Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan Re-Release Blog Tour-apalooza!

SPECIAL DELIVERY
Release date: February 4, 2014

Book One of the Special Delivery Series
When your deepest, darkest fantasy shows up, get on board. Sam Keller knows he’ll never find the excitement he craves in Middleton, Iowa—not while he’s busting his ass in nursing school and paying rent by slaving away in a pharmacy stockroom. Then Sam meets Mitch Tedsoe, an independent, long-haul trucker who makes a delivery to a shop across the alley. Innocent flirting quickly leads to a fling, and when Mitch offers to take him on a road trip west, Sam jumps at the chance for adventure. Mitch is sexy, funny and friendly, but once they embark on their journey, something changes. One minute he’s the star of Sam’s every x-rated fantasy, the next he’s almost too much a perfect gentleman. And when they hit the Las Vegas city limit, Sam has a name to pin on Mitch’s malady: Randy.

For better or for worse, Sam grapples with the meaning of friendship, letting go, growing up—even the meaning of love—because no matter how far he travels, eventually all roads lead home.

Warning: This story contains trucker fantasies, threesomes and kinky consensual sex.
Available February 2014 from Samhain Publishing and wherever books are sold.
This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.
Buy it from: Samhain, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads
Read the excerpt on Heidi's website

Just some info you should know and why this is SUCH a BIG FREAKIN' DEAL:

BACKGROUND/HISTORY OF THE SERIES Special Delivery was first published in February 2010 by Dreamspinner Press, Double Blind in April of that same year. In 2013 they were re-sold to Samhain Publishing in package with a new third book in the series, Tough Love. Special Delivery and Double Blind have been edited for their second edition, though no significant new content has been added.

Special Delivery won several awards in the 2010 Elisa Rolle Rainbow Awards, including Best Gay Contemporary, Best Character, Best Writing Style, and Best Overall Gay Fiction. It was a Dear Author pick for Best of 2010 and a finalist in the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books-Dear Author DABWAHA contest in 2011. Double Blind was also a Dear Author pick for Best of 2010 and a finalist in the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books-Dear Author DABWAHA contest in 2011.

Firstly, can we talk about how appropriate the happenings that are happening right now are?

JL has been wanting to read Special Delivery for pretty much ever but being that it was unavailable to buy or lend, she couldn’t. Sunny and I both read it many moons ago and being the awesome friends that we are, we brought that fact up as much as possible. (well, maybe that was just me, Sunny is MUCH nicer than I am). So when the re-release was announced and blog tour signups started happening, the Unicorn Mafia rallied because JL needed to read this series and reading with your pals is the best.

Now for the aforementioned appropriate part:

IT’S BEING RELEASED ON JL’s BIRTHDAY 02/04/14 
WOOP WOOP!!!!!

*tosses penis shaped confetti at JL*
*passes out cocktails with dick straws and penis shaped ice cubes*
Happy Birthday one day early JL!
you are the bestest and we love you to pieces.

Ok, now shove over we’ve got some of the sweetest kink on the planet to talk about . . . .

Firstly, words from Unicorns JL and Lorix who are reading Special Delivery for the first time, then words from Sunny and myself (I'm Ann) and our impressions on our re-read. Collectively we unicorns love the sweet kink and unanimously awarded Special Delivery with 5 big ol' hearts.

From the Birthday Girl - Jenni Lea:

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this book on MY BIRTHDAY so when I was offered a chance to read it early for the blog I was stoked. Then I got nervous because what if it didn't live up to my expectations? I shouldn't have worried. It was better than I ever expected.

Sam and Mitch were perfect for each other. In fact, I'm not sure I can name another couple better suited for one another than these two. They complimented each other so well! From Sam's fragile innocence to Mitch's gruff stoicism, they played off each others' kinks with exquisite precision.

And Randy! Can't forget about Randy. Even though he wasn't an MC he played a very important role in this story. He may just be my most favorite of Heidi's characters ever!

Little Miss Classy Pants - Lorix:

Lorix here. So Special Delivery, yep I read it....and what did I think? (Okay Mum, this is where you stop reading, alright, go and potter in the garden or something, all gone, okay). Well my first status update was;

"How can taking a photo of someone fully clothed in public seem so subtly erotic?"

My next was;

"I need a cold shower."

So you tell me what did I think? I thought this book was HOT. It was sexy, naughty, erotic, but it happened with feels. It was porn but I cared more about the characters than just whether they got their rocks off. Kudos Heidi Cullinan for that. It also had my favourite erotic scene ever in so far. The Denver bar one for those who have read or are yet to read it.

So what did I learn - well that'd be telling ;) - but also that I've earnt my full on perviness enjoyment badge. But I already knew that, I am after all a member of the UM.

The Sunshine in the Clubhouse - Sunny:

This was a reread for me. One of many, I admit. If I owned this in a paperback, it would be a battered copy with pages falling out. That's how much I love the words in this story.

Words like:
"I like to watch the way you move when another man touches you. You look so vulnerable, and so sexy, and then when you get nervous, you turn to me. Not them-me."

and
"He gave himself to them completely, with no guilt, no shame, no reservation, and in that surrender he found a quiet, shining pearl he had never known existed - himself."

I love how we get such a clear picture of Sam and Mitch, and how everything they say and do fits what we know about them and adds to our understanding of them. The neediness, the emotions, the dirty talk, and all the perviness... they hit all my buttons, and that makes this one of my all time favorite stories :) .

And Me - Ann aka Ann of Ween Gaybles:

When I first replaced the F in my MF with another M, Special Delivery was one of the first full length novels I read. What an initiation! “Come to Mama” I said, “I’m home”. The re-read on this one confirmed everything I remembered from the first go-around. Sam and Mitch are one of best, most meant to be together couples on the planet. The whole love story boils down to acceptance and watching both Sam and Mitch realize they could reconcile their secrets with real love made me melt for them all over again.

My favorite thing, and probably what I had the most fun with on the re-read is one of my all time favorite characters, Randy. I was completely intrigued with him the first read, but I didn’t really know what to DO with him. Special Delivery told me a lot, but there is so much more to him than what we see in this story and it was the ultimate tease. I read Double Blind right after reading Special Delivery and in re-reading this story I picked up a lot of subtleties about Randy and his words that I couldn’t appreciate the first time around. Randy really is Vegas and watching him play the game in Special Delivery (after learning his ways in Double Blind) was really fun.

I also appreciated his relationship, which is really very special, with Sam more on the re-read. I knew how important it would turn out to be so I paid attention to their conversations more and every word between them had more meaning. As much as I loved everything about Sam and Mitch, I think I loved when Randy said thank you to Sam even more for:

“Bringing Mitch here. He wouldn’t have come, otherwise. Or, if he had, he’d have ignored me again. You were our big do-over, and it’d be nice to think we got it right because we’re older and wiser, but we got it right because of you.” He picked up Sam’s hand and kissed it. “So, thank you for giving me back my best friend.”

Find more info on BookLikes and Goodreads 

2 comments:

  1. I can't wait to read the new version of SD, and DOUBLE BLIND sounds great, too!

    vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

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    Replies
    1. You can't go wrong with Sam & Mitch and if you're a Randy fan (and who isn't?) then Double Blind is a MUST. Hope you love it

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