Saturday, December 2, 2017

Saturday's Series Spotlight: West End by Teodora Kostova


Dance #1
Summary:
Jared Hartley is happy. He has a starring role in a popular West End musical, great friends, adoring fans and his own flat in Central London. A relationship is not something he has ever really wanted. Making big plans for the future is not in his nature – Jared is content with his single status and enjoying all the benefits of that lifestyle.

He doesn’t even realise something is missing in his life.

Until he meets Fenix.

Fenix Bergman has a dream – to perform on Broadway. When he gets offered the lead role in Poison – a new musical based in London, he accepts, immediately recognising the huge potential of the show.

Fenix thinks he has his life completely figured out – he will move to London, help Poison become the new West End hit and bide his time until Broadway comes knocking on his door. He has never wished for anything else but proving to himself and the world that he is a performer worthy of the biggest theatre stage.

Until he meets Jared.

Jared and Fenix’s lives collide and they fill each other’s missing pieces. Neither of them expects to feel so much, so fast for the other.

Neither of them expects to need someone so badly when love hasn’t even been in their plans.

But when Fenix’s star becomes too bright for London, will the dream he’s chased all his life ruin the dream he’s holding in his hands?

Will he survive getting everything he’s ever wanted?

Will Jared?

๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’ฆexplicit sexual content, graphic language & adult themes. Recommended for 18+๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’ฆ

Mask #2
Summary:
Adam Fischer doesn’t believe in second chances. Heartbroken after his lover Charlie leaves him to chase his music career in L.A., Adam is convinced that meaningless one-night-stands are all life has in store for him.

Until fate drops Penn Shields in his lap.

Penn is a young, talented designer fresh out of college who has just landed his dream job as a wardrobe assistant in Queen Victoria theatre, where Adam is performing in a popular musical.

He’s also Charlie's brother.

The last thing Penn wants is to follow in his brother’s footsteps, especially since they haven’t spoken in years. However, the attraction he feels for Adam grows with each day, and soon resisting it proves to be futile.

As Adam and Penn get to know each other intimately, they both realise that first impressions may be deceiving, and that, sometimes, second chances come in the same packaging.

๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’ฆexplicit sexual content, graphic language & adult themes. Recommended for 18+๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’ฆ

Dreaming of Snow #2.5
Summary:
It’s been a year since Adam and Penn moved in together, and they’ve settled down into their comfortable new life together.

Only...not everything is as perfect as it seems.

Penn is a bit bored after quitting his job at Queen Victoria, and Adam can’t seem to find inspiration for his latest film script.

Jared and Fenix are about to spend their second Christmas in their new home in the picturesque city of Malmรถ, Sweden. With a beautiful new house and a successful dance studio to run, Jared and Fenix are happy and content.

Only...not everything is as perfect as it seems.

When Jared invites Adam and Penn to spend the holidays with them in Malmรถ, Adam reluctantly agrees. But the two weeks filled with Christmas shopping, delicious food, fragrant wine, playing in the snow and, most importantly, spending quality time with their closest friends, proves to be exactly what everyone needs.

Piece by Piece #3
Summary:
Sometimes to reach the surface you have to fall to the bottom first...

For the past ten years, Riley Davis’s life has been overshadowed by the tragic death of his partner. Fluctuating between alcohol induced daze, clinical depression and throwing all his time and effort into his business, Riley doesn’t believe, or even hope, that his life will ever be worth living again.

Until Sonnie Frye drops by his haberdashery shop, changing his life forever.

Sonnie is a man who likes getting what he wants, when he wants it. He’s worked hard to establish himself as Queen Victoria theatre’s chief costume designer, collecting multiple awards – and high-profile clients – along the way. Sonnie is used to putting his needs, goals and desires first, unwilling to compromise his own happiness for anybody else.
Until he meets a handsome shop owner whose eyes are so sad that they immediately tug at Sonnie's heartstrings.

Seeing something he wants, Sonnie is determined to get under Riley's skin and, preferably, into his bed. But he soon discovers the task is not that easy. For the first time in his life, Sonnie may need to put someone else’s needs before his own, and re-evaluate what really matters in life.

Will the two men stand side by side to overcome their differences, and everything else life throws at them? Or will it all become too much to bear, shaking them to their very core, destroying everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve?

Cherry Kisses: Fenix and Jared's First Valentine's Day #3.5
Summary:
Jared and Fenix have been blissfully happy together for six months. On their first Valentine’s Day as a couple, they decide to surprise each other with carefully thought out plans that take both men out of their comfort zones.

Only, they have no idea they’ve both planned something for the other.

A day full of surprises can be very exciting, or turn out to be a complete disaster...

*This is a short story involving characters from a previously published full-length novel, Dance. It could be read as a sweet Valentine’s day story without having previously read Dance, but knowing the characters in more depth may make the reading experience more enjoyable.*

๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’ฆ18+ only, Sexual situations, Adult language, Sensitive themes.๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’ฆ

๐Ÿ’ธCherry Kisses is a FREE short story and always will be.๐Ÿ’ธ


Author Bio:
Hi, my name is Teodora and I live in London with my husband and my son. I've been writing ever since I can remember, but it became my full time job in 2010 when I decided that everything else I've tried bores me to death and I have to do what I've always wanted to do, but never had the guts to fully embrace. I've been a journalist, an editor, a personal assistant and an interior designer among other things, but as soon as the novelty of the new, exciting job wears off, I always go back to writing. Being twitchy, impatient, loud and hasty are not qualities that help a writer, because I have to sit alone, preferably still, and write for most of the day, but I absolutely love it. It's the only time that I'm truly at peace and the only thing I can do for more than ten minutes at a time - my son has a bigger attention span than me.

When I'm procrastinating, I like to go to the gym, cook Italian meals (and eat them), read, listen to rock music, watch indie movies and True Blood re-runs. Or, in the worst case scenario, get beaten at every Wii game by a very inventive kid.


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Dance #1
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Mask #2
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Dreaming of Snow #2.5

Piece by Piece #3
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Cherry Kisses: Fenix and Jared's First Valentine's Day #3.5

Book Blitz: Murder on the Lake of Fire by Mikel J Wilson

Title: Murder on the Lake of Fire
Author: Mikel J Wilson
Series: Mourning Dove Mysteries #1
Genre: LGBTQ+, Mystery, Romance, M/M
Release Date: December 1, 2017
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Summary:
At twenty-three and with a notorious case under his belt, Emory Rome has already garnered fame as a talented special agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. His career is leapfrogging over his colleagues, but the jumping stops when he’s assigned a case he fought to avoid – to investigate an eerie murder in the Smoky Mountain hometown he had abandoned. This mysterious case of a dead teen ice-skater once destined for the pros is just the beginning. In a small town bursting with envious friends and foes, Rome’s own secrets lie just below the surface. The rush to find the murderer before he strikes again pits Rome against artful private investigator, Jeff Woodard. The PI is handsome and smart, seducing Rome and forcing him to confront childhood demons, but Woodard has secrets of his own. He might just be the killer Rome is seeking.


Emory followed a directional sign for the administrative offices to a long corridor. Just past a bathroom for each sex, he came to a windowless room. Adjacent to the room’s lone desk sat a table featuring neatly aligned rows of Algarotti Smoky Mountain Springs bottled water, a glass-door refrigerator chilling bottles of flavored water and a sign inviting visitors to take one. The desk was positioned to the right of the entrance to a smaller hallway that ended at a door. Seated at the desk was someone familiar.

“Hello,” Emory said to the man he had seen leaving the Algarotti house earlier.

The man closed the desk drawer he was rifling through and lifted a stolid face that softened when he saw Emory. “Hi again,” he replied with a flawless smile framed by mischievous lips. His pea coat was now unbuttoned, exposing a tight blue sweater molded over square pecs. He leaned back in the chair, interlocked his fingers over his chest and peered at Emory with eyes as sparkling green as the Southern Lights. “Are you following me?”

The stranger’s question and his assuredness knocked Emory’s demeanor off balance. “No,” he answered with more volume than intended. “No, I’m here to see Victor Algarotti.”

“So am I.” The man erected himself without using his hands and walked to the front of the desk to stand before Emory. Both six-foot-two, their eyes locked – an alignment that rattled Emory. “Jeff Woodard,” the man said as he extended his hand.

Emory shook his hand and told him his name. “What do you mean, you want to see him too? Is Victor not here?”

Before Jeff could explain, another man exited the nearby bathroom and approached them. A work badge hanging from his right collar informed them that his name was Scot Trousdale. In his late twenties or early thirties, Scot stood about five inches shorter than the other two men, but the wide back and thick shoulders pushing against the seams of his dress shirt gave him an imposing presence nonetheless. The curls of his dark brown hair twisted around cauliflower ears and an attractive face misshaped by more than a couple of punches. A fighter. Wrestling or MMA. Scot’s dull eyes looked at them from behind rimless glasses that slid down the wide bridge of his nose. “Gentlemen. Which one of you is Mr. Woodard?” he asked in a voice lighter than his looks would suggest.

“That would be me,” responded Jeff with a slight wave.

Scot pulled some papers from the printer at his desk, stapled them and handed them to Jeff. “To save time, Mr. Algarotti dictated all the information you’ll need to start your investigation. Oh wait.” He retrieved a picture of Britt from his top drawer and gave it to Jeff. “Here’s a picture.”

“Excuse me.” Emory glared at Jeff. “Who are you?”

Jeff smirked at him. “We met earlier.”

“I know we met earlier. Why are you receiving information about my victim?”
Jeff flashed his right palm. “Let’s not get possessive. I’m a private investigator—”

Scot looked over his glasses at Emory. “And who are you?”

“I’m Emory Rome from the TBI.”

Jeff taunted him by asking, “Do you have a badge?”

“Of course I do.” Emory retrieved his badge and showed it to both of them, eliciting a smile from Jeff.

Scot stared at Emory for a moment. “Have we met before?”

Emory answered, “I don’t believe so,” although he questioned if they had run into each other when he lived in Barter Ridge as a kid.

Scot seemed to register a sudden glimmer of realization, but if he did, he kept it to himself. “Hang on one second.” He went to his computer to print another copy of the document he had given Jeff. “Mr. Algarotti had me compile all the information you might need.” He stapled the papers and handed them to Emory. “Mr. Algarotti asked that no time be wasted before getting started.”
Emory glanced at the top page. “How thorough.”

“I don’t have another picture, though,” Scot told him. “Maybe you two could share it.”

Jeff snapped a picture of the photo with his phone. “I’ll text it to you. What’s your number?” After a silent second, he added, “It’s only fair. You already have mine.”

So it was his number. Emory shook his head. “I have my own picture.” He turned back to Scot to ask, “Where’s Victor’s office?”

“As I said, he asked that you – I guess both of you now – not waste time.”

“I need to talk to him,” insisted Emory.

“That won’t be necessary,” Scot countered. “Everything he would tell you is in the document I just gave you.”

Emory’s stern face matched the tone of his voice when he said, “It wasn’t a request.”

Without turning his head, Scot pointed his ink pen over his shoulder to the hallway behind him. “End of the hall.”

Emory walked past the desk, his footsteps echoed by Jeff’s. “Where are you going?” he asked the PI.

“I want to talk to him too.”

“I need to talk to him alone. This is a murder investigation.” Emory continued walking until Jeff grabbed his arm.

“This isn’t my first murder case.”

“Really? What others have you worked on? Who were the victims?”

Jeff counted on his fingers. “Lara Crawford, Zelda Princeton, Jill Valentino—”

“Why do all of your victims sound like video game characters? Look, I have no unsolved mysteries under my belt. I’m not going to let an amateur muddle up one of my investigations.”

“Muddle? Who says that outside a Christmas song? I got news for you. It’s our investigation, and I’m not going to muddle up anything.”

“What were you doing at his desk when I arrived?”

“It’s called investigating.” Jeff pointed toward Scot’s desk. “Dilbert there could be our killer.”

Emory continued to Victor’s closed office, telling Jeff, “Don’t follow me.” 

Author Bio:
Mystery and science fiction author Mikel J. Wilson received widespread critical praise for his debut novel, Sedona: The Lost Vortex, a science fiction book based on the Northern Arizona town’s legends of energy vortexes and dimensional travel. Wilson now draws on his Southern roots for the Mourning Dove Mysteries, a series of novels featuring bizarre murders in the Smoky Mountains region of Tennessee.

Murder on the Lake of Fire, the first novel in the Mourning Dove Mysteries series, will be available December 1, 2017.


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Book Blitz: I Burned Down His House by Jessica Frances

Title: I Burned Down His House
Author: Jessica Frances
Series: Love at First Crime #3
Genre: Adult Romantic Suspense
Release Date: November 28, 2017
Summary:
She burned his house down, so he lit a fire between them that she could never extinguish.

So, I burned his house down.

It was an accident.

I mean, technically, the dog did it.

Well, the dog helped me to do it.

Did I mention it was an accident?

When circumstances mean I suddenly have a new housemate,

A man who is my ultimate fantasy,

And my entire world is turned upside down by new friends,

And a dog who likes to get me into trouble,

I have to wonder how my life got so crazy.

Add in my neighbor, who is under investigation;

Some unfinished business from the past, which just won’t go away;

Interfering family, who don’t know when to stop;

And mixed signals, making me wonder if fantasies really can come true,

And you have my new, hectic, crazy life.

But, when things take a dangerous turn,

And lives are on the line,

Will we all make it through in one piece?

Or is everything destined to crumble down around us?

Who would have thought that burning down a house would change everything so much?

Then again, as some people say: there is nothing quite like love at first … crime.


“I always knew I had a thing for Joey, I just didn’t realize how deep that could go so quickly.”

“If you want my advice, then firstly, I have to wonder why the hell you do. I don’t even do relationships, remember? And then I would tell you to turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride. Sure, it might crash and burn, but worrying about that is just going to spoil the ride. You might as well be happy while you can.”

I let his words soak in, finding them settling inside me.

He’s right. I can’t exactly stop the direction we are heading in. Maybe we are heading for heartbreak. Maybe we aren’t. Either way, I can still choose to enjoy every second we are together.

“Harvey, I think you might be a bit of a genius,” I murmur, looking up at him to see his attention isn’t on me.

It’s on a man fast approaching us from the trail ahead.

“Harvey?”

“Turn around and run,” he snaps, releasing his grip on Karma’s leash and shoving it into my hand.

“What?” I gasp, almost tripping when he pushes me behind him.

“Run!” he barks.

I freeze, seeing the man, who is taller and wider than Harvey, is almost on him.

What the hell is happening?

Once fists start flying, I do as I’m told and run.

I’m not an expert on fighting, but I know I will be a hindrance rather than helpful.

I grab my phone as I run, dialing Joey’s number with shaky hands. Karma’s barking almost makes me drop it before it connects.

“Teags?”

“Something’s wrong,” I huff out, slowing down a little so I can get my words out. “Harvey is fighting someone—” I break off my own words, screeching to a halt when a van careens up beside me, brakes squealing.

I turn to my side, unable to make out who is there before hands grab me, pulling me closer to the street and the van.

“Get off me!” I cry, glancing around wildly to find no one is around. There are no witnesses, no one able to step in to help.



Author Bio:
Jessica lives in Adelaide, South Australia. When she is not writing, you can find her reading, napping or watching excessive amounts of TV. Connect with her on Facebook and Goodreads.

FACEBOOK  /  BLOG
EMAIL: jessicafrances_author@yahoo.com.au



I Burned Down His House #3

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