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Handle with Care by Cari Z.: Exclusive Author Guest Post and Release Day Review

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A fragile heart needs extra care.

Burned-out social worker Aaron McCoy is on vacation for the first time in years—boss’s orders. Road-tripping to his brother’s wedding with his best friend, Tyler, seems a fun way to spend the mandatory two-week leave, and they set out for Kansas—and a difficult homecoming.

Aaron’s mother was a drug addict, and his adorable younger brother was quickly adopted, while Aaron spent his childhood in foster care. As Aaron mends fences, Tyler hopes to show him that this time, he won’t be left behind to face his problems alone.

Aaron’s opening up to how right it feels to be with Tyler and to the possibility of taking the leap from friends to lovers. But along with the wedding celebration comes a painful reminder of the past. Aaron’s heart is still breakable. Can he put it in Tyler’s hands?

Title: Handle with Care
Author: Cari Z.
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 190

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Is it kind of weird that I don’t want to let this book go?

I mean, ha, I’ve already let it go in the big ways. It’s been written, edited, published. It’s out there for people to read and enjoy. It’s done. That part’s over. But there’s more to writing a book than just setting it free in the world. I think writers have to let it go with their minds and hearts too, so they can move on to the next thing. And that part, well…that’s not coming so easily this time around.

Normally I’m good at multitasking, good at the act of releasing one thing and reconnecting with something else. When I wrote Handle With Care, I was working on two or three other novels all while being pregnant. I was working full time. I was busy. I finished the rough draft, polished it up, submitted it and went on my merry way. Since then, though…

I thought I was busy before. HA! Now I have a baby. Now I have to earn money in other ways, mostly by writing and editing during the hours when said baby sleeps. Very little of that writing is on my own, original work. In fact, the last book I finished on my own, for myself, is…

*crickets*

Yeah, Handle With Care. No wonder I don’t want to let it go. If I do, I face the fact that I’ve got nothing new in the hopper. The next big thing isn’t done yet—I don’t know when it will be done. I kind of feel like Aaron, one of the main characters in Handle With Care, as he contemplates the fact that with his job, he’s never “done.” I kind of feel the same way. I really enjoyed writing this book, and despite the fact that it was produced during what I thought of as a chaotic time, right now I’d love to have those kinds of uninterrupted hours to devote to writing. I wouldn’t trade what I’ve got now for anything, but dang. I was spoiled.

I’m still learning how to adapt to my new status, and my options are a little different than Aaron’s. But I have no doubt that like him, and with a little help, I’ll figure it out.

PS—his way involves the St. Louis Arch, uncharted emotional territory, and a strip club. Could be fun 😉

Cari Z. moved far away from her normal, gritty, work to write Handle With Care, and I loved it as much as some of that gritty work! This Dreamspun Desires category romance was friends to lovers, with a road trip, and a small appetizer of angst all rolled into one. Just the right amount of “I’m gonna need a tissue right here” along with two MC’s who clearly have supported and adored each other most of their adult lives.

What I loved about Aaron was seeing his growth in just the short time that he and Tyler were on this road trip. He didn’t just grow in his relationship with the man he’d loved his entire life, but he grew into a more well rounded man, by allowing himself to enjoy his vacation, letting go of the stress of his job, and what he was leaving behind for others to care for. He was able to enjoy his time with Tyler, but also able to learn to re-engage with family that he had felt disconnected from (for very good reasons).

The reader was able to connect with Tyler, through Aaron, and through small glimpses into his past. However, the strongest connection was in how he clearly felt about Aaron. He made it his goal to ensure Aaron was safe and happy, had fun, and lived. And not just during the book, but even in those moments we glimpsed from their past. To bring this man into his family home, when they were both teenagers, connect him with his own family, and not let him go after it was only the two of them in the area, showed his commitment to Aaron on a day to day basis. It was heart warming, because the reader knew that this was about his deep love for Aaron, as a friend, as a brother, but definitely as the man he wanted to love the rest of his life.

These books are all about the HEA, and Tyler and Aaron definitely got their HEA, but also found a joy with their newly found family, which was so much what Aaron’s journey through this book was about. I enjoyed the road trip, the fun they found along the way to the wedding. But even more so, I loved that they found more than that, they found love in many forms, and embraced it.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Cari Z. is a Colorado girl who loves snow and sunshine. She has a wonderful relationship with her husband, a complex relationship with the characters in her head and a sadomasochistic relationship with her exercise routine. She hopes that you enjoy reading what she’s put out there as much as she enjoyed writing it in the first place.

Social media: Twitter: @author_cariz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008212125132

Lincoln’s Park by Parker Williams: Exclusive Character Interview and Release Day Review

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Lincoln Merriweather was born an entitled brat with a silver spoon lodged so deep, it might never have come out. At the BDSM club or in business, Lincoln was a storm, blowing in and disrupting the lives of everyone he touched, until the day he met a man who peeled away the tarnished layers to expose a decent person.

Lincoln found—then lost—love.

Since then, he’s tried to atone for his past, including walking away from his family’s wealth. He opened a diner, hiring people to work for him that he would have spit on before his epiphany. He’s found peace, which he’s about to lose to a hazel-eyed man.

Noel Simmons wound up on the street when his parents discovered he was gay. His path leads him to Lincoln’s diner, where he asks for a job. He’s thrilled when Lincoln agrees to hire him, but finds his new boss perplexing. Can anyone be this kind and decent?

What starts out as business becomes something more. Noel discovers he needs Lincoln in order to feel safe. Lincoln needs Noel to complete him. But when Lincoln’s past gets in the way of his present, will the two have a future?

Title: Lincoln’s Park
Series: Links In the Chain
Author: Parker Williams
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Category: BDSM, Contemporary
Pages: 237

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

iBooks

Character Interview Questions: Lincoln Merriweather

  • What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they’ve known you for a while?

I used to be this hardass guy who could make grown men weep with a quirk of his brow. I used that power to bring men to their knees, figuratively and literally. Even after they got to know me, my reputation as an asshole was well deserved.

Then I met Ev, and that had to change. It wasn’t overnight, and there are still times I can channel that vibe, but now people think I’m a kind, compassionate man, and that’s the image I want to cultivate.

  • What’s your idea of a good marriage? Do you think that’ll happen in your life?

Trust and mutual respect is essential. My parents slept with anyone that would lay still long enough. I thought that was the way of the world, and I used to ride rough over a lot of men, both at the club and just as one night stands.

When I met Ev, I wanted more out of life. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be with Ev, but years later I met a hazel-eyed man who took my breath away. As for whether it will happen in my life, you need to read the book. 😉

  • What are you most proud of about your life?

The diner. No, wait. That’s not right. What I’ve accomplished with the diner. See, before I opened the Park View, I wasn’t a good man. I never thought about anything beyond making money and lording it over everyone.

My epiphany changed me and made me, I hope, a better person. Once I opened the diner, I wanted to do something to give back to the people I’d wronged. I knew I couldn’t go back and undo it, so I tried to pay for my sins by hiring those people who I always thought were beneath me.

I learned a valuable lesson from Ev, and I tried to pay it forward. I’d like to think I succeeded.

  • What are you most ashamed of in your life? (Again, if necessary ask “What about on a personal level?”)

Oh, God. Looking back, I’m ashamed of so many things. The way I treated people, the backstabbing, the double dealing, the looking the other way while my father took people’s jobs and homes and lives. I’m ashamed of the way I treated the guys at the club. I guess overall, I’m ashamed of the person I was. I’d give anything to be able to go back and undo it.

  • If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?

Wow. Though the answer is easy, the question isn’t. I’d like to sit down and talk with Ev one last time. To let him know of the positive impact he made in my life and, most of all, to tell him the secret that I never had a chance to share with him.

  • Do you think you’ve turned out the way your parents expected?

HA! Oh, you’re serious? Okay, sorry. No. The day I told my father I quit, he told me I’d regret it. He went to extraordinary lengths to keep me under his thumb, including cutting me off monetarily.

I love Parker’s romance writing, so I was looking forward to this one. And I think the character interview above really does a great job of getting into Lincoln’s mindset.

However, I will admit I spent some of the book slightly confused. I know it was labeled BDSM as a portion, but it didn’t seem to really touch on that between the character’s for a while. So, I guess I understood it was a past hobby for him, until it wasn’t. I thought it was he had given it up along after Ev passed away.

However, what I did really like was the personalities of the MC’s, as well as one spitfire of a server who took no crap from anyone, and went after her own happiness.

The other piece that confused me was based on reality. Noel didn’t want Lincoln to hire another cook. So, Lincoln worked basically 5am to midnight or later 6 days a week, and brunch on Sunday. With no other cooks help. I understood his reasoning, but at the same time, without having seen much of the actual customers that Lincoln was so connected to, it made it difficult to understand what would happen if Lincoln got sick or injured, or was just too exhausted to get out of bed. (I know, I know, you have to suspend some reality in romance novels, obviously, but this one just made me confused.)

That being said, the MC’s were so well fleshed out, it made their motivations and personalities pop off the page, and I wanted to know more about what would be happening in the future at the diner.

3.75 piece of eye candy

Parker Williams is a bestselling author of MM romance and suspense. One of his recent works was nominated for the Lambda Literary Awards, and several books have been runners-up at the Rainbow Awards.

Parker loves the written word. A chance encounter with an amazing author changed the course of his life as he began to write the stories his men were whispering to him. With the help of some amazing friends and a community of writers he’s proud to be part of, Parker continues telling stories of love, hurt, comfort, and sometimes tosses in a little angst for fun. He believes in love, but also knows that anything worth having requires work and sacrifice (and maybe a little hurt and comfort too). The course of true love never runs smooth, and he enjoys writing about it.

Parker lives in Milwaukee, WI, with his husband, Paul, and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Most days you’ll find him on Facebook, sharing stories and pictures of the zoo, or even about Paul, who is always good for a laugh.

Website: www.parkerwilliamsauthor.com

Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641

Email: parker@parkerwilliamsauthor.com

 

Devil Take Me Anthology: Exclusive Author Guest Post – Rhys Ford, Blog Tour

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Devil Take Me Blurb:

Temptation lurks around every corner in worlds sometimes dark, sometimes lurid. Giving in is both dangerous and satisfying, though never in the ways one expects. While these enticements offer a vast range of benefits and boons, the cost is a soul and the devil expects his due. Sometimes suave and charming or calculating and cruel, these devils have schemes and desires of their own. They can be creatures to run away from… or toward.

Join the most unique and celebrated authors of LGBT urban fantasy and paranormal fiction for a fast-paced and unpredictable ride, from a city on the other side of reality, to a world suspended in dusk, to a twisted version of the 1960s and 70s.

Meet devils in top hats and waistcoats, a defrocked motorcycle-riding priest, and a genderfluid antihero—among many more. Full of humor, romance, horror, action, intrigue, and magic, these stories have one common element….

They’re one hell of a good time.

Wonderland City Blurb

Author: Rhys Ford

When Xander Spade went through the Looking Glass, he wasn’t looking for salvation. He’d been running from the devil who took his soul, only to fall prey to the greatest monster in Wonderland City, the Queen of Hearts. Years later, the Queen is dead and Xander has a chance to go through the Looking Glass and back home where he belongs.

Xander’s devil wants him to find a little girl who escaped into Wonderland City, before her presence brings down an apocalypse of uncontrollable chaos to the already mad world. Along with Jean Michel, the former Knave of Hearts, Xander now is in a race against time to find the missing child before all Hell breaks loose and he loses his chance to go home.

