LGBT

By Way of Pain by J.M. Dabney: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Blogger_Exclusive Excerpt

Exclusive Excerpt from By Way of Pain

by J.M. Dabney

A deadly calm seemed to come over my captor as the leather slithered through the man’s slim, elegant hands that were encased in tight black leather. “Remove the blanket, stand and return to the support in the center of the room.”

Every inch of my body shook as I did as he asked. The chill in the air had goosebumps rising and caused the hair to stand up on my arms. When I straightened, I used my hands to cover my crotch. Each step I took fought against my instinct to survive. He said he’d do away with me, and if he felt merciful, he’d make my death quick. As much as that should have terrified me, it brought me a sense of comfort that once he was done with me, he wouldn’t make me suffer.

I yelped and covered my eyes as the single, naked bulb burned bright.

“Face the support and grab the hook. Do not remove your hands from it at any time or you will earn an extra lash.”

My captor’s voice turned deeper, almost what I assumed a lover would sound like.

“What are you going to do with me?”

“I’m going to teach you, boy, that pain is pleasure. When I’m done, you will beg for each lash you receive in punishment.”

I arched my back as he drew the hilt of the whip down the indent of my spine and then I felt his breath fan my ear. “You have to embrace pain to truly appreciate pleasure. For some of us, they are one and the s

ame.”

That he believed what he was saying was scarier than the inevitability of my death.

My captor pressed his clothed form fully to my back. The man was lean, but I felt the power in those muscles, and I cried out as strong fingers winched my head back. I closed my eyes at the burning sting on my scalp. The rough support abraded my skin—only the cage on my cock protected the tender skin. My big, hairy body was too on display, and I didn’t want him to look at me.

Suddenly the heat and presence of him was gone, and the chilliness of the damp basement washed over me. I didn’t dare turn around. I didn’t want to see what was about to happen. I knew that was stupid. He was going to whip me and seeing would allow me to brace myself for the pain.

“Breathe, boy. I own every inch of you, and that includes your pain.”

As soon as the last syllable slipped from his tongue, I felt the fire of the first kiss of the whip. Strangely, I flinched more at the crack of the leather than I did the first strike. I moved to wrap my arms around the support, hugging it tight and pressing my sweaty brow to the splintered surface. Each strike of the whip made me writhe and beg. I wanted the pain to stop. I felt the first trickles of blood down my back. It was a tickling sensation as it flowed over my ass—the backs of my thighs.

It wasn’t as much as I’d assumed, as if just the tip of the whip grazed my back. The agony reached the point that a sort of numbness took over. The nerves had deadened under the exposure of overwhelming suffering. My vision was dimming at the edges, and my heart beat too fast, I cried out with each new lick of leather. I was posed on my tiptoes, and my thighs shook, I was on the edge of collapse.

I was granted a reprieve, and I screamed as his soft shirt felt like sandpaper on my abused back. “Good boy, you did better than I expected.” His voice sounded almost…caring, and that was so unlike the mental picture I’d formed of him. I gritted my teeth as he drew his palm from my shoulder

 to hip. I was oversensitive and shoved myself harder into the beam.

“Easy, boy, you did so good. I’ve never seen someone so beautiful in the throes of their pain.” Continue reading

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Release Blitz: Benoit by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey + Giveaway!

Benoit by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey

Senior year is here, and everything is on the line. Benoit’s time to shine in the crease is now, and he’s going to do everything he can to make sure those professional scouts take notice. He’s earned a great reputation for his skills in the net, and his laid-back demeanor is his key to maintaining his cool when things get heated in the goal crease. 

As the Eagles roar into a new season, Ben’s laser-sharp focus is shattered by his attraction to Ethan Girard, the team’s new defensive consultant. Trying his best to ignore the budding friendship that’s taking a hard, fast turn into something far more passionate, Ben is determined to keep his mind on the sport he loves and not let his feelings for the handsome older man creep into his performance. But love, like hockey, is wildly unpredictable, and soon Ben finds that he’s unable to distance himself from Ethan who is slowly and surely working himself into his heart.

Famed Boston defenseman, Ethan Girard, isn’t stupid. Celebrating his thirty-second birthday in the emergency room after breaking his leg, and with a warning that healing will be a long process, he knows he has to think about his future. He was drafted at eighteen, and he’s never known anything but hockey, but with no contract in place yet for the new season he considers that maybe it’s time for him to hang up his skates for good.

Volunteering to help out with the Owatonna Eagles fills his time, but from the moment he lays eyes on goalie Ben, he knows his world will never be the same again. Falling in lust is as easy as stealing his first kiss, but Ben refuses to engage. Has Ethan finally met his match?

When the lines between career and love blur, will Ethan and Ben find a way to create a future that will work for both of them?

Available at: Amazon

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Audio Review: Falling Down by Eli Easton

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Falling Down
Author: Eli Easton
Narrator: Michael Stellman
Series: N/A
Heroes: Josh/Mark
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 7 Hours, 33 Minutes
Publisher: Pinkerton Road
Release Date: April 17, 2019
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Josh finds himself homeless at eighteen, but he has a plan. He’ll head north on the bus to New England and spend October there for his mother’s sake. She always talked about going to see the fall leaves someday. And when the leaves are done and the harsh winter comes, Josh plans to find a place to curl up and let go. It will be a relief to finally stop fighting.

Mark spent his life trying to live up to the tough swagger of his older brothers until he pushed himself so far against his nature that he cracked. Now a former Marine, he rents a little cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he can lick his wounds and figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One thing was clear: Mark was nobody’s hero.

Fate intervenes when Josh sets up camp under a covered bridge near Mark’s cabin. Mark recognizes the dead look in the young stranger’s eyes, and he feels compelled to do something about it. When Mark offers Josh a job, he never expects that he’ll be the one to fall.

The snow is coming soon. Can Mark convince Josh that the two of them can build a life together before the flurries begin?
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2019, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Release Blitz: Adam Only by Roe Horvat + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Adam Only by Roe Horvat

On stage, Adam lets his passion drive him. All his secret desires, everything nasty, dirty, and beautiful flows freely through him, for once in harmony. His soul thrives when his body moves, but only on stage. Adam’s passionate nature makes him a great dancer…and a failure at life. He’s a lonely, emotional mess. Going home with a man far out of his reach is the last thing Adam should do. Christoffer represents everything Adam isn’t: strong, independent, educated, and rich. His kind eyes, at odds with his brutish form, make Adam’s knees and restraint buckle.

Once Christoffer sees Adam dancing, he’s lost. The young man is mesmerizing, otherworldly, and unpredictable. Whatever might happen between them, it will be transient, and Christoffer will most likely get hurt. The temptation is too great, however, and the sex explosive. He might as well enjoy every moment he’s given, even if it’s just one day, maybe two. If Christoffer treads carefully, Adam might stay until Monday.

Available at: Amazon

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Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Same Time Next Year by Maggie Walsh

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Same Time Next Year
Author: Maggie Walsh
Series: Tundra Wolves #1
Heroes: Caleb/Ridge
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 227 Pages
Publisher: Maggie Walsh
Release Date: April 16, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The Alaskan Tundra, a cold and desolate place where very few creatures can live under the harsh conditions found there. But one group of wolves known as The Alaskan Tundra Wolves, thrive in the region. With very few females of their kind willing to settle in such a harsh environment, the males of the breed learn to adapt, and for generations, male on male matings are the norm.

Also what is normal within this breed is their place in the pack. Depending on what they were born as, Alpha, beta, delta, gamma, omega, makes them either dominant or submissive, or any of the levels in between. For the Tundra Wolves, this is not a lifestyle choice, but how they were born. It is inbred in their DNA to either dominate or submit and is completely natural for them.

Caleb was born a beta to his pack and spends his life training to be its top warrior with the thought of being his alpha brother’s beta when he turns twenty-five, but as Caleb ages he realizes his true desires don’t match with his beta self. He craves to submit to an alpha and to give himself freely, but the beta in him needs to fight and protect. The inner turmoil within confuses Caleb, but not as much as the yearly letters he has received every birthday his whole life.

On his sixteenth birthday, Caleb’s parents present him with a bundle of letters each noted with his birthday on it since the day he was born. With each letter the writer talks of his past year and his hopes for Caleb in the future. But as Caleb matures, the letters become more intimate, the author telling of how beautiful he thinks Caleb has become.

On the day before his twenty-fifth birthday, the latest letter arrives a day early with the promise, “I will see you tomorrow.” When the moment finally arrives, Caleb is shocked to see the man of his dreams, literally, just walks into his life. The connection between them is strong and Caleb doesn’t waste a minute fighting it. He has done something that is unheard of for their kind and has found his true mate.

Ridge is the alpha of the nearest pack of Tundra wolves and has known Caleb’s whole life that he had found his true mate, but Caleb was too young for him to stake his claim, so instead he would reach out once a year to let Caleb know that he wasn’t alone.

Now that the two have finally met, the pull to be together and to claim is too strong for either of them to fight and Ridge takes Caleb home to his pack. Caleb now has to come to terms with who he really is and what he truly desires and embrace his submissive side.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2019, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: The Color of Summer by Anna Martin

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: The Color of Summer
Author: Anna Martin
Series: N/A
Heroes: Max Marshall/Tyler Reed
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 230 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 28, 2019
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Tattoo artist Max Marshall races into his hometown of Sweetwater, West Virginia—and is promptly pulled over for speeding. Max’s luck isn’t all bad, though, because he recognizes the deputy, Tyler Reed, Max’s childhood best friend’s older brother.

Reconnecting with Tyler helps Max settle back in, and it also leads to attraction. But when he tries to explore that connection at the grand opening of his tattoo studio—by kissing Tyler—awkwardness ensues. Max wants more, but has he misread Tyler’s signals?

As a single father raising a six-year-old daughter, Tyler doesn’t have much time to date. He’s ignored his attraction to men for years, but he can’t stop thinking about the kiss he shared with Max. If he can handle the complications of dating in a small town and the possible consequences to his career, this romance could blossom with all the colors of summer.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2019, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Release Blitz: The Color of Summer by Anna Martin + Giveaway!

The Color of Summer by Anna Martin

Tattoo artist Max Marshall rushes into his hometown of Sweetwater, West Virginia—and is promptly pulled over for speeding. Max’s luck isn’t all bad, though, because he recognizes the deputy, Tyler Reed, Max’s childhood best friend’s older brother.

Reconnecting with Tyler helps Max settle back in, and it also leads to attraction. But when he tries to explore that connection at the grand opening of his tattoo studio—by kissing Tyler—awkwardness ensues. Max wants more, but has he misread Tyler’s signals?

As a single father raising a six-year-old daughter, Tyler doesn’t have much time to date. He’s ignored his attraction to men for years, but he can’t stop thinking about the kiss he shared with Max. If he can handle the complications of dating in a small town and the possible consequences to his career, this romance could blossom with all the colors of summer.

Available at: Amazon

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Third Time’s the Charm by K. Evan Coles: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Exclusive Excerpt from Third Time’s the Charm

by K. Evan Coles

Finn was mixing a honey Dijon dressing when his phone chimed on the counter. “That’s probably Mick,” he said. He wiped his hands and declined the call, then punched in the code that unlocked the Primus Avenue gate. “Luke’s dropping Ella off at a friend’s first, so I don’t expect him before six-thirty.”

“Finn, it’s six forty-five.”

Finn went still. “What? How the hell did that happen?” he wondered as his buzzer went off. He headed for the door.

Paul tsked. “You should have slept more. You’ll be dead to the world by dessert if not earlier!”

Sure enough, Finn found Mick and Luke chatting on his doorstep as if they’d become good pals between the gate and Finn’s building. Then Luke looked at Finn, and the way his face lit up sent a dizzy rush through Finn’s whole body.

He waved them in with a grin. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Finn.” Mick leaned in for a quick hug and inclined his head toward Luke. “I met this guy outside and glommed on to him.”

“Mick was walking in front of me on Charles Street,” Luke said. “He stopped at the gate and I figured he must be either a friend of yours or an unbelievably friendly mugger.” He held up a white paper bag while the others laughed. “I brought dessert, as requested, in the form of Key Lime Pie Bars.”

“Oh, God, those sound good,” Mick crooned. He held his hands out for the bag. “I’ll take those and go pour us some wine, shall I?”

“You should say hello to your husband while you’re at it!” Paul shouted from the kitchen. Finn clamped his lips together over a laugh as Mick cringed.

“Yes, love, hello!” Mick called back. He managed an epic eye-roll before striding off with the bag and leaving Finn and Luke behind.

“I should warn you that they’re like that all the time,” Finn said. “It’s ninety-nine percent play-acting, though, so don’t take anything seriously.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.” Luke met Finn’s gaze and smiled. “Hey, Doc.”

“Hey.” Finn’s chest seemed to swell as he wrapped Luke up in a hug and closed the remaining distance between them with a kiss. He meant to steal just one, but one became several and soon he had Luke up against the front door and both of them were laughing. Luke brought his hands up to Finn’s face and kissed him so desire zigged up Finn’s spine and turned his knees jelly.

He pressed his forehead to Luke’s with a hum. “Thanks for coming over.”

“Thanks for having me.” Luke tilted his head back, and his forehead puckered when Finn opened his eyes again. “You okay?”

Finn opened his mouth to brush the question off but went silent when Luke gently brushed his thumb under Finn’s eye, no doubt tracing the dark smudge of sleeplessness. His touch made Finn sigh.

“I slept for shit last night. I worked a tough shift and never settled. It happens,” he said at Luke’s frown. “You’d think I’d be used to awful shifts by now, right? It’s okay, though. You’re here and we’ll have wine and dinner, not to mention one of my favorite desserts, and all those things will make me feel better.”

“Okay.” Luke dropped another kiss against Finn’s lips. “You let me know how I can help. You can thank Gillian for the dessert recipe, by the way. She passed it on to me along with some secrets for juicing key limes.” He grimaced. “Those little suckers are a bitch to wrangle when you’ve got big hands like mine.”

Finn grinned so wide his face hurt. “I can’t believe you baked for this. Wait ’til Paul hears.”

“Paul already knows because he heard every word you said.” The man himself appeared at the end of the hallway, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “This apartment’s not very big, Finn, and the bricks and hardwood floors make for some truly fantastic acoustics. So how about you stop macking on your boy and introduce me? Mick’s in here about to eat all your bacon, by the way, so the sooner you two get your asses moving, the better.”

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Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Hitting the Mark by Aidan Wayne

Reviewed by Ami

Title: Hitting the Mark
Author: Aidan Wayne
Series: N/A
Heroes: Marcus Economidis/Taemin Choi
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 193 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 28, 2019
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Marcus Economidis is a famous action-movie star renowned for doing his own stunts. But put him back in his Michigan hometown for his latest project and he’s a nervous wreck. Why? Taemin Choi—the taekwondo master who trained Marcus and helped him move beyond debilitating shyness to become the man he is today. Taemin was Marcus’s first crush, and now that he’s grown, their reunion might lead to more than a mentorship.

Marcus’s kindness and confidence impresses Taemin, and the attraction is instant—for both of them. Making time for each other won’t be easy, what with Taemin training to qualify for the Olympics and Marcus working on his latest film. But it all seems worthwhile when they’re together, reacquainting themselves with each other—in the dojang and beyond—and nurturing a romance more satisfying than anything either ever thought possible.

But can their romance withstand the pressures of Marcus’s fame and Taemin’s grueling schedule?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Release Blitz: His Steady Heart by Nell Iris + Giveaway!

His Steady Heart by Nell Iris

Ashley “Buck” Buchanan moved back home to take care of his sick mother when he was 22. That was the first time he met Pippin, the neglected 6-year-old boy next door. Fifteen years later, Buck, a caretaker by nature, offers up his couch for Pippin, who needs a break from his mom and a quiet place to sleep.

Pippin Olander is a ray of sunshine despite his emotionally lacking upbringing and works hard to make a better life for himself. Even though he’s fiercely self-sufficient, he learns to accept help from Buck, his rock and the only steady presence in his life.

Their friendship deepens and grows into something more as they spend time together. But when other people try to throw a wrench in the works, when Pippin’s independence is triggered, can Buck and Pippin trust in the love they’ve found?

Available at: Amazon

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