lgbtq

The Greek Tycoon’s Green Card Groom by Kate McMurray: New Release Blast and Guest post

July 15, 2016 by Denise

synopsis

Marriage gets less convenient when love is involved.

It started simple: Ondrej Kovac marries Archie Katsaros so Ondrej can stay in the US, away from his judgmental family in eastern Europe. Archie marries Ondrej in exchange for the money to bail out his failing company. It’s a fraud neither man is convinced he can pull off.

But as Archie introduces Ondrej to New York society and Ondrej proves his skill in the office, they start to discover a connection between them. Can they overcome the rocky foundation their relationship was built on, meddling immigration agents, gossip columnists determined to out their deception, and an aggressive executive set on selling Archie’s company out from under him? Only if they can prove to each other their love is worth fighting for.

Title: The Greek Tycoon’s Green Card Groom
Author: Kate McMurray
Release Date: July 15, 2016
Category: Dreamspun Desires, Contemporary
Pages: 218

Guest Post

My high school best friend lived overseas for three years between undergrad and law school. He’d done a summer program in Europe between junior and senior year and fell in love with the city he’d lived in. When he went back for his three-year stint as an ex-pat, he fell in love with a man.

Shortly after he moved to New York for law school, we had coffee and he explained that his boyfriend was having trouble getting a visa to stay in the U.S., so they were rendezvousing in England, somewhere they could both meet without risk of deportation, every other month. My friend had gotten a job against the rules of his program, which forbid first-year law students from working because it distracted from studying, so that he could afford to fly to England a few times a semester.

That was unsustainable; my friend wound up finishing law school in London. He and his now husband set up a life there. It sounds grand and romantic, but it’s complicated by the fact that my friend had been accepted at one of the best law schools in the country, located close to his family and friends, but the love of his life was on the other side of the ocean. If the Defense of Marriage Act had not still been the law of the land, the story might have played out differently. When the U.S. Supreme Court finally did make marriage equality a reality for every American, my friend already had a life and a home in Europe.

But he was very much on my mind when the law changed. And he was on my mind when I started writing a book about a gay green card marriage.

Because that’s a thing you can have now.

It’s one of those tropes you see on TV or in books that plays out in predictable ways: two people enter into a marriage of convenience so that one of them can stay in the U.S., despite risking getting caught by Immigration. And there’s always a scene where Immigration does a home visit and nearly catches the lie.

I researched it, and it turns out that there are too many green card marriages for Immigration to actually check up on all of them, so the reality is that, although marriage fraud is illegal, a lot of people who enter into such arrangements are probably not caught. But large sums of money being exchanged do tend to catch the attention of Immigration.

Anyway, there’s some reality in those old silly tropes, and I tried to be conscious of it as I wrote. Hopefully the book is mostly just fun, though.

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Dreamspinner Press

meet the author

Kate McMurray is an award-winning romance author and an unabashed romance fan. When she’s not writing, she works as a nonfiction editor, dabbles in various crafts, and is maybe a tiny bit obsessed with baseball. She has served as President of Rainbow Romance Writers and is currently the president of the New York City chapter of RWA. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Website: http://www.katemcmurray.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/katemcmwriter

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

Not A Game by Cardeno C : Release Day Review

July 15, 2016 by Denise

synopsis

An accidental meeting and a misunderstanding lead to a life-altering connection.

A new job, a new city, and hopefully a new life. When chubby gamer Oliver Barnaby receives a job offer from the best boutique game developer in the country, he leaves his family and his less than spectacular existence in Oklahoma without a second’s hesitation. Determined to change more than his career and his geography, Oliver implements a plan to finally land a boyfriend. Step one is improving his skills in the bedroom.

A life that looks perfect on paper, but feels empty in reality. Attractive, successful, charismatic Jaime Snow has a life other people envy. His already booming business is growing. He isn’t lacking in friends. And he has no trouble finding a date. But there’s an emptiness in Jaime’s heart and a hole in his life that only the right man can fill.

An accidental meeting, a misunderstanding, and falling in love. When Oliver and Jaime end up at the same bar at the same time, they each see something they want in the other. Going to bed together that first night is easy. Building the lifetime relationship they both desperately crave will require trust, time, and a little misunderstanding.

denise review

If you want an angst filled, nail biter of a story, Not A Game isn’t the book for you. However, if you want what I think is Cardeno C‘s specialty, a romance set in the real world, with characters that you can relate to, then this book is a great choice!

Oliver is a chubby game developer who decides to move across the country to start a new job, and a new life, and decides to press the reset button on his love life by getting lessons on loving from a male escort. In walks Jamie, and they begin a misunderstanding that Jamie is loathe to correct until he can figure out how to do it and keep Oliver in his life.

I really enjoyed getting to know Oliver, and all his quirks. Everything was a numbers game for him, down to figuring out the number of people attending a party. Logic and forthright understanding was how Oliver worked through his life. If he could quantify it, or explain it rationally, then he could understand it, and move on. However, if it made no sense, then his nerves ballooned, and he would shut down. This was so true to how many people deal with every day life situations. It was just one more reason to love the character of Oliver.

Jamie was so sweet and loving, caring for Oliver as much as he could, showing him how important he was, and how attractive he found him. He let Oliver know that his size was desirable to him, not a turn off, emphasizing it when Oliver needed it most. Jamie showed himself to be the boyfriend that Oliver needed and wanted.

I would have liked to see a bit more of a conflict, to see how these men dealt with issues that needed resolution. There were a couple things that I thought needed to be resolved, for Oliver’s comfort level to be where he needed it to be to be comfortable in his relationship with Jamie. However, a sweet read like this doesn’t necessarily need conflict to be enjoyable, and leave the reader wanting the HEA that came at the end.

And of course, we have a great setup to see what is ahead for Jack, as he ventures back into the world of dating after 8 years of a broken heart. Looking forward to that, because CC will no doubt give us what we are craving.

4 pieces of eye candy

4-pieces-of-eye-candy

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Lock and Key by Z. Allora: Release Day Review

July 15, 2016 by Denise

synopsis

Rejected. Heartbroken. Devastated.

Zack Davis wanted to serve only one man, Andrew Nikeman. He was denied because Andrew thought he was too young and because their brothers were together. So Zack crushed his submissive tendencies and focused on being the perfect Dom, giving every sub he played with something he couldn’t have.

After years of denying his submissive side, Entwined’s charity auction “Are you Dom Enough to be a sub?” gives Zack an excuse to get a little of what he’s always craved.

Andrew doesn’t know when his infatuation turned into more, but it kills him to see Zack with a constant parade of submissives. He’d refused to jeopardize his brother’s relationship or become Zack’s regret; however, Zack isn’t a kid anymore, and his brother’s relationship is unbreakable. Now Zack’s popularity and success as a Dom might ruin Andrew’s dreams of collaring him, but he can’t wait any longer to confess his feelings or he risks losing the man he loves forever.

Title: Lock and Key
Author: Z. Allora
Release Date: July 15, 2016
Category: BDSM, Contemporary
Pages: 300

deanna review

I really got into this book. I love a story told over a long period of time and this one spans years.

Zack has been in love with Drew since the moment he saw him. Drew brings out Zack’s submissive side and he longs to give himself to the older man. Drew thinks Zack is too young and since their brothers are dating he doesn’t want to rock the boat.

Zack finally gets up the courage to tell Drew what he wants and he is rejected instantly. Zack and Drew both belong to the BDSM club Entwined and Zack decides if he can’t be Drew’s sub than he will be the best Dom anyone has ever seen and help subs find what he never can.

For two years Drew watches Zack grow and mature in Entwined. The easy friendship the two had is now awkward and uncomfortable. Entwined is hosting a charity event “Are you Dom enough to Sub for a night?” Zack decides the cause is worthy and he is willing to see if anyone can offer him what he was hoping for with Drew.

When nerves get the best of him Zack decides to wear a blindfold during the charity auction. Drew decides he will win Zack no matter the cost, the two spend an explosive weekend together. Both of them try to withhold their feelings and expectations which leads to each of them misunderstanding what the weekend means to them.

Once they collectively pull their heads out of their asses they realize they were meant for each other. But just because the are now together doesn’t mean the communication needs to stop. Zack is terrified to put himself out there again after Drew’s initial rejection and Drew incorrectly assumed that Zack needs to take it slow. It will take their brothers to help keep them on the right path to happiness.

I really enjoyed this story. The BDSM books I have read recently have been all sex and very little plot, but this was the exact opposite. Don’t get me wrong, there was sex. Really hot sex, but the story was well thought out and moved along at a steady pace.

There were a ton of supporting characters and sometimes my feeble brain confused them. This book wasn’t listed as part of a series or the first in a spin of series but all the supporting characters already have their own books. You don’t have to read those stories to enjoy this one. I’m off to read about some of those other books.

4 pieces of eye candy

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Dreamspinner Press

Love is Love Anthology Book Blast – Poems in aid of the Orlando Pulse Attack

July 15, 2016 by Denise

A collection of poems composed by over fifty authors in aid of the victims and survivors of the Orlando Pulse Attack.

On June 12, 2016, the most horrendous mass shooting in US history and an unfathomable act of hate was directed at the LGBT community in Orlando. The horror of this tragedy reverberated around the world, leaving millions shocked and appalled at the senseless violence that destroyed so many innocent lives.

In a display of solidarity with the victims and survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting, a group of LGBTQ+ and straight allies, from all across the globe, came together to produce a collection of poems in celebration of love and acceptance. The resulting Love is Love Poetry Anthology is dedicated to the families and victims of the shooting and all proceeds of this work will be donated to Equality Florida’s Pulse Victims Fund.

In this small way, the authors, along with the readers who purchase this work, seek to contribute to the lives of those who still suffer from the consequences of the malice directed toward them, and offer some positivity and compassion in the face of such bigotry.

Contributing Authors:

AC Benus, Aditus, Andrew Jericho, Ann Anderson, Ash Marie, Asta Idonea, Betti Gefecht, Cam Kennedy, Cynus Eldranai, Darren White, dughlas, Eddy LeFey, Eden Winters, EmiGS Em, F.E. Feeley Jr., Gelybi , Headstall, Jack L. Pyke, Jana Denardo, Jason Frazier, Jay Rookwood, J.L. Merrow, Karina Rye, Kathy Griffith, Kay Ellis, Kaye P. Hallows, Kit Loffstadt, Laura B. Damone, Layla Dorine, Lily G. Blunt, L.J. Harris, L.M. Somerton, Louis Stevens, L.S.K Harris, L.V. Lloyd, Lynn Michaels, Maggie Chatterton, Maria Siopis, Monika De Giorgi, Parker Owens, Patricia Nelson, Pelaam, Petra Howard, Ravyn Bryce, Rick R. Reed, Ruski, Valik and Addy, S.J. Davis, Skylar M. Cates, Star Brady, Steve Baldry, Susan Crane, Tamara Miles, Tash Hatzipetrou, Tim Landon, Tracy Gee, Vicki Tubridy, Victoria Kinnaird, and Wendy Rathbone.

Lily-Love-is-love-JayAheer2016-banner2

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Paperback

Amazon.com | Amazon UK | CreateSpace

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Add on Goodreads

Sincere thanks go to everyone who contributed their time, energy, and skills in the making of this beautiful anthology.

Special thanks also go to Jay Aheer (Simply Defined Art) for the fabulous cover art, Kelly O’Brien for the ‘Love Wins’ artwork, and Petra Howard and Tash Hatzipetrou for proofreading the final document.

orlandofinal

Many thanks to Kelly O’Brien for contributing the

“Love Wins’ artwork.

giveaway

ENTER TO WIN A PAPERBACK COPY OF THE ANTHOLOGY

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Complexity by Harper Miller : New Release Blog Tour

July 15, 2016 by Denise

Title: Complexity

Series: A Kinky Connect Chronicles Novella

Author: Harper Miller

Genre: M/M Erotica Novella

Published: July 8, 2016

Fairy tale endings weren’t made for people like me. Happy for now usually ain’t in the cards, either.

The dents on my wall from where my headboard kept knockin’ against the same spot was the first clue that I needed to calm my ass down. At the rate I was racking up notches and plowing through hookups, I wasn’t ever gonna find nothing real. Guess I kinda jinxed myself. I created my circumstances. You can’t get what you want if you keep falling back into the same pattern of bad habits. But then things changed. I stumbled onto somethin’ I never in a million years expected to happen. You gotta understand, I’m never the guy who wins. It was supposed to be just sex, but that shifty rhyming and scheming bastard, Cupid, pulled a fast one.

I may have changed some stuff to protect a couple of people. But before you go believing the tabloids, make sure you understand that you’re gettin’ the lowdown straight from the source.

I needed to get this off my chest, and it’s only fair that you at least get my side of it all. At some point, I might regret telling you any of this, but for now, you need to know.

*Disclaimer* This is a novella. Not a short story, novelette, or novel. This tale features an M/M pairing. If gay erotica/erotic romance is not your cup of tea and you are offended by same-sex relationships or crass language, you should bypass this story. Content is intended for a mature audience, 18+.

Complexity is the fourth installment in The Kinky Connect Chronicles. The Kinky Connect Chronicles are short erotic stories/novelettes all wrapped up in neat little bows. These stories are standalones. No cliffhangers in the lot!

© Harper Miller 2016

“Hey,” he says. The hoarse sound of his voice catches me off guard and a stabbing sensation seizes my chest. I know it’s all in my head, but it’s like rapid, tiny needle pricks all over my skin.

I’m a mess.

Has it only been a week since I’ve heard his voice? Hearing him now—just that one syllable—is painful relief. No matter what’s going through my head, right now I’ve gotta keep my shit together.

“Hey, yourself.”

“It’s good to hear your voice, Manny. You’ve been avoiding me.” Wasn’t a question, but a statement—a true statement.

“Yep,” I nonchalantly reply. “If you’re leaving messages and callin’ me ‘Emmanuel,’ then you must really wanna get my attention.”

He lets out a half chuckle. “I’ve been trying to get your attention all week. I’ve missed your company. Care to tell me why you’re shunning me?”

I avoid answering his question and ask one of my own instead. “Were you really gonna make a trip up here?”

Ever since this little thing between us started, I’ve always headed downtown to his place. He’s never come up here. Too many things could go wrong and make a bad situation epically worse. There are mild fuckups and things you can’t come back from. Me taking the trip downtown is a better bet.

“If you didn’t pick up your phone, yes. I’ve been calling and calling and calling. And would have pounded on your door all night. I’d do whatever needed to be done until you talked to me. It’s been a week, Manny. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”

Avoiding his question again, I say, “That ain’t the smartest move, loco. You’re not exactly unrecognizable. The paparazzi would be up here with the quickness. Not to mention the cops. You don’t come up here making a crapload of noise and not expect the cops to get called.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It was a dumb idea, but I wasn’t thinking. You do that to me, you know—cause me to not think straight.”

“I see,” I respond with a low grunt. He always does that shit. Make comments about how I affect him. I quickly wonder if he’d been leavin’ me a trail of bread crumbs all this time. Hope slams against my rib cage. Does he have feelings for me too?

“Can I see you, Manny?” he asks, his voice that syrupy-sweet tone he uses when we’re in bed. The shit that sucker punches me right in the gut. And now I’m hot, but for an altogether different reason.

“What do you need to see me for? Armand not occupying enough of your time?” I was being a dick, but whateva.

“Ah, so now we’re getting somewhere. That’s why you’ve been avoiding me? Because of Armand?”

I remain silent.

“Manny?”

“What?” I can’t deal right now. Not with the way he says my name. . . .Manipulative bastard.

“Come see me. Let’s talk about it.”

“Nah. No need.” I’m acting like a pissy bitch, but I don’t care. “Got a client in the morning and have to be up early.”

“Fine, you won’t come here, then I’m coming to you.”

“Didn’t we just agree that that is a dumb idea? What the fuck are you doing?”

“You might not want to talk, Manny, but clearly some things need to be addressed. Avoiding the issue won’t make it go away. We need to straighten this out, now.”

“Mierda,” I mumble under my breath.

“I’ll be there in an hour,” he says before hanging up, leaving me no time to talk him out of it.

I almost fling the phone across the room, but if I do, I won’t have shit to use once it’s broken. I bite down on my tongue to tamp back my anger, and I ain’t tasting whiskey no more.

He’s an idiot. An idiot for comin’ into my space. An idiot for putting himself out there like that. So what if I wouldn’t go to him? I had been tryna put some distance between us, but it only seemed to make shit more difficult for me, and there is only one explanation.

Love. I’m in love with a guy, and I’m so fuckin’ angry. Angry because I can’t do anything about it. I tried to fight it, and I mean hard, but the way I reacted to his voice and to him threatening to trek up to my apartment, risking shit just to talk to me, tells me all I need to know.

I am in love with Christopher.

Harper Miller is a thirty-something native New Yorker. She’s traveled the world and lived in a variety of places but always finds her way back to the Big Apple.

A lackluster love life leaves time to explore new interests, for Harper it is writing. The Sweetest Taboo: An Unconventional Romance is her debut novel. In her mind, the perfect Alpha male possesses intellect, humor, and a kinky streak that rivals the size of California.

When she isn’t writing, Harper utilizes her graduate degree in the field of medical research. She enjoys fitness-related activities, drinking copious amounts of wine and going on bad dates.

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Smoke & Mirrors by Charlie Cochet : Blog Tour, Playlist, Review and Giveaway

July 14, 2016 by Denise

Hello, all! Welcome to the next stop on the Smoke & Mirrors blog tour, celebrating the release of the 7th book in the THIRDS series. For those of you familiar with the series, you know what an important part music plays in both the books, and in the characters’ lives, especially in Dex’s life.

Most often than not, I listen to music while writing. Throughout the THIRDS especially, I listen to a lot to classic rock and eighties music, as well as some modern day pop. I have a paid Pandora subscription and several favorite stations set up for writing. When I come across songs that perfectly fit either the scene I’m writing, or fit great with another scene, they tend to make the playlist for that book.

A good deal of the time, it’s about the sound of the song and the mood it evokes, followed by the lyrics. Sometimes a song might inspire a scene, or something that happens in a scene. It helps me visualize what’s happening at that moment, and comes through in the description. For example, Lay All Your Love on Me by ABBA came on, and it inspired the dance sequence in Chapter 5 of Smoke & Mirrors. It also fits nicely when the brawl breaks out. I like to have a good mix of tunes from different genres and decades. Hope you enjoy it!

Spotify Link: http://bit.ly/SMPlaylist

Smoke & Mirrors Playlist

1. Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
2. Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones
3. What I like About You – The Romantics
4. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
5. Never Tear Us Apart – Paloma Faith
6. Lay All Your Love on Me – ABBA
7. Chains – Nick Jonas
8. Like I’m Gonna Lose You ft. John Legend – Meghan Trainor
9. Harden My Heart – Quarterflash
10. Smoke + Mirrors – Imagine Dragons
11. Unsteady – X Ambassadors
12. Home – Phillip Phillips
13. Centuries – Fall Out Boy
14. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
15. Irresistible – Fall Out Boy

ABOUT THE BOOK

Genre: Paranormal Gay Romance
Series: THIRDS
Length: Novel
Published: July 8th, 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Ebook ISBN-13: 9781634773871
Paperback ISBN-13: 9781634773874

Life for Dexter J. Daley has never been easy, but he’s always found a way to pick himself back up with a smile on his face. Taken from his home, and the arms of his boyfriend and THIRDS partner, Sloane Brodie, Dex finds himself in a situation as mysterious and lethal as the Therian interrogating him. Dex learns what he’s secretly believed all along: his parents’ death wasn’t an accident.

Discovering the whole truth about John and Gina Daley’s homicide sets off a series of events that will change Dex and Sloane’s lives forever. As buried secrets rise to the surface and new truths are revealed, Dex and Sloane’s love for each other is put to the test, with more than their relationship on the line. If traversing the waters of murder and secret government agencies wasn’t enough, something inexplicable has been happening to Dex—and nothing will ever be the same.

ADD TO GOODREADS

READ CHAPTER ONE

DREAMSPINNER PRESS EBOOK | DREAMSPINNER PRESS PAPERBACK :: AMAZON :: ARe :: BARNES & NOBLE

michelle review
OMG….THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING WITH A BIG FAT CHERRY ON TOP
Hi, my name is Michelle, and I am a THIRDS NERD ADDICT! This little series has become quiet the obsession. It took a big push from a fantastic person to start the series and I am so happy I did. I am now a complete addict! Cochet is one of the best writers I have had the privilege to read. Her THIRDS world is unique but not too farfetched that you have no idea what you just read.
Cochet left me in a massive book hang over at the end of Catch a Tiger. It was a major cliffhanger and I have been chomping at the bits to see what happened. Smoke & Mirrors picks up exactly where book 6 left off.
I was nervous to start this. Wondering what would happen to Dex? Would Sloan and Dex’s relationship change? What happens if they can’t fix what happened? OMG….What if Dex never returned? I was already getting teary-eyed and getting heart palps wondering WHAT IF.
Talk about PACKING A PUNCH from the start. I will admit the beginning is not for the faint at heart! Cochet once again put some much emotion into every scene you can’t help but feel the agony and pain that Dex is going through.
Cochet delivers another no-holds-bar book with everything we expect to see……Action, Secrets (BIG SECRETS), Surprises at every turn and hot-off-the-chart scenes with our favorite couple.
If you’re already a THIRDS NERD than you already know what kind of rollercoaster ride you are in for. If you haven’t started the series…..YOU BETTER GET TO BUYING! You will need to start at book 1 but it is soooooo worth.
I will sit here patiently in the corner waiting for the next book! I will try not to ask WHEN… WHEN…WHEN because I know it will be worth the wait.
You are the SH@T Charlie……………………….5 BIG BRIGHT PIECES OF EYE CANDY

5-pieces-eye-candy6

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

SERIES READING ORDER

Hell & High Water (THIRDS, Book 1)
Blood & Thunder (THIRDS Book 2)
Rack & Ruin (THIRDS, Book 3)
Rise & Fall (THIRDS, Book 4)
Against the Grain (THIRDS, Book 5)
Catch a Tiger by the Tail (THIRDS, Book 6)
Smoke & Mirrors (THIRDS, Book 7)

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