A Chosen Man by Jaime Reese - Release Blitz with Excerpt

Title: A Chosen Man

Series: The Men of Halfway House Series

Author: Jaime Reese

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

(can be read as standalone)

Release Date: September 26, 2018

Photographer: Eric McKinney of 6:12 Photography

For Wall McCormack, actions speak louder than words. He’s giving and protective, loyal to his friends, and devoted to his job. While confident and powerful enough to conquer any challenge, his greatest strength lies in his calm nature. Until an unexpected assignment sends his world into a loud and colorful chaos he never could have anticipated.

Rejection. It’s something Dylan Vaughn has known his entire life. But he’s a tough nut to crack and refuses to break. Armed with a sharp tongue and brutal honesty, he pushes through life and at anyone who attempts to take him on. Except for the quiet guardian who piques his interest and dares him to want…more.

When Dylan’s past comes back with a vengeance and jeopardizes their growing connection, Wall will stop at nothing to protect the younger man and remain by his side. But convincing Dylan that someone accepts the real man behind the cocky facade might prove to be Wall’s greatest challenge yet.

With his freedom on the line, Dylan must trust the strength of their bond and confront the forces threatening their future. Only then will he realize the dream of acceptance is real and finally have a place to call home.

“You have other skills.”

“I doubt being bratty and having a smart mouth are next on the list of desired skills.”

“Why do you consider those two of your most glowing qualities?”

Dylan looked up. “Huh?”

“You mention them after your computer skills. So they are the traits you associate with yourself the most. Why is that?”

“Um…” Is that a trick question? “Because I have a smart mouth and most people say I’m bratty.” He should add snark and sarcasm as additional languages. Maybe that would beef up his resume.

“I’m not arguing that point,” Matt said with a ghost of a smile. “But it’s obvious you do it with a bit of…spite. So I’m wondering if it’s truly part of your nature or if you do it only because people expect you to.”

Dylan shrugged, not really liking the serious shift in the conversation. He didn’t know how to do this emotional chitchat crap, and Matt was in a sensitive state of mind after everything that had happened. He returned his attention to the book and flicked the edge of the pages against his fingertip, trying to busy himself.

“You’re not alone, Dylan.”

Dylan slammed his book shut. “Try telling that to all the nonexistent people standing around me.” He bit back his usual defensiveness. He saw something flash in Matt’s expression, but couldn’t peg exactly what it was. But he guessed Matt wanted to be his savior. Maybe it was his nature, and Dylan was probably wrong considering his track record with people, but he couldn’t help the feeling tugging at the back of his mind that this determination stemmed from what had happened to the other guys. “You didn’t fail, Matt.”

“What?”

“With the guys. The knife in the room. That wasn’t your failure. It was their choice.”

Matt frowned and ducked his head. He set his glass of lemonade on the ground beside the bench and clasped his hands together, taking a deep breath. “I could have guided them better.” Matt winced, probably realizing he had voiced that thought. “Robbie was at his father’s house for the weekend. Neil told the police that Robbie had mentioned his father would hit him when drunk. The knife was for protection. I should have—”

“Stop it,” Dylan said, with a little more force than he had intended. “How were you supposed to know something Neil told the police after the fact? Robbie didn’t share it with you, he shared it with Neil, and unless you’re a psychic, how the hell were you supposed to know that was happening?” Dylan shook his head. His people-meter might suck, but his logic-detector was fully functional. “You’re just like Sam. Not everyone wants to be saved. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s part of life.”

Matt cocked his head. “Is that your story?”

“I don’t need saving.”

“No, you don’t. You’re obviously resilient as hell.” Matt turned on the bench seat to face him. “But don’t plan your future because of things in your past. Learn from them and consider them life lessons.”

“You should listen to your own wisdom. Don’t beat yourself up because the guys screwed up. That’s on them, not you. Consider it…a life lesson,” Dylan finished with a flourish of his hand and a raised eyebrow. “You offer more help than most, and if people don’t want to take it, then it’s on them.”

“Touché,” Matt said with a shake of his head and a hint of a smile.

“See? Told ya. I’m bratty with a smart mouth. Top of the list of my marketable skills. Tons of companies are going to beat down your door to hire me.”

Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.

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Shades by Jaime Reese - Cover Reveal

Title: Shades

Author: Jaime Reese

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Release Date: May 23, 2018 Cover Designer: Reese Dante

Life made him dangerous. Love made him lethal.

Killian Marks is a third-generation hitman. After hunting monsters for over twenty years, he lives under no illusions of happily ever afters and fairy tales. Until he meets a man who threatens to disarm him, by giving him hope for a future and showing him there’s more to life than just death.

For Nick, living in shadows is second nature. He’s all too familiar with the dark side of humanity and knows how delicate life can be. Each new day is a gift, even though it means doing it alone. But he’ll risk his survival for the one man who awakens something deep within and leaves him yearning for more.

Nick wants to solve the mystery behind the dark, brooding man, while Killian craves the life and light emanating from Nick. They soon discover they have more in common than either could have anticipated. With both their lives and hearts at stake, they must confront the ghost from Nick’s past intent on tying up a loose end. Only then will they truly find peace, and discover the shades of life in between.

Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.

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A Worthy Man by Jaime Reese - Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway

Title: A Worthy Man

Series: The Men of Halfway House #5

Author: Jaime Reese

Genre: M/M Romance

Release: May 2, 2017

Photographer: Eric McKinney of 6:12 Photography

A story of two men and the boundless love that forever changed them. 

Vannguard Shaw has spent the last ten years serving a life sentence and adjusting to the ache of solitude. He accepts his fate, a sacrifice for the only man he ever loved and the one person who saw beyond his rough edges.
Drayton grew up with a trust fund and pre-planned future, but an unexpected encounter one night forces him to abandon everything and start from scratch. He is now a self-made man and developer of one of the most sought after electric exotic automobiles in the world with a fortune greater than that of his birthright. Yet, he’d surrender it all—again—for the only man who’s still ever-present in his heart.
After a decade and entirely too much distance between them, Vann is suddenly released back into a world that has been nothing but cruel. Drayton never lost hope they would once again reunite and pick up where they left off, but Vann’s stubborn nature and repeated encounters with a heartbreaking world prove to be a challenge.
Vann needs to tap into his fighting spirit’s reservoir of strength and hope life doesn’t punish him for taking a chance. Only then will he realize his own value and feel worthy enough to finally have Drayton’s heart. And their chance at forever. ---

* Although part of a series, this full-length novel can be read as a stand-alone. *Word count: 124K

“Emotionally, beautiful and inspiring” - Amanda L Amazon Reviewer 

“A great addition to this series. One of the most romantic books I've read this year.” - Bayou Book Junkie 

“Overall...Their story is beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring, sexy, and moving.” - Two Book Pushers

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“C’mon,” Drayton said, tugging Vann by the hand. After breakfast and a countertop quickie, they had immediately returned to the bedroom and had been hibernating there since. He had no objection to spending all day in bed, but he had a surprise for Vann and couldn’t stand waiting any longer. “I want to show you the rest of the house.”

“But I like the bedroom.”

Drayton chuckled, pulling him up with more force. “We can come back after.”

“Fine,” Vann grumbled, finally sitting up on the bed with a dramatic pout.

“You’re cute when you don’t get your way.”

“Cute enough to stay in bed?” He waggled his eyebrows and petted the bed. “It’s really soft.”

Drayton leaned in and gave Vann a chaste kiss, jerking back quickly to avoid his grasp.

Vann’s laughter filled the room. “Damn. You’re still super-fast.” He reluctantly stood and stretched his arms over his head.

Drayton’s lips parted, enjoying the flex of muscles.

“Like what you see?” Vann asked, delivering a cocky grin as he seductively licked his lower lip. “Let’s get back in bed—”

Drayton threw his head back and laughed. “You’re still persistent as hell. C’mon. I want to show you something.”

“I want to show you something too.”

“This is important.” Drayton crossed his arms. “We can skim the other rooms but there’s one that’s special. It’s…yours.”

Vann sobered. “You’ve given me enough to cover every event for the rest of my life and then some. I don’t want—”

“It’s also for me. I’ll watch you while you use the room.”

“Hmm.” Vann pursed his lips. “Okay, you’ve got my attention.”

After a little more bargaining, Drayton finally lured Vann out of the bedroom and down the hallway. He opened the door to his office and stepped inside. “This is the room I’m usually in when I’m here.”

“Not anymore.”

He chuckled as they exited the office. They walked down the hall to the room he’d had converted into a gym.

“Damn, this is nice.” Vann checked the different weight options and looked at each of the machines.

“You’ve got everything here for all types of routines. And if you don’t like the view, you’ve got a TV.”

“The view’s beautiful.”

“Whatever we need to change out or add, we’ve still got space. I do a lot of thinking while I’m on the treadmill, so we’re not getting rid of that.”

Vann chuckled. “Okay.” He walked over to Drayton and leaned in for a slow kiss.

“Mmm. What was that for?”

“Is this the room I’ll use while you watch me? I promise I’ll make you sweat too.” 

5 out of 5 stars

A Worthy Man is the fifth book in The Men of Halfway House series. While this is part of the series, it could easily be read as a standalone. A few of the characters from the previous books make appearances, but unlike the previous books they don't feature as prominently. So you won't lose any of the storyline not having read the previous books. 

I think this has become my favorite book of this series. Now I loved the previous books and the characters, but there was something about both Dray and Vann that pulled me deep into this story from the first page. That feeling never went away through the entire book, and for this reader/reviewer there aren't many books that can carry that feeling from start to finish. 

Dray and Vann met as teenagers in high school, both from very different backgrounds but finding  common ground because they didn't fit in. Vann became Dray's protector almost from day one, and Dray became Vann's support system along with his biggest cheerleader. Over time their feelings changed and deepened beyond friendship to much more. One night changed the course of their lives  and they were physically separated for more than a decade. But Dray never gave up that they would be reunited eventually. While Vann didn't either it was much more difficult for him to believe they'd be together again. Ultimately fate and luck change the course of their lives yet again, and they are reunited. 

A Worthy Man is told both in present time and in flashbacks to Vann and Dray's teen years. The flashbacks fit in well with the flow of the story and don't idly drop you into and out of scenes as they transition. These two men are the perfect example of a love story, including first love and even a second chance at love. Even though they never break up, they are truly granted a second chance at their love story. I absolutely loved the way this author wrote Vann and Dray. They felt very real and acted very realistically. They were both strong, solid characters on their own but together they were a force to be reckoned with. 

I honestly want to fan girl over this story because, for this reviewer, it was pretty damn perfect just on the character side alone. The flow of the story, the storyline, and all the secondary characters added into that mix and made it a highly readable, and even re-readable book. 

I'm not sure how the author is going to top this story with the next book in the series. I do hope that she plans on giving a story to Ben, who was a secondary character who became friends with Vann. I highly recommend this book for fans of this author, and anyone looking for a story that will hook you from the first page. 

Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.

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