Christmas is the time for giving, and Totally Bound and Pride Publishing are running a fabulous giveaway to celebrate the release of all the books in the We Three Kings collection. (That, of course, includes Temporary Angel, my reverse menage romance about a woman who adopts the persona of her burlesque dancing best friend, and the three hot men who come into her life over a very memorable Christmas.)
The prize is a $50 First for Romance gift card, which you can spend on enough ebooks to see you into the New Year and beyond, and entering couldn’t be easier. Simply click on the cover image below to go to the Raffelcopter giveaway.
And you can pick up a copy of Temporary Angel at First For Romance, Amazon US or Amazon UK. Good luck with the competition and happy reading!
My guest at the Naughty Corner today is Nic Starr. Hi, Nic! Thanks for stopping by as you celebrate the release of your new book, Sea of Love.
Thanks so much for having me. It’s great to be here. I’m excited about the release of Sea of Love and happy for the opportunity to tell you more about it.
Nic Starr
First off, can you tell us how Sea of Love came about.
It all started with an idea a group of authors had about setting a series of stories on a cruise ship. Unfortunately, the group project didn’t come to be, but the seed had been planted. I loved the idea of the cruise boat setting and thought combining it with a reality TV show would be a lot of fun.
How much research was involved in writing the book?
Nic: To be honest, I made it easy on myself. Firstly, I’ve been on a number of cruises and this one is a Hawaii to Sydney cruise, something I did back in 2018. It was fun to review the old itinerary and take a walk down memory lane with all the videos and photos that I took on that trip. Secondly, I knew I was writing this book (yes, it’s taken that long to complete it LOL) so I’d kept the cruise daily ‘newspaper’ that was left in our cabin each day so I could see all the ship’s activities. However, I did jump on the internet and to check out all the locations and I did research on TV show production.
Do you have a favourite character—Harry or Evan?
I have a soft spot for both guys. They are similar in a lot of ways; both of them really care about other people’s feelings and go out of their way to support their friends. In Harry’s case, way too much! He is guilted into accompanying his horrible ex-boyfriend on the cruise. Lucky for him because he reunited with Evan, but I wanted to give him a good shake for allowing himself to be put into the situation in the first place.
Tell us a bit about what you are working on next.
This may be a bit of a surprise for those who know my writing, but I’m working on a paranormal romance! As I usually write sweet contemporary romance, it’s been fun to try my hand at a something a little different. I’m also co-writing this book with another author and that’s been a lovely refreshing change to my usual process. The book will most likely be released in early 2022.
The cruise of a lifetime. A reality TV show about romance. Falling in love is inevitable.
Evan Williams is the type of guy to stick by his friends, especially when they’ve been hurt and need a favour. And if that favour involves the cruise of a lifetime, then how can he say no? Even when it means pretending to be a devoted boyfriend to Amber and having their fake relationship play out on a reality TV show for all the world to see.
Realising his boyfriend is a conceited jerk and dumping him doesn’t stop Harry Bishop from winding up as one half of a supposedly loved-up couple on the Sea of Love TV show. And if that’s not bad enough, he’s faced with temptation in the form of Evan, the perfect blend of boy-next-door-meets-sexy-stud he once crushed on. It’s going to be a long two weeks.
Two weeks of competitions, challenges, and confrontations. They’re here to take out the Sea of Love title—just not with each other—and there can only be one winner. But it turns out that true love isn’t about winning a contest; the real prize comes when you follow your heart.
Sea of Love is a feel-good romance featuring hidden attraction, fake relationships, and friends-to-lovers.
Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.
Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!
When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family–an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters–and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.
This giveaway is to celebrate the release of Sea of Love. Up for grabs is a set of five gay romance ebooks—Wild Card, Lies & Deception, More Than A Superstar, Rustic Melody, and Fragile Heart—by Nic Starr.
I’m very happy to have authors Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood here today. Their new holiday-hockey romance, Nice Catching You, has just been released. Ryan and Josh are not only co-authors, but they’re married in real life. Let’s get right into things, guys. Why do you write, and when did you start?
RYAN: We began writing our first book, No Brief Affair, in mid-2017, after we got home from our honeymoon. Our love story was and is a beautiful thing, and we were so incredibly proud of what we had. We wanted to honor and celebrate it. A lot of our own story is in that book.
JOSH: That’s right. There’s a lot of fiction in there, but much of it is either true or closely related to real events.
Is that true of all your books?
RYAN: Only in the sense that we can’t write without putting something of ourselves into the characters. I’m not sure any author can to be honest.
JOSH: There’s more true or somewhat-true material in Legally Bound simply because it’s the continuation of No Brief Affair.
Let’s move to the new book, Nice Catching You. What is it about?
JOSH: Nice Catching You tells the story of two lonely young men, Nick and Jacob, who find each other. Nick is a nationally known college hockey star who’s never found his way out of the closet. Jacob is a law student at Nick’s university. He’s been out for a long time but had no luck with love.
RYAN: Since Nick is a celebrity, it doesn’t take long for word of the romance to spread. Once it does, some people go nuts. National news reporters flood the college, the university administration freaks out, fans are all over the place, and Nick’s team and coaches are split in their responses.
JOSH: That’s the book’s conflict, and the story is about how Nick and Jacob deal with it. We always have happy endings, so it isn’t a question of whether the guys will get one, but how.
You’ve said the book deals with the issue of homophobia in sports. Can you explain that?
RYAN: I think the better way to say it is that Nice Catching You shines a light on the issue. There’s homophobia in organized sports, for sure. But there are also many decent, open people who support a person’s right to live an authentic life.
JOSH: People who realize that the sex of the person a player loves has nothing to do with their ability or value as a player.
RYAN: There’s never been an openly gay player for an NHL team while he was actively playing, but that’s going to change, probably soon. There are already openly gay players in college and junior hockey, and they’re outstanding.
JOSH: The smart people who run professional hockey teams aren’t going to exclude some of the best players out there simply because they’re gay.
If there are already gay college and junior players, what is the point of your story?
RYAN: Look, we’re sitting here talking about how there actually are openly gay players now. It’s something worth commenting about. Recently, a top junior hockey player came out, and it was big news. It’s still an unusual, controversial thing.
JOSH: Nice Catching You is timely and relevant because a player’s being gay is big news, and people are divided about whether it’s “right for the sport.”
RYAN: Josh and I look forward to the day when a player is no more newsworthy for being gay than for being straight.
That sounds great. What would you say to people who ask why they should read NiceCatching You?
RYAN: It’s a beautiful love story involving a great sport. The book is cute, funny, and full of hope.
JOSH: There’s a serious side, but it’s a happy book. After the year we’ve all had, people need something to help them believe it’s possible to overcome difficult situations.
RYAN: If you want something to give you lots of feels, and to bring the holiday season alive with its promise of hope and good tidings, Nice Catching You is the book to read.
One last very important question. Is there any actual hockey in the book?
RYAN: Get out of here! There’s great hockey in the book.
JOSH: Nick is the top college hockey star in the country. What kind of book wouldn’t have him playing the game?
RYAN: Read it and see. You’ll love the action!
Sounds awesome to me. I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for being with us, guys, and good luck with the book. It’s Nice Catching You: A Holiday Love Story.
Interview by Jerome Clark
Nice Catching You is available at Amazon for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback.
What happens when the No. 1 college hockey star in the country falls in love—with a man?
Nick Johnson, a top prospect for a pro hockey team, has a secret: he’s gay. Tired of living in the closet for the sport he loves, he sees no way out.
Jacob Meyer’s string of bad boyfriends left him cynical about love. Instead, he focuses on his studies as a third-year law student. With a new job waiting for him, he’s eager to graduate and move on.
On a school-sponsored trip, Nick and Jacob meet in a most unexpected way. When Nick tells Jacob his secret, they decide to hang out, just as friends. But their attraction is too strong to ignore, and they soon begin dating.
Since Nick is a big man on campus, it doesn’t take long for people to notice his attachment to Jacob. All hell breaks loose when the relationship gets out. As the national media descends, university officials try to figure out how to solve their “problem.” Their efforts divide Nick’s team, inflame fans, and put Nick and Jacob’s futures in jeopardy. Will the men be able to survive a plot to destroy them without derailing both their careers?
Nice Catching You is an out-for-you romance featuring a lot of love, exciting hockey, and a beautiful holiday. There’s also plenty of steam and a very happy ending.
Excerpt
JACOB
Sunday, December 4
I haven’t been on many buses, but I was starting to think I might die on this one. The snow began falling before we left Whiteface Mountain early in the afternoon, not unusual for one of the top ski resorts in the Northeast. We were due in Syracuse before six, and I hoped the weather didn’t delay us much. The last week of classes would start the next day, and I had work to do.
The snow was coming down hard, and by the time we reached I-87, I could see very little out the window. Many of the cars had pulled over to the side, and others were creeping along with their hazards flashing. Our bus joined the traffic and immediately began slipping all over the road.
With fifty-odd college students on the trip, there had been a lot of noise when we left the resort, but nerves had soon taken over, and people were mostly quiet now. I sat alone, three rows from the back of the bus, trying to read a case for Federal Courts. With only one more semester of law school to go, I needed to do well. A big firm in Boston offered me a job right before Thanksgiving, contingent on my maintaining a 3.8 GPA. Pulling a C in Fed Courts would bring me slightly under the requirement. Although I had high hopes for a job in DC, I couldn’t risk losing the Boston offer.
Between the bus sliding in the snow and the constant chatter from the guys in the seat behind me, I couldn’t concentrate at all. They were hockey players, and they kept up a conversation about the game, other players, cars, and whatever else dumb undergrad jocks talk about. They were the only people behind me except for their friend, who was passed out on a seat in the back.
Whoa! The rear end of the bus lurched violently into the left lane. I tried to grab something to hold onto, but I was already airborne by the time I dropped the heavy casebook. Hands grabbed my shoulders but didn’t slow my momentum. Dreading the impact with the seat across the aisle, I screwed my eyes shut and held my breath. All at once, something stopped me. Rather, someone stopped me, and that someone had brawny arms and a hard body. He’d caught me in midair.
“You all right?”
“What?” On my back in the man’s arms, facing the top of the bus, I couldn’t see much. I turned my head, trying to find out who had hold of me.
“Everything okay?”
I craned my neck in the other direction just as he leaned over, and it was—shit!—one of the hockey guys who’d been sitting behind me. I’d seen him over the weekend with his buddies, at least one of whom had laughed at me the whole time. Now they’d laugh even harder, and I’d be known as the skinny little runt who couldn’t even stay in his seat—the twit who had to be rescued by a real man.
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.
Ryan and Joshua are offering one lucky reader the chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card. You can enter via the Rafflecopter page – just click here. Good luck!
This tour was organised by Indigo Marketing and Design
If you love reading hot romance ebooks (and you must, because you’re here), then you won’t want to miss the new competition from Totally Entwined, the people behind the Totally Bound and Pride Publishing imprints. They’re offering the chance to win a Kindle E-reader to everyone who enters between now and October 31st, and if you share details of the competition, you’ll also be on your way to claiming a free e-book. Just click here to enter – good luck!
My guest today is Londra Laine, talking about her thought-provoking new MM romance novel, Living On The Inside. Londra, it’s great to have you at the Naughty Corner.
Thanks for having me! I’m so thrilled to be featured on the blog and to share a little about my new release Living on the Inside. This is my third self-published book and it marks my one-year authorversary. Here is a little background about what inspired the book.
Adrien and Micah have both spent much of their lives feeling like outsiders and then they meet each other. Micah is formerly incarcerated and out of work. He’s living in his baby mama’s guest house, trying to reconnect with thirteen-year-old son. Adrien is a successful business owner with a traumatic secret he’s been carrying around. Neither of them are looking for a relationship, and at first glance, the two seem like an unlikely pair. Adrien is Micah’s boss, they’ve had different upbringings, and neither of them trusts themselves. But eventually the co-workers become friends, then lovers and there is plenty of tension along the way.
For this book, I didn’t want the central point of tension to be the stereotypical bigoted families or the evil female ex. I wanted to show what I’ve personally experienced and seen with a lot of my own friends and family. Exes with great relationships and friendship, families that love and support their LGBTQ family member, but may have other family tension and problems. Bigotry won’t ever go away and I certainly don’t want to downplay that in any way. But I really wanted to focus on other family dynamics where my characters’ orientation isn’t central to the conflict.
My main characters are also an interracial couple. You should know that I am black, so writing black characters comes naturally to me and I understand the black experience first hand But I will say, the black experience is a human experience. As a kid, I saw more negative portrayals of black people than positive, so it’s important to me to show that black people are just people. We are multidimensional with the same interests, worries, and dreams as everyone else.
The Bright Bean coffee shop, Adrien’s cafe in the book, is inspired by a coffee shop I began frequenting when I was about thirteen, much like Caleb. I did community theater as a teenager and needed a place to do my homework between the end of school and the start of rehearsal, so I’d study at a coffee shop near the theater and rehearsal space. Whenever I go back home, I still visit the coffee shop.
Thanks for reading this guest post and I hope that you take a chance on Micah and Adrien! To learn more about my works in progress you can follow me on Twitter at @LondraLaine or on Facebook at @LondraLaineWrites
Title: Living on the Inside
Author: Londra Laine
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: About 55,000 words
Genre: Romance, single dad, gay romance, interracial, ex-con, domestic abuse, work romance
Micah Grayson lives in his baby mama’s guesthouse. It’s unconventional and awkward, but he’s happy for a chance to reconnect with his teenage son. He doesn’t have time for other distractions—no matter how sexy, independent, and compassionate that distraction might be. Besides, he’s not good enough for more than a fling—no one would ever take him home to meet their parents.
Adrien Darling has book smarts, but no street savvy—at least that’s what his family says. And after a heart-breaking betrayal by the man meant to love and protect him, Adrien believes them. But then a gorgeous guy with a defeated look in his eyes walks into Adrien’s coffee shop and makes him want to take a chance.
After years of living on the outside as two misfits looking in, both men are afraid to reach for more. But in each other’s arms, Micah and Adrien find out what it’s like to live on the inside. As their tender bond grows and blossoms, old insecurities bubble to the surface. Will their commitment crumble under the pressure? Or will the two find the strength to fight for each other.
Please be aware that this book contains a flashback of and several references to domestic abuse that may be triggering to some readers.
“Is that what we are?” Micah asked quietly. “Friends?”
“Yeah,” Adrien answered. “I hope so.”
Then he was surrounded by Micah’s body. Adrien hesitated for a moment before returning the other man’s embrace, locking his arms around Micah’s torso. A few seconds into the hug all the reasons why he needed to pull away from Micah—now—raced through his mind. But he couldn’t make himself do it.
Adrien had been fighting his attraction, but the man had slipped past Adrien’s defenses. Micah’s earnest joy at making progress with his son. His trust in Adrien as he shared his insecurities. His nonjudgmental attitude. Their growing friendship. All those things made him feel strong and needed. Adrien wanted more of that feeling. He leaned into Micah.
Micah sighed as he squeezed Adrien tighter, and Adrien’s body sagged against him, the fight against his attraction to Micah leaving his body. He tucked his head into the crook of Micah’s shoulder, and gave in to defeat, breathing in the salty sweet scent of Micah’s skin, running his palms up the man’s back.
The scent and feel of Micah was heady, and Adrien’s head swam as he let his eyelids flutter shut, let his lips graze the exposed skin between Micah’s neck and shoulder. Micah tensed against him and his breath hitched, making Adrien wonder if he’d gone too far. But then Micah’s palm slid up Adrien’s neck, cupping his nape, grazing a thumb along his hairline.
Micah moved his other hand lower, resting it right above Adrien’s ass, his fingers lightly grazing the swell below Adrien’s hips.
“Adrien,” Micah grated out. Adrien pulled back, slowly opening his eyes. Micah licked his lips, his eyes skimming Adrien’s mouth, and then he leaned forward.
Adrien met him halfway, their lips connecting in a kiss. The light brush became a firm press then flared, hot and wet, as Adrien ran the tip of his tongue against the seam of Micah’s lips. Micah submitted to Adrien’s silent request, parting his lips to give Adrien access to his tongue and mouth.
Then a loud honk made them jerk apart as a car sped past them, headlights bright and blinding. Their chests heaved, and Adrien took in Micah’s disheveled hair and damp lips and wondered if he looked nearly as enticing to Micah.
Adrien’s gaze skittered away, and he grimaced, embarrassment replacing the intense need he’d felt moments ago. What was he doing? He knew better than this. He’d been down this road before. He couldn’t get involved with an employee again.
Then a terrible thought occurred to him. What if Micah felt like he had to hook up with Adrien? Had Adrien pressured him in some way? Shit. Negative thoughts tumbled through his mind, making him dizzy. He had to nip this in the bud.
“Micah, about what just happened—”
“Our kiss?” Micah moved closer to him.
Adrien’s eyes wandered, unable to meet Micah’s. “Yeah, the kiss. I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to—I’m sorry.” He shook his head and Micah stopped the motion by gripping Adrien’s chin between his forefinger and thumb. He lifted Adrien’s face to his.
“I’m not sorry.” Micah’s voice was quiet in the night.
Meet the Author:
Londra has loved reading since she figured out how to do it. She writes to give her guys the happy ending she wishes everyone––no matter their race, religion, gender, or orientation––could experience in real life.
Londra makes money as a communications manager. She is a former journalist, a runner and a mezzo soprano.
In 2010, she moved from her native California to New York City where she lived in Harlem for nearly eight years. In early 2018 she relocated to Seattle with her spouse.
Love Bytes, the LGBTQ reviews site, is hosting an exclusive cover reveal today for my upcoming novel The Leprechaun Next Door. Published by Dreamspinner, it’s an MM paranormal romance which asks what would happen if a cute leprechaun offered you three wishes. Would you use them wisely, or would things somehow get out of control despite your best intentions? You’ll be able to find out more when the book is released in March, but to see the cover (which I love) and enter a Rafflecopter contest to win a book from the Dreamspinner catalogue, go to Love Bytes now!
Yes, Tirgearr is celebrating another year of bringing readers the best in romance, mystery, sci-fi and so much more, and just like last year they’re celebrating in style. From today until Sunday there’s a huge sale at Amazon with lots of Tirgearr titles on sale – take a look at the image below to see all the authors taking part.
My book from the City Nights series, One Night In Brussels, is on sale at Amazon US and Amazon UK, so take a look if you like tales of hot romance mixed in with a dash of suspense (and delicious Belgian frites…)
There’s also a Rafflecopter giveaway running between now and March 4th, where you can win a House of Tirgearryen teeshirt and three Tirgearr ebooks of your choice. You can enter at the official Tirgearr site or on the Tirgearr blog. Good luck!
If that’s not enough, you can pick up the teeshirt on sale for $15. Click on the image below to find out more and place your order. And happy birthday, Tirgearr!
My guest today is JL Peridot, author of the stylish and thought-provoking thriller Chasing Sisyphus.
Welcome to the Naughty Corner, JL. Tell us a little about Chasing Sisyphus?
It’s a romantic suspense story about a bounty hunter and a police detective who cross paths while pursuing the same target: a hacker named Sisyphus.
Here’s the problem — Adria needs the payoff to take care of her sick brother, but Rhys has a file on her down at the station. Bounty hunting’s illegal in Basilica City and even his growing attraction to her can’t win out against his sense of duty as a cop.
Eventually, they realise they’re in over their heads. This hacker kid isn’t just a threat to some fat cats’ bank accounts — something bigger is brewing behind the scenes.
What kind of research went into writing the story?
I’m sure my Google search history could implicate me in a crime… I read up on weaponry, psychology, human anatomy and biomechanics. I learned a lot about how misleading TV can be, how simple (while not terribly easy) it is to kill a person, and how the human body responds in violent situations. I study martial arts as a hobby and my partner’s an instructor, which meant we could test out the fight scenes to make sure they were plausible.
The heroine of Chasing Sisyphus is a bounty hunter. If you were a bounty hunter, who would you most like to track down?
The idea of killing someone for money makes me squeamish, so I’d lean towards tracking down missing persons to reunite them with their loved ones. Even if that person turns out to be dead, at least their family can get some closure.
You write in a variety of genres, but what attracts you to science fiction in particular?
For me, sci-fi is an opportunity to consider two big questions:
How can the impossible become possible?, and
Why would that be meaningful to us?
Even if these concepts are only in the background of a story, like they are in this novel, I feel it makes for a fascinating universe. From dumb sci-fi (like The Core) to philosophical sci-fi (like Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke), you’re entertaining crazy ideas that push the boundaries of normality. I just love it.
Is there any genre you actively avoid writing, or that doesn’t interest you as a reader?
If you’d asked me a year ago, I would have said romance. That was when all I knew about the genre came from people complaining the stories were dumb, cheesy, all the same… Of course, you can get that in any genre, because everyone has different tastes and opinions are so subjective! Once I realised romance is what you make it, I was way more open-minded.
I think I’d give most genres a fair go, except maybe certain flavours of BDSM erotica, dubcon and scat.
What are you reading at the moment?
I hope I’m not the only reader juggling several books at once. I’m currently reading Dirty-Good by Evie Bliss, Star Brides: Procured by Pia Manning, One Hit by Jillian Hoff, The Writer’s Guide to Weapons by Benjamin Sobieck, Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan (re-reading!), and working through The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey and the Luna series by Ian McDonald.
What is your next writing project?
A love story set in space. Yeah, sci-Fi again, but less suspense this time — it’s an office romance on a space station.
What is the one thing about you that would surprise people reading this interview?
One of my goals is to be able to write short stories in a language other than English.
Chasing Sisyphus excerpt
Adria hadn’t counted on the tripwire. This kid knew someone would follow him home one day. He’d strung a line of empty soup cans across the apartment hallway. When she kicked that out, a hefty serving of iced water came down squarely on her head. Gooseflesh prickled her neck and shoulders. The muscles in her jaw seized in the cold. Against the shock, she scrambled to her feet, fired up to catch the stomping and crashing in the other room before it got away.
A figure ran past the doorway.
“Stop!” she yelled.
It rounded the corner. Adria gave chase.
She scanned the room. It was dim at best, thanks to the streetlights from outside, but she saw enough. Computer equipment and various peripherals lay strewn across the floor, some still plugged into a transportable battery in the corner, emitting tiny lights and numbers.
A window slammed shut. The glass shattered. Shards crunched and ground beneath Adria’s boots as she hurried in pursuit of her fleeing target.
When she stepped out onto the fire escape, two hands rammed her into the ladder. The whole balcony shuddered from the collision. Pain flared down her shoulder, but she kept her grip on the gun. She held it up with her good arm and fired.
Two shots.
Missed.
She stumbled backward, clutching her burning shoulder, but the railing crumbled under her weight. Adria grabbed what was left of it with both hands as her footing slipped away.
It looked like a four-storey drop. Maybe five if she’d miscounted. Her legs dangled over thin air while from below came the clatter of broken pieces of railing, along with her gun, as they hit the concrete.
Overhead, her target stomped away on the rungs and disappeared onto the roof.
Adria’s shoulder raged. She tried to pull herself up, but couldn’t take the weight with just one good arm. Her feet kicked out, searching for a foothold, but the grill beneath had long withered away to slivers of rust and sharp edges.
Water and sweat dripped into her eyes. She swiped them helplessly on her sleeves and winced as rough seams grazed the skin. The railing creaked in her clammy grip. She could always let go. If she timed her landing right, maybe she’d get away with a broken ankle and a tetanus shot. Surely it only looked like a long way down.
Then she heard a gunshot from inside the apartment.
Blurb:
Bounty hunter Adria Yuan is hot on the trail of her final hit: a notorious hacker wanted by the city’s elite. With the reward, she can pay for her brother’s surgery and finally get out of Basilica City. Trouble is, her line of work’s not exactly legal, and she’s barely staying ahead of the cops who want her target, too.
Detective Rhys Carver may be a little unorthodox, but he’s a good cop. Born and bred in Basilica, he does his part to keep his city clean. As clean as it gets, at least. And with Adria suddenly in his sights, it’s going to take more than falling in love for him to let her go.
As the pair close in on their mark, they are unwittingly drawn into a high profile conspiracy that could thrust the whole of Basilica into chaos. Can Adria and Rhys set aside their differences, and their desires, to save the only home they know?
JL Peridot likes stories with a little danger and only realised in her thirties that falling in love is one of the most dangerous things we do. She favours savoury over sweet, spaces over tabs, and a hearty pub meal over fine dining any day. From her home in sunny Australia, she writes erotic romance, and sometimes just erotica.
I’m being interviewed at Bookmusings, the literature arm of the Witches and Pagans website, today. I’m talking to Rebecca Buchanan about Careful What You Wish For, my story in the Myths Moons and Mayhem paranormal anthology.
To read the interview and find out more about love spells (or at least my version of a love spell), click here. And treat yourself to a copy of Myths Moons and Mayhem to read Rebecca’s fabulous story about magical goings-on at a sleepy university campus, The Secret Of The Golden Cup.
Meanwhile. the anthology’s editor, Dale Cameron Lowry, is running a prize giveaway to promote Myths, Moons And Mayhem. Click on the banner below to enter.
I’m very happy to welcome Sean Michael to the Naughty Corner today, as part of the tour for his very hot new release, A New Way To Dance. It’s very nice to have you here, Sean.
Thank you very much to The Really Naughty Corner for hosting me today!
I’m one of those people who loves writing the sex scenes. It’s my favorite part of writing actually, aside from starting something new and getting to know new characters.
A lot of my guys do their best communicating through sex. They may not say I love you all the time, but they show it.
Also, sex scenes are hot and I enjoy the visceral nitty gritty dirtiness of it. So, I rarely fade to black. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just not my style. Even when you pick up one of my “sweeter” contemporaries, there will still be a couple of explicit sex scenes in the book.
Brook and Seth have plenty of naughty time together. I hope you enjoy reading their sex scenes as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Sean Michael
smut fixes everything
Excerpt:
Matt came over with Seth’s drink. “Sorry for the wait. We’re slammed. Has someone taken your order, sir?”
“Not yet. Can you tell me what’s good?”
“We have an amazing turtle latte—caramel, pecan and chocolate with whipped cream.”
“Oh, that sounds great. And something sweet with caramel to go with it, please.”
“Yes, sir. It shouldn’t be too long.”
When Matt had gone, Brook turned back to Seth. “I have a bit of a thing for caramel. I’ve even started putting it in my beer.”
“You’re still brewing? That’s fabulous.” Seth sipped his latte, enjoying the heat. Autumn was cold this year and he felt it these days deep in his bones.
“I’m doing it full-time now. I moved up here and got a place outside the city where I do the microbrewing. Toronto was too big, too impersonal, just like the lawyering. I gave them both up at the same time.”
The last six years had been good to Brook. He looked happy, easy in his skin.
“Good for you. It’s always cool to hear that someone followed their dream.” Seth had gone with the practical. He had savings, insurance money, and now he had a job that was stable and useful.
“So what are you doing these days?” Brook asked.
“I teach music theory at the university here.”
“Yeah? You like it?” Matt brought Brook’s turtle latte and a slice of turtle cheesecake to go with it. “Thanks,” Brook murmured before turning his attention back to Seth. There was something about the man’s presence that tried to stir stuff inside him. Stuff that had no business stirring.
Seth didn’t do relationships. Hell, he wasn’t interested in getting naked in front of anyone. It was tough enough to do his twice-weekly physio in the pool.
“It’s a good job, good kids.”
“Excellent. I’m glad you found a place.” Brook sounded like he really meant it, too.
“Thanks.” Seth closed his laptop, packed it away. “I’ll leave you to your sweets. It looks like rain and I have a bit of a walk.” And he didn’t do so well when it was slick.
“I can give you a lift if you can wait for me to finish my cheesecake. I’m done with my business here.”
He thought about it and opened his mouth to turn Brook down when the skies opened up, the rain battering at the windows. “Well, if you don’t mind…”
“I don’t. Did you want anything to eat?”
“No, thank you. I never eat after noon.”
Brook blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I only eat in the mornings and then an early lunch. It’s a challenge to keep my weight steady.” Surely that wasn’t unheard of. He knew lots of dancers who did that. It was easier on the teeth than constant vomiting.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. It just doesn’t sound very healthy.”
He shrugged. “I can’t expend the calories I used to. I had to adjust my situation. How’s your cheesecake?”
It was easier to deflect Brook than to deal with the commentary. His entire life was different now. Sometimes he thought about the man he’d been, happy and playful, dancing, in love, but that was an exercise in frustration.
“It’s delicious. Are you sure you don’t want at least a taste?” A forkful was offered over.
Dancer Seth Avery has it all. He’s at the top of his game as a dancer and he’s in love with famous dance director Fayden DelMonaco, the man who is his sub. Seth’s whole world is turned upside down when Fayden dumps him in the nastiest and most public way possible. To compound matters, he’s in near fatal car crash shortly thereafter that leaves him severely injured.
Brook Turner is an ex-lawyer turned micro-brewer, baby-brother of Seth’s best friend Lizzie. The two met briefly before Seth’s accident, but it’s when they meet again six years later that they get a chance to act on the attraction they’d initially felt.
With Brook’s help, Seth begins to heal not only from his residual physical injuries, but also from the emotional ones inflicted by Fayden. Will it be enough to keep the two of them together?
Join Seth and Brooke as they find a new way to dance together.
Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago.”
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
Sean’s available for interviews, by the way. He can always be talked into, well talking about himself. Just drop him an email.
The (Really) Naughty Corner 