excerpt

Lonely Hearts, A Novella Bundle by Posy Roberts: Exclusive Guest Post with Excerpt, Blog Tour and Giveaway

November 1, 2018 by Denise

I’m so excited that Posy Roberts, who I just adore, stopped by to give a little guest post, and excerpt from her new novella bundle, Lonely Hearts. I love what Posy did with this unique idea. Taking these four fantastic novellas and tying the men together, not by place, or by family, but by a simple chat room that Marc joins. Check out what Posy has to say, along with an excerpt from the men’s chat room, and a giveaway!

Stoic men, who believe they’re happy alone, find the world turned upside down when their perfect someone stumbles across their path. In four novellas, eight men encounter unique struggles on their way to their well-deserved happily ever after.

Marc joins the Lonely Hearts chat room where men support men on their way to finding true love. He wants to believe that kind of love is possible for him, but his once-burned heart stops him from going all-in with anyone.

The chat group’s philosophy is, “Figure out how you keep screwing up your happily ever after. Once you know, you’re more likely to find the true thing.”

Skeptical as he is, Marc logs in and meets men in various degrees of getting there. At least he’s not alone. Luther truly loves his single life on the Bakken oil fields. William’s not sure he’ll ever measure up, let alone find someone he can be himself around. And Andrew still pines for a guy he hooked up with on a reenactment battlefield before he got blown up on a real one.

One by one they start dropping like flies. Flies drunk on love. And sooner than he expects, Marc’s luck starts changing thanks to these new friends.

Walk alongside these men as they find the men of their dreams and discover their happily ever afters.

101,000 Words | 396 pages | 8-9 hours to read

Stories included: Bent Arrow, Stroke of Luck, Momo, My Everything, and Love on a Battlefield.

Lonely Hearts

A Novella Bundle

Posy Roberts

M/M Romance

Release Date: 10.25.18

Amazon

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Stoic Men who have Lots of Feels

I live in the land of stoic, fiercely independent men, also known as the Upper Midwest. This area of the United States was settled by Scandinavians and Germans who are known to be very staunch, serious people… at least until they’re ready to loosen up a bit. 😉 Denise lives very close to me, so she’s probably nodding as she’s reading this. Haha. (TCO:…Yes, this!!!!)

So it came as no surprise to me when I was reading through each of the four novellas in the bundle that stoicism and the belief that “I don’t need anybody” rang loud and clear. Yet, as often happens, those things you proclaim the loudest are often the exact opposite of what you desire. These men who take pride in their independence are genuinely lonely, hence the title of the bundle, Lonely Hearts.

I love writing juxtaposition: a guy like uptight, rigid William with a loose and carefree man like Nate, who makes a huge impact. Opposites attract is one of my fave tropes, after all, so much so that I married a person who is essentially the other side of my coin. Our opposites push us to be better people, even if we get exasperated along the way.

A chat room, where four of the men in the bundle interact, connects each novella in Lonely Hearts. They help each other get over whatever is holding them back from making themselves available. At the center, they’re each yearning to find someone to share their life with. The group moderator is actually Hugo from my North Star Trilogy, and after taking a year off dating and “fixing his shit,” he was ready for love when Kevin stumbled across his path seventeen years after their last kiss. His goal is to help other queer men find their true love so they can be as ridiculously happy as Hugo and Kevin are at the end of Flare. So if you’ve read North Star, you’ll get a little more of #HugoKevin4ever and see where they are today.

I loved writing the chat room scenes, and I think it’s awesome Hugo started that. Witnessing all these men interacting with characters other than their love interest, seeing them chatting with other queer men, revealed another side of them. At least to me. While I had plans to write follow-up stories to Bent Arrow and Stroke of Luck, now my brain has been working overtime on sequels to Momo, My Everything and Love on a Battlefield. Right after I get the twenty or so novels I have planned down on the page. LOL

I hope you give this novella bundle a chance. Each story will take about two hours to read, depending on your speed, so they’re great for waiting rooms, standing in line to vote, or sitting in the parking lot while waiting for kids. It’s also available in a paperback that comes in at around 400 pages, just to give you an idea of the length.

Happy reading.

Marc logged into the chat room, unsure what he was getting into, but he’d been reassured by a friend (who was friends with the moderator) that this was a good group of guys. If nothing else, he’d get to know other queer men. If he was lucky, maybe they’d help him find a way to open up his heart to fall in love again. At least that’s how the group was described to him.

5 Members in Chat Room

Marc: Hey, I’m Marc. I’m new here, and the rules said I had to introduce myself. I’m bisexual but haven’t dated much since my ex-girlfriend cheated on me. Work has been my focus, but after three years, I’m lonely. It’s as plain as that. I’m just not sure how to trust someone again.

Hugo: Hi, Marc. I’m Hugo, the moderator. If I disappear all of a sudden, it’s because I’m waiting to chauffeur kids between gymnastics and yoga.

Marc: You have kids?

Hugo: They’re Kevin’s, my boyfriend’s kids. But who knows what the future holds. Anyway, I was in the same place as you not so long ago, with a cheating cheater who cheats. I had a string of shitty boyfriends, but cheating messed me up. Bad. I swore off men for a solid year, and it eventually paid off.

Marc: How did the time off help?

Hugo: I fixed my shit. Figured out what I kept doing wrong. Worked out my patterns.

Luther: Oh no, here he goes! Haha. Love you, H! Marc, H is all about fixing shit so you’re ready for love when it stumbles in your path.

Marc: Makes sense.

