Thursday, December 22, 2016

Release blitz: The Road to Frosty Hollow by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

The Road to Frosty Hollow 

RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Authors: RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Buy Links:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2icRc7r
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2hFe16R

Blurb

Nick and Cameron face old demons, and find new love, on a Christmas road trip.

Former Marine Nick Sheridan is at a crossroads. With his entire life ahead of him he struggles to find direction and his place in the world. Car sharing to get home for his sister’s Christmas wedding seems like a good idea at first. Spending the time with the man he kissed and left years before, maybe not so much.

Cameron Bennett lost most of his teenage years to cancer and he now lives every day to the fullest. He decides to drive from Seattle to Vermont for his best friend’s wedding and capture moments of it on film. He hadn’t planned on car sharing with the man who kissed him ten years ago, but somehow he ends up with a brooding Nick by his side.

Along the way, the men learn that sometimes life plans mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Love can be found in the most unexpected of ways, and facing your demons head on is sometimes the only way to live.


Author Bios

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing.

RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

mailto:rj@rjscott.co.uk
www.rjscott.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/author.rjscott?ref=ts&fref=ts
www.goodreads.com/author/show/3432558.R_J_Scott
twitter.com/Rjscott_author
www.librarything.com/author/scottrj


Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.

Website/blog: http://www.meredithrussell.co.uk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meredithrussellauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeredithRAuthor
Instagram: http://instagram.com/miss_meredith_r
Email: meredithrussell666@gmail.com


You can find Meredith's blog on cover art, including information and portfolio here:
http://meredithrussellart.blogspot.co.uk

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Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Series review: The Jewel of Colorado: The complete series by Jason Collins


The Jewel Of Colorado:  The Complete Series contains The Jewel Of Colorado and Legacies:  The Jewel of Colorado


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

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

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

Excerpt
“You never answered my question,” Jacob said.

“About Blue Moon?”

“Blue Moon,” Jacob said as his eyes disconnected from the conversation and drifted to a darker corner of the room. “It’s so unusual to hear it referred to by its name. My grandfather is the only one who ever calls it that – most people refer to it as the jewel –”

“The jewel of Colorado,” Evan interrupted him.

Jacob laughed and asked, “So, what do you think?”

“It’s beautiful,” Evan answered with a sigh. “It’s like something from a movie.”

“Yes, a movie about a very, very expensive stone,” Jacob replied. “It’s not the only attractive thing in this room.”

Evan was sure that he had misheard Jacob, or that he was simply referring to something else. He shook his head and began to reply, but Jacob interrupted him before he could begin.

“What’s your name?” Jacob asked.

“Evan,” he replied, “and yours?”

Evan immediately felt embarrassed for not knowing Mr. Sanders’s first name, but he had only been referred to by his last name previously.

“I’m Jacob,” he replied with a laugh, “and I’m glad you don’t know who I am.”

Review
The Jewel of Colorado is a crime/mystery drama that will leave you guessing until the very end because the author provides the reader with multiple suspects, and the perpetrator or perpetrators of the crime are the ones you would least expect.
The entire cast of characters are interesting and the main characters are easy to relate to and they pull you into their story.
There is not a lot of romance in The Jewel of Colorado, nor are there a lot of explicit sex scenes. There is one explicit scene, and other sexual encounters are alluded to or briefly described. Adding more sex scenes, to me, would detract from the story.
This is perhaps one the finest 'whodunit' stories I've ever read.
However, the one thing that bothers me about the story is a lot of repeating of certain phrases. That being said, The Jewel of Colorado deserves to be on everybody's Kindle/Nook/eReader/bookshelf. 

All-in-all, I give The Jewel of Colorado 4½ out of 5 stars.

₪₪₪₪₪




                     
Synopsis
It's been one month since the Blue Moon diamond was safely tucked away, and Evan Carlson is ready to move past the drama and scandal surrounding it. On his last day as bank manager, Evan is excited to rid himself of his duties and finally focus on his relationship with Jacob. On his way out of town, a chance encounter with Lucy Sanders causes Evan to wonder if their troubles are really over.

Determined to maintain a positive attitude, Evan pushes his feelings of doubt aside until the arrival of a strange new man shakes everything up. When he attends a business meeting with Alex Carter, son of Danielle and Sheriff Carter, he expects to spend a boring afternoon signing documents, but he quickly realizes that Alex is interested in more than just paperwork. Loyal to Jacob and excited about their future, Evan finds himself defending their love from the aggressive interest shown by the mischievous Alex.

With all their attention centered on their relationship, Evan and Jacob let thoughts of the secured diamond fall to the way side. Unfortunately, what once was secure, has again been compromised. The mystery behind the Jewel of Colorado continues as familiar characters clash with new opportunists, leaving Evan and Jacob wondering if they can trust anyone. With the loss of the stone causing tension within the Sanders family, Evan must figure out a way to save his relationship with Jacob.

Excerpt

The long driveway which lead to the heart of the Sanders ranch had become a familiar sight for Evan. Over the past month – excluding the two-week vacation they took – Evan had become accustomed to a part-time life on the ranch. Jacob and his grandfather welcomed him onto the property with open arms, and they were constantly complaining that he didn’t spend enough time there, but he didn’t want to feel like a nuisance.

His car poked along the dusty road as he gazed up at the Rocky Mountains in all their glory. The effects of their beauty never diminished, and each time he entered the property he felt like he was seeing them for the first time. As he neared the main house, he looked over at the private lake where he and Jacob had shared their first real conversation. They had known each other for a full thirty days now, but due to the extreme circumstances surrounding their time together, it felt like they had known
each other for years.

He finally saw the main house in the distance, and Jacob was eagerly waiting for him on the front porch. Evan parked his car, climbed out of the driver’s seat, and saw Jacob rushing toward him with open arms.

“You’re here!” he exclaimed as he wrapped Evan in his embrace.

“I’m here,” Evan said with his lips pressed against the flannel covering Jacob’s chest. “I’m sorry it took so long; we had a few extra things to deal with at the bank, and I –”

“Let’s not talk about the bank,” Jacob said, pulling Evan in so tight that he was sure the flannel was going to leave an impression on his skin.

Review

It has been said that history tends to repeat itself. A month after the theft of the Blue Moon Diamond, more commonly known as the Jewel of Colorado, it gets stolen again. Once again the author provides us with a mystery with more twists and turns than a bag of curly fries. What would appear to be a carbon copy of The Jewel of Colorado actually isn't. It just seems that way.



The entire cast of characters with the notable exception of those who were incarcerated the first time the Blue Moon Diamond was stolen. Suspicions about, and just when you think you've solved this mystery, oh crap! Here we go again with another twist. I myself was sure of who stole the diamond, only to be proven wrong.

It has also been said that a leopard can't change it's spots. Well, sometimes it can. Two of the characters have a complete reversal of attitudes, one of which is kinda expected, the other is a complete shock.

The story seems to flow a bit more smoothly than it's predecessor, which I believe to be caused by the author becoming more comfortable with the characters he's created. I've seen this in other book series. The characters are fleshed out a little more, thus are even more real than in the previous novel, although they were pretty real in The Jewel of Colorado. As an author myself, I can definitely relate.

Once again, if you're looking for a lot of steamy, explicit sex scenes I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I believe that, although part of the plot is the two main characters settling into their relationship, having page after page of sex scenes just doesn't fit. What little there is, fits in nicely. Any more than that detracts from the overall story.

Legacy:  The Jewel of Colorado also deserves to be on everybody's Kindle/Nook/eReader/bookshelf. 

All-in-all, I give Legacy:  The Jewel of Colorado 5 out of 5 stars.

Series review wrap-up

There are a couple of things I like about this series. One is that each book is stand-alone. You don't to read one to understand what's happening in the other. There's none of the dreaded 'To be continued', although readers will experience a more pleasurable read if they are read in succession.

Another is that there aren't a lot of new characters introduced in the second book. To me, this tends to get confusing trying to figure out the dynamics of how all the characters fit together. Some readers may disagree with that, but hey, whatever makes the series enjoyable, that's what counts.

Everything I've said in this review is my own opinion. However, I challenge everybody reading this review to read The Jewel of Colorado:  The Complete Series and form your own opinions. I'd be curious to see if they resemble mine.

I highly recommend  The Jewel of Colorado:  The Complete Series.
 
Author bio
Hello everyone, I'm Jason Collins. I'm a writer from the South, but I've been living in New York for quite a while, so I've started calling myself a "southern New Yorker". There's nothing I love more than a hot cup of coffee and a good story, so I try to do most of my writing when I have a fresh pot available. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.

Find me on Facebook: facebook.com/jasoncollinswriter




 Buy links:
The Jewel of Colorado: The Complete Series 

The Jewel of Colorado 

Legacy: Sequel to The Jewel of Colorado 

All synopses, excerpts, photos and author bio are copyright (c) Jason Collins.  

Monday, December 12, 2016

Coming December 21st: Holiday House Swap by Sarah Madison

Title: Holiday House Swap
Author: Sarah Madison
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: December 21, 2016

Reclusive writer Noah Kinley is facing a dilemma: how to confess to the world he’s really the author of a best-selling romance series. For years, his friend Julie has been the face of his brand, but she wants her life back now. Fast running out of ideas for his popular series, Noah wants to break out into other genres. Not that he’s writing much of anything at the moment anyway, thanks to paralyzing writer’s block. With his publisher breathing down his neck for the next installment, he hopes a change of scene will get his writer’s juices flowing again. Desperate enough to try anything, during the holidays Noah swaps his isolated cabin in the woods for a gentrified horse farm.
USAF Major Connor Harrison has chosen forced retirement over facing charges for an unauthorized mission to rescue a buddy from behind enemy lines. No one expects him home for the holidays, and he certainly didn’t anticipate finding a stranger in his house, much less Noah Kinley with his acid tongue and a wry sense of humor that pierces all of Connor’s defenses. Both men need to figure out what the next chapter in their lives will be—and whether it will include each other.
To his delight, a wall switch within arm’s length turned out to be for a sound system. He fiddled with the dial until he found a radio station playing Christmas music. He sank down into the bubbling water until just his toes and head were sticking out. Bing Crosby sang a rousing rendition of “Mele Kalikimaka.” Obviously another indication the station was getting desperate for different Christmas songs already. Then the playlist segued into one of many versions of “Santa Baby,” all of which Noah hated. Still, the sheer bliss of soaking in a steaming tub without having to cross a snow-covered porch to get there had him humming along when “The Twelve Days of Christmas” came on.
Noah had just belted out “five go-old rings” when he opened his eyes to see the bathroom door slowly swinging toward him. His jaw dropped in horror when he saw a soldier dressed in desert camo standing in the entranceway. The man had a 9mm in his hand and had used the barrel to open the door.
Noah couldn’t help it. He shrieked and flung the Kindle aside, ducking down into the Jacuzzi. It didn’t take him long to realize this wasn’t a workable escape plan, and he burst up out of the water, gasping for air. Blinking soapy water out of his eyes, he grasped the wine bottle by the neck and swung it overhead with the intent of throwing it.
To his surprise, while he’d been underwater, the soldier had holstered his gun. The man had also taken off his cap to reveal a shock of short brown hair practically sticking up on end. He was leaning against the sink with his arms folded across his chest. The overhead light made his eyes gleam like a cat’s, almost amber in color. His two-day stubble made him look like an extra from Miami Vice. Although he no longer acted as though he planned to shoot Noah, he gave off a dangerous vibe just the same.
“Calm down.” He was unimpressed by Noah’s defensive posture. “I’m guessing you’re not a burglar after all. Unless you’re the kind of thief who enjoys breaking into other people’s houses to take bubble baths.”
“I’m not a thief!” Fear sharpened into anger. “Your first clue should have been the Ford Fiesta sitting in the driveway. A real thief would drive something more impressive, like a black Hummer or something. The second tip-off should have been the fact there’s no evidence of a break-in, and the third should’ve been, I don’t know, perhaps my luggage sitting in the guest room?” Rage made his blood pressure go up like a rocket. “Whereas you came busting in here with a gun in your hand, so tell me, Lieutenant Soldier Man, why the hell I shouldn’t call the police right now?”
Noah noted his hand holding the wine was trembling, and he hastily set the bottle down. Awareness of his naked state, damp and only thinly covered by soap, made him ooze back down into the bubbles. He swept some toward him to cover strategic areas, all while glaring at the soldier.
“Well, I don’t know,” the military man drawled in a lazy manner that sent a little chill down Noah’s spine, even though he was hunkered down in the steaming water. “Maybe because I’m between you and the phone. Maybe because I still have a gun and you don’t. Or maybe—” The man pushed himself off the sink and took a step closer to the tub, pressing his fists into his hips as he leaned over to speak with emphasis. “Maybe because I live here.”
Noah gasped. “You do not!”
Sarah Madison is a writer with a little dog, a big dog, an even bigger horse, too many cats, and a very patient boyfriend. An amateur photographer and a former competitor in the horse sport known as eventing, when she's not out hiking with the dogs or down at the stables, she's at the laptop working on her next story. When she’s in the middle of a chapter, she relies on the smoke detector to tell her dinner is ready. She writes because it’s cheaper than therapy.
Sarah enjoys placing hot men in hot water to see how strong they are—like teabags, only sexier. This motto allows her to play in a wide variety of genres, from FBI guys to shifters, with some WW2 fighter pilots and space adventurers tossed in for good measure. Sarah Madison was a finalist in the 2013 and 2015 Rainbow Awards. The Boys of Summer won Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards. The Sixth Sense series was voted 2nd place in the 2014 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards for Best M/M Mystery series, and 3rd place in the 2105 PGR Reviewer’s Choice Awards for Best M/M Paranormal/Urban Fantasy series. If you want to make her day, e-mail her and tell you how much you like her stories.


HOSTED BY:


Holiday House Swap is a completely different type of story from what I'm used to reading.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the read because I totally did. I really like the way the Noah and Connor met the first time. Quite different from the usual ways you normally read about. I wish I could put more about that in this review, but to do so would require giving out spoilers, which I refuse to do.

I can easily identify with Noah as far as the writer's block goes. It's my arch-enemy! I experience it quite often, whether I'm working on my Wednesday Briefs flashes or the edits on my current novel. Get thee behind me, writer's block!

I can also identify with Connor as I also served in the Air Force a long time ago. The horrors he's seen while deployed to Afghanistan are the things nightmares are made of. Would I do what he did to save his buddy? Hell to the yes, consequences be damned!

As their relationship grows you sometimes want to pat them on the back and say you're doing great. Other times you want to get some 18-wheelers to pull their heads out of their asses.

I wish I could give it more than 5 stars, but I'm limited to just 5, so 5 it is. I sincerely hope (on knees begging Ms Madison) we'll see more of Noah and Connor as they... just they. No spoilers, remember.

Bottom line:  GET THIS BOOK! READ IT!  

Saturday, December 10, 2016

New from Alicia Nordwell: Disastertastic

Just $2.99!
Amazon  All Romance eBooks  Smashwords


Blurb: Sawyer is too busy to worry about something as frivolous as Christmas. College is hard, but he’s focused on getting into law school. Kable is studying to make the family business, Del Buon Gusto, into a successful chain restaurant. When a party debacle at the restaurant gives Kable a chance to get close to Sawyer, he’s shocked to learn Sawyer’s a Christmas Grinch. He's determined to change Sawyer’s mind, but their dates are one debacle after another. It might not be possible to make this into Sawyer's first Merry Christmas after all.



Excerpt:
What a waste of time. He could’ve been home starting his paper or even watching a movie if he wanted to slack off.

Fed up avoiding questions of family traditions and travel plans, Sawyer strolled away from the crowd in the dining room and headed toward the tree. He nodded and smiled at a few people but didn’t stop. Everyone else was enjoying the appetizers that had just come out, but he’d already had dinner before he left home, since he’d expected to work. He could pass more time pretending to examine the ornaments or watching the snow drift down now that the storm finally hit. He’d just have to wait a little longer until he could politely make his escape.

“You don’t like eggnog?”

“What?” Sawyer blinked and shrugged the hand off his shoulder. He took a step to the side. He’d been focused on the snow, watching the puffy flakes float down to coat the sidewalks and road. The grassy verge along the road was already completely white. He hadn’t even heard Kable approaching, which was odd because he was normally impossible to miss. He was just as loud and energetic as his dad.
“Your cup is still full.” Kable gestured toward the red cup in Sawyer’s hand. “Usually when you don’t drink something that means you don’t like it.”

“It smells gross, and I definitely don’t think a dairy product should be this thick and still be drinkable.” Sawyer’s filter was gone, just like it usually was around Kable. He got so nervous, he always ended up saying whatever came to him. It wasn’t like he was trying to hide that he was gay—everyone already knew that—but he hoped his crush wasn’t as obvious. He’d had enough embarrassment for the evening.

Kable laughed. “Then why’d you take it?”

“It seemed like the thing to do.” Sawyer rotated the cup between his palms, disgusted by the way the glop reacted. Surely it couldn’t be safe to drink the stuff.

“So, is it just dairy-based holiday drinks you don’t like? Or is it something more? You haven’t had a single thing to eat, and you’re not exactly dressed for the party.  There’s so much fun to be had from dressing up for Christmas parties.” Kable waved a hand in front his chest. “Like this.” He was wearing an awful sweater with reindeer prancing around a Christmas tree that had bedazzled ornaments decorating every puffy bough. Not even something that hideous could detract from his dark-haired, blue-eyed handsomeness... but really, Sawyer shouldn’t be noticing that at all.

Sawyer scoffed. “I’d rather be here in my underwear than wear something like that.”

“Or your uniform?” Kable gestured toward Sawyer’s black slacks and plain white shirt. “Is it just that you don’t have another outfit?”

“Of course I have other outfits! Why would you think that?” Sawyer snapped. His face was hot and prickly; no one else had mentioned his clothes, even if they noticed he was wearing his work uniform. It’s not like he was wearing something inappropriate, like shorts and a t-shirt.

Kable cocked his head to one side. “If you had something else, why didn’t you wear that?”

“You’re nosy, you know?” He was always asking questions and getting into everyone’s business. The others didn’t seem to mind. Kable was Mr. McArthur’s son, and he worked the occasional shift at the restaurant when they were short a waiter even though he was in school full-time to get a business degree. He was friendly, sometimes too friendly, and made Sawyer uncomfortable with his casual intimacy. Kable was always patting him on the back or arm when they spoke, and Sawyer liked it a little too much.

“Yep.” Kable grinned. “But wait, don’t tell me! You never come out for a drink with the rest of us, not even for coffee, and you’re always studying those books on your breaks. I’ve never heard you even talk about doing something like going to a party. You thought you were here to work tonight, didn’t you?”

Sawyer grit his teeth. “So what? Your dad just said he wanted us all here.”

“And you didn’t put two and two together?” Kable gestured toward the room.

“I did once I got here. He said he was throwing a party for friends and family. What else was I going to think?” Sawyer was getting tired of Kable’s questions. He lifted his before Kable could notice his scowl and figure out he was getting to him and made the stupid mistake of taking a drink.

“Oh, ew.” Sawyer desperately wanted to spit out the eggnog, but there was no polite way to do so. He forced the mouthful down, swallowing repeatedly in an attempt to get rid of the liquid still coating his tongue. It was as horrible as he thought it would be. He stared at the cup in disgust. “People actually drink this... on purpose?”


Author Bio:
The number one question folks ask Alicia when she shares she's a MM romance author: "Why gay fiction? Why write men when you're a woman?" and her answer is: "Why the hell not!" Alicia Nordwell is one of those not so rare creatures, a reader turned writer. Striving to find an interesting story one day, she decided to write what she wanted instead. Then the voices started... Yep, not only does she talk about herself in the third person for bios, she has voices in her head constantly clamoring to get out. Fortunately, with the encouragement of her family and friends, she decided for her own sanity to keep writing.

Now you can find her stories both free and e-published. When she’s not on the computer typing away, she's a wife and a mom of two in the dreary, yet ideal for her redhead complexion, Pacific Northwest. Except for when she disappears into one of the many worlds in her head, of course! She can also be found quite often at her blog, where she has a lot of free fiction for readers to enjoy or working hard, or maybe hardly working, as an admin on GayAuthors.org under her online nickname, Cia.

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