9/15/2021 0 Comments LGBT Romance GRL GiveawayGay Book Promotions is hosting a LGBT Romance Giveaway of 41 separate stories from 30 authors. Claim your free books from some of the registered authors of the GRL 2021 Retreat here! The giveaway runs from September 1 - October 31 with stories that are written by authors attending the GRL Retreat, the must-attend event for people who create and celebrate LGBTQ romance. If you love gay romance, you’ve come to the right place! This is an amazing opportunity to discover new authors, new books, and new series—and find new favorites!
The stories have various themes, tropes and heat ratings, including contemporary, paranormal, mystery, fantasy, shifter, historical, sports... While all of the authors with stories in the giveaway will be attending the GRL Retreat 2021, there may also be additional authors who were unable to participate. Here is a list of the participating authors: AJ Sherwood • Andrea Hughes • Anna Kensing • Beth Bolden (already one of my favorite authors) • BL Maxwell • Charity Parkerson • Charlene Newcomb • Debra Sutton • Drea Roman • Eden Winters • Eliot Grayson • Gail Z. Martin • Hank Edwards • Jacqueline Gray • Jamie Lynn Miller • Jenny FitzGerald • Kaje Harper • Kris Jacen • LA Bryce • Luna David • Merry Farmer • Miski Harris • Morgan Brice • Neil Plakcy • Nicole Dennis • Patricia Logan • Rain Carrington • Riley Long • Shane Morton • Shea Balik
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9/7/2021 0 Comments Combustible Blitz and GiveawayToday is my stop on the Xpresso Book Tours Book Blitz for Combustible by Al Riske. Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Synopsis It’s that summer between the end of high school and the start of something else. Dean Stockton and Curt Hutton are best friends, and more often than not you can find them rowing on the Rogue River at dawn. Together they experience something they will never be able to describe adequately. But then they won’t really need to. Not to each other. It’s that moment of swing when rowers find the rhythm and everything falls into place. The shell seems to lift right out of the water. Enter Isabelle Smiley. She’s beautiful yet insecure, knowing yet innocent, and crazy about Curt in a way that no girl has ever been crazy about Dean. She wants Curt to choose a college closer to home than the one he and Dean have selected—and she can be persuasive. “I’d never be able to hold out against a girl like Smiley,” Dean admits. “Don’t say that,” Curt replies. “I told her she’d have to convince you, too.” Everyone is conflicted in this story of friendship, lust, and life-changing choices. Only one thing seems certain to all of them: If Smiley strikes a match, Dean will catch fire. Excerpt All the Way to France The Sandpiper Bar & Grill overlooks the mouth of the Rogue River, and right now the parking lot is jammed with cars. A red Mustang convertible—the top down, for this is a starlit night in June—circles slowly to the back door. In the kitchen, the scene is a whirl of cooks, busers, and dish washers. Wearing an apron and a floppy chef’s hat, Dean cuts into a fresh cheesecake and passes a slice to the server waiting in the pantry window. Above the din, a line cook hollers-- “Stockton, you’ve got visitors out back.” Fellow pantry cook Victor Lee is shucking littleneck clams next to Dean, who says-- “Cover for me, will you?” Backed into a loading zone behind the restaurant, Curt’s freshly waxed convertible couldn’t be shinier. The girl from Brookings is still seated on the passenger side; Curt opens the door for her. Dean takes off his hat as he pushes through the screen door. He runs one hand through his hair, sweaty from the heat of the kitchen, while his eyes stay glued to the girl’s legs as she climbs out of the low-slung car. Her dress—white with tiny black polka dots—rides up and he can see all the way to France. She blushes but there’s reason to believe she is more pleased than embarrassed. “Dean, I’d like you to meet Isabelle—oof!” Curt’s date removes her elbow from his rib cage. “You know I don’t like that name," she says. “Well, how am I supposed to introduce you?” She turns to Dean—“Just call me Smiley,” she says. “That’s my last name but it’s what everybody uses.” They shake hands. Hers are soft and smooth—so much so that it’s unsettling. “What’s wrong with...?” Smiley cringes, so he doesn’t say her first name. “It reminds me of my grandmother,” she says. “I was named after her, actually, but I can’t stand her. The feeling’s mutual, I’m sure.” “You don’t look like an Isabelle anyway.” “Thank you.” Only two words, but they say Dean is exactly right—and Curt is just… mean. “Busy tonight?” Curt asks. “A madhouse. But I think we’ve got it under control now. How was the show?” Curt holds his hand out flat, palm down, and tips it from side to side. Smiley looks appalled at his lack of enthusiasm. “She cried the whole time,” Curt says. “Well, it was sad... but I liked it,” Smiley replies. “You should see it, Dean.” Since Dean doesn’t have a girlfriend and has never been to a movie alone, he’s not sure what to say.
Connect with Al Riske
Website • Instagram • Goodreads Get your own copy of Combustible Amazon • Add on Goodreads Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card Today is my stop on the Gay Book Promotions Tour celebrating the release of the intriguing coming-of-age and gay awakening story Land On Me by Matthew R. Corr. Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win your own signed hardcover copy! His secret could cost him everything. Blurb Landon Griffin has everything going for him. He’s a high school senior on the brink of receiving a football scholarship, his dad is running for mayor of Madison, Texas, and his future with his girlfriend looks bright. But his simple life shatters when feelings spark for a guy he’s never met. Giving the stranger the codename Mystery Boy, Landon hesitates to step out of his comfort zone to solve the mystery. Living in a conservative town, he struggles to hide his new obsession while trying to figure out where he fits within the spectrum of sexuality. Can he dodge the constant questions from his friends and find answers before the escalating anxiety becomes too much to handle? Land On Me is Matthew R. Corr’s debut novel akin to the drama of Christopher Rice and the coming-of-age brilliance of Alex Sanchez. Excerpt OPENING HOOK My ears rang. I’d heard gunshots in movies, but in real life, they are louder than you’d expect. My elbows locked and my arms shook. I wanted to drop the gun, but my entire body was frozen in place. All I could smell was the scent of hot metal emanating from the barrel of the weapon. My mouth was too dry to speak, and I could hardly swallow. I desperately wanted to reach out to make sure he was okay, but there was so much blood. It was so red, and it was coming out so quickly. I didn’t want to shoot him but he wouldn’t have stopped otherwise. Tears welled in my eyes. His blood was on my hands now. This was an intriguing coming-of-age story and a gay awakening triggered by a mysterious bad boy. It was also a story dealing with heavy topics such as the loss of a parent, bullying and homophobia, as well as the struggle to find yourself, which was powerful and gripping. And I certainly do have a thing for bad boys with a good heart… Read my full review here: Land On Me After countless performances on stages across the country, his passion for writing finally stepped into the spotlight. Matthew is a huge nerd for film and everything Marvel-related. He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. Land On Me is his debut novel.
Connect with Matthew R. Corr Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Newsletter Sign-up Get your own copy of Land On Me Amazon • Add on Goodreads Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win one of two signed hardcover copies or one of two digital copies of Land On Me! Today is my stop on the Gay Book Promotions Tour celebrating the release of the heartwarming gay sports romance The Red Zone by Beth Bolden. Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Spencer’s deep in the Red Zone and it’s time to even the score. Blurb Nine years ago Spencer Evans became the first player out of the closet to be drafted into the NFL. Everyone believed he had aspirations to change the world but all Spencer ever wanted to do was play football for a team that accepted him wholeheartedly. But they never would, and Spencer began to conceal all the parts that made him different. When a terrible injury forces him to re-evaluate his life and his choices, he realizes there’s only one man who can help him. The very first gay sports agent, Alec Mitchell has given his life and his career to making queer athletes’ dreams come true. He can’t help but think of Spencer as the one who got away—professionally and personally. Alec thought he’d buried his desperate longing for Spencer ages ago but it turns out it was just lying dormant, waiting for the right spark. When he begs Alec to take him on as a client, everything they’ve been burying for years surfaces once again. With Alec’s help, Spencer can change everything about his life he’s come to hate. An extraordinary future—and an undeniably extraordinary man—are waiting for him. The play has been called. All he has to do is catch the ball and score. Excerpt “You should try my wine,” Alec said, gesturing towards the bottle. “You said you don’t drink wine, not that you don’t like wine. And this is an easy drinking red, real fruit forward, not too many tannins on the back end.” “Is this how you want to do this?” Spencer asked suspiciously. “Make me try things I don’t think I’m gonna like?” “How will you know, if you don’t try?” Alec hesitated, and slid his jacket off, hanging it over the back of one of the barstools. “Come over here. I’m not going to bite.” Spencer shot him a look, full of heat, and Alec remembered why it was probably better not to take his jacket off and why it was definitely better not to make jokes that could be taken in any kind of sexual context. Well, he’d done it and he wasn’t going to take it back. If they couldn’t figure out how to make this work, then Spencer wouldn’t get what he needed—and Alec wanted that more than anything else. “Fine,” Spencer said with a sigh. He skirted around the edge of the kitchen island, approaching hesitantly as Alec tilted the half-full glass in his direction. “Isn’t there supposed to be a special way I do this?” Spencer asked as he took the glass. Alec raised his eyebrow. “A special way? You take a sip. Swallow it. Decide if you like it or not. Though, really, you should try it twice. The first sip will clear your palate from that god-awful beer you’ve been drinking.” “That’s what I mean,” Spencer said. “I don’t want to do it wrong.” “Not drinking it, that’s doing it wrong,” Alec said, even though he knew what Spencer was referring to. But all of the swirling and the legs and the aroma, all the self-important recital that true wine connoisseurs participated in was only going to confuse Spencer. Alec just wanted him to fucking try it. “Alright, fine,” Spencer said, grumbling, and lifted the glass to his lips. Spencer made a face, and Alec said, “Nope, not yet. Don’t tell me you don’t like it yet. You’ve got to clear your palate.” “How do I do that?” Alec put his hand on Spencer’s arm, stopping him from handing the glass back. “Take another drink,” he instructed. “In a minute.” When he pulled his hand back, he could still feel the heat and solid strength from Spencer’s forearm. He was going to have to get used to all this touching and personal connection, and hopefully when he did, it wouldn’t affect him this strongly. “Alright,” Spencer agreed. “It wasn’t . . . well, it wasn’t what I thought it’d be.” “You didn’t hate it,” Alec guessed, leaning against the edge of the countertop. “I thought I would,” Spencer confessed. “Wine’s just so fancy and complicated, and I’m not . . . I’ve never been either of those two things. And beer is fine.” “Beer is fine, sure. You might not dislike it. But what if you liked something else better?” “I don’t know,” Spencer agreed. He hesitated, and Alec watched him closely, even though it almost hurt to look at him like this. So unsure and vulnerable and wanting so hard to do the right thing, the best thing. “It’s why I asked you to do this.” This is the third book in the Riptide series, but it also connects this series to the Food Truck Warriors series in an amazing way. I really love the way Beth Bolden keeps giving us glimpses of the characters from her previous books and how she’s created her own universe by weaving her stories and characters together without making the story plot less understandable if you’d jump straight into this one as your first read. I’m especially happy that my favorite Food Truck Warrior couple Chase and Tate played quite an important role in this book. They have a special place in my heart since Hit the Brakes was my first Beth Bolden book and completely blew me away!
The Red Zone was an adorable and heartwarming story about second chances, the power of love and acceptance, and about being brave enough to risk your whole career for a chance of true love and happiness. Read my full review here: The Red Zone by Beth Bolden About the author A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh. Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published twenty-three novels and seven novellas. Connect with Beth Bolden Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • BookBub • Newsletter Sign-up Get your own copy of The Red Zone Amazon • Add on Goodreads Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Gay Book Promotions blog tour celebrating the release of the charming and adorable The Wingman by A. Poland! Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win your own copy! Always the wingman, never the “one”. Blurb Nathan, a college student with a thing for funky hats and a definite not-thing for the great outdoors, has been a wingman extraordinaire for his lifelong best friend Lorcan for as long as either can remember. With his innate ability to talk endlessly about how great Lorcan is to anyone who’ll listen, Nathan has always been the best man for the job—even if he’s secretly waiting for the day when Lorcan will realize that Nathan is the only guy for him. But then, Lorcan sets his sights on Miles, the suave, leather-jacket-wearing musician with a love of mountaineering and a family of six overprotective sisters, and Nathan must once again put his wingman skills to work. Trouble is, Nathan is getting tired of the old routine, and Miles is the only human being on the planet immune to Lorcan’s charm. Not to mention that Miles’s interest is immediately piqued by the outspoken and completely oblivious wingman. Excerpt Nathan blinked blankly at his best friend. “My help?” he parroted, not quite getting what Lorcan was suggesting. It wasn’t as though he could go up to this Miles guy and talk his ear off about Lorcan to encourage him to make the first move. They’d already met; they’d spoken. If Miles was interested, he’d make a move. Hope stirred in Nathan’s chest. If Miles was interested, why hadn’t he already made a move? “Yeah, I need you to do your thing.” Lorcan nodded, looking at Nathan expectantly, as though that would make Nathan whip out a ready-made action plan on how to get into Miles’s pants. “Dude, I do that so you can talk to them without doing the awkward introductions yourself.” Nathan spoke slowly, as though explaining how to draw a straight line to a child. “You’ve already covered that.” “Well, then think of this as a part two,” Lorcan allowed with a huff, probably because Nathan was making very valid points. “I don’t know if he’s even into guys.” Nathan frowned thoughtfully. Normally, it was easy to tell if someone was into Lorcan. Or at least to Nathan. He liked to think his dad’s perceptiveness had been inherited—to a lesser extent, of course, because Nathan was good, but he wasn’t that good—enough that he made a great wingman to other people, not just Lorcan. Hell, a few of the people in their friend group had asked for his help before. It wasn’t as easy, sure. But Nathan had a pretty high success rate. A few of them in happy, long-term relationships to boot. Maybe he should have business cards made. Nathan Reed—will get you laid. Nathan shook off that thought as quickly as it had come because that made him sound like a matchmaker, and he was decidedly not experienced enough to consider that as a career path. “So you…what? Want me to meet him and suss out if he’s interested?” Nathan tried talking slowly, one brow apprehensively raised. “Yeah!” Lorcan grinned. “Exactly. Work your magic.” Nathan huffed out a laugh, rolling his eyes at Lorcan’s enthusiasm about Nathan’s apparent “magic.” It wasn’t magic; it was just knowing how to talk to people. Specifically, talking to people about Lorcan. Who, in Nathan’s opinion, was the easiest thing in the world to talk about. Sometimes, on very good nights, Nathan didn’t have to do as much. Sometimes, the woman would know exactly why he was approaching and just cut to the chase. He always appreciated those; they made his life a lot easier. “Okay, I’ll do you this one favor.” Nathan sighed, clearly teasing. There were no favors between them. No one kept tabs over who owed the other what. “Now drive me somewhere to get food. I’m starving.” Lorcan laughed, his mood clearly elevated from earlier. Even that was enough to settle Nathan a bit more. Sure, his brain might still be working overtime on limited sleep, but Lorcan’s coming-out experience had been painless for him, and that was something at least. “Your wish is my command,” he quipped back, starting up the car and taking them to their usual haunt. There was nothing better than getting food with Lorcan. Lorcan was a picky eater, while Nathan happily consumed anything deemed edible. Which meant Nathan tended to get extra of whatever Lorcan didn’t like, and no food was wasted. Win-win all around. But this time, the experience was different. Nathan hadn’t been worried about any uncomfortable silences or lapses in conversation after being away for so long, and he’d been right not to. But he never thought to be worried about Lorcan never shutting up. Which, under normal circumstances, would have been fine. But these weren’t normal circumstances. Lorcan wouldn’t stop talking about Miles. In the last half an hour, Nathan learned more about the guy than he ever wished to. His gut twisted with each and every new fun fact presented to him, his shoulders drawn tighter and smile more strained. So far, Nathan learned the following: Miles was a musician. A lot of people were musicians, especially in LA; it wasn’t a big deal. In fact, Nathan had taken piano lessons for an entire week and could still successfully play “Twinkle Twinkle.” Miles was a graduate from Juilliard. Nathan might have asked Lorcan to repeat himself because there was no way he’d said Juilliard. But he had. And that was fine. Juilliard was a college just like any other. Saint Andrews was nothing to scoff at either. Miles was adopted. It made sense. Probably adopted into a wealthy family with plenty of connections, considering the Juilliard thing (fucking Juilliard). Miles’s eyes were this unusual gray color. Lorcan spent a great deal of time talking about the color of Miles’s eyes. (There were only so many ways to describe stormy gray with flecks of brown, Nathan groused, please move on.) Anyway, Nathan had been told that he had unique eyes. Granted, they’d been compared to a swamp before. But still. Swamps had a bad rap—they had frogs. But no, Lorcan clearly had a thing for smoke-colored eyes now, not gunky-green. Miles was hugely involved in environmental activism. Nathan recycled. This was such a fast-paced and fun mm romance! I binge-read it in just a few hours, so smitten by the charming story and the adorable characters, not the least the wonderful father-son relation that was utterly heartwarming! Read my full review here: The Wingman
When they’re not daydreaming of the next meet-cute, A. works as a video producer and a full-time dog mom to her pride and joy, Gizmo.
Connect with A. Poland Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads Buy The Wingman Amazon • NineStar Press • Add on Goodreads Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win one of five ebook copies of The Wingman! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Xpresso Book Tours blog tour celebrating the release of the wonderful, poignant and emotional Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg, the second book in the amazing Runaway Train series! Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win your own copy! Synopsis I had stars in my eyes and I couldn’t see around them… The year is 1995 and my parents have finally allowed me to take the summer to tour in a VW van across the country with my boyfriend Evan and our band. Yes, my dream to be a singer became reality. Even with Clarissa, Evan’s jealous ex-girlfriend, as the lead singer, it’s my presence on stage that led us to a major record deal. There are moments you’ll always remember in life, but I can’t imagine anything more cool than hearing your song on the radio for the first time. But being a Rockstar isn’t as easy as it sounds. Using alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms, nothing but tension surrounded me, hurting my still blossoming relationship, and continued grieving over my sister’s death. A love letter to the nineties and a journey of a girl becoming a woman, Grenade Bouquets charts the rollercoaster ride of a band primed to explode on the scene, as long as they keep from actually exploding. Grenade Bouquets was a breathtaking rollercoaster ride that was sad and hopeful, heartbreaking and heartwarming, gripping and addictive with relatable and authentic characters, as well as a brilliant love letter to the nineties era! This series is such a raw and honest tale about the nineties and a troubled girl’s journey to find herself and heal. It’s both sad and upsetting at times, but also so hopeful and full of the magic of music. Just like in the first book in this series, the writing style had such a wonderful flow and authenticity, and the concept with the chapter titles being the songs on Nico’s mixtape was brilliant in the way each song matched the mood of the chapter. Read my full review here: Grenade Bouquets After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press and others. He is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Fringe, dedicated to publishing fiction that’s outside-of-the-box. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City.
Connect with Lee Matthew Goldberg Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Goodreads Buy Grenade Bouquets Amazon Add on Goodreads Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win an ebook copy of this book! About the tour Find all tour dates and more here: Xpresso Book Tours Grenade Bouquets Today is my stop on Xpresso Book Tours’ blitz for Undiagnosed Love by Jacqueline Lee. Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card and 5 eBook copies of Undiagnosed Love! Synopsis What happens when you fall for the one person you can’t have? Anna has always tried to do everything right, working hard through medical school, and now in her career as a doctor. She’s worked hard at her eight-year relationship with her fiancé Phil too, and can’t wait to get married and become part of Phil’s extended family. Then the unthinkable happens. Phil breaks up with her three months before their wedding. Luckily, Phil’s younger brother Seth works at the same hospital and is there to help her through the aftermath. Seth’s always been the laid-back, jokey one in contrast to his more serious brother. He’s always secretly envied Phil’s relationship with Anna because she’s his epitome of the perfect girl. When he sees how devastated Anna is after his idiot brother dumps her, he does everything he can to get her smiling again. But the more time they spend together, the more their connection grows. Your brother’s ex-fiancée is off-limits. Everyone knows that. The problem is when you accidentally cross that line, the repercussions can be immense. Extract The intercom buzzed. Sure enough, it was Seth: Mr. Dependable. Right on time. That was one trait he shared with his brother. Their mother had drilled punctuality into them. When Seth and I started hanging out, there had always been those first few moments when I saw him, before his height or the unruly hair registered, when my imagination could fool itself into thinking he was Philip. Funny how I’d stopped doing that in recent weeks. I no longer wanted it to be Philip; I was more than happy it was Seth. “Happy Birthday.” Freshly shaven, he enveloped me in a quick one-armed hug at the door while holding a bag of groceries in his other hand. I caught a whiff of his aftershave. “You smell nice,” I said as I pulled away. “Yeah, I’m trying out this new thing. It’s called showering.” “Sounds revolutionary.” “Oh, trust me, it is.” Seth strolled into the apartment and set the grocery bag on the counter. “So, I know we talked about doing those mini quiche things that Mum makes as a starter, but I thought some hearty pumpkin and bacon soup might be better given the weather.” “It’s your show. I’m merely the hired help,” I said. We chatted about work and life as we sliced and diced the pumpkin. Soon the soup was bubbling away, and Seth turned his attention to seasoning the lamb rack while I put the finishing touches to the cheesecake. As I returned it to the fridge, I realized there was one topic Seth hadn’t touched on. “Have you hung out with Imogen this week?” “Um…no, actually…Imogen and I broke up.” Seth scratched his nose, looking uncomfortable. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought things were going well between you guys.” “Yeah…they were. But it was one of those situations where things looked good on the surface, but we didn’t really connect at a deeper level.” I felt a surge of anger at her. Seth was such a great guy; she must be some kind of fool to let him get away. Seth glanced at me. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re surprised to hear I have a deeper level, right?” “A bit. I had you pegged as someone with about as much depth as a puddle.” Seth grinned. “I like that. Bradley’s writing a song about the things people say to each other when they break up. I might give him that line.” “Make sure he doesn’t forget ‘It’s not you, it’s me.’” I could hear the bitterness in my voice. “That’s the one Philip used on me.” Seth picked up a spoon to stir the soup. “That’s probably the first time in Phil’s life that he got something in the emotional domain correct.” He held out the spoon. “Want a taste?” I opened the drawer and took out a clean spoon. “We’re doctors, remember? We should probably observe the basic rules of hygiene.” “I’m also a guy,” Seth pointed out. “I can cook an entire meal using one spoon and one pot.” “That’s something everyone should aspire to.” “It sure saves a lot of time washing up.” I helped myself to a spoonful of soup. The flavor exploded on my tongue: the perfect balance of sweet pumpkin and salty bacon. “It’s delicious. You’re a culinary genius.” Seth gave me a wink. “I need to pad out my resume somehow, make myself more attractive to the ladies. With a face like this, I need all the help I can get.” I snorted. “Whatever.” Both Johnson boys were far too handsome for their own good. I couldn’t imagine Seth having any trouble attracting women, and Philip had even managed to attract one while engaged to another. Not that Seth would ever do that. Funny how I knew that instinctively. I couldn’t imagine a scenario where Seth would cheat on the person he was with. Then again, before he’d done it, had I ever imagined Philip would? Why was I thinking about Philip so much tonight? Maybe it was due to the fact this was my first birthday in nine years without him. And, if everything had gone as planned, he would have been at my side, helping me instead of his younger brother. Seth grabbed the oven mitt and pulled out the lamb rack. As I watched him make a delicate slice, testing whether it was cooked through, I couldn’t help rewinding the evening, imagining if it had been Philip cooking alongside me. Philip always cooked in an “Aren’t I amazing? Make sure you admire me as I’m such a fantastic guy for helping you out” kind of way. He would have instructed me while we cooked, trying to make sure everything was perfect. And it would have been tense because for Philip, it was always about making an impression. He could even turn a casual birthday dinner with friends competitive. He’d have found some obscure wine and made a big deal of opening it. We’d have cooked complicated dishes well outside our comfort zone, as it was important to Philip that everyone gushed over the dinner. And I would have gone along with him because that’s what I did. I could almost see myself—that alternative Anna—face flushed, trying to think of ways to destress Philip before our guests arrived, inwardly cursing that I’d ever suggested doing the cooking when a restaurant would have been so much simpler. In contrast to this reality, where I’d spent the past few hours laughing and joking with Seth as we prepared a perfectly edible meal. Okay, it might not be haute cuisine, but my guests wouldn’t care. Nor would they care when I served them cheap bottles of wine. I was so much happier than alternative Anna would have been. That thought startled me out of my daze. Seth was talking. I blinked, trying to focus on what he was saying. He was telling me about the musical aspirations of his roommate Bradley. “Anyway, his band’s scored a gig at that new club on Victoria Street in a few weeks, so I said I’d go along to support them. Do you want to come too?” “Don’t you think I’m a bit old to go clubbing?” “I’m reasonably confident your arthritic limbs can handle it.” “Okay, sounds like fun.” “Based on the noises coming from his room when he’s practicing, fun isn’t quite the word I’d use. More like painful.” “You’re really not selling it to me now.” Seth flashed me a grin. “I’ll be there. What more of a sales pitch do you need?” “So true,” I deadpanned. I met Seth’s eyes, clocking their deep hazel color before regaining my senses. What was I doing? Making meaningful eye contact with Seth? That’s the kind of thing one did when having a flirty conversation, not our typical jokey exchanges. I looked away, acutely aware of the blush creeping up my neck, hoping he’d put it down to the heat in the kitchen. Fortunately, the buzzer rang. “I’ll get it.” I wiped my hands on a towel and headed over to buzz the first of my guests in.
Connect with Jacqueline Lee
Website • Instagram • Facebook • Goodreads Never miss a new book or exclusive FREE short stories! Sign up to Jacqueline's newsletter! Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card and 5 eBook copies of Undiagnosed Love! Get your own copy of Undiagnosed Love Amazon Add on Goodreads Today is my stop on Gay Book Promotion’s book blast for Crystal’s House of Queers by Brooke Skipstone. Don’t miss this chance to get a copy of this completely unique, gripping and empowering read for only 99c! And enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card or one of three audiobook promo codes! Three senior girls in rural Alaska escape their abusive pasts by raising their dyke flag for themselves and their community. Blurb Crystal Rose woke up at three in the morning today, drenched in sweat and breathless after another sex dream with Haley Carson. Later at school in the tiny town of Clear, Alaska, Crystal saves Haley from an assault by her abusive boyfriend. The two girls renew a love started years ago that had to stay hidden until now. But with Crystal’s grandparents in the hospital with Covid and the possibility of her drug addict parents returning from a 14-year absence, Crystal needs Haley as much as she needs Crystal. They connect with Payton Reed, a gun-toting artist who helps them feel proud to be gay and willing to stand up to anyone. Together they struggle to make Crystal’s house safe for those who are hated for their love. Only 99c for a limited time! Amazon Excerpt Crystal’s room is small with drawings and photos stuck randomly all over the walls—closeups of leaves, flowers, and berries; intricate natural designs created by Labrador tea, spider webs, and lichen; every local animal, including a grizzly sow and two cubs digging through trashcans from this past June; sunrises and sunsets plus northern lights; and, of course, line drawings of her house and family, along with pages of self-portraits. Crystal’s entire world greets her every morning and evening. Nothing is ever removed or covered, just added to, now up one corner of the ceiling. A large white board on one wall displays a self-portrait drawing of Crystal sitting. Haley stands in the doorway, open-mouthed, trying to absorb it all. “Damn, Crystal, you are something. I love this.” Crystal smiles. “I’m glad. So do I.” She opens her closet to show Haley her clothing options, including a never-worn pair of stretch jeans Crystal bought at Value Village in Fairbanks—a size too big for her, but a size too small for Haley. “I’m not sure my butt can fit into these,” says Haley, holding the pair waist high. “You’ll have fun watching me put these on.” “Oooh, do I get to watch?” “Certainly.” Haley raises a brow and half smiles as she pulls off her sweatshirt. Crystal’s breath catches in her chest as her mouth gapes open. “Oops! I forgot to pick out a shirt. Can I use your robe until I find something suitable?” Crystal’s face reddens. “Sure.” She removes her robe and tosses it to Haley, who then tosses it on the bed. “Now we can stare at each other.” Crystal licks her lips. “You are so evil.” “I’m just getting started.” She tilts her head and cocks a brow. “Do you like evil?” “So far.” Though she’s afraid her heart will burst, it’s beating so fast. “Great.” Haley moves toward Crystal until their chests touch. “I love your drawing on the white board. Would you do another of me? Maybe one of us kissing?” Haley touches her lips to Crystal’s. “Yes.” She struggles trying to pull her phone out of her pocket while Haley rubs her tongue tip over Crystal’s bottom lip. Gasping for air, Crystal asks, “Do you want me to take a pic or not?” Haley smiles and steps back a little. Crystal props her phone against the mirror on her dresser and sets the timer. “We have five seconds.” Haley moves her hand to Crystal’s neck as they kiss. The camera takes the picture, but they don’t separate. After a few more seconds, Haley pulls back just enough to speak. “You are the best kisser. Even in fifth grade I liked kissing you. Think of all that time I wasted.” “We have plenty of time now.” She grabs her phone and shows Haley the photo. “I like that. I can draw it now, if you want.” “Yes, please.” “Hold it for me.” Crystal takes her drawing pad and pen from her desk and sits in her chair. Haley holds the phone against her cleavage, her boobs hanging over her arms. “Is that good?” Crystal stares and shakes her head. “Evil. Pure evil!” “Just focus on the photo, Crystal.” Haley slowly sways her torso, making her boobs jiggle close to Crystal’s face. “Can’t you focus?” Her voice drips with seduction. Crystal clears her throat and closes her eyes. “I think I can. I think I can.” She takes a deep breath, opens her eyes, and places her pen on the paper. Haley sways faster. Crystal starts a line then runs it off the page. “Can you please stop moving?” she pleads, unable to turn away from Haley’s breasts. “Just for a few minutes?” She rips off the page and readies another. Her voice coy, sweet, and sultry—“As you wish. I’ll stand perfectly still.” She holds the camera away from her body, partially covering her breasts. Crystal starts a line under her chin, sweeps down to make hair, then her face and lips before moving to Haley’s lips, hair, and then ending with her hand. She stares at the drawing for a few seconds then turns it around. “What do you think?” “Oh, my god! I love it. We look good together.” She gives Crystal a kiss. “Thank you. Thank you.” Crystal’s House of Queers was a heart-wrenching and unique queer coming of age story full of friendship, love, acceptance and forgiveness, sexual discovery and the creation of a queer safe haven for others suffering from abuse and harassments. I loved the positive undertone even though there were so many difficult topics (abuse, addiction, disability, teenage pregnancy, homophobia and more) and how strong and able all female characters were portrayed, which in the end really made it such an empowering story!
Read my full review here: Crystal’s House of Queers About the Author Brooke Skipstone is a multi-award-winning author who lives in Alaska where she watches the mountains change colors with the seasons from her balcony. Where she feels the constant rush toward winter as the sunlight wanes for six months of the year, seven minutes each day, bringing crushing cold that lingers even as the sun climbs again. Where the burst of life during summer is urgent under twenty-four-hour daylight, lush and decadent. Where fish swim hundreds of miles up rivers past bear claws and nets and wheels and lines of rubber-clad combat fishers, arriving humped and ragged, dying as they spawn. Where danger from the land and its animals exhilarates the senses, forcing her to appreciate the difference between life and death. Where the edge between is sometimes too alluring. Crystal’s House of Queers is her third novel. Visit her website for information about her first two novels, Some Laneys Died and Someone To Kiss My Scars. Buy Crystal’s House of Queers Only 99c for a limited time on Amazon! Add on Goodreads Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card or one of three audiobook promo codes! Today is my stop on Xpresso Book Tours’ blitz for the romantic, “a Netflix movie waiting to happen”, fun and sweet It’s Not PMS, it’s You by Rich Amooi. Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Synopsis “Romantic Comedy of the Year!” “This novel is a Netflix movie waiting to happen.” “I loved every second of this book!” “Warning: This author causes book hangovers.” “Oh my. Be still my heart.” “Laugh out loud of epic proportions.” “Loved it. Still laughing.” Ruth “Ruthless” Harper is on the verge of becoming managing partner at her all-male consulting firm and she won’t let anything stand in her way. That includes men, relationships, and that dreaded F word, FEELINGS—distractions she eliminated long ago. After the worst day ever (a near-death experience and a public wedgie, for starters), Ruth realizes she doesn’t want to live and die alone. She puts together a business plan to find the perfect man and dives head first into the murky online dating pool. All she wants is a high-powered executive who understands how important her career is. If only it were that easy. Problem is most men are intimidated by Ruth’s confidence and shocked by her bluntness. The exception being her landscape designer, Nick, whose cool demeanor and unsolicited dating advice are driving her nuts. He’s the antithesis of the business-oriented man Ruth envisions for herself, so why do all signs keep pointing back to him? A romantic comedy novel for the ages. Order now. Don’t delay. Operators are standing by. Only 99¢ for a limited time! Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RsoS8w Excerpt Ruth I have orchestrated multi-million dollar business deals and have butted heads with Fortune 500 CEOs and some of the biggest corporate lawyers in the country, but my biggest challenge by far was trying to remove a monster wedgie during my spinning class without the gorgeous guy behind me noticing. Casually turning my head to the right, I checked my periphery, confident I looked like some halfwit who was thinking of changing lanes on a stationary bike. I couldn’t tell if the man had his eyes focused on me or on the instructor in front of the class, but it didn’t matter at this point. I had real-world issues here and needed to solve the dilemma before my butt sucked all my clothes inside my body and turned me inside out. With every revolution of my bike’s spinning wheel, the wedgie seemed determined to go deeper, like a burrowing squirrel who hadn’t found a suitable place for habitation. I got up at five in the morning for this torture? To make matters worse, the instructor—Manson, Mussolini, or whatever his name was—appeared to be on a mission to send us all into cardiac arrest. And don’t even get me started on the chafing from a bike seat that was obviously manufactured with materials excavated from the surface of Mars. I needed a distraction for the extraction. Glancing down at my water bottle in the drink holder, I came up with the perfect plan. I would wait for the instructor to get us up off our seats again for the next sprint, then drop my water bottle on the floor to create a ruckus. If the man behind me was a gentleman—no wagers, please—he would get off his bike and get the water bottle for me, thus taking any attention away from my derrière long enough for me to perform the embarrassing and delicate wedgie-removing procedure without him seeing. Ironically, the song changed to “Shake Your Booty” by KC and the Sunshine Band. “Off your butts!” the instructor barked out like a psychotic sea lion with Tourette’s. “Take it up to level five for a sprint. Thirty seconds. Go! Go! Go!” Perfect timing. I slammed my water bottle to the floor behind me for the distraction. It crashed against the back wall with a loud BOOM. Never let it be said I did anything half-assed. No pun intended. I checked my periphery again to see if the guy fell for the trap. Bingo. He slowed his pedaling and glanced behind him at my bottle on the floor. After he made a move to get off his bike, I lifted my butt off the seat, leaned forward on the handlebars, shifted all my body weight over to my left hand, and used my right hand to reach behind me and remove the mother of all wedgies. Oh, no. Completing the task was proving to be difficult since it was almost impossible to pedal while standing up on the bike with only one hand gripping the handlebars. I used one finger, then two, then three, but still couldn’t dig out the wedgie that must have been halfway to China by now. Losing confidence with every second that passed, I wobbled back and forth like the Elvis bobblehead doll on the dashboard of my dad’s 1977 Cadillac Coupe deVille. Things were heading south in a hurry. There was a sharp pain in my left wrist. My elbow buckled. Timber! The fall to the floor was not graceful. I banged my shoulder on the handlebars on the way down, slid off the bike sideways, and hooked my foot on top of the pedal. My other leg flew over my head and got wedged in between the bike seat and the drink holder. Great. Now, I had two wedgies. Before I had a chance to untangle and upright myself, two hands gripped me from under my armpits and lifted me to my feet in one swift motion. I looked up, dazed, confused, blinking a few times. It was the guy who had been on the bike behind me. “Are you okay?” There was genuine concern in his voice, but I was a big girl and could take care of myself. Flustered, I said the first thing I could think of. “I do that all the time.” A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Of course.”
Rich believes in public displays of affection, silliness, infinite possibilities, donuts, gratitude, laughter, and happily ever after.
Get a FREE romantic comedy by visiting his website at richamooi.com. Connect with Rich Amooi Website • Facebook • Instagram • Amazon Buy It’s Not PMS, It’s You Amazon • Add on Goodreads Only 99¢ for a limited time! Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Gay Book Promotions blog tour celebrating the release of This or That by Hope Irving! Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Sometimes, a kiss can knock you out faster than a blow to the head, rendering you unable to think straight. Blurb Sometimes, a kiss can knock you out faster than a blow to the head, rendering you unable to think straight. When drunken Michael Clayton stole a sloppy kiss in a Parisian club, he didn’t know that this would mean war. War, as in being taught a lesson by a shameless cowboy. War, as in being given a taste of his own medicine. War, as in being left dumbfounded and yearning for more. Blame it on the alcohol, right? Damn, Mike hated the guy for muddling his assumed straight orientation and raising unwelcome questions. When noble Troy Hunter stole a revenge kiss from a despicable hot playboy, he didn’t know that it would be all but forgotten months later. Landing a gig on a Rio-bound cruise ship, the rising DJ is dazed when Mike strikes back with a vengeance during their second encounter, fueling his appetite for dominance. Blame it on the blazing sun, right? Damn, Troy hates the guy for pushing all of his buttons and rubbing salt in old wounds. It shouldn’t have happened, but now all bets are off. Their feelings quickly escalate into something that they aren’t willing to label. It’s easier this way, until it isn’t… because life’s no cruise and some experiences are life-altering. Between Troy’s painful past and Mike’s unsettling present, their future together might be short-lived, unless their insane chemistry compels them to push their limits and each other. So, which is it? This or that? This or That was previously part of a charity anthology entitled Anyone But You; it was originally published in early 2021. Since then, I’ve added new content, including a bonus epilogue! Same enemies-to-lovers storyline. Same hot and sweet characters. More focus on certain scenes. Discover or rediscover Mike and Troy’s story… If you’ve read Omega Artist (A Cocky Hero Club novel), this is your chance to see how it all started for two familiar faces that you only briefly met since This or That is a standalone prequel. Excerpt It’s impossible to think straight when he’s this close. As annoying as he is, I can’t let him escape my clutches. Out of reflex, my palms land on his taut chest and shove him out of my personal space. I need oxygen, and his presence isn’t helping. Too bad he doesn’t budge, his daring eyes capturing mine. “You and your...” I stutter and, before he says something inappropriate, quickly add, “big mouth.” A moan leaves his smart mouth. Seriously? “You know what they say...” He shrugs, an amused expression on his conceited face. “Big mouth, big—” Narrowing my eyes, I can’t help but want to muzzle his smart mouth and put it to better use. He’s impossible! Who says things like that? The fucker unsettles me yet again by shooting me a raunchy once-over, licking his sinful lips. “Stop looking at me like that,” I hiss. What the hell does he want from me? We’re not quite touching. His pupils are so dilated that it’s clear, even in the waning sunlight. “Or what?” Cutting off any chance of response, his commanding lips mold against mine and his arms circle my waist. I can’t move. Once again, his lips on mine feel so wrong and, at the same time, so right. The friction of his stubble on my clean-shaven skin and the dance of his frenzied tongue with my greedy one send me into overdrive. Whimpering, I wiggle as if possessed. Going a mile a minute, my brain is at war with my body, which craves more unprecedented sensations. The sloppy Parisian kiss the cowboy stole months ago enticed a hidden desire that has no place in my well-planned life. Worse, our encounter elicited sensations that I’ve been desperate to recreate in a flurry of one-night stands, but nothing’s worked so far. What’s left of my willpower eventually propels me to stop the mind-boggling tongue action. He needs to accept that I run the show. The air thickens between us as we huff and puff. His half-mast eyes are so much darker than they were a minute ago. Should I keep playing with him? “What’d you do that for?” “You’re not gonna win at this game, cowboy,” I sneer in a rushed voice; an expression of my false bravado. “So you think.” Acutely attuned to my hungry body, one of Hunter’s legs subtly treads closer and he leans into me. Within seconds, his tongue fills my mouth again. Shuddering under his touch, my resolve crumbles as the asshat deepens the kiss. I stiffen when it evolves from bruising to tender, although our encounter is anything but. My body temperature skyrockets, along with my libido. Unaware of the all-consuming passion that this kiss provokes in me, he thrusts his hip against mine, banging my back into the wall. His jean-clad semi rubs, grazes, and expands against mine that’s desperate for release. I try to pace myself, but it’s a lost cause. Overwhelmed by a myriad of toe-curling sensations, my brain shuts down and allows my ravenous body to do the talking; maybe that’s the kind of talking Hunter was referring to earlier! Talk, my ass! No, no, no, keep my ass out of this! With that thought in mind, my tempted body is given the green light to act. Without warning, I close the gap between us and my knuckles trace his sculpted abs. At once, his intoxicating scent numbs my consciousness, and I act on the unthinkable the second his hands snake around my body. And just when I think the fever has reached its peak, the conniving man betrays me, ditching my waist in favor of my hair. Why can’t you stop? Get a hold of yourself. This is your game, not his... Then why does the simple act of his fingers running through my short hair increase the unbearable pressure building between my legs? I don’t even give a flying fuck if I come in my pants. Damn, it’s hot in here! His urgent mouth devours my expletives and beads of sweat run down the side of my face, but I’m too far gone to swipe them away. I’m too blissed out to care. I’m too needy to break the spell quite yet. My senses are on alert. I want to hate him. I hate to want him. So much... This was such a fun and addictive m/m romance with a burning chemistry between the two main characters. It was so fast-paced that I read it all in just a few hours! I really enjoyed the writing style with the banter between Troy and Mike, the sweet romance, Mike’s supportive mother and friends and the message to stay true to who you are. Even if that turned out to be something you never expected… Read my full review here: This or That by Hope Irving
Hope’s suspenseful and complex love stories are modern fairytales that feature an unconventional Prince Charming and a headstrong heroine. A natural introvert, she enjoys tormenting her flawed characters with a hint of darkness and sometimes magical elements. Still, her heart melts when love conquers all. Her work has been described as “genre-defying,” “refreshingly unique,” and “an emotional rollercoaster read.”
Connect with Hope Irving Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • BookBub • Pinterest • Newsletter Sign-up Buy This or That Amazon • Add on Goodreads Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card! About the tour Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here: Gay Book Promotions This or That Release Blitz |
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