Release Blitz + Giveaway: Be Still My Heart (Four Kings Security #2) by Charlie Cochet


Author Charlie Cochet and Vibrant Promotions host the Be Still My Heart (Four Kings Security #2) release blitz today! Check it out and enter in the $20 Amazon gift card giveaway!

Be Still My Heart RDB Banner
BE STILL MY HEART
FOUR KINGS SECURITY #2
CHARLIE COCHET
M/M ROMANTIC SUSPENSE/CONTEMPORARY
RELEASE DATE: 07.28.18
BeStillMyHeart-400x600

Amazon: Global: getBook.at/BeStillMyHeart
COVER DESIGN: REESE DANTE
BLURB
Former Special Forces medical sergeant Russell “Red” McKinley knows a thing or two about wounds, like the fact some can take a lifetime to heal, if they heal at all. The scars Red carry run deep, and living with PTSD often means battling the memories of his past. Injuries he received while working an executive protection case with fellow Kings and co-owners of Four Kings Security, have once again forced past heartaches to the surface, but Red is determined not to let it derail his blossoming romance with sweet and sexy fashion photographer Lazarus Galanos.
Laz can’t deny there’s something special developing between him and Red, but Laz has wounds of his own. He’s hesitant to jump into a new relationship after his recent explosive breakup. Experience has taught Laz to doubt his judgement when it comes to men. Guys who seem too good to be true, usually are, and no one appears more perfect than Red.
When an attempt is made on Laz’s life, Red is determined to keep him safe. Laz may not be a client, and Red is still off duty, but Laz is one of their own, and nothing means more to the Kings than family. While an investigation is underway, Red and Laz are growing closer, but can they find a way to help each other heal and take a chance on love, or will their fears and insecurities cost them more than their future together?

Be Still My Heart Teaser 2
Be Still My Heart Teaser 1

EXCERPT
Red arched an eyebrow at Ace. “Didn’t you just eat?”

“It’s for Mason. He’s stuck at the beach covering an event.” Ace stood and kissed Bibi’s cheek. “Thanks. See you later.”

“Say hi to Mason for me,” Bibi replied before bringing Red in for a hug. “You take it easy. Let us know if you need anything.”

“I will. Thanks, Bibi.” Red kissed her cheek, then headed for the door after Ace, who handed him Mason’s food to hold. They got into the car, and Red lowered his sunglasses. “Your new boyfriend doesn’t mind you taking your old boyfriend breakfast?”

“Nope. Colton knows about Mason. We don’t keep anything from each other.”

“Colton doesn’t mind that you and Mason are still friends?”

“Colton trusts me. I also know that if I suddenly turned into a cheating asshole, he’d rip my balls off and feed them to his neighbor’s golden retriever.”

Red cringed. “Yeah, your boyfriend’s a little scary sometimes.”

“Isn’t he?” Ace’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “God, I love him. He’s so fucking adorable, but piss him off, and bam you’ve been eviscerated. We were meant to be.”

“I worry about you sometimes.”

“I appreciate the love.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“Really? Because all I heard was how much you love me.”

“You’re exhausting.”

Ace laughed. “Now you sound like King.”

Despite the circumstances of how Ace and Colton got together, Red was happy for Ace. He wasn’t kidding when he said the two were meant for each other. Ace might drive his boyfriend nuts, but Colton was one of the few people who could handle him, and Ace was so in love with the man, he’d do anything to make him happy. They also had Colton to thank for Ace’s newfound ability to question his actions before carrying through with them. Not always, but some of the time was better than never.

“What part of the beach?” Red asked.

“Pope Road. Next to that new hotel they’re building. Fewer beachgoers.”

They were only on A1A Beach Blvd for about two minutes before they were making a right onto Pope Road. Ace drove to the end of the sandy path where Mason’s patrol car was parked. A medium-sized group of people were scattered on the beach near the water’s edge, some sitting on colorful folding beach chairs, others standing beneath large black umbrellas. Several stands were stuck into the sand, some with screens attached, others with huge lights. A lone, half-naked man knelt on the shore as waves crashed against his toned body from behind. It wasn’t the sensual figure that caused Red’s pulse to speed up, though, but the slender man kneeling in the sand with the camera. Heat flared through Red, anger quickly following. He unbuckled his belt, then turned in his seat to growl at Ace.

“Explain.”

“Explain what? I told you. I’m bringing Mason breakfast.”

Red thrust a finger toward the beach. “Explain that.”

Ace peered ahead. “Well, Russell. It would appear some sort of fashion shoot is taking place.”

“Unless you want to eat nothing but oatmeal for the rest of your life, you’ll tell me what you did.”

“Me?” Ace asked with a dramatic gasp. “You think I arranged this?”

“Ace,” Red warned.

“Okay, I possibly, maybe, might have asked Colton if he knew of any local fashion shoots coming up, and Colton may or may not have mentioned this particular one, and I may or may not have asked Mason to get himself assigned to it.” Ace cleared his throat and met Red’s gaze. “I meddled. I’m a meddling meddler. It’s Laz.”

“No shit.”

“I had Colton ask him for his schedule, told Mason he needed to be here so he could keep me informed; then I tricked you. I should apologize.”

Red narrowed his eyes.

“I’m not going to. I’m not sorry. Go talk to him.”

“I’d rather strangle you,” Red said with a growl.

Ace held a finger up. “You could, and I’d deserve it, but just hear me out. How about instead of strangling me, you go say hi to the cute guy who wouldn’t leave your side in your moment of need.”

“Really? You’re going to guilt-trip me?”

“Absolutely. Is it working?”

With a frustrated growl, Red shoved the car door open and got out. He leaned in to glare at Ace. “This isn’t over.”

“Whatever you say. Go get ’em, tiger.”

Red grunted and turned to leave, but Ace called out to him.

“Wait.”

God, what now? He spun on his heels, his jaw clenched tight at Ace’s stupid smile and the roll of mints he held up.

Ace shrugged. “You never know.”

“You’re an ass.” Red marched off and got halfway to Mason’s car before he turned and marched back to Ace, who was still sitting in his car and grinning like an idiot. He snatched the roll of mints, popped one into his mouth, then tossed the roll back at Ace and left before the urge to push Ace off the pier became too great to ignore.

CharlieLogo2018Website

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!
Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
Twitter: @charliecochet

GIVEAWAY


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Giveaway + Cover Reveal: Heavens Aground (Treble & The Lost Boys, #2) by G.R. Lyons


Author G.R. Lyons and Signal Boost Promotions are revealing the covered of Heavens Aground (Treble & The Lost Boys #2) today. See the striking cover below, find out more about this paranormal read and be sure to enter in the giveaway to win an e-copy of the first in this series, Ice on Fire! Good luck!




Add to Goodreads

Release Date: August 24

Cover Design: Designs By Dana

Length: 100,000 words

Treble & The Lost Boys Series

Ice On Fire (Book #1) - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

Ryley Skye can't take anything seriously. Not the murder scenes he investigates, nor the fact that he's cheating on his boyfriend. Not the bloody nightmares he gets every other night, and especially not Vic's ridiculous theory that Ryley might be a mage.


Magic? Him? There's just no way.


When Vic decides he's had enough of Ryley's cheating and breaks things off, it couldn't come at a worse time. They've just been handed a case that will require them to work closely together, whether they like it or not. But Ryley plays along. He has to. He can't afford any kind of confrontation. Things happen when he gets angry or aroused. Weird things. Bad things. He has to stay bottled up and in control at all times.


Then he meets Asher Arden, and indulges in what he thinks is a little rebound fling. But when Ryley loses control and puts Asher's life at risk, he realizes two things: He loves Asher more than anything else in the world…


And Vic just might have been right all along.


(Note: This story takes place in a fictional world, the same as in the Shifting Isles Series. There are multiple gods, different names for the days of the week, etc. A glossary is included.)


Author Bio


While daylighting as office manager for the family auto repair business, G.R. Lyons can often be found working on one of multiple manuscripts or desperately trying to keep up with the TBR pile.


Anarcho-capitalist, quietly ‘out’ trans guy, former belly dancer, coffee guzzler, highly-sensitive introvert, CrossFit enthusiast, and lover of m/m romantic fiction.


Email: grlyons@grlyonsauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/grlyonsauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/grlyonsauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/grlyonsauthor

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/doumteksonata/

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/author/grlyons



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Tag Team Review: Incubus Honeymoon (Arcana Imperii #1) by August Li

As the so-called magical creatures go, I’m low on the hierarchy, and my powers aren’t much good to human mages. I’m a lover, not a fighter, through and through. I’m also selfish, lazy, and easily bored. But I’m damned good at what I do.

Too bad that won’t get my arse out of this sling.

Do one—granted, uncharacteristic—good deed, and now I’m held hostage to an arrogant faerie prince, trying to track down the one who summoned him while dodging gangbangers, gun runners, and Nazis. Add the powerful mage guilds scrambling to gather firepower for some doomsday event they’re sure is around the corner, and my cushy life of leisure might be nothing but a memory. On top of that, something’s compelling me to change on my most fundamental level. I’m not sure what I’ve got myself mixed up in, but nothing will ever be the same.

Bloody hell.

===

Featuring a new twist on urban fantasy combined with fast-paced action and intrigue, the Arcana Imperii series books are standalone adventures, each completely accessible to new readers.



Fantasy Living - 4 Hearts

While trying to be a good incubus, Inky has somehow tied himself to a fae prince who refuses to release him until the faerie (Let’s call him Blossom) can return home and get away from the boring human realm he hasn’t been to in centuries and doesn’t miss.

This story is told from four POV. Inky (Incubus), Blossom (Fae) and two humans, Dante (a 19 yo who works for an arms dealer) and Raf (the arms dealer).

Now that the groundwork is laid out, let’s get to the fun part. Dante’s sister has been kidnapped, and Blossom is somewhat convinced (by Inky) that the little girl somehow conjured him to the human realm (I honestly don’t know if I’m supposed to call it earth in this context so I’ll stick with realm/dimension, whatever). That would take some powerful magic, and would need skill and power to have Blossom released to return to his home. He is not wholly convinced that the girl has either, so things are looking bleak, but they are on this journey nonetheless.

Blossom is a haughty brat, and it is hilarious. He just doesn’t care, is completely into himself and finds humans, and Inky beneath his notice.

”MY DEMON servant muttered under his breath as we traversed the snowy walkways of the decrepit human settlement. What an annoying creature; I should have chosen someone better to assist me, but now I’d saddled myself with this dour being whose only motivation involved inserting his member into some mortal and imagining it was a profound act.”

Coupled with Inky’s nature of needing to fit someone’s fantasy, there is a weird dynamic that occurs that I still can’t really figure out, but someone else might be able to explain to me.

Dante’s sexuality isn’t named, but I’m pretty sure he is asexual and aromantic, which means when Inky crosses his path, all Inky can feel from him is rage, and fear for Dante’s sister, but no desire to mold him into a shape (yes, a shape shifting incubus!!). This leaves Inky feeling lost and a little frightened for the future, until he settles into a routine of just being himself.

There are a lot of interesting elements in this story. I really liked the world building. The different take on magic and the Incubus was delightful, and I did like the characters. Raf is a little out of place, and it is difficult to understand why he even has a POV until much later on. I still liked him mostly. He has a protective streak for Dante, that at some points seems to indicate some deeper feels.

There is no romantic element to this story, it is purely UF, so check expectations. Since romance is not a prerequisite for me, I didn’t miss it, but there was some alluding, which kind of irritated me because I honestly couldn’t see where the story was going in the early stages.

There were a few things my ‘parent’ lens didn’t allow me to buy into towards the end. I can’t say much about it because it’s a spoiler, but it’s one of the reasons this isn’t higher rating for me. If it is to push this world into a series, then I get it (and am totally down for this, thank you August Li) but it doesn’t make it better for me.

Overall this was definitely worth my time, and I’m pleased with this new to me author. I will definitely be keeping my eye on more of his work. Loads of fun and creativity with skilled writing. Recommended to everyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy, or wants to give it a try.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion.


R *A Reader Obsessed* - 4 Unexpected Hearts - BR with FantasyLiving!

No good deed goes unpunished…

In an alternate universe where magic abounds furtively and all sorts of creatures exist, a self absorbed incubus takes a step out of his comfort zone and follows a mysterious pull towards an underground club. There, he surprisingly finds a fae, whose kind hasn’t been seen in nigh 2000 years, and who’s been summoned and trapped in this world against his will. Said incubus feels inclined to help this wondrous creature avoid a terrible fate, and before he knows it, he’s locked into a binding agreement with the fairy to help him find the person who has him caught. If the agreement goes unfulfilled, grave repercussions will ensue and thus, this story begins.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy or simple. What unfolds is plenty of snark and animosity, as incubus and fairy encounter mages, skinheads, arms dealers, turf wars, and dangerous magical factions, all with their own agenda that is surely sinister and most likely deadly.

