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Hiya guys! We have Josephine Myles popping in today with her new re-release Stuff, we have a great excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and Aerin’s review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~
Stuff
(The Bristol Collection 02)
by
Josephine Myles
When Mr. Glad Rags meets Mr. Riches, the result is flaming fun.
Tobias “Mas” Maslin doesn’t need much. A place of his own, weekends spent clubbing, and a rich boyfriend for love and security. Pity his latest sugar daddy turns out to be married with kids. Mas wants to be special, not someone’s dirty little secret.
When he loses his job and his flat on the same day, Mas’s world starts unravelling… until he stumbles across a down-at-heel vintage clothes shop. Now he just needs to convince the delightfully shy owner he’s in need of a new salesman.
Perry Cavendish-Fiennes set up Cabbages and Kinks solely to annoy his controlling father. He’d much rather spend every spare moment on his true passion, art. That is until Mas comes flaming into his life, talking nineteen to the dozen and turning his world upside down.
Against his better judgment Perry offers Mas a job and a place to live, but it turns out he should have listened to his instincts. The shop is already financially on the brink, and Mas’s flirting makes him feel things he’s never felt for a man. Yet Mas seems convinced they can make a go of it—in the shop, and together. That is, until Mas’s past starts to catch up with him…
Warning: Contains an eccentric bumbling Englishman, a gobby drama queen, fantastic retro clothing, scary fairies, exes springing out of the woodwork, and a well-aimed glass of bubbly. Written in brilliantly British English.
Hey guys, today we have Elizabeth Noble and her newest release Electric Candle, it’s the second book in The Sleepless City series that Elizabeth is writing with Anne Barwell. So take a peek at the book, join in the Rafflecopter giveaway and read my review <3 ~Pixie~
Blurb
When a vampire finds his soul mate, the bond is forever. It’s love at first sight. Or is it?
Flint, Ohio, Homicide Detective Jonas Forge has been a vampire for nearly two hundred years. He’s fought wars, seen life go from the simple but hard colonial days to the modern, high-tech world. He’s evolved with the times, adapting with each new era, blending into each new life. The one constant is his best friend and lover, Declan.
Until Forge’s soul mate tumbles, literally, into his life.
Even though they’re not fated to be together forever, Forge and Declan are perfectly happy. Despite the pheromone attracting him to his soul mate, Forge isn’t thrilled with the guy, and the feeling seems mutual. While trying to adjust to his clumsy soul mate and equally awkward feelings, Forge is on the hunt for the serial killer who’s leaving a trail of bodies, and who witnesses can’t identify. But Forge better watch out. When his work collides with his love life, things really heat up.
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 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 named Rosie, and two cats, Murphy and Yeti. 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.
Blurb: When a vampire finds his soul mate, the bond is forever. It’s love at first sight. Or is it?
Flint, Ohio, Homicide Detective Jonas Forge has been a vampire for nearly two hundred years. He’s fought wars, seen life go from the simple but hard colonial days to the modern, high-tech world. He’s evolved with the times, adapting with each new era, blending into each new life. The one constant is his best friend and lover, Declan.
Until Forge’s soul mate tumbles, literally, into his life.
Even though they’re not fated to be together forever, Forge and Declan are perfectly happy. Despite the pheromone attracting him to his soul mate, Forge isn’t thrilled with the guy, and the feeling seems mutual. While trying to adjust to his clumsy soul mate and equally awkward feelings, Forge is on the hunt for the serial killer who’s leaving a trail of bodies, and who witnesses can’t identify. But Forge better watch out. When his work collides with his love life, things really heat up.
Review:This story is part of a series and can be read in order but can also be read by itself. Jonas Forge is a homicide detective and a vampire, hunting for a serial killer who is killing young men. At one crime scene he stumbles across his soul mate but he is far from happy, his soul mate is clumsy and naive and Forge doesn’t want to give up his relationship with his constant companion Declan. Blair has helped Forge and his friends online for several years but suddenly a driving need has him travelling to Flint, meeting Forge is confusing as Blair really doesn’t have a clue about the paranormal world but he refuses to come between Forge and his real love. When the investigation into the murders comes close to home Forge must accept that Blair might just be the one for him.
This is a great story of a vampire who has to let go of the past in order to find happiness in the future, oh and also of a really cool murder investigation that has surprises for the guys from Bogg’s Castle. Blair is a sweet guy who was turned and left to fend for himself; everything he has learnt about vampires he found out from graphic novels so he has muddled along as best he can. Forge has been a vampire for over two hundred years and was very happy with his life, when Blair tumbles into his life he finds it hard to let go of what he has always had with Declan. Two vampires drawn together by a soul bond, trying to find a way to make it work when one refuses to accept change and the other refuses to make waves.
I found this story to be very interesting and really enjoyed the hunt for the killer; I really liked how the vampires were portrayed and how they carried over simple allergies from when they were human. This is a great story but I found Forge to be a great big stick in the mud, when I first saw how Forge and Blair met I had great hopes for their relationship but Forge constantly put obstacles in the way, refusing to even consider opening his heart to Blair, it wasn’t until he nearly lost Blair that Forge seemed to change his tune about what he wanted. Poor Blair does everything he can to make things easier for Forge even offering to leave but damn I wish he would have told Forge to suck it up and to stop acting like a baby. Will they make a great couple?… that I can’t answer because although Blair proved himself to be a perfect partner, Forge came across as selfish, only wanting what he wanted and ignoring how it affected others.
The murder mystery was brilliantly written always leaving us guessing and bringing a sense of danger to the story when it directly impacts Bogg’s Castle, we see the guys pulling together and working to their strengths to even begin to learn what they are up against. I must admit to looking forward to future stories as the guys seem to have only scratched the surface of the mystery and I am hoping that Forge and Blair’s relationship will settle into something special.
The book is well written and the story is a good one, the relationship is far from an easy one but both characters make it very interesting. The investigation leaves us wanting answers but it looks to be very far reaching and not one that will be solved easily, constantly whetting our appetites with the mystery of just what is really going on.
I recommend this to those who love paranormal mysteries, great characters who are both interesting and annoying, accepting new love and letting go of the old one, danger and desperate searches and an ending that piques your interest for the next book.
San Diego is a city of second chances for Jamie Carlson. His new career as a photographer is taking off, and with the support of a loving surrogate family, he’s finally putting his party years behind him. The Bailey family helped him solve his drinking problem, but there’s no easy solution to staying sober now that Belle Bailey’s dying. Her last wish is a challenge Jamie can’t overcome without help.
Solving problems is Daniel Priest’s specialty. More than twenty years older than Jamie, he’s successful and experienced. He makes his living resolving corporate crises—but his personal life has been far from perfect. Now that his marriage is over, Daniel’s determined to make up for lost time. One night with Jamie isn’t nearly enough for him.
Daniel’s honest offer of help is more than Jamie expects from a one-time hookup. Even so, fulfilling Belle’s last wish is a tall order. Repairing her damaged family as she requests proves difficult when Jamie has to face his own past as well.
Jamie could risk his hard-won recovery by admitting why he hit rock bottom in the first place. If he wants a future with Daniel, he’ll have to address those reasons head-on.
Con Riley lives on the wild and rugged Devonshire coast, with her head in the clouds, and her feet in the Atlantic Ocean.
Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time instead. Love, loss, and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that makes them live and breathe.
When not people watching, or wrangling her own boy band of teen sons, she spends time staring at the sea from her kitchen window. If you see her, don’t disturb her—she’s probably thinking up new plots.
Hey it’s me again 🙂 . Now I have a great treat for you, we have Renee George bringing her newest releases for us to have a gander at and our Lisa certainly seemed to enjoy them. Renee has a great giveaway, so make sure you click that Rafflecopter link and then enjoy Lisa’s reviews of this sexy little series <3 ~Pixie~
Cock&Tails #1: The WallBanger
To celebrate his 45th birthday, Dr. Harvey Grace agrees to go on a blind date at a popular gay sports bar, The Other Team. His date turns out to be the bar’s owner–gorgeous 32-year-old Jay Lincoln. Their attraction is immediate and hot as wildfire. Harvey begins to believe that Jay might well be “the one,” but is the younger man serious about finding Mr. Right … or is he looking for Mr. Right Now?
Todd Nelson and Tucker Thompson both know what it’s like to feel abandoned, lonely, and afraid. Since ending up in the same foster family together, they’ve been as close as brothers. Now in their early twenties, they still have each other’s backs, sharing an apartment and working at The Other Team. Tuck avoids hook-ups while Todd constantly indulges in one-night-stands. Watching Todd go through a string of conquests in their home is brutal on Tuck, who wants Todd all for himself. What he doesn’t realize is that Todd has strong feelings for him, too. Tuck has always trusted Todd to have his back, but can he trust him with his heart?
Todd Nelson and Tucker Thompson both know what it’s like to feel abandoned, lonely, and afraid. Since ending up in the same foster family together, they’ve been as close as brothers. Now in their early twenties, they still have each other’s backs, sharing an apartment and working at The Other Team. Tuck avoids hook-ups while Todd constantly indulges in one-night-stands. Watching Todd go through a string of conquests in their home is brutal on Tuck, who wants Todd all for himself. What he doesn’t realize is that Todd has strong feelings for him, too. Tuck has always trusted Todd to have his back, but can he trust him with his heart?
Multi-published, award-winning author Renee George has been a factory worker, an army medic, a nurse, a website designer, a small press editor, an artist, and a teacher, but writing stories about sexy alpha men is the BEST job she’s ever had. When she turned thirty, she went back to college and earned her BA in creative writing. She has been married to the love of her life, a wonderful man who supports in every way, for over half her life (and that is a VERY long time!). She happily lives in a small, Midwest town with her husband, two needy dogs and a very independent cat.
Author Links
Renee George—Erotic, Paranormal, Ménage, Contemporary, Traditional and Male/Male
Blurb: When mixology meets biology, it’s pure chemistry!
To celebrate his 45th birthday, Dr. Harvey Grace agrees to go on a blind date at a popular gay sports bar, The Other Team. His date turns out to be the bar’s owner–gorgeous 32-year-old Jay Lincoln. Their attraction is immediate and hot as wildfire. Harvey begins to believe that Jay might well be “the One”, but is the younger man serious about finding Mr. Right…or is he looking for Mr. Right Now?
Review: I hated that this story was so short and just left me hanging. It was that good believe me. It gives you a wonderful beginning. Dr. Harvey Grace had agreed to a blind date, his date knew what he looked like but he had no idea what Jay looked like. The only thing he knew was that Jay was younger than he was. It was no only his first date with him but also his birthday. What a way to spend your birthday, it is so very hot.
Jay Lincoln was a gorgeous younger man who at first sight looked like he was just a bartender. What Harvey hadn’t realized was Jay was also the owner of the gay sports bar. They had little bits of a problem when Harveys ex-boyfriend shows up, but after that the night just held lots of promise. These two heat up the room and you can tell that they can easily fall in love with each other.
I loved this story but as I said it left me hanging. I can not wait to hear more about Havey and Jay. I want to know where there future goes . It is a really great story, told with the perfect tone. I can’t wait for the next book.
Title: The Hot Toddy
Series: Cock&Tails Book 2
Author: Renee George
Genre: Gay Erotic Romance
Length: Short Story (36 pages)
ISNB: B00JD1PNTA
Publisher: RTN Publishing, (April 1st, 2014)
Heat: Explicite
Heart: 3.5
>Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: When mixology meets biology, it’s pure chemistry!
Todd Nelson and Tucker Thompson both know what its like to feel abandoned, lonely, and afraid. Since ending up in the same foster family together, they’ve been as close as brothers. Now in the early twenties, they still have each other’s backs, sharing an apartment and working at The Other Team. Tuck avoids hook-ups while Todd constantly indulges in one-night-stands. Watching Todd go through a string of conquests in their home is brutal on Tuck, who wants Todd all for himself. What he doesn’t realize is that Todd has strong feelings for him, too. Tuck has always trusted Todd to have his back, but can he trust him with his heart?
Review: Todd has always had one-night-stands, sometime right there in the living room so that Tucker can see them when he walks in the door. In one sense he is doing it to get Tucker to notice and in another it is because in his heart he really wants it to be Tucker who is with him. He has always loved Tucker even when they first met as foster kids. All though it was a brotherly love at one time, it slowly turned it to something more when they were sixteen. When he told Tucker, he thought Tucker was turning him down, he hadn’t realized that Tucker felt the same but he was scared.
Tucker had always wanted Todd, so much so that he never felt like being with anyone else. He was just getting tired of seeing Todd going through his conquests. He wanted Todd for himself. He was madly in love with his best friend and roommate. But how could they move forward when neither would start anything for fear of what the other would say. That is until one night and it turned into something full of passion and fire. Now all they had to do is love each other. That and steam up the windows everytime they get close.
I hate stories that leave me hanging, but hate it in a good way. I want to read more about Tucker and Todd and can not wait to read the next book about them. They are really hot together and they set the sheets on fire when they finally come together. I can not wait to get my hands on their next story. I can definitely recommend this story to anyone who wants a really cute and loving story.
Title: The Gin Rickey
Series: Cock&Tails Book 3
Author: Renee George
Genre: Gay Erotic Romance
Length: Short Story (31 Pages)
ISNB: B00JD1PQWO
Publisher: RTN Publishing, (April 1st, 2014)
Heat: Explicit
Heart: 3.5
Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: When mixology meets biology, it’s pure chemistry!
Alex Michaels values intellect and propriety. To help pay the bills while he finishes his biological research degree, he waits tables at The Other Team. He’s trying to avoid romantic entanglements to focus on his studies, but the new cook, Ricky McNeil, is dangerously attractive. Ricky’s scars and tattoos have Alex both scared and horny. It doesn’t take long for Alex to cave in to their insane attraction. But can two men from two different worlds have more than just a physical connection?
Review: Now this story was a bit funnier than book one and two of this series. I actually laughed throughout the story. It just hit me a bit off. I loved it. Alex vallues intellect and propriety, but he also a bit lonely. He decided not to date anyone since he would rather focus on his studies, however that was before Ricky Mcneil walks in. He actually had one date before but it had turned out that he wasn’t for him. He wasn’t sure what pulled him towards Ricky but Alex knew he wanted to see it forward. He just thought that Ricky was a bad boy all the way around.
Ricky however wasn’t exactly what he seemed to be. The slight beard he had covered scars from a bombing when he was a child, and the job was a second one. He would end up surprising Alex in the end. They had their ups and downs but you can tell from the start that these two will set fireworks off when they look at. They just heat the place up when they are together.
I loved this story but hated to be left hanging. I want to see where it goes so it is great news to hear that Alex and Ricky will have another story coming. These two are amazing together once you get past the hardness that you see. I would definitely be recommending this story to anyone who loves a short, cute love story and two very hot men.
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OH MY GOD, oh my god!! Hey guys! Look, look we have Megan Derr… I know MEGAN DERR *fans self* Megan has blessed our site with her incredible, new release With Pride which is from her brilliant series Princes of the Blood *squee* (okay let me just calm down *deep breath*). Megan tells us not only how Princes of the Blood began but also how they went from ficbit to an epic high fantasy and she has a incredible giveaway where one of you lucky readers will win a copy of With Pride. So I will let you have a look at what Megan has to say, have a look at my review and don’t you dare forget to leave a comment for a chance to win this brilliant book! 😉 ~Pixie~
Megan Derr:
Expanding a Story.
As previously stated, Princes of the Bloodactually began as a couple of really short ficbits I posted to my LJ and later moved to my website (one of them, anyway. Dalibor’s never got moved; I no longer remember why). So how does a 3700 word ficbit turn into a trilogy totaling 188,000 words?
Lots of caffeine and alcohol to start.
But the first part is figuring out if there’s more story to tell. Luckily for me that question already had a firm yes.
From there, it’s time to cannibalize the original 3700 words to figure out what can be kept and transformed and what will have to go because it worked in short form but will not hold together in long form.
Kristof and Håkon not getting along? Kept. That was the easiest part in the end.
Other bits had to go: Kristof not understanding how the Princes work mostly had to go, though a small element was retained. Elements of the marriage and why Kristof was marrying him had to change. Hackle got changed to Håkon because Hackle didn’t quit fit anymore.
Pieces retained and fleshed out: the concept of Håkon needing special blood, that he’s at least in part a demon. There were other things discarded or kept, but that would be spoilery.
So, roughly decided upon what is getting kept, it’s time to move on to expanding those bits.
Most obviously were Kristof and Håkon’s roles. One a paladin, the other royalty. That was changed. Princes of the Blood aren’t royalty, merely the most powerful figures in the Legion. The Legion was the next thing to come, built out from the way I designed the Princes, the way they need pure blood, etc.
A lot of world building elements are thought of all at once. Laying it out makes it look all 1,2,3,4 but really it’s more like 1T56WX3AB9CDG2.
As all of that got sorted out, I had to build the rest of the world: religion, magic system, other bits of the culture. Given they live in the fallout of an ugly war, and everything is shaped very sharply around surviving all the nightmares that plague them, this made for a lot of fun. People are slaughtered by the hundreds, even thousands, often, so keeping the population up is extremely important. You don’t see a lot of women and children (sadly) because they’re kept locked away and safe. Polyamorous marriages are fairly standard (in the beginning of OLR, Raffé is engaged to a man who already has two wives and is hoping that he’ll get along with all of them; Korin is married to Telmé, but they’re good friends with the woman with whom Korin had a daughter; the kings always have 2-3 wives).
Little things matter too. This world tells time in minutes and hours, but they mark the hours with names. Only a few of them are mentioned in the books, but I have the full list. I know the crest and colors of every force within the Legion, and all the Houses.
And all the demons etc. that come into play aren’t entirely made up, either. I spent a lot of time picking out the demons upon which to base various Princes. I drew a map, I worked out the Reaches, I figured out how they survive when pure blood is so hard to come by and people die frequently and often.
After all the little pieces were fleshed out, and I had a rough outline, laying the story out was easy. The original ficbit for Håkon and Kristof was really only the end of their story. So going back to the start, figuring out how they met and what happened from there … expanding the story really wasn’t hard.
If anything, the hardest part of doing something like this is realizing that no story is set in stone. Be it editing, rewriting, or expanding, a story is not a static thing, set down once and never allowed to change. Some of my stories I’m content to leave as they are, but I have no doubt that somebody read it and went ‘I could do this better’ or ‘yeah, but what if I did it this way’.
And they definitely should.
Other stories are like The Lost Prince. Fun as it is, once I said ‘let’s see what else you got,’ it turned into Princes of the Blood and gave me 188,000 words.
As ever, writing is less doing and more doing as one is told.
Much love to everyone for reading my ramblings.
With Pride comes out April 16th from Less Than Three Press (third party vendors will follow after about 24 hours).
Of Last Resort can be found all over. In Despair comes out July 9th.
Hey guys, today we have the gorgeous Jacob Z. Flores visiting with his newest release When Love Comes to Town and you will have a chance to win your very own copy *squee* (just leave a comment with your email address to enter), we also have an excerpt and a dual review from Thommie and Tams so enjoy the post… I am just gonna go keep drooling over Jacob’s picture, damn he’s HOT! ~Pixie~ *PS I might have got carried away posting his picture…. but can you blame me LOL *
Hello, all! My name is Jacob Z. Flores, and I’m glad to be here at MM Good Book Reviews. I really appreciate my hosts for extending an invitation and for agreeing to be a stop on my blog tour promoting my latest Dreamspinner release, When Love Comes to Town. This is the fourth and final book of the Provincetown Series, but don’t worry: the books don’t have to be read in order of publication. I wrote each one so readers could enjoy them in any order they wished to pick them up. I like to make things as easy on my readers as possible. Who doesn’t like that?
Today, though, I’d like to talk about the cover for When Love Comes to Town, which happens to be my favorite of the four covers.
The artist responsible for the cover, as well as all of the covers for the Provincetown Series, is Michael Breyette. If you haven’t seen Michael’s paintings before, then you must immediately get yourself over to his website by clicking this link. Go ahead; click it. I’ll be right here waiting when you come back.
See? I told you you’d be glad you went, but did you really have to be gone for an hour? Sheesh! Just what were you doing over there?
So as you no doubt saw on the website, Michael’s artwork is stunning and, the pictures he paints capture intensely intimate or emotional moments. Many of his paintings are also set in Provincetown. Naturally, that made his artwork a perfect fit for this series.
What I appreciate the most about Michael’s art (besides the hot, barely dressed men that is) is the mood of his images. They are fun and flirty, which perfectly captures the tone I set for the entire series and for Provincetown itself.
The title of the painting for When Love Comes to Town is “Blue State,” which perfectly describes one of the main characters of the book, Brody O’Shea.
Why is Brody blue?
Well, it’s mostly because he’s waiting for the perfect man. You see, Brody has lived his life mostly for the moment. He’s a pretty attractive guy, and he’s super nice to boot, but he’s never really been into relationships. The last one he had was in college, and when it got too real, he bolted faster than a Phelps at a gay pride event. Since then, Brody has just drifted from guy to guy, living life as a happy horndog.
That never bothered him until he moved to Provincetown. All his friends have partnered up and found true love, and Brody now sees exactly what he’s been missing all these years. He wants what everyone else has found, especially as the characters prepare for the wedding of two of their closest friends.
So Brody searches for his true love, but he goes about it the wrong way. Brody has some pretty high standards. He has a list of requirements that his “perfect” man must have, and when the men he dates doesn’t meet one of his prerequisites, they’re crossed off the list and on he goes, looking for love in the arms of the next candidate.
Brody has yet to learn what all the other characters have already been schooled on. Love is not something you find; love finds you.
That is why when the ruggedly handsome sheriff’s deputy, Eric Vasquez comes to town for his cousin Van’s wedding, Brody dismisses the hot cop as a potential mate. He might find Eric to be the hottest man he’s ever seen with a quirky personality he is drawn to, but there’s a hitch—Eric’s daughter Maddie.
Being childless is the most important requirement Brody has for his ideal man. And like the man depicted on the cover, Brody turns his back to the sea, completely unaware that it may have brought to him not what he’s been looking for but what he might have always needed.
That is why I chose “Blue State” for the cover of the final book in the series.
Before I head back to my part of the Internet, I want to thank everyone here at MM Good Book Reviews and the readers who joined me today.
For those interested, I have included a blurb and excerpt below. Additionally, as part of my blog tour I’m hosting a giveaway.
Giveaway Contest!
When Love Comes to Town
Win an ecopy of When Love Comes to Town!
All you have to do is leave a comment to this post, and your name is entered to win a free copy of When Love Comes to Town.
Blurb:
Brody O’Shea isn’t looking for much, just a hot guy with a decent job, who is sane and doesn’t have kids. The son of a former rock star, Brody has lived through the pain of bankruptcy and bad parenting, and he doesn’t want to experience it again. As a reformed horndog, he wants the security and stability of a relationship. But almost every guy he meets seems satisfied with Mr. Right Now, and he wants to find Mr. Right—now!
The only men Eric Vasquez chases are criminals. As a deputy and single father, he has no need for a relationship after his last one ended disastrously. He lives for and through Maddie, his nine-year-old daughter. Everything else is a needless distraction, but distraction is what Eric gets when he comes to Provincetown to attend the wedding between his cousin Van and the man of his dreams.
When Brody and Eric meet, what they want and what they find conflict. An ocean of expectations separates them. If they cannot move past their reservations to reach each other’s shores, they might miss the boat when love comes to town.
Excerpt:
Brody closely scrutinized the passengers as they exited the ferry. Perhaps one of the men who now scurried down the ramp might be the man of his dreams. Stranger things had happened. It was Provincetown after all. If someone like Nino Santos could find love, why couldn’t he?
Nino wasn’t exactly the kind of guy who partnered up. He’d always been the fuck-’em-and-leave-’em type. That was how they’d met last year. As a trick. Yet somehow Nino—with his model-perfect body, asshole attitude, and vain, self-absorbed ways—managed to find true love with Teddy, the nicest and sweetest man to ever walk this planet.
Just how the fuck did that happen? How could Nino have someone, and he be alone?
That just didn’t make any sense whatsoever.
What was he doing wrong? Not a damn thing as far as he was concerned.
He just had standards he wasn’t willing to sacrifice. For anyone. Sure, plenty of guys made exceptions. Most of his friends had. Quinn had to deal with Gary’s penchant for drag, and Gary had to put up with Quinn’s more serious approach to life. Zach looked past Van’s old porn career, and Van got over how Zach treated him. Teddy saw beyond the many awful qualities Nino possessed. As for Nino, well, he couldn’t find one bad characteristic Teddy had that Nino would have to overcome. The only negative Teddy brought with him to a relationship was his best friend Irene. Which was bad enough.
He wasn’t willing to overlook things that bothered him. Why should he? He wasn’t going to change himself for someone else and let someone else call the shots.
That wasn’t love. That was a dictatorship, and his dick wasn’t going to be ordered around by anyone. Well, except him, of course.
It was entirely within the realm of possibility that he would find someone who met his standards, a list that had grown exponentially after his encounter with Dan, and whom he wouldn’t have to change for. After all, that was the entire reason for the list. Surely, the man who met all his requirements would not only be perfect for him, but those standards would make Brody perfect for his ideal man as well.
It was a win-win situation for everyone.
Now, all he had to do was find that one perfect guy.
The group that now made its way down the pier didn’t have anyone to his liking. They were all smoking and blowing their cancer clouds all over the damn place. How could making out with an ashtray be hot? Behind the Future Cancer Patients of America strolled an attractive group of guys, but they had a little too much swish in their hips. What were they trying to do? Wash their clothes as they walked? He pictured himself with a manlier man. So they were definite no-nos.
Then he spotted a dark-skinned, ruggedly handsome man step off the metal gangway and look up and down the pier. He had a soft spot for dark skin. Especially on men with a bearded and good-looking face. And there didn’t seem to be another man with him.
This guy had definite promise.
Not only did he appear single, but he also had a thick head of black hair that wasn’t so long that it made him look grungy and wasn’t so short that he looked like a carbon copy of every other man who came to Provincetown. It was longer on the top, especially toward the front, but trimmed perfectly at the nape of the neck and on the sides. His unique hairstyle marked him as someone who was his own man, an original. He liked that.
Brody also enjoyed the way strands of hair fell in front of his eyes, which looked light in color. He couldn’t tell what hue they were from this distance, but they looked to be a mixture of yellow, gold, and copper. How much more unique could a man get?
He also wasn’t immediately lighting up a cigarette. While it didn’t automatically make him a nonsmoker, it showed promise that he wasn’t. His clothes also didn’t look dated or filthy, and he carried himself with an air of confidence. Only the gainfully employed could pull that off in his opinion. That was yet another requirement met.
And he hadn’t even talked to him yet!
All this man had to be was a sane, humble, nonwhining, childless man, and eureka! He’d have struck gold.
But in order to find that out, Brody would have to go up and talk to him. He just didn’t have the time. What if he missed Van’s cousin Eric while he was chatting up the dark-skinned hottie who might be his potential new love?
There was no reason he couldn’t do both. All he had to do was go up to the man and talk to him while he kept a watchful eye for some guy who resembled Van. He’d always been a great multitasker.
Brody began his approach, and then he noticed the small problem that ruined everything.
Jacob Z. Flores lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on man fiction, where the hard ass assessor of freshmen level composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of the characters in his fictional world.
Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends time with his husband, Bruce, their three children, and two dogs, who represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.
And I urge readers to visit me at any or all of my social media sites:
Blurb: Brody O’Shea isn’t looking for much, just a hot guy with a decent job, who is sane and doesn’t have kids. The son of a former rock star, Brody has lived through the pain of bankruptcy and bad parenting, and he doesn’t want to experience it again. As a reformed horndog, he wants the security and stability of a relationship. But almost every guy he meets seems satisfied with Mr. Right Now, and he wants to find Mr. Right—now!
The only men Eric Vasquez chases are criminals. As a deputy and single father, he has no need for a relationship after his last one ended disastrously. He lives for and through Maddie, his nine-year-old daughter. Everything else is a needless distraction, but distraction is what Eric gets when he comes to Provincetown to attend the wedding between his cousin Van and the man of his dreams.
When Brody and Eric meet, what they want and what they find conflict. An ocean of expectations separates them. If they cannot move past their reservations to reach each other’s shores, they might miss the boat when love comes to town.
And Provincetown boys are back, this time with Brody O’Shea’s story. You remember Brody right? Teddy’s college sweetheart, the one who dumped him after a marriage proposal, the one who went after Teddy when they came across each other in Provincetown years later, the blond, green-eyed , overconfident, and Hollywood material hunk? Yep, that Brody is back.
And that Brody is obsessed! Like I need to be in a relationship with the “One” and I need to spend every freaking spare time searching for him. Obsessed as in I have a list of qualities the perfect man must have and I’m not going to compromise. Obsessed as in one date and if you don’t meet the list you’re thrown to the curb. Yep, Brody is in for a real treat because our dear author throws in his way the “Perfect Man” who unfortunately has a little baggage. It’s called a child and it’s not on Brody’s list.
Arrogant much? Definitely. Brody is the epitome of arrogance, shallowness, and plain old stupid. And it’s exactly the reason he intrigued me and enticed me into reading this book. This kind of main character is usually hard to write because you need to give him absolutions and make him likable at some point. Fear not, Brody might seem like the total jerk, but not long into the story you come to absolutely adore him. I certainly liked him far quicker than I did Nino in book #3 so that’s something.
What made me wonder with Brody though was how mature he really is. From the little glimpse I got of him in book three he had this “nice” quality about him, but it was definitely overshadowed by arrogance back then. Here and now though, he surprised the heck out of me not only with his intuition, but also with how optimistic he was about life. That more than anything made me like him, a lot.
Now his counterpart is Eric, Eric a widower and father of this incredibly little munchkin of a 9 year old girl. I’m going to take a break here and fan-girl about Eric’s daughter, a very important character in this story as she seems to be orchestrating most of the events that occur. Not only is she a little adult, he is a joy to read. She has lost her daddy, her grandparents, and is forced to see her papa become a zombie since Eric has literally stop living his life and devoted himself in an almost scary way to her. Maddie gives this entire read a push and a direction not seen previously on the prequels of Provincetown Boys. I loved her and I wish I can see more of her in future installments.
So back to Eric, okay, he is one hot daddy. He is sex on legs, he is adorable, he is mouth-watering. He is a more difficult character than Brody. He has serious, serious issues that has been in him for years, and while the story is fun, and is hot, and is sweet, and has a happily ever after that goes hand in hand with the previous books, it also shares the one constant of said books – with the exception of Gil Kelly’s story – the fact that every couple has one week to make it happen in Provincetown. I don’t mind it, I don’t, I know it as a fact for this series and I’ve accepted it, but – and it’s a big but – one week felt so, so little time for Eric and Brody. It kind of jumped on the other side of credulity, so for me this thing kind of hampered things down a bit.
However, looking at the big picture here, the story was fun, it was funny, it had enticing characters, and damn it was hot. As in sizzling hot… As in steaming hot… Seriously, Eric was one daddy I’d like to have, that kind of hot. He was the very picture of a man’s man, and Eric with Brody they made one hell of a couple. So in the end I had a most enjoyable time reading this book. Well done and definitely recommended to all fans of romance.
Tams Review: 3 Hearts
Brody O’Shea and Eric Vasquez have both known their fair share of heartache. Brody had a tumultuous childhood that has left him slightly bitter. The certified playboy has sworn off one night stands in his search for that ever elusive one person to spend the rest of his life with. Eric could be the perfect guy for Brody, there is only one little problem, Eric’s nine year old daughter Maddie.
Eric’s husband, Maddie’s other daddy, died just a few years ago leaving Eric with the sole responsibility of raising their daughter. Devoting his life to his job and Maddie, the last thing he is looking for or expects is to fall in love. But he is so drawn to Brody that he can’t help himself. Eric is still reeling emotionally from the death of his husband though, that coupled with Brody’s revelation that he didn’t initially want to date anyone with children is a recipe for disaster from the start.
Can Brody get over his hang-up about guys with kids? And even if he can, will he be able to help Eric finally face the pain he has kept bottled up inside so that these two can have the future together they deserve?
It took me a little while to make my way through this book. The storyline in and of itself was promising, but I never felt a real connection to either Eric or Brody. What got me through this story was little Maddie, she was aboso-fricking-lutely adorable! Her little one liners and the way she was written as a young, old soul simply stole the book for me. I understood the issues that both men faced within the story, each having their own personal demons, but overall it didn’t flow well for me.
I’m giving this one 3/5 because even though I didn’t connect completely with the story, the writing wasn’t bad. And little Maddie herself deserves a star all her own! There are some really passionate love scenes sprinkled throughout, and there is something to be said about a couple that is strictly a top and a bottom, no versatility. I liked that aspect of their as well.
Don’t forget to visit the other blogs on the tour:
Jacob will be giving away an eBook copy of When Love Comes to Town at each stop. Winner will be chosen from comments, please include your email address in your comment.
Hi guys, today we bring you A.E. Via and her newest release Nothing Special, she lets us have a peek at a steamy excerpt and she is also offering 3 Free E-Copies of ‘Nothing Special’ and a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card (so make sure to leave a comment with your email address), we also have Tams review and I think Tams has fallen in love with A.E.’s stories! So good luck with the giveaway and enjoy our post 🙂 ~Pixie~
Synopsis:
Detective Cashel ‘Cash’ Godfrey is big, tattooed and angry so people typically keep their distance. He’s fresh out of the police academy, however, no one is looking to partner with the six foot four beast with a huge chip on his shoulder and an inability to trust. When Cash scans the orientation room he wasn’t expecting to find sexy hazel eyes locked onto him. Eyes of the handsome Detective Leonidis ‘Leo’ Day.
Leo is charming, witty, hilariously sarcastic and the only one that can make Cash smile. He’s proud, out and one bad-ass detective.
Together Cash and Leo become the most revered and successful narcotics detectives Atlanta’s ever seen. Able to communicate and understand each other, without even having to voice it, they quickly climb up the promotional ranks.
When Cash saves Leo’s life in a raid that turns deadly, Leo begins to see something in the big man that no one else does…something special. But Leo fears he’ll never break through the impenetrable wall that protects Cash’s heart.
Nothing Special takes the reader through various emotions throughout the richly fulfilling plot that’s full of erotic gay romance, heartache, passion, trials and tribulations, police action scenes, and an intriguing twist that comes to an amazing ending that’s impossible to see coming.
Title and Synopsis created by the LaSalle Sister of Man2Mantastic
AUTHOR BIO:
A.E. Via is the new best-selling author in the beautiful gay erotic genre. Her writing embodies everything from spicy to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.
When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, A.E. runs a very successful paralegal-for-hire business, and in her spare time, she devotes herself to her family—a husband and four children, her two pets, a Maltese dog and her white Siamese cat, ELynn, named after the late, great gay romance author E. Lynn Harris.
While this is only her third novel, she has plenty more to come. So sit back and grab a cool drink, because the male on male action is just heating up!
Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak on upcoming work, free reads, and where she’ll appear next.
God and Day fell into the front door kissing and grabbing at each other. Day just barely kicked the door shut before he was yanked out of his coat. They’d kept the PDAs to a minimum while with God’s brother, but Day was serious when he said he really need to touch his man.
God pushed Day against the wooden door and captured his mouth in a ruthless kiss. Day pulled Cash’s coat off his shoulders letting it drop down to the floor. Day squeezed the handle of God’s Desert Eagle and sighed at the erotic way his d**k jumped from the touch. Day stroked the long black chamber down to the felt grip panel.
“You stroke a man’s gun like that, you might as well be stroking his cock,” God said gruffly and moved Day’s palm to his already fully erect dick and pumped his hips back and forth.
Day felt God fumbling with his belt. He yanked his mouth away from God’s and moaned when God gripped the back of his neck, chased his mouth and sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and bit it. Day placed both his hands flat against God’s massive chest and pushed him hard. God growled, knocked Day’s hands back down and crashed back into him again.
God spun Day around and pushed him hard against the wall while grinding his pelvis into his ass. God made quick work of unzipping Day’s jeans and shoving his hands inside to give his balls a rough massage.
Day bucked back against God. “Ugh. You motherfucker.”
“You going to give it up willingly, or do I have to take it, Leo?” God’s whisky-rough voice vibrated Day’s body.
Day moaned at the assault, reared back and caught God in his hard abs with a sharp elbow, enjoying the loud grunt from the big man and took off up the stairs.
Day was rounding the landing when he heard God call out to him.
“I only enjoy it more when you fight, Leo,” God said taking the stairs two at a time.
Blurb:Detective Cashel ‘Cash’ Godfrey is big, tattooed and angry so people typically keep their distance. He’s fresh out of the police academy, however, no one is looking to partner with the six foot four beast with a huge chip on his shoulder and an inability to trust. When Cash scans the orientation room he wasn’t expecting to find sexy hazel eyes locked onto him. Eyes of the handsome Detective Leonidis ‘Leo’ Day.
Leo is charming, witty, hilariously sarcastic and the only one that can make Cash smile. He’s proud, out and one bad-ass detective.
Together Cash and Leo become the most revered and successful narcotics detectives Atlanta’s ever seen. Able to communicate and understand each other, without even having to voice it, they quickly climb up the promotional ranks.
When Cash saves Leo’s life in a raid that turns deadly, Leo begins to see something in the big man that no one else does…something special. But Leo fears he’ll never break through the impenetrable wall that protects Cash’s heart.
Nothing Special takes the reader through various emotions throughout the richly fulfilling plot that’s full of erotic gay romance, heartache, passion, trials and tribulations, police action scenes, and an intriguing twist that comes to an amazing ending that’s impossible to see coming.
Review: Dangerous duo Detectives Cashel Godfrey, God, and Leonidis Day, Leo, are already in a marriage of sorts before they delve into a committed partnership both in and out of the precint.
For five years these two have had each other’s backs every day at work. They are the best partnership on the force. Trusting each other in the most dangerous situations on the job with each other’s lives, they can finish each other’s sentences and know each other inside and out. Leo is openly gay and has dated several guys along the way, but no one made a lasting impression. God is about as straight as they come and his list of girls is as long as he is tall, but he is more of a one night stand kind of guy. On their latest assignment something changes and Leo starts to see God in a new light. He suddenly realizes that he wants so much more from his partner than just “watching” his back.
God doesn’t want to be just another notch in Leo’s belt though, he wants it all. Love, commitment, solidarity in their relationship. Once the door is opened both men come to realize that they have slowly fallen in love with each other over the past five years. It’s actually admitting how they feel and dealing with the fall out professionally that will be the challenge. And the road to happiness is not without the occasional speed bump or pot hole, that is for sure! God has some family issues he’s dealing with, they have lunatic drug dealers at work as well as seemingly homophobic co-workers and an unwelcomed suitor that has his eye on Leo, and won’t take no for an answer.
I loved the relationship between the two ML in this story. God is large and in charge and everyone knows it. But Leo won’t be man handled, he refuses to let God take the lead when they are at work. He wants to continue to be God’s equal in that aspect. And although they are equal in their personal relationship as well, God is definitely the boss in the bedroom. Leo gives him that control whole heartedly and loves every minute of it. Had the story been written any other way it wouldn’t have made sense or been as appealing, so I’m glad Via portrayed them that way.
I absolutely love A.E. Via! She is climbing the ladder within the M/M genre and leaving us some delicious books along the way. Her writing is raw, realistic and erotic. I commend her on taking on the threesome, foursome and multiple partner aspects in her stories that many authors’ shy away from. She also weaves great multi character storylines and manages to give each person equal time without weighing down the story. The sex in her books is passionate and steamy but again, it isn’t overbearing or distracting from the story.
My only complaint about this particular book was the twist toward the end. The foursome threw me for a loop only because it didn’t quite fit for God’s personality. Leo, absolutely. But God was a very controlling and jealous big bastard. It was a little hard to reconcile him agreeing to letting another man touch Leo and not break their arm. That being said, the scene itself was very erotic, passionate and well written. So yes, I recommend you read this author’s books. I believe she’s only written three thus far. But I am certain that there is so much more to come from Miss A.E. Via, and I for one, cannot wait!
Hey my little minions, today we have Jaime Reese and her re-release A Better Man, we have a quick look at an excerpt (which tempts us), and Thommie gives us her opinion on the new edition (Thommie reviewed the first as well) and Jaime Reese also has 2 ecopies of A Better Man to giveaway so make sure you click that Rafflecopter link! 🙂 ~Pixie~
Matthew Doner is starting over. After a five-year prison term that alters every aspect of his life, he receives a bequest from his aunt with the stipulation that he use the money to make things right. Breaking free of the long-standing role he’s played and inspired by the few who support him, he decides to create a safe place where people like him can find purpose and start a new life.
Julian Capeletti likes challenges. He is confident, brash, stubborn, and just what Matt needs. Desperate for work after a downturn of luck, he accepts the job to renovate Matt’s crumbling building.
Over the course of a year, romance simmers between them as they restore the house. But there’s a bigger renovation that must take place in their hearts. To become better men, they need to learn to trust each other even with secrets and painful memories they fear may rip them apart.
This was the last thing the bubbly radio forecaster announced before Julian Capeletti switched off the radio. It was just too damn early in the morning for that much perkiness.
“Great,” he grumbled as he sat up in bed and tried to rub the sleep from his face.
He hated mornings. Some people heard birds chirping, appreciated sunrises, and saw everything through rainbow-colored glasses in the early morning hours, but that just wasn’t him.
Especially when he didn’t have work.
He just couldn’t muster the energy needed to be as functional as he was in the late hours—when he found his groove and could tackle even the most complex third plane mathematical equation anyone could throw at him. Mornings, well, it was a short list. Wake up, shower, drink coffee. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to get dressed somewhere in between. He didn’t need to have the perky announcer tell him about the weather, he could feel it firsthand as the sweat began to trickle down his chest.
“Fucking gross,” he moaned as he rose from bed and made his way to the bathroom.
He followed the same routine every morning. He stared at himself in the mirror, in search of…what, who knew. He splashed some water on his face and looked again. Maybe he should try holy water or some other miracle that would change what stared back at him. He saw the hint of dark circles under his eyes and he hated it.
Vanity wasn’t the issue, the dark circles were a reminder of the turn of bad luck that had plagued him for almost two years.
Like a series of snapshots, he always ran the images of that day through his mind. The one that marked the beginning of when it all started going to shit with no end in sight. Well, more than usual at least. The day his last steady foreman project ended because the owner faced trafficking charges and fled the country to avoid his impending capture. With assets frozen, the site was closed down and everyone was out of a job and a steady paycheck. He’d left work early to seek comfort in the arms of his partner, an eternal optimist, and found him busy giving comfort of a different type to another guy.
“Asshole,” he mumbled into the towel as he dried his face. Maybe a shower would work. Even if it didn’t wake him up, at least it would wash away the disgusting reminder of the South Florida blazing summer heat and humidity.
Freshly showered, Julian read the classifieds as he sipped his coffee. He closed his eyes and exhaled, enjoying the caffeine and sugar slowly bringing him to life. Finally. He skimmed the want ads searching for anything new that morning, something he hadn’t already called on that week. He grabbed the monthly community paper and spotted the listing with a large bold headline “Handyman Wanted for Repairs”. A long list of requirements followed, far beyond those for a traditional handyman. He exhaled sharply and frowned. He had seen this a lot lately, another potential employer taking advantage of the desperation in the workforce, wanting to hire someone for nothing. The laundry list of responsibilities read like the licensing exam for a contractor, not a handyman’s job description. Cheap bastard. “Contact Mr. Boner” it read toward the end, followed by an address and phone number. He couldn’t resist smiling at the play on words.
“No wonder Boner wants a handyman.” He chuckled.
A knock at the door interrupted his morning read through the ads.
“Hey, Jules, you in there?”
Julian cringed, not just at the nickname he hated so strongly, but at the voice he knew came to deliver bad news. He reluctantly rose to answer the knock.
“Hi, David,” he said as he slowly opened the door to greet the short, paunchy landlord.
“So, you got my rent this month?” David asked hopefully.
“I’ll have some money for you by the end of the week.” He rubbed his hands on his towel and looked away.
“That’s what you said last week.” David shifted to cross his arms in an attempt to intimidate.
Julian looked down at the short man and couldn’t blame him for trying. He knew David well enough to realize that he didn’t have a choice but to push at this point. He figured the guy was getting some unneeded pressure from the boss.
“I gave you some money last week.”
“That was to cover the rent from two months ago. What about last month or this one?”
Julian’s head began to hurt. This had been the ritual almost every day for the last month. He was a creature of habit, but there were some customs he wished would change.
“David, I told you I’d have some by the end of the week. I just need a little time.”
“That’s what they all say!” His landlord raised his arms in frustration.
“Look, I know I’m late, I’m not denying that, but at least when you come knocking, I don’t run and hide from you like your other tenants. I said I’ll have money for you at the end of the week and I will. I’ve never backed down on my word.”
“Yet, you’re late on your monthly payment.”
“And I told you I would be. Fuck, David, I said I was going to be late and you agreed it wasn’t a problem as long as I paid you something each week. I’m doing that.” He rubbed his shaved head roughly.
“How much? Will it be enough to cover the two months you owe me?” David pleaded.
“I don’t know. I’m guessing probably not by the end of the week.”
“Jules, I can’t keep doing this.”
“I know. I just need some time,” Julian said quietly, looking away as he rubbed his wrist cuff.
“Why don’t you sell your truck?”
Julian looked at him as if the burly man had sprouted another head. “Dude, I’m not selling my truck. I need it for work.”
“Please, Jules, I like you, but I can’t have you livin’ here for free. You know that. My bosses are pushing me for the rent. I need two months’ rent by the end of the week or they’re forcing me to kick you out of here.”
Julian could see both frustration and understanding in the man’s eyes. He’d known this day would come. Had dreaded it for the last few weeks. He rubbed his head and looked away. He tried to make an honest living, avoided trouble, and where did that leave him? Standing in his doorway with a towel around his waist trying to think of ways to scavenge up two months’ rent just to be back at square one again. He couldn’t think of anything to say so he simply nodded.
David looked at him and patted him on the shoulder. “Jules, you’re a hard worker and a smart cookie. I’m sure you’ll find a way.”
Ugh. First Jules now cookie. Seriously?
“Thanks, David,” he grumbled, hoping that would give the man the signal to turn and leave.
Mission accomplished. He closed the door and leaned his forehead against it. He blew out a deep breath, willing a new idea to blindside him. He thought of different quickie jobs and crossed each one off for different reasons. Well, he always had the option to sell his ass on Eighth Street, but who was he kidding? No one would give him two months’ rent for his bits. He laughed at himself. He had to. It was the only way he’d remain sane when life gave him the shit end of the stick. He turned to see the newspaper still sitting on the table. He walked over and grabbed his coffee and gulped the little bit of remaining java along with his pride.
If the guy needed a handyman, he was going to be the best damn handyman that cheap bastard had ever seen. If that didn’t work, well, Eighth Street was actually starting to sound pretty damn good.
Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.
Blurb:Matthew Doner is starting over. After a five-year prison term that alters every aspect of his life, he receives a bequest from his aunt with the stipulation that he use the money to make things right. Breaking free of the long-standing role he’s played and inspired by the few who support him, he decides to create a safe place where people like him can find purpose and start a new life.
Julian Capeletti likes challenges. He is confident, brash, stubborn, and just what Matt needs. Desperate for work after a downturn of luck, he accepts the job to renovate Matt’s crumbling building.
Over the course of a year, romance simmers between them as they restore the house. But there’s a bigger renovation that must take place in their hearts. To become better men, they need to learn to trust each other even with secrets and painful memories they fear may rip them apart.
Review: This is a re-release for this book and for me it’s a re-read too. When I first read this book I loved it, even as the sap and drama were a bit too much. I didn’t really mind it back then. The characters were quite interesting despite the stereotypes they were bathed in and I had no problem getting in the heart of the story, staying there for the duration and having a great time reading it. I loved the characters, especially Julian, and that didn’t change this time around.
Julian is one of those typical hard-working, caring, and lovable male leads that one simply cannot resist. He has suffered an abusive father, the loss of his brother and mother, and yet he has come out of his life stronger, with his ideals intact. He’s also very charming and easy in the eyes and ears. My imagination created a very hot image of him based on the descriptions the author provides us. If I had one issue with Julian that I had hoped the re-release would have fixed it, was the “fight” scene between Julian and Matt, the one that lead to the graveyard, as it was quite unnecessary for me. Or, how should I put it; I didn’t quite get why would that fight be so big, when it was very simple in my eyes to have been fixed with a couple of straightforward words. The reactions of both characters there was way too much for my taste.
Matt is another story altogether. I truly hoped he would have been depicted a bit differently this time around. His being metaphorically emasculated by his mother was and still is very unappealing to me. It ruined some of my fun and lead the character to reactions that most definitely didn’t charm. The passing out scene at his mother’s house was an overreaction I could do without. Other than that and considering how much he’s been neutered his entire life, Matt is a nice character, fighting to be the man he is meant to be and not the puppet his mother tries to make him still.
The chemistry between them remains good as it was the first time around. Their intimate scenes, the passionate kissing and the emotions that flow the text are definitely something to cheer for, romantic and overwhelming at times. Sensual eroticism and passionate lovemaking go hand in hand with the chemistry and the kind of personality these men have, making this read sweet and mellow without it being too much. I loved that yet again.
The changes that this re-release brought were nice and it did make the ending better, however I had higher expectations especially on the drama front. The fact that there was no real closure with the mother – again – somehow disappointed me, not to mention the fact that the supporting characters were still a bit vague and non-existent.
Overall the book remains a good romantic story, quite recommendable for the fans of the genre. Let’s see what the sequel will bring us as I’m eagerly anticipating Cameron’s story.
Hiya guys, today we bring you Joy Lynn Fielding and her newest release Shifting Sands, we get to have a sneak peek at an excerpt and Gigi gives us her thoughts on the book and she is loving this series… oh yeah and there’s a giveaway so make sure you click that Rafflecopter link 😉 ~Pixie~
About the book:
The visit to Elk Ridge is supposed to be just another assignment for Tom Barrington. Then he encounters Bryce Reynolds, a generous, warmhearted cowboy who has the easiest smile he’s ever seen. It doesn’t take long for Tom to break all his rules and end up in Bryce’s bed.
Bryce Reynolds believes there’s no such thing as a hot politician, right up until he meets Tom Barrington. Tall, dark, and principled, Tom overturns all of Bryce’s prejudices, and Bryce starts to forget that he doesn’t do serious and he doesn’t do commitment. As Bryce and Tom struggle to make sense of what’s happening between them, they’re drawn into a political battle—one that could affect the future of every shifter. And when long-buried secrets start coming to light, things turn deadly. Nothing will ever be the same again for the Elk Ridge pack.
Excerpt:
Bryce pushed open the door, prepared for another snotty pen pusher like Taylor Cufflinks the Third, or whatever his stupid name had been. Because of that, it took him a moment to process that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing and that he hadn’t found himself in the middle of a really good dream. Except if it was a dream, presumably this guy would already be naked rather than pouring himself a cup of coffee while dressed in a crisp white shirt, open at the neck, and gray slacks that should have been illegal given the way they clung to the curves of a frankly spectacular ass.
If Tom Barrington was a pen pusher, it was a pretty heavy pen he pushed on a regular basis because those were definite muscles betrayed by the fit of his shirt. His hair was dark and just a little wavy, his cheekbones were sharply defined beneath flawless skin, and there was the suspicion of a five-o’clock shadow on his jaw, which somehow emphasized just how strong that jawline was.
Bryce was still staring when Tom looked up and gestured with the mug he was holding. “Hope you don’t mind,” he said, then paused.
Bryce was aware that he was being studied in return and stood a little taller, opening himself up for inspection by rich brown eyes. It seemed Tom liked what he saw, because he looked for longer than was strictly polite. Bryce grinned at him when his eyes returned to Bryce’s face, and Tom suddenly looked away, biting his lip slightly as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been. Even that didn’t stop him sending another look sideways at Bryce, and the combination of that with the way his teeth were sinking into his plump lower lip had Bryce’s stomach tightening with arousal. This security check might be a hell of a lot more pleasurable than he’d figured. And he was not thinking about Tom Barrington and body searches in the same breath, because that wasn’t helping things settle down in the least.
“Sorry to have kept you,” he said, and sat down at the table. “I figured you’d be another twelve-year-old.”
Tom stared at him, and then he grinned. It was a really good look on him. “I forgot—you had Bressingham visit you, didn’t you?”
“I wondered if it was ‘take your son to work day’ but mom or dad got lost en route,” Bryce said.
“He’s one of Cheung’s protégés,” Tom said, sitting down opposite Bryce. “He’s got potential, apparently.”
“Or a daddy with deep pockets to contribute to a re-election campaign,” Bryce said, and pushed the sugar bowl across the table. Tom nodded in thanks and took a spoonful.
“So what do you need to know?” Bryce asked, all business again. The thought that the sooner they got business done, the sooner they might get to other things was not in his mind at all. No way.
Joy Lynn Fielding is a sucker for happy endings. She believes, however, that if characters don’t suffer along the way, they won’t fully appreciate being happy. Not all of her characters thank her for this viewpoint, but what do they know?
Joy lives in a small English market town, but also inhabits a number of fictional worlds at any one time, reflecting what she’s writing and what she’s reading. She has a tendency to share enthusiastically with anyone who will listen to the latest fascinating facts she’s stumbled across in her research for books. Thankfully she has a very patient Labrador, who has a gift for looking as though he’s interested in what she’s saying while he waits for the food to arrive.
Blurb: The visit to Elk Ridge is supposed to be just another assignment for Tom Barrington. Then he encounters Bryce Reynolds, a generous, warmhearted cowboy who has the easiest smile he’s ever seen. It doesn’t take long for Tom to break all his rules and end up in Bryce’s bed.
Bryce Reynolds believes there’s no such thing as a hot politician, right up until he meets Tom Barrington. Tall, dark, and principled, Tom overturns all of Bryce’s prejudices, and Bryce starts to forget that he doesn’t do serious and he doesn’t do commitment. As Bryce and Tom struggle to make sense of what’s happening between them, they’re drawn into a political battle—one that could affect the future of every shifter. And when long-buried secrets start coming to light, things turn deadly. Nothing will ever be the same again for the Elk Ridge pack.
Review: The sexy wolf pack from Elk Ridge returns in a political battle between members of the National Council wanting to control the only known Argent, and the struggles Matt faces in deciding to get the upper hand in letting people know about Jesse. As part of this whole struggle, Bryce Reynolds, Matt’s second, has to handle security screenings by political aides before some high-ranking council members come to visit.
All this hassle becomes even more of a problem when Bryce is immediately drawn to Tom Barrington, the aide sent to do preliminary work, and Bryce makes an offer of a no strings attached fling. Toms’ first reaction is to turn him down, stay professional, but it’s been so long since his breakup, and he is attracted to Bryce’s forward honesty, and takes advantage of the offer. Problem is, for both of them the attraction seems much stronger. In fact, Bryce soon realizes that Tom is his mate. Bryce, who lives free of commitment, who doesn’t want to be saddled with a fated mate, he wants real love, but feels his heart is still bound to a man who won’t ever love him like that, Matt.
So we have Bryce with commitment issues, Tom with strong feelings of rejection from a failed past relationship and then from Bryce, Jesse and Matt trying to handle being in the spotlight, and all along the politicians from the National Committee may be involved in the slaughter of Jesse’s old pack.
Betrayal, murder attempts, and a chase to the capital all come to death-defying heights in Shifting Sands. There are hot passionate moments, punch in the gut rejections, and a nail-biting run and fight for life and justice. This book wasn’t as violent as some of the past, and maybe it contained a bit less angst, but I liked the political thriller bit. A smooth read and a fun series.
Hey peeps, today we have Anyta Sunday with her latest release Liam Davis & the Raven. Anyta is also letting us take a peek at an excerpt and she has brought us a giveaway as well! So check out the excerpt and review and then click your little hearts out with the Rafflecopter giveaway to win some very tasty treats 😉 ~Pixie~
Blurb:
Liam Davis is a serious journalist, and he’s good at it.
Or at least, he was. Until the chief of Scribe, the campus magazine, makes him give up his politics column to write for the party page —the party page that is problematic for two reasons: One, it threatens Liam’s chance of getting the traineeship with his apathetic father at his prestigious newspaper company, and two, he has no idea what it means to party, let alone how to capture this new audience’s attention!
But Liam Davis is no quitter. He’s determined to prove to his father, the chief, and above all himself that he can do it—and do it well.
Life doesn’t make it easy. Not when Freddy Krueger comes stalking out of the shadows to attack him. Luckily the Raven, the campus vigilante—the vigilante getting hate mail sent to Scribe’s opinions page—comes to his rescue.
Now, between finding the perfect angle for his party page columns and making friends (and perhaps something more?), Liam needs to find this mysterious Raven — not only to thank him, but to warn him to watch his back.
Excerpt:
Two voices swam around me. Male and female. There was a gentle rumbling. I groaned, clutching my head as I peeled my eyes open. I was in the back of a car.
I jerked upright.
Bad move. My head pounded.
Dark hair streaked with blue blurred in front of me, and the female spoke, “We’re taking you to UPMC, just hang in there.”
I rubbed my eyes under my—still intact glasses, thank God!—and let my vision clear.
The voice belonged to the girl from the party, the one who’d come in with My Angle behind her. “I’m . . . fine. Just a bit disoriented.” And confused. What happened? That Freddy guy attacked out of nowhere; if it hadn’t been for that hooded guy showing up . . .
I shivered and shifted my focus. Sitting in the driver’s seat was My Angle—I couldn’t see him well, but I recognized his scent. Axe.
“You’re My Angle!” I said, the words distorted and easy to mistake.
Blue Streaks laughed. “Wow, Quinn, he must have had quite a fall to think you’re an angel.” She turned to me with a cheerful grin. “That’d be Quinn, and I suspect he’s more spawn of the devil than anything.”
That earned her a whack across the arm. “I just found out my boyfriend’s cheating on me,” he said in a deep voice that vibrated in the air and stirred the hairs on my arms. “Just like that I’m apartment-less, and instead of holing myself up in your room with Super Mario and Pringles, I’m dropping this guy off at the emergency room. You can be nice to me, Shannon.”
She laughed as she shook her head, hair falling in waves over her shoulder. “No. Not happening again. Even after cleaning my sheets, I still had crumbs in my bed for weeks!”
“What’s a few crumbs to my grief?” Quinn asked, turning the car onto College St. and passing my apartment; it was the only floor with all the lights out. “Why not think of it as an opportunity?”
“Opportunity?”
“Think of it as a chance to exfoliate or something.”
“Eww, boys are so gross.”
“One person’s gross is another’s creative.” Quinn angled the rearview mirror. He winked at me. Or was it a trick of the light? Maybe I’d hit my head harder than I thought. “Help me out here, man,” he said. “Together we can prove just how damn awesome us guys are.”
Shannon snorted, and Quinn growled, low and playful.
“I think it depends on the guy,” I said, tenderly touching the back of my bruised head. Luckily I didn’t feel any blood.
Shannon agreed and settled a hand on Quinn’s shoulder. “This one straddles the line between grossest and most awesome guy in the world.” She gave him a fond smile and swung her gaze my way. “You hanging in there all right?”
I nodded and rested my head back on the seat.
“We’ll be there in a minute.”
I shut my eyes as she continued bantering with Quinn. The sound of their voices comforted me, and I suddenly began to laugh. Quietly at first, but then the bouts got louder and my breathing became more labored. Tears tickled the edges of my eyes.
“What’s so funny?” Shannon asked, and Quinn frowned in the rearview mirror.
Funny? No idea. Nothing. Everything.
I shrugged and burst into another uncontrolled bout that squeezed my stomach so hard it hurt.
“Jesus,” Quinn said with a half-laugh, sending me into another episode. “I think I better drive faster.”
A born and raised New Zealander, Anyta Sunday has been exploring the literary world since she start reading Roald Dahl as a kid. Inspired, stories have been piling up in her head ever since. Fast forward to her mid-twenties and jump a few countries (Germany, America, and back again), and she started putting pen to paper. When she’s not writing or chasing her kid around, she’s reading, hiking, watching Joss Whedon series, attempting Pilates or curling up with her two cats. Updates on her projects can be found at anytasunday.com.
Publisher: An Anyta Sunday Publication (10th March 2014)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb:Liam Davis is a serious journalist, and he’s good at it.
Or at least, he was. Until the chief of Scribe, the campus magazine, makes him give up his politics column to write for the party page —the party page that is problematic for two reasons: One, it threatens Liam’s chance of getting the traineeship with his apathetic father at his prestigious newspaper company, and two, he has no idea what it means to party, let alone how to capture this new audience’s attention!
But Liam Davis is no quitter. He’s determined to prove to his father, the chief, and above all himself that he can do it—and do it well.
Life doesn’t make it easy. Not when Freddy Krueger comes stalking out of the shadows to attack him. Luckily the Raven, the campus vigilante—the vigilante getting hate mail sent to Scribe’s opinions page—comes to his rescue.
Now, between finding the perfect angle for his party page columns and making friends (and perhaps something more?), Liam needs to find this mysterious Raven — not only to thank him, but to warn him to watch his back.
Review: Liam is a very serious journalist, but his chief at the campus paper has put him on the party page- now Liam has to come up with a way to make it work for him if he wants to pull off the deal with his apathetic father… but Liam’s idea of a good time is writing a great article not attending college party’s. Determined to prove to the chief, his father and also to himself that he can do it Liam attends his first party where he meets someone who could be his first real friend. Attacked on his way home Liam is rescued by the Raven and Liam starts a campaign to discover the Raven’s identity especially when the Scribe begins to receive hate mail to the Raven.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this story and the way that a group of college kids who are so different forged a friendship and accepted each other’s differences. Liam is socially inept, his straight forward manner and analytical mind hasn’t made him any friends but he only has one thing on his mind and that is to complete the challenge set down by his father so he can get a traineeship at his father’s paper. Now that a spanner has been thrown in the works in the shape of the party page Liam sets out to prove that he can master it, but he gets much more than he bargained for. The Raven is a vigilante, who rescues those who are being attacked on campus, but the Raven has made an enemy and Liam is determined to warn the Raven. Liam also makes some surprising friends and one in particular who wants to be more.
Liam is a brilliant character who misses a lot of the social graces his peers have, when he takes on the party page he meets some fantastic people and a mysterious vigilante. Quinn is Liam’s first party angle and over a short time span he begins to become a friend, Hunter is a wonderful character who pushes his friendship onto Liam, Shannon is Hunter’s sister and Quinn’s best friend; she is overly protective of Hunter and a great friend to Quinn. We watch as these people become good friends, as Liam broadens his horizons and figure’s out just who the Raven is… and then saves his new friends even if it means putting his work second.
I really enjoyed watching Liam emerge from his lonely shell and discover new things about himself, I liked watching as he came to realise that what he had found with Quinn, Hunter and Shannon was something precious and to be cultivated. His relationship with Quinn did make me laugh at times just because Liam was so clueless, his experiments and tests to make sure of what he feels showed just how analytical he could be. Quinn has the patience of a saint as he deals with Liam, but he also figured out that Liam isn’t a hearts and flowers type of guy but a straight forward and to the point man. Hunter is a pure gem in this story, stealing the show at times and drawing Liam into their circle of friends. Shannon is the type of girl you never want to cross; she is fiercely protective and fiercely loyal.
I recommend this story if you want a romance with a difference, if you like a story with a little mystery, if you love characters who grow and connect and if you love watching friendships being forged and seeing a social inept man find love.
Check out the Scribe today!
http://liamdavis.anytasunday.com/
Don’t forget to visit the other blogs on the tour:
Teresa Crawford for developing the story and discussing how best to shape the direction of the novel.
Lynda Lamb for keeping me sane while I took so long to get this one ready, and then for going through and catching all my nasty spelling and formatting errors.
Hey guys, Kerry Adrienne has picked the winner for her Artist’s Touch competition! So without further ado I leave you in Kerry’s hands *drum roll* ~Pixie~
I’m happy to offer all three of you a copy of Artist’s Touch (Trix, Lisa G, and H.B.) Please email me your format of preference (Kindle, pdf, or Nook) at: kerry a vail (at) gmail (dot) com (remove all the spaces!) and mention mmgoodbookreviews~ thank you!
Kerry Adrienne
So all three of our commenters won a copy of Artist’s Touch, you lucky peeps.
Hey peeps, today we have Draven St, James popping in to to give us the low down on her newest release Covert Delivery. Draven shows off her new book and lets us have a little peek at Aspen and Garren in action and is giving you a chance to win a fantastic ecopy of the book, so don’t just sit there: take a chance 🙂 ~Pixie~
Special Delivery
(Eostre’s Basket Series)
Aspen Starr is in a bind and not in a good way. His father is trying to use him to sweeten a business deal and being a bought boy toy holds no appeal. Just when he thinks he has no options left Sundae’s Custom Easter Baskets knocks at his door. Soon he finds himself blindly following a trail right into the path of a sexy new boss and a whole new mess of carnal complications.
Garren Thomas has rules and one of those is to never get involved with an employee. Easy to say, harder to enforce when Aspen is hired on. With each passing day Garren’s control slips until all he wants to do is spend his days with Aspen in his bed. When faced with giving into his desires, Garren sees his simple life being torn apart. Can he get Aspen out of his system without losing his heart? Aspen isn’t much better off. He is drawn to Garren, but he can’t help the fear that the secrets from his past will destroy it all. As Aspen’s begins to lose himself within the confusion of sex and love one question plagues him: who sent the basket?
Garren pushed away from the wall and into the light of the lobby. “Looks like I missed out on a lot.”
Aspen ducked his head and went to his desk to dig around in a drawer. The first time Taylor had sent him shopping for office supplies, Aspen had bought random sheets of kids’ stickers. On the rare occasion Taylor performed child evaluations, a little bribery to bring out good behavior never hurt. Aspen came away with two sheets of fairy stickers.
“Not too much. We’re working on crowns and a new kingdom.” Aspen swerved around Garren, his eyes twinkling. “Do you want a crown?”
Garren narrowed his eyes on Aspen. He put his hands on Aspen’s shoulders to stop him and leaned in to whisper, “That was low. There’s no way I can refuse those pixies. I’m going to end up with a glittery, construction-paper crown glued to my head, aren’t I?”
Aspen looked over his shoulder. “Don’t worry there won’t be glitter on yours. I’ll be the queen,” he murmured with a grin. “So you’ll need to fill the role as king.”
Garren shook his head. “You’re trouble.”
Aspen shimmied to dislodge Garren’s hands. “You just figured that out?”
With a resigned sigh Garren followed him.
“Girls, I found someone else who needs a crown,” Aspen declared, gesturing at Garren.
The tykes jumped up and down. Garren fought the urge to reach out and hug Aspen for giving them this moment of levity even at Garren’s expense.
Aspen held out the stickers, and the enthusiasm magnified until the girls were dancing around the room. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” the girls chanted in a singsong fashion.
A softly murmured, “Oh my,” came from behind Garren.
Garren turned to yet again see the shimmer of tears in Mrs. Burgett’s eyes, but a smile accompanied the moisture.
Aspen grinned back at her. “I hope you don’t mind. The girls have been fantastic. We’ve managed to make crowns and bracelets.”
“Even for you, Mommy,” one of the twins piped up and ran over to Mrs. Burgett to carefully hand her the items as though they were made of glass.
Mrs. Baker cradled them. “Thank you, Maryann.”
“Becca and Mr. Aspen helped,” Maryann replied.
“And we ate apples and cheese crackers,” Becca added.
Garren looked briefly at Aspen. He’d seen Aspen eating the same things earlier in the week.
“That was very nice of Mr. Aspen,” Mrs. Burgett said with a hitch in her voice. “But we have to go now, girls.”
“Oh,” the girls replied with exaggerated pouts on both their faces.
“Say thank-you to Mr. Aspen,” Mrs. Burgett directed.
Both girls ran over to Aspen and threw their arms around his waist. “Sorry we didn’t get a chance to make your crown,” Becca said.
“That’s fine, sweetheart. I’ll be sure to make a matching one when you leave,” Aspen assured her.
“You need to make two,” Maryann interjected. “One for the big king behind you. That way we’ll know you’re helping rule the kingdom even if we can’t see you.”
Garren wanted to pick the girl up and hug her. Tell her that everything would work itself out and she’d never be hurt again. While it was a possibility if Mrs. Burgett went through with the charges, he wouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep.
“Thank you, Mr. Aspen,” Mrs. Burgett said. “You don’t know how much I appreciate you taking care of my girls.”
“You’re welcome,” Aspen responded.
Maryann and Becca skipped over to their mom, and grabbed hold of her hands as they exited the office.
Garren stared after their retreating backs. He grimaced at the tattered clothes and worn shoes. His jaw clenched, and he pivoted and stalked back to his office. The lump in his throat threatened to shatter his control of his emotions. He made it through the door, placed his hands on his desk, and breathed deeply. Mrs. Burgett reminded him of his mother.
Aspen lightly touched his back, and Garren jerked around to gaze at him.
“I know you’ll do all you can,” Aspen confided.
“And you?” Garren cracked and cupped Aspen’s face with one hand. “You gave those little girls your lunch and made them laugh. You took away their stress and let them be kids.”
Aspen glanced away. “I did what anyone else would do. They deserve to have as much joy as every other child.”
“You’re wrong. Not everyone would do what you did. I think most would have set them in the lobby and spent the time telling them to be quiet.” Garren had seen that reality time and time again.
Aspen shrugged.
Garren caved and leaned in until his lips were mere inches from Aspen’s. “You are so beautiful.”
Aspen didn’t back away. His breath came faster, and his eyes flashed with that same glow Garren had seen in the past.
“Garren,” Aspen whispered with a thread of uncertainty.
Garren brushed his thumb over Aspen’s full lower lip, and desire zinged through his body when Aspen’s tongue peeked out to trace the path. Garren’s brain screamed what a huge mistake kissing Aspen would be, but at that point he wasn’t being ruled by his head.
I’m a born and raised Oregonian. I’ve traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill my books. My ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories both sexy and humorous. It gives me a great excuse to do some crazy stuff in the name of research. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where I find my peace.
Hey look what I have for you today guys! Yep we have J.P. Barnaby and her heartbreaking incredible story Spencer. J.P.has also let us have a peek into Henry’s life (you will so have to read this series now just to find out who Henry is *snigger*) and has a fabulous $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway, I have also thrown in Thommie’s review, and let me tell you that Thommie was emotionally wrung out when she finished reading both Aaron & Spencer (yes these books must be read in order), so enjoy our post today and good luck! *muah* ~Pixie~
A Survivor Story: Spencer
It’s been nearly five years since Aaron woke up in the hospital so broken, he couldn’t stand the sight of his own face. The flashbacks no longer dominate his life, but he’s still unable to find intimacy with his lover, Spencer Thomas. With time, patience, and the support of his family, his therapist, and his loving partner, Aaron has figured out how to live again. The problem is, Spencer hasn’t. His life has been on hold as he waits for the day he and Aaron can have a normal relationship. Hoping to move things forward for them both, he takes a job as a programmer in downtown Chicago, leaving Aaron alone.
Reeling in the wake of Spencer’s absence, Aaron receives another shock when his attackers are caught.
Now, he must testify and verbalize his worst nightmare. Publicly reliving his trauma without Spencer at his side destroys his precarious control. But he finds someone who can understand and empathize in Jordan, who watched his brother cut down in a school shooting. With Spencer gone and the DA knocking at his door, Aaron seeks solace in Jordan, and Spencer will have to risk everything to hold on to Aaron’s love.
“Stephanie,” Miranda Thomas offered with one hand on her round belly. The baby kicked her hand and she smiled. She felt the rumble of a chuckle in her husband Henry’s chest as she rested against him on their plush couch. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on top of hers.
“Chloe,” he countered and nuzzled her hair out of the way to place a kiss on her neck. God, she loved him. Even Nell liked him and her sister didn’t like anyone. That could have something to do with Henry’s new thriving counseling practice, but she didn’t think so. Nell never had a thing for money. She, like Miranda, judged people based on who they were, not what they had.
Henry Thomas was a good man, a good husband, and soon, he’d be a good father.
“I don’t hate that one,” she admitted. “Let’s write that one down.”
“Did you ask the tech when I got dressed?” She laughed. “Or is that a guess? I thought we didn’t want to know.” Miranda twisted a little to capture her husband’s lips in a slow kiss.
“I didn’t ask. I just know.”
“Okay, so what boys names do you like?”
“Anything but Henry Junior. I only escaped being a junior by the grace of God and a different middle name. Let’s allow him to be his own man.”
“I’m good with that. How about Bernard?” She kept her face solemn as he leaned around to peer at her. The horror in his expression brought a giggle to her lips.
“Seriously?”
“No, you said anything but Henry. I just wanted to test that theory.”
He wrapped his arms a little tighter and kissed her cheek with a grin.
“Okay, if he comes out really hairy with a casket around his neck, we’ll totally go with Bernard.” Henry brushed a wayward piece of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She sighed, her heart bursting with love for her husband and unborn child. She had everything she wanted right there on their little couch.
“How about Spencer?”
“Eh, I’m not loving that. What about Brandon?”
“That’s pretty common lately. I think Steve and Donna just named their son Brandon.”
“Albert?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, okay, maybe not.” Henry laughed and kissed her behind the ear.
“Do I have to go to work tonight? I want to just sit here on the couch with you.”
“I told you to quit when you got pregnant, honey.” Henry’s voice grew serious. “You don’t have to work at all. I’ll provide for you and the baby.”
“I know. I worked so hard for my degree, though. It seems like a waste when there’s such a shortage of nurses. I didn’t know I’d feel like this.” Miranda rubbed her ever-expanding belly with their joined hands. “Maybe I won’t go back after the baby is born.”
“God, I would love that.”
“I know you would. And now, I just have one more week, Henry. I couldn’t leave with Sharon on vacation. Just one more week, and I’ll be your little wifie, barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.”
Henry sat up and turned Miranda gently in his arms.
“You know that’s not how I feel, right? I just want you to be safe and happy.”
“Sweetheart, I was teasing. You may have a few interesting personality traits, but being a Neanderthal has never been one of them.”
She giggled as he tickled her until she threatened to pee on his new couch like a puppy.
“Oh!”
“No, no puppies. At least not until the baby is a little older.”
He grinned at her pout but caught her bottom lip between his as he kissed her.
“Okay, go get ready for work before I call them and tell them you’re never coming back. God, you’re really thinking about staying home with our kids?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“I love you, both of you,” he said, resting his hand on hers over their new son or daughter. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
“And I promise, we’ll get a puppy when things calm after the baby. We have time.”
“A whole lifetime,” she promised back.
Award winning romance novelist, J. P. Barnaby has penned over a dozen books including the Working Boys series, the Little Boy Lost series, In the Absence of Monsters, and Aaron. As a bisexual woman, J.P. is a proud member of the GLBT community both online and in her small town on the outskirts of Chicago. A member of Mensa, she is described as brilliant but troubled, sweet but introverted, and talented but deviant. She spends her days writing software and her nights writing erotica, which is, of course, far more interesting. The spare time that she carves out between her career and her novels is spent reading about the concept of love, which, like some of her characters, she has never quite figured out for herself.
Blurb: It’s been nearly five years since Aaron woke up in the hospital so broken, he couldn’t stand the sight of his own face. The flashbacks no longer dominate his life, but he’s still unable to find intimacy with his lover, Spencer Thomas. With time, patience, and the support of his family, his therapist, and his loving partner, Aaron has figured out how to live again. The problem is, Spencer hasn’t. His life has been on hold as he waits for the day he and Aaron can have a normal relationship. Hoping to move things forward for them both, he takes a job as a programmer in downtown Chicago, leaving Aaron alone.
Reeling in the wake of Spencer’s absence, Aaron receives another shock when his attackers are caught.
Now, he must testify and verbalize his worst nightmare. Publicly reliving his trauma without Spencer at his side destroys his precarious control. But he finds someone who can understand and empathize in Jordan, who watched his brother cut down in a school shooting. With Spencer gone and the DA knocking at his door, Aaron seeks solace in Jordan, and Spencer will have to risk everything to hold on to Aaron’s love.
Review: The sequel to Aaron’s story comes with Spencer and it continues with a heart breaking story three years after Aaron and Spencer became an official couple. While the first book introduced us to the characters and their circumstances, the second picks up and takes us through the difficult journey both Spencer and Aaron have to take in order to continue to live their lives, not merely as shells bound to their suffering, but as people in control of their lives and demons past, present , and future. Not an easy task, but the author delivers a hell of a story, one that will shatter your illusions, break your heart and reform it as the story evolves.
I can’t say how much I liked this book even as it hurt reading it every step of the way. These characters are magnificent and I’m not referring only to our protagonists, but the entire cast. Each and every one of them is a character with a life-like and realistic portrayal rarely witnessed in books these days. They have a personality that sucks you right in in the story, gripping you and keeping you bound till it ends with no means to escape.
If you thought that Aaron would magically overcome his fears and live a wonderful life from that moment on with Spencer, well you were dead wrong. Life is not that easy and this story manages to capture the very essence of what struggling through nightmares is really about. In addition the tiredness that comes through struggling each and every day overcomes our protagonists, new characters are introduced who become causes for turbulence and jealousy, old characters get older and their new problems add onto the already existing pile, and all this is cause for a hell of an emotional punch throughout the story.
The maturity that comes with time is also amazing to witness. There were times that I came to hate Spencer and even get impatient with Aaron, but no matter what, the way that the story was told made it nearly impossible to judge any one character and point fingers. You just couldn’t figure out how you or anyone in a similar situation would react and thus the story reached the goal of making you think and re-evaluate your beliefs and ideals.
As for the erotic part that was quite lacking in the prequel, I loved how the author approached and finally made it all happen. Honestly I didn’t think she could thus I was really surprised with the end of this fabulous book. The satisfaction I got from this entire read is beyond words and I really don’t know if I want another sequel with these boys, because I feel as if this story is now finally told with the best closure ever.
All in all, this was yet another brilliant title delivered by J.P. Barnaby. Strongly recommended for an intense, emotional ride with a heavy dose of a realistically painted love story.
Surprise! Yep I am back bringing you yet another brilliant book and cool Giveaway, this time its S.E. Jakes and Free Falling that have joined us. So peeps for those of you who didn’t rush to Riptide Publishing to buy this book you will get the chance to peek at Tams review and have a chance to win one of three SIGNED copies of Hell or High Water series: Catch a Ghost and Long Time Gone so don’t just sit there, check it out! 🙂 ~Pixie~
S.E. Jakes:
Thanks so much for having me here today, so I can shout about the fact that Free Falling’s getting a re-release with Riptide! I’m so excited about this, you have no idea. For me, this is the book that started the Hell or High Water series (see below for more on that).
Free Falling originally came out in December of 2012—it was the first book I self-published, and I worked with Sarah Frantz as my editor (and she’s now my Riptide editor as well) and the entire experience was simply awesome.
This would also be the second book Prophet inserted himself into (the first was Bound For Keeps). It was then I realized that the man needed his own series or else he would show up in every single book I wrote. But for Free Falling, it certainly cemented the bond between Blue and Prophet. I’ve brought Blue and Mick back in Long Time Gone (Hell or High Water 2) and yes, I’m totally planning a Free Falling sequel, which would happen sometime post Dirty Love (Dirty Deeds 3). Because I can’t get enough of Blue, my favorite thief, and Mick, the man who’ll chase him every single time.
The great thing about moving this book to Riptide is that now all my EE, Ltd. books are in one place AND Free Falling will now be available everywhere in eFormat AND in print!!! The cover looks gorgeous in person. Contest:
Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing to win one of three SIGNED copies of Hell or High Water series: Catch a Ghost and Long Time Gone. Entries close at midnight, Eastern Time, on March 24th, and winners will be announced on March 25th. Contest is valid worldwide.
About Free Falling:
Sometimes falling in love is the most dangerous thing of all.
Blue is a thief who lives for adrenaline and danger. And when he meets Mick, a mercenary, he’s hit with a buzz of attraction like the rush of a high-rise job without a safety rope. But after making plans to get together, Mick leaves him hanging, and Blue vows never again.
A year later, Mick watches helplessly as Blue stumbles into the middle of one of Mick’s jobs. Risking his cover and their lives, Mick saves Blue and cares for him as he recuperates, but neither man has any idea how to handle the intimacy this forces them into.
Once Blue is safe, Mick redoubles his efforts to take down the drug lord responsible—and disappears. Blue goes after him, determined to return the favor and rescue the man he loves, no matter the cost.
This is a revised second edition of the originally self-published title. No substantive changes have been made to the story.
About SE Jakes:
SE Jakes writes m/m romance. She believes in happy endings and fighting for what you want in both fiction and real life.
She lives in New York with her family, and most days, she can be found happily writing (in bed). No really…
Truth be told, the best way to contact her is by email or in blog comments. She spends most of her time writing but she loves to hear from readers!
Title: Free Falling, 2nd edition
Series: Extreme Escapes Ltd, 01
Author: SE Jakes
Genre: Suspense
Length: Novel (150pgs)
ISBN: 978-1-62649-136-6
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (March 10th, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating:♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Reviewer: Tams
Blurb: Sometimes falling in love is the most dangerous thing of all…
Blue’s a thief who lives for adrenaline and danger. When he meets Mick, a mercenary and a hitter, he feels an immediate attraction. But Mick reneges on a bet they’ve made, leaving Blue pissed and confused.
When they meet again a year later, Blue’s in terrible danger after having walked into the middle of one of Mick’s jobs. Mick saves him, and although the two men have fallen for one another, they have no idea how to handle that kind of intimacy that’s been forced on them.
But when Mick goes missing on a job, Blue’s the one to go after him, determined to save the man he loves no matter the cost.
Review: Blue is a mastermind thief who has turned the calling into an art form. He’s also an adrenaline junkie. Each one alone is dangerous enough, but when you combine the two and then throw him off his game by throwing love at him as well, it could be deadly. Mick is a MERC and former CIA operative. The big bear of a man is used to being in control and his take charge attitude is one of the things that caught Blue’s attention from the start. When these two meet, sparks definitely fly. But do remember that explosions start from sparks, and this relationship goes way beyond explosive!
Blue and Mick first met a year ago, when Blue found himself on the losing end of a bet that landed him tied to bed waiting on Mick. When Mick never showed up to claim his winnings, Blue refused to admit how hurt he was at the diss. When they meet up again the initial spark quickly becomes a slow burn. When Blue is in danger, Mick risks everything to save him. As a result of the drug now surging through Blue’s system, sort of a super speed Viagra, Mick finally gets Blue the way he’s always wanted him. But it’s not all fun and games for these two, as they’ve never wanted or trusted another person as much as they want to trust each other.
There were a few hiccups along the way with this story, but overall I was fascinated with the world and this black market drug. I could see the ending coming a mile away, but it still remained interesting getting there. The BDSM aspect was a healthy dose but still tactful, and Mick never did anything to Blue that he didn’t welcome, want and enjoy. I wanted more character development as far as their love story went, and at times, the story itself didn’t flow seamlessly. But as a whole, I’m intrigued with these characters as well as Prophet, and I will definitely be reading the other books in this series.
If you like assassin alpha males, that HEA that you have to work for, a bit of action and suspense all tied with a choppy little BDSM bow… then this is a must read for you.
Hi Guys, today we have Marie Sexton and her latest release Normal Enough, she’s stopped by briefly to gives us the heads up on this sexy little number and to include us in her Giveaway where you can win a ebook copy of Normal Enough and a $50 ARe gift certificate for some of Marie Sexton’s backlist books! so remember to click that rafflecopter link 🙂 hugs and good luck guys! ~Pixie~
BOOK INFO:
Blurb:
When Brandon Kenner shows up at Kasey Ralston’s garage with a 1970 Chevelle SS 454, Kasey is smitten by both the man and his car. Between what Kasey considers a shameful fetish and his long estrangement from his family, Kasey finds it easiest to be alone, even distancing himself from his coworkers. But Brandon doesn’t think Kasey’s fetish is weird. In fact, he likes it.
Kasey doesn’t know how to resist a man as charming as Brandon, and he’s more than willing to be seduced. But what are Brandon’s long-term intentions? Kasey is afraid of hoping for too much, but equally afraid that when all is said and done, Brandon will leave, and Kasey will be left alone once again.
Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.
Blurb: When Brandon Kenner shows up at Kasey Ralston’s garage with a 1970 Chevelle SS 454, Kasey is smitten by both the man and his car. But Kasey is a mechanic with a shameful secret. He has a fondness for old muscle cars, a fondness that goes far beyond what most people would consider normal. So between what Kasey considers a disgraceful fetish and his long estrangement from his family, he finds it easiest to be alone, even distancing himself from his coworkers.
But it doesn’t take Brandon long to guess Kasey’s secret, and he doesn’t think the sexy mechanic’s fetish is weird. In fact, he likes it, and he makes no secret of his intentions to seduce the man.
Kasey doesn’t know how to resist someone as charming as Brandon, and he’s more than willing to be seduced. But what are Brandon’s long-term intentions? Kasey is afraid of hoping too much, but equally afraid that when all is said and done, Brandon will leave, and Kasey will be left alone once again. Can Kasey be normal enough for a relationship with Brandon, despite his fetish?
Review: Kasey has an unusual kink that he keeps hidden, but when Brandon drives into the garage Kasey works in a 1970 Chevelle SS 454 Kasey is quickly smitten, with the driver and the car. Brandon picks up on Kasey’s kink and finds himself intrigued with the cute sexy mechanic, but trying to get the shy man to believe he is interested is hard. Kasey begins to worry over his kink and whether he will ever be able to hold Brandon’s attention; can he put aside his fear and embrace what Brandon offers?
Ah there’s nothing like a cute mechanic who has a bit of a kink for classic cars and a sexy lawyer who just happens to have a classic car collection, oh you can just imagine the steamy times ahead! Kasey is really wary of putting himself out there, in his experience it usually leads to him being embarrassed; Kasey has no confidence so when Brandon shows an interest in him he thinks it will be a quick fling. Brandon seems to have a bit of a fetish of his own, he is attracted to men with fetishes and Kasey’s fetish is one that suits Brandon perfectly. Kasey finds himself amazed that he can open up so much to Brandon but the doubt lingers and Brandon puts Kasey’s fears to rest.
This is a great sexy little number that is amazingly hot and has two great characters. We get to know Kasey really well, the character development for him was wonderful and we watched as he began to gain confidence not just with Brandon but also his workmates as well. Brandon we don’t get to know quite as well, but well enough to know he is a perfect match for Kasey. Together they are hot and their relationship moves along smoothly, and for me the best thing was that they are still in the early stages and haven’t declared their love after such a short amount of time, it’s a beginning of a relationship that could develop into something much more solid and wonderful.
I recommend this to those who love hot men finding common ground, sparks flying, erotic hot sex, great character development and two men at the beginning of a hot sexy relationship.
Hiya guys, Kerry Adrienne has popped in today to bring us her newest release Artist’s Touch, and Kerry answers some questions from our very own Lisa. We are also lucky enough to have one copy of Artist’s Touch to giveaway so leave a comment and we will get Kerry to pick a winner 🙂 So enjoy the review & excerpt and leave a comment to win! Snuggles ~Pixie~ (p.s. don’t forget to leave your email!)
Giveaway has ended
Artist’s Touch
The Guild, book one (Sculptor’s Desire and Guitarist’s Wish coming soon!)
By Kerry Adrienne
Blurb:
Every starlet wants master painter Kenon Alavi to do her portrait…and more. But Kenon prefers firm to soft and sates his desires with the boyfriends of the women he paints, enjoying the diversity of many lovers but shunning any attachments.
Wallace Harte’s English degree isn’t helping him find a job and working at a bar is the closest he’s gotten to being the Second Coming of Faulkner. Something’s gotta give soon or he’ll be out on the street.
Kenon zeroes in on the bartender at an art exhibition, intending to add him to his long list of conquests, but Wally bolts, initiating a heated game of cat and mouse. Kenon delights in the game until he discovers what Wally is writing. Feeling betrayed, Kenon swears off all entanglements until he reads Wally’s story and discovers true love is sometimes between the pages and not the sheets.
Inside Scoop: This book contains hot, sexy scenes of M/M interaction of an artistic nature. Who knew having your portrait painted could be so hot?
A Romantica® gay erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
EXCERPT:
By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, please exit this site.
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
Another day, another drink for those who had dollars. Wally slipped the candied cherry into the Manhattan and handed the glass to the tall brunette leaning against the bar. With barely a nod, the woman slinked away as if on skates, joining one of the clusters of patrons waiting on Kenon Alavi’s arrival. The artist, notorious for being late, probably wouldn’t arrive for another ten minutes at least. Light jazz floated through the air from the ensemble set up in the far corner and spots of colored lights beamed up the walls to the tall ceilings that arched over the studio space. This would make a great setting for a novel, Wally mused. Too bad he didn’t have the plot to go along with it. His creativity had hit an impasse as cliché as the proverbial brick wall.
“Martini. Wet and stirred, no olive, no twist.” The man put his hand on the bar and looked over his shoulder toward the gallery door. “I’m tired of waiting. Don’t care how special Alavi thinks he is, my time’s important too.” He tapped his fingers on the bar. “Annoying bastard. Wouldn’t be here if my wife wasn’t so keen on having him paint her.”
Wally pulled out the glass for the martini, not speaking to the customer. He’d been hired to make drinks, not socialize. The man was just complaining anyway. He wasn’t really expecting a conversation, especially from the bartender. Plus, tonight Wally had to remember all the different highbrow cocktails. He rarely served anything but beer and frozen drinks back at the Cellar Bar. He poured the vermouth into the sloped glass, then stirred the concoction. As long as Mr. Alavi paid his wage, who cared when he actually showed up? His gala, his schedule.
“Told her we could get a portrait done for a lot less but she insists on this guy.” The finger tapping grew more vigorous. “He’s refused her calls for two months now. Arrogant bastard.”
Wally nodded and set the drink in front of the man. Mr. Alavi sounded like a typical snobby artist. Big surprise. “Here you go, sir. Wet and stirred. No olive, no twist.”
“Top shelf?” the man asked, raising an eyebrow. He toyed with the rim of the glass, running his finger around it as if he was checking for chips.
Hey peeps, today we have Kindle Alexander and her newest release Always. Kindle is having a Tour Wide Giveaway with some cool prizes (Coach Purse, 3 Monogrammed Always Bath Towels, Coach Umbrella and Tote (Monogrammed) and a Scavenger Hunt with some excellent gift baskets. So stick around check out Tams review and join in the fun with both the Giveaway & Scavenger Hunt to win some fantastic prizes 🙂 ~Pixie~ (Keep an eye out for the Scavenger Hunt pic)
Born to a prestigious political family, Avery Adams plays as hard as he works. The gorgeous, charismatic attorney is used to getting what he wants, even the frequent one-night stands that earn him his well-deserved playboy reputation. When some of the most prominent men in politics suggest he run for senate, Avery decides the time has come to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. With a strategy in place and the campaign wheels rolling, Avery is ready to jump on the legislative fast track, full steam ahead. But no amount of planning prepares him for the handsome, uptight restaurateur who might derail his political future.
Easy isn’t even in the top thousand words to describe Kane Dalton’s life after his father, a devout southern Baptist minister, kicks him out of the family home for questioning his sexual orientation. Despite all the rotten tomatoes life throws his way, Kane makes something of himself. Between owning a thriving upscale Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Minneapolis and managing his long-term boyfriend, his plate is full. He struggles to get past the teachings of his childhood to fully accept his sexuality and rid himself of the doubts brought on by his religious upbringing. The last thing he needs is the yummy, sophisticated, blond-haired distraction sitting at table thirty-four.
Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!
I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it’s true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women’s hair!
Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life – I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations – regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal… I don’t want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I’m going to tell you about Kindle.
I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I’ll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died – weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn’t have to be alone.
That time in my life was terrible. It’s everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.
Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness – it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.
Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It’s its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn’t be here today without her.
Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com
Each day 1 blog will showcase 1 of the above photos somewhere in their blog posts. Your job in order to win 1 or 2 prizes is to successfully find the picture and collect all 13 photos and tell me which blog showcased them. 1 blog per day ONLY will have the photo. You need to successfully have all 13 photos with blogs in order to be entered to winner the prize. There will be 2 winners: 1 winner will receive a gift basket that is all things Italian and the other winner will receive a gift basket that is all things naughty! Happy hunting! Bonus Prize: If you can answer a question about one of the graphic you will win a custom Rubick Cube with everything Kindle Alexander on it…..
Question: What is the reason behind picking the Rubick’s Cube as a graphic and bonus
Blurb: Born to a prestigious political family, Avery Adams plays as hard as he works. The gorgeous, charismatic attorney is used to getting what he wants, even the frequent one-night stands that earn him his well-deserved playboy reputation. When some of the most prominent men in politics suggest he run for senate, Avery decides the time has come to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. With a strategy in place and the campaign wheels rolling, Avery is ready to jump on the legislative fast track, full steam ahead. But no amount of planning prepares him for the handsome, uptight restaurateur who might derail his political future.
Easy isn’t even in the top thousand words to describe Kane Dalton’s life after his father, a devout southern Baptist minister, kicks him out of the family home for questioning his sexual orientation. Despite all the rotten tomatoes life throws his way, Kane makes something of himself. Between owning a thriving upscale Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Minneapolis and managing his long-term boyfriend, his plate is full. He struggles to get past the teachings of his childhood to fully accept his sexuality and rid himself of the doubts brought on by his religious upbringing. The last thing he needs is the yummy, sophisticated, blond-haired distraction sitting at table thirty-four.
Review: Avery Adams is the grandson of the former President of the United States, his father is a senator. Avery himself is considering running for the senate, politics is in his blood. The gorgeous, blonde, charismatic attorney is somewhat of a playboy. He keeps his lovers in the closet along with his sexuality, because homosexuality and politics do not mix. That is, until he meets Kane.
Kane Dalton is the owner of a very successful restaurant in town. He is sophisticated, handsome and charming. He runs La Bella Luna with his close friend who is like a father to him, Paulie. Kane’s own family kicked him out when he told them he was gay, and take every chance they get to beguile and belittle him, but waste no time cashing the checks he sends them every month! He’s always dealt with an inner struggle with who he is because of his strict religious upbringing, how just being true to himself goes against everything he was raised to believe. But Avery Adams is about to change all that.
Always is the story of the life of Avery Adams and Kane Dalton. The ups and downs, highs and lows, for love and longing aren’t everything, but through it all they build a life together that is legendary. Kane is hesitant at the start, but Avery pursues him relentlessly. Over several decades together, Kane’s hesitation never quite leaves, but he grows more comfortable within his love for Avery and becomes more comfortable showing their love publically. Their wedding was wonderous, the birth of their twins was beautiful, but with the sweets comes the sour.
When Avery accepts his father’s nomination to run as the Vice Presidential candidate under his father who is running for President, as a family they decide to do it. Every decision they make, they do it as a family. Avery, Kane and the twins along with Paulie, who is Kane’s father figure, and Kennedy, Avery’s mom. Reporters and homophobes are going after Kane, stating their marriage isn’t even legal, and Kane’s own family is offering up their own venom for this snake of hatred spewing across the nation. But Avery stands tall and stands up for his marriage and his husband, he will protect his family, even if it means leaving behind his career in politics. NOTHING matters more than Kane and his kids, Always.
I’m certain many people only dream to achieve the level of happiness that Kane and Avery experienced in their lives together. Even through tragedy and loss they manage to remain a strong family unit that is always based on love. Alexander has written a very powerful, poignant and endearing novel that will touch you and stay with you long after you read those last few words. I can’t say anymore because it would be too easy to give too much away, and you simply must read this beautiful love story for yourself.
I will say, this just became the best book that I have read this year thus far, I highly recommend it to anyone, everyone. Be warned, mass quantities of Kleenex are required. Maybe even be proactive and take a benedryl ahead of time, try to counteract some of the full on snot slinging crying you’ll surely be doing. Ah, but there is laughter as well, and love, so much love, Always.
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through MM Good Book Reviews **
Hey guys, today we bring you C.R. Guiliano and her newest release For You (out tomorrow!), so C.R. is visiting us and has brought along her giveaway where you can win a copy of For You. So see what C.R. has to say, read the review and leave a comment… Oh and don’t forget to visit the other blogs on the tour to increase your chances of winning! Hugs ~Pixie~
C.R. Guiliano: Reading –
Honestly, when I was younger, I’d read anything I could get my hands on, from classics, to horror. But, as I grew older, my tastes became more refined. Not that I’m limiting myself to any one type, but I have favorites now that I stick to.
Fantasy is one of them. I read all kinds of fantasy, and I write it as well. I am a Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia, Dragonrider’s of Pern fan, just to name a few. As far as writing fantasy, I let my imagination go wild and think about what kind of story I would like to read, and then create it.
Science Fiction is also a favorite and I’ve dabbled writing in that genre also. It’s not quite as easy to write, what with all the techno-speak that’s usually splattered everywhere. I mostly read it.
I enjoy most paranormal stories, even the ones “based on true events”. They are fascinating, and I’ve caught myself more times than not wishing such creatures and worlds existed. I love writing those kind of stories as well.
Gay Erotic Romance is my ultimate favorite and I have dozens, upon dozens of stories in the works in that genre. I include all my other favorites as a sub-genres in those same stories.
So, does my reading influence my writing? Absolutely. It’s easiest to write what you love to read. The only pitfall I will not allow myself to fall into, is reading someone else’s story and wondering how I would have written it differently. That is just frustration waiting to happen. I read the stories to enjoy them, be touched by them, to gush and share them with my friends. Not to dissect them and make them fit my own unique mold. Besides, how they were written is the way they should have been, and not for me to wonder.
GIVEAWAY! Each comment will be entered to win a copy of For You! You can get additional entries by following the blog tour.
6th ~ http://tempesteoriley.com/blog/
7th ~ http://www.bookwhoresunited.blogspot.com/
8th ~ http://www.prismbookalliance.com/
9th ~ http://elingregory.wordpress.com/
10th ~ http://taralain.com/blog/
11th ~ http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
12th ~ http://sidlove.com/
About the author:
CR Guiliano is an avid reader, which logically morphed into the love of writing. She writes in many genres, but is most happy writing the love between two men (or more!). She makes them work hard for their HEA and considers herself an expert in angst. CR finds her favorite form of writing is in serials, where she can continue to write about characters who have captured her heart and she hopes to have captured her readers’ as well.
You will usually find CR cuddled up to her laptop creating stories to entertain, inspire, and bring your emotions to the surface. CR has a huge warren of plot bunnies that is growing every day, and can’t wait to fill out each story idea and share them all with her readers.
CR was proudly nominated in the Goodreads Best Anthology Nominations and was thrilled to be included with the many talented writers from the same anthology.
CR is a committed advocate for the GLBTQ community and does her best to change society’s attitudes, one mind at a time. You can learn more about CR Guiliano and her stories at the following locations, and feel free to drop her line as she loves to hear from anyone interested in her or her writings:
Blurb: Graham and Jeremy’s first meeting sparks an explosive and passionate relationship that proves opposites attract. However, as time wears on, their differences cause a lot of strain between them.
Jeremy, a first grade teacher and softball coach, is deeply closeted and sees no way out of the darkness. Graham is out and proud and doesn’t understand Jeremy’s fear at revealing his sexuality. After four years of trying to balance the differences, Graham leaves.
Jeremy is heartbroken, knowing that the love they feel is the real thing. He knows he’s the one who needs to change, but old habits are hard to break. He’ll need support from friends and family to make things right with Graham, but most of all he’ll need to find strength within himself to be honest about who he really is.
Review: When Jeremy and Graham first meet the sparks fly and they begin a passionate and loving relationship. Graham is out and proud but Jeremy is deep in the closet, their relationship suffers as the strain on Graham hiding his love becomes too much and after three years together he can no longer take it. Jeremy knows that the only way to get Graham back is to come out of the closet but his fears holds him tight, can Jeremy face his fears and admit his true self to his friends and family or is the fear he feels stronger than his love for Graham?
This is a great story of two men finding a perfect love but who are driven apart by the fears of one of them. The story switches from the past to the recent past and the present; it also switches perspectives between Graham and Jeremy so we can see both sides of the story clearly. Graham is a wonderful man who is out and proud, he is loving and affectionate and knew getting involved with a closet case might be a mistake but he can’t resist the sexy man. Jeremy is sweet and gentle and deeply in the closet, growing up with a bigoted family has him fearing coming out and when you add in that he teaches first grade he is terrified of losing his job. Their relationship suffers as Jeremy refuses to even acknowledge Graham in the outside world and won’t even consider relaxing around Graham’s family, but Graham’s had enough and Jeremy has some serious soul searching to do.
This really is a lovely story of true love, acceptance and conquering fears. We feel for both Jeremy and Graham as we see the full story unfold before us, we understand Graham’s frustration and hopelessness and we sympathise with Jeremy’s fears. You have to admire a man who won’t let go of his convictions no matter how hard and painful it is and Graham is such a man, walking away from Jeremy and trying to get on with his life was admirable but you know his heart shattered every day. Jeremy let his fear rule him and even though it broke his heart when Graham left him he couldn’t overcome the fear, but taking a chance might just lead to many surprises.
Seeing Jeremy and Graham together and finally getting their happy ever after was wonderful but it was the love they had for each other even while going through the hard times that shines through. They never gave up on their love or became resentful; they really hoped that the other would find the love they deserved even while it tore them to pieces. When Jeremy finally weighs up his love against the fears you breathe a sigh of relief and when he forces himself past those fears it is brilliant. I really loved Graham because he never threw it in Jeremy’s face; he just let it go and moved on accepting the second chance they got.
I recommend this to those who love contemporary romance, an intense love that won’t be forgotten, understanding and forgiveness, overcoming fears for love and a very happy ending.
Hello boys and girls look what I am bringing you today… a hot Australian Cowboy and a sexy American Cowboy *shiver* two delicious cowboys finding love against a harsh backdrop. N.R. Walker and her newest release Dirt Red Heart is hitting the spot with all those Cowboy lovers out there so don’t miss your chance to get your hands on a copy of this book… and to give you a helping hand there’s a chance to win your very own copy *happy dance*. Now I am going to leave you to it so you can have a good shufty (look) at the excerpt and review and click the Rafflecopter link, and while you do that I am gonna find somewhere to hide for when Cat realizes I reviewed a cowboy book LOL ~Pixie~
RED DIRT HEART
By N.R. Walker
BLURB:
Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.
Charlie Sutton runs Sutton Station the only way he knows how; the way his father did before him. Determined to keep his head down and his heart in check, Charlie swears the red dirt that surrounds him – isolates him – runs through his veins.
American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives at Sutton Station to see how farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth. But it’s not the barren, brutal and totally beautiful landscapes that capture him so completely.
It’s the man with the red dirt heart.
EXCERPT:
Just on sundown, I got off the motorbike, kicked the stand down so the bike stood upright without me and closed the gate. I’d been out all day in the South paddocks doing a final check of fences and water trough pumps before we bought the cattle down from the North. I’d seen the ute back at the homestead as I came in so I knew George was home.
George was my leading hand. He was in his fifties, with greying hair and sun-hardened skin. He’d worked here for as long I could remember, but he was more than a loyal employee. He was my friend, and in a lot of ways, more of a dad to me than my own old man ever was.
He’d been out all day, left before sun-up and headed into Alice Springs. We were a good three hours from the nearest town, and with a list as long as his arm from the Station cook, Ma—who also happened to be his wife—he needed a few hours in town before heading out to the airport to pick up the real reason for his trip: an American agronomy student by the name of Travis Craig.
When my father ran this farm, or station as we called it, every year we’d have people from another country come and spend a couple of weeks as part of some Diversification exchange program. My old man always said it was a good way to source out what other countries were teaching, but really I think he just liked the extra pair of hands at the finish of the dry season. And when we’d had a phone call back in July to ask if we’d be interested in hosting another student, and given it’d been a few years, I thought it seemed like a good idea. Now I couldn’t help but wonder if this Travis Craig would be a help or a liability.
I rode the bike into the yard and pulled up in the shed. I figured they’d know I’d arrived, having heard the bike, so I headed straight for the house. Like most homesteads built almost a hundred years ago, it was a weatherboard home, with an old iron roof and a veranda around four sides to try and keep it cool.
I kicked the red dust from my boots on the veranda steps and tried to brush the same from my jeans, took off my hat before I opened the door and walked inside. There was a suitcase and a duffel bag near the front door and voices at the back of the house.
“In the kitchen,” George called out.
I followed the sound of chatter and the smell of something good to find a meeting of sorts in the old country-style kitchen. The worn, solid wooden table that graced the middle of the room was covered with plates of scones and trays of cups and tea, and three people were in chairs around it—my right-hand man, George, his wife the cook, Ma, and a stranger with short light-brown hair and pale blue eyes.
George was the first to his feet, and the man beside him soon followed. “Here’s the boss, Charles Sutton,” George said, introducing me formally. “Charlie, this is Travis Craig.”
Travis looked about twenty-two years old, not much younger than me. Whereas I was a stockier build, with dull brown hair and boring brown eyes, he was taller than me by a few inches and muscular and lean. He held out his hand and smiled. “Mr Sutton. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His accent was strange to hear at first, but his smile was warm and wide.
I wiped my hand on my shirt and held it out for him to shake. “Travis,” I said with a nod. “Please, call me Charlie.”
I am many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer.
I have pretty, pretty boys who live in my head, who don’t let me sleep at night unless I give them life with words.
I like it when they do dirty, dirty things… but I like it even more when they fall in love.
I used to think having people in my head talking to me was weird, until one day I happened across other writers who told me it was normal.
I’ve been writing ever since…
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Title: Red Dirt Heart
Author: N.R. Walker
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (110pgs)
ISNB: 9781311959355 & B00IKGXWYC
Publisher: N.R. Walker (20th February 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3 ½ – 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb:~~ Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might. ~~
Charlie Sutton runs Sutton Station the only way he knows how; the way his father did before him. Determined to keep his head down and his heart in check, Charlie swears the red dirt that surrounds him – isolates him – runs through his veins.
American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives at Sutton Station to see how farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth. But it’s not the barren, brutal and totally beautiful landscapes that capture him so completely.
Review: Charlie owns Sutton Station in the Australian Northern Territory, and runs it the way his father did. Charlie knows that he will probably never find love especially being isolated by the red dirt that surrounds him and the rarity of his visits anywhere off his land. When an American, Travis, arrives as part of a Diversification program Charlie finds his life turned upside down by his feelings. Travis is visiting Sutton Station to see how Australians farm one of the harshest environments on Earth, but he never expected to find the owner so appealing and with only four weeks to spend on the station will he be able to crack the shell that surrounds Charlie’s heart and will he be able to love the beautiful harsh land that has hold of Charlie.
This is a wonderful story that speaks of the beauty and harshness of the Australian territories and two men who discover love. Charlie is a great character who buried a part of himself when he returned to the station after his father died; haunted by the words his father hurt him with. Travis likes what he sees when he meets the owner of Sutton Station and feels Charlie out to see if the attraction is mutual, but their brief affair looks to be doomed with Travis going home to Texas and Charlie fearful of being discovered as gay. There are many emotions that fly about this story with confusion, lust, want, fear, anger and love being just some of them.
I was extremely impressed with the descriptions of the setting, the harsh beautiful and deadly territories, the reality of living so far from civilisation and the dangers of everyday life on a station in the Australian Territories were incredibly well written; I could picture it in my mind and it reminded me of a near forgotten TV drama The Flying Doctors so I could actually imagine the sheer size of the station with some confidence. Remembering that Australian drama also let me visualise the characters better and understand the circumstances that Charlie finds himself in. Being a station owner, working in harsh conditions and knowing that you have to trust the people you work with, well admitting you are gay has you fearing more than just having someone swear and spit at you.
The relationship between Charlie and Travis is sweet but didn’t quite spark for me, Charlie is quickly talked into a short fling but Travis pushes all of Charlie’s hot spots and it isn’t long before Charlie is dreading the day that Travis will leave. You don’t really get a good feel for what Travis wants until near the end, but being honest by that time I’d found Travis just a bit off putting, he didn’t seem to be as invested in Charlie until it was time for him to leave, if we could have seen things from his perspective a couple of times I am sure I would have warmed up to him sooner rather than near the very end where Travis has to convince Charlie to put his fears aside and accept the love he offers. We also get a bit of excitement when Travis’ horse returns without him, bringing to the fore the dangers of where Charlie lives and bringing home to Charlie just how much he cares for Travis. The secondary characters, especially George and Ma, were great additions to the story supporting Charlie at all times but especially when he needed it most.
I recommend this to those who loves Australian cowboys finding love, an American cowboy discovering home, beautiful backdrops, overcoming fear and taking a chance on love.
