Blogtour: Kanaan & Tilney: The Case Of The Undead Wood by Jenna Rose and Katey Hawthorne

Thanks so much for having us here at My Fiction Nook, Sandra! We're so excited to talk about our Kanaan and Tilney investigations series--and book 3, The Case of the Undead Wood, which just came out today. Today we've got an interview, a quiz, and a giveaway for you, so please join in!

Kanaan and Tilney: The Case of the Undead Wood

(Kanaan and Tilney Investigations 3)

By Jenna Rose and Katey Hawthorne

Cover by Aisha Akeju

Praeternaturals—people with paranormal powers—all over Boston know Lowell Kanaan and John Tilney for their discretion and forthrightness as private detectives. They’re also about to move in together, and John seems to be dragging his feet for reasons Lowell can’t fathom. Personal worries are quickly put aside, however, when they get a top-priority case: someone has introduced a blight into the Terran Garden, a kind of living graveyard for dormant Terrans who’ve become one with trees.

Most blights don’t cause trees to start craving human flesh, but somehow, this one has, and one Gardener is already dead. If Lowell and John can’t navigate the back-channels of Terran politics and secrecy quickly enough, more dead will certainly follow. Accusations abound: a Necromorph revenge plot, a widower’s anger, a friend’s jealousy, political maneuvering, or simply an ugly accident. The only thing that’s clear is the carnage will get worse until Lowell and John discover who introduced this new blight and why they’d desecrate sacred Terran ground.

Just when Lowell was starting to think he’d seen it all… foliage zombies.

Genre: m/m, bi, demi, interracial, paranormal, mystery, erotic romance

45.5k words

Find out more on the Books Website.

QUIZ

Take the quiz

The world of the Kanaan and Tilney Investigations is populated by five different factions of "praeternaturals": Elementalists, Terrans, Necromorphs, Beasts, and Psychogenics. This quiz will help you find out where you'd fit in! Would you be throwing lightning with the Elementalists, reading minds with the Psys, or shifting like a Beast?

GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment on this post--let us know what faction you got in the quiz, ask questions, or just say hello! You’ll be entered to win a Kanaan and Tilney swag pack that includes magnet, notebook, pen, and bath bombs, plus a $5 Amazon gift card. 

(Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only American winners can get the swag pack, but the gift card offer is international!)

Then go to Rafflecopter and let us know you entered!

INTERVIEW

Hey there, co-author! Thanks for joining me! To start off this little interview, I’m gonna ask about the practical stuff: We write together in real-time, which is a slightly more high-pressure way of co-authoring for some, but really flows for us. Do you have a ritual or anything that gets you in the right headspace when we’re working on Kanaan and Tilney?

Jenna: I do! I take the dog out to pee, grab a drink, and then throw on some headphones. I like background noise while I work, but anything with lyrics or talking in it is too distracting, so I usually listen to instrumental music (my favorite at the moment is the video game soundtrack to Journey)  or put on something like Rainy Mood. 

Ooooh I like that! Background noise is great for my focus, too. Is there anything specific, mood-wise, that you like to use that reminds you of Lowell? Not that you never have to write John, but that is kinda our method.

Blogtour: His Ranch Hand by Deanna Wadsworth

His Ranch Hand 

by Deanna Wadsworth

Western Passions, Book 1

Cowboys don’t cry.

West of the Pecos, if a man shows a vulnerable side, his last glimpse of this life might be at the end of a barrel.

Cowboy and drifter, Myron Poste shrouds his life in mystery, carefully following a strict code to stay alive. Fellow ranch hand Cade Buchanan is big, hairy, and strong—not the sort of man to trifle with.

One fateful night while driving a herd of Longhorns north to Santa Fe, Cade confronts Myron. With the swiftness of a West Texas wind, desire seizes control and a passionate affair begins. Pride has always held Myron back, but he can no longer deny his submissive nature when Cade gives him just what he craves—pure, lustful dominance.

When the drive ends, they must part ways. Will the memories of their untamed passion under the big Texas sky be powerful enough to reunite them?

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First day of the drive, no men got hurt, but a cow broke its leg, so it was steak for dinner. With a full belly and muscles tired from a long day in the saddle, Myron went to check on Lucy. He’d ridden her this morning, taking out Duke and Brave the rest of the day. Lucy was a jealous sort, so he brought her an apple before he hit the hay. He didn’t have watch duty, and a full night’s sleep called his name.

Young Jacob wasn’t watching over the horses, it was Cade. He leaned against one of the posts of the makeshift corral, having a smoke and his back to Myron.

He only hesitated a moment before casually walking up. “Evening.”

Cade didn’t startle, probably already heard his approach. He turned and a waft of smoke obscured his face. “Poste.”

Ignoring the way the much bigger man’s very presence made Myron jumpy, he clicked his tongue to get Lucy’s attention. Several horses stirred, and after a shuffling of beasts, Lucy, ears up, made her way over. He withdrew his knife and sliced off a piece of the apple.

“Here, girl,” he said, holding out the slice with a flat palm. Her velvety lips fluttered over his hand as she took the treat.

“Gonna have them all over here in a moment,” Cade remarked, as Duke, the bay Myron had ridden this afternoon pushed up against Lucy. He cut him off a piece too.

Cade shifted to lean sideways on the post, smoking. His gaze stayed locked on Myron as he alternated cutting pieces of apple off until it was gone, and a third horse had nosed its way over too, seeking a treat.

“All gone,” Myron told them all, hands up.

“You spoil that horse,” he remarked.

“I do.” When Myron put away his knife, Cade held out his cigarette in offering.

He only hesitated a moment before taking the cigarette and having a nice toke. Cade’s tobacco was sweeter than his, and he liked it. He held the smoke in, and passed the cigarette back, briefly allowing himself to think that once more, their lips had both been on a cigarette. Would Cade’s kisses have the same lingering sweetness of his tobacco?

“Beautiful night,” Cade offered.

Myron stroked Lucy’s nose, desperate for something to anchor his wayward thoughts. He wanted to stay, he needed to leave, and he dreamed about stepping closer. Instead he patted his horse and agreed, “It is.”

“There’s the Big Dipper,” Cade said, pointing up. “And the little one.”

Cade seemed to be in a chatty mood, and though it only made Myron’s yearning stronger, he felt obliged to indulge him. He gazed up at the star-spattered navy blue sky, identifying several constellations right away. He pointed to one. “Orion.”

“Which one is that?” Cade stepped closer, gazing up in the direction Myron had indicated.

There had been no need for Cade to come so close, for no tree obscured their view. And there should be no reason for Myron’s heart to race like a cattle stampede either, but it did nonetheless. He cleared his throat, not surprised by how hoarse he sounded or the way his hand trembled as he pointed at the constellation. “See there, the three small ones all clustered? That’s Orion’s belt.”

Cade moved closer still, but his gaze remained heavenward, using Myron’s finger like the sight on a rifle. “There?” He pointed up too, their arms flush now.

He stood so close, Myron could make out his thick eyelashes in the moonlight, see how long they were, the blond tips disguising that fact at a distance. There was no distance between them now, and their arms were still touching. Helpless, Myron gazed at his full lips and licked his own in want.

“Y-yeah,” Myron choked out, his body responding to Cade’s overwhelming manly scent, his nearness, and the fact that he didn’t mind having his arm pressed against Myron. “Th-that’s it.”

At the peculiar sound of his voice, Cade turned his head and looked right at him. Not moving away, he offered a sideways grin. “You sure? You ain’t even looking up.”

Shit!

Myron stepped away so fast, Lucy reared her head and huffed her disapproval. Even in the dark Cade had probably seen Myron staring at his mouth. His heart pounded, his arm on fire where it had been pressed to Cade’s. He could still feel the heat of his body and the cold absence of it in the air between them.

“Yes, I was,” Myron argued, feeling a fool. He pointed up with confidence. “You’ve got it. That’s Orion.”

Still smiling at him, Cade flicked his cigarette to the ground, and only released his gaze to glance down and extinguish it. When he looked back up, Myron hoped he didn’t notice the growing bulge in the front of his trousers.

What the hell were you thinking, staring at him so openly?

And why did he stand so close in the first place?

“Thanks for sharing it with me,” Cade said, voice a heady timber that did nothing to quell Myron’s ardor.

“Y-you’re welcome.”

“Now I know three constellations,” Cade said, then he looked up. “Know any more?”

He cleared his throat, and pointed out Pegasus. “That there square? It’s Pegasus.”

“The flying Greek horse?”

Release Blitz: M4M by Rick Reed

Title: M4M

Author: Rick R. Reed

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: August 31, 2020

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 63500

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, MM romance, online dating apps, deception, HIV, men over 40, grief

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Synopsis

Three great stories. One great love.

VGL Male Seeks Same

Poor Ethan Schwartz. It seems like he will never find that special someone. At age forty-two, he’s still alone, his bed still empty, and his 42-inch HDTV overworked. He’s tried the bars and other places where gay men are supposed to find one another, but for Ethan, it never works out. He wonders if it ever will. Should he get a cat?

But all of that is about to change…

NEG UB2

Poor Ethan Schwartz. He’s just had the most shocking news a gay man can get—he’s been diagnosed HIV positive. Up until today, he thought his life was on a perfect course. He had a job he loved and something else he thought he’d never have: Brian, a new man, one whom Ethan thought of as “the one.” The one who would complete him, who would take his life from a lonely existence to a place filled with laughter, hot sex, and romance. 

But along with the fateful diagnosis comes another shock—is Brian who he thinks he is?

Status Updates

Ethan finds himself alone once more and wonders if life is worth living, even one with a cat. Via a Facebook friend request, an old nemesis appears, wanting to be friends. Ethan is suspicious but intrigued because it seems this old acquaintance has turned his life around…and the changes just might hold the key to Ethan getting a new lease on life…and love.

Excerpt

M4M
Rick R. Reed © 2020
All Rights Reserved

Ethan Schwartz was alone. At forty-two, the state of being alone was almost like having another person by his side, a person he was growing to know more and more intimately with each passing night in his too-big-for-one bed. In fact, Ethan sometimes wondered if being alone was his natural state of being. Perhaps it was simply his fate to spend his evenings in front of his brand-new forty-two-inch Toshiba HDTV, watching classic 1940s movies from an endless queue at Netflix.

He wondered if his life would ever change. Maybe he would continue to go to work at his job as a publicist for several Chicago theater companies, come home about seven o’clock, nuke a Lean Cuisine, fall asleep in front of the TV, and repeat the routine until he expired.

He had thought, as he tossed in bed at night, in those endlessly stretching hours slogging their way toward dawn, of getting a dog or even a cat. He envisioned himself walking into his apartment door at night, greeted by a French bulldog’s grin or the slightly harlotish leg rub of a Maine coon. But an animal just didn’t seem like—well, it just didn’t seem like enough.

In the above scenario, he also imagined a man coming in the same door minutes later and Ethan getting the four-legged companion riled up by saying “Daddy’s home!” No, Ethan knew—in his heart of hearts—he wanted an animal of the two-legged variety, one who would talk back to him, one he could spend long autumn weekends in Door County with, one he could take out to dinner parties and bring home to his family at Christmas. He wanted an animal that wouldn’t shed and would need little housebreaking. Well, at least not much. At forty-two, Ethan had lowered expectations.

He also dreaded the thought of subjecting some poor tabby or Boston terrier to a solitary existence much like his own. After all, the stand-in-for-a-boyfriend pet would spend most of its time roaming the apartment by his or her lonesome and staring mournfully out the window because of Ethan’s long hours at work.

He knew from experience that subjecting an unsuspecting animal to an existence akin to his own would be cause for calling out the SPCA.

So Ethan would have to go on dreaming of meeting Mr. Right in human form and continue to watch as those dreams faded into wispy gossamer as the years relentlessly marched toward old age. Already Ethan found it necessary to use a moisturizer on his face and a depilatory on his back. His dark brown hair he kept buzzed close to his skull in an effort to minimize its traitorous thinning. Starting at around age thirty-two, every year he’d added a pound or two to his five-foot-ten-inch frame, and every year that pound or two became harder and harder to lose, in spite of long, sweaty hours on the treadmill or a diet consisting chiefly of the frozen culinary delights of the people at Smart Choice, Lean Cuisine, or South Beach Diet.

Heading toward middle age sucked…especially when you were doing it alone.
Tonight Ethan dug in the Doritos bag for one remaining chip of decent size while glued to the adventures of Ugly Betty. Why couldn’t he at least find a nice nerd, as Betty once had? Why couldn’t he at least have a little drama at work, like the Mexican magazine assistant faced every single day of her charmed life? Ethan’s days were spent trying to chat up theater critics in hopes of persuading them to write a review or feature on whatever play he was pushing that week. Or he holed up in his cube and wrote the same press release over and over, with only the titles, venues, and dates changed. When he had taken the job ten years ago, he’d thought the free nights out at the theater would be a great way to get dates. He’d assumed he would meet lots of handsome actors, and they would all want to cozy up to the publicist who could get them so much press.

He’d thought wrong.

Ethan got up and shut off the TV and threw his Doritos bag in the trash. He stretched and looked out the window. His move to this North Side Chicago neighborhood had been another misguided romantic maneuver, one that started full of hope and confidence and had been dashed by cold reality. He felt even more isolated and alone as he looked down from his studio apartment on Halsted Street, the blocks between Belmont and Addison that Chicagoans referred to as Boystown. When he had rented the little studio above a gay bookstore a decade ago, he had reasoned that wrangling a date would be no more difficult than hanging out his third story window with a smoldering gaze and a come-hither pout.

He had reasoned wrong.

Blogtour: Wicked is the Duke by JR Salisbury

Wicked is the Duke 

Mayfair Book 4 

by J R Salisbury 

Genre: Historical Romance 

Henry Blackmont, duke of Blackmont has a reputation as a rakehell and all around scoundrel. Invitations to his notorious house parties are highly sought after.

A few years after the untimely death of both his parents, and left with a parcel of siblings, Blackmont swears to change his wicked ways. He needs a wife, a woman who will be his duchess. Someone he hasn't found among the usual fare of young ladies. Until he meets Miss Anna Grover...

Anna Grover is a quiet, well educated young woman, someone Blackmont might have overlooked. Born and raised on the continent, she serves as hostess to her older brother, Robert. Her facade may show her to be demure, but Blackmont soon finds her to be far more stimulating.

The duke finds himself head over heels in love, but will it all be thwarted by another young lady determined to be the next duchess of Blackmont. 

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Excerpt:

"Anna," he said as he returned to the main room of the cottage. He noted she had laid the food out on a nearby table. "Before we go any further, there is something I must speak with you about."

"What is it?" she asked as he neared.

He took both her hands and held them. "This isn't the way I planned to do this, but I thought with all that's going on, I should make an exception."

"Exception to what?"

ARC Review: Wild Sky by Zaya Feli

From The Blurb:

Tauran Darrica has been retired from the Valreus Sky Guard for four years following the Battle of the Broken Wings that resulted in the death of his dragon. Now, all Tauran wants to do is spend his days forgetting the past and gambling his way to an unsteady income. 

So when his old general from the Sky Guard hunts Tauran down to request his help with staving off the increasingly aggressive wild dragon population, Tauran refuses. But a fire ruins his rented room and leaves him without a place to stay, and Tauran finds himself on the road to Valreus, after all. 

Tauran is determined to stay as far away from dragons as he can get, but a starry-eyed young man from Sharoani, land of the wild dragons, might just ruin his plans. 

Kalai Ro-Ani has spent his life watching the stars, knowing he could never reach them. With his wild dragon Arrow, he sets out for the city of Valreus in the hope of building himself a better future than he could have stuck at the foot of the Kel Visal dragon temples. 

But nobody told Kalai that only the Sky Guard is allowed to own dragons, so when Arrow kills a guard in Kalai’s defense, it looks like his adventure might be over before it can begin. But a chance encounter at the old Valreus archive offers Kalai the future he’d been hoping for. In the span of a single day, he has a home, a job, and a purpose. 

In Valreus, something much bigger falls into his lap – along with a tall and striking Valrean man with a rather strange disposition. 

A new, LGBT+ fantasy story from Zaya Feli, featuring dragons, aerial battles and epic journeys through dangerous wilderness.

Karen's rating:

Before I start talking about what's between the covers in this book...let's just give that cover a moment. I admit it more than anything that's what initially caught my attention. I loved this cover. It contains a stylish but simplistic beauty that I quickly discovered carried through to the story within.

I love dragons...anyone who knows me will tell you...I simply adore these creatures and here in Zaya Feli's story 'Wild Sky' are some of the most incredible dragons that I've encountered in years. Not only are the dragons beautifully portrayed but the author has taken the time to craft a world in which their existence feels natural. There were no freakish events or weird happenings that brought the dragons into being in this world...they're just a part of it like the land, the sky and the people.

'Wild Sky' is my first time reading this author and I have to admit given how much I loved this book the bar's set pretty high for anything that might follow. In the world of e-books this is admittedly a long one but for me what that meant was that I got world building that left me able to fully visualize this world, it's geography and it's people...not to mention it's DRAGONS!!!!

Blogtour: Unhallowed Love series by Tara Fox Hall

A Good Year 

Unhallowed Love Book 1 

by Tara Fox Hall 

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense 

Faced with losing Pandora Productions as well as her best friend Rebecca to the smarmy Paul, savvy film executive Debbie makes a pact with the demon Shaker, agreeing to bind herself to him as his human master in return for killing Paul and securing Pandora’s future. 

Yet even as Pandora gains accolades and renown, Debbie’s strong resolve begins to crumble under the weight of her actions. And the pleasure she finds in Shaker’s arms is becoming more than sex. Is Debbie doomed to lose her heart as well as her soul to a demon who has only been waiting for the chance to claim both? 

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Excerpt:

“I never asked you to kill anyone,” Debbie said defensively. “I never asked you to—”

“You asked me to save your company, and I’ve done it,” Shaker shouted, the boom of his voice shaking the room like a small earthquake. He loomed over her. “What did you think was going to happen? I’m a demon out of Hell! What did you think I would do when you unleashed me on your enemies?”

“These are human beings—”

“Who matter as much as insects splattered on a windshield,” Shaker snarled. “Humans are just another species who think that they are superior to all others…a prevalent notion in all evolved creatures. They are not.” He stared down at her. “You are not superior to me, Mistress.”

Debbie looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “But I am human. How do I know you won’t hurt me, too, Shaker?”

ARC Review: Not Used To Cute by Becca Seymour

Blurb:

A bar owner who’s not looking for a relationship. A lost soul who’s afraid to trust. When Elijah and Seb meet, sparks fly. But will either of them find the courage to take what they want?

Pouring his all into his business, Elijah is perfectly content running his bar. With its prime location and its infamous drag shows, Bar QK is the place to be. Elijah is used to meeting new and sometimes interesting people, but it’s rare anyone catches his interest for anything longer than a five-minute conversation.

It takes a wandering, unfiltered surfer, who’s tired of the chase and dog-tired of people taking advantage of him, to spark long-buried interest in Elijah.

While kindness runs through his veins, Seb doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He has a past he’d rather forget and has no real expectations for his future. He believes it’s safer to not make assumptions about anything or anyone; that way, he’ll remain safe.

It takes his elusive, aloof boss, whose mixed messages are more confusing than Ikea furniture instructions, to show Seb that opening his heart can be worth the risk.

When Elijah and Seb find themselves working on a common goal, the high stakes may be just the nudge they need.

Sandra's rating:





This is a really sweet, feel-good, sexy romance, set in a town in coastal Australia, between the owner of a gay bar and his adorable new employee, both of whom have had some bad relationship experiences in the past and are therefore guarding their hearts.

Elijah, the bar owner, is content in running the small but successful place and keeping it welcoming and accepting to all. The bar is locally famous for its fabulous drag shows and well frequented.

Seb has not been treated well by people in the past, having been taking advantage of many times. He hides the inner scars with a flirty attitude, but shies away from letting anyone come close.

The romance is by design a slow burn, complicated by homophobic attacks on the bar and its employees, but both Elijah and Seb are intrigued by each other pretty much from the start. Elijah doesn't want any advance he makes to further the relationship to be a one-time thing, so for quite some time he's sending mixed messages to Seb. He's trying to not fall back into his player ways, so to speak, and while the attraction is formidable, he worries that he won't be able to commit. So they get close, and then Elijah retreats, leaving Seb bewildered.

Release Blitz: The B-Side by B. Harmony

The B-Side 

by B. Harmony

Perspective Series, Book 1

Chance

When I read the roommate wanted ad, I thought my sister was encouraging me to live with an insane person. As it turns out, he isn’t insane, he’s sexy and one hundred percent my type. Living with him will be the ultimate test of my self control.

When the combination of our love of music and my overwhelming need to take care of him meets jealousy, sparks fly. His heart may be damaged, but nothing is beyond repair.
Now all I have to do is convince him that I’m in this for the long haul, not just this moment.

Tyler

I may look like the happy-go-lucky gay guy with a big smile and more punny tees than one person should probably own. But it’s just a shield to protect my heart, the one that has been torn apart by the people who were meant to love me most. The last thing I’m willing to do is risk the tattered shreds on my new - straight- roommate. Sure, he’s sexy as sin and has a love of music that rivals my own, but all that is just grounds for a new friendship. Nothing more. Right?

Yet, every moment we spend together tests a little bit more of my self control. When it turns out my roommate is not as straight as I once thought, I have to decide if this is one playlist I should listen to.

Will we have our own love song, or will this just be another broken-hearted ballad?

The B-Side is a low-angst, roommates-to-lovers, MM Romance novel. Featuring punny t-shirts for every occasion, killer playlists, meddling family and friends, and a happily-ever-after.

Goodreads

Universal Link

 

Special Release Excerpt:

“Chance.”
My hand is on the door handle, so I turn towards his voice. Only Tyler is standing much closer than I expected. He’s in my personal space, with only inches between us, an uncertain but determined look on his face.
I gulp. “Yeah?” That came out softer and raspier than I expected.
Tyler reaches out and grabs my wrist gently, pulling my hand off the door to turn me towards him. Then, he just stares up into my eyes from beneath his lashes, his eyes speaking so loudly it’s as if he’s screaming at me. He’s not saying anything, but my body is responding to his unspoken words the way lyrics intersect and wrap around a melody.
He sways towards me a little more and whispers, “I’m glad you said yes.”

Audio Book Review: Bitten by Mistake by Annabelle Jacobs

From The Blurb:

From animosity to searing passion in a lunar cycle… but can their bond survive? 

Wolf shifter Nathan Kohl’s pack is his whole life. Arrogant and handsome, he avoids commitment to anything or anyone outside of his pack. He works hard, plays hard, and pursues humans as lovers because there’s little to no chance of him forming a permanent bond. However, when Jared Taylor comes into Nathan’s life, every rule is broken. 

After a bad experience, Jared vowed to never get involved with another shifter, no matter how much they got under his skin. Despite being physically attracted to Nathan, who’s all kinds of hot, Jared only sees an arrogant, domineering bastard. 

A disastrous case of mistaken identity throws Nathan and Jared together until the next full moon. Forced to spend the next twenty-eight days in close proximity, they can no longer ignore the powerful attraction between them. Passion ignites, and their relationship takes a turn neither of them wanted. 

But when the full moon comes, everything might change again. 

Listening Time 8 hrs., 41 min.

Karen's rating:

“Bitten by Mistake” tended to run a bit hot and cold for me. There were things that I enjoyed about it and there were moments that gave me a slight disconnect from the story, but by the end of it all I was far more intrigued than anything else.
Some of the things that worked well for me were the tension and the banter between the MCs. These two men challenged each other at every turn and regardless of the fact that Nathan was a shifter, Jared refused to be intimidated by him and called him on his BS every time.

I liked the shifter world that the author created bringing shifters into the world of humans rather than keeping them some deep, dark secret. But still giving them their own social structure that’s very obviously changing and evolving as both shifters and humans try to co-exist.

The whole premise of why and how Nathan and Jared came to end up being together holds strong potential for an interesting series and I have to admit I’m curious to see how things play out with the different shifter packs and the impact that this holds for relationships between not just the different packs but between shifters and humans as well.

Blogtour: Brazen In Blue by Rachael Miles

BRAZEN IN BLUE

Rachael Miles

Historical Romance

Lady Emmeline Hartley has overcome every obstacle life has thrown her way. A spinster, disappointed in love, Em is on the brink of a marriage of convenience, when the man who rejected her heart reappears in need of her help. It gives Em a chance to escape, put to use one of her most unusual talents–and perhaps convince him once and for all to risk his heart…

Adam Montclair–one of the most successful agents at the Home Office–rubs elbows with the highest levels of society. Even so, he wasn’t to the manor born. No matter how much he desires Em, as a match he is completely unsuitable. While it pains him to be near her, it’s a punishment he richly deserves. Now on a mission to uncover a plot against the government, Adam knows Em’s uncanny ability to recall voices will be essential. Yet as the two thwart the dangers in their path, it may become impossible to deny that Em is essential to happiness itself…

Book five in Miles’s The Muses’ Salon series (after Reckless in Red) delivers heady Regency romance featuring a refreshing heroine and a tantalizing mystery. Lady Emmeline Hartley permanently injured her legs at age six in the same accident that killed her mother and sisters. Her father abandoned her to be raised by servants, and Em has spent the intervening years caring for his estate with her faithful dog, Queen Bess, at her side. Now Em is on the brink of a marriage of convenience to longtime family friend Lord Colin Somerville—but she gets cold feet and flees on her wedding day, reluctantly accepting the aid of Adam Locksley, an agent of the Home Office and Em’s former lover, to get away. Though Em is angry at Adam over a perceived betrayal, Adam is determined to keep her safe. But in a delightful twist, the Home Office requests Em’s help to catch a burgeoning threat to England, and Adam and Em are quickly embroiled in a multitude of schemes. Em’s self-discovery is a delight to behold as she matures from impish child, to solemn bride-to-be, to fully self-actualized, independent woman working hand in hand with a partner. Series fans and new readers alike will be charmed.

— Publishers Weekly

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Blogtour: Secret Crush Seduction by Jayci Lee

Today we welcome Jayci Lee with 

Secret Crush Seduction

The Heirs Of Hansol #2

a Harlequin Desire title

She’s done waiting for what she really wants…

“If I don’t have you after that kiss, I’ll burn to dust from the inside out…”

Aspiring fashion designer Adelaide Song wants to prove she’s more than just a pampered heiress. All she needs is a little courage—and the help of deliciously sexy Michael Reynolds, her childhood crush and her brother’s best friend. But when her secret crush turns into an illicit liaison, Adelaide realizes mixing business with pleasure spells trouble for all her plans…

Tropes/genre: Contemporary romance, friends to lovers, billionaire, dynasty, office romance, reunion

Imprint: Harlequin Desire

On-sale date: September 1, 2020

Price: $5.25

Format: mmp/ebook

ISBN: 9781335209214

“Michael, what are you doing here?” she asked, her expression schooled into a bored, sardonic smirk.

Michael ran his hand through his hair and tugged a fistful at the top of his head. His scalp felt stretched too tight.

“So her majesty, Grace Song, summoned you to check on me.” Angry splashes of color stained her cheeks. “Since when have you been her errand boy?”

Release Blitz: When Lightning Strikes by Darragha Foster

When Lightning Strikes 

by Darragha Foster

Stable Tales #1

Former soldier Johnny Jewell is a gay cowboy who has never been with another man. He kept his desires buried deep, married, had a family and lost everything when he came out. 

A lightning strike, fire and death burn his already complicated world to white-hot ash. All he has left now are horses and hard work. 

After a move across the country, he meets a horse trainer named Sig and finds it’s time to saddle up and face the storm head-on. Will the next lightning strike put him asunder or spark life in the beast within?

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Excerpt:

John cracked the whip.

Bear began a slow circle around the shirtless Sig.
“That’s a beautiful horse,” Johnny called.
Sig chuckled. “He is that. If I can train him, he’s sure to be a stud. Joan isn’tpleased with this little beauty’s behaviors. Not only is he ill-behaved in the stable, he’s a terror in the field.”
“What’s he doing?”

Re-release Spotlight: The Shattered Door by Brandon Witt

Please welcome Brandon Witt upon the re-release of 

The Shattered Door

After a tortured childhood and years of soul-searching, Brooke Morrison has finally settled into a comfortable life. While his sexuality prohibits him from practicing his degree in youth ministry in a church setting, he’s found a fulfilling job as a youth counselor at a residential treatment facility in Colorado. He falls in love, marries the man of his dreams, and makes peace with God. He’s happy.

Then his buried past drags him back to the Ozarks.

The life Brooke has worked so hard to build is crumbling in his hands in the face of painful memories and past abuse, and his confidence is withering. In El Dorado Springs, where his nightmares come to life, Brooke desperately seeks closure life doesn’t offer. Brooke must find value in himself, in his marriage, and in the world around him—and create the hope and perseverance to keep his past from swallowing him whole.

This is a re-release of a previously published version with a new cover, without any substantial content changes.

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I finally found the area I was looking for. Pans. After several seconds, I spotted the tag with the label I needed. Bottom shelf, of course. None sitting there for me to just pick up. I glanced around before I got down on my hands and knees and peered to the back of the rack. One left! I pushed aside other items that were in front of the one I wanted, pulled the pan out, and stood up quickly.

Pain shot through me as the back of my head crashed into something. White spots danced over my eyes. Whatever I’d hit fell to the floor and shattered. “Fuck!” I put my hand on the back of my head and began to rub and gradually straightened up.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there!”

The voice came from behind me, and I turned around slowly, my face reddening. “Oh, no problem. I’m sorry I cursed. I’m not typically so vulgar; it just caught me off guard. I….” I stopped as I faced the person. Actually, as I turned my head upward to face the person. I couldn’t believe who was in front of me. I had no idea what to say.

“Don’t be silly. I would’ve cursed too! Again, I am very sorry. Apparently I’m not meant to purchase a ceramic casserole dish. At least, not that particular one.” He gestured to the shards around us on the floor and flashed a smile of perfectly white, perfectly straight, perfectly sized teeth. Perfect.

His eyes widened as he looked at my face. “Oh, it’s you! You seem to constantly be catching me when I’m not at my finest. First dancing in the elevator and now clubbering you with cooking ware.”

“Clubbering? Don’t you mean clobbering?” Dear God! Had I really just said that? These are the words I choose as an introduction? If only the dish could have hit my head hard enough to render me unconscious.

The man stared at me quizzically with a smirk on his face. His low voice was gentle. “Actually, I meant clubbering. I think it sounds better. What are you, a teacher or something?”

“Uhm, yeah. I mean, no, actually.”

“Not quite sure what you are? Must have hit you harder than I thought. You’re suffering from amnesia.” The man’s eyes twinkled.

“I’m a counselor, with kids,” I muttered.

“Oh, there I go, putting my foot in my mouth.” He laughed. His laugh was as deep as his voice—not too deep, just enough to have a sense of warmth to it. I liked the sound of it. He stuck out his hand. “My name’s Jed. Sorry to have clobbered you, as you say. I will try not to do any other physical harm to you in the foreseeable future.”

I readjusted the box I held and took Jed’s hand and gave it a firm but brief shake. “Brooke. I’m Brooke.”

“As in Brooke? James Brooke?”

I looked at him in confusion. “No. I’m not sure I know who that is.”

The man cocked his head, inspecting me. “Well, it seems I may have kicked loose my sense of humor when I stuck my foot in my mouth. I was making a James Bond reference. It was lame.”

“Oh, I see. I get it. Funny.” Perfect. Just perfect. Maybe I should have taken the amnesia excuse when I could. “Brooke is my first name, actually. Brooke Morrison.”

“Good to meet you, Brooke Morrison. Jed Travazza. What do you have there?” He motioned toward the box in my hand.

I glanced down. “Just a springform pan. The kids and I are making a pumpkin cookie-dough cheesecake tomorrow. We needed this.”

Jed’s grin deepened. “So, you teach home ec too, huh?”

Release Blitz: The Assistant by John Tristan

Title: The Assistant

Author: John Tristan

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: August 24, 2020

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 52900

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, gay, Japanese-American, trans, interracial, BDSM, D/s, power play, slow burn, personal assistant, disability/ chronic illness, depression, age gap

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Synopsis

Burned out ex-soldier Nick Kurosawa has drifted from job to job since he lost his family in a car crash. Lately, he’s been working on and off as a bouncer, barely managing to cover his bills; an opportunity for steady, well-paying work is just what he needs to get his life back in order.

Jacob Umber, a secretive philanthropist, gives him that opportunity. Umber has fibromyalgia and needs a personal assistant to help him with the tasks of daily living—someone strong, adaptable, and, most of all, willing to let Umber take the lead.

It seems a perfect opportunity for Nick. More than anything, he craves guidance and a purpose, and Umber gives him that in spades. When Nick starts craving more, it seems an impossible complication, but even the reserved Umber can’t deny Nick’s talent—and need—for following his orders. But Umber’s shadowy past holds secrets that could undo their fragile new relationship and any hope Nick has of a normal life.

Excerpt

The Assistant
John Tristan © 2020
All Rights Reserved

It was a clear autumn night, with the moon low and yellow above the city. Between its fullness and the lights, only a few stars could be made out, pinpoints in the raw black silk of the night. Nick stood with his fists balled above the man breathing hard in the gutter. A trickle of spilled beer ran into his hair, foaming like shampoo. He smelled sour, of sweat and fear.
“Jesus, man!” The man’s companion—a skinny young guy with a circular Band-Aid over one eye, like a discount pirate—crouched beside him. “Somebody call an ambulance! Call the cops!”
“By all means,” Nick said. He forced himself to take a step back, unclench his fists. “Let’s call the cops and tell them the whole story.”
Discount Pirate slit his eye at him and helped his companion to his feet. The man was dazed but seemed unhurt. Still—he could easily have a concussion.
Nick hesitated. “Maybe we should call an ambulance—”

ARC Review: All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne

From the blurb:

He is first and foremost—at everything. A man who's made his own way in the world through ruthless cunning and sheer force of will. A strong and imposing Scot who can turn on the charm but does not suffer fools. His title: Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. His name: Cassius Gerard Ramsay. His mission: To investigate the goings-on at London's most notorious gaming hell, owned and operated by one of the most intriguing and desirable women he's ever met.

IN THIS GAME OF LOVE, THE RULES DO NOT APPLY

Cecelia Teague was an orphan facing a rather dire future—until a secret benefactor from her mother's scandalous past swept into her life. Sent to prestigious boarding school and later to university, Cecelia believed high society was at her fingertips...Then, from out of nowhere, she became the inheritor of a gambling establishment. Now Cecelia must live two lives: one as a proper lady who finds herself undeniably drawn to Lord Ramsay and the other as a savvy gaming hell owner trying to save her business from the very same man. He has no idea she is both women...and Cecelia would like to keep it that way. But what happens when consuming passion and escalating danger threaten to reveal the truth?

Heather's rating:





I truly love everything that Kerrigan Byrne writes, so I was going into All Scot and Bothered with very high expectations. Though it took me a little while to get into the groove with this story, I'm happy to report that it fully won me over in the end.

The plot threw me for a loop, as it's... complicated, to say the least. I was trying to figure out how all of these unbelievable pieces would fit together. Sure, I think it got overly muddled at times, but I eventually got into the groove of things and became immersed in these characters.

Kerrigan Byrne writes characters with Angst, that's right, capital A. Her characters usually have to crawl their way back from hell, and I liked that she pulled no punches with this story. Both of these MCs have suffered in the past, and it made their happiness that much sweeter.