Jack Carlisle has returned to the Center after an assignment designed to push him to the edge of his limits—and beyond. He is given just a few short days to get used to a new identity and a new team. He’s been trained to assume a new identity, but working with a new team is more difficult, especially since it throws him back in the path of Leo McCormack, the boy who stole Jack’s heart and handed it back broken into tiny pieces. With “Jack Carlisle” dead and “Jack Cross” reborn comes a new mission. Jack Cross and his team are sent undercover to Forbes Academy, an elite boys’ school in rural Connecticut. Here they must protect Adam and Sam North, whose lives are threatened by an unknown source. Jack’s training never prepared him to deal with the animosity he still feels toward Leo, but he knows the only way to figure out the cause of the danger in time to save Adam and Sam is to work together.
Kimi’s thoughts:
Not having read the first book in the series , I was unsure how easy I’d find this to follow. I was pleasantly surprised to find that enough backstory was woven in that I had no trouble at all and was quickly engrossed in the story that unfolded. Jack has spent what he can remember of his life at The Center, from early childhood to the age of 16. he comes to grips with what he sees as betrayal along with the discovery of his sexuality, all the while having to channel normal teenaged rebellion into acceptable outlets. he doesn’t even know what is normal, thanks to only having been at The Centre or tightly under their control while out on assignments that are all very James Bond (though without Q, the cool car, or the super fancy gadgets).
This assignment is no different, though he’s now questioning everything he’s previously trusted or thought he knew. He’s also unsure of what to do about his feelings about Leo, hesitant to place his faith in him after what had gone down between them during the previous assignment. It all comes to a head with the fate of the two young boys he and Leo are assigned to protect seemingly in the balance. A real page turner with enough twists and turns to keep fans of the suspense genre interested and angsty romance to sweeten the deal.
The Christmas Eve wedding Evan Cleary pulled together in four weeks is crashing down around him and taking his fledgling event planning business with it. With an empty altar and over a hundred guests arriving soon, he turns to the resistant, gorgeous brother of the runaway groom for help.
When Richard Patterson’s flamboyant brother storms out hours before he’s scheduled to marry his equally dramatic partner, Richard is left dealing with the fallout. The last thing he wants is more drama, yet he can’t deny his attraction to the effeminate event planner trying to salvage the wedding.
Evan thinks his crush on Richard is a lost cause, but one steaming kiss later, he learns different. What starts as a night of hot sex turns into a connection neither expected. But Evan knows their relationship is hopeless unless the ultra-conservative Richard can embrace every part of him—both in private and in public.
Kimi’s thoughts:
Recently there seem to have been a trend in the m/m publishing world that harkens me back to the old Harlequin romance novel days, circa the early to mid 1970’s. Those were the very first romance novels I ever read, pulled from the family back shelf once I was old enough to read them. This definitely follows the fluffy formula, complete with the requisite head hopping so one knows that the gruff romantic lead is as head over heels and unsure of himself as his quarry is. It’s a short and sweet romance with the reasons for self doubt being gay specific enough that it didn’t read as if a m/f romance had been done over for a new audience, but written specifically for the m/m audience.
It’s one of those reads where you don’t have to think or feel too much, just sit back and enjoy the tasty treat as it’s served up. Admittedly, every thing is a little TOO pat, but it’s perfect for de-stressing or just general relaxation (such as a poolside or for reading on the work commute), this is not the read if you want something meaty or filled with deep angst. It’s a one night stand after weeks of apparently gazing surreptitiously at each other from across rooms, but it’s a one night stand that ends with a sugary sweet as cotton candy happy ever after that’s even tacked on as a very brief epilogue.
As the French army leader’s bastard son, Cornelius Stevens enjoys a great deal of latitude. But when he saves an enemy soldier using clockwork parts, he’s well aware he risks hanging for treason. That doesn’t worry him half as much, however, as the realization he’s falling for his patient.
Johann Berger never expected to survive his regiment’s suicide attack on Calais, much less wake up with mechanical parts. To avoid discovery, he’s forced to hide in plain sight as Cornelius’s lover—a role Johann finds himself taking to surprisingly well.
When a threat is made on Cornelius’s life, Johann learns the secret of the device implanted in his chest—a mythical weapon both warring countries would kill to obtain. Caught up in a political frenzy, in league with pirates, dodging rogue spies, mobsters and princesses with deadly parasols, Cornelius and Johann have no time to contemplate how they ended up in this mess. All they know is, the only way out is together—or not at all.
Kimi’s thoughts:
As one might surmise from the blurb and cover, this is a steampunk adventure romance. It has a lot going for it- despite the time it is set, it has a contemporary vibe in tone and doesn’t bog itself down in trying to be overly historical. It stays true to it’s aim, that of of providing swashbuckling adventure with pirates, soldiers, airships, and clockwork while serving up a dollop of romance. It’s a sweet romance on many fronts but this is Heidi Cullinan so it’s not syrupy and there is a definite edge to how our heroes like to play.
The villains are properly heinous, though much less fully fleshed out as characters than our heroes. The plot itself is fast moving though the late introduction of the parasol wielding princess felt a bit overly convenient. All in all though, this was a great way to spend some time if in the mood for something lightly spiced and most definitely fun.
Seventeen year old David has been best friends with Jonathan for as long as he can remember, but the day he sees the pastor’s daughter press a soft kiss to Jonathan’s cheek everything changes. Overcome by jealousy, his explosive reaction reveals a deeper connection that sends their relationship spiraling down into dangerous territory.
When their clandestine love is discovered, they have nowhere to turn for help. The brutal circumstances of their parting test David and Jonathan’s covenant to each other in unimaginable ways. Forced to face their fears, it is in their darkest moments that the two young men discover that the courage, hope, and strength they need to to fight for their love, has been the foundation of their covenant all along.
Skanian investigator Bengt fell in love with fellow policeman Alex Rukow in a week. But that was a year ago, and they’ve been apart ever since. Then Alex escapes the corrupt and destitute island nation of Santuario and comes to live with Bengt. Happy ever after . . .?
Alex’s lifelong dream of leaving Santuario has come true at last. But he finds himself adrift in a society he doesn’t understand. Worse, past nightmares come back to haunt him, and after so many years of suspicion and self-reliance, it’s harder than he imagined to trust someone else.
Bengt just wants Alex to share his comfortable life. But the more he tries to give, the more Alex pulls away. Their physical connection couldn’t be better, but Bengt can’t seem to get through to his difficult, taciturn lover outside the bedroom. Meanwhile, he has his own demons to confront—not to mention a serial killer on the loose.
Bengt and Alex must dig deep for the courage to face their pasts, but it may be too late to save their relationship or their lives.
Kimi’s thoughts:
It seemed like FOREVER before this came out. No, seriously, it did. You see, I’d been waiting ever since I finished the very last word on the very last of Santuario, so when this came out, I was ecstatic. The story picks up shortly after Alex has left Santuario and begun his new life with Bengt. It’s far from easy though, as culture shock sets in and he finds himself adrift. Add in his PTSD and Bengt’s own issues and you get a volatile mix.
The solutions to the serial killer case and their relationship woes, as well as Alex’s finding his feet, is far from simple. The separate issues become intertwined and the result is a tightly plotted suspense story with realistic romantic nuances. It’s a great read and I’m hoping Gordon continues with this as a series.
 Nathan’s been crushing on one of his regular Bulk Mart customers for a while now. In his squirrel form, he sits on Vince’s bird feeders, munching on seeds and enjoying the eye candy. Until the day Vince catches him raiding the feeder…
Excerpt:
The best part was coming next. Nathan took an absentminded bite of the sunflower seed in his paw and hung a little further out from the feeder to get a better view. Because now, the body wash was coming out. Vince’s hand stretched past Nathan’s field of vision, returning with what looked like the Natural Sea Sponge Vince had bought at Bulk Mart a month ago. He flicked open the cap on the almond-scented body wash and spread it on the sponge. Though Nathan couldn’t smell it through the window, he knew that scent. It drove him wild—he stopped to sniff it every time he walked down the aisle, and he even had a bottle on his bedside table. Not to use, just to smell every night as he lay in bed, wishing it was Vince’s hand on him instead of his own.
There it went, the sponge traveling over all the places where Nathan would like to run his tongue. Vince started on his neck, smooth up and down movements covering his skin with a rich lather. The bubbles slid down his body, clinging in a way that made Nathan irrationally jealous of them. The sponge followed the bubbles down, making circles over the sleek chest, then crisscrossing back and forth over the flat stomach and past his bellybutton, with its narrow trail of hair leading down to—OH MY WALNUTS!
Buy the book:
All Romance https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nutsaboutyou-1955968-145.html
Kate Lowell lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farm house that has way more personality than it has any right to. During the winter, she spends her time dreading snow, cursing at snow, shoveling snow, and scheming ways to shove it down the kids’ necks. During the summer, she prays not to have snow. :) Kate likes to play in ALL the sandboxes. While her main genres are paranormal and contemporary suspense, she is also interested in science fiction, fantasy and–weirdly–romantic comedy. She’s willing to pay large amounts of money to anyone who can come up with plot-bunny repellent, which she will first use on herself, then sell to LA Witt for an exorbitant price to recoup her costs. You can contact her at katelowellbooks (at) gmail.com . If you think you’d like to try writing gay romance, come visit her critique group (Link can be found at http://katelowell.com). New members are always welcome.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28219642-nuts-about-you
Publisher: Kate Lowell
Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix
Tour Dates & Stops:
Parker Williams, The Jena Wade, Tara Lain, BFD Book Blog, Bonkers About Books, Kiki’s Kinky Picks, Open Skye Book Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Bayou Book Junkie, My Fiction Nook, Chris McHart, QUEERcentric Books, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, The Hat Party, Havan Fellows, Velvet Panic, Nautical Star Books, Hearts on Fire, V’s Reads, A.M. Leibowitz, Inked Rainbow Reads, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Nephy Hart, Molly Lolly, MM Good Book Reviews, Caraway Carter, 3 Chicks After Dark, Alpha Book Club
Thank you Kim Chan for hosting us today. We’re here to share our new Parkerburg release Heart on the Run and answer a couple of questions.
If you could pick any author to have a cup of coffee with, who would it be?
Lee: *clutches coffee cup* That’s a trick question, isn’t it? Havan told you to ask that, didn’t she? Of course if I were picking an author to have coffee with it would be Havan. Since, you know, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway are both dead.
Havan: We have coffee every morning together (like thousands of miles between us would stop that lol). But of course I’d love to have coffee with Lee in person, also…and if Stephen King wanted to join us, I wouldn’t say no. 🙂
What’s on your playlist right now?
Lee: Tom Petty. I’ve got Wildflowers on loop right now. It’s my second all time favorite.
Havan: I don’t really have a playlist. I’ve got this attention problem, if anything is happening in the background when I’m trying to write well…um, I’m not writing. Sad but true. Though I sometimes listen to music before writing to get me in a certain frame of mind.
How would you describe your writing style?
Lee: Hah. Style? I’d describe my writing style as painstaking at the moment. Today, it feels like each sentence is pulling teeth. Sometimes, that’s not the case, but now… It’s slow going.
Havan: I tend to believe that there is way too much seriousness in the world and sometimes you have to stand back and laugh at yourself. So I would say that my writing style is a mash-up between endearing love and OMG WTF with a heavy dose of snark for taste.
How do you see this series?
Lee: I’ll let Havan field that one while I refill our coffees.
Havan: *eyes Lee* That better be darn good coffee to be dumping the question on me like this. Truth is I can’t rave enough about this series, it’s like I’m fangirling books that I helped write—actually it is that, exactly lol. I’m a big fan of Gilmore Girls (and OMG they are coming back!!!) and always loved that small town concept. When Lee and I started writing Christmas in His Heart I can honestly say some of my motivation was the joy of being in my own little small town. And much like Stars Hollow, Parkerburg drew me in. Every time we go back to write another book we’re visiting old friends. That’s what I hope the readers take away from these books, that whenever they come back they are once again strolling down Main Street, stopping for coffee at Prudence’s and waving at all their friends they missed while they were gone.
 Excerpt:
Sprocket grabbed the grande hot chocolates—with a dash of his favorite flavoring, pecan—and reached the gazebo with five minutes to spare, per the clock tower.
He set the drinks on the bench of the gazebo so he could spread the blanket across the floor.
“Wow, that’s a huge blanket,” Chaz stated as he took the three step up to stand at the edge of it.
“Never took you for a size queen.” Sprocket winked as he handed him a cup of steaming goodness. “So, what’s for lunch?”
“Oh, well…” Chaz held the basket close to his chest as he slipped off his shoes and situated himself in the middle of the blanket. “Not much.” He pulled a thermos from the basket. “I made homemade tomato soup and chicken salad sandwiches.” He set the thermos down and pulled out wrapped sandwiches, a bag of croutons, a plastic bowl with a translucent red lid, and a small stack of china dishes in rapid succession.
“My grandma used to make me tomato soup and grilled cheese all the time. Except she’d actually grill the cheese before putting it on the sourdough toast. I tried to make it once…didn’t end so well.” He laughed as he shook his head, settling down next to Chaz on the blanket.
“But I’ve heard you and Mason talk; you cook most of the time between the two of you.”
Sprocket accepted the sandwich handed to him and nodded. “Yep. Well you know, we both can cook, but neither of us gets much fun out of it.” He unwrapped the sandwich and picked up half, biting into it. He couldn’t suppress his moan. Damn that was good, and Chaz put nuts in it for crunch, walnuts and pecans. How did he know pecans were Sprocket’s favorite? A part of him wanted to believe maybe Chaz had asked around. Anyone in Craft Time would know and Prudence did too.
Not that it mattered either way. Nothing strange about a friend—and only a friend—knowing something as mundane as that. He quickly chewed and swallowed. “And we definitely don’t do fancy. Unless you count roast, but even then I sprinkle the seasoning on it and throw it in the oven. No fuss, no muss.”
With his next bite, something popped in his mouth, making him want to gag. He held it back, and while Chaz gazed out over the park at the kids running in the playground Sprocket lifted the toast to see what he bit into. Grapes. He grimaced as he quickly plucked the halved grapes out of the salad and dropped them on the napkin by his leg.
“You don’t like grapes?”
Sprocket jumped. Fuck…busted. “I like them fine. I like them right off the vine, frozen, even mashed up as wine…don’t like them so much with seeds, though.”
“Or in a sandwich, apparently.” Chaz noted, gesturing to the evidence on the blanket between them.
“Well…” Sprocket jammed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth and chewed slowly, biding himself some time. While he was trying to break down the enormous amount of food in his mouth, he grabbed the other half of the sandwich and proceeded to pick the grapes out of that also.
Chaz raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. He’d already been caught, no use faking it up now.
Reaching over, Chaz snatched Sprocket’s wrist and guided it to his mouth. Sprocket gulped the food in his mouth down, his stomach somersaulting either from the partially chewed lump it just received or because of the man sitting across from him on the blanket.
This wasn’t what friends did. Friends didn’t use their friend’s fingers as utensils. Still, he probably could’ve gotten past this moment if there hadn’t been a smidge of mayonnaise on the tip of his nail. Chaz spotted it, and while staring Sprocket in the eye, he put that spot right in front of his mouth. They sat like that for an eternity. Sprocket could feel his heart pounding fast, wondered if his pulse alerted Chaz to his extreme interest in the man’s next move.
He wanted to shout at Chaz to lick him. Do it now. Put him out of his misery. There was nothing Sprocket wanted more than to experience the wetness of Chaz’s tongue as it cleaned the white stuff from his finger. That was a lie. Sprocket wanted them to make more white stuff that had to be cleaned off, the kind you couldn’t purchase in a store. Well, maybe you could purchase it…but he really didn’t want his brain to go off on that tangent.
Finally—finally!—Chaz licked the condiment off. Before he could move back and call an end to this little episode, Sprocket broke free of his grip and hooked his hand behind the other man’s neck, holding him there, unable to move away.
When their lips met, it wasn’t gentle and coaxing. Sprocket wasn’t in that kind of mood. He wanted bad and he wanted now. Fuck friends. That whole concept was overrated if it kept him up all night in need. Anyway, this wasn’t his fault. Chaz started this shit; Sprocket would finish it.
And this time, he’d be better prepared. When Chaz kicked him the fuck out of his life, it wouldn’t tear him apart. Because no matter what, he’d make sure there wasn’t a spot in his heart for Chaz. Sprocket willingly would give up half his bed for the man, but nothing more.
While diving his tongue in Chaz’s mouth—reaching far enough back he could say with great certainty Chaz no longer had tonsils—Sprocket damn near convinced himself that he could do that, too.
Then Chaz whimpered, his hand pressing against Sprocket’s chest, right over his heart, and Sprocket knew he was a goner.
Beacon Hill, Boston in snow.
Meet the authors:
Lee Brazil:
Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true.
Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words.
Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit?
Someone hands you a book, and then you turn the page and see… There you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are…beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.
I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now. It’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.
If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer…or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and I’ve come to realize that’s the best thing in the world to be, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more.
If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college…teaching…or writing.
Havan Fellows:
I annoy, love, respect, scare, seduce, hurt, anger, infatuate, frustrate, flatter, envy, amuse and tolerate everyone. I just do it better in writing thanks to a little thing called…edits.
Okay no, seriously…I’m a simpleminded person who enjoys the escape from real life through a book. I write with the group Story Orgy and hope to continue doing so for a long time. I also am privileged to be with the Pulp Friction writers, creating intermingling books in a world all our own.
I recently took the drastic step of quitting my EDJ (evil day job) and am now living in the gorgeous desert in Arizona making a go at this writing stuff full time…and I can’t see me regretting this decision ever.
Just like every other red-blooded human—I get a little bouncy when I get mail (any kind too…email, comments, private messages…you wanna do it, do it with me *winks*). So feel free to drop me a line—whether it’s on my blog, twitter, PInterest, or you track me down on FaceBook or Google +…it’s easy to catch someone who wants to be caught.
Havan Fellows:
Blog – http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com
Twitter – @havanfellows
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/havanfellows/
FaceBook – http://www.facebook.com/HavanFellowsauthor?fref=ts
Google + – https://plus.google.com/100539863028704367957/posts
FB group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/crawlinbedwithlee/
Goodreads Link:
Publisher: Appleton Publishing Avenue
Cover Artist: Author.Services
Tour Dates & Stops:
17-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews
19-Nov: Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie
21-Nov: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads
24-Nov: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings,
26-Nov: Unquietly Me, Love Bytes
28-Nov: Wake Up Your Wild Side, Happily Ever Chapter
1-Dec: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Velvet Panic
3-Dec: TTC Books and More
5-Dec: The Jena Wade, Jessie G. Books
8-Dec: V’s Reads, Cathy Brockman Romances
10-Dec: Nautical Star Books, Louise Lyons
12-Dec: My Fiction Nook
15-Dec: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Books A to Z
17-Dec: Jessie G. Books
19-Dec: The Day Before You Came
22-Dec: QUEERcentric Books
24-Dec: Prism Book Alliance
26-Dec: Kimi-Chan
29-Dec: Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Molly Lolly
31-Dec: BFD Book Blog, Alpha Book Club
2-Jan: Sassygirl Books, Dawn’s Reading Nook
Rafflecopter Prize: Kindle Fire with books from Havan Fellows & Lee Brazil
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Jason is a West Coast wolf Shifter who leaves his native Pack Lands to search for his destined mate. When he finds the large muscled man working out a local gym, Jason is ecstatic and apprehensive. Eric is a Changeless human and there are tense sides to the politically heated debate around the integration of Shifters and Changeless. Jason is at risk of losing control of his wolf without bonding with his destined mate. But, will Eric accept that Jason is a Shifter? And can Eric trust Jason after his heart has been left shattered from a previously failed relationship.
Excerpt:
Jason allowed himself to run that night. Elation filled him making it easier to relax and allow his wolf to flow into his mind and body. The shift was seamless, years of transitioning helped his wolf to take control in under a few painless minutes. Jason knew of wolves who could never shift because the pain was so intense. It was unknown what the cause was but some insisted that it was because the Shifter’s true mate had never been found and the man could not control the beast inside of him.
The old wives’ tale had haunted Jason especially as years passed without locating his mate. Now that he knew Eric existed, it was one less thing to worry about. Now he could focus on worrying about Eric finding out he was a Shifter. Eric’s acceptance. If the two would find love and happiness despite fate playing a factor, then, and only then, could Jason think about starting a family with Eric. Maybe he was jumping the gun, but he had always wanted a man to love and a family to care for. Was it too much to want? Shouldn’t he be satisfied with finding a mate? All of this thinking and stress was weighing him down. Yes, he had found his mate, but would Eric want Jason?
His legs pumped harder as he made his way across hills and through forests with large trees reaching up towards the skies. It was not the familiar woods of his home on the Pack Lands but it felt good to stretch his limbs, pull deep pulls of fresh air into his lungs, and feel the wind tickling through his fur all over his body. With a grin, he imagined his large bear of a mate with sexual wants that matched his own.
 Author Name: Tina Blenke
Author Bio: Tina is a retired Air Force brat and has lived in several states as well as a handful of countries. She has always had a soft spot for literature and is a voracious reader. When she isn’t writing, she can be found cuddled up with a good book. Though Tina adores a thrilling novel with sappy lovesick heroes, she is terrified of things that go bump in the night. This makes for quite a complicated relationship with zombies, something that she just can’t get enough of.
Author Contact:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tina-Blenke-Author/487878157926041?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinablenke
LinkedIn: Tina Blenke
Instagram: tinablenke
Wordpress: http://tinablenke.wordpress.com/
Website: http://tinablenke.wix.com/author
Tumblr: tinablenke
Thank you for joining us! This book was written as a fundraiser for Peyton Hollingsworth, a family friend of Bailey’s who has been diagnosed with cancer.
*All proceeds and royalties from this book will be donated to help pay the medical bills for Peyton Hollingsworth. While he is currently being treated at St. Jude’s for Ewing’s Sarcoma, and treatment there is free, there are accumulated bills from his treatment and diagnosis before being sent to St. Jude’s.
About Peyton:
Peyton is a funny, loving, 11-year old boy who loves playing outside, riding go-carts, and Batman. In April, we found out he had cancer. Peyton has asthma, and often had to have nebulizer treatments, so when he was having trouble breathing, his doctor thought it was asthma. But nothing worked to ease his breathing, and the doctor sent Peyton to the hospital for a suspected collapsed lung.
From one day to the next, it went from us thinking he had a severe bout of asthma to finding out that he had a tumor pressing his lung up until it was almost completely obscured, and he couldn’t get much, if any, air into it.
Peyton was sent to St. Jude’s and diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma. The mass was attached to one rib, and was spreading. He has undergone radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy, several transfusions and MRI’s, numerous tests and received numerous shots. It’s been a rough, rough time for the Hollingsworth family, and we are hoping to help them out.
While St. Jude’s doesn’t charge for treatment, the Hollingsworth family has accumulated medical bills from Peyton’s doctor and hospitalization before he was sent to St. Jude’s. Cherri, his mother, has been unable to work during this time, and the financial constraints are something they could really use help overcoming.
We are currently awaiting another MRI to be scheduled and done to see if all the cancer has been eradicated. We are hopeful and have faith that Peyton will be in remission and the cancer will not have spread or reoccur.
I will keep updating this as we get more information. We should know more within a few days, but I wanted to go ahead and get a jump start on this, so that we can help his family financially, so this will be one less thing that they have to stress about.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and donations.
Author Name: Bailey Bradford
Book Name: Destined Prey
Series: Wild Ones
Book: One
Release Date: December 18, 2015 (available for early download on December 14 from Rainbow Ninja Press).
Blurb:
Wild Ones book 1
Destined Prey
All Jack Tucker wanted was to come home for a little while and try to figure out where his life had gone wrong. Moving from Wyoming to New York hadn’t turned out the way he’d thought it would, and a bad breakup leaves him bruised in more than just the emotional sense.
He doesn’t expect to be glad he’s back on the Double T Ranch with his brother, Rhett, and he sure doesn’t expect to find the place crawling with coywolves, wolves, and coyotes. There seems to be some kind of animal-warfare going on, and he and Rhett are caught in the middle of it.
Coywolves—the hybrid of wolves and coyotes, hated by both, and more predatory than either. Add in the fact that all the battling species are shifters, and there’s bound to be trouble.
Ben Akers is part of his brother’s pack. The only coywolf shifters in existence, they find themselves under constant attack from wolf and coyote packs determined to make the Akers pack extinct. But coywolves don’t die out so easy, and when Ben’s life takes a surprising turn in the form of one sexy human named Jack Tucker, they’re both in for surprises, danger, and, if Destiny rules, an abiding love that most people—and shifters—only dream of.
Pages or Words: 43,000 words
Categories: Erotica, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Paranormal, with a dash of Western/Cowboy.
Excerpt:
Jack Tucker watched his brother retrieve the rifle from the gun cabinet in the office. “Um. Rhett? What’re you doing?”
Rhett didn’t even glance back at him as he loaded the gun. “What does it look like I’m doing? You been living in the city so long you forgot how a Wyoming rancher lives?” Then he did look over his shoulder at Jack, and Jack kind of wished he hadn’t.
He hated seeing that judgment in his brother’s eyes, and knowing he’d never be good enough for Rhett, never be the man his brother was. “No,” Jack mumbled, “I didn’t forget.”
Rhett sighed and turned until he faced Jack. “Look, that was uncalled for. I’m… I’m sorry, okay?”
Jack was so startled by the apology that he gulped and couldn’t think of a word to say.
Rhett grimaced. “Yeah. Well, okay. Gotta check on some tracks Eddie said he found leading from his property to ours. I’ll be back in a few hours.” He left, striding from the room without seeming to hesitate.
Jack groaned and closed his eyes. Of course Rhett didn’t hesitate—he never had. Rhett always knew what to do, and how to do it, and who he was, and that he was right… Except, he apologized to me, and it screwed my head right up.
“Worse than it already is,” he muttered. Jack couldn’t stop himself from touching his left side, where his bruised ribs throbbed as the pain meds wore off. He was lucky, very lucky, that Rhett hadn’t pushed him on the accident that had sent Jack running home from New York, and possibly into the unemployment line. His boss hadn’t been happy with Jack taking off, even with a medical note as an excuse. Jack hadn’t told Rhett much about any of that. As far as Rhett knew, Jack had fallen down some icy steps, and that was all he was going to ever know about the incident.
Jack replayed his brother’s apology in his head and somehow it mingled in with Alex’s. Cold fear trickled down Jack’s spine and his gut cramped hard enough to make him worry about the dinner he’d just eaten.
After several minutes of trying to calm himself down, Jack stood and left. He’d wanted to sit and talk with Rhett about finances and try to decide if he should offer to let Rhett buy him out. Jack wasn’t made to be a rancher. He wasn’t made to be a New Yorker, either.
Jack didn’t know what he was supposed to do in life, and at the age of twenty-seven, he kind of thought he should have an inkling.
His cell phone was ringing when he stepped into his bedroom. Without looking, he knew it was Alex calling. “Who else would it be?” he huffed. It wasn’t like he had any friends left.
Rather than check to see how many times Alex had called and how many texts he’d sent, Jack turned the phone off, then stuck it in the nightstand. He eased himself onto the bed, then took a couple of prescription pain meds and washed them down with the rest of the water he’d brought in earlier.
The glass was old and familiar, and he felt a pang of regret as he looked it over after he set it down. Green glass, nothing special about it, yet he remembered so much as he stared.
He could see his mom in the kitchen, fixing a pitcher of tea, talking to him, and listening as he told her about his day at school or the chores he’d had to do around the ranch. She’d always been so kind and understanding, Jack had to believe she’d have been okay with him being gay. He’d spent many afternoons in the kitchen, helping her prepare meals or just basking in her presence. Losing her had almost broken him.
For a few more minutes, he let his mind go back to happy childhood days. His dad wasn’t in nearly as many of those good memories, but Chauncey Tucker hadn’t been a bad man. His dad had been more like Rhett—stoic, focused on the ranch and less on the people around him.
Jack ran one finger around the rim of the glass. He was surprised, really, that there were any of the old things left.
The sound of gunshot startled him so badly he jerked and nearly sent the glass flying.
“Shit!” He winced as he pushed it back, then stood as quickly as he could manage.
Another shot rang out, then a third, and fear quickly overtook every other sensation he’d felt until then.
Rhett had always been an ace shot. If he’d had to use three bullets, then there was something bad outside—a bear or a whole pack of wolves.
Jack didn’t like guns, but he went and got one from the gun cabinet anyway. He loaded it as he walked to the front door, and hoped like hell Rhett wasn’t hurt.
As soon as he stepped outside, the fine hairs at his nape seemed to stand up and vibrate, like some kind of primitive survival instinct warning alert system. Jack froze, his back to the door as his heart slammed hard against his ribs.
Another shot sounded, and it jolted Jack into action. “Rhett! Rhett!” He rushed down the steps and toward the direction the shots had come from. “Rhett! Are you okay?”
When Rhett didn’t immediately answer, Jack ran, careless with the gun, aware of that but unable to make himself do anything other than find his brother as soon as possible.
“Rhett!” He stumbled over something on the ground and almost fell before he managed to flail enough to keep himself upright.
Pain tore down his injured side, but he ignored it as he called out for his brother yet again. He cursed himself for not thinking to grab a flashlight. The sky was overcast and there was no moonlight to assist him in his search, and once he was past the barns there was no light coming from the house or other structures, either.
Jack realized that the cattle in the closest field were making enough noise to drown out his voice or Rhett’s, making it impossible for them to hear each other.
The sounds of the gunshots must have scared the cattle. Jack worried about a stampede, but he’d never seen any of the critters take out a fence, so he dismissed the idea.
“Rhett!” His throat burned as he hollered again.
Lightning streaked across the sky, blinding Jack for a moment, then thunder followed and he couldn’t contain his startled yelp as his ears rang from the sound.
Or his shriek when six pairs of glowing yellow eyes appeared between him and the fence line.
“Shit!” Jack skidded to a halt and hoped he could steady his hands, and force himself to do what he had to do.
I am a married mom of four who spends most of the day writing, either on stories or at the blog. I love to write as much as I love to read. I am generally quiet and laid back, choosing to let things slide off me rather than stick and irritate me.
And it’s really hard trying to think of descriptives for myself, so I’ll just let y’all e-mail me or comment at the blog if there’s something specific you’d like to know, and spare you from reading a boring bio.
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Bailey Bradford, author of Wild Ones: Destined Prey.
Hi Bailey, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I’m not an ambitious person. I write because I enjoy it. That can be problematic because bills need to be paid, but I’ve just never been able to focus on money or success.
How many published books do you have? Can you tell us something about them?
Over seventy, and I doubt you want something specific about each one. I have loved writing every book, and have met the most incredible, kind-hearted, smart, unique people that I wouldn’t have had I not started writing.
Your main character wants to cook something special for his love interest. What does he make?
If it’s Ben, he’s liable to cook an all-meat dinner, being a shifter as he is. However, he would make certain Jack’s sweet tooth is taken care of, too. He’d have cake, ice cream, and probably an additional sweet, like a pie.
Jack would serve a roast, beef from his ranch, of course. Potatoes and carrots in a rich gravy, rolls, tea, and yes, plenty of dessert.
What are you working on at the moment? What’s it about?
My sanity 😉 I’m about to start a longer-than-usual contemporary novel. It’s about…life, love, success, and what happens when those things don’t go as planned.
Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?
No. I write until I can’t write any longer, then I stop. I don’t do well with too much structure.
On an earthlike planet ruled by the Elite, a rite called “the Gleaning” is used to select suitable spouses for those of merit. Nico Stamford is a member of the Geisha class. Though he has been trained for marriage all his life, becoming a healer and a priest in the process, all he wants is to cook and open a restaurant. Instead he becomes a candidate for the ritual. He hopes the Goddess will look kindly on him and eliminate him before the final choices are made. Alex DeVrie is a member of the Warrior class who has recently returned triumphant from a clash with an alien enemy. Made a duke of the Sixth Land as a reward, all Alex needs now is a husband. As soon as Alex sets eyes on Nico, he refuses to settle for anyone else.
Tradition says they can part ways after a year and a day. But love begins to grow as they unravel the mystery behind tragic events in the Sixth Land, and they uncover a conspiracy that could change their society.
The opening really had a great hook and drew me in, but as I got just over a third of the way through, it began to feel as if parts of the book had been chopped out. The complex society we are shown is never thoroughly explained and Nico goes from a self confident young man with a sweet disposition to a whiny one who runs rough shod over the one who loves and cares for him, from being so enamoured with cooking that his purpose in life is to open his own cafe to becoming a Prince of the Realm and some kind of Saviour. It’s all snap of the fingers quick, blink, and everything has changed. Then Nico suddenly understands true love and bang, he and his man are 4ever. This is a case of where less is definitely not more. Hoping there is a sequel with more world building and deeper characterisation, as this fascinates but never really quite gets there.
