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Ghosts by Jackie Keswick : Blog tour and Review

February 18, 2016 by Denise

GHOSTS
by Jackie Keswick
The Power of Zero #2
Publication Date: February 10, 2016
Genres: Adult,Contemporary, LGBT, M/M, Novella, Romance, Suspense

BUY: Amazon • B&N • KOBO • iBooks • ARe • Dreamspinner Press

Synopsis: Jack Horwood doesn’t do families. Or Christmas. From the time his mother sold him to her pimp to the moment he walked out on the man he loved, Christmas has always been about change and painful choices. This year seems no different. Helping Daniel and Nico recover from their imprisonment and hunting down those responsible puts Jack in a frame of mind he doesn’t want to inflict on anyone. Least of all Gareth and the tentative relationship they’ve started to rebuild.

But Gareth, for whom Christmas is all about new beginnings, won’t let Jack take the easy way out. He makes him face his ghosts instead. Even when said ghosts invade their bedroom.

When Daniel’s parents are found, Jack is determined to settle the matter without involving Daniel at all. But fate decrees otherwise, and it’s Gareth who helps him finally understand that the strongest bonds are those forged together. Once he gets that, Jack can step up and make a decision designed to lay his ghosts to rest—for good.

Leaving his lover frustrated on Christmas morning had not been Gareth’s intention. In fact, he’d planned on a little relaxation for both of them before the house filled with guests, and he’d risen early to get the turkey started and to treat Jack to breakfast in bed.

Jack hadn’t complained. Not about the early start to their day—though he had wrapped himself around Gareth’s pillow, burrowed back under the quilt, and muttered something about turkeys and the outer circle of hell when Gareth got out of bed just after six—and certainly not about the large mug of coffee and warm cherry pies Gareth had brought up a while later.

The come-hither smile Gareth so adored found its way onto Jack’s face while the coffee did its work, and then Jack leaned to set his empty plate down—on Gareth’s bedside table—the quilt sliding to expose the small of Jack’s back and that perfect ass.

Gareth resisted the urge to drag his teeth down that elegant spine, to tease the sensitive spot just above the swell of a cheek, and hear the deep, husky groan spilling from Jack’s throat. Instead, he slid one hand into mussed, inky spikes while the other gripped a shoulder, and pulled Jack’s face up. “You’ve had your taste of coffee,” he declared firmly. “Now I want mine.”

It so wasn’t Gareth’s fault that his phone rang just as things got interesting.

Or that he was too conscientious to ignore it.

“That was Rose. They’ve just finished debriefing,” he said moments later, draping his weight over Jack’s warm back.

He was grateful that he didn’t need to explain how one felt at the end of a long night debriefing a mission. Jack knew, and he wouldn’t mind that Gareth had offered breakfast to the team, but the tension in the slim frame spoke volumes.

“I’ll make it up to you later tonight—” Gareth whispered the promise, blunt nails scraping over Jack’s scalp. “—and tomorrow… and the day after.” Every word was a soft brush of lips against Jack’s nape until Gareth could feel the shivers running down Jack’s spine.

“Not helping, Gareth,” Jack grumbled. “Go take a shower. I need a minute.”

The story picks up at Christmas time and we get to see how Jack and Gareth’s relationship is progressing and how Nico and Daniel are recovering.

For Jack Horwood Christmas has always been about change and hard choices while for Gareth it signifies happiness and new beginnings. Gareth can feel Jack pulling away, but can he convince him that a family not of blood but of his own choosing can make him feel whole and grounded? After learning Daniel’s parents have been found Jack realizes he will do anything to protect the boys, even making them his. Maybe this Christmas will be different for Jack and the changes will be good for all of them.

I enjoyed this story as a continuation of Job Hunt but I still have some unanswered questions. I’m hoping that they will be answered in book 3. Overall the story was enjoyable and I loved seeing the same familiar characters.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE POWER OF ZERO SERIES…

JOB HUNT
by Jackie Keswick
The Power of Zero #1
Publication Date: May 13, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, M/M, Romance, Suspense

BUY: Amazon • Amazon PRINT • B&N • KOBO • iBooks • ARe • Dreamspinner Press

Synopsis: You don’t greet your new boss dressed like an underage rent boy. But when Jack Horwood—ace hacker and ex-MI6 operative—opens the door to Gareth Flynn, he’s too busy to worry over details like that. And anyway, his potential new boss is his former Commanding Officer – the same guy Jack has had a crush on since he was seventeen. So he should understand, right?

When he applied for the job in Nancarrow Mining’s corporate security division, Jack had hoped for peaceful days repelling cyber attacks. Maybe a bit of corporate espionage on the side. His plans didn’t include rescuing abused children, hunting pimps, or dealing with his overly protective and hot-as-hell boss, Gareth Flynn.

Walking away is not an option. Jack never takes the easy way out. More than that, meeting Gareth raises old ghosts that Jack needs to put to rest. Rescuing kids. Taking risks. Saving the day. Jack can do all that – but deciding what to do about his attraction to Gareth isn’t the sort of cloak-and-dagger game Jack plays well. Yet Gareth, strong and smart and always on hand when needed, might be Jack’s salvation.

ABOUT JACKIE KESWICK

Jackie Keswick was born behind the Iron Curtain with itchy feet, a bent for rocks and a recurrent dream of stepping off a bus in the middle of nowhere to go home. She’s worked in a hospital and as the only girl with 52 men on an oil rig, spent a winter in Moscow and a summer in Iceland and finally settled in the country of her dreams with her dream team: a husband, a cat, a tandem, a hammer and a laptop.

Jackie loves stories about unexpected reunions and second chances, and men who don’t follow the rules when those rules are stupid. She has a thing for green eyes and tight cyclist’s butts and is a great believer in making up soundtracks for everything, including her characters and the cat.

And she still hasn’t found the place where the bus stops.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

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The Art of Hero Worship by Mia Kerick : Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

February 17, 2016 by Denise

Trembling on the floor, pressed beneath a row of seats in a dark theater, college freshman Jason Tripp listens to the terrifying sound of gunshots, as an unknown shooter moves methodically through the theater, randomly murdering men, women, and children attending a student performance of Hamlet. Junior Liam Norcross drapes his massive body on top of Jason, sheltering the younger man from the deathly hail of bullets, risking his life willingly, and maybe even eagerly.

As a result of the shared horror, an extraordinary bond forms between the two young men, which causes discomfort for family and friends, as well as for Jason and Liam, themselves. And added to the challenge of two previously “straight” men falling into a same-sex love, are the complications that arise from the abundance of secrets Liam holds with regard to a past family tragedy. The fledgling passion between the men seems bound to fade away into the darkness from which it emerged.

Jason, however, is inexplicably called to rescue his hero in return, by delving into Liam’s shady past and uncovering the mystery that compels the older man to act as the college town’s selfless savior.

The Art of Hero Worship takes the reader on a voyage from the dark and chilling chaos that accompanies a mass shooting to the thrill of an unexpected and sensual romance.

Author Name: Mia Kerick

Book Name: The Art of Hero Worship

Release Date: February 14, 2016

Pages or Words: 212 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Gay Fiction,

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing

Cover Artist: Louis C. Harris

How the Cookie Crumbles by Jaime Samms: Blog Tour, Guest Post and Giveaway

February 16, 2016 by Denise

After losing a rigged cooking show competition—and a potential lover—to another baker, Frederic Jackson packs up his considerable baggage and moves to Bluewater Bay. He uses the network’s hush money to buy a new bakery where he hopes the small town’s revitalized economy will let him start anew.

Blaire Caruthers never wanted to work for his father at Caruthers Industries. He should have known that fixing the company’s show results was a mistake, and that choosing another man over kind, generous Frederic was an even bigger one. But the damage is done. To escape the fallout, he’s gone to Bluewater Bay to oversee the company’s interest in Wolf’s Landing merchandise.

Stuck in a small, nowhere town doing a job he hates, Blaire wants nothing more than to prove to Frederic he’s changed. However, Frederic struggles to trust the man who betrayed him once already. As Blaire loses ground with his father, and Frederic starts falling back into self-destructive habits, they both have to find the balance and control that’s been missing from their lives.

Guest Post

I was thinking about topics and there are so many to chose from. Like the ubiquitous “Five Fun Things About Yourself” Post. But…Not that I’m not a fun person, I’m just not all that interesting. So how about “Five Fun Facts About My Characters”?

Coffee. So much coffee. In fact, I made an effort in this book to create a character who isn’taddicted to the stuff. It was a chore, trust me. I had to consciously give him a reason not to drink gallons of it, so I didn’t accidentally make him yet another caffeine guzzling-fiend.

2.The Struggling Artist.

So many of my guys are of the creative persuasion. Graphic artists, writers, painters, dancers, photographers, models, the list goes on, even to include a baker, now. Who doesn’t like a sweet confection that is also a work of art to look at, right? This latest book is no exception, then. It seems to be a theme.

Everyone Reads. Everyone. It’s a thing. I can’t imagine writing a character who isn’t as addicted to the written word as I am to coffee. It would be weird and unsettling. Some read for recreation, some for escape, some to relax. Some to hide. But 4 out of five of my guys will be readers. In fact, one was even a librarian. Him, I liked.

Take Out Kings. None of them can cook. Either they never learned, or can’t be bothered, or don’t have time to feed themselves. Even my little baker subsists on take out Italian and pizza delivery, poor dear. The fast food places in my imaginary worlds will never go out of business, that’s for darn sure!

Introvert Extraordinaire. Don’t get me wrong. Some of my guys are brash, bold and in your face. But the vast majority tend toward the introverted, quiet, shy and/or retiring type. Safe to say: I write a lot of beta guys.

So there you have it. Five Fun Facts About My Characters. Wait….Let me look those over again… Five Fun Facts About My Characters Me.

Well, they do say “Write what you know”. It makes me wonder how much more of myself is in these guys than I even realized. I do identify strongly with Frederic in this book. Not that I bake, because no. No one wants that. But I understand him in a lot of ways. It made this story a lot of fun to write.

Amazon

Jaime has been writing for various publishers since the fall of 2008, although she’s been writing for herself far longer. Often asked, “Why men? What’s so fascinating about writing stories about men falling in love?”, she’s never come up with a clear answer. Just that these are the stories that she loves to read, so it seemed to make sense if she was going to write, they would also be the stories she wrote.

These days, you can find plenty of free reading on her website. She also writes for Freya’s Bower, Jupiter Gardens, and Total E-Bound, Dreamspinner Press, MLR Press, and Riptide Publishing.

Spare time, when it can be found rolled into a ball at the back of the dryer or cavorting with the dust bunnies in the corners, she’s probably spending crocheting, drawing, gardening (weather permitting, of course, since she is Canadian!), or watching movies. She has a day job, as well, which she loves, and two kids, but thankfully, also a wonderful husband who shoulders more than his fair share of household and child-care responsibilities.

She graduated some time ago from college with a fine arts diploma, and a major in textile arts, which basically qualifies her to draw pictures and create things with string and fabric. One always needs an official slip of paper to fall back on after all. . .

Connect with Jamie:

Website: www.jaime-samms.com

Blog: www.jaime-samms.com/blog

Twitter: twitter.com/JaimeSamms

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/jaimesamms

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/2631049.Jaime_Samms

Leave a comment for a chance to win $20 in Riptide credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 20, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Bondage Rescue by Morticia Knight : Release Day Blast, Excerpt and Giveaway

February 16, 2016 by Denise

Kyle’s best friend Marshall resurfaces and he’s in a lot of trouble. Can the men at Kiss of Leather convince a former Dom to take on the mouthy sub?

Master Derek and his new sub Corey have signed a contract and enjoy their first scene together. The love between them is strong and Derek is as protective of his boy as ever. The only thing left that would make their world perfect would be to bring Corey’s ex-Dom and abuser to justice.

The legal firm that represents Kiss of Leather is charged with hiring a private investigator to flush out the man who orchestrated Corey’s gang rape. Stone Manning is hesitant to take the job, though. He was once wrongly accused in the death of a sub and swore never to enter a BDSM club again. But he owes attorney Glen Sharp his life after the lawyer got him acquitted.

Their meeting is disrupted when Kyle’s missing friend Marshall calls for help. Master Josh promises to help the mouthy Marshall get back on his feet under one condition: Marshall must sign a six month D/s contract as a fulltime sub and prove he can fully submit to a man as well as learn to respect those around him.

Stone Manning suddenly finds himself charged with taming the brattiest sub ever. In truth, the bigger the brat, the more his heart races with excitement. Marshall promises to be just the type of challenge to inspire Stone to be a Master again. As Stone learns more about him, he sees the pain that Marshall has always tried to numb with drugs and alcohol. Stone also sees a man he could love – if he can ever reach him.

In the meantime, Stone and his investigative partner, Chuck, continue to search for Corey’s attacker. The abusive Dom appears to have gone underground. But what they don’t realize is that the closer they get to their prey, the more dangerous he becomes.

The Fireman in Unit C by Kris Cook: New Release Book Blast and Giveaway

February 15, 2016 by Denise

Title: The Fireman in Unit C

Series: A Mockingbird Place Novel

Author: Kris Cook

Genre: M/M Romance Standalone

Release Date: February 15, 2016

A serial arsonist sets fire to the unit next to Jackson’s apartment—the unit the sexy fireman Eli lives in.

Things really heat up when Jackson offers Eli a place to stay until Unit C is livable again. Jackson, being OCD, requires everything in his life to be neat and orderly, but Eli’s life is chaotic and messy, especially because of the man’s ex, who keeps pushing his way back into the fireman’s life. Living with Eli turns out to be much more than he bargained for. As much as he would love to just throw caution to the wind, Jackson believes it is best to keep things between him an Eli on the friend level. Nothing more. But an unexpected kiss rocks his world and he must figure out the real reason he’s terrified of the feelings Eli is bringing out in him.

Will Jackson see that a future with Eli can help him let go of the guilt from his troubled past?

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Though starting in straight erotic romance, Kris’s total focus now is on gay romance. When asked why recently, his answer was “My muse finally came out of the closet. Isn’t it about time? I’ve been out since I was twenty-five.” A voracious reader, Kris loves many genres of fiction, but this writer’s favorite books are romances that are edgy, sexy, with rich characters and unique challenges. Kris’ influences include Anne Rice, JR Ward, Lexi Blake and Shayla Black. Last year, Kris married the love of his life Stephen.

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What Lies Between Us by Felice Stevens : Release Day Blast, Excerpt and Giveaway

February 14, 2016 by Denise

What Lies Between Us

A Breakfast Club Novella

Felice Stevens

M/M Romance

Cover Designer: Reese Dante

Cover Photo: Stock Photo

Release Date: 02.14.16

Goodreads: https://goo.gl/pCgkE7

Now that he’s living with Sam Stein, Zach Cohen is finally ready to move on from his unhappy past. His days are filled with wedding preparations, yet he still finds time to make plans and decisions without consulting Sam and his mother, firmly believing he knows best.

Sam is ready to settle in for the perfect life with Zach but years of bad habits have come back to haunt him. Struggling to accept himself and his future, he chooses not to share his fears, unwilling to look weak in Zach’s eyes.

Real life gets in the way of the best intentions and when their secrets explode, the aftermath challenges the foundation of a relationship both believed unshakeable. Falling in love is the easy part, and Zach and Sam discover that only with honesty can they overcome what threatens to tear them apart.

This is a novella of approximately 25,000 words in The Breakfast Club series

WLBUTeas2

On his way home, he stopped to get himself a coffee and decided to sit for a while in the warm, pleasantly scented coffeehouse. Zach wondered if the handsome, tattooed man sitting next to him, reading On the Road by Kerouac was there simply to be in the company of strangers, or if he was interested in socializing with people who had similar interests as his own. Like the young woman giving him furtive glances over the top of her e-reader.

How would these total strangers initially meet, and how would social media play a part? Zach thought about everything he’d done today and continued to watch the woman watch the man reading. Zach feverishly began to take notes on his phone, staring off into space every once in a while only to start up again when a fresh spurt of ideas hit him. He stopped only once, and that was to plug in his phone so he wouldn’t lose battery.

Shadows draped across the room, veiling tabletops and the customers’ faces with the oncoming darkness. The man who’d initially caught his attention had long since departed as had the young woman. When Zach glanced at the time he was startled to see it was almost five p.m. He hadn’t gotten so involved in anything other than the wedding or him and Sam since they’d met. It had been almost six months since he’d had an idea for a new social media app, and this one excited him.

While he’d been in the zone and working, his mother had answered him, agreeing that the food looked good, and wishing them luck, nothing more. Perplexed over her less than excited response, Zach heeded Sam’s advice and merely answered: Thanks, and nothing further.

He backed up his notes and unplugged his phone. Zach made sure to go to the counter and leave a generous tip for the baristas; he thought it only fair since he’d hogged a table for so long.

The air seared with a sharp bite upon exiting the warm cocoon of the coffeehouse, and Zach put his head down into the wind. It always blew coldest right off the river, and he increased his stride down the block toward home when his phone rang. He waited until he turned the corner and the rush of the wind died down across his face, before pulling out his phone.

His favorite picture of Sam flying his kite, head tipped up to the sky and eyes crinkled with laughter, flashed up on the screen. Impossible to imagine they’d been together only about a year and a half.

“Hi, what’s up?”

“Are you home yet?”

“Almost. I’m down the block, why?”

“Because I finished earlier than I thought and I’m coming home and want you to be there.” That gravelly-edged voice tinged with desire sent a hot thrill shooting through Zach.

“Oh yeah? What’s the plan?”

Sam chuckled in his ear. “You’ll have to wait until I get home now, won’t you?”

Zach increased his stride against the wind and switched the phone to his other ear to dig his house keys out of his pocket as he mounted the front steps of the townhouse. “Then hurry up and get your ass home.”

Sam was still laughing as Zach hung up.

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. While life is tough, she believes there is a happy ending for everyone. She started reading traditional historical romances as a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until she picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that her interest in romance novels was renewed.

But somewhere along the way, her reading shifted to stories of men falling in love. Once she picked up her first gay romance, she became so enamored of the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion there was no turning back.

Felice lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Her day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. Although she practices law, she daydreams of a time when she can sit by a beach and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be some angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter:https://twitter.com/FeliceStevens1

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8432880.Felice_Stevens

Instagram: https://instagram.com/FeliceStevens

Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/felicestevensauthor?ref=hl

Newsletter: http://felicestevens.us8.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=d43061d90bf2256eb322ed69f&id=586ac8fa57

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The Breakfast Club Series

Beyond the Surface, Book 1

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KhYBPY

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1S1zUpD