Blog Tour + $50 Gift Card Giveaway: Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant

Posted on 04/25/2016 by Saucy Southern Readers

Re-inventing love blog tour

Reinventing Love Final Front Cover 3 28 2016 Full size 72 dpi

Engineer and assistant inventor Maximilian Grün is in love with his employer, but he daren’t reveal the truth. It’s 1910 and if Canadian authorities learned of his homosexuality, they’d deport him back to Germany where the country of his birth would become the country of his death.

When promising young inventor and mathematician Dr. Jasper Hamilton expresses his own feelings for Max, the young German regretfully declines. He cannot risk their partnership, their reputations—their very lives!

Then a rival inventor sabotages their inventions. Jasper is caught between the physical and the metaphysical, reduced to atoms, and transported to the spirit plane! Max is devastated, deeply regretting his lost chances.

But Jasper manages to communicate across the aether, telling Max he must reverse the machine’s polarity. But without Jasper’s talent for mathematics, the calculations defeat him.

Can the would-be lovers bridge the gap between life and death to finally be together?

Links to Buy:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1XMDmaP
MLR: http://bit.ly/1Whtx5J
All Romance: http://bit.ly/1SB6X8R

Excerpt

Max trembled as Jasper’s calloused hands travelled firmly over his body, coming to rest on Max’s hips. Jasper tugged Max toward him the last inch or two. Max followed willingly. They pressed up against one another, the pressure so welcome, so satisfying, and yet, not satisfying at all.

Jasper moved to Max’s ear, kissing and caressing, even nipping softly. Max shuddered, a wave of bliss coursing through him, foreshadowing pleasures to come.

Jasper wedged his fingers between them at Max’s neck, unfastening the top button of Max’s shirt. He exposed the tiniest bit of throat, kissing and licking as he reached for another button. Max pulled away, panting and dizzy.

“Let’s move to the divan,” Jasper whispered before taking Max’s earlobe between his teeth.

“Yes,” Max agreed. Then, “No. No!” He yanked himself from Jasper’s embrace. “I can’t. We can’t.” His voice broke, and he stood, half bent, clutching his gut like a man in pain. He’d felt so complete in the circle of Jasper’s arms, safe, cherished. But at the same time, as if he were caught in a trap. How could he bear such conflicting emotions?

Author Bio

Storm Grant writes engaging male/male fiction, more light than dark. Since 2007, Storm has published with MLR, Riptide, Amber Quill, Phaze, Torquere, and more.

Her alter ego, Gina X. Grant, is represented by Rosemary Stimola, the agent who also represents the Hunger Games series. Check out Gina’s RELUCTANT REAPER trilogy, published by Simon and Schuster.

“I’m a joiner,” says Storm. “Find me wherever fun people hang out.” That includes membership in the RWA, Sisters in Crime, SFWA, and Novelists Inc. She attends as many conferences as she can, including RainbowCon, GayRomLit, and NinC, plus many local sci-fi cons and writerly meet-ups. She’s a big fan of Kobo Writing Life’s gatherings and has shared designer pizza with the likes of Kevin J. Anderson, Joanna Penn, and Hugh Howey.

Storm lives in Toronto, Canada, just blocks from the house she grew up in. She’s married to a friendly curmudgeon from a mining town in Northern Ontario, where he played hockey against Shania Twain’s brother. Storm and Mr. Grumpy have rescued many dogs and cats over the years, but are busy spoiling just one now.

Storm loves to travel, spending time each winter in San Miguel de Allende, an artists community in the mountains of Mexico. This past fall, she and a buddy toured China where, yes, she did climb the Great Wall.

Storm and Gina’s books are available at your favorite online booksellers. She can be found on all the cool social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

These days Gina has joined the ranks of the authorpreneurs. “I’m a tri-brid author,” she says. “I’m traditionally published with a Big Five, e-published with several successful digital-first publishers, and now I’m indie-publishing my own books through my own company, Wit & Grit Co.”

The company name is derived from the signature line Storm and Gina have shared for many years, because she really does write: “Quirky fiction that’s pretty, witty and gritty.”

EMAIL: storm.grant@gmail.com / ginaXgrant@gmail.com

WEBSITE: http://stormgrant.com / http://ginaxgrant.com

giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Finley by Ella Frank

Posted on 03/21/2016 by shellbellereads

Finley-EllaFrank-CustomDesign-JayAheer2016-WM-Ebook-finalimage

Finley

M/M Contemporary Romance

By Ella Frank

Release Date: March 22, 2016

Buy : Amazon

Synopsis:

It’s time to come home, Finn.

It’s been seven years since Daniel Finley left his hometown in Florida for the hustle and bustle of Chicago’s city life.

Since then, he’s worked hard for his position at the prestigious law firm Leighton & Associates, even when it’s caused distance and isolation from his family and friends. But that’s all about to change.

On his thirtieth birthday, he receives the one thing he never dared hope for. Something that was promised to him years earlier—a note. One simple sentence from the man he’s never been able to forget.

Six words will forever change the course of their lives.

Brantley Hayes has it all. Or so he thinks. When he first made the decision to take a job down in Florida, his family thought he was crazy. But, after years of living in the quiet beach town, he finally feels a sense of community. He’s surrounded himself with friends who are like family, has a job he loves, and owns a spectacular beachfront property that is his sanctuary.

Yet he still feels unfulfilled, as if a piece of the puzzle is missing, and he knows exactly which piece it is. On an impulse, he follows through with a promise he made years earlier. A promise to call home the one he sent away.

Nothing is as simple as it seems.

After years of separation, the former lovers are reunited, but Brantley wasn’t expecting to encounter the high walls now guarding Daniel’s heart.
Daniel may not be the same person he was when he left, but he knows that the first step to healing is the note in his hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-GyH3OY3RM

Finley-teaser2-jayAheer2016b

Excerpt

BRANTLEY KEPT A discreet eye on the final student to leave for the morning as Mr. Finley strode down the stairs to the front of the classroom. They were three weeks into the semester and he was ashamed to admit that, with every day that passed, his fascination with the young man grew.

At first, he’d tried to convince himself that it was purely academic. The kid was smart. He’d aced all the weekly quizzes, and Brantley was more than aware of the way he watched him lecture with keen, intelligent eyes that never strayed from him.

Oh, he was fascinated, all right, but he made sure to tell himself at the end of every class that it had nothing to do with the mischievous grin Daniel would flash at his friends or the easygoing laugh that would bubble up out of him at any given moment. But he knew he was lying. Daniel was quite possibly the happiest person he’d ever met, and his joy of life lit up the room and everyone in it. Including him.

When Daniel stopped in front of him and dropped his paper on the desk, Brantley acknowledged him with a glance before returning his gaze back to the notes he was going over.

“Any big plans this weekend, Professor?”

The question had been so unexpected that he didn’t think to catch himself before he replied, “Nothing too big. Just going out with some friends. You?”

Daniel smiled at him as he shoved his arms through the loops of his backpack, and Brantley couldn’t help but look at his shirt as it stretched across his broad chest.

“I’m going to hit the beach. Such great waves right now.”

“Ahh, you like to surf. That explains it.”

When the side of Daniel’s mouth crooked up, the effect was charming as hell. The kid was a knockout.

“Explains what?”

Annoyed that he’d made such a stupid slipup, he looked back at the papers in front of him, hoping Daniel would get the message and leave. No such luck.

“Explains what?” he asked again.

Brantley sighed and rested his arms on the desk as he studied Daniel’s inviting face. “It explains your hair.”

“My—oh,” he said, touching the ends of it. “Do you like it?”

Stunned by the direct question, he sat back in his chair and fought the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Do I like your hair?”

“Yeah.”

“Does it matter?” Jesus, fuck. Stop it. Stop flirting with him.

But it was too late. Daniel put his hands on the desk and leaned forward, Brantley toed the ground, shoving his chair back.

“It could…”

“No. No, it couldn’t,” he said as he got to his feet, shaking his head.

Daniel straightened and tucked his thumbs into the straps of his backpack, no doubt to taunt him. His eyes were too knowing for someone his age, and when they held his longer than was acceptable, Brantley’s heart skipped a couple of beats.

“Was there something else, Mr. Finley?”

“You said you were going out with friends this weekend…”

Shit, did I? “Yes, that’s right.”

As Daniel ran his thumb down the left strap of his bag, he admonished himself for noticing every little move he made. He needed to get a fucking hold of himself.

“Are any of them more than a friend?”

If he hadn’t been watching Daniel quite so closely, he wouldn’t have believed the words that had just come out of his mouth. But he had been. So he did.

“I don’t believe that’s any of your business. You better hurry or you’ll miss your next class.”

Satisfied that he’d firmly dismissed Daniel, he sat down and made a show of focusing on the books lining his desk and didn’t dare look and see if he had left this time or not. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he was still standing there.

He reached up to adjust his tie, which suddenly felt a little too tight around his neck, and with each passing second that he was consciously not checking to see if he was alone, he swore that it was getting tighter.

“Professor Hayes?”

His head snapped up at his name, and when Daniel had his attention, he continued.

“Are you gay?”

Brantley’s eyes widened, and he wondered how his mouth hadn’t fallen open at the blunt question. Instead, he went with, “Excuse me?”

“I asked if you were—”

“I heard what you said. But I don’t see how that is any business of yours, either. You should think before you speak, Mr. Finley. I’m your teacher, and it’s time for you to leave. This conversation is over.” He flipped open one of the books on his desk and shook his head. He couldn’t believe the audacity of the kid—or the fact that he was so damn forthright. As he sat there, grinding his teeth in an effort not to look at his student—who was still standing in front of his desk—a bead of sweat ran down his collar and he cursed the fact that his nerves were getting the better of him.

“I only asked because, well, I am too. And I thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to.”

Well, hell. He couldn’t fault him for that. The only problem was…talking wasn’t what sprang to mind when he was around Daniel Finley.

He clasped his hands on the desk and stared into the anxious face peering down at him. Daniel was worrying his lower lip with his teeth, and he suddenly looked very much the young man he was.

“Are you?” he asked again, and there was no way he could deny that hesitant curiosity.

“Yes, Daniel. I am.”

As his words drifted between them, Daniel’s mouth slipped into a smile. “Oh.”

Brantley laughed at that. He wasn’t sure what Daniel was thinking right then. He’d thought for sure with the way he’d been looking at him earlier that, if he’d admitted this, he would be fending off—or at least putting up a good show of fending off—an unwanted pass. But, instead, Daniel appeared thoughtful.

“Does that bother you?”

Daniel adamantly shook his head. “No.”

“Are you sure?” he pressed, and the look that entered Daniel’s eyes then was so hot that he thought he may overheat.

“Yes. I’m very sure.”

Oh, fuck. Okay. Where the hell did the nervous guy disappear to? One minute, Daniel was endearingly awkward, and the next, he was looking at him like he wanted to strip him out of his clothes and—“Stop right there,” he said, and he wasn’t sure if he was telling himself that or the contradiction eyeing him with newfound knowledge. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop thinking it.”

“Why?”

Yep, he was fucked. That wasn’t a word he generally used, but in this case, he was well and truly fucked. He should’ve just stuck to the run–along–now speech.

“Because I’m your teacher.”

“This isn’t high school. I’m an adult.”

He sighed. “That may be true. But I’m your professor and this conversation is inappropriate.”

“How? I just asked if you were gay and you said yes. I don’t see what the problem is.”

When Daniel aimed a mischievous grin at him, Brantley knew he was very aware of what the problem was.

“Out,” he said, pointing to the door. “Time to leave, Mr. Finley.”

This time, he made sure to watch Daniel so he knew he was actually leaving. He walked to the door, but at the last minute, he turned around to look back at him. Not willing to back down and show weakness, Brantley kept his eyes on his student as Daniel ran his tongue along his lower lip.

“You should call me Finn. Everyone else does.”

Christ. The kid was going to drive him to an early grave, but damn if he didn’t laugh at his audacity.

“Out,” he said again, and this time Daniel pushed out the door and disappeared into the hall.

______________________________________

About Ella Frank

Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her on the web at http://www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ella.frank.author

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.

Find Ella Frank Online

Website ~ Goodreads ~Facebook ~Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Finley-EllaFrank-CustomDesign-JayAheer2016-WM-Ebook-finalimage

Release Blitz: Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy – Him #2

Posted on 03/08/2016 by shellbellereads

51YAyQMjHXL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_

Him – Book 2

By Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves—Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes, and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.

unnamed

*******

Profile portrait of businessman working on laptop in black suit at studio

Him

By Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend…and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

***************

About The Authors

Sarina Bowen

Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.

The Year We Fell Down, Book #1 in The Ivy Years series, began breaking hearts in March 2014. Book #2, The Year We Hid Away, is brand new.

For Harlequin-E, Sarina writes the Gravity series. Coming in From the Cold features an angsty downhill ski racer and one of the most unique plot conflicts in contemporary romance today.

Sarina enjoys skiing, coffee products and a nice glass of wine. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

She would be honored to connect with you at http://www.sarinabowen.com.

Sign up for Sarina’s Mailing List

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter~ Goodreads ~Amazon Author Page

Elle Kennedy

A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Newsletter

Blog Tour + Huge Giveaway: Spindrift Gifts by Aidee Ladnier

Posted on 12/14/2015 by Saucy Southern Readers

Spindrift Gifts

Spindrift Gifts: A Holiday Sequel to The Klockwerk Kraken

When his memories begin endangering his happily-ever after on Celos, Jimenez is forced to choose between forgetting his lover Teo, or accepting the sometimes painful gifts of Spindrift.

Scars and a tattoo may be the only physical reminders from his years as a slave, but when Jimenez suffers a setback in his medical treatment, the only option is a therapy that will wipe away all his memories of the past including his time with Teo. Teo, torn between supporting his lover’s decisions and the good intentions of his family, sets out to teach Jimenez about Spindrift Gifts and how memories are celebrated on Celos even when they are painful. Can Teo and Jimenez weather the storm to find their happily-ever-after on Celos?

Spindrift_proverb

Excerpt:

“Is it a memory box?”

Teo set it on the table with a clack. “Same principle. It’s our Spindrift gift for the rev. We each put a memory in one to add to the family collection. And then at the gala they all glow on the lighted tree.”

“Tree? Do you grow trees on Celos?”

Teo chuckled. “Not really. It’s a light-painted representation of a tree, like one of those from old Earth. It’s a family tree. Each branch holds the most important memories for the rev from that branch of the family.”

“A shared memory?” Jimenez ran a finger along the smooth top of the tiny cube. It blushed a delicate pink at his touch.

“No. It’s personal, a gift, a painful or a pleasant one. One you share because it hurts, and you smooth the edges by giving it away, or one of your favorites you want others to experience. But you give one from the past rev.”

Their conversation grew hushed. Teo attempted to lighten the mood. He grabbed the leftover paper from his package and folded it into the shape of a little boat.

“I’ve been trying to think of one that would be suitable for family viewing.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Jimenez glared at him. “That’s not the all we’ve done this rev.”

He picked up the cube and activated it. Teo stared transfixed as Jimenez pulled it close to his mouth and breathed a puff of air over it, his fingers whitening at the tips as he remembered.

Teo wondered which memory put that serene smile on his lover’s face, smoothing the furrows lining his brow. Was it onboard his ship in the Nothing? Or maybe one with Teo on Switchpoint?

“What did you record? Can I see it?” He whispered, unwilling to break the spell of Jimenez’s memory.

Jimenez opened his eyes, and his fingers clutched the small cube. But he smiled at it like it held a secret.

“I’m not sure this is one to give away. Do you have extra cubes?”

treatment

Character Bios

Below are the bios as well as the visual models I used for my main characters in Spindrift Gifts and the novel The Klockwerk Kraken.

Teo

Kevin Rettinger is the visual model for the Pod, Teo, the bartender of the Klockwerk Kracken who falls for a spacer and then takes him home to meet his family and celebrate the Celosian holiday of Spindrift. Teo, like most people on Celos has four tentacles in addition to his human standard body. These extra arms are a result of his ancestors undergoing genetic modification in order to give them advantages when settling the planet of Celos. He left home after finishing school and bummed around the galaxy before settling on the Switchpoint Waystation where he opened his bar, The Klockwerk Kraken. Although most people on Celos rarely leave planet, Teo yearned for a little adventure. Some of that was a result of the stories his godfather told him—Teo’s godfather is a two-armed human who came to Celos as a visiting scientist but stayed when he fell in love, marrying into Teo’s extended family. Teo has a smattering of his mother’s talent for painting, all the kraken paintings on his old bar were painted by him personally. When he bought The Klockwerk Kraken, it was an old warehouse on the edge of the port. He fixed it up and made it a safe place for customers to have a drink near the docks. He offered food because he learned to cook from his Dad who’s an amateur foodie on Celos. Teo grew up playing several instruments (although he’s no professional like his sister Carlsa) and has a very nice baritone singing voice. One of the things he loves to do on Celos is go swimming. There were several bacteria outbreaks in the pools on the Switchpoint Waystation so he was afraid to swim there. He is one of only four children in his family (considered an extremely small family on Celos). He is also the only one of his siblings that is not married with children. But since meeting Jimenez, that might change in the future…

Jimenez

Iker Casillas Fernández is my visual model for the spacer Jimenez, a man tortured by his past and trying to make a brighter future for himself. Jimenez was born a slave in a crèche where children are bred from anonymous germ cells. Slave behaviors were grown into his brain and taught during his childhood. At adolescence the pleasure centers of his brain were connected to a tattoo above his ankle, designating him a body slave. He was sold to a miner on a distant outpost and used not only for sex but also as a laborer. He was freed after a takeover of the colony company by an abolitionist corporation. The new company cleaned out the slave population. At this point, Jimenez was so injured by his master that he was sent to Celos both for reprogramming and for rehabilitation. He’d been mutilated and nearly died. During his treatment, a nurse asked him what he wanted to do as a free man and he said he wanted something as far away from people as he could get. As a Celosian loneliest thing she could think of was away from family and friends, hauling cargo through the Nothing, a blank part of space near the galaxy arm. He liked the idea of the solitude, so he asked for navigation ports to be placed in his brainstem. He then spent several revs as navigation crew on various cargo ships until he’d saved enough money to get his captain’s port and buy his own ship, The Freedom’s Wing. He learned to fight during his time as a nav operator for a small fleet. Hand to hand martial arts were a hobby of one of his shipmates who taught him so that he’d have a sparring partner. The first time Jimenez ported into a ship’s navigation system was the first time he could envision the future. Space was so wide and he was able to go anywhere. He learned to read as an adult via download, however, it’s still not his most proficient skill. As a result, he’s a poetry lover because poems use small words with big meanings and the cadence of the words is calming.

origamiboat

The Klockwerk Kraken: Book 1

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks ~ All Romance ~ Kobo ~ MLR Press

Synopsis

When the right space pilot walks into his bar, a desperate bartender uses all his wiles (and tentacles) to talk the man into business and his bed–but the spacer is still enslaved by his past and isn’t sure he can deal with a two-handed lover, much less one with six.

As the supply shipments stop coming, Teo Houdin needs all his tentacles to keep his waystation bar open. Facing a riot by thirsty miners stranded in the backwater of the galaxy, Teo helps a greenie space pilot buy a ship in return for a regular haul of liquor. But he longs for the courage to invite the enigmatic spacer to fill his lonely bed as well.

Still smarting from his newly implanted navigational ports, Jimenez knows owning his own ship will prevent him from ever being bought and sold again. For a former slave, transporting cargo through the emptiness of space sounds like paradise, but after meeting the compassionate and sexy Teo, his heart feels empty, too.

At the edge of the galaxy’s spiral arm, can Teo convince Jimenez that the heart has its own tentacles and theirs should be entwined forever?

About the Author

Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.

You can find her on her blog at http://www.aideeladnier.com or on her favorite social media sites:

Blog Tour Giveaway

Aidee is giving away a prize pack filled wth gift cards and lots of Kraken style goodies!

giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Series Spotlight + Giveaway: Night’s Templar A Vampire Queen Novel by Joey Hill

Posted on 11/29/2015 by Saucy Southern Readers

RELEASED HALLOWEEN DAY!! NIGHT’S TEMPLAR BY JOEY W. HILL

(Book XIII of the Vampire Queen series / BDSM paranormal romance / Male-male)

Blurb: Lord Uthe, a member of the Vampire Council, was a Templar Knight centuries ago. Even up to the present day, he has attempted to honor the spirit of the Rule, despite the volatile and highly sexual nature of the vampire world. Yet now he’s caught the attention of the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison between the Council and Fae Court. Keldwyn challenges Uthe’s emotional isolation and dominant nature. When a quest from Uthe’s past requires Keldwyn’s help to protect both their worlds, Uthe will have to decide whether the Fae male is a gift from God to be cherished and trusted, or a curse that will make Uthe fail the Order he promised to serve all his life.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1WT9WpG
B&N: http://bit.ly/1SKnEdX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1NMb0er
iBooks: http://apple.co/1WT9LKZ
ARe: http://bit.ly/1GXPv9n

VQS-NT-PromoUthe-Medium

HAVEN’T READ ANY OF JOEY’S VAMPIRE QUEEN SERIES? This is a great time to start. Joey did mention this is the 13^th book, right? You have plenty to read! Since Keldwyn and Uthe’s story is pretty deeply entrenched in the culture of her vampires, she wouldn’t recommend reading it first. However, you don’t have to read ALL of the twelve preceding books to enjoy it; you just need more familiarity with the Vampire Queen’s world. According to her, Beloved Vampire (Book 4) is a standalone and a GREAT gateway book into the series with the sexy Lord Mason. Or you can read the first two in the series, Vampire Queen’s Servant and Mark of the Vampire Queen, because Lady Lyssa and Jacob started it all. Excerpts and blurbs for the whole series are here – http://www.storywitch.com/series-vqs. Each book comes with a recommendation on whether it can be read as a standalone or which books should be read as prequels for it.

She thanks you all for considering her vampires! Look below for a teaser from the book, as well as a link to read a full Chapter One excerpt.

excerpt 2

“What does subjugated to your will mean, Lord Keldwyn?” Uthe demanded. “I have a goal to accomplish. It does me no good to go to your world if that mission will be hampered by your demands.”

“I will not get in the way of that, never fear. Until your task in the Fae world is done, you will lie with me when I desire it.”

For a moment, Uthe thought he’d misheard him. The request was so banal, at odds with the complexity that he normally associated with Keldwyn’s motives. He blinked. “Your price for being my tour guide is that I be your whore?”

“I will not be paying for your services, my lord. Your payment to me, for my sponsorship, is your body.” Keldwyn swept his gaze over it, lingering on the columns of Uthe’s thighs, the way the cotton shirt stretched over his shoulders. Muscles tightened under his regard, and Uthe had to quell the desire to shift again. “You have compromised your chastity over the years to prove yourself vampire rather than Templar,” the Fae said. “And to protect your mission and secrets. You deemed them far more vital to your charge than your personal pride in keeping your vows.”

Uthe templed his fingers. He would treat this as a debate, like the many topics they’d dissected and argued over chess. That would calm the nerves jumping in his belly, as ridiculous as those experienced by a virgin bride on her wedding night.

“I wonder how many of your Templars preserved their ideals as faithfully as you have,” Keldwyn mused. “They had to do it only for a mortal life span, or until the Order ended. Whereas you have clung to them for centuries. Is it hubris, a fear of having no faith, or something else that makes you that stubborn?”

“To believe in nothing is no better than to believe in too much,” Uthe said between his teeth.

“A sentiment on coffee mugs and T-shirts. It is cliché and old, unoriginal.”

“Just as you putting a sexual price on your patronage is.”

“Careful,” Keldwyn said. Uthe felt that thrum of energy again as the Fae Lord’s gaze flashed with heat. “I will have your oath on bended knee that you offer yourself to me willingly. If you do not, your mission cannot proceed.”

Uthe met the onyx and moonstone gaze. “You weary me,” he said. “Whatever it is you hope to gain with your torment, Lord Keldwyn, I wish you well of it. If it is my body you desire, it is yours. It is merely future ashes and dust.”

Keldwyn straightened in the chair, uncrossing his ankles. His elegant hands dangled loosely on the end of either chair arm as he looked pointedly at the floor between his braced feet. It drew Uthe’s gaze to the columns of his thighs, the spread of his legs making it impossible not to note the impressive evidence of his virility under the molded fabric. He forced his gaze upward, but refused to look at Keldwyn’s face to see if he’d noticed him looking.

“Your oath,” Keldwyn repeated. “I am waiting, Lord Uthe. Unless you have decided your quest is not as important as your virtue.”

“Perhaps your revulsion for sharing your blood with a vampire is only matched by my distaste for sharing your bed.”

“If that was the case, you would not be aroused now.”

Uthe bared his fangs in a dangerous smile. He’d hung his sword on the back of the chair. Rising, he drew the blade from the scabbard in one swift movement, a whisper of menace. Let the bastard think he might try to skewer him, regardless of the consequences.

Keldwyn did not move, though Uthe had the satisfaction of seeing the sensual mouth thin, the eyes rivet on him in that cool, watchful way that suggested he might be close to inciting the Fae’s temper. He liked the idea too much. There was more at stake here than a pissing match, and he was channeling desire into aggression to deny his need. He ignored the faint tremor in his hands, the tightness in his chest as he teetered on the precipice of doing the unthinkable.

Planting the tip of the blade in a groove of the oak flooring, he dropped to one knee.

“Speak your oath, and I will repeat it in good faith, my lord,” he said, a growl. “You have my promise to adhere to it, unless it countermands God’s will.”

“I have noticed you still speak like a Templar, vampire. After all these decades.”

“In this modern world, promises are broken for convenience or comfort. I will not use casual words to speak a true oath.”

“Very well.” Keldwyn stood, moving the chair back and putting his hand on the pommel, curling his fingers over Uthe’s. His touch was cool, his palm smooth against Uthe’s knuckles. “Swear to be bound to me, offering your body willingly to my desires and demands, no reservations, until your quest is done. In God’s name.”

“I think God has little to do with this,” Uthe said, but he repeated it, his gaze lifting to meet the Fae’s. “I swear myself bound to you, the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison of the Unseelie and Seelie Courts, liaison for the Vampire Council. I will offer my body willingly to your desires and demands, until my quest is done.”

“With no reservations,” Keldwyn prompted. “You will not hold your mind apart from me, Lord Uthe. I will not consider the oath served if you lie like a board while I fuck you.” He slid a curled hand along Uthe’s cheek, so Uthe felt the rough edges of the ring resting above Keldwyn’s knuckle. “Say it.”

“With no reservations,” Uthe said, hearing the harsh rasp of his voice, a reaction to Keldwyn speaking his intentions so baldly. His hand was clenched on the pommel, and Keldwyn’s, still upon his, would feel it. “I swear.”

Keldwyn removed his hand, giving him a speculative look. “Access to our world must mean a great deal to you, Lord Uthe. I did not expect to win your agreement so easily.”

“Accomplishing my quest is all that matters. The rest does not.”

“Clever. You imply my demands do not matter, that they are as nothing to you. I am glad you are so unaffected. Because I require a demonstration of your oath, right now.”

FREE CHAPTER ONE EXCERPT – http://www.storywitch.com/book-vqs-nt

Author Bio

joey hill

Winner of the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement award, Joey W. Hill has published over forty contemporary and paranormal BDSM erotic romances, including six series. Her emotionally-intense love stories offer everything from vampires, mermaids, witches and angels, to boardroom executives, cops and simple housemaids.

Free excerpts from all her works are available at her website, www.storywitch.com. Additional vignettes, character interviews and graphics inspired by the work are at the fan forum site, accessible through www.storywitch.com/community.Twitter: JoeyWHill Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoeyWHillAuthor

Giveaway

Joey is giving away a $50 Gift Card (Readers Choice) and readers choice of two signed books or e-books, and a jewelry box.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Happy Release + Review: Closet Confession by Kindle Alexander

Posted on 09/11/2015 by shellbellereads

Closet Confession

By Kindle Alexander

Synopsis

Dr. Derek Babineaux is intelligent, dedicated, and one of the best ER physicians in the fast-paced world of critical care at Tulane Medical in New Orleans. Always on top of his game, he’s thrown off balance when the newest medical staff member finally unleashes his hidden desires.
Justin Delacroix’s job at the inner city’s busiest hospital might be just what he needs to ease back into civilian life after a long stint in the military. High-performing shifts make working as a trauma nurse at TMC the perfect way to utilize his skills and quick reaction times. There’s only one problem, his attraction for one sexy ER doctor is off the charts, but he has his reasons for not returning Dr. Baby’s night shift advances. Or maybe he doesn’t.

Buy: Amazon

Tina’s Review

** Provided by Author, via Promoter, in Exchange for an Honest Review **

— MY THOUGHTS >
Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
Yet another naked torso, this one having a stethoscope draped over his shoulders and… is that a towel wrapped around his hips? Leads me to hope he’s not on duty! I opted to read this title based solely on the author and my previous enjoyment of her work.
Looking Deeper:
The main story, originally published in the Night Shift anthology, is just a steamy hot glimpse into the workday of two men that work together. At one NOLA hospital, you’ll find Derek, an ER doctor. Justin, a former soldier, now also works there. They’ve been attracted to one another since day one, but neither made a move toward the other for various reasons. Until now. Without warning, and nevermind any sort of romance of softer emotions, they hook up in one of the closets in a mostly-abandoned part of the hospital. It’s all rather grunt, hiss and caveman-speak at that point; no emotion other than primal urge. But, things aren’t always as they first seem. With a nice little quickie twist, revelations are made. Their shift at the hospital ends on a “Happily Ever After” noted milestone, but it’s the Bonus Content that Ms. Alexander has released with it that truly unfolds the shift into the couples’ lives. These endearing bonus scenes take you from the day they meet to Forever After and grant you the opportunity to see more of the emotional content missing in the original quickie short story.
Both men are very likable. Their chemistry and compatibility is more evident in the bonus content than the original part, but it all does begin to make sense in a clever way towards the last third of the short. There are very few supporting secondaries, most only providing a bit of enrichment filler. Aunt Vera is a riot. The dialogue is fun, smart, and natural. The plot – as a whole -is entertaining, enjoyable, and emotional. There’s just enough content to have some dimension and given this is a novella under 100 pages, even with the added content, it fell like a full and complete story. The overall flow is smooth and a pleasure to read. There is a wonderful twist that I did not see coming and took me a minute to “get”… (in fact, I even read back a few paragraphs to make sure I did not miss something before my brain caught up to the “aha moment) and the conflicts faced were minor and met maturely. The conclusion, with the newly added content, is sound and solid.
If you are looking for a light, fun, and fast male/male romantic read, I’d highly suggest this one.

________________________________________________

Author Bio:

Best Selling and award winning Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in the gay fiction genre. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Broken Oaths by V. L. Moon and J. T. Cheyanne

Posted on 09/04/2015 by shellbellereads

Broken Oaths

By V. L. Moon & J. T. Cheyanne

Synopsis

Betrayed by his peers and slandered as a traitor, Commander Thierry Donovan has nothing left. Locked away and targeted by the very men responsible for his incarceration, Thierry defies the odds and fights for the fundamental right to survive the hell-hole of his imprisonment. With no one to trust, Thierry finds solace in the last place he imagines…

The church is Ryan Flynn’s sanctuary. He craves the solitude and peace he finds in the hallowed halls. His oath to serve God is a calling Ryan has hidden behind all of his adult life; until his past catches up with him in the form of his foster brother, Special Agent Orrin Hunt…

Submerging himself within a world of danger, violence and corruption is the only way Orrin can cope with life. Rejected and tormented by the bitter remorse of unrequited love, Orrin is oblivious to the beauty of what life can offer him. If he’d only open his eyes, and maybe his heart….

Jaydan Callahan’s life is a wreck. Gangs, drugs and violence are a part of his normal day to day routine. For one so young, he’s seen it, been there, done it and gotten more than enough tee shirts as proof. Capable of smelling a cop from a mile away, it comes as no surprise to Jay when the guy he has the hots for is actually working under cover to bring down the town’s notoriously dangerous king pin.

Four men, four lives, each one of them stained by lies, corruption and doubt. Can love show them the path to redemption, or will broken oaths, fear and grief make the crosses they bear too heavy a mantle to carry.

Love is Love

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / Smashwords

Lis’ Review

The authors of “Crimson Reign” and “Love, Life and Circumstance” have never been ones to shy away from digging deep to give their readers a story that pushes boundaries, makes the readers think and feel and clamor for more. Crimson Reign gave us the wickedly sexy vampire king and his angel in a paranormal world in upheavel. LLC gave us two men with a baby to care for in the South with all its prejudices. And now “Broken Oaths” gives us Ryan and Thierry, pushing the limits again with the story of a priest and a Navy Commander.

Thierry Donovan is a former Navy Commander falsely accused of treason and jailed in a super secure facility in solitary confinement. The only other people he sees are the guards who watch over him, including his friend A.J. who goes easy on the rules for the prisoner. Thierry has no outside contact until he asks for, and is sent, a priest, Father Ryan Flynn. Their connection is instant, but like anyone else whose life is tied up in the rules and restrictions of their chosen profession or current fall from grace, both try to deny what they feel.

We learn of their pasts right away. The opening chapters tell us why these men chose the path they did, and give us a glimpse of the obstacles they faced along the way. Thierry’s career and life have been destroyed by his imprisonment. Father Flynn’s profession is an effort to get rid of the sinner label he brought down on himself because of his and his foster brother’s teenage exploration of their growing attraction. Both hide behind these shields they use so effectively – for a while. Thrown together in the priest and penitent roles, they soon acknowledge that there is something more between them as they work to bring justice to Thierry and bring down the one who used him as a scapegoat in a treasonous plot. Their story is about learning to trust in themselves and in each other, never giving up on love no matter how hard the fight.

Orrin Hunt, Flynn’s foster brother, has loved Ryan since they were wayward teens who helped each other cope through the difficult nightmares they faced. He’s involved behind the scenes trying to find the truth behind Thierry’s imprisonment and as such, is the one who brings Father Flynn into Thierry’s life. Orrin’s love for Ryan has endured all these years, until he goes undercover in a local street gang and meets Jay Callahan, the young, smart mouthed leader of the group. Jay falls hard for Orrin, but Ryan is the white elephant in the room, the love Orrin has for Ryan a wall that blinds him to what’s staring him in the face. Their story is about letting go of the past and embracing the future, daring to take the risk for love.

And tying these two couples together is the intrigue, a plot very carefully constructed that makes the reader anxious to find out just exactly how the whole thing will be revealed. It builds like the walls of Thierry’s prison cell, brick by brick. And with four strong-willed characters, there is no doubt they will figure it out.

Unfortunately, the villains were the one area that let me down. Characterization and angst is definitely these authors’ strong suit and in this book the whole mystery was right up there with it. The plot was complex and excellently crafted, with all the characters’ actions and reactions to each other and to their situation adding to the edge of the seat reading experience. Until one particular scene that made me stop and go “Really?” I just didn’t buy it. With that one scene the villains, who up until then were wonderfully evil, became caricatures of themselves. That one scene weakened the intrigue, pushing it into campiness instead of suspense.
Everyday struggles for love, for recognition, for redemption made this book a winner, overcoming the problem with the villains. The love stories of Ryan and Thierry and of Orrin and Jay are well written and very realistic. They struggle with their feelings, each one questioning his worth, his actions, his heart. As they work through all the machinations of being together, we as readers realize right along with them that outer trappings don’t matter. It’s what’s in the heart that rules.

__________________________________________

Giveaway
Prize: 3 ebook copies of Broken Oaths
a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

____________________________________________

About the authors

Laz and Lachi Publications is the combined writing team of J.T. Cheyanne and V.L. Moon. The two met in 2010, fell hard and fast for each other and married in April 2014. They write both independently and together in the gay erotica and gay paranormal genres. They also have a couple of contemporary romance novels under their belt.

Social media links

Our joint page

https://www.facebook.com/LazLachibooks

Website

http://www.lazandlachi.com/

JT Cheyanne

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jtcheyannestories

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JTCheyanne

VL Moon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VenusMoonstories

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VenusMoon5

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: The Darkest Flame by Christina Lee – Roadmap To Your Heart Series – Book 1

Posted on 08/17/2015 by shellbellereads

The Darkest Flame

Roadmap To Your Heart Series – Book 1

M/M Romance – LGBT

By Christina Lee

Synopsis

Vaughn O’Keefe has been part owner of the Hog’s Den for years. Privy to plenty of Disciples of the Road business, he’s never been more ruffled as when a new recruit named “Smoke” walks through the door. Something about the man gets his blood pumping, but he knows to keep his preferences under wraps around the club.

“Smoke” Callahan has done a couple of rehab stints and is finally clean, thanks to help from the Disciples. He’s on the right path and isn’t about to get sidetracked, no matter how much the guy who manages the bar gets beneath his skin. Besides, his last relationship with a man left him scared, alone, and with a nightmare of an addiction.

When the Hog’s Den becomes shorthanded, and Smoke is ordered to help out the one man he can’t have, his longing for the bartender reaches blistering proportions. Vaughn figures a night together should be enough to satisfy their mutual attraction. But neither banks on just how scorching hot it might be.

As Smoke’s past unravels and the one person he hopes never to lay eyes on again messes with all he holds sacred, it’s time to involve the Disciples. Problem is, he’ll have to risk his membership, his heart, and his own hide to keep everyone he cares about safe.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

I grabbed my hold of keys and tried not to slam my way out the door. I didn’t know why the hell I was so rattled by Vaughn tonight. I mean, I had been every night, but something about the idea of him being with somebody else right in front of my eyes, made me crazy with need. Need that it felt like only he could fulfill.

As soon as I got to my bike I realized I’d left my cut in the break room. I stood outside attempting to rein in my uneven pulse. I didn’t know what the fuck had come over me.
Breathing more steadily, I stepped back through the door only to find the bar empty. I’d just grab my leather vest and leave him in peace.

“I forgot my…” I stopped in my tracks because Vaughn stood motionless in the middle of the floor, veins bulging in his neck, as if he’d implode at the slightest touch.
He was always moving and talking with a restless energy in this bar so his stillness was a bit startling.

“Hey.” I gingerly placed my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry if I—”

There was instant recoil, as if he were attempting to contain the vortex of tension between us by vacuuming it in through his skin.

He twisted toward me, his eyes latching onto mine, right before I was slammed against the door.

The wind was practically knocked out of me as Vaughn sank his weight against my smaller frame. We were groin to groin, heartbeat to heartbeat.

“Fuck, Vaughn, you’re—” Heaving breaths surged through my nostrils. “I was going to suggest a truce.”

“Yeah?” he mumbled, his gaze fastening on my mouth. “What sort of truce?”

Michel’s Review

Christina Lee has done it again! The Darkest Flame is the first book in the new series Roadmap To Your Heart. The Darkest Flame is a spin off from the highly acclaimed New Adult – Between Breaths series .

Vaughn O’Keefe is the co owner and head bartender for the Hog’s Den bar. His business partners are the Disciples of the Road MC. He has seen and heard a lot through out the years and can be fully trusted. When he meets the new recruit, Smoke, it is instant attraction even though he knows there is no room for that kind of attraction in the bar or in the club. It’s obvious that Smoke is very tolerant of the gay community. When he was assigned to protect Jude and Cory it is evident that he has compassion and is sympathetic to their plight. Vaughn can sense that Smoke may be more than sympathetic but also empathetic towards their sexuality. When it comes to Vaughn, Smoke avoids him most of the time, but when he’s in his presence he sends out flirtatious signals.

When Vaughn and Smoke are thrown together tending bar the sparks fly. The chemistry between the two can send the bar up in flames. Their attraction to one another is sizzling hot. There is more to their attraction than sexual chemistry, these two are soul mates. They understand each other on every level.

Between Smoke’s mysterious dark background, his past addictions, the club business, and bar business it would seem that romance should be on the back burner. Vaughn and Smoke are in for a wild dangerous ride.

This book was riveting. The suspense combined with the sensual romance had me glued to the pages. This book is so much more than your typical MC romance or M/M romance. It can stand on it’s own merit in any genre and be rated as a 5 Star book.

Christina Lee has once again delivered a fantastic book!

________________________________________________

Author Bio:

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son–her two favorite guys. She’s addicted to lip gloss, salted caramel everything, and believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Resist by Heather C. Leigh- Sphere of Irony Series – Book 3

Posted on 08/12/2015 by shellbellereads

Resist

Sphere of Irony Series – Book 3

A Rock Star Series

By Heather C. Leigh

Release Date: August 9, 2015

Meet Gavin in Heather’s newest M/M standalone romance!

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

All Gavin Walker, bass player for the multi-platinum selling band, Sphere of Irony, wants to do is surf, play music, and occasionally get laid. The problem is that Gavin has a stalker. A potentially deadly one. The threats he receives always mention something about Gavin being gay, which isn’t public knowledge since the record label wants to keep it quiet.

Mitch Hale used to track serial killers for the FBI. A live-changing incident led him to quit the bureau and start his own company providing computerized security for Los Angeles’ wealthiest people. Mitch doesn’t know anyone when he moves across the country from D.C. to California, and all he has for companionship is a pathetic string of failed relationships with women.

When Gavin’s manager hires Mitch to find the stalker, the men instantly hate each other. Despite the constant fighting, attraction between the two blazes hot, confusing the former FBI agent. Spending time with Gavin forces Mitch reflect on what he’s denied about himself for the last ten years. Listening to Mitch’s plan to catch a madman thrusts Gavin’s personal life out in the open for the entire world to see.

Can Gavin and Mitch stop fighting long enough to stop a stalker before someone gets hurt? Or will they stubbornly resist the feelings that develop when they’re forced to work together?

This is book 3 in a 4 part series. It is a spin-off of the Famous Series. These can be read as standalones.

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

I catch the tail end of Gavin’s conversation and come down the stairs in time to see him hang up his phone.

“I need to discuss something with you in the car,” I mention as I hit the bottom step.

Gavin whirls around and chokes at the sight of me. His eyes bug out of his head like a cartoon character and his mouth drops open. Then… he bursts into laughter. The little shit. Honest to god, full belly, tears-in-his-eyes laughter.

“What?” I snap. If he hadn’t started laughing I would have sworn I saw desire on his face when I came down the stairs. Hell, his tongue practically rolled out of his mouth.

“W-what on earth? I-I mean…” The laughter continues.

I cross my arms and scowl, waiting for him to stop acting like a brat. “Are you done?”

Gavin wipes his eyes. “I don’t know, Mitch. What the hell?” He points at me, waving his hand up and down my body. “What are you wearing?”

I scoff. “We’re going to be late. Can I catch you up in the car?” Annoyed at the fact that Gavin is still giggling like a schoolgirl, I snatch my keys off the foyer table and stomp outside to wait on the front step.

“Oh god,” he whispers in a husky voice as he follows behind me.

“What?” I yell, whirling around until we’re nose to nose. I know I’m being unprofessional, but I can’t help myself. He’s being such a dick. “Am I too embarrassing to be seen with? Am I not good enough for the perfect Gavin Walker?”

“No!” Gavin responds to my accusations, holding up a hand to keep me from crashing into him.

I pull back, still furious. “I need to lock the door,” I snarl.

“Jesus, Mitch. What the fuck?” Gavin backs away from the door, heading towards the car.

I shouldn’t care what he thinks. This is work.

After locking up and pulling the car out of the driveway, I feel like the world’s biggest jerk.

“Sorry for yelling,” I say at the same time Gavin mumbles, “Sorry for laughing.”

“Christ,” I chuckle. “Aren’t we a pair?”

“Yeah,” he agrees. “So,” I can see Gavin check out my clothing again from the corner of my eye. “What is with the outfit?”

“Is it that bad?” I ask, biting my bottom lip as I glance over at all six feet plus of beautiful blonde man reclining in the passenger seat.

“No! Not at all. I’m just not used to seeing you like…this,” he says, waving his hand at my clothes again.

“Like what?”

Here we go again. I’m getting all offended. And why? Because he doesn’t like my clothes? Why the hell do I care?

Gavin lets out a long, tortured breath. “All sexy, okay? Shit.” He looks out the side window, hiding his face. I see a crimson blush spread over the one visible cheek and ear.

“Oh.” I grin. “So I’m sexy?” I tease. That explains his mixed reaction.

Gavin barks out a laugh, still staring out the passenger window. “Yeah, like you don’t know that.”

He thinks I’m sexy? For some reason that has me inherently pleased. More pleased than I should be but hell, it’s not everyday you get your ego stroked by a rock star. A gorgeous one at that.

Aaaaand, I shove that right back into the nifty little space in my brain that’s storing up all the thoughts I want to deny ever having.

It’s getting crowded in there.

I clear my throat. “Honestly, the outfit is because I just couldn’t bear the thought of even one more day in a damn suit and tie.” I shudder. Gavin tilts his head in my direction. He’s listening, so I continue. “I felt like I was choking to death. It was too much like being back at the bureau. I just…Let’s just say I didn’t want any reminders of my time there, okay?”

“What does that mean, then? If you aren’t my bodyguard, and you aren’t management, who are you?” Gavin asks.

I force a grin on my face, feeling like I might just twitch right out of my skin. Gavin might not be pleased with my solution.

“I’m your date.”

Michel’s Review

Resist by Heather C. Leigh is the third book in the Sphere of Irony series. If you are new to the series, it’s okay, you don’t have to back track and read the first two books. This book can easily be read as a stand alone novel or in series order. I can guarantee that after reading Resist you will want to read the first two books in the series.

The thing that makes this series so exceptional is it’s uniqueness. For one thing the band Sphere of Irony has it’s own unique make up. Two of the members are from the ghettos in London and the other two members are from tinsel town, Hollywood,CA. Two come from impoverished rough backgrounds and the other two come from priveliged back grounds. Together these four men have come together not only to make music but have became brothers. They fully support each other no matter what their record company, fans, and lives dictate. The other thing that makes this series unique is the characters themselves. They are not your typical wild and spoiled rockstars. They are very grounded and try to lead ordinary lives while being at the top of their careers. They have experienced it all and held onto their true selves. With the exception of one, he has to hide a part of himself. Because of the band’s popularity and his good looks, the record company wants him to hide his sexuality. He is a gay man with millions of women as fans.

Gavin Walker has had to hide his sexuality his entire life. He had to hide being gay in his early years because of his father’s career. Being a famous Hollywood producer of military action films and also being a former military career man has made his father hard. He resents his only son being gay. Gavin’s younger years were blemished with hate and despair. Once he was free from his father’s rule and started to build his own life his sexuality was once again forced to be hidden. This time it was his career and his bandmates careers on the line. But somebody knows his secret. He has a stalker that is becoming more and more dangerous.

Gavin is at the end of his rope. He’s scared, stressed, and falling apart. The only thing that gives him hope is the former FBI profiler his manager has brought in to find the stalker threatening his life. The biggest surprise is his attraction to his protector. Mitch Hale is a straight man and clearly has no interest in Gavin romantically. But the vibes are there and the confusion is even greater.

Mitch Hale has to find Gavin’s stalker before it’s too late. This case has blurred lines and nothing is predictable. He can’t get a handle on who the stalker could be or what his motivations are. He can’t get his client to cooperate with him long enough to keep him safe. He can’t understand his attraction to his client. He wants Gavin Walker to stay alive for more than professional reasons. He wants to explore his attraction to Gavin Walker.

As the danger escalates so does Gavin and Mitch’s relationship. These two are going to go up in flames.

I could not put Resist down. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. The chilling suspense was riveting. It kept me guessing up to the very end when the stalker was finally revealed. The relationship between these two men was beautiful. I loved that they gave their all to one another when they finally surrendered to their feelings.

I highly recommend Resist by Heather C. Leigh. The Sphere of Irony series is exceptional.

A Sphere Of Irony Series

Incite – Book 1

Privilege, poverty, death, and self-loathing; these are the backgrounds of the men of the internationally famous rock band, Sphere of Irony.

Adam Reynolds is an impoverished teen raised by neglectful parents in one of London’s most dangerous boroughs. He turns to his love of music and countless girls to escape his sad reality.

Beautiful and naïve Ellie Palmer comes from a well-off family that suddenly finds themselves living in one of the poorest neighborhoods in London. Alone in a frightening new place, Ellie is afraid to leave the safety of her home, only going out to walk to school and back.

When Adam prevents Ellie from becoming the victim of a horrific sexual assault, they discover something that two teenagers never thought they would find in such a depressing place. Each other.

After tragedy, lies, and distance tear their future away from them; they each wander through life empty and hopeless no matter who or what they use to replace the feelings of loss.

From the crime-ridden streets of London’s East End to the over-the-top display of wealth in L.A. Can two broken souls must conquer their demons in order to find true happiness?

*This is book 1 in a 4 part series. It is a spin-off of the Famous Series. These can be read as standalones.*

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Strike- Book 2

Dax Davies has one job to fulfill in the Davies household. Earn money at the family business. The problem is that the family business was illegal underground fighting.

From a young age, Dax and his brothers are groomed to become money earners in their father’s club. Broken bones and bruises are commonplace. Their father pits the brothers against each other to ‘toughen them up’ for the ring, using his rules to bend his sons to his will. His future is in the cage, not on stage where he dreams of making music.

Kate Campbell loves one thing in life. Well, two. Soccer and Dax Davies. Growing up in the poorest part of London, soccer is her personal escape from reality and from the fact that Dax doesn’t seem to know she exists. She figures if she can be good enough at soccer, maybe she can get away from Hackney, and leave the poverty behind.

Kate doesn’t plan on ever getting to know Dax as more than a passing acquaintance. In fact, she isn’t meant to go with her friend to Dax’s father’s business, but that one night changes everything.

***This is book 2 in the Sphere of Irony Series. It can be read as a standalone. This is a spin-off of the Famous Series***

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Resist – Book 3

Can Gavin and Mitch stop fighting long enough to stop a stalker before someone gets hurt? Or will they stubbornly resist the feelings that develop when they’re forced to work together?

This is book 3 in a 4 part series. It is a spin-off of the Famous Series. These can be read as standalones.

Pre Order: Amazon / Amazon UK

___________________________

About Heather C. Leigh

I’m the author of the Amazon best selling Famous series. I like to write about the ‘dark’ side of fame. The part that the public doesn’t get to see, how difficult it is to live in a fishbowl and how that affects relationships.

I was born and raised in New England and currently live outside Atlanta, GA.

I love the Red Sox, the Patriots, and anything made of chocolate (but not white chocolate, that doesn’t count).

My favorite authors are Dan Wells, Tina Reber, Ken Follett, and Stephen King. Happy reading!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Release: Treble Maker by Annabeth Albert – Perfect Harmony Series – Book 1

Posted on 08/04/2015 by shellbellereads

Treble Maker

Perfect Harmony Series – Book 1

By Annabeth Albert

Synopsis

On Perfect Harmony, the ambitious competitors heat things up on stage and off…
Cody Rivers is determined to be a rock star, but couch-surfing between bar shows gets old fast. Joining an a cappella group for a new singing competition show could be his last chance at real fame—unless the college boy from the heart of the country messes it up for him. Lucas Norwood is everything gothy, glittery Cody is not—conservative, clean-cut, and virginal. But when a twist in the show forces them together, even the sweetest songs get steamy as the attraction between them lights up the stage. Lucas wants to take it slow, but Cody’s singing a different tune—and this time it maybe a love song…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Tina’s Review

Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
The cover displays an eye-catching, colored background with a male model in the foreground in black and white. In the heat of the PITCH PERFECT craze, Ms Albert makes a smart choice to utilize the competitive a cappella world to her favor.
Looking Deeper:
Boy, I have giving critical reviews, but I fear this one was not one of my favorites and I am so sorry to say so as I’ve really liked the other books I’ve read by this author.
Third person POV. Taking you behind the scenes of a reality TV talent competition, not unlike “The Sing-Off”, the story focuses on two young gay men who start out as each other’s competition but become much more. There’s a lot of drama and chaos, as one would expect, in a setting such as this. This story is nothing like the more-mature settings and characters from Ms. Albert’s Portland Heat series; the angst and drama are exhausting at times. It was quite difficult to connect with the street-wise and emotionally hardened fame-hungry Cody, or with the overly innocent and sheltered, wholesome naive college boy, Lucas. The chemistry between them felt disconnected and, at times, even forced. There were a plethora of secondary characters, some no more than filler while others made a strong contribution. Dialogue was decent. Interaction was mostly good, although there was plenty of awkwardness. The plot had a lot of potential and a unique behind-the-scenes perspective that lent credibility and realism to the competition scenes. This one read real slow to me, like trudging through molasses; I think, because I could not connect with the lead characters but I could not find any fault in the writing style and pace set forth. There were several conflicts that were resolved in ways that I can’t necessarily agree with for a long-term solution, but apparently in the land of fiction all works out well in the end. Predictability was low and the conclusion was solid. Maybe someone younger would enjoy the book more, but it was mediocre to me – which again, I truly apologize for saying.

______________________________________________

Author Bio:

Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Category Archives: LGBT

Blog Tour + $50 Gift Card Giveaway: Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Finley by Ella Frank

About Ella Frank

Find Ella Frank Online

Release Blitz: Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy – Him #2

Blog Tour + Huge Giveaway: Spindrift Gifts by Aidee Ladnier

Teo

Series Spotlight + Giveaway: Night’s Templar A Vampire Queen Novel by Joey Hill

Happy Release + Review: Closet Confession by Kindle Alexander

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Broken Oaths by V. L. Moon and J. T. Cheyanne

About the authors

Social media links

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: The Darkest Flame by Christina Lee – Roadmap To Your Heart Series – Book 1

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Resist by Heather C. Leigh- Sphere of Irony Series – Book 3

Happy Release: Treble Maker by Annabeth Albert – Perfect Harmony Series – Book 1

Share this:

About Ella Frank

Find Ella Frank Online

Share this:

Share this:

Teo

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

About the authors

Social media links

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: