Phoenix Rising (An M/M/M Romance) by Valerie Ullmer

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Phoenix Rising (An M/M/M Romance)

Author and Publisher: Valerie Ullmer

Cover Artist: Valerie Ullmer

Release Date: August 6, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M/M Romance

Tropes: Best friends to lovers, bisexual awakening, best friends in love with the same man, and hot sexy times

Themes: Moving past childhood trauma

Length:  57 000 words/ 209 pages

Heat Rating: 5 flames

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

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Two best friends want the same man.

Will all three be able to fall in love and make their relationship work?

Blurb

Phoenix Aalto had everything he wanted in life.
His own bakery, close friends, and his plants.

There was nothing more he could ask for after escaping the life his father wanted for him.

Or that’s the lie he told himself each time the two men of his dreams walked into his bakery, looking every bit a happy couple. He wasn’t delusional enough to believe it was more than a one-sided attraction, but it didn’t stop him from daydreaming of something more.

Luka Kavka lived with his best friend, and they ran a successful landscaping business together. He’d come out during college, but like his friend, no one lasted more than a date.

But a routine meeting in an out of way bakery with a real estate developer changed his fate.

Burton Horváth loved life. Working with his best friend while living with him was everything he thought needed.
When he spotted Phoenix behind the counter, everything he knew about his life changed. The younger man wasn’t his first crush on a man. If he were honest with himself, that honor would go to Luka. But he was the one who shook up his viewpoint at thirty-one years old and made him want a change.

Luka and Burton agreed they would ease into letting Phoenix know they were interested, which included months of daily visits. But change for all three men came when Luka charged in, giving Luka and Burton the opening they needed.

But as they navigate their newfound relationship, will the obstacles from Phoenix’s father allow them to find their happiness?

Excerpt 

Get it together, Phoenix!

“Don’t touch him.”

My mouth dropped open as breathing became difficult. A shiver of pleasure fluttered over my body at the sound of his deep, commanding voice.

A scant ‘sorry’ was all I heard, since I couldn’t take my eyes off the giant of a man, even when I noted movement in my peripheral and the sound of my poor, old-fashioned shopkeeper’s bell being abused.

“Woo! That was one of the… nope, the hottest thing I’ve witnessed in ages. For a second there, I wondered if you were going to rip his arms off, big guy, all because he dared to grab our Phoenix here,” Arthur said as he fanned himself.

“It’s Luka.”

There was a pulse of desire in my lower stomach, and I stifled a gasp when my cock swelled underneath my jeans. Grateful I had the area covered with an apron.

I wanted to join my friend in fanning myself because the temperature climbed in the minute since Luka stepped in to help me.

“And I’m Burton. It’s nice to meet you, Phoenix.” The blond adonis held out his hand.

Reason fled as the eagerness of the situation presented to me overrode self-preservation. I placed my hand in Burton’s stronger, calloused one and sucked on my bottom lip as the tingle from his touch radiated up my arm and spread throughout. Images of me splayed out on a bed as Burton teased me with his warm hands while Luka’s voice washed over me until I erupted in an intense... Fuck!

Okay! Not nice to fantasize about two men who were a couple standing right in front of me.

“It’s also nice to meet you, Burton. Luka.”

“I’ve never seen you blush that shade of peach before, honey. I’m gonna call Jude and tell him.”

Leave it up to my best friend to embarrass me.

“It’s lovely,” Luka said as he ran the back of his finger down my cheek before he cupped my face.

In that moment, I considered the possibility of my entire body igniting into flames, all from Luka’s tiny gesture that, for the first time in my life, didn’t make me recoil. In a weak moment, I wanted to know the touch of the man cupping my cheek and burrowed into his hand.

Then I remembered he wasn’t available and leaned away.

“Sorry, I should’ve asked you before I touched you,” Luka said.

I shook my head back and forth before I found the words, “No, it’s okay. You can. I’m not used to it.”

“What about me? Can I touch you?” Burton asked.

My eyes widened, and I nodded, staring at the bewitching man, who was even more stunning up close. “If… if you want to?”

Arthur chuckled. “Give it up for Phoenix, ladies and gentlemen. He attracts two specimens of male perfection without a clue they’re flirting with him.”

He mumbled as he moved around the counter to clean the tables, leaving me alone with the two gorgeous men. Or at least I believed no one was around. There was no dragging my attention away from them.

“Uh…” I sounded daft as I looked back and forth between the two, confusion swamping me because I was a mess; the decorated apron with green vines and leaves along with depictions of pastries and the logo of my shop, Phoenix Rising, had chocolate stains and other food items I couldn’t identify. My hair stood up in all directions, and I’m pretty sure my fingers were sticky with frosting.

As my synapses fired back up, I swallowed around the dryness in my throat and said, “Just ignore him. He’s still in the honeymoon phase, despite being married for years, and sees romance everywhere.”

Until this conversation, I hadn’t spoken more than a word or two to either of these men. But now they were in front of me, both holding expressions of faint amusement as they stared at me, and I felt faint. And in order to cover my ineptitude in social situations, out came the verbal onslaught.

“Is it hot in here? It’s hot, right? I mean… um, what were we talking about? Oh, right? My deluded best friend thinks, well, stupid things that are out of the realm of possibility because whatever he’s imagining doesn’t happen in real life and as far as I can tell, I’m awake and working. Are you two together? Shit, I did not mean for that to escape my mouth because nosy much, Phoenix? It’s not my business. Over the past several months, I couldn’t miss observing that you two make an exquisite couple. And on that note, I’ll stop talking now,” ending on a groan.

Burton glanced at Luka, who kept his eyes on me the entire time, and beamed at the taller man.

About the Author 

Valerie writes romances.

Valerie resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband. While she had been interested in writing a romance novel for years, it wasn’t until she wrote her first book that she really became hooked, and now she can’t stop. She has notebooks full of ideas, and she plans to write most of them in the years to come.

When she’s not writing or learning about the craft of writing, she can be found surfing the internet way too much, watching Investigation Discovery and thinking that her neighbors are up to no good, and finding new ways to get her husband to laugh.

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Hunt In The Night by S. J. Coles

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Hunt In The Night (Blood and Bonds series #3)

Author: S. J. Coles

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Release Date: August 6, 2024

Genre:  Contemporary Paranormal Mystery/Cop

Tropes:  Bi Awakening, Vampire, Men In Uniform, Gay For You

Themes: Coming out, forgiveness 

Length:  71 136 words/282 pages

Heat Rating:  4 flames

It is book 3 of 3. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links 

Publisher   |   Universal Link 

Hunting killers is Mason’s job. But falling for a vampire is the scariest thing he’s ever done.

Blurb

Detective Inspector Mason Walker is good at his job. He has never focused on much else in his life. Women come and go. Friends take time he doesn’t have to spare. The job is constant. He works hard and has built a reputation for determination and integrity.

Now his skills are needed more than ever. The level of violence in York has risen, involving both the haemophile and human communities. These are unexplored waters for Mason, with both political and professional implications, and Mason is afraid to lose his way.

But there’s been a murder—a haemophile—and Mason’s facing the question of not only who committed the dreadful crime but how? Nothing seems to be adding up. And being assigned a haemophile partner, Special Officer Cai Bracken, a freelance detective working for the Met Police, only increases his tension.

What’s really unnerving is that Cai is not only making Mason question his professional convictions, but his personal preferences, too…his most personal preferences.

With so much at stake, can Mason really cope with overhauling his police work and his personal life all at once?

Excerpt 

Sunset was still an hour away when Mason pulled in at Oswald House, but the day already felt like it had lasted twice as long as any other he had lived through. Fatigue from the sleepless night was like an undertow tugging at his brain. But his heart was skipping about when he pressed the doorbell.

Jesse Truelove opened the door. He blinked when he recognized Mason.

“Any news?” he asked as he stepped back to allow Mason inside.

“Not yet I’m afraid,” he said, glancing up the stairs. “I’m here to see SO Bracken.”

Truelove raised his eyebrows. “No one’s supposed to know he’s here…not even you.”

“I am a detective, you know. And I have a matter of some urgency to discuss with him.”

“Well, you’re a little early, mate,” Truelove drawled, glancing at his watch.

“I know,” Mason said awkwardly. “If there’s just somewhere I could maybe wait? I don’t want to be in the way.”

“Detective Inspector Walker?”

Mason turned. Tom Addams was there. His face was strained. There were shadows under his eyes. “Anything?”

“I’m sorry…no, not yet,” Mason said with sincere regret.

“He’s here to see Cai,” Truelove said.

“There is one thing I wanted to ask you about, actually, Mr. Truelove.”

“Mate, please,” Truelove said, opening the door to the same sitting room as before. “Call me Jesse. I’m changing my name soon anyway.”

“Jesse,” Mason said, taking a seat on the sofa as Tom took the armchair and Jesse perched on the sofa arm. “It was that that I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t want to sound insensitive, but have you and the Baron considered postponing your wedding?”

Jesse exchanged glances with Tom. “Yes. We considered it. I did more than consider it, if I’m honest.”

“I heard their shouting match from the other end of the house,” Tom said with a smile.

Jesse made a noisy sigh. “We’re not postponing.”

“Jesse,” Mason started, but Tom interrupted him.

“Darragh fought very long and hard for Emory and Jesse’s wedding to be allowed to happen,” he said. “He would want it to go ahead. Otherwise, there’s no point to any of it.”

“Okay,” Mason said. “I understand. I just wanted to make sure someone had mentioned the idea.”

“They’ve both mentioned it,” Tom said. “And I told them the same thing I told you. The wedding is going ahead.”

“You’re a stubborn asshole, you know that?” Jesse said to Tom, but he was smiling.

“Darragh would never forgive me if we just gave up.”

“It’s not giving up,” Jesse argued. “It’s just looking at the bigger picture.”

“And what did Emory say when you said that to him?”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Let’s not have this argument again.”

“Okay, we won’t,” Tom said with a shaky smile and stood. “Now, if you don’t need anything else, I have a security sweep to run.”

Tom left and Jesse stared after him with a haunted expression.

“I’m very sorry you’re having to go through all this.”

“Not your fault,” Jesse murmured. “Just catch the bastard. That’s all we want.” Mason nodded, even though Jesse wasn’t looking at him. Jesse stood. “You can wait here if you want. Get you anything? Coffee? Something stronger?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Mason said. “I’ll just wait here, if that’s okay.”

“Knock yourself out,” Jesse said, and left.

The room was warm. The sofa was comfortable. The light grew dimmer, and Mason’s eyes began to droop.

A touch on Mason’s hand brought him out of a soft, pleasant dream. He blinked groggily. Bracken was sitting in the armchair.

“You should get some proper sleep.”

Mason sat up, rubbing his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have nodded off.” He blinked at Bracken, all the feelings he’d told himself he’d keep suppressed rushing to the surface. “You didn’t call back.”

Bracken’s expression closed. He stood. “Not here.”

Mason followed Bracken along a corridor, down some stairs and through a series of locked doors to a comfortably furnished room. There was a wardrobe, a sofa, a desk covered in papers and an open laptop. There were minimalist paintings on the walls, several shelves of books and a large TV. It was airy and comfortable, but with no windows. No bed.

“This is where you sleep?”

Bracken indicated an inner door locked with a numbered keypad. “I have a secure sleeping cell through there, completely up to grade.” Bracken gave him a pained look. “Walker, no one’s supposed to know I’m here.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not exactly neutral ground, is it? But it’s not like I can check into the nearest hotel, either.”

“I think you’re capable of keeping your sleeping arrangements separate from your professional duties.”

Bracken lifted an eyebrow. “Well, that’s loaded.”

Mason sank onto the sofa. “I’m sorry. I…I didn’t sleep last night.”

About the Author

S.J. Coles is a Romance writer originally from Shropshire, UK. She has been writing stories for as long as she has been able to read them. Her biggest passion is exploring narratives through character relationships.

She finds writing LGBT/paranormal romance provides many unique and fulfilling opportunities to explore many (often neglected or under-represented) aspects of human experience, expectation, emotion and sexuality.

Among her biggest influences are LGBT Romance authors K J Charles and Josh Lanyon and Vampire Chronicles author Anne Rice.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter 

Instagram  |   Pride Publishing

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