Showing posts with label kell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kell. Show all posts

Thursday, October 12, 2023

πŸ‘»πŸŽƒ⏳Throwback Thursday's Time Machine⏳πŸŽƒπŸ‘»: End Street Volume 1 by Amber Kell & RJ Scott


 
 
Summary:
End Street Detective Agency Volume 1
Dragons, vampires, werewolves, fae, witches and one very confused human.

* * * *

Sam, 100% human (no, really) inherits a crumbling building and a private detective agency from his Uncle.

Bob, a brooding stubborn and ancient vampire turns up at his door and refuses to leave.

Before Sam can say 'I only want human cases' he's knee deep in werewolves, dragons, vampires and witches.

The Case of The Cupid Curse #1
Sam Enderson is a human detective who inherits a building from where his Uncle used to run a detective agency. He finds himself working for paranormal creatures despite his resolve to stick with humans only. To supplement his income as a new PI Sam rents out rooms in the large house.

Bob is a vampire and turns up on Sam's doorstep to rent a room. Sparks fly and Sam is attracted to the vampire despite himself.

Sam is cursed by a witch, and has two cases landing on his desk. Werewolves, annoying ghosts and a grumpy gargoyle are enough to drive Sam mad. But somehow in amongst all of this he has to find a missing fae and a missing shifter child.

The Case of the Wicked Wolf #2
Naiads, humans, sirens and a challenge for Alpha make up the intricate story in the race to rescue the missing children.

Sam and Bob have more than just the case of one lost child to handle. Not only is Shelby Hartman missing, but other paranormal children have disappeared. The race to rescue the children is hampered by naiads, humans, sirens and a challenge for Alpha.

Hartman Hunter is desperate to find his daughter. He turns to the demon Danjal Naamah for help. The problem is that Danjal is the only person Hartman has ever loved—the man he let go for the sake of the pack…


Volume 1
Re-Read Review March 2017:
Sam the human(he says) and Bob the Vampire are even better the second time around. I've never re-read a book less than 6 months after my original read before and loved it so much I'm already looking forward to my next re-read ;)

Original Review October 2016:
The Case of the Cupid Curse #1
Cupid Curse is a wonderful beginning to a series.  It introduces us to the main characters, and a few secondary ones, with just the right blend of drama, humor, and mystery.  We all know that not witches are bad but when one curses you, you definitely don't take it for granted.  Sam finds himself wanting to run a purely human cases only private investigation business but he soon finds that is not the route fate seems to have in mind.  Witches, gargoyles, ghosts, sirens, faes, and a vampire named Bob(which completely caught me off guard in a lovely humorous way that still has me smiling weeks after originally reading) have put Sam smack into the middle of world he really didn't want to be in.

The Case of the Wicked Wolf #2
Sam is still searching for the missing little girl wolf, Shelby but we also meet Dan the demon as well as get to know Hart the alpha better.  Wicked begins right from where Cupid left off and Sam is still intent on having human only cases but once again, fate intervenes and is Sam completely human himself?  Well, you have to read that for yourself but I will say with each case and each new paranormal he helps, Sam gains little extras that certainly question who or what he is.

Original Overall Series Review October 2016(1-5):
How had I not read this series before?  It should have been a no brainer considering how much I love RJ Scott's work not to mention that it's a collaboration with Amber Kell.  Oh well, it's always nice to stumble onto an unexpected surprise and that is definitely what you get with End Street Detective Agency, surprise blended with humor, drama, mystery, paranormal, and of course underneath it all and entwined throughout is love. Ghosts, vampires, sirens, wolfs, dragons, faes, gargoyles, familiars, demons, and the list goes on.  Who knew so many paranormal entities could not only co-exist but even work, live, and love together?  No matter how many books RJ & Amber decide to write in the End Street universe, I have a feeling that it will be a very real probability that it's a series I'll revisit often and most likely every Halloween. A must read if you are even the slightest bit of a paranormal fan.

RATING:



The Case of The Cupid Curse #1
Sam Enderson stood outside his building and smiled with pride. The fresh sign painted on the door in crisp black letters read 'End Street Detective Agency'. Examining the overall effect, he nodded in satisfaction. This move to becoming a private investigator was as far from being a timid bookseller as he could get. No one would walk all over someone who investigated crimes for a living.

Three months of correspondence school and a shiny new multi-weapon licence had given his confidence a much-needed boost. After the hellish past year, in which he’d found his boyfriend in bed with his now ex-best friend, followed by the death of his favourite uncle, Sam was ready for a new start in life.

Uncle Hanson. Just thinking about him made Sam feel sad. He had fond memories of visiting his uncle at work. The man had always liked Sam. He evidently had carried that affection into Sam’s adult life. After all, he had left Sam an entire building in his will, the building Sam now stood in front of. An office with accommodations over the top, it was worth quite a bit of money despite its proximity to an undesirable area.

"You should sell," his friend Oscar had said. Oscar had had no love for Uncle Hanson. In a sniffy tone, he’d often consigned Hanson to the idiot pile and called him ‘odd’.

"I don’t want to sell," Sam had protested.

"What are you going to do with it?" Oscar had asked.

"Open up my own agency."

Oscar still wasn’t speaking to him, even now, three months later.

Sam sighed at the memory then mentally pushed it all to one side to admire his property. The lower half consisted of a business office and reception area, with the upper two floors divided into four apartments. Three were empty but his uncle had filled the fourth one with notes from his own investigative practice. That room was high on his list of things to sort out, but he first needed to concentrate on renting out one of the empty apartments.

Sam may have inherited the house, but it hadn’t exactly come with a burgeoning bank account to match. Forty years of being a detective and all Hanson had had to show for it was this building, a small bank account and a room full of papers. Sam was determined to be different. He even had a five-year plan in place. Sam didn’t doubt for one minute that he knew exactly why his uncle had had little money to speak of. Uncle Hanson had done too much pro bono work for them.

Filing cabinets and boxes overflowed with notes from years of being a private detective. A lot of those papers included cases involving aspects of the paranormal, things Sam thought better left alone. Sam didn’t have a drop of supernatural blood in his entire body and he didn’t plan on associating with those who did. It hadn’t exactly worked out for his uncle.

Paranormals had their place. Hell, they owned half the city. Vampires and werewolves, witches, fae and pixies—they all had their own parishes. Neighbourhoods where they lived amongst their own kind. Like enjoyed living with like, and, although they often mixed and matched, no one in Sam’s family had ever crossed the romantic boundary between the magical and the not.

Sam didn’t count his second cousin Christa, who had taken up with a blood demon. There was a bad seed in every batch.

Worried he’d use up the rest of his small inheritance, Sam had put an ad in the local paper to rent out two of the four apartments. They were empty but spacious rooms that had no one currently occupying them. After a quick mop and dust, they were ready for renters. Why his uncle had a space with no one living there didn’t make much sense. Of course, if his cousin Erik hadn’t been estranged from his father, Sam wouldn’t have inherited anything. A twinge of guilt went through Sam, but he hadn’t heard from his cousin in years and had no way of getting hold of him.

“Excuse me!”

A soft voice had Sam spinning around to see an old lady looking up at him. Her wrinkled skin and the way she leaned against her cane betrayed her great age.

“Can I help you?”

She squinted at him as if trying to make him out through her foggy white eyes. “You owe me a favor.”

“What?” Sam examined the lady carefully, but he hadn’t ever met her before in his life. What possible kind of favor could he owe her?

“The man here before. He promised he’d help me out,” she explained.

“I’m sorry—”

The old lady didn’t give Sam a chance to explain. She jabbed her finger into the air at Sam, pursed her lips, then began shouting. “He owes me. He owes me!” she repeated twice, her voice rising to a screeching pitch.

Ahh, now it becomes clear. “You must be talking about my uncle. Why don’t you come inside and we can discuss what I can do for you.” Although he didn’t feel the need to keep a dead man’s promise, if he could help the woman out, he would.

After opening the front door, he motioned for her to go ahead of him.

She settled into his visitor chair while Sam scooted past her to sit on the leather chair opposite, patting his uncle’s gargoyle statue as he walked past. Uncle Hanson had the strangest collection of art he’d ever seen. Eventually, he’d get rid of it all, but right then the weird pieces reminded him of his beloved relative and better times.

“My name is Sam Enderson. How can I help you?”

Scowling over at him, she shook her head. “The guy here before never told you not to share your name, did he?”

“The man here before was my uncle. No, he didn’t tell me not to share my name.”

She shook her head as if not understanding Sam’s stupidity. “You never share your name with a witch unless you want her to do a spell.”

Sam jerked in his seat, appalled at what he’d let through his front door. “You’re a witch?”

The woman slammed her cane onto the wooden floor. “Of course I’m a witch. I’ve got the wrinkled skin, the hunch, the cane, and the rheumy eyes. What did you think I was?”

He shrugged. “I-I thought you were just an old woman.” An old scary woman who gave him the creeps, but an old woman nonetheless.

“Old!” the witch shrieked. “How dare you call me old? I’m only a hundred and sixty!”

“Forgive me.” Sam raised his hands in alarm. “I didn’t mean any offense.” Secretly he wondered how old a witch had to be before she fell into the ‘old’ category.

“Well, I am offended,” she snapped.

“Sorry. I don’t know much about your world.” Witch or not, he couldn’t help the little slip of derision into his tone.

The witch regarded him carefully. “What are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What blood flows in your body?” she asked, as if expecting him to come up with some sort of interesting paranormal cocktail.

“Human. Just human,” Sam answered.

“You don’t like paranormals, do you?”

“No.” Sam saw no reason to deny the fact.

“So what are you doing here?” she asked suspiciously.

“I’ve inherited this building.”

“And you intend to do what?”

“Carry on business as usual. Private investigations. It’s what I’m qualified for.” And he had the multi-weapon license to back him up.

“Then you’ll have to do paranormal cases.” She gave him a taunting smile.

Sam’s stomach churned. “Why?” He didn’t plan to ever take a paranormal case.

“Because the law states no business can discriminate against a paranormal due to his or her status,” she explained. “It’ll get you shut down, it will.” There was definite glee in the old woman’s expression.

All Sam wanted to do at that moment was place his head in his hands and curse. He didn’t. He was much too professional for that. Instead, he shrugged. His mom always said if you had nothing good to say, then don’t say anything.

The witch cackled in true witch fashion, and Sam shuddered inwardly. The scent of something dead and decaying pervaded the room. Add in the crooked teeth and the rags for clothes and he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t immediately pegged her as something different.

“Now about that favor…” she continued.

“What?” He couldn’t look her in the eyes. Maybe if he didn’t look, whatever she said wouldn’t be real. He was comfortable with his denial. In fact, he might just lock the door, pull down the shades, and wallow in it for a few days.

“I need help tracking down a werewolf.”

Sam looked at her. “Why?” Paranormal hunting paranormal? That couldn’t end well.

The witch scowled at him while tapping her cane on the floor. “What do you mean, why?”

Had he stuttered? “I mean, why do you need a werewolf?”

“It’s none of your business why I need a werewolf, boy. I just do,” the witch snapped.

“It is, if you want me to do your dirty work.” Sam knew all kinds of uses witches had for werewolves and none of them was nice. “Not to mention hunting werewolves is illegal.”

“Pfft.” She waved away the law as if it were nothing. Probably was since she didn’t plan on breaking it but had asked Sam to do it instead. “I’ve got a rare potion to make, and I need some werewolf bones.”

“No.” Sam might not like paranormals very much, but he wasn’t going to hunt one down, either.

“Your uncle owes me!” she screeched.

Sam wanted to cover his ears at the high-pitched noise. “My uncle is dead,” he began to explain as patiently as he could. “I was willing to hear you out, but I’m not going to go kill an innocent werewolf so you can make a potion.” Were werewolves actually innocent? Hadn’t there been that whole rampaging werewolf-pack mess last year? Sam seemed to remember people—human, non-magical, regular people—getting killed in that little incident. Still, whatever issues he had with werewolves, he didn’t do that kind of work. He had enough problems without getting jailed for killing werewolves, innocent or not.

“This potion can save a loved one!” the witch announced dramatically. “I need those bones.”

“Find a different potion. I’m sure any given werewolf is someone’s beloved too.”

