Series Tour + Giveaway: The Vampire Guard Series by Elizabeth Noble

 

Author Elizabeth Noble and Gay Book Promotions host today's tour stop for The Vampire Guard Series (books #1-3)! Don't miss new release info on the latest from the series, Endosymbiont (The Vampire Guard #3)! Plus, the author hosts a giveaway for $10 Amazon Gift Cards (2 winners)!

NEW RELEASE AND SERIES TOUR

Welcome to The Vampire Guard, where legend and myth meet science and technology.

 Vampires and werewolves live long lives. The Sleepless City saga might have ended but the story continues…

 Vampires make the best spies. Throw a smart-mouthed werewolf in with three vampires, mix well, and The Vampire Guard's newest team is bound to become one of their greatest assets. Super spies with a full range of skills. Warrior, hacker, thief, and scientist. They get in, do the job and get out before the bad guys ever know what hit them.

 They employ a combination of supernatural powers and cutting-edge technology to hunt down terrorists, thieves, biological weapons… and sometimes even their fellow vampires and werewolves. An eclectic organization comprised of individuals with diverse personalities, backgrounds, and abilities, this guard has bite—and they’re not afraid to use it.

Author and Publisher: Elizabeth Noble

Cover Artist: TL Bland

Genres: Paranormal thriller, Spyfi, Espionage, Scifi & Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, LGBTQ Fantasy 

Tropes: Band of Brothers, Fated Mates, Humanity is Dangerous, Immortality, Mad Scientist, Secret Society, Vampires, Werewolves

Themes: Heroes who don’t know how to quit; justice always lawful

BOOK DETAILS

BOOK 1

Vampires make the best spies.

Book Title: Code Name Jack Rabbit (The Vampire Guard Book 1)

Length: 71 000 words/200 pages

Heat Rating: 3-4 flames

Release Date: January 12, 2021 (2nd Edition)

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Book Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Blurb 

Vampires and werewolves live long lives. The Sleepless City saga might have ended but the story continues…

Welcome to the Vampire Guard, where legend and myth meet science and technology.

Vampires make the best spies. Throw a smart-mouthed werewolf in with three vampires, mix well, and The Vampire Guard's newest team is bound to become one of their greatest assets. Super spies with a full range of skills. Warrior, hacker, thief, and scientist. They get in, do the job, and get out before the bad guys ever know what hit them.

Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas are thrust into the world of high-tech spies and top-secret espionage conspiracies. Recruited into the world’s most elite and secret organization with one singular mission. Protect those who can’t defend themselves from ruin.

Together they must thwart an assassination attempt on the open waters of Lake Superior while tracking a previously unknown biological weapon controlled by the Qiguan—a weapon which may very well mean death for one of them. 

BOOK 2

And this time it’s personal.

Book Title: Quarry (The Vampire Guard Book 2)

Length: 66 300 words/ 185 pages

Release Date: May 18, 2021 (2nd Edition)

Heat Rating: 1-2 flames

It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK   

Blurb 

Four members of The Vampire Guard—Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas—face a dangerous and elusive enemy. And this time, it’s personal.

When massive tech outages impact everything from Wi-Fi to traffic control, Blair, Forge, Declan, and Lucas think it’s a simple matter of catching troublesome hackers. But they quickly realize far more is at stake.

Millions of dollars in art are the target of a thief who’s not afraid to kill---and he’s no stranger. Not only has he escaped capture, twice, a decade ago, but he’s had a hand in life-altering tragedies throughout their lifetimes.

Once it becomes clear that art theft is just a fraction of his plan for mass destruction, they realize time is running out. The clock’s ticking. Catastrophe is imminent. Can they find and disarm all the bombs in time or will countless lives be lost?

BOOK 3 - NEW RELEASE

A werewolf and seven vampires are all that stand between the world and complete annihilation.

Book Title: Endosymbiont (The Vampire Guard Book 3)

Length: 63 000 words/ 180 pages

Release Date: May 4, 2022 

Heat Rating: 1-2 flames

Goodreads

Buy Links  

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Blurb 

When Kai Richter and Ori Bier met, sparks flew.

Then a train blew up.

Tracking an organism deadly to not only humans, but vampires and werewolves alike, brings Kai and Ori into The Vampire Guard. Decades later, they, along with Operative Team Jack Rabbit, come face to face with the horrors that same virus produces. Dead bodies are coming back to life, and rational people are becoming violent and brutal killers.

A massacre is taking place nearly a mile under the Atlantic Ocean. Two teams of The Vampire Guard are in the thick of it, fighting to survive.

Excerpt from Endosymbiont

“How do werewolves fit into this grand plan?” Ori asked. “When we first began chasing Sauer, he was collecting tissue samples and blood from werewolves too.”

“And humans,” Kai added.

“I’ve been giving that some thought as well,” Lucas began. “Both vampires and werewolves are more powerful than humans, but in different ways. As a species each has slightly different skill sets than humans. A werewolf is born, unlike a vampire. They have strong family and pack ties, so recruiting them as soldiers would likely fail unless it was something an individual wanted to do. Getting large numbers to join up for a cause outside a pack would be difficult, if not impossible. Yes, there might be German packs siding with the Nazis, but there would be an equal number, or more, of packs from other regions willing to fight on the opposing side. However, if there was a way to incorporate werewolf attributes to enhance vampires, that would be valuable if the goal were to create a super soldier.”

“Werewolves have, historically, fought in wars. However, as a group they fared much better, particularly afterward. Because of their pack system, soldiers returning from battle have a phenomenal support system. They don’t have the homelessness and mental health problems many human soldiers do,” Ori chimed in. “Humans are only now beginning to catch up to werewolf mental health.”

Lucas nodded. “Another desirable quality for a super soldier. Mental and emotional stability. There’s also the possibility he was hoping to create more than one generation of super soldiers by incorporating werewolves. I’m starting to think this guy had a clear idea of what he wanted, but not how to achieve it.”

“And then somewhere along the way in his quest to create some sort of super soldier, Sauer discovers an organism that can be weaponized,” Jonas said.

“There’s a gap in the research. A jump from analyzing the three species to what we’re dealing with now,” Lucas said. “I’m guessing the biological weapon is still a fairly new idea. Eighty years ago there simply wasn’t the technology to make this thing useful. However, as a group, scientists are hoarders and packrats. We never really throw anything away.”

“And once an idea is out there, it never goes away,” Jonas added and grinned.

“Sauer became a vampire at some point, and I bet it didn’t take long for him to realize all he had to do was hang around and wait for technology to catch up to his ideas,” Sophia said. “He might’ve been a horrible and evil man, but he certainly wasn’t stupid.”

One of the computers started chirping.

“This place is annoying,” Kai grumbled.

Blair wheeled his chair away from the table to the terminal. “It’s a heat signature. A new one.”

“From where?” Ori demanded. “How would someone get into this place without us knowing.”

Shaking his head, Blair stared at one of the monitors, moving the cursor around. He did something that dulled the noise. “Whoever it is, they didn’t come from outside, they’ve been hiding. There must be pocket areas that aren’t covered by any sensors.” 

“Heat signature, so not a vampire,” Declan said.

Blair nodded. “Too high for human.” He turned to face them. “The werewolf we couldn’t account for.” He swung back to the computer when it began making a different noise. “Kruger is in his office, but the werewolf and a human is heading that way.” Moving to another computer, Blair pressed a few keys on the keyboard and the quarters Kincade and Madison occupied appeared on one of the other monitors. 

Madison was sitting on the side of his bed, reading. It was obvious by how he yawned and stretched he’d probably only recently woken up. Kincade’s room was empty.

Blair blinked at the monitor for a few seconds before he exclaimed, “How the hell did he get out? The door is locked from the outside.”

“Air vents, or maintenance shafts.” Declan like the others, was up and moving in seconds. 

Porter started issuing orders. “Kai, Declan, Forge, with Sophia.” He turned to Ori. “You stick with Blair if he has to leave this section.” 

Ori nodded. “Yes, sir.”

About the Author 

Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE lives by the adage "I can't not write." She doesn't remember a time when she didn’t make up stories and eventually she learned how to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M fiction. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural.

When she's not chronicling the adventures of her many characters, Elizabeth is a veterinary nurse living in her native Cleveland, Ohio. She has three grown children and now happily shares her little, brick house with two spunky Cardigan Welsh Corgis and their feline sidekicks. Elizabeth is a fan of baseball, basketball (go Cavs and Cleveland Baseball) and gardening. She can often be found working in her 'outside office' listening to classic rock and plotter her next novel waiting for it to be dark enough to gaze at the stars.

 Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

Author Links

Blog/Website: Emotion in Motion  |   Vampire Guard Website

Facebook  |   Facebook Author page  |  Twitter

Newsletter sign-up  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest

BookBub  |  JMS page  |  Amazon

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of two $10 Amazon Gift Cards

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Blog Tour: Whiskey and Moonshine by Elizabeth Noble

Celebrate the release of Whiskey and Moonshine with author Elizabeth Noble and Dreamspinner Press! Find out more about this contemporary May-Dec romance and read an excerpt below!

Hello and welcome to the blog tour for my latest release, Whiskey and Moonshine. A big thank you to everyone at Boy Meets Boy for hosting me today.

I love me a good glass of iced tea!

What does that fact have to do with writing books and my most recent release?

As it turns out, a fair amount.

There’s thing known as fruit tea. It’s basically fresh brewed iced tea mixed with a fruit juice of some sort. It’s not a new invention by any means and I think you can even buy instant tea with fruit flavoring. In the story, Whiskey and Moonshine, one of the characters, Colt, experiences freshly brewed fruit tea for the first time. Later this inspires him to create a line of moonshine with the same flavors. Colt, as you might’ve guessed, is the moonshine of Whiskey and Moonshine.

When I write a beverage is essential. I’m not a big drinker of alcohol, but I consume a respectable quantity of iced tea daily. I love fruit tea! I could purchase it in bottles, but I prefer to make my own. It’s better for the environment and I like my tea stronger than is usually available commercially.

I thought I’d share my recipe for a pitcher of home brewed fruit tea.

I start out with two of the family-sized tea bags that brew a gallon of tea each. I like black, caffeinated tea, but you could use whatever tea you’d like. Then I add four regular sized tea bags of orange spice tea. Again, I prefer the black tea, but there are many herbal varieties that are very good. I’ve used a tea called Constant Comment from Bigelow. Sometimes I use a seasonal flavor from The Republic of Tea that’s Blood Orange and Cranberry. Put all the tea bags in a gallon sized pitcher with sweetener or sugar to taste. I use about three-quarter cup of raw sugar. I’ve found adding the sugar when I brew the tea helps it dissolve and mix more evenly. Sometimes I throw a small cinnamon stick in as well.

Boil two quarts of water and pour that over the tea and sugar. Mix well but be gentle so the bags don’t break open. Put the top on the pitcher and let sit until cooled before removing the tea bags. Then I add some lemon and lime juice. I don’t really measure I just pour a little into the tea. Pick your favorite fruit juice—I prefer cranberry/pomegranate—and add three-quarters to one cup depending on your taste. You could obviously add more or less if you’d like. Fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water and viola!

Do you have a favorite beverage recipe, be it adult or non-alcoholic, hot or cold to share? Or a favorite beverage you enjoy at home or when you’re out? Comment below to be entered into a drawing for a free eBook. I’m offering any eBook off my backlist published 2017 or earlier. All prizes will be distributed via the Dreamspinner Press/DSP Publications webstore. A complete list of all my books can be found on my Dreamspinner Page. I’ll announce the winner in a week, so be sure to check back.

Blurb:

Drunk on love.

Like a well-aged whiskey, master distiller and old-money entrepreneur Malone Kensington is elegant and refined. Unfortunately he’s also a perfectionist who is more dedicated to the success of his generations-old company than his own love life.

That company needs a public spokesman.

What Colton Hale lacks in sophistication, he more than makes up for with the charisma that’s allowed him to survive on the street from a young age and charm his way into the lucrative—if overwhelming—public position at the Kensington Distillery. When Mal takes Colt under his wing, hoping to polish off his rough edges, opposites attract and a passionate romance blossoms despite the differences in age and background. But can it survive a Kensington Board of Directors who believe Colt is nothing but a gold digger and a kidnapper determined to profit from the love of Mal’s life—dead or alive?

Excerpt:

The elevator was full, so they had to squeeze in and squish together. Colt drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was at Mal’s side and just in front of him, so their thighs pressed together. Mal reached around, put his hand on Colt’s waist for a few seconds, and rubbed lightly before pulling it away and putting both hands in his pants pockets.

There were several stops, more people got in, and Colt was pushed even more tightly against Mal. The heat from Mal’s body warmed him even as Mal caught his breath every now and then in response to Colt’s closeness. The next time the door opened with a ding, Mal reached over Colt’s shoulder and pointed to the lobby.

“I think this is our stop.” Mal’s voice was low, husky, and sexy. He spoke into Colt’s ear, and his breath gliding across Colt’s cheek made him shiver a little. Colt nodded once and stepped out of the elevator.

The sudden loss of body heat as they crossed the lobby gave Colt a momentary chill. Compared to the crowded elevator, the spacious lobby seemed like a huge cavern, and crossing it gave Colt time to calm his body and collect his thoughts. Only dinner and listening to some music. That’s it, Colt recited silently. Nothing wrong with hoping for another kiss and being held in Mal’s strong arms.

Frank was waiting in the circular drive with the SUV. Mal opened the side door and waved Colt in ahead of him. Once the door was closed, they settled in the seats. The air-conditioning was blowing softly through the vents, keeping the interior at a pleasantly cool temperature. Colt’s heart rate was finally returning to normal.

“Pretty close in that elevator,” Mal said softly. He leaned forward and gave Frank a piece of paper. “There’s the address.”

“Yeah,” Colt croaked.

Mal chuckled. “It was not unpleasant, though.”

“No. No, it certainly was not,” Colt agreed. He shifted in his seat so he was facing Mal. “I’m really looking forward to dinner. What sort of music?”

“Where we’re going, there is all sorts of music. Live music—jazz, reggae, blues, and this is Nashville, so country. Groups of people play on the streets and in the bars. Some have been discovered that way. It’s really very exciting.” Mal did some air guitar, then grinned when Colt laughed.

Their drive wasn’t long, and the restaurant they went to was more of a big saloon. Frank took up a position at the bar while Mal and Colt sat at a nearby table.

Colt picked up the menu. It was a double-sided, laminated, thick piece of cardboard. Mal pulled it down. “Trust me?”

“You are the chef.” Colt set the menu on the table and folded both hands on top of it.

Mal signaled the waitress. She came over with two tall glasses of water with lemon wedges and took their order. When she was finished, Mal asked for two plates and the food to be brought out in serving dishes.

“Anything from the bar?” the waitress asked.

“Right now, we’ll take some fruit tea,” Mal said. It only took a few minutes before she returned with two mason jars filled with iced tea.

Colt took a sip of his, expecting the sweet tea he’d come to enjoy. “Oh wow. This is different.”

“Like it? There are fruit juices mixed in with the tea to sweeten it,” Mal explained.

Bio:

Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with others is really a dream come true. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.

Elizabeth has three grown children and is now happily owned by an adorable mixed breed canine princess, a spunky Welsh Corgi and their sidekick, tabby cat. She lives in her native northeast Ohio, the perfect place for gardening, winter and summer sports (go Tribe and Cavs!). When she's not writing she's working as a veterinary nurse, so don't be surprised to see her men with a pet or three who are a very big part of their lives.

Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.



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Warmest Wishes Advent 2018: Week 5

It's Week 5 of the Warmest Wishes Advent Stories! This week we're featuring stories from Renae Kaye, Kim Katil, Crystel Greene, Elizabeth Noble, Bru Baker and Jana Denardo!

ICYMI: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

Slow Summer Heat by Renae Kaye

Geoffrey Saxon is in his forties, a bit plump, a lot fuzzy, and rather boring in bed—and thanks to a very public breakup, everyone in his street knows it. However, what they don’t know is that Geoffrey sometimes watches his hot young neighbor, Vaughn, in the pool. Vaughn has invited Geoffrey to join his pool parties, but Geoffrey knows it’s only pity.

As if things can’t get worse, Geoffrey’s air conditioner breaks during a heat wave in Western Australia—and just before Christmas. In search of some relief, he camps out in his backyard, where he also has a prime view of Vaughn swimming… naked. When Geoffrey’s injured falling from his spying post, Vaughn comes to his rescue and Geoffrey doesn’t think he can be more horrified.

But he could be in for a sweet holiday surprise. Is he ready to take the dive?

Ann - 4.5 Hearts

This story does slow burn just right, like, exactly, perfectly right. And when slow burn is done right, it can be hotter than the porniest of porn. Geoffrey gets that and his awkwardness, sincerity and honesty make this story. Slow Summer Heat is a purely character driven story, which works really well for the shorties because the characters can be more fully fleshed out and the balance of banter and activity let me get to know Geoffrey and Vaughn. Well, Geoffrey especially. It was nice to read a story with a more mature MC and watch his ego get stroked by someone who he felt was out of his league, but who ended up being a perfect match for him. The setup made it easy to see why Geoffrey was attracted to Vaughn, but reading about the evolution of Vaughn’s attraction to Geoffrey and Geoffrey’s realization that he deserved the affection was a treat.

Season to Shimmer by Kim Katil

One morning close to the holidays, Nolan wakes up to two surprises: a distress call from his younger brother and a beautiful man in his bed. Nolan, an art gallery owner, has always been discreet about his sexuality, but when his baby brother plans to come out at the annual family gala, Nolan wants to have his back—and that means showing up with a man of his own on his arm. Nolan knows just the man for the job.

Skylar, who owns a karate studio in St. Augustine, can’t get his one-night stand out of his mind. When he runs into Nolan at his gallery he is more than happy to volunteer his services as arm candy. Out-and-proud himself with his striking blue/green hair, Skylar is all in. Their adventure means a fancy salon, family drama, lots of sex, a ninja hippo, and palm trees lit up in a very suggestive way. By the end of it, what started as a hookup might become much more.

Ann - 2.5 Hearts

I loved the idea of this one and the beginning was a seriously hot setup. But then a lot of noise happened with every other character and took away from the two MC’s and that bummed me out. The messages were well received but were delivered in the guise of telenovela drama, which if you like a bit of OTT, then you will love this. I myself appreciate subtlety a bit more, so while this story wasn’t so much for me, I can see the appeal. I liked Nolan and Skylar together, I just didn’t get a real sense of them as a couple so it was harder to buy into the HEA than it should have been.

R *A Reader Obsessed - 3 Hearts

When a pending family holiday party pushes Nolan to come out to support his younger gay brother, it also pushes Nolan to take a chance on finding some romantic love himself. Who better to be his co conspirator and quasi-fake boyfriend than the gorgeous hookup currently occupying his bed? Surely, Nolan can find some “incentive” to get Skylar to be his date.

For me, this was a bit rough around the edges in execution and dialogue. There was a lot going on here that kinda left me spinning. However, I really enjoyed the brotherly vibes and for those who need plenty of smexy, this shortie does not shirk on the goodness. The dynamic between Nolan and Skylar was great and though things moved super fast, having Christmas just around the corner was good enough for me and apparently, good enough for these two to push them in the right direction! Cheers!

Santa on the Beach by Crystel Greene

The sexy Santa and the virgin dad....

Single dad Mario, twenty-one, has finally won shared custody of his five-year-old son, Sammy. They’re spending Christmas at a Tenerife resort to celebrate. The children’s swimming instructor, Josie, is sexy and fun, and Mario can’t stop dreaming about him. But Mario has no clue how to talk to a hot guy.

With his suntan, Speedos, and rippling abs, Josie seems to be the typical jock. He’s super sweet too, and everyone loves him. But he only has eyes for the fire-eyed little dad who looks like his son’s older brother and won’t stop policing the swimming class.

Sammy would like to be a king in the hotel’s nativity play. But he’s too afraid to go anywhere without his dad.

Mario would like a holiday romance with Josie, or even a little more, but between building his tech company and trying to do his part as Sammy’s father he has missed out on a lot and is too inexperienced to know where to begin.

Luckily Santa might have just the thing for everyone on his list...

Ann - 4.5 Hearts

Santa on the Beach was so much more than I expected and I loved Mario and his story. The author managed to fit SO much nuance into a short story and it was seriously impressive. The story was told from Mario’s perspective and it was a take on young fatherhood that I had never read before. I don’t usually go for stories with kids in them and it’s only because I don’t give them a fair shake. It’s no easy feat to write a story with a believable little kid, but Crystel Greene did it and the realistic difficulties Mario had with his son Sammy were in turn heart-waming and heart-wrenching, but in the end, realistic.

Reading Mario’s perspective and the stress he felt about measuring up as an extremely young father gave me a lot of respect for his character. At the same time, his crush on Josie gave him some hard won focus on himself for a change and while he fought it pretty adorkably hard, Josie appreciated Mario for how he should be appreciated.

The depth of this story along with the lovable characters and excellent banter made me search out more of this author’s stories as soon as I finished.

Twenty-Nine Hours to Eternity by Elizabeth Noble

Being gay and pagan can make for a lonely holiday season, as Ian knows well. He’s used to celebrating alone. The last place he expects to meet a like-minded guy is at LAX during a twenty-nine-hour layover.

Ian’s never felt so comfortable or compatible with another man, even if there is an air of mystery to Race.

Race is no stranger to holiday isolation, and he decides they should seize the opportunity they’ve been given and observe the Saturnalia the way it was meant to be. A grand celebration ensues, where every moment is special and every meal a feast. The ancient traditions take on new meaning as the men find meaning in each other. But each of them has a destiny and for their paths to continue together, it’ll take a kind of magic that hasn’t been seen in centuries.

Ann - 3 Hearts

This story was truly unique and while it didn’t have a lot of world building to be able to attach to, it was still bittersweetly intriguing. The hints of the paranormal throughout are subtle at first, but make more sense as the story evolves. The blurb makes it sound bigger than what it is, the story itself is not that dramatic, but the level of detail I got worked for the length of the story. I liked Ian and Race together very much and it was obvious from their connection they were meant to be together. There was only one way for that to be a thing, hence the bittersweet, but I still wasn’t too sad, and that says a lot for how the author set it up and the amount of detail provided. It wasn’t an expected type of holiday story, but it still had the core feels that made it memorable.

R *A Reader Obsessed - 3 Hearts

This was odd but weirdly enjoyable but odd.

Ian has a long layover waiting to service his next flight. However will he wile away the next 29 hours? Luckily, he meets Race, a stranger who he finds compelling and charming, and what ensues over the next day is them getting to know each other fabulously and celebrating the holiday through their shared pagan beliefs.

What Ian doesn’t realize is that the future brings an interesting development, and Race has apparently been waiting for this event and Ian for a long long time…

Obviously, this has a bit of paranormal/fantasy whimsy thrown in. Mix it with a little fate and you’ve got an interesting original set up that brings a twist on Ian and Race’s HEA!

Holidays Are Where Your Heart Is by Bru Baker

Jared’s been all over the world as a traveling manny with Holiday Helpers, and the itch to put down roots is starting to eclipse his wanderlust—especially since his current family is a handful.

After culinary school, Wes did some wandering of his own, exploring Central America before settling as a resort chef in his mother’s homeland of Costa Rica, a place he loves and where he plans to stay. If he’s learned one thing, it’s to be wary of flings with vacationers. Still, he can’t stand to watch two little Swiss kids lose their belief in Saint Nicholas, so he’ll lend a hand to the manny assisting the family. It won’t be easy to recreate a traditional European Christmas in a tropical paradise.

Between a snowball fight on a sunny beach and sledding down an active volcano, Jared and Wes discover some renewed holiday magic of their own. Can they make it last a lifetime?

Ann - 3.5 Hearts

Jared is feeling like he’s at the end of his traveling manny career. He’s dedicated to the education of kids and is anxious to try a new way to reach them. His latest charges have seemingly absentee parents so he has a big job on his hands to make these kids feel like they aren’t missing the Christmas they know while on a tropical beach. He gets help from the chef/surf teacher on site and of course, the two of them hit it off and it was pretty smooth and angst free. It made it easy to appreciate them as a couple and the near perfection of their relationship was all kinds of Hallmark. It wasn’t too saccharine sweet though, Jared and Wes had just enough snark to keep it real-ish, while still being holiday perfect. I totally bought into an HEA for them, so while the perfection may not have been 100% realistic, the author made me want to believe it, and so I did.

Purrfect Holiday by Jana Denardo

Tony Gatti had his life planned: get his veterinarian license and go to work with his dad and uncle. Soon after achieving his goals, he learned the shadows and blurriness in his vision went beyond needing glasses. Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic mutation with no cure. With his sight almost gone, he moves into his grandmother’s St. Augustine, Florida, home with his guide dog, Raven, to start life over. Nonna Concetta thinks she knows the perfect job for him. Her vet is looking for someone to destress the cats at a local rescue.

Javier didn’t plan to hire a cute former veterinarian to fill the role of cat cuddler, but Tony couldn’t be more perfect. Worried his attraction is inappropriate and knowing the holiday season always depresses him, Javier wonders if he should ask Tony out, or if he’d just be spreading the gloom to someone who already has enough of his own. But if he takes the plunge, could it turn out to be the best holiday ever?

Ann - 3.5 Hearts

Well, I’m a sucker for holiday stories. I’m also a sucker for stories with critters. Put the two together and it’s pretty much a recipe made for me. Purrfect Holiday had the makings to be entirely too adorable, but the author managed to bring in some reality to keep it from being that side of too much. Both men had issues outside the vet’s office and those things made their meeting much more important than just two guys being attracted to one another. Tony has a degenerative eye disease that he is learning to live with and Javier has some family that refuses to accept him; totally different heartbreaks, but heartbreaks nonetheless. They each could use a little shoring up and they found it with one another through the pets they’ve dedicated their lives too. It made for a meet-cute that wasn’t too cute, but also wasn’t too heavy either. The author struck a good balance between the reality of their situations and the hope they found with each other.

R *A Reader Obsessed - 3.5 Hearts

Animal lovers watch out! There's all sorts of dog and cat adorable-ness coming your way!

Disabled Tony doesn’t let his impending blindness inhibit him too much. So, when his grandmother finds him a part time job cuddling those in need at her vet’s office, it’s the perfect distraction. Bonus points for Tony, because hot doctor Javier is hot!

The progression between Tony and Javier was appreciatively sweet, realistic, and romantic. Throw in the bestest seeing eye dog, a geektastic meddling grandma, and plenty of food porn (sadly none of the real stuff) and this was quite the enjoyable and cute holiday romance!

Review copies were provided by the publisher in exchange for honest opinions.

Audiobook Review: High Test by Elizabeth Noble

The coffee is rich. Hayden isn't. But Neal doesn't need to know that—yet.

Hayden Owens is just your typical graduate student working his way through school as a barista for the Owens Coffee Company—no relation. But he keeps the “no relation” part to himself when he meets dashing architect, Neal Kirchner, a successful older man from an old-money family. Hayden doesn’t exactly lie, but he figures it can’t hurt for Neal to believe he’s a rich kid. After all, Hayden doesn’t want Neal thinking he’s a gold digger.

The closer they become, the harder it gets for Hayden to come clean. Something always seems to get in the way. When a company bankruptcy and a jilted, vindictive woman threaten to expose his charade, Hayden thinks it’s all gone down the drain. Luckily Neal is ready with some innocent trickery of his own.

Listening Length: 5 hours and 12 minutes
Narrator: Colin Darcy

4 Dreamspun Desires Hearts!


Overall, in the grand scheme of things this was a very strong 3.5 Stars, but within this particular formulaic DSP series as a whole, it was a 4 star win!

As per the blurb, Neal assumes Hayden is part of a wealthy family instead of the struggling grad student he is while at a fundraiser Hayden’s college is putting on to ask for donations from various affluent patrons and alumni. In turn, though he’s utterly charmed by the dashing Neal, Hayden doesn’t really think anything will come of their meet cute, mainly because they’re so different in both age and social status. However, a few days later Neal shows up unexpectedly at the coffee shop Hayden works at, and these two continue to hit it off while Hayden fails to set the man straight about who he really is. Bolstered by his friends’ urging to keep the charade alive until he and Neal can get to know each other better, Hayden soon finds himself a tad in too deep as it becomes almost farcical at how many times he’s thwarted by chance to come clean with the truth. It’s not really lying if it’s just omissions of the facts, right????

Tomato to-mah-to. Potato po-tah-to.

Where this story excels at are the MC’s. Hayden’s got a shy endearing thing going on behind some nerdy glasses and a kind heart. Neal is unpretentious, caring, and only wants to take the time to really get to know Hayden to make sure they’re compatible. I liked the dynamic between these two, and I appreciated the slow burn. This wasn’t hurt at all by the excellent narration by Colin Darcy. I’m only disappointed that this is the only work he’s done so far, as Darcy’s performance was smooth smooth smooth bringing these two to life by playing up their interactions that were sweet, heart warming, and very nicely sexy.

Obviously for me, this was definitely one the more enjoyable Dreamspun Desires books that I’ve come across so far. Granted, I had to remind myself that this was supposed to be a bit over the top, and I was reassured by the guaranteed minimal angst despite a dash of melodrama thrown in for good measure. I recalibrated my expectations, and this went down oh so easily!


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

Review: High Test by Elizabeth Noble

The coffee is rich. Hayden isn't. But Neal doesn't need to know that—yet.

Hayden Owens is just your typical graduate student working his way through school as a barista for the Owens Coffee Company—no relation. But he keeps the “no relation” part to himself when he meets dashing, older Neal Kirchner, a successful architect from an old-money family. Hayden doesn’t exactly lie, but he figures it can’t hurt for Neal to believe he’s a rich kid. After all, Hayden doesn’t want Neal thinking he’s a gold digger.


The closer they become, the harder it gets for Hayden to come clean. Something always seems to get in the way. When a company bankruptcy and a jilted, vindictive woman threaten to expose his charade, Hayden thinks it’s all gone down the drain. Luckily Neal is ready with some innocent trickery of his own.

I am a firm believer that there is a perfect time for a book to be read and for me, after having a stressful morning where I was hustling to get everything done, it was nice to spend some down time with Neal and Hayden watching them fall in love. This was such a simple yet sweet romance that I read in a single day. It’s a nice an easy read and Elizabeth Noble gave me a wonderfully light but poignant story that was perfect for my day.

Told from Hayden’s POV, the men meet as Hayden is working his university’s event for his major high-performance automotive design. Hayden has noticed Neal from across the room but on Neal’s arm is a woman. I liked that the first glance of Neal, Hayden realizes he is older than his 20 something years but admires that Neal is the type of man that just gets older with age and dubs him Mr. Silver GQ. When a patron decides Hayden is lonely and pawns him off on someone, that someone is Neal and the meet cute happens.

I adored Neal from the beginning. Of course from the blurb we know he is rich but his meeting with Hayden and how they get along paints Neal as a regular guy, an architect who loves his work as much as Hayden loves his. The age difference is there, roughly about 20 years between them, but you don’t feel in in this book. The men get along wonderfully throughout the evening and when Neal asks Hayden to dance, we get a swoony moment that leads into a sort of fairytale with Hayden having to run off to catch his bus home, leaving Neal without exchanging numbers.

From there the story moves along at a nice pace with Neal stopping in the coffeehouse where Hayden works and making a joke about Hayden keeping an eye on business the old fashioned way. Neal makes an observation when he puts Hayden’s last name together with the name of owners of the coffee house he works at, The Owens Coffee Company. Hayden realizes this mistake but doesn’t correct Neal immediately not wanting the man he’s now crushing on to think he is below his financial status. But the thing is, while Hayden knows Neal has money based on his appearance, he has no idea that Neal Kirchner is from old money and part of the family that owns the Indian Rose Tea Company. Just like age is mentioned in the story but not the main focus, wealth is mentioned but not the main focus. Really, this is a character driven romance that is sweet and sexy.

So while Neal pursues Hayden and they have a fantastic time together being able to talk about what they love with someone who gets it, there is this misunderstanding of Hayden’s family being an elephant in the room. Numerous times Hayden tries to come clean to Neal only to have them interrupted or Neal to tell him to hold the thought. It’s not that Hayden wants to keep this a lie by omission between them and does try to tell Neal the truth but circumstances don’t allow him to spill his guts.

I liked the time the spent together. It was romantic the way Neal courted Hayden and the physical attraction was definitely there but the men decide to take their time. I didn’t always want to them to wait... especially when Neal ‘rubbed one palm over the swell of Hayden’s ass, massaging lightly and slipping between his cheeks for a few beats.’ because it was kinda hot but I admired their respect and restraint. And yet, the moment they give in it was hot. With this series we are limited to the number of sex scenes we get and I love it when they author makes them count and these definitely counted.

Along with the romance, the talk and driving of expensive classic cars, there are a pair of dogs that belong to Neal, a woman who doesn’t get Neal likes dick and not her, wonderful friends of Hayden’s, staff members of the hotel who are like family to the couple and family members both good and bad. There is also Neal’s religion of Hinduism that was mentioned and we are given a few details of it.

But what I absolutely love about this book is how the author handled Neal’s age and the May December romance. . Too often we are given characters in romance that are over *gasp* the age of 40 and treated as if they are in their late 80’s. Being 40 myself, I find it a smidge offensive that folks my age are seen as this decrepit and geriatric human that is so old etc. etc. etc. In this, we get that Neal is 45 and that he is older than Hayden but other than the fact we know it and they mention it less than a half dozen times, that’s it. Age is just a number and the way these two men feel about one another is more important than the year they were born.

High Test isn’t just the name of Hayden’s favorite coffee blend, it’s also a lovely and light romance that made my Monday bearable. It’s a romance that proves age is in the eye of the beholder and the truth will set you free, even if the truth was already known.

Giveaway + Blog Tour: High Test by Elizabeth Noble

Elizabeth Noble is here today promoting her first Cracky Fluff Dreamspun Desires, High Test! She's brought an excerpt & a backlist ebook giveaway too! 

Hello, I’m Elizabeth Noble and thank you for joining me and a big thank you to everyone at Boy Meets Boy Reviews for hosting me today.

Every romance novel has one common denominator. It’s imperative that people meet. First the main couple must meet, of course. However, there are others during the story that encounter the main characters. Family, friends and coworkers become a part of the story of a new couple’s journey to their happily ever after.

Meeting the parents and friends can cause strife or be a wonderful blessing to a newly formed couple. Disapproving parents can threaten a budding relationship, or cement it. It’s not always easy to say to mom and dad, “this is my boyfriend, we’re together. Accept it.”

However, this is what one of the characters, Neal, in High Test faces. His parents not only try to deny their son is gay, but heartily disapprove of his choice when Neal meets Hayden. Another hurdle faced is the fact there are differences in culture, religion and financial status between the two men. Neal not only finds ways to integrate Hayden into his life, but he must navigate what his parents don’t like about him—or Hayden! He’s partially assisted by the fact he’s in his forties, and has a little different perspective than someone younger. His life experiences give him the fortitude to stand up for what he wants and say, “This is my life, not yours.”

Hayden’s family is the opposite. They not only accept the fact Hayden is gay, but embrace the thought he’s got a new-found love. Hayden isn’t without worries, though. He is desperate for his family to not only approve of his new relationship, but genuinely like Neal, despite their age difference.

With each meeting of family and friends, the bond between Neal and Hayden grows and strengthens. Even those meetings aren’t matches made in heaven.

Blurb:

Hayden Owens is just your typical graduate student working his way through school as a barista for the Owens Coffee Company—no relation. But he keeps the “no relation” part to himself when he meets dashing, older Neal Kirchner, a successful architect from an old-money family. Hayden doesn’t exactly lie, but he figures it can’t hurt for Neal to believe he’s a rich kid. After all, Hayden doesn’t want Neal thinking he’s a gold digger.

The closer they become, the harder it gets for Hayden to come clean. Something always seems to get in the way. When a company bankruptcy and a jilted, vindictive woman threaten to expose his charade, Hayden thinks it’s all gone down the drain. Luckily Neal is ready with some innocent trickery of his own.

Excerpt:

     They were waiting on their after-dinner coffee when Hayden spotted Maeve. Neal’s back was to her, and Hayden hoped she wouldn’t notice Neal and him. She was making her way through the tables and looked as if she was heading for the restrooms. Ducking under the table would probably be too obvious, so he sat as still as possible. Hayden was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Maeve stopped and turned to talk to someone seated at one of the many tables. As she did so, she looked directly at Hayden.

     They made eye contact. Damn.

     Maeve’s eyes narrowed, and her eyebrows pulled together. Hayden watched as she drew herself up almost as if she were going to begin a fight. As she started walking across the room to their table, Hayden was sure she was going to start a verbal sparring match with him. He tried not to allow his panic to show. There was no way Hayden could make a decision about how to react—or not react as the case may be—before Maeve got to their table.

     Neal picked that instant to glance sideways. He groaned. “Incoming,” he whispered. Hayden stifled a laugh. The toe of Neal’s shoe gently stroked up and down Hayden’s shin a few times, and he smiled softly. Hayden realized those were meant to be gestures of comfort since Neal likely had his own ideas of Maeve’s intentions. Hayden wondered how many times Neal’d had to deal with her actions.

     “Neal! We keep running into each other. What a wonderful surprise,” Maeve announced as she put one arm around his neck and pecked at his cheek. She turned and took a chair from a vacant table near theirs and dragged it over, placing it close enough to Neal she could lean against him.

     He scooted his chair away and said, “Hayden and I were just about to enjoy some coffee. We’re catching up after not being able to spend as much time together as I would’ve liked to this week.”

     Maeve regarded Hayden. It was all he could do to concentrate on not bolting from the restaurant. “What was it you do at the university? I didn’t catch your exact title the last time we met.” She cocked her head and leveled a glare at Hayden.

     “Maeve….” Neal’s voice sounded like a warning.

     “There isn’t a Hayden recorded on the list of professors in the automotive design department.” She leaned forward and rested her elbow on the table and her chin against her knuckles.

     “I… uh… I’m not on the faculty. I simply work with the students.” Hayden wanted to turn his gaze to Neal, but at the same time he was terrified he’d be met with disapproval and disappointment. Besides, he didn’t want to appear as if he needed defending.

     “You’ve never heard of volunteering?” Neal’s voice was terse, close to snapping at Maeve. “Whatever you think, you’re wrong.”

     Warning sirens went off in Hayden’s head. That was an odd thing for Neal to say. “It’s okay,” Hayden said softly.

     “No, it’s not.” Neal turned to face Maeve fully. “What goes on between the men—and let’s be clear, I’m interested in men—I date and me is no one’s business. I don’t need permission to see anyone, and I certainly don’t need your approval. Now if you’d excuse us, as I’ve already said, Hayden and I haven’t had much time together this week, and I’m trying my damnedest to make up for that.”

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Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with others is really a dream come true. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.

Elizabeth has three grown children, two grandchildren, and is now happily owned by an adorable mixed-breed canine princess and her sidekick tabby cat. Elizabeth lives in her native northeast Ohio, the perfect place for gardening and winter and summer sports (go Tribe and Cavs!) and stargazing all year long. When she’s not writing, she’s working as a veterinary nurse, so don’t be surprised to see her men with a pet or three who are a very big part of their lives.

Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

Website http://www.elizabeth-noble.com

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