Author Archives: thebloggergirls

The Billionaire’s Wedding by Geoffrey Knight: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on September 7, 2018 by thebloggergirls

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Exclusive Excerpt from The Billionaire’s Wedding

by Geoffrey Knight

It was the perfect day.

The morning was crisp, the skies were clear, and as the sun rose higher and higher it warmed the centuries-old brickwork of the Italian villa overlooking the Amalfi Coast. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves of a nearby olive grove while champagne corks popped and the already gathered guests laughed and chatted in the azalea-filled garden. White ribbons adorned the pergola that stood perched on the edge of the villa estate, with the blue waters of the Mediterranean glistening in the background. And of course, there were flowers everywhere; propped neatly in antique vases on the outdoor tables, sprinkled across the grounds with abandon, and one perfect white carnation pinned to the lapel of Cal’s tuxedo jacket.

He looked more handsome than ever, his smile even more radiant as he stood under the pergola waiting for me to join him.

I was at once anxious, thrilled and terrified. But with one deep breath I managed to overcome my nerves and smiled as a sense of calm and certainty settled over me.

Here was the man I was about to marry.

Here was the man with whom I would spend the rest of my life.

Here was the man I loved, cherished and adored, above all else in the world.

The thought of finally sliding a ring on his finger made my heart race—and my cock twitch with utter bliss.

As I stepped up to him and took his hands in mine, I said with all the confidence in my soul, “I’m ready.”

That was when Cal asked, “Are you sure?”

My brow creased at his question. “Of course I’m sure. Why would you ask?”

“Because you’re not wearing any clothes.”

I gasped, looked down, and to my absolute horror I saw that I was standing there, stark naked, in front of Cal and all of our wedding guests.

And over my mortified scream, all I could hear was Mrs. Mulroney shout from the crowd, “Sweet Jesus in a Turkish bath house, someone slap that thing with a spoon before it takes somebody’s eye out!”

With a loud, “Oh fuck, I’m naked!” I jumped up out of my seat.

At least that was the intention, but the airplane seatbelt snapped tight around my waist and I slammed my forehead into the back of the seat in front of me, realizing I wasn’t at a villa overlooking the Mediterranean at all, but rather in a passenger plane bound for Europe and full of people who were now staring at me as though I was insane.

“Oh shit, did I really just say I was naked… out loud?”

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Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

Release Blitz: New York Nightwings – The Complete Collection by V.L. Locey + Giveaway!

Posted on September 6, 2018 by thebloggergirls

New York Nightwings – The Complete Collection by V.L. Locey

The Nightwings Complete Collection contains all three novellas in the New York Nightwings MM hockey romance trilogy. The first two—On Broadway and Rookie Moves—were previously available in the Changing on the Fly charity anthologies. The third novella—Transitions—is a brand-new story written just for this collection. All three books are filled with passion, romance, humor, and fast-paced hockey action!

The set includes –

On Broadway (New York Nightwings #1)

Rookie Moves (New York Nightwings #2)

Transitions (New York Nightwings #3)

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Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

Honorary Blogger Michael Bailey: Character Voices + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on September 5, 2018 by thebloggergirls

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Character Voices

by Michael Bailey

So, much to the chagrin of a lot of people, I am a total pantser.  In fact, I have a tendency to “know” one of my MC’s at the beginning and not the other.  This is primarily because they are usually the first ones to “talk” (yes, these characters talk.  Greg is a perfect example of that, and I’ll get to him in a moment.) I initially see different points of the story through that MC’s eyes, but not the whole thing.  Typically, it’s not until after that MC has met the other that I get a good idea who that person is.

Certain scenes will be in my head, but I have absolutely no idea how they are all connected.  I rely on the characters to lead me. Sometimes the way in which I envisioned a scene is ultimately not how it ends up written.  Part of that is because I originally saw the scene from one perspective and the other MC may have seen it differently.  

As I said, I don’t know all of the story when I sit down to write.  It usually starts with an idea, a concept, or a question.  With “Looking In,” I already knew who David was. I knew some but not all of his backstory.  I knew, in broad strokes, why he was the way he was.  

So I asked myself a question:  to a person like David, what would unconditional love look like?  And how would the other person need to show it?

There’s a scene in that book where David and Adam are in a fast food restaurant, eating dinner together.  David is wearing his customary long-sleeved shirt, which Adam has always found curious. At one point during the conversation, David’s arm shifts slightly, allowing the shirt sleeve to ride up ever slow slightly.  This is pivotal for one reason: this is the first time I actually had to debate with one of my characters. I typed that Adam saw the scars on David’s arm, then deleted it. I vividly remember Adam saying, “no, I see them, because those are so much more.  More than physical. It’s a metaphor.”

And then I got it.

To David, someone that would be able to give him that unconditional love was someone that would be able to see the scars, both inside and out, and love and accept him anyway.

Greg was a whole different scenario.  He took me completely by surprise. He was originally simply nothing more than a name on a page.  No character, nothing. I was on my way to work one morning when out of nowhere, he started talking.  Greg, it turns out, had a lot to say. He has an enormous amount of guilt he has to work through because he feels that he didn’t do enough to help his brother, Ben, when their father discovered the latter had been researching questioning one’s sexual identity.  A massive, physical confrontation followed, and Ben ran away from home in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. To a very large degree, he has “adopted” David as sort of a surrogate brother because of his inability to protect his real brother.

Owen’s story in “Looking Forward” is one I knew well.  In fact, I knew what his story was when he was introduced in the first book, much in the same way I know Greg’s and his brother’s.  Owen’s story was a bit trickier to tell, however. It didn’t fit what is considered a traditional romance, but I think his story, his voice, fits the overall narrative of what this series of books is about.  Yes, I’m being vague about his story, but for a reason. I think that too much information may spoil the story or mislead readers into believing one thing when the opposite is true. Suffice it to say that Owen’s voice was just as loud in my head, perhaps louder with this book, as any other character.

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Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , | 9 Comments

Honorary Blogger Lynn Michaels: Inspiration + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on September 4, 2018 by thebloggergirls

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Inspiration

by Lynn Michaels

Everyone asks what inspires an author for their stories, and that tends to be a complicated answer. Inspiration comes from so many places and changes from story to story. Time for Love was inspired by several things.

First, the main character, Jeremy, started talking to me after a trip to the beach. He came across as a relaxed, beach bum type of guy, but he grew to so much more. His background and philosophy developed through research.

His counterpart, Ollie, came first from the technology that build his app. That bit came from my own work with recruiting data scientists that work with machine learning and AI for the company I work for. The concept fascinated me, so I wanted him to be a developer. Of course, I needed a way for these two to get together, so the rest of the story unfolded from there.

Overall, most of my stories incorporate bits and pieces from my life and the world around me. If you read my work, you’ll see tidbits of me throughout in many different ways.

Thank you to The Blogger Girls for letting me stop today

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Release Blitz: In This Iron Ground by Marina Vivancos + Giveaway!

Posted on September 3, 2018 by thebloggergirls

In This Iron Ground by Marina Vivancos

Damien is nine years old when his parents die. What should have been the worst moment of his life begins a journey shadowed by loneliness and pain. The night of a full moon, four years and seven foster homes later, Damien flees to the forest, desperate to escape everything.

Instead, he finds the Salgado pack, and the earth beneath his feet shifts. Damien has seen the Salgado children in his school: Koko, who is in his class, and Hakan, two years older and infinitely unreachable. Damien is suddenly introduced into a world that had only ever existed in his imagination, where there is magic in the forest and the moon. He meets creatures that look like monsters, but Damien knows that monsters have the same face as anybody else.

Over the years, Damien and Hakan grow closer. First, just as friends and foster brothers in the Salgado house, and then into something heated and breathless when Damien joins Hakan at college. Despite what he may yearn for in the darkest part of the night, Damien knows, deep down in that bruised and mealy part of his core, that he’s not good enough to be part of the Salgado family, their pack. He’s not worthy of calling Hakan his home.

Even though he knows in the end it’ll hurt him, he’ll hold onto this for as long as he can.

CONTENT WARNING: This book contains themes of emotional and (nonsexual) physical child abuse and the subsequent emotional, cognitive, and behavioural impacts.

Available at: Amazon

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Release Blitz: Love in the Clouds by Sarah Hadley Brook + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on September 2, 2018 by thebloggergirls

Love in the Clouds by Sarah Hadley Brook

Rafael Patino has a great life in Rain Valley. He’s a teacher at the high school, has a great group of friends, and enjoys the occasional baseball game. Other than the sporadic call from his drunken mother, he’s pretty content.

He’s also been in love with his best friend Dustin for nearly a decade. Years of keeping those feelings under control are put to the test when they begin a summer project together.

Dustin Vance builds furniture for a living, has just earned his pilot’s license, and has an amazing best friend. When he buys a 1976 Cessna Skyhawk, he asks Rafael to help restore it, then travel with him to Wisconsin for the largest aviation convention in the world.

As they spend their days working on the plane, they begin to spend their nights together. Will they find love in the clouds, or will they stall out before they even take off?

Available at: Amazon

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Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

Release Blitz: Falling Into Love by Kris T. Bethke & Nell Iris + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on September 1, 2018 by thebloggergirls

Falling Into Love by Kris T. Bethke & Nell Iris

Liam O’Donoughue is happy with his life. He runs V Wilderness Adventures with his best friends, his chosen brothers, and gets to spend his days hiking in the gorgeous Adirondacks. What’s not to love? But when he meets Austin on a hike, he thinks he’s found something he didn’t even know was missing.

Austin Jock is content with his work as a radiology tech and playing bass in a cover band. Someday he wants to find his forever person but doesn’t believe in romantic fireworks and isn’t sure it’ll ever happen. Then Liam comes crashing into his life, igniting sparks. Huge, life-altering sparks.

The connection between the two men is instant, and things move fast. But Austin isn’t sure what to do with everything he’s feeling inside. Can Liam convince him falling in love is the easiest thing in the world?

Available at: Amazon

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Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

Honorary Blogger Jessamyn Kingley: Why the Decision to Release With a New Title and Cover? + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on August 31, 2018 by thebloggergirls

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Why the Decision to Release With a New Title and Cover?

by Jessamyn Kingley

It all started with the cover. I first published Book 1 in 2015 and the second book, Sentinel’s Dagger, wasn’t released until 2017. I used the same cover artist, but she chose a different look and feel when she designed Book 2. I was in love with it and she has carried that theme through the next six books I published. It was automatic that when I re-released it I would have her design something that fit in with the entire D’Vaire series to make them cohesive. I also realized I had published eight stories centered around a home ruled by a dragon shifter and I hadn’t picked a cover that showed their majesty.

With the decision made to redo the look, I couldn’t help but consider the title. It was originally called Grand Redemption which I can honestly say never seemed like the perfect fit. I struggled with naming it and though I have with others none so intensely as Book 1. Grand was supposed to reflect Dra’Kaedan’s title and the word redemption referred to many of the different things going on in the story. However, none of that redemption was fully realized in the first book. There are story arcs that have carried over for some characters up to twelve stories while others are still waiting for it. Redemption is only beginning in the book. So, since I had the opportunity to consider other options I seized it. I wanted something that spoke of not only Dra’Kaedan and Brogan but the series as a whole. Dra’Kaedan’s Coven was the answer to that, I didn’t even have to consider other choices. I just wish I had thought of it the first time around. If I had, there’s no way I would have changed it!

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Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Author Q&A: Mel Gough + Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on August 30, 2018 by thebloggergirls

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The prized possession you value above all others…

My laptop. It’s not just the tool without which I couldn’t be a writer, it’s also where all my friends live (the real ones on social media, the imaginary ones in my stories).

The temptation you wish you could resist…

Chocolate, and pizza, and all the other really tasty things that are bad for you.

The book that holds everlasting resonance…

There are many books that have affected me in my life, but if I had to pick the one that’s stayed with me the longest it’s The Stand by Stephen King. I read that first when I was twelve and have reread it many times. I find King’s way of taking our deepest fears and weaving them into horror stories absolutely fascinating.

The film you can watch time and time again…

The Normal Heart. It tells the story of the AIDS outbreak from the point of view of a gay rights activist in New York, and it makes me bawl my eyes out no matter how many times I watch it.

The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…

I dreamed about studying medicine and I still wish I’d had the guts to do it. I guess I’d find it a pretty hard life, and I probably romanticize it, but it still often crosses my mind, what if…

Your early recollections of writing fiction…

I wrote some pretty terrible Star Trek fanfiction when I was small (around ten or 11) and around the same time I started many fantasy and SciFi stories, none of which ever got finished.

The way you would spend your fantasy twenty-four hours, with no travel restrictions…

I think I’d finally go to New Zealand and beam myself to all the different locations from the Lord of the Rings movies.

The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…

When people are slow. Slow walkers in particular. I live in London, and it’s an obstacle course dotted with tourists just to get into the office. And seriously, standing on the right on the escalator is not a suggestion, people. If you want to piss off a Londoner, stand on the left – at your own peril (we’ll glare at you very forcefully).

The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…

Any of the wives of Henry VIII, but especially Anne Boleyn. I’d love to know what that time was really like.

The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…

Any crime I choose. Because I’m a writer; as long as I made it plausible I could just write myself getting away with murder.

The philosophy that underpins your life…

Pay attention to the little things. You can’t change the big things in life, but if you do your best with the little tasks the whole will look so much better.

The character you enjoyed writing the most…

It’s hard to say, I’m fond of all of my characters. I think I’d say Liam from Tainted Life. He’s the first character I ever wrote that has a sense of humor.

The character you found difficult to write…

Vivienne, from He is Mine. She’s a nasty piece of work and that really was a challenge. It was also interesting and often liberating, but my instinct is to write nice people, so I often had to go a bit over the top with her to make her different. I reined her back in during the edits, though, and I’m happy with how she turned out.

The book you enjoyed planning/writing the most…

I think it’s the one I’m writing right now. It’s M/M historical romance set in the 1950s, and all the research I have to do for it is so much fun. Also, it feels like a bigger responsibility to get it right, which is an interesting challenge.

And the promo…

He is Mine is a psychological romance novel. It has some suspense elements, and it’s quite dark in places. The story revolves around Vivienne Aubert, who is a Hollywood actress who falls in love with her colleague Damien. Damien doesn’t return her feelings, though. It’s also the story of Brad Moretti, a detective with the NYPD, who’s just coming out of a very bad breakup. He and Damien meet, which makes the whole situation messy and painful, and pushes Vivienne down a dark path.

It’s a story of fatal attraction. There’s betrayal, emotional blackmail, stalking, delusion, the works. But another strong theme is mental health, and the struggle those of us face who are caring for someone suffering from mental health issues. It wasn’t an easy book to write because those themes are close to my heart.

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Categories: Author Q&A, Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , | Leave a comment