Every Breath You Take by Robert Winter - Blog Tour with Author Guest Post and Giveaway

Title:  Every Breath You Take

Author: Robert Winter

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: May 5, 2017

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 221 pages

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

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Synopsis

When Zachary Hall leaves Utah for a job in Washington, it’s finally his chance to live as a gay man and maybe find someone special. In a bar he meets Thomas Scarborough, a man who seems perfect in and out of the bedroom. But Thomas never dates. He never even sleeps with the same man twice. Despite their instant connection, he can offer Zachary only his friendship, and Zachary is looking for more.

Thomas is tempted to break his own rules, but years before, he became the victim of a stalker who nearly destroyed his life. Even though his stalker died, Thomas obsessively keeps others at a distance. Despite his fascination with Zachary, he is unable to lower his barriers. Frustrated, Zachary accepts he will never have what he wants with Thomas and soon finds it with another man.

But young gay men in Washington, DC are being murdered, and the victims all have a connection to Thomas. Once again someone is watching Thomas’s every move. Can it be a coincidence? When the depraved killer turns his attention toward Zachary, Thomas must face the demons of his past—or lose his chance to open his heart to Zachary forever.

Excerpt

Across the street the man with the silver-framed glasses stood back in the shadows and stared at the front window of the garden apartment. He could see the back of his quarry’s head as he watched a small flat-screen TV.

Time passed.

Eventually the head nodded forward and then jerked up. When it happened a second time, the creature turned off the TV and then the lamp and headed to bed.

The man waited for another half hour with his back pressed against an alcove formed where two brownstones met. The street was quiet. Almost no one walked by, and the lone person who came down the street failed to notice him in the shadows.

The man felt his breath grow hoarse, and blood rushed in his ears as his heart began to pound. He cultivated that sensation as he reached into his coat pocket for the screwdriver that rested there and made himself imagine the creature’s hands touching the Beloved’s face. Stroking his body. He curled his fingers around the screwdriver and then clenched and unclenched rhythmically. Its thick handle felt rough against his palm because of the grooves and sharp edges he had chiseled into it. He had ideas for other implements that would serve his purpose, but for now, this would do just fine. This would make his point.

His throat was dry, and his eyes burned from focusing on the darkened window, but he felt invincible. The tension in his body climbed exquisitely, and when he could take no more, he slipped across the street and stepped down to the locked gate. It opened easily with his small set of picks. The gate made no noise when the creature went through it earlier, so he was confident and quick and didn’t bother to lock it behind him. Child’s play, he thought as he worked the lock on the apartment door.

The tumblers clicked into place.

He stored his lockpicks, slipped inside the darkened apartment, and then closed the door behind him as silently as he could. Streetlight came through the slatted blinds the boy had failed to close completely. He waited quietly until he heard a faint snore from the back and then removed his glasses and tucked them in an inside pocket of his jacket. The scarf his quarry had been wearing caught his eye, and the man bared his teeth as he lifted it off the coat tree and tugged it tightly between his hands. It was well made. It would hold. He smiled.

He slid through the gloom toward the room where the creature lay sleeping. He was hard, and the blood in his erection pulsed in time to the pounding of his heart. That boy had dared to touch his Beloved. He had probably even been fucked by him. But that wasn’t enough—oh no. He came back for more.

It had taken the man so long to find his Beloved and interpret his subtle clues. He finally understood what was required of him. The undeserving gnat must be chastised, and he would be the Beloved’s angel of retribution. He was conscious of the weight of the screwdriver in his pocket, the scratch of the wool scarf in his hands, and the power in his arms.

He reached for the boy on the bed.

Purchase

Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Comic Book Bromances We Need to See

I’m a comic book nerd from way back. I bought the Dark Phoenix saga in X-Men off the racks of my local 7-11 store – that’s how long I’ve been reading comics! I had to give a little of my own nerdiness to the character of Zachary Hall in Every Breath You Take. At one point, he and another character Sam have this exchange:

The waiter brought their cocktails, and they touched glasses and chatted easily for a bit. When they opened their menus, Sam asked, “Have you seen the new Captain America movie yet?” as they looked over the options.

“What kind of nerd would I be if I hadn’t waited in line for the first midnight showing of Civil War?” Zachary said, and he smiled. “I’d like to see it again, though, if you’re interested.”

“That would be great. Better yet, can we do a marathon of First Avenger and The Winter Soldier before going to the new one?” Sam asked.

“Sebastian Stan is so hot, right?”

“I know. I keep hoping they’ll ramp up the bromance and have Cap and Bucky get it on.”

Shipping comic book characters has been a mainstay of fan fiction since forever, but I have my own list of pairings I’d like to see. Since it’s my list, I feel free to mix Marvel and DC characters!

     ·        Green Lantern and Daredevil. Hal Jordan and Matt Murdock are both supposed to be born without fear, they have some of the sexiest costumes ever designed, and they both have trouble committing to a woman for long (ahem). Hal is an intergalactic policeman, Matt is a street lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen so their romance won’t be easy. Between the constructs Hal’s ring can make and Matt’s ability to tell exactly what Hal is feeling … whoo boy! Some good sexy times for sure.

    ·        Iceman and Northstar. Both characters are now canonically gay. I think Northstar may have gotten married a few years ago, but I doubt it lasted. Bobby Drake is new to the gay thing, while Jean-Paul Beaubier has been out and proud for years. Bobby hides behind a goofball personality, while Jean-Paul is abrasive. Then there’s that whole (thankfully forgotten) bit where Northstar was actually a half-elf from Alfheim (of the Norse mythos) and Iceman was powerful enough to help Thor fight the frost giant Ymir. I see a saga set in the world of Asgard, two adventurers travelling under the Northern Lights …

    ·        Deadpool and Spiderman. If you are Facebook friends with Cinna Mmon, you know how much she loves these two together. Deadpool’s raunchiness with Spiderman’s “great power/great responsibility” thing makes for some good tension!

   ·        Wonder Woman and Black Canary. C’mon, Diana is from an island of women warriors. She must love Dinah Lance’s fierceness and ability to take on all kinds of threats with fishnet stockings and a sonic cry. This pairing is the perfect balance to the popular Batman/Superman mashup.    

·        The Flash and Mon Knight. Okay, hear me out. Barry Allen’s Flash is the epitome of hope in DC comics. Moon Knight is Marvel’s crazier version of Batman, with a gorgeous costume, fabulous cape and multiple personalities. Marc Spector gets lost in his mind, thanks in part to the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Barry can be there to guide him back to the light. The hurt-comfort storyline practically writes itself.

Did I leave off your favorite potential comic book couple? Tell us about it in the comments.

I hope this look into my comic book tastes has you intrigued and that you take a chance on Every Breath You Take. You can also find out more about me and my books at my website.

Meet the Author

Robert Winter is a recovering lawyer who likes writing about hot men in love much more than drafting a legal brief. He left behind the (allegedly) glamorous world of an international law firm to sit in his home office and dream up ways to torment his characters until they realize they are perfect for each other. When he isn’t writing, Robert likes to cook Indian food and explore new restaurants.

Robert divides his time between Washington, DC, and Provincetown, MA. He splits his attention between Andy, his partner of sixteen years, and Ling the Adventure Cat, who likes to fly in airplanes and explore the backyard jungle as long as the temperature and humidity are just right.

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Blog Tour Schedule

May 8 - Stories That Make You Smile | Books, Dreams, Life
May 9 - two chicks obsessed Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews
May 10 - Oh My Shelves | Butterfly-o-Meter Books
May 11 - Bayou Book Junkie | Boy Meets Boy Reviews
May 12 - Urban Smoothie Read | Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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