Guest Review: Nailed (Four Bears Construction #2) by K.M. Neuhold

My new neighbor is a total tool.

He hated me from the second he laid eyes on me, and I don’t have the first clue why… But, if he wants to hate me, I’m happy to give him a few reasons: mowing the lawn at dawn on the weekend, leaving garbage cans in front of his driveway, renting a petting zoo for my backyard...making a list of ways to drive him crazy is half the fun.

He deserves it with the way he’s driving me crazy right back without even trying— walking around without a shirt on, sweaty rippling muscles on full display, well-worn denim jeans perfectly molded to his...well, you get the idea.

My point is, if he wants a war, I’ll give him one.

***Nailed is an enemies to lovers, neighbors who can't stand each other, omg the anger banging, drool worthy, low angst story, which happens to be the second in my Four Bears Construction series. It CAN be read as a stand alone. There are NO shifters in this series, only the OTHER kind of bears.


Reviewer: Shee Reader

I really loved the first book in this series, and was excited to read this one too. I was not disappointed!

Stone is a real grown up business owner who behaves like a hideous frat boy once his brand new neighbour takes an instant dislike to him. Despite his d*ckish behaviour, he is still a lovable guy. His soft spot for the neighbour's dog is an excellent example. Also helping Dare to find his dog when he goes missing etc, there’s tonnes to love about Stoney, and Dare too for that matter. Dare takes in his young adult nephew (who is also gay) when his awful brother fails to support him. So these are both lovely guys who got off on the wrong foot…

One day having had enough of the dog hanging out at Stone’s house, Dare leaves a note on Stone’s front door. Stone gets home from work, sees the note and storms round to tear his neighbour a new one, and it gets all handsy and sexy.

From here it all gets funnier, sweeter and sexier. One of my absolute favourite things in romance novels is when a couple are arguing and fighting and falling in love at the same time, and we get the knowing looks from the friends. “Oh yeah, you still hate him huh?” with a grin and a wink! well, this book has that in spades. The friendship group are a lovely part of the book.

I liked that we saw Cole and Ren from book one being all smoochy still, and I literally cannot wait for the other two bears to get their HEA.

There are no shifters in this story, but if you like the other type of bear, this funny, sweet sexy story could be for you.

Highly recommended.

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
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Blog Tour: Fight For You (Beyond the Cove #4) by Jaclyn Quinn


Author Jaclyn Quinn and Vibrant Promotions visit on the Fight For You (Beyond the Cove #4) blog tour! Discover more about the menage romance today!

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Fight For You
Beyond The Cove Series, Book 4
Jaclyn Quinn
M/M/M Romance, Menage
Release Date: 04.26.20
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Blurb
Is this a love worth fighting for?
One man is haunted by a past he can’t outrun.
One man is branded by a legacy he can’t hide.
One man is burdened by a guilt he can’t deny.

The usually peaceful town of Riverside Falls has had its very core shaken by traumatic events. Three men find themselves at the center of it all, thrown together by circumstances beyond their control.
Sawyer Levy came to Riverside Falls four years ago to escape from…well…life, but when he finds himself in need of care, he’s forced to trust not one but two men for the first time in years.
Grant Belford is riddled with shame in the tragic aftermath of incidents he didn’t see coming, blaming himself for the terror that rocked his town over the last few months.
Captain Mason Lockley is struggling with the recent events that have shaken up the quiet town of Riverside Falls, tormented by one thought, over and over again: Did he miss the signs because of jealousy?
Having no choice but to lean on each other, the three men suffering with their own demons aren’t expecting to have such an undeniable connection—or to fall so hard. It’s a love they don’t understand, but will they realize it’s worth fighting for?
Universal buy link: http://mybook.to/FightForYou


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Excerpt
Sawyer watched Grant’s hasty exit in complete bewilderment. He didn’t think it was just his imagination that Grant had been acting weird, but it didn’t help that his energy was fading quickly, and his mind was getting foggy. Mason approached the bed slowly, his attention moving from the door Grant had just fled through to Sawyer.

The look on the man’s face was an odd mix of frustration and longing. “What the hell was that all about?” Sawyer asked.

Mason huffed and slumped down in the chair next to the bed. Dark circles marred the skin under his blue, fatigued eyes. It had been a while since Sawyer had studied the features of a man, yet he found himself memorizing the golden hints in Mason’s perfectly styled, dark blond hair. In usual form, there wasn’t a strand out of place. A few days’ growth covered the bottom half of his face, surrounding a plump mouth that Sawyer had purposely ignored in the past. His sudden fascination with it burst like a bubble in mid-air when that mouth said, “He’s been here…every day…in this chair. Did you know that?”

Grant had? “Seriously?”

“He’s barely left your side since the day you were brought in. Hell, he told the staff you were family so they would tell us what condition you were in.” Mason sat with his arms crossed and a hard tick to his jaw. Why did Sawyer feel like the cop was interrogating him?

“I don’t get it; he hates me.” Lord knows, Sawyer had tried to hate Grant back, but there was something about the broody man that got under his skin. Something he didn’t want to acknowledge let alone feel at all. He’d ignored Grant for the past four years as much as he’d ignored his reaction to the man sitting in front of him.

Mason shifted his eyes toward the doorway Grant had just fled through. “Wish I could say I understood any of the decisions that man makes.” He set pensive eyes back on Sawyer, and for a split second, Sawyer felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. “Would’ve made the last ten years a lot fucking easier.”

Jaclyn Quinn Logo

I have been an artist from a very young age. From drawing cartoon characters and evolving into portraits, making jewelry, photography, and now writing. I have an amazing support system in my family and friends and couldn’t be more grateful.



I live in central New Jersey, love summers at the Jersey Shore, rock music, wine, sexy men, and laughing a lot with my amazing friends and family. Sunday dinners at my parents’ house are crazy, hysterical and you can count on a movie quote…or ten…being thrown out. Insults between siblings is how we show our love for each other!



When I’m not creating, you can find me reading books from my favorite authors. I’m a hopeless romantic, starving for passionate characters and always craving that happy ending, whether in reading or in writing my own books.

https://linktr.ee/JQbooks

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Blog Tour: Nailed (Four Bears Construction #2) by KM Neuhold


Today's the final blog tour stop for Nailed (Four Bears Construction #2)! Join author K.M. Neuhold and Vibrant Promotions today and learn more about the enemies to lovers tale!

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Nailed
Four Bears Construction Series, Book 2
KM Neuhold
M/M Romance, Enemies to Lovers
Release Date: 04.28.20
Nailed-f900
Blurb
My new neighbor is a total tool
He hated me from the second he laid eyes on me, and I don’t have the first clue why…
But, if he wants to hate me, I’m happy to give him a few reasons: mowing the lawn at dawn on the weekend, leaving garbage cans in front of his driveway, renting a petting zoo for my backyard...making a list of ways to drive him crazy is half the fun.
He deserves it with the way he’s driving me crazy right back without even trying— walking around without a shirt on, sweaty rippling muscles on full display, well-worn denim jeans perfectly molded to his...well, you get the idea.
My point is, if he wants a war, I’ll give him one.
***Nailed is an enemies to lovers, neighbors who can't stand each other, omg the anger banging, drool worthy, low angst story, which happens to be the second in my Four Bears Construction Series. It CAN be read as a stand alone. There are NO shifters in this series, only the OTHER kind of bears.

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/NailedFBC

Nailed teaser 4Nailed teaser 3Nailed teaser 2

Excerpt
I feel like I’m living in a never ending loop of torture, brought to me by my neighbor who’s clearly Satan in the flesh. Did I die and go to Hell? Is that what happened? Because, at this point, I’d believe it.

“What the hell?” I mutter as I step out onto my back porch, once again in nothing but my underwear. My half asleep brain is sure for a few seconds that I’m dreaming. There’s no way there are goats and sheep and fucking donkeys wandering around in his backyard right now, right? Rudy barks excitedly and tries to rush past me, but I manage to snag his collar.

“You an ass man?” Stone calls with a grin, and I’m surprised I don’t give myself a stroke for how much effort it takes not to go over there and punch him. “Get it, ass?” he says, pointing to the donkey he’s holding on a leash.

“What the fuck is going on? Why do you have a whole zoo in your backyard?” Rudy whines and tugs as I hold tight to his collar.

“It’s my goddaughter’s eighth birthday, I rented her a petting zoo.”

“You can’t just rent a bunch of farm animals,” I argue.

Stone looks around pointedly at the menagerie. “I’m pretty sure I can.”

“Hey, quit it,” I shout at one of the goats who has wandered over onto my property and is now helping himself to the lavender bush I planted. “Shoo.”

“Edgar, come back over here,” Stone scolds the goat.

“Edgar? You know the names of every one of these animals?” I ask skeptically.

“No, but doesn’t he look like an Edgar?”

“There’s something seriously wrong with you,” I mutter. “Keep them off my lawn and out of my bushes or your ass will be over here planting all new ones for me,” I warn. A few butterflies flutter past, one of them resting on my lavender bush for a beat before floating away again, but even that isn’t enough to lower my blood pressure.

“Jack will be happy to,” Stone assures me with a serious nod before breaking into another grin. “Get it? Jack ass?” The donkey brays as if he’s in on the joke.

I hate to admit it, but that’s almost funny. But I’ll be damned if I give him the satisfaction of getting a smile from me. Not after he woke me up with some kind of weirdo Old McDonald role play at eight in the morning on a Saturday.

KM Neuhold Logo__
Author K.M.Neuhold is a complete romance junkie, a total sap in every way. She started her journey as an author in new adult, MF romance, but after a chance reading of an MM book she was completely hooked on everything about lovely- and sometimes damaged- men finding their Happily Ever After together. She has a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well. And she fully admits that her OCD tendencies of making sure every side character has a full backstory will likely always lead to every book having a spin-off or series. When she's not writing she's a lion tamer, an astronaut, and a superhero...just kidding, she's likely watching Netflix and snuggling with her husky while her amazing husband brings her coffee.
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Guest Review: Spotless Box Set by Bailey Bradford


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When you think you’ll never fit it, never be whole, love can show you a truth you’ve never seen.

Adal has been abused all of his life. The only person who cared for him was his brother, Steven. Without him, Adal would have been killed long ago. After he and Steven are sent on a mission for their twisted father, they learn they’ve been pawns in an evil plot all along. And that their father has been slowly killing them, one pill at a time.

Steven leaves Adal to seek revenge and secure safety for them in the world. Adal is astounded to find out he has a mate. A halfbreed like him shouldn’t have anyone to love, should he?

Dorso Rodriguez doesn’t know what hit him, literally or figuratively. A fun-loving guy, he wakes up with a knot on his head and a strange, sexy, scarred man who’s scared and defiant and intriguing.

Together they embark on a journey to defeat the demons from Adal’s past.


Hunt

Steven was on a mission he knew could cost him his life, but instead he might find himself truly living for the first time.

Steven has spent his life protecting his brother Adal and serving their sadistic father, Bashuan, as a means of bargaining for both of their lives. He’s done things no man should have to do, things no shifter should have to do. Throughout it all, Bashuan has hated him and Adal for being halfbreeds, part puma and part leopard. Doesn’t matter that Bashuan is responsible for their mixed blood. There’s no logic to his hatred.

But Adal has found a mate, and Steven is going to make sure his brother gets the opportunity to live out a normal shifter life with the man. He’s going to try his best, anyway. Steven is aware that Bashuan may win, that evil could triumph the new-found good in Steven’s life. He’s seen it happen—good guys don’t always survive.

What Steven forgets is that he’s not nor has he ever been the good guy, and the Fates have a reward for him that will break the rules of all known shifter matings. They’re sending him not one, but two mates, and both men will fight with him and for him—and nothing will keep them from Steven.


Home


Solomon wanted nothing more than to stay at home and raise his siblings, until he’s kidnapped and everything in his world changes.

Solomon survived being abused by his father. He took care of his many siblings during that time, and continued to do so after he’d been rescued by his half-brother Steven, and Steven’s mates Cole and Shaun.

Now Solomon’s grown up. He’s still raising his family, and he wants to keep everyone right there, safe and with him.

Then he’s kidnapped, and he’s taken away. He’s got a secret that helps him escape his captors. That, and one of the jaguar guards who is supposed to be trying to capture him again turns out to be his mate, while the other guard is a woman who’s fed up with the cruelty of the clan who sent her after Solomon.

Azil has known only subservience all his life. The jaguar clan he’s from is warped, but he doesn’t know that. It’s just the way things are. It takes a taste of freedom, and finding a man who believes in him, to help free Azil from the chains of his past.

But someone wants to make sure neither he nor Solomon gets a happy ending.


Heart

Rolly has waited ten years to claim his mate. Now the wait is over, and he’s coming home.


Rolly has waited patiently for his mate. When he first met Erdwin, the boy was still a child. Rolly felt nothing but compassion for him back then, but Erdwin came of age five years ago, and Rolly’s stayed out of his life in order to give Erdwin time to experience life.

Erdwin never fit right in his skin. He didn’t like what he saw in the mirror. It didn’t match how he felt inside. As a shifter, he was stuck with the body he had. Surgery wasn’t an option for him. But Erdwin found a way to accept himself—by embracing the part of herself that felt like her true nature. She struggled with it, but with her family’s support, she became Edie, the young lady she was meant to be. She stopped worrying about her parts, and concentrated on her heart.

When Rolly, a powerful shaman, moves back home to the pack, Edie is transfixed. He makes her nervous—and arouses her. But what would a man like him think of a woman like her?

Edie’s about to find out, and she will have to be stronger than ever to help fight off a threat to her pack, to her mate, and to her family.


Reviewer: Shee Reader

When I got this box set to review, I had not heard of the series at all, so I was a brand new world to me. I enjoyed the world building and complexity of the variety of relationships. The bad guy (the father figure) was truly horrific but it wasn’t too graphic or gory which was good for me. I was glad how things resolved for him.

In book one, I liked one of the MC’s (Adal the shifter) straight away, but took a while to warm to his human mate. It was a bit of an effort to get into the story, but once I did, It just rolled away!

I really loved book two from the get-go. Steven is Adal’s brother and finds he has not one but two mates who are both wolf shifters. The wolves were super characters I really liked from the outset.

Book three was a bit of a change in pace, but lovely nonetheless and I was so worried that after everything Solomon had been through that being kidnapped would finish him off, but the angst and threat was quite manageable for a big softie like me.

Book four was delightful and I was looking forward to all the ends being tied off, but it was not at all what I was expecting! Rolly and his mate could have been a hard pairing to understand, but I found it positively and lovingly written.

On the whole it was a super engaging and satisfying sexy shifter box set that was a whole lot of story put together. It felt like there was a whole complexity to the stories which isn’t something I have always found with this author, and this worked extremely well in this context. The pairings are all strong and emotional as well as fated -mate insta sexy times!

If you love a good undulating romp with sexy shifters and a not unbearable amount of drama, this could be the set for you.

Highly recommended.

I was given a free copy of the set in exchange for an honest review.



Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Conned: A Bureau Story by Kim Fielding


Kim Fielding and Other Worlds Ink visit with the brand new cover for the upcoming paranormal tale from the Bureau series, Conned! Learn more about the historical and enter in the $10 Amazon gift card and eBook Bureau series giveaway!


Kim Fielding has a new MM historical paranormal mystery coming out in the “Bureau” series: "Conned." And we have the cover reveal!

World War I veteran Thomas Donne is new to San Francisco. Always a stoic man, shell shock and a lost love have nearly turned his heart to stone. No matter—a private eye has no room for softness. Almost broke, he takes on what appears to be a simple case: finding a missing young man.

As a magician and medium, Abraham Ferencz cons his audiences into believing he can cheat death and commune with their dearly departed. Although his séances are staged, the spirits are very real, and they’ve brought him almost more pain than he can bear.

When Donne’s case becomes complicated and the bodies start to pile up, he and Ferencz must fight their way through a web of trickery and lies. The truth is obscured by the San Francisco fog, and in their uncanny world, anyone can catch a bullet.


Amazon | Smashwords




Giveaway

Kim is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card AND eBook copies of The Bureau V1 and V2 to one lucky winner. For a chance to win, enter via Rafflecopter:

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47121/?




Excerpt

When Abe was done with the slates, he would ordinarily have turned to the third and final act of the séance. It involved darkening the room, asking the audience to concentrate on their loved ones beyond the veil, and then operating a series of trap doors and curtains via hidden controls. Masks and gauzy drapery covered in luminescent paint would make flickering appearances. One key here was for his accomplice to have the first sighting. Rosie would gasp or scream before Abe had yet showed a prop, making everyone else eager for their own glimpses. The other key was to do this illusion after the guests had lost any lingering doubts.

It was a wonderful illusion, one that would send his guests away feeling as if their money had been well spent. But today one guest continued to have doubts, and Abe’s curiosity was too strong to resist. He decided to postpone the finale.

“Friends, I vill now move among you and see if I receive any messages from beyond.”

Rosie lifted her eyebrows, clearly surprised he was going to do a cold reading. He generally did that only during séances where he’d given the guests a brief refreshment break and Rosie had the opportunity to slip him notes about the people she’d spoken with at the beginning. It certainly hadn’t been part of today’s plan.

Nonetheless, Abe moved among the chairs with his head atilt, as if he were listening for a faint sound. He stopped in front of Rosie and closed his eyes. “Ah. I’m hearing a voice…. A woman. Mary? No. Margaret.”

Rosie gasped and clutched her chest. “My sister Meg?” she asked tremulously. “She passed five years ago from rheumatic fever.”

In fact, Rosie had two sisters—neither named Margaret and both quite alive—who she didn’t especially get along with and spoke to only infrequently. But she wobbled her chin convincingly as Abe nodded. “Yes. She says she misses you. She remembers the… the necklace you gave her for her birthday. It vas such a lovely gift, she says.”

Tears started to leak from Rosie’s eyes. Crying convincingly on cue was one of her many strengths. “She loved that little thing. We buried her in it.”

“She vants you to know that she’s very happy vhere she is now. She knows your life vill be long, but someday you shall see her again.”

“Th-thank you, Mr. France. Tell her I love her too.”

“She knows.”

Abe moved down the row to a man in his fifties, a Mr. Van Goethem. He was dressed moderately well but not richly, and his weathered face and battered hands suggested he’d once labored outdoors. He had an accent—Dutch or Belgian; Abe wasn’t certain—but it wasn’t strong, so he’d been in the United States for a long time. These observations and a general knowledge of human beings allowed Abe to make some safe guesses.

“I am hearing a woman again. She is…. I see the letter A?”

“Anna?” Mr. Van Goethem seemed confused.

“I am not sure. I believe the A is not at the beginning of her name.”

Mr. Van Goethem let out a noisy sigh. “Johanna. My mother.”

Perfect. Abe had chosen A simply because it was common in feminine names; after that, he could get the guest to lead him on the right path. “Yes, your mother. She says…. Oh.” He frowned deeply as if distressed.

“What? What does she say? Mama, I—”

Abe held up a hand to silence him. “It’s…. Oh, I see.” He bent so as to put his eyes on level with Mr. Van Goethem’s and lowered his voice as if to tell a secret. He knew his words would carry nonetheless. “She says she forgives you, sir. She knows you are a good man at heart. She is proud of you.”

Mr. Van Goethem didn’t cry, but he clamped his lips together and his throat worked. He gave a jerky nod.

This had been nothing but a guess. In Abe’s experience, nearly everyone had disappointed a parent at one point or another.

At last, heart pounding, Abe moved to the back row and came to a halt in front of Donne. Standing this close, he could see a bit of pale stubble on those broad cheeks and stubborn chin. Donne’s eyes were more fog-like than ever: opaque and chilling. The type of eyes a man could get lost in. He sat straight-backed but not tense, heavy muscles relaxed beneath his cheap suit and good shirt. But his hands—yes. They hung over the armrests and moved with the hint of a tremor.

Interesting.

Without truly intending to, knowing it might even be dangerous, Abe reached out and settled a palm on Donne’s shoulder. Although Donne flinched slightly, he didn’t strike out or move away. His jaw tightened, though, and his eyes narrowed.

The war, Abe thought. Yes. Donne was the right age for it, and his accent thick enough to suggest he’d come of age in England instead of the United States. Besides, there was something about the set of his body and the creases around his eyes. “I hear… a man,” Abe began.

And then he did.

As clear as if the person stood next to him, a voice spoke in Abe’s ear. It sounded young and sad and thin. Tommy. Oh, my darling Tommy, what have they done to you?

Abe unwillingly echoed a phrase, the words tearing his throat. “My darling Tommy.”

Donne leapt to his feet, jerking back so violently that he toppled the chair. One hand went into his coat pocket, and Abe was certain he was about to be shot. The idea didn’t frighten him, mostly because he was too deeply awash in the spirit’s sorrow. “Don’t hurt him, Tommy.” From his own mouth, but it wasn’t his accent or his voice. “Please don’t.”

The spirit… the man had been in his early twenties, perhaps. A pointed chin and sharp nose, thin mobile eyebrows, a wide mouth always a moment away from a cheeky grin. Ears that stuck out a little. Abe knew this although he couldn’t see the spirit. Just as he knew the spirit’s name. “Albert,” he said in his own voice.

Donne jerked again but held his ground. He was breathing hard.

Abe’s knees felt weak, his head swam, and Albert whispered in his head: tiny snippets and phrases that Abe couldn’t quite catch. Reaching out for a chair back to support himself, he became aware of the wide eyes and gaping mouths of his guests.

With considerable effort, he gathered his wits, giving Donne a quick apologetic glance before striding to the front of the room. He cleared his throat before falling back into his faux accent. “I am sorry, friends. Today the spirits have qvite exhausted me. I hope you have found some of the answers you sought.”

The guests seemed pleased as they gathered their coats and hats and filed toward the hallway and the door. They thanked Abe as they shook his hand. Soon only two others remained: Rosie, looking about as if perhaps she’d mislaid a glove, and Donne, towering and jut-jawed in the back of the room.

“I need to talk to you,” Donne growled.

Abe simply nodded. He took Rosie gently by the arm and led her down the hall, surreptitiously offering her five dollars at the door. She took it but paused with her hand on the knob. “Are you all right?” she whispered.

“I’m fine.”

“That was—”

“I’ll explain another time, sweetheart.”

She scrunched her mouth together. “But that big fella, he don’t look too safe.”

“Nothing worthwhile ever is. I’ll see you tomorrow, Rosie.” He gave her a gentle push out the door and locked it behind her. Then he turned and walked back to face Donne.




Author Bio



Kim Fielding is the bestselling, award-winning author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls California home. She lives there with her family, her cat, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Author Website: http://kfieldingwrites.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/KFieldingWrites

Author Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Author Instagram: @KFieldingWrites

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4105707.Kim_Fielding

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/?s=kim+fielding&search_type=authors

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kim-Fielding/e/B006FN2T78?


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Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Love According to Liam (According to Liam #2) by V.L. Locey


Join author V.L. Locey & Signal Boost Promotions in the cover reveal of Love According to Liam (According to Liam #2)! Find out more about this contemporary romance & enter the giveaway for an ebook of Life According to Liam (According to Liam #1). Good luck!








Release Date: June 8 2020

Cover Design: Meredith Russell 

Length: 55,000 words approx.

According To Liam Series

Life According To Liam - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
Christmas According To Liam - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Blurb

Sometimes it takes a child to remind us that love and family are rarely perfect but an accepting heart can smooth out the imperfections.


Mike Kneller-Mettler’s life has certainly been on the fast track upward since he met his husband, Bryn. Now married for nearly a year to the starting goalie for the Pittsburgh Ravens, Mike’s found himself propelled into a new home, a new career, and a new role as loving spouse. As his baby sister’s wedding approaches, Mike is going to be faced with a couple of monumental decisions that will affect not only his future, but the everyone he holds close to his heart.


Bryn Mettler and his team haven’t had the best ending to their season. Nursing a recurring groin injury, Bryn isn’t quite sure he’s ready for wedding chaos. But, the nuptials are going to go off whether he’s able to dance with the bride or not. Amid the usual insanity that every wedding brings, unexpected guests show up to throw the beautifully planned affair into turmoil. As the adults slip into childish behavior, it might be up to Liam to be the voice of reason.

USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.


V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.


When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.





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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Ge-Mi: Part Two by Mell Eight


Are you ready for Ge-Mi: Part Two?! Author Mell Eight and IndiGo Marketing are! Check out today's release blitz for the latest paranormal romance and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!


Title: Ge-Mi: Part Two
Series: Ge-Mi, Book Two
Author: Mell Eight
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: May 18, 2020
Heat Level: 2 - Fade to Black Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 28600
Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, MM romance, opposites attract, genetically modified humans, law enforcement, restaurant server, politics, men with pets, cat rescue

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Taylor Reyes was born to privilege, but despite that has always been considered an abomination. He was the child that should never have been born and has spent his life trying to prove his worth to the world to no avail. As a red wolf Ge-Mi, humans look at his furry ears before his accomplishments, and no matter how hard he continues to work Taylor knows that will never change. Still, he has a grandfather that loves him and a pack of his own to lead. The life he created for himself is not a bad one, until one day a pair of adorable cat ears derails everything.

The thought of finding a mate had never crossed Taylor’s mind, but suddenly he can’t stop thinking about Nevada. There’s no time for the distraction, though, as people are moving to unseat his grandfather from the city’s throne. The fight has just begun, but ending it might mean Taylor will lose Nevada forever.

Excerpt

Ge-Mi: Part Two
Mell Eight © 2020
All Rights Reserved

Prologue
Taylor Reyes knew the exact moment he fell in love. He had been ranting and raving and basically making an ass of himself. Okay, if he really thought about it, Taylor knew a lot of people would say he did that regularly, but this time was different. A baby kitten had attacked him earlier in the day. The scabs on his face were itching, and his pride was smarting. The first chance he got, he tracked the cat stench that belonged to some waiter at a restaurant where his grandfather insisted he eat. The waiter’s cat was the one that attacked him, and Taylor wasn’t about to let the waiter go unpunished for the slight. The stench led down the sidewalk a few blocks to a nearby apartment building, and eventually, to the tiny studio apartment taking up a third of the top floor.

Getting inside was easy enough since his DNA had been automatically coded into every lock in the entire city. It was one of the perks of being the heir to the Reyes family, the family that had ruled the city of Kensey for generations. Kensey Reyes had taken power directly after the last Great War that destroyed all the large cities, leaving behind only smaller cities and towns without any federal government to oversee them. Those with the means took control all across the country, and Kensey held on to his city fiercely until his death ten years later. Taylor’s great-grandfather and then eventually his grandfather had taken power, and Taylor was being groomed as the next heir.

Taylor enjoyed a life of privilege, but as a Ge-Mi, it wasn’t an easy life to live. Long before the Great War, scientists had managed to combine the DNA of humans with that of animals. Today’s history books contained speculation on why the scientists had done that, but it was generally believed the project began with good intentions. A cure for blindness by giving someone the sight ability of an eagle was the example Taylor remembered from his school textbook. Unfortunately, the military and some unsavory groups became involved, and they wanted super speed or super strength. Strange hybrid creatures were the eventual result, people like Taylor, who appeared human enough but also had wolf ears and a tail, or people with the power of a bear or the venom of a snake.

At first, Ge-Mis and humans had been able to live together peacefully, but fear over a Ge-Mi’s extra abilities soon had the humans enacting discriminatory laws that forced even the most law-abiding Ge-Mis into desperate acts to keep their families fed.

After the Great War, that fear remained, coloring the minds of all the humans in the country. No one really remembered why the Great War started, but it had increased the level of fear regular people experienced. That fear now focused on the Ge-Mis. It wasn’t easy to be called the heir of the city when almost no one trusted that his animal half would be safe in the position of the city’s next leader.

Taylor’s father was a red wolf Ge-Mi, and he had passed down the red-colored, pointed wolf ears that sat on top of Taylor’s head as well as a long and fluffy red wolf’s tail. The rest of him was pure Reyes stock—light-blond hair and blue eyes—but the Ge-Mi parts of him were too distinct to hide.

Which was totally unlike the object of Taylor’s affection.

He had expected to find a human hoarder of cats, and he found a hoarder, but Nevada most definitely wasn’t human. The moment those big gray eyes with the adorable little rounded ears peeking out of his white-and-black hair appeared over the edge of the loft high above Taylor, his heart was lost.

Nevada was no pushover. He wasn’t some kitty cat Taylor could threaten into obedience or scare away by growling. No, Nevada was all snow leopard, fierce and protective of those he loved. Yet, at the same time, it was easy for him to hide his small ears under a handkerchief and to keep his tail wrapped around one leg. He had been hiding among the humans for his entire life.

Taylor had discovered Nevada’s secret that fateful night, but where he might have ordinarily used it to blackmail Nevada, he was unable to do it. Nevada was just so… Taylor didn’t have the words to describe the way Nevada made him feel, but Nevada owned his heart all the same.

Which was why Taylor was currently standing across the street from Restaurant Spice, hidden in a darkened alcove where he couldn’t be seen, watching as Nevada deftly moved through the tables stuffed with customers.

These days, Nevada didn’t have to hide what he was. He’d spent three years working at the café next door while hiding his Ge-Mi side, and the customers genuinely learned to like him. Recent events in a fight against a clan of hyena Ge-Mis trying to kill him forced Nevada to reveal his snow leopard half. The handkerchief was gone now, his ears visible to the world, and because Taylor had arranged to have special pants made for Nevada with an elastic ring in the back for his tail, his tail now showed. However, he still kept it curled around one leg, half out of habit and half to keep the kids from tugging on it when they saw it because the white fur with black rosettes was distinctive inside the busy restaurant.

Taylor pulled his phone from his pocket to double-check the time and sighed. It was only 7:45 p.m., which meant he had at least fifteen more minutes before Nevada got off shift. It would probably be longer, though, since Nevada was slowly starting to learn the ropes of the assistant manager position and didn’t leave until he was certain the restaurant could run without him there.

Ree’s riot of multicolored feathers, where her hair would have been had she been human, appeared in front of a table in the window, temporarily blocking Taylor’s view. Ree was another Ge-Mi who had been outed in the hyena attack, but she, too, seemed to be thriving as another waiter at the restaurant.

Taylor let out a low growl and slumped harder against the wall behind him. Waiting for Nevada was so damned difficult, but the last time he went into the restaurant to get Nevada, he had been scolded for bothering the customers during dinner. A mad Nevada wasn’t a fun Nevada.

Taylor’s phone rang, startling him into jumping slightly in surprise. A glance at the caller ID told him Carley was calling.

“What?” Taylor growled into the phone. Carley knew Taylor was waiting to walk Nevada home. After closing was the only guaranteed time they had together each day, considering how busy both Taylor and Nevada were at their respective jobs.

“I might have found the link we need to finally find out who’s engineering the coup,” Carley explained, completely unperturbed by Taylor’s aggressive tone. Carley had changed Taylor’s diapers; he wasn’t afraid of any of Taylor’s moods.

“Who?” Taylor asked, all growl gone from his voice.

“Not sure yet,” Carley replied, and Taylor could hear a cheeky shrug in Carley’s voice. The man loved to yank Taylor’s tail. “But I know where to start digging. Get your kitty cat home safe; then come over.”

“Fine.” Taylor let out a grumbling sigh to let Carley know how dissatisfied he was before hanging up.

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Meet the Author

When Mell Eight was in high school, she discovered dragons. Beautiful, wondrous creatures that took her on epic adventures both to faraway lands and on journeys of the heart. Mell wanted to create dragons of her own, so she put pen to paper. Mell Eight is now known for her own soaring dragons, as well as for other wonderful characters dancing across the pages of her books. While she mostly writes paranormal or fantasy stories, she has been seen exploring the real world once or twice.

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Guest Review: Jenson (Silver Screen Doms #1) by Meg Harding

Tired of dipping in and out of other couples’ love lives, at almost forty Jenson Delaney is ready to meet a submissive he can call his own.

Mitchell Wellington left an abusive ex in the rear view, but the mental scars linger. Moving on isn’t so easy when every thought is plagued with doubt. Chicago is a fresh start, but he has to find himself first.

An accident lands Mitchell in Jenson’s sights, and he can’t ignore his instincts to care for the young man.

There’s power in submission, and Jenson wants to take the spark he sees in Mitchell and make it burn bright.

In unfamiliar territory, both men must learn how to trust—in each other and in themselves. It’s the only way they’ll overcome the shadow of Mitchell’s past.


Reviewer: Annery

At 24 y.o. Mitchell Wellington has been knocked hard by life. His parents died shortly after he started college and Evan, his first and only boyfriend, unfurled his true colors revealing the abusive and controlling human turd he truly was, isolating Mitch from the world and using him in ways both painful and degrading without Mitch’s consent. Wrapping himself in scraps of courage Mitch escapes to Chicago hoping to hide in the anonymity of a big city and trying, for the first time, to function on his own as an adult.

Jenson Delaney is a renowned movie star who at 40 y.o. is looking to find the same kind of success in his personal love life. He’s a Dom and until now hasn’t had issues sharing Boys with others, being a third, but he’s yearning for something of his own. Some love & domesticity.

Luckily, Mitchell is me driving, and in a panic swerve to avoid hitting a dog hits Jenson’s car. The two meet, and it’s a sweet, slow burn, hurt/comfort, and sexy road to HEA. I liked it very much.

Mitchell’s journey from an abused young man, whose sense of self-worth has been crushed to the ground to someone who’s finally able to stand on his own two feet, albeit or thanks to, the help of friends and a real lover is poignantly and realistically portrayed. That he is able to achieve this within the parameters of a BDSM relationship (mostly D/s) is a love note to an expression of sexuality that is often misunderstood and a testament to how strong & courageous Mitch really is. We also get Jenson as the embodiment of what we hope a partner will be: loving, patient, and all about consent.

Jenson never forces anything on Mitch, his help or love are not subject to conditions. He lets Mitch take every step on his own, lets him decide even when he should probably push, but when Jenson is Mitch’s Dom there is no mistake about who’s in charge. Perfect.

I liked all the friends that come into play, the ones who are clearly set up for future books, and the ones who are just part of this world. I liked that though Mitch found Jenson, or the other way around, Mitch very much saved himself in every way that counts and got someone to love & love him in return too.

Recommended.




Re-Release Blitz + Giveaway: Suckerpunch (Hockey Gods & Monsters #1) by Elyse Springer


Paranormal hockey romance, Suckerpunch (Hockey Gods & Monsters #1) has been re-released! Join author Elyse Springer and Gay Book Promotions in the celebration and enter in the giveaway to win your very own e-copy! (Five winners!)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Suckerpunch (Hockey Gods & Monsters, Book 1)
Author: Elyse Springer
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover Artist: Elyse Springer
Release Date: 5/15/2020 (re-release; first published 10/1/2019)
Genre/s: M/M romance, PNR/Paranormal, sports romance (hockey)
Trope/s: Enemies to Lovers, secrets, soul mates
Themes: Opposites attract, love triumphs over fear
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 85 000 words
It is a standalone story.
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A rookie goalie with a secret and a handsome yet hot-headed defenseman clash in the locker room and on the ice—but their shared desire to make the playoffs might help them move from enemies to lovers.


Blurb

When the goalie for the Seattle Cascades hockey team is injured while drunk driving and Alex Fanning is recruited to take his place, Alex thinks his dream has come true. But to hold on to his hopes, he must keep his vampire heritage secret as the sport moves to ban Paranormals. The sexy but infuriating defenseman Sasha Petrov won’t make that easy. The injured goalie was his best friend, and he resents Alex’s presence—maybe even enough to use his bloodline against him.

Tensions mount, but the realization that there’s more to their feelings than animosity hits both men like a punch to the gut. Alex and Sasha’s newfound friendship promises passion, but a shocking betrayal could cost them all the ground they’ve gained.



Excerpt

The end result was that Sasha was running far behind in his usual game-day routines. He didn’t think of himself as especially superstitious—not like Engel, who had an almost religious devotion to his playlist on game days, or Carts, who had been eating the same lunch before games for almost a decade. But he did have the timing of things down precisely, and watching the clock tick later and later was stressing him out.

When Sasha did finally burst through the locker room door, he was already half an hour behind schedule. Still, he couldn’t help but pause as he walked inside, head turning automatically to stare at Ed’s stall.

Where there was a kid sitting on the ground and stretching.

And it was a kid. The guy looked like a goddamn teenager, eighteen or nineteen at best. This is our new backup? A literal child? He was bent over his own legs and hadn’t looked up when the locker room door opened, which gave Sasha a moment to study him unobserved.

Okay, the kid was honestly kind of cute. Floppy brown hair, pale skin, and lean muscle that flexed beneath his thin base layers. Under different circumstances he’d be exactly the kind of guy who would catch Sasha’s eye in a club—not that he’d do anything about it, but he’d enjoy watching and fantasizing. The new goalie had an expression of absolute focus on his face as he went through his stretches, showing off flexibility that made Sasha’s mouth go dry.

But circumstances were what they were, so it didn’t matter how nice the kid looked. He wasn’t Ed, which meant he didn’t deserve to be sitting in that stall, with his name on top like he belonged there. Just the sight of him made Sasha want to yell and kick something.

“Sasha, hey!” That was Shawn, calling him over to joke about how late he was running.

His defense partner was enough of a distraction to pull Sasha’s attention away from the child across the room.

“Long night last night. You heard?”

Shawn made a face. “Yeah. Is it as bad as social media is saying?”

Sasha resisted the urge to rub his temples where a headache was threatening to form. “Worse,” he said shortly.

“Shit. Three to six months, huh?”

Sasha hadn’t heard any confirmation, but with the injuries he’d seen, it wasn’t a surprise at all.

But Shawn was the kind of guy who didn’t linger on the negative. He balanced Sasha out that way—usually cheerful and energetic when Sasha was more dour and solemn. “But hey, man, at least there’s some good news. You remember I told you about my best friend from Juniors? Alex Fanning? He’s our new goalie!”

Before Sasha could respond, Shawn was already yelling across the room.

Sasha stiffened. That was Carts’s best friend? The child who had been brought in to replace Ed? Impossible.

Up close, the guy didn’t look quite as young as Sasha had initially thought. His face was young, cheeks still a little soft, but his eyes were intelligent and bright, and showed far more maturity than the rest of his appearance.

And, somehow, he was even more attractive up close. Handsome wasn’t the right word, or even cute. Fanning’s brown eyes were fierce and bright, and his skin was flawless, like he’d look more fitting on a runway than in a locker room. Прекрасен, Sasha thought, then immediately banished the word from his thoughts with a sour taste in his mouth.

Beautiful or not, he didn’t want anything to do with this temporary replacement, and he’d make sure this kid knew it.



About the Author
Elyse is an author and world-traveler, whose unique life experiences have helped to shape the stories that she wants to tell. She writes romances with LGBTQIA+ characters and relationships, and believes that every person deserves a Happily Ever After. When she’s not staring futilely at her computer screen, Elyse spends her time adding stamps to her passport, catching up on her terrifying TBR list, and learning to be a better adult.

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Forbidden Love (They Bite #2) by Lee Colgin


Join author Lee Colgin and IndiGo Marketing in celebrating the release of Forbidden Love (They Bite #2)! Learn more about the vampire/shifter romance and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!



Title: Forbidden Love
Series: They Bite, Book Two
Author: Lee Colgin
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: May 18, 2020
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 52800
Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, paranormal, urban fantasy, friends to lovers, werewolves, vampires, slow burn, college, supernatural

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Synopsis

When an esteemed vampire doctor treats an injured young werewolf, desire sparks between them.

Dr. Benjamin Arleth has devoted his life to finding a medical cure for his species’ most devastating weakness—sunlight. Finally, one of his pharmaceuticals shows promise, but sabotage looms large in the lab.

Wolf shifter Nathan Cramer is ready to finish grad school and begin his career when a trip to Center City’s Peace Conference goes awry. Weak and bleeding, Nathan knows his wounds could prove fatal. Dr. Arleth is his only hope.

Can love flourish between enemy species despite a society in turmoil? Could vampires walk in the daylight or will darkness reign? It’s a race to find answers, and Ben will have to put his trust in Nathan if they’re going to make it out alive.

Forbidden Love is a MM urban fantasy/paranormal romance and the second book in the series They Bite but can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Excerpt

Forbidden Love
Lee Colgin © 2020
All Rights Reserved

Benjamin

Elbow deep in test tubes and chemicals at his state-of-the-art laboratory, Doctor Benjamin Arleth startled when his alarm went off. Time for patient rounds. He hated to abandon his work when he was making so much progress, but duty called. The long sought-after drug to render a vampire resistant to sunlight would have to wait another night.

The supernatural realm’s most accomplished vampire doctor had no surgeries on his docket this evening. What he did have were several recovering patients to check on: a grouchy were-leopard who’d been impaled by a hunter’s arrow, and a friendly young Living vampire who’d undergone corrective surgery for metatarsus varus, or in layman’s terms…pigeon toes.

Benjamin went to check on the young vampire first. Knocking on the open door, Ben stepped inside the generic white hospital room. “Hello, Olivia, how are you feeling tonight?”

She grinned at him from under her nest of blankets. Olivia was small for her seventeen years, partially due to rotated tibias, but she had a big personality. Blonde curls spilled over her shoulders, and an incorrigible sense of humor sparkled behind pale golden eyes. She was fully grown, a condition that had to be met before her legs could be fixed and, more importantly, before she could be Turned. The poor girl was bored, stuck in the hospital recovering, and eager to get back to her life.

“I’m good, Doctor Arleth. I’ve been walking without any help. Can I go home today?” She looked hopeful.

The doctor tutted and shook his head, approaching her bed. “It’s too early for you to be walking unassisted.” She started to protest, but Ben continued, “You could do damage and set back your healing if you aren’t careful. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.”

Olivia groaned. “But it’s so dull here.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve been stuck here a lot longer than you.” He made a face at her, and she laughed.

“This sucks,” Olivia said with typical teenage angst. “You’re cute though, in that tall, dark, and handsome sort of way. You could get a life outside this place if you wanted.”

“How do you know I don’t have one already?”

“Call it a lucky guess.”

“Moving on.” Ben reached for her blankets. “Let me examine your legs. Then you can walk with me and show me how you’re healing.”

“Deal. Anything to get out of this room.”

Ben picked up her left leg gingerly. The flexible cast allowed him to take her knee through its full range of motion. He flexed and pointed her foot.

“How does it feel? Any sensitive spots?”

She shook her head. “Nope, I’m telling you it feels great. You must have done a really great job.”

“Good.” He put the other leg through the same exercises, watching her face for a reaction. If there was one, he didn’t catch it. Either she healed quickly or she’d mastered hiding discomfort. You’d expect the former of a Turned vampire, but a Living vampire like Olivia would take longer to heal. The girl was either lucky or deceptive; he’d find out as he watched her walk.

“All right.” Ben set her leg carefully back onto the bed. “Time to boogie. Show me what you’ve got.” He reached for her hand and helped her to her feet.

She took a step forward. So far, so good. After walking several laps of the medical center’s recovery floor, Ben believed her progress genuine. He’d miss her. Olivia was pleasant when she wasn’t busy teasing him.

The were-leopard, however, he’d love to get rid of.

The cat had been on a drunken joy run when he’d crossed into unprotected forest, human game lands. Shot through with an arrow, not only did he almost die, but the human who’d shot him had to have his memory wiped after seeing a leopard turn into an angry, naked man. He was lucky the hunter kept his shit together to call for help; otherwise he’d have died from internal bleeding. He’d been a terrible patient, complaining about everything from inadequate pain medication to the lack of decent food. What did he expect? A steakhouse?

Ben walked into the leopard’s room, eager to be done with him. “Jason, how are you tonight?”

The cat scowled as he scooted upright in the bed. “How do you think? I’m in pain. This place is stingy with the meds.”

“Pain medication is often ineffective on were-creatures. We simply have nothing else to give you.”

“A drink wouldn’t hurt.”

Ben clenched his jaw. “Still against hospital policy, I’m afraid. Let me check your wound, and I’ll see about releasing you.”

Jason pushed the covers down, and Ben got to work. The wound, though still inflamed around the edges, had closed nicely. Ben palpated the were-leopard’s abdomen, checking for signs of swelling or bleeding. Jason complained but didn’t seem overly sensitive. It should be safe to release him. Thank god.

“Good news, you’re healing well. We can send you home tonight. How about that?”

“About damn time, I’m ready to get out of here,” Jason said. “I need some real food and a good screw.” He added an obscene gesture Ben found distasteful.

“Hold off for now. I’ll send a nurse to fill you in on the physical restrictions until you’re completely cleared. Come back in a week for a final check to make sure there’s no lasting damage. Until then, be careful not to aggravate the wound.”

“Right, I get it. Careful when I’m screwing. Noted.”

Ben schooled his features to neutrality. It would be unprofessional to lecture manners to a patient, even if they deserved it.

When Jason didn’t get whatever response he’d been hoping for, he changed the subject. “Are you going to the Peace Conference this weekend? The nurse said they were bringing in extra doctors. Could get rowdy!”

“I am. I’d have gone, even if I wasn’t on call.”

“Shitty thing they’re considering. Breaking the Edict of Secrecy. Stupid idea,” the leopard huffed.

Ben did not point out that the very reason the were-leopard landed in the hospital to begin with was because he’d broken the Edict of Secrecy. Allowing a human to see him shift was against the law.

Supernaturals kept themselves hidden from humanity, but was that wise in light of the technological revolution? It was a matter of time before a human filmed something on a cell phone, and they’d be exposed. If they chose to reveal themselves, the narrative could be controlled. If humanity found out by accident, it could all go terribly wrong. Many in the community had strong feelings on the subject, including this exasperating were-leopard.

“Perhaps you should come and listen to the presentations. I’m sure there’s more to it than we know.” The Edict of Secrecy had served its purpose. They must let it go. Knowledge was power and all that.

“I’d rather stab my eye out than listen to that horseshit,” Jason said.

“To each their own, but continued peace is in everyone’s best interest. We don’t want another Great War.” He glared at the cat, daring him to disagree. Vampires and were-creatures were historical enemies, but a Peace Accord maintained armistice between the species. Battle surgeons told nightmarish tales of the Great Wars.

Ben jotted down his final notes in Jason’s file and left the clipboard for his assistant, Amelia. “Take care Jason and heal well. I don’t want to see you here again.” Usually that statement was more a joke, but this time, he meant it.

“The feeling is mutual, Doctor.”

Ben hadn’t been expecting thanks, but the were-leopard’s complete lack of self-awareness annoyed him. Glad to be done, Ben made a quick trip to the nurse’s station to leave his patient updates so he could return to his research, his life’s work; a drug to allow Turned vampires to walk in the sunlight again…his holy grail.

Ben lost himself in the research.

He had dozens of theories to deliberate and countless components to try before he’d risk another test of the drug’s efficacy. Sunlight could reduce a young vampire to ash within moments, and an ancient would be dust in less than an hour, so each failed test proved lethal to some criminal soul.

The Vampire Council provided test subjects from their prisons, but Ben wouldn’t take a life lightly, no matter their crimes. As the death toll added up, guilt sat heavier in his chest. The formula had to be right before he’d ask for another trial.

Another alarm rang, jarring him from work. Only a few hours remained before dawn, and he had to leave now if he was going to meet Samuel for smokes. He’d told Samuel he’d be there. Benjamin hated to leave his research—had to tear himself away from it—but Samuel wasn’t the kind of vampire you wanted angry with you, so Ben wouldn’t stand him up. He cleaned and stored his equipment, turned off the lights, locked up the lab, and headed for their favorite haunt, the Eternal Knight Club.

See Olivia, I do have a life.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he’s not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press.

If you enjoyed this book, pick up Lee’s debut novel Slay My Love to find out what happens when you’re attracted to the very person who want to kill you an enemies to lovers 56,000k novel available now.

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Big Love by Rick R. Reed


Join author Rick R. Reed and IndiGo Marketing in celebrating the release of Big Love! Discover more of the contemporary romance and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!


Title: Big Love
Author: Rick R. Reed
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: May 18, 2020
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 64100
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, high school, teachers, bullying, deep closet, coming out, family drama, gender-bending, out and proud

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Synopsis

Teacher Dane Bernard is a gentle giant, loved by all at Summitville High School. He has a beautiful wife, two kids, and an easy rapport with staff and students alike. But Dane has a secret, one he expects to keep hidden for the rest of his life—he’s gay. But when he loses his wife, Dane finally confronts his attraction to men.

A new teacher, Seth Wolcott, immediately catches his eye. Seth is also starting over, licking his wounds from a breakup, and the last thing Seth wants is another relationship—but when he spies Dane on his first day at Summitville High, his attraction is immediate and electric.

As the two men enter into a dance of discovery and new love, they’re called upon to come to the aid of bullied gay student Truman Reid. Truman is out and proud, which not everyone at his small-town high school approves of. As the two men work to help Truman ignore the bullies and love himself without reservation, they all learn life-changing lessons about coming out, coming to terms, acceptance, heartbreak, and falling in love.

Excerpt

Big Love
Rick R. Reed © 2020
All Rights Reserved

Truman Reid was white as a stick of chalk—skin so pale it was nearly translucent. His blue eyes were fashioned from icy spring water. His hair—platinum blond—lay in curls across his forehead and spilled down his neck. He was the kind of boy for whom adjectives like “lovely” and “pretty” would most definitely apply. More than once in his life, he was mistaken for a girl.

When he was a very little boy, well-meaning strangers (and some not so well-meaning) would ask if he was a boy or a girl. Truman was never offended by the question, because he could see no shame in being mistaken for a girl. It wasn’t until later that he realized there were some who would think the question offensive.

But this boy, who, on the first day of school, boldly and some might say unwisely wore a T-shirt that proclaimed “It Gets Better” beneath an image of a rainbow flag, didn’t seem to possess the pride the T-shirt proclaimed. At Summitville High School, even though it was 2015, one did not shout out one’s sexual orientation, not in word, not in fashion, and certainly not in deed.

Who knew what caused Truman to break with convention that morning when he made up his mind to wear that T-shirt on the first day of school? It wasn’t like he needed to proclaim anything—after all, the slight, effeminate boy had been the object of bullies and torturers since, oh, about second grade. Truman could never “pass.”

He was a big sissy. It was a fact and one Truman had no choice but to accept.

His shoulders, perpetually hunched, hunched farther during his grade school and junior high years, when such epithets as “sissy,” “fag,” “pansy,” and “queer” were hurled at him in school corridors and playgrounds on a daily basis. Truman knew the old schoolyard chant wasn’t true at all—words could and did hurt. And so, occasionally, did fists and hands.

And yet, despite the teasing—or maybe it’s more apt to say because of it—Truman was not ashamed of who and what he was. His single mom, Patsy, his most vocal supporter and defender, often told him the same thing. “God made you just the way you are, honey. Beautiful. And if you’re one of his creations, there’s nothing wrong in who you are. You just hold your head up and be proud.” The sad truth was, Patsy would often tell her boy stuff like this as she brushed tears away from his face.

It wasn’t only tears she brushed away, though. Her unconditional love also brushed away any doubt Truman might have had that he was anything other than a normal boy, even though he was not like most of the boys his age in Summitville, Ohio, that backward little burg situated on the Ohio River and in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. In spite of the teasing and the bullying—and the pain they caused—Truman wasn’t ashamed of who he was, which was what led him to wearing the fated T-shirt that got him in so much trouble his first day as a freshman at Summitville High School.

The incident occurred near the end of the day, when everyone was filing into the school gymnasium for an orientation assembly and a speech from the school’s principal, Doug Calhoun, on what the returning students and incoming freshmen could expect that year.

Truman was in the crush of kids making their way toward the bleachers. High school was no different than grade school or junior high in that Truman was alone. And even though this was the first day of school, Truman already had a large three-ring binder tucked under his arm, along with English Composition, Biology, and Algebra I textbooks. Tucked into the notebook and books were papers—class schedules of assignments and the copious notes the studious Truman had already taken.

Kirk Samson, a senior and starting quarterback on the football team, knew the laughs he could get if he tripped this little fag in his pride-parade T-shirt, so he held back a little in the crowd, waiting for just the right moment to thrust out a leg in front of the unsuspecting Truman, whose eyes were cast down to the polished gymnasium floor.

Truman didn’t see the quarterback’s leg until it was too late, and he stumbled, going down hard on one knee. That sight was not the funniest thing the crowd had seen, although the pratfall garnered a roar of appreciative laughter at Truman’s expense. But what was funnier was when Truman’s notebook, books, and papers all flew out from under his arm, landing in a mess on the floor.

Kirk, watching from nearby with a smirk on his face, whispered two words to the kids passing by: “Kick ’em. Kick ’em.”

And the kids complied, sending Truman’s notes, schedules, and texts across the gym floor, as Truman, on his knees, struggled to gather everything up, even as more and more students got in on the fun of sending them farther and farther out of his reach.

Now, that was the funniest thing the crowd had seen.

Who knows how long the hilarity would have gone on if an authority figure had not intervened?

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Meet the Author

Real Men. True Love.

Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…” Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his husband, Bruce, and their fierce Chihuahua/Shiba Inu mix, Kodi.

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