Release Day Spotlight: A Secret Match by Kelli A. Wilkins

A Secret Match
By Kelli A. Wilkins
www.KelliWilkins.com
M/M Contemporary
Amber Quill Press
Release Date Aug 31
Buy Now at Amber Quill

Heat Level: 3

Approximate page count: 160/45,000 words

Everett Kinkade is a world-famous professional wrestler and the sexy heartthrob of millions of adoring female fans. But Ev has a secret he doesn’t dare share with anyone. He’s gay.

After years of being Ev’s secret lover, Josh is tired of hiding in the shadows and wants Ev to openly acknowledge their relationship. Coming out is the last thing Ev wants and fears it will ruin his career.

One night in a moment of truth, Everett outs himself on live TV. There’s no going back, and his announcement sparks a firestorm of problems – both personally and professionally. He’s forced to come to grips with who he really is while facing down a tag team out to destroy him.

Torn between living a lie and losing the man he loves, Ev has risked everything… can he find a balance between his career and his heart?

Excerpt:

“Maybe we’ll take a swim later,” Ev said as he closed the bedroom door and picked the box off the nightstand. “This is for you.”

“A present? For me?” Josh smiled as he took the box.

“Well, technically it’s for both of us.” Ev bowed his head. “I thought…we might…you know. Oh, just open it,” he finished in a rush.

Josh unwrapped the box. It held a bottle of lube, condoms, and a sample pack of flavored lotions. “This is sweet.”

“I didn’t get anything kinky. I wasn’t sure if you’re into that or what…”

“I like to play around, but that can wait for another time.” He pulled Ev close for a kiss and felt him quiver. “Are you okay?”

Everett glanced into his eyes. “Yeah, I want to do this, but…it’s been a long time.”

He kissed Ev and slid his hands down his wide back, caressing him through his shirt. The scent of Ev’s citrus and sage cologne made his heart beat faster. “Don’t worry about a thing. Relax. You’re safe with me. I’ll take care of everything.” He kissed Ev again, and a quiver ran up his spine as Everett slipped his tongue into his mouth. Josh cupped Ev’s tight buttocks through his jeans, pressing their lower bodies together. They lost themselves in the embrace, touching and stroking each other.

“Let me make love to you the way you deserve. Now strip for me, Muscles,” Josh teased. “Everything but the pants.”

Everett took off his shirt and kicked off his shoes and socks. Josh grinned at the sight of Ev’s wide, tan chest and his flat belly. He stepped closer, trailing his hand down Ev’s six-pack abs. “Nice.”

Josh gathered Ev in his arms and nuzzled his neck, planting tiny kisses from his neck to his chest muscles. He kissed Everett’s pecs, then swirled his tongue around his left nipple. He spent the next few minutes licking and kissing Ev everywhere, slowly making his way down his stomach.

He kissed Ev a few more times, then unfastened his jeans. He unzipped them slowly, exposing Everett’s dark blue briefs. His erection was obvious. The pink head of his cock peeked out over his underwear. “These look tight.”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t be shy. Talk to me. Don’t be afraid to make some noise. I like to hear encouragement,” Josh said, toying with the edge of Ev’s briefs.

***

Buy links:  

Amber Quill Press: http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2022-A-Secret-Match.aspx
Coming soon to Amazon and B&N in e-book and paperback!

Release Day Spotlight & Giveaway: Sculptor's Desire by Kerry Adrienne

Kerry Adrienne is back with another novel that'll keep you up way past your bedtime. 

Rocco Lazzaro meets the a new age, yoga instructor Devin in SCULPTOR’S DESIRE, the second novel Kerry Adrienne’s sizzling Gallant Gentlemen’s Guild series, out on August 27th. 2014  from Ellora’s Cave. 

About SCULPTOR’S DESIRE:

Rocco Lazzaro is on a mission to find the perfect male body to sculpt. His inability to find “the one” has affected his creativity and he’s frustrated by his failure. With a Guild charity auction coming up, he’s expected to provide high quality sculptures, but the pieces he creates feel soulless.


When Devin, a yoga instructor, approaches him and offers to help, Rocco can’t quit thinking about the red-hot ginger. Devin’s New Age beliefs push Rocco away—he can’t deal with reality, much less mysticism. No auras and rainbows for Rocco—just stone and chisel and hammer.


But Devin is persistent. He knows he’s supposed to help Rocco find his muse—and he’ll stop at nothing to show him that the line between art and skin is very thin and a true muse can provide inspiration in many ways.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble


Also in the Gallant Gentlemen’s Guild series: ARTIST’S TOUCH by Kerry Adrienne! On sale for just .99 cents from August 25th – August 31st, 2014.

***

Excerpt Sculptor's Desire

Rocco clutched the purple fliers and stared out at the busy park from his seat. He’d posted enough of the papers for the day, not that it mattered. He’d never had luck distributing them before—the responses had never lived up to his expectations. He set his backpack on the ground and leaned back against the wooden bench. Why bother? Not like the perfect man was going to walk up, pick up the flier and actually respond. Not in this lifetime.

He lowered the sunglasses over his eyes. The late afternoon sunlight didn’t thread through the full-summer trees in this part of Central Park, but his shades allowed him to “bulge watch” as the throngs of tourists and New Yorkers paid homage at the mosaic shrine to John Lennon. The circular black and white medallion with “Imagine” scripted across its center was a place of reverence. Disciples had outlined the medallion with a peace sign made of fresh-cut flowers, and tourists took turns posing and taking pictures in front of the makeshift altar.

Rocco scanned the visitors. The place was a people-watcher’s dream, and for a Monday, the crowd was huge. Summer in the city always brought the tourists in droves of asinine clothing and hats and noise. Still, he had hope he’d find the one he was looking for.

The man who’d make his dreams come true.

He set the fliers on the bench beside him, then picked up one purple sheet and folded it into a fan, carefully creasing each fold. He tried to breathe out the hot air, but no doubt about it, the June day was steaming. New York was a sweltering change from the Adirondack cabin where he’d spent most of his time in the last month. Still, he was happy to be back in the city—his second home. The cabin was great as a quiet place to work, even though it was small, but its remoteness made it impossible to people-watch and gain inspiration.

Rocco crimped the last crease. His apartment in one of the Guild’s brownstones felt like home away from home. The Guild’s large studio provided the best space he’d ever had to work—tons of light and plenty of quiet. And his guildmates were like brothers, always ready to support each other through any artistic struggle, though he supposed they too were growing tired of his search for a perfect man. No one had actually voiced it, but he felt a distinct difference in the tone of the conversation when he brought the search up in conversation. With the upcoming charity auction in October, most of the artists would be working overtime and even less inclined to listen to his plight.

He fanned himself with the folded flier. Nothing to see at the moment. Not a single possibility in the groups of people gathered in the small courtyard. He scanned the area. The top edge of the Dakota Apartments peeked over the trees and Rocco glanced over the rows of tightly curtained windows. He’d never been inside the lavish building, though he knew several Guild members had been to private parties there. Rocco had been invited many times but had always declined. Wealth and showmanship weren’t his thing. He preferred the simple life where nature set the style, not John Varvatos and Marc Jacobs.

Strawberry Fields was a prime tourist spot. Too bad today’s mob held few specimens worthy of a glance, much less a stare. I’d think the simple math odds would warrant at least a couple prospects. Add in summer shorts, and there should be at least a good bulge or two…

He glanced at the stack of fliers—about fifty of them left. He’d put up as many papers as he could around the park over the last hour. Who was he kidding? After years of searching, he might as well give up on finding the ideal male. He set the fan on the bench and shoved the stack of fliers into the front pocket of his backpack and zipped it up.

He’d held several open calls with no luck. Something inside him pushed him to keep looking, keep trying, no matter how many times he failed. The same something kept him awake at night and tore apart his thoughts during the day. He’d find what he was looking for and he wouldn’t stop until he did, no matter what it took. It didn’t matter if it cost him his friends, his guildmates, his sanity. That was art, wasn’t it?

“May I sit here?”

The soft, lilting voice wove through Rocco’s thoughts and he paused. He looked up and his breath caught in his throat when he saw where the voice originated. Broad shoulders and a flat abdomen encased in a perfectly tight white T-shirt. Tall, but not overly so. Blue jean shorts, snug. Red cropped hair that glistened gold at the tips and fell over in a lock of bangs. Rocco gazed from top to bottom and licked his dry lips.

Red, white, blue, and all American.

“May I?” the man repeated.

“Sure.” Rocco fumbled with his pack and slid over to make room on the wooden park bench, pushing his folded fan behind him and out of the way so the stranger could sit down.

“Thanks,” the man said, dropping onto the bench.

No, thank you. But not so close. The vibrations of the man sitting raced through the wood of the bench into wood between Rocco’s legs. He swallowed hard, pushing back the anxiety. “No problem,” he said, half-whispering. He peeked then gazed down again. Finally, someone worth looking at. Only the man was so freaking near, Rocco felt as if he could feel the heat emanating from the man’s hotness.

Too close. No comfort.

The man scooted back on the bench and stretched out his legs. “Long day. I’m exhausted. Didn’t expect there to still be such a crowd here this time of day.” He blew out a long breath and closed his eyes.

Despite the heat, a shiver raced through Rocco and he eyed the fluid line of the man’s form. If he’d had a sketchpad, he’d do a quick gesture drawing of the long stroke of torso and limbs.

Not knowing what to say, Rocco turned away. A group of noisy teens descended on the mosaic like a swarm of bees, laughing and shouting and taking photos of themselves in stupid poses. Rocco blinked away the distraction and looked back to the man sitting beside him.

Not bad. “Yeah.” Hell, not bad at all. “It’s crowded.” He squeezed his thighs together to control his body’s reaction. Why couldn’t the man have chosen to sit on the other side of the path where Rocco could observe without having to talk?

***

About Kerry Adrienne:

Kerry loves history and spends large amounts of time wondering about people who lived and walked on Earth in the past. She’s a mom to three daughters, six cats, and various small animals, including a panther chameleon.

In addition to writing, she’s a college instructor, artist, costumer, and editor. Her new love is her Mini Cooper Convertible, Sheldon, and they have already gone on many adventures.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

***

Giveaway


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Book Spotlight: Last Chance Tattoo by Karenna Colcroft

Last Chance Tatoo
by Karenna Colcroft
M/M Contemporary Romance
Loose-id

Blurb:

After "failing" to make a life and a drag career in Boston, Rad Morris has returned home to Ludington, Michigan, where his primary goal is to avoid his disapproving family. Only his grandmother accepts him, and Rad feels guilty for taking her support and money.

Tattoo artist Dorsey Bellamy moved to Ludington three years ago after the death of his lover in a gay-bashing gone too far. Until Dorsey meets Rad, he keeps to himself, but something about Rad catches Dorsey's attention. They form a friendship, which soon turns sexual, and then emotions enter the picture.

But after confrontations with family members, Rad wants to leave town again, and Dorsey can only try to persuade him to stay.

Excerpt:

Without thinking, Dorsey hurried out of the shop. Behind him, Kelly called a question, but he didn’t pay attention. He crossed the fortunately empty street. “Rad!”

Rad jumped and whirled around, then relaxed. “Hey.”

Dorsey closed the few yards between them. The drizzle was turning into full-on rain, but he didn’t care. If Rad could stand it, so could he. “Hey. How’s it going?”

Rad shrugged. “Been better, been worse. I was going down to the lighthouse, except I’m not sure walking out there is a good idea in the rain.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” The lighthouse stood at the end of a half-mile or so causeway, accessible only by foot. In three years, Dorsey had never taken the walk. The lighthouse was nice to look at from the shore. He saw no reason to go all the way out to it.

“Probably not.” Rad sighed. “When I was a kid, I used to go out there all the time. Even in the summer, it was a quiet place. I could think. Not to mention getting away from my brothers and everyone. Even though I wasn’t far away, I could pretend I was alone in the middle of the lake. I liked it.”

Dorsey’s heart went out to the guy. From everything Rad had told him, Rad’s childhood had been pretty damn lonely. No one should have to be alone, especially with family around, but it sounded as if Rad truly had been.

That was one of the things Dorsey wanted to make better. Both of them had been alone too long.

“You’re looking for time alone now?” He deliberately made it a question.

“Kind of.” Rad shrugged. “I didn’t feel like hanging around Gram’s house. Last night was, let’s say, interesting. And this morning, the drama continues. I needed a break for a while, and I thought the lighthouse would be a good place to go.” He shook his head. “It’s raining too hard. Where were you? I didn’t see you until you caught up with me.”

“I was having some coffee. Come on over and I’ll buy you a cup.” The rain was falling even harder than moments before. Dorsey was pretty much done with standing in it. He just hoped Rad would go with him.

To his relief, Rad nodded. “Thanks. I’m freezing, so coffee will be good.”

“Yeah.” Dorsey considered offering Rad his jacket until they were inside. It would have seemed too intimate, though. A gesture a boyfriend would make. They weren’t boyfriends.

They crossed the street and went into the coffee shop. A second cup was on the counter beside Dorsey’s, and Kelly stood at the other end of the counter talking to a customer.

Dorsey took a drink of his coffee and gestured at the other cup. Rad shook his head. “I don’t think that’s mine.”

“It is.” Kelly looked over her shoulder. “You go out walking in this weather with no jacket, I’m going to give you coffee. Drink it and be grateful.”

Rad chuckled and picked up the cup. He tilted his head toward the empty tables, and Dorsey nodded.

Once they were seated, Rad fidgeted with his cup and stared at the table. Dorsey wished the guy would tell him what was going on. Clearly something had upset Rad, and Dorsey wanted to help. Something he couldn’t do if he didn’t know the problem. Usually Rad seemed all too willing to talk, but today he was quiet, and Dorsey didn’t know how to open the conversation.

“I have today off,” he said finally.

“Cool. I wondered.” Rad took the first drink of his coffee. “I thought about seeing if you were at work, but then I realized it was probably too early for the shop to be open anyway.”

“We aren’t open on Sundays.” Dorsey took a long breath. This was the most awkward conversation he’d had with Rad yet, and he didn’t know how to make it better. He only knew he wanted Rad to be comfortable with him and to talk to him, but this morning it felt more like they were strangers than the first day Rad had entered the tattoo shop.

“I’m sorry I’m not great company today,” Rad said. “Family stuff. You probably don’t want to hear about it, and I’m not sure how much I should say.” His expression brightened. “But one good thing. I stood up to my parents and brothers. Gram had them over for dinner last night, and I told them how crappy they were for kicking me out. And you know something?”

“I know lots of things.” Dorsey had to make the wisecrack to lighten the mood. “What specifically are you asking about?”

Rad chuckled. “Yeah, you are very wise. Ass. Anyway, I realized something last night. All the time I believed I’d failed was complete crap. I didn’t accomplish what I hoped to, but that doesn’t make me a failure. I was only eighteen when I moved to Boston, and I survived there for five years by myself. Gram helped me out with money, but I earned my own too. I had a home, food, jobs.”

“I know plenty of people my age and older who can’t say that much.” Dorsey smiled. It was good to hear Rad say something so positive.

“Yeah.” Rad took another drink. “I guess I got used to being the mistake of the family. I mean, my parents planned on stopping with two kids, and then I came along. I never fit in at school. I wasn’t good at math like my father and brothers. And hell, I’m gay and decided to become a drag queen. By Morris or Ames standards, that’s failure.”

“You aren’t a mistake,” Dorsey said through gritted teeth. If Rad’s family had anything to do with him thinking that way, Dorsey would have a few choice words for them.

***

Visit the author at http://www.karennacolcroft.com/

Recent M/M Releases

Spanish Heat 
by Douglas Black
Totally Bound Publishing
Sexy Snax Line
15,000 Words
M/M Contemporary
Allromance


Jack is looking for a new job and a fresh start, but he finds more than he expected waiting for him under the Spanish sun.

When Jack Campbell is unceremoniously dumped in favour of his high school best friend, he decides he needs a fresh start. He sees an advertisement in The Times. Clark Thomas is looking for a house sitter for his villa in Marbella. In a slightly inebriated state, Jack applies seeing this as the perfect chance to get away from his troubles at home in Glasgow, but when he lands in Spain, he finds a lot more than a just job opportunity waiting for him.

Clark has one weekend to show Jack the ropes before he leaves Spain and the memories of his own recent break-up behind for the next nine months. However, there’s just something about Jack. Instead of explaining the finer points of Jack’s contract, Clark finds himself introducing the young Glaswegian to some of his favourite Andalucian haunts, and he’s spending more time doing so than is necessary.

There must be something in the Spanish heat. All too soon Clark and Jack find themselves struggling to maintain the boundaries of their employer-employee relationship. Jack is behaving in ways he never has before, but knowing that what he’s doing is probably wrong doesn’t stop it from feeling right, and it might cause Jack a bigger problem when Monday morning comes around and it’s time for Clark to leave.

***

Business or Pleasure
by Ashley Ladd
Totally Bound Publishing
M/M Contemporary
40,000 Words
Allromance

Tommy Boudreaux is extremely attracted to Guy Rogers even though he’s a passionate vegetarian and animal rights activist and Tommy’s family owns the most popular barbecue joint in town.

Guy Rogers is extremely attracted to his new realtor, Tom Boudreaux. As a passionate vegetarian and animal rights activist, he’s ecstatic that Tom is a kindred soul. He could never be with a carnivore. Unfortunately, Tommy isn’t really a vegetarian or an animal rights activist. He never said he was, either, he just didn’t eat meat when he was with Guy. And maybe he emptied his house of all meat and dairy products before inviting Guy over. In fact, Tommy’s family owns the most popular barbecue restaurant in town and, if his family has their way, he’ll manage the new location.

When Guy finds out that Tommy eats meat and his family owns a restaurant that’s a monument to eating meat, he’s livid and doesn’t know if he wants anything else to do with Tommy.

But then Guy’s life gets crazy—his dad’s paranoia blossoms into violent dementia, Guy gets arrested for picketing a doggy mill then he winds up in even more legal trouble. When Tommy sticks by him through all his problems and does everything he can to help him, Guy wonders if he’s been too militant and narrow-minded. Perhaps he can learn to live with people who have opposite views.

***

Poetry in Motion
by Scarlet Blackwell
Totally Bound Publishing
Sexy Snax Line
M/M Contemporary
15,000 Words
Allromance

Paul shouldn’t be playing with younger men, but Adam is irresistible…

Travelling salesman Paul is in the historic English town of Lincoln for one night only. Approaching forty and feeling sorry for himself over the lack of a special man in his life, he is looking to pick up a spicy little something to take back to his hotel.

In a bar, he’s hit on by twenty-year-old poetry-obsessed student, Adam. The age gap is too great, and Adam is too young and naïve for Paul. They have nothing in common and it shouldn’t work. Paul should know better than to chase a younger man but after a night of wild sex, Adam is too keen, and Paul has limited willpower…

***

Book Spotlight: Silent Secrets by Ellen Cross

Silent Secrets
by Ellen Cross
Preternatural Rescue Centre Book 6
M/M Paranormal
eXtasy Books

Blurb

How did Dante find himself in this mess? First Grant creates a portal that no living being can pass through—leaving Dante as the only one able to cross it—but when Dante does, he finds his mate on the other side, chained to the ground of a building that is seconds from collapsing on top of them both.
   
Dante only has two choices. Either he leaves his mate, or he takes him back through the portal. Both will result in his mate's death. Before he can decide, his inner vampire takes over, and helpless to stop it, his beast bleeds his mate's life away...
   
Sonny has been a servant his whole life, mute through circumstances of his birth. With no ability to voice what he knows, and never having learned to write, it goes unnoticed that he overhears more than he should.
   
Left for dead when Sonny's master flees, death comes calling with glowing red eyes and a deadly set of fangs. Funny thing though, as death swoops in to take his life, Sonny could almost swear that he smells his mate...

***

Excerpt

Strange light filled the corner Sonny had just been in. Swirling black mist accompanied it, but the dark crimson light began from the centre of the mist, flickering and capturing his attention as it grew and took shape. Within a few of Sonny's ragged breaths, a funnel of the constantly churning radiance had taken over the corner of the room, large enough that three men could walk into it side by side. From the centre of the light, a dark spot formed, becoming larger as it took shape, until Sonny could see it was in fact a figure, running through a long tunnel and getting closer with each beat of his heart.

Sonny's feet refused to move, more shattering pops sounded throughout the building, several large cement blocks ripping from above the doorway and toppling to the ground not far from Sonny. More crashes and groans echoed throughout the building as the structure gave way and slowly crumpled. Throughout it all, Sonny's eyes remained on that figure, so close now he could see its eyes, and the sight terrified him. The creature—now a man, he could see—stepped from the light, sweeping the room with those eyes. Brilliantly glowing like two blood-red stars, they scanned the room before settling on him. Hell, was this man a demon? Was that what the mark of death was? Surely he must be, to have eyes like those. He was definitely male, the predatory vibration filling the air from him, was heavily laden with male strength and determination. Just Sonny's luck that he was the only one left, the only possible outlet of this demon's ire. He could feel it, the pure anger vibrating through the air with its presence.

Another crash from just outside the room sent Sonny sprawling to the floor, as the whole entryway wall collapsed and the lights went out. He took only a second to get to his knees, before hurrying to the only corner left available to him, now that the swirling light and being took up one, the bed another, and the remaining two little more than rubble. Magic filled the air, making it so thick, it prickled at his skin and sweat beaded along his forehead and top lip, despite the chill to the room.

The demon spoke. "What is happening?"

Sonny wouldn't have answered, even if he could.

More booms, and the floor cracked down the middle, the side closest to the door tilted wildly. Sonny flattened himself to the wall. There was nowhere for him to run, not with half the room about to go and the creature against the other half of his side of the room. Sonny was trapped, and unfortunately for him, the bolt that fastened to his chain sat directly under that strange light. In fact, the demon, straddled the chain as he stood over it.

The demon took a step toward Sonny. Between the dust filling the air, the darkness of the mist, and zero lighting, all Sonny could see were those eyes. There was no way he was going to let that creature near him. He braced himself against the corner, leaning his backside against it and spreading his legs for stability. The dagger was still in his hand, thankfully, and he lifted it to his chest, pressing the tip directly over his heart and bunched his muscles for the thrust, he needed.

The creature growled, its eyes flaring even brighter and illuminating the room in that unearthly glow.

"No!" It screamed, before vanishing into a dark blur. The breath was knocked out of Sonny, as he was pushed, spinning on his soft-soled boots as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back against a warm wall of muscle, and shoving the dagger down and away from his chest.

"You will not die at your own hand!"

Too late, Sonny thought. I'm going to die anyway. He relaxed in the demon's arms a brief moment, just long enough that the grip it had on him loosened a little. The second it did, Sonny twisted the hand he held the dagger in, out of the demon's fist, and swung it up, hard, aiming straight for his own heart. Funny, in this last moment of his life, he almost swore he could smell his mate.

Book Review: Swan Prince by Erin Lark

Swan Prince
by Erin Lark
M/M Paranormal
Entangled Publishing
Review copy from Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher.
4 Stars

Blurb:

Trapped between his royal heritage and swan shifter status, Oliver doesn't pay close attention during his flock's winter migration, and gets caught in the crosshairs of a trigger-happy hunter.

Careening toward the ground with no place to go, Oliver submits to his human form. As his swan's feathers recede, he seeks shelter in an old barn.

Bastion's spent the better part of his adult life caring for a bunch of bullheaded stallions, but this is the first time he's ever found a naked and gorgeous man in one of his stalls. When he asks the man his name, he doesn't get a reply. Without a wallet or a voice to tell him who this stranger is, Bastion takes Oliver in, clothes him and tends to a mysterious wound.

Oliver has nowhere else to go. Bastion is in a bind after firing a farmhand who would much rather call in sick than do his job. When passion flares, can Bastion and Oliver overcome their differences, or will this swan prince fly south?

Review:

I must admit that shifter tales aren't my usual thing and since I have a dread fear of dogs, anything with werewolves I avoid like the plague. But growing up in Ireland, there are quite a few fairy tales centred on swans, such as The Children of Lir, so when I read the blurb of this one, I thought I would give it a try. And I am so glad I did.

Oliver is the swan prince of the title, living half his life as human, half as a swan, usually six months as each. But on his winter migration, he gets separated from his flock and is attacked by a hunter who clips his wings. Oliver knows the wound is bad and would likely kill him as a swan, but he might be able to tolerate it better as a human and he makes a rapid shift to his human form. Such a drastic change leaves him mute, wounded and naked in the rapidly falling snow, so he seeks shelter in a nearby barn.

Bastion owns the barn, and raises and keeps horses for clients, anything that will help pay the bills. He is shocked to discover a handsome, naked man in one of the stalls, with what seems to be a gunshot wound in his shoulder. Who is this man and what is he doing in Bastion's barn?

This was a sweet, passionate fairy tale romance that was low on the angst, but there is some concerning whether or not Oliver and Bastion can actually become a permanent partnership. Oliver is the prince of his flock, and the rest of them can only shift if their prince is with them.

There are a couple of love scenes in the book, both of them scorching hot and fitting well within the story, they flow as part of the narrative. The story is told half from Oliver's point of view and half from Bastion's, so you get to know each other's feelings. They are both in love, no doubt about that. Both are sympathetic characters that you can relate do and you hope that they can get their happily ever after.

A wonderful read if you are looking for something low on the angst scale. I think personally I would have liked a little bit more angst, perhaps something more about the hunter who attacked Oliver, but all in all I very much enjoyed the book.

Book Spotlight: Forbidden Waters by L.M. Brown

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Forbidden Waters by L.M. Brown
Mermen & Magic series book 1
A MMM Paranormal Romance
Available now from Totally Bound

Blurb

For the dying race of mer people, homosexual relationships are prohibited. When Kyle falls for Prince Finn he knows he is navigating forbidden waters.

To save his clan from ever-increasing shark attacks, merman Kyle seeks sanctuary for his people in the sunken city of Atlantis, even though he knows that as a homosexual merman, he will be sacrificing his own chance for love. Love finds him anyway in the form of Prince Finn, the rebellious young heir to the Atlantean throne.

When their relationship is discovered, Kyle is the one to pay the price. Banished from the oceans, he seeks shelter in England and finds a new love with human, Jake Seabrook.

For Jake, Kyle is the chance to move on from the crush he has on his straight best friend. The strange man he found naked on the beach seems to fit into his life with ease.  If only Kyle weren’t keeping secrets from him, Jake could see them having a future together.

Things are not what they seem for either of the men and when Kyle discovers the truth about Finn, he knows he must return to Atlantis.

Three men, a tangled relationship, and one chance for happiness—if they can trust enough to take it.

Excerpt

Kyle passed Calder his trident back and once he was alone, he started to test the weapons for weight, length and sharpness. He had just picked up his fifth trident when he heard a movement behind him. He spun round on reflex and nearly speared the young prince through the chest.

“That’s some weapon you have there,” the prince said with a grin, as he pushed the trident aside carelessly. Kyle hoped the prince realised how lucky he was the prongs on this particular weapon were blunt. “You insulted me when you left the palace.”

Kyle cringed. “I apologise, Your Highness. This is all very new to me.”

“Finn.”

“What?”

“My name’s Finn.”

Kyle felt a little ignorant at not knowing the name of the prince and heir of Atlantis already. He wondered if he was in trouble for his not entirely unintentional insult.

“You never answered my question, either,” Finn said.

“You didn’t ask me a question.”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Fine, you never clarified just how many of those mer-babies are yours—or whether my guess was right.”

Kyle thought about lying and repeating King Nereus’ reason for not knowing the answer, but he was by nature an honest merman and he decided the truth was probably the best option. If he chose to stay in Atlantis, he would no doubt be caught in the lie anyway. “You guessed correctly,” he admitted.

Finn’s grin widened. “And how many of those pretty mermaids you’ve brought with you to Atlantis have you taken?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” Prince or not, Kyle didn’t want to answer his impertinent question.

Finn moved forward and ran a finger down the centre of Kyle’s chest. “Would you like me to guess how many?”

“Not really.”

Finn learned close, as though he might whisper in his ear, even though they spoke telepathically. “None.”

“Wrong,” Kyle replied with a grin of his own.

“One then,” Finn amended, “before you realised your preference for the males of our species.”

Kyle kept his expression blank as Finn summed up his entire sexual experience with mermaids in one eerily accurate sentence.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Finn stroked his hand over Kyle’s smooth chest. Most mermen didn’t develop excessive body hair. Although there were a few exceptions, Kyle was with the majority in being smooth skinned. “How many mermen have you taken as a lover?”

The prince was certainly persistent in his questioning. Kyle pushed his hand away irritably. “What do you care if I’ve had relations with a hundred mermen?”

Finn didn’t take a hint and put his hand back where it had been a moment before. “Have you known a hundred?”

Kyle could tell he wasn’t going to get away with evasive answers, so he decided to stick to the truth in the hope Finn would be satisfied and disappear back to his palace before Calder or one of the trainees came in and saw them.

“I’ve taken just one merman as a lover.”

“Is he here in Atlantis?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m curious about my competition.” Finn smiled up at him through his flyaway hair. “Is he here?”

“No. He chose to find a new clan where he could love who he wants without censure.”

“Why didn’t you go with him?” Finn appeared genuinely curious.

“I have a duty to my clan to see them safe. That comes before my own selfish desires.”

Finn finally removed his hand from Kyle’s chest and swam back a couple of feet. “There are options if you still desire the touch of a merman here in Atlantis,” Finn said. “If you know where to look.”

***

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