bills—but it’s the only thing he’s done lately that he feels good about. Things don’t seem like they could get any more bleak, and then he’s busted for marijuana possession.

And when he’s escorted to the courtroom in cuffs, the last person he expects to see on the bench in judge’s robes is Oliver… the dog-walking client he’s had a crush on since the day they met.

Amazon

I read book 1 and while it was fine, I certainly didn’t love it. BUT I really wanted to read book 2 because I just had a feeling it would be better. And I was totally right.

We got to know Oliver and Blake in book 1. But the first chapter of this book is a throwback a year or so when Oliver gets a dog. And therefore a dog walker. Who he is completely attracted to, but has rules about who he has sex with. Someone he “counts on” isn’t one of them. I thought that was kind of cool. You hear characters say no co workers or bosses or employees or friends or whatever. But no one you count on it really brilliant.

And so for a year Blake is just the dog walker and some time dog trainer for Oliver’s dog Cujo. Until something changed.

Both Blake and Oliver aren’t quite sure what they are doing and what they are and there are several small time jumps. A week, 6 weeks, etc. They didn’t feel misplaced and there wasn’t any story lacking with those jumps.

Although their burgeoning relationship was kind of haphazard, there was never that “No! I don’t want to be in a relationship!” thing that is getting rather old. Nor was their age difference made an issue. They really just seemed like 2 normal guys feeling their way around.

There is some light BDSM action, so if that isn’t your thing, now you know. They were good scenes, but also they were kind of out of place in the book. The cover and a lot of the story is very light hearted. Because of that, it wasn’t easy picturing Oliver as a dom. They could very easily have had hot vanilla sex and it would have fit better.

I will say that a big reason I am giving it 4 POEC is the BDSM element and because there seems to have been a fairly big thing left dangling. Ok, 2 big things now that I think about it.

But it was a good story that I enjoyed and I am glad I gave book 2 a chance.

Easily a stand alone also.

4 pieces of eye candy

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, more than Erin did. 😉 So, I was very much looking forward to book 2. I needed to know how someone like Oliver ended up with a chihuahua named Cujo. And how two such opposite people would end up together. Surprise, surprise! It worked!

We meet Blake in book 1, and he is just a dog walker to Oliver, as far as we understand. However, when this book picks up, it’s a year later, and Blake has actually spent a lot of his time training Cujo with Oliver, and maybe a crush was starting to happen a little. However, the point of change is big for Blake, when he sees a previous hookup of Oliver’s who does nothing to hide their BDSM relationship. Blake immediately knows it’s something he wants…and needs.

Blake’s health is a large part of the book, as well it should be. Seeing how it affected his every day life, and he kept moving, no matter what, was heart wrenching. Even as he hid it from everyone, he could have simply allowed his wealthy mother to care for or assist him, but he was determined to do all he could to just take that next step forward.

Landing in Oliver’s courtroom turned into the best thing that could have happened to Blake. It gave him the chance to open up, even in small pieces to someone he had already felt some trust with.

Their relationship developed naturally, and with small things here and there, which was perfect for both of them. They didn’t need to spend every minute with each other, they just needed to make those minutes count. Although seeing Oliver bumbling with Emile, as he started to fall for Blake was fun. The always put together, perfect in so many ways lawyer/judge feeling off kilter was fun to see.

There are a couple pieces that I’d have liked to have expanded, but all in all, I really enjoyed this one. And the showing at the end…felt so hard fought, and worth it. Well done.

4 pieces of eye candy

Unwritten Rules: A Gay Sports Romance by KD Casey: Release Day Review

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Ex-teammates—and exes—reunite for a second chance in this delightful sports romance from debut author KD Casey.

Zach Glasser has put up with a lot for the sport he loves. Endless days on the road, playing half-decent baseball in front of half-full stadiums and endless nights alone, pretending this is the life he’s always wanted.

The thing is, it could have been everything he ever wanted—if only he’d had the guts to tell his family, tell the club, that he was in love with his teammate Eugenio Morales. Well, ex-teammate now. When Zach wouldn’t—couldn’t—come out, Eugenio made the devastating choice to move on, demanding a trade away from Oakland. Away from Zach.

Three years and countless regrets later, Zach still can’t get Eugenio out of his head. Or his heart. And when they both get selected to play in the league’s All-Star Classic, those feelings and that chemistry come roaring back.

Zach wants a second chance. Eugenio wants a relationship he doesn’t have to hide. Maybe it’s finally time they both get what they want.

Amazon

Harlequin/Carina Press

I am a HUGE baseball fan. I’ve been a baseball fan my entire life, and I have a better than decent amount of knowledge, likely more than the average baseball fan. So, a lot of the terms and baseball verbiage that were used were things I knew and understood. That being said, I would venture to guess the average baseball fan, someone who watches occas, would not understand a large portion of the baseball terms in this book. It was extremely detailed in that aspect, which if I was reading a baseball book, would be completely understandable, but as this was intended as a romance, I think it was likely too much detail. I will say, though, the author clearly knows her stuff when it comes to baseball.

There were a few other details that struck me as strange, such as locations/events that were very closely named to actual MLB names, but only very slightly changed. Perhaps this was to avoid any trademark infringements, however, then I would think those things should have been changed completely.

With the romance, Eugenio leaves the team he and Zach were on, because Zach wouldn’t come out. And I couldn’t blame Eugenio one bit. Zach’s self loathing must have been hard to deal with. We get to see both the past and the present for these two, and seeing how difficult was for both of them was very sad. They had a lot in common, and clearly felt for each other, but with Zach feeling the need to stay in the closet, it was not their time.

Zach needed to spend some time growing and learning that he deserved to be himself, to be loved. And I almost felt the book really should have just been about that, not necessarily about Zach and Eugenio. There wasn’t a ton of chemistry, in my opinion, again, likely because it was so much about Zach and where he needed to go, and very little on Eugenio’s journey.

All in all, I think that the book could have been shortened down by about 10,000 words to get rid of what I think was (for me as someone knows all these terms, and spends entirely too much time watching it) too much baseball (words I never expected to say), and spend a little more time romancing the reader. I’ll always take an HEA/HFN, and this one provides that.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

KD Casey is a romance writer and baseball enthusiast living in the Washington, DC area. She primarily writes queer romance, particularly about baseball players.

On the nonfiction side, her writing has also been featured in the Baseball Prospectus Annual, the Hardball Times, and other venues. She’s an experienced writer, editor, and podcaster. Find her at kdcaseywrites on Twitter and Instagram. Want a free story? Subscribe to her newsletter at kdcaseywrites.com

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune; Narration Kirt Graves: New Release Review/Audiobook Review

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Welcome to Charon’s Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

Amazon

Audible

Okay, full disclosure…I received an arc (thank you!) from the publisher for an honest review. HOWEVER, when I saw that Kirt Graves was doing the audiobook narration, I decided to wait for the audio. It’s actually the first time I’ve preordered an audiobook. I knew that I would enjoy TJ Klune’s book, but I knew I would love it even more, with Kirt’s narration. And thanks to these two men, I spent the better part of 3 hours crying…all in the name of a true HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

I’m not even sure where to start with this book. The author’s world building is so incredible, bringing life to what should be a dead place. All of the characters were rich and nuanced, not only the main characters. In fact, there really weren’t two main characters in this romance, but five total, and we learn so much about them throughout the book. Meanwhile, Wallace learns a lot about himself, who he was before he died, and who he really wanted to become. And in the end, he did all he could to redeem the wrongs that he did in life, as well as the ones that he saw after his death.

I loved that Hugo couldn’t touch Wallace…it was such a small thing, but it really spoke to what these two men were dealing with as they fell in love. Their lives were going in separate directions, they couldn’t touch, only see and talk, so Mei had to be the one to make any contact…well unless you could Nelson’s cane (haha). On top of it all, this book was hilarious. I’m still working from home, and was super glad that I was not at work listening to this book, for all the laugh out loud moments…as well as the bawling I did for the previously mentioned 3 hours.

There were so many little scenes in the book that moved it from an average book to amazing. Wallace playing with Apollo out back, or hanging out with Nelson and just talking all night. Even how much he clearly grew to respect Mei and all she did for her found family. Seeing Cameron’s life, and doing what he could to help in the tea shop. Every small step Wallace made brought him from a man everyone hated in the first chapter, to someone who you rooted to find his happy ending. Wallace built himself a family simply by being the man he wanted to be.

The narration by Kirt Graves was spot on once again. I enjoy the little inflections he adds to each and every book he narrates. He takes something mildly funny, and with just a simple pause, or a tiny gasp he turns it into a laugh out loud moment. His vocal range always allows me to know which character is speaking, even if the words don’t, something that is much appreciated. Kirt is definitely my top 3 narrators in this genre, and I’m always happy to spend a few hours in the world that he works so hard to recreate from the author’s vision.

In the end, you could not have asked for a happier ending, or a more fulfilling ride along the way. Full of humor, joy at the little things (like tea!) and so uplifting. I may have had puffy eyes for a full day after, but it was all well worth it.

Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

The Lights on Knockbridge Lane (Garnet Run Book 3) by Roan Parrish: New Release Review

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Can one man’s crowded, messy life fill another man’s empty heart?

Raising a family was always Adam Mills’ dream, although solo parenting and moving back to tiny Garnet Run certainly were not. After a messy breakup, Adam is doing his best to give his young daughter the life she deserves—including accepting help from their new, reclusive neighbor to fulfill her Christmas wish.

Though the little house may not have “the most lights ever,” the Mills home begins to brighten as handsome Wes Mobray spends more time there and slowly sheds his protective layers. But when the eye-catching house ends up in the news, Wes has to make a choice: hide from the darkness of his unusual past or embrace the light of a future—and a family—with Adam.

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Amazon

Garnet Run

Book 1: Better Than People
Book 2: Best Laid Plans

I absolutely ADORED the first two books in this series. And I liked this one a lot, but it didn’t feel like it was on the same plain as the first two. That isn’t to say it wasn’t a great book, it was. Let’s dig in.

Adam, newly single dad moved home to Garnet Run because their sibling offered to help with Adam’s daughter. She was born his niece, but his sister was unwilling and unable to care for her, so Adam took her. Adam’s husband wasn’t too thrilled with the situation but somehow stuck with it for 8 years. I don’t know how he then pretty much cut off contact with her after being a dad to her since birth, but hey. Not everyone bonds with a child, not everyone loves children.

The neighbors warn him of the strange guy who lives across the street. Turns out he isn’t so much strange as he is socially awkward and wanting to be invisible. But Gus (Adam’s daughter) wiggles her way in.

I would have loved to see more trauma evident from both Adam AND Wes. But Adam seems to be adjusting to the single dad life pretty well and after just a few visits, Gus had Wes wrapped right around her little finger. But, as been noted before, I love angst and drama and trauma. It was a little too tidy for me, but I get that this is a Christmas story and most of holiday stories don’t have a lot of that. I won’t say that the past traumas of these characters are wasted, but they aren’t fully realized either.

And precocious Gus. Eight year olds can be pretty amazing and mature. But she was a bit too mature. I love how Adam parented her- no lying, looking things up, etc. But she needed to really be a kid more. Her letter to Santa was a brief glimpse into what she really feels and that also needed to be explored more.

This all might sound like I didn’t like the book- but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I have just come to except a certain depth to the characters that Roan Parrish writes. It’s one of the things I love about her writing. ONE of the things.

This was still a great story. The social media aspect, a single dad wanting to make his daughter happy, small town life, two men finding each other…it was all very swoony. And I liked that although the conflict was expected, it didn’t linger on.

I really hope this isn’t the last we see of Garnet Run. I’d especially love to see River get their happily ever after.

4 pieces of eye candy

Rings of Lust (Rings Trilogy, Book 1) by Finn Dixon: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

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Lucas
My parents had warned me a relationship would be a disaster for my gymnastics career, threatening to pull their financial support. So, I floated from one guy to the next for years.

And now, at the biggest event of my life, I found myself lonely and wanting more. And the one guy I wanted it with was Cam.

He went to the same college. He was on the same team. Just not my team.

Ugh…I had a crush on a straight guy.

Camden
”Maybe you just need to get laid?” my teammate had suggested.

Here I was, my first Olympics and all I could think about was sex. My first and only time was terrible, to say the least and I was hesitant to try again. Hell, I wasn’t even out of the closet either.

But the Olympic Village was pretty much a buffet of abs and glutes, and it was athletes only. Coach did tell us to loosen up. Maybe it was time to do just that…but like, naked and with another guy.

I can totally do this casual anonymous thing, right?

Rings of Lust is a full-length MM novel, the first in a trilogy, that has a cliffhanger ending and an eventual HEA, just not in this book. Be prepared for third wheel sarcasm, platypus babies, rippling Olympian muscle, and teenage sexual escapades just behind the scenes at the world’s biggest athletic event.

Title: Rings of Lust
Authors: Finn Dixon
Series: Rings Trilogy, Champions Series, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary
Tropes: Jock, friends to lovers, semi-forbidden romance, workplace (ha!) romance.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

We were all done. Our events were over. And we were in third. One place away from not getting a medal. And it was crazy because we had done so well. Japan and Ukraine just did better today. We were waiting for China and Great Britain to finish. China was on rings, not their strongest event, and Great Britain was on floor. Something technical had delayed their routines. I was waiting for the numbers from the coaches. We all were. Luke was on my left side, Tyler was next to him. Graham was to my right, with Grant pacing in front of us. I could feel the seat vibrate as Luke’s knee bounced up and down. I was just as antsy. I looked up as Noah came over.

“We need China’s last guy to get below a 14.400, and Davies needs less than a 15.400 on floor.”

“For us to medal?” Luke asked.

“Yup.”

Damn. It kind of sucked, hoping that someone else would do poorly so you could medal. But that’s how it was. It’s not like the other teams wanted us to do good either.

I couldn’t watch, so I put a towel over my head. I felt Luke’s hand find mine under the towel and we held onto each other as tight as one would when you were hoping for your first Olympic medal.

It wasn’t just a big deal for us. The men’s team hadn’t medaled in the team finals the last five Olympics, making it over twenty years. They were close last time, having come in fourth. I hoped it wouldn’t be the same today.

I heard them announce Sheng Jiang, and I had to force myself not to hold my breath. It was hard to judge a routine simply from the crowd’s reactions, but I heard Luke say, “I don’t think it was good enough. He cut a few holds too short and wobbled a lot. I bet his execution score is low.”

And sure enough, Luke was right.

“Thank you, Jesus,” I heard Graham say.

“One down.” I could see Grant’s feet going back and forth.

I squeezed Luke’s hand.

Coach came over to us. “Let’s go, gentlemen. We’re watching this one together. Our country’s watching us, and we will be model sportsmen no matter the outcome. Whatever happens, I’m proud of you, and you should be too.”

“Ugh,” I groaned slightly, but complied, dropping the towel on the seat. The four of us stood up and joined Grant. We had our team jackets on. I’m sure someone had a flag ready in case we needed it. Tyler was the first to put his arm around Luke, and the trend continued down the line. The five of us, connected as one. And then we waited.

Finn Dixon is a full-time zookeeper in hot-as-balls Florida that writes hot-as-balls MM romance in his free time. A long-time fan of the genre, he is dipping his toe into the pool of sizzling and spicy writers already out there and hoping to score.

If you liked that opening paragraph, or the self-deprecating sense of humor that came with it, you’ll love his style of writing. When he isn’t being sarcastic or trying to make someone laugh, he spends his other free time annoying his boyfriend, snuggling with two kitties, and giving car-walks to his beloved dog.

Finn also likes watching gay films and shows with happy endings (giggity), playing Animal Crossing, re-watching Jurassic Park, and travelling when he can afford it.

And yes, I like jocks, but I promise all my books won’t be about them.

Or will they?

Catch up with Finn:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/finndixonwriting
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FinnDixonWriter
Website: www.finndixonwriting.com
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