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The Making of Matt by Nicola Haken: Blog Tour, Review, Teasers, Excerpt and Giveaway

October 20, 2015 by Denise

Title: The Making of Matt

Series: Souls of the Knight

Author: Nicola Haken

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: October 19, 2015

Matt Carter, self-proclaimed sex-god and drummer for world renowned Souls of the Knight, didn’t have the time or inclination for planning his future, preferring to fill his days with music, women and alcohol. He didn’t want or need anything else in his life.

Until the band parted ways and he found himself no longer living the dream.

Bored and lonely, with too much time and money on his hands, Matt turns to his best friend, Alex Clark, to help devise a new direction to take his life in. Together, they embrace their newfound venture, as owner and manager of one of L.A.’s hottest gay clubs – Kaleidoscope. For the first time, Matt has a plan. He knows where life is heading.

Until a devastating phone call turns his whole world upside down, sending him straight into the comforting arms of his best friend and leading him to doubt everything he’s ever known or believed about himself.

Alex had always been content with his unrequited feelings for his rockstar friend, but as Matt starts to question if he might actually feel the same, he runs as fast as his feet will allow.

Has Matt gone too far? Has his reputation as an irresponsible womanizer who refuses to take life seriously, finally managed to push his best friend away for good?

Or is Alex hiding secrets of his own?

HELL YEAH……Now that was exactly how I had hoped Matt’s book went. In book 1 I thought Matt was…well a twat….in book 2 he still was, but I was warming to the fact that he is completely different person behind closed doors. Now that his book is here I am so stinking excited that we finally see what Matt & Alex’s friendship was like and how it would morph into a relationship!

I loved how Alex knew exactly who Matt was both inside and out. Their friendship started in “Taming Ryder” and continues on into The Making of Matt. Matt & Alex are best friends who have completely different personalities and completely different tastes (or so we thought). While Matt is being Matt – Alex is trying to not let Matt affect him. He is trying to keep things platonic. He is trying to just be a friend but every time he walks in on Matt and another bimbo it gets harder and harder. Tragedy strikes, which brings Matt & Alex closer than normal. So what happens when Matt takes a chance and throws caution to the wind? Well…..A hell of a lot of tears, yelling, miscommunication and a secret so shocking I squealed…..not a happy jumping up and down squealing. NO – it was an OMG-I-DID-NOT-SEE-THAT-COMING and OMG-WHERE-WILL-THEY-GO-FROM-HERE and OMG-THEY-BETTER-GET-THEIR-HEA squeal!

Once again Haken takes us on an emotional rollercoaster. Matt & Alex go through some trying times and with the help from Uncle Sawyer (I heart him) they might be able to get passed them. They are faced with obstacles no one should have to deal with and you’ll find yourself hoping they come out on top. Haken was brilliant in the story she gave us. It was real, raw and in your face, but it was exactly how Matt would want it.
You NEED to read this. You will WANT to read this and once you start you will not be able to put it down.

****WELL F%UCKING DONE MS. HAKEN****

5 pieces of eye candy for The Making of Matt.

This was a refreshing GFY read. Matt is a “go with the flow” kind of guy, so when he finds himself attracted to his friend Alex it’s not a big drama. That’s not to say there aren’t bump in the relationship. I really liked Matt’s attitude and personality in this story. He would be someone I would love to hang out with. Alex has his own issues to deal with. I liked the way after the initial drama about Alex’s issue, both guys just kind of tackeled it head on. I do think Matt would have saved himself some heartache if he would have just told Alex what was going on with him instead of trying to hide it. Overall, i think the characters and the storyline were well writting. The flow is good and I really liked that it wasn’t an insta-love book.

“Matt, are you telling me you think you’re in love with Alex?”

“No! Yeah…fuck I don’t know. I can’t be, right?”

“If you’d asked me an hour ago I’d have said ‘don’t be so fucking ridiculous’, but after listening to you, fuck I really don’t know. Answer me this, you said he touched your dick and you freaked. Why, if you kissed him first?”

“Because I almost came right there in my fucking sweatpants and it scared the shit outta me. It made me question everything I’ve ever known. I mean come on, you can’t just turn gay, right?”

Just saying it out loud sounded fucking ludicrous.

“You’ve lived an extraordinary life, Matt. Maybe it’s something that’s always been there but never had an opportunity to come out.”

