LGBTQ+ BOOK PROMOTIONS

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Blurb

Looking for skills to navigate sexual orientation and gender expression?

Tired of being defined by labels?

It’s no surprise the people on this journey of self-exploration need tender love, care, and a safe container to explore and express themselves.

The good news is – you can have that space to feel accepted, loved, and heard.

It’s only fair to release yourself from the restrictions of gender conformity and, instead, allow yourself to experiment with gender (or a lack thereof), as if you were an artist experimenting with a new medium.

“Self-Care Workbook for Non-Binary Teens” is an interactive workbook that has exactly what teens need to help them work through internalized negative messages, handle stress, build a community of support, and embrace their true self.

It’s time to discover more about who you are and who you might want to become now!

Inside these pages you will find:

Exactly what gender identity actually is;
Why understanding your gender identity is core to embracing your full being;
How to discover and begin living as your authentic self;
How to build unshakable confidence and resilience in a world filled with ignorance, inequality, and discrimination;
Practical advice with journaling prompts and space for reflection;
Mindfulness techniques for coming out, euphoria and dysphoria, building new friendships and navigating relationships with your friends and family;
And much more!

Whether you’ve been pondering big feelings and questions about your gender, or you’re just a little curious about it, the “Self Care Workbook for Non Binary Teens” will show you that there are endless ways to express yourself and that there’s no right or wrong way to identify.

You do NOT have to conform to a singular definition or narrative anymore!

You have the power to make changes and become your most authentic self – It’s your birthright!

If you’re ready to shed labels and identities that no longer serve you and your inner world and find the supportive community you're destined to have…

Then waste no more time, scroll up and grab your copy now!

Excerpt

STORIES FROM THE CLASS

As you read through the stories below, do any of them resonate with you? Maybe it’s not the whole identity, but only parts? That’s ok - that helps you to define who you are and how you want to identify.

Clarence is a genderqueer young adult who loves knitting and reading mystery books. They use the terms “genderqueer” and “non-binary” interchangeably when describing themselves. They've also accepted that as time goes on, they may find another name to express their identity.

Thomas is transmasculine. He is an adventurous guy who likes cooking, hiking, and movies. He is comfortable using he/him pronouns, and also uses they/them. Thomas knows that he can use either pronoun based on their preference.

Brit is in their late 30s and identifies as ‘agender’. They identify as a person instead of a specific gender, or a spot on the gender binary. They have a love of fashion and excel at personal expression.

Ellie identifies as ‘neutrois’ and describes themselves as being gender neutral. Ellie loves taking walks in the park with their dog and is especially fond of the spring when they can see flowers bloom everywhere. Ellie knows other neutrois individuals who describe themselves as genderless.

Clair is an ‘autigender' individual who thrives in their neurodiversity and linking it to their identity experience. In conversations with their friends and family, Clair sometimes refers to themselves as “neurogender” or “xenogender”. Clair loves teaching others about neurodiversity, listening to all kinds of music and reading comic books in their free time.

Clay is an ‘androgyne’ person who experiences both a masculine and feminine identity, sometimes simultaneously. Clay loves experimenting with the balance between their identities and the creativity that results from it. They are great at encouraging others to express themselves without fear or restraint.

Danny is an intersex individual who also identifies as genderfluid. They enjoy explaining the intersection of their biological sex and identity to their friends. In their free time, Danny enjoys classic video games, especially the older Mario games.

Ash is a ‘bigender’ person who has both a male and female identity. They’re an artist who loves using canvases to express their emotions and dreams. They choose to express each one as they please and enjoy combining both for unique expression.

About the Author

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door…”

Michelle Mann is a native of New York City and holds a degree in psychology. She is a busy but happy mother of 4 and an author of self-help and parenting books that are designed to help stressed-out parents to make the most of their child’s formative years.

Her book, Parenting Pre-schoolers 2 to 5 Years Old, provides 20 tips for parents that are aimed at helping them deal with their child’s emotions and build effective lines of communication in what can often be the most challenging of times for parents, whether they are first-timers or have already experienced it and want to avoid making the same mistakes.

She hopes that the future will provide her with enough spare time to write even more self-help and parenting books, so that she can reach even more parents who are struggling with busy careers and family lives, enabling them to find the solutions that will help them to thrive.

Author Links

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your choice of ebook from author's backlist

Sunday 26 June 2022

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by Angel Martinez #giveaway

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Rarely Pure and Never Simple

Author: Angel Martinez

Publisher: Mischief Corner Books

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: June 28, 2022

Genres: Science Fiction, M/M Romance

Tropes: Enhanced Humans, Slow Burn Romance, Annoyances to Lovers

Themes: Minority oppression/exploitation, law vs. justice

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 67 000 words

It is the first book in a new series and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links

B&N | Kobo | Apple

Variant children are vanishing at an alarming rate. It will take a uniquely mismatched pair of trackers to untangle a web of conspiracy and misdirection to find them.

Blurb

In his isolated cabin, variant Damien Hazelwood avoids human contact as much as possible to prevent attacks of blind berserker panic. But his rare talent as a locator makes him the go-to contractor for tricky missing person's cases and when agents bring him a troubling contract involving missing variant children, he finds it impossible to refuse.

Licensed tracker Blaze Emerson can't help being irritated when he's expected to follow the strange, twitchy locator's lead on his latest case. He works alone, he's damn good, and as a variant sparker, he has both the fire and the firepower to take on anything out there. Though he has to admit there's something intriguing about a man who can find people with his brain.

With vastly different temperaments and backgrounds, Damien and Blaze need to negotiate quickly how to work together if they're going to crack this case. Add in the sudden appearance of Blaze's outlaw ex, the perils of tracking in the wilds, and a maddening lack of discernible motive or method, and they soon find themselves in as much danger as the kids they're trying to rescue.

Variant Configurations takes place in a future Earth where humanity is reclaiming its spot in a gradually healing world. This book contains mentions of past abuse, action-adventure style mayhem, and the beginning sparks of a slow burn, series-spanning relationship.

Excerpt

The ice around the weed bed glowed blue as first morning rays stretched tentative fingers across the lake. Even the sun was smart enough not to rush out of bed on a cold-as-a-penguin's-pecker Vermont morning. Damien, however, apparently suffered from some intellectual deficiency since he was out on the lake already with his ice chisel, chipping away at a likely spot for a fishing hole.

His breath ghosted in front of him, every gulp of air biting into his lungs. It wasn't that he liked the cold or enjoyed the self-sufficient, mountain-man lifestyle. He hated it. His hands always hurt. He was always hungry. It took him forever to warm his lonely bed at night no matter how many pairs of socks he put on, the frame rattling with his shaking for an hour or more.

Chip-chip-chip. The ice chisel on six-inch lake ice echoed back to him off his cabin in a strange, one-sided conversation.

The move wasn't for his health or even part of a dream of a better life. He had left Raleigh to escape. Yes, he could have taken it a step farther and vanished. Away from the coasts, out in the abandoned wilds to the west, he might have found somewhere to hole up. Much of the land surrounding the Mississippi was still poisoned, but farther out toward Kansas, the remains of chemical skirmishes diminished.

The life of a wilding was dangerous for a lone person, though, and the constant need to be on high alert against scavengers who roamed the wastelands would have worn him down to nothing within a few months. Here, he was close enough to civilization for relative safety, far enough away for some peace. He'd given a promise for a promise, after all—his promise to Dr. Parma that he would still take the jobs he was uniquely suited to and her promise that he would be a last resort.

Mostly, the arrangement worked.

Up here, they couldn't hound him so easily with every minute need. Up here, anyone seeking him out had to go to considerable trouble to reach him. They knew where he was, of course. The inconvenient locale enforced the mandate that they think long and hard before paying a call, and now they only showed up when they had exhausted other options.

So he pretended not to hear the crunch of the snow-crawler's treads as it trundled up the snow-crusted hill accompanied by the whisper-hum of its solar battery engine. Then he deluded himself a few more minutes with the fantasy of late-season sport fishermen. The voices, when they reached him, shattered his careful illusion.

Chip-chip-chip. If I ignore them this time, will they give up and go away? Probably not. Please go away.

"That's him? He's kinda puny," an unfamiliar voice rasped.

They hadn't sent Cummings? What idiot was in charge now? They'd sent some stranger as the messenger, someone who didn't understand him?

"Variants come in all the usual shapes and sizes, Wirth."

There was Cummings. Thank God for small favors.

"But Sledge—"

"Is just one guy," Cummings snapped, obviously losing patience with what had to be a rookie.

Footsteps crunched through the snow toward him. Damien tried to block them out, but his muscles tensed. The terrible sensation of having someone walking up behind him crawled up his back on millipede legs.

Chip-chip-chip.

"Wirth, hold up! You don't want—"

Something touched Damien's elbow. The millipede crawling up his spine leaped into his brain and exploded in a thousand spiny pieces. He whirled, snarling, and swept the ice chisel at whatever had put a hand on him without permission.

"Holy fuck!" A dark-haired man leaped back from the makeshift halberd. He fell on his ass and scrabbled backward on the ice, his eyes cow-patty huge in shock.

"I tried to warn you," Cummings said calmly from the bank. A squared-off man with salt-and-pepper hair, he was the perfect bland-faced federal agent. He stood with his hands in his trench-coat pockets, stance relaxed and nonthreatening. There was a reason they usually sent him alone instead of sending a team or someone from the Guild, as they'd done once or twice. Cummings didn't judge. Cummings understood Damien's boundaries. "Maybe you'll learn to listen now."

"He tried to fucking kill me!" The intrusive man, presumably Wirth, still scrambled backward as he failed to get his feet under him.

"No. You invaded his space without warning. You don't do that. I might kill you if you don't stop acting like a jackass," Cummings grated out, shaking his head. Then he gave a nod to Damien and said more evenly, "Hazelwood. Good to see you."

About the Author

Angel Martinez is the pen name of a writer of several genres who writes both kinds of queer fiction – Science Fiction and Fantasy. (What? There are others?) Currently living part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware, (and full time inside the author's head) Angel has one husband, one son, at least one cat at any given time, a changing variety of other furred and scaled companions, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.

Author Links

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a $25 Mischief Corner Books gift card

Saturday 25 June 2022

Crazy Little Thing Cold Love by Colette Davison #kindleunlimited #giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Crazy Little Thing Cold Love

Author and Publisher: Colette Davison

Cover Artist: Colette Davison

Photographer: Eric McKinney

Model: Patrick H

Release Date: June 24, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Daddy kink, age gap (12 years), hurt/comfort, ex-military

Themes: Self-care

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 69 000 words

It is a standalone story, but Jude appeared in His Boy to Cherish as a side character

The book does not end on a cliffhanger.

Blog/Website | Facebook Page | Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Can two very different men turn an intense holiday romance into lasting love?

Blurb

Jude

I shoot my mouth off and hide behind my smile as I try—and fail—to fill the void inside. Nothing has felt right since I was medically discharged from the army. Can there be more to life than a dead-end job and meaningless hook-ups?

Kasper

I didn’t expect to win a Cuffd Destinations holiday, let alone meet a sexy guy who’s fun to be around. Jude doesn’t think he’s a Daddy, but I’m going to prove him wrong. Who knows what we might discover along the way?

Crazy Little Thing Cold Love is part of the Destination Daddies Season Two multi-author series. It features an emotionally scarred army veteran, a bubbly boy who sees the world in a unique way, summer snow, lots of steam, and a happy ending. Each book can be read as a standalone, but there are so many destinations and Daddies to discover, why not grab them all?

Trigger warning for mentions of PTSD, flashbacks, and nightmares.

Excerpt

I found a spare stool at the bar and ordered a drink. It took me about thirty seconds to notice I was sitting next to a muscly guy with blond hair and bright blue eyes. He had his back to the wall while nursing a tumbler of scotch on the rocks as he surveyed the room. He was Hollywood’s definition of gorgeous. Not that it would matter if he didn’t have a personality to match his roguish good looks and body builder-scale muscles. I hadn’t talked to him yet, which meant another twizzle stick was about to be mine.

“Hi,” I said, gesturing towards his lanyard. “I’m mint leaves, and you are…?”

“Light rum.”

Flashes of hot pink ignited at the edges of my vision, dominating the other colours already dancing there. The colour of his voice was beautiful, which was a good start.

“Really? That means that together, we’re a mojito.”

The man laughed. “I think we’re missing a few ingredients.” Vibrant pink swirled and undulated with the rhythm of his words.

“Maybe a mojito in potential?”

He laughed louder while I motioned to the barman.

“Light rum and mint leaves,” I told him.

He nodded, checked off our combination on a list, and gave us a twizzle stick. Twenty-four. I had more than hot-pink guy.

“How come you’re not mixing?” I asked.

“I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”

It was my turn to laugh. “Now you are, but you were alone when I came over.”

“I needed a breather.”

“Yeah, me too.” I turned around to face away from the bar and leant against it. I’m Kasper, by the way.” I held my hand out.

“Jude.”

About the Author

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Social Media Links

BookBub | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram: @colettedavison

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Thursday 23 June 2022

Cover Reveal - Deceiving D’Vaire (D’Vaire, Book 30) by Jessamyn Kingley

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Deceiving D’Vaire (D’Vaire, Book 30)

Author: Jessamyn Kingley

Publisher: Independently Published

Cover Artist: LJ Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations

Release Date: July 7, 2022

Genre: MM Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Trope: Fated mates

Themes: Love, self-discovery

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 92 990 words

It is not a standalone story.

Goodreads Series Link

Amazon US Series Link

Amazon UK Series Link

Deception is new to Greyson and Morgen, but they’ll soon learn it has surrounded them all along.

Blurb

Greyson Variusdraconis is a newly shifted dragon searching for purpose. Growing up in the Consilium Veneficus, his tutors taught him not to trust Fate. Raised by his elder brother who serves their king directly, Greyson still lives under his sibling’s roof. King Varius recently signed a treaty, so Greyson’s job is guarding wizards. Greyson finds it boring, and he worries his brother will never accept his desire to avoid a political arranged marriage.

As a child, Morgen Bassett struggled to find his footing. Two centuries later, the wizard works in a tiny library, lacks family, and has a rented room barely large enough for its furniture. Although Morgen’s early education included mentions of matebonds, the split between the Council of Sorcery and Shifters and the Consilium changed everything. With no promise of his other half or anything else, Morgen is doing little more than surviving.

On an otherwise normal trip to the supermarket, Greyson and Morgen meet, and neither man is prepared for the force of their connection. Not long after the sparks fly between them, Greyson accepts a mission to infiltrate the Draconis High Court of D’Vaire. The pair will have to find a way to stay together. Should they be successful in gaining entry, they’ll also need to learn how to unearth all the D’Vaire secrets. However, Greyson and Morgen will soon find that nothing about their lives is what it seems.

Excerpt

Morgen was poking through his options, looking for the smallest cuts of meat, when he suddenly got an erection.

It was senseless, and Morgen was so hard, his mouth fell open in surprise. Before he could register any further response, the scent of Earl Grey tea filled his senses. Out of every type of tea he’d tasted, nothing pleased him more than Earl Grey.

The package in his hand slipped out of his grasp, but Morgen never heard it plop onto a pile of wrapped meats. His gaze swept down the aisle, and Morgen didn’t have to wonder for long what he was searching for. The most handsome man he’d ever seen stalked toward Morgen with a smile gracing his overtly masculine features.

Morgen’s brain screamed that the man was a shifter of some sort as he noted his impressive height and broad shoulders. His raven hair was messy but artistically cut and hung past the tops of his ears in the front and nearly to his collar in the back. High cheekbones drew Morgen’s attention to his scaly grey gaze, which told him the stranger was a dragon.

For a moment, there was a flash of iridescence in his irises, but Morgen though that might’ve been a figment of his imagination thanks to the lack of blood flow to his brain. While he stared like a ninny, he had forgotten to breathe, and he forced oxygen into his lungs as the man came to a standstill a few feet from him. Morgen had ignored Fate for centuries, but she apparently hadn’t disregarded him.

The Consilium taught their people that matebonds were silly and useless. However, as Morgen stared up at his other half, he knew that was bullshit. Sizzling through his veins was an undeniable connection, and Morgen wanted to embrace it fully.

“Hi, I’m Grey.”

“How did you know you smell like Earl Grey?” Morgen asked dumbly.

The grin on his face grew larger, and his lovely eyes twinkled with humor. “I didn’t, but that’s kind of incredible. My name is Greyson, though most call me Grey.”

“Oh.”

“Are you going to give me your name?”

“Bloody hell,” Morgen muttered. “Yes, of course. I’m Morgen.”

“I thought wizards were all colors on the rainbow, but your eyes are brown. Are you a type of dark wizard like the High Arcanist in the Council?”

Although Greyson appeared friendly rather than condescending, Morgen had dealt with too much nonsense about his lack of color in his life.

“No,” Morgen stated coldly. “I’m a colorless wizard, and I no longer practice magic.”

The smile fell from Greyson’s perfect lips. “Apologies if I’ve offended you.”

“It’s a question I’m asked often, but no offense was taken.”

“Believe it or not, I understand a bit. I’ve shifted into a dragon, which makes some uncomfortable,” Greyson confided.

“Your eyes are grey. I know little about dragons, but I’d heard that grey and brown were the most common colors.”

“And so they are,” Greyson remarked. “But I’ve a strange belly that’s an iridescent whitish color. If the sunlight hits it, you can see a rainbow, though it’s paler than the ones you see in the sky. Perhaps Fate was trying to tell me I have a wizard mate.”

“I’ve always been fond of rainbows.”

Greyson reached out and, to Morgen’s shock, pushed aside the blond hair hanging over his eyebrows.

“I thought when I first glanced at you that you had brown eyes. Now I see it’s not so simple. You have several shades of brown that radiate from your irises. They’re beautiful. It’s much like your hair, which is a lovely mix of browns and blonds.”

“Thanks. Everything about you is beautiful,” Morgen murmured as he tried to extract some level of intelligent thought from his flummoxed brain.

Meeting his mate in a supermarket hadn’t been on his agenda, and he’d never given thought to having one at all. If he had, Morgen wouldn’t have pictured someone so handsome and pleased to see him. It shamed him that he’d given up on Fate, and Morgen dared not make that mistake again.

About the Author

Jessamyn Kingley lives in Nevada where she begs the men in her head to tell her their amazing stories which she dutifully writes it all down in what has become a small mountain of notebooks. She falls in love with each couple and swears whatever book she wrote last is her absolute favorite.

Jessamyn is married and working toward remembering to start the dishwasher without being distracted by the scent of the magical detergent. For personal enjoyment, she aids in cat rescue while slashing and gashing her way through mobs in various MMORPGs. Caffeine is her very best friend and is only cast aside briefly for the sin better known as BBQ potato chips.

Visit her website

Join her Facebook group, Jessamyn's Ruffian's

Social Media Links

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Monday 20 June 2022

Cover Reveal - Poor Rich Boys by Yolanda Olson & Ally Vance

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Poor Rich Boys

Authors: Yolanda Olson & Ally Vance

Cover Artist: Black Widow Designs

Release Date: June 30, 2022

Genres: Dark M/M Romance

Tropes: Forbidden love (step-brothers)

Themes: Enemies to lovers

Heat Rating: 3 - 4 flames

When love and hate collide

Blurb

Ten years ago we became family.

He’s tormented me ever since.

They both have...

Our parents may have fallen in love, but there’s no love lost between us.

Even though I know he hates me, I think he hates that he wants me more than anything else.

And what he doesn’t know, is that I think I want him too.

About the Authors

Yolanda Olson is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author. Born and raised in Bridgeport, CT where she currently resides, she usually spends her time watching her favorite channel, Investigation Discovery. Occasionally, she takes a break to write books and test the limits of her mind. Also an avid horror movie fan, she likes to incorporate dark elements into the majority of her books.

Ally Vance is an International Bestselling Author who writes in the Dark Romance & Horror genres. Ally has been writing since she was a teenager, and it had been a long-time dream of hers to finally become a published author. Ally lives in Kent, in the United Kingdom, with her husband, son, and their two crazy kitties; Kian and Declan.

Social Media Links

Yolanda Olson | Ally Vance

Friday 17 June 2022

Caught Off Guard by Beth Laycock #kindleunlimited #giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Caught Off Guard

Author: Beth Laycock

Publisher: Rainbow Romance Press

Cover Artist: Free to be creative

Release Date: June 15, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance, Military Romance

Tropes: Forced proximity, friends to lovers, brat MC

Themes: Hurt/comfort

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: approx 40 000 words

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

He’d risk his life to find his brother. But he never expected to risk his heart.

Blurb

Three months since his brother went MIA, and Lane Matthews is tired of waiting for answers from overseas. Calling in a favour from his CO, he gets a posting to Jeddah—his first overseas deployment and where his brother was stationed—and the opportunity to try to find him.

Life in a foreign land isn’t quite as he imagined, and neither are his duties. And while his first encounter with his housemate, Tristan, may be memorable, it’s for all the wrong reasons.

Tristan catches him off guard but falling for the hot—straight?—soldier is definitely not in his future. Tensions rise as Lane gets closer to discovering the truth behind his brother’s disappearance, but even the best-laid plans can get swept off course and lost like a grain of sand in the desert.

This MM military romance from Beth Laycock features an age gap, a bratty MC, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, and of course a HEA.

Excerpt

The driver parked up, and I clambered out of the car as if I were waking from a dream—the heat a slap in the face after the blast of the AC. My CO, or who I assumed was my commanding officer, strode my way, every inch the army man with the stiff walk and straight back.

“Matthews?” He thrust a meaty hand at me, and I shook it as he crushed my palm in his.

“Yes, sir. Lane, Lane Matthews. The Duke of Lancaster’s regiment.”

“Major Tibbins. Glad to have you here. I won’t lie; we struggled to cover the last guard’s shifts when he left, so we’re happy to have you here.”

Guard? What guard? He released my hand and clapped me on the back. I staggered under the weight, catching myself before I stumbled.

“We’ll start you on gate duty in the hut you just drove past, but you’ll probably be able to rotate with the others soon. Anyway, I just wanted to welcome you, but I’ll let you get settled in. Reception has your accommodation details and duty roster. You’re not on until tomorrow afternoon, but I’ll swing by before then. Any questions, just let me know. I’m here to help you settle in.”

He waited a beat, but when all I could do was nod in response, he strode off, leaving me to stare after him, more than a little shell-shocked.

I shuffled into reception and waited as the man behind the counter spoke to a woman with a kid sat on her hip about the nursery. Army wife? Another woman popped up behind the desk before I could give it more consideration.

“Hi, can I help you?”

After a whirlwind of paperwork, I left with a set of keys and a folder of documents. I grabbed the map and followed the tarmac path-slash-road into a housing complex. I wound my way through the houses until I found mine in the corner and fumbled the key into the lock as I finished reading my roster.

After more years than I wanted to consider in the reserves, my first proper assignment would be as a guard. A glorified fucking babysitter. What the fuck? This was not how I imagined my first overseas posting with the army. Not leaving the compound all day. I wouldn’t be a soldier like my brother. How the hell was I going to find out what had happened to him—if he was even alive still—if I would be stuck in a hut all alone?

I needed to find the soldiers he served with, question them. Find out what they were doing to locate Jake. I couldn’t just wander onto their base, and I knew none of his teammates to ask. I was screwed. And I couldn’t help but wonder if Steve, my CO back home, and maybe my dad seeing as he went way back with Steve, had had a hand in keeping me on the compound. Probably with how Steve had helped me get posted here in the first place.

I slammed the front door shut with my foot, still staring at the goddamned piece of paper, and flung my rucksack to the floor. It knocked into the console table and rattled a can of pens. I slapped the handle of my suitcase down so hard the case fell over and crashed against the wall. A groan of frustration slipped out as I slumped against the doorway and buried my hands in my hair.

“You quite finished taking your tantrum out on my home?”

The deep voice had me jerking away from the wall as my eyes flew open. I’d thought I was alone. Why was there someone in my house? Wait, his home? “I wasn’t having a tantrum.”

One thin eyebrow arched in response and, yeah, sounding like a spoilt brat wasn’t my best defence. But then all reasonable thoughts disappeared as the surprise of someone else being there wore off and I took in the man standing before me.

A man I could’ve conjured straight from my spank bank: a couple of inches taller than my six feet and much, much broader than me. With his bare chest, it was all too easy to see just how ripped he was, and I licked my lips in response. His dog tags nestled in the valley between his pecs and my gaze wandered lower over each peak and dip of his abs and traced the veins disappearing beneath the waistband of his shorts.

He cleared his throat and my gaze shot up to his, meeting dark brown eyes that seemed to mock me. Do not blatantly check out guys you’ve just met, Lane. Unless you want to get punched. Especially not a straight guy, if the edge to his glare was anything to go by. I gulped.

“It sure sounded like a tantrum.”

“I didn’t know anybody else was here.”

He smirked and a dimple appeared, softening the sharp angles of his jaw that was accentuated by the hard bristles of his beard. “So, it’s not a tantrum if you’re alone?”

About the Author

Beth Laycock’s books are influenced by her time living overseas as well as the gritty, urban landscape of the north of England where she grew up. She has been reading romance since she was old enough to tell herself that line every book lover does—just one more chapter.

As a teenager, she attempted to write her first novel, and many more since then are still gathering dust on her bookshelf. It wasn’t until she discovered the M/M genre that her muse showed up and refused to quit telling her stories about beautiful men finding love together. She hasn’t stopped scribbling them down since. Beth’s muse usually shows up when she is in the shower, is allergic to cleaning, rarely lets her watch TV, and insists she drinks copious amounts of coffee so she can turn caffeine into words.

Beth’s books range from sweet to sexy, long to short, contemporary to paranormal, but a HEA is always guaranteed.

Social Media Links

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an ebook from the author's backlist and a $10 Amazon gift card

Tuesday 14 June 2022

Symphony for Connor by Shane Ulrrein

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Symphony for Connor

Author: Shane Ulrrein

Publisher: Deep Desires Press

Cover Artist: DreamScape Cover Designs

Release Date: March 4, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance/Mystery

Tropes: Opposites attract

Themes: Coming of age, Gay College/ Tragic/Dark/Sad/Spicy Romance

Heat Rating: 4 out of 5 flames

Length: 60 510 words/207 pages

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Publisher’s note: Symphony for Connor contains scenes of suicidal ideation and the death of a main character.

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David falls in love with Connor—a man in every way his opposite—but he can’t stay away, no matter how toxic this relationship becomes.

Blurb

“David Schoenberg is shy, nerdy, and has big dreams of becoming the next great composer. Those dreams seem to become reality when he is newly admitted to the Barnard School of Music, a selective academy for future musicians and artists.

It's here that David meets and falls in love with fellow freshman, Connor Pfeif. Connor is handsome, a gifted composer, and the biggest flake in school. He’s everything the studious, hard-working David isn’t, and no matter how David feels about him, it seems Connor would never return that affection.

This all changes when the truth comes out after a wild party and David and Connor form a deeper bond than either of them has ever known.

But with this newfound love comes a dark side as he learns terrible truths about his new boyfriend—unfinished relationships, a history of reckless behavior, and suicidal tendencies. Things turn tragic and ugly, putting David to the ultimate test as he must decide if he can stand with the greatest love of his life.

Publisher's note: Symphony for Connor contains scenes of suicidal ideation and the death of a lead character.”

Excerpt

“I was seated in front of a desk, playing with the keys on one of the lab keyboards, trying to create something, anything, for the next part of my symphony. My music notebook lay flat on the side ready to absorb all of my best ideas, but, still, nothing was coming to me. Many times, I’d stop playing and end up tapping the end of my pencil on my manuscript paper, racking my brains, my mind blank like the staves.

Earlier, I had come up with a great theme for my symphony, a melody that I’d played that sounded good and had wanted to repeat over and over in my piece. Yet, once I heard the tune again in my head, somehow, the very last note didn’t sound right to me.

I played the theme countless times, but, for some reason, I kept harping and insisting on another note. I had to play the whole damn A scale up on the piano but got stuck on the penultimate note. I played it again and again but didn’t finish. I sat here, straining hard in my chair, my eyes and eyebrows raised, trying to find it.

“It’s that last note,” I said aloud, angrily.

It was driving me crazy! At that moment, I wondered if Connor was having any composer problems like me with his project. Then again, he was the compositional genius in Barnard that I doubted he’d have any trouble writing an entire symphony. He was probably already done, smiling smugly at me with his good-looking face in my head.

Slowly, I began to picture my cute boyfriend, shirtless or maybe in his underwear. Or maybe naked and sprawled all over the piano in front of me, smiling, just like during that magical sleepover when we’d made love on his bed in his messy room. I was getting aroused and lusted over him, not even bothering to finish my project.

The other night, I had an erotic dream about Connor. He was standing naked in my shower, staring at me, while smoking a cigarette. My boyfriend had a longing, sensuous stare on his face, the water dancing all over his beautiful, bare body. Every trickle rode his alluring curves as they accentuated his divine nudity, my eyes following as they circled around his cute belly button then went down to his nether region.

There was a small window facing out from inside my shower that let in the daylight that shone on my attractive boyfriend. The bright light illuminated Connor’s boyish face, and I could almost touch his soft-looking skin that was wet from the shower.

“Fuck me, David,” he said in his sexy, breathy voice. “Please.”

It was that same seductive voice that always excited me, and it all soon became the biggest homoerotic dream of my entire life. I’d had plenty of other steamy dreams when I was a teen, but this was definitely the hottest one yet. I remembered the next morning when I'd woken up, the inside of my pajama bottoms had been moist, and I'd felt hot and sweaty, as though I’d actually taken a refreshing schpritz with that fuckable guy.

Then, all of a sudden, I began to feel warm and really turned on. I looked down and saw a small bulge from the crotch of my shorts that only seemed to grow bigger. Connor was giving me such a hard-on that I was so glad I was alone in the student lab!

Oh, shit, I wailed inside of my head. I’m soooo horny.

I needed Connor; I needed him right now so badly that it hurt. He'd really wanted me to fuck him in my dream and now, I wanted to fuck him. And I wanted it to feel exactly like that very special night when I’d lost my virginity to him. My boyfriend was like a catchy tune that got stuck in my head, no matter what I did to try to get him out.

But he was more like that elusive song you fell in love with and searched everywhere to find out what it was and who sang it. That infectious melody that you just begged to hear one more time and would do anything to own forever. He was like that. Connor was so addictive, and I just had to see him again and again. It was like tapping “Repeat” on that song from your playlist for the hundredth time, only you never get tired of it…”

About the Author

Shane Ulrrein is a life-long storyteller and first-time LGBT author currently living in Orange County, California, USA, who one day dreams of leaving his home in sunny Southern California for the wet, dreary weather of England.

Mr. Ulrrein has a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition in California State University, Fullerton and is a proud member of the LGBT community. In his spare time, Mr. Ulrrein likes to draw, read, and write music that he hopes someday will be heard in all the great concert halls in the world.

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Monday 13 June 2022

Redeeming Jayden by Brina Brady #kindleunlimited #giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Redeeming Jayden

Author and Publisher: Brina Brady

Cover Artist: Brina Brady

Release Date: June 10, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Age Gap, Hurt/Comfort

Themes: Trust

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 61 972 words/ 232 pages

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Blurb

JAYDEN BARRON

Twenty-two-year-old artist Jayden Barron is summoned home from New York City by his father to assist in the family business of painting and selling replica art to international rogue buyers. Nothing prepares him for what he encounters when he arrives, however, his entire family is missing.

Those his father has been dealing with rarely return missing people alive. The family attorney sends Jayden out of the country for his protection, straight into a haunted castle with a singing ghost who leaves him lilacs in the middle of the night. Fortunately, the castle also has Harlan Wendell.

HARLAN WENDELL

Affluent, generous, thirty-two-year-old, German interpreter, Harlan Wendell has every material possession he could want, but no love in his life. He hires young Jayden to recreate his family portraits lost in a fire. It isn't long before he realizes that Jayden is much more than an employee to him, and they begin a relationship that fulfills both their desires.

When events take a dramatic turn and secrets are revealed, can Harlan protect Jayden and their love?

Age Gap, Rogue Artist, German Translator, Haunted Castle, Missing Family, Secrets, Steamy, MM Romance Suspense, HEA, KU

Excerpt

Harlan unlocked the door and let them inside the room. He wanted to know why Harlan had called him to the Fireplace room. He had dismissed his guards and his assistant. What does he need to discuss now?

“Sit down and make yourself comfortable. Can I get you some wine?”

“I’d like a full glass,” Jayden said as he relaxed in a very comfy chair.

Offering him wine right away made him worry he had bad news. He couldn’t take any more sadness, especially about his family. Something positive would help. Getting drunk would also help, but Harlan didn’t allow his employees to drink to oblivion. Right now, he wished he could meet his Academy friends for a drink at the English pub in Greenwich Village. He should have told his father no; he had his own life to live. He might have been in New York, not here with a deliciously sexy man acting like a world leader.

Harlan poured red wine into two crystal goblets, handed him one, then sat in the other plush chair.

“Is everything okay so far?” Harlan asked.

“Not exactly. Some strange things happened last night.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this morning?” Harlan crossed his arms.

“I had to check some things out first.” He didn’t look like he had a lot of patience. Why does he act like he’s a king? Get over yourself.

“Tell me now,” he ordered.

“When I was sleeping, someone came in my room and put a vase of lilacs on my dresser. My door was locked.” For some reason, Harlan didn’t look a bit shocked. He behaved as if it were a normal occurrence in the castle. Then he remembered what Mr. Wagner had told him about the castle being haunted. At the time, he hadn’t believed in such things as castles haunted by ghosts. Someone could be living here without Harlan’s knowledge, but he seemed to be a man of details. Nothing would get past him.

“I didn’t put lilacs in your room. The only other people with the keys to your room are your guards, and I doubt they would do that as a joke.”

“I don’t think they would either. Maybe a ghost did.”

“A ghost! It could very well be. Stranger things have happened around here in the past. No one has ever seen a ghost, but doors slam and sometimes, things break without an explanation. It’s been like that since I was a child.”

“Why don’t we look for who is pretending to be a ghost?”

“So far, we haven’t had any problems. If it’s a ghost, it’s a friendly one. I don’t think about it that much anymore.”

“I’d like Blaine to bunk in my room, so I’m not alone.”

“Blaine is only seventeen. He can’t sleep with you.” He clenched his teeth and shot Jayden a death stare.

“Did I say anything about sleeping with him? There’s a smaller bed along the wall.” Jayden raised his voice more than he had wanted to.

“I’m not allowing it.”

“What do you think will go on in my room with Blaine?” Jayden scrunched up his face in anger, puzzled by Harlan’s unfounded jealousy.

“Don’t you see how he looks at you? He admires you a lot more than you realize.”

“And how is that?” He thought Harlan was overreacting and imagining something that didn’t exist.

“He wants to have a relationship with you.”

“That’s nuts. We’re not going to fuck. Are you jealous of Blaine?”

Harlan threw his wine goblet at the fireplace; the shattering glass pained Jayden’s ears. For a moment, everything blurred after his outburst.

Jayden teared up from Harlan’s behavior. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong, but Blaine just wants to be friends.”

Harlan frowned at Jayden. “He’s not staying in your room. I’m not a fool.”

Jayden stood up and wiped his tears with the back of his hands. “Fuck this shit. I’m out of here. I don’t understand why you’re talking shit about me or Blaine.”

“There will be consequences for your blatant disrespect to me. I don’t allow anyone to speak to me in that manner.” He glared at him.

“And I don’t allow anyone to break shit out of anger around me,” Jayden shouted back at him.

“You will do what I tell you to do, so I can keep you safe. You’ll be punished for being disrespectful to me.”

“Punished. I don’t get punished.” Jayden gulped the rest of his wine.

“You will when I discuss the consequences for breaking the rules after you sign a contract.”

“What are you talking about?” Jayden was beyond confused. If he continued to act like this, there would be no contract. He was so immature and jealous for no reason.

About the Author

I am from Huntington Beach, Ca. I taught various subjects at a Continuation High School in Los Angeles, California for 27 years. I obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in History, Secondary Social Science Credential and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Reading and Secondary Education from California State University, Long Beach. I also enrolled in some creative writing classes at UCLA.

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