exclusive

Challenge (Kinky in the City Book Two) by Quinn Ward: Exclusive Excerpt, Quick Review and Giveaway

June 21, 2018 by Denise

When two men reveal the secrets they tried keeping, even from each other, sparks will fly…

Freddie’s life changed forever when he walked in on his best friend dancing around the room in women’s lingerie. A lifetime of friendship was buried in the same box as Peter’s lingerie and makeup. The single father isn’t ready to face the man who made him question his sexuality when they were teens.

He may not have a choice.

Peter refuses to call himself the black sheep of the family, because his life has been nothing but color since he left home rather than face a future he didn’t want. The death of his mother brings him home, and he can’t leave until he knows his sister’s okay. When Freddie offers him a place to stay, he’s not certain his heart will survive.

Can Freddie make Peter believe he’s not turned off by a bit of satin and lace while finally exploring his bisexuality?

Amazon

“And what would you do if I slacked off on my chores?” I asked playfully, grindinig my stiffening erection against him. He wasn’t hard, necessarily, but he was definitely perking up to the idea. “Would you… punish me.”

“Oh fuck,” Freddie moaned. He buried his face against my neck. “You can’t say shit like that when we’re not alone.”

“Why’s that?” I goaded, shoving my hand between our bodies to stroke him. “You thinking about all the ways you could punish me? Have you ever done that before?”

“Nuh uh,” he grunted, canting his hips, chasing my touch as I pulled away.

“Is it something you’ve thought about doing?” His only response was a muffled moan against my shoulder. I knew it wouldn’t take much to get him off at that point, but I’d much rather show him how torturously sweet anticipation could be. Freddie struck me as the type of man who’d, until this point, viewed sex as a perfunctory act. For as long as I was here, I planned to show him how it could also be hours of blissful entertainment, even when he was at work and I was at home.

“Tonight,” I promised him. “After Sophia’s in bed and I take Maria home, we’ll spend some time together.”

“Please tell me that’s a euphemism for I’ll finally get to see you in nothing but those lace underwear,” he pleaded.

“That can probably be accomplished. Anything else you want?”

“Wanna taste you.” His response surprised me, but that was definitely a request I’d happily accommodate. “Want everything with you.”

Oh, hello hot cover…. And hello single hot dad. Is there anything better? I think not.

In this one, we have Freddie, which surprised me…. Pleasantly. After his soon to be ex-wife took off and left him and his adorable five-year-old daughter, Sophia, I wasn’t sure he would trust anyone easily, especially a guy! Even more than that, a guy that had up and ran away years ago when a misunderstanding and a unaccepting family was all he had in the small town he’d grown up in.

Peter is back home after the death of his mother. My heart broke for him, because his father was awful, his sister treated him terrible and nobody seemed to accept him for the makeup wearing, sexy panty loving amazing man that he is. Nobody but his baby sister, though I’m sure she didn’t know the panty part lol the misunderstanding that had jaded a big part of his teenage years had him and Freddie not seeing eye to eye at first…. Both men had had feelings for each other, but in a small conservative town with Catholic parents….. it wouldn’t be easy for them to navigate those feelings in a healthy way…. Now, Freddie had Sophia and the restaurant and Peter had a sister he was trying to be there and no career options and essentially no place to stay…

Fortunately for Peter, Freddie wanted a chance to explain and Peter became fast friends with little Sophia. I loved their relationship…not only was Freddie an excellent dad, but Peter gave her the stability and care that she’d never had from a secondary parent. Her mom was terrible too and I wished a little bit that we’d seen her get her karmic smackdown that she deserved. Everyone was better off without her selfishness and I’m glad that she didn’t cause trouble with the small family that worked so hard to find a new normal that was comfortable for everyone.

I loved Freddie and Peter together and I loved watching them figure out how it was going to work. Peter fell so effortlessly into their lives and they needed him more than they all realized. And Peter needed them just as much, because he’d finally found someone to love him for all the ways he was amazing. I was so happy with the ending, and so happy with the way it all came together.

I cannot wait for Matteo’s story, I have a feeling it’s going to another heartbreaker.

And though I loved Cal and Frankie, I think it’ll be hard to top these two….

5 pieces of eye candy from me!

Comment on this post and be entered to win a set of all three books in the Kinky in the City series. (Book 3, winner will receive on release day).

Something About You by Riley Hart: EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT, Release Day Review, and Giveaway

June 19, 2018 by Denise

Lucky Tyler Holloway has never felt particularly lucky. Frankly, he’s about as regular as can be. He works construction with his brothers, loves his small-town life, and shares a close bond with his family—especially his grandmother. Okay, so maybe he has a few secrets in his closet, like his bisexuality…and that other thing he doesn’t talk about… Maybe that’s why he’s always felt a little like an outsider.

Grayson St. Claire has it all: a dream job in LA, money, freedom. Saint has no attachments, which is just the way he likes it. Still, he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he missed his deceased parents who were the only family he had… Until he gets an e-mail from some guy named Tyler revealing the existence of a grandmother he’s never met, and prompting Saint to drop everything to drive across the country.

Saint and Tyler couldn’t be more different. Tyler hates the guy on sight, but there’s something about Tyler that gets under Saint’s skin. It’s not until they get to know one another that everything begins to change. But the Holloways and St. Claire’s have secrets, and their pasts are tied together in tragic ways they don’t know about. The odds are stacked against them and between their distance and their differences, Lucky and Saint have to admit that love alone might not be enough.

SOMETHING ABOUT YOU

RILEY HART

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 06.19.18

COVER DESIGN: X-Potion Designs

PHOTOGRAPHER: Wilson Models

Goodreads – Something About You

Amazon

Christ, Lucky had been incredible. He’d been so damn hungry for Saint, like he’d been on the ragged edge simply from giving head. He’d felt it in each lick, each suck, seen it as he’d lavished Saint’s cock. He hadn’t expected Lucky to go for it as he had, to nearly vibrate with need, but that had been exactly what had happened.

And the way he’d tasted, the untethered, wild abandon in each breath, each thrust of his hips as Saint had blown him had been amazing.

It was…more than he’d thought it would be, and Saint wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Now they lay there, Lucky beside him, on his stomach. His sexy, round ass within reach. Would he try to stay the whole night? The thought made Saint’s skin feel too tight. Lucky’s bed was only upstairs. He didn’t need to stay. Saint wouldn’t, if the situation were reversed. Most of the people he slept with at home wouldn’t.

“I kind of wish I swallowed,” Lucky broke the silence, making a loud, unexpected laugh jump from Saint’s mouth.

“Well, that can be arranged for next time. I promise you, swallowing is something I’ll never complain about.” A smile still curved his lips. The man was full of surprises. He had a feeling Lucky was a little kinkier than he let on, or maybe than he knew.

He watched as Lucky shifted, scooted down the bed. Saint frowned as he maneuvered himself between Saint’s spread legs again. His expression wasn’t one of distaste, just…confusion. What was Lucky doing?

Saint opened his legs wider to give Lucky room.

“God, the sound you made when you came…the whole time, really, but especially when you came. I damn near had an orgasm myself. It was so raw, so primal. Made me feel…powerful, if that makes sense.”

Saint was surprised when Lucky reached out, ran his forefinger through the drying come on Saint’s hip, then lifted it to his tongue, touching just the tip and allowing himself to taste it.

Whoa, hey, hot cover!

So, I’m in love with Lucky and Saint. Let’s discuss, why.

Lucky is the epitome of the boy next door. Small town, Mayberry type town, where everyone knows you and has since birth. He’s the baby of his family, and even though his family is very protective of him, he’s the one who doesn’t know a stranger, and helps everyone when he can. Always. He’s his Grandma’s favorite, and how can he not be? He’s so polite and respectful and helpful. He’s just a sweet guy. All around handyman and helper of his brother’s construction company, he’s content in his little town. Content, but not really able to be himself. That is, until Lucky’s grandma confesses that her best friend/roommate/honest soul mate, if you believe in that sort of thing…. Has a grandson out there that she’s never met. And in their aging years, I thinks he knew that Lucky would do something about it…It’s what he does. He lives to make people happy. So, he looks the guy up and contacts him.

Lucky lost his mom and dad in a plan crash that his dad was piloting, leaving him with no other blood relative and alone in California. Or so he thought, he was mighty surprised when he gets the email from Lucky, telling him that he has a grandma who’d love to meet him. It takes him a month to gather the nerve, but when he eventually does, I don’t think either man was ready for the other one. Or maybe they were, they were just fighting in.

Lucky didn’t like the arrogant out of towner at first; in my opinion, he envied the life he had, he just didn’t realize it at the time. Saint was everything that Lucky didn’t allow himself to be and Saint didn’t care who knew it. It was hard on them, but agreeing to live together to fix up Saint’s grandma’s house, they realize their jabs at each other and banter, is really attraction. Saint offers up himself for Lucky’s experimentation and they both jump on it. It’s hot too, shew!

At first, Saint gets to know his grandma and he learns so much about his dad and his family that he didn’t know before. I loved their relationship, I loved Alice and way she supported the people she loved. She was outspoken and crude and just..amazing. I wanted to wish her real so I could know her. And she had more in common with the boys than they could ever realize. Between getting to know his only living family and helping Lucky fix up the house that was destined to be his one day… he also taught Lucky some things in owning who you are as a person and not to be ashamed of the things you like and the way you like them. I loved watching Lucky come into himself, and I loved watching Saint help him get there.

Unfortunately, the more time they spent together, the more the experimenting turned into feelings and pretty soon, the feelings turned into love…. How would it work though? Saint lives in California and Lucky is halfway across the country? And Saint has to go back, his whole life is there…So, what do we do?

It’s a humbling, sometimes heartbreaking story to read, but it was beautiful. I don’t say that often, and I know it’s cheesy, but I loved it. It’s about growing up and finding yourself and in finding yourself you find love. A great one.

I would most definitely recommend this one; there’s little angst, no cheating, no unnecessary junk. Just goodness and a very satisfying happy for now. I wouldn’t mind reading more about these two, but if not…I’m happy where they ended up…together.

5 pieces of eye candy from me!

Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a hopeless romantic, a lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together.

She loves reading, flawed characters, and hanging out with her husband and children, who she adores. She and her family live in Southern California, soaking up the sunshine while also missing seasons. Not a day goes by that she isn’t thankful she gets to wake up and do what she loves.

Life is good. Riley also writes young adult and new adult under the name Nyrae Dawn.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Refraction by Jodi Payne and BA Tortuga: Exclusive Author Guest Post

June 14, 2018 by Denise

In celebration of their new release, Refraction, a book in the Collaborations series, the amazing authors, Jodi Payne and BA Tortuga stopped by for a little banter about Tucker and Calvin and the inspiration for their story. So excited to have them! I’m reading this now, and they aren’t kidding…this one starts with the reader needing a serious fan!

Texas artist Tucker Williams arrives in New York City for a gallery showing of his work and finds the city blanketed in snow. He meets free-spirited underwear model Calvin McIntire on the steps of the Midtown library and is captivated by a wild beauty that manages to compete with the demons that occupy his soul and fuel his work with their lust for blood and erotic imagery.

Unable to deny a new inspiration, Tucker sublets a studio and finds the city’s energy almost as addictive as Calvin.

Tucker is obsessive, barely holding on to sanity as his art consumes him, and Calvin is dealing with demons of his own, trying desperately to protect his soul in a business where only his appearance has value. They each prove to be the perfect remedy for the other’s personal brand of crazy until, in the midst of stress and exhaustion, they discover that a promise Calvin needs is the one thing Tucker can’t give him, and their heaven turns to purgatory.

Can both men find a path toward wholeness in Tucker’s beautiful but chaotic Texas home? In order for them—and their passionate relationship—to thrive, they’ll need to adapt, share their psychoses, and find a true balance between New York City and rural Texas.

Title: Refraction
Series: Collaborations
Authors: Jodi Payne and BA Tortuga
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 250

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Jodi: Hey there! I’m Jodi Payne. I’m a proud Jersey Girl, and I’m here with BA Tortuga, the self-proclaimed resident redneck, to talk about our new release, Refraction!

BA: The question is how were Tucker and Calvin born? The answer is, well, we were hard at work trying to come up with a concept and Jodi said, “Let’s just work on something to keep the words going.”

HA!

Ha, I say.

I write a sentence about a Texan sitting on the steps of the NYC main library and BOOM.

Just work on something to keep the words going. No big deal. Nothing serious.

HA.

Jodi: Right. These two were not supposed to be a book, remember? And then Calvin dragged that poor frozen Texan out of the snow and into a coffee shop, and Tucker did that thing with a spoon and turned Calvin on, and BOOM. Again.

BA: Yeah…these boys are very BOOM, with a little ARGH and a touch of UHN.

Jodi: No slow burn here for sure, these guys hit it off fast and work backward to the romance. Because Tucker is only in town for the weekend, and Calvin is busy, and they were not supposed to be a Thing.

BA: Yeah, well… You know, these assholes never do what they’re supposed to, do they? (FYI, the answer is no.)

Jodi: But I think I was seduced by the idea of making everything that’s different about them be an asset, not a liability. That one really could be a light to the other one’s dark. That what seems impossibly complicated to one man can be clear as day to the other.

BA: While I was all caught up by the sparkly. (I know, y’all are not surprised. Rainbow glitter is the easiest way to catch my attention.)

Jodi: (If that doesn’t work, try shouting “squirrel!” *snort*) Okay, so we talked about how we started writing them, so what kept us writing? Tucker is fascinating to me. His creative energy is so raw and the obsessive way he works is almost scary. And so many everyday things, socially and sexually, were foreign to him. All that discovery was fun to write. What was it about Calvin for you?

BA: Calvin? He’s a good man trying to pretend he’s not. I love that. I love his heart. Calvin would argue with me, of course, but he’s allowed to.

Jodi: So that’s where Tucker and Calvin came from. I think they’re some of the best characters I’ve ever not intended to write. *grin*

BA: In other words, I went fishing and caught myself a co-writer. I’m a lucky girl.

Jodi Payne takes herself way too seriously and has been known to randomly break out in song. Her men are imperfect but genuine, stubborn but likable, often kinky, and frequently their own worst enemies. They are characters you can’t help but fall in love with while they stumble along the path to their happily ever after. For those looking to get on her good side, Jodi’s addictions include nonfat lattes, Malbec and tequila any way you pour it.

Twitter https://twitter.com/JodiPayne

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/payne.jodi

FB Author Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/jodisgents/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/267617.Jodi_Payne

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jodipayne1800/?hl=en

BA Tortuga: Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds and her beloved wife, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

Twitter https://twitter.com/batortuga

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/batortuga

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

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/batortuga

Instagram https://instagram.com/batortuga/

Posy Roberts: EXCLUSIVE Cover Reveals, Guest Post and Giveaway!

June 13, 2018 by Denise

I am so excited to have Posy Roberts here today, bringing these three AMAZING covers to her re-released books in the North Star Trilogy. First, I adore Posy, as a person first and foremost, and as an author–despite the fact that she has made me ugly cry…I do not forgive that easily. 😉 I hope you will do as I did and stare at these beautiful covers for a while, after you read the guest post about what she decided to do with her new covers, and enter the giveaway.

Hi, I’m Posy Roberts, and I’m so excited TCO is allowing me to share new covers with you today. My North Star Trilogy was originally published in 2013, and I’ve been working like crazy getting these books ready for a rerelease. They’ve been edited, reformatted, and rebranded. They will also be on Kindle Unlimited for the first time, which I’m excited about. This is a USA Today Recommended Read, but I know the price point kept a lot of people from enjoying these books before. But now’s your chance!

“Hugo and Kevin are such deep and layered characters, who by the end of the book were not even just characters anymore, they feel like old friends.”

-Amazon Reviewer

In January 2018, I took on the monumental task of finding stock photos of men to fill the shoes of fictional characters who were real to me. My North Star Trilogy rights were returning to me this summer, and I wanted covers with people on them. The 2013 Dreamspinner Press covers showed the setting more than anything because no stock images fit the men in my head.

For the rerelease, I was determined to find men who would fit. I knew I’d have a harder time finding Hugo because he was so set in my mind; he’s model Miles McMillan until the end of time for me. So I searched for Kevin first. And OMG did I hit the jackpot. The Kevin I found hit every single box on my list of criteria, and I had several shots to choose from. Everything about this image screamed, “Put me on Spark!”

I wanted Hugo on the cover of Fusion because Hugo’s journey through that book must be conveyed. He conquers so many of his past demons as the plot thickens, so it had to be a somber image, one that portrayed the pain and struggle Hugo and Kevin endure in Fusion. I ran across an image I’ve seen on a lot of my searches and have been drawn to. Once I put it in black and white, the man transformed. Funny side note: the model isn’t wearing pants during this photoshoot, just a sweater and underwear.

For Flare, I needed an image with hope to show the growth everyone in the family goes through, but also fierceness. This is a book where Kevin and Hugo fight to stay together. I went back to the model that is now Kevin in my mind and found one I think fits perfectly. The way he looks at the camera, ahhhh.

Overall, I think these images show the North Star Trilogy for what it is. It’s a character-focused story with angst that is focused on these men and their fight to make their second chance at love work this time around. Each book is a story in itself and builds off the previous book, so it’s best enjoyed as a whole.

I’m rereleasing these in close succession, a month apart so you don’t have to wait too long in between.

Add these USA Today “Happily Ever After” Recommended Reads to your Summer TBR List today!

SPARK – June 26th

A love story with a seventeen-year intermission.

Hugo Thorson fell in love when he was sixteen. He’s maybe been in love since, but probably not. He’s been too busy directing plays to devote much time to men who can’t accept all of him. No one ever made him feel like his first love did.

Kevin Magnus married a woman and has two children, but the marriage wasn’t happy. In the shadow of divorce, he’s striving to be a better father, but he’s still a work in progress.

When Hugo and Kevin bump into each other at the lake, memories of their last kiss incite a new first kiss. Visions of the life they always wanted are vivid, but so much stands in the way of their dreams. Hugo is out and proud but no one knows Kevin’s bisexual. If Kevin comes out, he risks losing custody of his kids. If he doesn’t walk hand in hand with Hugo, he risks losing the love of his life.

The curtain may never rise on their second act.

Amazon
Bookmark on BookBub
Add to Goodreads

FUSION – July 24th

A love story comes out of the shadows.

Everyone in Kevin’s life knows him as straight rather than bisexual. There was no need to come out until now, but loving Hugo is worth any prejudice he’ll encounter. Hugo does his best to be patient while Kevin navigates his way toward openness, but he refuses to be put back in a closet for long.

Kevin wants to tell his kids without screwing up their newfound stability, and he worries about telling his ex because Erin might use the truth against him to renegotiate custody. Kevin wants it all finalized, but time isn’t on his side.

When Erin gets grim news, it shakes everyone to the core and rips Kevin away from the life he planned with Hugo. The news brings Hugo’s past hurts bubbling to the surface. Yet when Erin turns to Hugo for support, their new connection shows him how essential he is to Kevin and his kids.

Despite the chaos, it’s clear Hugo is very much a part of this unconventional family.

Amazon
Bookmark on BookBub
Add on Goodreads

FLARE – August 28th

A love story and a family worth fighting for.

Hugo and Kevin strive to put their lives back together after tragedy, doing everything in their power to create a stable life. Hugo’s acting career is back on track, and Kevin hires a nanny to help with the kids as they discover their new normal. But when Erin’s parents seek full custody of Brooke and Finn, that stability is shattered.

With Hugo working in LA or New York, the distance from his new family gets to him. At home, the nanny’s hands-on approach leaves Hugo feeling pushed out, so he says farewell to his beloved apartment and eclectic neighborhood to move in with Kevin.

Hugo has a hard time fitting in with the suburbanites with Kevin’s passive-aggressive “friends” making Hugo feel anything but welcome. As the custody case heads to mediation, Brooke is bullied about having two dads, and Hugo realizes his mere presence might be doing more harm than good.

Hugo must decide to stay and fight for his family or leave and let them live in peace.

Amazon
Bookmark on BookBub
Add on Goodreads

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

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

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

Follow Posy on BookBub | Subscribe to Posy’s Newsletter | Join Posy’s Reader Group | Website

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shadowlands by Charlie David: Exclusive Guest Post and Interview – All About the TV Miniseries

June 5, 2018 by Denise

Shadowlands is a collection of heartfelt and sometimes heartbreaking short stories from well-known actor and entrepreneur Charlie David that explore the passion and pain of gay sexuality. Ancient myths are re-imagined with an exciting queer twist, masterfully depicting the charged, fragile relationships of urban life today.

Story genres in this collection include romance, science fiction, fantasy/paranormal, horror, and poetry.

The host of the TV travel series Bump!, which now airs in over 55 million households worldwide, Charlie David has played many roles in M/M film and television, including A Four Letter Word and Kiss the Bride, Bravo’s Godiva’s, Showtime’s Reefer Madness, Sundance Channel’s award-winning Terminal City, and a starring role in the gothic gay soap opera Dante’s Cove.

In 2007 he started Border2Border Entertainment Inc., a production company whose award-winning films include Mulligans, Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride, and Judas Kiss. Most recently he’s opened Charlie David Travel, which specializes in luxury travel to the southern hemisphere.

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Audible

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Hi all! I’m Charlie David and I’m happy to stop by here at Two Chicks Obsessed. I’m excited to share that my book Shadowlands was released as the Shadowlands TV miniseries on Sunday, May 27^th! Whether you like to read a book and then watch a show or the other way round, I’d like to invite you into my world and explore Shadowlands.

We’re at an exciting time when it’s still rare for a book in the M/M genre to be made into a film or TV series. While Shadowlands isn’t traditional romance it does explore love in three thematically connected stories – a couple renegotiating a relationship, a narcissist grasping to comprehend love, and star-crossed lovers mourning its loss.

I had the pleasure to work with a really talented cast and crew and so today I’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to Vasilios Filippakis, one of the stars of the ‘Mating Season’ episode of the Shadowlands TV miniseries.

The Shadowlands gay TV series is comprised of three distinct stories exploring love. There are story connections between the three episodes of Shadowlands. You can read about them here.

VASILIOS FILIPPAKIS is excited for the premier of the Shadowlands gay series where the world will be able to discover an array of relationship dynamics within gay culture.

Vasilios is a Toronto based actor born in Windsor Ontario. After graduating from theatre school at York University, he has trained with many coaches across Toronto ranging in technique and continues working to deepen his craft.

When Vasilios is not training or creating his own work, you may see him in a soon to be released feature film “The Lone Paddler”, or in commercials for Swiss Chalet, Gradifi, or Kit-Kat to name a few.

Tell us about your story in the new Shadowlands gay series. What were the main challenges and fears you had in your role?

Vasilios Filippakis: In Shadowlands, the story I am in is called “Mating Season”, which explores the boundaries of a monogamous relationship. A gay couple takes a few days in the woods for a romantic camping trip when they meet a harmless man who has been camping for some time .

It turns out, the man isn’t exactly as he appears ( I don’t want to give anything away). This aspect is something I really considered while preparing for this role. As real as “Daniel” (the character I played) is there are many elements of mystery with him that were interesting to find spots to incorporate into the script.

Honestly, I didn’t have many fears going into filming this project, It was all excitement. The ONE thing that was difficult was trying to be sexy in that really cold water. We really tried our best.

How much of yourself goes into a character?

Vasilios Filippakis: I always try to put as much of myself into all my work and characters. I think as a human with years of life experience you can find many correlations between your real life and the one that is depicted on the script. Sure there are some stretches here, for example, playing a murderer, but even in that case a person is much more than a killer.

You still have other human qualities that make you whole, and those are things that I look to explore and pull when creating. I believe that the best performances come from things I grab from my experience. In this case it’s all about love, loss, hope, reflection and finding peace, all things that I as Vasilios can live authentically in the moment because they are things that I feel naturally.

How much were you able to relate your own experiences to create your character? And how much did you have to research or imagine?

Vasilios Filippakis: I could relate to my character’s experience a lot. Daniel really struggled with the idea of being loved and accepted. I think that we all have had that in our lives.

He has this monologue about a past love that was “the one” for him. Again, I think everyone has a similar story to Daniel and has or will feel love the way he did.

Each story or episode is unique and has its own world of characters, time and place. And yet there are connections between them. Were you aware of these connections while filming or was it a surprise to learn later?

Vasilios Filippakis: Honestly, I wasn’t really aware of any of this until we started filming. I remember in rehearsal Charlie David was framing a shot to mimic one that is shown in the third episode. It was all a surprise until I saw the final edits and saw all three episode after each other. I think this will be fun for the audience to discover!

Romance between men and between women was common place and written about in Greek and Roman mythology. Many of the stories in the Shadowlands book were inspired by these ancient myths. Why is it important to continue sharing these types of stories today?

Vasilios Filippakis: It’s important to share these stories because love is love, no matter the time, place or gender. Every story explored in the Shadowlands gay series is very relatable to present times.

This show really just shines another light on life as it is. As much as the inspiration came from Greek and Roman mythology I think the audience will see how much these stories are rooted in today.

What was the hardest scene for you to do and why?

Vasilios Filippakis: The hardest scene for me (no pun inteneded) was for sure all the water scenes. The water was SO cold. Trying to not shiver and look good is a challenge, believe me. The rest of the shoot was so fun and easy. The cast and crew made being on set a dream! I would go back to film with these people in a heartbeat.

Who is a major influence for you and on your creativity?

Vasilios Filippakis: The major influence for me on my creativity is my own life. I just think that we all have a story, that is unique and nobody else can live it or write it. To me that’s inspiring. Who else can tell your story? Nobody! I know that I am a well of emotions and have so much to tell that I am constantly in a state of creation.

With so much going on in the world today, what’s your motivation to be a performer? Do you act to explain? To get away? To move past? To widen our knowledge? To incite a conversation?

Vasilios Filippakis: I act for my heart. It wasn’t till recently that I explored this reason. I was in acting class with the amazing Suzanne Bastien (At The Creative Space) here in Toronto, when we were asked this question “Why do you act”?

We began exploring our hearts why on why we have chosen to be an actor. For me it’s about exploring every emotion without holding back. Acting a vessel to be free and really let

What’s next for you as a creator/actor/performer?

Vasilios Filippakis: I am currently working on a show I created called “FAK YAASS”. I’m the creator, writer, producer and lead actor (it’s totally about my life). The show is a mix between “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “Queer as Folk”.

We have an amazing team and we’re really looking forward to putting this story out there! We have a concept trailer out now and should have some more updates soon about the project!

Follow Vasilios Filippakis

Insta: @vasiliosf

Website: vasiliosf.com

About Charlie David

Charlie David has been a host for E! Television, NBC, OutTV, LOGO, here! TV, Pink TV, EGO, Fine Living and Slice Networks on such shows as FYE!, SpyTV, Crash Test Mommy and his travel series Bump which shot over 100 episodes around the world and garnered a Hugo Television award. He has appeared as musical guest on VH1, BBC, CBS’s The Early Show, and dozens of radio shows.

In 2005 Out Magazine recognized Charlie in the ‘Out 100’ at their gala in New York. In 2007 the Philadelphia Film Society awarded Charlie with their Rising Star Award. In 2008 the Festival del Sol in Gran Canaria awarded their Best Male Actor Award to Charlie and the male cast of A Four Letter Word. His documentary and scripted films have won several jury and audience awards at festivals around the world. Formerly in a rock band… okay, actually it was a boy band, Charlie opened for Destiny’s Child, Pink, Snoop Dogg, Rick Springfield and Black Eyed Peas.

A love of storytelling led Charlie to start Border2Border Entertainment, a production company whose film and television credits include Shadowlands, Mulligans, Judas Kiss, I’m a Stripper (series), Studlebrity, Balls, Dating Unlocked, PolyLove and Positive Youth. Border2Border Entertainment’s films have been licensed to Showtime, Vice, Super Channel, HBO Canada, MTV/LOGO, Sundance Channel, Discovery Networks, The Movie Network, Movie Central, Hollywood Suite, hereTV, Encore Avenue, and OutTV in North America as well as finding a worldwide audience through international distribution partners.

He is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and his current passions include travel, encounters with wildlife, SCUBA diving, mosaic tiling and podcasts. He resides in Toronto and Montréal, Canada when he’s not living out of a suitcase.

You can explore Charlie’s films and TV shows on his website at https://border2border.ca or become a part of his social media network by visiting:

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/MrCharlieDavid
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialcharliedavid
Twitter: https://twitter.com/charliedavid
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/border2border
Audible: http://adbl.co/1K3xhz8
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2895612.Charlie_David
Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/charlie-david
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mrcharliedavid/

Wash Out (Anchor Point #7) by L.A. Witt: Exclusive Excerpt from Sink or Swim (Book 8), Blog Tour, and Giveaway

May 25, 2018 by Denise

Casey Olson has always known he was destined to be a Navy SEAL, and the best day of his life was when he was accepted into training. The worst day was when a snapping bone ended his dream.

After three combat tours in five years, Logan Carter left the Marines and self-destructed. Now he’s sober and, thanks to a forgiving ex with friends in high places, has a promising job as a civilian contractor. All he has to do is stay on the rails and out of a bottle, even when his demons won’t leave him alone.

Logan likes his job, and he really likes the gorgeous man at the next desk. Casey tries not to check Logan out, but who is he kidding? From the start, despite their best efforts, neither man can resist the other. Sizzling chemistry leads to sex so hot they can both almost forget why they’re stuck in this office to begin with.

It would be perfect, except Logan can’t stop reliving wars he’ll never forget and Casey can’t stop grieving the SEAL he’ll never be. And they’ll never have a future together until they can make peace with their pasts.

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

Calm and ready to face the snarl of corroded wires I’d been working on before lunch, I carefully rolled-up the mat and collected my misbaha and Qur’an. As I rose, I nearly dropped everything, though.

When had Dylan come into the sanctuary? I’d been distantly aware of movement and footsteps, and I’d heard someone take a seat in one of the creaky pews, but somehow hadn’t realized it was him. Which was stupid. He was the chaplain. Of course he was in here.

For whatever reason, though, my heart was suddenly racing. Had he been watching me pray? Did it bother him even though he’d insisted he had no problem with it?

Dylan wasn’t watching me, though. In fact, he was staring straight ahead. Elbows on his knees, hands clasped under his chin, he just . . . stared. Probably not at anything in particular.

Or rather, probably not anything that was actually in this room.

I swallowed. I knew that look. No one served in the military or even lived within spitting distance of a base without becoming familiar with the thousand yard stare. Even the fluorescent glare on his glasses couldn’t hide the blank look in his eyes.

It had been jarring the first time I’d realized chaplains weren’t immune to combat-related PTSD. Intellectually it made perfect sense, and I’d never thought they were immune to it, but actually seeing a chaplain fighting off a flashback had hit me hard. They were the counselors of every command. The guy you went to see when separation from your family was getting to you, or if you’d been to combat, when the nightmares and flashbacks caught up.

So who does the chaplain talk to when he’s the one with PTSD?

Maybe the other chaplain? Or . . . I didn’t know.

I stepped a little closer, moving cautiously, and kept my voice soft. “Hey. You all right?”

Dylan jumped, but then he nodded. He shook himself and wiped a hand over his face as he sat back in the pew. “I’m sorry. Did . . .” He blinked a couple of times. “Did you need something?”

“No, I just, uh, thought you were kind of . . .” I waved my own hand in front of my face.

“Oh. Right.” He dropped his gaze as his cheeks darkened. “I’m fine. Just distracted.”

You’ve been somewhere with bombs dropping, haven’t you?

Who do you talk to?

I cleared my throat. “Hey, um. This might be out of line, but . . .” I hesitated, muffling another cough, then blurted out, “Do you want to get coffee later?”

Dylan blinked. “Coffee?”

“Yeah.” With a cautious smirk, I added, “You know—hot bean water?”

He actually laughed, and the color in his face deepened. “Cute. But I mean, you’re . . .” He looked in my eyes. “Coffee, together?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “You look like you could use some company. Maybe someone to talk to.” The words were out before I could stop them, and now that they were, I wanted the deck to split open and swallow me up so I wouldn’t have to be here for his reaction.

To my surprise, though, he smiled. Faintly, but genuinely. “That would be nice, actually.” He paused. “Did you have any place in mind?”

“Not really. There are a few cafés in town.”

Dylan’s eyes lost focus for a second before meeting mine again. “What about the O-club on base?”

The officers’ club? For coffee? Wasn’t exactly the first place that sprang to mind, but I supposed if they catered to officers, they would have decent coffee.

“Sure.” I matched his smile. “I clock out at four, so I can meet you any time after that.”

“I’ve got a meeting at 1700, so why don’t we say 1830?”

I nodded. “Great. I’ll see you there.”

Welcome to Anchor Point!

Nestled on the northern coast of Oregon, this small town is home to Naval Air Station Adams. On base, you’ll find freshly minted Sailors who’ve just graduated boot camp, salty officers counting down till retirement, grounded pilots who’ve landed behind desks, and everyone in between—and they’re all looking for love. Well, not all of them, but that won’t stop love from finding them.

So pull up a barstool, grab a beer, and get ready for some sea stories as these men in uniform—or not—navigate the waters of love and life in the military.

Anchor Point stories can be enjoyed in any order. Hop in wherever you’d like!

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut.

L.A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

To celebrate the release of Wash Out, L.A. is giving away reader’s choice of two eBooks off of her backlist! (Excludes Wash Out.) Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 26, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!