novella

Angel Undone by Leta Blake: Release Day Book Blast and Excerpt

July 18, 2016 by Denise

Title: Angel Undone

Publisher: Leta Blake Books

Release Date: 7/18/2016

Genre: Gay Urban Fantasy

Tags: angel, wings, erotic content, blasphemy, urban fantasy

Heat Level: 5

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 25,000 words

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The Archangel Michael is tired. He fought wars and shoved his brother Lucifer out of heaven all before the Dark Ages rolled around. His role as protector of Israel now encompasses all of humanity, and while he performs his job perfectly, there’s little personal joy in it.

Until one night in a bar when he meets Asher.

Michael isn’t sure what it is about the vulnerable, self-deprecating Asher that calls to him, but something about the restrained depths of Asher, his gentle smiles and encyclopedic knowledge of flowers, tugs at Michael in a way that can’t be denied. Too bad romance isn’t part of his mission.

Facing an eternity of perfect submission to God’s authority, rebellion stirs in Michael. Questions of free will, angelic vocation, and the role of love and lust demand answers that just might cost Michael his place in heaven.

Angel wings aren’t easy to fold into the shape of human scapulae, but Michael is accustomed to the strain and hardly breaks a sweat. He forces the long primaries to bend into the upper wing coverts, and then, in moves like feathered origami, he tucks it all in again, before smoothing them under flawless human skin.

He glances in the modest hotel room’s bathroom mirror and pulls on the dark brown shirt that will set off his eyes, before running a hand through his blond, curly hair. The light of his angelic grace glows from his pores, too bright to escape notice, and with a small exertion of will he tamps it back.

Though human form is confining and uncomfortable, the time has long passed when dropping down in a blaze of angelic righteousness was appropriate. Now covert operations pay the dividends of souls delivered from jeopardy. Even if Michael’s skin feels too tight, and his wings are already aching, protection is his business and discomfort is a small sacrifice.

After tightening the laces on the leather, soft-soled Clarks he keeps for nights of trawling the Mercy Street bars, he kneels by the sliding glass door to the balcony and looks up at the stars. It’s a fallacy that heaven is up there somewhere. Heaven is everywhere all at once, and yet when Michael dons human skin, he finds his eyes drawn to the sky when he prays.

He rises. Time to go.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | ARe | Smashwords

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

You can find out more about her by following her online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote: Release Day Review and Excerpt

June 22, 2016 by Denise

Getting experience with the guy next door seems like a great idea—until the lines blur.

Dev, a geeky first year physics student, has zero sexual experience and he’s determined to change that ASAP. After a bad time in halls of residence, he’s starting the summer term with different housemates and a new plan of action.

Ewan lives in the house next door to Dev. He’s young, free and single, and isn’t looking to change that anytime soon. When awkward circumstances throw them together, Ewan offers to help Dev out in the bedroom in return for maths tutoring, and Dev jumps at the chance.

They work their way through Dev’s sex-to-do list, but what starts as a perfect no-strings arrangement gets more complicated as their feelings for each other begin to grow. If they’re going to turn their lessons in lovemaking into something more permanent, they need to work out how they feel about each other—before they get to the end of Dev’s list.

Title: Practice Makes Perfect

Author: Jay Northcote

Publisher: Jaybird Press (self published)

Length: 54,000 words

Genre: Contemporary gay romance

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

Release Date: Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Series info: #3 in the Housemates Series but it may be read as a standalone

Sitting on his bed, Dev yawned, his full stomach making him sleepy. He stared at his phone as he contemplated calling home but decided he couldn’t face it tonight. He loved his mum, but she did tend to bang on. Once she got him on the line, she’d end up talking for ages and asking him a million questions he was too tired to answer. Instead, he sent his mum a quick text.

All moved in, everything’s good. I’m shattered now so I’m going to have an early night. I’ll call you tomorrow.

She replied within seconds as though she’d been waiting for him to call.

Okay sweetie, glad you’re settled. Sleep well xxx

He picked up his notepad and crossed off phone home. Texting counted. He also crossed off everything else on his list for today. That was Saturday done.

Dev set his notepad aside, opened his laptop, and pulled up his lists app. He liked his notepad for day-to-day organisation; it gave him a certain satisfaction to cross out the things he’d done and to get to the end of the day with all the tasks completed. But for longer-term planning, he kept his lists on his Mac, synced to his phone.

For the first time in six months, Dev could breathe again. Finally he had a safe place where he could get back on track and look to the future. He began to type.

Things To Do This Term

Make some friends

Learn to cook

Research sex stuff

Join Grindr

Get some experience

Find a boyfriend

He stared at the words on the screen and sighed. That seemed like a lot of things to aim for. But it was good to have goals, right? Jez and Mac seemed really nice, so hopefully Dev was already on his way to achieving the first objective. And that bloke Ewan… Dev’s mind conjured up the image of the flame-haired hunk who lived next door. Ewan had been friendly.

Maybe there was potential there too.

I absolutely adore the Housemates series by Jay Northcote. When I saw the announcement of Practice Makes Perfect, I seriously started bouncing around like a kid in the month of December. I wanted it. Right. Flipping. Now.

Dev is just a bit obsessed with his lists. I’m pretty sure he has a bullet point on his list to make a list, because otherwise he doesn’t get the same sense of satisfaction. There were times this obsession got a bit tiring, but it was still cute.

After seeing one of the worst ever Grindr profiles, Ewan jumps in to basically save Dev. I’m not typically a fan of this motivation, but it was cute. It worked. And I loved how Ewan helped Dev get the experience he wanted without trying to rush him into anything. Again, should’ve been awkward, but it wasn’t.

Overall, Practice Makes Perfect was a great weekend afternoon read. It wasn’t overly angsty, it wasn’t so steamy you’d blush if you read it at the pool or beach. It was just a good, fun read.

4 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Goodreads link

meet the author

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

Beauty, Inc. by Tara Lain: Release Day Review

June 8, 2016 by Denise

Is beauty only skin deep?

Chemist Dr. Robert “Belle” Belleterre loves flowers, green trees, his best friend Judy, and “his baby:” the new face cream he developed to help put his father’s small cosmetics company on the map. Sadly he gets no help from his alcoholic, gambling-addicted father, who loses Belle in a poker game to Magnus Strong, the CEO of Beauty, Inc., the largest American cosmetics company—a man infamous for his scarred ugliness.

Belle finds himself uprooted from his home, living in a wildly crazy apartment in New York owned by Mr. Pennymaker, and completely unprepared for his mad attraction to the charismatic Strong. Feeling like a traitor, Belle fights his passion, only to see more and more of the goodness and humility hidden by Strong’s ugly face. But when Belle’s family starts manipulating his life again, the odds turn against happiness for beautiful Belle and his beloved beast.

Title: Beauty, Inc.
Series: Pennymaker Tales: Book Three
Author: Tara Lain
Release Date: June 8, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 121

This was a cute story with a kind of magical feel to it. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, so I don’t know if I missed something in the others that tied into this one in anyway. However I still really enjoyed this book. I was very sweet with minimal angst, at least minimal for me. Belle was a fun character. I felt so bad for him. I wanted to positively murder his dad and brothers. It was nice to see him grow and become happier throughout the book. Magnus was a very emotional character for me. He had so much pain in him my heart broke a little. Sometimes he was a little hard to take, he was very domineering. However, with all that he did I always had the feeling that he was trying to take care of Belle.

4 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

Rockin’ the Alternative by Morticia Knight : Sale Blitz and Giveaway

May 24, 2016 by Denise

The chance of a lifetime and the touch of a rock god are offered to music journalist Bryan Gallagher on the same day. Embracing one is easy, but resisting the other is harder than he’d anticipated—especially since Bryan has never been with a man.

It could be his dream assignment. Aubrey King, the legendary god of alternative rock music, has requested to meet with journalist and writer Bryan about penning the star’s memoir. Aubrey and his dark, angsty songs are the reason Bryan was inspired to become a leading rock journalist. His obsession for his career has alienated the women in his life, but Bryan doesn’t care. What really matters to him is the music.

Aubrey King has been out of the music scene for almost ten years—ever since his alternative rock band, Falling in Stereo, broke up. Questions about his sexual preferences have always surrounded him, and now that he’s ready to make a solo comeback, he wants to tell his story, his way. He’s followed journalist Bryan Gallagher’s career for a while and believes that Bryan’s obvious passion for music mirrors his own. He loves his writing style, but is also enraptured by the boyishly handsome writer.

Brian finds pushing his fanboy nervousness aside is difficult when Aubrey finally stands before him. He’s amazed at how little Aubrey has changed—his intense gaze, his unique style and his still youthful looks epitomise the star he’s always been. But Aubrey’s vulnerability when he sings and shares the deeply personal lyrics of a new song triggers something in Bryan that he never knew was there. The need to give himself to Aubrey, to let the rock god do to him what he’s never before desired a man to do.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon DE

Pride Publishing | ARe

M/M Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys hot stories of men loving men forever after. They can be men in uniform, Doms and subs, rock stars or bikers – but they’re all searching for the one (or two!) who was meant only for them.

When not indulging in her passion for books, she loves the outdoors, film and music. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She is currently working on more installments of Sin City Uniforms and The Hampton Road Club, as well as the follow-up to Bryan and Aubrey’s story from Rockin’ the Alternative.

Author links: Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || Amazon

Rockin’ It Pinterest page

Bryan and Aubrey’s story continues in Rockin’ it Forever

Can the touch of a rock god last forever?

Music journalist Bryan Gallagher’s life has completely changed in an unexpected way. Not only has he snagged a dream assignment as the memoirist to alternative music’s rock superstar Aubrey King, but he’s also promised to give the beautiful and enigmatic musician a chance for them to forge a relationship. It’s all very overwhelming for Bryan since, up until he spent a sexually charged day and night with Aubrey, Bryan has never even dreamed of being with a man.

Aubrey is completely smitten with the boyishly handsome, young rock writer, Bryan. After their instant spark grows into something more, Aubrey is desperate to keep Bryan by his side for always. He’s promised Bryan that their love is for real, that Bryan isn’t simply one of his rock star conquests.

Their road isn’t an easy one, though. Despite their deepening bond and growing need for each other, other factors intrude. Neither Aubrey nor Bryan is ready to come out, and their relationship needs to remain a carefully guarded secret. In addition, Aubrey has to answer to the demands of his profession and Bryan has to traverse the shifting waters between his personal and business relationship with his famous lover.

Then a secret is revealed and everything in their joint world implodes. When a love is so strong that two men can barely take a breath without thinking of the other, will that be enough to bridge the loss of trust? The only way they can rock their love forever is if Aubrey can reach Bryan before it’s too late.

Amazon

This is a tour wide giveaway beginning with the Sale Blitz, running until the end of the Rockin’ It Forever Release/Review tour.

A little something different for this one, Knight will be doing 2 giveaways per week starting with the Sale Blitz, ending the week before the RR tour. That is 6 small giveaways, 2 per week over 3 weeks, and then there is the Grand Prize Rock & Roll gift basket that will be given out at the end of both tours.

Up first for the first week of giveaways for 2 lucky peeps is an exclusive coffee mug with Morticia’s official Author logo on it! Who wouldn’t want to drink their morning java with these two sexy studs?!

Also, the Twitter message will change weekly. The Rafflecopter is set up where you can share daily via Twitter, so that gets you 5 entry points daily, if you chose to share daily. And let’s not forget the change your facebook image option. Again, it will change from the Rockin’ the Alternative image to Rockin’ it Forever as the tours change out.

{To see the weekly giveaways – 2 giveaways each week for this week, next week and the week after for a total of 6 small giveaways – visit Morticia Knight’s site. There is a list of all the blogs participating in the blitz where you can visit and comment for additional entries into these giveaways, as well as a new post each week with that weeks giveaway items. You can also see the weekly giveaway images here at TTC Books and more. The winners will be chosen via rafflecopter}

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shirt by Amy Lane: Release Day Review

May 18, 2016 by Denise

After a meet-cute in a bathroom and a whirlwind courtship, Ryan is ready to introduce Scotty to his parents. But a misunderstanding and some stubborn cuff buttons tangle Ryan up in an oxford shirt at a really inopportune time. Can Scotty take this opportunity to teach Ryan one or two more lessons about falling in love?

Title: Shirt
Author: Amy Lane
Release Date: May 18, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Free Fiction
Pages: 30

I don’t read short stories, pretty much ever. I like to be invested in characters, enjoy (and hate) the push and pull, the hate and love. Yet, this was an Amy Lane short story. Which means that I will read it, because, well Amy Lane does romance right. She will give you angst, and sweet love. She can give you sexy, hot men, and down and dirty sex. But always there is an HEA on the horizon.

I grabbed this one, and was suprised how quickly I liked what happened with these characters. In one scene, you actually saw growth in the characters. (How this woman can take a sex scene, and give you growth in the characters, is beyond me, but she does it so well.) Ryan and Scotty were so cute together, that I was sad when I finished the story…then found out, there was more out there on these two. YEAH!

So, grab this one, enjoy a little romp, some fun, some sexy, and the beginning of a beautiful relationship. 🙂

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

ARe

Tangled Web by S.A. Ozment: Release Day Review

May 18, 2016 by Denise

By day Ashley Stevens is a dedicated nurse; by night he runs multiple social media sites for his crush and all-time favorite actor, Sebastian Gray. After a particularly grueling day at work, Ashley drinks away his misery while dreaming about being with Sebastian—only to realize it’s no dream when Sebastian actually contacts him.

Sebastian asks him to officially run his sites and Ashley is thrilled—right up until Sebastian makes it clear that he thinks Ashley is a girl. And maybe it’s the wine, or maybe it’s a fear that if Sebastian knew the truth, he wouldn’t want him, but Ashley never sets him straight. But keeping the secret becomes a nightmare as Ashley and Sebastian talk online night after night, forging a true connection. And the longer Ashley waits to tell the truth, the more tangled the lies become.

A plane ticket from Sebastian along with an invitation to meet in New York City for a fan event brings it all to a head. Ashley must face Sebastian and tell all, but he might not be the only one keeping secrets.

Title: Tangled Web
Author: S.A. Ozment
Release Date: May 18, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: TBC (Novella)

This was a cute quick read. Sometimes you want a good story but don’t have time for a long novel and this book fits the bill.

Ashley, a male ER nurse spends his nights running a fan page for his favorite celebrity Sebastian Gray. Sebastian contact Ashley, thinking he is a woman to ask him to run the official fan page. Ashley never corrects Sebastian’s assumption and the weeks turn to months. As the two build a close friendship online Ashley knows he needs to come clean but is afraid that the relationship will be over.

Sebastian surprises Ashley with tickets to a fan event for the two to meet. Ashley’s secret goes over like a lead balloon, but he realizes that he may not be the only one keeping a secret.

Original storyline, almost all of the interaction was through social media so there was no heat, just one chaste kiss. I did like the buildup of Ashley’s anxiety over telling the truth and the fallout when he dropped the bomb was believable. I could see this story being developed into a great full length novel, but you won’t be disappointed with the short story either.

3 pieces of eye candy