Excerpt & Giveaway! Cadillac Payback by Aj Elmore

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An old Cadillac and a gun are all she has left of her brother. Three men stand ready to follow her into the darkest pits of hell to avenge him. The Cadillac leads them down a swamp road lined with ghosts, consequence and the tangled web of business and pleasure, into the underbelly of New Orleans crime as she fights for vengeance for her brother.

Joshua was just a rookie, a kid caught up in a drug ring. It’s fun and dangerous, all easy, until it kills his best friend and drags what’s left of his companions into a war. All he knows is he would walk into hell with her, and she might ask before it’s over…

Isaiah thought he’d seen everything—but watching Charlie die tore the world apart. The regime is changing, and with the new leader come more questions than answers. He was Charlie’s right hand, but what will he be to her?

Frederick came up on the streets, learned fast and hard and dirty. His past has always been a sticking point for the group, but one person has never questioned him, and he’ll do anything for her…

Maria never wanted to take over Charlie’s operation. But with her brother dead, and vengeance the only thing she has left, she makes her first decision: drag Charlie’s killers down.

It might just be her last.

Smoke hangs heavy against the ceiling, so thick it seems to breathe itself into being; so animate I'm sure I can see the ripples of my heartbeat in it. I watch it curl around lazy ceiling fan blades in the current created by the door opening, then closing. 

The smoke and the fans are the only things that move in the room. The voices have died around me. I'm so drunk, but the speed balances my inebriation, so that the temper that might usually rise is content to slither coldly in my gut. 

Charlie, if your spirit lingers, guide my hand, and bless the bullet; if it flies, it does to honor you. 

I make a slow sigh as I cross myself, a dramatic play, I admit, as my guests and my boys are frozen to their roots; as I make them all wait. I've never been much for my family's Catholic heritage, but if any prayer has ever mattered, it's this one. 

Expectancy shuttles between me and my untimely interruption. My guests are to my left as I face the door, all of them seated in a line behind eclectic, retro tables. Joshua, Isaiah, and Jack are to my right, also seated. I had just taken the floor to speak, when Noah crept inside. Now, Noah has resumed his guard post, with his barrel trained on the driver outside, and Frederick stands rigid with his beautiful piece of a gun held steadily on his only mortal enemy. Oh, how quickly momentum can change. 

Charlie, if you have moved on, from your place in heaven please look away. My actions are only mine. 

I drop my eyes to the door, to Derrik, the Jester as he's known in dirtier circles. There is sweat on my skin, but my gaze is so very cold. I hook my fingers on Charlie's gun without looking at it, and it drags on the table as I pick it up. The sound creates turbulence in the suspense. Its weight becomes more familiar every time I hold it, and I wonder if I'd feel anything if I put a slug in the Jester's gut right now. I point the chrome .40 at him, just to see if my nerves stir. All eyes on me. Still nothing. 

So I say, “You are not welcome here. You know that.”

My brother used to say that the secret to owning the moment was to find the right vibes and surf them. I don't know if “right” is a good adjective, but it feels like some higher power guides my movements just now. I take slow steps closer, and Derrik's hands inch a little further in the air. The automatic toothy smile on his lips falters as he finds himself staring down my barrel. I wonder if he recognizes Charlie's gun.

Aj is a beach migrant, and part-time muse. She enjoys the exploration of genres vast, and the search for untold worlds. A writer-for-fun since childhood, she has also been known to be a super hero, a gun slinger, and occasionally, a waitress. She lives on an island, has a bachelor's degree in journalism and some tattoos. She is most easily found at the water's edge.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Before & After by Nazarea Andrews

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Rike and Peyton fell in love in college.

A boy from the wrong side of the tracks, covered in ink and crooning in a bar is the last person a straight laced girl with a art major should fall for, but his rough edges made her jagged, alive, shaving away the coddled southern princess and revealing a soul wild and brilliant.

They fell in love, despite her family and his past and all the reasons why it wouldn't work--and with their best friends, they made a life. Everyone was supposed to live happily ever after.

They, more than anyone, knows that life doesn't go according to plan.

Rike and Peyton fell in love in college. A boy with a guitar, and a poet's heart, and a girl with freckles dusted over her nose, a perfect fucking fairy tale.

But what happens when the fairy tale doesn't fall apart--but is forgotten?

“Peyton.” 

I jerk and look around. The voice is vaguely familiar, and it clicks suddenly when I see Scott. He’s walking toward me, smoking. 

He looks like shit, exhaustion clear on his face even under the oversized sunglasses and ball cap. He’s hunched forward, almost hiding. “God, where the fuck have you been?” he breathes, leaning down and hugging me. 

I’m stiff in his arms, and he seems to realize it, because he pulls back and stares at me. 

“Holy fuck. You don’t know, do you? You still don’t know who we are.”

“Feel free to clue me in,” I snap. 

He takes off his ball cap and ruffles his hair, a scowl lining his forehead. “I’m going to fucking kick his ass.” Scott crouches. “This wasn’t the deal. We wouldn’t have agreed if we knew it was going to take this long for him to come clean about shit. I’ll talk to him.” 

“Don’t,” I say, and his face goes pale. “I don’t know who or what I was to you or Lindsay. I don’t know what Rike is playing at. And I don’t fucking care.” 

“Peyton, you don’t mean that,” he protests. 

“I do. I’m not that girl. I don’t even fucking remember that girl. So if he wants to play god with someone’s life and memories, he’ll have to find someone else because I’m done.” 

“What are you going to do?” 

It’s a good question. I refuse to go to my parents. That bridge isn’t quite burned, but I’d set fire to it before I crossed it.

“It’s not your concern,” I say. 

“You’re my girlfriend’s best friend, and you’re Rike’s—” He stops, and I lean forward.

“I’m what? What the hell am I to him?” 

He shrugs. “You’re his. You think you can walk away, and he might even let you, for a time. Because he’s a dumbass. But it won’t stick, Peyton. Rike doesn’t know how to be without you.” 

I smile, so cold it hurts even me. “He’ll have to fucking figure it out.” 

“Peyton?” 

Scott tenses, and his gaze darts to Tommy. Back to me, questioning. 

“Pey, is he bothering you?” Tommy asks. He sounds cold. Threatening, for the first time since I’ve met him, and Scott straightens slowly. 

“Dude, she’s practically family,” he says. As if it were true, and an excuse. It’s neither. 

“We’re going to be late,” I say and Tommy’s pushing me forward. 

“You’re really just going to leave. Let this random dude into your life, and ignore your family? Is that it?” 

“My family?” I bark. “Are you fucking insane? Because keeping shit like who I am isn’t what family does. Fuck you, Scott.” 

Tommy pushes me forward, another two steps. 

“Lindsay is paralyzed. She won’t ever fucking walk again, Peyton. And she needs her best friend. You don’t want me or Rike—ok. But she needs you.” 

I glance back at him, and I know he's telling the truth. 

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I really am. But I need to figure out who I am and what the hell I'm doing. I can't be strong for someone else if I can't even figure out where I belong." 

He gives me a sad smile. "You belong with us, Peyton. You always have."

Nazarea Andrews (N to almost everyone) is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. Which means she writes everything from zombies and dystopia to contemporary love stories. When not writing, she can most often be found driving her kids to practice and burning dinner while she reads, or binging watching TV shows on Netflix. N loves chocolate, wine, and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, spoiled cat and overgrown dog. She is the author of World Without End series, Neverland Found, Edge of the Falls, and The University of Branton Series. Stop by her twitter (@NazareaAndrews) and tell her what fantastic book she should read next.

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Book Blitz: Excerpt, Character Interview & Giveaway! Forever Bound, The Forever Series #4 by Deanna Roy

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A new full-length standalone romance from the USA Today bestselling romance series 

Jenny is a girlfriend-for-hire, the platonic kind. 

While under contract with her movie director boyfriend, glamour has ruled. Designer gowns. Red-carpet premieres. And, of course, seeing her face in the tabloids. 

She loves tabloids. 

But her reign has come to an end. Her sugar daddy has fallen in love -- with someone else. Her contract is over and tonight she has to end it publicly by making sure the paparazzi "catches" her with another man. 

She just has to find the man. 

Chance has been hitchhiking across the US, playing and singing for tips. This is the life he's always imagined, and the farther he gets from his disastrous family in Tennessee, the better he feels. 

An unexpected invitation to sing with an indie blues group at a movie premiere party gives him a sweet taste of fame. As a bonus, a beautiful girl with pink dreadlocks only has eyes for him. 

But the collision between Jenny and Chance is more emotional and intense than either of them expected. When the scandal hits the news, Chance's family finds him, pushing him to come home and face his demons. 

The night has even more consequences for Jenny. She needs to find Chance, but nobody knows anything about him, not even his last name. 

Her journey takes her across the country and into the disaster Chance is running from. But she can't give up on him, because what neither of them realized is that sometimes a single night can be the beginning of forever. 

--Full length standalone HEA. 

--Includes characters from Forever Innocent and Forever Sheltered and even *surprise* -- singer Dylan Wolf from JJ Knight's Revenge and Blue Shoes series. 

--May require tissues. 

Whoa. Who was that girl?

The party was full of women, polished and perfect and snooty in how they appraised me, like they were looking for something, and I wasn't it.

But not this one.

She seemed nervous, a little lost. Her green dress was as fancy as anyone's here, but that hair. I didn't know anybody with pink dreadlocks. She couldn't be an actress expecting to get many parts, unless the hair was for something she was doing right now.

It was wicked gorgeous. I'd never seen anyone like her.

The tables were packed, and clusters of animated people talked with exaggerated gestures, like they were game show hosts. I could see from the body language that everybody had too much to say and not enough patience to hear anybody else.

I looked her way a couple more times, trying not to stare.

The guitar I was holding during the band's break felt good. I wanted to crank out a solo, something dark and brooding, but this wasn't my gig. I set it back in its stand and couldn't help myself, but took one more look into the crowd.

My heart revved up when I saw she was watching me. Then she was heading this way.

Today we’re chatting with Jenny, a character in Deanna Roy’s Forever Series. She had bit parts in all three Forever books, but takes the lead role in the newest standalone romance -- Forever Bound.

Q: So, tell us about us about the boyfriend.

A: The old one or the new one? The old one was a big secret. He was a movie director who hired me to be his girl. I was contractually obligated to wear designer clothes, spend his money, and go to A-list parties on his arm.

Q: So why is he the "old" one?

A: He fell in love! With someone else!

Q: So he ended your contract?

A: Yes! And took away the credit card! Not only that, I had to get "caught" by the paparazzi cheating on him with some new man, so he could establish a clean break with the press.

Q: Did you find a new man?

A: Of course. He was divine. He sang with the band at the after party for the premiere of that big dinosaur movie.

Q: And you got the pictures?

A: Well, I might have slightly overachieved on that. We went to the beach. Got a little crazy. And there may or may not have been footage of us skinny dipping in the ocean.

Q: Holy cow! Did he see it?

A: I don't know. He's disappeared off the face of the earth. Nobody knows his last name.

Q: Are you ever going to see him again?

A: I'm going to try. I'm going to search for him. Somebody has to know who he is.

Q: Was he that good in the ocean?

A: The short answer is, "Yes." The long answer, well, that's the whole story. Wish me luck. I'm definitely going to need it.

Deanna Roy is the five-time USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and women's fiction.

She is a passionate advocate for women who have lost babies. She has several books on the subject, including her bestsellerFOREVER INNOCENT, a romance about a couple whose baby is taken off life support at seven days old.

She has run the website PregnancyLoss.Info for fifteen years, including many large spin-off support groups both online and in person.

To learn about new releases, sign up for her subscriber list at http://deannaroy.com/news. She has regular giveaways in conjunction with major pregnancy loss events.

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway! Blue Horizons by Kathryn Andrews

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Will Ashton

Music is my motivation. I’ve always believed that, because of it, I would be somebody. Somebody to someone, and something to myself. 

At age four, I picked up my grandfather’s acoustic guitar and, up until three weeks ago, I’ve never put it down. From a single chord to a full arrangement, music fed my soul. I craved it with every fiber of my being, but now, I just don’t know. That driving force that’s always pushed me has somehow stalled, along with the thrill, the passion, and the familiarity . . . it’s all gone. I’m beginning to worry that my love for music just isn’t enough.

As the summer tour finally comes to an end, I head to the Blue Ridge Mountains instead of returning to Nashville. It’s here that I’ve always been able to lose myself amongst the solitude and the lake, but what I didn’t expect to find was her.

Wild blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a laugh I find myself trying to coax from her has me completely enamored. She’s quiet, incredibly poised, and driven by secrets as big as the mountains around us. They’re what’s made her untouchable, and left me wanting to know more. Maybe that’s what I need. Maybe I need more. Maybe I need her.

Ava Layne

They say that life isn’t about how many breaths we take, but how many moments take our breath away. But what if those moments aren’t filled with happiness and love, but something dark and haunting? For me, it’s those moments that’ve shaped and taken over my life. I can’t change who I am, God knows I’ve tried, and, because of this, I’ve accepted the silver lining . . . I’m alive. 

Fifty-two white keys, thirty-six black keys, ten fingers, seven notes, two friends, and one stage. At the piano, on the stage, with my two best friends, I finally found myself, and I live for those moments. One by one, I collect them, cherish them, patiently waiting for the next, until it arrives and changes everything. That’s the moment I meet him. 

OVER TEN YEARS ago my husband and I were driving from Chicago to Tampa and somewhere in Kentucky I remember seeing a billboard that was all black with five white words, “I do, therefore I am!” I’m certain that it was a Nike ad, but for me I found this to be completely profound.

Take running for example. Most will say that a runner is someone who runs five days a week and runs under a ten minute mile pace. Well, I can tell you that I never run five days a week and on my best days my pace is an eleven minute mile. I have run quite a few half marathons and one full marathon. No matter what anyone says . . . I run, therefore I am a runner.

I’ve taken this same thought and applied it to so many areas of my life: cooking, gardening, quilting, and yes . . . writing.

I may not be culinary trained, but I love to cook and my family and friends loves to eat my food. I cook, therefore I am a chef!

My thumb is not black. I love to grow herbs, tomatoes, roses, and lavender. I garden, therefore I am a gardener!

I love beautiful fabrics and I can follow a pattern. My triangles may not line up perfectly . . . but who cares, my quilts are still beautiful when they are finished. I quilt, therefore I am a quilter.

I have been writing my entire life. It is my husband who finally said, “Who cares if people like your books or not? If you enjoy writing them and you love your stories…then write them.” He has always been my biggest fan and he was right. Being a writer has always been my dream and what I said I wanted to be when I grew up.

So, I’ve told you who I am and what I love to do . . . now I’m going to tell you the why. I have two boys that are three years a part. My husband and I want to instill in them adventure, courage, and passion. We don’t expect them to be perfect at things, we just want them to try and do. It’s not about winning the race; it’s about showing up in the first place. We don’t want them to be discouraged by society stereotypes, we want them to embrace who they are and what they love. After all, we only get one life.

In the end, they won’t care how many books I actually sell . . . all that matters to them is that I said I was going to do it, I did it, and I have loved every minute of it. Find something that you love and tell yourself, “I do, therefore I am.” 

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Mikky's Shelf: Book of the Month - June & July - featuring Juliet Braddock, Posy Roberts, Sage Marlowe, A.E. Via & Ada Maria Soto

Hello lovers! I am late again but I am doing my best in trying to catch up. Here are my recommendations for the month of June and July. Enjoy!

~June~

On the 3rd place: Empty Nests, Nested Hearts #1 by Ada Maria Soto

Neither James nor Gabe has ever had a real relationship. They might make a connection if they can get past their differences—and their fears.

At age fourteen, James Maron decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building.

Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave. 

A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But are they too different? Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.

Genre: Contemporary, M/M Romance, New Adult

My Thoughts:  A sweet story about finding that special someone for whom every wall will crumble and for whom every risk is worth taking. I loved it and cannot wait to read the sequel. I recommend.

You can read my review HERE.

On the 2nd place: Roses and Thorns by Sage Marlowe

When bestselling author Chester Banning requires inside information on the life of a forensic pathologist, he comes across an enticing, yet unwilling study subject in the shape of sinfully attractive Dr Nicolas Sheridan.

After a hot and slightly unsettling one-night stand, Sheridan turns out to be as inapproachable as he is intriguing and clearly not interested in intensifying their liaison. Chester, however, is already falling head over heels in love and doesn’t rest until he’s succeeded in cracking Sheridan’s icy shell. What he discovers underneath is a man well capable of love and affection but caught up in a web of lies and domestic abuse that makes him seek punishment in self-harm.

Refusing to watch Sheridan go farther down the road to self-destruction, Chester gives him all the love and support he is capable of—but then he discovers the horrifying truth about Sheridan’s past.

Reader advisory: Suitable for adult readers only. Contains scenes of and references to domestic violence / abuse, self-harm and dubious consent in a non-erotic context.

This book was previously published with the title Knives & Feathers. This edition has been re-edited and extended.

Genre: Contemporary, Adult, M/M Romance, Erotica, BDSM

My Thoughts: I haven't manage to write the review for this book. I loved it. It was my first Sage Marlowe novel but I can assure you it won't be my last. It's beautifully written, the characters are fascinating and you'll fall in love with them in the blink of an eye. The story is captivating, heartbreaking and you won't be able to put it down. A must read. This book has earned it's place on my "Favorites" list. I highly recommend. 

On the 1st place: Silver Scars by Posy Roberts

You need people to love you, especially when you shove them away.

A bomb destroyed high-powered lawyer Gil Lemieux’s seemingly perfect life, and PTSD has ruled every decision since the explosion that left him scarred inside and outside. Moving home with his mom is meant to be a temporary measure, just like proofreading for a medical editorial firm is meant to be a stopgap. But two years after taking on the wrong court case, he’s still living in fear.

Keith Kramer might be based 1,500 miles away from Gil, but their shared work brings them together—a chance meeting that’s life-changing. Gil is drawn to Keith’s good looks and intelligence, but it’s his innate understanding that Gil is more than the scars on his skin that is truly attractive. He’s everything Gil used to be and more. It blows Gil’s mind that his attraction might be returned.

Only doubt could widen the distance between them. Keith’s hopefulness, borne out of surviving some tough challenges of his own, isn’t enough to bridge the distance alone. Gil will need to believe he has as much to offer as Keith if they’re to build a life together.

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Adult, Drama, 

My Thoughts: This was one of those rare books that pulled me in from the beginning, shredded my heart into tiny, tiny pieces leaving me an emotional mess just to put it back together later. It doesn't happen often for me to be so affected by a story to the point of being completely unable to function properly when I'm done but that's exactly what happened after reading Silver Scars. Words fail me. You HAVE TO read this book.

You'll find my review HERE.

~JULY~

For July I have only two books and both are a first place, in my opinion. Both are a part of two of my favorites series and definitely must reads. I hope you'll love them just as much as I did.

Wrapped, Manhattan Bound #2 by Juliet Braddock

Sweeping through the glitz and glamour of New York’s high society and the drama unfolding in the dressing rooms of Broadway, Wrapped, by Juliet Braddock, continues the journey of a young theatrical publicist’s foray into submission under the tutelage of a dashingly dark star of the stage. Wrapped—the much anticipated sequel to Braddock’s critically acclaimed erotic romance Weakened—is the second book in the Manhattan Bound series.

When Drew McKenzie presents Maxine Kirk with an ultimatum, challenging her to engage in his wanton brand of desire, she readily embraces her awakening hunger for a lifestyle that defies her perceptions of romance.

Entranced by Drew’s charming appeal and by his sensual assault to her senses, Maxine clamors to discover every nuance of this new relationship, ravenous to explore verboten fantasies that seem possible to fulfill only with Drew.

Along the way, he introduces her to his glamorous world of wealth and celebrity—where lavish galas and luxurious gifts are the norm—and entices her into his realm of control with his tender mode of domination.

All the while, however, they both grapple with painful emotions brought about by the extenuating circumstances of their separate pasts.

While Drew remains both confident and conscientious in his parlay of power over Maxine, his own tragic secret lurks in every shadow upon his path in life. Behind the façade of his stage persona and the origin of old Manhattan society, he struggles to hide the unforgiving reality he faced as a child.

Just as Maxine finds the strength to conquer her own torment with Drew’s patience and guidance leading her toward closure, terrifying truths begin to chip away at the surface of his composure.

As the nightmarish details of Drew’s unimaginable life emerge, he fears that this new world he’d begun to build with Maxine will crumble around him.

As Maxine finds herself embroiled in the battle to save Drew’s tortured soul from the atrocities that continue to stalk his every move, two lost souls struggling to find comfort and completion converge.

However, as Drew opens his heart to Maxine’s unwavering support, he questions his own bravery, wondering if she’ll take a bow and make her exit…or if she’ll stick around for the encore?

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Adult, BDSM, Erotica

My Thoughts: I'm in love! *grin* There are so many wonderful things I could say about this series. Juliet is a debut author but, damn, the woman can write. I haven't touched an M/F novel in a long time since all follow more or less the same pattern but she managed to pull me out of my funk effortlessly. I LOVED it! This is one series I highly recommend. I know the Book of the Month column is made for this purpose but some of the books held a really special place in my heart. Manhattan Bound is definitely one. Go for it! No hesitation. I promise, you won't be able to put it down. 

I have only highlighted the second book because Diana chose to highlight the first. Make sure you check both of them and our reviews HERE then come back and tell us what you think. Enjoy!!

!!P.S. - Ben is MINE!!

Don't Judge, Nothing Special #4 by A.E. Via

AN ENEMIES TO LOVERS STORY 

Detective Austin Michaels didn’t think life could get any better after he was accepted into the most notorious narcotics task force on the East Coast, headed up by two of the baddest’ Lieutenants with the Atlanta Police Department - Cashel Godfrey and Leonidis Day. 

Michaels knew he would fit right in as the team’s sniper, having received his fair share of commendations for marksmanship. He was just as badass as the rest of the twenty brothers that made up their team. But when Michaels lets their prime suspect get away from a huge bust with over a quarter of a million dollars in drugs, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it right. 

Left with no other options, God chooses to bring in outside help, calling on his long-time friend and bounty hunter, Judge Josephson. 

Judge was considered one of the best trackers during his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps. After retiring, he used those skills to become one of the most sought out fugitive trackers in the country. When Judge gets a call from his old friend needing his help, he quickly tells God, yes. 

Still embarrassed, and intent to prove himself, Michaels immediately volunteers to partner up with Judge to get their suspect back quickly and quietly. Neither man wanted or needed a partner. But, after Judge and Michaels get on the road, the hate/lust relationship they quickly develop between them will either make them heroes… Or get them killed. 

Genre: M/M Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Action, Suspense

My Thoughts: THIS.SERIES. I've lost the count on how many times I've re-read each and every book. Bloody brilliant! So many interesting and ... quite unique characters (you'll see what I mean by that), insanely hilarious situations, the most odd and mismatched team ever created, action and suspense, lots of hot monkey sex and love. So much love and not only between the couples. You'll see. This is what you'll find in the Nothing Special books.
If you're not familiar with Adrienne's work, let me tell you - she writes beautifully. You'll find yourself so caught up in the books that you won't even realize when the time has passed. Another must read I highly recommend. You can find my review of Don't Judge HERE.

*~ This was all for the months of June and July. Like I said, I hope you'll love these novels as much as I did. Make sure you come back and share your thoughts with us. Happy Reading!! ~*

Cover Reveal, Excerpt & Giveaway! Redemption (Diversion #5) by Eden Winters

Rocky Ridge Books

Living is the easy part.

Agent Lucky Lucklighter and his partner escaped Mexico alive, only to plunge into bureaucratic fallout from their mission. Hell, maybe Lucky should have stayed south of the border. Especially when the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau places Bo into rehab, and Lucky’s facing both therapy and an inquiry into a fatal shooting. Watching over his shoulder for a vengeful drug lord or a cartel don calling in favors leaves him scarcely able to imagine a future for them as agents, or as a couple.

Bo Schollenberger once had a vision for their life together, but he’s bowed beneath the weight of his undercover work. Lucky’s hanging on by his deeply chewed fingernails, clinging to hope by making Bo’s dreams of a home into reality. The last thing he needs is a phone call from a dangerous man who knows too much, summoning him back to Mexico for “an early Christmas present.”

Not when the SNB brass asks tough questions, like “How well do you know your partner?”

“What’s your current credit rating?” 

Lucky didn’t often use credit. After getting out of prison to work for Walter, he’d bought his car from a police auction for cash, and lived a low-key lifestyle. Before that, Victor Mangiardi had taken care of him. A nice way to live, but other than a car stereo in his teens, he’d never made payments on anything. And he’d been Richmond Lucklighter then. He’d only been Simon Harrison for a short time, and although he’d used credit cards to make expense reporting easier when on assignment, he paid them off every month. “I’m not sure.” 

“Then let’s see.” The woman tapped on her laptop and whistled. “Mr. Harrison, I don’t think we’ll have a problem getting you the loan.”

He owed Walter one hell of a lot of those frou-frou coffee drinks from Starbucks for giving him a credit score to make a loan officer whistle. 

An hour later Lucky fought to hide a grin from a woman who’d put the Energizer Bunny to shame. “Now, I’m familiar with the house you’re considering. Offer 180. Trust me.” She winked and handed him the phone. 

He pulled a dog-eared card from his wallet and dialed. 

“Mr. Harrison?” The Realtor didn’t sound too happy to hear from him, not that he blamed her. She’d been working hard for her commission. That’s why she got commission.

“Is that house still available? The fixer-upper in the gated neighborhood?”

“Y… yes.”

“I want to make an offer.”

Now what was he gonna tell Bo?

Captivated young by story-telling, Eden Winters’ earliest memories include spinning tales for the family’s pets. Her dreams of writing professionally took a sojourn into non-fiction, with a twelve-year stint in technical documentation.

She began reading GLBT novels as a way to better understand the issues faced by a dear friend and fell in love with the M/M romance genre. During a discussion of a favorite book, a fellow aficionado said, “We could do this, you know.” Good-bye gears, motors, and other authors’ characters; hello plots and sex scenes.

Somewhat of a nomad, Eden has visited seven countries so far. She currently calls the southern US home, and many of her stories take place in the rural South. Having successfully raised two children, she now balances the day job with hiking, rafting, spoiling her grandchildren, and stalking the wily falafel or elusive tofu pad Thai at her favorite restaurants. Her musical tastes run from Ambient to Zydeco, and she’s a firm believer that life is better with fur kids and Harley Davidsons.

Find Eden’s other works at http://edenwinters.com or contact her at edenwinters@gmail.com

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Adrian isn’t looking for a boyfriend. He’s focused on school and social situations make him anxious. When his mother encourages him to make a friend and be more outgoing, he takes a chance at a party. It doesn’t live up to expectations. His classmates ignore him and the alcohol tastes bad. Worse? Oliver finds him moping in the bathroom. 

Oliver, the class clown and know-it-all, might grate Adrian’s last nerve, but he’s the only one paying Adrian any attention. Not only does Oliver flirt him into a bedroom, he charms Adrian’s pants off. Adrian loses his virginity to a man he doesn’t even like and in the morning his anxiety spirals into full panic. They didn’t use protection and popular-with-everyone Oliver insists they need to get tested. 

Adrian is sure this isn’t the kind of friendship his mother meant and he tries to distance himself. But it turns out Oliver’s brash personality is just a mask to hide his own insecurities and family embarrassments. Adrian can relate. Oliver may be a know-it-all, yet Adrian can’t abandon him. Besides, they still need their test results. But how can the popular kid be friends with him when Adrian doesn’t want to come out of his shell?

I hate parties.

I hovered by the door leading into the living room. It was crowded with people drunk off their arses. They looked, quite frankly, ridiculous the way they tried to flirt and hook up with each other. It was disgusting. No one had better come over to me with their cheesy pick-up lines. 

I wanted to leave. But the front door was on the opposite side of the living room. To get there I had to cross said room full of people who would notice me. Not that anyone had spoken to me yet since I arrived, but I had been invited. Probably because I’d been within earshot when my classmates had been talking about it, but I had been asked nonetheless.

Why did I say yes? 

That was the million dollar question. I didn’t like parties, I didn’t like being sociable. I wasn’t good at it. Drawing attention to myself… I couldn’t do it.

People headed for the kitchen, almost shouting at each other to be heard over the music and everyone else.

I drew back and turned to find somewhere to hide.

My gaze fell on a door that had a simple WC sign on it. Really? What was the point of that in their own house? That was the kind of sign for public toilets. Maybe that was the point.

Still, it was a room. A door with a lock.

I could hide in there until the party calmed down and I dared to venture into that living room. I did this for you, Mum. I opened the door and found the room empty. I breathed a sigh in relief. You wanted me to be sociable and here I am. Never again. Never ever. This was the last time I tried. Being cooped up in my room was heaven compared to this.

I closed the door after me. A bottle clinked against the wood. I looked down at my other hand and the beer bottle clutched in it. I’d forgot about it in my panic facing the living room. Someone had pressed it into my hand when I’d arrived.

I crossed the small room to lean against the smooth wall, slowly sinking down to sit on the floor.

I should go home and enjoy my own company. Get on the laptop and get online. Play a game, do coursework, anything else but sitting here hiding. I didn’t even have my sketchbook with me, so I couldn’t draw. I could do that at home though.

I sat the bottle of beer on the floor next to me. I eyed it. I had drunk from it and it had tasted like piss. Not that I knew what that tasted like, but it was what I imagined it would taste like. I hadn’t ever drunk alcohol—never felt the need to. Not having any mates or being sociable meant I’d never experienced any peer pressure.

Tonight was, apparently, a night for new adventures though. I took another sip of the vile thing and almost choked as a result. I forced it down on sheer willpower. Perhaps tonight was the night I would experience being drunk. It wouldn’t take long if I got the beer down. Not being used to alcohol, I wouldn’t need much to feel the effects. Or so the internet told me. Why anyone liked beer, or would drink it to savour the taste, was beyond me.

I drank some more. Torturing myself was what I was doing. I should leave, but then I’d have to go through the living room where everyone was gathered. I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t risk having all their attention on me—it would definitely leave me in a state of panic.

Slam! 

TT lives in Norway and writes about gay man living in Norway. She also occasionally write about gay men living in the UK, because she loves the UK. Norway might be too cold for her, but she ask doesn't like the summer, so she's learned to adapt. TT is happiest in front of her computer, creating emotional stories about men loving other men.

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