Release Blitz + Giveaway: Greeking Out (Destination Daddies) by Colette Davison

Author Colette Davison and Gay Book Promotions share info on new daddy kink romance release, Greeking Out (Destination Daddies)! Read more about the standalone story and enter in the $10 Amazon gift card giveaway!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title:  Greeking Out

Author: Colette Davison

Publisher: Independently Published

Cover Artist: Colette Davison

Release Date:  August 19, 2021

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Daddy kink, age play, long-distance friends to lovers, age gap

Themes: Believing in yourself. Build others up, don’t tear them down.

 Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 45 000 words

It is a standalone story and is part of the Destination Daddies multi-author series. 

 Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Can a singles’ holiday in Crete give two men who’ve never met, and only spoken via a hook-up app, what they both crave—love?

Blurb

Apollo

A year of messaging on the Cuffd app has led me to understand one thing: Troy is the one meaningful relationship I’ve ever had. Two things are stopping it from being more, I’m an adult film star and there’s also an ocean between us. To claim my geek boy, I’m going to have to pull out all the stops and lay my heart on the line as I’ve never done before.

Troy

Apollo, my online friend gives me the confidence to take a trip to a place I dream of. Myths and legends are worth a little fear of flying, right? With the incentive of finding a Daddy who’s as caring as Apollo, what do I have to lose?

Greeking Out is a long-distance-friends-to-lovers story with a geeky boy who hasn’t been little in too long, a confident, caring Daddy who wants to give his boy the holiday of a lifetime, and a well-loved teddy bear. It’s part of the Destination Daddies multi-author series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but there are so many destinations and Daddies to discover, why not grab them all?

Excerpt

GeekBoy: What if I’ve forgotten something?

HungLikeAGreekGod: I’m sure you haven’t, but if it helps, you can tell me everything you’ve got packed.

GeekBoy: Really?

HungLikeAGreekGod: Of course. I wouldn’t have offered if I hadn’t meant it.

GeekBoy: Everything?

HungLikeAGreekGod: Everything, geek boy. Before you do, take a deep breath and a moment to calm down.

GeekBoy: Okay.

The urge to reply with “yes, Daddy” was overwhelming. Apollo wasn’t my Daddy and never would be, but it made me smile whenever he acted that way. Taking care of other people was probably as natural for him as breathing. Speaking of which… I took a couple of deep breaths. Once my mind was less of a whirlwind of panic, I opened my suitcase and carefully took everything out. I repacked everything meticulously, pausing between items to tell Apollo what I was putting into the case.

GeekBoy: Flip-flops and slip-on shoes.

HungLikeAGreekGod: They’ll come in handy. Do you have something more rugged for visiting Knossos and walking up to Zeus’s birthplace?

GeekBoy: My boots, but I’ll be wearing those on the flight.

HungLikeAGreekGod: I think that’s all the footwear you’ll need. What’s next?

GeekBoy: Five pairs of socks. To wear with the boots, not the flip-flops or slip-on shoes.

HungLikeAGreekGod: I’m glad that fashion crisis has been averted.

GeekBoy: Please. As if I would wear socks and sandals. Seven pairs of underwear.

HungLikeAGreekGod: That’s plenty.

I was almost disappointed that he hadn’t asked for more details. Why would he? We were friends, nothing more. Friends didn’t ask each other about their underwear.

GeekBoy: Seven T-shirts, four pairs of shorts, two pairs of jeans, plus the pair I’ll be wearing on the plane. Some little clothing in case I get the chance to be little. Two pairs of swimming trunks. A hat, sun cream, my toiletries bag, which has toothpaste, a toothbrush, and stuff to shave with. Lube and condoms just in case.

HungLikeAGreekGod: I told you. You have everything you need.

GeekBoy: Deodorant will be in my carry-on.

HungLikeAGreekGod: Good plan. What else do you have in your carry-on?

I added my favourite dildo to my suitcase and zipped it back up. Then I unpacked the small rucksack I was taking as hand luggage.

GeekBoy: Sunglasses, the aforementioned deodorant, currency, my wallet, a spare change of clothes just in case my luggage goes missing, my passport, and last but not least, batteries for my B.O.B.

HungLikeAGreekGod: What’s a B.O.B?

I snort-laughed at the thought that a porn star didn’t know what B.O.B stands for.

GeekBoy: Battery-operated boyfriend.

HungLikeAGreekGod: Why didn’t you just say dildo?

GeekBoy: B.O.B is more discreet.

HungLikeAGreekGod: You don’t need to be discreet with me.

About the Author 

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |   Facebook Page   |  Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

BookBub   |   Twitter    |   Goodreads  |  Instagram: @colettedavison

Mailing List  |   Newsletter Sign-Up

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a $10 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Red Zone by Beth Bolden

The Red Zone is out! Don't miss today's release blitz for the sports romance from author Beth Bolden and Gay Book Promotions! Plus, there's a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway attached! Good luck!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title:  The Red Zone

Author: Beth Bolden

Publisher: Beth Bolden Books

Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood Designs

Release Date: August 11, 2021

Genre: Contemporary gay romance

Tropes:  Friends to lovers, sports

Heat Rating: 4 flames 

Length:  97 000 words

It is a standalone story.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |   Amazon UK  

Spencer’s deep in the Red Zone and it’s time to even the score.

Blurb

Nine years ago Spencer Evans became the first player out of the closet to be drafted into the NFL. Everyone believed he had aspirations to change the world but all Spencer ever wanted to do was play football for a team that accepted him wholeheartedly. But they never would, and Spencer began to conceal all the parts that made him different.

When a terrible injury forces him to re-evaluate his life and his choices, he realizes there’s only one man who can help him.

The very first gay sports agent, Alec Mitchell has given his life and his career to making queer athletes’ dreams come true. He can’t help but think of Spencer as the one who got away—professionally and personally.

Alec thought he’d buried his desperate longing for Spencer ages ago but it turns out it was just lying dormant, waiting for the right spark. When he begs Alec to take him on as a client, everything they’ve been burying for years surfaces once again.

With Alec’s help, Spencer can change everything about his life he’s come to hate. An extraordinary future—and an undeniably extraordinary man—are waiting for him. The play has been called. All he has to do is catch the ball and score.

Excerpt 

“You should try my wine,” Alec said, gesturing towards the bottle. “You said you don’t drink wine, not that you don’t like wine. And this is an easy drinking red, real fruit forward, not too many tannins on the back end.”

“Is this how you want to do this?” Spencer asked suspiciously. “Make me try things I don’t think I’m gonna like?”

“How will you know, if you don’t try?” Alec hesitated, and slid his jacket off, hanging it over the back of one of the barstools. “Come over here. I’m not going to bite.”

Spencer shot him a look, full of heat, and Alec remembered why it was probably better not to take his jacket off and why it was definitely better not to make jokes that could be taken in any kind of sexual context.

Well, he’d done it and he wasn’t going to take it back. If they couldn’t figure out how to make this work, then Spencer wouldn’t get what he needed—and Alec wanted that more than anything else.

“Fine,” Spencer said with a sigh. He skirted around the edge of the kitchen island, approaching hesitantly as Alec tilted the half-full glass in his direction.

“Isn’t there supposed to be a special way I do this?” Spencer asked as he took the glass.

Alec raised his eyebrow. “A special way? You take a sip. Swallow it. Decide if you like it or not. Though, really, you should try it twice. The first sip will clear your palate from that god-awful beer you’ve been drinking.”

“That’s what I mean,” Spencer said. “I don’t want to do it wrong.”

“Not drinking it, that’s doing it wrong,” Alec said, even though he knew what Spencer was referring to. But all of the swirling and the legs and the aroma, all the self-important recital that true wine connoisseurs participated in was only going to confuse Spencer. Alec just wanted him to fucking try it.

“Alright, fine,” Spencer said, grumbling, and lifted the glass to his lips.

Spencer made a face, and Alec said, “Nope, not yet. Don’t tell me you don’t like it yet. You’ve got to clear your palate.”

“How do I do that?”

Alec put his hand on Spencer’s arm, stopping him from handing the glass back. “Take another drink,” he instructed. “In a minute.”

When he pulled his hand back, he could still feel the heat and solid strength from Spencer’s forearm. He was going to have to get used to all this touching and personal connection, and hopefully when he did, it wouldn’t affect him this strongly.

“Alright,” Spencer agreed. “It wasn’t . . . well, it wasn’t what I thought it’d be.”

“You didn’t hate it,” Alec guessed, leaning against the edge of the countertop.

“I thought I would,” Spencer confessed. “Wine’s just so fancy and complicated, and I’m not . . . I’ve never been either of those two things. And beer is fine.”

“Beer is fine, sure. You might not dislike it. But what if you liked something else better?”

“I don’t know,” Spencer agreed. He hesitated, and Alec watched him closely, even though it almost hurt to look at him like this. So unsure and vulnerable and wanting so hard to do the right thing, the best thing. “It’s why I asked you to do this.”

About the Author 

A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published twenty-three novels and seven novellas.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |   BookBub

Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a $25 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Wingman by A. Poland

Check out today's release blitz for The Wingman courtesy of author A. Poland and Gay Book Promotions! Learn more about the new NineStar Press new adult release and enter in the giveaway to win your own eBook copy!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: The Wingman

Author: A. Poland

Publisher: NineStar Press LLC

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date:  July 26, 2021

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance, Romantic comedy, New Adult

Tropes: Friends to lovers, love triangle, childhood best friends, slow burn, sharing a bed (tent)

Themes: humor, friendship, family, communication

Heat Rating:  3 flames    

Length:  69 762  words

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

Goodreads

Buy Links

NineStar Press  |   Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

Always the wingman, never the “one”. 

Blurb

Nathan, a college student with a thing for funky hats and a definite not-thing for the great outdoors, has been a wingman extraordinaire for his lifelong best friend Lorcan for as long as either can remember. With his innate ability to talk endlessly about how great Lorcan is to anyone who’ll listen, Nathan has always been the best man for the job—even if he’s secretly waiting for the day when Lorcan will realize that Nathan is the only guy for him.

But then, Lorcan sets his sights on Miles, the suave, leather-jacket-wearing musician with a love of mountaineering and a family of six overprotective sisters, and Nathan must once again put his wingman skills to work.

Trouble is, Nathan is getting tired of the old routine, and Miles is the only human being on the planet immune to Lorcan’s charm. Not to mention that Miles’s interest is immediately piqued by the outspoken and completely oblivious wingman.

Excerpt

Nathan blinked blankly at his best friend.

“My help?” he parroted, not quite getting what Lorcan was suggesting. It wasn’t as though he could go up to this Miles guy and talk his ear off about Lorcan to encourage him to make the first move. They’d already met; they’d spoken. If Miles was interested, he’d make a move.

Hope stirred in Nathan’s chest.

If Miles was interested, why hadn’t he already made a move?

“Yeah, I need you to do your thing.” Lorcan nodded, looking at Nathan expectantly, as though that would make Nathan whip out a ready-made action plan on how to get into Miles’s pants.

“Dude, I do that so you can talk to them without doing the awkward introductions yourself.” Nathan spoke slowly, as though explaining how to draw a straight line to a child. “You’ve already covered that.”

“Well, then think of this as a part two,” Lorcan allowed with a huff, probably because Nathan was making very valid points. “I don’t know if he’s even into guys.”

Nathan frowned thoughtfully. Normally, it was easy to tell if someone was into Lorcan. Or at least to Nathan. He liked to think his dad’s perceptiveness had been inherited—to a lesser extent, of course, because Nathan was good, but he wasn’t that good—enough that he made a great wingman to other people, not just Lorcan. Hell, a few of the people in their friend group had asked for his help before.

It wasn’t as easy, sure. But Nathan had a pretty high success rate. A few of them in happy, long-term relationships to boot.

Maybe he should have business cards made.

Nathan Reed—will get you laid.

Nathan shook off that thought as quickly as it had come because that made him sound like a matchmaker, and he was decidedly not experienced enough to consider that as a career path.

“So you…what? Want me to meet him and suss out if he’s interested?” Nathan tried talking slowly, one brow apprehensively raised.

“Yeah!” Lorcan grinned. “Exactly. Work your magic.”

Nathan huffed out a laugh, rolling his eyes at Lorcan’s enthusiasm about Nathan’s apparent “magic.” It wasn’t magic; it was just knowing how to talk to people. Specifically, talking to people about Lorcan. Who, in Nathan’s opinion, was the easiest thing in the world to talk about.

Sometimes, on very good nights, Nathan didn’t have to do as much. Sometimes, the woman would know exactly why he was approaching and just cut to the chase. He always appreciated those; they made his life a lot easier.

“Okay, I’ll do you this one favor.” Nathan sighed, clearly teasing. There were no favors between them. No one kept tabs over who owed the other what. “Now drive me somewhere to get food. I’m starving.”

Lorcan laughed, his mood clearly elevated from earlier. Even that was enough to settle Nathan a bit more. Sure, his brain might still be working overtime on limited sleep, but Lorcan’s coming-out experience had been painless for him, and that was something at least.

“Your wish is my command,” he quipped back, starting up the car and taking them to their usual haunt.

There was nothing better than getting food with Lorcan.

Lorcan was a picky eater, while Nathan happily consumed anything deemed edible. Which meant Nathan tended to get extra of whatever Lorcan didn’t like, and no food was wasted.

Win-win all around.

But this time, the experience was different.

Nathan hadn’t been worried about any uncomfortable silences or lapses in conversation after being away for so long, and he’d been right not to.

But he never thought to be worried about Lorcan never shutting up.

Which, under normal circumstances, would have been fine. But these weren’t normal circumstances.

Lorcan wouldn’t stop talking about Miles.

In the last half an hour, Nathan learned more about the guy than he ever wished to. His gut twisted with each and every new fun fact presented to him, his shoulders drawn tighter and smile more strained.

So far, Nathan learned the following:

Miles was a musician.

A lot of people were musicians, especially in LA; it wasn’t a big deal. In fact, Nathan had taken piano lessons for an entire week and could still successfully play “Twinkle Twinkle.”

Miles was a graduate from Juilliard.

Nathan might have asked Lorcan to repeat himself because there was no way he’d said Juilliard.

But he had. And that was fine. Juilliard was a college just like any other. Saint Andrews was nothing to scoff at either.

Miles was adopted.

It made sense. Probably adopted into a wealthy family with plenty of connections, considering the Juilliard thing (fucking Juilliard).

Miles’s eyes were this unusual gray color.

Lorcan spent a great deal of time talking about the color of Miles’s eyes. (There were only so many ways to describe stormy gray with flecks of brown, Nathan groused, please move on.) Anyway, Nathan had been told that he had unique eyes. Granted, they’d been compared to a swamp before. But still. Swamps had a bad rap—they had frogs.

But no, Lorcan clearly had a thing for smoke-colored eyes now, not gunky-green.

Miles was hugely involved in environmental activism.

Nathan recycled.

About the Author 

Fuelled by a worrying tea addiction (with a tattoo to prove it), A. Poland is a rom-com writer from Ireland who delights in telling stories that make you fall in love with the characters and give you that squee feeling in your chest.

Three words A. would use to describe her writing are funky, silly, and spicy. Which, coincidentally, is also their dancing style.

When they’re not daydreaming of the next meet-cute, A. works as a video producer and a full-time dog mom to her pride and joy, Gizmo.

Social Media Links

Email (public address)  disasterbiwrites@gmail.com

Website   |  Twitter

Facebook  |  Goodreads 

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of five ebook copies of The Wingman

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Guest Review: The Prince and the Ice King (Gemstone Kingdoms #1) by Amanda Meuwissen

Every Winter Solstice, the Emerald Kingdom sends the dreaded Ice King a sacrifice—a corrupt soul, a criminal, a deviant, or someone touched by magic. Prince Reardon has always loathed this tradition, partly because he dreams of love with another man instead of a future queen.

Then Reardon’s best friend is discovered as a witch and sent to the Frozen Kingdom as tribute.

Reardon sets out to rescue him, willing to battle and kill the Ice King if that’s what it takes. But nothing could prepare him for what he finds in the Frozen Kingdom—a cursed land filled with magic… and a camaraderie Reardon has never known. Over this strange, warm community presides the enigmatic Ice King himself, a man his subjects call Jack. A man with skin made of ice, whose very touch can stop a beating heart.

A man Reardon finds himself inexplicably drawn to.

Jack doesn’t trust Reardon. But when Reardon begins spending long days with him, vowing to prove himself and break the curse, Jack begins to hope. Can love and forgiveness melt the ice around Jack’s heart?

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

There's two types of books that get a low rating from me: books that are just plain bad and books that just aren't for me. The Prince and the Ice King definitely belongs to the latter category. I can see its appeal and it wasn't badly written, but it had a lot of elements that I personally just don't care for.

The whole story is obviously inspired by Beauty and the Beast and while I usually love fairy tale retellings, that's one of the only fairy tales I don't like.

Reardon is your stereotypical naive, innocent virgin. He's a crown prince set to take over the kingdom in a few years. Yet he's incredibly trusting and believes pretty much everything he's told.

Jack is your stereotypical "beast". Brooding and callous with a frightening exterior, yet deeply troubled and so very full of guilt and shame. He pushes everybody away and doesn't trust strangers.

The love story fits the "opposites attract" trope. Not one of my favourites and it all felt a little insta-love to me. Okay, it does take a few weeks for the relationship to really start, but the attraction is immediate. And then they're are all in for a HEA for the rest of eternity. It lacked development, there was no slow getting to know each other, it just instantly went from 0 to 100.

There wasn't much plot to speak of outside of the love story. Sure, there's a quest to find out the truth about the death of Reardon's mother and toward the end there's betrayal and an epic battle, but the main focus was very clearly the romance. I was actually a little bored at times.

I would have liked a little more world building as well. Just how does magic work? Is it hereditary? Is there just random ambient magic and some people have it and some don't?

The ending was picture book perfect, everybody involved found their HEA, every side character gets their love interest and everything is perfect. There's one villain and he's purely evil, with no redeeming factors whatsoever. Again, not my cup of tea.

Long story short: If you're into "Beauty and the Beast" and want romance over Fantasy, then give it a shot. If you want a good Fantasy story with some romance and plenty of action, then don't bother. Like I said above, "The Prince and the Ice King" isn't badly written or anything, it just wasn't for me.

After the main story ended, there was a short preview for book two, which is set in a different kingdom with different protagonists. And while I didn't much care for "The Prince and the Ice King", I'm actually tempted to give the second part a try. I've read other books by Meuwissen and actually quite liked them. The next part seems to have more actual magic in it and an interesting setting.

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

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Dawn's Desire (Prairie Smoke Ranch #1) by V.L. Locey

Author V.L. Locey and Signal Boost Promotions host a new release blitz for Dawn's Desire (Prairie Smoke Ranch #1)! Read more about the contemporary opposites attract romance and enter in the giveaway!

 

ALL BUY LINKS

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Blurb

Amid fossils, yarrow, and cattle, two men are about to discover a love bigger than the Wyoming sky.

When Nate Pearson left heartache behind in the big city, he never looked back, he couldn’t bear to. Suffering and loss propelled him westward, but once he laid eyes on the Tetons, he knew he’d found a place where he could hide and heal. For over twenty years, the Prairie Smoke Ranch has been his refuge and his salvation. Working under the pale blue sky, he’s been able to keep the pain buried. Then one day while digging a cattle watering system, Nate and his hands unearth a mound of dinosaur bones that will change his life forever.

Once news of the discovery reaches the local university, paleontology professor Bishop Haney arrives with several undergrads to spend the summer excavating and cataloging the find. At first, Nate is unimpressed with the laid-back, surfer dude with the ocean blue eyes. But as the two opposites get to know each other, Nate discovers Bishop might be the balm his aching soul needs.

USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.


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Review: What We May Be by Layla Reyne

 

What we were… 

Sean found love once, with his college roommate, Trevor, and Trevor’s best friend, Charlotte. The missing piece, Sean made it possible for Trevor and Charlotte to find love too. But then Sean left and took the love with him. 

What we are… 

Now an FBI agent, Sean is back in town, ten years later, to investigate a murder. A case that pits him against his ex-lovers—Charlotte, a local detective, and Trevor, a literature professor sucked into the Shakespearean mystery. Everyone guards their hearts, but before long, desire sparks anew the feelings that burned hot a decade ago. That still burn true. 

What we may be… 

Love is within their grasp again, but as the killer escalates, it’s more than just their hearts and futures on the line. Sean, Charlotte, and Trevor will need to work together to solve the case. If they can’t, lives will be lost and pieces of their love gone for good.

Layla Reyne dangled MMF in front of me and I couldn't resist. Truthfully, I didn't want to. Have you seen that cover?

Let's take a moment to appreciate the pretty.

Anyhoo, hot cover that is surprisingly representative of Charlie, Sean and Trevor aside, this was a good second chance romantic suspense thriller. I think the second chance was a smart choice on the author's part because it automatically builds a backstory which allowed more of the focus to be on the mystery/thriller aspects of this story.

So, that's warning one for the hardcore romancers out there: it's a romantic suspense and the romance is definitely in the sidecar not the driver's seat.

Charlie and Trevor have been licking their wounds since Sean basically vanished a decade ago shortly after asking them to marry him. Of course there was a reason but nonetheless lives were altered, feelings were hurt, there's amends to be made and when circumstances dictate he return to their small town in North Carolina he does so with hat and heart in hand thus the stage is set for a reunion.

Except for the pesky serial killer that's lurking around and seems to have an axe to grind. Even though I was fairly certain I knew who the killer was I continued to be engrossed in the storyline until the end.

What I liked most about this story were the characters and the fact that even though Charlie, Trevor and Sean's relationship is/was an unconventional one, everyone in town seems to be genuinely rooting for them to reunite and make it work. That was an unexpected but pleasant surprise.

I'm not 100% certain but I believe some of these characters may appear in other books however, I had no trouble following this story. So if you're looking for an engrossing romantic suspense featuring a second chance triad give What We May Be a try.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Diamond Heat by Alex Washoe

Author Alex Washoe and Other Worlds Ink host today's blog tour for LGBTQ sports romance, Diamond Heat! Read more and enter in the Amazon card giveaway!

 

Alex Washoe has a new LGBTQ sports romance out (trams ftm, mtf): Diamond Heat. And there's a giveaway!

Daisy Flowers is a one-time college pitching phenom whose career was sidelined by misogyny and transphobia. For over a decade she's toiled away in the minor leagues, doing any job she can to stay in the game she loves. But her heart has grown bitter, and every fastball she throws is fueled by rage. When the Majors finally give her the call, she has only one dream left: to take on the entire baseball world and leave it scorched and ruined in her wake.

Jonas Sutton, in his third season in the Majors, is a talented player who has never quite lived up to his potential. Struggling to break through, but thwarted by the secret he can never reveal.

Daisy's arrival, in the midst of a pennant race, with everything on the line and the bright glare of the spotlight burning all the time, ignites tempers and passion. She's prepared to fight every inch of the way for the glory she deserves, and Jonas desperately wants to stand by her side.

But no matter how powerfully he's attracted, Jonas knows Daisy is the fuse on the explosion that could blow his world apart.

Warning: Contains interactions with transphobic characters (mild) and memories of childhood struggles

About the Series: The thrill of high-level professional sports and the magic of LGBTQ+ romance collide -- with sparks and heat aplenty.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada

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Giveaway

Alex is giving away an Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47197/?

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Excerpt

Now pitching for the Seattle Navigators … Daisy Flowers!

The crowd exploded. People were yelling. Most of the Chicago players came out of the dugout to watch her take the mound. Daisy sprinted across the field. Heff met her at the mound, and they hugged.

I felt a twist of jealousy — I should’ve been the one to greet her out there. I wanted to be beside her at this moment. And at the same time the idea of all the eyes now focused on her made me want to dig a hole in the field and crawl into it.

When Heff was back behind the mound, she started to throw her warmup pitches, but stopped when the crowd didn’t settle down. She took a deep breath, turned all the way around, surveying the stadium. Like she had the other day, she took off her hat and held it up, with the Pride pen showing.

Daisy. Daisy. Daisy.

She turned back toward home plate. I couldn’t see her face, but her shoulders squared up. She tucked her ponytail back under the cap and began to work.

I’d seen her pitch before, of course. As a teenager, then on TV, and in dozens of magazine photos. As she faced the first Chicago batter, she went into her elaborate wind up. Starting with her hands behind her back, then lifting them over her head, the ball completely hidden in her mitt. Her left leg drew up, until the foot was even with her knee. That’s the picture I had of her on my wall in high school. Those long, powerful legs in tight fitting baseball pants. Poised there, for a long half-second, serene and frozen like a crane, she was still breathtaking. I felt like my chest was cracking open.

Then she exploded outward, her hand shooting toward home. It would be almost impossible to pick up that release. I’ve been thrown at by some of the best pitchers in the game, and I could imagine how that looked to the batter. Like the ball suddenly appeared with a crack halfway there. The fastball seemed to leave shockwaves in the air. It punctured the center of the zone and all the batter could do was step back.

The force of her pitch spun her around on the mound, and she followed through, ending with her back to the plate. She stood like that for half a second, as if nothing else mattered, as if the catcher and the batter and her teammates didn’t exist.

I thought of two things.

My Grandpa loved to watch old jazz films. His favorite was Miles Davis, who would come out on stage and turn his back to the audience when he played.

“People got pissed,” Grandpa said. “They thought Miles was disrespecting them. Or it was some kind of political statement. But it wasn’t that at all. He just didn’t care about performing, or what they thought. All he cared about was the music.”

Daisy turned back toward the plate. Her eyes brushed across me. She lowered her head just enough to acknowledge me. But that was all I got.

Heff signaled for a change-up outside. She nodded, her hands slipping behind her back again.

The second thought? I had a lit professor in college who loved Emily Dickinson. There was this thing he quoted almost every class. “If I feel physically as if the top of my head has been taken off, I know that is poetry.”

I know a little bit about jazz. Nothing about poetry. But like I said I have been thrown at by some of the best.

I didn’t understand any of that until now.

---

Author Bio

Alex Washoe is a nonbinary writer and game designer living in Seattle, Washington. In previous incarnations, they have been a bookseller, an amateur stand-up comedian, a public speaker, a dog walker at a companion animal shelter, a wildlife rehab care assistant, and many other less interesting things.

Alex lives with their best friend and one (and a half) cats. They enjoy reading and writing romance, cozy mysteries, westerns and speculative fiction, all with an LGBTQ+ twist.

Author Website: https://www.alexwashoe.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/Alex-Washoe-Author-Page-351907692814938

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Washoe/e/B06XC351MC/

Release Blitz: Undone (Vino and Veritas) by Leslie McAdam

Undone (Vino and Veritas) is out from the popular series! See what author Leslie McAdam and Gay Book Promotions share about the novel today!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Undone (Vino and Veritas series) 

Author: Leslie McAdam

Publisher: Heart Eyes Press LGBTQ

Cover Artist: Christine Coffey

Release Date: August 12, 2021

Genre: Contemporary M/M romance

Tropes:  Roommates, friends-to-lovers

Theme: Bi-awakening

Heat Rating:  4 flames    

Length: 90 000 words

It is a standalone story. There are 18 books in the series, all by different authors. 

They are part of Sarina Bowen’s True North World. This is the LGBTQ line called Vino and Veritas.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

He makes me come undone

Blurb 

My new roommate has the worst taste in men.

I mean, Murph’s special. He’s funny and flamboyant and full of life.

While I’m straight, even I can tell these guys aren’t good enough for him.

I had to yell at one date, toss another one out the door, and throw a beer in another’s face.

Kind of embarrassing, really. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.

I ask my sister what’s wrong with me and she says I’m jealous.

Jealous? Please. Me?

Come on.

Only thing is, I hate the thought of Murph kissing any guy. Ever.

Except, maybe ... me?

Undone is a contemporary m/m romance about a dreamy insurance agent that might not be as straight as he thinks, an adorable bartender who adds sparkle wherever he goes, and maybe one or two jokes about swords.

Excerpt

 Murph’s perspective

A few hours later, all my things are in the room. We centered the rug on the floor, and it lies under a bed that we’re almost done assembling.

Currently, Jason’s sprawled on my floor mechanic-style as he screws the sideboards to the headboard. I’m holding the two pieces together for him like I’m at a perfume counter handing out samples.

While all I want to do is straddle him. I mean, he’s just lying there on his back, waiting to be ridden.

Down, boy, I scold myself, and adjust my jeans.

In addition to a library’s worth of books, Jason helped haul up the mattress and the dresser. Navigating the stairs with the box spring turned out to be tricky, but we managed not to punch a hole in it or the walls, so I count that as a win.

Plus, I got to see his biceps flex. Bonus.

“I’m normally not this much of a wuss,” I say, as I hold the pieces together while he uses the drill. “I, you know, lift weights and stuff.”

That’s a lie.

“You do?”

“No,” I admit instantly. “But I like to run. And if you take me out, I’ll dance with you.”

I expect him to tell me he doesn’t take men out, but instead he asks, “How were you going to move all this in without me?” With a big hand, he gestures to everything piled in my new room.

My first thought is that I never want to do anything without him ever again. But that might be coming on a tad strong, especially since he’s my landlord.

Like that’s the only reason not to flirt with him. I might as well flirt with a mirror—then at least I’d know I was talking to a gay boy.

I shrug. “I suppose I’m like Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. ‘I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.’”

His voice drops an octave and gets even gruffer. I had no idea that was possible. “My pleasure. I’m happy to help.” He sits up and dusts his hands off. “All done. Now you’ve got a place to sleep.”

“Or do other things.”

Shit. I said that out loud. In a singsong voice.

Change the subject, Murph.

Jason only smiles and gazes at me like I’m some fascinating specimen. Like he doesn’t know what to do with me.

It’s an almost indulgent look, and it makes me really happy.

“Am I keeping you from something? Work?” A girlfriend? Yeah, I’m fishing and deflecting. Two of my many talents that involve my tongue.

But I don’t want the confirmation about women. Not yet. Let me have at least one day of fantasy.

“No.” He starts tugging the box spring onto the bed frame. I guess I should help instead of standing here watching his back muscles tango under his shirt. Together we maneuver the box spring into place and set the mattress on top. “Took the afternoon off to help my new roommate move in.”

“I’m gonna tell your sister you played hooky. She said you work too much.”

He closes his eyes and smiles like he’s going to throttle her the next time he sees her. “She’s always on me about that. I’m fine. But no, I’m not working for the rest of the day.”

“And you’ve spent your day off helping me move. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

I like the way he says that. So many people say, “No problem,” but that implies that whatever you thanked them for could be a problem.

Being Jason’s pleasure, though?

That’s tempting.

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two small children. Leslie's first published book, The Sun and the Moon, won a 2015 Watty, which is the world's largest online writing competition. She's gone on to receive additional literary awards and has been featured in multiple publications, including Cosmopolitan.com. Her books have been Top 100 Bestsellers on both Amazon and Apple Books. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men of your fantasies.

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Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Tag Team Review: Subtle Blood (The Will Darling Adventures #3) by K.J. Charles

Will Darling is all right. His business is doing well, and so is his illicit relationship with Kim Secretan--disgraced aristocrat, ex-spy, amateur book-dealer. It’s starting to feel like he’s got his life under control.

And then a brutal murder in a gentleman’s club plunges them back into the shadow world of crime, deception, and the power of privilege. Worse, it brings them up against Kim’s noble, hostile family, and his upper-class life where Will can never belong.

With old and new enemies against them, and secrets on every side, Will and Kim have to fight for each other harder than ever—or be torn apart for good.

Averaged!

Adam - 4 Hearts

And so it ends! On a really good note too.

Will and Kim have settled into a happy routine. A bit dull perhaps, but that’s just fine after everything the two have been through.

Of course, that doesn’t last too long at all. Their past adventures and Kim’s abominable family pull both men right back into the midst of another crime.

KJ Charles really knows how to write murder and mystery. From the start, the twists and turns kept me hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading everything unfold, and then finally understanding how all the pieces fit together. Plus, Maisie and Phoebe return with all of the fanfare and attention they deserve!

What made the plot even more entertaining - it was closely linked to learning more about Kim.

Kim has either been an enigma or an asshat since book 1. He’s worked hard to shed that asshat-ness, but his past has still been murky.

Well, Kim is a mystery no more! Turns out he’s the product of his family. It really did put things into perspective, and explained how Kit came to be the man he is. Especially so for Will.

I loved how Will absorbed it all and became the rock that Kim needed. They’ve had their ups and downs, but in book 3 the two men just get each other and do what needs to be done to keep each other whole.

                                                       

Don’t get me wrong, they are far from sunshine and roses - Will and Kim are still snarky, combative, and seem to find joy in poking at each other. But it’s all done with love, and makes their quiet vulnerable moments all the more sweet.

Book 3’s ending is absolutely perfect for Kim and Will. And perhaps leaves room for a short follow-up? *hint hint, please*

This series (and Kim, Will, Maisie, and Phoebe) really grew on me. It’s got romance and mystery in spades. Recommended!

R *A Reader Obsessed* - 4.5 Hearts

Whoo! Talk about a page turner!!

Last we saw Will and Kim, they had taken those few tentative steps toward a fragile commitment towards each other, and now they’re slowly getting into their groove. All that seemingly domestic bliss however, is rudely interrupted when Kim’s awful arsehole of a brother is accused of murder.

Things quickly unravel into a complicated messy need to see Kim’s brother exonerated, and Will and Kim do what they do best in trying to find a way out of the shit show they find themselves embroiled in. What they uncover is perhaps a not so shocking realization. Their common enemy, Zodiac, is trying to regain their feet after they were disbanded in The Sugared Game, and Will and Kim have landed smack dab in the middle of it, mucking about and causing their trademark meddlesome trouble.

For me, this series continues to get better and better as it successfully brings a great supporting cast, a complicated mystery full of twists and turns, all the while brandishing gentlemanly propriety amidst some not so gentlemanly situations. What this also brings is some seriously romantic and well earned swoon! Both Will and Kim have taken a deep dive into what their hearts truly desire and once that realization is made, they'll do anything to see it come to fruition. And how!

Admittedly, I wondered how Charles would close this trilogy, both in the overall series arc and with the love progression. Don’t fear dear readers, for she didn’t fail us. Historicals aren’t a top trope that I readily delve into, but Charles makes a strong argument for them as I blatantly call for more of her paranormal stories!! To say the least, I’m not easily impressed, but I’m waving the white flag in concession as this pulls out all the stops!

A copy provided for an honest review.