The witch scowled at him, then abruptly leaned back in her seat and smiled. The smile exposed a mouthful of yellowed teeth, and Sam winced inwardly at her lack of dental care. “Do you have anyone you love, Mr. Enderson?”

Sam’s mind shifted back to the image of his boyfriend of ten years screwing his best friend. “Not anymore.” Despite his ex pleading for forgiveness, some things Sam wouldn’t forgive. He’d moved out and away from his lover within days and blocked both work and mobile numbers from his phone. His uncle had been his last close relative that had stayed in his life. So really, with his uncle dead, at this point in time, he had no one he could call a loved one. But he’d give her his own bones before he admitted the extent of his loneliness.

The witch stood with a purposeful air. “When you’re on the verge of losing someone you love, come find me and maybe I’ll free you. Until then, enjoy my present.”

With a poof of smoke, the witch vanished.

Gasping, Sam tried to wave away the stench that accompanied the smoke, acrid and with a hint of burnt almonds. Finally, when that didn’t work, he rushed over and opened a window to let the ashy smell out. Great start to his first day as a PI.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Ahh!” Sam jumped back from the window to face the empty room. What the hell? Was she still there? Was the witch invisible?

“An idiot,” the voice repeated. This time Sam confirmed the source, emphasized when the statue on his desk turned its head and regarded him with eerie yellow eyes.

“What the hell are you?” he managed to ask coherently.

The statue’s stone wings moved, creating a sound like gravel underfoot. “I’m a gargoyle. What are you?”

“I-I’m a human.” Sam swallowed rapidly, trying to get some moisture into his dry throat. “What are you doing here?”

The statue stretched out of its crouch until it stood about a foot tall on the corner of the desk. Its baleful glare pinned Sam to the spot. “You’re an idiot. That witch has something planned for you, and it isn’t good.”

“H-how do you know?” Sam’s heart beat faster than a rabbit chased by a werewolf.

The gargoyle rolled his eyes. “You’re not too bright, are you? Your uncle trafficked with that witch.”

Sam frowned. His uncle had been a kindly old PI, who hadn’t seemed to actually do much from day to day. There was no way he had trafficked anything. He had been the type of man who always had a ready supply of candy for eager young visitors like Sam.

“The sweet old man who brought you candy didn’t exist,” the gargoyle answered his thoughts. Wait? How the hell…?

“How did you know what I was thinking?”

The gargoyle ignored the question, “He would’ve had that werewolf for the witch by the end of the day and walked away with enough cash to eat for months.” He didn’t sound like he approved, and there was sadness in his tone.

“N-no, that can’t be true.” Sam shook his head in denial. Surely the gargoyle had his facts wrong?

“Have you actually looked at the paperwork upstairs yet? I heard you banging about. I assume you actually read some of them?”

“I was moving furniture for my future tenants.” Sam shook his head. “And no, not yet. I thought they were just old case files that needed organizing.”

Defending himself to a freaking gargoyle made Sam feel like an idiot. The damn thing had been sitting there every time Sam had visited, and never once had it appeared to be anything more than an ornament. The creature must be wrong. Sam would have seen it if Uncle Hanson had been a bad guy. He wasn’t stupid. How could he not have understood his uncle’s true nature? Nope, this ‘gargoyle thing’ had to be wrong.

The gargoyle clomped across the desk. “Look at the files and check out the back closet in the file room. Your uncle had more going on than anyone knew about. That includes exposing himself to a lot more than just a witch with teeth problems and a ready hand with curses.”

With those parting words, the gargoyle sank back into his original position. A loud, crackling noise filled the room, and the creature became a statue once more. Sam poked at it with his index finger, but it didn’t move again.

“Huh.”

Maybe he was in the middle of a dream, one where he was going to wake up in his sun-lit apartment in Johnstown with his boyfriend in bed with him.

File room.

The gargoyle’s words sank in. Maybe he did need to check out the apartment with all the files a little more carefully. It wouldn’t hurt to see what other pies his uncle had his fingers in. As he stepped out of the office, a knock on the front door had him turning away from the stairs and back towards the front door. Why would someone be knocking? The door was unlocked. At least, he didn’t think he’d locked the door. But then, it was an old place. Maybe the latch had closed behind him when he’d escorted the witch inside.

His mind still on the files upstairs, he opened the door and stopped, frozen.

Vampire.

The man could be nothing else. Tall, elegant, and having an unearthly beauty, the vampire gave him a smile that exposed his fangs. “I hear you have an apartment to rent.” The vampire’s voice was like scotch over ice and dripped with sensuality.

A vampire here? In the daylight? Sam glanced past the vamp. Yep, the sun shone brightly in the sky.

“Ah, you’re not used to us.” The vampire flashed another smile. “We don’t actually burn up in the sun.”

That’s a shame. That would be one less paranormal to cause trouble.

“Um, you need an apartment?” Sam had never heard of a vampire living in an apartment. “I thought you people had mansions and crypts and stuff.”

The vampire threw back his head and laughed. “That’s only in the movies. Now, can I see your place?”

“…Umm” Sam searched his mind for a good excuse. Anything to keep the skeevy, blood-sucking supernatural out of his house.

The tall vampire smiled. “You know that part about vampires reading your mind?”

With a sinking stomach, Sam nodded.

“That part’s true.”

Sam sighed. “You’d better come in. It’s right this way.”

The day had started out so well, too. Now, Sam just wanted to go back to bed and hide under the covers.

“I’d be happy to keep you company,” the vampire said in a low, sultry tone. For a second, Sam didn’t understand what the hell the vampire was talking about, and then he recalled what he had just thought about beds and covers. Sam looked over his shoulder to see the vampire checking out his ass. Rolling his eyes, he headed up the stairs, leading the vampire to the top floor. He pulled an old-fashioned key from his pocket, unlocked then opened the door.

“No spell locks?” the vampire asked with concern in his voice.

Sam shook his head. Like he’d had any time to do things like that. The vampire was lucky the room had been tidied and cleaned. “You’re welcome to add your own, of course.” Fuck, he was going to rent to a vampire. He could hope the creature didn’t want the place. “It’s nothing fancy.”

Please want something fancy.

Before Sam could take more than two steps into the apartment, the vampire pinned him to the wall. “I’m not a creature. I’m a man, and I’d be happy to show you exactly how manly I am.”

To Sam’s shock, he could feel the vampire rubbing his erection against him. “U-um, s-sorry.” Was this what vampires did just before they drank every drop of blood from your body?

“I don’t want you sorry. I just want you to want me.”

Sudden, inexplicable desire burned through Sam and his body hardened in reaction to the proximity of another man. The vampire smiled, exposing a flash of fang. A shiver of fear trembled down Sam’s spine.

“No!” He shoved at the vampire, who, surprisingly, broke his hold and released Sam.

The vampire watched Sam with a wary look. “What are you?”

Why does everyone keep asking me that?

“I’m human, okay? Just human.” Sam scowled at the vampire.

“No human has ever shattered my glamor.” The vampire sounded thoughtful, and his appraising look unnerved Sam.

“Well, good for me.” Sam folded his arms. He might not like paranormals, but he knew enough about vampires and their way of controlling people to know he didn’t want that within six feet of him. “I’m not going to rent a room to someone who tried to glamor me. You might as well go.”

The vampire smiled. “My name is Bob.”

A snort of laughter burst out of Sam. “Your name isn’t Bob.”

The vampire tilted his head, and his eyes glowed with amusement. “How do you know?”

“Because I just had a witch tell me not to share my name with a paranormal so I doubt you would be telling me your real name.”

Bob grabbed Sam’s wrist. His grip was firm, and instinctively Sam yanked his arm to try to break the vampire’s hold. “There was a witch here?” Bob snapped urgently. “What did she look like?”

“A witch.” What did it matter what she looked like? “She was old, crony, and witchy. You know—” He gestured expansively with his free hand— “A witch.”

“What did she want?” Bob still hadn’t let go of his wrist. The vampire didn’t know his own strength. One last tug and Bob finally let him loose. Idly, Sam rubbed at the sore skin burn.

“From what she said, werewolf bones.”

Bob scanned the room as if he expected the witch to jump out of the wall or something. “Never trust a witch and never, ever, tell a witch your real name.”

“Okay, um… Bob.” Sam could barely hold back the laughter building inside him.

“My real name is Roberto, but I go by Bob,” Bob finally said. “Vampires don’t have last names outside a coven. Your last name reveals the group you belong to. I am an independent.”

Sam couldn’t hold back the laugh inside him. Dire warnings about witches aside, he couldn’t wrap his head around a badass vampire calling himself Bob. Hell, a vampire named Bob. That was wrong on so many levels.

“Vampires are supposed to be sexy. There’s nothing sexy about a Bob,” Sam finally managed to say without laughing. Why he cared what the vampire called himself, he didn’t know, but there was no way he was going to call a vampire Bob.

Bob seemed to forget his need to warn Sam about witches and names and instead pulled Sam into his arms. Evidently he had returned to his first agenda. “I’m sure I can convince you I’m sexy,” he drawled. What was it about this man—vampire, whatever—feeling like he could manhandle him at every turn?

Sam narrowed his eyes at the vampire. The man might be the sexiest thing Sam had ever seen, but he wasn’t going to admit it…

Damn. He had just thought that. And damn—Bob had heard him. Shit. Bob was definitely smirking.

“Do you have a multiple personality disorder or something? You bounce around more than anyone I’ve ever met. From scary vampire to smirking idiot in a second.”

Bob smiled and didn’t appear to take offense at Sam’s comment. “You’ll have plenty of time to examine my personality when I move in. How much is the rent?” The quick change of subject threw Sam, but it didn’t keep him from trying one last time to stop Bob from moving in. He mentioned an exorbitant amount for the monthly rent to attempt to deter the vampire.

Bob released Sam, and then walked through the living room and down the hall. There were two bedrooms and a small kitchen, though Sam doubted Bob would need a kitchen. Vampires didn’t eat real food. Right? But wouldn’t he need a fridge or something for all the blood? Or would he be one of those vampires with a live donor?

What did Sam know? He had thought vampires could only come out at night.

Sam pushed aside thoughts of blood.

Bob returned to Sam’s side in long, confident strides. “I’ll take it.”

Shit!





The Case of the Wicked Wolf #2
Sam Enderson sat back in his desk chair and looked at his notes with annoyance. The strip of ribbon Hunter had sent him sat in the corner. As long as he didn’t touch it he couldn’t hear the girl crying. Despite what Bob said he knew it was the missing werewolf girl. Who else would be crying out in pain? Unless the abductor who sent the ribbon knew Hunter’s daughter Shelby had vanished and was taking advantage of that fact. The only thing that made Sam question his judgement was Bob’s statement that he didn’t sense any shifter scent on the ribbon.

"It’s a puzzle."

"Yes it is," Sam replied to Smudge, the black cat familiar, curled on the pillow beside his chair.

Smudge flicked his long tail as he groomed his black fur in long, languid strokes. When he spread his legs to lick his privates Sam turned away. "Can’t you do that elsewhere?"

"You’re just jealous because I’m bendy." Smudge taunted.

Searching for a distraction he turned his attention back to his sparse notes. Nothing made sense. Where had Shelby gone? Bob had talked to his contacts and the witch was still complaining to everyone she could find that Sam hadn’t lived up to his uncle’s promise. Since word had also travelled that she’d cursed Sam and he’d recovered the missing fae, his name was beginning to become rather well known among people he’d rather avoid.

Sam wished he could interrogate the werewolves and especially, Constance, Shelby’s ex-wife. From the little Hartman told Sam about her she seemed a prime suspect. Hartman kept insisting none of the shifters would do that to a little girl but Sam had his doubts. Shelby’s mother had two sons from a previous marriage both old enough to challenge for Alpha. Even Hartman admitted she was power hungry. What better way to bring down the Alpha than to crush his spirit? Even if Hartman denied his pack had anything to do with Shelby’s disappearance Sam noticed the Alpha didn’t ask for his pack’s help in locating his lost girl.

He sighed as he looked at the miniscule amount of information he had to work with. If the case hadn’t involved a little girl Sam would’ve passed on it, however, he couldn’t refuse to help out an obviously broken-hearted person even if he was a werewolf.

Unfortunately this new job didn’t do anything to help foster a good reputation among the human population. So far paranormals were the only ones interested in Sam’s services.

A knock on the door drew Sam’s attention away from his futile endeavour.

"Yes?" Sam called out.

A large hulking man with hair popping out of every visible crevice stomped into Sam’s office. He wore a surprisingly stylish suit but Sam figured if you were that large everything was probably custom made.

"Are you Sam Enderson?" he asked in a voice so deep Sam thought he felt the floor vibrate beneath his chair.

"Yes." Sam stood up to greet his guest. The man-creature-being whatever the hell it was towered over him even when standing. Sam’s confidence raised a few notches when he realised he could probably flee the building before the visitor reached him. "Can I help you with something?"

Smudge hissed from his perch.

"Troll."

Sam had never met a troll before. Fascinated, he watched his visitor with open curiosity. He hadn’t known trolls ever left their bridges. Of course what he knew about trolls could be stuffed in a brownie’s pocket.

"I need something removed." The troll spoke in slow drawn out syllables as if each word had to be dredged from his soul.



Saturday's Series Spotlight




Amber Kell
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.

Despite her husband's insistence she doesn't drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.

She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.



RJ Scott
Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.

She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.



Amber Kell
EMAIL: amberkellwrites@gmail.com

RJ Scott
FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE
NEWSLETTER  /  CHIRP  /  INSTAGRAM
AUDIOBOOKS  /  B&N  /  GOOGLE PLAY
AUDIBLE  /  FB GROUP  /  PINTEREST  /  TUMBLR
BOOKBUB  /  KOBO  /  SMASHWORDS
iTUNES  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS
EMAIL: rj@rjscott.co.uk

Thursday, December 29, 2022

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„4th Day of Christmas Author SpotlightπŸŽ„πŸŽ…: Amber Kell



Amber Kell
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.

Despite her husband's insistence she doesn't drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.

She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.




EMAIL: amberkellwrites@gmail.com




The Dragon Groomer
Summary:
Derlin thought working at a dragon stable would be the job of a lifetime. Little did he know he’d find the man who would become his world.

As soon as he spotted the dragon groomer Tyron knew he’d found his match. Never before had he felt such an instantaneous attraction.

Derlin has secrets he can’t share, secrets that aren’t only his. When Tyron’s life depends on Derlin’s abilities does he dare to take a chance or does he let Tyron die to protect his family?







Chalice
Summary:
Planetary Submissives #1
In order to stop his magic from eating him alive, Chalice seeks out a man strong enough to dominate and control him.

Chalice might be a prince on his planet, but his submissive tendencies prevent him from dealing with the incredible energy coursing through his body. Magic users need a second to balance them out, but there has never been a case where the one with the power didn't hold the dominant position. Chalice's ability as a rare four-elemental magic wielder already marks him as different, though. And with the king in denial of his son's needs, he has no choice but to look off-planet to find a powerful partner.

He runs into a diplomat on a mission, who leads Chalice to agree to be the pet of an emperor—one whose reputation for tossing aside subs is only balanced out by the fact that Chalice thinks he's the sexiest creature he's ever seen. Chalice takes the plunge, hoping the biggest gamble of his life won't prove to be his biggest mistake.






Hidden Magic Collection
Summary:
Hidden Magic #1-3
William’s House
When William Stamson falls in love with a dilapidated mansion, he has no idea he’ll attract the attention of Cassius Grant…and disturb some magic better left alone.

Born a void, someone who cannot perform magic, William Stamson moves away in order to escape his matchmaking family. While house hunting, he falls for an old mansion that calls to him…and sits on a magical vortex with almost limitless power.

Cassius Grant, Cash to his family, is charged with getting rid of the house’s new resident. Determined to evict the interloper, he is taken aback by the beautiful, willful man who refuses to abandon his new house under any circumstances. Cassius realizes the best way to deal with the man is to keep a close eye on him…and what better place than from Will’s bed?

Modeling Death
Jacob Richmond is used to men hitting on him, but little does he realize that Guy Franks has waited hundreds of years to find his mate and nothing will dissuade him…

Guy Franks doesn’t plan to give up on Jacob Richmond, the sexy model who initially brushed him off like an annoying fly. With his sister looking for a new face for her fashion line, Guy is in the perfect position to get Jacob hired. Unfortunately, when someone starts killing models, Guy has to use his magic to weed out the murderer and protect the man who has made himself a target.

Falling for a man with magical powers doesn’t fit into Jacob’s plan for his life. For this same man to be claiming they are soul mates freaks him out more than a little. However, Guy’s blue eyes scream sincerity, and Jacob had always been a sucker for an honest man. Can Jacob admit he’s in love with Guy before the killer gets to him, or will he spend the rest of his short life regretting his choices?

Magically His
Kellum didn’t know escaping from his father would send him into the arms of the love of his life.

Drake Lender has always been alone. When he spontaneously decides to bring in an untrained wizard, he’s unprepared for the danger to his heart. After centuries alone Drake has discovered his mate in a young man floating above his bed. Unable to control his powers, Kellum soon shows his ability is not only magical but he excels at stealing Drake’s heart. 

Kellum Richards woke up to find his ceiling inches from his face. However, the man who came to rescue him wasn’t anything like his idea of a powerful wizard. Afraid of bringing anyone to his powerful father’s attention, Kellum tries unsuccessfully to keep Drake at arm’s length. But love will not be denied and he soon succumbs to Drake’s sexy persuasion.

Will family problems and dangerous magic prevent the pair from making a proper bond, or will Drake persuade Kellum to be magically his?





My Man Declan
Summary:
Phoenix Moorhaven liked things just so. He likes his house running in perfect order, his coffee with a bit of blood and his manservant untouched by anyone—ever. When Declan decides to start dating Moor scrambles to intercede. After all messing with Declan could upset the pristine organization of his household.

Declan has pined for Moor long enough. Determined to have a life of his own Declan accepts a meeting with a blind date. However vampire masters and dating don’t mix and at the end of the night he’ll see a side of Moorhaven he never expected.





Fracture
Summary:
Flight HA1710 #6
Xavier Soto knew something as wrong with the jack screws but he couldn’t get anyone to believe him. After a plane crashed and his supervisor fails to take Xavier’s concerns seriously, he flies to Ireland to talk to an investigator.

Brent Clery didn’t believe his caller right away. But upon further investigation he decides to look into Xavier’s concerns. When they uncover a conspiracy to hide the truth about the crash, they have to pool their skills to find out what happened.

Death stalks their investigation and if they’re not careful they’ll be the next ones to die.




The Dragon Groomer
B&N  /  KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY
Hidden Magic Collection
B&N  /  KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY

My Man Declan
B&N  /  KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY

Fracture
AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  B&N
KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  WEBSITE


Monday, January 4, 2021

Monday's Montage Mantlepiece: Gifts of the Seasons Winter & Christmas MM Charity Anthology



Summary:

Single Dad Christmas by RJ Scott
It would be a Christmas miracle if he loved me back.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Must Be Santa by Annabeth Albert
Tis the season for Operation Christmas Papa!⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
The First Snow of Winter by Joanna Chambers
Christmas Eve, 1814: a maimed war hero and the childhood friend he almost kissed five years earlier are trapped together by the first snow of winter⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Twelve Days of UPS by Eli Easton
What happens when your Secret Santa is less intriguing than the delivery man who brings the gifts?⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Sometimes, Always by Suki Fleet
When Echo’s Christmas Eve surprise for Peri goes a little sideways, it turns into a night they’ll both remember for the best reasons, for always.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Out For The Holidays by Lane Hayes
Good Things Happen When You’re Out for the Holidays!⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Driving Home For Christmas by Annabelle Jacobs
A road trip, snowstorm, and only one big bed at the Inn…⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Homestead for the Holidays by Alex Jane
Alone in a cabin in snowy Nebraska for Christmas⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
A Santa for Trin by Amber Kell
Everyone needs a bit of Christmas magic.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
No Place Like Home by Garrett Leigh
As long as they’re together, love always wins⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Dressed In Holiday Style by V.L. Locey
Can the spirit of Christmas save this budding love affair?⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Five Gold Blings by Clare London
Where Christmas sparkle leads two lonely hearts⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Sojourn For Christmas by Posy Roberts
This year, a place to stay is the best Christmas gift Sawyer could ask for.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
The Gift of Forever by Felice Stevens
What do you get the man who has everything?⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
An Unworthy Gift by AE Via
What do the lonely do at Christmas?⁣⁣⁣


I just want to say that time and circumstance only allowed me the chance to read 3 of the stories in this anthology but I can honestly say if the rest are only half as good(and I'm sure they are more than that because the whole anthology is filled with pretty awesome authors) as these three then I know I'll love them all.  Just when time will let me get to them all I can't say but I look forward to discovering each and every one of them. 

Single Dad Christmas by RJ Scott
What a lovely holiday gem, you've got two men who haven't spoken about their feelings, most likely hoping the other speaks first, lack of communication can be tricky to pull off but when done right it's one of my favorite tropes.  I've always said there is nothing sexier than a man who cares for children and in Single Dad Christmas you have a father AND a manny(male nanny for any newbies out thereπŸ˜‰) so it's two-for-one in the sexy male role.  You know what?  That's all I'm going to say because this is a holiday novella you need to experience for yourself to fully appreciate how it warms the heart and puts a smile on your face and for those familiar with RJ Scott's Single Dad series, it's a great addition to said series.  Short, sweet, fun, and simply put: a delight.

Dressed In Holiday Style by VL Locey
OMG!  Dressed in Holiday Style is so fun!  If this was a full length novel or even a full-on novella it would be the perfect rom-com.  As it's more of a long short story or short novella, it may not be full on romantic comedy tag but it's probably the most fun I've had in my holiday reading 2020.  The comedic snowball "fight" to the police-ordered cup of coffee . . . well it's just fun, frankly I can't think of a better word than good old fashioned "F-U-N!"

Homestead for the Holidays by Alex Jane
I've only read one of Alex Jane's Homestead Universe and it wasn't a contemporary setting but I can't help but think this is a perfect holiday addition to that world.  Being "stuck" together with your longtime crush has mixture of pure joy and hell written all over it, depending on the crush's feelings back.  I don't think I'll say any more but I know you'll enjoy it and if you're like me and reasonably new or completely new to the author's Homestead Universe I think this will be a great introduction, a great "teaser" to that world.

RATING:


Single Dad Christmas by RJ Scott
It would be a Christmas miracle if he loved me back. 

Hiring Paul is the best thing I’ve done for my small family. With love, care, and ruthless organizational skills Paul has taken care of my children, Anna, AJ, and Aden, with me as part of the deal. He always told me he’d only stay two years and that he wanted to travel the world, but it didn’t stop me falling in love with him. I never told him, because who am I to steal his dreams? Now he’s handed his resignation to me so I have a decision to make. He’s leaving us and I can either tell him I love him and ask him to stay, or watch him go. 

I have only one Christmas to make things right.

A short story based in the Single Dads ‘verse.
⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Must Be Santa by Annabeth Albert
Tis the season for Operation Christmas Papa! 

Teddy and Nick from Better Not Pout are enjoying their lives together as a committed couple. They’ve got jobs they love, a cozy little house, and even a cat. But are they ready to open their hearts and home to a new adventure? It may take a little extra holiday magic to make all their wishes come true. 

Must Be Santa is a brand-new 13,000 word short story containing two orphans in need of a home and two prospective dads, plus lots of seasonal fun, low-angst sweet feels, a dash of heat, and a guaranteed happy ending.

⁣⁣⁣
The First Snow of Winter by Joanna Chambers
Christmas Eve, 1814: a maimed war hero and the childhood friend he almost kissed five years earlier are trapped together by the first snow of winter. 

Captain Sam Alderton returns to England from the continent with his life in tatters. Maimed and directionless, the last thing he wants to do is spend Christmas with his family and their close friends, the Huxleys— especially Jasper Huxley, who he almost kissed five years before.   

Sam plans to avoid the festivities, but when the first snow of winter arrives, and he and Jasper are trapped alone together at Alderton Hall, they find themselves revisiting old traditions and painful memories together— and discovering that things may not have been quite as either of them thought five years earlier.
⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Twelve Days of UPS by Eli Easton
What happens when your Secret Santa is less intriguing than the delivery man who brings the gifts? 

When Paul begins receiving package after package of gifts at Christmas time, it takes him a while to figure out his secret Santa is doing the Twelve Days of Christmas. It takes him less time to get friendly with hunky UPS guy who delivers said packages. The game intrigues Paul, then worries him. Who is sending all the gifts? What do they expect from him? And what if he falls for someone else in the meantime? Because Dan, the UPS guy, is gorgeous and sweet, and he just might be what Paul really wants for Christmas.

⁣⁣⁣
Sometimes, Always by Suki Fleet
Echo wants to make Christmas extra special for Peri. Last year, Peri was in pain and in hospital after saving Echo’s life. This year, Peri deserves a Christmas Eve he’ll never forget. But when Echo’s surprise for Peri goes a little sideways, it turns into a night they’ll both remember for the best reasons. A night they’ll remember for always.

Sometimes There's Stars short story.

⁣⁣⁣
Out For The Holidays by Lane Hayes
Good Things Happen When You’re Out for the Holidays! 

A Dream Come True… 

Derek - This is it! I’m finally opening my own bistro. I’ve spent the last two years getting ready for this moment. I can’t decide if the holidays are the perfect time to begin a new venture, but I’m excited. It would be nice if my family were on board too. 

Gabe - I play water polo. I don’t know anything about the restaurant business, but I want to make sure Derek’s grand opening goes according to plan. I’ll rally our friends, send out invites, and yeah… I’ll even deal with his mother. He’s my number one person, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be sure we’re out for the holidays. 

Out for the Holidays is a low-angst MM romance featuring Derek and Gabe from Out in the Deep… and a host of friends from the other Out in College books!

⁣⁣⁣
Driving Home For Christmas by Annabelle Jacobs
A road trip, snow storm, and only one big bed at the Inn… 

Stranded at the motorway services wasn’t how Jared planned to start his Christmas holidays, but then neither was running into his ex-best mate Tom. They’d gone four months without talking, what was a three hour trip home?
⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Homestead for the Holidays by Alex Jane
Spending the holidays with his college roommate beats spending Christmas alone. Except the snowy Nebraskan landscape and the old house they find themselves alone in, is more romantic than Jace can handle. Especially as he's been in love with CJ from the day he met him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if CJ felt the same way. But that would be one hell of a coincidence. 

A contemporary addition to the Homestead Universe.

⁣⁣⁣
A Santa for Trin by Amber Kell
Everyone needs a bit of Christmas magic. 

Dare’s brilliant idea to get a Santa for the Moon Pack runs up against Anthony’s dislike of stories that encourage trespassing, even if it is to leave gifts.

⁣⁣⁣
No Place Like Home by Garrett Leigh
As long as they’re together, love always wins 

Ash and Pete have made it home from the trip of a lifetime. Recovering from surgery has taking its toll on Ash, but with the magic of Christmas in the air, and his love and desire for Pete stronger than ever, it doesn’t matter where they call home, as long as they’re together, love always wins.

Taken from my Roads series. Set after the end of the third and final novel in the series, Circle. Preceded by Slide, and Rare. Secondary characters can also be found in Only Love.

⁣⁣⁣
Dressed In Holiday Style by V.L. Locey
Jakob French is so not feeling the reason for the season. He’s stressed out, hemmed in, and has only a few hours left to finish his window dressing before the world’s most famous parade welcomes Christmas, and the world, to New York City. On top of all that he’s sure that the window dresser across the street has stolen his theme! With a head full of steam and a holly-jolly bonnet on his head, Jakob storms off to face down the purloiner of ideas and give him what for. 

Once he lays eyes on Chet Wallace some of his ire fizzles out as admiration for his foe’s handsome face and rangy physique takes over. Some, but not all. The night then devolves into a holiday free-for-all that includes a snowy war, discomfited police officers, and a mad rush to dress a window before Santa arrives in the Big Apple. Can the spirit of Christmas save this budding love affair?

⁣⁣⁣
Five Gold Blings by Clare London
Where Christmas sparkle leads two lonely hearts. 

Gray isn’t enjoying December. The weather’s grim, his job’s a struggle, and his useless boyfriend dumped him months ago. He’s a walking Mr Christmas Grump. And then he delivers a parcel to Alec, a bright, sparkly, over-earnest vlogger who’s going through his own hard times. Over the course of five days, accompanied by an irritating but relentlessly cheerful pop song, Gray and Alec share secrets, kisses, regrets, triumphs, some truly awful fashion— and maybe a love that will last far beyond the new year.

⁣⁣⁣
Sojourn For Christmas by Posy Roberts
This year, a place to stay is the best Christmas gift Sawyer could ask for. 

Christmas should be a time spent with family, but after getting outed, Sawyer is disinvited from his close-knit family’s celebrations. Instead of going home for his holiday break, he has to find a place to stay. The college dorm will shut down, no friends can help, so now what? 

When the guy he dog walks for learns of his plight, Gregg invites Sawyer to sojourn with him. Somehow Sawyer has to ignore his crush on Gregg and not flirt while living in such close quarters. Thankfully, he has the dog to confide in, and Murphy is a great listener. 

But when Gregg sends mixed signals, will Sawyer know how to read them?

Linked to the Nutgrove Series.

⁣⁣⁣
The Gift of Forever by Felice Stevens
What do you get the man who has everything? 

For Torre Rossi, family is everything and he loves celebrating the Christmas season. It’s even more special now that he’s living with his boyfriend Frisco. The only problem? Torre has no idea what to get him for their first Christmas celebration and not even Frisco’s best friend can give him any ideas. 

Frisco isn’t into all the Christmas hype— he’s never bothered to celebrate and doesn’t understand all these silly family traditions like trimming the tree and decorating. But when Torre’s little niece comes to spend the day and his apartment is filled with the sound of laughter and the smell of baking cookies, the idea of Christmas and family doesn’t seem so silly any more. 

Frisco’s idea of a present for Torre is so outrageous, there’s no way he can pull it off. 

Or can he? 

With Frisco’s fractured past, what Torre really wants isn’t in the cards. 

Or is it? 

Two very different men discover the magic of the holiday isn’t in the past. It’s the present. The future. Together. 

Forever.

A Never Say Never holiday story (Lost in New York, Book 3)
⁣⁣⁣

An Unworthy Gift by AE Via
What do the lonely do at Christmas? 

Spencer Underwood would rather celebrate National Bird Day than Christmas, or any holiday that centers around love and family. Three years ago, Spencer’s entire world came to a screeching halt after the sudden death of his parents, and with their passing went his joy for the holiday season. So, now it’s just him, his memories, and his Grinches Only Facebook group. 

Spencer’s doing a poor job of hiding his loneliness, and the sweet— albeit brief— encounter with a pushy jewelry salesman in the mall reminds him exactly why he hates this time of year. 

Coleman Burbank the Sixth is the artistic genius behind the billion-dollar jewelry empire his family built and owns. As the younger sibling, he had been content with his older brother being CEO while he designed beautiful jewelry in his secluded New York loft. 

However, when Cole’s big brother passes, he realizes he has no idea what he’s doing being in charge, and he’s more than terrified. This time of year is always the roughest on their family, and Cole was looking forward to when it would all simply be over. Especially since the sexy customer with the sad eyes he’d asked out earlier had turned him down cold. 

When Cole’s best friend takes him to a gentlemen’s lounge to boost his mood, he’s stunned when none other than Spencer approaches their table to wait on them. Cole didn’t think it was possible to find a man who could understand his loss or his disdain for the season, but the more he learns of the heartbroken man servicing him, the more he wants to take it all away… for both of them. 

Because no one should be alone this time of year.


RJ Scott
RJ Scott is a USA TODAY bestselling author of over 140 romance and suspense novels. From bodyguards to hockey stars, princes to millionaires, cowboys to military heroes to every-day heroes, she believes that love is love and every man deserves a happy ending.


Annabeth Albert
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open--no flashlights required! When she's not adding to her keeper shelf, she's a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

Joanna Chambers
Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. She spent over 20 years staring at blank sheets of paper and despairing of ever writing a single word. In between staring at blank sheets of paper, she studied law, met her husband and had two children. Whilst nursing her first child, she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna lives in Scotland with her family and finds time to write by eschewing sleep and popular culture.

Eli Easton
Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, and organic farmer, Eli has been a m/m romance author since 2013. She has over 30 books published.

Eli has loved romance since her teens and she particular admires writers who can combine literary merit, genuine humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, bulldogs, cows, a cat, and lots of groundhogs.

In romance, Eli is best known for her Christmas stories because she’s a total Christmas sap. These include “Blame it on the Mistletoe”, “Unwrapping Hank” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”. Her “Howl at the Moon” series of paranormal romances featuring the town of Mad Creek and its dog shifters has been popular with readers. And her series of Amish-themed romances, Men of Lancaster County, has won genre awards.

Suki Fleet
Award Winning Author. Prolific Reader (though less prolific than they’d like). Lover of angst, romance and unexpected love stories.

Suki Fleet’s first novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards. Foxes won Best Gay Young Adult story in the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

You can contact Suki at sukifleet@gmail.com

If you’re interested in hearing about upcoming releases, works in progress, giveaways and freebies, please sign up to Suki’s newsletter.

Lane Hayes
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in an almost empty nest.

⁣⁣⁣Annabelle Jacobs
Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Alex Jane
After spending far too long creating stories in her head, Alex finally plucked up the courage to write them down and realized it was quite fun seeing them on the page after all.

Free from aspirations of literary greatness, Alex simply hopes to entertain by spinning a good yarn of love and life, wrapped up with a happy ending. Although, if her characters have to go through Hell to get there, she’s a-okay with that.

With only a dysfunctional taste in music and a one-eyed dog to otherwise fill her days, Alex writes and walks on the South Coast of England—even when her heart and spellcheck are in New York.

Amber Kell
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.

When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life, he told her to go have fun.
During those seconds she isn't writing, she remembers she has children who humor her with games of 'what if' and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author name—two things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.

Despite her husband's insistence she doesn't drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.

She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.
⁣⁣⁣
Garrett LeighGarrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer.

Garrett's debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at Black Jazz Design, and co-owns the specialist stock site Moonstock Photography with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.
⁣⁣⁣
VL Locey
USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other. 
⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣Clare London
Clare London took her pen name from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant.

She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic, and sexy characters.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

Posy Roberts
Posy Roberts started reading romance when she was young, sneaking peeks at adult books long before she should’ve. Textbooks eventually replaced the novels, and she somehow existed without reading for fun. When she finally picked up a romance years later, it was like slipping on a soft hoodie . . . that didn’t quite fit right. She wanted something more.

She wanted to read about men falling in love with each other. She wanted to explore beyond the happily ever after and watch characters navigate the unpredictability of life and create a happy home. So Posy sat down at her keyboard to write the books she wanted to read.

Her stories have been USA Today’s “Happily Ever After” Must-Reads and Rainbow Award finalists. When she’s not writing or editing, she’s spending time with loved ones and doing anything possible to get out of grocery shopping and cooking.

Keep in Touch

Felice Stevens
I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, My characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love, but getting there is oh so fun and oh so sexy.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass (or two of red wine). I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there are bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

AE Via
A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for six years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay literature for over twenty years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great, new up and coming MM authors.

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her.

Writing.

A.E.’s novels embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

She’s recently celebrated her 20th book anniversary, and is well-known for her hardcore, love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peek at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.


RJ Scott
FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE
B&N  /  INSTAGRAM  /  TUMBLR
BOOKBUB  /  KOBO  /  SMASHWORDS
iTUNES  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS
EMAIL: rj@rjscott.co.uk 

Annabeth Albert
FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE
KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY  /  AUDIBLE
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Joanna Chambers
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Eli Easton
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Suki Fleet
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Lane Hayes
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Annabelle Jacobs
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Alex Jane
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Amber Kell
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Garrett Leigh
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VL Locey
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Clare London
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Posy Roberts
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Felice Stevens
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AE Via
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EMAIL: authoraevia@live.com