Month: April 2015

She is the QUEEN OF BRIGHT AND SHINY THINGS–Review & Giveaway

The Queen - Review and Excerpt Tour bannerHi there! Today I’m reviewing a contemporary YA romance hot off the press! Released yesterday, Ann Aguirre’s THE QUEEN OF BRIGHT AND SHINY THINGS is a well-paced story about how a person’s kindness can change your world, and life, for the better.

Queen of Bright and Shiny Things - coverAbout the book:
Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

How about a little taste?

I have forty seconds to spare when I burst through the doors of the Curly-Q. Mildred gives me the side-eye, but since I’m not technically late, she just says, “Get your smock on, girl. There’s cleaning to be done.”

Though it’s not strictly legal or sanitary, I’m pretty sure they save the hair for hours. The stylists just sweep it away from the chairs and pile it out of the way. So by the time I arrive, there’s a small Sasquatch on the floor. It takes me an hour to get the shop pristine. Customers come and go, mostly walk-in haircuts. Around six, it slows down, and Grace beckons me to the chair.

“When are you gonna let me give you some highlights?” She asks this often.

This time, however, I say, “Tonight, if you have time.”

Grace gets excited. “Mildred, get the camera. I’ll do it free if you let me take a picture for the Before and After wall.”

I eye the wall, not sure I want to be immortalized up there, along with all the 80s hair and prom refugees, but eventually I shrug. “Why not?”

My hair is a dark blond, mousy and forgettable. I mean, it’s decent hair, neither straight, nor curly. Left to its own devices, it falls in messy waves. That’s why I wear a lot of ponytails and braids. Aunt Gabby has similar problems, only she gets it lightened and highlighted so it looks bright and flirty, and she spends forty-five minutes a day straightening hers, so it’s sleek and smooth by the time she goes to the shop. UPS Joe seems to like the results anyway.

Grace fastens me into the plastic smock, then snaps a Polaroid. I still don’t care that much how I look; I mean, it’s so superficial, but a small part of me would like to be prettier, at least maximize what I’m working with. I tell myself this is more of a social experiment, and I can evaluate how people react to the new me. But that’s not it.

I’m totally doing this to see if Shane notices. Sometimes I hate being a girl.

My Review:

Sage is 16 and an orphan living with her father’s half-sister. She strives to be a model teen, getting involved in activities and keeping good grades. She’s been abused and placed in foster care before and never wants to return. Her tiny Illinois farm town is a tight community, and Sage has fit in by being the sidekick/best friend of Ryan, a gangly boy who is just beginning to pull off the ‘hipster’ look he’s adopted. They’ve been inseparable besties for the past three years, and Sage often wonders why Ryan isn’t interested romantically…still Sage looks on the bright side, always, and performs daily acts of kindness–like leaving post-it note affirmations on the lockers of kids when she sees they are having bad times.

A new guy moves into town, Shane Cavendish, and his worn clothes and general scruffiness are catnip to the bullies, headed by star athlete Dylan. Sage can’t bear to see this kid shoved around, and decides to step in. For his part, Shane wants nothing to do with anyone. He’s stunned that anyone takes any interest in him at all, and Sage’s interest is really intense. She can see that he’s had a rough life, perhaps rivaling her own, and wants to help, to show him that he is not alone.

They develop a tenuous friendship, which puts Ryan into Protector mode, but, beyond that, Sage starts to see the secrets behind her friendships, and Ryan’s got some big-time explaining. Not that Sage is an open book. No, her shiny veneer hides a darkness that shouldn’t see the light of a high school hallway. Unfortunately, she makes an enemy of Dylan who threatens to ruin her for her interference.

Thing is, the more Dylan threatens, the more friends Sage makes, and her acts of kindness do not go unnoticed. Plus, for the first time ever, it seems that a boy she likes actually reciprocates. Shane is in need of connection, and Sage is a force to be reckoned with in that regard. He is drawn into her knot of friendships and they explore dating in a quiet way, much to Ryan’s chagrin.

I did enjoy the slow reveal of Sage’s backstory. I adored her ‘do-goodiness;’ how she searched daily for someone she could cheer up with a kind note. I loved her relationship with her aunt, and how she refused to ride in a car because her dad died in a wreck. She is strong, and principled, and kind. She isn’t nasty or mean, but can be fierce when pushed.

Shane is….*shakes head* such a GREAT love interest. He is kind and compassionate and loving and all the things that Sage deserves. And she works very hard to get him, and to keep him, even when it means revealing more about herself than she ever planned to do.

This is an age-appropriate teen read with humor, heart and a relentless force for good leading the charge against bullies, pollution and neglect.

Interested? You can find THE QUEEN OF BRIGHT AND SHINY THINGS on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Books-a-Million, Powell’s, and IndieBound.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win on of 5 signed copies of THE QUEEN OF BRIGHT AND SHINY THINGS.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Ann AguirreAbout the author:
Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.

You can find Ann online on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Goodreads, or sign up for her newsletter.
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Love in the LIMELIGHT–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I”m sharing my review for an anthology of contemporary M/M romance novellas. LIMELIGHT is a collection that will satisfy all lovers of M/M romance. It’s got friends-to-lover stories, reconnection, and coming out, and it’s got heat…
(This is an adult read.)

Limelight
By H.L. Holston, Sara York, Eleanor Bruce, and E.M. Leya 
 

About the book: 

Some dream of fame and fortune, but it isn’t always everything one might think it will be. It doesn’t matter what entertainment industry you’re in, you have to sacrifice, and when it comes to love, well that brings on a million other issues.

Inside you’ll find three stories about men in the limelight. They worked hard to gain the fame they’ve found, but in doing so, they all have longed for one thing — Love. Some things might come easy for these men, but when it comes to sharing their hearts, things are never simple and either are the men they desire.

 

Available to purchase at
Time Gone By by E.M. Leya

Jon is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. The fame and fortune he has is like nothing he ever imagined, but he left behind the only man he’d ever loved to achieve it.

Wyatt thought he’d put the past behind him and moved on, focusing on his career as he hides the truth about himself from those who are closest to him. Why should he risk his family and friends with being honest when his only reason left town six years ago?

When fate throws the two men together again, they are forced to confront things from the past that they both don’t want to admit, but the passion and desire for each other is stronger than ever, proving that no matter how much time has gone by, the heart knows what it wants.

Excerpt
“Hey.”
Jon looked up to see Wyatt standing in the doorway.
“Want some company?”
“Sure.” Jon sat up straighter as Wyatt took a seat across from him. “So nursing, huh? It suits you.”
“Thanks. I debated on becoming a vet, but that was too many years stuck in school. I enjoy this. Now that I’m back home and working here, it’s nice. I worked in Phoenix for about a year, but hated every minute of it.” Wyatt leaned back, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
“Yeah, I don’t blame you. I hate living in the city. I miss this place.”
“You could move back.”
Jon tried to ignore the hopeful gleam in Wyatt’s eyes. “Yeah, I don’t think that would work. Most my business is in California. It’s just easier to stay there.” Honestly, he hated it and thought about moving back all the time, but the main reason he didn’t was sitting right across from him.
“You look good.” Wyatt didn’t hide the way his gaze traveled over Jon’s body.
“So do you.” Jon returned the same stare, and then wished he hadn’t. He could still remember that body pressed up against his, the taste of Wyatt’s lips against his own. It was as if it all happened yesterday.
“You want to go grab a cup of coffee downstairs and catch up?” Wyatt asked.
“Aren’t you working?”
“Got off about ten minutes ago. I was hoping you were still here.”
“Why?” Jon shook his head. “Sorry, that was rude. It’s just…” Jon stood and went to the doorway, looking down the hall.
“I know, Jon. It’s hard for me too, but I miss you. Miss talking about stuff. You’re my best friend.”
“I was.” Jon turned to look at him.
“You still are. No one will ever know me like you do.”
“It’s been nearly six years, Wyatt.”
“Doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”
Jon turned to look at him, struggling with the emotions he’d locked away for so long. “Sometimes it seems longer.” He shrugged. “I didn’t even know you’d gone to school.”
“Yeah, you were pretty upset when you left. I figured you weren’t checking up on me much.”
That wasn’t true. He might not have asked about him, but he did look for him every time he came back to town. Okay, so that wasn’t often, but still, Wyatt was always on his mind when he was visiting. “Can you blame me?”

 My Review:

This is a very tender reconnection story. Jon and Wyatt were childhood friends who became closeted teen lovers. They were each others first, and only, love. Six years have passed since Wyatt told Jon he couldn’t move to LA with him, and they haven’t spoken until Jon returns to their hometown after his father suffers a heart attack.

Wyatt is one of the nurses on the CCU, and they reconnect. When Jon is crushed by the grief, it is Wyatt who he turns to, but Jon is a celebrity, known for being “out” and Wyatt still remain in the closet–his parents are extremely homophobic.

Wyatt and Jon spend time together and it’s as if no time passed for them, their passion is still as hot, but their hearts are tentative. Jon wants a full partnership, and Wyatt to be with him always, anywhere. Wyatt takes some time to convince…

For a novella it packs a serious emotional punch.

 

Suck This, Neil Patrick Harris by H.L. Holston & Eleanor Bruce

Dante Moretti has a big problem. His acting career has hit the skids and he’s desperate to land the lead role in the next Hollywood blockbuster. It’s his last chance to get back on the superstar track.

But, his personal life is a train wreck. No sane director will work with him any longer. Solution? Bribe his best friend and former co-star, Chris Parker to play the role of his long-term boyfriend. Showing the world he’s in a committed relationship will hopefully convince casting agents he’s reformed, stable and trustworthy.

Even if it’s a lie.

What Dante doesn’t count on is the public’s reaction to the announcement that Chris and he are a couple…and his own feelings for Chris spiraling out of control.

Under the merciless cameras of the paparazzi, Dante is forced to choose–his leading man status or the man he thought was just his best friend. Who ever thought that pretending to be in love would be this hard?
Excerpt

He’d never seen
Chris and Katie go at it like this before. Sure, they had bickered on set, but this was a war of words. If Dante had one ounce of bisexuality in his bones, he would have been cheering for them to make out after they stopped arguing. They were that hot together in the heat of passion. He was beginning to see the appeal of their coupling from the show now. No wonder Space
Pirates fans had cried when Katie’s character had died in Chris’ arms.
But he had to stop this now. At least half the crowd had out their cell phones and were filming Chris and Katie’s argument. Going from past experience, Dante knew the clips would be up on YouTube within minutes. He had damage control to do.
Dante pushed himself between his two former co-stars and shouted, “Enough!”
That got everyone’s attention. Chris looked at him in confusion, Katie, well, she looked impressed he’d intervened.
He grabbed Chris’ hand tightly, glanced to the other man for permission, and when Chris nodded, Dante said in a deliberately loud voice, strong enough to reach the line of fans still strolling in the front door of Hollywood Book and Poster.
“I’m sorry we sprung this on you here, Katie and not in private beforehand. But, I’m not going to apologize for dating Chris.” He paused dramatically, and forty fannish faces pressed in closer to listen. “Not when I feel like the luckiest son-of-a-bitch on the planet that he even agreed to go out with me. He’s everything I ever wanted in a partner, and I refuse to hide the fact we’re a couple.”
Dante laid his next monologue on thick.
Staring deeply and what he hoped was adoringly into Chris’ face, he said, “I love him and I’m keeping him for as long as he’ll have me!”
You could have heard a pin drop. They were well and truly out of the closest now. Katie’s expression had softened a bit from her previous stance, but Dante could tell from the fire still in her eyes, they’d have more explaining to do after the autograph signing.
While she still appeared doubtful, the crowd around them erupted into chaos. More phones came out and their fans’ commentary started:
“How long have Chris and you been dating?”
“I thought Chris was straight?”
Finally, one triumphant voice exclaimed, “I knew they were f**king! I knew it.”

My Review:
Dante and Chris have been friends for years. It was Chris, a child actor now grown, who took Dante under his wing years ago and taught him the ins-and-outs of TV acting. Now Chris is going through a rough patch, and staying at Dante’s home.

Dante’s job prospects aren’t great. He’s on the callback list for a big part, but he’s a Hollywood pariah due to his off-screen relationship issues. If he were in a stable committed relationship, even a gay one, the studio would be willing to take a chance, so Dante enlists Chris to be his boyfriend.  He had an initial crush on Chris way back when, but the Friends Zone is where Chris resides in Dante’s heart…or does he.

Chris is (mostly) heterosexual–what happened in college stays in college!–but he’s not really keen on Dante’s plan. Sure, it may help Dante, but at the expense of his own career? Still, he agrees to go along.

Both men struggle with this arrangement, Chris because he’s never been with a man in public, and Dante, because he’s not sure where the fantasy ends–behind closed doors he and Chris do continue their “relationship.”

It seems as if they are really poised to become that power couple their fans had clamored for for years, but Dante’s not good at relationships, and he needs a few kicks in the pants to get it right this time. Not only for his career, but also for his friend and lover.

It’s a fun little story, with a lot of heat and heart, combined. I loved Chris, and how he never took Dante’s crap. Dante was a delightfully oblivious, in the good way. I’m glad this friends-to-lovers story worked out.

Center Stage by Sara York
Country music is Slade Pepper’s first love and he can’t walk away from the stage, but being gay and in country music doesn’t allow him to have a personal life. Slade takes the month off to decompress and search his soul. He meets Corbin Branford and can’t say no to a passion filled night.

One night turns into more, but Corbin has no idea who Slade is, and Slade tries to keep it that way…until a fan blows his cover. Corbin is angry enough to leave, but Slade Pepper won’t give up without a fight.

Excerpt

Corbin rocked his hips against Slade’s, his thumb playing with the button of Slade’s jeans. “I’ve been watching you all night, and God, I’ve wanted to touch you.”
Thunder rumbled outside and the lights flickered. The rain came down, growing louder as the thunder died out. Corbin leaned back, his gaze searching. “Let’s eat and then we can figure out what…Mmm, damn, you sure are sexy.”
Slade nodded, his body hot from Corbin’s touch. “Eat first, then maybe something else later?”
Slade wanted that something else very much. He was hot and getting hotter, but Corbin hadn’t eaten. The guy was probably starving.
“I’d like to know more about you. Are you visiting with your family?”
Slade moved to the table and pulled out a chair, holding it for Corbin. He was a southern gentleman. No matter who he liked to fuck, he’d been raised with manners, and those manners would be used.
Corbin quirked a brow as he sunk into his seat. “Nice touch. I think we’ll most definitely be doing something after I’m no longer starving.”
Slade slid into the other chair and picked up his burger, taking a bite. He moaned and closed his eyes, focusing on the flavors in the meat. “They really are good burgers.”
“Thanks. I’ve won a couple of awards, nothing big, but you know, it helps.”
Slade smiled and took another bite as he stared at Corbin, taking in his small frame and lean muscles. The guy really was beautiful. If only he could stay on this island, then maybe he could actually have a relationship. But he’d be gone in a few weeks. Perhaps Corbin wouldn’t mind a part-time gig. Hell, he might actually enjoy it.

My Review:

Slade is a well-known country singer with a big secret. He’s gay. Being in the spotlight has been rough on him, physically and emotionally, and the lack of any romantic involvement for the past two years has left his creativity well run dry. At the end of his tour, he takes four weeks on vacation to a quiet South Carolina island home of a friend.

While staying there he meets Corbin, owner of a local pub, and the attraction is immediate. Still, he’s nervous about revealing himself–he’s afraid that Corbin will only see his fame, or won’t want to be in his spotlight.

As it turns out, Corbin is very attracted to “Matt” the super helpful customer who volunteered to help man the grill when his regular cook called in sick. Corbin and “Matt” work well together! but the bedroom menu is far hotter and spicier! with a dash of sweetness than either man predicted.

Slade knows he needs to come clean, and makes a plan to, but his identity is revealed before he has a chance. Corbin is upset, for different reasons than Slade had expected–he’s been betrayed by men in his past. Through some very candid conversation, they decide to continue, but this all may end in a few weeks, anyway.

It’s not like Slade’s ready to risk his career in country music to come out publicly…right?

This is a really sweet coming out story. Slade and Corbin may fall for each other a tad to quickly, but both men had been without a partner for years leading up to their meeting. I liked the level of support on both sides, and the touch of bad blood from some of Slade’s band mates added to the realism.

About The Authors
Emma Marie Leya, aka E.M Leya lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her daughter, two dogs, a cat, and two birds. When she isn’t writing, she is an avid swimmer with a passion for the mountains. She’s often found playing outdoors.

You can find E.M at             

Writing is Sara York’s life. The stories fight to get out, often leaving her working on four or five books at once. She can’t help but write. Along with her writing addiction she has a coffee addiction. Some nights, the only reason she stops writing and goes to sleep is for the fresh brewed coffee in the morning. Sara enjoys writing twisted tales of passion, anger, and love with a good healthy dose of lust thrown in for fun.

You can find Sara at       

H.L. Holston & Eleanor Bruce met when a friend put them in charge of the writing awards at a local sci-fi convention, but bonded over their mutual love of Bruce Springsteen. In real life, after many years of teaching social studies at the high school level, Holly has now semi-retired to Florida where she tutors reading and writing in between scrapbooking and reading romance novels.

Eleanor has been a professional business writer since 1989 and an amateur fiction writer for over fifteen years and dreams of following the E Street Band around once she retires, unless Holly talks her into buying a condo on the beach in Costa Rica.

You can find Holly at       

You can find Eleanor at    

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Raffle copter link below for your chance to win a Fandango giftcard!

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

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They Find Life is NOTHING LIKE PARIS–A Review

Hi there! Today I want to share some love for a book recently released by a fellow Chicagoan. I really enjoyed Amy Jo Cousin’s OFF CAMPUS, and thought, “Hmmm, I”ll give book two a try.” I was bit nervous, because the main character in NOTHING LIKE PARIS was a bully and the subject of conflict in OFF CAMPUS. I wondered: How can the villain be transformed into the hero? Well, that’s an author’s job, and Ms. Cousins did it well! (This is an ADULT read)

Nothing Like Paris (Bend or Break, #2)About the book:
Humble pie wasn’t supposed to taste this sweet.

Jack Tarkington’s life is in the toilet. He was supposed to be spending his junior year studying someplace cool like Paris or Rome. Instead, after taking out his anger on the campus “golden boy”, whose dad ripped off his parents, Jack is facing possible expulsion.

Sure, it’s all his own fault, but coming back to the small Iowa town he thought he’d escaped, after crowing about his admission to a prestigious school, has been a humbling experience.

When he runs into Miguel, Jack braces for backlash over the way he lorded it over his old friend and flame. Instead, Miguel offers him friendship—and a job at his growing farm-to-table store and café.

Against the odds, both guys bond over broken dreams and find common ground in music. But when Jack’s college gives him a second chance, he’s torn between achieving a dream that will take him far from home, and a love that strikes a chord he’ll never find anywhere else.

Warning: This book contains a humbled guy who’s on the brink of losing it all, a determined entrepreneur who seems to have it all together, apologies issued through banjo-picking duets, and two lovers who can play each other’s bodies like virtuosos.

My Review:
This is the second book in a series–it can likely be read as a standalone.

Jack has been suspended from his east coast college for harassment of a fellow student, Tom Worthington. Tom’s father had orchestrated a Ponzi scheme which took down the retirement, college and investment funds of many–including Jack’s father’s. While a student, Jack resented seeing Tom on campus and his campaign of hate resulting in Jack’s discipline–and a disgraceful return to his dismal home in Colchester Falls, Iowa. Jack’s family is in a bad way–his mother’s a functional (but really dysfunctional) alcoholic and his father is emotionally unavailable. Plus, these relationships have been further strained by Jack being an out gay man.

Upon his return, Jack encounters his high school boyfriend, Mike Vargas, who is now running a farm-to-table eatery featuring the produce of his family farm. Mike was supposed to go east with Jack three years ago, but gave up his scholarships to stay on the farm when his father had a second heart attack. Mike is a smart, industrious man, but he’s stifled in this small community, always on guard to keep his sexuality on the down low. People know he’s gay, but he’s too timid to “flaunt” it, fearing his business will suffer. He’s hopelessly angry/in love with Jack. The love was from their six year history as friends/lovers (junior and senior high school) but he hates how Jack just left–early–for college and left him behind.

This reconnection story is well told and has good pacing. Jack doesn’t win Mike back immediately. Mike is on constant guard of his heart, never giving Jack the chance to work his Jack-magic. In the meantime, they do work together, and through Mike’s selfless example, Jack grows out of his angry-at-the-world stance. He reaches out to other at-risk youth, helping to form a GSA at his former high school. This brings him in touch with his old guidance counselor who helps him find some peace regarding his mother worsening alcoholism.

All the good is really working in Jack’s favor–so much so, he makes a grand gesture to resolve his difficulties at school–and tries to broaden Mike’s world, as well.

Mike had felt overlooked by his father for a long time–being passed over for management of the farm was especially cutting–but through some hard truths from papi and Jack, Mike learns that, perhaps, this small town life isn’t his ultimate destiny.

It’s a good story. I really enjoyed Jack’s change from petulance to maturity. Mike is a great guy, and he deserves all that he receives. His recognition that his need to “save” Jack was a hindrance to their growth as a couple, and enabled them to become more equal partners going forward.

Interested? You can find NOTHING LIKE PARIS on Goodreads, Amazon, Samhain Publishing, AllRomance and Barnes & Noble. I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

The first book in this series, OFF CAMPUS is another steamy read about an unlikely couple. Check out my review or you can find OFF CAMPUS on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, iBooks, and on the Samhain website. (I got a review copy of this book from NetGalley.)

Amy Jo CousinsAbout the Author:
Amy Jo Cousins lives in Chicago, where she writes contemporary romance, tweets more than she ought, and sometimes runs way too far. She loves her boy and the Cubs, who taught her that being awesome doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with winning.

You can find Amy Jo online on her website, Goodreads, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Cover Reveal for MOMENT OF CLARITY

Hi there! Today I”m sharing in the cover reveal for the third book in Karen Stivali’s Moments in Time series. As you may remember, I loved MOMENT OF IMPACT and MOMENT OF TRUTH…so I’ve been waiting for MOMENT OF CLARITY to get out here already!

So, here it is!
Moment of Clarity hires copy
About the book:
Spending the summer together on Fire Island brought Collin and Tanner closer than ever, but back in their conservative college town, challenges confront them at every turn.

As they search for their new normal in their old environment, Collin’s brother Sean surprises them with help when they need it most. But when word about their relationship gets out, trouble erupts with friends and family. When Collin’s relationship with Tanner becomes an issue in his brother’s custody battle, and Tanner struggles with his feelings for a heartbroken Wendy, Collin wonders if everyone he cares about would be better off without him in the picture. In order to save them both, Tanner must make it clear to Collin that their love for each other is all that matters.

MOMENTS IN TIME is the paperback version and contains all three novellas (Moment Of Impact, Moment Of Truth and Moment Of Clarity) in one volume. Both will be available May 6th.

Interested? Both books are available for pre-order at Dreamspinner Press. Find Moment of Clarity in eBook, and Moments in Time in Paperback.

If you haven’t read the first two books in this series, you may want to catch up before MOMENT OF CLARITY drops. Check out my reviews of both MOMENT OF IMPACT and MOMENT OF TRUTH where you can also find the buy links!

Karen stivaliAbout the author:
Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She’s also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. Her lifelong fascination with people has led her to careers ranging from hand-drawn animator, to party planner, to marriage and family counselor, but writing has always been her passion. Karen enjoys nothing more than following her characters on their journey toward love. Whether the couples are m/f or m/m, it’s guaranteed that Karen’s novels are filled with food, friendship, love, and smoking hot sex–all the best things in life.

When Karen isn’t writing (and often when she is), she can be found on Twitter attempting witty banter and detailing the antics of her fruit-loving cat, BadKitteh. She loves to hear from readers (and other writers), so don’t hesitate to contact/follow/like her at twitter, Facebook, her website, Pinterest, and Goodreads. You can also email her here.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

He Will STEELE: INTO YOUR HEART–Release Day Review

Hi there! I’m so excited to share with you my thoughts on a contemporary erotic romance from Rie Warren. I’ve really enjoyed STONE: AT YOUR SERVICE and LOVE: IN THE FAST LANE, both books in her Carolina Bad Boys series. STEELE: INTO YOUR HEART is the third book, but can be read as a standalone.

Steele: Into Your Heart (Carolina Bad Boys, #3)About the book:
Brodie Steele is a badass MC dude. Ashe Kingston is a sexy police officer with an attitude. Their bad blood runs deep. But after they hook up at a wild biker week, can they keep their pact? What happens at Bike Week stays at Bike Week. Yeah, right.

Riding out the rough years following a family tragedy, Brodie is still trying to put his life back together when he finds something he never expected with Ashe. She annoys the ever lovin’ hell out of him, and turns him on so much he can’t see straight. He keeps coming back for more.

Ashe isn’t just a hard-nosed police officer. And she wants no part of Brodie outside of their no-strings-attached fling. There’s no way he’s settling-down material but he’s hard to resist with his inked sleeves and rebellious ways, not to mention piercings in places that make Ashe melt. Brodie Steele is dangerous, delicious, and suddenly determined to have her.

If there’s anything more risky than laying his heart on the line for this sexy woman, it’s Ashe’s job. It puts her life in danger in a way he can’t possibly protect her from. Can their hot bond win out over the bad blood of years past? Or will Ashe be taken from Brodie before she lets him into her heart?

My Review:
As with the previous books in this series, it’s written entirely from the male lead’s POV–so we get the inside of Steele’s filthy mind, as well as his filthy mouth. Thing is, it’s awesome, because Brodie Steele isn’t just a big bad biker–he’s a good guy.

He works hard, and loves his siblings and misses his parents and wants a real life with a real woman. He’s played the field a good long time, and we can’t believe the connection he makes with Officer Ashe Kingston on his Bike Week vacay to Myrtle Beach. No, the tough-as-nails cop who, years ago, arrested his junkie sister (Cat, from LOVE IN THE FAST LANE) cannot be the sexy tiger lily tatted sex nymph with whom he spends five luxurious days and five incendiary nights.

Well, okay, it’s the same gal, but he doesn’t think about her the same after that. Some people have a Come-To-Jesus moment, Brodie has a Come-With-Ashe week, and it’s not okay that she cuts him out the second their tires hit the serene streets of Mt. Pleasant.

Brodie can’t handle the separation, but he does, out of respect–but soon the lines get blurred and he and Ashe reconnect, only to have him be on the outs again. People in his motorcycle club think he’s a traitor for dating a cop, but all he wants is a real try with Ashe, one she isn’t willing to give him…until her daughter walks in.

That’s right, Ashe is a single working mother, and she never brings men home. But Cara is a charmer, and she has NO problems with Brodie, or his tats or his motorcycle, because Cara sees how happy Ashe is when Brodie’s around. And, Brodie? Absolutely smitten with this 8 year old truth-bomb-dropping soccer phenom.

But, as Ashe and he get closer to the real deal, life gets in the way. Ashe is promoted to Detective, and her first case is investigating Brodie’s motorcycle club. Brodie and his brother Boomer–who run the club–are good guys and squeaky clean, but there are brothers in their midst who are not, and it looks like Ashe is a big target for them. Brodie’s already lost his parents, losing Ashe isn’t even an option.

As always, with these books I’m just along for the ride. Living and loving alongside a stand-up guy who will melt the heart of his chosen one. Brodie is as delicious as they come, from groomed goatee to body art to junk jewelry. He loves with his entire self, and will not turn his back, even to protect his own heart. Ashe is a strong, fierce woman who won’t take crap from anyone, except, perhaps, her daughter.

You want a sexy read with a seriously good guy, not a controlling lover? Steele is your man.

Interested? You can find STEELE: INTO YOUR HEART on Goodreads and Amazon. For release day it’s on sale for $.99. You won’t regret it…

Again this is the third book of delicious Carolina hotness, from Rie Wareen. You can find the buy links for STONE: AT YOUR SERVICE and LOVE: IN THE FAST LANE in my review pages.

Rie WarrenAbout the Author:
Badass, sassafras Rie Warren is the author of Sugar Daddy and the Don’t Tell series—a breakthrough trilogy that crosses traditional publishing boundaries beginning with In His Command.

She lives in gorgeous Charleston, South Carolina with her small family where she basks in the sunshine during the day, and adjourns to her woman cave at night. A nocturnal creature, she stays up way too late talking to herself, her characters, and anyone who will listen. She’s all about writing with heat, heart, and a hint of the dark, and she doesn’t shy away from the impossible.

Rie’s work has been called “edgy”, “daring”, and “some of the sexiest smut around”.

You can find Rie online Goodreads, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Cover Reveal for ENTWINED!

Hi there! Today I get to help reveal the cover for a new release from a friend and fellow author, Cherie Colyer. ENTWINED is Cherie’s fourth YA novel, and the third in her Embrace series.

Without further ado….

EntwinedAbout the book:

Only a few months after embracing her magical powers, defeating a dark witch, and banishing a faerie prince back to his realm, sixteen-year-old Madison Riley is back in book three of the Embrace series—and doing the bidding of a demon. She has no choice but to do so if she wants him to honor the deal they made to save the life of someone she loves. Twenty years of service to a creature of hell is a big price, but one she’s willing to pay. And it sure beats the alternative: selling her soul.

But life gets complicated when you’re the beck-and-call witch of a crossroad demon. Caden, the demon she serves, wants to become master of Death Himself, and with Madison at his side he has the means to do it.

It’s up to Madison and her coven to foil his plans, but Caden’s intentions aren’t entirely evil—and the kisses he seals his deals with aren’t too bad either. As Caden’s motives test Madison’s trust, his shameful flirting tries her boyfriend Isaac’s patience. But being caught between two supernatural hotties is perhaps the least of her concerns when the coven’s interference in Caden’s plot might just cost Madison her life and unleash hell on earth.

ENTWINED is the third book in the series and due for an April 14th release from OmniFic Publishing. Check out my reviews for EMBRACE and HOLD TIGHT, the previous books in the series, so you’re all caught up!

Interested? You can order ENTWINED in advance of its release on Amazon. I am so excited to read this one! Look for my review in a couple weeks!

Cherie ColyerAbout the Author:

Cherie Colyer writes young adult and middle grade novels. She loves finding new stories that keep her up late reading. While her favorite genre is fantasy, if the book is beautifully written with characters that come alive she’s all over it. She’s published three young adult paranormal thriller/romances CHALLENGING DESTINY and the Embrace Series: EMBRACE (bk1) and HOLD TIGHT (bk2) with ENTWINED the fourth book out in the past three years.

Find her online here:
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Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Can’t SCRAP Love–My Review on Joyfully Jay!

Hi there folks! Well, I’ve been blogging a bit, and as it stands I think I’m doing it right. I read books, I write about books, people actually read what I write about books, and I’m feeling good about that.

I recently snatched up the opportunity to “branch out” a bit as an ad hoc reviewer for Joyfully Jay. That’s a lady with a kick-ass book blog, let me tell you.

Anywho, from time to time, I’ll be reviewing books on her blog, and I’m going to post a short bit here to let you know you can find me there.

Make sense? Of course it does!

You folks are awesome, that way.

Today’s my first appearance on Jay’s blog, so I hope you’ll tune in and check out my review of SCRAP by Josephine Myles. It’s a heartwarming story about two unlikely British men–one a toff and the other a working-class bloke–finding love in a junkyard. Here’s the cover and info…

Scrap (The Bristol Collection, #3)

About the book:

When things come to a head, there’s nowhere to go but down…

On the surface, Derek “Call Me Dare” Nelson’s life is simple, doing up custom campervans while living in a slightly illegal caravan in his riverfront yard. When a handsome, smooth-talking developer offers to buy the land out from under his feet, Dare realizes it’s the same man he had to escort home from a party months ago for causing a drunken scene.

Grant Matravers lives a double life, attempting to adjust to weekends as a single, divorced gay man while staying closeted at work. The strain of keeping up the part-time pretense, missing his kids, and now a problematic attraction to the shave-headed, tattooed Dare, has worn his emotional barriers dangerously thin.

Dare blasts through those barriers in a way Grant isn’t prepared for, challenging everything he thought he knew about himself as a gay man. But as their chemistry heats up and the intimacy between them grows, Grant edges toward a decision that could blow up in his face. Exposing a hornet’s nest of complications that could destroy any chance for happily ever after.

It was ever so luscious… Click here for my full review.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Cover Reveal for THE KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE

Knight Of Oceans Avenue Cover Reveal Banner
Hi there! Today I get to help reveal the cover for Tara Lain’s soon-to-be-released contemporary M/M romance, THE KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE. I’m so excited for this coming out story to, well, come out!

And look how pretty it is:
Knight of Ocean Avenue 400x600
About the book:
How can you be twenty-five and not know you’re gay? Billy Ballew runs from that question. A high school dropout, barely able to read until he taught himself, Billy’s life is driven by his need to help support his parents as a construction worker, put his sisters through college, coach his Little League team, and not think about being a three-time loser in the engagement department. Being terrified of taking tests keeps Billy from getting the contractor’s license he so desires, and fear of his mother’s judgement blinds Billy to what could make him truly happy.

Then, in preparation for his sister’s big wedding, Billy meets Shaz—Chase Phillips—a rising star, celebrity stylist who defines the word gay. To Shaz, Billy embodies everything he’s ever wanted—stalwart, honest, brave—but even if Billy turns out to be gay, he could never endure the censure he’d get for being with a queen like Shaz. How can two men with so little in common find a way to be together? Can the Stylist of the Year end up with the Knight of Ocean Avenue?

How about a little taste?

“Okay, I need to ask, and I have nothing on it so don’t get defensive.”

Billy squinched his nose. “That’s not the best way to keep a guy from getting defensive.”

Shaz grinned. “I know. Not subtle, but seriously, why haven’t you taken the contractor’s license test?”

Shit. Defensive.

Shaz held up a hand. “I assume it has something to do with your reading ability, but I thought Clancy and Yerby and all those others on your bookshelves overcame that issue.”

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

“You read well enough to take the test? Because if not, I’ll bet they’ll let someone read it to you.”

“I can read.” He put down his fork.

Shaz leaned over and picked up the fork. “Come on, darling, this is Shazzy Wazzy. I am no threat at all to you.” He scooped some mashed potatoes and flew them like a plane toward Billy’s mouth.

For a second, Billy compressed his lips. Jesus, the guy was impossible to resist. He burst out laughing. The first time he’d ever laughed at this subject. “I’m afraid to take tests. I panic.” His heart beat fast just thinking of it. He snapped the potatoes off the fork and chewed.

Shaz put a hand on his arm, which made him feel calm and excited at the same time. “How do you know?”

“Know what?”

“That you panic when you take tests?”

Billy frowned. “I’ve blown every test I tried to take since the eighth grade. It got so bad I had to drop out of high school. I could have tested out, but I couldn’t take the test, and I never got my GED because I—”

“Couldn’t take the test. My God, that’s awful.”

The frown got deeper. “Like I said, I’m too dumb to take tests.”

Shaz leaned over until all he could see was that pretty face. “This has nothing to do with dumb. Does it?”

Billy stared at his almost empty plate.

“Does it?”

He shook his head.

“What does it have to do with? Who made you afraid?”

“What?”

“I said who made you afraid. Someone did.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you’re a strong, capable man who isn’t afraid to take the whole damned world on his shoulders. There’s no reason for you to be afraid of anything unless someone told you there was.”

He nodded slowly. His heart hammered so hard it felt like his chest would explode. “I got beat up a lot in grade school because I was small and couldn’t read.” He shrugged. “I know. Hard to believe, right? Behemoth that I am. Anyway, my eighth grade English teacher was the worst, I guess. I could barely read, and she gave us test after test. I couldn’t read the books and I couldn’t read the test.” His pulse hammered in his ears. Like he was back there in that god-awful room. “She constantly told me how dumb I was and made sure the whole class knew it. I didn’t grow until I was sixteen. I was still a little runt then and got beat up every day while they called me stupid.” Shit, tears pushed out of his eyes. This was not good. “I have to stop talking about this. I have to go.”

“No, Billy, I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He threw some on the table. Maybe a hundred dollars. Then he ran for the door.

“Billy!”

The cool evening air hit him like a bucket of water in the face. Where the hell was he going? He’d driven his truck. It was full of furniture, and Shaz had no way to get home. Billy Ballew did not leave a friend behind.

He stared down the sidewalk. That bench looked inviting. Staggering a little, he walked to it and sat. Just breathe. That’s why he never talked about this subject. Never even thought about it if he could avoid it. If he could just forget it, things would be better.

“Billy.”

He looked up at Shaz, who stood on the steps of the restaurant. The man walked toward him with that graceful saunter of his. “You didn’t go. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you left me here to rot.”

He managed to cock half a smile. “Too dry in California to rot.”

“Wither and blow away, then.” Shaz sat next to him. “I truly am sorry. I didn’t mean to open wounds. I have too many of my own to be picking at yours.” He held out his hand with a palm full of money. “You dropped something.”

“I want to pay for dinner.”

“Nope.”

“The champagne.”

“Nope. The least I can do after spoiling your meal is pay for it.”

“But—”

“Never argue with a queen, darling. We always win.”

Interested? THE KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE is due for a May 1st release from Dreamspinner Press. Feel free to pre-order…on eBook or paperback.

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at: