Audiobook Review: Alpha Heat (Heat of Love #2) by Leta Blake

A desperate young alpha. An older alpha with a hero complex. A forbidden love that can’t be denied.

Young Xan Heelies knows he can never have what he truly wants: a passionate romance and happy-ever-after with another alpha. It’s not only forbidden by the prevailing faith of the land, but such acts are illegal.

Urho Chase is a middle-aged alpha with a heartbreaking past. Careful, controlled, and steadfast, his friends dub him old-fashioned and staid. When Urho discovers a dangerous side to Xan’s life that he never imagined, his world is rocked and he’s consumed by desire. The carefully sewn seams that held him together after the loss of his omega and son come apart—and so does he.

But to love each other and make a life together, Xan and Urho risk utter ruin. With the acceptance and support of Caleb, Xan’s asexual and aromantic omega and dear friend, they must find the strength to embrace danger and build the family they deserve.

This gay romance novel by Leta Blake is the second in the Slow Heat universe. It’s 130,000 words, with a strong happy ending and a well-crafted, non-shifter Omegaverse. It features alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, heat, and knotting. No cheating. Content warning for brief sexual violence.

Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo
Listening Length: 15 hours and 22 minutes


Thankfully, this still remains one of the best ABO series/stories I’ve ever read, as it continues to not slack in the world building nor the complex cultural constructs on what it means to be an alpha, a beta, and an omega. This further expands on the nuanced dynamic of how each type is forced into roles, rules, laws and regulations - all dictating how one should be and who they should be with.

Fear not that this is some extensive boring societal commentary. It uniquely sets things up while still being an impactfully poignant, angsty sexy romance.

I’m not going to give a detailed review because there are many great ones out there already explaining such. Just know that this is a multilayered story about an alpha who wishes he was different, who wishes his desires weren’t “wrong” and illegal and how he’s saved from his destructive ways by the devoted love of another who also defies the laws and social norms to be with him.

Perhaps as a warning, this contains an age gap, a second chance at love, and an unique sexual dynamic that monogamist purists might not appreciate. Believe you me, I’m typically one of those but the situation here just works, and all involved are happy and content. I absolutely reveled in the interactions between the two MC’s Xan and Urho, which were sweetly full of hurt comfort, simmered with some seriously hot sexual tension, and overflowed with plenty of delicious dirty with that oh so coveted KNOTTING. Unf.

To sweeten the pot, this was again narrated by the fantabulous Michael Ferraiuolo. He’s definitely a dream come true to my ears, and he only served to further elevate an already great story!

This series by far is my favorite creation from Blake, and I hope she doesn't disappoint and continues to give us more food for thought, more twisty hurt-so-good love stories in this really truly impressive, original ABO universe!


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

Release Blitz: Stuck with You by Jay Northcote


Jay Northcote and Signal Boost Promotions celebrate the release of holiday enemies to lovers romance, Stuck with You! Check it out!




Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK - Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow in Kindle Unlimited

Length: 53,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design

Blurb

Two clashing colleagues stuck together for Christmas—will opposites eventually attract?


Patrick has been single since he broke up with his cheating ex almost a year ago. With Christmas looming, he’s resigned to spending it alone with only memories of happier times for company. When a business trip with a co-worker leaves them stranded in the Lake District due to heavy snow, it seems Patrick will have company for Christmas after all. It’s a shame his companion is Kyle, who’s undeniably attractive, but annoying as hell.


Aware of Patrick’s reluctant admiration, Kyle basks in the attention even though Patrick isn’t the type of man he normally goes for. Averse to relationships after being hurt in the past, Kyle enjoys the occasional hook up, but has given up on seeking anything more meaningful.


Stuck together, their antagonism escalates along with a heavy dose of sexual tension until it finally ignites. What starts as a Christmas fling soon feels like something special; but will their tentative connection melt away as the snow thaws? If they’re going to take a chance on finding happiness together, they’ll have to put their differences aside and learn to trust one another.


Contains: enemies-to-lovers, snowball fights, bickering, spanking, a cute dog, a wise old lady, mistletoe, and a happy ending (of course).




Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.


One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.


Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has been published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are also available as audiobooks.


Website: https://jaynorthcote.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jay_Northcote

Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/jaynorthcotewriter

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/jaynorthcotefiction

Facebook author group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jaysplayground

Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/JN-readers



Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions


Anniversary Shenanigans: Ginn Hale Giveaway!


Are you a Ginn Hale fan? Have you read her first book? How about her most recent short story? Never read anything by her? Well, today is your lucky day because she is here today to help us celebrate 5 years with an AMAZING Giveaway! 



Anniversaries and Inspirations.

I want to wish everyone at Boy Meets Boy Reviews a very happy anniversary!

I’m also celebrating a little anniversary of my own; last year, when Rhys Ford invited me to contribute a novella to her fabulous anthology my very first book—Wicked Gentlemen— turned ten years old. Ten!

And as it happened the story prompt for Devil Take Me matched up perfectly with the world of Wicked Gentlemen. So after ten years I decided to return to the underworld of Hells Below. I have to admit that it was lovely to revisit the Prodigal descendants of demons and explore more of their steam punk metropolis. I loved sneaking in references to the original book while also building up Archie’s and Nimble’s very different relationship.     

Now, to celebrate both anniversaries, I’m giving away three copies of the new Devil Take Me anthology as well as three copies of Wicked Gentlemen.  If you happen to have an anniversary you’d love to celebrate or if you’d just like to read about deals with devils, please just leave a comment.

All my best,
Ginn    

We unicorns thank Ginn for her generosity and for helping us celebrate 5 years of quirky blogging! ICYMI: our review of Devil Take Me is here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter to win a copy of either Devil Take Me or Wicked Gentlemen. 3 copies of each will be given away! The giveaway is open until 12:00AM (EST) 12/1/18. Shortly thereafter, we will contact a winner!

Please respond to the winning notification within 48 hours or we will choose another winner. Good luck!


Don't miss entering in our month long unicorn giveaway HERE! It ends 12/1/18!

Blog Tour: Quenched in Blood (Asheville Arcana #3) by Ari McKay


Ari McKay visit to chat more about paranormal romance, Quenched in Blood (Asheville Arcana #3)! Check out the exclusive excerpt below!



Hello, everyone! I’m the McKay half of Ari McKay, and I’d like to thank Boy Meets Boy for letting me stop by as part of our launch tour for Quenched in Blood.

Quenched in Blood is the third and final book in our Asheville Arcana trilogy, which focuses on members of the paranormal community in Asheville, NC, and their battle against a demonic invasion.

I’d like to share an exclusive excerpt from Quenched in Blood. I hope you enjoy it!


“Are demon hunters immortal?” Thomas asked.
“No.” Julian looked pained as he made the admission. “You’re longer-lived than most mortals, of course. Perhaps the first few generations after the angel were, but as the bloodlines were thinned with humans, it lessened the lifespans. My sire, Frederick, knew some of the old demon hunter families in Europe, and he said they would live three hundred years, perhaps more. Assuming, of course, they didn’t die in the commission of their duties. As you know from the fate of your grandfather, demon hunting is a dangerous business. And your parents dying in an accident is certainly tragic. They were young even for humans, and as demon hunters, they probably had more than a century of life ahead of them.”
“All the more reason why I shouldn’t put things off, I suppose,” Thomas said, glancing sidelong at Julian. He wasn’t sure why Julian was keeping his distance, especially not after that kiss, but he didn’t intend to let it continue.
Julian frowned slightly. “I don’t think you have to rush into anything you’re not ready for. I’m going to make certain you’re trained first and able to handle yourself. You’re not facing anything alone either. I’m here for you, and so are Arden and Whimsy and the others.”
Thomas pushed his plate away and swiveled on the stool to face Julian, letting out a little exasperated huff. “I’m not talking about demon hunting, Julian. I’m talking about us.”
“Us?” Julian’s frown became a scowl, but there was also a flash of something that wasn’t quite panic in his eyes. “If you mean the kiss, I’ll apologize for that. It was wrong of me to take advantage of you.”
“I don’t want an apology,” Thomas said, leaning forward and resting his hand on Julian’s thigh. “I want another kiss.”
“Thomas, I….” There was no mistaking it. Calm, cool, rational Julian looked ready to bolt. “Now that you’re out from under Micah’s thumb you’re discovering lots of things about the world and about yourself. You’re curious about sex, I understand that. But you should be with someone closer to your own age. I’d be taking advantage of you.”
“Why do you think I need someone my own age?” Thomas asked, sliding his hand higher up Julian’s thigh.
“Because you’re a virgin, and you’re nearly three hundred years younger than I am!” Julian swallowed hard. “Plus I knew your parents, and your grandfather, and… hell, I even had a fling with one of your great-great-great uncles about the time George Vanderbilt was building his house. You need someone normal who can introduce you to all the things you’ve missed.”
“It seems to me that someone who’s got plenty of experience is the perfect one to introduce me to everything I’ve missed,” Thomas said, giving Julian’s leg a gentle squeeze. “Any other arguments you want to try to make?”
Suddenly Thomas found himself lifted up off the stool. Then Julian spun him and pressed him up against the wall. Julian’s body was hard against his, and Julian had moved with such blinding speed Thomas wasn’t even sure how Julian had managed to capture his wrists, but now they were pinned above his head in an iron-hard grip. There was something dark and dangerous in Julian’s expression, and Thomas caught the flash of fangs as Julian snarled. “You don’t know what you’re asking for. You don’t know what it means. You don’t know me. What I’m capable of. What I’m guilty of. This is a game to you, and I’m not playing it.”
Arousal zinged through Thomas at Julian’s show of strength, and he found himself instinctively tipping his chin up to bare his throat. “This isn’t a game,” he said. “You’re forgetting what I am. I may not be able to see auras yet, but I can read you well enough. Demon hunters might not forge mating bonds, but since the moment we met, everything in me has been saying you’re mine.”
Julian’s eyes grew wide. It was obvious he had expected Thomas to back down, perhaps even to become frightened of him. They were so close that Thomas could feel the way Julian’s heart was pounding. Julian’s gaze moved downward, stopping at Thomas’s throat. A battle seemed to rage within him; he clenched his jaw, but his fangs grew longer. With a sound that was half snarl, half moan, Julian parted his lips, fastening his mouth on the side of Thomas’s neck. His fangs pierced Thomas’s skin, and he began to suck.
Thomas’s eyes flew open wide at the unexpected surge of pleasure that coursed through him, and then he sagged against the wall as he tilted his head, offering complete surrender. The sting of Julian’s fangs piercing his skin faded quickly, replaced by a pleasure that Julian seemed to be pulling from deep within him. His skin prickled with the heat of his desire, and he couldn’t hold back a heartfelt moan.
Thomas’s reaction made Julian growl, a distinctly satisfied sound that rumbled in his chest and that Thomas could feel as much as hear. They were close in height, and the hard length of Julian’s cock was evident even through their clothes as Julian rocked against him. Julian’s mouth grew hot against his skin, and it was as though Julian’s body was imprinted on his, every point of contact suddenly throbbing. Julian rocked again, and this time he groaned as though he, too, were drowning in pleasure.
Thomas hooked his leg around Julian’s hips and sought to match Julian’s rhythm, wanting to ease the aching need building within him. He wanted to hold out, wanted to drive Julian to the breaking point as well, but he couldn’t keep control. Whether it was due to a lifetime of celibacy or the power of a vampire’s bite—or both—Thomas was overwhelmed by ecstasy, and he cried out as he shattered in Julian’s arms.
Julian rocked against him again, and then again, before lifting his mouth away from Thomas’s throat. Then he, too, cried out, going still against Thomas as his panting breaths ghosted over Thomas’s neck. Thomas nuzzled his cheek against Julian’s, humming softly with satisfaction. This wasn’t how he’d envisioned their first time going, but he had no complaints, and he wasn’t about to let Julian walk away from him now.








BLURB:

Will love mean rebirth… or death?

Vampire Julian Schaden has been warning the Asheville Paranormal Council of an impending demonic incursion for more than two decades. Over the past two years, he and his friends have fought as hard as they can with little help, since Micah Carter, the demon hunter who should have led them, shirked his responsibility and then perished.

Desperate for anything that might aid the fight, Julian enters the Carter property and finds something he never dared hope for: young Thomas Carter, the heir to a long line of demon hunters.

Thomas knows nothing about the supernatural world. But the prospect of a real life, outside the sheltered, isolated farm where he grew up, calls to him, and the idea of fighting the Unholy feels right.

Julian agrees to train Thomas, but he struggles against an unexpected, unwanted attraction. Thomas is too young and innocent to get involved with Julian, but opposites attract, and this is one battle Julian seems fated to lose. But a prophecy from a dying mage comes with a bleak warning: the upcoming battle will claim Thomas’s life. To keep his home and friends safe, Julian may have to sacrifice the only love he’s ever known.

BUY LINKS:

Dreamspinner Press:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/quenched-in-blood-by-ari-mckay-9984-b

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HNPVS5P

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/quenched-in-blood-ari-mckay/1129437341?ean=9781640809444



BIO:

Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.

Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.

McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.

CONTACTS:

Website: http://arimckay.wordpress.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ari-Mckay/266185570179748

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ari.mckay.7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriMcKay1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6153630.Ari_McKay

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/arimckay

Review: Rage to Live (Finding the Strength #1) by Shirley Anne Edwards

Can a young woman reveal her traumatic past to the woman who wants her to release the bubbling rage inside… her rage to live?

An act of violence tore Charlie’s existence, and her family, apart. In an effort to reclaim something like the life she enjoyed before, Charlie moves in with relatives in a different state. Charlie might be damaged, but she isn’t going down without a fight. With the help of her cousins, who attend the local college, she steels herself to repeat her final year of high school. On the university campus, she meets Arielle Forest, president of a popular sorority, daughter of the dean, and bisexual. Charlie is drawn to Arielle’s sunny outlook, but she can’t banish her doubts as romance blossoms. Does Arielle know what she’s getting into with Charlie and her unhealed wounds? Will she want to deal with the complications?

When Charlie’s past catches up to her, will she find the strength to keep fighting… or succumb to the call to escape all her pain for good?



I struggled a bit in this story because Charlie was going through some really dark trauma and thoughts. Her thoughts were painful and angry, and that came across to me loud and clear.

A credit to the author for making me feel during the development of the storyline, for capturing my attention and immersing me in Charlie’s pain. It was difficult for me to divorce myself and my own past from what was happening inside Charlie and this is why I struggled with this story, but also why I will pick up another book by this author.

Thankfully Charlie has some really positive people around her, and although she was unable to fully engage with them, she tried, and it came out more once she started interacting with Arielle.

This story captured the mood of the subject matter and thoughtfully delivered someone recovering from a deeply traumatic experience and trying to learn how to trust herself and others around her, again.

Charlie also has the pain of the disconnection between herself and her father as a result of her trauma, and her anger about his inadequacy in dealing appropriately in the aftermath. As a parent and a once scarred teen with oblivious parents, I can completely relate to both sides of this coin. It was really tough to read how they struggled to even talk about normal things in the beginning and I completely understood Charlie’s inability to bridge that gap while she dealt with her hurt.

The romance in this was slow build, rightly so, but really sweet. Arielle provided great support and understanding. I felt the author represented teenagers and a deeper level of young adult concepts that plague many but are dismissed as melodramatic in real life. Some content is difficult and I’m going to put content warnings at the end as some of them are spoilers, but I won’t review without including them.

I’d recommend this for readers who enjoy YA contemporary literature with a splash of slow burn romance and some more difficult subject matters.

Content Warnings (skip if you don’t want even small spoilers)

Triggers for suicidal ideations, survivor of attempted suicide and discussions of suicide. Triggers for historical offpage rape (minor description). Episodes of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and some on-page bullying. Discussions of secondary character historical child sexual abuse (minor description).





SURPRISE

You found the final $20 NineStar Press credit giveaway today! Shhh! It's a secret!

Enter in this week long giveaway today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway is open until 12:00AM (EST) 11/30/18. Shortly thereafter, we will contact a winner!

Please respond to the winning notification within 48 hours or we will choose another winner. Good luck!

Don't miss entering in our month long unicorn giveaway HERE! It ends 12/1/18!

Anniversary Shenanigans: Author Visit + Giveaway - Erin McLellan


Here's a sweet way to recover from all that turkey and dressing that's sweet, free and won't make your pants fit tighter! So take a break from Black Fridaying and let Erin McLellan make you squee.



Sparklers First

I glance around the busy park, trying to spot my blind date. Evidently, he’ll be the “one with the sparklers,” according to my bestie, Marissa, who set us up.

Sparklers” is not a helpful clue. It’s the day before Independence Day. There are sparklers everywhere.

Oh, and the dude’s name is Dan. Also not useful when trying to pick him out of a crowd. Millions of men are named Dan.

I wander by a fireworks stand toward a cluster of picnic tables and consider texting Marissa to demand more info. This is a ridiculous plan. Needle in a haystack shit right here.

A whistle pulls me up short. A handsome man is jogging toward me—always a nice sight—but it’s not just any, old rando. It’s Chip.

Marissa’s brother, Chip.

Marissa’s hot, older, out-of-my-league brother, Chip.

“Fletcher! Hi.” He’s out of breath, and my mind dive bombs into the gutter. Out of breath looks good on Chip O’Rourke.

“Hey, man. What’re you up to?” I say, cool as a cucumber. I hope.

A smile blooms across his face, and I catch a glimpse of his namesake—a tiny corner of his front tooth was chipped off when he was a kid during a monkey bars fall. On most people, it’d distract from an otherwise perfect smile. On Chip, it lends him a cocky swagger, changing a pretty face to an unforgettable one.

“I just finished my shift at the fireworks stand.”

“Oh!” I turn back to the stand and realize it’s being sponsored by the LGBTQIA charity that Chip runs. “Neat.”

“Yep! Let’s get a drink. I’ve heard they’re selling virgin strawberry daiquiris at the concession. Remember when you and Marissa used to make virgin daiquiris when we were kids? I usually pretended I didn’t want one, or didn’t want to hang out with y’all. But I always did.”

Chip throws an arm over my shoulder and leads me away before my brain can catch up to tell him that I need to find Sparkler Dan!

Chip’s thumb rubs circles on the apple of my shoulder. A delighted shiver wracks me, and I stop in my tracks.

“Chip, I’m sorry, but I can’t get fake daiquiris with you. I’m here to meet a guy, so I appreciate you wanting to hang, but I can’t.” Chip stares at me like I’ve got fireworks coming out of my nose, so I keep babbling. “You see, your sister set me up with some random dude, and I’d love to spend time with you right now, but I don’t want be rude and stand him up. So I need to find the rando with the sparklers. And—”

Words fail me as he pulls a lighter out of his pocket. In his other hand is a stick.

Which he lights.

It flares to life.

“A sparkler like this?” he asks.

“Yeah. Umm.” I shake my head. “My date’s name is Dan.”

He passes me the sparkler and takes my free hand in his own.

“Oh.” I stutter. “Your name’s Chip.”

He smiles. “Nickname, Fletcher.”

My heart tries to escape my chest.

Dan. Daniel O’Rourke. Nickname Chip. My best friend’s older brother.

“So, your sister is sneaky,” I say.

“I put her up to it.” The glow from the sparkler gilds his handsome face. “Virgin daiquiris from the concession stand?”

I squeeze his hand and yank him closer to me. “Sparklers first.”


How sweet was that? We unicorns thank Erin for putting a smile on our faces and helping us celebrate our fifth anniversary!


BIO

Erin McLellan writes contemporary romance, often set in the Great Plains, with characters that are complex, goodhearted, and sometimes a little quirky. Originally from Oklahoma, Erin currently lives in Alaska with her husband. 

Connect with Erin:

Erin has a free novella, "Small City Heart" which you can pick up if you sign up for her newsletter HERE.

Patrick Pearl’s career is in shambles, and his love life is in even worse shape. The last place he wants to be is his horrid hometown’s biggest shindig and high school reunion, but he’s decided to stomach it for a chance to see his mom.

After years away, Patrick doesn’t anticipate the longing that hits him the moment he sees his hometown’s hills, the same pull that has him itching for his camera. But Patrick’s biggest shock of all is Charlie North—Small City’s golden boy and resident firefighting hunk.

Charlie has had a crush on Patrick Pearl since they were fifteen, but avoided him like the plague in high school, intimidated by Patrick’s courage to be different. Now that they’re all grown up, Charlie isn’t going to let Patrick slip through his fingers, much to Patrick’s surprise.

If Patrick has to withstand the torture of the Small City Alumni Weekend, then he might as well bang the hottest, most popular guy from his graduating class, right? It’s not like there are hearts involved. What could possibly go wrong?

Warning: This novella contains a lot of blackberry cobbler, a hometown hunk who didn’t have the good grace to peak in high school, a millennial hot mess that does not have his shit together, and super sweet small-town charm.





2 winners will be selected to win their choice of a backlist ebook from the author. The giveaway is open until 12:00AM (EST) 11/30/18. Shortly thereafter, we will contact a winner!

Please respond to the winning notification within 48 hours or we will choose another winner. Good luck!

Don't miss entering in our month long unicorn giveaway HERE! It ends 12/1/18!

Blog Tour: Femme Faux Fatale by Susan Laine


Help author Susan Laine celebrate the release of her Dreamspun Desires novel, Femme Faux Fatale! She's here today to tell a little about her inspiration and she brought an exclusive excerpt too!



Hello. I’m Susan Laine. I’m a Finn and the author of Femme Faux Fatale, a contemporary mystery book that came out two days ago, on November 2oth, by Dreamspinner Press.


You’ll find more info on the story below, but here’s a quick rundown: This is a love story between a surly private detective and a sultry burlesque starlet who both end up in a dark and seedy (and sexy) adventure.

Today I’m a guest here at Boy Meets Boy—thank you kindly for having me—to talk about one of the themes in the story, which is… pin-up art.

I was way too young, just a pre-teen, when I first encountered pin-up art. Namely through the artist Olivia De Berardinis, or just Olivia as she’s called. She’s an American artist most known for drawing beautiful, semi-clad women. Her pin-up art, especially, is utterly amazing, beautiful and detailed. Wish I could share them with you… *sigh* Ah well, guess you’ll have to look her up yourself: http://eolivia.com/

In any case, pin-up art, for those who are not familiar with the term, is a photograph, drawing, or painting of a pin-up girl—or a male pin-up to a lesser extent. These pin-up models can be famous actors or singers, fashion models or simply celebrities of any variety. An air of glamour is key.

What makes art pin-up? Most people recognize them on sight. The models are sex symbols of their era, be it Bettie Page or Bernie Dexter, a Vargas Girl or an Olivia cheesecake. The models are, as expected, either half-dressed or fully naked, mostly the former, though.

Despite the semi-nudity, however, with pin-ups a girl celebrates her sexuality in the public sphere. It’s all about female beauty but also about female empowerment, how a woman doesn’t need to hide her body or her sexuality from the public world of men. The racy images are a blow against the patriarchy trying to control women. It is self-expression taken to the extreme in terms of visual delivery. The phenomenon even allowed women of color to come out in public as sexual, independent women, such as Josephine Baker in her infamous banana skirt.

While pin-up is associated with the 1950’s and WWII era, pin-up art style exists today too, in a type of subculture, much like burlesque. Be it Lana Del Rey’s song “Pin Up Galore” or Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman,” modern pop culture has embraced the iconography of pin-ups and made them their own.

Long live pin-ups!

My story stars a male burlesque starlet who adores pin-ups. It’s a part of his lifestyle and persona. And why not? It’s fun and colorful and pretty. Add to that a grouchy private dick who loves dime detective stories, dangerous Hollywood nobility, plus a crime of the century, and you get… Femme Faux Fatale.

Here’s the blurb:

“Mystery. Murder. Men in silk stockings. Hollywood nights are heating up.

Hardboiled Los Angeles PI Cain Noble is hired by wealthy and gorgeous Camille Astor to find her husband and a priceless work of art, both of which have disappeared.

At the nightclub owned by Mr. Astor, Cain encounters the mesmerizing Lily Lavender, who has the body of a goddess and the sultry voice of an angel—but is really a young man named Riley who attracts trouble like a magnet.

What’s a private dick in the vein of LA’s bygone era and a cross-dressing burlesque starlet to do when faced with the hidden decadence and lethal dangers of the Hollywood Hills? They have their work cut out for them because they haven’t even scratched the surface of an elaborate scheme more twisted than anyone could ever have imagined.”

Once again, thank you Boy Meets Boy, for having me here today. And, as promised, here’s a short exclusive excerpt from the book. Enjoy!

“As Cain studied the posters, his hands still over Riley’s hips, Riley looked at the images too, loving the look of them, as he’d done from the beginning.

“That one’s by Olivia and it’s called Tapioca.”

Riley pointed at a poster where a voluptuous girl lay on her side on a bed with white sheets and pillows, wearing a white silk corset, black silk stockings, and a black transparent mask. She held a long pinkish-white ribbon casually above her blonde curls, and two cats lay curled up beside her. On the bed and on her leg rested several theatrical masks.

“Why?” Cain asked, seemingly baffled. The picture had no tapioca in it.”
That’s it for now. Thanks for taking the time to check out this guest post. I hope you enjoy the book as well.


Author website where all my social media and other writing-related sites can be found: http://www.susan-laine-author.fi/

Author bio: “Susan Laine, a Finn through and through, was raised by the best mother in the world. She told her daughter time and again that she could be whatever she wanted to be. It still took Susan discovering the gay erotic romance genre before she dared to take the leap into the publishing world.

Her formal education revolves around anthropology, but her hope is to be a full-time writer. Susan enjoys hanging out with her sister and friends in movie theaters and bookstores. Her other pastimes include walking, swimming, and fantasizing about sizzling hot manlove. Some of her likes are pop music, chocolate, and doing the dishes, and a few dislikes are sweating hot summer days, tobacco smoke, and purposeful prejudice.

Visit Susan’s website at www.susan-laine-author.fi/ or write her an email at susan.laine@hotmail.com