exclusive

A Beautiful Disaster (Geek Life Book 3) by Margeurite Labbe: Exclusive Guest Post and Character Interview

August 1, 2019 by Denise

I’m super excited that Margeurite Labbe is here with a little guest post, and a character interview from her new book, A Beautiful Disaster (Geek Life, Book 3). I have been enjoying this series, so this was perfect fun to read! Get a little of the sassy from the organizers of these conventions, and a little sexy. Just a ton of fun. So, check it out, and grab this series, if you haven’t. It’s light-hearted (mostly), sexy and fun!

When best friends Brenden and Dakota launch the biggest comics and pop-culture convention of their careers, they finally realize what everyone around them already knows: they’ve been in love for years.

Now what are they going to do about it?

Meticulously organized Brenden Wade and easygoing Dakota Nye turned their love of geek culture into a business, running conventions all over the Chesapeake Bay area. Now the weight of their pasts is threatening not only their friendship but their dream. Brenden fears losing his foster family when his secrets come out, and though the last thing Dakota wants is to hurt his plus one, he doesn’t know if he’s capable of settling down.

One night of passion challenges both men’s preconceptions and forces them to evaluate what they want from the future. They’re both scared, and though they’ve always been able to figure out anything together, hearts are on the line. Will taking a chance on romance lead to a beautiful disaster, or just a disaster?

Title: A Beautiful Disaster
Series: Geek Life: Book Three
Author: Marguerite Labbe
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 275

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Barnes & Noble

An Interview with Brenden Wade

Hello everyone. It’s good to be here at Two Chicks Obsessed. For the last two books, I had Dakota interview the main characters for his podcast Geek Wars. So I had to continue this tradition with the final book. All of the questions were originally given to me by my friends and fellow writers on the Writer’s Block Discord channel ages ago. It’s a fun place to go if you want to talk everything about writing.

* * *

Dakota: “Welcome back everyone to another special edition of Geek Wars. If you’ve been following along then you’ll have already met comic book artist and writer Morris Proctor and his other half, chef and restaurant owner Theo Boarman. Why’d we include a non-geek again?”

Brenden: “Because Morris is your friend and that’s what friends do.”

Dakota: “God, I’m such a sucker, jokes aside, Theo’s a cool dude. Then we spoke with cosplayer Felipe Suero and game store owner Trask Briscoe. And now we’re on to the grand finale with Brenden Wade, comicon promoter, supervillain extraordinaire, and the man with the sexiest ass south of the Mason Dixon line. How’s it going, Bren? Why’re your ears red?”

Brenden with a disapproving look and bright red ears. “Please tell me that you’re not going to spend this entire interview making inappropriate comments.”

Dakota: “I but I live for inappropriate comments. So, tell me, what made you decide to start running promotions. It’s a chaotic industry and you’re a man who thrives on order. How did that come about?”

Brenden tugs on his ear. “That’s a good question. I think the answer is twofold, first it’s just about love. I love the industry. I love comic books and geek culture. I loved it when it wasn’t cool to love it and doing it made you a dork. I didn’t care, I just wanted more of it. Then it was a matter of not having any cons in our area. If we wanted to go to one we had to head to Northern Virginia. And to be honest though it sounds arrogant, I thought I could do it better.”

Dakota: “I think you’ve shown that you’re pretty damn good at doing it.” He gives Brenden an affection grin. “And for the record, you were a super dork. Now onto our first listener question, ‘What do you like?’ This should be good, surprise me.”

Brenden: “Surprise you? After this many years?” He purses his lips and looks up at the ceiling. “I like the fact that you’re a closet snuggler.” Dakota’s mouth drops open and Brenden grins. “I surprised you, so win to me.”

Dakota points a finger at him. “Let’s keep this non-mushy and PGish.”

Brenden: “Hey, you started with the inappropriate comments first, mine was tame. You’re the troublemaker, not me.”

Dakota: “No, you’re the guy who keeps all the secrets that comes and cleans up after myself which is why you’re the supervillain and I’m the minion. Next question, ‘What fears keep you awake at night?’”

Brenden: “Losing my family again.”

They exchange a sober glance. Dakota cocks his head. “You do realize that by this point there is no getting rid of us. You are stuck with Nyes for life.”

Brenden grins. “Oh, the horror. For some reason I’m attracted to noise and chaos. Blame my love of cons on learning to navigate those family dynamics.”

Dakota: “You just might have a point here. Okay, next question, ‘if you were a flavor of ice cream what would you be’ and I swear if you give me vanilla, I’ll air out some very inappropriate memories right here.”

Brenden eyeballs him and Dakota stares right back with a smirk. “For fuck’s sake, Dakota. You would too. Fine, is Lemon Sorbet an okay enough of an answer for you?”

Dakota’s smirk widens. “Tart and sweet, yeah that works, I was thinking something marshmallowy, but Lemon Sorbet does fit you better.”

Brenden narrows his eyes and points his finger at Dakota. “I am not a marshmallow.”

Dakota: “Uhhuh, keep telling yourself that. Next one, if you could pick one song for our life soundtrack, what would it be?’ But not Journey, that’s obvious.”

Brenden: “I have to admit, I’m a little surprised by that question given your disdain of couple songs.” He scratches his beard. “Home by Daughtry.”

Dakota: “That’s kinda sweet. You tell anyone I said that and I’ll deny it to my grave.”

Brenden: “You do realize this is on record.”

Dakota: “You do realize I have the power of the delete button.”

Brenden rolls his eyes. “I’m putting you on the hot seat next and then we’ll see who’s the sap.”

Dakota: “Fair enough, marshmallow.”

Brenden: “Sucker.” He points to the kitten snoozing across Dakota’s lap.

Dakota: “Hey, leave the inkblot out of it. Okay, final round, word associations with our friends. Morris.”

Brenden leans back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling, folding his hands over his stomach. “Gifted.”

Dakota: “Theo.”

Brenden: “Dangerous.”

Dakota: “Wait, what? Theo? How’s he dangerous?”

Brenden: “I think he can cook even better than Mama E. If we lived near his restaurant we’d deplete our eating out funds and my waistline would be shot to hell. I don’t know how Morris does it.”

Dakota: “Your waistline looks fine to me. Felipe.”

Brenden’s lip curls. “Trouble.”

Dakota: “I thought you two had settled your differences.”

Brenden: “Look me straight in the eye and tell me I’m wrong. I’ll admit, he’s useful to have around and maybe isn’t as bad as I thought. But he thrives on attention seeking tactics.”

Dakota shakes his head with a smile. “Trask.”

Brenden: “Deep.”

Dakota: “And me? What’s you’re one word association for me? I bet I can outdo trouble.”

Brenden straightens with a penetrating look. “Mine.”

Dakota grins. “I can’t argue with that either. Okay, that’s all the time we have for another Geek Wars, until next time, get your geek on.”

Brenden: “I still say you need a new catchphrase.”

Dakota: “Bren.”

Brenden hiding a smile. “Yes?”

Dakota: “Shaddup.”

Marguerite Labbe loves writing stories about the beauty of love and the strength of family, whether it’s the family you’re born into or the one you create. She married her next-door neighbor and best friend, and they have one son, one dog, and two cats who rule them all. She has finally converted her Alabama born husband into being a Red Sox fan and now only needs to convince her son. She runs Apocrypha Comics Studio with her husband and they often trek off to comic book conventions on the weekend where they celebrate all manner of geek culture.

Author website: http://margueritelabbe.blogspot.com/

Twitter handle: @MargueriteLabbe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marguerite.labbe.3

A Pocketful of Stardust by JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

July 30, 2019 by Denise

Super excited to have JP Barnaby and Roman Speedwell here with an exclusive guest post, centered around books, which is perfect for her new book A Pocketful of Stardust. Check out the list below and see if some of it matches your own! And while you are at it, grab up their new book!

Noah Hitchens loves the New York City life he worked hard to build. But when his father dies and leaves him a bankrupt bookstore in their sleepy Georgia hometown, Noah knows he has to save it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know anything about business. He finds unlikely help in Henry, the man who owned Stardust Books before his 1966 murder, and Kyle St. James, a shy but kind-hearted out-of-towner with a past almost as mysterious as Henry’s.

Kyle came to Aster, Georgia, looking for redemption. On the run and out of hope, he’s just trying to get on with his life. Then he meets Noah, a ghost, and a big sloppy lab named Jake who redefine his idea of living. But his past is closing in, and when it finds him, they could lose everything.

Title: A Pocketful of Stardust
Series: Aster
Author: JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Category: Paranormal – Ghosts/Spirits, Contemporary

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

11 Books on my Shelf – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

So, I’ll start off by saying I’m a big DNF girl. If I can’t get into a book in the first 10 pages, I’m going to put it aside. Being an author, software developer, and now grad student, I just don’t have the time to waste on bad books. But I have been reading a lot lately, and since our new book is about a bookstore, I thought I’d share some love.

Books I loved

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

(Writing Structure)

I’ll be honest, I stayed away from this one for a while just because of the title. It seems everyone and their brother has read this book, but I just thought it sounded silly. Until I read it. It’s an awesome deconstructed look at what makes a book good. It gives a roadmap to taking the bones of novel structure and making it your own in beats that are easily recognizable. She also breaks down fifteen popular novels and maps them to the structure points for a great analysis.

Blurb: Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 “beats” (plot points) that comprise a successful story–from the opening image to the finale–this book lays out the Ten Story Genres (Monster in the House; Whydunit; Dude with a Problem) alongside quirky, original insights (Save the Cat; Shard of Glass) to help novelists craft a plot that will captivate–and a novel that will sell.

Low Pressure by Sandra Brown

(Romantic Suspense)

This book has stuck with me which is rare. Sandra Brown has such a deft hand when it comes to suspense. She keeps me guessing with every story and I love that. Her characters are well-developed, and the settings are vivid. If you like romantic suspense, she is a must-read.

Blurb: Bellamy Lyston was only 12 years old when her older sister Susan was killed on a stormy Memorial Day. Bellamy’s fear of storms is a legacy of the tornado that destroyed the crime scene along with her memory of what really happened during the day’s most devastating moments.

Now, 18 years later, Bellamy has written a sensational, bestselling novel based on Susan’s murder. Because the book was inspired by the tragic event that still pains her family, she published it under a pseudonym to protect them from unwanted publicity. But when an opportunistic reporter for a tabloid newspaper discovers that the book is based on fact, Bellamy’s identity is exposed along with the family scandal.

Moreover, Bellamy becomes the target of an unnamed assailant who either wants the truth about Susan’s murder to remain unknown or, even more threatening, is determined to get vengeance for a man wrongfully accused and punished.

In order to identify her stalker, Bellamy must confront the ghosts of her past, including Dent Carter, Susan’s wayward and reckless boyfriend — and an original suspect in the murder case. Dent, with this and other stains on his past, is intent on clearing his name, and he needs Bellamy’s sealed memory to do it. But her safeguarded recollections -once unlocked-pose dangers that neither could foresee and puts both their lives in peril.

As Bellamy delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Susan’s slaying, she discovers disturbing elements of the crime which call into question the people she holds most dear. Haunted by partial memories, conflicted over her feelings for Dent, but determined to learn the truth, she won’t stop until she reveals Susan’s killer.

That is, unless Susan’s killer strikes her first…

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

(Romantic Suspense)

I met Karen Rose at an author conference in Orlando and really appreciated the depth with which she researched for her romantic suspense stories, so I thought I’d give her a shot. She has incredibly intricate relationships across novel series, building gorgeous characters and then using them throughout the entire series. It’s truly inspiring to watch.

Blurb: Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year—desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day. But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are…

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can’t help but fall for. Soon they’ll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith’s own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to flesh and blood.

City of Endless Night by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(Suspense)

I’ve been a fan of the Pendergast/D’Agosta dynamic since their very first book together (Relic). Preston and Child have a fantastic way of leaning this way and that until you’re not sure what to believe. And of course one has to wonder if his methods make Pendergast any better than the criminals he hunts. It’s a wonderful ride.

Blurb: When Grace Ozmian, the beautiful and reckless daughter of a wealthy tech billionaire, first goes missing, the NYPD assumes she has simply sped off on another wild adventure. Until the young woman’s body is discovered in an abandoned warehouse in Queens, the head nowhere to be found.

Lieutenant CDS Vincent D’Agosta quickly takes the lead. He knows his investigation will attract fierce scrutiny, so D’Agosta is delighted when FBI Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast shows up at the crime scene assigned to the case. “I feel rather like Brer Rabbit being thrown into the briar patch,” Pendergast tells D’Agosta, “because I have found you here, in charge. Just like when we first met, back at the Museum of Natural History.”

But neither Pendergast nor D’Agosta are prepared for what lies ahead. A diabolical presence is haunting the greater metropolitan area, and Grace Ozmian was only the first of many victims to be murdered . . . and decapitated. Worse still, there’s something unique to the city itself that has attracted the evil eye of the killer.

As mass hysteria sets in, Pendergast and D’Agosta find themselves in the crosshairs of an opponent who has threatened the very lifeblood of the city. It’ll take all of Pendergast’s skill to unmask this most dangerous foe-let alone survive to tell the tale.

Books I read but didn’t really enjoy:

Outsider by Stephen King

(Horror)

This one was all me. The book had a great set up, but where Lincoln & Child take the paranormal and make it normal, King goes the other way. I think it would have been a better book had the antagonist been human.

Verses for the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(Suspense)

While Preston & Child are an auto-buy for me, sometimes I’m just not on the same wavelength. This one just didn’t have the same punch for me that their other books have had.

Edge of Darkness by Karen Rose

(Romantic Suspense)

To be honest, by the time we got to the 4^th book, I was starting to hate Adam and it didn’t really get any better for me. Also, the subject matter was just too harsh for me to get into it. Sex slave operations and child predators.

Rule of the Bone: A Novel by Russell Banks

(Literary Fiction)

I had to read this book for a class and I can honestly say that I hated it. It’s the meandering tale of a self-absorbed teenager that I couldn’t stand.

Books I really wanted to read, but just couldn’t get into:

Burning Girl by Christopher Rice

Mindhunter by John E Douglas

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz

Want to read the charming book about the bookstore and its ghostly inhabitant?

Check out A Pocketful of Stardust by JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell

I’ll start by saying I liked this book. However, going into this book, I wanted to love it. Books with ghosts always intrigue me, and I wanted to snap it right up. It definitely intrigued me, and kept me guessing a bit, so yes, I did like it. Having it be based around a bookstore, just made it that much more enjoyable. However, as a reader, I felt there was a lot going on in this book, possibly too much.

There was Kyle’s past, which caught up to him towards the end. I felt a like some of it was bit unresolved (due to Hope), but that is real life…sometimes things don’t quite resolve as you’d prefer them to.

There was also Noah’s ghostly friend, Henry, which when we met him, I assumed we would find out more about his death. In the end, resolution for him came from a different path, still very enjoyable, but I felt he was gone too soon. Henry was awesome, though. Funny, sweet, and obviously caring. And his cat…made me giggle. 🙂

Noah’s life was a bit of a mess from the second he stepped back into Georgia following his father’s death. I did love how this was able to resolve, what a great feeling. And with Noah, you really got to see him mature, change and realize what family means for him. The reader was able to see him grow as a person.

The book was slow in a few places, but overall gave

JP Barnaby is an award-winning contemporary romance and romantic suspense novelist with over a dozen novels. Her heart and soul, the Survivor Series, has been heralded by USA Today as one of their favorites. She recently moved from Chicago to Atlanta to appease her Camaro (Jake) who didn’t like the blustery winters. JP specializes in recovery romance but slips in a few erotic or comedic stories to spice things up. When she’s not working on her latest novel, she binge watches superheroes and crime dramas on Netflix with her husband and Jack Russell Terror, Chase.

Come hang out in her Facebook Group – Between the Covers with JP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2228150134074004/

Dilly and Boz by John Inman: Exclusive Cover Reveal

July 25, 2019 by Denise

So excited to have John Inman’s cover reveal right here at TCO!!! I love John’s books so much….but then on top of it, the cover has a cat and dog, so I am kind of in heaven!!! What an amazing cover all around. I’m already wanting this book, it just looks awesome. So, check out the blurb and cover, and you can preorder it right at the Dreamspinner Press website, below!

It’s funny how love nails you when you least expect it.

Dilly Jones has pretty much given up on romance ever finding him. Boz Jenkins, his neighbor, is recently out of a bad relationship but has definitely noticed the cutie across the street. When Dilly drops a bag of donuts on the sidewalk, it sets a chain of events into motion. And suddenly both men’s hearts are lost.

But Boz’s ex is still hanging around, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get Boz back.With a brand-new romance gearing up to knock their socks off, the last thing Dilly and Boz expect is to get tangled up in a stranger’s murder. Or to find themselves fighting for their lives.

Just as they finally find happiness, their love for each other becomes the thing that threatens them the most.

Title: Dilly and Boz

Author: John Inman

Release Date: November 19, 2019

Category: Romantic Suspense

Words: 69,920

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Dreampsinner Press Ebook

Dreampsinner Press Paperback

John Inman is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and the author of over thirty novels, everything from outrageous comedies to tales of ghosts and monsters and heart stopping romances. John Inman has been writing fiction since he was old enough to hold a pencil. He and his partner live in beautiful San Diego, California. Together, they share a passion for theater, books, hiking and biking along the trails and canyons of San Diego or, if the mood strikes, simply kicking back with a beer and a movie.

John’s advice for anyone who wishes to be a writer? “Set time aside to write every day and do it. Don’t be afraid to share what you’ve written. Feedback is important. When a rejection slip comes in, just tear it up and try again. Keep mailing stuff out. Keep writing and rewriting and then rewrite one more time. Every minute of the struggle is worth it in the end, so don’t give up. Ever. Remember that publishers are a lot like lovers. Sometimes you have to look a long time to find the one that’s right for you.”

John’s Website: http://johninmanauthor.com
Blog: http://www.johninmanauthor.com/John_Inmans_Site/Johns_Blog/Johns_Blog.html

Breakaway (Off the Pitch Book 1) by Charlie Novak: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt

July 24, 2019 by Denise

When your life revolves around a single goal, is there room for love?

Christian King is a rising star in English football. He’s talented, devoted, and on the road to glory. He’s following the path that’s been laid out for him since he was four, and he has no plans to deviate from it. Christian’s life revolves around a single goal—to be the best… until he runs into his first love and former best friend, David.

David Cade is just trying to survive the final year of his PhD intact, while battling long hours, unmotivated students, and the idea that academia might not be for him. But a chance encounter with his first love’s twin sister changes everything, and suddenly David is faced with the realisation that he can’t leave the past behind.

When David and Christian are drawn back together, sparks fly. Soon, Christian is forced to confront his deepest insecurities. Can they break away from their fears for a second chance at true love?

Breakaway is a 79,000 word contemporary gay romance featuring light angst, glittery bath bombs, a ginger-haired roommate/pet, shared Star Wars love, and a meddling twin sister.

Breakaway

Charlie Novak

Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Second Chance Romance

Release Date: 07.23.19

Cover Designer: Natasha Snow/http://natashasnow.com/

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Bringing Football to Life in Fiction

I wasn’t a football fan until nearly thirteen years ago, when I met my husband in high school. He’s a die-hard supporter of Tottenham Hotspur, and has been since he was born, but he’s also a huge fan of the game itself and we have countless shelves filled with books on football statistics, the development of the game and the growth of football across the world. Since we met, I’ve casually fallen in love with the game – it was difficult not to – and after I found myself in love with sports romances, I wasn’t completely surprised when Christian and David strolled into my head one day, complete with a story to tell. All I had to do was bring it to life.

The first thing I had to do was invent a club for Christian to play at, since I knew using an existing club wouldn’t work. Simple, right? Well actually, not that simple…

In the 2018/19 season there were six London clubs playing in the Premier League (England’s top football league), with many more in lower divisions. So I ended up spending a lot of time looking at maps of London and lists on Wikipedia, trying to find space for a new club that didn’t already exist. I narrowed it down to two options, eventually choosing Greenwich Athletic because I thought it sounded better!

After that, I didn’t think the football part would be difficult to write, after all, I’d watched matches and I knew things about the clubs and the players. Then I started writing and suddenly I was asking myself questions like what do top players eat? What does their training regime look like? How young were they signed? What happens when players get signed as teenagers? What does their day to day life look like? I also had to work out how to integrate football into the plot, without it becoming overwhelming or difficult to understand, since I wanted to story it to be accessible to everyone – whether you’re a fan of the game or not.

For some of this information, I could pester my husband and get him to answer my questions with his endless football knowledge – car journeys were wonderful for this, since he couldn’t escape. But I also spent a lot of time searching through Google trying to find what I needed, like the websites of personal chef’s to see how they worked and the sort of food they cooked for their clients, or watching endless YouTube clips of players taking penalties to get the feel for the atmosphere.

Integrating football was slightly trickier because I really wanted for it to feel like part of the story instead of window dressing, but I didn’t want it to take over. In real life, during the season Christian would be training every day and playing one to two matches a week, travelling across England and Europe depending on who they were playing, plus additional games and training as part of the England men’s national team. I wanted the reader to be able to see the pressure that Christian was under, and the number of responsibilities and games that he was facing, which is where the epigraphs in the chapter headers came in.

These epigraphs are a mixture of headlines, articles and tweets from across the media – from pulpy tabloids like The Sun and The Star to more highbrow newspapers and sports media, such as The Guardian or BBC Sport, to fan sites and the club’s own Twitter. I had a lot of fun writing these, especially because the tabloid side of British press is often known for its ridiculous, pun-based headlines. Not only did they allow me to try my hand at dreaming up some terribly bad puns, they also gave me the opportunity to show you what was going on behind the scenes in terms of football. Through them we can see the highs of England’s autumn international campaign, the media’s thoughts on whether Christian is the next true superstar of English football and what the team get up to in their spare time. My hope was to add a little depth and richness to the world building, and hopefully they’re a success!

We were still chatting after dinner, so we took our pudding into the living room, while Christian sang Monika’s praises and practically danced on the spot about being allowed pudding during the week. He’d always had a phenomenal sweet tooth, and I guessed that being a professional player was seriously at odds with his desire for sugar.

“Do you want to watch a film?” Christian asked as he flopped onto the sofa, carefully holding his bowl of lemon tart while searching for the remote.

“Sure,” I said, settling next to him and taking in the details of the room. It was light and airy, with large French doors at one end that I assumed opened up onto the garden, although it was too dark to see. The room was lit with the soft glow of lamps, which gave it a warm feel despite its size. The two sofas were scattered with a large selection of colourful cushions and throws, and in one corner a large television stood on a wooden stand. There was a unit beside it filled with Blu-rays and games as well as random knick-knacks and photos, and I was sure I could see a scattering of trophies in amongst them. I was dying to be nosey, but I also knew that wasn’t polite.

“What do you fancy? I’ve got Netflix and Amazon Prime,” Christian said. He gestured at the unit.

“Or there’s lots of Blu-rays up there. Take your pick.”

“I’ll have a look,” I answered, seizing my chance to satisfy my curiosity. I placed my bowl on the solid coffee table and meandered, over but before I could look at any of the photos, something on the floor behind the coffee table caught my eye.

It was a giant LEGO set, half assembled and spread across the carpet, the carefully numbered bags laid out neatly next to the large instruction manual.

“Holy fuck, is that the Millennium Falcon?” It was still more of a frame than anything else, but the shape was still recognisable.

“Yeah,” Christian said, his cheeks tinting again which made something funny pulse in my chest. “I, um, I like building them for fun. They’re good to take my mind off things, help me focus on being in the moment instead of dwelling on stuff. And I like Star Wars.”

“Do you have others?”

Christian nodded, chewing his lip and smiling. “I built the Death Star in the spring. That was fun, but it took hours. It’s upstairs so I don’t knock it over.”

My inner geek was dancing. I’d always loved Star Wars, and Christian and I had spent hours watching them as kids. My mum had even taken the two of us to see Revenge of the Sith for my birthday. As an adult I’d always longed for a couple of these sets, but they were so fucking expensive I’d never imagined getting one. I mean, this Millennium Falcon kit was worth nearly seven hundred quid.

“Can—can we build it now?” I asked, trying not to hold my breath.

“Really? I mean, you’d be interested in that?” There was a note of astonishment in Christian’s voice, while mine was barely controlled excitement.

“Of course! I’ve always wanted to get my hands on this.”

“Okay,” Christian said with a nod. “Let’s do it. Do you want to put a film on in the background? Maybe The Force Awakens? I haven’t seen it in a while.”

“Sounds perfect!”

Ten minutes later we were sitting on the floor, the opening credits of the film playing in the background while Christian talked me through what he’d done so far. It was obvious that he took his building seriously, and I had to admit it was adorable. After my pep talk, he handed me a bag and showed me the instructions he wanted me to follow.

“You know, I’m sure there’s a terrible joke about inserting things somewhere in there,” I said, watching the way Christian’s face flushed as my words filtered through.

“Probably,” he added. “But I’ve never thought of it.”

“Me neither, I’m not good with words.”

“I find that hard to believe—you’re doing your PhD.”

“Nah, that’s all smoke and mirrors,” I joked.

“So, tell me more about your work,” Christian said, picking up his own pieces. “I don’t know much about academic stuff beyond what Lily’s told me.”

I smiled, opened my bag, and began talking. And I didn’t stop. Well, not until the early hours of the morning. By that time, we’d covered my degree, Lily, our mums, the Champions League, and the new Star Wars and Marvel films. The only thing we’d avoided discussing was our relationships, but I figured that was because neither of us had much to tell. Plus, talking about new partners with exes is one of those weird grey areas I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to avoid.

With every word, I could feel Christian slotting back into my life like he’d never left, but at the same time, this wasn’t the same Christian as before. It was a new version—older, smarter, and sweeter. He was driven and determined and had a desire to know as much as he could and actually seemed interested when I spent another hour talking about my work. He talked non-stop about how proud he was of Lily and how much he loved her, and he was so endearingly serious and charming that I couldn’t help but be bowled over by him. And he was so disarmingly handsome that every time he smiled or chewed on his perfect, pink lips, the hot ball of desire in my chest burnt hotter and hotter until it felt like there was a supernova inside me.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this way about anyone.

It had probably been six years.

Charlie lives in England with her husband and a severe lack of dogs. She spends most of her days wrangling other people’s words in her day job and then trying to force her own onto the page in the evening.

She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of angst, even more fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters – because the world needs more of them. Charlie also believes that love comes in all shapes and sizes.

Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…

Website: https://charlienovak.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlienwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlienwrites/
FB Readers Group (Charlie’s Angels): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1287247458080320/

Treasure Trail by Morgan Brice: Guest Post, Excerpt and New Release Review

July 18, 2019 by Denise

Erik Mitchell traveled the world uncovering art fraud and relic theft, which pitted him against spoiled billionaires, unscrupulous collectors, mobsters and cartels. He worked with law enforcement across the US and Europe, but a sting goes wrong and Erik ends up injured, then returns to find his partner cheating. Erik decides to stop globe trotting and buy an antique shop in scenic Cape May, NJ, rebuild his life, and nurse his broken heart.

Undercover Newark cop Ben Nolan went down in a hail of bullets when a bust went sideways, after a tip-off from a traitor inside the department. After he recovers, he spends a couple of years as a private investigator, only to tire of seeing the worst of human nature. So when his aunt offers him the chance to take over her rental real estate business in Cape May, it seems too good to be true. Now if he could just believe he could ever be lucky again in love.

When a missing antique shows up under mysterious circumstances, Ben and Erik are plunged into danger as a cursed hotel’s long-ago scandals resurface. Someone wants those secrets to stay buried—and is willing to add Ben and Erik to the death toll to keep the past hidden.

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Treasure Trail

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy MM paranormal romance

Trope/s: Second chance, friends to lovers, starting over, psychic/medium and a cop, mystery, action/adventure,

Themes: Taking a chance on love, running from your past, trust, friendship, found family

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Sexy Supernatural Suspense

I love stories with spooky stuff and sexy men. Add in some magic, a few ghosts, and maybe a creature or two, and I’m in my happy place. Oh, and throw in a murder or two just for good measure!

Treasure Trail checks off all my boxes—spooky, sexy, supernatural stuff, along with old scandals and unsolved murders. Throw in two hot guys with dangerous pasts and sparks really fly! Treasure Trail is set in Cape May, New Jersey. Erik Mitchell used to track art fraud and bust up forgery rings, but after a close call, he moves to Cape May to make a fresh start. Ex-cop Ben Nolan is also starting over, and sparks fly when the two men meet. But when old scandals and murders come to light, they’re going to need each other and every bit of luck to get their happy ending!

I’ve always loved ghost stories and murder mysteries, as well as urban fantasy tales where magic and creatures lurk in the shadows. Cape May is said to be one of the most haunted towns on the coast, with ghosts from shipwrecks, pirates, tragedy and lost loves—and some who just didn’t want to leave when their vacation time was up! Erik can see ghosts, but not talk to them. He sometimes also gets visions when he touches objects that have been part of a crime or trauma, letting him see what happened near the item at the time. Ben believes him about the ghosts—almost everyone in Cape May, including Ben, has seen a ghost or two. But when the spirits are linked to unsolved crimes, Ben and Erik need to solve the mystery fast, or risk becoming ghosts themselves!

Treasure Trail is the first in a new series. If you’ve read my Badlands and Witchbane series, you’ll see familiar characters make cameo appearances, since all of my characters and series overlap and cross over, including characters from my non-romance urban fantasy series that I write as Gail Z. Martin. It’s one big spooktacular universe!

“What the hell did you pack in these boxes? Rocks?” Sean Meirlach shifted the heavy moving box on his shoulder. Sean looked and sounded like the Jersey Shore guy he was, brawny and blunt.

“Books,” Ben replied. “You know, those rectangular paper things? Ever read one?” The teasing was good-natured. Ben Nolan had spent most of his summers working for his cousin’s mom, and they were thick as thieves. Which, Ben reflected, was a poor analogy for an ex-cop-turned-former-private-investigator. And now, at least for this summer, a vacation rental manager in beautiful Cape May, New Jersey.

“Yes, dumbass. I’ve read lots of books. And not just the ones with pictures in them,” Sean said with a smirk. Sean played up his bad boy persona, but Ben knew his cousin had plenty of brains, hustle, and street smarts.

“Good to know. I’d hate to have to break it to Aunt Meg that her favorite son was illiterate.”

Sean snorted. “Favorite son? I’m her onlyson, asshole. And she’s already pissed at me because I just want to run my food truck in Wildwood. Which is why you’re doing me a huge solid, taking over the family business.”

“Whoa, there! Hold up. I’m here for the summer. Justthe summer. I said I’d see how it went. No promises.”

“Just the summer? You sure brought a lot of shit with you if it’s just for the summer.” Sean set the box down a little harder than necessary on a table in the upstairs apartment over the rental office, which would be Ben’s home for the next few months. Ben dumped the tangle of odds and ends he had carried up from the rented van and flopped onto the couch. He had put most of his things in storage when he left Newark and brought what he didn’t want to do without, or what the apartment didn’t have. Sean had driven the truck up to Cape May, while Ben drove his black Mustang, packed to the roof.

He owed Sean a lot for helping him move—and, if truth be told, for pushing him as the perfect candidate for the job to Aunt Meg.

“Don’t screw up the master plan, dude!” Sean chided. “You’re sick of the big city and getting shot. And I need a little of that good life, somewhere not quite as buttoned-down.” He reached for a bottle of water and took a swig. “I love this town, but I need to stretch my wings. And the vibe in Wildwood is different. People come for the Pier and the Boardwalk and the rides. More singles, not just families. And they all have to eat!”

Sean’s truck, Put A Ring On It, specialized in kickass onion rings, which went on everything—burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, even chili. The combination of great food, a catchy name, and Sean’s outgoing personality had made for a very successful launch.

I’ve just been enjoying this author’s books so much. Happened upon one audio by accident, and have been working my way through them here and there. I love a little supernatural, and a little mystery with my romance, and Morgan Brice brings all of that.

In the case of (pun intended) Treasure Trail, we also get some historical including antiques, so this book hit all of my buttons. The mystery portion was a bit convoluted, and lost me a little a few times, but overall, it was exciting, and had current badies-so they weren’t literally chasing ghosts-and some supernatural aspects thrown in.

Ben was a bit tough to win over initially, but Erik was able to get him to understand a bit more of what their world consisted of. Throw in some sexy times and you end up with a fun, sexy thriller, and makes you want to dig around into that universe even more…which I might have done. 😉

4 pieces of eye candy

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.

On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.

Other books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, and Badlands. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

Join my Worlds of Morgan Brice Facebook Group! Get the early scoop on upcoming books and new series, see new covers first, enjoy insider news and special contests and giveaways! Plus it’s where I get my beta readers and launch team!

Author Links

Amazon

Facebook Group

Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail)

Twitter: @MorganBriceBook

Website

BookBub

Check out the other blog posts and reviews here

Survive and Conquer by Andrew Grey: Exclusive Guest Post, and Release Day Review

July 15, 2019 by Denise

Newton DeSantis was on the ground when the towers collapsed on 9/11. Though he still carries the scars on his body and his heart, he’s determined to ease some of the world’s suffering. Now a social worker and father to two children with special needs, he’s doing his best. But when his son’s health takes a drastic turn, Newton knows he can’t do it alone.

Family law attorney Chase Matthews is a rising star, and he’s in high demand. Still, Newton is very persuasive, and Chase takes his case pro bono. Everything about the other man appeals to Chase, but he’s determined to keep the relationship professional—even though, after meeting Newton’s kids, he wants to be a part of their lives.

Chase’s job doesn’t always allow him to pick his clients, though, and a case that could make him partner will put him on the opposite side of the courtroom from Newton—along with everything he believes in and the future they could build together.

Title: Survive and Conquer
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 193

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Dreamspinner Press

I love top 5 posts. They’re fun and it isn’t me talking about my book and why I think you should read it. We all get enough of those posts and I get tired of writing them. 🙂 So I thought I would write about my Top 5 special places in the world. These are ones that have a very special meaning for me.

1) Willow Alaska – My aunt had a cabin there and I spent many happy hours boating and swimming in the lake. (The swimming was when I was a kid and didn’t know what real cold felt like)

2) Albuquerque NM – My dear friends BA and Julia live there and we always have an amazing time

3) S Lake Tahoe CA – A dear friend of my aunts lived there and she gave me a refuge of sorts when I was trying to figure things out as a relatively young adult

4) Ludington, Michigan – I spent part of my teenage years there, but this is before that, when my family used to vacation there. We camped, hiked, and basically learned to grow up under the trees on the shores of Lake Michigan.

5) Carlisle PA – This is home and where I have lived longer than anywhere else in my life. And its been with my husband. So much has happened int he 16 years we’ve been here that its hard a list them all.

Siiiiiigh, how I love this author and his way of writing the sweetest dads.

In this one, we meet Newton, who was on the ground when the towers were hit on 9/11, and he did his part to help in the way that he could and was injured from it, not only physically, but mentally as well. Having flashbacks is almost as bad as his scarred foot and constant pain, causing him to limp with a cane. He’s forty-two and has adopted two of the cutest, well-behaved kids, a boy and a girl that also has physical handicaps that made it harder for them to get adopted. Not with Newton, though, he loved them immediately and you can see it throughout the entire story. Love that.

Now, Newton is a social worker and he’s working a case with a woman who’s in-laws are trying to get her kids out of spite, and Newton knows just the person to help, although he’s very busy and turns him away at first… that’s how we meet Chase… a family attorney that has children’s best interest at heart not only because it’s morally right, but because of his own childhood that broke my heart for him.

Thankfully he has an amazing mother, which is more than I can say for Newton… which sucks, because she plays a side part in this story that was more annoying than anything. She’s a basketcase that uses her religion and Newton’s sexuality to cause trouble… I wish we’d have gotten a better karmic smackdown in her face, but I’m petty and vindictive and mother or not, that woman was awful. Prepare to not like her.

Now, Newton needing Chase’s help, he bribes him a little bit with a homecooked meal to meet the mother and two kids that need his help and that’s how things with them start. At dinner, a medical emergency with Newton’s son has them spending time together outside of the professional setting and it was just easy to fall for
Newton and his kids, especially seeing how loving of a father he is and how he’s willing to put himself on the back burner to make his kids happy. It’s sweet and admirable and Chase is smitten with them all.

Things get complicated when the guys find out they’re working on the same case, but they handle it like adults and though things are rocky for a minute, it gets resolved quickly. I like the low angst and the mature way things are handled in
Andrew’s stories…. Little drama, little frustration…. I like that the couple is a bit older and don’t play games or let their pride get in the way of not communicating and unnecessary problems….

Overall, it’s a cute read with adorable kids and a sweet dad who finds love for them all…. Perfect!

4 pieces of eye candy

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Page

Dreamspinner Press

Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

Goodreads

Twitter @andrewgreybooks

Website

For Other Works by Andrew Grey

(Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works)