Release Day Blitz for TORN!

Hi there! I’m sharing an excerpt in support of TORN, a New Adult paranormal romance released today from Jennifer L Armantrout. This is the highly anticipated sequel to WICKED and should be read in order.

About the book:
Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.
Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in on Ivy, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

How about a little taste?

I lifted my right hand, reaching for my iron stake out of instinct, even though I knew it would do no good against the prince.

              “You shouldn’t do that.” His voice was deep with what reminded me of an English accent. “I know you want to, but it would be very, very unwise of you, Ivy.”

              My hand twitched.

              Creepy Prince smiled slightly. “Your friend has been very helpful.”

              That got my hackles up. I slid my sunglasses onto my forehead and forced my tone to stay calm and level. “I’m sure she has. Speaking of Val, happen to know where I can find her?”

              His lips curled in a semblance of a smile as he stepped closer. The prince was tall, taller than Ren, who was pushing six foot two. My entire back stiffened as I forced myself to hold my ground, even though every instinct demanded that I run and run super fast, because he had almost killed me once before. Correction. He would have definitely killed me if he hadn’t realized what I was and had, I guessed, healed me.

              “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, instead of answering my question, his pale blue eyes fixed on mine.

              My hand curled into a useless fist. “That is extremely creepy to hear.”

              That cold smile returned. “Why don’t we talk? There are seats across the way.”

              “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

              The slow smile increased but never reached his eyes. “Oh, I know it is.”

              Fine hairs rose on my arms.

              “What exactly can you do right now?” he said in the same coldly polite voice. “Refuse me?” Creepy Prince laughed, and it wasn’t a bad sound. Again, it was something that was just cold, as if he were mimicking what a human would do. “You can’t.”

              “I can.” My palm itched to grab the thorn stake secured under my pant leg, but I held still. I might be reckless, but I wasn’t stupid.

              “Really? I will have to beg to differ on that. You see, humans surround us. So many of them, and I have an extraordinary appetite.” His eyes appeared to glimmer as his gaze slithered from the top of my curly head down to my toes. “A rather impressive appetite for many, many things.”

              “Okay. First off, ew.” My lip curled. “Secondly, I don’t want to hear about any of your appetites.”

              One dark eyebrow rose. “Oh, but you should know that I could kill twenty of these humans in less than five seconds and feed on the rest, leaving them to believe that it was this little red-headed girl who murdered these innocent people.” His voice dropped even lower as he leaned in and icy air brushed my cheek. “You deny me this, those lives will be on your hands, little bird.”

              Anger flushed hotly as my eyes met his. There wasn’t a single part of me that doubted anything he said. He had me. God, I hated to admit it, but he had me.

“You need this book. You need this series. It’s paranormal at its best. It’s New Adult at its best…Can I give this book more than 5 stars? I would if I could.” ~Valerie, Stuck in Books

Interested? You can find TORN on Goodreads, iBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans…
Don’t miss the first title in the series, WICKED!

Wicked (A Wicked Saga, #1) Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Kobo.

About the Author:
#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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

More Than Love INTO THE BLUE–Review and Giveaway!

Hi there! Today I’m so excited to share a review and giveaway for a New Adult M/M romance from Pene Henson. INTO THE BLUE is a sweet and tender tale of two surfer best friends who fall harder than a breaking wave.

Catch the excerpt and be sure to enter into the book and $25 gift card giveaway below.

About the book:
Tai Talagi and Ollie Birkstrom have been inseparable since they met as kids surfing the North Shore. Now they live with their best friends in a pulled-together family, sharing life and the saltwater in their veins.

Tai’s spent years setting aside his feelings for Ollie, but when Ollie’s pro surfing aspirations come to fruition, their steady world shifts. Is the relationship worth risking everything for a chance at something terrifying and beautiful and altogether new?

How about a little taste?

Across from them, one of the Brazilians plays guitar. Ollie doesn’t recognize the song even when a couple of others sing along. The beach is wider and the sand finer than on the North Shore, but every beach is a little like home. Ollie misses the Blue House; he misses the surf and the palms and the shoreline he knows so well. He misses Jaime and Sunny and Hannah. Still, though he’s as far from home as he’s ever been, Ollie’s comfortable. These are his people, too. He leans back on his arms and looks up into the dark.

He’s watched the night sky since he was a little kid, but down here in the Southern Hemisphere he doesn’t recognize the hundreds upon hundreds of stars. The Southern Cross is up there. Ollie tries to orient himself.

Tai shifts toward him, then looks up and follows Ollie’s gaze. The warmth of Tai’s body settles into Ollie’s heart, grounds him. Ollie leans into him a little, and their arms brush to the elbow. The contact simmers in the air between them.

Unexpectedly, Ollie knows what he wants. “Come back to the hotel,” he says quietly to Tai. He pitches his voice low. It hums across the tiny space between them. No one else can hear him over the pounding surf and the sound of the music. It’s easy to be bold in the dark of a beach where Ollie’s never been before. He’s shocked by that same boldness.

Some thoughts on writing from Ms. Henson

Do you pay attention to literary criticism? If so, how do you handle it?
This is my first book and I’ve only had a few reviews so far. Those have been positive which is a joy, but with negative comments too, of course. Like every human I find it hard not to obsess over the negative and ignore the positive. I’m working on having a thick skin and being more realistic as I read. I am also trying to take those criticisms on board rather than thinking of them as insurmountable. And when it gets hard I ask my greatest cheerleaders to give me a pat on the back.

How do you come up with your titles?
This one started as OUT OF THE BLUE which was honestly an attempt at something sort of bright and a bit cheesy. I just threw it in as a working title. INTO THE BLUE started to seem more natural as barely anything in the book is a shock, but a lot of it is about being willing to let go and go deeper.

My next book had a long song lyric as a working title but a bit of brainstorming about the setting got me a lovely new title.

What new authors have grasped your interest?
I hate to mention some authors and not others, but I’m choosing the authors that captured me most quickly: Jude Sierra who has such a complex and soft-hearted understanding of humans alongside a poetic ability to describe the physical. And Michelle Osgood who writes women in love with women and whose characters are hilarious and strong.

What is the hardest part about writing?
Sometimes I find myself stalled and I think it’s lack of interest and battle with myself but then a few days later I realise there’s some critical plot or character point that I haven’t worked out properly. Those days are tough. And then also the daily grind of getting something from my head onto the page. I love it, and some days my fingers fly across the keys, but it can be hard some days.

Wow. I can relate to A LOT of that!

My Review:

Ollie and Tai have been best friends since childhood. They live together in a house with Ollie’s teen brother Jaime and two women, Sunny and Hannah. They’ve made their own family, as Ollie and Jaime are orphaned, and Ollie is Jaime’s guardian. Tai is an out gay man, and Ollie has no problem with that. They live on O’ahu in a run-down beachfront house that each adult chips in to afford, and many times in the past five years they have had trouble paying the rent and the electric.

Ollie and Jaime have a strained relationship; it’s not easy being the parent of a 16 year old. Tai, mediator and confidant, is the glue that holds them together most days. Add to that stress, Ollie’s career is in question. He had been set to join the pro surfing circuit two years ago, but an injury beached him. He’s rehabbed as much as he can, while working full-time at a resort, and knows that he’ll have one shot to regain his dream career: to win one of two wildcard entries into the Bonzai Pipe Masters competition. If he makes that tourney, he could win some serious money–otherwise, he needs to enter the hospitality training program, so he can securely support himself and Jaime.

This is a romance, but it’s very quiet and develops over the course of several months. Ollie has virtually no sexual experience. By choice, it seems. He’s an introvert in the extreme, even has trouble allowing his closest friends to touch him, or be around him. Except Tai. Tai has always been there, and they have a very strong friendship. Tai makes surf boards, and helps train Ollie–has for years. Ollie’s on the cusp of greatness, and Tai can’t be more proud, but he could be more, for Ollie. He’s always been Ollie’s best friend, but Tai has held a serious love to Ollie for many years now.

I don’t want to give away too much plot, because a lot of it relates to Ollie’s successes or failures in surfing. That said, Ollie has some success, and his prize money is sufficient to pay the bills. He gets Tai to come along on a competition tour. Tai’s so good at relating to people, and calming Ollie, too. In fact, Ollie can’t conceive of a life without Tai in it. While his last several years have been a morass of grief and injury, scrabbling to make ends meet, being with Tai on tour gives Ollie the space he needs to see that his affection for Tai is more amorous than he’d ever noticed. He’s so awkward, however, that he struggles to make this clear to Tai. Tai knows that going along with the “tour romance” will break his heart completely, but he also can’t resist the opportunity to make love to the only man he’s ever loved.

There are some steamy, and tender, bits, with Tai educating Ollie in the ways of sex. Naturally, when the tour ends, life gets pretty complicated. Ollie doesn’t know how to be in a relationship, and doesn’t think free-spirited Tai even wants one. Tai steps back, so he doesn’t hurt himself, or Ollie, any more than he already has. Their lives are changing; Ollie’s success brings experiences and opportunities that were unforeseen and are unwelcome, to some degree. Tai’s surfboards are gaining interest with pro surfers, thanks to Ollie’s performance. It means long hours and new partnerships–less time for hanging, or training, Ollie.

Can their friendship survive this new status quo? It doesn’t look likely. Nope, because Ollie wants more than Tai would have given any of his other hook-ups. And Tai’s scared to hand over his heart, if Ollie isn’t willing to love him completely. Spoiler alert: this book is an HEA, and it’s a fantastic one, at that. This make-shift family is so interesting, and the romance is so tender, I didn’t want it to end. The writing is lyrical and paced much the same as island time–we get there when we get there, mahalo. It gave the prose a lilting feel, and I adored the surfing terms and experiences, because this was a whole new world for me. Also, I liked the interracial romance, and the strong community that surround Ollie and Tai.

Interested? You can find INTO THE BLUE on Goodreads, Interlude Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords, AllRomance, Book Depository, and Indiebound.

GIVEAWAY

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $25 Interlude Press Gift Card or one of FIVE first prizes of an e-copy of ‘Into the Blue’ by Pene Henson.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Pene Henson has gone from British boarding schools to New York City law firms. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, where she is an intellectual property lawyer and published poet who is deeply immersed in the city’s LGBTQIA community. She spends her spare time enjoying the outdoors and gazing at the ocean with her gorgeous wife and two unexpectedly exceptional sons. Into the Blue is her first novel.

You can find Pene on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Out Today! ANYTHING BUT LOVE… And, get a FREE Book!

AbLReleaseDay
Hi there! I’m so excited to share in the release day festivities for a new contemporary romance from Daisy Prescott. I really enjoyed the first two books in her Wingmen series, READY TO FALL and CONFESSIONS OF A REFORMED TOM CAT, so I couldn’t wait to return to idyllic Whidbey Island in ANYTHING BUT LOVE.

I’ll share my review in a couple of days, but you can catch get READY TO FALL FREE (for a limited time) to whet your appetite.

About the book:
Another wingman bites the dust in this enemies to lovers story…
For the past year, I’ve been working my butt off to start my own coffee company on Whidbey. A weekend in Cabo with sun, tiny bikinis, and vacation hook-ups is exactly the kind of tension relief I need.

What I don’t need is a bruised jaw, having to bribe my way out of jail, a hellion set on ruining my life, and my mother seeing a picture of my assets on “The Twitter.”

Caribou Caldwell is my worst nightmare.

Unfortunately, she’s also the star of my sexiest dreams.

What happens when a small town guy becomes the focus of a million fantasies? As Erik Kelso navigates his sudden notoriety, will his feelings for Cari turn out to be anything but love?

Anything but Love is the third book in the Wingmen series, a spin off of Modern Love Stories. Like all Wingmen books, it can be read as a standalone romantic comedy.

Interested? You can find ANYTHING BUT LOVE on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES

READYTOFALL_FREE

Get READY TO FALL (Wingmen #1) for FREE!

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

24327646

CONFESSIONS OF A REFORMED TOM CAT (Wingmen, #2)

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

————–

new daisy prescott full size About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling author Daisy Prescott lives in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with her husband and an indeterminate number of imaginary housegoats. When not writing about people falling in love, she can be found traveling, gardening, baking, and reading a good book. Her novels include the Modern Love Stories series, the Wingmen series, and several short stories. She’s also working on expanding the world of Bewitched this fall.

Catch up with Daisy on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, or sign up for her Newsletter.

True Love For An ANGEL UNDONE–Excerpt and Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new supernatural M/M romance from Leta Blake. ANGEL UNDONE features a disenchanted archangel who unexpectedly falls for a closeted Jew.

About the book:
The Archangel Michael is tired. He fought wars and shoved his brother Lucifer out of heaven all before the Dark Ages rolled around. His role as protector of Israel now encompasses all of humanity, and while he performs his job perfectly, there’s little personal joy in it.

Until one night in a bar when he meets Asher.

Michael isn’t sure what it is about the vulnerable, self-deprecating Asher that calls to him, but something about the restrained depths of Asher, his gentle smiles and encyclopedic knowledge of flowers, tugs at Michael in a way that can’t be denied. Too bad romance isn’t part of his mission.

Facing an eternity of perfect submission to God’s authority, rebellion stirs in Michael. Questions of free will, angelic vocation, and the role of love and lust demand answers that just might cost Michael his place in heaven.

How about a little taste?

Angel wings aren’t easy to fold into the shape of human scapulae, but Michael is accustomed to the strain and hardly breaks a sweat. He forces the long primaries to bend into the upper wing coverts, and then, in moves like feathered origami, he tucks it all in again, before smoothing them under flawless human skin.

He glances in the modest hotel room’s bathroom mirror and pulls on the dark brown shirt that will set off his eyes, before running a hand through his blond, curly hair. The light of his angelic grace glows from his pores, too bright to escape notice, and with a small exertion of will he tamps it back.

Though human form is confining and uncomfortable, the time has long passed when dropping down in a blaze of angelic righteousness was appropriate. Now covert operations pay the dividends of souls delivered from jeopardy. Even if Michael’s skin feels too tight, and his wings are already aching, protection is his business and discomfort is a small sacrifice.

After tightening the laces on the leather, soft-soled Clarks he keeps for nights of trawling the Mercy Street bars, he kneels by the sliding glass door to the balcony and looks up at the stars. It’s a fallacy that heaven is up there somewhere. Heaven is everywhere all at once, and yet when Michael dons human skin, he finds his eyes drawn to the sky when he prays.

He rises. Time to go.

My Review:
Michael is a protector of man, walking the Earth and fulfilling what acts of kindness and mercy he can, based on his directives from God. He’s done this a long time, and finds his joy is fleeting. In short, he’s lonely.

One evening, he’s sent to find Asher, a lonely closeted gay man who has never acted on his urges, out of respect for his devout and homophobic parents. The time they spend together fulfills Michael in a way he hasn’t been in centuries. He is supposed to only assist Asher to feel goo about himself, but Michael can’t leave it for one night only. He seeks out Asher again and again.

As they build a relationship, Michael struggles to keep his activities from God, and fears of being cast down, like Lucifer. Would it be so bad? To gain to love of his human, at the risk of losing his connection to God?

This is a sweet and tender novella, with really interesting existential questions. I liked how Michael had a real dilemma, and an untrustworthy confidant who *may* have the answers. Is Asher’s love a test? Or, a gift?

There’s a few yummy sexytimes, and an angel who does his best to love a human, even when it’s a bit of a disaster. Asher is so earnest, and compassionate, and he falls hard for Michael, even as he learns Michael’s big secrets. Asher and Michael are good for each other, and the story ends with an HEA.

Interested? You can find ANGEL UNDONE on Goodreads, Amazon (US and UK) Barnes & Noble, AllRomance , and Smashwords.

About the Author:
Author of the best-selling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

You can find out more on her website, Facebook and twitter.

Practicing Kink for the RISK AWARE– A Review

Hi there. Today I’m sharing a review for a new contemporary BDSM M/M romance from Amelia C. Gormley. I really enjoyed her dystopian future books, JUGGERNAUT, STRAIN and BANE, and I jumped at the chance to read RISK AWARE. This one is a different type of kink, and I really enjoyed it.

About the book:
Tattoo artist Geoff Gilchrest is convinced his life is some sort of cosmic joke. Why else would a hemophiliac also be a masochist? He’s given himself more than one elbow bleed since puberty just doing what guys do when alone and bored, so forget about whips and chains. How many partners would contemplate playing with someone even a mild flogging could kill?

Gallery owner Robin Brady knows he can deliver what Geoff needs: to be taken to the edge of danger but never beyond. But Robin came to Saugatuck to get away from the leather scene and heal from a betrayal by his former sub, so he’s not sure he should get involved with Geoff. His ambivalence isn’t helped by the fact that Geoff’s unwillingness to communicate about his well-being hits Robin in some very raw places.

Geoff’s hemophilia isn’t the obstacle he thinks it is. Instead, a lack of trust—on both their parts—is what could end them before they have a chance to begin.

My Review:
4.5 stars for this contemporary M/M BDSM story.

Geoff Gilchrist is an adult hemophiliac who is also gay. Hemophelia is a disorder of the blood which prevents clotting when a vessel is broken. Thus, even small cuts or bruises could lead to life-endangering medical problems. Years of his mother’s extreme overprotectiveness, may have saved his life. Growing up in the 80s/90s before the blood supply was considered secure meant sure transmission of disease to people requiring transfusions. It’s true that many hemophiliacs contracted HIV, Hepatitis, and other diseases as a result of receiving infected blood. Geoff’s mother, who had recently died, urged him to stay closeted–because she was sure he’d end up being beaten in a hate crime and bleed to death.

Geoff’s sexual desire is in BDSM, very rough sex, and kink. Not that he can have any of that, safely. Still, he craves it, and is fascinated by the idea of lashings that draw his hated, defective blood. He goes to a gay resort in Michigan with a good friend, and their vacation coincides with a Leather Man meet-up. There, experienced Dom Robin Brady is attracted to Geoff’s gangly features and shameless want. Robin thinks that Geoff is just a newbie, but the reality is a wedge between them. Geoff is nearly so desperate to gain the sexual experience he desires that he doesn’t tell Robin about his condition, at first. Robin can’t consent to being Geoff’s Dom if he doesn’t understand what Geoff would require as a sub–and that includes his medical care, in this case.

See, it’s all about RACK: Risk Aware Consensual Kink. Robin can’t give consent if he doesn’t understand how to safely play with Geoff. Robin does think he can give Geoff many of his desires, even if it’s not the way Geoff originally envisioned them. I found it fascinating, truly, how Robin was able to conceive scenes that were safe for Geoff, and yet challenged him. This book has a lot of sex. It also has a lot of blood, pain, and misunderstandings. At different points, Geoff has to be honest–and not just about his disease. Then again, Robin has some damage from his most recent relationship debacle, and that causes him to pull back when he should reach forward.

It was interesting the different stigmas present. Geoff was shunned for being a hemophiliac as a child. He was assumed to be diseased (of the HIV variety) when he wasn’t, and assumed to be gay if he had (even if he didn’t) HIV. All of this faulty circular logic was prejudiced and ignorant and he struggled to be normal in a world that didn’t accept him. He is loathe to accept help or solicitousness from anyone, as a result of his mother’s extreme parenting. It takes him a while to really trust Robin, but Robin is awesome at pushing those boundaries and getting help when needed. Naturally, a hemophiliac is easily bruised. One who engages in rough BDSM play, like Geoff craves, is going to get hurt at some point. And, the medical/legal community is not especially keyed in to kink-related injury. I could full-well imagine how grimly they would look on the bruises Geoff considered preen-worthy badges.

I’m not a fan of blood play, but this is the first book I’ve read where I truly understood it. Geoff has a very love-hate relationship with his blood. He hates his condition, and wants to be normal. That the care of Geoff was clearly Robin’s first consideration made all this easier to understand. They invested a lot of time to knowledge and training, so that Robin could give Geoff treatments to facilitate blood clotting, and prevent spontaneous bleeds. Robin invested himself so completely it was easy to expect that these guys were in it for the long run.

I’ve read a lot of BDSM in the last few years, but this one is different. I like that if features a character who is chronically ill, to the point of slight disability. I like that it addressed prejudices within, and outside of, the kink community. The sexytimes were really well written, and had kink that was believable for the characters. It’s a book that’s going to stay with me.

Interested? You can find RISK AWARE on Goodreads, Riptide Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Amelia C. Gormley published her first short story in the school newspaper in the 4th grade, and since then has suffered the persistent delusion that enabling other people to hear the voices in her head might be a worthwhile endeavor. She’s even convinced her hapless spouse that it could be a lucrative one as well, especially when coupled with her real-life interest in angst, kink, social justice issues, and pretty men.

When her husband and son aren’t interacting with the back of her head as she stares at the computer, they rely on her to feed them, maintain their domicile, and keep some semblance of order in their lives (all very, very bad ideas—they really should know better by now.) She can also be found playing video games and ranting on Tumblr, seeing as how she’s one of those horrid social justice warriors out to destroy free speech, gaming, geek culture, and everything else that’s fun everywhere.

You can find her self-published Impulse trilogy almost anywhere ebooks are sold, and check out her catalog of Riptide Publishing releases at their website.

You can contact Amelia on Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Love After Loss, A PATCHWORK PARADISE–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new contemporary M/M romance from Indra Vaughn. PATCHWORK PARADISE is a friends-to-lovers story about a man who survives the death of his love–and find love again in ways he never expected.

About the book:
Oliver and Samuel’s relationship is fairy-tale perfect. They share a gorgeous house in Antwerp, go out with their friends every weekend, and count down the days to their dream wedding. But their happy ending is shattered one late night, and just like that, Ollie is left bereft and alone.

The months that follow are long and dark, but slowly Ollie emerges from his grief. He even braves the waters of online dating, though deep down he doesn’t believe he can find that connection again. He doesn’t think to look for love right in front of him: his bisexual friend Thomas, the gentle giant with a kind heart and sad eyes who’s wanted him all along.

When Thomas suddenly discovers he has a son who needs him, he’s ill prepared. Ollie opens up his house—Sam’s house—and lets them in. Ollie doesn’t know what scares him more: the responsibility of caring for a baby, or the way Thomas is steadily winning his heart. It will take all the courage he has to discover whether or not fairy tales can happen for real.

My Review:
Ollie and Sam are childhood friends and have been boyfriends for a decade–their whole adult lives. They live together in a house Sam inherited from his grandmother, and look forward to their wedding in a month. Then Sam is killed by a mugger and Ollie’s life dives into the deep, dark, depression end. We really get a sense of Ollie’s loss, as he struggles to get out of bed, exist alone, walk through the house where he and Sam planned their lives out. It’s truly heart-wrenching.

Ollie and Sam’s mutual friends try to get Ollie moving on. Thomas, in particular, isn’t happy that Cleo is pushing Ollie to date again–even six months after Sam was laid to rest. Ollie isn’t sure what the subtext of that frustration is, but he’s also not sure that he should be dating again. He’d thought Sam was his one true love, and even making a connection with another man leaves him weeping. Thing is, Ollie never did see the way Thomas looked at him–as someone he always wanted to date. They’ve been friends for five years, and Thomas has dated more men–and women–than Ollie can count. Just when Ollie has the courage to talk with Thomas about their misunderstanding, Thomas decides to take off for a six-month tour around Europe. He and Ollie maintain constant contact via the phone, but things get messy when Thomas finds a companion. And when that seems to fizzle, well, there’s another complication–in the form of Thomas’ unexpected newborn son, Milo.

Wow.

Thomas is a wreck, and Milo’s mom is a wreck, but neither of them want anything much to do with the other despite their unplanned child. That said, Milo’s mom is experiencing post-partum depression and needs Thomas to care for Milo–enter Ollie to the rescue. Of sorts. He’s got a big empty house, and his mother’s able to child-sit. That said, Ollie’s charmed by the little screamer, and having both Thomas and Milo under his roof allows him to re-envision his life. Sam had never wanted children, and Ollie thought he was comfortable with that. Helping Thomas care for Milo gives Ollie a glimpse of parenthood he’d never had–and he discovers he truly wants it. There are some money considerations, not the least of which is Sam’s parents who want Sam’s house to be sold, and it’s one issue too many for Ollie and Thomas to overcome, perhaps. These guys have known each other for years, might could love one another, share a house and child-care duty–and yet have NEVER been on a date together. So, yeah, everything backwards. The sexual tension is really high, and the slow burn pulls us through Ollie’s despair and depression, and Thomas’ anxiety, giving a hopefulness to the story that I really needed.

Also, Ollie is a scream as a pseudo-daddy. I definitely enjoyed his novice caregiving perspective, and how willing he was to accept both Thomas and Milo into his life. Ollie’s such a sweet soul, and his grief is so acutely rendered that I sank right into it. I also loved the little insights I gleaned of Belgium, which was a unique setting for me as a reader. Thomas is a good man, and he never pressured Ollie to move on, or to love him, despite his own intense feelings for Ollie. Neither man wants to ruin their friendship, and the tentative steps they make toward becoming lovers are tender and well-considered.

Interested? You can find PATCHWORK PARADISE on Goodreads, Riptide Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:

After living in Michigan, USA for seven wonderful years, Indra Vaughn returned back to her Belgian roots. There she will continue to consume herbal tea, do yoga wherever the mat fits, and devour books while single parenting a little boy and working as a nurse.

The stories of boys and their unrequited love will no doubt keep finding their way onto the page–and hopefully into readers hands–even if it takes a little more time.

And if she gleefully posts pictures of snow-free streets in winter, you’ll have to forgive her. Those Michigan blizzards won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

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

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Cover Reveal for BOUND TO SUBMIT!

Hi there! Today I’m sharing the cover of a brand new BDSM erotic romance from Laura Kaye. BOUND TO SUBMIT is the first novel in her new Blasphemy series, which got a great start with the erotic novella HARD TO SERVE. I’m so looking forward to the next book!

About the book:
From the ruins of an abandoned church comes Baltimore’s hottest and most exclusive BDSM club. Twelve Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy.

He thinks he caused her pain, but she knows he’s the only one who can heal her…
Kenna Sloane lost her career and her arm in the Marines, and now she feels like she’s losing herself. Submission is the only thing that ever freed her from pain and made her feel secure, and Kenna needs to serve again. Bad. The only problem is the Dom she wants once refused her submission and broke her heart, but, scarred on the inside and out, she’s not looking for love this time. She’s not even sure she’s capable.

Griffin Hudson is haunted by the mistakes that cost him the only woman he ever loved. Now she’s back at his BDSM club, Blasphemy, and more beautiful than ever, and she’s asking for his help with the pain he knows he caused. Even though he’s scared to hurt her again, he can’t refuse her, because he’d give anything to earn a second chance. And this time, he’ll hold on forever.

Decadent… Sensual… Forbidden…

12 Masters. 12 Desires. 12 Fantasies Come to Life.
Meet the Masters of Blasphemy…

A Note from Laura Kaye:

Dear Readers,

I’m so excited to share my new cover art for Bound to Submit with you today! From the moment I met Detective Kyler Vance in the Hard Ink series, I was intrigued. And from the second I knew Kyler was a Dom in an exclusive club named Blasphemy, I knew I had to learn more. That was the moment the Blasphemy series was born, and now I’m just thrilled at how the whole thing is taking shape – beginning with Bound to Submit, which promises to be scorchingly hot and achingly emotional. I hope you’ll grab your copy. In the meantime, enjoy this amazing cover! And if you haven’t already, get caught up with Hard to Serve, the book that introduces it all!

Sincerely,

Laura Kaye

“A searingly sexy story with some of the hottest scenes I’ve read in a long, long time. Laura Kaye shows her mastery of the BDSM world. I’m eagerly anticipating more in this bold new series!“

~ Cherise Sinclair, NYT Bestselling Author of the Masters of the Shadowlands Series

Interested? , You can pre-order BOUND TO SUBMIT in advance of it’s release 9/13/16 on Amazon and iBooks. Check Goodreads for more info.

Meet the Masters of Blasphemy in Hard to Serve, now available. Catch my review for more on that absolutely erotic BDSM romance.

About the Author:
Laura Kaye is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink and upcoming Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Catch up with Laura on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or her newsletter.

InkSlinger-Blogger-New

Delighting in THE HOUSE OF FOX–Excerpt and Giveaway!

Hi there! Today I’m helping to get the word out on an erotic adventure from SJ Smith. HOUSE OF FOX is sure to please those who love reading about sexy-sex, with a side of sex. Oh, and some scheming and celestial interference.

Drop down to catch and excerpt and enter the $20 GC and book giveaway!

About the book:
After a drunken night on the town, four friends awake to find themselves in the House of Fox, the ultimate brothel in the universe, where every sordid fantasy becomes reality.

But all is not as it seems.

The House of Fox harbours many dark secrets, and factions are plotting against one another.

The four newcomers must choose their friends carefully and take care not to lose their minds on the thrill ride of perversion that will carry them to the ends of the Earth and beyond.

The Great Voyeur in the Sky is watching . . .

How about a delicious taste?

“Jane!” Dylan called from the stage.

She kept her gun trained on Donna a moment longer, relishing the fear that had wiped away that look of smugness, and then turned to face him. “Dylan the Dick.” She readjusted her aim, pointing the muzzle at his crotch. “Soon to be Dylan the Dickless if you give me any trouble.”

He smiled. “I’m sensing you have some anger management issues, young lady.”

Jane did a double take, incredulous he could be quite so dumb. “Oh what a great idea, Dylan: Hey, let’s make jokes at the expense of the lady who has a gun trained on our prize shlong. That’ll certainly prove you aren’t the moron everyone claims you are.”

“Have people been saying I’m a moron?” He rolled his eyes. “Not that old chestnut.”

“It’s a well known fact you have more dong than ding.” She cocked her head to one side. “Which is what got us all wondering – how could someone as retarded as yourself possibly manage to put this little insurrection together? It’s patently obvious you’re merely the puppet, so if you want to spare yourself an eternity of agony, start naming names. Who put you up to this, Dylan?”

“Funnily enough, the person who put me up to it also provided me with this.” He held out his hand to show her a silver device sandwiched in his fist. “If my thumb lets go of this button, a V bomb will take out this entire level and we’ll all spend eternity in agony.”

Jane took a step back and waved away the encroaching militia. Her bravado died pitifully inside her chest. She should have known it was too good to last.

“Looks like the moron stole a march on the Fox Girls.” Dylan waved the silver device in the air. “Guess that makes you pretty stupid, huh?”

“Put it down,” Jane shrieked, raising the muzzle of the gun level with his head.

“Put it down? Okay, I’ll put it down.” Dylan bent forward, making as if to drop the device on the floor.

“Stop!” Jane backed up another step, panic bubbling at the realisation she’d fucked everything up. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“You think so? Do you know what a V bomb is, Jane?” Dylan’s twisted smile mocked her to the core. “It’s a very powerful piece of black witchcraft that essentially turns every vagina within a hundred yard radius into a hydrogen bomb. Your little ginger quim will explode with the force of ten Hiroshimas, blowing you and everyone else within a mile into a billion pieces in the blink of an eye.”

Jane stared at him, trying to work out if he was bullshitting or not.

Some thoughts from author SJ Smith…
Secrets of the House of Fox
“The House of Fox was created halfway between heaven and hell, so the devil could kiss our ass and God could suck our cock.”

The House of Fox is the ultimate brothel in the universe, a hedonistic retreat built by those seeking to escape the dogma of the Puritans. It has existed for centuries as a secret known only to the privileged few, who celebrate their carnal desires under the ever watching gaze of the Great Voyeur in the Sky.

But who exactly is the Great Voyeur in the Sky? Is there some secret code hidden in the never ending lists of numbers? What exactly are the meanings of the riddles our heroes must hope to solve?

There are many mysteries lurking around every corner in the endless corridors. Doors opening onto entire worlds await those brave enough to step inside. Every sordid fantasy will be plucked from the deepest recesses of your imagination, and made real by the witchcraft woven into the House’s foundations.

If you are a man, then sultry, brazen nymphomaniacs will seduce you. If you are a woman, then muscle bound studs will fuck you all the way to the stars. Every pleasure is catered for, every taboo relished. There are no boundaries to what you can do and no limits to how far you can go.

The House offers exquisite opulence and filthy depravity in equal measure. It does not discriminate as to who it serves. Pleasure is the only dish on the menu, served just the way you like it.

Are you brave enough to enter? Are you willing to leave your morals behind and give in to your basest cravings? Admission costs only a silver sixpence and perhaps your soul.

BWAHAHAHAH!!! Oh, sorry, I let a creepy laugh escape there… A-hem.

Interested? You can find THE HOUSE OF FOX on Goodreads, Amazon (US and UK), Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.