Cate Ashwood

A Forced Silence by Cate Ashwood : Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

December 19, 2015 by Denise

For paramedic Adam Carson, his world is lights and sirens and saving lives. Pressures at work keep him firmly in the closet, and life is too busy to contend with the complications that come with dating and relationships. When a familiar face from his past turns up where he least expects it, Adam starts to question whether or not there is room in his life for those complications.

The last person forensic pathologist Sam McKenna expects to see at pub night is Adam, the guy who made his life hell in high school. The attraction is instant, but Adam isn’t gay and Sam has no interest in pursuing him. Still, the leftover animosity from their teenage years isn’t enough to extinguish the lust growing between them. After both are called to the scene of a horrific murder, Adam admits he’s not as straight as he led Sam to believe and they seek comfort and distraction in each other’s arms. One night becomes many as the murder investigation intensifies, but when Adam is faced with losing Sam, he is forced to make a choice: to break his silence, or to give up everything for the job he loves.

Author Name: Cate Ashwood

Book Name: A Forced Silence

Series: Zero Hour

Book: One

Release Date: December 11, 2015

Pages or Words: 200 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Melody Pond

This was my first book by Cate Ashwood, and I will say that immediately after finishing A Forced Silence, I went an grabbed Tasting Notes to read that as well. It seems I have some books to catch up on to get through her library.

The story of these two men began in high school, with Sam (aka Dex) and Adam being at odds, an enemies to lovers story. Dealing with not only the murder of a young man, both the paramedic who dealt with it at the scene and the forensic pathologist who gave voice to the young man who died, had to find a way to not only co-exist, but quickly gave into their passion.

One thing that was exceptional to me was Adam being in the closet. Now, this is nothing new, quite often we read about characters struggling to get out of the closet, wondering how it will affect their family, friends, co-workers, etc. However, in the case of Adam, I loved how Sam reacted. He let it be. He didn’t try to force Adam out of the closet. He didn’t tell him he was silly for being in the closet. He respected his decision, and let him know that if and when he was ready to come out he would be there, but he wasn’t going to be the one to push him out.

Their relationship was well connected, as these were two very fleshed out characters, with not only history between them, but passion, and both with a need to help people.

I did find the ending rather abrupt. It had a little bit of a cliffhanger (not with the relationship), but it just felt slightly unfinished. There were a few questions that should have been dealt with, and its entirely possible the next book may deal with them. However, I did feel that at least one or two needed to be dealt with in this book, as it was specific to these characters, and not the overall arc of the secondary storyline.

In the end, I still found it an enjoyable read.

4 pieces of eye candy.

“Ah, here they are,” Ford said, turning his head toward two men who were making their way to the table.

“Adam, John, this is Sam. Sam, these are two of the city’s ugliest heroes, John and Adam.” Ford made the introductions as John slid into a chair across from him, lifting his head in greeting.

Sam swallowed hard, barely registering anything other than the man still standing in front of him. Adam Carson. He watched as recognition dawned in Adam’s eyes and a slow smirk appeared on his face. It was the same familiar cocky expression he wore when Sam knew him a billion years earlier.

“You sure have grown up, Dexter,” Adam said, exercising the nickname he had used for him all through school.

Sam lifted one eyebrow. “It seems you haven’t.”

“You two know each other?” Ford asked, eyebrows lifted in question.

“Oh, me and Dex go way back,” Adam supplied, never taking his eyes off Sam.

“Dex?”

Sam rolled his eyes. Ford was his friend, but that didn’t mean he wanted to rehash the shit that happened back in high school. That name was one that haunted him right through the twelfth grade. When he moved, he tucked it safely away, but tonight, it seemed, it had followed him.

“Long story,” Adam said. “It’s good to see you. It’s been a long time.”

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

ARe

Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cate.ashwood

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Cate-Ashwood-Author-288329491267435/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cateashwood

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cateashwood/

Newsletter: http://www.cateashwood.com/contact.html (Sign-up on the right hand side of the blog)
Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie, V’s Reads, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Cate Ashwood, KathyMac Reviews, Just Love Romance, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, The Hat Party, The Jena Wade, Carly’s Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Happily Ever Chapter, Iyana Jenna, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Molly Lolly, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Sassygirl Books, Alpha Book Club, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Andrew Q. Gordon, Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, My Fiction Nook, 3 Chicks After Dark, Kirsty Loves Books

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Tasting Notes by Cate Ashwood: Release Day Book Blast, Excerpt and Giveaway

October 26, 2015 by Denise

West, a venture capitalist, has paid for his wealth and success with long hours at the office and no personal life to speak of. Meetings, conference calls, and paperwork dominate his waking hours and have kept him from honoring the promise he made to his late grandfather years before.

