Thursday, November 18, 2021
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
The Best Gift by Eli Easton - Release Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway
Release Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:
The Best Gift
By Eli Easton
With help from a Christmas miracle, two bruised hearts find joy again.
Greg Cabot is the third generation to run Cabot’s Christmas Wonderland and tree farm in rural Vermont. But this year will be his last. Since the death of his son, Sam, in Afghanistan, Greg no longer has the heart to run a business based on holiday cheer. When he picks up a hitchhiking soldier on a snowy night, he finds the help he needs to get his farm through the holidays—and maybe much more.
Sergeant Robbie Sparks doesn’t have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Badly wounded in Afghanistan, he’s spent the last eight months in recovery and was discharged after ten years of service. When fate lands him at Cabot’s tree farm, he feels like he’s fallen into a snow globe reality. Friendly people, gorgeous trees, lots of Christmas kitsch… and Greg Cabot.
Greg believes he’s too heartbroken for romance, but those we love never truly leave us. A little nudge from heaven may help build a bridge for these two men trying to heal. If only they are willing to take that first step.
This stand-alone, long novella is a small town, Christmas cornucopia, May-December, hurt/comfort , ex-military romance stuffed full of family and holiday feels.
Universal Link
Goodreads
Excerpt:
CHAPTER 1
December 1, 2017
Greg
“Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” the one with the glorious trumpets, was playing over the PA system when I looked around for the next customer. There wasn't one. I couldn't believe it at first, walking from the baler, where I netted Christmas trees, down a row of Scotch pine, Douglas fir, and Norway spruce, and back around to the central clearing and the Cabot's Christmas Wonderland store. But the crowds had cleared out. Only a few customers lingered among the rows.
Something wet landed on my cheek. They were numb from being outdoors all day, but I felt the damp. I glanced up. Fat flakes floated down from the late afternoon sky like a million tiny parachutes.
I smiled at the sight and, for just a moment, indulged myself, continuing to stare up at the leaden pink sky and the descending slow-motion avalanche.
"It wasn't supposed to snow."
I looked down to see Tori standing next to me, hands on her hips, face tilted up. Her shiny black hair, which fell straight to her shoulders, collected snowflakes like the fur of a black cat. Her short, plump figure was clad in a black puffer coat and, over it, a red and green Cabot's apron.
"Sure wasn't in the forecast," I agreed.
"And this ain't no light stuff. These goose feathers'll pile up fast."
"Yup." A thought occurred to me. "Damn it. I was gonna make a trip to the bank today."
"Well you'd best go and do it before the roads get bad."
"I can't leave you and Roscoe and Lucy here alone. What if there's another rush?"
Tori gave me a look. "It's a Friday, and it's only December first. No one's desperate enough to come out in this weather. It's already cleared out, in case you haven't noticed."
I looked around again. She was right. The parking lot only had a few cars in it. How long had it been snowing, and I'd not even noticed? I glanced down. The ground under my feet had a good inch already.
Since Sam's death, last February, I lost things sometimes. Long minutes. Whole hours. I'd been netting trees and carrying them out to cars on autopilot for God knew how long. A wave of guilt swamped me. Had I even said two words to my customers? They didn't come all the way to Cabot's, home of holiday cheer, to be served by a morose robot.
Tori laid a hand on my arm and spoke gently. "Do the bank run, boss. Me and Roscoe and Lucy'll be fine."
"Okay," I said, because my chest was tight, and I suddenly wanted to get out of there so I could breathe. But the thing about escaping was, I always had to come back. All roads led to Cabot's for me. At least for now. "Hey, if it's still snowing like this by the time I get back, we'll close early so you guys can get home."
"Sure, boss. I'll start tidying up."
I went into the store. There were only two customers browsing the ornaments, lights, wreaths, and other assorted Christmas paraphernalia. I greeted Roscoe, a good man in his 40s who’d worked for Cabot’s for twenty years. His sweet smile and eagerness to please more than made up for his intellectual disability. He ran the till in the store every day we were open and loved to tell customers about the different ornaments we carried.
"Did you see it's snowing, Greg?" Roscoe asked me, looking between me and windows at the front of the store.
"I sure did. Heavy too. I'm gonna run to the bank, and then maybe we'll close early."
"'Cause the roads get bad when it snows a lot. And it's not good to drive on 'em."
"That's right. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Okay! Watch out for the snow."
"You know to call me if you need any help, right?" I reminded him.
"Your number is in my phone. But you shouldn't talk on the phone when you're driving, Greg."
I gave Roscoe a little smile. "I promise I'll pull over. Just let me know if you run into any problems."
I knew they wouldn't. Tori and Roscoe were both as dependable as the sunrise in Vermont, the leaves in the fall, or the snow in the wintertime. But, like my father and grandfather before me, it was in my nature to worry about Cabot's. Though soon, it wouldn't be any longer.
The thought sent icy prickles through my blood as I took off my Cabot's apron and hung it up in the employee's kitchen, grabbed the past few days receipts from the small office safe, then left through the side door.
Fresh snow, marred only by my boots, was already thick on the long sidewalk that went around a stand of American Holly to the house, and on the cement steps to the side entry. The way was so familiar—trodden a million times in the course of my forty-three years—that I knew every crack and bump even when it was buried in white.
Inside the house, I turned up the heat. It would be nice to come back to a warm house. I thought about changing from my sheepskin-lined wool work coat, which was always dotted with pine needles and tree sap, but decided against it. I didn't care how I looked, hadn't bothered to cut my shoulder-length dark hair in over a year, and the beard I'd let grow rampant was more about depression than fashion. I just brushed sawdust off my jeans in the mud room and stomped snow off my boots as best I could. Then I went through the kitchen, grabbing my keys, and down the hall to the front door.
I opened it and froze. On the braided doormat, safe under the porch overhang, was a package. The postman must have dropped it off, but I couldn't think of anything I'd ordered. I bent to pick it up, then sucked in a sharp breath. The package was the size of a large book, wrapped in plain brown paper. My name and address was written on the front in a familiar hand.
The pain struck so hard I bent all the way over and laid a hand on the porch floor to keep from falling. I squeezed my eyes shut and took deep breaths. I was still learning the contours of this grief for Sam. I'd grieved when my grandparents died, and then my parents. But the grief of losing my only child was a monstrous thing. Even ten months on, it lurked like a malevolent bird, never far away, and swooped in to tear into my guts or heart when I least expected it.
Pull it together. Sam wouldn't want this.
A low moan sounded from somewhere, probably me, and I steeled myself. I opened my eyes and picked up the package. It was from Sam. Why had it taken so long to arrive? But mail was strange, especially when it involved the military. Maybe it had gotten lost. Maybe Sam had addressed it, and it had been mislaid and never mailed until someone found it recently and sent it. Anything was possible.
Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of The Best Gift, Eli's giving you a chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
Enter through the rafflecopter below!
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57350/?
About the Author:
Coming from a background in computer game design, Eli has written over 50 books in m/m romance since 2013. The Mating of Michael (2014) and A Second Harvest (2016) both won The William Neale Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance, and Eli’s books have won many awards from the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s Reader’s Choice Awards. She is best known for her Christmas romances, the Howl at the Moon series of rom coms featuring dog shifters, and the Nerds Vs Jocks series, co-written with Tara Lain.
Connect with Eli:
www.elieaston.com
Facebook: Eli Easton
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/164054884188096
Twitter: @elieaston
Monday, November 15, 2021
Breath of Life by Jocelynn Drake - Release Blitz with Excerpt and Giveaway
Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Breath Of Life
By Jocelynn Drake
The Godstone Saga, Book 2
Caelan wants his throne back.
The bargain has been struck, and it’s time to return home.
But the situation is worse in Erya than he previously suspected.
Now he has to fight for his birthright, and maybe get a little revenge in the process.
Breath of Life is the second book in the six-book Godstone Saga fantasy series and is not a standalone. The story contains explosions, gods with secret plans, hidden romance, a prince set on revenge, magic, and lots of delicious angst.
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Special Release Excerpt:
“Rayne, does it ever stop being exhausting?” Caelan asked quietly.
His advisor kept his eyes moving around the area, searching for attackers, but he tilted his head at Caelan to indicate that he was listening. “What’s that?”
“Wondering if you can trust someone.”
“I learned long ago to work under the assumption that no one is trustworthy until you understand exactly what they want most in life.” He paused and the hint of a smile lightened his expression. “However, the exhaustion fades when you surround yourself with the few people you can trust without question. Lean on them and let them protect you.”
“We’ve got you, Cael,” Drayce added.
The next breath was easier, and so was the one after that. They had his back both figuratively and literally. Their goal was the same—the protection and salvation of Erya.
Eno turned toward them and nodded. Drayce started first, a gun in one hand. As they reached Tomas, the Royal Guard nodded briefly and led them down another street and through the side entrance of a small warehouse. Caelan thought he caught a glimpse of some armed men on the rooftops, watching the street, but they were past them too fast to get a good count.
Stepping inside, Caelan nearly tripped at the sight of at least fifty men and women spread around the open space. Their clothes were worn, dirty, and ragged. Too many of them looked painfully thin, their faces too gaunt. Soldiers and citizens left to fight for their homes on too little food. Caelan needed to fix this now.
“Your Majesty,” Tomas said, jerking Caelan’s gaze to him. The old soldier had dropped to one knee, his right hand pressed to his chest over his heart, and his head bowed. “My life for Erya. My blood for the crown. My soul for the Godstone.”
A wave crashed through the room as every man and woman dropped to a knee and repeated the vow. It was the same vow every soldier gave when they entered the Royal Guard. They lived it. As long as they were a Royal Guard, they were expected to give everything to the protection of Erya, the crown, and the Godstone. It was why none of them dared to marry until after they retired from service. They allowed nothing to come between them and the vow.
Caelan was left shaken to his very core. It was as if all the air had been sucked from the room and a thousand-pound weight had settled on his shoulders. This was what it meant to be king. Their lives were in his hands. From this day forward, his every decision would impact whether these people lived or died. He vowed that he would never take that responsibility lightly.
Placing a hand on Tomas’s shoulder, Caelan squeezed it and fought for air so he could finally say, “Rise, Captain Tomas Soto. Erya accepts your life. The crown cherishes your blood. The Goddess blesses your soul.”
Catch up with Book 1: Steal The Wind
The Godstone Saga, Book 1
Everything Caelan knows about his world is a lie.
A war is brewing. As the crown prince of Erya, it’s only natural that Caelan is sent on a secret diplomatic mission to support one of the kingdom’s allies. With his advisor, his bodyguard, and his best friend as traveling companions, what could go wrong?
Everything.
Everything goes wrong.
Now they are on the run, dodging assassins, setting secret meetings, and even making deals with a sleeping god.
So, this is probably a really bad time to cave to feelings he’s been fighting for his best friend. But Drayce has owned his heart for more years than he can count and if he’s going to die, shouldn’t he have just one kiss?
The fate of the world is on the line, and only Caelan holds the power to save them all.
Steal the Wind is the first book in the six-book Godstone Saga fantasy series and is not a standalone. The story contains explosions, secrets, cranky gods, hidden romance, a prince on the run, a possessive ex-boyfriend, magic, and lots of delicious angst.
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Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Breath Of Life, Jocelynn is giving away 5 Signed Paperback Copies of Breath Of Life and the giveaway is open internationally!!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57349/?
About the Author:
New York Times Bestselling author Jocelynn Drake loves a good story, whether she is reading it or writing one of her own. Over the years, her stories have allowed her to explore space, talk to dragons, dodge bullets with assassins, hang with vampires, and fall in love again and again.
This former Kentucky girl has moved up, down, and across the U.S. with her husband. Recently, they’ve settled near the Rockies.
When she is not hammering away at her keyboard, she can be found walking her dog Ace or playing video games. She loves Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, and fast cars.
She is the author of the urban fantasy series: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. She recently completed a gay romantic suspense series called The Exit Strategy about two assassins falling in love and trying to create a life together as well as a paranormal romance series following a family of vampires called the Lords of Discord.
Connect with Jocelynn:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jocelynn.drake/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jocelynndrakedarlings
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JocelynnDrake
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelynn.drake/
Website: jocelynndrake.com
Friday, November 12, 2021
Take You There by Willa Okati - Release Blitz with Excerpt and Giveaway
Title: Take You There
Series: Second Chance Omegas #4
Author: Willa Okati
Publisher: Changeling Press, LLC
Release Date: November 12, 2021
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 103 pages
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, New Adult, Mpreg, Action Adventure, Second Chance Romance, Gay, Single Parents/Pregnancy, Medical Romance, Urban Fantasy, paranormal romance
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Synopsis
Thoughtful, quiet, and just a wee bit on the dryly sarcastic side, Ethan teaches music at the university in Second Chance. With barely enough time to breathe between hysterical students and faculty shenanigans, he’s not looking for Mr. Right -- just Mr. Right Now -- and only when the moment calls for it. The beautiful man who calls himself “Blue” in a quick, dirty alley encounter should have satisfied him. But now Ethan can’t get Blue out of his mind, and can’t seem to stop looking for him.
Carter --”Blue” when he wants to stay anonymous -- wears his scars on the inside, but they’re deep and still bleeding. He doesn’t venture far outside his antique & pawn shop unless he’s desperate for someone to touch and hold him and make him feel good for a little while. He promised himself he would never want more again. The smoldering musician who caught his eye, and what they did in the alley, should have been enough. That should have been the end of it.
It wasn’t. It isn’t. Their encounter left him pregnant, and he’s been frozen since then, not knowing how to break free of his shell or what he should do. Until Ethan finds him -- and then, everything changes. Again.
Author’s Note: Also featuring Oscar, everybody’s favorite sarcastic best friend. We all need an Oscar in our lives.
Excerpt
Take You There (Second Chance Omegas 4)
Willa Okati
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2021 Willa Okati
Was there a place like this in Second Chance?
Of course there was. Carter’s lips curved wryly around the rim of the highball glass he held to his lips. There was always a place like this no matter where you went. It just depended on whether who you asked knew what you wanted. And if you wanted a bar that didn’t serve chicken wings but did pour good beer and better tequila and top-shelf vodka, you wanted the bar called Speakeasy, just off Main Street. You could only get in through the back door and only if you knew where and how to knock, but once you did…
It wasn’t a place where everyone knew your name, but for most people there, that wasn’t even close to the point and sometimes --
Carter kept to himself when he could, lived silently and solitary, and he’d chosen that kind of life on purpose. It was better that way. Safer. He could watch his twelve and his six, and he could walk away from anything before it overwhelmed him. But sometimes --
Sometimes, he needed this.
Tucked quietly and carefully in one corner of the room, he kept the rim of a glass of tequila at his mouth, but only for show; he’d already sipped his way through two shots. Enough to work the tension out of his knotted muscles, but not so much that he’d do something he’d regret in the morning. Or if he did, to know it’d been worth it.
Carter’s hand spasmed around his glass, remembering it all too keenly, and knew he’d keep remembering until --
He should have turned the radio at his antique-slash-junk shop workbench off as soon as the first broadcast about the quarry disaster came through, but it’d caught him before he could switch the app off and he’d been lost. Drowning in it. He’d spent the day ignoring a workbench full of things that needed repairing, fixated on the steady voice of the broadcaster droning on and on and on with the lists of missing, injured, dead. On and on and on. Heartbreak after heartbreak after heartbreak, and he’d felt them all. Even now he could feel the echoes in his chest, cracking with each one --
He knew better.
Carter rubbed the heel of his palm against his eyes. He’d always been like that, ever since he was a kid. Too sensitive, even if he’s probably going to be an Omega, they’d said. Strange, even for someone with -- you know -- his kind of bloodline, and everyone knows how they are.
So.
He’d taken that to heart too. He’d learned how to turn himself off -- but too well. Even if he hadn’t intended it, he’d gone too far in the other direction. Unless he was as careful as careful could be and didn’t slip up as he had with the radio, it took him so long to warm up to people and let them in that it turned them off, made them look at him oddly and give him a wide berth.
What’d happened today at the quarry wasn’t about him. Carter knew that.
But if he ever wanted to sleep again, he needed this.
Carter tilted his head back and gulped, letting the whole shot burn its way down his throat. He came up breathless, but -- better. Much better, even if it left him gasping and with his heart pounding. He lightly thumped the heel of his shoe on wooden floorboards worn smooth from years of others doing the same. The owner, who set the playlists every night, had a sense of occasion. No wailing jazz or mournful blues tonight. Just hard, driving beats that made a man want to shout, stomp his boots, pump his fists to the sky.
To dance, and --
To erase everything except feeling good for a little while. To fuck.
Fuck, no playing around, no sugarcoating it. A soundtrack like this demanded hard kisses and hands on harder bodies from anyone who was willing, who was able, and who was old enough to know better but still didn’t give a damn.
But who?
Carter ran a finger around the rim of his glass as he searched the room and sorted through his options. The locals all knew him here. He had to do his hunting among the new-to-town men, but there were plenty. Firemen and rescue crews who’d done their jobs and been turned loose to celebrate, for one. Graduate students, a whole crop of them.
A few who weren’t nearly so easy to pin down. Those were the ones he wanted. Carter wanted that, to chase after the distraction they provided.
Or to be chased, instead. That was new.
Carter could feel one of them watching him. Staring at him. He wasn’t sure how long the man had been looking. He might have started while Carter emptied his glass and had his throat on display; that would have piqued any Alpha’s interest. Slowly, slowly, he swept the room, searching.
Finding.
There. Someone he’d never seen before. An Alpha in a dark green shirt, well-worn jeans that hugged his ass, and scuffed leather boots. Long hair pulled up in a messy knot -- to hell with fashion for this guy, he clearly liked what he liked and he liked his man-bun -- and a feral grin. Lean as a lone wolf in early spring but lined with lean muscle and blessed with a sense of rhythm. He’d probably had just as many drinks as Carter, or more, but he could still keep up with the beat, swinging his hips and raising his hands to the roof.
When Carter met his hot, interested stare, the Alpha raised an eyebrow in both dare and invitation.
Yes. That. Him.
Purchase
Changeling Press, LLC | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
Meet the Author
Willa Okati (AKA Will) is made of many things: imagination, coffee, stray cat hairs, daydreams, more coffee, kitchen experimentation, a passion for winter weather, a little more coffee, a whole lot of flowering plants and a lifelong love of storytelling. Will's definitely one of the quiet ones you have to watch out for, though he -- not she anymore -- is a lot less quiet these days.Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram
Giveaway
One lucky winner will receive a $10.00 Changeling Press Gift Code!
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Elliot, Song of the Soulmate by Anyta Sunday - Blog Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway
Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Elliot, Song Of The Soulmate
By Anyta Sunday
Love, Austen (Book 5)
When you have the love of your life, you hold on tight.
You don’t let go.
Debate champ extraordinaire Elliot Anneston is a master in persuasion. He wins at everything. Until he meets sexy Scottish transfer Wentworth McAllister. Suddenly he doesn’t know what’s up and what’s up. The world is a whirlwind of feeling, and when it comes to the debate of his life, to lose is inevitable. How can he not, when his argument is a lie?
I can’t love you. I don’t.
When you lose the love of your life, you don’t get a second chance.
Or do you?
~ ~ ~
"Elliot, Song Of The Soulmate" is a contemporary gay retelling of Jane Austen's "Persuasion".
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Excerpt:
“Annnnd, excuse us.” Elliot cuffed Wentworth around the arm and pulled. And pulled. “Yeah, you’re going to have to move, big boy.”
“Big boy?” Wentworth looked intrigued.
“Stop it.”
“Man, the big boy bit was all you.”
“You make me funny in the head.” Elliot pulled more insistently and Wentworth folded into it, allowing himself to be dragged out into the foyer. The heat under the soft material of his sweater made Elliot’s hand feel weirdly light. He let go hurriedly. “We can’t be friends now.”
“Why not?”
“I’d never be able to bring you home and look my mum in the face again.”
“You can always hang out on The Frederick. My houseboat.”
Elliot halted. “Your what now?”
“Dad and Jane and I live on a boat. I have no problems bringing you home and looking him in the face.”
“I don’t swim. I’m not hopping on a boat.”
Wentworth was once again leaning against a wall, one foot crossed over the other, arms folded, lazy smile tipping his lips. “If we cannae hang oot at your place, and you wullnae set foot on mine . . .”
“Exactly! Whatever weird fancy you had here, it’s a lost cause.”
Wentworth narrowed his eyes in concentration. “Elliot?”
He pushed off the wall; it halved the distance between them to a foot. One silly little foot, and it was both the shortest and the longest distance of Elliot’s life. Their eyes met. Such a brilliant, midnight blue . . .
“I’m a very stubborn guy. Think of me like an oak, roots deep in the ground. Immoveable. When I make my mind up about something, I see it through. And my mind was made up last night. I want—”
“To get to know me,” Elliot finished for him, hands on hips, frowning.
“Yes, but more than that.”
“You want to be my friend.”
“More than that.”
“My best friend?”
Wentworth shook his head.
Elliot froze and whispered, “My boyfriend?”
Wentworth paused, and again shook his head. Elliot wrung out a relieved breath. Electricity shot around his body at the mere thought of being Wentworth’s boyfriend. Unbearable.
Yes, unbearable. But . . . Also thrilling?
Wentworth met Elliot’s eye. “I want to be your husband.”
Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Elliot, Song of the Soulmate, Anyta is giving away an e-set of the "Love, Austen" Series so far (5 eBooks)!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57324/?
About the Author:
I'm a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.
Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.
I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of emotion, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.
My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.
Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/about-anyta/
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http://www.anytasunday.com/newsletter-free-e-book/
Contact Anyta:
Join my Facebook group to chat all things Slow Burn Romance:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SlowBurnSundays/
You can also find me here: www.anytasunday.com
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Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Ice Angels by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood - Release Blitz with Excerpt & Giveaway
Title: Ice Angels
Author: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Publisher: Wainscott Press
Release Date: 10/29/2021
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 200
Genre: Romance, Gay hockey romance, Gay holiday romance
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Synopsis
Drew and Cleevs love hockey, but they love each other more. How can the men find a way to save what matters most?
Todd Cleever and Drew Simon are crazy about each other. They started dating three years ago when “Cleevs” was a rookie defenseman for the Chicago Ice. Drew, the team’s captain, was a few years older than Cleevs. Both men were deep in the closet, but it didn’t take long for them to fall in love.
Cleevs was traded to the Bethesda Barracudas a year later, causing a heartbreaking separation. Ever since, they’ve skated around the problem with occasional stolen nights together and brief vacations under the guise of “friends,” but two years of living apart have taken their toll.
As the holiday approaches, Drew and Cleevs decide things have to change. Still, with their careers and two professional hockey teams in the way, how can they score the game-winning goal and save everything they cherish most?
If you like fierce love, a smallish age gap, exciting hockey, and a steely determination to make things work—not to mention enough steam to fog up all your windows and a fantastic HEA—this is the book for you. The novella contains about 43,000 words of sparkling holiday romance.
Excerpt
I arrived at the Hilton about three o’clock. Todd wasn’t due for another couple of hours, so I took a shower and dressed in jeans and an Ice T-shirt. Afterward, I switched on the TV but was too excited to be still, and I must have walked back and forth to the window a hundred times. When the news came on, I settled into a chair to watch. Someone knocked on the door a few minutes later.
Running over, I pulled it open, and there he was. Wearing a gray peacoat and matching beanie, with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, Todd looked like a Hollywood heartthrob. He broke into a crooked grin.
“Hey.” My breath had caught in my throat, and I couldn’t get anything else out. “Hey.”
My pulse raced as my sight and hearing went into overdrive. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.
“Drew? You think I could come in?”
“Oh yeah.” I grinned and stepped aside. “Please.”
He rolled his suitcase in and set it and his messenger bag beside the dresser while I made sure the door was locked. When I turned, he placed a finger on the tip of my nose and traced it down to my lips. “You get more beautiful every time I see you.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
He reached for me, and I relaxed into the safety of his arms. The relief of being held was profound. As a hockey player and captain of all my teams since high school, I’d always had to be
strong. Before I met Todd, as a closeted gay man, I rarely had hookups because there was too much risk of being recognized. When I occasionally met up with someone, what we did wasn’t about affection or support; it was about getting off.
“Love you, Drew.
“Oh, Todd.” I nibbled his lip, and when he hugged me tighter and kissed me, the heavy burden of my loneliness fell away. I relaxed for the first time in a while.
“I’m happy you could come and spend the night,” he whispered between kisses. I leaned back to look at him. His face was flushed, and his eyes were already dark with arousal. Sliding a hand up his back, I cupped his head. His mouth twitched as I moved in, and he moaned softly when our lips touched. I pressed against him, not ready for the moment to end but needing more.
Slowly, he glided his hands down my back to my butt, and we teased each other. When he licked my lips and probed softly, I opened for him. His tongue reassured me somehow, and I sucked it while my senses did somersaults. Hints of cedarwood and iris, mixed with his soft musk, surrounded me. We were both hard, and a thrill flickered up my spine as we rubbed our cocks together. Tiny, needy sounds filled the air while we enjoyed a taste of what was to come. I pulled away, took his hand, and started toward the bed. “Come with me.” He didn’t move, and I turned to look at him.
“I should shower. It’s been a long day, and I’m not at my freshest.”
Taking a step forward, I gave him another kiss and whispered, “I like you this way, remember? My sweaty D-man.”
He gulped a breath. “Lead on, then.”
We took our time undressing each other. When I removed Todd’s shirt, I gaped at his impressive physique as always: brawny arms, massive pecs, and a rippling six-pack. A large tattoo, a beautiful depiction of a wolf in the forest, ran from the nape of his neck to the middle of his back. Todd said it symbolized loyalty and family, as well as a willingness to become ferocious to protect what was dear to him. He’d told me he wanted to have one about us done on his chest—over his heart—and we’d design it together when our relationship was no longer a secret.
ICE ANGELS Copyright © 2021 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood. All Rights Reserved.
Purchase at Amazon or BookBub
Meet the Authors
Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh enjoy travel, friends, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. Ryan also loves to swim, and Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. The romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men.
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Giveaway
Monday, November 1, 2021
Steal The Wind by Jocelynn Drake - Release Blitz with Excerpt and Giveaway
Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Steal The Wind
By Jocelynn Drake
The Godstone Saga, Book 1
Everything Caelan knows about his world is a lie.
A war is brewing. As the crown prince of Erya, it’s only natural that Caelan is sent on a secret diplomatic mission to support one of the kingdom’s allies. With his advisor, his bodyguard, and his best friend as traveling companions, what could go wrong?
Everything.
Everything goes wrong.
Now they are on the run, dodging assassins, setting secret meetings, and even making deals with a sleeping god.
So, this is probably a really bad time to cave to feelings he’s been fighting for his best friend. But Drayce has owned his heart for more years than he can count and if he’s going to die, shouldn’t he have just one kiss?
The fate of the world is on the line, and only Caelan holds the power to save them all.
Steal the Wind is the first book in the six-book Godstone Saga fantasy series and is not a standalone. The story contains explosions, secrets, cranky gods, hidden romance, a prince on the run, a possessive ex-boyfriend, magic, and lots of delicious angst.
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Excerpt:
“I know Drayce drives you insane, but your skill and experience in the field will help Drayce immensely. If you want him to be a skilled protector, he needs to see one in action.”
A slow grin spread across Eno’s lips as he stared at Rayne. He leaned a little closer to the man on his left, his voice dropping. “Would you like it if I took you under my wing as well?”
The flush that had started to dissipate returned, and his eyes went wide. His lips parted into a small O but no sound came out except a sort of choking. Rayne Laurent was adorable when he was flustered. Was it strange that Eno lived for this? That pull to lean in those last few inches and capture that soft, surprised mouth in a long, drugging kiss grew stronger. He wanted to feel all the stiffness leave Rayne’s tense frame and have him melt into his body.
Awareness sparked between them, and Rayne licked his bottom lip. It was almost like waving a red flag in front of a bull. He was tired of holding himself back. He wanted to finally end this dance that had gone on for too many years.
He wanted Rayne. He’d wanted Rayne from the first moment the advisor had looked down his sharp slender nose at him, those jade-green eyes watching from behind wire-rimmed glasses with an almost calculated coldness. At first, it had been about breaking the man, making him give in to the need and passion that had to burn within his rigid exterior.
But as the years passed and they got to know each other, it became less about breaking him and making him submit and more about offering comfort and relief. Rayne held himself to such a high standard that there was no room for mistakes. He strove for a perfection that was simply exhausting and as far as Eno could see, he didn’t have anyone he felt safe being himself around. No wall of perfection.
He wanted to be Rayne’s safe space.
Book 2: Breath Of Life
Releasing November 12th
The Godstone Saga, Book 2
Caelan want his throne back.
The bargain has been struck, and it’s time to return home.
But the situation is worse in Erya than he previously suspected.
Now he has to fight for his birthright, and maybe get a little revenge in the process.
Breath of Life is the second book in the six-book Godstone Saga fantasy series and is not a standalone. The story contains explosions, gods with secret plans, hidden romance, a prince set on revenge, magic, and lots of delicious angst.
Pre-Order Universal Link
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Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Steal The Wind, Jocelynn is giving away 5 Signed Paperback Copies of Steal The Wind and the giveaway is open internationally!!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57336/?
About the Author:
New York Times Bestselling author Jocelynn Drake loves a good story, whether she is reading it or writing one of her own. Over the years, her stories have allowed her to explore space, talk to dragons, dodge bullets with assassins, hang with vampires, and fall in love again and again.
This former Kentucky girl has moved up, down, and across the U.S. with her husband. Recently, they’ve settled near the Rockies.
When she is not hammering away at her keyboard, she can be found walking her dog Ace or playing video games. She loves Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, and fast cars.
She is the author of the urban fantasy series: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. She recently completed a gay romantic suspense series called The Exit Strategy about two assassins falling in love and trying to create a life together as well as a paranormal romance series following a family of vampires called the Lords of Discord.
Connect with Jocelynn:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jocelynn.drake/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jocelynndrakedarlings
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JocelynnDrake
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelynn.drake/
Website: jocelynndrake.com
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