Andrew Q. Gordon

Category: New Releases

“Indigent”: An Anthology To Benefit Homeless LGBTQ Youth

I’m sharing this with readers today to highlight the growing problem of homeless LGBTQ youth and an effort to help address it. Five authors got together and with the wonderful help of Cool Dudes Publishing, they put out an anthology of stories. All proceeds will go to the charities highlighted below, so if you have a few extra dollars, pounds, loonies, whatever, consider buying the book and helping some of those least able to help themselves.

About the Anthology:

Five authors have joined together to produce stories evoking both loss and hope. Reaching deep within their fiery imaginations, these stories take flight and showcase dreams for a better today and future for LGBT everywhere. Embodying a diverse set of talents and stories, this volume sets out to grab the hearts of those who read the m/m genre and to offer hope to LGBT across the globe.

Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr’s “Indigent”, after which the anthology takes it’s name, brings the reader to witness an apocalyptic war between the good and evil that rages in one man’s mind. Soon he will know that his prob- lems are insignificant compared to those of others.

Mari Evan’s “Stumbling into Forever”, involves a handsome young vampire who will learn that just a sip of blood is the difference between love and freezing to death.

Leona Windwalker’s “If Only the World”, takes rejection to another level. A heartbreaking story that is turned on it’s head by the kindness of strangers.

Shaye Evans’ “Rescued”, is a contemporary social statement about the af- termath of a young man’s life after his drink has been spiked at a bar.

LeAnne Phoenix’s “Higher Love”, takes us on an almost spiritual journey through the minds of two people who have never met, but have spo- ken on a telepathic level. When they do come together, that bond is already cemented but there is a price to pay.

Authors: Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr, Mari Evans, Leona Windwalker, Shaye Evans, M. LeAnne Phoenix

Publisher: CoolDudes Publishing (PTY) LTD

Publication Date: 15 June, 2015

Charities Supported

Our nature is to live and let live.

Often disregarding the plight of our homeless, our sick, our tired and our handicapped LGBT fellow beings. It gives us great pleasure in presenting this edition to assist our community members wherever they may be. Many of our community members have nowhere to sleep, nothing to eat, and have no work. The proceeds collected from this book will go to rewarding several charities across the globe. These charities are passionate about what they do. Some take in the homeless and others provide a home for the aged and the handicapped. The charities whom we will be assisting are:

GALA is a centre for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGB- TI) culture and education in Africa. Their mission is, first and foremost, to act as a catalyst for the production, preservation and dissemination of knowledge on the history, culture and contemporary experiences of LGBTI people.

www.gala.co.za

Lost-n-Found is Atlanta’s only non-profit organization dedicated to taking homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth off the street and into more permanent housing, Lost-n-Found Youth is dedicated to the advocacy and service of youth from 13 to 25 years old.

http://lnfy.org

Youth Off The Streets is a non-denominational community organisation working for young people aged 12-25 who are facing challenges of homeless- ness, drug and alcohol dependency, exclusion from school, neglect and abuse. We support these young people as they work to turn their lives around and overcome immense personal traumas such as neglect and physical, psycholog- ical and emotional abuse.

http://www.youthoffthestreets.com.au

The Albert Kennedy Trust supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans homeless young people in crisis. Every day they deal with the the effects home- lessness can have on young people’s lives.

http://www.akt.org.uk

These charities require funding to assist desperate, needy members of our community and this book is a mere drop in the ocean of how we can reach out socially to them.

Indigent has been produced to entertain and delight and all the stories leave the reader with a “feel good” state of mind.

Author Information

Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr

F.E. Feeley Jr was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and lived there for twenty years before joining the military. He is a veteran of the US Armed Services; having done a tour in support of Operation Iraq Freedom in 2002-2003, he turned college student, pursuing a degree in political sci- ence. He now lives in Southeast Texas where he is married to the love of his life, John, and where they raise their 1½-year-old German shepherd, Kaiser.

As a young man, reading took center stage in his life, especially those nov- els about ghosts, witches, goblins, and all the other things that went bump in the night. His favorite authors include such writers as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice, whose work allowed him to travel to far off plac- es and meet fascinating and scary characters. As a gay man, he wishes to be able to write good fictional literature for those who love the genre and to write characters that readers can relate to. All in all, he is a cigarette smokin’, whiskey drinkin’, rock and roll lovin’, tattoo wearin’ dreamer of a man with a wonderful partner who puts up with his crap and lets him write his stories.

Mari Evans

Mari is a wife and the proud mother of a very active daughter, two

dogs and two cats. She’s a very social kind of girl, who loves to talk. It’s both her best and worst quality.

From the moment she could read, she devoured books. Anything goes, as long as it has a happy ending.

There were always stories swirling around in her head and as a child she liked to lay in bed and let the characters have their story and happy ending. It wasn’t until 2013 that she actually tried to put one of the whole stories down and submit it to a publisher. To her own surprise and excitement it was accept- ed. This gave her the drive to keep going.

The decision to write m/m was made when a friend told a story about a young gay man that struck a chord, even as her husband had already encour- aged her to try it earlier.

Now she found her passion, having already found the love in her family and friends, her life is completely chaotic, crazy but wonderful.

Shaye Evans

Shaye is a proud Australian and best selling author of the M/M Romance genre.

At age nineteen, Shaye found her love in the m/m genre when she read her first M/M and was instantly hooked, but it took her an entire year to begin writing her own. She has had five of nine short stories accepted to be published in 2014 alone. Something she is very proud to admit—and who wouldn’t be

When not writing or plotting her next piece, Shaye keeps busy by either reading one of over four-hundred books in her collection, designing her next book cover, or shopping. She one day dreams of being a paramedic and her books making it to the movies!

Leona Windwalker

Leona is a long time staunch supporter of human rights and environmental causes. Her favorite genre is m/m fiction and she particularly enjoys the sci fi, fantasy and action suspense sub-genres, especially if they have a nice seasoning of romance. She has far too many books on her Kindle, has overloaded her phone with even more, and when not reading, writing, being driven to distraction by her children, or being overlorded by her three cats, spends time trying to locate the portal that the sock monster uses to steal socks from her dryer.

LeAnne Phoenix

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-1970’s, Ms. Phoenix was

young and wild (and even free!) during the crazy wondrous decade known as the 1980’s and the even crazier but now grungy decade of the 1990’s. Music is second only to the muses that live and breathe to fill her mind with beautiful men, and music always helps them to tell their stories. She is never without her iPod or her computer no matter where she goes, although, she does like to hike and take pictures of the sky and the moon, and even the occasional shot of the sun through the branches of a tree.

An avid cat lover, Ms. Phoenix has been owned by many throughout her life, though her current owner is one Lily-Rose, who really would like for her to step away from the keyboard and pay her some attention! After all, hasn’t she earned it?

Editor Biographies

Louis J Harris

Louis lives in Germiston, South Africa. He has published three novels, “Stars Fall”, “Revival”, and “Swimmer”, his short stories have appeared across the globe. He is the owner of CoolDudes Publishing and has been an affiliate member of the South African Professional Editors Group.

Kimi D Saunders (Leona Windwalker)

Leona is a long time staunch supporter of human rights and environmental causes. Her favorite genre is m/m fiction and she particularly enjoys the sci fi, fantasy and action suspense sub-genres, especially if they have a nice seasoning of romance. She has far too many books on her Kindle, has overloaded her phone with even more, and when not reading, writing, being driven to distraction by her children, or being overlorded by her three cats, spends time trying to locate the portal that the sock monster uses to steal socks from her dryer.

Links

Louis J Harris

[email protected]

Kimi D Saunders (Writes as Leona Windwalker)

Tweets by ShroudedDancer

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leona-Windwalker/890405037684824?fref=ts

Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr

www.authorfefeeleyjr.wordpress.com

Mari Evans

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mari-Evans/1412324675676352

Shaye Evans

https://www.facebook.com/ShayeLEvans?fref=ts

LeAnne Phoenix

mleannephoenix.com

FB: mleannephoenix

Twitter: @MLPhoenix

CoolDudes Publishing

https://www.facebook.com/pages/CoolDudes-Publishing/1524105151191706

https://twitter.com/search?q=cooldudes%20publishing&src=typd

Twitter: (@lgbtpublisher)

https://www.pinterest.com/cdgaypub/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/108242351336143580514/videos

June 15, 2015
Release Day for Speedy Rewards; by Jeff Erno

Synopsis

Phil Mitchell pours his heart and soul into his job as manager of Speedy Mart, a local convenience store. He loves his work and he loves his fellow employees, but when it comes to his personal life, Phil is lonely and depressed and still pining for his long-departed ex.

He embarks upon the week from hell where anything that can go wrong does. It begins with a truck crashing into his outdoor sign and only goes downhill from there.

Add an asshole homophobic boss hell bent on seeing him fired and Phil realizes he needs to put into place a plan to save himself and his job.

First step in his plan… do something about his love life.

Meanwhile, Ezra, one of Phil’s team members, is dealing with his own roller coaster ride of a week.

As is Brandon, the local cop…

And Mark, the homophobic boss…

Perhaps, with a little… luck, the next week will be better.

Buy Links

Don’t miss the 1 Year Anniversary 40% Off Sale on Wayward Ink’s Publishing’s site

WIP:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AU:

Amazon DE:

Barnes & Noble:

ARe:

Book trailer

Excerpt

Phil had started out in retail back in high school, working as a bag boy at the local supermarket. He took some community college classes but did not complete his degree. It didn’t matter, though. Back then, a college degree wasn’t required, especially not for retail management. He rose quickly in the company, advancing to a management position.

Finally, when the company he’d worked at for ten years went belly-up, he found himself in the unemployment line. At age twenty-five, his mom had just died and he found himself completely alone, unemployed. He decided to go back to school to complete his degree. He signed up for online classes and continued with them even after he landed the job managing the convenience store. He received his diploma right around the time he met Darren online.

Looking back on his life, he realized that period, though difficult, had been perhaps the most hopeful he could remember. Though still grieving the loss of his mother, he felt like life had begun anew. He had a new career, a man he genuinely loved, and even a college degree. That was also when he began learning Spanish.

But the honeymoon stage of his relationship with Darren didn’t last long, and when it became obvious Darren was far more interested in spending his free time with a bottle of booze than with Phil, they started to grow apart. Phil devoted most of his energy to the store, and when he wasn’t working, he spent a good deal of time online. The relationship withered on the vine, until one day, Darren was gone.

“You work hard,” Humberto said. “You’re always working, no?”

“Sí,” Phil said, laughing. “Yes, I’m always working.”

“Every day I see you. You no have days off? You work too hard, man.”

“Well, it seems to me you work pretty hard, too, Humberto. You’re in here every day, on your way to work. Come on down to this register. I’ll ring you up.” Phil stepped over to the check stand on the far end, the one Janine had just vacated.

“Gracias,” Humberto said, stepping up to the counter with an armload of junk food. He placed the bags of chips and the Hostess snack cakes on the counter.

“What do you do?” Humberto stared at him, smiling, and Phil wondered if maybe he didn’t understand the question. “¿Cual es tu trabajo?”

“Oh… oh. Soy un manitas.”

“¿Manitas?” Phil had heard the word, but couldn’t immediately remember the meaning. “Oh, you’re a handyman. You fix things.”

“Sí, sí.”

“Wow, like, do you do plumbing work?”

“Oh yes, yes of course. Por supuesto.”

“Hm. Ya know, I need to find someone to come fix my sink. At home, I mean. At my house. Do you have a card?”

Humberto cocked his head to the side, as if thinking.

“¿Una tarjeta? A business card.”

“Oh, yes. Yes!” He reached into his shirt pocket and removed a business card, handing it to Phil. “Call me and I’ll come fix you up.” He winked, and as Phil looked into the man’s eyes, a lump formed in his throat. “I have all the right tools for the job.”

Phil quickly looked down at the touch screen on his register, trying to focus on the task of completing the transaction. “Uh, yeah. Um, do you want a bag for this?”

“Una bolsa,” Humberto said, laughing. “Sí.”

Phil placed the business card next to his register and tore off a plastic bag from the dispenser. Then he began filling it with Humberto’s items.

“I’ll let you see my big hammer,” Humberto said, lowering his voice.

About the author

JEFF ERNO began writing LGBT fiction in the late 1990s. Although an avid reader and amateur writer from a very young age, Jeff pursued a career as a retail store manager in Northern Michigan. When his first gay-themed novel was published, he was shocked that anyone would even want to read it. So far, he’s published over thirty novels. Jeff lives in Southern Michigan, where he works part time at a convenience store.

Jeff’s writing credits include a variety of themes and sub-genres including male romance, Young Adult, Science Fiction, erotica, and BDSM. He is the winner of a 2012 Rainbow Award and an Honorable Mention in 2011. His style is unpretentious and focused upon emotionally-driven, character-based stories that touch the heart. Jeff is especially passionate about young adult literature and combating teen bullying and youth suicide.

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.jefferno.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffErno

June 5, 2015
Cover Reveal: Vampire Rising; by Larry Benjamin

Blurb:

It’s the mid twenty-first century. Anti-Semitism, racism, sexism and homophobia have been consigned to the dustbin of history. The world is run by “the state,” and Christian zealots, whose chief governing tools are fear and oppression. It’s a wonderful time to be alive—unless you’re a Vampire. Vampires are despised, and feared, and subjected to discrimination and unspeakable violence.

Considered undead, unholy, without basic human rights, Gatsby Calloway lives on the fringes of society, avoiding humanity. Until he meets Barnabas, a young encaustic painter.

When Barnabas is mortally wounded during an anti-Vampire attack, Gatsby must forget everything he has known, and learn to trust.

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Excerpt:

“This here coming up is the stop for Chicksand Street,” the bus driver called out.

Barnabas stood and walked to the front of the bus. He peered out the windshield into the dark, then looked at the driver. “The schedule said you stopped at Chicksand Street,” Barnabas said.

“Not after dark I don’t,” the driver shot back. “This here is as far as I’m going tonight!”

Barnabas shrugged and moved to the door. The Mexican woman he’d noticed earlier touched his arm. As he turned to her, she drew a silver crucifix attached to rosary beads from around her neck and, muttering a prayer in Spanish, pressed it into his hands. He closed his hand around the offering still warm from her bosom and said, “Thank you.”

The bus slowed and the driver said, “This here road, about a mile on, becomes Chicksand Street.” He opened the door, barely stopping long enough for Barnabas to disembark. As soon as his feet touched the curb, the driver closed the door and sped away as fast as the bus’ ancient diesel engine would allow. As the bus passed him he saw the passengers with their foreheads and palms pressed against the windows, their eyes wide, and their mouths forming tiny “O”s of fright.

Sales Links:

www.vampirerising.com

Combined buy links:

Amazon:

Beaten Track Publishing (eBook):

Beaten Track Publishing (paperback):

About the author:

Bronx-born wordsmith, Larry Benjamin considers himself less a writer than an artist whose chosen medium is the written word rather than clay or paint or bronze. His debut novel, the gay romance What Binds Us was released by Carina Press in March 2012. His second book, Damaged Angels, a collection of short stories, is a 2013 Rainbow Award Runner-Up in the Gay Contemporary General Fiction category. His third book, Unbroken, was a 2014 Lambda Literary finalist, and a 2014 IPPY (Independent Publishers Book Award) Gold medalist.

He lives in Philadelphia with his husband and their two dogs.

Where to find the author:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLarryBenjamin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterLarry

Website: www.larrybenjamin.com

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5723405.Larry_Benjamin

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, Multitasking Mommas, Divine Magazine, Bayou Book Junkie, Andrew Q. Gordon, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Inked Rainbow Reads, TTC Books and More, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Rainbow Gold Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, Happily Ever Chapter, My Fiction Nook, BFD Book Blog, Mikky’s World of Books, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Havan Fellows, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Hearts on Fire, Michael Mandrake, Elin Gregory

Giveaway:

Click the Rafflecopter Link to win 3 books from Larry’s backlist.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unbroken

My parents, unable to change me, had instead, silenced me. When they’d stilled my hands, they’d taken my words, made me lower my voice to a whisper. Later I remained silent in defense, refusing to acknowledge the hateful words: Brainiac. Sissy. Antiman. Faggot.

Lincoln de Chabert’s life is pretty unremarkable until he comes home from kindergarten and announces he will marry his best friend, Orlando, when he grows up. His parents spring into immediate action, determined to fix him―his father takes him to baseball games and the movie “Patton”―igniting an epic battle of wills as Lincoln is determined to remain himself, and marry whom he chooses, at all costs.

What Binds Us

When 17 year old Thomas Edward meets the man of his dreams, he assumes they’ll be together forever. When their relationship ends abruptly, he learns that sometimes it’s in an ending that we find our beginning.

At 17 Thomas-Edward escapes southern New Jersey and the tyranny of his parents love thinking he is ready for his life to begin, thinking he is ready for anything. Anything quickly arrives in the form of one Donovan Dion “Dondi” Whyte, his freshman roommate at the University of Pennsylvania. Dondi, who is like no one he has ever met before, in his own words: “Dondi became my guide, my Virgil, on my personal odyssey of self-discovery.”

Dondi introduces Thomas him into “a looking-glass world in which everything was familiar yet larger, more exquisite, more precious than anything he had ever known.” Dondi is stunningly wealthy, sophisticated, passionate, urbane—everything Thomas has dreamed of loving. They fall in love but the relationship fails. They remain uneasy friends. Their fragile relationship is threatened when Thomas falls in love with Matthew, Dondi’s younger brother.

Damaged Angels

Damaged Angels is the first collection of short fiction by Larry Benjamin. The 13 stories in this collection give voice to the invisible, the damaged: the drug addicts and hustlers, the mentally ill, the confused, and the men who fall in love with them, all of them bravely trying to make a place for themselves in the world of unbroken men. Their worlds are sometimes the mean streets of decaying cities, sometimes the great beyond and, once, the earth itself. Often dark, always evocative and lyrical, these stories delve into the lives of men clearly less-than-perfect and explore love in the context of disease and oncoming death as in “The Cross,” drug addiction, as in “The Seduction of the Angel Gabriel,” and mental illness in “2 Rivers.” These stories explore the possibility that less-than-perfect is sometimes perfect.

June 3, 2015
Despite The Odds; by Chris T. Kat—Book Blast and Giveaway

Odds Are: Book: One

Blurb:

Never judge a book by its cover.

Michael Campbell can’t hold a job for more than a few days. He’s lucky his foreman is giving him another chance with the solar panel project at a primary school in Atlantic City. When he spies a man walking strangely in front of the school, Michael laughs, assuming he’s drunk or high. Little does he realize that Joshua Stone, a teaching assistant, has cerebral palsy, and he’s having a bad muscle control day. Taking a tumble right in front of the handsome construction worker is just his luck.

When Michael learns the truth, he feels badly for his cruel behavior. He offers to give Joshua—and his tricycle, the Racing Rhonda—a lift. Joshua accepts the help, and suddenly there’s a gorgeous man breezing into his life, turning his world upside down. But Michael has more issues than his inability to hold down a job, and neither man is sure if they’ll be able to overcome their fears in order to be together.

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs

Release Date: June 3, 2015

Excerpt:

Henderson bulldozed right into Michael’s personal space, surprising him with the action. “You stupid son of a bitch!”

“Hey! No calling my mother names, okay?” Michael tried to joke. He’d never seen Henderson this angry. Neither did he care to have all this anger directed at him. Sure, he could hold his own if necessary, but he was more a run-away-if-there’s-trouble kind of guy.

“Do you know who that was?”

“A drunk who shouldn’t set foot on school property?” Michael hazarded.

Henderson’s eyes narrowed to small slits when he replied, “His name is Joshua Stone, and he isn’t drunk. He’s a teaching assistant who works here.”

“He looked drunk to me.”

Henderson closed his eyes, obviously trying to rein in his temper, before he put a bit more distance between them. “Mr. Stone is disabled, hence the way he walks. It’s not always that obvious, but he was carrying books, a lot of books, which threw off his balance. He’s a very good teaching assistant. He doesn’t deserve to be laughed at by someone like you, who can’t even take care of himself.”

That stung.

Sales Links:

Dreamspinner Press:

All Romance:

Amazon:

About the author:

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat

Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat

Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Multitasking Mommas, Full Moon Dreaming, Molly Lolly, Andrew Q. Gordon, Amanda C. Stone, 3 Chicks After Dark, Inked Rainbow Reads, Velvet Panic, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Bike Book Reviews, Cate Ashwood, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Mikky’s World of Books, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, The Hat Party, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Charley Descoteaux, Chris McHart, Nephylim, Kristy’s Brain Food, Butterfly-O-Meter, Decadent Delights

Giveaway:

Click the Rafflecopter Link for a chance to win Chris T. Kat’s Jeff Woods Mystery collection, a three-book set:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

June 3, 2015
Author Interview: Alex A. Akira. Dojo Boys: Dragon and Crow Blog Tour and Giveaway

Today please welcome Alex Akira. As part of the Dragon and Crow blog tour, Alex agreed to let me interview him. He’s definitely not your cookie cutter MM Romance novelist, so take a moment to read the interview and then be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of three (3) $25.00 gift cards and seven (7) copies of the series.

Author Interview: Alex A. Akira, Author of Dojo Boys.

Welcome Alex, please tell everyone a bit about yourself.

Hi Andrew, thank you for this opportunity. Um, I’m not used to talking about myself, but I’ll give it a shot. I’m Native American. I’m an artist, and have drawn and written pretty much all of my life, but never wrote to publish until my Dojo Boys series. I’m an orphan, no living family, but I am lucky to have a tight group of intimate friends who lend me support when I need it. I’m passionate about anything creative and love learning and as a result I am a jack-of-all-trades creative-wise. For most of my life I’ve worked in the creative design industry. Let’s move to the next question because I am starting to bore myself.

You like martial arts. What discipline do you practice and how long have you been doing them?

Shotokan karate is my central martial art, but I’ve been in the game a while, so have picked up some other disciplines as well; some judo and jujitsu. For me the metaphysics behind martial practice, the discipline of strengthening ones emotions and chi though meditation and observation, are the most applicable part of martial study. As a rule, no one gets in a physical fight every day, but you do face conflict and choices daily. The practice of observing and confronting mental and emotional conflict truthfully, coupled with the physical movement of the sport is the discipline needed to win a fight without ever throwing a punch. If a physical fight becomes unavoidable, the fight is very short. That said I have physical practice daily, I am in fact married to my sensei.

Before we discuss Dojo Boys, let’s start with what is yaoi and what drew you to it?

Yaoi is a sexually explicit form of Japanese manga (comic book) or anime, (animated film) which focuses upon beautiful, troubled young men who are attracted to other beautiful men. You’ll notice I’m not using the words “gay” here, and that is because the characters in yaoi are not necessarily gay. In fact the idea of homosexuality was foreign to Japan until its interaction with Western concepts in in the mid 1800’s. The principal figure in yaoi is the bishōunen (beautiful boy), who has long represented the epitome of male beauty in Japanese culture.

Yaoi stories generally feature a “seme”, a pursuer or top and a “uke”, a shy or reluctant bottom who is the object of the chase. The narratives of yaoi stories can vary from contemporary to the fantastic, including the paranormal. Its characters can be schoolboys, salarymen, crimefighters, actors, dancers, spies, demon hunters, well pretty much anyone. While yaoi may appear to be simply raunchy stories with erotic images, the history behind its central figure, the bishōunen and the practice of romanticized male/male sex has a long history in Japan. I’ve written a series of posts on the subject for the Dragon & Crow blog hop and invite anyone whose interest is sparked by this topic to follow those posts.

I became interested in the yaoi genre when I stumbled across the anime “My Sexual Harassment” which relays the sexual relationship between a male boss and his young male employee. I loved with this stylish anime and afterwards discovered yaoi manga, then slash and yaoi fan fiction. From there it was a short jump from reading yaoi to writing it.

Talk about Dojo Boys. How many books are in the series and are there more planned?

Dojo Boys is a yaoi romance action-adventure series. The books relay the story of a vigilante-founded espionage agency and the love lives of its agents. In writing the series I strived to capture the simple/complex nuances that appear in Japanese yaoi, but also maintain the parameters of the American male/male romance fiction genre.

Currently there are five books, 3 of which are published and 2 volumes, which will be released in September. I’m also working on an anthology of short Dojo Boys stories, which I’ve temporarily named Dojo Boys: The Lost Chapters. That book will includes stories inspired by my fans questions. In fact the 2 volumes to be released in September were written in response to readers wanting to know more about one of the supporting characters in Dragon and Crow. After the anthology there will be another full 2-volume story that will escalate the action seen in the previous books; a “big mission” which will involve all the players from the previous books.

I understand Dragon and the Crow is newly revised and re-released as a 2-volume box set with your illustrations included. Tell us about the story and your main characters Michael Black and Kiyoshi Kimura.

Yes, the initial 2–volumes in the series, Dragon and Crow and its prequel, The First Misunderstanding, have both been rewritten from my original manuscript of several years ago. I’ve grown as a writer and wanted the books to reflect that growth, but also there are entire new parts included in the current books.

Ah, Michael and Kiyoshi are the main love interests in Dragon and Crow. It’s two Volumes relay Michael Black’s story; how in doing a favor for his sensei his life gets turned on its end. He’s just turned twenty-three and falls in love with a mysterious stranger, Kiyoshi Kimura, who he met because they had a fight in Michael’s dojo one night. Kiyoshi is a beautiful, gifted, nineteen-year-old of Japanese and Korean descent, but it soon becomes apparent that he’s got some major mental and emotional baggage. In trying to help both his sensei and Kiyoshi, Michael ends up involved in a war between the Japanese Yakuza, the Kimura family and a vigilante organization known as the Tanaka Group.

There is also a second couple in this story, Michael’s sensei, Ichiro Kimura and his ex lover, Detective Masato Takahashi struggle to overcome their past as they work together with Michael to bring down the Yakuza crime lord who is semi-responsible for Kiyoshi’s problems. The ten-chapter prequel, The First Misunderstanding, reveals how Sensei Kimura and Detective Takahashi first met while attending high school, in Japan.

What inspired you to write this book?

At its core, Dragon and Crow is a “jock falls in love” story. Kyudo (archery), judo and karate are Japan’s traditional sports not, say … golf and baseball which were imported to Japan’s culture. In yaoi schoolboy tales you find the underclassmen eyeing the practitioners of Kyudo (archery) and judo much like the American high school nerd gazes at the quarterback of the school’s football team. I wanted to explore this type of relationship… what is the life of a student of martial arts like. How do they approach love and the lovestruck?

I was also I was inspired by yaoi manga like Asami Tohjoh’s ‘Only You’, where a high school judo captain must recruit new members or his judo club will be shut down. He tries to recruit another top judo player and sex becomes the only bribe that entices the other player to join the club. Plus, I’m a martial artist with a dojo of karate players, we share stories and so the imagination runs and I write.

Tell us something not in the blurb.

The story is situated in America, Connecticut actually, but the action, especially in Volume two, covers a lot of locations, the dojo, theaters, nightclubs, casinos, New York, Japan and Argentina and more.

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

Besides the Dojo Boys series, I’m writing a yaoi android book, Doll Drone, a drug dealer-college student action-romance called Sweet and I’ve got a department store-company VP romance on my back burner. Oh I almost forgot Smithy, my webepisode series about a yahoo from the Midwest who gets scouted by a modeling agency. He discovers his mother, who raised him, is in a witness protection program. Smithy’s modeling job unintentially exposes his mother and soon he is using his international modeling gigs to track down her killers. This series of short stories will be appearing monthly on my website starting in September.

What do you like to read?

I’ll try pretty much anything that is fiction; I like to go where an author takes me. But I love the mythical heroic fantasy of David Gemmell and vigilante/assassin crime thrillers like Andrew Vachss’ Burke series and even Barry Eisler’s “Rain” series.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

The initial pouring out of the story and the deep editing of word choice … you know, finding the exact word to capture what you are trying to convey.

What’s your least favorite?

Outlining, because it is still difficult for me to place the story in this form and resist writing the scene… I try to write a sentence and my fingers just keep tapping the keyboard…

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

I just reread Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings for like the tenth time, and recommend it highly, even if a reader isn’t into martial arts.

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

David Gemmell or Andrew Vachss, they are wonderful at capturing atmosphere and character. I love their style and would love to meet them. Sadly David has passed.

Besides reading and writing, what else do you enjoy?

Drawing and painting, running, martial arts, rock climbing and sex… once in a while I cook.

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

I hope you read and enjoy my books and thank you for reading this interview.

Thanks for hosting me Andrew it’s been a pleasure.

Title: Dragon and Crow – Deluxe 2 Volume Set

Series: Dojo Boys

Author: Alex A Akira

Publisher: Triple A Press

Cover Artist: Alex A Akira

Length: Volume 1 – 275 Pages; Volume 2 – 390 Pages

Release Date: 25^th May, 2015

Blurb: Twenty-three-year-old, Native American, Michael Black’s well-ordered life is disrupted one evening when he is ambushed at the dojo he frequents by a mysterious Japanese youth who goes by the name of Kiyoshi.

Soon circumstances have the gorgeous teen staying with Michael at his apartment. The gifted nineteen-year-old is an intriguing mix of angst, innocence and crafty intelligence, but Michael is honor bound by a promise to his sensei to keep his distance. Michael tries to keep his desire in check, but what can he do if the exquisite teen keeps kissing him?

Volume two finds Michael in deep water when, in trying to help Kiyoshi, he is persuaded by his sensei to participate in a joint government undercover operation to bring down a Yakuza lord.

Before long Michael is immersed in beautiful men, martial arts and espionage all to gain the trust and love of Kiyoshi. Secrets, lies, sex and action combine in this racy, romantic, adventure of two men, Michael Black and his sensei, Ichiro Kimura, navigating a dangerous path for true love.

Michael groped for the light switch, a smile of triumph playing at his lips. Damn, I did it! I beat him! Flicking the switch, he turned, eager to view his skilled opponent and to bask in the accolades that he was sure to receive from Sensei Kimura.

His triumph descended to dismay in a flash. Who the hell is this?

A slight figure lay crumpled at the center of the practice room. Cautiously approaching the limp form, Michael’s heart sank even further. Lying unconscious on the gleaming bamboo floor was a Japanese boy. He looked to be about five-foot-seven, was very pale, and quite young.

“A kid? I beat up a kid?” Quickening his pace, Michael knelt beside the slim figure. Jesus, he’s like fourteen, fifteen? Beautiful. He looks like Ichiro. Better, actually, Michael admitted, surprised at his internal betrayal of his long-held crush on his sensei. He continued to stare down at the slight, fragile boy, eyeing the long blue-black hair that trailed sensuously around the figure’s unfamiliar gray karategi.

Who the hell is he? Why would they have me beat up a kid for my test? Puzzled, he glanced around the room, noting that he and the boy were alone. Ignoring his impending alarm, he gazed back to the unconscious figure.

The youth’s face was truly beautiful. Michael’s inner artist drank in the smooth, pearly skin, the long, sooty lashes, and the pale apricot color blushed across the boy’s delicate cheekbones. God… An aching hunger preceded the lurch of Michael’s cock, which nudged his lower abdomen telegraphing its interest. Get it together. He’s like … twelve! Suddenly realizing that the boy showed no sign of regaining consciousness, Michael snapped from his trance and shook his opponent’s shoulder.

“Hey!” He leaned over the placid body, hand stretching toward the longish neck for a pulse. The telltale thump throbbed beneath his fingers, but his proximity to the boy’s face had him pausing to stare at the youth’s sculpted lips. Christ, get away from him before you do something you’ll regret. Frowning, he started to shift upright when a relentless grip clutched his hair.

Caught off guard, Michael fumbled helplessly as his head was tugged abruptly toward the face beneath him. The beautiful mouth claimed his lips, stealing his breath and muffling his gasp as a hot tongue invaded his mouth. The agile member eagerly caressed its counterpart, igniting Michael’s senses. The tantalizing scent of ripe apricots surrounded him, dizzying him with sensual promises, and urging him to surrender.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/DOJO-BOYS-DRAGON-ADVENTURE-ROMANCE-ebook/dp/B00XT5U8AA/

Alex A. Akira is the author of the yaoi romance series Dojo Boys, racy tales of young, male martial artists navigating some unorthodox and adventurous paths to find love. The prequel of the e-book series, The First Misunderstanding and the first two-volume box set of Dragon and Crow are available at Amazon:

DOJO BOYS: THE FIRST MISUNDERSTANDING

DOJO BOYS: DRAGON AND CROW

BLOG HOP SCHEDULE

Find Alex A. Akira here:

FACEBOOK: DOJO BOYS: DRAGON & CROW

WEBSITE: ALEXAAKIRA.ORG

TWITTER: ALEX A. AKIRA TWITTER

G+: ALEX A. AKIRA G+

Click the Rafflecopter Link below for a chance to win one of three $25 Amazon Gift Card and seven e-copies of the prequel to this series – DOJO BOYS: The First Misunderstanding.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

June 1: Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

June 2: Andrew Q. Gordon

June 3: A Celebration of Books

June 4: Joyfully Jay

June 5: Elisa – My reviews and Ramblings

June 7: Wicked Faeries Tales And Reviews

June 8: The Novel Approach

June 9: Drops of Ink || LeAnn’s Book Reviews

June 10: Eyes on Books

June 11: Prism Book Alliance

June 12: Nephy’s World

June 14: Love Bytes Reviews

June 15: Cia’s Stories

June 16: The Purple Rose Tea House

June 17: MM Good Book Reviews

June 18: Nessa’s Book Reviews

June 19: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

June 21: Rainbow Gold Reviews

June 22: Man2ManTastic

June 23: The Fuzzy, Fuzzy World of Chris T. Kat

June 24: Lynley Wayne – Wordsmith Wednesday

June 25: Diverse Reader

June 26: Mickie B. Ashling

June 28: Bayou Book Junkie

June 29: BFD Book Blog

June 30: Bike Book Reviews

July 1: Multitasking Mommas Book Reviews

July 2: Nautical Star Books || Divine Magazine

July 3: Gay.Guy.Reading And Friends

June 2, 2015
New Release—KAGE; by Maris Black: Guest Post and Giveaway

Blurb:

ROUND 1 of the KAGE Trilogy

My name is Jamie Atwood, and I’m an addict. I never thought I’d say such a thing. Never had a problem being overly-attached to anything in my life. I came from a perfectly middle-class family, made good grades, and had a hot cheerleader girlfriend. But the truth is, nothing ever really moved me. So how did a guy like me become an addict?

I met Michael Kage.

Kage is an MMA fighter. A famous one. I like to think I helped him get that way.

He’s charming as hell, with looks to rival any movie star and talent to back it up. So why did he need to hire me as an intern Publicist? Simple. He has a darkness in him– like a black hole so deep it could swallow him, and me, and everyone we know– and that’s not good for business.

The first time I met him, I felt the pull. I think the addiction began at that very moment. And even if I’d known then what I know now, I would have fallen for him. How could I not?

For me, Kage is everything.

Buy Links:

Amazon US  Amazon UK   Amazon CA Amazon AU   Amazon DE   Amazon FR AllRomance

Maris Black Books on Barnes & Noble

Maris Black Books

EXCERPT

“What is it that you don’t want me to see?”

“I guess I just don’t want you to see me differently.” He didn’t look me in the eye as he spoke, just kept watching his finger tracing that figure eight, which seemed to have literally become an infinity sign. “You don’t know how brutal it can get in there, Jamie. How brutal I can get. I kinda like the way you look at me now.”

“Like I want to eat you alive? You like how I’ve got the cannibal thing going on, huh?”

He laughed quietly. “Yeah, I like that.”

“So what makes you think that will change?”

“Fighting is different when it’s someone you know.” He finally met my eyes, and there was a haunted look in his. “You want to see me get punched in the face so hard my knees buckle? Or kicked in the kidney so hard I can’t stand up straight?”

I stared at him, my eyes wide, imagining the things he was describing. He was right. I wasn’t sure if I could sit on the other side of a chain link fence and watch Kage get hurt.

“What, no comment?” he asked.

There was a change in his voice, and in his demeanor. That little light his eyes had when he looked at me— the one that made me believe he might see something special— was gone. Snuffed out and replaced by a cold darkness. Then the barest hint of a sneer tipped one corner of his lips, and I pulled away.

“Think you can handle watching me bend a gown man’s arm backward, hearing the bone snap before he has a chance to tap out? How about punching a man in the face until there’s blood spewing everywhere and he’s lying there limp like a rag doll, head flopping as I bash his fucking head into the mat? Have you ever seen a guy kicked in the face so hard you think his neck snapped? How about seeing me choke a man unconscious and wondering for the next sixty seconds if he’s ever going to wake up again?”

“Kage—”

“That’s what I do, Jamie. I hurt people. Do you know what they call me in there?” He gave me a smile that was one part sarcastic, two parts cruel. “They call me the Machine. Do you think you can have feelings for a machine?”

Feelings? Did he want me to have feelings for him? Because I was pretty sure I already did.

AUTHOR BIO

My name is Maris Black (sort of), and I’m a Southern Girl through and through.

In college, I majored in English and discovered the joys of creative writing and literary interpretation. After honing my skills discovering hidden meanings authors probably never intended, I collected my near-worthless English degree and got a job at a newspaper making minimum wage. But I soon had to admit that small town reporting was not going to pay the bills, so I went back to school and joined the medical field. Logical progression, right? But no matter what I did, my school notebooks and journals would not stop filling up with fiction. I was constantly plotting, constantly jotting prose, constantly casting the people I met as characters in the secret novels in my head.

Yep. I can blame my creative mother for that one!

When I finally started writing fiction for a living, I surprised myself with my choice of genre. I’d always known I wanted to write romance, but the first story that popped out was about a couple of guys finding love during a threesome with a woman. Then I wrote about more guys, and more guys, and more guys. I was never a reader of gay fiction, and I’d never planned to write it. The only excuse I have for myself is: Hey, it’s just what comes out!

AUTHOR CONTACT LINKS:

Facebook Profile: http://facebook.com/maris.black.7
Facebook Fan Page: http://facebook.com/marisblackbooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/marisblackbooks
Website: http://marisblack.com

Giveaway

Click the Rafflecopter link to be enter for a chance to win a $20 Gift Card (Retailer of choice):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOURSHEDULE:

5/25/2015       Cia’s Stories

5/25/2015           Rainbow Gold Reviews

5/26/2015           Love Bytes

5/26/2015           Sue Brown

5/27/2015           Multitaskingmommas Book Reviews

5/27/2015           Gay.Guy.Reading and Friends

5/28/2015           RJ Scott

5/28/2015           Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

5/29/2015           Diverse Reader

5/29/2015           Joyfully Jay

5/30/2015           Nessa’s Book Reviews

5/30/2015           The Land of Make Believe

5/30/2015           Foxylutely Books

5/31/2015           Man2ManTastic

5/31/2015           Cravin “I” Candy

6/1/2015              MM Good Book Reviews

6/1/2015              Sid Love Writes

6/2/2015              Bayou Book Junkie

6/2/2015              Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

6/3/2015              Drops of Ink

6/3/2015              BFD Book Blog

6/4/2015              The Novel Approach

6/4/2015              Two chicks obsessed

6/5/2015              Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

6/5/2015              Hearts On Fire Reviews

May 30, 2015
The Hidden Wolf; by Sue Brown—Blog Tour

Sue Brown returns today to talk about her love of shifter in connection with newest book, The Hidden Wolf.

Guest Post:

One of the first books I read in the M/M Romance genre was With Caution, J.L. Langley’s second book in the With or Without series. It sealed my love for MM shifter books. I fell in love with Remi and Jake, and Sterling (sweet heaven when is our Sterling getting his own story??) and all the other wonderful wolves and humans of her universe.

I have read many shifter books since. Kim Dare’s Pack series, Bailey Bradford’s Southwestern series, Amber Kell’s many shifter series to name but a few I’ve read and loved. I’m addicted to them. They all bring their own take on what is a well-trod genre. I couldn’t say it’s this book above all others. It’s this book in that series.

Recently I read Turnskin by Nicole Kimberling which is one of the most original and complex shifter books I’ve read in a long time. Her world is dark and political with many twists and turns in the story.

What I love most is that shifter means so much more than werewolf. There are as many variations as there are authors and each one is new and savoured – at least by this reader.

What is your favourite shifter book or series?

Title: The Hidden Wolf

Series: Sapphire Ranch Wolves – Book Two

Author: Sue Brown

Publisher: Love Lane Books

Cover Artist: Meredith Russell

Length: 32,700 words

Release Date: 22^nd May, 2015

Blurb: Sheriff Milo Clarke has met his mate, Eli Watkins, and now they’re conducting a long distance relationship while Eli runs Cavalry, the security firm protecting Joe and Cal at the Sapphire Ranch from the hunters.

The long distance loving is hard on all three of them, Eli, Clarke and Clarke’s wolf, who is becoming more restless as Clarke refuses to shift. When Clarke going to give into the other side of him and how will Clarke and Eli resolve the distance between their lives?

Sheriff Milo Clarke leaned against the kitchen cabinets as he watched Eli Watkins and his team, the Calvary, remove the remains of Randy Streerson from the kitchen of Sapphire Ranch. He’d offered to help and been told firmly to stay the hell out of their way as they committed a felony.

Staying to one side was a damned sensible move. What used to be Randy Streerson, the head of a group of hunters that pursued and killed shifters, now covered the kitchen walls, floor, and dripped from the ceiling after young shifter Callum Pope shot him with one of the hunter’s bullets.

Cal was a distant shifter relative of Milo’s. His father had been related to Milo’s mother. Cal’s father and two elder brothers had been killed by a band of hunters led by the Streerson family. The pack had splintered in an effort to survive, and Cal had turned up on Sapphire Ranch after running hundreds of miles to get away from the hunters, only to discover the owner of the ranch was his mate. A lot had happened in a few days. Eli’s men took away what remained of the body and now they scrubbed the kitchen, surprisingly efficient. Milo didn’t have to be a cop to know this wasn’t the first time the Cavalry had cleaned away evidence that a murder had taken place.

He was stuck between duty and likely survival. On one hand he’d witnessed the struggle between Cal and Streerson for control of the gun before Cal had pulled the trigger. On the other…

How the hell would he explain to his deputies what had just taken place? They would want to know where he’d been hiding for the past few days, why he’d been lying to them, who the victim—who was no fucking victim—was, and what the hell was a shifter?

He was a shifter. At least a half-shifter. His mother had been a werewolf and Milo could change, he just chose not to. Instead he lived among the humans as a sheriff and hadn’t given in to that side of him for over five years except for one glorious moment a few days ago. Milo tried not to think about it even as his wolf grumbled inside.

Milo watched the team—at least he watched Eli. His whole attention was focused on the dark-haired man. Just watching him made his mouth dry and his dick hard. From the second Milo had shifted to prove the existence of werewolves to Eli and his assistant Ross, he’d realized that Eli was his mate.

Unable to resist, he’d trotted up to Eli and laid his head on his lap. Tentatively Eli had stroked his head, and Milo leaned into the caress, wanting Eli to touch him more. Eli filled his wolf senses. He smelled woodsy with a touch of citrus. He smelled good.

“Good doggy,” Eli had murmured.

Doggy? Milo gave a low growl at the insult, grinning in wolfy satisfaction as Eli snatched his hand back. He wouldn’t have hurt him—much.

And Eli had seemed equally drawn to him, finding it hard to take his eyes off Milo, even as they’d talked strategy with Joe, Cal’s mate and the owner of Sapphire Ranch.

But they hadn’t gone near each other, hadn’t touched each other at all beyond that one brief contact. Milo had been relieved because they had needed to focus their minds, not their dicks, to defeat the hunters. Relieved—and frustrated beyond belief to have his mate so close and not be able to touch him.

There was another issue. They hadn’t connected telepathically.

Milo had thought that happened immediately. But he was only a half-shifter, with limited shifter abilities in his human form, and Eli was a human. What would happen if they didn’t connect? Could they walk away from each other? It would make life so much simpler.

Milo caught Eli frowning at him, and he looked away, feeling guilty. Eli didn’t need to know. They hadn’t connected. He need never know. Milo’s wolf howled inside him at the thought of walking away from his mate, and for once Milo didn’t try to hush him. The thought hurt his human side just as much. But Milo had spent his whole life hiding his true nature, and now, through no fault of his own, everything he’d worked to hide was liable to be exposed. Among humans he hid the fact he was half-shifter. Around shifters he tried hard to fit in, even though his human side affected his wolf senses. And with both communities he hid the fact he was gay.

Milo had spent his whole life in hiding and with one phone call Joe had exposed him to humans—both as shifter and as gay. He wasn’t fucking ready for it. And didn’t that suck?

Love Lane Books:

Amazon:

All Romance eBooks:

Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn’t following their orders, she can be found plotting at her laptop. In fact she hides so she can plot and has gotten expert at ignoring the orders.

Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she’s made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

AUTHOR LINKS

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

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SueBrownsStories

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suebrownstories

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+SueBrownstories/

Blog: http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.co.uk/

Website: http://www.suebrownstories.com/

Email ID: [email protected]

Get a chance to win a $15 Amazon/Are Gift Card!

Enter the Rafflecopter NOW

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May 25: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words || RJ Scott

May 26: Elisa – My reviews and Ramblings || Wicked Faeries Tales & Reviews

May 27: Hearts on Fire || MM Good Book Reviews

May 28: Andrew Q. Gordon || Elin Gregory

May 29: Cia’s Stories || Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

June 1: Man2ManTastic || Daydream Believer Book

June 2: The Purple Rose Tea House

June 3: Nessa’s Book Reviews || Lynley Wayne – Wordsmith Wednesday

June 4: Prism Book Alliance

June 5: The Novel Approach

June 8: Love Bytes Reviews

June 9: Gay Media Reviews || Diverse Reader

June 10: Molly Lolly: Reader, Reviewer, Lover of Words || Rainbow Book Reviews

June 11: Rainbow Gold Reviews

June 12: Drops of Ink || Bayou Book Junkie

May 28, 2015
Charlie’s Hero; by Nic Starr—Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Schoolteacher Charlie Matthews returns to his hometown, looking to regain a sense of community, reconnect with friends, and settle down. It looks like his dreams have come true when paramedic Josh Campbell attends an accident at the school. It’s love at first sight, and a romance begins.

But Josh’s reluctance to come out to the brother who raised him, puts pressure on their fledgling relationship. While Charlie understands Josh’s concerns, he can’t help growing impatient. After all, Charlie came out years ago.

It’s not until Charlie confronts his own parents and realizes he hasn’t come to terms with their rejection that he fully understands what Josh has to lose. But Josh is Charlie’s hero, and Josh will do anything to prove to Charlie that he doesn’t need his parents to be part of a family.

COMING OUT THIS JUNE!

**drumrolls**

“I… I….” Josh pushed up from the table and picked up his plate to take it to the kitchen.

“Josh—”

“No!” Josh cut him off and turned to face him. “Don’t you tell me how to handle this. You don’t get to tell me how to handle my own brother.”

“I just want to—”

“Look, just because you came out, doesn’t mean you’re an expert. I mean, look how well it all worked out for you.” Even as the words flew from Josh’s mouth, he wished he could take them back.

Read more exclusive excerpts of the book on –

Bayou Book Junkie || Wicked Faeries Tales And Reviews || Elisa – My reviews and Ramblings || BFD Book Blog || Bike Book Reviews || Charley Descoteaux || Divine Magazine || The Purple Rose Tea House || Man2ManTastic || Because Two Men Are Better Than One || Rick R. Reed || Kristy’s Brain Food || Molly Lolly: Reader, Reviewer, Lover of Words || My Fiction Nook || RJ Scott || Lexi Ander || Nessa’s Book Reviews || Nature of the Heart || MM Good Book Reviews || Carly’s Book Reviews || Up All Night, Read All Day || Daydream Believer Book || Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents || The Hat Party || Multitasking Mommas

RELEASE DATE: 17th June, 2015

PRE-ORDER NOW AT –

Dreamspinner Press

Winner’s Prize: A $10 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world. Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told! When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family.

Website: http://nicstarr.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NicStarrAuthor

Twitter: @nicstar000

May 15, 2015
An Interview with Michaela Grey—Author of Coffee Cake: Blog Tour and Giveaway

I’m fortunate today to be hosting the kick off of Michaela Grey’s Coffee Cake blog tour. She’s agreed to answer some questions about herself and the book. She’s also got a giveaway so read through to the end to enter.

Welcome Michaela, please tell everyone a bit about yourself.
Hi there and thanks for having me! I’m a wife and mother in the Texas hill country. I’ve been writing for years but only got really serious about publishing about a year ago.

I know today isn’t your first ever release, but it is release day, how does that feel?

It feels amazing! This is my first “real” release – my only other book was self-published, so this is pretty darn exciting for me.

Take a few sentences and tell us about the new book, Coffee Cake. What inspired you to write this book?

I saw a writing prompt on Tumblr, actually. It was for an asexual Sam and a pansexual Gabriel (from the TV show Supernatural) and so I wrote it as fanfiction at first, but along the way, the characters grew and evolved from the way they are on the show and became Bran and Malachi.

The main character, Bran, is asexual. There aren’t a lot of books with asexual characters, what made you write about that?

That right there is the biggest reason. Asexuals fall in love just like “normal” people, and there are just so few books out there dealing with that. I wanted to show young ace folk that it’s perfectly possible to have a fulfilling relationship and be in love and that they’ll have to deal with all the stuff other people do, and that’s okay. Too many asexual teenagers these days grow up thinking they’re broken, and it’s my goal to help with that.

How hard was it to get the romance right between Bran and Malachi?

It really wasn’t hard at all. The only thing I had to really work on was making it clear that even though Bran doesn’t want sex for himself, he participates enthusiastically because he loves giving pleasure to Malachi and it delights him down to his toes to be able to take Malachi apart with his hands and mouth.

Can you talk about the other aspect of the story—the mystery of who’s after Malachi?

Well, it’s someone you meet fairly early on in the story. And I hope you won’t be able to guess who it is until the identity is revealed! You could say this person is sort of a ghost from Malachi’s past.

Tell us something not in the blurb.

Bran’s baking experiences come directly from my own kitchen, and if you find me on Tumblr and ask nicely, I’ll give you my secret recipe for the best bread you’ve ever tasted. (http://greymichaela.tumblr.com)

What do you like to read?

A little bit of everything. I love a good mystery, a good urban fantasy, like Jim Butcher, Neil Gaiman or Patricia Briggs. The only problem I have is that almost everything is so painfully straight. I want some diversity, please!

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

There’s a moment when you hit the sweet spot, where the words are backing up in your head and falling over themselves to get out on the page, and everything just flows. I love that bit. It’s what I aim for, and it doesn’t happen often, but when it does…

What’s your least favorite?

The days when I have to sweat and scratch and bleed for every sentence, if not every word. When I know I have to get it done anyway, but it just…won’t…happen. Those are the days when I wonder why I chose to be a writer in the first place. But then I’ll have a good day the next day and I’ll remember.

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

Well, I just finished my best work to date, I think. It’s called Buttons, and it tells the story of Micah the germaphobe who falls in love with Devon the mechanic. Micah has to work to overcome not only his neuroses but his deep-seated belief that he’s not good enough for Devon, and it’s a lovely story of character growth and transformation.

In the works right now is another mystery, because I am a glutton for punishment. A knitting pattern found on a murder victim is the only clue to a murder forty years in the making, and the detectives must work to decipher the pattern before the killer strikes again.

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

Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray. It’s the telling of a group of beauty pageant contestants who crash-land on a deserted island, and how they must work together to survive. There’s so much to love about this book, and it basically turns the Lord of the Flies trope on its head.

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

Terry Pratchett, please.

Besides reading and writing, what else do you enjoy?

I love to knit while watching TV, and talk to my friends. I’m homebound due to poor health, so I don’t go many places, and my laptop is pretty much my life. J

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

Thank you for getting to know me a little better, dear readers! You can always talk to me on Tumblr or via my Facebook page, and I love hearing what you thought of the book, so please don’t hesitate to contact me and give me your feedback!

Title: Coffee Cake

Author: Michaela Grey

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Length: 220 Pages/67000 words

Release Date: 11^th May, 2015

Blurb: Bran Kendrick never expected to fall in love. He’s asexual, after all. What chance does he have of finding someone who’ll see past that? So when Malachi Warren catches his eye, Bran tells himself his crush will pass. Malachi disagrees. He has been attracted to Bran for some time, something he is delighted to find Bran reciprocating. They begin to date and feel their way through an intimate relationship that meets both their needs.

Suddenly Bran finds himself juggling a new boyfriend, a demanding job, and a college degree he’s not sure he wants, but he couldn’t be happier—until a series of seemingly random accidents befall Malachi. When they escalate, Bran realizes someone is trying to take away the best thing that ever happened to him, and he must scramble to keep Malachi safe while they search for the would-be killer.

EVEN IN early September, Vermont meant that Saturday morning dawned crisp and cool, and Bran tugged on his favorite beanie and scarf before making the trek across campus to the Grind, the tiny coffee shop that was his main source of income.

He couldn’t help the smile that flickered across his face when he walked into the kitchen, breathing in the smells of bread, cinnamon, almonds, and toasted sugar. He could feel the tension draining from his shoulders as he mentally flipped through the list of things he needed to do before he opened the café.

Start the blueberry muffins first. They can bake while I put together the topping for the coffee cake. Sweet-talk the cappuccino maker into starting up and leave yet another note for Naomi about getting a new one. Put the croissants in the oven last; I really need to set aside a couple of days to perfect making those myself so I can actually recommend them with a clear conscience. Call Katie and find out where the hell she is and why I’m here alone again.

He spent the morning making cappuccinos, espressos, and Americanos for the students who straggled in, bleary-eyed and hungover from the night before. He knew a lot of them—it wasn’t a large college, after all—and he dispensed smiles and the occasional aspirin along with the blueberry muffins and croissants.

When the bell jingled midmorning, Bran was in the back. He was handling the store alone, since Katie had phoned in sick.

“Be right there!” he called. He tugged a tray of muffin batter out of the massive refrigerator and slid it into the industrial-size oven before wiping his hands on his apron and hurrying back into the storefront.

Only to slam on the brakes and stare at Malachi leaning against the counter, smiling at him.

“Um,” Bran said eloquently.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Malachi agreed. “What’s good this morning?”

Bran dragged his brain into gear. “The, uh, coffee cake is decent. I made it myself. Or the blueberry muffins. I don’t recommend the croissants—we don’t make them in-house.”

“Coffee cake sounds good, Bran! Can I have a hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles with that, please?”

“Sure,” Bran said, and he moved to obey, mind whirling.

Malachi leaned on the counter and watched him, and Bran still couldn’t figure out what to say.

“Did you go to any good parties last night?” Malachi asked, and Bran jumped.

“I, uh, no,” Bran said, cursing his fumbling tongue. “Had to study. I don’t… party much.” And there goes any chance of Malachi wanting to get to know me, he thought a little despairingly.

“I know what you mean,” Malachi said, and Bran turned to stare at him, nearly dropping the coffee cake. Malachi lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, I party plenty, don’t get me wrong. But this English class is kicking my ass, and I can’t seem to get my head wrapped around it.”

“Do you have a study group?”

“I did,” Malachi said, popping a toothpick in his mouth. “But we went our separate ways at the end of last year, and I haven’t found anyone else to work with yet.”

“You should talk to Dave,” Bran said, and then he wanted to kick himself. Why hadn’t he volunteered himself? He could study with a senior, couldn’t he?

“Dave’s a great guy,” Malachi agreed, “but what about you?”

Bran did drop the coffee cake that time, and stood there staring at the mess on the floor for way too long. Idiot. He went to his knees and began picking up shards of pottery.

“You okay down there?” Malachi asked.

“Fine,” Bran said, and then he gasped as he sliced his hand on a sharp edge, blood welling up and then dripping onto the mangled coffee cake on the floor.

Malachi rounded the counter and pushed Bran away from the wreckage, gripping his wrist. “You idiot, what were you thinking?” His voice was warm with concern, and Bran couldn’t think of anything but how gentle Malachi’s hand was on his skin.

Malachi reached up, grabbed a clean towel from the counter, and wrapped it around Bran’s hand with deft movements. Then he stood up. “Stay there,” he told him, and disappeared.

Bran obeyed, resting his head against the cabinet. Dimly, he heard Malachi’s voice and the jingle of the coffee shop door. Silence fell.

That was that, then. Bran sighed. He was a klutz, and he’d scared off the cutest boy he’d ever seen by being a fumbling idiot who didn’t know how to talk to people like a normal person.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Malachi appeared above him again.

“Whoa, hey, easy there!” Malachi said, grabbing his shoulder.

“I… thought you left,” Bran said, then wanted to kick himself.

“Nah, I closed the shop. Kicked out the few people savoring their muffins and locked the doors behind ’em. We’ve got the place to ourselves. Now get up, c’mon, we need to clean that wound and bandage it properly.” He steadied Bran by the arm as he levered himself to his feet, holding the red-soaked towel aloft with a grimace.

“Not feeling faint from blood loss, are you?” Malachi asked, steering him toward the back.

Bran shook his head. He was light-headed but it wasn’t blood loss. It was the firm hand that held his arm, steadying him as he led Bran to the bathroom, and the concern in those bright brown eyes.

Malachi opened the bathroom door and tugged Bran inside. It was a tiny room, and Bran held his breath at his proximity to the other young man. Malachi turned on the sink and unwrapped the towel with careful fingers. Bran hissed as it pulled at the edges of the gash, and Malachi winced.

“Sorry, kiddo,” he murmured. He dropped the bloody towel on the floor and held Bran’s hand under the running water, tightening his grip when Bran involuntarily pulled back at the stinging pain. “Gotta clean it out,” he reminded him. “Where’s your first-aid kit?”

“Under the sink,” Bran managed through his teeth.

Malachi fumbled for it one-handed, his soft hair brushing Bran’s arm as he bent down, and Bran swallowed hard.

Malachi came up triumphantly with the kit clutched in his fist and set it on the edge of the sink. After turning off the faucet, he gave Bran a gentle push toward the closed toilet lid.

“Sit. I’m gonna put my astounding first-aid skills to work here, and I don’t need you passing out halfway through. I need constant positive feedback or I shrivel up and die, you know.”

Bran huffed a laugh and sat down. “Are you a trained medical professional?” he teased, and Malachi grinned at him.

“Nah, I just play one on TV.” He examined the edges of the wound, tsking to himself. “The bleeding’s almost stopped, and I don’t think it’ll need stitches, but I can take you to the emergency room if you want?”

Bran’s head swam at the thought of having that long with Malachi, of being in a car with him, having his attention, but he shook his head regretfully.

“I can’t leave the store,” he said. “There’s muffins in the oven and, I have a lot more to bake, and Naomi would kill me if I took off now, especially since Katie’s not here to cover.”

“Sense of duty, huh?” Malachi said as he pressed gauze into place and began to wrap the wound. “I like that in a man.”

Bran blinked. Was Malachi… flirting with him? He fumbled for something to say, something witty, something that would make Malachi laugh, but then the moment passed, and Malachi was standing back to admire his handiwork.

“I can’t guarantee you’ll play the piano again,” he said, “But you’ll be able to impress all the girls with your wicked scar, so that’s something, right?”

“I’m not… interested in girls,” Bran mumbled, ducking his head.

There was silence from above him for a moment, and then Malachi laughed quietly. “Neither is my brother. Me, I figure the more the merrier.”

“What, like threesomes?” Bran said, then nearly clapped his hand over his mouth.

Malachi snorted. “No, I mean I don’t care what someone has down their pants. Attraction, for me, isn’t based on gender. But Tris is like you: he’s gay. Although he’s also the most socially awkward dude I’ve ever met, so if he ever gets a boyfriend, I may keel over in shock.”

“I’m not gay either,” Bran blurted. He wanted to run, to hide and never look at the young man standing in front of him, but at the same time a weird feeling of relief was stealing over him. Malachi was the first person he’d told. Come what may, he’d admitted to someone what he was, and that was a step forward, no matter how Malachi reacted.

Malachi was utterly still above him, and Bran swallowed hard. This was it, the part where Malachi told him to have a nice life and took off back to his normal friends.

Malachi tilted Bran’s chin up, and Bran’s eyes widened as he met his gaze.

“Nothing to be ashamed of, kiddo. So you’re ace?”

Bran nodded jerkily.

Malachi smiled at him. “Are you aromantic too?”

“I, uh….” Bran floundered for words.

“Haven’t gotten that far in your research yet?” Malachi winked at him. “Look it up. We can talk about it when we get together to study tomorrow.”

Bran stared at him. When had they agreed to that?

“In the meantime, you have a coffee shop to run, so let’s get you back to it, shall we?” He flapped his hands at him until Bran took the hint and stood up, feeling a mile tall as he towered over the shorter man. Malachi just tilted his head back and grinned up at him. Then he shooed him out of the bathroom and back into the store, where he grabbed a chair from the dining area and dragged it behind the counter.

“Sit,” he said firmly, and he cocked an eyebrow when Bran hesitated. “You can’t serve food with an open wound, kiddo. So you’re going to direct me and work the register, and I’m gonna run this place for you.”

Bran just stared at him as Malachi grabbed the dustpan and began cleaning up the coffee cake mess on the floor.

Malachi whistled as he cleaned and then opened the front door, and Bran stayed quiet and watched him, head swimming.

Malachi hadn’t run. He hadn’t disappeared when Bran had told him what he was. Why not? Bran was different, not normal. Malachi couldn’t possibly be interested in Bran, so why was he still hanging around?

Malachi snapped his fingers, and Bran blinked, looking up.

“You’ve got a customer, kid, and the oven just dinged at me. Either it’s flirting with me, or the muffins inside are done. Could go either way. What do you want me to do?”

Bran gathered his thoughts. “Um, get the muffins out, put the tray on the cooling rack back there, and set the timer for five minutes. Then you’ll take them out of the tray, but they need to set up a bit before you do that or they’ll collapse.”

Malachi winked. “You got it.”

He disappeared, and Bran stood up to take the first customer’s order with a smile on his face.

DSP Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6368

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Cake-Michaela-Grey-ebook/dp/B00X6B59E2/

ARe Link: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-coffeecake-1792748-145.html

Michaela Grey told stories to put herself to sleep since she was old enough to hold a conversation in her head. When she learned to write, she began putting those stories down on paper. She and her family reside in the Texas hill country with their cats, and she is perpetually on the hunt for peaceful writing time, which her four children make difficult to find.

When she’s not writing, she’s knitting while watching TV or avoiding responsibilities on Tumblr, where she shamelessly ogles pretty people and tries to keep her cat off the keyboard.

Tumblr: http://greymichaela.tumblr.com

Twitter: @GreyMichaela

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GreyMichaela

Email: [email protected]

Get a chance to win a signed paperback copy of Coffee Cake!

Enter the Rafflecopter NOW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May 11: Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents || Andrew Q. Gordon

May 12: Elisa – My reviews and Ramblings || Carly’s Book Reviews

May 13: The Purple Rose Tea House || Molly Lolly: Reader, Reviewer, Lover of Words

May 14: Divine Magazine || Wicked Faeries Tales & Reviews

May 15: My Fiction Nook || Drops of Ink

May 18: Nessa’s Book Reviews || A Celebration of Books

May 19: Prism Book Alliance || MM Good Book Reviews

May 20: Lynley Wayne – Wordsmith Wednesday || Hearts on Fire

May 21: Because Two Men Are Better Than One || Love Bytes Reviews

May 22: BFD Book Blog || Diverse Reader

May 11, 2015
Young Love, Old Hearts—Book Blast and Giveaway

Blurb(s):

Everyone hears “He’s too young for you.” “She’s too old for you.” Not between these pages. This anthology crosses the age gap with nine enchanting stories of cross-generational relationships. Some are sweet, some are sexy, some are heartbreaking. One is downright murderous. The protagonists are gay men or women searching for true love or trying out what’s right in front of them.

Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC

Cover Artist: C.E. Case

Release Date: May 1, 2015

About the Authors:

M. Leibowitz: A. M. Leibowitz is a spouse, parent, feminist, and book-lover falling somewhere on the Geek-Nerd Spectrum. She keeps warm through the long, cold western New York winters by writing romantic plot twists and happy-for-now endings. Her published fiction includes her first novel, Lower Education, as well as a number of short works, and her stories have been included in several anthologies. In between noveling and editing, she blogs coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, and her family at amleibowitz.com.

Adrian J. Smith: AJ is a Christian, author, editor, spouse and all around crazy person. She’s constantly doing something at any given time and never learned to practice the word “relax.” AJ loves stories with a dramatic flair, stories that aren’t afraid to take risk and characters that are as real as the person sitting next to her. You can find her on twitter (@AdrianAJSmith) or her website (adrianjsmith.wordpress.com).

Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese: Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese are authors of the gay romance series Love in Los Angeles from Torquere Press. Their gay romance novella Midsummer (Love’s Labour 1), is from Dreamspinner Press (May 2015). They also have a story in Best Gay Romance 2015 from Cleis Press and edited by Felice Picano. You can find them on the web at http://www.Avian30.com. Geonn Cannon: Geonn Cannon has been writing for nearly twenty years. Among the genres he’s written are drama, romance, mystery, western, steampunk, and thriller. The only thing he’s completely against writing are bios. Find him at geonncannon.com

Helena Maeve: Helena Maeve has always been globetrotter with a fondness for adventure, but only recently has she started putting to paper the many stories she’s collected in her excursions. She can usually be found in an airport or on a plane, furiously penning away in her trusty little notebook.

Kassandra Lea: Growing up Kassandra Lea wanted to be Batman or a horse, then she discovered writing and the ability to live vicariously through her characters. She lives in southern WI with a gang full of furry-feathered monsters and a ghost that’s infatuated with the bathroom light.

Lela E. Buis: Lela E. Buis lives in Tennessee and is working hard at writing just lately. In past lives she worked at Kennedy Space Center and at a couple of different colleges. She takes care of four cats and a part time dog.

Ralph Greco, Jr.: Ralph Greco, Jr. is a professional writer living in the wilds of New Jersey suburbia.

Stacy O’Steen: Stacy spends her days pedaling wares to the masses but at night she’s free to roam and explore the reaches of her imagination. She loves crafting, nerdy things and generally making a mess. Find her at stacyosteen.com

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Inked Rainbow Reads, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Molly Lolly, Love Bytes, Hearts on Fire, Cate Ashwood, Divine Magazine, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, MM Good Book Reviews, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Velvet Panic, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon

Giveaway:

Click the Rafflecopter link below for a chance to win an eCopy of the Anthology:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Book Blast is a Pride Promotions event.

Click the badge for more information about Pride Promotions:

May 8, 2015