Friday, March 30, 2018

New from S L Danielson and Cheryl Headford: Upstaged I - Opening Act






NEW RELEASE
START OF A NEW SERIES BY S L DANIELSON AND CHERYL HEADFORD
UPSTAGED I – OPENING ACT

BOOK NAME Upstaged I – Opening Act
AUTHORS S L Danielson and Cheryl Headford
PUBISHED BY Extacy Press
WORD COUNT Aprox 75,000
NUMBER OF PAGES 246
GENRE New Adult. Contemporary Romance.
HEAT RATING 3

Blurb
Wannabe singer and band front man Erik Von Nordgren hates snarky brit Asher Berkley with a passion. From the moment he turns up at practice with his twin sister Daisy, who is one of the band the two have hated each other.

Through a series of 'tit for tat' incidents they annoy, frustrate and exasperated each other. The die hard goth with purple eyes and the hard core rocker with dreams of the big time have nothing in common and no need to cross paths. Except to wind each other up.

Until the day that Erik throws Asher in the school pool, when everything begins to change. Erik is so far in closet he's in Narnia and Asher has a dark past and trust issues that stand in the way of any relationship, let alone one with the brash American who hurts him every time they try to get together.
A relationship doomed from the start, or so you'd think. 

Author Bios
S L Danielson
S. L. (Stephanie) Danielson began writing at the tender age of five. She knew it was her calling from the moment she put pen to paper. In her teens she began writing alternative works and the genre stuck. She created ever more elaborate tales and finally in her early 20’s years began to create works with her new love; male/male romance. She has since written more than 30 works (both solo and collaborations).

Stephanie is classically trained in business, accounting, and HR/training, possessing both an undergrad and graduate degree. She also owned and operated Romance First Publishing where the ultimate goal was to help other unknown, as well as known authors get their start in the publishing world.

Beyond writing, her other hobbies include: painting, gaming, and spending time with her husband and two cherished cats.

Cheryl Headford
Cheryl was born into a poor mining family in the South Wales Valleys. Until she was 16, the toilet was at the bottom of the garden and the bath hung on the wall. Her refrigerator was a stone slab in the pantry and there was a black lead fireplace in the kitchen. They look lovely in a museum but aren’t so much fun to clean.

Cheryl has always been a storyteller. As a child, she’d make up stories for her nieces, nephews and cousin and they’d explore the imaginary worlds she created, in play.

Later in life, Cheryl became the storyteller for a re enactment group who travelled widely, giving a taste of life in the Iron Age. As well as having an opportunity to run around hitting people with a sword, she had an opportunity to tell stories of all kinds, sometimes of her own making, to all kinds of people. The criticism was sometimes harsh, especially from the children, but the reward enormous.
It was here she began to appreciate the power of stories and the primal need to hear them. In ancient times, the wandering bard was the only source of news, and the storyteller the heart of the village, keeping the lore and the magic alive. Although much of the magic has been lost, the stories still provide a link to the part of us that still wants to believe that it’s still there, somewhere.

In present times, Cheryl lives in a terraced house in the valleys with her son, dog, bearded dragon (called Smaug of course) and three cats. Her daughter has deserted her for the big city, but they’re still close. She’s never been happier since she was made redundant and is able to devote herself entirely to her twin loves of writing and art

Author Links
S L Danielson
Twitter: @s_l_danielson

Cheryl Headford
                  Author Page:  https://www.facebook.com/Nephylim.author

Interview with the Authors
1. Where'd the idea for Upstaged come from?


S The idea, for me, came from a photo sent to me from Mika. She said doesn't he deserve a story? That put the juices of inspiration to work.

I'd always wanted to do one about a band too, and love young adult, so why not?

C I can't really remember where the idea came from. It just happened.

Didn't we start off talking about the characters? You made up Erik and I made up Asher. Then we found the wonders of One Note and brainstormed the sketch of the first book.

S Yeah, I think so; we named Erik and Asher right off...

C I think right at the beginning we were talking about the rabid fan and the stalking thing

S Ha, yeah, which was a great thought; but not in practice. We planned on Vince being the stalker; but as soon as I wrote him, he changed. He didn't feel like that to me.

C It was after that 1st party scene, where he had dialogue. Asher was feeling really down and he comforted him. I think it was when he and Asher had that moment. That’s when we first started talking about him changing.

S Yes Then when he took Asher back to his place and he was so sweet and shy. You said he was being so lovely, it'd be a shame to make him a stalker - so we didn't.


2. What was it like with one author in the US and one in the UK? Any continental clashes?

C There were a few idioms and local saying that threw us sometimes.

S Same here, some phrases I had to ask what they meant and a lot of 'u' usage.

C And 'z's I don't think we clashed at all

S No clashes It was just a matter of clarification otherwise it went swimmingly Brilliant. I now understand UK lingo.

C And as we had one character who was American and one British we could each use our own languages in the characters.

S Exactly I never wrote for Asher or Daisy; I couldn't do them justice.

C The one I had the most problem with was ‘book it’. I could never get to grips with that one.
Oh and carry out instead of takeaway

S Connor was another matter altogether, lol.

C Haha Yeah he started as mine and migrated.

S I adopted him after book #2...so you'll see that later on.

C Yeah, Asher was a bit confused sometimes by the lingo the culture and he hated Erik's Americanness

S So was Erik, and Vince, and Billy. Erik was very brash and harsh; not subtle at all. Hehe.

C Well, neither was Asher really.

S Not at all.

C He was just non subtle in a different way.


3. So how did you two meet? What spawned working together?

S I met Cheryl when she subbed to my company, RFP.

C You published my book.

S We got on so famously, we decided to make a go of it ourselves.

C Maybe we could say we had to talk over some issues and realised we had similar outlook and then gelled. Something like that It came up in discussion that I'd never co written and we thought we'd try it, see how it went

S It was wildfire after that. I've never written so fast. The ideas flowed out like a flood. It was crazy.

C We'd finished the first book in what three weeks. We had seven in five months.

S It was wild. Our families were tugging at us to slow down.

C But we couldn't. We were compelled to do it; it took over.

S Oh yeah.

C It was like an addiction but in a very good way.

S Lol...definitely.

C But it was wonderful. And we're not done yet.

S Nope.



#4Where do you see the collaboration going?

C I have no idea. We were originally looking at three, then we joked about it going to ten, then we reached and passed that so… who knows?

S Well, we have another Upstaged in the works.

C Plus another series we just started. I persuaded you to dip your toe into fantasy.

S Hehe, yes. Fantasty...the fae world. That's totally new to me; still getting used to it.

C But it's sexy as hell

S I dunno what's after that one, but I'm sure we'll think of something. Yes it is. I love Crow and Frank.

C It has the potential for another series.

C Crow is the sweetest thing... although he shocks the hell out of Frank sometimes.

S That he does.

C Frank seems so sweet and clueless.

S Frank doesn't know what to think sometimes.

C But then doesn't turn a hair at the thought of killing someone.

Well, on that note, I think it might be time to say goodbye to these two crazy kids. Until next time guys.



Saturday, March 24, 2018

New from DJ Jamison: Surprise Delivery (Hearts & Health #5)





Length: 68,000 word approx

Hearts & Health Series


Blurb

Dr. Casper Rollins knows how to have fun. The love of his life, Kage Myers, lived every moment to the fullest before he died. Now, Casper goes skydiving, mountain-climbing or on other adrenaline-soaked adventures when he wants to feel closer to his lost love.

Medical director Eric Holtz is married to his work -- so much so his husband left him. But when his niece shows up, pregnant and in need of an ally, Eric suddenly has family again. Unfortunately, her obstetrician, Casper Rollins, is sexy enough to turn Eric into a blushing adolescent.

What begins as a game to break Eric of his workaholic tendencies escalates into scorching sex and feelings that can't be ignored. Casper never planned to give his heart to anyone other than Kage, and Eric won't accept anything less.

If these two want a future, they'll have to embrace the lesson Kage taught Casper long ago: You only live once.




Excerpt

“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when you asked if I wanted to have fun,” Eric said, gasping for breath.

Casper laughed, one hand clutching his stomach and his other gripping Eric’s wrist and tugging. Eric was having just a bit more difficulty than Casper in climbing from the top of a trash bin to a tree to the roof of the downtown library.

Thankfully, dusk had fallen, and they were on the backside of the library, where they were less likely to be noticed. He’d never live it down if he was arrested for loitering on the roof of a public property. It was hardly the kind of publicity a medical director needed to generate.

Eric finally heaved himself onto the mostly flat, asphalt roof with Casper’s assistance. He dropped down on his back and stared at a sky painted with the pink and orange streaks of sunset. The sun, still a molten ball in the sky, dropped slowly behind puffy clouds that were beginning to look more like cotton candy, all pink and soft around the edges.

Casper settled beside him, crossing his arms under his head. “It’s worth it now, though, right?”

Unlike Eric, Casper had jumped from trash bin to tree to roof with the agility of a teenager. Lying as he was, with his arms folded behind his head, his triceps bulged. Eric found that a prettier sight than the sunset.

“You know, the hospital’s taller. I have a key to the roof. We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble and had a great view of the sunset.”

“You can just go up the stairwell and right onto the roof?”

“Yep,” Eric said, a bit smugly. “The helipad is up there, so there has to be access. It’s rare for us to receive a life flight, but it does happen.”

Casper made an obnoxious buzzing noise. “You’re venturing awfully close to shop talk, and besides, where’s the fun in walking up some stairs?”

Eric huffed a rueful laugh. “It’s more fun than a broken ankle.”

“No ankles were broken,” Casper chastised. “Now look at that gorgeous sky and enjoy yourself.”

Eric reached out and traced a blaze of orange inked on the pale skin of Casper’s bicep. “I’d rather look at this.”

Casper twitched, but he didn’t pull away. His head swiveled, light blue eyes fixing on Eric. “They always like the ink,” he murmured.

Eric flushed and pulled away. Turning his eyes back to the sky, which was less blinding than Casper’s beautiful body, he asked what he’d always wondered. “Do they mean something to you?”

“It’s artwork imprinted on my skin, so yeah, it means something to me.”

Eric risked a glance. “Of course.” He tried again. “But sometimes people get tattoos because they like the art. Other times, there’s a deeper symbolism in them.”

“You want to know the story behind my ink?”

Eric nodded, his eyes back on the swirls of color he could see on Casper’s bicep. As he watched, Casper grabbed the back of his T-shirt and peeled it up and over his head, dropping it into his lap.

Eric’s eyes roamed Casper’s body, taking in the paleness of his skin and the tautness of the muscle beneath it. Casper sat at an angle, turned with his shoulder toward Eric, so the vivid turquoise and orange of his tattoo captured Eric’s attention before he could get lost in a full study of the man’s body.

“It’s a lizard,” he said in surprise.

“A chameleon,” Casper said.

The chameleon clung to a branch that curved along the shape of Casper’s upper arm, blending in and out of leaves that wound around the image. The chameleon, where it was visible, was drawn in a bold style, with vivid hues setting it off from the parts of its body that vanished into the artwork. Large eyes and a wide grin imbued it with a personality, reminding Eric just a bit of the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland.

“It’s incredible,” Eric said, leaning closer to study it. The longer he looked, the more detail he could pick out, from subtly shaded scales to hints of the lizard behind the leaf work. “Chameleons change to match their surroundings, so what does this symbolize?”

“Mostly? Change. Both the ability to adapt to the changes in my life, but also the ability to be the change. Is that deep enough for you?”

Eric smiled. “Is your middle name Plato?”

Casper snorted as he grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

As Casper lowered the shirt, a hint of ink on his back caught Eric’s eye. He put out a hand to stop the lowering of Casper’s shirt, leaning to the side for a look. Casper’s back was as gorgeous as the rest of him, broad and tapering to his waist with a muscle definition Eric could never hope to replicate in his own body. Casper was doing something right, even if was working out at the gym religiously like any self-respecting gay man. Eric, quite obviously, didn’t respect his body as a temple, unless it was as a temple that had crumbled to a pile of rubble.

“What about this one?” he asked.

He could just make out what looked like a hoop with flames around it.

To his surprise, Casper shifted away and tugged his shirt down firmly. “I didn’t bring you up here to talk about all my tattoos.”

Casper’s tone was light and teasing, but his eyes were guarded, and Eric didn’t want to ruin what had been a fun outing with an interesting guy. So, he flirted.

“I was kind of hoping you brought me up here for more than a pretty sunset.”

Casper settled back onto his elbows, looking up at Eric with a genuine grin. “Is that right?”

Eric licked his lips nervously, looking at the perfect male body stretched out before him. Casper’s shoulders stretched the fabric of his shirt, pulling it tight across his chest, and his jeans hugged his muscled thighs. Casper was without a doubt the most gorgeous man Eric had ever seen.

But it had been a long time since he’d made a move. Tentatively, he rested his hand on Casper’s stomach, feeling his ab muscles tighten at his light touch.

“Seems like a good make-out spot,” Eric said.

“Does it?” Casper asked with an impish grin. “Maybe we should test it out.”

“Definitely,” Eric said, before leaning in. “But fair warning? I’m out of practice.”

“It’s just like riding a bike,” Casper murmured before their lips met in a kiss. It was soft, sweet. Tentative, because Eric was too timid to plunge his tongue in and taste Casper, no matter how much he wanted that.

Eric lifted his head, needing a moment to get his bearings after his first kiss in far too long. “That’s not at all like riding a bike.”

Casper laughed, eyes crinkling up. “You call that a make-out? Get back here.”

He slipped his hand into Eric’s hair and pulled him into a longer, deeper, wetter kiss. Casper eased onto his back, lying flat on the roof, and pulled Eric down with him. Even though Casper was the one pinned to the rooftop, he took control of the kiss, flicking his tongue playfully and nibbling at Eric’s lips until he opened up.

Eric smoothed his left hand over Casper’s chest and stomach, reveling in the firmness of the muscled body beneath him. Casper was young, gorgeous and incredibly fit. Way out of Eric’s league. But for some crazy reason, Casper liked him.

About The Author

DJ Jamison worked in newsrooms for more than 10 years, which helped tremendously when she began her series centered on The Ashe Sentinel, a fictional small-town newspaper in Kansas. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two sons and three glow-in-the-dark fish.

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Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Review tour: Break Down (Dublin Rugby 4) Rebecca Norrine

Title: Break Down
Series: Dublin Rugby #4
Author: Rebecca Norrine
Genre: M/M Sports Romance
Release Date: February 21, 2018
He knows his place on the pitch, but in life, it's a whole other game. All his life, Liam Donnelly looked and wondered. Could he? Would he? And then, finally, he did. But when he sampled a taste of that forbidden fruit, his whole world came crashing down, his position with Dublin Rugby right along with it. When the chance to ply his trade in Edinburgh comes along, Liam jumps at the offer, knowing it could be his best opportunity to start fresh and get back to the man he once was. But one look at Chef Lachlan MacLeod — his knowing, whisky-colored eyes, the abrasive scruff dotting his jaw, and the colorful ink lining his forearms —and Liam's wondering all over again. Can he? Will he? His heart says no, but his body says yes. He's conquered his own demons; can he help another man do the same? Out and proud Chef Lachlan MacLeod has no problem with who he is, except he has a history of hooking up with bi-curious straight men. He's vowed never to go down that path again, but when Liam Donnelly shows up in his restaurant, his eyes filled with heat and secret longing, Lachlan can't help himself. He knows the closeted rugby player is a terrible idea, but the man calls to him in a way no one ever has before. What started as a safe way for Liam to explore his sexuality quickly morphs into something much deeper, and now Lachlan wants more. But can his heart reconcile what his head already knows-that loving the gorgeous, broken athlete might actually mean letting him go?
 
I absolutely adored Liam and Lachlan’s journey. It was sweet, smexy, frustrating and real and I savored each step forward and back that these men took in order to find their HEA. - Books-n-Wine
What do you get when you take a hot rugby star who is sexually confused and add in a sexy, chef who knows what he wants? An excellent read! - Que Sara Sera Book Blog
From start to finished i devoured this read and couldn't put it down till i had. I was drawn in and captivated with Liam and Lachlan's story. - Millsy Loves Books
Break Down was everything and more; all of Rebecca Norinne's words are so beautifully and tastefully written you will not be disappointed with this book. - Scandalous Book Blog
Wow this book! I am having a hard time putting into words how I feel. I absolutely loved this book. This is one of the best M/M romances I have read in a while. - Laid Back Book Bitches
Holy amazing story Batman! This is the first story by this author that I have read. I'm a automatic one clicker for her now. WOW. - The Heathers Blog
This M/M read is beautifully written. The characters being both sexy & rough, yet emotional & vulnerable. - Dani's Book Review Blog



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No amount of logic or reason could prevent me from stepping between Liam’s thighs and fisting his blond hair between my fingers. No amount of caution or doubt would keep me from tugging his head back. And when he gasped—his mouth parting in surprise—no amount of uncertainty would keep me from crushing my lips to his, from my teeth nipping at the sensual curve of his full, bottom lip. Nothing, and no one, would keep me from devouring the mouth I’d dreamed about for weeks, from licking my way inside, from tangling my tongue with his until he weaved his fingers through my hair and moaned, the sound moving from his chest, through his mouth, and into mine.



USA TODAY bestselling Rebecca Norinne writes steamy contemporary romance featuring smart and sexy heroines and the men who adore them. When not writing, Rebecca is watching rugby, drinking craft beer, or traveling the globe in search of inspiration for her next story. Find out more at http://www.rebeccanorinne.com
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Wow. Just. Wow. A truly amazing story. Of all the Rebecca Norrine stories I've read, this is by far may favorite.

Break Down gives us a look into the problems that arise when a professional athlete is deep in the closet, yet falls hard for an proud, out, loud and famous chef.

The character Liam, a star Rugby player, was written so brilliantly I could actually feel his gut-wrenching turmoil.

It's easy to understand Lachlan's frustration with Liam. He wants so bad to date him openly he can't stand it.

When they do come together it's totally amazing.

The only thing I didn't like about the story was that I had to keep stopping to look up the Rugby terms. A glossary of terms would have been nice.

Still, I give the story 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Review tour: Under The Boardwalk by Felice Stevens




Narrated By: Nick J Russo

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Photo: Eric McKinney @ Cover'd By 6:12

Length: 3hrs 56 minutes

Blurb

Beneath the famous Brooklyn landmark, love is hidden but not denied: All his life, Alexi Kharpov has dreamed of traveling to unknown exciting places instead of working at his family’s frozen custard stand on the famous Coney Island boardwalk. Every year is the same until a gorgeous man picks a spot in front of his stand to sing, captivating him with his beautiful voice. After two summers of listening, it might finally be time for him to cross that boardwalk and take a chance.

Opera singer Cameron Maxwell has traveled the world, but the sight of the beautiful man serving custard to tourists touches his heart like nothing ever has before. A summer fling might be exactly what he needs to put his problems out of his mind, but the last thing Cam expects is to want the summer to last forever.

It’s a season of discovery for both men who learn to dig deep within their heads and hearts to decide whether secrets old and new should remain buried, or if love is too important to keep hidden under the boardwalk.


March 12 - Mainely Stories
March 14 - My Fiction Nook


About Felice

I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, My characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love, but getting there is oh so fun and oh so sexy.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass (or two of red wine). I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there are bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

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Loved it!

A beautiful love story beautifully written with amazing characters.

If you're looking for a book with a lot of explicit sex scenes that make up the majority of the story, look somewhere else. But if you're looking for a book that has substance, real life settings, main characters that genuinely care for and support each other no matter what, this is the book for you.

One of the things I like about Under the Boardwalk is the small number of supporting characters. Some novels I've read made me feel like I was reading Tolstoy's War and Peace.

Rather than reading the book, I strongly recommend listening to the audio book. The characters really come to life and it's very easy to get drawn into the story. The narrator does an awesome job bringing the characters to life with subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) nuances, right down to and including Alexi's Russian accent.

If you like to read, read it. If you like to listen, listen to it, but do one or the other. You won't be disappointed.

Definitely 5 out of 5 stars!