Blogtour: A Beautiful Disaster by Marguerite Labbe

Please say hello to Marguerite Labbe with 

A Beautiful Disaster

The Geek Life #3

Convention Life

Hello everyone. It’s good to be back at My Fiction Nook. I can’t believe this is the last of my Geek books. It has been a wild ride since I first got the idea at the Southern Maryland Awesome Con. So much has changed since then. Now that con is no longer there. Ben sold the DC Awesome Con to another mega con group and is living the life by Disney World and Joe, who handled the Southern Maryland portion, retired. It’s crazy because that’s the con where I got the idea for the Geek Life series. Due to illness my husband is unable to handle the demands of conventions so the only one we’re really involved with anymore is the VA Comicon where we’re no longer vendors, but staff. My son and I handle ticket sales and when Keir is up to it, he runs the Kid’s Corner. They will forever remain our con family and I look forward to the day when we can dive back in.

So much of what we’d seen and done over the years have made it into these books in little ways. The cons didn’t just serve as inspiration but fodder for character quirks, the foundation of the relationships between vendors and promoters, and cosplayers, etc. I didn’t translate anyone I know into characters, but little incidents and some locations have been altered and made it into the series.

I’d be surprised if I haven’t touched on this before. My husband and I have been working the convention circuit since our son was in elementary school. Our first convention was up in Pittsburgh. We had nothing much for the table, no skirt or tablecloth to make it look nice, no idea of what we were getting into sitting in a square, with a kid, and seeing the same people walk by over and over. We met a guy at that con that we’re still friends with and have heard his up and down woes with women over the last decade. He’s the one who introduced my husband to the convention that was set at a brewery. I actually never got to see the brewery con. I was stuck in the hotel recovering from spinal surgery. It was my first car trip out of town after it happened, but my husband couldn’t stop talking about the location and how much fun he had. I knew it was the kind of place that Morris would enjoy.

The old man walking around as Conan that Felipe admired was actually a man dressed as Tarzan in nothing but a loincloth. He had to have been seventy. He reused that costume over several cons and I have to give it to him, I don’t think I’d have the balls to walk around any convention mostly naked no matter my age and I’m not the most modest woman. We never saw him again after he gave up the Tarzan gig and sometimes, I wonder what he is doing. He had such swagger. I can see Felipe still having that swagger at seventy.

A friend of mine wanted me to put a scene into A Beautiful Disaster where I show the takedown of the couple who were stealing from vendors, but that was never going to make it in the book. Where I ended Disaster seemed to be the most logical point and I couldn’t see pushing beyond that. However, in my head they were caught and I’m pretty sure Dakota would’ve gotten involved. Felipe would’ve likely been on hand too because he has a knack for being places. In the incident I based it off of, the thieves weren’t caught and a friend of mine lost a considerable amount of money. If you ever work a con, just know this kind of distract and grab is common so keep your cash close to you and valuables hidden! Call it a Brenden Con Commandment. It happens so fast. I couldn’t believe how fast it went down.

I have never gotten into the promotion side of things, but over the years I’ve picked the brains of Ben, Joe, Dan, Brian and Brett. I’ve watched them work themselves to the bone. I’ve seen them struggle over the balance of panels versus other entertainment. One of my best friends is a promoter for medical conferences and when the season hits she does not stop. I took all that activity and the need for organization and poured it into Brenden. 

This has been such a fun series to do and doing the convention circuit has been both fun and exhausting. I’m sorry to see the books go, but who knows, maybe after another ten years of doing shows I’ll have fodder for a whole new series.

About the book:

When best friends Brenden and Dakota launch the biggest comics and pop-culture convention of their careers, they finally realize what everyone around them already knows: they’ve been in love for years.

Now what are they going to do about it?

Meticulously organized Brenden Wade and easygoing Dakota Nye turned their love of geek culture into a business, running conventions all over the Chesapeake Bay area. Now the weight of their pasts is threatening not only their friendship but their dream. Brenden fears losing his foster family when his secrets come out, and though the last thing Dakota wants is to hurt his plus one, he doesn’t know if he’s capable of settling down.

One night of passion challenges both men’s preconceptions and forces them to evaluate what they want from the future. They’re both scared, and though they’ve always been able to figure out anything together, hearts are on the line. Will taking a chance on romance lead to a beautiful disaster, or just a disaster?

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About the author:

Blogtour: Out Of The Office by Louisa Masters

Out of the Office by Louisa Masters

Whoever thought achieving career goals could be boring? Not Duncan Witten, but here he is at forty-one, in his dream job… and hating it. Throw it all away for a challenge? Yes, please!

If only Dunc had known his challenging new job came with Paul Hanks, a man who redefines “stubborn.” They need to work together to meet targets, but thanks to Dunc’s idiot predecessor, Paul won’t take his calls or reply to emails.


There’s only one solution: travel across the country and confront Paul face-to-face. It’s time to take things out of the office.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iBooks   QueeRomance Ink | Goodreads

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Giveaway

Louisa is giving away a $20 gift certificate 

(your choice of Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble or Kobo) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Excerpt

I deliberately loiter in a coffee shop across the street from the Perth office. I don’t want to arrive early and give Paul time to come up with an escape plan, but there was no way I was risking being late. I take the time to go over my plan again, checking it for any flaw that might have sneaked past my and Krista’s eagle eyes.

There aren’t any. But it’s a great opportunity to implant every detail in my brain while sucking back a coffee.

The shop is only moderately busy—we’re well past the I-just-arrived-at-work-and-desperately-need-a-coffee rush, and not quite at the mid-morning coffee break rush. There are a few small groups efficiently combining coffee with a meeting at the tables, and a couple of other loners like me sitting in armchairs, hunched over laptops, but voices are low and there’s not a lot of ambient noise.

So the strident ring of the shop phone gets my attention, and I’m still only half-focused a minute later when one of the staff calls to another, “Paul’s on his way—make his usual, will you?”

There are a lot of Paul's in the world. In fact, there are probably a lot of Paul's currently within a one-block radius. But a guy who phones in his coffee order when he’s on his way is either super efficient or an asshole, and Paul Hanks has been described as both. Plus, this place is the closest to our Perth office, so it makes sense that he’d use it. And the timing is about right for a break before his meeting with me.

I slouch down a little in my seat. There’s no reason to think he knows what I look like, but it feels like the done thing. I mean, if you’re potentially spying on someone, you’re supposed to be all sneaky, right?

Release Blitz: Mad About The Boy by Beth Laycock

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Length: 62,000 words approx.

Blurb

Something’s waiting for Eli. Somebody’s watching his every move...

Eli is used to looking after himself. Single for longer than he’d care to admit, he doesn’t need a man for more than a hookup, not when he’s got his loyal dog, Zeus, by his side.

But one night changes the course of his life. He meets Dominic, an actual copper and not the stripper he thought his best friend had hired for his birthday. Unfortunately for Eli, after his night out celebrating, a gift awaits him at home—but not a pleasant one.

His birthday may be over, but the threats keep coming. Keep escalating. Keep hurting those close to him. Just how far will the monster behind them go? And how much will Eli lose before he can stop them?

About the author: 

Blogtour: Rocking Thin Ice by Z. Allora

Please welcome Z. Allora on the release day of their latest novel 

Rocking Thin Ice 

Can a sexy rock star show a relationship-phobic ice skater that there’s more to life than gold medals?

When ice-skating’s bad boy Blaze first glimpses Drake, every fantasy he’s ever had flares to life. Not only is rock star Drake sexy as sin, his songs awaken a longing in Blaze that he’s denied for years. But Blaze Parker doesn’t believe in relationships—at least not those that last more than twenty minutes.

Drake Keys has dreamed about the sensual ice skater for years. When Drake is kicked out of his band because of his bisexuality, he drives across the country to finally see the man he’s had a crush on skate live.

Though the attraction is instant and intense, both Blaze and Drake have baggage that puts any relationship on thin ice. Blaze is driven by a long-ago betrayal to prove himself a champion, and Drake, uncertain about the future, hopes to resurrect his music career. As they take a road trip together, Drake romances Blaze, hoping to melt his heart and show him that love is possible… but not without some tough decisions.

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Excerpt:

Prologue

LIKE EVERY typical weekday afternoon, Drake Keys hung out at Taylor Johnson’s house, playing guitar while pretending to do homework. They were both almost eighteen, but they’d done this after school since they met and became best friends in third grade.
“Drake! He’s on,” Jasmine, Taylor’s sister, bellowed from the dining room.

Squinting at Taylor didn’t offer a clue, so he hollered from his spot in the living room, across the space to where Jazzy sat at the dining room table, “Who’s on, Jazzy?”

“That skater… Blaze Parker is finally back on the ice after two years.” Jasmine waved him over to her laptop.

“Who?” Drake pretended he didn’t know, but he jumped to his feet and set down his guitar. So what if he followed Blaze Parker’s Instagram and Twitterfeeds? She didn’t know that. He meandered over with the best uninterested swagger he could muster. “Who are you screaming about?”

Book Blast: The Artist’s Boxer by Este Holland

Book Title: The Artist’s Boxer

Author: Este Holland

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Este Holland

Release Date: July 11, 2019

Genre/s: LGBT Action, Gay Romance

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 47,000 words 

It is a standalone story and the first in a series.

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Amazon Link 

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

Blurb

Winning the welterweight championship was everything Rake had worked for. Now it’s all come crashing down, and he has no choice but to flee his hometown of Las Vegas.

When he stops in a small town in Utah, Rake meets a man who makes him forget all about the danger he’s in.

Rio has a good life. He loves his family and career, but when Rake blows into town, something stirs in his blood.

Something like desire.

Rio doesn’t do relationships, not since the last disaster, but Rake makes it impossible for him to say no.

When Rake comes clean about what he’s running from, Rio just might have a way to help.

Now the two of them must fight to free Rake from the man who took everything...and stay alive until the end.

The Artist’s Boxer is the first book in the Yours to Protect series.

Excerpt

Reality crashed in as he lay down, and he didn’t like what it brought. He’d run away. Cowardly? Maybe. But what else was he supposed to do? People didn’t say no to Damian Corsetti, and that was exactly what Rake had done.

Now, there he was, in Rio Danvers’s home, his bed, after getting off twice with the man. The man who’d built the bar where he’d sat and laughed with Hunter for years.

Maybe it would all be okay. Deep inside, where he seldom looked, something told him it would be. He was solid and safe. Untouchable. But was that arrogance?

What had that figure in the road said? Love came in many forms, accept help…or something like that. Well, he sure as hell was. Rio had taken him in, fed him, kissed him, and invited him into his bed.

Rio came out of the bathroom and slid in next to him.

“Thanks for everything,” Rake said as they got under the covers. Rio wore sleep pants while he remained naked.

“Everything?”

Cover Reveal: The Art of Possession by Cari Z

We're delighted to reveal the cover for Cari Z's upcoming novel

The Art Of Possession 

About the book:

When a treasure-hunting black ops soldier and a disgraced, reckless archeologist team up in search of a priceless artifact, they might get more than they bargained for.

Ever since leaving the Green Berets to work in private security, Alex Tucker has longed for some excitement—and he’s about to get his wish.

Archeologist Malcolm Armstrong needs the chance to prove he isn’t a fraud. Along with Alex, he’s hired to track down and authenticate a valuable scepter, in a hunt that turns deadlier than either of them imagined as they search dangerous locations across three continents and try to stay ahead of the factions who want the treasure for themselves—and Malcolm and Alex dead.

Just as they realize the feelings between them transcend convenience and the thrill of the chase, a rival reemerges, threatening everything.


Release Date: November 5, 2019
Category: Romantic Suspense
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design

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And now, drum roll, please...

Audio Book Review: Spell Cat, The Aloysius Tales #1 by Tara Lain

From The Blurb:

Listening Length: 6 hours and 48 minutes. 

When Killian Barth, history professor, meets Blaine Genneau, quantum physicist, they ignite their own big bang. But sadly, Killian walks away. He doesn't do physics professors. In fact, he doesn't do humans, because Killian is the most powerful male witch in 10 generations and, though gay, he's expected to save his declining race by reproducing. 

He can't even have sex with Blaine, because he's been taught that sex with humans depletes his power. But if that's true, why can young human, Jimmy Janx, dissolve spoons with a thought? Somebody's a lying witch. 

With his powerful cat familiar, Aloysius, on his shoulder, Killian brings the lightning against deceit and greed to save Blaine from danger and prove love is the greatest power of them all.

Karen's rating:

I think maybe I set my expectations to high on this one...

It seems like I've wanted to read this story since forever!!! and something newer and shinier keeps getting in the way so imagine how excited i was when the new and shiny was the audio book for 'Spell Cat'...it was Karma, Fate...I tell you it was my sign from the universe that now was the time...so there I was once again all grabby hands to get a hold of this one and what I was expecting to be amazing and wonderful...because magic and one hella' awesome cat and I do still think the cat is hella' awesome, but the story turned out to just be ok.

I liked it but I wanted to love it and I honestly can't quite put my finger on why I didn't, but still at the end of the day. I did like it.

Killian Barth is a professor of history...specifically he teaches the history of witches and Blaine Genneau is a professor of Quantum Physics...needless to say he does not believe in witches...yep, it was meant to be...lol!!! I loved this.

Both men are gay and attracted to each other...mmm...no problems so far...oh yeah, Killian's not just any witch...he's one of the most powerful witches there is and seems there are not a lot of witches around much less those with power so of course he needs to marry and procreate...but he's gay...so seems his mother and the witches council missed out on this piece of pertinent information...read don't care it's not part of their plan to save the race...yes, witches are not the same as mere mortals they're a separate race and yes, I liked this too a bit of a different concept than we usually get.

Book Blitz: Taming Emilio by Brina Brady

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow With Kindle Unlimited

Length: 256 pages

Buried Secrets Series 

Book #1 - Buried Secrets  

  Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

Emilio Escobar hasn’t always made the right life choices, but to be fearing for his life at eighteen is not what he deserves. Physically battered and emotionally abused, he flees to his cousin, Rafe, head of the Gay Protector Society.

Rafe’s friend and co-owner of the society, Kaden Donagan, is interested in becoming Emilio’s protector, but it comes with a price. Emilio is never to break the security rules and has to accept Kaden’s decisions at all times, or his punishment will be harsh. Emilio is more than happy to accept Kaden’s conditions. Kaden is everything he wants in a protector.

Unfortunately, misunderstandings, lies, and shortcomings on both their parts threaten to take away the one thing Emilio and Kaden each need more than anything else: each other.


AUTHOR’S NOTE: This book contains mild BDSM elements including restraints, blindfolds, and spanking. Taming Emilio is book 2 in the Buried Secrets Series, or it can be read as a stand-alone book with no cliffhanger.

Excerpt

“Emilio, this is your night to shine. Remember to be yourself at the party and one of the men will claim you. That doesn’t mean for you to entertain all the protectors. This is not your old job, so behave yourself when you work the bar. I’m going to park the car, and then I’ll join the party.”

“I promise I’ll be on my best behavior and I won’t embarrass you.”

“Please leave James alone.”

“James will be at the party? I thought you said James picked Dante from the second group?” Emilio’s pulse quickened as he thought about James being at the party. For some reason, he needed James’s validation and attention.

“Yes, but he likes to come to all the parties and play with the new ones.”

“What about me? I’m a new one.” Emilio grinned at Rafe.

“What about you?”

Release Blitz: Soul On Fire by Tal Bauer



ADD TO GOODREADS

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Length: 75,000 words

Blurb

A deadly virus burns through the jungle, leaving nothing but corpses in its wake. Everyone flees from the outbreak—except for the terrorists intent on weaponizing the catastrophe.

Lieutenant Elliot Davis, US Navy SEAL, is sent to rescue CIA officers from their clandestine base in Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and evacuate them out of the country. What they’ve uncovered sends Elliot back to the Congo, trying to prevent an attack that could spark a global pandemic.

Dr. Ikolo Ngondu runs a refugee hospital caught between the advancing rebels intent on slaughtering everyone in their path and Elliot’s mission to find and capture their leader. In the chaos of a surprise attack, Elliot’s target slips away, and the only way to find him is to plunge into the Congo’s dark, dangerous, and fevered forest with Ikolo as his guide.

Together they track a burning shadow through Africa’s broken heart, and Elliot struggles to reconcile the world he finds with the life he’s lived as a black man in the West. He looks to Ikolo for answers and finds a man with a core so bright and fierce he scorches Elliot’s soul.

Even as they race against time, Elliot and Ikolo have no idea what’s been set in motion with their mission: a dark secret lies at the center, one that leaves billions of lives hovering between life and death.

And through it all, a question burns inside Elliot, one that only Ikolo may hold the answer to.

About the author:

Audio Book Review: Heart Untouched, Hearts Entwined #3 by Andrew Grey

From The Blurb:

Listening Length: 5 hours and 38 minutes. 

An accident crushed Duncan's Olympic dreams and landed him in a chair, but he knows it's time to get his life back on track - and he has a plan in mind. Working with his friend Todd, an Olympic skeleton racer, on a promotional campaign will not only help Duncan regain some direction, but it'll give Todd the financial boost he desperately needs. The sport Todd loves is draining his resources - so much so that he's thinking of giving up racing just to make ends meet. 

As the two men work together, their friendship blossoms into much more, and suddenly the future is looking brighter than it has in a long time. But just when love, happiness, and success seem within their grasp, the USOC steps in with plans to stop their campaign. That'll mean an end not just to Duncan's business, but to Todd's dreams...and Duncan isn't about to let that happen to the man who means everything to him.

Karen's rating:

Fact is...I like Andrew Grey...

and when you add Greg Tremblay as the narrator to one of his stories what you get is several hours of listening enjoyment. Admittedly I think Mr. Tremblay could read a dictionary and make it sound like one of the best stories you've heard in a long time...I kid you not and I'm sure that several of my friends who like audio books would back me up on that statement. The man is just that damned good.

I've read quite a few books by Andrew Grey and now I'm quite enjoying myself by working my way through the titles that are being released on audio...so opportunity knocked and like the good little audio book enthusiast that I've become of course I answered the door.

'Heart Untouched' is book #3 in the 'Hearts Entwined' series and we've met both Duncan and Todd in previous stories as minor characters but now it's their turn to make a grab for the brass ring. Duncan's trying to get his life back on track after a sporting accident that's left him confined to a wheelchair...his dreams of Olympic gold are now dust in the wind, while Todd's still chasing that dream he's also got another dream that he's not willing to give up and that's a dream of having more than just friendship with Duncan, but he also wants to help his friend find a new direction for his life one that helps him to use what Todd knows is a hella' creative mind.

ARC Review: Cold Pressed by Allison Temple

From the Blurb:

No strings attached is all Oliver can offer. He's hiding a broken heart that holds him back from diving into a new relationship, but he'll go on a blind date to make his family happy. Just one date, though; he doesn't have time for love to derail his plans.

Divorced and demoted to the night shift, Nick has his own problems. He's got an ex-wife who needs him and a kid with one foot in juvie. The last thing Nick needs is to butt heads - or other body parts - with a tempting hipster who wears a sad smile on their blind date.

Their chemistry can't be denied, though, in an argument or in bed. No strings sex is uncomplicated and that's what Nick and Oliver need. But getting into bed together is one thing. Staying out of each other's hearts soon becomes so much more complicated than either one imagined.

Ky's rating:





I think this was my very first book by this author and I can honestly say that it turned out to be a very good experience!

Oliver and Nick both needed a second chance at happiness and they were lucky enough to find each other.

Their relationship had an unconventional start with the two of them meeting over an argument for the first time and a few days later meeting again on a blind date.

Since both their lives were complicated and busy they agreed on a casual arrangement with no strings attached. They had their rules and their limits and everything was sailing along great for a few weeks but then life had to happen and everything became complicated again.

ARC Review: Ramen Assassin by Rhys Ford

From the blurb:

When life gives Kuro Jenkins lemons, he wants to make ponzu to serve at his Los Angeles ramen shop.

Instead he’s dodging bullets and wondering how the hell he ended up back in the black ops lifestyle he left behind. After rescuing former child star Trey Bishop from a pair of murderous thugs, he reluctantly picks his guns up again. It seems trouble isn’t done with Trey, and Kuro can’t quite let go… of either danger or Trey.

Trey never denied his life’s downward spiral was his own fault. After stints in rehab, he’s finally shaken off his Hollywood bad-boy lifestyle, but not his reputation. The destruction of his career and relationships was epic, and no one trusts anything he says, including the LAPD. When two men dragging a dead body spot him on a late-night run, then try to murder him, Trey is thankful for the tall, dark, and deadly ramen shop owner not just for rescuing him, but also for believing him.

Now caught in a web of murders and lies, Trey knows someone wants him dead, and the only one on his side is a man with dark secrets. Trey hopes Kuro will stick around to see what the future holds for them once the dust settles, but from the looks of things, neither of them may survive to find out.

Heather's rating:






I keep reading Rhys Ford's suspense/mystery series hoping to get another Cole McGinnis to love, but it doesn't seem to be panning out that way for me.

I liked Ramen Assassin, even though the plot was cray cray and the romance was underwhelming. I also had a hard time staying focused on the story, and it took me a full 10 days to get through it, which isn't a good sign for me. However, despite my gripes, I actually enjoyed the book (when I focused enough to read it).

Book Review: Seasons of Love (series anthology) by Carol Lynne

From The Blurb:

Spring 

Summer 

Fall 

Winter 

Just as the seasons change, so do people. 

Seasons of Love follows forty years in the lives of two men, Sidney Wilks and Grady Nash, from the Spring of their relationship when love is new and shiny through to the Winter of their partnership when thirty years of being a couple has begun to lose its sheen.

Karen's rating:

There are four seasons in a year and...

Four seasons to love...

'In Seasons of Love' and just like nature's seasons love begins with 'spring' when like the flowers love begins to bloom for Sidney and Nash.

I admit this was a bit of a challenge for me because of the age difference or more specifically the ages at which the MCs first met. Sidney was all of 10 years old, but before you panic...ok, before I panicked I reminded myself of a couple of things one I've read many books by this author and nope that shi*t won't be happening in one of her books and two sometimes ya just gotta' have faith and I did. Let me just say Ms. Lynne handled the age difference very well.  During the first 10+ years of Sidney and Nash's relationship it was more of a big brother/protector dynamic and Sidney needed someone to protect him because to his last breath Sidney's father was a total, absolute, abusive, douche of a father and sadly Sidney's mother died when he was only 10 years old...yeah, there's a connection there.

It's also worth noting that Sidney's feelings of love towards Nash manifested first. Nash truly felt that he was too old for the ever determined and persistent Sidney, who was determined that for him...Nash was the one.

I very quickly became a fan of these two men. I loved seeing their relationship change as Nash went from being Sidney's champion and protector, to being his best friend and ultimately his lover and always the constant in his life. The one person that Sidney could count on to be there for him, to have his back and be supportive when he needed it.

As with the seasons of the year, Sidney and Nash's love moves from the new bloom of Spring to Summer's heat. Both men are ready to be together as a couple and as ever Nash is Sidney's staunchest supporter and willing packs up and moves to Chicago with him to allow his career as an architect to flourish.

Nash and Sidney quickly discover that with a new city and new home come new challenges that they can only hope their love is strong enough to overcome.  As with any relationship it takes two and there will always be challenges to face, it's how that's done that can determine the relationships future.

ARC Review: Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

From the blurb:

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.


To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Heather's rating:





Absolutely, positively, you will not be able to put this one down.

Clear your calendars for release day, folks, because Ilona Andrews nails another book in the Hidden Legacy series, and it is just as addictive as the rest!

I'm a superfan of Ilona Andrews, and I've loved each and every book in this series. I was beside myself when I found out that I got an ARC of Sapphire Flames, especially since I was in love with Diamond Fire. Just totally gagged. I tried to wait until closer to release day to read Sapphire Flames, but after a few meh books in a row, I knew I had to crack this one open.

And I didn't go to bed until the very last word, just before 3 am.

The plot? Exhilarating.
The danger? Cranked up to an 11!
The romance? Just getting STARTED.

Review Tour - What Lies Beneath by RJ Scott



Amazon US | Amazon UK | KOBO | Barnes and Noble | Apple Books | Smashwords 

Universal Link

Length: 67,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Blurb

In the hottest summer on record, Iron Lake reservoir is emptying, revealing secrets that were intended to stay hidden beneath the water. The tragic story of a missing man is a media sensation, and abruptly the writer and the cop falling in love is just a postscript to horrors neither could have imagined.

Best Selling Horror writer Chris Lassiter struggles for inspiration and he’s close to never writing again. His life has become an endless loop of nothing but empty pages, personal appearances, and a marketing machine that is systematically destroying his muse. In a desperate attempt to force Chris to complete unfinished manuscripts his agent buys a remote cabin. All Chris has to do is hide away and write, but he’s lost his muse, and not even he can make stories appear from thin air.

Sawyer Wiseman left town for Chicago, chasing the excitement and potential of being a big city cop, rising the ranks, and making his mark. A case gone horribly wrong draws him back to Lancaster Falls. Working for the tiny police department in the town he’d been running from, digging into cold cases and police corruption, he spends his day's healing, and his nights hoping the nightmares of his last case leave him alone.

Karen's review:

Sawyer Wiseman left Lancaster Falls for the challenge of career on the Chicago Police Force…it turned out to be a challenge that nearly cost him his life and left him broken and returning to his hometown seeking a place where he can heal and still have a career in law enforcement…just not one that might cost him everything. 

Chris Lassiter has written two bestselling horror stories and is under pressure to produce the third and final story in his trilogy…if he could just manage to put together something worth reading much less making into a movie. Having grown up in a small town very much like Lancaster Falls, he still knows what life in a small town is like.

When Sawyer’s boss sends him out to check on the person staying in the Dwyer cabin, he’s expecting an elderly recluse or some such thing not a hot as hell author struggling with writer’s block. Chris is instantly drawn to the sexy, small town cop and he’s more than willing to let it be known, it’s just to bad Sawyer thinks it’s not the best idea he’s had this week regardless of how attractive he finds the reclusive author.

‘What Lies Beneath’ is the first book in R.J. Scott’s latest release and while I haven’t read everything this author has written…believe me I’m working on it…this one feels very different from what Ms Scott usually gives us and I do mean this in the best of ways.  The setting for this story is small town America and it’s a perfect setting as anyone who ever grew up or even lived in a small town can tell you…one of the most interesting things about them is that while everyone may know everyone else’s business no place has more secrets or keeps them better than a small town…until it doesn’t.  

Audio Review Tour: Here Comes Trouble by AE Via

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 8hrs 30mins

Narrator: Aiden Snow

Nothing Special Series

Book #1 - Nothing Special  

Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #2 - Embracing His Syn  

Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #4 - Don't Judge - OUT JULY 24

Blurb

Detectives Mark Ruxsberg and Chris Green are very good at their jobs. Being the enforcers for God and Day's notorious Atlanta PD Narcotics Task Force causes the crazy duo to get into more trouble than they can often get out of. The pair never misses out on an opportunity to drive their lieutenants crazy with their dangerous, reckless, and costly stunts, landing them in the hot seat in front of God...often.
Ruxs and Green love their jobs and they don't mind the very demanding schedule that leaves them little time for socializing or dating. It's fine with them, they enjoy hanging out with each other anyway.

However, most of the men in their close circle of friends and colleagues are pairing off and settling down. God has Day, Ro has Johnson, and their Sergeant Syn has Furious.
For the past several years, Ruxs has only sought out the advice and company of one person, his partner and best friend Green, and vice versa. Both of these alpha males are presumed straight, but neither can deny the heat that's building in their once-"just friends" relationship.

Karen's review:

The men of the Atlanta PD Narcotics Task Force are back…

Book one of this series was about God and Day and in book number two we watched Sin and Furi fall in love but here in ‘Here Comes Trouble’ it’s Ruxs and Green the enforcers for the ‘Atlanta PD Narcotics Task Force’ they’re the men who hit the streets frequently at considerable expense to the task force budget and gather information for the task force that allows them to do their job. While both of these characters have appeared in previous stories, their presence has been minor, but in this story, they are the central characters and we get to find out a whole lot more about both of these men and their relationship to each other than as work partners.

Detective Mark Ruxsberg and Chris Green are partners at work and best friends…Chris is bi and while he’s not in the closet, he’s also not taking out any ads in the local paper. He hasn’t even bothered to tell his partner and best friend…the same partner and best friends who’s starting to wonder about things…things like what it would be like to kiss Ruxs…to maybe  pin him up against a wall and do things…things that definitely take their relationship beyond the strictly platonic. What Ruxs doesn’t realize is that Greens been having those same thoughts about him for a whole lot longer and while it’s slippery slope that these men find themselves on as they go from friends to lovers their equally determined not to lose their friendship along the way. 

Release Blitz: Trusting The Elements by Elle Keaton



Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Length: 50,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Cate Ashwood

Cover Photo: Paul Henry Serres

Blurb

There’s nothing like a near death car accident to open your eyes. Otto Proulx decides surviving was a sign; he’s being given a second chance to claim the life he wants to live. For the past few years he’s been hiding in the shadows, vague texts from a troubled ex-partner keep him at home along with his general lack of luck in the romance department. This is his last chance, he’s certain, this time he’ll meet the man for him, the one he’s sure is out there somewhere.

Greg Trainor runs a specialty kite shop and helps his friends out when they ask. That’s the kind of guy he is, if somebody needs something, they call on Greg. He’s a big guy and no genius, but he’s dependable. So…yeah, when he sees a car precariously perched on the side of the road, he stops to help out; it’s what he does.

One night of passion leads to…several more and suddenly both men are searching around to define what they have together. Neither wants to scare the other off and neither wants to ask for more. Will the two men be able to set aside their fears and create a family together, trusting the elements are in their favor?

About the author:

Author Of The Month - Anyta Sunday - Grand Finale

Welcome to our Grand Finale celebrations for the amazing 

In our final post, we'll look at rock and nest. We also have our author interview, and there's one more chance to win!


First up, rock

Igneous.

When Cooper’s parents divorce, he finds himself landed in Week About—one week with his mum and one week with his dad.
Only, it’s not just his dad he has to live with. There’s Lila, too: The other woman, the one who stole the rock-solid foundation of his life. And then . . .

There’s Jace. Lila’s son. Lila’s smug, regurgitated-fish-scale-blue eyed son.

All Cooper wants is to have his family back the way it once was, but there’s something about this boy that promises things will never be the same again.

Sedimentary.

Resisting the realities of his new life, Cooper and Jace get off to a rocky start. But rocky start or not, after hundreds of shared memories together, they forge something new. A close . . . friendship.

Because friendship is all they can have. Although it’s not like they are real brothers. Technically, they’re not even stepbrothers . . .

Metamorphic.

But how does that friendship evolve under the pressures of life? Under pressures of the heart?

Excerpt:

Later comes sooner than I predicted. That night, Jace charges into my room and drags me out of bed. “Shhh,” he says, jamming a finger to his lips. When I ask what the heck is going on, he presses his warm finger to my mouth. “Just be quiet, would you? Put your shoes on.”

The light of the full moon slithers into my room through a gap in the curtains. Jace is dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt that’s inside out.

I pull on a pair of pants over my boxers, shove my bare feet into my Puma shoes, and shrug on a light jacket. I’m too curious to put up a fight or demand to know details. I follow him downstairs and out the back door. He closes it quietly. Usually a sensor light comes on but apparently Jace has disengaged it.

When we head into the thick of trees, my pace begins to lag. Pines loom above me, basking in a silver glow as they stretch toward the sky. “Jace, where are we going?” And why are we out here together?

Twigs snap and leaves crunch as he continues walking. “It’s been bugging me,” he says.

A breeze on the cusp of summer blows his words back to me. I quicken my step until I’m next to him. “What has?”

His lips part but he closes them and shrugs. I hate his shrug. I want to know what he’s hiding.

“Come on.” I shake my head. “You can’t expect me to follow you out into the bush in the middle of the night!”

He smirks. “And yet here you are.”

“Wipe the grin off your face.” But I’m feeling one twitch at my lips too.

We walk around a bend of a hill where water from a creek tinkles nearby. At the bottom of a steep bank covered in tree roots, Jace stops. “I want to make up for shutting you in the closet.”

I frown. Dragging me into the woods with a sinister smile is the way to do it?

He chuckles nervously and holds out his hand, which strikes me as strange. “Do you trust me?”

I shake my head. “Not really.” But I grab his hand, which is rougher and warmer than mine. He leads me to a parting in the bank. “A cave?”

He squeezes my hand. “I discovered it last year. It’s small, a bit bigger than the two of us, but it’s cool. Keep to whispers inside, okay?”

He ducks into the cave and pulls me in with him. He’s standing incredibly close so I can’t see much else. For a second, I fluster, panic rising like it did in the broom closet. Why did he take me here! Why? Why? Why?

Jace whispers, “Wait. No. Turn around. Look outside. You’re not trapped.”

I gradually relax as I take in the vines and the curve of the stream.

Jace releases my hand. “Since you want to be a geologist, I thought you’d get a dig out of this.” He smirks and steps back, opening up the view.

Hundreds of green lights speckle in bunches over the entire cave. “Glowworms!”

“Shhh.”

“Sorry,” I whisper. My stomach spins as though I’m standing on a cliff with my toes dangling in thin air. A wonderfully daunting rush.

“It makes me think I’m looking at the stars,” Jace says, standing close enough that our sleeves are touching.

“Yeah. Stars.”

I try counting the beads but I give up after fifty-seven. I’d rather watch Jace. “Have you ever counted them all?”

“No. Think it might be impossible.”

“Like Stonehenge. No one knows exactly how many stones there are.”

“Really?”

“One guy tallied them once. He recounted to make sure and he came up with a new number. Every time he counted, he came up with a different number.”

The coolness of the stagnant air sends creeps over me. I rub my hands together and peer at Jace over my fingertips.

 Jace beckons me outside. “You know a lot about rocks and stones, don’t you?”

“As much as you know about music.”

He slows his steps, staring toward the creek. “What is the difference between a rock and a stone, anyway?”

I move to the creek and stand on a large flat boulder. “They have different feelings.” Jace joins me, his weight shifting the rock underneath us like a seesaw. We move instinctively to balance. “To me, a rock is massive—something that portrays strength. Rocks are complicated clusters of minerals that have baked for a long time.”

I jump off the boulder to the stones edging the creek. Jace gracefully leaps off too. I pick up a small white stone that shines in the moonlight. “A stone is a fragment of a rock. Like a snapshot of a bigger picture.”

“Is that why you collect them? A stone for every memory?”

I hand him the stone, forcing myself to ignore the heat that rises in me when my sensitive fingertips brush over his soft palm. “If you collect enough stones and minerals and heap them together, does it become a rock?”

Jace rolls the stone and lifts it in midair. “I don’t know. Is this a moonstone?

“No. River stone.”

“Oh.”

“You sound disappointed.”

He shrugs. “Nah. Moonstones are pretty cool, don’t you think?”

 “They’ve been revered for thousands of years,” I say as we re-enter the path. “Hindus believe that moonbeams form stones that can reveal your future if you hold it in your mouth on a full moon.”

Other than a shared smile, we’re quiet until we approach the trees that fringe Jace’s backyard.

“I don’t know if that would be a blessing or a curse. Knowing your future, I mean.”

Get the book:

Book 2 in today's line-up, nest 

It just happened. I wasn't ready, but it didn't matter.

You smiled, and it knocked me from my nest, took my breath away, and left me falling,falling,falling.

Julian: Enemy. Cousin. Best Friend. Something else? 

Lenny: Confused. Fascinated. Frustrated. Broken. 

Together, Julian and Lenny are the boy who smiles and the boy who falls.


Please Note: This is a second edition of the novel "Lenny For Your Thoughts". This version of the story has been restructured into a chronological progression and some scenes have had heavy rewrites. At it's heart, though, it is the same story of love and romance between Lenny and Julian.

Excerpt:

“Ah-ha!” came Julian’s voice from around the twisting trunk of a Birch tree in the far back of our yard.

I dropped the giant wax mushroom I’d just pried off its metal stake. It rolled over tree roots and onto its red and white head in the grass.

“Find a Lenny,” he said into my ear.

My skin started to prickle, but I was left no time to bathe in it. His arms came around my waist in a hug that whipped the air from my lungs.

Next thing I knew I was staring at Julian’s shorts as his shoulder dug into my stomach. I was so close. I could poke out my tongue and touch the smooth skin that peeked out from under his T-shirt.

“Pick him up…” he continued, but the wind must have picked up his words and carried them off for how far away they sounded.

“Put me down!” I tried to sound mad, but it lost its impact when I laughed. It caught me by surprise—I couldn’t help it. “I really mean it, Julian.”

“Sure you do,” he said. Then he moved toward the back gate.

Only once we were through did he let me down. “You’ve been working all week,” he said. “Consider this an intervention.”

When I protested, he shook his head. “Just a couple of hours off, okay?”