Book Blast + Giveaway: You’ll Be Fine by Jen Michalski

 

Author Jen Michalski and Gay Book Promotions share book blast for family romance, You’ll Be Fine from NineStar Press! Read more about the romantic comedy and enter in the You'll Be Fine book giveaway!

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: You’ll Be Fine

Author: Jen Michalski

Publisher: NineStar Press

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: August 2, 2021

Genres: Contemporary F/F Romance, Family comedy, trans character

Tropes:  Comedy of errors, love triangle

Theme:  Forgiveness

Heat Rating: 2 flames     

Length: 77 900 words/ 343 pages

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

Goodreads

Buy Links 

Publisher  |  B&N

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Second chances don’t mean repeating the same mistakes

Blurb  

After Alex’s mother passes away, Alex takes leave from her job as a writer for a lifestyle magazine to return home to Maryland and join her brother Owen, a study in failure to launch, in sorting out their mother’s whimsical, often self-destructive, life.

While home, Alex plans to profile Juliette Sprigg, an Eastern Shore restaurant owner and celebrity chef in the making who Alex secretly dated in high school. And when Alex enlists the help of Carolyn, the editor of the local newspaper, in finding a photographer for the article’s photo shoot, Alex struggles with the deepening, tender relationship that blossoms between them as well.

To complicate matters, Alex and Owen’s “Aunt” Johanna, who has transitioned to a woman, offers to come from Seattle to help with arrangements, and all hell breaks loose when she announces she is actually Alex and Owen’s long-estranged father. Can Alex accept her mother and father for who they are, rather than who she hoped they would be? And can Alex apply the same philosophy to herself?

“An enjoyable story about an adult trying to grow up.” - Kirkus Reviews

Excerpt 

The last time she’d seen Juliette was high school graduation. They hadn’t spoken for weeks, and their last names—Sprigg and Maas—ensured they’d be nowhere near each other in the audience of graduating seniors. Alex had told Owen and her mother to meet her in the parking lot after the ceremony. She had no intention of lingering in the high school gym, drinking fruit punch and eating sheet cake emblazoned with GO SENIORS and CONGRATULATIONS with the other kids who’d treated her like she was some highly contagious lesbian fungus.

She’d gotten through the first row of cars and spotted her mother in the fourth row, near the exit, leaning against their Subaru. Her mother wore Ray Bans and a black fedora, her arms crossed like she was the third Blues Brother or had materialized from some mid-80s new wave music video. As Alex raised her hand to wave to her, she felt another hand on her shoulder.

“Alex.” It was Juliette’s mother, Barbara Sprigg. She wore a floral print dress with a ruffled collar. A small crucifix hugged her thick neck. Her hair was red like Juliette’s but her face ruddier, plastered with freckles. She smiled. “You’re in a hurry! Congratulations!”

“Thanks.” Alex glanced over Mrs. Sprigg’s shoulder, saw Juliette, still in her graduation gown, lagging behind with her father and little sister. “My mom is taking us out to dinner.”

“Oh, I won’t keep you.” Mrs. Sprigg said, clasping Alex’s forearm as she did so. “You haven’t been by the house for a long time—Juliette says you’ve been so busy getting ready for Swarthmore. I’m sure your mother is so proud.”

“Uh huh.” Alex nodded. “I know Juliette is excited to go to Eastern Shore State.”

“Well, she’s⎯” Mrs. Sprigg glanced over her shoulder, “never been much of the academic type. I’m just glad I taught her to bake.”

“It’s a shame they didn’t let you guys supply the cakes.” Juliette’s mother ran a bake shop in town. Even now, she smelled faintly of sugar and frosting.

“Well, they wanted some asinine discount,” Mrs. Sprigg snorted. “Because Juliette is a student. Fine, but a 50% discount?”

“It was very nice to talk to you.” Alex tugged her arm away gently. “But I’ve got to go.”

“Is everything okay at home now, dear?” Mrs. Sprigg looked in the direction of the Subaru.

“Yes, why?” Alex glanced at Juliette again, her dark red hair, the few strands that stuck to her lip gloss. Alex wondered if the lip gloss smelled like mint, or strawberry. She wondered how Juliette’s hair would feel splayed between her fingers at that moment.

“Okay. I’m glad.” Mrs. Sprigg nodded, and Alex wondered what Juliette had told her. There was a lot, she thought, she could tell Mrs. Sprigg about Juliette.

They embraced, a half, light, back-patting hug, their cheeks brushing.

“Stay away from my daughter,” Mrs. Sprigg murmured into Alex’s ear. Then, as if nothing happened, Mrs. Sprigg waved vigorously and went to join the rest of the Spriggs. Stunned, Alex watched them walk toward their Buick. Before they reached it, Juliette turned her head, her mouth parted, her eyes searching Alex’s. Alex wondered, for a moment, if she had been too hasty, too harsh, to Juliette, if there was something salvageable between them.

No, she decided. Her life after high school would be awesome, and she wouldn’t remember Juliette any more than their high school mascot or her mom’s boyfriend Lewis. She held up her hand to Juliette, as if to wave. Instead, she gave her the finger and joined Owen and her mother at the other side of the parking lot.

“Did you just flip someone off?” Her mother lowered her sunglasses. Her hazel eyes bored into Alex with an unwavering intensity of a gamma ray. “At graduation?”

“It was Juliette,” Alex murmured, shaking her head. In her new life, she would be more mature. She felt fears in her eyes. “I shouldn’t have. I just—”

“Are you kidding?” Her mother grabbed Alex by the shoulders and looked up at her. She grinned. Alex noted her mother had borrowed her lipstick. “I’m more proud of that than your stupid diploma.”

Her mother pulled a pack of Benson & Hedges out of her dark cotton blazer with the rolled-up sleeves and tapped out a cigarette.

“Smoke?” She held out the pack to Alex. “You’re almost eighteen.”

Alex shook her head. “I don’t want lung cancer.”

“Your choice.” Her mother shrugged, lighting hers. She took a drag, then exhaled with a flourish. “Welcome to adulthood.”

About the Author 

Jen Michalski is the author of three novels, The Summer She Was Under Water, The Tide King (both Black Lawrence Press), and You’ll Be Fine (NineStar Press), a couplet of novellas entitled Could You Be With Her Now (Dzanc Books), and three collections of fiction. Her work has appeared in more than 100 publications, including Poets & Writers, The Washington Post, and the Literary Hub, and she’s been nominated for the Pushcart Prize six times. She lives in Carlsbad, California, with her partner and dog.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of five ebooks/paperback copies of You’ll Be Fine

(reader’s choice)

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Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Audiobook Review: Call of the Alpha (Blue Moon #3) by A.E. Via

It's been a couple years since Commander John Marion - the US Navy's most decorated SEAL - hung up his dog tags, choosing his cherished Alpha over war.

Call and Alpha have settled comfortably into their carefree lives nestled in the mountains of South Carolina. No more combat for the commander, and no more ordered killings for the deadliest assassin in the world.

However, nothing stays peaceful forever.

When Alpha's brother Omega comes to their secluded home with a distressing message from their order, Alpha has to answer the call. But what neither of them expect is for the order to send them a new assassin, one just as deadly as both of them, to seek their counsel and bring them back Persia.

Lion's commanding presence was not at all what any of them anticipated. Especially Omega. Lion realizes what Omega is to him right away, but the stubborn man fights his every advance. Lion knows he and Omega have to connect if they're going to be victorious. He was sent to bring back an army, but if he can't get his cherished to yield to him, they are sure to fail.

Contains mature themes.

Listening Length: 7 hours and 18 minutes
Narrator: Tim Paige

Reviewer: Shee Reader

Call refuses to let Alpha fight a gang of rebel assassins without him. Omega will fight by his brother’s side, no matter what… and Hawk saw them coming for his help before anyone else. Together, they’ll fight the toughest opponents they’ve ever faced. As always… these badass warriors are up for the challenge.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and jumped at the chance to review this one! I absolutely adore audiobooks and enjoyed Tim Paige’s performance.

It took me a while to get into the story, because it opens on the MC’s from the previous book and I found I couldn’t remember why I had liked them! John in particular ground my gears, but I began to enjoy things much more once Lion arrived. He is an intriguing character and I was glad for Omega to meet his match. Lion is a fearsome assassin in his order, but for Omega, he would cook complex meals and run him a bath. Seemed odd to me, but I liked him!

Once the men had stopped posturing and lowered their hoods, they could set about getting an ‘army’ together and travelling to the homeland to avenge the foe.

It was nice to revisit Hawk and his husband on the way, before everything started to go badly.

The rest of the story is a terrific swing of violence, amazing skills and incredible talents. I did enjoy it, but the identity of the person who had put them all at risk was a bitter pill to swallow (no spoilers here) but wowzers!

AE’s writing always encompasses hugely strong men who have soft hearts for their lovers, and this is no exception. I did enjoy the book and found Tim’s narration to be excellent with realistic accents throughout.

Recommended.

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

Review: Up in Smoke (Hotshots #4) by Annabeth Albert

Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels.

Freewheeling smoke jumper Brandt Wilder thrives on adrenaline. He’s never met a parachute he can’t repair or a dangerous situation he couldn’t wrangle his way out of. He’s popular and fun-loving and not at all looking to settle down or form lasting relationships. It’s a lifestyle that’s served him well…right up until the day he finds a baby on his doorstep.

Shane Travis is used to putting his country music career—and his own happiness—on hold after his sister rolls through his life. Like last spring when she convinced him to try skydiving for his birthday—and she walked away with the hot parachute instructor.

Now he gets to deliver the piece of news that will upend Brandt’s carefree life: he very well might be a dad.

Shane’s niece is safe in Brandt’s strong, capable hands, but too many questions remain unanswered. Co-parenting while they sort it out leads to late-night talks, and soul-bearing confessions lead to a most inconvenient attraction. Still, Shane can’t leave this makeshift family behind—even if it means playing house with the one man he can’t resist.

Heartwarming and sweet.

Brandt and Shane first meet on a skydiving excursion. There are sparks between them, but nothing comes of it.

In fact, things go in an entirely different direction. Mainly, an unexpected niece on Shane’s doorstep - who also happens to be Brandt’s daughter.

Yeah it’s a bit of an odd situation, but hey families can be weird!

Also, kudos to the author for portraying the mother, Shelley, in a compassionate light. Things happen, and sometimes the hardest decision can be the right one.

From the get-go, I adored how devoted Shane and Brandt were to little Jewel. They did what needed to be done, even if it all happened very suddenly.

This is definitely a very baby-centric story. A lot of the interactions and page-time revolve around how the two men adjust to coparenting. So beware if that’s not your jam!

That’s not to say that the romance plays second fiddle - Shane and Brandt’s connection and pull towards one another is the big elephant in the room. And the two find it harder and harder to resist.

When they finally give in, sparks fly! A+ for experimenting and being open to new things.

And on top of that, the two men just clicked. They were mature and communicated openly, and they were willing to make space in their lives for each other and for Jewel.

This isn’t an overly angsty or drama-filled read. Some major life events happen, but overall it’s a fairly low-key book. I liked the easy pace.

The story did drag a bit in the second half, but then I think it was just because of my personal preferences. Shane’s music career storyline just wasn’t particularly interesting for me.

However, the HEA and epilogue were lovely. Everything was tied together perfectly with a bow on top.

If you’re looking for an easily enjoyable romance about two men and their unexpected baby, give ‘Up in Smoke’ a try!

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Changes Going On (Changes #2) by Kaje Harper

Three men, one summer of media, mentorship, and murder. 

There's a reason Scott Edison came out as gay and poly on national TV— now no one can try to push him back into the closet. But as his men and his hockey team deal with the fallout from fans and paparazzi, moving forward isn't as easy as he'd hoped. 

Will Rice was looking forward to a quiet summer, sharing the work with his guys and giving Scott a refuge from the spotlight. He's hired a couple of young ranch hands, and finally feels ready to give back some of the mentoring that turned his life around decades ago. But good fences won't be enough to keep trouble off the ranch. 

Casey Barlow left the Sheriff's Department on his own terms, out and proud. But when the new sheriff is murdered— and Casey's one of the few with a watertight alibi— he's asked to investigate, and he can't resist. He's determined to solve the murder, and still take care of his men on the home front. Then one murder becomes two… 

It's a summer of risks and challenges, and working together is the only way they'll make it through.

Changes Coming Down, the first in the Changes series ended on a bombshell that closed all the loops but left the door wide open for more. I do appreciate when that happens when I’m committing to a series. Not to mention committing to characters that I’ve become so enamored with. Scott, Will and Casey are such perfect pieces that fit into their relationship puzzle in the best way. I already knew I was in for the Changes series, maybe a quarter of the way into the first book. Kaje Harper built the foundation so well, it’s a true character driven story, so I want to read about them for the long haul, regardless of what’s going on in their lives. 

And hey, what do you know, there’s a lot going on in their lives. Given how Changes Coming Down ended, with Scott coming out to the world, it’s no wonder. Sometimes it can be tough to pick up where you left off while waiting for the next installment of a series, but the recap was just enough and melded with the beginning of Changes Going On seamlessly. 

Three characters with three story arcs that intersect and weave could be overwhelming, but on the contrary, the stories complimented one another and added even more depth to the already fully fleshed out story. Scott is dealing with the PR fallout of his coming out. Will is finding his place and reconciling with his childhood. Casey is back to work in law enforcement in a role that suits him well. I love how the author builds up each character individually, so I feel like I know them as independently as well as in the context of their relationship. And given they are in a throuple relationship, the separation is so important to be able to take them seriously as characters and not just a vehicle for a three-way.

Each one of the guys bring many things to the table in their relationship. Scott is the light that Will and Casey need. Casey is intense and Will is stoic, they need Scott to remind them to enjoy the little things. Will, oh my sweet, wonderful Will, is a rock. We should all be lucky enough to have a Will in our lives in some capacity. My hear always aches for him a bit and I was so thankful to be able to read his history. It explained why my hear ached every time! I knew he had a rough start, but damn. The fact that he grew into such a good human says so much about his strong character. I just want more people to see him like Scott and Casey do. Casey is the great protector (not that Scott and Will need that necessarily in a literal sense) but everyone needs to feel safe and I think Will and Scott need that especially. 

There was bonus action and mystery to go along with all the evolution happening in the relationship. Like I said, the series is character driven, but there is still plenty of plot to round out the individual stories. There is plenty of conflict, but it’s external and to be expected considering everything happening. The positive and negative are there, anything else would have been, unfortunately, unbelievable. Especially for Scott. The relationship between the three of them is solid. They communicate verbally and physically, so that no matter what is happening, there is confidence that, at the end of the day, they can come home both physically and metaphorically.

The secondary characters are strong, they added to the plots organically and the young ranch hands were the perfect vehicle for Will to define his purpose beyond ranching. His heart is too big and needed more outlet. Did I mention that I love Will? I love Will. 

Everything wrapped up well in Changes Going On and I don’t know if there will be a third book, but I do hope there will be. In the meantime, I’ll just hope that the series shows up in audiobook format so I can revisit the guys in another way.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Blog Tour: As Far As I Can Tell: Finding My Father In World War II by Philip Gambone

Philip Gambone and Gay Book Promotions visit on the As Far As I Can Tell: Finding My Father In World War II blog tour! Interested in a WWII memoir? Discover more about the 2021 Lambda Literary Award nominated story from Rattling Good Yarns Press today!

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: As Far As I Can Tell: Finding My Father In World War II

Author: Philip Gambone

Publisher: Rattling Good Yarns Press

Release Date: October 30, 2020

Genre: Memoir

Trope/s: Father/Son Relationships

Themes: Connecting to the past, Understanding our fathers, 

Father/Son silence and the inherent lack of communications, 

Coming to terms with history

Heat Rating:  2 flames      

Length: 155 000 words/474 pages

It is a standalone book.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links

Publisher 

(Note – The Rattling Good Yarns online store only ships within the US)

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

2021 Lambda Literary Award Nominated

 

Blurb

Philip Gambone, a gay man, never told his father the reason why he was rejected from the draft during the Vietnam War. In turn, his father never talked about his participation in World War II. Father and son were enigmas to each other. Gambone, an award-winning novelist and non-fiction writer, spent seven years uncovering who the man his quiet, taciturn father had been, by retracing his father's journey through WWII. As Far As I Can Tell not only reconstructs what Gambone’s father endured, it also chronicles his own emotional odyssey as he followed his father’s route from Liverpool to the Elbe River. A journey that challenged the author’s thinking about war, about European history, and about “civilization."



"Philip Gambone weaves a moving memoir of his family, a vivid portrayal of his travels through the locales of WWII, and a powerful description of what that war was like to the men who fought it on the ground into a seamless and eloquent narrative." — Hon. Barney Frank, former Congressman, Massachusetts

“A single question pulses through As Far As I Can Tell: why didn’t my father talk about his time in the war? With meticulous research, Philip Gambone puts sound to silence, offering us a book-length love letter, not just to his father, but to anyone whose life has been hemmed in by obligation, obedience, and the brutality of the system. It’s also a coming to terms with the unknown in others, which is its own hard grace. A vital, dynamic read.” — Paul Lisicky, author of Later: My Life at the Edge of the World

“As Far As I Can Tell is a fascinating mix of autobiography, travelogue, and historical research that not only takes us on a great adventure in search of what World War Two was like for those who fought in the European theater but probes that most difficult of all subjects, the relationship between a father and a son -- in this case, a gay son. Extensively researched, highly literate and profoundly thoughtful, the story Gambone tells uses not only soldiers’ memoirs but writers as disparate as Samuel Johnson and James Lord to make this a reader's delight.”— Andrew Holleran, author of Dancer from the Dance



Excerpt

On February 12, 1942, Dad reported for induction. The chief business was the physical examination, which was conducted assembly-line fashion. The inductees were naked, wearing only a number around their necks. It was the most comprehensive physical most of them had ever had. For some it was intimidating, for others embarrassing.

Most inductees were eager to pass the physical exam, so eager in fact that in many cases, they indulged in “negative malingering,” trying to conceal conditions that might get them disqualified. Once the physical was out of the way, the only screening that remained was a brief interview with an army psychiatrist, who had been instructed to look for “neuropsychosis,” a diagnosis that covered all sort of emotional ills from phobias to excessive sweating and evidence of mental deficiency.

Paul Marshall, who ended up in the same division as Dad, remembered being asked at his physical if he liked girls. “I didn’t quite understand what he meant about it. I told him, ‘Why sure, I like girls.’” Later Marshall figured out what he was really being asked. “The ultimate question mark of manliness,” James Lord, himself a homosexual, recalled. “Do you like girls? Or prefer confinement in a federal penitentiary for the remainder of your unnatural life.” The terror of being considered a sexual leper or worse, “unfit to honor the flag of your forebears,” was real. Lord answered, Yes, he liked girls, and was promptly accepted into the army.

Not every homosexual inductee lied. Some, like Donald Vining, came clean with his interviewer, who turned out to be “marvelously tolerant, taking the whole thing easily and calmly, without shock and without condescension.” The interviewer marked Vining’s papers “sui generis ‘H’ overt,” and he was out.

My father passed his induction physical. Hale, hearty, and decidedly heterosexual, he needed none of the remedial medical work—dental, optometric—that millions of other inductees did. With the physical and the psychological screenings done, Dad signed his induction papers, was fingerprinted, and issued a serial number. The final piece of business was the administration of the oath of allegiance, done, according to army regulations, “with proper ceremony.” Once sworn in, Dad was sent home to put things in order before he went off to Camp Perry to be processed for basic training.

Twenty-eight years after Dad’s, my own induction notice arrived, during my senior year in college. I was instructed to report to my hometown on May 6, where the Army would put me on a bus and drive me to the Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station in South Boston. I remember standing, before dawn, on a curb outside the town offices waiting for the bus. Other fellows from my high school were there, and I nervously tried to make small talk with them. We’d had nothing in common in high school, and the situation hadn’t changed in the intervening years.

My recollection of that day is shrouded in numbness. I remember standing in a line, stripped to my underwear, making my way from one examining station to the next. I kept assuring myself I could not possibly go to Vietnam, that the good fortune I’d enjoyed so far would see me to a different destiny than the one where I would end up dead in a jungle in Southeast Asia.

I was clutching a letter from my dentist attesting to the fact that I needed braces, in those days a cause for rejection. But aside from that, I had not taken any steps to ensure that I wouldn’t be taken. I’d heard stories of guys planning to go to their induction physicals drunk, or stoned, or wearing dresses and makeup. Others said they would flee to Canada or apply for conscientious objector status. I had made no such plans. Throughout senior year, I had been sitting on my damn butt, still banking on magic or luck to get me the hell out.

I passed every exam. I was not overweight. I did not have flat feet or a heart murmur. My blood pressure was excellent. At one station, I handed over the dentist’s letter. The examiner gave it a perfunctory glance and tucked it into my file.

At last, I came to the psychological screening area. All I remember is the examiner asking me if I’d ever had any homosexual experiences. And when I said yes, he followed up with a few more questions. Had I sought counseling? Did I intend to stop? That was it. He thanked me and I moved on. Less than two weeks later, I received a notice from the AFEES: “Found Not Acceptable

for Induction Under Current Standards.” I’d been declared 4-F. In the parlance of the day, I had “fagged out.” My parents thought the dentist’s letter about braces had done the trick.

About the Author 

Philip Gambone is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. His debut collection of short stories, The Language We Use Up Here, was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. His novel, Beijing, was nominated for two awards, including a PEN/Bingham Award for Best First Novel.

Phil has extensive publishing credits in nonfiction as well. He has contributed numerous essays, reviews, features pieces, and scholarly articles to several local and national journals including The New York Times Book Review and The Boston Globe. He is a regular contributor to The Gay & Lesbian Review.

His longer essays have appeared in a number of anthologies, including Hometowns, Sister and Brother, Wrestling with the Angel, Inside Out, Boys Like Us, Wonderlands, and Big Trips.

Phil’s book of interviews, Something Inside: Conversations with Gay Fiction Writers, was named one of the “Best Books of 1999” by Pride magazine. His Travels in a Gay Nation: Portraits of LGBTQ Americans was nominated for an American Library Association Award.

Phil’s scholarly writing includes biographical entries on Frank Kameny in the Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford) and Gary Glickman in Contemporary Gay American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. He also wrote three chapters on Chinese history for two high school textbooks published by Cheng and Tsui.

He is a recipient of artist’s fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and the Massachusetts Arts Council. He has also been listed in Best American Short Stories.

Phil taught high school English for over forty years. He also taught writing at the University of Massachusetts, Boston College, and in the freshman expository writing program at Harvard. He was twice awarded Distinguished Teaching Citations by Harvard. In 2013, he was honored by the Department of Continuing Education upon completing his twenty-fifth year of teaching for the Harvard Extension School.

 

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Newsletter Sign-up

   

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

   

Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and interviews here

 

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Naughty & Nice by D.J. Jamison

Author D.J. Jamison and Gay Book Promotions celebrate the release of holiday romance, Naughty & Nice! Read more about the ex-stepbrothers romance and enter in the $10 Amazon gift card giveaway!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Naughty & Nice

Author: DJ Jamison

Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood

Release Date: November 19, 2020

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance 

Tropes: Ex-stepbrothers, snowed in, holidays 

Themes: Christmas, family, making up for past mistakes

Length: approx. 60 000 words

Heat Rating:  4 flames     

It is a standalone story.

Goodreads 

 

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link | Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

 

Why can’t I forget your kiss…

Blurb

Why can’t I forget your kiss…

Dear Quinn,

Why must I have these feelings for you? You're my ex-stepbrother, and nothing will change that truth, no matter how many letters I write.

I never expected to see you again--or to rescue you from the side of the road in a blizzard. I didn't think you would ever like me, much less kiss me in a steaming hot tub on a snowy night. It seems we make better lovers than brothers, which is all kinds of naughty and nice while we're snowed in together.

But can this new intimacy last when the skies clear and my family finally arrives for the holidays, or are we just two guys in a mountain cabin with a great view of everything we want but can't have?

Hopelessly yours,

Jonas


Naughty & Nice is set in the same universe as Secret Admirer but stands alone.



Excerpt

“So, this is the hot tub,” I said, apropos of nothing.

“Yep,” he said, grinning. “Nothing gets by you.”

“I’m very observant that way,” I said, nodding seriously. I looked around as if taking in my surroundings, and when I got back to Jonas, I looked at him boldly, straight-on, my gaze skimming from his lips to his shoulders to his nipples, visible just above the water line.

He cleared his throat. “I’m starting to notice that.”

I wasn’t being subtle.

I’d angled for this to happen. To be in this hot tub with Jonas. I’d told him I wanted to soak away the cold in my bones, and that wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t entirely true either. I’d wanted to get closer to him. Wanted to feel another flash of the heat I was sure I’d seen in his eyes at dinner. Maybe it was an anomaly, and we’d have a soak and move on with our lives. Or maybe…

Maybe it’d combust, given the right circumstances.

To my frustration, Jonas’s phone chimed with a message. He looked away to pick it up. I watched as his lips quirked into a smile while he tapped out a response. He’d gotten a couple of these texts in the car too, tonight. It wasn’t like before, when he was avoiding messages. This was someone else.

“Who’s texting you?”

He glanced up, then irritatingly right back down to the phone. “No one important.”

I huffed. “They have a lot of your attention.” My stomach tightened. “Is it a hookup?”

Jonas didn’t answer immediately, and every second wound my insides a little bit tighter. If Jonas had someone in his life—or more than one, as his busy phone led me to believe—I wouldn’t be surprised. Why wouldn’t someone want him? He was effortlessly gorgeous; I’d seen him roll out of bed and ruffle his hair with his hand and look fabulous. That was it; his whole morning routine. And there I was in front of the mirror, trying to tame flyaway hairs and choosing my clothing with care. He was smart and self-reliant too. He didn’t bail on school or his future just because he was in a messy relationship. He dealt with life. Guys like him were never alone.

I edged closer, our legs brushing underwater. “Is it someone you’re serious about?”

“Nah, I don’t do serious.”

“Why not?”

His eyes met mine and held. “Tried it once. It didn’t suit me.”

I suspected he meant me, even though that didn’t make any sense. We’d never had a relationship. We’d had one brief kiss, and that was it. Surely he hadn’t been serious about his stepbrother with a bad attitude? I must be reading too much into that look…

“So, you’re texting with a non-serious hookup?”

He set the phone aside, lips quirking. “A potential hookup. Guy lives near here—”

I slapped my hand onto the surface of the water. “Oh, hell no!”

He laughed a little in disbelief. “What?”

Something came over me. All the tension that had stretched between us, all my restraint, snapped.

“No,” I repeated. “No hookups with other guys while you’re here.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Other guys?”

I was busted. He saw right through me, to the jealousy I had no right to have. I sucked in my bottom lip, tasting the faint tang of chlorine from the water droplets that had misted my face.

“Go on, Quinn. If you’ve got something to say about my sex life, I’m all ears.”

My face flushed hot. Words of apology were on the tip of my tongue. It wasn’t my place; it was none of my business.

Unless I made it my business.

Pulse speeding up, I turned toward him. “I’ve got nothing to say.”

“No? Because it seemed—”

I pushed forward in a rush, letting my mouth do the talking. Our lips pressed, clung. Jonas’s breath caught as I licked his bottom lip. Then, as if I’d hit fast-forward on a video, he was all in. His hand clamped around the back of my neck, pulling me hard against him as he deepened the kiss. My blood leapt with the thrill of lust and adrenaline as his tongue slid along mine, tasting and teasing. Jonas was a skilled kisser, advancing and retreating, giving me just enough to want more, then changing tactics to wind me up all over again.

The kiss went on forever. One kiss blended into the next. We sipped air as we repositioned our mouths, kissing one direction, then the other.

I was burning up in the steamy water, and yet I was shivering as cold winter air brushed over my neck and shoulders.

Jonas grabbed my hips, dragging me into his lap. I felt how hard he was, and ground down against him until he groaned satisfyingly against my mouth.

“Fuck, baby.”

“No.” I finally pulled back to look into his eyes. “I’m not baby, or honey, or any other thing you call your hookups. I’m Quinn.”

His voice was husky but soft as he responded. “Quinn.”

I shivered to hear my name in that sexy, velvet tone.

“You sure you want to do this with me?” he asked. “I know we’re not related by blood, but…”

Was I sure it was a good idea? No. But did I want it? Desperately.

“We’re not brothers.”

  

About the Author 

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

      

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Facebook Group  |   Twitter: @dj_jamison_ 

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Finding Our Love by Amy Tasukada

Finding Our Love is out! Join author Amy Tasukada and Gay Book Promotions in the celebrations! Read more about the contemporary romance and enter in the eBook giveaway where 3 people can win their own copy of Finding Our Love!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Finding Our Love

Author: Amy Tasukada

Publisher: Macarons & Tea Publishing

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: September 1, 2020

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Forbidden love, opposites attract

Themes: What is art, family

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 28 000 words/ 146 pages

It is a standalone story.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

A struggling artist. A devoted son.

Will they sacrifice everything for forbidden desire?

Blurb

Kyoto, Japan. Iroha is sick of his boyfriends only dating him to get closer to his famous artistic sister. Shelving his own creative ambitions to run a mafia-funded gallery, he seeks comfort in a fake relationship at an exclusive host club. But when he sets eyes on the outlandishly dressed Kenta, something real stirs in his heart.

Kenta works hard to keep his place as a top-five host at the exclusive Aphrodite’s Castle club. Though it’s put a damper on his love life, the lucrative gig earns him more than enough to support his elderly parents. But when he breaks the rules and falls for the enigmatic Iroha, his income plummets and jeopardizes his family’s welfare.

Heedless of the consequences, Iroha and Kenta plunge into a passionate affair. But the shadow of Iroha’s creative failures threatens to break them apart. And when trouble pulls Kenta back home, the rift between them becomes a chasm.

Can Iroha and Kenta find a common canvas to paint their perfect picture of devotion?

Finding Our Love is the delightful first novel in the Aphrodite’s Castle Host Club MM contemporary romance series. If you like caring men, Japanese culture, and the quest for happiness, you’ll adore Amy Tasukada’s heartwarming tale.

Buy Finding Our Love to enjoy passion’s delicate brush today!



Excerpt

Kenta couldn’t have asked for someone more understanding than Iroha. He didn’t mind how their dates were squeezed into the awkward afternoon hours before work or how Kenta tasted like coffee from the two cups he’d drink so he wouldn’t yawn through them. Three weeks together and four hiking dates later, Kenta couldn’t believe how each one turned out better than the last. Well, maybe not blow-job-in-the-woods good but good in a different way.

Anytime Iroha grabbed Kenta’s hand, a warmth would spread through his body, and anytime he closed his eyes, he’d see himself strolling down a mountain path with Iroha for years to come. Maybe it was silly to think like that after only a few weeks together, but anyone who put up with how often Kenta stopped to take a picture of bugs had to be a keeper.

“Iroha!” Kenta waved, spotting Iroha outside the train station.

Iroha always stood out with his long hair and punk clothes, and with Kenta dressed for work, they’d no doubt be getting a few odd looks. Kenta doubted he’d even notice.

Iroha swirled his sucker around in his lush lips. The gesture went straight to Kenta’s cock. Kenta swore Iroha found even more suggestive things to do with the candy. Kenta licked his lips. Maybe the next date he could convince Iroha he wanted to finish the painting he’d started. Then they could move onto the bed.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” Iroha asked.

Kenta crossed his arms. “If I told you, it would spoil the surprise.”

“I liked all your surprises so far, so I’m sure I’ll love this one too.”

Kenta hoped Iroha’s words would stay true. All their dates had been things Kenta liked, and he’d made a special effort to come up with something Iroha might enjoy.

The art museum was hosting an exhibition of an artist whose work took Kenta’s breath away. Kenta had even managed to snag tickets for her interview. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Iroha’s face.

“Come on, it’s this way,” Kenta said.

They made their way down the busy sidewalk. Urban hiking might’ve offered less opportunity for bug photos, but Kenta enjoyed it nonetheless.

“How many different art colonies did you go to?” Kenta asked.

Iroha pushed up his glasses. “Why do you ask?”

“You talk about them a lot. You must’ve really liked your time there. I was curious.”

Iroha had been guarded talking about himself, but anytime he talked about his stay at an art colony, his eyes would light up, his hands would start moving, and Kenta would finally feel the warmth of them connecting.

Iroha let out a nervous laugh. “Sorry, I don’t mean to blab on about them.”

“I like it.” Kenta reached out, wanting to take Iroha’s hand, but they were in public. Kenta could only hope his words would express the longing pulling at his heart. “I want to know everything about you.”

Iroha stopped, his cheeks darkened, and his eyes shined with an unmistakable glimmer. Happiness, relief, whatever they spoke clutched at Kenta’s heart, and he knew Iroha wouldn’t hurt him.

“I want to know everything about you too,” Iroha said, words steady, slow, but Kenta didn’t need to hear them to know Iroha felt the same.

They walked in silence. Their steps in sync, one after another. Kenta’s heart thumped out a steady rhythm of hope with no doubt that Iroha’s was beating the same.

About the Author

As an only child, Best Selling Author Amy Tasukada began putting her daydreams to paper at the young age of ten. She was inspired by Japanese literature, works from French classic authors like Marcel Proust, as well as tons and tons of yaoi/boys’ love manga. However, there were only so many books that piqued her interest. Fueled by an obvious lack of books she wanted to read, Amy decided to write them herself.

Amy found her niche in the LGBT genre with Japanese influenced gay fiction. Though her works span a wide range -- from gritty mafia thrillers to fluffy, contemporary romance, Amy uses her deadly, but delicate writing style to weave exciting tales of suspense, love, and gore, all under the supervision of her amazing editor (and calico cat), O’Hara.

While crafting her novels, Amy researches each setting extensively to paint the most colorful picture for her readers. She creates each story’s setting in a way that has been described as “crisp and lyrical” by fans.

When she’s not penning a new installment of her mafia series or attending a writing workshop, the North Texas author can be found drinking tea, reading, or filming J-fashion hauls on her YouTube channel.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Review: Hemingway's Notebook (Love Across Time #5) by Jackie North

Soulmates across time. Two souls connected by destiny.

In present day, Jake, lonely and cut off from his parents, travels to the Chamberlin Inn in Cody, Wyoming to work on extra credit for his college seminar.

In 1932, Sebby labors at the Chamberlin Inn for pennies a day, wishing with all his heart for a better life.

While taking photographs in the room where Ernest Hemingway once stayed, Jake is flung back in time to the year 1932. There he meets Sebby who is living on the edge, half starving, a victim of the Great Depression. He’s been dodging rent collectors, getting behind on doctor's bills, trying to care for his ailing Pop.

Sebby falls hard for Jake with his movie star smile, but knows something is different about him. Jake wears strange clothes, talks too fast, and doesn’t look like he’s gone hungry a day in his whole life. He’s also the handsomest boy Sebby has ever seen.

Jake is drawn to Sebby’s dark eyes, shy smile, and gentle heart. Sebby is like nobody Jake has ever met. And though the year 1932 scares him to his very core, he needs to decide. Go home? Or stay and weather the Depression with Sebby, whom he has grown to love.

A male/male time travel romance, complete with hurt/comfort, true confessions, a shared bed, first time romance, the angst of separation, and true love across time.

I have to preface this by saying I generally run away like I’m on fire when presented with time travel romances. Not that I don’t like them; when they are done well I like them too much and dammit, 10 year old me was not prepared for the heartbreak that was Somewhere in Time. I didn’t even really get romance at the tender age of 10 (or probably more like 12 since we watched it on TV), yet the movie still killed me to death.

The premise on this one made me want it though, I was intrigued by the Hemingway angle and while he’s a very secondary character, the author did not disappoint in tying him in seamlessly to the plot. The author also did not fail in effectively killing me almost to death with another damn time travel romance. Sweet cheezus I was stressed out every time Sebby or Jake entered the room Hemingway stayed in and with good reason! I did have good feels about where this story was going and thankfully Jake’s ending was not Richard Collier’s. I’m still irritated with my mother for making me watch that movie with her.

Anywho, childhood bitterness aside, this character driven tale was beautifully told and the depiction of Sebby and his father’s life was so vividly described that I had one of those amazing book experiences where you forget you’re even reading because you are so in the moment with the characters.

Jake is a present day everyman. He’s a really good guy, but not remarkable and that is no dig at Jake. He did have a crappy family life and was at somewhat of a crossroads as he was ending his university tenure and about to head out to the real world. And the mood from him was not about the excitement of possibilities, but more of a melancholy resignation.

When he traveled back in time after being in the room Hemingway stayed in and talking himself into a position at the hotel working with Sebby and staying with Sebby and his Pop, he eventually came into his own. While Jake make not have been remarkable in the present day, in the past he slowly found his feet and became the man he was meant to be because he became the hero that Sebby and his Pop deserved.

For awhile I felt a little disconnected with Jake and I think at first it was because Sebby was such a sympathetic and likable character. Sebby was my focus and I viewed Jake through his eyes, but also knew his backstory, so my view was a little at odds with Sebby’s. But, once I saw Jake’s confidence grow and watched him become the man that Sebby saw, and resolve himself to a new future, he became fully fleshed out for me and the evolution of his character worked perfectly for the story.

The supposition of Hemingway’s involvement and the very tidy ending were not the most believable, but I really didn’t care considering how much I liked all the characters. I wanted that ending for them, for all of them and I decided to just kind of swept my disbelief under one of Mrs. Johnson’s braided rugs.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

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

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

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Alien Eyes (Alien Love, Book 2)

Author: Storm Caywood

Publisher: Carnation Books

Cover Artist: Lodestar Author Services

Release Date: June 26, 2020

Genre/s: M/M Sci-Fi Romance

Trope/s: Alien/Human relationship, starting a family

Themes: Family, belonging

Length: 44 000 words

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

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Book 1 - Alien Hands

Goodreads | Buy Links

Blurb

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

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

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

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



Excerpt

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

Esihle ladled the stew into bowls as he answered.

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

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

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

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

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

“Was today hard, my dear?”

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

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

“So, have you thought about it more?”

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

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

“I never imagined myself as a parent.”

This wasn’t true.

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

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

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

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

“Esihle? Are you listening?”

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

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

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

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

About the Author

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

Social Media Links

Blog/Website | Twitter: @stormcaywood | Twitter @carnationbooks

Giveaway

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

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