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Honorary Blogger J.K. Hogan: McGinty & Hale – “Crime-fighting duo” from Shadows Fall + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on July 2, 2015 by thebloggergirls

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McGinty & Hale – “Crime-fighting duo” from Shadows Fall

by J.K. Hogan

To be honest, I wouldn’t say the pairing of Titus and Charlie was a conscious decision on my part. It’s more like I envisioned the characters, and their stories seemed to evolve with minds of their own. I try not to pay too much attention to what has been done and what hasn’t, because sadly the publishing market is so saturated, almost nothing is original. I try to focus on being true to my story and making it the best it can be.

The first thing that came to me became the first line in the book: My name is Titus Finnbar McGinty and I see dead people. I know for sure Titus wouldn’t call himself a medium or a psychic. In fact, he’d probably take offense to it. ☺ He never set out to work with the police, especially since a cultural distrust of them had been instilled in him from a young age. In fact, he just wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately, the victims of the Queen City Slayer kept finding him.

I’d say Shadows Fall is different because of the characters themselves. Titus’s self-sufficiency defies the typical (forgive me) damsel-in-distress archetype that we often see paired with detectives in books. Charlie is different too. He’s not an alpha-male stereotypical cop. He’s kind and quiet, and ruthlessly dedicated to his job, so much that it actually hurts him when he can’t save people. That and how they work together make my story a new take on the cop/medium pairing.

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About Shadows Fall

ShadowsFall_FinalCoverRGBA gift—or curse—gives Titus McGinty the unwanted ability to talk to ghosts. When he starts seeing the same few apparitions repeatedly, appearing with similar gruesome injuries, he begins to wonder what they want from him.

Detective Charlie Hale has a serial killer on his hands. On the loose for weeks, the Queen City Slayer has left the police nothing to go on, no forensic evidence other than what he wants found. The city is running out of time.

The crisis brings Titus and Charlie together—Titus stumbles upon a body and finds himself a suspect. Their budding romance is tested as they are sucked into a web of underground laboratories, restive spirits, and religious fanaticism. They’ll have to work together to find the identity of the killer before he takes his next victim…Titus.

Available at: Wilde City & Amazon

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An Excerpt from Shadows Falls

I always hated walking home alone at night on the deserted city streets. But I couldn’t ask my employees to do something I was scared to do myself, so I’d taken the late shift. In the dark, the wandering dead became nothing but sliding shadows and hissing whispers. The phrase ‘jumping at shadows’ is apt, because there were things in the shadows.

Those things slithered around me, feeling much more insidious in the murky stillness of the nighttime city. Hands in my pockets, I gripped my four inch pocket knife that I always carried. Fat lot of good it would do me against mule, but there was a killer on the loose after all.

It was ill-advised, but I still blasted my music inside my headphones. I didn’t want to hear what the spirits had to say in gloam. I mostly kept my eyes glued to the sidewalk in front of me—don’t stand out, don’t make eye contact, make yourself invisible—but I cast glances all around my periphery to keep aware of my surroundings.

A tall, skinny man approached, heading toward me on the opposite side of the sidewalk. He wore dark jeans and a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, casting his face in shadow. I found that odd, as it was one of those warm, humid nights the Southern springtime was famous for. His dark eyes glittered at me from the empty void where his face should be, obviously a trick of the poor lighting.

As he passed me, he clipped my shoulder, throwing me off balance. I wanted to turn around and yell, but self-preservation intervened. I could probably take him in hand-to-hand, but he could be packing for all I knew. I put my head down and kept walking.

I yelped when a spirit appeared in front of me—unlike what movies and television showed, they didn’t usually just pop up. He was a young man, probably about my age, with pale skin, black hair, and eyes so blue they seemed otherworldly… and he was gorgeous. I blinked, hoping he’d disappear. No such luck.

He turned his head towards the building beside us that was being renovated, the entrance to which was blocked off with caution tape. Stretching out his left arm, he pointed to it, and I could see bone-deep gouges in his wrist and forearm. He glanced at me again. Look.

“Not tonight, okay?” I mumbled, trying to step around him. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared and rematerialized right in front of me. See!

“No,” I said, getting angry. I walked straight through him. Usually when I passed through a spirit, I just felt a slick, oily cold sliding through my body—but this burned like a vat of acid had been dumped over me. I screamed and fell to my knees.

He appeared in front of me again. As I looked up at him, still reeling from the pain, it occurred to me how new he must be. When a mulo first left its body, it still maintained some measure of its humanity. It was able to take and maintain a corporeal form more easily than the older spirits, and the ability faded with each day since its passing.

He pointed again and this time, his eyes took on a pleading quality. I could practically feel his anguish.

Struggling to my feet, I brushed myself off and sighed. “Fine, I’ll look. But then you need to leave me the hell alone. I ducked under the caution tape strung across the doorless entry of the run-down building. It was almost pitch black inside, but I got a vague sense of sawhorses and scaffolds. Tip-toeing for some inconceivable reason, I made my way into some kind of vestibule or foyer. I didn’t notice anything that this mulo would be so desperate for me to see, but I couldn’t really see much at all.

My foot hit something solid and I was afraid to go any further into the dark. Who knew what kind of hazards were strewn about the construction site. I dug out my iPhone and swiped it to turn on the flashlight app. A bright light shone out of the camera flash and illuminated the dusty room in front of me—and the man lying all too still on the floor.

I screamed for the second time in five minutes, stumbled back against a plastic-draped scaffolding and dropped my phone. I assumed it landed screen up, because the room was suddenly plunged back into darkness. With my skin crawling, I felt around on the floor for the hard case. Instead, I grabbed a cold leg.

“Holy God!” I shouted, scrambling backwards and sideways until my back hit a wall. My pulse pounded and my head was spinning with the urge to pass the fuck out, either from fright or hyperventilation. My muscles were on lockdown, frozen into that gray area between fight-or-flight, but I knew I had to find my phone so I could get the hell out of there.

And the body… I’d have to call someone. I poked around with the toe of my shoe, carefully avoiding the area of blackness where I thought the body was. Finally I felt the phone. I dragged it across the floor with my foot until I was able to pick it up. Everything was illuminated once again. “Oh thank God,” I said.

But once there was light, I could see him again. His head was turned to face away from me, but I knew that it was the guy from outside. Obviously he’d wanted me to find his body. It was laid out like a sacrifice, arms stretched out to reveal the deep cuts on his arms. I shivered. My brain was finally catching up to the situation, and I realized it was entirely possible that the killer could still be here.

I quickly got to my feet and lurched toward the dim light pooling at the doorway. As soon as I was out of there, I pressed my back up against the cool façade of the building and panted to catch my breath. I see the dead all the time, but I’d never actually seen a dead body before. I wasn’t sure what to do; the only thing I could think was call Charlie.

With shaking hands, I pulled up his number on my phone—I may have entered it from the business card he gave me after chasing Jay out of the shop. I pressed send and he picked up on the first ring.

“Hale.”

“Ch-Charlie?”

“Who’s this?”

“Titus.” My voice was shaking and I was embarrassingly close to tears. “I need help.”

“Tell me where you are and I’ll be right there.”

I rattled off my general location, already soothed by the sound of his voice, the confidence in it. “Please hurry,” I said.

“Stay put, I’m on my way.”

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About J.K. Hogan

J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, magic happened. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them. J.K. is hoping to one day have a little something for everyone, so she’s branched out from m/f paranormal romance and added m/m contemporary romance. Who knows what’s next?

J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives in the country with her husband and young son, a cat, and two champion agility dogs. If she isn’t on the agility field, J.K. can often be found chasing waterfalls in the mountains with her husband, or down in front at a blues concert. In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading!

Find out more about J.K. on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google+, Instagram or Goodreads.Blog_Tour_Giveaway

As part of this blog tour, J.K. is giving away an eBook copy of Shadows Fall to one lucky winner!! 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 unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments

Strange Bedfellows by Cardeno C.: Exclusive Excerpt + Giveaway!

Posted on June 26, 2015 by thebloggergirls

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Exclusive Excerpt from Strange Bedfellows

by Cardeno C.

“You know, I just realized something,” Trevor said.

“What?”

“We’re wet and naked.”

“You just realized that?” Ford said, arching his eyebrows in amusement.

“Well, we were talking so I got distracted but now that we’re done…” Trevor dragged his gaze from

Ford’s face, down his torso, and paused at his dick before returning to his eyes.

“Yeah,” Ford said, his voice thicker. “Now that we’re done…” He followed Trevor’s lead and dropped his gaze to Trevor’s filling cock.

“That shower bench is strong enough and wide enough to hold us both or we can try out the bed. The mattress is firm and the sheets are this insanely soft cotton I picked up in Italy.”

“I have to choose?” Ford asked, the sides of his lips twitching.

Trevor stepped over to him, clutched his hips, and yanked him forward, bringing their groins together. “That depends. Can you spend the night?”

“My flight’s at nine tomorrow morning. I’ll need to leave here at seven so I can pick up my bag, check out of my hotel, and get to the airport on time.”

Pressing his face to Ford’s neck, Trevor inhaled deeply. “I’ll give you an unforgettable wake-up call and send you off with a strong cup of coffee.”

“Trevor?”

“Yes?” Trevor raised his face and met Ford’s eyes.

“I never do this. Even the few times I’ve been with a guy, I haven’t spent the night. You know who I am, so this is different, but I’m still not in a position to… I’m not ready to—”

“Even if they start out wanting to get into my pants, most guys get distracted by my bank account or my parents. I brought you here because I figured someone like you wouldn’t care about either and we could have fun without posturing or nervousness or whatever other bullshit people take to bed when they want something other than a good, hard fuck.” Trevor slid his hands over Ford’s shoulders, cupped his cheeks, and leaned forward. “The only position I want from you is on your back, legs spread. Or on all fours, ass high. Or inside me, balls deep. Think you’re ready for that?”

Shivering, Ford hoarsely said, “Yeah.” He gulped. “I think all of those sound perfect.” He cleared his throat. “Really perfect.”

“Glad we’re on the same page.”blogger_bee_trans

About Strange Bedfellows

25734007Can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

As the sole offspring of the Democratic United States president and his political operative wife, Trevor Moga was raised in an environment driven by the election cycle. During childhood, he fantasized about living in a made-for-television family, and as an adult, he rejected all things politics and built a highly successful career as far from his parents as possible.

Newly elected congressman Ford Hollingsworth is Republican royalty. The grandson of a revered governor and son of a respected senator, he was bred to value faith, family, and the goal of seeing a Hollingsworth in the White House.

When Trevor and Ford meet, sparks fly and a strong friendship is formed. But can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

Available at: Amazonblogger_bee_trans

About Cardeno C.

Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.

Heartwarming Stories. Strong Relationships. Forever Love.

Find out more about Cardeno on Facebook, Twitter, Website, Blog, Google+, Pinterest, Youtube or by email.

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Cardeno has graciously offered up an eBook copy of Strange Bedfellows to one lucky winner!! The giveaway starts now and ends July 2, 2015 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.

Don’t forget to check out Nikyta’s review of Strange Bedfellows to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , | 27 Comments

Honorary Blogger Lori A. Witt: Going Back to My Roots + Giveaway!

Posted on June 25, 2015 by thebloggergirls

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Going Back to My Roots

by Lori A. Witt

I’ve been writing romance since late 2008, and publishing since the end of 2009, but I’ve actually been writing for much longer than that. Though I’ve dabbled in various subgenres—cyberpunk, historical, suspense—it’s been nonstop romance for the last several years.

Up until I made that fateful switch to romance, though, most of my writing had been science fiction or fantasy. Even now, SFF still makes up the bulk of what I read for pleasure. I’m a proud nerd—I’ve loved Star Wars since I was a kid, I’ve played Magic: The Gathering since the mid 1990s, and I can still beat The Legend of Zelda. I’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons, though, and despite multiple attempts, have never been able to read any of Tolkien’s work, so I might not be, like, nerd supreme, but definitely a nerd of sorts.

So writing The Tide of War wasn’t just an experiment, it was getting back to my roots. Back to spaceships and aliens, other worlds—the stuff I cut my teeth on and have always itched to write again. These are the kinds of stories where no character is safe. Okay, I don’t quite write Game of Thrones level character extermination, but this isn’t a light story. It’s about war. War involves heartbreak. And these characters get their hearts—and other body parts—broken quite frequently.

(Yes, that sound you hear in the background is me cackling madly.)

Does this mean I’m stepping away from romance? Not at all. Diversifying, really. Letting those science fiction and fantasy plot bunnies come to life after pushing them to the back burner for the past few years. Some stories will have romances in them, some won’t. The Tide of War has a love story, but it’s not the main plot (though it does have a major impact on the plot). Some will have sex in them, some won’t. The as-yet-untitled sequel to The Tide of War may have even less sex than the first one, or it may have more. My other in-progress scifi novel, Mythos, will have some sex and romance in it.

What’s next for Lori A. Witt? Well, the sequel and Mythos, as mentioned above. I also have some fantasy stories brewing. There’s an epic fantasy that’s been simmering quietly in the back of my skull for a good fifteen years now. When will those books be written? When will they be released? Hard to say. All I know is that it’s been a blast to revisit the genre that made me fall in love with writing in the first place, and y’all have definitely not heard the last of Lori A. Witt.

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About The Tide of War

1Lieutenant Commander Kyle West is one of Earth Fleet’s greatest fighter pilots. Every day, he leads his squadron into battle over Earth’s cities in a seemingly endless war against a vicious alien race, defending his home and his loved ones.

Millions of miles away, the Fleet’s Elite Squadron attacks from another angle, engaging the enemy on its home turf. Casualties are high, and the Squadron needs more of the Fleet’s very best. But joining the Elite is a death sentence—a surety Kyle isn’t willing to face. Until a devastating attack wipes out the family he refused to leave.

Commander Andrei Dezhnyov, an Elite Squadron gunner, isn’t sure what to make of the cocky new American pilot. Kyle is equally uncertain about the snarly Russian, but as they warm up to each other, their tentative alliance becomes a deep bond—one that endangers them both when a daring and disobedient rescue reveals secrets that call into question everything they’ve ever believed about their enemy. Secrets that their superiors would kill to protect.

Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

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About Author

Lori A. Witt is the fourth corner of the Gallagher-Witt quad, and prefers to play in the genres of science fiction and fantasy over all that romance nonsense. Okay, so romance does show up sometimes, but these are the books she writes when she needs a change of pace. Sword and sorcery, spaceships, and just general weird nerdy goodness—Lori writes it all. Like the other members of the quad (L.A. Witt, Lauren Gallagher, and Ann Gallagher), Lori is in the process of relocating from Omahabad, Nebraskastan to the southwestern coast of Spain. In her spare time, she tries to stay out of the middle of L.A.’s and Lauren’s ongoing rivalry, while never missing a chance to trip Ann when she’s not paying attention.

Find out more about Lori on her Website, Blog, Facebook or Twitter.

 

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Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/Lori A. Witt blog tour for The Tide of War!

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (including books written as L.A. Witt or Lauren Gallagher, excluding The Tide of War) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 28th, and winners will be announced on July 29th.  Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s review of The Tide of War to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , | 18 Comments

Giveaway Winners!

Posted on June 22, 2015 by thebloggergirls

It’s time to pick some giveaway winners!

1

So, the winner of ebooks written by my victims as well as a $20 USD gift certificate to the eTailer of the winner’s choice is… Continue reading →

Categories: Giveaways | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger Parker Williams: Love Stinks + Giveaway!

Posted on June 16, 2015 by thebloggergirls

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Love Stinks

by Parker Williams

I’d always known Casey was destined to be with another man. He was just too good a character to pass up an opportunity with. In Protector of the Alpha, Casey gets sprayed several times by a skunk. The SAME skunk. I knew that was his mate, even before I wrote the parts. I had actually done a little research on skunks in Alaska and was surprised to find out there aren’t any, so Sev was unique. What I didn’t know was going to be Sev’s background. When Jake, Zak, and Casey came upon them, Sev was being beaten by the crowd for stealing food. Zak put a stop to it, and we don’t hear from Sev again until the end of the book when he drops his bombshell on Jake.

I had thought about making each book self-contained, but I liked the idea of leaving it as a cliffhanger, if for no other reason than hoping people would like the story enough to want to pick up the second part.

In this book, Sev gets his chance to shine. Casey learns the truth about his destiny from an unlikely source, who may or may not have implications for his future, and they have the chance to be the heroes for a change.

Unfortunately no one gets to be a hero without being willing to pay a price of some sort. And for these men, the price may very well be much too high.

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About Scent of the Heart

Scent-400x600 2Casey Scott grew up being told he’d never amount to anything, and despite the unwavering love and support from his best friend, Jake, the idea sticks in the back of Casey’s mind. When he discovers he has a unique destiny in an enclave where shifters and humans live together, he seizes the chance, wanting for once in his life to be someone special.

Tsvetok Yerokhin lost his parents to the evil ruler of the enclave when he was a boy. The responsibilities of raising his two younger brothers nearly overwhelmed him and self- doubt took over. When the new Alpha and his Protector arrive in time to save his life, Sev is grateful, but he’s even more shocked when he scents his mate with them.
Casey isn’t prepared for the feelings that sweep over him when he meets Sev, but he refuses to act on them because he’s straight. Still, there is something so alluring about Sev that Casey can’t help being drawn to him.

As the two explore the edges of their new discovery, an evil returns, determined to control the enclave or destroy it. The Alpha and Protector are powerless to stop it, but Casey holds the key to victory. If he can discover what it is, he has a chance to save them all. To be the hero.

Unfortunately, the hero has to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, and for Casey that means losing his heart.

Available at: Amazon

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About Parker Williams

Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that come with melding lives together.

Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.

Find out more about Parker on his Website, Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads.

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As part of this blog tour, Parker is giving away a $25 gift card and a skunk Beanie Baby! To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

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 unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT | Tags: , , , , , | 10 Comments

Honorary Blogger Nikka Michaels & Eileen Griffin: Thanksgiving Outtake + Giveaway!

Posted on June 14, 2015 by thebloggergirls

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Thanksgiving Outtake

by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

When we’re writing the first draft of our current WIP, we usually throw in everything we can think of into the outline and MS, then go back through and cull what doesn’t work or drags the story’s timing.

That was the case with two of our scenes from our latest novel, In The Distance, Book Three of our In The Kitchen Series, each of which centered around Thanksgiving. In our minds, we could see the extreme difference between how Tyler and Trevor spend their holidays – one spending it at a homeless shelter; the other spending it surrounded by family and friends, but still feeling incredibly alone. We decided to cut both and save them for outtakes, but Tyler’s interaction with Sophie in the following scene still remains one of my favorite scenes we’ve written. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into Tyler’s past ☺

~ Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

*****

Tyler

November: Thanksgiving

As soon as there was a break in the line, I took a moment to grab a drink of water. I was already sweating, despite the frigid temperature outside, and my day here had just started. Combined with the heat from the kitchen ovens and service line, I was roasting. I wiped my face off with a towel and pondered opening up the back door to let some heat out. The directors had cranked up the heat inside the shelter since warm clothes and jackets were a rarity for most of the people who frequented the center. Something I had firsthand knowledge of.

Tamara called out, “Tyler, the line’s backing up.”

I gave the shelter manager a look of apology and returned back to my place at the hot food station. Quickly, I changed out an empty pan for a hotel pan full of green bean casserole and restocked the rolls. Working the line in the restaurant had become second nature to me, but I could remember a time when I’d been amazed at the volume of food the shelter cranked out. Before I started volunteering, when I was a scared, homeless teenage looking for my next meal and safe place to stay, I had always been in amazed at how many people needed food. Not just on holidays like today, but every day. Tray after tray, the staff scooped food onto plates to ensure the mostly smiling—sometimes grumpy—people who came to the shelter had at least one meal in their stomachs. Volunteering here had been one of the best decisions I’d made since I’d gotten back on feet after my parents kicked me out. It gave me the ability to help people and feel like I was making a difference in someone’s life.

“Mommy, I don’t like green beans.”

The small voice drew me out of my own thoughts and back on the line.

“But Sophie, these look delicious. They even have cheese on them like you like. Just try them. I’m sure you’ll like them.”

“I already know don’t like them.”

The older woman’s voice lowered as she kneeled next to her daughter. “Baby, we need to eat when we can, okay?”

The small girl, maybe four or five years-old with wavy blonde hair and big blue eyes, clutched the hand of the worn-looking woman in the ragged sweatshirt and jeans. When the green beans were placed on her tray, she made another face. “I still know I won’t like them.” She was quiet and sad as they moved to the next station in the line.

Before they got too far away, I leaned across the serving line and smiled trying to keep my voice soft and friendly. “I’ll tell you a little secret. I don’t like green beans either. How about you try a few bites to make sure whether you like them or not, but I’ll get you an extra roll just in case you don’t.” I looked up at her mom and smiled, adding, “If that’s okay with your Mom?”

Her mom nodded and gave me a wan smile as I snuck the extra roll onto Sophie’s plate. Sophie shot me a shy look and darted behind her Mom’s legs and held on.

“Soph, you have to let go so I can carry our food, okay?”

The little girl released her mom’s leg and they both disappeared down the line and into the crowded dining room area where the tables had been set with donated festive decorations. I took a break from the serving line to make a circuit of the dining area.

For the next few minutes, I made my way through the dining area picking up dirty trays and offering to get refills on drinks. This wasn’t the restaurant and I wasn’t getting paid for any of the work I was doing today, but it felt good to give back and help make at least one day less stressful for the diners. There were a fair number of homeless people here today, usually identified by the fact that their clothing never seemed to fit well and was always lacking in any kind of style or coordination. But there were also a depressingly high number of families present, as well. The number of parents with small kids showing up at the shelter for meals had been steadily growing over the past year, with a few of them coming in on a weekly basis.

I spotted Sophie and her mom at a table in the back corner of the room. As I moved closer, I noticed the green beans were still on her plate, but both rolls and the turkey were gone. She had her head on the table on top of her folded arms, wearing the same sad expression I’d seen when she came through the line.

Her mom looked up from her plate just as I reached their table, the dark rings under her eyes more prominent now that I wasn’t distracted keeping up with the flow of the line and the blazing heat from the ovens. I smiled at her before bending down to squat next to Sophie.

“Hey squirt. How were the rolls?”

Her eyes widened when she realized she was the squirt I was referring to. She looked to her mom to make sure she could talk to me, and once she got a small nod of approval, she looked back at me and shrugged. “They were good but the green beans were nasty.”

I failed miserably at holding back my snort just as mother gasped, “Sophie. That’s not polite. Today is a day to be thankful we have food on our plates, not to be picky about what the food is.”

Sophie’s big blue eyes conveyed just how much this Thanksgiving sucked for her and her mom, and honestly I couldn’t blame her for not liking the green beans. I’d hated them as a kid and still couldn’t stomach them as an adult. I leaned forward and whispered loud enough for her mom to hear me too. “I can’t stand green beans either. They’re the one part of Thanksgiving I could happily do without. Wanna know the one thing I look forward to every year, though?”

Sophie lifted her head from her arms and nodded her head slowly, whispering back, “What is it?”

I fought back a grin and forced the most serious expression onto my face, still whispering, “Pie.”

She nodded again, her eyes opening even wider. “Me too. My granny used to make the best pumpkin pie.”

“Well, I happen to know that there’s a slice of pumpkin pie with your name on it waiting right over there. Wanna go with me to pick it out?”

Sophie gasped in excitement, as if suddenly this Thanksgiving wasn’t sucking so bad after all and turned in her seat to face her mom. “Oh, Mommy. Can I? Can I go with…?”

She turned back to me and whispered loudly, “What’s your name?”

I lost the battle with my grin and laughed out loud. “Tyler.”

Sophie excitedly turned back around and almost shouted at her mom. “Can I go with Tyler to get some pie? Can I? Please?”

Her mom’s tired eyes crinkled a little at the corner as she nodded. “Sure, baby.”

As Sophie scrambled out her seat, her mom caught my eye and mouthed, “Thank you.” I nodded and then turned all my attention to the little girl next to me, smiling widely when she slipped her tiny hand into mine and began to drag me off toward the dessert station. My smile started to fade, however, when memories came surging back of another small hand that had, at one time, fit perfectly in mine.

Had my younger brother and sister ever asked my parents about me? Had he wondered where I disappeared to? Did he and Megan even miss me? Or had my parents told them about how much of a pervert I was, convincing both my siblings their lives were much better without me there to humiliate and disgrace them all?

“Tyler?” A small tug on my hand brought me back to the little girl standing next to me. “Which piece has my name on it?” She looked back at her mom and whispered again. “I can’t read yet, even though Mommy is trying really hard to teach me.”

Pushing the memories of my siblings aside, I made a point of searching the dessert table for the perfect slice. Almost hidden behind a section of apple pie slices was a large, perfectly cut slice of pumpkin pie. I let go of Sophie’s hand and reached over the table to pull it closer to us, took out a pen from the pocket of my apron and printed her name in the neatest scrawl I could manage.

When I held the pie out to her, her answering smile was radiant. “That’s my name!” She turned back toward the table where we had just come from and screamed across the dining room, “Mom! It has my name on it!”

I almost lost my balance when she tackle hugged my knees, then watched as she grabbed the plate and sped off to her mom to show off her very own piece of pie. I took one last look at Sophie, who was now curled up in her mom’s lap. They were in the middle of a shelter with people they didn’t know celebrating Thanksgiving, but at least they had each other. It was more than a lot of people had at this time of year.

With a sigh, I turned around and grabbed a cup of water from the drink station. Ethan and Jamie had each other, and although I counted myself lucky to have them as my friends, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I was still an outsider. They’d never made me feel that way, but the holidays had always been a time for family. Real family. Real family that didn’t hate you for who you loved.

I shook my head in an attempt to drive off the memories of a past I was no longer connected to. Today was a day to be grateful, and if making one little girl smile over a piece of pie was how I spent my Thanksgiving, I’d take it.

© Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

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About In the Distance

{EEB8C335-52AD-4057-8FE3-8DA4E98AB89B}Img100Tyler Mitchell has worked hard to rebuild his life after his family kicked him out. A culinary student and sous chef who spends his spare time volunteering with kids, he’s happy enough even though he has no time to consider a relationship.

Trevor Pratt is finally getting over losing the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but it’s taken screwing every cute guy in Manhattan to get there. He’s vowed to repair the friendship he broke along the way, but that’s hard to do when his friend’s new employee catches his eye. Despite being warned to stay away from Tyler, Trevor turns on the charm.

Romance is a terrible idea. Trevor is ten years older and a relentless playboy. Tyler is still unsure of his place in the world. Neither of them is ready for life-changing love, but as things heat up, their chemistry in the bedroom might just take that decision out of their hands.

Available at: Carina Press & Amazon

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About Eileen Griffin

Eileen Griffin lives in the southwest, but loves to travel and has spent many summers crossing Europe with nothing but a backpack on her back. She enjoys TexMex, lives for good wine, and has a certain penchant for purple unicorns. She loves reading all genres of books, but her current obsession is writing M/M romance.

You can find out more about Eileen on her Website and Blog  /  Twitter  /  Facebook Profile  /  FB Author Page  /  Goodreads  /  Evernight Publishing  /  Amazon US  /  Carina Press  /  All Romance eBooks

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About Nikka Michaels

Nikka Michaels lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest where she spends her time cooking, laughing and crafting romantic tales to satisfy her craving for HEAs with heat. A voracious reader, novice knitter and music lover she’s been known to multitask without breaking a sweat. She loves to read and write M/M romance but believes everyone deserves a love story.

You can find out more about Nikka on her Website  /  Blog  /  Twitter  /  FB Profile  /  FB Author Page  /  Goodreads  /  Cobblestone  /  Evernight Publishing  /  Carina Press  /  Amazon US  /  All Romance eBooks

Blogger_Giveaway

Nikka & Eileen have graciously offered up an eBook copy of In the Distance to one lucky winner!! The giveaway starts now and ends June 20, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

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.

Don’t forget to check out Nikyta’s review of In the Distance to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Giveaway Winners!

Posted on June 7, 2015 by justjenbo

It’s time to pick some giveaway winners!

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So, the winner of an eBook copy of winner’s choice from the back list of Bey Deckard is… Continue reading →

Categories: Giveaways | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger Annabelle Jacobs: Sam & Ash + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on May 30, 2015 by thebloggergirls

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Sam & Ash

by Annabelle Jacobs

My new book, The Altered 2, was released this week, and is the second book in the Lycanaeris Series. It’s the also the second book I’ve self-published, and I’m happy to say the process was a lot smoother this time round!

The main focus of this book is on Sam and Ash. If you’ve read the first one, then you’ll know how it ended for them, but I don’t want to spoil it for those that haven’t. It’s set a few weeks after the end of the The Altered, with the whole group now living in Cornwall. By the time I came to write this, I felt like I knew these two characters almost as well as I did Daniel and Jordan. I had very clear images of what they should look like too.

For Ash, who’s sensitive and shy, I think Ben Whishaw is perfect—I just love him.

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Sam, who’s more confident and outgoing, at least in wolf form, is more like a young Jason Behr, but with longer hair.

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I plan to continue this story with a third and final book, and hopefully Matt will get his happy ending too. The Altered 3, will be out later in the year.

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About The Altered 2

25469030-1A remote farmhouse in Cornwall seems the perfect place for Ash to settle into his recently altered status. Starting a new life there with Sam—the shifter he can’t stay away from—should be easy this far from London where they faced so much danger. So why does adjusting seem impossible?

Sam has issues of his own. He has to get used to his human form again after living the last eight years as a wolf. It’s hard when human worries weigh so heavily on his shoulders. Life is much more straightforward from a wolf’s perspective, until Ash needs his human support.

Ash’s problem is simple: he’s fearful of shifting fully. How can he believe he won’t hurt Sam when his genes were altered to create a killer? Despite repeated reassurance, his anger and resentment increase. Only one thing is certain: if Ash can’t learn to trust himself soon, he’s in danger of proving himself right.

Available at: Amazon

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An Excerpt from The Altered 2

The floorboards in the hallway outside his room creaked. Sam knew who it was long before the accompanying knock on the door.

Ash.

Ash knocked twice, only pushing the door open a little when Sam howled softly for him to come in.

“Oh, hey.” Ash stuck his head around the door, his dark hair a tousled mess as usual. He frowned when he saw Sam. “Um. Keira said today was a human day. But, er….” He came fully inside and closed the door behind him. “Don’t you fancy it?”

Ash walked over to Sam’s bed and sat on the bottom corner, propping his elbows on his knees.

Sam sighed and padded over to sit next to him, placing his head in Ash’s lap. As soon as Ash’s long fingers were in his fur—stroking back and forth—Sam felt a hundred times better. The soothing touch spread warmth throughout his body and Sam closed his eyes, letting it chase away whatever had been bothering him earlier.

Ash’s touch always had this effect on him. Sam had known what that meant from the very first time they’d met.

Ash was meant for him.

Everything about Ash: the way he looked, his scent—which drove Sam crazy sometimes—and even his voice, made something in Sam settle. Something he’d been missing for years. It was that feeling that had helped Sam to shift back in front of other people for the first time in eight years. That, and the fact that some fucking guard had a gun pointed at Ash’s head.

The thought had been instinctive, the need to protect rushing through him and forcing his body to react accordingly.

He couldn’t stay human, though.

Everything felt simpler as a wolf. He understood what went on around him, knew what people were saying and wanted to help them, but it had been easy to remain outside of everything. To not feel any guilt.

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About Annabelle Jacobs

Annabelle_Jacobs_logoAnnabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with her husband, three rowdy children, and two cats.

An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Find out more about Annabelle on Twitter, Facebook, her Website or by email at ajacobsfiction@gmail.com.

Blogger_Giveaway

Annabelle has graciously offered up an eBook copy from her backlist to one lucky winner!! The giveaway starts now and ends June 5th at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

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.

Don’t forget to check out Nikyta’s review of The Altered 2 to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , | 14 Comments