Thank you all for following the Absinthe of Malice blog tour! This is the fifth novel in the series and well, is a different kind of book. This is a beginning of sorts, a resurrection for most of the band members and the first step in a journey they will take together. Miki, Damie, Forest and Rafe in a van. Together. Cross-country and playing their hearts and souls out.
With a bit of trouble and love along the way.
I hope you enjoy it and like Applejack Shots and Beer, the story I’ll be telling across the blog tour.
OH! And the giveaway! Because we always need a giveaway. And there will be ONE winner for EVERY blog tour stop!
Scroll below to find out how to enter to win!
See you on the Other Side.
Applejack Shots and Beer
Part Six
Sliding around in my dreams
Your inky black kiss
Staining my life
With something I’ll never miss
You pushed yourself into me
Down deep into my soul
Wish I could dig you out
Burn you till I’m whole
— Ink Black Kiss
“Well, ye’ve got us all in a tither, I’ll be telling you that, boyo.” Sionn grunted at Damien’s elbow into his gut when the guitarist climbed into their bed. “Hey, watch the jabs there. Few inches more and ye’d have hit the boys.”
“Spent time with the cousins today?” Damien hitched himself up, tugging at the blankets trapped under his ass. “You sound like a bowl of Lucky Charms drowning in Guinness.”
“Yer an ass, Damie.” Sionn rolled over onto his lover, trapping the lanky guitarist under him. Damie didn’t put up much of a fight, a weak kick at Sionn’s leg before he fell into a fit of laughter. “Stop wiggling or ye’ll hurt yerself. Or me. Mostly me.”
Sionn shifted, resting his weight on his knees. The scars along his left leg gave a little twinge, reminding him of the long, hard run he’d dragged Rafe on that morning but the knee itself held. Straddling Damien’s slender hips, he cupped his lover’s face then stole Damie’s breath with a simmering, lengthy kiss. He tasted of cinnamon toothpaste and candy, probably a handful of SweeTarts from the jar on the table after he’d brushed his teeth but Sionn also tasted the man underneath the sugar and spice.
“God, I’m going to hate not having you in bed with me, a ghra,” Sionn muttered when he pulled away from Damien’s mouth. “But I understand why you’ve got to go.”
“Really?” Damien sighed when Sionn slipped off of him. Sliding over on the bed, he nested against Sionn’s side, laying his head back on Sionn’s chest. Drawing his knees up, Damien grimaced and said, “Because everyone else is acting like I’m tearing babies away from their mothers’ teats.”
He stroked Damien’s hair, soothing away the inky black strands from his lover’s eyes. There was a tension in Damien’s words, stropping an edge to the faint cut-glass accent in his voice. For all of his bravado and flippancy, Damien was bothered by the reactions rippling through the family.
“Ye’ve got to remember we’re not used to this,” Sionn broached carefully.
“Bullshit, you guys saw Rafe hit the road.”
“And ye saw how well that turned out all around, didn’t ye?” He grinned at Damien’s pained groan. “He wasn’t anyone’s other half then and now… well, Quinn’s not sharing how he feels. That one plays everything close to his chest and I’m not even sure he’s using the same deck as the rest of us.”
“We’re musicians, Sionn.” Damien tilted his head back and stared up at him. “We play. On stage. We’re a band. It’s not fucking Rock Band on an Xbox. We’re an actual fucking band.”
“I know that,” he conceded. “But the reality of that hit a bit hard and fast.”
“We…the four of us…talked about it. Everyone—including Miki—wants to do a tour.” He settled back down, still a bit grumpy. “I’m the one who wants to do it old school because we need to. We need the connection between us. No pressure to be rock stars. Just a few gigs and living in each others’ shit to see if we can.”
“And if you can’t?” Sionn pressed. “Then what?”
“Then Crossroads Gin doesn’t happen,” Damien replied. “We don’t do this…we don’t gel…then we’re just four musicians jamming together in a studio and that’s the end of it. And that’s not something the four of us are willing to give up. Not for anyone, love. Not for anyone.”
Follow the Absinthe of Malice Tour
Follow the Absinthe of Malice Tour and Enter to Win on Each Blog!
13 June: Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews
14 June: MM Good Book Reviews
15 June: Prism Alliance
16 June: It’s About the Book
17 June: Under the Covers Book Blog
18 June: The Blogger Girls
19 June: Rainbow Gold Reviews
20 June: Boy Meets Boy
21 June: Joyfully Jay
22 June: The Novel Approach
About Absinthe of Malice
We’re getting the band back together.
Those five words send a chill down Miki St. John’s spine, especially when they’re spoken with a nearly religious fervor by his brother-in-all-but-blood, Damien Mitchell. However, those words were nothing compared to what Damien says next.
And we’re going on tour.
When Crossroads Gin hits the road, Damien hopes it will draw them closer together. There’s something magical about being on tour, especially when traveling in a van with no roadies, managers, or lovers to act as a buffer. The band is already close, but Damien knows they can be more—brothers of sorts, bound not only by familial ties but by their intense love for music.
As they travel from gig to gig, the band is haunted by past mistakes and personal demons, but they forge on. For Miki, Damie, Forest, and Rafe, the stage is where they all truly come alive, and the music they play is as important to them as the air they breathe.
But those demons and troubles won’t leave them alone, and with every mile under their belts, the band faces its greatest challenge—overcoming their deepest flaws and not killing one another along the way.
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
About Rhys Ford
Rhys Ford was born and raised in Hawai’i then wandered off to see the world. After chewing through a pile of books, a lot of odd food, and a stray boyfriend or two, Rhys eventually landed in San Diego, which is a very nice place but seriously needs more rain.
Rhys admits to sharing the house with three cats of varying degrees of black fur and a ginger cairn terrorist. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, a Toshiba laptop, and an overworked red coffee maker.
And at the Starbucks down the street. No really, they’re 24/7. And a drive-thru. It’s like heaven.
Find out more about Rhys on her Blog, Facebook, Twitter or her books can be purchased, folded and first chapters read at Dreamspinner Press.
As part of this blog tour, Rhys has graciously offered up a $20 Gift Certificate to the e-tailer AND an audiobook code from Audible!!! The giveaway starts now and ends June 24, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!
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Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.
Good luck!
The Blogger Girls 
Another great entry! Enjoy hearing everyone’s views on the tour.
Travel from gig to gig, being cooped up with a bunch of others – no matter how dear they were – could be a hazard to anyone’s sanity. Lol! Looking forward to release day of this book, Rhys. 🙂
These story installments are kind of killing me. So want to read the book, but I am worried, too.
LOL! I love Sionn and Damie!
Pingback: Absinthe Of Malice Blog Tour Stop #6: The Blogger Girls – Rhys Ford
Love these little snippets. Rhys Ford is a great author! 😀
kjpattersonrn@yahoo.com
I’m so excited! I need to reread at LEAST Rafe and Quinn’s book, like, right now.
Love these little stories.
Love this story and can’t wait for more.
Poor Damien but I am sure they will all make it through the tour safe and sound and stronger. I wonder if any of the Morgans will be sneaky and check on them while they are on tour.
Doing a re-read of the series and am starting Quinn and Rafe’s story now. 🙂
I’m enjoying the different POVs in the different story posts
got my “ticket” ordered for “the show” 🙂
I’m excited and wishing I could join them on the road.
love these stories!
A bowl of Lucky Charms drowning in Guinness…too funny. 🙂
This is so good can’t wait for more.
Loving this blog tour!
I can’t wait, it’s almost here.
This is all such a great set up for the book! It’s hard to wait…
Can’t wait . . . want more so bad.
I’ve been rereading the Sinners series and looking forward to reading Absinthe of Malice. I like the different POVs about their upcoming tour and seeing how everyone reacts. Thanks for the giveaway and the snippets. The Blogger Girls, thank you for hosting the blog tour.
Thank you for hosting the blog tour and can’t wait to read Absinthe of Malice
Great post, thank you
I love Rhys books… Almost as much as the stories she treats us with!!!!
First I’ve ever done one like this and enjoying reading the different posts
I’ve finally caught up with the story. Now I’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the next installment. Oh well, I’ll survive…maybe. 🙂
Loving the installments. So looking forward to the book =)
Love it thanks
Thanks again Rhys!
loving the snippets
thanks for the giveaway
I love seeing how each of the Lovers are responding. These snippets are wonderful.
Giveaway’s nothing to sneeze at either
Thanks.
I’m loving this story! Thanks for the giveaway!
Love seeing all these favorite characters again. Thanks for sharing.
I absolutely love your tours Rhys! I have enjoyed every little tidbit. Thank you for sharing!
Can’t wait!
Yay for another snippet!
Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks 🙂
Pingback: Absinthe Of Malice Blog Tour Stop #7: Rainbow Gold Reviews – Rhys Ford
Congratulations on the release.
This is an amazing series!
Love, love, love this!! Cannot wait!
I love the shorts, just making me more anxious to read Absinthe of Malice
Love these shorts. Only 2 more days for Absinthe of Malice to come out. Can’t wait.
Loving the lead in to the novel.
dejamew@centurylink.net
Another great post, thanks! 🙂
Pingback: Absinthe Of Malice Blog Tour Stop #8: Boy Meets Boy Reviews – Rhys Ford
Wow. This is a great post. Thanks for sharing so much!
Loved the post.
Pingback: Absinthe Of Malice Blog Tour Stop #9: Joyfully Jay – Rhys Ford
Thank you for this post, i enjoyed!