Blog Tour: The Harder We Fall by Rebecca Raine

Title: The Harder We Fall

Author: Rebecca Raine

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: March 25, 2021

Cover Design: Bec Rivers

Summary:

For years, I’ve been bound by sleeplessness and sorrow. His voice threatens to set me free.

Insomnia. It’s part of the penance I pay for my greatest mistake. But when an ill-timed doze behind the wheel of my car nearly introduces me to a pole, I know something has to change.

Sleep with Me, a locally-made meditation app, promises a cure. I don’t expect it to work. Nor do I expect to become enthralled by the voice of its creator, Sam Stephenson. His ability to coax forth my nightly surrender is unnerving. I have to meet this man and learn the secret behind his techniques, so I can evict him from my head—and still get a good night’s sleep.

In person, the quiet and reclusive Sam is his own kind of complicated. He needs my business skills as much as I need his meditation skills and we forge an unlikely partnership. But the attraction between us soon flares into passion and, as we grow closer, I start to long for more than my guilty conscience will allow.

I have no right to love, not after the damage I’ve done. How can I give Sam all he deserves, when our chance at a happy ending was ruined before we even met?

“We’re running out of time.”

“So, we are,” I say with a false show of surprise. “It’s my fault, of course.” I pause, trying to figure out how to word the next part without making it obvious this was part of my plan all along. “I could always email you the questions. Then you can take as long as you like to answer them. After you send them back, I’ll write up a plan and we can meet again to discuss it.”

He looks aghast at the idea. “That’s a lot of work. I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“Actually, Sam, I’m the one asking for more of your time.” I brandish my most charming smile. It’s worked on men in the past, though I’m not usually trying this hard for the win. Desperation may have knocked the polish off.

Sam’s mouth drops open and somehow he manages to look panicked and thrilled at the same time. “You want to see me again?” he asks. “For the quid pro quo, I mean.”

“If you don’t mind.” I try to look calm, but my pulse is roaring like an express train. If he says no, I’m screwed. “I know this is all a bit odd, me coming to you the way I have. I suppose I hoped, once we met, you might be willing to give this whole process some more time.”

He shifts in his chair again, his gaze dropping. There’s no sign of his earlier trepidation, though, only a subtle wariness. “This was never going to be one hour, was it?”

“Not really, no,” I say, surprised at my honesty. “Not if we’re both going to get what we want from this.”

I can feel his attention all over me, even with his gaze glued to the table. “What exactly do you want from me, Tristan?”

It’s the voice. Right there in front of me. Coming from his mouth. Holy fuck.

Hearing that voice say my name, after all the ways I’ve used and abused his—in curses and moans and whispered pleas—is a goddamned fantasy come to life. Lust surges through my veins and I want to growl in frustration. This infatuation has to end. “I need to stop sleeping with you.”

His head snaps upright and we both gasp.

My right hand slaps over my mouth. “Fuck, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Looking away again, he releases a shaky breath. “It’s all right.” He runs absent hands along his arms, soothing a severe case of goosebumps. Sam is responding to my voice, my words, the same way I inevitably respond to his.

How would we respond to each other’s touch? Stifling a groan, I shift clenched fists into my lap. That’s not what this is about. I’m obsessed enough without learning the texture of his skin and the taste of his—

Sam starts to laugh, really laugh. “That stupid name,” he manages to say between breaths. “Sleep with Me. It wasn’t even my idea, but it certainly does get a reaction.” There’s another peel of laughter, as if he’s releasing all the tension from his body, and I find myself joining in. Every time we look at each other it gets worse and before I know it my stomach is sore from laughing. It feels good to laugh at myself. Weird, but good.

“Let me rephrase,” I say as we start to regain our composure. “What I mean is, now you’ve succeeded in getting me to sleep, I want to figure out how to do it on my own.”

“Should be easy enough. It’s probably something in the phrasing.”

Reality seeps back in, killing off the last of my amusement. “No, it’s something else.” Sam isn’t the first person to tell me to let go of my guilt. My mother used to say it constantly. It wasn’t your fault, Tristan. You shouldn’t blame yourself.She didn’t believe her words any more than I did, but she tried. “I don’t know what it is about you that’s different. I don’t think it’s necessarily something you can teach me, but whatever it is, I need to figure it out.”

“So, what’s the plan?” he asks with a baffled expression. “Are you going to hang around me until you get your answer through osmosis or something?”

“Maybe? I don’t know.” I drop my head into my hands. “Honestly, I’m making this up as I go along.”

“You and me both,” he says with a snort. “I don’t know if I can give you the answer you’re looking for, Tristan. But I’ll try.”

Slumping back in my chair, I release a sigh. “Thank you, Sam.”

He smiles that tiny smile and I try not to drool when his cheeks turn pink. “It’s my pleasure.”

Who are some of your favorite authors and/or books to read when you need to relax?

There are so many authors I adore, but to name a few: Roan Parrish, Cat Sebastian, Riley Hart, Lucy Lennox, Neve Wilder, Lily Morton, and Anyta Synday.

If you were approached to have your book made into a film, who would you cast?

I always have a dream cast in mind when I’m writing. For The Harder We Fall, Tristan would be played by Zac Efron and Sam would be played by Alex Pettyfer (as he looked in the movie Beastly).

It's often asked what is your favorite part of being a writer but what is the easiest or most natural part of the creative process for you?

I think the easiest part of the process is letting the characters hang out in the back of my head when I’m doing other things like driving or washing dishes. They chatter away, sometimes having conversations with each other, sometimes reliving events from their past. This is often when new ideas will pop up or I’ll learn something new about them and I’ll gasp in surprise. That is an awesome experience – every time.

Is there any one character you've created that is most like you? If yes, who and why?

There are elements of me in many of my characters, but I suppose the one who is most like me is Sam, from The Harder We Fall. Sam suffers from a moderate form of social anxiety. It’s enough to disrupt his life and influence his behaviour, but not severe enough to keep him from functioning. I suffer from anxiety to a similar degree and my own life experiences showed up in a lot of Sam’s quirks and behaviours. He felt very real to me.

If you could go anywhere (finances, time, & obligations not an issue) where would you go and why?

I haven’t done a great deal of travelling in my life so there are a lot of places I would like to see, or see more of. Especially Italy, France and England. The place I’m most likely to go back to first is New Zealand. We went there once in the winter, I would love to see it again in the summer months. Plus, it’s a nice short trip to get there.

Author Bio:
Rebecca is a long-time lover of all things romance. Whether it’s a book, movie, or real life, she will always have more fun if there’s a love interest thrown into the mix. She lives in Queensland, Australia with her very own hero husband, two quirky kids and one big, black dog. Other than reading and writing books, her favourite things include loud music, enjoying a glass of wine on the patio, organising everything in existence, and spending too much time on the Internet.

FACEBOOK  /  FB FRIEND  /  WEBSITE

NEWSLETTER  /  INSTAGRAM  /  PINTEREST

BOOKBUB  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS 

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  GOODREADS TBR

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brought to you by:

March Book of the Month: Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem by Charlie Cochrane

Summary:

Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith get asked by Lord Henry Byrd to locate a treasure trove that mysteriously disappeared many years ago. But is that the case Lord Henry actually wants them to solve?

First off, Cambridge Fellows Mysteries just keeps getting better and better.  Normally after 20 or so stories, between full-length novels, novellas, shorts, & free codas on the author's website, ideas would be getting weaker, perhaps even cliche or "copied" but not Jonty and Orlando.  These two fellas from St. Bride's is like a fine wine(better actually because I'm not a wine drinker) they strengthen and become enriched with age.  

Truth be told, the author's talent sharpen with each new entry as well.  Charlie Cochrane's knack for storytelling, for making the reader feel like a participant in the investigations, for having a healthy balance of staying true to the era and not making it a history lesson standout in these later released novellas.  I say that not because the original novels aren't as good or lack the above mentioned elements but because the novellas, well I don't want to say they "jump around" in the timeline but they are set throughout and in doing so the author has to re-visit the characters' strengths and weaknesses that they may have overcome in later timeline(such as how they were post-war compared to new lovers).  Sometimes when an author "goes backward in time" they forget and write them as they were later and when that happens certain things are lost and seem out of place.  Not Charlie Cochrane and her Cambridge investigative duo, she recreates, revisits, and furthers their journey all the while giving them new and intriguing cases to solve.

