Hey peep’s, we have Bru Baker popping in to tout her newest story My OTP in the anthology All in a Days Work, she chats briefly about workplace encounters and then we have my review of this great anthology, so enjoy the post <3 ~Pixie~
All in a Day’s Work
by
Varius Authors
A guy’s got to make a living. He can do it the conventional way—by selling cars, scooping ice cream, or delivering sandwiches—or he can earn his money as a spy, a historical interpreter, or the host of a myth-busting television show. Whether the men in this anthology are working hard to build their own business or performing in drag at a dance hall, every day has the potential for surprises and the chance to satisfy their lust or maybe find something more permanent. For the guys in these stories, what’s all in a day’s work might be anything but what they expected.
Ice Cream Dreams by Shae Connor
My OTP by Bru Baker
The Bet by Holly O. Hale
Not Quite 1776 by Therese Woodson
Extra Mayo by Henrietta Clarke
Short Timer by Jenni Michaels
Dance Hall Days by Amy Jo Cousins
Unmasked by Kay Walker
Buy links: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance
Bru chats work place encounters
I’ve spent most of my career in newsrooms, and let me tell you, those are hothouses of workplace salaciousness. Put a group of highly creative, underpaid, overworked people together for long periods of time with little supervision and incestuous workplace hookups are bound to happen. I lost track of all the shenanigans I walked in on over the years. Journalists are a jaded bunch, and as long as you’re meeting your copy deadlines, editors don’t really care what you get up to. In fact, most of us are more likely to shame you for your poor location choice (The photo department darkroom? Seriously? Must you get it on in the tritest place possible?) than for the coitus interruptus itself.
I work from home now, but I do miss the bawdy atmosphere of the newsroom from time to time. (No pants casual Friday more than makes up for it, though!) When I started gathering authors to collaborate with on the All in a Day’s Work anthology, it felt a little bit like being back in the workplace myself. I had fun working with a group again, especially since it gave me the chance to get a sneak peek at the wonderful short stories in the anthology. The anthology has a little bit of everything from sweet to scorching, with fantasy, contemporary, and historical stories all revolving around one common theme: workplace romances.
My contribution to the anthology is My OTP, a steamy read about the co-stars of a popular myth-debunking reality television show who have incredible chemistry, both on air and off. Their secret relationship is much speculated on by the show’s fan base, but as the two become more daring in their public displays of affection the true nature of their relationship might be outed whether they want it to be or not.
About the authors
Bru
Bru Baker is a freelance journalist who writes for newspapers and magazines. Fiction makes her happiest, whether it’s creating her own characters or getting caught up in someone else’s. She and her husband live in the Midwest with their two young children, whose antics make finding time to write difficult but never let life get boring.
Visit Bru online at www.bru-baker.com or follow her on Twitter.
Jenni
JENNI MICHAELS has loved to make up stories since she was a little girl, hiding under the blankets with her sister with nothing more than a flashlight and her imagination. Now that she’s a grown up, she likes to write them down.
Jenni lives on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, their son, and a retired racing greyhound whose proudest achievement is mastering the command “Be my little spoon.” She loves reading, writing, hiking, traveling, quilting, and learning. You can find her on Twitter at @editorjenn . She loves to make new friends, especially the kind who want to talk about books.
Amy Jo
AMY JO COUSINS writes romance and erotica about smart people finding their own best kind of smexy. After years of being employed as a commercial real estate developer, a welding teacher, a spa manager, a bookstore music buyer, a barkeep, and an HR guru, she’s absolutely certain that being a writer is the best job ever, and writing happy endings for her m/m romances is one of her favorite things to do. Amy Jo lives in Chicago with her son, where she tweets too much, sometimes runs really far, and waits for the Cubs to win the World Series.
Website: http://amyjocousins.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AJCousins
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyJoCousins
Holly
HOLLY O. HALE truly believes in the words of John Donne: no man is an island. That said, her favorite thing to do is hole up by herself in her study and write about other people being together. She does love people at her table, however, and has been known to spend days preparing a from-scratch feast for her friends. Holly also enjoys spending what little time her almost-grown son will allow her taking care of him, and visiting her mom and getting fur time with her mom’s dog. Aside from her family, friends, and readers, Holly loves three things most in the world: laughter, peace and quiet, and early bedtime—in exactly the opposite order. Find Holly on Twitter @HollyOHale .
Kay
KAY WALKER was born and raised on the Canadian Prairies. Growing up in a small, rural town, books not only helped to pass the time but also became a beloved form of entertainment. Reading opened up the world in ways Kay could only dream about. And dream she did! Kay now loves trying to create characters, plots, and entire worlds of her own in hopes of entertaining others.
In addition to reading and writing, Kay likes watching movies and television shows—especially anything supernatural, sci-fi, LGBT, or with strong female characters. She enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and tries to be buddies with the elliptical. (They don’t always get along.)
Twitter: @KayWalkerWrites
Website: http://kaywalkerwrites.com/
E-mail: kay.walker.writes@gmail.com
Therese
THERESE WOODSON is a wife, mother of two, and writer of stories, who lives in the mountains of North Carolina. She is an avid reader of all literature. She holds two degrees—one in Psychology and one in English Literature and hopes to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing in the near future. She is a fan of watching bad television shows, superhero movies, and anything sci-fi. She loves creating interesting characters, universes, and plots with happy endings.
Twitter: @writer_reese
Blog: http://theresewritesthings.wordpress.com/
Shae
SHAE CONNOR lives in Atlanta, where she works for the government by day and reads and writes about people falling in love by night. She’s been making up stories for as long as she can remember, but it took her a long time to figure out that maybe she should start writing them down. She usually has far too many stories in progress, but when she does manage to tear herself away from her laptop, she enjoys running, hiking, cooking, and traveling, not necessarily in that order.
Shae is on Twitter pretty much 24/7 at @shaeconnor and posts snippets, updates, and thoughts on writing and editing at her website, http://shaeconnorwrites.com. You can contact her at shaeconnorwrites @gmail.com.
Henrietta
HENRIETTA CLARKE is a highly individual Yorkshire lass who grew up with her nose in a book and is therefore lucky to have only fallen down the stairs once in twenty-one years. Ironically, this had nothing to do with reading and resulted in ‘traumatic golfer’s elbow.’ No, she’s never figured that one out either, but it genuinely was the medical diagnosis. Her parents have long accused her of being ‘away with the fairies,’ so perhaps she was always destined to write in the gay romance genre. She’s had enough imaginary friends to fill the Titanic, and set her course towards being a published writer at the age of six. Having achieved that dream, her next goal is to get through two years of postgraduate law study with her sanity intact. She thinks she might just be able to do it with a little help from her family, friends, vodka, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and of course her trusty bookshelves.
You can contact Henrietta by e-mailing heclarke@hotmail.co.uk. She’s currently too techno-illiterate to have a blog but may start one soon.
Review
Title: All in a Day’s Work
Author: Various
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Futuristic
Length: Novel (200pgs)
ISBN: 978-1-63216-505-3
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (22nd September 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts (Overall)
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: A guy’s got to make a living. He can do it the conventional way—by selling cars, scooping ice cream, or delivering sandwiches—or he can earn his money as a spy, a historical interpreter, or the host of a myth-busting television show. Whether the men in this anthology are working hard to build their own business or performing in drag at a dance hall, every day has the potential for surprises and the chance to satisfy their lust or maybe find something more permanent. For the guys in these stories, what’s all in a day’s work might be anything but what they expected.
Ice Cream Dreams by Shae Connor
My OTP by Bru Baker
The Bet by Holly O. Hale
Not Quite 1776 by Therese Woodson
Extra Mayo by Henrietta Clarke
Short Timer by Jenni Michaels
Dance Hall Days by Amy Jo Cousins
Unmasked by Kay Walker
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5461
Review:
Extra Mayo by Henrietta Clarke: 3 ½ Hearts Nil Heat
Walter has a set routine that keeps him steady but his routine is shaken one day when the lunch delivery is taken over by a new person. Glyn is taken with the shy worker he delivery’s lunch to everyday and decides to make a move but it’s a slow process and Glyn is determined to crack Walter’s shell.
This is a very cute story of a very shy man who has panic attacks when his routine is disrupted who catches the eye of a delivery man. Walter has to break down some of his own walls to let Glyn know that he is interested, and Glyn is patient as Walter makes the effort to open up.
I really liked this simple story, it shows us a little of Walter’s life as he gets through every day and the disruption he feels at first having someone new delivery his lunch and then the disruption of his sandwich with no extra mayo and yes that is a big disruption to Walter. Glyn is a wonderful man who makes small cracks in Walter’s world, his openness has Walter stepping back and then making an effort, we see the building of a foundation as they build up to a first date and then we see how far they have come at the end of the story. It’s cute, it’s short and very enjoyable.
Ice Cream Dreams by Shae Connor: 3 ½ Hearts Moderate Heat
Gage is working in his uncle’s ice cream shop when Loren, prestigious chef, walks in the door and is amazed when Loren offers not only a business opportunity but a personal one as well. Loren remembers the ice cream shop Ice Cream Dreams and as he’s planning on opening a new restaurant he wants to try out some of the unique flavours, and he becomes enamoured of the owner’s nephew.
This is a very sweet story; both Loren and Gage find an instant connection after Loren tastes the ice creams, as they begin to come close they start to make plans and both of them have dreams of what will become of them. Gage has to first be honest with his uncle but he doubts his uncle’s reaction as his uncle is a very church going man, he can’t let go of his hopes though both for Loren’s restaurant and for the life he wishes to have with Loren.
I enjoyed this story with the delicious descriptions of meals and ice cream and a sweet romance that is being built. Gage and Loren’s relationship does seem to progress quickly though it is still in the beginning stages; they fit together perfectly and do seem like a really good match. This is a story that I’d love to see more of, maybe expanded as their relationship progresses. An enjoyable read that hit the spot.
My OTP by Bru Baker: 4 ½ Hearts Moderate – Explicit Heat
Troy and Ryder have worked together on a paranormal debunking show for years and been in a relationship for six months, but Troy doesn’t know if he’d actually call it a relationship as nobody but them know about it. Troy wishes for more but doesn’t think that Ryder would want that, that is until Ryder surprises him with a declaration.
Oh this story was just so good and had me grinning like a loon. Troy is a chemist who debunks myths and paranormal activity, Ryder is the presenter and the man who brings Troy the myths. Together they make a great team and their fans have always speculated about their relationship, but neither man has ever breathed the truth… they have been lovers for six months. Troy longs for more but has never had the guts to broach the subject with Ryder, but Ryder takes matters into his own hands.
This is a wonderful story that is short and sweet but filled with love and a dash of doubt. We join Troy and Ryder as Ryder gets a bit handsy and Troy gets his revenge, they are a great pairing and while everything is from Troy’s point of view we get a good impression of Ryder. These two are scorching together, their chemistry is off the charts and they mesh really well together. I loved how Ryder declared himself to Troy and thought it was the perfect way for Ryder to open up to Troy, MyOTP, it showed everything that Troy wanted without Ryder having to make an awkward conversation… because you just know Ryder would never have been able to actually say what he meant. *sigh* A very enjoyable sweet and loveable story.
Not Quite 1776 by Therese Woodson: 3 Hearts Explicit Heat
Henry is a historical interpreter who loves history, he also loves it when there’s an re-enactment being held because he get the chance to meet new people and have a little fun. So when Henry meets Owen he sees it as a brief fling, some quick fun and an enjoyable night but there’s something about Owen that has Henry questioning his own stance on relationships.
This is a great little story where one man finally meets the one who will make him take a chance with his heart. Henry is a nice guy who shy’s away from being caged and from commitment; he has never taken a chance of more than just one night and has never met anyone who has tempted him to want more. Owen showing up in his life has him wanting to give it a go, he doesn’t just have sex with him, he has Henry wanting to spend time with him and get to know him.
I liked this story but I felt like I was missing something about why Henry was so wary of relationships, there are hints as to there being a reason for it with the tattoo’s he has being alluded to but we never get the reason. Owen seems like a lovely man and there does seem to be a strong spark between Owen and Henry, the sex between them is roasting hot and they connected on more than just a sexual nature. I would love to see a more expanded version of this story just because we have such a tantalising beginning and I’d love to know more of Owen and Henry.
Unmasked by Kay Walker: 4 ½ Hearts Moderate Heat
Raven is a spy who has infiltrated the Upper of high society by pretending to be one of them with the help of a Mask; Glitch is his handler who guides his way when on a mission. Their task is to do what they can within the Uppers to help those in the Pits, the poor, but it’s hard for Raven to keep the role going as he has his own grudge against the Uppers. Raven and Glitch’s relationship has taken a turn and though both men would love more their roles make it impossible.
Well this is definitely a story that I would love to see as a novel, because just this short has shown me a wealth of detail that has got me hooked. For five years Raven, a spy for the Elpis, has pretended to be Marcus, a reclusive member of the Upper, Raven has taken Marcus’ place with the aim of bringing down the Uppers. Glitch really is a member of the Uppers but has turned to help Elpis in stopping the corruption and selfishness of society. Together they make a great team, but their roles have them unable to pursue what is between them, but they grab each moment that they can no matter how fleeting it is.
Ah this is a fantastic story that is more like a brief snippet of something much bigger. We are given a brief overview of the world Raven and Glitch live in and the roles that they play, and it has me hungry for more. The brief flash of Raven and Glitch’s time together is filled with longing and need, their relationship is difficult but they grab what they can with only the hope for the future and even that is not guaranteed but we can hope not only for Raven and Glitch but for their mission as well. This is a story to read if you want something with a bit of meat to it, where it gives you hope and where there has to be more to come.
The Bet by Holly O. Hale: 4 Hearts Moderate – Explicit
Jack and Aaron are happily married, they own a business together where they are now exploring more options and they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Their fulfilling sex life leads to them making a bet, if Jack can keep quite during a sexscapade at work then they can continue to have sex at work but if Jack fails then they have to behave.
Oh this was a wonderful story where two happily married men act a bit like horny teenagers and make a daring bet. It was wonderful to read of an already established couple, who still have a lot of joy being together, what we see is a snippet from their life and how they handle a situation that really most people wouldn’t dare do. Aaron and Jack are an incredible couple and it was a joy to see them together and they have a very healthy and fun relationship. What we get as we join this wonderful couple is teasing sex filled and fun, turning a serious business meeting into slight sexual torture just for a bet but these men show that they are serious in business as well as the bedroom.
A real pleasure to read and I can only hope that there will be more to come from Jack and Aaron because it would be a shame to say goodbye to two such interesting characters.
Dance Hall Days by Amy Jo Cousins: 3 ½ Hearts Low Heat
Laurie is a singer and dancer at a dancehall, dressing in ladies clothes and entertaining the men who come in, Frank is a bouncer at the dancehall making sure everyone is safe and that the gentlemen behave. Laurie has had a crush on Frank for the longest time but despite flirting with the man he has gotten nowhere with him and has given up trying to get his attention. Frank has noticed Laurie but doesn’t think he could handle a bruiser like him, but after a raid by the police at the dancehall Laurie proves his worth and Frank has to decide if he really wants to keep Laurie for himself.
This is a brilliant historical of a time long gone where young men entertained gentlemen and police made regular raids to round up the nancy boys. Laurie dreams of finding a man to love and he secretly wishes that man would be Frank; Frank thinks Laurie is just too delicate to be able to handle what Frank needs so ignores him. During a police raid they get to know each other as they hide out and Frank discovers that Laurie just might be what he needs.
I enjoyed this story not only for the tentative forming relationship between Laurie and Frank but also for the peek into history of a London dancehall for gays. Laurie is a sweet guy who has his dreams of being wanted, while Frank is a big bruiser who has a soft heart, they both want something special for themselves but neither thinks they will get it. I liked this story and enjoyed the byplay between the characters; it’s a sweet story for the time with just a touch of hope for the future.
Short Timer by Jenni Michaels 4 Hearts Moderate – Explicit Heat
Davis is working his last day at a used car lot before he starts University for his Comparative Literature Masters, just before he decides to leave early a stunningly hot man walks in the door and he jumps at the chance to serve him and serve him he does on a test drive.
Oh well this was a very surprising hot little number where a young man gets the present of his dreams on his last day of work. Well I’m not going to ruin this surprise for you other than to say it’s hot and both characters are very hot together. This is a true treat if you want something that is short and sexy, with a little surprise at the end.
Overall:
This is a great collection of stories that has a bit of something for everyone, it has contemporary, history, historical, futuristic, and fun, we have a collection of different characters who all want the same thing… love and all of them either have or have the promise of a happily ever after.