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  • A More Perfect Union Blog Tour–Getting From Here to There; by Scott Coatsworth

    A More Perfect Union Blog Tour–Getting From Here to There; by Scott Coatsworth

    Today, my friend Scott Coatsworth joins us to talk about his new anthology – A More Perfect Union. Scott along with B.G Thomas, Jamie Fessenden and Michael Murphy joined forces to write short stories in honor of the first anniversary of marriage equality. The result was the A More Perfect Union anthology.  Scott talks about the fight for marriage equality from the perspective of someone who fought the battle. Take a moment to read his story and then pick up the anthology.

    -AQG

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    Getting From Here To There – By Scott Coatsworth

    I just reached the end of a long journey, one that started in 1989, two years before I came out to my friends and family. That year, I attended my first gay wedding. It wasn’t so much a wedding, though, as a furtive ceremony between two gay men, held in a stand of bamboo at the Huntington Museum, surrounded protectively by three friends.

    Back then, the idea of two guys getting married was almost unthinkable. We were afraid someone would see us and make a scene. I was sure I’d never have the opportunity to marry the guy I hoped one day to love.

    I met that guy in 1992, after coming out. Mark was everything I was looking for. Handsome, kind, a reader, a guy who didn’t drink. Sweet, steady, and amazing. After two weeks we moved in together, but we never even thought about getting married. It’s hard to describe how inconceivable it was at the time.

    President Bill Clinton swept into office, and then he signed the Defense of Marriage Act in a misguided attempt to prevent a constitutional amendment against same sex marriage.

    And then Hawaii happened. The Supreme Court in the state was considering a marriage equality case. But they took forever to rule, stalling and delaying, and in the meantime, the first of what I call the Prop 8 laws was passed, banning the practice, pushed by the state’s large Mormon community. Within a couple years they were spreading like wildfire, and we watched as our chances of getting married became even slimmer.

    In 2004, two new fires were lit that would ultimately change everything. The Supreme Judicial Court made Massachusetts the first state to legalize full marriage equality. And Mayor Gavin Newsom attended the State of the Union in DC and came away angry. President Bush had announced his plan to block same sex marriage in the US Constitution, and Newsom returned home with a plan – open up City Hall to same sex couples for Valentine’s Day.

    We were one of the couples who married during that almost month-long parade of happy couples – over 3500 in all. It was an amazing time, and it was at that moment, standing atop the grand staircase, that I learned the true difference between a domestic partnership and a marriage.

    After a few months, though, our marriage license was invalidated, and the anti-same sex marriage laws kept coming.

    In 2008, we decided it was time to join the fight in earnest. We’d been to rallies and had donated money, but on January 1st, we started a blog called Gay Marriage Watch, where we chronicled the news every day about same sex marriage and LGBT rights.

    Then in June, the California Supreme Court opened a brief window of legality for same sex couples, and we were married once again, in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, just three days before the actual Prop 8 passed.

    That night is burned on my memory—the night Barack Obama won the presidency, and the night that California voters took the right to marriage away from us. It felt like the end, but it was just the beginning.

    From that dark night, we stood up and started to fight back. And state by state, we won, overturning the anti-same sex marriage laws.

    In June of 2014, five and a half years later, we waited for the ruling that would overturn Prop 8 and begin the demise of DOMA.

    A year later, faster than anyone imagined, DOMA fell, suddenly and permanently. It was a beautiful morning, on June 26th, 2015, when the US Supreme Court struck down the last objections, and in the blink of an eye marriage equality was legal everywhere in the United States.

    And so the marriage equality fight ended, though others continue on. I added my last post to our marriage equality blog on April 30th, 2016.

    On June 26th, marriage equality day, I closed the door in another way. My story “Flames”, about a gay couple finding their way to marriage, was released in the new Dreamspinner anthology “A More Perfect Union.” BG Thomas invited me and two other married gay authors to write our stories, our chance to put this whole battle that has spanned more than half my life in perspective.

    It’s the closing of a long chapter in my life, one I am proud to have been a part of, and the opening of a new one.

    I’m excited to see where things go from here.

    Blurbs

    coverOn June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States made a monumental decision, and at long last, marriage equality became the law of the land. That ruling made history, and now gay and lesbian Americans will grow up in a country where they will never be denied the right to marry the person they love.

    But what about the gay men who waited and wondered all of their lives if the day would ever come when they could stand beside the person they love and say “I do”?

    Here, four accomplished authors—married gay men—offer their take on that question as they explore same-sex relationships, love, and matrimony. Men who thought legal marriage was aright they would never have. Men who, unbelievably, now stand legally joined with the men they love. With this book, they share the magic and excitement of dreams that came true—in tales of fantasy and romance with a dose of their personal experiences in the mix.

    To commemorate the anniversary of full marriage equality in the US, this anthology celebrates the idea of marriage itself—and the universal truth of it that applies to us all, gay or straight.

    Someday, by B.G. Thomas

    Lucas Arrowood is walking to school on his first day of kindergarten when he meets Dalton Churchill—a boy who stops and helps him tie his shoe. He knows from that moment he is going to marry that boy one day.  “Boys can’t marry other boys,” his mother explains, but that doesn’t stop Lucas. He knows what he wants.

    He and Dalton become best friends—and then, no matter how much he resists, Dalton falls in love with Lucas. Dalton’s very conservative family can’t accept that their boy loves another boy, but finally Dalton stands up for love and for Lucas. Still, he declares he won’t marry Lucas until it is legal everywhere. He hates the “Commitment Ceremonies” gay men have. They aren’t the real thing. Why bother?

    So Lucas waits for his day. The day same-sex marriage finally becomes legal and he can be joined forever with the love of his life.

    Flames, by J. Scott Coatsworth

    Alex and Gio had a big fight, and Alex ran away. Then a fire at home destroyed the life they had built together, and threatened to take Gio away from him.

    Alex had always thought love was enough to keep them together. Why did they need wedding rings or legal certificates? But now, with Gio lost in a coma, his mother has banished Alex from his side.

    What if Alex’s voice is the only thing that can bring Gio back from the brink? Their memories are all Gio has left, and the urge to just let go is getting stronger.

    Still, nothing can keep Alex from Gio’s side. If it’s against the rules, he’ll break them. In stolen moments alone together, Alex fights to bring him back, one memory at a time.

    Destined, by Jamie Fessenden

    When Jay and Wallace first meet at an LGBTQ group, they have no idea they’ll be dating six years later. In fact, they quickly forget each other’s names. But although fate continues to throw them together, the timing is never quite right. Finally they’re both single and realize they want to be together… but now they can’t find each other! With determination and the help of mutual friends, Jay and Wallace can finally pursue the relationship they’ve both wanted for so long.

    It’s only the beginning of the battles they’ll face to build a life together.

    From disapproving family members all the way to the state legislature, Jay and Wallace’s road to happily ever after is littered with obstacles. But they’ve come too far to give up the fight.

    Jeordi and Tom, by Michael Murphy

    Living as an open, loving gay couple in the rural South isn’t easy—even today.

    When Jeordi and Tom move in together and come out to their families, Jeordi’s family does not take the news especially well. When yelling doesn’t work, they send in one sibling after another to try to separate the couple. When that fails, they call out their pastor to help Jeordi see the error of his ways. But Jeordi’s love for Tom is greater than anything they throw at them.

    When an accident sends Jeordi to the hospital, his family goes too far when they try to keep Tom from visiting his partner. Jeordi and Tom are determined to do everything in their power to gain legal protection so this can never happen again. But when a bigoted county clerk refuses to issue them a marriage license, Jeordi decides a big, bold effort is called for, which is precisely what he sets in motion so no one can ever separate him from Tom again.

    Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

     

    Cover Artist: Reese Dante

    Release Date: 6/26/16

     

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    Excerpts

    Someday, by B.G. Thomas

    “The first time Lucas Arrowood saw Dalton was on his way to his first day of kindergarten. His mother was walking him to school, he was very excited, and his right shoelace was flopping, untied.

    “Baby,” said his mom. “Let’s sit down and try to tie your shoe.”

    He looked up at her, excitement temporarily quashed. He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t tie his shoe. And he was supposed to be able to. His mother had tried to show him how—over and over again—but he couldn’t get the laces to go where they were supposed to go, and it just fell apart. He couldn’t do it. If his teacher found out, would they make him go home? Would he have to wait until next year? That would be horrible!

    “Hey, you can do it. It’s easy!”

    Lucas gave a little jump, turned around, and sighed as he looked into the narrow dark eyes of the most beautiful human being he had ever seen.

    “Want me to help?” the boy asked, flipping his mop of dark brown hair out of his eyes with a toss of his head. “I taught a bunch of kids last year when I was in kindergarten.”

    A bunch of kids hadn’t known how to tie their shoes? That perked up his ears. Lucas looked up at his mother.

    She smiled. “Do you want him to help?”

    Then he realized something. He did want the boy to help him. He thought he would do anything the boy wanted him to do, even ask his mom to take the training wheels off his bike (which was a big scary because he was afraid of falling and getting hurt!).

    “Sit down,” said the boy, pointing to the landscaping wall along the sidewalk.”

    Lucas sat.

    “What’s your name?” asked Lucas’s mother.

    “Dalton Churchill. Like Winston Churchill. Only it’s Dalton.”

    He smiled, and Lucas knew Dalton was the most beautiful boy on the planet.

    “Who’s Winston Churchill?” Lucas asked.

    Dalton shrugged and got down on one knee before Lucas. “I don’t know. I think he’s a minister. Okay, now, first you pull your laces up and then cross them over, like this.” Dalton demonstrated.

    “I can tie a knot,” Lucas said, wanting very much not to look like a complete dope in front of Dalton. Then he frowned. “It’s the other part I get mixed up on.”

    “That’s cool,” Dalton said, tying the knot. “Okay…. So here’s the tricky part. First you make a loop and stick it up so it looks like a tree—see?”

    Lucas nodded. He wasn’t sure the upward turned loop looked much like a tree, but he wasn’t going to tell Dalton that.

    “Then you take the other lace and wrap it around the bottom like this—like a dog running around the tree.”

    Lucas smiled. “My neighbor has a dog. His name is Super Mario.”

    “That’s a great name,” Dalton said, laughing.

    Then he finished showing Lucas how to tie his shoe.

    “Wow,” Lucas said.

    But then Dalton untied the shoe.

    “Hey!” cried Lucas.

    “Now you do it,” Dalton said. He nodded. “You can. I know you can. Easy.”

    Lucas wanted to yell, “No, I can’t!” but he quite suddenly knew he could not disappoint the pretty boy with the beautiful eyes. He sighed. What had Dalton said about a tree? He made a loop with one of the laces.

    “Just like that, but the other one. Unless you’re a southpaw.”

    Lucas looked up through his own dark bangs. “Huh?”

    “Southpaw means left-handed.”

    “Oh!” Lucas giggled. “I’m not.”

    “Tree!” Dalton ordered, brows knitted together.

    So Lucas made a loop with his shoelace.

    “Yes!” Dalton said with such enthusiasm Lucas would have thought he’d ridden down to the corner and back on his bike without training wheels. He laughed and then thought about dogs running around the base of trees. A moment later, Lucas had tied his shoe. His mother clapped.

    “Yes,” shouted Dalton. “I knew you could do it, Lucas.”

    Dalton walked the rest of the way to school with them. But even better, he also promised to walk Lucas to school the next day.

    Flames, by J. Scott Coatsworth

    Monday, September 27

    There was only this moment. This place. Alex holding Gio’s hand, gently because of the burns on the back of Gio’s arm and hand. The sounds of the breathing machine came in regular soft sighs.

    The little green box held in Alex’s other hand–and all it symbolized between them.

    All their life together had shrunk down to this moment, this place, this plea. “Please wake up, Gio. Amore mio, svegliati.”

    Sunday, September 12. Two weeks earlier

    Alex was late getting home, and he was in a foul mood from the long, difficult day at work. One of the properties he’d made a bid on had fallen through, and another client had all but called him a bald-faced liar.

    He was looking forward to getting home, taking a long hot shower, then crawling into bed.

    Alex was startled to find a whole meal, complete with wine and candles, laid out on their dining room table. Gio must have spent the whole day cooking.

    Alex was late. He’d been delayed with his angry client, and to make matters worse, his phone had up and died halfway through the afternoon and he’d been without his car charger.”

    “He was already annoyed when he walked in the door.

    “Welcome home, amore,” Gio called from the kitchen.

    “I had a hell of a day….” He caught a whiff of whatever Gio was cooking.

    “Come sit down. I’ve got everything ready.”

    The dining room looked like a Martha Stewart production of a telenovella Thanksgiving. “I’m sorry. I’m not really hungry. Things were the shits at work today.”

    “Sorry to hear that. Have a seat.” Gio grabbed his elbow and urged him toward his chair. “Food makes everything better.”

    Alex was starting to get annoyed. “Look, I’m sorry, but I’m not hungry. I just want to wash up–”

    “That’s just the job talking.” Gio took his arm again.

    “Knock it off! I’m not in the mood tonight.”

    Gio looked hurt, but Alex plowed on, too incensed to stop.

    “This isn’t some kind of June and Ward Cleaver relationship.”

    “I just–”

    “You have to let go of your stupid, unrealistic expectations of me and this relationship.”

    Gio frowned. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. Just because you had a bad day at work, there’s no reason to take it out on me.”

    He was right. But Alex couldn’t admit it. “Just leave me the fuck alone,” he said, grabbing his phone charger and storming out. He’d find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”

    Destined, by Jamie Fessenden

    1999

    Doug had seemed terrific when Jay first met him. He was funny, attentive, good in bed, and Jay’s family thought he was great. At family gatherings, that is—not in bed. They were living together in short order.

    But after two years, things weren’t going so well. They’d moved to Dover, which allowed Jay to get back in touch with some of his college friends, but their relationship seemed to grow rockier by the day. They fought constantly, though Jay was never really sure what they were fighting about. They just didn’t… fit anymore.

    But still he tried. Jay was nothing if not stubborn.

    His ties to the pagan/Wiccan world had long ago faded away, since Doug thought that stuff was weird and creepy. In fact, his ties to anything outside the tech industry had pretty much withered to nothing. He worked long hours, during which he thought about nothing but computers and switches and routers. It paid well, and raises were frequent, so he was caught up in the game his coworkers played—pushing for promotions or transfers every six months to a year in order to get salary increases. Like his coworkers, he had an E*TRADE account and spent time between support calls attempting to build a stock portfolio. He had the sense not to gamble the small amount of savings he had, but it was a fun game to play.

    But he was unsatisfied. He couldn’t quite put a finger on why until one Saturday, when he was sitting at Café on the Corner and his friend, Steve, happened by. Steve had been part of the medieval reenactment group Jay hung out with in college, and apparently he was still involved with them.

    “Michaelmas is coming up,” Steve pointed out, referring to one of the large feasts the group “put on every year. “It’s going to be at the Unitarian Church. You should come.”

    Jay couldn’t see that happening. He no longer had any of his medieval “garb,” and Doug was likely to turn his nose up at the idea of hanging out with a bunch of reenactors all day.

    Jay said diplomatically, “I’ll think about it.”

    “Well, at least stop by the monthly Wiccan group. Julie’s usually there, and Mark. A whole bunch of the old crowd. That’s tomorrow. Same place.”

    It would be nice to see some of them. And Doug was working on Sunday. “That might be fun.”

    “Are you still writing?”

    He wasn’t. Jay had written a lot of science fiction stories in college, and he’d talked about getting published one day. But that, like everything else he’d enjoyed in those days, seemed like nothing more than a dream he’d once had, barely remembered.

    This conversation was getting depressing.

    “So,” he asked, trying to change the subject, “do you still sing?”

    Steve grinned with excitement. “Yeah, man! My band is putting together our second CD. It’s gonna be awesome!”

    The more he talked about his life, the more it became clear Steve was barely scraping by financially. But he was doing what he loved, and he seemed just as happy with his life as he’d been in college. Jay, on the other hand, had plenty of money. He had a career now, a boyfriend, a new car, and a nice apartment. He’d thought he was doing okay, but now he realized exactly why he’d been feeling so uneasy. His life had veered off course. In just five years, he’d lost touch with everything that had been fun and creative in himself. He was no longer Jay.

    And he missed himself.

    Jeordi and Tom, by Michael Murphy

    “When the front door of the trailer slammed shut with a loud bang, followed immediately by an animalistic howl of rage and frustration, Tom knew Jeordi was home. He snickered and shook his head.

    “Hey, babe,” Tom called out. “I forgot this was the day you were going to visit your parents. It went that well, huh?”

    One glance at his boyfriend told Tom all he needed to know. Despite the scowl and look of anger and frustration on Jeordi’s face, it only took one glance at the man to ignite the most sensitive parts of his nervous system (and everything connected to it).

    He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Jeordi. He wasn’t handsome in the New York runway model sense, but was handsome in the real man sense. Jeordi turned heads every time he walked down the street, although he consistently missed the many glances people cast his way.

    All Jeordi saw when he looked at himself was that he wasn’t tall, and he felt his ears were too big. Tom daily told Jeordi that he was the most studly man he’d ever known—and he quietly gave thanks that the man was all his.

    Tom felt two strong hands wrap around his waist as he stood at the sink in their kitchen. Carefully setting down the dish he’d been washing, he leaned his head back against his boyfriend’s solid shoulder, brushing his smooth cheek against Jeordi’s fuzzy cheek—fuzzy not from a beard but from a strong five o’clock shadow the man dependably had every day by late afternoon. Jeordi hated it, but Tom loved it and loved rubbing one part or another of his body over the stubble.

    “Love you, babe,” Tom whispered. “I’m glad you’re home.”

    “Why?” Jeordi whispered into Tom’s ear.”

    “Why? Why? Why do I keep subjecting myself to the same crap?”

    “So, they didn’t throw their arms open and tell you they’ve joined PFLAG and ask for your advice on what to wear in the next Pride Day parade?”

    Jeordi snorted. “Um, that would be a great big no.”

    “What did they do this time?” Tom asked.

    “Prayed—and then some. They tried to have some kind of healing service to rid me of the evil that had ‘grabbed hold’ of me, to quote my mother. They said they needed to cast the devil out of my body.”

    “Oh, isn’t that special,” Tom joked.

    “Not so much,” Jeordi disagreed.

    “Was it just your parents?”

    “Oh, no. That’s what made this one more frustrating. They had their minister there. He brought a backup minister—poor kid looked freaked out just being in the same room with a known homosexual. Don’t know what he thought was going to happen.”

    “They upped the ante, I see,” Tom said.

    “Oh, there’s more,” Jeordi said.

    “More?”

    “Hell, yes. They had some of my more uptight brothers there with them this time.”

    “They succeeded in getting any of your brothers to be in the same room at the same time? How the hell did they swing that one?”

    “Don’t know. Must have been one hell of a bribe. They, of course, brought their wives, I guess to show me how a good strong Christian heterosexual marriage works. They pissed me off so much I slipped and asked Beau how he could take part in something like that when he’d been off screwing half the women in the county. He didn’t appreciate it. I guess his wife didn’t know he was a hound dog she needed to keep on a tighter leash.”

    Tom stopped what he was doing and dropped his head back, deep in thought. “Hmm, your brother Beau would look damned good in a collar—and naked,” he said. “Now, if you maybe added a blindfold, put him on his knees with his hands cuffed behind his back—now that’s just freaking hot. Maybe I should call his wife and give her a few suggestions. How do you think she’d take that? I’d be doing it strictly to help her out since I doubt she’d ever come up with an idea like that on her own. And of course I’d need to be there to help her, you know, to consult.”

    “Don’t go there,” Jeordi warned with a chuckle. Beau was beautiful, but unfortunately he knew it and wasn’t at all opposed to spreading his beauty around to any and all women who’d have him. “At least that got the two of them out of the whole ritualistic crap my mother had planned for the weekly visit.”

    “Two down, ten to go,” Tom said.

    Tom turned around and wrapped his arms around Jeordi, kissing his neck. “I love you, babe,” he whispered into Jeordi’s ear as he held tightly to his man.

    “I’m so glad you do. My family certainly doesn’t.”

    “Oh, they love you. They just don’t understand it because the playing field has changed since you came out,” Tom said.

    Buy Links, Etc

    Dreamspinner eBook:

    Dreamspinner paperback: 

    Amazon: 

    Barnes & Noble:

    Apple/iTunes: 

    Kobo: 

    All Romance eBooks:

    Goodreads: 

    Author Bios

     

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    B.G. Thomas

    author-thomas-bgB.G. Thomas lives in Kansas City with his husband of more than a decade and their fabulous little dog. He is lucky enough to have a lovely daughter as well as many extraordinary friends. He has a great passion for life.

    B.G. loves romance, comedies, fantasy, science fiction, and even horror—as far as he is concerned, as long as the stories are character driven and entertaining, it doesn’t matter the genre. He has gone to literature conventions his entire adult life where he’s been lucky enough to meet many of his favorite writers. He has made up stories since he was a child; it is where he finds his joy.

    In the nineties, he wrote for gay magazines but stopped because the editors wanted all sex without plot. “The sex is never as important as the characters,” he says. “Who cares what they are doing if we don’t care about them?” Excited about the growing male/male romance market, he began writing again. Gay men are what he knows best, after all—since he grew out of being a “practicing” homosexual long ago. He submitted a story and was thrilled when it was accepted in four days. Since then the stories have poured out of him. “It’s like I’m somehow making up for a lifetime’s worth of stories!”

    “Leap, and the net will appear” is his personal philosophy and his message to all. “It is never too late,” he states. “Pursue your dreams. They will come true!”

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bgthomaswriter

    Website: https://bthomaswriter.wordpress.com

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4053647.B_G_Thomas

    Scott Coatsworth:

    author-coatsworth-j-scottScott has been writing since elementary school. After leaving writing for twenty years, Mark, his husband, told him “the only one stopping you from writing is you.”

    Since then, Scott has gone back to writing in a big way, finishing more than a dozen short stories – some new, some that he had started years before – and seeing his first sale. He’s embarking on a new trilogy, and also runs the Queer Sci Fi site, a support group for writers of gay sci fi, fantasy, and supernatural fiction.

    Mark and Scott have been together for twenty four years. They met at the Pacific Center, an LGBT center in Berkeley, California, in 1992. They dated for two weeks, and then Scott moved in with Mark, and the rest is history. They run their own business together, study Italian, and are almost never found apart.

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworthauthor

    Website: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392709.J_Scott_Coatsworth

    Jamie Fessenden

    author-fessenden-jamieJamie Fessenden set out to be a writer in junior high school. He published a couple of short pieces in his high school’s literary magazine, but it wasn’t until he met his partner, Erich, almost twenty years later, that he began writing again in earnest. With Erich alternately inspiring and goading him, Jamie published his first novella in 2010, and has since published over twenty other novels and novellas.

    After legally marrying in 2010, buying a house together, and getting a dog, Jamie and Erich have settled down to life in the country, surrounded by wild turkeys, deer, and the occasional coyote. A few years ago, Jamie was able to quit the tech support job that gave him insanely high blood pressure. He now writes full-time… and feels much better.

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamie.fessenden.7

    Website: https://jamiefessenden.com

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476044.Jamie_Fessenden

    Michael Murphy

    author-murphy-michaelMichael Murphy met his husband Dan thirty-four years ago during a Sunday service at MCC in Washington, DC when a hot, smart man sat down beside him. Due to a shortage of hymnals they had to share.  The touch of one hand on the other in that moment was electric. Sparks flew that day. Though neither had planned it, they spent the day together followed by the night.  From that day, for more than three decades they’ve rarely been separated, each finding in the other their soul mate.

    In the District of Columbia, where they lived, marriage became possible in early March 2010.  The minute it happened they were in line to get a marriage license, only to be stumped because the license required the name of the person who was going to marry them. There was such a sudden rush of same sex couples wanting to get married that the office already had a two-month backlog before an appointment could be secured.  Since they weren’t at all convinced that the Congress wasn’t going to step in and do something stupid to take away this right, they started calling everywhere to find someone who would marry them. It might be legal, but finding someone to marry them was proving to be a challenge.

    When an article appeared in the newspaper telling of a small, local United Methodist Church that had decided to go against general church policy because marriage equality mattered deeply to them, a conversation started.  After a series of emails and phone calls, suddenly they were seated with two retired UMC ministers who were willing to risk it all to do the right thing.  A few days later, license in hand, surrounded by a handful of friends and their best dog, Shadow, they were finally legally married.

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.murphy.9250

    Website: http://gayromancewriter.com

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6450548.Michael_Murphy

     

  • Cover Reveal—Werewolf’s Tale and a Druid’s Sword; by Lexi Ander

    Cover Reveal—Werewolf’s Tale and a Druid’s Sword; by Lexi Ander

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    Lexi Ander reveals the beautiful cover art of her next book titled WEREWOLF’S TALE AND A DRUID’S SWORD coming out from Less Than Three Press.
    It releases on August 31, 2016.
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    BLURB
    After he’s kicked out for being gay, still reeling from being abandoned by the man he loves, Jude goes to live with his brother Beck, who thankfully is more than happy to take him in. But Jude has other secrets he’s yet to share, for fear that even Beck will reject him, leaving him well and truly alone.
    Then he draws the attention of werewolves, and discovers that everything he thought he knew about Levi, the man who abandoned him, is a lie. But one lie leads to another, ending in a vast conspiracy that threatens to destroy everything Jude loves—and that doesn’t even begin to include the challenges that Beck is facing.
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    PRESENTING
     
    Cover Art by Aisha Akeju
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    EXCLUSIVE TEASER
     

    Someone began pounding on the front door, no pause, no stop, just a constant hard knocking. Beck was about to lose his temper. Gripping the cold rag, he stormed to the door. Not once did the knocking stall or stop. In fact, it picked up in speed gaining a frantic edge.

    Fumbling with the locks, Beck tore the door open. “What in the hell is your problem? Do you know what time of night it is?”

    A gorgeous blond stood under the stoop, his knuckles still raised to knock. Big, frightened, golden-brown eyes stared at him. It took him a moment, but he recognized Jude’s new friend, Stephen.

    “You’re Beck, aren’t you? Jude’s brother? I need to speak to you. I know it’s late, but please, I just need a moment.” Stephen spoke fast, not giving Beck a chance to reply to the initial question.

    “What about Jude? Where’s he?” Beck barked in agitation.

    =•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=
     
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    AuthorPic
    Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.
     
    ||  Website  ||  Blog  ||  Facebook  ||  Twitter  ||  Email  ||  Amazon Author Page  ||
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    RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
     
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  • Guest Post—Shadowboxing; by Anne Barwell

    Guest Post—Shadowboxing; by Anne Barwell

    Knights and Pawns

    Thanks for hosting me today.

    The line between hero and villain is not always as clear as one would think. As a writer I find it much more interesting to write villains who are convinced they’re doing the right thing. In their mind they are the hero fighting for a cause they believe in.

    In Shadowboxing—book 1 of my WWII Echoes Rising series—there are several men and a woman who have various ways of justifying their actions. The title for this blog post comes from a recurring chess theme within the story, and the fact that several of the characters enjoy the game, both on the board, and in reality.

    SS Standartenführer Karl Holm, the main antagonist in the story, is an interesting character to write. In his mind, his intentions are honourable, and he doesn’t see himself as a villain. Even when he’s interrogating his prisoners, he convinces himself that they brought their torture on themselves. After all, he gave them the opportunity to co-operate, right? He prefers to use good manners and intelligent conversation in order to get the information he requires, only stooping to distasteful violence when it is necessary. Having lost family in the last war, he has little time for traitors and is loyal to the Fatherland.

    On the other hand, his subordinate, SS Obersturmführer Reiniger is a man who enjoys violence and hurting people. He is a bully, and unfortunately in a position of power, and will use that to get revenge on those who made him lose face. I’ve written a couple of scenes from his perspective and it was a very unpleasant experience. However, the scenes flowed really well—should I worry about that?

    Margarete Huber is a different kind of foe, and although she may appear to be on a particular side, she plays her own game. She isn’t military but has family connections to the person in charge of the project that Holm and Reiniger are tasked to protect. This gives her power that she has no qualms in using for personal reasons, which makes her very dangerous. She is also very manipulative, and influences people and situations from a safe place behind the scenes. Margarete likes to think she can predict everyone’s moves so when someone does something she does not expect, or turns down her advances towards them, she wants to know why. Not only that, but she wants to ensure it does not happen again.

    Which of the three would you think is the most dangerous?

    Blurb:

    Echoes Rising: Book One

    ShadowboxingBerlin, 1943. An encounter with an old friend leaves German physicist Dr. Kristopher Lehrer with doubts about his work. But when he confronts his superior, everything goes horribly wrong. Suddenly Kristopher and Michel, a member of the Resistance, are on the run, hunted for treason and a murder they did not commit. If they’re caught, Kristopher’s knowledge could be used to build a terrible weapon that could win the war.

    For the team sent by the Allies—led by Captain Bryant, Sergeant Lowe, and Dr. Zhou—a simple mission escalates into a deadly game against the Gestapo, with Dr. Lehrer as the ultimate prize. But in enemy territory, surviving and completing their mission will test their strengths and loyalties and prove more complex than they ever imagined.

     

    Buy Link:

    DSP Publications:

    Excerpt:

    Michel froze when several gunshots pierced the quiet Berlin night. “Kristopher…,” he whispered. No. Please no.

    Beside him, Matt’s head jerked up. He swore loudly. A few moments later, another lone shot followed the first couple.

    Walker and Palmer skidded to a halt, doubling back from where they’d gone on ahead.

    “Elise’s Kaffeehaus.” Walker panted, trying to speak and catch his breath simultaneously. He and Palmer appeared to be much younger than their companions; Michel wouldn’t be surprised if this was their first assignment in the field. “Gestapo….”

    “Matt….” Ken’s previous harsh timbre was replaced by something much gentler, but Matt ignored him and shook his head.

    “No.” His voice shook, his words partly echoing Michel’s thoughts. “Not Elise. Please, not her, not now.” Matt leaned heavily against a nearby lamppost, his eyes glazed over.

    “We don’t know who fired the shots, sir.” Palmer took over the explanation. At least he could pass for German if he stayed quiet and kept his head down. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that, but there were no guarantees as to which way a particular mission might go. Michel had had that fact reinforced on more occasions than he cared to remember, but too many lives depended on them with this one. It had to succeed. “The Kaffeehaus is swarming with Gestapo, but there is no sign of anyone else.”

    “We need to ascertain precisely what has happened before we move in. In order to do that, we will have to get closer.” Ken took charge—although Matt was the ranking officer, he appeared to be in no state to give orders. Whatever his relationship to Elise, this was not the time for him to be dwelling on what might be happening in the Kaffeehaus. Getting Kristopher and the plans to safety was still their priority.

    “It’s damn obvious that someone’s been shot.” Matt visibly pulled himself together, although his voice hitched slightly before the word “shot.” “We need to get in there quickly in order to minimize damage. Gabriel, take Walker and Palmer and secure the back entrance. Lowe, Zhou, you’re with me. We’ll secure the front.”

    “What if there’s another exit?” asked Liang, disengaging the safety on his handgun.

    Matt shook his head, his matter-of-fact tone verifying prior knowledge of both the Kaffeehaus and its owner. “There isn’t. Not unless Elise has done some major renovations, which I doubt.”

    “We’re probably more than outnumbered by Holm and his men.” Michel pointed out the inadequacies of the plan. “It would be more sensible to size up the situation first, as Lowe suggested, before we move in. The shot might be merely a warning. We don’t know for certain that someone is injured. If Dr. Lehrer and Elise have been captured, it would pay to wait until….” His voice trailed off, a grotesque image entering his mind—Kristopher lying on the floor of the Kaffeehaus, his fair hair stained red with the blood dripping from a single bullet hole to the temple. Michel quickly pushed it away. Holm needed Kristopher. He wouldn’t risk killing him. Elise could be used to ensure Kristopher’s cooperation. It made more sense that they were both still alive.

    “I don’t care.” Matt’s previous calm was replaced by an edge of desperation that made him both unpredictable and dangerous. “I’m not just sitting here and waiting. To hell with procedure.”

    About the Author:

    Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing “discussion,” and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning.

    In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.

    She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as “too many.” These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of “spare time” is really just a myth.

    Anne’s books have received honorable mentions four times and reached the finals three times in the Rainbow Awards.  She has also been nominated twice in the Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards—once for Best Fantasy and once for Best Historical.

    Where to find her:

    Blog: http://anne-barwell.livejournal.com/

    Website: http://annebarwell.wordpress.com/

    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anne.barwell.1

    Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115084832208481414034/posts

    Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4862410.Anne_Barwell

    Dreamspinner Press Author Page:

    http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/anne-barwell

    DSP Publications Author Page:

    https://www.dsppublications.com/authors/anne-barwell-49

     

  • Double Alchemy; by Susan Mac Nicol—Blog Tour and Giveaway

    Double Alchemy; by Susan Mac Nicol—Blog Tour and Giveaway

    Today I get to welcome my friend, Susan Mac Nicol, back to the blog. About two years ago, she and I met when she was promoting Double Alchemy, her urban fantasy series. Now, those who follow my blog know I’m a fan of fantasy, and modern day warlocks and the like are fun reads.

    To celebrate the two year anniversary, Susan is doing a small tour to re-introduce Cade and Quinn to the speculative fiction world.  She was gracious enough to do a short interview with me and she also has a tour giveaway.

    I’ll also post a review soon—I suck at reviews so getting it right without spoiling things is never easy for me, but if you’ve not read the series, you should.

    An Interview With Susan Mac Nicol:

    Double Alchemy has different elements than your Men of London series. What is it that drew you to write an Urban Fantasy?

    Various elements got me to thinking about this book. I love magic and the occult, and all things mysterious and incorporating this into a book seemed like a lot of fun. Also, I live in the county of Essex which is where the Witch Finder General, Matthew Hopkins ‘did his business’ and if the rumours are to be believed, died. I love King Arthur stories, so using Taliesin, Welsh bard and sorcerer, who lived in those times, was a cinch. So bringing this all in together into one story was easy enough to do. It lent free reign to my imagination and brought in all the elements I loved that I could use any way I liked.

    Do you like writing speculative fiction and would you consider writing one without a true romance?

    I love writing this kind of fiction. Creating your own worlds and letting your imagination run riot- there’s something liberating about it. I would definitely consider writing a book without the romance, maybe just a touch of a love interest. In fact, I’ve already got one on the go. It’s called ‘Soul Quest’. I even drew a map showing the kingdom the events take place in. I’ve been writing it for over 30 years and it’s the typical stuff- battle between good and evil, a quest for something, a coming of age, a journey made by a young man destined to be someone. Yep, it’s got tropes but I believe that as long as the story is fresh and exciting- who cares?

    What was the hardest part in writing Double Alchemy?

    Without doubt getting the Withinner, Taliesin, to have his own voice distinct from that of his master, Quinn. They are so inextricably intertwined with each other that sometimes they could have blended into one. The other tough bit was all the magic the Withinner could do, like being in another place, taking over from Quinn, only being able to die in a certain way, and the logistics of bringing this character into the story. I didn’t want to contradict myself. It was challenging.

    One young reader was so entranced by the Withinner concept that I had to put together a Cheat Sheet for him so he could better understand the facets of the book dealing with this magical being. He was fascinated with Taliesin.

    Given the romantic element is somewhat ‘magically’ affected, did you find it harder or easier to write the romance than if it were a contemporary romance

    Heh, are you asking in your polite way whether the sex scenes were more difficult to write because of the fey attraction and the fact they couldn’t keep their hands -and other parts- off each other? No, it was fun to write the quick instalust scenes just as much as it was to write the softer, more emotional ones that take place after the intitial Fey ‘bonk my brains out’ feelings were lessened due to the emotion becoming more prevalent. I didn’t really think the sexy bits were any different to my usual ones actually, other than of course in the one scene where Taliesin gets hold of Cade. That was a little worrying as I didn’t know how the readers would see it- was this cheating or not? I decided to hell with it, the magical influence was over riding so I did it anyway. And no one so far has really minded, although there were some slight rumblings of discomfort. The story needed what the story needed, so *shrugs* I wrote it the way I wanted to.

    Can we expect more stories that have that paranormal, speculative fiction edge like Double Alchemy?

    You can indeed. As I mentioned, I’m writing a fantasy novel (or will be once I get down to it) but I’ll probably be about sixty before this gets anyway (and yes, dear reader, that IS still a ways to go J)

    Double Alchemy

    DoubleAlchemy_FINALPowerful yet tormented modern warlock Quinn Fairmont must initiate the silver-eyed Cade Mairston into the world of witchfinders, Withinners, and what can happen when two men fall truly, madly, deeply in love.

    THE WORLD IN SHADOW

    In modern London there lurks a warlock, Quinn Fairmont. Dangerous, powerful, tortured, sharing his body with the soul of an ancient Welsh sorcerer, Quinn is never alone—and never wholly himself. He fights against all those who would exploit his kind. He takes pleasure where he can find it.

    In the forest of Hampstead Heath, Quinn’s hometown, Cade Mairston appears to him like a waking dream. Lithe, lean and silver-eyed, he evokes feelings in Quinn unlike any other: lust with true affection, immediate and shocking. Cade is clearly more than he seems. And yet, if a man of the world, Cade is innocent. He knows nothing of warlocks, witchfinders or Withinners. He knows nothing of what he is, what he might be, or what he might feel. For him, the story is just beginning. Magyck, peril and passion await.

    Excerpt:

    Cade Mairston was no ordinary man. Quinn had known it from the minute he’d touched Cade’s hand, smelt his scent and heard the rushing of his blood through his veins. Cade was Fey.

    Not overtly Fey, but something resided there, buried deep down within him. Quinn didn’t think Cade Mairston had any idea who or what he was.

    Double_AlchemyQuinn shivered. The way Cade had crouched in a fighter’s stance, fierce glare and strong body ready to do battle— he’d been inspiring. It was only due to Quinn’s Warlock skills that he’d the ability to anticipate and deflect the other man’s moves and not be grievously injured. Cade Mairston was a strong, agile presence and Quinn wouldn’t have liked his privates to be on the receiving end of the other man’s foot, which was attached to a muscled leg which he wished would wrap itself around his legs as he pounded the man’s arse….

    Quinn checked himself mentally.

    Christ, Quinn. Get a grip! Hell, my hormones are running riot.

    Thank God the man was gay. Quinn’s gaydar worked very well, thank you, despite noticing the evidence of the large erection the man had sported in his trendy cream chinos for him.

    What were the odds of meeting another gay Fey? Quinn chuckled softly. If things had turned out the other way, Quinn would have been in danger of deflowering a straight man and that one never worked out for the best.

    Cade had looked a little rattled himself. For a moment, from the look in Cade’s smouldering grey eyes, Quinn had thought he might be about to get savagely violated. While Quinn topped most of the time he was definitely not averse to being taken by a man like Cade. There’d been anticipation so strong for Cade to touch him, kiss him right there, that he’d lost his breath for a moment. Quinn had a really tight feeling in his boxers right now as his cock threatened to burst into song and dance a jig out of his pants.

    He sighed. Best get home, have a cold shower and do whatever else was necessary to relieve the turmoil snaking through his nether regions. Cade’s sexy stubble on his jawline and light silver eyes were playing havoc with Quinn’s sexual urges. Next time they met— and he was sure there’d be a next time— he’d have to search his apothecary for something that would deaden the sexual attraction. If not he’d never make it through a next meeting without ripping off Cade’s clothes until his need was fully satisfied for the first time. After the first time, it became more controllable. Experience had taught both he and Taliesin that.

    Trailer:

    Buy the Book:

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21480819-double-alchemy

    Buy Links: http://boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/double-alchemy

    http://www.amazon.com/Double-Alchemy-Susan-Mac-Nicol-ebook/dp/B00J7FVYRC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1436433347&sr=8-2&keywords=double+alchemy

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J7FVYRC?keywords=double%20alchemy&qid=1436433294&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

    https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-doublealchemy-1461484-143.html

    https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/421369

    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/double-alchemy-susan-mac-nicol/1118958226?ean=2940045782142

    About the Author:

    64729591Susan 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.

    My links

    Facebook
    Twitter
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    Boroughs Publishing Group
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    Giveaway

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  • Fire Candidate; by Cheri Roman—Guest Post and Giveaway

    Fire Candidate; by Cheri Roman—Guest Post and Giveaway

    In keeping with the concept that Fantasy is Fantasy, and we don’t need the LGBTQ qualifier, a fellow Fantasy writer is guesting today. Cheri Roman’s Fire Candidate is the second in her Witch of Forsythe High series. It is not an LGBTQ Fantasy series, but it is Fantasy. And while many of the books on the Land of Make Believe are LGBTQ oriented, my true passion is for Fantasy. So please welcome Cheri as she talks about – Fantasy.  Don’t forget to enter her giveaway.

    Fantasy

    The Oxford Dictionary defines the word fantasy as “the product of imagining impossible or improbable things.” That’s not a bad start for defining fantasy as a genre. However, when you have such a name, it can be challenging to get the literary world to take you seriously.

    One of the things that appeals to me most about fantasy writing is that literally anything can happen. You can have sentient storm clouds and flying houses and mice who fence and speak with the facility of an Elizabethan stage actor, because it’s fantasy. Nothing is out of bounds so long as it fits within the plot line.

    That said, fantasy is not fluff. The basis of all fantasy stories lies in the question stem, “what if…” What if a boy found out that he was really a wizard? What if a group of siblings was transported to an alternate universe? What if a group of supernatural beings came to Earth and fell in love with humans? Such questions are interesting, not just in and of themselves, but for the deeper ideas they point to about what it means to be human. Heroes and villains in fantasy are experimental models we can mentally climb into for a test drive. In fact, a good book in any genre should be like entering one of those virtual reality games, but with fewer limitations. By immersing ourselves in the world and characters created by a talented author, we are able to safely explore the extreme edges of moral and emotional dilemmas we hope we never have to face in real life. And just like lifting extra weights at the gym, the lessons we learn in those imaginary worlds can strengthen us for the everyday challenges of real life.

    The boy wizard begins by searching out who he really is, something all of us must do at some point. The group of siblings must decide whether landing in a new world means finding a new moral center. Their example can inspire us to cling to our own moral code under much more “normal” circumstances. The supernatural beings have to learn that there is a cost to every decision we make; a fact we might ignore or fail to discover on our own. None of these are “light” matters. All of them hold eminently human lessons. The value of fantasy, and indeed of literature in general, lies in its ability to reveal such lessons, allowing us to see the world from a point of view other than our own, and learn from it.

    Fantasy is often discounted as “light reading,” or worse, the less than brilliant sibling of science fiction, herself a distant cousin to literary fiction. But don’t sell it short. Considering the lyrical prose and plot complexity created by such authors as Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, and George R.R. Martin, one should resist the temptation to dismiss fantasy as “light” anything. Instead, we should judge the writing by its own merits just as we do any other genre, and thereby enjoy the ride twice as much.

    Fire Candidate

    FireCandidate2-2Sometimes learning to trust yourself is the hardest lesson of all…

    Most girls don’t set their birthday party on fire, no matter how rebellious they feel. But Lila Stuart isn’t most girls, and she never has been. Now her brand of strange is attracting a very bad crowd. She and her family must relocate, leaving everything she knows behind.

    Tracked to her new home by a predatory demi-god, Lila is sold to a human trafficking cartel that specializes in people like her, first generation angel-human hybrids with powers that could make them heroes or deadly villains.

    When the cartel threatens her family, Lila must choose: serve as an assassin or live as a slave. Will she find a way out, or is the cost of fighting back just too high?

    The second installment in The Witch of Forsythe High series is a fast paced fire-storm about the choices life requires of us and the consequences they bring in their wake.

    About the Author:

    Cheri Roman writes fantasy and paranormal young adult. She currently has two series in the works: Rephaim and The Witch of Forsythe High. Most days you can find her on her blog, The Brass Rag, or working on her next novel or short story. Cheri lives in the not-so-wilds of Northeast Florida with her husband and Jack E. Boy, the super Chihuahua.

    Where to find her:

    Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/C.L.-Roman/e/B00DQZ9I68

    Website: www.brassragpress.com

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/C.L.RomanFantasynovels/

    Twitter: @cheri_roman

    Blog: www.thebrassragcnr.wordpress.com

    Giveaway:

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  • Mute Witness; by Rick R. Reed—Guest Post and Giveaway

    Mute Witness; by Rick R. Reed—Guest Post and Giveaway

    A Tale of Two Covers: MUTE WITNESS

    The DSP Publications version of Mute Witness is its second incarnation. The book was originally published by MLR Press, with a different cover (by Deana C. Jamroz). The DSPP has been extensively re-edited and has gotten a whole new face, thanks to cover artist Aaron Anderson.

    I love the whole cover art process, but it always makes me wary because it’s so vital to the success of the book. After all, this is the first impression, the “face”, if you will, of the book!

    Which cover do you like better? Let me know (and with maybe a reason why) in the comments below.

    First we have the original, from MLR. Here’s what I wrote I was looking for in the cover art request form:

    A very strong, simple image keeps running through my mind: the face of a child, perhaps wide-eyed, with the mouth completely blurred out, as if it doesn’t exist. Like a face without a mouth (mute witness…get it?). And maybe that’s all we need. The boy in the book is eight years old and has dark hair and green eyes, but those details do not have to be strictly adhered to.

    Again, I prefer more straightforward photographic images as opposed to filtered art or illustrations.

    The book is more of a thriller, so the typeface and mood should lend itself to that genre.

    GP3_Image3

    Second, we have the DSP Publications cover. Here’s what I wrote to the cover artist about what I had in mind:

    The tone is very serious and the plot itself is somewhat mysterious/suspenseful. It’s about child abduction and abuse and the very erroneous belief held by narrow minds that gay people are somehow linked to pedophiles.

     I think the primary focus should be on the missing child, who is truly the “mute witness” to what happened to him. I am attaching with the form several book covers that I think convey the right image (although I am open to any and all ideas—please don’t limit yourself to my thoughts). These are all photographic and fairly simple, with a somber tone (my favorite of which is THE GOOD GIRL).

    GP3_Image4

    And here are the book covers I attached for inspiration.

    GP3_Image1

     

    GP3_Image2

     

    {Don’t forget to leave a comment and let Rick know which cover you liked better. – AQG}

     

     

    AboutTheBook

    Mute_Witness_FinalTITLE: Mute Witness

    AUTHOR: Rick R. Reed

    PUBLISHER: DSP Publications

    COVER ARTIST: Aaron Anderson

    LENGTH: 290 Pages

    GENRE: LGBT, Mystery & Suspense

    RELEASE DATE: February 09, 2016

    BLURB: 2nd Edition

    The abuse of a little boy turns a community against a loving gay couple, and nobody comes out of it unscathed.

    Sean and Austin have the perfect life: new love, a riverfront home, security. Their love for one another is only multiplied when Sean’s eight-year-old son, Jason, visits on the weekends.

    And then their perfect world shatters.

    Jason goes missing.

    When the boy turns up days later, he’s been so horribly abused he’s lost the power to speak. Immediately small town minds turn to the boy’s gay father and his lover as the likely culprits. What was a warm, welcoming community becomes a lynching party out for blood.

    As Sean and Austin struggle to stay together amidst innuendo, the very real threat of Sean losing the son he loves emerges. Yet the true villain is much closer to home, intent on ensuring the boy’s muteness is permanent.

    1st Edition published by ManLove Romance Press, 2009.

    Excerpt

     

    IT WAS one of their rare lazy evenings. Summer, and the evening air was fresh and clean after an afternoon thunderstorm, with just a hint of a breeze. Normally, Sean and Austin were so busy that if they weren’t trying to change something about the little Cape Cod on the Ohio River they had bought a year before—adding a deck, putting in a new kitchen, stripping away years of white paint from the woodwork downstairs—they were too tired to do anything but crawl into bed and pass out, usually before eleven o’clock. Lovemaking, since they had bought the money- and-time-sucking house, had become relegated to weekend afternoons and the occasional early morning.

    But today, Thursday, had been an easy one. Austin had called into work—the Benson Pottery, where he was a caster—and taken a mental health day. Things had just been too damn busy lately, and he needed the break. Waiting until Saturday was out of the question. Sunday seemed further away than the next millennium.

    Sean, a reporter for the Evening View, the local thrice-weekly compilation of ads sandwiched in with a little editorial, had the day off. The couple spent the day in Pittsburgh, at the Andy Warhol museum, then had an early dinner at the Grand Concourse (the best paella on the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers), beat the brutal thunderstorm home, made love (acrobatically, in the kitchen, atop a butcher block), and now the two were curled up in front of the TV. Sean had rented Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and, after a bowl of Jamaican and a couple of vodka and tonics, the two were teary-eyed with laughter.

    Sean looked over at his younger boyfriend and thought how lucky he was to have found Austin, especially in a town the size of Summitville, where the population hovered just above ten thousand. Even better, Austin was his fantasy man, with a broad, beefy body that his mother and her friends would have called strapping, sandy blond hair, and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. When Sean first met him, he thought Austin’s eyes had to be fake, enhanced by those tinted contacts that never looked real. But he found quickly that the young man was simply blessed with arresting eyes to go along with his broad shoulders, dimpled chin, and infectious smile. He wore that smile right now, coming down from a fit of inappropriate laughter after hearing Elizabeth Taylor tell Richard Burton something along the lines of “I’d divorce you if I thought you were alive.”

    A sick sense of humor was yet another thing the pair had in common.

    It was what they both would have agreed was a perfect day. Well, Sean might have had one more item to add to the “perfection” list. Having his son, Jason, around for at least part of the time would have been all it would have taken to make the day ideal, but these days, Jason was for the weekends only.

    In any case, this was close enough to nirvana. He closed his eyes and let his head loll back on Austin’s shoulder.

    Sean was just thinking about slowly undressing Austin and then leading him into the bedroom for round two when the phone rang. Its chirp startled both of them out of the cocoon of warmth that had surrounded them, a cocoon built from good sex, supreme relaxation, and the afore-mentioned Jamaican weed.

    Austin said, sleepily from under Sean’s arm on the couch, “Don’t get it. Please don’t get it. Just let the machine pick up. I don’t want to talk to anyone. And I don’t want you to, either.” Sean eyed the little answering machine next to the cordless, wondering when they would enter the twenty-first century and use voice mail like everyone else. But, unlike voice mail, the machine did allow them to screen calls, and for two men who appreciated their privacy, this feature had voice mail beat all to hell.

    Sean let the phone ring its customary four rings, although his tendency would have been to answer it. But if this would make Austin happy, then he was willing to do it. Especially since he had things in mind for Austin that did not involve the telephone. Things that would erase their fatigue and perhaps keep them up the better part of the night. Sean grinned.

    On the fourth ring, Sean pressed the pause button on the remote control and sat up straighter to listen.

    “Whatever it is, it can wait,” Austin whispered in Sean’s ear, flicking his earlobe with his tongue and giving his crotch a playful squeeze.

    And then the moment shattered.

    Shelley’s voice, almost unfamiliar under the veneer of tension that made it higher, quicker, came through. Shelley and Sean had been married once upon a time and their union had produced Jason, the best little boy in the world. As soon as Sean heard Shelley’s voice, he thought of his son, who shared his dark hair, green eyes, wiry frame, and his fascination with stories.

    “Sean? Sean, I hope you’re there. This is important. Please pick up.” There was a slight pause. “It’s about Jason. He—”

    Before she could say anything else, Sean sprinted for the phone in the entryway. “Shelley? Sorry, I was…”

    “Jason is missing.”

    BuyLinks

    DSP Publications (eBook)

    DSP Publications (Paperback)

    Amazon US

    Amazon UK

    Barnes & Noble

    AuthorBio

    Rick R Reed_Author Pic

    Rick R. Reed is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love.

    He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation and The Blue Moon Cafe). He is also a Rainbow Award Winner for both Caregiver and Raining Men. Lambda Literary Review has called him, “a writer that doesn’t disappoint.”

    Rick lives in Seattle with his husband and a very spoiled Boston terrier. He is forever “at work on another novel.”

    :: Website :: Blog :: Facebook Page :: Twitter :: Google+ ::

    RafflecopterGiveaway

    Winner’s Prize: E copy of Rick R. Reed’s psychic thriller – THIRD EYE

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    TourSchedule

    February 9: Prism Book Alliance

    February 10: Gay Media Reviews

    February 11: Divine Magazine

    February 12: Love Bytes Reviews

    February 15: Bayou Book Junkie

    February 16: The Land of Make Believe

    February 17: The Novel Approach

    February 18: Diverse Reader

    February 19: Joyfully Jay

    Official_Host

    Visit the Website: Creative Minds
    Email Sid @ [email protected]

     

  • Blog Tour—My Hero: The Olympian; by Max Vos – Author Interview and Giveaway

    Blog Tour—My Hero: The Olympian; by Max Vos – Author Interview and Giveaway

    AuthorInterview

    Today I got a chance to interview the always entertaining and somewhat larger than life, Max Vos as part of his My Here: The Olympian blog tour. Here’s your chance to learn a bit more about the man behind the books.

    Welcome Max! Nice to finally get to have you sit down for an interview. Why don’t we begin by you start by telling everyone a bit about yourself.

    I’m supposed to be retired… HA! I work harder now than when I worked full time. I now spend the majority of my time working on book related things. I love to travel and take one big trip a year. Next year… Europe.

    Writing wasn’t your first ‘day’ job. What did you do before you were a full time writer?

    I worked in the hospitality for almost 35 years. I was a Chef.

    What was the first book you had published?

    Full book was My Hero. I did a lot of short stories before that. They are now in Inappropriate Roads my own anthology.

    Most of your published works are in the MM Romance Genre. Any plans to write something different any time soon?

    No, I have no real plans to change genre’s. Write what you know, right?

    Your latest book, My Hero: The Olympian is a sequel to your very popular My Hero. Before we discuss you latest book, tell us about the first one.

    My Hero just kind of happened. The 2012 Olympics had just finished and football season was just getting ready to start. I wanted a good football story. It took on a life of its own and the what you have today is the end result.

    I read on your blog that you were hesitant to write a sequl to My Hero. What made you pause and what changed your mind?

    I had a dream about Johnny and Rich and woke up started writing. It was a long process. I stressed over this book more than anyother I’ve ever done.

    Where did the inspiration for Johnny and Rich come from?

    There was a player on the University of Tennesse that I thought was one of the best looking men I’d ever seen, he was my inspiration Rich reminded me of someone I went to school with.

    What part of writing a sequel did you find the most difficult?

    Almost everything. I second guessed myself a lot. I wanted to make sure that I did the characters justice and I wanted it to be as good as the first one.

    Tell us something interesting that is not in the blurb?

    One of the things that I found challenging was that the main characters were already an established couple. Here we get to see them grown into themselves as individuals but also as a strong couple.

    What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

    Coffee!

    What’s your least favorite?

    All the stuff that I have to do after I write The End.

    Since there is always another story to tell, what are you working on now?

    Yet something else that is different for me. It is a story of two men with PTSD but for completely different reasons.

    What have you read lately that most people haven’t read but should?

    I’ve been doing a beta read for a new author who is participating in NaNo. I’m loving it so far and I don’t really like shifter stories all that much.

    If you could meet any writer, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

    I would love to meet Gordon Merrick. His was the first gay book I read. I’d really like to meet Armistead Maupin. I think he would be a hoot.

    Besides reading and writing, what else do you enjoy?

    Gardening. I love to play in the dirt.

    Last question is all yours – feel free to talk about anything you want your readers to know about you, your book, anything at all.

    What most people don’t know about me is that I’m really very shy. Big crowds scare the stuffin’ out of me.

     

    Thank you, Max!

     

    AboutTheBook
    TheOlympian_FSTITLE: My Hero: The Olympian

    SERIES: My Hero Series #2

    AUTHOR: Max Vos

    COVER ARTIST: Alex J. Corza

    LENGTH: 129,600 words approx.

    RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2015

    BLURB: After a romantic evening, Rich and Johnny face the light of day as a couple. Johnny’s coming out forces them to face some serious repercussions as the world of collegian jocks adjust to their first openly gay football player.

    Rich is still working towards the World Diving Championships with his hopes and dreams set on the 2012 London Olympic Games, while as a couple they deal with concerns closer to home.

    With the support of friends and family, the young couple grow closer together, but with prejudices and adversity at every turn will Johnny and Rich be able to tackle the world together?

    No matter what, Rich will always be Johnny’s hero.

    Excerpt

    “No, I’m not going to and there is nothing you can say that will make me either.” Johnny crossed his arms, a defiant look on his face, his eyes narrowed slits.

    “Oh come on, John, I wear them.” Rich held up the skimpy black racing briefs. “For me?”

    Johnny looked away. “No. I said no and I mean no.”

    Rich leaned in close to Johnny so only he could hear. “If you wear this, I can guarantee you some of the best sex in your life. If you think I get turned on by jock straps…”

    Johnny glared down at Rich. “You don’t play fair.”

    “Wasn’t it you who recently said that all is fair in love and war?” Rich smirked as he dangled the tiny briefs in front of Johnny.

    “It better be the best ever.” Johnny let his arms drop. “Okay. But you promised.”

    Again, Rich leaned in close. “Maybe even join the mile high club.”

    Johnny’s eyebrows shot up and a grin blossomed on his face. “Deal.”

    “Are we done here?” Dan called to the two college men. He was standing at the counter, credit card in hand.

    “One more thing, Dad.” Rich hurried over to him. “This.”

    Dan raised his eyebrows slightly. “Oookay then.”

    Rich snickered when he saw Johnny blushing.

    “I think this will be all,” Dan said to the clerk.

    “I’m going to give you a discount,” the young woman said as she rang it up. “It isn’t every day that we can say an Olympian wore some of our gear.”

    “I’m not an Olympian yet,” Rich commented.

    “Rich Miller, I’ve known you my entire life, and if anyone is going to be an Olympian, it’s you.” Michelle Stubbon smiled at Rich as she started putting the pile of swimsuits, track suits, shorts, and other things that he and Johnny needed for London in a bag.

    “Thanks, Michelle. I appreciate the confidence everyone has in me.”

    “Just remember us lowly folk when you come home with Olympic gold,” she laughed as she handed Dan the receipt.

    BuyLinks

    Amazon US

    Amazon UK

    AuthorBio

    Author_PicMax Vos is the bestselling author of My Hero. He is loved by his readers for his ‘inappropriate’ side, bringing hot and steamy sex to his writing. Not hemmed in by a single genre Max has the ability to woo you with sweet romance, move you with the power of his words and make you question your definition of love.

    Having retired in 2011 after more than 30 years as a chef, Max turned his creativity to writing. You can always find wonderful Southern charm, well rounded and vibrant characters with a good meaty story line in a Max Vos book. Each book will give you something new and amazing to love.

    :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Website :: Blog :: Google+ ::

    RafflecopterGiveaway

    Winner’s Prize: E-copies of My Hero and My Hero: The Olympian

    Runner Up’s Prize: E-copy of My Hero: The Olympian

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    TourSchedule

    November 15: Bike Book Reviews

    November 16: The Purple Rose Tea House || Nic Starr

    November 17: The Land of Make Believe || Rainbow Gold Reviews

    November 18: Carly’s Book Reviews

    November 19: Cia’s Stories || Drops of Ink

    November 20: Love Bytes Reviews || Hearts on Fire

    November 23: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words || Draven St. James

    November 24: Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

    November 25: Bayou Book Junkie

    November 26: Divine Magazine

    November 27: Jackie’s Book Reviews

    November 30: Gale Stanley

    December 1: Daydream Believer Book

    December 2: Garrett Leigh || Amanda C. Stone

    December 3: The Novel Approach || The Hat Party

    December 4: Sue Brown || Jessie G Books

    December 7: Diverse Reader

    December 8: Man2ManTastic || MM Good Book Reviews

    December 9: BFD Book Blog

    December 10: Gay.Guy.Reading And Friends

    December 11: TTC Books and More || Foxylutely Books

    December 14: Louise Lyons || Gay Media Reviews

    December 15: Loving Without Limits

  • Long Haul; by Michael P. Thomas—Blog Tour and Giveaway

    Long Haul; by Michael P. Thomas—Blog Tour and Giveaway

    Please welcome Michael P. Thomas as he discusses himself and his books.

    An Interview With Michael P. Thomas

    How long have you been writing?

    I wrote my first “novel” when I was in the eighth grade. It’s a 32-page crime caper starring my two favorite characters, Stacey and Dolores, who I just knew were going to make me famous. They’re described as “roommates,” but really it was probably my first foray into LGBT fiction, too. After high school I took something of a hiatus from creative writing which lasted until NaNoWriMo in 2006, which eventually resulted in my first actual novel.

    What was your first book you had published?

    JMS Books published my first book, Kiss Me, Straight, also about flight attendants, in 2012. I had had a few pieces in anthologies—some erotica under a pen name—but this was my first stand-alone title.

    Let’s talk Mile High Club. What this series about?

    After almost twenty years of flying, I started to think about writing a memoir. Like anybody who’s worked with the public, I have some pretty good stories, but I didn’t like the idea of just complaining about jerks for 200 pages. (Not that I couldn’t…) It occurred to me that a series about flight attendants would be a great opportunity to explore friendship, love, and sex, as I love to do, and still have a place for the flying stories that are worth telling. I have a vital and hilarious network of flight attendant friends-who-are-family in my life, and this series celebrates relationships like these, as enjoyed by sexier people than we are.

    In a nutshell, it’s a series about a little group of friends who work for a budget airline, the people they fall in love with, and the Sundays they spend standing around drinking beer.

    First Flight Out is the first book in the series. Talk about that first.

    This story opens with a quasi-medical incident on a plane that closely mirrors something that happened on one of my flights when I was based in San Francisco. In real life, the doctor who stepped up to help the crew was spectacularly handsome, and Jesse’s relationship with Willis, which is the foundation of this story, is basically a What if…? Jesse surprised me by becoming one of my favorite characters to write. I have promised my friend Susan an F/F for the third installment, after which I’d like to check in with Jesse again.  

    Long Haul, is book two. I love that it deals with such a timely issue. How did you get the book written, edited and published so quickly?

    I knew that I wanted to write the second book about Tanner and Clark. I tried to write their story in April, but 19,000 words in, they were still “just” friends. I was having a hard time getting them together, and was thrilled to jump at legal marriage as the chance to do it. I knew them quite well by the time I started working on this so the story flowed with relative ease. The team at JMS Books is incredibly supportive, and they were onboard for a get-it-while-it’s-hot timeline. My editor and I enjoy working with each other, so it just kind of came together.

    Introduce us to your main characters, Tanner and Clark.

    They’re both flight attendants. For Tanner, flying is definitely a career. It’s an easy job with good benefits that pays better than anything else he’d be able to go do without going back to school. And he flies with his best friend Jesse almost all the time; what’s not to like? Clark sees flying as more of a foot in the door. His mom is an ex-Eastern flight attendant and he’s always wanted into the airline industry, but he’s more of a go-getter type with his eye on a downtown office. Tanner’s ten years older and kind of takes things as they come (his own impromptu wedding, for example); Clark is 23 and likes to have a plan. They explore an undeniable physical attraction in Book 1. This story’s about whether that foundation is one they can build on—and ultimately, if they even want to.

    Will there be more adventures in this series?

    Definitely. Book 3 will focus on Ernie, Tanner’s lesbian roommate, and I feel like Tanner and Clark might require some follow-up. I’m rooting for their marriage, but I’m not making any promises. Also, there’s a deep background character in their bar life I really want to get to know; he might get a spin-off. The Beer Bust Boys? Tanner and Jesse can drop in, like when the Fonz visited Laverne and Shirley.

    Tell us something interesting that is not in the blurb?

    On their first night together at Tanner’s house, Tanner’s landlord almost burns it down.

    Since there is always another story to tell, what are you working on now?

    It’s November, so I’m madly NaNo-ing. I’m 900 words into this year’s novel, and the main character is waking up after a huge night out. He hears the toilet flush and has no idea who he brought home from the bar. We’ll find out tomorrow!

    I’m also working with my editor, I have two Christmas stories coming out in December.

    If you could meet any writer, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

    Probably Michael Chabon. I’ve had a mad crush on him since I read The Mysteries of Pittsburgh right out of its covers when I was in college. He’s terribly handsome, and a brilliant writer—imaginative, sensitive, funny, and sharp. Just a couple weeks ago I bought a collection of short stories specifically because it was curated by him and I’d love to know what he likes to read, which is kind of the used-bookstore answer to this question.

    Besides reading and writing, what else do you enjoy?

    I’m an inveterate traveler. Although I read and write a lot when I’m traveling—one of my favorite things to do in new cities is go to book stores—so I’m not sure that counts as a separate answer. I’m a mad crafter, especially with supplies (see above) from foreign bookstores. I love to fool around with watercolors, I study and read the tarot, and I spend an inordinate amount of my free time going places to have coffee.

    The last question is all yours. Tell the readers anything you like about you, your works, things you like. Anything at all.

    The first time I visited Paris, I hated it. When I’m boy-watching, I’m especially drawn to the very thin and the very fat, the very tall and the very short. Of the books I have written so far, my favorite can never be published. And I love doing interviews, so thank you!

    Blurb:

    Series: The Mile High Club, Book Two

    First Flight Out CoverFlight attendant Tanner Bradac and his occasional make-out buddy Clark Arnold find themselves on a layover in San Francisco on the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage. Tanner is as happy about the ruling as any of his Facebook friends rainbowing up their profile pictures, it just doesn’t affect him personally—he doesn’t even have a boyfriend. Color him surprised, then, when he and Clark get caught up in the celebratory spirit of the day and return home as lawfully wedded husbands.

    The wedding may have been a last-minute light-hearted lark, but Tanner and Clark are willing to give marriage a go. Tanner loves Clark—at least, he really wants to love Clark—and he figures the rest should just fall into place. How hard can being married to a guy you barely know really be?

    Short Blurb: On the day the Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage, Tanner Bradac doesn’t even have a boyfriend, so you can imagine his surprise when he and his buddy Clark get carried away by the celebratory spirit of the day and wind up lawfully wedded husbands. The wedding may have been a light-hearted lark, but Tanner and Clark are willing to give marriage a go. After all, how hard can it be?

    Publisher: JMS Books (more…)

  • Ask Again, by BA Tortuga—Book Blast and Giveaway

    Ask Again, by BA Tortuga—Book Blast and Giveaway

    askagain1400

    Author Name: B.A. Tortuga

    Book Name: Ask Again

    Series: Odd Wolf Out

    Book: One

     

    Release Date: October 14, 2015

    Blurb:

    Hearing that his ex-best friend is getting married might be the only thing that can lead Andy back to his wolf pack deep in the Colorado mountains. He’s a city wolf now, leaving behind the awkward, skinny teenage geek he was once upon a time. All he wants to do is see Levi one last time, and maybe lament what might have been between them if Levi had been brave enough to leave the pack with Andy all those years ago.
    Levi has been a good soldier in his Alpha’s army, the second-in-command for several years. Seeing Andy again reminds Levi how he’s toed the line, and how all he’s gotten for it is a lonely life. He’s not sure why Andy came back, and at first he’s not even happy about it. Their need for each other runs deep and strong, though, and Levi has to wonder what he would do for Andy if the man would just ask him one more time.

    (more…)

  • The One That I Want; by R.J. Jones—Release Day Blitz

     

    Synopsis

    Jason escapes into the magic of a Broadway play every weekend. Musicals always have a happy ending and for a few hours he can believe thereís a happy ending waiting for him, too. When the tall drink of water who works on the top floor of Jasonís building, wants to take him on a date, Jason is surprised. After all, Jason is awkward and skinny, and sees himself as a boring accountant, while Paul is tall, dark, and incredibly hot.

    Despite Jasonís reservations, Paul and Jason start dating and attending the shows Jason adores. But if Paul likes musicals as much as Jason, why does he always doze off? Is Paul leading a double life? Does he have a wife tucked away somewhere?

    Jason knows Paul is hiding something and when the secrets come out, Jason finds his fantasy comes to life, right there on the stage.

    Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26851011-the-one-that-i-want

    TOTIW_Cover_RJJones

    Buy Links

    WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/the-one-that-i-want-by-rj-jones/
    Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/One-That-I-Want-ebook/dp/B0160LK6CE/
    Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/One-That-I-Want-ebook/dp/B0160LK6CE/
    Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-That-I-Want-ebook/dp/B0160LK6CE/
    Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/One-That-I-Want-ebook/dp/B0160LK6CE/
    ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theonethatiwant-1897813-149.html

    Not ready to part with Jason and Paul? The second part of their story will be released on October 23rd

    Hopelessly Devoted Banner

    Hopelessly Devoted

    One year on from Paulís proposal, Jason is living a life he never dreamed of. As he fusses with his tie and readies to walk down the aisle, he reminisces about the previous twelve months. It hasnít all been smooth sailing for the happy couple in the lead up to their wedding, with obstacles big and small thrown in their way.

    Marrying one of New Yorkís most eligible bachelors has Jasonís stomach in knots. Expectations of their society wedding are high, but out of love for Paul, Jason goes along with the grand plans because he understands Paulís family has a reputation to maintain. But Paul has a surprise up his sleeve that just may see Jason getting the wedding of his dreams.

    Follow Jason on his journey as he prepares to marry one of the most eligible bachelors in New York and find out just how Dave got his name.

    Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26851055-hopelessly-devoted

    HD_1000x1595

    Pre-order Links

    WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/hopelessly-devoted-by-r-j-jones/
    Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0161IK2ZW/
    Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0161IK2ZW/
    Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0161IK2ZW/
    Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0161IK2ZW/
    ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hopelesslydevoted-1897814-149.html

    About the author

    R.J. Jones started as a reader and eventually made the progression to reviewing. It wasnít until two men popped into her thoughts, insisting on telling her their story that she started to write.

    It started with one scene. A hot and dirty one in the showerÖ

    R.J.ís initial thought was if she could write their scene then theyíd shut up and allow her to concentrate on other aspects of her day. Not so. That shower scene ended up being 3000 words long and three hours of work.  And still, they didnít shut up.  They told her their entire story and she didnít sleep for days. Sometimes she couldnít keep up with what they were telling her and she had to keep a notebook by her bed.

    Whilst she was writing their story a side character decided he needed his story told too. Then other characters followed suit.

    You see the problem? If she ever wants to sleep again then she needs to write.

    R.J. is a wife and a mother to two boys. She is surrounded by males. Even her dog is a boy.

    R.J. Jones can be found at:

    Website: http://rjjonesauthor.com
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robyn.j.jones.1711
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/rjjonesauthor
    Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/rjjones-author
    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rjjonesauthor/