Posts Tagged With: Carina Press

Book Review: The Lost Year by Libby Drew

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title: The Lost Year
Author: Libby Drew
Series: Secrets of Neverwood #3
Heroes: Devon McCade/Nicholas Hardy
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 144 Pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: June 30, 2014
Available at: Carina Press and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Devon McCade is no stranger to adversity. As a photojournalist, he’s seen all manner of human struggle. And as a kid, it’s what brought him to Neverwood, to his foster mother Audrey. It’s what he’s facing now, as he and his foster brothers work to restore the once-stately mansion amidst surprising signs from Audrey herself.

But when another anguished soul arrives at Neverwood, Devon can’t hide behind his camera. Nicholas Hardy is certain he saw his runaway son, Robbie, in a photo Devon took of homeless children. Devon knows all too well that a young teenager on the streets doesn’t have many options—and Robbie has been missing for a full year.

Searching for Robbie with Nicholas stirs memories and passions Devon had thought long lost, yet knowing that Nicholas will leave as soon as Robbie is found keeps him from opening himself up to something permanent. Devon must learn to fight for what he wants to keep—his love, and his home.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger Diana Copland: Writing ‘The Other’ + Giveaway!

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Writing ‘The Other’

By Diana Copland

I sat on a panel at Norwescon 2012. It was called ‘writing the other’, and its subject matter, loosely translated, was how a person wrote a character that was something other than they were, themselves. One of the panelists was a man whose main character was a lesbian. Another was a woman who was white, and her main character was a black woman. Another was a white woman whose character was an alien. And then there was me; the woman who wrote gay men.

Like all of us who write, I’d heard ‘write what you know’. I have to tell you, I’ve always thought that was a load of crap. If Jo Rowling had only written what she knew, Harry Potter and the rich, magical universe that surrounded him would not exist. George R.R. Martin has never been personally involved in a ‘Game of Thrones’. Stephanie Meyer doesn’t know any sparkly vampires. And George Lukas has never been to a galaxy far, far away. I think being a storyteller means finding a way to make our readers feel a kinship with wizards, or a teenage girl with a bow and arrows, or hobbits.

I’m not a fantasy writer. I have enormous respect for those who are, but it’s not what I do. I do, however, like to feel I can tell the story of two men falling in love, even though I’m a woman. The commonality between us would be the subject matter. Falling in love is exhilarating and painful and wonderful and awful, no matter what our sex. But I’ll tell you, when I embarked on writing Danny Redmond for the middle book of the Secrets of Neverwood Anthology, “The Growing Season”, I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite as removed from my protagonist before. The main reason was that, for the first time, I was writing someone considerably younger than I am. In fact, Danny is younger than my children. And that concerned me. A lot.

Part of the problem is people in their twenties now seem to speak a whole different language than I do. They’ve grown up technologically savvy, and the internet is their playground. I will never understand as much about technology as a twenty one year old. There are other things different about when I was twenty one than it is for Danny; music, clothes, rotary telephones. I thought about it long and hard, trying to decide what would be the best way to bridge the gap between Danny and me, so that I could write him from the inside out. And I realized the first thing I had to do was give us something in common.

I was a florist for 35 years. I know plants. If the house, Neverwood, was in dire need of restoration, I figured the grounds must be, too. If Audrey, Danny and his brother’s foster mom and the woman who left them her home, had cancer, there would be at least one growing cycle of neglect. It doesn’t take long for a garden to be overrun with weeds. Gardening would be a way for me to have something in common with Danny; I could make him someone who worked with his hands in the earth, who had a way with growing things. That would give him a tangible connection with Audrey, and it would be a way for him to contribute to the restoration of Neverwood. It would also work well with his desire to keep his distance from his brothers. Danny has his reasons, but he didn’t want anyone too close. Not even the handsome landscape architect who volunteers to help while dealing with family issues of his own.

Once I wrote Danny with a love of growing things, I realized that he and I had other things in common, too. When I feel insecure, I tend to be sarcastic. Danny takes it further than I do, but he has more reason to be insecure. I know about the damage left in the wake of abuse, and the things a person will do to in the name of self-protection. And I know about the healing power of love. Danny is a very pretty twenty one year old with a chip on his shoulder the size of Manhattan, but a mother with two grown children managed to find what we had in common, and to hear his voice.

So, I guess the conclusion I’ve come to is that story telling might just be an exercise in combining both ‘the other’ with what we know. What connects us as readers to a wizard, or a war lord, or a pretty gay boy with a smart mouth is our commonality of experience. We all know fear, and pain, and joy. And love.

Above all else, we know love.

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About The Growing Season

1The four years since Danny Redmond left Neverwood have been heartbreaking, and past mistakes continue to haunt him, even after he returns home. Together with two foster brothers he barely knows, he plans to turn the decrepit mansion into a welcoming place for runaways once again–the dying wish of their foster mother, Audrey.

Danny has nothing to contribute to the restoration, save for a gift for growing things. But his efforts to bring Audrey’s beloved gardens back to their former glory are complicated by handsome landscaper Sam Ignatius…and the feelings developing between them, despite their fiery differences of opinion. One voice gives him hope, the only one he’s always trusted–Audrey’s.

Danny comes to care deeply for Sam, but things look bleak when Sam’s city councilman father threatens to have Neverwood torn down. Why should Danny have expected the future to be different from his past? All his relationships end in disaster…

Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks and Kobo

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About Diana Copland

Diana Copland began writing in the seventh grade, when she shamelessly combined elements of Jane Eyre and Dark Shadows to produce an overwrought gothic tale that earned her an A- in creative writing, thanks entirely to the generosity of her teacher. She wrote for pure enjoyment for the next three decades before discovering LiveJournal and a wonderful group of supportive fanfiction writers, who encouraged her to try her hand at original gay fiction.

Born and raised in southern California, Diana moved to the Pacific Northwest after losing a beloved spouse to AIDS in 1995. She lives in eastern Washington near her two wonderful adult children.

You can find Diana on her Website, Facebook, Twitter or email her at Diana.copland11@gmail.com.

Blogger_Giveaway

Diana has graciously offered up an eBook copy of The Growing Season to one lucky winner! The giveaway starts now and ends July 5, 2014 at 11:59 pm. To enter, click the Rafflecopter 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 Susan65’s review of The Growing Season to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments

Book Review: The Growing Season by Diana Copland

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: The Growing Season
Author: Diana Copland
Series: Secrets of Neverwood #2
Heroes: Danny Redmond/Sam Ignatius
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 145 Pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: June 30, 2014
Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks and Kobo
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The four years since Danny Redmond left Neverwood have been heartbreaking, and past mistakes continue to haunt him, even after he returns home.Together with two foster brothers he barely knows, they plan to turn the house into a welcoming place for runaways once again—the dying wish of their foster mother, Audrey.

Danny has nothing to contribute to the restoration of the decrepit mansion, save for a gift for growing things. His efforts to bring Audrey’s beloved gardens back to their former glory are complicated by handsome landscaper Sam Ignatius…and the feelings developing between them, despite their fiery differences of opinion. But one voice gives him hope, the only one he’s always trusted—Audrey’s.

Danny comes to care deeply for Sam, but things look bleak when Sam’s city councilman father threatens to have Neverwood torn down. Danny isn’t surprised. Why would he expect the future to be different from his past? All his relationships end in disaster…

Three foster brothers are called home to Neverwood, the stately Pacific Northwest mansion of their youth. They have nothing in common but a promise to Audrey, the woman they all called mother…

Secrets of Neverwood is a multi-author trilogy; One Door Closes, The Growing Season and The Lost Year can be enjoyed either as a continuity or as standalones.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One Door Closes by G.B. Lindsey: Exclusive Excerpt + Giveaway!

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An Exclusive Excerpt from One Door Closes

by G.B. Lindsey

“I’m aware that your foster mother put aside a small amount, but we both know it won’t even begin to cover the renovations required on this building. Unless you personally have the means to pay for the remainder, you will not meet the criteria set down by the council.”

“I have until next Friday.” Nine days to bite the bullet and agree to Will’s contract, or most of it, but either way, it was too much money. The plumbing upgrade alone would eat up most of Calvin’s savings, and he only had a general idea of what his brothers could spare. Nor had he heard from them on that account since Danny’s blowout. Just an edgy silence that pervaded the hallways, making each creak and groan sound especially loud.

He was still waiting on a loan application at his bank in Spokane. He wasn’t legally allowed to tap into Audrey’s funds yet but once he did, those would vanish quickly. If he committed to using the place as some sort of halfway house, as Audrey had done for years, he could apply for the same grants she had, but that was still miles out, almost indistinguishable from the horizon. A million steps loomed between today and actually obtaining the permits to have kids living on the premises, and the grant foundations would never fund a simple support group that met twice a week, not when there were cheaper rooms the group could rent in churches and community centers. Calvin felt a rush of irritation at Danny and Devon for not speaking up about the estimate aside from Danny’s complaint, for not taking a more active role in getting the monetary side of things settled.

“May I come inside?”

Calvin slapped a hand onto the opposite frame and stepped into the middle of the doorway. “No, you may not.”

Angus exhaled, eyelids dipping. It turned his stare absolutely frigid. He looked across the lawn again, eyeing the group of kids more shrewdly than before. “I’m here to work out an amicable solution within the limitations of your situation. You do have until next Friday. To finalize a contract. To begin the real work that needs to be done. As far as I can tell—” he stepped back, spreading his arms and somehow turning the house into nothing but a smudgy afterthought, “—you haven’t done anything substantial. My goal is to protect Pac Western’s investment, and if that means exercising our rights and having you removed from the property, I will.”

“You’ll need a lot more than you have with you right now,” Calvin said flatly, and watched Angus’s nostrils flare. Calvin stepped forward, leaving the door open behind him, and felt as if the house were swelling, expanding its lungs and looming once more into its rightful place at his back. “Whatever it may be to you, Mr. Angus, this is my home. I’m not going to let you tear it down.”

Angus gave him a smirk. “For someone who cares so much about his home, you don’t show it. It’s falling to bits right over your head. Do you even have a contractor yet?”

“Yes, I do.” That at least wasn’t an exaggeration.

But Angus nodded too knowingly. “Does he know about your time crunch? I don’t even see him.”

“That, uh, that would be me,” said a voice from inside.

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About One Door Closes

1Years ago, Calvin Ware found a refuge in Neverwood, a home for wayward boys. Now, following the death of his foster mother Audrey, he’s returned to fulfill her request to restore the decrepit Victorian mansion to its former purpose.

Under the threat of repossession, Cal clashes with his foster brothers over restoration plans while fending off the unscrupulous developer who is breathing down his neck. Audrey’s well-meaning presence in his dreams does more harm than good as he struggles to cope with it all. What’s more, the contractor he hires to get the building up to code turns out to be Will Cabot, his high school flame.

As they begin working together, Cal finds he still has feelings for his first love. But his mistakes of years ago threaten their future, just as they ruined their past, and Cal knows he can’t withstand the heartbreak a second time.

Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo

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About G.B. Lindsey

G. B. Lindsey was born and raised in California, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Literature and Creative Writing from UC Santa Cruz. Her first love has always been writing: as a child, she cultivated such diverse goals as becoming “a cowgirl and a writer” or “a paleontologist and a writer.”

Aside from her salacious and ongoing affair with the horror genre, she loves to write sci-fi, romance, historical fiction, and short stories. Other hobbies include playing the piano, reading voraciously, the occasional period drama movie night, and devouring scary film after scary film. She recently moved back home from Newcastle upon Tyne, where she earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing, and now lives in Sacramento.

You can find G.B. on Facebook, Twitter or sign up for her Newsletter.

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

The prize in this blog tour is a chance to win an eBook copy of One Door Closes by G.B. Lindsey and a $10.00 gift certificate to Amazon! 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 but are still be welcome anyway.

Don’t forget to check out Nikyta’s review of One Door Closes to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Debut Authors, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments

Debut Author & Early Review: One Door Closes by G.B. Lindsey

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: One Door Closes
Author: G.B. Lindsey
Series: Secrets of Neverwood #1
Heroes: Calvin & Will
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 59k words
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: June 30, 2014
Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Years ago, Calvin Ware found a refuge in Neverwood, a home for wayward boys. Now, following the death of his foster mother Audrey, he’s returned to fulfill her request to restore the decrepit Victorian mansion to its former purpose.

Under the threat of repossession, Cal clashes with his foster brothers over restoration plans while fending off the unscrupulous developer who is breathing down his neck. Audrey’s well-meaning presence in his dreams does more harm than good as he struggles to cope with it all. What’s more, the contractor he hires to get the building up to code turns out to be Will Cabot, his high school flame.

As they begin working together, Cal finds he still has feelings for his first love. But his mistakes of years ago threaten their future, just as they ruined their past, and Cal knows he can’t withstand the heartbreak a second time.

Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pride Week Blitz with Carina Press: Excerpts + Giveaway!

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Sharp Love by Ava March

Sharp Love (Gambling on Love, #2)London, 1822

William Drake has lived among thieves, bastards and beggars all his life, doing what’s necessary to survive. As a young orphan, that included looking after his best friend, Jack Morgan. But as they grew older, Jack took the honest path, leaving Will behind to fend for himself the only ways he knows how.

When an unsavory errand for his employer brings Jack back to London’s underbelly, he needs Will’s help. It’s there, among the alleys they ran through as children, that the love he’s always felt for Will returns. As their nights together grow hotter, Will discovers something new about his old friend—Jack’s need to serve extends into the bedchamber.

Will has never fully abandoned his dream of escaping London with Jack. But what could the Duke’s driver want with a dishonest cheat like him, beyond a bit of rough sex? It takes the gamble of Will’s life to find out if he can win Jack’s heart…

You can find Sharp Love at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

Check out Heather C’s review!

Excerpt from Sharp Love

The sky opened up, the intermittent raindrops shifting to a full-fledged deluge in the blink of an eye.

A quick glance confirmed what he already knew—closed shops and darkened buildings, not a single tavern or hell within easy distance. Cold rain pelted Jack’s head, soaking his hair. And Will wasn’t wearing an overcoat.

Grabbing Will’s upper arm, Jack pulled him down a narrow alley. Pushed Will onto a small stone stoop, the short overhang above the door enough to provide a bit of protection for Will from the full force of the rain. Standing before Will, Jack used his body to shield Will from the gusts of windblown rain.

Lightning cracked across the sky, briefly illuminating Will’s face, his wet hair stuck to his forehead, pale cheeks glistening with raindrops. A self-deprecating smile tugged the edge of his lips. “Guess you were correct.”

“About what?” Jack asked, raising his voice to be heard above the din of the storm.

“The rain.”

Said rain smacked against Jack’s back. His greatcoat would keep him relatively dry, but he could feel the rain whipping around him. He unbuttoned his greatcoat, let the sides hang open, and bracing his arms on the old wooden door, he moved closer to Will. So close he could feel Will’s breaths against his jaw. Warm and moist, the rhythm deep yet slightly quick.

Arousal curled in the pit of his belly, ignited in his blood. Jack shifted his weight. “Shouldn’t last long. The rain, I mean.” Rain in London was a common enough occurrence, but storms of this magnitude didn’t last endless hours. The clouds would wear themselves out soon enough, and the rain would taper down to a steady, soaking drone. As soon as it showed the first signs of slowing, Jack would be dragging Will back to the hotel. And he didn’t much care if it meant running down the street. Anything to give him an excuse to step away from Will’s body, from those hot breaths bathing his jaw, tempting him to dip his head and press his lips to Will’s.

“You’re likely correct. Yet again.” There wasn’t a trace of sarcasm or jest. Will’s voice was just loud enough to reach Jack’s ears, and the low, intimate quality went straight to Jack’s cock.

There was a quick snap of lightning, followed by a clap of thunder. Will shifted even closer, moving full into the protection of Jack’s greatcoat, pressing up against Jack. A hard arch brushed Jack’s upper thigh.

Jack’s breaths caught. There was no mistake about it. Will was aroused.

A hand settled on Jack’s hip. Jack swore he could feel the heat of Will’s palm through his trousers and his smallclothes, warming his skin.

He held himself perfectly still. Locked his muscles and dared not make a move.

About Ava March

Ava March is an author of sexy, emotionally intense M/M historical erotic romances. She loves writing in the Regency time period, where proper decorum is of the utmost importance, but where anything can happen behind closed doors. With over fifteen works to her credit, her books have been finalists in the Rainbow Awards and More Than Magic contest, and deemed ‘must-haves’ for Historical M/M romance by RT Book Reviews readers. Visit her website at www.AvaMarch.com to find out more about her books or to sign-up for her newsletter.

You can find Ava on her Blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

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The Lost Year by Libby Drew

The Lost Year (Secrets of Neverwood, #3)Devon McCade is no stranger to adversity. As a photojournalist, he’s seen all manner of human struggle. And as a kid, it’s what brought him to Neverwood, to his foster mother Audrey. It’s what he’s facing now, as he and his foster brothers work to restore the once-stately mansion amidst surprising signs from Audrey herself.

But when another anguished soul arrives at Neverwood, Devon can’t hide behind his camera. Nicholas Hardy is certain he saw his runaway son, Robbie, in a photo Devon took of homeless children. Devon knows all too well that a young teenager on the streets doesn’t have many options—and Robbie has been missing for a full year.

Searching for Robbie with Nicholas stirs memories and passions Devon had thought long lost, yet knowing that Nicholas will leave as soon as Robbie is found keeps him from opening himself up to something permanent. Devon must learn to fight for what he wants to keep—his love, and his home.

You can find The Lost Year at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

About Libby Drew

Libby glimpsed her true calling when her first story, an A.A. Milne /Shakespeare crossover, won the grand prize in her elementary school’s fiction contest. Her parents explained that writers were quirky, poor, and often talked to themselves in supermarket checkout lines. They implored her to be practical, a request she took to heart for twenty years, earning two degrees, a white-collar job, and an ulcer, before realizing that practical was absolutely no fun.

Today she lives with her husband and four children in an old, impractical house and writes stories about redemption, the supernatural, and love at first sight, all of which do exist. She happens to know from experience.

Libby’s State of Mind received rave reviews for being fast, clever, and relentless and was nominated for a Bookie Award for Best M/M Novel of 2011. 40 Souls to Keep, Libby’s third novel, has been described as intense and heart-poundingly good and was praised by Publishers Weekly for maintaining a high level of suspense.

An avid supporter of gay rights, Libby donates her time to the Trevor Project and organizations that work to support marriage equality.

More information about Libby’s books can be found on her website: http://www.libbydrew.com/

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Maybe This Time by A.M. Arthur

Maybe This TimeAs a regular at gay hotspot Pot O Gold, Ezra Kelley avoids his tangled emotions with the simplicity of one-night stands and attachment-free hookups. Until the night bartender Donner Davis picks him up off the floor after a misunderstanding and too much tequila. Ezra can’t remember the last time someone was…nice. It’s more than he deserves.

Witnessing his lover’s death two years ago has Donner trapped in a holding pattern: living in his sister’s basement, working at the Pot and flirting with the customers. He’s not above spending a night with the gorgeous Ezra, but love is not in the cards. That’s more than he’s ready for.

A passionate night leads to a connection neither man expects, and they take the first steps to something that looks like a real relationship. But Ezra’s been running from himself so long he doesn’t know how to live any other way. And Donner can’t risk his heart just to lose everything again. They’ll both need the strength to let go of the past if they want to get it right this time.

You can find Maybe This Time at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

Excerpt from Maybe This Time

[Ezra] listened to the footsteps on the stairs moving closer, getting louder, timing it so he whipped open the door with Donner’s knuckles poised to knock. Donner still wore his black leather pants and shiny green shirt, but he’d washed his face free of eyeliner and lip gloss.

“Hey,” Donner said. His hand dropped. His other was clutching the strap of a backpack that looked as old as dirt and ready to fall apart.

“Come in.” Ezra stepped aside and let him enter. “I should warn you, they’re at it already.”

“Huh?” Donner glanced at the living room. “Oh, I see.”

“Do you mind?”

“Not a bit. I’ve seen more risqué things at the Pot, believe me.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about it sometime.”

“Sure thing.”

“Want something to drink?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Ezra’s mind raced for something clever or sexy to say. He’d looked forward to this all night, and now that Donner was in his apartment, he was fumbling like an idiot. This was not him.

“Oh, hey!” Alessandro sat up and twisted his head around. The position made him sway a little. “Look, babe, Dasher’s here.”

“Donner,” Jaime said. He wrestled out from beneath his boyfriend, shirt rucked up to his armpits. “Hey, you made it.”

“Dude, what’s your first name?”

Jaime knuckled Alessandro in the shoulder. “Shut up. You’re drunk.”

“So?”

“Ignore him,” Ezra said to Donner. “Actually, feel free to ignore both of them.”

Donner chuckled. “They’re pretty entertaining, if you ask me.”

“Wait until they start showing off.”

“Forget it.” Alessandro started tugging Jaime toward the spare bedroom. “He’s all mine tonight, amigo. You’ve got your own date.”

Jaime managed a faux-helpless shrug as he allowed himself to be manhandled into the bedroom. The door shut with a solid bang that made Ezra jump. Then he snickered. So much for manners. He understood the sentiment, though. He didn’t much feel like sharing Donner with anyone else.

Strong arms slid around his waist from behind and laced fingers across his belly. A solid chest and abs pressed against his back and ass, and breath tickled his ear. The hold was loose, the intentions clear. “You want to fuck me, don’t you?” Donner whispered, mouth hovering close to his left ear.

Ezra shivered.

About A.M. Arthur

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland.  She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop.  She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) and “The Young Riders” with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder.  She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

Contact her at am_arthur@yahoo.com with your cooking tips (or book comments). You can also find her online, as well as on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. Other titles by A.M. Arthur are available from Samhain Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, and Musa Publishing.

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Stranger on the Shore by Josh Lanyon

Stranger on the ShoreTwenty years ago young Brian Arlington, heir to Arlington fortune, was kidnapped. Though the ransom was paid, the boy was never seen again and is presumed dead. Pierce Mather, the family lawyer, now administers and controls the Arlington billions. He’s none too happy, and more than a little suspicious, when investigative journalist Griffin Hadley shows up to write about the decades-old mystery. Griff shrugs off the coldly handsome Pierce’s objections, but it might not be so easy to shrug off the objections of someone willing to do anything to keep the past buried.

You can find Stranger on the Shore at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

About Josh Lanyon

Bestselling, multi-award-winning JOSH LANYON is the author of over fifty titles of mystery, adventure, fantasy and romance. Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed Adrien English Mysteries series, including The Hell You Say, winner of the 2006 USABookNews awards for GLBT Fiction. Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. When not writing Josh enjoys gardening, film noir, fine wine, vintage mysteries, and night swimming.

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

In this blog tour, there will be TWO winners. Each winner with get eBook copies of each of the four books featured in this blitz along with a rainbow bracelet! The giveaway is opened internationally and ends July 1st, 2014. 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 but are still be welcome anyway.

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Giveaway Winners!

It’s time to find out who the winners of the Sharp Love by Ava March and Son of a Fish by Kenzie Cade giveaways!

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And the winner of an eBook copy of Sharp Love by Ava March is… Continue reading

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Honorary Blogger Ava March: A Series Kind of Gal + Giveaway

Heather C:  Ava March is here at TBG today telling us all about why she loves writing series, and also giving away an ebook copy of her new release Sharp Love, the second book in her Gambling on Love series.

 

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A Series Kind of Gal 

by Ava March

I love series books. I just can’t help it. I’m a sucker for them. My favorite type of series to read is a related series, with a different h/h in each book. I love revisiting characters and meeting new ones, all in the same book. I love reading a book and wondering ‘will he get his own book??’, and then when he does get his own book? Oh, that’s like reader-Christmas. 

But as a writer, I was drawn to direct series (which feature the same h/h) for quite a while. I’d fall in love with a pair and I wanted to keep revisiting them. To keep telling their story. And romance heroes…they always have more story in them. There’s always more drama to be found on the horizon, more obstacles to overcome. Poor guys – I’d leave them happy then shake things up again for them. 

A couple years ago though, I got an idea for a related series (the Brook Street Trilogy). And it was quite fun to write. So much fun, that when I finished that series, I started a new related series. All the things I love as a reader of related series, I get to indulge in as an author. I leave a pair happy at the end of a book, and I can let them pop up in another book and they can still be happy. No need to inflict drama on the guys just so I can see them again. I can set up a world and keep returning to it for a few books. And the most fun of all? When an interesting secondary character pops up on the page, I’m not left in suspense wondering if he’ll get his own. I can write him a book and give him his own HEA. 

My newest release, Sharp Love, is #2 in the Gambling on Love series. It’s smack-dab in the middle of the series. So of course I took the opportunity to visit with Max and Tristan, the heroes of the 1st book, All In with the Duke. And the heroes of the 3rd book get a bit of page time as well. I’m having such a blast writing this series, that I do believe I am officially converted. I’ve become a related-series kind of author. 

What about you? What is your preferred type of series to read – direct or related? And if you have any recommendations for favorite series, do give them a shout-out. I’m always on the look-out for a new series to read. 

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About  Sharp Love (Gambling on Love #2)

Sharp Love 200x300William Drake has lived among thieves, bastards and beggars all his life, doing what’s necessary to survive. As a young orphan, that included looking after his best friend, Jack Morgan. But as they grew older, Jack took the honest path, leaving Will behind to fend for himself the only ways he knows how.

When an unsavory errand for his employer brings Jack back to London’s underbelly, he needs Will’s help. It’s there, among the alleys they ran through as children, that the love he’s always felt for Will returns. As their nights together grow hotter, Will discovers something new about his old friend—Jack’s need to serve extends into the bedchamber.

Will has never fully abandoned his dream of escaping London with Jack. But what could the Duke’s driver want with a dishonest cheat like him, beyond a bit of rough sex? It takes the gamble of Will’s life to find out if he can win Jack’s heart…

Available from: Carina Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | ARe

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About Ava March

Ava March is an author of sexy, emotionally intense M/M historical erotic romances. She loves writing in the Regency time period, where proper decorum is of the utmost importance, but where anything can happen behind closed doors. With over fifteen works to her credit, her books have been finalists in the Rainbow Awards and More Than Magic contest, and deemed ‘must-haves’ for Historical M/M romance by RT Book Reviews readers. Visit her website at www.AvaMarch.com to find out more about her books or to sign-up for her newsletter.

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Ava has kindly offered up an ebook copy of Sharp Love for this giveaway to one lucky winner!

a 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 Heather C’s review of Sharp Love to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Honorary Blogger Post | Tags: , , , , | 14 Comments

Early Review: Sharp Love by Ava March

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Sharp Love
Author: Ava March
Series: Gambling on Love #2
Heroes: Jack Morgan/William Drake
Genre: MM Historical
Length: 77,000 words
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: June 9, 2014
Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: London, 1822

William Drake has lived among thieves, bastards and beggars all his life, doing what’s necessary to survive. As a young orphan, that included looking after his best friend, Jack Morgan. But as they grew older, Jack took the honest path, leaving Will behind to fend for himself the only ways he knows how.

When an unsavory errand for his employer brings Jack back to London’s underbelly, he needs Will’s help. It’s there, among the alleys they ran through as children, that the love he’s always felt for Will returns. As their nights together grow hotter, Will discovers something new about his old friend—Jack’s need to serve extends into the bedchamber.

Will has never fully abandoned his dream of escaping London with Jack. But what could the Duke’s driver want with a dishonest cheat like him, beyond a bit of rough sex? It takes the gamble of Will’s life to find out if he can win Jack’s heart…

Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: D/s theme and elements, and male/male sexual practices.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

KC Burn Week Review: First Time, Forever

Reviewed by Susan65

First Time, ForeverTitle: First Time, Forever
Author: KC Burn
Heroes: Derrick and Trevor
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 24,000 Words
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: March 19, 2012
Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Derrick and Trevor used to have an incredibly passionate relationship, full of spontaneity and sizzle. Now that their son is off to college, they want to put their days of routine, vanilla sex behind them and bring back some of that spark.

Realizing that they’re empty-nesters, Trevor begins to notice their age difference. He suddenly feels old and unsure of himself, and isn’t confident Derrick still desires him. When Trevor decides to keep his health issues and gray hairs down there to himself, Derrick is hurt by his partner’s secretive behavior and thinks Trevor must be having an affair.

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2012, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment