Ugly Beautiful People by CJ Bedell #giveaway

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Book Title: Ugly Beautiful People

Author: CJ Bedell 

Publisher: Next Chapter Publishing 

Cover Artist: Lordan June Pinote 

Release Date: August 31, 2023

Genres: Adult LGBTQ Thriller (3 out of 5 point of view characters are bisexual)

Themes: Coming out, Self-acceptance, finding yourself, death, grief, loss

Heat Rating:  3 flames

Length: 59 000 words/249 pages

The book stands alone, but it is intended to be the first book in a trilogy.

It ends on a small cliffhanger. Most of the plot points that happen in Book 1 are wrapped up, though.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US  | Amazon UK  |  B & N |  Kobo

Welcome to Crescent Hills where beauty only runs so deep. Scandal lurks just below the surface behind the McMansions, designer clothes, and fancy cars. And a death will bring the lies, secrets, and betrayals to a boil.

Blurb

Welcome to Crescent Hills, where beauty only runs so deep. Scandal lurks below the surface behind the McMansions, designer clothes, and fancy cars. When the town is shaken by the disappearance of journalist Ivy Fields, whispers of betrayal and intrigue begin to unravel the threads binding its elite residents.

Audrey, haunted by her own past, is determined to unveil the truth behind Ivy's disappearance, hoping to find closure she never received. Amidst this, Marcia grapples with the confines of her seemingly perfect marriage, leading her down a dangerous path. At the same time, a young Ben navigates the complexities of love, friendship, and societal expectations. Meanwhile, Cassandra's life gets disrupted by a ghost from her past.

As Crescent Hills residents confront their own dilemmas, the shadow of Ivy's disappearance looms large. For behind every beautiful façade, there are secrets yearning to be exposed, and as they say, the past always finds a way to catch up.

Excerpt 

Birds screeched when Audrey opened her eyes. She yawned, then stretched. Her back hairs stuck up. Audrey might’ve been lying on the seating of the pontoon boat, but black no longer veiled the sky. Instead, sunlight beamed from the cloudless sky. 

Audrey scanned the boat. Ivy was gone. 

Dread filled Audrey’s insides—she couldn’t think of one logical explanation as to why Ivy would no longer be on the boat. Audrey did the only thing she could and leaned up against the edge of the boat and peered into the water. No sign of Ivy. 

Something vibrated from her jean’s right pocket and she whipped out her iPhone. Sawyer was calling her. “Hello?” Audrey asked. 

“I wanted to see how you were doing this morning.” Sawyer chuckled. “And don’t worry. I’m not mad you decided to have a fun night with Ivy. Just glad Ivy texted me about you staying over at her place. Most people wouldn’t be so courteous.” 

“I’m still on the boat,” Audrey blurted. “And Ivy is nowhere to be found.” 

“Come again?”
“We never went back to shore and had dinner.”
“How much did you drink last night?”
“Just one gin and tonic.”

A folded piece of paper on the driver’s seat of the boat caught Audrey’s attention, and she rushed over to it. “I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go,” she said. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.” 

Audrey pressed END before shoving her iPhone back into her pocket. Then, she unfolded the note and read it. 

Dear Audrey,
I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but I’ve been very unhappy 

with my life for a long time, and I’ve decided to end my life.

I know my suicide will probably come as a shock to you. However, 

please always think of me fondly. 

Love, 

Ivy 

Audrey crumbled the note and it fell onto the floor of the boat. After that, she screamed. Tragedies were supposed to be something that she watched on the news, not witnessed first- hand. But no explanation was necessary about how cruel life was and the universe often had a twisted sense of humor. 

Tears welled in Audrey’s eyes. Nothing could’ve prepared her for this moment, because she wanted to cry. And cry. And cry. Ivy couldn’t be dead; she was only thirty-seven. So, she still had a little more than half her life left. 

Ivy was in trouble and Audrey hadn’t seen the signs. So, 

Audrey’d never forgive herself for Ivy’s suicide. Audrey had failed Ivy, and she couldn’t fathom how she’d continue with life. 

Audrey’s throat tightened. Perhaps Ivy’s death was only meant to resemble a suicide and was really murder. There was a reason people always touted the saying about life being stranger than fiction. Audrey shook her head. Yeah, that had to have been it. Ivy couldn’t have been desperate enough to commit suicide. 

The only thing Audrey was certain of was that Ivy was nowhere to be found. And that was why she’d get to the bottom of Ivy’s death. Whether someone murdered Ivy or Ivy actually committed suicide, there had to be more to the story. 

About the Author  

Chris Bedell is the author of over a dozen novels. He also graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.

Author Links

Twitter  |   Instagram

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of two ebook copies of Pieces of My Life. 

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Lonely Diner by Dann Hazel #kindleunlimited

NEW RELEASE 

Book Title: Lonely Diner

Author: Dann Hazel

Publisher: The Original Press

Cover Artist: Josh Fippen; Photograph by Cura Photography

Release Date: December 4, 2023

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Military Romance, Coming Out, Overcoming Adversity, Second Chances

Themes: Dealing with Trauma, Gay in a New City, Forgiveness

Heat Rating:  4 flames   

Length:  109 000 words

It is part of a series, but each novel can be read as a standalone. 

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

 Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

Two conflicted military men. A longing for happiness. One Lonely Diner, where people often search for a recipe for love. (The food is good there, too.)

Blurb

Two conflicted military men. A longing for happiness. One Lonely Diner, where people often search for a recipe for love. (The food is good there, too.)

One man plays it straight. Another grieves over a lost best friend with benefits.

Everyone thought they were meant for each other. Lance, an Air Force computer engineer, and Ryan, a former submariner in the Navy and now a military college professor, are gay men blinded by the painful wounds of their past decisions. Both men are ready for love. But because of their pasts, they’ve slammed the brakes on their desires.

Now thirty years old, a younger Ryan Ball decides he can be happy only by conforming to social expectations. So what does he do? He decides he must have a wife and kids. Though he acknowledges that he can never be straight, he is convinced that with effort, determination, alcohol and erectile dysfunction meds, he can play the necessary roles.

Vikki, Ryan’s girlfriend in high school and now his wife, begs to differ.

At thirty-one, Lance Dingle falls for his best friend and roommate, Randy, a stunt pilot who agrees to a friends-with-benefits arrangement. From Lance’s perspective, there’s a spark in their arrangement that Randy denies. Then, tragedy strikes. Lance finds himself alone and lonely, living with memories of Randy and an ever-expanding list of “what-might-have-beens.” Finally forcing himself into the dating scene, Lance discovers that Mr. Right is more elusive than he ever imagined.

Then, Callie Yenti, transwoman, drag performer extraordinaire and entrepreneur, enters the picture. She owns the popular Lonely Diner and possesses an uncanny insight into the workings of the heart.

Even the complicated hearts of her two hard-headed friends, Lance and Ryan.

An HEA gay romance.

Trigger Warning: This novel includes scenes from a sexual assault and a PTSD episode.

Excerpt 

It was at this point—this question—that Ryan slammed both hands flat against the table. He heard Diamond’s short scream and grimaced. He lowered his voice. “Okay. Fine. The two of you want the truth? The whole truth? You’ll have it, then.” 

​He could imagine what Vikki would say. She would never have advised handling his parents the way he intended now. ​

Ryan inhaled deeply. “For years now, I have denied a big part of who I am. In my denial, I asked Vikki to make a sacrifice—a sacrifice of which she was unaware for years—while I sorted my shit out. A fool’s way of avoiding the truth. It took a stint in the Navy but finally, I did. I sorted everything out and realized I am gay. There. I said it. And I said it without fear or shame.” ​

“Oh, dear God!” Mr. Ball’s voice boomed, echoing against the walls of the dining room. “What kind of farce do you have in store for us next? That you’ve fallen in love with a sailor, and with him, you intend to live happily ever after?” A pause. Then: “Gay!” He spat out the word. “Another fad. Another trend. It’s not real. I’ve known men who thought they were homosexuals, then after years of lying to themselves passed, I discovered they were happily married with children.” 

​“How many people have you told?” Mrs. Ball demanded. “To what degree have you brought shame to this family?” And then, after a thought: “And what about Vikki? Can you say with certainty that you’re really Diamond’s father? After all, you’ve been at sea for months at a time.”

 ​“Wait just a minute!” Ryan’s voice exploded. “First, I must say that your assertion is offensive—both to me and, I’m sure, to Vikki. Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I can’t perform sexually with a woman.” He turned to his father. “Which probably is part of the reason why your gay acquaintances were able to pull the wool over your eyes so successfully. Being gay is more than just sex, you know.” 

​Mr. Ball glared at his son. “I am so fearful of what will happen to this country when your generation takes the reins.” 

​“Just—stop it! Just shut the fuck up! Both of you. I’m tired of it. Tired of the bullshit.” 

​The expression on both parents’ faces confirmed the fact that their son had never spoken to them using this tone, these words. ​

Ryan lowered his voice to a subtle whisper. “What Vikki and I are dealing with? Well, it’s our concern. No one else’s.” 

​Then, a voice. Vikki’s voice. Coming from the doorway. Diamond, still absorbed in her coloring activity in the family room. 

​“Please understand. Both of you. I was able to handle your son’s honesty. Was I deeply hurt when I discovered the truth? Yes. Of course. And I’m sure you bear some hurt of your own. But you should not weaponize that hurt into anger against your son. It’s important that you try to do what Ryan and I did. It took some effort, but it was worth it. With open communication and a willingness to be accessible to one another, we began to work things out. I know there are still challenges ahead of us, especially with our little girl. That’s uncharted territory, to be sure. But Diamond is loved. By both of us. We will still be a family, even when Ryan is in Florida and I’m here, in Virginia. We want both of you to be a part of our family. But that’s not going to happen if the two of you can‘t see your way forward to cultivate a little understanding.” 

​To avoid escalating the situation even more, what Vikki and Ryan did not say was that Mr. and Mrs. Ball would never see their grandchild again if they could not surmount their anger, doubt and resentment.

About the Author

Dann Hazel has been writing both fiction and nonfiction for more than twenty years. 

Besides writing romance, he has taught high school English and journalism, college psychology and human sexuality, directed federal grants and worked as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital. His fiction genre interests include thrillers, horror, literary and gay romance. He has published the Some Like It Haute Gay Romance Series, including Room for Dessert, My Own Private Biscuit and Lonely Diner.

Nonfiction works include Witness: Gay and Lesbian Clergy Report from the Front and Moving On: The Gay Man’s Guide for Coping When a Relationship Ends.

Dann’s personal interests include reading and writing, cinema, jogging, Broadway, keeping abreast of current events and travel.

Currently, Dann lives in Central Florida with his husband, Josh, and their American Eskimo canine, Flurry.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook (Some Like It Haute)  |  Instagram

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