Bayou Book Junkie: Blog Tour ~ Changing On The Fly – M/M Hockey Charity Anthology ~ (Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Blog Tour ~ Changing On The Fly – M/M Hockey Charity Anthology ~ (Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Blog Tour ~ Changing On The Fly – M/M Hockey Charity Anthology ~ (Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)
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TITLE: Changing On The Fly – M/M Hockey Charity Anthology

AUTHOR: Avon Gale, V.L. Locey, Cherylanne Corneille, Mary Smith, Heather Lire, Samantha Wayland

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

COVER ARTIST: Jen Needles

LENGTH: 368 Pages

RELEASE DATE: October 12, 2016

BLURB: Changing on the Fly is a celebration of romance, featuring six M/M stories about hockey players falling in love on – and off – the ice. All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to a charity that supports inclusiveness in athletics.

The anthology will be available starting in October, 2016, for a limited time only.

It includes the following stories:

Even Strength by Cherylanne Corneille

Next Season by Avon Gale

Going Home by Heather Lire

On Broadway by V.L. Locey

The Brother and the Retired Player by Mary Smith

Take a Shot by Samantha Wayland

V.L. Locey’s On Broadway:

"You're about as far from being just a guy as I am from being able to play “Rocket Man” on harmonica.”

"Is that the song your mom named you after?" I fell back to the bed, feet dangling to the floor and hands clasped behind my head.

"Good guess." He appeared behind me after a moment. I tipped my head back to look at him. His green eyes were darker now, smoky jade and hot with desire. "You're really sexy in a Toby McGuire Spider-Man kind of way."

"I don't have any superpowers," I replied as he leaned over and placed his hands on either side of my head.

"Not true," Rocket whispered before covering my mouth with his. My eyes drifted shut as my fingers knotted up the bedding. His mouth was hot and wet, his tongue skilled, his taste a subtle blend of Korean buffet. "You're Riley Zeally," he murmured between nibbling kisses that made my heart pump faster, "the face of professional hockey."

I reached up from the duvet to push my fingers into his hair. "I want you," I panted between his short, maddening sweeps of my mouth.

Samantha Wayland’s Take a Shot:

“There already is someone who loves to spend time with you, who loves hockey and your friends and their ridiculous pranks. Who gets that you have to travel and that you’re tired!”

Tim blinked, appearing utterly bewildered. “Who?”

“Me, you asshole! Me.”

Tim threw his hands in the air. “What about you?”

“I appreciate you exactly as you are. I love our life. Our friends. You. Even the super fucking irritating things, because apparently there is something wrong with me. I love that you can’t hide what you’re feeling, almost ever. And that you say what you’re thinking, even when I can’t do the same. I like living with you, a fucking neat-freak nudist, and working with you, and there’s never been a time, not once, that I was tired of being around you. You’re gorgeous and you’re kind and you’re the best person I know. So shut up about there not being someone who can appreciate everything about you. There already is. And unfortunately for you, it’s me.”

Heather Lire’s Going Home

“What the fuck, man?” Blake growled at Dex.

“What?” he asked, innocently. Too innocently. “I was just making conversation with an old friend from high school. One who helped both of us graduate.”

If he’d known when he started this trip down memory lane that he’d be running into the person who’d had a staring roll in the epic disaster that had been his last night in town, he’d never have started it. Micah had also held a staring roll in every single one of his sexual fantasies back then as well.

“Fuck you, Dex.”

“Think about it like this…this is a new start for both of us. A chance to fix the things in our lives that we fucked up. Me with my career and you with Micah.”

Cherylanne Corneille’s Even Strength

He took a few laps around their end of the rink to loosen his legs. On his fourth pass around the net, he picked up a stray puck and carried it on his stick before shooting it into the net. Boone bumped his shoulder and nodded toward the glass as they rounded their end of the rink again.

What the hell? He glanced in the direction his teammate indicated. Two men around his age wearing New York’s jerseys held up a brightly colored sign that said simply, “Thank you, Nate.” He puzzled on the meaning until he made another lap. One of them also held a small rainbow flag.

Mary Smith’s The Brother and the Retired Player

Our lips touch, and the spark is struck. He pulls me closer and grips my hips. I can feel his hardness already, and my dick twitches at the contact. Our kiss intensifies as our tongues touch. I hold him closer, and the light scruff of his pale beard tickles me. I never want to leave this spot, but finally, I pull back.

Avon Gale’s Next Season

Nick stopped as Sparrow went to get into his Escalade, which he’d somehow remote started the second they got out of the building. Nick drove a 2002 Ford Focus and was lucky if it started when the key was in the ignition.

“So, uh,” Nick said, not wanting to just walk off but still as uncertain as he’d been in the locker room about what to say. “See you in Philly, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Sparrow muttered, yanking the door to his luxury SUV open with too much force. “See you in Philly, kid.”

Nick managed to get his own car door open, grabbed his ice scraper, and turned the car on so he could blast the heat. He watched Sparrow drive away, leaving tire tracks in the snow.

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***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***

Changing the Fly is a six story anthology all about hockey and the proceeds will go to a charity that supports inclusiveness in athletics! This anthology introduced me to some new authors, and gave me some great hockey action! Each story is rated on a 1, 2, or 3 flaming puck scale in the anthology. The stories included in the anthology are:

Even Strength by Cherylanne Corneille

This story is about Nate and Tristan, an already established couple having to work through relationship troubles as they have less time together and Nate faces some difficulty with people who are not supportive of him being gay in hockey. This is a 1 flaming puck story and is mostly about Nate's rookie year and the difficulties of being gay while on the ice. There wasn't a lot of time spent on their relationship, though they both realized they needed to do better. I thought the story of Nate helping the little girl and her daddies was sweet. This was a sweet introduction to this author for me.

Next Season by Avon Gale

In this story we see Nick and Sparrow traded in a joint deal. Sparrow is unhappy with his trade but Nick is excited because he's getting to play professional hockey. Not only have they been traded to the same team, they also have to share a house together until they can each get their own place. Sparrow wasn't friendly and Nick was starstruck and crushing on Sparrow. Their attraction and relationship moved quickly, but it seemed perfect for the length of this story. This is a 3 flaming pucks story and was really enjoyable to read!

Going Home by Heather Lire

I was really enjoying this story when it ended. Turns out it's not a full story, but the first couple of chapters in an upcoming novel. Honestly, I was pretty annoyed by this, I'm not a fan of (aka: hate) cliffhangers. This was the first time I've heard of or read anything from this author and what was available was good.

On Broadway by VL Locey

In this story, a hockey player comes across a homeless guy and can't get him out of his mind. Later when he runs into him, he takes him out for dinner and then pays him for sex. After some violence, Riley then moves him into his home, bed and offers to pay for school.

The Brother and the Retired Player by Mary Smith

Kian has decided now that his brother (Kyson) is an adult with a girlfriend, he can focus less on his brother and start putting a life together for himself. He's known his brother's teammate Tim but didn't realize he was gay. Tim is pretty straight forward about what he wants from Kian. And everything comes together to make their relationship and life perfect together.

Take a Shot by Samantha Wayland

Tim and Chris are best friends, roommates and play on the same hockey team. Chris has been in love with Tim, but Tim is oblivious. Things change in an instant when Chris is injured during a game and suddenly Tim is looking at his best friend differently. They finally both finally speak honestly to the other and once the blinders are off, find they're perfect for each other. This was a fun, sexy read! I have heard of Samantha before but had never read anything by her. I'll definitely check out other books by her.

I think this was an enjoyable anthology and such a great idea from these authors.

Rating: 4 stars

***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***

I had been in the mood to read a hockey story for a bit, actually, I started re-reading Crashing the Net by Samantha Wayland just before we got this Anthology offered to us and it really hit the spot. Not only does it feature some fantastic authors I already know and love, like Avon Gale, VL Locey and Samantha Wayland, but it introduced me to some new-to-me-authors that I'll be following closely from now on.

Overall Rating: 4 Stars!!!

Even Strength by Cherylanne Corneille

Nate is trying to work through his rookie year as an out and proud gay hockey player and his relationship troubles with Tristan since they barely see each other. I really liked Nate and the support he had from his teammates and some of his fans. While this wasn't really a romance, since the focus was almost entirely on Nate, it was nice to see that Tristan finally realized he had to compromise a little to make things work between them. I really enjoyed this story and I'll definitely keep my eyes open for more of this author.

Rating: 4 Stars!

Next Season by Avon Gale

Nick and Sparrow are traded to the same team, but while Nick is very excited about the chance to actually play professional hockey, Sparrow isn't that happy to be traded to a less-than-stellar team and he isn't all that welcoming to Nick at first, but soon Sparrow's antagonism melts into attraction and sparks fly between these two players. I loved this story, it was very hot and Nick and Sparrow were perfect for each other. I just adored the progression, which really, given how short these stories are, was really well done!

Rating: 5 Stars!

Going Home by Heather Lire

While the writing is good and I can understand the author's motivation to make the characters justice, I wasn't too happy to be getting into a story and then have it end up in a cliffhanger. A pity, too, since it had such a promising start. I'll definitely be checking for more of this story.

Rating: 3.5 Stars!

On Broadway by VL Locey

Professional hockey player Riley can't get a guy he saw skating at the Rockefeller Center out of his mind. When they run across each other Riley pays "Rocket" for sex and they part ways. Afterward, when Rocket, now Keiffer, seeks out Riley for help after he's hurt, Riley moves him into his house, offers to pay for his studies, and Riley is unable to resist the temptation that Keiffer is for him. Unfortunately, they have a falling-out and Keiffer leaves, will Riley find him before someone hurts him again? While this is not my favorite story by VL Locey, it was still good, well-written and flowed well. My only problem with it was that while it was obvious Riley was attracted to Keiffer, I was never too clear on that attraction being reciprocated in the way Riley deserved. Still, it was very entertaining.

Rating: 4 Stars!

The Brother and the Retired Player by Mary Smith

After taking care of his brother Kyson since their mother died, Kian has decided it's time for him to live his life again and when one of Kyson's old teammates shows he's interested in him, Kian decides to give their relationship a try, while trying to find a new job. It was a nice story, perhaps it dragged a bit in some parts, but it was enjoyable.

Rating: 4 Stars!

Take a Shot by Samantha Wayland

This was definitely my favorite story from the Anthology! Chris has been in love with Tim for a long time, but Tim is straight and oblivious to his friend's feelings for him, even if his girlfriends are not. When Chris suffers an injury and Tim is in charge of helping him, Tim starts seeing his friend in another light. I loved this story, while short, it had fantastic character growth and the progression from oblivious friend to more was done masterfully. Nevermind that we got cameos by Alexei and Mike from Crashing the Net and I was in heaven!

Rating: 5+ Stars

V.L. Locey

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.

Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/

Avon Gale

Avon Gale was once the mayor on Foursquare of Jazzercise and Lollicup, which should tell you all you need to know about her as a person. She likes road trips, rock concerts, drinking Kentucky bourbon and yelling at hockey. She’s a displaced southerner living in a liberal midwestern college town, and she never gets tired of people and their stories -- either real or the ones she makes up in her head.

Website: https://www.avongalewrites.com/

Cherylanne Corneille

Cherylanne Corneille has been writing almost as long as she has loved the game of hockey, so it was inevitable that she would eventually combine two of her favorite pastimes into one hobby. She will watch almost any game but prefers to cheer on the Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Tyler Seguin.

When not writing or watching hockey, she enjoys running and has completed 18 half marathons. She also loves Stars Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Captain America.

Cherylanne lives in Central Florida with her cat, who was almost called Puck or Hanifin but sometimes answers to the name Phasma.

Website: https://cacorneille.wordpress.com/

Heather Lire

Heather has traveled all over the world, speaks several languages, collects romance books like they’re going out of style, and has multiple book boyfriends. Ok, she hasn’t been all over the world, except in her mind. She does however speak multiple languages and collect romance books. Her long-suffering husband and sons roll their eyes at all her book boyfriends. When she’s not busy on her next novel she can be found in her classroom where teaches one of those many languages, at one of her sons many sporting events or on twitter talking about what else, romance books.

Website: http://heatherlire.com/

Samantha Wayland

Samantha Wayland has three great loves in life; her family, writing books, and hockey. She is often found apologizing to the first for how much time and attention is taken up by the latter two, but they forgive her because they are awesome and she clearly doesn’t deserve them.

Sam lives with her family—of both the two and four-legged variety—outside of Boston. When she’s not locked away in her home office, she can generally be found tucked in the corner of the local Thai place with other socially-starved authors and an adult beverage. Her favorite things include mango martinis, tiny Chihuahuas with big attitude problems, and the Oxford comma.

Website: http://www.samanthawayland.com/

Mary Smith

Best Selling Author, Mary Smith, has been coming up with stories her whole life. She has written A HOCKEY TUTOR and THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BEARS SERIES along with numerous other titles, as well as co-authored THE PENALTY KILL TRILOGY, OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN SERIES, and THE NINTH INNINGS SERIES with Lindsay Paige. When not busy writing or rooting for the Chicago Blackhawks you can find her with her nose stuck in her Kindle.

Website: http://www.authormarysmith.com/