Monday, November 19, 2018

Thanksgiving



It's that time of year when families gather together sharing thanks for everything they have. Good health, shelter, food, a job, each other. If you really think about it, we all have something we can give thanks for.

Social Media sites are filled with "I'm thankful for ...." and listing something to share with others. I have a challenge for you. This year, why not share the words 'I'm thankful you are a part of my life' with at least one person every day. 

Some folks make a habit of being thankful. A kind smile to the harried clerk at the check out. A 'Have a Good Day' to the waitress who brought you your morning coffee with a smile. A helping hand to someone who needs it. These are all just little things but you never know what that might do for another person. 

I'm also reminded of loved ones gone on at this time of year. One year ago today, we lost my husband's mother. She was a remarkable woman with a huge heart. She welcomed me into her family 43 years ago and always treated me as a daughter. 

I'm also reminded of a someone I barely knew who had a profound impact on the world of LBGQT romance authors and readers. Ethan Day left us early this month suddenly. It was a shock to lose someone so young and so vital to this community. My heart ached for those who had counted him as a friend and confidant. He left his mark on our community and the world. I'm sure GRL (Gay Romance Lit Event) will continue but the part he played will never be filled and he will be missed.

So, I'm thankful for my husband and my two amazing adult children. For my parents, now in their 80's, who have meant so much to me over the years. I'm thankful for the MM romance community and the authors that have become more than just friends. More than anything, I'm thankful to live in a country where even when I don't agree with everything going on, I can live my life as I see fit. I can chose to be filled with hate and anger or love and kindness. I think I'll chose love and kindness. How about you?

Blessings 
C.J.  

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Word Play

Picture



I am so excited to share some special news today. A very good friend of mine Kristine Raymond has begun a new podcast series. It's called Word Play with Kristine Raymond. You can read all about it on her website here:
 www.kristineraymond.com

The podcast series is called Word Play with Kristine Raymond. I was her very first guess. Please follow the link below and you will be able to listen in on our conversation.

Word Play with Kristine Raymond

What I love about this is it's not rehearsed. There are no formal questions. We just chat about things that are going on in our book lives. It's a great way to meet a new author too!

You should also check out Kristine's books. She's a wonderful author herself.

Have a great Sunday everyone.

CJ


Tuesday, October 30, 2018

J. Scott Coatsworth New Release


It is with great pleasure I introduce you to the amazing J. Scott Coatsworth's new release
"The Rising Tide". 


The Rising Tide

J. Scott Coatsworth has a new queer sci fi book out: "The Rising Tide."

Earth is dead.

Five years later, the remnants of humanity travel through the stars inside Forever, a living, ever-evolving, self-contained generation ship. When Eddy Tremaine and Andy Hammond find a hidden world-within-a-world under the mountains, the discovery triggers a chain of events that could fundamentally alter or extinguish life as they know it, culminate in the takeover of the world mind, and end free will for humankind.

Control the AI, control the people.

Eddy, Andy, and a handful of other unlikely heroes—people of every race and identity, and some who aren’t even human—must find the courage and ingenuity to stand against the rising tide.

Otherwise they might be living through the end days of human history.

Series Blurb: Humankind is on its way to the stars, a journey that will change it forever. Each of the stories in Liminal Sky explores that future through the lens of a generation ship, where the line between science fiction and fantasy often blurs. At times both pessimistic and very hopeful, Liminal Sky thrusts you into a future few would ever have imagined.


DSP Publications | Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | QueeRomance Ink | Goodreads




Giveaway

Scott is giving away two prizes with this tour - a $25 Amazon gift card, and a signed copy of “The Stark Divide,” book one in the series (US winner only for the paperback). For a chance to win, enter via Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d4734/?




Excerpt

The Rising Tide Meme

Eddy Tremayne rode his horse, Cassiopeia, along the edge of the pastures that were the last official human habitations before the Anatov Mountains. Several ranchers along the Verge—the zone between the ranches and the foothills—had reported losses of sheep and cattle in the last few weeks.

As the elected sheriff of First District, which ran from Micavery and the South Pole to the mountains, it was Eddy’s responsibility to find out what was going on.

He had his crossbow strapped to his back and his long knife in a leather sheath at his waist. He’d been carrying them for long enough now—three years?—that they had started to feel natural, but the first time he’d worn the crossbow, he’d felt like a poor man’s Robin Hood.

He doubted he’d need them out here, but sheriffs were supposed to be armed.

He’d checked with Lex in the world mind via the South Pole terminal, but she’d reported nothing amiss. In the last few years, she had begun to deploy biodrones to keep an eye on the far-flung parts of the world, but they provided less than optimal coverage. One flyover of this part of the Verge had shown a peaceful flock of thirty sheep. The next showed eight.

The rancher, a former neurosurgeon from New Zealand named Gia Rand, waited for him on the top of a grassy hill. The grass and trees shone with bioluminescent light, and the afternoon sky lit the surrounding countryside with a golden glow. The spindle—the aggregation of energy and glowing pollen that stretched from pole to pole—sparkled in the middle of the sky.

The rancher pulled on her gray braid, staring angrily at something in the valley below. “Took you long enough to get here.”

“Sorry. The train was out of service again.” Technology was slowly failing them, and they had yet to come up with good replacements.

She snorted. “One helluva spaceship we have here.”

He grinned. “Preaching to the choir.” Forever didn’t have the manufacturing base yet to support anything close to the technology its inhabitants had grown used to on Earth. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, if you asked him. With technology came new and better ways to kill. He’d seen it often enough in the NAU Marines. “What did you find?”

“Look.” Her voice was almost a growl.

Eddy looked down where she was pointing. “Oh shit.” Her missing sheep were no longer missing. They had been slaughtered.

He urged Cassiopeia down the hillside to the rocky clearing. A small stream trickled down out of the mountains there. He counted ten carcasses, as near as he could tell from the skulls left behind. Someone had sheared a couple of them and given up. It looked like they had skinned and cut the rest up for meat, the skin and bones and extra bits discarded.

Gia rode down the hillside behind him.

“Didn’t you report twelve sheep missing?”

She nodded. “Bastards took the two lambs. Probably for breeding.”

“That actually might help us.”

“How’s that?”

He dismounted to take a closer look at the crime scene. “They’ll have to pasture them somewhere. May make it easier to track them down.”

“Maybe so.” She dismounted and joined him. “This was brutal work. Look here.” She picked up a bone. “Whatever cut this was sharp but uneven. It left scratch marks across the bone.”

“So not a metal knife.”

“I don’t think so. Maybe a stone knife?”

He laughed harshly. “Are we back to caveman days, then?” It wasn’t an unreasonable question.

She was silent for a moment, staring at the mountains. “Do you think they live up there?”

“Who?” He followed her gaze. Their highest peaks were wreathed in wisps of cloud.

“The Ghosts.”

The Ghosts had been a persistent myth on Forever since their abrupt departure from Earth. Some of the refugees had vanished right after the Collapse, and every now and then something would end up missing. Clothes off a line, food stocks, and the like.

People talked. The rumors had taken on a life of their own, and now whenever something went missing, people whispered, “It’s the Ghosts.”

Eddy didn’t believe in ghosts. He personally knew at least one refugee who had disappeared, his shipmate Davian. He guessed there must be others, though the record keeping from that time had been slipshod at best. He shrugged and looked at the sky. “Who knows?” It was likely to rain in the next day or so. Whoever had done this had left a trail, trampled into the grass. If he didn’t follow it now, it might be gone by the time he got back here with more resources.

Gia knelt by one of the ewes, staring at the remnants of the slaughter. “Could you get me some more breeding stock? This… incident put a big dent in my herd.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” He took one last look around the site. It had to have taken an hour or two to commit this crime, and yet the thieves had apparently done it in broad daylight. Why weren’t they afraid of being caught? “I’m going to follow the trail, see where it leads.”

Gia nodded. “Thanks. We’re taking the rest of the herd back to the barn until you get this all figured out.”

“Sounds prudent. I’ll let you know.”

Slipping on his hat, he climbed back up on Cassie and followed the trail across the stream toward the Anatov Mountains.




Author Bio

Scott lives between the here and now and the what could be. Indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine, he devoured her library. But as he grew up, he wondered where the people like him were.
He decided it was time to create the kinds of stories he couldn’t find at Waldenbooks. If there weren’t gay characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

His friends say Scott’s brain works a little differently – he sees relationships between things that others miss, and gets more done in a day than most folks manage in a week. He seeks to transform traditional sci fi, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something unexpected.

A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, sites that bring queer people together to promote and celebrate fiction reflecitng their own reality.

Website: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com
Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth
Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworthauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jscoatsworth
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392709.J_Scott_Coatsworth
QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J.-Scott-Coatsworth/e/B011AFO4OQ/


LOGO - Other Worlds Ink

























































































































Saturday, October 27, 2018

GRL 2018



GRL 2018 has come and gone. What a world wind of excitement, love and friendship this event is. I was a "Newbie" to GRL this year and I received a button pin with two intertwined cherries on it. I met people who've attended 3, 5 or even 8 years, the number of GRL events that have taken place. Why, I wondered, would someone keep coming back year after year. Why? 

Here's what I discovered. GRL isn't just a book event where you can go meet your favorite authors. It's a place where you go to connect with those you already know and those you've shared social media with, sometimes for years. These people become new friends on a personal level. Most importantly GRL is a place where you can be yourself. 

It doesn't matter whether you are gay, lesbian, bi, pansexual, asexual, a trans man, a trans woman, trying to figure out where your place is in this spectrum of people, or like me an over sixty straight woman who just loves this genre and it's tribe. Yep, I said tribe, because when this group of diverse, multicultural people come together it becomes a family... a tribe... where everyone is accepted. 

Some might have personal issues with someone there but for a few short days, they put aside that and come together to share their love of books, authors, the written word and this genre in particular.

I also had the opportunity to meet an author who has personally inspired me on many levels. Josh Lanyon is a multi award winning writer in the MM genre. Her books have warmed my heart and made me think and she has been a gracious and kind internet friend. In person, she is just as gracious and just as inspiring. There were others as well, who have inspired me and challenged me as an author. GRL lets us all come together to encourage and uplift each other.

Now that I've been once, I don't ever want to miss another one. 

I'm busy working on Book 3 of the Knights Club and looking forward to the next 2 books as well. We're going to start a fire in our fire pit tonight and enjoy this crisp fall evening. I hope you are enjoying the weekend with your family as well. 

Love that Binds us All
CJ

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Cover Real **Letting Go**



I freaking love this cover!!! Thank you so much Kelly Abell and Select-O-Grafix for an amazing job.

Benedict Hart is curious and attracted to Calypso, the waiter at the Knights Club who enjoys wearing bright colors, bangle earrings and high heels! Red, gold, the higher the better! 

Coming October 18th. Look for the pre-order info in the next week!

CJ

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Sunday Musings/September 30, 2018


This has been a weekend of work and enjoyment. The weather is finally beginning to feel like autumn. The trees are still very green but the air is a little cooler in the morning and in the late evening. The AC doesn't kick on nearly as much as it did a week ago. My sinus's are thankful.

I finished the second book in the Knights Club series today. I'll be sending it off to my wonderful editor for polishing tomorrow. Calypso's story is different than Xavier and Seb's but then that's what makes this series so interesting. Each book stands alone and focuses on two different MC's but they are still all intertwined with the club and the people who work there. They are a family, much like any family the members are diverse in their characteristics. 

They love different. They hurt different too. I'm learning a lot from these characters and I'm excited to bring them to you.

Looking forward, October is going to be a very busy month. I'm so excited to be a featured author at GRL (Gay Romance Lit) this year. It will be my first GRL. So many people all gathered together in one place because of their love for LBGQT literature. Some of my favorite authors will be there and I get to be a fangirl for a little while. 

Then the holidays will be here before you know it. I hope your week is a good one filled with lots of fun and good weather. 

***SPECIAL OFFER***
Follow me on Bookbub and I will send you a free copy of "A New Dream". Just leave me a comment with your email address and I'll send it to you. 

Hugs 
CJ 

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Sunday Musings


It's almost that time of year again. In a few weeks, if the weather continues to turn cooler, our street will be lined with trees like the ones above. When I visit our place in Tennessee, the air smells crisp and fresh too. It's like Mother Nature is giving us the beautiful cascade of colors before the cold gray of winter seeps in. 

I love the smell of fires burning and the dewy grass in the morning. I've always found this time of year to be a renewal to my spirit. I see God's hand in everything this time of year. 

This past week was a hard one. Life can sometimes take us by storm. Decisions need to be made. Unexpected bills fill our mailboxes. It's life. Good things happen too. I've been so blessed that my new release, Starting Over, has done so well. I've had amazing reviews and some not so amazing. But, someone is reading my work and that's what matters to me. 

I'm getting to attend my first GayRomanceLit event. Riding the waves of excitement and scared "well you know what". As much as I love to meet readers and other authors, this event is huge for me. I'm used to being one of a handful of M/M authors at a venue. GRL is all authors with a heart for the LBGQT community. I'm just a little dot on a big card at this event. I'm also a fangirl of some of the other authors as well. They've encouraged me with their skill and their words. 

Today we celebrated my husband's birthday and next week we will celebrate 43 years of marriage. What a milestone for a couple to achieve? It's never been easy but it's been worth it. 

So on this Sunday, I guess I'm just reflecting on things happening now and things to come. What causes you to reflect? 

hugs,
CJ


Friday, September 14, 2018

"Starting Over" The Knights Club Series Book #1


So excited to present the cover reveal of The Knights Club Series
Book 1
Starting Over

This is Xavier Knight and Sebastian Brady's story.





Xavier Knight was starting his life over. A new city. A new club. The past was gone, and he had everything to look forward to… except… love. That ship had sailed, never to return. He was too old to play the games or stack up the one night stands. Until, an old enemy’s son walked into his club and his heart.
Sebastian Brady was through. Through with hiding who he was. Through letting his brother officers dictate his life. And completely through, with his family telling him who he was. He turned his back on his badge and his family’s heritage in the Atlanta police force. But, he never imagined that he’d be serving drinks in a gay bar and working for the hottest silver fox he had ever seen in his life.
Xavier and Seb have a lot to learn from each other. Hopefully, their growing love will survive Xavier’s past, Seb’s family, and a host of characters with secrets of their own, who all work at the Knights Club.

Welcome to the club

Thursday, September 13, 2018

See Me by Melanie Jayne


Release Date: September 13, 2018

Tagline: These Aren’t your Grandma’s Type of Werewolves

Buy Links



BLURB:

SEE ME - The Novus Pack Book 1

Throughout history, The Lady, Goddess of the Lycan world, has gifted werewolf packs with humans who carry her mark. Theodora Morrissey’s plans to return to college for her graduate degree are ended when she is awakened by an otherworldly voice on a rarely used airstrip in Nebraska. Injured and disoriented, she has no idea the discoloration on her back has marked her as a Seer, and that she is now a possession—and the prisoner—of the Novus Pack of Lycans.  

To the Novus pack, the word of their leader, their Laird, is the law. With compelling gray eyes and long dark hair, Raider Black rules his pack with intelligence and ruthlessness. To cement the security of his pack, Black has committed to mate another Packleader's daughter. But he’s finding it impossible to fight his attraction to the pack’s alluring new Seer, claiming her as his own.


Sweet, fearless, and unintentionally funny, Theo upends Black’s world and pushes the boundaries of his rules. How far is Raider willing to go, and what will he sacrifice, to save both his pack and the human Seer who’s found a way not only into his bed, but his heart?


Saturday, September 8, 2018

Coming Soon



Just a few more days until the cover reveal for Starting Over Book 1 in the Knights Club Series. Release day is September 18. 

Monday, September 3, 2018

Starting Over (Book 1) The Knights Club



September 18, 2018




I am so excited to announce the release date for Starting Over book one in the Knights Club Series. The cover will be revealed on September 14, 2018. The pre-order will be available on Amazon in the next day or two.

In addition to the first book, I am also announcing the approximate release dates and the titles to the rest of the books in the series.

Starting Over                  September 18, 2018
Letting Go                      October 23, 2018
Coming Out                    November 29, 2018
Learning Trust                December 27, 2018
Deserving Forgiveness   January 20, 2019

All the stories will be in e-book format and available across all book selling sites. (Look for buys links for Starting Over very soon.)

I hope you enjoy getting to know Xavier Knight, Sebastian Brady, his brothers and the cast of characters who work and love at the Knights Club. They are family and like all families, sometimes there's a little angst mixed in with the love.

Sunday, August 19, 2018

SUPER for you, BAD for me by Asta Idonea



Super for You, Bad for Me
Asta Idonea
Dreamspinner Press
14 August 2018
60k/200 pages
MM/Fantasy/Superheroes

Struggling actor Oswell Outterridge thinks he’s hit the jackpot when he’s chosen to play a scene opposite his idol, Kane Teague, in a superhero movie. However, things take an unexpected turn when the slime he accidentally ingests gives him telekinetic powers. Then Kane asks him out, against all expectation, and it seems that life couldn't get any better—aside from the little matter of keeping his identity secret from his celebrity boyfriend. Oswell goes from a nobody with little social life and few prospects for the future to dating the man of his dreams and using his superhuman abilities to defend innocents. Everything is perfect, and it seems he’s finally achieved a happily ever after worthy of the silver screen. But when a supervillain arrives, determined to defeat Oswell and win Kane's affections, everything falls apart. In the ensuing conflict, Kane gets caught in the crossfire, and Oswell faces his toughest fight yet. Can he remain the hero he’s always imagined himself, or will a dark desire for vengeance change him forever?


Review 💖💖💖💖

First off, I adore this author and her writing style. She breathes life into her characters and makes them real to the reader. Second, I don't normally read super hero books but I wanted to read the story because of the author. I'm glad I did.

Oswell Outterridge is quite the unusual character or is he. He has the same hopes and dreams as every man does. He wants a job he loves and someone to share his life, oh and a better apartment. When he's given the opportunity to act in a scene with his star crush, Kane Teague, he's thrilled. Due to an accident on set, Oswell suddenly develops super powers and gets a date with Kane.

While he struggles to come to grips with his new powers, he also becomes more involved with Kane and soon realizes he is a great person. He's nothing like Oswell assumed and it's not long until they fall in love. Life looks pretty good, then along comes the super villain to destroy Oswell's new world.
Tragic circumstances lead Oswell down a path of darkness that he might not be able to return from. In the end he must make a decision that pulls at his moral compass.

Lots of twists and turns make for an interesting read. Add in a love story and you can't go wrong. 

The Book Depository
Author Bio & Links
Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J. Markus) was born in England but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel, all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.



Tuesday, July 31, 2018

They Are Coming



The Knights Club

Will be a series of 5 books with stories about the men who work, live and love at the Knight's Club.

Previously owned by Stoney Whitecastle from the Warfield Hotel Mysteries Series, Xavier Knight buys the club and changes the name. An old friend, Damien Fitzgerald (also from the Warfield Series), asks him to give someone a chance at a job.

Enter Sebastian Brady, Seb to his friends, and the Brady family of cops. His brothers Zachary and Malachi, along with his baby sister Katelyn make up the rest of the family. 

Join Xavier and Seb as they grow their Knights Club family with an array of characters you are going to love. There's Calypso, Rio, Philip, Robbie and the people they fall in love with too. It's going to be a bumpy ride to happiness for a few of these amazing characters. Come along and enjoy, just be sure to hold on tight!

Book 1 releases, mid September 2018 with a new book in the series releasing approximately 4 to 6 weeks later.  

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Cover Reveal

It is my pleasure to bring to you the cover reveal of JM Wolf's upcoming release

"Adams Trial"

COVER REVEAL


Book Title: Adam’s Trial (Trials in Abingdon Book Two)

Author: JM Wolf

Cover Artist: Rue Volley

Release Date: July 27, 2018

Genre/s: Gay Fiction, Gay Romance, May/December, Contemporary



Blurb

“Sometimes, facing your personal trial could be a life or death situation. Do you have the courage to overcome the obstacles in your life before time runs out?”

Determined to protect his older brother’s wedding, professional chef Jerrick Ramhart makes a deal with his cruel, homophobic parents. One that involves keeping his true desires locked away and deceiving his brother Gerard and his new family in Abingdon. In exchange, his parents agree to leave Gerard and his fiancé Jace alone. Jerrick doesn’t mind the sacrifice, just as long as Gerard gets the happily ever after he deserves. What he doesn’t expect is a fateful encounter with a wild, red-headed pop star. An encounter that threatens to expose Jerrick’s secret life.

Recording artist Adam “Adam Love” Walker is known for living his life the way he wants. Doing and saying whatever he wants and not caring who likes it. Why shouldn’t he? After all, Adam isn’t sure when his life will suddenly come to an end. But after an unforgettable night with a sexy chef, Adam starts singing a different tune. Jerrick is everything Adam wants in a man, but what’s the point of being in a relationship if he can’t promise Jerrick forever?

What happens when polar opposites with secrets cross paths in the most unexpected way? Adam begins to show Jerrick what it’s like to be free, and Jerrick is slowly showing Adam what life has to offer him. As stubborn as these two are, will they learn to accept each other before one of them checks out forever?

TRIGGER WARNING

This book contains sexual adult content, mental and physical health issues, minor violence, and talks of death. 

*This is Book 2 in the series, but can be read as a standalone story - no cliffhangers*


Excerpt

Well now things were getting interesting. If he wanted us to have alone time, did that mean we were finally going to be together? Or was I reading the situation wrong?

“O-Oh.” I said dumbly.

Adam chuckled and slowly headed toward me, like a lion getting ready to pounce on his pray. Adam sure was primal enough to devour me.

Feeling my heart speed up, I began walking backwards until I felt my back against the counter, unable to move anywhere else. But Adam kept coming until his chest was firmly pressed against mine. He was so fucking close his scent tickled my nostrils. He smelled of Cinnamon and…wow…ginger, and it was already becoming my favorite fragrance. Maybe I could bottle it up for myself. Eau de Ginger. Or I could probably make a profit off it.

“What are you snickering about?” Adam asked in amusement.

“Nothing.”

“Liar.”

I chuckled “Okay fine. I was thinking about how good you smell.”

“Oh? Is that right?” Adam purred as he slowly ran his tongue from my left collar bone and up my neck.

“Fuck,” I panted, feeling my erection growing painfully hard.

“You know what I’m thinking about, Mr. Sexy chef?”

I shook my head since it felt like my voice was no longer available for use.

Gripping my bicep with his right hand, Adam reached up with his left to grip my hair and forcibly tilt my head back. He growled as he bit down on my neck and sucked on the skin.

My mouth hung open as a moan of pleasure left me. My whole body vibrated, and if it wasn’t for him pinning me to the counter I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be standing up at that moment.

Once Adam was done leaving his mark on me, he licked the dark spot he left behind before trailing his tongue up to my ear and began nipping at my lobe.

“Fuck, Adam!” I whimpered, not caring how needy I sounded.

I was sure if he kept this up I’d end up jizzing in my pants without even touching my throbbing dick.

“I’m thinking that I’m sick of playing games with you.” Adam whispered in my ear.

“W-What? W-W-What do you mean?” I panted in a shaky breath.

Adam licked along the ridge of my ear before saying, “I mean that this tip toeing back and forth about our relationship is getting old. I’m fucking tired of waiting. I want you Jerrick. I want you so fucking bad. If you don’t feel the same way, tell me now. Because otherwise, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.”

Oh, halle-fucking-lujah! Praise Jesus!

“Want you! Need you! Please, Adam take me! Please!” I begged.


About the Author

JM Wolf never thought he would one day say that he's a published M/M romance author. Having a poet for a mother and a sister to once ran a blog, it was only a matter of time before JM discovered his writing genes. In the beginning, his sole purpose in life was to be a singer/songwriter. Writing lyrics was the first step putting his thoughts onto paper. Even while singing, JM always found time to dabble with writing little short stories but never thought too much about it.

Once he reached adulthood, his music dreams left him, but not the feeling for writing down what was in his mind. However, that didn't mean music no longer played a part in JM's life. His debut book The Black Feather was inspired by one of his favorite songs. Whether lyrics or love stories, you will always find JM's heart and soul in every word on paper.

JM Wolf lives in Chesapeake, VA with his husband and in-laws. When he's not writing, you can always find reading a good book, spending time with the love of his life, or jamming out to music. He didn't pick the world of literature, the literary world picked him.

Friday, July 6, 2018

The Knights Club Prologue

I'm introducing my next series today. The Knights Club takes place in Atlanta GA. Some of you, who have read the Warfield Hotel Mysteries Series, will remember the club that Stoney Whitecastle owned, the Gentleman's Club. From this prologue, you learn he has sold the club to Xavier Knight. Though this is not part of the Warfield Hotel world, you may find a couple of the characters popping in during this series.


The Knights Club

Prologue
Stoney Whitecastle watched as his friend Xavier Knight signed the last of the documents the lawyer had spread out before them. When Xavier signed the last paper, the club would be his. A season of Stoney’s life would be over. In the bar below the office they sat in, he knew men were meeting other men. Some were looking for love, others only wanted a quick fuck for the night. Some danced, others shared a drink and talked quietly. Things would go on just the same with Xavier at the helm.

He was just twenty-five when Stoney opened the club. The years since had changed many things for gay men. More men were living openly in their communities, at their jobs and within their families. In the deep south, there were still stigmas associated with being gay, but Stoney admitted it was better.

Not like when Stoney had first realized his own inclinations. At that time, it was all back alleys and cheap seedy hotels. One offs with men you never even had a name for. It was dangerous and an adrenaline rush at the same time. That was until, men started dying.

Stoney had lost count of the men whom he had counted as friends, who had lost their lives to HIV and AIDS. He knew he was damned lucky that he’d survived without experiencing the touch of death’s hand. For a man his age, passing the sixty mark, he was healthy and fit, but alone. He hadn’t planned on that.

He missed Ian. The two-year anniversary of his partner’s murder was approaching. The first year after Ian was gone, Stoney didn’t come to the club. His assistant manager had taken over and ran everything. He traveled for a while. Anything to stay away from the places that reminded him of Ian.

After a while, he had to come home and face reality. The house he’d shared with Ian in Miami wasn’t home anymore, so he sold it. The condo in Atlanta held fewer memories, so moving back into it made more sense. Justin Warfield and his brother Peter invited him to the Warfield Hotel often, but he just couldn’t face going to the place where Ian had been killed.

Time had healed a lot of the pain. When he thought about Ian now, it was more about missing him in the everyday little patterns of their lives. Stoney knew he was too old and not lucky enough to find that kind of love again. Selling the club had been the last piece of Ian’s life that he had been holding on to.

“So, what are you going to do now,” Xavier asked while the lawyer arranged the papers into three piles.

“I’m taking a Pacific Ocean cruise. It’s leaving from San Francisco next Friday and I won’t be back for three months,” Stoney answered.

“Damn.”

“I’m going to spend a few weeks in several different locations. Maybe I’ll write a book.” Stoney laughed.

“Here you go gentlemen.” The lawyer handed each of the men a folder with the papers neatly stacked inside. He shook hands with Stoney and Xavier before he left the office.
“Have a drink?” Xavier asked. “It’s on the house.”

“Thanks, but I’m going to pass and go down the backstairs, if you don’t mind,” Stoney hugged Xavier as he spoke.

 “I’ll take good care of her,” Xavier offered, as they broke their embrace.

“I know you will.”


Coming September 2018
This will be series of 5 books. Each one about a different character who works at the club. This is a diverse and mixed bag of people. They are all novella length, approximately 25,000 words. Contemporary Gay Romance with extra heat. I am also planning a FM story in the mix as well. I plan on releasing one book a month starting in September as strictly e-book format.  

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Witchbane by Morgan Brice


BOOK BLAST


Book Title: Witchbane

Author: Morgan Brice

Publisher: Darkwind Press

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Genre/s: urban fantasy MM paranormal romance

Length: 82 000 words/244 pages





Blurb

Seth Tanner and his brother Jesse's fun evening debunking local urban legends ends with Jesse's gruesome murder. Seth vows revenge on Jesse's killer--too bad the murderer has been dead for a hundred years. Seth uncovers a cycle of ritual killings that feed the power of a dark warlock's immortal witch-disciples, and he's hell bent on stopping Jackson Malone from becoming the next victim. He's used to risking his neck. He never intended to risk his heart.

Excerpt

Seth

How the hell did I end up on a date with a cute bartender? Seth walked beside Sonny as they meandered around downtown Richmond. Still, being with Sonny felt comfortable, in a way Seth hadn’t felt with anyone in a long time. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to get to know one of the locals, blow off a little steam, and make a friend who might be able to help him find the elusive Jackson Malone.

Seth had spent all evening watching Sonny tend bar. Sonny was good at his job, helpful to the servers, and made the customers feel at home. He was also damn good looking, and his worn jeans pulled just right across his toned ass. So when Sonny started throwing signals, Seth responded, and suddenly the evening had taken an unexpected turn.

“What do you do for fun?” Sonny asked, making conversation as they walked. Seth knew that behind the casual questions, Sonny was trying to figure out whether taking Seth home was a good idea. Seth found himself wanting to make a good impression.

“I read,” Seth said, sticking as close to the truth as he could. “Watch movies. Action flicks, superheroes, that kind of thing. Play video games, when I have the time. When I got out of the service, I thought I’d take a little time off to see the country, so I’m finally taking the road trip I promised myself.”

“By yourself?” Sonny sounded torn between being impressed and concerned.

Seth shrugged. “I’ve got friends scattered around, from the army and before. So I drop in and catch up. But yeah, mostly by myself. Clears my mind, you know?”

I should just ask him about Malone,Seth thought. The clock’s ticking. If Malone is a regular, Sonny’ll know.Then again, asking the guy he might be hooking up with about another dude was awkward, to say the least. It’s not like I can say, “I need to protect this guy I don’t know from a dark warlock. Do you have his number?”

“You want to go get some coffee?” Sonny asked after they had walked for a while. “This place I know has really good desserts, and it’s a nice place to just sit and chill for a while.”

It had been so long since Seth had been on anything resembling a date that he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. “Sure,” he said, less because he wanted dessert than because he didn’t want his time with Sonny to end yet.

Maybe he’d misread the signals. He’d thought Sonny was interested in him. Like, interested.Not that Seth wanted to have a quickie in the alley behind the bar, but he hadn’t expected Sonny to want to invest time getting to know him. After all, Sonny knew Seth was just passing through. It’s not like there might be a relationship to build.

And yet, as Sonny led him to a cool little indie coffee shop with an Edgar Allen Poe theme, Seth discovered that he felt all right with taking it slow. He liked that Sonny wasn’t rushing things, focused just on getting into Seth’s pants. It had been a long time since Seth had spent time with an attractive guy just talking...and flirting. God, he was rusty. But Sonny made it seem easy. Somehow, just sitting and chatting seemed natural, unforced. And for the first time in a long while, Seth felt himself relax.

“If you want to talk sports, you’re out of luck,” Sonny admitted as they found a cozy alcove with two plump leather chairs angled for conversation. “I know the scores for the latest games because the TV plays in the bar, but I don’t follow any teams.”

“Thank God,” Seth replied, settling into his chair. “I’m better on cars and motorcycles if that’s your thing.”

“I’m not a true gearhead, but I had an uncle who ran a garage and I used to help out in the summers.” Sonny paused to drink his coffee. They’d each paid for their own, but Seth had overheard Sonny’s order. Chai latte. Fancy, but hardly flamboyant. Seth splurged and added cream to his regular coffee. It tasted as good as it smelled.

“I learned to do some basic repairs, more out of necessity than anything else,” Seth admitted. “I’ve got a long way to go before I can strip a car down to the axles and rebuild it...although I think it’s cool to watch someone who can.”

The conversation turned to video games, a passion they both indulged, and Seth enjoyed the chance to talk in detail about his favorites with someone else who had played them through. “We should so do a campaign together,” Seth said and wrote down his username on a napkin for the big multiplayer game they both enjoyed. On impulse, he added his phone number. His heartbeat spiked when he slid the napkin to Sonny, afraid he’d been too forward. But when Sonny tore off a part of the napkin and returned the favor—including the phone number—Seth relaxed again.

“It’ll be fun to campaign with someone I’ve actually met,” Sonny replied. “So many of the guys out there are total douchebags.”

Seth was about to agree when Sonny’s phone rang. “Sorry, it’s work. Gotta take this.” Sonny frowned at the distraction. He listened for a moment, and his expression morphed from annoyance to resignation. “Okay. Give me twenty. Thanks.”

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and looked up at Seth. “I’m really sorry. Eddie, the guy who was supposed to work the night shift, got really sick and had to leave. Liam can’t handle both bars himself. So...I need to go in.”

“That’s okay.” Seth tried to ignore his disappointment. Even if they didn’t end up in bed, he’d been enjoying the company. “This was fun.” Had Sonny set it up for a co-worker to call him with an out if the evening didn’t shape up the way he wanted? Maybe Sonny had been waiting for Seth to make the first move, and decided things weren’t moving along fast enough? S***, how can I f*** up a date?

Sonny leaned over and put his hand on Seth’s arm. “I had a great time,” he said, making a point of meeting Seth’s gaze. “And if you’re still in town, I get off at seven tomorrow, too. If Eddie’s still sick I’ll make sure Liam has a different replacement. So come by if you want to try this again. Maybe go back to my place afterward, you know, Netflix and chill?”

“I’d like that,” Seth said, surprised at how warm Sonny’s hand felt on his arm. “Can I walk you back to Treddy’s?” Since he figured that they had both parked behind the bar, it only seemed right.

“Sounds like a plan,” Sonny agreed. They finished their coffees and headed out into the night. The walk back passed quickly, and Seth discovered he didn’t have to stretch to make small talk. Chatting with Sonny came naturally, and Seth felt a little sad to find them in front of Treddy’s so quickly.

“See you tomorrow?” Sonny dared to stretch up to brush a quick kiss over Seth’s lips. He had pulled away before Seth collected his wits enough to think about kissing back.

“Definitely,” Seth replied, hoping he didn’t sound twitterpated after the surprise of the kiss. Sonny shot him a wink and disappeared inside, and it took Seth another minute to realize he needed to move away from the door.

Sonny’s kiss went through him like a bolt of lightning right to his balls. Seth turned away from the doorway and tried to subtly adjust himself. The Hayabusa sat right where he had parked it, but Seth paused to think about his grocery list and what was in his laundry basket so that he didn’t have to ride home with a hard-on.

Back at the campground, Seth let himself into the trailer, surprised at how disappointed he felt. When he’d gone to Treddy’s, he’d expected to have a beer, chat up the bartender and some regulars about Malone, and make an early night of it. Now he felt a little cheated—and frustrated. Seth fished a beer out of the fridge and sat at his laptop.

His phone chirped as he waited for the laptop to power up, and for a moment, he found himself hoping Sonny had decided to text him. He’d already added Sonny to his contacts. Instead, “Luis” came up, and Seth resigned himself to talking shop.

“Hey, Luis. What’s up?”

“Hey, yourself. I couldn’t turn up anything on that warlock in Richmond you’re chasing, but I did get some hits on the one in Pittsburgh. Noah and I were over that way last week chasing a pack of shifters, and I had the chance to dig around while we were there.”

“Thanks,” Seth replied, trying to get his head back into the game. “Your hunt go all right?”

“We’re alive, and the shifters aren’t, so I guess that’s a win. Normally, I’d be ‘live and let live,’ you know? But this pack had gone gangland, and they’d already killed three cops. So Noah and I took care of it.” He paused. “I got banged around plenty, but Noah got clawed in the leg, so we’re holed up until that heals.”

“That sucks, man. But I’m glad you’re mostly okay.” Luis and Noah were friends of Toby’s, some of the first hunters Seth had met. Since then, he’d gotten to know several other teams, either people he happened upon in the field or friends of friends. He hadn’t found it unusual that many hunters worked in teams, but the number of those teams that were more than just work partners did give him pause. Then again, hunting was a lonely job, and “civilians” didn’t understand. Some of the hunters he’d heard about had a home base and kept to a radius. Many of them traveled like he did, from job to job. Seth supposed that hunting solo was the perfect gig for natural loners. If he were honest with himself, Seth had to admit he was a little jealous of guys like Luis and Toby, who’d found partners in every sense of the word.

“You get any leads on the Richmond warlock?” Luis asked. “Noah and I aren’t too far away—if you want back-up.”

Seth knew Toby’s opinion of him going after Gremory’s disciple by himself. His mentor had waxed obscenely creative in telling him just how foolhardy he thought it was for Seth to go up against the warlock solo. But Seth also knew that neither Luis nor Noah had any magic of their own, and so he didn’t want to be responsible for getting anyone else hurt.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll be okay. I appreciate it, though. And if I can help you out, just call.”

“We’re near Cleveland if you change your mind. Got a line on a couple of vengeful ghosts to put down once Noah’s healed up. But we could be in Richmond overnight if we hauled ass.”

“Go gank those ghosts,” Seth replied. “I’ve got this. Thanks for the intel. Anything you turn up on the witch-disciples, shoot my way. And let me know how to return the favor.”

“Sure thing,” Luis replied. “Watch your back.”

Seth hung up, and somehow the trailer felt emptier than usual. He turned on some music and pulled out a file on Corson Valac, Gremory’s disciple who had made Richmond his home. But as he slogged through the information, he found his focus had gone to s***. His mind wandered, wondering how Sonny’s evening was going.

Did Sonny make a habit of picking up dates at the bar? Seth wanted to think their connection had been special, but a guy who looked like Sonny would have his pick of partners, and Treddy’s probably turned into a meat market late night. He hoped that Sonny had been telling the truth about meeting up with him tomorrow.

But was he going back tomorrow? After all, he only had four days until Halloween, when Valac was likely to make a move against Malone, and Seth still didn’t know what either Malone or Valac looked like, or where to find them. Maybe the whole thing with Sonny was a bad idea, a diversion he couldn’t afford when Malone’s life was on the line.

Then again, Sonny might be a good ally, someone who could lead him to Malone and who knew the area. And if he spent the day chasing down leads, trying to uncover Valac’s current identity and getting his bearings, surely he could spare a few hours in the evening? Does it count as interrogating a witness if I’m giving him a hand job while I ask the questions?

By one a.m., Seth finally gave up on research, pitched the beer bottle, and headed for bed. And if he jacked himself off to thoughts about a certain dark-haired bartender, Seth figured that was his dirty little secret.


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Review
4 Rainbow Stars

This is the first book I've read by Morgan Brice and I was not disappointed in the quality of the storytelling or the depth of the characters. From the very beginning Seth, pulled at my heart strings. He lost his brother in an impossible situation that he was not prepared for and he was left with the burden of not being able to save him. 

Magic, evil demons, shape shifters were all real. Seth had worked hard and long for two years to be prepared to stop the demon Gremory from killing again. It's the only thing he wants, to find the evil creature that killed his brother Jesse and destroy him before he can kill again. The time was right and thanks to some of his buddies, he even had the next victims name. His only problem was finding him and getting him to believe the crazy threat was real. He doesn't have time for anything else, especially not falling for the very hot bar tender "Sonny" at Treddy's bar.

Sonny(Evan) has problems of his own. He's running from an abusive boyfriend and he doesn't trust anyone. When he sees a good looking man at his bar who seems to be giving him the right answers to his questions, he thinks he's got the chance to hook up with a really hot guy. He had no idea everything was going to go to hell when he gets the guy home.

I liked the pace of this book. There was a nice balance between the evil things happening and the lust/love developing between Seth and Evan. I found Evan to be a little bit whiny at times. Be warned there is some graphic violence, but after all, it is a book about a demon killer. All in all, I found the story development easy to follow and the characters easy to root for. I was surprised by Gremory's spy who kept an eye on Evan until the master needed him for the blood ritual and the identity of Gremory himself. It made the ending of the book especially powerful.





About the Author 


Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions.

Morgan Brice will be a Supporting Author at the Gay Romantic Lit convention and a Hosting Author at RomCon in October.


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