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Giveaway & Review – Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi #PrettyEvil #NetGalley @XpressoTours

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I want to thank NetGalley and AmazonPublishingUK for the opportunity to read and review Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi. Doesn’t this cover speak to you?

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Everything about Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi spoke to me, the fabulous cover and title, the blurb that did nothing but whet my appetite. I love villains, especially when there is a strong, female protagonist to make them pay. I love diverse characters, and Camilla qualifies.

I love the cat and mouse game between Camilla, a vigilante serial killer, and Detective Wheelan, who never gives up once he sinks his teeth into a case. I couldn’t see how Zoe Rosi would make me happy, but she did. If I was watching this as a movie or TV series, I would have been talking to Camilla, and she would probably tell me to shut up and sit down. She’s got this. LOL

I love a character that walks to the beat of her own drum. Camilla has remade herself into a fashionista, the editor of Coutoure magazine. Money can make things possible and she takes full advantage of it. She dons a mask, like the clothes she wears.

I’m not into raping rapists. Sometimes I murder them….

The feeling is strange: I feel powerful, knowing he’s at my mercy…is this why men use date rape drugs? I’d always thought it was about getting a guaranteed fuck, but now I see it’s about having a sense of complete control. It’s about being godlike.

Julian…and the roof scene…I had to do a little research to get the gist of what Camilla was going for and I love it. For me, gruesome and brutal, is good. It makes me feel satisfied in a way that real life, many times, does not. If do unto others as you would have others do unto you really applied, maybe people would rethink their actions. That is the wonderful thing about fiction, anything goes.

In Chapter 18, at 94%, I had to put my ereader down. I was reluctant to find out what comes next. I was afraid for her. How can this end in a way where I will be satisfied? Camilla…watch out…but, I should have known that Zoe Rosi was three steps ahead of me…and I LOVE IT! The story can end here, but the character is fascinating, complex, driven, so I could see more coming. Is Camilla talking to you, Zoe? I certainly hope so.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

You’ve done a bad thing. She has you in her sights. Now you’re going to pay.

Meet Camilla Black: an affluent, respected, influential fashion magazine editor, who lives it up in her beautiful Mayfair apartment. But Camilla’s glamorous life is a lie. Behind her poised exterior beats the cold dark heart of a vigilante killer, a murderer hell-bent on wreaking vengeance upon bad men.

Camilla expects to get away with murder. She’s careful. And anyway, it’s worth the risk. She’s making the world a better place with each predator she kills. But when one of her victims’ bodies is unexpectedly found, his gruesome death is splashed all over the papers.

To make matters worse, she’s now being pursued by Detective Wheelan, a new addition to the Met with laser-sharp focus and a worrying habit of solving impossible crimes…

She knows she should stop, but she can’t. Some men just deserve to die. Will Camilla’s insatiable appetite for justice be her downfall, or can she outsmart the police?

Revised edition: Previously published as Predator, this edition of Pretty Evil includes editorial revisions.

Purchase:

ABOUT ZOE ROSI (from NetGalley)

Zoe Rosi has a background in journalism and copywriting. She worked as a reporter for local and national newspapers before moving into the fashion industry as a copywriter. Zoe had four romantic comedies published before writing her debut thriller. It was while working as a fashion copywriter that Zoe had the idea for Pretty Evil, which she describes as The Devil Wears Prada meets American Psycho.

Author links:

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Review – A Reservoir Man by L J Ambrosio #ljambrosio

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Non, je ne regrette rien (No I don’t regret anything)

Reading A Reservoir Man by L J Ambrosio was me stepping outside my comfort zone and I am so glad I did. A Reservoir Man has a deeper meaning in the story than just a title for the book.

From the day he was born in 1947, Michael was looked at differently. He had a harelip and all the old wives tales and folklore made his life more difficult than it had to be, but his parents loved him, unconditionally. His innocence makes him a victim to those who prey on the naive. I love that he was able to rise above it. Some people are givers, some people are takers, and Michael is a giver. I love that he is an observer. I, too, like to people watch. We both have an affinity for benches, a great place to watch people from. He was used and abused, yet still kept moving forward. I felt so many emotions while reading A Reservoir Man. The story feels like a true life biography. AND, the ending….brought tears to my eyes. Well done, L J.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Reservoir Man by L J Ambrosio.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A Reservoir Man, critics have hailed this explosive and timely work as “a must-read coming-of-age story of 2022.” Twists and turns further pull the reader in to Michael’s action-packed tale, with powerful themes, from betrayal and family to secrets and identity. “Be sure not to blink because you just might miss a pivotal moment in Michael’s rousing, larger-than-life story.” –R.C. Gibson, Indiestoday. “This book is a dream, a gamble, a utopia, even.” — Kalyan Panja, Bookmarkks.

ABOUT L J AMBROSIO

Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. He taught at over 7 universities in America. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

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Giveaway – Where You Are by Felice Stevens @XpressoTours @FeliceStevens1

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Where You Are
Felice Stevens
Publication date: August 29th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Former model and B-list actor (B meaning really bad) Isaac Seidel is now a NYC firefighter on special assignment in the one-horse town of Serenity, Pa. But all work and no play makes Isaac a dull boy, and when he hooks up with the most explosive one-night stand he’s ever had, it looks like country life might not be so boring after all.
Especially when the guy he thought he’d never see again turns out to be one of the volunteer firefighters he’s expected to train.
Levi Everett is a master at pleasing everyone—except himself. He’s spent his whole life hiding who he is and what he wants. It’s a lot more complicated now that he’s going to be seeing gorgeous Isaac Seidel every day. How is he supposed to pretend he’s straight when he and Isaac can’t keep their hands off each other?
Isaac has made it clear he’s only interested in friends with benefits, so when he returns home to NYC, Levi knows he’s gone forever.

Until he isn’t.

Trust doesn’t come easily to Isaac—he’s been hurt and used before. But Isaac is unable to forget the man he left behind, and in a shocking move, he makes Levi an offer that could change their lives forever. Now it’s up to Levi to put himself first, risking the love of his family, to go after his dreams—dreams that were unimaginable before Isaac but are now within his reach.

Because love is wherever Isaac is, and it’s the only place Levi wants to be.

Where You Are is a sweet and steamy, age-gap MM romance featuring two smoking hot firefighters who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other or their clothes on whenever they’re together. It’s filled with found family, first time love, a swoony happily ever after, a well-meaning but nosy mother, and plenty of good old country fried chicken.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Is this seat taken?”

Levi’s grip tightened on his bottle of Stella before answering the man who stood by his side. He was gorgeous—tall and dark-haired, with a gleam in his blue eyes and a slightly wicked but charming half smile tugging at his lips. He looked somewhat familiar, but Levi knew if he’d ever met him, he would’ve remembered.

“No. It’s not.” Anxiety sang through his blood as the man slid into the empty seat next to him.

“Great. My first time here. Seems like a cool place. Not many like it, I’m gathering.”

Levi swallowed. “Uh, yeah, me too. And I don’t think so.” Nervous and unsure what he should say or do, he kept quiet.

“Hey. Don’t worry. I’m not a serial killer or anything.” The man appeared to be nice, but Levi wasn’t taken in.

“Would you tell me if you were?”

The man laughed. “No, I suppose you’re right.” He pulled out his driver’s license and held it up. “See? That’s me.”

Isaac Seidel.

Levi noted the address in New York City and wondered what he was doing in the middle of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “I wasn’t fishing for information. My name’s Levi, by the way.”

“I know you weren’t.” Isaac signaled the bartender. “Another beer, Levi?”

Levi shrugged. “Sure. Thanks.”

He watched Isaac chat easily with the bartender as he opened their bottles of Stella. And despite his teasing about serial killers, Levi couldn’t help a frisson of fear. Was he crazy to do this? Maybe there was someone in town.…God, he hoped he wasn’t going to throw up from nerves. He hadn’t done that since he was a little kid.

“Here’s to new friends,” Isaac said, then raised a brow. “And maybe more?”

“New friends. And maybe.” He clinked Isaac’s bottle and took a swallow. Warmth settled in his belly, and he took another sip, feeling Isaac’s steady blue eyes on him. Seemed like Isaac had the same thing on his mind, and a thrill built up inside Levi at the thought of Isaac being his first.

“What do you do, Levi?” Isaac’s appreciative gaze ate him up, and Levi’s breathing accelerated. “You’re in fantastic shape.”

“I own a bar with my brother, so lifting all those cases of beer and liquor helps.”

“I’ll bet. No need for the gym.”

“We don’t even have one in my little town. You’d have to travel a few miles to get to one. But most of the young guys who work on the farms don’t need it, or they lift at home.”

“Makes sense. All that country living.” Isaac finished his beer. “In the city we can run in the park or work out, but most people belong to a gym.”

Figuring he needed to add something to the conversation to let Isaac know he was interested, he cleared his throat. “You’re in pretty good shape yourself.”

Isaac let loose that crazy, sexy smile. “Thanks for noticing.”

