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Blurb

College student Dylan Watson has spent the past three years mourning the mysterious death of his beloved sister and hating her bandmate–he’s convinced Iodine’s lead singer Kai Delisa had something to do with Ava’s “accident.” When her old band unexpectedly signs a massive record deal with a major label, Dylan decides to do what he should have done years ago–find out exactly what happened that tragic night.

For an up-and-coming rock star, Kai isn’t an easy man to track down. There’s precious little info about him online, and what’s there is more confusing than enlightening. But when Dylan’s and Kai’s paths finally cross, the meeting triggers a chain of events that unravels Dylan’s life and shatters the cherished image of his sister.

What’s worse? Kai threatens the one secret Dylan has tried to hide since high school: he likes men. And despite years of hating Kai, their time together makes two things crystal clear. Dylan’s attracted to him, and that attraction is mutual.

Torn between the dark past he can’t shake off and the uncertain future he might be able to have if he dares to give in to the allure of the intense chemistry he has with Kai, Dylan is now facing some hard choices.

Graceless is a high-angst, slow-burn MM romance that explores the following themes: depression, mental illness, suicide, and abuse.

BOOK 2

Book Title: Faithful (An MM Enemies to Lovers Romance)

Length: 80 000 words

Release Date: July 14, 2022

This book needs to be read after Graceless.

It does not end on a cliffhanger. It’s HEA

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Blurb

Some secrets aren’t meant to remain secret forever.

Ever since Iodine’s debut album propelled Kai to stardom, his every move is scrutinized on social media and in the tabloids. And after the recent scandal Kai has been dragged into, Dylan’s worst fears come true–Kai suggests putting their affair on pause. With Dylan closeted and Kai being the talk of the town, it’s the smart thing to do.

It’s also harder than it seems.

Because neither of them is ready to let go. Kai breaks his own rules and reaches out to Dylan again and again. While they continue to indulge in late-night texts and calls, Dylan finally begins to slowly unravel the mystery behind Kai’s scars–the scars Kai refuses to talk about.

As Dylan comes to terms with the true nature of his feelings for Kai, and the two admit their relationship is more than a fling, Dylan’s father takes an unexpected interest in his life. He could end Kai’s career with a word.

Now Dylan must do the unthinkable–stand up to the man who’s always terrified him, or risk losing the man he loves.

Faithful is the conclusion of Dylan and Kai’s story and should be read after Graceless.

Excerpt

I didn’t ask.

I knew better.

Ava only shared what she wanted and when she wanted.

All I could do was be there for her. Be a cool, supportive brother. Even if that meant driving to some shithole in Tacoma to pick her up because she’d had one too many brownies or smoked one too many joints.

She was rebelling for the both of us, so to speak.

Besides, weed was legal in our beautiful state.

Not like she was doing hard drugs.

I was behind the wheel, and she was trying to figure out the whole seat belt thing, which was apparently a challenge in her state of impairment, when he came into view. He was about my height, lean but elegantly cut with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His pants—black and shiny and right on the edge of tantalizingly tight—framed his long legs in a way that left little to the imagination. He wore a studded belt and some kind of long-sleeved sweater. A red tie made a collar around his neck. A cigarette dangled from his mouth.

His face, though…

I was still battling with my sexual self-awareness, still wondering if Hayden had happened because he was Hayden and not because he was a guy. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that girls truly had never done anything for me, if my failed relationship with Emmalyn Hill weren’t indication enough.

I liked dudes.

And there he was. All dark and brooding and brilliant in his self-imposed lament.

I noticed him.

I fucking did.

And it terrified me—the fact that my mind singled him out.

In the dim stream of light, I saw the eyeliner beneath his eyes. Instantly, I questioned whether it was because he was like me or because his stage persona dictated makeup. The mystery of it made my blood rush.

And fuck.

That blood was all going south.

I was sure my sister wouldn’t appreciate me driving her home with a hard-on, so I tried to calm down. I tried to be rational. I tried to control this strange urge that had already gotten me in trouble once.

But his face was so goddamned distracting. His skin was smooth and pale without a single blemish, shimmering in the dark. A silver ring pierced his nostril, metal catching light as he turned.

His features could be described as a clash of contradictions, a blend of fierce and soft, and unfamiliar in their ruthless familiarity. Like déjà vu. Something you knew you’d never seen, but still your mind tried to remember where, tried to chase the nonexistent occurrence in the continuum of time and space and memories.

About the Author

N.N. Britt writes emotional romance novels about music and imperfect people falling in love.

Author Links

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Kicks by Kristian Parker #kindleunlimited #giveaway

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Kicks (Pleasure Seekers, Book 2)

Author and Publisher: Kristian Parker

Cover Artist: Kelly Martin

Release Date: May 15, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Friends with benefits to lovers, workplace romance

Themes: Resolving family issues.

Trigger warning – deals with historical suicide attempt

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 50 040 words/ 214 pages

It is book two in the Pleasure Seekers series and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Love always uncovers the truth

Blurb

Eddie Channing has never bothered with a career. Yet somehow he’s become the best salesman at Pleasure Seekers.

When his boss makes a shock announcement, Eddie isn’t just fighting for his job—his whole life as he knows it is at stake.

Enter Billy Webster. A Brighton shop owner still grieving the loss of his mother as well as raising his teenage sister, he could hold the answers to all of Eddie’s problems…if Eddie can screw a good chunk of commission out of him. But Eddie, who’s as chilled about his love life as he is about his professional one, is shaken to the core when he first sets eyes on Billy. Can he lie to him straight away, and keep the deception going if they become involved?

And what will happen if the truth comes out, to Eddie, Billy and any relationship they’ve built?

Trigger warning – elements of grief for the loss of a mother (off page).

Excerpt

The front doorbell sounded, snapping Billy to attention.

“He must be here,” he said.

“Or it’s a customer,” Harry replied.

“I admire your optimism. I’ll go.”

Billy strode out into the shop. A man had his back to him. He appeared to be inspecting a shell-covered jewellery box. Not one of Billy’s wisest choices.

“Can I help you?”

When the man turned around, Billy gasped. He hadn’t seen someone that handsome in a long time. With light brown skin and short dreadlocks that appeared to have been tinted by the sun, he glowed.

He was a contrast to Billy’s much darker tone and cropped hair. Fashion statements had never been high on Billy’s agenda. He took pride in his appearance whilst making minimal effort. Although when Crystal’s friends all became obsessed with giving each other facials at sleepovers, he did succumb to letting Crystal practice her technique on him.

The life of a girl dad proved to be a never-ending voyage of discovery.

“Mr Webster?” the exquisite specimen said.

“Um…yes.”

“Eddie Channing. From Pleasure Seekers. We have an appointment?”

“That’s right.”

“Sorry, Mr Channing,” Harry said as he pushed past Billy. “My brother appears to have let the heat get to him. I’m Harry and this is Billy.”

Eddie shook his hand. “That’s better. I’d get confused dealing with two Mr Websters.”

Billy got a hold of himself and forced his brain to focus. “My apologies, Mr…Eddie. I don’t know what came over me.”

This man intrigued Eddie. “Don’t worry about it. As long as I have the bragging rights. It’s not every day I make a handsome man lose his words. My flatmates will be amazed.”

Did he just call me handsome?

Billy refused to let his emotions take control. This was important. He wouldn’t fall for a salesman’s tactics.

He held his hand out. When Eddie took it, Billy tried his best to ignore the spark of electricity that fizzed through him.

“Would you like to come through?” Billy said.

“I’ll put the closed sign on,” Harry chipped in.

“No n—” Billy started.

Harry widened his eyes at him. “Probably for the best.”

Suddenly, Billy saw how wildly out of his depth he was. Harry seemed to be treating this like one of his fights. He was ducking and weaving all over the place. Billy had never been any good at games.

That was probably why they were about to go bust.

He led Eddie through. The close proximity making his heart beat a little faster. However, those few steps gave him the chance to get it together.

“Take a seat,” he said. “Can I get you a drink? It’s hot today.”

“No, I’m good,” Eddie said.

Billy took his usual seat at the little desk. He gestured for Eddie to take the armchair that Crystal usually sat in to do her homework.

Harry soon followed them and perched delicately on the remaining stool. He was far too big for it. Billy prayed to everything holy that it wouldn’t collapse under him.

Why didn’t I give him this seat? Fuck’s sake, calm down. It doesn’t matter.

SERIES BLURB

Pleasure Seekers is the online store for the nation’s naughty needs. It caters to all tastes from edible underwear to lube to things that are a little more niche.

Based in Brighton on the South Coast, Pleasure Seekers’ mission is to revolutionise Britain’s sex life.

But what kind of person works in a company like this?

Meet Tyler, Eddie and Scott. Three men who are about to have the summer of their lives.

Who says taking your work home with you is a bad thing?

Check out Book 1 here

About the Author

I have written for as long as I could write. In fact, before, when I would dictate to my auntie. I love to read, and I love to create worlds and characters.

I live in the English countryside. When I’m not writing, I like to get out there and think through the next scenario I’m going to throw my characters into.

Inspiration can be found anywhere, on a train, in a restaurant or in an office. I am always in search of the next character to find love in one of my stories. In a world of apps and online dating, it is important to remember love can be found when you least expect it.

Author Links

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Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

your choice of ebook from Kristian’s backlist (5 winners)

Thrill by Kristian Parker #kindleunlimited #giveaway

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Thrill (Pleasure Seekers, Book 1)

Author and Publisher: Kristian Parker

Cover Artist: Kelly Martin

Release Date: April 5, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Friends with Benefits to lovers, workplace romance

Themes: Resolving family issues. Trigger warning – deals with historical suicide attempt

Length: 50 040 words/ 214 pages

Heat Rating: 5 flames

It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Blurb

Tyler Jones is celebrating hitting his mid-thirties with a new job and it’s unlike anywhere he’s ever worked before. Pleasure Seekers is an sex toy retail company based in the seaside resort of Brighton.

On his first day, Tyler finds himself in a very sticky situation with the drop-dead gorgeous Danny Healy. This man is next-level handsome. When Danny offers to help Tyler become personally acquainted with some of the items the company sells online, the heat truly blasts off.

But Tyler has never been one for meaningless sex. When he gets to know Danny, he finds so much more than he ever expected. What could happen if the lines of their arrangement were blurred a little?

Trigger warning – discussion of historical emotional struggles and attempted suicide.

Excerpt

Taking the opportunity to study his new colleagues, he was excited. Everyone seemed as though they were enjoying one another’s company. Tyler couldn’t wait until he was one of them properly. In his old place he’d largely kept to himself.

Things are looking up.

“Attention, everyone,” Eddie said, clapping his hands together. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy days. I won’t keep you too long. We’ve been given six samples of lube but we’re only taking one. Two at a push. All you have to do is, in pairs, smell the scents and rate them out of five. Easy as that. When you’re done, there’s a free doughnut here for you.”

“I doubt I’ll fancy a glazed ring after sniffing this lot,” a man piped up.

“Thank you, Scott,” Eddie replied. “Helpful as ever. Grab a seat, folks.”

Tyler sat at the nearest table. As the others took their own chairs, it became apparent, to Tyler’s horror, that they were an odd number. No prizes for guessing who the Billy-No-Mates would be.

He’d gone from hero to zero in less than a minute.

Anticipating everyone turning to stare at him, Tyler tried to force a smile on his face.

Then one of the most handsome men Tyler had ever set eyes on walked in. Medium height with a dark brown crew cut and tan skin, he stood in the doorway like some overalls-clad sex god. Tyler was mesmerised.

“Danny,” Eddie said. “Good to see you.”

“Sorry I’m late.”

He looked around the room until his gaze rested on Tyler. A lopsided smile crept onto his face. Tyler suddenly felt very warm.

“No worries,” Eddie said. “Why don’t you go and join Tyler?”

Boom, things were on the up again.

“Lucky Tyler,” Scott added.

Tyler wasn’t easy to embarrass. Yet he could feel his face burning. He nodded at Danny, who slumped down in a chair.

Mercifully, everyone else set about the task in hand.

“Tyler. New starter?” Danny said, giving Tyler a once-over.

“Yes,” Tyler replied. “The Head of Procurement.”

There came the lopsided smile once more. It seemed to mainline straight into Tyler’s gut. And lower.

“How about you?”

Danny tugged at his overalls. “Warehouse.”

Suddenly, the door flung open. A red-faced Barry stood there.

“What do you think you’re doing? No one told me about a lube testing.”

“I didn’t know I had to,” Eddie replied.

“Of course you do,” Barry spluttered. “Then I can put protective coating on the floor. If anyone drops one tiny bit on my new carpet tiles, I will personally supervise you getting it out.”

Not waiting for a reply, he slammed the door shut.

“Please be careful, guys,” Eddie said. “For my sake.”

A ripple of amusement swept through the room.

“Poor old Barry,” Danny said. “Always wanting perfection. He’ll give himself an ulcer one day.”

“He should sample some of the products. There’s a man who needs a prostate massager and no mistake,” Tyler replied.

Danny covered his face. “Don’t put pictures in my head.”

About the Author

I have written for as long as I could write. In fact, before, when I would dictate to my auntie. I love to read, and I love to create worlds and characters.

I live in the English countryside. When I’m not writing, I like to get out there and think through the next scenario I’m going to throw my characters into.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter Sign-up

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

your choice of ebook from Kristian’s backlist (5 winners)

Bridging Hope by Greyson McCoy

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

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Book Title: Bridging Hope (Bridging Hearts Series, #1)

Author: Greyson McCoy

Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Release Date: March 26, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M romance

Tropes: Hurt/Comfort, forced proximity, small town romance

Themes: New dads

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 58 pages

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger. It’s a HEA

Buy Links

DreamSpinner Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

When workaholic Pierce Simms’s sister passes, he suddenly finds himself unemployed, back in the hometown he fled, and raising his niece and nephew. Despite that, he’s confident he has things under control—at least until his sister’s high-school sweetheart shows up.

With his teaching grant ended, Dalton O’Dell is at loose ends and tight purse strings. Just as the world crashes down on him, he learns his ex-girlfriend has passed and named him guardian of her two young children. Chaos ensues when he and her brother, Pierce, are forced together to raise the toddlers in Pierce’s family farmhouse.

Nestled in the enchanting beauty of the farm, Pierce and Dalton bond over the challenges of co-parenting and their shared grief as unexpected love blossoms. Love might not be enough, however, if they can’t learn to bridge the gap between their different worlds and overcome the trauma of their pasts.

Excerpt

“Let’s discuss how to proceed,” Pierce’s attorney, a short, businesslike woman, said. For thirty minutes, Pierce kept the baby occupied while his attorney and Uncle Tim discussed the details of the will. I sat watching Pierce.

The little girl kept bringing her uncle toys that had been left in the office for kids to play with, and each time, he’d smile or ask her questions. Eventually, the baby boy settled and snuggled sleepily in his arms. That’s when my heart melted. This wasn’t an absentee uncle. Clearly, he was important to them and vice versa. It made me question whether a custody fight was prudent.

“Why did Lizzie want me to raise her kids instead of you?” I blurted, interrupting our attorneys and surprising myself.

A pained expression crossed Pierce’s face as he spoke to me for the first time. “When she made her will, she probably figured I’d never come back. We were… estranged,” he said, voice gruff.

“But you’re back now, and these two seem to trust you. How long have you been taking care of them?”

His pained look morphed into one so grief-stricken I felt tempted to hug him. “About six months,” he whispered.

I nodded in thought. “Do you have a job? Are you married? What’s your wife like? Is she on board with helping raise them?”

My uncle cleared his throat, signaling to me to let the lawyers handle the questioning, but I couldn’t help myself. For a moment, Pierce looked a little stunned by the sudden barrage, but he answered. “I’m recently unemployed, but I received a good severance package. I’m set for at least a few months before I need to work full-time again. I’m not married.” He hesitated then, his face resolute, before spinning the question back around. “You?”

I shrugged. “Unmarried and recently unemployed as well.” Ignoring his challenging stare, I continued honestly. “I see these two love you, depend on you. I don’t understand all this, but I trust Lizzie had her reasons for naming me their guardian. I won’t relinquish that responsibility. Not without knowing for certain they’re in good hands.”

Pierce nodded, and his expression softened a little. “I’m not stepping out of their lives without knowing the same thing. Frankie and Max have already been through too much for two little kids. I’ll be here until they don’t need me.”

“So we’re at an impasse,” I said.

Uncle Tim cleared his throat again. “Or maybe it’s an opportunity. Mr. Simms, may I call you Pierce? I understand you inherited your father’s farm?” Pierce glanced at him and nodded. “And Dalton, you’re looking for a place to stay. Why don’t you boys combine forces? Dalton, your farming experience might be of great help to Pierce, and you’ll both have time to get to know one another and observe the other’s parenting style.”

I looked at my uncle, aghast. “Uncle Tim, that’s probably not a good idea. Mr. Simms, surely you have a girlfriend or something? I couldn’t impose—”

Pierce barked out a laugh, nearly waking baby Max, who’d fallen asleep in his arms. “I’m gay and single.” He glanced down at his nephew, then over to his niece, Frankie, before refocusing on me. “I understand you work with kids, but do you feel comfortable caring for kids this young?”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t have much experience being around kids this age. In my previous job, they already knew their ABCs when they came to me.”

Pierce appeared lost in thought before he sighed and his shoulders dropped, as if he were giving up the fight. “Honestly, I could use the help. When Lizzie got sick, friends and neighbors helped, but that tapered off. Now it’s just us. I could use another pair of adult hands, especially at night.”

“And there’s room at your house?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m staying in my sister’s room, which has an adjoining area where the kids sleep. You could take the main bedroom right across the hall. But fair warning,” he said, a mischievous smile forming on his lips, “if you move in, you’ll have night duty too. Max only sleeps four or five hours, which means 1:00 a.m. diaper-changing time. You up for that?”

I could tell he was testing me, and screw him. I slept like the dead, but I could set an alarm.

I nodded. “I’m up for it if you are.”

We both looked at our attorneys, who wore matching grins. “Well, then,” Uncle Tim said, “sounds like we’ve got a plan.”

About the Author

Greyson McCoy loves to travel. After years of being tied down to a life of kids, work, running a small farm, and all things domestic, he and his husband have taken full advantage of their empty nest to travel the world.

The joy of writing came to Greyson late in life. While completing his master’s degree, he found himself fighting between desperately wanting to write fiction and finishing the homework and papers he’d been assigned.

After his master’s was finished, Greyson decided to shirk his life of responsibility and pursue his dream of writing full time. His stories reflect many of the locations he and his husband have visited over the years.

Author Links

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Co-Star by Ava Olsen #kindleunlimited

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Co-Star

Author and Publisher: Ava Olsen

Cover Artist: Furiousfotog

Release Date: March 20, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Friends to enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, second chances

Themes: Coming out, mental health, addiction, healing trauma (not SA)

Length: 75 252 words/300 pages

Heat Rating: 4 flames

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Love in the spotlight is not made to survive. Will we?

Blurb

Reed: Tate Aduma is a Hollywood actor that everyone wants and no one really knows. Our first meeting as young dreamers sparks a decade of incredible highs and lows.

I’ve loved him, I’ve hated him, and I can’t live without him.

But I know that love in the spotlight is not made to survive.

Will we?

Tate: Reed Larkin is the only constant in my chaotic life of movie sets, parties, and nameless lovers. But while being on stage is second nature, being myself in real life is a role I struggle to play.

Then I’m offered the biggest part of my career, working alongside Reed as my co-star, and my love interest.

This time, however, neither one of us is acting.

Co-Star is a best friends to enemies to lovers, MM romance filled with combustible chemistry, indelible love, and a HEA a decade in the making.

About the Author

Ava Olsen writes steamy and dreamy contemporary romances filled with heartwarming characters, cheeky banter and swoony moments.

Social Media Links

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New Audiobook – Lonely Diner by Dann Hazel

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

AUDIOBOOK RELEASE

Book Title: Lonely Diner

Author and Narrator: Dann Hazel

Release Date: February 9, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Military Romance, Coming Out, Overcoming Adversity, Second Chances

Themes: Dealing with Trauma, Gay in a New City, Forgiveness

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 11 hours and 5 minutes

It is part of a series, but each novel can be read as a standalone.

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links

Audible US | Audible UK

Two conflicted military men. A longing for happiness. One Lonely Diner, where people often search for a recipe for love. (The food is good there, too.)

Blurb

Two conflicted military men. A longing for happiness. One Lonely Diner, where people often search for a recipe for love. (The food is good there, too.)

One man plays it straight. Another grieves over a lost best friend with benefits.

Everyone thought they were meant for each other. Lance, an Air Force computer engineer, and Ryan, a former submariner in the Navy and now a military college professor, are gay men blinded by the painful wounds of their past decisions. Both men are ready for love. But because of their pasts, they’ve slammed the brakes on their desires.

Now thirty years old, a younger Ryan Ball decides he can be happy only by conforming to social expectations. So what does he do? He decides he must have a wife and kids. Though he acknowledges that he can never be straight, he is convinced that with effort, determination, alcohol and erectile dysfunction meds, he can play the necessary roles.

Vikki, Ryan’s girlfriend in high school and now his wife, begs to differ.

At thirty-one, Lance Dingle falls for his best friend and roommate, Randy, a stunt pilot who agrees to a friends-with-benefits arrangement. From Lance’s perspective, there’s a spark in their arrangement that Randy denies. Then, tragedy strikes. Lance finds himself alone and lonely, living with memories of Randy and an ever-expanding list of “what-might-have-beens.” Finally forcing himself into the dating scene, Lance discovers that Mr. Right is more elusive than he ever imagined.

Then, Callie Yenti, transwoman, drag performer extraordinaire and entrepreneur, enters the picture. She owns the popular Lonely Diner and possesses an uncanny insight into the workings of the heart.

Even the complicated hearts of her two hard-headed friends, Lance and Ryan.

An HEA gay romance.

Trigger Warning: This novel includes scenes from a sexual assault and a PTSD episode.

Excerpt

It was at this point—this question—that Ryan slammed both hands flat against the table. He heard Diamond’s short scream and grimaced. He lowered his voice. “Okay. Fine. The two of you want the truth? The whole truth? You’ll have it, then.”

He could imagine what Vikki would say. She would never have advised handling his parents the way he intended now.

Ryan inhaled deeply. “For years now, I have denied a big part of who I am. In my denial, I asked Vikki to make a sacrifice—a sacrifice of which she was unaware for years—while I sorted my shit out. A fool’s way of avoiding the truth. It took a stint in the Navy but finally, I did. I sorted everything out and realized I am gay. There. I said it. And I said it without fear or shame.”

“Oh, dear God!” Mr. Ball’s voice boomed, echoing against the walls of the dining room. “What kind of farce do you have in store for us next? That you’ve fallen in love with a sailor, and with him, you intend to live happily ever after?” A pause. Then: “Gay!” He spat out the word. “Another fad. Another trend. It’s not real. I’ve known men who thought they were homosexuals, then after years of lying to themselves passed, I discovered they were happily married with children.”

“How many people have you told?” Mrs. Ball demanded. “To what degree have you brought shame to this family?” And then, after a thought: “And what about Vikki? Can you say with certainty that you’re really Diamond’s father? After all, you’ve been at sea for months at a time.”

“Wait just a minute!” Ryan’s voice exploded. “First, I must say that your assertion is offensive—both to me and, I’m sure, to Vikki. Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I can’t perform sexually with a woman.” He turned to his father. “Which probably is part of the reason why your gay acquaintances were able to pull the wool over your eyes so successfully. Being gay is more than just sex, you know.”

Mr. Ball glared at his son. “I am so fearful of what will happen to this country when your generation takes the reins.”

“Just—stop it! Just shut the fuck up! Both of you. I’m tired of it. Tired of the bullshit.”

The expression on both parents’ faces confirmed the fact that their son had never spoken to them using this tone, these words.

Ryan lowered his voice to a subtle whisper. “What Vikki and I are dealing with? Well, it’s our concern. No one else’s.”

Then, a voice. Vikki’s voice. Coming from the doorway. Diamond, still absorbed in her coloring activity in the family room.

“Please understand. Both of you. I was able to handle your son’s honesty. Was I deeply hurt when I discovered the truth? Yes. Of course. And I’m sure you bear some hurt of your own. But you should not weaponize that hurt into anger against your son. It’s important that you try to do what Ryan and I did. It took some effort, but it was worth it. With open communication and a willingness to be accessible to one another, we began to work things out. I know there are still challenges ahead of us, especially with our little girl. That’s uncharted territory, to be sure. But Diamond is loved. By both of us. We will still be a family, even when Ryan is in Florida and I’m here, in Virginia. We want both of you to be a part of our family. But that’s not going to happen if the two of you can‘t see your way forward to cultivate a little understanding.”

To avoid escalating the situation even more, what Vikki and Ryan did not say was that Mr. and Mrs. Ball would never see their grandchild again if they could not surmount their anger, doubt and resentment.

About the Author

Dann Hazel has been writing both fiction and nonfiction for more than twenty years.

Besides writing romance, he has taught high school English and journalism, college psychology and human sexuality, directed federal grants and worked as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital. His fiction genre interests include thrillers, horror, literary and gay romance. He has published the Some Like It Haute Gay Romance Series, including Room for Dessert, My Own Private Biscuit and Lonely Diner.

Nonfiction works include Witness: Gay and Lesbian Clergy Report from the Front and Moving On: The Gay Man’s Guide for Coping When a Relationship Ends.

Dann’s personal interests include reading and writing, cinema, jogging, Broadway, keeping abreast of current events and travel.

Currently, Dann lives in Central Florida with his husband, Josh, and their American Eskimo canine, Flurry.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Instagram

The Locket’s Tale by RJ Peterson #kindleunlimited

Posted on February 20, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Locket’s Tale

Author and Publisher: RJ Peterson

Cover Artist: Ron Perry Graphic Design

Release Date: February 21, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Older guys, small town

Themes: Just a hint of magic

Heat Rating: 3.5 flames (there are only a couple of sex scenes, but they are quite detailed)

Length: 22 600 words

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Sometimes love is just lying there, waiting to be found.

Blurb

When Miles Wickford happens upon a locket one day during his morning walk, little did he realize how his life would change.

Elias Grafton is frantic when his beloved locket is taken from his antique shop. He fears it may be lost forever.

Miles is intrigued by the power the locket possesses but can’t in good conscience keep what doesn’t belong to him. Although it can’t hurt to try it once or twice, can it?

A locket brings these two men together. And fate, or the locket’s magic, leads to so much more.

Sometimes love is just lying there, waiting to be found.

A Locket’s Tale is a small town MM romance featuring older guys, a lost locket, and just a hint of magic.

Excerpt

It was an ordinary day, much like every other in my life. I awoke at seven without an alarm, my body tuned to the rhythms of my life. After a quick shower, followed by coffee and a bagel, I set off on my morning ritual five-mile walk through my neighborhood and around Milford Pond before returning home.

I was a freelance editor, and this was how I started each day. It helped clear my mind. A brain reset, if you will, before delving into the next manuscript.

I sometimes varied my route slightly, just for a bit of variety in my otherwise oh-so-similar days, and this Friday was such a day. On my return home, I turned right on Folsom Street, which would take me by a small park, complete with a playground for the neighborhood children.

The park was empty at this hour, children already in school this sunny but cool October morning. As I ambled down the sidewalk, I heard a dog barking in the distance as something caught my eye on the pavement ahead of me. A ray of sunlight reflected on its surface. A coin perhaps.

But as I approached, its form became more distinct. Is that something on a chain? I stopped mere inches away and bent to retrieve it. A silver locket in the shape of a book. And yes, a matching chain. Curious. I looked around but saw no one who might have dropped it.

I examined the locket, noting the fine filigree work on the front surrounding an oval gem—lapis lazuli was my first thought—where one might expect to find a photo. Instead, the oval contained a cabochon of what appeared to be lapis lazuli. I opened it, hoping to find something that might help to identify it or the owner and was surprised to see words delicately engraved upon what looked like pages.

Despite my squinting, I couldn’t quite make out the words, so I closed the locket and placed it in the front pocket of my jeans. I’d employ the help of a magnifying glass to decipher the message once I returned home. And so I set off to complete my journey, wondering what secrets this jewelry might hold.

* * *

Entering the back door of my Craftsman home, I shrugged off my jacket and hung it on the peg just inside the kitchen entry. I filled my favorite Yeti tumbler with ice and water, then proceeded to my office to begin the day’s work. But first, a closer look at the locket.

Pulling it from my pocket, I placed it on the desk blotter and grabbed a magnifying glass from the top drawer. I examined the front and back, but again, found no distinguishing marks, so I opened it to study the message engraved inside.

Place this locket about your neck,

Then close your eyes and think

Upon a book that you adore

And let the story sink

Into your brain. Now make a wish

And you will find, indeed,

You’re in said story for a day

Or more or less. Take heed!

“Hmmm, that’s interesting,” I said aloud to the empty room. “But it still doesn’t tell me who this trinket may belong to.” I shrugged, glancing at the small digital clock on my desk only to see it was later than I realized. “I’ll give this more thought later.” I opened the project management app on my iMac. “But now I really need to get to work.”

About the Author

R.J. Peterson is a retired graphic designer. An avid reader—preferably while sipping a vodka martini or bourbon on the rocks—he’s had a long and varied career, including library page, car wash attendant, travel agent, and graphic designer in the marijuana industry. In addition, he worked in the banking industry for twenty-five years. He loves to travel and has been on 55+ cruises. When not on a cruise, he and his husband live in New England.

He never planned to be a writer, but a fateful day in January, 2021 changed it all. He woke with a story stuck in his head and started typing. The more he types, the more ideas he gets.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website | Facebook Group | Newsletter Sign-up | Linktree

The Long Journey to You by Vincent Traughber Meis

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Long Journey to You

Author: Vincent Traughber Meis

Publisher: Spectrum Books

Cover Artist: Vincent Meis and Andrew May

Release Date: February 17, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance, Literary Fiction

Tropes: Age-gap relationship, friends to lovers

Themes: Survival, overcoming tragedy

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 97 000 words/350 pages

It can be read as a standalone, but the protagonist also appears in my novel, The Mayor of Oak Street (ages 12-21). The main story of this book takes place 40 years later and we find out what happened to him in flashbacks.

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Nathan’s traumatic past challenges but cannot stop the arc that brings him to Mateo.

Blurb

Nathan doesn’t know how to stop dwelling on the failures and tragedies that have plagued him since he was a twenty-one-year-old happily in the arms of the handsome young doctor he had pined for since he was twelve. Many years later after the latest tragedy, who could mend Nathan’s heart? If not a handsome young doctor, would an ER nurse do? After a chance meeting with Mateo, a lot of Nathan’s reminiscing is now devoted to how that encounter made him feel. Will he seize the day or continue wallowing in the past, having lunch with his best girlfriend from high school, and writing poetry?

Excerpt

“Are you okay?” he asked in a slight Spanish accent. His questioning eyes moved directly to the stain on my T-shirt where the juicy tomato from my lunch had squirted. Looking like blood?

I became acutely aware of my attire: baggy sweats that may have had other stains, a baseball cap with a tattered rim, and faded crocs. He wore neat magenta scrubs that matched the color of his full shiny lips. His nametag said Mateo.

The scenario must have been embarrassingly clear to him. I had wandered off from one of the many senior facilities that dotted the landscape of the neighborhood. If I exaggerated the confusion that I, in fact, frequently felt, he might take my arm, walk me back to the facility, put me in a bath, gently wash my back, and tuck me into bed. The more I looked into his onyx eyes, the more I wanted him to do just that.

“I mean, you looked a little lost…and sad.”

“Don’t worry, Mateo.” His eyebrows separated and bounced at the sound of his name. Then he smiled and touched his nametag, realizing how I knew it. “I’m lost in a memory is all.” I chuckled. “I suppose I do fit a profile.”

“You’re okay, then?”

“Yep.”

“My bad. I didn’t mean to profile you. I have experience with that, and it’s no fun.”

I imagined that he was doubly profiled, first for the color of his skin and then a second time when people caught a hint of his accent.

“No harm done. I appreciate your concern.”

“It’s kind of my job. Sometimes it is difficult to switch out of that mode when I leave work.” He lowered his eyes, making me realize I must have been staring intently. How could I have not? He was an amalgam of all the men I had been attracted to my entire life: Mediterranean, Black, Latino, shorter than me, rectangular solid frame, soulful eyes, thick hair. But with an added twist. A dusting of freckles graced his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose.

In a thoughtful gesture, he stared at the sidewalk and raised his hand to his chin, rubbing his index finger over his left cheek, revealing another physical trait that rang my buzzer: little tufts of black hair between his major and minor knuckles, a tiny forest to let my tongue wander through.

Thank God, he couldn’t read my thoughts. Or could he?

“I should let you get on your way,” he mumbled, still not looking at me. He stared at the smashed apricots on the ground with, I imagined, quite a different take than mine.

I wasn’t ready to let him go just yet.

“Do you work in one of these facilities I might have escaped from?”

“Now, look, I didn’t mean…” He took a step back in what appeared to be a desire to flee.

“I’m teasing. I haven’t seen you around the neighborhood.”

He tapped his nametag and twisted his neck to look at it. “Kaiser. It says right here. Kaiser Permanente.”

“I have trouble reading fine print.” I let out a small laugh, but he didn’t join me.

He took another step back. “Just moved here less than a year ago.”

I guessed he was mid-thirties, and with his Spanish accent and African features, maybe Puerto Rican? Cuban? I imagined he lived with a wife and multiple niños. They spent Saturdays having barbecues in the park and Sundays from dawn to dusk at church events. He looked far too sweet to be anything but a family man. Now I was profiling.

“From?” I asked.

He let out a protracted sigh, as if the conversation had gotten way more involved than he had intended. His forehead crinkled again, hesitating to give me an answer.

“The city. Getting too crazy over there.”

Then he raised his head and his eyes met mine with the twinkle of a forest elf. Perhaps he wasn’t annoyed with me after all. Perhaps I had been wrong about sizing him up, though my conclusion that he was a family man was much easier to handle. Yet, he wore no ring.

About the Author

Vincent Traughber Meis is a fiction writer, a world traveler, and a former ESL community college teacher. When he’s not traveling, he divides his time between writing and working in the garden. Most of the characters in his novels and short stories come from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum and are racially and ethnically diverse. He has published eight novels: Eddie’s Desert Rose, Tio Jorge, Down in Cuba, Deluge, Four Calling Burds and The Mayor of Oak Street, First Born Sons, and Colton’s Terrible Wonderful Year. Tio Jorge, Down in Cuba, and Deluge have all won Rainbow Awards. The Mayor of Oak Street and First Born Sons have won Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Awards. His short stories have appeared in several collections both in print and online, and have reached finalist status in several short story contests. A collection of short stories, Far from Home, was published in October 2021. He lives with his husband in San Leandro, California and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Instagram

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D.B. and Me by Rob Rosen #giveaway

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

RECENT RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: D.B. and Me

Publisher: JMS Books

Cover Artist: Rob Rosen

Release Date: January 20, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance, true crime, suspense, mystery

Tropes: Age gap, first love

Themes: First time love, second chances, reconciliation

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 57 000 words

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links

JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

In the gripping tale of D.B. and Me, the enigmatic hijacker, D.B. Cooper, parachutes into the unknown with $200,000 in ransom money, but little does he know that his daring escape is just the beginning of an unforeseen journey filled with mystery, suspense, and steamy romance.

Blurb

D.B., now Tim, finds himself along the banks of the Columbia River attempting to fade into the shadows. However, fate has other plans when he encounters Adam, a charismatic stranger who’s also in hiding. The air becomes charged with anticipation as the two men become entangled in a mysterious dance, each harboring secrets that could shatter the fragile equilibrium they’ve quickly established.

Tim’s initial plans to vanish into the vast expanse of Canada are abruptly put on hold as the magnetic pull of Adam draws him into a world where passion and danger collide. As their connection deepens while they wander through the snow-covered forests of the Pacific Northwest, so does the labyrinth of unanswered questions surrounding their pasts. The suspense thickens with every stolen glance, every shared secret, as Tim and Adam navigate a love affair shadowed by the lingering echoes of several daring crimes, all against the backdrop of the Vietnam War.

As the story unfolds, readers are taken on a heart-pounding journey through a landscape of intrigue, where the line between right and wrong blurs, and the boundaries of love are tested. Will Tim’s past catch up with him, will Adam’s, or will they find a way to rewrite the narrative that destiny has penned for them?

D.B. and Me is a riveting exploration of love in the face of danger, a tale where passion and suspense interweave, leaving readers breathless and eagerly turning each page to unravel the secrets hidden within the folds of this captivating romance. Will Tim find redemption or be swallowed by the sadness of his past? And what about Adam and his troubled family and the ever-nagging reminders of a horrible war that still plague him? Dive into the depths of mystery and desire in this thrilling novel that will keep you on the edge until the very end.

Excerpt

I could hear the door kick in, could hear the rush of them as they swarmed the house. “Move,” I whispered to him.

“Move?”

I grabbed his hand again. This time when we crawled, we didn’t have a choice. If they came with dogs, we were screwed. For now, we had a fighting chance. It was dark as pitch beneath the house, but there was only one way to go: away.

A minute went by, two. No one was following us. The sounds of the police began to fade, though I could still hear them inside the house. Sounded like they were searching for something. The pounding in my chest continued. “Where are we Adam?” I heard from behind me.

I stopped crawling. “Better question, are the police here for you or for me?”

There was the slightest of pauses. “Why you?” he whispered.

“Why you?” I whispered back.

He chuckled. All in all, not perfect timing. “I sure do know how to pick ‘em.”

I kept crawling. “To be fair, I found you.”

“To be fair,” he replied, “I chose to stay.” He sighed. “It was the old man in the store. Had to be.”

We came to the end of the road. Or at least the end of the tunnel. I’d say we were about five hundred feet or so away from the house and deeper in the woods. The tunnel was maybe two feet high and three feet wide. There were clothes stashed there, a couple of jackets, some money, bullets. This was my emergency tunnel. This was clearly my emergency. Or his. Either way, we were now both being chased.

I handed him the clothes in the dark. We got dressed and I pocketed the cash in my wallet, my wallet in my pants. I handed him his wallet. I shoved the gun in the backpack. We again listened for the police. By then, all I could hear was our heavy breathing.

“So,” he said.

“So?”

He tapped my shoulder. “You know how you asked me if I ever had a boyfriend?”

I grinned. The tunnel smelled like earth, but I could still detect the slightest scent of Tim. “You think now is a good time to revisit that conversation?”

I could hear him moving around behind me. I could hear the backpack scraping the tunnel’s walls. I heard it hit the ground. I heard him rummaging around inside it just before I saw another beam of light. Thankfully, it was his, a flashlight lit for me to see, the light now illuminating our dirtied, sweaty faces.

“You look like shit,” I said.

“I don’t feel a hell of a lot better,” he replied. “Will you be my boyfriend, Adam?”

I laughed as quietly as was possible. “I think this might be your oddest segue yet, Tim,” I told him. “The police are chasing one of us. We’re in a tunnel in the woods in the middle of the night. This is not what I would consider a romantic setting.”

He shook his head. He reached up and wiped the matted hair from my face. “Yeah, but will you be my boyfriend, just the same?”

I sighed. “Tim,” I said. “I’d have sex you right now if you asked me. I’d do anything you asked me, in fact. Ours, I would say, does not seem like a healthy relationship. So, yeah, that’s a yes.” I blinked. “There a reason for all this?”

He nodded. “I need to show you something, but I wanted to make sure it was safe to show you.”

“And,” I said, “you figured it would be safer if we were boyfriends?”

His nod turned shrug. “Sounded better in my head, but yes.” He leaned in, kissed me, kissed me again. “Plus,” he said, still panting from our recent exertion, “if I were to die, say in the next few minutes or so, at least I had that. With you.”

“I don’t think we’re going to die in the next few minutes,” I told him. “If they had found the tunnel, we would’ve known about it already. Pretty well hidden. You gotta know exactly where to look.”

“Or listen,” he said. “Because that does explain the groaning I’d so recently heard when I sat in that chair you moved out of the way before we ducked and covered.”

“Old house,” I said. “Groans everywhere. Besides, why even look for a hidden tunnel in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Seems to me, it’s not the first thought that would come to mind.” Which is why I built it in the first place. Apart from the obvious reason: escape.

“Still.”

It was my turn to lean in and kiss him, then kiss him again. Too bad the tunnel was so narrow, or I could’ve seriously had some fun him. Instead, I said, “Okay, point taken. In any case, for now, we are still alive and newly minted boyfriends, so, care to show me whatever it was you were going to show me?”

“Why are the police chasing you, Adam?”

“I killed a man,” I told him after the briefest of pauses. Felt good to tell him. Felt good to say it out loud. My belly unknotted, if only by a hair.

“You killed seventeen men,” he replied.

I shook my head. “I killed the eighteenth after those. And here. In the United States, I mean. And why are the police chasing you?”

With his free hand, he reached inside the backpack. When the hand reemerged, it was clenched around a thick stack of bills. I peeked inside the backpack, and all I saw was green. The forest around us quaked in apparent envy.

“I hijacked a plane,” he said.

About the Author

Multi-award-winning and best-selling author/editor/anthologist Rob Rosen is the author of Sparkle: The Queerest Book You’ll Ever Love, Divas Las Vegas, Hot Lava, Southern Fried, Queerwolf, Vamp, Queens of the Apocalypse, Creature Comfort, Fate, Midlife Crisis, Fierce, And God Belched, Mary, Queen of Scotch, Ted of the d’Urbervilles, Sort of Dead, Genie in a Vodka Bottle, Bobby Ray Breaks the Universe, and D.B. and Me. His short stories have appeared in more than 200 anthologies. You can read some of his best ones in Short Spurts, Short Spurts 2, and Short Spurts 3. He is also the editor of Lust in Time: Erotic Romance Through the Ages, Men of the Manor, Best Gay Erotica 2015 and Best Gay Erotica of the Year, Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Social Media Links

Facebook | JMS Books | Goodreads

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your choice of ebook from the author’s backlist

SKIN and BONES by Sophia Soames #kindleunlimited

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Gay Book Promotions

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: SKIN and BONES (London Love)

Author and Publisher: Sophia Soames

Cover Artist: Christina Stern

Release Date: January 31, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Hurt/Comfort, Grumpy/Sunshine

Themes: Eating disorder, domestic violence, hotel setting.

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 92 000 words

SKIN AND BONES is best enjoyed if read after TASTE.

It does not end on a cliffhanger.