Giveaway + Blog Tour: Stalking Buffalo Bill (Shifter U #1) by j. leigh bailey


j. leigh bailey is making her clubhouse debut today to promote her new Dreamspun Beyond novel, Stalking Buffalo Bill! See our 5 heart review HERE!

Make sure to leave a comment below to be entered for a chance to win! See the deets below.
Good luck!

Exclusive Excerpt
“Yeah, these guys—who gave me chills, by the way—stopped by the cafĂ© and wanted to know if we’d seen you. They were evil. I mean, to the core. And they definitely weren’t from around here.”
He reached out and gripped my shoulder. “What did they look like?”
“Like a couple of thugs in an amateur production of Oklahoma.”
At his blank look, I gave him a more specific description of the weirdos. Then I told him what I’d seen. “So, Mafia Hit Man is out there right now, looking for you. And you stood there, a hulking target, just begging to be caught.”
Now that the adrenaline had started to fade, I needed to focus on anything other than the fact that I was naked. In front of the man of my dreams. Alone. It was an even split on whether I was feeling more awkward or horny. Given the situation, horny seemed inappropriate, so I searched the shelves for something to cover myself with. “So what are we going to do?”
“We? This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
“Excuse me? I just raced through town to save your ass. Of course it concerns me.” I pulled out a supersized garbage bag. It might have worked, except the plastic was clear. I tossed it aside, then continued my search.
“I appreciate the warning,” he said, “but you need to stay out of this.”
I squatted to sort through some boxes in the corner.
“What are you looking for?” He sounded exasperated. Good.
“I need to cover my junk if we’re going to have this conversation.” I glanced over my shoulder to see him. “I can’t exactly be caught running around campus naked, can I? I did that once, and it didn’t turn out well. Too much tequila at a full-moon party. Never a good idea.”
Grumbling under his breath, William pulled off the oatmeal-colored sweater I’d fantasized about earlier. He had a white T-shirt on underneath. He threw the sweater at me. I caught it, clutching the soft wool to my chest. It was still warm from his body heat, and I had to forcibly restrain myself from breathing in his scent from the material.
“Well?” He stared at me.
“What?” Despite my intentions, I inhaled and let the aroma of green grass, sagebrush, and herbs flood me.
“Put it on. We can’t spend all day in the closet.”
I snickered. “I never did like closets. I came out of mine years ago.”
He shook his head, then cracked open the door to peek out. Clearly he wasn’t amused at my little joke. I shrugged into the sweater, and the hem fell to my knees. Damn, he was big. Was he a bear shifter, maybe? That could account for the size. Not that there was always a direct correlation between human size and shifter size. Take me, for example. I’m pretty average-sized for a man—a couple of inches under six feet—but I shift into a forty-five-pound coyote. Still, I couldn’t picture him as a ferret or anything small like that.
“I think we’re clear.” William pushed the door open, then took two steps out. The acrid scent of Mafia Hit Man crashed into me, followed by the sound of a door slamming.
“Shit, it’s him.” I grabbed William’s arm and tugged him back into the custodian’s closet. I’m not sure what I would have done if he hadn’t cooperated; no way could I move him if he didn’t want to be moved. I pulled the door shut behind us, then shut the light off in the little room, just in case it glowed through the gap under the door.
“Are you sure it’s him?”
I stared at him. “Believe me, there’s no mistaking the stench.”
His nose wrinkled. “Yeah, it’s distinctive, all right.” He leaned his head against the door, as though trying to hear through it.
I didn’t need to press against the door to know that Mafia Hit Man was making his way down the corridor, opening doors to check rooms. It was only a matter of time before he reached our end of the hall.
A door slammed. It couldn’t be more than a few rooms away. Mafia Hit Man was close.
If we left, we’d get caught. If we didn’t leave, we’d get caught. Those didn’t seem like very good options. I scanned the closet, looking for inspiration.
William crossed his arms over his massive chest, and inspiration struck. I was going to get a chance to climb him like a mountain after all.
“Take off your shirt.”

Blurb
Stalking Buffalo Bill—A Shifter U Tale
A smitten coyote isn’t the only one stalking Buffalo Bill.

A buffalo walks into a cafe. Sounds like the start of a bad joke, but for coyote shifter Donnie Granger, it’s the beginning of an obsession. Donnie is a little hyperactive and a lot distractible, except when it comes to William. He finally works up the nerve to approach William but is interrupted by a couple of violent humans.

While William—don’t call me Bill—is currently a professor, he once worked undercover against an international weapons-trafficking ring. Before he can settle into obscurity, he must find out who leaked his location and eliminate the thugs. He tries keeping his distance to protect Donnie, but the wily coyote won’t stay away.

It’ll take both Donnie’s skills as a stalker—er, hunter—and William’s super-spy expertise to neutralize the threat so they can discover if an excitable coyote and a placid-until-pissed buffalo have a future together.


 About the Shifter U Series
A fun, male/male take on shapeshifter romance, the Shifter U stories include characters who shapeshift into more than the average apex predator. Sure, there are wolves, tigers, and bear shifters, but there are also coyotes, owls, beavers, bison, and more.

All books in the series center around Cody College, located on the outskirts of Cody, Wyoming, where the occasionally furry have a safe place to further their education. Affectionately known as Shifter U, the school offers shapeshifting students a “special track” which gives them the chance to learn important subjects like mathematics, philosophy, and, most importantly, how to hide their secret identity from local humans.

Maintaining secret identities is tough. Dark secrets, old enemies, mythical heritage, and a mysterious illness challenge the stealth skills of even the sneakiest students and staff. While these shifters struggle to handle their type of “normal,” thorny complications of attraction pop up—always at the worst possible times.

Author Bio
j. leigh bailey is an office drone by day and the author of Young Adult and New Adult LGBT Romance by night. She can usually be found with her nose in a book or pressed up against her computer monitor. A book-a-day reading habit sometimes gets in the way of... well, everything...but some habits aren't worth breaking. She's been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. The last twenty years or so have not changed her voracious appetite for stories of romance, relationships and achieving that vitally important Happy Ever After. She's a firm believer that everyone, no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation or paranormal affiliation deserves a happy ending. For upcoming releases and appearances information, sign up for her newsletter at https://t.co/FfL9gFVJLQ.


Social Media Links

Buy Links
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I’ll be giving away a signed copy of my gay YA action/adventure novel DO-GOODER (US only) or a digital copy of one of the contemporary New Adult m/m romance titles in my Letting Go series (open internationally) to a random commenter who tells me: What’s your favorite kind of paranormal romance? Is there a specific “supernatural” element you just love? Contest ends September 7th Midnight EST.

Audiobook Review: Personal Secrets (Personal #4) by K.C. Wells

Blake Davis and husband Will are delighted when Ed Fellows turns up at the hospital the night their daughter is born-even if he is covered in mud from playing rugby and drunk out of his skull. Teammate Colin is the Good Samaritan who drives him there, and when he takes Ed home, Colin finds himself on the receiving end of a blowjob. He has no problem with that whatsoever. He's been in lust with Ed since Ed joined the rugby team some 14 months ago. Only thing is, Colin's assumed up 'til now that Ed is straight. Except the man sucking him off certainly didn't seem straight....

Talk about the morning after the night before....Ed awakens to find a nearly-naked Colin asleep on his sofa. The problem is that for some reason, he can't get Colin out of his mind. Okay, so it wasn't the first blowjob Ed's ever gotten from a guy - or given, for that matter - but that was a long time ago, right? And why does Ed now want more?

With friends Rick, Angelo, Blake, and Will to advise him, Ed finds himself on a completely unfamiliar road, as he struggles to accept that maybe the line he is walking isn't as straight as he'd first imagined...

Narrated by: Cornell Collins
Listening Length: 6 hours and 37 minutes


Reviewer - Shee Reader

This book is a charming addition to the Personal Series, it’s a real joy to see brash Ed find his happily ever after. Of course the road is not a smooth one, but the ending is all kinds of sweet and happy, and Colin is a great match for Ed.

There are many areas of conflict and development: is Ed really gay? Will his family accept him? Is Colin out of his league? Will the homophobia from some of the rugby players end things before they’ve really begun?

Each thread is dealt with well, the writing is classy and the characters are so real I felt I could reach out and touch them.

The dialogue is smartly done and the checking in with established couple Blake and Will is a real pleasure. I adored Colin fan-girling over Will’s books. Such fun!

I didn’t really like Blake’s evil ex popping up, but approved of how Ed dealt with it. Similarly the new PA was a scary character but the team rallied around and all ended well.

The narration is again by Cornell Collins and he does a wonderful job. Each character has a clear identity and the performance brings the book alive beautifully.

Highly recommended.


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


Review: Pins and Needles by A.J. Thomas

The truth is rarely seen on the surface, and getting to it might mean digging deep…

After a devastating accident and a long stay in the hospital, the last thing petroleum engineer Sean Wilkinson wants to deal with is the settlement the oil company tries to force on him. He’ll never be able to work in his field again, his education is all but useless, and his surgeons are pessimistic about whether he’ll ever walk again. He needs someone in his corner, but most lawyers take one look at his tattoo-covered foster father and turn their backs. It’s just Sean’s luck that the one attorney willing to give him a chance is also the hottest guy he’s ever seen.

As a trial lawyer, Nate Delany has a lot to prove—to his father, the world, and himself. Sean intrigues Nate, and he struggles to reconcile the gifted tattoo artist he can’t stop fantasizing about with the quiet, brilliant engineer. His investigation reveals facts left out of the accident report—including an illicit affair, greedy coworkers, and a vicious corporation that will do anything to protect its bottom line. When Sean’s life is threatened, winning Sean’s case, and his heart, becomes a lot more dangerous.


Sean's life is dramatically derailed when an accident occurs and nearly saws him in two. He's left having to reconfigure his life and future and battle the potential of never being able to walk again. When the man who essentially raised him reaches out for legal assistance against the oil company whose ship Sean was on (and who Sean had just started officially working for days before), he meets Nate, who is as stubborn and proud as he, sans the tattoos.

Nate is tired of living in the shadow of people taking credit for his work. Against his father's wishes, he leaves the firm behind and heads out on his own. His first case? Well, certainly not what he expected, and the attraction to Sean is immediate.

Through twists and turn, the men seek answers (all while trying to stay alive.)
“Come on, let’s go for a walk and—” He stopped and slapped himself in the forehead. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…. I’m just sorry.”
Sean chuckled. “They didn’t reprogram my brain to avoid normal figures of speech when they gave me the wheelchair. We can go for a walk.”
Something that I love about A.J. Thomas is that they manage to provide what feels like authentic representation. While not differently abled in the same way as Sean, I have my own physical battles. I felt for Sean as I went through the story and watched him give a middle finger to societies standards for who he can be. I chose the quote above because I think it provides a good example of that in a way that is accessible.

The story has steam, but it is certainly not steam-powered (see what I did there?) It is very much so plot-driven and I really found myself enjoying it. I had predicted at least one of the aspects of who was behind a lot of mayhem, but didn't have it figured out completely. I will say that while A.J. did a great job of making such a complex field and science more understandable, there were times I was still like "what the what?" - and that is part of what took my rating down some. Lucky for everyone, I am not an engineer. We'd all be screwed.

The epilogue felt a bit rushed, but I did like where it went and I don't know that it would've made sense for the story to be extended. It just ended up coming across as reading a 1,000 word paragraph in 20 seconds. Whoooosh.

In the end, this is a solid story by a solid author, and I definitely enjoyed the complex characters, enjoyable side characters, and subplots surrounding family for both Nate and Sean.




A review copy was provided.

Giveaway + Blog Tour: Suspicious Behavior (Bad Behavior, #2) by L.A. Witt & Cari Z.

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Tag Team Review: No Pressure (Accidental Roots #2) by Elle Keaton

Joey James has given up on his ‘Prince Charming’. There is no such thing, he needs to be realistic about his chances of finding a lasting relationship. A chance encounter with a former school mate at the local grocery store changes everything-maybe.
Before Joey can decide what to do about it, he is swept into a terrifying scheme. Forced into helping a dangerous stranger in exchange for his family’s safety, Joey begins a perilous journey into the criminal underbelly of Skagit. He will do whatever is needed to protect his family.

Buck Swanfeldt had a secret crush on Joey James in high school. Buck’s social anxiety and two-year age difference made it impossible for him to approach Joey then. Life since high school has been challenging, and lonely. Eight years later, fate brings them together and Buck decides to act. He utterly fails. He would have left it at that, except fate seems to be intent on pushing Joey in his direction, and clearly, Joey needs someone at his back.

Dark, sordid secrets hiding in Skagit are bubbling to the surface, danger lurks in unexpected places. Buck has never been anyone’s hero but something about Joey has him throwing caution to the wind. Together the two men take on a dangerous force greater than themselves. But sometimes our worst enemy is ourselves.

*warning may need a tissue!

This book is a work of fiction intended for mature audiences only.


Wow, I liked this even more than the first one! The characters, especially Joey and Buck, were engaging and I was able to relate to them on a deep, personal level. The storyline that was carried over from book 1 was wrapped up here in a satisfying and realistic way. Joey was a bit TSTL at times but it worked for me because it's in his nature to care for others, even to his own detriment.

Buck, now... Buck has earned a special place in my pocket and in my heart. Buck's a gentle giant. He's so innocent and awkward and he stumbles over his words when trying to talk to Joey and I just love him so. There's an instant attraction between him and Joey that has Buck so far out of his comfort zone he doesn't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt. It was a delight to watch him gather up his courage to pursue Joey, who, frankly, didn't need any encouragement. Buck is hotness personified (think Thor with the temperament of Gentle Ben). He's so adorable I just want to eat him up!

One of the things I loved the most about this book is the realism. Even with a fantastical storyline of mobsters, kidnapping, trafficking and whatnot, everything rang true to me. The relationship was anything but rushed and the fact that Buck realized he needed time on his own to get his head on straight and actually seeking out therapy before pursuing anything further with Joey was so refreshing to read.

Now, the blurb warns that tissues may be needed. I didn't agree with that at first. In truth I didn't agree with that for 98% of the book. But, damned if I didn't cry at the end. They were happy tears, but I did experience some serious facial leakage.

Elle Keaton is proving to be a masterful storyteller and I'm eager to see what she does next. This author is one to watch for, folks. The lady has some serious talent.





Okay. Well the truth is, this book was on my review list. I read and reviewed the first book and loved it - but I've got about a third of the way into it and am struggling with this one.  Sometimes, if I'm struggling I go and look at others' reviews, to see if I can work out what it is I'm missing - or sometimes to see if I'm the only one with the problem! 

In this case, one of the first reviews that came up was that of fellow unicorn and FABULOUS reviewer, Jenni Lea. God-dammit, I must be wrong, because, as you can see, she adored this book. Now, I'm still struggling to get into it, but it's been on my review list for a while so I wanted to get my outta date reviews up to date. Rather than just DNFing and giving the broken-heart review (I don't like to rate if I've not finished unless there is a strong reason why I've DNF'd) I asked Jenni Lea if she'd mind me posting her (fabulous) review, along with my DNF one. Of course she didn't because she's amazing like that!

 I'm not saying no to this book forever, but for now it's a case of it's not you, it's me. Read Jenni Lea's review and she'll tell you all about her lvoe for this book.


A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information see Goodreads.

Review: Coasting (States of Love) by Yvonne Trent

What happens when you need something but don’t know what it is? Why not look in a place you never heard of?

Out and proud elementary school teacher Cal Hamilton thought he was happy in Philadelphia, but after a breakup, he steps back to reassess his life and discovers something is missing. He gets in his car and drives south with no idea what he hopes to find. The flip of a coin leads him to a small town in Mississippi—practically a different world from the city where he grew up.

Police officer Billy Labarre keeps his sexuality mostly to himself, but he knows just what he needs to fill the hole in his quiet small-town life: the right man. Unfortunately attitudes toward gay men still leave a lot to be desired in the rural South, and it’s hard to meet someone. It’s not likely his perfect match is just going to show up out of the blue….


New author Yvonne Trent's Coasting is a sweet contemporary novella that features a Philadelphian teacher Cal Hamilton and Mississippian police officer Billy Labarre. Since his summer is free, Cal goes on a road trip of sorts after recently breaking up with his boyfriend of five years. He travels down south and goes where his gut tells him... after a flip of a coin.

Ocean Springs, Mississippi is where he ultimately lands. The small town is booming with tourists and there is no room at any local hotels. Officer Billy offers a room at his empty house to crash at. Though Cal doesn't know he's met the officer of the law at the time, he accepts the stranger's kind offer.

Thus begins the start of a very tame and easy relationship. Within 48 hours, the two make permanent decisions and have off page sex. The relationship forms within the first 33% and nothing else happens but repeating that Cal will stay in Mississippi.

The story is nice. There is no angst, no major plot. The story coasts with a sugary ease and not much else. There are readers for this type of read. Not faulting them or this story. I felt it could have easily be finished within 20 pages. A lot of filler about eating, touring the Mississippi bayou and simple sugary sweetness.

The most developed character: Mississippi.

We get to learn the bayou, the food and the culture in the small town. The reader gets to go along as Billy plays tour guide to Cal around his hometown. You get to read his love for his state through and through. *shrugs*

Since the relationship fell into insta-love category, there wasn't much else to help any growth to either main character. The same feelings that they share after a few days continue when the story time jumps months later. Billy is out to those who are close to him but keeps PDA non existent due to where he lives. Cal doesn't mind.

The writing isn't bad. It's nice.

Just like the characters. Nice.

A city guy just ups and stays in a stranger's house without worrying about the possibilities? Nice, I guess for him. As a city girl, I just don't get it. Or the fact five years of a past relationship doesn't get explored for any semblance of depth for the character or snapshot of where Cal's head is at that he could just so easily jump into bed with another man. It's nice not to have to worry about those things.

Nice is there to keep everything even keeled. Nothing and no one rocks the boat or brings any interest to the story. There is a market for nice, non-explicit, no angst sugar. Readers who enjoy that...nice will wallow in Coasting.

Nice, nice, nice.



Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.





Giveaway + Blog Tour: The Druid Next Door (Fae Out of Water, #2) by E.J. Russell


E.J. Russell & Riptide Publishing are her to promote the second in the Fae Out of Water series! Be sure to enter the stupendous giveaway by leaving a comment! Good luck!


About The Druid Next Door


Professor Bryce MacLeod has devoted his entire life to environmentalism. But how effective can he be in saving the planet when he can’t even get his surly neighbor to separate his recycling?

Former Queen’s Enforcer Mal Kendrick doesn’t think his life could get any worse: he’s been exiled from Faerie with a cursed and useless right hand. When he’s not dodging random fae assassins in the Outer World, he’s going toe-to-toe with his tree-hugging neighbor. And when he discovers that the tree hugger is really a druid, he’s certain the gods have it in for him—after all, there’s always a catch with druids. Then he’s magically shackled to the man and expected to instruct him in Supernatural 101.

All right, now things couldn’t possibly get worse.

Until a mysterious stranger offers a drunken Mal the chance to gain back all he’s lost—for a price. After Mal accepts, he discovers the real catch: an ancient secret that will change his and Bryce’s life forever.

Ah, what the hells. Odds are they won’t survive the week anyway.

Available now from Riptide Publishing. http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/the-druid-next-door


About the Fae Out of Water Series


Once upon a time, there were three brothers, nobles of the Seelie Court of Faerie, who set out to seek their fortunes. The eldest—

Scratch that. Rrrrrewind.

Nowadays, when tales are told in 140 character bursts on tiny LED screens, rather than spun out by the glow of a midnight campfire, even Faerie’s elite have to get with the program.

The Kendrick brothers have traded longbow for briefcase, battle steed for Harley, and enchanted harp for electric guitar.  But while they’re finding their feet in the modern world, instead of finding their fortunes, they stumble straight into love.

#faeoutofwater



About E.J. Russell

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

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

Connect with E.J.:
Website: ejrussell.com




To celebrate the release of all three books in the Fae Out of Water series, one lucky winner across all three tours will receive a GRAND PRIZE of a $50 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on September 23, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the Druid Next Door tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!



Review: Grounded by Aidan Wayne

Between raising his daughter Camille, his work as a full-time pastry chef, and his hobby of capoeira, Baz’s life is pretty full. He may be a little lonely, but he’s too busy to think about it all that much.

When his cousin Alaina introduces him to Terry, another capoeira student, Baz is instantly drawn to him. Though quiet and withdrawn, Terry ends up being a fun, interesting person who Baz can’t help but fall for. And when Baz does things, he doesn’t do them halfway.

Terry is a successful voice actor and a talented martial artist. But the fact that he’s shy, on top of being a trans man, has kept him from really dating. He likes Baz, he does—he just doesn’t want to mess up their friendship by failing at romance. Still, Baz is nothing if not stubborn, and Terry is willing to give things a try.


This story is pretty fluffy. I usually prefer a bit more depth with my stories but I didn’t mind this one as something light and short to fill up a few hours.

Baz is a really great character, and I enjoyed reading about him and his daughter, Camille. Their interactions were adorable, and I felt the author captured the nurturing side of Baz really well. He put himself out there with 100% surety that even if things didn’t go his way, he at least gave it his all. He handled his daughter with patience and care, and it was nice to read this type of father/daughter relationship instead of the strained relationship which is the usual trope.

Terry was a bit opaque. I felt like his character development was a bit stunted. I don’t know if this was intentional or if it was because we were always in Baz’s POV but I felt like I needed a bit more from him to feel good about the relationship between them.

I did enjoy the way they both navigated the relationship while trying to take care of how it may impact Camille. The author also managed to capture how children can be irrational and extreme when things change for them. This came across strongly in the story.

This was a fairly short story, 120 pages, but I felt like it captured the relationship between Baz and Terry and gave us enough solid foundation to believe in a HFN.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style and would recommend this as an easy read with a very supportive and easy going main character (Baz). Unfortunately Terry was under-developed and needed a bit more to make me love him as much as Baz.


A review copy was provided by the publisher for an honest opinion


Blog Tour + Giveaway: Runner (The Runner #1) by Karma Kingsley


Karma Kingsley and IndiGo Marketing host the Runner Blog Tour! Learn about the new author in the interview, check out the excerpt and enter in the NineStar Press eBook giveaway!


Title: Runner
Series: The Runner, Book One
Author: Karma Kingsley
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: August 21
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 79300
Genre: Contemporary, age gap, celebrities, hurt/comfort, interracial, mild BDSM, movie industry, spanking, toys

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35713191-runner

Synopsis

Alex Banez is a runner for a Los Angeles film set. When he has a chance encounter with executive producer Atwell Richards, he finds himself falling fast and hard. Atwell is rich, powerful, gorgeous, and everything Alex never thought he would have. But Atwell also has a dark side and an inflexible need for control that threatens to suffocate everyone around him.

Alex has to figure out if he can love Atwell without losing himself.








Excerpt

Runner
Karma Kingsley © 2017
All Rights Reserved
Chapter One

“Dammit. Son of a…” Alex shook out his hand, holding back a curse as he blew a puff of cool air onto his burning fingers. The skin on his knuckles reddened and sizzled, and he clenched his jaw as he waited for the pain to subside. Goddamn new directors and their tea fetishes. He’d burned himself nearly a thousand times since the new management team had taken over the set. He was certain his hands were merely bone and burn marks, as the last of his skin had certainly just sizzled off.

Taking a deep breath, he carefully placed the scalding hot cup of Orange Jasmine onto a tray with two others, both varying pretentious flavors of tea. His new bosses from Maryland, flown in to save the current film from going up in flames, had a particular palate for teas.

Alex had thought they were joking when they requested that he place an order for the list of nearly fifty different flavors of the beverage, but the cold, sharp looks from his collection of recently arrived employers had quickly assured him that being a “tea connoisseur” was no laughing matter. He’d nodded in obedience and quickly hopped on the task, having to call in nearly every favor owed to him for the more exotic brands. He’d thought that was the hard part, until they had taken to requesting that he deliver them a new flavor of burning hot tea on the hour. In addition to the other millions of tasks he had to complete, he now had a timer attached to his waist, set to beep every fifty minutes and remind him to hydrate the arrogant devils that controlled his paycheck.

Though he wasn’t in the business for the money. God knows he wasn’t in it for the money. The shit job came equipped with equally shitty pay, but this was where he needed to be. Starting from the bottom was the only way to get to the top.

He picked the tray of mugs up and balanced it on his palm, keeping it steady with the light touch of his other hand. He plastered on a smile and moved forward toward the three men sitting confidently in chairs labeled with their individual titles. None of them mattered. They all outranked him.

“Oh, the tea is here,” one of them exclaimed, turning in his chair to reach back for one of the glasses.

Alex opened his mouth to warn him that he was taking the wrong glass. He’d arranged them in the order that they sat, so as not to forget who ordered what, but his effort was futile as the man brought the cup to his lips. He took a sip and immediately spit it back into the cup.

“Is this Pomegranate Raspberry?” he asked angrily.

“Uh, yes. But it wasn’t—” Alex started to answer but was quickly cut off.

The man stood up from his chair. He wasn’t an intimidating man. His features were light, his hair platinum blond, and he was barely half Alex’s size, but he was obviously used to having power and money and thought that his size was more threatening than it actually was. His gaze burned furiously into Alex. “I specifically asked for Red Velvet. Did you think that I wouldn’t taste the difference? Do you think that I’m an idiot?”

Alex stared back at him openmouthed. He had no words. He wasn’t even sure how the two questions correlated. He would never be able to taste the difference between any flavor of tea, ever, and he certainly didn’t think himself an idiot. “Well, it’s just—”

“It-it’s just—” the man mocked him. “Just go, runner.”

Alex stood frozen, still staring at him, and mortified by his outburst.

“I said go, before I find your replacement. Hopefully, one that can read the label on a bag of tea.” The man waved him off as his two companions watched silently. Alex gathered himself. He closed his mouth and turned to leave them to bitch about him and his incompetence. He clenched his teeth together. If you want to be in one of those director chairs one day, then you better damn well keep it together, he reminded himself. He was the set’s bitch boy for now but one day, he’d be running the show. One day soon.


Author (Quickie) Interview

After reading your book 'Runner', it made me super curious to know how you got into writing racy novels?

Well, I got into writing racy novels because that's what I've always read...well, steamy novels, fantasy novels and heaps of nonfiction. But I haven't quite grasped putting together fantasy novels just yet-- I’m a horrendous world builder--and I don’t have the platform or know-how for nonfiction.

The specific ‘racy’ bits Runner came about because, I've just always been intrigued by power play novels but I've never liked that one person always had to give up ALL of their power to the other. So, Runner is sort of built into the concept of power play but where both characters have sort of unbending personalities. So instead of having a high character and a low character, everything sort of meets at a slant.

What is the thing that inspires you the most?

I take inspiration from a lot of things, my life experiences, TV shows, books, things I see people do at Walmart...Inspiration is everywhere.

I guess if I had to choose a most inspiring thing, I’d go with a Maya Angelou quote: "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, compassion, some humor and some style."

Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what kind?

I don’t listen to music when I write. I’m one of those people that needs complete silence. But I do sometimes hear songs that inspire stories. For instance, I’ve listened to The Chief album on repeat since it dropped and I desperately want to write story based on the album, or write Jidenna’s memoirs, either works for me.


Purchase Links

NineStar Press: https://ninestarpress.com/product/runner/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B074MHC49V
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/740853
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/runner-karma-kingsley/1126944941
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/runner-32


Meet the Author

Karma is a wine-enthusiast, feminist, activist, humanitarian, vegetarian and just all around liberal and that often seeps into her writing. She loves any place with white, white sand and blue, blue water and an endless supply of prefix-mo drinks (Moscato, Mojito, etc.).

Author Links

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Karma_Kingsley
Email: KarmaKingsley@gmail.com

Tour Schedule

8/21 Love Bytes Reviews www.lovebytesreviews.com
8/22 Erotica For All http://eroticaforall.co.uk
8/22 Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews http://wickedreviews.blogspot.com
8/23 The Novel Approach http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com
8/23 Boy Meets Boy Reviews boymeetsboyreviews.blogspot.com
8/23 Happily Ever Chapter https://www.facebook.com/happilyeverchapter
8/24 Bayou Book Junkie http://bayoubookjunkie.blogspot.com
8/25 Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com
8/25 MM Good Book Reviews https://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/



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