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Goodreads

 

I love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. I found these books when I was younger and devoured them. I can’t even tell you how many times I bought them because they didn’t survive me or were lost in one of my many moves. I currently own four copies, including the Kindle version because why not.

So when we started to talk about doing the Devil Take Me anthology, I knew I wanted to dive into that world but not during the timeline of the books. Especially since I wanted to explore what would happen to Wonderland after the Queen of Hearts fell and how a little girl — a very human little girl — would affect the chaotic carousel of Wonderland’s infrastructure.

Because nothing can mess up chaos more than a little girl.

But I didn’t want to write one.

Instead, I wanted to introduce a new take on the Queen’s deck of cards. A sort of Battle Royale situation where she pitted people against one another to become her favourite and right before she was taken down, that position was held by Xander Spade, a human who’d traded his soul to the devil in order to escape the life he was living on Earth.

This change up allowed me to expand on Wonderland, evolving it from the place Carroll left it to a post-industrial revolution sprawl where magic might be king and any inventions have to be cobbled together by whatever technology is brought through the Looking Glass. So in essence, I had a sort of Victorian-influenced society with bits of modern touches populated by Wonderland’s creatures as well as a couple of humans I tossed in for good measure.

I wanted to keep this in a more noir vein, a bit of that language and tone because I felt that smoky, metal taste in the words would enhance Wonderland’s current state.

And well, there’s always the fun and dabs of violence and horrific to play with.

I had a lot of fun writing this somewhat familiar world with a different twist to it. I loved figuring out the machinery and tech brought into the world, extrapolating how Wonderland City would adapt things like cars and landlines to the reality and also what was the realm’s normal.

Telling the story from the POV of a human who’d been there a while was a great challenge because he was rooted in the familiar of an Earthen perspective yet still be able to function in the Looking Glass world without being overwhelmed by the fantastical.

Because we had a lot of room to play with word wise, I was able to introduce Xander as a character and establish a bit of the world before plunging directly into the main part of the story. Since I always view the environment as its own character in the story, it gave me some time to play with the surroundings and at the same time, embed Xander into the space.

Also, I could have a really great time playing with the Looking Glass characters and explore how Xander would fit into it. And since he really just wants to go home, explore how he could get out of the crazy realm he’d been thrust into after signing his name on that dotted line.

I hope you all have as great of a time reading Wonderland City as I had in writing it. I am beyond honoured to be included in this cast of great writers and the anthology was a fantastic project for us to let loose and stretch our wings, letting us take our imaginations to places for a brief jaunt and delve into storylines we hadn’t yet explored.

Thank you for having me along for the ride and I hope you enjoy your trip through the Looking Glass.

Rhys Ford

 

Tour:

10/10/18 – My Fiction Nook: Jordan L. Hawk

10/11/18 – It’s About the Book: TA Moore

10/12/18 – Love Bytes Reviews: Ginn Hale

10/13/18 – Joyfully Jay Reviews: C.S. Poe

10/15/18 – Two Chicks Obsessed: Rhys Ford

10/16/18 – The Novel Approach Reviews: Jordan Castillo Price

 

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist with her Murder and Mayhem novels. She is also a 2017 Gold and Silver Medal winner in the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards for her novels Ink and Shadows and Hanging the Stars. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Harley, a grey tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled alley cat who isn’t sure living inside is a step up the social ladder as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

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The Spy’s Love Song by Kim Fielding: Exclusive Guest Post and New Release Review

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For a singer and a spy, love might be mission impossible.

Jaxon Powers has what most only dream of. Fame. Fortune. Gold records and Grammy awards. Lavish hotel suites and an endless parade of eager bedmates. He’s adored all over the world—even in the remote, repressive country of Vasnytsia, where the tyrannical dictator is a big fan. The State Department hopes a performance might improve US relations with a dangerous enemy. But it means Jaxon’s going in alone… with one exception.

Secret agent Reid Stanfill has a covert agenda with global ramifications. Duty means everything to him, even when it involves protecting a jaded rock star. Jaxon and Reid’s mutual attraction is dangerous under Vasnytsia’s harsh laws—and matters get even worse when they’re trapped inside the borders. Romance will have to wait… assuming they make it out alive.

Title: The Spy’s Love Song
Series: Stars from Peril
Author: Kim Fielding
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Suspense, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 205

Amazon

Dreamspinner

 

Hi! Kim Fielding here, and I have a new book out. Yay! The Spy’s Love Song is the tale of a jaded rock star and a State Department operative who end up in deep trouble in a country with a repressive totalitarian government. And there’s romance.

Much of this book takes place in Starograd, the capital of the fictional country of Vasnytsia. I modeled Starograd (but not its current politics) on several real cities in Central and Eastern Europe. Most of Starograd’s architecture was inspired by Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And lucky me! I just returned from my second visit to Sarajevo, so I have photos to share.

Sarajevo’s buildings reflect its three major historical eras. The city was founded in the 15th century, when it was part of the Ottoman Empire. So the oldest part, Baščaršija, has a definite Eastern feel. In fact, it was the commercial center of the city—the bazaar—and there are still coppersmiths who do beautiful work. There’s also a  gorgeous mosque, a Sephardic synagogue from the 16th century, a lunar clock, and some of Europe’s first public toilets. 

In the 19th century, a fire destroyed half of Baščaršija. By then, Sarajevo was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The replacement buildings have the same architectural style you can find in Vienna. The transition from Ottoman to Austro-Hungarian architecture happens suddenly, as you cross a narrow pedestrian street. 

After World War I (which began, actually, in Sarajevo, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Baščaršija), Yugoslavia was formed. Although it was not part of the Soviet Union, it was a communist country; locals tell me Yugoslav communism was a softer sort than the Soviets had. During this time period, the city built lots of the big cement apartment buildings that were common throughout communist countries. You can see one in this photo. These buildings are ugly, but a local told me they were appreciated during the long siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996) because they were so solidly built that they better withstood the constant shelling and sniper fire. 

And this brings me to my last architectural point about Sarajevo. During the siege, I’m told, every building in the city was at least damaged. You can still see this damage everywhere, although Sarajevo’s now a vibrant, safe city. I took that final photo while waiting for my tram in the middle of what was known during the war as Sniper Alley. Again, very safe today (unless you’re careless about crossing in front of a tram), but during the war, it was a brutally dangerous place to be.

As you’re reading The Spy’s Love Song—and you are going to read it, right?—you might recognize bits of Sarajevo in Starograd.

Wow! This was not quite what I expected at all. I do love Kim Fielding’s work, and one of the things I enjoy most is she doesn’t write the same version of the same character’s doing the same thing. This book is a great example of that.

The MC’s in this were very different people but set up well, and the location…well, you can’t get much better than what was provided for you in this. The book covered everything from regime type politics, to a rock star who mentally complained about his beach chair being uncomfortable by not having arm padding to a gruff government agent.

As with all Dreamspun books though, there is always romance sprinkled throughout, and without it being too much, it was just enough for two men who had themselves placed in a tenuous situation.

And of course a happy ending, as all the category romances must have.

4 pieces of eye candy

 

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Follow Kim:

Website: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/KFieldingWrites

Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Email: Kim@KFieldingWrites.com

 

For the Love of Luke by David C. Dawson: Exclusive Guest Post and Giveaway

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A handsome naked man. Unconscious on a bathroom floor.

He’s lost his memory, and someone’s out to kill him.

Who is the mysterious Luke?

British TV anchor and journalist Rupert Pendley-Evans doesn’t do long-term relationships. Nor does he do waifs and strays. But Luke is different. Luke is a talented American artist with a dark secret in his life.

When Rupert discovers Luke, he’s intrigued, and before he can stop himself, he’s in love. The aristocratic Rupert is an ambitious TV reporter with a nose for a story and a talent for uncovering the truth. As he falls deeper in love with Luke, he discovers the reason for Luke’s amnesia. And the explanation puts them both in mortal danger.

Title: For the Love of Luke
Author: David C. Dawson
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Category: Mystery/Suspense
Pages: 196

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Universal buy link

Thank you so much to Two Chicks Obsessed for letting me stop by!

For the Love of Luke is a story of love, and has been a work of love for me. Not just the wonderful heroes Rupert and Luke, but also the British locations they visit in the book.

One of them is Adie’s All Day Breakfast Bar in Little Portland Street in London. Now I have a confession to make. Little Portland Street is indeed a narrow street just down the road from the BBC’s headquarters. And there is a café on the street called Little Portland Café.

But Adie’s All Day Breakfast Bar? It’s a fabrication. I created it so that I could introduce the name Adrian Such into the book. He’s the guy who runs the breakfast bar. Adrian is a real person. He’s from Australia originally, and was very keen to appear in one of my books.

In real life Adrian doesn’t run a breakfast, or any kind of restaurant. He’s a very clever digital media expert. But he loves the idea of running an all day breakfast bar in London! These kinds of small restaurants are numerous across the city, and I often go to eat there. The very best ones are usually family-run, noisy, bustling, and serving excellent comfort food. Whenever you visit London, find your nearest all day breakfast bar. You won’t be disappointed!

The leathers Rupert brought for Luke were a snug fit. They clung tight to almost every part of his body. Luke admired himself in the full-length mirror. He turned side on. They felt good. He had to admit it. They looked damn good. Tight, black leather jeans enhanced the bulk of his thighs and the narrowness of his waist. They sagged a bit in the ass, but Rupert explained that was necessary to allow Luke to sit comfortably on the motorbike. Luke turned up the collar of the black leather jacket and closed the zips on both sleeves. Kevlar protective panels in the back, sleeves, and shoulders of the jacket filled out the upper part of his torso, adding bulk to his hours of work in the gym. He crossed to the bed and sat to pull on the reinforced bike boots, fasten their zips and Velcro covers.

Luke smoothed his hands across the surface of the leather stretched tight across his thighs and grinned at a stirring in his groin. The sensation both surprised and pleased him. He stood, and the rigid shape of the boots forced him to lean forward, like a skier about to descend a black run. He attempted to stand straight, the upper part of his body compensating for the enforced bend in his knees. The jeans pulled tight against his crotch, and his cock rose to the stimulation of the leather hugging his body.

“Sexy man.” Rupert’s voice came from the doorway. Luke turned. Rupert wore a one-piece racing suit made of red leather. White leather panels stitched into it enhanced the shape of his torso and legs. He crossed the bedroom to stand behind Luke at the mirror and placed his hands on Luke’s thighs. “I’ve not worn those leathers for a long time.” He studied Luke’s reflection in the mirror with an admiring grin. “They fit you really well. How do they feel?”

Luke took Rupert’s hands in his and pulled them to wrap around his waist. “They’re making me horny,” replied Luke. “I was getting a hard-on just standing here, even before you came in.”

Rupert slipped his hand down and caressed the front of Luke’s leathers. “And now you’re rapidly outgrowing those jeans. By the second, it feels like.”

He placed both hands on Luke’s shoulders and pulled him gently forward. He bent his head and kissed the side of Luke’s neck, slowly and tenderly, his tongue warm and moist against Luke’s skin. “I want you right now, the way you look and feel,” breathed Rupert. “But we’ve got to get moving. It should take us only an hour and a half to get there. Come on.”

 

David C. Dawson writes contemporary thrillers featuring gay heroes in love. His debut novel The Necessary Deaths is published by DSP Publications and was described as “a real page turner”. It won Bronze for Best Mystery & Suspense in the FAPA awards. Rainbow Reviews called it “an exciting read with complex characters”.

The Deadly Lies is the second book in the series and came out last December.

For the Love of Luke is David’s third book. His fourth comes out in 2019.

David lives near Oxford in the UK, with his ageing Triumph motorbike and two cats.

Website: www.davidcdawson.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.c.dawson.5

Twitter: https://twitter.com/david_c_dawson

Answer this simple question and you’ll have the chance to win a digital copy of For the Love of Luke! Email your answer with your name to: david@davidcdawson.co.uk. Competition closes on midnight October 19, 2018.

Question: In For the Love of Luke, what’s the name of the man who runs the breakfast bar in Little Portland Street?

When Love Surprises by Christi Snow: Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

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Raised in a religious household, being gay was never an option for Steven, but when an injury left him incapacitated, he was forced to face those urges that he’s been able to ignore for the last thirty-eight years of his life…

Lost…

Three months ago, Major Steven Hardesty’s life sat on the precipice of perfection. Now he’s trying to come back from a life-threatening injury and a devastating romantic loss all while trying to figure out what he’s going to do after separating from the Air Force.

Alone…

Billy Starr never planned on running his family ranch by himself. He was supposed to be doing it with his sister, Whitney. But when she died in a freak accident, it sent his life in a tailspin of despair and alcohol.

Healing…

Steven and Billy were friends. Billy offered the ranch as a good, private place where Steven could recover, but as their friendship deepened, so did other feelings. Is it possible that a love affair between the two of them could heal them both? Or break them even more?

Amazon

Exclusive Excerpt from When Love Surprises:

After a long walk late that afternoon, Steven rounded the corner of the back porch to find Billy working out in the home gym, shirtless, and gloriously sweaty.

Steven’s mouth dried up, and is breathing grew labored, which had absolutely nothing to do with the very slow walk he’d just taken.

No, the buzzing awareness under his skin could only be attributed to the beautiful, sexy man on the other side of the window. Steven need to look away, but he just couldn’t. With the windows between them, it seemed safe to look his fill.

Billy lay on an include bench, pushing up a bar filled with weights. His entire torso flexed with each repetition, his muscles rolling under the effort to push up the weight. A bead of sweat dripped down his breastbone, traversing the dark hairs that lined his pecs and narrowed to a trail that disappeared down into the waistband of his shorts.

Steven watched the one little drop of moisture travel the length of Billy’s torso, and Steven ached to follow it with his tongue, his fingertips. Then it disappeared behind the low-riding waistband of Billy’s thin workout shorts. Steven could suddenly imagine its invisible path from there. It would continue to slide southward, directly to Billy’s cock and balls in a trail that Steven desperately wanted to follow.

Steven’s groin grew heavy. He swallowed, trying to get some moisture back into his mouth, his throat. He needed to look away but just couldn’t. He searched Billy’s rippling body for another drop of sweat to focus on.

Instead he found himself gripped in Billy’s intense gaze. He’d been caught.

This is book 6 in a series, but I believe the only MM. Which is why this is the only one of the series I have read. There is definitely some back story I missed, but the author fills it in quite well so that you don’t really miss anything.

Steven was shot in the previous book by an apparent stalker. So this book picks up with him in the hospital. Because of where the gunshot is, he needs someone to help him as he recovers.

Billy, owner of the ranch where Steven was shot, steps up and offers. I’m not going to get into how this all came about, but like I said, the author did a good job of filling in the blanks.

Although there were issues to be dealt with- alcoholism, crazy religious family, first time with a man, repercussions of being shot by a stalker, etc… the story line itself I didn’t feel was very angsty.

After fighting his attraction to men his whole life, Steven just jumped right in without hesitation after the first taste. So, good for him, but really? No introspection of “oh god, what have I done”?? This happens with his family as well. I am all for him owning his truth and making himself happy, but a little anxiety would have been nice.

There were a few twists and a lot of different plot points which kept the book moving, but it was a little cluttered. Not cluttered enough to annoy me, but just a little too much.

It was a nice little book. I did enjoy that the characters weren’t 25 years old and were mature. I think that age group is way under represented. Billy broke my heart with everything he has been through in his life, so I was happy that he found Steven.

3.5 Pieces of Candy