Monday's Montage Mantlepiece: Code Redhead

Title: Code Redhead

Authors: Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Chris Karlsen, Angela Ford

Sibelle Stone, Tammy Tate, JR Wirth, ND Jones, Tina Donahue

Kim Knight, Laura Strickland, Ella Medler, Carol Ann Kauffman

Genre: Sweet Contemporary to Erotica Romance

Release Date: February 9, 2017

Summary:

Thirteen authors have come together to be part of a fundraising project called Code Redhead – A Serial Novel. Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Chris Karlsen, Angela Ford, Tammy Tate, Carol Ann Kauffman, Ella Medler, N.D. Jones, Laura Strickland, Kim Knight, Tina Donahue, JR Wirth, Sibelle Stone

Each writer has their own interpretation of the title ‘Code Redhead’. There's a story to satisfy and entertain most every reader in Code Redhead. Genres ranging from; Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Mystery, Romantic Time Travel, Suspense/Thriller, Victorian Romance, Science Fiction Romance, Erotic Romance, Time Travel Romance, and Dystopian.

Books To Go Now will donate the proceeds from the sale of the Novel to The Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

Redheads Have More Fun by Sharon Kleve

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Ambrosine Dubreauil owns Who Do Voodoo, a voodoo shop on Bourbon Street in New Orleans that her grandmother left to her.

Her life is quite, calm, and relaxing until the sexy Remy LaCroix charms himself into her life and heart.

Redhead Dead by Jennifer Conner

Genre: Romantic Suspense

As a plant chemical biologist, Aiven, always has her mind buried in her work. When her co-worker talks her into going out for a night of fun Aiven reluctantly agrees.

Coleman just wants to spend the night with a pretty girl and forget about the brutal underworld where he's an undercover cop. 

Neither expects death to be waiting around the corner when Coleman and Aiven get pulled deeper into danger and life on the run.

Moonlight Serenade by Chris Karlsen

Genre: Historical Romance

It's 1945 and the world is at war. An American Marine on leave in Melbourne, Australia, a pretty red-haired big band singer, and one of Glenn Miller's greatest songs come together for a weekend. In their brief time, they find love in the chaos of war.

Revealed by Angela Ford

Genre: Mystery

The tears came. Some days in waves. She realized it was okay to cry, not to cry, and that time doesn’t heal all wounds. Grief changed Maya Delcort. 

After her sister’s death, she disconnected from the world she knew, and the man she loved. Maya’s new world became the CIA, as a covert operations agent. 

An assignment takes her to Ireland with only one contact; a man she never met. Maya only knows him as Blue; he only knows her as Red. When her identity gets jeopardized, and Blue isn’t answering; she fears the worst. Emotions run high, danger lurks, and she realizes she’s ready to love again. 

Will Maya escape death and find love?

Starlight Kisses by Sibelle Stone 

Genre: A Victorian Love Story

Tatiana Langdon is an heiress, which makes her a target for many bachelors in Gilded age New York. The fact that she’s beautiful, educated and from one of the oldest families in the city isn’t as important to many of the men as the millions she’ll inherit when she marries. When she meets Merritt Barclay, she knows he’s different from the other men who are pursuing her but her Aunt Olivia is doing everything in her power to prevent Tatiana from getting to know the handsome man.

Merritt Barclay loves a mystery and something happened years ago to cause a rift between his family and Tatiana’s. It involves her Aunt Lorelei and his father, but no one in either family will divulge the secret. Merritt joins forces with Tatiana, a young woman who has bewitched him with her beauty and intelligence, to discover what happened.

But Tatiana’s aunt will do everything in her power to keep the couple apart, and as their attraction grows stronger, the danger rises. What lengths will some people go to in order to keep a family secret?

Reunited by Tammy Tale

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Ten years after a nasty breakup, Tara and Ryder surface for a class reunion and when Tara gets struck by lightning, all memory of Ryder vanishes. Will Ryder use it to his advantage to win her back?

Day of the Dead by JR Wirth

Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Two adolescents find themselves on a hunt for their friend, Cali, after she is abducted, on Halloween, by a psychopath who kills on “Dia De Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead).

Rituals by ND Jones

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Jackson Glory introduces his Serenitarian wife, Nevaeh, to an old Earth custom—hot and sexy for some, not enough for others.

Red-Hot by Tina Donahue

Genre: Erotic Romance

A chance meeting between strangers, a steamy hook-up that burns the sheets, now if only he can find her again...

One Night in London by Kim Knight

Genre: Contemporary Romance

When the lights shine bright, and the city is lit up, Rita Lane will show you a good time.

The Clue of the Red Tresses by Laura Strickland

Genre: Time Travel Romance

Chasing a beautiful thief through time, Stephen Longstreet never imagines the peril he faces—Nazis, ancient Britons and courageous Bridie Maguire, who might just steal his heart.

The Freedom Gene by Ella Medler

Genre: Dystopian

In a dysfunctional society where 'bottle' redheads are the height of fashion, real redheads host a gene that protects them from brainwashing. Two men fight to rescue a redheaded girl, for different reasons. The guard because he loves her. The scientist because he wants to give the human race a way to rebuild and take itself out of its brain-dead slavery.

Red Sarah by Carol Ann Kauffman

Genre: Time Travel Romance

Sarah works for an organization that fixes broken timelines in history. She has a very special skill set involving time travel. Her mission is to save the life of Lucas, a young man who will be pivotal in the progress and advancement of his planet.

Sharon Kleve
She was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband. Sharon is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. Sharon gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve--with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

Jennifer Connor
Best-selling Northwest author who has over sixty short stories and books in ebook, print, and audiobooks. She writes in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, and Erotica. She has hit Amazon's top fifty authors ranking, and her books have been #1 in sales.

Chris Karlsen

I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books.

I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.

Angela Ford
Bestselling Romantic Suspense & Contemporary Romance Author, Angela Ford originates from Nova Scotia...Canada's Ocean Playground! Her love of the ocean and sunsets are always in her heart and give her inspiration. Her love for words keeps her turning the page. She is never without a book, whether she's reading or writing. Her dedication to volunteer and involvement with cyber safety seminars gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her Cyber Crime series. In between mysteries, Ms. Ford writes short contemporary romance...sometimes sweet...sometimes spicy...and sometimes with a dash of suspense!

Sibelle Stone
Sibelle Stone is the pseudonym for award winning historical romance author Deborah Schneider. Sibelle writes sexy steampunk and paranormal stories, filled with mad scientists, dirigibles, automatons, and fantastical creatures. Between them Deborah and Sibelle have published six books and two novellas. In her spare time Sibelle enjoys dressing up in Victorian ensembles, modding play guns into something that looks a bit more sinister and wearing hats. She owns some very nice hats!

Tammy Tate

Tammy Tate was born and raised in Hollywood, Florida but has lived most of her adult life in Texas. Her passion to write began in high school. It follows her everywhere she goes...creating a world where anything is possible. She's been married to the same wonderful man for over thirty years. Her secret to a long marriage? It's easy when you marry your best friend. In her world, Friday night is still date night.

Since she believes reading is the next best thing to writing, she enjoys romance, fantasy, science fiction and thrillers. In December of 2013, she signed her first book contract with a traditional publisher. Her books have made Amazon's Best Seller list.

JR Wirth

JR Wirth is a practicing psychotherapist, which helps provide insight into the human mind and condition, and gives him a strong understanding of the emotions of a moment in time, as well as the inner workings of his characters. JR has several pieces published—including a poem and several short stories in online venues. 

In all of his works, J.R. combines ordinary people with extraordinary circumstances, to create characters that jump off the page and straight into the readers’ heart and psyche. He remains dedicated to the craft of writing, highlighting the conflict, frailty, and hero in all of us.

ND Jones

N. D. Jones lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. Having earned a M.A. in Political Science, she is a dedicated educator. She taught high school social studies for nine years. Currently, she is a professional development specialist with a local Maryland school system, working on increasing student achievement through teacher and administrator efficacy. N.D. is also a continuing education student who is pursuing her doctorate in education in Community College Leadership. 

A desire to see more novels with positive, sexy, and three-dimensional African American characters as soul mates, friends, and lovers, inspired the author to take on the challenge of penning such romantic reads. She is the author of two paranormal romance series: Winged Warriors and Death and Destiny. N.D. likes to read historical and paranormal romance novels, as well as comics and manga.

Tina Donahue
Tina Donahue is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Freeing the Beast, Come and Get Your Love, and Wicked Takeover) were Readers' Choice Award winners. Another three (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic contemporary romance, was chosen Book of the Year at the French review site Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.

Kim Knight
Kim Knight is 34, and from London in the UK. She’s a qualified teacher and mother to a beautiful toddler. As a reader, she’s head over heels in love with romance, historical fiction, crime fiction, African- American, suspense and thriller genre books. A Stranger in France (republished January 2017) is her first romantic suspense novel. Her second romance novella Not Just for Christmas was published November 2016. At present Kim is writing her third thriller novel, to be published in 2017. As a writer, Kim enjoys creating stories within the romance, romantic suspense and general thriller genres. Kim also writes beauty and book related articles for Love Life, Live Magazine. When she’s not reading, or writing stories of her own, her other passions include practising her French, fashion and spending time at her sewing machine dress making. Watching make –up and beauty tutorials on YouTube, letter writing and being a mum.

Laura Strickland
Award winning author Laura Strickland delights in time traveling to the past and searching out settings for her books, be they Historical Romance, Steampunk or something in between. Born and raised in Western New York, she’s pursued lifelong interests in lore, legend, magic and music, all reflected in her writing. Though she’s made pilgrimages to both Newfoundland and Scotland, she’s usually happiest at home not far from Lake Ontario with her husband and her "fur" child, a rescue dog.

Ella Medler
Ella Medler is a U.K. author and editor. She writes fiction in many genres in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English and ignores the type of rule that doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books are action-driven, and well-developed characters are her forte. Loves: freedom. Hates: her inner censor.

Carol Ann Kauffman

Carol Ann Kauffman is the author of eighteen books to date, from short stories to full-length novels. Her novels, classified as romantic action adventures with a sci-fi/ fantasy twist, and mysteries. They’re about life, love, loss, and lunacy. She is a retired teacher from a local school district in Ohio, where she taught for thirty-five years. She has worked as a printer, managed a department store office, worked as an insurance agent, and worked in the hardware and automotive departments of a large store. She was a Red Cross volunteer. Carol loves to travel; her favorite places being Italy and Aruba, which show up in her novels quite a bit. She loves to play Bridge and to garden. She grows African violets and orchids. Carol loves dachshunds and trains.

Sharon Kleve

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Jennifer Conner

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Kinky Sex Magic by Kailee Reese Samuels

Title: Kinky Sex Magic

Author: Kailee Reese Samuels

Genre: Erotica, Romance

Release Date: February 14, 2017

Summary:
Sex is sex. Love is love.

When Sal Raniero is contracted to find incriminating information on his former Mistress, the only payment he requests is the whereabouts of his best friend Iris Kettles. The friendship by day twists and turns into a turbulent love, but at night she craves his seduction.

Like a rogue eclipsed in the shadows, he stands guard, ready to attack. He’s following Iris, watching her eat and sleep, flirt and f@#k. Protecting and stalking, Sal keeps his submissive safe.

Fearing never deserving or earning his love and respect, Iris accepts her fate. She cannot let go with Sal. So she runs, unable to stop and face the truth in Sal’s eyes. His love unequal, he will always be there, chasing her down with relentless devotion. Pushing further away, Iris enters a dangerous game, confronting the men who want to hurt her body and hating herself for knowing the Master she truly needs to completely surrender.

KINKY SEX MAGIC is an author’s cut of select scenes from the novel Juliet. Kinky Sex Magic is new material unavailable in Juliet.

KAILEE REESE SAMUELS writes romantic suspense with an erotic flair. Let her words whisk you away, escaping with delicious guys, toe-curling kisses, and addictive stories.

WARNING: This book contains graphic BDSM, strong sexual situations, and explicit language. Contents intended for MATURE readers 18+ ONLY.

The moment they walked into the club behind Banks Art & Co., Iris feared she had gotten in over her head. Her senses ignited with the sights and sounds. In the waiting area, a gruff man who seemed to know Sal checked them in.

“She yours?” The man assessed Iris.

Sal glanced at Iris propping on her crutches and gripping his hand. “Tonight she is.”

Safeword?"

“Dandelion, Sir,” Iris smirked.

“They have comp tonight so be warned. I put you in the Downbelow, south room. You doing alright, Raniero?” the man asked almost compassionate.

“I’m getting there. Break-ups are hard,” Sal took Iris' tag, wrapping it around her wrist. His face close to Iris, she watched him attach the tag. Surprising Iris, he blinked up and revealed, “But things are improving.”

“She's a beaut.” The bald man touched his beard. “Keep an eye on her.”

Iris blushed, unsure of how to take his compliment, feeling a bit like an animal or piece of property.

Sal smirked, “I won't be taking my eyes off of her.”

The black double doors opened up to a world different from Juliet or Lakeside. With a heavy beat thumping, the lights spiraled about the room.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” The word came out, but it wasn’t without fear. She wanted to bite her lip, her finger, her arm—anything to forget that she was not the Iris Kettles she knew. The upgraded, transformed, and hard fought for girl who went through hell left her unsettled.

Sal took her crutches and handed them to the man. “You ready?”

Iris smiled, nodding once. Tossing her over his shoulder, Sal carried her into the fray of the crowd. Running into people he knew, Sal never stopped for long. But it wouldn't have mattered if he had.

Iris fixated on the stage as the slaves presented one after another with beautiful, fluid movements. After being mesmerized by the slaves, when she finally looked around, the amount of people in the club shocked her.

Stopping to chat with a group of about five or six friends, Sal greeted them cordially and warm. A girl with long, dark blue hair came up from behind and shoved a pair of cat ears on Iris' head.

“She's a doll, Raniero!” The girl chimed, walking off all giggles and smiles. Iris caught a glimpse of his smirk and noticed the slightest hint of blush.

He knew that girl well.

Behind the jukebox-shaped bar, four stories of glass encased dungeons packed with people loitering outside on each of the balconies. Sal walked into a secluded alcove of elevators.

“Hey, Darrell!”

“Good Evening, Mr. Raniero! Where you headed?”

“South,” Sal winked.

“Great choice. And who is this?”

“This is Iris.” The elevator opened and before the door shut Sal muttered, “Bring me a bottle of pink, and no interruptions from anyone, please.”

“Yes, Sir. What about Penny? She was looking for you earlier.”

“No, no one,” Sal shook the man’s hand in some sort of bro-gesture Iris didn’t comprehend. She bit her lip and waved with two fingers.

Riding in the elevator, Iris tried to ignore how absolutely gorgeous the man holding her was. Drowning in his scent, she would happily just ride up and down in the elevator all night. “Sal?”

“Ya, Angel?”

“Don't rush me.”

“I would never. I promise we are going to have fun.” And much to her surprise, his hand swatted her ass once. “Trust me. Let go. I’ve got you.”

Author Bio:
Embracing diversity. Coffee addict. Mango lover. Blueberry fetishist. Sweet peach tea crazy. Red wine devout. Whiskey deviant. Tattooed & pierced. Loves shoes. Collects rosaries. Fanatical organizer/cleaner/list-maker. Never sleeps. Hermit and recluse.

Storyteller.

KAILEE REESE SAMUELS has been spinning tales since she can remember. Her books are contemporary fiction with a no-holds-barred attitude. She adores listening to her characters ramble and putting them into situations that push the boundaries.

Creativity is the way to change.

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Sunday's Safe Word Shelf: You Can See Me by AE Via

Summary:
World renowned chef Prescott Vaughan was at the height of his career. Right before he's to leave for Paris to work alongside his idol, a horrific car accident leaves him completely blind.

His female fiancé leaves him in a state of desperation and depression. He pines for love, companionship, and so happens to find it in the form of his very sexy neighbor. Sexy male neighbor, Dr. Rickson 'Ric' Edwards.

Prescott's not gay - at least he never considered himself gay - until Ric saves him from a date, gone terribly wrong. The two neighbors hit it off quickly and waste no time exploring and learning each other. Things are great until Ric begins to have his doubts about meeting Prescott's many wants.

When Ric insist he and Prescott take a breather, Pres finds himself lonely and lacking again. Enter, male escort and aspiring chef, Blair McKenzie to fill the void.

In the meantime, Ric works on his issues that prohibits him from displaying the love he knows he has for Prescott. When Ric is finally ready and returns to claim Prescott he's not sure that Pres can let go of the sexy, southern, hotness that is Blair McKenzie. After Ric has his own personal encounter with the sinfully sexy man, he can't help but become entranced and crave more as well.

Pres soon realizes that there's no need to choose between his two men, because when all three of them finally come together - grab a cold drink - the heat is going to go all the way up!

I want to start off by saying that this book first came to my attention when I read AE Via's Nothing Special series the summer of 2015.  I had started You Can See Me at that time but just couldn't quite get into it but that was more down to my need for more Leo & God.  When I realized that only Leo was in this one and only briefly, I just couldn't wrap my head around Pres' story.  Having said that, I wish I had stuck with it just another chapter or two, because this is a great read. So when I read the latest entry to the author's Nothing Special series, and Pres, Ric, & Blair made an appearance, I decided now was the time.  So even though I'm a little late to the party, I still enjoyed myself and had tons of fun.

Ménage stories aren't for everyone but for those who find them intriguing then I highly recommend You Can See Me.  Truth is, this is so much more than just your typical ménage tale. You Can is a story of drama, friendship, recovery, romance, fear, love, and of course there is plenty of heat to spice up your afternoon.  I use the term "ménage" but "polyamory" may fit the ultimate relationship between Prescott, Rickson, & Blair more accurately.  Whatever term you choose to use, it's amazing.  As hot and wonderful as the three of them are together, this story is so much more than just the sex.  Prescott's desperation to be wanted, Ric's fears, Blair feeling used, all of it put together will tug at your heart, leave more than a few tears falling, and your throat dry from screaming "talk to each other" but it will also put a smile on your face with Blair's zest for life and though it's for different reasons, both Pres & Ric's determination to rebuild their professional careers will give you hope and warm your heart.

RATING: 

Ric was one hundred percent exhausted. Even though he was still off the surgery rotation, he was swamped down in the ER handling small traumas. Halloween night was one of those nights the hospital dreaded…along with every other unofficial holiday. Every one of the hospital staff was either there or on call, andRic handled everything from sugar overdoses to gunshot wounds. ​Jesus Christ, the damn bar fights are the worst. Assholes getting drunk and pummeling each other—in silly-ass costumes—until they are either pepper-sprayed by the cops or one of them gets brutally injured.

Ric was in deep thought as he made his way into his building. Everything about the shift had royally gotten under his skin. His coworkers had steered clear of him and his foul mood. He’d barked and growled at the nurses and orderlies for everything, whether it was their fault or not. ​If he hadn’t run into Prescott and his smoking-hot date, then perhaps things wouldn’t have gone so bad. It’d never dawned on him that Pres would eventually move on. Ric was the one who had sworn off relationships since he stormed off Pres’s yacht. ​How could I be so stupid? Of course he would move on. I just didn’t expect it to be with a man. Sure as fuck not one that looked like a six-foot-two Texas god. ​

Ric got pissed every time he thought of that man’s face or that sexy accent. His body shook, and his hands clenched. Ric couldn’t say for sure if his panic attacks hadn’t gone undetected by his coworkers tonight or not. However, if Ric was being totally honest, he couldn’t care less. It was five in the morning, and all he could think about was crashing hard. He didn’t even stop and get breakfast at his favorite diner for fear of falling asleep at the counter. ​Ric trudged through his building lobby and tried to give smiles to some of the staff, but doubted he managed to pull it off. He decided to bypass the stairs, which he usually took in his continuous effort to avoid Pres, but today he just couldn’t make the trek. He was bone tired. ​ Ric leaned his head back against the elevator paneling and watched the numbers light up all the way to floor ten before his eyes drifted shut for the rest of the way. When the doors opened, he came face-to-face with Prescott’s Texan. Fuck me.


Instead of the gorgeous prick getting on the elevator and leaving, the cocky bastard took a couple steps back and leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway and stared openly at him as if he hadn’t a care in the world. His hazel eyes scanned Ric up and down, taking in his disheveled, stressed-out appearance. ​“Do you have a fucking problem?” Ric growled, refusing to pretend to be cordial to the man even though he was a complete stranger and had done absolutely nothing to him. The man had the nerve to smirk at him and shake his head as if pitying Ric, or perhaps throwing it in Ric’s face that he’d definitely had a better night than he had. Ric did try to hide his anger at knowing the man had slept with his Pres. Why the hell else would he be leaving at five in the damn morning? Unless he delivered newspapers or milk, he had absolutely no reason to be on this floor this time of morning. Bastard. “No, I don’t have a problem,” he drawled slowly, making sure to put extra enunciation on the “I” part of his sentence. “But, obviously, you do. Or else you wouldn’t be scowling at me for no reason.” “Fuck you,” Ric snarled, stepping just a little closer.

He wanted to tear the man’s lips off for talking with that accent. Then he wanted to rip his hands off for daring to touch his Prescott. The man’s probably a male gold digger. “Did you enjoy taking advantage of Prescott? Did you get what you came for?” Ric growled like a rabid animal three inches away from the man’s face, but he’d be damned if the asshole didn’t even flinch at his showcase of fury. No reaction whatsoever. The Texan had one hand casually tucked in his jeans pocket, kicking back one side of his stylish blazer, while he lazily rubbed his other hand over his taut chest and washboard abs that showed through the thin material of his un-tucked dress shirt. Ric hated to admit it, but the man looked well fucked, and he wore it well. “How could you do that to someone like him?” Ric fumed, and it took everything in him to control his rage. If I hit him, no one would know. There’s no one around, no witnesses. It’d be his word against mine. “I knew I’d peg you in less than five minutes.”

The man spoke with one dark brown eyebrow cocked up. He ran his fingers through his bed-tousled dark brown hair and let out an exasperated breath. “Excuse me?” Ric blinked. ​“Now I know why you were too stupid to hold on to Prescott Vaughan. You were too busy feeling sorry for him. Instead of you seeing a brilliant man, a world-renowned, accomplished chef who happens to be one of the most talented men to ever set foot in a kitchen, you see a needy, helpless man. Ahhh. Now it makes perfect sense.” “Don’t try to act like you know me because you don’t,” Ric growled, still trying to be mindful they were in the hallway of the floor that he lived on. The Texan pushed off the wall and closed the few inches between them. His six feet, two inches of height had him eye to eye with Ric, and the man showed no fear. His handsome face was now a mask of furious anger. “I saw you treat him like shit on the bottom of your shoes last night. I watched him beg you for five fuckin’ minutes of your time, and you spat in his face.

Now, you have the audacity to say I’m mistreating him? Fuck you,” he snarled right back at Ric. Just as fast as the man’s anger came, it disappeared, and he composed himself to reveal that smirk that Ric selfishly rejoiced Pres couldn’t see, because it was sexy as fuck…and the man knew it. Ric watched his competition push the elevator button as he rubbed his hand over his morning stubble before speaking again. “You know what they say, don’t you, Doc? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and Prescott Vaughan is definitely a rare, precious treasure.” The Texan inched in even closer, which surprised the hell out of Ric since they were practically nose to nose. Ric was smacked in the face with a faint soap-and-water fragrance that made his eyelids flutter and his own dick jerk to life. ​Ric’s half-lidded eyes were riveted to the Texan’s plush lips as he leaned in and whispered directly into Ric’s open mouth. “If you don’t pull your head out of your ass and claim Prescott Vaughan like he wants, I won’t stop until I’ve fucked the sexy strawberry ten ways to Sunday and there’s not a single trace of your existence left in his mind, because with or without you, he needs love, and I was the one there last night to lick his sweet tears when you walked away.” The elevator doors opened at his final words, and the smooth Texan took a few graceful steps backward into the elevator and gave Ric a sexy wink right before the doors closed. ​Fucking asshole, Ric thought.

Author Bio:
A.E. Via is an author in the beautiful gay romance genre and also founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books. Her writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to spicy to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

When she's not clicking away at her laptop, she devotes herself to her family--a husband and four children.

Adrienne Via has tons of more stories to tell, but she really would like to hear yours. Via Star Wings Books is currently accepting submissions for established and aspiring LGBTQ authors. I've contracted and successfully published a couple authors - whose information can be found on my website - who can tell you that my passion is giving other writer's stories the love and care it deserves so it could be a gift to another. Visit my site to learn more!

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Saturday's Series Spotlight: Fabric Hearts by KC Burn

Tartan Candy #1
Summary:
Finlay McIntyre (aka Raven) is a successful adult film star with a penchant for kilts, until an accident cuts short his stardom and leaves him with zero sexual desire, lowered self-esteem, and no job. He knew his porn career wouldn’t last forever, but he wasn’t prepared for retirement at twenty-eight. While trying to figure out the rest of his life, Raven agrees to attend a high school reunion. That’s when a malfunctioning AC unit in his hotel room changes everything.

Caleb Sanderson, an entrepreneur with his own HVAC business, has no idea what to expect when he steps into Raven’s hotel room to fix his AC unit. They’re attracted to each other, but Caleb, closeted, can’t afford a gay relationship, not with his mom pressuring him to produce grandchildren. If he wants to keep Raven—who no closet could hold—he’ll need to tell his family the truth. But Raven has a few secrets of his own. He refuses to reveal his porn past to Caleb, a past that might be the final obstacle to Caleb and Raven having any kind of relationship.

Plaid versus Paisley #2
Summary:
Two years after his life fell apart, Will Dawson moved to Florida to start over. His job in the tech department of Idyll Fling, a gay porn studio, is ideal for him. When his boss forces him to take on a new hire, the last person he expects is Dallas Greene—the man who cost him his job and his boyfriend back in Connecticut. He doesn’t know what’s on Dallas’s agenda, but he won’t be blindsided by a wolf masquerading as a runway model. Not again.

Dallas might have thrown himself on his brother’s mercy, but his skills are needed at Idyll Fling. Working with Will is a bonus, since Dallas has never forgotten the man. A good working relationship is only the beginning of what Dallas wants with Will.

But Dallas doesn’t realize how deep Will’s distrust runs, and Will doesn’t know that the man he’s torn between loving and hating is the boss’s brother. When all truths are revealed, how can a relationship built on lies still stand?

Tartan Candy #1
Original Review April 2016:
This is a great tale of coming to terms with the unexpected and triumphing over the hurdles that life gives us.  Raven and Caleb are nearly perfect together.  When I think of "perfect" in terms of relationships, I don't think of Utopia kind of perfect that most of us have in mind.  I think of the good and the bad for both parties that just fit together, they fight, they kiss, they understand, they misunderstand, but at the end of the day they faced it together even if it does not always run smoothly.  This is another great read by KC Burn.  I never thought I had much of a kilt fetish but after Tartan Candy, it is certainly among the possibilities.

Plaid Versus Paisley #2
KC Burn has done it again.  Plaid Versus Paisley is a great follow-up to Tartan Candy in the Fabric Hearts series.  Now, as so often with series' that focus on different couples with each entry, Plaid can be read as a standalone but personally, I recommend reading Tartan first.  You won't be lost if you don't, Raven, Caleb, and Jaime from Tartan are only in a few scenes but I just feel that knowing their character history helps everything flows smoother.

Will and Dallas really dug in close to my heart.  I can empathize with Dallas' health issues and Will's paranoia, though extreme and stemming from misunderstandings, is definitely believable.  Together they make an intriguing pair of past acquaintances and co-workers that find themselves in a current and new employer/employee scenario.  All of this set in and around the gay porn website, Idyll Fling, balances the drama and romance perfectly with humor and friendship, put them all together and Plaid Versus Paisley will leave your heart smiling.

And a little side note: I am hoping that Beck and Jaime get their own Fabric Hearts entries.  Perhaps even paired together. *hint, hint* Ms. Burn.

RATING: 

Tartan Candy #1
“OOH, I just love a man in a kilt.”

Raven smiled at the newcomer, pretending he hadn’t heard the phrase a million times since he’d walked into the ballroom. Normally he didn’t mind being the center of attention, but tonight the overwhelming interest in him crawled over his skin like a swarm of fire ants.

No denying, he looked hot. His bright red plaid kilt matched the thick red streaks in his black hair perfectly. It was one of the reasons he’d bought the kilt in the first place, a few years ago. He had about a dozen kilts that matched various hair dyes, but he liked the classic red Royal Stewart. Unfortunately, all the sexy outer trappings weren’t enough to make him forget he wasn’t getting naked with anyone ever again.

Jeremy, Raven’s purported date, stepped closer to him. Close enough to almost slay Raven with his nearly lethal cloud of body spray.

“Jeremy, is that you?” The newcomer was not the first person who’d been surprised by the change in Jeremy since high school. Like every high school reunion Raven had seen on TV and in the movies, a giant poster board at the entrance to the ballroom displayed everyone’s yearbook photo. While Jeremy signed them in, Raven had taken the opportunity to inspect Jeremy’s image. Dude had had a shitload of good plastic surgery done. It was almost cliché: the geeky underdog who’d made it big coming back to his old stomping ground to revel in his new wealth and surgically enhanced appearance. Unfortunately, Jeremy hadn’t let the past go, and his personality bordered on rancid.

“Rebecca? It’s so lovely to see you again.”

Oddly, Rebecca appeared genuinely pleased to see Jeremy, and she coaxed the first happy smile Raven had seen on Jeremy’s face. If he didn’t know Jeremy was gay through and through, he’d have suspected Rebecca to be an old girlfriend or crush.

Rebecca gave Jeremy a hug. “I hear you’ve done well for yourself. You look fantastic.”

When Jeremy slipped an arm around Raven’s waist, he had to work at not flinching.

“This is Raven.”

“Nice to meet you, Raven.” Rebecca seemed nice, around the age his mother would have been, and was fond—perhaps overfond—of pink glitter. Maybe that was only natural, since Rebecca’s name tag proclaimed her head cheerleader. How she was even aware of Jeremy’s existence, Raven didn’t know.

“Raven’s my date. Gorgeous, isn’t he?”

Almost buckling under the strain, Raven managed to keep a pleasant smile on his face while Rebecca chatted, even though Jeremy was treating him like a slab of meat. It wasn’t the first time a guy had done that, and it wouldn’t be the last, but Raven badly wanted to correct the “date” misnomer. For a hefty sum, Jeremy had purchased Raven’s companionship—minus any sex—for the duration of his high school reunion weekend retreat. Raven wasn’t in the business of offering the “boyfriend experience.” Even if he had ever been planning to have sex again, there wasn’t enough money in the world to get him to sleep with Jeremy.

Jeremy’s grand plan had backfired in an unexpected way: he’d thought people would be impressed he showed up with an attractive younger man. He hadn’t anticipated Raven would garner more favorable attention than the changes in Jeremy’s appearance. Hence, his treatment of Raven as if he were an expensive possession.

Raven extricated himself from Jeremy’s clinging embrace and tipped the last of the beer in his bottle into his mouth.

Rebecca smiled brightly—or perhaps drunkenly, it was too early to tell—at them both. “He certainly is. I’m glad you found someone great, Jeremy.”

Sputtering, Raven managed to swallow his mouthful without choking to death or embarrassing anyone.

“Are you okay, honey?” Rebecca’s smile faded into concern.

“I’m good, thanks. Just swallowed wrong.”

Jeremy snorted, and Raven barely refrained from slugging him. Jeremy’s mind was in the gutter—again.

Rebecca patted him on the back and turned her attention back to Jeremy. “We’re seated at the same table for dinner.”

“Lead the way, Rebecca. I’m starving, although if this place is like most conference hotels, we’ll still be starving after our plate of rubbery chicken.”

Raven cringed, but Rebecca just giggled.

“Hey, baby.” Rebecca kissed the temple of an imposing man who was already seated at one of the round tables set for ten.

“I got you a glass of Chardonnay.” Big and beefy was pretty hot, even with the severely receding hairline. Raven peered at his name tag. Yet another cliché come to life. Bret was the quarterback of the team. Would Raven’s own high school reunion be so predictable? Not that he’d ever consider attending, outside of his nightmares.

“Bret, honey, you remember Jeremy, right?”

“Nope,” Bret grunted, and Jeremy looked like he’d swallowed a bug. Dealing with Jeremy’s ruffled ego for the whole weekend, and trying to calm him without encouraging any advances, was going to make this “date” last for-fucking-ever. Raven wasn’t quite at the point of counting down the hours, but he wasn’t far off.

“One too many hits to the head, eh, Bret? I guess what they say about multiple concussions is true.” Jeremy’s tone was jovial, but Bret’s face flushed a dark red.

Rebecca patted her husband’s arm. “He’s the one who tutored me in calculus.”

Oh. Now the Rebecca-Jeremy relationship made sense.

“Right. Him.” With those two words, Bret instantly dismissed Jeremy as a threat, and as a person. If this was how everyone had treated Jeremy in school, then maybe Raven had a smidgeon of sympathy. A nanosized morsel of sympathy. High school could be sucky.

They were saved from too much discussion as the rest of the guests at their table seated themselves and made introductions. Another football player and his wife, a drama club member and her husband, and a couple who were now teachers at the same school from which they’d graduated made up the ten at their table. Most of them, like Jeremy, had moved away from Orlando after graduation and hadn’t seen each other since. Dinner began, and throughout the meal there were a number of awards, announcements, and commemorative videos, so it wasn’t until the meal had been cleared away in preparation for dessert that any real conversation sprang up.

Rebecca’s cheeks had pinkened from the effects of three glasses of wine, and she smiled blearily at him. “Raven, what do you do for a living?”

“He’s in school right now,” Jeremy jumped in before Raven could answer. There were worse things he could have said, but he made it sound like Raven was still in high school.

“Uh, yes. I’m almost finished my business degree.” One last semester in the fall, and he’d be done.

“And how did you two meet?”

With a leer, Jeremy slung an arm over Raven’s shoulders. “Raven here likes to be taken care of. And I was just the man for the job.”

Horrified, Raven felt his jaw drop as heat flashed into his cheeks and an awkward silence fell over the table. With that one statement, everyone at this table either thought Raven was a gold digger or guilty of atrocious taste in men. Or both. He shouldn’t care what these people thought, and he rarely told people how he made a living, but he was proud of what he’d accomplished all on his own.

Raven smiled weakly at the other diners and extricated himself from his seat. “I’m going to go have a smoke.”

Amanda, the drama club member, spoke up. “I love your kilt. Is your family Scottish?”

“Nope. But it sure is easy access,” Jeremy answered for him and slid his hand under Raven’s kilt to grab his ass.

Raven barely held in a yelp of surprise and glared down at Jeremy.

“What?” Jeremy’s eyes widened in overly theatrical surprise. “I had to check to see if you were wearing your kilt properly.”

Raven glanced around the table. Forget awkward silence; Jeremy had just made almost everyone uncomfortable. Amanda looked as mortified as Raven felt.

“Don’t be long, you’ll miss dessert.” Rebecca giggled drunkenly, too soused to notice the undercurrents of tension.

“Eh, skipping dessert will help him keep his weight down.”

Amanda gasped at Jeremy’s cruel words, and Raven’s nostrils flared as he considered if decking Jeremy was worth it. Jeremy seemed completely oblivious to the censure.

When he was able to unclench his jaw, he spoke again. “Feel free to eat my dessert. I’ll be back soon.”

He detoured by the bar to grab a beer before leaving the ballroom. He wasn’t the only one ready for a refill, and there was a line, dammit.

Raven should never have agreed to this stupid job, but it had been good money. Despite the large number of women wanting to touch his chest or just plain ogle him, it would have been bearable if it weren’t for pompous, self-important, and passive-aggressive Jeremy.

The touching was a bit much. Overwhelming in a way it wouldn’t have been a year ago.

There had been a lot of touching—by everyone, not just Jeremy. For an ex–porn star, casual touching shouldn’t be such a problem, but it had been over a year since Raven starred in his last movie. Over a year since he’d had sex. Aside from doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists after his accident, he’d not been touched by anyone in all that time.

He had no family, no boyfriend, just his friends from the studio, but Raven had pulled away from everyone after the accident, and he saw them only rarely. Raven’s colorful appearance had invited a lot of casual touching from people he’d been introduced to at the reunion, which hadn’t much thrilled Jeremy either. Perhaps that was why he slapped a virtual brand on Raven’s ear the moment anyone demonstrated the least bit of interest.

Jeremy had also done about half a dozen underwear checks so far this evening. Bastard. Raven clenched his hands into fists, struggling to keep a neutral look on his face. Happy was too much to ask of him, but Jeremy was footing the bill for more than a couple months’ mortgage, and Raven couldn’t tell him to fuck off. He couldn’t ditch him, either.

Finally, finally, he got his beer and headed out of the ballroom.

His smile came easier and felt less like a mask the farther he got from Jeremy, and he moved with enough purpose that no one stopped him.

Motion-sensitive doors to the back garden whooshed open. Muggy, humid air slapped Raven in the face as he stepped out into the hot Florida evening. Almost immediately, sweat sprang up on his skin. At least his tight-fitted dress shirt was black; no sweat stains would show.

His haven was close. He took a tiny path, ducking the overhanging greenery. The resort treated smokers like lepers, hiding them well out of sight. Not that Raven was a big fan of smoking—it stank up his hair, and he’d seen what it could do to someone’s stamina—but it was a fantastic escape, especially from a handsy client with asthma.

He’d learned a long time ago that pretending to be a smoker gave him an out, a viable, believable reason to hide out that he’d used on more than one occasion. Leaning against a lamppost, he pulled out a battered pack of smokes and a lighter from his sporran and lit a cigarette without inhaling.

Raven held the cigarette down by his hip, tilted his head away from the smoke curling upward, and enjoyed the silence.

Plaid Versus Paisley #2
DALLAS GREENE turned off the car and slumped over the steering wheel. This wasn’t how life was supposed to be. He’d been on the road for twenty-four hours, including a couple of naps at rest stops. Please don’t let this be a mistake. All he’d done recently was make mistakes like they were his greatest skill, compounding each error with another bad decision. But sitting in the car would only delay the inevitable.

With trembling fingers, he pulled the keys from the ignition and got out. A couple of joints popped, and his muscles protested. Surely other twenty-four-year-old guys didn’t feel like they’d been run over by an eighteen-wheeler, but then, he hadn’t been at his best for two years now.

He stared at the house. It wasn’t what he expected. Bigger. Nicer. Then again, he knew for a fact his parents had been lying when they’d told him his half brother, Stefan, was destitute, diseased, depraved, and at death’s door. It had been a surprisingly lyrical rant, what with all the alliteration, but this house wasn’t any different than any of the others he’d passed on his journey from the interstate. No pickets or protestors. No slanderous graffiti. No junkies or thugs. Just a house like any other in an affluent suburb, although not nearly as affluent as his parents’ community.

After locking the car—it and its contents comprised the entirety of his possessions—he trudged up the drive. Each step made his stomach twist and roil. If he’d eaten anything in the past… oh… day or so, he’d be worried about puking.

The bright midafternoon sun beat down on him, the humidity almost brutally oppressive after the chill of the A/C in the car. It had been months since he’d felt warm all the way to his toes, though, so he wasn’t going to complain. Maybe he should have rethought wearing a suit for his impromptu drive to Florida in September. Who would have thought it would be this hot, when part of his drive down had been through fall foliage?

Most of his wardrobe consisted of business professional, and he wanted to make a good impression. And also because he’d left Connecticut yesterday wearing one, not having realized when he woke up that he’d be making an eighteen-hour drive plus stops because his life had taken yet another turn toward the shitter.

He rang the doorbell. There was a wide window to the left of the door, with decorative and functional bars curling throughout the glass. Opaque white fabric sheathed the window from the inside, and Dallas suspected that under no circumstances would anyone be able to even spot shadows of people moving within.

Antsy and anxious, he smoothed his hands down the sleeves of his gray suit jacket before he glanced down at himself. His suit was as wrinkly as a bulldog’s face.

If he had the energy, he’d sprint for his car and drive away, change into less wrinkled clothing, but odds were against him getting to the car before someone answered the door. Hell, he might just faint first.

After a minute or two, he rang the doorbell again. Then he frowned.

Shit. It was Thursday. Stefan had a job, unlike Dallas himself. Not that Dallas had a lot of details about Stefan’s business, but it stood to reason he wouldn’t be at home right now.

Fuck. Dallas leaned against the window with its protective iron curlicues and slid to the concrete. What was he supposed to do now? Go to a coffee shop and haunt it like a ghoul until evening? And what if Stefan was out of town or on vacation or something? He was so fucking stupid.

Dallas stared out at the bright afternoon. Florida was too fucking cheerful for his state of mind. His eyes started stinging, and he scrubbed at them with the back of his hands. He looked rough enough without adding red eyes to the mix; if he was going to haunt a café, he didn’t think a drugged-out meth head look would encourage anyone to let him loiter for the price of a cup of coffee.

Beside him, the door swung open, and a dark-haired man stuck his head out.

Dallas froze. Double shit. How had he fucked up enough to end up at the wrong house? Perhaps if he didn’t move, the guy would close the door and Dallas could escape this fresh humiliation with no one the wiser.

Someone from inside the house called out, “Who is it?”

“Don’t know, darling, but they left a fully packed piece-of-shit car in the driveway.”

Although his cheeks flamed in embarrassment, Dallas couldn’t bring himself to say anything. But he must have made a sound or something, because the guy glanced down and raised his eyebrows.

“Hello there.”

“Uh, hi.” Not the most stellar response Dallas could have given, but how exactly did one extricate oneself gracefully from a situation like this? If his mother had ever mentioned the appropriate etiquette, he hadn’t been paying attention.

“If you’re here for a job interview, this isn’t a good time. You really need to go to the office.” The man paused, giving him a more intense perusal. “And I’m not sure you’ll have enough stamina for this job, honey.”

Dallas’s cheeks got hotter; he knew he looked like hell. As for the other part of the man’s statement, well, it hardly mattered. The judgment in the guy’s tone gave him enough energy to get to his feet.

“Who is it?” The voice inside was closer, but muffled. “What job interview?”

Another man, wrestling a T-shirt over his head, stumbled across the threshold.

Dallas cleared his throat. “Sorry. I’m going.”

The second man’s head cleared the neck of the shirt, and despite the sandy hair swirled into bedhead and freckled skin sporting serious beard burn, he was clearly recognizable.

“Stefan?” Dallas asked.

Stefan blinked. “Dallas? What are you doing here?”

Dallas opened his mouth, but there were no words to be found. One small hiccup broke the dam. Between the relief at having found the right place and the sheer hopelessness of his life, he lost control over the tears he’d been suppressing for hours.

“Oh, jeez.” Stefan just grabbed him and wrapped him in a tight hug, letting him cry soundlessly.

The other man retreated into the house, leaving them to whatever privacy could be had on the front porch of Stefan’s house in the middle of the day.


WHEN DALLAS had finally cried himself out, Stefan pulled back. “Come inside.”

Dallas glanced back at his car, an eyesore in the upscale neighborhood.

“Your stuff will be fine. Don’t worry about it.” Stefan guided him inside, like he was infirm. The assumption wasn’t far off the mark, and Dallas was content to let someone help him. He’d been balancing on a tightrope over a moat filled with alligators for far too long.

In a modern, airy kitchen, Stefan guided him to a chair at the table. “Sit down. It’ll be okay.”

The dark-haired man was nowhere to be seen, for which Dallas was unendingly grateful. He had to look even worse now, and he wasn’t up to making small talk with a stranger. Bad enough that he barely knew Stefan.

Dazed and exhausted, Dallas obeyed, too tired to argue that it couldn’t possibly be okay. Once he mustered enough nerve to explain, Stefan would agree.

Stefan sat in the chair next to him, placed a bottle of water on the table, and handed him a cool, damp cloth.

Blinking heavy, swollen eyelids, Dallas couldn’t quite decide which one he wanted to use first. At the moment, he didn’t have the coordination to do both. Stefan took pity on him and took the cloth back.

“Drink half that bottle.”

As soon as he did, Stefan slapped the cloth back into his hand. Dallas didn’t need any instruction for that and covered his aching eyes. If he had enough moisture left in his body, he might have started crying again. Instead, he let the chill ease the swelling, and like a kid, pretended that if he couldn’t see anyone, then no one could see him either.

Unfortunately, his reprieve lasted only until the cloth became room temperature. With a sigh, he dropped it onto the table and dared a look at his brother. He drank some more water, because even in what had to be the humidity capital of the world, the pressure in his head indicated impending dehydration.

“You look like shit.”

Dallas half laughed, half winced at the blunt assessment. “I know.” His voice didn’t sound like his own, scratchy with disuse. He cleared his throat before he tried again. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

It had been close to three years since he’d seen his brother in person, and at least six months since he’d even spoken to him on the phone. He’d been so stupid, afraid of letting anyone know how badly his life had devolved into a shitstorm. Now he didn’t have a choice about explaining, unless he wanted to sleep in his car tonight.

“I… I….” Dallas didn’t even know where to begin, but Stefan shook his head.

“Don’t, Dallas. I can guess at some of it, but when I said you looked like shit, I meant it. You look like you’re ill, and although I wish you’d let me know before things got this bad, I’m glad you’re here.”

Dallas frowned. Glad? He had to have misheard. “But I… don’t have a job.”

Stefan smiled gently. “I figured. No apartment, either, judging from what I saw in the back of your car.”

“Uh. No.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No.” Not anymore, and he wasn’t about to explain his failed relationship with Hugh on top of everything else.

“Sorry about that. What about Mom?”

Dallas shook his head. “I was supposed to move back home. Then Dad found out I was gay too.”

Stefan’s expression darkened. He had to be biting back sour words about the stepfather who’d kicked him out for the same reason when he was sixteen and Dallas was nine. At the time, no one had explained to Dallas why his older brother was no longer around. Dallas had been too young and too scared by the whole thing to ask questions. When he’d later found out the truth—right around the time he started wondering about his own sexuality—he’d prudently decided to stay in the closet, but deep in his heart he’d assumed that his dad would give him a pass that Stefan never earned, since Stefan was the child of their mom’s previous marriage. But the genetic connection hadn’t been enough, and Dallas hadn’t seen the catastrophe coming.

He should have, though. Everything else in his life had gone down the shitter; getting kicked out was the metaphorical last straw.

Instead of losing his temper, though, Stefan squeezed his arm. “We’ll unpack your car tomorrow, but for now, go grab whatever’s got your toiletries in it, and a change of clothes, while I set up the spare room.”

Crying must have fucked up his ears, because no way was this going to be that simple. A few questions and Stefan was giving him access to his house?

“Unpack? Are you sure?”

Stefan adopted a stern expression and stared into his eyes. “You know I’m still running Idyll Fling, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Starting up a porn studio had been the breaking point for the Greenes. Stefan had been disowned as officially as it was possible to get. Five years later, and starting to question why boys were more appealing than girls, Dallas had cowered even farther back in the closet; his father had been in a black temper for months as he tried to prevent Stefan from using his grandmother’s inheritance to start up Idyll Fling. Dallas hadn’t even had the courage to check out any of the videos Idyll Fling produced, partly because he didn’t know if his brother performed in any of them, and that would have been cause for substantial mental scarring.

“I’d like to pretend porn is a profession just like any other,” Stefan said. “But I can’t deny I’ve seen more than my fair share of guys who turn to it because they’ve simply run out of other options if they want to keep themselves fed and sheltered. With some of them, it’s easy to tell all they need is a hand to get back on their feet, and I’ve let those guys stay in our spare room. If I’d do that for employees, why wouldn’t I do that for my little brother?”

“Half brother.”

Stefan rolled his eyes. “You know I’ve never cared about that.”

“Me neither,” Dallas whispered. “Are you sure?” Relief made his eyelids droop, and he wondered if he was going to fall asleep right here at the table.

“Of course I’m sure. I’d like you to tell me the whole story sometime, but right now you need sleep more than anything else. C’mon.”

Author Bio:
KC Burn has been writing for as long as she can remember and is a sucker for happy endings (of all kinds). After moving from Toronto to Florida for her husband to take a dream job, she discovered a love of gay romance and fulfilled a dream of her own--getting published. After a few years of editing web content by day, and neglecting her supportive, understanding hubby and needy cat at night to write stories about men loving men, she was uprooted yet again and now resides in California. Writing is always fun and rewarding, but writing about her guys is the most fun she's had in a long time, and she hopes you'll enjoy them as much as she does.

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Tartan Candy #1

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Plaid Versus Paisley #2

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Crossing Hearts by Kimberly Kincaid

Title: Crossing Hearts

Author: Kimberly Kincaid

Series: Cross Creek #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 7, 2017

Summary:

Hunter Cross has no regrets. Having left his football prospects behind the day he graduated high school, he’s happy to carry out his legacy on his family’s farm in the foothills of the Shenandoah. But when a shoulder injury puts him face-to-face with the high school sweetheart who abandoned town—and him—twelve years ago, Hunter’s simple life gets a lot more complicated.

Emerson Montgomery has secrets. Refusing to divulge why she left her job as a hotshot physical therapist for a pro football team, she struggles to readjust to life in the hometown she left behind. The more time she spends with Hunter, the more Emerson finds herself wanting to trust him with the diagnosis of MS that has turned her world upside down.

But revealing secrets comes with a price. Can Hunter and Emerson rekindle their past love? Or will the realities of the present—and the trust that goes with them—burn that bridge for good?

(The setup is that heroine Emerson has just come back to her hometown of Millhaven after twelve years and is working as a physical therapist)

"I’ve got a patient for you, so I thought I’d pop over to see if you have an opening today," Doc Sanders said.

Emerson thought of her schedule, complete with the tumbleweeds blowing through its wide- open spaces, and bit back the urge to laugh with both excitement and irony. “I’m sure I can fit someone in. What’s the injury?”

“Rotator cuff. X-rays and MRI are complete, and Dr. Norris, the orthopedist in Camden Valley, ordered PT. But the patient is local, so I figured if you could take him, it’d be a win-win.”

“Of course.” An odd sensation plucked up Emerson’s spine at the long-buried memory of a blue-eyed high school boy with his arm in a sling and a smile that could melt her like butter in a cast-iron skillet. “Um, my schedule is pretty flexible. What time did he want to come in?”

“Actually, he’s a little anxious to get started, so he came directly here from the ortho’s office . . .”

Doc Sanders turned toward the hallway leading to her waiting room, where a figure had appeared in the doorframe. Emerson blinked, trying to get her brain to reconcile the free-flowing confusion between the boy in her memory and the man standing in front of her. The gray-blue eyes were the same, although a tiny bit more weathered around the edges, and weirdly, the sling was also a match. But the person staring back at her was a man, with rough edges and sex appeal for days, full of hard angles and harder muscles under his jeans and T-shirt . . .

Hunter Cross.

Emerson stood with her feet anchored to the linoleum, unable to move or speak or even breathe. For the smallest scrap of a second, she tumbled back in time, her heart pounding so hard beneath her crisp white button-down that surely the traitorous thing would jump right out of her chest.

A blanket of stars littering the August sky . . . the warm weight of Hunter’s varsity jacket wrapped around her shoulders . . . the warmer fit of his mouth on hers as the breeze carried his whispers, full of hope . . . “Don’t go to New York. Stay with me, Em. Marry me and stay here in Millhaven where we’ll always have this, just you and me . . .”

“Emerson? What . . . what the hell are you doing here?”

The deeper, definitely more rugged-around-the-edges version of his voice tipped the scales of her realization all the way into the present. She needed to say something, she knew, she knew, but her mouth had gone so dry that she’d have better luck rocketing to the moon in a paper airplane right now.

“I work here,” Emerson finally managed, the truth of the words—of what they meant—delivering her back to reality with a hard snap. She hadn’t returned to Millhaven for a jaunt down memory lane. Hell, she’d only come back when her process of elimination had dead-ended in total despair. She was here for one thing, and one thing only. To bury herself in as much work as her body would allow.

Even if her first client probably hated her guts.

Author Bio:

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. When she's not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as "The Pleather Bomber", she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a 2015 RWA RITA© finalist who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. Her digital Line series is all about the hot cops and sexy chefs of Brentsville, New York. She is also the author of the Pine Mountain series, which follows small town singles as they find big-time love. Kimberly resides in Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

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