novella

Einstein’s Peep Show by Josephine Myles: Release Day Review

February 23, 2016 by Denise

Nerdy by day, naughty by night!

Nathan Wright has a secret life. During the day he’s a dedicated student, working hard for his maths degree. But times are tough, and in order to make ends meet by night he becomes “Einstein”, wooing punters with his online solo sex show. Still wounded by his last dysfunctional relationship, Nathan’s happy being single. But when his highest tipping client demands it, Einstein has to overcome his social awkwardness to rope in some extra help.

Party boy Rory Jones has never given his geeky neighbour a second glance, but he’s not one to turn down the offer of a free blow job, even when Nathan tells him it’s going online. Once on camera, Rory discovers his exhibitionist streak and the two of them are so hot together, the one-off becomes a regular gig.

But being neighbours with benefits isn’t without its challenges. Nathan’s client keeps wanting more, and he finds himself pushed into a role he’s not prepared for. Meanwhile Rory’s growing affection leaves him worried his ultra-rational lover won’t ever be able to share his emotions. If he and Nathan can’t find something more than great sex in common, they’ll be left with the square root of absolute zero.

Author: Josephine Myles

Release date: 23^rd February 2016

Pre-order Link: myBook.to/PeepShowJoMyles

Word Count: 24,000

Price: $2.99/£2.06

Cover art by Lou Harper

This was a cute quick read. It was entertaining without getting too deep.

Nathan Wright is putting himself thru school by working in an online chat room. When his highest paying client asks for something specific Nathan will have to put aside his introvert ways to ask his party-boy neighbor Rory Jones. As one request leads to more, Rory and Nathan realize that first impressions can be deceiving and they have more in common than they thought. Nathan needs to decide whether he can put aside his fear of emotional attachment see where things lead. Rory is struggling to discover if Nathan only likes him in front of the camera because of the money or if his feelings are genuine.

This story was good. The banter back and forth between Nathan and Rory had me laughing out loud at times. If you’re having a bad day this is a great pick me up.

3 pieces of eye candy

This is Josephine Myles‘ first venture back to writing since the birth of her son a year ago (she discusses this in more detail in the Author’s Notes at the end of the book). She really ventured out and gave it a go. I really love Jo’s work. She has made me laugh and cry so many times before. One of my all time favorite books in this genre is still How to Train Your Dom in Five Easy Steps (which reminds me, I may need a re-read of that now! 🙂 ). So, I was very excited to be asked to review this new book of hers, and she didn’t disappoint.

This was a fun, flirty, sexy novella (about 1200 locations) that had all the elements that I enjoy about Jo’s books. There was banter, sexiness, great sex scenes, connections between the characters, and a real distinction between the MC’s. You could tell which POV the reader was reading, merely based by the thought process. Nathan had such a scientific mathematical mind, he didn’t understand emotion, had never cuddled. Rory was a cuddler, and had no problems with showing the emotions that he felt, although his concern was whether Nathan actually liked him, or just needed the money that “Big Man” provided.

I enjoyed this novella a lot, and am glad to see that with Einstein’s Peep Show, Jo is jumping back on her writing wagon. She is a talented writer, and so glad to see her able to find her muse again.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Jo publishes regularly with Samhain, and now has over ten novels and novellas under her belt. Her novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She has also been known to edit anthologies and self-publish on occasion, although she prefers to leave the “boring bits” of the ebook creation process to someone else. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and an energetic toddler.

Website and blog: http://josephinemyles.com/

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hrQ4s

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josephine.myles.author

Twitter: @JosephineMyles

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

ARe: http://bit.ly/1PMdRUF

Betting on Forever, Book 2

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1X3tWG7

ARe: http://bit.ly/1MykS7o

Second to None, Book 3

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

6 Days to Valentine by LE Franks : Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

February 12, 2016 by Denise

In Nick’s perfect world, Valentine’s Day would be struck from the calendar.

Nick’s dreams of a Happily Ever After were shredded long ago and the last thing he and his customers need is a bunch of happy loving couples rubbing it in their faces.

Bouncer Fat Boy Newman is willing to bet he knows Nick’s heart better than he does. He has just six days to change Nick’s mind about romance and the holiday and the perfect man to do it.

Too bad it’s not him.

Too bad Nick’s not going down without a fight.

Too bad he cheats.

Author Name: LE Franks

Book Name: 6 Days to Valentine

Series: Yes

Book: One

Release Date: January, 2014

Pages or Words: 24,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Wilde City Press

Cover Artist: Adrian Nicholas

I looked again at the stunned blond sprawled at my feet. From this angle, he might be considered cute, certainly the butt in his jeans was worth exploring further, but for some reason, it was his cap that caught my eye. I could see part of a logo from one of those Texas schools—the one with the horns. Reaching down, I hooked it with my finger. I held it up so I could see it clearly, though it was hard to mistake the long white horns stretching across the front of the orangey wool.

Hmm, old-style baseball cap. I peered inside and checked out the underside of the brim, looking for his name. Someone had signed it in black ink, but it was worn and smeared in places, making it barely legible. Given the fading and the stains on the sweatband, it hadn’t been new in a very long time. Certainly not when this guy was in school.

“My hat. Please.” A soft drawl and a hand moving into my line of sight distracted me. It’s possible, though unlikely, that I missed him waving up at me; I’d had quite a late night, after all. I think, instead, that my brain froze the second he pushed himself into the cobra pose and looked deep into my eyes.

I hadn’t gotten much sleep after leaving the bar in the early hours of the morning. I’d walked around the neighborhood, halfway hoping I’d get rolled by a drunk or knifed in an alley. It was a thoroughly depressing failure. I was still there, still intact, and still feeling guilty as hell, all of which pissed me off to no end. Even worse, everyone I’d seen since entering the bar had congratulated me on my win, while FatBoy was doing a spectacular job of avoiding me.

I sat still, considering the blue depths, the straight nose, the plump pink lips, the strawberry locks curling over his ears. Then FatBoy finally decided to make an appearance, jerking the man up by his pits and dangling him in front of me like a rag doll.

Surprising as the maneuver was, it did have the added benefit of shaking his limbs out so I could get a nice long look at the whole…package.

“Ever hear of picking up after yourself?” FatBoy growled his exaggerated drawl at me. I guess that answered the question of whether or not FatBoy was still mad.

“Yeah…no…” I muttered, thinking about the wrongness of the whole thing and absently fondling the cow head on the front of the hat, forgetting what I’d been asked just a moment before.

“What the hell?” the blond jerked away from our bouncer, grabbing his hat and inadvertently catching my pinky in the adjustable strap.

“Yow!” Fuck that hurt. I shoved my finger in my mouth, sucking furiously where part of the nail was now missing.

“Shit, sorry, man. You just…” The blond trailed off as he fixed his attention on the hand now shoved between my lips. You’d think he’d never seen a man suck on anything before.

I might have answered him, but I’d hopped off my stool and was now too busy brushing bar floor debris off the front of his well-formed chest. My hand slid down the front of him until fingers gripped my wrist tightly just as I was getting to the fun parts, freezing my hand in place at his waist.

“My name’s Cameron.” It was a perfectly reasonable answer to an obvious question that I hadn’t asked. He removed my hand from his body before stepping out of my personal space to sit. I wanted to follow, but in a rare show of restraint, I chose leaning against the bar two stools down.

God, I need a drink. And a bed. And a man. And a way to go back through time.

Hell—two out of four ain’t bad. Well, more likely one out of four, which sucked, and my night was going to get worse…

When Rachel came in, she was going to skin me and make rainbow boots out of my hide. The story was already making the rounds, and my act of treachery, while still hidden, was lying like a dead skunk, stinking up the air between FatBoy and me.

I was waiting for inspiration to strike, gifting me with the perfect pickup line—the dazzler that would have my tongue in Cameron’s mouth and his beautiful golden body pressed up against the wall in the supply room with enough time before I had to officially clock in for work.

Apparently not. All I was hearing from the celestial chorus was the sound of crickets. I went with the old standby and introduced myself. “I’m Nick.”

I must have been grinning like an idiot. I could feel my cheeks begin to ache, and my palms developed an unexpected dampness. Rubbing them hastily against my soft denims, I reached across to him and held out my hand.

“Call me Cam.” He smiled. Sweet Jesus, it was a beauty of a smile, and I felt my cock begin to fill. Dammit. The lunch bartender chose that moment to lean over and smirk at me.

“Soooo, Niiiiiick…who’s your friennnnd?” Christine made a decent margarita and a top-notch Bloody Mary of her own special recipe, but her gaydar was broken. Anyone could tell that this sweet angel of the south was 100% boy meat.

“Ma’am! Cameron Fielding at your service.”

I was stunned as I watched my morsel of seraphic delectability stand and doff his cap, and felt a shiver run up my spine. It seemed to be in a race with the tightening of my jeans and the galloping of my heart, and I had a sudden irrational urge to pull him closer and sniff his hair. And maybe touch it.

What the hell?

Amazon

Wilde City

ARe

Barnes and Noble

LE Franks lives in the SF Bay area and writes M/M Romance in a unique mix of humor and drama with enough suspense to produce fast paced stories filled with emotion and passion and featuring characters that are quirky and complicated and sometimes a little bit dark. LE Franks is a best selling author and finalist for 2013 & 2014 Rainbow Awards. Her books are available through her publishers at MLR Press, Dreamspinner Press and Wilde City Press and Pride Publishing and online bookstores.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LE.Franks1

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LEFranksAuthor/

Twitter: @boxtersushi

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lefrankswriter/le-franks-books/

Tumblr: http://boxtersushi.tumblr.com

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

Tour Dates & Stops: February 12, 2016

Parker Williams, Posy Roberts, Bayou Book Junkie, TTC Books and More, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, A.M. Leibowitz, Divine Magazine, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Bonkers About Books, Alpha Book Club, Mikky’s World of Books, The Jena Wade, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Sassygirl Books, Man2ManTastic, BFD Book Blog, Attention is Arbitrary, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, Rainbow Gold Reviews

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Conversation Hearts by Avon Gale : Review

February 9, 2016 by Heather

It’s Valentine’s Day, and grad student—and male escort—Levi Barron expects to spend his evening with a client who’s paying him for his services in bed… not an assassin who needs to borrow the view from his hotel room in the morning.

With nothing to do but endure the company of his unwanted guest, Levi and the assassin, Sinjin, spend some time bonding over HGTV, minibar beverages, Flannery O’Connor short stories, terrible Valentine’s candy, and the necessity of lying about their jobs.

Their evening takes an unexpected turn when they decide to indulge in their mutual attraction, and in the morning Levi doesn’t know if he’s spent the night with a hired killer or a hydraulic engineer with a very specific fantasy. Either way, the two have enough chemistry—in and out of bed—that Levi isn’t sure one night with Sinjin will be enough.

And a message left in candy suggests the feeling is mutual.

Heather's Review

Avon Gale quickly made her way onto my very short insta-buy list. Don’t get me wrong, there are authors I love, but very few can get me to click on their books without knowing anything about the characters.

I’m glad she is on that list, because otherwise I might have skipped this book because I’m not a huge fan of novellas. Most of the time, I’m left feeling unfulfilled. With Conversation Hearts, I was so deeply in love with Sinjin and Levi by the last page that I was legitimately ticked with the author for ending the book the way she did. I just know these guys are going to make it, but I need to see their love develop just to be sure.

The love affair between an assassin and an escort might seem unlikely, but the truth is their occupations make them that much more perfect for one another. The biggest question in my mind right now is which will be harder to overcome? Would it be harder for Levi to live with the knowledge that his lover kills people or for Sinjin to kiss Levi goodbye knowing that he’s going to give his body to someone else?

Without a doubt, this was a 5 star, shout it from the rooftops, read for me. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m off to create my first online petition because we need to show Avon Gale that it’s a moral imperative that she give us more of this couple.

This was my first Valentine’s Day novella. I usually don’t read novellas, but when I have, they have been holiday ones. But when I saw the premise of Conversation Hearts, I wanted to give it a shot. I’m glad I did…and yet, I kind of want to have a stern discussion with Avon Gale about this. Just leaving it open ended like that? Cruel, I have to say.

These two men, came together in the most unusual circumstances, and yet through little conversations, snippets of moments, they found common ground, and were able to make their short time together work. Despite the nerves of an assassin just coming in, Levi finds a connection with Sinjin, and come together.

Avon Gale is a new author to me, although I have heard great things about her Scoring Chances series. I’m thinking I might need to pick those up and have a weekend read-athon with her books.

Now…can I remind the author that we NEED more Levi and Sinjin…please??? 4 pieces of eye candy.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Will & Patrick Fight Their Feelings by Blake and Griffiths : Release Day Blitz, Excerpt and Giveaway

January 25, 2016 by Denise

Follow Will & Patrick in this fourth installment of the romantic-comedy serial, Wake Up Married, by best-selling author Leta Blake and newcomer Alice Griffiths!

Will and Patrick have embraced adding hot sexy-times to their fake marriage, but as their emotions deepen, they confront whether or not they want to be more than friends-with-benefits. Freshly free of a restrictive relationship, Will’s not ready for more than exploratory fun. And no matter how Patrick feels about Will, his own difficult past has left him wary of love.

The heat is high (and occasionally kinky) in this episode of the Wake Up Married serial, but Will and Patrick struggle to accept their mutual affection, much less confess it. How long will they fight their feelings?

Episode 4 of 6 in the Wake Up Married serial.

Author: Leta Blake & Alice Griffiths

Title: Will & Patrick Fight Their Feelings

Series Title and Number: Wake Up Married, Episode 4

Publisher: Leta Blake Books

Release Date: 1/25/16

Genre: Romantic Comedy M/M Romance

Tags: gay, woke up married, tropes, rom-com, mafia, forced marriage, disabled heroes

Heat Level: 5

Pairing: M/M

Length: 38,000 words

Goodreads

Amazon

Wrung out after the long night, Patrick shovels in the eggs and toast he ordered from room service. His mind drifts lazily as he eats, but when he hears the shower turn off, his stomach churns. He hates that his brain can ruin a perfectly good moment with memories that make him twitchy.

“About last night…” Will’s voice cracks slightly.

Patrick’s heart stops.

“Maybe it shouldn’t happen again?”

A sharp, deep pain lances into Patrick and he can’t breathe. It’s so unexpected, this horrible feeling, and he can’t think of anything to say. But hope and lust surge together as Will shoves away from the door. He grabs Patrick so hard it hurts and kisses him until the world shifts under their feet.

Yep, it had happened again. Had it ever. God, their second night in a row of sex had been—

Patrick jerks back to the present as the bathroom door swings open and Will strides out fully dressed in a pair of trousers and a button-up shirt. The eggs churn faster in Patrick’s stomach.

Will sits at the breakfast table. He tests, calculates, and injects his insulin before starting on his cottage cheese on toast. He looks up, fixing Patrick with a resolute gaze.

Patrick dodges the look and pokes his eggs with his fork. “Do we have to talk about it?”

Will takes another bite and chews deliberately.

“Because I don’t want to talk about it.” Patrick’s much more interested in a “don’t think, just do” policy when it comes to sex with Will. He’ll take that over revisiting the surprising pain of Will’s near-rejection the night before.

Will’s brows draw low and he chews for a long, tense moment. Patrick’s heart lurches like a skipping record until Will speaks. “Really? So you think there’s nothing to talk about?”

“Nope.” Patrick’s fork scrapes against his plate. “I don’t see why there would be.”

Will, of course, has other ideas. Like that’s anything new. “Patrick, we had sex again last night. Three times.”

“I know what we did, Will.”

“And?”

“And I liked it. And I don’t regret it.”

Will pulls his lower lip between his teeth. “You really liked it?”

“Puddin’-pop, you were there. Do you doubt you’re the best lay I’ve ever had?”

“The best?”

“Unequivocally.”

Will grins and eats some more of his cottage cheese on toast, joy rising up like the sun on his face. “You too. I mean, you’re the best I’ve had.”

Shocking. Patrick wants an award for not saying that out loud. He reaches out and takes hold of Will’s fingers. “I like being with you. I like what we’re doing and I don’t want to talk about it.”

Will pulls his hand away and scratches his ear uncertainly. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want us to stop.” He clenches his fist on the table and summons the strength to say, “Unless you want to stop?”

Will shakes his head and studies the food. After putting some eggs on his plate and compiling another cottage cheese and whole-wheat toast sandwich, he clears his throat and tentatively meets Patrick’s eye again. “So you think it’s okay if we—”

“Screw without professing our undying love first?”

Will flushes but nods.

“We’re having sex, not committing a crime. Of course it’s okay. Why make it into something it’s not?”

Will butters his toast and carefully doesn’t meet Patrick’s gaze again. This. This is why Patrick doesn’t want to talk about things. “What did I say wrong now?”

Will shrugs and takes a bite of toast. He finishes chewing and swallows. “What would we make it into that it’s not?”

“That’s what I don’t want to talk about.”

“Because you think I’ll say we can’t have sex anymore if there’s no hope of us really falling in love and making a little family together?”

Patrick breaks into a fine sweat. “Won’t you?”

He has no idea what thoughts the tiny hamsters on the wheels in Will’s mind are cranking out, but he can imagine they’re racing overtime as Will gazes at him silently. He feels like he might puke.

Will’s mouth tilts up at the corner. “No.”

“What?” Patrick chokes on his toast and has to grab a swallow of water.

“No, I won’t say we have to stop. We’ll keep on…you know.”

“Having sex.”

Will’s eyes go hot with lust. “Yeah. We’ll keep having sex.”

“I knew you liked it.” He leans forward, smirking. “Now, tell me what you liked best. In detail.”

Will adjusts his napkin in his lap. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“I didn’t want to talk about ‘Oh, woe, it was wrong, and I’m still hurting over Ryan, and we’re getting divorced as soon as possible,’ because I know all that.”

Will finishes off his cottage cheese sandwich. “I get it.”

“Tell me all the dirty stuff. I want to hear how much you loved it.”

Will’s smile is soft. “Oh, I loved it.”

Leta Blake

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:

On the web: http://letablake.wordpress.com/

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letablake

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/LetaBlake

Alice Griffiths

A long-time reader of romance novels, Alice Griffiths finally took the plunge into writing, teaming up with best-selling author Leta Blake for the ‘Woke up Married’ serialized comedy. A lover of tropes, Alice enjoys mining old ideas and putting a fresh, funny spin on them. Formerly working in the newspaper industry, Alice is now an art curator. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

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

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alice_Author

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alice.griffiths.7169

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Gone Away by Elizabeth Noble : Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

January 6, 2016 by Denise

Mason Arquette isn’t one for mincing words. In fact, he often rubs people the wrong way—with the exception of Riece Burrell. Riece came with his own set of social issues, but he saw right through Mason’s tough exterior, and they made a perfect couple. Or so Mason thought… until Riece abruptly ended their relationship without much explanation.

Years later, Mason and Riece are thrown back together. As a US Forestry Service photographer, Riece is sent on assignment to the Black Hills, where Mason works. When Mason is tasked with guiding Riece around the territory, old feelings quickly are rekindled.

But nothing is ever easy. Just as Mason and Riece begin to work things out, they’re targeted by people with motives so vile and twisted they defy imagination. In a desperate race for their lives, they must depend on one another and take a big step out of their personal comfort zones to find their way back to safety—and back to love.

Author Name: Elizabeth Noble

Book Name: Gone Away

Series: Circles

Book: Four

This book can be read as a standalone

Release Date: January 6, 2016

Pages or Words: 115 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, MM Romance, Mystery

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: TL Bland

“Hungry?” Mason poked at the campfire he’d started. This spot was a popular one. There was already a fire pit rimmed with rock and stone, set against an outcrop and facing a small stand of trees. Whoever constructed it had clearly thought out the location well. The trees were far enough away to be of minimal danger from the fire, yet close enough to be convenient for hanging food from. Their fire was protected by the outcrop and the shallow pit.

Riece turned and studied Mason and their camp. He grinned and raised his camera to take a few more pictures. “You photograph very well.” Riece walked over and sat beside Mason. “Want to see?”

“Sure. If I don’t like them, do they get deleted?”

“No,” Riece said and rolled his eyes. He settled on the ground beside Mason and leaned against him while going through the photos he’d taken that day.

Without thinking, Mason lifted one arm and put it around Riece, tucking him close to his side. “Those are pretty good. Even the ones with me in them.” Both of their actions seemed natural and easy.

Riece snorted and pulled the micro-memory chip out. “Of course they are. I have excellent technique.”

Mason laughed and handed Riece his bag. Riece extracted a plastic case, slipped the chip into one of the slots, and put a new one in the camera. “What’s on the menu?”

“Chicken burritos—well, my version. I threw some potatoes on to bake too, and the all-time campfire favorite of s’mores.”

“Oh, nice. I haven’t had those since I was a kid. My mom used to make them for me over the stove.”

“You haven’t had s’mores until you’ve had them made over an open fire,” Mason said.

Riece tucked his camera away, and they set about assembling and eating their dinner. Mason squeezed shredded chicken from foil pouches onto tortilla wraps. They added shredded cheese, some salami, and dried fruits and spices to the mix. Mason rolled them in foil and set them on the hot embers from the fire to warm up. Dried power-drink mix to add to their water completed the meal. It was completely dark by the time Mason loaded skewers with marshmallows for roasting.

“That was pretty good.” Riece leaned against his pack and gazed up at the sky.

Mason laughed. “What were you expecting, squirrel meat?”

“I was worried about what we were going to eat. I’ll admit I had visions of freeze-dried food packets. I didn’t really pay attention when you were packing. I was afraid to look too closely,” Riece confessed.

“Tomorrow we’ll be near a river, and we can score some fresh fish and use our water filters to refill our bottles. I’ll show you how to spear fish.” Mason stood and stretched. When he began collecting their food stocks and garbage, Riece immediately joined in, helping him. “Anything like toothpaste or mouthwash we’ll store in our sack as well. That stuff smells good to wildlife too.”

“We can keep the lube with us, right?”

That made Mason laugh. “I wouldn’t dream of having it any other way. It’s nice enough out tonight. I can set the tent up, or we can sleep without it.”

“If you don’t mind, and if the wildlife will cover their eyes, I’d like to be able to see the open sky.” Riece sat cross-legged near the fire and pushed his hands against the ground. “Sort of hard and lumpy.”

“You’re such a city boy,” Mason said with a chuckle. “That’s what I brought a sleeping pad for.”

“Now who’s being a city boy? I was thinking more along the lines of how comfortable you are to sleep on.”

Mason smiled, rolled his eyes, and shook his head before he went about completing the task of getting their sleeping area readied. Riece packed their food in the bear bag they would use to secure it high enough off the ground it would be safe. Using a rock and some utility cord, Mason showed Riece how to rig it between two trees.

“We’ll use this as a base camp, hike farther out tomorrow, and come back here to sleep before heading to the next area you need to go to,” Mason explained. He’d spread the map out and traced their path with one finger.

Riece looked over his shoulder. Mason could feel his warm breath on the back of his neck and how he nodded every few seconds. Eventually Mason spread the sleeping pad out, and Riece inflated it before arranging their bedrolls over it.

The temperature dropped fast after the sun went down. Riece was lying on his back, arms bent under his head, looking up at the sky. They’d hiked quite a way that day, and Mason was getting tired. He spent a few minutes watching Riece. He’d folded his clothes and neatly placed them in his backpack, which made Mason smile. Even in the wilderness, there were some things Riece would do to follow his routine, and there was no stopping him. Mason had learned long ago trying to make Riece give up too many of his habits too quickly would cause him to close off and withdraw. Something Mason wanted to avoid at all cost.

Mason stripped off his clothes before he slid into the bedroll with Riece and wrapped one arm around his waist. Despite the cool night air, he was warm in seconds with Riece’s body against his.

Amazon

AllRomance

Dreamspinner Press

Elizabeth Noble started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with Dreamspinner is really a dream come true. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.

Elizabeth has three grown children and is now happily owned by an adorable mixed breed canine princess and one tabby cat. She lives in her native northeast Ohio, the perfect place for gardening, winter and summer sports (go Tribe!). When she’s not writing she’s working as a veterinary nurse, so don’t be surprised to see her men with a pet or three who are a very big part of their lives.

Three of Elizabeth’s books have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards.

Where to find the author:

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Parker Williams, The Hat Party, BFD Book Blog, Butterfly-O-Meter, Bayou Book Junkie, Book Lovers 4Ever, Happily Ever Chapter, A.M. Leibowitz, V’s Reads, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, 3 Chicks After Dark, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Havan Fellows, Alpha Book Club, Velvet Panic, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Charley Descoteaux, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, My Fiction Nook, Kirsty Loves Books