Saturday, September 30, 2017

Random Review: Law and Disorder by Brooke Edwards #Review #Giveaway




Author: Brooke Edwards
Book: Law and Disorder 
Series: Casus Fortuitus #2
Self Published
Publication date: August 31, 2017
Length: 141 pages


Reviewed by Erin


Synopsis

James Carter and Derek Moore fought their way through attraction and misunderstandings to get to where they are today. Sure, they’re still figuring out how to make things work between their careers and families, but their whole world is rose-tinted with the glow of new love.

Reality hits with the force of a speeding truck when a criminal starts waging a campaign of terror against the justice system. Suddenly law enforcement officers and lawyers all across the city are living in fear as their careers put them right in the cross-hairs of a deranged killer and James and Derek’s honeymoon period falls to ruins.

With James’s protectiveness driving a wedge between them and Derek pulling away as the target on his back grows even bigger, their future is thrown into jeopardy. While Derek struggles with demons from his past, it's up to James to catch the killer and put them back on the path to their happily ever after.






Review

Age-gap, some crime solving and a murder mystery all together? Count me in! Brooke Edwards' Law and Disorder is all of that ... and more! A fast paced book that reads like a crime show on TV, Law and Disorder sucked me in from the very first page and never let up through all the twists and turns. Police Chief James Carter and hot-shot US Attorney Derek Moore are fabulous together, full of that wonderful chemistry that just leaps off the page.

When dead birds show up meticulously placed on the steps of the courthouse, James and his team are on the case trying to put all the pieces together. As more and more weird and increasingly gruesome scenes start showing up, James begins to worry when all signs point to Derek being the target. I loved the tension as the investigation ramps up, loved how protective James was of Derek, while trying to balance that with Derek's need to keep things as normal as possible.

James and Derek really just worked for me as a couple. Flirty and sweet with one another with lots of snarky banter is all my cup of tea. There was an intensity there between them that although there are no explicit sex scenes and everything is fade to black, (and often not even fading, just abrupt endings) it is apparent that these two are madly in love with one another and enjoy a healthy sex life. I don't always need sex in my books to enjoy it, but here I would have liked to see those intimate moments of connection.

The secondary characters all were fantastic. From James's son, Sam to Derek's best friend, Daniel, they all added so much to the story. It's always a good thing, in my opinion, when the main character's have an extended circle and an author shows them outside of the bubble of their relationship. I hope there's more to come in this series and I'd recommend checking out the short prequel, Mens Rea to see how James and Derek began. It's just as good as Law and Disorder. Brooke Edwards is definitely an author I'll be keeping an eye on in the future!



Giveaway

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Up for grabs this month is a $20.00 Dreamspinner Press GC!
Contest will end on October 31st!
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Author Saturday Spotlight: Riley Hart #Interview #Giveaway



For today's Author Saturday Spotlight we have the talented Riley Hart, who also writes under Nyrae Dawn. She's here talking with us about books, of course. We have an interview where I learned a few things myself, we look at her work, and close it down with a great giveaway! So, hang out for awhile and enjoy.





Shane Wallace has made a decent life for himself in Last Chance. He built his own home on his mom’s property to take care of her, owns an automotive repair shop, and when he wants to get laid, Portland isn’t too far away. Not too shabby for the boy who spent his childhood getting bullied and feeling alone. Shane’s content to leave his past behind him...until one of his childhood tormentors comes back to town.

Maxwell Sullivan never planned to step foot in Last Chance again. Here, he was Maxwell, a teen who suffered in silence while everyone thought he had the perfect life. Now, he’s “Van,” the erotic artist and photographer. He’s only here to help his mom tie up some loose ends after his father’s death and to apologize to Shane. After that, he’s heading back to LA for good.

Shane never thought he’d have anything in common with Maxwell, but there’s a depth to Van that surprises him. Van knows what it feels like to be alone. He sees Shane in ways no one else does. There’s a shared connection neither can deny. Somehow, despite their rocky history, they get each other.

It’s not long before the two are so drawn to each other that they tumble into bed—sometimes with Van’s camera involved. Their chemistry in and out of the bedroom is undeniable. Except nothing is ever black and white. Shane can’t leave his mom and Van’s life is in LA. With two different lives pulling them in opposite directions, their picture-perfect ending might not be in the cards.



ETHAN:

I’m not used to anyone having the upper hand over me, and in a single night, Sean Wright rescues me twice. That’s why he intrigues me—why for the first time, I want another man. I’m used to getting what I want, and I don’t plan to let anything stop me. Only…he continues to get the best of me, and it only makes me want him more. When I start to see Sean’s not just good looks, hot sex, and constant competition, I realize I’m in over my head…and I might like it. He makes me laugh and he understands the pain I feel over my past, a pain we share. Even more than that, somehow, Sean *gets* me, but I’m not going to lie and pretend that giving my heart doesn’t scare me.

SEAN:

The night I rescued the presumably straight Ethan Harris…twice, I figured that would be the last time I saw him. However, he keeps finding his way back into my life and into my bed. Guess he wasn’t as straight as I thought. Ethan’s full of surprises, though, and being bi is just one of them. As cocky as he can be, he’s also sharp and witty...and even when he’s being his most arrogant self, he’s charming as hell. He likes to win, but so do I. However, as we get to know each other, I realize there’s more to us than the games we play in and out of the bedroom. It’s a game neither of us have played before—one we could both wind up losing. And with our hearts on the line, the real question is, when push comes to shove, are we both UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?



Ben Emerson has lived by his minister father’s rules most of his life. Born into an ultra-conservative church community, he’s finally brave enough to break free and move to San Francisco. Distancing himself certainly helps create a new mindset, but living as an openly gay man takes some getting used to. When he reaches out to Xavier, a childhood friend who lives in the city, Ben isn’t sure how he’ll respond given their thorny history. Ben hopes the familiar connection will help him right some wrongs as well as provide the solace he’s been craving.

Xavier Ramos is who he is, and he doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks. Whether it’s eyeliner, nail polish, tattoos or his love of hooking up, he uses his body as a form of self-expression but doesn’t let anyone get too close. When Ben reenters his life, Xavier helps him experience the city and feel comfortable in his own skin. Seeing the world through Ben’s eyes, he begins to wonder if he’s also not living as freely as he thought.

When Xavier challenges Ben’s beliefs about sex, it becomes explosive—for both of them. Xavier breaks apart Ben’s sheltered world and shows him what it’s like to live out loud. The more time they spend together, the more Xavier begins to long for Ben in a different way—one that both surprises and scares him. But real life doesn’t fade into the background, so when Ben’s past comes knocking, old habits are hard to break. Testing the foundation of their deepening connection will take a trust that will either bind them…or tear them apart.



Interview

Thank you, Riley, for hanging out with me today and answering some questions. You’ve been doing this gig for a long time so I’m sure you have some writing and other tricks up your sleeve.

 Haha! I don’t know about that! I wish I had some good tricks ;) Thank you though. I’m happy to be here.


You write under Riley Hart and Nyrae Dawn. What’s the difference between a Riley book and a Nyrae book?

Riley books are adult romance—more explicit content, most of the time but not all the time. These are men who are more settled into careers, though. They’ve been around a bit so they’re typically dealing with a different kind of issue than the men in my NA as Nyrae. While those have sexy times too (some more than others. My latest Nyrae is pretty hot), the characters are usually early twenties, often college age. They’re just sort of figuring out who they are and what they want. I also write young adult as Nyrae and male/female as Nyrae, but I only write male/male as Riley.


What was your very first published work and how do you feel you’ve grown since then?

Under any name? That’s tough…as you said, I’ve been around a long time. I used to write under another name and I had some interracial romances with a small press publishing house. If we’re just talking Riley, then it was COLLIDE. For Nyrae, it’s WHAT A BOY WANTS. I feel like I’ve grown SO much since my first books. I think the more we write, the better we typically get and the more we want to spread our wings and try new things. I feel a lot more confident in my skin when I’m writing than I used to.


You’re attending GRL this year. What can your fans look forward to seeing from you…. work wise of course?

 I’m doing a Q&A session with Devon McCormack. I’ll also be doing two author lounge sessions where we have more of a chance to talk one on one. The author signing is Saturday and then I’m a sponsor of the party Saturday night!


What is a subgenre you’d love to tackle that you haven’t yet?

 I really wish I could write paranormal. I would LOVE to…but me and world building and fight scenes don’t get along real well. Haha. I would also love to write some kind of…FBI/cop book but again, all that bad guy stuff isn’t my strong point. I’m very much a character writer.


When collaborating with another author, what makes this so successful and what can make it fizzle?

 I’ve been very lucky. I haven’t had the fizzle. I think you need to take collaborating very seriously. Be very picky about who you do it with. The voices need to go well together but not be too similar. You have to be able to be honest with each other, respect each other and like each other. LOL. It’s like a relationship in a lot of ways. Give and take.



Since you’ve written so many, name three books of yours you’d love to see hit theaters?

 Broken Pieces, Depth of Field and I would LOVE for the Metropolis series to be a TV or internet series. I’m cheating here and doing three under each name. LOL. For Nyrae, hands down, Turn the World Upside Down and The History of Us. My last choice would be Façade which is a m/f but it’s one of my favorite books I’ve ever written.


Can you tell us what you’re currently working on or future work?

The second book in the Last Chance series (book one is Depth of Field). It’s Caleb and Ryan’s story and tentatively titled Color Me In.


Can you tell us one of your favorite fan moments?

 Honestly? Most of those are when I get an email or a message from a reader who tells me one of my books has touched them personally for whatever reason. I’ve had someone tell me one of my books helped them come out. Those messages always touch me deeply.

How can readers find you in the world? Facebook, twitter, website…




FAST FIRE QUESTIONS


Coffee or hot chocolate? coffee
Dogs or cats? dogs
Favorite color? purple
Favorite flower? Tulip
Where do you like to write? In my office at home or Panera
Best comfort food? Homemade soup
Mixed drinks, beer, or wine? mixed drinks.


Thank you, Riley, for talking with me!

Thanks for having me!



 Giveaway

Riley Hart is gifting one person a signed paperback
copy of any one of her books.
This is restricted to the US.

Please fill out the rafflecopter below.
Contest will end on October 6th
Thank you!

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Friday, September 29, 2017

Release Day Review: Rim Shot by Skylar M. Cates #Review #Giveaway




Author: Skylar M. Cates 
Book: Rim Shot
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Publication Date: September 29, 2017
Length: 216 pages


Reviewed by Jenn

Synopsis

Can college roommates go from friends to lovers?

Kyle: I’m confident that with hard work, my position as point guard can carry me from rural Indiana to the NBA. I also know I’m attracted to guys, but admitting it might disappoint my father, who is all I have in this world. I have big dreams, so I’ll stay in the closet. As long as my life remains scandal-free, I have a shot.

Micah: My large family can’t spare the money to help with my education, but that won’t stop me from studying medicine. I needed to get out of the house I was sharing with my ex before I went insane. Luckily, I heard about a guy looking for a roommate. Living with a straight jock won’t be easy, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take.




Buy Links



Review

This book really got to me, I found myself just really liking the two main characters so much. I just loved the way the author developed the relationship between Kyle and Micah.

Kyle Sweeney is one of the most endearing, kind, hardworking college kids you will ever meet. He is a basketball player full of talent, morals and integrity. He does however have one very big secret, Kyle is gay. Kyle is so deeply in the closet and has no intention of coming out. When Kyle needs a new roommate, the last person he is expecting is the team's trainer's assistant Micah. 
How is Kyle going to keep his secret when he's sharing a dorm room with the adorable Micah?

Micah is this really smart, openly gay pre-med student badly in need of new housing. Living with Kyle will be tough for him too because the last thing he wants is to lust after the hot, straight athlete. With Kyle's practice schedule and course/class load and Micah's two jobs, they think they'll see very little of each other. Perfect plan, right!

What Kyle and Micah didn't count on was becoming best friends. They begin to share almost everything with each other, including some secrets. Eventually they each have to decide to trust in each other and most importantly, in themselves. 

Kyle and Micah are such a good team, two guys who seem so different and yet.... This really is a good book, I'm not someone who reads a lot of college age romance, but this is one done really well!




Giveaway

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Contest ends tomorrow!



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Flashback Friday: Getting It Right by A.M. Arthur #Review #Giveaway





Author: A.M. Arthur
Book: Getting It Right
Series: Restoration Series #1
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: March 16, 2015
Length: 256 pages

Reviewed by Michael


Synopsis

Detective Nathan Wolf might just be a junior detective, but he tackles every case with the passion that he lacks in his personal life. A series of failed relationships with women has left him still single at thirty-four—because he's too scared to admit to his longtime crush on his best friend James.

Dr. James Taggert likes to keep his profession as a psychiatrist separate from his party-animal persona. Known around the gay clubs as Tag, he's the guy who screws them, leaves them, and never looks back. But James's drinking is getting heavier, and when bad memories from the past resurface, he's close to becoming the worst version of himself.

After a drunken blackout ends in a hot and heavy make-out session with his very straight best friend, James has no memory of the steamy affair. But Nathan isn't sorry for the kisses that James can't remember. Nathan finally musters the courage to tell James how he really feels, but a life-altering event might force them apart before they can ever be together.



Buy Links





Review

I’ve been a sucker for a good GFY story since beginning reading M/M romance.  For those that don’t know, GFY stands for Gay For You.  GFY is somewhat controversial because it takes one main character who had previously professed to be heterosexual and places them in a homosexual relationship.  Personally, I’m a firm believer that Love is Love.  Love doesn’t know gender.  You don’t feel emotion with your private parts, you feel with it with your heart and mind.  You should be able to form a connection with whom ever you feel drawn to. 

One of my other favorite tropes has always been the friends-to-lovers, especially when those friends are portrayed as close.  Simply put, the trope takes an existing friendship and deepens it, makes it more emotional, more loving and caring.  The saying goes that you should marry your best friend, and this trope bears that out.

Now, when you mix the two together, you have the makings of something truly special.

Such was the case of Getting It Right by A.M. Arthur. 

James “Tag” Taggert is a psychiatrist haunted by an event from his past that he feels completely responsible for.  He can help other people with their problems, but not himself.  He drowns in his own memories and booze, sleeping his way through as many men as possible in an effort to make the pain go away.  And, he’s had feelings for his straight best friend for years, complicating his already fragile emotional state.

Nathan Wolf is a detective, and James’ best friend.  Nate lives with his own confusion.  Despite his feelings for Tag, he’s dated numerous women, but each relationship has failed.  He’s also investigating a possible serial killer, further adding to his personal stress.

A kiss throws everything out of whack. 

I have made no bones about the fact that Tag is my favorite character created by A.M.  He’s loyal, strong, and so very flawed.  These characters are real.  The story is gritty and grounded, and the relationship (friendship and otherwise) is natural.  Despite their differences, they truly looked out for each other.  They were in sync.  There were virtually no secrets between them and were truly the best of friends.

I will confess, I read this book out of order.  A.M. Arthur has created and an entire fictional world populated by some of the most diverse and real people I have ever read.  This book is actually the first book of a middle trilogy.  That didn’t hamper my ability to read and enjoy it in anyway shape or form.  You can literally pick up any of these books at any point and read them.  Once I realized, I read the rest of the trilogy and literally devoured every book she has written. 

Highly, highly recommended!!



Giveaway

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Thursday, September 28, 2017

Blog Tour: Rank & File by L.A. Witt #Excerpt #Giveaway




Author: L.A. Witt
Book: Rank & File
Series: Anchor's Point #4
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: LC Chase
Publication date: September 25, 2017
Length: 269 pages


Synopsis

Senior Chief Will Curtis is as straitlaced as they come. While his fellow Sailors have partied their way through their enlistments, he’s had his eye on the prize—making master chief and retiring after thirty years of service.

Lieutenant Brent Jameson is a Navy brat turned Annapolis grad. He’s lived and breathed the military his whole life, and he knows he’s destined for great things—once he’s done paying his dues at the bottom of the ladder.

When their paths cross, both men know better than to give in to temptation, but that doesn’t stop them. It also doesn’t keep them from coming back for more, even though being discovered would sink their careers. Something has to give—Will can retire, Brent can resign, or they’ll both face court-martial.

But there’s also the option neither wants to acknowledge: jump ship and walk away from each other instead of ending their careers over a fledgling relationship. And they should probably decide before they fall in love.

Except—too late.

 Buy Links




 Excerpt


Will
What the hell am I doing?
I looked around the club. Most of the guys here in the High-&-Tight were years younger than me. The music was geared toward their generation, not mine, though it was catchy. The beers were all right even if I hadn’t heard of most of them. It wasn’t a bad place by any means, but I wasn’t sure if coming here was such a good idea. My best friend, Noah, had sworn by this club. Anchor Point finally had a gay bar, and according to him, it was a damn good one. So if there was a place to get laid in this town, the High-&-Tight was it.
Being close to the base, and with a name like that, it was no surprise the place was crawling with military. First termers, mostly—guys who probably hadn’t been able to legally drink for more than a few months. Guys I had no business touching.
Christ. I didn’t know what I expected to find here. Someone barely over half my age who was game for a hookup in the men’s room, maybe. Younger guys weren’t exactly my thing, but I didn’t see many alternatives in this club. And the high-and-tight haircuts at least let me know who to stay away from. I didn’t relish the idea of being called into Captain Rodriguez’s office to explain why someone had a photo of me making out with some E-3 I hadn’t recognized out of uniform.
I played with the label on my beer bottle. Ultimately, I wasn’t here because the men in this crowd were what I was craving tonight. They were a distraction from what I hadn’t been able to get off my mind for the last several nights. I’d given up on fooling myself into believing I could get Lieutenant Jameson out of my system if I thought about him with my hand on my cock enough times.
I took a deep pull from my beer and rolled the ice-cold liquid around in my mouth until my teeth ached.
You’re an idiot. No two ways about it. Getting hung up on a straight guy? Yeah, because that had worked out so well in the past. Not that getting hung up on queer guys had worked out any better. As it was, I hadn’t been laid in almost a year. Not since my ex had left with his side piece.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Why am I so depressed tonight?
It was probably because just this week, I’d agreed to help Noah’s boyfriend move in with him when they finally had all the logistics sorted out. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for Noah—and by extension his boyfriend—but I wasn’t looking forward to helping them unload that U-Haul. It’d be like a reverse of what Noah had helped me do earlier this year, when we’d been taking boxes out of my house and putting them into a truck. His boyfriend was coming to live in Anchor Point. Mine had been getting the hell out of town with someone younger and more limber.
Fuck. Even now, the better part of a year later, something came along every so often and reminded me that Vince was gone. I was over him, and wouldn’t take him back if he were the last man on earth, but after six years together, it had taken time to get used to being Will, and not one half of Will and Vince.
So that was it. I’d been raw after agreeing to help Anthony move because apparently I was more of a wreck than I’d realized, and I’d zeroed in on an attractive man. He’d been a distraction from my ex, and from how wound up I always was when I had to respond to a domestic, so I’d run with it. I’d let myself memorize him. I’d ogled a half-naked man with just enough bedhead to make my mouth water, let myself wish I could be the one messing up his hair, wondered if he liked it pulled, or if—
Stop it. You’re going to make yourself crazy.
Yeah, he’d had messy hair after getting out of bed with a woman. The guy was straight. End of story. That long look before he’d gotten out of my truck? My imagination. The way he’d kept watching me while I drove—which I’d noticed because the rearview had been tilted to let me steal glances at him—had also been my imagination.
He was gone, and even if he wasn’t, he was out of my league, so I needed to get over my ridiculous fantasies and find a guy who actually played for my team. I could either spend the night hunched over the bar and staring into my beer, or I could pull my head out of my ass and start looking for someone to distract me for a while.
So, I turned around, leaned against the bar, and—
Froze.
You have got to be kidding me.
If I’d thought Brent was gorgeous in a pair of jeans and nothing else with sex-ruffled hair . . . Okay, I stood by that, but Christ, tonight he was really abusing the privilege of being sexy. His tight jeans clung to his ass, and something about the way the black belt sat made my skin tingle. He had on an unbuttoned black shirt, and under that a skintight white tee. And instead of his hair being disheveled from sex, or hastily finger-combed into place, it was meticulously styled now. Like a lot of officers, he didn’t cut his hair as severely as enlisted guys often did, and he had enough length on top to style it and give it that “neatly messy” look.
Fuck.
And he was here. In the High-&-Tight. A gay bar.











About the Anchor Point Series

Welcome to Anchor Point!

Nestled on the northern coast of Oregon, this small town is home to Naval Air Station Adams. On base, you’ll find freshly minted Sailors who’ve just graduated boot camp, salty officers counting down till retirement, grounded pilots who’ve landed behind desks, and everyone in between—and they’re all looking for love. Well, not all of them, but that won’t stop love from finding them.

So pull up a barstool, grab a beer, and get ready for some sea stories as these men in uniform—or not—navigate the waters of love and life in the military.

Anchor Point stories can be enjoyed in any order. Hop in wherever you'd like!







 About the Author


L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).






 Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Rank & File, one lucky winner will receive their choice of two eBooks off L. A. Witt’s backlist (excluding Rank & File) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on September 30, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!