Fraud Twice Felt by J.T. Hall Blog Tour, Fun Facts, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hiya peeps, we have J.T. Hall popping in today with the tour for her new release Fraud Felt Twice, we have some fun facts, a  great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

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Fraud Twice Felt

(Oddities 02)
by

J.T. Hall

Three weeks after solving his old boyfriend’s murder, bounty hunter Derwin Bryant is trying to let go of the past and embrace his new life with Elliot Leed, a former rentboy and fellow Oddity. Elliot, meanwhile, is trying to adjust to working at Bob’s Bail Bonds and having a real relationship despite his strange power of Object Reading. Hanging over the couple is the fear that Roy Yoshiro, notorious gang lord, will make good on his threats to claim Elliot. If that happens, not even Derwin’s superhuman strength will be enough to protect the man he loves.

Their concerns are overshadowed when Derwin’s friend asks for help finding her missing son. It’s not long before the case takes Derwin and Elliot back to the crime-ridden underbelly of the city and straight into Yoshiro’s clutches. Two gangs are vying for power, and Derwin and Elliot get caught in the middle of their very public fight.

Derwin and Elliot must find a way to thwart both gangs’ plans and escape alive. This time, one misstep could spell disaster for all the inhabitants of Nis.

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Fun Facts!

I’m very excited about the release of Book 2 of the Oddities series, Fraud Twice Felt. While the first book introduced the world and featured a murder mystery, this book is more about suspense and the struggle to survive as two major crime organizations attempt to take over the city. Readers will get to know Derwin and Elliot better, and there will be a reappearance of the notorious gang leader Roy Yoshiro.

To help celebrate this release, here are five fun facts about the book:

  1. So where is this set, anyways?

The series is set in an alternate Earth—one where a portal opened up between Earth and the spirit world during World War II, allowing the spirits and creatures of Japanese lore (the yokai) to begin manifesting wherever there is wilderness. The city of Nis is along the northwest coast of North America. Is it Seattle? Portland? Eh, it’s not exactly either, although it’s more similar to Seattle. I wanted the city to resemble a real city from our world, but not match it exactly, in case I needed to change details to fit the plot. Oh, and to give one more detail, Book 2 begins June 1 of 2026.

  1. This “Oddity” thing. It’s like a superpower?

Basically, yes. An “Oddity” is a genetic mutation granting an extra sensory or physical power. In Book 1, readers were introduced to Interrogators who can fuel their superior strength and speed by feeding off the pain of others, either willingly or unwillingly. They were also introduced to Telepaths who can read minds, and Object Readers who receive visions when touching objects holding strong emotional imprints.

Look for a couple new Oddities in Book 2, including a very special one.

  1. This “Tatsu” gang. That’s like the Yakuza, right?

Nope. While both the real-world Yakuza and the in-book Tatsu gangs were both started in Japan, the Tatsu have members of all different races and ethnicities, while the Yakuza are more of a family operated organization. The Tatsu specialize in the drug and arms trade, not gambling or massage parlors like the Yakuza.

About the only thing they have in common is the country of origin. This is true of other gangs in Book 2—while there may be a particular country of origin, typically they allow anyone as members.

  1. How many books total will there be in this series?

I’m planning on a total of six books—three with one couple, and three with another. I’m currently writing the third book which will finish Derwin and Elliot’s romantic arc and go much, much deeper into the overall plot of the series.

  1. Finally, when is Book 3 coming out?

Sadly, my real life took a turn for the worse this year, so I’m behind in writing the third book. As of May 1st, I was at 31,380 words out of an estimated 90,000 or so. Hopefully things will pick up, but it will likely be at least a year before the next one comes out. I’ll continue working on it. Feedback keeps me going as well! I want to give a sincere thank you to everyone who posts reviews, regardless of what they are.

I hope readers enjoy!

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Excerpt!

A Wonderful Day

Elliot Leed liked filing criminal records.

He sat in the little office chair behind the desk at Bob’s Bail Bonds, sifting through manila folders, organizing them by court dates. In the corner of the room, Bob was speaking with Derwin Bryant, one of the bond agents hired to capture fugitives who failed the provisions of their bond. Elliot smiled, warmth flushing through his body as he watched the dusky-skinned, muscular bounty hunter speaking with broad gestures and a loud voice.

Derwin also happened to be his lover. An actual lover; not a client, not a john.

“So let me get this straight,” Derwin said, taking several folders from Bob. “You let Bernie the Hack post bond? Again? Bob . . . dude . . .” He shook his head, smiling sadly. “Why do you cover these rats? You know he’s going to skip bond.” He gave Elliot a wink.

Elliot grinned back. He couldn’t help but glance down at himself, wearing khakis and a buttoned shirt, of all things. He had a job. A real job, and not one where he had to follow a Madame’s orders and suck off jerks to pay for food.

Bob shrugged amiably. “I’ve known him for fifteen years, Derwin. Yes, he’s failed to appear before . . .” He rubbed his mouth, perhaps unconsciously. According to Derwin, he’d started his business years ago. An older guy, half-bald, with a friendly face and laugh lines around his eyes, Bob was a softie, but it was hard to get mad at him about it. After all, how many guys would be willing to hire a former rentboy to file paperwork in their office? Elliot couldn’t think of anyone.

Derwin was staring at him. “Three times.” He crossed his arms.

Bob chuckled, nodding. “But you have to admit that last time was a pretty good excuse! I mean, fleeing from a yokai is not something you do every day.” He winked. “Well not most people, I should say.”

Elliot smiled. Yeah, running from a yokai—a supernatural spirit, or demons as most people called them—might be a good excuse to most people. Except for Derwin, who hunted the otherworldly creatures. “What was his crime?”

Bob glanced over at him. “Burglary. The warehouses.” He glanced at the folder in Derwin’s hand. “You’re familiar with that part of town, right?” By his blank expression, it was obvious he was clueless he’d just stepped into a land mine.

Elliot flushed, looking down. “That part of town” was associated with his former life; he’d been living in a warehouse storeroom. In addition, he’d been kidnapped and tortured near those fucking warehouses.

“Yeah, I’m familiar with it,” Elliot muttered. He tried to keep his tone respectful. He’d only been on the job for a week and couldn’t afford to alienate a guy who’d been willing to hire him without past experience or identification.

Derwin came to his rescue, like he always did. “The warehouses are where Grady’s murderer kept Elliot, Bob. So anyways, you just have these little ones for me today? Shouldn’t take me long.” He glanced at the calendar on the wall near Elliot’s head, before turning back to Bob. “By the way, where’s Connie been? I haven’t seen her in days.”

Bob had winced at the reference to Cole Murphy, the guy who had murdered Derwin’s old boyfriend, but he recovered quickly, shrugging. “She says she’s been sick.”

Derwin frowned. “That’s not like her. How many times can you remember her calling out sick before? I hope she’s okay.” He looked at Elliot, and his dark-brown eyes softened.

While Elliot hadn’t had a chance to meet Connie yet, he’d heard all about her. She sounded loud, brazen, and funny, not unlike Derwin’s mother. It was because Connie had complained of having too much work that Elliot had this job at all. “What if we swing by her place later?”

“Good idea.” Faint lines of concentration showed on Derwin’s brow, as he went all businesslike again. Gods, Elliot couldn’t wait to get him home, to strip that tough heroic exterior off and ignite the fiery passion that smoldered beneath.

Elliot had to rein in his imagination, sobering as he watched Derwin checking his gear—bulletproof vest, utility belt with cuffs and pepper spray, his pair of blessed knives, and his gun. The weapons were more for demons than human fugitives. As far as Elliot was concerned, Derwin was a walking arsenal, and that was just fine. Anything to keep him safe. Elliot found himself clutching a folder, and forced himself to set it down. “Be careful.” He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to the fact his boyfriend risked his neck every day for the job.

“Always.” Derwin grinned and strode over to kiss Elliot on the cheek. Then he headed out the door, the little bell jangling as he left.

Elliot opened the file cabinet, aware that he was blushing. Bob chuckled, but Elliot didn’t turn to see what kind of expression was on the guy’s face. I’m still not comfortable being out and proud and people not caring. As a rentboy, he’d been both attacked and sought after for his proclivities.

He avoided talking to his old Madame, Theresa, now. Every once in a while she sent one of her boys to check up on him, and that was enough. None of the boys had mentioned whether Roy Yoshiro, the city boss of the Tatsu gang and one of Elliot’s former clients, had asked for another booking. Most likely Theresa knew he’d say no.

“He’s a good guy. I’m glad to see him having fun with his job and not so grim like he was before he found Grady’s murderer. Rescuing you off the streets like a lost puppy, that helped him.” Elliot nodded silently, but Bob seemed to realize what he’d said and his tone faltered. “Y-you know. Because helping people is important to him.”

A really good guy to take on a sad stray like me. Was it their relationship that had brought Derwin’s happiness back, or the closure of solving Grady’s murder? “I only hope that he’s not reckless when he’s out there.”

Bob nodded “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. I used to worry about his mental state, but with you around now, he’s much better. You’re good for him. Grady always had a sunny attitude, and I see that same sort of quality in you.”

How good would Bob say Elliot was for Derwin if he knew the truth about why Elliot had left whoring? That one of the most notorious gang leaders in the city had claimed his ass and was going to kill anyone who said otherwise? But Elliot nodded again, and forced himself to sound cheerful. “Thanks. I plan to stick around.”

That much was the truth.

Read more at: https://riptidepublishing.com/titles/fraud-twice-felt (just click the excerpt tab)

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Oddities series!

The government wants to control Oddities. Regular people condemn them. And the corporations want to study their DNA . . .

Derwin Bryant is a bounty hunter, a demon hunter, and has an Oddity that allows him to feed on pain to increase his strength and speed. Elliot Leed is a rent boy turned private investigator with a rare Oddity of his own—the ability to read objects with strong emotional imprints. Together they take on cases that no one else can, in a city full of corruption, crime, and the forgotten poor.

It’s a tough place for two men in love to make a difference.

Check out The Oddities! The Oddities series

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About J.T.!

J.T. Hall has been writing for many years under this name and others, and has appeared in magazines, anthologies, and online books. She earned her BA in creative writing from the University of Arizona, her Master’s in education from Argosy University, and works as an independent technical writer for state and federal programs. In her free time, she volunteers for the LGBT community and is active in the leather scene. She has a teenage daughter and a partner of over ten years. They live in sunny Arizona with three adorably cute dogs, three black cats, and a hamster who loves peanuts.

Connect with J.T.:

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Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of Fraud Twice Felt, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide credit and an ebook from J.T.’s backlist!

(Just leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest.)
Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!
(Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on June 3, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.)
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Check out the other blogs on the tour!

May 29, 2017 – Diverse Reader
May 29, 2017 – Boy Meets Boy Reviews
May 29, 2017 – My Fiction Nook
May 29, 2017 – Booklover Sue
May 30, 2017 – Love Bytes Reviews
May 30, 2017 – Unquietly Me
May 30, 2017 – On Top Down Under
May 30, 2017 – MM Good Book Reviews
May 31, 2017 – The Novel Approach
May 31, 2017 – Erotica for All
May 31, 2017 – The Day Before You Came
June 1, 2017 – OMG Reads
June 1, 2017 – Butterfly-O-Meter
June 2, 2017 – Bayou Book Junkie
Riptide Publishing

12 thoughts on “Fraud Twice Felt by J.T. Hall Blog Tour, Fun Facts, Excerpt & Giveaway!

  1. congrats and enjoyed the blog post today
    jmarinich33 at aol dot com

  2. I hope everything’s okay! Don’t worry about rushing book 3, I know we’ll be there when it arrives…

    vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com

  3. Congratulations on the new release! Thanks for sharing the excerpt. I enjoyed reading the “Fun Facts.” Thanks for a chance to win.
    Rachel: chalonsursaone95 (at) hotmail (dot) com

  4. Thanks for sharing the fun facts. I’m one of those people who like to start reading series once they’re complete though.
    legacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com

  5. Congratulations on the release, and thank you for th excerpt. It sounds really good
    susanaperez7140(at)gmail(dot)com

  6. Congratulations on your book release, J.T. And good luck with the rest of the blog tour

    amie_07(at)yahoo(dot)com

  7. Congrats and thanks for the excerpt and inteesting Q&A. This sounds great as does the series. I love the idea of special powers, especially with mixing it into a crime thrillergay romance combo. –
    TheWrote [at] aol [dot] com

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