Arts

Author Name: SJ Himes

Title: The Necromancer’s Dance

Series: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer

Book: One

Release Date: February 25, 2016

Pages or Words: 212 pages

Categories: Dark Themes, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13885480.S_J_Himes

Publisher: SJ Himes

Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis of Book Cover By Design http://www.bookcoverbydesign.co.uk/index.html

Cover Photo: Dan Skinner

In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new. Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother’s boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again drawn back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family’s death.

Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire’s attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.

Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead?

Death stalks the streets of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill….and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.

Buy the book: http://amzn.to/1KT5g3m

He must have passed out, too damn tired from a long day at work, interrupted sleep, and a semi-major working that consumed a huge portion of his reserves. It took power to use power, and even though Angel fueled the spell with ambient magic, he still had to control and shape the working. It was a bitch, doing magic cold like that, and he would have been better off if he hadn’t gone into it stressed out and tired. Not to mention he couldn’t remember the last time he ate anything more substantial than tea and a muffin. Isaac moving out meant Angel forgot to eat more often than not.

Angel woke wrapped up in his favorite blanket, his bed warm and welcoming. Something was tickling his face, and he worked a hand free from under the blanket to swipe at his cheek. Feeling cool skin and soft lips, Angel opened his eyes.

He was in Simeon’s arms, laying half on his clothed chest, their faces so close together the vampire’s deep green eyes were all he could see.

Angel’s hand was caught up in Simeon’s, their fingers intertwining. Angel’s eyes drifted shut as Simeon closed the tiny distance between them, his soft and cool lips ghosting over Angel’s. He pulled in a deep breath of Simeon-flavored air, the vampire’s scent filling his mouth and nose.

The scent of fresh blood was in there too—Simeon must have fed before taking Angel home, the potent tang of hot metal impossible to miss. The sensation of Simeon’s lips barely touching Angel’s did unrepeatable things to his nervous system, setting him on fire with a cool flame.

His body jerked, just a little, freezing and alternately relaxing as Simeon’s lips settled over his in a full kiss, with a hint of tongue and the nip of sharp teeth.

I’m a thirty something woman with way too big an imagination, but that comes in handy when I’m writing. I have been writing since I was a child, when I took a four-page assignment on what I was going to do on summer vacation and turned it into a 100 page fantasy epic all written by hand…in crayons. No joke.

I work a day job, but I can’t share for who, since the Old Man isn’t as liberated as the people who read my books. I’m married, I have furbabies, and I live with loved ones. I adore a certain show about a British consulting detective and his grumpy army doctor, and that spawned an addiction to Johnlock fanfiction, which then evolved into me writing it. Gawd, that’s embarrassing. Put this down in the TMI section of my Bio, okay? I enjoy martial arts, movies where things blow up, and I wish I lived in a Marvel movie.

I live in the beautiful and lonely Berkshire County in Massachusetts, and I see way more wildlife than I care to on a daily basis (bears!). My perfect day is reading surrounded by friends and family who don’t think it’s odd I want to hang out but not talk, and my favorite scent of all time is a cool fall evening with leaves burning…. less a scent, and more of an experience.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheena.j.himes

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SJHimes/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterSJHimes

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sheenajhimes/

Website: www.sjhimes.com

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Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of The Necromancer’s Dance by SJ Himes

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Author: LE Franks

Title: 6 Days to Get Lucky

Series: A Nick Valentine Story

Book: Two (Series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment)

Release Date: March 2, 2016

Pages or Words: 72,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7152228.L_E_Franks

Publisher: Wilde City Press

Cover Artist: Wilde City Press

Mixologist Nick Valentine never thought love was in the cards, but after a scorching Valentine’s Day kiss from bouncer Davis “FatBoy” Newman, he’s beginning to think it’s possible. After four weeks of dry spell, Nick’s losing patience—it’s time FatBoy stop acting the gentleman and just throw him over the bar or Nick may just change his mind.

All FatBoy wants is a shot at winning Nick’s heart. As long as meddling bosses, an Irish hurling team and a bar riot don’t ruin his chances forever, he might just get lucky and take the man of his dreams, home.

https://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-romance/6-days-to-get-lucky/#.VsTzeuw76nM

http://www.amazon.com/6-Days-Get-Lucky-Franks-ebook/dp/B01CHLHGGK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457333371&sr=8-1&keywords=6+days+to+get+lucky

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/6-days-to-get-lucky

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/6-days-to-get-lucky-le-franks/1123493909?ean=2940157860301

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-6daystogetlucky-1994443-149.html

Reaching across the empty bed next to me, I rode out the last waves of my dream alone. I could still feel his phantom kiss on my lips and the sensation of a hand stroking along my thigh.

The rest of it was just a blur of emotions and sticky residue on my sheets—though I could guess at it without much effort. FatBoy Newman had been a specter haunting me at work so it was no great leap to assume he’d shouldered his way into my dreams as well.

In fact, he was at the root of my problem: I’d been having a hell of a dry spell.

Four weeks of near misses had done nothing but stoke my bad mood and turn my balls a lovely shade of indigo that matched my jeans…

Four weeks of dashed hopes…

Four weeks since the most romantic kiss of my life…

Four weeks of nothing.

Fuck the South and its mythology of the Southern Gentleman—if FatBoy Newman didn’t stop treating me like a delicate flower and throw me up against a wall soon, I was going to explode.

It was six days until St. Patrick’s Day, and FatBoy had until then to make his move, or I was moving on.

LE Franks lives in the SF Bay area and writes M/M Romance in a unique mix of humor and drama with enough suspense to produce fast paced stories filled with emotion and passion and featuring characters that are quirky and complicated and sometimes a little bit dark. LE Franks is a best selling author and finalist for 2013 & 2014 Rainbow Awards. Her books are available through her publishers at MLR Press, Dreamspinner Press and Wilde City Press and Pride Publishing and online bookstores.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LE.Franks1

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LEFranksAuthor/

Twitter: @boxtersushi

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lefrankswriter/le-franks-books/

Tumblr: http://boxtersushi.tumblr.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boxtersushi/

Today I’m welcoming LE Franks to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about 6 Days To Get Lucky.

What inspired you to write this story?

It may seem a bit clichéd – but the characters did. This is the sequel to a short novella I wrote at the end of 2012 – 6 Days to Valentine. I wrote that original solely because I wanted to have something ready for Valentine’s Day – that didn’t work out as expected, many revisions later the characters completely took over the story, and what was intended to be a “one off” became the beginning of a story arc that would follow the growing relationship between these two men, using the holidays in a given calendar year to mark the passage of time. Lucky picks up four weeks after Valentine ends.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

It’s funny, I’d normally say Nick if I wasn’t really thinking about it – his snarky humor and attitude springs fairly close to home. But it’s really the character of FatBoy – he was never supposed to be the love interest, he really was intended to be just a prop in the corner of the first story – and his calm almost zen-like acceptance of Nick through most of the two books, was a surprise. I don’t know where he came from, so he fascinates me in a way no other character I’ve written has.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

It took me two years after the publication of Valentine to finish Lucky, mainly because I really wasn’t sure how to balance the easy laugh with the heartfelt romance. There are so many one-dimensional clichés around any given holiday – and St. Patrick’s Day has some of the lowest. There are a lot of easy jokes that I wanted to avoid – yet it’s still a romantic comedy. Nick is Mr. Anti-Holiday so the week is a run up to the busiest day of his year as a bartender, as seen through his eyes. But the novel is really about taking a risk and allowing a new relationship room to grow on the outside, while the characters grow on the inside. In the end, it turned into a novel and I hope I did Nick and FatBoy justice.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

I calculated the time it would take FatBoy to drive to Knoxville, three and a half hours if he kept to the speed limit, maybe less if he watched the speed traps and was pissed enough to lose some of his famous control.

I waited four before I stopped waiting for the familiar buzz in my pocket.

Pulling out my phone I scrolled through a dearth of voicemail, texts, and emails from the man, and their absence spoke volumes about how much I’d fucked this up. FatBoy was the great communicator in our relationship. He was the patient one, the indulgent one, the kind one.

Two hours ago I’d have bet any amount of money that once he hit the city limits of his alma mater he’d pull into his favorite coffee bar and send me a text letting me know that he’d arrived safe and sound. The fact that he was still so…whatever he was with me, something that had dropkicked his deeply ingrained manners didn’t bode well. I felt like I was in the dock awaiting sentencing.

The only thing unclear was if it’d be a death sentence for our relationship or just a slap on the wrist.

A slap would have called me by now. – 6 Days To Get Lucky

This is the immediate aftermath of Nick & FatBoy’s first fight after Nick breaks their date. It’s a good set up for the kind of fracturing that occurs when real life collides with infatuation –this reality makes both men’s actions/inactions murky – neither enjoys the highroad when it comes to love. I enjoyed exploring that duality with this pair.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I’m writing a bit of a love story about a community I grew up spending my summers in – it’s amazing the impact a place can have on the psyche of a child. So I’ve set a story about two friends who only see each other during the summer in the Southern Oregon beach town my grandparents lived when I was growing up. I wanted to write a story that I could share with my family and that they’d be able to relate to.

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?

Over the years I’ve spent time with many women older than me during key milestones in my life – none directly related but each had a deep impact in my development: some intellectual, some spiritual, some just as role models – strong women all. So much to admire about them.

Which author(s) have inspired your writing?

DH Lawrence, Jane Austin, and in particular Hunter S Thompson.

Tell us about your favorite literary character(s).

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice. And Harry Flashman from the Flashman series by George McDonald Frasier. Two very different protagonists. P&P taught me about how a romance novel should be written, and Flashman instructed me early on about the love affair with the anti-hero.

Word Sprints!

1. What’s your favorite of your published works? The short story – Last First Kiss, part of the Grand Adventures anthology.
2. Do the people in your life know about your writing? Yes, and amusingly enough I found out my aunt reads Sue Brown.
3. What’s on your playlist? Genghis Khan – Mike Snow, Prayer –Robin Schultz, Boss Way – Canton Jones, Stitches – Shawn Mendes. Also some NIN and Depeche Mode slips in.
4. What’s in your fridge? Yogurt, Cheese, really old half a butternut squash, lots of water, tons of condiments. I’m out of olives. That makes me sad.
5. What’s the best part of the day? Daybreak, when the birds just wake up and the air is fresh.

7-Mar: My Fiction Nook, Book Lovers 4Ever, BFD Book Blog, Happily Ever Chapter

8-Mar: Bayou Book Junkie, Alpha Book Club, MM Good Book Reviews, Love Bytes

9-Mar: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, V’s Reads, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Jessie G. Books, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Open Skye Book Reviews

10-Mar: A.M. Leibowitz, Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly

11-Mar: Full Moon Dreaming, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Havan Fellows, Inked Rainbow Reads

Rafflecopter Prize: 3 codes for a free copy of 6 Days to Get Lucky

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Author: Pat Henshaw

Title: When Adam Fell

Series: Foothills Pride #4

Release Date: February 24, 2016

Pages or Words: 29,500 words/102 pages

Categories: Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6998437.Pat_Henshaw

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: AngstyG

When his lover Jason’s drug addiction spiraled out of control, TV celebrity chef and cookbook author Adam de Leon walked away from him. Adam also abandoned his renowned restaurant in San Francisco to start a small bistro in the Sierra Foothills.

Five years later Adam is battling the conservative leaders of Stone Acres, California, to open a new restaurant in historic Old Town when Jason turns up on his doorstep—a recovered Jason, now going by the name David and claiming he’s overcome his addictions. What’s more, he begs Adam to take him back and says he’s ready for their happily ever after.

Adam has enough on his plate with problems plaguing the opening of his restaurant. And now he’s having a hard time deciding which to follow—his head or his heart.

I don’t have a lot of books that are an automatic read, but this series is in that club. I’ve been following the intersecting lives of the characters since the first story, and I get a little thrill when I see there’s a new one.

Up until now, Jimmy was my favorite character, with Fredi a close second. I have to say, Adam’s now in the running as a top contender. I’m not often a fan of the gruff-with-a-heart-of-gold types, but Adam’s intriguing. Maybe it’s his love of cooking and the fact that he knows he’s good at what he does; maybe it’s the way he’s not afraid to own his mistakes and learn from them. Whatever it is, I enjoyed spending time in his POV. I really liked the brotherly, intimate relationship between Adam and Stone.

I’ll admit to being on the fence at first about Adam and Jason/David’s relationship at first. I could absolutely buy that David had changed, and I was willing to suspend my disbelief at the almost fairy tale elements of his transformation. But I wasn’t at all impressed when he tried to lay any of the blame for his past problems on Adam. That said, I think that might be what I liked about this story—these two obviously have some things to work through, and there’s a hint that as much as David wants to be someone new, and as much as he wants to convince Adam, there’s still some darkness lurking under their happy-ever-after. The back-and-forth Adam has about seeing David as an entirely different person while still getting flashes of his old self as Jason also hints that there’s more to resolve there.

These novels are a bit like comfort food. They all have some similarity (tough man’s man paired with a softer, gentler guy plus the ongoing battle with the town’s homophobic bullies). I think that may be what I like about them, that each one feels a bit like coming home. I’m now so invested in the town and its inhabitants that by the time I finish one, I’m already yearning for the next installment. I hope this series goes on for a long, long time.

For a sweet and savory love match, a meat-and-potatoes satisfying story, and all the comforts of a shared family meal, this one gets 9/10 fountain pens.

Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7452
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/When-Adam-Foothills-Pride-Stories-ebook/dp/B01BIQQ44A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1454780519&sr=1-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Adam-Foothills-Pride-Stories-ebook/dp/B01BIQQ44A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1454781015&sr=1-1&keywords=when+adam+fell

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/when-adam-fell

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I watched Jason rise from the stoop.

He looked good. His golden hair sparkled in the day’s first light. A happy smile tinged with nervousness spread across his lips. He was wearing a silver-gray Bogner jacket, some sort of expensive pants, and sturdy boots. Hanging from his shirt collar, his sunglasses looked like those high-priced titanium ones. All in all, the guy standing in front of me could easily have fit into the young, hip app crowd now flooding the valley. Too much money and no idea where to spend it. He looked like a guy who’d eat at the Bistro and then fucking strut up to me after dinner, put a wad of Franklins in my pocket, and whisper, “Quit this job and come cook for me.”

Nothing tempted me, especially not the hundred-dollar bills I’d thought were Monopoly money the first time I’d seen them. Nothing had moved me like this, seeing Jason rise straight up in front of me like a fucking miracle.

Standing there in my scuffed clogs, beat-up jeans, and ratty Stanford Cardinal T-shirt, I felt underdressed for this particular dream. Shouldn’t I at least be wearing my chef’s regalia, toque and all? Shouldn’t I have a Henckel in one hand and a Wüsthof in the other? Or maybe clutching a shield made of my cooking classics, which I’d written with an angry, tormented mind but a clear eye to royalties?

“Cat got your tongue?” the vision asked.

“Fucking A, man. Is it really you, Jason?”

“Sorta. Who else would come knocking at your door looking like me?” He flung his arms out like he wanted me to hug him or some shit.

I backed away and kept my hands to myself, though my dick perked up immediately. Did Jason have a twin or a younger brother, somebody who resembled him? I didn’t think so. All I’d thought for five years was nobody—and I mean nobody—could ever have come back from where my Jason had buried himself. At least I never thought so.

There’ve been moments in my life when I was sure I was losing my mind. When I knew whatever tenuous grasp on reality I thought I had was really smoke up my ass. This moment smacked of those. As the legendary John Fogerty sang and the great Yogi Berra is supposed to have said, it was like déjà vu all over again. Only not.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked. Suspicion tasted bitter on my tongue.

Slowly his arms came down, and he gave me a pained but understanding look.

“Yeah, well, it was too much to hope we’d just kiss and make up.” His husky croak had once made me roll over and do anything he asked, but not now. “Can I come in? It’s a little chilly out here.”

I wasn’t cold, but then I’m tall and stout, a real cliché chef image. Fuck, I guess somebody’s got to be the cliché, right? It’s how clichés are born.

I shrugged at his question, swiped at the sweat rolling from my forehead, and moved aside. “Kitchen’s downstairs.” I gestured to the steps.

He walked past me, letting his hand trail over my groin. Once I would have nearly come at the gesture. Now I ignored my dick because my mind was numb and had been for years. He might think he could reawaken my love and lust, but I was pretty fucking sure that ship had sailed and gotten lost at sea.

Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, was born and raised in Nebraska where she promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Now retired, Pat has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Fortunately, her incredibly supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.

Website: http://patbooked.blogspot.com

Series website: http://foothillspride.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.henshaw.10

Twitter: https://twitter.com/phenshaw

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Pat-Henshaw/e/B00BPDEDEA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1436131610&sr=8-1

Email: patoisca@yahoo.com

Today I’m welcoming Pat Henshaw to chat about writing, life, and her current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about When Adam Fell.

What inspired you to write this story?

Oddly enough, a reviewer inspired this story. When the first book in the Foothills Pride series, What’s in a Name?, came out, one of the reviewers commented that he wondered what minor character Adam’s story was. That got me thinking more about Adam and finally writing a story about him.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

David, the love of Adam’s life, has kicked his drug habit, something few people can say they’ve done. I love his strength and his loyalty to Adam throughout the ordeal.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

The amount of research I had to do including all the regulations to open a restaurant in California as well as the research on successful drug rehabilitation programs was incredible. But I like my books grounded in reality since they are contemporaries.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

I like the humor in:

I mean, what the hell was memory foam, anyway? What was it remembering? And how could it come in soft or hard? Was a hard memory better than a soft memory? I could tell the mattresses a thing or two about memories, and my memories had nothing to do with foam and a lot to do with different beds and one lover.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I’m currently finishing #5 in the Foothills Pride series about the owner of Bandy’s Finest Hotel, a frontier hotel in Stone Acres’ Old Town. After that I have two projects: Finishing #6 in the Foothills Pride series about Adam’s sous chef, and writing a shorter novella for Dreamspinner’s States of Love series.

Who do you write for (your audience or who you hope to reach)?

I write primarily for two groups: First for gay men who may think that they don’t deserve romance. Through my novellas, I want them to know that they like everyone else deserves to be loved and to love. My second audience group would be women who devour romance fiction but have never considered gay men candidates for happily ever afters. I’d like these women to discover that the power of love, rather than merely lust, is available to everyone.

What do you wish people knew about your books or characters?

My books aren’t angst-filled dives into the depths of the human condition, but lighter romps laced with a little humor along the way. They are light contemporary gay romances in which two men, one or both of whom don’t think they will ever fall in love and might even ridicule the notion, find their personal happily ever after.

Are there any common themes you see in your work?

I want readers to understand that love is a wonderful human gift and should be shared indiscriminately and unconditionally, which is one of the overall themes in my books. I don’t write about sex; I write about love.

Word Sprints!

1. Coffee or tea? Tea
2. What’s your favorite ice cream? Peppermint or Cherries Garcia
3. What’s the best vacation spot? Pacific Grove, California
4. What’s a charity/cause you support? PFLAG
5. What superpower do you wish you had? Ability to cure any/all disease

FEBRUARY 24, 2016 – RELEASE DAY BLAST

Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Divine Magazine, The Hat Party, Happily Ever Chapter. BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, KathyMac Reviews, Velvet Panic, Unquietly Me, 3 Chicks After Dark, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Tasty Wordgasms, My Fiction Nook, Making It Happen, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, MM Good Book Reviews, Kirsty Loves Books

VIRTUAL TOUR: FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 9

25-Feb: Velvet Panic, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

26-Feb: BFD Book Blog, Book Lovers 4Ever

29-Feb: Jessie G. Books, Kirsty Loves Books, Hearts on Fire

1-Mar: Inked Rainbow Reads, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

2-Mar: MM Good Book Reviews, Open Skye Book Reviews, KathyMac Reviews

3-Mar: V’s Reads, Divine Magazine, Love Bytes

4-Mar: Making It Happen, Unquietly Me

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Rafflecopter Prize: One of three $10 Starbucks Gift Cards

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Author: G.R. George/Renee George

Title: Dirty Martini 2: The Screwdriver

Series: The Other Team

Book: Eight (This book should be read after Dirty Martini, but it is suggested that the series be read in order as characters recur throughout.)

Release Date: March 7, 2016

Pages or Words: 76 pages, 19,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/Renee_George

Publisher: Book Boutique

Cover Artist: Renee George

Marty Lincoln and Chris Lawson are only happy when they’re in each other’s arms. Unfortunately, their relationship remains long-distance as Marty completes his final months in the Army. Chris has a new and challenging job that keeps him busy, but he yearns every day for Marty. Marty suffers from PTSD and needs Chris as his anchor. Time apart feeds the doubts each man harbors as they deal with their tragic pasts and try to hold on to the love blooming between them. Will fear make them give up before they even get started? Or will love find a way?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CC2JSCE

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CC2JSCE

Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01CC2JSCE

Mid-August…

Marty pulled up into the parking lot of Chris’s apartment complex in his mid-sized rental car. The evening heat and humidity clung to his skin. He and Chris had talked at least three times a week since that first phone call a month earlier, but he’d really wanted to see the man again. They’d decided to meet up on Chris’s first weekend off since becoming day manager at the bar. Marty had the jitters. What if they didn’t have the same chemistry? The same spark? All their intimacies since June had been via phone.

Chris had suggested video chat, but Marty had been too much of a chicken. Living in the military made a man paranoid about privacy. He pulled his tee shirt at the collar to let in some air, mustering his courage. The heat exacerbated the oily scent of the recently tarred parking lot. He smiled, remembering the choice words Chris had about the tar sticking to his tires. The outside steps leading to the second floor were concrete. Marty gripped the metal railing. His leg ached as he walked the flight to apartment 3B.

He bit his upper lip, running his fingers through his hair, as he stood at the door. His stomach ached with a misery born of anticipation and fear. His impulse was to bang down the door, but instead, he simply knocked. Twice.

The door opened. Chris smiled. “You made it.” Chris wore a kiwi-green tee shirt that brightened the green in his hazel eyes and a pair of low-slung jeans that hugged his narrow hips. His chestnut hair was neatly combed, and his narrow, angular face was clean shaven.

“You look nice,” Marty said.

Chris stepped back inside his apartment. “Come in. You’ve had a long trip. The bathroom is the door across the way.” There were two doors off the living room. Chris pointed the nearest one. “If you need to use it.”

“I’m fine,” Marty said. The living room and kitchen were combined in the small apartment. Chris had a blue couch, a coffee table, a recliner, and a small flat screen on a stand across the room from the couch in the living room. The kitchen had a three-by-three wooden table, four chairs, a fridge, dishwasher, sink, stove, and limited counter and cabinet space. The place wouldn’t win any decorating awards, but it was clean.

“Do you want to sit down?” Chris asked.

“Sure.” Marty felt let down by Chris’s mild reaction. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this congenial greeting hadn’t been it. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” Chris said. “Can I get you a drink? Beer? Wine?”

“Sure. I’ll take whatever beer you have.” He watched Chris open the fridge and heard the telltale clinking of bottles.

Chris brought two beers into the living room. The bottles hissed as he popped the tops with an opener. He sat on the couch next to Marty. “Here you go.”

The cold bottle sweated against his hot, clammy hands. He swigged the beer, glad to have a reason not to talk for a moment. They’d talked so much on the phone over the past month that he’d assumed they’d never run out of things to say.

“So,” Chris said. “Long drive, huh?”

Wow, this conversation really was going nowhere. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Chris said. “Yes, of course. Why? Is everything okay with you?”

“Sure.” Marty scratched at the small hole near the knee of his jeans. “Good.” Why was this so goddamn hard? He turned to Chris and waited for Chris to meet his gaze.

They both laughed nervously.

“Maybe you should kiss me,” Marty said.

G.R. George is the pen name for USA Today Bestselling author Renee George’s GLBT urban fantasy, paranormal romance, erotic romance, contemporary romance, and romantic comedy books that highlight varying themes including ménage, gay and bisexual relationships. A published author since 2005, she has written and published over 30 books in the past decade. Accolades include: EcataRomance Award for Best Paranormal Erotic Romance and Best Gay Erotic Romance and a Literary Nymph Blush Award for Best Paranormal Romance.

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