After leaving the Marines, Rush returns to his hometown and settled in as a Christmas Tree farmer. His life is quiet and simple, and he likes it that way. When West arrives in town and buys Rush’s parent’s vineyard on a whim, that simple life is turned upside down. The animosity between them is palpable, but Rush shelves his preconceived notions in order to protect his parents’ legacy. He agrees to help West learn how to run the vineyard, and Rush soon realizes that love doesn’t necessarily come in the package he expected.

Author Name: Cate Ashwood

Book Name: Tasting Notes

Series: Canyon Creek

Book: One

Release Date: October 26, 2015

Pages or Words: 64,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska

The drive over felt the same as it always did. Rush thought his truck probably could have found its way anywhere in town, but the trip to Lennox Hill was one he’d made at least a few thousand times. It was weird to think the property no longer belonged to his family. Enough of his sweat had soaked into the soil that a part of him lived in that land.

He parked his truck in the same place as always and opened the door, calling to Casper to jump out before closing the door behind him. The door to the main structure was closed and locked. Rush peered through the windows of the wine room as he walked past, but the lights were off and the space was abandoned. Rush and Casper followed the pathway toward the house. Casper sat down as Rush knocked, waiting patiently for an answer. When none came, he knocked again with a little more force. West’s car was parked in the driveway, so unless he had decided to walk somewhere, he should be here.

A moment later, the door swung open and West stood there, naked from the waist up, his hair disheveled and his cheeks pink.

“What the fuck?” he asked.

Rush saw red, which was a blessing because it kept him from seeing the way West’s body looked beneath his clothes. The guy was sleeping, and it was nearly noon. He’d owned the vineyard for less than a week, and he was already slacking off.

“Can I come in? I want to talk to you.”

West stepped to the side to let Rush enter. He looked around. Everything was the same as he remembered it. The house was warm and comfortable, begging you to come in and stay a while. Rush had always loved this house. He peered into the living room, noting the two empty wine bottles on the coffee table.

“Is that a fucking wolf?” West demanded, breaking Rush out of his train of thought.

“What? No. That’s Casper. My dog.”

With a subtle nod from Rush, Casper sat next to his master, his eyes glued to West, but quiet.

West narrowed his eyes. “Why are you here?”

“I came to offer my help. You said you needed help, and my mom told me you didn’t know a fucking thing about running this place, so I figured I’d bail you out.”

“Why?” West looked awfully mistrustful. Rush couldn’t blame him. He didn’t trust West either.

“Because they’re my family, and you’re the dickhead who bought the place they poured their hearts and souls into. I’m not going to let you run it into the ground because you have some romantic fucking idea about being all sophisticated and worldly, owning your own vineyard. Not going to happen.”

“Look, what is your fucking problem with me?” West asked, crowding Rush’s space. “You’ve been nothing but a complete bastard to me since the moment you laid eyes on me. I haven’t done shit to you, and you’re giving me a rough time for no goddamn reason.”

Casper growled, but Rush calmed him with a gentle pat to the head. “Sue me if I don’t like spoiled little rich kids. You blow into town in your tricked-out sports car and think you can do whatever you want here because you have a shit ton of money. You take what you want without any regard for the people around you.”

“You don’t know a thing about me, but you think you’ve got my number. Well, you can go fuck yourself. You saw my car, and you made a snap decision about me. You didn’t bother talking to me or getting to know me at all before you rushed to judgment. Maybe you should give me the benefit of the doubt before you tell me who I am.”

“I don’t need to. I know exactly who you are. I’ve met guys like you. You’re arrogant, spoiled, and selfish. You put on a good front, pretending to be this philanthropic nice guy, but when it comes down to it, you’ll choose your money over everything else.”

“Oh, for fuck sakes. You storm in here, waking me up and screaming at me. In case you missed the memo, this is my home now. You’re on my property. What gives you the right to show up and give me shit about something you know nothing about?”

“Your name may be on the deed, but that’s as far as it goes, asshole. Lennox Hill is in my blood, and the last thing I want is for you to completely destroy it out of sheer ignorance.”

“Well, then there’s something we agree on. It’s why I came to your house in the first place, in case you need reminding about that. I don’t want this place to fail any more than you do, so how about you get your head out of your ass, stop being such a fucking prick, and help me?”

Rush stared at him, not saying a word. He hadn’t anticipated the conversation taking this turn. Hell, he hadn’t anticipated this conversation period. There was something there, behind West’s eyes, a kind of rawness Rush hadn’t expected. He stepped forward, his eyes locked on West’s. He felt drawn to him like a compass to north, locking onto that flicker of something unnamable.

He was not in control of his body. He pulled a quick intake of breath as the space between them evaporated. He was close enough that he could feel the crackle of electricity between them, as tangible as if West was statically charged.

“Fine, I’ll help,” Rush said, knowing West could feel his breath as he spoke.

“But this doesn’t mean I like you,” Rush growled.

“Understood,” West replied. “I don’t like you either.”

“As long as we’re clear.”

Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot-pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, her little boy, and their two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cate.ashwood

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Ashwood-Author/288329491267435?fref=ts

Twitter: @cateashwood

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cateashwood/

Other: https://instagram.com/cateashwood/

Tour Dates & Stops: October 26, 2015

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Happily Ever Chapter, Just Love Romance, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Louise Lyons, Jessie G. Books, BFD Book Blog, Iyana Jenna, 3 Chicks After Dark, The Jena Wade, V’s Reads, Havan Fellows, Bike Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Andrew Q. Gordon, Sassygirl Books, Bayou Book Junkie, Unquietly Me, Inked Rainbow Reads, The Hat Party, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, QUEERcentric Books, Open Skye Book Reviews, S.A. McAuley

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Resurrecting Elliot by Cate Ashwood: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Giveaway

July 21, 2015 by Denise

Nightmares and panic attacks following a horrific tragedy leave Professor Elliot Lawrence a prisoner in his own home. After months of relying on his sister as his only connection to the outside world, Elliot is desperate for a sliver of independence. But leaving the safety of his home isn’t an option, not yet, and he reaches out in the most innocuous way he can think of: grocery delivery.

Colton Kelly, retired porn star and recent college grad, is struggling at two minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. During one of his grocery deliveries, he meets Elliot. Although the attraction between them is instant, they must first traverse the long road of putting Elliot back together. When disaster strikes yet again, this time in Colt’s life, Elliot’s not sure he’s strong enough to be the man Colt needs him to be.

Author Name: Cate Ashwood

Book Name: Resurrecting Elliot

Series: Newport Boys

Book: Two (Can be read as a standalone, but you get background character on Colt in book one)

Release Date: July 20, 2015

Pages or Words: 200 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

TEN MINUTES. He was going to be here in ten minutes. Maybe. The website had given Elliot a window of an hour, but with ten minutes to, he was beginning to feel anxious. His heart was racing. His palms were already sweating. No one other than his sister and Dr. Mazur had crossed the threshold of his front door since it happened.

Nothing like throwing himself into the fire.

Elliot paced around the house, tidying what had already been tidied. He didn’t want this guy thinking he was a hoarder on top of being a shut-in. He double-checked that there was no clutter on his coffee table, that the newspapers his sister brought were neatly stacked and ready for the fireplace. The side tables had been dusted—twice—and the blanket on the back of the couch straightened. Pulling down the blinds on his front windows, he peered out, looking for a strange vehicle, but the street was deserted.

He walked back into the kitchen. Spotless. He wasn’t really sure how the whole delivery thing worked, if the guy just left his things at the door or if he brought them all the way into the house. Glancing at the clock again, he saw he had just enough time to fix—

There was a loud knock at the door. This was it. He hoped he wouldn’t puke on this guy’s shoes as soon as the door opened. He felt like he might. As calmly as he could, he walked to the front door and unlocked it.

Deep breaths, just keep breathing, he reminded himself before he clutched at the doorknob, turned it, and pulled his front door open.

He almost forgot to keep breathing.

The man that stood on the other side of his door, backlit by the sun, looked up and gave a crooked smile that made Elliot’s already rapidly beating heart hustle.

“Hi, are you Elliot Lawrence?” the man asked, his southern drawl warm and comforting somehow.

“Yes,” Elliot said unintelligently… and then forgot how to speak.

“I’m Colt.”

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press Ebook

Dreamspinner Press Paperback

All Romance ebooks

Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cate.ashwood

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Ashwood-Author/288329491267435?fref=ts

Twitter: @cateashwood

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cateashwood/

Tour Dates & Stops: July 21, 2015

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Havan Fellows, Bayou Book Junkie, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Molly Lolly, My Fiction Nook, Bike Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Happily Ever Chapter, Christy Loves 2 Read, Inked Rainbow Reads, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Reviews by Jessewave, MM Good Book Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Mikky’s World of Books, Love Bytes, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, The Hat Party, Andrew Q. Gordon, Divine Magazine

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Brick by Brick by L.J. LaBarthe and Cate Ashwood: Blog Tour and Giveaway

June 29, 2015 by Denise

They say that time heals all wounds, but losing Parley, his one true love, left Zach with a hole in his heart that no one else can fill. After forty-eight blissful hours alone together as teens in an abandoned house, Parley disappeared. Parley is what he is, and the pray-away-the-gay camp his parents ship him to won’t change that. However, finding the balance between accepting his true nature and not losing his family means tough sacrifices.

Sixteen years later, Zach is thunderstruck when Parley stands on the front doorstep of his house—the house that had been their refuge, which Zach restored. But Parley isn’t alone, and Zach wonders if he’s found Parley only to lose him a second time. If they can overcome the terrors of the past and the situation of the present, maybe they can build a new relationship just as Zach rebuilt the house—brick by brick.

Author Name: Cate Ashwood & L.J. LaBarthe
Book Name: Brick by Brick
Release Date: June 29, 2015
Pages or Words: 62,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay fiction, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

ZACH FELT as if he was floating. He’d been planning this escape for weeks, but now that it was actually happening, it didn’t seem real. He chanced a quick look at Parley as they merged onto the highway. What could possibly be better than running away with his best friend?

He’d had his doubts that Parley would actually come with him. After being turned down the first time, Zach had prepared himself for disappointment, but now they were leaving together and Zach couldn’t have been happier. RC (2)

“Where should we go?” Zach asked. He had some vague ideas in mind, but he wanted his friend’s input more than anything.

“I don’t know. Somewhere we can’t be found?” Zach was right on board with that.

“That’s a good idea. We’ll go for a bit on this highway, then we’ll exit and take some back roads, maybe head toward the interior.”

Parley dropped his head back against the seat. “Perfect.” After a time, he said, “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“I still can’t believe you came with me,” Zach countered.

“I can’t either. I must be insane.”

“Or brilliant. It’s usually a fine line,” Zach teased.

“My parents are going to have an absolute meltdown once they’ve found out what I’ve done. They’re going to be so upset.”

Parley’s voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. Zach had seen him like this once before when he’d thought he’d lost his weird CTR ring with the spinner chain in the band.

“It’ll all be okay.” Zach tried to soothe him, to bring him back to the present, and rested a gentle hand on Parley’s knee. “Everyone flies from the nest sooner or later. We just did it in an unconventional way. I really do think this is what’s best, though, for both of us.”

Zach’s reassurance seemed to work. Parley blinked slowly a few times and then a somewhat disheartened smile crept onto his face. “I know, but my family is just… different.”

Dreamspinner Press Ebook: http://bit.ly/1Jvbu79

Dreamspinner Press Paperback: http://bit.ly/1Khb3g7

Goodreads Link

About L.J. LaBarthe:

L.J. LaBarthe is a French-Australian woman, who was born during the Witching Hour, just after midnight. From this auspicious beginning, she went on to write a prize-winning short story about Humpty Dumpty wearing an Aussie hat complete with corks dangling from it when she was six years old. From there, she wrote for her high school yearbook, her university newspaper, and, from her early teens to her twenties, produced a fanzine about the local punk rock music scene. She loves music of all kinds and was once a classical pianist; she loves languages and speaks French and English and a teeny-tiny smattering of Mandarin Chinese, which she hopes to relearn properly very soon. She enjoys TV, film, travel, cooking, eating out, abandoned places, urbex, history, and researching.

L.J. loves to read complicated plots and hopes to do complex plot lines justice in her own writing. She writes paranormal, historical, urban fantasy, and contemporary Australian stories, usually m/m romance and featuring m/m erotica. She has won a Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention and another award for Best Historical Gay Novel.

L.J. lives in the city of Adelaide, and is owned by her cat.

Where to find L.J LaBarthe:

Facebook

Twitter: @brbsiberia

Instagram

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Author Website: http://www.ljlabarthe.com/

Other: http://misslj_author.livejournal.com/

About Cate Ashwood:

Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot-pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Where to find Cate Ashwood:

Facebook

Facebook Author Page

Twitter: @cateashwood

Instagram

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Bree Archer

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