The Sorcerer’s Gambit by C.S. Harris #kindleunlimited

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Sorcerer’s Gambit (The Ring of Worlds, Book 2)

Author: C.S. Harris

Publisher: A New Reality Publishing

Cover Artist: Christopher S. Harris

Release Date: April 25, 2024

Genre: Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, polyamory 

Tropes: Lovers reunited after a long separation, heroes

Themes: Coming together, being free, self-discovery, making a life

Heat Rating: 2 – 3 flames

Length: 93 000 words/337 pages

It is not standalone story and ends on a cliffhanger. Book 3 comes out this summer.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US   |  Amazon UK 

 

Love, Longing, Great Magic, and a Fat Orange Cat.

 

Blurb

Alex, Imara, and Sirenī thwarted the Unified Government’s relentless edicts and fled their homeworld of Gaea to seek refuge elsewhere in the Ring of Worlds. Hunted by the elite squadrons of Zeta Force and the Tèng Empire’s Dragon Guard, the Three encountered a new problem as soon as they arrived on Earth: Jack Carter, the man tasked with killing them. Carter expected to kill the Three or die trying, but instead, he traveled along with them. The four strangers must settle into a new life on their adopted world with the people they first met: Jordan McInerney and Richard Bryson.

Maria McInerney, Jordan’s grandmother, helped Alex, Imara, and Sirenī decades before when they briefly stopped on Earth during their quest to defeat Sogma. Meeting Jordan is like coming full circle, and the travelers work to settle into their new life. While adjusting to Earth, the people of Gaea quickly realize that their grand reunion was merely the beginning of their journey. Not everything on Earth is as it seems, and the dark magic of the necromancer has yet to manifest.

Please note:

The central narrative follows a group of main characters engaged in a polyamorous relationship. Initially, the relationship comprises one man and two women, evolving to include an additional man, forming a balanced quartet where each individual shares a deep, equitable connection with the others. Although the story is rooted in the genres of epic and urban fantasy, rather than romance, it includes moments of intimacy that encompass a spectrum of orientations and identities, including interactions among women, men, and supernatural beings such as vampires. Additionally, the narrative features a secondary character who identifies as non-binary. The same gender relations are blatant.

Excerpt 

“Carter says those two people have been following us since we left the house,” Jordan whispered to Imara and Sirenī as she pretended to browse the women’s clothes. “He added that if you don’t do something about it, he will.”

“I know,” Imara said placidly. “They’ve been talking about us. I think they’re also flirting, but I’m not certain.”

Jordan watched Imara turn her gaze to Sirenī; she swore she could feel a conversation between them even though neither said a word. After a few seconds, Imara smiled and glanced at the suspected spies. The man looked to be in his forties, while the woman seemed younger.

She was an athletic-looking natural blonde, clearly of Scandinavian extraction, and had bright blue eyes. They weren’t as luminous as Alex’s, but they had that icy look that so many people found alluring.

“We’ll handle it,” Sirenī assured Jordan. “I’d prefer not to make a scene. Muscles probably isn’t the most discreet at things like this.”

***

Drëndi breezed by in feigned excitement as she looked at a shirt that, Brent thought, would flatter her lithe, fit form.

Contemplating Drëndi’s fitness made him think of his own, which was poor. Watching the jacked fellow who’d gone into the dressing room made him think about his health. Brent wasn’t obese and out of shape, but he wasn’t as fit as his partner, either. She took her health more seriously than he took his, but maybe it was time for him to change that.

Fabric rustled nearby. He looked up from the shirt he was pretending to contemplate and froze for an instant as he stared into the sharp eyes of one of the two women. She stood two steps away, studying him.

Damn it! How’d she get so close?

***

Drëndi flinched and clapped a hand to her cheek. It felt like someone just flicked her! She looked around and saw one of the women they’d been surveilling next to Brent. The woman raised a hand and beckoned haughtily, and Drëndi slunk over, still rubbing her cheek.

“Did you do that?” she asked the stranger.

The PID agent was more curious than upset. The woman stood still and appeared to study Drëndi and Brent. She noticed that the stranger’s pupils didn’t contract or dilate, but was that odd? Walmart’s lighting wasn’t great.

The woman spoke; her voice was calm and strangely resonant. Drëndi looked at her partner and wondered if the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, too.

“I did. I’m curious why you’ve been following us. I’ve heard you two talking about us since you were out in the parking lot.” She paused, then added, “And Carter noticed you following us in your vehicle when we left the house.”

“Huh…” Brent grunted.

He looked at Drëndi, and she knew he was thinking the same thing: if the stranger had heard the two agents talking from such a distance, her hearing was well beyond the average.

“That’s some sharp hearing you have,” her partner observed.

Drëndi looked at him like, Really, Brent? He shrugged with a small, crooked smile.

“You have no idea,” the woman said dryly. She narrowed her dark eyes slightly. “We’re not being secretive, you know. My name is Imara Inanna. My companions are Sirenī Adamma and Jack Carter. Our Earthen companion is Jordan McInerney. Now, why are you following us?”

 

About the Author 

I’m an artist and author who’s been crafting stories since my childhood. My debut series, ‘The Ring of Worlds,’ is inspired by my love of high-fantasy and science fiction. When I’m not writing, I enjoy gaming, reading, and exploring new worlds—real and imaginary.

 

Author Links

Blog  |  Website  |  Facebook

Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up  |  Chris Harris Art 

 

 

 

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Reunion of the Three by C.S. Harris #kindleunlimited

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Reunion of the Three

Author: C.S. Harris

Publisher: A New Reality Publishing

Cover Artist: Christopher S. Harris

Release Date: February 29, 2024

Genres: Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, space opera, polyamory 

Tropes: Lovers reunited after a long separation, heroes

Themes: Reunion, coming together, being free, being authentic, self-discovery

Heat Rating: 2 – 3 flames

Length: 95 000 words/320 pages

It is not a standalone book. Book two is out on April 25, and book three this summer.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK   

 

Love, Longing, Great Magic, and a Fat Orange Cat.

 

Blurb 

Foreseeing the annihilation of Gaea by the Tèng Empire and the demonic Sogma, Alexander Eldred and his allies, Imara Inanna and Sirenī Adamma, marshaled their magic to thwart the calamity. Their triumph brought them back to their homeland of Demurria, only to be sundered by a government edict citing their immense combined strength as a threat: Alex is a magical prodigy and never forgets a spell once he’s seen it written or cast. Imara hears the universe as a symphony and can control reality with her voice. Sirenī is blessed with fatal beauty, a power so great it can compel into obsession any who behold her.

After fifty years of enforced separation, compelled by a fresh premonition, Alex challenges the mandate to reunify with Imara and Sirenī. This time, the peril extends beyond Gaea, endangering the entirety of the Ring of Worlds, threatened by a formidable necromancer’s dark influence. To prevent the spread of this malignant corruption across myriad planets, the trio must reunite and elude the Unified Government’s grasp, racing against time to safeguard the future.

Please note: The central narrative follows a group of main characters engaged in a polyamorous relationship. Initially, the relationship comprises one man and two women, evolving to include an additional man, forming a balanced quartet where each individual shares a deep, equitable connection with the others. Although the story is rooted in the genres of epic and urban fantasy, rather than romance, it includes moments of intimacy that encompass a spectrum of orientations and identities, including interactions among women, men, and supernatural beings such as vampires. Additionally, the narrative features a secondary character who identifies as non-binary. The same gender relations are blatant.

 

Excerpt 

Barefoot, Alexander left the primary bedroom and walked through the quiet halls of Eldred Manor. He descended to the first floor and passed the library on his way to the workroom. Once there, he stepped through the large double doors and shut them.

The room was massive and had Spaera Mystica—arcane circles for conjuration—etched into the floor in varying sizes. He stepped over to a small one and held out his hands with his palms facing up. An orange-red glow flared around them, and he began to chant in his natal tongue.

Within moments, mist began to swirl above the sigils etched into the floor. He continued to chant until a hemispherical dome flared into existence, shimmering with striations of faint color like a rainbow. He turned his palms down and changed his chant.

Now the ancient syllables of Darhavil rolled from his lips, and mist filled the Spaera Mystica. Alexander finished his spell, dropped his hands to his sides, and waited. It took several minutes for a figure to appear in the mist, insubstantial and amorphous but irradiant.

“Alexander,” the figure said. The voice had a tremulous quality but was easy to hear. “Why have you reached out to me?”

Alexander bowed his head briefly. “I apologize, Valas. I have been feeling something, a sensation at the back of my mind. The only thing I could think to do was contact you.”

The agglomeration of colors spun like fluid inside the mist-filled hemisphere of the magic circle. The flashes of light occasionally suggested a beaked head, wings, and a long, feathered tail. Alexander watched the manifestation patiently. Subtle anxiety had been building in his mind, urging him to action.

“The patterns suggest an inflection point formed sixteen million years before this moment. Beginning now, the probabilities unravel,” the figure told him.

That was interesting information. Opaque but interesting. What is the inflection point? Was it related to the events of my dream? Can I recover them with a waking dream enchantment?

The Grade Five magic was only as reliable as the ephemeral threads of the mind—so not very.

The sorcerer bowed his head again. “Thank you, Valas. I appreciate your willingness to communicate with me.”

“You are welcome.” The figure began to dwindle; the light faded at the edges into eldritch sparks that winked out as they drifted toward the floor. “I would add one last thing: the time is upon you. You cannot wait.”

Alexander froze. “Are you certain?” he stupidly asked.

Valas Amris is a celestial being. Of course, it is certain! he thought scathingly.

The figure faded until only the mist on the floor remained within the Spaera Mystica, but Valas murmured one last sentence.

“Yes. Complete your work with Skawen’na’há:wi. You are close.”

Alexander took a deep breath as the mist drained into nothing. He released the magic circle with a snap of his fingers and stood there for a long time. His thoughts were jumbled and raced in circles. He felt excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and fear.

After several minutes of stillness, he stirred and turned from the symbols carved into the floor. He retreated from the workroom and planned to return to his bedroom. Instead, he detoured into the library and sat in his favorite chair. Around him were more than a thousand books, including tomes, treatises, and grimoires. He looked at them with unseeing eyes, wrapped in his thoughts. They ran to the two people he loved most: Imara and Sirenī. He hadn’t seen them in a long time, but that was about to change.

Once he finished his training, of course.

Alexander remained in the library until dawn. He blinked when the sun shone through the windows and stabbed his eyes. Turning his head, he cracked his neck and looked around. He’d contemplated and discarded a dozen plans in the few hours it took for the sun to rise.

What is the best way to make contact? he wondered.

Imara lived in Louden, Sirenī in Glendale. He drummed his fingers on his thigh, brow furrowed. Nothing came to him.

Still, he left the library with a bounce in his step. In his heart, he felt excited by what was coming. For almost fifty years, he’d had a lump of stone in his chest, but now he felt it begin to soften and pulse once more.

 

About the Author 

I’m an artist and author who’s been crafting stories since my childhood. My debut series, ‘The Ring of Worlds,’ is inspired by my love of high-fantasy and science fiction. When I’m not writing, I enjoy gaming, reading, and exploring new worlds—real and imaginary.

 

Author Links

Blog  |  Website  |  Facebook

Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up  |  Chris Harris Art 

 

 

 

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New Release – Soft Hands by E.M. Lindsey #kindleunlimited

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title:  Soft Hands (The Sin Bin: West Coast, Book 2)

Author: E.M. Lindsey

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow, Photographer: CJC Photography, Model: Eric G.

Release Date: September 23, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Sports/Hockey Romance

Tropes: MMM, best friends to lovers

Themes: Aromantic acceptance, polyamory

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length:  68 000 words

It is an interconnected standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

 

 

Blurb 

There are a few things Nolan Ouellet has come to accept about himself.

One: that his future with the NHL was irrevocably destroyed thanks to his reckless actions as a teenager destroying his knee.

Two: that he will never fall in love because the very idea of it sends his skin crawling.

Three: he will bed as many NHL players as humanly possible before he retires his game.

And four: he will never apologize for who he is and what he wants.

Then two men come barreling into his life and turn everything he knows upside down.

He still won’t play for the NHL, and he still won’t change who he is because he’s fought too long and too hard to accept his identity. But suddenly his future is starting to look a little different than he originally planned.

And that scares the absolute hell out of him.

When he met Marko Rudenko and Luka Wagner—two veterans of the Denver Huskies—they were supposed to be a game, just like everyone else. But now all he can think about is how to keep them around without compromising the person he’s become and ruining the love Marko and Luka have for each other.

 

Excerpt 

“Is there going to be a fight?” Nolan asked.

The guy scoffed, glancing at him. “Worse. Hockey players.”

Nolan’s heart rammed against his chest. Not that it could possibly be Marko or Luka, but he hadn’t seen or spoken to either of them since the awkward incident at the rink. He hadn’t even been letting himself think about it.

He swallowed thickly. “They come in here a lot?”

“Every once in a while,” the guy said, then lowered his voice. “Mostly because it’s the furthest thing from a sports bar so no one’s going to notice if they take someone home.”

Nolan heard that for the warning it was: keep your mouth shut. The guy might not love having professional athletes in his bar, but he also knew it was good for business.

He forced himself not to look, bowing over his drink. “Tell me when it’s safe to escape, and close out my tab.”

“Actually, put his drink on ours.”

Nolan’s entire body froze. 

Fuck. Fucking shit fuck shit. 

He would have recognized Luka’s voice even if he was concussed and under water. His throat went tight, but he tried to offer something like a smile, though given how wide Luka’s eyes were behind his glasses, he realized he was probably grimacing.

His heart sank even lower when another body slid up against Luka’s and stared him down. “You don’t answer call or text. We think maybe you died.”

Yeah, okay. He did kind of deserve that. He’d just left Marko hanging like an asshole, and the guy didn’t deserve it. But he also didn’t deserve Nolan’s mess when it was obvious Marko and Luka were both capable of a love that straight up repulsed Nolan down to his core.

“You know these guys?” the bartender asked. He crossed his arms over his chest in a protective way, and Nolan felt a pulse of affection for the total stranger.

“No. We don’t know him. He’s total weirdo who stalk us,” Marko said.

Luka elbowed him hard. “Stop being an asshole. Yes, we know him.”

Nolan sighed and gave a nod. “Old friends. In fact, put their drinks on my tab. Get them each one of these,” he said, tapping his glass.

Both Marko and Luka started to protest, but the bartender ignored them both with a shrug and walked off to fill the order.

“Why you being child?” Marko demanded.

“Pretty sure a child couldn’t afford a twenty-six-dollar glass of bourbon for his two friends,” Nolan fired back.

Luka’s brows shot up, and he shoved his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. “Why the fuck are you drinking that?”

“Because it tastes amazing,” he said. And because I can afford it now thanks to a slew of online strangers who pay me to shove dildos up my ass. But he wasn’t going to say that part aloud as tempting as it was. “You don’t want it?”

As if summoned, the bartender arrived with three new glasses, and Nolan took his, watching the other two out of his periphery. Marko showed no hesitation when snatching up his, but Luka was a little more hesitant.

“It’s not poisoned,” Nolan grumbled.

Marko sighed, then hip-checked Luka out of his way and sat on the wooden stool. It groaned under his impossibly thick layers of muscle, and Nolan tried not to stare at the way his arms flexed as he laid one on the bar top and used the other to lift his glass to his mouth.

“Okay, we talk about weird moment, or we just get drunk and pretend it never happen?”

Nolan didn’t think the fucker was just going to come out with it like that. Guilt slammed into him as he looked over at Luka and wondered if this was some sort of confrontation because Nolan had flirted with them both and gotten a little too close to Marko recently. He swallowed down another delightfully spiced mouthful of liquor.

“Should I get drunk for this conversation?”

“Looks like you’re already halfway there,” Luka pointed out. He wedged himself between Marko and Nolan, leaning his elbow on Marko’s shoulder in a gesture that telegraphed they were together. 

As they should be, Nolan thought bitterly, but he wasn’t feeling particularly generous considering how badly he wanted them both. “Yeah, well. I came here to drink my feelings.”

“Mm. You should try feelings burritos,” Marko said. “Is much better. No hangover.”

“Nah, just burrito farts,” Luka said, then laughed when Marko rolled his eyes. “Please, you know it’s true. There’s a reason we don’t sleep together when you and Ravi have burrito night.”

Nolan felt his ears go red, and he had to look away. He didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with him because, for an aromantic asshole, he loved watching the people he cared about living their best lives. So why did it force bile up his throat to think about losing these two to each other?

They wanted things that made his skin crawl.

He jolted slightly when warm fingers touched his wrist, and he took a breath before he returned his attention to the two men. “I’m still firmly team bourbon.”

“Are you still team Luka and Marko?” Luka asked so quietly Nolan mostly had to read his lips over the music.

He swallowed heavily. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you stop talking to me,” Marko said, his booming voice rising over the music. “We have moment, then you just leave. And then”—he sucked in air through his teeth—“nothing.”

 

 

About the Author 

E.M. Lindsey is a non-binary writer who lives in the southeast United States, close to the water where their heart lies.

 

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Newsletter Sign-up  |  BookBub

TikTok  |  Instagram  |  Patreon 

 

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Day of Judgment by Aurora Crane and Briar Kearney #kindleunlimited #giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Day of Judgment

Authors and Publishers: Aurora Crane and Briar Kearney

Cover Artist: Cormar Covers

Release Date: September 1, 2022

Genre: Dark Contemporary MMM Romance

Tropes: Forbidden love, polyamory romance (MMM), established couple 

Themes: Good men doing bad things, brutal side of justice, love and duty

Heat Rating:  4 flames      

Length: 98 000 words

It is a standalone story for now as it is part of a collaboration with several other authors called “Virtuous Sinners.” It will become part of a trilogy to be released next year once the collection has ended in three months.

The book does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

 

A federal prosecutor with a three-digit body count, his clever and adoring husband, and the FBI Special Agent who got too close.

 

Blurb

A federal prosecutor with a three-digit body count, his clever and adoring husband, and the FBI Special Agent who got too close.

Led by Lady Justice, Justin Reynolds spills the blood of the unworthy with his husband Ace at his side. Together, they’re a well-honed symbiote with the potential to bring the world to its knees. Neither of them are prepared for the man who brings them to theirs.

FBI Agent Maddox Doherty has dedicated himself to getting the job done, sacrificing everything else, especially his personal life. Sent to investigate a string of murders, he’s prepared for anything… except the sparks that fly between him and the married couple.

An undeniable chemistry draws Maddox deeper into Justin and Ace’s web, and soon he finds himself losing sight of the line he’s built his life and career around. But how far is too far and what happens when the darkness swallows him whole?

Day of Judgment is an 80, 000-word dark MMM romance featuring morally grey characters and violence. It also includes voyeurism, wax play, edging, bondage and mild BDSM themes. Reader’s discretion is advised.

Virtuous Sinners is a collection of gay romance stories that center on killers who are guided by a virtuous code. These dark novels are connected only by theme and can be read standalone.

The killer’s virtue in Day of Judgment: Justice

 

Excerpt 

“He’s beautiful,” Ace murmured.

“He is,” Justin agreed. He gave Ace’s thumb one last lick before releasing him. Ace’s small smile as he picked his pastry up again made light swell in Justin’s heart. He would never be able to express how much he adored his husband, how much of the world he would be willing to burn down to keep him safe. Justin would move heaven and earth to keep that smile with him even if it cost the world. 

“Imagine him on our sheets,” Ace said, leaning forward, his eyes deep and bright in the sunlight. “With ropes around his wrists. With wax across his chest, across his back, on his ass. Eyes closed, head back, mouth open.”

Justin shifted in his seat, his body responding to Ace’s sensual words. He rarely cared about who Ace chose to join them. They were there to get him off, a tool for Ace to use to give Justin the release, the peace he sought. They never took them into their private bedroom, never let them into their inner sanctum. This was the first time Ace had ever even mentioned it. Most surprising of all, Justin could see it. If he closed his eyes, he could almost smell it. 

“He watched and he wanted, Justin. It wouldn’t take much.” Ace’s voice got lower. “A simple invitation even.” 

Justin shifted his gaze, finding Maddox watching them from the passenger seat of the car. He sipped his latte, maintaining eye contact. Maddox didn’t blink, didn’t look away. Ace was right. He would be glorious to play with, be absolutely magnificent spread out on their sheets with his dark hair against the white and those amber eyes lined with thick lashes.

Too bad he was a Fed. Justin was surprised by the pang of regret that vibrated in his chest. They could have had fun. “You know we can’t.” 

Ace let out an annoyed breath. “Yeah. Should we go somewhere else, or are you done for the day?” he asked, tilting his head just a fraction, some of his hair falling into his face. 

Justin licked his bottom lip, watching Maddox track it. He wished he were closer so he could see the way it changed the color of his eyes, see that amber melt with lust. 

“I’m done,” he said to Ace. They’d toyed with the agents enough for one day. Tomorrow was a new day, with new possibilities. Ethan and Kit were still scouring names and records and information. Until they had some concrete targets for him—which he hoped was soon—he had nothing but time on his hands. And he intended to stick close to Ace. He dared anyone to try and get to him while Justin was with him. He would relish it, would enjoy removing them from the land of the living. 

Ace stood and pulled his jacket from the back of his chair, draping it over his arm. “Well?” 

Justin took his time rising from his own seat. “Fix my tie.” 

“Your tie is fine,” Ace said, a smile playing on his lips. 

“Is it? Are you sure?” 

Ace laughed as he moved forward, taking hold of the perfectly done accessory. He flicked the clip that stopped the tie from moving and then ran his fingers down the silky material. There were multiple layers between those fingers and Justin’s skin, and he still responded like they were naked. His body knew what they felt like over every inch of him, and his response was pure instinct, anticipation of more, of the highest level of pleasure. It knew what came next. 

Justin splayed his hand across Ace’s jaw, lifted his chin with a thumb. He looked straight at Maddox as he leaned down and pressed his lips against Ace’s. Ace opened beneath him with a moan, and Justin tightened his grip as he explored the sweet nectar within. 

Maddox didn’t look away. 

 

Connect with the Authors

Joint Facebook Group

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Aurora Crane 

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Briar Kearney

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Giveaway 

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 a $10 Amazon Gift Card or one of two ebookcopies of Day of Judgment 

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The Refuge Bid by Jude Tresswell #kindleunlimited

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The Refuge Bid (County Durham Quad 8)

Author and Publisher: Jude Tresswell

Release Date: August 1, 2022

Genre:  Contemporary crime/mystery, gay male protagonists

Tropes: Cold case investigation, self-awareness journey

Themes: Asexual/sexual relationships, respect and working together

Heat Rating: 2 flames

Length: 64 000 words

The crime/mystery stands alone. 

The story does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

 

You’re tellin’ me that if this shiter buys St Stephen’s, there’s a chance we won’t have access to the graveyard! Over my dead body!

 

Blurb

The Refuge Bid is a gay mystery and relationships tale set in fictional Tunhead, northeast England.

 Is there a link between a woman who has been missing for ten years and the people bidding to buy and redevelop Tunhead’s decommissioned church and graveyard? Can the County Durham Quad and their special friend, Nick, find out and stop the sale—one grave is special—and can they raise the cash to counter the bids with an offer of their own? Success involves their drawing on Tunhead’s quarrying industry past and on employing their very different skills but, also, they must acknowledge what it is that they really want from their unusual liaison.

Trigger Warning: references to a teenager’s suicide and to conversion therapy.

 

Check out the other books in the County Durham Quad series:

Mike Angells is an openly gay CID inspector based in North East England. There are three men in his life: Raith Balan, Phil Roberts and Ross Whitburn. Mike is particularly close to Ross.

Goodreads  |  Amazon US  | Amazon UK 

 

Excerpt

Anxiety, but mounting relief. Those were his feelings as he stamped down the final clod of earth and smoothed the surface. Some stones and bricks would lie around but who would pay attention to a scattering of those in a place like this? You wouldn’t give them a second glance. So, he’d done it! Literally buried a problem and no one would be any the wiser.

And nobody was until, years later, a group of men from County Durham started digging up the past.

***

The Beck on the Wear Arts Centre, known for ease and for effect as BOTWAC, and the brainchild of Ross Whitburn-Howe. Ross lay in bed and mentally ticked off items linked to BOTWAC’s Easter re-opening. People could visit all year round if they wished to, but the Centre’s location at the end of the lane that wound steeply up to Tunhead in the Durham hills was an icy deterrent during winter. Come spring, though, Tunhead shook off winter’s cold discomforts and looked and sounded full of life—even where it harboured death, for Tunhead had a church with a graveyard.

It might be asked why a tiny village that had never been home to more than a hundred people at any one time should boast a church, let alone a graveyard. The church was a gift from the family who, two centuries past, had owned the limestone quarry that led to Tunhead’s existence. The workers should have Sundays off, provided they prayed and listened to sermons instead, and as the nearest church was a ten mile walk from the row of terraced houses, it seemed sensible to offer an alternative on-site as it were. So, called St Stephen’s after the patron saint of stone masons, the church was used by the quarrymen, their families, the tenant farmers and farmhands who worked the fields adjoining the lane and by the old landowners themselves. St Steve’s was still consecrated although, now, disused. That didn’t mean that the graveyard had become a dismal ruin. Like the rest of the village, it looked neat and tidy, spring flower-full and ready to welcome visitors.

“Yes!” thought Ross. “Everything sorted. Publicity placed with the tourist board, leaflets ready for distribution, programme of events arranged, social media angles covered, and bookings already coming in for the workshops and for August’s week-long pottery festival.”

The man who lay beside him stirred, opened and rubbed two sleepy eyes and said, “Mornin’, Gorgeous.”

“Morning, Mike.” Ross smiled and returned the squeeze that followed the greeting. He snuggled down to enjoy a few more minutes’ warmth in bed. A hair dryer whirred into action from the bedroom across the landing.

“That Raith doin’ his hair? Better get a move on before he’s down and nickin’ me breakfast sausages.” Mike got up, pulled on a pair of boxers and went downstairs.

The ‘Raith’ was Raith Rodrigo Roberts-Balaño—known as Raith Balan: sculptor of erotic art and wearer of exotic clothing. The ‘Roberts’ section of his name was the surname of his husband, Phil, who in comparison with Raith was extremely conventional, and a surgeon. Phil was breakfasting on yoghurt, fruit and wholemeal bread when Mike entered the sunny kitchen.

 “Mornin’ Phil.” A kiss on the cheek and a hug around the shoulders. Returned with a grin and a “Morning.”

And so, Ross, Mike, Raith and Phil looked forward to March with the optimism produced by mutual affection and the promise of spring.

 

About the Author

Jude Tresswell lives in south-east England but was born and raised in the north, and that’s where her heart is. She is ace, and has been married to the same man for many years. She feels that she understands compromise. She supports Liverpool FC, listens to a lot of blues music and loves to write dialogue.

 

Author Links 

Blog/Website  |   YouTube 

 

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

A Right To Know by Jude Tresswell #kindleunlimited

Book Title: A Right To Know

Author: Jude Tresswell

Publisher: Self-published

Release Date: August 2021

Genres: M/M crime/mystery and relationships

Tropes: Love conquers all; unexpected visitor; false identity

Themes: Fear of rejection; data protection v. the right to know; compromise. 

Trigger Warning: parental suicide

Heat Rating:  2 flames

Length:  57 300 words

It is book 7 in the County Durham Quad series, but can be read as a standalone story. Background information is worked in to help readers with the protagonists’ history. 

Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

 

“A son! A child! How? Why? Fuck! Phil! You can’t have! And does this sperm-child want to see you?”

 

Blurb

“A son! A child! How? Why? Fuck! Phil! You can’t have! And does this sperm-child want to see you?”

Abandonment, trust, suspicion and compromise—integral parts of a mystery that involves industrial espionage, sperm donation and coming to terms with oneself and the truth.

Sperm donors know that now, under UK law, offspring who reach eighteen have the right to learn a donor’s identity and last known address, but Phil Roberts donated before the law was changed. He is shocked and dismayed to learn that he has a son called Lewis who intends to visit. Phil’s husband, Raith, is furious—and very scared. 

What does Lewis Lennon really want? The man he has always called ‘dad’ is dead. Was his death suicide or was he murdered? Lewis wants Phil to find out. So, Phil, Raith, Mike and Ross, the County Durham Quad, plus their special friend, Nick, are embroiled in another investigation, but, as always, their relationships come under scrutiny too.

 

About the Author 

Jude Tresswell lives in south-east England but was born and raised in the north, and that’s where her heart is. She is ace, and has been married to the same man for many years. She feels that she understands compromise. She supports Liverpool FC, listens to a lot of blues music and loves to write dialogue.

 

Author Links 

Blog/Website  |   YouTube 

 

 

New Release – The Fourth State of Matter (Valence Chronicles #1) by D’Arcy Arden

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: The Fourth State of Matter (Valence Chronicles #1)

Author: D’Arcy Arden

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press 

Cover Artist: Jennifer Greeff

Release Date: May 31, 2021

Genres: Futuristic/Sci-Fi, erotica

Tropes:  aliens, polyamory

Themes: BDSM, Gay-Lesbian, Menage/Multi-Partner

Heat Rating: 5 flames  

Length: 86 889 words/ 349 pages

It is the first book in a series.

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

 

Space is cold, the sex is hot, and the rebellion is right on target.

 

Blurb

Earth is dead. Humanity survives by selling the only resource available—themselves. 2689 has signed away his rights as a living being and become décor, living artwork that rich aliens use to decorate their homes. It’s a stable existence but a boring one. Until one day his owner plays host to three unexpected guests. Large, loud, and more potent than anything 2689 has ever experienced, this trio of ship-dwellers from the wrong side of the universe awakens a desire he can’t ignore.

However, blissful days of sex and companionship with Brog, Desmodian, and Xavis come to an end when 2689 discovers a plot that could land the trio in jail…or worse. 2689 will have to make a choice—stay silent and allow three innocent lives to be ruined or give up his stable life to protect the ones he loves.

 

Book Trailer  The Fourth State of Matter book trailer – YouTube 

 

Excerpt

Pet fumbled his drink, creating a clink of glass against glass and spilling pink droplets onto the table’s surface. He had encountered Décor Preservation Services once before, at his first auction, when they evaluated his quality and determined what price to charge his buyers.

“And what does DPS want with us?”

Desmodian sounded too calm, considering the tremor Pet felt running through the hand on his head.

Vige scoffed. “Really? A trio of dirty ship-dwellers running around with one of their precious décor, and you don’t think they’re going to intervene?”

“We’ve done nothing wrong.” Xavis ruffled his feathers again, filling what little space remained in their alcove. “Pet was transferred to us legally. Anyone can check the license.”

In a different situation, Pet would have stroked the feathers back down, but he was too scared to do more than stare dumbly from person to person.

 

About the Author 

D’Arcy Arden grew up in Akron, Ohio, where she attended creative art schools and was surrounded by beautiful country landscape. This combination cultivated an interest in literature, art, and the natural world around her. In college, she earned a Masters Degree in Fiction Writing, which primarily taught her that there is no one way to tell a good story. So, she turned around and went back for a degree in Animation as well. This love for both visual and written stories has given her a preference for stories that are memorable, easy to picture, and, most importantly, fun.

That was her main goal when she started writing The Fourth State of Matter—to provide readers with a fun story featuring the three S’s. Science, sex, and spaceships. It is her first published novel, but only the beginning of a great adventure.

 

 

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |   Facebook

Twitter  |  YouTube

 

 

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Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here

 

 

New Release – Xavier’s School of Discipline by S. Legend #KindleUnlimited #giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title:  Xavier’s School of Discipline

Author: S. Legend

Publisher:  Mockingbird Publications

Cover Artist:  Nadia Polyakova and Chiara Monaco

Inner Book Artist: Artsy Ape

Release Date: April 21, 2021

Genre: Erotic M/M Romance

Trope: Soulmates 

Themes: Belonging.  Found Family.  Spanking.  Domestic Discipline. 

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: 83 539 words/306 print pages

This is book one in the series but can be read as a standalone.

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

 

“… there’s something tantalizing about trouble and me in it with him.”

 

Blurb

Follow Your Heart’s Discipline Calling

Finnegan Brighton is twenty-seven, has never moved out of Dad’s house, can’t keep a job and has to rely on his brother for continued food and shelter. In a bold move, he ships himself off to one of those new, fangle-dangle, discipline schools hoping to turn his life around. But it’s not just a whim, he’s finally answering a calling inside of him, one he’s ignored until now. The school turns out to be more than he bargained for, giving him a family of men just like him, who want to teach him that he can love himself enough to have everything he’s ever wanted. He just has to do the one thing he’s never been able to do: Surrender. 

Enter Xavier. 

Xavier is the school’s unyielding headmaster and founder. Oh, and he happens to be interested in the one Finnegan Brighton. Surely with the forces of the strict headmaster and Finnegan’s affectionate, if overzealous domestic discipline family, he can overcome himself, his own worst enemy, and surrender to who he is inside, right? Or will his crushing self-doubt chain him to old patterns forever?

Either way, much spanking ensues! A polyamorous love story with brats and Tops.

 

Excerpt 

From Chapter 6

Dammit. I know what to do. I need to do it. As much as Tops are drawn to soothe us … oh fine ‘brats’, us brats are drawn to soothe Tops. I’ve watched Grayson do it a ton, Chris, Bellamy and Johnny too. Even Bray when he’s in the mood. I swallow. “Oh, sir? One more thing. We can still have people over, right?” It’s not against House rules for each of us to have one friend from another House over. If it’s more than that, it turns into a party, which would require permission, but as the rules stand, that means one for me and one for Grayson.

His eyes narrow. “Who?”’

I shrug. “Haven’t decided yet, but there is this hot Top, Nikolage, from one of my harder classes. Maybe he can uh, help me with my homework?” I waggle my eyebrows, suggesting that yes, fucking Nikolage is what I mean. 

His chair slides out, he stands, hands flat on the desk and my heart’s beating so damn fast. I have to take a stealthy breath. Maybe I should abandon the whole thing—I’m poking at a fucking lion and I know it—but I also know in my bones it’s the right thing to do. 

“No.” 

“Why?” I dare to cross my arms at him—a, God … a brat’s red flag, okay?

“Come here, my little Finnegan.” He flashes shark teeth at me. He is predator, I am prey. 

I want to buckle, I want to tell him I’m just kidding, but I’m in too deep now. I commit. “So you can spank me? Forget it. It’s not against the rules. I was kind enough to even run it by you. I’ll be leaving now.” 

I went too far didn’t I? Yep. Too far. 

Xavier clears his desk in a smooth, panther-like leap. I’m quick to respond, gripping either side of the leather chair I was just sitting in, catapulting myself over it. But I was a hockey player, not a gymnast and though my response is quick, my catapulting skills aren’t graceful. I catch the chair and hit my knee, landing like a rock on the other side. “Fuck!” I roll on the ground behind it, licking my wounds. 

How is it I can take one helluva spanking, but this paralyzes me?

Xavier’s there fast, reminding me of Superman, with the way his jacket flares. He crouches beside me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you hurt?”

I laugh. “I’m fine. I wasn’t scared.” 

“You were a bit, but … well I thought you wanted me to chase you.” I’ve never seen the man blush, he does now. He can’t even look at me. 

I wait until he braves my eyes again. “Xavier, I did want you to chase me.” 

He stares frozen, my words sinking in, as my heart thumps loud drumbeats into my ears. While I wait for him to come to, I rub my sore knee. It is fine, but there’s gonna be a nice bruise I’ll have to explain to Ani later. I smile thinking of the arnica he’ll insist he has to apply to it. Xavier notices my rubbing. 

“Your knee.” 

“No, Xavier—” 

But it’s too late. He scoops me up and it’s fucking embarrassing how easy it is for him to lift me. It’s not like I’m small. He’s got me bridal style and he swings me around, placing me in the chair and bending down to inspect the knee. I wore loose jeans, he’s able to roll them up to have a look. “Doesn’t look to be swelling, but you’ll ice it anyway when you’re home. Understood?”

He’s holding my knee in both of his elegant hands, which are hot against my skin. I have to look down at him. “I will, sir.” 

I’m kicking myself now. This was a disaster. One point to me on not being a brat, a real brat would have pulled this off, I end up injuring myself. 

“Now that it’s established your knee will be fine, we will address, Nikolage.” His nose wrinkles, his form takes up all the space in the room once again. 

Shit. Already forgot about Nikolage. “There’s no Nikolage. I just said that to—” 

“—I know Nikolage.” 

“I meant there’s no Nikolage for me, sir. I only said that to, never mind. May I go?”

He’s staring at me for a new reason now, a smile spreads slowly, reaching his eyes. He yanks me up. We’re close, my lips aren’t far from his. “I want to spank you so badly right now.” 

That was the goal. “You uh, you can, sir.” My voice is above a whisper. 

“I know. I can spank you whenever I want. But that would not be a good idea. It’s day eight, Finnegan.” 

“I am well aware of the day, Headmaster Harkness,” I say, boldness returning. Two can play the game of cheek, but only one of us will win, we both know it’s going to be him. 

“All right, that’s quite enough cheek from you, brat.” 

I light up everywhere. Maybe him calling me brat isn’t so bad?

“I don’t date people, Mr. Brighton. I own them. Do you want to be owned?”

 

About the Author 

Some of you know her as Mock, others as S. Legend, or Miss S.  She welcomes all names but will often go by Mock, a name given to her by her readers.

Mock is an ambitious creative, weaving the most precious aspects of her soul into stories.  She is an architect, building fascinating worlds, designed from inquiry, rooted in worldly wonderings.  It’s an intuitive process where she is the scribe, the translator, the conduit. 

It helped that storytelling was the language spoken at home.  One simply didn’t say, “We have an ant infestation. ” In Mock’s family it was, “I was on my way to the living room, when a peculiar ant crossed my path.  I looked to my right, a suspicious line of them marched toward the pantry.  In that moment I knew; my kitchen was under siege.”  The natural flow of conversation always took this form.  

And so. 

When Mock wrote her first novel, she didn’t plan it chapter by chapter, there was no outline, no “plotting” to speak of.  But she didn’t “pants” it either, she didn’t make it up as she went along.  She knew how the story felt, where it curved in places and hollowed in others; she knew the destination it rushed toward.  Instead of orchestrating, she let the world inspire her, and held space for the words to come, trusting the characters knew what they were doing.  All she had to do was tell a story, as she always had done; like breathing.  

This is her peace, her healing and solace: Gifts better shared.

Mock’s works are the comfort you seek when you need to come home.  Her unique writing style will take you, wayfaring reader, to unexpected destinations. 

She always says, “I’m not in the business of making up stories, I couldn’t if I tried.  I’m lucky enough to get picked to share someone else’s story when I ask a question to the universe.  Someone answers; I write it down.” 

 

 

Social Media Links

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Newsletter Sign-up: Can either sign up at the website or email

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Giveaway 

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one of two signed paperback copies

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New Release – A Share In A Secret by Jude Tresswell #KindleUnlimited

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: A Share in a Secret

Author: Jude Tresswell

Publisher: Self-published on Amazon KDP

Release Date: April 18, 2020

Genre/s: LGBTQ crime and mystery

Trope/s: Sexual/asexual relationship; gay polyamorous relationship

Themes:  Compromise, trust, honesty

Heat Rating: 2 flames   

Length: 63 000 words/ 227 pages 

It can be read as a standalone, although it is Book 5 of the County Durham Quad series.

Background information is included for new readers.

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited 

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

 

Sooner or later, secrets will out…

 

Blurb

Mike, Ross, Raith and Phil are a gay, polyamorous quad who live in County Durham, North-East England. Mike’s nephews visit, and launch the quad into a tale involving inclusivity and investment scams, false arrest, and a desperate attempt to keep a dangerous secret hidden.

Meanwhile, Nick Seabrooke is now living and working in the village. Can the quad navigate the complexities of a sexual-asexual relationship? They would risk their safety for each other. Are they willing to do so for Nick?

This is the fifth County Durham Quad story. As always, background information is included for new readers.

 

 Excerpt 

Here is the start of the story. It’s a typical exchange between the four men…

Late afternoon in ‘Cromarty’, a normally quiet home in Tunhead, County Durham. Phil and Mike were seated in the living room. Phil stopped typing the article he was preparing for a medical journal and looked in the direction of the kitchen. Mike stopped skyping his brother, looked up too and, not really expecting an answer, asked, “What the fuck’s he up to now?”

   The ‘he’ was Raith, Phil’s husband. Raith was a successful artist and ceramicist, but he sounded like someone intent on demolition not on creation.

   “I thought all our kitchen units were the easy-glide, silently-closing variety,” Phil commented as another cupboard drawer slammed shut.

   “They are, but the manufacturers hadn’t met Raith, had they? Nuthin’s Raith-proof, is it?”

   The banging stopped and voices took their place. Ross, Mike’s civil partner, had come into the kitchen from the garden. He walked through to the living room and met Mike’s and Phil’s enquiring eyes.

   “He’s made a chart. He was looking for something to stick it up with,” Ross explained.

   “Stick it up? It sounded like he was hammerin’ it up,” said Mike. 

   “A chart?”

   “Yes. He’s fixing it on the wall now. It’ll either amuse you or horrify you. I’m not sure which. Possibly both. He wants us to discuss it before Nick comes round for his tea.”

   “I thought we were involving Nick in all our discussions,” Phil remarked.

   “Yes, but not this one. You’ll see why in a minute. Come on.”

   Mike, Ross, Raith, Phil—and Nick. By their own definitions the first four men were four sorts of poly. Polydomestic: they shared the household duties. Polypecuniary: they shared their incomes too. Polydemocratic: they had equal say in decisions and tossed a coin if the vote was evenly split. And fourthly, they were polyamorous: they loved each other deeply, although Ross only had sex with Mike. Nick was Tunhead’s most recent inhabitant. He shared most of his meals and much of his spare time with the quad, but although he now lived in the village, he didn’t live in Cromarty. There were reasons for the need for a little separation. Hence Raith’s chart. Nick might be romantically and emotionally attracted to men or, rather, to one man—Mike—but he wasn’t attracted to anybody sexually. In fact, he was revolted by the thought of an intimately physical relationship.

   Ross stood aside and ceremoniously waved Mike and Phil through to the kitchen. In place of the whiteboard that, ten minutes earlier, had indicated the week’s household duties list, there was a large sheet of cartridge paper divided into two vertical columns. The left hand column comprised extremely realistic drawings. The other, narrower one was partially filled in. It contained some ticks and some crosses.

   “Are you plannin’ expandin’ into illustratin’ porn?” asked Mike as he studied the drawings.  “That’s you, Phil! Bloody hell. That’s me!” he added, and pointed to a portrayal of two men indulging in frottage.

   “Yes, I’ve already put a cross by that one,” Raith said. “I knew Nick wouldn’t like it.”

   “Looks like you two liked it though,” Ross commented as, curious, he took a close look.

   “So this is… what, exactly? And I’m not talkin’ about the drawin’s themselves. I can see what they are.”  

   “Well,” said Raith, “I thought it would save us a lot of future problems if we sorted out what we were allowed and not allowed to do when Nick’s in our home instead of in his place.”

   “And you figured that a bloody big explicit poster starin’ at him over his tea was the best way to do it?”

 

About the Author 

I’m married, I’ve grown-up children, I’m asexual (although a different sort of ace from Nick) and I do enjoy writing stories that aren’t constrained by hetero-norms.

The plots are always stimulated by something on the news – in this instance, the homophobic reaction of some people and groups to the UK government’s decision to introduce lessons on inclusivity into the school curriculum.

I enjoy writing light dialogue as well as dealing with serious issues, though, and I hope that some of the quad’s interchanges will make readers smile. 

I talked about myself and my books on Brad Shreve’s Gay Mystery Podcast (an episode entitled Four Times As Much Mystery) in April, 2020. (Link below) 

 

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Amazon Author Page for all works  |

YouTube link to audio version of the short asexual/ sexual story Scar Ghyll Levels – available on Amazon Kindle.

(Audio version contains 200 photos of scenery)

Four Times As Much Mystery with Jude Tresswell (Ep. 028) on the Gay Mystery Podcast 

 

 

 

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Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here

New Release – For What It’s Worth by S. M. James #KindleUnlimited #giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: For What It’s Worth

Author: S. M. James

Publisher: May Books

Cover Artist: Story Styling Cover Designs

Release Date: February 27, 2020

Genre/s: YA LGBT romance

Trope/s: Opposites attract, pseudo love triangle, friends to lovers, fish out of water

Themes: Polyamory, coming of age

Heat Rating:  2 flames

Length: 88 000 words/350 pages

It is a standalone story.

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK

 

 

 

They say there are no rules in love, but will three be a crowd?

Blurb

Rory García is terrible at making choices. 

Dating Micah has been the best decision Rory’s ever made. Micah calms his wild side by bringing Rory back down to earth. They’re perfect for each other. 
But when Rory’s Australian crush randomly shows up to stay with him, Rory’s torn between the boyfriend he maybe loves, and the guy he thought he was over. 

Micah Holtz is the most loyal boyfriend in history. 

Since the day Micah first saw Rory, he fell hard. There’s never been a moment where Micah’s doubted his feelings and when they finally start to date, Micah plans to hold on with both hands.  
But then Justin arrives from Australia and Micah finds his single-minded attention starting to slip…

Justin Anderson has a plan for everything. 

Showing up on Rory’s doorstep is the most adventurous thing Justin’s ever done. He’s lowkey sick with nerves, but knowing Rory’s there makes it all worth it. Until he finds out Rory has a boyfriend. Which was never part of the plan.
Suddenly Justin’s back to his usual game of second guessing everything, including Rory’s flirting and Micah’s lingering looks.

When Micah’s childhood haunt is set to be torn down, the three of them join forces to try to save the historic building. But will the teamwork add cracks to an already unstable friendship, or bring them closer than they ever imagined?

 

Excerpt

Justin pretends to shudder. At least, I think he’s pretending. “Kill me now.”

“Nah, you’re way too pretty to kill.”

Those mismatched eyes meet mine and we’re just a pair of awkward losers staring at what we can’t have. I should probably take my words back and make out like ha ha jokes but I’m not joking. I spent way too many late nights thinking about that face … before Micah, of course. 

Justin being here serves to remind me that the world is a fucking big place. 

We switch off the TV and I scoot closer, craving him like fucking air and I still can’t work out exactly why. “You’ll be totally fine. Just be yourself. You won Micah over easy enough, and me, and Ari.”

He scrunches up his little nose. “Sure, my friendship group has grown to three, what an achievement.” 

“Excuse me Mr. Sarcasm, but how long was that group at one for?”

Justin doesn’t answer, just screws his lips up to the side like he gets my point. 

“Exactly. A fucking long time. And now you’ve tripled that number in just a few short months, like are you kidding? You’re on a roll, you charismatic piece of shit.” The name calling comes naturally to me, and at first I worry Justin won’t take it in the affectionate way I mean, but he cracks a smile that brings up those little dimples on either side of his chin and damn I want to touch them. “Plus Ruby and Grace think you’re the cutest thing ever.”

Justin shakes his head like he doesn’t believe a word coming from my mouth but he’s still smiling. “Just Alexis to go then.”

“With how much I talk about you she already thinks you’re best friends so there’s nothing to worry about there.”

“Talking about me, hey?” He’s leaning against the back of the couch, head tilted toward me. The teasing that flickers across his face is just beautiful. His hazel eye is on this side and I love how he looks slightly different depending on which side I look at him from. 

“When I got back from Australia, Alexis literally banned your name from conversations.”

His lips twitch. “You’re lying.”

“I’m not. She was allowed to punch me every time I said it.”

“How many bruises did you get?”

“All down both arms.” I smirk. “Totally worth it.”

A laugh hiccups from him and he opens his mouth to say something, then stops. 

“No, no.” I lean in closer. “You’re not allowed to over think, remember? Whatever you were going to say, say it.”

That gorgeous tint starts to rise on his cheeks as he swallows. 

“Say it or I’ll tickle you.” I’m totally lying, but I wish I wasn’t. Every time he’s around I’m itching to get my hands on him and if that means tickling him like we’re in middle school, I’ll fucking do it. But what I won’t do is make him uncomfortable. 

He buries his face into his hands. “Now you’ve made it into a thing.”

“And I’ll keep making it into a bigger thing until you tell me.” The fact he’s avoiding it just makes me even more curious. And once I get my mind stuck on something, I’ve got to know.

His hazel eye peeks out at me. “I was just going to say …” His side expands as he takes a deep breath. “That if I had any friends, they would have banned your name too.” His face disappears into his hands again, but he can’t hide how his neck goes all read. “See? Dumb.” 

I slide closer, until I cross that invisible barrier he keeps locked in place and lean down so my face is near his. “Justin?”

“What?”

“Look at me.”

He hesitates a second before he lifts his face, sucking in a sharp breath when he realizes how close I am. Something skitters across my chest as he pins me with his rare eye contact. I’m barely aware of my lips moving until I hear my own words. 

“Nothing you ever say is dumb.”

 

 

About the Author 

S.M. James writes books for teens about squishy sweet characters.

​While not writing, SM is a readaholic and Netflix addict who regularly lives on a sustainable diet of chocolate and coffee.

​​Unapologetically dishing out HEAs for LGBTQ characters.

 

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |   Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

 Newsletter Sign-up  |  BookBub  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon

 

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

1 x $30US Amazon gift card (AU or US)

2 x paperbacks international (Any from the #lovehim series)

3 x eBooks international (Any from the #lovehim series)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

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Book Blast – Body Parts and Mind Games by Jude Tresswell #KindleUnlimited

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Body Parts and Mind Games (County Durham Quad Book 4)

Author: Jude Tresswell

Publisher: Self published 

Release Date: November 4, 2019

Genre/s: Crime, LGBTQ

Trope/s: Sexual/asexual relationship; polyamorous relationship

Themes: Navigating ace/non-ace relationship; loyalty

Heat Rating: 2 flames

Length: 60 000 words/ 228 pages

It can be read alone, although it is 4th in the County Durham Quad series. Background information is provided for new readers.

Add on Goodreads

 

A crime to solve, a lover to save, and an ace-happy ending?

Blurb 

Organ trafficking, types of attraction and far-right nationalism are ingredients in this tale about Mike, Ross, Raith and Phil, a gay polyamorous quad who live in North-East England.

Phil is a surgeon in Warbridge Hospital. A patient’s organs are harvested illegally. Are Phil’s colleagues involved?

Detective Nick Seabrooke returns to Warbridge to ask Phil to aid the investigation. Agreeing endangers the quad in more ways than one. How will Nick, who is asexual, react to meeting the quad again? How will they react to him?

This is the fourth story in the County Durham Quad series. Background information is included for new readers. 

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK

 

Excerpt 

From Chapter 2

“I hoped I’d never see him again.” Words that were being echoed three hundred miles away in London. Nick Seabrooke stood at the window of his flat and stared across rooftops to the dome of St Paul’s. He re-read Phil’s message. It was terse and to the point: Considered what you said. Will do it. Feel free to set a meeting up. Was it the answer he’d wanted? Yes, from one point of view. No, definitely not, from another. 

He’d hardly believed what he’d heard the previous Monday. Nick was a detective with the NCA, the agency responsible for criminal investigations that went beyond national borders. Money-laundering involving forgery was his normal remit. He’d met the quad when Raith had been chief suspect in a case and he had been a sergeant. Now he was an inspector. So, he’d answered the chief superintendent’s call, expecting to be briefed about a fraud or a forgery. Instead, he was told about organ trafficking. But although trade in body parts was a crime that cut across borders, it seemed well outside his area of expertise. He’d tried to tell the chief so. Yes, the chief knew that, but whoever had requested Nick’s involvement knew that he had liaised, successfully, with Tees, Tyne and Wear Constabulary the year before and, more importantly, knew that he’d worked closely with a surgeon at the hospital at the centre of the enquiry.

“This doctor, Philip Roberts,” the chief had said, “would he be involved in something like this?”

“I very much doubt it, sir,” Nick had answered promptly. “I think he’d feel that it was beneath his ability and beneath his dignity. He’s totally focused on his own niche. He developed this graphene-based colorectal repair procedure almost single-handedly. He pioneered the research. He carries out most of the ops. I can’t see him whipping out a kidney or cornea when no one’s looking. And he’s conscientious. The ethics would bother him.”

“Money?”

“More than he needs and, I’d say, not particularly materialistic.”

“Then contact him,” he’d been told. “See if he’ll work with you on this. We need a medic inside that hospital. Eyes and ears and a way for you to get in and use yours. You stayed at his house, didn’t you, when you were up there last year?”

“No, sir. I stayed with one of the artisans. In Tunhead though. All the houses are owned by Roberts and the men he lives with. They rent them out to arts and crafts personnel. They call the venture BOTWAC—the Beck on the Wear Arts Centre.”

“BOTWAC?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting sense of humour. Well, see if you can stay there again. It’ll give you some safe opportunities to talk with this doctor without being overheard, and he can teach you all you need to know about proctology.”

Nick knew the meaning of ‘proctology’, but he was focusing on ‘safe’. Safe for whom? The chief misinterpreted his concerned look and his silence, and began to explain proctology.

“Yes, I know, sir,” he said, interrupting, and then he’d been politely dismissed, and tomorrow he’d have to phone Phil. Shit! 

So that was what he’d done—phoned Phil, and now he had Phil’s answer. 

He closed Messages and, almost reluctantly, opened Gallery. Should he scroll to it—the photo that he’d taken in Raith’s studio that last time he had met the quad? The photo of a portrait of Mike. He hadn’t looked at it for months. …………

…………..  Mike had fascinated him, but he realised that he’d rarely even thought of County Durham, or Tunhead—or Mike—for weeks. He was over his crush or whatever it was. So it hadn’t been love. Couldn’t have been love. So, really, he should be able to bin the photo. It shouldn’t be a problem, should it? There was no good reason to keep it, was there? But, although he could resist opening the file, he couldn’t bring himself to press Delete. Couldn’t bring himself to execute that oh-so-final break-with-everything action. So, what did his reluctance, his cowardice, mean? Well, soon he’d have more than a photo in front of him. He’d have flesh and blood. It wouldn’t be so easy to avoid looking at the real thing. He wouldn’t be able to press a key and—abracadabra—delete Mike.

He was probably needlessly worrying. Professional concerns would dominate and there wouldn’t be time to give ex-inspector Michael Angells more than a quick hello and a passing thought. And, being the sensible man that he was, Nick picked up the folder marked Warbridge and re-read the chief’s background information.

 

About the Author 

I’m married, I’ve grown-up children, I’m asexual (although a different sort of ace from Nick) and I do enjoy writing stories that aren’t constrained by hetero-norms.

The plots are always stimulated by something on the news – in this instance, reading that, in 2020, organ donation will become the default position where I live and, also, reading that enforced organ harvesting is carried out in some countries. I enjoy writing funny dialogue as well as dealing with serious issues, though, and I hope that some of the quad’s interchanges will make readers smile. And regarding the extract, I didn’t know the meaning of ‘proctology’ when I saw the word in a review of Book 3! (The term ‘colorectal’ is more common in the UK.) I couldn’t resist including a reference to it.

 

Author Links

Blog/Website  |   Amazon Author Page for all works

YouTube link to audio version of the short asexual/ sexual story Scar Ghyll Levels – available on Amazon Kindle.

(Audio version contains 200 photos of scenery)

https://youtu.be/M6xSuQ9utWg

 

 

Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here

 

 

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New Release – Their Special Agent (Thistle Hearts #1) by Mel Gough #KindleUnlimited #giveaway #polyamory

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Their Special Agent (Thistle Hearts #1)

Author: Mel Gough

Cover Artist: Najla Qamber Designs

Release Date: October 24, 2019

Genre/s: Reverse Harem, romance/mystery

Themes: Polyamory (MMFM), crime solving

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK

 

 

A murder. Three gorgeous men. One choice – Do your job, or follow your heart?

Blurb 

On the eve of the Thistle Hearts reunion tour, the rock band’s manager is found murdered. When Special Agent Carrie McDonald arrives to assist with the investigation, the band has mixed emotions about the involvement of the FBI. Jay, Lou and Corey have everything riding on a successful comeback, and their manager’s violent death has thrown them into turmoil. The last thing they need is the wrong kind of press.

As Carrie delves into the case, the band’s complex history of desire and tragedy emerges. Their shared passion intrigues and excites her, and gradually, the men open up and draw her into their ménage.

But a killer is on the loose, and he’s not yet done with Thistle Hearts.

Can Carrie prevent another brutal crime and protect the men who offer her a future beyond her wildest dreams?

 

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

The rain came down in sheets. Special Agent Carrie McDonald wiped her face on the sleeve of her black windbreaker. No use. Everything was soaked.

Special Agent Susan White joined Carrie at her lookout post by the cordoned-off stretch of highway. “Thank god that’s someone else’s mess to clean up.” She squinted at Special Agent Cortez talking to a Travis County Sheriff’s Deputy next to an SUV in the ditch with its wheels still slowly revolving in the air. He looked like a swarthy, drowned rat. Carrie felt sorry for him.

The San Antonio field office would take the rap for this clusterfuck. She tried not to feel relieved about that.

The scene on this stretch of highway was straight out of the latest installment of The Fast and the Furious. A pick-up and a black sedan lay upside down across the lanes, flattened and still smoking. The railings that SUV had crashed through were mangled shards of metal. A fourth vehicle lay out of sight in a deep ravine, curls of smoke marking its resting place. Everything was illuminated sideways by the setting sun. The ambulances were long gone, but the coroner’s van still idled nearby.

Three dead drug mules. Two civilians, on the way home from a choir recital, also dead. And three seriously injured Austin PD detectives made it a calamity beyond the usual drug bust.

Would they ever work out exactly what had gone wrong? Right now, the narrative was confused and short on detail. As far as the forensics team had worked out, one of the unmarked law enforcement vehicles had been en route to head off the suspects fleeing hell over leather from the sting op gone south in downtown Austin. That had been where Carrie and Susan had been detailed to cover one of the routes out of the city. The sedan, carrying two agents from the FBI’s San Antonio field office, was in hot pursuit. Poor visibility, a narrow stretch of road of hairpin bends and a car full of stressed-out perps under the influence had made for an explosive combination. The drug traffickers’ car had swerved on the opposite lane to overtake the SUV carrying a mother and teenage daughter just before another narrow curve. They’d met a car with three Austin detectives racing to aid the operation head on, and the world had exploded in screeching metal and glass.

Carrie gave a sigh. She nudged her partner. “Come on. Cortez says to call it a day.” It wasn’t like them getting soaked here made the slightest bit of difference. The hillside swarmed with LEOs from Austin PD, the Travis County Sheriff’s Department and the San Antonio field office. Two Criminal Investigation agents on loan from Baltimore were of scant use in the clean-up.

Susan nodded as Cortez’s angry voice carried up to them. “Let’s get out of here.”

Their rental sedan sat thirty yards back from the cordoned-off scene, and Susan pointed the keys at it. The lights flashed and the doors clicked open. Even in the middle of a crisis, she’d never leave a car unlocked that contained weapons and ammunition. Behind her back, Susan was sometimes called Agent Lily White. Carrie appreciated her partner’s uprightness. It was one reason they got on so well and she chose to work more with her than any other agent.

Thinking of Susan’s nickname made Carrie smile, but when she slid into the passenger seat and her gaze took in the carnage on the highway, the smile quickly faded.

Fucking hell, this one’s gone sideways.

“Gibbs’ll want a report.” Susan buckled up.

“Yeah.” Carrie sighed. She reached into the backseat where their luggage was stowed and dug in her carry-on for a towel. As she slid back into her seat, the wet windbreaker made a squelchy sound against the fake leather. She grimaced and wriggled out of the jacket, dropping the sodden thing in the foot space.

She quickly rubbed her short hair dry, then handed the towel to Susan, who took her time to undo the knot at the back of her head, wincing as the rubber band snagged on her long auburn tresses. She folded down the visor and tried to untangle the mess that the wind and rain had made of her do. Usually Carrie envied Susan her beautiful hair. Tonight, not so much.

She folded down her own screen and smoothed down the much shorter strands of her dark brown bob. She looked a fright, with chapped cheeks and a sodden collar. At least her hair would be as good as dry before they got back to the motel. “I hope they can give us our rooms back for one more night.”

“We were the only ones in that place for the last three days,” Susan pointed out from under the towel. “More likely they’ve gone bankrupt since we checked out. Maybe we should find somewhere else. Somewhere less—”

“Dank?” Carrie suggested. Susan snorted.

“Yeah.” She sighed. “Gibbs would flip his shit if we upgraded on the company dollar.” She chucked the towel in the back and started the car. “Back to the Bates Motel it is.”

 

 

READ THE PREQUEL FOR FREE HERE

MMM, mature content (2,600 words)

After a hard day rehearsing for their concert, Jay, Corey and Lou go home for some fun time. 

About the Author 

Mel Gough loves writing about love – but with a twist. Nominated for the 2019 Selfies Awards, her bisexual romantic suspense novel He is Mine is a typical Mel Gough story. She needs her HEA fix, but on the way there will be thorns and fire, and sometimes brimstone. All right, that might be over the top, especially since her stories are firmly based in the real world – though not always in the here and now.

Born in Germany, exploring other realities has been Mel’s siren call since she was young. Books opened up a plethora of worlds, and soon gave her a strong love of the English language. After an MA in Anthropology, field work in the middle of nowhere seemed like one adventure too far, so Mel settled in London, which, to misquote Dr. Johnson, she will never tire of.

Mel loves to bend genres – her romances are gritty and dark, and sometimes there’s a dead body. She’s been told that her prose is beautiful yet disturbingly real. She’s curious about bygone times, and hopes to speculate about the future in one of her next books.

 

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up

 

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway  for a chance to win one of three ebook copies of Their Special Agent

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Cover Reveal – Their Special Agent (Thistle Hearts #1) by Mel Gough

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Their Special Agent (Thistle Hearts #1)

Author: Mel Gough

Cover Artist: Najla Qamber Designs

Release Date: October 24, 2019

Genre/s: Reverse Harem, romance/mystery

Themes: Polyamory (MMFM), crime solving

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Add on Goodreads

 

A murder. Three gorgeous men. One choice – Do your job, or follow your heart?

Blurb 

On the eve of the Thistle Hearts reunion tour, the rock band’s manager is found murdered. When Special Agent Carrie McDonald arrives to assist with the investigation, the band has mixed emotions about the involvement of the FBI. Jay, Lou and Corey have everything riding on a successful comeback, and their manager’s violent death has thrown them into turmoil. The last thing they need is the wrong kind of press.

As Carrie delves into the case, the band’s complex history of desire and tragedy emerges. Their shared passion intrigues and excites her, and gradually, the men open up and draw her into their ménage.

But a killer is on the loose, and he’s not yet done with Thistle Hearts.

Can Carrie prevent another brutal crime and protect the men who offer her a future beyond her wildest dreams?

 

About the Author 

Mel Gough loves writing about love – but with a twist. Nominated for the 2019 Selfies Awards, her bisexual romantic suspense novel He is Mine is a typical Mel Gough story. She needs her HEA fix, but on the way there will be thorns and fire, and sometimes brimstone. All right, that might be over the top, especially since her stories are firmly based in the real world – though not always in the here and now.

Born in Germany, exploring other realities has been Mel’s siren call since she was young. Books opened up a plethora of worlds, and soon gave her a strong love of the English language. After an MA in Anthropology, field work in the middle of nowhere seemed like one adventure too far, so Mel settled in London, which, to misquote Dr. Johnson, she will never tire of.

Mel loves to bend genres – her romances are gritty and dark, and sometimes there’s a dead body. She’s been told that her prose is beautiful yet disturbingly real. She’s curious about bygone times, and hopes to speculate about the future in one of her next books.

 

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

 

Release Blitz – Ace in the Picture by Jude Tresswell

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Ace in the Picture

Author: Jude Tresswell

Publisher: Rowanvale Books

Cover Artist: Billie Hastie

Genre/s: contemporary M/M/M/M, crime/mystery

Heat Rating: 2 flames

Length: 63 000 words/ 251 pages (paperback format)

It can be read as a standalone, but is also the third book featuring the County Durham quad

Release Date: March 31, 2019

Add on Goodreads  

 

Buy Links   

Rowanvale Books

Amazon US  

Amazon UK

Waterstones (UK) 

Barnes and Noble

 

 

 An art fraud, a polyamorous suspect, an asexual detective…

Blurb

Polyamory and asexuality meet in this third tale about a north-east England quad.

The police suspect Raith Balan of faking a painting. So do money-launderers who sink profits into art. Mike, Ross and Phil, the three men in Raith’s life, must prove his innocence. They’re hampered by their certainty that a member of the Fraud Squad is corrupt.

The senior investigating officer is Detective Sergeant Nick Seabrooke. He knows he is asexual, but is he aromantic too? As Raith’s lovers struggle to keep Raith safe and find the fraudster, the sergeant struggles to understand why the quad is often in his thoughts.

 

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Raith stood in the kitchen in front of the calendar. His gaze shifted from the naked figure depicted on ‘October’ to the highlighted ‘Thursday 12th’ and back again. He pressed a fingertip to his lips, transferred a kiss to the mid-point of the figure’s shoulder blades and ran his finger down the spine—Mike Angells’ spine.

The real-life Mike walked into the room and filled the kettle.

“What are you admirin’?” he asked. “The model or the artist?”

Raith was the artist. “The artist,” he replied. “He’s classy. The model’s okay, I suppose.”

“Cheeky!” Mike admonished.

Changing the subject, Raith asked, “You know what day it is in two days’ time, don’t you?”

“In two days? Well, let’s see… difficult one… It must be Thursday. Aye, that’s right. It was Monday yesterday, so—”

“Stop teasing me! Do you think he’s forgotten?”

‘He’ was Phil Roberts, the man Raith had married 364 days earlier.

“Don’t be daft. Of course not. You know Phil. His middle name’s ‘No fuss’.”

“That’s two names.”

“And that’s two cups of coffee. One for you. One for me,” said Mike, handing over a mug.

“None for me?” asked a third man who, yawning, had entered the kitchen. He hugged the two men already there.

“Sorry, Ross,” Mike apologised. “I didn’t make you one. I thought you were still asleep.”

“No. Just dozy,” said Ross sleepily. “I heard Phil’s car. Is it an emergency, Raith?”

“Not exactly,” Raith replied. “He went in early to cover for a colleague.”  

Phil had helped to pioneer a form of rectal surgery that used nanocarbon patches to reconstruct torn tissue. He was a respected consultant at the hospital an hour’s drive away in Warbridge, County Durham.

“I’d better get sorted and get out myself,” said Ross. He was, amongst other things, a gallery proprietor in Gateshead, and his journey to work took longer than Phil’s. He yawned again.

“Are you feelin’ okay?” asked Mike, alert to Ross’s tone of voice. “It’s not like you to sound so unenthusiastic about work.” In fact, it wasn’t like Ross to sound unenthusiastic about anything. He was always lively—he personified keenness.

“I’m dead tired cos I didn’t sleep well. I had a strange text late on. You were already asleep. I don’t think you heard the phone buzz. Strange. Unsettling.”

“Oh?”

“How do you mean?” asked Raith. “We’re not going to get involved with more criminal activities, are we? I had enough of crime fighting last time!”

Even though Mike was no longer a detective with the Tees, Tyne and Wear Constabulary, the four of them were involved in a surprising amount of crime fighting. ‘Last time’ had involved an illegal immigrant, and the tensions that had arisen had threatened the survival of the quad.

That’s what they were: a gay, polyamorous quad. They lived in Tunhead, a hamlet in Weardale in the Durham hills. Once, Tunhead had rung to the sound of workers’ hammers hitting stone. In a way it still did: Ross had turned it into an arts centre full of smiths, sculptors and potters who wanted to escape the North East’s towns.

“Well, we’re not, are we?” Raith repeated.

“No.”

“Good. Well, my creations won’t create themselves. I’d better get off, too.”

In Raith’s case, ‘getting off’ simply meant walking twenty yards to his studio, a converted storehouse.

“You sure he hasn’t forgotten?” he asked Mike again before he left.

“I’m sure.”

“Okay then.”

“What’s that about?” asked Ross after Raith was gone.

“He’s bothered that Phil’s forgotten their anniversary.”

“He hasn’t.”

“I know he hasn’t. He’s takin’ him off on a trip sumwhere—but you know Raith. He needs everythin’ crystal clear and written in capital letters. And sumtimes, so do I. What was this message about?”

Ross pulled a face and explained. When he’d done so, Mike could understand his concern.

“He wouldn’t be so stupid, Ross… Would he?”

“Not stupid, Mike, but he’s gullible. He doesn’t always think. I just don’t know.”

***

The message stayed in Ross’s mind during the forty-mile drive to the gallery and he couldn’t forget about it once he was there. Some of Raith’s paintings hung on the gallery walls. They were mainly of Weardale’s waterfalls. After heavy rain, the falls transformed from gentle trickles into rushing, gushing powerful forces of nature that the four men knew could kill. They’d seen them kill.

Raith loved to paint the waterfalls. From a distance, his torrents looked alive. The effect was linked to his use of colour. Raith was a tetrachromat; he could see a host of hues in what, to most people, was a single shade. He painted for himself, though, not for fame or money—he had plenty of both, due to his skill with clay not brushes. Several of his wares were on show at the gallery, most tagged ‘sold’ with a price that would feed and clothe all four men for a long, long time. His sensually erotic sculptures, modelled on Mike and Phil, were always in demand and beautifully, lovingly executed. But today, Ross gave Raith’s erotica a miss. He stared, instead, at the waterfalls.

What might induce Raith to produce a piece of work “with intent to deceive”, as the legal phrase was?

That was what the worrying message had suggested. That Raith’s were the hands and eyes behind a painting that the police were interested in. They thought it was a fake. For the umpteenth time, Ross asked himself why?

Raith didn’t need fame and he didn’t need fortune, but did he need the challenge of outwitting the experts? Of copying another artist’s work so accurately that no one would notice the difference?

Surely not. Momentarily, Ross’s dark mood lifted. The only challenge Raith was likely to rise to was the one of finding ways to spice up the quad’s evening meals. Two nights ago, he’d ‘accidentally’ stumbled near the saucepan with a teaspoon of chilli flakes in his hand.

“Oh, look! They’ve fallen in,” he’d said apologetically.

Ross smiled when he thought about it, but anxiety soon returned. Could Raith be feeling resentment? Sometimes, that was the driving force behind a fraud. Failed artists whose work had been refused once too often. Failed artists who took I’ll show them! literally.

No. All Raith’s resentments were little ones that quickly blew over—feeling nagged for not doing his turn on the house-keeping rota, being yelled at for leaving clay-covered dirty washing on top of the pile of clean laundry. Raith took umbrage easily, but he’d be smiling again within the hour. And anyway, he wasn’t a failed artist. He was a very successful one.

He was a strange mixture though. That complexity was part of his attraction. It was part of what made him Raith. His skill was undeniable, but his mental health was fragile— ‘bloody unhinged’ was how Mike would describe Raith in less charitable moments. He could be unpredictable. He could be very violent. He had another side, though, and it was what Mike and Phil and Ross adored about him. Canny, clued up, an ex-con hard as nails… but at the toss of a coin, as loving, as sweet and as trusting as anyone they had ever met. Mike was as loving, and often as sweet, but trusting? No. Mike was ex-CID. It wasn’t in his nature to be trusting.

Which was why Mike was already making phone calls.

 

About the Author 

I’m not Nick Seabrooke, the ace in the picture, but there are some firsthand truths peeping through the fiction. Like Nick, I’m ace and happy with it, but also, like Nick, I’m wavery on that ro/aro line–and that can cause some soul-searching. If the picture painted in the story is a very narrow one, it’s because I didn’t want to stray too far from what I know. The quad, however, are totally imaginary.

I blog at https://polyallsorts.wordpress.com . There are posts about asexuality, polyamory, beer, tattoos, book covers, and many other story-related items. There are photos of the Durham countryside, the setting of the stories, too.  I’m always happy to receive and respond to comments. Well, if they’re friendly ones!

 

Author Link

Blog/Website

 

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Book Blast – Polyamory on Trial by Jude Tresswell

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Polyamory on Trial

Author: Jude Tresswell

Publisher: Self-published via Rowanvale Books

Cover Artist: Cerys Knighton

Release Date; August 31, 2018

Genre/s: M/M/M/M, crime and mystery

Heat Rating:  2 flames (Trigger Warning: references to rape)

Length: 63,000 words/ 236 pages

 It can be read alone. A third story will be published early 2019 so it is part of a series.

Add on Goodreads

 

Blurb

A bittersweet story with two interwoven themes: a crime and mystery involving trafficking and a look at the workings of a polyamorous relationship.

A young Syrian needing treatment at Warbridge Hospital is seen by Phil Roberts, one quarter of a gay polyamorous quad living in north east England. The men in the doctor’s life are ex-cop, Mike Angells, gallery proprietor, Ross Whitmore and ceramist and artist, Raith Balan.

Phil is troubled. Is his patient in the UK legally? Who has caused his injuries? Is trafficking involved? As the foursome struggle to find out, hampered by the fact that Mike is no longer a detective, cracks begin to appear in their relationship. Can four men be equals? Is their lifestyle viable? Meanwhile, there are cracks of a different sort to deal with—and the job of doing so seems to fall exclusively on Mike’s broad shoulders.

 

 

Buy Links

Rowandale Books

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Available as paperback, ePub, Mobi and PDF from Rowanvale Books and all usual distributors.

 

Excerpt

(Mike is talking about honesty, which, together with openness, love and passion, guide the quad’s approach to life.  His little ‘asides’ feature at the end of the chapters.)

You could say that there are the big honesties, and there are the little honesties as well. The little ones involve the practicalities of livin’ as a foursome. Four blokes together. Shoppin’ to get, meals to cook, washin’ to sort, the loo to clean, the garden to dig, the bills to pay… all the usual family practicalities. But in a poly, we’re equally in charge, equally responsible. Theoretically, that is. One of us seems to think that it’s beneath his dignity to use a mop and that cleanin’ the loo should be left to his minions. He cleans up after himself—I’d shove his bloody head down the toilet bowl if he didn’t—but the proper wash, the one with the detergent and the disinfectant? No way. So, sometimes, we just have to be very honest and tell him he’s a shiter, or rather, Ross and Phil tell him, and I try to look threatenin’. It’s hard, cos I often want to laugh. He comes up with such a load of bollocks for excuses! Then he sulks, or gets in a strop, because he feels we’re gettin’ at him, but we have to. It’s the thin end of the wedge otherwise. He’ll shirk everythin’ if we don’t get tough and lay down the law. That’s what I mean by the little honesties. If sumthin’s wrong, then we have to be upfront about it and say so, even if it causes bad feelin’ for a time.

But I think you probably meant the big honesties. Keepin’ secrets. That sort of thing. Obviously, by their very definition, I don’t know if the others are keepin’ secrets. And yes, I would keep sumthin’ secret if I thought that sharin’ it would place the other guys in danger. In fact, I have done that, and so has Ross. But, to me, that’s not dishonest. Personally, I would never tell the others a lie, a big lie, the kind that’d rock the boat. I might not tell the whole truth, but I would never tell an untruth, if that makes sense. I think our quad’d crumble if we weren’t honest with each other. If there isn’t trust… There has to be trust.

 

About the Author

I write about gay polyamorous men, but I’m a monogamous female. I’m also asexual. I have no problem imagining the lives of my four men, though, as long as there’s no me (or any other female) in the scene. The term for this dissociation is anegosexual, I think.

I have a lot of hobbies, which is just as well as I spend a lot of time with my imagination and I need to be metaphorically tied down to the real world. I dance, I sing, I play the guitar (the last two, badly), I love geology and I’m interested in languages, and, of course, I love to write.

 

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99c Book Blast – Love Times Five by Lily G. Blunt

99c BOOK BLAST

Title: Love Times Five

Author: Lily G. Blunt

Cover Art: Jay Aheer at Simply Defined Art

Release Date: January 19, 2018

Genre/s:  paranormal, gay romance, contemporary, polyamory

Length: 77, 000 words

Add on Goodreads

 

Blurb

There’s safety in numbers and plenty of love to go around.

When Colin searches for his missing colleague and buddy in the hills of northern England, his life is changed forever. Not only does he find Shaun living in a cabin with the mysterious and undeniably gorgeous Zach, but he also discovers the reason Shaun went AWOL in the first place. Colin wants to draw his friend away to safety, but Zach soon mesmerises him, and he’s happy to stay in his company, for now.

Passing hikers, Wes and Dane, need some assistance, and the three men are willing to oblige. Thus begins a friendship that develops into much more.

The five men each have their own secrets. Some are shared, others are kept hidden. It’s only a matter of time before they are exposed and the consequences could change everything for them all.

 

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

99c for a limited time – Oct. 26 – Nov. 2

Amazon US  

Amazon UK  

 

Trailer Video

 

Read Excerpt #1 HERE

 

Excerpt #2 

Colin yelped and stumbled back. The penknife fell from his grip as he connected with the solid ground and landed on his arse.

“What the fuck?” Colin gaped at the wild beast in front of him, not five feet away, and apparently protecting Zach, who stroked the wolf’s back as if he were petting a huge dog.

Colin blinked, hoping to clear his vision. Had he knocked his head? Was he dreaming? Had he been drugged too?

The wolf sniffed the air and pawed the grass, its tongue now lolling to the side of its mouth. Teeth, sharp and white and scary, distracted Colin from the animal’s other features. The scent of damp fur and woodland soil filled his nostrils, and warm panting breath ghosted over his face.

The wolf was real enough. No vision. No dream.

“What the fuck?” Colin said, keeping his eyes fixed on the animal as it slunk away to the trees. His heart pounded and his mind was a whirl of confused thoughts. He tried to swallow around a thick lump in his parched throat. “What the fuck just happened?”

Zach said nothing but offered a hand to Colin, which after a few seconds pause, Colin grasped. Between the two of them, they easily hauled his bulky frame to standing. He scanned the grass for his knife, relief racing in his veins when he spotted it nestled among two nearby clumps of greenery.

Colin glanced away from the knife in the direction the wolf had headed. Could it really be Shaun? “I don’t understand.”

“Of course, you don’t.” Zach’s mouth curved into a warm, genuine smile. His eyes glimmered, and some of the tension lifted from Colin’s shoulders. “You must be Colin. Shaun’s sexy boss. He’s told me all about you.”

“What?” Colin’s pulse still pounded, and confusion turned his thoughts to sludge, but his heart fluttered at the hope those words kindled. What the hell was happening? What was this arsehole saying? Shaun had never tried anything on with Colin, not even when they’d been drunk. And had Shaun really… turned into a… what the actual fuck?

“You didn’t think he was interested in you?” Zach arched an eyebrow, and his eyes sparkled. Again.

Before Colin could commit himself to an answer or ask any questions about the precarious state of his sanity, there was movement to his side.

Shaun stood naked, his hands cupped over his groin, a little unsteady on his feet. “Chuck us your T-shirt, Zach,” he rasped, not making eye contact with Colin, his cheeks scarlet.

Without hesitation, Zach shed his top and threw it at Shaun, leaving his own fine torso on display. Smooth, defined, firm—perfect. No wonder Shaun had hooked up with him. Colin wouldn’t stand a chance with this guy in the picture, even if Shaun had liked him once upon a time.

Why was he even thinking about such things right now? He’d just seen Shaun turn into a wolf, and now he was back again as himself. And shortly before that, this ridiculously handsome man had been sucking on his neck and was now acting as if he knew things about Shaun that Colin didn’t even know. Was he losing his mind?

Colin dragged his gaze back to Shaun, his chest and nakedness now hidden from view by the oversized T-shirt. He staggered closer to Colin, his legs unsteady as if he were drunk. Shaun collapsed into Colin’s arms, maybe a deliberate move rather than an uncontrolled stumble. As much as Colin wanted to hug him to his chest, he needed answers. Anger bubbled to the surface and exploded. Colin gripped Shaun by his biceps and held him back at arm’s-length.

“What the fuck is going on? What did I just see?” It took all of Colin’s willpower not to shake the answer out of Shaun. “And what’s this fucking guy been doing to you?”

Shaun trembled beneath his touch, and his voice was hoarse and uneven, not its usual sweet timbre. “It’s okay, Col. I promise you, I’m okay now.” He placed his palm on Colin’s shoulder. “I know it’s a lot for you to take in all at once. I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to explain before.”

His words didn’t tell Colin anything. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were leaving and where you were going? I’d have listened… and helped you.” What the fuck could Colin have done to help if Shaun was a—?

Zach cleared his throat, distracting them both. He moved closer, running his long fingers down those taut abs of his until they came to rest on the waistband of his perfectly clinging jeans.

Shaun gazed at Zach, over his body, the renewed flush of arousal evident in his eyes. Colin’s heart sank but gave a hopeful flip when Shaun looked back at him with that same darkened expression. “Hey, how about we go inside? I can get dressed, and then explain what’s been going on with me.”

For a moment, Colin feared he might be overpowered or drugged or something like that once they got him inside the cabin, perhaps in the same way Shaun might have been. He eyed his knife lying on the ground, tempted to bend down and scoop it up for some protection.

Zach chuckled, and in a smooth yet swift motion slid past Colin. “I think you dropped this.” His mouth nestled close to Colin’s ear, his voice deep, his breath cool. A curl of interest coiled its way around Colin’s groin at the closeness of the man. Zach gripped Colin’s hand, turning his palm face-up, and placed the missing knife softly against his skin.

Colin couldn’t help but let out a gasp. He hadn’t witnessed the knife being retrieved from the ground. Whoever this man was, he was fast. He would probably dodge any knife or fist that Colin hurled his way. No way was Colin walking from this meadow without finding out who this man was. He pocketed the knife, despite his doubts about its usefulness now.

Zach glided away, entwined his fingers around Shaun’s hand, and pulled him towards the cabin. With an encouraging look over his shoulder, Shaun waved his free hand behind him. “Come on. We need to talk.”

Colin really had no choice, so he followed them. He needed to find out what had happened to Shaun and what the hell was going on between him and Zach.

 

 

About the Author

Lily G. Blunt enjoys writing contemporary gay romance and paranormal stories. She loves to explore the relationship between two or more men and the intensity of their physical and emotional attraction. Angst often features in her stories as she feels this demonstrates the depth of feelings between them. Lily is often inspired by the lyrics to songs and is forever writing imaginary scenes and plots in her head. Only a few of these ever make their way to the page.

Lily reviews for several blogs and has recently launched Gay Book Promotions, an online book promotion service for authors of LGBT+ romance and fiction. She loves to hear from readers and other authors.

 

Author Links

Amazon | Amazon UK | Blog | Facebook

Goodreads | Twitter | Gay Book Promotions

 

 

BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

 

Book Blast – Omega Challenge (Pine Creek Lake Den Book 4) by Quinn Michaels

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Omega Challenge

Series: Pine Creek Lake Den,  Book 4

Author: Quinn Michaels

Publisher: Global Grafx Press

Cover Artist: Pebbles Davis

Genre/s: gay romance, MMM, menage, omegaverse, mpreg, paranormal, wereshifters

 Length: 35,920 words

Release Date: Sep. 26, 2018          

Add on Goodreads 

 

Buy Links

Amazon US 

Amazon UK

Link to chapters and all platforms

 

Blurb

One is forsworn. One is forsaken. One will pay.

Noah and Luther are in love. The problem, Luther is a beta, Noah is an omega, and their mating is forbidden. Worse, if Noah can’t find an acceptable alpha in the next three days, he will have no choice but to mate with Raymond, an alpha he despises.

Then Arthur arrives, and everything falls apart.

Arthur is an alpha with a secret. He and his mother were betrayed, and both wear the mark of it. Now, Arthur will stop at nothing to make the alpha who cursed them pay. Now, with revenge in his teeth, Arthur’s own body betrays him. Twice. Will Arthur sacrifice love and happiness for vengeance? Or will he choose another path?

Find out in Omega Challenge an action-packed Omegaverse romance. This is a short book set prior to the events of the other three books of the Pine Creek Lake series.

If you love shifters, mmm menage, alpha, omega, and beta dynamics, adventure, magic, and a touch of mpreg, grab Omega Challenge now!

 

 

 

Excerpt

The rock was red and rust-brown with fallen blood when the stranger approached.

He was large, blonde with a scruffy beard and a patch over his left eye. His right eye was gray. He wore a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, riding shirt and dungarees. Even from a distance, even through the smell of blood, this alpha’s scent was powerful. Noah felt something inside of him stir, like a vibrating banjo string only he could hear. To his embarrassment, his cock thickened.

Noah quickly averted his gaze. He took a gulp from a glass of lemonade he had been holding, and then, still feeling thirsty, he drank the last of it down.

Luther grazed his fingers over Noah’s neck, a seemingly absent touch, but one that grounded Noah. He didn’t dare look at the beta. His face was hot. He loved Luther, and this sudden attraction was a betrayal of the promises he’d made himself.

If only the alpha would leave. But no, he took his place in line behind another pair of alphas preparing to shed their blood and enter the Cluiche.

The stranger had a scar running from his hairline down his temple and beneath the eyepatch to the center of his cheek. Noah’s sight flashed. He saw a young, female omega wolf snapping her teeth. The edges of her muzzle were splattered with blood.

Noah blinked. In his moon vision, the alpha’s scar was a shimmering silver line.

Noah swallowed, wishing he had more lemonade.

The alpha approached the rock. “This is where I bleed for the challenge?”

Horace was quiet, and Noah scented fear on him.

Fear?

“Yes,” Noah said. The vision was beginning to fade, thankfully, but he couldn’t push away his attraction.

In one fluid motion, the stranger swiped a silver dagger over his palm. Squeezing his hand tight, he let three drops fall on to the stone. “I am Arthur, son of Marion,” he said, giving his family line and no pack affiliation.

A mutt.

Odd considering his youth and obvious physical strength. A small pack would have wanted an alpha and accepted him unless he had some deeper problem of disposition or character. Or maybe he was entering the Cluiche with the intention of proving himself so that he might join one of the packs here?  

The stranger, Arthur turned to leave.

Horace said, “Wait.”

The stranger turned back around. He cocked his head. “Yes?”

“Show us your eye. Under the patch.”

Horace didn’t have the sight. He hadn’t seen the scar shimmer, had he?

“The Cluiche is open to all,” Arthur said. “Pack or no.”

Noah leaned towards Horace and whispered, “He’s right. There’s no reason to embarrass him this way.”

Horace said, “Show us your eye, mutt.”

Arthur reached up and, taking the patch in a tight, almost white-knuckled grip, yanked it down. Where Noah had expected to see a hollow space, scarred and sewn over, the eye was amber. A wolf’s eye with the pupil rimmed in red and a line of white through the center, following the path of his scar.

Noah’s breath caught. Around him, the others went silent.

 

About the Author

Pennsylvania native, Quinn Michaels loves fantasy, werewolves and M/M mpreg romance! Her goal is to write action-packed adventures of romance, self-discovery, and second chances, all served up with a hefty helping of sweet, sexy Omegas and hot, determined Alphas who will do anything to cherish, love, and protect them. She is ecstatic to share her characters and worlds, and she hopes you enjoy them (and the sexy times!)

Her books are available on Kindle, via Gumroad directly, and also on Nook, iBooks, Kobo & Google Play.

 

Author Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Blog

 

 

BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

RAINBOW SNIPPETS: February 24 #rainbowsnippets #gayromance #polyamory #paranormal

 

 

This snippet is from my recent release.

Love Times Five is a paranormal gay polyamory romance.

 

The wolf shifter and the vampire are about to run through the forest under the full moon…

 

When he lifted his head this time, a long mournful howl ripped out of his throat and echoed through the forest.

No reply came.

The wolf sniffed the air, and the earthy woodland odour bombarded his nostrils. Zach’s heady fragrance was now intoxicating. Lust curled deep inside of Shaun, and the fur on his back stood on end.

The animal pawed the ground, eager to stretch its legs. He wanted to fuck, but he needed to run more.

 

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction – a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation. In the group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise.

Click here to visit the Rainbow Snippets group on FB where you can see the posts from other authors.

Have a fabulous weekend and happy reading!

Lily xx

 

Add on Goodreads here.

 

Love Times Five is now available on Kindle Unlimited.

 

 

RAINBOW SNIPPETS: February 17 #rainbowsnippets #gayromance #polyamory #paranormal

 

 

This snippet is from my recent release.

Love Times Five is a paranormal gay polyamory romance.

 

The wolf shifter and the vampire are about to run through the forest under the full moon…

 

He shook his head and shoulders, sending a violent ripple over his skin. A snarl erupted from his elongated muzzle. His hands fell towards the forest floor, and by the time he landed, Shaun’s paws and claws dug into the damp earth. The bone-cracking pain fizzled out in a flash.

Shaun felt free and so alive.

 

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction – a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation. In the group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise.

Click here to visit the Rainbow Snippets group on FB where you can see the posts from other authors.

Have a fabulous weekend and happy reading!

Lily xx

 

Add on Goodreads here.

 

Love Times Five is now available on Kindle Unlimited.

 

 

RAINBOW SNIPPETS: February 10 #rainbowsnippets #gayromance #polyamory #paranormal

 

 

This snippet is from my recent release.

Love Times Five is a paranormal gay polyamory romance.

 

The wolf shifter and the vampire are about to run through the forest under the full moon…

 

Shaun stripped out of his clothes and draped them over a low-hanging branch, leaving only his shoes and socks on the still-wet grass beneath.

He stood naked beside Zach under the round moon. His body burned, inside and out. It itched. It stretched. The cool of the night air had no effect on his soaring temperature.

The wolf inside him paced, ready to pounce in an instant.

 

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction – a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation. In the group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise.

Click here to visit the Rainbow Snippets group on FB where you can see the posts from other authors.

Have a fabulous weekend and happy reading!

Lily xx

 

Add on Goodreads here.

 

Love Times Five is now available on Kindle Unlimited.

 

 

RAINBOW SNIPPETS: February 3 #rainbowsnippets #gayromance #polyamory #paranormal

 

 

This snippet is from my recent release.

Love Times Five is a paranormal gay polyamory romance.

 

The wolf shifter and the vampire are about to run through the forest under the full moon…

 

The moon shone low and bright in the now cloudless, star-speckled sky. The earlier storm had passed, leaving a cool, clear evening.

The sudden urge to throw his head back and howl prompted Shaun to move away from the cabin towards the cover of the trees.

Everything around him was visible and not just because of the reflected light from the moon. Zach’s unusual heartbeat thrummed slow and steady. A rabbit scurried under a nearby bush. An owl flew low across the open grass leading down to the lake. All of Shaun’s senses were on high alert. 

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction – a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation. In the group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise.

Click here to visit the Rainbow Snippets group on FB where you can see the posts from other authors.

Have a fabulous weekend and happy reading!

Lily xx

 

Add on Goodreads here.

 

RAINBOW SNIPPETS: January 20 #rainbowsnippets #gayromance #polyamory #paranormal

 

 

This third snippet is from my new release, Love Times Five.

 

Love Times Five is a paranormal gay polyamory romance.

This snippet is from Chapter Two. 

 

“You knew you were a wolf?” Colin’s mouth hung open, his face a picture of shock and amazement.

“Not at first. I collapsed onto the ground shaking, still adjusting, I guess. But when I looked at my arms, my legs, my belly, I saw fur, and… I knew then. And as I stood on shaky legs, like a fawn standing for the first time, my wolf claimed control of its body. I ran again and sniffed the air. I feasted on animals I caught and tore apart. I craved the blood, the fur, the bones. And by the end of the night, I was finally sated and without pain.”

 

Check out the Release Blitz post here for more details on Love Times Five.

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction – a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation. In the group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise.

Click here to visit the Rainbow Snippets group on FB where you can see the posts from other authors.

Have a fabulous weekend and happy reading!

Lily xx

 

Click here to find out more or to buy Love Times Five.

Add to Goodreads here.

Release Day – Love Times Five

RELEASE BLITZ – LOVE TIMES FIVE

Title: Love Times Five

Author: Lily G. Blunt

Cover Art: Jay Aheer at Simply Defined Art

Release Date: January 19, 2018

Genre/s:  paranormal, gay romance, contemporary, polyamory

Length: 77, 000 words

Add on Goodreads

Blurb

There’s safety in numbers and plenty of love to go around.

When Colin searches for his missing colleague and buddy in the hills of northern England, his life is changed forever. Not only does he find Shaun living in a cabin with the mysterious and undeniably gorgeous Zach, but he also discovers the reason Shaun went AWOL in the first place. Colin wants to draw his friend away to safety, but Zach soon mesmerises him, and he’s happy to stay in his company, for now.

Passing hikers, Wes and Dane, need some assistance, and the three men are willing to oblige. Thus begins a friendship that develops into much more.

The five men each have their own secrets. Some are shared, others are kept hidden. It’s only a matter of time before they are exposed and the consequences could change everything for them all.

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  

Amazon UK  

Smashwords

 PayHip  

  

Trailer Video

Read Excerpt #1 HERE

Excerpt #2 from Chapter 1

Colin yelped and stumbled back. The penknife fell from his grip as he connected with the solid ground and landed on his arse.

“What the fuck?” Colin gaped at the wild beast in front of him, not five feet away, and apparently protecting Zach, who stroked the wolf’s back as if he were petting a huge dog.

Colin blinked, hoping to clear his vision. Had he knocked his head? Was he dreaming? Had he been drugged too?

The wolf sniffed the air and pawed the grass, its tongue now lolling to the side of its mouth. Teeth, sharp and white and scary, distracted Colin from the animal’s other features. The scent of damp fur and woodland soil filled his nostrils, and warm panting breath ghosted over his face.

The wolf was real enough. No vision. No dream.

“What the fuck?” Colin said, keeping his eyes fixed on the animal as it slunk away to the trees. His heart pounded and his mind was a whirl of confused thoughts. He tried to swallow around a thick lump in his parched throat. “What the fuck just happened?”

Zach said nothing but offered a hand to Colin, which after a few seconds pause, Colin grasped. Between the two of them, they easily hauled his bulky frame to standing. He scanned the grass for his knife, relief racing in his veins when he spotted it nestled among two nearby clumps of greenery.

Colin glanced away from the knife in the direction the wolf had headed. Could it really be Shaun? “I don’t understand.”

“Of course, you don’t.” Zach’s mouth curved into a warm, genuine smile. His eyes glimmered, and some of the tension lifted from Colin’s shoulders. “You must be Colin. Shaun’s sexy boss. He’s told me all about you.”

“What?” Colin’s pulse still pounded, and confusion turned his thoughts to sludge, but his heart fluttered at the hope those words kindled. What the hell was happening? What was this arsehole saying? Shaun had never tried anything on with Colin, not even when they’d been drunk. And had Shaun really… turned into a… what the actual fuck?

“You didn’t think he was interested in you?” Zach arched an eyebrow, and his eyes sparkled. Again.

Before Colin could commit himself to an answer or ask any questions about the precarious state of his sanity, there was movement to his side.

Shaun stood naked, his hands cupped over his groin, a little unsteady on his feet. “Chuck us your T-shirt, Zach,” he rasped, not making eye contact with Colin, his cheeks scarlet.

Without hesitation, Zach shed his top and threw it at Shaun, leaving his own fine torso on display. Smooth, defined, firm—perfect. No wonder Shaun had hooked up with him. Colin wouldn’t stand a chance with this guy in the picture, even if Shaun had liked him once upon a time.

Why was he even thinking about such things right now? He’d just seen Shaun turn into a wolf, and now he was back again as himself. And shortly before that, this ridiculously handsome man had been sucking on his neck and was now acting as if he knew things about Shaun that Colin didn’t even know. Was he losing his mind?

Colin dragged his gaze back to Shaun, his chest and nakedness now hidden from view by the oversized T-shirt. He staggered closer to Colin, his legs unsteady as if he were drunk. Shaun collapsed into Colin’s arms, maybe a deliberate move rather than an uncontrolled stumble. As much as Colin wanted to hug him to his chest, he needed answers. Anger bubbled to the surface and exploded. Colin gripped Shaun by his biceps and held him back at arm’s-length.

“What the fuck is going on? What did I just see?” It took all of Colin’s willpower not to shake the answer out of Shaun. “And what’s this fucking guy been doing to you?”

Shaun trembled beneath his touch, and his voice was hoarse and uneven, not its usual sweet timbre. “It’s okay, Col. I promise you, I’m okay now.” He placed his palm on Colin’s shoulder. “I know it’s a lot for you to take in all at once. I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to explain before.”

His words didn’t tell Colin anything. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were leaving and where you were going? I’d have listened… and helped you.” What the fuck could Colin have done to help if Shaun was a—?

Zach cleared his throat, distracting them both. He moved closer, running his long fingers down those taut abs of his until they came to rest on the waistband of his perfectly clinging jeans.

Shaun gazed at Zach, over his body, the renewed flush of arousal evident in his eyes. Colin’s heart sank but gave a hopeful flip when Shaun looked back at him with that same darkened expression. “Hey, how about we go inside? I can get dressed, and then explain what’s been going on with me.”

For a moment, Colin feared he might be overpowered or drugged or something like that once they got him inside the cabin, perhaps in the same way Shaun might have been. He eyed his knife lying on the ground, tempted to bend down and scoop it up for some protection.

Zach chuckled, and in a smooth yet swift motion slid past Colin. “I think you dropped this.” His mouth nestled close to Colin’s ear, his voice deep, his breath cool. A curl of interest coiled its way around Colin’s groin at the closeness of the man. Zach gripped Colin’s hand, turning his palm face-up, and placed the missing knife softly against his skin.

Colin couldn’t help but let out a gasp. He hadn’t witnessed the knife being retrieved from the ground. Whoever this man was, he was fast. He would probably dodge any knife or fist that Colin hurled his way. No way was Colin walking from this meadow without finding out who this man was. He pocketed the knife, despite his doubts about its usefulness now.

Zach glided away, entwined his fingers around Shaun’s hand, and pulled him towards the cabin. With an encouraging look over his shoulder, Shaun waved his free hand behind him. “Come on. We need to talk.”

Colin really had no choice, so he followed them. He needed to find out what had happened to Shaun and what the hell was going on between him and Zach.

About the Author

Lily G. Blunt enjoys writing contemporary gay romance and paranormal stories. She loves to explore the relationship between two or more men and the intensity of their physical and emotional attraction. Angst often features in her stories as she feels this demonstrates the depth of feelings between them. Lily is often inspired by the lyrics to songs and is forever writing imaginary scenes and plots in her head. Only a few of these ever make their way to the page.

Lily reviews for several blogs and has recently launched Gay Book Promotions, an online book promotion service for authors of LGBT+ romance and fiction. She loves to hear from readers and other authors.

Contact and Social Media Information

Amazon | Amazon UK | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Gay Book Promotions

 

RELEASE BLITZ SCHEDULE

January 19

Tangents and Tissues, 

Blazing Zane Book Blog REVIEW

Noteworthy Book Reviews  REVIEW

Millsy Loves Books

Gay Media Reviews 

Sur l’étagère, derrière la sirène en plastique  REVIEW

Book Reviews Virginia Lee  REVIEW

Stories That Make You Smile

Dawn’s Reading Nook    

Angels With Attitude Book Reviews

Gay Book Reviews   

January 20

MM Midnight Cafe 

LM Somerton 

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents    

Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author  

T.N. Nova – Author  REVIEW

Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read   REVIEW

January 21

Love Unchained Book Reviews  REVIEW

Nerdy Dirty & Flirty

MJ’s Book Blog and Reviews

The Blogger Girls  

Abibliophobia Anonymous Book Reviews

January 22

Books Laid Bare Boys  REVIEW

Louise Lyons 

Mary Winter’s Blog 

Drops of Ink 

Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter   

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews   REVIEW

January 25

Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings REVIEW

January 26

Land of the Book Fairies  REVIEW

The Way She Reads  REVIEW

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words  

Jazzy Book Reviews  

January 27

Bayou Book Junkie

BFD Book Blog REVIEW

A Book Lover’s Dream Book Blog  REVIEW

Alpha Book Club  REVIEW

From Top to Bottom Reviews

~

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

 

RAINBOW SNIPPETS: January 14 #rainbowsnippets #gayromance #polyamory

 

This second snippet is from my forthcoming release, Love Times Five.

Check out the fabulous cover designed Jay at Simply Defined Art .

 

Love Times Five is a polyamorous paranormal gay romance.

This snippet is from Chapter One. 

Colin has been searching for his missing friend and stumbles across a cabin. He sees two figures, one of them is Shaun.

The man steered Shaun towards the large stump of a felled tree and pinned him onto his back. Shaun didn’t struggle or fight, only crying out when the man lunged towards him.

What the… are they kissing and making out?

The powerful man nuzzled on top of Shaun: licking, nipping, and sucking on his neck. Submitting and not resisting, Shaun allowed the man to take what he needed. A sludge of sickness rolled through Colin’s gut, making him want to puke, like it often did whenever Shaun hooked up with another guy.

 

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction – a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation. In the group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise.

Click here to visit the Rainbow Snippets group on FB where you can see the posts from other authors.

 

Check out the Cover Reveal post here for more details.

Have a great weekend and happy reading!

Lily xx

****Cover Reveal and Excerpt**** Love Times Five by Lily G Blunt

 

Title: Love Times Five

Author: Lily G. Blunt

Cover Art: Jay Aheer at Simply Defined Art

Release Date: January 19, 2018

Genre/s:  paranormal, gay romance, contemporary, polyamory

Length: 77, 000 words

Add on Goodreads

Blurb

There’s safety in numbers and plenty of love to go around.

When Colin searches for his missing colleague and buddy in the hills of northern England, his life is changed forever. Not only does he find Shaun living in a cabin with the mysterious and undeniably gorgeous Zach, but he also discovers the reason Shaun went AWOL in the first place. Colin wants to draw his friend away to safety, but Zach soon mesmerises him, and he’s happy to stay in his company, for now.

Passing hikers, Wes and Dane, need some assistance, and the three men are willing to oblige. Thus begins a friendship that develops into much more.

The five men each have their own secrets. Some are shared, others are kept hidden. It’s only a matter of time before they are exposed and the consequences could change everything for them all.

Available to purchase now from PayHip  

Pre-Order Links

Amazon US  

Amazon UK  

Smashwords   

 

Excerpt – From Chapter One

The wooden cabin situated across the sloping meadow was a decent-sized dwelling, with two curtained windows on either side of the door. A covered porch stretched across the front with two old-fashioned rocking chairs and a new SUV was parked to the side.

Movement on the grass in front of the cabin confirmed the place was indeed inhabited. Colin halted in his tracks at the edge of the tree line, his breath on hold, wary of making his presence known. He squinted to get a better view of the two men walking close together. One was sleek and elegant, dressed in dark clothing. He towered over the other smaller, more familiar, figure in a sky-blue T-shirt.

Shaun?

Even from that distance, there was something recognisable about the upward lift of the chin of the shorter man; the way he held his body and the way the breeze ruffled his dark hair.

Yes, thank God. That’s got to be Shaun.

Colin snuck behind the nearest tree and peered from around the trunk, not wanting to be seen nor to interrupt them. Not yet anyway. Perhaps he wouldn’t need to make himself known. If he was mistaken and it wasn’t Shaun after all, he could slink away and return home without disturbing them. If it was him, Colin wanted answers. He wouldn’t be able to leave without finding out what the hell Shaun was doing here. With this stranger.

The stranger placed his hands on Shaun’s biceps and leaned in closer. He raised an arm, gripped Shaun’s jaw and pushed him backward.

Colin’s stomach clenched.

If he hurts Shaun… Colin patted his penknife, a comforting weight where it nestled in his trouser pocket. He’d lost count of the number of times just carrying the knife had given him the confidence to stand up to thugs who thought it was okay to call him out on his sexuality. Colin was proud he could hit most targets with it and had his father to thank for his accurate throwing skills. He was proficient enough to frighten this guy.

The cabin stood on the far side of a wild grassy expanse leading down to a small lake beyond. It was a picturesque setting with early spring flowers peeking through here and there. The sun glinted off the dark surface of the lake, and a rowing boat lay overturned at the water’s edge. Normally, Colin would have taken shot after shot with his phone to capture the charming view. But not today. This was not a sightseeing trip. It might even be a matter of life or death. For Shaun, for himself, maybe for them both considering how the taller guy unsettled Colin. If Shaun was being held captive, it would be up to Colin to rescue him.

A pained groan filled the quiet of the meadow; louder than the songbirds and the insects humming in the air.

Colin shuddered all over. His skin prickled with the fear rippling through him.

He slowly eased the penknife from his trouser pocket. The handle felt cool in his sweaty palm. Running his thumb over the edge of its sheathed blade, he itched to flick it open. It would take a second to expose the knife and throw it. If only he were a little closer, he’d be sure of hitting his target spot on. He’d need to be accurate if he wanted to rescue his buddy from his captor.

Colin held back a growl. He’d do everything in his power to help Shaun. His body was strong and muscled—too big, Colin worried sometimes. Shaun was slender and wouldn’t stand a chance against this imposing man.

The man steered Shaun towards the large stump of a felled tree, and pinned him onto his back. Shaun didn’t struggle or fight, only crying out when the man lunged towards him.

What the… are they kissing and making out?

The powerful man nuzzled on top of Shaun: licking, nipping, and sucking on his neck. Submitting and not resisting, Shaun allowed the man to take what he needed. A sludge of sickness rolled through Colin’s gut, making him want to puke, like it often did whenever Shaun hooked up with another guy.

Swallowing the bitter-tasting bile, Colin crept over the ground to the adjacent tree, placing his feet gently, trying to make himself light, so as not to disturb the entwined couple. A twig snapped beneath his cumbersome weight and he froze.

The two men remained engrossed in each other. Neither of them glanced his way. Sweat trickled down Colin’s back. His skin burned. He wiped the moisture from his brow and stepped closer, gripping the knife so hard his knuckles cracked.

What the hell is he doing to Shaun’s neck?

A chill ran over Colin’s damp skin. Shaun had mentioned a possessive date who’d bitten him at a nightclub a week or so before he’d disappeared. In fact, it was after that encounter Shaun had started acting out of character. Colin had been worried enough to persuade him to get the bite checked out by his doctor, in case it got infected. Could this be the same sick fuck who was currently grinding his hips against Shaun, trying to get himself off as he latched onto his neck?

Colin’s heart thudded, his blood heating with a mix of anger and jealousy. He mustered all his strength, and his nostrils flared when his next breath filled his lungs.

He strode towards the rutting couple, but Shaun’s groans of arousal slowed Colin’s pace.

“Yes, Zach, that feels good.” Shaun’s passion-filled voice drifted across the meadow.

Was his friend in any real danger? Had he been drugged and was being held against his will? It didn’t seem like it. Fuck, what should he do? Goddamn Shaun, he’d worried the hell out of Colin, and here he was having some sort of debauched make-out session with this creep while Colin had been traipsing the hillsides looking for him.

Colin gritted his teeth. Whatever had happened to Shaun, he needed to find out what the hell was going on. He continued his steady approach.

Surely these guys must know he was standing not ten feet away from them by now, but Shaun’s eyes remained closed, his lips parted, a look of ecstasy on his face. The guy on top sucked on his neck like there was no tomorrow. He’d have a massive hickey later, and Shaun didn’t seem bothered by it.

Colin’s dick twitched, and he huffed at its traitorous response. How many times had he witnessed other lithe young men rubbing against Shaun like this in clubs and he’d wanted to take their place? And he would have too, if he’d thought for a second he was the kind of guy Shaun wanted.

Right now, Colin should haul this leech off Shaun and drag his friend back home, back to work, back to where he belonged.

And still the guy feasted on his neck, sucking and lapping as if his life depended on it. And Shaun was getting off from that. His erotic purrs and moans captivated Colin. Damn it, his dick hadn’t been this hard in weeks. Why couldn’t someone… Shaun… suck on him like that?

Shaun’s eyes fluttered open, and on catching sight of Colin, widened.

“Stop, Zach,” he said, pushing him away.

Had they not heard his approach?

His neck-sucking friend—Zach—turned leisurely.  He raised an eyebrow in challenge, wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, and stared with a self-satisfied smirk at Colin. Had he known Colin was standing there all this time?

Cocky bugger. Granted, he was a good-looking cocky bugger. Lean torso and long legs, with smooth, pale skin, yet his eyes were dark and mesmerising. His features appeared almost sculpted, his nose was perfect, and his clean-shaven square jaw made him so very handsome.

Don’t get distracted. He’s dangerous.

Shaun rose to a sitting position on the tree stump. Blood trickled from two round marks on his neck. He raised a hand and covered the injury.

Colin blinked. Zach had bitten into Shaun’s neck and hurt him. The reality slammed into Colin. He shook his head, trying to clear away a fuzzy feeling, and flicked open his knife.  He held it poised, ready to throw. He still wasn’t sure if this was consensual or if Zach was a nutter who’d done something to overpower Shaun.

“Step away from him,” Colin ordered, making his voice deep and commanding, his arm steady with the knife. “I’m taking Shaun home with me.”

Zach shook his head slowly, but he stayed put. Shaun rose to his feet, his eyes fixed on Colin. He held his hands out in a calm down and take it easy posture.

“I mean it, sunshine. One sudden move and I’ll throw this blade at you. I’ll make you bleed.” And Colin meant every word. He was prepared to take this guy out to rescue his friend.

“Hey, Col. You’ve got it all wrong. He wasn’t hurting me.” Shaun took a step closer to Zach instead of Colin.

And that action hurt Colin more than a solid punch in the gut.

“Yeah, Col. Listen to him.” God, Zach was smooth, with a sexy drawl of a voice. His dark, imposing gaze shifted between the knife and Colin’s eyes. And still his body language screamed be wary of me. He couldn’t be trusted. He was going to pounce any second, Colin just knew it.

With a flick of his wrist, Colin tilted the knife, and before he could sound off another warning, it was Shaun who leaped forward, snarling. His clothing shredded and scattered into the air and, out of the blur of movement, before him stood a pale grey wolf baring its teeth.

 

 

About the Author

Lily G. Blunt enjoys writing contemporary gay romance and paranormal stories. She loves to explore the relationship between two or more men and the intensity of their physical and emotional attraction. Angst often features in her stories as she feels this demonstrates the depth of feelings between them. Lily is often inspired by the lyrics to songs and is forever writing imaginary scenes and plots in her head. Only a few of these ever make their way to the page.

Lily reviews for several blogs and has recently launched Gay Book Promotions, an online book promotion service for authors of LGBT+ romance and fiction. She loves to hear from readers and other authors.

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