 Archie stomped around the floor, and Tom heard the change in sound even before Archie pointed to a spot and growled out, “Dig, cocksucker.” He backed up, giving Tom room. Tom glared, and Archie laughed. “What? You thought it was a big secret? Bet you’ve been doing nuthin’ but thinkin’ ’bout sucking my cock.” Archie gave his crotch a jiggle, and Tom wanted to vomit. He took the shovel and turned his back on Archie, mumbling, “Think again.” Flames lapped along the top of the boiler room door, and as Tom beat the shovel on the floor boards, he refused to think what would happen if the boiler caught fire. “There’s nothing under here. The floor isn’t breaking.” Find many more snippets on the Rainbow Snippets Facebook Group. A Barlow Lens and the entire Circles series is available in eBook, paperback and through Kindle Unlimited.
RELEASE BLITZ 
Book Title: Bedside Manners (Living Situations Book 2) Author and Publisher: Ella Fenn Cover Artist: Mayhem Cover Creations Release Date: May 10, 2022 Genre: Contemporary M/M romance Tropes: Age gap, hurt/comfort, BDSM, hot mountain man, forced proximity Themes: Healing trauma, second chances, coming of age Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 88 000 words It is the second book in the series, so characters from book 1 do show up in it, but the reader doesn’t need to know their story to read this one. The book does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK 
A freak windstorm. A life-changing accident. An unlikely helping hand. Blurb A freak windstorm. A life-changing accident. An unlikely helping hand. After years spent suffering under the weight of his father’s expectations, Max Castillo-Grant is celebrating his shiny new law degree by drinking, partying, and bed-hopping around Seattle. Max isn’t stupid—he knows the good times never last—but if the world’s going to bring him low, he might as well enjoy the high. Six years ago, a broken heart and a deep loss turned Ben Greer bitter and reclusive. Formerly the life of the party, he quit his job, rejected his friends, and hid from the world. Now, he spends his days alone, working on occasional custom carpentry commissions, with only his dog, Judith, for company. Two severe weather events conspire to leave Ben in need of a full-time caretaker for his injuries, and Max in need of a respectable job. Despite a rocky start, Ben is begrudgingly won over by Max’s good humor, and the two form a lasting connection. But emotional wounds leave deep scars, and both Ben and Max are damaged. Can they find a way to heal hurts that go far beyond the physical before it’s too late? The second book in the Living Situations series, Bedside Manners is a gay romance featuring an age gap, BDSM, and 4-6 terrible puns about woodworking. If you like steamy situations, hurt/comfort, and grumpy mountain men, then you’ll love Ella Fenn’s latest novel. Pick up Bedside Manners and let Ben and Max sweep you off your feet today! Excerpt Ben woke to the disconcerting sensation of a tongue between his toes. He sat up, yanking his foot away, and faced down the wet-mouthed perpetrator. Judith sat back on her haunches and grinned, her tongue lolling from her lips as she stared at him with brown eyes that radiated canine intelligence. She was smart enough to know how to get Ben out of bed, at any rate. “Menace,” Ben said, scowling as he scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Delinquent. I oughta take you back to the pound.” Judith gave an impatient yap, her shaggy tail thumping against the hardwood. Ben glanced at the clock and yawned. “All right, all right. I’m coming.” He rose, ignoring the way his knees popped and his neck twinged—forty-five was forty-five—then dressed in his standard flannel and jeans then navigated the maze of boxes that lay between him and the stairs. eBay purchases, mostly, things he’d intended to refurbish and sell but never quite got around to dealing with. Judith led the way downstairs to Ben’s well-stocked kitchen, where he poured a bowl of kibble for her and got coffee brewing for himself before flipping on the radio. “We’ve got a windstorm advisory for Seattle. It’s gonna be a nasty one out there, folks, so if you’re planning on hiking, maybe reconsider,” the announcer said as she detailed the day’s weather. A quick glance out the kitchen windows confirmed her words. The tall pines surrounding Ben’s isolated property were bending under the wind’s assault. “Guess we’re staying in the shop today,” he said, more to himself than to Judith, who was still preoccupied with her food. Not that staying in was a problem—Ben had been doing it every day for the better part of five years. There was plenty of gas in the generator and food in the fridge, so even if the wind blew the power down (which it had been known to do on occasion), he and Jude could stay tucked up and safe for a good long while. Not forever, but… well, forever would be the dream, with unlimited supplies appearing as if by magic. “Come on, little girl,” he said, patting her head. “You wanna get to work?” That got her tail wagging, and Ben grinned. He felt the same way about the workshop, that welcoming cocoon of sawdust and wood awaiting them across the drive. Originally, it had been a two-car garage with a mother-in-law suite overhead, but he’d converted the space into his workshop when he bought the place, putting up a carport between the buildings to link them. The shop was his sanctum sanctorum, full of tools he’d inherited from his father and some shiny new toys he’d purchased to make it perfect. Judith bounded ahead, eager to get to her favorite place—favorite bed, favorite toys, favorite box of treats—and Ben followed, cupping one hand over the top of his mug, the scalding splashes barely registering against the worn calluses he’d built up over the years. No more than half the coffee remained by the time he made it to the workshop and opened the side door. Judith, true to form, was already curled up in her bed, the doggy door Ben had installed years before having allowed her ease of access. “Shit,” he said, leaning against the heavy wooden door with a laugh. “That’s some gale, huh, Dorothy?” Judith didn’t get the joke. Humor was wasted on canines. Harrumphing, Ben went to his desk, set his coffee between two precarious-looking piles of papers, and picked up the leatherbound sketchbook he’d need to continue work on his latest commission of six dining chairs. Notebook tucked into his back pocket, he went to his wood rack, selected a sheet of oak, and eased it out. He whistled along with the wind as he brought the wood to the table saw that dominated the corner nearest the rack. An ancient relic, the saw had been his father’s, carefully packed and shipped from Montana after the old man had died a few years prior. Ben flipped the switch that powered the table then got to it, carefully cutting the slab of oak down to size. It was rote work, peaceful in its way, and he lost himself in the rhythm, heedless of the screaming wind outside… until there came a bang on the roof so loud it made him jump. That was a mistake, since he’d been damn close to the blade. The torque of the motor kept chewing through the wood, and when it got to Ben’s forearm, the saw chewed through that too. 
About the Author 
Ella Fenn is a romance author best known for telling tawdry tales tinged with a little something sweet. Author of the Living Situations series, Ella wakes at the crack of dawn each day and spends a few hours tapping at the keyboard before beginning her 9-5 job in marketing and communications. Using her bachelor’s in journalism and a master’s in organizational behavior, Ella enjoys diving deep into the unique traits and tricks that make her characters tick. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and loves to engage with readers, whether it’s answering questions or discussing the nitty-gritty of her process. Social Media Links Blog/Website | Facebook | Facebook group | Twitter Instagram | Newsletter Sign-up | TikTok 
Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win one of 5 signed copies of Bedside Manners (for US residents only) or ebooks for non-US residents. 
 My Tuesday Teaser this week is from For the Long Run. Let it never be said Eric Keger wasn’t a man to pursue what he wanted with every weapon at his disposal. Jay radiated the need to be caught and cared for, no matter how desperately he was trying to hide it. “Are you always this difficult?” “You’re catching me on a good day, but yeah, pretty much.” Eric grinned again and let his insides relax when Jay grinned in return, making his stomach do a little flip. “Are you always this easily flustered?” Jay did that squinty glare thing again, which Eric decided was more on the adorable than annoying side. Standing, Jay let his fingertips rest on the desktop, one hand almost touching Eric’s. “No.” He shrugged and took another deep breath. “But… this is sort of a first for me.” “I should hope so. I’d be upset to find out that the other night was your normal interview technique.” Snorting, Jay shook his head. “Didn’t hear any complaints from you.” He looked down at the file, opening it and flipping the pages a few times before closing it again. “I should have called you. I wanted to—a lot. But there are…. I didn’t think I had a shot and—” The phone rang, and they both looked at it for a few seconds before Jay picked it up. From the few words Jay spoke, Eric surmised there was another body dumped on the resort. Jay set the phone down, disconnecting the call, and stared at it for a few seconds, looking paler than he had before the call. “Yes, you should have,” Eric said, tone slightly stern. When Jay looked up at him Eric knew he had Jay’s rapt attention. “But we have a body to see about. So, we’ll discuss that minor infraction later with dinner.” “They, the police, keep wanting me to see what they’re calling the dump site. So far, I’ve managed to evade them. I wouldn’t know what I was supposed to be looking at anyway.” “Never evade cops. It only makes us try harder. This is what you have me for now. Give me directions and I’ll go talk cop with them and see the body and the site.” “No, I have to go with you. They’ve asked, and you don’t have an ID badge for the resort yet. The detective in charge is an okay lady, but she’s a real prick to anyone she thinks is snooping around and shouldn’t be.” Eric shrugged and slipped off the desk. “That’s how it should be.” He crossed the office and opened the door, waiting for Jay before going through and down the hallway, heading to the building’s exit. For the long Run is available in paperback, eBook and Kindle Unlimited. This month the eBook is only $2.99.
AUDIOBOOK TOUR 
Book Title: Blink—MM Supernatural Suspense (Treasure Trail, Book 2) Author: Morgan Brice Narrator: John Solo Publisher: Darkwind Press Cover Artist: Lou Harper Audiobook Release Date: April 19, 2022 Genres: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy M/M Romance, action/adventure, romantic suspense Tropes: Second chance love, hurt/comfort, true soulmates, psychic, medium, witches, ghosts, haunted theater, Mafia, mobsters, ex-cop, ex-Interpol, resort town, starting over Themes: Learning to trust, taking a chance, making a commitment, daring to dream, letting go of the past, being haunted by the past, established relationship, ex-cop/PI, former art fraud investigator, mobsters, medium with a ghostly lover, haunted theater, awesome and heroic food truck, mystery, cold case Heat Rating: 5 flames Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins/65 000 words It is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone. It does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links 
Ghosts always remember. Mobsters never forget. Blurb Erik Mitchell helped Interpol bust cartels, oligarchs, and spoiled billionaires for art fraud. As an undercover cop, Ben Nolan helped bring down a Newark crime family. Now Erik and Ben have started over in Cape May, leaving their danger-filled jobs behind them, excited about a fresh start and their new relationship. Plans to renovate a historic old theater stir up dangerous ghosts and revive interest in unsolved Mob hits. The curse of a murdered witch strikes a close friend, old movie props reveal clues to long-ago crimes, and a shakedown scheme sends Ben’s cousin running for cover. Time is running out to lift the curse. The Russian Mob wants revenge on Erik, and the Newark Mob is gunning for Ben. A grieving ghost seeks justice. Secrets, lies, and deception unravel in the blink of an eye. Erik and Ben were planning for happily ever after. But unless they can outwit witches, wraiths, and wise guys, they could go down in a hail of gunfire and a blast of dark magic—and see their plans go up in smoke. Blink is a suspenseful MM paranormal romance mystery-adventure filled with second chance love, hurt/comfort, true soulmates, awesome food trucks, dangerous secrets, restless ghosts, psychic visions, powerful witches, angry mobsters, and a very haunted theater. About the Author Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa. On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs. Series include Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and Fox Hollow. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon! Author Links Website | Audible Profile | Amazon profile Facebook Group | Facebook Page Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) | Twitter Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a new release Read a copy of my Badlands short story Restless Nights here for free 
Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card 
Review 4.5 Stars!
What a fun book!
I'm one of those people who will start a series in the middle, so naturally I started with Blink which is book 2. I had no trouble at all following the story. There is plenty of backstory without being an info-dump. This gives the story depth and shows the many layers of the characters. Morgan Brice has filled this story with a wide variety of characters, human and otherwise. There is a ghost, Russian witches, mobsters, a mobster who had a Strega witch under his thumb and artifacts. I love me some mysterious artifacts! One of the best parts of suspense/mystery books for me is seeing how everything unfolds. I love lots of action and adventure in the books I read. My personal criteria is no explosions, no car chases, no fights, no point. Blink delightfully meets all the boxes I love to see checked! There's plenty of hot and spicy romance along the way, which was icing on an already great cake. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  My snippet this week is from For the Long Run.  “Yes, you should have,” Eric said, tone slightly stern. When Jay looked up at him Eric knew he had Jay’s rapt attention. “But we have a body to see about. So, we’ll discuss that minor infraction later with dinner.” “They, the police, keep wanting me to see what they’re calling the dump site. So far, I’ve managed to evade them. I wouldn’t know what I was supposed to be looking at anyway.” “Never evade cops. It only makes us try harder. This is what you have me for now. Give me directions and I’ll go talk cop with them and see the body and the site.” “No, I have to go with you. They’ve asked, and you don’t have an ID badge for the resort yet. The detective in charge is an okay lady, but she’s a real prick to anyone she thinks is snooping around and shouldn’t be.” Eric shrugged and slipped off the desk. “That’s how it should be.” He crossed the office and opened the door, waiting for Jay before going through and down the hallway, heading to the building’s exit. Find many more snippets in the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. For the Long Run is available is paperback, eBook and in Kindle Unlimited. This month the eBook is discounted to $2.99
RELEASE BLITZ
Book Title: Over the Emerald Valley: MM Paranormal Fantasy Romance Author and Publisher: Lee Colgin Cover Artist: Natasha Snow Release Date: April 28, 2022 Genre: MM Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Tropes: Forced Proximity, Sex-worker, Only One Bed Themes: Things are never black and white, they’re usually grey Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 61 000 words/ 250 pages It is a standalone story within a series that you don’t need to read at all to understand this book. It does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK
“Ah, fear not.” Abasi raised a bejeweled finger with a flourish and beckoned forth a new group. “I’m told you prefer men, and I’m nothing if not accommodating.” Solon preferred willing partners, not slaves, but he wouldn’t risk insulting Abasi with his morals. There was no easy way to get out of this. He’d have to select one of them. As the newest line of elegant, supple bodies drew close, Solon caught the gaze of a tall man who moved with the feline grace of a street cat. His honey-colored hair hung in long, loose waves over his shoulders, and his pursed lips said he knew what a gem he was. That light hair marked him as foreign among all the black silken tresses of the other concubines. Northern. From distant lands. How did he end up in an Egyptian harem so far south? Solon stared. The man wore no paint, no kohl, and no gaudy decorations, just a simple green linen shift belted at the waist. His beauty needed no enhancement. Rather than cast his gaze demurely at the floor, as the others had done, the blond met Solon’s stare…and winked. A real smile at such a display of gumption replaced the fake one on Solon’s lips. Abasi stood, and a servant bustled to move his chair out of the way. “Come, have a look. Shall I introduce them?” Solon followed his host to the line of concubines. There were fewer men than women, but still quite the selection. Six men and nine women in total. “That won’t be necessary.” Solon would prefer to retire alone for the night, but if he had to pick… “I’ve made my choice.” Abasi knocked him on the back so hard Solon nearly stumbled. “I like a man who knows what he wants. Which will it be?” The blond, without hesitation, stepped forward. Bold. He peered at Solon through half-lidded eyes, gaze intense, as if daring him to suggest anyone but himself. “Him.” Solon gestured to the brazen slave, who only then deigned to lower his gaze. “Ah, well chosen. That is Temaj, a beauty from the north and a wild cat beneath the sheets, or so I’m told. My tastes don’t run toward men.” “Then why have them in your harem?” The question was out of Solon’s mouth before he could think better of asking. Luckily, the viceroy didn’t seem offended. Rather, the man laughed. “A proper harem must contain both, dear Solon, for how else are you to please all your guests?” Solon would never understand the lives of the rich or the royal. When he retired from the army, he wanted only a plot of land, a good mule, decent tools, and, if he was very lucky, perhaps someone to share it with, though he expected to end up alone. “How do you want him?” asked Abasi. Solon cocked his head. “What do you mean?” Abasi gestured to Temaj, who stood silently as if he didn’t mind two men discussing him as if he weren’t there. “How do you want him dressed? Done up? What are your preferences?” “Oh. Nothing,” said Solon. Temaj startled and bestowed on him a glower that would send a dog’s tail sticking between its legs.
About the Author Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot, sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he's not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press. Social Media Links Blog/Website | Facebook Group | Twitter
AUDIOBOOK TOUR
Book Title: Relevant Law Author: Janice Jarrell Publisher: Amazon KDP Narrator: Walker Williams Release Date: April 13, 2022 Genre: Contemporary Gay Romance Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 10 hours and 3 minutes It is not a standalone story. It is part two of The Fearless Heart series. The book does not end on a cliffhanger. The Fearless Heart series comes after the Revolutionary Heart series. Buy Links Available on Kindle Unlimited
Sometimes love is defined by fear. Blurb Colin and Joshua’s love had seen them through every trial. Every step taken together had strengthened their faith in each other. Every problem solved, every obstacle overcome, had deepened their commitment to the life they shared. Colin had passed the bar and was now an Attorney-at-law. Joshua had added a second PHD to his resume. The future looked bright.What could possibly go wrong?And then: Three students are abducted from the University of Virginia campus and Colin’s position as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney puts him at the center of the investigation.The abusive and volatile husband of one of Joshua’s patients threatens his life.Entangled in both these life-threatening situations, Colin struggles to protect both the university he loves and the man he adores.Warning: This novel discusses sensitive material which may be distressing to some readers. Relevant Law explores themes of domestic abuse, physical violence, abduction, and non-graphic sexual assault.
About the Author My name is Janice Jarrell. I am a retired grandmother who lives in Seattle, WA. I have two children and three grandsons. I’ve been writing gay romance since I was twelve years old, only back then it wasn’t called ‘gay romance’. In fact, it had no name at all. It was the fifty’s, and it was worth your life to admit to being gay, let alone confess to being a girl who constantly fantasized about relationships between gay men. Hell, I didn’t even know what a homosexual was. I lived on a farm out in the sticks in a tiny Michigan village and I’d never, to my knowledge, even heard the word. I just knew I loved the thought of boy-on-boy romance. I just knew that there was something hot going on between Tom Corbett and his Space Cadets and all those guys on ‘Combat’. I wrote slash fanfiction for 30 years, writing over 337 stories, some as short as 100 words (a drabble), some as long as a series which was over 119,012 words. I enjoy writing my stories. I enjoyed the feedback I received from my readers. It was a creative release I’d been searching for my entire life and I blessed the Internet for leading me to this artistic oasis for my spirit. Love’s Magic was my very first step into writing my own characters. I will always be grateful to the slash fanfiction community for nurturing the budding author until she was ready to blossom into a fully realized novelist. It’s been an amazing thing to watch the gay community’s growth over these past twenty years. My own journey has echoed theirs in many ways, and I’m grateful to all those gay activists who fought to give the gay community the rights and privileges they always deserved. Love’s Trials, Love’s Glory, and Love’s Lawyer were the second and third, and forth books in the series and all four books are available in audio format on Audible. I’m also grateful to the gay romance community, readers, authors, publishers and promoters, who are making these, my retirement years, the most creative ones of my life. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling, walking, hiking, knitting, crocheting, and weaving. I'm very excited about the upcoming release of my fifth contemporary gay romance novel, Relevant Law. Those of you who fell in love with Joshua and Colin in the four previous books in this series are in for a bit of angst in this latest episode. A dark and sinister cloud hangs over the University of Virginia after three students are abducted, raped and beaten. Colin works with both campus and city police to catch the perpetrator, but his hard work and effort proves futile when Joshua turns up missing! Despite their struggles there are still many passionate, loving moments and the friends they treasure will be there to help them find their way. Social Media Links Blog/Website | Instagram | Facebook | Amazon Author Page Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest
Start a new series, find a freebie to review, get steamy, fall in love, hide under the covers. And read!      COVER REVEAL
Book Title: Jamison: A Maxim Novel Author: A.N. Waugh Cover Artist: Midnight Designs Release Date: June 7, 2022 Genre: Contemporary MM Romance Trope/s: Friends to lovers, second chance romance, rockstar Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: approx 45 000 words It is book one in a new series. It does not end on a cliffhanger for the couple, but there are some unresolved conflicts that will reappear later in the series. Pre-Order Links Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK
“Your music has garnered you a growing fan club, and I think you’re on the verge of hitting it big.” Lance Macallister, owner of Twisted Records, always starts these meetings the same: compliments on our music—because let’s face it, we’re good—followed by a reprimand for our behavior. Or, more accurately, Alex’s behavior. “But?” I ask, prompting the reaming we’re all here for. “But,”—he meets each of our stares—“we have to do something about the band’s image if you want to go any further in your careers. Ronnie spotted your talent that night six years ago, but talent only gets you so far.” Ronnie offers me a polite smile. The man has been our manager since we won a battle of the bands contest in some hole in the wall bar, but he lacks any of the aggressiveness needed to keep a band of young twenty-somethings in line. Especially as he’s not that much older than us. “What do you need us to do? I thought me dating Marcy was enough to eclipse any bad publicity coming our way.” The last time our lead guitarist, Alexander Gregory, pulled a stunt that got us called into this conference room, he’d trashed a hotel room and punched a bellhop. Macallister’s solution was to throw the popular up-and-coming actress, Marcy Dixon, at me. By redirecting the attention to my relationship with the popular starlet—no matter how fake it is—Macallister had kept Alex’s destructive behavior from the press. I’d do anything for Maxim, and it’s not as though pretending to date Marcy is a hardship. She’s gorgeous, and the sex is good. Our relationship may be fake, but I’m still a man with needs. Marcy understands that it’s all for show with a little fun on the side to ease the tension once in a while. “It is. For now. But you’re gaining in popularity with your new single, ‘For Tonight’. It won’t be long until your faces are all over the entertainment rags. And when that happens, they’ll show the bad alongside the good.” Jude Thomas, Macallister’s friend and business partner, glares at us like the heathens he likely considers us. The man hasn’t had a smile for us since we met. Ronnie assures me he likes us, but that’s hard to believe when all he does is look down his nose at us and glare before rushing from the room after each meeting. “Jude is right. We need to keep ahead of any potential disasters,” Macallister says. Meaning we needed to get Alex to fall in line before we lose the label any money. “I’ve hired a PR team specifically for Maxim. They’ll be here in two days for introductions before you leave for tour.” “Tour?” Anderson—Anders—Cartwright, our keyboardist, asks. “Yes. You’ll be opening for Tainted as they tour the country. I’ve also taken the liberty of hiring a stylist. He’ll be heading on tour with you and the PR team.” I look at my bandmates to gauge their reactions to the news. Alex looks pissed. What else is new? Anders looks indifferent, ready to go with the flow of whatever we decide to do. Thierry Lachlan, Maxim’s drummer, and Rierdan Hughes, bassist, are both looking to me, concern for the band’s future clear on their faces. “I’m sorry, okay.” Alex grits out the words between clenched teeth. “You’re always sorry, Mr. Gregory,” Jude throws back at him, his tone clearly saying he doesn’t believe Alex deserves another chance. “Which is why you will be required to attend anger management sessions. Since we can’t postpone the tour, they will be held virtually and to ensure you follow through, we have assigned a member of the PR team to attend alongside you.” Macallister gathers the papers sitting on the table in front of him. “I’ll see you in two days, gentlemen. Try not to get into any trouble before then.” Jude hightails it from the conference room while McAllister and Ronnie leisurely take their leave. No one says a word until the door closes behind them. “Fuck! Alex, you need to tame whatever the hell issues you have.” Thierry shoves a hand into his dark blond mane, gripping the roots and dislodging the hair tie holding his bun in place. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but Thierry’s right. If you don’t get yourself under control, Maxim will suffer for it.” Even Anders, the usually carefree, go with the flow guy, is noticeably frustrated with our guitarist. “I think this anger management Macallister has planned will be good for you, Alex,” I tell him, and I mean it. He’s always been the angriest of our group, but the past few years have seen him move into a wave of hostility I can only describe as self-hatred. Alex grunts his disapproval but doesn’t argue. He wants Maxim to be successful as much as the rest of us. After six years, we’re finally getting a chance to prove we’re worthy of all Twisted Records has put in to get us here. Rierdan slams his palm down on the table, jerking my attention to the smile stretching his face. “We’re going on tour. Maxim is going to be headlining for fucking Tainted!” About the Author A.N. Waugh is an author of MM/MMM+ romances, a pansexual mess, and a firm believer that love is love. Social Media Links Facebook | Facebook Group | Pinterest Newsletter Sign-Up | Instagram | BookBub | TikTok
Lee Hunt has a new epic fantasy out in both eBook/print and audiobook formats, set in the world of the Dynamicist Trilogy: Last Worst Hopes. And there's a giveaway! Their world was ending, all the heroes were dead, the leaders confused, and their enemies were head and shoulders above them. But there was no one else; they were the dregs, the last worst hopes. Nehring Ardgour has summoned Skoll and Hati from hell. They have torn through the proud and ancient country of Engevelen and the angelic Methueyn Knights that protect it. Armies have died, cities have fallen. None of the great remain. No brilliant inventors, no powerful knights, no master wizards. No heroes. But it gets worse. Farrah Harbinger has looked into the future and foretells the coming of an enemy worse than all the others, a creature of destruction and entropy like no other. A being who will grind all hopes and memory of civilization into dust: the One, True Devil. Who can stop it? Who is left to even try? Surely not Val, an arrogant young wizard who no one takes seriously, or Mick, an old man who can’t even remember his name. Certainly not Dav, who cannot seem to tell left from right or up from down, or Aveline, a squire filled with more questions than courage. No one would pick them to save the world, and yet there is no one else left. Universal Buy Link | Get it On Amazon
Giveaway Lee is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour: Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47235/? Excerpt
They watched, hardly daring to breathe. Then, as if buffeted by a sudden wind, something stirred among the trees. An instant later, the movement resolved into soldiers, running, seven of them, bursting from the trees. It looked like someone in the group might have stumbled and been helped up by others. The horn called a single note, which cut off almost before fully forming. “Run!” shouted the major. “Run!” shouted Havard. The call echoed up and down the line, but to Mick it did not look like the soldiers were running fast at all. It almost never does, when you’re watching someone impatiently, and absolutely never does when they might die if they’re too slow. He wondered how he knew this. The image of Sir Valence playing fetch with Fenris blazed like the sun in Mick’s eyes. Last chances. Mick did not shout “Run!” but suddenly, unaccountably, he found himself over the line with a pike in his hands, running toward the struggling rangers. He did not remember grabbing the pike or leaping over the wall. He did not remember if landing from the six-foot height had hurt his ancient knees. Mick did not remember his earlier self-doubt, never worried if he would get to the rangers in time, never speculated that he might not be needed, or if his effort was a fool’s errand, the futile histrionics of a mad, old fool from a house of fools, never wondered if he might do more harm than good or fretted that a wall of monsters might come out of the trees and dwarf any effort a hundred of him could muster. He never considered in any way the question of leaping the wall or not. There was no thought or speech involved at all. He simply ran. “Mick, get back here!” bellowed Havard. “For knight’s sake, stop!” But Mick was gone. The ground sped by quickly as the rangers grew closer and closer. Two huge, strange shapes broke out of the trees, aiming straight for the soldiers. He tightened his grip on the pike, lowered his head, and charged. The rangers abruptly stopped and formed a semi-circle. One of them limped on as the rest rotated their spears and planted them, gleaming tips pointing up and back toward the trees. An instant later, the skolves hit them, hard, pushing recklessly into the rangers’ spears, swiping at them with their rusty swords. For a moment, the spears held them there, but could not turn them back. Mick could see the skolves shake from side to side, paws, swords and bodies trying to dislodge the spears from the rangers’ hands and get inside their arcuate line. As Mick rushed toward the battle, one of the spears broke. The rightmost skolve lunged forward with a roar and was immediately hit on its horse-length head by an overhand sword stroke delivered by one of the rangers. The creature reeled back and fell. Mick broke left for several long strides, then sharply right into the flank of the skolve still held at spear length. “Last chance!” he roared as he lunged and thrust his pike straight into the chest of the beast, taking it off its feet so suddenly that its sword flew out of its huge paw, tracing a spinning arc through the sky before disappearing into the grass. Ferociously, the old man twisted the bladed end of the pike, which had penetrated a foot-and-a-half into the creature’s chest cavity, and step-pulled it out. Dark red blood sloshed out of the ragged wound, but the beast was done. It could only collapse and curl weakly around itself. The other skolve was struggling under spear thrusts from four of the rangers. With an incomprehensible roar, Mick leaped forward and rammed his spear into the skolve’s head, just missing its eye. It skittered along skull until it caught at the base of where its cheekbone would be. Mick pushed harder, forcing the skolve’s head roughly to the earth, and the haft broke, making him stumble forward with seven feet of wood in his hands. He stepped between the rangers, shifted his grip, and speared the skolve again in the snout with the broken end of the pike haft. It tried to scramble up but collapsed, bleeding from dozens of wounds, but the soldiers kept slashing at it. No one was certain when it would be safe to stop stabbing. Another ranger was rolling around on the ground, hands to his leg, blood seeping between fingers. “Pick him up,” said one of the rangers at last, a man with a rough goatee. Mick shouldered his way in, whipped off his belt, slapped the man’s hands away from his leg, and wrapped it tight twice around, just above a large gash oozing red. “I’ll take him,” he wheezed, picking the soldier up and slinging him over his shoulder. “Run!” a female ranger screamed. “There’s more coming!” Her voice dropped. “All of them.” Mick did not bother looking back, knew that there was no looking back once over the wall once the chance was taken. There were, however, consequences. A vast, high-pitched wail passed overhead. A sheet of arrows. Mick knew the sound from somewhere in the distant past. A storm punctuated by the pounding of arrows as they struck their targets. Mick did not look back. “Look out!” cried the man he was carrying, and an instant later something heavy struck the back of Mick’s leg. He stumbled and went down. The soldier flopped off his shoulders with a scream. “Ahhh. Fuck me,” the man groaned. “Why?” he cried piteously as he rolled weakly, one arm over his face. Mick staggered back up, hopped, found that his legs still worked, saw nothing was sticking out of himself, shoveled the ranger back up into his arms, and started running again. “Grandpa,” the ranger whispered. “Grandpa … don’t drop me again.” Author Bio
Born with only one working lung and having had the last rights read to him and dying of an influenza related viral pneumonia, 25-year-old geophysicist Lee Hunt experienced several near-death dreams. The power of communication and the need to both understand and be understood was at the heart of each. He had already found that nothing was more important than being able to cross the distance between people. Lee’s interests are eclectic. He is an Ironman Triathlete, hiker, traveler, and an enthusiastic sport rock climber. Lee also continues to work as a geophysicist on Carbon Capture and Sequestration projects, and is a writer for BIG-Media.ca. The dream of understanding and being understood has never left his mind, and Lee continues that in his works of fiction through metaphor. His works include The Dynamicist Trilogy, Last Worst Hopes and Bed of Rose and Thorns. Author Website: https://www.leehunt.org/ Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100052376555360 Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/DynamicistAuthor Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1196106.Lee_Hunt Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): DynamicistAuthor Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Hunt/e/B082YFTMCK
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