Thursday, October 5, 2017

Spotlight-Excerpt & Giveaway: HIGH BALLS by Tara Lain (Ball to the Wall Series)


Sometimes only the wrong guy can bring the 

right happy ever after.


High Balls
(Balls To The Wall Series #6 )
by Tara Lain

Blurb

Though only twenty-six, single father Theodore Walters lives with his head in the clouds and his feet firmly planted in reality. At the center of his life is Andy, his seven-year-old son, with whom he shares no DNA, though nobody—including his religious-fanatic in-laws—knows that, and Theodore will do anything to keep them from finding out. Theodore works hard to get his PhD and the tenure and salary that might follow to make a better life for Andy—but the head of his department thinks his dissertation on Jane Austen and romance novels is frivolous.

Theodore’s carefully planned life goes off the rails when he walks into a popular Laguna Beach bar and meets the bartender, “Snake” Erasmo, a pierced and tattooed biker who sends Theodore’s imagination—and libido—soaring. Snake has even more secrets than Theodore and couldn’t be a less “appropriate” match, but he might be the only guy with the skills to show Theodore that happily-ever-after is for real. 



Available for purchase at




Excerpt

“Dad?”

Snake whispered, “Showtime.” He stood.

Teddy looked up and rose.

Andy rubbed his eyes and his nose. “How come you guys are on the floor?”

Teddy smiled and picked up Andy. “I was just surprised and unhappy when Snake told me what your grandparents did.”

“Yeah.” He snuffled and snuggled into his dad’s shoulder.

Teddy sat on the couch and settled Andy on his lap. Snake started to sit in the chair across from them, but Andy looked up. “Snake? Will you sit by me?”

“Sure, buddy.” He glanced at Teddy, who looked up quickly and then away. Snake sat beside Teddy, who held Andy in his arms. Snake took Andy’s feet.

Teddy started to rock him. “So you know about babies coming from mommies, right?”

“Sure.”

“Moms might have different possible dads around before their baby is born, but after the baby is born, the mom might choose a dad.” He looked at Snake, pleading in his eyes.

Snake picked up the thread. “It could be that the dad the mom chooses isn’t the same dad that actually caused the baby in the first place. But that doesn’t matter.”

“Right.” Teddy kissed Andy’s hair. “You mom chose me, and we got married right away, and I was there the whole time you were in her tummy, and I saw you get born and loved you when you were barely an idea.”

Snake blinked hard. “That guy who came to talk to you might have caused the baby, but then he was gone, and he never married your mom or helped her or saw you born or raised you—or loved you. So guess who your dad is?”

Andy tightened his grip on Teddy. “Daddy is my dad.”

“Ding, ding, ding, ding. Give the prize to Andy Walters!”

Andy was quiet for a minute. “But that guy caused me?”

Teddy’s chest rose and fell. “He might have, sweetheart.”

Andy sat back and stared at Teddy with his brows scrunched over his nose. “You didn’t cause me ’cause you don’t like girls, right?”

Snake bit the inside of his cheek.

Teddy smiled. “Kind of. I actually loved your mom a lot. She was my best friend. And when she told me she was going to have a baby, I said maybe I could be the dad. She loved that idea, and we had such a good time raising you.”

“Wish I remembered her better.”

Snake had to look away or Andy might see the tears pushing out of his eyes.

“She loved you so much. Just like I do.” Teddy hugged him tight.


The Balls to the Wall Series


Volley Balls
Book #1


Available to purchase at 



Fire Balls 
Book #2


Available to purchase at 



Beach Balls
Book #3


Available to purchase at 



FAST Balls
Book #5

Available to purchase at 



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”!

You can find Tara at Lain


Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest


Giveaway!




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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Review & Excerpt: ALL OR NOTHING by Felice Stevens

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All or Nothing an all-new, steamy M/M romance by Felice Stevens is available NOW!

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All or Nothing
by Felice Stevens
Publication Date: October 3rd, 2017
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance


A past he couldn’t forget
Adam Barton is living his dream of working as a firefighter in his small Texas town, but a tragedy from his youth continues to haunt him. He decides New York City is the perfect place to start a new life and joins the FDNY, living and loving his own way—no strings and nothing personal. Until he catches sight of Rico Estevez, the sexy chef with the mysterious smile who rocks his world. After one explosive night together, Adam craves another….And then another. The more he and Rico are together, the more Adam wants him.

A future he never imagined
Rico Estevez is living a lie. For years he’s hidden his sexuality, afraid to hurt the career of his politically ambitious father. He’s the perfect American―the best schools, top of his class and most importantly, to his father, a successful businessman. Who needs a boyfriend when sex is so easy to find? Starting a torrid love affair with Adam Barton isn’t a problem; neither one is looking toward forever. But Rico’s father is about to get the chance of a lifetime and Rico feels forced to play by his rules.

Rules are made to be broken
Adam proves more unforgettable than Rico ever imagines, but he gives in to family pressures above personal desire. When a fire reunites them, both men discover their passion for each other hasn’t died; rather it’s stronger than ever. Want turns to need and something more dangerous to their hearts—love. Adam and Rico know if they want to have it all, they can let no one and nothing stand in their way of a life together.


Read Today!




Excerpt

“I don’t know why it’s been so hard to forget this. I should become numb to it like the other guys.”

“That’s not who you are. You care about people. It’s why you do your job so well.”

Surprised at Rico’s insight, Adam gave him a shy smile. “I didn’t think you noticed.”

“I noticed.”

The song ended, yet they remained on the dance floor, with Rico half-hidden in the shadows, silent yet with a presence so overpowering, Adam couldn’t help but be drawn to him. Rico reached up, grasped the nape of his neck, and pressed their mouths together, and as always, it took only the touch of those firm lips to crumble his defenses. They remained on the dance floor, kissing until the sound of whistles and clapping brought Adam back to reality.

Shrugging it off, Rico took his hand, and they returned to the bar, where their burgers awaited them. That revelation by Rico had shaken Adam, and he chewed and swallowed his food, sneaking sideways glances at Rico, frustrated at his inability to gain any sense of Rico’s thoughts behind that neutral mask.

“So how long have you two been dating?” Dale wiped up the counter, getting rid of their empty plates.

Holding his breath, Adam waited for Rico to answer.

“It’s not like that. We’re friends.”

“Yeah.” Adam gave Dale a weak grin, but by the bartender’s dubious expression and quirked dark brow, Rico’s explanation didn’t go far toward convincing Dale.

“Whatever you say, Rico.” He set a fresh foamy glass of beer in front of each of them. “Here’s to your kind of friendship. I’d like to find it for myself.”

“I need to settle the check. Here’s my card.” Rico scowled and flicked the card over to Dale, then took a long drink, finishing half his beer in one gulp. Not once had he looked at Adam since they’d sat down from dancing.

Unsure what to do or say, Adam sat quietly and finished off his drink while Rico signed the receipt. When Rico got up to leave, Adam followed his lead and shook Dale’s hand.

“Thanks for everything.”

“No, thank you. And take care of him. He’s kind of a mess.”

“You coming?” Rico’s face was a storm of emotions.

Without responding to Dale, Adam hurried outside to join Rico, who’d already left. “Rico, wait up.”

Rico halted and turned, his face no less dark than earlier, but Adam recalled his words on the dance floor.

“Uh, thanks for dinner. Do you want—”

“Come back with me?” Rico crowded close, his breath smelling sharp from the beer, and Adam wanted to taste his tongue. “Spend the night?”

While in Leary’s, Adam hadn’t been certain he’d be invited back to Rico’s, but he wasn’t about to question his luck right now.

“Yeah, if you want.”

Rico ran his nose down Adam’s cheek, and goosebumps prickled up his arms despite the warmth of the evening.

“I want,” Rico whispered. “I want you.”



AllorNothing-AN


Carra's Review


This story has something I really love in a book—true, limitless passion between it’s main characters, Adam and Rico.  As in you should keep a fire extinguisher on hand every time the two of them are on the page together, because you’ll definitely need it.

Both Adam and Rico are guys who are not looking for anything permanent, just to have fun and fool around (and we all know how characters like that wind up right?).  When they first get together, things between them are absolutely explosive—they seriously have some of the most amazing physical chemistry together…which eventually translates to much more than physical.  But remember that part of the blurb about Rico giving in to family pressures?  Yeah…I really hate when that happens, and it drives me nuts when a character allows it to happen at the expense of their own happiness.  When it happened here, I was a bit peeved with Rico.  Maybe more than a bit.  He made up for it later on, but until then I wanted to give him one of those slaps upside the back of his head.

Adam?  I love this man SO much.  He’s not afraid to admit his feelings, and even when Rico gave in to family pressures, Adam was still there for Rico strictly as a friend with no expectations back.  Longing and want, yes…but Adam was selfless, kind, and supportive no matter if Rico would be coming back or not.

I so very much enjoy the setting of this series, the feeling of community and friendship, and let’s not forget the supporting characters who are just as strongly molded as the main characters are.  I loved having Gideon and Jonah from Learning to Love here in All or Nothing since I was a huge fan of their characters in their own book.  With the setting and characters, reading this story felt like coming home to family—and adding some new members to that family as well.


All or Nothing was a very firm 4 star read for me, and I’d highly recommend this story to any M/M romance fan.  You do not have to read the other books in the series to enjoy this one, though I know you’ll want to get Gideon and Jonah’s backstory once you read this (I’m a big proponent of reading in order unless the author recommends differently).  This book will surely leave you hot and bothered, as it’s for readers 18+ for adult language and scorching sexual content (passionate, all-consuming, must-have-you-now content!).



Start the Series of Standalones Today!

Learning to Love

The Way to His Heart

AllorNothing-Teaser1

About Felice

FeliceLogo.jpgI have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, My characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love, but getting there is oh so fun and oh so sexy.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass (or two of red wine). I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there are bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

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New Release: CHANGING ON THE FLY: THE SECOND PERIOD (A M/M Hockey Romance Charity Anthology)



Buy Links: 



Blurb

Changing on the Fly is a celebration of romance, featuring four M/M stories about hockey players falling in love on ñ and off ñ the ice. All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to a charity that supports inclusiveness in athletics.

The anthology will be available starting in October 4, 2017, for a limited time only.

It includes the following stories:


Head in the Game by Jeff Adams

Second Chance at Love by Heather Lire

Rookie Moves by V.L. Locey

Secrets by Rj Scott


Jeff Adams' - Head in the Game

After a disastrous breakup, pro hockey defenseman Roger Jacobson's game is slipping. With his contract up for renewal he has to do something quick because his fourteen-year career is on the line. Roger returns to his hometown to work with his old coach, while helping run the summer hockey camp. But Dylan Baker, a handsome graduate student and the coach's son, proves to be a romantic distraction that Roger couldn't have anticipated.

Can Roger's trip home fix his game and mend his broken heart?


Heather Lire's Second Chance at Love

Growing up in Holiday, Vermont Zach and Tony were best friends. After high school, they drifted apart as their lives and careers took them in different directions. When they run into each other on vacation they fall back into the easy friendship they'd had as kids.

The one thing they didnít expect was the sexual tension between them. As they explore these new feelings for each other they discover that sometimes the last person they expected fall for is their Second Chance at Love.


V.L. Locey's Rookie Moves

It's been three months since New York Nightwings superstar center and captain, Riley Zeally, came out. The glare of the media has been incredibly bright but Riley's used to dealing with the spotlight. His boyfriend, Keiffer, isn't. The intense scrutiny of being at the side of such a huge sports star is proving to be incredibly stressful for the one-time hustler.

Details about his former life on the streets is now common knowledge, his life with Riley is under a magnifying glass, and his past is about to step out of the shadows in an even bigger way. Can a rookie in the ways of the press and professional athletics survive the pressure of sharing his life with the league's most famous gay player? Will the tentative new love Riley and Keiffer share fold under the weight of fans and fame?


RJ Scott's Secrets

Benji is the skater in the league who brings down the height average. Coming in at five eight, he's used to players chirping at him all night about his height.

Including the sexy defenseman for the Carlisle Rush, Avery Lester, with his stunning eyes and his cute smile.

When Benji makes a single inappropriate comment about Avery's ass, everything goes to hell. Add in Avery's heroics during a hate crime, and things just go from bad to worse.

Abruptly it's not his height Benji has to worry about, but the chance that his closely guarded secret is shared all over the Internet.

Can love find a way, or will keeping secrets tear Benji and Avery apart?


~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Jeff Adams has written stories since he was in middle school and became a gay romance writer in 2009 when his first short stories were published. Since then he's written several more shorts and novels, including some in the young adult genre, and he plans to keep writing as long as wonderful readers keeping picking up his books.

Jeff lives in rural Northern California with his husband of twenty years, Will. Some of his favorite things include the musicals Rent and title of show, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins hockey teams, and the reality TV competition So You Think You Can Dance. If forced to pick his favorite book it would be a tie between Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and David Levithan's Every Day.

He also co-hosts the weekly show Jeff & Will's Big Gay Fiction Podcast with his husband. You can learn more at BigGayFictionPodcast.com

If you'd like to drop him an email to say hello, or if you have questions/comments about his books, you can use the contact form.


~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Heather Lire has traveled all over the world, speaks several languages, collects romance books like they're going out of style, and has multiple book boyfriends. Ok, she hasn't been all over the world, except in her mind. She does however speak multiple languages and collect romance books. Her long-suffering husband and sons roll their eyes at all her book boyfriends. When she's not busy on her next novel she can be found in her classroom where teaches one of those many languages, at one of her sons many sporting events or on twitter talking about what else, romance books.

Heather is also one half of the paranormal writing duo Kenzie MacLir.



~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.



~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

RJ Scott is the bestselling romance author of over 100 romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men and women who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week's break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn't defeat.





New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: BEAR'S EDGE by Christina Lynn Lambert

NEW BOOK RELEASE !!
Book 2 of the Stranger Creatures series by Christina Lynn Lambert
Bear's Edge Tour Graphic
BEAR'S EDGE
Christina Lynn Lambert
Series: Stranger Creatures Book 2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Loose Id
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Bear's Edge
Bear shifter Grant wants his beautiful boss, Shayla. Will he risk his job and his barely healed heart to convince her to be his everything?
After sexy bear shifter Grant lost his girlfriend and three best friends in a fire, he decided he was done with love, done with people, done with pretty much everything. One woman has him rethinking his whole strategy.
As his boss, Shayla is off-limits, so Grant keeps his feelings for her under wraps untilÖthe attraction doesn't seem so one-sided. Grant takes a risk and lays a piece of his heart on the line. When things get hotter than he could have imagined, Grant wonders- will some of his darker desires be too much for Shayla or will she embrace the needs he's kept hidden for so long?
A reporter who covered the bombing Shayla survived three years before is convinced the only reason Shayla survived is because she's some type of bionic medical experiment or superhuman freak. When the reporter ropes Shayla's angry ex, Hunter into the mix, Shayla's business and her life are on the line. Can she and Grant trust in each other and find a way to slay all the obstacles that stand in their way?

Purchase Links

Available now. Grab your copy today.

An Excerpt from the Book

Take an inside look at Bear's Edge. Read this sizzling excerpt from the book.

Grant the mystery man—a delicious mystery Shayla would like to unravel, piece by piece, layer by layer. Ah, but I can’t. I’m his boss. In a different lifetime, if we didn’t have the whole boss-employee obstacle going on… No harm in looking, though, just a little, since he sat so close. She promised herself to keep her thoughts G-rated—okay, maybe PG-13. Grant had a talent with numbers and paid attention to detail. Also, he was a little shy and standoffish to a lot of people when it came to anything other than work. Shayla wondered where he sometimes went in his head, because, every now and then, his smile wiped from his face, just for a second, before being replaced with one a little harder. None of my business, she reminded herself. 
Shayla had really wanted to hug Grant that morning after seeing him look so frustrated but decided that it might be wiser and more appropriate to show him that there were a few people on his side. Watching him break things and try to be all strong and humorous about it made Shayla want to unravel the Grant mystery even more. It kind of hurt to watch Grant pretending to be fine, but all Shayla could offer him was lunch and good conversation. Hopefully Mr. Strong and Silent—Sydney called him that sometimes, although never to his face—knew Shayla and Sydney cared. Shayla cared. Because he’s a friend. Just a friend. 
Grant raised his soda in a toast. “To things not being worse,” he announced with a rueful half smile. “And, uh”—he cleared his throat—“to good company.” He nodded at Sydney, and when he met Shayla’s gaze, he held it. In Grant’s dark eyes she saw hunger, wide-open desire, and about a million other things she couldn’t puzzle out. They both looked away. Grant looked at her that way sometimes, and Shayla did her best to ignore it. Grant might have a small crush on her, or he could have a thing for petite, small-breasted girls possessing a great fashion sense. 
Sydney broke the silence. “To good food and even better friends.” She clinked Grant’s glass, and Shayla came back to reality and smiled, pretending she wasn’t experiencing several different kinds of inappropriate thoughts and feelings for a sexy, complicated man who was her employee and also her friend. She needed to remember that things could never go any further than a panty-melting look, and behave. 
Her phone buzzed. Grateful for the distraction, she dug it out of her purse to see a text message and call-back number from that pest of a reporter back in Maryland. That pain in the ass wanted another interview with Shayla. Like once in the hospital and once for a “where are the survivors now” follow-up a few months later hadn’t been enough. May as well take care of this before it becomes twenty voice mails piled in my in-box.  

Other Books by Christina Lynn Lambert

Don't miss the other books in the Stranger Creatures series:
Wolf's Challenge
WOLF'S CHALLENGE
Series: Stranger Creatures Book 1
Handsome lawyer Derrick looks exactly like the type of man that single mom Sydney needs to avoid, but everything is not as it seems in the town of Great Oaks, Virginia. Can Derrick show Sydney that she can count on him? Will an unhinged stalker ruin everything?
A fresh look at love, acceptance and self-forgiveness! This is a tale of two souls, each wanting to let go, but just a little afraid of how vulnerable it will make them.
- Dianne, Goodreads reviewer

Giveaway

WIN $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD
Bear's Edge Giveaway Graphic
Contest runs from October 4 - 10, 2017.

About Christina Lynn Lambert

A few years ago, I read my first romance novel and I was hooked, so much so that I decided to give the idea of writing a story a chance. My style is more gritty than sweet and I look forward to writing many more stories with strong heroines and imperfect but determined characters. Love, courage, hope, and second chances are a few of my favorite themes. When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family, usually hiking or swimming or finding a new place to explore.


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