Monday, March 4, 2019

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: COWBOY SEEKS HUSBAND by Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn



Buy Links: 


Length: 94,000 words approx.
Cover Design: Dar Albert


Blurb

Walker Reed's Louisiana cattle ranch is in debt after costly repairs from hurricane damage. To get the money, his family schemes to make Walker the star of a new bachelor reality series: Queer Seeks Spouse. How hard can it be to fake interest in a dozen handsome men for a few weeks in exchange for enough money to solve all of their problems?

Roan Carmichael never got his Masters degree after his mother was diagnosed with cancer. With medical bills piling up, and a costly experimental treatment available, Roan signs on to be a suitor on Queer Seeks Spouse. While he hates having to leave his sick mother long enough to win the cash for her treatment, he's willing to do whatever it takes.

Can two men who are just in it for the money fake their way into real and lasting love? 

Cowboy Seeks Husband, the latest book by Vespertine authors Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn, features a cowboy, a hipster, opposites attract, steamy scenes, and heart tugging moments that will leave you wanting more.


Excerpt

“We’re going what?”

“Noodling.” Walker looked far too calm. And smug. Roan figured this probably heralded danger in brooding southern cowboys.

“And I need these.” Roan held up the waterproof bib overalls.

Walker smirked. He had his arms folded over his chest and was leaning against the doorjamb of the kitchen. Roan had been cornered there by Walker and John while making sour apple tea. “Technically you don’t, but I’m sure you’ll want to wear them.”

Roan narrowed his eyes. “But that means we’re going into the water. I know what lives in your water down here. Alligators. And venomous snakes. I googled.”

“Now, why would you do that?” Walker dramatically slapped his forehead, then leaned in closer as if to share a secret. Roan leaned in too, drawn to Walker’s firm, muscled body and cheerful brown eyes, despite his probable imminent death on this so-called date. “Here’s the thing: gators aren’t that aggressive really. You probably won’t even see one. They want to stay as far away from you as you do from them.”

“Really?”

“No. But it makes it easier to get in the water if you tell yourself that.”

Roan stared at him.

“But, seriously, I’m not scared of the gators, and if there was a real, true danger, you know they wouldn’t let us anywhere near the water.”

Roan swallowed hard. The morning light from the kitchen window highlighted the little wrinkles at the edges of Walker’s eyes. Probably from squinting into fields all day. The man even smelled like fresh-cut grass and fresh air.

“As for the snakes, yeah…well.” Walker shrugged. “You just have to make sure you don’t wander into a nest of moccasins. I’m sure the set nurse has antivenom on hand.”

“Water moccasins. The shoe snakes.”

“They don’t look anything like shoes.”

Roan put the waterproof overalls on the counter. “Oh my God, I’m going to die.”

Walker straightened, and the attractive, teasing grin fell from his face. “Seriously, though, if you don’t want to do it, just say so. I won’t hold it against you.”

“If you say bless your heart, I’ll know exactly what you mean,” Roan grumbled. Walker laughed, and God. He was so damn handsome. Feeling his face heat, Roan looked down at the dry bib overalls. They were pretty thick. Maybe the fabric would stop the snake bites. “Fine, I’ll come.”

“I’m mighty glad.”

“You should be.”

Between the threat of biting critter, the thrill of Walker’s sweet drawl, and the headiness of his eager attention, Roan’s head was a swirl. Leaving his tea behind untasted, he stomped away for some privacy to get changed, ignoring John who said, “That’s got to be the most reluctant acceptance of a date I’ve ever seen. Andy’s going to love it.”


About the Authors

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.


After living in Michigan, USA for seven wonderful years, Indra Vaughn returned back to her Belgian roots. There she will continue to consume herbal tea, do yoga wherever the mat fits, and devour books while single parenting a little boy and working as a nurse.



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Sunday, March 3, 2019

Guest Post & Giveaway: SNOW STORM by Davidson King (Haven Hart #5)


Please welcome Davidson King to the blog!  We love her Haven Hart Series, and today she has info about the fifth book in the series for our readers plus a giveaway!

Within the next few weeks book five in my Haven Hart Series, Snow Storm will release. In this book I bring back the first MC’s Christopher and Snow. I will admit while I was nervous to get back into their heads, it was also a welcoming feeling as well. It all started with these two and to listen to them in my thoughts felt oddly like coming home. 
They have evolved I warn you. They are still themselves, but five years has gone by since Snow Falling (Book One) so be prepared for some changes.
It’s not available on Amazon yet but the Goodreads link is up so you can add it to your TBR or shelf: 

Here’s the cover (amazingly designed by Designs by Morningstar) and the blurb:



Blurb

The city of Haven Hart rests under the heel of Christopher Manos. He reigns over the most dangerous and deadliest citizens as the most powerful crime boss the city has seen in generations. Yet, for the last five years, the harshest edges of his nature have been tempered by the loving devotion of his husband, Snow, and the nephew Christopher adores like a son. His life is a balance of darkness and light until a birthday trip for his nephew, Simon, is interrupted by a hail of bullets and explosions, threatening to destroy it all.

Snow has found a home, a family, and the love of one of Haven Hart’s most powerful men. When Christopher and Simon are kidnapped, Snow risks everything to find his family. Utilizing specialized skills he learned on the streets and the finer points of running a city from his crime boss husband, Snow takes on roles he never dreamed he would--protector, leader, and avenger. No one threatens his family and lives. Experienced enough to know he can’t do this alone, Snow calls in every favor he is owed, risking his life promising favors in return, all to save his family and the man he loves.

The sins of the Manos crime family are escaping the dark recesses of the past and threatening the bright future of everything Snow and Christopher have built. Yet, even with the help of some unlikely and uniquely dangerous people, Snow finds himself wondering if their efforts will be enough to save the two most important people in his life. Will the loving family Snow has finally found be taken from him forever?


Author Bio


Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.

When she's not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.

If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she'd tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you're afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.

Links




Giveaway!

I will gift one person a reader’s choice of any one of my Haven Hart books. Giveaway ends March 10th.



Saturday, March 2, 2019

New Release-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: RAPID RESPONSE by DJ Jamison (Hearts & Health #8)



Buy Links: 

Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
Length: 92,000 words approx.

Hearts & Health Series

Book #1 - Heart Trouble - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 - Bedside Manner - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #3 - Urgent Care - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 - Room For Recovery - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #5 - Surprise Delivery - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #6 - Orderly Affair - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #7 - Operation Makeover - Amazon US | Amazon UK


Blurb

A confused straight guy and a gay hookup artist walk into a bar ...

Firefighter Sean Connolly is straight -- until one impulsive night changes everything. He tries to dismiss it as a fluke, but when a fire rescue leads him back to the guy who blew his mind, he's thrown into a chaos of confusion and want. He gives in to curiosity, exploring a new side to himself -- not just his attraction to a man, but his desperate need to please.

Paramedic Jace Gillespie is a hookup pro, never letting anyone get too close. When he meets Sean, though, he feels a connection right away. An ill-advised threesome seems to kill a friendship in the making, but when they're thrown together by work, it doesn't take long for passion to reignite. Sean calls to something in Jace he never knew was there, and together, they explore a dynamic that fulfills them both.

But as feelings deepen, doubts surface. Sean is in the closet, and Jace struggles to trust his promise that it won't last forever. With family conflict and his career in the balance, Sean finds it difficult to picture his life without secrecy, but if he doesn't find a way, he may lose the one person he most wants to please.

Rapid Response is the longest novel of the Hearts and Health series at approximately 92,000 words! It can be read as a standalone.


Excerpt

Sean glanced into the mirror, and though he looked like the same guy on the outside — dark hair, dark eyes, unremarkable face — he didn’t recognize the one on the inside. And that was scary.

“I’m sorry,” he scraped out.

“For what? Staring at my mouth, or for hiding from yourself?” Jace asked caustically.

Sean swallowed hard. His traitorous eyes found Jace in the mirror, locking on the mouth in question. Pink, full lips. Jace had been a good kisser. A good … sucker.

“Yeah, just like that,” Jace said.

Sean jerked his gaze to Jace’s eyes, which bored into him, their power not diluted in the slightest by the mirror acting as their go-between. Could Jace see what was inside? If he could...

“Sorry,” Sean whispered. “I didn’t realize I...”

“What, Sean? What didn’t you realize?”

“That I, um. That I...” He couldn’t get the words out.

“That you like my mouth? That you want it on you again? That you—”

Sean spun around. “Shut up.”

“Make me.”

His breath caught. “What?”

“You heard me,” Jace said. “Make me shut up. You know exactly how to do it.”

Sean hesitated, and Jace smirked. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

Frustrated and frazzled, Sean acted on instinct, doing exactly what Jace had asked. He grabbed the front of Jace’s shirt, spun him around, and shoved him against the counter containing the row of sinks.

Then he kissed him.

Hard.

To make him shut up.

It was the only way to get him to stop talking. Gloating. Jace had practically ordered him to do it, the bastard. And Sean needed to shut up the doubts in his head, too.

He closed his eyes, blocking out all thought, and sank into the feeling of Jace’s perfect, hot mouth on his again.


Carra's Review

I’m going to admit up front that the way this story started, and Jace’s friend Lena and the role she played in that start had me wondering how things were going to go.  I was not a fan of Lena at all, and frankly I was really glad she didn’t really play a role in the rest of the story.  Thankfully, once I overlooked the inauspicious start, things did get much better from there.

You might be thinking, how can someone who is out and someone who is beyond closeted get “much better”, but I can put that down to the excellent chemistry Jace and Sean have together.  Are there points where Sean’s closeted status became tiresome?  Yes—I’ve yet to find a book with a closeted character where that was not the case.  Did he do some inadvisable things that caused me frustration?  Oh, hell yes.  At times it felt like he was a bit clueless and didn’t really think about how his decisions would seem to Jace.


In the end though, it was Jace and Sean’s chemistry that made this book enjoyable for me.  I felt like the story was a bit drawn out—something that aggravates me in any book—so for me, the fact that their connection overrode my irritations enough to put Rapid Response at 4 stars says a lot about how I enjoyed the characters and their relationship.  This book is a good addition to this series, and it’s meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.


Author Bio

DJ Jamison is the author of more than a dozen m/m romances, including the Ashe Sentinel series and the Hearts and Health series. She writes a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual, with a focus on telling love stories that are more about common ground than lust at first sight. DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love. DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that, and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors' books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, two fish and, regrettably, one snake.




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New Release-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: REDEEM by Christina Lee (Under My Skin #4)

Redeem RDB Banner

Redeem
Under My Skin Series, Book 4
Christina Lee
M/M Romance
Release Date: 02.28.19

Redeem Cover

Cover artist: Kanaxa

BLURB

Successful financial analyst Michael Walsh leads a picture-perfect life that anyone would envy—unless they caught a glimpse beneath the surface. Haunted by failed relationships and self-doubt, Michael harbors a soul-deep loneliness that no number of casual hookups can fulfill. So why can’t he stop thinking about his New Year’s fling with a man whose quiet desperation matches his own?

Barista Stewart Jenkins has an abysmal track record with relationships, and no matter how hard he tries to keep things tightly under wraps, his life is spinning out of control. His hookup with the gorgeous Michael was only supposed to be sex—hot, dirty, and uncomplicated—but that small taste leaves him desperate for more.

Every no-strings encounter that follows between Michael and Stewart peels away more layers, blurring the lines between them, until they’re left with a raw tenderness and acceptance they’re both urgently craving. A relationship absolutely wouldn’t work on paper; they come from drastically different lives and are plagued by inexcusable sins. All that vulnerability is sure to reveal old wounds, and forgiveness seems so far out of reach unless they can find a way around their fears on the road to redemption.

Add to Goodreads



REDEEMteaser1

Man comforting his upset boyfriend by kissing him on the head

EXCERPT

“Ah, hell, that’s good,” I gasped as he stroked upward while simultaneously sucking on my neck. I probably should’ve protested because he was sure to leave a bruise, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. Besides, it would be a marker of this night. Like a sexy brand.

His breaths grew heavier, and his chest rumbled in deep pleasure as he jerked sloppily against me. His hand stayed firm and tight on my c*ck even as he drew back and shuddered out his release. The sound was so sensual that my orgasm slammed through me at nearly the same time.

“Holy f*ck.” My body grew limp as my come spilled over his hand and onto the floor. I shut my eyes and kept my head anchored against the wall as he released his grip and my shaft pulsed in response.

The quiet in the room grew deafening—the only sound our breaths and the muted noises of the crowd outside the door.

“You got a name?” I didn’t know why I said it out loud. It was only a fleeting thought through my mottled brain.

“Why the f*ck does it matter?” he replied as the sound of his zipper cut through the echoing silence. “Not like I’ll ever see you again.”

“Dunno.” My cheeks flushed red, so I kept my head buried in my arm. “Maybe when I yank on my c*ck later, replaying this scene in my head, I can call you something.”

He didn’t respond. I heard him straightening his clothes and then pulling a few paper towels, which he forced into my hand. “Michael,” he mumbled against my ear.

And then he was gone.

REDEEMteaser1-2

Carra's Review

It’s been a while since I read the other books in this series, and I didn’t do a re-read of them before starting this one.  So while I did generally remember both Michael and Stewart from before, it was long enough ago that I didn’t really come into Redeem with strong preconceived notions about their characters, and I think that helped me warm up to them more quickly than if I had just read the other stories immediately before starting this one.  I’m always interested to read redemption-themed stories anyway since I love seeing those characters who were painted in not so great light previously get their happy ending as well.

I DO remember Michael being an ass to Jonas (West) in Reawaken.  But as he’s written here in Redeem, I can see he is aware of his own shortcomings which made me hopeful he’d be able to recognize and overcome those behaviors as they occurred.  Stewart has his own issues, primarily resulting in his intense need for control in his life.  The two have a blistering hot initial hookup, and things just get hotter from there.  While they try to keep things as just hookups between them…well, you know how that goes—the more you’re with someone, and when non-sexual activities start becoming a part of things the harder it becomes to keep feelings out of the equation.

Yes, these two guys are broken men.  Yes, they both have their flaws.  That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to find the right person so they can get their own happiness in the end, and Christina Lee does a fantastic job of letting readers see the other side of these men that we didn’t get to see in the previous books when Michael and Stewart were just those secondary characters who we loved to hate.

4.5 stars for Redeem, and I’m betting fans of this series are going to enjoy getting to see these guys get what they deserve.  This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and hot and steamy sexual content—from quick and dirty to intensely passionate!



Christina Lee Logo

Once upon a time, I lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. I spent my days shopping for photo shoots, getting into cabs, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at my favorite hangouts.

Now I live in the Midwest with my husband and son—my two favorite guys. I've been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn't until I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that I realized I could turn the fairytales inside my head into the reality of writing fiction.

I write Adult, New Adult, and M/M Contemporary Romance. I'm addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. I believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.



Under My Skin Series

Regret: Amazon
Reawaken: Amazon
Reclaim: Amazon


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Friday, March 1, 2019

Guest Post & Giveaway: Annabelle Jacobs - Regent's Park Pack Series #6: BITTEN BY FATE

Welcome Annabelle Jacobs to Making it Happen!
Annabelle is here today with info about her Regent's Park Pack series...check it out below, and don't forget to comment on today's post for the chance to win!

Thank you Carra for having me on your blog. 
My next release will be the last instalment of my shifter series, Regent’s Park Pack, due out on March 5th. This will be book #6, and I have to admit I’m going to be sad to say goodbye to their world. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing this series, but I think this is a good place to finish it.
To celebrate the release of the final book, I’d like to offer a giveaway of either Bitten By Mistake & Bitten By Design (Books #1 & #2), or an ARC of Bitten By Fate. 
To enter, leave a comment on this post and I’ll pick a winner on March 3rd. 


Daryl plays with fire and gets burned by fate… 

Former Primrose Pack member Jason Black happily accepted his role as beta in the new Regent’s Hill pack, knowing that merging the two was the best decision for everyone involved. Daryl Easton is loyal and honest but wary of change. The joining of the two packs wasn’t his preferred outcome, and he’s struggling to see all the newcomers as pack, including those now working alongside him.

When the alpha council proposes a two-week pack-building course to help improve troubled relationships, Jason and Daryl are sent along as backup. It soon becomes clear that the unit members and their betas won’t be the only ones taking part in tasks—Daryl and Jason will have challenges of their own to complete. 

With the full moon adding to the rising tension, emotions are volatile, and tempers flare among the unit members. Jason and Daryl become closer than either of them expected, but with such opposing views on relationships, a messy outcome seems inevitable unless Daryl can let go of the past.

Universal series link - mybook.to/RPPseries

______________________________________

Author Bio

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with her three rowdy children, three cats, and a very naughty black Labrador.

An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.


Links