Now as for particulars in Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem, I think you know my answer: read it for yourself to find out because with a mystery too many seemingly insignificant elements can actually change the whole course of the investigation.  And I won't spoil that journey.  I will say, as per their norm, sometimes the non-answers to one query can lead to solutions in another.  What's not to like?  You got lost treasure(or possibly lost), possible ghost sightings, possible murder, possible accidents, just so many possibles that it's no wonder the title is Solving the Wrong Problem.  As usual Jonty and Orlando are up to the task.  Sometimes I think the men are living their very own "Choose Your Own Adventure" adventure in this novella.

I should mention that even though we don't see as many of the mens' typical sidekicks in this one, they aren't completely on their own either.  It's still glorious to see Mr. & Mrs. Stewart lending their knowledge into the clue seeking business again.  I think it's one of the things I've always found so brilliant with Cambridge Fellows, not only is the main couple a Holmes & Watson(shhh! don't tell them I said that, especially Orlando😉) but Jonty's parents love it almost as much.  So often parents, especially mothers and especially mothers of that era would be trying to tamp down the not-always-but-sometime dangerous side of the couple's "hobby" but not Mrs. Stewart, she loves the snooping just as much as her son and "son-in-law".

Okay, that's it, if I talk(or type) too much longer I'll start giving away secrets and that's not allowed here.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, no matter how many full-length novels or one page codas, Miss Cochrane chooses to write, or more accurately that the boys decide to fill her in on, I'll be here reading them.  This series, this couple will never get old.

One more thing: if you are new to the series than be sure to check out the author's website to get a chronological order of Cambridge Fellows but once you've read the first 4 or 5, I think you can really read them in any order.  The first ones show the couple's romance explored more and so in order is more important IMO but the mysteries are always new to that entry. Sometimes there are details mentioned of previous cases but nothing that gives any case away or that leaves you wondering  "WTH is going on?"  However you choose to read it, don't let the number of entries scare you off because every single one is worth reading and experiencing.

RATING:

Orlando looked over to where a well-dressed chap in tweeds had entered the marquee. Without Applecross’s words, they’d have been able to guess the newcomer—every inch a peer of the realm—was the landowner. The deference shown by those present would also have sealed the case. His lordship surveyed the company, then made a beeline for Applecross, where the empty seat which had been so puzzling now made sense. Had it been kept free deliberately in case the man himself made an appearance?

Lord Henry paused, hands on the back of his chair, eyeing Jonty, who had turned his head round to get a view of the visitor. “Is that a Stewart I see before me?”

“It is, sir.” Jonty rose, then offered his hand to be shaken. “Jonathan, known as Jonty.”

His lordship pumped the hand up and down. “Very pleased to meet you. You’re the image of your mother, but I suppose you know that.”

“I’ve been told so often, yes.” Jonty beamed. “And I count myself lucky to have inherited her bone structure.”

“Magnificent woman. Like many of my generation, I’d have married her in a trice, but your father was too swift and determined for the rest of us.” He patted Jonty’s shoulder. “I’m far from alone in saying that I might have been your father. Perhaps you get tired of hearing men of my generation express that thought.”

“Not tired, no, although I no longer keep tally. I’ve realised how many heads and hearts Mama must have turned in her pomp.”

It was quite a familiar conversation with anyone of his lordship’s generation. Jonty never appeared to tire of the esteem in which his parents were held so neither, by association, did Orlando. He felt part of the Stewart family and always would. As if the thought gave birth to the act, Jonty words of introduction were, “Lord Henry, this is Dr Coppersmith, my colleague at St Bride’s and an old friend of the Stewarts. Almost an adopted son, in Mama’s eyes.”

“Splendid, splendid.” His lordship shook Orlando’s hand with equal enthusiasm. A plate of food, borne by Kane, appeared on the table. Lord Henry thanked the student, then they all took their seats. “I’m so pleased that you’re both present, gentlemen. I hear you’re a regular Holmes and Watson.”

Orlando forced a smile. How he hated the man from Baker Street: any comparisons with him were odious. “We’ve been fortunate to be consulted on certain mysteries that have evaded previous solution, yes.” He was aware he sounded pompous and those who knew him well would have recognised that meant he was getting worked up. Was it the mention of Holmes that had made his hackles rise or something about Lord Henry that rankled?

“I’ve read about some of your adventures, of course. Your father’s accounts of them always make amusing reading. Better than much else one finds in The Times. Might I enquire as to whether he has employed much artistic licence?”

“You may and the answer is not a single bit.” Jonty didn’t appear to be as insulted by the question as Orlando felt about it. How dare anyone imply that the accounts of their investigations had in any way been embroidered? If anything, they’d been moderated somewhat, real life being so often tinged with events that would be frankly unbelievable if put on paper.  “You’ll be aware that my father has a reputation as being a stickler for the truth in all situations.”

If he didn’t know, he damn well should have, the tone implied. Evidently Jonty had been affronted, despite the charming smile he still wore.

Lord Henry either didn’t notice the indirect rebuke or ignored it. “That reassures me greatly. I have a question and I’ll come straight out with it. Would you be interested in casting an eye over an old mystery that puzzles my family? No hidden codes or gruesome murders, but something I would hope worthy of your cerebral capacity.”

👬💙🔪💕🔫💙👬

If the men of St. Bride’s College knew what Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith got up to behind closed doors, the scandal would rock early-20th-century Cambridge to its core. But the truth is, when they’re not busy teaching literature and mathematics, the most daring thing about them isn’t their love for each other—it’s their hobby of amateur sleuthing.

Because wherever Jonty and Orlando go, trouble seems to find them. Sunny, genial Jonty and prickly, taciturn Orlando may seem like opposites. But their balance serves them well as they sift through clues to crimes, and sort through their own emotions to grow closer. But at the end of the day, they always find the truth . . . and their way home together.

********

Be sure and check the author's website for a complete chronological list of novels, novellas, free short stories in the Cambridge Fellows Mysteries Universe.

👬💙🔪💕🔫💙👬

Saturday Series Spotlight

Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4

Part 5  /  Part 6  /  Part 7(Veteran's Day Edition)

March Book of the Month: Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem

Author Bio:

As Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice - like managing a rugby team - she writes. Her favourite genre is gay fiction, predominantly historical romances/mysteries, but she's making an increasing number of forays into the modern day. She's even been known to write about gay werewolves - albeit highly respectable ones.

Her Cambridge Fellows series of Edwardian romantic mysteries were instrumental in seeing her named Speak Its Name Author of the Year 2009. She’s a member of both the Romantic Novelists’ Association and International Thriller Writers Inc.

Happily married, with a house full of daughters, Charlie tries to juggle writing with the rest of a busy life. She loves reading, theatre, good food and watching sport. Her ideal day would be a morning walking along a beach, an afternoon spent watching rugby and a church service in the evening.

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE

FB DEADLY DAMES  /  FB FRIEND  /  KOBO

LIVE JOURNAL  /  AUTOGRAPH  /  AUDIBLE

CARINA  /  B&N  /  RIPTIDE  /  GOOGLE PLAY

iTUNES  /  AMAZON  / GOODREADS

EMAIL:  cochrane.charlie2@googlemail.com 

Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem #12.9

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  GOODREADS TBR

Series

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  GOODREADS TBR

🐰Monday Morning's Menu🐰: Marshmallow Spiced Omega by Susi Hawke

Summary:

The best gifts in life will sometimes catch you by surprise.

Luke is a YouTuber known for his popular Omega Manny Diary videos. After a brief-yet-secret fling with his boss Ian’s best friend, he finds himself left with an even larger secret: Grazer’s baby.

Grazer had a lot of fun with Luke, but he’d been upfront with him from the beginning. He’d always preferred to chase silver foxes—not young, fertile pups.

Nearly two years after their last hot night together, Grazer returns to Hollydale, fresh from a year of guarding the toddler of a celebrity. He’s at loose ends, not to mention lonely, and wondering if maybe he’d been too brash when writing off love and fatherhood in the past.

When Grazer runs into Luke and discovers his life-altering secret, can they find a way to forgive the mistakes of the past and grab their second chance at romance?

Return to Hollydale for this second chance, secret baby romance where May learns to be the December in an age gap relationship. This is the seventh book of The Hollydale Omegas series. This book is about 34k and most likely contains an HEA. 18+ readers only please! And yes, this book contains M/PREG, adults adulting in sexy grown-up ways, and way more than an occasional use of potty mouth language.

Chapter 1 

Luke 

“Do you want some more of the Lucky Ballz, Luke? Or would you prefer one of our Fluffy Ballz instead?” Tom held up a plate of pretty pastel green ballz that had been rolled in edible, gold glitter, but the stomach cramps I’d been having were getting worse. 

“No, I’d better not. But maybe I could take some to go? I know those mint flavored ballz won’t be around much longer, now that Saint Patrick’s Day has passed. Although, I can’t deny the Fluffy Ballz are pretty good too.” 

I looked regretfully at the Easter-themed dark chocolate-coated marshmallow ballz, each decorated a different pastel glitter. It was amazing how much care they put into their ballz here.

“It’s cool, Luke. That just leaves more for me and Scott.” 

Braden grinned and popped a pair of ballz into his mouth. He began clowning around for his daughter, Shannon, by stuffing one into each cheek so that he bore a strong resemblance to a hamster. At only a year old, the little one clapped and giggled as if he were the funniest thing on earth. 

“So, is today the day when you finally tell us who the baby daddy is, Luke?” Tom asked as he settled down at our table with a tray of iced coffees. Decaf for me, of course, since pregnant people are denied caffeine. Reason number thirty-seven I was ready to be done with this already. 

I huffed out a sigh. It had been a long nine months of my friends all asking this question that I had no interest in answering. My former bosses, Ian and Cecil, had finally given up with it, but Tom? Not so much. 

“Trust me, Tom. I’m the only father this baby is going to have, so his name is unimportant. He didn’t want to have kids, he was quite clear about it when we were hooking up. This was my accident, not his. Apparently, I suck at math or figuring out my heat cycle. Either way... here we are and here he isn’t. Besides, I’m the Omega Manny. I’ve got this, okay? I have to... I’m the only parent this little one is going to need. Does that cover it for you?”

Tom nodded reluctantly and changed the subject, thank fuck. “Okay, doll. So... Tell me again how you guys met Scott here?” 

“Scott is my across-the-hall neighbor at my new apartment. I thought I told you that? Sorry, preggo brain. But, yeah. Neighbor. And when we discovered we both make our living on YouTube, it was an instant connection.” 

I gave a half smile at Scott, trying not to wince as another spasm rocked my gut. Holy hell. Was I about to get diarrhea in the middle of the Sweet Ballz candy shoppe? Or was my bladder so full that the baby was crowded and trying to kick it out of the way? 

“Really? I had no clue people really made money that way until Luke started that popular Omega Manny channel. Then I met Braden here with his gaming. What do you do, cutie?” 

Tom smiled at my newest friend with genuine interest. I wasn’t surprised. Tom had an amazing head for business and was always interested in hearing about other people’s success. 

“I’m the Outdoor Omega.” Scott explained. “I take videos of some of my hikes, camping trips, and other wilderness themed sports. I did one really cool shoot when I was climbing Mt. Rainier last year. There were a few gnarly moments, let me tell you.”

Tom shuddered dramatically at Scott’s words and held up a hand. “Thanks, but no thanks, babe. Tom’s idea of roughing it is staying in a three-star hotel while his hot alpha daddy takes the chitlins out to sleep in that canvas contraption in the woods. We meet up during the day for funzies, then Tom goes back to his so-so room to sleep. Everyone is happy, and Tom doesn’t miss out on the s’mores and smoked wieners. Win-win all around.” 

Scott and Braden were laughing at Tom, but I couldn’t join in. The pain was getting so bad now, I felt a bead of sweat breaking out along my brow. 

“Tom,” I gasped. “Could I use your employee bathroom? Please?” 

“Of course! Come on, I’ll take you right back,” Tom looked concerned when he took a good look at me. 

It took every ounce of strength I had to stand up, and once I did, fluid gushed down my thigh. Oh, fuck! Did I just crap my pants? Or, piss myself in public? I looked down in a panic but couldn’t see over my belly. 

Then another pain hit me, and I doubled over, grabbing at the table to keep from falling over. That’s when I saw the small puddle of translucent fluid between my feet.

Braden passed Shannon to Tom and rushed around the table to help me. “Tom, I think you’d better call an ambulance. Luke’s water just broke, and I’m not sure if we should drive him, he looks like he could deliver any second.” 

Tom rolled his eyes, his phone already in hand as he stood there and balanced Shannon on his hip. “No shit, Braden. Trust an alpha to state the obvious.” 

I laughed through my pain when Shannon chirped see, see, see, as if trying to say shit. Tom glanced at her guiltily before talking into his phone. Scott came over and took Shannon from Tom, tickling her belly and grinning at Braden. 

“Dude-bro, you’re going to get in so much trouble with the little mister if he figures out what his angel is trying to say when you get home.” Scott chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “That’s why Uncle Scotty likes to play with other people’s kids and not try to have one of my own. All that policing of the language? My kid’s first word would probably be the F-bomb.” 

Braden eased me back down into my seat. “Naw, bro. It’s cool. I’ll just sic Greg on Tom if he figures it out. No way am I taking that blame.” 

Tom stayed on the phone with the 911 operator until the ambulance pulled up outside a few short minutes later. I guess it was a good time of day to go into labor, given how fast they arrived.

Tom and Scott assured me they’d be right behind me on the way to the hospital, but Braden had to reluctantly bow out since he had the baby with him. I hadn’t thought I’d need anyone with me for the labor. After all, I was going to do the whole dad thing alone anyway. Might as well start out that way, right? 

But now? I was beyond grateful to have my friends here. I hadn’t planned on the pain being this intense, and I was starting to freak out. I gripped Braden’s arm, before the EMTs could carry me out on the gurney. 

“Braden, promise if I don’t make it through, you and Greg will still take her for me?” 

The alpha pushed my hair back and smiled gently. “You’re going to be just fine, Luke. But yeah, if anything should happen, Greg has the guardianship papers you gave us as back-up. But they’re completely unnecessary. Trust me, bro. You’ll be okay. Greg and I will be up to see you and the baby as soon as I can find a sitter. Now get out of here, before the candy isn’t the only special kind of ballz on display up in here.” 

I tried to smile, but only managed a grimace. A fresh contraction hit and I clenched my jaw to keep from screaming and scaring Shannon who was still chanting see, see, see in the background somewhere.

The nice thing about getting there in an ambulance was not having to sit in the waiting room until they brought me back. They took one look at me and rushed into movement. I was being wheeled toward the delivery room when I heard Tom’s strident voice and the sound of running feet. 

“Hold on! Don’t take Luke away without his labor coaches extraordinaire!” 

I kind of tuned out at that point, delirious with pain. When I tuned in again, I was sitting up in bed with Tom standing on one side of me wiping my sweaty face while Scott was sitting behind me and rubbing my back. My feet were up in stirrups, and Dr. Green was massaging me in places I didn’t care to think about. 

“What’s happening?” I rasped out in confusion. “Am I dreaming?” 

“No, doll. You’ve been given the good stuff. Just bear with us, you’re almost done,” Tom encouraged with a toothy grin. 

The mother of all painful fucking contractions hit then. Dr. Greene was saying something in her calm voice, but I had no time for that shit. I bellowed up at the ceiling instead. 

“Fucking Grazer! What the fuck kind of a cockamamy-ass name is that, anyway? Wherever you are, I fucking hate you and your perfectly curved, banana looking cock! You can go fuck yourself with it, Grazer! Do you hear me?”

I vaguely heard Scott chuckling behind me. “Breathe, babe. I’m pretty sure the entire town heard you. Trust me, if that Grazer guy is anywhere within the city limits, he heard you too.” 

A lifetime, and several bone crushing pushes later, I heard a cry as my daughter heralded her entrance to the world. Dr. Greene laid her on my chest, then proceeded to cut the cord with Tom’s help before going back to finish things with the afterbirth. 

“What’s her name,” Scott asked softly from over my left shoulder. 

“Samantha Grace,” I answered without hesitation. “I plan to call her Sammy.” 

The nurse came just then to take her away so they could clean her up and do all the newborn tests and measurements. The minute she was gone, my arms felt empty. Tom’s voice distracted me before I could focus on my loss, though. 

“You know, if I recall correctly, Ian’s good buddy Grayson is called Grazer. I don’t suppose you met him while you were working for them? Yeah, I’m sure you did... in fact, I’d swear we were at more than one get together with both of you present at some point or other. Hmm. Grazer... Yeah, that’s kind of a unique name. He’s a unique guy too. A hot alpha-daddy type, not total sex-on-a-stick like my own hot alpha-daddy, but still not at all hard on the eyes.”

I froze, as I slowly remembered what I’d stupidly shouted during that one ridiculously painful contraction. Shit. There should be a warning given about that possibility happening. 

“Yeah, well... If I said his name during labor, it must have been the meds talking. You know how it is when you’re out of your mind with pain.” 

Tom looked at me with one elegantly raised brow, but merely shrugged. “If you say so.” 

This shit was making me nervous. “Please don’t say anything, Tom. Really... I need you to forget that you heard anything.” 

Tom looked divided for a moment, then shrugged again. “You know what? No worries. Tom is absolutely not about outing people for their secrets. But... you should really think about telling him, doll. It’s the right thing to do.” 

I shook my head. “The time for telling him was nine months ago. It’s kinda late now. Besides. He told me he likes to be on the other side of the May to December type thing when we went out. Although with us it’s more of a May to August at best, but... what are you gonna do, right? He told me silver foxes are more his speed than fertile pups like me. With his job and travels, he can’t risk it anyway, because he’d never be there. We didn’t have condoms that last time, and I calculated my heat cycle and figured I was safe, you know? But then he left on a new security gig, and I got pregnant. I was scared to ask Ian how to contact him. I mean, we only went out on a handful of secret dates over the three-month period before he left for the new job. Ian and Cecil had no idea we’d even been dating.” 

Tom sighed. “The longer you wait the worse it will get when he finds out, I need you to realize that, Luke.” 

Scott eased out from behind me when the nurse came back with Sammy. He paused to lean over to admire her as he spoke his thoughts. “Unless he never does? I mean, Luke doesn’t work for Ian and Cecil anymore. If the dude didn’t want to be a parent anyway, why tell him? Luke agreed to a few dates and a little fun, not a lifetime commitment with him.” 

Tom’s hands went to his hip as he stared Scott down. “No. Uncool, Scott. Neither of them asked for Sammy-girl, yet here she is. And he has a right to know she exists. Whether he wants to be a part of her life or not, he deserves the courtesy of having a choice. And Sammy is going to have questions in a few years. Trust me on that one. Kids have way too many questions anyway. You’ll regret this, Luke.” 

I took a deep breath and looked into my daughter’s perfect face, then shook my head again, decisively this time. “I’ll think about it another time, Tom. I never intended on not telling him—I just don’t know where to begin at this point.”

Tom looked like he wanted to say more, but Cecil and Ian showed up right then. Before he slipped out of the room, Tom paused and gave me a long look, then smiled wistfully at Sammy.

Author Bio:

I'm a happily married mom of one snarky teenage boy, and three grown "kids of my heart." As a reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I'd care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I've found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that's what I try to bring to every tale I tell

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE

NEWSLETTER  /  FB GROUP  /  BOOKBUB  /  AUDIBLE

INSTAGRAM  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

FB-SUSAN HAWKE  /  NEWSLETTER-SUSAN HAWKE

AUDIBLE-SUSAN HAWKE  /  BB-SUSAN HAWKE  /  INSTA-SUSAN HAWKE

AMAZON-SUSAN HAWKE  /  GR-SUSAN HAWKE 

Marshmallow Spiced Omega #7

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK

AUDIBLE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Series

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK

AUDIBLE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Week at a Glance: 3/22/21 - 3/28/21

Monday's Memorial Moment: Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem by Charlie Cochrane

Release Blitz: Unapologetically Me by Colette Davison

Release Blitz: Gamer's Choice by Valerie Ullmer

📘🎥Friday's Film Adaptation🎥📘: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Saturday's Series Spotlight: The Pizza Chronicles by Andy V Roamer featuring Why Can’t Relationships Be Like Pizza? #3

Sunday's Safe Word Shelf: Finding His Boy by KD Ryan

Sunday's Safe Word Shelf: Finding His Boy by KD Ryan

Title: Finding His Boy

Author: KD Ryan

Series: Safe Harbor #1

Genre: M/M Romance, Daddy Kink, Age Gap

Release Date: March 25, 2021

Summary:

A lonely Daddy. An innocent boy. A twenty-year age gap. Whatever happens next is in Daddy’s hands.

Finding his way in life all on his own hadn’t been easy for eighteen-year-old Elliot Hedrick, but he’d managed to hold it all together so far.

Even though it was just by the skin of his teeth.

Between his warehouse job and pursuing a career as a professional ballet dancer, he’d been working sixteen-hour days and was still barely making ends meet.

He was fraying at the seams. And he was so damn lonely.

There was nobody for him to lean on, nobody to come to his rescue when things fell apart—it was all up to him to achieve his dreams.

Then suddenly Grant Weston charged into Elliot’s life, his knight in shining armor—literally and figuratively—and despite their twenty-year age gap, Grant couldn’t seem to leave the boy alone. Even though Grant knew he should.

There were too many obstacles between them—and not just their ages. Grant had secrets of his own, ghosts from his past that made him hold back from taking what he really wanted from Elliot.

And what Grant wanted was to make Elliot his boy.

To have a true partner.

But Grant was afraid to trust himself—afraid that history would repeat itself and leave him with a broken heart yet again.

Is age really just a number, or will the years between them end their relationship before it can even start?

Finding His Boy is the first book in a duet taking place in the Safe Harbor universe but can be read as a stand-alone and has an HFN ending. This book is a 90+K word slow burn, steamy romance that features a Daddy/boy relationship between two consenting adult men. No age play. Dual POV. There are explicit descriptions of sexual acts, so this book is intened for a mature audience (18+).

👀Trigger Warning: On-page physical assault (not between MCs), mention of sexual assault.👀

Grant knew he should pull back, he should close the door—that would be the smart thing to do. He should be respectful of Elliot’s privacy.

Because if he crossed this line, there would be no going back—all of his noble rationalizing about not taking advantage of Elliot’s vulnerability would be out the window.

But fuck, the boy was incredibly gorgeous—the planes of his slim muscular body highlighted in a soft blue glow from the moon, his face a study in shadow and light. He looked so young, so vulnerable, and so ripe for the taking. Exposed, ready for Grant to sink his teeth into the pale expanse of flesh on display, to mark Elliot as his.

If Grant stepped further into the room now—and he wanted to, oh he’d never wanted anything so badly in his life, he could taste the wanting like metal on his tongue—where would that choice bring them?

Because the boy had no clue what Grant wanted to do to him.

He couldn’t know how Grant wanted to use him. To flay him wide open with word and action and touch, and pick apart the soft tender insides of him, to leave him wanting and vulnerable and his. To deliver the safety and comfort and pleasure that his boy craved and that only he—Grant—could give.

Grant’s own possession.

His boy.

Those words—his boy—they acted like a bucket of cold water—a wave of uncertainty and apprehension to temporarily subdue his lust. Was this just history repeating itself? Would Elliot realize a year down the line that Grant couldn’t give him what he wanted, and Grant would be left high and dry once again?

Could Grant risk his heart like that again? The thought of sharing that experience with someone, only for his heart to be trampled, handled carelessly, and discarded…

He should leave now, back out and pretend he’d never been here. Just leave and act like nothing had changed the next day. Leave this beautiful boy whole and innocent and let someone else break him in gently, softly, like he deserved. Someone he could grow with, change with, learn with.

Fuck, he was a coward.

But then.

But then Elliot opened his eyes. And he parted his lips. And he kept on pumping his hand up and down as he locked his eyes with Grant’s, his heated gaze burning with open desire.

Desire for Grant.

And Grant knew he couldn’t walk away.

Author Bio:

Just a dreamer fueled by coffee who’s been writing about love that comes in all forms since she got her first word processor. Passionate bibliophile and lover of science, caretaker of humans and friend to dogs.

FACEBOOK  /  FB FRIEND  /  AMAZON

INSTAGRAM  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: author.kdryan@gmail.com

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  GOODREADS TBR

Brought to you by: