Is it always wrong to pretend to be Mr. Right?
Snow Balls
(Balls to the Wall Series, #4)
By Tara Lain
Blurb:
JJ LaRousse looks like a quarterback but acts like a queen. He’s trying to be proud of who he is—until a robbery at the famous Laguna Winter Fantasy brings JJ face-to-face with tough cop Ryan Star. JJ hears Ryan likes manly men, so he drops his voice an octave, colors his pink hair, and tries to pass as a football fan.
Ryan Star may be tough, but he keeps his sexuality to himself at work. He learned in New York that being a gay cop can be deadly. His attraction to JJ threatens his secret, but he’s finding it hard to back away from a guy who’s so totally his type. Then, during a ski trip and a confrontation with JJ’s biggest nemesis, all the façades come crashing down. In the aftermath, can Ryan love JJ for who he really is? More importantly, can JJ?
Available for pre-order at
Release Date:
December 6, 2017
Excerpt
Carefully he placed the art objects into the scene. These dolls would bring in the money during Winter Fantasy because people could afford to give them as gifts. An original piece of art at a reasonable price. It was a great find for shoppers. He nestled a lovely red-and-green doll into a forest of tiny pines.
“That’s really pretty.”
“Oh.” JJ almost dropped the doll. He grabbed it firmly, placed it, breathed, and turned toward the husky voice. Showtime.
The cop raised the corners of his mouth slightly. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Could he try out his own deep voice? JJ cleared his throat and dropped his tone from the usual stratosphere. “Not a problem. I wasn’t paying attention.” Blue. The guy’s eyes were a deep blue. Up close, his face had a classic structure that looked like it had been wrecked a bit: a high-bridged nose with a slight crook, as if somebody broke it once or twice, creamy skin marred by a few orange-peel-like marks, a light scar from the upper part of his neck that curved over his jaw. Scary. Ummmm… and sexy.
The policeman took out a small notebook—just like in the movies. “I’d like to ask you a few questions about what you saw today.”
JJ took hold of the edges of the counter so he could keep his hands still. “Okay.” He tried again, an octave lower. “Sure. Shoot.”
The guy flipped a page of the notebook. JJ stared at him and the question burst out. “Uh, what’s your name?”
The guy looked embarrassed. “I’m so sorry. I should have identified myself. I just… uh, I’m Detective Star.” He flashed his badge.
“What Star?”
“Excuse me?”
“What’s your first name?”
“Oh. Ryan.”
JJ smiled. “Nice name. I’m JJ LaRousse.”
The detective looked a little confused, but he wrote it down. “One S or two?”
“Two. And the JJ stands for Jamison Jeremiah.”
“So, Mr. LaRousse—”
“JJ.”
“JJ. Can you tell me where you were this morning at nine forty-five?”
JJ’s eyes widened. “Do you think I did the robberies?” He held the counter really tight.
“Mr.—uh, JJ—I was told that you saw the thieves, and I’m just trying to determine the chain of events.”
JJ breathed out. Relax! “Yes, uh, I was right here in this booth.”
“Can you describe what you saw?”
“I saw Santa Claus and his elf walking past really fast.” He looked into the blue eyes. “I guess I should say I saw two men dressed as those characters.”
“Can you describe them?”
“The Santa guy was kind of tall. A little taller than you, but not as tall as me.”
Star wrote. “So, about six feet one or so?”
“Probably, yes. The other guy was little. That’s one reason why I didn’t think anything strange. The elf was really small—like, he fit the costume. I figured they were just rehearsing for the Winter Fantasy Santa’s Village.”
“How small.”
JJ held out his hand at the middle of his chest.
“About five foot four?”
“Yeah, or maybe smaller.”
“But it was definitely a man?”
JJ cocked his head. “Good question.”
Again, that gaze speared him. “Close your eyes and picture the two of them and see if you remember anything that would indicate if the person might have been female.”
JJ closed his eyes. Wow. The detective smelled good. Like citrus with some honey in it. A soft smell, not overpowering at all. Maybe he could just snuggle his head against Ryan’s neck and inhale deeply. “Ummm.”
The Balls to the Wall Series
Volley Balls
Book #1
Available to purchase at
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iTunes | Dreamspinner Press
Fire Balls
Book #2
Available to purchase at
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iTunes | Dreamspinner Press
Beach Balls
Book #3
Book #3
Fast Balls
Book #5
Available to purchase at
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iTunes | Dreamspinner Press
High Balls
Book #6
Book #6
Available for purchase at
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iTunes | Dreamspinner Press
Prefer paperback?
The first and second book are now available in paperback!
About the Author
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 32. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul-mate husband and her soul-mate dog near the sea in California where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
Thank you so much for sharing my new cover! YUM! : )
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