Sunday's Short Stack: The Forever Kind of Love by LA Bryce

Title: The Forever Kind of Love

Author: LA Bryce

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: March 2, 2019

Publisher: JMS Books

Summary:
You never forget your first love ... especially when they cause you pain. Chase thought he was doing the right thing when he left Liam years earlier, but when he finds out he was wrong, it might be too late. The trust they once shared may be past the point of repair.

The Forever Kind Of Love is a story of second chances that asks the question -- is a good reason enough to wash away the years of hurt it caused? Chase comes home from the military ready to start his life with Liam. But he discovers Liam’s life has already started without him. Is there a place for him in it? Is the possibility of more pain worth the risk for Liam?

If that isn’t hard enough, they only have the week Chase is on leave to come to terms with their future. Can they find forever in seven days?

We all have moments in our lives or things we've said that we wish we could do over or get a another chance at so when a "second chance at love" story comes across my reading radar there's just something so real and inviting about it.  The Forever Kind of Love is a perfect example of second chances because Chase did what he thought was best and even though most of us probably agree with why he did it, the  "how" is debatable as to right or wrong.  I completely understand Liam's anger and resistance to understand and I love how he doesn't make it easy for Chase to make amends.

The Forever Kind of Love is a short story that may have been even better had it been a full length novel but sometimes we don't have to experience the "whole story" to be entertained so I can't imagine it any different or better than as is.  LA Bryce is a new author for me and I can't imagine a better tale to grab my attention.  Forever is heartbreaking but equally heartwarming, definitely a must for lovers of second chances and an absolute must for those looking for a well written tale of romance.  It may be short on quantity but The Forever Kind of Love is certainly not short on quality.

RATING:

Liam walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out the salads he planned to bring to the backyard. He put them on the counter, then headed to the linen closet where Mrs. Alston said she had put the extra napkins. He walked into the hall, and stopped short. Bending down on his knee, he tied his opened shoelace.

The sound of a deeply inhaled breath had him looking up. His body started to shake. Unable to hold his balance, he tipped over. “Chase.” The name was out of Liam’s mouth before he could stop.

The other man stood silently, looking almost like a mirage. Liam couldn’t break his stare.

Someone calling Liam’s name snapped him out of the fog surrounding him.

“Liam, are you in here?”

Before Liam could answer, Phil was standing behind him, bending down. “Are you okay? What the hell happened?”

Not giving Liam a chance to answer, Phil put his hands on Liam and pulled him up. “Did you fall?”

Again, before Liam could say a word, Phil looked at Chase with a scowl on his face. “Did you knock him over?”

Chase didn’t say a word. He stood where he was, his eyes going between Liam and the man who currently held him.

“Come on,” Phil said, as he turned Liam around and walked him back to the kitchen.

Still in shock, “Napkins,” was the only word that would come out of Liam’s mouth.

“Where are they, hon? I’ll get them for Sharon.”

Liam pointed toward the hall. Phil headed back that way. Liam heard him say, “Be careful where you’re walking,” to Chase as Phil passed him by. The tone of Phil’s voice sounded none to friendly. Liam couldn’t help, but smile. Phil, his little protector. If only Phil knew who Chase was, and what he’d done to Liam four years earlier, Chase wouldn’t have a chance.

Liam stood in the kitchen in somewhat of a daze when Mrs. Alston walked in. Why hadn’t she told me Chase was coming home? Then he realized maybe she didn’t know. Which meant at that moment she had no idea Chase was there.

Finding his voice, Liam said, “Mrs. Alston there’s a surprise for you and Mr. Alston in the hallway.”

As soon as the woman passed him, headed to the hall, on shaky limbs, Liam made himself scarce. He headed back outside; he wanted to avoid becoming part of the hug fest he knew would be taking place any second.

He made his way over to Mr. Alston. “Mrs. Alston needs your help inside,” he said, not wanting to spoil Chase’s surprise for the man. Mr. Alston turned around and walked into the house. Within seconds, Liam heard screams of happiness floating from inside.

Liam wanted nothing more than to leave, but taking off after all Mr. and Mrs. Alston had done for him was something he knew he couldn’t do. But knowing he’d have to face Chase again almost had him saying fuck it to doing the right thing.

Author Bio:
LA writes m/m romance with a splash of suspense. She loves her men to work hard, play hard and love hard. It doesn’t matter what their walk of life, although she has a special place in her heart for Military heroes, those that put their life on the line every day to keep us safe, trouble always seems to find them—whether it’s a homicidal maniac, someone with a grudge against the country, or an ex who’s seeking out revenge—LA’s guys aren’t always faced with just fighting for love, they often have to fight for their lives.

LA has always lived in the North East and has recently stretched her boundaries and moved further North—the more relaxed life style giving her more time to write—in theory anyway.

Among the things she loves besides writing and her family are her friends, those she writes with and those she writes about, reading, games (the kind with boards, not in love), playing poker, her dogs, Nutella and Bok Choy, and of course, the men and women from the Military, past and present, who keep us safe.

When she finds herself stuck at the keyboard, her fingers refusing to move, her characters refusing to talk, she likes to take a break, blast some music, and dance like no one is watching her or sing her heart out into her hairbrush microphone.

She’s living her happily ever after and wants the same for all her characters. LA believes love comes in all different packages and each should be wrapped in a ribbon and cherished.

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Blog Tour: Marked by J Jay Barrett

Title: Marked

Author: J Jay Barrett

Genre: M/M Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Release Date: February 20, 2019

Summary:
Never interfere. Those were his orders, and for centuries he stood by them, faithfully serving those that had given him his charge. Until one fateful night, while hunting, the young vampire stumbles upon a handsome, young stranger. Within minutes, Holden finds his peaceful existence thrown into a tailspin. Soon, it's a race against time to save the human that he just can't seem to get out of his head.

Chapter One
When Holden opened his eyes, the only light in the room was the orange glow of the sodium street lamps sifting between the wooden blinds from the grid of city streets, forty-four stories below, and the pale blue light of his alarm clock.  The colors combined to give his stark white walls a purplish tint. The clock read 10:32.

Shit.  He had overslept.

The sun had set hours before, which meant he’d wasted good, prime hunting time.  If he didn’t hurry, all he’d be left with would be drunks, junkies or the homeless.  None of which appealed to him. Most of them would probably taste sour and would offer very little in terms of nutritional value, their blood tainted with so many chemicals.

Before he slid out from beneath his satin sheets, he quickly scanned his local armada of Ismeros for any sign of trouble throughout the city. He had about fifty or so Ismeros of his own posted around Chicago.  Various members of the High Council probably had another sixty or seventy. They lived their normal, day-to-day lives, yet kept a close watch for him during the day while he slept. He offered them protection from the terrors that the world provided, while they provided him with information and food.

Truth be told, had anything serious happened that day, the psychic connection he held with his Ismeros would have woken him from even the deepest sleep.  It was part of a vampire’s long-evolved self-preservation mechanism, an army to protect him while he was most vulnerable, while he slept. While the need for an army of Ismeros had long since faded, the tradition of keeping them had not.  The simple fact that he’d overslept was a sign that all was peaceful in the city. At any rate, it was still something he did every evening when he awoke, just to be sure.

It had been decades since anything tempestuous had happened in his domain.  The last Strigoi to invade Chicago had been John Wayne Gacy. His reign of terror had lasted far too long. It had taken the Council years to catch up with and dispose of the rogue vampire.  They would have caught up with him much sooner had human law enforcement not gotten in their way. The thought of the long-executed Strigoi still made Holden rage inside.

That bastard had killed one of Holden’s favorite Ismeros, Lukas, back in the 1970s.  That boy had fucked like a champ and tasted like heaven, dipped in amazing and served with a side of remarkable.  It still made Holden sad to think about. After all, it was because of Holden that boy had learned to trust vampires, which ultimately lead him to his untimely death.  Holden still felt partially to blame and like a failure for not being able to save him.

“Should I just order takeout? Or should I go pick something up?” Holden said out loud to his empty room as he climbed from the warmth of his bed, scanning a mental list of Ismeros again, this time searching for any willing blood donors, who lived happened to live nearby, that might pique his interest.  It was Monday. Which meant the bars and clubs would be relatively quiet in the area, yet none of his Ismeros were catching his attention.

He always did what he could to avoid the any of the Council’s Ismeros, never fully trusting them. Their loyalty lay with the Council, not with him. So, he always thought of them as spies despite working for the same team.  “I’ll pick something up,” he decided out loud to an empty room.

He moved to the window, pulling up the generic blinds, which released a cloud of dust and looked out the city grid below.  The orange shimmer flooded the room, illuminating his naked body in the window. He really loved this new apartment; it was too bad he wouldn’t be able to stay long.  The Council forced him to move frequently, more so because they thought it was best, not because he wanted to. It was an attempt to not to draw any unwanted attention from a nosey human.  Human neighbors tended to notice when the twenty-something next door always remained a twenty-something.

Holden had learned that lesson quickly in the years following the Great Chicago Fire.  A neighbor had accused him of being a witch, which made for an exciting few weeks. In a stroke of luck, she’d ended up dying of cholera a short while later, and the attention quickly dwindled.

That age had been a bit more superstitious than today’s society, but the Council insisted he not take any chances, so every few years he moved to a different part of the city.  He had found this apartment a few months prior. Its location on a penthouse floor of a high rise on Lake Shore Drive had definite perks. Lincoln Park, the lakefront playground that stretched from downtown to the far north side, was directly across the boulevard-turned-freeway, and it offered plenty of dark areas for hunting, chock full of potential meals.  Joggers, bikers, various riff-raff, late-night walkers… to a Vampire, it was like an international buffet. Each and every one of them ripe for the picking, with the park affording all the necessary discretion to do so. It was quite dark; all the trees muted the copper glow from the city streets on one side and on the other, a hundred mile stretch of the black, open waters of Lake Michigan.  He almost always hunted his breakfast here, granted, it was usually a few hours earlier.

Another option was to try his luck in the local bars and nightclubs that the neighboring Boystown and Wrigleyville had to offer. Being a Monday the only people at the bars and clubs around 4 am, his dinner hour, would be the hardcore drunks.  And that much alcohol neither helped with how they tasted nor with how well they’d perform in the bedroom, both of which were equally important to a vampire. Tonight, he decided, he would exercise his third option, he would find an Ismeros to bring over for dinner, but breakfast he was going to be an excellent old-fashioned hunt.

His naked form crossed the room into the ensuite bathroom, and he turned on the shower.  Steam quickly fogged up the enclosure, which was entirely made out of frameless-glass. He climbed into the black marble interior and let the hot water spray over his skin and muscles washing away any trace of his early morning romp with last night’s dinner.

The hot water soothed as it poured over his body. He massaged both of his shoulders with his hands.  All of his muscles ached and burned. They cried out to be fed, burning for fuel. Every muscle fiber in his body was silently screaming out for food, having long burned off the meal from his tryst the night prior.  Reminding him that it had been almost eighteen hours since he’d eaten. Jacob? Jake? John? Joe? He couldn’t remember. Johann? He had tasted Swedish, or maybe Finnish; it was hard to tell here in the New World. Everyone was a little bit of everything these days.  Whatever he was, it was nothing spectacular, neither in taste nor his ability to perform in the bedroom. The boy had wound up being rather prudish and shy in bed, which was what Holden had expected from a boy who agreed to come home with him less than thirty minutes after they’d met.

Sundays had historically been very easy.  The boys of East Lakeview were always eager for one last weekend rendezvous before they had to go back to the monotony of the workweek.  Most them begging for his phone number before he sent them on their way, always remembering the incredible fuck, never remembering him feeding on them.  He was still happy to oblige. A vampire was always on the lookout for new Ismeros, sex, and food available at his every beck and call, but it was rare that they ever actually called.  Sure, he’d sometimes get a text message, but in truth, the sleek iPhone that he’d bought at the insistence of his live-in Ismeros, Marie, rarely left where it was neatly docked on his desk in the living room.  He had no real use for the thing, anyone he truly cared for, he was directly linked to, with a natural, psychic link. By the time he would see the text message, the boys usually had moved on to the next best thing, and that suited this vampire just fine.

He emerged from the shower, wrapping his toned vampire body in only a plain white towel.  The terrycloth fabric hung low from his waist, showing off his well-defined abdominal muscles and giving off just the slightest hint of well-groomed hair that it hid beneath its rough surface, as he walked into the living room.  Marie was there, folding the solid black, Egyptian cotton sheets from his feeding room. He kept a second room strictly for feeding and fucking, having long ago been taught that you don’t bring your food into the bed that you sleep in. Things, of course, could always end up getting a little bit messy, with the inevitable exchange of body fluids.

“You slept late tonight,” she said, giving him a sharp look of concern, “Are you feeling okay?”

“I wish you’d woken me,’ he smiled.  “But, yeah, I feel fine,” he said with a shrug of confidence. He was a vampire, and vampires never got sick.  “Have you ever known me, or any vampire for that matter, to feel sick? I’m not sure, maybe my dinner date wore me out last night,” He smiled, remembering how attractive the boy had been.  His name had definitely been Johann. “Speaking of, did you see him out?” Holden’s voice had long ago become very Americanized, losing almost all traces of its European roots.

“He left shortly after he awoke this morning,” she said, “looking just as confused as the rest of them.  I’m not sure how you do it…” She chuckled.

“Talent,” he said coyly, a smirk spreading across his porcelain skin. “I learned from the best.”  He, of course, was referring to his Sire, Damek. The elder vampire was nearly a thousand years old and had personally groomed Holden to be in the position that he was, Watcher for the High Council of Vampires.

“I find it hard to believe that you aren’t the best,” she flirted, “I seem to remember you being the best.”  Her New Orleans accent was still discernable after all these years and always served her well in the art of flattery.

They, of course, had a very long history, at least in human terms, dating back to the late 1960s.  He’d found her, homeless on the streets, ravaged by a rogue vampire, who had briefly passed through town. Having run away from an abusive home in Louisiana, she had nowhere to go, so he’d taken her in, raised her first as a foster child, then as a lover, but now she’d out-aged him, and things had come full circle.  She loved him, Holden could tell, but not as a lover as she had in her youth, but more maternally. He felt a pang of remorse deep inside his heart. Holden had stolen her youth, taken her life and any hope she had ever had for a family. Next, he would steal her golden years. He shook his head to clear the thought away.

“I think I’m going to the get dressed and head to the park for some breakfast,” he said. “No strange late-night visitors tonight, I promise.”

“Good, then maybe tomorrow I will be able to sleep in,” she said with a nod and a joking smile, returning to the pile of linens at her feet.  “Take your phone, please.”

He, of course, heard her request, it was the same request she gave him every night but like most things’ humans said to him, he didn’t give it a whole lot of thought.  He dropped his towel into the empty laundry basket next to her feet, turned and his naked form walked back towards his room to get dressed.

What is the biggest influence/interest that brought you to this genre?
You know, they always say to write what you like to read.  When I started Marked, it was in the middle of the vampire fiction craze that captured so many reader.  It took me a really long time, but I felt I owed it to the characters to finish their story, even though the vampire genre isn’t so hot anymore.

When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process (outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
Oh God… not editing.  Anything but that.  It’s impossible to edit your own work.  You’ll look at a word that’s completely wrong but miss it because in your head you know what you meant to write.  I’d have to say outlining.  So many different story arcs just flow out of me.  Unfortunately, not all of them make the cut, but it leaves things open for a sequel.

When reading a book, what genre do you find most interesting/intriguing?
I’m all over the map.  I’ve read so many different books in my life.  You can tell the ones I really like though when I buy a hardcover copy after I’ve read it electronically. Flipping through my kindle, I guess you could say book that deal with alternate versions of History, usually with a fantasy twist.

If you could co-author with any author, past or present, who would you choose?
Seb L. Carter.  He also writes m/m urban-adventures set in Chicago with a fantasy twist.

Have you always wanted to write or did it come to you "later in life"?
In 7th grade, I had a teacher to who always said I was going to write a book some day.  I guess I was an over-achiever when it came to writing assignments, doubling and tripling the requirement.  My response was, “I wasn’t finished saying what I had to say…” From then on, I always figured I’d write a book, but always put it off for later.

I’m not a fast writer, this book took me six years to complete, but I was going to tell my story, even if it took me six years to come up with it all.  This story came to me during long runs on the lake front.  When you run 12-14 miles at a time, you have a lot of time to fantasize about things in your head.  I had so many ideas, but still kept putting it on my “some day list”.  Then, my friend Ken Murphy published his first book back in 2003 and I didn’t even know he was a writer.  He helped inspire me to get this story told. 

Author Bio:
Jay Barrett lives in Chicago with his husband.  A writer in the evening, he’s a flight attendant by day and an avid runner.  Marked is his first novel.

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Saturday's Series Spotlight: Mitch & Cian by Helena Stone Part 1

Miracle in the Library #1

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Mitch McCann has been trying to dodge his bullies for eighteen months. He isn’t out, but that hasn’t stopped the popular gang at school from tormenting him for being gay. Three weeks before Christmas, in a desperate attempt to shake his pursuers, Mitch flees into the abandoned community hall, only to discover the building is far from empty; inside he finds a fully stocked library as well as Mr. Nichols, the very welcoming librarian.

The library turns into Mitch’s refuge of choice, where he can read books that answer his endless questions, without fear of encountering abuse. His peace of mind is shattered when nineteen-year-old Cian Leavy enters his sanctuary. Cian is the boy who made Mitch realize he’s gay, and he’s more attractive now than he was eighteen months ago, when Mitch literally ran into him.

Will Cian unwittingly disrupt Mitch’s life again? Or has the scene been set for a miracle in the library?

Lessons in Love #2
Summary:
Falling for each other was easy. Staying together comes with a learning curve.

Three months after they met in the miraculous library, Cian is nervously preparing for Mitch’s arrival in Dublin. As much as he’s looking forward to three long days with his boyfriend—without parental supervision—he can’t help worrying about the fact that they will have to share both his small room and his even smaller bed. He doesn’t even own pajamas.

Their relationship is new, and Cian may be two years older, but he has little more experience than Mitch when it comes to intimacy and boyfriends. He isn’t sure what he’s doing or what’s expected of him. As a result, Cian and Mitch are in for a whirlwind weekend, filled with shocks, surprises, fun, and deepening feelings.

Against the backdrop of Ireland celebrating its national holiday, Cian and Mitch learn their first Lessons in Love.

While a Miracle in the Library was a young adult story, Lessons in Love features two young men old enough to consume alcohol and be sexually active. This book is therefore meant for readers who are eighteen years or older and contains sexual acts between two consenting men.

Miracle in the Library #1
I featured Miracle in the Library as part of my series of Random Tales of Christmas 2018 but was unable to read it before the holiday, how it missed my After Holiday Christmas Reads list is beyond me . . . too many Christmas cookies I guess😉😉.  But as I often say, there is never a wrong time to read stories of the holidays so I may be a few months late according to the calendar but finally I jumped in.

Now, its no secret that I rarely read Young Adult, not that it is a bad genre I just probably could count on two hands the number of YA stories I've read since I was 16, I'll be 46 in October so that's 1 every 3 years on average.  You can imagine that when I read one it sticks with me and Miracle is no different.

Miracle in the Library is a sweet and insightful holiday read that will entertain no matter when you pick it up.  Heart, friendship, discovery, and with just a touch of holiday magic makes this short novella a must.

Lessons in Love #2
Not a lot I can say about Lessons in Love that I didn't say in Miracle in the Library where we first met Mitch and Cian.  Mitch is now an adult and visiting his boyfriend at college in Dublin for the first time.  Now there is definitely more heat in Lessons than Miracle now that Mitch is of age and even though to them Cian is older, they really aren't that far apart.

The "age gap" brings me to what I think I loved most about this St. Patrick's Day gem: despite being older and a college man, Cian isn't that experienced in the ways of physical love.  Helena Stone lets us see into the mind of Cian and all the insecurities he's having from hand holding to sleeping in the same bed to sex.  This element really showcased how both parties are still discovering all that relationships and life entail.  For me that point changed this story from a lovely read to an absolute must.

So, Lessons in Love may not have the "sweetness" factor that Miracle in the Library did since Mitch is of age but its no less full of heart.  When I enjoy a couple as much as Mitch and Cian this is where I normally hint to the author that it would be lovely to see the boys pop up in a holiday novella but since their journey started in a Christmas story perhaps we'll get to see them enjoying all the freakiness and creepiness of Halloween😉😉.

RATING:

Lessons in Love #2
March 15
Cian looked from his empty shopping trolley to the packed shelves surrounding him and sighed. Getting a few groceries shouldn’t be this hard. In fairness, it usually took him all of five minutes to run into the supermarket, grab his usual few items, and rush out again.

Of course, when he shopped just for himself, it was easy. He knew what he liked, he knew what he was capable of preparing, and he never worried about what others might think of his choices. Not so today.

In only a few hours, Mitch would arrive to stay with Cian over the long St. Patrick’s Day weekend. They’d been planning the visit since mid-February, discussing what they would do, which places Mitch wanted to visit, and which of Cian’s favorite pastimes they really shouldn’t miss. Never once had they talked or messaged about what they would eat and drink while Mitch was in Dublin.

As he grabbed a bag of apples and put them into his cart, Cian reflected that his usual diet of frozen pizza and beans on toast probably wouldn’t cut it. Not that he thought for a minute that Mitch might expect culinary marvels from him, but Cian wanted to impress Mitch, make him feel welcome and treasured.

He slowly made his way through the shop, grabbing a few essentials as he went but still having no idea what to do about dinners. He’d made up his mind to eat out that evening. Mitch wouldn’t arrive until half past seven. Far too late to start cooking after they’d made their way to the apartment Cian shared with two other lads. But neither of them could afford multiple trips to restaurants, so he needed a plan for the other three evenings.

Ten minutes later, he was ready to give up. He’d added bread, biscuits, beer, eggs, Coke, and crisps to the apples. He chuckled softly. It was the perfect representation of a student’s larder, but until he’d talked to Mitch, he really didn’t know what else to add.

Mitch. A colony of butterflies took flight in his stomach. No matter how much he was looking forward to his boyfriend’s arrival, he couldn’t deny that the nerves swirling through his body got stronger with every passing minute. Adding both tissues and baby wipes to his groceries did nothing to settle his nerves. Their dietary preferences weren’t the only thing they’d neglected to talk about.

This was new. They’d only met three months earlier, and with Cian spending his weekdays in Dublin and Mitch preparing for his high school leaving exams, they didn’t get to spend much time together. Cian made it home most weekends, and they’d managed to spend Valentine’s Day together, but this would be the first time they’d be together twenty-four seven, without interruptions.

The cue for the till was long, which meant Cian’s wait started while he was still in one of the isles. He gazed at the shelves beside him, and his breath hitched.

Fuck. Right in front of him was a stark reminder of what they’d failed to discuss. Or rather, of something he’d avoided thinking about. Condoms. Lube. To stock up or not to stock up, that was the question. With the people ahead of him not moving at all, Cian had all the time in the world, all the time he didn’t really want, to think about that part of the upcoming few days.

Since he rented one room in an apartment with three bedrooms and the other two were occupied, Mitch would have to share with him, and not only that tiny space either. The one bed in his room fell somewhere between a single and a double in size, so their nights promised to be cozy.

At last one person paid for their truckload worth of shopping, and the line shuffled forward, but not far enough to take Cian away from the proof of how unprepared he was for the weekend.

He knew he was Mitch’s first boyfriend, that he had been the first person to kiss him, which meant that whatever intimacies he and Mitch might get up to over the next few days, they would be further firsts for Mitch.

His stomach tightened as Cian wondered whether or not Mitch expected him to be in charge, to have all the answers. The truth of the matter was that Cian wasn’t all that much more experienced. Sure, he’d indulged in a hookup or two, but even without having anything to compare it to, Cian had no doubt those rushed encounters bore no resemblance to what happened between two men who were in a relationship.

When the line moved again, Cian grabbed both condoms and two small bottles of lube. It wasn’t as if he had to put them out on display. This way he’d have them should the need arise, and Mitch would be none the wiser if it didn’t. The fact that Cian didn’t know what he was hoping for meant he had a rueful smile on his face by the time he paid for his few groceries. Who knew that it was easier to decide to stock up for the eventuality of sex than it was to decide what they would be eating?


An hour later, after he’d put away—or hidden, as the case might be—his shopping, Cian’s nerves still hadn’t settled. If anything, they’d gotten worse.

Am I mad? Until that morning, he’d looked forward to Mitch’s arrival with excited anticipation. Now he couldn’t help wondering whether or not his room was too small to accommodate both him and a guest. He couldn’t for the life of him remember if he’d even told Mitch they’d be sharing both a room and a bed. Then he shrugged. It was too late now. Mitch would have boarded the bus to Dublin about ninety minutes earlier and was scheduled to arrive in less than an hour. Whatever happened next, the moment to stop this visit—an option he’d never seriously considered— had come and gone. He’d have to console himself with the knowledge that his room was cleaner than it had been since he’d first moved in and the bed had been made with fresh sheets.
Hoping to distract himself, Cian made his way to the shared living room, studying the space for what was probably the first time in months. Also for the first time, he silently lamented the fact that the furniture they had was mismatched, old, practically decrepit really, and not all too fresh looking. He picked up a jumper one of his housemates had dropped on the floor and placed it over the back of a chair.

“What’s up with him?”

Cian turned and found himself face-to-face with Ray and John, his two housemates.

Ray grinned at John before answering. “Haven’t you heard? He’s all aflutter because his boyfriend is coming to stay.”

“Ooooooooh.” John placed a hand on his forehead with theatrical flourish and swayed from side to side. “Catch me. That’s like…sooooooo romantic.”

Blood rushed to Cian’s cheeks. He opened his mouth to tell them to shut the fuck up before remembering that only three months ago he’d played out more or less the same scenario when John’s girlfriend came to stay for the first time. “Very bleedin’ funny,” he muttered before laughing along with his friends. He couldn’t deny he’d gotten a bit too obsessive about the whole thing. He couldn’t blame John for getting his revenge when the opportunity arose, either.

“So, when’s he arriving?” John asked.

Cian glanced at his phone to check the time. “About twenty minutes from now.”

His housemates stared at him, obviously waiting for something.

Bollix. He’d been so preoccupied with his nerves he’d completely missed that he should already be out the door if he wanted to meet Mitch straight off the bus.

Ray and John snickered as he rushed to his room to retrieve his coat. “This Mitch must be something special,” Ray stated. “I’ve never known him to be flustered.”

“Yeah,” John added as Cian approached the front door. “Now I can’t wait to meet him; the man who managed to unsettle the unflappable.”

A loud burst of laughter was the last thing Cian heard as he closed the door behind him and rushed down the stairs. If he combined a power walk with the occasional sprint, he might just get there on time.

Author Bio:
Helena Stone can’t remember a life before words and reading. After growing up in a household where no holiday or festivity was complete without at least one new book, it’s hardly surprising she now owns more books than shelf space while her Kindle is about to explode.

The urge to write came as a surprise. The realisation that people might enjoy her words was a shock to say the least. Now that the writing bug has well and truly taken hold, Helena can no longer imagine not sharing the characters in her head and heart with the rest of the world.

Having left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam for the peace and quiet of the Irish Country side she divides her time between reading, writing, long and often wet walks with the dog, her part-time job in a library, a grown-up daughter and her ever loving and patient husband.

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Miracle in the Library #1

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Lessons in Love #2

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Release Blitz: A Love Like Fire by Tricia Owens

Title: A Love Like Fire

Author: Tricia Owens

Series: Juxtan #1

Genre: M/M Romance, Fantasy

Release Date: March 14, 2019

Cover Design: Tricia Owens

Summary:
When the mercenary Caledon meets a young man named Hadrian, he falls instantly, hopelessly in love with him. Black-haired and silver-eyed, Hadrian is unlike any man Caledon has seen before. His uncertain responses to Caledon's advances only make the mercenary more determined to pursue and win him.

But Hadrian is a mystery, and harbors untold secrets. He hails from an island inhabited by sorcerers and has come to Caledon’s city to recruit the mercenaries for a well-paying job offered by Hadrian’s father. Except the job is a lie. Hadrian is far more dangerous than his disposition suggests, and what he wants with Caledon and the mercenaries of Rhiad will forever change the land and set in motion a prophecy that will bind two men together in love, lust, and hatred…until death.

A previous version of this book was published as The Sorcerer’s Betrayal. This book has been re-written and re-edited.

He could see now that he had erred when he had first tried to label Hadrian.

Caledon had been fascinated by the other man's apparent inexperience and naiveté. But the truth seemed more incredible. Hadrian was untouched―untouched by affection, untouched by desire. How this had come to be, Caledon couldn't imagine. But he knew it to be true. He felt it in his bones.

Nothing else could explain why Hadrian literally melted beneath his caresses. Every touch Caledon made upon the younger man's skin left Hadrian trembling and breathless. Why has no one done this before me?Caledon wondered as he eased open the stall door with his free arm wrapped firmly about Hadrian's back.

He should simply be grateful that it was he who had been the one to find Hadrian first. That was what his self-serving side told him. But a deeper, more empathetic part of him was saddened by the discovery. Everyone deserved the comforts of touch, of affection. Why hadn't anyone offered those things to Hadrian?

Caledon's body urged him to ignore the mystery. He wasn't trying to develop a permanent relationship with the other man. Hadrian would be gone in a few days. This would be but an interlude for them both.

Even so, Caledon vowed to make it something worth remembering.

Author Bio:
Tricia Owens has been writing m/m fiction since 2000, after stumbling onto the term ‘slash’ and thinking it referred to horror stories. She is the author of the Sin City, A Pirate’s Life for Me, and Juxtapose City series, among several others. She lives in Las Vegas.

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Release Blitz: Becoming D'Vaire by Jessamyn Kingley

Title: Becoming D'Vaire

Author: Jessamyn Kingley

Series: D’Vaire #11

Genre: M/M Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy

Release Date: March 14, 2019

Cover Design: LJ Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations

Summary:
High Arcanist Delaney D’Vaire is the world’s only dark wizard, something that has alienated him from his people since birth. Orphaned as a child, he is shuffled around until the Prism Wizard sees his potential, steps in, and enrolls him in school. Though he never truly feels like he belongs, Delaney excels. Graduating at sixteen, he applies to a unique sanctuary, and his life forever changes when he is accepted. Delaney has the family he’s always wanted; surrounded by love and support, he’s grown into a young man, giving everything to help the people who still scorn him, though he continues to doubt himself. All he needs now is his mate, but Delaney is skeptical that even Fate could come up with his perfect match.

Vampyr Lord Grigori Volkov is the genius of his family. Numbers line up in his head, and he loses sight of the world around him. At fourteen, young Grigori creates a nearly synthetic version of blood to sustain his people, saving countless lives. Content to remain out of the spotlight, his involvement is kept from the general public. Since then, Grigori has spent most of his time alone in his lab, learning all he can and pushing his limits. At twenty-six, Grigori is content with his solitude and doesn’t believe Fate has him in her sights.

When the High Arcanist and the Vampyr Lord appear at the same event, they are stunned to find that Fate indeed has a plan for them. Reeling from their discovery, the mates set upon the task of getting to know each other. It does not take them long to find common ground, but as Delaney and Grigori build their life together, old foes will test them and their entire family. The path Fate has laid out for them is not simple, but they must be strong enough to trust in each other and stand together rather than alone to learn what it truly means to become D’Vaire.

Hours later, Grigori was deeply troubled by his desire to ensure Delaney’s life included everything he wanted. He’d teleported to D’Vaire after sharing a lovely meal with his family where he filled them in on the details of his upcoming ceremony. Grigori was greeted with an enthusiastic kiss from Delaney, then found a cuddly familiar on his shoulder.

However, his pretty mood popped like a bubble when they started talking. He was thrilled to be handed one of the new D’Vaire stones, but it was the subject currently being discussed he would do without given the opportunity.

“Is Dre’Kariston sure he wants to wait to shadow walk? He could move it up a day instead,” Grigori tossed out, treading carefully as he rubbed a hand over Delaney’s leg. The wizard was sprawled out over him on the couch. They’d ditched their shoes, and his initial intention was to get them undressed, but that was not anywhere on his radar now. He hated to think of Delaney on the other side of the veil for any reason at all.

“Yeah, another day isn’t going to matter. Besides, it gives us more time to fine-tune our plans for how we’re going to root Carvallius there.”

“This is something you really want to do?”

Delaney nodded with a smile. “Absolutely. It’s so cool. It’s one of the perks of being a dark caster. I’m lucky enough to have a powerful enough necromancer who can take more than one person with him when he crosses.”

“This is safe?”

Delaney’s grin disappeared. “Shit, you’re worried. Dre’Kariston said Somerly was shitting bricks over him going again. We talked about this before, and you seemed okay with it. I don’t want to make this a thing between us. If it bothers you, I can stay here. I mean, they’ll tell me all about it, and I’m just going to explore. They don’t need me to be there for any of this.”

The wizard’s willingness to drop his idea of going made Grigori feel small and awful. “No, I think you should go. I’m nervous but not like sweating-profusely-going-to-faint-any-minute crazy. I trust you, and I trust the Arch Lich.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I can’t keep you from doing things because it’s not something I’d want to do or because I’m scared. This is something you want, so I think you should go. Somerly and I will just hold each other tight until our men return from their trip.”

“You might be careful embracing him too snugly. Dre’Kariston’s got a lot of power, he might flatten you.”

“Well, then I hope you like it on the other side of the veil, because he’ll send us both there, and I won’t have you saying ‘Oh, for fate’s sake, Grigori, now we’re fucking dead and this place sucks.’ ”

“I won’t. I’ll start out by reminding you that you missed our first date, and you got yourself killed by cuddling the fuck out of Somerly.”

Grigori kissed his welcoming mouth. “I only cuddle the fuck out of you.”

“Then we just might be safe. You sure you don’t want me to skip it?”

“I want you to go. Well, no…that’s a lie. I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay here with me but I’ll get over it, because that’s selfish. You’ll only be gone for a little while, then you’ll have this amazing experience to tell me about.”

“It’ll be okay, I promise.”

“Just like when I drink from you the first time.”

Author Bio:
Jessamyn Kingley lives in Nevada where she begs the men in her head to tell her their amazing stories which she dutifully writes it all down in what has become a small mountain of notebooks. She falls in love with each couple and swears whatever book she wrote last is her absolute favorite.

Jessamyn is married and working toward remembering to start the dishwasher without being distracted by the scent of the magical detergent. For personal enjoyment, she aids in cat rescue while slashing and gashing her way through mobs in various MMORPGs. Caffeine is her very best friend and is only cast aside briefly for the sin better known as BBQ potato chips.

She loves to engage with readers at her website and facebook.

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Becoming D'Vaire #11

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