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Smoke in the Mirror by Aimee Nicole Walker: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

July 12, 2018 by Denise

Memphis Sullivan thought he was coming to Blissville to help his cousin out, but instead, he gained three meddlesome females, a tribe, and a permanent home. More than a year later, he owns a popular comic book and vinyl record store and doesn’t think his life could get any better. That all changes when the star of his favorite television show and bad-boy fantasies rides into town and spices up his vanilla world.

Lyric Willows’ decision to visit an old friend in Blissville will change his life in ways he never dreamed possible. The paranormal investigator is immediately drawn to the mysterious disappearance of the town’s founder in 1850 and rumors that his former home is haunted. More alluring to Lyric than the history of Bliss House is the immediate connection he feels to the adorably geeky owner of Vinyl and Villains, who also happens to be his friend’s cousin.

Lyric becomes Memphis’s houseguest when he decides to stay in town to conduct a paranormal investigation. Tight spaces lead to sexy encounters, and before long, ghosts aren’t the only things that go bump in the night. The more they unravel about Anthony Bliss’s disappearance, the more tangled in one another they become. How is it possible for two virtual strangers to feel like they’ve known each other for their entire lives? Was their love written in the stars, or is it nothing more than an illusion?

Smoke in the Mirror is the fifth book in the Road to Blissville series. Each book can be read as a standalone book or part of the series. This book contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults 18 and older.

SMOKE IN THE MIRROR

A ROAD TO BLISSVILLE STORY

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 07.12.18

COVER DESIGN: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: WANDER AGUIAR

MODEL: TRAVIS

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Memphis’s entire body tensed, but he didn’t turn around. “Oh my God,” he said for the second time. His head fell forward and hung like he was ashamed, and I felt horrible for saying anything.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” I said, trying to smooth things over. “We all need to come.” Memphis released a strangled groan-sigh combo, letting me know I failed to ease his worry. “At first, I thought it was part of the amenities at Casa de Memphis, but then I remembered you weren’t expecting me last night.” Memphis’s shoulders began to shake, and I worried that he was crying. “Fuck, I really know how to screw things up.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and turned him around to look at me. I got lost in his big brown eyes and forgot what I was going to say.

“I should be humiliated but remarks like ‘we all need to come’ and ‘amenities at Casa de Memphis’ just won’t let me.” I relaxed a little when I saw the tears in his eyes were from laughter and not humiliation. “Thank you for that.”

“Don’t thank me,” I replied dryly. “If I were a good person, I would’ve pretended not to see it, not hung my washcloth over it and cracked jokes the next morning.”

Fun, fun, fun. Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Especially when the story isn’t scary at all?

This is part of a series that includes a traditional male/female romance but the author wrote them in such a way that you can really read this one as a stand alone. Just a head’s up.

Everyone has a famous person crush- Shannon Leto, I’m waiting for you- but Memphis has the distinction of crushing on someone who will be helping his good friends with a ghost. AND he somehow offered up his spare bedroom to the guy.

Chemistry is IMMEDIATE with Memphis and Lyric and it is HOT. Neither man wants a relationship and they are very open about that. But fate, of course, has a different plan.

As fans of both the Curl Up and Dye series and the Road to Blissville series, we couldn’t wait for Memphis and Lyric to get their story. And it didn’t disappoint. They were FUN. I think that is one of the reasons I like these books so much. When they are in a super hot sex scene, they are still having fun.

We also finally get the entire story of the ghost. Who his is, what happened to him and how to help him. It was so sweet and not nearly as tragic as was hinted at earlier in the story.

All of these books were really good and even though they are a spin off of the Curl Up and Dye series, those characters aren’t used as a crutch in this series. In fact, I think we only saw one of the originals once in this story.

This is a fun vacation/beach read. Dive in and enjoy.

4 pieces of eye candy

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees. I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever- after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

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

July 9, 2018 by Denise

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

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

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

Title: Tight Quarters

Author: Annabeth Albert

Series: Out of Uniform #6

Publisher: Carina Press

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

Subgenre: M/M Contemporary Military Romance

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

***

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

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

“Not broken. You can do it.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 pieces of eye candy

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

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

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

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Love’s Magic by Janice Jarrell: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

July 3, 2018 by Denise

If you love gay romance that contains both heated passion and steadfast love, Love’s Magic is for you! Professor Nate Reese rushes to protect a female student and is severely injured at the hands of her assailant. Traumatized by the attack, Nate sets his feet on a no-holds-barred path of activism designed to force university officials into addressing the issue of on-campus assault. At the same time, terrified of losing his hard-won status at the university, his partner, David Gardener, a veteran of 12 years as a very popular Professor, is reluctant to support Nate’s militant efforts. Seemingly abandoned by his partner, Nate sees David’s aversion to his activism as indifference to the trauma he suffered. Day by day they watch as their relationship disintegrates, while still struggling to resolve the disruptive issues engulfing the school they love.

In the meantime, Irishman Colin Campbell, handsome and charismatic Sergeant for the campus police force, fights his own on-going war against campus assault. But behind his obsessive desire to gain justice for victims lies a devastating secret which could forever destroy his fiercely independent facade and expose his deepest fear. Ultimately, it is Colin’s powerful connection to a steady, dark-eyed Title IX consultant which threatens to tear down his defenses and shatter the barriers protecting his heart.

Cocky and irresistible, the dynamic police officer was everything Joshua Abrams had ever longed for in a man, but Colin simply didn’t ‘do’ relationships. Unless Joshua would settle for a one night stand, or a very short-term liaison, there was no room for him in Colin’s life. Yet even knowing this, he couldn’t keep himself from falling hopelessly in love with his ‘magic man’. Despite the passion between them, he knew his quiet, reclusive nature could never hope to entice the vibrant, freedom-loving Irishman, so eventually he begins to back slowly away.

Eventually, a disagreement over an oddly disturbing case causes Colin’s hot Irish temper to erupt and their relationship is irrevocably shattered. Heartbroken, and convinced that Colin is gone forever, Joshua flees Charlottesville without a word, leaving Colin adrift and inconsolable.

But Joshua Abrams hadn’t merely stepped over the indelible line Colin had drawn between his heart and the dangers of real love, he had burned through it like hot lava. Finally forced to acknowledge his love for Joshua and his desperate need to have the quiet, Jewish man by his side, Colin must now face the dark and long-suppressed memories which are irrevocably linked to his love for the handsome consultant. Without even a forwarding address to guide him, he vows to find Joshua and bring him home. Colin’s struggle to conquer his pride and fear in order to find the love of his life and achieve their happily ever after will touch your heart.

Four lives in turmoil fighting for the relationships they cherish, and at the heart of the struggle, a great university struggles to survive its most harrowing challenge.

Length: 82,406 words

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Love’s Magic is about two couples, Nate and David, who live together and Colin and Josh, recent friends with benefits. All four work at the university but only meet each other after Nate thwarts a would-be rapist on campus and is sent to the hospital badly beaten. From there, the conflict between Nate and David arises from Nate’s determination to have the school acknowledge the security issues on campus and implement real change for student and staff safety. David is afraid it will affect both his and Nate’s careers and the two grow increasingly estranged. Colin finds himself falling for Joshua, but refuses to commit further than casual dating.

This book was just okay for me. It had some yummy angst between both couples, and I admit I was sad when it looked like Nate and David were caput. The issues I had were the mechanics of the writing. There were many typos, mistakes or misused words (advice vs. advise) or incorrect homonyms (peaked vs. piqued). String enough of those together and it can drive me mad. There are also odd word choices, for instance, the author chose to use “quarreled” almost exclusively and that’s just an odd word for people to use today. There’s mention of a fax machine — what? There are many, many exclamation points which prevent me from feeling the characters and their conversations are real. It isn’t until several chapters in, after we’ve met Nate and David and learned the mechanics of their relationship, that we learn David has an ex-wife and two children. It seemed completely out of nowhere. The plot itself was okay, and I was happy when David finally realized why Nate was slowly being driven away, because David’s dick behavior was getting on my nerves. Colin and Joshua are perfectly fine together though they have their own angst as the two fight about the future of their relationship and Joshua leaves town without telling Colin or leaving him any forwarding information. Angst like that, I like. But it was a little slow going with all the problems I found with the writing itself.

3 pieces of eye candy

June 25 – Mirrigold, June 26 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, June 27 – MM Good Book Reviews, June 28 – Bayou Book Junkie, July 2 – Love Bytes, July 3 – Two Chicks Obsessed, The Novel Approach, July 4 – Joyfully Jay, July 5 – Drops Of Ink, Sarandipity

My name is Jan Jarrrell. I am a 74 year old retired grandmother who lives in Seattle, WA. I have been a writer of Lord of the Rings slash fan fiction for almost twenty years under the name Rakshi. I have written both RPS fiction and FPS and my list of works stands at three hundred and thirty seven, including stories as short as drabbles (stories of 100 words) and a series entitled ‘Time’ that was 119,012 words long. I have never had a work officially published, though two of my stories, Char ar’ I’ear (Earth and Sea) and ‘To The Distant Shore’ were included in the Vilya II fanzine. You can find my works on Archive of our Own and on LiveJournal under the username Rakshi.

I began writing original character fiction about a year ago and found I love it more than anything. I tend to fall in love with my characters and always want to give them that happy ending that I just know they deserve.

Reach me at: jjarrell@lovesmagic.online

Facebook: Revolutionary Heart- Love’s Magic

Goodreads Author Profile Page

Follow me on Twitter @Revolut35174972

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

July 3, 2018 by Denise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’ll raise,” Paul said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s 3001,” Bay said. “Why?”

“Because your escort will be there at midnight.”

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

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

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

“Certainly. And a check will be fine.”

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

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

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

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

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

4 pieces of eye candy

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

Here’s where you can find me:

www.scottycade.com

www.facebook.com/scotty.cade

www.twitter.com/ScottyCade

scottycade@gmail.com

Believe (Skins #3) by Garrett Leigh: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

June 28, 2018 by Denise

Flight paramedic Rhys Foster is hooked on adrenaline. By day it’s blood and guts, by night it’s the thrill of the club. With a different face in his bed most nights, he doesn’t have time to be lonely…right?

Entertainer Jevon Campbell is a play therapist like no other—dancer, magician, acrobat, he brings it all to his global mission to help children in need laugh again. He’s on a rare home visit when he encounters enigmatic Rhys in a London bar.

Their connection is instant, but Rhys fast realises Jevon’s easy confidence doesn’t stretch as far as the bedroom. He has no idea how mesmerising he is—how beautiful—and Rhys resolves to show him.

They grow closer, but time isn’t on their side. Rhys seems unable to articulate how he feels, and with Jevon’s imminent departure from the UK hanging over them, their separate commitments could tear them apart forever.

As the days slip by, Rhys must learn to believe he’s worth the happiness Jevon is offering.

Length: 55,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Dream (Book #1) – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Whisper (Book #2) – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Angsty books are always difficult for me as a reader. I love my happy endings so much, a part of me wants it from the very beginning, but that wouldn’t make for an interesting story. 🙂 With Garrett’s books, there is always such great character development that it helps me to get through any angst. Believe is that book for me. Well developed characters, living in real world situations, and trying to find love, even when they think they aren’t looking for it.

These two characters had a connection immediately, and it seemed to shine off the page to the reader. And as they explored their relationship, they found a compatibility that helped to ease the loneliness, as well as the stresses of jobs that kept them away from one another. They certainly lit up the pages of my e-reader, as Garrett’s characters so often do! It really touched my heart to have Rhys, who had been to sex clubs, etc, be as gentle and kind with Jevon as he began to explore a relationship he’d never dared have before.

I love it when author’s bring in other characters from previous books in the series, so the reader gets a glimpse of where they are in their new lives, and how they can assist in this one. This author does this very well, allowing us to see the characters and their interactions.

Definitely a love story worth taking a risk on, but I recommend reading books 1 and 2 first to get a fully fleshed out feel for all the characters in the book.

4 pieces of eye candy

June 26 – Gay Book Reviews, June 28 – Katie’s Book Corner, Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Jessie G Books, The Blogger Girls, Two Chicks Obsessed, June 30 – My Fiction Nook, Love Unchained, July 2 – Diverse Reader, Urban Smoothie Read, Jim’s Reading Room, July 4 – Mikku-chan, Sanaa’s Book Blog, July 6 – Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter, Wicked Reads, July 9 – Open Mind For A Different View, Gay Media Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, July 11 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bonkers About Books, July 16 – The Geekery Book Review, Mirrigold, My Book Filled Life, July 23 – Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Book Lovers 4Ever, July 25 – Drops of Ink, Lillian Francis, Bayou Book Junkie

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock sitemoonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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

June 28, 2018 by Denise

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

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

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

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

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Secondary characters in m/m – the women

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

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

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

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

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

Ben and Dinah excerpt

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

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

“Still has the cheekbones, though?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You’re sure?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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

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

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

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

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

Social Media Links:

booklives.com (website and blog)

https://twitter.com/kate_sherwood

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

Kate has generously offered a giveaway today of All That Glitters AND an ecopy of anything from her backlist. Lots of ways to enter! Enjoy!
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