Release Blitz + Giveaway: Confessions of a Gay Curmudgeon by Andy V. Ambrose

Celebrate the release of Confessions of a Gay Curmudgeon with author Andy V. Ambrose and IndiGo Marketing! Learn more about the contemporary confessional and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit today!

Title: Confessions of a Gay Curmudgeon

Author: Andy V. Ambrose

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: September 2, 2019

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: No Romance

Length: 62100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, contemporary, humorous, gay, diary, dating, confessional, therapy, family drama

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Synopsis

Confessions of a Gay Curmudgeon recounts the adventures of Viktor, a fifty-year-old gay man in New York City trying to get back into the land of the living after the breakup of a twelve-year relationship.

Complaining into his digital diary, Viktor wrestles with negotiating the dating scene, dealing with new corporate bosses, and his friends’ stories of sexual misadventures and taking him to places to meet eligible new partners who he doesn’t find very eligible at all.

Trying to distance himself from his family and immigrant roots to build a new life, he finds it easier said than done. And even his therapist doesn’t seem to understand him. But perhaps most important, his former lover Gio is on his mind.

Funny and moving, the novel examines the lives of a group of middle-aged gay men, exploring new facets of their sexuality while dealing with all the changes middle age brings.

Excerpt

Confessions of a Gay Curmudgeon
Andy V. Ambrose © 2019
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One
Saturday Afternoon—Floundering

My erections aren’t what they used to be.

Well, Dr. S told me to write about the first thing that comes into my mind, so it’s what I’m doing. “Don’t think. Just write,” he said. “Stop censoring yourself, Viktor. This will help you in your therapy too, Viktor.”

Okay, okay. If that’s what the shrink ordered, let’s see if this works. We’re supposed to listen to our shrinks, right? That’s their job, right? They know how to get us out of whatever fucking funk we’re in, right?

So here we go. I’m writing about the first thing that comes to my mind and it’s my erections. Here it is, a lovely Saturday afternoon, sun shining, snow melting, spring a’coming, a perfect time to enjoy life. And what am I doing? Sulking in my apartment obsessing about my cock.

Hell of a problem to have on a day like today, isn’t it? Shit, be honest, Viktor. You’re supposed to be honest with this writing thing, aren’t you? That was Dr. S’s other directive, wasn’t it? Honesty. He was full of directives last session, wasn’t he? Oh well, maybe I need some directives.

So where was I? Oh yes. Gorgeous day, shitty mood, focusing on my cock when I should be enjoying life.

Oh, come on. It’s not just about my cock. I know that. After all, I did my share of screwing around when I was younger. Not that I was the biggest stud around in my heyday, but during those few glorious weeks my sex life got going, I learned how to have a good time. Yes, I did! But then I met Gio and fell in love. And he fell in love with me. And we had twelve years of bliss—more or less—until he left me last year.

And I’ve been floundering ever since. Floundering? Ha! Flopping around is more like it. So I’ve been seeing Dr. S—ahem, Dr. Singsirinavin—I’ve been seeing him to help me out of this predicament. Seems like a nice enough guy, serious, quiet, with a scrawny body and a bit of an accent, though I’ll be damned if I know from where exactly. These shrinks never tell you anything about themselves, do they? I’ve been seeing Dr. S for a year already, and you would think by now I’d have an idea, but I don’t. To tell the truth, I don’t have much of an idea about anything, including whether he’s helping me.

But I’m trying. Goddamn it, I’m trying, you’ve got to give me that. Didn’t put all my eggs in one basket, either. Went to my primary-care guy too, to complain about my cock. Dr. Agnostulopolini. Different accent, different mystery country. Had to change doctors when my cheapo company switched insurances and I had to find someone new. He doesn’t know anything about me and doesn’t seem to care, either. Every time I ask a question, the side of his face twitches like he’s having a stroke. “Doctor,” I said last time, “my libido seems to have disappeared.”

“You know, it does fall off with age,” he says. Translation: you’re getting old.

“But not this suddenly, Doctor. Could it be the new blood pressure medicine you prescribed?” Translation: Fuck you. Don’t give me that you’re-getting-old shit. I’m fifty. That’s not old.

“This medicine shouldn’t cause a drop-off in libido.” Translation: I’m the doctor. I know what I’m talking about.

“But then what could be causing it?” Translation: Fuck you. I’m the patient. It’s my libido.

And on and on. Dr. A suggested other medications, maybe talking to Dr. S about an anti-depressant. Sure, pump me full of chemicals. Is that all the medicos care about? They want me docile and uncomplaining. As long as my numbers on their medical charts look good, they think they’re a success. No matter what I think.

Well, fuck them. It’s my life, and I’ll screw it up the way I want to. Not according to the way they think I should do it.

Oh, I have to stop complaining and get myself out of this funk. No one else is going to do it for me, least of all the good doctors. I know that. It’s my life, and I better get it going again before it’s too late! But how? How, fucking how?

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords

Meet the Author

Andy V Ambrose grew up in the Boston area and moved to New York City after college. He worked in book publishing for many years, wearing many hats: Editorial, Copyediting, Proofreading, and Production. This is his first novel featuring Viktor, a fifty-year-old gay man trying to get back into the world of the living after the end of a twelve-year relationship. To relax, Andy loves to ride his bike, read, watch foreign and independent movies, and travel. He’s only made it to three continents so far but hopes to visit the rest soon. He lives in New York City.

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Giveaway

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Blog Tour + Giveaway: Single White Incubus by E.J. Russell

Author E.J. Russell and Riptide Publishing are here to celebrate the release of Single White Incubus! The author shares about tabloid fodder, some info about her new paranormal romance and a giveaway: one lucky winner can win $25 Riptide credit and an ecopy of Cutie and the Beast! Comment on the blog today to enter!

About Single White Incubus

Does a bear shift in the woods?

Well, partially. That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection — which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win.

Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen.

But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.

Available from Riptide Publishing.

About Supernatural Selection

Are you a shifter who’s lost faith in fated mates? A vampire seeking a Second Life companion? Or perhaps you’re a demon yearning to claim a soul (mate)?

Congratulations! Your search is over!

Welcome to Supernatural Selection, where our foolproof spells guarantee your perfect match.

Until they don’t.

Check out Supernatural Selection today.

Author Visit

Tabloid Fodder

Tabloid newspapers mystify me. I suppose they shouldn’t. I mean humankind’s fascination with the scandalous, macabre, and unbelievable has been around probably since cave painting days. But the incredible scope of the salacious and the juxtaposition of scary text and scarier photos, all presented in the supermarket checkout line? Sometimes I just can’t even…

I remember one cover from years ago, probably the in late seventies or early eighties. The cover had a single photograph—a picture of Doris Day on what had clearly not been her best…er…day. The giant headline, sprawled across the page above her picture read, “Scientists Discover Proof of Life After Death!”

*cue side-eye*

The headline and the picture had nothing to do with one another, but if I were Doris, I’d have been a tad peeved.

In Cutie and the Beast, David brings a couple of tabloids into Alun’s office as an attempt to lighten things up, and is skeptical that anyone would believe their outrageous claims.

Hate to burst your bubble, David, but people do read those things. My grandparents—fundamentalist Christians, and the most hard-headed, pragmatic of Midwestern farmers—actually subscribed to one. And the things people are willing to believe now? Ooorg. Don’t get me started.

Tabloid headlines came up in conversation between CH and me and a couple of our married friends. The husband was whooping over a headline he’d just seen: “Cheating Wife’s Head Explodes!” Months later, the same couple was coming over to our place for dinner, and as I stood in line at the grocery store, I added the only tabloid I’ve ever purchased to my cart. The headline?

“Cheating Husband’s Head Explodes!”

I presented it to our friends at dinner, and the husband was gobsmacked that stories and headlines apparently get recycled. But hey—when it’s a slow news day, you have to dig out the tried-and-true staples, right? In any case, nobody could accuse tabloid journalists of subtlety or strict adherence to scientific fact.

That’s probably why Bat Boy and Bigfoot make regular appearances—and why tabloids are one of the biggest dangers to the supe community in my Mythmatched universe (the story world comprising the Fae Out of Water and Supernatural Selection trilogies).

In Single White Incubus, Ted is treading on thin ice by continuing his friendship with Matt, the photographer whose “Bigfoot” photos of Ted in partial shift got Ted in trouble with the council in the first place. Because if tabloids will print anything they think will increase sales, somebody might take it seriously enough to dig deeper and uncover the truth about the secret supernatural society hidden in plain sight in the human world.

There’s that danger that somebody will believe, as the first Men in Black movie told us (because if Tommy Lee Jones says it, it’s gotta be true), that tabloids contain the best investigative journalism on the planet.

About E.J. Russell

E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business-intelligence consultant. After her twin sons left for college and she no longer spent half her waking hours ferrying them to dance class, she returned to her childhood love of writing fiction. Now she wonders why she ever thought an empty nest meant leisure.

E.J. lives in rural Oregon with her curmudgeonly husband, the only man on the planet who cares less about sports than she does. She enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Connect with E.J.:

Website: ejrussell.com

Blog: ejrussell.com/bloggery/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/E.J.Russell.author

Twitter: twitter.com/ej_russell

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ejrussell/

To celebrate the release of Single White Incubus, one lucky person will win a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card and an ecopy of Cutie and the Beast, the first title in the Fae Out of Water series! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 27, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Review: Balancing Act by Angie Barry

In a world where even the Greek gods have to earn a paycheck, former lovers Adonis and Narcissus make a bet on who will be the first to successfully seduce the newest intern at Olympus Air: Ganymede. But seduction isn't so simple when old feelings are far from faded and new realizations come to light, leaving the two men confused as to who and what they really want.

Have I mentioned I'm a mythology geek? Greek mythology to be exact.

The moment I saw this cover and the tags...I jumped at the chance to read.  I'll admit, I barely read the blurb. Modern Greek mythology MM doesn't grow on trees. And bonus...it's menage!

New-to-me and new author Angie Barry took classic mythology characters, Adonis, Narcissus and Ganymede and put them in today's world. Adonis is an up-and-coming fashion model who is in love with his currently off again lover Narcissus, the world renowned artist. Narcissus is happy playing the field. He doesn't understand why Adonis can't get with the program...though out of all the lovers he's had, he can't get Adonis off his mind. At a party they see Ganymede and make a bet, who could get with Ganymede first. So they both make a play for the younger man. Ah but who gets played in the end?

Adonis' angst was my favorite part. Because it's relatable and being inside his head was I think the author's best moments of this story. The words and quotes, not something that's going to blow you across the world, but quietly powerful in a way.

"I know who I am because I know who he is because I know what we are when we're together."

And get this? The author made the characters multicultural. And it wasn't a big deal. And it was so cool how they slipped in. Scored major points for me.

While I really enjoyed the tale, it's short. And reads rushed at parts especially toward the end. Ganymede is supposed to the glue to bring the former lovers together. And he does an okay job. He seems to have a handle of both men pretty well. But the off scene parts where he got to understand each man so quickly, reads too quickly.

Granted, the story ends more with a hopeful, HFN end. For the length, it is very fitting. But I wish that either this trio would be explored more or this story maybe could be expanded on, more with Ganymede's thoughts. (I get there is a twist - I saw it a mile away) It was a cute one.

Readable? Definitely.

I enjoyed all the characters even the vain Narcissus (what else would he have been) LOL

I'll keep an eye out for more from this author in the future. I liked the tone.

For more on Goodreads or Booklikes! 

A copy provided via Netgalley for an honest review.

Review: The Dating Game by Jay Northcote

Five sex-free dates—how hard can it be?

When they were at uni, Owen always had a bit of a crush on Nathan. But Nathan was apparently straight, and Owen was too busy with other guys to take his crush seriously.

When Nathan moves back to Bristol after a year away, Owen hears that Nathan has come out of the closet, and he propositions him. Nathan doesn’t want to be just another notch on Owen’s bedpost, though, so he challenges Owen to prove he can be serious: five dates before they have sex.

Owen doesn’t think that sounds too difficult. He’s expecting Nathan to find his charms irresistible anyway. But as they grow closer, Owen begins to care more about proving himself to Nathan than he does about getting him into bed.

Owen has a well earned reputation for being a bed-hopper. Wham, bam, thank you Stan is his style - not dating. When Nathan, the 'straight' guy he fancied at university, moves back to Bristol and Owen hears that he's not so straight these days, he tries it on. Nathan is interested in Owen - just not in becoming another notch on Owen's bedpost. Five dates is the challenge he sets Owen, one a week, before they get down and dirty. Owen accepts, certain Nathan will give in to his charms before five weeks is up.

I liked this book, it made me smile. Although Owen has a reputation as a bed-hopper (and yes, it was earned) he really does like Nathan as more than just a potential shag. Owen was actually very endearing. He joked with Nathan but he didn't push him, he accepted the parameters of the bet, even though he longed for more. Nathan was lovely. Shy, slower at recognising/admitting that his feelings tended more to men than women, he was a really nice bloke. Nice can sometimes be a bit of a death-word when describing a character, yet it wasn't. He wasn't bland or boring, he was sweet and considerate.

The dates were fun. From that slightly awkward first date with all it's questions (am I over/under dressed? Am I boring? Where should we go? Do we kiss? etc. etc.) to the well planned, personalised second, third, fourth & fifth dates. I enjoyed them all.

It's quite a skill describing five dates and not have them become repetitive and boring. I loved the hill walking. That Owen had thought about what Nathan would like and taken him 'home' to Wales. I liked the fact that it was reciprocated with the indoor wall climbing. This wasn't just a quick meal and visit to the pictures, these guys thought about each other when planning these dates. Thoughtful dates were thoughtful and I dug that a lot. I very much like Jay Northcote's descriptions in the climbing date...made me think I might need to take it up as a hobby. (Or some kind of climbing pervert observer, you know to check the ropes were all fitted properly and stuff)...but I digress.

The only thing that kind of irked me was the disagreement the MC's had. Although it was sorted quickly and remained relatively angst free, it was the only part that I got a bit annoyed with. I know some conflict was needed, but miscommunication is a trope I generally find irritating. That said, it didn't bother me enough to stop reading or give it a low rating.

I think, when you pick up a Jay Northcote book you know you are in for a world of sweet fun. A couple of hours of wonderful escapism, with characters that are just lovely. If you're looking a for a simple, fun, and happy read, then this is the one for you.

The dating Game is due to be released on September 22, 2014, and you can pre-order here. 

To find out more, go to Goodreads.

A copy of this book was provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.