Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Promo: Designated Bottoms anthology

Twitter: @torquere
Cover Artist: Anne Squires
Publisher: Torquere Press Inc
Blurb:
Some men are bottoms by birth, others by choice. Whatever the reason, a designated bottom is someone who’s happy to surrender, to submit, or just catch instead of pitch!
In Czech Me Out, by BA Tortuga, Korde discovers what it’s like to fall for someone when food truck owner Josh takes on the cowboy virgin. Katey Hawthorne’s gamer grad student Paul doesn’t date. He keeps things strictly physical. So why is Sammy so important to him in The Mistell? Kitty shifter and stripper Aleks doesn’t mix business with pleasure, but he thinks Rafe might just be the master for him in Julia Talbot’s Faster Bobcat.
Sean Michael’s Peter isn’t sure about the club his friend takes him to, especially when Doms start hitting on him. Experienced Dom Rupert is happy to help, explaining about that Little Square of Cloth. In Sgt. Hardass, by Shannon West, recent ex-Army man Jake meets up with a man he has history with, and Chad isn’t sure he can explain himself and defuse Jake’s anger. In the Prince of Paupers by Kiernan Kelly, Prince Liam and longtime friend Deacon have to go back to Deacon’s Appalachian home, much to the prince’s dismay. And in Switching It Up by KC Wells, Jay knows he looks like a twink, but only hunky Dean understands that looks can be seriously deceptive.



Excerpt:
From Czech Me Out by BA Tortuga
Josh had texted the fine cowboy as early as he felt comfortable doing it. He’d waited until nine. He figured it was gratifying that he got an immediate response.

“Noon?” he’d sent, and when he got an affirmative, he’d send his address. Then he set about making lunch.

He could tear that sweet body up, turn the Marlboro Man inside out and make Korde like it. He would soften the guy up with a few barbecue-filled potato skins... Barbecue, the redneck aphrodisiac.

Josh grinned. He’d swayed more than one hot little cowboy with his special sauce and some crispy potatoes. Of course, he’d never asked one to come to his house before, and certainly hadn’t gotten so interested so damned fast.

He’d never changed his sheets and made sure he was stocked with lube and rubbers, either. Not on a not-even-a-first-date. Lord. He was hopeful today, for sure.

Hopeful, horny and... oh, man, he needed an ‘h’ word...

The doorbell rang, saving him from having to be too creative. He told his cock to stay down for a bit and went to answer.

Frack and Frick were yapping their damn fool heads off, wagging and bouncing. Silly mutts. “Y’all get down.”

Josh opened the door a few inches. “You’re not afraid of dogs are you?”

“Not even a bit.” Korde leaned down and gave scritches, easy as pie.

Those two beagle-shepherd monstrosities went nuts, yodeling and wagging and begging.

Blurb: So, what happens when you get a bunch of m/m writers together on a panel at a steamy little convention called Authors After Dark in Savannah?
In this case, we all sat around with the readers who came to our panel and chattered and laughed like idiots, and we talked about what we liked to read and write. There was a lot of smutty puns, and it was all fun and games until someone uttered the fateful phrase, “Right, and every story has to have a designated bottom.”
The writer and editor in me both went, “ooooh”. And I said, “Hey, does anyone want in on an anthology for next year with this theme?”
Enough of the writers at that panel, and a few who weren’t, said yes, and Designated Bottoms was born. When I sent out the call, this is what I said.
You’ve heard about Designated Drivers? Well, what about a Designated Bottom? The theme is open to all m/m stories where one man is a designated bottom boy, Whether self-imposed or by the Dom/lover/alpha of the pack or simply (either true or not) by society. Feel free to play with burly bottoms who surprise the deceptively sweet top, or with the too-smart kid who's the pushy bottom to end all bottoms. BDSM is fine, but not mandatory. A bottom may simply like to catch instead of pitch. 
The stories I received delighted me. From a first-time cowboy and his new lover to a hardass Sergeant falling for a determined young soldier, from a hot gamer geek who doesn’t date to a sweet young thing on his first visit to a BDSM club, there’s something for everyone. There are princes and paupers, werekitties and strippers, and skinny twink-looking tops and big, gentle bottoms. They all left me fanning my hot cheeks and smiling at how the end result was two men in love, no matter how they got there.
The authors in Designated Bottoms have all reminded me why I fell in love with m/m as a genre damned near fifteen years ago, and of why I’m still writing, and publishing those stories today.
We’d like to dedicate this book to all the readers at Authors After Dark who thought this collection was a great idea, and to all the readers who keep us going every day by reading our books and letting us know they like them! I hope y’all love these stories as much as I do!


