Dec 14

Blog Tour: Being With Him by Mickie B. Ashling (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Being With Him

Series: A Horizons Series Novella

Author: Mickie B. Ashling

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: 12/27/17

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 145 (42K)

Genre: Romance, Holiday, Contemporary, Transgender

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Synopsis

Zeb Araneda leaves his privileged but closely supervised life in the Philippines to study architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where his new roommate is openly gay Luca Dilorio.

Alex Boulet is a successful print model who appears to have it all, but on closer inspection, the ready smile never reaches his mesmerizing green eyes. Tired of living alone, Alex moves in with fellow model Chyna Davidson, Luca’s boyfriend.

Away from his father’s watchful eye, and with Luca’s help, Zeb learns to navigate his new environment, and experiences freedom of choice for the first time. This fresh perspective allows him to step out of his comfort zone and act on his attraction to Alex.

The holiday season has always been difficult for Alex. Sappy commercials tug at his heart, and storefront windows depict idealized scenes that remind him of what he’ll never have: a loving partner willing to accept his truth. Will this Christmas be another disappointment, or will Santa finally make his wish come true?

Excerpt

December

Zeb Araneda tried to concentrate on his roommate’s queer tutorial. With gay dads who led by example—and his own out and proud status—Luca Dilorio knew a lot about being in a same-sex relationship, and felt duty bound to teach him the basics.
Because Zeb was clueless.
And a recently hatched queer.
In love with Alex Boulet, the stunning trans guy who graced this month’s cover of GQ magazine.
“Dude, are you listening?” Luca asked when Zeb didn’t respond.
“Sorry—what?”
“Repeat after me so I’ll know you understand.”
“Quit it,” Zeb grumbled. “I might be new at this relationship, but I’m a smart guy.”
“In case you need a refresher,” Luca persisted. “Rule number one, no PDAs, rule number….”

Zeb sighed and allowed Luca’s words of wisdom to trail off to another section of his brain. Great at compartmentalizing, Zeb tucked away today’s lessons, having every intention of revisiting at a later date.
He realized knowledge was crucial to the success of his romance, but right then, he couldn’t focus for shit. All he wanted to do was pack his bag and catch the bus to Manhattan to start Christmas Break with his lover.
Luca and his boyfriend, Chyna, Alex’s roommate, were flying off to Grand Turk Island to meet up with assorted family members. Which meant he and Alex would have the entire apartment to themselves—for seven days!

Zeb’s friendship with Luca had gotten off to a rocky start back in late August when they’d first laid eyes on each other. He could still remember the outrage in Luca’s voice.
“Dude! You’ll have to downsize. There’s no room for all your crap.”
“Right,” Zeb agreed. “Poor planning on my part.”
“I’m Luca,” he offered, sinking down on a bed. “We’re stuck with each other for a year, so let’s try and make the most of it. Why not start with some ground rules?”
“My name is Zeb, and rules work for me.”
“Good,” Luca said absently, glancing at his phone. He tossed it to the side. “Da fuck.”
“What’s wrong?” Zeb asked. “Girlfriend troubles already?”
“Boyfriend,” Luca clarified. “He’s not picking up his phone or answering my texts.”
Zeb blinked and did his best not to react to the revelation that Luca was gay. It was the last thing he’d expected but a huge relief. Maybe he’d finally get some answers to the questions that had been plaguing him for a while.
“Where is he?” Zeb asked.
“Manhattan.”
“What’s he doing there?”
“Modeling.”
“Wow.” Zeb approved. “Sure beats college.”
Luca studied Zeb. “What are you doing here if you’d rather be somewhere else?”
“My parents decided I was going to be an architect the minute I was born. No one bothered to ask if that’s what I wanted.”
“That blows,” Luca said sympathetically.
“Back home it’s like that,” Zeb explained.
“Where’s home?”
“The Philippines.”
“My mom’s Filipino,” Luca mentioned. “She can be a bit Napoleonic at times. Drives my dad nuts.”
Zeb hooted. “Are they still married?”
“They never were.”
“Ouch. How come?”
“My dad’s gay,” Luca said evenly. “I was an accident, but he says it was the best thing that ever happened to him.”

“He can’t be that gay if he got it up for a chick.”
“No, he’s definitely gay. What happened with my mom was a one-off.”
“I can’t believe you’re so accepting,” Zeb commented.
Luca squinted. “Do you have a problem with gays? Tell me now and I’ll request a new roommate.”
“No, not at all,” Zeb said quickly. “I’m totally cool with your orientation, but my family’s strictly Catholic and they frown on same-sex love. I admire your self-confidence.”
“I’ve had my own run-ins with the Catholic Church, and I can tell you they’re full of shit. Love is love. Period. You’ll never hear me complain about my childhood. I’ve got the two best dads in the world, and my mom and her husband—who also happens to be my dad’s brother—have given me a great life.”
Zeb’s eyes widened in shock. “Did you just say your dad’s brother is married to your mother?”
Luca smiled. “Yup.”
Zeb leaned forward. “So he’s your uncle/stepfather?”
“Which part of this aren’t you getting?” Luca asked.
“No blood was spilled?”
“Nah,” Luca said. “It’s ancient history. We’re one big, happy blended family now. I have a half sister who’s also my first cousin.”
“Dude, that’s convoluted as hell.”
Luca snorted. “How about I unravel the mysteries of my family tree over pizza? It’ll take my mind off Chyna for a bit.”

Zeb still had a hard time figuring out Luca’s intricate family dynamic. As days turned into weeks, and more info was shared, a solid friendship was born. Perhaps it was because Luca was half Filipino himself and understood parts of Zeb’s culture most strangers found perplexing and somewhat annoying. Like Zeb’s complete lack of basic survival skills. When he first arrived at Cornell, he had no idea how to use a washing machine or dryer.

“Dude, you’re clueless,” Luca remarked the first time he watched Zeb frowning at his pile of formerly white undershirts and briefs. They’d turned an ugly shade of gray after he’d washed them with several pairs of black jeans. The jeans themselves were dotted with white lint.
“Am I going to have to buy new underwear?” Zeb asked plaintively. “Most of this stuff is brand-new. And those are Diesel pants!”

“Next time, separate the whites from the darks,” Luca advised. “We can probably salvage your underwear with bleach, or you can go commando.”
“Hell no! I don’t want my dick caught in the zipper.”
“Yeah, you’d end up in the ER for sure,” Luca predicted, shaking his head. “Grab the bleach.”
“What about the jeans?”
“We’ll wash them again,” Luca said. “Fucking high maintenance….”

Luca warned him to get with the program or end up spending all his money at the cleaners. So he did. Life lessons with his anal-retentive roommate had been painstakingly awkward at times, but more often than not, they reduced them both to hysterical laughter.

Zeb made up for his domestic malfunctions by killing it in the classroom. Always a great student, he excelled in math and drafting, very often helping Luca. It was his way of repaying the embarrassing hand-holding.
Since September, he’d perfected his laundry smarts, kept his space tidy, stopped his whining about having to take a bus rather than be chauffeured, and begrudgingly did his own manis and pedis, a luxury he missed above all others. He knew there were nail salons outside campus, but nothing beat having the technician come to your house every other week.

Luca’s lessons on American living had slowly dropped off as Zeb became acclimated to his new world. Caught up in his own relationship, Luca didn’t pay much attention to Zeb’s new romance until after Thanksgiving. By then, he and Alex had spent the holiday together and were definitely a couple. When Zeb admitted he’d fallen hard, Luca embarked on another mission. Teaching Zeb how to keep a low profile to avoid getting his or his boyfriend’s head bashed in.

Not that Zeb was flamboyant or anything, but he was a touchy-feely type of guy and had a tendency to forget that PDAs weren’t always welcome, especially between two men. Since the latest presidential election, the tide of public opinion with regards to same-sex love was shifting back to the Dark Ages, and it was imperative Zeb realize he couldn’t act like he was in a heterosexual relationship. No matter how much he wanted to climb Alex’s bones, he had to wait until they were in a safe place.

Alex himself was more than aware of the pitfalls. Transgender men or women were like blinking lights, drawing haters for no good reason. Throw in Alex’s biracial card, and he might as well draw a bull’s-eye on his forehead. Mindless aggression against people of color, or the men and women brave enough to live their authentic lives, was all too common.

It certainly explained why Alex kept a low profile in public. It was difficult to blend in with a crowd when you were over six feet tall and drop-dead gorgeous, but Alex managed it by muting his colors, wearing a beanie or ball cap, and generally keeping his head down. A pity, in Zeb’s opinion, because underneath the drab black and gray beat the heart and soul of a beautiful peacock. Alex was a photographer’s dream, after all, and loved preening in front of the camera. Fashion was his thing, and dressing down instead of up went against his very nature, but there had been an incident in his past. Something he’d alluded to but hadn’t shared, and his fear of attracting unwanted attention when he wasn’t in front of a camera was palpable.

Zeb could understand Alex’s reticence, considering how quickly they’d gone from friends to lovers. Perhaps Alex felt it was more prudent to take a wait-and-see attitude rather than possibly sabotage their budding relationship with an injection of harsh truth. For the next week, they would bask in the glow of new beginnings, and if Alex felt comfortable enough to talk about his past, then Zeb would lend a sympathetic ear.

Pre-Order at Dreamspinner Press

Meet the Author

Mickie B. Ashling is the pseudonym of a multifaceted woman who is a product of her upbringing in multiple cultures, having lived in Japan, the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East. Fluent in three languages, she’s a citizen of the world and an interesting mixture of East and West. A little bit of this and a lot of that have brought a unique touch to her literary voice she could never learn from textbooks.

By the time Mickie discovered her talent for writing, real life got in the way, and the business of raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing—and the inevitable emptying nest—dreams of becoming a published writer were resurrected and she’s never looked back.

She stumbled into the world of men who love men in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from their ongoing struggle to find equality and happiness in this oftentimes skewed and intolerant world. Her award-winning novels have been called “gut-wrenching, daring, and thought provoking.” She admits to being an angst queen and making her men work damn hard for their happy endings.
Mickie currently resides in a suburb outside Chicago.

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Tour Schedule

12/14 My Fiction Nook

12/15 Divine Magazine

12/16 BFD Book Blog

12/17 Stories That Make You Smile

12/18 Love Bytes

12/19 Dawn’s Reading Nook

12/20 MM Good Book Reviews

12/21 The Blogger Girls

12/22 Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

12/23 Bayou Book Junkie

12/24 Bending the Bookshelf

12/25 The Novel Approach

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Dec 12

Book Blitz: Protecting his Omega by Giovanna Reaves (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Protecting his Omega

Author: Giovanna Reaves

Publisher: Self-Pub

Release Date: December 12, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 226

Genre: Romance, Mpreg, Alpha, Omega, Non-Shifter

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Synopsis

Phoenix Harcourt is a single father who was kicked out of his home when his parents found out that he was an omega. After losing his alpha mate, Phoenix turned his focus to his daughter and the successful company that was left in his care. With a threat to his life, Phoenix hires a bodyguard who wants to protect more than his body. He also want’s Phoenix’s heart.

Hired to protect an omega, Lucius Payne had one goal: do his job and nothing else. He was never one to mix business with pleasure. Moreover, finding an omega mate was not in his plans, especially when it is the man he is supposed to protect. When his job becomes more complicated than he was expecting.

Can Lucius convince Phoenix to trust him with his heart as well as his body?

Excerpt from Chapter One

“Welcome back, Mister Harcourt,” Joyce Bailey greeted Phoenix Harcourt, CEO of Phoenix English, Inc.

“Good morning, Joyce,” he greeted his executive administrative assistant, as he stopped by her desk before heading to his office. “Alissa,” he greeted to Joyce’s assistant who nodded at him before he looked back at Joyce. “Come and see me in twenty minutes, I need to look over a few business reports.”

“Yes, sir,” she said writing down his instructions.

Phoenix walked into his office, and set his briefcase down on the chair in front of his large mahogany desk. He loosened his tie just a bit before taking off his suit jacket, resting it on the back of his chair as he sat down. He glanced at the stack of mail that had accumulated in the week he’d been out of the office.

Returning to work after taking care of his daughter, Jasmine, who’d caught a nasty bug from school, was both a relief and a guilt trip. He loved being a dad, but being a single father had its ups and downs and having a sick child was certainly one of the down moments. “I thought Joyce would’ve gone through all this already,” he muttered to himself.

Logging in to his computer, he pulled up the latest business reports from his management team and checked on his company’s stock. Everything seemed to be in good standing, the holidays were always profitable for Phoenix English, Inc. While Phoenix tried to get as much paperwork done while he was at home, Jasmine needed him more. He followed the motto that Maxwell English had ingrained in him and their employees: family always came first.

Phoenix turned around in his chair and stared out the window. He never thought his life would turn out the way it had. There were three hierarchical statuses in society: alpha, beta, or omega. Phoenix was a male omega, a status in society that some considered to be rare with their androgynous beauty and his unique ability to bear children. However, no matter how rare omegas are, they have a low standing in society and, in most cases, not seen as leaders and are supposed to be submissive to their mates.

Alphas, on the other hand, were respected and recognized as leaders, with their abnormally handsome features, strength, and intelligence, they were perfectly compatible with their omega mates or that was what the fates and gods wanted society to believe.

Betas made up the vast majority of society and were more humanistic in appearance and physique, they were also a step down from alphas. Betas could mate with an omega, but they were unable to have children together.

As Phoenix considered his status, he shook his head to remind himself that as an omega, he was running a multibillion-dollar cosmetic company with his name on it. And that made him smiled. Hearing the sound of ice rain hit his window, it reminded him that the holidays were a few weeks away. The holidays always made him think of Max, the man who became more like a father to him than his own father. He missed Max. He was there for Phoenix when he needed him, right after his parents kicked him out.

He hated thinking about his parents, especially the way they shunned him after they found out he was an omega. At sixteen, there were a few things that happened in his life. Puberty. Some experience it a couple of months before or after their sixteenth birthday. But around sixteen was the age when teenagers found out if they were an alpha, omega, or beta. When Phoenix turned sixteen, he found out two things that he had accepted about himself: he was gay and an omega.

However, it seemed his parents were having a difficult time coming to terms with the fact that he was an omega. He remembered that day, as if it was yesterday. It was six months after he and his twin brother, Anthony, or Tony to his family and friends, turned sixteen and he noticed that his parents were acting cold towards him. Tony was an alpha and he was also acting strangely towards him.

Phoenix and Tony had always been close, they shared everything from clothes to secrets. There were a few things that Phoenix noticed when it came to his brother, that he was forgetting conversations they had or places they’d been to. Although they were twins, Phoenix had always thought that their parents loved them, equally acknowledging and accepting that they had different personalities. His parents had portrayed themselves as open-minded and willing to listen to everyone’s problems. They were always preaching to Phoenix and Tony that they should be more tolerant of all mankind and their differences.

Phoenix had heard stories of banishment happening to other kids and never fathomed that he would end up being one of them. No matter how many times he begged, his parents refused to reveal the reason why they were rejecting him. He could never forget the words spewing from his father’s mouth.

“You’re worthless to us,” James Harcourt yelled at him.

“Dad, why are you saying that,” Phoenix cried.

“Don’t call me that,” James snapped. “Don’t refer to me as your father. You are not mine.” Phoenix had never seen the look of anger and hate on his father’s face before. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he looked at his mother and brother, his eyes begging for them to say something in his defense. To talk some sense into his father.

“Mom, please,” he begged. Lilith went to move, but Tony clamped a hand down on her shoulder. “Go, Phoenix, just leave us alone and whatever you do, do not come back,” she told him then turned her back to him. Tony wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear.

“I’m giving you fifteen minutes to get your shit and get the hell out of my house,” James told him.

“Da— ” The sound of a loud crack reaching his ear stopped him when he realized what he heard was his father’s hand meeting his cheek. The sting made him understand that his father was not the man he thought he was.

“Do as I say, boy.”

Phoenix nodded and ran to his room, grabbing everything he could fit in one bag, including his three-month supply of suppressant pills, and ran out of his parents’ house without looking back.

Purchase at Amazon

Meet the Author

Giovanna (Gia) Reaves is my alter ego, who is a dreamer. I spend my days and nights dreaming and thinking of the worlds I want to create with words. I started writing about three years ago, when I was introduced to the world of fan fiction. I loved the idea of creating a new world around characters that people already knew about. And ones that are original of my own making. I have written two novels and a few free stories. I am a mother, wife, and a military veteran. I enjoy trying new things such as traveling, cooking, and reading. I try to incorporate some of the things I have experienced into my books.

Currently living in Newport, RI with my two favorite men. If I am not hidden in my cave writing, I love to read and spend time with my hubby and son. I love listening to R and B along with neo-soul when I am writing. When I’m not writing, I am trying to perfect my baking and decorating skills or try to pick up something new. I love spending time with my husband and son playing video games and traveling.

I love hearing from you, email me. GiovannaReaves@gmail.com. Visit my website www.GiovannaReaves.com check out my blogs and free stories. Join my Facebook group: Gia’s Secret Temptations https://www.facebook.com/groups/GiasSecretTemptations/ or just follow me Gia Reaves on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Giovanna.PM.Reaves
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Dec 11

Book Blitz: Wild Trail by A.M. Arthur (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Wild Trail

Series: Clean Slate Ranch #1

Author: A.M. Arthur

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: Dec 11, 2017

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 90,000 words

Genre: Romance, cowboy romance, actor, law enforcement,

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Synopsis

Welcome to Clean Slate Ranch: home of tight jeans, cowboy boots, and rough trails. For some men, it’s a fantasy come true.

Mack Garrett loves the rolling hills surrounding his Northern California dude ranch. Leading vacationers on horse trails with his two best friends is enough—romance is definitely not in the cards. When a sexy tourist shows up at Clean Slate, he’s as far from Mack’s type as can be. So why is the handsome city slicker so far under his skin in less than a day?

Roughing it in the middle of nowhere isn’t anywhere near Wes Bentley’s idea of fun. Then he lays eyes on the gruffest, hottest papa bear he’s ever seen. But Mack is as hard to pin down as he looks—distant, sharp-tongued, and in desperate need of a shave. Until a campout gone wrong strands both men in the mountains with nothing to do but get to know each other.

Mack intends to keep his closely guarded heart out of Wes’s very talented hands. But for a seven-day cowboy, Wes is packing some long-term possibility. The cold country air can do wonders for bringing bodies together—but it will take more than that to bridge the distance between two men whose lives are worlds apart.

This book is approximately 90,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Carina Press acknowledges the editorial services of Alissa Davis

Excerpt

Footsteps scuffled in the dirt. Wes turned, expecting to see Sophie or Miles. Instead, Mack’s broad body filled his vision. He smiled at Wes from beneath the tilted brim of his hat—a smile less friendly, and slightly more predatory. Wes’s skin prickled with awareness.

“Doesn’t seem like you to not be sociable,” Mack said.

“Stretching my legs,” Wes lied. Okay, so that was partly true. He glanced around, startled to see he’d wandered a good ten yards from the creek and the other campers.

“Don’t stretch too far. You might get eaten by a mountain lion.”

“Please tell me you’re kidding.”

Mack shrugged one muscled shoulder. “Can’t say as I’ve seen one myself, but I’ve seen their tracks.” Wes must have had some kind of terror on his face, because Mack added, “They tend to stay to the north, though, higher up in the mountains. Shouldn’t be much of a bother to us.”

“Good.” He took a breath to calm his suddenly racing heart, which could have been from the mountain lion scare as much as the way Mack had taken a protective step closer. Close enough that he could smell sweat and horse, and something deeper that was all Mack. Not cologne. He doubted Mack wore that shit around the horses. But whatever the smell was, it was damned intoxicating.

“You not enjoying the trip?” Mack asked out of the blue.

“Sure. Not used to riding on a horse.”

Mack tilted his head, that smile dimming. “You sure that’s it? A few times on the trail, you looked…I don’t know. Sad?”

Mack had been checking him out while they were riding? “I’m not sad, exactly. Sometimes I get inside my own head and it isn’t a pretty place to be. All the regrets and bad choices. It’s why I usually am the center of attention in a crowd. Talking and entertaining people lets me not think about my problems.”

“I hear ya.” Mack shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, pulling the material tight across his crotch. Wes couldn’t help taking a peek at the package, nicely outlined even under denim.

Dropping to his knees and blowing the tour guide for being kind was probably frowned upon by management, so Wes forced his gaze back up. Mack watched him with open amusement in his eyes, even if his lips were still flat. Curious, Wes poked out his tongue and clacked the ball of his tongue stud against his teeth. Mack’s nostrils flared.

“Ever felt one of these against your—” Wes glanced at Mack’s crotch “—skin?”

Mack growled. “You’re trouble.”

“In the flesh.”

“Troublemakers like you deserve spankings,” Mack retorted, his voice low and growly.

Wes’s dick perked up. “Please, daddy.”

“Fuck.” Mack took a deliberate step backward, big arms crossing over his chest.

“Was that an invitation?” Wes purred, cocking his hip just so.

His only response was another growl—the kind that made Wes’s belly tighten in anticipation of action. Instead, Mack threw his shoulders back and said flatly, “I don’t fuck the guests.”

“Then how about after checkout on Saturday? I won’t be a guest anymore.”

Mack’s silence said loads to the fact that he was actually considering Wes’s offer, and hell yes, Wes would love to bend over for Mack—a big, stallion of a man who probably fucked like a champion.

Purchase

Carina Press | Amazon

Meet the Author

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland. She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop. She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories. A.M. Arthur’s work is available from Carina Press, Dreamspinner Press, SMP Swerve and Briggs-King Books.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder. She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

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Dec 11

Release Blitz: Holiday Collection, Week Four by Multiple (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Holiday Collection, Week Four

Author: Multiple

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 11, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: Multiple

Genre: Multiple, New Year’s Eve, reunited, geeks/nerds, ballet dancer, hockey player, men with childlren, friends to lovers, reunited, holiday, slow burn, hurt-comfort, depression, family, age gap, college, professor/teacher, contemporary, vacation/travel, secret agents/spies, action thriller, enemies-to-lovers

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Synopsis

OLD ACQUAINTANCE:
Damon is getting over a bad breakup. Ioan is painfully shy. Neither expects to enjoy the New Year’s Eve party to which their mutual friend, Katie, has dragged them. However, their unexpected reunion may make them change their minds by the time midnight strikes.

BALLERINA DAD:
Attending his daughter’s holiday dance recital should be easy for pro hockey player Patrick Barnes. Showing up in a tutu, however, wasn’t exactly part of the plan. And yet the holidays get even more interesting when he bumps into Lee, the man he let get away years ago.

Ballet instructor Lee can’t believe who just walked into his studio. He also can’t believe how quickly the flare of attraction between he and Patrick resurfaces, despite the years that have gone by since they last spoke.

Once upon a time, they let opportunities get away. Is it possible they’ll now have the chance to pursue the spark that has come back to life after just one conversation?

Holidays are a time for giving, and neither Patrick nor Lee are about to take this particular gift for granted.

AS THE SNOW FALLS:
Christmas is fast approaching and Kade’s parents have abandoned him for the holiday. Thankfully his best friend, Byron, invites him to spend the holidays with him and his family. That night, in the dim glow of the Christmas tree’s lights, Byron and Kade share a kiss, but Byron backs off before it can go further.

Can Kade stand up for what he wants and convince Byron he’s not so easily broken, or will he need a Christmas miracle to bring them together?

CONNECTION TO CHRISTMAS
Ty Hallahan was on a mission: make it home in time for Christmas—or suffer his Irish Catholic mother’s wrath. But thanks to a series of misadventures, his simple four-hour flight has turned into a two-day ordeal. And just as he has almost reached his destination, Ty is stuck once again—and on Christmas Eve, no less.

But maybe Santa has something up his sleeve for Ty? Wandering through the airport terminal, Ty runs into the man he has secretly loved for years. Once Ty’s professor, Dr. Ernesto Goncalves—Dr. G for short—is also stuck for the holidays, and Ty determines to make the most of their time together.

RESET TO ZERO
Agent Azzerare and the black market criminal known as Vulpe meet once a year every holiday season to collaborate on certain secret missions. Azzerare is less than enthusiastic when Management first suggests it; Vulpe is amoral, self-serving, and criminally inclined—everything Azzerare stands against. But as the years pass and the missions continue, Azzerare sees a new side of Vulpe: someone loyal, clever, and willing to risk his life to save Azzerare’s. Azzerare must decide how he feels about his partner—and if it’s love, he has to ask himself whether he’s willing to risk his career to pursue it, because an emotionally compromised agent is a dead one in Management’s eyes.

Purchase at NineStar Press

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Dec 11

Release Blitz: Life Drawing by Suzanne Clay (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Life Drawing

Series: Chiaroscuro, Book Three

Author: Suzanne Clay

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 11, 2017

Heat Level: 5 – Erotica

Pairing: Female/Female

Length: 19000

Genre: Contemporary, artist, lesbian, teacher/student, contemporary, age-gap, interracial, light D/s, leash play, toys

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Synopsis

After two intense encounters with her former student, Ainsley must admit to herself that she can see a future with Noma—but at what cost? Years spent protecting herself from heartbreak have left Ainsley terrified to take a chance on love. Everything—from their age gap to the judgment of others to a commitment to deeper intimacy—makes a relationship seem impossible.

When Noma asks Ainsley to go away with her to a secluded mountain cabin for Noma’s final weekend in town, there’s nowhere for Ainsley to run. And Noma is asking for harder scenes than either of them have ever explored before. Such intimate isolation with the only woman that she’s been drawn to in years, and with nothing but raw chemistry and honesty between them, could unlock the last of Ainsley’s crumbling defenses once and for all.

Ainsley and Noma’s relationship comes to a head in the third and final story of the Chiaroscuro series.

Excerpt

Life Drawing
Suzanne Clay © 2017
All Rights Reserved

The text from Noma came through as Ainsley was finishing up yoga in her living room. She paused before pushing into cobra, dragged her phone over instead, and rested her chin on her arms.

Hey can we FaceTime in about an hour? Ive got some good news and some bad news.

Ainsley frowned as she rolled on her back and held the phone above her. She considered her answer, thumbs hovering over the keyboard. “Of course” was what she finally settled on, and then she promptly pulled up a search engine to find out exactly what FaceTiming was.

I’m almost forty, she thought. I’m not in contact with my family, and my closest friend is a man who hates cell phones. I have an excuse for being clueless. But there was no way that a twenty-two-year-old woman needed to know that, especially if it led to the extensive teasing Ainsley thought it would.

It wasn’t the first time Ainsley had felt out of her depth with her young lover. For a week now, she’d been talking to Noma whenever possible—texting her, calling her, Skyping her—and every time she spent just five minutes listening to her talk, she had her mind blown.

How quickly this next generation could pick things up from nothing with only a search engine. How incredibly fast their minds could move from one topic to the next. How talented they were at multitasking. And Noma had the fortune of an education she’d fought hard to receive—MIT was nothing to flinch at—as well as technology advancing so quickly that the world was only a short time away from hitting a technological singularity.

And then, here was Ainsley—squinting at Photoshop like she didn’t need glasses and looking up trivial information everyone else seemed born with. Incredible.

Refusing to let heavy thoughts weigh her down, Ainsley came to her feet and folded herself into dancer pose. Twisting into positions her body had all but forgotten—her hand behind her back and around her ankle, balancing like a flamingo on her other leg—meant that her thoughts ran a little more smoothly, as if her stretching muscles made her mind work differently.

Noma seemed to like her. That much was apparent. They’d only spent one night and day together so far, but they’d sunk into each other so perfectly, Ainsley had all but forgotten how bland her day-to-day life used to be. While Noma had familial commitments to uphold as a new college graduate, she never let a night go by without sending Ainsley sweet words that made her feel missed.

New pictures filled Ainsley’s phone nowadays, and they were pictures she wasn’t sure she had a right to: a bored Noma snapping a photo of herself in the back of a car, bracketed by her two young siblings; Noma, shy and half-asleep and smiling up from her silk pillow; a scandalous mirror picture of her in matching lingerie with a wink. But Noma wouldn’t have sent them if she didn’t like Ainsley or if she didn’t see some potential in their relationship. Right?

Ainsley lost her balance and caught herself on the edge of the coffee table, trying to stop panting. That was really the weight of it all: they’d played together, they’d had scenes together, but they still hadn’t talked about what they were looking for with each other in a serious way. And Ainsley couldn’t figure out if she was wrong for wanting that.

An hour later, Ainsley tucked herself against the arm of her couch and waited for Noma’s call. She didn’t have to wait long. When she answered, alarm bells went off in her head at how her phone camera decided to show the least attractive angle of herself possible—namely, giving a peek at her nose hairs.

“Oh my God,” Noma said with a laugh. “Ainsley, please.”

“Just a moment.” Ainsley tried to adjust the phone so she could look a little less wrinkly and a little more striking. Her hand trembled, and when she propped her arm up on her knee she looked…washed-out, actually, and pale. But it was the best she could do. “Hi.”

Noma, brilliant in her royal-purple tank top with a slash of matching eyeliner, looked like she’d just come off a photo shoot somewhere. She grinned. “Hey there, gorgeous.”

“Stop.” Ainsley rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face or the warmth from her cheeks.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Noma murmured, and when Ainsley looked back at her, she saw how Noma was drinking her in. Her pupils were huge, her lids were languid, and every part of her expression felt like something sweet and treasured that Ainsley didn’t deserve. “Missed you.”

Ainsley beamed. “Did you, sweetheart?”

“More than I wanted to.” Noma sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry I had to cancel on our little get-together we talked about a few days back—”

“It’s fine,” Ainsley interrupted. “You have a lot going on. I completely understand.”

“Yeah, but like, I’m not trying to stay away from you, if you get what I’m saying.” Noma watched her closely. “There’s just been a lot of time-sensitive things going on, since my aunts could only be in town for a week or whatever.”

“And I’m not upset about it at all.” Ainsley smiled. “You said a lot of your family couldn’t even be at your graduation ceremony, right? It makes perfect sense that you need to see them all right now. Especially with how big your family is.”

Noma frowned. “About that, I, uh…”

Ainsley blinked and then adjusted herself so she could see Noma a little better and try to read her face. “What is it?”

“That’s the bad news I talked about,” Noma said, wincing. “I’ve got a pretty full plate this next week too. I won’t be able to see you till it’s over.”

“Oh.” It had been years since Ainsley had been strung along, but she remembered the feeling—the tightness of her chest, the inability to breathe. “Oh, okay.”

“I’m sorry,” Noma said.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for.” Ainsley forced a smile, but it felt cold compared to the last one. “You’ll be heading back to Massachusetts soon after that, right? I know how hard it can be to fit such a huge number of things into a month.” It was easier to pull out excuses for Noma to pick from than watch her try to make them herself.

Noma looked away for a moment and dropped her voice. “Here’s the thing, though. My uncle? You know, the divorced one I told you about? The doting one?”

“Of course,” Ainsley said. She had a picture of them together too.

“So, he’s got this cabin in the mountains, and he wants me and my friends to go up there next weekend so we can get some time together before I have to go, and I told him yes.”

Ainsley swallowed down her disappointment. “That sounds like a lot of fun. You’ll have to take lots of pictures.”

“We’ll have to take lots of pictures.”

Ainsley furrowed her brow. “What?”

“I want you go to with me, Ainsley.” Noma smiled—that same shy smile she’d given her when she peeked up out of Ainsley’s bed that first morning. “Nobody else. Just you and me up in the mountains, enjoying nature and shit.”

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Meet the Author

Suzanne is an asexual woman with a great love for writing erotica and enjoys spending her time confusing people with that fact. She believes there is a need for heightened diversity in erotic fiction and strives to write enough stories so that everyone can see themselves mirrored in a protagonist. She lives with her husband and cat, and, when not writing, Suzanne enjoys reading, playing video games poorly, and refusing to interact outdoors with other human beings.

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Dec 11

Release Blitz: Sunburnt by Joey Jameson (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Sunburnt

Author: Joey Jameson

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 11, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 50900

Genre: Contemporary Thriller, horror, suspense, medical, mental illness, Contemporary, amnesia, vacation, Ibiza, serial killer

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Synopsis

Lenox Winter is the son of rock royalty. Although born into the London elite, his laid-back style and relaxed vibe has always made him feel better suited for something or somewhere outside of the legacy his parents have built. Some place where the sun shines all year long and the people move to a different beat. Ibiza.

Far away from the busy streets and dreary skies of London rests the white isle. Home to hedonism, immaculate sandy beaches, and utter tranquility. While holidaying on the island with a group of his best friends, and desperate to leave behind the stresses of London as well as the harmful memories of his ex, he meets Lyric; a man who epitomises the bohemian vibe of his beloved Ibiza.

As romance quickly blossoms between the two, Lenox begins to feel that he may have finally found someone special to help him escape the suffocating clutches of his life in the UK. But when things take a drastic turn, both begin to realise that there are two sides to every person and that some things are better kept hidden.

Sunburnt is a story of romance, intrigue, and deep twisted secrets that takes the idea of a holiday romance to catastrophic new heights.

Excerpt

Sunburnt
Joey Jameson © 2017
All Rights Reserved

Prologue – Now

His thoughts shifted back to that first moment, back to where it all began. If he concentrated long enough he could picture that face perfectly, as if it were directly in front of him—the shape of his eyes, the strong line of his jaw, the curve of his lips as he smiled. He remembered his smell, sweet and yet salty, like something citrusy mixed with the scent of the sea air.

As he closed his eyes and rested his heavy head in his hands, he imagined the sound of his voice, caressing him gently as it washed over him with its deep, liquid tones. How warm it made him feel once. Safe and cared for, like no ill could ever come as long as they were together. How quickly he felt at ease when he was around. A gentle caress of his warm touch on his cool skin was all it took to make the questions and doubts that filled his head slip away like sand through his fingers.

How foolish he had been.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he gritted his teeth together until his whole jaw ached, attempting to shake the images from his head. But the harder he tried, the more resilient they became, like a stain on his thoughts that got darker and darker the more he tried to scrub them clean.

He could feel the all-too-familiar sense of panic rising in his chest as the memories began to flood his consciousness. Still images, like photographs in an album, seemed to litter the ground around him, tumbling from his mind until he was practically drowning in them. Their relationship played itself out before his very eyes and the more he willed it to stop the more feverish the memories became. He balled his hands into fists against his temples and pressed them so hard to his skull he thought his head would implode. The panic was strong now. It began as a tremor in his gut that poisoned his whole frame as it wormed its way upwards, until it grasped his throat and closed in as if squeezing all the air out of the room.

Then, just as his body temperature was reaching boiling point, an unexpected hand on his shoulder yanked him back from the disease of his own thoughts.

His whole body jolted as he raised his eyes, squinting into the harsh light of the hallway in which he sat. A person stood just before him, towering over him in an authoritative stance. The fluorescent lights caught the metal of the person’s badge, drawing his gaze south as if entranced by the glimmering effect.

“It’s time.”

The figure gestured with a weathered hand towards a room across the hall, his stance signalling a less-than-patient nature.

He took a strained breath which burned as it worked its way through his core, and quietly calmed his nerves. The panic subsided slowly as he took in the reality of where he was. Pulling himself from the seat to which he had become glued, he braced himself for what was about to happen next.

As he walked through the doorway he was greeted by a man and a woman who sat behind a long, grey table. The lights were strong and the air was tense.

The woman was the first to speak.

“Please,” she said, motioning to the chair across from them. The table was covered with an array of manila folders arranged neatly in front of them. Their contents were left to his imagination as he moved further into the room and to the lone chair in front of the table.

He heard the heavy door shut behind him and lock as he sat down carefully, at once feeling uneasy and self-conscious. Looking up into the eyes of the man and woman across from him, he felt vulnerable and small, like a mouse in a cage facing his attacker. The room was cold and sterile and void of any emotion, which seemed to suit the situation perfectly. Their eyes burned into him in expectant fashion, as if assessing the situation before he had a chance to even utter a word. The silence was heavy but soon shattered.

“So,” began the man in a voice that was startlingly low, “You know why you’re here.” His words were more of a statement than a question. “Please begin by telling us about your relationship with the deceased…”

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Meet the Author

Joey Jameson lives in Brighton, UK; a world of decadence, glamour and intrigue. He believes life is better when drizzled with naughtiness and drenched in layer upon layer of sparkling glitter. His work is best appreciated with a hard drink and the lights down low and will leave you wondering just what goes on in that twisted little mind of his.

He is the author of Candy from Strangers, Blackout, Twisted and Interview with the Porn Star.

Stay tuned for more scintillating work to come your way soon…

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Dec 11

Release Blitz: Dragon Fire, Angel Light by Shara Godwinson (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Dragon Fire, Angel Light

Author: Shara Godwinson

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 11, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 46000

Genre: Paranormal, dark romance, paranormal, shifters, dragons, magic, kidnapping, captive

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Synopsis

William is a dragon shifter who, despite having lived for over two thousand years, has never found a true love. When he meets Evyn, a quirky musician/journalist who wants to be a real photographer, he immediately finds him irresistible.

But Evyn’s a little supernatural too, and an evil brotherhood and a band of soul reavers are after him to destroy his pure soul.

Can William protect his love from evil?

Excerpt

Dragon Fire, Angel Light
Shara Godwinson © 2017
All Rights Reserved

Prologue

October 14th, 1066 A.D. The Battle of Hastings

The battle for Britain was done. The enemy had won. The fighting had lasted for nine hours, an unprecedented amount of time. When it was over, King Harold lay dead, and William of Normandy stood victorious over his slain enemy. However, for Willan, a humble Anglo-Saxon soldier, the battle was still very much ongoing. Willan lay on the slick bloody grass. He had suffered a blow to the head that had left him unconscious for some time. But now, he woke to find himself surrounded by his dead comrades and in a dire situation.

The Norman soldiers were walking the battlefield, seeking out their wounded and killing any of the enemy that they came across. His life meant nothing to them, and if they attempted to kill him, they would learn the truth about what he truly was. Still, he had no choice. If he stayed here, they would find him. If he got up and ran, it would mean a fight he was not sure he could manage, and he would still face destruction. He looked around as best he could. From his position on the ground, with the other bodies lying around him, his vision was obscured. If he rose even the slightest bit, he was sure that he would attract attention and probably get an arrow to the head, just like his king.

Someone drew near. Their footsteps rattled the fallen shields and armor. If he was going to move, he had to do it now. His weapons were lost to him, and all he had were his feet. He jumped up, but he was grabbed from behind and thrown back to the ground. A large armored foot slammed down on his armor-plated chest, knocking the air from him. The man standing over him raised his sword, ready to strike. Willan looked up at his enemy’s face. When he stared into his enemy’s eyes, he realized that he knew them.

“Marcus?” he cried, hoping he was right. That his words would stay the man’s blade. For Marcus was not a man either. Willan and Marcus were the same.

It worked, and the man knelt down by Willan’s side and gazed into his eyes as if not completely sure what he saw was true. Finally, he said, “Wit? Is that you, Wit?”

“It is, Marcus. It is Wit.”

Marcus stared at him again for a moment. Then he said, “Wait here. I will not hurt you. Wait here until after nightfall and I will come back for you. You understand, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Do not move a muscle. You need to act dead.”

“I will.”

“I have to go report that all are dead in this area. I will be back for you. Do not move.”

“I will not, Marcus.”

Marcus left him then. Willan lay there and tried to think about the last time he had seen Marcus. It had been about a thousand years or so ago when they were living together in Rome. Marcus had been a soldier, and he had been Marcus’s servant. He had left the night that Marcus had hit him and Willan had decided he couldn’t take the other man’s anger anymore. He had loved Marcus, but Marcus…could Marcus love? He had loved being with Willan. But did he love me?

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Meet the Author

Shara has always loved fantasy, having fallen in love with it as a child. She loved fairy tales from Authors such as Hans Christian Anderson and The Brothers Grimm. J.R.R. Tolkien has always been a massive influence, especially characters like Fili, Kili, Faramir and Sam (a personal favorite). She graduated from Eastern Oregon University in 2015 with Bachelors in History and Liberal Studies. She lives in Eastern Oregon with her cat, Isabella, her Chihuahua Maisie, and her Ring Necked Parakeet, Pretty.

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Dec 04

Release Blitz: Ivory by J. Rocci (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Ivory

Author: J. Rocci

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 4, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 28500

Genre: Contemporary, Chefs, Depression, Doctors, Homophobia, Interracial

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Synopsis

Trapped by familial obligations, engaged to a fiancée he doesn’t love, and crippled by the regrets of his past, Dr. Bradley Durrant is miserable and rapidly caring less about his own health as he works himself to the bone at the family hospital. But then he meets Nashan Windham, the grandson of his late father’s scandalous old friend, and Brad’s downward spiral is derailed, at least for the moment.

Brad lets Nashan and his grandfather pull him into a world where families—blood and the ones you choose—support each other and understand that love is unconditional. Brad gets his life together again, with Nashan’s help, and he can finally accept who he is and knows what he wants, but can he convince Nashan?

Excerpt

Ivory
J. Rocci © 2017
All Rights Reserved

“—is a very influential woman who is a close friend of Dr. Mathews. Bradley? Are you still there?”

Bradley made an affirmative noise in his throat, adjusting his reading glasses as he turned a page in the patient file spread across his desk.

“I said that Mrs. Ambrose is a close friend of Dr. Mathews. Bradley, you need to secure this invitation if you want to join—”

He let his mother continue on speakerphone as he studied the latest blood panel results. A little girl, age nineteen months, neuroblastoma. Her response to chemotherapy was not what he’d been hoping for, but with children especially, every cancer case was unique. He dragged one of his reference books across his desk and started flipping through it.

“—that noise? Bradley?”

“Yes, Mother, I am,” he responded absently, pulling out his sticky notes.

“It’s getting late, darling. Why are you still at the office?” she asked with a sigh in her cultured tones. She was nearing sixty but looked and sounded as though she were still in her mid-forties. She had guided Bradley’s father through social galas, philanthropic work, and maintaining the proper connections, and now Bradley bore the brunt of her energies as she attempted to groom him to become the chair of the hospital board.

Thirty-four years old and he had learned to rebel in small ways.

“Mother,” he said gently, “I’m almost finished here, then I’ll head out.”

“Ah yes, your Tuesday dinner with Brianna,” she said with an undertone of satisfaction. “Please give her my regards, darling.”

“I will. Goodnight, Mother.” He disconnected and returned the phone to its customary position under several medical journals.

Checking his watch, he pushed away from his desk and headed for the door, pausing only to return the stray toys on his carpet to the basket on his bookshelf. The pictures of patients and their families on the shelves always made him smile.

Scrubbing tiredly at his face, he strode down the hall to the elevator banks and debated getting a cup of coffee from the cafeteria but ultimately decided against it. He’d be fine.

Only one of the four night-shift nurses was sitting behind the children’s oncology station when Bradley arrived. He waved and she blushed, looking down at her desk.

“Oh, Dr. Durrant,” Glen said, glancing up again. “Monica left a note for you on Room 342.”

He slowed down. “Is it urgent?”

“No, her parents have requested a visit in the morning, after your rounds.”

He nodded. “Let them know that I’ll stop by, please.”

She grinned at him and he gave a halfhearted smile before continuing to the recreation room. Visiting hours and rec time were long past, but Bradley didn’t need more than the light of the city streets outside to navigate the room.

His objective gripped firmly in one hand, he went to see his nightly “problem” patient.

He popped his head around the privacy curtain in Room 355. Sure enough, Mrs. Lewkowski was snoring in her cot, exhausted, and a pair of bored seven-year-old eyes blinked at him from the hospital bed.

“Hey there,” Bradley whispered. “You up for company?”

Tommy nodded eagerly. “Yeah. What do you have tonight?”

The drugs always affected kids differently. Tommy had the worst of it in the evenings, when he’d get restless and was prone to making a fuss, which could set off half the floor. His parents traded off nights at the hospital so someone was always home with Tommy’s brother and sisters. Tommy had a clip-on book light and comic books for when he couldn’t settle down, but even with palliative care, the pain could be taxing on a kid.

If Bradley could be a distraction for a couple hours a night to let either parent rest, he considered it part of maintaining his patient’s overall health.

“How are you at Uno?” he asked conspiratorially, tucking himself in the visitor’s chair and ready to stay for a while.

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Meet the Author

Since 2006, J. Rocci has published romance stories, ranging from contemporary to steampunk to fantasy. Rocci currently lives near Washington D.C. with the love of her life and their furry children, and loves giving her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s equally likely to be found out on the town or curled up at home with a good book.

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Dec 04

Release Blitz: Obsession by Theophilia St. Claire (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Obsession

Author: Theophilia St. Claire

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 4, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: No Romance, Male/Male

Length: 59000

Genre: Contemporary Thriller, contemporary, genre fiction, thriller, gangs, drugs, gay, mental illness

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Synopsis

Nick has a hard life. Not only is he working at an East Harlem bar to make ends meet and pay for his sister’s medical expenses, he’s also on the run from a shady past that’s surely catching up to him.

Most people think Claude has it easy due to the money and luxury surrounding him. But they would be wrong. Firmly trapped beneath his stern father’s thumb, Claude’s pre-determined life took a nosedive when his lover, Christian, left him a year ago.

When the two meet, sparks do not instantly fly between them. Claude thinks Nick is his ex-lover returned to him. Nick thinks Claude is crazy.

However, circumstances bring these two men together. And despite Claude’s jealousy and possessive nature, Nick is falling for him. Sick of being mistaken for Claude’s ex, Nick is willing to find out what happened to him—the real Christian. He’ll have to if he wants a stable relationship with Claude. How Claude takes the truth, however, is the only thing that scares him.

Excerpt

Obsession
Theophilia St. Claire © 2017
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

“Christian?”

Nick glared at the fingers on his arm, the grip tight enough to be offensive. His gaze crawled its way up to the owner’s face. Handsome guy. Tall. European-looking with stylish dark-blond hair and piercing hazel eyes. He stared at Nick expectantly, waiting for his response. His full mouth parted slightly.

I’m at work, Nick reminded himself. He couldn’t go off on a rude customer again. Not if he wanted to keep his job. Nick shrugged off the stranger’s grip. “Sorry, no.” He carried the empty water pitcher through the lively crowd toward the bar.

His best friend, Eric Ruiz, raised a brow at him. “What was that about?”

“No clue. He called me Christian.”

Eric frowned, stroking his goatee. “Christian? What? The name or the religion?”

“Do I care?”

“Sounds like a poor attempt at hollering at you, hermano.” Eric sneered as he took in the customer’s appearance. “Upper East Side boys ain’t got no game.”

Nick glanced over his shoulder, back at the table he’d just walked by. Even though he had company, the stranger focused on Nick. His expression hardened, dangerously so. “What the hell is his problem?”

“Don’t worry about it, yo. Let’s get back to work before Phil sees us slacking.”

Nick agreed. Taking his thoughts away from the man, Nick headed off to check on his tables.

It was Valentine’s Day, so Jenkins’ Jazz Bar was busier than usual. Loving couples and groups of friends celebrating their singleness occupied every table and booth. Food and drinks flew from the kitchen at a rate almost too quickly to comprehend. Hell, Nick wasn’t even sure the house band had taken a break yet. Since the bar opened that evening, it’d been one fast-paced blur.

Nick checked on a stylish older couple who should have been dining on Madison Avenue, not a basement joint in East Harlem.

That guy too, Nick thought. He stole a glance at table nine, which Mercedes tended. The stranger wasn’t looking his way anymore, so Nick studied him a moment. The guy was groomed and decked out in top-notch designer clothes. Everything about him—from the way he sat to the way he sipped his cocktail—screamed money. He probably owned a penthouse on Fifth Avenue too. Nick gave a wry smile at the thought.

“We’ll take two rum cakes. And I’d love another glass of this wine, if you don’t mind.”

Nick brought his attention back to the smiling woman. “Sure thing.” He headed to the brand-new station to key in their orders.

The front door opened.

A young man wearing a black hoodie paired with loose-fit jeans stepped inside.

Nick sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the mingled scents of soul food. The visible tattoos on the guy’s knuckles and neck did not bode well for Nick. Had they found him already? After only a year?

“Shit.” Nick needed to check on two tables, but he didn’t care about anything other than staying out of the guy’s sight. He rushed into the kitchen, glad for the safety of the steel double doors.

“You okay? Look like you saw a ghost.” Mercedes Shaw was the eighteen-year-old niece of Phil Jenkins, the bar’s owner.

“Yeah,” Nick replied. “Actually, you mind taking these rolls to table seven for me? I need a breather.”

Mercedes’s brown eyes softened with understanding. “Yeah, I got you. It’s been like this all day, huh?”

Nick nodded, even though the fast pace wasn’t the problem. He hurried out the back door with a sigh of relief.

The temperature had dropped into the low twenties, but the cold air soothed his flustered skin. Nick leaned against the building, raking a hand through his hair while trying not to think about the tattooed newcomer inside. Instead, he focused on his immediate surroundings, though there wasn’t much to look at. The back door led to an alley that smelled like trash and piss. Police sirens and the occasional gunshot created life’s soundtrack there in his corner of Manhattan. That, he was used to. He didn’t want to give up the life he’d found there. Not yet. More than anything, he dreaded being back on the streets.

Nick didn’t stay outside long. He wasn’t looking to give Mr. Jenkins any reason to fire him. He just hoped the asshole had left already.

 

Nick’s shift ended at one in the morning. Fortunately for him, the night flew by without further incident. Only the staff remained, bussing tables and cleaning floors, while the band put away their instruments and wiped sweat from their foreheads.

“Good job, everyone,” Phil called out. He draped the towel onto his graying ‘fro and glanced about the space with a hearty smile. “Boy, it’s been a long time since I’ve played back-to-back like that. Stamina ain’t what it used to be. I’m getting too old for this.”

Nick nodded in agreement as he took a seat at the bar. He was only twenty-four, but all the running around had him feeling like a middle-aged man.

Eric set a shot of something in front of him. “You wanna stay at my place tonight?”

Nick barely peered up. He sifted through his tip money, calculating how much he needed for Amy’s medical expenses and to get caught up on his rent. The night had been packed, but his tips were only marginally better than what he usually made on a good night. Most of the couples had probably bought expensive gifts first, then came out to dinner. Nick inwardly groaned. He was still short a few hundred dollars.

“Yo, Nicky. You ignoring me?”

“My bad.” Nick grabbed the shot glass and downed the alcohol in one go. Tequila. He stuffed the money back into his pocket. “I’m just gonna go home. Coming with me to the bus stop?”

“Naw, I’m here ’til two. Inventory and shit. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good luck with that.” Nick gathered his things and left the bar.

Outside, the temperature had dropped from earlier, but the cold didn’t faze Nick as he slid into his worn puffer coat. The bus stop was a half mile away on East 116th Street.

The darkness seemed heavy whenever Nick left work alone around that time. Sometimes, listening to music helped him not to notice the lack of streetlights in the area or imagine what lurked in the shadows, waiting to jump out at any moment. But he wouldn’t be listening to anything, not after earlier. He pulled the hood of his coat on top of his head and tucked his hands into the pockets like he clenched something other than his MP3 player. He looked menacing, no doubt about it. The defense mechanism surprisingly kept him from being bothered most times.

Nick quickened his pace to the bus stop. He didn’t enjoy being alone out there. Heavy footsteps followed closely behind Nick, noticeable without the sound of traffic. Nick glimpsed over his shoulder.

There, following a few feet behind him, was the tattooed gangster from earlier.

Nick’s heart pounded. He almost stumbled as he continued to move forward, even while gazing backward.

The guy reached into his coat pocket.

Nick ran.

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Meet the Author

Theophilia St. Claire is an up-and-coming author who loves to explore everything dark, taboo, psychological, and gay in her fiction. The more uncomfortable, the better. On the bright side, however, she enjoys romance, anime, yaoi, and laughing at cats. She lives with her family somewhere in the South, and is currently on a journey to becoming a bestseller.

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Dec 04

Release Blitz: Holiday Collection, Week Three by Multiple (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Title:  Holiday Collection, Week Three

Author: Multiple

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: December 4, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male, Female/Female

Length: Multiple

Genre: Contemporary, contemporary, holidays, New Year’s Eve, reunited, established couples, grief, family, interracial, kids, teacher, sweet, lesbian, coming of age, historical, gay, bisexual

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Synopsis

A SEASON OF NEW BEGINNINGS
Joshua just wants to be alone. Happy holidays be damned; the last place he wants to be is at a Christmas Eve party surrounded by overly jolly friends. After a breakup with his boyfriend, Clay, he’s having a hard time watching other people be merry when all he wants is to drown himself in booze.

If it wasn’t for a promise to two dear friends, he’d have been home on his couch watching the least festive thing possible. Instead, he’s got to deal with flamboyant Desi flirting up a storm with him. Only Desi has a past too, and his own pain, as well as a bit of unsolicited advice for Joshua that could turn his bleak night into a bright future.

HOME IN A SNOWSTORM
Daniel Wu is an elementary school teacher with a big heart and a collection of snow globes to match his travels. The small town he has settled in, however, feels like it could be home. All that’s missing is someone special and a family to call his own.

Resigned to spending the holidays alone, Daniel finishes work on the last day of school, only to stumble upon one his students, Abby Weber, who needs a ride home. Jeffrey Weber, single father and recent owner of a cast on his broken leg, needs quite a bit of help around the house when Daniel drops Abby off. Christmas Eve is around the corner, so Daniel can’t let the two fend for themselves. What he doesn’t expect, however, is the snowstorm that strands him in their remote home in the forest. But is this misfortune, or could it be a wish come true?

DALA HORSE INN
Six months after she inherits the Dala Horse Inn, Tilde’s family has arrived to celebrate Christmas and critique Tilde’s every move. When her grandma walks in on Tilde while with Emma, her friend with benefits, Tilde suddenly has a fake girlfriend for the holidays. Fueled by stress, glögg, and Emma’s help, Tilde is determined to make Christmas a success. As the big day approaches, she isn’t sure if being interrupted by Grandma was another hurdle to surpass or the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

CANDLELIGHT KISSES
Malmö, Sweden, 1994

Erika Stolt is a feminist activist, and not one of the slick, lipstick lesbian variety. She’s the kind who trashes beauty contests, who graffitis her own subversive messages over commercial billboards, and who fucks people mainly as a political statement. But then a community service sentence lands her a spot as the unlikely new assistant of one of the candidates for the Malmö Lucia contest, and the world as she knows it is promptly turned on its head.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES
After losing his husband, David, to a tragic accident the previous year, Russ doesn’t feel much like celebrating the upcoming holidays. When his daughter unexpectedly asks for one of David’s cookie recipes, Russ makes a decision that lands him in a baking class. After a few mishaps with an inept partner, Russ is ready to give up, but then the teacher, Amos, offers private lessons to help him recreate David’s smorgasbord of holiday treats. Somewhere along the way, Russ develops an attraction to the younger man, but is he ready to move on and let Amos in?

Purchase at NineStar Press

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