Monday, March 13, 2023

Spotlight-Excerpt & Giveaway: A DESTINED CHRISTMAS MIRACLE by Jaiyde Thomas (All Access #1)

A Destined Christmas Miracle 

(All Access Book 1)

Author and Publisher: Jaiyde Thomas

Cover Artist: Cyan Avogadoyle

Release Date: February 14, 2023

Genre: Contemporary gay romance

Tropes: Hurt/comfort, BDSM, slow burn

Themes: Learning to trust after trauma, forgiveness, finding yourself

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 136 000 words / 514 pages

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

Goodreads

Buy Links

Universal Buy Link


Blurb

Welcome to All Access, a new BDSM club that promotes inclusivity. When you step through these doors, you are bound to find equality, acceptance, and even… love.

Colin

For the past year all I’ve known is heartbreak, and going to All Access was supposed to be a distraction from the pain. However, when I see my former play partner happy and in love, I flee the club, vowing never to return.

Leaving Ohio and travelling to Alabama for a few days should help me to clear my head and help me to forget, but no amount of beautiful scenery, hot men, and southern accents could prepare me for what awaited me at the hardcore BDSM club, Flame of Fury.

When I wake to find myself in my hotel room, I’m reeking of vomit and in extreme pain. Nothing makes sense, except for the vaguely familiar man who promises to never leave my side, even after I tell him what I remember.

As I try to put my life back together, Stephen's loyalty, belief, and kindness never wavers, but can I trust him after all that I've endured?

Stephen

I've never allowed my blindness to hinder me, and that includes my sex life. As a Dominant, my primary goal is to fulfill the needs of my play partners.

When a heartbroken submissive asks for a scene, my instincts are on alert as I agree, but after ten spankings, Colin flees, and I'm left wondering about the boy with an ache in my heart.

A year later All Access opens, and I'm excited by the prospect of a club that caters to the disabled. More than that, I'm hoping to see Colin again. However, my joy is short-lived, because Colin is in trouble. When I see him respond to an ad that screams DANGER, I refuse to wait around. With a friend in tow I set out to rescue him, but we find him too late: He's bruised, battered, and alone.

His injuries and trauma are too much for him to bear so I agree to help him through it, but as altruism turns into guiding, nurturing, and training, I can't help but wonder about the future.

But can I be what Colin needs after all that he’s endured?

This book is intended for readers ages 18+

Excerpt 

I smiled at the young man with a gold earring in his ear as he attached a wristband to my arm. They signified ranking: mine was blue, which told men I was a bottom. I scanned the bar's main area, watching men in various activities. Sensuously groping one another in dark areas of the bar, making out, their eyes only for each other, grinding slowly to the Trey Songz song that pulsed from the speakers.

I closed my eyes as my mind wandered to the last time Josaiah and I were here. I was carrying him out of the bar, his body heavy, not just from his weight, but because of the alcohol he had consumed. I had watched as he downed glass after glass of something or other, his hands and mouth greedily taking what he wanted from multiple men.

I could hear my ragged breathing in my ears and opened my eyes. I swiftly walked to the bar, hoisted myself onto a stool, and waited patiently for the bartender, Joey, to serve me. Maybe I'll order something strong. It's not like I am getting f*cked tonight. Although on second thought, if I were to get f*cked, a non-alcoholic beverage would keep my head clear so that I could remember the experience.

“Yo, man. What can I get for you?”

“A water, please.” Suddenly, I felt like I was going to cry, and the cold beverage would help keep the tears at bay.

“I haven't seen you since you carried Jo outta here. How is he?” he asked as he filled a cup with ice.

I lowered my eyes, a lump the size of a golf ball forming in my throat.

Please, don't cry, not here!

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Yes,” I said softly as I took the glass from him, the coldness from the ice cooling my now warm hands. I took a long swig, set the glass on the bar, and regarded Joey. I shook my head. “I'm not sure how he's doing.”

“Oooh, trouble in paradise?” He looked at me expectantly, awaiting my answer, but I turned my head.

It's none of your business.

“Okay, so you don't wanna talk? Why are you here then? You look like you've had one helluva week. Want something stronger?”

I dropped my head into my hands, not wanting to divulge the pain, hurt, and anger that I felt. Inhaling deeply to calm myself, I turned back toward him and shook my head.

“Suit yourself,” he muttered as he walked away to serve other patrons.

Sipping on my water, I watched the men. Some wore practically nothing while others wore leather outfits, the material hugging their muscles and curves just right. I tore my eyes away as I watched a twink with a nose ring on his knees, his Dominant's hand tousling his hair as he reached to fasten a play collar around his neck. I squeezed my eyes shut again, wishing with all my might that I could just forget BDSM altogether.

After meeting Josaiah, I did a little more research into the subject and the different implements used for pain and pleasure. It seemed everywhere I looked, something jarred a memory or a thought of the lifestyle, and I hated it so much! Maybe it was a mistake coming back here. Slamming my glass down on the bar, I raised my hand. One more drink, and I'll leave. I could feel the tension building in my shoulders.

“Joey!” I snapped, not caring about my tone of voice.

“What's up?” His eyes were searching my face, concern evident in his expression.

“Another glass of water, please,” I huffed, avoiding his gaze and looked at the patrons surrounding the bar.

Most men were engaged in conversation, but others were eating, drinking, and laughing loudly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man sitting alone at the far-left corner of the bar, and I snickered. His hair is fucking purple!

I focused on his body language: how his folded, hairy arms rested on the bar, his long fingers tapped the glass that he was holding, and he seemed oblivious to the men ogling him.

Why am I looking at other men? I knew that Josaiah and I were over, and he had betrayed me, but I still felt a tug in my heart when I thought about him. Maybe this was a mistake. All I had wanted was to get away from my thoughts of Josaiah, and just be in the moment.

Jaycee’s Saloon was where I used to come and unwind after a long week, getting f*cked and sucked, but now all it held were memories, both good and bad. There was nothing left for me here. As I stood to go, I took one last glance at the guy with the purple hair. He seemed not to notice anything around him.

I walked a few steps in his direction to get a better view. Holy f"*ck! He was hotter up close, the muscles in his arms and back taut, his hair combed back making it appear smooth, his face shaven and clean. I licked my lips and walked closer to the man. I stopped as he turned toward me. He raised his face in my direction, and I couldn’t take my eyes off his. He didn’t look at me directly, and his eyes were cloudy.

Inhaling deeply, I stepped back and squeezed my lips together. He's blind, could he know Josaiah?

About the Author  

Jaiyde Thomas is a lover of words and languages. Though her heart is in Alabama, she was born and raised in Ohio. Her first experience with gay romance was when she offered to beta read her friend's novel. Since then, she's been hooked on the genre. Her inspirations are Gianni Holmes, K. C. Wells, and Parker Williams, and their books are the reason why Jaiyde started writing.

She loves a good story with complex characters, steamy sex scenes, and happily ever afters.

Author Links

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Friday, March 10, 2023

New Release-Review & Excerpt: CAMBOY by Colette Davison (My Kinky Housemate #6) - Includes Giveaway!

Camboy

(My Kinky Housemate Book 6)

Author and Publisher: Colette Davison

Cover Artist: Covers by Jo

Release Date:  March 10, 2023

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: MMMM, friends to lovers, age-gap, found family, kink

 Length: 107 000 words

Heat Rating:  4.5 flames

It can be read as a standalone, but works better as part of the series. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Book 1, Sugar Bunny, will be on sale at 99c/99p on a Kindle Countdown deal until the 15th March.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Having a foursome is a dream come true, but navigating a relationship is more challenging.

Blurb

Being a camboy is great, but I’m bored of performing solo. I’ve invited myself to be adult film star Lyric Steele’s co-star for the day, and I’m taking my partner-in-crime and soon-to-be-housemate, Rubin, along as my chaperone.

 It doesn’t take long to realise I’m attracted to Lyric. And to his flatmate, Toby, a talented director with a firm hand. And to Rubin, who I’ve been flirting with forever. A steamy night proves the four of us have chemistry, but taking our relationship out of the bedroom won’t be easy. 

 Lyric and Toby have their hands full with my bratty ways, and Rubin’s no angel either. Will good communication be enough to turn sexy fun into something strong and lasting?

Camboy is an MMMM friends-to-lovers, steamy, age-gap romance with two Doms, two bratty subs and found family. It’s the sixth and final book in the My Kinky Housemate series. While it can be read as a standalone, it’s better to read it as part of the series.

Excerpt 

I take my turn. “Have you ever had sex in public? Not unless you count sucking off that jock in empty classrooms.”

Rubin frowns. “Haven’t you had sex in the stacks at The Library?”

“No.” I smile stiffly. “But I’d like to. I also want to do it somewhere more risqué.” I smirk. “Like sucking someone off in a restaurant or having a quickie in a lift on the way to the top floor of a tall building.”

“I told you he had at least twenty sexual fantasies.” Rubin pulls me to him and kisses my hair. “And I know I’ll enjoy listening to all of them.”

I wave my hand. “At least twenty. I could list them all right now if you wanted me to.” I run my finger over my bottom lip. “They might turn you on, but that’s okay, isn’t it?”

Lyric shudders. “We’re playing a game.”

I let out a dramatic sigh and then knock the Jenga tower over.

“Why did you do that?”

“Game over. Oh no. Maybe we should f*ck instead.”

“He did it because he’s a brat,” Toby says. His voice is firm, but there’s an underlying hint of amusement ruining the effect.

“A brat who wants to be f*cked. Or spanked. Or allowed to suck off one or all of my men.” I flutter my lashes. “I’m not fussy.”

Lyric laughs. “I’m sure you’re not.”

I return to Rubin, put my hand on his nape, and stare into his eyes. “Kiss me?”

He obliges, devouring my mouth. I moan and whimper around his tongue and rub my chest against his. Eventually, we have to break to breathe.

I flutter my lashes at Toby and Lyric. “Please, Sirs, can we watch you f*ck?”

They glance at each other, eyes sparkling.

Toby rubs his thighs. “They did ask nicely.” His earlier hesitance seems to be gone. Thankfully.

“All right,” Lyric says. “On one condition.”

Rubin and I stare at him expectantly.

“You’re not allowed to touch yourselves or each other.”

“What?” Rubin asks.

Lyric smiles. “You heard. You’re not allowed to touch yourselves or each other.”

“We’re not even allowed to kiss?” I ask, horrified.

His smile morphs into a grin. “Nope.”

“That’s…torture.”

“I know. Take it or leave it.”


Carra's Review

I’m always interested in stories that involve relationships between more than two characters.  I like to see the dynamics between them all, how they all fit together and fulfill each others’ needs.  That this story also involved the friends-to-lovers trope was a bonus for me since it’s a favorite of mine.


Hendrix definitely fits the title of brat, and he always seems to have a one-track mind…and that track is sex.  Not addicted but maybe hyper-focused.  Don’t let that fool you though—there is more to him than that, which we get to see when he opens up around one particular character, Arthur, and eventually with his partners.  But in the overall scheme of things, he absolutely comes across as the young brat, something he embraces wholeheartedly.


Rubin is sometimes a brat as well, but not to the level Hendrix can be.  Rubin comes across as more relaxed and even-keeled, and someone who can rein in and anchor Hendrix.  The two of them have been friends for a while, but have never taken things beyond that other than some kissing here and there.


Lyric and Toby have known each other for quite a while, and while they do fool around it’s never gone beyond that…though Lyric would have liked it to.  They are both dominant, so they jockey for power when things become physical.  As things start to develop between the four men, Lyric felt to me like the indulgent parent of the group and Toby like the more disciplined one.  They both did exhibit signs of the other as well, just overall that’s how I saw them.


Once the four of them start exploring things together as a foursome, it felt to me primarily rooted in their physical connections.  There was no doubt about their chemistry together, and those physical scenes were plentiful.  It seemed to take a long while for emotional connections to develop, but personally I thought those didn’t rise above surface level.  I attribute that to the story revolving more around the physical scenes.  Yes, there were points when the guys were getting to know each other with some interesting games, but to me it just felt like the physical outweighed the emotional.


Camboy was a 3.5-star read for me, mostly because it felt more concentrated on the physical connection between the characters than the emotional.  The intimate scenes were sizzling hot, I just would have liked to have more of a “show” than “tell” when it came to the emotional.  This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and explicit sexual content.


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.

Social Media Links

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

BookBub   |   Twitter  |   Goodreads  |  Instagram: @colettedavison

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Wednesday, March 8, 2023

New Release-Review: STR8 B8 by K.C. Wells

 


Str8 B8
by K.C. Wells

Blurb

Work has been a little hard to come by recently for builder Tom Ryder. When a friend tells him about the wad of cash he got for starring in an adult video, Tom seizes the opportunity. Besides, his friend said his co-star was really hot, so Tom is definitely not seeing a downside.

Until he arrives for the shoot and finds out his friend glossed over one important detail—Tom’s co-star is a guy.

Denny Bailey is only a few months away from finishing the dissertation for his master’s, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find time for his ‘other’ career, especially when it helps him pay off his student loans and keep body and soul together. Life as an adult performer is fun, there are no strings... What could be more perfect? And this latest arrival is definitely ticking most of Denny’s boxes, even if he is a skittish straight guy. That’s fine. Denny can handle that. 

Until the next day when Tom Ryder walks into Denny’s favourite coffee shop—and he isn’t smiling.

All it takes is one afternoon to change both their lives, in ways neither of them could ever have imagined...



Carra's Review

I’ve been a KC Wells fan for quite a while now, so of course I was eagerly awaiting this story.  In my opinion, it was not as emotionally hard-hitting as other books by this author that I have read, but it was still a very enjoyable read.  There was a bit of angst, though not too heavy a dose, and as happens in many burgeoning relationships much of that could have been avoided if Tom and Denny would have just opened up more to each other.


I really liked Tom—I totally understood the situation he was in and why he took his friend’s suggestion of earning some quick money in a not-so-traditional way.  I really got why it was hard for him to fathom Denny’s clinical approach to sex, since like Tom I also need that emotional connection.  


The thing is, Tom and Denny had the chance to get to know each other outside of the filming, and were able to connect in more than a physical way…so while yes, there are several hot and steamy scenes thanks to the adult video aspect, those are not truly the focus here—the focus is obviously on the development of a relationship between the two men.  The bond that evolved between them didn’t feel quite as solid as I would have liked by the time they came to their dramatic confrontation scene and then the resolution, but overall I was okay with how things came about.


Str8 B8 was a solid 4-star read for me, and if you’re a fan of bi-awakening stories, or like M/M romance featuring workers in the adult film industry, you’ll likely enjoy this story as well.  This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and explicit sexual content (I mean, you knew that would be the case, right?).



Author Links


Facebook Profile - Facebook Page - Goodreads - Amazon - Instagram - Twitter




Tuesday, March 7, 2023

New Release: REVENGE IS SWEET by Felice Stevens


Revenge is Sweet
by Felice Stevens
Genre: MM Romance
Release Date: March 6, 2023
Cover Design: Reese Dante



What do you do when your best friend runs off with your fiancée on your wedding day?
If you’re me, Lyon Elliot, you don’t get mad.
You get even.
Which means seducing my ex–best friend’s younger brother, Miles Halloran.
The quiet one.
The man I’ve known all my life but never paid attention to.
The one I was told to stay away from because he’s way too nice for someone like me. Maybe they’re right.
But see, this is where it gets a little more complicated.
Because the more time I spend with Miles, the more I like him.
Want him.
Now I need him and his sweet smiles in my life.

If this is still a game I’m playing...who’s fooling whom?






“Pretty sure it could have been another 200 pages and I would have been happy” Temberly-GR reviewer

“I didn't want this to end. I loved Lyon and Miles and was invested in their journey. A must read!” Beverly-GR reviewer

“The romance itself is a perfect blend between the spice and the heart-filled awakening of two people who bring out the best in each other.” Cadiva-Goodreads reviewer

“ Felice’s characters always have so much depth and it’s a pleasure to see them get their well-earned HEA.” Louise, GR reviewer




Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner. Her characters have to work for it, because just like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.
Felice is the 2020 Lambda Literary Award winning author in best Gay Romance and two time e-Lit award winner in romance. When not writing or watching reality television, you can find her in her reader group.



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Wednesday, March 1, 2023

New Release-Excerpt: FAREWELL, MY BOY by Garrick Jones (The Seventh of December #3)

Farewell, My Boy

by Garrick Jones

Publisher: Moshpit Publications

Cover Artist: Garrick Jones

Release Date: March 1, 2023

Genres: Adventure Spy Thriller

Themes: Strengthening bonds, the love of a child, men at war

Heat Rating: 1 flame

Length: 120 000  words/ 372  pages

It can be read as a standalone. It is Book #3 in the Seventh of December series and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads Series Link

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb 

From the deserts of North Africa to the dark forests in the Third Reich, Tommy Haupner, together with his American lover, Henry "Shorty" Reiter, lead their team in a daring mission to rescue a gifted young savant from Nazi Germany's T4 euthanasia program.

They are forced to flee in a stolen bus in the dead of night across enemy territory with a precious cargo of 24 handicapped children destined for extermination. In a supreme effort to save their charges and to avoid capture and execution themselves, they mount the most daring and dangerous rescue mission possible, the results of which almost end in disaster.

This third book in The Seventh of December series is an action packed wartime adventure set in the early months of 1942. Stolen aircraft, kidnapped senior Nazi officials, doctors of death and bloody revenge massacres, all of which are intertwined with the love of a helpless, rescued child. "Farewell, My Boy," deals with not only the frailty of men's hearts, but the truth that even the bravest are not exempt from the pain of loss, even when it is for a greater good.

Excerpt

 Not more than two or three minutes after I’d finished reading what Andrew had sent to me, a voice from behind whispered my name.

“Coco?” I said, turning to see Luc’s anguished face.

“Mon capitain.”

Then he was in my arms, his head on my shoulder, weeping as hard as he had on the night he’d killed his first man in Édouard’s garden, not long after we’d first met him.

“Steve told me,” I whispered against his ear, drawing him into the corner of the hotel foyer and behind a very large jardinière. He wasn’t old enough yet to have any instilled sense of appropriate behaviour when it came to showing emotions in public. Even though he’d been fighting alongside the Resistance since the age of fifteen, it seemed as if there was still a lot of the needy, lonely boy lurking underneath his tough-guy exterior. We’d become close during my time in occupied France last year and he’d “adopted” me. I’d long ago stopped trying to fight it.

“I’m all alone now,” he said eventually, wiping his nose with his forearm.

“Shorty and I are still here …”

“Until you f*ck off again and leave me by myself.” He managed a grin as he said it.

“It’s the war—‍”

“Putain! I know it’s the war, but can’t we just pretend that it’s not happening for five minutes? I just need someone I care about to hold me and to let me behave like a kid again.”

“Come,” I said. “Upstairs. You can tell me all about it.”

“But you’re busy, aren’t you? Gavin told me you were interrogating the German. It doesn’t look like any sort of interrogation I’ve ever been part of.”

“I can’t pick you up any more,” I said, his arms still around my waist.

“I could probably pick you up now.”

“Most likely. Luc, I’m so sorry—‍”

“I killed him.”

“Killed who?”

“Corporal Löwe.”

“The German with the bladder problem?”

He nodded. “Papa’s body was never recovered, but the town put up a wooden cross in the graveyard for him—I had to go there to say goodbye, despite how dangerous it was. I was about to head back towards La Roche and had got as far as our house, thinking I’d see if there was anything of Papa’s I could take with me as a memory when I saw Löwe throwing all the furniture onto a bonfire. I crept up behind him in the dark and slit his throat, then pushed him into the fire. He couldn’t scream but he thrashed about for a bit.”

He said it just as any man in wartime would speak about the way the men they’d killed had died. Factual, unemotional, as if it was an everyday event. Part of me hated the fact that someone so young could already be so hardened.

“I’ve done worse,” he added.

“You and me both,” I replied then, after a moment or two when we just stood quietly, his head resting on my shoulder, I said, “You’ve got hairs on your chest now.”

He chuckled. “You should see the bushes below.”

“No, thank you.” I tousled his hair, as I’d always done.

“Given it a trial run yet?” Shorty said, coming up behind us.

“Are you serious, mon américain? For French men, it’s a rite of passage. My father couldn’t take me to a brothel on my sixteenth birthday, so Talley accompanied me and sat in the waiting room playing cards with the ladies for an hour.”

“An hour? Was that your first time?”

Luc nodded. “And second, and third, and I nearly managed a fourth.”

Although Shorty and I laughed, it wasn’t hard to see that Luc was putting on a brave face. We’d find time, as we had done on the night I’d said goodbye to him in Bayonne, wondering when and if we’d ever meet again. Damn me if Luc hadn’t crept his way into my heart, in the same way Gladys and Steve had done. Maybe it was fate: we were meant to be lifelong friends … as long as we all somehow managed to survive until the end of the war.

About the Author 

From the outback to the opera.

After a thirty-year career as a professional opera singer, performing as a soloist in opera houses and in concert halls all over the world, I took up a position as lecturer in music in Australia in 1999, at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, which is now part of CQUniversity.

Brought up in Australia, between the bush and the beaches of the Eastern suburbs, I retired in 2015 and now live in the tropics, writing, gardening, and finally finding time to enjoy life and to re-establish a connection with who I am after a very busy career on the stage and as an academic.

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