Sunday 30 December 2018

Release Blitz - Change For You by Crystal Lacy






Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length:
9hrs 34mins

Narrator: Iggy Toma

Cover Design: Simply Defined Art

Publisher: Tantor

Oahu Lovers Series

Book #1 - Brave For You - Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb


Silver fox Stephen Webb doesn't mean to start a workplace fling with the cute new intern.

Stephen Webb has a pivotal tax season ahead of him, and he doesn't have time for distractions. At least that's what he thinks - until Minoru "Max" Kamigawa walks into his life and disrupts all his plans.

Max secretly wants to follow his love of music, but family obligations keep him rooted in Hawaii. Tax supervisor Stephen Webb makes his spring internship a little sweeter, but the man's priorities don't seem to include Max. Is it only a fling or something worth staying for when his dreams come calling?

Stephen and Max must decide whether to stick to their goals or risk everything and change their course for love.




Crystal Lacy lives with her loving family in Hawaii, where it is always either drizzling or sunny and never snows—which is a shame, because she prefers being cold to being damp and hot unless it’s for Very Good Reasons. She writes queer romance, mainly M/M, but also some F/F. She has aspirations to one day write a YA novel about cats.


Crystal is a long-time fangirl and writes slash fanfiction for the Harry Potter and NBC Hannibal fandoms. She has a deep love for fandom culture, and can be frequently spotted on Twitter and Tumblr reblogging pretty fan art.


Join Crystal's readers group on FB for sneak peeks, bonus content, and ARC opportunities or subscribe her newsletter for monthly book giveaways, recs, news, and more! You can also follow Crystal on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.



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Saturday 29 December 2018

Book Blitz - Come Back by CF White




Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited


Length: 91,000 words approx.


The District Line Series


Book #1 - Kick Off - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #2 - Break Through - Amazon US | Amazon UK


Blurb


The bigger you become, the harder you fall. 


Sebastian Saunders is a rising rock star. Jay Ruttman is a Premier League football player. Their year-long relationship is hot commodity. Hounded by the press and fans alike, the lovers struggle to keep their private lives private.


Flying high in the charts and having Jay by his side, Seb is finally living his dream. But Jay’s new, promising career is threatened when a horrific injury on the pitch has him side lined—not only in the game but also in his relationship with Seb.

Jay’s crippling self-destruction spirals out of control, tearing them apart. To move forward, both men must learn to leave their past behind—not so easy when it keeps coming back to haunt them.


Can their hard-fought relationship survive the ultimate test?


This is the concluding part to the District Line series where the full-time whistle could signal an end to their turbulent journey… or is it just the beginning?


About The Author


Brought up in a relatively small town in Hertfordshire, C F White managed to do what most other residents try to do and fail—leave.


Studying at a West London university, she realised there was a whole city out there waiting to be discovered, so, much like Dick Whittington before her, she never made it back home and still endlessly searches for the streets paved with gold, slowly coming to the realisation they’re mostly paved with chewing gum. And the odd bit of graffiti. And those little circles of yellow spray paint where the council point out the pot holes to someone who is supposedly meant to fix them instead of staring at them vacantly whilst holding a polystyrene cup of watered-down coffee.


She eventually moved West to East along that vast District Line and settled for pie and mash, cockles and winkles and a bit of Knees Up Mother Brown to live in the East End of London; securing a job and creating a life, a home and a family.


Having worked in Higher Education for most of her career, a life-altering experience brought pen back to paper after she’d written stories as a child but never had the confidence to show them to the world. Having embarked on this writing malarkey, C F White cannot stop. So strap in, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride...


You can follow C F on Facebook and Twitter and check out her Website.


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Friday 28 December 2018

Release Blitz - You Forever Always by KA Merikan




Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited.

Length: 50,000 word approx.

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

Underdogs Series 

Book #1 - Manic Pixie Dream Boy - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 - Just Here For The Pain - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb



---Years of loving in secret. Now the secret’s out.---

Mage. Reasonable. Mature. In love with his best friend’s little brother.

Dawn. Painfully shy. Crazy talented. An anxious cinnamon roll in need of protection.


Mage has always been Dawn’s hero. He’s been there for him when Dawn was bullied, when Dawn came out, and when he joined The Underdogs. He’s also been Dawn’s first and only love—painfully unrequited, since Mage is straight. But that’s only for the better, because they’re bandmates, and Dawn’s brother is Mage’s best friend.


It would all be too intense, too complicated, too real.


But then one drunken kiss proves Mage might not be as straight as he seemed, and their whole world turns upside down. Even though Dawn craves Mage’s love so much his heart could burst, his shyness stands in the way of any future they could share.


While they have to keep their budding relationship under wraps and they prepare to sign a major record deal, Dawn’s anxiety gets out of control. Mage will have to choose between the success he’s always craved and the love of his life.


POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

Themes: rock band, bandmates romance, older brother’s best friend, coming out, bisexuality, first love, anxiety, compromise, music, secret love

Genre: Contemporary M/M Rocker Romance

Heat level: sweet, explicit scenes

Length: ~50,000 words (Can be read as standalone, HEA)






K.A. Merikan are a team of writers who try not to suck at adulting, with some success. Always eager to explore the murky waters of the weird and wonderful, K.A. Merikan don’t follow fixed formulas and want each of their books to be a surprise for those who choose to hop on for the ride.


K.A. Merikan have a few sweeter M/M romances as well, but they specialize in the dark, dirty, and dangerous side of M/M, full of bikers, bad boys, mafiosi, and scorching hot romance.


FACEBOOK PROFILE

K.A. MERIKAN’S TWITTER (RUN BY KAT)

AGNES MERIKAN’S TWITTER

K.A. MERIKAN ON GOODREADS

PINTEREST

M/F ROMANCE BY MISS MERIKAN





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Wednesday 26 December 2018

Smashwords Sale

The second annual Smashwords End of Year Sale started yesterday and runs through January 1.

I have all my self published non-KindleUnlimited books in this sale.

Freebies

Resonance 
Waiting For a Spark

25% off

When Love Flue In
Lesson Learned 
Resistance 
Renaissance
Lovers Entwined

Click on the link to take you to my Smashwords profile, where you'll find all the books.

Tuesday 25 December 2018

A Christmas Gift to You.

As my Christmas gift to you I have a couple of Kindle deals on my KindleUnlimited books.

Just Hanging Out will be free at Amazon from 25th December to 27th December.

Universal Amazon link: mybook.to/JustHangingOut_LF



Calamine & Christmas Cake will be 99p/99c at Amazon from 25th December to 27th December.

Universal Amazon link: myBook.to/christmascake_LF


Theory Unproven will be 99p/99c at Amazon from 25th December to 27th December.

Universal Amazon link: myBook.to/TheoryUnproven_LF



Have an amazing Christmas* season and I'll see you in the New Year with a brand new story. 

*other holidays are available


Monday 24 December 2018

I Used to Sit by My Fireplace and Dream About You (A 'When Love Flue In' Epilogue)




I'm taking part in the Rainbow Advent Calendar again this year. Check out the masterlist here. There are some wonderful stories.

Thank you to Alex Jane for arranging this again this year. Sorting out this many authors must be like herding cats.

A link to a downloadable version of this story is at the bottom of the page.


I Used to Sit by My Fireplace and Dream About You


Long, jean-clad legs stretched out on the colourful rug in front of the fireplace. Dominic smirked and his gaze followed them up to slim hips and the strip of pale flesh that always seemed to escape the confines of the denim.
He shifted in his chair. Then adjusted himself through his jeans to ease the pressure on his already filling cock. The bare wall above the fireplace caught his attention—the ornate mirror that had hung there for years had been removed several days earlier and had left a ghostly impression on the wallpaper—and he dragged his gaze away from the body whose head and shoulders disappeared up his chimney flue.
He cast a look around the room, empty save for the chair he was sitting on, the rug on the carpet, and a bag of sweep’s tools, and sighed. Something heavy wedged in his chest at the knowledge that this was the last time a real fire would be lit in this house for the foreseeable future. Come the second of January, a damn wood-burning stove was being installed. The new owners had insisted.
A cough echoed out from the flue, snapping Dominic’s attention back to where it should be. While he’d been distracted, the sweep had pulled his knees under him and his arse was stuck enticingly in the air.
“Are we getting on with this?” The acoustics of the chimney warped and distorted his voice. “This flue is as clean as it’s ever been. And I can’t spend forever with my head up the chimney. I’ve got another job to get to, guv’nr.” He punctuated his remark with a wiggle of his arse.
Dominic snorted but his amusement wasn’t enough to stop his blood shooting down to his dick. He gripped the arm of the chair, steadying himself before attempting to stand. Any movement now might see him drop the floor and have to drag himself across the rug on his hands and knees.
The body shifted and twisted until Reagan’s face appeared, glancing over his shoulder with a concerned expression. “Are you okay? We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Sometimes fantasies only work when they’re just that, you know?”
“Like your little fantasy of the rugby team wanking over you in the shower?” Dominic forced his voice to sound stern even though the thought had him feeling aroused and possessive at the same time. He pushed himself to his feet and took a step closer, his gaze fixed on Reagan.
“They’re wanking over you actually. I’m just watching.” Reagan must have seen something in Dominic’s gaze. Resolve possibly. His eyes widened and a flush of colour scorched the skin at the base of his throat before disappearing into the dark scruff of his stubble.
Another step. Dominic reached for the button of his jeans. Reagan grinned and then ducked back into the fireplace.
“’ere, guv’nr. Pass us me rod, would ya?” His boyfriend appeared to be channelling his inner Dick Van Dyke for this performance.
“I’ll give you a rod.” His words had a gruff quality as Dominic attempted to force them past the catch in his throat. Reagan gave his arse another wiggle. “Brat,” Dominic mumbled, then added more loudly, “Probably not the rod you’re expecting though.”
“I’m expecting something thick and meaty with a slight kink to the left.” Reagan’s voice barely held back his note of laughter.
Dominic grinned then slowly unzipped, the catch of each metal tooth loud in the almost empty room. He took the final step to bring him up behind Reagan and dropped to his knees in the space between Reagan’s open legs.
“Come on. Give me the rod. I’m desperate for it.” There was a laugh there that Reagan couldn’t quite stifle, but it stuttered in his throat in a most satisfying way when Dominic leant over his back, nestling his aching cock against the curve of Reagan’s arse.
He reached around and groped for the button of Reagan’s jeans, flicking it open with shaking fingers. Thankfully, Reagan had left off the belt he usually wore to hold his jeans up. Not that he needed it so much these days. Dominic shoved his free hand down past the waistband of Reagan’s jeans and palmed one of Reagan’s cheeks. Training with the rugby club they’d joined had done wonders for Reagan’s glutes. No matter how often he complained about them, Reagan couldn’t deny the power of squats.
Fighting the material of jeans and boxers took longer than Dominic would have hoped, but finally he leant back to admire the view as Reagan’s pale flesh was revealed. Something glistened in the weak winter sun streaming through the window. He rubbed his thumb against the rim of Reagan’s hole. It slipped inside easily. The bastard had been lying there wiggling his arse, and the whole time he’d been lubed, ready for Dominic to just slide inside. He took a steadying breath and tried to keep his voice level. “Eager.”
“Always.” Reagan wiggled. “Come on.”
Dominic tried to push his jeans and boxer briefs down one handed, reluctant to relinquish the connection between them. “Give me a minute.”
“Leave ‘em on. The master of the ‘ouse ain’t got time or the decency to drop his kecks.”
Reagan had introduced Dominic to a lot over the last year. They’d done their fair share of hot and frantic coupling with trousers barely down their thighs, as well as slow lazy morning sex and a couple of memorable all-nighters. “But, the zip?”
“Mark me! Make me yours.”
Dominic didn’t know if Reagan was still in character, but the very idea made his head spin. He fumbled with the flap in his boxer briefs and released his dick. He eased his thumb out of Reagan’s hole, tugging slightly on the rim. Reagan keened. Dominic pushed his thumb back in.
“Fucker.”
Dominic grinned, slipped his thumb out again and lined himself up. He edged in slowly, relishing the tight heat that gripped his dick. He bottomed far more often than Reagan, enjoying giving up control especially after a taxing day lawyering, as Reagan called it.
He bottomed out, settled his hips briefly against Reagan’s arse, then pulled back until only his head was held in that vice-like grip. Reagan whimpered, and Dominic slammed back in. Twice. Three times. Urged on by the moans echoing up the chimney. He paused, admiring the pink scuff raised by the abrasion of denim and zip. He changed his grip on Reagan’s hips until he could swipe his thumbs over the damaged flesh. Was rewarded by a hiss and Reagan pressing back into him.
“Reagan.” Dominic groaned.
“That’s not me name, guv, but you can call me what you like.”
Damn this wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Reagan moaning his name. Wanted to be able to kiss that patch of skin under Reagan’s ear that made him melt beneath Dominic. Wanted to see the love in his gaze. Fantasies were all well and good, but his reality was infinitely better. Anonymous sex might have been all he thought he was worth, but Reagan had changed all that.
“Come here.” He tugged on Reagan’s hips, encouraging him to back out of the fireplace. Reagan put up no resistance, letting Dominic do with him as he liked. Once he was sure Reagan’s head was clear of the surrounding stonework, Dominic pulled out and flipped him onto his back on the rug. Before Reagan had a chance to protest, Dominic slipped back inside him. He leant over, plastering his body to Reagan’s, relishing the brush of Reagan’s hardness against his stomach. The temptation was there to hammer into Reagan, rubbing off against his stomach until come soaked the space between them. But there was something more important to do first.
Dominic found the patch of skin under Reagan’s ear, pressed a chaste kiss to the spot, and whispered, “I love you.”

* * * * *

The kitchen table, which would be packed on the second van along with the last of the bedroom furniture and the chair and rug from the living room, had been laid with a plate of mince pies and a pot of cream, two mugs and a pot of tea. As Reagan wandered barefoot into the room, drying his hair with a towel, Dominic poured the tea.
He hadn’t been able to replicate the soot fall of the previous year. But nowadays he had no need to find an excuse to get Reagan into the shower. And he was free to join Reagan whenever the urge swept over him. His own hair curled damply at his neck, making the collar of his polo shirt wet, proof of the fact that he’d not long stepped out of the shower himself. A shower he’d shared with Reagan. The thought made him smile.
“I love the sheer joy you get from a perfect mug of tea, but I thought we’d packed all of this stuff up yesterday.”
Dominic didn’t bother correcting Reagan’s assumption, since that was true too, just not the real reason for his current smile. “I may have liberated the teapot and mugs. I wanted to recreate our…” Their what? They’d not had a first date until the day after Boxing Day. They’d shagged for the first time on Christmas Day. It wasn’t even the anniversary of this actual event until Christmas Eve, tomorrow.
“Our first shared cup of tea. It’s a lovely thought. First of many, thankfully.” Reagan sighed. “Although you’ve ruined me for teabag tea.” He took a mince pie and bit into it with a soft groan. “You’ve ruined me for a lot of things actually.”
“We can always come back and pick up mince pies.”
“Thirty miles for a mince pie? Your privilege is showing.”
Dominic shrugged. He couldn’t do anything about his upbringing and he worked hard for the money he earned now. “If I can’t spend my money to give you the things you love, then what is the point of it?”
Reagan finished off his mince pie and reached for another. Sex always made him hungry. This was something Dominic had learnt in the last year.
“I wasn’t actually talking about mince pies,” Reagan said, brushing crumbs from his hoodie. “You’ve been the sweetest, most eager, considerate and sharing boyfriend ever. You’ve ruined me for all other men.”
Dominic frowned. He wasn’t always sweet or considerate; sometimes when a case was being a real pig he could be a grumpy, irritable bastard. A chill chased the warmth of his tea. “Are you breaking up with me?” He glanced around the empty kitchen. All his worldly goods and more were boxed and in the back of the removal lorry parked outside. “Because we’ve just bought a house together. Your name is on the mortgage.”
Dominic didn’t realise his hands were shaking until Reagan eased the mug from his grip and laid his own hands on top to still them. He squeezed. “Dominic, look at me.”
Dominic lifted his gaze. Reagan’s eyes held something that looked far too much like regret. Thank God he hadn’t had a mince pie, because there was every chance he was going to be sick. Especially with the first words out of Reagan’s mouth.
“I’m sorry.” Reagan squeezed his fingers. Held tight when Dominic tried to pull away. “That came out all wrong. I love you. So much. And every day I learn something new that makes me love you a little bit more. Like this,” he gestured to the table, “a sentimental side.”
“And when I get in a mood about a case.”
“It’s because you care about your clients.”
That was true. “But I care about you more.”
“It’s not a competition. Your heart, your love, is not a finite resource. You’re caring and brave—”
Dominic scoffed. “I’m not brave. Five years, Reagan. I wasted five years.”
“Shh.” Reagan laid a finger on Dominic’s lips. It was sweet and tangy from the mincemeat. A little sticky too. “You’ve taken me to three of your office events since we’ve been together, including the Christmas dinner with the partners, despite the fact I know you’re worried our relationship will affect your chance of making partner. You defended me to your dad when he tried to belittle my occupation. You’re the best uncle to your sister’s kids.”
Dominic scoffed. “I think Bradley would disagree with you there. He’s talked of nothing else since you let him help clean their chimney. Catherine says he can’t decide if he wants to be a sweep or a lumberjack, having watched you chop wood for several hours last weekend.” Bradley hadn’t been the only one watching closely, either. Dominic had claimed he was there to keep Bradley safe, but he’d take any excuse to watch his boyfriend strip down to a tight Henley, despite the chill, and swing an axe. “I think you might be his favourite.”
“But I’m not really his uncle.” Reagan sighed. “And I’d really like to remedy that.” He let go of Dominic’s hand and stood, his chair scraping over the floor tiles with a sound that made Dominic wince. “Don’t move. Where’s my rod bag?”
“By the front door. Ready to go with us in the car.” Reagan wouldn’t trust his precious rods to a removal company.
He shot from the room, leaving Dominic at the table, confused, alone, and emotionally battered.
Dominic heard muttering and the sound of rods hitting the parquet of the hallway, but he didn’t move. Reagan had asked him to wait at the table and wait he would. He trusted Reagan totally. With his body, with his family, with his heart.
Reagan ran back into the room. He stopped at the table but didn’t sit. “I was going to save this for Christmas Day. But I like the symbolism of another new staring point in the same location as the old one.” He sucked in a breath. Let it out slowly.
Dominic studied Reagan. Another long breath. His checks were flushed and his eyes shone with excitement and maybe just a hint of trepidation. The impression was enhanced by the shaking of his hand as he held out a black velvet box. He flicked it open and revealed a thick platinum band.
Did this mean what Dominic thought?
Everything seemed to be moving through treacle: his thoughts; Reagan, who started to lower himself to his knees. “Dominic Pearson, would you do me the honour…”
“Yes.”
“Let me finish… ”
“Yes.”
“Of being my husband?”
Dominic reached out, bypassed the box with the ring—that wasn’t the important part—and wrapped a hand around Reagan’s wrist. He tugged him up and pulled him into his lap. The chair creaked ominously. “Ab-so-bloody-lutely.” He pulled Reagan into a kiss.
It was a long, exploratory kiss.
When they finally broke for air, Reagan was panting, his eyes glazed over.
“I understand it’s good luck to have a sweep at your wedding. Know where I can find one?”
Reagan grinned. “Maybe. The luck is multiplied if the bride agrees to kiss the sweep.”
“Him and only him.” Dominic smiled, each beat of his heart solid and steady as he made a solemn vow. “For the rest of his life.”


Want to read about how Dominic and Reagan got together? Check out their story in my Christmas novella, When Love Flue In.

When Love Flue In Buy Links

Universal Amazon link mybook.to/WhenLoveFlueIn_LF

Payhip // Kobo // B&N // Smashwords


Click here if you want a downloadable copy of this story.

Friday 21 December 2018

Review Tour - Bigger Love by Rick R Reed





Length: 60,332 words

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Blurb

Truman Reid is Summitville High’s most out-and-proud senior. He can't wait to take his fierce, uncompromising self away from his small Ohio River hometown, where he’s suffered more than his share of bullying. He’s looking forward to bright lights and a big city. Maybe he’ll be the first gender-fluid star to ever win an Academy Award. But all that changes on the first day of school when he locks eyes with the most gorgeous hunk he’s ever seen.


Mike Stewart, big, dark-haired, and with the most amazing blue eyes, is new to town. He's quiet, manly, and has the sexy air of a lost soul. It’s almost love at first sight for Truman. He thinks that love could deepen when Mike becomes part of the stage crew for Harvey, the senior class play Truman's directing. But is Mike even gay? And how will it work when Truman's mother is falling for Mike’s dad?


Plus Truman, never the norm, makes a daring and controversial choice for the production that has the whole town up in arms.


See how it all plays out on a stage of love, laughter, tears, and sticking up for one’s essential self….

My Two Pennies' Worth

Full disclosure. While I love Rick R Reed’s books, I haven’t read Big Love, the book prior to this one. This lapse didn’t impede my reading pleasure, I was fully able to read and enjoy this book as a standalone. However I do wonder if I would have enjoyed it even more if I’d read them in order.

This is a young adult tale. Truman is gender fluid, Mike is deeply in the closet, these facts don’t bode well for any relationship between the two, be it friendship or romantic. Especially when the whole town seems to want to have a say on any subject surrounding Truman.

I really like the way Rick handled Truman’s gender-fluidity and navigated the possible minefield of teenage angst.


I enjoyed this story immensely and now I need to go back and read Big Love to learn how Dane and Seth get their HEA.






Real Men. True Love.


Rick R. Reed draws inspiration from the lives of gay men to craft stories that quicken the heartbeat, engage emotions, and keep the pages turning. Although he dabbles in horror, dark suspense, and comedy, his attention always returns to the power of love. He’s the award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction and is forever at work on yet another book. Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…” You can find him at www.rickrreed.com or www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA with his beloved husband.


FIND RICK ONLINE

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/rickrreedbooks

Twitter: www.twitter.com/rickrreed

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+RickReedWRITER

Blog: http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/

Website: www.rickrreed.com

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rick-r-reed

Email: rickrreedbooks@gmail.com


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Review Tour - Home For Christmas by RJ Scott




Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Length: 45,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Texas Series


Book #1 - The Heart of Texas - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #2 - Texas Winter - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #3 - Texas Heat - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #4 - Texas Family - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #5 - Texas Christmas - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #6 - Texas Fall - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #7 - Texas Wedding - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #8 - Texas Gift - Amazon US | Amazon UK


Blurb

Can Connor show River a real family Christmas?


When Connor finds River on the roof of the campus admin building, he doesn’t know what to do. His friend is drunk, and shouting into a snowstorm, a bottle of vodka in his hand. The easy part is getting River down; the hard part is insisting River comes home with Connor for Christmas.


River doesn’t have a family, or any place outside of college that he calls home. Not that it matters to him; he’s happy being alone for Christmas in his budget motel, watching reruns of Elf. Only, Connor keeps telling wildly improbable stories of the perfect family celebrations at his parents’ ranch in Texas, and it’s wearing River down. He didn’t ask to be kidnapped. He didn’t want to fall in love with the entire Campbell-Hayes family. But he does.


From one Christmas to the next. This is Connor’s year to rescue River, and himself, for them both to mess things up, make things right, fall in lust and finally, for Connor to show the man he loves what being part of a family can mean.

My Two Pennies' Worth

Time to revisit the Texas series for Christmas. And what a wonderful tale. This time we focus on Connor, one of Jack and Riley's kids. He's all grown up and on his way home for Christmas with a college friend in tow. 

It’s lovely to revisit old favourite characters (Heart of Texas was one of my very first m/m reads) and see Jack and Riley are as much in love as ever.

Connor has a big heart, although his need to fix everything can sometimes backfire. That balances well with the issues and secrets that River battles. RJ writes family like no other and the Campbell-Hayes, well, they’re one of her best --it’s always a pleasure to spend time with them. The C-H family is an environment that River needs, whether he realises it or not.

A little angst, a whole lot of love, and a welcoming but manic family dynamic makes this an entertaining read.


Excerpt

Chapter 1


Connor skidded to a stop.


The cold December wind whipped around his face, ice and snow knifing into his skin, and at first, he couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing.


Maybe he should have stopped, called 911, shouted for help, but it could’ve been too late, so he’d acted on instinct alone. He’d taken the four flights of stairs at a run, reaching the roof and throwing the door open. His lungs burned from the freezing air and his voice had gone. What now?


Why was River on the roof in nothing but jeans and a T-shirt, clearly drunk? Why was he standing on the ledge, his feet spread, his arms wide, and a bottle of vodka in his hand?


When the girl from his floor told him she’d seen River go up to the roof, he thought she’d meant something else. He often went up there to read or watch life go by. But not in a snow storm.


He didn’t expect to see River standing on the ledge in the snow.


Don’t scare him. He’ll stumble and fall. He might jump.


A gust of air slapped Connor. River swayed to the left but righted himself with the casual grace of a gymnast. River wouldn’t fall by accident. Hell, Connor had seen him balance on one hand on a diving board, perfectly still, before falling gracefully and accurately with spins and pikes into the water below. He’d never seen River falter.


“River?” Connor asked, only an inch from grabbing River’s shirt and holding him tight. He saw River tense, but he didn’t wobble in surprise or slip and fall to the ground.


“I canbalance. Look at me.” River sounded so damn proud of himself.


Connor took a small step forward, finally being able to hold River’s shirt, hoping to hell that would be enough to stop River from falling.


“Come down, buddy.”


River lifted the bottle over his head, sloshing alcohol over his hair, his tongue flicking out to catch any that ran over his face.


“Fuck,” he shouted.


Connor tugged at him, not knowing what else to do. “Come back,” he said, loud enough that River actually looked at him.


“Leave me alone,” he said.


“I’m not leaving you on the roof,” Connor snapped and got a better hold of River, hooking a finger into his belt. River wasn’t a big guy, a diver’s body, no more than five ten and a buck sixty soaking wet, but if he fell, would Connor be able to hold him long enough to save him?


River pulled against Connor’s grip, and for a second the world stopped turning as Connor had to use his entire body weight to keep him upright. Something about the action must have scared River. He cursed and rocked backward, but he still wouldn’t come down.


“Come down,” Connor pleaded. “You’re scaring me.”


“You think you gotta save me? Huh?” River threw his arms wide again, more alcohol sloshing over the top of the bottle. “I don’t need saving.”


“I want you to come down.” Connor tried for calm. What was he doing? He should have called the cops immediately when he spotted River. Or firefighters, negotiators? Or whoever the hell should’ve been here. He’d seen things like this on the television, the mediator knowing all the right things to say and do, standing by River and connecting him to his family or childhood or his faith. All Connor knew was that he needed to pull River down, use the only thing he had going for him; the fact that he was bigger and stronger.


“I like it up here!” River explained with another wide gesture. He wobbled a little but righted himself immediately.


“Come down, Riv.”


“Saint Connor tries to save everyone,” River shouted, ending with a hysterical laugh. He was clearly losing control of himself, and even if Connor did have the words to talk him down, he thought maybe he’d just yank River back onto the concrete roof of the building and worry about injuries later.


But River wasn’t finished. “Even if they don’t need saving!”


“River!”


“Who the hell cares if I can balance, huh?”


“I care,” Connor shouted back. This was so out of character.


“Yeah, right, telling me what Christmas and family is like for you, making me see it in my head, and then leaving me here alone.”


“River, please.” Connor tugged him, but River wouldn’t move back.


“Leaving me here, alone, because that’s all anyone ever does. They fuck off, leave me, and what happens when college is over, huh? What happens when I lose that?” He lifted one clenched fist to the sky. “Fuck you!”


Connor had never heard River curse like this, and he was done with holding on to him. So evaluating where they would end up if they fell backward and not caring how much it hurt, he yanked, hard. River tumbled with him, arms flailing and the vodka bottle slipping from his grasp and falling into the tub of snow-covered plants on the roof patio. The two of them fell onto the roof, Connor using his body to cushion River’s descent, getting his arms full of an icy cold man, the breath forced from his lungs when they hit the ground.


Connor enveloped him in his arms and locked his hands in place, fighting a frozen, wet, drunk River. He wouldn’t get free. Connor had his pappa’s height, a rancher’s build, and he was a solid anchor in the wind and snow. There was no point in River fighting, and somehow he must have realized he couldn’t get free and went still in Connor’s arms.


All Connor could think was that he’d wanted River back in his arms for a long time now, but he’d expected soft lighting and mood music, not driving winds and snow.


“What the hell are you doing?” Connor demanded.


“Let me the fuck go.”


“Jesus, are you trying to kill yourself?”


River attempted to wriggle free. Connor’s grip didn’t falter in his hold. With his arms securely around River, he shuffled them back so they were protected by the low wall. He wanted to get them back inside, but he wasn’t ready to let River go yet, and the door was at least ten feet away. What if River wriggled free and ran for the ledge? The idea of River on the ground, twisted in death, blood… Connor didn’t want to think about it. He opened his coat, one-handed, and then pulled River closer, trying to get as much of the material to go over him, attempting to keep them both warm. River’s skin was like ice. How long had he been standing up there?


“What were you doing?” he demanded, but River didn’t reply, only burrowed deeper into Connor’s hold. This was stupid. He needed to get them off the roof, or he needed help. His phone was in the car. The campus was emptying for Christmas. It was ten a.m., snowing. What the hell was he going to do now?


“I have no one,” River muttered, then laughed and buried his face deeper.


“What do you mean? Talk to me, River.”


“No.”


“We need to get inside.”


How the hell do I get River inside?


He imagined struggling with River’s weight, trying to get him down four flights of stairs and across to his room. Maybe if he could just get him to the car, with its heated seats and the warm air blower and the coffee in a flask that Connor had made for the start of his journey back to Dallas. Then he could call someone, the cops or a doctor? That seemed like a plan, a focus. He scrambled to his feet, bringing River with him, and stumbled inside. As soon as the door shut, warmth hit them, prickling at his exposed skin, and he moved toward the radiator, still gripping River’s belt. He let go of him long enough to remove his jacket and place it around the shivering man’s shoulders.


River buried himself in the coat, and Connor went into disaster assessment mode. He’d seen hypothermia back home at the D, and it wasn’t pretty. He remembered his pappa saying there were signs to look for, and when Jack spoke, Connor always listened. He pulled up the facts he could remember. Did River have hypothermia? His teeth weren’t chattering, and he wasn’t talking at all, so it wasn’t obvious if he was slurring. Then, even if he did talk and his speech was slurry, how could Connor tell how much vodka he’d drunk? Connor tried to remember the symptoms. The college hospital wasn’t far away. He could drive there, and they would help.


Why the hell did I leave my phone in the damned car?


“It’s okay. I’m okay.”


“No, you’re not.”


“You can go,” River said dully. He wriggled closer to the radiator.


“I’m not going anywhere.”


“But you are,” River murmured. “You kissed me, you got me off, and now you’re leaving today.” Then he hid his face in his hands. “Shit, shit, shit.”


Wait. Was this about what happened at the thanksgiving party?


Is this my fault?


Connor didn’t usually drink that much, but he’d had one beer too many at the party, to the point where he had all the courage he needed to wait for River to come out of the bathroom.


“Can I kiss you?” he’d asked, and River had stared at him, stone-cold sober and narrow-eyed.


But then, holy shit, River had pushed him back into the nearest bedroom, shut the door, and the kiss had turned into something more, hands tangled in hair, the two of them kissing and rutting against each other until they were coming in their jeans. Really unromantic. Nothing more than getting off, and River had left before Connor could even get his breath back. Not the best of outcomes. Then River had ignored him. Not returning texts, no more study sessions in the library, and he’d even missed the last lecture of the semester.


All of that told Connor on thing: River wasn’t interested in anything more with him. But that didn’t mean they weren’t still friends. They sat in silence for a few minutes, River’s face still buried in his hands, and he was clearly crying.


What the hell should I do now?



USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.


RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.


The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.


She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:

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REVIEW TOUR - The Man Inside Me by Sean Kerr


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Book Title: The Man Inside Me

Author: Sean Kerr

Publisher: SGK Publications

Cover Artist: SGK Publications

Release Date 31st September 2018

Genre/s: MM Romance, MM Historical, MM Gothic Romance, MM Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 4 flames 

Length: 202 Pages

It’s a standalone story.








  

Blurb

Victorian London is a difficult place to be when you are gay, as Henry and Gabriel know all too well.

When they were young at Oxford University, Henry and Gabriel’s love burned hot and bright, and they thought to change the world together until a devastating tragedy ripped them apart.

Now, as youth fades away, Henry can no longer stand to see his own reflection in the mirror. All he sees is a sad, tired old man whose body has betrayed him. He craves the touch of another, to feel attractive and vital once more but his obsession with finding a cure for insanity has stolen his life away, and now his work has taken on a dark and sinister dimension. How far will he go to recapture the passion of his lost youth?

Gabriel fears that Henry is losing his mind, and when a brutal killer invades their lives, they are thrust into the dark depths of Victorian London in a fight for their very lives.

As their friendship is tested to its limits, Gabriel cannot help but wonder if there is still a chance for love. Can they move beyond the friendship that has spanned over thirty years and find the love that once made their hearts beat as one?

You may never be too old to find love, but will you be able to survive it?


Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited



My Two Pennies' Worth

This is the first book I've read by this author. I was very impressed with the quality of the writing and the historical feel of this book. It transports you back perfectly to the Victorian era.

I don't want to get too involved in the plot or characterisation in this book, allow yourself to be surprised as you read.

I would say though, that this book is a suspense, a thriller, and a gothic romance all rolled into one. It shows the development of a first love, throws your heart into turmoil, but still delivers a HEA.

Haunting and beautiful.







About the Author

Hi everyone, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Sean Kerr, and I am a 49-year-old gay man living in Cardiff, Wales with my husband of 28 years, Derek. We have two cats, Rita and Harry, and a host of tropical fish.

I worked on building sites for years, and I used the money earned from that to put myself through college, specialist paint techniques etc. I trained in fine art, and then I went out and painted murals on client’s walls, and created Roman Bathrooms and fantasy hand painted bedrooms, all the rage back in the late eighties and nineties. I then became an Interior Designer for a large DIY chain. For the past thirteen years I ran my own Interiors business, and while that is no longer in existence, I am now looking for my next challenge in life!

By night I am an Author, and I am very proud to be an author for Extasy Books. It took me some years to get to this point. I spent a very long time trying to get an agent because I thought it was the right thing to do, and after a heck of a lot of refusals, I nearly gave up. I came so close to hitting the delete button on Dead Camp 1 because I thought I did not stand a chance. At the very last moment, I decided to have a go at approaching a few publishers directly, and I sent the manuscript to six. Within two weeks, I had offers of publication from three! Let’s just say that there may have been tears lol. It was my chance, at last, to become a part of a world that I have always loved and admired from a distance, and it is one of the very best things to ever happened to me.

Dead Camp is the first series I ever wrote, and then there is my short novella called Hush Little Baby. Dead Camp is my take on the Vampire genre, an MM Paranormal Romance series that is set against a backdrop of World War 2. However, the series uses key moments from History to tell one enormous saga, and I have loved every single moment of writing it. There are five books in the Dead Camp series.

Hush is a pure horror story with more than a nod towards such classic programmes as The Twilight Zone and Tales of The Unexpected. The project happened just after I completed Dead Camp 3 and it is a story that I had to get out of my system. It’s definitely a different beast to my Vampire saga, and I hope it will make you go to bed with the lights on lol!

I recently ventured into the world of self-publishing, and as such, I have just released my first independent book series, The Last Child. The Last Child is a horror series that is in 3 parts dealing with the occult. It has a definite Dan Brown vibe in that I love conspiracy stories, so I have used religion and some intriguing legends as the backdrop to this contemporary supernatural thriller that tells the story of a female protagonist trying to protect her young student. Neither of them realises how their lives, and indeed their histories, are intertwined in the most horrific and tragic ways.

My latest book, ‘The Man Inside Me’ is an MM Victorian Gothic Romance, and I think it is the favourite thing I have written so far. It deals with two men in their fifties trying to find love again, a subject that is very close to my heart as I approach that milestone. It is a very important book to me, and while it has some very ‘KERR’ twists and turns, it is, at its heart, a very romantic tale that deals with middle age. I am particularly proud of this book, and it is a very different spin on the MM genre.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to meeting you on social media.





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