Wednesday, December 27, 2017

3rd Day of Christmas Author Spotlight: Silvia Violet


Author Bio:
Silvia Violet writes fun, sexy stories that will leave you smiling and satisfied. She has a thing for characters who are in need of comfort and enjoys helping them surrender to love even when they doubt it exists. Silvia's stories include sizzling contemporaries, paranormals, and historicals. When she needs a break from listening to the voices in her head, she spends time baking, taking long walks, and curling up with her favorite books. Keep up with her latest ventures by signing up for her newsletter.


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EMAIL: silviaviolet@gmail.com



Lace-Covered Compromise
Summary:
Adam Kingston expects to inherit his father’s multinational conglomerate. When he finds out half of it went to Nate Thomas—an annoying man whose dreams for Kingston Corp.’s future clash with Adam’s need to stave off financial disaster—Adam is furious. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to wrest control of Kingston Corp. from Nate.

Nate may be soft-spoken, but he refuses to be swayed by Adam’s arrogant demands. When Nate accidentally drops a pair of his lacy panties in front of Adam, there’s no mistaking Adam’s interest. Nate hadn’t realized Adam was bisexual, but now that his secret is out, Nate is willing to use Adam’s lust against him if it means protecting the welfare of the company he loves.

For Adam and Nate, hatred and desire are closely linked. Their inability to compromise threatens the company and could expose their tightly held secrets. But as they work together to develop a plan to save Kingston Corp., they begin to realize there might be more to their relationship than anger and lust.

Fitting In
Summary:
Fitting In #1
Two cops walk into a bar. Mason, the bartender, waits for the punch line, because no way in hell are these ridiculously hot men real cops. They’re straight out of a cop-fetish fantasy. But he quickly learns that Jack and Gray are the real deal, and they want him in the worst way.

What starts as a night of hot, three-way sex becomes a lot more. The two cops fulfill Mason’s submissive fantasies, but they also meet a more basic need, comfort. They want to take care of Mason, to offer him unconditional friendship, but their concern for him unnerves Mason more than even the kinkiest sex.

To find happiness with his new partners, Mason must change his belief that love is as much a fantasy as a pair of gorgeous, handcuff-wielding cops landing in his bed.

Original Review July 2015:
What starts out as a guilty pleasure for both the characters in the story and the reader, Fitting In quickly evolves into a very powerful story of trust, love, and a huge leap of faith.  Don't get me wrong there is plenty of the guilty pleasure in the form of very hot menage but at it's core is Mason, Jack, and Gray finding trust and love to create a happy life.

RATING:

Revolutionary Temptation
Summary:
1777 New York City

The American colonists are fighting for their independence, but the battlefield is not the only place to wage war. When General Washington’s head of intelligence asks Captain Jack West to spy on the British in New York, Jack agrees, despite reservations about this ungentlemanly pursuit.

Jack’s contact in the city recruits bookshop owner Elias Ashfield, an impeccably dressed sensualist who flaunts his desire for both men and women and seeks a place in high society. Jack longs for a simple life guided by clear principles. Eli is a risk-taker who knows how to get what he wants. And he wants Jack in his bed.

Events in Jack’s past have made him fearful of acting on his secret craving for a man’s touch, but Eli intrigues Jack as much as he infuriates him. As Jack and Eli search for the information the rebel army needs, they realize there’s more between them than mere lust. But finding a way to be together may prove more difficult than defeating the British Empire.

Original Review January 2017:
As a lover of historicals, I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVED Revolutionary Temptation!  The detail to the time really heightened an already great story of drama and love.  Jack is wary of his inclination, with good reason, and Eli is not.  Eli may not flaunt his lifestyle for all to see, it is a dangerous time to be gay afterall, but he also doesn't restrict his wants and he's certainly not as quiet as Jack thinks he should be.  When they find themselves brought together for the cause of freedom from the British, well, lets just say nothing is ever the same for either of them again.  Throw in Constance Sullivan, their boss in the New York spy ring, and you have an intriguing tale of love, espionage, freedom, that adds up to a wonderful read with just the right amount of angst and a little humor thrown in for good measure.  A great addition to my historical library that I'm already looking forward to re-reading.

RATING: 

Professional Distance
Summary:
Thorne & Dash #1
Thornwell Shipton is wealthy, uptight, closeted, and an incurable workaholic. A tragic love affair left him terrified of relationships, so he tells himself sex is better scheduled and paid for.

Riley Dashwood is young, easy-going, and comfortable in his own skin. He’s a passionate baker and an aspiring chef, working as an escort to save up for culinary school.

They’re clearly made for each other.

When Thorne hires Dash, it’s lust at first sight. After a few scorching nights together, both men start to wonder if what’s between them is more than physical, but their age gap and resistance to romance make them afraid to change their professional relationship to a personal one. Dash pushes Thorne to admit he wants things he’s denied himself for years. Kinky things. Soft, caring things. Things that force him to open his heart, not just his body. To move forward, one or the other must take a risk and ask for what he really wants.

The Professor's Desk
Professor #1
Summary:
Have you ever fantasized about a professor? Go on. Admit it.

When Jason finds a very interesting toy in Dr. Michaels office, he decides to give the professor a demonstration. If he’s lucky, his efforts will lead to the two of them testing the sturdiness of Dr. Michaels’s desk.

Sex on the Hoof 
Summary:
Law and Supernatural Order #1
A stag and a vampire. Mortal peril. True love.

Deer shifter, Jason Fleetfoot, has turned his life around. After years of taking chances, he’s working as a crime lab technician, and he’s determined to forgo the risky behavior of his past. Then he meets Drew Danvers, the only undead detective in the city. Jason hates vampires, or does he? Drew defies all the stereotypes of his kind and something about him has taken hold of Jason and won’t let go. Jason might just dare to take a chance on a man others would label a risk to his health if not his very life.

This edition has been re-edited and expanded by over 35%.


Lace-Covered Compromise

Fitting In
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Revolutionary Temptation

Professional Distance
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The Professor's Desk

Sex on the Hoof 

Release Tour: Rainbows in the Moonlight by Ryan Jo Summers

Title: Rainbows in the Moonlight
Author: Ryan Jo Summers
Genre: Christian Romance
Release Date: December 20, 2017
Summary:
Koda Jacobs urgently needs a nanny. Right now.

Fresh from prison, Dalton Clayton needs a job—and just about anything will do.

Divine Intervention steps in and tosses Koda and Dalton together. Koda struggles with the conflicts of her impulsive decision to leave her babies with an unknown, convicted felon. That just can't be wise, can it? But she can't help but see how quickly the children bonded to him and trust him. Or the reassuring sense that this is just right.

Meanwhile, Dalton stumbles through the spills and thrills of two young children, and his growing interest in their mother. A chance meeting brings him back to his estranged family as well.

Over time mutual attraction forms between Koda and Dalton as the bond between Dalton and the children deepens. A sweet, southern romance full of forgiveness, second chances, and fun kids.


“Guess what I got today at work?,” Koda said. “My winter raffle prize.”

“It’s springtime.”

She shrugged. “It’s late in coming.” She explained about the heirloom casting. “I have the brochure inside. Apparently the idea is to have the family members do something like join hands or somehow get into a position while the artist makes a plaster cast. Once it’s dried and detailed, the end result is a permanent item. I guess people do baby’s feet and hands, joined hands for families, paw prints, whatever is important to each family. One of our doctors went there with her husband for their anniversary and had their joined hands finished in bronze. That’s how the company got involved with the raffle. I had thought to do the kid’s hands somehow. So I need to call and get a sitting scheduled for the kids.”

“And you, Mommy,” Ruthie declared, having run up while Koda was describing the casting. “You gotta sit with us and be casted.”

“Yes, probably. Certainly. Though I had originally thought of just you two.”

“What about Dalton?” Terry asked as the puppy danced between his feet.

Koda and Dalton exchanged startled looks.

“You said family. He’s family.”

Pink touched his cheeks as his surprised, embarrassed look met hers. Koda wondered if she was blushing as much as he was. Hopefully not.

“Well, Terry, guys.” She faltered, scrambling for something to say. “Family in this sense is usually . . .”

“Saved for mommies and daddies and kids,” Dalton supplied. “Blood family.”

Ruthie wrinkled up her nose and Terry tilted his head, watching the puppy chew his shoe. “But you’re here every day, doing things with us. We spent Sunday with your blood family. Don’t that make you family too?”

Koda felt tears pricking her eyes at her son’s assessment of family. She wanted to hug him. Dalton beat her to it.

“Come here, Buddy.” He knelt down, beckoning both to his side. “You too, Cricket. Now look, family is the people you came from, that you’re a part of.”

“You’re part of us.”

He smiled at Ruthie’s words, and Koda put her fist to her mouth to keep from crying. The tenderness of the scene rocked her like only those three could do. Her children’s honesty and innocence left her weak. Dalton’s gentleness left her breathless.

“You’re right. I’m a part of you, both of you, but I am not family. That’s your mama and your grandmama. Just like my mama and daddy and sisters are my family. And Carlos and the boys become our family when Carlos married my sister and they had the boys. That’s how you make a family.”

Terry and Ruthie stared at each other. Ruthie grabbed Dalton’s hand and shook it. “You can marry Mommy and then be our family for real.”

A sob escaped Koda and Dalton glanced up at her, puzzlement in his eyes.

Author Bio:
Ryan Jo Summers is a North Carolina writer who pens romances with a twist. They may contain any number of elements: Christian, humor, mystery, paranormal, sweet, shape-shifting, or time travel. Her dad is a songwriter and his aunt wrote poetry so writing must be in the family genes.

She makes her home in a century-old mountain cottage, with a menagerie of adopted pets. In her spare time, she likes to gather with family and friends, paint ceramics or canvas, potter in the yard, bird-watching, or read, play chess, Mahjongg or work word-find puzzles. She might take her dog and head deep into the forests and rivers near her home to plot the next big scene or story. Like her dad's aunt, she writes poetry as a means to cope with life's pains.

She collects lighthouses, shells, driftwood, and anything to remind her of the shore.


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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

2nd Day of Christmas Author Spotlight: Rick R Reed


Author Bio:
Rick R. Reed is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love.

He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation and The Blue Moon Cafe). His novel, Raining Men, won the Rainbow Award for Best Contemporary General Fiction. Lambda Literary Review has called him, "a writer that doesn't disappoint."

Rick lives in Seattle with his husband and a very spoiled Boston terrier. He is forever "at work on another novel."


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The Couple Next Door
Summary:
With the couple next door, nothing is as it seems.

Jeremy Booth leads a simple life, scraping by in the gay neighborhood of Seattle, never letting his lack of material things get him down. But the one thing he really wants someone to love seems elusive. Until the couple next door moves in and Jeremy sees the man of his dreams, Shane McCallister, pushed down the stairs by a brute named Cole.

Jeremy would never go after another man s boyfriend, so he reaches out to Shane in friendship while suppressing his feelings of attraction. But the feeling of something being off only begins with Cole being a hard-fisted bully it ends with him seeming to be different people at different times. Some days, Cole is the mild-mannered John and then, one night in a bar, he s the sassy and vivacious drag queen Vera.

So how can Jeremy rescue the man of his dreams from a situation that seems to get crazier and more dangerous by the day? By getting close to the couple next door, Jeremy not only puts a potential love in jeopardy, but eventually his very life.

Third Eye
Summary:
Who knew that a summer thunderstorm and his lost little boy would conspire to change single dad Cayce D’Amico’s life in an instant? With Luke missing, Cayce ventures into the woods near their house to find his son, only to have lightning strike a tree near him, sending a branch down on his head. When he awakens the next day in the hospital, he discovers he has been blessed or cursed—he isn't sure which—with psychic ability. Along with unfathomable glimpses into the lives of those around him, he’s getting visions of a missing teenage girl. 

When a second girl disappears soon after the first, Cayce realizes his visions are leading him to their grisly fates. Cayce wants to help, but no one believes him. The police are suspicious. The press wants to exploit him. And the girls' parents have mixed feelings about the young man with the "third eye." 

Cayce turns to local reporter Dave Newton and, while searching for clues to the string of disappearances and possible murders, a spark ignites between the two. Little do they know that nearby, another couple—dark and murderous—are plotting more crimes and wondering how to silence the man who knows too much about them.

First Edition published as Deadly Vision by Quest by RCE, January 2008. 

A Face without Heart
Summary:
A modern-day and thought-provoking retelling of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray that esteemed horror magazine Fangoria called “…a book that is brutally honest with its reader and doesn’t flinch in the areas where Wilde had to look away…. A rarity: a really well-done update that’s as good as its source material.”

A beautiful young man bargains his soul away to remain young and handsome forever, while his holographic portrait mirrors his aging and decay and reflects every sin and each nightmarish step deeper into depravity… even cold-blooded murder. Prepare yourself for a compelling tour of the darkest sides of greed, lust, addiction, and violence.

A Demon Inside by Rick R Reed
Summary:
Hunter Beaumont doesn’t understand his grandmother’s deathbed wish: “Destroy Beaumont House.” He’s never even heard of the place. But after his grandmother passes and his first love betrays him, the family house in the Wisconsin woods looks like a tempting refuge. Going against his grandmother’s wishes, Hunter flees to Beaumont House.

But will the house be the sanctuary he had hoped for? Soon after moving in, Hunter realizes he may not be alone. And with whom—or what—he shares the house may plunge him into a nightmare from which he may never escape. Sparks fly when he meets his handsome neighbor, Michael Burt, a caretaker for the estate next door. The man might be his salvation… or he could be the source of Hunter's terror.

Original Review October 2016:
First off, the fact that most of this story is set in Wisconsin was a real upside for me.  As a Wisconsinite, it's always a thrill to read stories set in my state, it's not one often used and on top of that, one of my college advisors has written many books about haunted Wisconsin, we even have one here in my hometown.  Now, back to A Demon Inside,  this is the first book by Rick R Reed that I have read and well, let's just say it won't be the last.  To say Hunter Beaumont's life will never be the same when he doesn't follow his grandmother's dying wish to destroy Beaumont House is an understatement.  A Demon Inside is creepy, weird, and just plain scary but there's also a little romance which may seem out of place in such a dark story but truthfully, it only heightens the freak out factor.  Along with the Wisconsin connection, I'm a bit of an introvert myself so I felt for Hunter immediately and understood so much of what his inner monologue was saying.  A great addition to my Halloween/paranormal shelf.

RATING: 

IM
Summary:
The Internet is the new meat market for gay men. Now a killer is turning the meat market into a meat wagon.

One by one, he’s killing them. Lurking in the digital underworld of Men4HookUpNow.com, he lures, seduces, and charms, reaching out through instant messages to the unwary. When the first body surfaces, openly gay Chicago Police Department detective Ed Comparetto is called in to investigate. At the scene, the young man who discovered the body tells him the story of how he found his friend. But did this witness play a bigger role in the murder than he’s letting on?

For Comparetto, this encounter is the beginning of a nightmare—because this witness did more than just show up at the scene of the crime; he set the scene.

Comparetto is on a journey to discover the truth—before he loses his career, his boyfriend, his sanity… his life. Because in this killer's world, IM doesn't stand for instant message… it stands for instant murder. 

Dinner at the Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R Reed
Summary:
A monster moves through the night, hidden by the darkness, taking men, one by one, from Seattle’s gay gathering areas.

Amid an atmosphere of crippling fear, Thad Matthews finds his first true love working in an Italian restaurant called the Blue Moon CafΓ©. Sam Lupino is everything Thad has ever hoped for in a man: virile, sexy as hell, kind, and… he can cook!

As their romance heats up, the questions pile up. Who is the killer preying on Seattle’s gay men? What secrets is Sam’s Sicilian family hiding? And more importantly, why do Sam’s unexplained disappearances always coincide with the full moon?

The strength of Thad and Sam’s love will face the ultimate test when horrific revelations come to light beneath the full moon.

First Edition published as The Blue Moon Cafe by Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure, 2010. 

Original Review October 2017:
I'm going to start by saying that immediate attraction bordering on insta-love is not for everyone and I understand that but when its done right than its amazing.  Well, for me Dinner at the Blue Moon Cafe is done right.  I say "immediate attraction bordering on insta-love" because I think it's pretty instant on Sam's part and for Thad its nearly there but he's afraid to completely embrace it.

I loved seeing inside the mind of the killer in this story, its not something that always works, it can distract from the couple at the heart of the story, but Rick R Reed makes it work here.  I get why Sam is leary to reveal everything to Thad and I equally get why this makes Thad hesitant to completely open his heart to Sam but more than once I just wanted to bang their heads together and scream "Communicate!".  Throw in Thad's new friend Jared, which some might call an obstacle to the couple being happy but I call just plain awesome.  Jared is a fun character that gives Thad some much needed companionship but it also gives him reasons to guard his heart, to grow, and gives his protective side reason to show.

All in all, Dinner at the Blue Moon Cafe is a brilliant read that ticked my paranormal, romance, mystery boxes and it also touched on my love of horror as well making this a perfect read for October.

RATING: 


The Couple Next Door
Third Eye

A Face without a Heart

A Demon Inside
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IM

Dinner at the Blue Moon Cafe
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Release Day Blitz: Sin & Saint by JM Dabney

Title: Sin & Saint
Author: JM Dabney
Series: Executioners #4(Brawlers Spin-Off)
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: December 26, 2017
Cover Design: Winterheart Design
Summary:
Eric and Ellison Gant better known as Sin and Saint were opposite sides of the same coin. They epitomized the nicknames given to them by their friends in the band Executioners. One thing Sin and Saint did well was fight and being inseparable means they had a lot of disagreements, but one thing they agreed on was Sheriff Camden Pelter was theirs. The older, stoic man didn’t agree, yet they were determined to change his mind.

Camden Pelter had the daunting job of turning the Powers Sheriff Department around. The residents of the Georgia town didn’t have much faith or respect in the Deputies serving them. That’s where he came in and he was determined to do his job. That was easier said than done with two annoying brothers Sin and Saint who dogged his every step. No way in hell was he getting mixed up in the chaos that were the Gant Twins. Now if only if he could get them to listen and realize they didn’t have a chance of changing his mind.


“Sin and Saint, don’t they have real names?” Even though the names seemed perfect, he didn’t like them, and he wasn’t going to call his—nothing his was in this bar.

“Sin is Eric, and Ellison is Saint, but I don’t think they answer to them. Last I heard their mom started calling them Sin and Saint.”

“I won’t be calling them Sin and Saint.”

“Does that mean you’ll be calling them because they’re headed this way. Good luck.”

He nearly hollered for Twitch when the little man darted away. He was a grown ass man so he could handle two pretty boys. Their platinum blond hair tousled around their beautiful faces. Fuck, he caught sight of himself in the mirror behind the bar, and he looked old, well, ancient compared to them. The silver patch in his goatee stood out starkly and reminded him he wasn’t in his twenties or even thirties anymore.

Just don’t be an asshole, Camden, he ordered himself. His hand locked tight around the bottle as the most beautiful men he’d ever seen flanked him on either side. Their slim bodies pushing in beside him, and he instantly knew which one was Sin. The boy pressed in tight to his side, while Ellison, Saint, kept a bit of distance. In his peripheral, he noticed the innocent pink that stained Ellison’s cheeks and he wanted to reach for him. Chase the spreading color under the pads of his calloused fingers.

“Well, hello, sexy, you’re new.”

Eric’s soft fingertips stroked up his bare arm only being stopped by the rolled cuff of his dress shirt. His stomach tightened.

“Camden.”

“You’re Scary’s cousin.”

Ellison’s voice was softer, tinged with a hint of shyness that made him want to turn to him.

“Why don’t you come home with us, Camden?”

“Why don’t you go play with someone your own age, boy?”

He didn’t know where the brusque tone came from, but he didn’t want to be some notch for boys with Daddy issues. It was a rage in his abdomen. An emotion he’d never experienced before burned through his veins, and he couldn’t think beyond getting as far away from Eric and Ellison as he could. Part of he wanted to put them over his knee for propositioning some strange man in a bar. The other part of him, the one he needed to rein in, wanted to take them home.

“Twitch,” he called for the bartender and pulled enough from his pocket to cover his few beers, plus a generous tip.

“Goodnight, boys.”

Eric looked at him like he was insane to turn them down and maybe he was, but he was a grown ass man, and he knew what he wanted. Ellison avoided glancing at him and instead of embarrassment or shyness, the young man looked ashamed. He pushed back from the bar and started to walk away.
“Goodnight, Camden.”

Ellison’s sweet voice called to him, and he imagined what it would sound like when the boy screamed his name as he was buried balls deep. Angry with himself, he strode toward the door.

He knew what he wanted, something or someone only his, someone to care for and make happy. A quick fuck he wasn’t and twenty-one was too fucking young for what he had in mind. That didn’t keep his mind from wandering to the twin temptation he’d left back at Brawlers and it didn’t disappear even as he drove in the opposite direction of Powers, Georgia, and from the things he knew he couldn’t have.



Author Bio:
J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes mainly LGBT romance and fiction. She lives with a constant diverse cast of characters in her head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. she lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure she does them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and she makes sure her characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more she wants from telling her stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.


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Sin & Saints #4
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Series
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