Book Blast: The House with a Thousand Stairs by Garrick Jones

Author Garrick Jones and Gay Book Promotions share book info for The House with a Thousand Stairs! Learn more about the historical Australian romance today!

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The House with a Thousand Stairs

Author: Garrick Jones

Publisher: MoshPit Publishing

Cover Artist: Garrick Jones

Release Date: March 18, 2020

Genre: Historical gay novel

Tropes: Rekindling past friendships; the connection of spirits.

Themes: Cross-cultural relationships; connection through the love of the land; rebuilding lives after conflict; Indigenous beliefs and spirituality; farmer and policeman; Australian Outback.

Heat Rating: 2 - 3 flames

Length: 353 pages

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

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Buy Links

Amazon AU  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Smashwords

Blurb

Warrambool

In Gamilaraay, the language of the Kamilaroi peoples of north-western New South Wales, it's the word for The Milky Way. It's also the name of Peter Dixon's homestead and sheep station, situated in the lee of the Liverpool Ranges.

In 1947, Peter returns from war, his parents and younger brother dead, the property de-stocked and his older brother, Ron, having emptied out the family bank account and nowhere to be found.

The House With a Thousand Stairs is the story of a young man, scarred both on the inside and the outside, trying to re-establish what once was a prosperous and thriving sheep station with the help of his neighbours and his childhood friend, Frank Hunter, the local Indigenous policeman.

Enveloped by the world of Indigenous spirituality, the Kamilaroi system of animal guides and totems, Peter and Frank discover the true nature of their predestined friendship, one defined by the stars, the ancestral spirits, and Baiame, the Creator God and Sky Father of The Dreaming.

Maliyan bandaarr, maliyan biliirr.

Excerpt

Two days later, Richard Williams, Sparrow's nephew, turned up.

Peter was standing in the old kitchen when he heard the car horn. He'd been shaving off his patchy beard and still had soap on half his face, so yelled up the side passage, "Out here!" He couldn't be bothered shaving since he'd come back home and had let his beard grow for a few days. It grew thicker along his chin line than on his cheeks, and had got to the length where it looked untidy and scraggly … and it itched like a bastard.

"Jesus, look at you," he said as Richard poked his head in the door. "You grew."

"So did you."

The first thing Peter noticed in his shaving mirror was how his boyhood friend had filled out. Dressed in a singlet under a pale blue shirt, opened to the third button from the neck, and overalls rolled down to the waist, Richard leaned against the doorframe, idly inspecting Peter's back.

"Few war wounds, Pete."

"You bring any back?"

"Only on my dick. Teeth marks mainly."

Peter laughed, holding the razor away from his face so he didn't cut himself.

"I bet if I had a good look I'd find teeth marks in other places, Dick."

"No one calls me Dick anymore, except my uncle, Pete."

"You'll always be Dick to me," Peter replied with a wink.

His friend laughed. They stared at each other in the mirror longer than men who hadn't been close as teenagers might have done.

"Mechanic, eh?" Peter said, rinsing off his face and wiping his razor on a towel. He still used a straight edge.

"Here," Richard said, "turn around, you've missed a bit."

He took the razor and then scraped under Peter's chin, nudging it upwards first with the back of his fist.

"I've missed more than a bit," Peter said, pushing forward gently so their hips bumped against each other.

"I don't do that anymore," Richard replied with a smile.

"Yeah, neither do I."

They both laughed.

There'd been a small group of boys, on the cusp of becoming men, who'd been close. They'd "mucked about together", as it was called back then. They'd laughed and joked about it, compared sizes, talked about the girls they said they'd rooted, when every one of them knew each of them had lied. But then there'd been those times when a few of them would slip off somewhere together without the others, or meet up by chance with ants in their pants and find somewhere quiet.

Peter had been popular—the others had sought him out. He was happy to do the thing the others were leery of, or felt was somehow not manly. None of them blabbed about his ability to roll onto his tummy or lift a knee against a tree to let them have a go. He didn't care what anyone thought. It didn't make him feel any less of a bloke for it—he simply liked the feeling. His availability had always come at a cost, though. He'd invariably asked, "A ride there for a ride back?" And they'd always nodded dumbly, their knees trembling, knowing the reciprocal ride back was as rare as hens' teeth. Dick Williams had been one of the few of his mates who had been happy to allow Peter to climb on after he'd had a turn, or to get on his knees and give him a gobbie afterwards to bring him off.

"Christ you've got some muscles on you, Pete Dixon."

"Comes from doing push-ups with blokes on my back who say 'I don't do that anymore'."

Richard snorted softly. "Guess that's something you didn't give up in the army?"

"I'll bet you a fiver you didn't either."

Richard didn't reply, he merely shrugged and looked over his shoulder out of the doorway. It's what nervous blokes did, Peter thought. What have you got to be nervous about, Richard Williams? Those were his thoughts, but something below his belt had answered his question.

"So, we gonna go have a squiz at your truck?" Richard asked, offering his packet of tailor-mades.

"In a minute," Peter said, shaking his head at the offer of a Chesterfield and then taking his makings pouch from the pocket of his shirt, which had been draped over the back of a chair.

"What you waiting for?"

"You to take your clobber off and get in there," Peter said, tossing his head in the direction of the room in which he'd been sleeping for the past three days.

"I dunno, Pete … it's been a long while, and as I said, I don't—"

"Get in there, Williams," Peter said with a growl as he lit his cigarette. "The squiz at the truck can wait a bit, there's something in your pants I want a gander at first."

He watched for a few seconds while Richard fumbled with his shirt; his hands were trembling. There'd always been a lot of chemistry between them. It was something he'd almost tasted the moment Richard had poked his head around the doorway.

"Let me unbutton your shirt," Peter said gently, passing him his lit cigarette.

"Unless they had different names for them in the part of the army you served in, Pete, that's not my shirt," Richard said with a laugh.

"Buttons, buttons, shirt or pants, they all have to be undone, sooner or later."

About the Author 

After a thirty year career as a professional opera singer, performing as a soloist in opera houses and in concert halls all over the world, I took up a position as lecturer in music in Australia in 1999, at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, which is now part of CQUniversity.

Brought up in Australia, between the bush and the beaches of the Eastern suburbs, I retired in 2015 and now live in the tropics, writing, gardening, and finally finding time to enjoy life and to re-establish a connection with who I am after a very busy career on the stage and as an academic.

I write mostly historical gay fiction. The stories are always about relationships and the inner workings of men; sometimes my fellas get down to the nitty-gritty, sometimes it's up to you, the reader, to fill in the blanks.

Every book is story driven; spies, detectives, murders, epic dramas, there's something for everyone. I also love to write about my country and the things that make us Aussies and our history different from the rest of the world.

I'm research driven. I always try to do my best to give the reader a sense of what life was like for my main characters in the world they live in.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Newsletter Sign-up  |  Pinterest  |  Australian Crime Writers Association

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Rising Heat by Elizabeth Hollows

Author Elizabeth Hollows and Pride Publishing celebrate the release of Rising Heat! Read more and enter in the First Romance gift card giveaway!

 

Rising Heat by Elizabeth Hollows

General Release Date: 5th April 2022

Word Count: 68,506 

Book Length: 

NOVEL Pages: 270

Genres:

CONTEMPORARY 

EROTIC ROMANCE 

GAY 

GLBTQI 

MEN IN UNIFORM

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Book Description

 

Can a sweet and sexy fireman change a fling into a happily ever after?

Neil Farris is your typical ‘love ’em and leave ’em’ type. He’s been told his biggest fear is commitment, but he’s not bothered by that. He doesn’t see the point of a long-term relationship. He either gets bored or his partners realize he’s too bossy and scathing. It’s easier to stick to one-night stands.

When his boring work conference in Brisbane sends him to the wrong hotel, he finds himself surrounded by gorgeous firemen. Luckily for him, one of them is gay and interested in a good time.

Scott Fields is everything Neil looks for in a fling—gorgeous, good in bed and temporary. He’s also nice and considerate, which is a bonus. It’s a shame Neil only gets two nights with the fireman before he’s returning home.

However, much to his surprise, he runs into Scott a few days later. It turns out they’re both from the same town. When Scott asks him out, Neil is hesitant but agrees. He really isn’t interested in dating or relationships. Can the sweet and sexy fireman change his mind?

Excerpt

Neil Farris had never seen the point to relationships. They only seemed to breed drama and boredom. Why choose one person to sleep with when the options for many were only a bar trip away?

His co-worker Denise often joked that he could find a fling in a haystack. He took it as a point of pride. He didn’t need to settle down into monotony when he could be the envy of many with a few well-placed flirtations. Sex was what he was after, not some white picket fence.

Yet despite her remarks, Neil hadn’t expected to have much luck at his yearly manager’s meeting. Not only did he know better than to sleep with his colleagues if he wanted his flings to remain flings, but the last three years had been the same boring routine.

He managed a men’s clothing store that specialized in affordable formal and stylish casual wear. Hardgroves was a leader in the industry with twelve stores in Queensland alone, and they wanted to maintain their foothold in the market. He’d driven the four hours down to Brisbane with the plan to check into his hotel and catch up with the few other managers he liked.

Instead, he found a mistake in the booking culminating in his lost reservation. Thirty minutes of back and forth with the company and he had alternative accommodation in a different hotel twenty minutes across town.

When he finally arrived, tired and annoyed, the last thing he’d expected was a lobby full of eye candy. A dozen muscled men were carrying duffel bags and chatting in small groups. Some were tanned, and some had tattoos. There were a few women with them, but Neil only had eyes for the guys.

Let it be a convention for gay singles.

He didn’t know where to look, but Neil quickly found his attention grabbed by a man at reception. His upper body had an attractive V-shape, his arms were muscled without bulging and the view only got better farther down. Neil crossed the lobby to stand behind him. The man’s khaki pants hinted at a firm bottom and taut thighs. He was a head taller than Neil with short black hair that was spiking at the top. He was compact in a way that showed he was no stranger to working out.

Now that’s a man I’d happily show a good time.

Neil would have continued his admiration if the man hadn’t stepped backward and turned. He nearly collided with Neil but jerked away in time.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t realize someone was there.”

The man’s eyes were as blue as the sky, and his smile was friendly. Neil swallowed down three pickup lines.

“Don’t worry about it.”

The man flashed another grin before taking a better grip on his bag. He walked over to a group congregating farther inside the hotel. They welcomed him with laughter, backslaps and familiarity. Neil forced his attention to the reception desk rather than the man’s biceps. The young woman behind the desk gave him a knowing smile.

“Annual fireman’s training,” she explained. Her eyes flicked toward the men before back to Neil, and she lowered her voice. “It gives us the best view in the city for the next week.”

“I suddenly don’t mind being in a different hotel from my colleagues.”

“Ooh, you get all the firemen to yourself. Well, half of them.” She winked. “I want my share, too.”

Neil laughed. He glanced at the men again, lingering on the one who’d almost bumped into him. He was just Neil’s type. Being a fireman only added to his appeal.

When Neil turned back to the receptionist, he matched her grin.

“How about you get the straight ones and I’ll get the gay ones?”

“Perfect!” They shared another smile before she cleared her throat. “Now, how can I help you?”

“I’ve got a reservation.”

She took a few minutes to sort everything out, but Neil soon picked up his small suitcase and headed to his room. The hotel wasn’t the height of luxury, but it was well-maintained. The two-story building had a bar off the lobby, along with a small restaurant. His room was on the ground floor and down a hall just past reception. It had all the standard amenities with a decent-sized bed. He placed his suitcase on the luggage rack and opened it. Originally, he’d planned to order room service and relax, but the firefighters changed things. Pulling out a nice dress shirt and jeans, Neil headed to the bathroom. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t a club. He needed to look his best if was going to catch anyone’s attention. A quick shower helped Neil feel refreshed, and he double-checked his reflection in the mirror. His sandy-blond hair looked naturally tousled and fell just below his ears. The shirt he wore was white with a subtle pattern of small palm trees. The leather bracelet around his left wrist partially obscured his tattoo of a sun. He grinned at the mirror, knowing he looked good.

Grabbing his wallet, room key and phone, Neil slipped them into the pocket of his jeans and stepped out of the room. The hall was empty, but when he reached the lobby, he noted that there weren’t as many firemen as there had been before. Neil was quick to spot the one from reception. He was at the bar, ordering drinks with four others. It only took one more once-over for Neil to make his choice. He crossed the room and took a place leaning against the bar two stools down from the group. His chosen firefighter glanced at him, his blue eyes locking onto Neil’s green. Neil smiled. He held the man’s gaze, feeling a thrill go through him. Neil knew the game well, and he was certain there was interest in the fireman’s eyes. Neil only looked away when the bartender approached.

Once his beer was poured, he glanced back at the man and subtly listened to the conversation. They were talking about the upcoming training course and their travels to get to Brisbane. Three of them were from the same town but the other two were from different parts of the state.

It sounded a lot like Neil’s own management meeting. He took a sip of his beer and glanced at the men again. His blue-eyed fireman was already looking at him. If they had been at a club, Neil would crook his finger and gesture the man over. Or maybe he’d turn on his stool, sprawling his back over the bar and making it easy for the fireman to step between his open legs. However, with the man surrounded by his friends and colleagues, Neil knew it would be better to wait. He settled for smiling again before taking his beer and heading into the attached restaurant.

Neil selected an empty table with a good view. The group from the bar plus nine more firefighters entered the restaurant for dinner. There were attractive men wherever Neil turned, but he found his gaze kept falling back to the same man. He was watching Neil, too. They exchanged glances throughout dinner, and that found anticipation and desire sparking through Neil. He felt confident enough to move back to the bar after his meal. He ordered another drink and waited. A few of the firemen left to return to their rooms, but the one Neil cared about was soon stopping at the bar stool beside Neil’s.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked

“Not at all.” Neil shifted to better face him and held out his hand. “I’m Neil.”

“Scott,” he replied.

Their palms lingered together for longer than necessary and a noticeable tension was thrumming through the air as their gazes stayed locked. It didn’t take a genius to realize the guy was interested in him, too.

Gay, hot and only meters from my hotel room. Could this be any more perfect?

When they dropped hands, Scott took a seat on the stool. He angled his body close enough that their shoulders brushed. Neil’s desire grew from that small touch.

“I didn’t think there would be anyone else here,” Scott said. “I thought we’d have booked out the hotel.”

“Seems I slipped through the cracks,” Neil replied. “Lucky me.”

When the bartender came over, Scott ordered a matching beer. Neil had another sip of his but kept his gaze on the fireman. Scott was lightly tanned and had a cluster of three small moles on the side of his neck. Neil wanted to mouth at them until the skin surrounding them was red and flushed. This was the type of fireman who’d be perfect for their famous, shirtless charity calendars—only Neil wanted him removed of all his clothes.

“So, what brings you to the hotel?” Scott asked, dragging Neil’s attention from Scott’s neck.

“Annual manager’s meeting,” he said. “There was a mistake with my booking, so I ended up here.” Neil openly ran his gaze over Scott. “Not that I’m complaining. In fact, I’m going to take advantage of my good fortune.”

Because if a one-night stand was practically falling in his lap, he wasn’t about to ignore it. Lately, it took more effort and drinks for Neil to get into someone’s pants. Right now, Neil felt he could score before they reached a second glass.

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Scott said, his attention dropping to Neil’s mouth. “A lot of the guys are having an early night.” He caught Neil’s gaze again. “But I figure that I’m in a new city, and I should have some fun.”

There was a suggestive note to his voice that filled Neil with eagerness. He held out his glass for a toast.

“To a night of fun, then.”

Scott brought their glasses together with a soft clink. They never broke eye contact, and Neil already knew they would have sex by the end of the night.

In fact, if he played his cards right, Neil was certain it could happen within the hour.

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About the Author

Elizabeth Hollows

Elizabeth Hollows is an Australian writer of LGBT love stories specializing in homosexual or lesbian romance.

Her preferred genres are fantasy, science fiction and contemporary/modern.

She has been writing since she was twelve, but has spent the last few years writing romance stories and discovering a passion for LGBT romance.

When Elizabeth is not writing she embroiders, reads and plots her next novel. She is a fan of the winter months and always has a book in her handbag and a cup of tea nearby.

You can find Elizabeth at her website here

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Something Else by Alicia Thompson

 Author Alicia Thompson and IndiGo Marketing share today's new release blitz for Something Else! Learn more about the slow burn romance and enter in the NineStar Press giveaway!

Title: Something Else

Author: Alicia Thompson

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 10/19/2021

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 72400

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, romance, lit, contemporary, farmer, doctor, gay, bisexual, Australian outback, accident, slow burn, friends to lovers, questioning, tearjerker, out for you

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Description

When his father died, David Mulkerin gave up teaching in Sydney to come home and run the family farm in western NSW. He is driven by personal demons and family tragedy to see it through, despite his love of teaching and the ongoing drought and debt.

When David meets the new local doctor Martin James, there is a meeting of minds and dark pasts. Martin is intrigued by David’s closed demeanour and makes an effort to reach him. They strike up a friendship, able to understand the pain in each other’s past. When David discovers that Martin is gay, he feels duped and betrayed, but the revelation forces him to confront what it means to love someone and how sometimes we don’t get to choose.

Excerpt

Something Else
Alicia Thompson © 2021
All Rights Reserved

He’d felt the pull, but there was no pain. Yet. Only the livid blood running through his fingers, dropping to the ground like seed. Grabbing his wrist, he ran back to the cab of the ute, found a rag in the glove box, clutched it in his hand. The fleshy part of his palm just below the thumb was beginning to throb.

He walked back to where the cows were chewing the hay he’d torn apart. Shaking out that last biscuit with his good hand, he found the culprit. A jagged piece of fencing wire. Bastard. Better him than one of his cows.

By the time he’d driven through three sets of gates and juggled numerous gear changes, the pain was like a blade pushing through his palm to his wrist. He consoled himself that in his own experience the smallest wounds often hurt the most.

He ransacked the cupboard under the bathroom sink and found cotton wool and a roll of bandages. No Dettol. Reefing everything out onto the floor, he found a small can of antiseptic spray rolling around the back of the shelf. It was rusted and useless.

Still clutching the dirty rag in his hand, he headed out to the kitchen. He wasn’t much into hard spirits, so the ancient cooking brandy used for his mum’s Christmas cakes would have to do.

Back in the bathroom he slowly pulled away the rag. It grabbed where it had stuck to the wound and fresh carmine welled up through the rusty-brown muck. He turned on the tap and before he had time to think about what was coming, thrust his hand under. It was times like this he realised how limited his repertoire of swear words actually was. Catching him once, his mother had said, “That’s a lovely conjugation, dear, now take it outside before I belt you round the head.”

He could now see the extent of the damage: a gutter of open flesh, torn to a long triangle at the end, black in its depths. He glanced at the brandy bottle. Shit. He hugged it to him and unscrewed the lid. He was about to pour it when he chickened out and took a big slug instead. Then another. Gritting his teeth, he poured the rest into his hand.

Fang lay where he’d been left, staring through the screen door on the front verandah, his head on his paws, his ears pricked. The tan dots above his eyes gave him a perpetually surprised look. An anguished howl roared down the hallway. He lifted his head and waited.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Alicia Thompson grew up on a farm in country NSW. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from UTS along with some financial and accounting qualifications. She has worked as a bookkeeper, photographer, editor, adventure tour leader in the Middle East and China, business analyst, writing teacher and general herder of cats. Her published work includes numerous book reviews, travel articles, and short stories. She lives and works in Sydney. More can be found on her website www.aliciathompson.com.au.

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Release Blitz: Beneath the Grandstand (Marsden Park #2) by Amy-Alex Campbell

 

Author Amy-Alex Campbell and Gay Book Promotions visit with a release blitz for Beneath the Grandstand (Marsden Park #2)! Read more about the contemporary Australian romance today!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Beneath the Grandstand

Author: Amy-Alex Campbell

Publisher:  AAC Publishing Australia

Cover Artist: germancreative

Release Date: October 27, 2020

Genre: Australian M/M Romance

Trope/s: Friends to lovers, Security guard & homeless man

Themes: Homelessness, depression and anxiety, childhood abuse (non sexual)

Heat Rating:  3-4 flames 

Length: approx. 75 000 words

It is part of the Marsden Park Series, but is a standalone.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links 

Amazon AU  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  

Paperbacks

 How do you define two lost souls who are completely alone in the world except for each other?

Blurb

When Cameron's failing relationship finally comes to an end, he finds himself on the streets of Sydney, homeless and alone. All he has left is a suitcase full of his clothes, and his job as a security guard. Battling severe depression and anxiety, Cameron fears he has hit rock bottom.

A chance meeting with a young homeless man soon changes everything, though. Abused as a child, the mysterious Mr Loner has a dark secret that threatens to unravel his very existence. Will Cameron get his happily ever after, or will Mr Loner’s past destroy them both?

A confronting MM romance set in Western Sydney, Australia.
The second instalment of The Marsden Park Series.

"How do you define two lost souls, who are completely alone in the world, except for each other?"   

Excerpt

The stench of BO and stale sweat hung in the air, thicker than the throng of people packed into the vestibule of the train. As the doors opened at Redfern station, the passengers took a collective gasp and squeezed in tighter together, as more people forced their way into the overcrowded space. Someone elbowed Cameron in his back, and shoved him nose-first into another man’s armpit; on his other side, he could feel someone’s dick grinding into his hip. Cameron grimaced and managed to turn his face away from the armpit. The day these people spend $3.95 on some deodorant, I’ll have a bloody stroke, he thought irritably.

With a jerk, the train started rolling slowly towards Central Station. Peak hour on any Sydney train was a nightmare, especially on one of the older trains that were overheated and stunk like dirty leather. Cameron berated himself for taking the 7am shift; it was Friday and supposed to be his day off. His last shift had finished at midnight, and with over an hour travel each way, he had been lucky to get three hours sleep.

The train pulled in at the station with a screech and another jerk. Cameron patted his arm to ensure his security license was still firmly in its pouch on his arm, then braced himself. As soon as the doors opened, he was swept with the crowd of commuters onto the platform, and into the tunnel towards the concourse.

Once he reached the concourse, the crowd thinned, and he was able to walk at his own pace again. There was a slight chill in the air; winter was just a few weeks away, and soon that chill would turn into an icy frost. Cameron shivered and walked faster towards the main exit.

He knew better than to even try to catch the light rail that early in the morning. He tapped his Opal card at the barriers, and cut through the park next to the station. It would be much faster to walk the distance, than try to squeeze onto another overheated sweatbox.

The park was full of brightly coloured tents, the only shelter that the homeless people had. Cameron felt bad for them; he himself was a bee’s dick away from being homeless, and the thought of living on the streets terrified him. With a lurch, he pushed the thoughts from his mind, and picked up his pace.

About the Author 

Amy-Alex Campbell is a queer Australian author who grew up near Bendigo, Victoria.

While epic fantasy is her genre, Campbell also writes M/M romance. In contrast to her fantasy series, the Marsden Park series is written in ‘Australian’. 

When Amy-Alex isn’t writing, she is either adding lore and blogs to her website, or caring for her yabbie and two axolotls.

      

Social Media Links

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Giveaway + Blog Tour: The Parable of the Mustard Seed by Lisa Henry

Age gap fans will want to check out The Parable of the Mustard Seed by author Lisa Henry. Find out more about this hurt/comfort romance from the author's visit where she talks about the lovable pooch from her book, read an excerpt hosted by IndiGo Marketing & enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card too! Good luck!

Title: The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Author: Lisa Henry

Publisher:Self Published

Release Date: 3 April 2020

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 79 000 words

Genre: Romance

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Synopsis

The past never stays buried forever.


John Faimu is an Australian-Samoan police officer who deals with hurt kids every day. He loves what he does, but he’s tired of the grind of shift work, and of trying to find a balance between his job, his family, and the young man who straddles the increasingly blurry line between both.

Caleb Fletcher was the teenager John saved from a cult eight long years ago, and he’s now the young man John wants in ways that neither of them should risk.

Eight years after his rescue, Caleb is still struggling with PTSD and self-harm. John has always been his rock, but now Caleb wants more. Can he convince John to cross a line and love him the way they both crave? And when the monsters from Caleb’s past come back seeking to silence him for good, will John’s love be enough to save him?

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is an mm gay romance featuring hurt/comfort, first times, found family, and angst with a happy ending.

Author Visit

Hi, everyone. I’m Lisa! Thank you so much for having me here today, and letting me talk a little about my newest release, The Parable of the Mustard Seed.

Whenever I’m writing a book, supporting characters have a way of wandering in and stealing scenes. I have a lot of love for the supporting characters in The Parable of the Mustard Seeds, from Caleb’s dad Darren, to John’s entire family and his says-what-she-thinks colleague Liz. But I think that maybe my favourite supporting character in this book is Cricket the dog.

Cricket is the shelter dog Caleb gets as an early birthday present from his dad, and he and John go and pick up on one of John’s days off. Anyone who follows my social media knows of my love of dogs and cats, and some of Cricket’s mannerisms (and her favourite way to play) were definitely borrowed from Daisy, my lab. Except (sorry, Daisy!) Cricket is a lot smarter.

Cricket is a seven-month old red kelpie, an Australian breed of dog that some of my readers might not be familiar with. Kelpies are smart, and fast, and they’re working dogs, which means that if you are going to have one as a pet, you need to keep them active and engaged. They’re also incredibly loyal and protective, and they love socialising. If you walk towards Caleb’s back fence, you’ll get a face like this one looking back at you:

I don’t know what it is about the dogs I put in books. For some reason, the darker the book and the more damaged the character, the more likely they are to have a dog. Maybe it’s an unconscious consolation prize, or an apology: “Sorry I did such horrible things to you. Here, this puppy will make it better.”

For all that I’ve given characters dogs before, I think this is the first time I’ve acknowledged in the actual book what they’re there for. Cricket is unashamedly a dog who can help Caleb to heal, and to give him the motivation to get through each day—sometimes being responsible for a pet is the push it takes to get out of bed—but Cricket also brings Caleb pure joy:

Fifteen minutes later, with an armful of dog food, treats, toys, and Cricket’s favourite blanket, John pushed the door open with difficulty. Caleb and Cricket followed him, Cricket tangling herself on her leash.

“Hope she doesn’t pee in my car,” John said.

“Can I sit in the back with her?” Caleb asked him, wearing a smile bigger than any John had seen on him in months. Maybe longer.
“Sure.”

They drove to the beach, and John laughed while Caleb paddled in the shallows with a very dubious Cricket. Dainty little girl didn’t like to get her paws wet. Not at first, anyway, but it didn’t take her long to change her mind.

John sat on the beach and watched as Caleb and Cricket splashed around. It was good to see Caleb happy. Carefree. His hair shone in the sunlight. The water glittered.

Afterward, they found a tap up on the grass, and Caleb washed his feet then cupped his hands so Cricket could drink. He was still smiling.

“Thanks, John,” he said. “Thanks for doing this.”

In this story, Cricket might be the rescue dog, but she’s rescuing Caleb at the same time.

Excerpt

Fucking hospitals.

John scrubbed his knuckles over his scalp. He felt more tired now than he had for a long time, and it wasn’t just the shift work. It was Caleb, and this place, and the knowledge that they’d been here before and they would be here again. Different hospitals, different beds, different scratchy blankets and too-cold air conditioning, but all of them stuck in the same old cycle.

Eight years of this.

It wasn’t always this dramatic. Most of the time it didn’t end in a hospital. Most of the time it was increasingly erratic behaviour. It was risk-taking. It was subtle and pervasive, but John knew how to read the signs. He’d talked Caleb down from plenty of metaphorical high places before. Enough to wonder every time if he was only delaying the inevitable. If Darren was, and the psychiatrists and psychologists were, and the pharmacists.

John sighed.

Of course it felt hopeless. It was almost three in the morning and he was sitting in a fucking hospital. Shit always felt dire in the middle of the night.

John reached out and brushed his fingertips against the back of Caleb’s right hand. His skin was cold to the touch, his fingers white and bloodless. Several of his knuckles were grazed. The wounds weren’t fresh.

Darren had said last week that Caleb had punched a wall. Out of nowhere. No warnings signs, no meltdown, just a sudden, furious burst of anger that had broken over him. And afterward, Darren said, when Caleb was sitting on the floor nursing an icepack, he’d refused to talk about it.

Sometimes even Caleb didn’t know what the fuck was happening in his head.

John’s fingertips brushed the wrinkled edge of the tape that held the canula in the back of Caleb’s hand. The plastic tape was dry and rough.

“I bleed and you’re here.”

Fuck.

John straightened and turned his face toward Caleb’s. His face was pale, his lips colourless. Dark circles carved out hollows under his eyes.

“Your dad called me,” John said. “He’s on his way.”

Caleb’s gaze dropped away.

John leaned closer and frowned. “What the fuck are you doing, mate?”

“Bad night.” Caleb pressed his lips into a thin white line.

“Were you clubbing?” John gestured at his clothes: dark jeans, a tight shirt, and—what were the kids calling them these days?—expensive kicks.

Caleb inspected the bandages on his arm. “Yeah.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Caleb.” John was always there to pick up the pieces, but he didn’t coddle Caleb. He never had, not even at the start. “You think I drove all the way here to listen to you lie to me?”

“I was with a guy.” Caleb flinched as he said it.

“Were you safe?”

Caleb’s gaze faltered. “I was with a guy.”

“So you said.” John wondered what reaction Caleb had been expecting. “Were you safe?”

Caleb nodded, turning his face away.

John studied him for a moment, unsure how to react. A part of him was afraid to react at all in case any reaction was an overreaction. Caleb wasn’t coming out as gay—he’d done that at nineteen—but by admitting to a sexual encounter he was coming out in another way: Caleb was coming out as human being who wanted to be touched. A human being with sexual needs. This was a big step. The biggest in a long time. Nobody had expected him to remain celibate forever; nobody thought that was remotely healthy. But fuck, this big step had turned into a hell of a stumble, hadn’t it? Caleb was in freefall.

John reached out and squeezed Caleb’s shoulder. “Did this guy try something? Something you didn’t want to do?”

“No.” Caleb shifted. His worried gaze found John again. “No, it was me, not him.”

John nodded.

“We went to a hotel.” Caleb’s gaze slipped away again. “He said I was a slut.” His voice hitched. “Said I was bad.”

John moved his hand from Caleb’s shoulder to his cheek. Caleb was still so cold. “If you tell me he was being a prick, I’ll track the fucker down.”

“The way he said it, I was supposed to like it. Wasn’t his fault.” Caleb closed his eyes. “I didn’t even mind, not much, not when he was there.”

John sighed. “What happened when he left?”

Caleb shuddered. “When he left, all I could hear in my head was Ethan.”

John tensed, and tried not to let Caleb feel it.

“So loud,” Caleb sighed.

John withdrew his hand. “Look at me.”

Caleb opened his eyes.

“Next time you hear Ethan Gray in your head, you don’t listen to him.” John shook his head. “You call you dad, or your doctor, or you call me, doesn’t matter what time, you call me and I will be there. You understand me?”

Caleb jerked his chin in a nod.

“You don’t cut yourself, Caleb.” John frowned. “You understand me?”

“Okay,” Caleb murmured.

The worst part, John knew, was that Caleb meant it, and would go on meaning it right up until the next time he was holding a blade against his wrists.

You’ll break my heart one day, Caleb Fletcher, I know you will.

John forced a smile. “Okay.”

Caleb sighed and closed his eyes.

John watched him until he fell asleep, then got up and hunted down a blanket.

Purchase at Amazon

Meet the Author

 

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn't know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she's too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Lisa has been published since 2012, and was a LAMBDA finalist for her quirky, awkward coming-of-age romance Adulting 101, and a Rainbow Awards finalist for 2019’s Anhaga.

You can connect with her here:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail | Instagram

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Blog Tour: International Banker, Beach Boy (City Country #3) by Mia Terry

Today's the final blog stop for International Banker, Beach Boy (City Country #3)! Celebrate with author Mia Terry and Vibrant Promotions! Discover more about the latest from the series!

International Banker, Beach Boy

City Country Series, Book 3

Mia Terry

M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 12.6.19

Cover Designer - Reese Dante

Blurb

A new m/m romance set around the beautiful beaches of Byron Bay, Australia.

Oliver Gilsworth is getting a much-needed beach holiday ahead of taking the next preordained step his life of privilege demands of him.

Rhys Clark has finally settled into his laid-back life of very early retirement from international surfing competition.

When Ollie meets his surf instructor, sparks immediately begin to fly, but neither man is particularly interested in a brief holiday fling, and for either of them to change course at this point in his life is impossible. Or, is it?

May contain traces of Byron Bay craziness and hot men swimming naked in pools. The final book in the Country City series but can definitely be read as a standalone. 

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082GLYLQQ

Series Link: http://bit.ly/CityCountrySeries

Excerpt

Everything in the place was designed to be enjoyed—and clearly, really-really enjoyed—by having sex on it. From the round couch, in the middle of the living room, that would fit either an enthusiastic couple or three or four participants, and the long bench seat in the multi-showerhead shower, they had designed this place for hedonism.

Probably there would be a good-looking guy among the guests who would be interested in hooking up and making the most of the facilities provided. The only problem was, as of about a year ago, Ollie had become a lot pickier about the casual sex thing. He’d never been indiscriminate about his partners, but he’d also not turned down a good time if the mood, and the standard of the man offering, appealed to him. However, about a year ago, something inside him had shifted, and being with a gorgeous guy for just the night became something he just wasn’t as interested in anymore. Maybe it was because the conquests had come easily for him in the past, maybe it was watching one of his best friends find real love, but his interest in one-night stands had dried up.

He had a horrible feeling that by the end of the weekend he was going to be really sick of the glowing happiness of his in-love friends. What might normally be a joyful thing to observe and usually even a little bit #lifegoals, possibly by the end of the week would just end up being a reminder of his perpetually single state. And there could be no denying it, both Jai and Luke, and Billy and Kris were absolutely sickeningly in love.

Well, at least if he was going to be jealous of other people’s happiness, and Ollie well knew of just how petty that thought sounded as it echoed through his brain, he would be jealous in lovely surrounds.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Terry grew up in what could be loosely termed rural Australia. However, she has to admit that the beachside town where she currently lives has more coffee shops and cultural events than many inner-city suburbs.

“My characters break free of the coffee shop scene more bravely than me. In their more remote rural settings, they get to experience the beauty and challenges that come from living in Australia's rural heart.

It provides them with a unique and challenging backdrop where they can connect and fall in love. The City/ Country series also shows the sometimes dirty, often sexy, fun that two hot Australian men can have.

I love reading m/m romance and I have adored writing it. I hope the readers enjoy the journeys of my different characters just as much as I did.”

Social media links

facebook.com/miaterryauthor

instagram.com/miaterryauthor

Review: Furborn by Isabelle Rowan

Foxes are vermin.

Australian sheep farmers regard them as an enemy to be shot on sight and hung from the branches of an old gum tree.

But not all foxes are just foxes.

Connor Coutts could be the last surviving male Furborn in Victoria, maybe in the whole country, a heavy burden for a teenager. His life’s path is clear— protect what’s left of the Furborn line. That is until someone new arrives at the MacKenzie sheep farm. Spencer MacKenzie, with his long black hair and gothic style, is a strange sight in Connor’s forest, but Fate throws the two teenagers together to save their families.

Can Connor trust Spencer to keep his life-or-death secret, or will he hang on the tree?

If a thoughtful YA with a shifter theme is ringing your bell, then this might catch your interest!

Set in Australia where urban meets rural clashes with nature, what no one knows is that there’s fox shifters inhabiting the national forest whose kind (along with regular foxes) are systematically being killed due to their predatory instincts that directly go against the local farmers in the area.

Spencer’s family has moved from the city to his grandparents to help the family business of raising sheep, and he’s confronted with some well established and unsaid rules - foxes are the enemy when it comes to keeping the sheep safe and they’re free game to those who want to hunt. When Spencer spies a familiar figure from his childhood in the nearby woods, he can’t help but be intrigued by the strange teen who stirs all sorts of unknown feels within.

Conner (a Furborn) is quickly and sadly becoming a rarity amongst his own kind, with very few loved ones remaining. He feels the burden of responsibility to protect who’s left and has no time for forming friendships, especially with the newest inhabitants at the Mackenzies. However, when Conner gets injured, his life is suddenly more complicated than ever as circumstance intertwines it with Spencer’s, and Conner has no choice but to rely on those who are basically deemed the enemy.

This has typical teen angst about the first stirrings of sexuality, the anxiety regarding coming out, and those tentative steps towards exploring lust and perhaps more. Vivid imagery with a light spiritual tone abounds, as Rowan can definitely color the atmosphere and setting. Conner is a stalwart kind of character, practical and literal and always putting others first, always doing what must be done. Spencer is simply navigating his teen life, sorting out feelings and all the amazing revelations that come with knowing Conner.

Again, circumstance forces these two together in a mutually joint effort that’s ultimately wholly necessary. Can they eventually be the much needed support that each needs when they’re confronted with their own personal crisis?

Despite an underlying melancholy to this and its chaste romantic progression, please don’t be put off by that because this does end on a hopeful wistful note. Bridging tradition and the need for some progression for improved survival and happiness, change is not necessarily a bad thing and often, it can aid happiness and healing a tragic painful past.

Overall, if you don’t mind tame YA and desire a bit of a twist regarding shifters, then give this a go!

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Crossing the Touchline (Auckland Med. #2) by Jay Hogan

What if you’ve worked your whole life for a dream, to play rugby for the most successful sports team on the planet, the New Zealand All Blacks?

What if that dream is so close you can smell it?

What if you meet someone?

What if you fall in love?

What if your dream will cost the man who’s stolen your heart?

And what if the dream changes?

Reuben Taylor has a choice to make.

Cameron Wano is that choice.

DNF

My grandmother has a saying when she's unsure about a new recipe: "it has good stuff in it"! ™

This book has good stuff in it including an athlete who's built like a brick shithouse and a femme and self-proclaimed sassy guyliner wearing love interest. Plus, they're really into each other which has its appeal. There's a slight age difference too!

That's size difference, age difference, femme guy, closeted athlete in a sports romance for the folks keeping track at home, all of which are my kryptonite. So this, by all rights, should've been a feast. But sometimes you can have the creme de la creme of ingredients and it still doesn't turn out like you want it to.

Unfortunately, Crossing the Touchline rapidly deflated like a soufflé for me.

I wanted to like it. Heck, I wanted to LOVE it.

But some things made that challenging and I know myself well enough to know that if I continue I'll nitpick this thing until it looks in the neighborhood of this:

No one needs that, ammiright?

However, I will list some of the things that bothered me in no particular order:

The internal dialogues of both Cam and Reuben, both of which I found grating.
The dearth of emotional maturity on both of their parts.
They sound, and even to a certain extent, think almost exactly the same.
The squirreling.
The info dumps.
Cam's "sassy" comes across as more dickish.
There was this pervasive sense that this story was trying too hard which made it feel clunky and stilted.

Perhaps things improve as the story evolves but, like I said, I've no wish to pick this thing apart on the off-chance it doesn't nor do I wish to negatively review a new author.

Obviously, my opinions are my own and YMMV.

An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Release Blitz: Blackwood (Perth Shifters #1) by Pia Foxhall

Celebrate the paranormal release Blackwood (Perth Shifters #1) with author Pia Foxhall and Signal Boost Promotions!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Length: 93,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Tiferet Design

Blurb

In a world that is still getting used to shifters, where everyone thinks omegas are second class citizens, nature photographer and omega Braden Payne lets everyone think he’s a beta. That way no one gives him a hard time and he doesn’t have to live a repeat of his failed relationship. But when his car breaks down in the remote Blackwood forest in Western Australia, without the medication that lets him hide who he is, he’s faced with what he fears most: an unmated alpha.


Government forest guardian and alpha Coll MacDubhar is tired of illegal loggers, foolish tourists and people who underestimate the wilds of Western Australia. He discovers Braden lost and in need of medical assistance in the forest he protects and knows something’s not right.


But there’s hidden depths to Braden that capture his interest, and no decent alpha would walk away when Braden’s unwelcome past comes to visit.

Author Bio

Pia Foxhall is a queer, nonbinary and disabled Australian author who lives in the most isolated major city in the world – Perth, Western Australia – with two rescue cats. Much of their time writing is spent working on the Patreon-supported Fae Tales serial, a dark fantasy BDSM erotica epic that has been in production for many years. They’ve always been fascinated with all types of trauma recovery stories, and they like their character’s comfort to be earned, and the growth to feel real, and need a happy ending after that trauma recovery!

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