Sunday, January 31, 2016

Book Spotlight & Giveaway~ Favorite Toy


Don't forget to enter giveaway at the end of the post for a chance to win an e-book from the author's backlist. Contest closes on Feb. 7th. The release blitz is sponsored by Pride Promotions.

Now let's check out Louise Lyons' Favorite Toy...


Publisher: Louise Lyons
Cover Artist: Simon Searle
Release Date: January 31, 2016

Determined to stay single, Dean Simpson and his best friend Ryan have been playing a game, where each man chooses a potential hook-up for the other, usually someone nothing like their usual type. But with Ryan now off the market, Dean agrees to one final round of the game and allows his friend to choose his toy for the evening.
Casper Mancuso is about as far from Dean’s type as he can get. Casper is pretty, flamboyant, and attention-seeking, but sexy with it. Dean decides one night can’t hurt, but when Casper makes it clear his aim is the same as Dean’s – to have one bit of fun and then move on – Dean finds himself surprisingly disappointed.
With both men keen to avoid a relationship at all costs, it seems there can be no chance for anything between them. And yet the pair are drawn to each other and despite some hurtful comments and a very public argument, they just can’t stay away from each other. Eventually Dean is forced to admit that the very antithesis of what he usually likes is exactly what he’s been waiting for.

Pages or Words: 35,600 words

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Excerpt:
My heart sank as one of the other trainers from the gym caught up to me. "Wait up, Dean. I'll go with you."
I glanced at Mark and nodded. "Okay."
"Where are you headed?"
"Not sure yet. I just wanted some fresh air. Maybe Subway." It was the first thing that came into my head, although I really didn't fancy a sandwich.
"I could go for that. Meatball marinara. Mmm."
"I like the tuna."
"I always have cheese and slather it in ranch dressing, and get a cookie." Casper's words made me smile and I wondered if he'd be having Subway today. Shit.
"Are we eating in, or taking it back to work?" Mark pushed open the door and walked inside.
"Um, maybe sit outside here?" I followed him to the counter, lining up behind a family ordering an early lunch. Most of the tables both inside and outside were empty and I stared up at the menu board as I waited, even though I knew I'd order tuna. Mark bought a foot-long meatball marinara with cheese and salad and I requested a six inch with cheese, salad, and ranch dressing. As we sat down at a table outside the window, I looked around and caught sight of Casper, just yards away and heading right for us. Automatically I ducked my head and unwrapped my sandwich, hoping he wouldn't see me. My heart thumped wildly and my dry mouth made me wish I'd ordered a drink.
"Are you okay?" Mark raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah."
Casper entered Subway, apparently not having noticed me. I'd kick myself if I didn't speak to him. I might not get another chance. The fact that he'd happened to turn up at this exact moment, when he could have gone anywhere, or not even taken a break at this time, was too much of a coincidence for me to throw away. Hesitating, I debated going into the shop to speak to him, or waiting for him to come out where Mark might hear. While I thought about it, Casper got his sandwich and came out again and then I had no choice. I jumped up quickly, scraping my chair noisily on the pavement, and his eyes immediately met mine. He halted, half in and half out of the door, then shuffled forward to get out of the way of someone trying to enter.
Mark looked up at me and frowned. "Dean?"
"I'll be back in a minute." I moved away from the table toward Casper, aware that only about six feet separated us from Mark. "Can I speak to you for a minute?"
"What about?" His eyes narrowed.
"I wanted to say sorry. I─"
"Don't bother. Like we both said, it was a hook up." His voice was much too clear and I glanced anxiously at Mark, who stared back at me with wide eyes.
"Casper…shh. Can we just…?"
"Don't shush me!" Clutching his wrapped sandwich fiercely in one hand, he planted the other hand on his hip and glared. "I don't know why you even bothered speaking to me! You slept with me for a bet, and we all know what your real type is. Don't think I didn't see you with that blond guy on Friday."
"Fuck." Grabbing his arm, I tugged him a few steps along the street until he wrenched free. "Thanks a fucking bunch. You just outed me to one of my workmates."
"Oh!" His scowl vanished and his cheeks flushed. "Shit. I didn't know. I'm sorry, Dean."
"Forget it. Like you said, I shouldn't have bothered." Mortified, I turned away and went back to the table. Mark's expression said it all. I didn't need to hear anything he might have to say, but I listened anyway. Casper had already disappeared.

Buy the book:






Tour Dates & Stops:

Meet the author:

Louise Lyons comes from a family of writers. Her mother has a number of poems published in poetry anthologies, her aunt wrote poems for the church, and her grandmother sparked her inspiration with tales of fantasy. Louise first ventured into writing short stories at the grand old age of 8, mostly about little girls and ponies. She branched into romance in her teens, and MM romance a few years later, but none of her work saw the light of day until she discovered FanFiction in her late 20s.

Posting stories based on some of her favorite movies, provoked a surprisingly positive response from readers. This gave Louise the confidence to submit some of her work to publishers, and made her take her writing “hobby” more seriously.

Louise lives in the UK, about an hour north of London, with a mad Dobermann, and a collection of tropical fish and tarantulas. She works in the insurance industry by day, and spends every spare minute writing. She is a keen horse-rider, and loves to run long-distance. Some of her best writing inspiration comes to her, when her feet are pounding the open road. She often races into the house afterward, and grabs pen and paper to make notes.

Louise has always been a bit of a tomboy, and one of her other great loves is cars and motorcycles. Her car and bike are her pride and joy, and she loves to exhibit the car at shows, and take off for long days out on the bike, with no one for company but herself.


Where to find the author:





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, January 29, 2016

Cover Reveal & Giveaway~ Justine Winter's Warrior's Duty


Title: Warrior's Duty
Series: Nature's Destiny #4
Author: Justine Winter
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: February 17, 2016


Death. Destruction. Demons.

War was officially declared.
Blade’s rebirth into the world became something we truly weren’t prepared for. And I felt guilty. Blaming myself for not getting to Lara in time. 
She was gone. Nature’s Destiny was grieving.

In the midst of our woes the battle was brewing. Incubi kept coming. Hell beasts were slaying. And the demon master was another step closer to winning.

With an army of supernatural beings in my arsenal I was optimistic that we were enough. We had the prophecy and my fortitudo on our side.
Whatever happened there was one thing I knew for certain.

The end had come.



The beast taunted me, stalked me like I was its prey. Its coal-like skin, straight from the mouth of hell, sizzled brightly with streaks of orange. The lava of its home. I never stood a chance in this war, I was one wolf against an army of demons; they kept me distracted long enough to ensure there was nothing I could do to jeopardise their hostile takeover. I soon learned that distraction was their greatest tactic, their only worthwhile weapon. But still, there were little acts of heroism I could partake in; chained and bound in a cage granted me little freedom. I was the hell beasts’ toy, to scratch, to bite, to chase when dull moments had them bored. Compared to my torment, I was sure death would be a gift as inviting as a freshly picked bouquet of flowers. I no longer wanted to endure such heinous, criminal, apocalyptic affairs. I wished for death, and the devil laughed in my face.

  I’ve always lived a life based on my imagination, from hopeless dreams of romance to concocting alternate realities involving supernaturals. I’m completely fascinated with anything hero-related, and often speculate which superpower I’d possess. I haven’t settled on one yet. I was born in England, and currently reside in Wales, UK. I love to write, and most days you’ll find me happily tapping away at the computer whilst in my pyjama-clad bubble. I also spend my time reading, and if that isn’t enough I’m often in the kitchen baking up a treat.



HOSTED BY:

Book Spotlight~ Break Me Like a Promise

Title: Break Me Like a Promise
Series: The Promises #1
Author: Aria Grace and Kyan Christopher
Genre: MM / MF Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 30, 2016

An M/M and M/F Contemporary Romance Series. Written from the perspectives of both male and female, gay and straight characters. 80% M/M, 20% M/F For brothers Brent and Tad, opening up their gym, Sculpt, is a dream come true. Struggling to gain recognition in the fitness world, they enlist the help of a well-known advertising agency to help market their full service fitness center. When Brent meets his new account manager, he feels an automatic attraction to Luke. However, another employee in the gym has his eyes set on Brent and will stop at nothing to keep the boss to himself. Tad is married to his high school sweetheart. With a wife and two adorable children, his life couldn’t get any better. Then his happily ever after is cut short by a tragic accident. Tad gives up on love, expecting to never be happy again, until one of his employees puts her life on the line to protect his business. The Promises Series is an M/M and M/F romantic collaboration by authors Aria Grace and Kyan Christopher.







As soon as our orders are placed at Blue Wok, Brent leans back in his chair and heaves out a deep breath. 

“So do you want to talk about it?” I ask again, taking a sip of my Coke.

“No.” He laughs quietly. “Actually, I don't. I'm done talking about it. Thinking about it. I just need to get away from it for a little while. Tell me about yourself. How's work on our campaign coming?” 

Brent visibly perks up at the topic.

“Actually,” I say, getting a little excited myself, “it's going really well. I have some mock-ups for you guys to approve for the ad I want to run. And we have two tentative dates in mind for the cross promotion with Tangled down the street.”

“Really? The pretzel place? That's awesome,” he says, smiling for the first time that I've seen since his sister-in-law's death. “I can't wait to check it out. I know the timing really sucks and I'm sorry about that. Obviously, we had no idea Tad and I would both be so disconnected from work for a little while when we hired your agency.”

“No. No, not at all,” I say, waving my hands in front of me. “You hired me to take care of this stuff for you. So really, whether you are working or on vacation, this stuff will happen. The campaigns will run, business will boom, and all will be great.”

Brent laughs at the simplicity of my words. “From your lips to…well, you know.”

“Yeah. I know.” 

“So what else is going on with you? Do you live alone? Have a dog? Play sports?” Brent is clearly grasping at topics of conversation.

“Yes. No. Not really,” I say. 

Brent furrows his eyebrows. “Wait. Now I don't even remember what I asked or in what order.” 

“Yes, I live alone. I've got an apartment nearby. No, I don't have a dog or any pets. I like dogs, and maybe someday, but my apartment is too small for a big dog, and I wouldn't want a little yapping thing. And what was the last question?” Now I can’t remember what he asked.

Brent makes a face and scratches his nose in an adorable way. “Sports. Sports. I asked about sports.”

“Oh, right. Not really. I used to play hockey when—” 

Brent raises an eyebrow. “Street or ice?”

“Ice through high school. Street in college.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah. Some friends and I play pickup now and then, but it's actually been a while. I’m not great at it but I have fun. Once the weather clears up, they might drag me out there again.”

“That's awesome.” 

“What about you?” I ask, twisting the straw wrapper into a tight rope to keep my fingers busy.

Brent shrugs. “Not much anymore either. I used to play softball with some buddies, and baseball when I was younger, but since we opened the gym, I mostly just work out there.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” I say under my breath before I catch myself. 

Brent smirks. “Can you?” 

Shit, now he thinks I’m flirting. That's not a bad thing, but he is still my client, and he's definitely too vulnerable right now for me to take advantage of him.

“Well,” I choke out, “it's obvious you and your brother both spend a lot of time testing out the equipment in your gym.” 

Brent squints a little as he seems to study me. “Is there anybody special in your life?” he asks, cutting right to the chase. “Maybe a girlfriend waiting for a ring?”

Now he’s playing with me. He knows damn well there’s no girlfriend, unless he has the worst gaydar known to man. “Nope, no girlfriend. Not since fourth grade.”

“Boyfriend?” Brent asks, more serious now. 

I look right at him. “Nah, nobody serious at the moment. What about you?”

Brent shakes his head without breaking his stare. “No, my life's too crazy for a boyfriend.” He winks. “But I definitely like friends who are boys.”



“Hey, Claire. How are things today?” I walk behind the reception desk and glance at the computer screen over her short, pixie-style black hair. The open calendar program reveals blue highlights for appointments that are booked this week. 

“Good. You have a client coming at ten, so you have about thirty minutes to shower and change.”

Lifting my arms one at a time, I smell my armpits. “I don’t stink that bad.”

She turns around and looks at me over her black-rimmed frames. Her gaze takes on a quizzical look. “Ugh. How is it again that you’re gay? Because you seem to be very much the straight man when it comes to body odor.”

“Geez, Claire.” I laugh as the corners of her mouth tilt upward. “Sorry to disappoint your stereotyped expectations for straight and gay men.” 

“That’s why I stick to women. Less fuss and confusion.”

“Oh, is that why?” I smirk.

“That and the tits and the…” The door chime sounds, cutting her off. “Hi, welcome to Sculpt. Can I help you?”

Leaving her to our new customer, I head through the gym to the men’s locker room. All the employees have large lockers here for extra clothes we need throughout the day. Walking toward the showers, I grab a clean towel from the stack we maintain for guests.

I pull the glass door open, and light puffs of steam greet me as I step through the entrance. The outer area of the tiled room consists of benches running along the frame of the fourteen-by-twelve room. An opening at the back leads to the showers, where the sound of water cascading echoes off the walls. Stripping out of my clothes, I lay them on one of the benches, taking only my towel with me.

Making my way down the center aisle of shower stalls, the back left stall is the only one in use. Three stalls are lined up on each side of the aisle. A rod with a curtain on each allows for privacy, but I notice the stall in use has only half the curtain pulled.

Choosing the back right shower, I hang my towel on the hook outside the stall and pull my curtain, leaving enough room for me to glance over to the other side. The water warms quickly and I step under the stream, allowing the pelting flow to relax my muscles after Grant’s strenuous workout.

I sneak a peek from around my curtain, looking into the shower across the way. A strong thigh and one side of a round, bubble butt come into view and my dick begins to grow. I pump some of the body wash from the dispenser and begin to lather myself up, giving extra care to my stiffened member. My hand glides up and down as I continue to stare at the muscular body in the other stall.

The body begins to turn, so I lean back into the stream of water, not wanting to be caught peeping. I chance a look again and my eyes grow wide. The guy’s hand is moving up and down. Damn, he’s jacking off too. Tingling sensations cover my body as I watch this hunk across from me.

The man’s left hand braces above his head on the shower wall. Fuck. I wish I could see his face and chest, but he hasn’t leaned over far enough for me to see more than his hands. My hand strokes faster as I hear the guy let out a small moan. As I watch his hand clench against the wall, he groans and I know he’s reached his climax. The excitement from glimpses of him pleasuring himself sends me over the edge as well. I lean back into the flow of water, letting it coat me as the trembling sensations within me subside.




Born and raised in beautiful California, Aria enjoys the year round sunshine and laid back environment of the west coast. Her career started out in tech writing and web development and has evolved into all things marketing with fingers in everything related to book publishing.  She lives with her husband and two children and more pets than she can keep track of. Despite her crazy schedule, she loves the time she carves out to read and write. Whether it's on the beach or on the couch at 2am, she is a woman obsessed! She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to drop her a note or visit her at www.ariagracebooks.com. If you'd like to know when Aria's next book is coming out or where she'll be signing, join her mailing list at: http://bit.ly/AriaGraceFanList



Kyan Christopher was born and raised in Louisiana. A southern boy who loves the city, he is a romantic at heart. Never thinking he would become an author, a fan fiction piece he wrote inspired a series that launched his desire to weave tales of passion and romance. Kyan is supported by his loving partner of 15 years. They live in the South with their three four-legged kids.




HOSTED BY:

Discover Good Half Gone today!

  GOOD HALF GONE Author: Tarryn Fisher ISBN: 9781525804885 Publication Date: March 19, 2024 Publisher: Graydon House 18.99 US | 23.99 ...