Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts

Monday, January 12, 2015

WALKING THE EDGE BOOK TOUR


Title: Walking The Edge
Author: +Zee Monodee 
Series: Corpus Brides, Book 1
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Blurb:

Walking the edge
The next step might be the last...

A woman without a past
Left amnesiac after an accident, Amelia Jamison’s instincts slowly rise from the depths of oblivion to question her life as the wife of a cold, manipulating and distant man. Wisps of a dream show her another man she may have known intimately, but is he a memory, or a figment of her imagination?

A man with too much information
After many aliases, today Gerard Besson is simply a police commissaire in Marseille. When a mysterious woman starts to follow him, he is suspicious. But things aren’t what they seem, and as he reluctantly gets closer to her, dredges of his painful, buried past spring to light and make him question her identity.

Each seems to have led two different lives
But neither is prepared for what awaits them when they cross the fine line between knowing your true self and that of your alter ego.


Danger is the name of the game, and as it catches up with them in the French Provence, both know they better be ready for the inevitable fall.



As he turned to scan the other side of the road, something—or someone—lunged at him and knocked him into the solid garage door. Reflex kicking in, he took a deep breath to fortify himself against the stinging pain in his body. Honing his senses, he lashed out on the side from which his opponent had assaulted him.
His fist connected with a jaw and he heard a grunt. Male. So not the woman from the bistro. Could she have sent someone after him? He had no time to ponder—a heavy booted foot collided smack into his stomach and sent him to his knees. The gun dropped from his hand. He could barely see the man kick the Sig away. Now’s the time to hit him.
But he wasn’t fast enough. The thug smashed a hard blow to Gerard’s temple. Black dots danced before his eyes.
It would take more than this to knock him out, though. He looked up and staggered an exhale—he’d be no match against the gun his assailant yanked from inside his jacket. A weapon with a silencer screwed on. Definitely a man out for a kill.
Time stood still while he tried to breathe and remain conscious.
And then something happened so quickly he had trouble grasping it. The guy howled and went down, his free hand clutching his neck as Gerard caught sight of a cherry-red flash.
The thug lifted and aimed his gun. Another red burst haloed the first.
Two shots rang, and the man slumped.
Gerard moved his gaze to where the flashes had appeared. His Sig lay in the hands of the one who’d saved him.
Legs braced, back straight, she held the gun in both hands, the left cupping the right. Wisps of smoke gently drifted from the barrel.
He blinked when he focused on her face.
It can’t be. The same woman who’d met him at the bistro. Yet, at the same time, not her. Her features looked different, harder, and, he realized with dread, completely focused yet expressionless.
Something told him to take another look. She hadn’t dropped the gun, and for an insane moment, he wondered if she’d aim it his way and shoot. There had been no hesitation in her two shots, and, as his eyes took in the way she held the Sig—one hand curled around the grip and the other anchoring it—realization clattered in his brain.
She held it like a professional, and merde if she hadn’t shot like a professional, too.
Finally, she lowered the weapon and stepped up to him.
From his previous deduction, he hadn’t expected her to be trembling or bumbling her way about, but still, the efficiency with which she sidestepped the body and crouched at Gerard’s side sent warning bells off in his head.
“Who the hell are you?” he asked, aware the thought had made it into words.



Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Edge-Corpus-Brides-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00RJN0768/

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23598394-walking-the-edge


Coming Soon:

Releasing February 2, 2015
Before The Morning (Corpus Brides Book 2: The Prequel)

In this stand-alone prequel to the explosive Corpus Brides romantic suspense/espionage series, found out how everything started when one of the agency’s deadliest became the target of a rogue faction.

Before the morning
...is the time of greater darkness...

A trained killer with borderline sociopathic tendencies
Rayne Cheltham traced out her life's path when she was twelve: she would marry her best friend and bear his children, and in the process, stifle the restless edge in her. When he vows never to marry, she gives in to the darkness and becomes a clandestine agent—until the day he walks into her world again, and her carefully fabricated façade crumbles.

A former cop burned by life and his personal demons
When Ash Gilfoy meets a woman who reminds him of his childhood best friend, he starts upon a path that leads him down into the abyss once again. The day Rayne waltzes back into his life, he knows she is his second chance, and the one who will save him.

Each thinks the other is their redemption...until they discover how deep darkness goes inside both of them
The secrets between them make them sit on a keg of gunpowder with a lit fuse in their hands. Rayne’s whole life is built on a lie, and the truth is threatening to explode in their faces. But that is not the only menace they have to face. Someone is out to get Rayne, and she must disclose her secret past before it is too late.

Can Rayne and Ash survive all that’s thrown in their path? Can they hang on to the last thread of their relationship, and can they emerge, still together and still alive, in the morning after the deepest darkness?

Releasing March 2, 2015
Let Mercy Come (Corpus Brides Book 3: The Conclusion)

In this stunning conclusion to the Corpus Brides Trilogy, find out what happens when the dust settles in the aftermath of the mutiny inside their ranks. Danger is still lurking, though... as is death...

Let mercy come
...and wash away our sins...

A woman on the run
Valeriya Morozova has managed to carve out a do-over for herself away from the clutches of the Corpus agency. The one formerly known as Anastasiya still lives on the edge, paranoid anyone will bust her secret and turn her in. Agency leaders believe her to be at the heart of the failed mutinous plot to overtake command, and the price of that betrayal—never mind that she is innocent—will be her life, paid in blood.

A man who’s always followed orders
In his decades inside the Corpus agency, case officer and former super-spy Graeme Whitman—aka Scott—has always paid heed to rules and obeyed all his orders. When he is chosen to bring the traitor Anastasiya back into the fold, Scott knows it will be just one more job he will successfully complete. After all, doing the right thing is atonement for your past mistakes, right?

Secrets running deep
Scott has secrets; who doesn’t? But he isn’t prepared for the full cupboard of skeletons Anastasiya carries with her...starting with the reason why she ran away from the agency. The more he digs, the less he is certain of, until he comes to ask himself why everyone has falsely painted her as a hard-hearted sociopath.

But is Anastasiya a victim, or a skilful manipulator? When her past collides with her present, the future as both she and Scott conceived it shatters. They’ve answered the call of duty all their lives—will they have to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of love?


Bio & Links

Author, editor, smitten wife, in-over-her-head mum to a tween boy, best-buddy stepmum to a teenage lad, bookaholic, lover of all things fluffy & pink, chronic shoeholic, incompetent housewife desperate to channel Nigella Lawson (and who’ll prolly always fail at making domestic goddess status)...

Zee hails from the multicultural, rainbow-nation island of Mauritius, in the southern Indian Ocean, where she grew up on the figurative fence—one side had her ancestors’ Indian and Muslim culture; the other had modernity and the global village. When one day she realised she could dip her toes into both sides without losing her integrity, she found her identity.
This quest for ‘finding your place’ is what she attempts to bring in all her stories, across all the genres she writes. Her heroines represent today’s women trying to reconcile love, life, & relationships in a melting pot of cultures, while her heroes are Alpha men who often get put back into their rightful place by the headstrong women she writes. Love is always a winner in her stories, though; that’s a given.

**Find more about the latest on Zee and her works in her monthly newsletter http://eepurl.com/5GULr

**Read about her life & her books at her website/blog http://zeemonodee.blogspot.com/

**Friend her on Facebook (she loves to make friends & meet new people!) https://www.facebook.com/#!/zee.monodee

**Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ZeeMonodee

**Email her at this addy (she loves to talk...prolly too much, even!) zeemonodee@gmail.com


Sunday, May 11, 2014

REVIEW: HEART OF ETERNITY

Heart of Eternity
When you are invited to dance with the muse of love, when you are driven to the edge by the pain of the past, when you hold the remedy for what ails you in your arms you will find yourself in the heart of eternity. Set in the Blue Mountain's town of Blackheath in New South Wales, Australia, the novel Heart of Eternity introduces two very different characters, Jay and Naida, who encounter each other at a challenging time in each of their lives. Their individual expressions of the feelings they provoke in each other give rise to a turmoil that could ultimately claim their lives. When two people understand so deeply the pain each other has faced will it force them into the abyss of darkness or will their combined need for healing allow love to enter both their hearts?

Review
Naida is a very physically sick woman with a great deal of faith and a spiritual healer like her famous uncle. She has run from her father and the medical treatment she needs in hopes of healing herself with her own soul-deep powers of healing. Her uncle sees a great capacity to be as good as he is, but Naida has a vision that stops her in her tracks, a dark demon-like entity with green eyes in need of her guidance.

Enter Jay. Jay's life has been full of pain and sorrow. Unfortunately, he's let his inner demons rule his life and ruin every chance of happiness. When he meets Naida, he finds someone who refuses to give up on him and insists on guiding him back to the the light. Learning to control and master his demons and dark side is no small feet. Can he do it in time to save Naida?

This book has some very interesting spiritual concepts. The language is very descriptive without being excessively flowery. There's sweet romance and doggedly determined love. This would make a very safe work read or poolside companion. However, the pace is on the slow side. It takes a diligent reader who understands the ending is worth the wait. Don't expect a lot of action and fast paced sequences with our resident bad boy Jay. He's naughty, to be sure, bu the redeems himself very nicely in the end. I'm giving Heart of Eternity three and a half stars. The pacing is the only reason I'm NOT giving it four.

Excerpt

Soft lines of emotion crossed his forehead as he turned and looked into her eyes one last time, confused as to why she seemed so familiar and all the more frustrated at his own dark side for not breaking out in front of her. Jay forced himself not to look back, to pretend as if Naidah had never existed, and to be cold and alone again just the way he liked it. He disappeared eventually, basking in the heat of his own hell.
But Naidah stood there as if she’d been waiting her whole life for him. Her soulful eyes locked on his every move, craning her neck as far as she could to lock his towering frame in her eyes forever, feeling her breath stop as distance grew between them, wanting to reach over but not being able to move an inch, the distant recesses of space pulling Jay infinitely away from her till he vanished from her sight. A sharp and tangible pain ridged between her heart and ripped away her soul. She caressed the folds of his jacket. The feeling flooded her with his scent. It was engulfing. Crouching down where Jay was standing a minute ago, Naida cupped the sand up in her palm and held it there as if trying to confirm the veracity of his existence, to tell the difference between her vision and reality.
All that happened afterwards was a mere blur for Naida; Eva’s shout, the lifeguard’s queries, the crowd eyeing her drenched body with curiosity, murmuring conjectures. Everything gyrated around her in full swing but she stood there, unmoving… unnerved.
The sand in her palm slowly slipped away in the wind and took her with it and the only part that ever remained there was the one that did not belong to her anymore…it belonged to him…
About the Author

N. Jay, found the inspiration of her romance novel Heart of Eternity in her own life history and folklore---- By drawing on the power of her personal experiences, she has created characters whose desires are circumscribed by the landscapes and pasts they can no longer escape. Coming from a culturally diverse background, N. Jay received an M.A. in Literature in 2009 and teaches in the areas of comparative literature, composition, and language pedagogy. Currently, she resides in Dubai, UAE, with her husband and two year old daughter. N. Jay finds the internal world of human beings to be a constant source of fascination and loves the more emotionally laden side of life.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

REDEMPTION BLOG TOUR



Lisa's choice has been made. She's living her dream and couldn't be happier. Then as news comes to shed light on her happily ever after, a series of events are set in motion. Some want to claim what is rightfully theirs, others want to mold it in a positive light.


Alex feels the demon inside of him growing stronger, day by day. Will he be strong enough to keep it at bay, or will he lose himself to the darkness? A new demon comes into Alex and Lisa's life who seems to have every intention of destroying them, but do they know what their intentions truly are? 


Lisa will discover who is an ally and who is the enemy, but will she discover it in time to save Alex from his own self destruction? When she finally understands what's happening to her, will she lose herself and everyone she loves or will she seek redemption and accept what she has become?


~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N ~



"Suddenly everything comes to a stop. She looks around their surroundings and her eyes try to focus, finding nothing but blackness. A soft light appears in front of her. It begins to grow and pushes outward, claiming the darkness surrounding it. It continues to widen until light from the field begins to pour inside, illuminating Lisa and her surroundings. Her eyes peer through the portal and it's as if she were looking through water. The image is distorted and continues to move like a constant wake in still waters. She sees Gorgon to her right and she looks over, watching the demon next to her. Lisa's eyes trail down the demon's body then slowly, back up. You fuck this up, I will kill you.

Gorgon raises her brows, turning her body towards Lisa. She says, I'd like to see you try. She crosses her arms over her chest and glances back towards the portal doorway. But before you go down that route, we need to set a plan for how we'll do this. I can give you an idea of what we'll be facing, but honestly, I have no idea. I don't know the numbers of what you'll be up against. She lowers her gaze; then looks up slowly to Lisa. For what it's worth, I am sorry. And your son.

Lisa cuts her off. What I'll be up against? No, I don't think so. You are part of this too. And don't pretend to know anything about my son.

Gorgon simply nods and looks back out the portal. You're right. I am part of this. And all I was going to say is he's amazing. She lets it go. She furrows brows, steps forward, and looks through the distorted water. Demons and angels chase one another, fighting, swords clash and power is sent across the field. Bright colors of the many auras light up on the field like lightning strikes. Gorgon tries to focus on one of the images that is taking on an attack stance. Lisa?

Yeah, I see it. Lisa steps forward. The image is still muddled by the waves but she can make out Alex. He stalks forward in a stance of attack. Lisa looks at who he's pursuing and she gasps when she realizes it's Michael. Quickly, she looks back at Alex sees another man at his side. Her eyes widen in shock. What the Hell? Is that Samuel? Michael continues his backtracking and waves something long and shiny over his head. She begins to step out and Gorgon grabs her arm, stopping her.

Samuel is very strong. If he's already taken Alex's light
He has. Lisa looks at the demon. I know you knew he'd do this. I know you were his accomplice. And I also know you grew a conscience around us and turned yourself in.

What? Gorgon blinks; taken aback. How What She bites back the words she wants to say, she helped orchestrate this, she killed off the demon Xander, she killed off Mariah when her human was annoying her. Instead, she keeps her thoughts to herself.

You know exactly how I know. She looks at the demon and raises a single brow, daring her to object.
Alright. is all Gorgon says, then she looks back out at the field. Then let me go first. I can be a diversion, for you to get to Alex and get out of here.

No. Lisa pulls her arm free from Gorgon. Let me. They'll never see me coming. She turns back to Gorgon. I still hate what you are, but what you did? Obviously I forgive you. As for you willingly volunteering to protect my son thank you.

Gorgon blinks at her, not sure what to say. Instead, she nods slightly, then they both look towards the field. I promise I'll have your back. No matter what. Lisa keeps her eyes on the fighting in the field and nods.

You better, she tells the demon. Michael stumbles over a tree root and falls back on his ass. The two demons sneer down at him and Alex is about to lunge. Lisa and Gorgon step forward and as Lisa is about to step through to make herself known, Samuel sneers and holds an orb of golden light in front of him. She pauses long enough to realize this is Alex's soul. Her eyes widen as he brings up his free hand, holding a dagger. She shifts her gaze and watches Alex prepare to jump on Michael. Moving on instinct, she barrels out of the portal. Lisa pushes her hands out in front of her and a bright, purple light explodes from her as she screams, NO!!!!"


Be sure to check out book 1 of the series before reading Redemption!

Fallen - Book One in the Chronicles of the Fallen


Lisa Adams wants what every other woman wants: The perfect job. The perfect home. The perfect guy. When she receives the opportunity of a lifetime, Lisa has no idea what she’s actually signed up for. Her boss, who is tall, dark and incredibly sexy, starts making advances towards her and she’s having a hard time telling him no. Lisa begins seeing things that are scaring the Hell out of her. Nightmares are leaving her frightened.

Then there’s this new guy that’s come into her life. He brings a new light into the darkness that threatens to claim Lisa. He’s mysterious, heartwarming and kind. Not to mention the most beautiful man she’s ever met. But something with him seems to be off.

Faced with love, seduction, sacrifice and deceit, Lisa will find herself being pulled in two directions; one pursues her to claim her soul and the other will sacrifice everything to save her.

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N ~ 

And add Book Three of the series, Atonement to your Goodreads list!  
Releases May 13th!






Hailing from Burleson, Texas and growing up in the country with big tractors and bon fire parties, I would day dream about far off lands, hoping to one day get inside their worlds.

Always having a love of books and paranormal stories, I finally took the leap to begin writing with encouragement from my husband. Having worked in IT my entire career and finding my way to Central Florida, I spend free time writing new stories, putting together puzzles with my daughter or reading her children's stories.

We are involved in Autism research and Autism awareness. To find out more how you can help, check out http://www.autismspeaks.org/




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Sunday, April 20, 2014

REVIEW: SARAH LEYTON'S SHARING ANNABELLE


Blurb:
Annabelle Rawlings has fallen for not one but two men. When Callum McCray and Mason Webb set their sights on Annabelle, they refuse to give up until they've made her realize that she belongs to them—no matter how many times she tries to deny it. They know she has dark, kinky desires that only they can satisfy.
When the guys are forced to deny their love, and hers, and push Annabelle away because of a deadly threat from their past, they doubt whether they’ll ever be able to win her back again.
Website: SarahLeyton.com
Twitter: @LeytonSarah
Review:
We kick off with Annabelle, a Kansas small town girl in Chicago, working with an interior design firm and going home to an empty apartment. She's thrown herself into her work and enjoys spending her time with her college friend and boss, Noah Briar. Her life is about to be turned completely around when Noah takes on a new client needing their offices redecorated.
Callum McCray and Mason Webb best friends and looking for that special woman they could spend the rest of their lives with. Together. There's more to their interests than just sharing. They are co-owners of a BDSM club called Sin. When Callum sees Annabelle for the first time, he's instantly smitten, and her reactions to him are just as strong. Can he convince her to love him and Mason? Con he get her to accept training as their sub? And what are they going to do to protect her when a mentally unbalanced blast from the past turns up to kill her?

I enjoyed Sharing Annabelle. The sex was steamy, the guys gorgeous, and the right amount of tension and chemistry all there. The sex wasn't overly graphic, but keep in mind this an erotic novel. It might not be safe for work or poolside reading. The BDSM was kept light, as Annabelle is just being introduced to the lifestyle. Between the hot scenes, we get a nice story of a woman finding love and suffering loss only to find love again. The happily ever after rounds out the ending nicely. I'm giving Sharing Annabelle 4 stars!



Sunday, March 23, 2014

REVIEW: WINTERBORN BY A. D. ROLAND & #GIVEAWAY #YA #HORROR



 Blurb:



Winterborn is the intense story of a disintegrating family trapped in a small town haunted by a terrible tragedy that occurred twenty years earlier. Tamsyn Hallert finds herself reliant on narcotics to make it through daily life with her husband, Sean, who spent the majority of their marriage involved with his high school girlfriend, and his surprise illegitimate son Kevin. Kevin has all the classic possessed-kid symptoms. He’s angry, manipulative, hangs out in the abandoned ‘haunted’ house, and likes to bite. Weird things begin to happen, and Tamsyn can’t figure out if they’re real, or products of her self-medication.

When Sean begins to act strange and a horrific creature attacks them, she realizes everything is very, very real. She’s the key to unleashing--or stopping--the terrifying forces bound within the Wraithborne Estate.

With her husband held in sway by a dead woman, her life falling apart around her, Tamsyn has to figure out if she even wants to save her crumbling family.

Winterborn is available at all major ebook distributors and at www.damnationbooks.com.

Links to books:




 

Contest:
Between March 23rd and March 31st, A D Roland will be giving away an ebook copy of the winner's choice from her titles. How do you enter? Leave your name and email address in the comments section below. On April 1st, a random winner will be selected. (This is usually done by my cat. You can't get any more random than him! I have identical bottle caps with numbers on them. I give them a toss. The one he brings back to me first wins!)

Review:
Talk about creepy! I love a good scary story, and Roland didn't disappoint. There are so many twists and turns to this quick paced story I'm not sure how much to tell!

Tamsyn is a drug addict in a train wreck of a marriage to Sean. She's a temperamental artist. She's suffered with a philandering husband and multiple miscarriages. Now, her husband has moved her back to his hometown to raise his bastard son with his "other woman." What else could go wrong?

Never ask that question. The universe is always more than happy to show you. In Tamsyn's case, the icing on the cake is Kevin, Sean's illegitimate son. Kevin practices dark magic and spiritualism similar to Voodoo. Unfortunately for her, he is practicing his dark arts on her! Making her question her sanity and her relationship with Sean, Tamsyn isn't yet away the stalking shadows and eyes in the dark aren't drug induced hallucinations. Kevin is a screwed up little boy who wants his mother and father to be together. Tamsyn is in his way and no one belives her when she reaches out for help.

I have to say it. Way to go Roland! I'm a huge Stephen King fan, and Winterborn is written in the same dark, twisted vein of scary story lines as King. Tamsyn's pain is tangible, both her internal struggles with the drugs and her external struggles with Sean and Kevin. I really enjoyed watching her rise to the occasion. The ending is a surprise with a moment that makes you hold your breath and wonder what happens next. This is a great suspense for older teens and adults of all ages. I don't recommend this one for the younger readers, unless sitting up all night with nightmares is your thing! Winterborn gets 4.5 stars!


About the Author:
A.D. Roland grew up reading all the horror ‘greats.’ It’s no wonder her writing reflects the same archetypes--haunted houses and families, broken people and, of course, that thin thread of hope that everything will turn out fine. She lives in rural central Florida with her kids and a clowder of cats. She is the author of Dark Consort, a dark fantasy, Swamp Baby, a horror novel, and most currently, A Year of You, a new adult romantic suspense.

In addition to writing, A.D. designs book covers under the name Ash Arceneaux. Her offers premade covers for authors/publishers who need a cover on a deadline, and works on commission. For those who wish to follow her, her facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/adrolandauthor, and her website is www.ashsartanddesign.com.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

REVIEW: PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR AUTHORS BY BABS HIGHTOWER #NONFICTION

Blurb:

Getting help to promote your book just got easier. Public Relations for Authors Take Hold of Your Own Promotions will help you locate that special publicist who will help you promote your book the right way. As a Publicity Director for two publishers Babs brings knowledge to the book.

Public Relations teaches you why you need a publicist and how to find the right one for you. To understand what you need she covers:

How publicity can help sell books
What you need to know about publicity
Writing Pitches
Media Kits
Press Releases
Where to find a PR agent
What to send to your PR agent



Review:

So, you've written a book. Congratulations! That's no small thing. Lots of people talk about writing a book. Some even start, but you finished! Now what? That's right. I asked you about your next step.  I don't want to be a downer, but writing the book was the easy part. Not to worry. Babs has some helpful tips, hints, and answers for those sort of questions.

This is a short, easy to read manual of what to do after you type The End. PR and marketing are essential to getting your book to sell. She provides information helpful to authors of every genre and skill level. With a few time saving tricks, you can get ready to blog tour, book sign, and promote yourself and your book. Remember, the book is the product. You're the brand! And Babs helps you market both!

I liked the short format with layman's terms. It's clear Babs is a veteran in the publishing world, but she doesn't overwhelm the reader with heavy, inside jargon. The information is sound marketing advice and provided with examples, making it perfect for the novice author on a budget. This as must have addition to any author's digital reference shelf. I'm giving Babs 4.5 stars for this insider gem!




About the Author:

Babs Hightower has been helping authors since 2000. She owns a book review blog Babs Book Bistro which got her started in PR and helping authors promote themselves. In 2012 she started working for Entangled Publishing and worked her way up to Publicity Director of the Scandalous Imprint. She is also the publicist for World Castle Publishing. She is also known as Morgan Kincaid writer of Historical Romance.
Author Links:

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

TALES FROM THE #PINK SIDE WITH GREGORY PAYNE

About Gregory Payne:
When he's not haunting bookstores and libraries, Gregory Payne is writing about people in all their glory, watching quietly from the sidelines. His favorite pastimes include, leering at attractive men at the local gym while pretending to workout, drinking coffee and eavesdropping at the corner cafe, and texting his friends about his other friends, to name only a few. He hopes you enjoy, tales from the pink side because he is working on, more tales from the pink side, coming to you soon. He has massive school girl crushes on: Olivia Newton John, Pamela Sue Martin, Amy Winehouse, Richard Crenna, and the Lawrence Welk Singers.....yes, all of the Lawrence Welk Singers. You can friend him at Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gregory-Payne-Writer/771211776226368?ref=hl

Blurb:
Before becoming a published author, I had a blog I called Incidental Expenses that became wildly popular in a short period time. Recently my sister asked why I had stopped writing it: she loved the blog, my friends loved the blog, and people I didn’t even know loved the blog, so why was there no blog? The answer was simple; I got published, finally, writing Gay Erotic Romance as Alex Carreras, my pen name. Getting published meant staying published which took a whole heck of a lot of time, especially while still working my day job as a hairstylist. I loved writing the sometimes emotionally painful but always funny David Lynch-esque stories based on my life. With her encouragement, I dusted off a few of my favorites and wrote a couple more, then set about compiling them into this book.
Warning: All these stories are true. Yes, I said true! So don’t send me an email asking if they are, indeed, true. But if you do, I’ll just tell you the same thing.
Life can be strange, sad, funny, and flat out crazy at times, but for me it’s all the time…apparently. Also, most of these tales deal with adult situations so if you’re a tad on the prudish side, you might want to save your money and buy another book. For the rest of you, enjoy! Please excuse any typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, and questionable comma use. I tried my best. No one is perfect. Not even me.

Ten True Tales:
Single Woman Seeks Saran Wrap
Squeaky Gets A New Do
Internet Dating And Adult Diapers
Sister
Is That A Grub In Your Pants Or Are You Happy To See Me?
Dear Best Friend
Let’s Make A Deal
976-HUGE
Beach + Horse + Sheet Cake = ?
Happy Birthday 



Sunday, February 9, 2014

REVIEW: VANILLA BEGUILED BY E. A. REYNOLDS

Blurb:
 
[Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Interracial Romance, M/M, HEA]
A successful businessman, Calvin Thomas knows exactly what he wants, and it isn’t commitment or a white lover. However, one look across a crowded room into Avery’s eyes leaves him bewildered and beguiled.
Avery is certain Cal is his Mr. Right, but finding out Cal is straight dashes all his hopes. So, Avery joins a dating service and is knocked for a loop when Cal turns out to be one of his matches.
Avery sets out for his first date with Cal full of expectation, but the result is a chain reaction of misunderstanding and one incredible night that leaves Avery with more of a question than an answer. How did he win the heart of a man determined not to love a white man?
Cal knows he’s caught, but the course of true love never does run smoothly, especially when a man with a gun has Cal in his sights.
A Siren Erotic Romance

Buy Vanilla Beguiled at Siren-BookStrand 

Review:

This story is certainly a lesson in keeping work-life and home-life separate! Cal is a successful accountant with his own firm. Avery is an artist specializing in paper goods. They each have a mutual friend who happens to be in a committed relationship with Cal's cousin. Now, I know a number of accountants and none of them ever struck me as the adventurous type. I had my doubts when I found out the story's hero was a CPA. Pleasantly, I was wrong.

Avery is a very pale redhead with softer, more feminine ways. He likes his lip gloss and jewelery. He's the temperamental, artistic type waiting for love at first sight. I'd go so far as to call him a hopeless romantic. He's the sort of person who can't wait to introduce a new fella to his mother. Sweet and loveable are two great words for the man looking for his forever love.
Cal hasn't been much of a relationship sort of guy since a bad experience left him extremely hurt. It also didn't help that the bad relationship was with a white man. Since then, Cal has preferred to live his life as a bisexual man. Avery is the last person that would have shown up on his radar without the push of his friends. One teensy, tiny little problem. An abusive blast from his past has hooked up with one of his employees and is embezzling money from his firm and his clients. This particular ex is also a stone cold killer with Avery in his cross hairs.

I really liked the intrigue. Plot twists and turns kept my attention right up to the end. Yes, the relationship part was nice and the sex scenes were good, but shots fired in anger made the book worth reading! There isn't a car chase, but that's the only thing that would have made the ending better.

If your looking for a work read, I might would keep this one on the down low. Siren-BookStrand rates this one as Sextreme. If your looking for a steamy weekend or vacation read, add this one to the list. I give Vanilla Beguiled 4 stars!




STORY EXCERPT

 

“Ash, you son of a bitch,” he muttered. “I told you when I filled that thing out it was just for laughs. I wanted nothing to do with your little dating service.”

Ash snorted. “You’re one of those closet men who walk around wearing that ‘bisexual’ cloak when you know what you really want is a hard, warm body, not a soft one.”

Cal glared at Ash, whose face was suffused with accusation. His chin tilted up and those blue eyes held him trapped. As much as he’d come to trust and like Ash over the years, he wasn’t about to share his reasons for not having a relationship with a man with him, but he wasn’t a closet gay. “Ash—”

“Yeah, I know,” he cut in, rolling his eyes. “You’ve dated women all your life, blah, blah, blah. Yet you haven’t found a single one to settle down with even temporarily.”

He’d tried, but none had appealed in any way that mattered. They couldn’t soothe the frayed edges of his soul. “I haven’t been looking, dumbass,” he snapped.

 Ash gave him a patient look that Cal held with defiance as he crossed his arms over his broad-muscled chest.

“My slippery friend, those lies you love to spout about not wanting a ball and chain are just that. Lies.” Ash grinned but Cal saw that loneliness in his friend’s eyes. It was a hunger that Ash kept carefully tucked away when talking about his own romantic life. He knew it because once in a while he saw it in his own eyes and felt it rumbling around in his own soul. “Yeah, I know your type.”

“You don’t know shit about me,” he grumbled. His type? The type that hungered for more but was too afraid to open his heart to it? If that’s what he meant, then that was him to a tee and he had to agree Ash knew him well because he was just as hungry and wounded.

“But we still have a problem,” Ash said. “You know I pride myself on giving my customers what they want and need.”

Cal cringed inwardly at that mischievous look in the man’s eyes. That damn Ash had something up his sleeve and was looking to make him his guinea pig. “I don’t see how that becomes my problem,” Cal commented carefully.

“It’s your problem because I’m not giving this guy a refund just because you’re a coward,” Ash told him matter-of-factly.

“I’m not a coward,” Cal snapped and leaped to his feet. He paced across from Ash’s desk to look out the window onto the small patio at the back of the building. It was one of Ash’s many venues for first meets. Couples could have a quick introduction made there before going off on a date.

“He’s hot,” Ash began. “Long red hair, cute little button nose, nice little body, and a pair of the prettiest—”

“Redheads are too pale,” Cal broke in. He faced Ash. “You know I’m not that into white guys to start, so don’t throw some little pale-as-hell redhead my way and expect me to honor your commitment. Offer him two more free dates or whatever.”

“Nope,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re his perfect match. If he’d merely just picked you, I’d fix him up with someone else, but I think you’ll like him. He’s under six feet just like you prefer, doesn’t smoke, has a job, and he’s not straddling the fence.”

“What?”

“He’s gay, and he knows it,” Ash told him, and smiled. “He’s a bottom boy, and we both know you’ve got them hot fantasies of a strict bottom that’s willing to let you be the man in charge.”

He glared at his friend, but he was right. He liked his men a little submissive but not mindlessly obedient. Dominants were nothing but trouble. “I’m not taking out some—”

“Some homo?” Ash cut in, giving him a cold glare. “News flash, big sexy, you’re a homo too, but you just won’t admit it.”

“I—”

“Be honest for once in your sorry life, man,” Ash said, his voice holding a hard edge. “Tell me you don’t love sinking your mouth down on a hard prick over eating pussy. Tell me the sweet smell of a woman gets you hotter than hell. Tell me you want to be married to a woman, and I’ll have you ten perfect choices by the end of the day. Each one will be just your type, but you’ll reject each one of them like you always do after a few dates. Hell, you couldn’t even get it up for that last one.”

“That is not true,” he retorted coldly, and Ash laughed as he got to his feet.

“No? Remember that evening a week after you met her? I walked in on you two at your office making out. She was giving you the business real good, but your dick was so limp in her grip it could have belonged to a five-year-old. Then, you saw me watching and stroking my cock and your dick came to attention faster than a corporal in a general’s presence. I thought you were going to shoot your load right then.”

“You’re an ass.” Cal shook his head in self-disgust. Women had never really done it for him, and he’d realized that when his college professor approached him in the library one night. He’d been attracted to the man, turned on more than he’d ever been with any girl he’d ever met. That had been his first male lover. A delicious black man who’d introduced him to the real joys of sex.

“But I’m not lying.” Ash perched on the edge of his desk and Cal faced him. “It’s time to come all the way out of the closet.”