Blog Tour: Fierce by Rob Rosen #giveaway

Welcome all!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Rob Rosen author of Fierce!

Hi Rob, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

What were you like at school?

Outgoing and creative.

Were you good at English?

Ironically, I have a BS in Biology. Still, in high school, I got all A’s in English.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

Literary world domination!

Which writers inspire you?

Felice Picano, Christopher Bram, and Michael Cunningham.

So, what have you written?

My novels: Sparkle: The Queerest Book You’ll Ever Love, Divas Las Vegas, Hot Lava, Southern Fried, Queerwolf, Vamp, Queens of the Apocalypse, Creature Comfort, Fate, Midlife Crisis, and Fierce.

My short stories have been featured in more than 200 anthologies.

I am also the editor of the anthologies Lust in Time, Men of the Manor, Best Gay Erotica 2015, Best Gay Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 and Volume 2 and Volume 3.

Where can we buy or see them? (* include American, European and any other relevant links. Free, free promotions or prices can be included)

All websites that sell books sell my works. Or you can find them here: www.therobrosen.com

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Here, I’ll let him tell you:

Hello, I’m Fierce. I was raised by wolves. I have super powers—like, seriously, super. I mean, I can’t leap over tall buildings in a single bound, but I can see farther, run faster, and smell and hear better than anyone else on planet. FYI, I adore being super. I live to do good things for humanity. Also FYI, I love the press, love being on the news, love being, you know, revered. Third FYI, yes, superhero, at least in my case, equates to superego. Oh well. In any case, like I said, I’m a superhero and proud of it. Still, when I landed this job, I thought I’d save some lives, put the bad guys behind bars, and make the streets a little safer. But life, I was quick to find out, even superhero life, isn’t so black and white. I mean, to do good, I sometimes have to do bad. To put the criminal away, I might have to hurt people, even innocent people. Plus, what if I have to kill the bad guy? What if I have to put someone I know in jail? What if my powers are actually meant do evil things? Tack on trying to protect the world and my family at the same time, all while going to college, leaving home for the first time, trying to find love as I try and find myself, and you can see why my life is so utterly grey these days. FYI—last one, promise—I’d sure like a little black or white again. Just saying.


What are you working on at the minute?

My 13th novel, Easy.

What’s it about?

It’s a mystery wrapped in a dark romantic comedy.

What genre are your books?

All my books are romantic comedies, but all are in different genres. I’ve written about werewolves, vampires, zombies, superheroes, everyday people, and lots and lots of drag queens.

What draws you to this genre?

I like to laugh and I enjoy making other people laugh.

When did you decide to become a writer?

The minute I bought my fist computer, I started to write. That was 17 years ago. I haven’t stopped since!

Why do you write?

I couldn’t not write just like I couldn’t not breathe! Over-dramatic, but true.

Do you write full-time or part-time?

I have a 9 to 5 job. Writing is my 5 to 9 job. Still, I’d say full-time, seeing as I’ve been at it for so long now.

Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?

Laptop. I mean, longhand? No friggin’ way!

Where do the your ideas come from?

My twisted brain.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I go with the flow. The outline is in my head. I rarely keep to it.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Writing is easy. Writing is pure bliss. Marketing is no fun at all. Apart from this interview, that is.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Including editing, six months, tops.

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Put your story down for a day, then come back to it. Your brain usually figures out the problem without your help. Works for me every time.

How are you publishing this book and why?

Through JMS Books. They rock! Check them out!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

If you love writing, then write. It’s a tough business, but the art of creating is worth all the bullshit.

How can readers discover more about you and you work? Please visit me at my website, www.therobrosen.com

Title: Fierce
Author: Rob Rosen
Release Date: March 25th 2017
Genre: MM Romance, Comedy


BLURB

Lucas has a typical life -- apart from being abandoned as a baby, raised by wolves, and having super powers. Still, inside, he feels like two people, both vying for control of himself. He's a superhero and a nerdy college freshman. He's both feral and tame. He wants to do good in the world and, at the same time, he wants to do nothing. And most of all, he wants to find his birth parents.

In this comedic tale of romance, mystery, and adventure, our hero is joined by his hunky boyfriend, his acerbic boss, an uptight college science professor, and his ex-boyfriend/once crime-fighting partner -- not to mention a whole pack of wolves -- to help foil his nemesis and uncover the secrets of his past to save his future.

Find Fierce on Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon US | Amazon UK | JMS Books | iBooks


EXCERPT

As a baby, I was raised by wolves in the mountainous wilds of Montana.

I have super powers. Like, seriously super.

I catch bad guys for a living. For free! Minus, of course, the well-merited and desperately sought-after publicity.

But, you ask, raised by wolves? Come on now, Fierce, really? Does that actually happen? Wolves eat babies, don’t they? I mean dingoes do— or so I’ve heard, a la one Miss Meryl Streep— so it stands to reason that wolves do, too. Though not these wolves. These were tame wolves. Well, tameish. They were zoo wolves, hand-raised by humans. Except, they escaped during a freak storm, back to the wilds from whence their ancestors came, never to be seen again.

I saw them right off the bat, though. Well, sawish. I mean, I was a baby at the time, my eyesight not what it is today— which is freakishly strong, by the way. And yes, toot, toot, my horn doth bloweth, yet again. Gabriel in the heavens up above turns green with envy at my tooting abilities. Oh, and in case you hadn’t already surmised it, superhero, at least in my case, equates to super ego. Freud missed out big time on the likes of yours truly.

But I digress. Back to the wolves.

Best I could figure it— seeing as, again, I was just a baby at the time— the initial wolf pack consisted of ten wolves that once inhabited a small zoo on the outskirts of Billings, Montana. One fateful day, a tornado hit. A big one. Huge even! Dorothy would’ve shit her panties it was so friggin’ massive. Anyway, from what I’ve read, the storm struck quite suddenly, too suddenly for the folks at the zoo to be able to corral all the animals beforehand, so, when the fencing to the wolves’ enclosure twisted and uprooted, out they sped. The zoo figured they died in the storm, except, well, duh, they didn’t. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be hearing this account right now, right? Then help! would’ve been lost to the cosmos. A truly sad thought, I know.

GIVEAWAY: Win a Fierce ebook!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Rob Rosen is the author of the critically acclaimed novels, Sparkle: The Queerest Book You'll Ever Love, the Lambda Literary Award Nominated Divas Las Vegas, which was the winner of the 2010 TLA Gaybies for Best Gay Fiction, Hot Lava, Southern Fried, the Lambda Literary Award Nominated Queerwolf, Vamp, Queens of the Apocalypse, Creature Comfort, Fate, which was the winner of the 2016 TRR Readers' Choice Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy as well as a 2016 Rainbow Awards Finalist for Best Gay Romantic Comedy, Midlife Crisis, and Fierce. His short stories have appeared in more than 200 anthologies. You can find 20 of them in his erotic romance anthology, Good & Hot. He is also the editor of Lust in Time: Erotic Romance Through the Ages, Men of the Manor, Best Gay Erotica 2015 and Best Gay Erotica of the Year, Volumes 1 and 2 and 3.

Links: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Thank you for stopping by and listening!!

Blog Tour: Louder Than Words by Siryn Sueng #giveaway #interview

Welcome all!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Siryn Sueng author of Louder than Words.

Hi Siryn, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

So, what have you written?

Oh gosh, I’ve written a lot of stuff. I tend to write long novels, but I’m currently trying my hand at novella’s and those have been fun so far. (Louder than Words is actually my first novella, and my first contemporary) I usually write fantasy, paranormal, or sci-fi. Very rarely do I write contemporary. I did one short story that got published in Flight with Queer Sci-Fi last year titled Her Bird Her Builder (and under a different pen name at the time too) I have a blog that I’m trying to work myself into writing on weekly with a themed title: Sunday Steam. Erotic shorts will be posted there. And finally I write with a very good friend of mine Usagi Kita. Our pen name together is Lilia Blanc and our first book is King’s Lament published with Inkitt. It was a best seller on Amazon on release day, and is by far our biggest success as writers. We’re currently working on a massive series that I hope to see published soon, as well as other standalone books of various genre’s. Also in production is Desert Dancer which will be through Inkitt as well and with a pair of characters that made an appearance in King’s Lament and was asked about in many comments on Amazon.


Where can we buy or see them? 

Most of my work and Lilia Blanc’s work is up on Wattpad. You can find us under our pen names Siryn Sueng and Lilia Blanc. King’s Lament is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Lament-Lilia-Blanc-ebook/dp/B01MYYRTH8/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33022673-king-s-lament

Louder than Words is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Louder-Than-Words-Siryn-Sueng-ebook/dp/B06XRQ85YS/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34663806-louder-than-words


What are you working on at the minute?

Working on right now, that would be editing Incubus Touch, which is book one to my paranormal series Polar Nights set to release in June! I’m so very excited. But after editing I’m working on a novel titled From Shadows for the April Camp NaNo, I’m really hopeful that I can finish it because it’s been a brewing idea for a while now.


What’s it about? 

From Shadow’s is a high fantasy novel following an assassin named Daiskel. He’s a dark character, maybe one of the darkest I’ve written in a while. As applied, he’s a killer for higher and he does all kinds of dirty work so long as he gets paid. When the king sends his witch to offer Daiskel two options — death or freedom— Daiskel finds himself hunting down a man named A’sil who they claim is attempting to usurp the current king.

However, when Daiskel does find A’sil, the witch has already taken A’sil into custody. But she doesn’t go through with getting rid of A’sil. Unknown to her, Daiskel over hears her conversation with A’sil and switches plans. Instead of killing A’sil like he was contracted to, he takes A’sil with him and considers A’sil his leverage against the witch who has betrayed him.

Though Daiskel’s original plan is to use A’sil for his own personal gains, things steady change between them and Daiskel can’t quite bring himself to abandon A’sil, or walk away when A’sil asks for help in killing the current king.


Why do you write?

Because I have to. Writing is a massive part of my life and I couldn’t go a day without it. If I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing. And, also, because I want to see all LGBTQ genre’s mainstreamed. There is no reason why our books need to be any different than anyone else’s.

Title: Louder Than Words
Author: Siryn Sueng
Release Date: April 11th 2017
Genre: MM Contemporary Romance, Novella

BLURB

Derrek is a local teacher in Clearwater, Florida. He frequents a nearby coffee shop before work every morning, where he finds himself enraptured with a young barista, Alex. But Alex never seems to notice him, even when he’s handing Derrek his morning coffee.

After weeks of hiding in his corner under the pretense of working, Derrek finally gains enough courage to ask Alex on a date. He’s crushed when all he gets for an answer is complete silence. He thinks it’s the end, until he finds out that Alex has a disability that has paralyzed his vocal cords.

Sign language is Alex’s way of communication, and it’s something that Derrek knows little to nothing about. With renewed determination, Derrek asks Alex to teach him sign language. Derrek wants to be able to talk to Alex, to tell him how he really feels, and find out if Alex feels the same.

But more than anything, he longs for a relationship that goes deeper than just words alone.

Louder Than Words is an 18,000-word novella.

Find Louder Than Words on Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Deep Desires Press


EXCERPT

Alex was gorgeous; a little shorter than myself, but not by much. He looked like he went to the gym. I found myself trying to imagine what shape his body was in underneath the black shirt and green apron. I realized I was staring when Alex looked up from the coffee machine and made eye contact. I turned away, facing my computer with an intensity that could kill; if that were at all possible. My heart pounded, face heating as I stared at the loaded document on the laptop. I’d opened the lesson plan simply to have an excuse to sit at the tall table with the outlet right next to it.

I chanced a quick glance over at the bar and watched as Alex handed the cup of coffee to one of the waiting customers with his usual smile. Damn it, that man could smile. It was cute, the way his head tilted to the side just a little as he flashed it to the young woman. For a moment, I felt a spark of jealousy and smothered it with a gulp of the searing hot latte I was clutching a little too tightly.

Today, I’ll do it.

I’d been telling myself that for the past week. God, I feel like a damned stalker. And at my age! I’m almost thirty! Where the hell had all my bravado gone? Bryant, my best friend, teased me often enough already about not being able to ask Alex on a date. The words “grow a pair” had been mentioned plenty of times. I frowned at my cup as if it were the culprit. “I have a pair, jackass,” I muttered.

GIVEAWAY: Win Louder Than Words ebook!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Siryn Sueng is an erotica M/M romance writer. Mostly she writes in the fantasy, paranormal, and even Sci-Fi genres. Louder than Words, though, is her first ever contemporary work. She’s married to her wonderful husband of 13 years, and they have two cute kittens, Anubis and Kida, who drive them crazy almost all the time. Anubis fancies himself the destroyer of the elusive red dot…

Siryn is a lover of games on a wide range of platforms. She plays on the PC, console, and hand-held devices (her 3DS currently). She also plays otome novels on her tablet. Dragon Age, the Fire Emblem series, and the Tale’s series are her favorite games. Japan is where she would love to visit sometime. She’s a huge fan of Japan, including manga and anime. Siryn loves to read, though she’s been writing more than reading as of late. And she has a deep love for dragons. She has a very large collection of dragon statues in her house.

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Blog Tour: Finding Love by Gigi Kern #giveaway

Welcome all!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Gigi Kern author of Finding Love

Hi Gigi, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?

85 percent of the writing I do is longhand.  I found when writing my novel, supernatural thriller, that I could think and write faster writing longhand vs thinking and typing.  Plus, I found by writing longhand, it helps keep continuity of thought and stops me from editing along the way.


If this book is part of a series, tell us a little about it?

Yes, Finding Love is the second book in the Finding Home series.  It’s about creating your own family and how home is more than just a house.  The series starts with Aaron finally finding a family of his own, and finding love with TJ.  The series expands to include the family Aaron creates and those connected the awesome Foster family.

What are your thoughts on writing a book series.

As a reader I enjoy reading books in a series.  Funny, when the idea comes to me, I know if it will be a series and the number of books in the series.  I think my experiences as a reader impact how I see writing.  In recent years, I have read great books in a series that fall flat at the end, or off into left field.  So, I try and connect the characters and will try to introduce them prior to their own book or connect them to a character from a previous book so the reader can feel the connection with those characters.


Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

I think the cover does play a role in the buying process.  As an avid reader, the book cover draws me in leading me to read the book description.  I personally make an effort to read the book descriptions for book covers that don’t appeal to me just so I don’t loose out on a great book. 


What is your favourite quote?

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

--Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

BLURB

Aaron is in love with his new boyfriend TJ and living with his best friend Ryan. Life is perfect. Right?

Except his past rears its ugly head threatening everything he has and ever wanted.

Now that would be the end of his story, but ever since Aaron met the Fosters and his hot boyfriend TJ, his luck has changed! Dreams really do come true!!

Shush it's a secret... I know the writer of Finding Love, and she told me...

"When I originally came up with the idea for Finding Love, this is what I had in mind...

Yes I didn't see everything at the time. But I did see their first time. And the anxiety Aaron would have. And I knew that TJ's friends wouldn't "get" their relationship. But I didn't see Rick giving the "talk". Awesome right!

I'd tell you more, but I think the author is on the look out. She promised me to secrecy. But how could I not share right!!

Disclaimer: Because of Aaron's cuteness, TJ's hotness, Ryan's awesomeness and David being David, please Read Book# 1 Finding Aaron first. How else can you fall under their spell.

Title: Finding Love
Author: Gigi Kern
Series: Finding Home #2
Release Date: June 20th 2016
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance

Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon


EXCERPT

Focusing solely on Aaron, he manhandled him as gently as he could. Over the past several months of his and Aaron’s relationship TJ noticed that the trust Aaron had in him not to hurt him was mind-blowing. It was his touch, sight unseen sometimes, that would always center and calm Aaron. Knowing this, TJ always tried to use this sparingly and held it in the reverence it deserved. Ryan, Aaron’s best friend and TJ’s nephew, didn’t even have this ability.

Gently pulling Aaron out of the recliner, TJ maneuvered himself behind Aaron and unceremoniously plopped down into the chair. Slowly TJ repositioned Aaron and seconds later Aaron was in TJ’s lap and they were cuddling.

Yes, CUDDLING. It was a major shock to TJ and everyone around him that he actually liked to cuddle. Yet again another revelation these past few months brought as TJ descended into the rabbit hole that was “Aaron Samuel” and found it got more intriguing by the day.

Wrapping his arm around Aaron’s slim shoulders brought the needed warmth to Aaron’s shivering body.

“Aw, look how cute and comfy the two resident lovebirds look,” David said with a snicker as he draped the blanket across Aaron’s lap and chest.

BOOK ONE

Title: Finding Aaron
Release Date: November 4th 2015


BLURB

FINDING AARON

Book 1 in Finding Home Series

At 23, Aaron has aged out of the foster-care system and is now a struggling college student. Between his severe Learning Disabilities, ADHD and past trauma, every day is a struggle.

Three years ago, Aaron's world got a whole lot brighter thanks to his new best friend, Ryan Foster and his family. The Fosters have taken him into the fold. That is, everyone except for Ryan's Uncle TJ.

When Aaron and TJ meet, sparks fly.

TJ, 31, can't stand his nephew's flamboyant, in your face, blue-haired, rainbow loving, best friend. He knows he shouldn't be so judgmental but after spending five years in Iraq and Afghanistan, his patience is buried under a mountain of guilt and loss.

TJ's animosity toward Aaron always stresses Aaron out going home to the Foster's for the holidays but they are the only family he has. He just needs to put up with TJ. He can do that, right?

When something happens that neither one wants to acknowledge, it may just be the catalyst needed for the sparks to explode.

What happens when TJ lets himself see the real Aaron? And, can Aaron let TJ past his defenses, when he's barely holding on.

Goodreads

Finding Home Facebook Page

Buy Links: 

Universal Amazon Link | B&N | All Romance | iBooks | Kobo

About the Author

Gigi Kern is currently writing the third book, Finding David in the Finding Home series, her first gay contemporary romance series. A huge fan, she along with thousands wait with baited breath for the next new release from her favorite gay romance authors.

Gigi first discovered her passion for reading out of desperation. During her month long hiatus for her seventh grade summer break, spending quality time with the grandparents in sunny Florida in August, the hottest time of year, she became desperate. See, awesome grandparents had no cable. Travesty though it was, Gigi discovered the retirement community's library and there it was in all its glory, Heaven by V.C. Andrews. And she's been hooked ever since.

Though her day job is monotonous, she has been able to work in three continents, travel and see the world.

Her menagerie of wooden animals from her world travels have major competition from her two cats, Marco-pollo and Squertie. And, cause what would a menagerie be without animals, her two 65+ pound dogs, Leo the lug and Blink the destroyer of toys.

She is currently writing her life away on the shores of North Carolina.

Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Blog Tour: Man Soup by Alex Clifford #interview #giveaway

Welcome all!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Alexander Clifford, author of Man Soup.

Hi Alex, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I'm a 22-year old British author, now living in Spain. I've always been fascinated about what makes people tick and the forces that drive people to make decisions. At school, I ran a newspaper that scandalised all the little stories we had between people in our year-group. Then after finishing school, I hopped into various marketing jobs. It was a like a crash-course in applied psychology. After that I traveled a lot, worked various odd jobs – masseur, estate agent, journalist among others – learning as much as I could before moving on.

The more experiences, and the more diverse the people you mix with, the more perspectives you have on the world. Then that creates great putty to make stories out of.


How much research do you do?

Not enough – in the traditional sense. What I do is visit the places and locations. I soak up the atmosphere. I note all the little microexpressions on people's faces? What is their body language telling you? How do you feel? What are the underlying life stories, themes and repeating patterns of people who live here?

For Man Soup – it's part-fiction, part real life. Being able to draw on those experiences in London and San Francisco meant I could write very fluently. I would go to the library, go into a sort of trance, then emerge three hours later with 5000 words in front of me.

I think authors are just vessels to share stories that need to be told by the universe. If you experience something first hand then your subconscious puts that energy and all the intricate details into your writing.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

Well, I've started tons of books and never got beyond 3 pages! So with Man Soup I decided to sketch a rough outline. I'd read a couple of guides of how to outline books and “the hero's journey”. Then I just thought “I want to write this book in a month.” Then you see what happens. The outline is the spine of the book. You have to ask yourself “what's the main message I'm trying to convey here”.

From there the book is like an embryo. It has the first bundle of cells and the DNA to know where and how it can grow.


Who designed your book cover?

Myself. I looked into getting it done by a professional cover designer, but I didn't have much of a budget. The kind of amazing illustrated covers I wanted were beyond what I could afford. But who knows? If this book sells well, the next one could have a more elaborate cover.

For Man Soup I made it in Microsoft Paint - which I know sounds very unprofessional. But I wanted that black background with the stark white text. I think too many LGBT books are too glossy, too perfect and too shiny. I wanted something that would capture the dark, the grit and the melancholy of feeling lost and lonely in a city.

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

If you look on the top sellers in the Gay Fiction category on Amazon – they all feature 6-packed men. So obviously that must be a good factor. The cover is very important, because you need that visual impact to grab someone's attention.

I went the opposite way in using no images – just the dark black background. So I think that stands out as it looks different.

What is your favourite quote?

“The smartest people in world are ones who learn how to get paid for playing.” - I think Alan Watts once said.

I'm paraphrasing it. But I think the modern office workplace is often a very depressing, life-force-zapping environment. So if you can find a way of doing something you enjoy and be paid for it (even if it pays much less than a “normal” job) – you can never go wrong. Too many people sacrifice the spark in the eye, their playfulness and their creativity for a regular paycheck. What the world needs more of is people who are passionate about what they do and who they are.

*~*~*~*

Title: Man Soup - A Tale of Sink or Swim

Author: Alexander Clifford

Release Date: May 12th 2016

Genre: Dark erotica, gay fiction

BLURB

21-year-old Ed leaves his English village for London on a quest for fame, fortune and sex. But as he starts to conquer the city he discovers his own demons and the darkness of others. As he travels and pursues lovers he burns out. Will Ed ever find satisfaction or will he drown in the depths of man soup?

This is a gay coming of age story with some heavy topics and dark erotica themes. It'll make you hard and break your heart. You have been warned.

EXCERPT

Ed tippytoed awkwardly down the red steps. He was excited but confused. He came to the changing rooms and the lockers and was overawed by the energy he felt and saw. All these men, half naked putting on socks, taking off towels, pulling off shirts - like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It only made him aware of how self-conscious he’d always been, especially around his body and nakedness. Here were all these fully grown men, some older, some more nubile - just changing. Being men. It was like in that moment his mind, his barriers, his awkwardness were all coming down, he felt suddenly so liberated and excited that he could be proud of his body here. He could be naked without weird looks or judgment. He could be admired for his body. It all felt so dirty and wrong and exciting.

He eagerly took his clothes off, but didn’t look around much. That must have been a habit from the PE changing rooms at school. Get dressed quickly. Don’t look around. Don’t get accused of being gay. Take a sneaky glance here or there but don’t do anything that will make them think you fancy them. He exhaled loudly. He was almost shivering at the anticipation and excitement he was feeling. It was like a new fantasy world that he was discovering, well beyond his imagination."

Add to Goodreads

Buy Link: Amazon

GIVEAWAY: WIN a $10 Amazon Gift Card

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About the Author

Alexander Clifford is a young British author. He is very perceptive and curious and has always been fascinated by practical psychology and what makes people tick. His biggest influences are Stefan Zweig and Colin Wilson - whose writing asks the big questions. Who am I? How can I fit into the world despite being an outsider? What is it like to really be human? His curiosity led him to working various jobs in marketing, as a copywriter, journalist, salesperson, estate agent and masseur. He's also traveled the world to the Caribbean, America and many European countries. All of this observation and curiosity has given Alexander a wealth of material to write books that he hopes resonates with you.

Social media: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Blog Tour: The Necromancer's Dilemma By SJ Himes #interview #giveaway

Welcome all!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing SJ Himes, author of The Necromancer's Dilemma

Hi SJ, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?


What were you like at school?

A. In school I was a brat. I was a know-it-all, and I wasn’t shy about correcting anyone, teachers or students. It didn’t help my arrogance that I was right 99% of the time, either. But I was also a loner, to some degree. My few friends were scattered and random, and I had the bad habit of trying too hard at the wrong things, and not hard enough at the right ones. I thought I knew everything, so learning the fast and brutal way that I didn’t was a big emotional and mental blow.


Were you good at English?

A. I was, BUT--I hated the structure in which we were taught. I never read the books assigned unless my grades slipped below perfect. I excelled at bullshittery. I was a voracious reader, and I am very fast--but being required to read something kills any interest I may have in a book.


What are your ambitions for your writing career?

A. To still be doing this as a career and full time. I want to get to the point where I can drop back to maybe a book a year, and still make enough to live comfortably. Maybe two books a year, and not have to grind them out in an effort to stay solvent and relevant to readers.


Which writers inspire you?

A. Mercedes Lackey, Laurell K Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, Kathleen E Woodiwiss, and Anne McCaffrey. In the m/m genre, Aleksandr Voinov and Kaje Harper, along with Ginn Hale and Megan Derr. I want to be them when I grow up.


So, what have you written?

A. As SJ HImes, I’ve written Wolves of Black Pine, The Necromancer’s Dance, and Saving Silas (novella.)
As my alter ego, Revella Hawthorne, I’ve written the Bred For Love Series, three books there. First of which is The Prince’s Consort.
(*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest.)


Where can we buy or see them? (* include American, European and any other relevant links. Free, free promotions or prices can be included)

A. www.sjhimes.com will direct everyone to where to buy my books, both ebook and paperback.


Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

A. Angel is a necromancer, a role that is traditionally evil and sacrilegious in almost every incarnation I’ve come across in fantasy. Yet he is not the villain, but he also isn’t the hero. I wouldn’t even call him the anti-hero...he is just a man, trying to live his life, and keep those he loves safe and happy. His necromancy is a matter of birth and training, and not about the corruption of a once good man.


What genre are your books?

A. My books are all m/m romance or erotica at this point. I am working up the courage to tackle other shades of the rainbow spectrum. I’m bisexual myself, so that’s going to be my next challenge to write about. My books are with the exception of one, all are fantasy/paranormal.


What draws you to this genre?

A I love reading m/m, fantasy, and science fiction. To combine all three is perfection for me.


How much research do you do?

A. I do geography mostly, and local history if I am incorporating real world facts into my urban fantasy books. They are all set in New England and Boston, and I grew up in those areas, so most of it is personal knowledge right now.


Who designed your book cover/s?

I use two designers--Garret Leigh and Kellie Dennis. Kellie has done most of them, @ Book Covers By Design.


Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

It does for me, honestly. I shop for books online, and if it doesn’t catch my eye I probably won’t even stop in it.


How are you publishing this book and why?
(*e.g. Indie, traditional or both)

Indie-pubber all the way. Full creative control and higher royalties. Makes sense from an artistic viewpoint and a financial one.

Title: The Necromancer’s Dilemma
Author: S J Himes
Series: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #2
Release Date: July 2016
Genre: MM Romance, Fantasy

BLURB

Even love can die without trust.

Angel’s brother, Isaac, has returned home, and the pair begin to make slow and awkward attempts back to each other. Learning how to be a brother to a grown man instead of a parental figure has Angel adjusting his behaviors and habits, and Isaac still remains a mystery. Was it merely entering adulthood that turned Isaac away from an overprotective Angel, or does Isaac carry a secret that will keep them from finally being a real family?

Daniel Macavoy, Angel’s new apprentice, is torn between his bond with Angel and the grasping machinations of his father. Dealing with a traumatized apprentice with dangerous holes in his magical education, saving Daniel may be harder than Angel first thought—especially since the biggest problem is not revenge, but guilt.

The one shining beacon in his life is Simeon, Elder vampire of Boston’s only Bloodclan. Four hundred years old and sexy as sin, Simeon is warrior and sage, patient and cunning. The strength Angel draws from Simeon’s devotion and the newborn mate-bond between them is steadfast and true…and the fount of death magic that animates the undead lord places Angel in the midst of a power struggle for control over himself, his lover, and his family.

Through it all, Angel is beleaguered by the unwanted attention of a troll-hybrid, the adventures of a dragon in the city, and a serial killer has decided to hunt the back alleys and midnight streets of Boston.

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Buy Links: Amazon Universal Link

BOOK ONE

Title: The Necromancer’s Dance

Release Date: February 26th 2016

BLURB

In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new. Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother’s boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again pulled back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family’s death.

Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire’s attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.

Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead?

Death stalks the streets of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill….and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.

MATURE CONTENT Contains graphic violence, male/male sexual contact, a cranky necromancer, a sexy Irish vampire, and a pesky demon. 

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Buy Link: Amazon Universal

About the Author

I’m a thirty something bisexual cisgendered woman with way too big an imagination, but that comes in handy when I’m writing. I have been writing since I was a child, when I took a four page assignment on what I was going to do on summer vacation and turned it into a 100 page fantasy epic all written by hand…in crayons. No joke.

I work a day job, but I can’t share for who, since the Old Man isn’t as liberated as the people who read my books. I’m married, I have furbabies, and I live with loved ones. I adore a certain show about a British consulting detective and his grumpy army doctor, and that spawned an addiction to Johnlock fanfiction, which then evolved into me writing it. Gawd, that’s embarrassing. Put this down in the TMI section of my Bio, okay? I enjoy martial arts, movies where things blow up, and I wish I lived in a Marvel movie. 

I live in the beautiful and lonely Berkshire County in Massachusetts, and I see way more wildlife than I care to on a daily basis (bears!). My perfect day is reading surrounded by friends and family who don’t think it’s odd I want to hang out but not talk, and my favorite scent of all time is a cool fall evening with leaves burning….less a scent, and more of an experience.

My writing is focused on gay and lesbian people, who are more than interesting side characters that hang out with the heterosexual MCs. My wish for the future is that when people ask me what I do for a living, I can say, “I write gay romance,” and NOT get weird looks. 

My alter ego is Revella Hawthorne, and I'm writing the Bred For Love series under that name.

Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

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Interview with Harper Miller, Author of Complexity #interview #giveaway

Welcome all!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Harper Miller, author of Complexity, Book 4 in the Kinky Connect Chronicles series

Hi Harper, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Hi, All! Relatively new indie author. I pen Erotica/Erotic Romance with an interracial/multicultural theme, and I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York.

What were you like at school? A nerd. A popular nerd but still a nerd.

Were you good at English? Yes! I was actually in honors English and later Advanced Placement English in high school. It was my favorite subject!


How much research do you do? It depends on the book. For the most part, I haven’t had to do much in-depth research but for an upcoming book I hope to begin working on next year, I’ve already started piecing things together. It’s a historical, so I figured I'd start early!


What’s your views on social media for marketing? Using social media is necessary. It’s the new way to get your product in front of numerous sets of eyes. The Internet provides a savvy way to sell things. If an author isn't attempting to be innovative with their branding, it’s a lost opportunity. The days of abundant bookstores are a bit behind us. Many have closed up shop due to bankruptcy. Also, there's the ridiculous stranglehold Amazon has on the market.


Who edited your book and how did you select him/her? My books were all edited by Daphne W. over at My Passion’s Pen. I found her through an author friend, Allyn Lesley. Daphne and I have a great relationship. She’s been pivotal in my evolution as a writer.


Who designed your book cover/s? All of my book covers are created by Taria Reed Digital Artist. She’s also been with me from the beginning! She does amazing work. You should check her out on Facebook or her website if you know of an author seeking original cover art.

TITLE: Complexity
SERIES: Kinky Connect Chronicles
AUTHOR: Harper Miller
COVER ARTIST: Taria Reed Digital Artist
LENGTH: 140 Pages
RELEASE DATE: July 8, 2016

BLURB: Fairy tale endings weren’t made for people like me. Happy for now usually ain’t in the cards, either.

The dents on my wall from where my headboard kept knockin’ against the same spot was the first clue that I needed to calm my ass down. At the rate I was racking up notches and plowing through hookups, I wasn’t ever gonna find nothing real. Guess I kinda jinxed myself. I created my circumstances. You can’t get what you want if you keep falling back into the same pattern of bad habits. But then things changed. I stumbled onto somethin’ I never in a million years expected to happen. You gotta understand, I’m never the guy who wins. It was supposed to be just sex, but that shifty, rhyming and scheming bastard, Cupid, pulled a fast one.

I may have changed some stuff to protect a couple of people. But before you go believing the tabloids, make sure you understand that you’re gettin’ the lowdown straight from the source.

I needed to get this off my chest and it’s only fair that you at least get my side of it all. At some point, I might regret telling you any of this, but for now, you need to know.

*Disclaimer* This is a novella. Not a short story, novelette, or novel. This tale features an M/M pairing. If gay erotica/erotic romance is not your cup of tea and you are offended by same-sex relationships or crass language, you should bypass this story. Content is intended for a mature audience, 18+.

Complexity is the fourth installment in The Kinky Connect Chronicles. The Kinky Connect Chronicles are short erotic stories/novelettes all wrapped up in neat little bows. These stories are standalones. No cliffhangers in the lot!

 

Could we be more different? Him: famous, rich white dude. Me: Latino entrepreneur who stocked up on ramen noodles and peanut butter when Key Food had a sale. This dude was so beyond my scope but he didn’t act any differently than a hookup I would’ve scored downtown at one of the gay bars in Chelsea.

Honestly, I didn’t know if me taking this shit with Christopher to the next level was a good thing or a bad thing. I held my own. I had my own business and made money legitimately doing shit I loved. Some days were a struggle, and I fell on hard times every now and again, but I woke up with a sense of purpose. Maybe I was overthinking things. I knew this was just about sex, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I was some sort of pity fuck or if Chris had a Latino fetish. He seemed genuinely attracted to me, but you know, there’s always somebody on the web lookin’ to get their rocks off with that token piece of ass.

I needed to stop with the assumptions and just take the moment for what it was, because an opportunity like this wouldn’t ever happen again.

Stayin’ in my head was gonna fuck everything up, so I focused on the twinkling lights near the waterfront seventeen stories down. “Good, I don’t bareback either. If rubbers aren’t required, we ain’t fuckin’. Seems like it’s a little too late to be having this discussion, but I’m clean. I get tested every six weeks. Got a copy of my results in my wallet if you wanna see.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Every six weeks? Sleep around a lot?”

I laughed, pulling off my polo. “I like sex. I like safe sex. I like to be certain I stay safe, so if that means gettin’ tested more often, I’m cool with that.”

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Harper Miller is a thirty-something native New Yorker. She's traveled the world and lived in a variety of places but always finds her way back to the Big Apple. A lackluster love life leaves time to explore new interests, for Harper it is writing. The Sweetest Taboo: An Unconventional Romance is her debut novel. In her mind, the perfect Alpha male possesses intellect, humor, and a kinky streak that rivals the size of California.

When she isn't writing, Harper utilizes her graduate degree in the field of medical research. She enjoys fitness-related activities, drinking copious amounts of wine and going on bad dates.

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Damaged Goods by Susan Mac Nicol #interview #giveaway

Welcome all!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Susan Mac Nicol, author of Damaged Goods

Hi Susan, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I’m a British author, living in a gorgeous thatched cottage in a village called Shalford, not far from London. I’m married, with two grown children and just celebrated my 32nd wedding anniversary. My husband must be a saint to put up with me for so long. I’ve been writing for just under three years now, and love every minute of it. I have a day job, which gets in the way of what I want to do-writing- but that’s life.

I lived in South Africa for thirty years, before coming back to the UK nearly sixteen years ago. I love living in England, it’s an amazing place to live.


How much research do you do?

I’m passionate about research. I believe that delivering the best possible effort to get things right for a reader when you’re writing about subjects that you may have not experienced personally is paramount. They deserve accuracy and realism. I visited a lighthouse on the Norfolk coast when I wrote Worth Keeping. I stayed in a circus when I decided to write a story set in one, a story called Living on Air. For Double Alchemy, I visited all the London locations where the book was set so I could see them for myself, including the ponds where Cade swam. I consulted neurologists when I wrote a book about Jax in Damaged Goods and his visual impairment. So research is important to me.


Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I am a pantser, preferring to see where the book takes me. I do have a rough idea of how to start the story, but from then on, it becomes a free for all. I sit down, I write and the story and the characters take me where I need to go. I do a timeline document where I keep track of the important events and dates, so I don’t trip myself up.


Who designed your book cover/s?

I’m really fortunate in that my publisher has this whizz kid called Chris Keeslar, who is wonderful at designing my covers and making sure it reflects the story. Chris is also the Editor in Chief of Boroughs Publishing Group and a busy man. So the fact he takes time out to make me feel really happy when he does a book cover for me is incredible. The covers always seem to reflect the essence of the story and look hot and sexy no matter what. I’m rather fussy about my covers and I get to have a 100% say in everything that goes down.


Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

I do think the cover is important. It’s what draws the reader’s eyes to think ‘Hmm, I rather fancy the look of that.’ It doesn’t have to be naked men or glistening torsos, sometimes a book cover can be simple but effective and still pull people in. People tend to be rather visual and sometimes you do judge a book by its cover. Font, images, placement and visual appeal all make it a design process that determines whether people will buy that particular book. Dean F. Wilson wrote rather a good post about book covers here.


What is your favourite quote?

My favourite quote is by an American economist and author, Thomas Sowell. ‘Life does not ask what we want. It presents us with options.’ I don’t believe that we are destined towards a certain path, I believe we can make decision to affect our own futures. I think we can rise above adversity and change our lives for the better. It’s all down to one person- me, myself and I- to change the future.

Title: Damaged Goods

Author: Susan Mac Nicol

Series: Men of London #7

Release Date: April 28th 2016

Genre: New Adult MM Contemporary Romance

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BLURB

Touched by tragedy, love is an elusive dream never to be realised by eighteen-year-old Jax Grady--until he discovers is secret admirer and receives the sweetest gift he could ever desire.

THE SWEETEST GIFT

Tragedy and horror shaped Jackson Grady's life, leaving him orphaned and scarred. At eighteen he's ready to claim his future, but who could love his disfigured face and damaged soul? Definitely not a big, burly, beautiful Irish Traveller who is entirely the stuff of dreams.

Dare Rowan didn't mean to become obsessed with the blue-eyed man he first saw across a field, but that porcelain skin and innocent air demanded another meeting. Jax has the face of a wounded angel, and the rest of the young man is as heart-breakingly perfect. Jax is beautiful in every way and teaching him about love and life will be something Dare will embrace. Like unwrapping and savouring the candy at the shop where he works, Dare will show this young man everything Jax desired but never thought he'd have, and take Jax to new highs while he holds him through the lows. Between them, they’ll find out just how sweet life can be.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Boroughs Publishing | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

 EXCERPT

He wasn’t stalking his fantasy. He wasn’t. Dare clamped his lips together mutinously as he hunkered down behind a towering oak. The tree lay on the outskirts, in the garden of a large Georgian house. From a distance, Dare watched as the beautiful blond man he’d been observing, thank you very much, tenderly placed what looked like flower bulbs in the rich soil. The man—whom Dare had first called Angel, though he now knew his name was Jax thanks to the younger kids playing in the garden yelling to him—leaned over. His pert jean-encased backside pushed out into the air and Dare swallowed, mesmerised by the enticing sight. A pang of guilt washed over his skin at the sneaking knowledge that yes, he could actually be deemed a stalker.

“I’ve only watched him a few times,” Dare murmured under his breath. “It’s not like I’m some pervert checking through the windows. I mean, the guy is in plain sight and there’s no boundary fence, so why shouldn’t I look? Anyone would. God, he’s gorgeous. A flawed angel with those blond curls and blue eyes.”

His wistful voice echoed in the quiet of the forest surrounding the large house called Castaways. It was some sort of place for homeless kids, Dare thought. He’d found this vantage point by accident one day when he’d been out gathering bits of greenery for his boss, Sally, an eccentric seventy-year-old woman who owned the sweet shop he’d managed for the past three years.

Some weeks ago, Sally had decided she wanted to display certain wildflowers in their place of work. She was also heavily into aromatherapy at the moment, so she sent Dare out each week to pick new blossoms and plants to further her ambitions to be a “flower child,” as Dare teasingly called it. He hadn’t minded. It had become a pleasant routine to take the short tube ride to Camden to perform what Sally loftily called his “ecological duties.” This secluded part of the woods around the area was the best place she knew of to find the flowers. Dare had caught sight of the beautiful man in the garden tending to a bunch of what looked like unruly kids, and now, having seen his Angel, Sally could send him out every day and Dare wouldn’t mind.

“But that would make me a stalker,” he said to himself. “So I’m not one now—yet.” He huffed and ducked back behind a bush as Jax turned to stare fixedly in his direction from underneath his wide-brimmed straw hat, an item Dare found rather endearing.  

Read the Men of London series: Amazon | Boroughs Publishing | Goodreads

 

COMING SOON ~ HARD CLIMATE (MEN OF LONDON #8) PRE-ORDER: Boroughs Publishing | Goodreads

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About the Author

Susan Mac Nicol is a self- confessed bookaholic, an avid watcher of videos of sexy pole dancing men, geek, nerd and in love with her Smartphone. This little treasure is called ‘the boyfriend’ by her long suffering husband, who says if it vibrated, there’d be no need for him. Susan hasn’t had the heart to tell him there’s an app for that…

She is never happier than when sitting in the confines of her living room/study/on a cold station platform scribbling down words and making two men fall in love. She is a romantic at heart and believes that everything happens (for the most part) for a reason.  She likes to think of herself as a ‘half full’ kinda gal, although sometimes that philosophy is sorely tested.

Lover of walks in the forest, theatre productions, dabbling her toes in the cold North Sea and the vibrant city of London where you can experience all four seasons in a day , she is a hater of pantomime (so please don’t tar and feather her), duplicitous people, bigotry and self-righteous idiots.

In an ideal world, Susan Mac Nicol would be Queen of England and banish all the bad people to the Never Never Lands of Wherever -Who Cares. As that’s never going to happen, she contents herself with writing her HEA stories and pretending, that just for a little while, good things happen to good people.

Sue is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association in the UK.

Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Pinterest | Amazon | Goodreads

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