Available - Wide Release, all platforms - moving to KU 7 September
ISBN - 9781785642616
Love doesn’t have a formula. It’s messy, unpredictable, and impossible to control for the autistic billionaire inventor and the hockey player who believes he’s lost everything.
Moral “Dunny” Dunkirk has a passion for life. A robust outdoorsman, lover of life, and one of the Boston Rebels fan favorites, Dunny has always embraced excitement and the drive to try new things. During his inaugural flight behind the controls of a small plane, the fates decide to test his mettle in a way he’s never envisioned. When everything crashes down around him, he’s lost in depression and alone in his cabin, facing an existence that is nothing like the one he previously led. Desperate to find some hope, Dunny reaches out to The Harvey Foundation, who might be able to help, and he soon finds himself being lifted out of the pit of darkness he’d fallen into, one shy uplifting smile at a time.
Accidental billionaire and inventor Cooper Harvey is happy in the seclusion of his lab, determined to make the world a better place one invention at a time. His autism gifts him with unique vision, but the media label him as quirky, reclusive, or a genius, depending on the day of the week, and it’s only in the most splendid isolation his vast wealth can buy that he feels safe. He goes out of his way to avoid sex with all its complicated and messy emotions, but a chance meeting with a test subject for his latest invention shakes his carefully controlled world. Interest in the hockey player who thinks he’s lost everything shows Cooper that life can’t be measured in chemical reactions, and attraction is unpredictable and messy. Terrified of facing something new, he doesn’t know where to turn, but maybe, if he’s brave and with a partner who sees beneath the surface, he can finally find a love that makes sense.
I'm a member of Read around the Rainbow, a rag tag collection of authors who are part of or who write about all letters of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. Each month we'll be posing a question or subject up for discussion. This month the question posed is 'What are your top three non-romance reads?'
I nearly ducked out of this one but I missed last month (because I write in pretty much total silence) and I don't like to skip two in a row.
"But why would you duck out?" I hear you cry. "You love reading. You regularly smash 250 books a year on the GR challenge."
So true, imaginary reader.
But my issue is twofold. I have a terrible memory. I can't remember my favourite book of this year without scrolling through my GR reviews (it's why I never do one of those top ten reads lists in December), so I'm certainly not remembering my favourite book from 30 years ago because I didn't have GRs back then. What I did have was a reference book of best crime stories and I worked my way through that, reading the recommended stories and devouring the authors that I enjoyed. So, late teens, early twenties me would have said my favourite books were hardboiled crime novels - I loved Chandler and Hammett; or early 20th century British sleuths, especially Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey and Ngaio Marsh's Roderick Alleyn. I guess I should pick my first read from this amazing reference book (I'd recommend this if I could only remember the damn title).
As such my first pick is The Daughter of Time (Inspector Alan Grant #5) by Josephine Tey.
Tey uses the device of having her main detective laid up in hospital and, bored out of his skull, he decides to try and solve a centuries old murder, that of the Princes in the Tower and the subsequent vilification of Richard III. Sounds boring, yeah? But it's not. It's a brilliantly written piece of storytelling by a writer at the height of her craft (this was Tey's last book before her death), thought provoking and entertaining. It doesn't claim to be anything but fiction, and I'm sure historians by their hundreds have disproved Tey's ascertains, but it certainly shines a light on the way that history can be rewritten by the victors.
There, I have pulled a book from the annuls of (my) history. I could go back further, but we'd be looking at Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Willard Price's animal adventure books. Or a few years earlier, Enid Blyton.
My other problem is that for the last decade it's rare that I read any novels that aren't queer romance or at the very least has a romance as a secondary story line.
But of course I don't just read queer romance, my second genre of choice, although it's more a medium than a genre, is comics. So I've got to pick a comic for my list, right. But I read so many, which could I possibly chose?
The X-Men run from the last few years? An epic (in the large sense rather than amazing) story at the hands of Jonathan Hickman, but with so many different writers, and maybe not all of them understand Hickman's vision, hell I don't always understand it. There's good, bad, and ugly comics under that umbrella, some runs I read in their entirety, other's I gave up on straight away. Or the Spider-Man Clone Saga from the mid 90's. It's a run I'm currently reading and it's not always very good. It's iconic, not always for the best reasons, but it gave us two of my favourite Spider-Man characters, Scarlett Spider and Kaine.
Or let's ignore the Big Two and go to Boom Comics.
Once and Future (by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora (Illustrator), Tamra Bonvillain (Colourist)) is an excellent read, combining Arthurian legend and the mess that is modern day Britain in a mad tale of monsters, wizards, kings and bloated politicians, a chain smoking monster hunting granny and her very confused grandson. It's 3 issues from the very end and I'm waiting to read the final arc but it's brilliant so far, visually exciting, and I can't wait to read again from the very beginning.
For my final pick I'm going to chose something that I've read more recently, but what should it be. When I read away from queer romance these days I tend to pick something historical. I've recently started reading Edward Marston and his Home Front Detective series, set in London during WWI, which started with A Bespoke Murder. I really enjoyed Ruso and the Demented Doctor (Medicus Investigations 2) by R.S. Downie and will pick up anything of that ilk to try.
Possibly my favourite series in this style and the one I'm going to add as my third book is Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow. Let's be honest, these books have their detractors, and I don't know enough about Roman history to comment. I had my moments of WTF but the story is fun and action packed, the main characters are likeable and wouldn't be out of place in a age gap, grumpy/sunshine queer historical romance or on the pages of AO3. Even the tag line sounds queer: They're in it for Rome and they're in it together.
So, they are my picks. If you were expecting highbrow and studious reasons, then you've come to the wrong place. But let's see what my fellow authors have come up with.
What happens when my big mouth writes a check it can't cash while taunting my ex's brother in a game of Truth or Dare? I end up with his tongue in my mouth. In my very straight, totally uninterested mouth.
While I don't feel anything.
Nothing at all.
In fact, I barely noticed.
So, why can't I stop thinking about it?
Truth or Darren features a troublemaker with good intentions, a guy who's none too impressed with his sister's ex, and an animosity that flares hotter than either of them could ever imagine--but which the townspeople of Granville, Nebraska, are all too happy to speculate about.
My Two Pennies' Worth
Brilliant job of making both Darren and Linc sympathetic characters after both had been questionable in their actions in previous books.
Love that the previous couples make an appearance without feeling forced into the storyline.
Kudos for getting them together earlyish in the book and not resorting to a manufactured break up to carry the book along.
* opposites attract
* rich/poor
* enemies to lovers
* blue collar - mechanic
* journalist
* kink - dirty talk
* small town romance
I can't wait for Kev and Garrett's book.
Excerpt
Darren caught my uneasy expression and smirked. “Oh, I’ve got the perfect dare.”
“Yeah?”
“I dare you to kiss a guy. And not just some peck. You have to mean it. Emulate Dawson over there and give it a hundred precent.”
“That’s the dare?”
“That’s it.”
I glanced around the group. “Any guy?”
His wide mouth quirked, eyes sparking with challenge and amusement. He thought he’d cornered me. Clearly, he didn’t know I was bi. I hadn’t come out until last year at Hayworth, and I hadn’t seen Darren in two years at least. “Yep. Any guy.”
“Even you?”
His grin slipped. “What?”
“I mean, you said any guy. You said you’re not scared of anything. And I know you’re not homophobic, right? You wouldn’t give me a dare like that because you think it’s a big deal to kiss a guy, right?”
Darren scoffed. “Pfft. What? No. I mean, I don’t think it’s a big deal. I can’t speak for what you might think of it.”
“Okay, then. I’ll take the dare and kiss you. Unless you’re gonna run scared when you’re in the hot seat?”
“Oh boy,” someone muttered behind me.
“This should be good,” someone else said with a small snicker.
Their comments washed over me as I stared down Darren. I’d come over here reluctantly, but his antagonism was exactly what I needed. I’d been brimming with rage for days, frustrated as my future plans were vaporized without warning, and Darren Rafferty made the perfect target.
He glared. “I don’t run from anything. Besides, it’s not like you’ve got the guts to kiss me.”
I barked a laugh. “You picked the wrong day to fuck with me.”
“Like I said, you don’t have the—”
I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and jerked him close, then slammed my mouth onto his. Darren stumbled into me, his hands clutching my waist as he caught his balance. His hard body pressed against mine, and heat lanced through me. Jesus, he was hot. I hated him, but he was so fucking gorgeous I couldn’t help but enjoy the kiss.
He gasped, startled, and I swept my tongue into his mouth. Darren had goaded me into this—and I was going to make the most of it. He tasted like Jack Daniel’s, which sent a flicker of guilt through me. He’d clearly been drinking. But he’d been clear-eyed when he’d challenged me, and I couldn’t seem to detach from his delectable mouth.
His tongue curled around mine, and my eyes rolled back in my head. I gripped his hair tighter, having no idea when I’d lifted my hands to touch him, and tried to maintain control of the kiss—but it was too late. Darren was in the driver’s seat now, and he relentlessly devoured my mouth, making me take everything he wanted to give as he kissed me back.
Wait a second. He was kissing me back.
What the fuck?
Shocked out of my lusty stupor, I jerked back. Darren’s eyes were wide and dark, a little intense as he stared at me. We were both breathing hard.
I was aware of the crowd of people watching us, all of them silent, as if waiting for all hell to break loose.
“Well,” he said, sounding surprisingly calm, “I guess I underestimated how far you’d go to prove me wrong.”
“No,” I said with a shit-eating grin. “You just failed to realize that daring me to kiss a guy is no dare at all.” I leaned in close and whispered. “I like men, Darren.”
He gaped. “Wh-what?”
“I’m bi, and you’re a dumbass,” I said. “I guess you didn’t get the memo.”
About the Author
DJ Jamison writes romances about everyday life and extraordinary love featuring a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual. DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love. DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors’ books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, one snake, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.
The fast, furry, and furious! A lynx shifter, pursued by a cryptid trophy hunter. A wolf shifter desperate to rescue a lover who's not just his fated mate—but his one true pairing across past lives. And a love that transcends time.
Blurb
The fast, furry, and furious! A lynx shifter, pursued by a cryptid trophy hunter. A wolf shifter desperate to rescue a lover who's not just his fated mate—but his one true pairing across past lives. And a love that transcends time.
Lynx shifter Noah Wilson narrowly escaped being captured by the Huntsman. While recuperating in Fox Hollow, he meets his fated mate, wolf shifter Drew Lowe.
Noah has to return to Canada to finish filming his TV projects, so he and Drew visit when they can and come up with creative solutions to their long-distance relationship. Noah and Drew are sure they're meant for each other and start making plans.
Drew's dreams make him wonder if he and Noah are more than fated mates—could they be a true pairing, destined to find each other lifetime after lifetime?
Then Noah accidentally records a murder, and the killer is on his trail. Can he elude a master tracker and reach the safety of Fox Hollow, or will he and Drew have to wait to find happiness in another life?
Again is a thrill-packed MM shifter romance adventure full of sexy shifters, hurt/comfort, one true pairing, reincarnation, sincere psychics, hunky mechanics, first responders, a sexy wildlife photographer, found family, and fated mates.
Excerpt
“I wish you could see this view in person—except for how cold it is.” Noah snapped a photo that didn’t do the colors of dawn justice, and sent it with his text to Drew.
He waited for a reply and realized Drew probably wasn’t awake yet. No one in their right mind is up at this hour.
He’d made the best of the cramped hotel room, knowing from experience to bring an extra blanket, good pillow, books, and power strips. Hotels never had enough outlets to charge his cameras. Fortunately, travel wasn’t a constant, but staying overnight to get the right light or have time to set up cameras happened fairly often.
Will that be a problem with Drew? Will he resent my photography? It’s a demanding job.
Noah cleaned his lenses and checked his batteries as he packed his day bag. Travel made it easy to find overnight company without entanglement, and he’d long ago grown tired of waking up alone. He’d had a serious relationship back in film school, which fizzled after graduation. There were a few boyfriends who lasted more than a month or two, but his irregular hours always ended up being more than anyone wanted to deal with for long.
Can it be different with Drew? We felt such an immediate bond—I’ve never had a connection like that with anyone. It’s like we’ve known each other forever.
“Of course. We’re fated mates,” his lynx reminded him, as if Noah could forget.
He smiled, thinking of their conversation that ended only a few hours ago. It wasn’t just the sex—although that was combustible in a way Noah had never experienced before. Everything took on a different light when it involved Drew. Talking about the trivial activities of the day wasn’t boring. Sharing a movie or even reading the same book and talking about their reactions now felt satisfying and fun.
I’m a Cancer—we’re protective and defend our family. Except I don’t really have any.
Noah didn’t have many living relatives. His father had vanished when he was young, and his mother died two years ago from a bad heart. He had a brother and sister, but they drifted apart, and Noah hadn’t heard from them in years. He wasn’t sure he even had valid addresses for them.
Drew is my mate. He’s my family now. And he has Russ and Liam and their friends. A pack. Someday, they’ll be my pack.
Clowder, his lynx sniffed. Lynxes have a clowder, not a pack.
Sounds like soup.
Clowder is not chowder, silly human. But we could vote to let Drew be an honorary lynx and join.
Vote? Who—you and me?
We are the only ones in our clowder now. It would be nice to add our mate—even if he is a dog.
Wolf.
Canine.
I’ve fallen hard. And it should scare me. But it doesn’t. When I worry that he might not feel the same, I can’t breathe
About the Author
Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.
On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.
Series include Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and Fox Hollow. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!
Note: Legacy isn’t a romance—it’s adventure/suspense with strong romantic elements. The two main romances in the book are between Gideon (sea captain) and Ramon (privateer) right after the American Revolution, and between Teag and Anthony in current time, and while the romances play an important part in the plot, the focus is on the action/mystery/supernatural elements. (Gideon and Ramon work forbidden magic to bind their souls together forever to protect the coast from a malicious demigod, and because they never want to risk being separated in the afterlife.) There are two secondary romances, an MM one between Dante and Coltt (privateers in the Revolutionary era) and between Cassidy and Kell (MF but nothing beyond a few kisses and cuddles). There is no explicit/on-page sex. Both Dante and Gideon are bisexual, and those pairings are important to the plot.
Also—there are massive crossovers between Legacy (and the whole Deadly Curiosities series) and my Morgan Brice series, especially Badlands, Treasure Trail, Witchbane and Fox Hollow.
The clock is ticking for Cassidy and her friends to stop the dark warlock, capture the goblin, and restore the guardian spell before a malevolent ancient entity takes its vengeance on Charleston and the coast.
Blurb
Omens of impending disaster have the city of Charleston on edge. Tremors warn of earthquake risk, while a potentially catastrophic storm gathers strength over the ocean and heads for land.
A last-man-standing promise among elderly veterans creates a dangerous inheritance involving an imprisoned, wish-granting goblin. A sea captain and a swashbuckler worked blood magic to protect Charleston from an ancient evil with a spell that bound their souls and their descendants to the task, but danger looms as its power fades. The head of a witch family wants artifacts and secrets—and he'll do anything to get them.
Cassidy Kincaide runs Trifles and Folly, an antique and curio store where her touch magic helps get cursed and haunted objects out of the wrong hands. More than once, she and her allies have saved the world from supernatural threats.
The clock is ticking for Cassidy and her friends to stop the dark warlock, capture the goblin, and restore the guardian spell before a malevolent ancient entity takes its vengeance on Charleston and the coast. It's going to take all the magic, courage, and quick thinking they can muster—and for once, that might not be enough.
My Two Pennies Worth
Great story.
Loved the way the two cases tied together and the appearance of all the friends to help.
But my favourite part was the pirate love story. I wish we had their book.
About the Author
Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, SOL Publishing, Darkwind Press, Worldbuilders Press and Falstaff Books. Recent books include Convicts and Exiles, Sellsword’s Oath, Inheritance, and Night Moves. With Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of the Spells Salt & Steel, Wasteland Marshals, Joe Mack and Jake Desmet series.
As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance including the Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail and Fox Hollow series.
