Showing posts with label Kilby Blades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kilby Blades. Show all posts

Blog Tour + Giveaway: A More Perfect Union anthology by Various Authors

Other Worlds Ink and the contributing authors of A More Perfect Union anthology host today's tour stop! The contributing authors are Adrienne Bell, Kilby Blades, Aliza Mann, Claire Marti, R.L. Merrill, M.D. Neu, Dawn Montgomery, Sera Taino and Kearney Wentworth! Read more about the anthology which features four out nine queer stories and enter in the $25 Amazon gift card giveaway!

A More Perfect Union Anthology

There's a new voting-themed charity anthology out (four queer stories): "A More Perfect Union." And there's a giveaway! Includes stories from Adrienne Bell, Kilby Blades, Aliza Mann, Claire Marti, R.L. Merrill, M.D. Neu, Dawn Montgomery, Sera Taino and Kearney Wentworth.

Love wins in this collection of nine all new, voting-themed romances.

A set of bite-sized romance short stories with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Fair Fight, an organization dedicated to combatting voter suppression.

From the campaign headquarters to the polls, A More Perfect Union features brand new stories from:

  • Adrienne Bell
  • Kilby Blades
  • Aliza Mann
  • Claire Marti
  • R.L. Merrill
  • M.D. Neu
  • Dawn Montgomery
  • Sera Taino
  • Kearney Wentworth

**This anthology will only be available for a limited time, so be sure to grab your copy today**

We hope you’ll join us as love wins and democracy receives an HEA. The collection also includes stories from Adrienne Bell, Aliza Man, Claire Marti, Dawn Montgomery, and Kearney Wentworth. A diverse bunch of folks sharing their passion for social justice and fighting against voter suppression. All proceeds from the collection will go to support Fair Fight, and you can find more information at https://fairfight.com. The anthology will be available for a limited time on Amazon and Apple Books.

Amazon | iBooks | QueeRomance Ink


Giveaway

The authors are giving away a $25 Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47168/?


Excerpt

Four of the nine stories in A More Perfect Union feature queer pairings. Here are quick bites from two of those stories:

From Sera Taíno: Oil and Vinegar

Yara wheeled the cart with soiled laundry onto the van, taking care to bend at the kneesto get the wheels over the gap between the ramp and the bumper. It was one of those infernally humid August days in Orlando that made you want to tear your clothes off right where you stood and dive into the first bucket of water you found. Yara had been doing housekeeping in this swamp ever since she got out of prison five years ago and there were a couple of rules she learned to follow the hard way. First, she never left the house without a water bottle. Florida humidity would suck all the water out of a person’s body in no time if they didn’t hydrate. And second, as a cleaner, she had to take care of her back if she wanted to make it to early retirement without injury.

Okay, the second one wasn’t an actual rule. That was all Paulina. She made shit up all the time to get Yara to take care of herself. Like “Quieres ir diving in Tucacas? Pues, don’t herniate your back.” Or “Want to do dance cumbia in Caracas with me? Don’t put so much salt in your sancocho.”

“Ay, por favor,” Yara would retort, all snotty and stank face, “We’re not going to live that long.”

“Oh, yes we are,” Paulina always snapped back, joking but not really. “We sacrificed too much not to enjoy this life a little.”

That was Paulina. While Yara was always looking back, Paulina faced the future. They were like that one Roman god, Janus. Two sides of the same dream.

Yara’s phone vibrated. She pulled off her cloth mask with the company name – Y&Ps Cleaning Service – stitched into the fabric. Wiping the sweat from her brow with one of the fresh towels, she tossed it in with the rest of the laundry before slamming the doors of the cleaning van shut, pausing to admire the lettering that matched her mask. She wanted to run her hands over the newly minted shapes, but her phone vibrated again. Paulina’s name flashed on the screen and she knew if she didn’t hurry up and answer it, Paulina would worry.

“Don’t forget what today is,” Paulina said without preamble. They’d been together for four years but Yara never got tired of her raspy voice, especially when she was ordering her around. She really liked it when Paulina ordered her around.

Yara blinked, stepped out of the blinding sun and into the meager shade cast by the van. “How can I forget, Lina? You’ve been reminding me since last week. I’m going to do a laundry run and then meet Josie at the House when she drops off the van.”

“Ok, ok. Just going down my to-do list and most of the stuff on here has to do with you.”

“Good to know I’m at the top of that list,” Yara teased.

“Always on top, bebe,” she whispered, sending an arrow of pure, unadulterated lust barreling through Yara’s body. She shifted on her feet, physically uncomfortable and unable to find any relief in the middle of this hellscape.

“Sigue con esa jodienda, and you’ll have to explain to everyone why they have to walk to the voting station when their van doesn’t show up.” Paulina was wrong to get her going while she was standing on the side of US192, sweating her ass off and dragging a half-ton of dirty towels around in the van.

“No-no-no,” Paulina responded, all the velvet and sex gone from her voice. Yara imagined Paulina waving one long, dark-brown finger in her face. “We’re not making anybody walk. These women are waiting for us. For you. And we’re going to show up for them.”


From M.D. Neu: Election Night

Sammy turned the corner and rushed down the hall. She hated being late, but here she was, yet again. The elevator at the end of the corridor mocked her as the doors began to close. This week had been hell. Well, the whole election year had been hell. People fighting, families being pulled apart. Even her own family had battled it out. And now she wasn’t talking to her brother, Tom. “Such an ass.” She frowned. How could he support that idiot? How could anyone, especially when there was a better option. A saner option.

What the hell was wrong with people?

After the fallout between Sammy and Tom, she realized she needed to get involved. She understood if there were more people out there like her brother, then there were a lot of minds that needed changing.

Will it even make a difference? No, we have to get out the vote. People need to have their voices heard.

The elevator doors continued to close the nearer she got.

“Fuck,” she muttered under her breath. “Hold the elevator! Please!” she called out hoping someone heard her. She hadn’t noticed, in her haste, if someone occupied the elevator, but she remained hopeful, much like her thoughts on the election. Hopeful. Always, hopeful.

As the metal door shut right when Sammy reached out, she stopped and frowned, shaking her head.

Dammit!

Instead of the door sealing the last inch cutting off her chance of showing up for her shift upstairs somewhere in the neighborhood of being on time, there was a ding and the doors blessedly opened.

“Oh, thank Christ.” A smile pulled at Sammy’s lips. She was still going to be late, but at least this hurdle didn’t hold her up.

“I don’t know about that, but you’re welcome,” a soft voice said as the doors opened fully revealing a woman in her mid-thirties, with blondish brown hair falling gently over her shoulders. The black A-line skirt and blue blouse showed her curves and soft form. Her blouse opened enough to show off her perfect neck and alabaster skin. The skirt provided an amazing view of this woman’s legs. Sammy loved long legs, especially when they ended in a stylish pair of heels. The warm scent of lilac and jasmine tickled Sammy’s nose as she focused in on the woman’s deep green eyes.

Not fully Sammy’s type, but the pretty stranger wasn’t far off either. There was something about a professionally dressed woman that made Sammy’s heart quicken. She frowned at herself. If she didn’t have a long night of phone calls, she might have felt self-conscious of her well-worn jeans and sweatshirt. When Sammy wanted to impress someone, she could, but right now she was there to support her candidate and make damn sure that they won this election. She wasn’t here to find a date. Even though there were quite a few smart and passionate women who caught her eye.


Author Bio

Adrienne Bell

Adrienne Bell is the author of over a dozen action-packed romances including the bestselling contemporary Second Service series. Her love of story structure led her to create Plot MD, a system for crafting compelling stories. She also is the co-host of the weekly podcast The Misfit's Guide to Writing Indie Romance. Adrienne lives with her husband and sons on the far edge of the San Francisco Bay Area where she spends her downtime reading, binge watching nerdy television, and scrolling through Disneyland fan sites.

Kilby Blades

Kilby Blades is a USA Today Bestselling author of Romance and Women's Fiction. Her debut novel, Snapdragon, was a HOLT Medallion finalist, a Publisher's Weekly BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist, and an IPPY Award medalist. Kilby was honored with an RSJ Emma Award for Best Debut Author in 2018, and has been lauded by critics for "easing feminism and equality into her novels" (IndieReader) and "writing characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal" (Publisher's Weekly).

Newsletter: https://www.kilbyblades.com/readersubscribe

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kilby-Blades/e/B01N4770M0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kilbyskorner/

Aliza Mann

Aliza Mann is a paranormal and contemporary romance author who resides in Michigan. The goal of this anthology spoke to her desire to create a world where all people can enjoy the right and privilege of voting. She is a champion of equal rights and believes in democracy. The legacy of her grandfather, the basis for this story, lives on within her, and she could not be more thrilled to share this story with the world.

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/alizamannauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlizaMannAuthor

Website: https://www.AlizaMannAuthor.com

Claire Marti

Claire Marti is an award winning and USA Today Bestselling author ​of swoonworthy Contemporary Romance novels set in Southern California. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature, Claire was sidetracked by other careers, including practicing law, selling software for legal publishers, and managing a non-profit animal rescue for a Hollywood actress. Finally, Claire followed her heart and now focuses on two of her true passions: writing romance and teaching yoga. She’s thrilled to share her commitment to equality and justice for all in the A More Perfect Union Anthology.

Website: https://www.clairemarti.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMartiAuthor/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/clairepmarti

R.L. Merrill

R.L. Merrill brings you stories of Hope, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll featuring quirky and relatable characters. Whether she’s writing contemporary, paranormal, or supernatural, she loves to give readers a shiver with compelling stories that will stay with you long after. You can find her connecting with readers on social media, educating America’s youth, raising two brilliant teenagers, writing horror-infused music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock 'n' Romance.

Website: https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/rlmerrillauthor

M.D. Neu

M.D. Neu is an award winning gay author who writes epic Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Paranormal stories that reflect our diverse community. When not writing M.D. Neu works for a non-profit and travels with his husband of twenty years.

Website: http://www.mdneu.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mdneuauthor

Dawn Montgomery

USA Today bestselling author Dawn Montgomery loves to write almost as much as she loves to read. She has traveled the world twice over. While her days were filled with long hours and hard work, her nights were left for dark, lustful fantasies in and out of strange hotels and cities. Alaska and Texas are the places she calls home. She recently moved from the frigid North to Texas with her family and neurotic dog. It was tragic to leave behind the moose and bear for wide open plains and sexy cowboys.

Website: http://www.dawnmontgomery.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.montgomery.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dawn_Montgomery

Sera Taíno

Sera Taíno writes Latinx romances exploring the joy of love in the context of community and family in all its rich diversity. She was selected for the Harlequin Romance Includes You Mentorship, an initiative launched in 2019 to reach out to diverse communities of writers and bring more own voices stories to romance readers. Her debut novel is slated to be published with Harlequin's Special Edition Line in Fall, 2021. When she is not writing, she can usually be found teaching, traveling, or wrangling her family.

Website: http://www.serataino.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/serataino

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serataino

Kearney Wentworth

Kearney Wentworth writes about her passions: music, romance, travel, sports, libraries, hotties and Blerds. The first book in her "Highland Havoc Rugby Club" series is out on submission and more short stories are in the queue.

Website: https://norudapublishing.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KearneyW_Writes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kearneywentworthauthor

Other Worlds Ink logo

Blog Tour: Adam Bomb (Moguls, Royals, and Rogues #1) by Kilby Blades


Join author Kilby Blades and Vibrant Promotions as they visit on the Adam Bomb (Moguls, Royals, and Rogues #1) blog tour. Discover more about the best friends to lovers romance today!

Adam Bomb Tour Banner (1)

Adam Bomb
Kilby Blades
M/M Romance, Best friends to lovers
Release Date: 01.21.20
perf4.250x7.000.indd

Cover Designer: Alexandria Corza
Blurb
Levi's best friend, Adam, has always been larger than life: a smoking-hot billionaire hotelier with imposing charm. When Manhattan stops being big enough for both of them—at least if Levi ever wants to fall out of love with Adam—Levi accepts a job in in San Francisco.
But when Adam pulls an Adam—upending Levi's calm new life with a plea to lend his photography talent to a worthy cause—Levi is helpless to resist. Adam will be the first Fortune 100 CEO to come out of the closet in grand fashion. He needs a trusted ally on his PR team. And he only needs Levi to help for three weeks.
Levi accepts on one hidden condition: he’ll keep his new friends away from Adam, certain that if they get a whiff, they'll fall under Adam’s spell. Bent on keeping his two lives separate, Levi barely makes it through the first two weeks unscathed.
Then, Adam drops another bomb….


Adam Bomb_1920 x 1020 - Facebook Post Size

Excerpt
“Leila and I broke up.”

The tip of Adam’s nose had begun to pink, and his cheeks were doing the same. Levi wished them back inside the airport, wished to divine whether Adam’s color owed to emotion or to the winter of San Francisco spring wind.

“When?” Levi blurted inelegantly.

Adam scanned. If they wanted to reach the limo line, they had to go to an outer curb across the street. Adam started walking and Levi kept in step, barely heeding traffic to study Adam’s face. On the crosswalk, Adam replied, “A couple months ago.”

Puzzlement pierced through Levi’s stark relief. It was stupid, the way he was happier when Adam was single. Such news delivered the same foolish rush of hope that swelled over Levi when one of his celebrity crushes filed for divorce or came out. So what if Adam broke up with his girlfriend or fine-ass Wentworth Miller came out of the closet? It didn’t mean Levi had a chance.

The color on Adam’s cheeks as he spoke his confession was definitely a blush of shame. What kind of best friend forgot to mention for “a couple of months” that it was Splitsville between him and the girl his father wanted him to marry?

“You wanted to tell me in person you broke up with your girlfriend? That’s your big news?”

Adam had the decency to look chagrined. “None of it has to do with her.”

“You’re being cryptic,” Levi pointed out. “Adam. What the hell is going on?”

Levi’s heart raced faster than it had when he’d merely believed his best friend, whom he’d nursed no small crush on over the years, had taken himself permanently off the market. But Adam was being weird—his Adam, the most shameless and least apologetic person Levi had ever met. Had he screwed up in Tehran and put the company in jeopardy? Lost his fortune? Committed a crime? And what was the favor? Did Adam need Levi to hide him in Argentina with his grandparents, or to donate a kidney? Oh God. Was Adam sick?

Adam looked over his shoulder, paranoid, as if he would be recognized at any moment. He was far from famous, but he’d had his share of press.

“Let’s talk about it in the limo,” Adam whispered, splitting his attention between placating Levi and signaling to the car bearing his hotel’s name. “It’s nothing bad. It’s just… not public yet.”

“What’s not public?” Levi pressed the moment the limo stopped at the curb.

Adam threw him a pointed look and sighed. “I’m coming out. Again.”

“Coming out of what?”

Author Bio
Kilby Blades is a 40-time-award-winning author of Romance and Women's Fiction. Her debut novel, Snapdragon, was a HOLT Medallion finalist, a two-time Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist, and an IPPY Award medalist. Kilby was honored with an RSJ Emma Award for Best Debut Author in 2018, and has been lauded by critics for “easing feminism and equality into her novels” (IndieReader) and “writing characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal” (Publisher’s Weekly).

Social Media Links:
MichelleSlagan---VibrantPromotionsLogo---FiveStarDesigns---150ppi

Release Blitz: Adam Bomb (Moguls, Royals, and Rogues #1) by Kilby Blades


Happy Release Day, Kilby Blades! Celebrate the release of Adam Bomb with author Kilby Blades & Vibrant Promotions by reading an excerpt today to find out more about this friends to lovers romance!

Adam Bomb RDB Banner
Adam Bomb
Kilby Blades
M/M Romance, Best friends to lovers
Release Date: 01.21.20
perf4.250x7.000.indd
Cover Designer: Alexandria Corza

Blurb
Levi's best friend, Adam, has always been larger than life: a smoking-hot billionaire hotelier with imposing charm. When Manhattan stops being big enough for both of them—at least if Levi ever wants to fall out of love with Adam—Levi accepts a job in in San Francisco.
But when Adam pulls an Adam—upending Levi's calm new life with a plea to lend his photography talent to a worthy cause—Levi is helpless to resist. Adam will be the first Fortune 100 CEO to come out of the closet in grand fashion. He needs a trusted ally on his PR team. And he only needs Levi to help for three weeks.
Levi accepts on one hidden condition: he’ll keep his new friends away from Adam, certain that if they get a whiff, they'll fall under Adam’s spell. Bent on keeping his two lives separate, Levi barely makes it through the first two weeks unscathed.
Then, Adam drops another bomb….

Adam Bomb_1920 x 1020 - Facebook Post Size
Excerpt
Three things happened to Levi every time he saw Adam: anticipation prickled his neck, he quelled the impulse to wet his lips, and his dick got a little hard. Then there was the tunnel vision thing—the way that, when Adam walked into a room, noises dulled and periphery faded for a pregnant moment and there was no one but the two of them.
They weren’t alone, of course. Adam was never alone. Today, a gaggle of smartly dressed flight attendants flocked around him.

“Fucking Adam,” Levi muttered. Even as he shook his head, Levi’s lips curved into a smile. Adam didn’t notice him at first. But that was the way it always was—Adam busy noticing whoever’s pheromone he liked best, and bystanders busy noticing Adam.

Levi had forgotten how comical it could be. Adam had that kind of charisma. When he walked into a room, records scratched to astonished silence, and people stopped what they were doing to look. Levi had seen babies stop crying to smile at him and fierce-looking dogs leave their masters’ sides to be petted by this man. It wasn’t just Levi. Everyone was attracted to Adam.

Recollection of what a nuisance Adam’s ridiculous magic could be didn’t stop Levi’s grin from widening. The man was a golden-eyed god. He had his Iranian-born parents to thank for regal bone structure, pouty lips, and luminous, polished-bronze skin. Levi appreciated Adam’s utter perfection as a specimen of the male ideal just as much as anyone else. But unlike everyone else, Levi saw Adam for more than sex on legs. Levi knew his heart. They’d known one another since they were boys.

“Come out with us tonight.” A flight attendant in a dark pencil skirt suit smiled with suggestive lips painted in the same shade of vermilion as the ascot around her neck.

“Sorry, babe… I got plans.” Adam said it with a billion-dollar smile. She leaned in and gazed at him dreamily, as if he’d just invited her to join him in a suite at the Kerr instead of turning her down flat. Adam was the only person Levi knew who could hand someone a steaming, stinking shit burger and have the person he served it to beg him for more.

And just like that, Adam’s gaze slid right to Levi—with precision—as if he’d known where Levi stood all along. Adam kept walking, never missing a beat, disentangling both women from beneath his arms.

“Sonofabitch,” Adam said, the corner of one lip quirking into a smile and his eyes glowing soft embers as he looked at Levi; it was a frat boy thing to say, but Adam was kind of a bro. Adam threw his arms around Levi and they shared a bear of a long hug.

“I missed you, brother,” Adam murmured a second before releasing his embrace and holding Levi by the shoulders, at arm’s length. He said it with earnest intensity that got Levi every time.

“Ladies….” Adam let his eyes linger for a final moment before shifting his gaze to the women who hung on his every word. It bought Levi time to swallow the lump in his throat. “This is my best friend, Lev.”

Apart from family, Adam was the only one who shortened his nickname with correct pronunciation. Most people Americanized it to sound like the jeans. Levi’s parents were Argentinian. Back in the motherland, it had a short e.

“Lev can come out with us too….” This from a different flight attendant. They had all stopped when Adam stopped, including the ones who hadn’t been tucked under Adam’s arms. They all looked hopeful—even the adoring pilot. If any one of them could’ve torn their gaze from Adam, Levi could’ve shot a commiserating glance.

Sorry, guy. He’s taken. And his partner’s completely gorgeous, the glance would’ve conveyed.

“I’ve been away for….” Adam looked at his watch, then looked at Levi. “What is it now? Nine months?” It was cheesy as hell, but Adam pulled it off. “Me and him have a lot of catching up to do.” He turned to his entourage and gave a small bow. “It’s been lovely. I mean it. Thanks.”

Levi didn’t miss the small folded paper that Red Lips pressed into Adam’s hand before whispering something in his ear and kissing his cheek, or the rueful, silent waves of the others. Levi watched Adam as Adam watched Red Lips walk away. Adam slid his gaze back to Levi, who was shaking his head again. If Levi had missed Adam’s incorrigible flirting, Adam had missed Levi’s mock-disapproving looks. Levi stared at Adam and Adam at him, each of their grins growing as the moments passed.

God, it’s great to see his face.

“You look good, man.” Adam clapped a hand on Levi’s shoulder. “San Francisco’s treating you right.”

“I love it here,” Levi admitted. He’d said as much the one time they’d seen each other in all that time. They’d met for dinner one night, when they both happened to be in London for business. Adam had asked Levi when he was moving back to New York. Levi had simply said that the project that had lured him to San Francisco had been ongoing. He hadn’t said that New York no longer felt like home, and he wouldn’t say—not right now—that his project had been over for two months. That he planned to sell his family house in Queens and stay in San Francisco.

But Adam’s project was over, and he was moving back stateside. San Francisco was a four-day stop. After a long weekend catching up, Adam would go back to headquarters in New York.

“You got luggage?” Levi asked. By then they’d begun walking.

Adam held up a small duffel Levi hadn’t noticed before. “If I need more clothes, I’ll stop by the hotel.”

Levi had forgotten how light Adam traveled. Being heir to a hospitality empire meant that Adam had a closet and a place to stay in every major city. It wasn’t until they started toward the doors—until the gaggle of flight attendants had disappeared from view—that Levi pulled out his phone.

“Lemme call an Uber,” Levi said. It was a short ride into the city. Brutal during rush hour but not bad at one o’clock on a Thursday afternoon.

“No need. The hotel sent a car.”

Adam lagged behind Levi, just by a step, as air from outside blew in along with the whoosh of the sliding double doors. He hovered his fisted hand over a trash can, and when he opened his fingers, the pink folded phone number of the flight attendant fell to its demise.

Adam wouldn’t have actually hooked up with the flight attendant—not as long as he was with Leila. But he might have given her a call to find out where the party was. No. Adam wasn’t a cheater. He was a party animal, an attention whore, and a flirt. And he didn’t spend much time alone.

“So it’s true….” Levi smiled his most nonchalant, most supportive-best-friend, and utterly-unaffected-by-Adam’s-love-life smile, even though this was a moment he had dreaded. “Your days of flight attendants are over. You popped the question. Leila’s finally gonna make an honest man out of you.”

Adam stopped outside, right on the other side of the doors, where the air was cool and the wind was sharp, as it tended to be on late spring afternoons this side of the bay. Levi needed him to say it—to speak out loud the big news Adam had insisted he be there to deliver in person, and ask the favor he wanted to ask face-to-face. It had to be that he and Leila were engaged and that he wanted Levi to be his best man.

“Leila and I broke up.”

The tip of Adam’s nose had begun to pink, and his cheeks were doing the same. Levi wished them back inside, wished to divine whether Adam’s color owed to emotion or to the winter of San Francisco spring wind.

“When?” Levi blurted inelegantly.

Adam scanned distractedly. If they wanted to reach the limo line, they had to go to an outer curb across the street. Adam started walking and Levi kept in step, barely heeding traffic to study Adam’s face. On the crosswalk, Adam replied, “A couple months ago.”

Puzzlement pierced through Levi’s stark relief. It was stupid, the way he was happier when Adam was single. Such news delivered the same foolish rush of hope that swelled over Levi when one of his celebrity crushes filed for divorce or came out. So what if Adam broke up with his girlfriend or fine-ass Wentworth Miller came out of the closet? It didn’t mean Levi had a chance.

The color on Adam’s cheeks as he spoke his confession was definitely a blush of shame. What kind of best friend forgot to mention for “a couple of months” that it was Splitsville between him and the girl his father wanted him to marry?

“You wanted to tell me in person you broke up with your girlfriend? That’s your big news?”

Adam had the decency to look chagrined. “None of it has to do with her.”

“You’re being cryptic,” Levi pointed out. “Adam. What the hell is going on?”

Levi’s heart raced faster than it had when he’d merely believed his best friend, whom he’d nursed no small crush on over the years, had taken himself permanently off the market. But Adam was being weird—his Adam, the most shameless and least apologetic person Levi had ever met. Had he screwed up in Tehran and put the company in jeopardy? Lost his fortune? Committed a crime? And what was the favor? Did Adam need Levi to hide him in Argentina with his grandparents, or to donate a kidney? Oh God. Was Adam sick?

Adam looked over his shoulder, paranoid, as if he would be recognized at any moment. He was far from famous, but he’d had his share of press.

“Let’s talk about it in the limo,” Adam whispered, splitting his attention between placating Levi and signaling to the car bearing his hotel’s name. “It’s nothing bad. It’s just… not public yet.”

“What’s not public?” Levi pressed the moment the limo stopped at the curb.

Adam threw him a pointed look and sighed. “I’m coming out. Again.”


Author Bio
Kilby Blades is a 40-time-award-winning author of Romance and Women's Fiction. Her debut novel, Snapdragon, was a HOLT Medallion finalist, a two-time Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist, and an IPPY Award medalist. Kilby was honored with an RSJ Emma Award for Best Debut Author in 2018, and has been lauded by critics for “easing feminism and equality into her novels” (IndieReader) and “writing characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal” (Publisher’s Weekly).
Social Media Links:
MichelleSlagan---VibrantPromotionsLogo---FiveStarDesigns---150ppi

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Worst Holiday Ever by Various Authors


Looking for a holiday anthology that feature #ownvoices and characters that fall under different spectrums? Look no further, the authors of Worst Holiday Ever and Other Worlds Ink drop by today on a blog tour! Nine stories from authors Kilby Blades, R.L. Merrill, Marie Booth, Adrienne Bell, Eva Moore, Kari Lemor, Meg Bellamy, Preslaysa Williams and Erin St. Charles for you to enjoy!

Plus R.L. Merrill not only drops by with a ficlet and excerpt from their contribution, The Thanksgiving Parade From Hell. But they also host a $25 gift card giveaway!

Worst Holiday Ever


There's a new holiday romance anthology out: Worst Holiday Ever.


It’s the most wonderful time of the year! OK—scratch that. It’s time for another obligatory family gathering. And nothing spices up the egg nog like bringing your partner home. Surely your belligerent brother-in law, your gimlet-eyed granny and your drunken uncle will keep it classy. With forced proximity and alcoholic beverages, what could possibly go wrong?


  • Decked Out by Eva Moore

  • A Perfect Fit by Adrienne Bell

  • Crazy Old Money by Kilby Blades

  • Stealing Christmas by Kari Lemor

  • Touched by Fate by Preslaysa Williams

  • Ringing in the Reefer by Marie Booth

  • The Thanksgiving Parade From Hell by R.L. Merrill

  • Thankful in Perdition by Erin St. Charles

  • Feliz Chanukah! by Meg Bellamy








This anthology is for readers who love any or all of the following: m/m, #ownvoices, plus-sized heroes, interracial/multicultural families, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chanukah!


Warning: It is best to leave this one to the mature audiences. Note: Many of the stories in this anthology are not queer.


Amazon | Smashwords | QueeRomance Ink




Giveaway


R.L. Merrill is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card OR a $25 Dreamspinner Press gift card with this tour. Enter via Rafflecopter:


a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Author Visit

Author R.L. Merrill not only hosts today amazing giveaway, Merrill also delivers a ficlet based on their anthology contribution,  The Thanksgiving Parade From Hell! Check it out!



Ficlet: When Dalton met Orrie
Labor Day Weekend – 2017

“Mr. Bishop! He’s about to take the stage!”
Dalton Bishop had been looking forward to this moment ever since he’d opened his subscription box from Third Man Records three months ago to find Orrie Jones’s debut album. The face on the cover drew him in, but the voice…Oh, this man’s voice. Rough, emotional, soulful, it felt as though Orrie was singing just for him. Dalton was in the beginning stages of planning his company’s End of Summer Bash to celebrate a phenomenal quarter and he’d had the brilliant idea that they should contact Orrie Jones’s management and hire him to perform. Now, the voice that had filled Dalton’s spare moments with impure thoughts was going to be performing for his company’s picnic. Pretty insane.
Dalton waited in the wings opposite where Orrie would enter the amphitheater stage at California’s Great America amusement park and waited, his palms sweating just thinking about seeing the guy in person after all the nights he’d dreamed about him. Orrie didn’t need to know about that, though. Dalton didn’t want him to think this was all a big stalker’s plan to get him alone…Shit.
            It was time for him to go speak to his employees and he was freaking out. Not unusual, but he needed to get it together. He took a deep breath and trotted out onto the stage. He received thunderous applause from the five hundred or so employees and family members he’d bought out the park for today. Little kids jumped and cheered with barbeque sauce on their faces. A bunch of guys from engineering were shirtless with painted chests and were currently chugging beers. The mild-mannered IT folks were gathered in front of the stage with giant smiles on their faces, and Dalton couldn’t help but be grateful he could provide this day of entertainment to his employees. They’d voted in the inter-office poll for a day at the park with live performances and he’d wanted to deliver.
            “What’s up, Bishop Tech?!”
            Everyone cheered and there were some screams. His CFO led a chant of “Bi-shop Bi-Shop Bi-shop” and Dalton shushed them.
            “Thank you to everyone for coming out today to celebrate our phenomenal summer! In can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am for our little company to be sitting pretty on the top Silicon Valley companies lists and that our stock is now at a record high! You’ve all worked so hard, and I hope you know how much I appreciate your hard work.”
            More clapping and more shouting.
            “Now, friends, it is my great honor to introduce you to the incredibly talented Orrie Jones!”
            The crowd went wild once more as Dalton held out a hand to call their attention to the gorgeous man taking the stage. Instead of saying hello to his special guest, Dalton hurried over to the wings again and found the best vantage point to watch his set.
           
***

“Thank you, everyone,” Orrie said slowly into the microphone, a blush creeping up onto his cheeks when the shouts grew louder.  He’d played hundreds of clubs in his career before graduating to larger venues on his tour with Jack White, but there was something about a small crowd of rabid music fans. Or in this case, a bunch of tech company employees blowing off steam. He was on a brief break from the tour when his manager let him know that he’d booked him this gig, a request from the CEO himself, who was apparently a big fan. He’d thought he might meet Dalton Bishop before he took the stage, but his personal assistant was the one to pick him and his accompanying musicians up at the airport, get them checked into the hotel, and bring them here an hour before showtime. His introduction was the first time he’d even gotten a look at the CEO of Bishop Tech, and he was still reeling.
            The guy was adorable. Unbelievably cute. Orrie didn’t often find hipsters attractive, but Dalton Bishop, in his tight, salmon-colored, pressed khakis and Toms with no socks had Orrie intrigued. Dalton wore a fitted plaid shirt, neatly rolled up at the elbows with a company t-shirt thrown on over it…the guy was geek chic and Orrie chuckled at his enthusiasm on stage. But that ginger hair… again, not something Orrie usually found drool-worthy, but on this guy? Orrie was going to meet him face-to-face when his set was over, that was for sure.
            He launched into his set, his guitar growling to life for his first song, Breathless, and the entire crowd began jumping around and dancing. He thought to himself that they must have provided some good alcohol for everyone to be this loose before starting in with the lyrics, but even the kids were dancing along.
            He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw that Dalton Bishop was watching the set from the wings, a huge smile on his face. Something in that smile made Orrie want to give the performance of his life. He threw his all into his covers of “The Lemon Song” by Led Zeppelin, “Hang You From The Heavens” by The Dead Weather, and The Doors classic  “Hello, I Love You,” and with every song, Dalton seemed to be enjoying himself even more.
            Orrie ended his set with his radio smash hit, “Be Your Man,” and the crowd went insane. His cheeks hurt from smiling as he belted out lyrics about finding that special someone who could get past all of his defenses and make him beg for more. It was definitely one of the spicier tunes on the album and he’d been shocked it was chosen as the first single, but it turned out to be a helluva way to make a first impression with indie rock fans.
            The set was over and Orrie thanked the crowd and Bishop Tech for having him, especially their CEO. Dalton joined him onstage and as he was approached by the sexy af genius, still grinning ear to ear as though had some wicked secret. Orrie was amazed by how innocent and naughty the guy looked all at the same time.
            “Let’s hear it for Orrie Jones!”
            Dalton held out his hand to shake and the moment Orrie took it, he knew something momentous had just happened. Sometimes a person is brought into your life for a purpose, and though that purpose might not make itself known for a bit—in this case it took three days—you just know. And it wasn’t like that feeling of dread you get when someone is bound to end up breaking your heart like Orrie’d had with his ex. No. This feeling was buoyant, light, and full of promise. He shook Dalton’s hand and held on for a second longer than he probably should have before Dalton blushed, turned to wave at the crowd and said, “Enjoy the rest of the food and booze. The shuttle to the hotel leaves in forty-five minutes or you can grab an Uber home on Bishop Tech. You guys are what makes our company special and I’m looking forward to the next year of increased innovation!”
            Everyone cheered, Dalton gestured to him once more for a bow, and then Dalton wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him offstage.
            “Is it wrong if I hoped you might accompany me back to the hotel?” He stopped walking. “Not for anything nefarious, I swear. Oh God, that sounded wrong. I just thought we could—“
            “You are so adorable,” Orrie said. “Relax. I’d have been offended if you didn’t offer. I want to know why you chose me to play your show.”
            Dalton smiled shyly. “I’m going to need another drink before I make that confession.”
            “Then take me to the hotel bar and let’s have ourselves a conversation.”





Excerpt


BANNER - Worst Holiday Ever

 
From "The Thanksgiving Parade from Hell," by R.L. Merrill

“You hardly ate anything.” Dalton rubbed Orrie’s back. He’d suggested the donuts because he knew Orrie would be too stressed out to eat.

“I don’t know why she insists on serving quiche at these things. Who the hell eats quiche, anyway?” Orrie picked at the spot on his finger.

Dalton shook his head. “Only old people. And hipsters.”

Orrie laughed humorlessly and leaned back in the seat. “You don’t have to do the boxes this weekend. I can do it tomorrow before I leave.”

“Forget it,” Dalton said as he started the car. “I get you to myself tomorrow until I take you to the airport, and I’m not losing a single minute of time with you.” He leaned over and kissed Orrie sweetly. “It’s been a long six weeks, baby.”

“Too long. I missed you.” Orrie closed his eyes and Dalton took that as a good sign. He hoped that meant Orrie would be able to relax at their next stop. Because he sure the hell wouldn’t.

Ahhhh, Casa de Bishop. The eternal bachelor pad. The house where Bishop men went to lick their wounds and drink. A lot. And today being Thanksgiving and the holy day of the pigskin, Dalton had prepared his defense. He just had to get past this next two hours, and then he and Orrie would move on to…his mom’s. Okay, make that the next four hours.

He pulled the car out of the pretentious neighborhood where Orrie’s grandmother lived and drove down the hill to the more blue-collar area of Castro Valley. It was a funny town in that way. You had these newer, expensive developments up in the hills and canyons, but a lot of old neighborhoods from the forties and fifties that remained affordable for the low- to middle-income folks in the East Bay.

Peter Bishop, Dalton’s father, lived in such a home, one he’d inherited from his parents. The boys had grown up there, and currently, Dalton’s brothers Terrence and Stanley lived there with him. Both had broken up with their significant others in the past year and now, with their divorced father, they lived the life of swingin’ singles. Dalton just hoped the house was in better shape than it had been the last time he was here.

“Hey, doll,” Orrie said, reaching for his leg. “I know how much you worry about them. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you want to go…”

And that was just one of the many reasons Dalton loved this man more than anything. He looked over and Orrie was smiling at him in that way that made Dalton feel like any second he was going to be a weeping mess on the floor, but in a good way. Not in the way he’d grown up experiencing.

“I want to see them. I do. We’re supposed to be thankful on Thanksgiving, right?”

Orrie nodded, frowning. “You are the most thankful person I’ve ever known. You see the positive in everything. Sometimes to your own detriment.”

Dalton barked out a laugh and his eyes burned. He was tired of fretting over a situation that was never going to change.

Orrie got out of the car and walked around to Dalton’s door, which he promptly opened, pulling Dalton in for an embrace that felt more supportive than seductive, and yet it had both effects. Dalton may have been the one to pursue Orrie, but Orrie had seduced Dalton with his compassion as much as his passion, with his love as much as his loving.

“If you promise not to take any shit from your brothers, I’ll promise not to cause any bodily injury.”

Dalton snorted and dropped his forehead onto Orrie’s shoulder. “You know they’re going to give me shit, and I know you’re going to give it right back. Just don’t hit anyone this time. You don’t have that luxury, you know? You can’t afford any injuries.” He thought about Orrie picking at his finger and hoped it wouldn’t get worse as the day wore on.

Orrie sighed and kissed Dalton’s head. “I’m insured,” he said against Dalton’s hair. “If I happen to have an injury, they’ll find some other poor schmuck to play guitar for me. Shouldn’t be too hard. Any adolescent boy could play—”

“Stop it right there. You’re as full of shit as a Thanksgiving turkey.” Dalton put a finger against Orrie’s lips.

“I’m serious, baby. Please.”

Orrie laughed. “We have an audience. Should we give them a show?”

Orrie just loved to be demonstrative in front of Dalton’s brothers. They couldn’t contain their disgust, not so much because Dalton was gay, but because the thought of their oldest sibling being sexually active with anyone made them want to hurl. Since Dalton had been more of a father to Terrence and Stanley than dear old Dad, they tended to treat him that way.

“I’d say we should give them a show, but honestly, that’s not playing fair. If I want them to behave, I can’t exactly go sinking to their level.”

“So I shouldn’t fondle you right here?” Orrie slid his hand down Dalton’s chest.

Dalton winced and sucked in a breath.

“Did I hurt you? I’m sorry.”

Dalton pressed his lips together firmly and pulled back from Orrie. “I’m fine. Really.” Was that my voice coming out sounding like a little girl’s?

Before Orrie could interrogate him, which would really ruin the surprise Dalton had worked so hard to make happen, Peter Bishop slammed open the front door.

“Hurry up, you two, before Terry burns the damn turkey!”

Dalton stared wide-eyed at Orrie. “Did he just say turkey?”

Orrie nodded, his brow furrowed once more. “Are your brother’s actually cooking?”

“Come on, you two. I gotta get in the backyard.”

The screen door slammed shut and Dalton jumped at the sound.

“Have your phone ready to call the fire department,” he said to Orrie as he sprinted up the walk. Dear God, don’t let those idiots burn the place down.




Author Bio

Eva Moore: As a young woman, Eva Moore loved nothing more than to dive into the pages of a book. She even met her husband while reading a romance novel. When the second baby came along though, she found she had little time for diving into anything but laundry. Missing her stories desperately, she began to make up her own. The stories she played with while she washed dishes and changed diapers demanded space on the page, and she was hooked. Winning Cherry Adair's Finish The Damn Book Contest has propelled her career into high gear. Eva now lives in Silicon Valley, after moving around the world and back, with her college sweetheart, her three gorgeous girls, and a Shih Tzu who thinks he is a cat. She can be found most nights hiding in her closet-office, scribbling away, and loves to hear from the outside world.
http://www.4evamoore.com.


Kilby Blades: Kilby Blades is a fresh new voice in smart contemporary romantic fiction. A business executive by day, by night she writes dynamic characters into (and out of) tantalizingly complex predicaments. Critics laud her "feminist romance", noting empowered heroines and multi-dimensional heroes who are staunch advocates for their partners, stepping back from their own spotlights in order to let their women shine. From dry wit in her angstier books to blatant humor in her lighter ones, her characters are resplendent in their witty repartee. All her stories, regardless of genre, serve up delicious dilemmas and never-before-seen plots. When she's not writing, Kilby goes to movie matinees alone, where she eats Chocolate Pocky and buttered popcorn and usually smuggles in not-a-little-bit of red wine. Kilby is a mother, a social-justice fighter, and above all else, a glutton for a good story.
https://www.facebook.com/kilbybladesauthor/


Erin St. Charles: Erin grew up watching Star Trek and reading Barbara Cartland novels (don't hate), wishing she could create something that brings her love of science fiction together with her love of romance. Still a romantic nerd at heart, she writes sensual, diverse stories that blend fantasy, adventure, and love.
https://www.twitter.com/erinwritesbwwm
https://www.facebook.com/erinstcharles/


Kari Lemor: Kari Lemor grew up as one of those kids who read all night under the covers. Once she had her first glimpse of a romance novel at age 12, it was all over. Romance was in her blood. It would be many years before the stories that ran rampant in her head finally drove her to put words to paper, though. She wrote self-indulgently for the first few years and only recently began penning stories to share with others. She still writes stories that are self-indulgent but hopes others might get some enjoyment from them too. Now that her children are all grown and have moved out, she uses her spare time to create stories of love and happily ever after romances where heroes ride to the rescue of damsels who have already saved themselves. She lives with her husband in a small town in New England dreaming of warmer weather. But only if it's near the ocean.
https://www.facebook.com/Karilemorauthor/


Adrienne Bell: Adrienne Bell is the author of over a dozen action-packed romances including the bestselling contemporary Second Service series and the new Exiles of the Realm paranormal series. She loves nothing more than writing quirky heroines with a knack for finding trouble and the hardheaded heroes who help them fight their way out of it. Adrienne lives with her husband and sons on the far edge of the San Francisco Bay Area where she spends her downtime reading, binge-watching nerdy television, and scrolling through Disneyland fan websites.
https://www.facebook.com/AdrienneBellAuthor/


Meg Bellamy: Along with her husband, her family and her books, language is Meg's passion. In fact, by day she's a mild-mannered language teacher. Currently, she teaches ESL (English as a Second Language) to international students, but in her early teaching days, her main subject was French. Though her French is a bit rusty these days, she figures a trip to France would help fix that. She's also studied Russian, Spanish and Italian. This love of language spills over into her writing craft and appreciation for books -- and travel! Meg also has to travel to see other family members in New Jersey -- a mere continent away from Meg's home in Northern California. Being a published member of the community of writers with her contemporary romances and women's fiction is the fulfillment of one of Meg's most cherished dreams. Her first release, Homecoming, was released October 19 -- a week before her birthday -- from The Wild Rose Press.
https://www.amazon.com/Meg-Bellamy/e/B00655VO1S


Marie Booth: Marie's a Northern California girl with a love of all things artsy fartsy - as her brother says. A theatre and fantasy geek, she writes sexy paranormal romance and has a hot contemporary series releasing this year. You can contact Marie here:
http://www.mariebooth.com
https://www.facebook.com/marieboothbooks
https://www.twitter.com/marieboothbooks


R.L. Merrill: Once upon a time... A teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock 'n' roll kinda gal opened up a doc and started purging her demons. Several self-published books and a debut from Dreamspinner Press later, with more tucked away in her evil lair, R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, being a mom-taxi to two brilliant and busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock 'n' Romance.
http:/www.rlmerrillauthor.com


Preslaysa Williams: Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author and actress. She writes contemporary romance and women's fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. Preslaysa has a Bachelor's degree from Columbia University and is currently earning her MFA in Fiction from Seton Hill University. Connect with Preslaysa online at her website (www.preslaysa.com) or on any of these social media platforms:
https://www.facebook.com/preslaysa
https://www.twitter.com/preslaysawrites
https://www.instagram.com/preslaysa


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