Merry Christmas everyone, even though I'm a few days late. My family had the wonderful blessing of sharing Christmas in the mountains of Tennessee with my parents. It was an amazing time of sharing memories and making new ones. Our cabin was on the Little Pigeon River and we listened to it's rushing waters continuously day and night. As my parents age, I've learned to appreciate every moment I have with them. I also cherished the time my children, now nearly grown and on their own, got to spend with their grandparents.

I hope your Holidays were just as cherished as mine.

In the near future, I will be posting another chapter in the Fan Fiction I'm writing at this time and finishing it up shortly. There should be some news later in January on Drifting Sands as well. I am well into writing the next installment of Justin and Marcus's story at this time, Crashing Waves. Two more characters are starting to develope in this story line and there could very well be a third book in this series. I also have another paranormal story in the outline stages. 2014 looks to be a very busy year for me and hopefully some new books for you to read as well.

Look for me to continue to review and post new books that I come across that I think you may find as a good book as well.

A toast to you and yours for the New Year and thank you for spending time with me in 2013!

Happy New Year!

Please check out Yesterday's Kiss by Carly Fall. This is one of the sweetest, saddest, wonderful stories I've read in a while. Though it is short, less than 100 pages, it is packed full of an emotional roller coaster that I am sure you will enjoy. I highly recommend this story. You can check out my review on amazon.com.

Check out the blurb and except below, as well as the links to where you can purchase it and learn more about Carly.

Blurb
Is she really encountering her one true love from the past?
When Maggie Ramos signs her divorce papers, she’s determined to start a new life free from her ex-husband’s verbal abuse and unfaithful behavior.
As a new start and celebration, Maggie decides to take a trip to Bisbee and Tombstone, Arizona. Because of her fascination with history, the two places have always captivated her with their rich pasts.
During a tour of the Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee, Maggie’s encounter with a miner named Joseph leaves her questioning her sanity. Claiming that he is her dead husband from the past, he is determined to prove to her that their love was real. He takes her on a journey vacillating between the present and the early 1900s, leaving Maggie to wonder if her psyche is shattering, or if she is really encountering her one true love from the past.
Does true love transcend death?
Excerpt © 2013by Carly Fall - All Rights Reserved
“Margaret?”
She jumped and stepped back, putting a hand over her heart. The miner she had seen earlier stood before her, and now that he was closer, a strong feeling of recognition overcame her. She tried to remember where she knew him from, but the information eluded her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Do I know you?”
The man smiled, his teeth bright against his dirt-stained skin. She guessed his age at twenty-five or so as he took off his hat and ran his fingers through a mop of chin-length black hair. His light blue eyes twinkled as he smiled. “It’s me, Joseph. I’m shocked that you’re here. I knew you’d come back, Margaret.”
Why was he calling her Margaret? The last time someone called her by her given name she had been in line waiting to be summoned by the worker at the DMV.
A cauldron of emotions swept through Maggie, and she took another step away from him. Her heart raced as she tried to put a name on the feelings: uncertainty, excitement, relief, fear, and . . . something else she couldn’t pinpoint. For the life of her, she couldn’t place where she knew this man. However, it was obvious he was very pleased and seemed excited to see her.
“I’m sorry, but it’s just not coming to me. Where have we met?” she asked.
“Margaret, I’m your husband, Joseph. Please try to remember,” he said.
Her husband? What he said resonated as truth deep within Maggie, and she felt the urge to run, but something held her there, standing in front the miner. She shook her head. Obviously, this man . . . Joseph . . . had her confused with someone else.
“I wasn’t sure it was you until you smiled at me,” he said, “but then I knew. Only you could smile at me like that and light a fire within my heart.”
Maggie swallowed, trying to wet her throat so she could set this guy straight.
“I’ve been waiting for you for so long, Margaret. I’m so happy to see you."

Buy Links
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Smashwords

BIO
About Carly:
Carly Fall is a wife, a mother and a slave to Nicky the dog.
She loves to laugh, thinks chocolate and wine should be considered their own food group, and wishes Christmas happened twice a year.
She is the author of the award-winning and best selling Six Saviors series, as well as contemporary romances such as Time or Money, Against the Ropes and Chica Bella.
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http://www.amazon.com/Death-Cache-Romance-Edge-Novel-ebook/dp/B00GYSDI4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385923462&sr=8-1&keywords=Death+Cache
It's available now!!!! Don't miss this action packed mystery by Tiffinie Helmer. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. You're going to love it!

Here is my review for Elise Marion's latest release "The New Year's Masquerade". This book is not yet available. It has a release date of December 6th.

The New Year’s Masquerade by Elise Marion

Orlando Sanchez is a player, a very gentlemanly player but player none the less. Relationships were just not his thing. Thanks to his parents broken marriage, he didn’t see any reason to give his heart to a woman to only have her walk all over it. Sasha Olsen was independent and not Orlando’s type, so she was safe to have as a friend. Someone he could be himself around without the trappings of the games that men and women play. So when he walked into his shower one day to find Sasha, it came as quite a shock to Orlando that he found her more alluring and attractive than any other woman he had known. One quick romantic act and he was hooked. He couldn’t get enough of the amazing woman that his friend had suddenly become.

Sasha knew Orlando was a player and she knew that acting on her feelings for him would be a mistake but she just couldn’t help herself. She didn’t want to lose his friendship but the more time they spent being more than friends, the more she realized that when it was over, she was going to be in pain. She would not only loose the man she loved but her best friend as well.

I enjoyed this well written story more as I continued to read and the ending was satisfying. It definitely has the happily ever after that we like in a romance story. I gave it 4 stars, because at the beginning of the story the friendship they both kept referring to just wasn’t clear to me. It was well into the story before I could see the strong connection they had before they become lovers. I felt like there should have been more of their history as friends first before the quick jump into sex and the misunderstandings that followed. 

Elise Marion writes enchanting love stories with a sexy twist. You will enjoy her writing.

It's finally available. My friend A.R. Hawkins new book "Indebted" is now available.

 
 You can purchase it at Dreamspinner Press or on Amazon today!

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4382

http://www.amazon.com/Indebted-A-R-Hawkins-ebook/dp/B00GWAUDX6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385403057&sr=8-1&keywords=Indebted+ar+hawkins 

Make sure you pick this one up!

Here it is!! So excited to be a part of this amazing project.

I will be posting links as soon as they become available. Look for an update by November 25. All the proceeds for the sale of the book is going to 4 very worthy charities.  1 - The Trevor Project 2 - It Gets Better Project 3 - Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS 4 - The Humane Society

Please check out the Lazy Beagle Entertainment web site for more information.  http://www.lazybeagleentertainment.com/

Tiffinie Helmer and her Romance on the Edge Series have been thrilling us for some time now. Each book in the series is more intense with characters that not only become real to the reader; they are human with flaws just like us. Death Cache steps it up a notch.

Left at a remote site near the Arctic Circle six people are in a game for their lives. Tern Maiski, her best friend and four ex lovers are all left in the Alaskan wilderness thinking they are there to play a game of geo-cache finding. The winner will be proclaimed the best in the state. However, someone either within the group or on the outside looking in has other plans. What follows is an intense game to save their lives and time is running out. They must play the game or die. As their numbers drop, who you can trust becomes the biggest issue of all.

The one man Tern truly loved, Gage Fallon is there but he clearly isn’t the man she thought he was. He has many secrets and emotional issues of his own. The sexual tension between the two of them is palpable but is it enough? That isn’t what made this story unforgettable for me.

What made this story unforgettable for me was the mystery. Who arranged for this game of death? Why? How could someone kill so easily without any mercy?

This story will grip you and it won’t let you go until you know “who did it” and it will keep you guessing to the very end.

Bravo Tiffinie Helmer! This is one of your best.

I received an arc copy of this book for an honest review.

Please check out Death Cache by Tiffinie Helmer when it is released in November. I will post direct links to purchase sites as soon as they are available.

I have had the at most pleasure in reading an arc copy of ***Death Cache*** by Tiffinie Helmer will be shortly posting my review. I have got to tell you that not much shocks me anymore, but this one. ..took my breath away!

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Please join me and check out the Hoppin' The Boxes Tour. Great chances to win some great books. Check them all out and let the authors know if you already enjoy their books.

Welcome to my stop for Hoppin the Boxes Today I'll be featuring Barbara Silkstone

But -

There are Over 60 stops - with plenty of excerpts, information and a giveaway!

These Eight Authors are presenting their Boxed Sets with Excerpts, Character Bios, and Prizes

Barbara Silkstone with the Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider Boxed Set

Cheryl Bradshaw with the Sloan Monroe Boxed Set

Christy Hayes and the Golden Rule Bundle

Donna Fasano and the Single Daddy Club Boxed Set

Faith Mortimer and the Diana Rivers Mystery Set

M.P. McDonald and the Mark Taylor Omnibus

Melissa F. Miller and the Sasha McCandles Series

Sibel Hodge and the Sibel Hodge Box Set

This tour will run from 11 – 18 November

Giveaways!

Reader drawing is international

Grand Prize Winner : $60 Giftcard to Amazon or Barnes and all eight boxed sets

First Prize Winner: $40 Giftcard and all eight box set

Second Prize winner - 4 (winner’s choice) boxed sets (see the giveaway tool at the bottom of the post!)

And now.. I present

Wendy Darlin' Tomb Raider Box Set ~ Purchase NOW: Amazon

 

Contains the Three full-length novels:

WENDY AND THE LOST BOYS ~ Book One See the trailer on YouTube Real estate agent for Miami Beach millionaires, Wendy Darlin, clashes with “SEC Investigator” and world famous archaeologist, Roger Jolley. He follows her out to sea on a mega-yacht owned by Charlie Hook, a Ponzi swindler on the run from federal agents and angry investors. Despite her fear of water, she finds herself a tomb raider on the Caribbean one step ahead of modern day pirates. Will she find the Lost Boys? Will she escape Hook’s clutches? And whom will she find on Nevis Island? Oh… and is Roger a good kisser?

Excerpt from Wendy and the Lost Boys Purchase Now: Amazon § Audible

Sometimes the journey you set out on is not the one you return from.I lay on my stomach on Belgian cream-colored sheets in my suite on the 370-foot yacht rocking in the waters somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. I had finished a pitcher of screwdrivers before the sun came up and was feeling woozy. As I dozed in my bikini, something jumped on my back. I tried to fight it off, rolled over, and found myself looking at a giant tongue and two beady eyes. It was like being married again. All six feet of Hook’s bony body retreated when I brought my knee up catching him in his man-berries. He turned, rolling off the bed and abruptly slamming his johnson into the teak nightstand. His penis was huge, dark, and engorged. I was right about the blue pills in his master suite. They were erectile dysfunction drugs. Of course, with the name UpUGo, it didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure it out. “I knew you were taking that junk. Don’t waste your time,” I said to the naked old man with the flabby butt as he held himself with a panicked look on his face. “And get out of my suite. The door was locked for a reason! How’d you get in here?” “It’s been more than four hours, Wendy,” he whimpered. “I’m still hard and it hurts like hell. Help me!” His once chiseled features hung like melted wax from his cheekbones. “My promise to Marni to care for you did not include sex… no way… under no circumstances. That’s what you get for messing with that stuff. Just get out of my way!” I snatched the ten-pound white hairball called Tinkerbelle from the foot of the bed and made my way to the sun deck. Hook’s Predator was a yacht on steroids. It took ten minutes to get from my suite to the upper floor. Hook had spent over $200 million of Ponzied money on this floating erection. He recited the Predator’s talents daily, like a mantra he hoped would keep away the feds, investors, and victims who wanted nothing more than to see him keelhauled. Once on the sun deck, I reclined on a cushioned lounge chair. Tink licked my face, her Maltese dog fur tickling my nose. I wrapped her leash around my left hand and whispered into her ear, “You poor little puppy. You don’t understand we buried your mama yesterday.” The tears came. There was no holding them back. How did I let myself get into this situation? I regretted the day I first heard Hook’s name and regretted even more the day I introduced him to Marni.

LONDON BROIL ~ Book Two See the trailer on YouTube When we last saw Wendy Darling and Roger Jolley in WENDY AND THE LOST BOYS, they were hot on the trail of Egyptian icons stolen from the British Museum. Wendy is now in a frantic race against time and a murderer as she searches for the last Lost Boy hidden somewhere in London while a killer heat wave invades the city. Wendy is held captive over a fish ‘n’ chips shop while Roger’s life is threatened. Can Wendy escape her captors, rescue Roger, and find the missing Lost Boy before the murderer strikes again?

Excerpt from London Broil ~ Purchase Now: Amazon § Audible

I woke the next morning to the overpowering smell of curry and lamb. Yuck. I buried my face in the pillow. Whatever happened to a good old English breakfast of bangers, rubber eggs, and fried bread? My nerves were rubbing on imaginary broken glass as I sidled to the kitchen. The curry pot bubbled away unattended. A blob of red sauce had spilled on the floor, and a kitchen knife lay next to it. I shut off the pot, bent down and picked up the knife. Then I realized it wasn’t red curry on the floor. The spot was a bloody footprint. I dropped the knife. It bounced on the floor. Adrenalin rocketing through my body, the brassy taste of fear filled my mouth. Whoever left the footprint had to be nearby… perhaps in the pantry. The back door was slightly open. I could see Holly and Hildy standing with their heads near the door, waiting for their breakfast. Some watch-geese. Should I call the police? What would I report? Unattended curry, a bloody footprint, and a kitchen knife with my fingerprints on it? I should have known better than to touch lonely hot pots and sticky red knives. But they don’t teach you that in real estate school, and I was learning tomb raiding on the job. Thud! And again another thud! The noise sounded as if it came from the wine cellar. I thought to call out to Samuel, but reconsidered. I remained unsure about the virtues of the houseman, and the bloody knife on the floor made me even less confident. I snuck up the six flights to Benny’s room and knocked on his door, once, then twice. No answer. Ever so slowly I opened it. Benny’s bed was made. Had he gotten up early or hadn’t it been slept in? I checked his bathroom and closet. Roger’s client had vanished. I’d screwed up my first archaeological assignment. Stepping as lightly as I could, I made my way down two flights to my room. I slipped inside and turned the lock, then made a mad dash to the closet to pack my suitcase. Pausing, I realized my luggage would make too much noise and slow me down. I’d seen too many horror movies. I knew the bad guy – if there was a bad guy – was lurking under the stairs or in the foyer. They always are. Screw my suitcase. I found a black plastic trash bag on the closet shelf. Perfect. I threw three designer outfits in it, tossed in some sandals, my toiletries, and knotted the end. I gently pitched the bag out the window onto the shrubs directly below in the garden. I had no intention of leaving without a few of my St. John dresses. I’d worked too hard to pay for them. I eased my way down two flights of stairs, quietly entered the bedroom over the shrubs, and closed the door behind me. I tried to raise the window. It was painted shut but gave way with a screech to my lifting. The trellis came up to the bottom of the windowsill. It might not hold my weight, but those prickly dry shrubs just below should cushion my fall. Carrying my purse, I grabbed the frail woodwork like a demented musketeer. Unfortunately, the ground came up rather quickly. “Ouch!” said a strange voice as I landed on something round and boney. Benny had called this place a garden of constant surprise. I had just encountered one.

CAIRO CAPER ~ Book Three See the trailer on YouTube Part-time tomb raider and full-time real estate broker, Wendy Darlin joins her lover, archaeologist Roger Jolley, in a quest for Cleopatra’s tomb. All they have to do is get from Cairo to the Temple of Taporisi Magna alive. Armed only with a couple of hijacked ashtrays and faced with a trek across the blazing Sahara desert can Wendy out-maneuver Russian oligarchs, a dozen Dark Force mercenaries, and Roger’s chubby ex-girlfriend in time to find the tomb and seal it before chaos erupts in Egypt?

Excerpt from Cairo Caper ~ Purchase Now: Amazon

A room filled with cat mummies caught my attention. Fiona marched ahead, but I was drawn inside. Cats were considered guardians of the underworld and protectors of those in the afterlife. The dried feline bodies caused a wave of sadness to wash over me. I moved to the middle of the room where the weight of a stare on my back caused me to spin around. I locked on to the dark eyeholes in the head of a long-necked cat mummy standing next to a wooden cat coffin. The plaque under the cat noted it had been entombed with its master, one of Cleopatra’s guards who had been slain protecting her in the early days of her reign. A tear ran down my cheek. I shook my head to break the strange connection I felt with the tiny figure. “Wendy!” Fiona’s shrill voice snapped me out of my mystic fog. She was standing cross-legged in the doorway, frantically beckoning to me. Before I could move, a cat brushed my ankle. I jumped and looked down. No cat there. As crazy as it seemed I swiveled my head toward the cat mummy. I could have sworn it winked. My imagination was working overtime. “Wendy, I really have to go.” I barreled through a door marked with a drawing of a woman in a long skirt with a scarf over her head. The lights were a notch down from the gloomy hallway. Fiona managed to squeeze by me and race into the nearest stall, I grabbed a potty two doors over. I locked the door then wrestled with my long skirt and the weight of two mummy-ashtrays in the pockets. I swathed it around my thighs and lifted it just as someone pushed on the stall door. A gravelly male voice, heavily accented in Arabic said, “Open the door!” I dropped my skirt, dragging the hem in the toilet. Ick. The curse of wearing a long skirt. “Wendy! Who is that?” Fiona called. “Is that a sex-maniac?” “Don’t sound so excited,” I said pressing against the door as it shuddered from a fist bashing on the other side. “Open up! I have something for you.” “Go away.” I fought to keep my voice from quavering. “Open up or I’ll… put it under the door.” “You do and I’ll step on it,” I yelled. He damn sure wasn’t delivering a pizza. Something let loose with a high-pitched howl. It sounded like a cat but meaner. I adjusted my skirt, bent down, and peeked under the stall door. Nothing. No male feet. No feet at all. Only the shadow of a cat. What happened to Gravel Voice? “Fiona, on the count of three hit your door and start running. I’ll be right beside you. One!” “I can’t get my Spanx up. I’m too sweaty!” Spanx, my foot. A girdle is a girdle, and a girdle in this heat is ridiculous. “Fiona, drop ‘em and start running!” “It’s the only pair I brought with me…” “Two. Three!” I kicked open the door. No one was there. I didn’t bother checking the shadows. “Run for it!” I imitated Fred Flintstone powering his stone-age car as I paddled my feet for all I was worth. Fiona galloped alongside me. “Was he good looking?” “Shut up and run!” We slip-skidded down the hall and onto the slick-as-glass stone staircase. We shot down the stairs like supercharged Slinkies.

About the Heroine: Wendy Darlin

Until last year Wendy Darlin was a full-time real estate agent for Miami Beach millionaires. Then she met Roger Jolley, world famous archaeologist, Johnny Depp look-alike, and at times the most irritating person on the planet. Her heart, snarky mouth, and comedic capers keep her in constant peril. She’s been told her life is like the movie Romancing the Stone, but at times she feels more like Indiana Jones with boobs.

Follow Wendy at Facebook  

About the Author: Barbara Silkstone

Barbara Silkstone is the best-selling author of the Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider Series that includes: Wendy and the Lost Boys, London Broil, Cairo Caper. Her Criminally Funny Fables series includes: The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters; Wendy and the Lost Boys; Zo White and the Seven Morphs, and Cold Case Morphs.

Silkstone’s writing has been described as “perfectly paced and pitched – shades of Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen – without seeming remotely derivative. Fast moving action that shoots from the hip with bullet-proof characterization.”

Follow Barb at Website § Blog § Facebook § Twitter § Goodreads § Pinterest

Be sure to check the other stops on the tour to see more from Cheryl Bradshaw with the Sloan Monroe Boxed Set Christy Hayes and the Golden Rule Bundle Donna Fasano and the Single Daddy Club Boxed Set Faith Mortimer and the Diana Rivers Mystery Set M.P. McDonald and the Mark Taylor Omnibus Melissa F. Miller and the Sasha McCandless Series Sibel Hodge and the Sibel Hodge Box Set

Giveaways!

Reader drawing is international

Grand Prize Winner : $60 Giftcard to Amazon or Barnes and all eight boxed sets

First Prize Winner: $40 Giftcard and all eight box set

Second Prize winner - 4 (winner’s choice) boxed sets

Entry-Form

Follow the HOP - Using THIS LINK  

I've been Iowa visiting with my best friend from high school, Robyn. It's been a wonderful trip. A few years ago when I was here, I discovered a chain of gas stations called "Kum & Go". Yes, you read that right. I found the name so ridiculously funny it inspired me to write a M/M fan fiction story named "Kum and Go". If you've never checked out my stories there, I hope you do. I wrote them under the pen name cbaty. If you put that in the search bar it will take you to my home page where my stories are listed. There's also a link below for that particular story. Heed the warnings at the beginning of each story but I hope you enjoy them.

 http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6494219/1/Kum-Go

Tiffinie Helmer has sent us a little teaser from her next release "Death Cache". Can't wait!

Chapter 3 of You Can't Change the Past is now up on Fan Fiction. I hope you enjoy the read.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9752520/3/

Been a terrible couple of days with the Ohio Valley weather changes. I love this time of year, the colors, the crispness to the air but the ups and downs on the barometer just wreck havoc on my head.

 I did manage to complete chapter 3 of my latest fan fiction story You Can't Change the Past by cbaty. It is off to the beta and I'm hoping it will be up later in the week.

The bright spot in the week was Senior night at my daughter's high school on Friday night. My husband and I were so very proud to walk beside her. She was honored as the only senior on the varsity girl's golf team. Nearly froze our nickers off at the game and our team lost but still it was a moment to cherish with her.

I should have news shortly on the charity book that Lazy Beagle Entertainment is publishing. It was my pleasure to contribute a story to the book and amazing to think that one of the ladies I admire most in this business will also have a story in the book, Charlie Cochrane.

Check out the updated line above from Drifting Sands.

Also please see the new lines from Drifting Sands. Please feel free to share your thoughts about what might be going on in the story. I'd love to hear from you.

Lots to mention today. Chapter 2 of You Can't Change the Past is now up on Fan Fiction at

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9752520/2/You-Can-t-Change-the-Past

Hope you enjoy the read. And please make sure you check out the blog before this one for an update on A.R. Hawkins new book release.

Look who's book is available for pre-order! I'm so excited for her. Make sure you reserve your copy now!

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4382

My friend A.R. Hawkins has her first book coming out soon. Can't wait! I will have links and more information as the release date gets closer. Good Luck my friend!

Please check out my new fan fiction story "You Can't Change the Past" at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9752520/1/You-Can-t-Change-the-Past

Here is the blurb for the story:

Edward and Jasper had a one night experience that one of them forgot and one could never forget. One night changed them both forever and led them on the paths they wonder now. You can't change the past but can you learn from it, start something new...something better.

Let me know what you think.

Oh and read the new line from Drifting Sands under the picture above.

Lessons for Suspicious Minds

Boys on Film

 Here are the links to the two books I reviewed earlier.

As summer turns to fall, I have to tell you this is my favorite season of the year. Living in Southwest Ohio, we see all the seasons and sometimes in dramatic form. Extremely high temps and humidity in the summer. Below zero cold and piles and piles of snow can be a frequent visitor in the dead of winter. But fall or autumn if you call it that, ranges from cool jacket weather in the early morning to strip it all off mid day back to jeans and jackets for after the sun sets. It's a little bit of everything. Today was gray and overcast, rainy and humid. It played havoc with my sinus's and made me want to curl up with a book. Wish I'd had the time. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to read two very different but very interesting reads this week.

Lessons for Suspicious Minds by the wonderful Charlie Cochrane

Any time I have the opportunity to return to a Jonty and Orlando story, you will find me running to it. I love these two characters literally. Their intelligence and wit keep me teetering between laughter and heartache each step of the way. Lessons for Suspicious Minds was no different. 

This story has two murders to investigate for the boys. The trouble here is they are both supposedly suicides. A topic that is very close to home and hits at the hearts and minds of both Jonty and Orlando. It's difficult to look for clues where it seems everyone has something to hide and when your mind repeatedly returns to your own past acquaintance with someone who had committed the deed in front of your very eyes.

It was a joy to visit with the boys once again. More than that, we got a chance to revisit our love for Jonty's family. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart played a very large part in this story and helped to solve the mystery again.

You won't find detailed sexual encounters between the two main characters in this story. What you will find are two very different men who are truly, deeply devoted to each other and very much in love. You'll find laughter in their teasing of each other. You'll find two men who comfort and care for each other. You'll find a series to fall in love with. Read each book in this series and you will see what I mean.

Boys on Film by Lily G. Blunt

I will admit that when I first read the blurb for this book, I wasn't sure if it was going to be something I would enjoy reading. I was under the assumption that the book was going to be about a porn movie house and would be full of explicit sexual content. I was wrong. Remember don't judge a book by its cover. 

In first meeting "Stefan" his camera name, in this story, he appears to be both arrogant and straight. Neither of which is the case. Stephan works for Blue House Film Studios both in front of the camera and behind it. One of the House's most popular porn stars, he has quite a following of fans. And he loves sex, doesn't matter whether it's a man or woman until a budding writer of M/M romances comes into his life.

Nate "something or other" comes to Blue House because he's written a story that the owner of  the film studio wants to incorporate into the studio's web site. He's been a teacher in England for most of his life but wants to be a writer. Stefan becomes his tour guide while he's in California. 

They feel an instant connection to each other but it takes time to reach a mutual decision that it is something they both want. Nate has recently broken up with a long time lover and Stefan is just now realizing that he is gay and always has been. Two big hurtles in themselves to make a relationship work.

Stefan goes back to England with Nate so that they can get to know each other better and while there they finally become intimate. Stefan is racked with pain over making sure that Nate knows they are making love not just having sex. Sex is what he does in front of the camera and what he did with his "friends with benefits". Nate doesn't seem to be bothered by Stefan's job and repeatedly tells Stefan he knows its his job. Still Stefan is very insecure and when Karl, Nate's ex shows up things intensify.

There's a misunderstanding between Nate and Stefan leading Stefan to return to home hurt and devastated by Nate's apparent infidelity. In the end everyone gets there HEA. 

Both books were very good and but different. I hope you give them a try.

I have some great news! For those of you who have been asking, I am writing a new Twilight Edward/Jasper pairing fan fiction story. If you who follow me there, you should see it pop up in a day or two. The first chapter is with the beta now.

Also I wanted to let everyone know that Drifting Sands is now with my wonderful publisher, Bottom Drawer Publishing for it's first edit. Unfortunately, it will not be ready for publishing as soon as I had hoped. That can be a good thing though. It gives me time to work on Crashing Waves, the sister book to Drifting Sands.

I'll keep you posted here as the work progresses. I also hope to post another free read here in a week or two.

I appreciate you all so much.

It's a gorgeous day here. The sky is blue and the sun is shining and it couldn't be over 75 degrees and I freaking love it! This is my kind of weather. Cool enough to feel comfortable in jeans and a long sleeved tee but warm enough to not worry about sweaters or jackets. Just lovely. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day. I'm beginning work on Drifting Sands sister book Crashing Waves. Excited to be writing again.

Talk to you soon,

(PS Make sure you check the words under the picture above each time you come back here. The quotes are from my next book to be released.)

Happy Friday Everyone! Here's a free read from me to you.

My Joy by C.J. Baty

I looked across the table in the dimly lit sports bar/restaurant and wondered how he could sit for hours looking at her just the way he was doing right now. He was holding her so tenderly in his embrace, gazing at her with such pure adoration and love.

Don’t get me wrong. I wasn't jealous or some stupid shit like that. She was absolutely beautiful from the tips of her wispy black hair to the bottoms of her tiny feet. I understood completely what he felt because I felt it too. She was perfection but then so was the man holding her.

When I had first met Cole Hadley, he was twenty five and a force to be reckoned with in the gay club scenes of Chicago. I was two years older, quiet, shy and content in my own little closet. For God’s sake, I’m an accountant, how much boring could a gay man’s life be? Especially one who was confused as hell about how he, ”a good ol’ southern boy”, could possibly like…want…oh shit, crave…dick! But I did and staying in my rural Louisiana town was not going to allow me to truly discover who I was and what I wanted. So as soon as I graduated for college, I accepted a job with a firm in Chicago and left my old life behind.

 This is our weekly date night and Cole Hadley, the all out there, totally proud gay man whom I mentioned before, yea, there he sat right across from me, ten years later. There he sat holding her and with that he’s changed my life all over again. Before she just took over our lives, ten weeks ago; we agreed our usual Friday night, date night, wouldn't change. After a long work week and even longer nights caring for a new born, we’d need those few hours to reconnect and continue to nurture are own relationship.

We tried. We really tried to leave her with Cole’s mom, Susan on the first couple of Fridays. We were both miserable and he was so worried that he didn't even eat his dinner that first night away. Then we rushed home to see she was sleeping, perfectly fine and probably never even missed us. Talk about feeling rejected.

The next week was even more difficult. We just couldn't leave her. She’d had a stomach ache and didn't sleep much the night before so no one slept. So we opted to order in and snuggle on the couch, watching some old John Wayne cowboy movie; actually one of my favorite things to do. Cole fell asleep in my arms holding her. She still didn't sleep through the night for another month but we all adjusted and learned. Cole caught on how to read her cries and grunts and groans quicker than I did. It became a huge topic of discussion between Cole and me. Every new expression on her face would bring us a moment of joy.

By now you can tell I’m talking about our new daughter, Libby. She’s ten weeks old today and she’s been with us for nine and half of those weeks. To say that we love her would be grossly underestimating what we feel for her. When I met Cole, I never dreamed that ten years later I would be sitting here with my husband of five years and our new daughter. Lucas Johnston just couldn't dream that big inside the closet he had constructed for himself. Now, I know life just couldn't get any better than this and yet there was something nagging at me. Something I just couldn't put my finger on.

Aggravated noise from the couple in the booth across from us drew me out of my musings. I could hear the grumbled oaths and slurs as they passed by our table on their way out of the restaurant.

“Shit, if I’d known they’d let queers in here, I’d have never brought you here sweetheart,” the man said not bothering to even lower his voice.

“It’s just disgusting to watch that one fondle that cute little baby that way,” the woman answered shaking her head. Then they were gone.

Even after all this time it still angered me. Still hurt when people were so callous and cruel towards Cole and me. Cole’s hand reached across the table and it's warmth squeezed my fisted one, openly smiling at me, lovingly. Letting me know it didn't matter to him what they said or how they felt about us.

The waitress brought our appetizers and refilled our drinks, strictly ice tea since Libby was with us. Then cleaned the table the couple had just left for waiting patrons. She told us our meals would be out shortly. She stopped long enough to coo over Libby and then hurried back to work.

A moment later a family consisting of middle aged parents and too young adult children slid into the booth across from us. They settled in and ordered their drinks and the waitress stepped away. I visibly flinched because I knew what was coming.

More than anything I hurt for Libby, our daughter. She too would be abused in life, taunted and called names because she had two dads instead of a mom and dad. I looked at her in my husband’s arms and knew she would be loved and cared for all her life but we couldn't protect her from every ignorant fool in the universe.

A soft female voice whispered, “Excuse me” to draw my attention. It was the mother sitting at the table across from us. Here it comes, I thought, the obvious questions. “Which one of you is the father,” she’d ask then the look of disgust when we answered her. The beautiful smile she was wearing took me by surprise. I found it hard to concentrate on her words when she began to speak.

“She is the most adorable little thing. Congratulations! Is she always such a good baby? Is she sleeping through the night yet,” she spoke as if we had all been friends for years. Where were the questions I was expecting and the look of disgust?

“I see you have your camera out, would you like me to take a picture of the three of you,” she asked as if she was truly happy to do it.

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you to offer isn't it Lucas,” Cole answered her by trying to get me to come out of the fog I was in. All I could do was nod.

She stood from her seat and accepted the camera and listened as Cole chatted happily and showed her how to use his very expensive favorite toy. Was it possible that this woman actually understood that we were two men, two gay men and we were raising this child together? Could she really be that accepting of us?

“Don’t you want in the picture with your husband and daughter,” she asked me. I could only nod again and then I slipped from my side of the booth to sit next to Cole.

The woman took several pictures and encouraged us to both hold the baby this way and that. She kept saying smile and Cole would nudge me in the side so I knew she was talking to me not him. The waitress finally showed up with our food and the woman handed the camera back to Cole.

“She’s lovely and I think she has your hair but she definitely has your eyes and dimples,” she said looking directly at me.

“Thank you,” I barely mumbled out and then watched as she sat back down with her family.

We were mostly finished with our meal and Libby was becoming restless so we decided to call it a night. Cole wrapped Libby up tight in her blanket and placed her gently in her car seat. After buckling her in tightly, he picked up the seat and thanked the family across from us again who were now enjoying their meal. I picked up the pacifier, bottle and other odds and ends that Cole seemed to think we always needed when we traveled with Libby and stuffed them into her carry bag. As I was thanking the waitress and settling the bill, the woman who had been taken our picture asked if she could speak with me before I left.

Yea, I knew it was too good to be true. Now she’s going to tell me what she really thinks. People will never change. There will always be bigots and those who think they are better than the others around them. I knew I was right, I thought to myself as I stood still to hear her out. I’d just give her a piece of my mind when she finished and that would be that.

“Young man, Lucas, can I give you a bit of advice,” she asked and waited for my affirmation. “Don’t let other people with their narrow-minded intolerant attitudes take your joy away. Cole, your husband, he adores you. And your little daughter, she is the most precious gift that you will ever receive. They should be the most important people in the world in your life. God has given them to you to love and protect. People can be arrogant asses. Your family is all that matters. They are your joy. You are doing them a great disservice by letting outsiders steal that joy away from you and them.”

She reached up and softly kissed my cheek, smiled, then returned to her family and the lively discussion the other three were having as if she’d never left. They were a unit, a whole thing unto itself. A family!

Cole was waiting for me at the entrance to the restaurant with a worried look on his face. He couldn't yet see the transformation going on inside me as I walked to join him. It wasn't visible on the outside. I took Libby’s seat from him, easily carrying it in one hand and grabbed Cole’s hand with my other. We walked through the parking lot to our car and with each step the smile on my face grew larger and larger until I could barely contain the love and joy and peace that were spreading through me.

She was right. I was letting those around me steal my family’s joy. I had everything that a man could ever ask for. A loving partner, who wasn't perfect but then neither was I and we had been through fire to get where we were now. Nothing would ever come between us again. We’d done the time and our marriage was rock solid because of it. We would grow old together.

And we had Libby. I never imagined ten years ago that I would be living an openly gay life with my husband and that we would be loving and raising our daughter together. She completed our family. My family!

Libby was all buckled into her seat but before Cole could snap his belt into place, I leaned across the console and kissed him passionately. When I finally let him go he was sucking in air trying to catch his breath and his cheeks were glowing.

“Wow! What got into you,” he asked as his breathing calmed and he snapped his seat belt.

“I love you. And I love Libby and I just wanted you to know you two are my joy and nothing and no one will ever take that away from me again.”

There you have it. I hope you enjoyed it and that you find your own joy and never let it go.

Surprise! Let me know how you like the banner above. Does it make you wonder where the beach is? Do you wish you could see the house floating in the shadows more clearly? Do you wonder what caused the red stain in the sand? Keep watching over the next few weeks. I'll be adding a phrase or two under the banner from my new work "Drifting Sands".

Oh and check back tomorrow for a short story I'm going to post here for you to read.

See you soon.

A Review of Shiver by Tiffinie Helmer

Here is my review for Shiver by Tiffinie Helmer I just don't know where to begin with this one. I have read all of Tiffinie Helmer's books and I am a fan. I won't deny that. I also won't deny that I have been waiting for this book and Aidan Harte's story for what seems like forever. He struck at my heartstrings in Hooked and I just couldn't forget him. Something about the combination of a man's dark brooding nature and a boy's need to be loved by his mother, his father...by anyone, just drew me in. He was a soul forgotten by the world and all he really wanted was to be accepted and loved, especially by the one woman he had never gotten over. Some of you will read this story and find Raven Maiski the heart of the story. A young girl who survived so much hurt and disappointment to become a woman strong enough to raise her son on her own and make a life for them. And you would be right too. Raven made a lot of mistakes and she carried a burden even her family didn't know. Her dying father's last words would not let her go or move on. The highlight for me of this story was Fox, Raven and Aidan's son. I don't want to give too much away but Fox was the radiant light in this story. He is a young man (eleven going on twelve) with more wisdom than most of the older folks around him. Wise enough to keep a secret from his mother that he knew she didn't want to face and strong enough to confront the man who was his father when he needed him to know. The sex between Aidan and Raven was passionate and wild just like the two of them. They were a soul match though it took them years to realize it. I'm never disappointed in the intimacy Ms. Helmer brings to her stories or the characters in them. I loved these characters. From the beginning of the story to the very end, you watch them grow, change into something more than they thought they could ever be. They were people I would love to know and have as friends. Fabulous job Tiffinie! And keep in mind that Fox would make a fabulous character study with an amazing story when he gets a little older. I'd love to read that one too! Check out Shiver here:

Things to Come

Good day everyone. As you can see, I've been trying to spruce of the blogger just a little. In the coming weeks, I will be adding a few new things as I learn my way around blogging. I will be adding reviews of recent books that I have read and think you might like to check out. And where you see the picture of my favorite mountains, you'll soon see a banner with something exciting I want to share with you. See you all very soon.

Cafe Risque: Interview with C.J. Baty

Here is the complete interview for Rainbow eBooks. Enjoy! Oh and I have some very good news I hope to be sharing in just a few days!! Cafe Risque: Interview with C.J. Baty: This week Rainbow eBooks was lucky enough to get a few questions answered by C.J. Baty author of A New Dream. We are always looking for mor...

I FINALLY DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Now you can all check out the fabulous books and inter the Rafflecopter! Thanks so much for being patient with me as I figure all these things out. Happy Reading!

Labor Day is fast approaching; a day that we take the time to recognize the economic and social contributions of hard working Americans! Many of us take the long weekend to barbeque, rest and relax and maybe even catch up on our sleep. But if you’re a true bibliophile, you are probably bypassing all of that in hopes of getting in some valuable reading time! This week, discovering new authors and taking advantage of their marked down titles can earn you entries toward a Kindle Fire or Nook HD, winner’s choice! With a diverse selection of books including Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, and Erotic Romance, you’re sure to find some awesome reads for the upcoming holiday weekend!

 This giveaway sponsored by:

Carly Fall

R.K. Ryals

Alicia Michaels

Elise Marion

Casse NaRome

Vivi Dumas

C.J. Baty

Peggy Martinez

Natalie G Owens

Kacey Hammell

Check out our selection of ebooks marked down to only $0.99 each for the duration of the giveaway. Once you've downloaded the ebook(s) of your choice, you will be emailed an invoice from wherever you purchased your ebook. Simply find which book you purchased on the Rafflecopter widget below and enter your invoice's order number (which does not contain any of your personal information). Each order number entered will earn you TEN entries toward the Kindle Fire or Nook HD. For every author whose page you follow on Facebook, you will receive one entry each. You can also receive an entry for tweeting about the giveaway on Twitter. So, get to browsing, get to know our sponsoring authors, and find your next favorite book! The winner will be drawn and notified September 3^rd.

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Books by Category:

 Paranormal Romance

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 Contemporary Romance

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Bottom Drawer

Publications

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Decadent Publishing

Young Adult/New Adult

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Erotic Romance

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So in case you couldn't see it or find it on Rainbow eBooks site here is a copy of the interview and book description for A New Dream. It turned out wonderfully.

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C.J. Baty C.J. Baty has been dreaming of writing all of her life; "For as long as I can remember, I’ve always kept journals, wrote little stories and made up stories to tell my children. It was my dream to be a published author from the time I was in high school but life happens. You grow up. You get married. You begin a career. You have children. Then one day your grown son says, “Mom what kind of dreams did you have when you were growing up. You’ve helped us follow ours. Why can’t you follow yours?” So A New Dream was my dream too." Most of her friends were shocked when they found out what kind of book A New Dream is. Baty retorts: "That’s one of the best things about being on the other side of middle age, you’ve lived long enough to realize that love is special no matter the age, race or sex of the individuals involved and you better hang on to it with all you have in you, when you find it. The other thing I’ve learned is it’s never, ever too late to follow your dream!" A New Dream A New Dream actually came from Baty's love of the mountains. "They have always been a great inspiration for me. The peace and quiet refreshes me and renews my strength. It just seemed natural that my very first published work would take place in a mountainous area." Baty reflects. In this tale a split-second of time and Walt’s dreams of Olympic gold were crushed along with his right leg when he was involved in a serious accident on the ski-fields during the preliminary trials. Now he’s teaching beginners on the ski slopes of Crystal Falls Lodge, run by his family in West Virginia, and wondering if he’ll ever crawl out of the pit that his life has become. Eventually, the look of devastation on his sister’s face at how much he’s let himself go, prompts him to try harder to experience life again. First on the list: a trip to town and a haircut. Curt Woodridge is used to traveling light. Ever since he was kicked out of home at eighteen, when his family found out he was gay, he’s been moving from one town to the next, performing in small bars and ski lodges to make his living. He is one of the lucky ones; he was saved from having to live on the streets by his agent and is genuinely happy with the way his life is going. After performing a great set at his latest gig, Curt decides to head into town and look around. He has seven days to kill before he’ll be moving on to the next gig. Neither man is ready for love, and definitely not on the streets of Flat Rock. But when neither of them is looking, quite literally, they fall hard. But how does a man who thought he’d lost everything dare to dream of a life with someone who is leaving town for good in less than a week? Not to give the ending away, but, Baty is a sucker for good endings; "my favorite part of writing is bringing the characters through to the happily ever after I wanted for them from the very first time I thought of them and their story."

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