book tour

Book Tour: Then Sawyer Happened by Hurri Cosmos

Author: Hurri Cosmo

Title: Then Sawyer Happened

Release Date: March 8, 2016

Pages or Words: 60,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Western/Cowboy

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6466687.Hurri_Cosmo

Publisher: Dark Hollows Press

Cover Artist: Eden Connors

Trace is nursing a broken heart. He lost his job, his boyfriend of two years was cheating on him, and his apartment building burned right to the ground with all his worldly possessions. It was time for Trace to get out of Minnesota.

So Trace heads for Texas and Riven Creek Ranch, the horse farm his aunt Lois owns. But hours before he arrives, Lois is in a terrible car accident that nearly takes her life, and Trace finds himself in charge of the ranch kitchen. Sounds simple enough and it’s the least he can do for his recuperating aunt.

Then Sawyer happens.

Sawyer is his aunt’s big, beautiful, muscle bound, incredibly sexy straight ranch manager. Someone who has no clue Trace is gay. And meeting the big man should have been okay, except it was in the middle of his aunt’s kitchen at five in the morning and Trace was nearly naked. Embarrassing? Yep. But the very next day Trace proceeded to ramp up his embarrassment by quantum leaps when he nearly sets his aunt’s house on fire and the brooding Sawyer has to come to the rescue.

Seems like Trace’s “luck” followed him.

Not to mention that Aunt Lois’s “accident” was actually attempted murder. And now, they just might want Trace dead, too.

Can Trace figure out who’s behind the attempts on his aunt’s life AND keep Sawyer from finding out he’s hot for the cowboy?

He probably can’t. But he’s going to try.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CKN49S8

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/620302

“Sawyer! Damn. You scared me.” Trace fell back against the freezer suddenly feeling light headed. He took in the big body blocking any escape he had and his cock twitched as if it liked the idea there was no way out. “I didn’t hear you… behind me.”

“I saw your car in the driveway. How’s Lois?”

Trace shook his head in an attempt to clear it. “She’s awake and very alert… but…” But someone wants her dead. Who? Someone on this ranch? Could it be Sawyer? I trust him with my life… That’s what she said.

“But what?”

Trace looked up into hard cold eyes. The question was genuine. He cared about the condition of his aunt. But what condition did he care her to be in? “Nothing… just… well… I guess you’re going to have to know… I mean…” Damn, he had to stop acting like a horny teenager in front of this man. “Let me… I’m going to make coffee…”

“It’s made. The big insulated urn on the counter is full. Just made it about a half hour ago so it’s fine.”

“Oh. Good. Let’s sit down. I need to sit down.” Trace took a few steps forward which brought him right in front of the cowboy. He expected Sawyer to move, to back up, but he didn’t. Then Trace did the unthinkable. His body reacted on its own as he put his hand on the big man’s chest and pushed. There would have been no way on God’s green earth he would have been able to physically move the cowboy without his express permission, not to mention help. But Trace’s brain seemed to totally malfunction in this man’s presence.

And, as expected, being pushed in any direction was never going to work for Sawyer. Sawyer grabbed his wrist, twisted it tight behind Trace, which brought Trace up solid, against Sawyer’s hard body, chest to chest. Being several inches taller, Sawyer glared down into Trace’s shocked face, a smoldering look in his eyes. Trace could feel Sawyer’s hot breath on his face, sense the man’s tense muscles from his pecs down through his thighs…

Hurri Cosmo lives in Minnesota where she holds tight to the idea that there, where it’s cold a good part of the year, she won’t age as fast. Yep, she avoids the truth as much as she avoids mirrors. But one of the reasons she loves writing is reality doesn’t always offer up a “happily ever after” and being able to take control of that is a powerful lure. Being a happy ending junkie, writing just makes them easier to find. Oh, she doesn’t mind “real life” and she does try to at least keep it in mind when she writes her stories, but she truly loves creating a wonderful couple, knowing they will fall in love and have their HEA. Every – single – time. And, of course, that is exactly the reason she loves reading this genre, too. Give her a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate, and her computer, whether she is reading or writing, and she will entertain herself for hours. The fact she actually gets paid to do it is Snickers bars on the frosting on the cake.

What’s your favorite food? Spaghetti and meatballs

What’s your favorite of your published works? The Servant Prince and The Servant King (both in one book called Ice Dragon Tales)

What’s the best vacation spot? Disney World

What genre (other than your own) do you like to read? Mystery/suspense

What superpower do you wish you had? Teleportation

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hurri.cosmo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HurriCosmo

Website: www.hurricosmo.com

Blog: http://hurricosmo.blogspot.com/

8-Mar Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Alpha Book Club

9-Mar Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Bonkers About Books, Book Lovers 4Ever

10-Mar Jessie G. Books, Love Bytes

11-Mar Happily Ever Chapter, Molly Lolly

14-Mar My Fiction Nook, Divine Magazine, Making It Happen

15-Mar A.M. Leibowitz, Havan Fellows, Rednecks and Romance, BFD Book Blog

16-Mar V’s Reads, Butterfly-O-Meter, Attention Is Arbitrary

17-Mar Bayou Book Junkie, Open Skye Book Reviews

18-Mar Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

21-Mar Full Moon Dreaming, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Outrageous Heroes

Rafflecopter Prize: Gift Card – 5 $10 AllRomance gift cards

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour & Review: Mending the Rift by Chris T. Kat

Books, Reviews

Author: Chris T. Kat

Title: Mending the Rift

Release Date: March 14, 2016

Pages or Words: 68,000 words

Categories: M/M Romance, Science Fiction, MPREG

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5767496.Chris_T_Kat

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: AngstyG

In a future where man’s ability to reproduce is severely compromised, humanity has adapted to survive. Breeders—male and female—have become precious commodities, and they are strictly guarded and subject to limitations.

Luca Walker is a breeder. Though he knows what’s expected of him as the youngest son of the Northern Confederacy’s Vice President, he’s held out against the pressures of an arranged marriage because he longs to marry for love, not duty. But he’s been promised to Colonel Liam Smith and there’s little he can do about it, no matter that Luca is secretly in love with his bodyguard, Marcus Gray.

When Luca finds himself pregnant with Marcus’s baby, Smith is furious and vows to take what is his—by force, if necessary. Now Luca must fight for his life and the life of his unborn child… as well as the love of Marcus and the happily ever after he’s always dreamed of.

This is another book which left me with somewhat mixed feelings after reading it. I typically don’t choose books with cisgender (i.e., not transgender) male pregnancy*, but I like the author’s style and have enjoyed her previous work, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I’m glad I did.

I loved the world-building. Even though this is not a long story, I appreciated how well this dystopian future was woven into the plot rather than long, drawn-out explanations. I had a good feel for what was going on almost right away, and the complexities unfolded at a good pace throughout.

For me, the world they live in raised many more questions than answers, which I think is a good thing. For example, why bother genetically engineering cis men to become essentially intersex rather than working to resolve cis women’s infertility? What has happened to other intersex people and trans people? Are women able to have their reproductive cells extracted in order to impregnate men (or other women)? Do men impregnating other men create new combinations of chromosomes? I’m not sure this book was exactly equipped to answer all that, but it did get me thinking.

I found the treatment of breeders interesting because it played on the idea of reproductive freedom and what it means to have a body which can or cannot reproduce. That kind of control is rather horrifying to imagine, but it’s easy to see our current society already on the same path. That was really well done, in my opinion.

I did struggle a bit with a few things. It seemed like Luca was pretty quick to accept what had been done to him without his consent, and I find that troubling. I was also put off by the lack of women in a story about reproductive free will, given that it is women who are currently at the mercy of governmental control over female/female-assumed bodies. And the bits referring to pregnancy hormones as inducing “temporary insanity” really, really bothered me, both for the casual negative reference to mental illness and for supporting the idea that pregnant women are irrational and cannot make good choices. I think it’s probably not surprising given the other factors, but Luca (and Nicholas and Kyle) fell squarely in the category of “could have been replaced by women and had the exact same story,” including with the reproductive issues. And I also found it highly improbable that a society which could figure out how to genetically engineer men to have babies and clearly is fully accepting of same-sex relationships would still have some serious problems with social equality.

The other big issue for me was the various kidnappings. I think these might have been better combined into one event for a smoother plot and flow. Each one felt almost like a separate story, and I was confused on and off throughout about various players and their involvement. I did like the way the threads all came together at the end, though, and there were a few surprises along the way which I enjoyed.

Despite my hesitations with those few things, I really did find this to be an intriguing story. I was much more invested in the world than the characters, and with something as complicated as this book’s political climate, that’s a very good thing.

For a world which drew me in, a fascinating concept, and a lot to think about, 7/10 fountain pens.

*I specified cisgender here because I have no problem reading male pregnancy when it’s about a trans man.

amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mending-Rift-Chris-T-Kat-ebook/dp/B01C89EZ6K/

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mendingtherift-1989406-145.html

eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7448

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7449

Marcus rappelled off and stepped onto the ground with a crunch of his boots. Pointing at the opening with the askew ladder, he asked, “Don’t tell me you seriously considered climbing down this way.”

Luca shrugged. “I’d have preferred spontaneous levitation, but it didn’t happen.”

He yelped when Marcus put an arm around his torso and lifted him to his feet, as if he weighed nothing. “Hey!”

Marcus silenced him with a glare, and Luca gritted his teeth while Marcus thumped dust off his clothes. “Your father is livid.”

Luca swallowed. He’d expected worried, maybe a bit mad, but livid? His father never got furious at him. Not for long, anyway. Being the baby of the family had its perks. “Why?”

“Why? Seriously, Luca, you have to ask why?” Marcus patted Luca’s behind more firmly than was strictly necessary.

Luca shifted, trying to get away from Marcus’s arm. When that didn’t help, he slapped Marcus’s hands away and stepped aside. He couldn’t think when he was so close to Marcus—when the man touched him, he sent shivers up and down his spine. He ignored the glower Marcus directed at him. “Yes, seriously. He knows I don’t want to marry Smith. I don’t want anything to do with all that shit. I want to decide what I’m going to do with my life.”

Marcus shook his head. “Smith is a good man. My brother Kyle worked for him. He said he always treated his people well. If you want I could try to get Kyle on the phone so you can talk to him. That is, if I can get a hold on him. Trust me, you’ll be in good hands.”

“You don’t get it! I don’t want to be in good hands!”

“No?” Marcus raised an eyebrow.

Luca huffed, a small smile forming on his lips. “Well, yes, of course I want to be in good hands. But I want someone to love me, and not just for my ability to become pregnant. I want… you.”

Luca’s heart thundered in his rib cage. There, he’d said it. The ball was in Marcus’s court. Sure, it had only been one night, and Marcus’s reaction afterward hadn’t been promising, but maybe he’d just been scared? Maybe he feared to lose his job? Nonetheless, there was more going on between them, and they both knew it. That one night had just been the last logical step. Luca regretted nothing.

For a moment Marcus seemed startled, and there was a softness in his eyes that was solely reserved for Luca. The softness vanished too quickly for Luca’s liking.

Instead, Luca was greeted with Marcus’s usual, scrutinizing gaze. “You don’t want me, and you better never mention this again. It was a mistake. Now get it out of your head and be a good boy.”

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat

Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Today I’m welcoming Chris T. Kat to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Mending the Rift.

What inspired you to write this story?

When I started writing, I started as a fan fiction writer. One of my first stories, which turned out to become a whole alternate universe, was an m-preg story as well. I can’t explain why the idea of male pregnancies always appealed to me, it just did. After writing pretty much anything, I had the desire to go back to my roots, so to speak, and write another m-preg story. Thus Mending the Rift was born.

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

I like all the characters in Mending the Rift, but if I had to name a favorite it would probably be Nicholas, Luca’s dad. He’s a bit of a brat, but a handsome and intelligent one, who had the luck to find the perfect partner. I also felt connected to Luca, how he feels about arranged marriages, and having to do what’s expected of him.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

This might sound weird, but the hardest part was finding the right names for the main characters, Luca and Marcus. For a long time, they had different names. Even though I exchanged the names at one point, they still didn’t ring true and I was rather frustrated about that. Finally, I made a list of names, tried them out, and after that, writing the story was quick and easy.

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

This is only a very short passage from the beginning of chapter two:

Marcus rappelled off and stepped onto the ground with a crunch of his boots. Pointing at the opening with the askew ladder, he asked, “Don’t tell me you seriously considered climbing down this way.”

Luca shrugged. “I’d have preferred spontaneous levitation, but it didn’t happen.”

Luca has run away and thought about the reasons for it when Marcus shows up. Even though he’s despairing about his situation, and the fact he can’t have the man he loves, he hasn’t lost his ability to joke. That’s what I like about that short part.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I’ve got a contemporary novella called Stained coming out in June or July this year. It’ll be my last published work, so no more upcoming projects.

Are there any types of scene you find hard to write (action, love, death, etc.)?

I really dislike writing death scenes, so I try to avoid them. However, that’s not always possible (for example in Secret Energy or Silver Lining) but I try to do it with respect, and keep the characters’ reactions realistic.

What do you do when you feel stuck (writer’s block)?

This might sound odd—after all I’ve written quite a lot over the years—but I’ve never had writer’s block. Sure, I had stories that veered off and left me scrambling to tie everything up in a satisfying manner but if that happened, I put the book aside for a while until I could see the story clearly again.

How do you handle a story that doesn’t go as you planned?

That depends on the story. Sometimes I follow the new curve and allow the characters to lead me. If the story runs into a dead end, or I can’t see how I can possibly tie everything together, I put it aside and do something else. After a few days, or sometimes weeks (sometimes even months—that happened when I wrote Bratty Angel) I’ll have an epiphany and know how to go on. After that, everything’s easy.

Word Sprints!

Plotter or pantser? Both.

Coffee or tea? Tea.

What’s your favorite of your published works? The Alliances series: Breeding Stations and Battle Stations.

What was the last thing you read? Mell Eight’s Dragon Consultant.

What’s your favorite season? Spring and autumn.

14-Mar The Novel Approach, Alpha Book Club, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Book Lovers 4Ever, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Caraway Carter, Gay Media Reviews

15-Mar Nephy Hart, Joyfully Jay, Carly’s Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, A.M. Leibowitz

16-Mar Love Bytes, TTC Books and More, Havan Fellows, Jessie G. Books, Unquietly Me, MM Good Book Reviews

17-Mar Prism Book Alliance, The Blogger Girls, V’s Reads, Divine Magazine

18-Mar Molly Lolly, KathyMac Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Man2ManTastic, My Fiction Nook, 3 Chicks After Dark, Bayou Book Junkie, Hearts on Fire, Inked Rainbow Reads

Rafflecopter Prize: A book from Chris’s backlist or an audiobook copy of ‘Despite the Odds’

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: Law by Jess Buffett

Books

Author: Jess Buffett

Title: Law

Release Date: February 29, 2016

Pages or Words: 63 pages

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29065537-law

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer – Simply Defined Art

Law

Being in the internationally successful boy-band Right Time had been everything I had ever wanted and more. Well, except for one thing, or should I say one person? But I had long ago acknowledged that I couldn’t have both the life and the person and I should be happy with what I had. That worked until he showed up in my life again. And then nothing made sense.

Byron

For years I had pretended I didn’t care. Ignoring my feelings had become second nature to me. That was until my niece begged me to take her to see her favorite boy-band, Right Time, for her birthday, and I came face to face with him. In all fairness, she had no idea the can of worms she’d be opening. And to tell the truth, neither did I.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Law-Scandals-Book-Jess-Buffett-ebook/dp/B01C1SKZBC/

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/law-by-jess-buffett/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-law-1992480-340.html

“OMG. He knows your name, Uncle Byron?”

Byron flushed, glancing down at his niece before he flicked his gaze back to mine. “Ah … yeah, Emma, I do.”

The girl began to ramble while her friends stared on in awe. “How? Why? When did you become so cool?”

“Hey, I’ve always been cool.” I chuckled at Byron’s offended expression, grateful that he was momentarily distracted. The man’s gaze had always left him feeling open and exposed.

“Well, I mean sure, you are the cool Uncle Byron who bought my friends and me these really awesome tickets, but this…”

“But this is like a whole new hemisphere of awesomeness,” another one of the young girls finished, almost breathless in her shock.

I had honestly never felt so self-conscious before that moment. Not because of the girls. As shallow as it sounded, I was used to the lust filled expressions on women’s faces of varying age groups. Byron was another story. I wondered what he must be thinking, of me, of the situation. Even after all these years the man still had it in him to make me second guess myself. A nervous tension I felt only in his presence. It was ridiculous. I was ridiculous.

Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She is a mum of two, married to her high school sweetheart.

Jess is a hopeless romantic who is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance with a happy ending—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door.

A caffeine addict who shamefully can’t make a decent cup of coffee to save her life, Jess believes in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jessbuffett05

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/JessBuffettAuthor

Twitter: @JessBuffett

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, A.M. Leibowitz, Bayou Book Junkie, Oh My Shelves, Open Skye Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Alpha Book Club, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, MM Good Book Reviews, Full Moon Dreaming, Unquietly Me, Gay Book Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, Up All Night, Read All Day, Making It Happen, Nephy Hart, The Hat Party, Charley Descoteaux, Outrageous Heroes, MM Book Escape, Inked Rainbow Reads, Velvet Panic, Havan Fellows

Rafflecopter Prize: ecopy of Law + winners choice of ebook from backlist

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour: The Star Host by F.T. Lukens

Books

Author: F.T. Lukens

Title: The Star Host

Series: Broken Moon

Book: One

Release Date: March 3, 2016

Pages or Words: 258 pages

Categories: Fiction, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27830154-the-star-host

Publisher: Duet Books, the Young Adult imprint of Interlude Press

Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

Ren grew up listening to his mother tell stories about the Star Hosts – a mythical group of people possessed by the power of the stars. The stories were the most exciting part of Ren’s life, and he often dreamed about leaving his backwater planet and finding his place among the neighboring drifts. When Ren is captured by soldiers and taken from his home, he must remain inconspicuous while plotting his escape. It’s a challenge since the general of the Baron’s army is convinced Ren is something out of one of his mother’s stories.

He finds companionship in the occupant of the cell next to his, a drifter named Asher. A member of the Phoenix Corps, Asher is mysterious, charming, and exactly the person Ren needs to anchor him as his sudden technopathic ability threatens to consume him. Ren doesn’t mean to become attached, but after a daring escape, a trek across the planet, and an eventful ride on a merchant ship, Asher is the only thing that reminds Ren of home. Together, they must warn the drifts of the Baron’s plans, master Ren’s growing power, and try to save their friends while navigating the growing attraction between them.

Interlude Press Web Store: store.interludepress.com

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RHWcQ5

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-star-host-ft-lukens/1122958972?ean=9781941530726

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/593341

Apple iBookstore: The Star Host

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?referrer=55feb862851f8

Once at the hangar, Ren broke away from the two guards and entered the lancer, walking up the stairs, irritation a heavy feeling in his chest.

“Reporting for work,” Ren said, his tone heavily laced with annoyance.

Janus popped up from a console she had been working under, goggles on her face, gray hair sticking up everywhere. “You!” she snapped. “I told you not to come back.”

Ren rolled his eyes. “It’s not my choice. I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here.”

“Where are your guards? I told the dumb one not to bring you back, Abiathar’s orders be damned. I don’t want your kind working on these ships.”

She poked a finger hard into Ren’s chest and he staggered back, and rubbed his hand over the spot.

“What the stars do you mean by my kind?”

Her eyes grew comically large behind the goggles. “You don’t know?” She laughed, bordering on hysterical. “You’re more dangerous than I thought. You can’t try to control it if you don’t even know what you are.”

Ren frowned. His tolerance for the cryptic nonsense everyone had spouted since he arrived was gone. He took a step toward the hull and Janus stiffened.

“Don’t,” she barked.

“Don’t what? Touch it? What will happen, huh?”

Her face paled and her chest heaved with panicked breaths. “You don’t know what you’re capable of.”

Ren laughed. “I’m capable of nothing. I’m a duster, planet-born with very limited experience with tech. You have no reason to be frightened of me.”

He moved closer to the hull, hand outstretched, fingers splayed.

She whimpered. “Please, don’t.”

Ren slammed his hand against the hull, his fingertips leaving greasy marks on the shiny surface. As he predicted, nothing happened.

He turned back to Janus. “See? Nothing–”

His word tangled in his throat, cut off, because suddenly, Ren was consumed with power, rushing from his toes to his fingertips. A blue tint clouded his vision, and his body suffused with golden warmth. And then he was floating amongst the wires, connected to the ship, to the energy source, to everything. The lancer pulsed under his skin, tangling in his veins, its systems integrated with his senses.

It was freeing and frightening.

His consciousness raced along the circuits and he could fix it. He could fix everything. He found the tangle of wires in the artificial gravity system and bypassed it. He found the broken circuits in the air recyclers and with a pulse of power, refurbished them. He saw the static in the com system, a physical entity, and he cleared it away with a brush of his metaphysical hand.

The longer Ren floated through the ship, the less connected he was to his physical body. And if he thought about it, he didn’t need his body. Why would he need his body? He was free here. He moved around with ease, the wires and the systems his route, and the more he pushed, the more he felt the other ships too. They were nearby, on the edge of his perception, and he could go to those, he could jump to the other ones and repair them too.

He could.

He could.

F.T. wrote her first short story when she was in third grade and her love of writing continued from there. After placing in the top five out of ten thousand entries in a writing contest, she knew it was time to dive in and try her hand at writing a novel.

A wife and mother of three, F.T. holds degrees in psychology and English literature, and is a long-time member of her college’s science-fiction club. F.T. has a love of cheesy television shows, superhero movies, and science-fiction novels—especially anything by Douglas Adams.

Connect with F.T. at authorftlukens.wordpress.com on Twitter @ftlukens, on Tumblr at ftlukens.tumblr.com and on Goodreads at goodreads.com/ftlukens.

Today I’m welcoming F.T. Lukens to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about why you chose young adult science fiction as your genre for this novel.

Thank you for hosting me at your blog today and allowing me to wax poetic about my unadulterated love of science fiction.

The Star Host is a young adult science fiction adventure. I like to call it “magic in space” since it blends elements from sci-fi, such as spaceships, with elements from fantasy, like castles and magic. It was a fun project to develop and write, especially since I absolutely adore sci-fi.

I’ve been an avid reader and consumer of science fiction since my older brother introduced me to Star Wars. Yes, the force was my gateway. After that, it was running home after school to watch the original Battlestar Galactica series. And it was staying up late at night to catch reruns of Star Trek: TNG. (I totally would’ve had a higher grade in Calculus in high school if TNG didn’t come on at midnight and 1am.) In college, I joined Skiffy – the science fiction and fantasy club at my school. I was introduced to Army of Darkness, Time Bandits, and Ice Pirates. I think my love of sci-fi does have a nostalgic element to it, but in reading and watching sci-fi, you have the opportunity to be transported to another world.

However, even if that world is vastly different from our own, there will be familiar elements. One of the benefits of speculative fiction, is that it allows for the reader to view humanity through a distorted lens. Sci-fi, horror, strange tales, apocalyptic literature etc all address the ‘what if’ and can put characters in impossible situations. Ultimately, no matter what universe our characters land themselves in, science fiction is a study of humanity, be it in the far future, or an alternate past. I think Ray Bradbury, one of my favorite writers, exemplifies this in his works, and he is one of my literary inspirations. His descriptions are legendary.

It only made sense that my debut novel would be part of the sci-fi genre. As a writer, speculative fiction is an open universe. I loved the opportunity to create my own magic system, my own worlds, even my own slang for the way my characters talked. It’s amazing to have that kind of control over a universe. Science fiction also lends to my writing style. I love description and action scenes and creating worlds on the page is so much fun.

My sincerest hope is that readers will enjoy my book and that I may even inspire a new generation of sci-fi lovers.

3-Mar: Hearts on Fire, Happily Ever Chapter, Kirsty Loves Books, Velvet Panic

4-Mar: Full Moon Dreaming, Havan Fellows, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

7-Mar: Jessie G. Books, Divine Magazine, Boys on the Brink Reviews

8-Mar: V’s Reads, Butterfly-O-Meter, Love Bytes

9-Mar: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Nephy Hart, KathyMac Reviews

10-Mar: Bonkers About Books, Inked Rainbow Reads, Prism Book Alliance, Attention is Arbitrary

11-Mar: A.M. Leibowitz, The Novel Approach

14-Mar: Man2ManTastic, Anna Butler Fiction

15-Mar: Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie

16-Mar: BFD Book Blog, My Fiction Nook

Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press Web Store gift card (grand prize) + 5 winners of The Star Host eBook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: The Necromancer’s Dance by SJ Himes

Books

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

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Man2ManTastic, Decadent Delights, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words,

Bayou Book Junkie, Kirsty Loves Books, The Dark Arts, Mikky’s World of Books, Inked Rainbow Reads,

The Hat Party, Happily Ever Chapter, A.M. Leibowitz, MM Good Book Reviews, Unquietly Me,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Full Moon Dreaming, Butterfly-O-Meter, Molly Lolly, Velvet Panic,

Book Lovers 4Ever, The Jena Wade, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews,

Outrageous Heroes

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour: 6 Days to Get Lucky by LE Franks

Books

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!

What’s your favorite of your published works? The short story – Last First Kiss, part of the Grand Adventures anthology.
Do the people in your life know about your writing? Yes, and amusingly enough I found out my aunt reads Sue Brown.
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.
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.
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