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
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
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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.
Dr. Åke Jörgensson is a scientist from Sweden whose invention of almost instant travel to any part of the universe will revolutionize space flight.
Khitain is a N’tari, a panther-like alien serving aboard a human space ship, and Åke’s boyfriend of three months.
On Christmas, they visit Åke’s parents for the first time. As if meeting his in-laws weren’t stressful enough, feelings of inadequacy and fear haunt Khitain. His N’tari descent makes him a killing machine, and one wrong move could wipe out what is dearest to him. Åke, however, has to deal with his family’s ignorance and Khitain’s reluctance to let go of his restraint.
When something terrible happens during their Christmas Morning walk, the situation gets out of hands.
On the Coastal Bend of Texas, a hidden kingdom called Darkmore lies in ruins, and King Sevon Maraté is trapped. Using Sevon as a mouthpiece and a scapegoat, Lord Dominic rules from the shadows. Sevon copes with the unrelenting abuse by dressing in women’s finery and casting an image of graceful nobility. Born of royal verkolai blood and as beautiful as he is lethal, he possesses the ability to part the Veil separating his world from hundreds of others. His gift is his chance to escape, but Dominic refuses to relinquish his tool for power. Dominic forges an ambitious plan to invade the prosperous land of Priagust. Only a select few know the mythic kingdom of shifters exists. Sevon is out of options for his people’s survival, and cooperating with Dominic is his only chance.
On their foray into Priagust, Dominic’s men kidnap and interrogate a shifter named Jack. Even under torture, Jack’s loyalty to his kind never wavers. But as Jack’s knowledge about Darkmore’s king and its history unsettles Sevon, a curious bond begins to form. Despite Sevon’s mistrust, Jack is determined to tame Sevon’s wild heart and perhaps earn his freedom. As invasion looms, Sevon wonders if trusting Jack will lead him into another trap or if he should forget about chasing the sunrise and remain Dominic’s compliant prisoner.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I’ve read Lex Chase before and this sounded much darker than her previous work. This indeed turned out to be the case, with betrayal evident at every turn until at last, everything becomes right again. The world building is excellent, with the different species wonderfully realised. Sevon himself was a wonderful puzzle. His struggle with abuse masquerading as love and his confusion was heart wrenching. The bad guys were all very, very bad, though in a few places where their deeds feature it felt a trifle thin, with a bit more telling than showing. Still, it was an excellent read and a great start to what promises to be a wonderful new series that I look forward to reading.
Sparks fly when Chance meets tall, sexy Xav at a Wilmington bar and they have the hottest one-nighter of their lives. But Chance doesn’t do repeats, Xav seems detached, and they go their separate ways without a word. Later, when closeted Assistant District Attorney C. Evan “Chance” Fairchild meets Dare’s Landing’s newest deputy sheriff, Xavier “Xav” Constantine, Evan isn’t only wary. He’s irritated as hell.
Xavier is a former FBI agent turned deputy sheriff who is hot on the trail of a South American child prostitution ring. Evan is fighting to put an end to rampant cocaine trafficking and chafing under the thumb of an election-hungry boss. When someone tries to kill the eleven-year-old witness who holds the key to both their investigations, they’re forced to work together as they put their lives on the line to protect him. As Chance and Xav collide in the heat of a sweltering North Carolina summer, dodging bullets and chasing bad guys isn’t the only action going on.
Kimi’s thoughts:
This collaboration came out swinging and kept landing hits. The self absorption of elected officials and their spin doctors, good officers getting sidelined, communities kept in the dark, and all that comes with these is brought front and centre. Mix in the locale with all it’s ingrained local flavour including prejudices and you have a powder keg. If this wasn’t enough, we get a romance between two men who are caught up in their jobs and circumstance, making for a great romantic thriller. Sadly, it’s a thriller woven with fact, with the child (and drug) trafficking based on several actual events which just tore my heart out.
The writing was gritty, the plot tightly woven, and the pace brisk. It’s definitely not for the faint hearted, but if you love a good thriller with a side of romance, this is probably one you won’t want to miss.
Dom and sub couples Peter and Devon, and Max and Swan, are joining their lives together. After a week at The Briar Rose, they know there’s a lot of work to do, and they’re all committed to making sure what they have together succeeds.
Peter is the easygoing sub, while Max needs discipline and rules to keep from falling back into bad habits, so both Masters worry about making sure that each boy gets what he needs without making either sub feel neglected. It’s a balancing act that winds up taking some fancy footwork and the stress takes its toll.
As they learn to live and bond together, they discover things about each other that makes them fall more deeply in love, helping to cement their relationships.
Then an unexpected attack on Peter and Max threatens to upset the balance they’ve created, and Swan and Devon must join forces to give their subs what they need to push through and thrive. Will this stumbling block break apart their hard-won new family, or will it forge a stronger foursome?
From Samhain:
