Hi guys, today we have Poppy Dennison popping in with her brand new release Life’s a Beach from the exciting new series Coconut Cove which she is writing with M.J. O’Shea. Poppy let’s us have a peek at an excerpt and she has a very interesting contest! So guys enjoy the post, read my review and take a good look at that contest <3 ~Pixie~
Life’s a Beach
(Coconut Cove Episode 01)
by
Poppy Dennison
Welcome to Coconut Cove where you’ll always find oiled beach bodies, palm trees, tropical drinks, and plenty of drama!
Coconut Cove is the hottest new sensation to sweep the nation — a gay teen drama filled to the brim with hot stars and even hotter action. It’s catching the public’s attention and winning their hearts. But all the drama, heartache, and life lessons aren’t just for the characters on the screen. The fledgling actors behind the scenes have more than their fair share of love and catastrophes. They may only play teens on TV but when it comes to romance, these twenty-somethings still have lessons to learn.
From the scheming ex determined to cash in on a rising star, to the hunky high school crush resurrected from ancient history—from the nice guy with a naughty past, to the snarky diva with attitude—there’s plenty of scandalous hidden affairs and seriously sexy demons hiding in just about everyone’s closet on Coconut Cove.
You just have to be ready to drink it in. Bottoms up … or should we say off?
http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-romance/coconut-cove-lifes-a-beach/#.U_CnWfldVQA
Excerpt
They reached the Pirate’s Booty after a short walk. Outside, tiki torches lit up the shaded deck, umbrellas covered patio tables, and a rainbow flag snapped in the tropical breeze. Inside, the waiters wore black boyshorts with a skull and crossbones imprinted over the ass. Flynn couldn’t hold back his laughter. Scott and Casey joined in, and they entered the bar with broad smiles.
Other cast and crew members filled a table in the back. Flynn sat next to Whitney, the show’s wardrobe designer. Lorelei and Eugenia sat on the other side of Whitney. Flynn listened intently as Scott and Casey ran through the rest of the introductions. He recognized Blair Fletcher and Howie Morasco as other actors on the show. From what he’d read of the scripts so far, he’d have a lot of scenes to film with the two before the end of the week.
They placed their dinner orders with the skimpily clad waiter, and Flynn found himself relaxing in the company of his new co-workers. It was a novel experience. He’d not been able to relax on set for a while. That was behind him though.
While they waited for their food to arrive, Flynn slipped away and went to the bar. An order of margaritas for the table seemed like a great idea, even though they’d all probably regret their indulgence the next morning.
Flynn wanted to celebrate though, so he went with the idea. When the bartender turned to him, Flynn’s breath caught in his chest. Instead of the tiny boyshorts the waiters wore, the bartender had on a tight black tank top and black cargo shorts. Dark hair buzzed short to his scalp set off his turquoise blue eyes. And his arms. Holy hell. He had long, lean muscles and an artist’s hands. Flynn had to fight back a whimper. He really needed to get laid.
The bartender cleared his throat and drew Flynn’s attention to his face. “Can I help you?”
Flynn’s face heated. “Uh, yeah. I wanted to order a round of margaritas for the table in the back.”
“Let me guess. You’re the new guy.” The bartender sounded less than impressed.
“I just got here today.” Flynn leaned against the bar with a smile.
The bartender rolled his eyes and turned his back on Flynn. “I’ll send over the drinks when they’re ready.”
Flynn went back to the table and rejoined the others.
Lorelei leaned around Whitney and whispered into his ear. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I ordered some drinks for us.” Flynn didn’t want to expound on his experience with the bartender.
“Oh no. You talked to Seth?” Whitney wrinkled up his nose. “We could have warned you. He’s not exactly happy that we’re all hanging around here so much.”
“Why?” Flynn asked.
Whitney snorted. “If you ask me, it’s because he’s jealous all the attention isn’t on him.”
“Just because he turned you down flat doesn’t mean he’s jealous, Whitney.” Lorelei leaned back again and smiled at Flynn. “But we do tend to gather the attention of the customers. Well, we don’t”—she gestured between Whitney, Eugenia, and herself—“but you guys? Yeah. There have been quite a few autographs signed in here.”
“Isn’t that a good thing? Most places wouldn’t mind the extra business.”
Lorelei shrugged. “It’s different here. More laid-back. Anyway, the rest of the staff likes having us around—it’s just Seth who doesn’t like it.”
Flynn glanced over his shoulder. Seth stood at the bar, laughing with the customers who waited on their drinks. The friendly expression transformed Seth’s face even further. Flynn forced himself to turn his attention back to the table.
It shouldn’t matter what some random bartender thought of him. People tended to have extreme reactions to meeting someone in the industry. Either they fawned and squealed and got overly excited, or they turned aloof and assumed the worst.
For some reason, though, Seth’s reaction really bugged Flynn. He couldn’t stop looking at the bar. Seth caught his eye and arched a brow. Flynn turned quickly away, fighting another blush.
What the hell was wrong with him? He had to be sleep deprived or overly stressed. Nothing else made sense. He couldn’t remember the last time a man made him blush. He couldn’t let Seth get to him, though. He needed to focus on his job. Too much was at stake for him to do anything less.
About Poppy
A sassy southern lady, Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.
Visit her on her web site: http://poppydennison.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/poppydennison,
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PoppyDennison
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108648.Poppy_Dennison
Contest!
Take a quiz to find out which Coconut Cove character you are! And if you post the results on Facebook or Twitter (and tag me, Poppy Dennison!) you’ll be entered to win a Grand Prize of some of our favorite beach themed products!
http://www.whichblankareyou.com/q/what-coconut-cove-character-are-you-3
Review
Title: Life’s a Beach
Series: Coconut Beach Episode 01
Author: Poppy Dennison
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (98pgs)
ISBN: 978-1-925180-33-6
Publisher: Wilde City Press (20th August 2014)
Heat Rating: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Welcome to Coconut Cove where you’ll always find oiled beach bodies, palm trees, tropical drinks, and plenty of drama!
Coconut Cove is the hottest new sensation to sweep the nation — a gay teen drama filled to the brim with hot stars and even hotter action. It’s catching the public’s attention and winning their hearts. But all the drama, heartache, and life lessons aren’t just for the characters on the screen. The fledgling actors behind the scenes have more than their fair share of love and catastrophes. They may only play teens on TV but when it comes to romance, these twenty-somethings still have lessons to learn.
From the scheming ex determined to cash in on a rising star, to the hunky high school crush resurrected from ancient history—from the nice guy with a naughty past, to the snarky diva with attitude—there’s plenty of scandalous hidden affairs and seriously sexy demons hiding in just about everyone’s closet on Coconut Cove.
You just have to be ready to drink it in. Bottoms up … or should we say off?
Purchase Link: http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-romance/coconut-cove-lifes-a-beach/#.U_ZMDPldVws
Review: Actor Flynn is looking for a new part after the negotiations for his current role on The Presidio seems to have stalled; he’s also looking for a way to distance himself from the fallout from breaking things off with his roommate… who is also his co-star. Coconut Cove seems like a dream come true, and Flynn throws himself into his new role. When bartender Seth catches his eye Flynn is unsure of his welcome as Seth seems less than impressed. Seth isn’t interested in being in the public eye but Flynn is hard to ignore.
This is a great start to what looks to be a very tantalising series. Flynn made a mistake of getting involved with a co-star and now that the ‘relationship’ has ended his co-star seems to have pulled strings and Flynn now has to look for a new part. Coconut Cove comes at the perfect time and it will also get him out of L.A. and into Key West so he can have a break from the tension. Seth is the bartender who catches Flynn’s eye but Seth has his own past and wants no part of the limelight but when Flynn needs him most Seth has to choose between trying to protect Flynn or allowing Flynn’s ex to manipulate Flynn.
I really enjoyed this story and loved how parts of Coconut Cove came alive at the beginning of some chapters. Both Flynn and Seth are great characters with Flynn being very down to earth and Seth wary of fame, together they are hot and they are also pretty easy going when they are together but there is tension between them as Seth has to decide what he wants. Flynn is great as he deals with his ex, Bennett, and he handles the fall out well.
We are also treated to an interesting array of secondary characters and I am sure you will notice a couple of familiar names… is that a coincidence or are some of our favourite authors moonlighting as film crew????
I recommend this to those who love new beginnings, finding new love, putting the past to rest and a great beginning to an enjoyable series.