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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

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Smitty’s Sheriff by Cardeno C: Blog Tour

July 21, 2017 by Denise

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Smitty’s Sheriff, a sexy, heart-warming MM romance by Cardeno C. is available now!

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Todd is too flakey. Richard is too stubborn. Together, they’re perfect. A May-December couple get a second chance at love.

Retired soldier Richard Davis wants a stable life in a quiet town with a forever man. Becoming the sheriff of Hope, Arizona, accomplishes two of his three goals, but instead of finding a serious partner, he falls for too-young-to-be-committed and too-flakey-to-be-serious Todd Smitty. Richard won’t find the right man if he’s obsessed with the wrong one, so he walks away from Todd.

It’s lust at first sight when Todd meets his sister’s army friend. He sets his sights on the worldly, strong, stable older man, and the more time he spends with Richard, the harder he falls. But after three years together, Richard cuts off all contact with no explanation.

When a mutual obligation requires Todd to move into Richard’s house, he’s thrilled at the opportunity to earn a second chance. Ignoring Todd from across town was hard enough. Can Richard resist temptation under his own roof?

“Todd.” Leanne snapped her gaze toward him. “You’re not too young to know the nickname people used to call guys named Richard, are you?

“Uh.” Todd blinked and darted his gaze between Rich and Leanne. They were finally paying attention to him and all he wanted was to go back to being invisible.

“Dick,” she said. “Big D got his nickname before we met, but some of us in my squad figured it wasn’t just about his last name being Davis. So we had a bet going.”

She flicked her gaze to Rich again, as if expecting him to interrupt.

He didn’t.

“Problem is, we couldn’t agree on which side won because we couldn’t get solid evidence.” She focused on Todd. “But now I have an eyewitness.”

“I, uh, I don’t—” Todd stammered, hating being in the middle of what felt like an argument.

“Don’t let Sparky get to you,” Rich said, still completely unbothered.

“Some of the guys saw Big D in the latrines, and they said he’s big all over, but when they tried to collect on the bet, the other side made a good point.” She narrowed her eyes menacingly at Rich. “If the man’s a show-er, that means he isn’t grow-er, so he doesn’t actually have a big D, now does he? That means the other side should win.”

Todd drew his eyebrows together and tried to follow Leanne’s question. “Are you saying you guys have a bet going on the size of Rich’s dick?”

“Yep.” Leanne leaned against the chairback, looking smug. “And you, little brother, are going to settle that bet.”

Normally, Todd had no problem talking about a guy’s package. Hell, in the right situation, dicks were damn near his favorite topic. But he had never spoken to anyone about Rich’s body or, really, anything else related to Rich because he knew that was off limits. Of course, Leanne was asking him the question because she already knew he had the answer.

Flicking his gaze toward Rich, Todd said, “Am I allowed to…”

“It’s a simple question,” Leanne snapped. “Is he a grow-er or a show-er?”

Rich didn’t tell him to stay quiet so Todd figured he had permission to answer. “Both.”

She blinked.

“Seriously.” He bobbed his head. “Length, girth.” He held his hands far apart. “It’s awesome.” As long as he had permission to share, he figured he should be thorough in his explanation. “His balls too.”

Leanne coughed.

“I mean it. They’re huge. Each one’s a mouthful by itself.”

“Ehm.” Leanne cleared her throat. “Thanks.” Looking decidedly uncomfortable, she held her palm up in a stop motion. “I’m good on the details. You don’t need to keep going.”

“Are you sure?” After a lifetime of being the butt of the joke with his siblings, Todd enjoyed turning the table. “I can sketch you a picture, but I’ll need one of those extra-long pieces of paper if you want it to scale.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Leanne actually blushed. “I’m all set.”

Rich threw his head back and laughed. “Thanks, Todd. Eighteen years these jackasses have had the silly bet going and I do believe you just put it to rest.”

Thrilled with the praise and relieved to be playing and flirting with Rich again, Todd smiled broadly. “No problem. When it comes to your big D, I’m always willing to lend a hand.”

He settled into the chair, comfortable for the first time that night, and when the conversation turned back to stories about people he didn’t know, he truly didn’t mind. Eighteen years was a long time. If Rich had cared about putting an end to the bet, he’d probably had a dozen different chances. That he did it now, meant his goal had been less about the bet and more about a point. Todd knew something about Rich that nobody else did, or at least nobody who mattered enough to meet his friends. That meant Todd mattered. Leanne knew that now. And so did he.

SS-ANKU

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2uGj4KU

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/d7gCWQ

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/m1T8tj

This is one of my favorite series by Cardeno C so I was so excited for this one. In fact I re-read McFarland’s Farm and Jesse’s Diner to revisit with everyone before diving into the new one. While Richard and Todd are far from my favorite characters in Hope, the story worked for them.

Todd is a 22 year old flirt who has been in love with Richard, the thirty something sheriff of Hope for some time. The two had a three year fling which Richard ended abruptly and for the past 6 months Todd hasn’t been able to figure out why. Then Todd’s sister, who also happens to be Richard’s best friend has to return to active duty in the armed forces and leaves care of her 6 month old daughter to Richard and Todd. Todd moves into Richard’s guest house to help take care of his niece hoping that he will be able to figure out where he went wrong in their relationship. Richard can’t resist his feelings for Todd with him being so close, the two will need to be honest with each other and see if they can overcome the hurdles to get to their happily ever after.

I’ll be honest, there were a lot issues with these two. I’m not sure how genuine Todd’s feeling were for Richard if he was still hooking up with other people. I get why Richard ended things, but to do it with no communication was a dick move. I also get why Todd was still hooking up, if he felt like a dirty little secret why would he think Richard was serious. So, I can see both sides of the story but I don’t feel like Todd ever expressed his concerns about their relationship.

Todd was a complete contradiction to me. In one sense he was young and immature, and when he was caring for his niece he was the picture of maturity. It was hard to wrap my head around at times. While Richard was strong and stoic, which is what I picture a sheriff to be. He also came across as cold and uncaring.

I was glad to see these two work it out in the end and I loved seeing the characters from the past books popup for a visit.

3 pieces of eye candy

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McFarland’s Farm

Start the Series Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2tmusrK

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/PjzM88

Audio: https://goo.gl/AvDuHs

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/hNFaHU

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Jesse’s Diner

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2vrKSAs

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/tibqX7

Audio: https://goo.gl/7hnF2G

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/jLqoym

 

CardenoC.

Cardeno C.—CC to friends—is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few awwws into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.

Connect with Cardeno C.

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/CardenoC

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CardenoCWrites/

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CardenoC/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CardenoC

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

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vIcNvq

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardenoc/

Tumblr: https://cardenoc.tumblr.com

Blog: http://caferisque.blogspot.com

Join the Romance Readers Club Today to stay up to date with Cardeno C. and get a free read every month:

https://theromanceauthors.com

http://www.cardenoc.com

Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Reviewer: Deanna Tagged With: author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, Cardeno C., gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, new release, novella, romance

Runner by Parker Williams: Exclusive Guest Post, Release Day Review and Giveaway

July 21, 2017 by Denise

Matt Bowers’s life ended at sixteen, when a vicious betrayal by someone who he should have been able to trust left him a shell of himself, fighting OCD and PTSD, living in constant fear and always running. When he buys a remote tract of land, he thinks he’s found the perfect place to hide from the world and attempt to establish some peace. For ten years he believes he’s found a measure of comfort, until the day a stranger begins to run on Matt’s road.

He returns every day, an unwelcome intrusion into Matt’s carefully structured life. Matt appeals to the local sheriff, who cannot help him since the jogger is doing nothing wrong. Gradually, after tentatively breaking the ice, Matt begins to accept the man’s presence—

But when the runner doesn’t show up one day, it throws Matt’s world into chaos and he must make the hardest decision of his life.

Title: Runner
Author: Parker Williams
Release Date: July 28, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

Building New Worlds: How to do it authentically

I’m going to admit, building new worlds in a single book isn’t all that hard. Look at your setting. What motivates you to put your character in that locale?

Example: Runner takes place in a remote town. The main character, Matt, lives far out of town, where he feels safe. Why? He can build a life here. He has his garden, his greenhouse, a stream to fish from, animals that he can hunt. He wants for nothing. Or so he thinks.

Your character: What affects him? What motivates and drives him? How does this affect the people around him?

Example: Matt cuts himself off from his family for the most part. He talks to his brother on the phone occasionally, but he can’t be a part of his family’s life. It just won’t work for him with his issues. So how does this affect others? What impact does it have on his family? The people who know him? Does it have a ripple effect on others? How does your character—and those around him—deal with the situation?

The problems: And here is what’s swirling around, affecting everyone. In a single book, the problem—and resolution—are handled pretty easily.

Example: Matt’s abuse at sixteen by someone he should have been able to trust. Matt assumes that this affects only him, but as time goes by, he realizes how it impacts those around him as well.

But… And here’s where we get into the fun of world building… what happens when your book is actually a series?

When K.C. Wells and I did Collars & Cuffs—and Secrets—all the rules above are in full force, but now the problem comes in that you have to determine if there is an overall story arc and how one event will flow into another book.

Example: Peter from Collars & Cuffs (Trusting Thomas). His abuse at the hands of his tormentor ripples throughout the series. In Someone to Keep Me, it shakes Scott to his core, but it also gives him a friend. Peter’s issues continue to resonate, and touch many lives such as

Jarod in Dom of Ages and JJ in Endings and Beginnings. Peter’s problem becomes a focal point that affects everyone in this world. And this is a good thing. It’s part of your world and it needs to be addressed from time to time so people don’t think you’ve forgotten about it.

In fact, Peter’s mentioned in An Unlocked Mind (book two of the Secrets series), because he does have such an impact on this world.

So when you build a world, you have to look at all of the pieces and see how they slot together. Some may be like an IKEA set, where you’ve got little things that don’t really need to be checked up on each book, but if it’s the main thrust of your story, you need to keep it in the reader’s eye from book to book, especially if there is a long gap between each issue.

Example: In Before You Break, Ellis is injured on the job. Will his injury have an impact on the series as a whole? Maybe not, but it’s still going to ripple from time to time. He’s going to appear in book two when he gets to deal with Rob (poor Ellis).

In closing, remember that in the worlds you create, you’re the god. What you say goes. But you’ve got to make it believable. Or not. That’s the fun thing about creating them. Oh, and because you get to tear them apart, too. That’s always fun.

After suffering an attack at 16, Matt suffers from extreme OCD and PTSD. He has locked himself away from the world in a cabin miles from town. He has turned his land into a self-sustaining oasis. He grows his own food, he fishes and hunts on his land and has almost no contact with the outside world. Then one day his world is turned upside down when someone starts jogging past his house everyday. The first sighting sent Matt into a panic attack to rival all panic attacks. Matt tried calling the sheriff to see if he could stop him, but the runner isn’t breaking any laws. Slowly, Matt comes to expect the runner at the same time everyday. One day when he doesn’t show up Matt’s world tips again. Can he leave his carefully constructed world to find out what happened to his runner?

This was a great read. My heart broke for Matt so many times throughout this story. His reaction to the attack was extreme, but how could it not be? He was 16, with very little if any coping skills. His mom did his a great disservice, she wan’t strong enough to get him the help he needed and so he retreated into himself where he knew he was safe and then eventually to his compound.

The runner, Charlie was an intriguing character. I love that he pushed Matt’s boundaries without being pushy or mean. He knew when to push and when to back off. He was so caring and understanding.

I loved the amount of detail in Matt’s compound. When Parker Williams described it I could actually visualize it, and I really have no imagination. From the greenhouse to the lake and all the gardens.

The thing that made me love this story was that Matt fell in love with Charlie and that made him want to get help to fix his issues, but Charlie made his see that he loved him issues and all and if he was getting help it was for himself. That he was loved either way, warts and all.

The story line was not at all predictable, as soon as I thought I knew what was going to happen something else would. I love that. The characters and the setting were well developed and rich with detail. This is the first time I have read anything from Parker Williams but it won’t be the last.