Along the way, a human brother and sister get caught in the middle, and it’s a race against time (isn’t it always?) to set things right so said incubus can go back to his safe and mundane life, free of the fae who has trapped him into service. However, the incubus is irrevocably changed and influenced and is now caught up in something way bigger than himself.

Perhaps as a warning, this is not a romance. There are established couples, romantic feelings develop and are present, but an actual story about two people falling in love, this is not. As another warning, this is told from 4 different points of view, and the reader definitely gets perspective from all the main players involved.

Rolling down a hill, getting bigger and bigger, what initially looks like something small and insignificant, changes and exponentially grows into so much more as unconnected people, events, and situations converge into quite the impressive reveal.

Admittedly, this was so far from what was expected and wanted (ahem, smexy smex with a fantasy flair). Instead, respect for the world building and the complex conflict was left in its place. I look forward to one helluva future ride and hopefully a big satisfying payoff!

Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review



Review: Ardulum: Third Don by J.S. Fields

The planet wakes.

Atalant is torn between two worlds. In uncharted space, head of a sentient planet, the new eld of Ardulum now leads the religion she once rejected. Emn is by her side but the Mmnnuggl war brewing in the Charted Systems, threatening her homeworld of Neek, cannot be ignored. Atalant must return to the planet that exiled her in order to lead the resistance. She must return home a god, a hypocrite, a liar in gold robes, and decide whether to thrust her unwilling people into the truth of Ardulum, or play the role she has been handed and never see her family, or her world, again.







*Contains spoilers from Book 1 & 2*

By now readers will know about the Andal. A semi-sentient group of trees with intricate root systems and what appears to be a psychic link to Ardulan’s and their distant cousins from planet Neek. For Ardulum this is a symbiotic relationship as Andal is a source of food, shelter, and tech for Ardulan’s and in return, Ardulan’s assist the Andal by finding new planets for it to spread its seeds (children, it calls them children!!).

While I am geeking out on Andal, I’d like to bring attention to a native fig tree in Australia commonly named ‘Morton Bay Fig’ (which can also be found in other subtropical climates around the world). While my imagination modified this while I was reading, this is the link I made. Further to geeking out, here is an excerpt from Wikipedia about the behaviour of how this (real) tree thrives….

“It is best known for its imposing buttress roots. As Ficus macrophylla is a strangler fig, seed germination usually takes place in the canopy of a host tree and the seedling lives as an epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground. It then enlarges and strangles its host, eventually becoming a freestanding tree by itself.

This is similar to how I imagine Andal, native to Ardulum, thriving on other planets. Somewhat insidious in a totally weedlike way but it’s psychic “voice” heard through our main characters makes it seem innocent and somewhat likeable (yes I just wrote that)…..

So now that I’ve bored you all to death with my love for trees, let’s get on with the actual review……

There is a surprise in the beginning of this third book which I was not prepared for but totally on board with. The Captain has returned and has a sidekick who is another hybrid Risalian-Ardulan who cannot speak and has been named Salice (pretty). Yorden and Salice are captives of the Mmnnuggls who are planning an attack on Neek to draw out the Ardulans and destroy them for their betrayal.

We learn Neek’s birth name in this book, and she is struggling to fit in as an Eld on Ardulum as well as balance her duties with her time in her new relationship with Emn.

I really enjoyed the way this book brought everything together. There is a lot going on but I didn’t feel confused at all. Some sci-fi I just done get, and feel stupid when I read, but this is not one of them. I followed along and was immersed in this world. We get more time inside Emn’s head in this story, and I really enjoyed her point of view. Emn is essentially an outsider even though she is powerful. She has a hard time fitting in on Ardulum with the people who are not used to flairs or other species.

There is a fair amount of conflict in this story, and a lot of the groundwork is set in book one and two. Ekimet has a bigger role. They are stranded on Neek, which is under fire from Mmnnuggls with low tech and no contact with other planets to assist.

Oh, and there are fungi beings!! Like in Fantasia, but cooler. That was a lot of fun. Ridiculously intelligent and very outspoken I loved this addition to the beings in this world.

I’d recommend this to fans of sci-fi and anyone wanting to dip their toes in to see if they enjoy this genre. This cannot be read as a standalone so definitely start at the beginning.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion


Giveaway + Release Blitz: Won't Feel a Thing (St. Cross #1) by C.F. White


Celebrate the release of Won't Feel a Thing (St. Cross, #1) with author C.F. White and Signal Boost today! Find out more about this contemporary romance, read an excerpt and enter in the giveaway for a paperback of Kick Off, (The District Line, #1) below! Good luck!




Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Pride

Length: 64,000 words approx.

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Blurb

It takes more than a doctor to mend a broken heart.


Ollie Warne is fresh out of nursing school and working his dream job as a pediatric cardiology nurse at St. Cross Children’s Hospital. Wanting to start the year fresh from personal heartache and his track record of falling for the wrong man, Ollie’s New Year’s resolution is to rid himself of emotional baggage and live a life of carefree liaisons.


But before the resolution can even begin, Ollie is called to care for eight-year-old Daisy Monroe, who’s struggling after heart surgery. Her father, Jacob Monroe, never leaves her side, apart from the times her mother comes to visit.


The tempestuous and somewhat estranged relationship of her parents is cause for concern enough, but the father’s brooding nature has Ollie investing far more time than usual in his Room One patient. Striking up a friendship of sneaking takeaways into the ward, card playing until dawn and the occasional breaking up of domestic fights, Ollie finds himself drawn to Jacob and becomes a friendly ear for the man who’s harboring more guilt and past demons than even Ollie, which is saying something.


The growing attraction makes it hard for Ollie to keep his distance, though he has to—not only do the ethics of his profession demand it, but Ollie is still somewhat involved with another man. One who has a huge stake in Ollie’s life, both personal and professional.


Ollie is risking more than just his job by getting involved with a patient’s father—much more even than the success of his New Year’s resolution, something that was supposed to ensure that, this time, he won’t feel a thing.


Excerpt

Chapter One

New Year’s Resolutions

“You want my opinion?”

“Yes.”

“My honest opinion?”

“Yes,” Ollie repeated. “Please.”

“Brutal honest opinion?”

“Yes.”

“Even if you don’t like it?”

“Even if I never want to talk to you again.” Ollie took a sharp slurp through the straw of his smoothie and winced, his glasses tipping to the end of his nose. “Until tonight, anyway.”

“Then leave well alone.”

Ollie sighed. He sucked up another mouthful of his daily fruit and veg intake, flicked back his blond hair that had lost its vigor after a twelve-hour night shift and glanced away from Taya’s wide brown eyes. The eyes that signified she meant every damn word. Bitch.

“Told you.”

Taya freed her dark, waist-length hair from its curled bun and stroked it over one shoulder. She wrapped the band around her slender dark-skinned wrist then sipped her dainty cup of pink hot chocolate. The blue edges of her lips, caused by the freezing weather, were subsiding back to their usual reddish tinge with each guzzle of the pink cream and rainbow of chocolate candies scattered over her ridiculous sickly concoction. She hadn’t even offered a spoonful to him. Twelve hours straight on night shift clearly meant she needed the sugar all to herself.

“He’s not worth your time, your worry or your respect.” She clanged the cup down onto the glass surface of the table, pulled her winter trench coat over the scrubs she hadn’t bothered to change out of and reached for her packet of menthol slims.

“Neither are they.” Ollie pointed to the cigarettes.

Taya glared across the table. She unhooked the top of the packet, took one of the white sticks between her teeth and lit it with her pink lighter. Blowing the smoke into the freezing cold air, she waved her hand.

“We all have our vices, Oliver.”

Ollie stuck his middle finger up. He slapped it back down and shoved it into his jacket pocket. It was freezing, and Taya had to bloody sit outside the corner coffee shop in order to smoke her way out of the trying night shift. She was right. Everyone needed their vices, especially with what he and Taya did for a living. He sighed.

“I think he needs patience.”

“He’s got plenty of those.” Taya pointed her two fingers clutching the death stick at Ollie.

“Har fricking har. Patience with a c.”

“He’s a c all right.” Taya took another drag. At Ollie’s glare, she sighed and rested her elbow on the tabletop. “What? He is.”

“I think you may be the only female in the entire hospital who doesn’t like him.” Ollie slurped the dregs of his raspberry-ripple smoothie and shivered. He should have gone for a hot drink, but it was hard enough to sleep during the day as it was. Caffeine would only make it infinitely more difficult.

“That’s because I know him,” Taya replied.

“Urgh. Not you, too?”

“Ew.” Taya grimaced around her cigarette. “No, thank you.”

Ollie leaned back in the chair. He waved a hand to waft away the smoke drifting into his face. To give her some credit, Taya was trying to blow it out of the side of her mouth to avoid him, but the icy-cold January breeze from the earlier sleet downpour blew it straight back. Ollie zipped up his puffer jacket, folded his arms and jiggled on the cold metal chair.

“You nearly done?” He nodded to the half-full cup of violently pink chocolate.

Taya blew another puff of smoke into the air, stubbed out the remains of her cigarette and downed the rest of her drink, leaving a foam mustache on her top lip. She licked it away. “Yeah. Home to bed, miss the snowfall, back at eight. You?”

They scraped back their chairs and Ollie tucked a five-pound note under the ashtray for the servers. Anyone willing to come outside and serve drinks in this weather should most definitely get tips, even if his measly nurse’s wages would no doubt be far less than those of the coffee baristas working this part of London.

“I should go see my dad,” he replied.

Taya linked her arm in with his, curling her slender fingers around his quilted sleeve. Checking both ways along the crossroads lined by independent boutiques, high-class restaurants, unconventional cafés and health-food shops, she steered him across, narrowly missing a black cab speeding over the mini-roundabout. The glass-enclosed bus stop’s bench overflowed with waiting passengers, so he stood, waiting, his freezing toes within his inappropriate-for-the-weather slip-on loafers numbing with each passing second, and checked the time on the electric board for when the next bus was due.

“How’s he doing?” Taya asked.

“Good days and bad days.” Ollie sighed. “Keeps calling me Tilly.”

Taya tried to hold in the chuckle but failed miserably. Ollie didn’t mind so much. A good sense of humor was always best in these situations, not to mention their line of work. He pulled Taya in closer. It was fricking freezing and snowflakes fell from the overcast sky. How would he get back to work later that night? London came to a standstill if even one flake hit any mode of public transport. Him living in the other end of the city—the cheap end—would make it all the more difficult to travel across town. On occasions when there wasn’t a downfall, he would have cycled in. But that was out of the question with the ice on the roads. And the fact that he hadn’t woken up in his own bed last night. Ollie shuddered at the memory.

“Right.” Ollie bounced to keep warm while awaiting the number 252. “It’s January. So that means New Year’s resolutions. What’s yours?”

“Quit smoking.”

“Good luck.” Ollie meant it.

Taya stuck out her tongue.

“Well, we both know mine—”

“Which you broke last night.” Taya was a bitch like that.

“I don’t believe New Year’s resolutions should start until the second week of January.” Ollie rubbed his hands together, digging Taya’s arm into his side, and wondered why he hadn’t thought to bring gloves. Ah, yes, he hadn’t had any where he’d been before his shift started. He wasn’t allowed to leave any trace of his existence there.

“Riiight,” Taya said. “So that means from today, you’ll be steering clear of arsehole men?”

“Sadly, no. Unfortunately, I will no doubt encounter many of them in my time without realizing until it’s too late.”

“Amen.” Taya saluted.

Ollie wasn’t sure what the salute was about. But he wasn’t particularly religious, so maybe that was how it was done in church these days? Or temples, considering Taya’s family were Hindu.

“So, what is your resolution, then?”

“No baggage,” Ollie replied.

“Baggage?”

“Yep,” Ollie confirmed.

The gleaming new red Routemaster bus edged along the narrow High Street, bumping over the speed mounds meant to slow the traffic down, which Ollie thought ridiculous as the morning rush-hour pileup tended to last all day in central London. The streets were filled with scuttling people carrying takeout coffee cups, cyclists braving the ice, and the occasional honking of a taxi horn. This time of the morning, most people were trying to get to work and not home from it like Ollie and Taya. He was never quite sure who was keener to reach their destinations.

“I don’t mind a complete arsehole—”

“Obviously.” Taya cut Ollie off with a raise of her smoothed-out eyebrows. That new rainbow hot chocolate had clearly contained one too many e-numbers and sent her loopy. That and the long night shift. Not that she hadn’t been a little bit loopy to begin with.

“Ha ha.” Ollie pushed her forehead. “Like, I can handle a dickhead—”

“We all know.”

“Jesus Christ,” Ollie muttered. “No more white hot chocolate with pink dye for you, okay?”

“Sorry.” Taya pressed her lips together. She rose up on her tiptoes to check on the bus’s progress but needn’t have worried, as it had traveled all of a millimeter since the start of their conversation. At this rate, Ollie might get home in time to have a shower and come straight back.

“What I mean is—”

“You don’t want a man who can’t commit because of circumstance,” Taya finished for him.

Ollie was capable of finishing his own sentences, but Taya was getting warm from flapping her lips, so he allowed it. “Exactly. I’m married to my job. I love my job. Therefore, I should have the occasional fling and become the arsehole myself.” He pointed a finger at Taya. “Don’t fricking say it.”

Taya shrugged and mimed zipping her lips up.

“What do we nurses say daily?”

“‘No, you can’t have McDonald’s’?”

“Not that one.”

“‘You’re going to feel a little prick’?”

Ollie sniggered. “Not that one either.”

“Oh, I know. It’s ‘Of course I’ll change your TV channel for you—it’s not like I have anything better to do with my time.’”

“No! I mean the big one—‘You won’t feel a thing.’”

Taya nodded. “So?”

“So, my resolution is to no longer feel a thing.”

“Good luck.” Taya smiled. Bitch.

The bus pulled up and Ollie jogged on the spot, waiting for the doors to open. They hissed to the side, and even though he and Taya were standing correctly at the hop-on part of the Routemaster with the exit farther along the double decker, a tall man with floppy dark hair jumped straight off and bashed Ollie’s arm as he rushed up the High Street, heading toward the gleaming glass frontage of St. Cross Children’s Hospital.

“Ouch.” Ollie pouted and rubbed his arm.

“Ha!” Taya jumped the step onto the bus.

“What?”

Amusement shimmered across Taya’s face as she bleeped her Oyster card onto the yellow reader. “You just felt something.”

“Oh, bog off.”

* * * *

Ollie jangled the keys in the lock of his third-floor flat and burst in out of the freezing cold. He slammed the door, wriggled free of his coat and slipped out of his comfortable loafers. Rubbing his numbed hands together, he hurried up the corridor and decided to forgo the shower in favor of sinking under his fluffy down duvet instead.

He stripped out of his jumper and jeans, threw his glasses onto the bedside table and collapsed onto the bed. Grabbing the side of the duvet, he wrapped it around his shivering body, rolled onto his front and made a human sausage roll out of himself. He shut his eyes. Of course, that would be when his house phone decided to ring. He wasn’t going to answer it. That time of the morning, it’d only be personal-injury-claim chasers or some double-glazing salesman. The answer phone clicked on and Ollie’s recorded voice wafted down the hallway into his bedroom.

“Hey, you’ve reached Ollie,” it sang out. “I’m way too busy and important to come to the phone right now, and if you’re not with me then you’re missing out! So leave a message, and I’ll decide whether to call you back. Oh, and if it’s PPI, I’ve claimed four times and turns out I’m still not owed anything. Oh, and I haven’t had an accident in the last three years. Oh, and I’d simply luuurrvve to take your survey on local facilities I use in my leisure time, if I had any. Much love—bleeeeep.”

Ollie chuckled. Until the caller’s voice boomed down the phone.

“Oliver?”

It seemed like a question, especially with the pause. Ollie held his breath.

“Oliver?”

Ollie hoped he’d either hang up or get to the point before Ollie passed out from asphyxiation. And considering he was naked, wrapped in a duvet, he could just see the local paper headlines misconstruing his accidental death as some sort of sex game gone wrong.

“Right. You’re not there. Or ignoring me.”

Bright man, this one.

“You left your watch here.”

Ollie scrambled to get his arm out from under the duvet and checked his wrist. Bollocks. He shut his eyes.

“I’ve had to throw it out.”

Ollie shoved a hand over his mouth, adding to his suffocating possibilities, and ignored the sinking feeling in his gut.

“I’ll get you a new one.”

Ollie shook his head and sank farther into the duvet to cover his face.

“Don’t call me back. I’ll see you later.”

The answer phone bleeped, indicating the end of the message and signifying the beginning of Ollie’s New Year’s resolution.

The one where he wouldn’t feel a thing.






About The Author

Brought up in a relatively small town in Hertfordshire, C F White managed to do what most other residents try to do and fail—leave.


Studying at a West London university, she realised there was a whole city out there waiting to be discovered, so, much like Dick Whittington before her, she never made it back home and still endlessly searches for the streets paved with gold, slowly coming to the realisation they’re mostly paved with chewing gum. And the odd bit of graffiti. And those little circles of yellow spray paint where the council point out the pot holes to someone who is supposedly meant to fix them instead of staring at them vacantly whilst holding a polystyrene cup of watered-down coffee.


She eventually moved West to East along that vast District Line and settled for pie and mash, cockles and winkles and a bit of Knees Up Mother Brown to live in the East End of London; securing a job and creating a life, a home and a family.


Having worked in Higher Education for most of her career, a life-altering experience brought pen back to paper after she’d written stories as a child but never had the confidence to show them to the world. Having embarked on this writing malarkey, C F White cannot stop. So strap in, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride...


You can follow C F on Facebook and Twitter and check out her Website.


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Review: Life Drawing (Chiaroscuro #3) by Suzanne Clay

After two intense encounters with her former student, Ainsley must admit to herself that she can see a future with Noma—but at what cost? Years spent protecting herself from heartbreak have left Ainsley terrified to take a chance on love. Everything—from their age gap to the judgment of others to a commitment to deeper intimacy—makes a relationship seem impossible.

When Noma asks Ainsley to go away with her to a secluded mountain cabin for Noma’s final weekend in town, there’s nowhere for Ainsley to run. And Noma is asking for harder scenes than either of them have ever explored before. Such intimate isolation with the only woman that she’s been drawn to in years, and with nothing but raw chemistry and honesty between them, could unlock the last of Ainsley’s crumbling defenses once and for all.

Ainsley and Noma’s relationship comes to a head in the third and final story of the Chiaroscuro series.


Noma and Ainsley go away for a weekend and things start to get a little bit serious.

I really love Noma. She is so open with her feelings and what she wants, and doesn’t shy away from heavy conversation.

Ainsley is a little more reserved, but she is opening up a bit more and while I find their dynamic a little confusing at times, I do think their chemistry is working. This has some nice heat and light kink.

Both women seem to really enjoy each other’s company, and while this is told only from Ainsley’s point of view, Noma is a strong character who has enough depth to know and understand.

This is a short story series, but gives a HFN and a hopeful future. If you enjoy small snippets with decent heat and great writing flow, I definitely recommend this. I would also recommend reading all three parts consecutively to enjoy the dynamic between these two more.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion



Release Blitz + Giveaway: Ghost's Dilemma (Witch's Apprentice #2) by Morwen Navarre


Celebrate the release of Ghost's Dilemma (Witch's Apprentice #2) with author Morwen Navarre and IndiGo Marketing! Learn more about the fantasy hurt/comfort today and enter in the giveaway for a chance to win $10 NineStar Press credit!

Release Blitz: Ghost's Dilemma by Morwen Navarre

Release Blitz: Ghost's Dilemma by Morwen Navarre

Series: Witch's Apprentice, Book Two
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: July 30, 2018
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 64300
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, established couples, witch, magic, hurt-comfort, separation, illness, healer, epidemic

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Release Blitz: Ghost's Dilemma by Morwen Navarre

Synopsis

Ghost is content to spend all his free time with Gerry. But scandal and hate surrounding Ghost’s appointment as the first male witch, along with a deadly epidemic, force Ghost to make choices that will separate him from his love.

Spurred on by a message from his mentor, Ghost embarks on a journey through mystical underground tunnels and lost civilizations to the frozen lands of his origin, seeking a way to neutralize the threat back home. While he struggles to find a balance between his duties as a witch and his calling as a seer, all Ghost really wants is to return to the haven he has found in Gerry’s arms.

Excerpt

Ghost’s Dilemma
Morwen Navarre © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Prologue
Gerry strode down the slate path beside the house, toward the familiar and rhythmic sound of Ghost chopping herbs. Ghost was absorbed in his work at his bench, so Gerry took the opportunity to stand in the doorway and admire Ghost from behind. His snowy white hair was tied in a messy tail hanging between his shoulder blades. His pert buttocks presented an enticing sight in his smooth leather breeches. Although he stood just a bit over sixteen hands in height, his lean muscles rippled under his shirt as he trimmed and tied the herbs to be dried. While Ghost finished hanging a bundle of greens by the stem, Gerry snuck up and wrapped his arms around Ghost’s middle. Ghost startled, then laughed and relaxed against Gerry.

“Do I smell scones?” Gerry asked into Ghost’s ear. Ghost turned to face him, and Gerry stole a playful kiss. His hip brushed against the curve of Ghost’s rear.

Ghost leaned back into the embrace. “I had the time this morning. The sole visitor I had was a woman with a deep cut. She slipped when she was chopping root vegetables and the knife went clean to the bone.” Ghost wriggled free from Gerry’s embrace. “Now, let me wash up and we’ll eat.”

Gerry patted Ghost’s rear as Ghost walked past him. Ghost ducked his head and smiled. Gerry followed him into the yard, enjoying the view as Ghost rinsed from the bucket by the well.

“I saw the godsman today.” Ghost stiffened enough for it to be perceptible before Gerry continued. “He says we can make it official at the full moon.”

Six moons had passed since the godsman had refused to perform the rite for them, claiming Gerry and Ghost had not had a proper courtship and could not be sure of their convictions in such a short time.

“If you still want to, of course. And if you can last another quarter moon.”

Ghost spun and launched himself into Gerry’s arms. Gerry laughed as Ghost buried his wet hands in Gerry’s hair and pulled Gerry down into a heated kiss.

When Ghost finally let Gerry up, Gerry gazed into Ghost’s ice-blue eyes and smiled. “I’ll take the kiss for a yes.” Ghost opened his mouth to speak, but Gerry touched his finger to Ghost’s lips to stop him. “And I’m also going to tell you I’m the happiest man in the village right now. I love you, Ghost. I’d lay down my life to protect you, and I won’t ever let you be harmed. You’ll always be safe right here in my arms if you accept my offer to be my mate and bind yourself to me.”

“Of course the kiss is a yes.” Ghost’s eyes glistened like ice melting in the sun, and his lips trembled through his smile. “I’ll bind myself to you gladly, Gerry. I trust you to keep me safe, even when I’m reckless, and I know you’ll protect me from whatever goes wrong. Your arms are my sanctuary when I’m ready to give up because I know you’ll be strong for me. And I love you. I’ll love you for as long as I live.”

The full moon finally arrived, and Ghost and Gerry dressed in their best clothing to appear in the gods’ house. Gerry brushed Ghost’s hair until his long tresses shone. Ghost’s nimble fingers danced along the line of bone buttons on Gerry’s shirt. The traditional gift to the gods, consisting of a fat runner and a cask of mead, had been accepted and left on the offering table.

Gerry listened to the godsman’s droning voice. Ghost stood beside him. Both of them faced the gods’ wall, decorated with carved masks for the Seven and a blank mask for the Eighth.

“As our gods themselves have done, you come to take an oath to bind yourselves together. Ghost, you will no longer be solely Gerry’s dependent. You will be Gerry’s mate, first in Gerry’s heart. Gerry, you will no longer be solely Ghost’s alpha. You will be Ghost’s mate, first in Ghost’s heart. You must give each other unconditional love and trust, setting the needs of the other above your own. Gerry, you must protect Ghost and guide him. Ghost, you must trust Gerry’s judgment and let him guide you. Above all, you must not forsake the oath you take today in the sight of the gods.”

The godsman placed Ghost’s hand in Gerry’s. As he wrapped a thin red cord around their wrists, he said, “The Father and the Lady. He protects and she guides. The Hunter and the Farmer. He culls and she nurtures. The Sea and the Moon. He sends dreams and she awakens love. The Seeker and he whose name shall remain unspoken. Let all the gods bear witness to your oath.”

Gerry turned to gaze into Ghost’s clear blue eyes, seeing joy and love reflected back. “I offer you my protection and my love. I will care for you and keep you from harm for all of my days. You will be first in my heart, Ghost. Before the gods, this is my oath to you.”

Ghost’s voice was strong. “I accept your protection and your love, and offer you my love for all of my days. I will trust in your care and find safety at your side. I will care for you, and you will be first in my heart, Gerry. Before the gods, this is my oath to you.”

The godsman tied a loose knot in the cord that joined their wrists. “May the gods smile upon you both and bless this mating.”

The cord around their wrists did nothing to dampen the ardor of the kiss Gerry bestowed on Ghost, a kiss Ghost returned with equal enthusiasm. They were mated now, and Gerry’s elation could not be contained as he claimed his beloved witch for his own.

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Meet the Author

Morwen has been writing since she could first hold a pencil, and by all accounts she didn’t limit myself to paper. Walls, tablecloths and the occasional sibling were all fair game, and it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that markers were banned in her home with all due haste. Although she now contents herself with inconveniencing electrons, the desire to bring the stories in her mind to life hasn’t waned.

In her spare time, she reads, putters in the kitchen, and relaxes on her terrace or at the lake, weather permitting, with her corgi who strives to be part muse, part food disposal. She’s also addicted to coffee and has a close relationship with her Keurig.

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Push Me Pull Me by Amanda Rhodes


Discover more about contemporary story Push Me Pull Me today! Author Amanda Rhodes and IndiGo Marketing host today's release blitz celebrating the lesbian tale. Learn more and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!



Title: Push Me Pull Me
Author: Amanda Rhodes
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: July 30, 2018
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 20000
Genre: Contemporary, lesbian, pansexual, BDSM

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Synopsis

At twenty-four, Mallory Grant is still struggling with adulthood. She can’t seem to make it in to work on time and deals better with her Tumblr friend on the other side of the world than a face-to-face with a real live human. But when her boss threatens to fire her as a rental agent, Mallory has to buckle down with her new client or end up jobless.

Corinne Ibori is moving to the Chicago area and needs a place to call home. Mallory’s goal is to find just the right location for Corinne’s needs and show her boss she’s turned over a new leaf. Corinne is thirty-five, self-confident, beautiful, flirty, has a French accent, and knows what she wants.

Mallory is finding it hard to believe that what Corrine wants might be her.

Excerpt

Push Me Pull Me
Amanda Rhodes © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Today has to be a new record for me. Forty-five minutes late for work and I’m sitting in the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru behind a line of cars at least a half mile long. One might think I have no respect for punctuality. And they’d be right. I’ve been on a losing streak lately with my alarm clock. It tries so hard to wake me up with the beeping and the screeching.

I have to have my coffee before I meet the day head-on, though. Therefore, I wait. Might as well be productive while I sit here. I text Helena, asking her if she’s seen my Tumblr post with the new pictures of Charlize Theron. She’s cut all of her hair off, and it’s sexy as fuck. Maybe she did it for a new movie role, maybe just to torture me. It’s hard to say.

Helena replies back, “Duh, Mallory. Of course, I’ve seen it.” She immediately saved it to her hard drive for safekeeping. This is why we are friends. Unfortunately, though, she lives on the other side of the ocean so most of our conversations are in the form of emails and texts.

I don’t really do so well with live humans unless I’m getting paid to customer-service them. I’m perfectly content with the friends that live inside my computer as far as my personal life goes. Helena gets me, and I make her laugh. Works out perfectly.

A few more cars move, and I’m almost to the ordering screen. I check the clock. 9:15 a.m. Yikes. This is super late, even for me. Silently, I pray that my boss isn’t in this morning—still traveling or has tripped on her kids’ Legos and sprained her ankle.

“Mallory, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to make it in today. You’ll be able to hold down the fort without me, right?”

“Absolutely, Shelly. You can count on me. I’ve been here for hours now. Everything is going smoothly.”

“Perfect. You’re an amazing employee. I’m definitely giving you a raise and maybe even an expense account. Also, I think you should take a month-long vacation when I get back. Honk.”

HONK. HONK. HONK.

The person who’s waiting behind is obviously super pissed by my delayed response.

“Sorry!” I yell from inside my car where no one can hear me. I wave, hoping they forgive my idiotic daydreaming.

Quickly, I pull through, order my coffee and the bagel I swore to myself I wouldn’t get.

When I make it to work, I realize that my daydream was exactly that. There’s a sticky note lying on my desk from Shelly.

See me when you get in.

There’s no “Thanks!” or her name with a smiley face. She knows that I’ll be aware of exactly who wrote the note. And she knows that I’ll be aware of exactly what I need to see her about.

The sense of dread I feel at moments like this never motivates me to do the right thing (i.e. show up on time), but only serves to remind me of how much I suck at life. That nasty little voice in my head is chanting “loser alert!” over and over.

Staring at the note, I take a minute to contemplate my next move. I could fake the stomach flu, invoking her pity. Well, at least temporarily. I’ll have to face the facts at some point, and that some point might as well be now. Sucking it up, I throw my things on my desk and do the walk of shame to her office.

I could easily walk through this maze of dull gray cubicles with my eyes closed. I’ve done it so many times. The chatter of twenty different people on the phone, scheduling apartment viewings, fills the air. Ben’s giant pair of green foam Hulk hands sit atop his bookshelf. I give them a fist bump. Ben glances up from his phone call, nods, and winks. He’s the only tolerable human here.

Almost every desk has one or two framed pictures of loved ones, boyfriends, kids, husbands. A candid of a group of friends at a wedding taunts me as I walk past Tracy’s desk. She also has a Post-it note holder in the shape of a red high-heeled shoe. She thinks it’s cute, and I think it’s hideous.

Each time I have to make the trip from my desk to Shelly’s, I’m forced to think about the absence of pictures and mementos on mine. Yeah, I could frame a picture of my brother or of my childhood dog, Scrabble, but I don’t actually want anyone here to know that much about me.

Peeking around the corner, I check to see if the boss-lady is on the phone or possibly reaming some other poor soul a new asshole, in which case I can hightail it out of here. No such luck. She peers up from her desk, her face the picture of annoyance. She extends her hand, waving me in.

“Hi, Shelly! You wanted to see me?” I ask cheerily.

“Save it. Sit down. We need to talk.” Her tone isn’t angry, just fed up. Honestly, this makes me feel even worse. She used to like me. And she’s stuck her neck out for me more than once. I’ve disappointed yet another person in my life. I might need to start a spreadsheet in order to keep track.

Awkwardly, I take a seat across from her, trying to work out if I should cross my legs or leave them uncrossed. Which leg position makes a person seem less like a failure?

“Listen,” she says, sighing deeply. “I know this isn’t your dream job. Nor would I expect you to treat being a leasing agent as such. But I do expect that you show some respect for me. I don’t make office hours for shits and giggles, Mal. You had an appointment this morning with a client. She sat in the lobby waiting for you for almost an hour.”

Fuck. Me.

“Exactly.”

I didn’t realize I’d said that out loud.

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Meet the Author

Amanda Rhodes watches way too much TV and has a ridiculous amount of books on her to-be-read pile, yet she keeps buying them. She’s been writing since… well for a long time. Amanda loves the paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy but could never ever write it herself. She’ll leave that up to the weirdos who do it best. Amanda lives in Chicago with her wife, four children, and pitbull who is a lazy bum.

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Exercising Restraint (Different Dynamics #2) by Tamir Drake


Check out today's release blitz for Exercising Restraint by Tamir Drake! The author, along with IndiGo Marketing, celebrates the paranormal erotica release. Enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!


New Release Blitz: Exercising Restraint by Tamir Drake (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Series: Different Dynamics, Book Two
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: July 30, 2018
Heat Level: 5 - Erotica
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 16800
Genre: Contemporary, ABO world, personal trainer, erotica, knotting, dirty talk, barebacking

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Synopsis

Pierce may have a crush on Steve, his sweet, funny personal trainer, but he doesn’t plan to act on it. They have a great relationship in the gym but are also friends outside of it, and Pierce has no intention of jeopardizing that. Besides, he may be an omega, but he’s got a good handle on his body’s biology. He’s not worried he’ll accidentally take things too far.

Steve may have a crush on Pierce, his smart and incredibly hot client, but he’s definitely not planning to say anything anytime soon. Pierce can do way better than Steve, and anyway, Pierce is a pretty casual dater. What Steve wants is anything but casual. And that’s not just the alpha in him.

When Pierce goes to Steve’s gym one snowy afternoon to work out, he thinks nothing of the fact that he’s in heat. He’s taken his libido inhibitor and is wearing his odor blocker, so there’s no chance of bothering Steve. Except, then the blocker wears off.

Steve wants nothing more than to keep himself under control, keep himself from doing something Pierce might not want. But Pierce might have something else in mind…

Excerpt

Exercising Restraint
Tamir Drake © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One
Pierce walked into Steve’s studio, the bell jingling cheerily as the door swung open and closed, and hung up his coat. He pulled off his boots, switched them out for his sneakers, and then stepped out onto the empty matted area.

“Steve?” he called.

“Coming! Pick some music!”

Pierce shrugged and headed over to the speaker system and fiddled with the iPod Steve kept plugged in there, scrolling to one of his playlists. Steve kept music for all his clients on it, which was one of many personal touches that made him the best personal trainer ever.

By the time Pierce had settled on a playlist, Steve had come into the studio. He was barefoot today, and Pierce winced. Bare feet meant it was going to be a hard-core cardio day.

Plus side to cardio: he was often so focused on what he was doing, time passed fairly quickly.

Downside to cardio: it made him kind of want to die.

“Hey,” Steve said, smiling. “How you doing today?”

“Not bad. Almost done with a couple of projects.”

“Awesome. Is one of them the book covers?”

Pierce couldn’t help but smile. Another reason Steve was so great was that he truly cared about his clients and remembered the details of their lives. “Yeah, the publishing company and I have pretty much settled on everything.”

Pierce was a graphic designer, and he worked primarily from home, which was one of the main reasons he’d found Steve and his studio. Because he spent most days sitting, he needed the exercise, and a reason to leave his house unrelated to getting groceries.

He did have friends he socialized with of course, but working from home was a lot of time to spend by yourself. Hence seeing Steve three times a week.

“So let me guess.” Pierce sighed. “We’re focusing on cardio first.”

Steve laughed. “What gave me away?”

Pierce stared pointedly at Steve’s feet.

Steve laughed again and wiggled his toes. “All right, all right. Sounds like I don’t have to introduce the program. Shall we get started?”

Pierce groaned and went to the center of the mat.

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Meet the Author

Tamir has the tendency to write feelings into everything, no matter how filthy. He’s not all that sorry about it.

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Review: Ravensong (Green Creek #2) by T.J. Klune

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves.

It should have been enough.

And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack… and won.

Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them.

But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s crawling from within.

Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken.



PackPackPackPack

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I may have damaged some ear drums in my squealing excitement following the news that Ravensong was in the works. Mark and Gordo had so much angst, anger, and longing going on in Wolfsong that I just knew their journey would be hard. However, this is TJ we’re dealing with, so hard is an understatement for the mountains Mark and Gordo have to climb to find a bit of peace.

So many feels.

It kicked my ass.

My face leaked.

It hurt. So. Good.

Ravensong is intense, fast paced, and gruesome. It doesn’t let up until the end.

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Mark and Gordo were everything to each other once upon a time. We get a glimpse of the love and then heartbreak between them as they’re separated. The anger left in its wake is almost tangible and long lasting. With everything going on in Green Creek and Gordo being the Bennett’s witch again, Mark and Gordo have to put aside their differences for the sake of the pack. Slowly, cracks start to develop in their hardened walls and the journey to each other is painful but satisfying to “watch.”

Wolfsong continues to be my #1 but this isn’t too far behind. We don’t get the overly emotional displays that we had from Joe and Ox. The life stages are different and the men are hardened by tragedy and betrayal. I went through the whole read knowing it wouldn’t be as lovey dovey or swoon worthy and I was right... until 2 sentences proceeded to melt my heart and make me giddy. Side note: The early days when Mark was *wooing* Gordo had be grinning like a fool.

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Although this book highlighted the relationship between Mark and Gordo finding their way to coupledom, it’s so much more. The Pack is a major element and their growth towards cohesion and being battle ready takes center stage. I have major heart eyes for all the characters, the family they've built, and the strength each possesses no matter their species. With being such a serious book, there are many opportunities to take a much needed breath with the crazy antics and conversations that pop up. I’m excited to see how these relationships evolve throughout the series.

Ready for one hell of a rollercoaster ride with the Bennett’s? Grab your blanket, glass(es) of wine, and a bottle of antacids. Definitely recommended.

P.S. It wouldn’t hurt to revisit Wolfsong as a refresher before diving in because it references things that we *should* know already but may not remember.

P.P.S. I’m ready for Kelly and Robbie. Like, yesterday. 😍😍😍

P.P.P.S(is this even a thing?). I’m ready for Carter’s story tomorrow (Too soon?). Please and Thank you.