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Ancient Bond by Dora Esquivel

 

 

Sometimes you need to fall on your knees to rise.

Centuries ago Lucien’s family and pack were slaughtered and betrayed by family. Lucien was then enslaved for five hundred years by the demon who killed his succubus mother.

One thousand years later his powers as Alpha and Incubus are growing. He is now ready to take his rightful place as Alpha Supreme, but first, he must claim a reluctant mate and escape from under the heel of his possessive Vampire master Sargon.

Lucien is a hybrid shifter in a world where being unpure is not tolerated. Lucien should have never been born. Enter a dark and savage paranormal world, where being weak is stamped out and exploited. Being dominant and unapologetic is key to survival.

Follow Lucien as he seeks vengeance against the uncle that betrayed him and the demon who enslaved him and murdered his mom. Where secrets, allies with hidden agendas, and political jousting determine the fates of many.

A dark, sensual, and paranormal fantasy series by new author Dora Esquivel.

Kimi’s thoughts:

As debut novels go, this was one offering I am glad I didn’t pass up. I picked this up via KindleUnlimited, which has been a fab way for me to try new authors (and to sate my hefty reading appetite without bankrupting us, haha).

This was definitely not your run of the mill shifter story. Esquivel took many of the tropes and stood them on their head, breathing new life into this popular genre. It’s not a light and fluffy romance, so if you need that, this is not going to be your cup of tea. Her characters were engaging and her prose sucked me in from the very first page. I ended up reading this in one sitting, luckily it’s a fairly fast read. Be warned though, there is a cliffhanger.

You can get it on Amazon, where it is in KindleUnlimited for those who read using the subscription service. 

5

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Sinister Hunger by Katze Snow

Vincent Hudson is a vampire hunter and his life is about to be ruined.

When a hunting trip ends in tragedy, he is forced to do the unthinkable—seek refuge in Sanctuary Hope, where each family must nominate a member to the city council. It is seemingly a minor price to pay in exchange for medical aid and refuge. But it is a dangerous trap, and unaware of the gut-wrenching reality, Vincent nominates himself.

Now a life of war awaits him. . . and captivity to a vampire master known as Maddox Caine.

This trilogy is for mature audiences only (18+) and contains scenes of graphic violence and high heat that will have you flustered and swiftly turning the pages. These books are dark, raw, gritty, and not for the faint-hearted. Please read with caution.

 

If you loved Dark Silence, you will adore this. It’s not a simple re-release with a new title and a new gorgeous cover (Jay Aheer’s art, is as always, stunning), but a complete re-write. All of the basic premises of the original release are here, but it is a new book with more scenes added. The writing  was good to begin with, but with experience comes maturation and Katze’s writing in this has definitely done so. It’s grittier, with some scenes that made even me catch my breath and sent delicious chills down my arms.

I can’t wait to read book 2 and will be reviewing it here, so watch this space!

4.5

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His Light In the Dark ✨ Remmy Duchene

✨Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience✨

TITLE: His Light In The Dark

SERIES:

AUTHOR: Remmy Duchene

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2018

BLURB: Maxim Hagan’s father taught him one valuable lesson:

Life is like a game of baseball—three strikes and he’s out.

And to make matters worse, Maxim was already born with two strikes against him and has has spent his entire life trying not to swing for strike three. Running from his demons worked until a roadside bomb sends him hurtling back home. When he’s forced to come face to face with the one demon he could never outrun, Maxim has a decision to make.

Ethan Garrick’s life has descended into a world of loneliness after the death of his mother. Meeting new friends is never easy but, he’s managed to fall into a lovable group of brothers. When he meets his new friends’ best friend, Ethan knows one thing for certain:

He can try outrunning his desires for Maxim, but the end of the earth wouldn’t be far enough.

REVIEW: I can’t even begin to tell y’all how much I enjoyed reading this book. Where do I start? Let’s start with the cover. This cover is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The fact that two gorgeous black men grace the cover of this book is in itself amazing. The next amazing this about this book is that black love is front and center in this book. Not just black love, but BLACK MEN in love. This story and these characters were beautifully written. Maxim and Ethan…both of these men are battling demons: loneliness, heartache, pain, disappointment and loss.

These two men deserve happiness, and they find it with each other. This isn’t a book where the men fall into bed without getting to know each other. These guys take the time to build something permanent.

I really enjoy this author’s work. I absolutely love how she portrays her characters of color in general, black men in particular. She shows that black men are capable of love and tenderness. These characters experience the loneliness, heartbreak and pain but was able to find solace and love within and can heal each other. And it was a beautiful thing to read.

Take a bow, Remmy. You’ve done an excellent job with this.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Sadistic Sherlock (Ward Security #4) Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Sadistic Sherlock

SERIES: Ward Security # 4

AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

PUBLISHER: Self Publishing

RELEASE DATE: September 28, 2018

BLURB: Ten years ago, Dominic Walsh faked his own death. With no true identity, it wasn’t hard. But if he’d stayed, he would have been drawn further into a life he’d never chosen. He has friends and family at Ward Security now and has managed to escape his dark past. There is only one thing he truly wants.

Abraham Stephens.

When Dom was first tasked with watching over his friend’s father, he didn’t expect to fall so hard for the gorgeous silver fox. But Abe is interested in friendship only. He’s at a point in his life where he wants something permanent, not a romp with the sexy redhead who happens to be the same age as his son.

But Abe finds himself drawn deeper into Dom’s life when cryptic messages start appearing—ones that frighten the skilled security specialist. The more Dom tries to hide what’s happening, the more Abe wants to help him.

And maybe, just maybe, he’ll find a way to trust the strength of the bond Dom understood from the start.

REVIEW: This series gets better and better with each installment. The storyline and characters are brilliantly written. Abe and Dom are so perfect together and they’re one of my favorite couples in the series thus far.

So let’s start with Abe. I loved him in Dante’s Unglued. He was so sweet, caring and strong, supportive and loving and I wanted him to follow his son Shane’s advice and find love for himself. Abe was some what content with his life: he has his great relationship with his son, his son’s happy and in love and his woodworking business is doing quite well. But he’s found that while he’s content with his life as is, he wants to give in to the budding feelings he has for Dom. The only thing holding Abe back is the age gap.

Dominic Walsh, or Dom as he’s affectionately known by his co-workers and friends, is deeply smitten with the sexy older man but Abe wants to remain friends.

The romance aspect of the book aside, the action, suspense and mystery of these books are always perfectly balanced. The characters are very well written, the plots and storylines always exciting. The dialogue goes from serious to funny in zero to sixty and is really creative as it keeps the reader on their toes. I absolutely adore this series, the series and its characters. This book will keep you engaged from the first page to the very last.

Highly recommended indeed.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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The Captain’s Ghostly Gamble (Captivating Captains) Catherine Curzon, Eleanor Harkstead

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: The Captain’s Ghostly Gamble

SERIES: Captivating Captains

AUTHOR: Catherine Curzon, Eleanor Harkstead

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: September 11, 2018

BLURB: When a ghostly dandy and his roguish companion try their hand at matchmaking, things definitely go bump in the night.

For centuries, foppish Captain Cornelius Sheridan and brooding John Rookwood have haunted the mansion they dueled and died for. Now these phantom foes must join forces to save both their home and their feuding descendants.

But when Captain Sheridan sacrifices his afterlife for the sake of true love, will Rookwood risk everything to keep his companion by his side, or is it too late to say “I love you”?

REVIEW: This novella was such an enjoyable read! I’m not a fan for historical romances but since this was from two authors whose work I’ve enjoyed reading before, I decided to give it a try. I am glad that I did because this was a delight to read. This is a historical with a paranormal twist. Cornelius and John are two ghosts who died some centuries before who haunts the mansion they died forgetting for. They’re basically stuck together and decide to team up to save their home and their descendants who are themselves embroiled in a less lethal sort of Hatfield- McCoy type of situation.

But while in the midst of their matchmaking and scheming, these two old foes realize that after all of this time together, that they too, stand to lose each other. What tickled me the most while reading this story is that even in the afterlife, men can stubborn.

While this is a novella, it reads like a full length book. The characters are lively, the storyline is delightful. The entire novella was such a pleasure to read. I would love to read more featuring the Captain and John. I definitely recommend this novella.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Pride Publishing

https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/the-captains-ghostly-gamble

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Promises: The Next Generation (Bounty Hunters #5) A.E. Via

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Promises: The Next Generation

SERIES: Promises #5, Bounty Hunters

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Publishing

RELEASE DATE: August 27, 2018

BLURB: Duke Webb has run the most successful bail recovery agency in Atlanta for over twenty years. That’s because he has a team of trained, competent hunters backing him up to keep his name feared on the streets. But Duke knows that nothing can go on forever. His hunters are in committed relationships and ready to settle down, and so is he. That’s what leads him to start his new training program.

“That’s the new vision for Dukes. Veterans operating and tracking behind the scenes with a new powerhouse apprehension team on the streets.”

Brian and Quick are the first to offer up two new recruits.

Kellam Knight has studied martial arts under his sensei, Quick, since he was eight years old. A tossed-out reject from high-society, Kell has a problem fighting on the right side of the law. If he sees an injustice, he has to correct it. He doesn’t have to run and cower from his enemies anymore, he’s a fighter who can protect himself and others. When Quick offers Kell the opportunity to join Duke’s training program, he’s all in. Except he’s not prepared for the straight, over-confident, extremely disciplined, sexy man Brian has recruited to be his partner.

Tyrell Jenkins’ world was flipped upside down when his father never returned home from his last deployment. He’d been Ty’s teacher, mentor, his guide to living a righteous life as a good man. His father didn’t raise him to be like every other young, stereotypical male in Atlanta. Instead, he’s been taught to be respectful, to speak the language of real men. When Brian King – his father’s most trusted comrade – finally comes to him with the truth, he doesn’t come alone. He comes with trained men hidden in the shadows… and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a brotherhood unlike any other.

This installment is a part of a series and contains previously mentioned characters, but CAN standalone. Each book centers around a new couple.
This book ends in a HEA. NO cliffhanger.

REVIEW: Oh my goodness. This book—as usual—was absolutely amazing. The characters, storylines and dialogue was top notch. But then again, this is nothing new as this author consistently churns out high quality work.

The author did something a little different this time in that an African American MC was featured. And he was DIVINE. But I’ll come back to him in a bit. Let me get into the other MC first—Kellam Knight.

Kellam—Kell—is this interesting mixture of innocence and compassion. He’s a deadly warrior who’s kind and gentle. He’s vulnerable yet strong. He’s definitely a survivor. He’s extremely beautiful which he goes to great lengths to cover. The many ways in which she was able to make him this complex character with so much depth to him was absolutely brilliant.

Now back to Tyrell Jenkins—Ty. Ty’s outward appearance belies his personality. Many would look at this young black man in expensive clothes and dismiss him as a criminal even though he doesn’t present himself as such. Ty is a man with honor and principles. He constantly draws on and applies the teachings of his late father to live by. Ty is a righteous man. A loving and honorable man. He lives his life by a moral code of conduct and principles that’s been taught to him by his father. A man who works hard to ensure that his mother is well taken care of. He is a man who is comfortable within his own skin. When he first realized that he was falling for another man, he didn’t flinch or question it too much. He just went with it, realizing that love transcends gender and race. Her portrayal of this black man gave me so much LIFE. So much needed life, at that. What Miss Lady did was take all of those ridiculous stereotypes that’s usually attributed to black men, balled it up and threw it straight in the trash where it belonged. And it was GLORIOUS.

Ty and Kell’s love story was a beautifully written thing. It wasn’t based on lust. Theirs was a subtle build to perfection. Ty courted Kell. Like old school courted him. That’s what makes their relationship so pleasurable to read. These men fell in love with each other based on their hearts and minds instead of their flesh. That came later.

What I also enjoyed with this book was how spiritual both men were. They weren’t religious but they were spiritual in that they believed in a higher power.

I could go on and on about how beautifully written this book and these characters are. If I could give this book a ten star rating, I would do it.

This womxyn comes up with the most fabulous creations every single time she put her fingers on that keyboard.

As always, went into the kitchen and put her foot in the damn pot. And this time, she did it for the culture.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Cover Reveal! Lovespell by Mia Kerick

Title: Love Spell
Author: Mia Kerick
Re-Release Date: August 27th 2018
Published by: Ninestar Press
Genre: Young Adult, LGBT

BLURB

Having come to terms with being gay, Chance César is still uneasy with his gender identity, or, as he phrases it, “being stuck in the gray area between girl and boy.” This concern, however, doesn’t stop him from strutting his fabulous stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug-in-all-the-right (wrong)-places orange tuxedo as the winner of this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon Festival at the local Beans and Greens Farm’s annual fall celebration, serenaded by the enthusiastic catcalls of his BFF, Emily Benson. Although he refuses to visually fade into the background of his rural New Hampshire town, Chance is socially invisible—except when being tormented or beat up by familiar bullies. But when Chance, the Harvest Moon Festival’s mockingly-elected Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue (Jazz), the legitimate winner of the Pumpkin Carving King contest, sparks fly. Chance wants to be noticed and admired and romantically embraced by Jazz, in all of his neon orange-haired glory.

And so at a sleepover, Chance and Emily conduct intense research on their laptop computers, and come up with an article in an online women’s magazine called “Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You.” Along with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure, it becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.

Quirky, comical, definitely “sickening” (this is a good thing), and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.

 

What reviewers are saying about LOVE SPELL ~

“Kerick devotes most of the book to sassy fun and first-love desire, but her depiction of the loneliness caused by apathetic parents, the insecurity of extra pounds, the stress of college applications, the meanness of bullies, the importance of forgiveness, and especially the uneasiness of being “stuck in the gray area between girl and boy” make this novel thoroughly enjoyable. The book not only hits upon all manner of teenage angst, but also on the significance of true family values and on the joys of such simple pleasures as high–thread-count sheets, sharing homemade pizza, and playing card games instead of “head games” on a Friday night. The characters are memorable and the dialogue is consistently bright and believable, featuring authentic-sounding teenspeak. The author even defines Chance’s invented vocabulary words (such as “Randatorbs” and “Dooza-palooza”) in a back-of-the-book glossary for readers who can’t keep up.

A comical, thought-provoking YA novel for those who believe in the magic of love without all the hocus-pocus.” – Kirkus Reviews (2015)

 

Buy

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About the Author

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—a daughter in law school, another in dance school, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son still in high school. She writes LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing English papers. Her husband of twenty-four years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on emotional growth in turbulent relationships. As she has a great affinity for the tortured hero, there is, at minimum, one in each book. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of said tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press and Harmony Ink Press for providing alternate places to stash her stories.

Her books have won a Best YA Lesbian Rainbow Award, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, among other awards.

Mia is a Progressive, a little bit too obsessed by politics, and cheers for each and every victory in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Contact Mia at [email protected]. Visit her website for updates on what is going on in Mia’s world, rants, music, parties, and pictures, and maybe even a little bit of inspiration.

Links: Facebook | Twitter

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Blaze (Unbreakable Bonds) by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Blaze

SERIES: Unbreakable Bonds

AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE:  June 22, 2018

BLURB: The rings have been selected. The champagne placed on ice. The cake decorated.

And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts…

Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem.

A ghost from Lucas’s past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help. Against his better judgement, Lucas and his best friend, Ashton Frost, plan a fast trip back to the one place they swore they’d never go: their hometown in Oklahoma. But the danger is worse than they expected.

Now, they’re in a race to track down a killer, keep a young girl safe, and get Lucas back in time to say, “I do.”

REVIEW: WOW! What else can I say? When I heard that book 5 was about Lucas and Andrei’s wedding I couldn’t wait to read it. I knew that meant all the guys would be together again and wherever they were, trouble would not be far behind. Well that was an understatement. Lol! I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t want it to end. It easily earned a 5star rating from me. Lucas and Andrei’s love for each other is just as fierce and hot as it was when they first met and we see that from the beginning of this book, (lol) all the way to the end. We get my control freak Lucas with the arrogance of a billionaire, Ashton Snow Frost and his wicked sense of humor, sweet Ian (who’s high on wedding fumes). I died laughing at that comment, and Rowe with his devil may care attitude “the embodiment of chaos”. I want a Rowe in my life!

We get to know more about Lucas and Snow’s past. The unbearable childhood they each had to endure that later forged their friendship and brotherhood. We meet some of Lucas’ family members like Nicole and Taylor along with his despicable parents. My heart broke for the anguish so much intolerance had caused. We also meet some new members of Ward security Seth and Cole. We were briefly introduced to a friend of Taylor’s, by the name of Bran with pink hair. I can’t wait to get his story as I’m sure there is one.

Finally, you will love this page turner. It will have you crying at times and laughing out loud at others. The action ad suspense will have you on the edge of your seat and the sex will make you blush.

RATING: ✨✨✨✨✨

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Archangel by TM Smith Cover Reveal


The
Messenger by TM Smith
The
Archangel trilogy book 1
Tentative release date August 31st 2018
 
 
For
centuries Gabriel, Michael and Lucifer have worked together, coexisting in the
same universe. Gabriel chooses to remain silent and secluded, preferring the
garden in the Hall of Souls. He dances beneath the Tree of Life, barefoot and
with reckless abandon…until the day he looks into the eyes of another angel and
sees the dreams he’s kept silent mirrored there.
 
Eons
have passed since the moment Michael came to be the general of the All Father’s
army in heaven, the protector of mankind. Michael has been in love with Lucifer
for as long as he can remember, their relationship second only to his bond with
the All Father. But lately, Michael has begun to notice cracks in the surface
of their love, sensing that his lover is not as angelic as he seems.
 
Lucifer
was the All Father’s first creation, the bringer of light, his Morning Star. He
has sat to the right of the throne every day since the dawn of time. Two things
were tasked to the Archangels from the start: put no other before the All
Father, and protect the humans he cherishes. Lucifer challenges both sacred
rules. He puts his love for Michael before his love for his creator, and he
questions his creator’s wisdom when it comes to the atrocities he has seen
committed by mankind.
 
One
will fall while two remain and grow stronger. A battle of wills is on the
horizon, and not only mankind, but the fate of all beings will hang in the
balance.
 
Add ‘The
Messenger’ to your Goodreads TBR shelf
 
 
 
Excerpt…
NOTE: this is an excerpt from a book that is still in the writing process and has yet to be edited.
 
Prologue… 
 
“Lu,
please, don’t do this.” Michael begged. Collapsing to his knees, he reached for
Lucifer’s face, only to have his hand knocked away. The look of love and
tenderness he’d once seen in the darker Angels silver eyes was gone, replaced
with anger and hatred, the normally shining orbs bleeding into a dull gray with
pulsing coal black slits.
 
“You
made your choice Michael.” Lucifer hissed, venom wrapped around each word he
growled between clenched teeth.
 
Standing,
the pissed off Angel shoved Michael aside, advancing on Gabriel. “You did
this!” Lucifer let his wings unfurl and the All Father gasped. An Angels wings
were liken to their limbs, an extension of their soul as much as bones and
skin. Lucifer’s normally black and silver marbled feathers loomed over him,
awash in a darkness that resembled brimstone and ash, the tips a dull, lifeless
gray that matched his now dead, slitted eyes.
 
In
a blur of movement that none of them expected, the dark Angel flew into the
air, spinning and knocking Gabriel off his feet with the suddenly massive
appendages jutting out of his shoulder blades. “I will destroy you Messenger.
Much like you’ve done to the love he once felt for me, only for me!”
 
“Enough!”
The All Father’s voice boomed, the heavens shaking, a brilliant white light
momentarily blinding all his Angels. Blinking, Gabriel stood and moved over to
where Michael sat crouched, staring up at Lucifer, confusion and pain dotting
his vibrant blue eyes. “Angel of light, my son and most trusted advisor, I beg
you to stop this madness. You know what the consequence will be.”
 
Lucifer
glared at the All Father, chest heaving, breathing labored, senselessly
fighting against the band of light wrapped around his middle like the sheath of
a knife. “Father, please don’t…” God raised his hand silencing Michael.
 
“I
am sorry, Michael, but he has made his choice which leaves me no alternative.”
The band around Lucifer tightened, the floor beneath him opening up, exposing
clouds of thunder and rain. “Star of the Morning, bringer of light, you are
stripped of your titles, your wings forfeit. You shall now be known as Satan,
the serpent, the prince of darkness.” Lucifer howled in agony as the strong
coal-black feathers were stripped away from his being. “I cast you out of
heaven and forbade your return.” The iridescent tears cascading down the All
Father’s cheeks formed a river beneath the writhing Angel.
 
Michael
cried out, turning and burying his face in Gabriel’s bronze robe, the silky
fabric soon soaked through with fresh, warm tears. He wrapped his arms around
Michael, shielding him from Lucifer’s violent, turbulent eyes. In the eons to
come, the slow passage of time he and Michael would face together, Gabriel
would always question his role in the events of that day. Could it have been
avoided? Of course it could have, but that would have meant walking away from
the Angel that he loved second only to the All Father.
 
 
He
asked himself for the millionth time as he held Michael’s head so he wouldn’t
see the clouds open up and swallow Lucifer, dragging him down to bowels of the
earth, face a mask of agony and pain, forever exiled to the pit and doomed to
watch over and judge only the evil of mankind… what have I done?

 

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning
Georgia; TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant,
she now calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good
book, or ticking away on her next novel.
 
Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly
outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her
writing, she is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because,
seriously people, Love is Love!
 
Author links: 
Author backlist:
 
 
 

 


         

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Level Up by Annabeth Albert Tour

 

 

Title:  LEVEL UP

Series: loosely related to the #gaymers series, but stands alone

Author: Annabeth Albert

Publisher: Annabeth Albert

Release Date: May 17, 2018

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 40,000 words

Genre: Romance, contemporary m/m romance, gay romance, geeks, nerds, friends-to-lovers, gamers, gaymers

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

 

Landon can’t believe he’s let himself

get roped into participating in a charity calendar, let alone one that features

tastefully photographed nudes. The genius physicist is hardly model material

and he’s dreading the nude part of the photoshoot. Amid his reluctance, the one

bright spot is his emails back and forth with the photographer.

 

However, Bailey ends up being not quite

what Landon expects, and their first meeting is decidedly awkward. Bailey’s

persistent though, and gradually Landon warms to the burly photographer, and

they discover they have a shared love of gamer culture.

 

A tentative friendship is born, but the

road from friends to lovers isn’t easy. Landon’s battling past trauma and must

decide how much of a risk he’s willing to take. A sexy connection may not be

enough to keep them together unless both are willing to put their hearts on the

line.

 

Approximately 40,000 words. Previously

released as part of the EXPOSED anthology, and loosely linked to the #Gaymers

universe, this friends-to-lovers, hurt/comfort story stands alone with a

guaranteed happy ending. Contains a brief mention of a prior assault, but no

on-screen violence or flashbacks.

 

Excerpt

 

LEVEL UP EXCERPT—This is their first

kiss, because I absolutely love writing first kiss scenes!

 

***

 

Bailey was the type who moved a lot as

he gamed, biceps flexing, knees wiggling, shoulders jostling. Landon always

liked people who got so into gaming, but it was more than a little distracting.

His body was quickly coming to associate that orange scent of Bailey’s with

good things, and other parts of him apparently liked Bailey’s nearness, which

was a novelty because instead of intimidated, as he would have expected, he was

more than a little turned on.

 

“Oh man, that was a rush.” Bailey

laughed as both of their health meters dipped to zero. “I’m almost wishing I’d

gone into game art, not photography. Amazing how these graphics have held up

over the years.”

 

“Totally. And speaking of art, let me

find the Space Villager stuff.” Landon reluctantly stepped away from the game.

He headed to the nearby kitchen, where he was pretty the papers were buried

with a stack of mail. Paper control was not his strong suit. “You’ll go nuts at

the latest screen shots and promo teasers.”

 

“Cool.” Rather than follow Landon,

Bailey went to sit on the couch.

 

“You want a drink while I’m in here?”

Landon called to him after he found the papers under a pile of pizza ads. “I’ve

got four flavors of Snapple, soda, and water.”

 

“Surprise me with a Snapple flavor.”

Bailey looked right at home on Landon’s couch, lounging back.

 

He really did not look at all like any

photographer Landon had ever met, and curiosity had him asking, “So why

photography? You said you could have done game design?”

 

“Yeah, I had plenty of friends at the

art institute go that direction. But I’ve been in love with photography ever

since I worked on our middle school yearbook. I figured out quickly that taking

pictures of events and sports was far more fun than trying to do the sports

myself, so I did yearbook all through high school, got a photography scholarship

to the art institute in Portland.”

 

“So you don’t play a sport?” Landon had

a hard time believing that. With Bailey’s height and breadth, he totally looked

like he lived for weekend games of some type.

 

“Nope. Hopelessly uncoordinated.” Bailey

shot him an endearing smile when Landon handed him the bottle of tea.

 

“Me too.” Landon clinked bottles with

him, then held up the papers. “Found the codes. But can I show you some stuff

on the TV screen while you have your drink?”

 

“Absolutely.” Bailey took a long swig of

tea, and Landon had to look away before he got mesmerized by Bailey’s full

mouth, how it looked when his tongue chased a stray drop of moisture, how pink

it was in contrast to his paler skin and brown beard.

 

Landon queued up the pre-release trailer

Josiah had sent him a link to. Bombastic music filled his small living room as

on the screen, and a spaceship pulled in for a landing on a planet filled with

ruins of a once-powerful civilization. The narrator had an iconic voice and

detailed all the special features of the expansion pack. Landon had already

watched this a half-dozen times, and it still gave him happy chills.

 

“Wow. I can’t wait.” Bailey looked

suitably awed. “This is even cooler than when War Elf added the mystic raids.”

 

“I know, right? Now look at the in-game

screen shots.” He brought up another video, body relaxing more and more despite

Bailey’s nearness. It was just so awesome to have someone new to share this

with. He’d been hyped about this all week, but Pike was distracted by his

boyfriend Zack’s deployment, Savannah didn’t game much, and the rest of his

regular crew seemed to have other things occupying their attention.

 

Somehow, as he shared more video clips,

he drifted closer to Bailey, so that their knees were almost rubbing. It wasn’t

a giant couch, so there wasn’t a ton of room to move back, but even so, Landon

wasn’t looking for an escape. He was aware of Bailey, very much so, but not

nearly as freaked out as he’d been a few hours ago. Instead, his senses seemed

to soak up Bailey’s scent and nearness, and it wasn’t until the fourth or fifth

video that he realized that he was aroused.

 

Clink. Somehow Landon’s left hand,

holding his drink, and Bailey’s right hand tangled.

 

“Oops.” He tried to extricate himself

without spilling both beverages. Bending to put his on the floor, he hadn’t

realized that Bailey had also leaned down until their heads collided.

 

“Ow,” they said simultaneously.

 

“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.” Bailey

reached out, feeling around on Landon’s head. “Did you see stars? Break the

skin?”

 

“I’m fine.” Landon didn’t pull away.

Bailey’s hand felt damn nice. Gentle. Soothing more than just the bump on his

head. Their eyes met, and he really needed to move back, break this spell, but

he didn’t, instead leaning into to the touch. Bailey’s eyes darkened, and he

stroked down Landon’s jaw. God, that felt so good, like an extra blanket on a

chilly night, warmth he hadn’t realized he was missing. How long had it been

since he’d been touched like this? Hugged, sure. He’d hugged Savannah

goodnight, and hugged and wrestled around with his best friend Pike at the last

LAN party, but neither of those things was touch like this. Caring. Sweet.

Arousing.

 

Bailey leaned in again, way slower this

time, all the time in the world for Landon to stop him. But he didn’t. Bailey’s

beard tickled an instant before their lips met, a soft slide of mouths. Not

aggressive at all, not the on-a-tight-schedule rush of a hookup, Bailey kissed

like they had a sleepy Sunday afternoon to kill, like each reaction of Landon’s

mattered, like he was trying to memorize something important and was going to

take his time learning the lesson.

 

Landon was the first one to take things

further, mouth opening on a sigh, welcoming Bailey’s agile tongue. He tasted

sweet, like tea, and minty like the gum he’d popped after the pizza, familiar

yet new at the same time. How had he managed to forget how awesome kissing

could be? A laugh bubbled up in his chest, but quickly transformed to a groan

of pleasure as Bailey nipped at his lower lip.

 

Not content to let Bailey be the one

exploring, Landon sent his own tongue on a quest, tracing Bailey’s full lower

lip, delving inside to rub tongues, retreating playfully to earn another nip.

Fuck. This was nice. The video switched over to something random, and he barely

registered it. He couldn’t say how long they kissed, just that he didn’t want

it to ever end.

 

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<![endif]–>

 

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance

novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in

the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf,

she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. The #OutOfUniform series

joins her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance #Gaymers,

#PortlandHeat and #PerfectHarmony series. To find out what she’s working on

next and other fun extras, check out her website: http://www.annabethalbert.com or

connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be

sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests.

The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus

content and exclusive contests.

 

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny

stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding

happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights

supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a

rewarding day job and wrangles two active children.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter |

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