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Held Hostage (Sin City Book 4) by Morticia Knight: Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

July 13, 2015 by Denise

SWAT officer Cole can handle just about anything, until he rescues Brett – a man who makes him question all he’s ever believed about love.

As a member of the Las Vegas Police Department’s SWAT team, Cole has seen his fair share of danger, but he’s never taken a chance on love. He’s willing to have some fun when the mood strikes him, but he’s married to the job. Called in on a hostage situation, Cole is prepared for anything and everything… except for the brave and beautiful Brett.

Brett has been burned before, most recently by Officer Parker McLean. He’s hoping to settle down in Vegas, perhaps find someone he can build a life with. The last thing Brett’s looking for is another man in uniform. But when he meets Cole, there’s an attraction that can’t be denied. Still, he hadn’t expected to fall for the chiseled alpha.

What begins as nothing more than two people experiencing a great night together spirals into something far deeper. But will Brett be able to handle the stress that comes with having a lover who constantly puts his life in jeopardy? And can Cole risk his heart on an everyday hero, or will the job he knows so well remain his top priority?

Author Name: Morticia Knight

Book Name: Held Hostage

Series: Sin City

Book: Four

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Pages or Words: 50,244 words

Categories: Thrillers and Suspense, Crime, Gay Fiction, Gay Romance, M/M Romance

Publisher: Totally Bound

Cover Artist: Posh Gosh

Brett had already grabbed both of them a beer and had brought it straight to the bedroom. Instead of jumping him the minute they’d entered the apartment, Cole had simply followed behind, eyeing him, as Brett had moved through the motions of being a good host and getting comfortable. He wasn’t going to stop and analyze why a man who’d just told him the night before that he didn’t do relationships had shown up unannounced at his job and was once again in his bedroom less than twenty-four hours later.

“Stop.”

Brett let go of the tie that he’d half unknotted already. He’d already hung his suit coat in the closet and had toed off his loafers then pushed them out of the way over by the dresser. Banner300x250 (1)

“How important is that tie to you?”

Brett glanced down at the royal blue silk neck accessory that had an elegant silver paisley design woven into the fabric. He liked it. Liked it a lot even. But was it important? Not really. He’d purchased close to a hundred ties since he’d been employed by Jon Martin. He wore one every day and preferred to have on the most recent seasonal styles when he went to work. It had no significance beyond that.

“Not important at all.”

Cole stepped toward him and Brett’s heartbeat accelerated. Cole reached down to finish untying the knot then pulled one end, sliding the thin strip of fabric out from under his collar. Cole wrapped the ends around each of his large hands then snapped them. It went taut. It was strong. Brett couldn’t wait to find out what it would feel like when Cole bound him with it.

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Totally Bound

Author Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after. If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011. Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.

Where to find the author:

Goodreads

Tour Dates & Stops:

7-Jul

Bayou Book Junkie

Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

Up All Night, Read All Day

8-Jul

Prism Book Alliance

Jessie G. Books

9-Jul

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Inked Rainbow Reads

10-Jul

TTC Books and More

VS Reads

13-Jul

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

Molly Lolly

Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy

Guitars and Cages by Layla Dorine: Blog Tour

July 10, 2015 by Denise

Asher Logan is a bartender and a pretty wicked guitar player, when he isn’t wrecking his hands fighting in a cage. With a past he keeps hoping to outrun, Asher’s been on a downward spiral for longer than he can remember. When his sister-in-law leaves Rory, his eight-year-old nephew, in his care, Asher is forced into two things he’s never been good at: sobriety and responsibility. As he struggles to care for Rory, his own life begins to unravel.

When Asher’s brother, Alex, turns up, presenting as a girl and announcing her new name is Alexia, it further complicates matters, as does the arrival of his new neighbor, Conner. Both, in their own way, compel Asher to look at his own closely-guarded views on sexuality.

When the siblings’ older brother, Cole, reacts violently to Alexia, Asher is placed squarely in the middle of a family conflict which compels him to confront who he pretends to be versus who he really is.

Asher must choose who to trust and who to finally walk away from.

Title: Guitars and Cages

Author: Layla Dorine

Genre: gay fiction, urban drama, contemporary, M/M fiction

Length: Novel

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Don’t miss the Wayward Ink Publishing Tickle Me Pink Sale – 25% off all list prices!

Links:

“Uncle Asher, Uncle Asher!”

Oh God, one more hour of rest, please, is that too much to ask? One more hour, and then I swear, I’ll get up and take the kid to the park or the zoo or the aquarium or the movies or wherever the hell it is that he’s gonna beg for me to take him today. I’ll get him McDonald’s, an ice-cream sundae, a slice of his favorite pizza, anything for sixty more minutes of sleep. And yet still the bouncing continued, as well as the loud repeating of my name. Apparently, silence wasn’t making the point and the kid wasn’t gonna go away without some sort of verbal acknowledgement from me. I groaned, and he began his singsong chant again. When the hell did they grow outta that shit, anyway?

“Uncle Asher, Uncle Asher, Uncle Asher, Uncle Asher!”

Every word punctuated with a bounce, goddammit all; whoever said you had to die to be in hell was a bloody fool.

“Rory!” I roared, realizing as he toppled from the bed and landed on the floor with a thud that I’d likely scared the hell out of him.

Silence, oh blessed, blessed silence.

“Uncle Asher?” he asked hesitantly now, and much, much quieter. I groaned, as the silence had been far too fleeting.

“Rory, is the apartment on fire?” I asked, refusing to pull the pillow away from my face and acknowledge the sunlight that I knew was shining into the room.

“No.”

“Are the cops at the door?”

“No,” he responded with a bit of a sigh.

“Is the whor… err, my girlfriend at the door?” I asked, hoping he hadn’t caught my little slip.

“Uh-uh,” he said solemnly. Well, that was a good thing, anyway; I was beginning to not be as fond of her as I’d once been.

“So, is the Super at the door demanding rent?” I asked, figuring that was a bit of a long shot since I’d paid the rent at the start of the week.

“Nope,” he said, and I could feel him climb up and sit on the edge of the bed.

“Has the zombie apocalypse started?”

“Uhh no, but wouldn’t that be awesome?”

I chuckled into the pillow. Awesome wasn’t quite the word I’d use, but hell, if several people I knew managed to get themselves turned into walking corpses at the very least I could shoot them in the head and actually get away with it.

“Have aliens landed on the roof?” I asked him, and now he was laughing.

“Don’t they only land in cornfields?” he replied, and I groaned and let out a long-suffering sigh.

“So let me get this straight. There’s no mass hysteria, no flames, no one at the door, and no zombies on the streets, and yet you’re waking me up a whole hour before I told you it was okay?”

“Well, yeah, but you gotta get up or you’re gonna be in trouble,” Rory said in a quiet voice that sort of scared me. It certainly got the pillow from over my face, and I opened my eyes, blinking at the soaking-wet form of him sitting on my bed. Why was he soaking wet and fully dressed and getting water all over the place? And did I really want to know?

“What did you do?” I groaned. I don’t wanna know, I don’t wanna know, I don’t wanna know, a voice inside my head practically screamed as I could hear what sounded like running water hitting the floor in the other room. I threw the sheet aside and bolted toward the sound—too fast, because as soon as I hit the next room I went skidding across the damned linoleum floor and crashing into the kitchen cupboards.

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LAYLA DORINE lives among the sprawling prairies of Midwestern America, in a house with more cats than people. She loves hiking, fishing, swimming, martial arts, camping out, photography, cooking, and dabbling with several artistic mediums. In addition, she loves to travel and visit museums, historic, and haunted places.

Layla got hooked on writing as a child, starting with poetry and then branching out, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. Hard times, troubled times, the lives of her characters are never easy, but then what life is? The story is in the struggle, the journey, the triumphs and the falls. She writes about artists, musicians, loners, drifters, dreamers, hippies, bikers, truckers, hunters and all the other folks that she’s met and fallen in love with over the years. Sometimes she writes urban romance and sometimes its aliens crash landing near a roadside bar. When she isn’t writing, or wandering somewhere outdoors, she can often be found curled up with a good book and a kitty on her lap.

Layla Dorine can be found at:

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Twitter: @layladorine

One Step Further by Felice Stevens: Blog Tour, Reviews, Excerpt and Giveaway

July 2, 2015 by Denise

Title: One Step Further

Author: Felice Stevens

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: June 29, 2015

Alex Stern has it all; good looks, charm, a job he loves and everyone calls him a friend. He lives life to the fullest at a breakneck pace, in the city that never sleeps. But Alex is also a master pretender; not even his best friend sees the pain that Alex hides so well. Alex himself isn’t sure who he is or what he’s searching for, he only knows that he hasn’t found it yet.

As a veterinarian, Rafe Hazelton loves each animal that crosses his path; they don’t care if he stutters a bit or that prefers men. Their love is unconditional, but his life is still empty; they can only give him so much. New friendships convince him it’s time to break the wall of loneliness he’s hidden behind since childhood and discover what he’s been missing.

Alex and Rafe forge a friendship that turns physical, and they both swear that the relationship will last only as long as the fun does. But when old heartaches come to light and secrets hidden for years are revealed, Alex and Rafe discover if they accept what’s in their hearts and take it one step further, the greatest reward is waiting for them in the end.

Denise’s Review:

There are several things you can count on with a Felice Stevens novel. First, that there will be an HEA. No matter what, she will make sure that the men you have learned to love on her pages will learn to love each other, and find their way to their happy ending (and yes, I mean that in both senses of the word! 🙂 ) Second, there will be emotion, lots of it. Whether that is you, as the reader, dealing with the angst right along with the characters, or just reading how the characters react to the situations they find themselves in. Third, there will be animals. And I truly love this about Felice’s books. She adds in a mix of animals, because she believes, as I do, that animals enhance our lives, and bring us so much joy. And fourth, you will love these sexy, strong men. Although they may not see themselves as strong in the beginning these men, no matter how crippling their issues, find their strength, in each other, and in themselves. This book hits all of these notes, without question, and I was happy to be along for the ride.

Rafe, Lucky’s veterinarian from Memories of the Heart, is a shy, lonely man who has never been in love, and is very inexperienced. His life has been about his vet practice and keeping himself as invisible as possible, with a stutter that he has allowed to oversee much of his life and personality. Meanwhile Alex is vivacious, outgoing, always the life of the party, and quick to throw a joke, especially if it throws people off track from delving further into the depths of his private life. Even his best friend Micah has no idea the secret that he has held close to his heart for 15 years.

These two men begin their relationship as friends, moving to friends with benefits, and into lovers. Their relationship naturally evolves, as they support each other through some very difficult times. As Rafe deals with the passing of a mother that clearly has never felt love for him, Alex is there to help him find a way to deal with all the emotions that come with that. As Alex finds himself soon dealing with his own family situation, Rafe, as he has become more confident, is right by Alex’s side to support him through those challenges. One of the things that I appreciated about this book was their unwavering support. Even when these men thought they didn’t need or want the others support, they got it, and realized how much they really DID need it.

This is another Felice Stevens story with lots of heart, passion, and some angst thrown in the mix. As always, Felice brings you two men who need each other more than they each realize. It was sweet, sexy, and such a great example of true friends to lovers. These men needed a true friend just as much as they needed a special man in their life. It showed the men the impact of true friends, and allowed them to move forward in their outside relationships as well.

What a joy this book was to read, as all of her books are. Felice can pack a lot of emotion into one book, and has hit a winner with One Step Further. (And how about that gorgeous cover! Another Reese Dante winner!) 4.5 pieces of eye candy for me!

Morgan’s Review:

I’ll start by saying I adore Felice. She always writes such wonderful stories. This book comes after Memories of the Heart and deals with Rafe and Alex. These two are such complex characters. They both have issues they are struggling to overcome. Alex is so confident, outgoing and full of life, yet on the inside he’s a broken man with secrets no one knows. Rafe is shy, lonely and tends to stutter. He’s more comfortable around animals than people. These two very different men come to realize they are more alike than they thought, and maybe they could be happy if they open themselves up fully to each other.

I was so excited for the release of this book and I was not disappointed. Be ready for the different turns this read takes and make sure you have the tissues ready. Definitely 5 pieces of eye candy from me.

Through his years of practice and experience, Rafe had learned to help and comfort, to step in when his expertise was needed, and step away when there was no hope left at all. What Alex didn’t know was that Rafe always held out hope for life, and though he might give the appearance of a man ruled by quiet and calm, in truth he was tenacious as a bulldog and refused to accept defeat.So Rafe allowed Alex to sit in his moody silence until their beers came and they both took long, bracing swallows.“Can I speak now?”Alex shrugged. “Suit yourself.” That offhand comment led Rafe to believe Alex didn’t expect much from people or life in general. Perhaps he too had been disappointed by the people who should have always been there for him and weren’t.

“All my life I’ve been told I was different and that kids wouldn’t like me because of my stutter. When I realized I was gay, I knew my struggle only increased ten-fold. It made me retreat even more.”

Alex traced the lip of his beer bottle with his finger. “Yeah. I can understand that to an extent.”

“That’s my point. You can understand it to an extent, but not really. I’m not saying this in a spiteful way.” It was so important to Rafe to make Alex understand where he was coming from. “You’re a big, good-looking man with a great personality. Everywhere you go, you make friends so easily; people gravitate to you naturally. It’s a gift, if you think about it.”“I have many gifts,” said Alex with a wink and smiled for the first time since they sat down. Rafe wasn’t fooled.“You’re deflecting,” he stated, and like Rafe knew he would, Alex stopped smiling, his mouth thinning to a tight line. “Don’t get angry with me.”“I’m not. I’m only wondering when you decided to appoint yourself as my therapist.”

Rafe pinned Alex with a stare and a raised brow. “When someone sticks their tongue down my throat, it’s a signal to me that maybe we’ve gone beyond a handshake and a ‘Hi, how are you.’”Alex stared at him for a moment, then his eyes creased with amusement and he started to laugh. He didn’t stop, even when the waiter arrived with their food.Rafe folded his arms and glared. “I’m not finished. You make friends easily but it’s all on the surface, isn’t it? I bet people don’t ever really get to know the real you, do they?”Once again, Alex stopped laughing, only this time it seemed he’d had enough. “I don’t have to listen to this shit.” He looked around for the waiter. “I’ll get my food to go.”

“That’s what you always do, don’t you. Instead of talking about things, you make a joke or run away. It’s easier to run away.”

As Rafe spoke, Alex’s face grew dark with anger. Now that he’d started talking, Rafe couldn’t stop; the words spilled like water rushing from a dam.

“I know what it’s like. My reason is obvious. I spent almost my whole life hiding behind a wall of silence. But what reason do you have to play the class clown all the time? People would like you no matter what.”

For a moment Alex stared at him, then smiled a real smile, the first all night. It kindled a glow in his deep blue eyes.

“Do you realize something?” He leaned forward and Rafe swore he could feel the warmth radiating from Alex’s body across the table.

Caught up in the moment, Rafe couldn’t look away. The sounds of the pub faded in the background, including the music, which unfortunately had gone from ’80s retro to modern day rap. “Wha-what?” His mouth tasted dry even with the beer he’d drunk.

“You barely stuttered, not at all until now.”

Alex’s large warm palm slid over his own hand and gave it a squeeze. “That’s great isn’t it? You must be getting more comfortable with me.” A wide grin broke across his face. “Guess that tongue down the throat action worked for something.”

I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending just around the corner. I started reading traditional historical romances when I was a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that my interest in romance novels became renewed.

But somewhere along the way, my tastes shifted. While I still enjoys a juicy Historical romance, I began experimenting with newer, more cutting edge genres and discovered the world of Male/Male romance. Once I picked up her first, I became so enamored of the authors, the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion of the books, I knew I wanted to write my own.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

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A Casual Thing by Annabelle Jacobs: Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

July 1, 2015 by Denise

Patrick Mason travels to Bristol to spend the summer with his brother, Ben. He’s cat sitting for the first two weeks while Ben goes on holiday. But Ben neglected to tell him he wouldn’t be doing it alone. Will Adams—Ben’s mate and Patrick’s long-time crush—is staying in Ben’s guest room while he waits to move into his new house after a breakup.

Against his better judgment, Patrick convinces Will that a little no-strings fun is just what they need. Patrick doesn’t want to get involved with a guy on the rebound, and Will isn’t interested in starting something serious with a student. But Patrick’s never been good at separating sex from feelings, and this time is no exception. As their weeks together draw to a close, they need to decide if they have something worth pursuing or if it’s really just a casual thing.

Author Name: Annabelle Jacobs

Book Name: A Casual Thing

Release Date: July 1, 2015

Pages or Words: 138 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25692969-a-casual-thing

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska

Ben raised an eyebrow. “I see living with Sean all these years has done some good after all.”

“Ugh,” Patrick groaned. He wasn’t that bad. “He’s my roommate, not my mum. He doesn’t make me do chores you know.” Sean was also his best friend, and three years of living together at university had made Patrick more self-sufficient, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “Anyway,” he said, walking down the hall as he spoke. “I’m assuming you’ve cleared out all your shit from the spare room?” Patrick looked back over his shoulder as he opened the door. Ben usually shoved anything he didn’t use in there until he either gave it to charity or took it down to the rubbish tip.

“Yeah, um… about that….” Ben let the sentence hang there as Patrick opened the door to the spare room and stopped in his tracks.

Okay, so it wasn’t full of Ben’s stuff, but it wasn’t empty either. The bed looked recently slept in, the quilt pulled up sort of straight but the pillows at odd angles, as though it had been made in a hurry. A couple of shirts hung on the wardrobe door, and the desk had a laptop on it and some toiletries that definitely belonged to a guy.

Ben appeared behind him, scratching at the back of his neck, but not looking particularly bothered. Patrick waved a hand around the room and raised his eyebrow. “I guess I’m not staying in here, then?”

“Sorry, it only happened a couple of weeks ago, and I forgot all about it. But he’s only here for another two weeks, so you can sleep in my room while I’m away.” Ben gestured to the door opposite and picked up Patrick’s bags again. “I’m off in the morning, so you only have to sleep on the sofa for one night.”

Patrick followed him, trying not to feel disappointed at not having the place to himself. He collapsed on Ben’s bed, making sure to hang his shoes over the edge. “So, who is it, then? Do I know him?” He narrowed his eyes, watching as Ben dropped both bags in front of the wardrobe and turned to face him. “It better not be someone old and boring who’s going to judge everything I do. Christ.” He threw his arm over his face and let out a put-upon sigh. “I might as well have stayed at home.”

“He’s not old. He’s a year older than me.”

“You’re old.”

“Shut the fuck up, or I will send you back home.” The bed dipped as Ben sat down. “And yes, you know him. He’s a good guy—I wouldn’t leave my little brother alone for two weeks with someone I didn’t trust completely.”

Patrick sat up and leaned on his elbows, taking in the slightly shifty expression on his brother’s face. Nothing normally fazed Ben, and he’d said that Patrick knew the guy and that Ben trusted him, so Patrick didn’t see what the problem could be. He liked to think he was pretty easy to get along with. He maybe had a lot of energy, which irritated some people, but he tried to tone it down with anyone other than close friends or family. Ben’s mates all knew him pretty well anyway—Patrick usually came down to Bristol for at least a few days every time he had a break from uni.

“Well, I’m assuming it’s one of your friends, and honestly, Ben, they’re a great bunch of lads, so I don’t get why you’re being weird.”

“I’m not being weird.”

Patrick gave him his best “yeah right” look and sat up a bit. “Seriously, I won’t have a problem sharing with any of them,” he said, nudging Ben with his shoulder. “Well, except Will maybe, but that’s only because—”

Patrick stopped, the words dying on his tongue as he noticed Ben wince.

“No.” He jumped off the bed, fisting his hands in his hair. “No fucking way. Ben, please tell me you’re not leaving me alone for two weeks with the guy I have a huge unrequited, and frankly, embarrassing, crush on?”

Ben shrugged. “He needed somewhere to stay. I’d sort of forgotten you had the hots for him.”

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with her husband, three rowdy children, and two cats.

An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Where to find the author:

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

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Annabelle-Jacobs-Fiction/458768424158896?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction

Tour Dates & Stops: July 1, 2015

Parker Williams, Kimi-Chan, Cate Ashwood, Jessie G. Books, All I Want and More Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Velvet Panic, My Fiction Nook, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Bayou Book Junkie, Chris McHart, Havan Fellows, Carly’s Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Mikky’s World of Books, Molly Lolly, Multitasking Mommas, Charley Descoteaux, The Hat Party, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Because Two Men Are Better Than One

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Brick by Brick by L.J. LaBarthe and Cate Ashwood: Blog Tour and Giveaway

June 29, 2015 by Denise

They say that time heals all wounds, but losing Parley, his one true love, left Zach with a hole in his heart that no one else can fill. After forty-eight blissful hours alone together as teens in an abandoned house, Parley disappeared. Parley is what he is, and the pray-away-the-gay camp his parents ship him to won’t change that. However, finding the balance between accepting his true nature and not losing his family means tough sacrifices.

Sixteen years later, Zach is thunderstruck when Parley stands on the front doorstep of his house—the house that had been their refuge, which Zach restored. But Parley isn’t alone, and Zach wonders if he’s found Parley only to lose him a second time. If they can overcome the terrors of the past and the situation of the present, maybe they can build a new relationship just as Zach rebuilt the house—brick by brick.

Author Name: Cate Ashwood & L.J. LaBarthe
Book Name: Brick by Brick
Release Date: June 29, 2015
Pages or Words: 62,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay fiction, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

ZACH FELT as if he was floating. He’d been planning this escape for weeks, but now that it was actually happening, it didn’t seem real. He chanced a quick look at Parley as they merged onto the highway. What could possibly be better than running away with his best friend?

He’d had his doubts that Parley would actually come with him. After being turned down the first time, Zach had prepared himself for disappointment, but now they were leaving together and Zach couldn’t have been happier. RC (2)

“Where should we go?” Zach asked. He had some vague ideas in mind, but he wanted his friend’s input more than anything.

“I don’t know. Somewhere we can’t be found?” Zach was right on board with that.

“That’s a good idea. We’ll go for a bit on this highway, then we’ll exit and take some back roads, maybe head toward the interior.”

Parley dropped his head back against the seat. “Perfect.” After a time, he said, “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“I still can’t believe you came with me,” Zach countered.

“I can’t either. I must be insane.”

“Or brilliant. It’s usually a fine line,” Zach teased.

“My parents are going to have an absolute meltdown once they’ve found out what I’ve done. They’re going to be so upset.”

Parley’s voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. Zach had seen him like this once before when he’d thought he’d lost his weird CTR ring with the spinner chain in the band.

“It’ll all be okay.” Zach tried to soothe him, to bring him back to the present, and rested a gentle hand on Parley’s knee. “Everyone flies from the nest sooner or later. We just did it in an unconventional way. I really do think this is what’s best, though, for both of us.”

Zach’s reassurance seemed to work. Parley blinked slowly a few times and then a somewhat disheartened smile crept onto his face. “I know, but my family is just… different.”

Dreamspinner Press Ebook: http://bit.ly/1Jvbu79

Dreamspinner Press Paperback: http://bit.ly/1Khb3g7

Goodreads Link

About L.J. LaBarthe:

L.J. LaBarthe is a French-Australian woman, who was born during the Witching Hour, just after midnight. From this auspicious beginning, she went on to write a prize-winning short story about Humpty Dumpty wearing an Aussie hat complete with corks dangling from it when she was six years old. From there, she wrote for her high school yearbook, her university newspaper, and, from her early teens to her twenties, produced a fanzine about the local punk rock music scene. She loves music of all kinds and was once a classical pianist; she loves languages and speaks French and English and a teeny-tiny smattering of Mandarin Chinese, which she hopes to relearn properly very soon. She enjoys TV, film, travel, cooking, eating out, abandoned places, urbex, history, and researching.

L.J. loves to read complicated plots and hopes to do complex plot lines justice in her own writing. She writes paranormal, historical, urban fantasy, and contemporary Australian stories, usually m/m romance and featuring m/m erotica. She has won a Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention and another award for Best Historical Gay Novel.

L.J. lives in the city of Adelaide, and is owned by her cat.

Where to find L.J LaBarthe:

Facebook

Twitter: @brbsiberia

Instagram

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Author Website: http://www.ljlabarthe.com/

Other: http://misslj_author.livejournal.com/

About Cate Ashwood:

Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot-pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, her little boy, and their two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

Where to find Cate Ashwood:

Facebook

Facebook Author Page

Twitter: @cateashwood

Instagram

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Bree Archer

Rafflecopter Prize: An e-copy of ‘Brick by Brick’

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Strength to Let Go by Alina Popescu: Cover Reveal

June 27, 2015 by Denise

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Title: Strength to Let Go

Series: Tales of the Werewolf Tribes, Book One

Author: Alina Popescu

Genre: gay romance, paranormal, werewolves, paranormal romance, supernatural

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Release Date: July 7^th, 2015

Synopsis

After being abandoned by his mates, Shiki Kirishima, beta of the Dragons of the Fang werewolf tribe, returns to his home in Tokyo.

Crippled by grief, Shiki decides to end it all by going into the territory of the Siberian Killers tribe and challenging them to a battle to the death.

His death.

Ganzorig, beta of the Siberian Killers, however, sees the potentially disastrous consequences of having Shiki die in battle.

Instead, he saves him.

Having suffered loss himself, Ganz takes it upon himself to help Shiki deal with his pain.

Blake, Shiki’s best friend since childhood, is as determined to show him there is life after a wolf’s ultimate loss.

Could there also be something ‘more’ for them after friendship?

Book Trailer

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss the Tickle Me Pink sale on the Wayward Ink Publishing site – 25% off all list prices.

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/strength-to-let-go-by-alina-popescu/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-strengthtoletgo-1840807-145.html

Excerpt

When I got to my apartment, I wasn’t feeling any better. I was restless and hurting and angry as fuck and their mixed scents in my place weren’t doing me any favors. I fumbled with the backpack I had dropped on the floor of my living room, trying to find my phone. I was greeted by a dozen or more messages from Vicks, one of my twin’s mates. Since she had mated my brother she had this weird connection to me too and could feel whenever I was experiencing strong emotions for an extended period. I assumed everything that had happened since yesterday would qualify for that. I sent a quick “I’ll be fine” type of reply to stop her from harassing me and went through my contacts.

Even if I hadn’t called that particular number in a couple of months, it was still at the top of my favorites list. He was my best friend since childhood, so it made sense I’d call him more than anyone else. It just hit me then that I’d been so lost in my own life, I barely had time to catch up with him or my family unless something critical was going on. I pressed the call button and plastered the phone to my ear, pacing around the room as it rang a few times.

“Come on, Blake, fucking pick up!” I hung up and tried again. I really needed to talk to my best friend right now. It rang twice and went straight to voicemail. Hearing Blake’s voice brought tears to my eyes and something snapped inside of me.

“Blake, I wish you’d have picked up the phone.” I laughed softly, shaking my head. “It’s funny, I think this is the first time I call you and you don’t pick up. Either way… thanks for being my friend, chibi. I… I don’t….” I lowered the hand that was holding my phone and let my head fall back, taking a few deep breaths. “Blakey, tell everyone I love them and… yeah, those who know me, really know me, will understand. Sayonara, chibi-tan.”

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I hung up and let the rage take over. I turned around at impossible speed and threw the phone with a loud roar. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces. I was crying. I knew because I could feel the heaves and tears, but the crushing pain was battling with the anger taking over my mind. I had lost my soul and my reason to live when I’d lost Kieran and Kayden. What was left of me was nothing more than the warrior inside. A true samurai would not waste away, waiting for death to claim him at the end of a miserable life. He’d die in battle, an honorable death his final legacy.

My twin, Shishou, my co-beta, Ren, my sister, even Blake… they’d get it, they’d explain it properly to my children. They probably won’t understand, just like I hadn’t when my parents had left us. I prayed that unlike their father, they would never get to a point in life where they’d understand this decision of mine. It meant they’d go through a world of pain and that was the last thing I wanted for Ryuu and Kimmie.

I took off everything but my jeans. No point in having anything else on. Werewolf rules were sometimes mind-boggling. You could shift into your wolf and back, and you always kept one item of clothing. The picks were random and you might be left in nothing but your underwear. Or keep a tight top and nothing else to cover your lower body. It was wise to choose your own clothes for the occasion. I then promptly flashed to the weapons room in the Alpha mansion, right in front of the wall display of my father’s katana. I kneeled before it, my legs spread, and then bowed deeply. Getting up, I closed the small distance between me and my objective and removed the katana. I glanced at the wakizashi he always used to wear with his katana. Double sword, traditional samurai sign. I decided I’d use them both, just as he had in his final battle. I unsheathed the two blades and adjusted my grip. With a final bow, I flashed out.

When I took form at my destination, a small shiver coursed through my body. It was pretty cold out here. Well, northern mountains in Mongolia weren’t known for their excessive heat in the middle of autumn.

I had chosen Siberian Killer territory, the fastest way to pick a fight with other werewolves. The one rule they had was any shifter that stepped foot on their territory would be killed. Here I was, standing tall, all focused, muscles bulging under the strain and excitement of an impending battle, taunting whoever was nearby.

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, ALINA POPESCU has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

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