Release Blitz + Giveaway: Redemption by Garrett Leigh


Author Garrett Leigh returns, with Signal Boost Promotions, to celebrate the release of Redemption! Check out info on the hurt/comfort romance and enter in the giveaway to win your own eBook copy!





Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design

Blurb

Reformed gangster Luis falls hard for his boss. When friendship turns to love, it’s up to Paolo to convince him second chances are worth the pain.

Luis Pope is back on the street after a six year stretch in prison, but life on the outside seems just out of reach, especially when the whole neighbourhood knows his face for all the wrong reasons.

Paolo’s temper makes it hard to keep staff, and he knows Luis’s rep all too well. But his nonno believes in redemption, and Luis isn’t the tough guy Paolo remembers. Prison has left its mark, inside and out, and all the kindness in the world can’t fix the three inch scar on Luis’s skull.

And it can’t keep ghosts locked up. Luis’s the best worker Paolo’s ever had, and Luis’s happier than he’s ever been. But his old life doesn’t want to stay in the past. Trouble comes to call, and when it makes him an offer he can’t refuse, keeping Paolo safe hurts the most.

Redemption is an angsty, standalone MM romance novel, with second chances, found family, friends-to-lovers, and buckets of hurt/comfort themed loveliness.



Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer.

Garrett's debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh



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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Alien Eyes (Alien Love #2) by Storm Caywood


Join author Storm Caywood and Gay Book Promotions as they celebrate the release of Alien Eyes (Alien Love #2)! You could win an eBook copy of Alien Love (Alien Love #1) in today's giveaway! (10 winners!)


RELEASE BLITZ
Book Title: Alien Eyes (Alien Love, Book 2)
Author: Storm Caywood
Publisher: Carnation Books
Cover Artist: Lodestar Author Services
Release Date: June 26, 2020
Genre/s: M/M Sci-Fi Romance
Trope/s: Alien/Human relationship, starting a family
Themes: Family, belonging
Length: 44 000 words
Heat Rating: 5 flames

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Book 1 - Alien Hands



Blurb

After Adil and Esihle meet on a space station orbiting alien refugee Esihle's home planet of Yalaphor, their relationship of lust and intensity gradually blossoms into love.

Now on Yalaphor, the two care for Sehthe, a young girl who has been orphaned by the same war that cast Esihle out of his home.

To keep their new family safe, Esihle and Adil must come face to face with the worst of Yalaphor, eachother, and themselves.

This heartfelt follow-up to Storm Caywood's debut novel, Alien Hands, continues a story of redemption and love.



Excerpt

Adil joined him in the kitchen. “I saw the bread in the cupboard. Did you make it? Where’d you get flour?”

Esihle ladled the stew into bowls as he answered.

“I made it from thana grass. Nyaniso taught me how.” He remembered his father’s lessons more every day now. He would never be able to tell him this. Living here, and trying to be a good man, made the loss of his father and his own betrayal of his father’s goals a never-healing wound.

“Mm. You’re amazing, Love. We’re eating fresh-baked bread. Incredible.”

“And saving our energy credits for something more pleasurable than mere sustenance.”

They sat down with their bowls and plate of bread. Adil raised his bowl to his lips and drank in some broth before he spoke.

“It also helps the hospital. Blackouts there are a disaster.”

“Was today hard, my dear?”

Adil shrugged. “No more than usual.” He scooped a piece of vegetable onto the piece of bread and chewed it thoughtfully.

As the meal went on, their silence grew companionable. After they ate, Adil did not return to his chair, instead joining Esihle in his sunken nest and stretched out with his head on his belly. Esihle stroked his hair and felt himself begin to rumble. He had almost dozed off when Adil’s voice roused him.

“So, have you thought about it more?”

Esihle hesitated. “I want to. I really do.” He paused, and let his mind wander to child-sized garden tools, a smaller basking rock beside his own. “But, is it really a good time? Are we, would we be, good?”

Adil shook his head. “There’s never a perfect time. As for being good potential parents? Yes, we are, but even if we weren’t ideal, state care is terrible for children. You know that we can offer so much more.”

“I never imagined myself as a parent.”

This wasn’t true.

“I’ve always wanted it. I put aside the desire for a long time, on the station especially.”

Esihle remembered the man he had met. He wasn’t one who put aside desires, though perhaps the deeper ones. He wouldn’t have imagined Adil with children, but that was harsh, in retrospect. He was there, after all, to take care of people. But it seemed like his position on Orbital Base 7 as a relief doctor was as much about the responsibilities he was evading as the ones he was taking on.

Adil kept talking. “But I always wanted it. A chance to do better.”

Do better, do worse. Esihle never thought of his own parents in that way. As if Nyaniso and Zola had been working on a task, and it was his to evaluate. But then, he was always aware, almost always, of the powers that had constrained them. In many ways the Regime had been his parent.

“Esihle? Are you listening?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Dear, my mind wandered. You want us to do better.”

Adil wriggled up by his face, leaned in and kissed him. “I know we’ll do better.” The kiss grew deeper. “I want us to do it. I think it will create a lot of joy. And love.”

The warmth from Adil’s body soothed him, merging with the warmth from the heated floor of their nest. Earth-style furniture was seen as a symbol of the Old Regime, and more and more homes now had nests in place of sofas. Adil, of course, was delighted by the authenticity. Esihle was sure there was nothing more or less authentic about furniture styles. It was all ultimately arbitrary. He suspected Adil was enamored with this reminder of his people’s reptilian roots. Though he couldn’t judge him for that, not with the satisfaction he took in stroking Adil’s soft hair and soaking in his mammalian warmth.

Adil grew warmer to the touch as they kissed more, pressing their bodies to each other. Esihle could feel his chest rise and fall in the rhythm of his breath. He straddled Adil and began kissing down his body, stopping to lick and bite at his nipples. He’d been so fascinated by these on Adil, his first Human lover. By the feel of them to his fingers and lips and tongue, by the whimpering noises he could draw out of Adil just with a twist, a little bite. He nipped his right nipple a little harder and Adil cried out. He soothed it with his tongue, put a comforting hand there, and continued working down his body…



About the Author
Storm Caywood is a lesbian author living in Western New York with her family and pets. Her writing career started with distributing her girl-detective stories to friends in the third grade. Alien Eyes is her second published work. When she isn't writing, you can find her reading, puttering in the yard, or swooning over Star Trek.

Social Media Links

Giveaway
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one of 10 ebook copies of the first book, Alien Eyes




Release Blitz + Giveaway: Secret Admirer by D.J. Jamison


Author D.J. Jamison and Gay Books Promotions host today's blitz for Secret Admirer! Learn more about the friends to lovers romance and enter in the $10 Amazon gift card giveaway!

RELEASE BLITZ
Book Title: Secret Admirer
Author: DJ Jamison
Publisher: DJ Jamison
Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood
Release Date: June 25, 2020
Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance
Trope/s: Brother’s Best Friend, Secret Admirer
Themes: Bisexual awakening, friends to lovers themes
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 59 000 words
It is a standalone story.

Buy Links



Blurb

You deserve all the kisses you want ...

Benji,

I just want you to know how amazing you are. You won't believe me, because I'm just your brother's best friend. But everything I feel is undeniable.

A few anonymous love tokens change everything, though. I finally have an outlet for all the things I can't say, and with each gift and note, you smile. For me. Not your brother's friend, but something new. Something more. Something that will change everything if we can both find the courage to believe.

All I have to do is confess who I really am:

Your Secret Admirer



Excerpt

ACE

“Is my brother a deal-breaker?” he asked.

I sucked in my bottom lip, feeling torn. I wanted him like crazy. I’d had plenty of time to feel attraction for guys, to get a bit curious and wonder... and my body was fully down to fuck, regardless of the fact I’d never been with a guy. But fucking Benji was a big deal. Jeremy expected me to protect his virtue, not throw him on the bed and ravish him.

“Ace?”

I let out an unsteady breath. “He should be. But fuck, Benji, I really like you.”

“You can never lie to me again.”

“I won’t.”

“And you’ll let me handle my brother,” he said.

I parted my lips to object, but he was full of fire — not anger this time, but something else, something more enticing — and I couldn’t find the words. He must have seen the answer in my eyes. He tilted forward, and I met him for a long overdue kiss.

He was sweet, both tentative and eager as his lips parted under mine. Despite leading our conversation, he let me take over as soon as our mouths connected. I savored the soft feel of his lips, the hitch in his breathing as my tongue met his, the small sound of surrender as the kiss deepened.

“Whoa,” he said, voice filled with wonder, when I pulled back for a breath. His green eyes were bright, his cheeks rosy with a blush. He was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“Yeah?” I murmured, feeling a bit of my old ego restored at his reaction. “Just wait.”

I took his mouth again, and this time he met me with more confidence, pushing his tongue against mine, clutching at my shoulders.

The kiss grew wet and desperate.

I grabbed his head, holding him in place to better devour him, and he pushed his hands under my shirt, feeling up my stomach to my chest. When his fingers grazed my nipples, I shivered. When he raked his nails over my abs, I moaned and thrust my hips against his. I felt his hardness behind his zipper.

Fuck yes.

It sent a thrill through me. He wanted me, and I didn’t have to question it. He was hard, just like me. Male, just like me. It was strangely erotic, knowing he was aching in exactly the same way I was.

I pushed him onto the bed, loving the feel of him pinned under me. When we needed air, I moved my lips to the creamy skin of his neck. God, I loved his skin, so fucking pale and soft.

His fingers were tangled in my hair, holding me against him, as he thrust his hips up. I could feel his cock jabbing my stomach, and I didn’t care one fucking bit. I thought maybe I’d be weirded out, like maybe I’d need to adjust to having a guy under me instead of a girl, but it didn’t matter.

Benji felt right; he felt fucking great.


About the Author
DJ Jamison is the author of more than twenty m/m romances. She writes a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual. DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love. DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors’ books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, one snake, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.


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a $10 Amazon gift card


Release Blitz + Giveaway: All That Remains (Lancaster Falls #3) by RJ Scott


Join R.J. Scott and Signal Boost Promotions today as they promote new release, All That Remains (Lancaster Falls #3)! Find out more and enter in the giveaway to win an audiobook copy of What Lies Beneath (Lancaster Falls #1)!



Length: 82,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell 

Lancaster Falls Series

Book #1 - What Lies Beneath - Amazon US | Amazon UK |Universal Link
Book #2 - Without a Trace - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link



Blurb

Federal Agent Lucas Beaumont has an agenda — get himself assigned to the case of the apparent serial murders at Lancaster Falls, find out who the murderer is, and then lay the ghosts that haunt his grandfather to rest. In the midst of a horrific murder investigation, the only peace he gets is from simple moments in a warm kitchen, talking to hotel owner, Josh. Attraction to the easygoing man is something he didn’t expect; in doing so, he opens himself to hurt, but at the same time, he begins to fall in love.

Josh is struggling to keep the Falls Hotel, even with every cent he has invested in its upkeep. The one thing keeping him above water is the not entirely legal work he does on the side—a steady income that not even his son knows about. When the FBI takes over his hotel for the duration of the Hell’s Gate serial killer case, Josh is faced with the real possibility that Lucas will not only discover his secret but also steal his heart.

When tragedy hits Josh and his son, and when it seems all hope is lost, can Lucas rescue them both?

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.

RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:



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Cover Reveal: Marked by Lightning (D’Vaire #18) by Jessamyn Kingley


Author Jessamyn Kingley and Gay Book Promotions reveal the cover of the latest addition to the urban fantasy series, Marked by Lightning (D’Vaire #18)! Learn more today!

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Marked by Lightning (D’Vaire, Book 18)
Author: Jessamyn Kingley
Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: LJ Anderson, Mayhem Cover Creations
Release Date: July 9, 2020
Genre/s: M/M Urban Fantasy Romance
Trope/s: Fated mates
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 99 770 words
For two wizards from opposite worlds, only fate knows if a future awaits them.


Blurb

When a group of intrepid sorcerers leaves their government, Prism Wizard Vadimas Porfyra is selected to lead them. After centuries of denying his chosen school of magic, Vadimas is embracing the full power of his hue. Busy ruling the Spectra Wizardry, he believes the only thing missing from life is a tidier house. Treasured by the large D’Vaire family, Vadimas is content and not seeking anything beyond knowledge.

Far from the Council of Sorcery and Shifters is Arch Wizard Severin Dewitt, the Fate-chosen leader of the wizards. Little is known about the man whose wrist is marked by lightning. Severin is rarely seen, and unbeknownst to most, inside a house he cannot leave, his every move is being watched. Yearning for freedom, Severin must take matters into his own hands to forge his own destiny.

The Consilium Veneficus considers Vadimas an upstart and a traitor, so when he and Severin find out Fate has chosen them as a couple, there is little consensus on what the future holds. Severin’s knowledge of Fate is minimal, making it difficult for him to accept that a matebond rises above everything, while Vadimas trusts her fully, pushing their relationship to the brink.

Will distance, separate goals, and the ocean separating their populations of wizards stand between Vadimas and Severin forever, or can the two compromise to build a future together?


About the Author

Jessamyn Kingley lives in Nevada where she begs the men in her head to tell her their amazing stories which she dutifully writes it all down in what has become a small mountain of notebooks. She falls in love with each couple and swears whatever book she wrote last is her absolute favorite.
Jessamyn is married and working toward remembering to start the dishwasher without being distracted by the scent of the magical detergent. For personal enjoyment, she aids in cat rescue while slashing and gashing her way through mobs in various MMORPGs. Caffeine is her very best friend and is only cast aside briefly for the sin better known as BBQ potato chips.
Join her Facebook group, Jessamyn's Ruffian's

Social Media Links


Review: Cabin Fever by Roe Horvat

Michael Bourgeon is a talented artist, young and gorgeous, a stinking rich heir from a well-connected family. He’s the infamous libertine behind the most extravagant parties in Manhattan, and his exploits often lead to juicy tabloid stories. Enjoying his wealth and freedom to the fullest, Michael has the world at his feet.

Until someone tries to kill him. Repeatedly. After a security breach among his own staff, he has run out of options where to hide while the FBI hunts the killer.

A high-profile private security expert Vincent Nowak is supposed to provide the miracle solution. And while Michael struggles with nightmares and anxiety due to the looming threat, Vincent becomes not only the ultimately reliable protector, but a wonderful distraction, too…

A small cabin in the woods, a cocky brat with a soft heart, his gruff, controlling bodyguard, and weeks of tension in a confined space.

Based on the original short story "Yes, Daddy".



Sexy, dirty, a bit sweet, and some action. Exactly what I signed up for!

Michael is the spoiled rich kid with a streak of trouble and bad behaviour. He likes to push boundaries, and people’s buttons.

I’ll admit - I really didn’t like Michael as a person as first. But the brat grew on me eventually.

Vincent is stoic, silent, and dependable. He gets the job done. Perfect boyfriend material - or daddy material, in this case.

The complete opposites are thrown together when a contracted killer sets sights on Michael, and Vincent is brought in to be the bodyguard.

From the moment they meet, the men enter a battle of wills. But underneath it all, there’s a palpable want and tension.

With Michael and Vincent holed up in an isolated cabin, there’s nothing to do. Except for Michael to tease. And tease a bit more. And then some more.

Until Vincent’s resolve finally breaks.

Then it’s sex-galore. Page after page of filth.

description

I was very much so on board with it. The big issue - other than the contracted killer stalking them, of course - is Vincent’s inability to let someone in, and the resulting hot-and-cold routine.

But again and again, Vincent caves to his boy. And soon Michael has his Daddy wrapped around his finger.

description

Inevitably, the plot catches up and there’s a big action scene. The premise of it all was very flimsy. But I let it slide - the action plot definitely wasn’t the focus of the book.

If you’re looking for some good smut and a sweet Daddy/boy romance, give Cabin Fever a try!


A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.




Don't miss the release blitz for Cabin Fever today!

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Cabin Fever by Roe Horvat


Welcome Roe Horvat and Gay Book Promotions as they promote new release, Cabin Fever! Discover more about the erotic romance and enter in the backlist eBook giveaway! (5 winners)

See our review HERE

RELEASE BLITZ
Book Title: Cabin Fever
Author: Roe Horvat
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover Artist: Roe Horvat
Release Date: June 18 2020
Genre/s: Contemporary M/M erotic romance
Trope/s: forced proximity, bodyguard, Daddy/boy, hurt/comfort
Themes: bodyguard and his client, remote cabin in the woods, light kink,
submission, punishment, bratty boy, protective & controlling Daddy
Warning: self-harm off page
Heat Rating: 5 flames
Length: 41 000 words
It is a standalone story.

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited


Blurb

Michael Bourgeon is a talented artist, young and gorgeous, a stinking rich heir from a well-connected family. He’s the infamous libertine behind the most extravagant parties in Manhattan, and his exploits often lead to juicy tabloid stories. Enjoying his wealth and freedom to the fullest, Michael has the world at his feet.
Until someone tries to kill him. Repeatedly. After a security breach among his own staff, he has run out of options where to hide while the FBI hunts the killer.
A high-profile private security expert Vincent Nowak is supposed to provide the miracle solution. And while Michael struggles with nightmares and anxiety due to the looming threat, Vincent becomes not only the ultimately reliable protector, but a wonderful distraction, too…
A small cabin in the woods, a cocky brat with a soft heart, his gruff, controlling bodyguard, and weeks of tension in a confined space.

A standalone novella based on the original short story Yes, Daddy. HAE, no cliffhangers.



Excerpt

“The rules, Michael.”

“I was literally ten steps away from the cabin, Vincent.” I wanted to defend myself more, but my voice sounded shaky and weak. I snapped my mouth shut.

His hand on my neck tightened, and he pushed me through the door. I stumbled but regained my balance. Vincent shut the door behind us and turned to me.

“Did you do it to rile me up, Mikey?” His expression stayed suspiciously neutral.

“No,” I answered honestly. “I was just bored. You were in your room doing whatever, and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“My work here is for nothing if you don’t follow the rules.”

I knew it wasn’t his intention, but the command in his voice did things to me. I licked my lips. Don’t think about the fear. You’re safe. Look at him. His shoulders are rising with angry breaths, his eyes flashing with fury. He’s gorgeous…

“Fucking hell, Mikey. I mean it!”

“I’m sorry.” I was getting hard. He was magnificent when he was pissed at me.

“Stop looking at me like that. This is serious.”

“I know.” But I couldn’t help it. My nipples were tingling, and I had to swallow. “Will you punish me?”

“No, you fucking incubus. I’m not rewarding you for endangering yourself on a whim, dammit. You will follow the rules, Michael. How is it possible that if I tell you to keep your hands off your dick, you obey me, but if I ask you to be reasonable so I can keep you alive, you don’t care?”

He was frustrated with me. Shit. It seemed like I wasn’t getting any tonight. My nerves quivered again, my anxiety looming close. Double shit.

“My people report to me every day about everything and anything that happens in the area,” Vincent said. “It takes quite a lot of effort, but it means I can let you out to breathe sometimes. If you do this again, I’ll fucking lock you in the panic room for the rest of the week, I swear.”

“I’m really sorry, Vincent. I won’t do it again.”

He shook his head and took a deep breath, bracing his hands on his hips.

“You are the client from hell, you know that?” His words were hard, but his voice sounded gentle.

Yeah, I wouldn’t want to babysit myself either. “I can double your pay.”

He chuckled at that. “No money can compensate for what you’re doing to me, Mikey.”

I drew in a breath. I was lousy at expressing emotion. Seriously, complete shit at that part. I mean, in sex, I could tell anything and everything, but actual feelings? This man worked tirelessly to keep my stupid head intact, and I only made it more difficult for him from the start because I was a sex-crazed, twisted nervous wreck. I had no words to explain to him how grateful and how sorry I was.

So I stripped naked in the middle of the room and knelt on the floor while Vincent stared, mouth parted, eyes burning. I bent my head in complete submission, arms hanging limply by my sides, and spoke quietly.

“I’m so sorry, Daddy. I promise I won’t break the rules again. Please, forgive me.”

I closed my eyes and waited.





About the Author
Queer fiction author Roe Horvat was born in the post-communist wasteland of former Czechoslovakia. Equipped with a dark sense of sarcasm, Roe traveled Europe and finally settled in Sweden. He came out as transgender in 2017 and has been fabulous since. He loves Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, bad action movies, stand-up comedy, and pale ale. When not hiding in the studio doing graphics, he can be found trolling cafés in Gothenburg, writing, and people-watching.

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one of five e-book copies from Roe's backlist



Release Blitz + Giveaway: Power Inversion (The Evanstar Chronicles #2) by Sara Codair


Power Inversion (The Evanstar Chronicles #2) is out from NineStar Press! Author Sara Codair and IndiGo Marketing host today's release blitz for the latest in the paranormal series. Enter in the $10 NSP credit giveaway!

Title: Power Inversion
Series: The Evanstar Chronicles, Book Two
Author: Sara Codair
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: June 22, 2020
Heat Level: 1 - No Sex
Pairing: M/NB
Length: 84500
Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, Dark, Demons, Angels, Fae/fey/fairies/faeries, Psychic ability Mental illness, #ownvoices, Established couple

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Do you have to be a monster to fight one?

Erin Evanstar is a demon hunter, a protector of humanity from nightmarish predators that feed on people’s fears and flesh. They are settling into their dual life of being a teen and hunting demons.

When a tentacled horror abducts Erin’s partner, José, Erin and their family go on the hunt to get him back. But Erin gets an ultimatum: help the Fallen Angels bring on the apocalypse or watch José die. Erin will do anything to save José, but fighting monsters comes with a grim price–becoming one themselves.

Excerpt

Power Inversion
Sara Codair © 2020
All Rights Reserved

“Prophecies are fickle and convoluted. People tried telling me that for centuries, but I still sought out the most renowned seers, Elven and Human alike. It wasn’t until I miscarried the twins and started having visions on my own did I realize how unreliable an art prophecy is.

Thankfully, the visions faded after I delivered Liam and Lucy because they caused me more stress than anything else.

I could tell Liam this a thousand times, but if he is anything like me, he won’t realize it until he experiences it. Let him follow his dreams until he discovers they are hardly probabilities, let alone definite futures. In the meantime, don’t worry over much of what he tells you. Seeing himself die the same way more than once makes it less likely to happen.”

—A letter from Niben to Seamus Evanstar, confined to the archives shortly after Liam died.

White graduation caps fell from the sky like flakes of vaporized Demon. High school was a beast, and I’d vanquished it like every monster I’d fought, with one exception—myself.

This moment deserved savoring.

Breathing deliberately, I slowed my perception of time until the caps seemed as if they were falling through cold honey on their way to the ground.

The late-spring sun beat down on me, but a breeze kept the temperature bearable. Some tassels lilted southeast—away from the towering clouds bruising the northwest sky. The weather wasn’t going to hold much longer, but I was okay with that. Thunderstorms awoke something wild in me—a pulse-racing, dance-around-like-no-one-can-see-you kind of wild—a rush of adrenaline almost as good as what I’d get from battling a Troll or sparring with Mel.

With my sense of time slowed down, the distant thunder sounded like a lion purring. The clouds glowed purple as lightning forked through them like an X-ray, temporarily revealing a mass of tentacles undulating in the clouds.

Mel, did you see that? I thought as loudly as I could, hoping my telepathic cousin would hear me.

I’d seen a lot of different Demons in the three months I’d been hunting them, but based on the stories and the Lexicon, the massive tentacled ones only materialized in oceans, and they certainly could not fly. Yet, every time lightning flashed, there they were, waving as if violent updrafts were a gentle breeze.

My heart sped up. My hands closed into fists. Mel didn’t reply.

I shut my eyes, opening my mind so I could feel all the energy around me. Most humans were blobs of buzzing heat, but Mel, a hybrid of human, Angel, and Elf, had a hotter, more intense aura with a spritz of simultaneously depressed and optimistically peppy texture. I found her near my Elven grandmother, who felt like a condensed thunderstorm.

Mel? Niben? Can you hear me? Did you see that?

Of course, there was a good chance they were both shielding. What telepath would have their mind open to other people’s thoughts when there were so many other people around?

One who hasn’t been able to properly shield in months. Mel’s melodic yet squeaky voice was a welcome presence in my mind. Shut down the hyper drive. You’re giving me a headache.

I exhaled over the course of ten seconds, willing my sense of time back to normal.

A garbled din of stretched-out voices morphed to something more akin to a clattering avalanche of pots and pans. A shoulder jostled mine. The corner of a graduation cap crashed into my head.

Erin? What had you wanted to tell me?

There were tentacles in the clouds, I thought at Mel, turning in the general direction I sensed her in.

I crashed into José, who, of course, stood right next to me.

“You okay?” he asked. Tears glistened in his midnight eyes and trickled down his sun-kissed cheeks. One snagged on the crooked tip of his nose. He clutched two graduation caps, his and mine, so tight that the scars on his knuckles were visibly stretched.

“Yeah. Are you?” I wondered if I should tell him what I’d seen. He’d been hunting Demons longer than me, but he also thrived on keeping school and the supernatural as two separate entities. And what if they hadn’t been tentacles? What if the storm had just appeared that way with the lightning in slow motion? I didn’t want to ruin his day if there wasn’t an actual threat.

“I’ll miss everyone.” He stuffed the caps under his arms and hugged me. While I wanted to celebrate because I’d made it out alive, he mourned the loss of a place that had been a haven to him for four years.

I leaned my head on his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat, trying to let his steady warmth calm the worry growing in my mind. José’s body was a rock in the sense that it was hard and athletic, but also because it anchored me when I felt as if my mind was running away.

Have you ever watched a storm with time slowed that much? asked Mel.

I shook my head before I remembered there were dozens of people between her and me. No. Do storm clouds in slow motion look like tentacles?

José kissed my hair and whispered, “Are you talking to Mel?”

I nodded.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s having trouble shielding. We should go meet up with her and the others anyway.” I stepped away from him and walked uphill.

Students, who wore white graduation robes, and their parents, who were dressed mostly in summer dresses, slacks, and collared shirts, were clumped all over Saint Patrick’s sprawling lawn.

José draped his arm over my shoulder as I wove around groups of people. The pressure was calming, lulling panic monsters back to sleep with its warm weight. I glanced up at the clouds. They were closer and darker. The wind sped up, stealing programs from a dozen people’s hands. The clouds lit up with lightning, but I didn’t see any tentacles.

Mel’s voice popped back into my head. I don’t sense anything in the clouds, and neither does Niben. I guess she’s been restraining the storm for half the ceremony. Perhaps you were seeing her power mingled with it?

Maybe. Some tension unraveled from my chest. I’d heard stories about my grandmother, Niben, controlling storms, but I’d never seen her do it. In fact, I’d never witnessed her do any magic unless she was modeling something she wanted me to try. She’d come on a few hunts, but she’d just watched with her unblinking feline eyes and later quizzed me on what I did right and wrong. For all I knew, her fabled storm magic could resemble tentacles.

Her magic manifests as roots or vines. Don’t let her hear you compare it to tentacles.

Mel’s bell-like laugh tickled my ears. I followed the sound around a large family and found Mel giggling under my favorite oak tree wearing a white-and-blue-floral maxi dress that covered her feet and touched the ground.

Once upon a time, looking directly at my cousin with my Sight open, my ability to see around illusions would’ve left me seeing spots, but today, only a dull thin haze of white light surrounded her. Rippled pink scars covered half her face, and her hair, once down to her waist, was just starting to regrow.

“You made it. Congrats.” Mel pushed herself off the tree and hugged me, followed by Grandpa and Niben, who had been standing to the left of her.

“Where’d everyone else go?” I asked. Mike, my aunty Lucy (Mel’s mom), and my aunt Rita (my mother’s sister) had been here earlier.

“They decided to go in before the storm got too close,” said Mel. Mentally, she added, Mom and Niben kept debating how long it was safe to hold the storm off for.

Is there anything those two don’t argue about? I thought back to Mel.

I’m happy my mother and grandmother are talking at all. For years after your dad died, they didn’t. Mel winked at me and shrugged.

“Congratulations.” Grandpa hugged me. He was as dressed up as he ever got with khaki slacks and a short-sleeved blue button-up shirt. His ocean-colored eyes squinted, and his lips twisted into something halfway between a smile and a scowl: his “why can’t you people talk out loud so I can hear you” face.

Niben, who wore the same dress as Mel only with reddish-orange flowers, glowered at the thunderclouds. Her pointy ears, which appeared as normal ears to humans who couldn’t see around her glamour, twitched. The gusts pulled strands of red hair out of the two buns she’d braided it into. The strands flailed around like tentacles writhing in the wind.

Maybe I had just seen cords of her power in the clouds. Sometimes, when I saw magical things for the first time, I saw them how my brain could most easily process the latest shift to its reality. The tentacles could’ve been ropes of magic tethering the updrafts and downdrafts.

“That storm is moving in with a vengeance now. Shall we hurry up and take pictures before we are all drenched?” Niben turned her back on the thunderheads and pulled a bulky DSLR out of her bag. She loved photography. Apparently, it wasn’t a thing in Faerie, so when she was on Earth, she had to get her picture-taking fix.

“Are you still controlling the storm?” I asked as I stood next to José, watching it over Niben’s shoulder.

She adjusted the focus on her camera. “No. The longer I hold it off, the worse it will be when it hits, and I’ve already restrained that one far longer than I should have.”

The shutter clicked.

“Stand a little closer together, and, José, stop slouching.” She took a few more pictures and asked Mel to go stand where José had been.

I counted as I exhaled, gradually slowing my perception of time, staring at the cloud behind Niben.

Mel smiled at the camera. It’s only a storm.

I slowed my perception more, so when lightning flashed, the cloud remained lit up for a whole seven seconds. There was slow movement in it like drenched, dirty cotton balls shifting in a bag as someone dumped water in it.

Lightning forked again.

Something slithered near the bottom of the cloud and vanished.

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Meet the Author

Sara Codair lives in a world of words, writing fiction in every free moment, teaching writing at a community college and binge-reading fantasy novels. When not lost in words, Sara can often be found hiking, swimming, or gardening. Find Sara’s words in Alternative Truths, Helios Quarterly, and Secrets of the Goat People, at https://saracodair.com/

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Book Blast + Giveaway: Public Enemy, Undercover Lover by Amanda Meuwissen


Like enemies to lovers? Check out today's book blast for JMS Books' Public Enemy, Undercover Lover from author Amanda Meuwissen and Gay Book Promotions! Discover more and enter in the Interpretive Hearts eBook giveaway!

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Public Enemy, Undercover Lover
Author: Amanda Meuwissen
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Cover Artist: J.M. Snyder
Release Date: May 23, 2020
Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance, BDSM, Interracial, Crime
Trope/s: Enemies to lovers, Redemption arc, Found family, Sexy dad
Themes: Second chances
Heat Rating: 5 flames
Length: 60 782 words
It is a standalone book.
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Second chances come in many forms – career changes, criminal reformation, fatherhood, even sex with a former enemy.

Blurb
Isaac Ford seeks help from the detective who put him in prison -- now security consultant, Andrew Wen -- after an unexpected prison break weeks before his release. Despite an almost twenty-year age difference and being on opposite ends of the law, the attraction between them culminates in a one-night stand that teeters Isaac between turning himself in and returning to a life of crime. His decision is made for him when he discovers a young man waiting for him at his safe house -- the son he never knew existed.
Months later, Isaac has been reconnecting with his son, Dalton, and started a security consultancy of his own, looking for a fresh start. His past catches up to him, however, when he runs into Andrew at the police station, both seeking information on a new thief. Andrew isn’t happy Isaac left that night or that he’s been encroaching on his business, but the passion between them rekindles as trying to one-up each other turns sexual. Neither plan to let anything more come of their tryst until Andrew finds out about Dalton, who he knew in college, and a theft at Dalton’s job forces Isaac and Andrew to work together.

Dalton playing matchmaker complicates things. What’s worse is how easily Isaac and Andrew keep giving in.



Excerpt
The warmth that spread through Isaac’s chest surprised him, but he didn’t have much time before Dalton would be back, and Andrew discovering he had a son was just as bad as any enemies.
Then a bitter thought crossed his mind. “Did you track me again?”

“No. I just come here.”

That might be true. This was closer to the persona Isaac remembered from when Andrew was a detective. Sympathetic, earnest, almost sweet. It was just as well that he’d found his way off the force.

He looked like he had half a mind to take the empty seat in front of Isaac but hesitated with a bite at his lip. “I know we’re still at odds professionally, and I’m sure you’ll infuriate me to no end trying to steal more jobs from me in the future, but ... I never actually apologized for Christmas.”

“Andrew --”

“I get why you left,” he pushed on. “I wasn’t exactly hospitable, and you still kept your end of the bargain. You’ve been a model citizen ever since. You know, besides shameless shenanigans in uniform and invasion of privacy,” he whispered. “But I won’t talk if you don’t.”

The smile that alighted Isaac’s face in response surprised him too. He tried to think of a comeback, only for Andrew’s eyes to fall to the empty seat again and notice the second drinking glass.

“Are you on a date?”

“No,” Isaac said too hastily. “It’s not a date.”

“If it was one of your associates, you wouldn’t care, but you’re anxious. Stealing more clients from me already? Or maybe you are planning a job, and you just use security as a front.”

He was teasing again, Isaac could tell, but that's what all the naysayers said: that Isaac was faking it. Once word of the new thief finally spread, they’d all say it was him. A few skirts of the law were one thing, but he couldn't risk going back to jail, not when he had Dalton.

Dalton -- who was out of the bathroom and headed for their table!

“Listen, now isn’t the best --”

“Andrew?”

Andrew spun around when Dalton called his name.

When Dalton called his name.

“Dalton? Oh my God, how are you?”

They hugged, completely unabashed in their open display of affection.

“Why are you never on Facebook?” Dalton squeezed Andrew tightly. “I can hardly keep up. Did I hear you quit the force?”

“Almost a year ago now. I started a security firm.”

“That’s awesome! And kind of funny. My dad does security too. Dad? What’s with the face?”

Dalton’s eyes landed on Isaac, and when Andrew turned to see that no, there was no other man in line of sight to be the bearer of that endearment, his jaw nearly hit the floor.

“Dad?”

“Do you and Andrew know each other?”

“How do you know each other?” Isaac threw back, because if they’d slept together, he would have an aneurism right there in the café.

“Andrew tutored me in Art History in college. How do you know him?”

The actual answers flitted through Isaac’s mind.

He was my nemesis.

He’s the detective who put me in jail.

We fucked on his living room sofa half an hour before I met you, and I helped him through two orgasms yesterday.

“We ... dated,” Isaac sputtered -- and what the hell was he thinking?! “Briefly.”

‘WHAT?’ Andrew mouthed in disbelief, but he must not have been able to think of a better answer either, because he screwed his face into embarrassed shock for Dalton’s sake and said, “Yeah! Very briefly. Boy, that must sound super weird since he’s your dad.”

“Not ... weird,” Dalton said, glancing stoically between them. He had Isaac’s knack for hiding his emotions unless he wanted others to know them. “I mean, we’re all adults. You’re a good guy, Andrew, and Dad’s --”

“A criminal,” Andrew blurted, unable to keep his floundering word-vomit under control any better than Isaac had. “That’s why we broke up! Detective, thief ... you know ...”

“Conflict of interest,” Isaac saved him.

“Exactly!”

“Sure.” Dalton nodded as if that made perfect sense, which it did, but that didn’t alleviate any of the awkwardness.


About the Author
Amanda Meuwissen is a bisexual and happily married 35-year-old geek. Primarily an M/M romance author with a focus on urban fantasy, she has a Bachelor of Arts in a personally designed Creative Writing major from St. Olaf College and is an avid consumer of fiction through film, prose, and video games. Amanda lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her husband, John, and their cat, Helga.

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Review: The New Normal (Gold Coast Collage #1) by L.J. Hayward

Brian Stagliano’s life should be pretty sweet right now. Two of his closest friends are getting married, and he’s taking a new, exciting step in his career as a doctor. Most amazing though, his best mate has been given the all clear from cancer. But Brian’s normal has just been tipped A over T and the friendship he’s relied on for years is in danger. All because of five little words.

Andrew Fitzroy should be on top of the world. The cancer that’s haunted him is gone. He can finally get on with his life—except he doesn’t know what that life is anymore. Is he brave enough to come out as bisexual? Should he pursue architecture or stay in construction? Either way, Andrew knows happiness won’t be his until he has what his engaged friends have—love, joy, passion. So, he says those five little words to Brian—I’m in love with you.

Friends since childhood, Brian and Andrew have always been closer than brothers. Best mates. Nothing could ever tear them apart. Except for those five little words. Now, Brian’s not sure about so many things—their friendship, his own desires—and the foundation Andrew’s built his world on feels like its crumbling. But if they manage not to destroy everything they have together, Andrew and Brian might just find a new normal with each other.


I would be lying if I said I wasn’t mighty curious as to what else Hayward could bring to the table, having immensely enjoyed and been impressed by what I’ve read so far of her Death and the Devil series.

This story starts with your typical friends to lovers trope. Andrew has been through an understandable rough two years which has turned his life upside down. Ever by his side has been Brian, who’s been his best friend since they were kids. Since Andrew’s mortality has been threatened, he’s no longer willing to let his feelings go unsaid anymore, and hence, confesses to Brian how he feels. What unfolds is the push pull of requisite doubt and worry, and ultimately, once they consummate things, if and how to make things officially official.

Be forewarned that there’s a lot of emphasis on defining and labeling one’s self here, which was thankfully mild on the angst meter. This felt very NA, and Andrew and Brian belong to a close knit group of friends that brings some entertainment value, but also lots of interconnected drama-lama. Admittedly, Brian was difficult to warm up to, his reactions at times insensitive, selfish, and rash. He’s still a great guy, especially in his loyal protectiveness towards Andrew, but I often flinched at how he dealt with his confused emotions. In turn, though Andrew had a huge tendency to not communicate well, he was quite dreamy boyfriend material in his infinite patience and unwavering feels.

Be reassured that Hayward’s talent is not diminished here. The writing is strong. The smex is spot on, and when these two besties start trying things out, it unravels quite nicely. Also, the promise of double virgins to MM goodness was capitalized on in explicit glory (reminiscent of Hart’s Crossroads) and one should equally enjoy witnessing Andrew and Brian learning together what it’s all about. *wink wink*

Overall, I will say that if you prefer these sorts of stories, be comforted by the fact that this is seriously straight forward contemporary romance, and good romance it is. It’s clear to me though, that where Hayward shines is romantic suspense but that’s just personal preference. Unlike Death and the Devil, there's no flash and bang, no double crosses, no high stakes shenanigans (and nor should there be) with nary a thing spectacularly blowing up in the background.

What I’m trying to say is that lately, I’ve been notorious for judging an author’s works amongst themselves, and Death and the Devil is original, engaging, smart as well as swoony, and there’s really no comparison. Again, if you don’t like that sort of thing, stay here with Hayward’s exceptional writing, and most likely one will equally, if not more, enjoy her first foray into this genre with absolutely no qualms. However, if you want more excitement then check out Where Death Meets the Devil if you haven’t already, and please proceed with the above information that’s only meant to be well-intentioned.