LGBT

Leaning Into a Wish by Lane Hayes: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on November 22, 2017 by thebloggergirls

Blogger_Exclusive Excerpt

Exclusive Excerpt from Leaning Into a Wish

by Lane Hayes

I sat on the metal bench and swiped my wrist across my forehead before uncapping my water bottle and taking a healthy swig. I sensed Danny’s stare in my periphery, but I was too tired and thirsty to ask what he was looking at. I set my half-empty bottle aside and stretched my legs in front of me before glancing up just as Danny peeled his polo shirt over his head, revealing his smooth, toned torso and the most incredible six-pack I’d ever seen on a man up close. The hint of ink south of his belly button that looked something like the wings of a phoenix completed the picture. The man was seriously drool-worthy.

“Whatcha looking at, Ry?” he teased, shoving his sweaty shirt into his tennis bag and pulling out a fresh white tee.

“Nothing,” I lied. “Aren’t you going to put a shirt on? It’s getting cool.” I pointed to the clouds gathering overhead lamely, unsurprised when he chuckled.

“I’ll take my chance with the sixty-eight-degree cold spell,” he said with a wolfish grin.

And that was when I realized the little fucker was baiting me. He’d caught me staring at him and he liked it. In fact, he might have orchestrated that striptease at the optimal moment to ensure I saw the whole show. Hmm. This was an interesting twist. What kind of idiot purposely taunted a gay man with his sexy bod without expecting some sort of retaliation?

“You’re trying to turn me on, aren’t you?” I asked in a raspier than usual tone.

Danny’s faux-shocked expression cracked me up. “Well…”

“Maybe that wasn’t your intention but I’m warning you, I’m going through a tragic dry spell in the sex department. Even you look kinda hot to me.”

I expected him to throw his clean T-shirt over his head in seconds flat. Instead, his wide-eyed look of surprise slowly morphed into a radiant grin that clearly said, “Bring it on.”

        “Even me, eh?”

Continue reading →

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: No Filter by Nora Phoenix

Posted on November 22, 2017 by thebloggergirls

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: No Filter
Author: Nora Phoenix
Series: No Shame #1
Heroes: Indy/Noah
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 290 Pages
Publisher: Nora Phoenix
Release Date: October 26, 2017
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Indy will do anything to prevent his mobster ex from finding him. Their last encounter left Indy recovering for months in the hospital, and ever since he’s become an expert at hiding in plain sight. Determined to stay under the radar, he takes on a new identity and moves from place to place. His life has no room for friendships, let alone love, so he keeps his heart firmly closed. After all, he has nothing to offer but a damaged body and a broken soul. Plus, he’s so done with men. Until he meets the man who breaks through all his defenses.

Former Army Medic Noah came back damaged from his last tour—in more than one way. Between supporting his best friend-with-benefits Josh who’s struggling with PTSD, dealing with his own issues, and the stress of his job as a physician assistant, rebuilding his life seems impossible. There’s little time for what Noah needs, let alone for what he wants. When he meets Indy, Noah discovers what he wants more than anything: for Indy to stay. But how will a relationship with Indy work when Noah needs Josh as well?

Indy never expected the strong, confident Noah to be as damaged and broken as himself. But what will happen if he starts letting Noah in? Indy knows he should run to protect Noah and Josh.

Noah needs Indy to stay more than anything. But will what little he has to offer be enough to make Indy trust him and stay?

No Filter is a steamy M/M romance featuring an open relationship (no cheating!) that ends with a HFN, but with the promise of a HEA. It’s the first book in the No Shame Series, and is not a stand-alone novel. It contains hot sex, a hint of a ménage, lots of talk about hot sex, flashbacks of said hot sex, and…Oh well, you get the idea. Also: trigger warning for mentions of sexual abuse.
Continue reading →

Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Author Q&A: Felice Stevens + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on November 21, 2017 by thebloggergirls

Interview Banner

Please welcome Felice Stevens to the Blogger Girls!! Do you remember the moment you got the idea for this book? If so, what were you doing at the time?

I do!  I was in bed, falling asleep when an idea came to me to write a book about 3 foster brothers who grew up together and how they were torn apart. In my head, the name of the series was originally The House of the Rising Sun. I have no idea why. lol

What made you want to become an author and why choose the genres that you write in?

I always wanted to be a writer. From when I was a child I was writing stories, mainly mysteries because that’s what I grew up reading. Then when I was in law school to break from the studies, I started reading romance. I picked up MM romance after winding my way through MF, then MFM and then MMM. I chose to write MM romance because I love stories about love. And I love men. And I am a firm believer that people who are in love deserve their HEA and nobody has a right to tell someone who to love.

What is the first book that made you cry?

I don’t remember, but maybe Bambi?  When his mother died.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

When I have an idea the writing energizes me. When I’m having trouble it’s exhausting.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

I have no idea. LOL Did I fail?

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

If you mean the first book I had published by Loose Id, Rescued, it was the rigorous editing process. I learned that I may love a scene or a line, but that doesn’t mean it’s best for the overall story. If you mean when I first self-published, I learned that I can actually run a small, successful business on my own. Well not my own, along with my editors, proofreaders, beta readers and my cover artist. It takes a village.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

This Perfect Day by Ira Levin. I’ve read it so many times it’s fallen apart.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

An otter. They’re so fun and friendly and I want one as a pet.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you currently have?

Well. In MF historical I have four.  Two completely finished and one finished but not edited, one half finished. Then another one started but its been a long time since I looked at it. In MM, I have one three-quarters finished and one I started thinking about today for the next Kindle World Launch in January.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

Hmm. Making sure they aren’t stereotypes. I write all different types of men both physically and emotionally. I don’t like the alpha super hunk or the twinky type. I want realism in my books and that’s what I strive for. I think getting into the head of the character and making them relatable as people is more important than their six-pack abs. Continue reading →

Categories: Author Q&A, Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Audio Review: Embrace the Fire by Felice Stevens

Posted on November 21, 2017 by thebloggergirls

Reviewed by Morgan

Title: Embrace the Fire
Author: Felice Stevens
Narrator: Kale Williams
Series: Through Hell and Back #3
Heroes: Brandon Gilbert/Tash Weber
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 9 Hours, 42 Minutes
Publisher: Felice Stevens
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Brandon Gilbert has spent years in hiding, but he’s finally accomplished his dream of working as a public school teacher. When offered the chance to help bullied children, there was no way he could say no. Not to mention that meeting Dr. Tash Weber, the psychiatrist who helps them, a sad yet sexy older man, ignited a spark inside Brandon he’d never had before. Though five years have passed since the death of his lover, Dr. Sebastian “Tash” Weber has no interest in relationships or love. But young, enigmatic Brandon awakens his heart and his desire. Despite Tash’s best efforts to push him away, Brandon unlocks the passion for life Tash thought he’d lost forever. Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan for either Brandon or Tash, but neither family disapproval nor self-doubts can stop them from embracing the fire that burns between them. And when Brandon returns home to fight for a future he never imagined possible, he and Tash discover that the one thing worth fighting for has been with them all along.
Continue reading →

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Once Upon a Rainbow by Various Authors: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on November 20, 2017 by thebloggergirls

Exclusive Excerpt from Morning Star

by Sydney Blackburn

Tariq ducked his head and murmured, “Yes, master.” He understood exactly what his master wanted him to do, even if he did not understand why. Magic had its reasons. Malik was a saahir of great renown and Tariq was fortunate to be his apprentice. One day, he too would know the mysteries of sihr and the healing blessings of barakah.

His unquestioning obedience was rewarded with a careless caress as Malik’s elegantly long fingers brushed through his dark hair, lingering a little too long. Or so Tariq imagined.

His feelings for his master and mentor were wrong. He knew that. Malik, great sorcerer that he was, would be horrified to know the wayward thoughts and unnatural desires of his apprentice.

Tariq was embarrassed when those fingers then moved lightly over his ear, sending a tremor of desire through his slight frame. He resisted the urge to push his head into the touch. His cheeks were burnished with shame when Malik lifted his chin so that they were eye to eye.

“It’s not just about stealing a perfume jar, my boy. It’s about the future. Our future.”

Tariq swallowed as his heart beat a little faster. “Y-yes, master.”

Malik smiled warmly at him and released his chin to take his hand. He slipped a brass ring, still warm, onto Tariq’s finger and then closed both hands over Tariq’s. “This ring holds a spell of finding and returning. It will take you to the treasure room and bring you back safe to me.” He released Tariq’s hands and reached into the folds of his robe again, this time pulling out a small sandglass. “Set this upon your arrival. When the sands run out, the ring shall transport you back here, so waste no time staring at the marvels you may see. You are there for one thing only.”

Tariq reached for it, accidentally brushing Malik’s fingers with his own. Power seemed to spark through him until the ring, loose on his finger, rattled against the sandglass and whatever spell that might have woven vanished.

“The perfume jar that weighs empty. It shall be as you desire, master.”

Tariq collapsed in a heap, coughing and choking and clutching at the thick carpet beneath him as if he might fall off the very floor. The magic of the ring that had transported him had torn him apart and put him together in a rough fashion that left him nauseated and dizzy.

Awareness of the soft wool beneath his cheek helped steady him. Thank goodness it wasn’t dusty. Why had Malik not warned him of the effects of the ring? Perhaps a saahir such as Malik was able to use it without ill effect. Belatedly, he recalled the sandglass and carefully set it on the floor.

The room was cavernous and dimly lit by rays of sun piercing small decorative openings at the top of the thick walls. Tapestries were hung at odd angles. Ornately carved tables and chests filled the room, their surfaces covered with enamelled vases and precious statues. Smaller boxes spilled out jewels that glinted and cast a rainbow of coloured sparks over the smooth sandstone walls. The carpet he’d landed on was but one of several stacked on the floor, golden threads capturing stray beams and winking at him from delicate arabesques.

The sand was falling rapidly. He had no time to admire the many fine riches surrounding him. Where might one store perfume jars in such a room as this…? He turned slowly around, seeking shelves or cabinets. There, to his right, in the corner closest to the great doors most people would use to enter the treasure room, stood a large cabinet with girih-patterned doors.

There were clear, if narrow, paths around the piles of forgotten treasures, and Tariq took care in his haste to find what his master needed. He threw open the doors of the cabinet and saw half a dozen shelves laden with perfume jars of every description: coloured glass, smoothly gleaming metal, glass and silver, glass and gold, bejewelled, or merely intricately filigreed.

Cautiously he picked up one of the vessels. It was a blue globe with a simple silver stopper, and he raised it into the light. It was opaque, and he realized he had no idea what the difference was between a full jar and an empty one. He touched the stopper, hesitating. Malik had told him not to open the one that weighed empty. What if this was the very jar he’d been sent to find? And if it is not, he thought, Malik will be terribly disappointed in me. Continue reading →

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

Book Review: Desperately Seeking Santa by Eli Easton

Posted on November 20, 2017 by thebloggergirls

Reviewed by Morgan 

Title: Desperately Seeking Santa
Author: Eli Easton
Heroes: Gabe Martin/Mack McDonnall
Genre: MM Contemporary Holiday
Length: 225 Pages
Publisher: Eli Easton
Release Date: November 22, 2017
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Journalism student Gabe Martin gets his first professional assignment—to write about a Christmas charity dinner that benefits a children’s home. It sounds like a total snooze-fest until Gabe learns that the event’s Santa is a mystery man. He shows up in costume and no one has a clue who he is. Uncovering Santa’s identity sounds like the perfect angle to turn a fluff piece into serious journalism.

Mack “The Mountain” McDonall, at 6’10”, is University of Wisconsin-Madison’s enormous star wrestler. When Gabe first claps eyes on him at a wrestling match, it’s lust at first sight. Gabe’s friend, Jordan, sets up the pair on a date. But when Gabe chatters on about his plans for outing Santa, Mack goes cold, and their first meeting becomes an epic fail.

As Gabe researches the children’s home, he learns that Mack has secrets a guy famous for being a brute wouldn’t want the world to know. Can Gabe find his holiday spirit, write a killer article, win the heart of a surly giant, and give everyone a very merry Christmas?

NOTE: This 50,000 word short novel features a new couple but includes Jordan and Owen, from the author’s book “Superhero”. It can be read as a stand-alone.
Continue reading →

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cover Reveal: Never Love Series by Robin Covington

Posted on November 17, 2017 by thebloggergirls

Blogger_Cover_Reveal

Never Love Series

by Robin Covington

Reader Friends –

I am so excited to reveal the covers for my next series. Aren’t they gorgeous?

An edgy romantic suspense set in in Baltimore, MD (one of my favorite cities) this series revolves around a foster family – a thief, a killer, a liar, and a stranger – who are dragged into the fight against a violent threat in their city. This battle will test their family, their futures, and their hard-won personal honor. And in midst of the chaos, they’ll meet the people who will become the reason they fight – for their lives and for the love that makes it all worthwhile.

I can’t even tell you how excited I am to bring this series to you but it gets even better! I’ve partnered with TOGETHER WE RISE, a group dedicated to helping foster kids all over the country. They provide duffle bags to kids in the system (no more carrying around their belongings in garbage bags), bikes for kids who’ve aged out of the system to help them get to jobs and school, and scholarships to help them continue their education. I’m proud to pledge a portion of the net royalties of each book in this series to this amazing group and their support of kids in foster care. You can check them out www.togetherwerise.org.

This series will hit your e-readers in February, May, July, and October 2018 . . . you can add the first book to your Goodreads TBR shelf.

xxRobin

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About Never Love Series

A Thief. A Killer. A Liar. A Stranger.

When it comes to love. . . never say never.

Baltimore, Maryland

Billionaire philanthropist and businessman, George Tarras, was not a man who tolerated excuses of any kind. Not from himself. Not from his employees and not his son. When sixteen-year-old Alek indulged in a little youthful hacking of government websites and theft, George decided to let him fully experience the consequences of his actions: two weeks in a juvenile facility and one year of community service.

Always one to lead by example, George volunteered during this time at the local community center and got to know the three youths who befriended his son: a thief, a grifter, and a killer. In spite of their pasts he saw something special in all of them: hope and a future full of promise.

By the end of that fateful year, George had put into motion the opportunity to change their lives if they dared to take it. A gift—freely given—but carrying responsibility and consequences.

But, what he really gave them was the one thing they all needed the most…a family.

Brothers and a sister—they would do anything to protect each other.

But, danger is coming. Secrets and lies will test their bonds, challenge their courage, and test their definition of family and love.

To win, they will have to resurrect their pasts and revisit demons buried long ago.

To survive, they will have to rely on bonds formed not by blood but by loyalty.

To love, they will have to risk everything.

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About Never Love a Thief

Stealing is easy. Love is dangerous.

Rescued from the streets at sixteen, former thief, Carmen “Mina” Salazar, is a law-abiding citizen who no longer indulges in her favorite pastime: freeing the wealthy from the burden of their belongings. Now Mina spends her days and nights running St. Nick’s, her bar in the Fell’s Point section of Baltimore. Abandoned by her father for reasons she doesn’t understand, trust doesn’t come easily for Mina. But a sexy, dangerous cop in her bar with a reckless proposition tempts her to take a chance.

The son of a former Baltimore police officer, FBI Special Agent Declan McGregor has spent his entire life trying to outrun the scandal of being the son of a drunk, dirty cop. But years of undercover work and living in the bowels of the dirtiest of organized crime networks has left him with a dead partner and relief he can only find at the bottom of a bottle.  The man in the mirror looks a lot like his old man and a failed marriage and crumbling career testify to just how close to the bottom he really is.

Declan wants retribution for the death of his partner and Mina is the key. When her long-lost father turns up in the bed of the head of the mob responsible for the murder, Declan offers Mina the one thing she can’t pass up: the chance to find out why her father left her. All she has to do is what she does best . . . break, enter and steal her way into the inner circle of the syndicate. Danger fuels their intense attraction and soon the lines between revenge and lust are blurred by emotion and tested by betrayal. When lives are in the balance, there is only one question . . . is it ever safe to love a thief?

Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Never Love a Thief is scheduled to be released in February 2018!

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And the moment you’ve been waiting for! The Never Love series cover reveal… Continue reading →

Categories: Book Promo, Cover Reveals, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Afraid to Fly by L.A. Witt

Posted on November 17, 2017 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Afraid to Fly
Author: L.A. Witt
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Series: Anchor Point #2
Heroes: Travis Wilson/Clint Fraser
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 9 Hours, 22 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: August 31, 2017
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Once a fearless fighter pilot, Commander Travis Wilson is now confined to a desk. It’s been eight years since the near-fatal crash that grounded him, and it still rules his life thanks to relentless back pain.

Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser almost drowned in a bottle after a highly classified catastrophe while piloting a drone. His downward spiral cost him his marriage and kids, but he’s sober now and getting his life back on track. He’s traded drones for a desk, and he’s determined to reconcile with his kids and navigate the choppy waters of PTSD.

Clint has been on Travis’s radar ever since he transferred to Anchor Point. When Clint comes out to his colleagues, it’s a disaster, but there’s a silver lining: now that Travis knows Clint is into men, the chemistry between them explodes.

It’s all fun and games until emotions get involved. Clint’s never been in love with a man before. Travis has, and a decade later, that tragic ending still haunts him. Clint needs to coax him past his fear of crashing and burning again, or their love will be grounded before takeoff.
Continue reading →

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2018, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vampire Claus by Robert Winter: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted on November 16, 2017 by thebloggergirls

Blogger_Exclusive Excerpt

Exclusive Excerpt from Vampire Claus

by Robert Winter

On a cold winter’s night, Taviano scaled what passed in America for an historic building. From its roof, he hurtled to the belfry atop St. Stephen’s Catholic church. Rising out of a crouch, he turned slowly to survey the Boston streets below.

A recent snowfall had left rooftops and trees in the park across the road limned in white. Strands of lights wove in and out of metal window guards and dripped from ledges like icicles. Gold tinsel crowns and stars dangled from lampposts. Through windows, Christmas trees glistened.

Moved by the season—and sentimentality, he supposed—Taviano had come to a place he’d never before visited in many decades of wandering. As happened in recent years, though, when Christmas neared he longed for his childhood in Naples. In the nearby town of Quincy, he’d overheard references to Boston’s Little Italy. He therefore found himself in the North End to seek out those descended from his erstwhile countrymen.

He listened for a reaction from the passersby some thirty feet below. No one had noticed his body soaring overhead. Not surprising, since the Christmas bustle caught up most of the people crowding the streets. With any luck, he’d be able to relax for one night. He’d like to avoid whatever vampire claimed the area as its hunting ground, and continue to dodge the attention of any humans.

Low temperatures had everyone below on Hanover Street bundled in coats and scarves. His own thin black shirt and trousers—ideal for quick movement but not for passing unseen—would invite comment should someone spot him. A single observer would pose no trouble. He’d simply modify a memory or two and be on his way. But using preternatural gifts meant relaxing his tight control on the demon that shared his body. He hadn’t fed it in a few days for lack of a deserving victim. Hunger would make it more difficult to influence.

Far better if he could escape notice in the first place.

From inside St. Stephen’s voices rose, singing their devotion. It was “Silent Night” though he’d learned the song with different words. It was barely eight-thirty and he could identify forty-seven adults and children in the nave below. The scent of incense drifted to him, mixed with candle wax, communion wine, and boughs of evergreen.

Christmas customs had greatly changed over the decades. That was something he knew mainly from spying through windows and listening to radio and television programs. Even the rituals of Mass were different than when he’d last been inside a church. Lurking on the outside was as close as he could come. But other traditions had changed only slightly. He imagined the altar draped in white and purple as the priest led the celebration of the Nativity.

Peering down through a glass window of the belfry to see if he was right, he caught his own reflection. Thick black hair lay mussed from the bitter wind, and dark eyes glittered unnaturally like chips of obsidian. His full lips looked mischievous, belying his reserve.

Scruff perpetually darkened his cheeks. He’d been three days without shaving the night he was turned into the creature that stared back at him. Even if he bothered with a razor, the beard returned promptly. He’d heard often when he was alive that he was handsome. Still, symmetrical features and olive skin did not disguise that he was something other than human.

No, even if entering a church were not forbidden, he didn’t belong there anymore. No matter how much he missed it. Continue reading →

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