Giveaways

Honorary Blogger M.A. Church: The Inspiration Behind In Enemy Hands + Giveaway!

Honorary_Blogger_Post

The Inspiration Behind In Enemy Hands

by M.A. Church

About a year ago, I was taking a break from writing and was goofing off on the Internet and ended up on Google Images. Originally I’d typed in vampires, then an incubus caught my eye, and from there it was a short trip to looking at fey-type characters, lol.

Since it was so long ago, I don’t remember why I was looking at these types of beings—probably needed character inspiration pictures. Then it happened… I ran across an image, one drawn by an artist.

I swear, my world actually stopped. In the artist’s rendition, one character had long black hair and the other had long white. I was so fascinated with the picture, I scrounged around on the Internet until I found who drew it and her gallery. Unfortunately, she’s French, so I couldn’t speak to her, but I saved the link.

The black-headed one (Adlar) is actually what the cover for In Enemy Hands is based on. His pale, pale skin, jet black hair, and pointed ears caught my attention. There was this look about him—introspective, but also restrained violence.

I knew then I had to write these two characters.

When I write science fiction, I usually start with the characters. Once I have them, and know their background, the world building starts from there. The picture I used for inspiration had the character standing side-by-side. The dark-headed one was standings upright with his arms crossed. The white-headed one (Varo) is slightly bent at the waist, his arms crossed, and leaning over a post. They’re both looking into the distance. There is an ease between the two of them, and I knew somehow that was going to be very important to the story.

There’s also a lot of play on imagery in the story. Good guys usually wear the white hats, right? *Points at Varo* There’s Varo with his white-blond hair. Then there’s Adlar, with his pale looks and black hair. Bad guys were black hats, right? *Grin* One of the things you often see in my stories is that appearances can be deceiving. Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Long Shadows by Kate Sherwood + Giveaway!

longshadows_tourbanner

About Long Shadows

by Kate Sherwood

longshadows_500x750LA cop Jericho Crewe got the hell out of Mosely, Montana, when he was seventeen. Fifteen years later, he’s back, and everything is just as messed up as when he left. He planned a quick visit to deal with his injured father, but of course things are never that simple. Family complications, police complications, social complications—and, as always, Wade Granger complications.

Jericho and Wade had been so close, once upon a time. First friends, then more than friends—and then, after Jericho’s escape, nothing. Wade’s magnetism hasn’t been lessened by a decade and a half apart; even when Jericho learns that Wade is the prime suspect in the death of Jericho’s father, the old connection still sparks.

When Jericho’s newly discovered half siblings are kidnapped, he needs to trust someone to help him find them. Wade’s a terrible choice, but Jericho’s never been known for his good judgment. Anyway, he’d rather make a bad decision with Wade than a good one with anybody else.

Available at: Riptide and Amazonblogger_bee_trans Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments

Chase The Ace by Clare London: Excerpt & Giveaway!

Blogger_Exclusive Excerpt

Chase The Ace

by Clare London

~~Daniel and Nick visit a club in Brighton, searching out the first old friend on Daniel’s list~~

We found ourselves in a narrow corridor running behind the stage and the bar, where two small rooms served as dressing areas. The young man who’d acted as receptionist was in the doorway of one of them, swigging from a can of drink and dressed in a tight, sparkling green Lycra vest and denim shorts. He turned to stare at me.

“Looking for Gerry?” he asked with a grin.

Behind him, the show’s announcer chuckled—he was sitting inside the room on a chair in front of a large mirror, now dressed only in the matching sparkly shorts. The two men were both of slight build, with similar pale good looks. All I could do was wonder if they shared outfits, taking turns to wear the top and then the bottom, until laundry day.

“I’m looking for Dina,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

Alice used to tell me I could look very forbidding, but the young man just laughed and nodded to the next room.

Dina sat in front of a similar mirror with a large cosmetic bag open on the counter in front of her. She’d taken off the huge wig and eyelashes but was still in costume, and she turned her chair to greet us as we entered.

“Hello, Daniel,” Gerry said. He was smiling, though his eyes showed some nervousness. “I saw you in the audience. Long time no see.”

His voice was lower than on stage, his natural hair a shaggy, dark mess, but he was still a long way from the schoolboy I’d known. He’d taken off the heels as well. It looked incongruous: his large, masculine feet showing under the feathered hem of the sparkling frock, the nail polish on his toes that coordinated perfectly with his fingers.

“You remember me?”

Gerry chuckled. “You’re memorable, honey. Not that you ever believed it.” He glanced at Nick and winked.

“Do I call you Gerry, or do you prefer Dina?”

He laughed, and in that moment I was reminded of the joker at summer school, the easy-going extrovert. “Call me what you like, honey. I love Dina, and I love Gerry too.”

“Are you a transsexual now?” I asked, from nothing but curiosity.

Nick’s hand tightened on my arm. “Dan, that’s pretty rude.”

“It’s okay,” Gerry said in his rich drawl. “I’ll talk about anything, you know.”

“We gathered that much from this evening’s show,” I said wryly. Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Light Up The Dark by Suki Fleet: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Blogger_Exclusive Excerpt

Light Up The Dark

by Suki Fleet

The only good thing to have come out of this whole mess so far was his growing closeness to Nicky. Nicky with his mixed messages and sudden, startling shows of vulnerability. The longing Cai felt for him was like no longing he’d ever experienced before. He longed to be near him. His bones ached with it. When he wasn’t, the world didn’t spin right. The sky grew dimmer and duller. Nothing worked like it was supposed to. Inside he was chaos, his chest full of whirling, diving, buzzing things that messed with his concentration. And then he’d see Nicky and his chest would settle, and the buzz would become the thrum of a magnet that he had to resist with all his strength, lest he fuck up whatever tentative force was pulling them together.

A sudden blur of movement rounded the corner of the house. Cai froze. Nicky. Sprinting down the side of the house towards him. Something was wrong.

No one moved that fast unless they were being chased. Fear spiking his senses, Cai raced across the leaves and bracken to meet him. Over a hundred metres lay between them. Instinctively he gripped his shears more firmly in his hand and kept his eyes on the side of the house, waiting for the danger, ready for it. Too late Cai realised Nicky wasn’t looking where he was going, that he hadn’t seen the assortment of logs Cai had laid on the ground for chopping into firewood later. Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

Release Day Blitz: Hanukkah Gifts by Jacob Cheyenne + Giveaway!

Hanukkah Gifts by Jacob Cheyenne

hanukkah_gifts_400x600Twenty-five year old TV producer Jared Greenfield loves his New York City life—his trendy neighborhood, high-profile job, and window-shopping for high fashion on Fifth Avenue—along with a whole city of available men. But even with all the fun of big city life, he feels a longing for something—or someone—more. Going through the motions takes him uptown on December night, where, on the first night of Hanukkah, he spots a handsome, sweaty, player on the basketball court of the Jewish Community Center.

Tall, dark, and Orthodox, the young and athletic Shai Goodhart strikes up an easy friendship with Jared, only to discover that Jared has very little appreciation for his own Jewish heritage and religion. Determined to enlighten this “Bad Jew”, Shai invites him over for a family Hanukkah celebration to remember. But Jared’s easy fascination ends when he discovers that Shai has a house full of tangled secrets that threatens their romance before it even begins. Both young men feel they can help one another, but over the eight days of Hanukkah, deeper emotions propel them closer and closer. Can they ever reach across the divide of their shared culture and fall in love?

Available at: AmazonAllRomanceJMS

Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Book Review, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Hearts Alight by Elliot Cooper + Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Blogger_Exclusive Excerpt

An Exclusive Excerpt from Hearts Alight

by Elliot Cooper

“Amit?” Dave called out as he pushed through the door from the back hallway to the break room.

The table and two of the chairs were upended on the floor next to Amit. Napkins and plastic cups littered the tile around him. He tried to push himself up from where he sat, one leg crooked under the other, but didn’t seem to have the strength. Amit’s chest heaved, as if he were struggling for every breath, and sweat plastered his hair across the side of his forehead.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Dave raced to his side and knelt, unsure what to do with his hands. He didn’t want to make things worse, but he didn’t know what to do to help, either. Did Amit have asthma? Maybe he had an inhaler nearby.

Amit reached out and gripped Dave’s arm, his fingers clammy. The scars across his forehead flashed with yellow-orange light. Dave blinked, disbelieving his own eyes, but then Amit gulped in heavy, less-labored breaths mixed with sighs of relief, and tricks of the light didn’t seem important.

“Thank God,” Amit muttered.

“Do you have asthma?” Dave asked, putting his hand on top of Amit’s. He still felt cooler than he should have, but Dave couldn’t be sure his own body temperature hadn’t elevated with his worry. And the three-quarters of a beer he’d drunk.

“No.” Amit shook his head. His voice still sounded rough, but it was clearer than earlier. “I’ll be okay. I think.”

“I wanted to tell you not to listen to that asshole. Taylor. He’s a real… He’s nothing to worry about.”

“Who?”

“That tall guy sitting with Jake.” Dave studied Amit’s confused expression and realized he must not have heard what Taylor had said after all. It had been his breathing problem that sent him rushing to the back. “Never mind. He said something rude about you when you…shouted over the music.”

“Oh.” Amit’s hand trailed down Dave’s arm, as if he wanted to let go but couldn’t, and rested at his wrist instead. The press of his fingers made Dave aware of his own pulse beating away, picking up speed with every moment they stared into one another’s eyes.

There were so many things Dave wanted to say. So many questions that maybe Amit would be willing to answer now that they were alone and he was interested in chatting. Had privacy, or a lack thereof, been the barrier all along? Or did it have something to do with Amit’s not-asthma?

“Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, health-wise.” Dave gestured with his free hand to the obvious mess Amit had made. He’d fallen down, maybe tried to get back up a few times on his own. It wasn’t a good sign. And it was even worse if he was trying to cover up some medical issue. Although Dave knew he wasn’t owed an explanation.

Amit took in a deep breath and followed Dave’s gaze to the scattered furniture and supplies. “Would you help me clean this up? Before Jake―”

The door swung open. “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s―” Jake assessed the situation with frantic eyes. “Shit. Did you break anything?”

“Oh my God!” Shoshana’s hands went to her mouth as she stepped into the break room beside her husband. “Amit!” Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

Tarnished Souls by Dev Bentham: Excerpt & Giveaway!

Blogger_Exclusive Excerpt

Exclusive Excerpt from Learning from Isaac

by Dev Bentham

 

“Isaac, what are you doing here?” I asked once the door was closed.

He let go of my hand and stood close. “I work here. You paid for a block dance so you have half an hour. Do you want to talk or get what you paid for?”

I touched his cheek. “Your bruise is gone.”

Tears formed in his eyes. “It’s your call, Professor. We’re not at school now. What do you want?”

I looked at him, our eyes almost at the same height. My alcohol-addled brain slogged from thought to thought. One shocked part of my brain screamed that I should bolt and forget I’d ever been here. But the man I dreamed about every night was there in front of me, mine to take. Touching him would shift where we stood with each other and we’d never get our delicate balance back. On the other hand, simply knowing what Isaac did for a living changed everything, and whatever else we did wouldn’t make me forget. As if reading my mind, he whispered, “Whatever happens here stays here.” Continue reading

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

Release Day Blitz: A New Life For Christmas by Liam Livings + Giveaway!

graphicone

A New Life For Christmas by Liam Livings

a-new-life-for-christmas-600x900A house exchange between two single men leads to a romantic new life for both of them.

Oliver and Kyle live thousands of miles apart, but each needs a break from his current life and love. Enter the Cloud B&B website, a wonderful new way to exchange homes for the holiday. They both muster their courage, and decide to visit another continent for Christmas.

In the UK, Oliver has been pining after his neighbour for far too long, living his comfortable but quiet life in a town in the New Forest. When his crush moves on in the worst possible way, Oliver is seduced by the chance to stay in fun-loving, sunny Miami.

In Miami, Kyle is a club owning workaholic, who suddenly discovers the man he lives with has been unfaithful. Yet again. As consolation, Kyle is tempted to see first hand the picture book charm of the New Forest in winter.

Both of them find not just a new setting but a new romance. Oliver makes a big effort to shed his inhibitions and meets a musician, Mark, who plays in the Florida bars, and who may be just as cautious and polite as Oliver in making the first move.

And while Kyle’s trying to come to terms with England’s very different culture—and food!—he’s charmed by Oliver’s best friend Edward, who’s bold and sexy, but secretive.

Will Oliver take the leap of faith and encourage a lover who can and will give the commitment he deserves? And will Kyle find a man who can be loyal and also offer Kyle the family life he needs?

But perhaps more importantly—when Christmas is over, can a new life survive?

Available at: Amazon Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

Lost and Found by Rick R. Reed: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Blogger_Exclusive Excerpt

Exclusive Excerpt from Lost and Found

by Rick R. Reed

In the excerpt below, we see that when someone does something bad, it doesn’t necessarily make him a bad person, especially if the selfish act was done out of love—and there’s a willingness to put things right. No matter how much it hurts….

*****

Hamburger had come into Mac’s life eight months ago in the middle of a downpour, in the very park where he’d just now met the guy he was sure was Hamburger’s original owner. Hamburger had been emaciated, with his ribs and backbone sticking out through his drenched fur. He had a cut, scabby, above one eye. No collar. He was whimpering and looked as though he was on his last legs. Mac shook his head, forcing the image out of his mind. It was just too painful to remember Hamburger like that. He had originally intended to simply drop him off at the Green Lake Animal Hospital, close to the park, over on Woodlawn Avenue. But the dog wouldn’t, or couldn’t, move. He’d plopped down at Mac’s feet that gray, wintry day and refused to get up. Mac perceived it as the dog seeing something within him that he needed or wanted.

Or maybe it was the half-eaten hamburger from Red Mill in Mac’s hand. He’d held out a morsel of meat for the dog, and he gobbled it up, then went right back to sitting where he was at Mac’s feet, staring at him with those big brown eyes that just about broke Mac’s heart. Mac gave him the rest of the burger, minus the pickles and the bun, and even in his sorry state, the dog begged for more.

It was then a name was born. Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Release Day Blitz: Snow In Montana by RJ Scott + Giveaway!

banner-3

Snow In Montana (Montana #4) by RJ Scott

montana-4-400An actor in the closet, a sheriff in love, and memories that won’t stay hidden.

Jordan Darby is known as the King of Christmas. The star of eight made-for-TV Christmas movies, the leading man who always gets his girl. Filming at Crooked Tree Ranch in Montana, in the ice and snow, Jordan is fighting to make a go of his new company and dealing with fears of exposure over one huge secret. After all, who the hell would buy into him being a romantic straight lead if rumors about him being gay were proven to be true.

Sheriff Ryan Carter is advising on the new movie being made at Crooked Tree. He hoped this would be one day of work and nothing more. Until, that is, he meets the hero. But while Jordan is sexy, he’s also very much stuck in the closet – everything that Ryan doesn’t need in his life. And then lust becomes part of the equation, and Ryan’s quiet life is thrown into turmoil.

Their story unfolds against the chaos that overtakes the ranch, with Adam regaining memories that terrify him and make him look at Justin differently, and Justin leaving the ranch to make things right. Only through trusting in love and friendship can Justin and Adam learn to look to the future instead of letting the past destroy everything. But will they ever see clearly enough to do that?

Available at: Amazon Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Book Review, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment