Hiya peeps, we have debut author Shell Taylor visiting todya with her very first release Redeeming Hope, we have a great excerpt that gives you a taste of the story, there’s a fantastic giveaway and Lisa’s review, so enjoy the post and click that rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~

Redeeming Hope

Shell Taylor

Fifteen years ago Elijah Langley’s world came to an abrupt halt with the death of his high school boyfriend. He keeps his past—and his sexual orientation—hidden until he attends a fundraiser for The Center for HOPE, an LGBT youth center, where he meets Adam Lancaster, HOPE’s infuriatingly stubborn and sexy founder.

A survivor of a turbulent childhood, Adam understands better than most the challenges his youth face. He’s drawn to Elijah’s baby blues and devilish smile but refuses to compromise his values and climb back into the closet for anyone—not even the man showering time and money on HOPE. Months of constant flirting wear down Adam’s resolve until he surrenders to his desires, but Elijah can’t shake his demons.

When a youth from the center is brutally assaulted, Elijah must find a way to confront the fears and memories that are starting to ruin his life, so he can stand strong for those he loves.

Excerpt

Eli clutched the glossy eight-by-ten as tears welled in his eyes. He could hardly believe the emaciated, washed-out figure in the picture was the same person he’d centered his entire world around just a few weeks earlier. Eli would recognize that face anywhere. God knows, he’d spent enough time staring at it—running his fingers over those soft lips, sucking on the kidney-shaped birthmark just below the ear. He never imagined he’d see those eyes so lifeless.

“It’s him,” Eli whispered, dropping the picture on the officer’s desk.

His mother rested a hand on his shoulder. “E.J.—”

“Don’t pretend to care, now that he’s dead.” Eli shrugged out of her grasp and clenched his jaw to hold in the gut-wrenching sobs brewing in his chest. “Will I need to identify the body in person too?”

The officer avoided Eli’s eyes, but his voice was kind. “If you’re certain, this is good enough for us. He’ll be released in the next thirty-six hours. Will you be claiming him, or will the city keep him?”

Eli’s eyes widened, and panic ripped through his heart. He’d never expected the search to end with a dead body, and there was no way he’d be able to give his boyfriend the funeral he deserved—the one Eli owed him for his own part in Brian’s death. Prepared to beg, he turned and met his father’s eyes for the first time since Brian disappeared from their house almost three weeks earlier.

“We’ll take care of his arrangements.” Eli’s mother spoke quietly but firmly, and his father dipped his chin in silent agreement.

Relief carried Eli back to his parents’ car, but grief consumed him as soon as he slid into the back seat. Burying his head in his knees, he shut out the rest of the world. Eli didn’t leave the quiet safety of the car until long after he arrived home, his cheeks crusted with salty tears from mourning the loss of the future he’d been so sure of.

About Shell

Shell Taylor is a full-time mother of three exuberant and loving kiddos and one fur baby, a tiny but fierce Yorkie-poo named Rocco. As a Christian who practices love, grace, and humility rather than hatred and judgement, she tries her best to instill these same virtues in her rowdy kids. She just recently learned how to crochet to start bombarding new mothers with matching hats and booties. She is a huge Marvel fan and because of the superhero-plastered tees paired with jeans and Chucks has been told when helping out in her son’s classroom that she looks more like the students than a parent. Her favorite way to procrastinate is to binge watch entire seasons on Netflix. Best of all, she’s been married ten years to a man who’s turned out to be everything she never knew she needed.

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Giveaway!

Winner’s Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card.
Runner-up’s Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card.

Shell Taylor Rafflecopter giveaway!

Review

Title: Redeeming Hope

Series: Home for Hope, 01

Author: Shell Taylor

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (205 Pages)

ISBN: 978-1-63476-376-9

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (October 5, 2015)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Lisa

Blurb: Fifteen years ago Elijah Langley’s world came to an abrupt halt with the death of his high school boyfriend. He keeps his past—and his sexual orientation—hidden until he attends a fundraiser for The Center for HOPE, an LGBT youth center, where he meets Adam Lancaster, HOPE’s infuriatingly stubborn and sexy founder.

A survivor of a turbulent childhood, Adam understands better than most the challenges his youth face. He’s drawn to Elijah’s baby blues and devilish smile but refuses to compromise his values and climb back into the closet for anyone—not even the man showering time and money on HOPE. Months of constant flirting wear down Adam’s resolve until he surrenders to his desires, but Elijah can’t shake his demons.

When a youth from the center is brutally assaulted, Elijah must find a way to confront the fears and memories that are starting to ruin his life, so he can stand strong for those he loves.

Product Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6922

Review: I have been reading romance stories from the time I could read. I really got into it when I was around twelve and had a collection of thousands. It wasn’t until about three years ago when I came across m/m romance books. At first my thoughts were ok but not going to be as good as a normal romance. Let me just say they went over my expectations and I was caught.

There is so much more going on in one of these stories and I started collecting. Now I have come across Shelly and I have to tell you she has rated up there on my top list. So I knew when I got this book that I would not be disappointed at all.

I loved Elijah and my heart broke for him. He had lost his high school boyfriend to death and had tried to hide it all. The violence that the gay youth are assaulted with makes one want to go out and just kick some ass that is for sure. So when he attends a fundraiser for a LGBT youth center he wasn’t sure what would happen. He met Adam and his heart starts beating once more. Then a child is hurt and he has to find a way to cope with it all.

Adam had gone through a horrible child hood and beat the odds. He had decided to build a youth center for gay children and help those who needed help. Then he meets the sexy Elijah and is drawn in. The problem is he can’t get Elijah to turn to him. It is up to Elijah to figure out what is going to happen.

You can feel Adam’s hesitation and frustration. You can also feel Elijah’s fears and his needs. One man out and proud whereas the other is hiding himself because of his past. The loss of a love and the pain of a child are just too much to bear. They come to a cross way and there is a challenge each other is needing to meet before they can come together in the end.

What makes this book even more special is the fact that it makes you feel like you are there watching it all go down. It is like the guys are your best friends going through the pain, heart ache, the renewal, the hope and then the heat that comes between them. It comes off so real that you just want to smack them upside the heads sometimes.

I had fun with it and I know that you will too. I loved it and look forward to reading the next book.

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