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12 Days of Kissmas: Exclusive Guest Post Sara York, includes Giveaway

December 13, 2017 by Denise

Day 3 of our 12 Days of Kissmas brings Sara York to the blog. Look at the awesome Kissmas picture she brought!!! I might have stared at it for a LOOOONNNNNGGGGGG time today. 🙂 Okay, looking a little longer….and what was I saying? 🙂 Anyway, the lovely Sara York is here, another amazing person, who I have had the great fortune of meeting, hanging out with, and reading her fantastic work. And HOW did I miss that she had a new release? I don’t normally do shifters, but Alpha’s Law definitely has me wanting to read that book, and now! So, check out Sara’s picture and guest post, her awesome international giveaway, and don’t forget to enter the 12 Days of Kissmas giveaway. Sara is adding two books to that kindle. Welcome Sara!!!!

Writing Alpha’s Law with H.L. Holston was so much fun. This book was a labor of love. Writing this story was different for me. It’s a shifter book, which I have little experience with, but H.L. Holston does have experience with shifters.

Jamie and Max think they are fated mates, but fate throws in a curve ball and makes them both Alphas. When Max presents as an Alpha, he is crushed. From that moment on, both Jamie and Max work to fix the situation which there is no fix for.

I loved the world building in Alpha’s Law. This is the first book in the series, and we had to build the world from the ground up. The first big kiss you see from Jamie and Max puts them in the crosshairs of trouble. Law forbids Alphas from bonding, but Max and Jamie know they were meant to be together. I loved delving into the characters and the world to create these two strong wolf shifters.

When trouble comes, they face difficult choices. Maybe they make the wrong decisions, but they do the best they can with the consequences they face. Our shifters won’t put up with a world that wants to keep them apart, so they try to change the rules, but the rules get changed on them.

I hope you enjoy getting into the world of Alpha’s Law and the community we’ve built. I look forward to creating more books in this series.

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12 Days of Kissmas: Exclusive Guest Post Susan Mac Nicol, includes Giveaway

December 12, 2017 by Denise

Day 2 in our 12 Days of Kissmas brings us to Susan Mac Nicol, who I have been reading and following since I first started reading m/m romance. Her books always make me cry, tear me apart, and in the end put me back together. One of my favorites is Waiting for Rain…partially because of the farm animals. 😉 And if you get a chance to check out her Men of London series, there are some fantastic books in that series. Sue brought us tons of kisses today! And she has a great giveaway going, so make sure you enter both drawings!

For the Twelve Days of Kissmas, I thought we’d have some fun. I’ve created a kissing quiz to see how good your knowledge is of kisses in films. These are 5 very easy questions, so you should score 100%.

http://www.quizyourfriends.com/take-quiz.php?id=1712040834073764&pg&

There’s been a lot written about kisses over the years, from what’s the best way to kiss, what are the different types of kisses and what makes a good kisser. The truth is kissing is subjective, like everything else, and your way of kissing, if it works for you and your partners/s, is your unique way of expressing your love and desire.

Here’s some crazy facts about the art of kissing –

One kiss requires 146 muscles to coordinate, including 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles.

The history of “X” behind XOXO traces back to the Middle Ages. This was because back then, a lot of people couldn’t read or write and used to kiss to seal the deal after making an X on a document as a signature

On July 16, 1439, King Henry VI banned kissing in England. This was to stop the spread of diseases which was rife at the time

French kissers caused commuter headaches. Allegedly, in the early 20^th century, French passengers got too frisky on the trains and often, trains had to be stopped to let the lovers off.

The study of kissing is better known as philematology. Someone who studies kissing holds the title of osculologist.

And now the question you’ve all been dying to ask – why do we kiss people under the mistletoe?

This is one old story of how it came to be. Some historians believe the connection between mistletoe and a kiss comes from ancient Norse mythology. According to happier versions of the legend, Baldur (sometimes spelled Baldr or Balder) was killed by an enemy’s arrow made of mistletoe. His mother, the goddess Frigg, wept tears onto the arrow. Her tears turned into white berries that she placed onto Baldur’s wound, bringing him back to life. Overjoyed, Frigg blessed the mistletoe plant and promised a kiss to all who passed beneath it.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my post, there’s lots more to read if you move on to the other participants of the 12 Days of Kissmas.

Happy Holidays!!!

Sue writes steamy, sexy and fun contemporary gay romance stories, some suspenseful, some gritty and dark, and others just plain ahhhh….

Lover of angst and conflict, she enjoys putting her characters through the emotional wringer and bringing them out the other side with an HEA or at the very least, a HFN.

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12 Days of Kissmas: Exclusive Guest Post Author C.S. Poe, includes Giveaway

December 11, 2017 by Denise

12 days of kissmas header

TCO is once again bringing back 12 Days of Kissmas, our Second Annual, and do we have some great fun ahead for you all!!!! We had such a great reaction last year, we had to do it again. For anyone new, basically we have authors drop by over the next few weeks, bring a picture of men kissing, and then whatever they want from there. Win-Win! C.S. Poe begins this year’s festivities with her gorgeous picture and post. I discovered her work this year, when I bought the audiobook of The Mystery of Nevermore (which by the way is in KU), and fell in love with Sebastian Snow. I knew I had to beg her (okay, she was kind and generous and I didn’t have to beg…but I would have!!!) to come to 12 Days of Kissmas. And she brought some awesome prizes too! First crack for the Grand Prize Winner at her upcoming book, Southernmost Murder, which doesn’t even hit kindles until January 9th, along with her 2017 Advent Calendar story, New Game, Start (which is sitting on my kindle right now waiting for me to read). Make sure you enter the giveaways each day, for lots of chances to win. And now, it is a happy honor for me to welcome, C.S. Poe!

Hello, everyone! I’m C.S. Poe, kicking off the 12 Days of Kissmas event here at Two Chicks Obsessed!

I really liked the concept of this celebration. Because kisses! Kisses are unique. They come in every shape, size, flavor, and style. So I thought I would gather up a few of my favorite kissing scenes I’ve written and share them with you all. They highlight the entire spectrum of emotion, from the very first touch, finding security in another, to the downright sexy.

Do you have a favorite among these?

–

His lips were soft and gentle. He tasted of the wine from dinner, with the faintest hint of salt from the air. Wesley slipped his tongue into my mouth, and the shock of pleasure was so sudden, I dropped the egg.

Wesley broke away with a start, fumbling and catching it. “Theo!”

“I’m sorry! I’ve never been kissed by a guy! I didn’t know it’d feel that good!” – Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage

Silas pressed a kiss to the back of my head, and I could feel his smile. He moved his hands down my arms and cautiously slid his fingers in between my own. His grip was firm, warm… grounding. – Joy

I thought you couldn’t make it tonight?”

“Want me to go?” he countered.

“Don’t even try.”

Calvin tugged off his coat and hung it up. “How was your day?” he asked, walking across the room toward me. He took my face into his big hands, leaned down, and kissed my mouth.

“Better now,” I murmured, kissing him again. “Catch any bad guys?”

“Sure did.” – The Mystery of the Curiosities

I’d never screamed from a hand job, but I think his neighbors heard me that morning. And after we finished and washed, he smiled, kissed my lips, and made pancakes. – Kneading You

I touched myself just enough to swipe the liquid with my thumb before leaning over and pushing it into Jun’s mouth. He wrapped his lips firmly around it and sucked hard. I’d have never imagined my fingers being an erogenous zone—but that tongue. That tongue. “Sit up,” I ordered. “Kiss me.”

Jun immediately moved, resting on his elbows to meet me as I came down to kiss his mouth. The angle change was just right, and the next movement I made had me crying into the kiss. – Southernmost Murder

C.S. Poe is an author of gay mystery, romance, and paranormal books.

She is a reluctant mover and has called many places home in her lifetime. C.S. has lived in New York City, Key West, and Ibaraki, Japan, to name a few. She misses the cleanliness, convenience, and limited-edition gachapon of Japan, but she was never very good at riding bikes to get around.

She has an affinity for all things cute and colorful and a major weakness for toys. C.S. is an avid fan of coffee, reading, and cats. She’s rescued two cats—Milo and Kasper do their best on a daily basis to sidetrack her from work.

C.S. is a member of the International Thriller Writers organization.

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Cruising By Cate Ashwood: FREE novelette Release Day Review

December 9, 2017 by Denise

Best friends Dylan and Jake have been inseparable since college, but Dylan has one secret he can’t bring himself to share with Jake—he’s completely, utterly in love with him.

Jake’s friendship is the most important thing in the world to Dylan, so as much as it hurts to see him with other people, Dylan keeps his mouth shut about his true feelings. When Jake wins a cruise to Alaska, he asks Dylan to go along, but what Dylan doesn’t know, is that there’s more on offer than a dream vacation.

Can Dylan and Jake sail off to their happily ever after, or are they cruising toward disaster?

Release Date: December 8th, 2017
Word Count: 13,000 words
Publisher: Cate Ashwood
Genre: Contemporary m/m romance
Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood

Cruising is FREE via Instafreebie, so go check it out!

This was not a long story by any means, but it definitely spoke volumes about the relationship of these two men who had been in each others’ lives for so long. One in love with the other since college, while the other only realized it a short time ago, and decided to woo his man and win him over.

Well, Cate won me over with this one. I normally don’t read short stories, other than holiday ones, a second time. But this one, I will bring back, because it was just a fun romance that brought these two together in a way that was meaningful and still told about their past, their present, and even their future. See? Sounds like a holiday story to me! 🙂

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Jared’s Evolution by Riley Hart: Quick Review

December 6, 2017 by Denise

He wants to dominate me…to discipline me. He wants me to call him Daddy…

I’ve always taken care of myself–worked hard to become king of the courtroom and excel in the cutthroat business of winning cases. I’m fierce…brutal…confident. I’m a lie. Underneath my armor, I’m drowning, losing myself under the weight of life. At thirty-three years old, I should be able to handle the pressure.

My neighbor Kieran sees past my spotless suits and manufactured control to the real Jared. The one who secretly craves being dominated, to serve, and to give up control–not just in the bedroom, but in every aspect of my personal life.

I can’t want this…but I do… When I’m under Kieran’s command–spanked, rewarded and caged–I’m free. With Kieran’s care and guidance, my mind is unburdened as my body soars to new heights, and Kieran becomes what we both need him to be: Daddy.

It’s a journey of dominance and submission–of rules, schedules, security and discipline. He opens my world, teaches me, changes me…but he doesn’t let me in. It’s temporary, Daddy tells me, and I’d be wise to remember that, so I don’t get hurt.

Warning: Jared’s Evolution contains BDSM elements, domestic discipline, spanking, and daddy kink–without age play–between two consenting adults. If any of those things offend you, reading this book might not be a good idea.

Jared’s Evolution is part of the Desires Unleashed collection. Some books in this collection will have darker themes. Please be aware Desires Unleashed are er*tic and not your typical Riley Hart romance. You can expect the mental and emotional journey to be led by the physical/s*xual moments–which will be intense, frequent and kinky.

**TCO Note: If you would like to read a little more about Riley Hart’s own evolution in writing this book, check out our exclusive interview with her here.

Amazon

I have read a lot of BDSM books. From the fairly tame to the deliciously filthy. BDSM is a huge spectrum of kink, and while many think they “know” BDSM because of a certain main stream series really have no idea. Anyway, of all of the books I have read, I have never read Daddy kink. Even after reading this book and eagerly awaiting the second, I don’t think I will seek it out. But that is a testament to this book. It’s really good.

If you are looking for romance- this isn’t it. If you are looking for a HEA type book- go elsewhere. But if you want to delve into the minds of these men- pick it up!

Firstly, the relationship aspect of the story is a slow start. By design. Keiran is a man who knows what he wants. And to get it, he is incredibly patient and methodical. It almost seems as if he is grooming Jared, but Jared participates willingly,

We, the reader, learns as Jared learns. Keiran explains everything to him. They discuss, they are straight forward and they are honest. Safe, sane, consensual. The rules all participants of BDSM should live by.

Jared is hesitant. How could he not be? He isn’t really completely out of the closet. Relationships in any form are a foreign concept to him. He is powerful in his career as a lawyer. This is the antithesis of everything he knows.

There is a lot of introspection on his part. Keiran nudges those thoughts along. “Is that what you think or what society says you should think?” Which made me stop and think.

This book is a journey and I am eager to read book 2!

4.5 Pieces of Candy

Shiver by Christi Snow: Pre-Release Review

December 6, 2017 by Denise

A year ago Corey Abbott’s life entered the realm of the bizarre when he discovered the things that go bump in the night are real. But working for the local vampire council didn’t prepare him for were-deer shifters.

Nine months ago Dare Buckley’s herd abandoned him. Now, he’s slowly going mad from Lyme disease…something that doesn’t hurt normal deer, but for were-deer is fatal.

On one snowy, sleet-filled night, the two collided…literally.

This Christmas two men find love in the most unexpected place…a lonely, desolate highway.

It’s definitely not your typical meet-cute, but it’s a twist of fate that would even make Santa happy.

genre: paranormal romance (deer shifter)…m/m
length: ~18,000 words
release date: December 8, 2017

Amazon

Everyone else

The thing about short stories is this…the reader gets a taste of what you are looking for, romance, relationship building, but quite often not enough to satisfying the craving. However, in a pinch, it does what it’s supposed to do, give you that small taste, while still leaving you wanting more. As a general rule, Christi Snow does that for me anyway, whether it’s her full length novels, or a short story about deer shifters.

This one definitely left me wanting to know more about Corey and Dare’s relationship after their Christmas “romance”. I put “romance” in quotes, because it wasn’t as much of a romance as it was a meeting in a rather unconventional way, and a mating that was very strong. Nevertheless, when you have that kind of instant bond, and combine it with a short story, it is always interesting to wonder whether they could work things out as life moves forward. The connection between the two had to be immediate, in order to develop that bond, and the author did a good job of making even the MC’s seem shocked and confused at the instant attraction and bond they developed.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried a little at this one. Christi doesn’t write sweetness too often, and there were parts of this that had me wincing, crying, and wondering how I’d get any sort of happy ending. Yes, it’s a short story, but there was more than one powerful punch.

Recommended for when you want a quick read (because sometimes you just do) and you still want a little agony to go with your HFN/HEA. But as always there is a definite HEA with Christi’s stories.

3.5 pieces of eye candy