New Release-Review & Excerpt: TIMELESS by Declan Rhodes - Includes Giveaway!

Timeless
By Declan Rhodes

In 2024, Dylan Mercer is the rising star of professional hockey, adored by fans and unmatched on the ice. Yet beneath the glitz of his burgeoning career lies a truth Dylan fears could derail everything: he's gay in a world where he fears coming out could mean the end of his career. After a tough practice session, Dylan’s discovery of a pair of vintage skates in an old locker sends him spiraling back in time to 1980, just before the US Olympic hockey team’s “Miracle on Ice.”

Thrown into an era where the stakes for being himself are even higher, Dylan finds an unexpected ally and more in Nico Santoro, a fellow player with secrets of his own. In the shadow of history, Dylan and Nico forge a bond that defies time, facing down prejudice and fear with the strength found in each other.

As Dylan grapples with his return to the present, he faces an impossible choice: a past world that ultimately learns to love openly because of his and Nico’s courage, or the present where he’s one of the brightest future hockey stars.

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Excerpt

"Yeah, Nico. I wouldn’t lie to you. I accidentally came here when I put on a pair of glowing skates, and now I don’t know how to get back…or when. I suspect it will happen soon, but…”

I stared at him with a dubious gaze. What he’d described was impossible. Maybe Kowalski and the guys were behind it all. They could have found a hockey guy from the city and paid him to throw me off.

It was time to challenge Dylan. “Prove it. Show me something futuristic, something undeniable.”

He hesitated for a moment. “My clothes are from 2024.”

I shrugged. “There’s nothing original about them other than sort of whacked-out styles. Jeans are jeans, and the shirt is cotton.”

“Oh,” he whispered, and he shoved his hand into his pocket. I leaned forward, hoping for a surprise. He pulled out the device he’d been holding when he first appeared in the locker room.

“This is a smartphone from 2024,” Dylan announced, puffing his chest out. It’s not just a phone; it’s a little computer that fits in your pocket, and it’s practically a window to the future.”

“Computer? That size?” I scoffed. I couldn’t hide my disbelief, but I also looked closely, thinking about the stories I could tell if I saw something nobody else in my time had seen.

He held the device out toward me. “You don’t believe me? Just watch.”

Everything was silent around us. The earth stood still. Dylan awakened his device, and the screen came to life. I took a step back. In James Bond movies, little machines like that could shoot to kill.

The thing glowed and displayed a bunch of colorful shapes, unlike anything I’d ever seen. It practically screamed modern technology.

My breath caught in my throat as I took a cautious step forward. Could what Dylan called a phone really be a gateway into a new world?

I was about to concede a slight chance that Dylan was telling the truth when the screen flickered, and then it went black. My heart sank.

“What happened? I want to see it. Turn it back on.”

Dylan frowned. “Damn…of course, the battery goes dead right at this minute, and I don’t have my charger.”

Carra's Review

The concept and blurb were enough to draw me to this story, after all it is a hockey romance that includes time travel to the era of the USA miracle Olympic hockey team.  How could I pass that up?  This was also a new author to me, so I was looking forward to checking them out.

Dylan is a young NHL star who is transported back in time from 2024 to 1980 thanks to a glowing pair of ice skates he comes across at the rink one day.  Nico is a player on a local team in 1980 and is the first person Dylan encounters in that time, and they wind up forming a bond and eventually much more than that.

To be honest, a lot of the events throughout the story were stretching my suspension of disbelief (I mean, you do have to suspend it a bit considering the premise hangs on time travel, but with this story even more so), and some things just felt too convenient and at times unlikely.  For me, some of this can be chalked up to the writing style as well as it really wasn’t my cup of tea. 

The overall story of how Dylan and Nico meet, develop a relationship, and what happens from there is interesting and you are rooting for them to be able to stay with each other in the end, just for me the execution wasn’t quite to my expectations.  If you’re an M/M hockey romance fan and also like time travel stories, you’ll likely want to check this one out though…and bonus points for the 1980 setting.

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of Timeless, Declan is giving away 2 e-copies & 2 Paperbacks of the upcoming release!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

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About the Author

Declan Rhodes is a gay hockey romance author who has written more than 40 novels. He also has published in the past as Grant C. Holland. He lives and works in the Upper Midwest where hockey is a birthright. Wisconsin is his home and the setting for many of his books. This is his fifth hockey romance novel and his first involving time travel.

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Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: RIDE THE WHIRLWIND by Jackie North (A Love Across Time Story)

Ride the Whirlwind

Jackie North

M/M Romance, Time travel, Historical

Release Date: 09.17.19

Cover Designer - Jay Aheer

Blurb

Soulmates across time. Two hearts, stronger together.

In present day, Maxton is good at finding trouble and bad at everything else. Then he receives a letter from his friend Laurie, who went missing. The letter is dated over one hundred years in the past.

In 1892, Trent Harrington, sheriff of Trinidad, Colorado, cast off by his family, lives a respectable but lonely life, devoid of any closeness. He knows he will be alone forever.

Trying to escape a past that keeps chasing him, Maxton drives south to Mexico. When his car spins off the road, he is swept up in a desert whirlwind, which takes him back in time to the year 1892. There, unused to the laws of the wild west, Maxton gets arrested, and is subject to the terrifying whims of two deputies who can do whatever they want to him.

Sheriff Trent Harrington of Trinidad is tasked with escorting Maxton to Trinidad. The request isn’t unusual, but the young miscreant is. Maxton draws Trent’s heart out of its shell with his flashing green eyes and lush head of hair. It isn’t right. It isn’t natural. It’s illegal. Yet Trent cannot resist the impetuous young man.

As the two men travel through the dry, lonely desert to their destination, will they find in each other the love and companionship they never thought they’d have?

A male/male time travel romance, complete with the scent of desert roses, brilliantly colored sunsets, starlit nights, roast rabbit over an open fire, growing honesty and trust, and true love across time.

Contains references to Honey From the Lion and Wild as the West Texas Wind but can be read on its own.

Buy Link: http://mybook.to/RideTheWhirlwind

Excerpt

Trent stepped off the stagecoach, took his small, leather-handled carpet bag from the top of the coach, and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he got sick on stagecoaches, no. It was that there were so many people jammed into a space that rocked for hours and became filled with dust, that is, when it wasn't filled with the smell of stale sweat and the scent of nerves on edge. Stagecoaches had to be the worst way that God invented for man to travel. There were better ways, like on foot or by horseback. Never mind. He had arrived in Dilia.

Taking off his hat, he wiped his forehead with the back of his arm, which left a broad sweat stain on his shirt sleeve. He sighed again, put his hat back on and looked up and down the street for the jail.

He had two telegrams in his breast pocket beneath his vest, but he was no closer to understanding what was going on, or why he'd been waylaid from his plans, his very straightforward plans, to head back to Trinidad from Deming, deep in New Mexico Territory, where he'd been asked to witness a hanging.

Deming had been quite far to travel for such a gory, unsavory task as a hanging. However, the governor of New Mexico Territory, one LaBaron Prince, had asked for him in particular, seeing as how he'd been present at the capture of Fenton Barrow, otherwise known as Pretty Boy Barrow, known for stagecoach holdups and petty larceny and the stealing of cows.

Now that the unpleasant task had been completed, with witness documents signed, he'd been more than ready to head home to Trinidad. Unfortunately, he'd gotten a telegram from the small town of Dilia, instructing him to detour to Dilia to transport one Maxton Barnett to Trinidad.

In Dilia, the sheriff and his two deputies had in their care a young miscreant who they wanted taken away before the whole town rose up in rebellion. It all sounded rather dramatic, and not what he'd expect from a fellow sheriff, even if the telegram explained, in very short words, the crime of picking pockets and, mysteriously, other unsavory acts.

Only his sense of duty would encourage him to follow through with the request to pick up the low-life criminal and escort him back to Trinidad, from whence it was said he'd come. Then, of all the queer things, just before he'd gotten on the stagecoach in Deming, he'd received a second telegram, this time from Mr. Laurie Quinn of the Adeline Hotel in Trinidad.

Mr. Quinn was known to him, a recent newcomer to the town with enough energy for three young men, a dazzling smile, and a sweet laugh that would light up the darkest room. Trent had done his best to remain unmoved, but it was hard, especially when Laurie had the most beautiful brown eyes, and dark auburn hair shot with gold. He was like a handsome out of a painting, with slender hips, and long legs, and a vivacious air and zest for life.

But not only did Laurie's companion, a dour, grim-faced, broad-shouldered man by the name of John Henton, keep Trent from responding, he was also held back by his own promise to himself. He could not make the same mistake that he'd made back home in Aiken, South Carolina, one that had involved kissing a sweet-faced choir boy after church one Sunday.

The kiss had been brief and there'd been an energy in Trent to pull the choir boy into his arms and do more than just kiss. But he'd been unable to act upon that flash of heat and desire as his father had discovered him, waited till his mother died, and then banished him, separating Trent from his sister Lucy.

It had been five years since he'd talked to either of them, though once in a while a letter would come from his father berating him further and taunting him with news about Lucy, but never really telling him anything about what was going on with her. It was like part of him had been cut off, leaving him numb and aching, staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night, wondering how it might have turned out differently if Father hadn't discovered him.

Carra's Review

This was the first book I’ve read by this author, and though it is the fourth in the series I was able to understand what was going on just fine (but y’all know I’m going back to read the other ones!).  I did find that the story moved at a slower pace than I’d prefer, even for a slow burn story, but I enjoyed the cast of characters and the story did keep my interest.

Maxton was scrappy and a survivor, having had it rough in his life.  He—along with his foul mouth—was the opposite of Trent, who comes across as a gentleman in every way.  I liked that Maxton’s situation triggered the protector in Trent during the first half of the story.  The second half is where things slowed down for me, watching as both men pulled back from the initial connection that formed during their journey to Maxton’s friends, then eventually came back together.

Both Maxton's and Trent’s characters experience growth in this story, and things were both sweet and angsty.  There’s the added intrigue of Maxton learning about life in 1892, and Trent about current day where/when Maxton came from.  I thought the author did a good job of portraying the historical period in which the story is set…which reiterated for me how glad I am to be living in the current day LOL.

Ride the Whirlwind was a 4-star read for me, and I think fans of time travel romance will enjoy this story.  While there’s not a large amount of physical intimacy, what there is—coupled with Maxton’s naughty language—does make this book one for readers 18+.

Jackie North has been writing stories since grade school and spent years absorbing the mainstream romances that she found at her local grocery store. Her dream was to someday leave her corporate day job behind and travel the world. She also wanted to put her English degree to good use and write romance novels, because for years she’s had a never-ending movie of made-up love stories in her head that simply wouldn’t leave her alone.

As fate would have it, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write books about. In this dazzling new world, she turned her grocery-store romance ideas around and is now putting them to paper as fast as her fingers can type. She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)

She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.

Website - Facebook - Pinterest - Twitter - Goodreads - Queeromance Ink Author Page - Newsletter

Giveaway!

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New Release-Excerpt: RIDE THE WHIRLWIND by Jackie North (A Love Across Time Story)

Ride the Whirlwind

Jackie North

M/M Romance, Time travel, Historical

Release Date: 09.17.19

Cover Designer - Jay Aheer

Blurb

Soulmates across time. Two hearts, stronger together.

In present day, Maxton is good at finding trouble and bad at everything else. Then he receives a letter from his friend Laurie, who went missing. The letter is dated over one hundred years in the past.

In 1892, Trent Harrington, sheriff of Trinidad, Colorado, cast off by his family, lives a respectable but lonely life, devoid of any closeness. He knows he will be alone forever.

Trying to escape a past that keeps chasing him, Maxton drives south to Mexico. When his car spins off the road, he is swept up in a desert whirlwind, which takes him back in time to the year 1892. There, unused to the laws of the wild west, Maxton gets arrested, and is subject to the terrifying whims of two deputies who can do whatever they want to him.

Sheriff Trent Harrington of Trinidad is tasked with escorting Maxton to Trinidad. The request isn’t unusual, but the young miscreant is. Maxton draws Trent’s heart out of its shell with his flashing green eyes and lush head of hair. It isn’t right. It isn’t natural. It’s illegal. Yet Trent cannot resist the impetuous young man.

As the two men travel through the dry, lonely desert to their destination, will they find in each other the love and companionship they never thought they’d have?

A male/male time travel romance, complete with the scent of desert roses, brilliantly colored sunsets, starlit nights, roast rabbit over an open fire, growing honesty and trust, and true love across time.

Contains references to Honey From the Lion and Wild as the West Texas Wind but can be read on its own.

Buy Link: http://mybook.to/RideTheWhirlwind

Excerpt

Though he very well knew that pride went before a fall, Trent felt quite pleased with himself. He'd managed to purchase two sturdy mounts: Old Sue, a calm-eyed mare who looked pleased to be saddled up and given something to do, and Lathalad, a pinto with remarkable blue eyes, an even more remarkable mostly white coat with a narrow black streak running down the center of his long tail.

He was a beauty for sure, but carried a scar across his breast, which might be the reason he was a tad skittish when he was brought out and trotted around. Trent worried until the man at the stables convinced him the horse could carry a man and supplies easily, that he was built for long rides. As well, Trent caught Maxton looking at the horses, and thought that the gelding was of the appropriate size.

They'd bought supplies of beans, packets of jerky, and, of course, ground coffee. He purchased a coffee pot, two tin cups and bowls, two tin spoons, and a used cutting knife, which he strapped to his right thigh below his gun belt. Whatever meat they needed Trent would shoot along the way.

Trent packed the saddlebags on each horse, showing Maxton how it was done, how to tighten the girth on a saddle, how to adjust the stirrups. How to fasten a pair of canteens across the cantle and tie them tight so they wouldn't knock about and startle the horse. Then he tied his carpetbag behind the saddle on Old Sue, and the two bedrolls behind the saddle on Lathalad.

Maxton followed along with only half of his attention, as his other half seemed to be scanning the horizon on the edge of town where the stable was located. As well, he was making an expression that Trent couldn't quite define, but he thought Maxton felt he was being treated like a fool who didn't know any better. Maybe he did and maybe he didn't, but it was better safe than sorry.

"It's just past noon," said Trent. He took his hat off, wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, then settled his hat on his head again. "But we can head out now and make our way out into the wild."

Trent smiled, and wondered if he should actually share what he was thinking, but why not? He and Maxton would be together for several days, what harm would it to do admit this one little thing. 

"I do love sleeping beneath the stars," he said, now, looking at Maxton as he said it. Testing the waters. "Which is a little foolish, seeing as how if we waited a few days and taken the stage, we'd sleep in a hotel every night."

"I don't mind sleeping under the stars," said Maxton. "Took a class on the constellations once, so I know a lot of them."

Maxton stopped himself from saying more, and shrugged as if it was of no consequence to him. It was the same devil-may-care attitude that he'd carried with him from the moment Trent had laid eyes on him in the cell in Dilia.

Someone had taught Maxton not to care or, if he did, not to let on. Someone had taught him to hide every thought, whether foolish or wise. Someone had taught him to carry himself as though he might be under attack at any given moment.

Trent knew the feeling. Knew what it was like to hide what you were and what you thought. Knew what it was like to be wary and to dance beneath the surface of your own life until you forgot what it was like to breathe fresh air, to hold your head high and be exactly who you were.

Though, as to what Maxton was hiding, Trent didn't know. He wanted to know, though, because there was a fire in that young man's eyes. A soft shy tenderness, which Trent saw as Maxton looked out at the horizon and chewed his lower lip, like he was expecting something to come blasting at him from out of the desert.

About the Author

Jackie North has been writing stories since grade school and spent years absorbing the mainstream romances that she found at her local grocery store. Her dream was to someday leave her corporate day job behind and travel the world. She also wanted to put her English degree to good use and write romance novels, because for years she’s had a never-ending movie of made-up love stories in her head that simply wouldn’t leave her alone.

As fate would have it, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write books about. In this dazzling new world, she turned her grocery-store romance ideas around and is now putting them to paper as fast as her fingers can type. She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)

She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.

Website - Facebook - Pinterest - Twitter - Goodreads - Queeromance Ink Author Page - Newsletter

Spotlight-Excerpt: GOING TO ANOTHER PLACE by Lauren Marie

GOING TO ANOTHER PLACE

by Lauren Marie

Spotlight-Excerpt & Giveaway: VICTORIAN TOWN by Nancy Thorne

VICTORIAN TOWN

by Nancy Thorne

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: VICTORIAN TOWN by Nancy Thorne

VICTORIAN TOWN

by Nancy Thorne

Cover Reveal-Excerpt & Giveaway: VICTORIAN TOWN by Nancy Thorne-Includes Pre-Order Links!

VICTORIAN TOWN

by Nancy Thorne

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: DUKE DU JOUR by Petie McCarty

DUKE DU JOUR

Lords in Time series, Book 1
by Petie McCarty

MAGIC OF BOOKS Birthday Bash-HISTORICAL! Includes Giveaway!

Magic of Books Promotions hosted its first tour during the month of November three years ago.

The company was created from the passion and desire of its owner, Tami Adams, because of her experiences as an author. From her struggles to have her books viewed and appreciated she knew there had to be another way.

Three years later Tami no longer writes but is determined to show the world the magic that lies within the pages of all books.

The following authors are helping Magic of Books to celebrate its birthday. Enjoy.

Message from Tami:

The last three years have been an incredible journey. I've made so many friends who began as bloggers, readers, and authors. I have been privileged to present and showcase new and old books from seasoned and new authors. I've learned so much I didn't even realize I should know prior to getting into this business. And after three years I can honestly say I'm still learning, I'm still growing, and I'm still making friends. I love and appreciate all of you who have supported my little slice of heaven. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

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HISTORICAL

Historical in traditional literary terms is when the plot takes place in a setting located in the past. Historical fiction can be an umbrella term; though commonly used as a synonym for describing the historical novel; the term can be applied to works in other narrative formats, such as those in the performing and visual arts like theatre, opera, cinema and television, as well as video games and graphic novels.

Please enjoy these books that focus on historical and all the sub-genres. The list is available in alphabetically order by title.

Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter.

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15 W. Gibson by Aubree Lane

Historical Romance

1954 - Stockton, California

Knowing Uncle Sam is about to come knocking, twenty-one year old Jimmy Franks saves the government the cost of a stamp and preemptively enlists in the Navy. He loads up on stationery and pens, and with a heavy heart, kisses his lovely bride goodbye. Leaving his precious Suzy is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do.

Pregnant and left alone to deal with their feuding families, Suzy Franks is heartbroken when Jimmy ships out for the Mariana Islands. Knowing Guam is considered safe and that she will eventually be able to join him offers her little solace. Suzy's mettle is put to the test. Her husband's letters of love brings comfort, but 15 W. Gibson is a lonely place without him.

Magic in Her Eyes by Donna Dalton

Historical Romance

Meredith Talbot has a secret. In fact, she has nine secrets – her own and those of the eight orphans at Seaton House, a home for children. Each of them has a special talent that if exposed would get them labeled as witches. It is her responsibility to protect the children and their secrets and keep them safe from persecution. Marauding Indians force them into a nearby fort where their safety is threatened by fanatical townspeople and a captivating army officer who try to unmask the children's extraordinary abilities.

Lieutenant Preston Booth has one goal – to serve and protect his country. The military is the only life he has ever known. It’s the only life he wants. When a child is abducted and Preston goes after the culprit, Meredith has a vision of what will happen to him.

Does she risk everything by exposing her gift? Or keep her secret and risk losing him forever?

An Heiress by Midnight by Clair Brett

Regency Historical

Lady Louissa Adair was raised by her uncle to be anything but a lady, spending hours scrubbing the decks of his ill begotten ships. Now, he has tasked her with a more deadly task. If she refuses, any hope of finding her long-lost and possibly dead brother will be lost while her uncle moves up his timeline to marry her off to a most dastardly man. While doing her uncle’s bidding, a blasted Englishman running around Scotland sets upon being her champion – not that Louissa has ever needed one. If he doesn’t get them both killed, and she might just kill the fool herself, she faces an even bigger danger – losing her heart.

Lord Clive Colcord, Earl of Breakerton, had escaped to Scotland in an attempt to avoid scrutiny by his late father’s solicitors. It had been a quiet, if not boring rustication until he finds himself tasked by the local magistrate with apprehending the highwayman menacing the North Road. He doesn’t expect to discover a beguiling dark-haired beauty with more dangerous men in her life than Clive has sisters. Yet he finds himself offering aid in an attempt to protect this damsel in distress. He must help Louissa find the proof of her uncle’s crimes and find her brother before she is forced into marriage all the while not losing his own heart in the process.

Dealing with the Viscount by Clair Brett

Regency Historical

After making a wager of marriage to settle her father's gambling debts, Ella Bowen-Thorn Renwick escaped the husband she foolishly began to fall for and disappeared into the Scottish countryside carrying a secret. Four years later, and the owner of her own bakery, she is still not free of the demands of men when a violent and anonymous blackmailer threatens her, her livelihood...and her daughter. And then, there is him...

Viscount Renwick still mourns the wife he began to love before her untimely death--that is until he discovers her alive and well living in Scotland. Now, Devon's face to face with the wife he thought he'd buried and the daughter he never knew existed. He'd like nothing more than to welcome Ella back into his arms, but mysterious and troubling incidents and a history with an unloving father have Ella trusting no one.

But, if Renwick convinces his wife he's the husband she always dreamed of and the father their daughter deserves, will the scandalous secret the blackmailer is holding threaten their future together once more?

On Wings of Time by Linda Boulanger

Historical Romance with Time Travel elements

Just because they weren't looking for love doesn’t mean it won’t find them, even if time itself has to bend to bring them together.

One man with a dragon’s soul.

A self-proclaimed bachelor for life, modern-day Luke Tavish has no idea he’s more than a mere man. One thing’s for certain, though… he’s not looking for love. He doesn't want a relationship, but he needs the fair maiden from the past... in more ways than he knows.

One woman with the key to unlock his powers.

Amileigh McCollum isn’t your typical Medieval Lady. She's always known there's something special about her. She just isn't sure what. The day she rides beyond her father's gates alongside a man who isn't her husband, she’ll learn that destiny is about to find her.

Six hundred years separating them.

Forward to go back, time spirals out of control in an attempt to bring together a couple that is six hundred years apart. When Luke finds himself back in Ami’s world, he has to come to terms with his newfound identity and prepare for a battle he didn’t know he would have to fight, all while falling head-over-heels in love.

When the future calls him back, will he ask her to go? Would she say yes if he did?

Watch out, because Fate’s carefully woven web is about to be tested by human will, a kiss, and the flip of a coin.

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