Release Blitz w/ Excerpt - MASON'S RUN by Mellanie Rourke

Mason’s Run

A Twin Peeks Bookstore Romance

Mellanie Rourke

M/M Romance

Release Date: 08.01.19

BLURB

Mason:

I've escaped a past that would have destroyed most men: used, abused and sold for sex from a young age by those who should have protected me, an unexpected moment of compassion from a stranger gives me a chance at a new life.

Though I've started over, my scars run deep; I'm an LGBTQ fantasy graphic novel writer and artist with a huge following, but I'm terrified of the world. When I discover that the stranger who saved me from a life of abuse is the same man who has finally awakened my body to desire, I realize the truth: Can I ever really be free if I'm still afraid of my past and the people who shattered me?

Lee:

Serving as a medic in the Middle East, I felt the life of my fiancée slip away under my hands and was powerless to stop it. Discharged with physical and emotional wounds I can't heal, I go home to my crazy, geeky family and try to learn to live with the damage.

Pain and grief lead me to some acts I'm not proud of, including paying strangers for sex. I'm determined to keep it strictly business, no emotions involved, but when I discover that Mason Malone isn't a high-end escort, but a battered young man forced into a life of pain and degradation, I'm frozen in indecision. Then the man with the raven curls and blue-gold eyes whispers ""Please..."" and the barriers I built around my heart shatter.

Years later, fate brings us back together. He has a new name and career, but I could never forget those eyes. Mason, unfortunately, doesn't recognize me. Every day I find myself more and more drawn to him, but I'm terrified of what will happen when our secrets are discovered.

As both of our pasts threaten our future, can we find a path to redemption? Can love and forgiveness overcome soul-shattering pain? Or will the discovery of our shared past create a chasm too wide to bridge?

Warning: PTSD, major anxiety issues, and sexual abuse, including rape, the aftermath of child molestation, and human trafficking.

Read today! 
https://amzn.to/31gzTZU

EXCERPT

“Well, who knew? All it took was a little murder to get him back,” I said, digging my fingers into my head, trying to get rid of the headache that was growing. 

“It wasn’t murder, Lee,” Bishop insisted, his voice brooking no argument. “And you know it. You were saving that him. That’s what you do: defend the helpless, protect the innocent, just like you always swore to do. Like you always did for me.” 

I looked up at him and shook my head, even if he wouldn’t acknowledge it, I knew it was different.

“It wasn’t the same, Bish. There was no ‘brotherly’ love involved,” I said wryly. “Just lust. I went there to use him, just like all the other men had.”

“But you didn’t. You thought he was a consenting adult. When you found out differently, you could have walked away,” he said implacably. “You could have stayed out of it. Pretended not to see. You could have left him there. Then what would have happened?”

“Fuck that! You know I couldn’t have, Bishop! They would have killed him!” I said, my voice getting louder as anger starting to replace my guilt. How could he not understand? 

“God, I’ll never forget the smell of his burned skin…” I shuddered. “I lived through Afghanistan, but it wasn’t until I came back here that I found something that made me physically ill to think about.”

“So, again,” he continued, “You could have walked away, right? You called the police. They would have saved him, right?” he demanded.

“I couldn’t leave him,” I whispered. “I promised him I would save him. I had to.”

“So, you saved him. Saved him from the man assaulting him. Saved him from a life that was pure hell. How, exactly, is that a bad thing?” he asked, his eyes piercing.

“I didn’t go there to save him, Bishop. I went there to use him, just like all the other men did,” my voice broke as I yelled at him. “He fears becoming the same monster his tormentors were to him, but I already am.”

I realized suddenly that I was yelling, on my feet, my chair pushed back, hands balled into fists on the table as I leaned on them.

“Really? So why didn’t you?” Bishop asked, still seated, his face blank, his eyes quiet as he spoke. “You’d gone hundreds of miles for him, killed this bastard, Ricky, for him. You could have fucked him then. No one would have known. He certainly couldn’t have stopped you. After all, you spent your hard-earned cash to fuck him, right? But you didn’t do it. Why not?” Bishop stood now, also leaning forward on the table, his face tipped up toward mine in challenge, his eyes flashing like lightning.

I looked at my brother in disbelief. How could he even think of such a thing? Rape Mason? The mere thought of it had me diving for the trash can as the pastry and soda came back up. I coughed and spat, eyes streaming as another wave of nausea hit me. After a moment, a wet washcloth was laid gently across the back of my neck, and I looked up to see Bishop staring down at me, a soft smile on his lips. 

“That’s what makes you different,” he said quietly, pointing to the mess in the trash can and I raised an eyebrow at him. “The mere thought of forcing another human being to have sex makes you vomit. Those men who hurt Mason had long ago lost whatever reflex it is that lets us keep evil out of our souls.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mellanie Rourke lives in Akron, Ohio with her loving (and long-suffering) husband, two snarky children, and furry menagerie.

She has been writing since she was a child but never had the impulse to publish until she was introduced to the world of M/M Romance. Now her husband has to put up with a variety of new ways to describe a penis, and her children aren't allowed to tell their teachers what she writes.

For more information on Mellanie's upcoming work, join her Facebook group "Misfits & Malcontents” at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MisfitsandMalcontents/

To stay informed about upcoming releases, special events and fun contests, join her mailing list at: https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/2hWdMxT/MelRourke

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Release Blitz w/ Excerpt - RULES TO FOLLOW by Susan Hawke

Rules to Follow

Davey's Rules Series, Book 1

Susan Hawke

M/M Romance - Daddy/boy

Release Date: 07.14.19

Blurb

Davey’s Rule #86: A good Daddy will never lie to his boy… even by omission.

Travis Miller has a pretty solid life in the small California beach town he calls home. He’s working his way up in the district attorney’s office, he owns a home with an ocean view, and he has close ties with his family. Life is good. If only he could find a sweet boy to call his own, life would be… perfect.

Adam Nichols’ life has never been easy. Growing up in foster care taught him to be strong, so finding himself in a violent relationship was a shock. Now that he's finally free of it, he faces new problems. He's jobless, homeless, and terrified of starting from scratch.

With a little help from an old friend, Adam discovers a whole new world. He goes from rock bottom to renting a room from a hot assistant DA and working at Daddy’s Lap, a kink club that opens his vanilla eyes to things he’d never imagined. His new roommate is a balm to Adam’s damaged soul. The tender way Travis cares for him is almost like the Daddy kink community he’s seen at the club. But Travis isn’t a Daddy… right? If he were, surely he’d have said so.

What happens when a lie by omission threatens to bring their budding relationship tumbling down around them? Will Travis ever be able to earn Adam's trust again?

This is the first book in a new series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book. Possible trigger for references to domestic violence.

mybook.to/RulestoFollow

Excerpt

I licked my lips as I checked out my date for the umpteenth time. I had high hopes for tonight. Travis was definitely hot Daddy material. I'd been checking this cutie out for a while. He was one of the Daddies who belonged to the private club where I'd been working as a bartender for the past couple years.

If Travis looked good inside the walls of Daddy's Lap, he looked downright edible sitting across from me in this fancy restaurant. God, I was just so sick of hookups and the whole dating scene. Maybe this date would be the one.

Seriously. Was it too much to ask to just want to find the perfect Daddy that I could settle down with? Hell, maybe we'd even get a puppy. Bitches like puppies. That would be me. I’m a bitch who likes puppies.

I was zoning out, picturing different dog breeds, when I realized the waiter was not-so-patiently waiting for my drink order. I gave the snotty twink the quick elevator treatment with bored eyes. "Sorry, hon. Just bring me a glass of the house red. No, scratch that. Make it a Merlot. God only knows what might pass for the house red."

The waiter—Todd, according to the name tag—rolled his eyes. He muttered under his breath, "Like you’d know the difference." I leaned back in my seat with new respect for the guy and silently clawed the air with my fingers. Meow, baby.

Travis cleared his throat. "Scratch that, Todd. The gentleman will have a glass of iced tea. In fact, bring a glass for each of us. Thank you."

Dammit. I'd had such high hopes for this evening and Travis had already broken rule number eight.

I didn't say a word, just made a mental tally mark in the con column. Travis was only a few years older than me. He couldn't have been much older than thirty, yet he had that total Daddy vibe that checked every box for me. Age wasn't a factor in whether or not a man was a Daddy. You either had it, or you didn't. And Travis? Oh, honey… Travis had it going on.

And yet… He’d totally broken rule number eight. I recited it silently while I reached for a bread roll and began to butter it. "Daddy must respect that his boy is also an adult and will treat him as such in public or on the occasions when the boy needs his autonomy."

Yep. Travis canceling my drink order was a complete rule infraction. However, I was nothing if I was not fair. Any potential Daddies would get three strikes before they were out. That meant Travis had two more chances to wow me, or not wow me, as the case may be.

Todd showed up with two frosty glasses of iced tea, garnished with a pretty sliced lemon floating on top. I wrinkled my nose and set the glass aside as I took another look at my menu. Todd was reciting the day's specials, but I didn't have time for that shit. Please, honey. Everyone knows the day's specials are just a way to get rid of the things that are about to spoil. Yeah… no. I'd be ordering from the menu, thank you very much.

"Are you gentlemen ready to order, or should I give you a few more minutes?" Was it me or was Todd giving me a judgmental look because I was still reading the menu? That just made me want to read it all over again, starting with the first item and reading like I’d forgotten my glasses.

My mouth fell open when Travis reached over and took my menu. He closed it and handed both menus to Todd. "I'll have the surf and turf special, and the gentleman will have the salmon almondine with the wild mushroom risotto." Todd jotted down the order and took off. I was too busy gaping at Travis to say a word.

How dare? How very dare? Sure, I'd been eyeballing the dish he’d ordered for me, but how dare he? Ugh. And in doing so, he'd just broken rule number seventeen—earning himself a second tally mark in the con column. I silently recited the rule as I continued to gape at Travis. Daddy will not order his boy’s meal in public unless his boy has specifically requested he do so.

Whether or not I'd been planning to order that dish was completely beside the point. Facts were facts and rule infractions were rule infractions. There had to be order in life or anarchy would reign supreme.

Come on, Travis. Don't make that third strike. I'd really like to take you to third base when we get out of here. That's a much better third to hit, honey.

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I'd care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I've found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that's what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I'm a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown "kids of my heart." I'm more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/authorsusanhawke

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanHawke

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-hawke

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/SusanHawkeNewsletter

Audio: http://bit.ly/SusanHawkeAudio

Reader Group: www.facebook.com/groups/TheHawkesNest

Website: http://www.susihawke.com

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Release Blitz: Chapter One - CROSSING NUWA: ESCAPE by Sean Ian O'Meidhir & Connal Braginsky

Crossing Nuwa: Escape

Sean Ian O'Meidhir & Connal Braginsky

MM Urban Fantasy, Paranormal / Rescue, Innocence/Discovery, First Love

Release Date: 07.09.19

Cover Designer - Jay Aheer https://www.simplydefinedart.com

Blurb

For sheltered Robbie, one week of freedom leads to sexual awakening and adventure… but when his world intersects with Theo’s, they’ll need all their wits and Theo’s magic to fight for their future.

Rare male weresnake Robbie has had his whole life decided for him down to his meals. But when the time comes for him to perform an unspeakable duty to his clan, he runs.

San Francisco Pride is in full swing when technomage Theo spots a scared-looking young man with brilliant emerald eyes. He’s only looking for a hookup, but before he knows why, he’s taking Robbie home and introducing him to champagne and enchiladas. He doesn’t have any intention of falling in love.

Robbie doesn’t want to return to his clan, at least not without trying to fit a lifetime of experiences into a week, but every day he stays puts Theo in more danger.

Buy Link: http://bit.ly/CrossingNuwaEscape

Excerpt

Chapter 1

IT STARTED in the shower. Well, okay, my story didn’t actually start in the shower, but the part where I fell for Theo did. I look back now and realize how very naïve I was, but it doesn’t matter. I would have fallen for him anyway.

I’ll get to the shower in a minute…. Maybe it’s important to explain how I got to the shower. It’s still something that’s hard for me to believe….

I

BREATHE. JUST breathe. Well past midnight, I sat on the edge of my bed—fully dressed. If I do this and they catch me they might kill me. But… how can I not? I can’t stay. I can’t do what they want…. Every time I thought about it, my stomach began to churn, and I felt light-headed. What other options were there?

“Come on,” I whispered, then laughed. Talking to myself? That’s what this had come to?

I stood on wobbly knees and opened my large walk-in closet. Over the last month I had been stowing things I would need in a backpack I hadn’t used since I was thirteen. An extra pair of pants, four shirts, seven pairs of underwear, seven pairs of socks, three half-full deodorants (having convinced Mrs. Matlock, our housekeeper, that I just go through them quickly), and two half-tubes of toothpaste earned with the same deception that caused spikes of guilt when I thought about it. No one had noticed these things slowly going missing, or if they had they didn’t say anything.

I stared at the backpack for a ridiculous amount of time. This is a bad idea. They’re going to kill me….

I snatched the backpack before I could think about anything else, rushed to the bathroom where I grabbed my electric razor and toothbrush and shoved them in. I slipped my e-reader from the bedside table into the front of my pack and surveyed the room. My room since I was born. My prison….

Of what few things were there, I could see no reason to take anything else. Opening the door slowly, I peeked out into the darkened hall. Shifting my eyes to my serpent’s, I double-checked the hall and sighed with relief that there were no heat signatures that would suggest anyone lurking. Except me. I was the only one who stayed in my wing unless there were guests, so the bath and two other bedrooms in the wing were usually empty.

What was I going to say if they found me? I rolled my eyes at myself. What could I say? “Yes, Mother, just out for an evening run. Oh, the backpack? Well, you know how smelly I can get, just thought I’d bring a change of clothes, or seven.” I snorted at the absurdity of the situation, and then at the fact that I had been hovering in my doorway for over a minute. A little voice in my head started the mantra, “Just go, go, go.”

I nodded and hurried out the door, down the hall, down the stairs, and paused.

The house was silent. Of course it was; no one was awake at this hour.

Food. What was I going to do for food? Good thinking…. I tiptoed around the corner and through the formal dining room, which led into the kitchen. Ms. Matlock retired to her cottage at 9:00 p.m. sharp every night. She did not return to the main house until 6:00 a.m. every morning, and Mother and Aunt Edna never came into the kitchen. Except for after midnight when there’s someone rummaging around in there, I chastised myself and worked harder to be quiet.

I held my breath and listened again.

Nothing.

I grabbed three pieces of fruit from the large bowl at the end of the counter. If I take more, they’ll notice. Heck, they’ll notice I’m gone at 7:00 a.m. when I’m not down here for breakfast, so what will it matter if they notice more fruit is gone? I groaned and stuffed four more apples into my bag. The rest of the food in the house wasn’t prepared into meals, and I didn’t know how to cook. The thought came to mind of trying to teach myself how to cook one of Mrs. Matlock’s meat loaves so I could take it with me. But the smell would probably carry, and how long did it take to cook a meat loaf? What about salad? I could probably put together a salad… but how would I carry it?

I was stalling. This was stalling. I shook my head and hurried back through the dining room toward the front door and stopped. Mother’s purse. She stored it in the entryway cupboard, but today it was sitting on the counter. I stopped breathing. Taking small gasps of air, I stood still.

She was behind me. I could feel her. Her eyes boring into the back of my skull. Her breath tickling my ear.

I whipped around to find the hall empty and shuddered with relief. A visceral thing.

Gasping for breath, I bent over and rested my hands on my knees. I’m going to vomit. Deep breath. In through the nose.

When I could focus and my stomach had stopped churning, I looked at the purse again. Why was her purse out? Did she often leave it out? I didn’t know. I glanced inside. What was I doing? I had already stolen food from the house. Was I really thinking about doing this? This was wrong… but then, leaving was wrong.

With trembling fingers I separated the leather. Her wallet sat right on top. I can’t…. The magnetic clasp easily parted, and inside I found several bills. I’d need money.

Not giving myself any more time to think, I grabbed all the bills and stuffed them in my pocket before shoving the wallet back into the purse and stepping away.

I felt dirty.

Don’t think. Go. Go, go, go! I passed by the coat closet and paused. It was autumn…. I pulled out a coat that Mrs. Matlock had purchased for me. Something I’d never worn because I didn’t go out, but that she had made sure was available and in my size if I ever needed it. I pushed it into the pack and secured the zipper before hoisting it over both shoulders.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Sean is a shrink who by day spends time in jails and prisons (evaluating criminals) and by night writes romantic fiction. Sean and partner live in San Francisco ruled by their three cats and can often be found trying new restaurants. With the understanding that they live in Heaven, Sean adores spending time sitting near the water with a laptop in hand, gazing at the bay and making daydreams a reality for others to enjoy. To read more about Sean's adventures, please visit www.dreamersworkshop.com.

Connal Braginsky is a tech nerd that has taken a leap of faith and took a chance on writing. Born to Russian immigrants, he came out as gay at 19, and was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asperger's Syndrome).

He loves to read, and learn about Technology, Esoteric subjects and considers himself a transhumanist (the Russian Cosmism variety). His other pastimes revolve around philosophy which includes Panpsychism, Process Philosophy, Taoism, Buddhism and Gnosticism. He is also interested in various scientific fields, including Quantum Physics, Quantum Biology, Neurology, Psychology, and Sociology.

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SeanOMeidhir/

Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/439462953480874/?ref=share

Website http://www.dreamersworkshop.com/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19211564.Sean_Ian_O_Meidhir

Twitter https://twitter.com/SeanIanOMeidhir

Newsletter http://www.dreamersworkshop.com/newsletter/

Connal’s Blog: http://dreamersrefuge.com/blog/

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Release Blitz: Excerpt + Review - CHANGE OF HEART by K. M. Neuhold

Change of Heart

KM Neuhold

M/M Romance

Release Date: 06.17.19

Blurb

Does my husband's heart still miss me now that it beats in the chest of another man?

Lub-dub

A heartbeat more familiar than Easton’s own

Lub-dub

He vowed to love his husband until death do they part. And then the worst happened.

Lub-dub

His heart kept another man alive. River. A stranger in the world with Easton's husband's heart pumping the blood that warms his skin. Does his heart ever miss Easton without knowing why?

Lub-dub

Sweet, kind, beautiful, River. Easton never meant to meet him...never meant to know him...never meant to fall for him.

Lub-dub

Easton loved River's heart long before he ever met him, but is it possible he’s falling in love with his mind and soul too?

***Change of Heart is a stand alone story with strong hurt/comfort themes, mild bisexual awakening themes, and a HEA.

Universal Link: mybook.to/ChangeofHeart

Review

FIVE HEART STOPPING STARS!!

This just might be the most emotional story I have read from K. M. Neuhold to date and I've just about read all her books. I absolutely love everything about this book. I mean seriously, 4% in and I was already crying. I'm such a fan of this author's writing. Her ability to create such beautiful emotion page after page and you feel it within yourself is such an amazing talent.

It's really hard to convey how truly wonderful and beautiful this story is. I feel like there are no words that will do it justice. K. M. Neuhold really dug deep into the feels with Easton and River's journey. The strength of love Easton has for his late husband is so powerful yet so sad because of his struggle to move on. It really tugged at my heart strings. I felt that struggle and his internal battle with guilt for growing feelings for someone else.

This book really touched me and tissues were definitely needed. I probably cried way more than I should have while reading this, lol, but it was just so damn beautiful. Not only does this story take you through grieving and mourning the loss of someone so deeply loved but finding someone that makes you want to love and live again. I was so captivated and devoured this in one sitting.

All these emotions and yet there's still River. Sweet, sweet River and his struggles and challenges. To try and live everyday and be thankful to be alive but not really living. My gawd, this author pulled me through so many emotions. She ripped my heart apart from the very beginning and ever so slowly put it back together piece by piece.

Easton and River's journey is heartwarming and beautiful and sweet and loving. An absolute phenomenal and amazing read. I know I keep using the word beautiful but it utterly and truly is a beautiful story.

Kudos Mrs. Neuhold, you truly have an amazingly beautiful and magical gem with this one.

*** ARC provided in exchange for an honest review ***

Excerpt

He licks his lips, and I can’t take another second of not knowing what they taste like, what they would feel like against mine, so I lean in, closing the space between us. His breath fans over my lips, his eyelids lowering to half-mast as he waits to see what’s going to happen next. I’m not sure if I’m giving him time to push me away or simply savoring the anticipation—probably a little of both.

Easton makes a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, his nose brushing against mine before our lips are pressed together. Fully, firmly, irrevocably, I’m kissing a man, and my heart starts to soar. I drag my hands through his hair, grasping his head to pull him closer as our mouths move in tandem. There are no tongues, no groping hands or rutting bodies, like in my dreams; it’s simply our lips learning the feel of each other and somehow, it’s the hottest kiss I’ve had in my life.

When my lips part to deepen the kiss, the salty taste of tears finds its way into my mouth, and I pull back to find wet tracks down Easton’s blushing cheeks.

“Oh god, I’m sorry, should I not have done that?” I pull my hands away, my gut twisting with guilt at how much pleasure I took from a kiss he clearly didn’t want.

“No, it’s not you,” he assures me, reaching for my hand again and linking our fingers. “It’s…it’s complicated.”

“I’m the first person you’ve kissed since Paul?” I guess.

“Yes,” he admits. “But, it’s more than that.”

“Tell me?”

A sad smile crosses his lips, and he lifts his free hand to my face, cupping my jaw and dragging his thumb along my cheek. “God help me, I do want you.” His words almost seem more for himself than for me, but they light a desperate longing in the pit of my stomach.

“You can have me,” I whisper, turning my head and pressing a kiss to the pad of his thumb.

“Whatever is so complicated it can’t be more important than the way you make me feel. Tell me you feel it too.”

Author K.M. Neuhold is a complete romance junkie, a total sap in every way. She started her journey as an author in new adult, MF romance, but after a chance reading of an MM book she was completely hooked on everything about lovely- and sometimes damaged- men finding their Happily Ever After together. She has a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well. And she fully admits that her OCD tendencies of making sure every side character has a full backstory will likely always lead to every book having a spin-off or series. When she's not writing she's a lion tamer, an astronaut, and a superhero...just kidding, she's likely watching Netflix and snuggling with her husky while her amazing husband brings her coffee.

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Release Blitz: Excerpt + Giveaway - MELTING FOR YOU by A.M. Arthur

Melting For You

Neighborhood Shindig Series, Book #1

A.M. Arthur

Contemporary MM Romance

Release Date: 06.13.19

Cover Designer: Sloan J Designs/https://www.facebook.com/sloanjdesigns/

Blurb

After his father’s heart attack, Isaiah Morrell gave up cooking in his own high-end Atlanta restaurant to return home to Reynolds, North Carolina, in order to help his father Thomas heal and to keep an eye on his business Neighborhood Shindig. A collection of food trucks and other small businesses, Shindig is a popular destination in this college town, but Isaiah longs for the fast pace of a big-city kitchen. Until he meets Joel…

Joel Fisher has been out of commission from a serious illness for the better part of a year, but now he’s ready to reclaim his life—except his apartment has been sublet, his partner is missing, and their shared food truck is stripped of everything not attached. In short, Joel has nothing. After an uncomfortable night sleeping on the food truck floor, Isaiah and Thomas Morrell give Joel an offer he can’t refuse: a rented room in their house, as well as their help creating a new food truck concept. Joel hates accepting charity, but he’s hit rock bottom and has nowhere to go but up.

Working with seemingly uptight Isaiah is actually pretty fun, and the pair bonds over a challenge to create a unique grilled cheese sandwich. Light flirting melts into a deeper connection neither man expects, but Isaiah isn’t in Reynolds for much longer, and Joel can’t get attached to the gorgeous professional chef. As Isaiah’s feelings for Joel strengthen and grow, he entertains the idea of staying in Neighborhood Shindig for good—but Joel hasn’t asked him to…

Welcome to Neighborhood Shindig, a friendly place where you can snack on a lamb kebab while getting your hair done, pick up your favorite herbal tea blend, and then go listen to live music under the pavilion. We’re happy to have you.

Universal Link: 

getbook.at/MeltingForYou

Excerpt

Joel found a parking spot near his building and got out, grateful to stretch sore, aching limbs. Long car rides were more difficult for him now, and he’d tried to stop as infrequently as possible, so eager to surprise Steve. Joel scanned the lot for Steve’s hatchback. It was midday on Tuesday, so the Shindig lot was closed—it gave not only the small business owners who rented pods, but also the owner/manager one full day off a week. Didn’t mean Steve had to be home, though.

Their unit was on the fourth floor, no elevator, and Joel hated that he was panting a bit by the time he got there. Definitely needed to start working out more, get back into shape. He was already tall and lean, but he’d lost about fifteen pounds of muscle this past year.

Excitement rolled through his belly as he put his key into their unit’s lock and turned—except it didn’t unlock. He double-checked, but yeah, right door and right key.

That’s weird.

Maybe Steve had needed to change the locks for some reason? He pushed the doorbell and waited, trying to fight back a big smile. The knob rattled and a chain slid back. The door opened about a foot and a dark-haired woman stared at him. “Can I help you?” she asked.

Joel blinked hard. “Um, does Steve Winslow live here?”

Don’t I live here?

“Not since the first of the month,” the woman replied. “He had to move suddenly, so I’m sub-leasing it through the end of the month, until my place is ready downstairs. Who are you?”

“Joel. I live here.”

“Oh, right, you’re the ex he mentioned.”

“Ex?” Ex what? He’d texted Steve yesterday about frivolous things, and Steve hadn’t said a damned thing about sub-leasing their place. A place Joel had paid this month’s rent on. “What do you mean ex?”

“He said you guys broke up, so you moved back to live with your parents in Virginia, and he’s moving…somewhere, I don’t think he said where. But your stuff is still here. He packed it up and left it in the hall closet.”

Joel did not understand what was happening right now. “We didn’t break up. We have a business together for God’s sake. I don’t understand.”

“Listen, do you want to come inside and sit? You look pale.”

“Um, yeah, thanks.”

The apartment was small, one-bedroom and only about six hundred square feet. It had come furnished, so none of the big stuff was his, and he’d taken clothing and his electronics with him to Virginia. Those personal things were in his car right now, waiting to be unpacked.

He sat on the familiar sofa, legs suddenly trembling, and tried to wrap his brain around what was happening.

The woman appeared with a bottle of water. “Here. I’m Emily, by the way.”

“Joel.” Had he already said that? “Steve never told me he moved out.”

“Oh, wow, that’s harsh. He ditched your place without telling you?”

“At least the lease isn’t up until August.” It gave him time to plan, even if it meant a strange female roommate for a few weeks. He couldn’t really afford the place on his own, and he still had no clue what was going on with the food truck.

“Um…” Emily chewed on her bottom lip. “The lease is month-to-month. It’s over in, like ten days, and I have a document with the landlord stating I’m the tenant.”

Joel gaped. “But…this is my place.”

“My place, dude, and no offense, but I do not know you, and I make it a point not to live with strange men.”

“How the hell can he change the lease without me…signing…? Fuck.” Because he dealt with college students, the building’s manager had multiple lease options. Year-long, which is what Joel always signed, but also college-term leases that lasted the length of the college’s school year, and then month-to-month options for the summer, or for temporary tenants. When Steve said he’d renewed the lease last summer while Joel was sick, Joel had assumed he’d done another full-year contract.

Joke’s on me.

“If you don’t believe me, I can get a copy of the lease,” Emily said.

“I believe you. I just don’t understand why he’d do this. Why he wouldn’t at least call and tell me he was leaving, or that if I came back I’d be homeless.”

 

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone's throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland. She's been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop. She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn't been coined yet back then) with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories. A.M. Arthur's work is available from Carina Press, SMP Swerve, and Briggs-King Books.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder. She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she's an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

Email: am_arthur@yahoo.com

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Release Blitz: Excerpt + Giveaway - COLD LIGHT by Michelle Frost

Cold Light: Assassins

Criminal Delights Series, Book 14

Michelle Frost

Dark M/M Romance, Assassins, Motorcycle Club

Release Date: 06.03.19

Blurb

Being an assassin wasn’t something Lexington Campbell ever envisioned for himself, but after spending eight years doing just that, he’s prepared to take his place at the table of his father’s motorcycle club, The Iron Heretics.

Arden spends his nights dancing on stage at Spritz, one of St. Louis’s hottest night clubs, and waiting for Lex to pass back through town. After being orphaned young, he fears letting himself get too attached to the distant, bearded Lex, even after three years of inviting the man into his bed.

When Lex finds himself with a price on his head, he unknowingly pulls Arden into the darkness with him. When things aren’t what they seem, and enemies abound, will they find themselves still standing together in the cold light of day?

Warnings: attempted sexual assault, blood, graphic violence, morally dubious characters

http://getbook.at/ColdLightCD

Excerpt

“Lex?” Arden’s voice was worried and he spun to find his lover at the bottom of the stairs looking adorably rumpled, with his blond hair sticking out every which way, and his long pale legs bare and sticking out of the bottom of one of Lex’s t-shirts.

A flare of panic lit in his chest, but he quickly extinguished it. He wouldn’t let prejudice or his father’s decade old warning stop him from acknowledging Arden for exactly what he was: his. “Baby, this is Mace,” he pointed to Mace. “And…” he trailed off as he turned to the other men, all three of them staring at Arden like teenage boys at a wet t-shirt contest. “Hey,” he barked, voice deep and commanding. “Mind reeling in your tongues and introducing yourselves?”

Mace laughed beside him, setting the mugs on the table and walking over to Arden. Lex felt the tic in his jaw, but held himself in check, no matter how badly he wanted to walk over there and step between them. “You’ll have to forgive us,” Mace said, charm that Lex knew he wielded like a weapon in full effect. “We didn’t realize Lex had company. I’m Mace, taught your boy everything he knows. Well, everything interesting anyway.” He winked. “And those three are Larry, Moe, and Curly.” Arden’s eyes went wide, darting between Lex’s face and Mace’s. “I’m just shitting you. They’re  Axel, Waylon, and Damon. And you are?”

“Arden,” he said holding out his hand for Mace to shake. Of course, shaking wasn’t enough and Mace lifted Arden’s hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss against his knuckles.

“Mace,” Lex ground out when he lingered over Arden’s fingers a little too long. Mace released him with a smug look at Lex, but took a step back. “Give us a minute, would you?” he asked Mace and the room at large. The other three were obviously used to Mace’s flair for the dramatic and had already moved to seat themselves around the table and were pouring cups of coffee. One of them—Axel, maybe—had Pip cradled in his lap. Mace turned back toward the table as well, giving them the illusion of privacy.

“Sorry,” Arden whispered when Lex stepped into his space.

Lex pressed a quick kiss to his lips to cut off that line of thought altogether. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about. This is our home and we’re not going to hide here. Although,” he glanced down at Arden’s beautifully muscled legs. “Maybe pants would be a good idea.”

Arden gave him a small smile. “I’m gonna run up and shower to get this,”—he pointed at his head—“under control. Then I’ll be back down.”

Arden disappeared back up the stairs, and Lex was glad no one was standing close enough to see the glimpse of his ass cheeks peeking out from the bottom of those lacy panties he liked to wear sometimes—and under his damned t-shirt too. The man was going to be the death of him. He discreetly adjusted himself before he turned back to the table and Mace lifted an eyebrow at him.

“Not one word,” he warned as he sat down in one of the empty chairs and pulled the coffee pot toward him. As he filled his cup, he kept his eyes on his task, but let his voice take on the low warning tone that would clearly imply exactly what he’d do to any of them if they treated Arden with anything less than respect. He needed to know now if he any of them had a problem with him being gay or Arden being...well, Arden. “If any of you feel like you need to get back on your bikes now that you know—”

“Lex,” Mace interrupted him. “The club’s changed a lot since you’ve been gone.” The corner of his mouth quirked up, undoubtedly remembering one of the numerous times the two of them had almost gotten caught with their pants around their ankles. “We’re Heretics. Non-conforming is kind of what we do.

Stories have always been Michelle Frost's escape. Even as a kid, she can remember writing stories featuring her favorite cartoon characters. Now, her characters are a little more grown up, as are the stories she likes to tell. A self-proclaimed coffee addict and a bit of an introvert, she can most likely be found at any given time, on any given day with her hands on a keyboard or her nose in a book.

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