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Tight Quarters (Out of Uniform #6) by Annabeth Albert: Exclusive Excerpt, Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Petty Officer Bacon, a navy SEAL and ace sharpshooter, has been on the front lines of more than his fair share of dangerous ops. Yet when a minor injury relegates him to the beta team, he’s tasked with what may be his riskiest assignment yet: the silver fox journalist he’s babysitting is the hottest, most charismatic man he’s ever encountered.

Award-winning journalist Spencer Bryant may have been named one of Pride magazine’s most eligible bachelors of the year, but he’s not looking to change his relationship status. He’s a consummate professional who won’t risk his ethics or impeccable reputation by getting involved with a source. Even a sexy-as-hell military man. But while Spencer can resist his physical attraction to Bacon, he has less control over his emotions—especially when the mission goes sideways and the two men are trapped alone.

Getting out of the jungle alive turns out to be easy compared to facing the truth about their feelings for one another back in the real world. And whether or not they can build a future is a different story altogether.

Title: Tight Quarters

Author: Annabeth Albert

Series: Out of Uniform  #6

Publisher: Carina Press 

Release Date: ebook: July 9, 2018 | print: July 31, 2018 

Subgenre: M/M Contemporary Military Romance

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Audible

 

Enjoy this look at the danger Bacon and Spencer face in their race against time to find safety in TIGHT QUARTERS!

***

“Your turn. Go slow. The drop’s more than it looked.” Bacon’s voice was pained. “I did a Shiny and turned my ankle landing.”

“Hell. Think it’s broken?” Spencer slowly lowered himself over the edge, dangling from both hands, trying to sense the ground and failing.

“Not broken. You can do it.”

Spencer wasn’t so sure, and he feared for his surgically repaired knee, but he had no choice but to let go and trust the universe wouldn’t punish his blind faith.

“Ooof.” He landed hard, jarring both knees and ankles and scraping his palms, but otherwise survived.

“Gonna need to use you as a crutch to get over this last bit.” Each word of Bacon’s was strained. “Fuck. I better not need to shoot.”

“Lean on me.” Spencer could live happily for the rest of his life without Bacon shooting anything again, but even as he had that thought, he knew it was damn unrealistic. Bacon grunted softly as they made their way across the rocky shore, and judging by the way he was gripping Spencer, he was in more pain than he wanted to admit to.

“Boat.” Bacon pointed ahead of them to a murky shape hidden between boulders. It was small, just a hull with an outboard motor and two oars. Barely enough space for both of them. And they were about to leave the relative safety of shore and go out on the ocean in that? “Help me get it in the water. We’ll want to row out before risking the motor.”

The water was colder than Spencer had expected as they worked together to get the craft into the churning sea. The weather did not seem to be cooperating for a launch—stiff winds were kicking up and the waves were unrelenting.

“Maybe we should hunker down on the shore, wait—”

“We have orders.” Bacon’s tone left no room for alternate plans. “And besides—shit.” Behind them, somewhere up on the ridge, gunfire sounded. “In. Row hard. Now.”

They tumbled into the boat, and Spencer manned the oars while Bacon crouched low with his gun. Long, desperate moments passed as Spencer strained, grateful for every hour he’d spent on the water as a teen and young adult, while Bacon scanned the shore. Spencer braced, expecting a boat to give chase any moment or shots to ring out.

“Oars in. I’m gonna gun the motor now,” Bacon said tersely. “Turning on our beacon too.”

He did something with the outboard motor but nothing happened. Fuck. Spencer found himself holding his breath, willing the engine to catch. But nothing happened. They were alone in a turbulent sea, shore rapidly retreating, nothing but glimmering stars to light their way. For the first time that night, Spencer knew true fear, chilling him through his soaked clothes. They might not make it. They had each other, but that might not be enough.

 

Oh how I love the guys from Annabeth Albert’s series, and in this case the Out of Uniform books. These stories focus on Navy SEALs in southern California and I’ve loved all the couples and their stories. This one is no different.

The last book I’d listened to, Squared Away, set Bacon up for being the next bachelor and sure enough, this is his story. Bacon is a sharpshooter for the SEALs and with all of his buddies beginning to settle down, he’s starting to feel the pressure of his loneliness. Spencer’s a serious investigative reporter who’s managed to get assigned to a SEAL team for a story he’s working on. Naturally all the guys are wary of a reporter, but Bacon is especially aggravated since he’s been assigned to “babysit” Spencer throughout his time with the team — while finding himself attracted to the silver fox hottie. Meanwhile Spencer is trying for a meaty piece on how SEALs are treated after injury — or whatever else he can uncover — and as he gets to know Bacon better, he begins to feel conflicted between being a professional getting the story, and the close bond he’s forming with the attractive, grumpy SEAL assigned to him.

I always snap up Annabeth’s Out of Uniform stories, and I’m not disappointed here. They’re just fun, but they always get me with the angst and other issues the guys bring to the table. Bacon can’t forget his first love and how he lost him, and the divorced Spencer is haunted by the memory of a Navy vet he befriended who later committed suicide. I don’t know the first thing about what actually goes on in the military, but I think Albert does a lot of research and nothing seems glaringly out of place when I read these books, so I’m happy. And really, her characters and stories always boil down to the relationships between the heroes, their baggage (which varies in intensity) and how they find their way to each other after some conflict arises. It also never ever hurts that the sexy times are seriously hot … and sweet. I always love her guys and their relationships with the other heroes of the series.

If you’re an Albert fan, and especially an Out of Uniform fan, this will be a must read. I liked this one.

4 pieces of eye candy

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.  The #OutOfUniform series joins her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ  romance #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat and #PerfectHarmony series.

To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: www.annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter.  In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two active children.

Connect with Annabeth: Twitter | Facebook  | Facebook Group | Newsletter | Instagram | Website

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From a Jack to a King by Scotty Cade: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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New York Times best-selling mystery writer Bay Whitman leads the life of a celebrity—at least on the surface. In public he’s self-assured and in control. Women hang on his every word, while men envy his confidence and swagger. But in reality, Bay is a loner. He’s shy and introverted, and his life consists of sitting in a dimly lit room writing his famous Jack Robbins mystery novels. His one vice—gambling. Winning an escort in a poker game will change Bay’s life in ways he never imagined.

Matthew “King” Slater is one of the hottest tickets in gay porn. He spends his days in front of the camera and his nights as a highly paid escort to the rich and famous. Deep down, he craves romance and a real connection, but his past makes it hard to separate the needs of his body from those of his heart. For now, it’s easier to think of sex as just a job. But while doing a shoot in Vegas, King is hired for a tryst at a famous hotel and casino, and his handsome client might blur the line between work and play.

Title: From a Jack to a King
Author: Scotty Cade
Release Date: July 3, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 194

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Dreamspinner Press

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Happy July 3 to you and Happy Release Day to me!

Firstly, I’d like to thank Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy for having me stop in today. I truly appreciate your support.

I’m here to bring a little attention to my new release “From a Jack to a King.” The blurb pretty much gives you all the information you need, but I’ll add a little flavor to sweeten the pot. Here goes: Bay Whitman is a New York Times Best Selling mystery writer who loves nothing more than hiding away within the confines of his New York apartment writing his “Jack Robbins” mystery novels. He avoids the spotlight as much as he can, but the sudden success of his “Jack Robbins” series has thrown his life into a tailspin and he can no longer simply hide away. His one vice is gambling so when he has to go to Las Vegas for a book signing, he decides to make the best of it and sit in on a couple high stakes poker games. And lucky for him he wins big, including an escort for the evening.

King Slater is a strong but sensitive man with a past. He’s currently the hottest ticket in gay porn and while doing a shoot in Vegas gets a call for an escort job. When he knocks at the door to Bay’s room, he wasn’t the least bit prepared for the handsome man standing on the other side. But all is not as easy as it seems. Bay is practically asexual and although he’s fallen into a couple experiences with women, sex was never at the top of his list. For the record, nothing goes as planned that night and a story starts to unfold that will hopefully keep you very interested.

Now I’ll leave it here to avoid any spoilers and let you read an excerpt. But before I let you go, I’d like to know if you were a gambler would you accept an escort as part of your winnings at a poker game? I mean…I guess your personal circumstances would play a part in your answer but if you had no attachments and no significant other would you go for it? If you post, you’ll automatically be entered into a drawing for an e-book of “From a Jack to a King.”

Thanks for spending the time with me and I wish you and yours a wonderful and relaxed 4th of July weekend.

Now here’s your excerpt and lot of other stuff about where to find me and my books, especially “From a Jack to a King.”

It was just before eleven and they’d been at it for almost six hours. Rich and Zeke had excused themselves a little while ago, and Bay and Paul had agreed to one more hand. The night had been mostly in Bay’s favor, and he had over a half-million dollars in chips in front of him. On the other hand, the night hadn’t been as kind to Paul. From Bay’s best calculations, the poor guy was in the red almost as much as Bay was in the black, and he was down to four one-thousand-dollar chips.

Bay and Paul were at the river stage of the last hand. There was $80,000 in the pot, and Bay knew Paul must have an impressive hand since he continued to bet when his funds were so depleted. But Bay had an impressive hand as well. Very impressive.

Bay locked eyes with Paul as the croupier removed the burn and prepared to flip the river card faceup and add it to the flop. Already on the table were a six of clubs, seven of spades, ten of clubs, and three of hearts. Bay saw the makings of a straight and figured that’s what Paul was working up to. The croupier flipped the card and laid it on the table. Three of clubs. Bay saw a definite twinkle in Paul’s eye and figured he had the straight.

This time it was up to Paul to raise, call, or fold. Bay felt certain there would be no folding since Paul had come this far, but in order to raise, he needed $5,000. He had only $4,000 on the table, and unless he had chips in his pocket, all he could do was call.

“I’ll raise,” Paul said.

The croupier looked at Paul. “Excuse me, Mr. Gilman, but you need $5,000 to raise.”

Paul slid the four chips to the center of the table and looked at Bay. “I have an escort worth a grand scheduled to join me at the hotel in an hour. Will you take that as collateral for the final thousand?”

Bay thought for a second. He had no use for an escort. He was pretty inexperienced in that department, but what the hell? He was in Las Vegas—and what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Right? Besides, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex. He’d had offers, of course, but he’d turned them down all but a couple of times, never knowing if they were made because of his celebrity or, even worse, his Jack Robbins persona. An encounter with an escort should be pretty cut-and-dried. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.

“Sure,” Bay said before he could stop himself.

Since Paul was out of chips, Bay had no reason to raise again, so he called.

Paul flipped over his two cards. One was a nine of clubs and the other was an eight of spades. “Straight,” he said, smiling.

Bay smiled back and flipped his cards over. “Four threes.”

The blood drained out of Paul’s face, and he hung his head briefly. When he raised it again, he was smiling. “Definitely not my night,” he said, standing. “But hey. You win some. You lose some.”

He offered his hand to Bay. Bay accepted it and the two men shook. “It was a pleasure, Paul. I hope we get to do it again.”

“Likewise,” Paul said. “Oh! I almost forgot. What is your room number?”

“It’s 3001,” Bay said. “Why?”

“Because your escort will be there at midnight.”

Bay was about to protest when he changed his mind. He was still undecided, but he simply said, “Thanks.”

Paul turned and walked out of the game room without another word.

“Can you verify your winnings with me, Mr. Whitman, before I call the cashier to cut you a check? Or would you prefer a wire transfer?” the croupier asked.

“Certainly. And a check will be fine.”

Bay had just returned to his suite and put his rather large check in the safe when he heard a knock at his door. He walked through the foyer and then stopped dead in his tracks. Shit! The escort. He nervously smoothed the front of his jacket, then opened the door. When he saw the person standing on the other side, his mouth fell open and stayed there. He blinked twice to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. He wasn’t, and he could neither move nor speak.

One of the things that I enjoy most about any Scotty Cade book is that he writes characters and stories that are often vastly different than anything the reader might find in the m/m romance genre. The characters are multi-layered, and often in unique situations. His book Losing Faith, which I loved, is just one example of this. His newest release also hits all those buttons for me.

With From A Jack to a King, which interestingly is a very polar opposite to Losing Faith, Scotty finds a way to bring several layers to these two MC’s. This includes a layer that would seem to be very much at odds with the MC’s chosen line of work, but which the author somehow makes work on a level I would  not have expected. Both MC’s lead very different lives, and yet what drives them, behind their lives, their insecurities and day to day issues, come from very similar pasts.

I found myself questioning how King was able to separate himself so much from his work, but he made it work, and Bay made it work, as they moved forward with establishing a relationship. It did make me wonder if part of where Bay was coming from was a deep need to have that connection, and having only have found it with King, he was willing to do whatever he could to keep it. Yet, Bay’s character proved me wrong by continuing to become more self-confident, and able to deal with the outside world more. His connection with King made him stronger, not weaker.

There wasn’t much in the way of angst, and the book didn’t have a big blow up moment, but what it did have was two characters who found they were better together, than they ever were on their own, and how it was able to progress to that HEA, and bring their lives full circle. They became the strong independent men they wanted to be, once they were able to allow themselves to be with each other. A sweet, love story, with some small twists, and a perfect movie happy ending. 🙂

4 pieces of eye candy

Scotty Cade left Corporate America and twenty-five years of Marketing and Public Relations behind to buy an Inn & Restaurant on the island of Martha’s Vineyard with his partner of over twenty years. He started writing stories as soon as he could read, but just eight years ago for publication.  With the Inn and restaurant now sold, you can find him in Greenville South Carolina where he and his husband are restoring a hundred-year-old house or in Charleston South Carolina on their boat simply hanging out.  Being from the south and a lover of commitment and fidelity, all of his characters find their way to long healthy relationships, however long it takes them to get there.  He believes that in the end, the boy should always get the boy.

Here’s where you can find me:

www.scottycade.com

www.facebook.com/scotty.cade

www.twitter.com/ScottyCade

scottycade@gmail.com

All That Glitters by Kate Sherwood: Exclusive Author Guest Post and Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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No matter what he tells himself, wealthy NYC architect Liam has never been able to forget his first love, Ben. But as he approaches midlife and realizes something is missing, can he forgive himself for the worst mistake he ever made—the one that left a hole no amount of career success can fill? Or will fear keep him from the full life he really wants?

Liam and Ben were childhood sweethearts, then college boyfriends. But when Liam cheated on Ben, Ben forced himself to cut ties and move on. He’s still living in the small town where they grew up, teaching, but it’s not the life he imagined for himself as a younger man. Still, when Liam returns, he can’t risk his heart again. He certainly can’t allow himself to love Liam again after fighting so hard to get over him.

Neither man wants to let go of the past and face their apprehension at starting over. They don’t want to fall in love a second time—but sometimes love happens whether it’s wanted or not.

Title: All That Glitters
Author: Kate Sherwood
Release Date: June 26, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 201

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

 

Secondary characters in m/m – the women

Female characters sometimes have a hard time in m/m romance. The main characters don’t want to sleep with them, so some authors don’t seem to have much interest in them, either.

For me, though? If I were to go through my books and pick out my favourite people, I bet a big chunk of them would be my female secondary characters.

The romantic leads are great and everything, but they’re too damn serious! They’re going through big crises and having explosive emotional experiences and that’s all great, but… it doesn’t make me want to pour a glass of wine and just hang out with them.

No, it’s the secondary female characters I want to be friends with. We’d laugh at the male leads together, but then try to help them out with our superior wisdom… we’d be excellent.

In All That Glitters, Dinah is the wife of Ben’s best friend, and a friend of Ben’s in her own right. So when Ben re-encounters an old love after a long time apart, Dinah’s right there to wring the details out of him. And later on, when she gets the old love alone, she gives him the treatment, too. Dinah is a force of nature, and I love her!

Ben and Dinah excerpt

“What does he look like?” Dinah asked. She and Seth had been reasonably discreet while Tamara was with them all in the yard, but now that Seth was off supervising Tamara in the bath and Dinah and Ben were relaxing on the back patio with well-earned drinks, the questions were coming out. “I’ve seen old pictures, obviously, but has he aged well? Sometimes guys like that—I mean, he was so pretty, wasn’t he? Sometimes they kinda lose it when they fill out. Is he still pretty?”

Yup, there it was again. The same conflict, the same desire to talk about Liam, to obsess over him, fighting with the absolutely commonsense instinct to avoid the topic and work on banishing him from Ben’s mind. But Dinah was his hostess and was making pleasant conversation—it would be churlish to shut her down. “He’s not so pretty. But he still looks good. Just in a different way.”

“Still has the cheekbones, though?”

“Really, Dinah, where would his cheekbones go?”

“They could get buried under fat. That happens. Or just—I don’t know. Saggy skin, maybe?”

“We’re in our thirties. I don’t think we need to worry about saggy skin. Not yet.”

She took a sip of her lemonade, then said, “You’re still pretty, in case you were wondering. A bit more manly than in the old pictures, but if I compare now-you to then-you, I’d say you’re still at least as good-looking. He wouldn’t have seen you and been disappointed. In case you were wondering.”

“He’s spent more time with Uncle Calvin than he has with me. Whatever he was doing in North Falls, it had nothing to do with how good-looking anyone is. And he’s gone back to the city now—at least, he was supposed to have—so none of this is important anymore.”

“Was it important before? When he was still here?”

“No.” But Ben really tried not to lie to his friends so he added, “It might have felt important. But it wasn’t.”

“You’re sure?”

“I guess so. I mean—he’s gone. We cleared the air, which was good, and he’s gone back to the city. Which is also good. He’s got a life there.”

“A career,” she said with a sage nod. “And you know about all that because you’ve googled him a bunch of times over the years, right? You probably have an alert set up for any mention of his name.”

“Lots of people Google-stalk their exes every now and then.”

Right now, I don’t get to read as much as I’d like…because RL happens. I’m having a good week if I can read one full book, and listen to half an audio book…again, RL. It usually takes me about five days right now to read a 250 page book. I read All That Glitters in two days, that says a TON about this book for me. In addition, I will admit I was a bit scared to read it. If you read the blurb carefully, you’ll see that Liam cheated on his boyfriend Ben years previously (there are mentions/discussions about it in the book, but no “on screen” cheating), and having been in that situation, I was not sure it was something I wanted to read about. But it was Kate Sherwood, and I had to hope that she would make it so I could get through without too much pain. I need not have worried. I didn’t even cry! (Okay, I got a little teary eyed, but I was expecting it would be an ugly cry, so I was happy!)

Man…Ben made Liam work for it, he really did. And to be fair, Liam deserved to work for it. He messed up badly when he cheated, more than once, on Ben. Meanwhile, Ben realized that he was a party to it, by not confronting the situation, despite knowing what was happening behind his back. However, what I appreciated the most was the the author made Liam a deeply flawed character. He clearly had spent years trying to be an image of himself that he thought he needed to be, he kept trying to live up to that, and yet kept coming back home, because he knew that was where his heart was, not just with Ben, but with everyone in North Falls. Liam had spent years trying to amass enough money and prestige, and yet never was satisfied, always wanting to be the one who won, who left the indelible mark.

Ben, at the same time, was afraid of being hurt again, and so avoided it at all costs. He lived in the same town, had the same friends, and worked at the same elementary school he’d gone to as a child. He even had dated a nice steady man, one he knew would not be able to hurt him, but still missed and loved the man who’d broken his heart so completely. His lack of trust for Liam was evident in so many ways. I loved how immediately upon seeing Liam he was still so angry and raw, cursing at him, telling him to leave. It was evident that his pain was as real as the day Liam left, and he wanted the source of that pain away from him. Yet, Liam could not keep himself from going back to North Falls, not necessarily to see Ben, but because he needed the grounding of the town and the people who’d known him his entire life.

On a side note, the secondary characters (including the wife of Ben’s best friend, Dinah, who Kate discusses about) are fantastic in this story. Calvin, well, if every reader doesn’t fall in love with Calvin and his rather pushy matchmaking skills, I will be very surprised. Even Seth, who himself was hurt when his two best friends split up, and Liam went to NYC, couldn’t help but be a little bit of a matchmaker as well. Even Liam’s parents provided some hilarious entertainment (who knew!) while discussing their next stage in life.

This book isn’t about sex either (as I’ve said before there doesn’t have to be a lot of on screen sex for me to love the read, and this is a perfect example for me), it is about love, and the recapture of it, after it has been split right down the middle, cut apart, and then slowly, one painstaking stitch at a time, sewn back together. It was about a deeply flawed character not only trying to get back the love of his life, but find a new life of his own, and a new love of himself. None of that could happen without the love of the man he’d been missing for years, and the time he spent reconnecting with a place and the people that had been the best part of his life.

I highly recommend this book. (And PLEASE don’t let the “cheating” throw you off as a reader…I promise, I don’t like it either, but it is off page, really tells a part of the story that is important to learning who these characters are now, and how they became the men they needed the other to be.)

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Kate Sherwood started writing about the same time she got back on a horse after almost twenty years away from riding. She’d like to think she was too young for it to be a midlife crisis, but apparently she was ready for some changes!

Kate grew up near Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and went to school in Montreal, then Vancouver. But for the last decade or so she’s been a country girl. Sure, she misses some of the conveniences of the city, but living close to nature makes up for those lacks. She’s living in Ontario’s “cottage country”–other people save up their time and come to spend their vacations in her neighborhood, but she gets to live there all year round!

Since her first book was published in 2010, she’s kept herself busy with novels, novellas, and short stories in almost all the sub-genres of m/m romance. Contemporary, suspense, scifi or fantasy–the settings are just the backdrop for her characters to answer the important questions. How much can they share, and what do they need to keep? Can they bring themselves to trust someone, after being disappointed so many times? Are they brave enough to take a chance on love?

Kate’s books balance drama with humor, angst with optimism. They feature strong, damaged men who fight themselves harder than they fight anyone else. And, wherever possible, there are animals: horses, dogs, cats ferrets, squirrels… sometimes it’s easier to bond with a non-human, and most of Kate’s men need all the help they can get.

When she’s not writing as Kate Sherwood (m/m romance), there’s always Cate Cameron (m/f romance, YA romance) and Catherine Dale (everything else). There are so many stories just waiting to be discovered!

Social Media Links:

booklives.com (website and blog)

https://twitter.com/kate_sherwood

https://www.facebook.com/kate.sherwood.79

Kate has generously offered a giveaway today of All That Glitters AND an ecopy of anything from her backlist. Lots of ways to enter! Enjoy!
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Made in Portugal by Ana Newfolk: Exclusive Author Interview with Giveaway

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At 10 years old Joel was uprooted from his home and everything he knew in Portugal to start a new life in the States. At 26 he finds himself returning for the first time in thirteen years. So what if looking into the eyes of his childhood best friend again still makes his heart race out of his chest?

Living in sunny, laid-back Portugal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. For David, dreams of being a pastry chef come second to working in his family’s café where his renowned custard tarts draw in the crowds. Seeing Joel brings old feelings back. Feelings he’s not sure he’s brave enough to acknowledge to anyone other than himself.

With the inspiration of an old travel journal, the two friends embark on a real journey through memories in a country where looking back into the past runs as deep as the blood that courses through their veins.

Falling in love was never meant to be a stop along the way, but maybe inevitable when you have the adventurous spirit and courage to pursue what you want, make love under the stars, and even figure out how to jumpstart an old Citroen 2CV in the middle of the Alentejo countryside.

Length: 68,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Jay Aheer

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

10 Questions

Are you a plotter or a pantster?

I’m a plotter but I give myself enough freedom to allow the story to flow. I changed the plot of Made In Portugal as I went along to add new stuff.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be an interpreter. I always loved languages.

Were you a voracious reader as a child?

Absolutely. There are two Portuguese authors who wrote a series called An Adventure In… it featured 5 friends who found themselves in sticky and sometimes dangerous situations in all these different locations. I always got these books for my birthday and Christmas.

What are you reading? 

I am reading the Barista series by my friend AE Ryecart.

Where do you like to write?

I can’t write in complete silence and I can’t write with lots of noise, especially if I can make out words (I get distracted too easily and I’m very nosy – plot bunnies, anyone?). I like to go to my local coffee shop when it’s quiet enough that all the noise is in the background but I also found these YouTube videos of coffee shop background noise and they are brilliant to play in the background when I can’t go out to a coffee shop.

If you had the opportunity to live one year of your life over again, which year would you choose?

This past year to today. I have met so many wonderful people through writing and made some friends I am sure will be with me for a lifetime.

How would you describe your writing style/genre? 

I ramble when I talk so there’s no surprise I ramble when I write. My editor had great fun with that part of my writing style. I also got great compliments on how I describe things and bring them to life so maybe there’s something in my ramblings.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

The power to give myself extra superpowers. I mean, so many different possibilities, why stick with one?

If you could be one of your characters who would you be and why?

I would be Vóvó Violeta because she’s very much like my grandmother, she knows EVERYTHING.

Do you have a character in your head that you have yet to write a story for? 

Yes. The world of Made In Portugal is so real in my head that I have characters for book three, and maybe even a spin off a few years down the line.

 

June 5 – Katie’s Book Corner, June 6 – The Novel Approach, June 7 – BooksLaidBareBoys, Bookaholic & Kindle, Love My Reads, Open Mind For A Different View, June 8 – Love Bytes, June 9 – Mainely Stories, The Geekery Book Review, June 11 – MM Good Book Reviews, June 12 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, June 13 – Making It Happen, June 14 – Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings, Valerie Ullmer, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Wicked Reads, Virginia Lee, June 15 – Bayou Book Junkie, June 18 – Joyfully Jay, June 20 – Gay Book Reviews, June 22 – My Fiction Nook, June 25 – Diverse Reader, June 27 – Two Chicks Obsessed

Ana Newfolk was born in Portugal where she grew up surrounded by sunshine and countryside. She has always had a deep love of reading, and ever since she can remember her favorite presents and treats have always been books. She would often be found in her not-so-secret spot reading her favorite adventure books (when she was younger) and romance novels (when she discovered boys). At 20 years old she moved to the UK where she has lived since.

In 2015 Ana stumbled across her first MM romance novel by chance, and she was hooked. She loves reading about men falling in love, hard, fast and ever so sweetly. This new found love for LGBTQ+ romance has opened a new world for Ana, and in 2017 she decided to finally listen to the voices in her head and write them down.

In addition to the time she spends reading and writing Ana has a full-time job that involves meeting lots of people with interesting stories to tell. She also loves baking as much as she loves watching people eat what she creates, much to the delight of family, friends and work colleagues alike.

You can follow Ana on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or through her blog for up to date news of her book releases.

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Discovery (Kinky in the City Book 3) by Quinn Ward: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

Sex is a lot like pizza. It’s good, but you won’t die without it…

Matteo’s always known he was different. Seeing his older brothers falling in love shines a spotlight on his own lack of desire. Modeling age play gear was a way to prove he could make his own decisions, nothing more.

Levi didn’t realize what a challenge it’d be directing the photo shoot for a new website. When he sees Matteo struggling, he instinctively falls into the role he’d given up years earlier: Daddy.

When Matteo discovers a side of himself he never expected, will Levi be able to show him that not all love begins with sexual attraction?

Discovery is the third book in the Kinky in the City series, but can be read as a standalone novel.

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Exploration (Book 1

Challenge (Book 2

“Don’t lie to me, boy,” Levi reprimanded, his voice rumbling. My eyes darted to the other side of the open area to see if John and Denny were watching us, but they were oblivious. “Tell me what’s wrong so I can help you.”

I got the impression Levi wasn’t going to give up, so I weighed my options. Yes, it’d be embarrassing to admit my budding fantasies to him, but after the shoot finished, I wouldn’t have to see him again. That made him safe. But this was a job to him. There was a chance he was turned off by everything we were doing here.

“Nothing you can say will make me think less of you,” he promised, reaching up to graze his fingers over my cheek. I leaned into his touch, chasing his hand when he pulled away. “Does it have to do with what we did last week?”

I nodded.

“You seemed put off at first,” he continued, explaining what he’d observed. “Something changed as the day went on, didn’t it?”

I nodded again, unable to find my voice. I stared at the floor, wringing my hands in my lap as I curled my toes in the plush area rug at my feet. I startled when Levi stood, lifting me out of my seat as if I weighed nothing. I should’ve been annoyed by him sitting down in the chair he’d evicted me from, put off when he pulled me into his lap. But I wasn’t. The way Levi wrapped me in his arms, encouraging me to rest my head on his shoulder settled me, quieted my thoughts.

“It’s okay to admit you liked it,” he whispered. I felt his dick pressing against the side of my ass. Did I like it? Hell yes, I did, and that was part of the problem. For so long, I’d thought I was broken because I didn’t feel the slightest sexual attraction to anyone, but having Levi tell me to sit on the floor and play brought me to life. It wasn’t even the promise of anything sexual that got to me; it was the tender way he issued his commands. Or like now, when he sensed my unease and wrapped me tightly in his arms the way my brothers did when I was upset.

Another hot cover…. Shew!

I feel like I’ve been waiting on this book forever, when in reality, it’s been less than a week since I was introduced to this series….. but wow, did I love them all. In saying that, I was most excited for Matteo, mostly because I love the underdog. I like the venerable boys that need someone to take a little different care of them. Is that weird? Probably….

Anyway, so Matteo is Freddie and Calvin’s baby brother; we got a glimpse in the others in this series, that in my opinion looked like he had some sort of anxiety disorder, or something where he just got in his head too much and sometimes needed to take a time out to deal with everything coming at him at once. He was asexual for the most part, or at least he thought he was, in reality he just hadn’t found what he needed yet.

When his good friend asked him to do him a favor and model some things for his website, he was a little concerned when it had him dressing up in “little’s” clothing and give the allusion that he was an adult baby or toddler. Now, I’ve never delved into age play before, but I’ve found with this one, not only did I really like the idea, I also enjoyed getting to read about it, learning something that I hadn’t known about before. I could see where it would help someone like Matteo, help him feel grounded and his mind to feel quiet.

Levi, was his daddy….. and what a hot daddy he was. Not in the typical sense that I usually like my daddy’s, but meh….. I adjusted, and I’m glad I did. Levi was patient and so understanding with Matteo. He made him feel normal and not broken, which he’d felt for so long.

I can’t imagine what life was life for Matteo, he says he was content, but he couldn’t have been happy. He didn’t know what he needed until Levi came along and showed him what he’d needed…. Sigh….
Telling his brothers, (though not all of it) was easy, but I hated that his mom made such a fuss at first. It made it believable to me though, like real life, because I know I’m going to be about a metric ton more psycho when either of my babies think of leaving me and start their own lives with whomever they choose.  So relatable mom.

I could probably wax poetic about this book and the love between Matteo and Levi until the cows come home, but I’ll stop here for now. I will say that I highly recommend this book, even if the kink isn’t quite your thing and you’re thinking about skipping it….. don’t. You won’t be sorry.

5 pieces of eye candy from me!

Quinn Ward is a non-binary author of LGBT romance. Throughout everything, the one constant in their life has been writing. It’s the piece of them they’ve never questioned. It’s their safe harbor, sometimes their escape when the real world gets to be too much.

Website: http://quinnwardwrites.com

Author FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/quinnwardbooks/

Author FB Profile: https://www.facebook.com/quinnwardwrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quinnwardwrites

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/quinnward76/

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17887674.Quinn_Ward

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/quinnward

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Exploration or Challenge, Books 1 and 2 in the Kinky in the City series.

Blaze (Unbreakable Bonds #5) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: EXCLUSIVE Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

The rings have been selected.
The champagne placed on ice.
The cake decorated.

And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts…

Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem.

A ghost from Lucas’s past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help. Against his better judgement, Lucas and his best friend, Ashton Frost, plan a fast trip back to the one place they swore they’d never go: their hometown in Oklahoma. But the danger is worse than they expected.

Now, they’re in a race to track down a killer, keep a young girl safe, and get Lucas back in time to say, “I do.”

Title:  Blaze

Series: Unbreakable Bonds #5

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake and Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: June 22, 2018

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 75,000

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

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Shiver (Unbreakable Bonds Series Book 1

Shatter (Unbreakable Bonds Series Book 2

Torch (Unbreakable Bonds Series Book 3

Devour (Unbreakable Bonds Series Book 4

Blaze (Unbreakable Bonds Series Book 5

 

Lucas rolled his head on the headrest, his smile disappearing as he took in his best friend. Snow’s hands lay in fists on his lap and through his jeans, Lucas could see muscles taut with tension. He should never have agreed to let him come here. While Lucas’s childhood had been neglect and trash, Ashton Frost’s had been so much worse. It had been easy for Lucas to leave this world—but it had been necessary for Snow.

Problem was, Lucas needed him here, too. With him.

“Twenty-one years,” Lucas said softly.

Snow cleared his throat, but his voice came out raspy. “The town hasn’t changed in places.”

“And in others, it has.”

Snow stared through the windshield. “Feels the same, though.” He gritted his teeth so hard, Lucas heard the crunch. “I knew it would be difficult to come here, but I didn’t know the memories would swoop back in so fast.”

Lucas laid his hand on Snow’s leg, reassured by the warmth and strength under his palm. Snow had always been frank and open with him when he guarded his heart against most everyone else. It had been amazing to watch him soften and bloom in his relationship with Jude Torres. Lucas had worried something like that would never happen for Snow. Hell, he hadn’t expected to find that kind of connection himself.

But they both had.

They had grown past this place, and the sooner they took care of business and left, the better.

Snow sighed and closed his eyes. Lucas’s heart ached for him. His memories weren’t great, but Snow had been treated like something less than garbage, and Lucas had spent the majority of his first eighteen years doing what he could to offer him something good. His love for Ashton Frost was fierce—there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the man, and it had been that way since the first day they’d met when Snow had been a dirt-covered, angry boy facing a group of bullies.

Theirs was a connection he’d never been able to explain. It wasn’t sexual, but it was something deeper than friends and brothers. He just flat-out loved the man. Always had.

He was reminded that Snow felt the same when his light blue eyes opened and focused on Lucas. They stared at each other for a few moments before a small smile pulled up one corner of Snow’s lips. “You’re gonna be a married man.”

“Shocking, isn’t it?”

“A few years ago, it would have been but not now. Not after watching the two of you together the past couple of years.”

“Are you going to take that step yourself?”

“Marry Jude?” Snow shrugged. Some of the tension seemed to drain out of him, but that usually happened when Snow thought of Jude. “We already are, as far as I’m concerned. I’m not like you—I don’t need the ceremony. We drew up legal papers making each other beneficiaries and more. All I need is that man in my life. For the rest of it.”

“I never said I needed a ceremony,” Lucas half growled. “I’d prefer if we met in front of a Justice of Peace.”

Snow snorted, his grin growing. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You want to parade that beautiful man down the aisle and show him off in some lavish ceremony. And don’t tell me you’re doing all this for Ian, either.”

“You don’t think I did?” He lifted an eyebrow. “That boy loves planning these sorts of things.”

“No doubt there, so yeah, maybe this is for Ian some. But be honest. You want to show Andrei off and thumb your nose at all those business associates who only tolerate you because of money. The ones who don’t think men should marry each other.”

He smirked. “Yeah, maybe. But don’t think you’re off the damn hook. Ian will turn his sights to you next.”

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi7t94kgYTA

Siiiiiiigh…

Can you really grasp all the emotions that I meant to convey in that sigh? You will, you will if you read this book. Of course, if you’ve gotten this far in the series, surely you’ve gone and fell in love with this group of guys like I have…and even though Noah and Rowe are such a hard couple to top, because they’re so amazing and dangerous, and every bad boy fantasy come to life. No one will ever top Andrei and Lucas for me. And in this one, it’s mostly about them…though you know where there is one, there is all; so we get them all too…

BUT, it’s finally wedding time. 10 days until Andrei and Lucas finally say “I do”…I dunno about y’all, but I have been WAITING for this…Not so patiently, I might add. There is no one sweeter than Andrei, and I absolutely adore the way he is with Lucas…and Lucas, how everyone’s health, happiness and well-being comes before his, his love for Andrei is…otherworldly. There is no topping it. You can feel it, anytime they so much as look at each other…and as an avid reader that’s quite obsessed with her book boys…feeling it myself about fictional characters is ridiculous… yet, somehow…I do with these two.

Okay, so you get I’m a fan-girl…Moving on.

So, it’s ten days til wedding day, and Ian has been planning his little heart out, everything is going to be perfect…until Snow brings home a visitor from their past, in the form of Lucas’s sister. The same sister that said horrible, nasty things to him and sided with his family when he came out…. It was hard for him to hear her out, but because he’s Lucas, and Lucas has Andrei… he did.

Her daughter, Lucas’ niece is in trouble… a niece he’s never met.. and he’s skeptical and hesitant, but they’re family, and you know how Andrei is about family. Lucas I think just hopes to swoop in like he does, fix things and get on with his life, maybe finding a little bit of closure back in his home town while he’s at it. Of course, he doesn’t go alone, he takes Snow…Little did they know, the little bit of trouble was actually quite a bit of trouble, and it’s a big ol’ whirlwind of danger and death… exactly what fuels guys like Snow, and especially Rowe and Noah…(they are serious BA in this one….again)

It’s hard for the guys to be there and there’s a lot of chasing their tails at first, but they get to the bottom of it. Of course they do… especially w hen the whole gang shows up. But, everything gets worked out in the end, and I think Snow and Lucas get the closure they needed. Maybe not the way they wanted, but, enough. I wish we wouldn’t got a little more Snow and Jude, but, that’s may just be me being selfish lol…And, last but not least…we meet a couple of new people that I hope stick around…oh, and of course, we get our wedding.

This is just another perfect addition to an already amazing series, and I find myself wishing that this series could last forever, because I’m not sure I’ll ever be done with them. For now though, I’ll patiently… or somewhat patiently wait for the next one.

5 pieces of eye candy from me!

I love the Unbreakable Bonds series. One of the reasons is that it wasn’t stretched out. Each guy got a book and a novella. Their stories were complete. So I thought that this book would be stretching Lucas and Andrei’s story with their wedding. But who can resist a wedding? Not me.
But we got so much more!!!
Lucas and Snow went back to their hometown. Seeing both men as anything less than the confident successful men they were was heart breaking. But, they are there to help Lucas’s niece-which isn’t as simple as they thought.
Through the story we get all of the main guys. And of course there is aission, hilarious code names and explosion.
And we still get a wedding. Swoon.
This installment did not disappoint and was a fun, exciting read.
4 pieces of eye candy

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

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