Monday 31 August 2020

Blog Tour - Natural Twenty by Charlie Novak

 

 

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:

Natural Twenty by Charlie Novak

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Roll for Love, Book One

Plants are easier than people—that’s Leo’s rule of thumb. After all, nobody really wants a man who looks like he belongs in a biker gang but would rather spend his time buried in books and flowers. It’s just easier to be single. Until he meets the owner of the new book shop.

Jacob Morris knows two things: he’s really attracted to the man who runs the local flower shop, and he doesn’t date. Not when he’s still healing from a bad breakup, has a new business to run, game nights to organise, workshops to host, and a website to build.

When friendship blooms into something more, Leo and Jay must decide whether to roll the dice and take a chance on love or keep forging ahead on their quests alone. Will their roll yield a one or a perfect, natural twenty?

Natural Twenty is an 80,000-word contemporary MM romance featuring Dungeons & Dragons, secret flower language bouquets, a spoilt Staffy (or two), and a best friend who is basically a gothic prince. It is book one in the Roll for Love series and can be read as a standalone.

Universal Link

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Special Release Excerpt:

Jay

I smiled and nodded, leaning on the counter while I tried to stop my heart from racing a million miles a minute. I’d never felt this nervous before. What was it about seeing Leo that had my stomach in knots?

A snuffling noise distracted me, and I looked over the counter to see an adorable pair of brown eyes gazing up at me.

“Hi there,” I said, reaching my hand tentatively down to gently rub the dog’s head. The brindle fur was soft under my fingers. They pushed into my hand, happily demanding more ear rubs. From the look of them, I thought they might be some form of Staffy, but my knowledge of dogs was iffy at best. “Aren’t you cute?”

The dog huffed happily, and a pink tongue darted out to lick my hand. I chuckled.

“I see you’ve met Angie.” Leo’s gruff voice made me look up. He stood in the doorway behind the counter, tattooed forearms crossed and a little twinkle in his amber eyes.

“Shit. Sorry,” I said, pulling my hand away.

“Don’t apologise. She likes the attention. Don’t you girl?” An uncontrollable grin slid across my lips as I watched Angie potter over to Leo, plopping down next to him and resting her head against his leg. He reached down to rub behind her ears and my heart melted.

I know I’d told Edward I wasn’t interested in dating, but surely it was still okay to look. It wasn’t my fault Leo was genuinely the most handsome man I’d seen in forever or that he unwittingly ticked all the boxes on Jay’s checklist of attractiveness.

He was tall and muscular but not in a way that suggested he spent hours at the gym. He definitely looked strong enough to pick me up though, and I was not going to even consider how much that idea turned me on. His dark hair was pulled up into a messy topknot, and his neatly trimmed beard didn’t hide his wide mouth. And then there were the tattoos.

Lord have fucking mercy.

I’d always found ink attractive, and I had enough of my own, but when I looked at Leo, my lizard brain wanted to strip off his clothes and lick his entire body. I’d seen his two full tattoo sleeves—each one a beautiful series of vines and flowers, intricately woven down his arms—and the simple black geometric pieces that decorated the backs of his hands. Looking at him now, I could also see hints of ink poking out of the collar of the thick knitted sweater he was wearing, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. Even the idea that he had chest and neck tattoos made my insides squirm.

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate Charlie's new series release, we are giving 2 lucky winners the chance to win an e-copy of Natural Twenty or a $20/£20 Amazon Gift Card & a e-copy of Natural Twenty!

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Charlie Roundfinal

About the Author:

Charlie lives in England with her husband and a dachshund named Biscuit. She spends most of her days wrangling other people’s words in her day job and then trying to force her own onto the page in the evening.

She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters — because the world needs more of them. Charlie also believes that loves comes in all shapes and sizes.

Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…

Connect with Charlie:

Website: https://charlienovak.com/
Newsletter https://charlienovak.com/newsletter-sign-up/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/charlienovakauthor/
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/charlie-novak
Twitter https://twitter.com/charlienwrites
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/charlienwrites/
Facebook Group, Charlie's Angels https://www.facebook.com/groups/charlienovaksangels/


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Release Blitz - Love in the Balance by Brigham Vaughn

 

RELEASE BLITZ


Book Title: Love in the Balance (The Peachtree Series Book 2)

Author: Brigham Vaughn

Publisher: Two Peninsulas Press (Indie/Self-Published)

Cover Artist: Brigham Vaughn

Release Date: August 24, 2020

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: May/December, age gap, hurt comfort, 

rich man poor man, workplace romance

Themes: Marriage equality, family acceptance/homophobia, 

exploring light kink, friends and chosen family, emotional baggage.

Heat Rating: 4 flames 

Length: 92 658 words/ 364 pages




Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited 


 

Love isn’t always enough.

Blurb

Russ Bishop and Stephen Parker are in love. They’ve settled into their relationship and are both happy. But Russ wants more than what they have now, he wants forever.

To him that means marriage, but for Stephen that has never been an option. Marriage equality still isn't recognized in Georgia so why want what he can't have?

When Stephen’s ex re-appears, they’ll have to decide once and for all if they’re ready to commit to a lifetime together.



Excerpt

He reached out and squeezed his thigh. “Speaking of commitment, I know we’ve talked about this before, but I’d like to make an appointment with a lawyer to draw up all the power of attorney and living will paperwork soon. If something happened to you … Well, I don’t want to find myself in the position I was in with Jeremy. Alan is wonderful, so I know he wouldn’t keep me away, but we might as well have all of the legal protection in place.”

Russ nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. We should do that soon.”

They had essentially already made the commitment to each other, so why not formalize it? Even if Stephen lost every penny or became sick or injured, Russ wasn’t going anywhere, and he knew Stephen felt the same. There was no question in his mind that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Stephen. And after meeting his mom, he no longer had the smallest doubt that he was capable of serious commitment. He wasn’t her, and he never had been. He was in this relationship for the long haul with Stephen, and the law should recognize that.

It seemed so cold and soulless to go to a lawyer’s office to draw up paperwork though. It felt like too big a moment to treat that way. He knew some couples had parties after, to celebrate, but that didn’t seem right. No, what he wanted was to publicly declare his feelings for his partner and show the rest of the world how much Stephen mattered to him.

He didn’t want to sign a few sheets of paper and pretend as if it weren’t one of the biggest moments in his life. He wanted more than that. He wanted … Russ stilled as it hit him what he truly desired. He wanted marriage. He blinked, trying to absorb the enormity of that realization. For a guy who’d struggled with the idea of long-term commitment, he knew he had come a long way. Maybe it was time he showed Stephen how serious he was about their relationship. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if Stephen had wanted it for a while and had been hesitating because he was worried Russ wasn’t ready.

He glanced over at Stephen and pictured standing in front of an officiant, their friends, and family and telling all of them that he wanted to spend the rest of his life making Stephen happy. He could picture it so clearly, and it felt right.

Maybe Georgia was light-years behind other states when it came to marriage equality and all it would legally recognize was signatures on a power of attorney form. But there was no reason they couldn’t go out of state to get married. And someday, when Georgia finally recognized it, they’d be married there too.

Husband. Russ tested the word out in his head, and something about it felt so right. He felt a surge of giddy elation as he imagined sliding a ring onto Stephen’s finger as they promised to spend the rest of their lives together.

He was going to do this. He was going to ask Stephen to marry him.
   

About the Author 


Brigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time author. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn't let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can't wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

Her books range from short stories to novellas to novels. They explore gay, bisexual, lesbian, and polyamorous romance in contemporary settings.



Author Links








 

Friday 28 August 2020

Book Blast - When Lightning Strikes by Darragha Foster

 

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Release Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:

When Lightning Strikes by Darragha Foster

When Lightning Strikes-final

Stable Tales, Book 1

Former soldier Johnny Jewell is a gay cowboy who has never been with another man. He kept his desires buried deep, married, had a family and lost everything when he came out. A lightning strike, fire and death burn his already complicated world to white-hot ash. All he has left now are horses and hard work. After a move across the country, he meets a horse trainer named Sig and finds it’s time to saddle up and face the storm head-on. Will the next lightning strike put him asunder or spark life in the beast within?

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Teaser 1

Teaser 2


Excerpt:

 

John cracked the whip.
Bear began a slow circle around the shirtless Sig.
“That’s a beautiful horse,” Johnny called.
Sig chuckled. “He is that. If I can train him, he’s sure to be a stud. Joan isn’t
pleased with this little beauty’s behaviors. Not only is he ill-behaved in the stable,
he’s a terror in the field.”
“What’s he doing?”
“He likes to mount the geldings.”
John laughed. “Equus homosexuales.”
“He’s an opportunistic lover. He’ll drop for mares or geldings. He even drops
when you give him grain. This is one horny horse, my Al Dubhe.”
“What’s his name? Not Bear?” John asked, smiling over the horse’s
behavior.
“He’s named after a constellation—the Great Bear, or Al Dubhe in Arabic.
And as much as I hate to do it, I’ve got to curtail his bad behavior. Can’t have him
dropping in the middle of the show ring and mounting some twelve-year-old’s
pony. Upsets the girls and judges. Sig clicked his tongue. “Come on, boy. You
can do it. Let’s give you a good sweat.”
“I’ll be sure to keep him away from my mare.” John cracked the whip.
“Around here you might have to watch your back. You never know what
might drop right behind you.” Sig winked.

 

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate Darragha's release, we are giving you a chance to win a $20 Amazon Voucher!

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About the Author:

Darragha Foster writes of the strange and unusual--because that's her life.

Darragha enjoys the twisted and unusual. She finds inspiration all around her. Even in the cold case at the grocer. Where she is no longer welcome. But that's another story...

Connect with Darragha:
www.darragha.com, www.authorjjandrews.com
@darragha (IG) @darraghafoster (TikTok), darraghafoster (FB), authorjjandrews (FB)


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Wednesday 26 August 2020

Release Blitz - Not Used To Cute by Becca Seymour

 

RELEASE BLITZ


Book Title: Not Used To Cute

Author: Becca Seymour

Publisher: Rainbow Tree Publishing

Cover Artist: BookSmith Design

Release Date: August 22nd 2020

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Hurt/comfort, big/small

Themes: Trust, homophobia

Heat Rating: 4 flames 

Length: 46 000 words/225 pages

It is a standalone story.




Buy Links 


 

Will they find the courage to take what they want?


Blurb

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


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

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

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

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

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



 

Excerpt

“What happened?”

His words registered though made no sense.

“Just,” he clarified, “everything was fine. You smiled, then it all changed. I lost it.”

“Lost it?” I was convinced I’d been dropped into a conversation midpoint as I floundered to catch up. Elijah was direct, as I was, or usually was. I liked that about him. A lot. But he also had a habit of using clipped questions, or short sentences that took me a while to work out what he meant.

“I lost your smile.”

“Oh.” Oh! What the heck was a guy to say to that? Yeah, he’d asked a question that he wanted answered, but hot damn, that he’d lost my smile? I really hoped to God that that meant what I thought it meant. But far out, I wasn’t sure my heart could handle a man like Elijah.

From the moment we’d met at his bar, there’d been a connection. It was undeniable, but still, at work he kept his distance. Admittedly, he took time out to make sure I was coping and settling in okay, but he was the boss. And he occasionally brought me treats. And maybe we chatted about a few things other than work sometimes. It was his job. Right? Right? Okay, so perhaps he didn’t quite keep his distance at work.

And then when I’d told him about what had happened with the paint, he’d seemed to have lost his guard for a few seconds and had mentioned an “us.” At the time, a flurry of activity had burst free in my gut, pretty similar to the havoc currently taking place there. The thought that it was more, the possibility that he could actually likeme like me and that Harriet was right…. Then there was the mention of that kiss, which I was sure had happened and hadn’t been a figment of my imagination brought on by shock.

Heat crept through my body. I had no idea where it travelled from or was heading to, but my senses flared to life. The subtle shift of his fingers as they still made contact with my cheek, the fresh masculine scent of his aftershave hovering between the two of us, the controlled sound of his breathing, which actually deepened a little… all caught up with me and, honest to God, weakened my knees.

I wobbled a little, and he reached out his other hand, not realising I’d been leaning into him. He placed his hand on my hip to steady me.

Not quite flush with him, it didn’t seem to matter as his body heat pushed against me. Warmth that was welcome and comforting pulled me in and made unbidden words spill forth. “You like my smile?” When his lips moved and it looked like he was about to speak, my filter vanished, was whisked away into the abyss and I was powerless to stop it.

“So does this mean you like me”—please stop—“because if you do, which is great, but are you sure? It’s just that you said I was, well you know, small and stuff, and I don’t know, everyone at work says you’re into big guys, or at least bigger than me.” Please, make it stop. I didn’t listen to myself, despite my last comment causing his brows to lift. “You just don’t seem like the kind of guy that would go for someone like me. It’s just, I’m not saying I’ve been bashed with the ugly stick or anything”—a nervous, awful laugh escaped my lips, carrying my words—“I know some people think I’m good-looking. Not that I’m vain or anything. Nothing like that. But I saw some of the men at the bar who I know you’ve hooked up with, and they’re nothing like me. They have a good few inches on me—in height,” I quickly added. “I’m packing, and”—for the love of all that is holy, make it stop. I prayed for a hole, a tsunami, a vortex—“anyway, I just, well, I like it when you smile, too.” I finally ran out of steam with no clue what I was talking about or even if I had a point or answered his damn question.



About the Author 

Becca Seymour lives and breathes all things book related. Usually with at least three books being read and two WiPs being written at the same time, life is merrily hectic. She tends to do nothing by halves so happily seeks the craziness and busyness life offers. 

Living on her small property in Queensland with her human family as well as her animal family of cows, chooks, and dogs, Becca appreciates the beauty of the world around her and is a believer that love truly is love. 



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Tuesday 25 August 2020

New Release - The Captain and the Baker by Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead

The Captain and the Baker

 

When a hot-tempered TV chef and a mild-mannered baker meet on the rugged Cornish coast, they’ve got the perfect ingredients for a red-hot snack.

 

Sweary and stressed celebrity chef Jake Brantham is the captain of several floating restaurants. When he’s sent to the idyllic village of Porthavel to turn a pirate ship into the next gastronomic sensation, it’s the last place on earth he wants to be.

 

Locryn Trevorrow is the bakery king of Cornwall. From the humble pasty to a wedding cake fit for a mermaid queen, there’s nothing he doesn’t know about the art of baking. He lives in a cosy world of gingham and ganache, but at night he goes home to his smugglers’ cottage alone.

 

When he’s adopted by a lost kitten, Jake soon discovers that there’s more to Portavel than cream teas, lobster pots, and the annoyingly fastidious Locryn. As the village prepares for the wedding of its favourite young couple, Jake and Locryn find themselves as unlikely matchmakers for two locals who’d given up on love.

 

Torn between the call of Hollywood and the kisses of Locryn, will Jake choose a mansion in Beverly Hills or a cottage on the Cornish coast?

 

Released worldwide by Pride Publishing in ebook and paperback on 25th August 2020

 

Links

Pride: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/the-captain-and-the-baker

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54451031-the-captain-and-the-baker?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=MYrODKpIKo&rank=1

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08C8YPTB7

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C8YPTB7

 

About the Authors

 

Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead began writing together in the spring of 2017 and swiftly discovered a shared love of sauce, well-dressed gents and a uniquely British sort of romance. They drink gallons of tea, spend hours discussing the importance of good tailoring and are never at a loss for a double entendre.

 

They are the authors of numerous  short stories and two novel series, the de Chastelaine Chronicles, and the Captivating Captains, published by Totally Bound and Pride. Their novel The Ghost Garden has been shortlisted for the 2020 Romantic Novel Awards.



 

Extract

 

Jake, immaculate in his chef whites but his hair just ruffled enough to look careless, tried to smile into the television camera.

 

There wasn’t much to smile about because, although the set of Saturday Breakfast was more than familiar to him, he hadn’t had to share it with Locryn Trevorrow before.

 

Locryn, as sugary sweet as the cakes and delicacies he baked, was as far as it was possible to be from Jake, a chef who’d made a name for himself swearing on the telly while cooking. As he had watched Locryn across the studio that morning, all smiles and sunshine and please and thank you and how marvelous, he couldn’t imagine the man had ever sworn in his life. He’d probably draw the line at fiddlesticks. 

 

“And now it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for!” Katya, the host of the show, beamed, showing dazzling white teeth. “Our search for a bride and groom ends today with our very last couple, so get on the phones and get voting! You all know the rules by now. We’ve scoured the country and, out of thousands of applicants, we’ve found three couples who are competing for the chance to hold their wedding at Jake Brantham’s brand-new restaurant. The twist is, even Jake doesn’t know where that will be! All he knows is that it’ll be in the hometown of our winning couple and we’ll watch it all happen in his new series, From Wreck to Restaurant!

 

The camera cut away to Jake, who pulled his best theatrical glower. The one all his fans went crazy for.

 

“Each week we’ve invited a couple onto Saturday Breakfast and paired them with a chef from their town, who’s been challenged by Jake to cook one of his signature dishes. Our last couple are Zoe and David, from the gorgeous little village of Porthavel, and they’re joined by Britain’s favorite and loveliest baker, Locryn Trevorrow!” Across the studio crew, a loud smattering of applause sounded, which Locryn dismissed with a bashful wave of his hand. “We sent our intrepid crew off to meet Zoe and David at home in Cornwall, so let’s take a look at life in one of Britain’s cutest fishing villages.”

 

The floor manager called, “And we’re off.”

 

A makeup artist dashed onto the set and immediately began dusting at Katya’s face. Standing behind the worktop where he would soon do battle with Jake’s recipe, Locryn called to Jake, “Morning! We haven’t had a chance to meet yet, so hello!”

 

Plummy wasn’t the word for it. Jake had wondered if that voice was a put-on for the cameras, but it didn’t sound like it. Did that mean the cottage in the opening titles of Trevorrow Treats was real too, right down to the roses around the door and the goats on the front lawn, grazing the grass that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean on Cornwall’s south coast?

 

“And a good fucking morning to you!” Jake unfolded one arm and waved. A sort of wave, at least. Locryn blinked at him, then gave a smile that was more like a grimace. Perhaps they didn’t say fucking in his little corner of Cornwall.

 

“You ready to feel the meat?” Jake asked. He planted his hands on his hips, his eyebrow arched in challenge.

 

“Yes…right, meat.” Locryn abandoned his designated mark as a runner began assembling the ingredients on the worktop. There were fresh herbs and juicy tomatoes, oils and spices, but none of the sugar and silliness that Locryn Trevorrow had turned into his fortune. He approached Jake and lowered his voice a little to ask, “You do know I’m a baker? I’m just slightly concerned because it doesn’t look like you’ve set me a baking challenge.”

 

“And you do know I’m not a bloody baker?” Jake sighed. “You’ve got to follow one of my recipes, mate—and I don’t do cupcakes or croissants!”

 

Locryn shook his head, then ruffled one hand through his dark-blond hair. He glanced back at the worktop, where the runner had now covered the ingredients with a tea towel that bore a pattern of sunflowers.

 

Very bloody him.

 

“I’ll give it my best,” he decided. Then he smiled and said, “You never know, if I get it terribly wrong, Zoe and David might get the sympathy vote anyway!”

 

And I’ll have to go to the arse end of nowhere for months.

 

“Do you think so?” Jake dabbed at some crumbs on the workstation in front of him. “I bet it’s fucking fixed anyway. That posh couple from Hamble’ll win because—and don’t tell anyone I told you”—Jake revved up to unleash his secret in an unsubtle stage whisper, and he didn’t care if anyone overheard—“the groom’s uncle is one of this show’s producers.”

Locryn unfastened one of his cufflinks—they wouldn’t be buttons, would they—and rolled up his sleeve as he said, “That’s not true, is it? Tell me that’s a fib.”

 

A fucking fib. Is he nine?

 

“It’s true!” Jake gave an emphatic nod. “Eugenia and Ptolemy have an in. You may as well send your two fucking home right away! It’s a long way back to your foggy old smuggler country. If they leave now, they’ll just about catch the next train!”

 

But all Locryn did was unfasten the second cufflink and serenely roll up his sleeve. Then he smiled and told Jake, “You’re just as charming as I thought you’d be. Don’t count me out yet, Mr. Brantham. If all else fails, I can try and fall back on this smile.”

 

“I don’t do charming, Trevorrow. I do simple, local, fresh.” Jake emphasized each word, punching his fist against his palm. Locryn blinked then glanced toward the floor manager, who was frantically ushering everyone back into position. Across the studio all three couples were sitting on bright yellow couches around a coffee table in the mock-up of a sitting room, where guests were stationed while the cooks gave their demonstrations. Locryn gave them a thumbs-up and David and Zoe returned it, the young couple looking as nervous as he was laid-back.

 

That won’t last.

 

“It’s Saturday Breakfast and—awwww—aren’t David and Zoe adorable?” Katya made a face into the camera as though she were addressing a newborn kitten. “And someone else we adore is our guest chef, or should I say guest baker, Locryn Trevorrow. Locryn’s famous for his naughty but gorgeous cakes and bakes, and he’s come all the way from Porthavel with our last couple to try and cook them to victory. Are you ready to face Jake’s challenge, Locryn?”

 

He nodded and replied, “As I’ll ever be, Katya.”

 

“You’ve already met our couples and the lines are open, so get voting now. At the end of the program we’ll find out which of our gorgeous couples have won their dream wedding, and Jake will find out where he’s going to be turning a wreck into a restaurant in his brand-new series, From Wreck to Restaurant.” She glanced toward Jake and grinned. “Will he be in Hamble, York or Porthavel? It’s up to you at home. Jake, it’s time for you to reveal to Locryn what he’s going to be cooking today!”

 

Rubbing his hands together, Jake crossed the studio and stood beside Locryn. The man’s cologne was suddenly all around Jake. Not a cloying, gassy cloud of it but a spicy scent that Jake, despite himself, found oddly enticing.

 

Oh, fuck that, no.

 

“So, Locryn, no f—fancy cupcakes for you today!” Jake said. “Instead, you’ll be making one of my favorites, pork goujons with tomato sauce. It’s simple, it’s local, it’s fresh, and when you get to the breadcrumbs, it’s bloody close to baking.”

 

Pork?” Locryn looked down at the worktop as Katya pulled back the tea towel to reveal the ingredients. He rubbed his hands together and glanced toward the couples on the sofa. “I’m up for that. It’s for Zoe and David, after all!”

 

“You’ve got your recipe, you’ve got your ingredients and you’ve got Jake to keep you on your toes.” Katya grinned. “Jake, any hints or tips for Locryn before he dives in and tries to recreate one of your Michelin-starred staples?”

 

“Feel the meat,” Jake advised. He leaned with one hand on the worktop. “Don’t skate round it. It’s central to the dish. You need to feel it and know when it’s cut the right size, know when it’s cooked through. That’s the secret working with any f—flesh. Meat. You’ve got to feel it.”

 

 

 

Sunday 23 August 2020

Blog tour - After Felix by Lily Morton

 

 

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:

After Felix by Lily Morton

AfterFelix-LM-f900-web

Close Proximity, Book 3

Sometimes the best love stories come in two parts.

When Felix met handsome journalist Max Travers, it was lust at first sight. It was just his luck that he then had to develop a terrible case of feelings and got his heart broken. However, two and a half years later, he’s over all of that. His job is going well, he has good friends, and he doesn’t lack for male company. Which, of course, is when Max has to come bursting back into his life.

Felix Jackson will always be the one who got away to Max. He’s spent their time apart regretting his actions and hoping for a second chance. When an accident lands him in Felix’s less than tender care, Max is determined to grab this opportunity. The only problem is that Felix is equally determined that he doesn’t.

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a story of missed opportunities, second chances, and two very stubborn men. This is the third book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Universal Link

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AfterFelix-LM-Teaser3

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Excerpt:

“How old do you think I am?” he says mock flirtatiously, leaning in close enough that I catch his scent of sandalwood. It brings back memories of rolling all over those soft sheets in that hotel room. I’ve been perturbed to find my mind straying to memories of that room a few more times than it should have over the last week. 

He’s watching me intently again, and I swallow hard and tap my teeth thoughtfully. “I think probably sixty.” He opens his mouth in mock horror, and I laugh. “Only because you’re so wise,” I say reverently. “Being intelligent really piles the years on.”

He shakes his head. “I’m thirty-seven,” he says, trying not to laugh. “Can you see my crow’s feet?”

“A crow never made those lines. That’s surely got to be a bigger bird.” I wink at him as he laughs loudly. I eye the table where a book is sitting next to his pint. “What are you reading?”

He looks slightly awkward. “Ruth Rendell.”

“Oh, Inspector Wexford. My grandma used to watch those on the telly,” I say cheerfully.

“Thank you so much for that information,” he says darkly. “It’s made my day so happy.”

I laugh. “It’s like I carry sunshine wherever I go.” I eye him. “So, do you like reading crime novels?”

“I do.” He smiles. “I’ve always thought it would be incredibly easy to murder someone and get away with it, so I like it that people get found out in these books.”

I blink. “Said no man ever who hoped to get laid.”

He laughs. “I’m not going to murder you, Felix. Your arse is far too perky for that to happen.”

“I always knew my buttocks could save a life.”

He bites his lip, laughter brewing in those dark eyes as he leans forward. “The only way I’ll kill you is when you die from an overdose of the pleasure that my cock gives you.”

After draining my drink, I put the bottle on the table and stand up to grab my coat. “Pride goes before a fall, Max,” I say. “Maybe we’d better get you back to the hotel before you break something.”

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About Lily:

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

Connect with Lily:
Facebook | Lily's Snark Squad Facebook Group
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Amazon Page | Goodreads | BookBub


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Sunday 16 August 2020

Blog tour - Red Heir by Lisa Henry and Sarah Honey

 

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:

Red Heir by Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey

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Imprisoned pickpocket Loth isn't sure why a bunch of idiots just broke into his cell claiming they’re here to rescue the lost prince of Aguillon, and he doesn’t really care. They’re looking for a redheaded prince, and he’s more than happy to play along if it means freedom. Then his cranky cellmate Grub complicates things by claiming to be the prince as well.

 

Now they’re fleeing across the country and Loth’s stuck sharing a horse and a bedroll with Grub while imitating royalty, eating eel porridge, and dodging swamp monsters and bandits.

 

Along the way, Loth discovers that there’s more to Grub than meets the eye. Under the dirt and bad attitude, Grub’s not completely awful. He might even be attractive. In fact, Loth has a terrible suspicion that he’s developing feelings, and he’s not sure what to do about that. He’d probably have more luck figuring it out if people would just stop trying to kill them.

 

Still, at least they’ve got a dragon, right?

 

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Teaser 1


Hi everyone! This is Lisa and Sarah, and we’d like to thank you for joining us on our blog tour for our new release, Red Heir. We hope you have as much fun reading it as we had writing it! Today we’d like to share with you an excerpt from Red Heir. 

In this scene, Loth and Grub and their rescuers are having dinner and setting up camp for the night, and Grub finally gets the better of Loth and his horse jokes:

Excerpt 

Calarian cooked surprisingly well for a vegetarian.

There’d been a brief standoff over who should do the duties, with Scott looking beseechingly at Ada, but she’d snapped, “Don’t try and make it my job. That long useless streak can do something instead of moping for a change.”

Calarian, the long useless streak in question, hadn’t dared object. He shuffled about scowling, but he did as asked, putting together a stew of some sort. Loth would have had seconds if there’d been any left. As it was, he watched as Dave shovelled the leftovers onto Grub’s plate. At least between the barely adequate servings and the exercise of riding all day, by the time they reached the capital he’d be in excellent shape for his career change. He’d probably be able to double his prices.

Of course, he’d have to ditch these idiots once he was within the walls of the city. The last thing he wanted was to get entangled in whatever political nonsense they were engaged in. If there really was some crazy rich nobleman out there who was bankrolling this entire enterprise—Scott’s Ser Factor—then Loth never wanted to meet him. No, it would be much better for everyone, especially Loth, if Prince Tarquin remained dead and buried. Loth didn’t have a great grasp on history, but he was fairly sure things never ended well for pretenders to the throne. Even the attractive ones.

Somewhere out in the darkness, a wolf howled. The hair on the back of Loth’s neck prickled, and he was thankful Pie had managed to light the fire after all.

After dinner, everyone began to spread their bedrolls around the fire. Loth saw the issue the second that Ada approached him with a bedroll clasped in her arms and an apologetic look on her face.

“We thought we’d only be rescuing one person,” she said, thrusting the bedroll at him.

Loth took it and exchanged a glance with Grub. The firelight really did bring out all the angles of his impressive scowl. His face was how Loth felt, but Loth was much better at hiding it.

“Well,” he said, “as the prince, I will of course take the bedroll and—”

Grub narrowed his eyes and then stalked towards the cart, presumably to throw himself down under it and sulk.

“Kidding!” Loth called. “Grub, I was kidding. We can share, you cranky little goblin. Get back here. I mean unless you’d rather sleep with the horses?”

“Maybe I would,” Grub shot back. “I’m sure even the geldings would put you to shame, Your Grace.”

“Oh, Grub,” Loth said. “Did you really just admit you were a horse fucker, just to make a joke about the size of my dick?”

Grub glowered. “It was worth it,” he said, but he didn’t sound sure.

“See?” Loth tsked and looked around the group. “He’s not even ashamed of it. Those poor horses.”

Grub stomped back over to him. “I fucking hate you,” he muttered.

“No, you don’t.” Loth beamed at him. “You adore me. I’m a delight.”

“I’ve met rats in cells that I like more than you.” Grub grabbed the bedroll and shook it out. “I’ve had ticks I liked more.”

“Did you catch those from the horses?”

For a moment Loth thought that Grub was going to breathe sparks like Pie, but suddenly he threw his hands up. The bedroll fell to the ground. Grub shook his head, his mouth twisting into something that Loth was surprised to discover was a smile.

Grub snorted. “I can’t win with you, can I?”

“You can’t,” Loth agreed. “Nobody wins against royalty. I’m glad you’ve realised.” He leaned in close. “Besides, geldings are missing their balls, and I still have mine. They’re quite impressive. Would you like to see?”

Grub let out a snort.

Loth crouched down and tugged the bedroll out. A moment later Grub joined him. His hands were pale in the darkness, fluttering like pale moths against the bedroll as they worked together to lay it out flat. Loth wondered if they were still shaking from the cold.

“You can take the side closest to the fire if you want,” he said airily.

Grub nodded and crawled into the bedroll. Loth crawled in after him. Around them, Loth heard the others settling. Someone was already snoring, but Loth wasn’t sure who it was. Dave was the large shape nearest to them, his greenish face illuminated by the flames, and by Pie, who buzzed around him flickering like a firefly.

Lying next to Grub was like lying next to a bag of bones. He was pointy, and Loth wasn’t a fan. Loth lay on his back for a moment, then rolled onto his side and pillowed his head on his arm. He watched Grub’s profile for a moment, lit by the fire. Grub was staring up at the sky, eyes wide open.

“Close your eyes, Grub. You’re putting me off my sleep.”

Grub jolted and turned his face towards Loth briefly. “I was looking at the stars.”

“Yes, yes. Stars.” Loth yawned. “Very pretty.”

“It’s...” Grub sounded hesitant. “It’s been a while.”

“A while since what?”

“Since I saw the stars.”

Loth felt a knot in his belly. “How long?”

“I’m not sure, exactly, but maybe... five years?”

“Five...” Loth’s chest tightened. “Fuck me.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Grub said, “I would, but you’re not a horse.”

And then the little shit rolled over and fell asleep.

 

Teaser 2
 
 

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About the Authors:

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About Lisa:

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn't know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she's too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Lisa has been published since 2012, and was a LAMBDA finalist for her quirky, awkward coming-of-age romance Adulting 101, and a Rainbow Awards finalist for 2019’s Anhaga.

To connect with Lisa on social media, you can find her here:

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Goodreads
Bookbub
Twitter


She also has a Facebook group where you’ll be kept in the loop with updates on releases, have a chance to win prizes, and probably see lots of lots of pictures of her dog and cats. You can find it here: Lisa Henry’s Hangout.



About Sarah:

Sarah lives in Western Australia with her partner, two cats, two dogs and a TARDIS.

A teacher once told her life’s not a joke.

She begs to differ.

Her proudest achievements include having kids who will still be seen with her in public, and knowing all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody.

Red Heir is her first published novel.

You can connect with Sarah on Facebook, or send her an email at sarahhoneywriting@gmail.com.


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