A Summers Day Anthology Release Blast, Excerpts & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have a wonderful collection of authors visiting with their charity anthology A Summer’s Day, we have a couple of great excerpts and there’s a fantastic $10 Amazon GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway!❤ ~Pixie~

A Summer’s Day: Shakespearean Anthology with a Twist

by

Rory Ni Coileain, Louise Lyons, Asta Idonea, Nephy Heart, Charlie Cochrane, Dianne Hartsock, Kathy Griffith, Rian Durant, Phetra H. Novak, J.L. Merrow, M. LeAnne Phoenix, Rebecca Cohen

We’re celebrating Shakespeare’s legacy with this collection of 12 stories based on his works and the way they are often woven into our lives. The twist is that all stories are MM. There are modern retellings of some plays, interpretations of others and one of the sonnets, and delightful referencing of anything Shakespeare.

There is gentle YA romance next to hot sexy stories and all kinds of relationships – first love, May/December, interracial, second chances, happy endings and even a tragic one.

We’re traveling from Ancient Rome through Renaissance England to modern day UK, Venice Beach and other places in USA, Vancouver and Havana.

There’s fun, drama, tears, angst, joy and, above all, lots of true love.

DEEPER THAN DID EVER PLUMMET SOUND
Rory Ni Coileain

Clarence Limont is a slowly fading star of the London stage; convinced his great performances are all behind him, he nevertheless agrees to play Prospero in an off-off-Broadway production of The Tempest helmed by an old friend.

Jaymes Stafford is the production’s starry-eyed Ariel, waking feelings Clarence had thought long dead and buried.

But the poisonous jealousy of other members of the cast may steal the stars from Jaymes’ eyes, and even put paid to Clarence’s illustrious career.
(“The Tempest”)

A FINE LINE BETWEEN
Louise Lyons

When Romeo runs into Julian on the beach, he’s the last person he wants to see as he’s grown up hating him due to his parents’ aversion to Julian’s dad.

Forced to rescue Julian from the sea, Romeo is surprised by his grudging attraction to the other young man.

When simple lust becomes something more, the pair ignore their parents’ anger, but family fights drive the lovers away from home – into a horrifying incident. Will it make the Montgomerys and the Caplins rethink their feud?
(“Romeo and Juliet”)

THE DEVIL AND THE LION
Asta Idonea

Caius Martius and Tullus Aufidius have long been enemies.

Then Martius arrives on Aufidius’ doorstep, seeking a military alliance. Aufidius accepts; however, he wishes their partnership to extend from the battlefield to the bedchamber.

His lust for Martius is one of the reasons he spares his life, but his jealousy will soon have terrible consequences.
(“Coriolanus”)

KISS ME, KADE
Nephy Heart

Kade is in trouble, negotiating a dangerous path between an authoritarian father and wayward sister.

Then Pete storms into his life and tries to take over.

It can only end in disaster.
(“Taming of The Shrew”)

IF MUSIC BE…
Charlie Cochrane

Rick Cowley finds himself taking up am-dram once more, thinking it’ll help him get over the death of his partner.

He’d never anticipated it would mean an encounter with an old flame and the sort of emotional complications the Bard would have reveled in.

Still, old Will had the right word for every situation, didn’t he?
(“Twelfth Night”)

TWO GUYS FROM VANCOUVER
Dianne Hartsock

Valentine has been watching Preston date man after man with never more than a brotherly hug for him.

Finally, despairing that Preston will ever love him in return, Val moves away to college, where he meets the glorious Silver, a man with problems of his own, who just might be his answer.

Torn between his attraction to Preston and his growing desire for Silver, Val wonders if he’ll ever find love or will his life become as tragic as any of the Shakespearean plays he loves so well.
(“The Two Gentlemen of Verona”)

WHEN I LOVE THEE NOT
Rian Durant

Desmond, the heir of a business owner is outed in the media after a hot night with his lover, Olvin, who also happens to be the company’s best negotiation expert.

