exclusive

After Felix (Close Proximity Book 3) by Lily Morton: Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review & Giveaway

August 18, 2020 by Denise

Sometimes the best love stories come in two parts.

When Felix met handsome journalist Max Travers, it was lust at first sight. It was just his luck that he then had to develop a terrible case of feelings and got his heart broken. However, two and a half years later, he’s over all of that. His job is going well, he has good friends, and he doesn’t lack for male company. Which, of course, is when Max has to come bursting back into his life.

Felix Jackson will always be the one who got away to Max. He’s spent their time apart regretting his actions and hoping for a second chance. When an accident lands him in Felix’s less than tender care, Max is determined to grab this opportunity. The only problem is that Felix is equally determined that he doesn’t.

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a story of missed opportunities, second chances, and two very stubborn men.

This is the third book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

So, you’re buying Charlie that book? Ooh, if it’s got pictures, take some photos of them for me.”

“I’m not taking photos of pictures in a boring old book so you can wank over them without having to pay the recommended retail price.”

A woman giggles, and I grimace apologetically at her. “He won’t,” I assure her. “He prefers his porn to be actually moving. This isn’t the dark ages.” She laughs and walks away.

“Are you going to have to do your usual thing with Charlie?” he says sympathetically.

I sigh. “Yep. I’ll have to read it too, so we can discuss it. Fucking hell, it’s huge. It’s going to take weeks of my life that I’ll never get back. I’m far too young for the wrinkles that reading this shit will give me.” I seize a copy. “Wow, it’s so fucking heavy too. Still, if Charlie doesn’t read it, he can always use it as a doorstop.”

A loud laugh comes from behind me, and when I spin around, I find a man leaning against the entrance to the travel section. He’s staring at me. He’s obviously the source of the laughter because it’s still flirting with the edges of his wide mouth and dancing in his dark eyes. He’s tall and broad-shouldered with thick black hair that falls in shaggy waves and frames a high-cheek-boned face.

I blink and consider rubbing my eyes because I have never in my life seen anyone this gorgeous in Waterstones before. I hope it’s a sign that my luck has changed. As I smile at him, I make a mental note to buy a scratch card on the way home.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

He straightens from his leaning position. I let my eyes roll down his body, and it’s well worth a slow pace. His ancient jeans cling to the long lines of his legs and catch on the edges of a pair of battered motorcycle boots. A white T-shirt and a leather motorcycle jacket with stripes down the arms complete the outfit.

“Just listening to your little book club,” he says casually, folding his arms over his chest. “It sounded lively.”

“Oh, really? Did you want to join? I have to tell you that there’s an admission price and you’ll have to learn the password and the group theme song.”

“What’s the theme song?”

“Pink Floyd’s ‘We Don’t Need No Education’,” I say.

He laughs.

“Oh my God,” Tim hisses in my ear. “That’s your sexy, snarky voice, Felix. You’re flirting with someone, you dirty bitch.”

“Bye, Tim,” I say, clicking End on the sound of his laughter.

Wow. Felix definitely wins the snarkiest of snarky awards. Lily Morton always has sharp witted dialogue, dripping sarcasm and usually a lot of laughs. But Felix might have been a bit TOO snarky. Especially in part 2.

Anyway…this is book 3 of a series but can easily be read as a stand alone. We met Felix in book 1 as the personal assistant of Zeb. He easily stole scenes he was in and I was looking forward to his story and happily every after.

Felix is the classic one off, no strings, no relationships guy. Until his sarcastic comments get noticed by a guy in a book store. Their “one off” turns into a mutually beneficial friends with benefits (but no strings!) deal.

Felix and Max definitely play off of each other. Max zings Felix right back and they can’t keep their hands off of each other. After a few months Max ends up bringing Felix to the wedding of his former work partner, best friend and sex buddy. Fans of Lily Morton will recognize a lot of characters. But that ends up being a BIG mistake. I was MAD at Max. MAD. He was a jerk. There was no innocent miscommunication here. Felix was justified in his hurt and anger.

Max realizes the error of his ways. TOO LATE BUDDY! (I told you I was mad right?) Everyone moves on. But Felix and Max keep running into each other. Of course it is by design of someone they are both connected to. Ultimately, months later (maybe a year? I’m a little fuzzy) Max and Felix are thrown together again and Felix is guilted into helping Max with his book tour. Cute, right?

And I get it, Felix was still hurt, but still cared for Max. But really, he was a jerk. And Max laughed him off. It’s in his nature to do that and the whole defense mechanism thing but ugh. I wanted to slap him.

Ignoring Felix’s beastly behavior, Max works on winning him over again. And it was swoony. He definitely redeemed himself. And in the process showed Felix that it is ok to love and be loved.

I really enjoyed how the book was split in 2. Felix and Max as friends with benefits, big break up. Then Felix and Max as tentative friends, big wooing romance.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

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Blood Oath by A.T. Brennan: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway

August 11, 2020 by Denise

A witch, a human, and a werewolf. Three men connected by love, but two of them have never met, until now.

After losing his family and coven six years ago, Felix was finally happy again. He has a job he‘s good at, two boyfriends who love him, friends, and a place to call home. That is, until a mysterious stranger brings a job into the Assassins Guild where he and his lover, Ryder, work.

On paper the job is simple, take out the sorcerer who heads the most powerful dark magic church in the country. But magic is never simple, and Ryder and Felix enlist the help of a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, including Felix’s other boyfriend Luka, to complete the job before time runs out.

Will Luka and Ryder see what Felix has always suspected? And more importantly, will they be able to accept it, and each other?

*Blood Oath is Book 1 in the Legacy of the Assassins series. It is not a standalone and ends in a soft cliffhanger. The story within the book concludes at the end, however, the bigger story continues in Books 2 and 3, which are be available for preorder. This book is an urban fantasy/paranormal m/m romance story. It contains a polyamorous relationship and no cheating.

Blood Oath by A.T. Brennan

Legacy of the Assassins, Book 1

Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Ryder and Felix spent the next hour working on technique. They didn’t full out spar again, but they did do some floor work that left them both sweaty and in need of a shower.

“How’s the apprehension now?” Ryder asked as they toweled off.

“Much better. Who knew getting sweaty and rolling around on the floor with you would be the cure for my nerves?”

Ryder grinned as he grabbed the water bottle he’d brought down with him and unscrewed the cap. “Usually, we’re not trying to knock each other out when we’re rolling around and getting sweaty.”

“True.” Felix grinned. “I feel like it says something about our relationship that we love to spar almost as much as we like to fuck.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Ryder grinned as he took several long swallows from the bottle. “Fucking is definitely way above sparring.”

Felix laughed as he took the bottle Ryder offered him. “Good to know,” he said after he’d taken several gulps. “But sparring is still definitely up there on the list.”

“Agreed.” Ryder took the bottle back from Felix and finished what was left before tossing it aside.

Ryder was disciplined enough that he could focus on their training while they were in the midst of it, but as soon as things were done, he let his guard down and allowed his body to react to being in such close proximity to his sweaty, gorgeous lover.

Felix seemed to be on the same page and dropped one hand to his cock, squeezing his visible bulge as he looked Ryder up and down.

“You have no idea how much I wish we were in my apartment right now.”

“You and me both.” Ryder dropped the towel he’d picked up and glanced at the door. It was closed, so they’d hear it if someone decided to come down. “Come here.”

A.T. Brennan, a native of Ottawa, Canada, has always had her head in a book and a story to tell. A veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and current entrepreneur and author, she enjoys spending her days working on her many projects and her nights writing and not getting enough sleep. She currently lives on Canada’s East Coast with her kiddo and cat, and enjoys collecting shoes and exploring the different aspects of romance in her works. She also publishes erotica under the name Mandie Mills.

Connect with A.T.:
Reader Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1400684929993751
Website – atbrennan.com
Newsletter – http://eepurl.com/g9N0zD

To celebrate the Blood Oath’s release, we are giving 3 lucky winners the chance to win an e-copy of your choice from A.T. Brennan’s published works!

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Gideon (Finding Home Book 3) by Lily Morton: Audiobook Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

August 6, 2020 by Denise

Gideon Ramsay is so far in the closet he should be a talking faun.

A talented, mercurial, and often selfish man, Gideon has everything he should want in life. Fame, money, acting awards – he has it all. Everything but honesty. At the advice of his agent, Gideon has concealed his sexuality for years. But it’s starting to get harder to hide, and his increasingly wild behaviour is threatening to destroy his career.

Then he’s laid low by a serious illness and into his life comes Eli Jones. Eli is everything that Gideon can’t understand. He’s sunny tempered, friendly, and optimistic. Even worse, he’s unaffected by grumpiness and sarcasm, which forms ninety percent of Gideon’s body weight. And now Gideon is trapped with him without any recourse to the drugs and alcohol that have previously eased his way through awkward situations.

However, as Gideon gets to know the other man, he finds himself wildly attracted to his lazy smiles and warm, scruffy charm that seem to fill a hole inside Gideon that’s been empty for a long time. Will he give in to this incomprehensible attraction when it could mean the end of everything that he’s worked for?

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series comes a story about a man who needs to realise that being true to yourself is really just a form of finding home.

This is the third book in the Finding Home series but it can be read as a standalone.

Gideon by Lily Morton

Narrated by Joel Leslie

A Finding Home Novel, Book 3

Audible US

Audible UK
Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Eli grins at me happily before turning round and mounting the stairs in his characteristic long-legged strides. I’ve noticed that he never seems to rush anywhere, but somehow he seems to get to places quicker than anyone else. I follow a bit more slowly, and when I round the deck, I look around curiously.

The sky is a clear, pale blue and there’s every sign that it’s going to be a scorching-hot day. However, the breeze blowing across the deck has ensured that it’s still cool at the moment. Set along the deck are padded mats in bright colours, and a group of people dressed in colourful yoga gear chat happily amongst themselves.

As Eli comes onto the deck, a slender dark-haired woman detaches herself from the group and comes over with a huge smile. “Eli, you came,” she exclaims with as much enthusiasm as if Eli were her long-lost brother. “I’m so pleased.”

My eyes narrow. When did he meet this woman?

He grins lazily at her, oblivious to the fact that she’s currently eye-fucking him so hard I’ll need a cigarette when she finally looks away. “I said I would,” he says happily, the Welsh lilt very evident in his early-morning voice.

I shoot him a look of total incomprehension. As far as I know, he’s been ensconced in the suite with me for the last few days, insisting that I sleep and relax. Yet every time we’ve left the cabin since then, people have hailed him left, right, and centre. How is this possible?

I come back to the conversation as Eli pats my arm. “This is Gideon.”

I bite my lip because his tone of voice and gestures are currently suggesting that rather than being a famous actor, I am, in fact, a raggedy old sheepdog. She gives me a cursory glance and smiles before returning to eye-fucking my nurse.

I can actually feel my mouth drop open. I’m not being conceited but… Oh, okay, I am being conceited but goddammit, there aren’t many people that overlook me. I’m too famous. I pause. Or infamous. I shrug. Either fucking way, I’m bloody memorable. Apart from on this fucking ship where my nurse appears to be the headline act.

I wonder whether I should be annoyed, but I’m far too amused to bother with that, so I stand, trying not to smile as she engages Eli in a very animated conversation while he shoots me occasional glances to check whether I’m okay or if I’ve died from boredom. Finally, when the group starts shifting about like sheep getting bored, she breaks away from the conversation and heads back to the front of the deck.

I turn to face Eli, leaning my elbows on the rail. “She seems very…” I pause, searching for words. “Very awake.”

He starts to laugh. “It’s usually better for the back and forth of conversation that both parties are conscious.”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure about that. Sometimes I think it would be better for people if they were asleep when I spoke to them. Less chance of them taking offence.”

He nods solemnly. “You might be right. Either that or dead.”

I’ll start by saying, I really love Lily Morton’s books. I haven’t been able to read the first two books in this series, because…well, I really don’t know why at the moment, because now I have to go back. 🙂 But when I saw this, I knew that I needed to listen to it. Between Lily’s love of snark, and Joel’s absolutely amazing ability to voice the character’s so authentically, there was zero chance this was going to be anything but fantastic!

These two main characters could not have presented more oppositely. Gideon was simply a sarcastic cynic who had been around the block so many times that the reader would get dizzy by proxy. Meanwhile, Eli was nothing but calm and patient with his patient. No matter what Gideon gave Eli, he simply gave it right back or moved on. It wasn’t love at first sight as much as learning to love yourself, and someone else as a side benefit. Gideon’s trials brought tears to my eyes more than once, yet he made me laugh out loud even more often.

I really loved how realistic some of this book was. Giving Gideon time to find himself is very adult, and really shows that Eli cared more about Gideon than Gideon cared about himself. And Gideon taking that time and knowing that it was what he needed in order to be what Eli needed. That is as it should be in life.

Then there’s Joel’s narration. What can I say…each time I listen to one of the books he narrated, I initially am concerned that I will somehow associate his voice with another book I passionately loved that he narrated. This has happened to me with a few other narrators (don’t worry, I get into them either way usually). However, that never happens with Joel. I am always immediately immersed into the story and know that I will hear that voice in my head as that person forever. Joel has an amazing ability to not only create a distinct voice for each character, but manages to flip back and forth instantly within a book. Perfect example…towards the end, the entire group of men, including a few side characters, are all in one room near the end of the book, gathered around to see what Gideon does (no spoiler here!), and everyone speaks at some point, and yet, the listener could immediately tell who was speaking by the voice, and not just by the words. It’s amazing to me the range that Joel has. I’d also be willing to bet that if I went back to listen to Oz (Book 1) and Milo (Book 2) (and by if, I actually mean, I am going back right now to listen to them-just grabbed Oz 🙂 ), the voices are exactly the same as what I just listened to with Gideon (Book 3). Joel is a master at his craft, and listening to his narration is simply about immersing yourself into the story and letting go.

*Side note* I generally take about 2 weeks to listen to an audio book this length, because I can’t multitask very well. I soaked this one up in 4 days…that says SO MUCH!!!!

Anyway, the story is great, with the good guys getting the happy endings (epilogue is awesome!) and the bad guy getting his comeuppance. My perfect way to end a book. Give this one a shot, listen and enjoy!

Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 5 pieces of eye candy

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

About the Narrator

Joel Froomkin, a eight-time Earphones Award-Winning narrator, is a UK transplant, growing up with American parents in a British commonwealth. A classically trained actor with an MFA in theatre from USC, he is often cast for his unique ability to deliver native, authentic combinations of British and American sounds. His great range and ability to bring characters to life with honesty, wit and versatility delights producers and listeners alike. He has won Earphones Awards for 1st person British, American and Australian narrations.

He was the winner of three 2020 Independent Audiobook Awards, including Best Male Narrator. He has nearly 300 full-length audiobooks to his credit and over 25,,000 five star reviews on audible. His narration of JJ McAvoy’s Ruthless People was a #1 Romance Best-Seller on audible. He served as Director of Drama at Manchester University and has been a Theatre Professor at Indiana/Purdue University.

He is a dialect specialist and has taught accents and speech at NYU, Tisch School of the Arts as well as coached accents for major regional theaters, Broadway stalwarts and national tours.

He has had the pleasure of working with Audible Studios, Penguin Random House, Dreamscape, Scholastic, Podium, Blackstone, Harper, Bee Audio, Brilliance, Deyan Audio, Tantor, Punch and Hachette.

Joel also records in the romance genre as ‘Joel Leslie’ and has developed a very strong following and garnered many awards including m/m Audiobook Narrator of the Year 2018 from openskyebookreviews and numerous Audiobook of the Year-winning titles.

Joel has consistent access to his home studio for all production needs. When not in the booth he spends his time chasing after two loquacious wiener dogs.

Connect with Joel:
Facebook | Joel’s Facebook Group
Twitter | Instagram
Website

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Too Close to the Flame by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood: Exclusive Author Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

August 3, 2020 by Denise

One of my favorite exclusives is Author Interviews. I just love to get to know the authors better, and what they think about the characters they’ve written. Today we have a great interview with the authors of the new release Too Close to the Flame, Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood. We get a little bit of everything in this interview. Love! 🙂 So take a look, read the excerpt and don’t forget the giveaway down below!

Can he ever learn to trust again?

Brandon Weber’s old boyfriend almost beat him to death. Brandon survived, but still bears the emotional scars. Eighteen months later, he has withdrawn into himself, convinced he’ll never be able to trust another man.

Devin Macadam, fresh out of law school, has an exciting new job. He is also on the lookout for just the right guy, someone to take care of and love.

When Devin shows up for the first day of work at his new office, he meets Brandon, a legal assistant there. Sparks fly, but Brandon is paralyzed by fear and isn’t about to give another man the power to hurt him again. Devin, never one to give up easily, doesn’t want to take no for an answer. Both men feel the magic, but can their relationship ever get past the friend zone?

Too Close to the Flame is a dark-to-light, sweet romance featuring out and proud gay men, lots of feels, steamy love scenes, and a wonderful happy ending. The book is approximately 86,000 words and has X-Ray enabled for your reading pleasure.

Trigger Warning: Too Close to the Flame contains specific memories of physical abuse.

Title: Too Close to the Flame

Author: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood

Publisher: Wainscott Press

Release Date: July 31, 2020

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 86,000 words

Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort Gay Romance, Sweet Gay Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Interview with Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood on the Release of Their New Book, Too Close to the Flame

Tell us about yourselves. You’re married, right?

RYAN: We are married. We met in law school and were attracted to each other right away. Soon, we started dating, and eventually got married several years later, in 2017.

JOSH: Ryan practices law, and writing is a side gig for us. We spend as much time as possible together, and have a constant companion in our big, goofy German shepherd.

How did you start writing?

RYAN: Josh started reading gay romances, and after he made me read a few, I got hooked on them too.

JOSH: A lot of the books out there are really good, even inspirational. We have such a beautiful love story of our own that we wanted to share parts of it. Also, we thought we had a unique perspective from which we could portray gay male characters as authentically as possible.

RYAN: We wanted to find issues that were important to us and gently work them into our stories. For example, in What He Really Needs, we dealt a bit with immigrants’ and women’s rights in the workplace.

Josh: When we got back from our honeymoon, we started our first book, No Brief Affair. It took us a year to write, and it tells some of our own story with a lot of fiction thrown in.

Do you still write a book a year?

RYAN: No, we’ve gotten faster. Our current goal is to put out three or four books a year.

JOSH: That’s a lot, considering that Ryan works fulltime, but we’re dedicated to trying.

Let’s switch to the book that was just released, Too Close to the Flame. What can you tell us about it?

RYAN: Too Close to the Flame is a slow burn, hurt/comfort, sweet love story about Brandon and Devin. Brandon works as a legal assistant in a law practice, and Devin, who has just graduated from law school, goes to work there. As soon as they meet, they’re smitten with each other.

JOSH: Each tries to resist the attraction, for his own reasons. Devin soon gives in and tries to get Brandon interested in dating, but Brandon holds back. He has a secret—his old boyfriend was an abuser and almost killed him.

RYAN: Devin eventually finds out, and the two men become friends. Eventually, they become boyfriends.

JOSH: There are some hard patches as Brandon begins to recover from what he went through. Devin’s there to help him, and once Brandon lets him in, their romance blooms into something beautiful.

RYAN: There’s nothing like true love to help you recover from bad things, which is one of the points we wanted to make.

JOSH: The other thing we want to do is bring attention to the often neglected issue of domestic violence in gay relationships.

RYAN: Brandon suffered, but Devin begins to draw him out of his shell. The romance blooms and takes off. The rest of the book is about Brandon’s increasing confidence as Devin shows him unconditional love. Brandon also helps Devin by trusting him so much. The book absolutely roars into an extremely happy-ever-after ending.

It sounds really good. Is it intense?

JOSH: There are only a few places early in the book where the abuse is discussed graphically. Other than that, it’s something their love overcomes.

RYAN: We put a trigger warning on the book for people with special sensitivity to the topic, but everyone else should be fine. Too Close to the Flame is a happy book—it’s just that the characters have to earn their happiness.

JOSH: We hope people will appreciate the beautiful story and celebrate everything Devin and Brandon find in each other.

A few more questions. What do you guys like to do in your spare time?

RYAN & JOSH: (Laughing.) Write.

JOSH: Fulltime work and putting out three or four books a year doesn’t leave a lot of spare time.

RYAN: We enjoy hanging out a lot. Sometimes we watch movies or play games, and we love to cuddle up and read.

JOSH: I like gardening. I used to watch my grandpa do it, and as an adult I wanted to try. It’s very Zen.

RYAN: I love to swim, and I was on my high school and college swim teams. Now, I especially enjoy it when my husband joins me in one of the Speedos I buy him.

JOSH: You goofball! I do not wear Speedos, hardly ever.

RYAN: I know. You make me wait for it!

JOSH: (Poking Ryan in the ribs.) Is it worth the wait?

RYAN: (With a straight face.) I keep buying them, don’t I?

Anything else you like to do?

RYAN: We love bike rides and walks. The dog loves to play, so we spend as much time doing that as we can.

JOSH: Cooking. We like to cook together, but we both love making food for each other too.

All right, every interviewer has to ask a few silly questions, so here we go. Salty snacks or sweet?

RYAN: Josh prefers salty and I like sweet.

Wine or beer?

JOSH: We enjoy both, but Ryan’s a big fan of craft beers. I usually prefer a nice wine.

Tea or coffee?

RYAN: We’re definitely a split household on that issue. I love coffee and Josh is a tea man.

What’s your favorite place to vacation?

RYAN: Anywhere we are. We love to travel, especially in Europe, but we have a trip to Australia on the books. We were going to go this summer, but with everything that’s happening, it wasn’t possible. We’ve rescheduled for December and hope we can go then.

JOSH: We love nice beaches. The Caribbean, Hawaii, and Spain have the best, of the places we’ve been.

RYAN: We both love the winter and it’s fun to ski and go snowmobiling.

JOSH: Ryan likes to snowboard, but I don’t do that.

RYAN: (With a hopeful smile.) Do it with me this year?

JOSH: Not on your life. I prefer having all my limbs in one piece.

Thanks for being with us today. Anything else you’d like to say?

JOSH: We’d like to send out a huge thank you to everyone who reads Too Close to the Flame. You guys have a lot of books to choose from, and every time you read one of ours, we are very thankful to you.

RYAN: Let us know how you like it. Also, consider joining our Facebook group, Ryan and Josh’s Room. We’re in there every day, so it’s a good way to stay in touch. We’ll leave a link right below.

I raced into the kitchen like a madman, afraid that something was on fire. Acrid, gray smoke billowed out of the toaster, and I barely kept from yelling in frustration. Everything was going wrong this morning. My alarm hadn’t gone off, the water in the shower was cold, I cut myself shaving, and my best blue suit had come back from the dry cleaner with a stain on the lapel.

After unplugging the toaster, I used a fork to coax out the pieces of charcoal that used to be a bagel. Damn it!—it was the last one. Now I’d have to take time to scramble eggs, because there was no way I could go to my first day at a new job on an empty stomach.

Returning to the bedroom, I decided my gray suit would have to do. A white shirt and maroon Hermès tie made it look better than it was, and I wore my black cap toe oxfords. They were comfortable and looked great with the suit. Another glance in the mirror and I headed back into the kitchen, where I barely had time to cook and inhale three eggs. The drive to the office had taken about fifteen minutes when I did a practice run a few days earlier, but I wanted to leave half an hour early just in case.

The extra time turned out to be a good thing. Traffic on Massachusetts Avenue was mostly fine, but there was an accident where I was supposed to turn onto 9th Street. I sat for ten minutes waiting to make the turn. “Fuck!” I yelled about five minutes into the delay, and banged on the steering wheel for good measure. I ended the tantrum with a long blast of my horn.

My new job was a good one, and I wanted to do well. I had to be ready to do anything, as soon as I was asked to do it. Furthermore, I had to do a kickass job because I didn’t want anyone thinking I got the position because of my last name. But being the best wasn’t only measured by doing great work. Early and eager were watchwords I needed to live by.

Waiting for the intersection to clear, I thought back over the last few months. When I graduated from law school in May, I felt like I had the world by the tail—law degree, awesome boyfriend, and a job waiting at one of the hottest boutique firms in the nation’s capital. Things changed when I got home from bar exam prep class one day and heard a strange knocking noise in the bedroom. Afraid someone had broken in, I picked up a baseball bat that was leaning against the wall—I hadn’t put it away after our game the night before—and slowly crept through the apartment. When I pushed the bedroom door open, I almost threw up. My awesome boyfriend was riding one of our supposed best friends in the middle of our goddamned bed, his face screwed up in the ecstatic expression I’d thought was only for me to see. He must have heard the door creak, because he opened his eyes and smiled. “Hey, Dev. Want to join?”

Barely resisting the urge to wield my bat on both of them, I left the apartment and went to cry on my friend Jacob’s shoulder. He was a 2L, a year behind me, and was my best buddy since I helped with orientation for his class. After listening to me curse fate for a while, he pointed out that the lease to the apartment I shared with my ex–boyfriend was in my name. After a beer to soothe my nerves, he and I walked back the building where I lived. The ex-boyfriend was gone, so Jacob and I packed up his stuff and carried it out onto the front steps.

A honking horn brought me back to the present. Traffic was moving again, and I made it to the office with five minutes to spare. After introducing myself to the receptionist, I asked for Liam Macadam, my new boss. She made a quick call, but it wasn’t Liam who came around the corner thirty seconds later. An impossibly beautiful man with light blond hair and sparkling, sapphire eyes, put out a hand. “I’m Brandon Weber.”

I took his hand and —whoa!— the spark flew right up my arm. I jerked away. “Sorry. Static electricity?”

We both chuckled but he seemed frozen in place as he didn’t put his arm down. Seeing too good an opportunity to pass up, I reached for his hand again. He widened his eyes and I realized I needed to say something. “I’m Devin Macadam. Today is my first day.”

Brandon broadened his smile and nodded. “I know who you are. I’m Liam’s assistant. He’s running a little late, but he’ll be here soon.”

I gave him a flirty smile but couldn’t seem to move. After a moment, Brandon tugged his hand away. “Why don’t I show you your office and give you a tour?”

The spell was broken, and I quickly put my professional expression back on. “That sounds good. This is a nice place.”

“We like it. It’s an old warehouse, and you should have seen it when Liam and Michael—the first two partners—rented it. The building was a disaster and needed to be completely renovated. I can’t believe it’s the same place.”

A small cleft in Brandon’s chin caught my eye, and it was a few beats too long before I answered. “Yeah, it’s nice.” Oh God, get a grip. He’s a guy, that’s all.

Brandon put a hand on my elbow and guided us down the hallway. I noticed that he moved with an unusual, stiff gait. Three doors in, on the right, he held out his hand. “Here we are.”

Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh enjoy travel, friends, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. In addition, Ryan loves to swim, and Josh likes to pretend he has a green thumb every chance he gets. Both men love writing, and the romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men. You can contact them through their website at www.ryanandjoshth.com.

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It’s A Steal by Arden O’Keefe: RDB, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

July 28, 2020 by Denise

Edric Wilcher has realized growing up that there are simply two things in this world he can never imagine his life without—music and coffee. This is the reason why he chooses the life of a famous rock star—at least, famous in his own small town, and then, goes ahead and opens up Rockstar’s Hideout Café. Every morning he serves his regulars and has a nice, long chat with them before they go back to their daily routine. His charms work wonders on them. Thanks to the good genes bestowed upon him, he doesn’t look half bad. So, it strikes him as odd that this new customer who walks in that morning carrying a heap of books doesn’t seem to even spare him a second glance.

“Coffee” is what he orders and Ed goes out of his way to make him feel special. But the redheaded nerd—okay, a cute nerd, probably cutest he’s seen in his life—just leaves with his books, leaving even the muffin-on-the-house completely untouched. The mystery surrounding this guy gets the best of Ed and when he finds a book left behind by this customer, he can’t help follow the trail to see him just one more time. Even if it is to get a name.

Dean Harrett has somehow misplaced the one thing that was supposed to help him out of his current problems—and that thing is not a cheesy, romance novel. What matters to him the most is what he’s kept in the book—the perfect plan that can make or break his future. And that book has gone now. Only if he can remember where he’s last seen that book…

Of course! The café, where that annoying barista just wouldn’t leave him alone so he had to leave.

But now Dean has to get back there and look for himself before anyone can lay their hands on it. He doesn’t even want to think about the worst-case scenario of someone finding out what he is up to. But this only means he will have to face the annoying, but handsome barista again. Ugh!

It’s A Steal by Arden O’Keefe

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

For no reason whatsoever, his thoughts jumped back to the library’s reading room, where he’d sat with Edric earlier that day. Thinking about the guy, gave him a distinct courage. He knew he had that annoyingly happy smile on his lips again.

Dean bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. He rested his head back as imagination filled his mind again. What if he could have shared a kiss—or maybe something more—hidden away from all the peering eyes, somewhere in the maze of bookshelves? His teeth dug deeper into the soft flesh of Ed’s lips, nibbling on it till they’d become swollen. He could easily fantasize how tender it would be. A tender brush of his tongue on those fuller lips would send shivers through his whole body.

“Edric,” he whispered his name, as he sank into his bed. His hands automatically finding the length of his erect cock.

He liked that name so much—the way it simply rolled off his tongue. It sounded like desire.

“Tell me what you want me to do, baby,” he’d ask him, raising his eyes to look at him. His pupils would be dilated—irises would shine with lust. He’d recognize the fire in them, the hunger for more.

And yet, Ed would wait for him to tell him what he wanted.

Dean swallowed hard.

Ed’s gaze in his fantasy world felt like a physical touch that would plant shivers wherever it landed. “Do you want me, Dean?” He would ask again, and a moan would escape Dean’s throat, giving away his excitement before he could even say anything.

Of course, Dean wanted him, he’d wanted that hunk ever since he’d laid eyes on him in that library. He wanted his hard body against his skinny form, his forehead resting against his, their nostrils flaring with desire, and breathing heavily.

“I want to be yours, Edric,” he whispered into an empty apartment, as he came all over again.

Dean kept his eyes closed, letting his head indulge in that sweet illusion for a little while longer. He wasn’t sure if his fantasy involving Edric Wilcher would ever come true, but in the meantime, he’d let the imaginary version in his head satisfy his urges.

Tonight, he was going to bid goodnight to Dean the shy-and-scared guy, and resurrect the daring hacker within him, that he’d buried way back in the past, and maybe then—if everything went well—he’d be able to stay and give a chance to whatever there could be between him and Edric.

His face blushed. Even whispering his name made his back arch with pleasure now. How was he going to survive the casual meetup they’d planned for the next day?

Arden O’Keefe has several passions and reading is one of them. It is through reading the works of several loved authors that O’Keefe was inspired to craft out some personal creations. The muse never stops to motivate and that’s how the story of Edric and Dean just developed by itself. This is where O’Keefe begins the journey hoping that it doesn’t end anytime soon.

Connect with Arden:
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To celebrate Arden’s debut release they have organized a MASSIVE giveaway!
Head over to Facebook to enter for you chance to win:

https://www.facebook.com/authorardenokeefe/posts/127174749062744

💥💥𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄💥💥

𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗖𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 $𝟮𝟬𝟬 and some amazing goodies are up for grabs!!!

An enormous, gigantic THANK YOU everyone who has pre-ordered IT’S A STEAL! This is a way of me showing how much I appreciate it. By following THREE easy steps (refer below), you stand a chance to win one of over TEN prizes!!! I call this giveaway MASSIVE for a reason … read on 😉

Pre-order Link: getbook.at/itsasteal

Here’s what you’re competing for –
❣️ A grand prize winner who’ll receive $50 Amazon Gift Card (Chosen on September 1st, 2020)
❣️ 5 lucky winners who’ll have a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card (Chosen every Sunday in the month of AUGUST)
❣️ 2 lucky winners who’ll be chosen at random any time during the contest to receive $10 Amazon Gift Card
❣️ 1 lucky winner will be chosen at random at the end of the contest to receive a $5 Amazon Gift Card
❣️ 1 lucky winner will also be picked on September 1st to receive a pack of amazing goodies!

Enter the contest in THREE easy steps over on Facebook –
Step 1: Like Arden’s Facebook Page. (Please note you will also be invited to my Facebook Group “The A-OK Squad”)
Step 2: Fill out this Google Form: https://forms.gle/cYuEqk5GK7GGzQgv5
Step 3: Come back and tag AT LEAST 10 friends in your comment on the Facebook post HERE.

And that’s it!

Good luck everyone… let the contest begin!

Stacking the Deck by Charlie Cochet: RDB, Exclusive Excerpt and Release Day Review

July 28, 2020 by Denise

Ex-Special Forces Communications Sergeant Jacopo “Jack” Constantino heads the cybersecurity department at Four Kings Security, working with his tech-savvy team to provide clients with state-of-the-art security systems. But life for Jack is pretty uneventful—despite the exploits with his brothers-in-arms—and he finds himself longing for a little more excitement.

Be careful what you wish for.

Two years ago, Fitz Harlow captured Jack’s heart and walked away with it. Now he’s back.

Fitz spent the last two years picking up the pieces of his life after a disastrous relationship. After much therapy, and ice cream, Fitz leaves the fashion world behind and returns home to St. Augustine to open his own high-end salon, Hair Comes Trouble. Now Fitz finally has the quiet, peaceful life he’s wanted for so long. There’s only one thing missing, or rather, one man missing, but Fitz has his doubts. With Jack, he’s not just gaining a boyfriend—he’s gaining a boyfriend, his family of mischief-magnet ex-Green Berets, and one highly opinionated Belgian Malinois.

Fitz and Jack discover their connection has only grown stronger over time, thanks in part to meddling friends, but just as they start to pick up where they left off, someone takes exception to their reunion. Danger hides in the shadows, a stalker determined to keep Fitz out of Jack’s life, no matter the cost. With the odds stacked against them, can Jack and Fitz win a battle against an unknown enemy, or will Jack lose Fitz forever?

The Kings: Wild Cards series is a spin-off of the Four Kings Security series.

Stacking the Deck by Charlie Cochet

The Kings: Wild Cards, Book 1

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Six. Zero. One.

Six was the number of times Jack had tried to get out of this damned bachelor auction. Zero was the number of times he’d been successful. One was the number of asses he’d be kicking, namely Ace’s ass.

“Come on, man, you’re going to look smoking hot,” Ace had said over the phone during Jack’s last attempt to back out of tonight’s events. Jack would never admit it, but the tailored charcoal-paisley tuxedo looked good on him. The cut was flattering, accentuating his shoulders and waist. He still felt constricted, though.

“What the fuck!” Joker’s tirade of curses made Jack cringe.

The door to his bathroom slammed open, and Jack almost choked on air. He quickly recovered by coughing into his hand.

Leo chose that moment to walk into the bedroom, holding his bow tie. “Jack, do you have—oh dear.” He spun on his heels the moment he saw Joker and walked back out.

“Oh dear” didn’t begin to cover it.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Joker fumed. “Why do you look all suave and sophisticated, and I look like I’m about to go on a fox hunt through the countryside with the fucking Queen of England!”

Jack tried hard not to laugh. So very hard. Okay, he might not have tried at all. He doubled over laughing until his face hurt and his side cramped.

“I’m going to fucking murder him! I mean, we all knew that one of these days I was going to end up in prison because of him. I just never thought that this”—Joker motioned to his red-and-black Victorian-style suit—“would be what did it. I like Colton, I do, but his fiancé isn’t going to make it to the wedding.”

“Perhaps the tails are a bit much,” Jack said, trying to regain his composure.

“Oh, perhaps? You think? Perhaps thou should kisseth my ass.”

If you are a fan of Charlie Cochet, you probably have read the Four Kings Security books. And you probably wanted to hear more about Jack and Joker. Well step right up. Because first up is Jack.

Jack is the cyber security expert at the company. His toys are electronic in nature and don’t hold bullets. Sometimes he feels less than because he is sitting behind a computer while the other guys are literally risking their lives.

Two years ago, after a job went sideways, Jack ended up comforting Fitz- the hairstylist on the job that went sideways. He was more upset wondering what happened to his best friend, but somehow Jack kept him calm. Poor Jack thought there was a connection there, but then he was ghosted.

But because everyone knows everyone in St Augustine, Florida, he hears about Fitz all of the time because of mutual friends. And Fitz hears about Jack through those same friends. Stoking the embers as it were.

Until a big fundraiser with a bachelor auction (meh, sorry, this is tired) where Fitz wins a date with Jack- after their uber rich mutual friend bid on and won. Something fishy happens- actually two fishies happen- but as it does, it brings Fitz and Jack even closer.

Basically someone is after Fitz because they are stalking Jack. But who? It was a wild ride getting there. Charlie Cochet can definitely write a good action sequence and some exciting times.

The guys from the previous series all feature in this book, of course, but they don’t take the attention away from Jack and Fitz. Actually, I really liked that the humor Ms Cochet is known for was left to the wise guys from previous books and let Jack and Fitz be themselves.

These guys are so sweet together. Jack, being the behind the scenes guy, really is kind of quiet and reserved and he gets to be that with Fitz. And while Fitz is definitely on the flamboyant side, it is never really a thing. Jack likes Fitz just as he is.

Buckle in and let the Kings and the Wild Cards take you on another adventure.

4 pieces of eye candy

Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

If you’d like to connect with Charlie, just drop her an email at charlie(at)charliecochet(dot)com, or find her on: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Connect with Charlie:
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5621569.Charlie_Cochet