Luther: If you have a path filled with potential partners, I supposed it does. H is all about twuuuu wuv cuz he has it. All I can find out here on the oil fields is a hookup. Nothing else. Can’t be out.

Marc: That sucks.

Luther: It’s not all bad. I have a lot of sex and very few awkward conversations. Few conversations at all, to be honest.

William: So, Luth, do you save all the awkward conversations for when you come in here to chat? Stop scaring Marc off.

Luther: Ha. Ha. Okay, Mr. Serious, what have you done lately to make yourself available to the hot dudes who run around on the beaches half naked?

William: I bought a guy a drink at the club last weekend. Spent most of the night with him.

Luther: Before you went home alone?

William: Well, yes, but I had to work the next day.

Luther: LOL.

Andrew: Hi, Marc. Welcome. I’m pretty new here too. New to being fully out despite knowing I liked men for years. I’m still trying to figure out how all this works. Gay clubs are about all I’m capable of yet. If I go to a club, there’s no chance I’ll hit on a straight guy, at least. I’m a vet, and my PTSD and injuries make taking that risk of hitting on the wrong guy anxiety inducing. I distrust everyone, including my own brain and injured body.

Luther: And I’m the sole closet case here.

William: Not entirely. I’m not out at work. No one there has earned the right to know that about me yet. But my family knows.

Hugo: I’ve been out for ages, but I’m still not entirely open about my drag persona. That’s still need to know.

Marc: You do drag? What’s your drag name.

Hugo: Yep. Miss Cherri Pop! 😉

Marc: Where does everyone live? Or should I not ask that?

Luther: On the dusty oil fields of North Dakota, but there are tons of men to hook-up with here. No questions asked. No demands to kiss. Just how I like it!

William: Sunny California, though right now, I’d prefer rain.

Andrew: I’m in Texas, happy to be home after four years in the army.

Hugo: Minneapolis.

Marc: Me too! Minneapolis, that is. I gotta say, it’s nice chatting with some queer men. Everyone around me assumes I’m straight. And since I haven’t dated a man in ages, it’s like all my friends forgot I’m bi. But I’d really like to date a man again. I think if I date a woman, I’m bound to . . . What’s the word? Put all my shit on her?

Hugo: Project?

Marc: Yeah. I’m gonna project my hurt on her cuz of my ex. So I’d really like to try something serious with a guy.

William: So, what are your greatest fears when thinking about falling in love?

Luther: Coming out. I know, I know. It won’t be as bad as I think it will be. But what if it is? I’ll lose everyone around me.

William: But you prefer being alone. Or so you’ve claimed, Luth.

Luther: Right. I push people away. Easier that way.

Marc: I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to trust again. And if I do, what if the guy I end up with assumes I’m cheating on him only because I’m bi?

Hugo: My Kevin is bisexual, and I never made those assumptions. We’re not all neanderthals who can’t appreciate subtlety.

Marc: True. There’s that lack of trust thing again.

William: I’m worried I’ll never measure up.

Luther: Says the man who probably has a dick the size of an eggplant.

William: . . .

William: I might. 😉

Luther: LOL. I knew it!

Hugo: If W & L weren’t thousands of miles away, I’d suggest you guys get a room and fuck to work out your sexual tension.

William: Not going to happen.

Luther: He’d probably want to marry me. 😉 I’m not settling down. I just want to fall in love. Big difference.

Andrew: I already know who I want to be in a relationship with. But I’m too boring for him.

William: You’re far from boring, Andrew.

Hugo: The only way you’ll know is if you take a chance. But get into a good headspace before that. Yes, I know, Luther, you’re sick of me saying that, but if I hadn’t fixed my shit before running into Kevin again seventeen years after our last kiss, I would’ve fucked it up that first night.

Marc: Thanks for this, guys. I’m glad I found you.

Posy Roberts started reading romance when she was young, sneaking peeks at adult books long before she should’ve. Textbooks eventually replaced the novels, and for years she existed without reading for fun. When she finally picked up a romance two decades later, it was like slipping on a soft hoodie . . . that didn’t quite fit like it used to. She wanted something more.

She wanted to read about men falling in love with each other. She wanted to explore beyond the happily ever after and see characters navigate the unpredictability of life. So Posy sat down at her keyboard to write the books she wanted to read.

Her stories have been USA Today’s “Happily Ever After” Must-Reads and Rainbow Award finalists. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her family and friends and doing anything possible to get out of grocery shopping and cooking.

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Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt and Release Day Review

November 1, 2018 by Denise

Can friends turned occasional lovers move beyond past mistakes and wrong assumptions to build something that can last?

Quiet bookworm Shane has a big secret—one he’s kept for fifteen years. AFL superstar Ambrose Jakoby grew up next door to Shane. They were close friends, and Shane supported Ambrose through school.

One night, everything changed.

Before Ambrose left Perth as a scared eighteen-year-old to head to Melbourne and take up his new footy career, Ambrose and Shane slept together.

For the next nine years, they continued a secret friends-with-benefits situation whenever Ambrose was in town. Shane never knew exactly where he stood or how to define Ambrose’s sexuality—and Ambrose didn’t know either. Then last Christmas, everything changed again, and a disagreement strained their friendship. Shane vowed to get over his unrequited love.

But Ambrose is back, recovering from an injury and hoping to make amends. He claims he’s ready for a real relationship. But Shane has to decide whether Ambrose means it and whether his Hufflepuff soul can take the chance.

Title: Knowing Me, Knowing You
Series: Loving You: Book 4
Author: Renae Kaye
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 238

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Jay, Liam and all the gang are back for the fourth instalment of the Loving You series.

I really had a lot of fun writing them, and you will see that throughout the book, there’s an anonymous interviewer who’s asking each of them some questions. You get another peek at some of their love stories. It’s quite wonderful to write the whole gang again.

In this story we’re concentrating on Shane, the quiet one of the group. Being quiet doesn’t mean you don’t have exciting things going on in your life – and Shane has a bloody big secret he’s been keeping from them all. Not because he’s ashamed of it, and not because he doesn’t want to tell them, it’s more that he doesn’t think they will believe him. Plus, it’s not his secret to tell.

You see, Shane’s been close friends with Ambrose Jakoby since childhood. They grew up together and their mothers are best friends. Ambrose has gone on to play football at the elite level, being drafted into a team on the other side of the country. He’s known to the media and fans as Bro-Jak, yet maintains a close bond with Shane. And when Bro-Jak comes home to visit, he and Shane have continued a friends-with-benefits relationship.

Now Ambrose is home, an injury halting his season. He’s determined to make a real go of a relationship with Shane, but Shane is hesitating. Who would believe that Wallpaper Shane and the mighty Bro-Jak are a couple?

I’ve prepared a short excerpt for you, where the entire gang have organised to attend a football game to celebrate the Pride Round the AFL has. Ambrose has insisted on coming, along with another of his Hawthorn team mates, Daniel. It’s the moment Shane’s friendship with Ambrose is revealed.

I hope you enjoy!

By the time we parked, there were a bunch of messages on the group chat—Vinnie telling us all he was at the gate and he had our tickets, Hiram saying he was running late, Liam saying they were arriving, Aaron complaining that he felt exposed by lingering outside the gate at a Dockers game and what if an Eagles fan saw him? Tate told Aaron they no longer hanged people for treason.

We arrived on time but were delayed by Ambrose, who couldn’t walk that fast on his crutches. It meant all my friends—apart from the running-late Hiram—had already assembled.

“Oh fuck. I’m going to be in so much trouble,” I mumbled as we approached the group. They were hard to miss. Vinnie and Jamie were holding rainbow flags. Tate wore a straw hat with a rainbow ribbon on it. Jamie’s sister, Jackie, was there too, dressed in a rainbow skirt with a rainbow bandana tied around her hair. One of Vinnie’s sisters was sporting two temporary tattoos of the rainbow flag on her cheeks as well as an equality shirt identical to the one Ambrose was wearing. Of those I could see, Kee, Tate, Vinnie, and Aaron were all wearing some sort of Pride T-shirt.

“Why?” asked Dan, confused about me being in trouble.

Confession time all around. “I’ve never even told them I’m friends with the mighty Bro-Jak. Now I’m turning up to a game with him and the famous Dan Egan?”

He looked shocked. “They don’t know about you and Ambrose?”

I was full of sympathy for his mistake. “Who would ever believe me?”

He couldn’t reply because we were upon the group. Kee was the first to notice me. “Shane’s here.”

They all turned. Vinnie, who was in the act of hefting a bag onto his shoulder, dropped the bag with a thump. It landed on Aaron’s foot.

“Ow. What the fuck, Vin? Why did you—? Holy shit.” Aaron obviously recognized Ambrose immediately too. And I thought Dan and Ambrose were well disguised wearing sunglasses and hats.

“Fuck me to hell.” That was Liam’s brother Ben.

“Oh my God!” That was Vinnie’s cousin Ricky.

“Seriously?” John looked amazed.

Some of the others evidently didn’t recognize my two famous tagalongs, but from the whispers in ears and the shocked expressions that filtered through our gathered crowd, they were quickly informed. I took a deep breath.

“Guys, this is my childhood friend, Ambrose Jakoby. We lived next door to each other when we were growing up, and our mothers are best friends. And this is Daniel Egan, his friend from Melbourne. When Dan heard I was coming to the game to cheer on Micah, he asked if they could tag along. You don’t mind, do you?”

They were all stunned to silence. It was awkward until Liam limped forward. “Of course they can join us. Welcome.” He stuck out his hand, and Ambrose shook. “You’re in good company. I spent close to three years on crutches of some sort. You’re just lucky you’ll get better.”

I pointed to everyone in the group. “Dan, Ambrose—this is Liam, Jamie, Kee, Tate, John, Jackie, Vinnie, Aaron, Ricky, Sandra, Tony, Lachie— no, sorry. That’s Lachie, and the little one is Tony. And that’s….” I had to stop while Patrice confirmed her name, because I always mixed her up with her cousin Linda. “Patrice, Mario, Frankie, Ben, aaaannd”—I pointed behind Ben—“that’s Hiram, who’s running because he’s late to meet us.”

Hiram raced up behind the group, some of whom were still staring at Bro-Jak and Daniel in shock. “Hey, everyone. Sorry I’m late. I had to stop and—holy fuck. Who brought Bro-Jak?”

“Shane.” My name came in stereo from around the group.

Oh yes. I was going to cop so much shit.

I’ve enjoyed this series since I heard book 1, Loving Jay, on Audible when it first came out. And on top of it, it’s Renae Kaye, so that was a double yes to if I should read and review this book. 🙂

This one was a bit of a surprise, because it wasn’t your traditional friends to lovers, or even hookups to lovers. It was a combination of both, yet no one even knew they knew each other, other than their mothers, which created such an interesting family dynamic.

I always enjoy reading all the fun Aussie sayings and cultural references, and with the added Aboriginial references, it made this book very multi-layered. Then we have the group of friends that Shane has made part of his family, and you have a fun, but passionate book.

Shane standing up for himself after nearly 10 years of allowing himself to fall into patterns that could only continue to hurt him was good to see. He loved Ambrose, but knew that he would never be Ambrose’s love if he continued to allow himself to be at the beck and call of a man who barely acknowledged him. Shane was sweet, and quiet, with fantastic internal musings (e.g. “I helped myself to a piece of cake–free cake doesn’t contain calories.“) and hated his job, but loved his people. 🙂

Meanwhile, Ambrose finally opened his eyes and realized that as much as footy had always meant to him, and it gave him an avenue he would have been unable to achieve any other way, it was not something he wanted to be the catalyst to losing the person he cared about most.

With a little help from all those around them, and a little extra footy from the sidelines, they could finally connect.

What a sweet, fun, funny read.

Definitely recommend this one, in fact the entire series!

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Renae Kaye is a lover and hoarder of books who thinks libraries are devilish places because they make you give the books back. She consumed her first adult romance book at the tender age of thirteen and hasn’t stopped since. After years – and thousands of stories! – of not having book characters do what she wants, she decided she would write her own novel and found the characters still didn’t do what she wanted. It hasn’t stopped her though. She believes that maybe one day the world will create a perfect couple – and it will be the most boring story ever. So until then she is stuck with quirky, snarky and imperfect characters who just want their story told.

Renae lives in Perth, Western Australia and writes in five minute snatches between the demands of two kids, a forbearing husband, too many pets, too much housework and her beloved veggie garden. She is a survivor of being the youngest in a large family and believes that laughter (and a good book) can cure anything.

How to contact Renae:
Email: renaekaye@iinet.net.au
Website: www.renaekaye.weebly.com
FB: www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9
Twitter: @renaekkaye
Instagram: @renaekayeauthor

Death of a Bachelor by M.A. Hinkle: RDB: Release Day Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

October 29, 2018 by Denise

Cathal Kinnery is an arrogant, overeducated jerk, and Damon Eglamore is not afraid to tell him so. But Damon married Cathal’s best friend, so they have an uneasy truce. Then she passes away. Now they’re stuck together in close quarters, trying to honor her memory without shouting at each other all the time.

At first, they have no idea how to move forward. Damon is a chef, but all his favorite recipes remind him of his late wife. Cathal would love to start tomcatting around town again, except for that annoying promise he made to his best friend about looking after Damon.

Then Damon’s son comes to them for help, convinced the only way to win over his first crush is a gender-bending Shakespeare production. After that, Cathal talks Damon into taking up baking as a new way to use his talents. Next thing they know, they’ve begun a new life working as a team instead of jumping at each other’s throats. But can they trust each other long enough to make it last, or will they fall into old bad habits again?

Title: Death of a Bachelor

Author: M.A. Hinkle

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: October 29, 2018

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 75,200

Genre: Contemporary, contemporary, bisexual, enemies to lovers, grief/grieving, UST (unresolved sexual tension), teenage kids, family drama, humorous

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First Prologue: Cathal Crushes Olives and Damon’s Dreams.

December 31st, 1997

The man sitting at the end of the bar was older than Damon, maybe twenty-four. He had a thin, foxlike face and long, dark hair that he twirled around a finger as he wrote on a napkin, and he was wearing a Cherrywood College shirt under his suit jacket. A martini sat untouched in front of him, and his eyes were lost in thought. Definitely gay, but he wasn’t…intimidating. Unlike every other man who wasn’t on the dance floor or making out with someone else.

Damon sat next to him and gestured to the bartender for a beer. He was already a little drunk, but if he wanted to relax, he’d have to get a lot drunk. The other patron continued writing out a math problem. He finished his equation, considered it, and then scribbled the whole thing out, his brow furrowed. Scowling, he drank the martini at one go. Only then did he glance in Damon’s direction. “Fuck off,” he said, biting the olive from the swizzle stick. “I’m not looking for company tonight. I came here to get drunk.”

Damon colored, but he kept the embarrassment from his voice. “Why’d you think I came here for anything different?”

“There’s plenty of room, but you sat by me.” He looked at Damon, taking him all in, and his eyes narrowed further. The scowl fit his face too well, and Damon didn’t appreciate his scrutiny. “And guys like you don’t come here for the conversation.”

Damon didn’t care for the man’s tone. But he was the first to admit he didn’t know what he was doing—and, anyway, he was drunk enough not to care. “I wasn’t aware anyone came here for conversation.”

The man snorted. “It’s not the fucking sixties anymore. Gays can have meet-cutes as easily as everyone else.” He gestured to the bartender for another martini, rubbing his forehead.

Damon didn’t know what he meant, and he wanted to ask what kind of guy this man thought he was. But he had a feeling that would piss him off, and he was looking for a good time. Instead, he took another drink of his beer. “I’m Damon,” he said, without expecting much.

The man accepted another martini from the bartender and sipped it, looking at Damon over the top. “Cathal.”

Damon drummed his fingers on the bar, wondering if he ought to cut his losses and head to a straight bar after all. But he settled for finishing his beer in one long drink.

Cathal watched him. Not friendly watching. At this point, Damon didn’t know how to leave, so he signaled for another beer. “What were you working on?”

Cathal glanced at the napkin and made a face. “Bullshit. It doesn’t matter.”

Damon screwed the cap off his second beer and took a drink. “Who comes to a bar and does their homework?”

Cathal raised his eyebrows. His face was dangerous, but he couldn’t be that bad. Too scrawny. “Who comes to a bar already drunk?” He tilted his head to the side and smiled. Not a nice smile. Damon was starting to wonder if he had a nice smile, or if he always looked like someone had pissed in his drink. “Oh. I know. Guys like you.”

Damon frowned, feeling the first stirrings of anger. “You said that before. What do you mean?”

Cathal leaned toward Damon. His voice was calm, unhurried, but his eyes were full of fire, the sort that burns unnoticed and then flares up to take a tree down in seconds. “Guys like you. Guys who are maybe straight, maybe not, who come to one of our places for a little fucking fun and then go home to their wife or girlfriend or whatever. Never mind that it’s guys like you—guys with enough gay in them to be scared when they see one of us—who cause the goddamn trouble in the first place, because you’re not man enough to face down what’s inside you.” He drank the rest of his martini and bit off the olive again, viciously. “Don’t say you play for both teams if you’re only going to bat for one side.”

Damon blinked. It wasn’t only that he was surprised by the onslaught. He was hurt, too. “Are you this much of an asshole to everyone, or just me?” His temper was throbbing now, but he wasn’t drunk enough to punch Cathal. Even though he wanted to be, because he could never match him with words.

“Everyone,” said Cathal, like he was proud of it. He got up. “If you want a fuckbuddy for the night, that’s fine. So do plenty of guys here. But go find someone who doesn’t care if you’re throwing the rest of us under the bus, because I do.” He reached to tuck the napkin into his pocket; Damon grabbed his wrist, even though he had nothing to say. Cathal shot him a look that promised every possible bad thing in the known universe. And some unknown things.

Damon let go of him, scowling. “I’m not like that. I’m not.”

Cathal smiled that prim, insipid smile again. “Yes, you fucking are.” He walked off without another word.

Damon sat there, stunned. Then he turned around and finished his beer at a go.

I went into this book completely blind. I liked the cover, and the first sentence of the blurb, so I went with it, and I am so glad I did!!!! I loved this book!!!! I laughed through most of the first half of the book, and kept right on enjoying their banter to the end

How Cathal’s brain and snark worked was amazing. He said whatever he was thinking, and often things he should not have been thinking. His post-it notes were epic. And how he talked to his nephew made me giggle. Cathal was the person you want to hang out with when you just want to be catty and snarky, and just not give a sh*t what anyone thinks. 🙂

Meanwhile Damon, who’s heart was broken after his wife died (she was also Cathal’s best friend, and was equally devastated when she died) decided that cooking things he’d never made before for his wife was the way to work through each day as he grieved alongside his son, and his wife’s best friend. And the results were epic! Then you add Cathal’s snark of what was in the food? I couldn’t have enjoyed their banter more.

Felix’s teenage angst, I think, helped these two MC’s heal as well, simply because it allowed them to believe in love again, to have something and someone to focus outwardly on.

In the end, the “UST” as Felix called it was there, on a slow build, apparently for almost twenty years. I’ll admit, I would have liked to have a little bit of sexy times, rather than fade to black, but it absolutely did not ruin anything for me in this one. Great read!

4.5 pieces of eye candy

M.A. Hinkle swears a lot and makes jokes at inappropriate times, so she writes about characters who do the same thing. She’s also worked as an editor and proofreader for the last eight years, critiquing everything from graduate school applications to romance novels.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

http://maryannehinkle.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SkysongMA/

https://twitter.com/SkysongMA

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The Rainbow Clause by Beth Bolden: Audio Book Tour with Excerpt

October 29, 2018 by Denise

Don’t like the athletes. Don’t sleep with the athletes. Don’t fall for the athletes. It had never been particularly difficult to follow the rules, but Nick had a feeling he was about to be tested.

Heisman winner. Member of the national championship team. NFL rookie of the year. Quarterback Colin O’Connor knows he’s become the ultimate romance novel cliché: all the success he’s ever dreamed of but nobody with whom to share it. Too bad it’s not as simple as asking out the next girl who intrigues him – because the next girl to intrigue him probably won’t be a girl at all.

Unexpectedly, the solution comes in one neat package: Nick Wheeler, lead journalist for a leading sports and pop culture blog. Hired by Colin’s team, Nick comes to Miami to shine a spotlight on the NFL’s most private quarterback.

The heat in Miami rises when Nick discovers Colin is nothing like the hollow personality he pretends to be in interviews and he’s even hotter in person than on his Sports Illustrated cover. Nick knows this is the story of his career, and it also hits close to home. What he needs is to help Colin share his story while keeping their growing relationship from boiling over in the press, but what he wants is to tell the world.

The Rainbow Clause

Beth Bolden

M/M Romance

Audio Release: 09.07.18

Narrator: Wyatt Baker

Listening Length: 7 hours and 45 minutes

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Audible

“Wow,” Colin breathed out, the sheet shifting down his torso as he propped himself up with an elbow. “What a view.”

Even though the ocean and sky and sand were hazy with the golden light of the rising sun, Nick still had trouble taking his eyes off the man next to him.

“Yeah,” Nick said, still staring at Colin. “Fucking fabulous view.”

Colin glanced over and flushed. He rolled over and slid out of bed, bare feet padding on the tile floor as he headed towards the bathroom. “When you look at me that way,” he said, his voice carrying back into the bedroom, “it’s easy to believe I really look as good as you say.”

“You should believe it,” Nick said as Colin returned to bed. Nick knew he needed to use the bathroom, too, at least to brush away his surely horrible morning breath so he could kiss this beautiful man next to him.

Just one problem. Nick glanced at the tile floor with dismay. “Is that as cold as it looks?”

Colin shot him a playful smile and gave him a little shove to the edge of the bed. “Your turn to find out,” he said, and Nick gave a half-hearted smile, expecting to freeze his balls off as he tiptoed to the bathroom. Instead, he found the floor to be shockingly warm against his bare feet.

“Teddy, that rich bastard,” Nick exclaimed as he walked to the bathroom. “Heated floors.”

Nick brushed his teeth and took a piss, returning to bed with warm feet and cold hands, which he proceeded to place right on Colin’s ribcage. But Colin didn’t flinch, only tugged Nick closer, until their limbs were tangled together. Nick shifted up a fraction and hesitated, their eyes locked together and their lips only an inch apart.

“You keep talking about me,” Colin murmured dreamily, his hand smoothing down a wayward tuft of Nick’s hair. “But you’re gorgeous. I stare at you all the damn time.”

It was hard not to notice and impossible not to feel smug that Colin O’Connor spent at least half his waking hours staring at his ass.

A large hand slid around his hip and cupped that ass – but not with the sort of tacky possession that sometimes gave Nick a bad taste in his mouth, but with reverence and a playful affection that made his heart ache.

“I know you notice,” Colin continued, the edge of his lips quirking into a smile. “You’re too nice to call me out on it.”

“What, and make you stop?” Nick asked.

Beth Bolden lives in Portland, Oregon with her supportive husband. She wholly believes in Keeping Portland Weird, but wishes she didn’t have to make the yearly pilgrimage up to Seattle to watch her Boston Red Sox play baseball. She’s a fan of fandoms, and spends too much of her free time on tumblr.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published eight novels and two novellas, with Catch Me, the next novel in the Kitchen Gods series, releasing in May 2018.

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In the Pines by Laura Lascarso: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt

October 25, 2018 by Denise

Incredibly excited to have Laura Lascarso (whose When Everything is Blue was fantastic) with an exclusive guest post and excerpt from her new mystery book, In the Pines. I seriously can’t wait to read this one!

When your high school crush is also your number one suspect, what’s a boy to do?

After the disappearance of Eastview High’s homecoming king, seventeen-year-old Charlie Schiffer must put his detective skills to work to help class heartthrob Dare Chalmers find his missing twin brother. From the gator-filled swamps of Paynes Prairie to the truck-stop strip club Café Risqué, there’s no situation too dicey for this amateur sleuth when he’s on the prowl for clues to this mystery.

Meanwhile, Dare is everything Charlie could want in a boyfriend—charismatic, handsome, polite—but as Charlie’s mother always says, the unlikeliest people can turn out to be criminals. When evidence surfaces revealing his suspects’ hidden motives, Charlie must dig deep to suss out who among them is innocent and who is guilty, even if it means betraying the man he cares for most.

Title: In the Pines
Series: Charlie Schiffer Mysteries
Author: Laura Lascarso
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Category: Mystery/Suspense, Bittersweet
Pages: 194

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

What are the key ingredients to a small-town murder mystery?

This is the question I asked myself at the outset of writing In the Pines, my newest M/M romance-slash-mystery novel. For me, I grew up reading Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew novels and watching Twin Peaks as an adolescent. I was obsessed with that show at the time it aired, and it was only in watching it as an adult that I realized how truly weird it was. (Also, my name is Laura and the murder victim’s name was Laura Palmer, which always kind of freaked me out but was also kind of cool.)

Through consuming my fair share of mysteries over the years, and trying my hand at writing one, there are a few elements that I’ve identified as key ingredients to pulling off a small-town murder mystery.

They are setting, senses, sidekick, and suspicion.

Setting is so critical to a small-town mystery, whether it be murder or something else. The author needs to know this town like the back of her hand—where the good restaurants are, who in town knows the gossip, where do the kids go to make-out. If your detective isn’t from your small town, then you’ve got to bring in a local yocal to give your story some character and flair. My story is set in Gainesville, Florida, so naturally I included a swamp, a strip club and a few raving environmentalists (my MC Charlie being one of them). These are all elements which you will most certainly find in and around Gainesville if you’re there for very long, and I tried to make them not just window dressing, but integral pieces to the plot.

Senses—all five of them must be present. One of the best things about reading mystery and suspense is the not knowing what’s just around the corner. To build suspense, the mystery writer has to really dial in on those key details—strange smells, creepy sounds, the curtain fluttering in the breeze. Every good detective is an observer at heart and the reader wants to know what our sleuth is sensing. My guy Charlie may not be the most friendly or outgoing, but he knows how to use all five of his senses to figure out what the heck is going on.

Sidekick. What’s a good mystery without one? In the case of In the Pines, Charlie has two—a sassy cheerleader named Tameka and his best friend of the canine-persuasion, Boots. The sidekick’s role can be adversarial or ally or both. In the case of Tameka, she serves as Charlie’s sounding board and has access to the gossip and rumors he does not. She also has the clarity of mind to remind Charlie when he’s letting his feelings get in the way of their investigation. Doh, Charlie!

Suspicion. Why, in mysteries, is everyone acting so shady all the time? Because people lie, in fiction and in real life. One of the most enjoyable aspects of writing In the Pines, was getting all of the characters to lie about something, even if it was small and seemingly inconsequential. Flawed characters are my favorite, and this story gave me an opportunity to give everyone a dark side.

And that’s what I’ve learned from writing about murder in a small town. I’ve included an excerpt below from In the Pines, where Charlie first meets Tameka. I wanted her to make an impression on both him and the reader. Hopefully she does. If you like it, I encourage you to check out more.

We assembled at the southernmost point of Newnans Lake, where Hawthorne Road met with 2082, just south of Kate’s Fish Camp. It was just before dawn as people shuffled out of their cars and trucks; several others biked there as well on the Hawthorne bike trail. Cups of coffee were distributed as folks mumbled greetings to each other in the violet wash of predawn. We watched the sun rise over the marsh like blood seeping from a wound and woke a flock of red-winged blackbirds that zigzagged away, chattering their complaints at the sky. If it weren’t for the somber mood, you’d almost think we’d gathered there for an early morning hike.

I thought we’d comb the swamps between 441 and I-75—the two most likely routes out of town—but Mom said this was where they’d determined the cell phone last communicated with the tower before the battery was removed or the phone died.

GPD told us we were looking for Mason’s phone; they probably didn’t want to say we were also potentially searching for a body.

Rangers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission passed out waders and snake boots for members of the search parties, but there were only enough for a fraction of the people who’d come out to help, especially since most of the upperclassmen of Eastview High were there. For those of us who didn’t have protection, FWC suggested we grab a big stick and knock the ground every couple of steps to “scare off the critters.” The word critters made it sound like soft, furry mammals, not venomous snakes or twenty-foot alligators with bone-crushing jaws. Literally half a gator’s length was its mouth.

My mother was with the operations unit, poring over aerial maps on a foldout table, so I joined the nearest group of classmates to form a search party. While we waited for supplies and further instruction from GPD, I overheard two girls talking about Mason’s disappearance.

“Bet he ran off with that stripper from Café Risqué,” one said. I recognized her as Tameka Thomas, a cheerleader from Daniela’s squad.

“Is that what the fight on Friday was about?” said the other girl. My ears perked up at the mention of a fight. According to my mom, Daniela claimed she hadn’t seen Mason since the pep rally, and she certainly didn’t mention an argument between them.

“Mmm-hmm,” Tameka continued. “Mason’s fine as hell, but you know he’s not faithful. Daniela just doesn’t know how to handle him. I’d keep that boy sat-is-fied.” Tameka made a slapping gesture and ground her hips in a motion that made my eyes go wide. The girls at my high school were more sex-crazed than the boys.

“When was the fight?” I asked the girls. They both turned my way and studied me like I was a bug and they were deciding whether to ignore me or squash me.

“Well, if it isn’t old Dick Tracy,” Tameka sneered. My SAT sting had burned a couple of the cheerleaders. They called me Dick for a while whenever they caught me in the halls. Hey, Dick. How’s it going, Dick? Screwed anyone over lately, Dick? One time a whole hive of them swarmed me outside the gymnasium. It was pretty terrifying. “Are you on the case then, Dick?” Tameka asked, hands on her hips, coppery brown eyes studying me acutely.

“If the fight really happened, it could help with the investigation,” I offered as my defense for being nosy. “I just want to help Dare find his brother.”

Tameka pursed her lips and glanced over at her friend, who only shrugged. “Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I saw them fighting outside the wrestling room after cheer practice. I didn’t hear what they were saying because I don’t put my nose where it doesn’t belong, like some people.”

I sincerely doubted that, but instead of arguing with her, I only sighed and waited for her to get in her digs.

“But, then again, a girl’s response to finding out her man’s been cheating is pretty universal, so if I had to take a guess….” Here Tameka paused for effect, curling her upper lip a little and bobbing her head. “I’d guess she was giving him the business for messing around.”

“What does that look like?” I needed more detail.

Tameka smiled at her friend. “Like this.” She stalked up to me and shoved me back by my shoulders so I stumbled a little. Then she stuck her index finger right up in my face and pointed at me accusingly. “You good-for-nothing, lying, cheating dog. You think I’m stupid? Do you think I’m stupid? I saw that text in your phone. I know you were with someone else last night. Who was she? Who the hell was she? Oh no, son, don’t you come at me now acting like you looooove me. You don’t love me. You love yourself, you selfish sonovabitch. I hope you get a disease from that ho Now, get out of my face before I beat you senseless, boy. I can’t even stand to look at you.”

She stuck her flattened palm in my face, spun on her heels, and walked back over to her friend.

“Wow,” I said, reeling from her very visceral performance. My heart was racing and my palms were sweating. “End scene. That was brilliant.” Where had I picked up that expression? Probably the drama department.

“Yeah.” She brushed her manicured nails against her shirt and blew on their tips. They were painted alternating green and white, our school colors, just like Daniela’s. I remembered the jacket Daniela was wearing during the pep rally—Mason’s letterman jacket.

“Was Daniela still wearing Mason’s jacket?” I asked Tameka.

She shook her head. “She took it off and shoved it at him, even though it was cold that day. That’s how I knew she was pissed. She loves that damn jacket.”

It was true. Now that Tameka mentioned it, I rarely saw Daniela without Mason’s jacket, even on warm days. It was like the skin from her kill—proof to all her rivals that Mason Chalmers had been claimed.

At that moment a sheriff’s deputy approached us and gave us all blue nurse’s gloves and several two-gallon Ziploc bags. “If you find anything—and I mean anything—put it in a bag, seal it, and radio in.” He glanced at the lot of us, seemed to have misgivings, and then shoved the walkie-talkie at me. “You’re the group leader,” he said.

I could tell from Tameka’s expression, she didn’t like that. “Because he’s a boy?” she asked, shoulders squared, head tilted like a parrot. I felt the need to correct her that I was a man, not a boy, but I didn’t wish to feed her ire. The deputy looked caught—he wasn’t much older than us. Likely this was his first experience with organizing a search party.

“No, it’s just because—” he started to say.

“You can be leader.” I cut him off and gave Tameka the radio. “You’ve got the biggest mouth anyway.”

Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened a little like she was about to retort. Then she smiled. “All right then, Dick. As team leader, I’m making you the gator getter. You walk ahead with that big stick of yours and scare off the critters.”

I chuckled at her impersonation of the ranger. “My name’s Charlie, by the way.”

She smirked and shoved my shoulder playfully. “Yeah, I know, but you look more like a Dick to me.”

Author Bio: Laura Lascarso wants you to stay up way past your bedtime reading her stories. She aims to inspire more questions than answers in her fiction and believes in the power of storytelling to heal and transform a society. When not writing, Laura can be found screaming “finish” on the soccer fields, rewatching Veronica Mars, and trying to convince politicians that climate change is real. She lives in North Florida with her darling husband and two kids. She loves hearing from readers, and she’d be delighted to hear from you.

Website: lauralascarso.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lascarso

Twitter: @lauralascarso

Operation Makeover by DJ Jamison: Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

October 24, 2018 by Denise

At TCO, we love having author’s stop by and bring our readers excerpts and giveaways. Today DJ Jamison has kindly dropped in to give us an advanced look at Operation Makeover which comes out tomorrow, along with a giveaway. So check it out, leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Will a makeover bring his fantasy to life or lead him to a love he never saw coming?As a professional X-ray tech, Ridley has come a long way from the geeky kid Jace took under his wing in high school. Not that his best friend has noticed. Tired of pining, Ridley decides to show Jace what he’s missing. And what better way than with a newer, more sophisticated look?

Cole’s clients at the salon where he works love him dearly. Men? Not so much. He has dated one mistake after the next, and he’s beginning to wonder if a guy exists who can handle his fabulousness. Then Ridley lands in his chair.

Cole agrees to be Ridley’s makeover guru, and they click effortlessly. But when Cole offers to help Ridley with his sexual confidence, passion flares and boundaries blur.

Ridley’s had his heart set on Jace a long time, but when he’s with Cole it feels too real to deny. Now he has a choice to make: the friend he’s always wanted or the man who’s given him a whole new lease on life.

Operation Makeover is part of the Hearts and Health series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Amazon

Universal

Ridley, dressed in blue jeans and a loose T-shirt, looked terrified when he saw the contents of Cole’s closet. Bright colors, sequins, slinky silks, and even some lacy things crowded the rack, and underneath was a jumble of shoes, everything from Chucks to knee-high boots.

Cole grabbed a pair of maroon jeans off the hanger. Well, they looked like jeans but were made of a stretchy, clingy material that made them a cross between jeans and tights. Holding them up against Ridley’s waist, he eyed him.

Hmm, not bad, but he wasn’t sure if Ridley was ready for maroon. Maybe a dark green …

“Uh, those will never fit me,” Riley said. “Also, they’re very red.”

Cole flicked up his eyes, hands still pressing the pants against Ridley’s waist. “I’m just visualizing, sweetie. We’ll buy you clothes in your own size. And hello? They’re maroon, and I own them, so they’re fabulous!”

“Sorry,” Ridley mumbled, shifting uncomfortably.

Cole drew back. “Take off your shirt.”

To his amusement, Ridley jerked his arms up across his chest like a shy virgin. “Why?”
“I want to see what I’m working with. Pants too, down to your undies.”

“No way,” Ridley said quickly, backing up a step and hitting the bed. He promptly fell onto his butt, bouncing once. “I can’t.”

Cole wasn’t sure if he should be offended by Ridley’s modesty. “Is it me? I know I’m flirty, but this is strictly business.” He drew an X over his heart with one finger. “I solemnly swear not to molest you.”

With my hands. My eyes are another matter.

Ridley chewed his bottom lip. “It’s just, I’m probably not what you usually see. You’re so… you probably date really hot men. And, um, I don’t manscape or anything.”

Aw, he was so precious. Ridley needed a major self-esteem overhaul. In some ways, Cole and Ridley weren’t so different. Anita gave Cole hell for undervaluing his self-worth, too, although in his case it was less about his physical appearance and more about the way he let people treat him.

He should work on himself, but it was a heck of a lot easier to focus on Ridley. He was determined to show Ridley the gem waiting to be polished under those clothes.

“You overestimate my fabulousness,” he said. “And besides, this is a makeover. If you want to wax, we can add it to the list. But between you and me, a hairy man is sexy! A little grooming is nice, yes, but—”

“Okay,” Ridley blurted. “Just don’t talk about it. No comments on my body.”

“Consider me your makeover doctor. I’m here to help, not judge.”

DJ Jamison is the author of more than a dozen m/m romances, including the Ashe Sentinel series and the Hearts and Health series. She writes a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual, with a focus on telling love stories that are more about common ground than lust at first sight.

DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love.

DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that, and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors’ books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, two fish. one snake, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.

SOCIAL LINKS Newsletter: www.tinyurl.com/DJandCompany Website: ReadingDJ.com Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/DJandCompany Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/dj-jamison

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14205328.D_J_Jamison

Twitter: @dj_jamison_

Leave a comment for DJ and you could win your choice of any of the first six Hearts and Health books.