This is only the first step in Ian’s plan to get back at Olvin for choosing Michel Caswell as a main assistant for the latest merger instead of him, a plan in which he’s moving everybody around like pawns on a chessboard, bending the rules.

Will Ian drive a wedge between Desmond and Olvin and get the position he wants or will he realize that there’s something more important that stops the world from turning into chaos?
(“Othello”)

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE BEACH
Kathy Griffith

Tony and Bartholomew have been friends for years, but his latest request is a little much.

Bart needs a loan to impress Porsche Keller, a personable billionaire, but the only cash available is from banker and raging homophobe Sherlock Palmer, who has a devious plan for them.

Will our heroes find love and get their happy ending?
(“The Merchant of Venice”)

A HERO’S LAST BATTLE
Phetra H Novak

Claudio is happy to be home after serving his country as a soldier for over fifteen years being stationed mostly abroad ready to settle down.

Hero is still living at home, together with his father, trying to do what is expected a young man his age is supposed to do, work and live every day like it is your last.
The two men meet at a family wedding, realizing they share a mutual dream of finding love and starting a family but evil lurks amongst them. Will these two lovers find a way to be together?
(“Much Ado About Nothing”)

NOTHING LIKE THE SUN
JL Merrow

Hollywood darling Jerome Winter always defined himself by his looks—until a fire destroyed them.

His oldest friend and still-loyal manager, Sam, has long carried a torch for him, but with his looks—and earning power—gone, what does Jerome have left to offer?
(Sonnet 130)

THE SUN OF TOMORROW
M. LeAnne Phoenix

When actor Koray Shepherd rescues writer Winter Sirois from the brutal hands of his supervisor, Winter never would have believed the beautiful Turk would share his love of The Bard.

When Koray asks Winter out on a date, Winter takes center stage in his very own tragedy, determined to end his play for today with a happily ever after.

Screwing his courage to the sticking place, Winter sets his sights on the future and Koray… but when the horrors of yesterday resurface, will he crest the waves of fear and despair, or will he be heard no more?
(“Macbeth”)

MUCH ADO ABOUT LADY MACBETH
Rebecca Cohen

Competition for roles is always high when the King’s Men put on a play, but David seems to come up against Jacob time and time again, no matter what part he is auditioning for.

But now they both want to be Lady Macbeth and it’s more than simple rivalry that causes the sparks to fly.
(Shakespeare’s Theatre)

And as all the world’s a stage we do hope that one day very soon all the world will be a place for everybody to love whomever they want to love and feel safe.

All proceeds of this collection go to the It Gets Better Project. By reading this book you become part of the hope for a better future of the LGBT youth.

.•.•.**❣️ Amazon US | Amazon UK ❣️**.•.•.

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Old Sins by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hiya guys, we have Charlie Cochrane popping in with her new release Old Sins, we have a fantastic guest post from Charlie, a great excerpt and a brilliant swag bag giveaway so enjoy the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~

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Old Sins

(The Lindenshaw Mysteries 04)
by

Charlie Cochrane

Past sins have present consequences.

Detective Chief Inspector Robin Bright and his partner, deputy headteacher Adam Matthews, have just consigned their summer holiday to the photo album. It’s time to get back to the daily grind, and the biggest problem they’re expecting to face: their wedding plans. Then fate strikes—literally—with a bang.

Someone letting loose shots on the common, a murder designed to look like a suicide, and the return of a teacher who made Robin’s childhood hell all conspire to turn this into one of his trickiest cases yet.

Especially when somebody might be targeting their Newfoundland, Campbell. Robin is used to his and Adam’s lives being in danger, but this takes the—dog—biscuit.

Reader discretion advised. This title contains the following sensitive themes:
Emotional Abuse (references)
Sexual Assault (references)
Child Abuse (references)
Drug Use (references to drug dealing)
Suicide (discussion and description of suspected suicide)

.•.•.**❣️ Riptide | Amazon US | Amazon UK ❣️**.•.•.

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Two Feet Under by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hiya guys, we have Charlie Cochrane popping in with her new release Two Feet Under, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant swag bag giveaway so enjoy the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

Two Feet Under

(Lindenshaw Mysteries 03)
by

Charlie Cochrane

Things are looking up for Adam Matthews and Robin Bright—their relationship is blossoming, and they’ve both been promoted. But Robin’s a policeman, and that means murder is never far from the scene.

When a body turns up in a shallow grave at a Roman villa dig site—a body that repeatedly defies identification—Robin finds himself caught up in a world of petty rivalries and deadly threats. The case seems to want to drag Adam in, as well, and their home life takes a turn for the worse when an ex-colleague gets thrown out of his house and ends up outstaying his welcome at theirs.

While Robin has to prove his case against a manipulative and fiendishly clever killer, Adam is trying to find out which police officer is leaking information to the media. And both of them have to work out how to get their home to themselves again, which might need a higher intelligence than either a chief inspector or a deputy headteacher.

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Count the Shells by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi guys! We have Charlie Cochrane popping in today with her new release Count the Shells, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

Count the Shells

(Porthkennack 06)
by

Charlie Cochrane

Michael Gray returned from World War One injured, but at least he returned. Others were not so fortunate, including his first and greatest love, Thomas Carter-Clemence, with whom Michael had parted bitterly before the conflict began.

Broch, the Carter-Clemence home in Porthkennack, was an integral part of pre-war holidays for the Grays, the two families drawn together in the wake of their sons’ friendship. Returning to the once-beloved Cornish coast for a break with his sister and her family, Michael has to find the courage to face old memories . . . and dare new relationships.

When Thomas’s brother Harry makes an unexpected appearance, Michael is surprised to find himself deeply attracted to Harry for his own sake. But as their relationship heats up, it unearths startling revelations and bitter truths. Michael must decide whether Harry is the answer to his prayers or the last straw to break an old soldier’s back.

Riptide Publishing

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Lessons in Loving thy Murderous Neighbour by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hi guys, we have Charlie Cochrane popping in today with the tour to her newest release Lessons in Loving thy Murderous Neighbour, we have a fantastic guest post from Charlie, a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the tour wide giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

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Lessons in Loving thy Murderous Neighbour

(A Cambridge Fellows Mysteries Novella)
by

Charlie Cochrane

Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith like nothing more than being given a mystery to solve. But what happens when you have to defend your greatest enemy on a charge of murder?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

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Broke Deep by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi guys! We have Charlie Cochrane popping in today with her new release Broke Deep, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

Charlie Cochrane - Broke Deep Cover

Broke Deep

by

Charlie Cochrane

Morgan Capell’s life is falling apart by small degrees—his father’s dead, his boyfriend dumped him, and his mother’s in the grip of dementia. His state of mind isn’t helped by his all-too-real recurring nightmare of the wreck of the Troilus, a two-hundred-year-old ship he’s been dreaming about since his teenage years.

The story of the Troilus is interwoven with the Capell family history. When amateur historian Dominic Watson inveigles himself into seeing the ship’s timbers which make up part of Morgan’s home, they form a tentative but prickly friendship that keeps threatening to spark into something more romantic.

Unexpectedly, Dominic discovers that one of the Troilus’s midshipman was rescued but subsequently might have been murdered, and persuades Morgan to help him establish the truth. But the more they dig, the more vivid Morgan’s nightmares become, until he’s convinced he’s showing the first signs of dementia. It takes as much patience as Dominic possesses—and a fortuitous discovery in a loft—to bring light out of the darkness.

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Jury of One by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hiya guys, we have Charlie Cochrane popping in with her new release Jury of One, we have a fantastic interview with Charlie, a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so enjoy the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

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Jury of One

(Lindenshaw Mysteries 02)
by

Charlie Cochrane

Inspector Robin Bright is enjoying a quiet Saturday with his lover, Adam Matthews, when murder strikes in nearby Abbotston, and he’s called in to investigate. He hopes for a quick resolution, but as the case builds, he’s drawn into a tangled web of crimes, new and old, that threatens to ensnare him and destroy his fledgling relationship.

Adam is enjoying his final term teaching at Lindenshaw School, and is also delighted to be settling down with Robin at last. Only Robin doesn’t seem so thrilled. Then an old crush of Adam’s shows up in the murder investigation, and suddenly Adam is yet again fighting to stay out of one of Robin’s cases, to say nothing of trying to keep their relationship from falling apart.

Between murder, stabbings, robberies, and a suspect with a charming smile, the case threatens to ruin everything both Robin and Adam hold dear. What does it take to realise where your heart really lies, and can a big, black dog hold the key?

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Lessons for Sleeping Dogs by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hiya guys, we have Charlie Cochrane visiting today with her newest release Lessons for Sleeping Dogs, we have a great guest post, a brilliant excerpt that we ‘borrowed’ and a fantastic giveaway so enjoy the post and leave a comment (with a way to be contacted in the body of the comment box) to enter the giveaway! Good luck <3 ~Pixie~

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Lessons for Sleeping Dogs

(Cambridge Fellowship Mysteries)
by

Charlie Cochrane

Cambridge, 1921

When amateur sleuth Jonty Stewart comes home with a new case to investigate, his partner Orlando Coppersmith always feels his day has been made. Although, can there be anything to solve in the apparent mercy killing of a disabled man by a doctor who then kills himself, especially when everything takes place in a locked room?

But things are never straightforward where the Cambridge fellows are concerned, so when they discover that more than one person has a motive to kill the dead men—motives linked to another double death—their wits get stretched to the breaking point.

And when the case disinters long buried memories for Jonty, memories about a promise he made and hasn’t kept, their emotions get pulled apart as well. This time, Jonty and Orlando will have to separate fact from fiction—and truth from emotion—to get to the bottom of things.

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Lessons for Suspicious Minds by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Ficlit, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi peeps, we have Charlie Cochrane visiting today with her newest release Lessons for Suspicious Minds, we have a great ficlit piece of Jonty and Orlando, a brilliant excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and Tams review. So check out the post and leave a comment (with a way to contact you) to take part in the giveaway!

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Lessons for Suspicious Minds

(Cambridge Fellows Mysteries 10)
by

Charlie Cochrane

1909

In the innocent pre-war days, an invitation to stay at the stately country home of a family friend means a new case for amateur sleuths Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith. In fact, with two apparently unrelated suicides to investigate there, a double chase is on.

But things never run smoothly for the Cambridge fellows. In an era when their love dare not speak its name, the risk of discovery and disgrace is ever present. How, for example, does one explain oneself when discovered by a servant during a midnight run along the corridor?

Things get even rougher for Orlando when the case brings back memories of his father’s suicide and the search for the identity of his grandfather. Worse, when they work out who the murderer is, they are confronted with one of the most difficult moral decisions they’ve ever had to make. 

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Lessons For Survivors by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have Riptide Publishing’s Charlie Cochrane stopping by today with her newest release Lessons For Survivors, the newest book in the Cambridge Fellows Mysteries. Charlie chats about researching historicals, there’s a great excerpt (that I might have nicked off Riptide, so shhhh), we also have a great giveaway and Tams’ review for you to enjoy. So enjoy the post and leave a comment on the post! <3 ~Pixie~   

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 Lessons For Survivors

 Cambridge Fellows Mysteries 09
 by

Charlie Cochrane

A more than professional interest . . . a more than personal intrigue.

Orlando Coppersmith should be happy. WWI is almost a year in the past, he’s back at St. Bride’s College in Cambridge, his lover and best friend Jonty Stewart is at his side again, and—to top it all—he’s about to be made Forster Professor of Applied Mathematics. And although he and Jonty have precious little time for an investigative commission, they can’t resist a suspected murder case that must be solved in a month so a clergyman can claim his rightful inheritance.

But the courses of scholarship, true love, and amateur detecting never did run smooth. Orlando’s inaugural lecture proves almost impossible to write. A plagiarism case he’s adjudicating on turns nasty with a threat of blackmail against him and Jonty. And the murder investigation turns up too many leads and too little hard evidence.

Orlando and Jonty may be facing their first failure as amateur detectives, and the ruin of their professional and private reputations. Brains, brawn, the pleasures of the double bed—they’ll need them all to lay their problems to rest.

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The Best Corpse for the Job by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway!

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Hiya guys, today we have Charlie Cochrane popping in with her newest release The Best Corpse for the Job. Charlie answers a couple of questions and there’s a fantastic giveaway, we also have York’s review so you can see what she thinks of Charlie’s new book, so enjoy the post and then leave a comment with your emails 🙂 <3 ~Pixie~ 
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The Best Corpse for the Job

by

Charlie Cochrane

Tea and sympathy have never been so deadly.

Schoolteacher Adam Matthews just wants to help select a new headteacher and go home. The governors at Lindenshaw St Crispin’s have already failed miserably at finding the right candidate, so it’s make or break this second time round. But when one of the applicants is found strangled in the school, what should have been a straightforward decision turns tempestuous as a flash flood in their small English village.

Inspector Robin Bright isn’t thrilled to be back at St. Crispin’s. Memories of his days there are foul enough without tossing in a complicated murder case. And that handsome young teacher has him reminding himself not to fraternize with a witness. But it’s not long before Robin is relying on Adam for more than just his testimony.

As secrets amongst the governors emerge and a second person turns up dead, Robin needs to focus less on Adam and more on his investigation. But there are too many suspects, too many lies, and too many loose ends. Before they know it, Robin and Adam are fighting for their lives and their hearts.

http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/best-corpse-for-the-job

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Sand by Charlie Cochrane

715gT+bpBDL._SL1425_Title: Sand
Author: Charlie Cochrane
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: Novella (44 pages)
Publisher: MLR Press (July 25th 2014)
Heat Level: Mild
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Tams
Blurb: The desert works its magic on a wounded heart.

“Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand.”

Andrew Parks has come to Syria to escape potential disgrace in Edwardian England, burying past heartache and scandal among the tombs. Charles Cusiter has travelled here more reluctantly, as chaperone to a friend whose fondness for the opposite sex gets him into too much trouble at home. Out in the desert there aren’t any women to turn Bernard’s head — just the ubiquitous sand.

The desert works its magic on Charles, softening his heart. Not even a potentially fatal scorpion sting can overcome the power this strange land exerts.

Purchase Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=CC_HSAND
Review: Charles Cusiter is an aspiring author in need of a paying job to cover the bills. When the opportunity presents itself for him to chaperone an overzealous young man to Egypt at his mother’s behest, for which he will be paid quite nicely, Charles hesitantly agrees. In a small settlement that is lacking the female persuasion, much too young Bernard’s chagrin, there is one man in particular that catches Charles’s eye.

Andrew Parks is an archaeologist that left England to avoid a scandal back home because he prefers the company of men, to that of women. He and Charles are quite smitten with each other from the start, but it’s not until Charles falls victim to the possibly deadly sting of a scorpion that the two act on their mutual attraction. The old adage about Sand working its way into every crevice, takes on an entirely new meaning in this short story!

This was just a fast, fun read full of old world prim and proper verbiage. The dialogue is all about elegance and the backdrop is the sand dune desert of Egypt. Charles would rather be anywhere but here. He hates the desert, the camels and especially the sand. But he does enjoy Andrew, and hopes that their simple stares and quiet touches will lead to something more.

This isn’t one of those short, steamy stories as the two are just getting to know each other at the end. But enough of a story was told to wet my appetite, and I hope to see more for Charlie and Andrew in the future.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *