Showing posts with label giveaways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaways. Show all posts

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Max and the Prince by RJ SCott





Max and The Prince 
Bodyguards Inc, book 3
by RJ Scott
M/M Contemporary Romance

Book 1 – Bodyguard To A Sex God
Book 2 – The Ex Factor

Bodyguard Max Connery is used to being mistaken for being younger than he is.

Being carded every time he buys a beer is usual. Even though he's just turned twenty eight and has two tours in Afghanistan as a pilot under his belt.

When a threat is made on the life of a prince attending University in the UK, Max is the perfect choice to blend in with students and to keep Prince Lucien safe. Even if it means joining the swim team to be by his side.

But, when death visits the University, abruptly this job is a long way past keeping the prince happy and safe. Instead Max has to keep Lucien alive.

Buy Links

http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/max-and-the-prince.html

About RJ

RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.

With over seventy titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

rj@rjscott.co.uk
www.rjscott.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/Rjscott_author
www.facebook.com/author.rjscott
www.librarything.com/author/scottrj
www.tumblr.com/blog/rjscott  (some NSFW (not safe for work) photos)
www.pinterest.com/rjscottauthor/

***

Excerpt

“I’m only an hour away,” Max assured him as they joined the traffic heading towards Oxford.

“It’s fine.”

“We should take the time for you to go over everything again. I might not look like I’m listening but I will be.” He indicated and moved to the right lane to overtake a horse trailer then back in to the left lane all while he talked.

“Everything?”

“Every little detail from the time you decided to drink and before that if you think it helps. I want to know all the characters.”

“You sound like it’s a play.”

Max shot him a look, his serious sapphire blue gaze focused on Lucien for a split second before he focused back on the road. “It’s like a play I guess. The more you know the players then the easier it is to identify the bad guy.”

“When do I get to hear about your play?” Lucien asked. He was teasing, but also intrigued by the journey Max had taken to end up being Lucien’s bodyguard.

“I’m here. For you. That’s all you need to know.” He didn’t look at Lucien as he said it. “Now eyes front and start from the drinking.”

Lucien sighed noisily. He didn’t want to go back there, to the point where his entire life had crumbled with grief. He was desperate to avoid confronting the decisions he had made then. Not coming out to his family in such a dramatic way, that had actually been a good thing. His mom had just turned round and suggested that it was all well and good being like that in private but that is where it should stay. His dad had agreed stiffly. No, the decision to bury his grief in whiskey, or vodka, or whatever else he had to hand was one he regretted and was more than a little embarrassed to share with this put together guy who had managed to take Teddy to his knees.

“Okay, so the drinking. Guess that’s where I need to start.”

“Was it your decision to drink?”

Temper snatched his breath. “What kind of a question is that?” The way it was worded implied he didn’t know his own mind. Then he realized what he was thinking and just how stupid he sounded in his own head.

“A reasonable one,” Max said. “Did someone encourage you to drink? Were you led astray, was there someone who wanted you to commit some kind of indiscretion? Did you have a boyfriend? A wannabe lover? A friend?”

Temper subsided as quick as it rose and Lucien shook his head. “I apologize.”

“And you can stop doing that.”

“What?”

“Apologizing.”

“Sorry. I mean... Okay…” Settling himself back in the car and attempting to relax he closed his eyes briefly. He could do this. He hadn’t had a boyfriend. Edward was his first and actually his last. One heated night of sex and that was it. I may as well be a virgin. “So,” he began carefully. “There was no boyfriend, or wannabe lover as you put it. I hadn’t exactly come out to anyone, hell I’d barely come out to myself. Seb was ill for a long time and I was close to him, I even had a tutor so I didn’t have to go to boarding school. I think my parents liked that there was someone for Seb as it definitely wasn’t going to be them.” He winced as he said it. One didn’t speak badly about one’s parents. One was respectful.

“You’re not close? As a family?”

“No. Yes.” He sighed. “Not really. What about you?” He glanced sideways to see the faint tightening of Max’s jaw.

“We’re not talking about me,” he said.

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“Sorr—jeez…”

Lucien felt the heat rise in his face. This was going to be one hell of a long car journey.

***

Giveaway:

Competition to win $15 Amazon/Are giftcard, and 2 further prizes of RJ Scott e-books – closes 11 April at 00:01 GMT (London)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Six Authors/Six Days: Interviews & Giveaway Ofelia Grand


Six days, six authors will be interviewed and each are giving away a story. All the stories are from the Boughs of Evergreen charity anthology and all proceeds from the book will go to the Trevor Project.

Today, our interview is with Ofelia Gränd, author of From All of Us to All of You

Ofelia Gränd lives on the southern west coast of Sweden with her husband and their three children. At the moment she's on parental leave. She could give up her glamorous life as a stay-at-home mom, and go back to her job as a teacher if she wanted to. But why not take advantage of the situation when she's living in a parental leave utopia? Enough about her being a parent, you think, and you're quite right. Ofelia is a ’No Poo practiser, a pescatarian who bakes her own bread and makes her own soap. Now you wished that we'd stuck to the children, don't you?

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow? 

I plan just about everything in my life but not my writing. I have things I want in there, of course, and once I have those scenes in my head I want to get to them as soon as possible, but I mostly just let the story flow. I don’t know if it’s a good strategy, I tend to jump back and forth in the text while writing, adding, deleting, and moving things around. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing *laugh*.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

They do! Sometimes I can’t get them to behave, it’s quite frustrating. I should be in charge of the story, shouldn’t I?

What drew you to the M/M genre in particular?

I don’t know, I find the lack of too-stupid-to-live heroines really liberating.

Do you write in other genres besides M/M?

Well, I’m a new author so I haven’t written much of anything. I like M/M, I like reading M/M, and I like writing M/M, so that’s what I do for now, but you never know what will happen in the future. What I write isn’t especially heavy on the romance. I want my stories to have more than just the tumbling-into-bed scenes. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but you’ll probably never see me write erotica.

What is your favourite food?

Food? Do we have to do food?

I can’t come up with anything, sorry. I’m a pescatarian which means I eat fish but no other meat. I love inarizushi with peanuts.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Morning person! My brain stops working somewhere around six in the evening. I do most of my writing in the evenings when the kids have fallen asleep, but that really isn’t ideal for me. Some days I just stare at the screen even though I know what I want to write.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I’m quite boring when it comes to travelling, I like to be at home. I have this romanticized idea of the American South, and I’d love to go to New Orleans some day, but I doubt I will.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Not yet, but you’ll never know. Maybe they will in the future.

Do you listen to music while writing?

No, I need peace and quiet which is why I do it in the evenings.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

From All of Us to All of You is a short holiday story that takes place in Sweden—which isn’t distant for me since I live here. Simon is pretty miserable, Christmas is close and with Christmas comes a whole lot of anxiety since Simon’s dad is an alcoholic and likes to celebrate with some Christmas whiskey. But while Simon is worrying about the coming holiday, he meets Hannes. He is instantly drawn to Hannes, but Hannes isn’t gay—or so he claims. Simon tries to ignore his attraction and just be friends with Hannes, but it’s hard, and in the end he thinks he’s deluding himself into seeing things that just aren’t there. But as Christmas is approaching, Hannes tries to make him feel better.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

Probably loads. What I can see for myself is that my language is improving. English is not my first language and when I first decided to write in English I was scared that I wouldn´t be able to get my message across, but I’m learning new things everyday. And thank God for good beta-readers and editors, right? I don’t know much about publishing, I’m relying on Debbie McGowan at Beaten Track Publishing for everything that has to do with that part at the moment.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

Anything can influence me, it can be something someone says or does, a song, a movie, a dream, anything that makes an idea pop up in my head. I don’t have a person that I can point out and say that he or she influences me, it’s just things in everyday life I guess.

What are three words that describe you?

Hungry? No that’s just right now. Erm…it’s really hard to come up with three words. I’m a bit of loner, quite strange (or so people tell me), and punctual—yes, I know that sounds really boring, but if it’s one thing I can’t stand it’s being late.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

Oh, I don’t know, there are so many great books. My first thought was the Harry Potter books so I think I’ll go with that. *Laugh*

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

Simon hates the Holidays. It’s the same every year - awaiting the dreaded Christmas Eve, when his father gets drunk, while the family fake Christmas spirit and strain to hear the TV over Dad’s snoring. This year, Simon’s sister is celebrating Christmas elsewhere, leaving him to deal with their parents on his own. But there’s a glimmer of hope. A work colleague introduces Simon to her son Hannes at the Lucia Day celebrations, the trouble being that Simon mistakenly believes it’s a blind date, and as if that isn’t embarrassing enough, Hannes wants them to be friends, and Simon’s starting to see signals that aren’t there. He’s beginning to wonder if he’ll make it through Christmas with his sanity intact.

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web

Website: http://ofeliagrand.com/

Mailinglist

Instagram: http://instagram.com/ofelia.grand (@ofelia.grand)

Google+: google.com/+OfeliaGränd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ofelia.grand

Facebok page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ofelia-Grand/1405427199716172

Goordreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874960.Ofelia_Gr_nd

***

Giveaway Prizes:

One lucky winner will receive a copy of each story.

Matthias Williamson — Holidays with Drum and Bell!

Amelia Mann — Always Have, Always Will

Debbie McGowan — A Midnight Clear

Jonathan Penn — Homme for the Holidays

K.C. Faelan — A Little Christmas Magic

Ofelia Gränd — From All of Us to All of You

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview & Giveaway: Jessica Frost




About the Author:

Jessica Frost has always had a passion for fiction and the written word. Add to that her wild, vivid imagination and her pure romantic tendencies and she soon realized she had the traits needed to become a romance author. She decided to take the very big first step not that long ago and wrote her first erotic romance story. And she has not looked back since.

Being a romance writer is a dream come true for her. Having the opportunity to create fantasy worlds where anything and everything can happen is an amazing feeling. She hopes these worlds and the delightful characters she creates will bring hours of enjoyment to her readers as they have done for her.


Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I let the story flow, but plot it as I go along, so I can view it later from a clearer prospective. Then I make changes and strengthen it.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Always and sometimes they don’t want to die, but live on in future tales. 

What drew you to the M/M genre in particular?

It was uncharted territories. Friends of mine were writing in the genre, which intrigued me. So I decided to try my hand at it. At first it was hard, but then it got easier and better. Now I love writing in this genre and am having fun writing the “Sexy Men of Mystery” erotic romantic suspense series.

Do you write in other genres besides M/M?

Yes, I write erotic ménage M/F/M romances, as well.

What is your favourite food?

Chocolate!!!!!!! Dark, milk, and white.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Morning person all the way. I wake up even before the birds do. 

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

Italy. Some of my family is from there, the southern provinces, but I’ve never been. I have a ton of aunts, uncles, and cousins I’ve spoken to, but never met in person. It would be amazing to finally meet them face-to-face.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Yup, but it needs to be instrumental, otherwise, I get lost in the lyrics and there goes the writing muse. The type of instrumental music I listen to while writing depends on the genre. If it’s action-packed and paranormal, then I’ll listen to a soundtrack of a movie in this scope. It inspires me. 

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?


Sure. “The Sex Doctor” is the fourth installment in the “Sexy Men of Mystery” series. It’s about a detective named Marshall Ray who seeks out a non-conventional sex therapist for his problem. The therapist Dr. Sébastien Thibeault is actually a biochemist and vampire. The moment they meet fireworks explode and the sexual tension between these two is magnetic and mystifying.

When a witness in the series of murders that Marshall is investigating, where the victims are bled dry, identifies Sébastien as the killer, Marshall must keep a close tail on his sex therapist to find out if he in fact is the serial killer. But that’s easier said than done because he can’t help falling for the sexy man who not only turns his insides to mush, but knows what he’s thinking even before he himself does.

Sébastien Thibeault is suffering from black outs he can’t explain and waking up with blood on his clothes that isn’t his. Terrified beyond belief, he tries to solve the pieces to this horrifying puzzle. But there are many secrets behind this mysterious ailment he’s suffering from, and bad people who want those secrets to stay buried at all costs.

You can get more info on it here: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-sex-doctor

What are three words that describe you?

Shy-clumsy-nerdy. 

List of previous books if any

The Good, the Bad, and the Naughty (M/F/M):
http://www.bookstrand.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-naughty

Haven for the Lustfully Damned series (M/F/M):
Book 1- It Begins’ with a Rogue’s Bite: http://www.bookstrand.com/it-begins-with-a-rogues-bite
Book 2- Enemies and Lovers Amongst Us: http://www.bookstrand.com/enemies-and-lovers-amongst-us

Spells of Seduction series (M/F/M):
Book 1- Beauty’s Enchanted Beasts: http://www.bookstrand.com/beautys-enchanted-beasts
Book 2-To Catch a Witch: http://www.bookstrand.com/to-catch-a-witch
Book 3- Pleasuring a Slave: http://www.bookstrand.com/pleasuring-a-slave

Sexy Men of Mystery series (M/M):
Book 1- To Serve and Protect: http://www.bookstrand.com/to-serve-and-protect
Book 2- Covet Thy Neighbor: http://www.bookstrand.com/covet-thy-neighbor
Book 3 -A Witness’s Submission: http://www.bookstrand.com/a-witnesss-submission
Book 4 – The Sex Doctor: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-sex-doctor

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web

Website: www.authorjessicafrost.com
Blog: http://authorjessicafrost.blogspot.ca/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Author_JesFrost
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Author.Jessica.Frost

I like to use my blog the most to interact and to post recent news and contests. It’s more personal and easiest to handle, I find. 

***


To Serve and Protect
by Jessica Frost
Sexy Men of Mystery Book One
Genre: Erotic MM Paranormal Romantic Suspense, vampires, light consensual BDSM, whipping
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Date of Publication: January 4th, 2013
Number of pages: 84
Word Count: 25,727
Cover Artist: Harris Channing
Print: Amazon | BN
Ebook: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA |
  BookstrandBN | Kobo | Sony


Book Description: 

When Detective Jacob Brown arrives at the scene of a massacre, he sees a mysterious man escaping. One victim’s still alive. It’s Vincent Brewster, Jacob’s ex-lover who dumped him months ago, breaking his heart and then disappearing.

Later at the hospital, when Vincent sees the handsome detective, he thinks it’s love at first sight. Although Vincent can’t remember who he is, he’s sexually attracted to Jacob. 

While Vincent wants to get closer to him, Jacob wants to run away.

But the killer’s still loose. Jacob must protect Vincent and help him get his memory back. This means he has to remind him of their past, including the bondage sex they enjoyed. He vows to do whatever it takes to get Vincent to remember. When his and Vincent’s feelings of love resurface, it’s hard to resist Vincent’s seduction.

What they don’t know is Vincent and the serial killer now have a connection—a supernatural one. And the killer’s coming for him. Can Jacob protect Vincent and help him get his memory back before the killer finds him?

Excerpt To Serve and Protect :

“Man, sometimes I hate my job,” Troy Adams, Jacob’s partner of three years, said as he walked ahead through the debris and darkness in the narrow alley.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Jacob looked at him, noting his friend pinched his nose in disgust when he turned to face him.

“But like it or not, we have to scout it out. Captain’s orders.” Troy shrugged.

Jacob huffed, nodding. Troy was right. They had no choice.

The anonymous call the station received an hour ago led them to this search. The robotic voice claimed a third body in The Cleansing Killings would be found here. It was only the twelfth call of this sort they had received this week. All the others had led Jacob and Troy, the detectives assigned to the killings, on a wild-goose chase. Odds were this one would turn out the same.

Yet he couldn’t quite shrug off the funny feeling crawling up his spine that danger lurked not that far off. The peculiar sensation that someone was watching from the shadows in the corner behind them kept haunting him. He twitched as a cold and then hot bolt of panic possessed his body.

Damn it, relax, Jacob! Pull yourself together. He needed to calm down. Big time! Five years on the police force and three years as homicide detective had conditioned him to always be prepared, never lose his cool. He knew if he did, he could put his life, or worse the life of his partner or an innocent civilian’s, in jeopardy. But knowing this didn’t help him at all. His fears and untamable imagination had thrown him a curveball he couldn’t control.

He tried to direct his mind off his paranoia by taking several deep breaths. Speeding in his gait, he opened his mouth to say he should lead and Troy could follow him, when his partner stopped in his tracks. Unprepared, Jacob almost plowed into him. Jumping to the side to avoid the collision, he cursed. “Watch where you’re going.”

His friend and partner didn’t hear him. He was too busy taking out his gun from his hidden holster and shouting, “You over there, freeze!”

Jacob gazed in the direction Troy aimed his gun while reaching for his own. About ten yards ahead of them two lifeless bodies lay on the ground and someone was crouched over one of them. The giant male held what looked like a machete over the torso.

When the mysterious person heard Troy’s warning, he stood up and darted over the body, heading in the opposite direction.

Troy sprinted after him, shouting back to Jacob, “We got him. It’s a dead end up ahead. He’s got nowhere to run.”

“You go after him and I’ll check on them.” Jacob motioned as he ran to the two men lying on the ground.

The second he reached them, he knew it was too late. At least for one of them. One of the men, who appeared older and shorter, lay on his back, his chest split open and his heart cut out. This was The Cleansing Killings killer’s signature MO, no doubt. The two other recovered bodies had had their hearts cut out of their chest cavities in the same barbaric way. And later, after the coroner did an autopsy, they were found to have had their blood drained from their bodies, as well. What a sick bastard they had on their hands with this case.

In his line of work, Jacob should be used to seeing this type of mutilation on dead bodies, but he still cringed and shuddered every time he first laid eyes on the dead victims, the exposed flesh, and the gore. Jacob’s stomach lurched and he tried to hold back the bile and the tacos he ate for dinner that kept threatening to regurgitate back into his esophagus.

It was too late for this man, but what about the other? The other victim lay on his right side, his back facing Jacob. Jacob quickly knelt and felt the man’s pulse. It was weak but steady. He sighed in relief. As he let go of his wrist, the man moaned and turned onto his back. The streetlight above them beamed on him then.

In utter shock, Jacob stared at the familiar face. He felt the blood drain from his head, and his limbs went weak. Dizziness overcame him and the taco dinner finally won the battle with his stomach, rising up and escaping his mouth. Vomit spewed to the ground in front of him, splashing his black leather shoes.

Once the flood ended, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. His throat and tongue felt like they were on fire.

From his peripheral vision, he saw Troy quickly making his way back to him alone, no apprehended suspect in tow. He said, cringing as he stared at the mess at Jacob’s feet, “Oh, that is nasty.”

Quickly recovering, Jacob whisked his cell phone out and made an emergency call to 911 on the police department’s direct line. “We need an ambulance at Park and Beacon Street ASAP. A man is wounded and another dead.” 

He stared at the unconscious man while worry ran through his mind. Please, let him be all right.

Troy glanced at the dead body and said, “The killer got away. I thought I had him. There was no way he could have escaped, but somehow he did. One second he was there running, and the next it’s like he disappeared into thin air.”

Jacob didn’t speak, didn’t move.

Troy asked, “Did you hear me?”

He only nodded, unable to break his gaze from the unconscious, injured victim.

Troy snapped his fingers in front of Jacob’s face. “Earth calling Jacob Brown. You in there?”

Jacob blinked several times before looking up at Troy. Yet, he didn’t reply.

Worry overtook Troy’s features. “What the hell is going on with you, Jacob? You all right? Are you dizzy or sick? Do I need to call an ambulance for you, too?”

Jacob shook his head. “I’m all right.”

“Then why do you look like you just saw a ghost?”

His gaze returned to the injured man, and he said in a low voice, barely a whisper, “I know the victim. We were lovers.”

***

Covet Thy Neighbour
by Jessica Frost
Sexy Men of Mystery Book Two
Genre: Erotic M/M Paranormal Romantic Suspense, vampires, light consensual BDSM, whipping, paddling
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Date of Publication: April 15th, 2013
Number of pages: 103
Word Count: 31 700
Cover Artist: Harris Channing
Print: Amazon | BN

Book Description:

Detective Nicola Dupré is back at work after a six-month sick leave, but he’s still haunted by his sister’s tragic death. When Captain Moore gives him an unofficial undercover assignment to befriend the sexy, charming Nero Thorn, the erotic writer Nicola idolizes, he quickly accepts. He thinks it’s an easy job until he gets to know the mysterious BDSM author. Overwhelming emotions he can’t explain draw him ever closer to Nero.

Nero Thorn’s a recluse and he likes it that way. When he literally bumps into his shy, handsome new neighbor, Nicola Dupré, sparks fly. He’s drawn to Nicola like a moth to a fire and he quickly falls in love. But he has a dark, dangerous secret he’s kept hidden from the world for years. If Nicola ever finds out who he really is, he’ll run away in fear.

There’s a serial killer out there, and the murder of his sixth victim was written in Nero’s last novel before it ever happened. There’s a connection between Nero, the sixth victim, and the killer, and Nicola has to figure it out before the killer strikes again.

Excerpt Covet Thy Neighbor: 

Nicola gazed at the book, then up at Adam, who peered at him with a curious look as if he waited for some type of reaction. “A book? You give me a book.” The poor lighting had Nicola turning and twisting the book so that the streetlight’s illumination a few feet away could beam on it.

“Look at the name.” Adam gestured with his extended finger. 

Nicola’s brow lifted when he read the name Nero Thorn. “Look at that. One of my favorite erotic suspense authors has a new book out.” He flipped the trade paperback over to check out the back cover blurb, but the unreadable black print made him squint. “You shouldn’t have,” he joked.

Adam’s eyes rolled. “It’s not a present.”

Nicola nodded. “I figured that. But how is this book The Messenger’s Gift going to prepare me for my meeting with Captain Moore tomorrow?”

“Read the back cover and see if it reminds you of anything.”

Nicola groaned. “Sorry, I can’t see it. It’s too dark.”

“Wait a second…”Adam took out his cell phone and slid his thumb on the screen until he found whatever he looked for. “I have the perfect app for just this situation.” All of a sudden a bright light beamed from the phone’s screen.

“A cell phone and a flashlight, too. Will wonders never cease.” Nicola marveled at it.

Adam half laughed. “I got a ton of apps just as cool as this that I can show you.”

Nicola put up his hand. “Nope. Not interested. A cell phone was made to make calls, not be a multipurpose gadget.”

Adam grumbled, turning off the light feature, and began to place the phone back in his pants pocket. “Fine, then forget the whole thing.”

Feeling like a horse’s ass, Nicola halted his movement. “Sorry. Bad joke. But you know I’m not a tech geek.” He pointed a wagging index finger at the phone. “Go on, give it to me.”

Once Adam did as he asked, Nicola began to read the blurb, which described one hell of premise. “Damn, that’s good,” he said once he finished.

Adam gave him a big-eyed, sideways glance. “And?”

“And what?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t it remind you of a murder that happened here just two months ago?”

Nicola shook his head. “Sorry. I hadn’t been keeping up with the news in Chicago. So, a dismembered body was found in this park?”

Adam nodded. “Exactly how it’s described there in that book.”

Nicola frowned. “Well, it’s probably some whacko who wanted to make Nero’s fiction story reality.”

Adam shook his head. “No, can’t be.”

“Why?”

“Because the murder happened before this book was ever released.” Adam crossed his arms.

“So then Nero based his story on the murder.” Nicola shrugged.

Adam chuckled. “How could he base his story on a murder that still hadn’t happened?”

He shook his head. “What? You’re not making any sense, dude.”

Adam exhaled deeply and then answered, “Nero wrote the story a year ago, before the murder ever happened. But the story was only released a month after the murder happened.”

“Well, maybe the murderer got an advanced copy of the book and was inspired by it.”

Adam shook his head again. “Not possible as no advanced copy was available yet. The book was supposed to be released this week, but the publisher decided to publish it little more than a month after the murder happened. They thought it would boost sales. And they were right. Sales soared and it’s a best seller.”

Nicola stared at the copy. “Okay, that’s creepy and one hell of a coincidence. But I don’t get what it has to do with us and why we’re here talking about it.”

“Because, partner, that is what Captain Moore is going to talk to you about tomorrow.” 

“What? About the murder?”

Adam added, “Yeah, we’ve been assigned to the case. You and I. I’ve been working closely with the captain for the past month and he’s been prepping me.”

It dawned on Nicola. “Oh, so that’s why you know so much about this book and the murder.” He flipped the book in his hand as he stared at it. “So Nero is a suspect?”

“Sort of. But he has one hell of an alibi for the night of the murder. And reliable witnesses to back up his alibi, too.”

“Then he’s not the murderer.”

Adam tipped his head from right to left. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

Nicola stood and stretched his legs. A cramp had begun to form, tightening his neck and shoulder muscles. “Did Captain Moore tell you what I’ll be doing?”

“Oh, yeah. Since Nero isn’t considered an official suspect, it won’t be your everyday detective’s work. So you don’t have to take it if you don’t want to.”

Nicola knew that look Adam gave him. “Oh, no. It’s that bad?”

“Well, it depends on how you look at it. If moving into the condo next door to the sexy author who you once told me you’d do anything to have one night with, just to see if he’s as good in bed as the heroes in his stories, doesn’t appeal to you, then yes, it’s that bad.”

Nicola’s jaw dropped and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “Excuse me! Did I hear correctly? The captain wants me to move into the condo next to Nero’s?”

Adam’s lips tightened and he nodded.

“What, as in an undercover operation?”

“Exactly! An unofficial undercover operation.” Adam pointed at him as if he had just deciphered a phrase in the game of charades.

“Why me? I’ve never done undercover work. What if I goof up and blow the whole operation?”

“You’re the best man for the job. You’re one of Nero’s biggest fans, and since you don’t yet feel up to working full-time in homicide at the precinct, it’s a good assignment to start getting your feet wet.”

Nicola sat down again and shook his head. 

Adam frowned. “Why are you doing that?”

“I’m still in shock. It’s like I’ve just been cast in the lead role for a story in The Twilight Zone.”



Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Legion by Rider Jacobs





Legion
by Rider Jacobs
Erotic Gay Fantasy Romance
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: June 10, 2013
Heat Level: Steamy
Word Count: 49,000
Available at: amazon | bn | mlr books


Even the darkest of hearts can find love.

Banished to the mortal realm for a crime he didn't commit all Nico wants to do is return home. Legion feels love is weakness, it's an emotion only felt by fools. Answering a bundled summoning attempt Legion's world is turned upside down by the exotic Nico. Intrigued by the mortal, Legion finds himself unable to stay away. Refusing to believe he might actually be falling in love he sets out to discover who has cast such a wicked spell on him. Nico has a secret though, one that could end his relationship and destroy his chance to return home.

Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.

Excerpt:


“Legion,” Adoni scoffed. “He made his choice millennia ago. He has chosen to rule the night and those who do harm for the sole pleasure of it.”

“That is not entirely true and you know it, Adoni, my son. He went to war and saved me, he defeated Magda and became the Dark Lord, the choice was never his,” Inanna said with a bit of steel in her voice. “Legion has never liked rules and conformity, he shies away from responsibility, but you know as well as I do that he has goodness in him. Often though it is disguised in the form of rage, but he always protects those he takes under his wing and destroys those that cross him.”

“Legion hasn’t been willing to risk anything for anyone since he took over the Dark Realms,” Adoni argued. “I will always be grateful that he went to battle against Magda and defeated her but when he did that he lost a large part of his goodness. He rules the Dark Realms better than I ever could have. I’m fully willing to admit that, but he lost his compassion, Mother, you know that as well as I do. He started a war against me and the council, one that he lost and now he won’t speak to me unless he is forced to. We both lost people in the war between our realms, lost people that we cared about, it’s the price of war but he can’t continue to live in the past. He must learn to move on.”

“Darkness shall find light, innocence shall find darkness, and united the truth shall speak,” Inanna whispered.

Adoni shook his head. “How can darkness find light and innocence find darkness? It’s a contradiction, Mother.”

She shook her head. “It came to me on the night wind. All I know is that our little Legion has a heart somewhere deep inside of him, and in that heart the faintest traces of love do exist.”

He reached over pushing a stray lock of her long black hair behind her ear as he looked into her eyes trying to see what she wasn’t saying. “I never can be sure what you mean when you begin to talk in riddles, Mother.”

She smiled faintly. “That is the joy of being from the realm of the Valerion. We may get glimpses of the future but it’s always in riddles and the meaning is never clear. So many factors make up the future. So many different choices affecting other choices. Therefore, you can never really be sure what the meaning is only because the outcome is always affected by the decisions you make. The only thing I can be certain of is Legion will show us that he is willing to risk everything for someone.”

“Only if they have a heart as black as his,” Adoni said sarcastically.

“No, the one that causes him to risk everything is not truly a dark heart,” she stated firmly. “I don’t know who it is yet but they aren’t as dark as they let others believe, and we shall soon find out that neither is Legion.”

He chuckled. “Well I for one can’t wait for the day that Legion shows us he is not the vain, self-centered, conniving serpent we all believe him to be.”

“It will come soon, my son, believe me, it will come soon,” Inanna said softly but with conviction.

“I need to go back in and finish some paperwork. Will you be out here long?” He leaned over to kiss his mother’s forehead.

“Not much longer, I’ll finish my tea and come back inside.” She slid her hand down her son’s cheek feeling the slight stubble of the day’s growth. “You look so much like your father.”

“I have heard that often but I don’t see it. My father…” He didn’t finish the sentence.

“Would be so proud of you.” She smiled.

“I should have held the family together better than I did. Dad was such a wonderful, strong leader and I’m just a shadow of what he was.”

“You’ve held the family together the best you could, you’ve ruled the realms to the best of your ability. Legion is a strong spirited young man. He gets that from my side of the family. You, Adoni, have been a wonderful leader, no one questions your abilities.”

He looked at the night sky. “I can’t even remember what he sounded like.”

She reached for her son’s hand, but he had moved away, heading back into the house and back to the duties of being the King.

***

About the Author:


A.J. Kelton are the dynamic writing team of Angel and Jordan. The couple met online several years ago on an Alexander fan site and have been friends ever since. Angel soon found that Jordan had a flare for storytelling with several half-finished stories on her computer. Angel encouraged Jordan to finish the stories and with help in creative description she decided to send the stories off to MLR press. They were both shocked and excited when they got the news that Faelon was accepted for publication. While Jordan may have a flare for storytelling she doesn’t enjoy the smaller details in getting a story ready for publication. That is where Angel comes in; she spends countless hours getting the story ready after line edits, going over each line in proofing and formatting, making decisions such as covers and fonts, all things that Jordan just has problems focusing on.

Angel is always on the lookout for her perfect mate, a cross between Ethan from Under the Australian Sky and Evan from Marco.  Until Mr. Perfect appears at her door, or in front of her booth wanting an autograph she loves to read, take pictures and attend concerts of all kinds. She loves all things 80’s. Angel lives in Texas with her two dogs, Daisy a beagle who she insists is nothing like snoopy and her Chihuahua Bonita.

When not writing Jordan loves to read anything from Amish romance to the dark taboo books of fiction both M/M and Het. She is a very avid reader, except when writing because she doesn’t want to be influenced by what she is reading. Jordan loves to travel and often her latest vacation spots show up in his books. While Jordan is always looking for that perfect place to live at the moment she can be found in Kansas.

Both writers have solo projects coming out in the future, Angel with Misunderstandings under the name Angel Rothamel. Jordan with Legion under the name Rider Jacobs.

Both authors would love to hear from you. You can contact them at AJKelton@AJKelton.com. You can also find them on Facebook under both AJ Kelton, Angel Rothamel and Rider Jacobs.

Connect with A.J. Kelton
Website - http://ajkelton.com/
Blog - http://ajkeltonblog.blogspot.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003130650097
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AJKeltonTwitter




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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Marco by A.J. Kelton




Marco
by A.J. Kelton
Erotic Gay Romance
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: May 18, 2013
Heat Level: Steamy
Length: 244 pages
Available at: amazon | bn | mlr 
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyUpSGY0WqA



Description:

Being a superstar can give you everything but true happiness.

Marco, in the public eye from childhood, has everything but the one thing he truly wants. Someone to love him for who he is. Evan, Marco's lead guitarist and part-time lover, tends to Marco's needs, from broken heart to media disaster. He keeps his love for Marco secret for fear of ruining the friendship. Jaron would give anything to reach superstar status, given the chance to work beside Marco, he sees it as the perfect way to realize his dream. Will Marco ever see Evan as more than a friend or will Jaron finally get the stardom he dreams of?

Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.

About the Author:

A.J. Kelton are the dynamic writing team of Angel and Jordan. The couple met online several years ago on an Alexander fan site and have been friends ever since. Angel soon found that Jordan had a flare for storytelling with several half-finished stories on her computer. Angel encouraged Jordan to finish the stories and with help in creative description she decided to send the stories off to MLR press. They were both shocked and excited when they got the news that Faelon was accepted for publication. While Jordan may have a flare for storytelling she doesn’t enjoy the smaller details in getting a story ready for publication. That is where Angel comes in; she spends countless hours getting the story ready after line edits, going over each line in proofing and formatting, making decisions such as covers and fonts, all things that Jordan just has problems focusing on.

Angel is always on the lookout for her perfect mate, a cross between Ethan from Under the Australian Sky and Evan from Marco.  Until Mr. Perfect appears at her door, or in front of her booth wanting an autograph she loves to read, take pictures and attend concerts of all kinds. She loves all things 80’s. Angel lives in Texas with her two dogs, Daisy a beagle who she insists is nothing like snoopy and her and her Chihuahua Bonita.

When not writing Jordan loves to read anything from Amish romance to the dark taboo books of fiction both M/M and Het. She is a very avid reader, except when writing because she doesn’t want to be influenced by what she is reading. Jordan loves to travel and often her latest vacation spots show up in his books. While Jordan is always looking for that perfect place to live at the moment she can be found in Kansas.

Both writers have solo projects coming out in the future, Angel with Misunderstandings under the name Angel Rothamel. Jordan with Legion under the name Rider Jacobs.

Both authors would love to hear from you. You can contact them at AJKelton@AJKelton.com. You can also find them on Facebook under both AJ Kelton, Angel Rothamel and Rider Jacobs.

Connect with A.J. Kelton
Website - http://ajkelton.com/
Blog - http://ajkeltonblog.blogspot.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003130650097
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AJKeltonTwitter
Yahoo Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ajkelton

***

Excerpt:


“You mind?” he asked, opening up his laptop. “I have to work on my article for the magazine I work for.”

“Can’t do that in your room?” Marco muttered.

“Oh I could, but I thought, who wants to stay locked in their room? I figured I would come down here, get to know my fellow judges a bit better, grab a bite to eat, and work on my article. So tell me, how do you think it is going so far?”

“I thought you wrote about night clubs and the ‘it’ crowd.” Marco turned his attention back to the screen, ignoring the question and sending a silent prayer that his newfound friend would get bored and leave him in peace.

“Yeah, night clubs, the new ‘it’ people and what they are eating, what trends they will be starting. If you decided to go vegan from here on out, I would be the one who writes about the hottest vegan places you attend and what you like to eat. Since I am here though I’m going to cover the competition, write up a few articles on what happens before the cameras, and what’s going on behind the scenes.”

“What the great Marco really thinks about what he eats,” Marco muttered under his breath trying to fight his exasperation. It was just his luck that one of the judges would not only be young but also not know how to keep quiet. He began to wonder if Ashton had known that Jaron chattered nonstop and had made a run for his room to keep from being hounded by the young journalist or whatever he claimed to be. A reporter was a reporter no matter what fancy name they chose to give it.

“So anyway I thought perhaps if you didn’t mind I would sit here beside you and write.”

“If you can do it quietly,” the Latin heartthrob said.

Jaron looked at Marco. “So what are you working on anyway?”

Marco leaned back giving a deep sigh. He had to fight the desire to reach out and touch the shoulder length hair and see if it was half as soft as it looked. “I am reading a script, listening to music and coming up with songs for my new album, I’ve been asked to write a closing number for a Broadway musical, and finally blogging about an annoying up and coming reporter masquerading as a judge who badgers me night and day for an interview.”

“Really?” Jaron looked at him, his eyes wide.

“All true except that last part, I don’t blog.”

“Well you should, it might be cool to read what you think about the happenings around you. I bet you would have thousands of people logged on to see your latest thoughts on what’s happening here.”

“I’ll hop right on that,” he muttered.

“Are you being sarcastic?” Jaron asked casually, his hand running through his hair. He had noticed that Marco was looking at it. He had nice hair and knew it, might as well use that to his advantage.

“Me?” He looked up with wide-eyed innocence. “I find being sarcastic often goes over the head of the ones whom it is directed toward.”





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Magik & Mayhem Fantasy Blog Hop: Fantasy and Faerie





Fantasy and Faerie
by Annette Gisby
Magik and Mayhem Giveaway Blog Hop
July 15-19

Fantasy is a very popular book genre, especially with me. Our bookshelves are groaning under the weight of so many trilogies, series (5 books, 4, books, 7, books, 14 books and more). J.R.R. Tolkien is considered the father of modern fantasy today, but even before Lord of the Rings (one of my favourites) we had faerie tales. All the stories had elves, faeries, trolls, unicorns or other mythical creatures and magic in abundance.

Faerie tales were not originally designed to be read by children. They were adult tales with adult themes and content. In the original, The Little Mermaid did not live happily ever after with her prince. As the price of having her new legs, she lost her voice and felt as if every step she took was on sharp knives and the sea-witch snagged the prince, leaving the mermaid heartbroken and suicidal.

In earlier versions, Cinderella's step-sisters mutilated their own feet to try and fit into Cinderella's shoes, hacking off toes and heels to squeeze their bloodied feet in. An earlier version of Sleeping Beauty doesn't have the princess wake from true love's kiss, but rather from giving birth, the prince having had his way with her while she was unconscious!

Rapunzel's prince fell from the tower and was blinded when he landed on thorns that poked out his eyes. Snow White's step-mother is tortured and dies at her wedding by being made to dance in red-hot iron shoes. In even earlier versions, it was Snow White's own mother who was jealous of her pretty daughter, not a step-mother. Not really children's tales, are they?

That's what I wanted to do with my fantasy book, The Chosen. I wanted to write a faerie tale for adults. I had the prince and I thought he needed a princess to rescue, only things didn't quite turn out that way. Prince Severin was gay and wanted nothing to do with princesses, beautiful or otherwise. In the end he did rescue someone, but it was a slave, not a princess. A very handsome male slave called Havyn... and that's just where the story starts.

***

For my individual prize I am giving away an ebook bundle for 3 lucky winners. Each winner will get an ebook of The Chosen, New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer and Shadows of the Rose. To enter, please just leave a comment on this post and what format you'd like the ebooks in - mobi, epub or pdf.

Don't forget to go and visit the other authors on the hop, more prizes to be won on each blog! Full list of authors and blogs are here:

http://indiebloghops.blogspot.co.uk/

***

Main giveaway:

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