16 March 2018

Book Blast - Pride of Love by Kevin Dwyer


Book Title: Pride of Love
Author: Kevin Dwyer 
Publisher: Alibris
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Fiction or Non Fiction: Fiction
Genre/s: Contemporary, Literature & Fiction, Coming of Age
Length: 143 Pages


Blurb

Twenty-five-year-old Jesse Coleman endures a heinous act on him. After the case is dropped, his mother, Claire, accedes to his request to move. Leaving behind his old life, he is left with a disturbing scar on his back. Hopelessness comes in on him and he takes off the bracelet that he has worn his whole life, which means something to him. Looking for a new beginning, Jesse who dresses differently meets Jaden who dresses like an outcast and the two fall in love with each other. With love from their mothers and good friend Liz, they try to bury their pasts behind.


  Excerpt

The talk show host woman sits on the stage with a fancy couch alongside her with a mother and young grown-up son. The supervisor with the headset on counts down from five to one with his fingers, and the cameras go live. There is audience applause and then a pleasant smile comes on the host's face. "Thank you for tuning in on the Tina Live Show. I'm Tina and my guests today are Claire along with her son, Jesse Coleman." Tina sets her attention on Claire and Jesse. "Thank you for joining us today." 

Jesse sets his focus on Tina, who is looking on with the smile diminishing away. "Yea . . . I'm all right," Jesse says.

Tina takes a moment and gathers words to say, then looks at the audience looking on in their seats. "About a year and a half ago, Jesse Coleman was attacked from behind in a wooded area. He was beaten and his back was cut open. Basically, he was left for dead. What's so horrifying about this attack is that the cut on the back spelled a word." Tina looks over at the two sitting right across from each other.

A nod comes from Claire's head, like she's reliving the day. "Yes, the cut spelled out a word. It was not a cut in his back . . . more like a butcher does. My son's back had to be stapled shut."

Tina puts her attention on Jesse. "I'm so sorry that happened to you. You're a strong man to live from that."

"Yea . . . ," Jesse replies back; he is wearing plain clothes with brown shaggy hair covering his head. "Others say that I cheated death."

"How old are you?" Tina asked.

"I'm twenty-six, but I was twenty-five when I was attacked."

Tina looks around his arm area. "Can you explain what that bracelet you have on means?"

Glancing down at his arm, Jesse lifts up the arm and shows a blue, white, and green sown bracelet with "Pride of Love" stitched in black in the colors. "Pretty much means take pride in yourself and love yourself." Jesse sets his eyes on Tina through his glasses.

"I'm gay, and that is the little thing that defines me. I was attacked for being who I am. Wasn't bothering no one. Just kept to myself."

Tina looks over at Claire with a blank stare down. "You all right, Claire? Looks like it's hard to talk about." "Yea, I'm fine. After the first court hearing, it was best to leave and start over and I'm thankful for that."

"How did you deal with the attack? I'm a mother of two," Tina tells Claire. "I mean it had to be tough on you, emotional wise."

"Hope . . ." Claire wipes her eyes with fingertips. "Jesse found what he needed when we moved. Found someone that understands him. Small world, don't you say?"
"Thank you for having us," Claire replies back with a smile, then looks at her son, Jesse. She slides Jesse's brown hair bangs to the side from his forehead. "You comfortable being here, sweetie?"



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About the Author 


Kevin Dwyer self-published his first novel called Pride of Love in the year of 2014 in which it got an overall of 3+ star on BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com. Kevin rewrote the novel into a screenplay and was a finalist in the Tea Dance screenwriting contest and one of the top 5 winners in the 2016 International Las Vegas screenwriting contest (winner in LGBT category.) Pride of Love was a February Platinum Award winner in 2018 for best screenplay in the Mindfield Festival.
 

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15 March 2018

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Would It Be Okay To Love You? Box Set by Amy Tasukada


Title: Would It Be Okay To Love You? 
Series: Box Set
Author: Amy Tasukada
Genre: Gay Fiction
Length: 287 Pages


Blurb

A robot fanboy. An erotic voice actor. Will their secrets overwhelm their love?

Sato doesn’t get out much. The anime company accountant spends his days at a desk and his nights working on his own small-scale robots. His geeky life is like a dream, but it has just one piece missing…

The world only knows outgoing playboy Aoi for his moans. The budding voice actor has sworn off relationships since they’ll only distract him from his budding voice acting career. That was until he met Sato.

As Aoi’s popularity rises and secrets about his past begin to reveal themselves, can the accountant and the voice actor rise above their problems to create something real?





Excerpt

After a few more minutes of searching, Sato found two model kits worthy of assembling. He liked one figure more, but the other would be more challenging. After all, he couldn’t spend his entire New Year’s vacation watching anime like last year.

“It’s really hard to pick one sometimes, isn’t it?” Sato said.

“I guess so,” the teenager said.

Sato bit his lip. Usually he wouldn’t hold a conversation with random strangers, but the teen clearly loved Gundam as much as he did. Why else would he linger as much as he had?

The teenager lifted his sunglasses and perched them on his black beanie. Blond hair peeked out from under the hat. He smiled at Sato, showing the dimples on his cheeks.

“They let you dye your hair in school now?” Sato blurted out without thinking. “A friend of mine got in trouble when he lightened his to brown.”

“I’m twenty-five.”

“Oh, please excuse me, I didn’t mean…” Sato bit his lip.

“Is it because I’m short?” The dimples disappeared, and a mischievous glint appeared in the man’s green eyes. “Maybe you’re just really tall.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t worry so much. I once bought my friend a pack of cigarettes and a cop popped out of nowhere and said I was too young to use the vending machine. He went into this big lecture, then I showed him my ID and he thought it was a fake! He threatened to call my parents and everything.”

Sato gave a weary smile and rubbed the back of his neck. Knowing the blond was close to his own age zapped away what little social courage he possessed.

The man’s gaze met Sato’s, then wandered down his body without shame. Sato’s face grew hot, and his heart thumped in his ears.

“So is everything else about you as big?” he asked.

“I—ah…”

The guy was actually flirting with him? Sato’s technique consisted of vaguely making eye contact and hoping the other person realized he was into him. The way the blond’s crooked smile spread across his face didn’t make Sato’s heart beat any quieter.


In the accounting department, the most out-there anyone got was wearing a khaki suit. Sato had never even talked to anyone bold enough to wear colored contacts and dye their hair so drastically. He pushed up his glasses but couldn’t squeak out a reply.

“So which one did you decide on getting?” the blond asked.

Sato swallowed. The man still wanted to hold a conversation with him?

“I think this one.” Sato picked a five-hour do-it-yourself kit. It would take him three if he was lucky.

“Nice choice.”

Sato rubbed his sweaty palms against his coat. “I—ah—which one are you getting?”

“Oh, these.”

He held up a few manga graphic novels. The cover of one had a man clinging onto another man, his private parts covered by a conveniently placed bedsheet. They were boys’ love novels. Sato’s tongue twisted into a Windsor knot like his tie.

If the guy was reading them, then he surely had to be gay, or at least bi. Though the fact he’d flirted with Sato had to be the biggest giveaway.

Sato’s breath caught in his throat even thinking of buying a gay manga himself.

Sure he’d dated people who were out before. There’d been that upperclassman in high school, but that had only lasted three days. His college boyfriend had lasted longer. They’d been in the same trigonometry class and had even studied together. Then he’d stopped taking Sato’s calls after the final exam. Sato tugged at his tie. He couldn’t really count those as meaningful relationships.

The man stared at Sato.

“So you’re not getting a kit?” Sato asked.

“I ducked here to hide from them.” The blond pointed to the door where the group of women walked out.

“All of them?”

He laughed. “What can I say?”
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Meet The Author

Amy Tasukada lives in North Texas with a calico cat called O’Hara. As an only child her day dreams kept her entertained, and at age ten she started to put them to paper. Since then her love of writing hasn’t cease. She can be found drinking hot tea and filming Japanese street fashion hauls on her Youtube channel.





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14 March 2018

Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Infinity Series Books 1 and 2 by C.J. Lynne



Get to know the secretive men of Infinity nightclub as they find love in the most unexpected places. True love has no beginning or ending…it simply is.


They are standalone stories, but characters from previous books make appearances in successive books.



Book Title: Worth the Risk
Series: Infinity #1
Author: C.J. Lynne
Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: C. J. Lynne
Genre/s: LGBTQ, Romance, Erotic
Length: 154,000 words/362 print pages


Blurb

Love doesn’t exist…

Or so Tyler Johnson thinks.  He’s never had much, if any, of it thrown his way.  A chance meeting with the enigmatic Jaxon Markham causes Ty to—if still not believe in love—at least know without a doubt that lust is alive and well.  Ty’s not looking for forever, but what’s the harm in spending a few days, and scorching nights, with Jax—as long as Jax plays by his rules and keeps things casual and uncomplicated?

Jax knows his luck has finally changed for the better when he lays eyes on Tyler.  The man is gorgeous, and stirs feelings in Jax he’d never thought he would experience. The more time Jax spends with Ty, the more certain he is that Ty’s his soulmate.  Now all that remains is convincing the stubborn Tyler of that elating fact. Jax is more than up for the task, because he’s nothing if not persistent—a fact the elusive Tyler is soon made aware of.

Jax quickly, and much too easily, demolishes all of Ty’s protective walls and Ty reluctantly begins to think that maybe, just maybe that intangible emotion called love is alive and well after all, and perhaps finally within his grasp.  However, when his ugly past returns to haunt him, making him doubt all the good he’s experienced with and because of Jax, Ty’s positive outlook crumbles, giving way to doubt, fear and despair making him wonder if he can truly be the man Jax needs and deserves—or will past and present demons destroy Ty’s one chance at true happiness?


 Excerpt

“Since we’ve been dating for a week, and after last night—which was fucking fantastic by the way,” Jax began. “Can I—”

“I totally agree,” Ty interrupted around a kiss.

“Mmmm, good.”  Jax nibbled at his lower lip.   “In that case, I hope I’ve proven I‘m not a loon.”

“You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t,” Ty assured him with a chuckle.

“Good to know.”  Jax fingered his hair before resting his arm along the back of the sofa.

“Since you now trust me to know where you live, have invited me into your home, bed and…your body—for which I’m very grateful, I might add.”

“Yes?” Ty’s breath arrested at Jax’s statement and the downright decadent look in his eyes.

“I was thinking that maybe I can know your last name.”  Jax gave him a wink and begged, “Please?”

Ty’s chuckle quickly morphed into a full-blown laugh as he leaned into Jax’s side.  He laid his head on Jax’s shoulder and smiled up at him. He really liked this man.

“Well…since you now know my body intimately, I guess I can tell you my last name.”   Ty acquiesced and informed, “It’s Johnson.”

“It’s nice to meet you Tyler Johnson.”  Jax brushed strands of his hair off his forehead and reciprocated, “I’m Jaxon Markham.”

Ty’s grin slowly fell and he sat up, staring at Jax horrified.   Yep, horrified was the perfect word for how he felt.  His eyes grew wide with shock and his mouth fell open as he struggled not to pass out.  He shot off the sofa, quickly standing as if he’d been burned. Oh fuck, this is Jaxon Markham?  It can’t be.  
Wait a minute, Ty tried to calm himself.   Maybe he wasn’t the same Jaxon Markham Ty was thinking of.  But…hell, it wasn’t a common name; Jax had to be the Jaxon Markham Ty knew—well, knew of.  When that appalling possibility raced through his mind, he suddenly remembered where he’d seen Jax before—the jacket of his latest legal-thriller novel, which Ty had read twice, and owned along with the six others Jax had written.

  Jax had sported a beard on the book jacket, and his hair had been longer, which is why he hadn’t immediately placed him.

Jax was a famous writer, but that wasn’t the worst of it.  Jaxon Markham was also soon to be his… He closed his eyes and shook his head trying to ward off that unwelcomed thought.  Horrified eyes sprang open, and he stared speechlessly at an obviously baffled Jax.

Oh shit, I had sex with Jaxon Markham!  How fucked up is that?


Review

I loved this book, it’s an absolute page turner. It’s full of heartbreak, suspense, true love, and teaching that the real this is ALWAYS worth fighting for.


Tyler’s life has been miserable since he wan a child, a bad mother, a homophobic father, and men who used and lied to him. One thing after another has made Ty believe that love doesn’t exist. What is suppose to be a little bit of fun with Jaxon quickly turns to so much more.


Ty and Jax face some hardships along the way, starting with Ty’s fear and denial of his feelings for Jax. Through it all, Jax never gives up on his, and ALWAYS puts Ty first.


Read this beautiful story and watch true love blossom between a rich man, and a Broken untrustworthy man.




Buy Links 
Available on KU



Book Title: Finally Letting Go
Series: Infinity #2
Author: C.J. Lynne
Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: C. J. Lynne
Genre/s: LGBTQ, Romance, Erotic
Length: 133,000 words/320 print pages


Blurb 

Take What You Want…

Brandon Rosen is a man who refuses to admit what he wants—namely, a life with another man.  Being gay just won’t do.  It will not go over well with his family, particularly his overbearing father.  Thus, for years Brandon has tried to tamp down his attraction to men, refusing to entertain even the possibility that his other half might be a…him.  That was the plan and it had worked wonderfully until he meets Simon Carter—an arrogant star swimmer and law school student who also happens to be the best friend of Brandon’s first and only miserably-failed attempt at dating a man.

Simon is constantly in Brandon’s face taunting him to admit he’s gay.   The more confrontations he has with the stunningly handsome man, the harder it becomes for Brandon to deny the part of himself he thought he’d buried years ago—the one that craves the touch of another man, and now not just any man…but Simon—the one person who hates his guts.

Simon Carter is self-assured, knows who he is and what he wants out of life.  He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy who will do anything to protect his loved ones, so when his best friend’s asshole ex, Brandon Rosen, makes an unexpected reappearance in their lives, Simon is determined to keep Brandon from ruining his friend’s new relationship.  That will be easy to do—right? Simon thought so, but what he didn’t count on was an insane attraction to the deeply closeted man.

Simon soon finds out there’s just something about Brandon that reels him in, no matter how mightily he fights against it, making him question what kind of man he is to want anything to do with the person who once broke his best friend’s heart?  He doesn’t know, but one thing quickly becomes apparent—he craves Brandon Rosen, and despite his better judgment, he intends to have him…consequences be damned.

Excerpt

Brandon watched mesmerized as Simon’s mocking lips slowly lowered toward his.  His parted in anticipation of touch and being devoured, but before his silent wish was granted, he found the strength to push out of Simon’s loose embrace and take a few steps to the side, ending all physical contact between them.  He needed to stop this. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—give into the insane desire coursing through him…not for a man, and certainly not for this man.

“You need to leave me alone,” Brandon firmly suggested, even though his heart was beating so loudly in his ears, it deafened him.

“Why?”

“Because, I’ve told you repeatedly that I’m not into men.”

Simon laughed heartily and gave him a chastising look before accusing, “I’ve never met someone more into men than you, Blondie.”   Then he smugly coaxed, “Why don’t you admit it? Things would be so much easier if you did.”

They’d become that much more complicated, Brandon silently admitted.  Having a relationship with a man would throw his world into complete and utter chaos—that was something he was determined to avoid at all costs.  With that in mind, he straightened his spine and hardened his expression, and tamped down his overwhelming want for the man staring at him like he was a meal he couldn’t wait to devour.  Oh hell, I need to get out of here…now!
“If we’re unfortunate enough to meet again, keep your damned hands to yourself,” Brandon ordered and without waiting for a response, he jerked open his car door and got inside, slamming it shut behind him.

Just to fuck with him, Brandon was sure, Simon leaned down and rapped his knuckles on the dark tinted window.  He waited a few seconds thinking over the pros and cons of lowering it, but eventually despite his good sense, he did just that.

“What?” he tightly asked the man staring down at him.

“What about my lips?” Simon flippantly asked in response to Brandon’s previous statement.

“Fuck off,” Brandon growled, raising his window again.  When there was another knock, he sighed loudly before rolling it down a bit, not bothering to hide his irritation as he gritted out, “Now what?”

Smiling eyes danced over his face, lingering on his lips before Simon said the last thing he expected, “Nice car.”

He frowned and uncertainly responded, “Thanks.”

Simon placed a hand on the hood of the car, leaned in closer and, in a bedroom voice if ever he’d heard one, suggested, “Maybe one day soon you’ll take me for a nice, long ride.


Review

Finally Letting Go shows us Brandon’s journey to admitting who he is, and being happy with it. When you have spent years lying to everyone even yourself, the journey to being honest can be a very difficult one. With help from Simon, Brandon learns to be happy with who he really is instead of hiding behind excuses.

I think this book shows a journey several people still fight to overcome. The friendship to relationship between Brandon and Simon is sweet. Simon steps up and forgets about the past, and pushes down his resentment for people who hide who they are to help Brandon overpower his fears of what others will think.

Some on this book seems repetitive, but the story line is good. It’s well written, detailed, and easy to follow.





Buy Links 
 Available on KU


About the Author 

C.J. is first and foremost an avid reader of romance. Nothing is better than watching two strong-willed people meet, connect and work through personal challenges while fighting to overcome internal and external obstacles to be together. C.J. is a southerner who believes that love is love, and if you’re ever lucky enough to find it, you should hold onto it with both hands and feet. C.J. writes love stories filled with emotion and hopes you—the reader—will enjoy them as much as C.J. enjoys creating them. C. J. writes M/M romances with heart and heat. She believes that love is love and if you’re ever lucky enough to find it, you should hold onto it with both hands and feet.



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12 March 2018

Random Review: Too Close by R. Phoenix


Title: Too Close
Author: R. Phoenix
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: MM, Gay Fiction
Length: 217 pgs


Blurb

Skylar Orion's life has been complicated ever since his mother abandoned him and his sister Evie. Making ends meet seemed impossible until Tate Chandler took them in -- his knight in shining armor who promised to make life about more than just surviving. But Tate is not the man he seemed to be, and even his whispered I love yous and generous gifts do little to soothe the pain he causes. Knowing he can't give his sister all that she deserves without Tate, Skylar stays with him, relying on bad puns and a worse sense of humor to keep up the charade.

He will do anything for his sister, even if that means acting the responsible adult and going back to his old high school to meet Dexter Weston, the hot math teacher who can make even algebra interesting. Sparks fly between the two of them, but with his dependence on Tate, Skylar isn't free to follow his heart. He wants what is best for Evie, but can he pass up the chance to find love that heals instead of harms?

Warning: This book contains scenes of domestic violence/abuse that some may find triggering to read.



Review

Too Close by R. Phoenix is a contemporary gay fiction book written about the life of an 18 year old male by the name of Skylar and his younger sister, Evie. Their life takes a turn for the worse when they were abandoned by their mother causing Skylar to do whatever it takes to make ends meet - no matter what  it is.
I have read other books by R. Phoenix. While Too Close was quite a bit different from the other stories that I have read by this author, not only in the fact that it was a contemporary setting instead of a paranormal but the nature of the story and what it dealt with, I will say that Too Close did not disappoint me in the least.

I absolutely fell in love with Skylar, Evie and the closeness that they shared. Tate, I hated him in the beginning of the book and grew to despise him come the middle and worse in the end. Truth be told, I wanted to reach into the story, grab him by the neck and strangle him. Then there’s sweet Dexter. Oh my goodness, I LOVED him from the beginning when he was first introduced. His caring ways and how he reached out to Skylar and Evie was endearing. R. Phoenix pulled out every emotion from within me: Anger, sadness, tears of joy and happiness.  

Please pick up this book today and give it a read. I highly recommend it.


Buy Links
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Meet The Author

R. Phoenix (code name: Raissa) has an unhealthy fascination with contrasts: light and dark, humor and pain, heroes and villains, order and chaos. She believes love can corrupt, power can redeem and that the best of intentions can cast shadows while the worst can create light. She agrees with those who say that the truth is best told through fiction — even though fiction has to make sense while reality can be utterly baffling. She loves chatting with readers, though she often awkwardly rambles. No matter how much she tries to keep her bad and often perverted sense of humor in check, it seems to escape at the most inconvenient moments. (Thanks, universe.) Feel free to friend Raissa on Facebook and chat or send her an email!




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