5 pieces of eye candy

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Filed Under: Author Guest Post, New Release Review, Release Day Review, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Deanna Tagged With: 5 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Reviews, exclusive, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, new release, Parker Wiliams, review, romance

Uncomplicated Choices by Cara Dee: Random Review

July 20, 2017 by Denise

When life gave you lemons, you learned who stayed and made lemonade with you. Or something to that effect. And the day Ellis Hayes kidnapped me—or, he borrowed a yacht and didn’t know I was on board—he’d definitely been handed too many lemons.

We faced a dilemma when I woke up hungover in the middle of the ocean. He needed to get the hell out of town to do some soul searching and decide whether or not to divorce his wife, and I needed to get back on land because humans didn’t belong on the water. There was also better cell service on land, and I had my four-year-old daughter on vacation in Paris to check in with.

Then I remembered I wasn’t a complete tool. Ellis wasn’t doing all right, and we were practically family. I had to stay and make lemonade with him. Of course, me being me, seemingly un-dateable and complicated, I had to develop feelings for him, too.

 

Amazon

The first book I ever read by Cara Dee was Aftermath, a book about two men who survive a five month kidnapping, only to find that they need and want only each other. (If you haven’t read that book, I highly encourage you to. It is truly amazing. In fact, I may need to go re-read it now that I am reminding myself of it. 🙂 )

Anyway, since that was my first book of Cara’s, I had some idea how strongly she writes from a character’s perspective. The character’s are not often living their “normal” lives, but some sort of different existence that makes falling in love, possibly with the “wrong” person a challenge, yet it feels so right.

Uncomplicated Choices is another such book. I’ll put this right out front, and this could be a spoiler…Ellis is married, to a woman, at t the time that he and Casey begin their relationship. However, it works in this book. I didn’t AT ALL feel like Ellis was cheating on his wife. It worked in this story, because Ellis is trying to find himself, outside of a marriage that went sour so long ago.

Casey was really a fantastic character. First, he was snarky AF. I loved that. He was snarky when he was speaking to Ellis (or anyone else for that matter), and he was snarky in his head. It worked for him. He was able to find the humor in so many situations that others would not, and I absolutely loved that about him. He was a great father, and it was as obvious how much he loved his daughter. She was the light of his life, and didn’t care who knew that, or if that was a stereotype that didn’t match what he “should” be doing.

Both men work on themselves throughout the book, even as they work on finding a relationship that works together. Ellis began the book being “elusive”, yet along the way was able to learn to talk through his feelings, and communicate with Casey as their connection grew. Casey, meanwhile, needed to learn that he was loveable, despite all the bad experiences he’d had with people thinking he was not worthy. Seeing these two men connect with each other, while connecting with their own thoughts and feelings made for a reader experience that went above “falling in love with someone else”. They were able to fall back in love with themselves, as well.

My one issue with the book was that although it was “mostly” a stand alone book, there were periods where I was lost. People were introduced or mentioned that likely had a previous book in this series, or possibly a book ahead that I had no knowledge of, and there was little explanation. This left me wondering if this was a necessary mention, or just a one off comment that would not come up again. Several people I had to infer who they were based on the people who were in the room, and still wasn’t sure I knew who they were. Although this happens often in books in a series, usually there are some descriptions as to how they fit in to the situation to help the reader understand in the event they hadn’t read the previous books. This didn’t happen with several of the characters who were not even in place in the book, but merely brought up in conversation. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the story of Casey and Ellis, however, it did leave me wondering if I was missing a big piece of a story.

All in all a well done book, by an author that I just love to read. 4 pieces of eye candy.

 

Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Reviewer: Denise Tagged With: 4 stars, book, Book Reviews, Cara Dee, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, mmromance, new release, review, romance

You Never Know by Mary Calmes: Release Day Reviews with Giveaway

July 20, 2017 by Denise

Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, explore new relationships, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way—until he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.

Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business and encourage it to thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and they have not talked since.

If Hagen’s going to trust him again, Mitch needs to show him how he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go. They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not reviving a relationship with Mitch. Then again, you never know.

Title: You Never Know
Author: Mary Calmes
Release Date: July 21, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

 

Hagen Wiley… knew he had the love of his life when he was sixteen years old.

Unfortunately, life happens, especially when you’re young and stupid and I hate so badly that he got hurt like he did. The phone call between the two guys, just about gutted me. But here it is, 17 years later, and the love of his life is back, with his adorable two kids and they’ve come to claim Hagen.

Unfortunately, again, Hagen’s had a lifetime of heartbreak and getting hurt that he doesn’t just not trust Mitch, but he doesn’t trust any guy.. Which is a good thing, because we see him with a FWB, who all the sudden wants more…. Even though he’s a liar and kinda douche, I did kind of feel sorry for him before I knew all that. I’ve known what it’s like to lose the love of your life and then I’ve been on Ash’s side where I wanted someone to want me but they couldn’t, because of the love they had for someone else. I wouldn’t want to be in either of those positions, ever!

I loved Hagen, he’s so forgiving, much more so than I would be, ever….especially with how badly Mitch hurt him and how many times Ash lied to him… he just forgave… they said sorry, he said, okay. With Mitch, it was a little harder for him to win back his trust… not as hard as it should’ve been, because I think he needed to have to prove himself…. But, there was no denying that he loved Hagen… no doubt at all. It was in everything he did. I loved that for Hagen.

So, overall, this is just another amazing story from Mrs. Calmes; one that I couldn’t wait to read and now I’m sad that I’m finished with it. I get so sucked in to each of her stories to a point where, I want to wish them so hard to be real so I can see such amazing love between two people. I feel that way about all the guys in her stories, every single one.

So, I’ll end this with 5, well, well, well deserved stars and I’ll go ahead and declare my impatience for literally anything else she writes, ever!

Don’t skip it, you’ll love it.

I love the idea of high school sweethearts reuniting after they have experienced life a little. They’re not as naive and they know who they are and what they want from life. So, with that story line and the added bonus of Mary Calmes being the author, I knew going in this was going to be a great story.

Hagen and Mitch dated in high school. They had plans to go to the same college and see where Mitch’s promised NFL career took them. Life got in the way, Mitch went to college and Hagen joined the Army. Hagen has returned home needing to heal both his body and mind from the war. His leg needs mending and he needs to get a grip on his PTSD. Mitch has lived his whole adult life in the closet due to his football career. He married a woman and had two children, but after a hip replacement and a trip to rehab he can’t continue to lie to himself. Armed with a divorce and two small children, Mitch heads back to his hometown to raise his boys and to win back the love of his life.

Hagen has long since forgiven Mitch for changing their plans. What he has no intention of doing is picking up where they left off all those years ago. Hagen is just getting his life back to normal and he doesn’t want to disrupt that with bringing Mitch back into his life. It seems that fate has something to say about that and throws Mitch and his adorable boys right into Hagen’s path. Hagen stands no chance again Mitch’s boys and before you know it Hagen is spending time with Mitch and his family. Hagen needs to decide whether he can trust Mitch with his heart a second time or if he needs to tuck tail and run before he gets too attached to all three of them.

Love, love, love! I love stories with kids, especially when the kids are as cute as Brandon and Ryder Thayer. The kids play an important part in the story, making Hagen realize that he wants to be a father. The kids are well adjusted and make Hagen realize that by trusting his heart to Mitch he gets a chance at fatherhood that may not have been a possibility before.

The town of Benson is a great setting for this story and I am hoping that there are a few more stories in this setting. I would love for Ash to get his happily ever after and remain friends with Hagen.

The characters are well developed, their backstories are perfect; no too vague and definitely not too over the top. Hagen was cautious without being whiny and Mitch pursued him with confidence that didn’t come off as cocky or entitled.

There isn’t anything I didn’t like about this book. It was everything I have come to love and expect from Mary Calmes.

5 pieces of eye candy

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Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Denise, TCO Reviewer: Jennifer Tagged With: 4.5 stars, 5 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, Mary Calmes, new release, review, romance

Losing My Religion by A.S. Tucker: Pre-order Blitz and Giveaway

July 19, 2017 by Denise

Title: Losing My Religion
Author: A.S. Tucker
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: July 27, 2017
Only 99 Pennies

Jaden Barker is a good boy.

For as long as he can remember, he’s been preparing for the day he’ll be called as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He’s ready. He’s more than willing. And he can’t wait to spend the next two years serving the Lord and his church. But when a new proclamation from the church is announced, it leaves him questioning everything.

Quinn Owens is trouble with a capital T.

An aspiring actor living in the bowels of Los Angeles, he’s fought long and hard to get where he is, and he’s not willing to give it up for anything. Working for a homophobic boss presents quite a challenge when you’re a gay man, but Quinn knows losing this job means losing his dream.

Jaden is lost and confused.

Quinn won’t let anything stand in his way.

But when Jaden finds himself living downstairs from the enticing Quinn, neither are prepared for what happens next.

Will Jaden be able to resist Quinn’s charms and remain a devoted Mormon missionary? Or will he fall, finding himself face to face with losing his religion?

 

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A military brat growing up, A.S. Tucker now resides in Utah with her loving husband. When not writing, you’ll find her reading, binge watching Netflix, or drinking wine. Her three favorite things are animals, coffee, and Harry Potter, not necessarily in that order. She is the author of three other novels, published under a different pen name. She loves hearing from her readers, so please drop her a line!

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Filed Under: New Release Book Blast Tagged With: A.S. Tucker, author, Book Excerpts, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, romance

GRL 2017 Featured Blogger Post: J. Scott Coatsworth

July 19, 2017 by Denise

**TCO is so excited to be back as a Featured Blogger with the 2017 GayRomLit Conference, to be held in Denver, CO in October. We will be hosting quite a few GRL authors here over the next few months with what they have to say on GRL. Also, we’ve set up a giveaway for all the GRL Featured Posts, so make sure you enter, there are some fantastic prizes ahead!!!**

Welcome to J. Scott Coatsworth!!!!

 

Surviving Your First GRL

by J. Scott Coatsworth

I am a GRL survivor.

I attended GRL last year, and I learned a few things, a few bits of knowledge I hope to impart to you, my future GRL virgin friend. So here it goes:

 

  • Whore Yourself Out Early: If you are a sponsored or featured author, find out who wants to buy your books at the con before you go. Contact your mailing list, and use the GRL Denver Facebook page. This will create some presales, get your fans excited about meeting you, and give you an idea what and how many to bring.
  • Save Your Babies: There’s nothing worse than having to make those end-of-con choices – which of your new books to leave behind when you fly home. So save some room in your bag or take a spare, or plan to ship those books back via UPS. You can probably steal an empty box from one of the publisher tables. 😉
  • Plan Your Costume: Think about your costume for the big party ahead of time – watch for the theme announcement. Seriously. I didn’t pay much attention to the fact that there was a Wizard of Oz-themed party at GRL, and ended up having a great costume idea – Flying Monkey Repairman – come to me on the night of the con. So instead of having an awesome costume to wear, like Angel’s head-to-toe-green wicked witch, I went with a badge sign that said “Flying Monkey Repairman”. Less than inspiring.
  • Be a Local Foodie: It’s easy to spend a lot of money on food at these cons – hotel restaurants aren’t cheap. So when you first get to the Marriott, chat up the concierge about local places to eat, and check out the menus of the on-site eateries early to figure out where you can shave off a few bucks. You’ll seem like a restaurant whiz to your new GRL friends.
  • Network Network Network: Make plans early for lunches, coffees and dinners with the folks you want to spend time with. Most of them will want to spend time with you too – that’s what the weekend is all about. Don’t know anyone? Not a problem. Hang out in the lobby at dinner time and pounce on author groups as they head to dinner. A sad, hungry face works really well for this – practice it at home until your kids/spouse/live-in parents can’t see it without bringing you food. 😛
  • Closet Therapy: Most of us writer folk are introverts by nature who force ourselves to be extroverts at cons. This is sustainable for a few days, but if you find yourself wearing a bit thin, take your desk chair, your laptop or tablet, and one of those little hotel bottles of rum or vodka and make yourself a dark little writer cave in your hotel room closet. Write your brains out for an hour (or until you run out of rum). Then return to the con a little saner and more centered. Rinse and repeat as needed.
  • Be Warped and Wonderful! You spent a lot of money and time to be at GRL. For many of us, this is one of our two or three chances during the year to spend time with others who are as warped and wonderful as we are. Go to the Cock Walk (if there is one this year) and bid on some wonderful penis art. Engage in as many conversations as you can with other writers and readers. And soak it all up like sunshine to last you until your next hit.

If anything goes wrong, don’t sweat it. Just remember—next year you’ll be a GRL pro.

 


J. Scott Coatsworth

Scott was first indoctrinated into the worlds of science fiction and fantasy by his mother at the young age of nine. He devoured her Science Fiction Book Club library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were in the stories he was reading.

He decided that if there weren’t enough gay characters in his favorite genres, he would write them himself.

He runs two community websites—Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink—with his husband Mark. Both sites celebrate authors and fiction that reflect queer reality.

Check out all of Scott’s works here:

Amazon US

Amazon Canada

Amazon UK


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Filed Under: Author Guest Post, GRL 2017, TCO Exclusives Tagged With: author, blog tour, exclusive, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, GRL 2017, GRL2017, J. Scott Coatsworth, lgbtq, m/m romance, romance

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨EXCERPT: BE MY VENGEANCE by @davidsonkingauthor releasing November 2nd!“What?” Alex asked.“It’s Gideon. He wants an update.”“Ha!”I narrowed my eyes. “Think I can ignore it?”Alex sat in the chair by the window, rested his ankle on his knee, and smiled. “Nope, but I’m gonna enjoy watching you squirm.”I could text him. Yeah, that was what I’d do.Me: All goodPerfect. That should do it.Gideon: What does “all good” mean?Shit.Alex laughed. “How’s it going over there?”“Shut up, asshole.”Me: I’m actually in the middle of something right now. Can I get back to you?I winced, and Alex snorted. I was fucked.Gideon: No“Fuck.”“You’d be wise to just let him know what’s going on.” Alex tsked.“Maybe you should just sit there and be quiet.” I wasn’t going to be able to bullshit my way out of this. If I lied now, he’d be pissed later. If I told the truth now, he’d be pissed now…and come and kill me. Welp, in for a penny…Me: Don’t be mad.Gideon: That’s never a good way to start a conversation, Danny!Me: Right. So, hypothetically if Alex and I happened to have Maksim chained to a bed right now, would that be a bad thing?I saw that he’d read my text, and the thirty seconds he didn’t answer didn’t bode well for me. He was likely cursing up a storm, and Penn was probably trying to calm him down.Gideon: Are you fucking kidding me?Me: I said hypothetically.Gideon: But it’s not, is it?Me: Maybe…#davidsonking #mmromance The Author Agency ...

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✨TEASER: SNOW ONE LIKE YOU by @charlienovakauthor releasing November 19th!If you love these tropes, you will love Snow One Like You… 🎤MM Christmas Romance❄️Popstar x Former Bandmate🎤Best Friends To Lovers❄️Forced Proximity🎤Only One Bed❄️Snowed In (In New York At Christmas)🎤Pining/Yearning❄️Low Angst🎤"No One Compares To You"When Your Best Friend Lives In The Spotlight, How Do You Keep Your Feelings Out Of It?Haru is the world’s most iconic pop star. He’s talented, charismatic, and stunningly sexy. And he also happens to be the man I’ve been in love with for nine years. After months on tour together, I’m good at hiding my feelings for him. Haru could have anyone he wants, and I’m nothing more than his washed up best friend. But when a snowstorm traps us in a small hotel room in New York, we’re suddenly forced to deal with the years of yearning, and feelings we’ve both been repressing. With one bed, one room, and nowhere to go, it’s time for the truth to finally come to light. Just in time for Christmas.#charlienovak #mmromance #holidayromance The Author Agency ...

