adult contemporary

Getting FORKED Is A Pleasure–A Review

Hi there! Today, I’m sharing a review for FORKED, a contemporary erotic romance from Melanie Harlow. I really enjoyed FRENCHED, the first book in this series. This installment is all about Coco and her estranged ex-husband/former college boyfriend, Nick. Their relationship has always been rocky, but now it’s heating up…

Forked (Frenched, #2)About the Book:
Twenty-eight year old Coco Thomas knows the recipe for disaster:

1) Agree to plan last-minute engagement blowout for spoiled Mafia princess before you realize her choice of caterer is Nick Lupo, a despicably gorgeous young chef with a hot new restaurant in town, a reality TV show victory, and a romantic past with you—one that did not end well.

2) Strike a deal with Nick in which you agree to spend a weekend with him in exchange for his services, under the strict conditions there will be no talking about the past, no second chances, and definitely no sex.

3) Violate all three conditions within 24 hours and spend two glorious days remembering what made you fall for the sexy, egotistical bastard in the first place, and why it hurt so much when he broke your heart.

Add one road trip, plenty of good scotch, and endless spoonfuls of chocolate cake batter drizzled over your body and licked off inch by oh-my-God-yes-right-there inch, then just admit it.

You’re totally FORKED.

My Review:
This is a solid breeze read, with a bit of angst and smoking hot sexytimes.

Coco and Nick fell in love back in college. They struggled in their relationship, mostly because Nick had a loose definition of the word honesty But they continued to reconnect. Except the last time when they jetted off to Vegas, had a quickie wedding and Coco woke to find Nick’s ring and a note on her nightstand in the honeymoon suite. Coco was devastated and her parents arranged an annulment. That was seven years ago and Coco still has a crushed spirit regarding Nick, who is a celebrity chef with a renown restaurant not far from where Coco lives in downtown Detroit.

Now, Coco is working with her BFF Mia at their events planning business and her demanding client is adamant that Coco get Nick to help cater her engagement party. Caught between her broken heart and the commission she needs for a down payment on her dream house, Coco bites the bullet and contacts Nick. He’s as suave as she remembers, unfortunately, and is happy to help with the party…if Coco will spend a weekend with him.

Impetuous as ever, Coco agrees, thinking that setting some ground rules will keep everything professional. Then, she practically jumps him. Her muddled feelings are all the more potent when Nick admits he’s loved her all this time, and explains how shattered he was to leave her–how he never intended her to give up her education, which is what she planned the second they said, “I do.”

The weekend is fraught with hot and cold–hot sex, heated discussions, and cold remorse over years wasted. Nick is never more clear about his desires. As a kid he was intimidated by Coco’s family’s wealth and never felt good enough, but now he’s successful and able to be a good provider, if only Coco will give him a chance.

Spoiler: she does.
Spoiler: he kinda messes up again.
Spoiler: they live HEA anyway.

This book isn’t as straight-out sexyfun as FRENCHED, because it’s a reconnection tale. The water never passed under Coco and Nick’s bridge, despite seven years going by. While they are still overwhelmingly attracted to each other, they have a lot of work to do if they want this relationship spark to blaze. Nick seems all in from the start. I admired his tenacity. Coco is a bit flighty, but I could totally relate to her misgivings over Nick. As she remarked: What fool takes a second bite from a bad apple?

I was glad she took that bite, and I know she was, too. For an erotic romance, there was definitely a good balance between heat and heart. Looking forward to the final book in this series!

Interested? You can find FORKED on Goodreads and Amazon, and B & N, but I’d highly recommend picking up the boxed set of Melanie’s books, it’s a STEAL right now at $.99 for three books and assorted other novellas on Amazon, (price scheduled to go up any minute now!!) ($3.99 at Barnes & Noble).

About the Author:

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. Her stories are inspired by a sense of place, an appreciation for the past, and unexpected pleasures in life—especially the romantic kind. She lifts her glass to readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

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

Her World Became LOOKING FOR CHARLOTTE

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Hi there! Today I’m getting the word out on LOOKING FOR CHARLOTTE, a contemporary adventure by Jennifer Young who has a graciously popped in to talk a bit about her craft, and the book. Please check out the giveaway as well!

Looking for CharlotteAbout the book:
Divorced and lonely, Flora Wilson is distraught when she hears news of the death of little Charlotte Anderson. Charlotte’s father killed her and then himself, and although he left a letter with clues to her grave, his two-year-old daughter still hasn’t been found. Convinced that she failed her own children, now grown up and seldom at home, Flora embarks on a quest to find Charlotte’s body to give the child’s mother closure, believing that by doing so she can somehow atone for her own failings.

As she hunts in winter through the remote moors of the Scottish Highlands, her obsession comes to challenge the very fabric of her life — her job, her friendship with her colleague Philip Metcalfe, and her relationships with her three children.

How about a little taste?

She walked alongside the rutted track on the springy heather. This was where Ally had driven in his hired car, alone and knowing himself to be his own daughter’s murderer. How must he have felt? Lonely, of course. Even in the best times of his life Ally was always lonely, resisting all attempts to understand him and his problems, fighting against his perceived failures, his mental weaknesses. She knew them well. She had loved Ally, for a long time. She’d dedicated years of her life to making him happy and then she’d realised that she couldn’t do it. And by then she had a baby, another helpless being, but this time one who couldn’t do anything for herself. So instead of living her life for Ally, she’d lived it for Charlie. And now she had no-one to live it for but herself.

She stopped at the edges of the digging, looked down reluctantly. The house lay a few hundred yards beyond; a dog barked, but no-one came out. She was alone. Perhaps Ally had killed Charlie because he was jealous of the attention lavished on her. Perhaps he felt emasculated by a helpless child. And if he had, then that made it her fault.

‘It wasn’t my fault,’ she said aloud. ‘I did everything I could. I won’t be blamed.’

His silence — of course he was silent, he was dead and she was glad — accused her. She clenched her hands in her pocket and looked down at the non-grave where tiny white flowers had already begun to re-colonise, reaching out into the wet earth from the overturned clods. ‘Ally, you bastard!’ she shouted. Her voice disappeared in the wind but she believed he’d hear her. ‘You selfish, murdering bastard!’

As the tears welled up, she dug a hanky out of her pocket and suppressed them. Her phone was in there, too, so she fished it out and tried again. This time there was a signal, though faint. She rang her mother, but there was no answer and she didn’t leave a message, because everything had changed and she knew she would cry.

She tried Karen, not expecting an answer, but got one. ‘Hi Sue. All right?’ ‘You’ve got your phone on.’

‘Bad form during a wedding, I know, but I thought you might ring. I switched it off during the service, though. Where are you?’

‘I’m up where they found Ally.’

‘Oh God. You poor girl. Do you feel better?

Suzanne looked around her. ‘I don’t know. I can feel Charlie. Is that silly?’

‘Oh, Sue.’

‘I don’t mean I think she’s up here. I just think she’s with me. I always think she’s with me.’

‘Sue…’

Suzanne didn’t want to talk any longer. She held the phone face down and shouted to it, ‘I’ve hardly got a signal, Kazzy. But I’m fine. I’ll ring you tomorrow, okay?’ And she ended the call and slipped the phone back in her pocket. Then she began to walk back down to the car. It was true; it was as if Charlie was with her, walking beside her with her tiny toddler’s steps, stooping to touch the flowers and reach out for the butterflies. She would have loved this place.

She reached the car, got in, pulled down the mirror again and looked at her sad, old face. Love? What was love? And where was it, buried, deep and lost forever?

On Endings by Jennifer Young: Looking For Charlotte

So now, as Ol’ Blue Eyes was wont to sing, the end is near. This is the final stop on my blog tour for Looking For Charlotte and so I want to talk about endings. Beginning with a confession — getting the ending right is, for me, easily the hardest part of writing a book.

Always leave them wanting more, they say. But they also say you shouldn’t leave your reader unsatisfied, feeling that the issues of your plot are unresolved. Any actions have consequences so when your hero sweeps the heroine into his arms or the great detective unmasks the villain…what happens then? How does the heroine deal with the betrayal by her jealous sister which was the heart of the plot? What’s the reaction of the murderer’s innocent, unsuspecting wife? Do you care? And, more importantly, does your reader?

But oh, reader. Creep close and let me whisper the truth. I’m really, really bad at endings. I struggle with them. I tear my hair out as I write and rewrite them. I lose sleep over them. Sometimes I even weep with frustration because I just don’t know when to stop.

On paper, the ending of Looking For Charlotte ought to have been easy. The plot is based on a true story from America, in which a woman set out to find two murdered teenagers. In my story the woman seeks a dead toddler, the Charlotte of the title. And because it’s a true story the ending was written for me: she found the bodies.

But I wasn’t sure, once I plotted the book, that that was the ending. Just because it happened in real life, did it have to be the case in fiction? So I changed it and Charlotte went undiscovered. But that was unsatisfactory because the story is a quest and at the end of a quest you have to find something, so I changed it back. And then I wondered whether my heroine could find something else, instead of or as well as a body…

I will be honest with you. I lost count of the number of times I changed the ending, trying it this way and that, going back to the original, changing it again. Because I wanted a happy ending but how can there be a happy ending when it involves the tiny body of a murdered child, whether or not it’s found?

Of course, I can’t give the ending away so you don’t need to worry about a spoiler. But rather to my surprise found that this, the most tortuous, difficult ending to plot, is in the end the one I like best. And I hope that you like it too.

That’s some great insight. Thanks Jennifer!

Interested? You can find LOOKING FOR CHARLOTTE on Goodreads, Tirgearr Publishing, Amazon (UK, US) and Smashwords.

***GIVEAWAY***

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a backlist title from Jennifer Young.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:

Jennifer Young lives in Edinburgh and writes romance and contemporary women’s fiction. She’s been writing all her life and her first book was published in February 2014, though she’s had short stories published before then. The thing that runs through all her writing is an interest in the world around her. She loves travel and geography and the locations of her stories is always important to her. And of course she loves reading — anything and everything.

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

Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here.

It’s a Hard Road FINDING THE WAY BACK TO LOVE–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a quiet contemporary romance recently released by Katie O’Boyle. FINDING THE WAY BACK TO LOVE is a redemption story, in many respects, and features an unique cast.

About the book:
Gwen Forrester, Ph.D., 32, gifted psychotherapist and beautiful widow, is stuck in a rut, dating hotties on the fast track. What she really wants is a life partner who’ll help her raise a family and make a difference in her home town, Tompkins Falls. New in town, Officer Peter Shaughnessy, 30, has recovered from the gunshot wound he suffered in a drug bust in the city of Syracuse, but he’s still smarting from his ex-wife’s betrayal and, before that, the years of abuse from his alcoholic father.

It feels like fate to Gwen when her very-pregnant niece Haley trips the security system at Gwen’s lakeside home and Officer Shaughnessy takes the call. By joining forces to help Haley, Peter and Gwen discover they’re a good team. Long, exhilarating canoe trips convince them they’re on the same page with their life goals. Then a destructive squall lands them on the rocks, and a night of stormy passion reveals painful truths that drive them apart. Are they willing to go to any length to find their way back to love?

How about a little taste?

“Gwen Forrester?” Peter asked. At her nod, he stepped aside.

Her startled gaze shifted to Haley and softened with love. Her face lit up with delight when she spied the big belly. “Oh!”

The two rushed toward each other, embracing, laughing, crying, talking so low he could make out only a few words—“your mother?” and “boy we met at Christmas” and “when?”

“October, really?” Gwen stepped back. “Just two more months?” She caressed Haley’s face. “Have you had anything to eat today?”

“I’m starved.” Haley grinned.

“Ma’am?” Peter got no response. He might as well be invisible. “Ms. Forrester?” he said louder.

Gwen turned with a look of pure joy, cheeks flushed, eyes wide. She was a chic, older, ash-blond version of Haley. Even more beautiful.

“Yes, Officer?”

Her dreamy gaze made him wonder if she was flirting with him. Get real, Shaughnessy. “If you won’t be pressing charges, my partner and I will clear out of here, Ms. Forrester.”

She held out her hand, tilted her head coquettishly, and told him, “It’s Gwen. And you are?”

“Officer Peter Shaughnessy.” Her handshake was firm and surprisingly strong for such a slender, feminine woman. He cleared his throat. “You’ll need to get those locks fixed right away, ma’am.”
“Gwen,” she reminded him with a flutter of thick, dark eyelashes.

“Gwen, my partner and I recommend that you put your vehicle in the garage tonight, close and lock the overhead door, deadbolt the kitchen door, and set the alarm. Call a locksmith first thing in the morning.”

Her only response was, “Haley and I will be having breakfast around nine. We’d love to have you join us, Officer.”

He opened his mouth to repeat the caution but closed it again. His partner had told him Tompkins Falls operated more like a small town than a city. This definitely wasn’t going by the Syracuse Police Department procedure book that he still had in his head.

Haley touched his arm and winked. “Come for breakfast, Officer. I need protection from the Inquisition. And Gwen makes a mean omelet.”

My Review:
Gwen Forrester is a 32 y/o widow who is also a counselor and a recovering alcoholic. She lives in the small town of Tompkins Falls in the Finger Lakes area of upstate NY. Her family is mostly gone–only a brother and a niece (if you don’t count her crazy ex sister-in-law whom Gwen really doesn’t). Her niece, Haley, shows up unannounced and in the final trimester of pregnancy–all news to Gwen. Haley had broken into Gwen’s house after walking six miles from the bus station, and the responding officer, Peter Schaughnessy, is smitten with Gwen when she arrives at home. The feeling is mutual.

It’s been a long time since Gwen felt a real connection with a man. Her husband died six years ago, and she’s sought out men like Jeb in the past few years–sexy, playboy types who look great in person but are less-than-stellar in the relationship arena. Peter is wholly different from those guys, but there’s a mutant elephant in the room between them–Peter grew up with and abusive alcoholic father and he cannot, will not, tolerate alcoholism. He avoids dealing with them as much as possible, and is often openly hostile to those he cannot avoid.

This is the third book in a series, and though it’s fully readable as a standalone, there are many interwoven story arcs from the previous books, which all take place in Tompkins Falls. Being an addictions counselor and recovering alcoholic, Gwen has really tight connections to her community, and Peter, who is newly moved from Syracuse, enjoys this small-town life. Unfortunately eveyone he seems to meet is a recovering alcoholic/addict, and his own sister struggles with alcoholism–though Peter refuses to acknowledge this.

While Gwen helps Haley through the end stages of her pregnancy, she and Peter strike up a promising romance–until Peter is finally confronted with Gwen’s history of alcoholism. It’s not a pretty scene.

The book is a redemption tale, mainly, because it squarely faces the recovery of addicts, and the effect addiction has on children and their later relationships. The many players in this book all look at Peter’s intransigence on alcoholism as a disease as being a symptom of his own hellish abused childhood. Having suffered their own addicitons, they are eager to help Peter better understand the disease, and how to life with it, not ignore it. Peter never touches alcohol, but he’s still got anger issues that stem from his past–as a child of an alcoholic myself, I could relate.

I did enjoy the Americana aspects of this book. The small-town life is highly detailed and warm. Gwen and her AA friends are a family that rallies around each other–they assist with Haley’s pregnancy, and community efforts, and even building a holisitc wellness center to treat addictions and rehab therapies. Through time apart from Peter, Gwen is able to get a better handle on her life, and recognize more of her own missteps that led her down a path to alcoholism in the first place. There is a lot of growth of several characters within the book, notably Gwen, Peter and Haley. Their story is approachable and honest.

For my own self, I think I would have liked a bit faster pace. There are so many pit stops into AA–each character is working his/her recovery very hard. That was something special to see, but it got a little tedious considering how very many characters in the book are in AA. The attraction between Gwen and Peter moved at a bit faster rate than I would have suspected given their history of betrayal. The sexytimes are thin, in my opinion. I favor a bit more heat in my reads, and this was a more “God-centered” book than I’ve picked up in a long time. Still, the story is interesting and the characters very approachable.

Interested? You can find FINDING THE WAY BACK TO LOVE on Goodreads and Amazon.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Born in the upstate-New York village known as the Birthplace of Women’s Rights, Katie O’Boyle loves the Finger Lakes in every season. That’s why she set her Lakeside Porches romance novels in Tompkins Falls on Chestnut Lake. To the outside world, she is a tech-savvy college professor. To friends and readers, she is the author of warm-hearted romance. She recently finished writing book four of the Lakeside Porches romance books and novellas and is planning book five.

Cstch up with Katie online on her website, Facebook, and .

He Truly Was THE KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE–Review and Giveaway

Ocean Ave
Hi there! Today I’m so excited to share in the blog tour for Tara Lain’s newest release THE KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE. I really liked her wolf shifter stories, but this book is a fantastic contemporary M/M romance between a sexually questioning construction worker and the glitzy stylist prepping his sister for her society wedding. It’s an odd couple that just works!

Knight of Ocean Avenue 400x600About 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!

GAGA’S “EDGE of Glory” played in his ear. Damn. Quit.
 He reached out and pawed at the edge of the coffee table until he finally felt the phone. His fingers found the mute button and he clicked it. Peace. He tried to roll over. Heavy.

“Merwaorwr.”

“Mewr.”

Claws dug into his chest as the weight lifted, then disappeared. “Go back to sleep.” He rolled over until his face and body were pressed against the back of the couch. Ouch. His dick hurt. Sleep. Ouch.

Well, damn. Slowly he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He glanced to the side. Clancy and Yerby gazed at him like they could command him with will force alone to open the tuna. “Hang in there, guys.”

Oh man. Not hung over. He’d had half a beer. But here he lay fully clothed on his couch, aching in his bones and feeling like someone had kicked him in the nuts. That would be him. He’d done it to himself.
He swung his legs over the side, sat up on the edge of the couch, and dropped his head. Four eyes stared up at him. “Go open it yourself.”

Three times. He’d wanked himself into oblivion three times while rewinding that frigging porno. Was there one line he didn’t engrave in his brain? Every “unh, unh, unh. Fuck me harder” was emblazoned in his memory. Jesus, Ballew. Yeah, Jesus was the operative word. But if he was going to hell for jerking off, he’d be taking every male in the world with him.

Of course, he didn’t just masturbate; he wanked to gay porn. What the hell is that about? Truth? He’d been kicked in the teeth so many times by so many women, the idea of fucking a nice uncomplicated man kind of did it for him. Well, not seriously, but the theory was attractive. And no, he would not be sharing this revelation with the guys on the job site.

The bang on his door about sent him into outer space. Who the hell? Nobody came here. He didn’t share his address much. No poker with the boys or make-out sessions with the girls. His place. His. Who was it?

The knocking came again.

Shit!

He jumped up. “Yeah?” The cats looked up at his loud voice.

“Billy, it’s Jim.” The voice came through the door.

Jim. Billy looked around, grabbed the laptop, closed it tight, and slid it onto the end table. Lube. Shit. He shoved the open tube into the drawer, then staggered over to the front door. How much did he smell like sex? Damn, his sweats were halfway to his knees. He dragged them back up, then opened the door.

“Hi. Sorry, overslept.” He ran a hand through his hair.

Jim Carney was a little older than him and a good guy, if a bit of a hound dog. He grinned. “Sorry. My truck broke down. I was kind of close to here and remembered your address. Thought I’d see if I could get a ride.”

“Uh, sure.” He glanced over his shoulder. It felt strange having somebody here. “Come on in. I need to feed my cats and take a quick shower, if you want to wait.”

“Sure. Too far to walk and all uphill.” He stepped in. “You have cats?”

Billy looked at Jim. The guy had a tough face with a broken nose that some women liked. “Yeah, I got two. You like cats?”

“No. Just think it’s kind of funny that you do.” He smacked Billy’s shoulder. “You crazy cat lady, you.”
Well, hell. “Make yourself at home.” Kind of. He walked into the kitchen, the boys behind him, and scooped out some cat food into both dishes. “Here ya go, guys.” He raised his voice. “Don’t let feline haters make you feel bad.”

Jim laughed from the living room. “This is quite a place you have. Jesus, man, what are you, some closet decorator?”

Billy frowned and walked into the living room. “No, I just like having a nice place of my own.”

“But you’re so damned neat.” He was holding a glass globe Billy had found in a yard sale.

“So?” He took the globe and put it back on the shelf.

“Nothing. No wonder women like you so much.”

“I’m taking a quick shower.” He started for the bedroom, stopped and grabbed the laptop, then went into his room—small with a big bed.

He glanced at his watch, still ticking on his wrist. Double shit. If he didn’t hurry, they’d both be late for work. Saturday shifts were good for making extra cash, but not if he didn’t get there.

He stepped under the water. Too cold. Shaved so fast he nicked himself and finally got some clothes on and hurried back into the living room. Jim sat on the couch holding a book, the two cats staring at him from across the room. He stared back. Billy laughed. “Have they got you cornered?”

“Shit, man, those two are scary. What are they, ninja attack cats?”

Billy sat and pulled on his work boots. He nodded at the book. “What you got?”

Jim held out the book. “This is heavy shit, my man.” The copy of Jane Eyre kind of weighed down his hand.

Billy tried to keep his brows from scrunching together. “I just like to read. I didn’t get to go to school too long, so I read, okay?” He didn’t say he read because it was like a fucking gift to finally be able to do it.
Jim set down the book and stood up. “You really are different, you know?”

“Thanks a shitload.”

“I don’t mean it bad. You’re just—not like most of the guys.”

Man, was he tired of hearing that.

My Review:
Billy Ballew is a dud with the ladies. Three broken engagements lay at his feet on the eve of his baby sister’s wedding. At 25 years old and still a bachelor, his fiercely religious mother is impatient for grandkids, and always willing to make her desire known. Billy is a hard-working man; always has been. He’s qualified to be a licensed contractor but suffers test-taking anxiety after years of ridicule in school. He’d been a late bloomer in terms of reading, though now he’s fully literate and supporting himself–and, to some degree, his parents ever since his father’s debilitating heart attack years ago. Billy dropped out of school and worked to help pay the mortgage and his younger sister’s college tuition–and his sacrifices have not gone unnoticed.

In prep for the big wedding of his sister to a hoity-toity rich guy, Billy allows himself to be talked into working with his sister’s stylist, Shazam, so that he’ll be fashionable for all the wedding events. Still questioning what keeps going wrong with his relationships, Billy is stunned to find Shaz, the effeminate redhead, strangely appealing. Billy has only been sexually active with a man once–if you consider paying a trick for some oral distraction “active”–and he is freaked out.

Shaz is more than a little attracted to his straight client. Dressing such a big, burly man–one who had interfered in a possible bashing of himself–is a fun challenge, and Shaz is determined to make friends with Billy, if only to spend more time with him. Thing is, the more time they spend, the greater the attraction simmers between them.

Okay, so there are a lot of issues at play in this story. Homophobic crew on Billy’s worksites, homophobic parents on the little league team Billy coaches, homophobic mother…casual homophobia and direct homophobia. Cheating partners and supportive friends. Men finding their way independently both sexually and financially, and that doesn’t only mean Billy, or even Shaz. There are great secondary characters here who round out the narrative.

While Billy begins to sort out his complicated feelings about possibly being gay, Shaz is sorting out the mess of being a partner to a closet case, or having the important people in Billy’s life hate both of them. The so-called ‘you turned him gay’ backlash is not Shaz’s cup of Darjeeling. A wealthy potential business partner swoops into Shaz’s life and Billy quadruple guesses what the heck a sexy, suave sophisticated man like Shaz could see in a rough, barely literate high school drop out like himself. A lot of time is spent with these two men having strong feelings for one another, and yet staying separate, working on their lives with an eye to figure out how to restart what they had barely initiated. Which only makes it sweeter when Billy rides in to the rescue. Because he does.

At his core, Billy is as decent a person as anyone could hope to know. He volunteers for little league coaching, he works two and three jobs to have money to support his family, he has two gay cats which (I’m sure even though the book didn’t say) were shelter rescues. He doesn’t sleep around and he apologizes for cursing in front of his mother. The man is a freaking saint, and thinks he’s dirt because he did poorly in school. If Shaz didn’t climb him like a tree, several times, I would have attempted it myself.

Shaz is, himself, a good egg. He works hard and values hard work. The socialite playboys he always finds himself aligned with are too narcissistic and have no sense of honor, but Shaz sees real honor and valor, even, in Billy. The more Billy embraces his sexuality, the more astounded Shaz is by his courage.

This is a well-crafted Gay-For-You romance that embraces the idea of slow changes and coming to terms with one’s self before coming out. Shaz, having been shunned by his own family, never pressures Billy to make bold moves. On the contrary, he assures Billy he cares for him exactly as he is, and will stand wherever he needs to to keep Billy within a comfort zone. Even after becoming physical, the end is far into the future, with major hurdles for Billy to overcome. I was so glad that he had Shaz beside him for most of it. The sexytimes are fun and flirty as well as being sexy-sexy. I just enjoyed the book so much.

Interested? You can find THE KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press (eBook or Paperback), Amazon, AllRomance, and Barnes & Noble.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $25 Gift Card–Open Internationally.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends.

About the author:
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:

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Love Isn’t Easy as THREE, TWO, ONE–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for JA Huss’s dark romantic suspense novel, THREE TWO ONE. I’ve liked Huss’s work in the past, and I know I’m going to get a story that bends romance out beyond the norm. Always filled with broken people who spackle their hearts back together and triumph over some fearsome histories, Huss is who I read when I want something truly different.
(Bonus, there’s also a good bit of sex–not that it’s all sexy…)

Three, Two, One (321)About the book:
ONE GIRL
Battered, barefoot, and huddled under a bookstore awning in the pouring rain, Blue only knows one thing. After fifteen months of captivity, finally… she is free.

TWO FRIENDS
Self-made millionaires JD and Ark are not out to save anyone when they stumble upon a wet and shivering girl one early Sunday morning. But when you sell sex for a living and salvation rings your bell… you answer the call.

THREE SOULMATES
After years of searching, love lifts the veil of darkness, and three people—with three very big secrets—find themselves bound together in a relationship that defies the odds.

Or does it?

Love. Lust. Sex.

This trinity might be perfection… but not everything should come in 3’s.

WARNING: This is a STANDALONE non-traditional M/F/M ROMANCE with a non-traditional ending.

My Review:
This is a sexually-explicit dark romance which features a M/F/M menage and some brief M/M elements.

Ark and JD are two men who collect public sex acts on tape for porn websites. They have been business partners for four years, having met the first night Ark stepped off a bus in Denver and rescued JD from a 4-on-1 beat down. JD is the star of the public sex tapes, and they recruit only legal, disease free women to perform. Ark is a master videographer and runs all the logistics of their operation. They have made millions of dollars in porn over the past four years, but it hasn’t been easy. JD has a dark past which includes a (recovered) drug addiction, a dead girlfriend and a missing daughter. They are weeks away from the culmination of their plan to open their own porn website when they meet a half-naked, shivering woman sitting in the rain on an early October morning.

Unable to score their required quota of public sex tapes for the week, JD attempts to cajole the woman into starring in their movie–she clearly needs cash–and she accepts. But, it’s raining and she’s freezing and looks strung out. They end up taking her to their penthouse around the corner, and that’s when Ark knows his life is about to change.

The woman, who they call Blue on account of her blue eyes, has been through extreme trauma–her body bears the welts and scars of beating–tell-tale scars of BDSM/rough trade sex play. When she becomes cognizant she confesses running away from a cult which had kept her as a captive sex slave for the past 15 months. Blue had been attempting to help her childhood friend escape from an baby-selling ring but got sucked into it, instead. She is broken and unwilling to attempt to return to her past life, afraid to embarrass her high-profile parents. Ark agrees to give her sanctuary in the condo he and JD share, but the attraction between them is magnetic. JD has no compunction about his interest, but Blue wants more than JD, she wants Ark, too, and Ark’s not down for a menage. At first. Ark is more than interested in Blue, but he’s not a “sharer” and he’s seen JD in action with women–he’s rough which is not Ark’s style even if it plays well in porn. Blue’s extreme agorophobia is unsettling, and the brand on her neck sends JD into a dark headspace–his girlfriend was branded just the same way, and their baby stolen, sold to adoptive parents. The questions about Blue’s history begin to be revealed, and mutual connections in the porn industry start answering JD’s long-desired inquests regarding the whereabouts of his daughter.

As the time winds, Blue and JD are able to entice Ark into committing to a menage. Ark is, himself, always slightly removed from the emotional aspect, and he fears that JD will hurt Blue–he’s seen it before. JD enjoys very rough sex, and Blue’s emotionally frail. But the shoe really drops when Ark arrives home to find some very abusive kink happening in his absence.

The mystery of JD’s guilty past, Blue’s quest for justice and Ark’s absent history all resolve in the final 10% of the book. It’s a carefully revealed mystery, with plenty of misdirection. There is a lot of sex, but little of it felt erotic. I think this was because scenes told from Ark’s POV were lacking emotionally, which was in line with his character. He was obsessive and controlling and holding too many secrets (of his own and JD’s) to allow for a full connection between himself, JD and Blue for a very long time. That isn’t a criticism. I enjoyed the way the characters interacted, and how the subtle foreshadowing built up to a seriously good payoff. This is a book that keeps the reader guessing, and waiting, and knowing that something REALLY REALLY bad is coming and hoping that it will all just work out.

Spoiler: it doesn’t. Not exactly.

There is a positive resolution where the baddies are brought to justice, and the guilty are punished, but it’s not a sunny, hearts and flowers ending. The intrigue and twistedness of the characters is fascinating, however. And though the end isn’t sunshine and rainbows, it’s honest and real and good. I’d highly recommend.

Interested? You can find THREE TWO ONE on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

J.A. HussAbout the author:
JA Huss is the author of the Amazon bestselling Rook and Ronin series, the epic science fiction I Am Just Junco series, and hundreds of kid-friendly science books in subjects such as biology, physics, anatomy and physiology, astronomy, and forensics. She has an undergraduate degree in equine science and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology. She has never taken a creative writing class and she hopes she never will.

You can connect with JA (Julie) on Goodreads, Facebook, twitter, her website, her blog or via her newsletter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Tales of Dating and Marriage from Jay Northcote

Hi there! Today I’m chatting about a two-book contemporary M/M series from Jay Northcote. THE DATING GAME and THE MARRYING KIND are two sweet romances featuring Owen and Nathan, young men who find love when they didn’t expect to.

The Dating Game (Owen & Nathan, #1)My Review of THE DATING GAME:
4.5 stars for this quickie, British, New Adult M/M romance.

Owen and Nathan went to Uni together and had mutual friends but were never close. Owen, out and loving it, had a crush on (supposedly) straight Nathan, but never toyed with Nathan because why bother? Plenty of gay mates were available. That was then.

Now, Nathan has returned to Bristol and is out with Owen and his good friends, Simon and Jack, who are a committed couple. Owen decides to risk hitting on Nathan, having just learned Nathan is gay. Well, Nathan may find Owen sexy, but he’s not up for a one night stand.

No, if Owen wants to be with Nathan, he needs to work for it. Owen’s thrown off by Nathan’s insistence on not one, but FIVE sex-free dates. Try as he might, Owen can’t remember ever going on a single date with a bloke. (He is, admittedly, a tart.) But there’s something in this challenge that strikes a chord with Owen and he agrees.

They set up their dates for Saturdays, and over the course of the first few weeks develop a rapport. Calls, texts, and of course their shared time on the dates pull both Nathan and Owen in closer than either had imagined. Their make-outs resulting in aborted physicality ups the stakes, too. Funny how quickly they take to phone sex!

This is really a sweet read with two men who find a connection they didn’t anticipate. Nathan didn’t want to be a conquest, and Owen couldn’t imagine finding a boyfriend. It was a rewarding short read with plenty of titillating moments and a couple hot scenes. The two POV narrative worked for me because I was able to find both men charmingly vulnerable and hoped that they’d decide that five dates just wasn’t enough…

Spoiler: It wasn’t. HEA all the way.

Interested? THE DATING GAME is currently on sale for $.99 at Amazon, regularly-priced on AllRomance, and Barnes & Noble.

The sequel, THE MARRYING KIND is really just delicious. Owen and Nathan have stuck together for two years, and despite Owen’s great misgivings over marriage, he proposes. Then, he learns he’s on the downsizing list for his job. His lukewarm feet start feeling colder by the minute… Let the drama begin!

The Marrying Kind (Owen & Nathan, #2)About THE MARRYING KIND:

Nathan wants to put a ring on it, but is Owen the marrying kind?

Two years on from their first date, Owen and Nathan are living together and life is good—except they’re not on the same page about marriage.

A traditionalist at heart, Nathan wants it all: the wedding, the vows, and a pair of matching rings. Owen, on the other hand, believes marriage is old-fashioned and unnecessary. They don’t need a wedding to prove their commitment to each other. Love should be enough on its own.

All it takes is one moment of weakness on a night out to force the issue. Owen finds himself engaged after a half-drunk proposal, and Nathan’s enthusiasm sweeps him along. But as the big day approaches, the mounting tension finally combusts.

If he’s going to save their relationship, Owen will need to decide once and for all if he’s truly the marrying kind.

Feel free to check out my full review for THE MARRYING KIND over on Joyfully Jay.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

This Time it’s HIS SECRETARY: UNVEILED

Hi there! Today I”m sharing a review for Melanie Marchande’s latest release, HIS SECRETARY: UNVEILED. I really enjoyed the first book, HIS SECRETARY: UNDONE and thought I’d take a go on this billionaire romance sequel. Glad I did!

His Secretary: Unveiled (A Billionaire Romance)About the book:
There’s a sexy, sarcastic billionaire in my bed, and he’s wearing a wedding ring.

How did this happen? Oh, right. Last year, I found out my insufferable boss was secretly a steamy romance author, and me? I was his unwitting muse. That kind of thing can really charm the pants off a girl – if she’s a little bit nuts. Thankfully, I’ve never had more than a passing interest in normalcy.

Next stop, marital bliss! I mean, what could go wrong? It’s not like I have any ambivalent feelings about hooking up with the guy who made my life hell for five years. And it’s not as if Adrian accumulated a long list of enemies in his rise to the top. And we’re *definitely* not so stubborn that it’ll be a struggle to put away our pride and make things work.

Okay, so maybe all those things are true. But at the end of the day, all you need is love…and spankings.

At least, I sure hope so.

My Review:
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. This is the second book in a series; it is best to read these in sequence.

Meg and Adrian are back–married this time. Adrian is a billionaire, owner of Risinger Industries, and taking a break from his CEO duties having resigned a few months back. He’s also a best selling erotica author whose books were a CEO/Secretary love affair based on Adrian’s own infatuation with his admin, Meg.

They had heat and clashes in book one, but resolved all of that to become Mr. and Mrs. On a whirlwind Hawaii vacation. Coming home to real life has been…stressful, however. Adrian isn’t used to sharing his personal space, and spend hours upon hours writing, and ignoring Meg.

Meg is confronted by her father, from whom she had been estranged, regarding the health of her love affair/marriage, and she doesn’t want to upset Adrian by discussing this advent in her life. He knows she’s keeping secrets, and he’s frustrated–and afraid she is getting too isolated from him.

Plus, one of Adrian’s former (male) employees is suing him for harassment and wrongful termination, and insinuating that Meg is a “beard” because she’s voluptuous and Adrian could clearly have a supermodel…

So, there’s a lot of conflict and not a lot of communication. We get some fun flashback insight, but the sexytimes are too few–which could be said of many marriages, perhaps. This is a “growing” book where the initial connecting passions have cooled and the”getting on with life together” phase is in full effect–which is not as exciting as a subject matter, but it’s still very real and approachable. I liked the way Meg and Adrian came together to work on their relationship, and how they made their lives more complete as a team. There is a clear resolution and a happy happy ending.

Interested? You can find HIS SECRETARY: UNVEILED on Goodreads,
Amazon, iBooks, and Barnes & Noble.

Melanie MarchandeAbout the Author:
Melanie Marchande claims she has “always been fascinated by that feeling, that little spark – that tingle – the way your stomach can flip-flop at just hearing someone’s name. We all remember what it’s like. With my books, I hope to make you remember that feeling, to experience that thrill one more time. And the best part is, you can always come back and experience it again, and again, and again…”

She is the author of the “I Married a Billionaire” trilogy. You can find Melanie on her blog, Goodreads, Facebook, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Reunited in THE STORY OF JAX AND DYLAN–My review for Joyfully Jay

I’m back on Joyfully Jay reviewing a new release from Jamie Dean. THE STORY OF JAX AND DYLAN is a cute friends-to-lovers, contemporary reconnection, M/M romance form Jamie Dean. If you’ve ever wondered “Whatever happened to…?” about someone from your past, and thought about contacting them on Facebook, you’ll totally get this book. I really enjoyed it.

The Story of Jax and Dylan

About the book:

Dylan and Jax were typical best friends, until Dylan fell for Jax and kissed him the night before senior prom. Dylan had to move away before they could talk about it, so he has spent ten years thinking Jax hated him for that kiss.

Reconnecting on Facebook allows them to meet again, and they quickly become as close as ever, spending most of their free time together. Dylan falls for Jax a second time, even though Jax has a girlfriend and appears to be straight.

Important secrets about Jax may lie hidden in the books he’s written, but Jax has asked Dylan not to read them, and Dylan refuses to break his promise. When the truth finally surfaces, their lives will never be the same.

Head on over to Joyfully Jay Reviews to check out my full review.

 

Love…ONCE UPON A DARE–Review & Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a hot new contemporary romance from Jennifer Bonds. ONCE UPON A DARE is a fun and sexy novel about letting go and wising up. Don’t forget to click down to enter the $250 gift card giveaway!

Once Upon a DareAbout the book:
The first night was a dare. The second night was trouble…

Advertising guru Olivia Masterson is all work and no play. But on the eve of earning her dream promotion, her best friend dares her to drop her ice queen façade for one night and seduce a sexy stranger. Olivia’s worked her ass off to get where she is-why the hell not?

Cole Bennett never thought he’d run into his feisty one-night stand at the office, furious that he stole her promotion. No matter how hard she tries to ice him out, they can’t seem to keep their hands to themselves…or their clothes on.

Olivia’s talented-maybe even more than Cole-so when his dropped hints to the boss net her a promotion of her own, he’s ready to celebrate…until she accuses him of fueling office rumors that she slept her way to the top. She wants to earn her own way? Fine. So what the hell does a guy have to do to permanently melt an ice queen?

Teaser 6 copyMy Review:
Olivia Michaelson thinks she’s getting a promotion at her ad agency, and goes out for a drink with her bestie Chloe to celebrate. While there, Chloe dares Olivia to hit on a man, and have her first one night stand evah…

Cole Bennett has just returned to NYC to take a partnership at an ad agency. He’s out for a drink, and captivated by the blonde goddess at a nearby table, and he’s not averse to flirting when she approaches him. Nor is he going to turn down her very forward request…

Cue the hot sex, and early Saturday walk of shame.
Then, cue the Monday morning meeting where Olivia meets the newest partner in her firm, Cole Bennett.

To say Olivia is shattered would be accurate. She’s always kept pleasure FAR away from business, and she’s just banged her new boss…

Okay, it’s awkward, but hot. Olivia and Cole just fit each other sexually. Working together poses the expected difficulties, especially because Olivia is determined to make partner on her merit, not her back.

Cole and Olivia are assigned a joint project to land a multi-million dollar project, and the chemistry between them cannot be contained. They adopt a “no-strings” strategy, which goes to heck the second Cole catches Olivia out on a blind date….

The tension is great, and the resolution is HEA, but the middle is a break-up-to-make-up, which was well done. This is an entertaining, sexy, quick read. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

Interested? You can find ONCE UPON A DARE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, KOBO, and iTunes.

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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

JBonds Head Shot copyAbout the Author:
Jennifer Bonds writes sizzling contemporary romance with sassy heroines, sexy heroes, and a whole lot of mischief. When she’s not writing or wrangling toddlers, she can be found curled up with a good book and a bottle of wine. Jennifer lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where her overactive imagination and weakness for reality TV keep life interesting. She’s lucky enough to live with her own real life hero, two adorable children, and a pair of rambunctious dogs. Loves Buffy, Mexican food, the Winchester brothers, and all things zombie. Sings off-key.

You can find Jennifer online on Twitter, Facebook, Website, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

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They Found A WAY HOME–My Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for the final book in Keira Andrew’s Amish Love series, A WAY HOME. I’ve previously reviewed A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA and A CLEAN BREAK, and I know these books have made an impact on me, not only because they are enjoyable. I really dig books that teach me a bit about another culture, and I can safely say I’ve gotten an insiders peek into Amish life. It is fascinating!
(These are adult reads, and are NOT about religion, only how religion is part of the lives of these men.)

A Way Home (Gay Amish Romance #3)About the book:
Will returning to their Amish roots renew their faith in each other?

Isaac and David never thought they’d go back to the Amish world. But when Isaac’s younger brother is stricken with cancer, they don’t hesitate to return. Their relationship is on the rocks after insecurity and fear drove a wedge between them in San Francisco, and David is determined to make things right. Yet if they thought navigating “English” life was confusing, being back in Zebulon is even more complicated.

Their families are desperate to bring them back into the fold, and pressure from the community builds. Isaac and David yearn for a future together, but each day it becomes harder to hide the truth about who they really are. They’re caught between two worlds, and if they’re not careful it could tear them further apart.

Can Isaac and David make their way back to each other—and find a place to call home?

This is the final chapter in a trilogy of forbidden Amish love.

My Review:
This is the third book in a series. It is recommended that you read in order.

To sum up the series: David and Isaac are two young men from a sheltered Amish community in Zebulon, MN. They had left to find a life together because they are gay and closeted, and can’t persist in the Amish life as gay men. After several months living in San Fransisco with Isaac’s shunned brother, Aaron and his wife Jen, they have some issues to resolve including alcoholism and fidelity.

In this final book, Aaron and Isaac have traveled to Zebulon to provide blood samples for matching to their younger brother, Nathan, who is suffering an advanced nasal cancer. Isaac feels guilty that he didn’t complain about Nathan’s awful snoring when he still shared a room/bed with him–before he left–fearing that his complaints may have caused earlier detection.

Aaron is distraught because he has missed his family for the past decade, and his parents will not speak directly to him, nor will they let him visit his siblings, except Nathan, who is hospital-bound.

David was left behind in San Fran because he was AWOL at the time the summons came, having had a big fight with Isaac and a drunken binge that left him unreachable. Jen helped to clean him up and get him on the way, but he and Issac have a lot to resolve, not the least of which is the status of their relationship. Plus, returning to Zebulon means confronting his choices with his mother and five younger sisters that he had cared for since his father’s death years before.

If you have followed this series, you will note that this final installment is less on the sexytimes and more on the emotional minefield in which Isaac and David find themselves. At every turn they are begged, cajoled and threatened to give up their “English” ways and return to Amish life. They struggle with the desire to have some connection to their families and still be able to life their true life, as gay men.

I was glad the betrayal aspect which remained from the previous book was quickly, and appropriately, resolved. As with any relationship, there are bound to be growing pains, and David and Isaac must acknowledge their shortfalls to each other in order to build a better life going forward.

I have been charmed by David and Isaac throughout this series, and was no less so in this final installment. I was SO GLAD to see their unsettled feelings regarding Zebulon resolved, and to know that life will go on in the positive direction.

The attitudes of the fictional Amish in the book feel accurately rendered and likely, which is both good and frustrating. Good because it lends an authenticity to the story. Frustrating because they are incredibly intransigent, and this causes a lot of heartache. Shunning is the worst kind of “tough love,” an extreme type of emotional manipulation, and while I can understand it, I do not want to condone it, like it or promote it. Still, I felt it, and Like Aaron, Isaac and David, I didn’t want to feel it ever again.

The book is a solid HEA, the series is a solid HEA, and it’s absolutely brilliant. Cannot recommend enough.

Interested? You can find A WAY HOME on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance.

A Forbidden Rumspringa (Gay Amish Romance #1)As for the first book–A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA–it is a story of many firsts, told by Isaac. Isaac is the “new” eldest son of his house. I say “new” in quotes, because his eldest brother, Aaron, was excommunicated when he left the Amish community several years before. Isaac is uncomfortable in his Amish home because he doesn’t feel attracted to girls. He’s actually quite attracted to David, an Amish carpenter who takes Isaac on as an apprentice.

Together, they find out about love, and life, during their forays into each other, and the “English” world just outside their settlement. Isaac knows he can never watch David marry, but he never suspects how deep David loves only him. It is a touching story that really got to me. Check out my review for more details.

Interested? You can find A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA on Goodreads, All Romance, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

A Clean Break (Gay Amish Romance #2)The second book, A CLEAN BREAK, is told from David’s point of view, and it’s a big departure from what I expected. Me, with my moony love for love, thought it would be a hope-filled book with tons of joy and hearts and flowers. The reality is a much better story. It is a struggle for David to adapt to his new life, a life of dependence upon Isaac’s brother, Aaron. David has never been able to lean on anyone, and he wants desperately to take care of Isaac, plus he’s distraught over leaving his mother and sisters behind, to fend for themselves. His worries turn into anxiety and panic attacks which he medicates with alcohol. It’s got a lot of love, but there is a whole lot of growth and change that both Isaac and David must endure in order to make their path in the strange landscape of San Francisco. It is a remarkable story that will resonate. Check out my review for more information.

Interested? You can find A CLEAN BREAK on Goodreads, All Romance, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Keira AndrewsAbout the Author:
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

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

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!