Saturday 30 August 2014

Conflicted by Louise Lyons

Today, I have a special friend on my blog. May I present to you, Louise Lyons and her new book Conflicted, which is an exciting story set in the drag racing world. It kind of has a flavour of Romeo and Juliet, but with a happier ending. At least they don't all die :)



Blurb

Two competing gangs of car and drag racing enthusiasts with a shared history of pain and rivalry leading to outright hatred. Two men from opposite sides of the tracks, yet more in common than they’d like to admit.

Paul Appleton is a troubled man who has never been in a relationship, having lost everyone he cared for in his life. His mother died when he was very young and subsequently, he lost his brother and his best friend. Now Paul is convinced love will always end in tears.

Greg was living on the streets after his parents died and was stabbed by a junkie, ending up in hospital. The Buchanans took Greg under their wing while doing charity work, and Greg joined their loving family when he was adopted. He and his siblings are also car enthusiasts with much more money and therefore better cars than Paul Appleton’s gang.

When they eventually find a connection, Paul fights his feelings and tries to convince himself his lover is only a temporary bit of fun, but Greg has other ideas.

Excerpt

Greg went to the bar to get a beer and was just handing over the money when he noticed the very man he had been hoping to avoid was right next to him, nursing his own bottle of Budweiser.

“I thought you went to a bar in Stevenage,” Paul commented without looking at Greg.

“I couldn’t be bothered driving over there tonight,” Greg said and gulped some of his beer. He leaned against the bar and glanced at Paul. His gray T-shirt looked about three sizes too small and only emphasized the size of his shoulders and broad back. Intentional, no doubt. His faded jeans were even tighter, and clung to his muscular thighs and firm ass as if they were painted on. Damn, he was hot, and Greg wanted to kick himself for thinking that.

“Not even in the new car?” Paul turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow. His eyes were deep brown and piercing, as if he were looking into Greg rather than at him.

“Not tonight.”

“Nice, by the way. Shame we don’t all have rich parents to shower us with toys like that.”

It was just what Greg expected – a brief compliment quickly crushed by an insult. He was immediately pissed.

“You know nothing about it,” he growled.

Paul shrugged. “I can’t blame you. I wouldn’t have said no either.”

“Listen, Appleton, I won’t pretend I’m not smug as hell driving around in an R34, but I didn’t ask for it and to be honest, I would rather have bought a car I can afford with my own money, which I do earn, by the way. I don’t just live off of them like a fucking leech!”

“Alright, chill, I’m sorry,” Paul said.

“Yeah, well, it gets up my nose that people think I’m rich and spoiled when I work hard like anybody else. I can’t help the fact that I got adopted by the Buchanans. I came from an ordinary family, same as most people, even you.”

“My family was anything but ordinary,” Paul grumbled. “So how come you were adopted anyway?”

“You actually want to know?” Greg asked in surprise.

“Yeah, why not?”

“Okay, we might as well get a seat, then.” Greg turned away from the bar and headed for a corner away from the main bustle, leaving Paul to follow if he felt like it. Greg wasn’t particularly delighted by the prospect of spending more time with him, but since he was here, there wasn’t much else Greg could do. Annoyingly, his pulse sped up as he made his way to an unoccupied corner bench and sat down. He chewed his lip. Paul was still at the bar, speaking to someone he apparently knew, but a moment later, he moved away and walked toward Greg. Fuck, those jeans were tight, and Greg would have bet Paul had no underwear on either.

Jesus, don’t stare. He shifted his eyes up – to bulging pecs. Heat rushed to his groin, and he tried to think about something else. The last thing he wanted was a hard-on, but too long with no fun except for his own hands, and now the company of the hottest guy in the pub, had him stiffening regardless. Greg wondered what the chances were. Would Paul be up for it? Greg knew nothing about him, but he couldn’t imagine him being shy. Greg would bet Paul would shag anything that looked twice at him – or certainly play around with them.

“So? You were going to tell me where you came from,” Paul prompted, dropping onto the seat a little distance away, facing Greg.

“Uh…um…yeah, well, my parents were just ordinary – my dad was a builder and my mum was a waitress. They died in a car crash when I was sixteen.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Paul said with a frown. “Did they treat you okay?”

“My parents? Of course, why wouldn’t they?” That comment puzzled Greg, but he carried on talking. Anything to stop himself imagining Paul’s hand, which was gripping his beer bottle, wrapped around Greg’s cock instead. “They had a huge mortgage, the house got repossessed after they died, and the system didn’t want to know. I lived on the streets for a year, then ended up in hospital, and Agnes Buchanan, who was there doing charity work, took pity on me. And the rest is history.”

“That was lucky.” Paul nodded. “What put you in hospital?”

“A bloke with a knife.”

“Shit.”

“So, how did you end up living with…Stewart Sanders, is it?” Greg asked.

“It’s a long story,” Paul grunted. “I left home when I was sixteen, and he and Abby took me in.”

“Why did you leave?”

Paul scowled and drained the rest of his beer before answering. “It’s not important.”

“Humor me,” Greg said, genuinely interested.

“I’m not here to entertain you!” Paul snapped and got to his feet.

“Hey…” Greg protested. Hell, the guy had a chip on his shoulder. A huge chip. And he was about to walk away from Greg just when he was beginning to convince himself that they were getting along, and that he might possibly get his hand inside those tight jeans later. But Paul was already walking to the bar.

“Shit!” Greg growled under his breath. He was annoyed that Paul walked away and more annoyed still that he was disappointed. It had seemed like they might be starting to move past what happened at Octane, and Greg hoped the stupid feud might have been forgotten too.

Paul hadn’t gone far. He had wedged himself between two men at the bar and was waiting to be served another drink. Greg stared at his ass until he turned around again and then quickly dropped his eyes and pretended interest in the last mouthful of beer in his bottle.

“Sorry.” Paul appeared at the other side of the table, placed a fresh bottle of Bud in front of Greg, and then stepped over his legs and took up his original seat, maybe a foot closer to Greg than before.

“No, I’m sorry. I suppose I come across as if I’m prying, but really, I’m just interested.”

The corner of Paul’s mouth twitched up slightly into a hint of a smile. “Just don’t ask me about family.”

“Okay. So can I ask about your job at the club? Don’t they need you on a Friday night?”

“They rotate the weekend days off. It’s my first in the month I’ve been there. It’s a good job – decent pay too, better than the shitty warehouse I was in before.”

“Yeah, I imagine bouncers get paid pretty well.” Greg nodded. “Do you have to use your fists much?” Damn, Greg, what the hell did you say that for? He cursed himself.

Paul grinned. “Not really. You get more trouble with drunken girls trying to slobber all over you.” He pulled a face. “If there’s real trouble, you diffuse it rather than add to it. I do kickboxing and 
jujitsu to help with that.”

“Cool,” Greg said. It was something they had in common. “I did kickboxing for a few years. I’ve been thinking about taking up something else too.”

Paul nodded and took another drink. Greg watched the movement of his throat as he swallowed and imagined his lips were wrapped around his cock instead of the bottle. He shifted awkwardly and rested his arm across his lap, hoping not to draw attention to the fact that he was getting uncomfortably hard. Paul lowered the bottle, and his eyes slid from Greg’s face, down his chest, and fixed on exactly what he was hoping Paul wouldn’t look at. He grinned and trapped the tip of his tongue between his teeth. Oh fuck. He was checking Greg out and way more obviously than Greg was checking him.

Should Greg ignore it, or go with it? Did he seriously want to get off with Paul? How difficult would that make things if they ran into each other at shows or something in the future? What the hell would the family say if they found out? What on earth was Greg thinking when he considered 
taking a chance with a person who went out of his way to make trouble for himself and others?

Greg thought for another minute and realized that it was going to be the only chance he had, at least for that evening. Besides, who was going to know? Paul didn’t want anyone finding out about him anymore than Greg did.

“What are you looking at?” Greg grunted as a way of starting a sort of flirting interaction.

“Isn’t it obvious? Like my company, do you?” Paul responded.

“It seems like it, doesn’t it?”

Paul arched an eyebrow and leaned back. He shifted his ass forward on the seat and drew attention to the fact that the ridiculously tight jeans were virtually crushing him. Greg could make out the head of his cock pushing against the fabric. He wondered if it was his imagination or if he was more turned on than he’d ever been in his life.

Author Bio

Louise Lyons comes from a family of writers. Her mother has a number of poems published in poetry anthologies, her aunt wrote poems for the church, and her grandmother sparked her inspiration with tales of fantasy. Louise first ventured into writing short stories at the grand old age of eight, mostly about little girls and ponies. She branched into romance in her teens, and MM romance a few years later, but none of her work saw the light of day until she discovered FanFiction in her late twenties.

Posting stories based on some of her favorite movies, provoked a surprisingly positive response from readers. This gave Louise the confidence to submit some of her work to publishers, and made her take her writing “hobby” more seriously.

Louise lives in the UK, about an hour north of London, with a mad Dobermann, and a collection of tropical fish and tarantulas. She works in the insurance industry by day, and spends every spare minute writing. She is a keen horse-rider, and loves to run long-distance. Some of her best writing inspiration comes to her, when her feet are pounding the open road. She often races into the house afterward, and grabs pen and paper to make notes.

Louise has always been a bit of a tomboy, and one of her other great loves is cars and motorcycles. Her car and bike are her pride and joy, and she loves to exhibit the car at shows, and take off for long days out on the bike, with no one for company but herself.



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Friday 29 August 2014

Dangerous Wish by Morticia Knight



Dangerous Wish (Uniform Encounters 6)

Although part of a series, all installments can be read as standalones. For more information, visit Morticia Knight’s author page at Totally Bound: https://www.totallybound.com/author/morticia-knight#books

Set Ablaze (Uniform Encounters 1)

Hunky fire chief Eric is out of the closet after twenty years of marriage. Can he find true love, or will a spate of arson fires destroy his chances with Tom, the sexy young firefighter?

Arresting Behaviour (Uniform Encounters 2)

Native American Quinn and Detective Jake come from two opposing worlds. But when opposites attract, the result is explosive.

Lust Emergency (Uniform Encounters 3)

The new ER doctor is smoking hot, and the exotic African American paramedic can't keep his eyes off of him. Tricky relationships and subterfuge at a Phoenix sex club almost drive a permanent wedge between the two, but a bombing at City Hall changes the endgame.

Guarded Desires (Uniform Encounters 4)

A sexy young National Guardsman, a snarky bear of a DEA Agent and a vicious Mexican drug cartel. Someone’s going to be sorry.

Secret Fire (Uniform Encounters 5)

Police officer Zach and Fire Marshal Daryl would be perfect together—if they would ever quit fighting long enough to find out. A devastating fire and the secret behind it almost keeps them from getting what they really need—each other.

Author Name: Morticia Knight




Author Bio:
M/M Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys a good saucy tale – after all, who doesn’t? Since she loves several genres, you may find your heroes in a contemporary, historical, paranormal or sci-fi setting. One of her passions is bringing people's fantasies to life on the page, because life is too short for even one boring moment. Her stories are volcanic in heat, deep in emotion, and sprinkled with doses of humor.
When not indulging in her obsession for books, she loves the outdoors, film and music. The Pacific Northwest is the ideal spot to enjoy both hiking and beachcombing. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She now resides on the northern coast of Oregon, where the constant rain and fog remind her of visits to family in England and Scotland when she was a child.
She is currently working on a new series about men in uniform entitled Sin City Uniforms and a BDSM spin-off to the Gin & Jazz series entitled The Hampton Road Club.

Cover Artist: Posh Gosh
Publisher: Totally Bound

Blurb(s):
Love is a dangerous emotion that EMT Jared won’t risk. But it looks as though a sweet and sexy National Guardsman is about to make him wish for that—and much more.
EMT Jared Li loves his job, his friends and clubbing. There’s nothing like a night of fun getting glammed up, throwing on some heels and shaking his ass to the latest Britney tune. Life is all about having a good time with as many hot guys as possible.
Dan Harrison has been in the National Guard for about six months and out for not much longer than that. At twenty-two, he’s somewhat innocent, a little shy and not interested in meaningless hook-ups. One night at a karaoke bar changes everything for him when his fellow Guardsman Joseph introduces him to his friend Jared. Dan’s never met anyone like the luscious twink who’s filled with so much life and laughter.
A night of passion shakes them to their very cores. Jared really likes Dan, but doesn’t want to get caught up in any type of exclusive thing. Dan wishes there could be more between them, but is willing just to be friends in order to remain near the androgynous stunner.

Hanging out strictly as friends proves to be almost impossible for them both. Not only does Jared continuously lust after the muscular soldier, but he’s also falling for the caring and compassionate man. Dan’s every sex fantasy stars Jared in one of his daring club outfits, but his heart is what really matters and it’s already been lost to Jared.
A traumatic event breaks down the barriers between them and gives them the chance to be together the way they both want. But after Dan is called up by the Guard to assist at a natural disaster, the same bravery that Jared admires in Dan might be the final thing that separates them forever.




Dangerous Wish Fact: Fact #10 - When EMT Jared Li falls in love with Dan, he becomes devoted to him more than he’d ever thought would be possible.

Excerpt:
All the way back to his apartment Jared fought off a rising panic attack. Not that he ever had genuine panic attacks, but he was on the verge of a possible first. He couldn’t let Dan into the apartment, he couldn’t. He’d never wanted a guy so bad in his entire life. That Jared felt compelled to handle Dan like fragile china was infuriating at best.
That was it. He was done agonizing. He was going to quit acting like a teenage girl by dwelling on the situation with Dan ad nauseum. They were friends. Friends. Not friends with benefits, not fuck buddies, not a booty call, not a hook-up. Focusing on Joseph definitely helped to take the edge off his boner. Joseph was cute enough, but he was too much like a brother. Eww.
He knew exactly what to do.
“Okay, this is my stop. Driver, give me a sec, then you can take my friend to his place.” Jared turned his attention to an obviously crestfallen Dan, kissing him on the cheek. “I had so much fun tonight, sweetie. Thank you so much for going out with me and protecting me from that leather-clad ape. Call me.”
“Um, yeah, sure. I had a great time too.” Dan cleared his throat. “Are you gonna be okay going up to your apartment alone? I can wait and make sure you get in all right.”
“I’m fine, honey. We’re right in front of the security gate.”
“I’ll watch until you get inside the gate then.”
“Oh Danny…”
He couldn’t let himself come all unglued, even if Dan did make him feel like a princess from a fairy tale.
Friends.
“Thank you.”
He gave Dan another quick kiss on his cheek then leaped from the taxi. The thought of not hanging out at all with Dan didn’t work for him, so he would have to find a way to make it work when they did get together. As he reached the iron gate, he turned to wave at Dan one more time before he unlocked the door and entered the courtyard. He noted that the cab didn’t pull away until he was safely on the other side.
Unzipping his boots, he then kicked them off to carry them up the stairs to his place. His feet were screaming for mercy, and quite honestly, so was his dick. His heart was in the mix somewhere as well, but he was too tired to contemplate that for the time being. Maybe they could do things like go to the movies or grab a bite to eat. Things that didn’t involve getting liquored up and grinding against each other.
That was most likely the problem. They needed to unsex the social interactions they had together. Joseph’s idea of having Jared show Dan around the scene had been a decent plan. But it hadn’t taken into account how turned on he and Dan were by each other. Really, really turned on.
After making his way into his apartment, he dropped his boots and went straight to the kitchen to get another full glass of water. He’d likely be up peeing half the night, but it was better than waking up groggy with a vicious headache. Standing in his kitchen with only the nightlight and the glow of the crystal and the fish tank, a sensation of loneliness filled him. And he was never lonely. Even when he was horny, it was never about being lonely. It was always about being horny.
Danny. What are you doing to me?


Tour Dates/Stops:

August 13: The Hat Party
August 15: Tara Lain
August 19: Emotion in Motion
August 20: My Fiction Nook
August 22: Smoocher’s Voice
August 25: Amanda C. Stone
August 29:  Nephylim



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Saturday 23 August 2014

Luki and Sonny Series by Lou Sylvre

LovingLukiVasquezLgDelsynsBluesLGFindingJackieLGSavingSonnyJamesLGYesLGBecause of Jade 400x600
  Author Bio: 

Lou Sylvre hails from southern California but now lives and writes on the rainy side of Washington State. When she’s not writing, she’s reading fiction from nearly every genre, romance in all its tints and shades, and the occasional book about history, physics, or police procedure. Not zombies, though. Her personal assistant is Boudreau, a large cat who never outgrew his kitten meow. She plays guitar (mostly where people can’t hear her) and she loves to sing. She’s usually smiling and laughs too much, some say. She also loves her family, her friends, the aforementioned Boudreau, a Chihuahua named Joe, and (in random order) coffee, chocolate, sunshine, and wild roses. 

Visit her at http://www.sylvre.com or contact her at lou.sylvre@gmail.com. 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouSylvre 
Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLouSylvre 
Twitter: @sylvre 

Cover Artist: Reese Dante Publisher: Dreamspinner Press 

Blurb(s): Vasquez-James Series Book Blurbs Vasquez and James Series Blurb Professional badass Luki Vasquez and weaver Sonny James meet for the first time in Loving Luki Vasquez, and they might make a sizzling couple if they can ever get past the impulse to run the other way every time romance comes into view. Then again, they have to stay alive if they’re ever to see their wedding day, and tribulation, cruelty, and greed has a way of demanding attention at all the worst moments. Together, they pack a lot of resources to fight for love. If they can hold out, they just might win the enduring love and family they were meant to share.     




LovingLukiVasquezLg


Blurb(s): Loving Luki Vasquez – (Vasquez and James Book One) Reclusive weaver Sonny Bly James controls every color and shape in his tapestries, but he can’t control the pattern of his life—a random encounter with Luki Vasquez, ex-ATF agent and all-around badass, makes that perfectly clear. The mutual attraction is immediate, but love-shy Sonny has retreated from life, and Luki wears his visible and not-so-visible scars like armor. Neither can bare his soul with ease. While they run from desire, they can’t hide from the evil that hunts them. After it becomes clear that a violent stalker has targeted Sonny, Luki’s protective instincts won’t let him run far, especially when Sonny’s family is targeted as well. Whether they can forgive or forget, Sonny and Luki will have to call a truce and work together to save Sonny’s nephew and fight an enemy intent on making sure loving Luki Vasquez is the last mistake Sonny will ever make. 

Excerpt: Vasquez and James Short Excerpts Loving Luki Vasquez Single Whip led into White Crane Spreads Its Wings, the name of which made Sonny adorably… all right fine, adorably happy. The sequence involved motions that at first felt counterintuitive. Like probably every student in the centuries tai chi had been around, Sonny needed help with it. As he would with any other student, Luki stood behind him, using his own hands to guide Sonny through the move. He wondered if he could get away with teaching him all the rest of the moves in just that way. Perhaps for hours. Every day. For a long time. As he was teaching and wondering and probably even almost smiling, a wind rose up, splashing spray and sand and whipping Sonny’s long hair at Luki’s face and right into his mouth. On the word “open,” appropriately enough. Sonny spun around, gathering up his luxurious baked-earth red hair. Before Luki had a chance to close his mouth, Sonny kissed him. A passionate, seeking sort of kiss. A kiss that Luki instinctively returned, though kissing wasn’t a large part of his intimate life, and especially not kissing on the beach. As suddenly as he started it, Sonny ended it, leaving Luki bereft… frustrated and bereft. Sonny turned away, refusing eye contact. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that.” Without any further explanation, he stepped away. Luki knew fear, could spot it from afar and pick it out in a crowded room. Right now, it ran hot through Sonny’s veins. He reached for Sonny’s arm. “Sonny, what….” What are you afraid of? He ended the question silently. Sonny had already gone.  

DelsynsBluesLG  Blurb(s): Delsyn’s Blues – (Vasquez and James Book Two) Sonny James and Luki Vasquez are living proof that the course of love never runs smoothly. Ambushed by grief, Sonny listens to a voice singing the blues from beyond the grave. While revisiting the sorrows and failings of his past, in the here and now he puts up a wall against love. Just when Luki chips through that barricade, the couple becomes the target of a new threat from outside: an escalating and unexplainable rash of break-ins and assaults. Thoughts of infidelity rise between them, a threat that may strain their newly mended love past its limits. To come through the trials alive and together, Luki and Sonny will have to unite against enemies who were once friends and overcome crippling hatred and overwhelming fear. If they succeed, maybe then they can rekindle the twin flames of passion and love. 

Excerpt: Delsyn's Blues As he wandered through his bare rooms, Luki traded the perfect, flawlessly tailored clothing he usually wore even at leisure and donned tattered jeans and a faded flannel shirt. Just what Sonny would have worn, and it helped keep Sonny alive in his mind, a man rather than a thin shade. He’d look a lot better than me wearing this, he told himself, padding over the hardwood floor to the only room in the house he ever smoked in, wondering on the way when the floor had become so cold. Once he got there, he switched on the silent fans and the omnidirectional heat, sank into the leather of the only easy chair in the house, and lit up. In his mind, he could hear Sonny clearly, as if his lover stood right next to him. Or sat by him on their love seat. Or sat on the floor at his knees making drawings for a tapestry he would weave so resplendent the world would probably weep. “You should quit,” he’d say. Luki knew he should quit. Knew that cigarettes… cigarettes and hamburgers were the only flaws in his otherwise perfect health regime. Smoking would someday, probably soon, take a toll. Perversely, when he met Sonny he’d started smoking more than ever before, just because Sonny’s existence in the world nudged him off his solitary perch, the place where he seemingly rose above the world of emotion and let other men into his life only occasionally to practice his skills at cold but perfectly executed sex. With Sonny? Anything but cold. Although still close to perfect. He smiled at the memory of Sonny’s surprised looks when Luki showed him something new, something that, in all his gay years, he’d never felt. “Luki, please,” he’d say.   

Excerpt 2


AS TINY jails went, Jefferson County Jail, right there in Port Clifton, wasn’t bad. The way it was set up, with the barred wall running only halfway across the cell, afforded the jailed suspect a modicum of privacy for the toilet, at least, although certainly that wasn’t the intention. They wouldn’t have had room for the desk in the lobby on the other side—which was barely larger than the cell—any other way. When Luki walked in, bringing a chill with him that was either from the March wind or from his habitual attitude, he took in everything with a single glance. That was all it took.

The deputy in charge was actually, clichés aside, reading a magazine. Rifleman. What, or rather who, Luki didn’t see was Rona Germain—a largish woman with short graying hair, an infectious deep laugh, and a presence that commanded any room, no matter how large. So, when she did come in, this tiny jail to one side of the small police station posed no problem at all.

“Mr. Vasquez,” she said, tilting her head in greeting.

“Ms. Germain,” Luki nodded.

She laughed, and Luki almost smiled. Though they’d been on opposite sides of more than a few cases, they’d long since passed from acquaintance just over the line to friendship. Luki had given her the details of Sonny’s case—those that he knew—over the phone, so she didn’t ask, only took the single necessary step to the desk where the officer sat, with magazine nowhere in sight, looking bored but expectant. “I’m here to see my client, Mr. James.”

“You have some sort of ID?” After she produced it, he glanced at Luki with what looked an awful lot like a sneer. Addressing Rona again: “James, uh, knows you’re his lawyer, right?” It seemed as though the officer, with his greasy comb-over and wrinkled shirt, might resist.

But Rona had a reputation in certain circles, earning her a moniker: “The Problem Solver.” “I am retained to act as Mr. James’s attorney, whether in defense if someone should mistakenly bring formal charges, or to see to it that he’s released on recognizance—as he’s hardly a flight risk—while    


FindingJackieLG  Blurb(s): Finding Jackie – (Vasquez and James Book Three) Luki Vasquez and Sonny Bly James finally have their Hawaiian wedding, and it's perfect, almost. But their three-phase honeymoon is riddled with strife. Luki's status as a working badass spells discord for the newlyweds. A former informant from Luki’s days with ATFE brings a troubling message (or is it a warning?) from a Mob hit man. When Luki’s sixteen-year-old nephew, Jackie, is lured into capture and torture by a sadistic killer, the honeymoon is well and truly over. The couple put aside their differences and focus on the grueling hunt, which takes them from leather bars to dusty desert back roads, and calls on Sonny’s deep compassion as well as Luki’s sharpest skills. Their world threatens to fall apart if they fail, but their love may grow stronger than ever if they succeed in finding Jackie—before it’s too late.



Excerpt: Finding Jackie “You know what, Titus? I don’t want to kill him.” Marcone swept a hand against the cool silk-soft wood of his desktop, thinking of Nadia’s skin. His heart had started beating faster. “I want to show Vasquez why he shouldn’t have been part of anything that screwed with the Marcone name, why he should have made haste to take his fag lover far away the minute he saw there were Marcones involved. This isn’t the first time we’ve opposed one another, but this is the first and will be the last time he’s deliberately involved himself in smearing shit all over my name. I’d have forgiven him everything that came before he realized who Richard and Marina were, if only he’d gone east at that point, instead of racing back west to stick his guns in where they didn’t belong. And I want him to keep remembering, keep feeling the pain he earned with that fuckup, keep that pain with him for years. For the rest of his life.” “Yes,” Titus breathed, his voice gone low and distant. “And that won’t be hard either, Titus. I’ve been doing my homework—keeping a watch on him through a variety of sources. He’s got people, and for all his hardass ways, his heart’s like a sponge.” Titus took a quick breath, and spoke without inflection. “I love people like that.” The DA’s brows rose, and he smiled. “I know you do, my man. I know you do.”


SavingSonnyJamesLG     Blurb(s): Saving Sonny James – (Vasquez and James Book Four) Luki Vasquez and his still newlywed husband are back home after pulling off a harrowing desert rescue of their teenage nephew Jackie. But the events of the last couple of years have begun to catch up with Luki—loving Sonny James and letting Sonny love him back has left gaps in his emotional armor. In the gunfight that secured Jackie’s rescue, Luki’s bullet killed a young guard, an innocent boy in Luki’s mind. In the grip of PTSD, memories, flashbacks, and nightmares consume him, and he falls into deep, almost vegetative depression. Sonny devotes his days to helping Luki, putting his own career on hold, even passing up a European tour of galleries and schools—an opportunity that might never come again. But when Luki’s parasomnia turns his nightmares into real-world terror, it breaks the gridlock. Sonny realizes what he’s doing isn’t working, and he says yes to Europe. Enter Harold Breslin, a dangerously intelligent artist’s promoter and embezzler whose obsessive desire for Sonny is exceeded only by his narcissism. When Harold’s plan for Sonny turns poisonous, Luki must break free of PTSD and get to France fit and ready in time to save his husband’s life. 

Excerpt: Saving Sonny James Almost whispering, breathing in fearful sounding gasps, Sonny said, “Luki, I want you to fuck me…. No. No, I want you to make love to me.” He looked away then back to meet Luki’s eyes, brow lowered with worry. “Luki, I know—” “Sh! Hush, baby.” Luki kissed the tender arch of Sonny’s foot—the rest of him being out of reach. He looked at Sonny and nodded. “Yes. I want that too.” [...] With all the power of his mind, he blocked out the things that would get in the way of him loving Sonny—had been getting in the way for weeks. And with all the power of his heart, he focused everything on his husband, his love. His breath beginning to come faster, biting his lip for stability, he rose on one knee and moved toward his husband. His hands wanted to wander over Sonny’s skin, and he let them. Let them follow the long slender curves of Sonny’s legs, his inner thighs. When he reached his sex, he framed his husband’s familiar and much-missed cock and balls with his hands, but he didn’t touch them. He let Sonny see the smile in his eyes as he instead moved his hands up over hip bones and belly and abs and pecs with their hard puckered centers of dark, sensitive flesh. Once he reached the chiseled shoulders, he lifted Sonny and pressed him against his own chest. And then he took his lips in a kiss like fire. 


YesLG     Blurb(s): Yes – (A Vasquez and James Novella) Professional badass Luki Vasquez and textile artist Sonny James have been married for five years, and despite the sometimes volatile mix, they’re happy. From their first days together, they stood united against deadly enemies and prevailed. But now the deadly enemy they face is the cancer thriving inside Luki, consuming his lungs. As Luki’s treatment proceeds, Sonny hovers near, determined to provide every care, control every thread of possibility just as he does when he weaves. But he can’t control the progress of the cancer or how Luki’s body reacts to the treatment regime. Sonny tries, but Luki dances with cancer alone—until he gets a startling reminder of the miracle of life. With renewed determination and mutual love, the two men emerge from their coldest winter into a new spring day. 




Excerpt: Yes (A Vasquez and James Novella) [Luki] woke up in profound darkness, aware of Sonny still beside him, but held rigid now while small, strangled noises escaped from deep in his throat. Even if it hadn’t been for the give-away sniffle, Luki would have known. Sonny was crying. Not that “I’m sad” kind of crying that was more a glorified pout. No. Sonny fought for all he was worth not to let a sob fly loose. His heart had a great big, hurting hole in the middle of it, and Luki had put it there, and still Sonny tried to protect him. If he couldn’t stop from crying, by God at least he’d do it quietly and let Luki sleep. But he and Luki had loved too long, too deep, too close for Luki not to hear it anyway, to register it even in his sleep, and understand. And feel it, too, like what Sonny felt. Luki rolled over and put his arms around the man who, when all was said and done, he loved and would love forever.      
Because of Jade 400x600

  Blurb(s): Because of Jade – (A Vasquez and James Novel) Luki Vasquez receives the news he’s still cancer free after five years, and he wants to celebrate with his whole family. He and his husband, Sonny James, take a road trip south, intending to gather at the home of his nephew Josh, Josh’s wife Ruthie, and Jade—a little girl who was still in the womb when she and her mother helped Luki beat lung cancer. Halfway to their destination, Luki learns Josh and Ruthie have met a tragic death. The horrible news lays Luki low, but he pulls himself together in time to be the family’s rock and see to the dreaded business of tying up loose ends. The most important business is Jade, and when Luki and Sonny head home, they take Jade with them. Luki and Sonny must combat self-doubt and fear and help each other learn to parent an unexpected child—and they must also nourish the love that has kept them whole for the past ten years. A relative’s spurious claim to Jade threatens the new family, and even if they prevail in court, they could lose their little girl unless they can rescue Jade from evil hands and true peril. 

Excerpt: Because of Jade Later, while Sonny and Jade lay on the floor in front of the fire, and Sonny read Merry Christmas, Mr. Snowman! over and over, Luki paced. He stopped occasionally to look out the window, and just as the sky began to lighten he saw that snow had begun to fall, big flakes touching down soft as feathers to cover the lumpy, frozen ground near the house. Luki turned around to share the wonder of snow with his family, but they had at last fallen asleep stretched flat on the floor on their stomachs—Jade because of her injuries and Sonny because of his aching back. Luki shook his head and smiled, surprised at how much he loved them even though he knew. He threw some wood on the fire and banked it and fetched a light but warm down comforter and a pillow from the bedroom. Laying himself down next to them, he covered them all three, let his head fall to the pillow, and found first peace, and then sleep. 

Tour Dates/Stops: 7/18 – The Hat Party, Kimi-Chan 7/25 – Rainbow Gold Reviews, The Novel Approach 8/1 – Hearts on Fire, MM Good Book Reviews 8/8 – Prism Book Alliance, Tara Lain, Fallen Angel Reviews 8/15 – Smoocher’s Voice, Love Bytes 8/22 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Nephylim 8/29 – LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Book Reviews and More by Kathy 9/5 – Amanda C. Stone, Emotion in Motion   

Sales Links: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=551 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_7?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=lou+sylvre&sprefix=Lou+Syl%2Cstripbooks%2C234 https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=series&qString=Vasquez+%26amp%3B+James+Series   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday 21 August 2014

Up The Tower by J P Lantern



Congratulations to J.P. Lantern as he celebrates the release of Up the Tower with this Book Blast scheduled by Goddess Fish Promotions. One reader will win a $25 Amazon gift card via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Disaster brings everybody together. A cloned corporate assassin; a boy genius and his new robot; a tech-modified gangster with nothing to lose; a beautiful, damaged woman and her unbalanced stalker—these folks couldn't be more different, but somehow they must work together to save their own skin. Stranded in the epicenter of a monumental earthquake in the dystopian slum, Junktown, there is only one way to survive. These unlikely teammates must go...UP THE TOWER.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Before anything else—before the riot, before the flood, before the gap and the deaths and the fires and the pain—before all of that, Ana just wanted to get the hell out of Junktown.

But she was stuck there with Raj, and Raj had all the bodyguards, so she couldn't very well leave on her own. Walk into Junktown without any protection? No, thank you. She had a knife on her, but that was hardly enough. The knife fit neatly in a small, luxury Cardion-brand sheath at her side. The rest of her outfit was direct out from a fashion magazine. She wore tight black Cardion slacks, her patent leather Aushwere ankle boots sexy and stylish and perfect for inner-city walking. Her dark blue blouse was Cardion again (there had been a sale); already she had noticed the way Raj had been hugging his eyes to how it cupped and clung to her body. He would have been looking a bit more, perhaps, but she wore her favorite Kadaya Sarin-brand leather jacket, allowing her a bit of modesty with the long sleeves and tight collar, despite the thinness of the material. She was a woman dressed to impress, but also was no whore—she had her man. He liked her dressed attractive, but not like some slut. Ana knew what he wanted, because that was her entire life, as she saw it, from now on.

They were inside the ground floor of a tall building. Cleanbots rushed around them, sweeping up dust, guided along by retrofitted eyebots that spied out areas of dust and disrepair.

“Here's where we'll have the lobby,” said Raj, opening his hands out wide to the open space.

Ana had presence of mind to hold her tongue.

What she wanted to say was, “Really, dear? Here in the first possible place that someone could enter from the street? That's where you'll have the lobby? That's so inventive. You're so smart.”

What did she say was, “Oh! It will look beautiful, I'm sure.”

About the Author:
J.P. Lantern lives in the Midwestern US, though his heart and probably some essential parts of his liver and pancreas and whatnot live metaphorically in Texas. He writes speculative science fiction short stories, novellas, and novels which he has deemed "rugged," though he would also be fine with "roughhewn" because that is a terrific and wonderfully apt word.

Full of adventure and discovery, these stories examine complex people in situations fraught with conflict as they search for truth in increasingly violent and complicated worlds.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171112.J_P_Lantern
Blog/website: http://jplantern.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JpLanternBooks
twitter: @jplantern

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Wednesday Briefs Cyan Ch 15











It's been an eventful couple of weeks. I'm exhausted, but happy to be writing again. This week I've actually written around the prompt 'One step at a time' rather than trying to fit it in at the end.

“I thought… I thought you didn’t like being touched,” Robin gasped when they came up for air. He knew it was a lame thing to say but silence would have been unbearable, and he couldn’t think of anything else.

“And I thought you were straight?” Cyan said, sombrely. “I really hope you’re not doing this to hurt me.”

“Hurt you? God no! I could…I couldn’t bear to hurt you again.” Robin was truly horrified and Cyan must have seen it, because his eyes suddenly lit up.

“You meant it? You really meant it?”

“Meant what?”

“That kiss. You really meant to kiss me. I mean to kiss me…like that?”

“Like what?” Robin was beginning to get confused and again it must have shown in his eyes.

“Oh God,” Cyan moaned and spun, flinging himself onto the bed. “Just go away.”

Robin stood in the doorway, his mouth opening and closing. “What just happened?”

“Go away.” Cyan’s face was buried in a pillow, and it was hard to make out the words. The body language, though, was not difficult to read at all. Cyan was in pain. Somehow, Robin had hurt him again, and he had no idea how.

“What did I do? What did I say?”

“Go away.”

Something snapped in Robin and he stormed across the room. “I will not go away,” he said. “I don’t know what the hell’s going on here, but it’s bullshit. I don’t know what I’m supposed to have done this time, but whatever it is, I’m not going to apologise because it’s all in your head. Okay. I will not be frozen out because I kissed you, when I know very well you wanted it as much as I did.”

“But you didn’t.” Cyan said, his voice still muffled by the pillow. “You didn’t mean to kiss me like that; not like…that. You said so.”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. You’re doing my fucking head in. I didn’t say anything.”

“I know. That’s what I mean. You said it by not saying it.”

Robin caught himself before he spoke angry words. He took a steadying breath and sat down on the bed, laying a hand on Cyan’s shoulder. Cyan jerked away from him, and turned over, so fast he almost fell off the bed. “Don’t touch me,” he said, automatically, and sat up.

“You weren’t complaining two minutes ago.”

“I know.” Cyan lowered his eyes. “But that’s when I thought…”

“What? When you thought what? Look, none of this is making sense to me. I know you’re hurt and upset about something but I don’t know what it is. I’m sorry, but I don’t speak Cyan.”

Cyan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“A lot of times what you say doesn’t make sense, at least not to me. I know it’s not your fault. I know you see the world differently to others, and that’s fine. I don’t care. I don’t care if you’re a bit…different. I don’t care if I have to change the way I see things to fit in with you, because I can’t expect you to change to fit in with me. What I do care about is that you make giant leaps, leave me behind, then freak on me because I haven’t kept up. You did it when you kissed me, and you’ve done it again when I kissed you.

“All I want is for you to talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling, and give me the chance to do the same.”

Cyan’s frown turned contemplative. “I don’t understand,” he said after a while.

“Welcome to my world. Can you please tell me why you’re upset?”

“I was silly. I shouldn’t have…. I always do that. I mean, want things to be more than they are, read situation wrong and−”

“What exactly do you think you’ve read wrong this time?”

“It was just a kiss, wasn’t it? Just a kiss, nothing else. I thought…. I though you wanted…. But you don’t.” Cyan’s head drooped so low it almost touched the bed.

Slowly, light dawned and Robin sighed again. “Don’t tell me what I feel,” he said softly. Cyan’s head jerked up. It was impossible to tell from his expression what he was thinking, but it make Robin’s heart jump nevertheless. Cyan was impossibly lovely.

“But you’re straight,” Cyan whispered.

“I never said I was, and I never said I wasn’t,” Robin said. He swung his legs up to kneel in front of Cyan. Cyan stared at him as if he was terrified. Robin felt the need to be very careful, as with a wild animal liable to bolt.

“Is it okay if I touch you?” he asked.

Cyan’s eyes widened even further, but he nodded slightly.

First, Robin ran his hand gently up and down Cyan’s upper arm. When Cyan didn’t pull away, he 
moved closer and tucked a shining hank of hair behind Cyan’s ear. Cyan flinched.

“Is that alright?” Robin asked. “Is it alright if I just touch your cheek?” Cyan bit his lip and nodded. When Robin brushed the tips of his fingers gently over Cyan’s cheek, Cyan shivered, but again 
didn’t pull away. Indeed, a small smile appeared.

“I don’t mind you touching me like that,” Cyan whispered.

“Good, because I’m going to be doing it a lot. I don’t know if I’m gay or not. I’ve never been with a man, never even found another man attractive. I still don’t. Not really. But I do find you attractive, and I want to kiss you…like that. I want to get to know you like I’ve never known another man. I don’t know if this is going anywhere, but I want to try. Is that what you want?”
Cyan nodded.

“Then we’ll give a go. But this is new to me, One step at a time, okay?”

A beautiful, bright smile broke over Cyan’s face, and this time the nodding was enthusiastic.


Now it's time to go a'wanderin to find some more fine flashes.