Review & Giveaway! Saving Jason by K.C. Wells

When David Merrow is given the task of finding a suitable soup kitchen so his company can improve their PR, he realizes he needs help. He turns to Jason Garton, the owner of the coffee house that David visits every morning. Funny how it took David so long to notice all the food and beverages Jason gives away to the homeless. Because until then, Jason had been almost invisible. 

But the more David learns about him, the more intrigued he becomes. There’s something about the selfless, lonely older man that pulls David in, and what began as work becomes so much more.

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KC Wells has a way of writing that makes you feel like you’re a part of the story. It feels like you’re living everything right along with the characters, all the happiness, the tears, the success and the disappointments. It’s all there from beginning to end and it’s an incredible experience. For this, and many other reasons, I keep picking up every novel she puts out there. 

Saving Jason is a story about self-discovery and acceptance, about learning how to make peace with the past in order to embrace the future. 

Jason is going through the paces and doing his part in giving back and paying it forward, but he is not actually living. 

Every day is the same and the guilt he’s carrying around is keeping him from trying to find what he’s always longed for. 

David had never thought that a job will end up changing his life so unexpectedly. He’s never paid much attention when it comes to what is around him and meeting Jason is an eye opener. 

Working together day by day brings this two men together, and Jason will learn that it’s okay to let go, to look forward to the future and allow someone in his life in his heart.

Sometimes, it just takes one moment to change a life. Stop and look around you. You’d be surprised at what you might discover.

If you’re looking for a short, soulful holiday story, Saving Jason is the perfect choice. I highly recommend it.

Born and raised in the north-west of England, K.C. WELLS always loved writing. Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the writing ceased, as life got in the way. K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, when the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings—writing about men in love was even hotter…. 

K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career. The laptop still has no idea of what hit it… it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes. 

And as for those men in love that she writes about? The list of stories just waiting to be written is getting longer… and longer…. 

K.C. loves to hear from readers. 

E-mail: k.c.wells@btinternet.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld

Twitter: @K_C_Wells 

Website: http://www.kcwellsworld.com

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Release Day Review! Detective Fox & The Christmas Caper by Isobel Starling

Every good Dick needs a sidekick…

Actor Tom Lewis’s world came crashing down when a honey trap and tabloid expose outed him and put pay to his flourishing career. The housewives favorite was most well-known for his role as ‘Detective Fox’ in the quaint British series 'Malmesbury Murders'. But after the media speculation about his sexuality, the show is in hiatus and Tom hasn’t worked six months.

Now things are getting serious, money running out and Tom needs a job desperately. So when his agent offers him a seasonal acting job, he reluctantly agrees… and takes on the role of Santa for a top London department store.

This decision changes Tom’s luck. When Tom overhears two unidentified store workers discussing a "job to get a little Christmas bonus”. He realizes the 'job' is of the illegal sort. Now, Tom could call the police, but then again, wouldn’t it be great for his flagging career if Detective Fox saved the day?

So Fox is on the case, and as every good Dick needs a sidekick, Tom decides a sexy young elf named Eli Mason will fit the role, in more ways than one.”

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Oh, God! Where do I start? This novella was all kinds of fun. 

Beggars can’t be choosers and Tom has realized this after he was outed as gay and is facing unemployment. 

He’s an actor and he loves it but, he has reached the point where he can’t allow his pride to win and refuse a well paid job just because it might make him look silly.

If this means playing Santa Claus for one of London’s top stores, so be it. He’s still not ready to give up being Detective Fox though and, when the opportunity presents itself for him to get into character on more time, he grabs it with both hands. 

There’s a bonus, too. The detective’s sidekick is one hot elf who knows how to handle whatever is thrown his way and more. Things are about to get messy.

Add Isobel Starling and mix with humor, mystery, action, suspense and sprinkle of drama, and you’ll have an explosive story which will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end, and leave you breathless and asking for more. 

Follow Eli and Tom’s story as they try to save the day, and navigate what is the beginning of a tentative relationship, all while playing Santa and his elf for hordes of over excited children and exhausted parents the week before Christmas. 

I cannot wait to read the next book because this has got to be a series. Right, Ms. Starling? You cannot spring two smart, sexy and fun as hell men on me and leave it at a novella. It’s not fair. 

Thank you for another awesome and entertaining read. You rock, as always!

Born in Germany, Isobel Starling spent most of her twenty-year professional career making art. She relocated to the UK and, faced with the dreaded artist’s creative block, Isobel started to write and found she loved it more than making art.

Isobel’s first novel “Fall Together” was a bestseller in the GLBT-Bisexual genre on the ‘All Romance e-books’ site. Her second novel “As You Wish”(Shatterproof Bond #1) is an Amazon bestseller, and its sequel “Illuminate the Shadows”(Shatterproof Bond #2) was awarded a bestseller star on All Romance too. She has just completed her eighth book and signed French and German, translation and publishing rights deals for the whole Shatterproof Bond series. 

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A Writer's Journey.

A lost soul in a sea of words. A defeated creature who’s wings have repeatedly been thorn before I even tried to learn how to fly.

There was a time when words came to me so easily. I just had to find the time to write them down. Everything was an inspiration – a child’s smile, a flower blooming, a drop or rain, a ray of sunshine…

I had yet to learn what pain and heartache really meant.

I had yet to learn how easily trust can be broken.

I had yet to learn how to live when you feel that there’s no reason for it anymore.

And just like that, one day, the words were gone. I couldn’t hear anymore, there was nothing left to see.

Something was gone and I couldn’t find a way to bring it back. I was lost.

Sadness was all I had left.

He took everything the day he left and I had nothing but solitude and a broken, shattered heart.

But then I remembered. There was something else I loved.

Books!

I loved reading. I loved losing myself in someone else’s life even if it was for a few minutes.

And that’s what I did.

I lost myself in countless books. Countless stories. Countless lives.

Time went by and, slowly, the words started to return.

They weren’t bright and happy and full of hope anymore. They were sad, they spoke of heartbreak and loneliness and lessons leaned.

They spoke of a once naive girl who thought she could have it all but lost more than she could afford.

And I’ve read…

Now, I have my own stories to tell. The characters are not perfect and their lives are not all sunshine and roses but they fight for what they love and they still believe in Happily Ever After even if it doesn’t always happen to them.

This is me. The girl who writes.

Welcome to A Writer’s Journey.

A New Beginning ...

Hi everyone,

Long time, no see. 

Life kind of got in the way lately. But I am back now and some changes are on the way.

When I first started the blog all I wanted to do was promote the authors and the books I loved. I have done that at the best of my possibilities. At least I hope so, and I’m sorry if I disappointed anyone.

A lot has happened in the last two years. I’ve lost people I loved, I grieved, and the ugly monster that is depression has reared its ugly head once again. It wasn’t easy and it’ll never be but I’ve managed to defeated it time and time again. I’ll find my way out this time, too. But my fight with depression is a story for another day. 

Mikky’s World Of Books has met its purpose and it’s time to say goodbye. Now it’s the time for a fresh start.

For years, I’ve written stories that I kept to myself. Writing has always been my passion, my refuge and, at the same time, my coping mechanism through my darkest days. No matter what, I have always found a way to put my thoughts on paper. 

Some of those thoughts and stories are private and no one will ever read them but, the rest, I think are worth sharing.

Since one of my biggest dreams has been to publish a book one day, Mikky’s World Of Books blog will become Once Upon A Dream as of today.

I don’t know what will happen in the future. I’ve learned that making long term plans is worthless so, I’m going to take it one day at a time.

I’ll still do occasional blog tours, as the mood strikes, and I’ll keep posting reviews because I’m not giving up reading. That will never happen. In the meanwhile, I’ll share snippets of what I’m writing, stories from my day to day life and whatever I think is worth sharing with you. 

We’ll see how that works out.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to those who have supported and encouraged me from day one. Some of you are great friends and you’ll never know how much a simple “Hello” has meant to me at times. I’ll never be able to repay you.

I hope you’ll keep supporting me in this new journey as well. Here's to good friends and new beginnings! 

With love and gratitude,

Mihaela.

Coming Soon! Excerpt & Giveaway: Heavy Hitters, Caribbean Tales #1 by Taylor V. Donovan

*Standalone Gay Romance Saga

His toughest opponent is himself.

World Boxing Champion Santino Malavé González has been fighting since he was a kid. Poverty, domestic violence, and emotional abuse were early contenders. Guilt and self-loathing were beaten into him at an impressionable age, and now machismo, an integral part of the Latino culture, rules his life. In the ring he’s undefeated. Outside the ropes life constantly hits him below the belt. It takes a sucker punch from his best friend to finally knock the denial out of him and force him to face his true nature like a real man.

A natural born entertainer, Luca Jenaro Betancur Ferrer has grown up serving God, performing, pursuing a career in music, and celebrating life among his tight-knit Catholic family under the scorching Puerto Rican sun. Singing the wrong note on stage is not a mistake the multi-platinum award-winning singer would ever allow. Falling in love with a man is not a transgression his devout family may ever accept. The ties that bind him are strong, but the pull toward his childhood best friend may just be enough to tear it all to shreds.

Anger, mistakes, bigotry, and the need to conform put up a good fight throughout their life journeys. Their religious and chauvinistic society constantly challenges their pursuit of happiness, and only time will tell if their relationship will survive the battles, or if they’ll lose each other by technical knockout.

Releasing June 24, 2016 

“Take this.” Julito handed him the other bag. “It’s your boxing gear.”

“Why’s this here and not in the shed?”

“I’ve been bagging it up every night before going to bed and putting it back in the shed before leaving for work for the last couple of weeks. I told you to put on your shoes.”

Santi obeyed immediately. “Why’d do you do that?”

“I’m ready,” Omayra said from the door, sounding scared, sad, and excited in equal parts.

“We can’t leave without Ma,” Santi repeated. “He’s hitting her because—” He felt like he was choking on his own words. His father didn’t love him. His mom was sending him away because he’d told her he liked boys. She’d failed to stand up for him… hadn’t even tried to reassure him that she’d always want him regardless of who he was. It sucked. “Mami and Papi are disappointed in me,” he forced himself to say. “All this is happening because they think I’m gay.” 

“He’s hitting Ma because he’s an abusive prick,” Omayra countered.

“I’ve got to show him I’m not gay,” Santi whispered. “This is my fault. I’ve got to do everything I can to make things right for Mami.”

“And you’ll start working on it as soon as we’re out.” Julito grabbed his keys and wallet from the milk crate that served as a bedside table and took a few towels from his bed. He looked around the room one more time before pushing Santi toward the door. “We’ve got to go.”

Only muffled noises could be heard in their parents’ bedroom when they ran out of the shack they’d called home for the past two years. That was a good sign. Papi had either passed out, or he’d calmed down.

They were soaking wet by the time they ran across the yard, got inside Julito’s old El Camino and locked the doors.

Julito pushed their bags behind the seat and started the truck. Omayra grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, then used the other two to cover Santi and Julito before settling between them on the truck’s bench seat. Santi stared at the small, dilapidated ranch through the windshield, the rain, and the darkness of night. None of them said a word as they sped away from the house.

“Where are we going?” Omayra whispered several minutes later, taking Santi’s hand.

“’Uela Esperanza’s,” Julito said quietly as he navigated the dark curvy road down the mountain.

Omayra sniffled and wiped her face. “How will we know if Ma’s okay?”

“I have Sister Dominga’s telephone number,” Julito said. “Ma’ll go to the convent after mass on Sunday and wait for our call.” 

Santi rested his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes.

He thought about the conversation between himself and his mom. About the stupid Health class that had started this mess. About the moment his dad walked into the bedroom and about the conspiring looks he’d seen pass between Julito and their mom.

“Where’s Héctor?” he asked without opening his eyes.

“He’s living with Titi Migdalia in New York,” Julito said.

Omayra gasped. “But I thought he was still in juvie.”

“They reduced his sentence for good behavior. Papi had said he didn’t want Héctor in his house, and Ma didn’t want him to go back to that hell anyway, so she asked if I could help her buy a plane ticket for him, and I said yes.”

“How long has he been out?” Omayra asked. “Does Pa know?” 

“Six months or so, and no, that bastard doesn’t know,” Julito said with a smile. Santi’s eyes were closed, but he could hear the smile in his brother’s voice. “He’s working in Tío Tato’s bodega and going to school at night. He’s doing fine.”

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Omayra said with a laugh. “That’s a great opportunity for him. I hope he turns things around for himself.”

“When did you plan this?” Santi asked is a shaky voice. “When did Ma decide to get us out of the house?”

“Right after ’Uela Esperanza and Tío Miguel came to visit the last time. She talked to them. Made sure we’d have a safe place to live and a gym where you could start training again. She was hoping it wouldn’t be necessary, but she had to be ready in case—” Julito cleared his throat. “In case you turned out to be gay,” he finished in a careful tone. “She knew Pa would never leave you alone, so we came up with a plan.”

“Taunt Papi and let him think it was his idea to disown us and throw us out of the house?” Omayra snorted. “He’s an idiot, and Ma finally did something right. I wish she’d come with us, though.”

“We’ll figure a way to get her out,” Julito assured her. “Life will be different now. She found a way to give us a chance, guys. Let’s make it count.”

“I never said I am gay,” Santi pointed out. He opened his eyes and looked at his brother and sister, desperate to convince them that he wasn’t a pervert. “I’m not in love with another boy, and it isn’t my fault Papi’s hitting Ma.” He lowered his eyes and stared at the beaded bracelets he’d been squeezing in his hand the entire time. “This mess isn’t my fault…it can’t be my fault… It isn’t! I’m not gay.”

Julito clasped Santi’s shoulder and said, “I know, buddy. I know you wouldn’t let me down that way.” He patted him on the back a couple of times before focusing his attention on the road.

Omayra glared at Julito, and then kissed Santi on the cheek. “I’ll always love you, no matter what you do or who you are,” she whispered as she gave him an understanding smile. “Don’t forget that.”

Santi leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes.

He never let go of the bracelets or Omayra’s hand.

Taylor V. Donovan is a compulsive reader and author of gay romance and suspense. She is optimistically cynical about humanity and a lover of history, museums, and all things 80s. She shamelessly indulges in mind-numbing reality television, is crazy about fashion, and passionate about civil rights and equality for all.

When she’s not writing or making a living in the busiest city in the world, Taylor can be found raising her two daughters and their terribly misbehaved furry baby in their home.

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In The Spotlight! Banished Threads, Threads #3 by Kaylin McFarren

A valuable art collection disappears turning a treasure-hunting duo into crime-stopping sleuths committed to vindicating family members in Kaylin McFarren's action-packed suspense novel, Banished Threads.

While vacationing at the stately Cumberforge Manor in Bellwood, England, Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen attend an elegant dinner party hosted by her uncle, Paul Lyons, and his aristocratic wife, Sara. Before the evening ends, a priceless collection of Morris Graves's paintings are stolen from her uncle's popular gallery, throwing all suspicion onto his wife's missing granddaughter. Determined to clear Sloan Rafferty's name and, in the process, win Paul's favor, Chase scours the countryside looking for answers. In his absence, the police accuse Rachel's uncle of an unsolved murder and secrets surrounding her grandmother's death and the deaths of Sara's former husbands turn his wife into the most likely suspect.

With the true villains hell-bent on destroying Paul Lyons and his family, solving both crimes while ensuring her uncle's freedom not only endangers Rachel's life but that of her unborn child. Will Chase save them before the kidnappers enact their revenge or will the ultimate price be paid, as predicted by a vagabond fortuneteller? 

First place - 2016 Hudson Valley RWA Hook, Line & Sinker Contest

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A lone figure stood in the estuary lookout nestled in the trees above the North Sea on the Holderness Coast, waiting with restless anticipation as Gwen Gallagher approached the cliff's edge. A quick adjustment to the night-vision binoculars allowed the watcher a closer view of the twenty-eight-year-old secretary as she savored the last autumn sunset she would ever see. The crisp, cool air picked up speed, leaving her long black hair sailing like a ghostly pirate's flag behind her. It lifted the hem of her black skirt slightly, exposing her white shapely legs and black suede booties to the wintry elements. Her pale blue eyes swept across the landscape, appraising the beauty surrounding them. She raised her chin toward the darkening sky and smiled, obviously believing the note she had received, inviting her here, had come from her married lover.

As Gwen moved even closer to the edge, the watcher inhaled a deep breath. All that remained between this ludicrous woman and the vividly blue ocean was two meters of solid rock. From the lookout vantage point, there was barely enough light to confirm that she was staring down at the tossing sands and churning water, mesmerizing in the early evening breeze. All it would take was one push, and she would feel the rush of wind through her hair and see the crystal-blue sea one last time as she slammed headlong into the jagged rocks below.

The watcher's heart was fluttering erratically now as Gwen stood balancing on the brink of extinction. The sky darkened, and gray waves slammed into the rocks, blasting sea spray high into the air. By all appearances, she had become preoccupied by the black storm clouds collecting overhead and the hard-hitting raindrops striking her cheeks. The wind was whipping now and had started to voice its howling rage. Meanwhile, the watcher climbed down from the lookout and stepped hurriedly across the uneven ground, arriving only six yards away from the scene where Gwen now remained frozen in place. The soles of her shoes held her stoically to the uneven mafic rock as the rising wind whipped and swayed her body like a frail willow. For a brief moment, the watcher was uncertain of what to do next. Then Gwen turned around suddenly and stared back in a trancelike state. Another step forward resulted in waking her.

"What are you doing here?" she called out. "What do you want?"

The watcher remained silent and took another step forward before pulling out an engraved, freshly sharpened steak knife. A look of fear crossed Gwen's rain-streaked face, making it impossible not to smile.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" she screeched. She took a final step back to distance herself, just as a massive wave hit. The spray washed over her and sent her plummeting fifteen meters down. The watcher dropped on all fours to maintain a protected position on the slippery, stony ground. Minutes later, the surge passed, and it was now safe to stand. A quick assessment confirmed the dangling binoculars were safe and in excellent working order, but the engraved knife had been washed away. After stepping down to a new viewpoint, it was easy to ascertain that Gwen had been injured from the fall and was now trapped in the jagged rocks below. She looked up at the watcher and called out for help, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Bloody idiot. If someone should hear her, they could interfere, and that would ruin everything.

Five minutes passed as poor Gwen continued to scream. Then, as good fortune would have it, the wind rose again. With the crush of another wave, she was pulled under and swept out to sea.

The watcher smiled and was about to leave when a tiny fraction of light picked up something on the ground. Careful inspection confirmed it was a gold hoop earring, plucked from its owner—a marvelous souvenir to add to the prized, growing collection. After the watcher slipped it into a pocket in the yellow hooded slicker and removed the binoculars, a pleasant thought came to mind. Since it had become a moral right and obligation to dispose of the unworthy and undeserving in the Cumberforge Manor, it wouldn't be long before Gwen's lover would be joining her and the rest of the moneygrubbing fools who had been personally escorted to the bowels of hell.

Kaylin McFarren is a California native who has enjoyed traveling around the world. She previously worked as director for a fine art gallery, where she helped foster the careers of various artists before feeling the urge to satisfy her own creative impulses.

Since launching her writing career, McFarren has earned more than a dozen literary awards in addition to a finalist spot in the 2008 RWA Golden Heart Contest. A member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and Willamette Writers, she also lends her participation and support to various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

McFarren currently lives with her husband in Oregon and visits her second home in California once a month. They have three grown daughters and two grandchildren, and look forward to having more.

Her latest book is the romantic suspense, Banished Threads.

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Book Trailer, Teasers & Giveaway! European Tour, Rocking the Pop Star #1 by L.V. Lewis

Broken. Guilt-ridden. Ready to start over. 

Brody Kent walked away from the pinnacle of rock superstardom and never looked back. Financially, he never has to work again, but takes jobs as a personal assistant to keep his mind—and other things—busy. The women he works for always want something, and he's more than willing to help. But when he's sent to work for a pop princess, Brody will do anything to make her happy—even if it means admitting the ugly truth about his past. Smothered. Talented. Ready to start her life. 

Successful pop star, Skylar Samuelson is about to embark upon the turning point of her career—a summer tour in Europe. Her manager mother has promised to pull back and allow her full reign of the overseas tour. When Brody Kent becomes her new assistant, Skylar can't deny the attraction. He's perfect. Everything she’s ever wanted. But Brody's hiding something and the truth may break her. If someone else doesn't break her first... 

Lies. Betrayal. And the truth that could ruin them all.

Growing up, L.V. Lewis wanted to be an internationally known rock star, but unfortunately, lived in the wrong part of the country to pursue that career (and neither American Idol nor The Voice were available then). An early love for the written word gave her the plan B she sought. Now she pens romance novels that let her live vicariously through rock stars and other fascinating archetypes. 

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