About to ask what Isaac did for a living, Levi froze when Isaac set his bottle on the bar and leaned in close. The cool scent of his aftershave sent a hot punch of lust through Levi, and he found himself swaying toward the man until their lips almost touched.

“Care to take a walk with me?”


Author Bio:

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner. Her characters have to work for it, because just like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.

Felice is the 2020 Lambda Literary Award winning author in best Gay Romance. She lives in New York City and has way too much black in her wardrobe. If she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her watching reality TV or procrastinating on FB in her reader group, Felice’s Breakfast Club.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Amazon / Pinterest / Bookbub


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Book Blitz – Loving Artemis by Janet Mason @amusejanetmason @XpressoTours

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Loving Artemis
Janet Mason
Publication date: August 16th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Artemis found the love of her life when she met Linda, but their passionate relationship fizzles when Artemis lands herself on the other side of the law. Pulling the pieces of her life together, Artemis rekindles her relationship with Linda, and together they raise a daughter.

Meanwhile, Grace, running from her past, starts a life with Thalia. At a pride parade, Grace spots someone who reminds her of Artemis, who she was briefly involved with in her youth. Old feelings are rekindled. A lifetime of rejection, abandonment, and fleeing rears its head. Now she must come to terms with her past, put her relationship with Artemis to rest–or risk losing everything.

Artemis and Grace embark on a journey of revolution, love, and marriage and discover that love finds us when we least expect it.

——————-

Janet Mason is an award-winning creative writer, teacher, marketing professional, and occasional blogger for such places as The Huffington Post. Their book, Tea Leaves, a memoir of mothers and daughters, published by Bella Books in 2012, was chosen by the American Library Association for its 2013 Over the Rainbow List. Tea Leaves also received a Goldie Award. Their work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and their novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (Adelaide Books – New York and Lisbon) was featured at the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair. Adelaide Books also published their novel The Unicorn, The Mystery late in 2020.

Loving Artemis appeals to a wide readership, with particular interest to the LGBTQA+ audience. As a love story and a coming-of-age narrative, it holds universal appeal. It is also an important slice of American history — enticing to those who have lived through it. It also attracts a younger audience who want to learn about the events that led to marriage equality.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Art felt the bike purring under her as she gunned along the highway. She looked down and saw the blur of asphalt. She looked straight ahead. It was mid-morning on Friday and the road was empty. The sun cast a long shadow in front of her.

The shadow looked like a black cartoon of a larger-than-life person on an even larger motorcycle. It looked like something she might have seen on Saturday morning television when she was a kid. She grinned and accelerated more until the pointer on the odometer reached forty-five. Billboards blurred into trees. The highway passed over a wide stream that she could see on her right as the highway turned into a flat bridge.

It was warm for early November. Wind tousled her hair; the sunglasses fit perfectly. Everything was darker and more vibrant. The trees on the side of the highway shed their leaves in a blur of red, orange, yellow. Golden light was everywhere. Art knew the chlorophyll in the leaves captured the sun’s rays in the summer, keeping the leaves green. She had learned that in the autumn when the days are bright, but the sun’s rays are further away, the leaves take their bright colors from another group of pigments called anthocyanins. This was a process of photosynthesis; science. But as the leaves passed her in a bright autumn blur, it felt like magic.

She was so close to the road that she felt like she was a part of it. Her bike was more powerful than Tommy’s. The engine roared. It felt like flying. As long as she kept her wits about her and didn’t wipe out, she could go anywhere.

Author Bio:

Janet Mason (born 1959) is an American writer and poet. Her poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and essays have appeared in literary journals including the Brooklyn Review and the Exquisite Corpse.

Her work includes the poetry collections When I Was Straight (Insight to Riot Press, 1995),
A Fucking Brief History of Fucking (Insight to Riot Press, 1992), and A Woman Alone (Cycladic Press, 2001), and the nonfiction work Tea Leaves: A Memoir of Mothers and Daughters (Bella Books, 2012).

Her novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders was published by Adelaide Books in 2018 and
The Unicorn, The Mystery was published by Adelaide Books in 2020.

She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter


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Giveway – Yearning To Live by Shirley Anne Edwards @ShirlAwriter @XpressoTours

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Yearning to Live
Shirley Anne Edwards
(Finding the Strength, #4)
Publication date: July 24th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance

A self-proclaimed ordinarily average girl meets the one larger than life person who will make her yearn for so much more.

Natalie Benton has nursed enough heartbreak in her twenty-one years. But she doesn’t like to complain even though her parents’ marriage might be falling apart, and she’s still mourning her brother, who committed suicide five years ago. On top of that, she was recently ghosted by her lover, an emotionally detached tattoo artist who ran off to California. She’s ready to graduated college in a few months but she’s not sure what her next steps will be. For now, she’ll take each day as it comes, which has become her mantra as an ordinary, average girl in Albee, Pennsylvania where nothing exciting ever happens.

But fate has other plans for Natalie, when a very not ordinary average girl enters her life. It’s the larger than life Gem Grove, one of the most popular singers of the past decade. Gem’s been hiding out in Albee while she also tries her best to take each day as it comes, but her addiction to bigger fame and fortune could lead to her downfall. The public may think she’s entitled and spoiled but she’s ready to prove them all wrong. She’s more than just a singer who performs on demand. She wants to create art with her songs and gain the respect she has always wanted.

Natalie and Gem shouldn’t fit together but they do. The ordinary average girl and the larger-than-life diva might be destined for more, but only if they can achieve it together.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“How did you know I’d be here?” I finished my juice with a loud pull on my straw.

She tapped her now painted silver thumbnails together. “Yesterday morning I went back to your work to check on the dog but then I saw you get in a car with some guy. I, ah, followed you home. After your boyfriend dropped you off and you walked inside your house, I was going to ring the doorbell, but I didn’t want you to think I was a stalker.”

“Israh’s not my boyfriend. He’s my best friend and next-door neighbor who—” I shut up before I told her too much about him, and me. “But you knowing I’m here now isn’t being a stalker?”

She stopped fidgeting with her fingers and stared out the window. “I drove away and decided to stop by your house again this morning. But then you were walking on Main Street, and I saw you come here.” She turned back to me with a confused expression. “You really do like to walk instead of driving?” Her eyes widened dramatically. “Unless you don’t have a car? But you live in a nice neighborhood in what I would say is an expensive house for this type of small town.”

The front door opened, and the bell rang. She slouched in her seat and tugged down her hood. She looked nervous, and even though I should have been offended by her rambling speech, I grew concerned. She was too twitchy and perhaps scared? She was really paranoid about being spotted.

“You’re that worried someone might recognize you and rat you out to the press? Why do you think it would happen here, in such a small town like Albee?”

“I’ve been hounded by the press since Gio and my first album was released. It’s been nonstop for twelve years.” She hugged herself and glanced out the window again when Savannah came over.

“You and your friend ready to order?” She focused on me first, not appearing to recognize Gem.

“I’d love another juice. My friend is still deciding what she wants.” I expected Gem to face me, but she kept staring out the window.

“Sure. Take your time.” She grabbed my glass and left.

Gem exhaled and gave me her attention.

“See? Savannah didn’t recognize you. This is a safe place.” I tapped her shoe with mine.

“Guess so.” She stared at the meu. “What’s good here?”

“The pancakes.” My stomach growled, but Gem didn’t seem to notice.

“Too many carbs and too much sugar.” She turned the menu over. “I ate breakfast already, but I’d kill for a chai tea.”

“Sorry, only regular coffee here.” I thanked Savannah when she brought my juice.

“I can’t sit here while you eat and I don’t.” She held up her hand as I started to speak. “I can’t drink any type of coffee. I have standards.”

I paused in taking a sip of my juice, afraid it would go down the wrong way or I’d spray it on the table or on Gem.

“Unless you have something important to tell me, I’m staying and enjoying my banana pecan pancakes I have every Sunday.” She might be used to people doing what she wanted, but I was sticking to my routine.

She checked behind her when the door opened, and a group of six girls around my age came in. She cursed under her breath and turned back around. “I want to explain why I left so suddenly after the phone call Friday night, but I’m really not comfortable talking here. Can we go somewhere more private? Please?”

The pleading tone in her voice, and her use of the word please, which I had a feeling she rarely used, stopped me from telling her no. But I was curious, well more than curious.

A waitress brought over the meals to the table nearest us. I watched the couple dig into their breakfast, and I sighed.

Gem curled her fingers around mine holding my glass. “Pretty please?”

“Not many people say no to you.” I finished my juice, even though she kept her hand on mine. I should have told her to let me go, but having a celebrity like her touch me was something I’d never expect in a million years.

“I can’t remember the last time I was refused something I wanted.” She pressed my hand and let me go.


Author Bio:

Shirley Anne Edwards is a Northeast girl who first found her love for books when she read Nancy Drew’s The Secret of the Old Clock Tower at thirteen. Shirley found her love for writing at a very young age, and since then has let her imagination run wild by creating quirky characters and vast worlds in her head.

Shirley lives in New Jersey and works in the entertainment industry in New York City.

In the immortal words of Mark Twain: “Life is short, Break the Rules. Forgive quickly, Kiss SLOWLY. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never regret ANYTHING that makes you smile.”

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Norse Mythology – The Heilheim Princess by Tiana Warner @tianawarner

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.

I love the color for the gorgeous cover of The Valkyrie’s Daughter by Tiana Warner.

The Valkyrie's Daughter

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have loved what I have read from Tiana Warner, so when I saw The Helheim Princess, I had to have it. I love myths and legends and reading books that stretch my imagination.

‘Sigrid urged Hestur to a gallop….’ and their mad dash to Vanaheim and back had me cracking up. I’ll leave it to you to find out why, but with a start like that, I feel good about the rest of the story.

Sigrid has no memory of her family and she is bullied by the Valkyries. She wants so much to be one of them, but so many things work against her. Valkyries have magical horses and Hestur is not magical, or white and gorgeous. He is brown, ordinary looking, but as fast as the wind. She trains in secret…and it will come in handy.

Dire wolves. Night elves. Helheim…the land of the dead.

On Sigrid’s quest for her destiny, she will be used and betrayed, but she will also find the most loyal friends and her place in the world.

Tiana Warner’s creative world building had me lost in the fantasy. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey, and I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with Sigrid and her friends. The characters are fleshed out, growing and changing.

I couldn’t put it down long enough to take many notes. I was captivated with the vividly created world, fabulous characters and an adventure filled with surprise and danger. I love when I don’t always know where I am going, but enjoy the time it takes to get there.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Helheim Princess by Tiana Warner.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A thrilling, intricate, and romantic #OwnVoices LGBTQ fantasy that builds on Norse mythology into a beautiful story all its own.

For as long as Sigrid could remember, she’s wanted to become a mighty, fearless valkyrie. But without a winged mare, she’s a mere stable hand, left wondering who her parents were and why she’s so different. So when the Eye shows her a vision where she’s leading a valkyrie charge on the legendary eight-legged horse Sleipnir, she grabs the possibility of this greater destiny with both hands, refusing to let go.

Too bad that the only one who can help her get there is Mariam, an enemy valkyrie who begrudgingly agrees to lead her to Helheim but who certainly can’t be trusted―even if she does make Sigrid more than a little flustered. As they cross the nine worlds, battling night elves, riding sea serpents, and hurtling into fire to learn the truth about Sigrid’s birthright, an unexpected but powerful bond forms.

As her feelings for Mariam deepen into something fiery and undeniable, Fate has other plans for Sigrid. What happens when the one thing you think you were meant to do might end the nine worlds?

ABOUT TIANA WARNER

Tiana Warner

Tiana Warner is an LGBTQ+ author from British Columbia, Canada, best known for her critically acclaimed “Mermaids of Eriana Kwai” trilogy and its comic adaptation. Tiana is a lifelong horseback rider, a former programmer with a Computer Science degree, and an outdoor enthusiast who loves to explore nature with her musician boyfriend and their hyperactive rescue mutt, Joey. Find her online at tianawarner.com.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / TikTok / Twitter

MY TIANA WARNER REVIEWS

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Givweaway – Strut by Jay Hogan @XpressoTours

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Strut
Jay Hogan
(The Style Series, #2)
Publication date: July 14th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

New Zealand farm boy turns New York fashion model.
Fairy tale? Maybe. But it hasn’t been easy. A year in this crazy city, working my tail off just to survive in a ruthless industry where sex sells and boundaries are too readily crossed.

A year and a reassuring ocean away from Hunter Donovan—a sexy, humiliating mistake that I’m not about to repeat. Distance is good. Distance is safe.

But now Hunter is back. In New York. In my life. In all those treacherous feelings that haven’t gone anywhere. But when my world suddenly crashes and I have to piece myself back together and fight for my career, will Hunter be there when I need him? Will we have what it takes to make it through this, together?

Note: This book contains themes of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Halfway down the block I came upon a small queue outside a tidy brick establishment which proved to be Color. The distant thrum of Ariana Grande leaking through the double wooden doors onto the sidewalk reminded me I was close to a generation older than most of the guys ahead of me waiting to get in.

I joined the line, ignoring a low whistle of interest from one of the guys as I passed. I took his appreciation as reassurance that my skinny black jeans paired with one of Rhys’s new season tight black-and-white-checked T-shirts passed muster. I checked my phone as I waited and fired off a text to my younger sister knowing it was afternoon in New Zealand. A few seconds later the phone rang in my hand, and I smiled and swiped it open.

“Hey, sis.”

“Hey, you. I’m heading to the supermarket. What’s up?”

The line shrank by a couple of guys, and everyone shuffled forward. “Not much. I’m waiting to get into a bar and thought I might catch you.”

Silence. “Hunter Donovan is in a queue?” She chuckled. “You don’t do queues, bro. I thought you rarefied fashionista types skipped those pesky things.”

“It’s not that level of club,” I explained. “Think popular, off-the-beaten-track gay bar. I doubt I’ll see anyone I know and certainly no one who knows me.”

“A gay bar? Ohhhhh, are you on a date?”

“No, I am not on a date. You know me. Besides, I’ve only been here two days.”

“You’re right. I do know you. Which means you’re cruising for some pretty arse. You after a bit of downtown rough, big brother?”

“Jesus, Patty, you sound like a low-budget movie, and we are not having that conversation. Ever. If you must know, I met a guy I worked with in Auckland and he happens to tend bar here. I said I’d drop by.” Kind of, almost.

“Riiiight.” She sounded sceptical. “Do I know them? You’ve always said the best thing about your trips to New York was all the great clubs. I’ve never known you to waste your time on suburban bars.” My sister was way too perceptive.

“True, but this is that model from fashion week last year? The guy Rhys discovered—”

“Oh my god,” she blurted. “That gorgeous hunk of drool you shot for Flare. Alec someone, right?”

“Alec Williamson. He got signed by Cage Talent after the show and has been in New York since. I ran into him quite by chance.”

Patty was quiet for a few seconds as the cogs in her brain ticked over. “But you liked him, right?”

What the fuck? I said nothing

.

“You can’t lie to me, Hunter. I know you. He’s the one hanging in your office on your wall of fame, aka my personal wall of hotness. He’s wearing Rhys’s design. Holy shit, Hunter. Do you have a thing? Are you—”

I needed to shut this down fast. “He’s hanging there because it was my best friend’s signature shoot for his new label,” I argued. “Not because it’s Alec.”

“Mm-hmm.” There was an irritating smile in her voice. “Pull the other one. I called into Flare that day, remember? You couldn’t take your eyes off him. Neither could I, to be honest, but you were a little smitten kitten.”

I so was. “I so wasn’t. You’re dreaming. Alec is a great model, that’s all. If I was smitten, it was on a purely professional level.”

“And yet you’re queuing to have a drink at the place he works?”

Well, when you put it like that. “Maybe.” It was all she was getting. “It’s the friendly thing to do, right?”

“Aha. Yep. Very neighbourly of you. Oh, here’s a thought. If you like him, how about you keep it in your pants for once, at least for more than a day? Get to know him.”

Too fucking late. “Oh, look at that, the bouncer’s waving me in. Gotta go, sis. Nice talking to you.” I stabbed the End Call button, stared at the double doors for a second, took a deep breath, and then pushed through.

The immediate assault to my eardrums almost rattled my brain from my skull. Add that to the heaving crowd and multicoloured light display circling the room and dripping down the walls, and I needed a minute to orient myself. I passed the coat check desk and slid against the closest wall to take a look around.

The place was humming, the music pulsing loudly above the thrum of a hundred different conversations, while the surprisingly spacious dancefloor writhed with every possible combination of couples, throuples, and dogpiles of slick bodies. Like the queue outside, it was a younger crowd, mostly early twenties, but with enough around my age to drop the creep factor to acceptable. I watched the dancers for a bit, appreciating all the hot skin and tight muscle on display before scouting the bar.

“You wanna dance?” A warm body leaned close, and I turned to find an attractive dark-haired man just inches from my face. He had the greenest eyes I’d ever seen and a pouty mouth made for sucking cock. He licked his lips and ran his hand up my arm. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”

On any other night I would’ve had him down the back and on his knees with my dick down his throat in about five minutes flat, but I wasn’t even tempted—a disturbing fact that was worth an alarm bell or two. Instead, I simply smiled and covered his hand with mine.

“Thanks. You’re pretty hot yourself, but I’m meeting someone.”

Author Bio:

Heart, humour and keeping it real.

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor. Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel

Author Links


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Giveaway – The Kite by N R Walker @XpressoTours @NR_Walker

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The Kite
N.R. Walker
Publication date: June 28th 2022
Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Romance, Suspense

Ex-Australian Specialist Response Group, Tim “Harry” Harrigan, has been running covert ops for almost a decade. A lone wolf, he’s single-handedly taken down terrorists and national security threats, or so he thinks. He’s been in the game far too long, and when he sees a familiar threat, he knows his time is up.

Asher Garin is a dangerous man. A man without loyalty, a man without a nationality, without a country, or a home. He’s also a mercenary for hire to the highest bidder. His next job is a face he recognises, and after a tip-off, he learns he too is a marked man.

It’s a different game now, and Harry and Asher have a better chance at surviving if they stick together. But it’s not just the game or the rules that have changed. The stakes have too.

Because on their own, they had nothing to lose. Together, they do.

~

#EnemiesToLovers #GayAssassins #UsAgainstThem

Caution: on-page physical and gun violence. Reader discretion advised.

Goodreads / Purchase

—

EXCERPT:

Harry crossed the street. No one crossed after him, but whoever was after him was closer now.

He could feel it.

That cold stab of dread, sixth sense, gut feeling. Like icy fingers down his skin.

And if someone was after Harry, it wasn’t good. He was the hunter, never the hunted. If he was the mark . . .

Christ. He was the mark.

Harry ducked past two women, slipping through a narrow utility alley, and he ran. He was being chased now, silent and fast. At the end of the alley, he turned left and went through an open door, up a set of stairs to the roof, his heart hammering.

He ran along the roofline, exposed but faster than on the street. He heard footsteps chasing behind him but didn’t dare turn around, and as the muted whirr of a bullet pinged past his head, he jumped.

He knew the sound of that gun. It was a SIG Pro 9mm with a suppressor.

French special forces, standard issue.

He landed on a first-floor balcony, using his momentum to leap again, this time to the ground. Pain shot through his ankle but he kept moving, down another alley, and through an open door and into a darkened hall.

Hands grabbed him, spun him and pinned his back against the wall as the door closed behind him. In half a disorienting second, Harry pulled his gun to his assailant’s head at the same time he realised he had a pistol pressed against his.

Eyes flashed in the dark, familiar and close. A man’s body pressed him hard to the wall, their chests heaving. A hand covered his mouth.

“Shh.”

Harry didn’t dare breathe, his finger on the trigger, still aimed at the man’s head. The cold press of metal against Harry’s temple told him to wait.

The sound of feet outside came running. The crackle of a radio, a French voice just outside the door. “I’ve lost him.” The footsteps faded, and only after a long moment did the man move his hand from Harry’s mouth.

Harry could see then who it was.

Asher Garin.

Asher fucking Garin.

Adrenaline exploded through Harry’s veins and he started, pushing his pistol harder into Asher’s temple. Asher gnashed his teeth. Anger and defiance flashed in his eyes. “Keep quiet or you’ll kill us both,” Asher hissed, barely a whisper.

His words didn’t make sense.

Asher had saved him?

If there was anyone on the planet sent to kill Harry, it would be Asher. He was the only other man good enough. They were the top two government assassins in the world. Yet Asher had just saved him from the French?

Keep quiet or you’ll kill us both.

Both?

After an eternity, Asher released him, though he kept his pistol aimed at Harry’s head. “We need to get out of here,” he murmured.

Harry’s heart was thundering. His finger itched to pull the trigger. Itched. “The fuck?”

Asher held up his phone to show Harry the screen. “Sent to all agencies.” An assignment, just like any other. Just like any of the thousand he’d received in the last decade. Locations, dates, names, and photographs.

Two photographs.

Harry’s blood ran cold, and his eyes met Asher’s.

Asher nodded, his stare intense. “You and me; double hit. They want us dead. You’re a kite, and your government just cut you loose.”

Harry grappled with his fight or flight instinct, his heart hammering, his ankle throbbing. But given two men had just tried to kill him and the fact Asher hadn’t killed him—and the assignment on his phone screen—Harry could assume what Asher said was true.

Asher must have seen the realisation in Harry’s eyes because he slowly lowered his gun. Just an inch. “We need to trust each other,” he whispered. “The only chance we have is if we stick together. Can you do that?”

Trusting any other person went against every cell in Harry’s body, but what choice did he have? If he said no, one or both of them died right here. If the assignment was sent to all agencies, there wasn’t a country or government anywhere in the world that could protect them.

Harry had no choice.

Answering without a word, he took his finger off the trigger.


Author Bio:

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Giveaway – I’m Not In Love by Mia Kerick @XpressoTours @MiaKerick

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I’m Not In Love
Mia Kerick
(Don’t Let Go, #1)
Publication date: June 13th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

I’m not in love…

I’m not in love…

I will never let myself fall in love with Tristan Wilder.

And maybe if I tell myself this a thousand times, I’ll believe it.

Having lost his parents to a tragic accident when he was nine-years old, wealthy hotel heir Remi (Julian Remington III) refuses to form intimate emotional bonds, fearing a repeat of the crushing loss that destroyed his childhood. This means no deep friendships, no heartfelt family ties, and God forbid should he ever fall in love… Well, it’s safe to say that will never happen.

However, as a senior at the top art college in Garner City—his last year of freedom before he’s required to take his place at the top of the Remington family empire—Remi freely explores sexual intimacy with “distractingly” beautiful men. And he does so with great enthusiasm—how better to distract himself from the temptation to experience tender human connection?

Remi’s plans for emotional isolation are shook up when he meets Tristan Wilder, a nude model for his life drawing class. Stunningly beautiful from head to toe—and inside his heart, as well—Tristan struggles to scrape together enough money to support his twin sister, Tara, and her three young children. Like Remi, “Uncle Tris” is unwilling to enter a romantic relationship—his responsibility to his family is all-consuming. As the men take a chance on casual friendship, Remi comes to admire Tristan’s devotion to his family. And with Remi’s surprisingly doting attention to Tara’s children, he works his way into Tristan’s heart.

Tristan is finally all in, but can commitment phobic Remi lower his walls enough to allow Tristan—and the entire Wilder family—into his heart?

Goodreads / Amazon


EXCERPT

Pressing my forehead to the cool glass, I peek through a slivered opening in the dark curtains and see the backs of about a dozen scattered artists, all standing behind metal easels, adding volume to nearly finished drawings. The room is dim, and a tall studio lamp is directed toward the far wall. In the brilliant glow, a graceful male form in a sensual pose is draped across a pile of pillows on the floor. The single source of light casts stark shadows over his body’s hills and valleys.

Tristan lies on his stomach, chest pressed flat on a blanket covering the cushions, ass lifted erotically, and legs curled gently beneath him. Arms thrust forward enough to cradle his head in them, much of his face hidden by his shaggy, golden mane.

The sight is exquisite—too much so to find proper descriptive words. For this reason, I give up the search and focus on what I want… because tonight is the night.

I’ve waited two weeks to seduce this man. Now that there’s no longer a conflict of interest at school, there’s nothing to stop me from acting on my desire. Surprisingly, I’ve never waited more than a day—at most two—to make my move on a man I desire. And I don’t hold to the three-date rule—wine and dine him three times, and he’s fair game to fuck. In fact, I’ve rarely had three dates with the same man.

My transactional “love life”—in and out with no complications—has never presented a problem. I don’t hide what I want from the guys I associate with. I’m an open book about hookups being hookups. Sexual intimacy is the goal, in and of itself—and the men I date are rarely left disillusioned. With me, they seek simple hookups, as well.

“No complications” is the law I live by—life experience has taught me that heavy emotional involvement is a one-way street to heartbreak. I’m usually very upfront about this but have been less so with Tristan; I choose not to analyze the reasons.

Author Bio:

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children–all named after saints–and five nonpedigreed cats–all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.

Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

My themes I always write about:

Sweetness. Unconventional love, tortured/damaged heroes- only love can save them.

Mia Kerick focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men within the boundaries of blossoming, supportive relationships. She believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. And Mia’s stories are centered around a certain theme: even heroes can be sweet. Sweet, but not completely innocent.

Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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The Spotlight is on Flare by Jay Hogan @XpressoTours #JayHogan

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Flare
Jay Hogan
(Style Series, #1)
Publication date: April 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

My own fashion label. The shiny new sign above the door means everything. My dream. My life. Worth every gruelling hour I’ve spent making it happen. Nothing can stop me now. Not the fear. Not the nightmares. Not my sad excuse for a love life. And certainly not Beckett Northcott, the sexy English professor who wouldn’t know a fitted shirt if it slapped him in the face and who has flannel down to an art form.

I don’t date for a very good reason, and yet Beck makes me want to break every damn one of my rules. But with my debut at Fashion Week looming, my business in trouble, and Beckett Northcott peeling open my terrified heart to a future I’ve never imagined, the threads of my carefully woven life are unravelling at the seams.

I could walk away. Or I could take a chance that Beck and I might just have what it takes to fashion a new life, together. A fresh design from a new cloth.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

Heart, humour and keeping it real.

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor. Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel

Author Links


Hosted by:
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