XXOO

Contributors:
BA Tortuga: Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA's personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.
Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has responded to the call of the high desert mountains. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon- holed by anyone but the voices in her head. Find her at www.batortuga.com
Katey Hawthorne is an avid reader and writer of superpowered romance, even though the only degree she holds is in the history of art. (Or, possibly, because the only degree she holds is in the history of art.) Originally from the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia, she currently lives in Ohio. In her spare time she enjoys comic books, B-movies, loud music, Epiphones, and Bushmills. Find Katey at http://www.kateyhawthorne.com/
Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex.
A full time author, Julia has been published by Torquere Press, Ellora's Cave, and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at www.juliatalbot.com
Sean Michael: Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
Sean's available for interviews, by the way. He can always be talked into, well talking about himself. Find Sean at www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Shannon West: Shannon West currently lives in the South with her husband and family. A lover and avid reader of M/M romances, she began writing them a few years ago and now has over forty short stories, novellas,and novels to her credit. Her series about wolf shifters, the Dark Hollows Series and the sci fi series, Love Slaves of the Alphas, produced sixteen bestsellers with four of them going to number one on the third party sites. She was a finalist in the Rainbow awards for 2013, a nominee for best sci fi series in the Love Romances Café and very honored to be named an All Romance ebooks top ten author for 2013. She writes BDSM and some ménage as well. She loves men and everything about them, and believes that love is love, no matter the gender. She mostly spends her days at the keyboard, trying to elude housework, which stalks her relentlessly.
Links: www.shannonwestbooks.com
Twitter: @shannonwest8
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Shannon-
West/e/B006M4L976/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1378053402& amp;sr=8-2-ent
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannon.west.399
Kiernan Kelly: Kiernan Kelly lives in the wilds of the alligator-infested U.S. Southeast, slathered in SPF 45, drinking colorful tropical, hi-octane concoctions served by thong-clad cabana boys.
All right, the truth is that she spends her time locked in the dark recesses of her office, writing gay erotic romance while chained to a temperamental laptop, drinking coffee, and dreaming of thong-clad cabana boys.
Sigh.
To date, Kiernan has over a dozen novels in print and ebook, and a plethora of short stories in both formats.
Links:
www.KiernanKelly.com KiernanKelly@KiernanKelly.com https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly
KC Wells: Born and raised in the north-west of England, K.C.Wells always loved writing. Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the writing ceased, as life got in the way.
K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, where the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings – writing about men in love was even hotter...
K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career.
The laptop still has no idea of what hit it... it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes.
K.C. can be reached via email (k.c.wells@btinternet.com), on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld) or through comments at the K.C. Wells website (www.kcwellsworld.com) K.C. loves to hear from readers.
 Giveaway: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card


Tour Dates: 7/30/14



Buy it Now: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76&products_id=4234

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Cover Reveal: The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick




The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick



Description:







One
October morning, high school junior Bryan Dennison wakes up a different
person—helpful, generous, and chivalrous—a person whose new admirable qualities
he doesn’t recognize. Stranger still is the urge to tie a red sheet around his
neck like a cape.

Bryan soon realizes this compulsion to wear a red cape is accompanied by more
unusual behavior. He can’t hold back from retrieving kittens from tall trees,
helping little old ladies cross busy streets, and defending innocence anywhere
he finds it.




Shockingly, at school, he realizes he used to be a bully. He’s attracted to the
former victim of his bullying, Scott Beckett, though he has no memory of Scott
from before “the change.” Where he’d been lazy in academics, overly aggressive
in sports, and socially insecure, he’s a new person. And although he can recall
behaving egotistically, he cannot remember his motivations.




Everyone, from his mother to his teachers to his “superjock” former pals, is
shocked by his dramatic transformation. However, Scott Beckett is not impressed
by Bryan’s newfound virtue. And convincing Scott he’s genuinely changed and
improved, hopefully gaining Scott’s trust and maybe even his love, becomes
Bryan’s obsession.





Excerpt:








“Hey,
you guys!” Marley plunked her ass down on the chair across the table from me.
As usual, Kathy followed closely behind and hovered by her shoulder when Marley
sat down. “I’ve got big news!”









We
all turned to her at once. Josh even put down his
walnut-grape-granola-goat-cheese-chicken-salad sandwich on focaccia to give her
his full attention. “What’s up?” he asked between enthusiastic chews.







“I
just heard some teachers talking in the hall. And they said that Friday is Miss
Libby’s thirtieth birthday.”



Kathy
pursed her green lips. “We can’t let it pass without doing something for her.
She’s the coolest teacher at Appleton.”

“You
know what would be so funny?” It was Josh again. “It would be such a riot if we
set up a flash mob for her.”

We
all laughed, just imagining it in our heads.

“No,
seriously,” Josh said. “We should set up a flash mob for her. Doesn’t she have
lunch duty on most Fridays?”

Is
this the Josh I know?

But,
then, what did I have to lose? “I’m in.” It was the least I could do for Miss
Libby, who’d given me a chance to redeem myself with Scotty.

“You’d
do that?” Scott appeared absolutely scandalized. “What about those guys?” He
again nodded toward the Superjocks. “They’ll never let you live it down.”
“Ask
me if I care?”

Scott
just sat there, his full spoon frozen just beneath his lips.
When
Scott didn’t voice the question, David did. “D-do y-you c-care?”
I
looked squarely at David. “Not even slightly. Plus, you should see me dance. It
is something to behold.”

Josh
rolled his eyes, because he’d seen it a time or two, but everyone else seated
at the Social Justice League Table nodded and grinned.

“I’ll
get together as many kids as I can and I’ll find some music. We can practice at
the community center right after school on Thursday. I’ll reserve it.” Marley
was always on top of those kinds of things.

That
posed a problem for me, though: basketball practice. But I had new priorities.
I would work it out. “I’ll be there. How about all of you?”

Everybody
nodded again. Scott had turned an enticing shade of pink.



I
looked right at him and said, “Then Thursday after school is a date.”


Review:
Coming Soon...

Enter to Win! 


• (2) THE RED SHEET digital copy

• (2) THE RED SHEET Swag Bag



a Rafflecopter giveaway




About the Author:






Mia Kerick is the mother of four
exceptional children—all named after saints—and five non-pedigreed cats—all
named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband
of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t
ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the
emotional growth of troubled men and their relationships, and she believes that
sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a
love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of
tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of
1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She
is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to
stash her stories.

Mia is proud of her involvement
with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in
the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing
or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered
pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

My
themes I always write about:



Sweetness.
Unconventional love, tortured/damaged heroes - only love can save them.

Author Links:  

Website  Amazon  Facebook  Goodreads 



Buy Links:



Amazon 
B&N Dreamspinner  



Tour Coordinator:


I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews


Please check out the other stops on this tour today:


This post contains Affiliate Links.


Friday, July 18, 2014

Review & Promo: The Pack or the Panther (Tales of the Harker Pack #1) by Tara Lain

Blurb: 
Cole Harker, son of an alpha werewolf, is bigger and more powerful than most wolves, tongue-tied in groups, and gay. For twenty-four years, he's lived to please his family and pack- even letting them promise him in marriage to female werewolf Analiese to secure a pack alliance and help save them from a powerful gangster who wants their land. Then Cole meets Analiese's half-brother, panther shifter Paris Marketo, and for the first time, Cole wants something for himself.

When Analiese runs off to marry a human, Cole finally has a chance with Paris, but the solitary cat rejects him, the pack and everything it represents. Then Cole discovers the gangster wants Paris too and won't rest until he has him. What started as a land dispute turns into World War Wolf! But the bigger fight is the battle between cats and dogs.

Now Available in Audio book!!


This fantastic shifter story from the amazing Tara Lain is now out in Audio for your listening pleasure! You can buy it from Audible! 


My Thoughts: 

It is no surprise that I loved this one! I mean sexy M/M loving and shifters, what's not to love? Tara has a way of writing that just sucks me into the story every single time and I can't get enough.

Cole is a total Alpha with the exception that he has issues with group settings. He definitely gets tongue-tied and tends to fumble when put on the spot. But physically he is all luscious man! Cole always puts the family and pack over his own wants and needs he has agreed to marry a female even though he is most definitely a gay man. When he meets Paris the sparks fly and Cole constantly has to remind himself that it can not happen.

Paris is not all wolf, he is a half breed. Part wolf and part panther he tends to relate more to his panther side, oh but he does have a most surprising secret. (No I am not going to tell and spoil the excitement.) Paris comes off like most cats... selfish and all about himself, completely disregarding anyone else's feelings. It made me question him several times through the book.

"I rescued you because I fucking cared if you lived or died. Because I didn't want to live if you weren't alive. You married me to wipe out that debt." He snarled across his teeth. "We'll never be even."

Tara Lain could've just ripped my heart out with this line, I had to put my kindle down and run for the tissues.

Rating: 5 Stars

Buy it Now:

Dreamspinner Press

Promo: Not Quite Broken by Diana DeRicci


Blurb:
Can Dex survive a nightmare that won't let go?
Dex's life has gone into a tailspin. One night that ruined his entire world. He can't sleep, he can't eat. He's lost his job, and is about to lose the last of his sanity. When the world crashes down around him, he's ready to let the world win.
Dex has friends, though, who are determined to not let him self-combust.
One man will be there to guide him through his nightmare, to hold him to keep the demons at bay, and still let him be strong enough to find the strength to love after his darkest hour.


Excerpt:
Brian tempered his smile at Dex’s miffed tone. There was still a spark of the man he was before the night of his attack. He’d seen it in snatches for a few days when Dex was trying so hard to pretend that night hadn’t happened at all, especially when they were at Chad and Sonny’s. He knew with good insight Dex didn’t want either of them to worry. Then life started to return and invade and the nightmares began. Doctors, police, therapy. He couldn’t outrun them. The stress of it caused nightmares. He didn’t know if any of Dex’s other friends, who seemed to be sparse, were equipped to help him handle the aftermath.
That lack of family or friends in his life was partly why Brian had taken such a personal interest in Dex’s recovery.
He was being devious about it, taking Dex on these little errands, putting him in situations where he couldn’t evade. Brian wasn’t going to allow anyone to hurt him, least of all Dex himself, by hiding.
He opened the glass entryway door and Dex obediently followed.
“Hi, Samantha,” Brian called to the girl behind the counter. He got a wave and smile, though he didn’t slow down to talk.
“It’s loud in here,” Dex complained.
“It’s a gym, not the ballet.”

Author Bio: Diana DeRicci is the sexy, flirty pen name of Diana Castilleja. A romance author at heart, DeRicci's writing takes you into a saucier spectrum of sensuality and sexual adventure, where a happily-ever-after is still the key to any story. Diana lives in Central Texas with her husband, one son and a feisty little Chihuahua named Rascal. You can catch the latest news on all of Diana DeRicci's writing and books on her website. Feel free to drop Diana an email. She'd love to hear from you.


Author Links:
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/dianacastilleja/
Twitter: @DianaCastilleja
Cover Artist:  Lex Valentine
Publisher: MLR Press



Tour Dates: 7/18/14


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: E-book of Not Quite Broken



Review: When Sean Loves Rusty (Bayou Boys #1-5 collection) by Chris Cox

Blurb: 
Best friends since grade school, lovers since high school, Sean Delahunt and Dusty Duchene thought nothing could ever tear them apart. Then Sean graduates college and his world changes, while Rusty's stays the same. Offered a job in Boston, Sean knows asking Rusty to leave New Orleans is a big sacrifice for his soul mate, who has a successful career and supportive family. Abused and rejected by his own family, Sean struggles with self worth and thinks this career opportunity will give him a new life.

Rusty wavers in his trust but takes a chance and agrees to follow him to Boston. Alone for several weeks in a strange city, Sean is determined to make friends on his own. When Rusty arrives, this new Sean makes him feel insecure. Crushing student loans, being unable to find a job and suspicions about the nature of Sean's friends strain an already tenuous relationship. A trip home for the holidays reminds both men of all they've left behind and makes them reevaluate what they want in their future.

On the verge of wedding vows, a career crisis threatens to bring their lives back full circle. money, moves and men... will this longtime love last forever or will life in the big city destroy their young love?

This collection includes:

Meant To Be (Bayou Boys #1)
Moving On (Bayou Boys #2)
Tricked Up for Treats (Bayou Boys #3)
Jingle My Bells (Bayou Boys #4)
For Better Or Worse (Bayou Boys #5)

(Links will take you to Goodreads.)

My Thoughts: 
**I received this book free for review from the author through the DBML (Don't Buy My Love) program in the M/M Romance group on Goodreads.**

This is the first book I have read from Chris Cox and I will be returning for more. I loved Rusty and Sean! The writing just flowed and I couldn't have asked for a better story. I adore a good friends to lovers story and while Sean and Rusty are already in a relationship they started as friends first in the back story.

Sean has a lot of issues that continue to plague him through out this book, Rusty is there for him every step of the way and their relationship just grows stronger because of it. Despite Sean holding back, Rusty's family is a strong part of his healing. I don't want to spoil any part of this book, it just needs to be read and enjoyed by the masses. I for one could not put it down, I read it from cover to cover in one sitting!

Rating: 5 Stars



Add to Goodreads

Buy It Now: 



Thursday, July 17, 2014

Review: His Girl Friday by Ellen March






His Girl Friday by Ellen March



Description:



Sally Friday is a mess. Not only is she tortured by self-doubt, but she is
also clumsy and has no fashion sense. However, these qualities are exactly what her boss is
counting on when she sends her to spy on reclusive millionaire playboy, Roman Daniels. Sally,
normally an office clerk for the gossip magazine, Normandy, interviews for the position as
Roman’s new secretary. 




His jealous PA, Antonia, immediately
hires the girl, confident that her disheveled appearance will make her invisible to Roman’s
wandering eye. Reliably disaster-prone, Sally makes a memorable first impression, and Roman
wonders if he will survive her employment. But there is something about Sally that Roman can’t
dismiss. Unlike every other woman, she is unswayed by his masculine good looks, and he
keeps catching intriguing glimpses of her feminine potential. When Sally takes
a midnight dip in his pool, Roman makes an eye-popping discovery: Sally is hiding a
luscious hour-glass figure beneath those baggy clothes. Her hidden assets as well as her
refreshing innocence have Roman hooked. 




That is, until his growing feelings and
fear of commitment get in the way and he decides to back off. With the help of Roman’s best
friend Paul, Sally plays to Roman’s jealousy and gives him a taste of his own medicine. But what
will Roman do when Sally's deceit is revealed?






Review:

It is not often that I read M/F anymore, but every once in awhile one comes my way that sounds intriguing and I simply can not pass it up, this was the case with His Girl Friday. I am so glad that I read this one.
Roman was a horrible man, I could not stand him for the first half of the book. I thought he was rude and obnoxious, not to mention a womanizer.  Sally was a mess, she is clumsy and uncoordinated, and she hides herself under baggy ugly clothes. I ended up really loving this book. Even Roman turned around for me. I will definitely be reading more by Ellen March in the future.

Rating: 5 Stars





Enter to Win! 



About the
Author:





Hello and welcome to my corner
of the world :)

 

I live on top of a mountain in Wales ideal in the summer not so in
the winter months or when it rains, which is a lot in Wales!

 

My three children have left home, however my life is still manic. I
live with my husband he sadly won’t leave home but I live in hope
(joke). I have one suicidal cat that really does
have nine lives.

 

I have five Alaskan Malamutes. They own me literally as I never go
anywhere without taking their hair with me, they insist! My hobbies are
showing and working them.

 

My first love though is writing, it’s a total escape for me my
selfish time :) Writing my books takes me from the mundane chores of
work into another universe.

 

Since a child I devoured any written word and enjoy acting out my fantasies in print.

 



My ambition is to pack in my nine to five job and become a full time
writer. Another one of my many dreams. I have stockpiled work of
various genres, including my first love erotic romance,
followed by psychological thrillers and supernatural so be prepared I
am making my mark on the world of literature 


Social Links:  


Website  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads  Fanny
Press





Buy Links:



Amazon 
B&N  



Tour Coordinator:




I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews





Please check out the other stops on this tour
today:


This post contains Affiliate
Links.