Month: March 2016

Crime Most Foul–CAPTIVE PRINCE-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m catching up with the whirlwind that is C.S. Pacat. Her CAPTIVE PRINCE trilogy began as a net sensation and is now a three-book M/M fantasy romance adventure that is a bestseller. I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole on these books, and cannot be more grateful. Fantastic fiction. Let us press on!

Captive Prince (Captive Prince, #1)About the book:
“This was Vere, voluptuous and decadent, country of honeyed poison”

Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the truthful heir to the throne of Akielos, but when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.

Beautiful, manipulative and deadly, his new master Prince Laurent epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.

For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else…

My Review:
This is a fantastic read. It’s not a M/M romance, per se, but the beginning of one, perhaps.

The action begins with Prince Damianos of Akelios being captured, stripped and bound as a pleasure slave to Prince Laurent of Vere. Akelios and Vere are enemy nations under a tentative truce since their last war 6 years ago. The decisive battle in this war was the one where both the king and first born son were killed, and Damianos had bested the prince in hand to hand combat on the field. Prince Laurent, only 13 at the time, was too young to take the crown and Vere has been held by the Regent king, Laurent’s pedophilic and profiteering uncle. “Damen” as Damianos is dubbed, has been made a particular gift for Laurent–who at 20 years of age is ten months shy of his coronation–by Damen’s half-brother who has unlawfully assumed control of Akelios. See, everyone thinks Damianos has died, tragically, allowing the crown to fall to the usurper.

This is a taut political drama with plenty of intrigue. Laurent wants nothing to do with Damen. He hates all Akelians due to the loss of his father and brother in battle with them. He also hates his uncle, which this reader suspects has something to do with the Regent king’s sexual proclivities and Laurent’s own frigidity.

This is not a romance. Damen is smart enough to understand that his life hangs in a very dangerous balance. Were any of the Veretians to learn his identity he’d be killed. In the meantime, Laurent spares little thought to brutalizing Damen. There is a wary respect that develops as Damen makes requests that confuse and intrigue Laurent, particularly regarding the disposition of two dozen Akelian pleasure slaves that languish in Vere. True to the insight of Tsun Su, one can expect that Laurent knows his life is also in a precarious position. Ten months remain until he takes the throne and it seems his uncle has played a very deep game to cement his further rule.

This book is titled Volume One, and is part of a richly-written series. It ends with Damen and Laurent at a rapprochement. Laurent needs soldiers who will defend him against his uncle’s schemes, and Damen knows that Laurent staying alive is the only thing keeping Vere from waging war on a divided Akelios. Keep you enemies closer, indeed.

Interested? You can find CAPTIVE PRINCE on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:
C.S. Pacat is a Melbourne writer. Her first series the Captive Prince trilogy began its life as an original web serial. Self-published in 2013 to critical and commercial success and acclaim, the Captive Prince trilogy was acquired by Penguin, and will be published worldwide in 2015.

You can find Ms. Pacat on her website, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Tasty Revelations WHEN ADAM FELL–Review and Giveaway!

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Hi there! Today I’m happy to share my review of a new contemporary M/M romance from Pat Henshaw. WHEN ADAM FELL is a reconnection romance from Ms. Henshaw’s Foothills Pride series. As you know I liked BEHR FACTS, so I was eager to read this one.

Don’t forget to catch the excerpt below and be sure to enter to win one of THREE $10 Starbucks gift cards.

WhenAdamFellFSAbout the book:
When his lover Jason’s drug addiction spiraled out of control, TV celebrity chef and cookbook author Adam de Leon walked away from him. Adam also abandoned his renowned restaurant in San Francisco to start a small bistro in the Sierra Foothills.
Five years later Adam is battling the conservative leaders of Stone Acres, California, to open a new restaurant in historic Old Town when Jason turns up on his doorstep—a recovered Jason, now going by the name David and claiming he’s overcome his addictions. What’s more, he begs Adam to take him back and says he’s ready for their happily ever after.

Adam has enough on his plate with problems plaguing the opening of his restaurant. And now he’s having a hard time deciding which to follow—his head or his heart.

I watched Jason rise from the stoop.
He looked good. His golden hair sparkled in the day’s first light. A happy smile tinged with nervousness spread across his lips. He was wearing a silver-gray Bogner jacket, some sort of expensive pants, and sturdy boots. Hanging from his shirt collar, his sunglasses looked like those high-priced titanium ones. All in all, the guy standing in front of me could easily have fit into the young, hip app crowd now flooding the valley. Too much money and no idea where to spend it. He looked like a guy who’d eat at the Bistro and then fucking strut up to me after dinner, put a wad of Franklins in my pocket, and whisper, “Quit this job and come cook for me.”
Nothing tempted me, especially not the hundred-dollar bills I’d thought were Monopoly money the first time I’d seen them. Nothing had moved me like this, seeing Jason rise straight up in front of me like a fucking miracle.
Standing there in my scuffed clogs, beat-up jeans, and ratty Stanford Cardinal T-shirt, I felt underdressed for this particular dream. Shouldn’t I at least be wearing my chef’s regalia, toque and all? Shouldn’t I have a Henckel in one hand and a Wüsthof in the other? Or maybe clutching a shield made of my cooking classics, which I’d written with an angry, tormented mind but a clear eye to royalties?
“Cat got your tongue?” the vision asked.
“Fucking A, man. Is it really you, Jason?”
“Sorta. Who else would come knocking at your door looking like me?” He flung his arms out like he wanted me to hug him or some shit.
I backed away and kept my hands to myself, though my dick perked up immediately. Did Jason have a twin or a younger brother, somebody who resembled him? I didn’t think so. All I’d thought for five years was nobody—and I mean nobody—could ever have come back from where my Jason had buried himself. At least I never thought so.
There’ve been moments in my life when I was sure I was losing my mind. When I knew whatever tenuous grasp on reality I thought I had was really smoke up my ass. This moment smacked of those. As the legendary John Fogerty sang and the great Yogi Berra is supposed to have said, it was like déjà vu all over again. Only not.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked. Suspicion tasted bitter on my tongue.
Slowly his arms came down, and he gave me a pained but understanding look.
“Yeah, well, it was too much to hope we’d just kiss and make up.” His husky croak had once made me roll over and do anything he asked, but not now. “Can I come in? It’s a little chilly out here.”
I wasn’t cold, but then I’m tall and stout, a real cliché chef image. Fuck, I guess somebody’s got to be the cliché, right? It’s how clichés are born.
I shrugged at his question, swiped at the sweat rolling from my forehead, and moved aside. “Kitchen’s downstairs.” I gestured to the steps.
He walked past me, letting his hand trail over my groin. Once I would have nearly come at the gesture. Now I ignored my dick because my mind was numb and had been for years. He might think he could reawaken my love and lust, but I was pretty fucking sure that ship had sailed and gotten lost at sea.

My Review:
This is the fourth book in a series, but can be enjoyed on it’s own.

Adam is a world-weary celebrity chef who’s always lamented the loss of his first love, Jason. They were two scared kids growing up in Stone Acres and left for San Francisco the first chance they had. While Adam scrabbled to become a chef, Jason was at his side, but things got muddled. Jason started using drugs and their partnership spiraled with his addiction until it hit rock bottom. Adam had to walk away, fearing that the only man he’d ever loved likely died alone.

Then, five years later, Jason appears on the stoop of Adam’s restaurant. And he’s not the emaciated shell Adam remembers. Now calling himself David, instead of his middle name Jason, he’s the pretty boy Adam fell in love with back in high school all growed up. Having had his heart broken once, Adaom’s wary, but every move David makes seems complimentary to Adam’s purpose. He’s the support gruff “thug chef” Adam always wished for.

The Foothills series is set in a town that’s rebelling against the influx of neuvo riche citizens out of the Bay area, particularly gay citizens. Each book has some drama related to a business enterprise and the meager attempts of citizenry or the town council to upset the progress. I’d really love for these conflicts to have a bit more meat on their bones. Chef Adam has to contend with vandalism and harassment, but he–and his trusty posse of gay entrepreneurs–seem to have the rapscallions bested before the first volley is even launched.

David, for his part, is a changed man who beat back addiction one app at a time. I would have loved to get into his head a bit. He’s the one carrying the guilt of their first failed love story, and while he’s apologetic, energetic and committed I never really got a sense of his struggle. I liked how he asserted himself, with Adam and with childhood tormentors, and felt he was a good guy–just the same as Adam did. I just would have liked more of his story and more of his angst. There had to be enormous challenges for him, in his past and also seeking this reunion with Adam. I wanted to experience his vulnerabilities, and was disappointed that I didn’t.

The book’s a romance, but it’s also a walk in Adam’s life. It’s not been easy, and he’s battled through. One of his adversaries noted that Adam’s a survivor, and he is, but he leaves the book far better off than surviving. Reuniting with David is the key ingredient his adult life had lacked. Do not expect any steam from this one. It’s breezy and shiny with a “we’ll conquer their town!” spirit that’s just a shade light. I’m always happy to see bullies and bigots get shafted, and you can expect that happens here.

Interested? You can find WHEN ADAM FELL on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon (US and UK), Barnes & Noble, AllRomance and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win one of THREE $10 Starbucks gift cards.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, was born and raised in Nebraska where she promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Now retired, Pat has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Fortunately, her incredibly supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.

Catch Pat on her website, Facebook, Amazon, twitter, and check out the Foothills Pride website for more deets on the series.

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Faith, Friendship and Love: THE BEST LAID PLANS–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new MMF menage romance from Lauren Gallagher. This author has many hats, and many names. I’ve really enjoyed several of her books, including LEAD ME NOT, WHAT HE LEFT BEHIND, and LONE WOLF. THE BEST LAID PLANS is a little different as it’s not a gay, or M/M, romance. It features a committed married gay couple who want desperately to have a child and continue to be denied adoption due to one of the characters being Muslim. Then one of their dearest friends volunteers to be a surrogate…and life get complicated.

The Best Laid PlansAbout the book:
It’s a foolproof strategy…until the emotional balance shifts.

After yet another adoption falls through, Gabe is ready to give up, and Shahid isn’t far behind him. Apparently, being a gay couple—half of which is Muslim—is just one strike too many for the powers that be.

When their friend Kendra offers to carry their baby for them, both men balk at first, but gradually warm to the idea. Especially Gabe, whose bisexuality is open to the chemistry among the three of them.

The plan seems simple. Kendra and Gabe, foregoing the cold, impersonal IVF clinic, paperwork and red tape, will conceive the old-fashioned way. They’ll all share parenting responsibilities, and live happily baby after.

But as the heat flares between Gabe and Kendra, Shahid’s long-suppressed insecurities bubble to the surface. Then some unexpected news catches the trio off guard and derails their plans—and now one heart could be left out in the cold.

Warning: Authors subsist on the tears of readers. Please recycle your hankies by wringing out and reusing. We’d hate to be the cause of a worldwide shortage of Kleenex.

My Review:
This is a contemporary MMF menage romance between a married gay couple and a woman who volunteers to be a surrogate. Expect MM, MF, MMF and MFM pairings.

Gabe and Shahid have been together since college. Eleven years of monogamy, married, with a home they’d love to fill with children. They’ve been trying to adopt for years, but the process has been stymied three times when mothers back out on account of Shahid being an observant Muslim. Gabe is completely in love with his husband, even though their clash of religion makes life uncomfortable with his devoutly Roman Catholic family. Their rather callous insensitivity to Muslim customs and law is a constant aggravation, and Shahid’s grueling work schedule as an ER nurse precludes more than one or two visits annually, and never during christian holidays. (Because Shahid is a boss and takes double shifts so his christian co-workers can spend Christmas and Easter with their families…). Plus, Gabe’s bisexual, and wouldn’t life be easier with a woman. Or, not a Muslim… (These aren’t words that they speak, but the intent has been there all along, and don’t think Shahid isn’t sensitive to this. Because, trust me…he is.)

When this latest adoption falls through, Gabe’s work colleague (they are both high school science teachers and cross-country coaches) Kendra begins to consider offering herself for surrogacy. She’s been divorced from her cheating husband for three years and can’t seem to find a good man to date. Gabe and Shahid were her rocks through the divorce and it’s aftermath. They are all good friends, often spending movie nights and meals together. Kendra and Gabe have a solid friendship, and while Kendra’s not convinced she wants the own children yet, it pains her to see both Gabe and Shahid suffer without. After some soul searching she makes the offer.

Gabe and Shahid are gobsmacked, wary and curious. Neither man really wants to go through IVF–for religious and medical reasons–and Kendra’s a dear friend, willing to undertake Operation Pregnancy in the old-fashioned way: knocking boots… Shahid’s old jealousies regarding Gabe’s bisexuality are dusted off and presented afresh. Would Gabe leave him for Kendra? Again, and again, Shahid’s feared Gabe walking away, simply because of the complexities of their religious and familial detente. They all agree to think it over. A lot.

Shahid prays over it, and considers it. Kendra’s offer may be their one and only shot at parenthood. He agrees to see if Gabe and Kendra are compatible. Boy are they. And while it’s awkward and weird and fraught with complexity, Gabe having a taste of Kendra ramps his desire for Shahid up x 1000. (Not that they EVER had an issue with intimacy before.) The aftermath, however, results in Gabe offering to have Shahid present at their next tryst–so he can be a part of the process, and not feel excluded. And Kendra’s down for it. She’s always found both Shahid and Gabe attractive, and she so wants to help them–and not make it weird. The results are sexy-sexy. Shahid’s stunned at how aroused he is with Kendra in the middle. His fears of being excluded are invalidated; though he’s not particularly attracted to Kendra, the experience is mighty arousing. Shahid’s a confirmed gay man, though. That remains the same… well, mostly the same.

Fast forward, and there’s gong to be heartache. I was just as nervous that Shahid’s fears for Gabe and Kendra would be realized, and they are to a degree. This is a complicated relationship. Three dear friends, two committed spouses and a third, finding a love within each other. One that satisfies a need for family that Gabe and Shahid had been experiencing. I really loved how the intricacies of this all got discussed, rationally, and in detail. I loved Kendra, for her heart, and her selflessness. I didn’t want her to be alone when all was said and done.

What was really intriguing was the issue of faith. Shahid’s faith is strong. He’s observant in his religion, more so than Gabe and far more than Kendra. He’s in constant reflection of his actions, and decisions and if Allah would approve. For him, all things come from Allah, and that included Gabe, who initially approached Shahid under the guise of better understanding Islam in their comparative religions class. Though we do not have any contact with Shahid’s family, his reflections tell the reader that they are kind, compassionate people who are also faithful and believe that their son is who Allah intended him to be. I’m not sure if this is “pie in the sky” hopefulness, but the representation of a well-adjusted Muslim-American family (Shahid emigrated with his family from Pakistan when he was four) with a beloved gay son was powerful for me, from a diversity standpoint.

I also loved that the HEA actually hinged on what had been a source of conflict at the beginning: Shahid’s religion. I don’t believe it was convenient, either, because these characters all had a whole lot of suffering to get through before they got there. It’s an emotional read, with a lot of sexy moments, too. I don’t think the author left an unanswered questions for the reader, which was nice. This kind of story, an evolution of the standard relationship, is often tricky to balance. The characters are all good, kind, decent people who make good, kind, decent decisions 99% of the time. I have a hard time believing readers will not love all of them.

Interested? You can find THE BEST LAID PLANS on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Lauren Gallagher is an abnormal romance writer who has recently been exiled from the glittering utopia of Omaha, Nebraska, to an undisclosed location in South America. Along with her husband, a harem of concubines, and a phosphorescent porcupine, she remains, as always, in hiding from the Polynesian Mafia. For the moment, she seems to have eluded her nemesis, M/M romance author L.A. Witt, but figures L.A. will eventually become bored with the wilds of Spain and come looking for her. And when that time comes, Lauren will be ready. Assuming L.A. doesn’t have her hands full keeping track of Lori A. Witt and Ann Gallagher, which she probably will.

Visit her website, Facebook, and twitter.

On the Hunt: FINDING HIS FANTASY–Excerpt and Giveaway!

BannerTemplate(16)Hi there! I’m sharing an excerpt and giveaway for a new release from Deanna Wadsworth. FINDING HIS FANTASY is an odd couple romance between a suave art gallery owner and a sexy entrepreneurial islander.  It’s a one-night stand that might become more…

Catch the excerpt and get in on the 1Night Stand book giveaway below.

Finding His Fantasy-HighResAbout the book:

Forty-eight year old art gallery owner Paul Strait loves the nightlife—wild parties, stiff cocktails, and even stiffer men! But his decadent lifestyle has grown lonely and now he’s looking for love. Some days it seems that what he wants must be a fantasy. Hoping that the perfect guy is out there he enlists the help of Madame Eve.

After all, a fantasy service like 1Night Stand should be able to deliver his fantasy man, right?

Josef Debrossé runs an exotic gay bar in the Caribbean known only to locals and select tourists. The many patrons coming in and out of his bar ensure Josef never has a shortage of lovers but he’s grown tired of being just a vacation fling.

Josef wants to be another man’s lover and partner, not a mere souvenir from the islands.

Lost in a dance of lust and allure, both men are thrilled with Madame Eve’s choice for them and feel an intense connection the moment they meet. Flirting over drinks quickly leads to the bedroom. But after their fiery lust has been quenched, the night goes from fantasy to reality without warning. Secrets and frightening pasts threaten to shatter the magical illusion of their perfect date.

Will this budding romance survive in the face of reality?

How about a little taste?

“I am Josef Debrossé.” He had yet to release Paul’s hand—not that he had any complaints— and his blood warmed from touching a total stranger he’d paid to meet.

He let out a breathless chuckle, not surprised he’d been holding his breath.

“Paul Strait,” he replied, caught up in something…giddiness? Excitement? Sexual tension? He wasn’t sure, but he felt like a silly girl swooning on her first date. Almost as an afterthought, he added his signature tagline, “And I’m anything but.”

A rich resonant laughter danced around them, weaving a spell and capturing Paul inside it until he didn’t even know which way was up or down.

“C’est bon, Paul Strait,” he said, those hypnotic eyes sparkling.

When Josef released him, he had to resist the urge to take the man’s hand back and never let go, fearing he might disappear. Instead, he downed the rest of his champagne, scolding himself for being so ridiculous. He nodded toward the bar where plenty of stools sat open. “Can I buy you a drink?”

At the resort, everything was included, but it seemed like the most logical thing to say. Much classier than, “Are you wearing underwear?”

This one sounds spicy!! Yum.

Interested?  You can find FINDING HIS FANTASY on Goodreads, Amazon, BookStrand, Google Play, iTunes, Kobo, Smashwords and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win one of Ms. Wadsworth’s previous 1Night Stand books. (2 Winners!!)
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Meet the author:
Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. She has served multiple board positions at her local RWA chapter and with Rainbow Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. She loves music and dancing, and can often be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

You can find Deanna online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

You can also find her young adult alter ego, K.D. Worth on Facebook and Twitter.

Buy Deanna’s books at Dreamspinner Press, Decadent Publishing or at any reputable eBook seller.

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Falling for a HEARTBREAKER–Excerpt

Hi there! I’m so excited to share an excerpt for Kat and Stone Bastion’s new adult romance HEARTBREAKER coming in three weeks! You know I’ve loved their NO WEDDINGS books (No Weddings, One Funeral, Two Bar Mitzvahs, Three Christmases and For Valentine’s) so I’m excited to read their next collaboration. Especially as the female lead is one of the Michaelson sisters from No Weddings.

You can get a deal on the price by preordering for $.99! See deets below….

Heartbreaker (Unbreakable, #1)About the book:
Kiki Michaelson wants one wild night to forget her starving-artist worries. Simple.
Only instead of Darren Cole becoming her one-night stand, he taunts her with a challenge. Then while she’s trying to best him at his own game, he turns out to be the last thing she’s prepared for: someone she wants to keep.
Which means all he can ever be…is a friend.

Darren Cole never allows a girl to get close—not close enough to matter.
Then storms in Kiki Michaelson, a beautiful, fearless temptation that rocks his world off-balance. But he fights their attraction, unwilling to gamble something physical with their close ties. Until the passionate sculptor exposes her heart and breaks his wide open.

In that moment it becomes clear: she could never be just a friend.
Sometimes what you run from…is exactly what you need.

***HEARTBREAKER is a standalone, full-length new adult romance told in dual POV. Due to mature themes and adult language, this book is for those 18 and older.***

How about a little taste?

I watched his prone body lower, then lift.

Lower.

Lift.

My breath caught and my stride slowed as I drew closer. My mouth gradually fell open. My eyes widened.

Shirtless, baseball hat spun backward, hands sunk into silver metal pails of sand, he performed the most unique pushups I’d ever seen. His skin glistened with a sheen of perspiration under the section’s brighter lights. Taut muscles along his back, shoulders, and arms flexed under the strain of every measured drop and rise.

The world around me seemed to stop—except for him. Art in motion. Beauty in action. Every woman’s fantasy-come-to-life coalesced into one surreal moment where my mind fabricated my body beneath that incredible male form, under all that raw muscle and energy.

On the next downstroke, he paused. Then he glanced up. His gaze locked with mine.

Busted.

Yet powerless to stop myself, I studied the rigid contours of muscle as he held that position. The artist in me flared to life, imagining those lines sketched in charcoal. His tattoo. My gaze lingered on three thick curving tribal-style crescents. The largest began at the base of his neck, where its tip fanned into multiple points. Two smaller crescents overlapped tips with the first, each arcing a different direction, one toward his back, the other curving beneath his arm.

My skin began to heat under the spotlight of his attention, and I burned the image into my memory for when I had a quiet moment, later.

My mouth had gone dry.

I swallowed hard.

Then I found my voice as my brain cells finally began to fire again. “Really? You invite me here and do that” —I gestured toward him with a wild wave of my fingers— “and I’m supposed to think only friendly thoughts?”

His lips twisted into a smirk. “Try.”

I forced my attention back to his face and held his stare. “All I see is sex on a stick.”

Oh, shit. I blurted that out loud.

His knees lowered to the floor, then he pulled his hands from the sand. “Try harder.”

Oh, Kiki. Girl, you’re in trouble! I’ve got this bookin my TBR,a nd I’ll share my review on release day. In the meantime…

Interested? You can pre-order HEARTBREAKER in advance of it’s 3/22 release for only $.99 on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CAN, Amazon AU, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble UK, and Kobo.

About the authors:
Kat Bastion won several awards for her bestselling debut novel Forged in Dreams and Magick.

Kat and Stone Bastion’s bestselling first novel No Weddings and the No Weddings series were named Best of 2014 by multiple romance review blogs.

When not defining love and redemption through scribed words, they enjoy spending their time mountain biking and hiking in the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona.

Catch up with them online on their blog, Facebook, Kat’s Twitter, Stone’s Twitter, website.
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Fierce Love: RISE OF THE ALPHA SQUIRREL–Review and Giveaway!

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Hi there! Today I’m bursting with excitement over another weresquirrel novella from Kate Lowell. RISE OF THE ALPHA SQUIRREL is a rollicking tale about a weresquirrel and the human he adores above all sense and hazelnuts. Well, maybe most hazelnuts. You know I loved NUTS ABOUT YOU, and this second book in the Nutty Romances series was just as charming.

Catch my review, the plush giveaway and a fun excerpt from this world…

RiseoftheAlphaSquirrelfinalAbout the book:
Nathan’s met Vince’s family, but Vince hasn’t met Nathan’s, and Nathan would like to keep it that way. Holy smoked almonds, what else do you do when you know how completely nuts your relatives are?

Why, you ease your man into it, by introducing him to normal shifters. Assuming you can find any.

But with a gossipy werehummingbird spreading the news, and a pair of young red pandas wreaking havoc with their fainting goat friends, Nathan’s about ready to climb into a pine cone and pull it in after him.

Then the local playboy weremoose hears about Vince, and Nathan has to find his inner alpha or the consequences will be worse than moldy hazelnuts.

How about a savory nibble?

“Breakfast,” Vince said and waved a hand toward the table.

It was a squirrel’s wet dream. Or it would have been, if good-enough-to-lick-all-over-then-eat Vince hadn’t been sitting on the other side of the table. Maybe he could say it was any other squirrel’s wet dream—whatever, it was the breakfast of Roman squirrel emperors.

A pile of thick, deep brown pancakes waited for him in the center of his plate. Raspberries and shaved almonds sprawled seductively over the side of the stack, glistening with sweet, sticky maple syrup. Some of the less audacious ones hid decorously beneath the edges of a heavy daub of whipped cream, but Nathan knew they were there, waiting for him to discover them. He could see them peeking diffidently out, uncertain whether they wanted to attract his attention or not.

And the best part—the most gorgeous massage therapist in the world was sitting across the table from him, watching him with eyes that were dark in more than just the usual way. He looked at Nathan like Nathan was a maple walnut ice cream with a peanut dip. Like he wanted to lick him all over and suck bits of him deep inside his mouth…

My Review:
Nathan is back, and he wants to keep Vince all to himself. He’s definitely head over tail for his sexy human, but he’s getting the vibe that Vince wants to take their relationship the next level: meeting the parents. Vince’s folks adore Nathan, and Nathan doesn’t want Vince to meet his truly crazy family.

Instead, he decides to compromise by bringing Vince out to a shifter campground to meet some friends that Nathan’s fairly sure will welcome a human in their midst. The first misstep occurs when Nathan and Vince stop in for supplies at Nathan’s friend Charlie’s store–that werehummingbird couldn’t keep a secret if his wings depended upon it.

The adventure gets more ridiculous by the moment when their campsite is invaded by red pandas, kids (the juvenile goat variety), Charlie and a rather pompous weremoose. I really dug the way these shifters were initially wary of Vince, but melted once they got to know him. It was also fun to see young shifters frolicking and running amok, unwilling to control either their shifting or their urges for food or affection. It totally charmed me that Vince was so openly accepted by the orphaned red pandas.

Like the first novella, there’s lots of sexual tension throughout. Nathan and Vince are equally smitten, but Nathan’s terrified that another shifter will be more attractive as a partner. Vince is supportive and rightfully indignant with Nathan’s fear that Vince could be wooed away. The showdown for supremacy was hysterical, and hard fought. Nathan truly is an Alpha Squirrel. There’s some sticky sexytimes at the end, and a promise for further antics to come. I’m eager to read on in this series!

Interested? You can find RISE OF THE ALPHA SQUIRREL on Goodreads, Amazon and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a ruby-thrated hummingbird! (stuffed, and not a werehummingbird, either!)
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

fake book 2 copyBonus scene from the completely fictional mind of Kate Lowell:

Appendix A: What to Buy to Disguise Your Baby as Human
Babies and young children don’t always have the strongest control over their shifts, nor can one say that they have a developed sense of when is a good time to shift, and when would be a good time to choose their human form.

But, there are clothing choices you can make which can ease the risk of discovery and severe hysterics on the part of your neighbors.

The first, and easiest, option is a simple pair of sunglasses to hide their eyes. If more coverage is desired, humans also produce a line of glasses with fake noses attached, though babies may find the hair on the underside of the nose to be either bothersome or a temptation.

In more extreme situations, or when an older child proves incapable of sufficiently controlling their appearance, a tiny costume, such as those worn during the human holiday of Halloween, will cover any errors of appearance such as fins or a tail.

Ah, the travails of shifter parenthood…

About the author:
Kate Lowell lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farm house that has way more personality than it has any right to. During the winter, she spends her time dreading snow, cursing at snow, shoveling snow, and scheming ways to shove it down the kids’ necks. During the summer, she prays not to have snow. 🙂

Kate likes to play in ALL the sandboxes. While her main genres are paranormal and contemporary suspense, she is also interested in science fiction, fantasy and–weirdly–romantic comedy. She’s willing to pay large amounts of money to anyone who can come up with plot-bunny repellent, which she will first use on herself, then sell to LA Witt for an exorbitant price to recoup her costs.

You can contact her at katelowellbooks (at) gmail.com . If you think you’d like to try writing gay romance, come visit her critique group (Link can be found at http://katelowell.com). New members are always welcome.

You can catch up with Kate on her website, Facebook, twitter, and Goodreads.
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