Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Giveaways

September by Robert Winter: Exclusive Guest Post and Interview, Audiobook Tour, and Giveaway

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Join author Robert Winter and narrator Kale Williams in a wide-ranging interview that explores the process and art of producing an audiobook. The interview has been divided into five segments. Follow each stop on the blog tour to hear the entire discussion, and enter to have a chance to win a $25 Amazon giftcard.

Feb 19, 2018 – MM Good Book Reviews  Part 1—To kick off the interview, Kale describes how he got stated in audiobook narration.

Feb 20, 2018 – The Novel Approach  Part 2 – Kale discusses how his theater background informs his work as a narrator, how he got into narrating M/M romance, and what it’s like narrating those explicit sex scenes.

Feb 21, 2018 – Love Bytes Reviews  Part 3 – In this segment Kale describes his process for preparing to narrate a book.

Feb 22, 2018 – Joyfully Jay  Part 4 – Kale discusses how he makes each character unique, and lessons he took from voice actor Hank Azaria. Kale and Robert also discuss the development of voices for two characters, Brandon and Joe.

Feb 23, 2018 – Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy  Part 5 – In this final segment, Kale discusses the scenes in September that stood out to him as a narrator, and we discuss one character in particular who is very important in Robert’s next book, Asylum.

Title:  September

Format: Audiobook

Series: Pride and Joy, book 1

Narrator: Kale Williams

Author: Robert Winter

Publisher:  Robert Winter Books

Release Date: February 7th,  2018

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 10 Hours 01 Minutes

Genre: Romance, May December, hurt comfort, second chance

Goodreads

 

A May-December contemporary gay romance for lovers of second chances

David James is smart, successful, handsome… and alone. After the death of his lover, Kyle, from cancer, he buried himself in his law practice and the gym. At forty-eight, he is haunted by his memories and walled off from the world. When David injures himself working out, he’s assigned to Brandon Smith for physical therapy. The vibrant young therapist is attracted to David and realizes he needs a hand to get back into dating. What begins as a practice coffee date escalates to friendship, passion, and maybe something more, as they navigate a new relationship in Washington, DC, and the gay mecca of Provincetown.

But David remains trapped behind the barrier of fear and guilt. Will he remain loyal to Kyle’s memory if he moves on? Can he and Brandon manage a twenty-two-year age gap? Brandon thinks he understands David’s concerns, and for him, the answer to those questions is yes. He wants to be with David, and he believes he can overcome David’s barriers. But Brandon fails to account for the world’s reaction to a handsome young man attached to an older, wealthy lover.

David’s memories, Brandon’s pride, and an unexpected tragedy might cost them something very special…

 

Audible

Amazon

iTunes 

 

 

 

Robert Winter lives and writes in Provincetown. He is a recovering lawyer who prefers writing about hot men in love much more than drafting a legal brief. He left behind the (allegedly) glamorous world of an international law firm to sit in his home office and dream up ways to torment his characters until they realize they are perfect for each other. When he isn’t writing, Robert likes to cook Indian food and explore new restaurants.

Author Links

Website: www.robertwinterauthor.com

Facebook: facebook.com/robert.winter.921230

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/16068736.Robert_Winter

Twitter: twitter.com/@RWinterAuthor

Email: RobertWinterAuthor@comcast.net

 

Meet the Narrator

Kale Williams lends his voice to bring to life romance books of all stripes. Known for his distinct characterizations and natural intimate storytelling, he is as comfortable with the cowboys on the prairie as he is with the cops of the big city, from the slow burn to the hot steam to the HEA. Love is love is love.

 

 

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Survivor by TM Smith: Audiobook Tour, Sample and Giveaway

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Taylor Langford’s world is torn apart when he is only thirteen years old—his parents killed, leaving him alone and orphaned. With no living relatives, he’d certainly be another statistic if not for the intervention of the policeman who found Taylor in the crawl space where his mother hid him that fateful night. Despite the tragedy and resulting anguish in his life, Taylor knows how lucky he is.

Frank Moore is a rookie with the Dallas Police Department when he and his partner answer a call in Devonshire, one of the city’s more affluent neighborhoods. They think the young boy in various pictures throughout the home has been kidnapped until they find him, shaken but alive. Officer Moore recognizes the pain in the kid’s eyes, having lost his own mother to cancer when he was just a boy. He steps in, making sure Taylor is placed with a loving foster family. Over the years, Frank becomes a permanent fixture in Taylor’s life.

A decade later, the case remains unsolved and the once gangly, uncertain teenager is now a college graduate who knows exactly what he wants. He’s coming home to the man that helped mold and shape his life, the man he’s loved for as long as he can remember, Frank Moore. But Taylor isn’t the only person returning to Dallas, and while Frank is distracted by his own conflicting feelings and the new bond growing between the two, the past creeps up on them, determined to finish what was started ten years earlier.

Amazon

Audible

 

A note from the author…

I hope you enjoy Frank and Taylor’s story. It’s been a long road to get them settled, but I’m happy with where this story has taken them. When I started this book, the intent was to write a stand-alone story, but that has changed. Characters continually evolve throughout the writing process, and there are several characters in the book that want to tell their story. I’ve grown especially fond of Rory and I can’t wait to write his book, which will take us back to when he first joined the Bureau, and continue on to his happy ever after.

Please be advised: This is a May/December romance, and as in life, there are sexual situations that take place prior to the main characters finding their way to one another. This is not gratuitous; it is meant to show character growth and self-realization. There is absolutely no cheating.

 

Listen to a 5 minute sample >> here <<

 

What reviewers think of Nick J Russo’s narration… 

 

Wow!  AWESOME story! Gripped me from the very start. Loved the premise. Nick J Russo did a fantastic job with the characters. Highly recommend!

May-december, Friends to Lovers, touch of suspense. Nick J Russo is a favorite narrator of mine and I can never tire of him. His voice is smooth and his pacing s more like telling a story not reading it. I love his voices for both Taylor and Frank and how distinctive they are. This is on my to listen to again list!

 

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant, she now calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good book, or ticking away on her next novel.

Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, she is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because, seriously people, Love is Love!

Website: www.authortmsmith.com

Blog: www.ttcbooksandmore.com

Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTMSmith

Facebook All Cocks series: https://www.facebook.com/AllCocksStories

Twitter – https://twitter.com/TTCBooksandmore
GoodReads: https://goo.gl/XQugse

Pinterest: https://goo.gl/cq9R9t

Youtube: https://goo.gl/Rpq5gX

Head over to Pinterest to see the Survivor album.

Head over to Youtube to listen to the Survivor playlist.

 

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Monthly Guest Post: Victoria Sue – Exclusive Excerpt from Joshua’s Rainbow

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As always, we love it when Victoria Sue drops by for her monthly blog post. She brings something fun, exciting, maybe a little on the the dirty side, but we are glad to have her! So check out the exclusive excerpt she brought to TCO this month from her book that is just out today, and on KU! Welcome Victoria!

Rainbow Key – an idyllic island retreat off the west coast of Florida. Think wedding destination, white sandy beaches, lurve… except at the moment Joshua is struggling to pay the electricity bill, they’ve no paying customers, and even if they did they can’t afford the repairs from the devastating hurricane that struck three years ago – and to top it off they have to take in Daniel, a grumpy businessman who has been ordered by his doctor to take some time off before he has a heart attack from too much stress.

Funnily enough, Daniel owns a very expensive hotel chain that has been trying to buy the island for the past two years. Not that Joshua knows that yet, and boy are sparks gonna fly when he thinks he’s been set up.

Of course, sparks of a different kind are also soon flying between them.

Then there’s Matt who just got let out of prison, Charlie who ran away from home, and Ben, a famous model until a devastating house fire destroyed his face.

Welcome to Rainbow Key – held together by love, family, and sticky tape.

“Joshua?” Daniel reached out and gently pulled his face around to look at him. “I’m so sorry for what I said last night. It was a culmination of a month’s worth of stress, and I’m afraid I took it out on you.”

Joshua shook his head. “Not your fault. You were right, and”—he took a breath—“I haven’t had much luck with relationships.” He paused and Daniel’s heart went out to him.

“I find that very difficult to believe,” Daniel said lightly and nudged his arm.

Joshua looked incredulously at Daniel and waved a hand at himself. “Then you’re blind,” he said shortly.

“Do you know what I see when I look at you? It’s your eyes first,” Daniel mused. “They have been pulling me in since the first time I laid my own on you.”

“I’m huge,” Joshua said flatly.

“Well, your heart is, certainly.” His lips parted and Daniel knew he wanted to tell him something, but they closed on silence. “Joshua, Josh, you are trying to provide a home for people that don’t seem to have one, with barely any facilities and no money to do so. I am in awe at your generosity of spirit.” He nudged him. “You’re also sexy as all hell and I’m struggling to keep my hands of you.”

Joshua stared in astonishment and opened his mouth again, but just then they heard a shout from the hotel and turned to see Susie waving at them trying to get their attention. Daniel sighed to himself and offered his hand to pull him upright. He ignored the tingly warmth as Joshua placed his hand in Daniel’s and let himself be pulled up.

“So, you’re staying to help me feed fifty people?” Josh’s tone was doubtful, but the question seemed loaded with other things. Daniel threw away caution and every sensible thought he had ever had. In the same pile, he buried his guilt at the deception and told himself if he was going to try and buy the island he was being very altruistic by helping them first. Though, he admitted to himself, if he was really the savvy business man he had been accused of being—and not always politely—then helping Joshua should be the last thing he was doing.

“Not just that,” he said with meaning, and let his eyes trail suggestively over Josh’s body.

Josh stiffened and Daniel knew instantly he’d made a huge mistake.

“Hey.” He snagged Josh’s hand, incredibly relieved when he didn’t pull away. “That came out wrong. For a marketing consultant, I seem to be doing a bad job of communicating my feelings.” He took a deep breath, gratified that Josh hadn’t told him to get lost.

“I am incredibly attracted to you. I think that much is obvious.” Daniel laughed awkwardly when he didn’t get a reaction. “But this is business. After twenty jaded years I get a kick out of helping someone start up, running with an idea.” He nudged Joshua. “How about when the wedding’s a tremendous success and you have bookings flooding in, we talk again and see what we both want? No expectations or promises.”

Josh regarded him quizzically for a second then took a step nearer. He whispered because Susie was nearly within hearing distance. “I like expectations,” he said throatily, and Daniel made a soft noise in the back of his throat that might have been a whimper. Damn.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Victoria Sue fell in love with love stories as a child when she would hide away with her mom’s library books and dream of the dashing hero coming to rescue her from math homework. She never mastered math but managed to dream up quite a few heroes. Loves reading and writing about gorgeous boys loving each other the best—especially with a paranormal twist—but always with a happy ending.

Is an English northern lass currently serving twenty to life in Florida—unfortunately, she spends more time chained to her computer than on a beach.

Loves to hear from her readers and can be found most days lurking on Facebook where she doesn’t need factor 1000 sun-cream to hide her freckles.
Amazon Author Page

Facebook Group

www.victoriasue.com

@vickysuewrites

Joshua’s Rainbow – https://goo.gl/VaFELb

Leave a comment on Victoria Sue’s monthly blog stop, and you are entered to win an ebook of one of her backlist books.

The Artist’s Touch by E.J. Russell: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Two men haunted by more than the past.

Painter Stefan Cobbe was homeless and debt-ridden after the death of his wealthy partner, but the worst loss of all was his artistic inspiration. After two years of nothing, he’s offered patronage by an eccentric gallery owner and starts to produce again, canvas after canvas. The only problem? He can’t remember painting any of them—not one single brushstroke.

Luke Morganstern’s reputation as an art-fraud investigator is in tatters. He can’t afford to turn down any job, even a lousy one for an anonymous client who sends him after an unidentified forger in a remote cabin in Oregon. When the alleged forger turns out to be Stefan, the man he never stopped loving, Luke’s professional ethics are stretched beyond the breaking point.

As the two men take tentative steps toward reconciliation, evidence begins to mount that they’re not alone in the woods. Someone—or something—is watching. Something with sinister plans for them both. To escape, Luke must overcome his suspicions and Stefan must trust Luke with his deepest fears. Otherwise they could forfeit their relationship, their sanity—and their lives.

Publisher’s note: This is a heavily revised and significantly expanded reprint of Northern Light. The second book in the Art Medium series, Tested In Fire, is a first edition. Both are sold together in both ebook and print collections.

Thank you Two Chicks Obsessed for inviting me to stop by today! Hello, intrepid internet adventurers, and welcome to the blog tour for The Artist’s Touch, the first book in my Art Medium series. After the release of book two, Tested in Fire, in April, I’ll be giving away a $40 Riptide gift card, so please leave a comment for a chance to win.

Amazon

Riptide Publishing

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this novella, but I got more than I bargained for, in a good way. A second chance at love for these two men, a ton of history behind them, both when they were together, and afterwards, and some supernatural elements thrown in (notice what’s behind the MC on the cover????).

Well, it was definitely intriguing, and I had no idea that little tiny plot points in the story along the way, would transcend into what was a huge crescendo at the end. I really enjoyed those final scenes, knowing how the small touches had helped to build to such a huge ending (the kind where you cringe a little at what the MC’s are going through, love it!).

Small spoiler ahead! This novella isn’t long, but definitely packs a punch, with two second chance love stories, the one you expect, and the one you don’t.

Definitely recommend this one! 4 pieces of eye candy

 

About the Art Medium Series

Artists use all manner of materials to express their vision, to interpret the world around them, to affect the hearts and minds of their audience.

But what if the artist himself were the medium? And what if artistic inspiration weren’t the only force at work?

If painter Stefan Cobbe and art investigator Luke Morganstern don’t answer those questions fast, they stand to lose their reputations, their relationship—and their lives.

Check out the Art Medium series now!

E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business-intelligence consultant. After her twin sons left for college and she no longer spent half her waking hours ferrying them to dance class, she returned to her childhood love of writing fiction. Now she wonders why she ever thought an empty nest meant leisure.

E.J. lives in rural Oregon with her curmudgeonly husband, the only man on the planet who cares less about sports than she does. She enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Connect with E.J.:

Website: ejrussell.com

Blog: ejrussell.com/bloggery/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/E.J.Russell.author

Twitter: twitter.com/ej_russell

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ejrussell/

To celebrate the release of both books in the Art Medium series, one lucky winner will receive a $40 Riptide credit! Winner will be pulled from entries to both blog tours. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Contest closes at midnight, Eastern time, on April 7, 2017 and is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following The Artist’s Touch tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

 

Family Ties by Poppy Dennison: New Release Review and Giveaway

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Every family has a story to tell…

Blake Bartlett needs a do-over, so he’s going back home to Havendale, Florida, with his three-year-old daughter in tow. The perfect life he built is in ruins and he’s determined to create a new one. The Bartletts are fixtures in the small town of Havendale, and Blake’s extended family welcome him back with open arms. He’s settling in and getting back in his family’s good graces, when he meets Lincoln Coleman. Suddenly, he’s starting to want things he shouldn’t, and their relationship is beginning to heat up.

Linc may have the reputation for being a one-night stand kind of guy, but the rumors aren’t quite right. When he meets Blake and his daughter, he imagines family life and settling down for the first time. There’s only one problem: Blake has taken on a leadership role in the Bartlett Construction business and now Linc works for the man he’s falling in love with.

Blake’s well-intentioned family may have them tied up in knots, but only they can untangle their heart strings…

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

What an incredibly cute story!

Anyone who knows me or my reviews, knows that I am a sucker for a single dad. In this one, we have Blake and his daughter Caroline. They’re moving back to Florida to be closer to his gigantic family after losing his husband (who he was separated from), and Caroline’s other Daddy, Michael. Not telling his family about the separation was hard, but he found it easier to avoid them than disappointing them; but now he’s going home to face the music and lean on his family for a while.

Blake’s family is…..amazing. He has the biggest extended family, filled with cousin’s who are more like brothers and sisters and, Aunt’s and Uncle’s, and of course, his parents and actual siblings. There are a lot of them, but every one of them are there for Blake and head over heels in love with Caroline… and how could you not be, she’s so cute!

Going to work for his Uncle, doing office work at his construction company….that’s where he meets Linc. Linc is gorgeous and ripped and charming and good friends with the family, so when he asks him out, of course he goes. We’re kind of lead to believe that Linc is a playboy, but we never see any of that. He seems smitten with Blake from the beginning.

Because they work together and Linc is so close to the family… they belatedly remember all this and think maybe it’ll cause problems. In all honesty, I thought all that was ridiculous and unneeded.   I loved the way Linc was with Caroline and how much he cared about her and Blake. He might’ve been apprehensive and went about things the wrong way, but, he showed Blake what he meant to him, I felt like. I wanted to smack Blake a time or two. Luckily, his family talked him around, and alls well that ends well…. But it was an unnecessary bump in the road I felt like.

Overall though, it was such a cute read and you really can’t go wrong with big families and cute babies. I’d love to read more of this family, and especially Blake, Linc and Caroline!!

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

For a chance to win an ebook copy of Poppy’s latest book, leave a comment describing what family ties means to you.

Swann’s Revenge by Shira Anthony: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, and Giveaway

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Can a swan make peace with his ugly duckling past?

Chubby geek Jimmy Zebulon’s heart broke the day his high school crush, Danny Parker, looked on as his teammates tormented Jimmy. Fifteen years later, Jimmy is long gone, and from his ashes has risen Graham Swann, a movie-star-handsome law firm owner. Graham thinks Jimmy and his past are long forgotten—until attorney Dan Parker shows up for his first day of work.

Getting injured playing college ball was the best thing that ever happened to Dan. It turned his future in a better direction and allowed him to emerge from the closet that trapped him.

Graham wants to believe his childhood dream can come true, but he can’t bring himself to tell Dan who he really is—and their pasts might ruin any chance for a happily ever after….

Title: Swann’s Revenge
Author: Shira Anthony
Release Date: February 6, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 224

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

 

 

Shira’s Recipe for Romance: Swann’s Revenge (Dreamspun Desires)

Thank you, Two Chicks Obsessed, for hosting the first stop on the Swann’s Revenge Book Tour! I’m so happy to share my latest entry in the Dreamspun Desires line of romance-forward, tropey love stories from Dreamspinner Press. Be sure to read to the bottom of the post about how to enter to win a cool unisex leather heart bracelet to celebrate the book tour and read an excerpt from the story.

Swann’s Revenge is an honest to goodness “category romance.” The term comes from the old tradition of publishing a certain number of books on a monthly basis in a certain category. You remember these. When I was a kid, they were the Harlequin and Silhouette romances that were shipped, 4 books a month, on subscription.

Category romances were sweet, sometimes funny, standalone stories with a yummy happy ending. These were romances that made you feel good. For me, I remember being an angsty teen and reading these books. They made my heart pound, made my arms ache, and gave me that rush of “oh yeah!” at the end of the story that made me want to devour more romances.

When I worked on Swann’s Revenge and the other Dreamspun Desires I’ve written, I did a lot of thinking about what makes a classic category romance make me feel so damn good. I’ve reread a few of the old romances, and I really thought about what makes them work for a reader like me. My husband, the scientist, would call that “reverse engineering.” It was a bit like eating a really good piece of cake and figuring out what ingredients went into it because you don’t have the recipe!

So what’s the recipe?

Take two main characters and ratchet up the heat. I’m talking a very slow burn that builds until you are fanning yourself and ready to scream, “Tell him you love him already!” Or at least, “Tell him you want to have sex with him already!”  In the case of Swann’s Revenge, it’s “Tell him who you are already!” that comes to mind, since the MC, Graham Swann, has a secret past he can’t bring himself to tell the other MC, Dan Parker, about.

Stir in something that presents a bit of a sticking point for both characters and threatens to keep them apart. Nothing too angsty here, just something they have to overcome separately or, even better, together. In Swann’s Revenge, it’s Graham’s secret that keeps him from allowing himself to be vulnerable and letting himself fall for Dan.

Add a secondary character or two who just might derail the budding romance or help it happen for our main characters. In Swann’s Revenge, the secondary character isn’t out to derail the romance, but she does up the ante between our two men.

Add doubts and stir again. Little niggles or fears. Maybe sprinkle a little misunderstanding in while you’re at it. Pour all the ingredients into a pan and bake it at high temperature. What do you get? Sexy, sweet, and spicy romance that tastes as good as tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day, or maybe some really good mac ‘n cheese. We’re not talking prime rib that you eat with expensive French wine, but the kind of meal that leaves you satisfied and smiling. Simply fun and feel-good fare.

Swann’s Revenge releases February 6th from Dreamspinner Press! You can buy it alone, or you can subscribe to the Dreamspun Desires line and get two books a month at a significant discount (ebook and paperback). Read down for an excerpt and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! -Shira

“Terri tells me you’re from my neck of the woods,” Dan said and leaned back in his chair.

Graham met Dan’s gaze. The urge to shift in his seat passed as he reasserted control. “Oh? Where would that be?” He made it his practice never to divulge too much about himself. Even Terri, whom he’d met when they were both taking prep classes for the Tennessee bar examination, only knew so much. The past was best forgotten.

“Carletonville. My folks still live out there.” Dan chuckled. “They still go to all the football games at Merrill High.”

Graham pretended the name hadn’t made his stomach drop into his feet. The back of his neck felt cold and clammy. “How nice,” he said evenly. “Did you play?”

“I did. But that was a long time ago,” Dan said with a sigh and shake of his head. “A different lifetime.”

“I see.” Graham glanced at his watch. He needed to end this interview soon or he’d lose his composure.

Fortunately, Dan got the message and stood. “I’m probably keeping you from something. I’m sure we’ll have more time to chat later.”

“I’ll have my assistant set up a few hours for us to go over strategy tomorrow morning.” Graham smiled and added, “Good to have you aboard.”

“Thanks again.”

Graham watched Dan leave, all the while struggling to keep his discomfort from showing. Dan closed the door behind him and Graham let out a long breath. How had he missed it before?

The Invincible Danny Parker. North Carolina All- State Quarterback of the Year. Full ride at Carolina. NCAA All-America Quarterback. A shoo-in for the pros until he tore his ACL in his senior year and had to quit the game.

Graham thought he’d forgotten what it felt like to sit in the mud as half the football team looked on and laughed, but he’d been wrong. All his memories came barreling back, and with them the pain and humiliation of fifteen years before.

The day after, he’d quit the band. When his mother remarried in June, they moved to Memphis and he took his stepfather’s name. He grew nearly eight inches his senior year.  He put high school and the chubby kid behind him. In college, he learned he didn’t have asthma at all—he’d been allergic to the mold in the Carletonville apartment where he and his mother lived. He started to exercise. His roommate taught him to play racquetball and he started running regularly. He got into shape and learned to imitate the way the popular students dressed. He was accepted into a great law school and never looked back.

Fifteen years before, Jimmy Zebulon, the chubby kid with a face covered in zits, left Carletonville and never returned. Jimmy had moved on with his life. He’d banished the memories and the shame. He’d been absolutely fine.

Until now.

Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, i Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. You can hear Shira singing “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca by clicking here: Shira’s Singing

Shira loves a great happily-ever-after and never writes a story without one. She’s happy to write what her muse tells her, whether it’s fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, or contemporary romance. She particularly loves writing series, because she thinks of her characters as old friends and she wants to visit them even after their stories are told.

In real life, Shira sang professionally for 14 years, and she currently works as a public sector attorney advocating for children. She’s happy to have made writing her second full-time job, even if it means she rarely has time to watch TV or go to the movies. Shira writes about the things she knows and loves, whether it’s music and musicians, the ocean, or the places she’s lived or traveled to. She spent her middle school years living in France, and tries to visit as often as she can.

Shira and her husband spend as many weekends as they can aboard their 35′ catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen, at the Carolina Coast. Not only has sailing inspired her to write about pirates and mermen, her sailboat is her favorite place to write. And although the only mermen she’s found to date are in her own imagination, she keeps a sharp lookout for them when she’s on the water.