“I’ve met plenty of guys, Saw. Never once have I been attracted to a single one of ‘em.”

“Have you ever had your dick out of a woman long enough to actually get to know a guy before though?”

“Touché.” I laughed, not just at Sawyer’s comment but at the whole situation I found myself in. “This is all Jake’s fault, you know.”

“And how the hell do you figure that?”

“Because everything was fine before he came on the scene. We were happy living for the music and women, and then he shows up with all his fucking gayness and passes it on to you. Then, like the pair of you were some kind of butt bandit magnets, Ryder comes along. Then like the gift that keeps on giving the gayitis spreads and suddenly life is all gay porn, gay clubs and gay fucking underwear. It’s gayness overload, dude! I’m fucking telling you that shit is contagious.”

Sawyer snickered, rolling his eyes at the same time. “Is there such a thing as gay underwear?”

“According to Ryder,” I said, shrugging before undoing the button on my jeans to expose the branded hem of my underwear. Sawyer raised his eyebrow, one side of his mouth curling up into a smirk. “They’re comfortable,” I said, feeling the need to defend my favorite pair of shorts. “What the fuck am I gonna do?”

Nicola lives in Rochdale, England with her husband and four children (six if you include the dog and cat!) She is the author the author of the m/m romance Souls of the Knight series, and is currently working on a standalone with new boys, James and Theo, due for release early 2016. When she is not busy playing with her imaginary book friends (or talking about them with real life friends!) she can usually be found carrying out her ordinary mum/housewife/all round slave duties. Oh, and if the kids ever ask, she moonlights as the Pink Power Ranger while they’re sleeping…

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Safety In Numbers by Jessie G : Cover Reveal, Excerpt and Giveaway

October 15, 2015 by Denise

“Bros stick together no matter what.”

When Chris and Liam made that promise, they had no idea how important it would become or how it would be tested in the most brutal way. Nine years later, their bond cemented in blood, that relationship is all they have to hold on to.

“No matter what happens, this friendship will be the one constant we can count on.”

When Billy and Owen made that promise, they knew exactly how dangerous the world could be. They survived prison by protecting each other and they survived freedom by holding that promise sacred. Now they want more than just to survive and they want it from the brothers whose bond is as strong as their own.

“We are stronger together than we’ll ever be apart.”

When Owen reaches his breaking point, Chris jumps at the chance to make things right for all of them. With the future in their grasp, will they realize their strength is in their numbers and finally become the family they crave?

Author’s Note: This is NOT a foursome, but the story of two couples that needed to be told together.

Author Name: Jessie G.

Book Name: Safety In Numbers

Series: Sizzling Miami

Book: Five

Release Date: October 31, 2015

Pages or Words: 76,000 words

Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Jessie G. Books

Cover Artist: Andrew Reyna

That silence hid a lot from their friends, but Liam knew Chris was plagued with memories far worse than his. That’s why they decided not to celebrate alone this year. Billy and Owen were expected any minute and it was the first time they invited anyone to join them. The anniversary was bittersweet for them and they chose to celebrate it because becoming brothers meant that much to them. “Do you think they’ll find it stupid?”

Chris just shrugged as if it was no skin off his back what they thought and Liam knew that was just bravado. Fact was, they both very much cared what the two men thought. “Liar.”

His brother sighed and dropped his head back. As if shit wasn’t fucked up enough, they fell for two bastards just as fucked up as they were. “I know you’re worried about Owen. The business with Colin is growing out of their control and I’m not sure why he thinks it’s a good thing. Is he trying to prove something? And the middle of the night phone calls from the FTR? He’s looking more and more fragile every day.”

Liam knew he wasn’t stating anything new. What he didn’t know was what Chris intended to do about it. Lately, when it came to Owe Back Cover Safety In Numbers - 400w n, Chris conveyed zero intent and seemed to be waiting for Owen to read him as effortlessly as Liam did. Their brother bond had been forged through blood and he was afraid Chris’s expectations of Owen were unreasonable. “Do you see his face every time he thinks he’s failed to understand you? The weight of it is crushing.”

Instead of regret, all Liam saw was anger in Chris. It wasn’t a common emotion for Chris and Liam could name every time he saw it. The fact that Chris knew what he was capable of if provoked had made him extremely conscious of that emotion and he often went to great lengths to contain it.

Owen was the very definition of insecure. Just the type to inspire Chris’s protective instincts, which Liam knew for a fact Owen did. Hell, he inspired Liam’s protective instincts. Owen was stubborn though and he often distanced himself, keeping things bottled up until they manifested elsewhere. Like in panic attacks that felt like heart attacks, which he also tried to hide. Liam nearly lost it when they found out that Billy was keeping Owen’s secret.

Chris nodded slowly, as if he completely followed Liam’s train of thought and waited for him to connect the dots. And just like that, Liam understood. “You’re pissed because he doesn’t come to you when the panic sets in. That he hides it from you and they hide it from us.”

It made total sense, but he had to wonder if they were expecting too much. After all, they couldn’t call what was going on with either man a relationship. No, they were four fucked up bastards trying to come together in some romanticwhat? Not a foursome, eww…he loved Chris, but yeah, that just wasn’t happening. And Owen wasn’t his type any more than Billy was Chris’s type. But—always with the fucking buts, right?—what was happening was very definitely happening to the four of them, and Liam now had to wonder if that was the problem, because trying to come together was definitely not the same as being together.

Chris shook his head and shifted in his seat. No, he was right. It wasn’t just their brother bond that made it impossible to move forward as two separate couples. Billy and Owen had formed their own unique friendship in prison and were no more likely to move forward without the other one either. “Just once, couldn’t we have done something the easy way?”

The fire door banged open and Liam turned to see Billy and Owen, arms full of brightly wrapped packages, struggling to pull a huge cluster of balloons through the door. It was a shocking contrast to their dark thoughts and so uncharacteristically sweet of both men. Billy caught their surprised stare and yelled, “Is this where the party’s at?”

“It is now.” It might seem silly, but it was exactly what they needed and exactly who they needed it from. Maybe they hadn’t been expecting too much at all. Liam rose to give them a hand and glanced down to see the look of longing in Chris’s eyes and thought maybe it was time they all expected more.

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KOBO

Like many readers, the dream of being a writer has been with me a long time. After three decades of trying, I’d begun to doubt. Thanks to social media, I followed my favorite authors hoping to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. Two repetitive themes emerged: to be a great writer you must read a lot and your butt must be in the chair every day like it’s a job. The more you write, the easier it will be to write and the better you will be at writing. I took that advice to heart and write every day. With six published books to date, three series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it’s been amazing to have made this dream my reality.

I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics and happily ever after. I’m a lover of strong secondary characters and series filled with families, biological or chosen. All are themes you’ll find throughout my books.

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Where to find the author:

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

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JessieGBooks

Facebook Author Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jessiegbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessieGBooks

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

TSU: http://www.tsu.co/jessiegbooks

Ello: https://ello.co/jessiegbooks

G+: https://plus.google.com/+Jessiegbooksmm/posts

Tumblr (NSFW): http://jessiegbooks.tumblr.com/

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bhuja1

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Bike Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, 3 Chicks After Dark, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, KathyMac Reviews, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Charley Descoteaux, BFD Book Blog, V’s Reads, Molly Lolly, Multitasking Mommas, Carly’s Book Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, The Hat Party, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Gay Media Reviews, Velvet Panic, Sassygirl Books, Gay Book Reviews, Jill P Rand

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Otter Chaos by P.D. Singer : Book Blast, Excerpt and Giveaway

October 9, 2015 by Denise

Otter Chaos (includes Tail Slide)
Lon Ewing snowboarded in and turned economist Corey Levigne’s life upside down, introducing him to a world he didn’t know existed. Corey’s still adjusting to a boyfriend who shifts into an otter and raids the koi pond—and now Lon says Corey’s department chair is a werewolf?
Wolves at the university, wolves in the bank—across Lon’s desk sits Professor Melvin Vadas and his hench-wolves, demanding a construction loan for the pack’s new lodge in the mountains. There’s just one little problem: the proposed building site is home to a breeding population of rare fish.
What do wolves care for stupid human rules, an otter who’d barely make a good snack, or one pesky human determined to protect the environment? Once they’re snout to snout with Corey and Lon there’s more than silverscale dace on the Endangered Species list.
Includes Tail Slide (the short that kicked off otter madness)
Fresh powder snow and running water in the Colorado back country call Lon like the moon calls the wolves. Belly-sliding to a good time on the weekends makes up for a workweek at a desk, and meeting Corey adds a whole new level of fun to snowboarding.

It’s easy to slip away for time alone in the woods without raising suspicion, but how’s Lon to entertain himself when bad snow and a worse spill force them off the mountain too early?

Never give an otter a box of Cheerios.

Author Name: P.D. Singer

Book Name: Otter Chaos

Release Date: October 9, 2015

Pages or Words: 84500 (11000 Tail Slide, 73500 Otter Chaos) 276 pages total

Categories: M/M Romance, Paranormal

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Rocky Ridge Books
Cover Artist: Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs

Excerpt:
Threading his way between the tables to reach the group, Corey intended to set the glass down on the small table in their center without interrupting the flow. Maybe he didn’t really need to steady himself on Lon’s shoulder, but it was a good excuse to touch his boyfriend, get a little squeeze and a promise for later in at the same time. “Bet you need to wet your whistle.”
Lon jerked up hard enough to jostle Corey’s arm. Brown liquid slopped over the rim of the glass. At least it missed Lon’s instrument, but what—?
“No. Sorry. But no.” Lon twisted under the strap of his guitar. “We need to leave. Now.”
“Wha—?” Corey all but dropped the glass. “Why?”

“Now. Please.” Lon was up and sidling toward his guitar case.
Corey followed. What else could he do? The man who’d been gleefully leading fiddles and mandolins had cased his instrument and bolted out the side door. Lon barely waited on the porch of the old house turned brewpub, dashing to the passenger side of the RAV4 before Corey was quite outside in the chill spring night.
“Go, go, go,” Lon begged. “Quick.”
“Okay.” Corey tucked his long legs under the steering wheel and peeled out of the parking lot. “Want to explain the sudden need to be elsewhere?”
Lon’s knuckles practically glowed with their whiteness—if the armrest of the passenger seat breathed, Lon would have choked the life out of it three blocks back. “I smelled wolf.”
That again. “I did see Melvin come into the pub.” Corey aimed the truck toward south Boulder, because Lon had that trembly look where his dark brown hair and beard seemed to puff out bigger. Absolutely no reason to stress him, and every reason to take him home and pet him into exhausted, sweaty peace.
“Can you get a job at Harvard or Stanford or somewhere far, far away from CU?” Lon whimpered. “Or decide you don’t like me anymore?”
“No and no.” Corey gave his lover a stern look on the turn into the driveway. “I’m headed for tenure here and I love you. I don’t want to change either one of those things.” He pulled Lon across the console to plant a kiss in short, sleek, hair. “Let’s go look at the koi one last time, and then last one into bed is a rotten egg.”
“Rotten egg! Ick!” But Lon was diverted enough to scamper to the back yard, not too fast to be caught.

P.D. Singer lives in Colorado with her slightly bemused husband, two rowdy teenage boys, and thirty pounds of cats. She’s a big believer in research, first-hand if possible, so the reader can be quite certain PD has skied down a mountain face-first, been stepped on by rodeo horses, acquired a potato burn or two, and will never, ever, write a novel that includes sky-diving.
When not writing, playing her fiddle, or skiing, she can be found with a book in hand.

Where to find the author:
Email: PD.Singer@RockyRidgeBooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pd.singer.9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PD_Singer
Website: http://PDSinger.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pdsinger9/
Publisher Website: http://RockyRidgeBooks.com
Newsletter: http://rockyridgebooks.com/join-us/

Tour Dates & Stops:
Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, Full Moon Dreaming, Jessie G. Books, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, My Fiction Nook,
The Hat Party, The Jena Wade, Molly Lolly, Carly’s Book Reviews, Havan Fellows, Open Skye Book Reviews, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, BFD Book Blog, V’s Reads, Mikky’s World of Books, MM Good Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, SA McAuley, Posy Roberts, Nephy Hart, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Multitasking Mommas, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

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Where the Grass is Greener by McGowan & O’Tierney : Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

October 8, 2015 by Denise

Mistakes were made, that’s for sure. But was it the night of passion? Or walking away afterward?

That’s the question Seamus Williams must face when he gets a late night phone call from someone he never expects to hear from again.

“I miss you, Shay.”

Chancey Bo Clearwater is a cowboy through and through. He spends his days finding work on whatever ranch will take him and his nights at the pool hall. He’s always done what needed doing and never thought much about what he wanted. ’Til that drunken night with Seamus.

A world of problems now stand between Seamus and Chancey exploring what might have been, the least of which being the Atlantic Ocean. On one side there’s Chancey’s daughter who mood swings from angel to demon in two seconds flat; on the other there’s the new lodger, hogging Shay’s telly and his cornflakes, and making private Skype time hard to come by.

Is this relationship doomed before it ever begins? Or can a surprise announcement from Seamus’s brother be enough to help the two find their second chance?

Where the Grass is Greener features Seamus Williams – the older brother of Patrick from Leaving Flowers.

Author Name: Debbie McGowan & Raine O’Tierney

Book Name: Where the Grass is Greener

Release Date: September 28, 2015

Pages or Words: 75,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Western/Cowboy

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Debbie McGowan

“You’re quiet today, Seamus. What’s up?” the landlord asked.

“Just tired, is all. Got a leaky roof and the fecker was drippin’ all the damn night. And didn’t I get up this morning and kick the bucket?”

“You look alive and well to me, so you do. I say well…you look like shite.”

“Yeah, thanks very much. Think I’ll go join the lads, see if I can’t get a few more insults thrown at me.”

Seamus gave the landlord a wry grin and went over to the others, who were already well into the first of the three games they got in every lunchtime. He watched one of them take a bad shot and accidentally pot the black, the clunking of the ball as it rolled its way through the machinery of the table setting Seamus’s teeth on edge. John was right: he was dog-tired and probably did look like shite. He’d barely slept after the missed call, trying to decide whether to return it or not. His mind played tricks on him, one minute convincing him it was urgent and he should call back, the next telling him to stay strong. He’d made the move. He’d come back to Ireland. That’s what he’d wanted all along.

He had wanted it. Ever since Mam died, his sights had been set on coming home. He’d only stayed for Paddy’s sake, and now Paddy had Aidan there was nothing to keep Seamus in the States, although he was no further away from his brother now than he had been in Kansas. Never mind that he’d already made the decision before he knew Aidan even existed. No. It was a good decision. He was just—

He already knew, before he pulled his phone from his pocket: same Kansas number, same caller. His thumb hovered over the red button. Reject the call. Reject the call.

He answered.

“Seamus Williams.”

“At last! I thought I was calling a wrong number. Man, it’s so good to hear your voice.”

“Er, yeah. Yours too. What’s up? Has something happened?”

“Nothing new. I just…”

The rapid-hard thump of Seamus’s heart filled the pause, two seconds, three, four, and more. He drew breath to speak, but there was nothing to be said. Or nothing he should say.

“I miss you, Shay.”

***

The first call had been a drunk dial. Thank the heavenly father that Seamus Williams hadn’t picked up. Lord, the shit that might have come tumbling out of Chancey’s mouth. Now he was dead sober, but only slightly more composed. Had he really just said he’d missed Seamus? He tried for a laugh. It sounded as fake as it felt. Well he had missed Seamus. Nothin’ wrong with that.

“You gonna say somethin’?” He knew he was putting on the accent. Drawing out his vowels, droppings his g’s. His grandmother—who was from south Texas and who had an accent so deep it was digging itself a hole to the centre of the Earth—used to yell at him when he’d get lazy with his words.

You jus’ sound ign’rant, Chancey Bo Clearwater. Full name, cue snickering cousins, and young Chancey sank down low in his chair, ashamed at the way he sounded despite the fact they all talked just alike. The accent followed him when he moved to Oklahoma, where he picked up a whole set of strange ‘O’s, and even having lived in Kansas now for the better part of his life, it was still there underneath, just waiting to crop up in stressful situations.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you, that’s all.”

“Surprise.” He was trying for friendly, for calm. Trying to keep the I wanna put my fist through the wall and did you really mean to let me find out through Lulu? out of his voice.

“Isn’t this call costing you a million dollars?”

“Skype. On my phone. I bought minutes, y’know?”

“Is that right then?”

“But I didn’t think. It’s probably charging you too.”

“It’s fine.”

Is it? Seamus sure as hell wasn’t saying much. There was a long pause as Chancey considered his next move. He’d called because he’d wanted to talk. Not talk. Not like that. Nothing to say on that front. Seamus had made it all as clear as crystal dropped in the mud when he’d left his parting message with Lulu down at the pool hall, Rack ’Em. In a last-ditch effort, Chancey said the only thing he could think: “Boss Tina asked after you the other day when I went around for work.”

That got a laugh out of Seamus, which gave Chancey more relief than he cared to admit.

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In celebration of the release of Where the Grass is Greener–we’re having a sale on Leaving Flowers~ Normally $4.99, Leaving Flowers is on sale for 99 cents!! Available from Beaten Track Publishing | Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords |

Author Interview

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Debbie McGowan & Raine O’Tierney authors of Where the Grass is Greener!

Hi Debbie & Raine, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hello! We’re Debbie McGowan and Raine O’Tierney, two halves of a fun writing whole. We started collaborating early in 2015 and we’ve been writing recklessly together ever since! Our new book is Where the Grass is Greener (book 2 of The Seeds of Tyrone)–in addition, we’re working on book three, have almost completed a new humorous intrigue book, and are about halfway into something dark and mysterious. Any time our queue gets low, we just add things to the pile!

Is there a character in your books that you can’t stand? (Antagonist for example) And what makes them someone you don’t like?

DM: I’d tell you who I despise in Where the Grass is Greener, but it’s a bit too spoilerish. 🙂 In the Seeds of Tyrone series as a whole, it’s Ms. Ashmore, the woman who raped Aidan (Leaving Flowers), and Harrison (Seeds of Tyrone 3, title tbc).

RO: I also despise the person Debs despises in Where the Grass is Greener! (Funny that, huh?)

Are there misconceptions people have about your genre?

DM: There’s a huge misconception that women can’t write stories about gay men, because they are not gay men. OK, so let’s assume that’s true, and I decide to write stories about…what? A woman from the north of England who writes books? That’s my life experience. If I can’t write about gay men because I’m not a gay man, then I can’t write about people who have cats, because I don’t have a cat. I can’t write about doctors, because I’m not a doctor, and so on. We’re all people, writing about people. We each have our own unique writing style. Regardless of our gender and sexuality, our stories will be more (or less) authentic to some readers than others.

RO: Misconception that annoys the HELL out of me. Because we’re writing about gay men, all our characters should be a stereotypical build (physically and mentally) of what people have read in other books. But we’re all individuals. I feel the slap ALL the time with virginity. What?! He’s 24?! Still a virgin?! What’s wrong with him?! But I’ve been friends with people in RL–gay, straight, and shades in between–who have been virgins because: they weren’t out, religious reasons, stunted development, no opportunity (yes, my friends, sometimes there’s just not opportunity) and so on… There are people who lose their virginity at 14 and people who die virgins. Again, all shades of the rainbow.

Is there message in your novel that you hope readers grasp?

DM: There wasn’t a deliberate ‘let’s make readers think about…’, or ‘we hope readers will take from this…’, but I guess…if it’s love you can’t hide from it. There’s no point running away.

RO: Yeah, with Leaving Flowers, we wanted to highlight the oft overlooked topic of female-on-male rape…but with Where the Grass is Greener, it’s more about love across distance.

How has your writing evolved since your first book?

DM: I know that readers will never forgive me if there isn’t a solid conclusion. They don’t like open endings. Of course, the alternative ending to Champagne was the club burning to the ground with the two main characters inside it. Is that better than an open ending with a hope things could work out?

RO: Will…refrain…from…answering…the Champagne question. (Debs knows Champagne triggers the hell out of me!)

One food you don’t care if you never eat it again.

DM: That’s different to outright hating it, isn’t it? Spaghetti, then. It’s long and messy and so unnecessary when there are all kinds of other pasta shapes that don’t throw themselves about and taste exactly the same.

RO: God I hate spaghetti so much. Unless it’s chicken spaghetti casserole! Then yes. All the yes. In fact, I might make that for dinner.

DEBBIE McGOWAN is an author and publisher based in a semi-rural corner of Lancashire, England. She writes character-driven, realist fiction, celebrating life, love and relationships. A working class girl, she ‘ran away’ to London at seventeen, was homeless, unemployed and then homeless again, interspersed with animal rights activism (all legal, honest ;)) and volunteer work as a mental health advocate. At twenty-five, she went back to college to study social science— tough with two toddlers, but they had a ‘stay at home’ dad, so it worked itself out. These days, the toddlers are young women (much to their chagrin), and Debbie teaches undergraduate students, writes novels and runs an independent publishing company, occasionally grabbing an hour of sleep where she can.

RAINE O’TIERNEY wants to change the world…one sweet story at a time.

Known as “The Queen of the Sweetness” (well, a few people have said it anyway!) Raine loves writing sweet, character-driven stories about first loves, first times, fidelity, forever-endings and…friskiness? In addition to her solo works, she’s one half of a collaborative team with author Debbie McGowan.

When she’s not writing, Raine is either playing video games or fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom at her library day job. She believes the best thing we can do in life is be kind to one another, and she enjoys encouraging fellow writers.

Contact her if you’re interested in talking about point-and-click adventure games or discussing which dachshunds are the best kinds of dachshunds!

Where to find the authors:

Debbie’s Social Media Links

Twitter: twitter.com/writerdebmcg

Facebook: facebook.com/DebbieMcGowanAuthor and facebook.com/beatentrackpublishing

YouTube: youtube.com/deb248211

Tumblr: writerdebmcg.tumblr.com

LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/writerdebmcg

Google+: plus.google.com/+DebbieMcGowan

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/4401329.Debbie_McGowan

Website: debbiemcgowan.co.uk

Raine’s Social Media Links

Homepage: Raineotierney.com

LGBT Author Interviews: raineotierneyhatparty.blogspot.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/RaineOTierneyAuthor

Twitter: twitter.com/RaineOTierney

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/7770350.Raine_O_Tierney

Tour Dates & Stops:

28-Sep – Jessie G. Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Full Moon Dreaming

29-Sep – Velvet Panic, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

30-Sep – All I Want and More Books

1-Oct – Amanda C. Stone, Michael Mandrake, Bayou Book Junkie

2-Oct – Divine Magazine, Mikky’s World of Books

5-Oct – Love Bytes, V’s Reads, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

6-Oct – It’s Raining Men, Happily Ever Chapter

7-Oct – Louise Lyons, Hearts on Fire, Molly Lolly

8-Oct – BFD Book Blog, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Prism Book Alliance

9-Oct – My Fiction Nook, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, MM Good Book Reviews

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Small Steps by Chris McHart : Blog Tour, Author Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

October 7, 2015 by Denise

Ben Amann currently hates everything: The accident that temporarily put him in a wheelchair, the fact that he has to go for rehab and live in an assisted living home as well. Sebastian Hofers, the good looking but equally bad-tempered new assistant to his rehab therapist changes that.

Sebastian has two choices after causing an accident while driving drunk: community service hours or go to jail. The decision is a no-brainer, and so he meets Ben at the rehab center. The two of them hit it off and slowly, Sebastian sees more than just a patient in Ben.

But their growing relationship faces hard trials, not only because of Sebastian’s heavy drinking, but also because of the truth: The two of them already met on an icy street, eight months ago.

Can love and forgiveness overcome the overwhelming guilt and resentment?

Contains: Two ill-tempered men, a lot of hang-ups, a shared hope, and a destroyed dream.

Trigger Warning: deals with alcohol abuse and alcoholism

Author Name: Chris McHart

Book Name: Small Steps

Release Date: September 21, 2015

Pages or Words: 76,800 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Rawmance Publishing

Cover Artist: Meg Bawden/Bawd Designs

Sebastian stepped out of the sticky bus. It was hot for that time of the year, and Germany was melting under a heat wave. Munich was no exception. The temperature was somewhere around 35°C and the air conditioning in the bus was either non-existent or not working. The fact that everyone and their mother seemed to have agreed to take this bus didn’t help to make it more bearable. Banner300x250

Sebastian took a deep breath, but it did nothing to cool him down. All he got was a lung full of heat, his sweat, and fumes. Fuck this shit. He could be at a bar right now, sipping a cold beer. But he wasn’t, thanks to that fucking judge.

He had to be here, the last place he wanted to be. Okay, a few meters more, then he reached the place. The sign was unmistakable: Rehabilitation Center. Fucking shit. That judge had had way too much fun sentencing him. Wasn’t there a law against such things? The urge to kick something, anything in his way, rose, but Sebastian grit his teeth. He was no sixteen-year-old anymore. Instead of kicking something, Sebastian peered into the windows. An empty desk sat near the entrance door. Nobody was there.

Sebastian took another deep breath, which did nothing to quell his anger, and slowly pushed open the door. He wouldn’t get his Community Service hours done by standing in front of the building. And if the judge had his way, Sebastian was going to be here quite a few hours. Two-hundred, to be precise. Fucking two-hundred hours of work in a rehab center. He should kill that judge.

Author Interview:

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Chris McHart, author of Small Steps.

Hi Chris, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Is there a character in your books that you can’t stand? (Antagonist for example) And what makes them someone you don’t like?

I have to think about it. No, not really. I don’t like bigoted people.

Are there misconceptions people have about your genre?

A lot. Romance is ‘filthy’, something to be ashamed of. It’s not. It’s about love. J

Is there message in your novel that you hope readers grasp?

Yeah. You can find love even against all odds.

How has your writing evolved since your first book? (If this is your first book, how do you hope it evolves?)

I think my writing got stronger, since I have worked with different editors since then. My plots also gained depth. (I hope)

One food you don’t care if you never eat it again.

Liver. Brrrr.

Chris McHart lives in Germany, with her husband, slave, Dom, partner in crime, and muse (all in one person, not even she’s that kinky!). She loves her husband, men in kilts and Scotch Whiskey. Her idea of a perfect evening is to curl up with her laptop and write (the other options are not suitable to post in public).

Visit her blog or friend her on Facebook, where you can join her author group.

Where to find Chris McHart:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008256641886

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chris-McHart/326380184192029?ref=hl

Twitter: www.twitter.com/chris_mchart

Facebook Author group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/882598865132498/?fref=nf

Blog: www.chrismchart.com

Tour Dates & Stops:

21-Sep Bayou Book Junkie

22-Sep Dawn’s Reading Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads

23-Sep Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

24-Sep Full Moon Dreaming

25-Sep Velvet Panic, BFD Book Blog

28-Sep Bike Book Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Carly’s Book Reviews

29-Sep Mikky’s World of Books, Divine Magazine, Jessie G. Books

30-Sep Kimi-Chan, Havan Fellows, V’s Reads

1-Oct Three Books Over The Rainbow, Prism Book Alliance

2-Oct Books A to Z, Hearts on Fire

5-Oct The Novel Approach, MM Good Book Reviews

6-Oct Love Bytes

7-Oct Molly Lolly, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy

8-Oct LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Amanda C. Stone

9-Oct Rainbow Gold Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, Parker Williams, Open Skye Book Reviews

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Only If: Days Before You Came by R. Paone : Book Blast

October 7, 2015 by Denise

Title: Only If: Days Before You Came

Series: Only If Series

Author: R. Paone

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 14, 2015

“Days Before You Came: An “Only If” prequel novella.

Robert had weeks to prepare for the next big step in his life. That was graduate school and there was plenty to worry about. Before love, there was school. Before having time, there was no free minute to think.

Before Mitch, he didn’t find love.

Before there was “Love is Found,” there was “Days Before You Came.”

This is the starting line. “

“Are you sleeping?”

My eyes cracked open. I was still lying in the bed of grass. I am glad my dream was a true account of what happened the night before. I sat up and smiled as Mitch was standing over me with a grocery bag of food he picked up from the market. He was looking at me with such intent and determination. We were headed to the local art museum downtown but stopped by the adjacent park to have some lunch. I looked at my cell phone, I must have fell asleep for about five minutes. A good dream, nonetheless. It’ll happen again, I know it.

He emptied the contents of the bag onto the a bath towel we grabbed from his apartment and turned his gaze to me before even opening the container of hummus and bottle of water.

“I have something I have to tell you.”

I held my breath and waited… “

R.Paone started on this writing journey in June, 2014. From events that were beyond his control, he decided to start this new path in his life before my 30th birthday. It has been quite the journey mapping out this story arc. He has learned so much writing a novel in that it has been therapeutic and also eye opening as it evolves. He hopes everyone will enjoy what is to come from the “ONLY IF” series as I want this to be something anyone could reach for and say “that could happen to me.” Stay tuned! Three fun facts about him is: he live in NYC, has a vast horror movie collection and has a great appreciation for Enya.

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