Blog Tour + Giveaway: (Un)Masked by Anyta Sunday & Andy Gallo

In the mood for new adult magic realism? Look no further, Anyta Sunday, Andy Gallo and A Novel Take PR visit on the (Un)Masked blog tour! Learn more about the newly reedited story! Enter in the giveaway where you can win 3 e-copies of any backlist book by either Anyta Sunday or Andy Gallo!

“What made the book for me? One word: Gristle.

Gristle, the straight boy, Jay's best friend, his "bro," is one of the best characters I've had the joy to read this year. His devotion to Jay is breathtaking, his snark so very snappy [...]. Read this book if nothing for the character of Gristle. [...] Spectacular.”

--T.J. Klune, Author of For Real, Bear, Otter, and the Kid, and Lightning-Struck Heart

Title: (Un)Masked

Publisher: Anyta Sunday & Andy Gallo (Self-Published)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): October 30, 2017

Subgenre: MM gay paranormal romance, magical realism, new adult

Book blurb:

Walker has two wishes: to perform the play of his dreams alongside his best friend at Wellington’s Tory Street Theatre, and to meet that special someone. Someone he’d go to the ends of the earth for. Someone who might only exist in fairy tales.

When Jay meets accordion busker Lethe Cross, it’s like living a dream come true. Lethe’s music captivates Jay, and he resolves to meet the man who plays so beautifully. But then he discovers Lethe’s life is more like a nightmare. The phrase “down on his luck” can’t begin to cover it. Determined to help, Jay does some snooping for answers—and winds up on the wrong end of a centuries-old curse. The good news is there’s a way to break it. The bad news is it might cost Jay his life.

This book was previously published by Dreamspinner Press. This updated 2nd edition has some rewritten parts and has been line edited again.

Buy Links: http://www.anytasunday.com/#unmasked

Excerpt

“You want to forget that race?” I asked. Lethe nodded.

His need pressed up against mine and I wished there was something to brace ourselves against so we could stay close like this. Lethe shifted back slightly and took me in hand. I gasped as the first waves of shock somersaulted through me.

Recovering, I returned the favor, gently stroking him, absorbing the heat that coursed through my hand. I’d waited for the chance to be this close with Lethe, and it fueled my hunger for him. Closing the few inches between us, I pressed my lips against his, asking—no demanding—him to let me have my fill. The salt on his lips only added to my lust. It was him. 

This was where we bonded.

We gently stroked each other, while we waged a back-and-forth battle with our tongues neither wanted to win. My control was slipping as our breathing quickened. Waves lapping against our waists muffled the growing moans we evoked from each other.

Kissing him like no one before, I poured my soul into him, accepting his in return. This was right. He was right.

“Jay.”

My attempt to kiss over his word was met with Lethe turning his head. “Lethe?”

“I don’t want our first time—my first time—to be here.”

“I thought you have—”

He brushed his wet, salty fingers against my trembling lips. “I have, but never with someone who cared about me. You’re the first person who doesn’t see the person they most want.”

“Yes, I do.” My whisper carried over the churning water, softening his eyes even more.

“Even more reason I want to feel your body on mine without shivering from cold. Come back with me?”

I pressed my lips against his ear. “I’m going to take my time kissing every inch of you. I’m going to say your name when we come.”

(Un)Masked is the story of Jay and Lethe, two guys from Wellington, New Zealand, trying to make their blossoming love work while being haunted by a centuries old curse. A curse that forces Lethe to hide his face, often behind elaborate masks – some of which I want to share with you today.

One of the most famous masked crusaders is Zorro, avenger of the helpless in Los Angeles during the time when the city was part of Mexico. He sports a black Domino style mask that is worn by Lethe when he and Jay are racing to get Jay’s best friend, Gristle, out of a dire situation.

I shuddered, pulling out two Zorro-style masks from my pocket. One red, the other black. “Cover your face with this.” I chucked him the black one and headed for the front door. “I’ll do the same. We’ll bullshit a story about a party we decided to go to.”

As the story progresses and the curse gains more and more hold over our protagonists, Lethe is forced to cover himself even towards Jay – something that Jay finds very hard to accept, and that he wants to overcome by any means necessary. This is his ultimate goal: to unmask Lethe. Lethe would most of the time wear a simple theatre mask.

I went to go to him, but stopped when a tear trailed over his plain cream mask. “I miss you not seeing me too.” He lifted his gaze to mine, his voice soft but his words heavy. “I’m so frightened.”

“I want to see you so badly, it hurts inside.”

Being forced to hide his face, Lethe at least tries to have some fun with his masks – especially when performing his accordion tunes at the Wellington water front. His mask of choice for these times is the Venetian mask. Worn during the fancy Venetian carnival, this mask is intricate, colorful and often covered in sparkling gold and gemstones. Lethe’s favorite Venetian style mask is covered in Paua shells, the gorgeous rainbow shells found on New Zealand’s beaches.

Lethe’s music wafted in from the background and calmed me. The melody skipped and hopped, and with it the two boys grew up.

Lethe entered for the first time, wielding his accordion with skill. His face masked in paua merged him with the blue sea light. This is what Gristle would have wanted. I could feel his smiling presence.

Will Jay manage to unmask Lethe and really see him? Find out in (Un)Masked – out October 30th in an revised 2nd edition!

Author Bios:

Heart-stopping slow burn.

Anyta Sunday is a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. She loves to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of her favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

Anyta writes a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy. Her books have been translated into German, Italian and French. 

Member of Romance Writers of America.

Connect with Anyta: Website | Twitter | Facebook | To receive a free e-book, sign up for Anyta’s newsletter here!

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Andy Gallo’s stories capture how he wished he’d spent his formative years, instead of how it really happened. Unfortunately for his characters, they find themselves infused with some of Andy’s less noble qualities.

A hopeless romantic, Andy writes seated next to a hundred year old Smith Brothers typewriter he inherited from his grandfather. He also dreams of superheroes and wizards and sees no reason why two men with superpowers can’t fall in love just like everyone else. Although not all of his stories have a paranormal bent, a touch of the supernatural never derailed a good read in his mind.

Married and living his happy every after, Andy helps others find their happy endings in the pages of his stories. He and his husband of more than twenty years spend their days rubbing elbows with other parents as they raise their daughter. Embracing his status as the gay dad, Andy sometimes has to remind others that one does want a hint of color even when chasing after their child.

Connect with Andy:  Website | Facebook

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Giveaway: 

3 e-copies of any backlist book by either Anyta Sunday or Andy Gallo:

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