Spotlight-Excerpt & Giveaway: ENTWINED (Darklight #3) by Sean Ian O'Meidhir & Connal Braginksky

 

ENTWINED 

(Darklight #3)

by Sean Ian O'Meidhir & Connal Braginsky

Release Date: Tuesday, June 18 2024

Publishing Company: Ninestar

Cover Artist: Jaycee DeLorenzo

Primary Plot Arc: Speculative Fiction

Main Genre: Paranormal

Story Type: Novel (>50k)

Word Count: 85100

LGBTQ+ Identities: gay, lesbian

Keywords/Categories: MM, MMM, gay romance, mm romance, paranormal, paranormal romance, PNR, vampires, gay, lesbian, reunited with mother, menage sex scene, fae, witches, war, spiders, voyeurism, public sex, telepathy, psychic ability, psychologist, autism

Blurb

After learning his mother is alive, Cameron, a telepath, travels across the country to find her, accompanied by Nathen, his neurodiverse vampire lover, and Syn, his best friend and sister of the heart. Once there, they find she is involved in a much larger war of her own and has been trying to keep him out of harm’s way for years.

In their quest to help her, they make enemies, of course, but they also find several new allies. And when they are swept up in fae politics and looming war, the result is an entire paradigm shift that will have far-reaching effects on all their lives forever.

Warnings: Trauma, death violence, sex assault, miscarriage, HFN, depression, grief

Purchase Link

Universal Buy Link

Goodreads 

Excerpt

Then Nathen sensed it before he was there. A man standing casually against the railing. Not a man. A vampire. He could see the blood flow like an electrical current through him, so very different than humans or even mages. His tall frame was silhouetted against the city backdrop so he could not quite make out his features except for the piercing luminescent blue eyes that bore into him. He wore a T-shirt, the pattern of which Nathen couldn’t make out, and leather pants that may have been painted on. His biker boots with silver buckles were distracting to Nathen for a moment as one was poised across the other, tip to the ground. He leaned on his elbows, which rested on the railing behind him as if the man didn’t have a care in the world. 

Nathen interrupted Cameron from his midway point into unconscious sleep. “Babe, don’t freak out, and stay still. There’s another vampire in the room. I’m going to see what’s up. Pretend you’re sleeping in case he does something bad. That way maybe you can surprise him.” 

Nathen kept a mental hand on Cameron, trying to keep him calm though he saw the spike of adrenaline through Cameron, blood activating and moving through him quickly, swept with fear and concern. Cameron said, “Gorgeous, no! How am I supposed to surprise him?” 

He could see Cameron’s mind working through various scenarios, though he complied with Nathen’s request and didn’t make a move to get up 

Nathen turned his attention to the vampire. “May I help you, sir? It is awfully late…or early. Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting? My name is Nathen.” 

“Nice show.” The man’s velvety voice had a smile to it. “Caught the end. You boys interested in an encore with a new actor? It’s Augustus, or just August, by the way.” He made no move from his position, as if he were a marble statue. Looking closer, Nathen could make out the pronounced bulge tightening August’s pants. 

Nathen drew a blank on how he was supposed to act in this situation. He’d never experienced anything like this, so had no script to follow. Morally this was a gray area, not wrong, but not usual either. He had never had a threesome, and that could be interesting, especially with two vampires. Though it could be too much for Cameron. Would Nathen feel the same way being bitten by another vampire as Cameron did? His mind was going through many probabilities trying to pick one choice. All he could manage to say was “Um…” 

Feeling incredibly exposed, Cameron opened his eyes and pulled the blanket over him and Nathen. “Hey,” he managed, his fair skin mottled with embarrassment. Nathen could tell his thoughts were along the same lines of surprise and confusion which dripped with interest when he saw August. He could also feel Cameron delving into his desires, trying to read his preferences and though he knew Cameron preferred monogamy, the thought of being with both of them tickled through Cameron, alighting his already spent core. 

“Hey yourself,” August said. “You probably need a minute to recover…for that was—” He traced his tongue over his extended fangs and lips before finishing. “—delicious. Was it you who had affected all the humans in the area? It had to be. I haven’t met a thaumaturge in town for quite a while.” 

“I…” Cameron’s mind scrambled. 

“I’ll tell you what, gentlemen. Why don’t Nathen and I give you some of our blood to help you recover faster? Then we can all have a little fun?” August asked. 

About the Authors

Connal Braginsky is a software engineer who lives in San Diego, California. Diagnosed with autism, Connal sometimes struggles in social situations, but has an inner world that is always incredibly rich. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge about many esoteric things, Connal brings his personal philosophies and interests to writing.

Sean Ian O’Meidhir is a psychologist who lives in San Francisco, California. Sean is a hedonist who believes in living for today, living every day to the fullest, and enjoying as many experiences as possible. They have been gaming since adolescence and have written about and played hundreds of lives, reveling in the chance to take on new personalities, dramas, even disorders.

Website - Facebook (Personal) - Facebook (Author) - Goodreads - Amazon

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New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: PHOENIX RISING by Valerie Ullmer

Phoenix Rising 

(An M/M/M Romance)

Author and Publisher: Valerie Ullmer

Cover Artist: Valerie Ullmer

Release Date: August 6, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M/M Romance

Tropes: Best friends to lovers, bisexual awakening, best friends in love with the same man, and hot sexy times

Themes: Moving past childhood trauma

Length:  57 000 words/ 209 pages

Heat Rating: 5 flames

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Two best friends want the same man.

Will all three be able to fall in love and make their relationship work?

Blurb

Phoenix Aalto had everything he wanted in life.
His own bakery, close friends, and his plants.

There was nothing more he could ask for after escaping the life his father wanted for him.

Or that’s the lie he told himself each time the two men of his dreams walked into his bakery, looking every bit a happy couple. He wasn’t delusional enough to believe it was more than a one-sided attraction, but it didn’t stop him from daydreaming of something more.

Luka Kavka lived with his best friend, and they ran a successful landscaping business together. He’d come out during college, but like his friend, no one lasted more than a date.

But a routine meeting in an out of way bakery with a real estate developer changed his fate.

Burton Horváth loved life. Working with his best friend while living with him was everything he thought needed.
When he spotted Phoenix behind the counter, everything he knew about his life changed. The younger man wasn’t his first crush on a man. If he were honest with himself, that honor would go to Luka. But he was the one who shook up his viewpoint at thirty-one years old and made him want a change.

Luka and Burton agreed they would ease into letting Phoenix know they were interested, which included months of daily visits. But change for all three men came when Luka charged in, giving Luka and Burton the opening they needed.

But as they navigate their newfound relationship, will the obstacles from Phoenix’s father allow them to find their happiness?

Excerpt

Get it together, Phoenix!

“Don’t touch him.”

My mouth dropped open as breathing became difficult. A shiver of pleasure fluttered over my body at the sound of his deep, commanding voice.

A scant ‘sorry’ was all I heard, since I couldn’t take my eyes off the giant of a man, even when I noted movement in my peripheral and the sound of my poor, old-fashioned shopkeeper’s bell being abused.

“Woo! That was one of the… nope, the hottest thing I’ve witnessed in ages. For a second there, I wondered if you were going to rip his arms off, big guy, all because he dared to grab our Phoenix here,” Arthur said as he fanned himself.

“It’s Luka.”

There was a pulse of desire in my lower stomach, and I stifled a gasp when my cock swelled underneath my jeans. Grateful I had the area covered with an apron.

I wanted to join my friend in fanning myself because the temperature climbed in the minute since Luka stepped in to help me.

“And I’m Burton. It’s nice to meet you, Phoenix.” The blond adonis held out his hand.

Reason fled as the eagerness of the situation presented to me overrode self-preservation. I placed my hand in Burton’s stronger, calloused one and sucked on my bottom lip as the tingle from his touch radiated up my arm and spread throughout. Images of me splayed out on a bed as Burton teased me with his warm hands while Luka’s voice washed over me until I erupted in an intense... F*ck!

Okay! Not nice to fantasize about two men who were a couple standing right in front of me.

“It’s also nice to meet you, Burton. Luka.”

“I’ve never seen you blush that shade of peach before, honey. I’m gonna call Jude and tell him.”

Leave it up to my best friend to embarrass me.

“It’s lovely,” Luka said as he ran the back of his finger down my cheek before he cupped my face.

In that moment, I considered the possibility of my entire body igniting into flames, all from Luka’s tiny gesture that, for the first time in my life, didn’t make me recoil. In a weak moment, I wanted to know the touch of the man cupping my cheek and burrowed into his hand.

Then I remembered he wasn’t available and leaned away.

“Sorry, I should’ve asked you before I touched you,” Luka said.

I shook my head back and forth before I found the words, “No, it’s okay. You can. I’m not used to it.”

“What about me? Can I touch you?” Burton asked.

My eyes widened, and I nodded, staring at the bewitching man, who was even more stunning up close. “If… if you want to?”

Arthur chuckled. “Give it up for Phoenix, ladies and gentlemen. He attracts two specimens of male perfection without a clue they’re flirting with him.”

He mumbled as he moved around the counter to clean the tables, leaving me alone with the two gorgeous men. Or at least I believed no one was around. There was no dragging my attention away from them.

“Uh…” I sounded daft as I looked back and forth between the two, confusion swamping me because I was a mess; the decorated apron with green vines and leaves along with depictions of pastries and the logo of my shop, Phoenix Rising, had chocolate stains and other food items I couldn’t identify. My hair stood up in all directions, and I’m pretty sure my fingers were sticky with frosting.

As my synapses fired back up, I swallowed around the dryness in my throat and said, “Just ignore him. He’s still in the honeymoon phase, despite being married for years, and sees romance everywhere.”

Until this conversation, I hadn’t spoken more than a word or two to either of these men. But now they were in front of me, both holding expressions of faint amusement as they stared at me, and I felt faint. And in order to cover my ineptitude in social situations, out came the verbal onslaught.

“Is it hot in here? It’s hot, right? I mean… um, what were we talking about? Oh, right? My deluded best friend thinks, well, stupid things that are out of the realm of possibility because whatever he’s imagining doesn’t happen in real life and as far as I can tell, I’m awake and working. Are you two together? Sh*t, I did not mean for that to escape my mouth because nosy much, Phoenix? It’s not my business. Over the past several months, I couldn’t miss observing that you two make an exquisite couple. And on that note, I’ll stop talking now,” ending on a groan.

Burton glanced at Luka, who kept his eyes on me the entire time, and beamed at the taller man.

About the Author 

Valerie writes romances.

Valerie resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband. While she had been interested in writing a romance novel for years, it wasn’t until she wrote her first book that she really became hooked, and now she can’t stop. She has notebooks full of ideas, and she plans to write most of them in the years to come.

When she’s not writing or learning about the craft of writing, she can be found surfing the internet way too much, watching Investigation Discovery and thinking that her neighbors are up to no good, and finding new ways to get her husband to laugh.

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New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: A LITTLE MORE FORGIVENESS by Pauley J Ray (Hot Property #3)

A Little More Forgiveness

(Hot Property, Book 3)

by Pauley J Ray

Publisher: NineStar Press

Cover Artist: Jaycee DeLorenzo

Release Date:  July 2, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity

Themes: Threesome, Forgiveness and redemption, Overcoming past trauma

Heat Rating: 4 flames      

Length:  120 000 words/ 836 pages

This is book three of a four-book series. It does not  end on a cliffhanger

Each book concentrates on a different main character from the four owners of a successful construction company. Successive books will include spoilers from the previous ones if the books are not read in order.

Goodreads

Buy Links

NineStar Press   |   Amazon UK

Amazon US   |   Amazon CA

Three angry men, two loveable dogs and one isolated cabin. 

What could possibly go wrong?

Blurb

Gabriel Sanchez is a man running away from his past, unaware it’s about to catch up to him. Stuck in an isolated cabin with two strangers is the last thing he planned. One guy, a bear of a man shouldering intolerable emotional pain, Gabe instinctively wants to soothe. The other, kinder, gentler, and just wishing to be seen, Gabe desperately wants to show him how visible he is. However, the harder he tries to keep both at bay, the more they fight and the closer they get until his heart begins to desire things he’s promised himself it can never have again.

Leo Taylor has yearned for approval his whole life, and as the lawyer negotiating the sale of a run-down cabin and its land, this time he may just earn it. But, trying to keep the peace between a cocky New Yorker and the grumpiest man alive is slowly taking its toll. During their confinement, secrets are uncovered that will force Leo to make a tough choice. Close the sale and gain the approval he craves, or follow his heart and fight for the men for whom he’s falling head over heels.

Mitchell Houghton is drowning in grief and guilt following the death of his wife four years ago. Then, along comes a lawyer with an outsider who claims to own 50 percent of his home, his land. After years of self-imposed isolation, Mitch is now trapped with them both in his small cabin. Determined to make their lives a misery, he almost succeeds, until their unwanted interaction and attention makes him remember the man he used to be—the one he thought lost forever—giving him another chance at a happiness he’s not sure he deserves.

Excerpt

“I’m a determined man, Mr. Houghton.”

“Or a foolish one.”

I shrugged, not prepared to admit I was beginning to agree with him.

“Time after time, you were told no, but unlike any decent man, any honorable man, you didn’t leave me alone and walk away, did you?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “No, instead, you went behind my back and began pressuring my brother to sell, recognizing he’d be the more gullible of us, the weaker of the two.”

I frowned at his answer. Obviously, there was far more bad blood between them than I’d originally suspected.

Not my problem.

“And you think it’s me who’s foolish.” I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m here today because you requested this meeting. You. You were the one who’d finally decided to sell.” I lifted my shoulders. “Don’t kid yourself into believing I’m the bad guy in this scenario. It’s pretty obvious as soon as you received our offer and caught sight of all those zero’s, you had a very rapid change of heart.”

“A momentary lapse in judgment,” he snapped at me.

“Whatever.” I balled my hands into fists in my pants trying to remain relaxed, knowing my next admission wasn’t going to be well received. “Oh, and by the way. To be clear, your brother came to us, not the other way around.”

“No.” His sharp rebuttal sounded almost painful.

I shrugged again. “Believe what you want, but I’m telling the truth. Until Jared Houghton offered up his fifty percent, I’d given up on the purchase, had decided you weren’t worth the time and effort to continue pursuing.”

Something flashed in his eyes at my comment but was gone too quick for me to decipher. “There are other cabins, other land”—removing my hands from my pockets, I spread my arms to indicate the shabby interior—“in much better condition.”

He moved off the jamb and was in my face before I had chance to blink, his voice low and threatening. “Be very careful what you say in my home, Mr. Sanchez.” He said my name like my presence left a bad taste in his mouth. “You’re a guest here, and you better remember that—and your manners.”

I took in a few deep breaths, wanting to calm down and ensure I didn’t say something inappropriate. I hated being threatened. Watching Mason after his attack, how he’d get jumpy and scared at the slightest hint of raised voices or aggression from others, I’d done everything in my power to help him work through his trauma. To the point I automatically placed myself in front of him whenever he got anxious, protecting him from anyone getting too close. So Mitchell trying his intimidation act on with me in the hopes I’d cower meekly? Well, I couldn’t help myself.

“Ah, but that’s not quite true anymore, is it?” My blood pumped hard in my veins, rapidly heading south, making me hard. I wouldn’t say I was enjoying our sparring match, but the male aggression filling the air, raising our body temperature, and releasing delicious-smelling pheromones of sweat and musk pushed all my buttons.

I glanced around the room with its worn couch, scuffed oak furniture, and thick log walls, thinking if renovated, the place would look amazing. “I’m not really here as a guest, am I? I own fifty percent, remember? So this place is as much mine as yours.”

I didn’t see the punch coming until it connected with my gut, winding me as it knocked the air from my lungs in a loud whoosh, doubling me over as pain ripped through my abdomen. The next thing I knew, I was grabbed by the collar of my expensive silk shirt and the back of my leather belt and heaved up as if I weighed nothing. He dragged me around the couch to the front door, which, typically, opened as we got there, to a horrified Leo.

Mitchell pushed past him, me firmly in his grip, my struggling useless against his power and strength as he swung me back, and then let gravity pull me speedily forward before releasing me, sending me flying across the porch to land in the snow and frozen dirt at the bottom of the steps in front of the cabin.

“My house,” he roared. “My home. Mine.” Then he slammed the door firmly behind him, leaving me there on my ass and out in the cold.

About the Author 

Pauley J Ray writes contemporary MM romantic fiction. His books contain sexy yet complicated and flawed characters searching for their own happily ever after.

​When not writing, he can’t wait to get outdoors, and with his husband, go hiking, camping, and travel everywhere they can, as often as they can.

With his husband’s job taking them all over the world, he now gets to write all day, every day, and he's never happier than when sat at his laptop creating new stories about gorgeous and sexy men.

Except when there's coffee...ooh and chocolate...yes, he's way happier when there's coffee and chocolate!

Blog/Website  |  Facebook 

Twitter  |  Instagram

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New Release-Review & Excerpt: LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Colette Davison - Includes Giveaway!

Lessons in Chemistry

by Colette Davison

Cover Artist: Designs by Morningstar

Release Date: July 27, 2023

Genre: Contemporary gay romance

Tropes: MMM, college/university romance (all characters are over 18), slow burn, fake date, opposites attract

Themes: Finding yourself while finding each other

Heat Rating:  3 flames

 Length:  96 500 words

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 

Universal link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  

What do a nerd, a jock, and a slacker have in common? Each other.

Blurb

When Auggie’s controlling father threatens to cut short his studies, it’s time to put his life in order. Add one cute nerd and one dedicated swimmer, and he has a new lesson to learn—how to love.

Emory is all kinds of confused. He really, really likes Auggie but is also in love with his best friend, Casey. Then Auggie comes up with a plan to see if Emory and Casey share any chemistry, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Casey lives for swimming and snuggling his best friend, Emory. Except Emory is in love with him, Auggie’s confusing him, and suddenly he has to confront his feelings and his sexuality.

Three men and one conundrum. How can they all get the guy?

Lessons in Chemistry is a slow-burn MMM college/university romance between an inexperienced nerd, an asexual jock, and the slacker who’s been around. There’s a fake date, first times, three guys finding their way in love and life, and a whole lot of snuggling.

Excerpt

“I want to kiss you,” I tell him.

Casey tilts his face up so I can lean down to give him a closed-mouth kiss. It’s long, tender, and soft. His lashes flutter as I pull away and smile at him.

“That was lovely.” He lays his head on my chest again.

I smile and kiss his hair.

“That’s nice too.” He half rolls, so he’s semi-facing Auggie.

Auggie seems to know exactly what Casey wants. He pushes up onto his elbow and kisses Casey. Even though it’s a sweet kiss, watching them still turns me on. They look stunning together, especially as Auggie’s beard scruff creates a red texture on Casey’s chin.

Auggie pushes up farther and kisses me over Casey. I’m aware of Casey glancing up from the movement of his head. Is he watching us as our mouths open and our tongues connect? Auggie lies down again, and the three of us go back to snuggling.

After a while, Casey shifts position and snuggles against Auggie. I turn to spoon his back, which is a new experience. I’ve never spooned with anyone. It’s nice being so close to him, having his back resting against my chest. I loop my arm over him and stroke Auggie’s arm. A thrill runs down my spine. We’re in a three-way relationship. Okay, so it’s brand new and tentative and awkward, but I’m lying in bed, cuddling two amazing and beautiful men.

Copyright Colette Davison 2023

Carra's Review

Emory has never been with anyone before; never been kissed, dated, nothing.  His journey is about first times, experimentation, and first loves.  He gets embarrassed easily, and has definitely cornered the market on adorable blushes.  Being in love with his best friend Casey is hard when he believes Casey is straight.  To confuse things more, he has feelings for his new friend Auggie…but he’s confused because he can’t have feelings for both of them, can he?

Casey has never been with anyone before either, but his reason is not at all the same as Emory’s.  Casey is the asexual jock, though he’s never realized before what his sexuality was, or why he’s never had any sexual feelings for anyone.  Not that he was ever bothered by this; he just went about his life, happy to have his best friend Emory at his side willing to cuddle him at the end of the day.  Casey overthinks things once Auggie enters the picture, particularly once he starts to feel happy butterflies not just when Emory makes him happy, but with Auggie as well.

And then there’s Auggie, our once-and-done player who’s just out for a good time with no interest in anything serious.  He’s a party guy, not interested in his classes—though there’s a reason behind that—but the more time he spends with Emory and later with Casey, the more his attitude changes as he realizes what he really wants.

All three are young—right about nineteen/twenty—and that shows in their interactions and how they speak.  Emory in particular comes across as very naive, a wide-eyed innocent.  Each has their own journey to follow, aided by the others, so there is a good deal of self-discovery going on with all three of them.  There is plenty of character growth for all three, and even Auggie’s overbearing father (with his unrealistic expectations) gets in on the act.  The majority of the book is Emory, Casey, and Auggie finding themselves and how they fit together, with a touch of family drama that I knew was coming, but felt very satisfied with when it happened.

Overall, Lessons in Chemistry was a 4-star read for me.  This is the first college-age romance I’ve read in a while that has the characters at an earlier portion of their studies; I usually stick to books with older characters who’ve had time to gain life experience and not sound so young.  But the interactions between these three were well written and concentrated on character growth, which I do appreciate and that made this an enjoyable read for me.  If you’re a fan of M/M/M, enjoying new adult romance, or representation of asexual characters, this story will tick a lot of boxes for you and you’ll want to add this one to your collection.

About the Author 

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Blog/Website  |   Facebook Page   |  Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

BookBub   |   Twitter  |   Goodreads  |  Instagram: @colettedavison

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