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: ALEXITHYMIA by @jillian_wray_author releasing November 24th! You will love Alexithymia if you love… 🩺Surgeon x Motocross Racer/Patient🏍️Age Gap (20 years)🩺Forbidden Romance🏍️Forced Proximity🩺Grumpy/Sunshine🏍️Slow Burn, High TensionAlexithymia is a forbidden, age-gap MM romance between a surgeon and his patient. It is a slow burn with high tension and ends with a hard-earned HEA.CASEYBeing a motocross racer who can’t feel physical pain definitely has its perks.I take risks others won’t because I don’t fear getting hurt.Not even when an accident leaves me in a heap on the dirt track, fighting for my life.Which is how I meet Dr. Declan Porter,an emotionally stunted, sexy-as-hell, absolute asshole of a surgeon.Since I can’t leave this hospital bed for the foreseeable future, pushing Declan’s buttons seems like a great way to pass the time.But eventually, it’s time for me to leave, and all I can think about is seeing him again.He thinks we can’t cross that line because I’ll need him to stitch my body back together,but I’m more interested in convincing him to take me apart.DECLANI’ve never crossed a line with a patient.Not even the one who accused me of sexual harassment a few years ago.It’s never been an issue until hotshot motocross racer Casey McIntyre shows up in my OR.The kid has an ego the size of a jetliner and the boldest mouth anyone’s ever used toward me.I want to ignore him, or pass him off to my residents, but when the hospital CEO demands that I personally oversee Casey’s care, I know I’m in trouble.Nothing is worth losing my medical license for.Especially a patient half my age with a career choice and congenital disorder that will require my specialized skillset in the future.Casey is hellbent on getting under my skin, and the longer I’m around him, the more I start to think maybe I want him there.#jilliandwray #mmromance The Author Agency ...

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: VICIOUS LITTLE GAME by @raleighruebins releasing December 3rd! You will love Vicious Little Game if you love…🔥Morally Grey🔥MM Dark🔥College Romance🔥Former Mobster x Chaotic Tattoo Artist🔥Pierced/Tattooed MC🔥Touch Hungry MC🔥Rule Enforcer x Rule Breaker🔥Stalking & Protection🔥Found Family🔥Bi Awakening🔥Hurt/Comfort🔥Deep Emotional ScarsI can’t shake my Bratva past… but the man protecting me is far worse.I got out of the mob, but I don’t feel close to normal.I have needs. Urges. And working night security at Crimson College isn’t meeting them.When Tristan Thorne crosses my path, I break. He pins me to the wall and I flip the tables on him fast, taking him down.Then the gorgeous nightmare starts following me. Fixating on me. Saying he’s protecting me.I enforced rules in the mob, and I don't tolerate chaos… so why am I drawn to his?Now I’m addicted. Physically, this thing is pure fire, but I can’t crack his armor.Tristan inks people every day with beautiful tattoos, but he was a student until something changed that. So why is he so comfortable with violence?And so obsessed with me?When I’m attacked by my former Bratva, he goes unhinged, vowing to destroy them.But he doesn’t know how cruel my family is.Inside, Tristan is deeply wounded. Broken. With a darker past than I knew.And I might be crazy enough to want to protect him, too.#raleighruebins #mmromance #darkromance The Author Agency ...

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: MY MERRY MÉNAGE by @lex.ambermm & @authorbecbenson releasing November 1st! “Okay, I thought that Joey was a fluke. How the hell did you both get even hotter with age?” Scotty’s voice cuts through the noise of the bar, pulling my attention back to the present as he approaches. “I could say the same for you,” I assure him with a smile as I slide out of my seat to greet him and take him in. His brown hair is styled perfectly, he’s still clean-shaven, and it’s clear he’s kept up with his toned physique. When he steps into my arms for a hug, he fits exactly like I remember. Even though we’ve enjoyed our vacation rule for fifteen years now, no one has really lived up to our first time with Scotty. We’ve talked a lot about why that could be. Maybe because of the thrill we felt having sex with another man together for the first time, or because he’s the only person who we had any sort of friendship with, we aren’t sure. Regardless of why Scotty’s remained as our top experience, our vacation hookups have worked really well for Joey and I. It’s never caused a fight or drama between us. If anything, it’s deepened our relationship and our love for one another with how open and honest we are about absolutely everything. Radical honesty is our one and only rule, and we have it all the time, not just when discussing our vacation fun. Anything can be tackled together with that approach, and it’s helped us immensely through the years. When Scotty and I break apart after a moment, he walks over to give Joey a hug as well. My eyes rake over the two of them together, and my mind flashes back to our first and only time with him all those years ago.Fuck, that was fun.#lexiamber #becbenson #holidayromance #mmmromance The Author Agency ...

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