Release Day Blitz: Color Me In (A Last Chance novel) by Riley Hart (Reviews+Excerpt+Exclusive Giveaway)

COLOR ME IN

LAST CHANCE, BOOK 2

RILEY HART

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 30, 2018

COVER DESIGN: X-Potion Designs

COVER IMAGE: Stone Creek City

BLURB

Caleb White has been a lot of places and made a lot of decisions he isn’t proud of. He’s ready to settle down and figure out who he really is. Where better to do that than Last Chance, the home he was ripped away from at sixteen? A fresh start is in order, but he has no idea how the hell to do that when he’s not even sure what he wants in the first place.

Ryan Daily is a pro at hiding his insecurities. He’s never fit in and has spent most of his life knowing there’s something missing. Just when he thought he’d found it, his whole world fell apart and he lost everything.

Then comes a sleepless night in a twenty-four-hour café, where Caleb and Ryan forge a connection full of laughs, junk food, and whispered secrets. In the middle of a budding friendship, they see the blossoming of desire neither of them expected. Ryan has kept his heart protected after having it shattered, and Caleb—no stranger to attraction—finds what he has with Ryan is on a whole new level from anything he’s experienced before. In a world of black and white, they bring each other color.

But life is never simple. When the past comes knocking, Ryan and Caleb will have to reach through the darkness to find the light they see in each other or risk slipping into the shadows for good.

Cover Reveal: Lander by J. Scott Coatsworth (Excerpt + Exclusive Giveaway)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Authors: J. Scott Coatsworth

Cover Artist: Anne Caine

Length: 90K

Format: eBook, Paperback

Release Date: 2/13/18

Pairing: MM

Genres: sci fi, mm romance, gay sci fi

Blurb:

Sometimes the world needs saving twice.

Xander and Jameson thought they’d fulfilled their destiny when they brought the worlds of Oberon and Titania back together, but their short-lived moment of triumph is over.

Reunification has thrown the world into chaos. A great storm ravaged Xander's kingdom of Gaelan, leaving the winged skythane people struggling to survive. Their old enemy, Obercorp, is biding its time, waiting to strike. And to the north, a dangerous new adversary gathers strength, while an unexpected ally awaits them.

In the midst of it all, Xander’s ex Alix returns, and Xander and Jameson discover that their love for each other may have been drug-induced.

Are they truly destined for each other, or is what they feel concocted? And can they face an even greater challenge when their world needs them most?

AotM ~ Dare You To & Gone For You by Riley Hart (Reviews+Giveaway)

AotM ~ Dare To You & Gone For You by Riley Hart (Reviews+Giveaway)

Title: DARE YOU TO (prequel)

Author: Riley Hart

Pages: 70

Published: January 4, 2017

Amazon   Goodreads

Previously released in the anthology, IT WAS ALWAYS YOU. 

A Wild Side Series prequel novella.

 

Austin Thompson spends most of his spare time reading or logging in extra hours at the LGBTQ youth center where he works. His only standing “night out,” if you can call it that, is his weekly movie night with his best friend, Dare Nichols. Between work and Dare, it’s hard to find time for much else, so when he does try to date, it ends in disaster. 

Dare thrives on living life on the wild side—surfing, mountain biking, sky diving. If it’s extreme, he’s game. Between sports and spending his evenings at his West Hollywood bar, Dare never sees a dull moment. Still, with all that excitement, most of his favorite times are when he’s tucked away in Austin’s apartment. Probably because he’s the best friend Dare’s ever had. 

Then the kiss happens and the men realize they don’t want to stop there. As they explore this new adventure in their relationship, Austin realizes the excitement he’s been looking for has been right there all along, and Dare must decide if he can conquer his only fear by risking his heart.

Promo Post: Dirty Games by Barbara Elsborg (Guest Post + Giveaway)

Dirty Games by Barbara Elsborg

Amazon

Read Mari & Rita's reviews here.

Blurb

Let the games begin.

When you play dirty, mud gets in your eyes. And when your vision clears, it might be too late to say sorry.

Linton Williams is moving up in life, he’s secured a great job, he’s living his dream - until it all comes crashing down, courtesy of a brother who’s hooked on cocaine and owes money to dangerous people. When Linton’s offered enough cash to pay off his brother’s debts and send him to rehab, he can’t say no.

But there’s a catch. To save his brother from the hell of addiction, Linton makes a deal with the devil. His job? To teach film star Thorne Morrisey a public lesson in humility that might just destroy Thorne’s acting career for good.

When Thorne and Linton meet, sparks fly, and one kiss sets into motion a chain of events that could destroy them both. By the time Linton decides the price is too high, it’s too late. He’s fallen hard. And now he’s trapped between destroying his lover or his brother.

Game over.

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Imagines by N.R. Walker (Giveaway)

This is our last post for our February’s Author of the Month *sniff sniff*, it’s been an absolute pleasure to host N.R. Walker and read/reread her fabulous books and since we love you all so much and to end the month on a very high note, we have a fantastic surprise for you! N.R. is sharing her gorgeous cover for the sequel for Imago, Imagines, which has no release date set yet, but is already in the works and considering how good Imago is, you know we’re all in for a treat! So, without further ado, we leave you with the stunning cover for Imagines! <3

DEFINITION: The Latin plural of imago is imagines, and this is the term generally used by entomologists.

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Review: Cherry Pie by Samantha Kane (Exclusive Giveaway)

Review: Cherry Pie (Mercury Rising Book 1) by Samantha Kane (Exclusive Giveaway)

Cherry Pie (Mercury Rising Book 1) by Samantha Kane

Date of Publication: September 16, 2014

Blurb

You can go home again—if you can get a foot in the door.

Mercury Rising, Book 1

A year after packing and moving from L.A. to Mercury, North Carolina, John Ford still hasn't adjusted to the heat. Or to life without his long-time partner. As he fixes up the old house he bought, the quiet becomes his only companion, and he's content with that—until a deep-voiced stranger plants himself under a tree across the street.

Eight years ago, Connor Meecham left someone behind in that house—himself. Now he's back to find the man he used to be, before drugs and prison sent his life careening off the tracks. But it's not his mother's face peering through the window any more. It's a man who seems as lost as Conn himself.

When John learns what the house—and the dying town—mean to Conn, he finds himself opening the door to his heart. Just a crack. But it's enough to get mixed up in a world of emotions as complicated as the recipe for the perfect cherry pie. Where one misstep can turn something sweet and juicy into one hot mess.

Warning: Contains a guitar-wielding, brooding Southern boy and a reclusive millionaire with a weakness for cherry pie and hot coffee. Excessive porch sittin' and lemonade included.

Available From

Amazon (Kindle)     B&N (Nook)      Kobo

AotM~ Chasing Mr. Wright by Aimee Nicole Walker ~ (Reviews+Giveaway)

Author of the Month ~ Chasing Mr. Wright by Aimee Nicole Walker ~ (Reviews+Giveaway)

Title: Chasing Mr. Wright

Author: Aimee Nicole Walker

Release date: May 5, 2015

Page count: 340

GoodReads ~ Amazon

Blurb:

Chasing Mr. Wright is book one in the Fated Heart Series and is the latest novel from Amazon best selling author, Aimee Nicole Walker.

Grayson Wright is a man who knows how to do many things. He knows how to follow his dream and create a company, Wright Creations, alongside his brother. He knows how to be a good son, brother, friend, and employer. Grayson doesn’t know how to fix his toxic relationship with his long-time boyfriend.

Grayson decides to throw his boyfriend a surprise birthday party as a last ditch effort to rekindle the old spark, but it’s Gray who gets the surprise of his life when he turns on the lights and learns the ugly truth about his life. Now at age 32, he re-evaluates who he is, what he wants out of life, and the kind of man he wants to give his heart to.

Chase Rivers has an MBA from Georgetown with a minor in marketing. His life starts looking up when he accepts an entry level position at an ad agency. It isn’t his dream job, but it’s a great start and it just feels right to him.  He hopes this new beginning in his professional life will spill over into his personal life.

Chase is unlucky in love and draws every loser, liar and cheater like a magnet. He’s an expert at finding the perfect mate for his friends, but strikes out every time for himself. He gives up on finding Mr. Right and agrees to a date with Mr. Right Now out of loneliness and desperation. Chase didn’t expect Mr. Right Now to lead him to the doorstep of his very own Mr. Wright.

If their first meeting was a fluke, then what was the second and third? Twisted fate? Bad luck? Fated hearts? Buckle up for a bumpy ride as these two men travel down a broken road of heartache and discovery.

This book contains heart, humor, heat, and a cast of characters that is sure to keep you smiling. It contains adult language, explicit sexual acts between two men, and is intended for people who are 18 and older

The Jewel of Colorado: The Complete Series ~ (Giveaway)

Promo Tour ~ The Jewel of Colorado: The Complete Series ~ (Giveaway)

Title: The Jewel of Colorado: The Complete Series
Author: Jason Collins
Length: 338 pages
Release Date: December 11, 2016
GoodReads ~ Amazon

Blurb:

When Evan Carlson hears that a member of the elusive Sanders family is visiting his bank to have the most valuable diamond in Colorado appraised, he assumes that he won’t be allowed anywhere near the jewel. But when Jacob Sanders arrives, he specifically requests that Evan be present for the secretive meeting, and Evan tries his best to keep his composure around the strikingly handsome man. Jacob comes across as a friendly, assertive guy who is unaffected by his wealth, and Evan feels an immediate attraction.

Invited to visit the Sanders Ranch, Evan discovers a family who cares deeply for each other despite their attempts to keep some of their darker secrets hidden. When one of those unwanted secrets appears out of the blue, Evan and Jacob are thrown together and forced to deal with the chaos. As the two men begin to explore their feelings, they must deal with the realization that the precious jewel has gone missing.

Trying his best to comfort Jacob, Evan agrees to help search for the missing stone or the person who might have stolen it. With fingers being pointed in all directions, Evan tries to keep himself off the list of suspects as he moves forward cautiously. Hoping to save their relationship, Evan joins in the hunt for Colorado’s most infamous jewel.

This bundle is a complete collection of both books from The Jewel of Colorado series. It contains The Jewel of Colorado (Book One), as well as Legacy: Sequel to The Jewel of Colorado (Book Two). For a very limited time, this bundle is available at a promotional price.

Bayou Book Junkie's 2016 Favorites ~ Mari's Favorites (Exclusive Giveaway)

Bayou Book Junkie's 2016 Favorites ~ Mari's Favorites

I've been reading romances ever since I learned to read. My mom used to buy and collect Buenhogar, Vanidades and Cosmopolitan magazines and I would devour them, including the condensed novels that could be found in them, then I moved on to the books in our library (encyclopedias, novels, etc.). Later, when I entered high school, we were requested to read a certain number of books in English, and while I'd enjoyed reading in Spanish up until that point, well, it opened a whole new world for me. I got some romances, historical mostly, which I read and re-read. Then they started selling Harlequin books at the supermarket, in Spanish of course, but beggars can't be choosers, and I got addicted to the damn things, despite rolling my eyes repeatedly at the obviously not so good translations. I nearly cried when they stopped selling them here, but I had a good collection by then and then my mom threw it all away. *cries* Still, I had my favorite bookshop to rely on to provide me with books in English, most of which I still have. *hides them from mom's eyes* Until they closed it, as well. By then, though, I had found the fabulous world that is the Spuffy fandom in the BtVS universe and had a whole lot of fanfiction to go through there. Then, I moved on to the Tokio Hotel fandom and discovered the beauty that is MM or slash fiction, and from then I moved on to MM books in Amazon, which was like heaven to me, considering that my country is very conservative, and while I might find some books in English here, they won't be MM. 

I read just about anything if the blurb or the cover are appealing to me. My favorite genres are historical, contemporary, paranormal and fantasy, but I've read and enjoyed the occasional BDSM book so long as it's nothing too extreme. I still read MF sometimes, too, but mostly from authors I know already, but MM remains my favorite.  

I've read a lot of great books this year, so narrowing my 2016 top reads to the agreed 15 was so not going to happen, although I got close enough settling on a nice Top 18 (kind of cheated with a couple of series) and an MF Top 3. #SorryNotSorry #BookJunkieProblems 

So, without further ado, these are my lists, in alphabetical order:

MM Top 18 

Bayou Book Junkie's Favorite Books of 2016 ~ Heather's Top 13 Favorites + Giveaway

Bayou Book Junkie's Favorite Books of 2016 ~ Heather's Top 13 Favorites + Giveaway

I have been a reader all my life.  My mom told me many stories of me sitting in front of all my stuffed animals reading them stories.  I enjoyed many different books as a child, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory being a particular favorite.  As a teenager, I was a big fan of Dean R. Koontz and Stephen King (anyone who knows me would be shocked by them because I hate horror now and am a big chicken!), making sure to get up at 5 am every day before school so I would have time to read.  Funny story, one morning I was the only one in my house up and reading my Stephen King book, sitting in a kitchen chair with it leaned back on two legs, my feet propped on my desk.  Get the picture.  Something scary happened in the book, at the same time my mom knocked on my bedroom door.  And backwards I went!  There’s a reason your mom always says don’t lean that chair back on two legs :)  My taste gradually changed and I moved on to JD Robb, who became a favorite!  I discovered Shayla Black, Lorelei James, Maya Banks and continued to read in that genre.

But, in the summer of 2015, a book blog on Facebook made the recommendation of Crossroads by Riley Hart.  I had read plenty of MFM books, but never MM and immediately one clicked.  And that folks, completely changed my reading habits.  I begin reading everything I could by Riley, and then Felice Stevens.  And, I joined MM groups and started getting more recommendations!  Over a year later and there are still so many books and authors I haven’t gotten a chance to read, but thanks to BBJ, publishers and authors, I’ve been able to read a lot more! When I was asked to be a reviewer for BBJ, I was more nervous than excited.   I didn’t leave a lot of reviews for those early books I read.  Don’t get me wrong, I always gave them a star rating on Amazon and Goodreads, but I never wrote a review because I just didn’t know what to say.  And, though I feel that way a lot of times writing my reviews for BBJ still, it’s not quite as bad!

And then one day, someone said, hey we should do our top 10 favorite books for the year.  I always, always, always avoid picking favorites!  There are just too many options and too many favorites to ever choose from one.  So, I thought I would outsmart the system and only pick my top 10 from books reviewed for the blog, not the ones I read outside the blog.  And, yeah… they outsmarted me ;-)  So far in 2016 I’ve read 405 books and I thought, how could I ever narrow this list down to 10, seems like that’s cruel punishment.  So, I’ve decided to make my list from the books that were published in 2016 only.  I’ve also created two categories, one for the series I’ve read this year and one for individual books.  And just a warning to my fellow BBJ ladies, next year may have to have a list of top audible reads :)   Also, one additional note, I have two books that I’ve been working to get read this year because I was sure they were going to end up in my list but I’ve just started one today and I’m sure will be starting the other tonight, so a little late to make my list, I have two honorable mentions:  Switched by NR Walker and Too Close by R. Phoenix.

These lists are in order by author’s first name, because I’m not picking favorites among them!

In the Spotlight with Bayou Book Junkie ~ Author Karen Stivali (Reviews + Exclusive Giveaway)

In the Spotlight with Bayou Book Junkie ~ Author Karen Stivali (Reviews + Exclusive Giveaway)

Hi Karen Stivali and welcome to Bayou Book Junkie. Karen writes both MF romance and MM romance, and has published 15 books to date. In addition to writing, we’ve found out that she likes to bake, loves chocolate, books, movies and fictional British men, but we want more, more, more! We’re rather greedy like that, sorry, but hey, we’re fans! 😊

BBJ: Please tell us all about yourself, Karen, what started you off on your writing journey and how you came over to the best side, i.e. MM romance?

Karen: I’ve been writing fiction since I was a kid but what started me writing romance was a story I’d had in my head for 8 years but never got around to writing. I’d written a fan fic for a friend as a birthday gift and she loved it so much she asked me if I had any other stories in my head. I told her about the one I’d been toying with for years and she asked me to write it. So I did. I sent her each chapter as I wrote it and in the span of 3 months I’d written the 100k word book Meant To Be. That was my first full length novel (and it has a gorgeous fictional British male hero because of my aforementioned fascination with fictional British men).

Although my first 9 books were all m/f, there were LGBTQ secondary characters in all the books and they were some of my favorite characters. I knew it was just a matter of time before one of them took the lead in a story and when Collin started talking in my ear and telling me his life I knew Moment Of Impact was a story I needed to tell. The transition happened naturally. I truly love writing both mf and mm books. I want all my characters to get their HEA.

BBJ: So, you like fictional British men. Hmm. You’re talking about the likes of Mr. Darcy, Mr. Rochester, Gene Hunt, James Bond, and the sexiest sexy of them all, Austin Powers, right? I mean, who can resist Austin? *sigh* What about actual, real British men, like Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth and Henry Cavill, to name a few?  

Karen: My fascination with British men started with crushes on actors when I was a little kid and was magnified tenfold when I lived in England for most of a year when I was nine. I love the accent and the dry British sense of humor. That soft spot for a sexy Brit has carried on straight through adulthood and I’ve written a number of British heroes because it’s easy (and oh-so-appealing) to hear their voices in my mind. There are still plenty of real life British men who make my heart skip a few beats. I could listen to them talk all day. Pierce Brosnan, Robert Pattinson or Jude Law could read to me (or do anything else they fancied) anytime.

In the Spotlight with Bayou Book Junkie ~ Author Jenna Kendrick (Exclusive Giveaway)

In the Spotlight with Bayou Book Junkie ~ Author Jenna Kendrick (Exclusive Giveaway)

Hi Jenna and welcome to Bayou Book Junkie. I hadn’t actually known of Jenna’s existence – shame on me, my BAD! - until I got a copy of Stuck with You (book 1 in her Reinvented series), which had me breaking out my (admittedly dated) ‘American teen angst’ playlist and having a great time. She totally took me by surprise with this one, and immediately AFTER I finished, I moved RIGHT onto The Eighth Night, a very different STORY that’s heartbreakingly beautiful and that made me want more, more, more.  So, yours truly went nosing and found Jenna, who was kind enough to clear up that Make Me Believe (book 1 in her Hawaiian Haven series) is connected to Stuck with You, and to let me into a couple of secrets that hopefully she’s about to share with readers. Jenna has been published since 2015 and is currently working on a couple of projects that I’m dying to get my mitts on.

BBJ: Hey Jenna! First, thanks so much for agreeing to sit down with us today. Please tell us a bit about yourself and the current project(s) you’re working on. 

JENNA: Thanks for having me! I live in upstate NY, so I spend a good portion of the year trying to stay warm and dry. The project that’s currently keeping me out of the elements is Beyond Belief, Hawaiian Haven #2, which will be released on January 31. I’m also writing Better by Thirds, which is the next Reinvented book.

BBJ: Can you tell us about the ‘furry creatives’ that are rumoured to roam freely over your desk? Do you by any chance mean those most amazing of beasts…. 🐈 🐱 🐾? You mean to say, you’re a fellow slave to cats? We Brits are moggy-mad, and I’m the cat’s mother to Romeo Blue (no, not my porn name; it was just a case of liking both names and not realising til too late how they sound together, lol!), Harry Beau and Sophie (19.5yrs old and 👑 of all she surveys).  Can we have pics, please?

JENNA: I am owned by three cats and a dog. Loki (8yo orange tabby) and Tamiris (10yo brown tabby) have been with me since they were kittens. Iris is the newest addition; she’s a 10-year-old, long-haired, gray/black cat who joined the family the day after the horrible shooting in Orlando. I went to a cat adoption clinic “just to look,” and she came home with me. Loki and Iris take turns sitting on my desk, taking over at the keyboard if my fingers stop moving. Tally is a 12-year-old goldendoodle who’s usually curled up by my side, picking up the slack when I’m too busy to cuddle cats.

Book Review ~ Anthony by JP Barnaby ~ (5 Star Review + Giveaway)

Book Review ~ Anthony by JP Barnaby ~ (5 Star Review + Giveaway)

Amazon ~  Dreamspinner ~ GoodReads

Blurb:

Aaron Downing worshiped his mother. She saved his life. She did everything for him. But Anthony Downing has a different perspective. He sees the woman who tossed him into a basement for eight long years and forgot he existed. When Anthony decides he’s done being invisible, he packs up and heads for Detroit to stay with his Internet friend Jay, but fate intervenes.

Brendan Mears lost everything the day the man with a gun came into his father’s store. Now, he’s tethered to a business he can’t manage and a brother who resents him.

Different in all the ways that matter, Anthony and Brendan struggle to overcome their psychological obstacles, until a crushing betrayal sends them running for cover and each other.

Release Day Blitz ~ You Are Not Me (90s Coming of Age, #2) by Leta Blake ~ (5++ Star Review, Excerpt, Giveaway + Exclusive Giveaway)

Release Day Blitz ~ You Are Not Me (90s Coming of Age, #2) by Leta Blake ~ (5++ Star Review, Excerpt, Giveaway + Exclusive Giveaway)

Title:  You Are Not Me

Series: '90s Coming of Age, #2

Author: Leta Blake

Publisher: Leta Blake Books

Release Date: 11/28/2016

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 100,000 words

Genre: New Adult, coming of age

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Follow Peter into the summer following his senior year to face new beginnings, new friends, and old baggage.

After a tumultuous final year of high school, Peter Mandel needs a break. It's the summer of 1991, and his secret relationship with his ‘best friend’ Adam Algedi is put on hold as Adam goes away to Italy for the summer. On the cusp of adulthood, Peter has a couple of months to explore who he is without Adam at his side.

Enter Daniel McPeak, a slightly older, out, responsible college guy with a posse of gay friends and an attraction for Peter. Drawn into the brave new world of the local gay club, Peter embarks on a whirlwind of experiences—good and bad—which culminate in a hotel room where he has to make the ultimate choice.

But Adam will come back eventually, and there are promises that have to be kept. As autumn draws near and college awaits, can Peter break free of the binds of twisted first love? And what exactly is Daniel's role in his life - a brief temptation, or something more?

Join Peter in the second book of this four-part coming of age series as he struggles to love and be loved, and grow into a gay man worthy of his own respect.

***

This new series by Leta Blake is gay fiction with romantic elements.

Book 2 of 4.
Length: 100,000 words, 328 pages

These books contain aspects of: New Adult fiction, ‘90s gay life, small city homosexual experiences, Southern biases, sexual exploration, romance, homophobia, bisexuality, and twisted-up young love. Oh, and a guaranteed happy ending for the main character by the end of Book 4.

Excerpt