Translation




Select Your Language Below if English isn't Your Main Language

TRANSLATE / SELECT LANGUAGE

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Ugly Beautiful People by CJ Bedell Blog Tour

 

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Ugly Beautiful People

Author: CJ Bedell 

Publisher: Next Chapter Publishing 

Cover Artist: Lordan June Pinote 

Release Date: August 31, 2023

Genres: Adult LGBTQ Thriller (3 out of 5 point of view characters are bisexual)

Themes: Coming out, Self-acceptance, finding yourself, death, grief, loss

Heat Rating:  3 flames

Length: 59 000 words/249 pages

The book stands alone, but it is intended to be the first book in a trilogy.

It ends on a small cliffhanger. Most of the plot points that happen in Book 1 are wrapped up, though.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US  | Amazon UK  |  B & N |  Kobo

Welcome to Crescent Hills where beauty only runs so deep. Scandal lurks just below the surface behind the McMansions, designer clothes, and fancy cars. And a death will bring the lies, secrets, and betrayals to a boil.

Blurb

Welcome to Crescent Hills, where beauty only runs so deep. Scandal lurks below the surface behind the McMansions, designer clothes, and fancy cars. When the town is shaken by the disappearance of journalist Ivy Fields, whispers of betrayal and intrigue begin to unravel the threads binding its elite residents.

Audrey, haunted by her own past, is determined to unveil the truth behind Ivy's disappearance, hoping to find closure she never received. Amidst this, Marcia grapples with the confines of her seemingly perfect marriage, leading her down a dangerous path. At the same time, a young Ben navigates the complexities of love, friendship, and societal expectations. Meanwhile, Cassandra's life gets disrupted by a ghost from her past.

As Crescent Hills residents confront their own dilemmas, the shadow of Ivy's disappearance looms large. For behind every beautiful façade, there are secrets yearning to be exposed, and as they say, the past always finds a way to catch up.

Excerpt 

Birds screeched when Audrey opened her eyes. She yawned, then stretched. Her back hairs stuck up. Audrey might’ve been lying on the seating of the pontoon boat, but black no longer veiled the sky. Instead, sunlight beamed from the cloudless sky. 

Audrey scanned the boat. Ivy was gone. 

Dread filled Audrey’s insides—she couldn’t think of one logical explanation as to why Ivy would no longer be on the boat. Audrey did the only thing she could and leaned up against the edge of the boat and peered into the water. No sign of Ivy. 

Something vibrated from her jean’s right pocket and she whipped out her iPhone. Sawyer was calling her. “Hello?” Audrey asked. 

“I wanted to see how you were doing this morning.” Sawyer chuckled. “And don’t worry. I’m not mad you decided to have a fun night with Ivy. Just glad Ivy texted me about you staying over at her place. Most people wouldn’t be so courteous.” 

“I’m still on the boat,” Audrey blurted. “And Ivy is nowhere to be found.” 

“Come again?”
“We never went back to shore and had dinner.”
“How much did you drink last night?”
“Just one gin and tonic.”

A folded piece of paper on the driver’s seat of the boat caught Audrey’s attention, and she rushed over to it. “I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go,” she said. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.” 

Audrey pressed END before shoving her iPhone back into her pocket. Then, she unfolded the note and read it. 

Dear Audrey,
I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but I’ve been very unhappy 

with my life for a long time, and I’ve decided to end my life.

I know my suicide will probably come as a shock to you. However, 

please always think of me fondly. 

Love, 

Ivy 

Audrey crumbled the note and it fell onto the floor of the boat. After that, she screamed. Tragedies were supposed to be something that she watched on the news, not witnessed first- hand. But no explanation was necessary about how cruel life was and the universe often had a twisted sense of humor. 

Tears welled in Audrey’s eyes. Nothing could’ve prepared her for this moment, because she wanted to cry. And cry. And cry. Ivy couldn’t be dead; she was only thirty-seven. So, she still had a little more than half her life left. 

Ivy was in trouble and Audrey hadn’t seen the signs. So, 

Audrey’d never forgive herself for Ivy’s suicide. Audrey had failed Ivy, and she couldn’t fathom how she’d continue with life. 

Audrey’s throat tightened. Perhaps Ivy’s death was only meant to resemble a suicide and was really murder. There was a reason people always touted the saying about life being stranger than fiction. Audrey shook her head. Yeah, that had to have been it. Ivy couldn’t have been desperate enough to commit suicide. 

The only thing Audrey was certain of was that Ivy was nowhere to be found. And that was why she’d get to the bottom of Ivy’s death. Whether someone murdered Ivy or Ivy actually committed suicide, there had to be more to the story. 

About the Author  

Chris Bedell is the author of over a dozen novels. He also graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.

Author Links

Twitter  |   Instagram

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of two ebook copies of Pieces of My Life. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions






FGMAMTC

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents




Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Hachi + Araine : The Dream Series by Michael G. Hurston Series Tour

 

Hachi + Araine: The Dream Series by Michael G. Hurston

After waking up from a thousand-year cryosleep to a world they no longer recognize, Hachi and her golem Araine embark on a perilous journey with human scavenger Sara to find others like themselves, navigating a world of romance, tragedy, and self-discovery along the way.

The stories need to be read in order.

Series Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

BOOK DETAILS

BOOK 1

Book Title: Hachi + Araine // Awake: The Dream Series Book 1 

Length: 45 000 Words

Release Date: October 20, 2023

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Romance 

Tropes: Polyamorous and Pansexual relationships

Themes: Strong Female Protagonist, Self-discovery

Heat Rating: 3.5-4 flames

It is not a standalone story and this book ends on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb 

Hachi is an unstoppable Tau-born juggernaut on the battlefield with her golem Araine. The two wake up in a cryopod after a thousand-year sleep to find the world she knew is gone, and the others who came with her are nowhere to be found. Determined to find others like themselves, Hachi and Araine embark on their search, encountering a human scavenger named Sara, and a treasure hunt through space ensues.

While Hachi is confident in her abilities as a warrior, she is insecure and unsure of herself in social interactions. She is forced to deal with not only the loss of her own kind, but with people she doesn’t know, and more than she could have expected. Throughout their adventure, Hachi must confront her vulnerabilities, even as she battles against seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

With the help of Araine and Sara, Hachi must not only find others like herself but also discover the truth about the new world she finds herself in, regardless of what tragedies occurred and what may yet still befall them.

BOOK 2

Book Title: Hachi + Araine // Nightmares: The Dream Series Book 2 

Length: 45 000 Words

Release Date: October 20, 2023

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Romance 

Tropes: Polyamorous and Pansexual relationships

Themes: Strong Female Protagonist, Self-discovery

Heat Rating: 2-3 flames

It is not a standalone story and this book ends on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb 

Taking place immediately after the events of book 1, Hachi and Araine have now recovered their memories as well as been granted a boon from the Founders. Together the pair are tasked with locating the remaining unopened Tau-born vaults hidden somewhere across the Sol System.

Determined to complete her mission and return to the man she’s known all her life. Araine and Hachi set out on a quest that takes them through the universe and back, but for every action, there is a reaction, and they’ll need to face the consequences of every decision they’ve made. 

Meanwhile Lamant and Mira work tirelessly to attempt to restore the woman Hachi loved back to life, though things take a darker turn when an unknown ship appears suddenly on the outskirts of our galaxy.

BOOK 3

Book Title: Hachi + Araine // Falling: The Dream Series Book 3 

Length: Approximately 45 000 Words

Release Date: October 20, 2023

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Romance 

Tropes: Polyamorous and Pansexual relationships

Themes: Strong Female Protagonist, Self-discovery

Heat Rating: 2-3 flames

It is not a standalone story.

It does not end on a cliffhanger, but leaves some aspects open.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb 

One year after the events of book 2, Hachi is trying her best to help lead the new world she created, even as her relationship with Araine is strained. A new series of challenges, both emotional and physical awaits her.

A celebration gone awry, a mission to the belts to rout out the last remnants of the old regime, and ongoing struggles with relationships are now just par for the course for Hachi and Araine. Along with the help of Gemini, Scarlet, Darius, and KAD their goal is to bring safety and a lasting peace to the people of Sol.

But the clock is ticking as Amrita has warned her. Will any of Hachi’s actions matter once they face off against entities known only as the First Children. Unfamiliar beings from Draco that rival the abilities of the Founders and want nothing more than to consume all life within Sol.

About the Author

I’ve worked in MarTech/WebOps for the last twenty years. Most of my daily writing is spent on Business Requirement Documents, Project Plans, and Engineering Tickets. 

I started creative writing in my spare time. I enjoy writing fantasy and science fiction as well as d20 campaigns.

Everything I make from writing goes to helping provide a better life for my cat.

Author Links

Blog/Website  | Amazon Author Page

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions








FGMAMTC

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents




Tuesday, August 15, 2023

The Game by Beth Bolden Release Blitz

 


RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: The Game (Charleston Condors Book 2)

Author and Publisher: Beth Bolden

Cover Artist: The Book Brander Boutique

Release Date: August 9, 2023

Genre: Contemporary MM sports romance

Tropes: friends to lovers, unrequited long-time crush, Vegas wedding

Heat Rating: 4 flames  

Length: 100 000 words

It is book number two in a spinoff series. 

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 


Micah Rose arrives in Charleston, ready to finally get his man and The Game is on.

Blurb

Micah Rose is ready for a clean slate. He might’ve messed up his rookie year with the Miami Piranhas, but being traded to the Condors is the best way to put all that behind him.

 The Condors are rebuilding, too. New owner. New coach. New players. New rules.

 But one rule hasn’t changed: don’t marry your ex-best friend in Vegas.

Beckett West isn't looking forward to seeing Micah again. Back in college, they shared not only a ride-or-die friendship, but a ton of unresolved sexual tension.

That was before Micah pushed him away.

Still, Beck’s never forgotten their last drunken night together. Not only did they finally confess their feelings, they both promised if the day ever came when they played on the same team again, they wouldn't waste the chance to be together.

But Beck didn’t expect that day to ever be this day.

He certainly didn’t expect to wake up in bed with Micah’s ring on his finger.

Or that he’d never want to take it off.

But it turns out the only man for him is the one man he could never forget. The one man he’s always wanted to make his.

Excerpt

“There you go.” Scott sounded smug. “So you’re gonna let yourself have this. You’ve made amends. You’ve apologized to Beck. You’re gonna be his friend.”

“Yeah.”

What if I want to be more than just his friend?

But Micah didn’t say it. He probably didn’t need to, the way Scott kept hinting that there might be something more between them.

“Listen, you’re a good friend, so just be that guy I know who’s under those ridiculous suits, and you’re gonna be just fine.”

“My suits aren’t ridiculous.”

They were extra not ridiculous, especially after he’d worn his new camel plaid suit the other day, on the way to Toronto, and he’d been far too aware of Beck’s eyes skimming over him when they’d been boarding the plane.

He looked good, he knew he looked good, and it had felt satisfying that Beck had been forced to acknowledge just how good.

Especially when he was still so caught on how Beck looked.

“Son, they’re ridiculous, but it’s alright. It’s your thing. I’m just glad you’re expressing yourself now.”

Scott didn’t have to say it bluntly because Micah already knew what he really meant: you’re not too afraid to express yourself anymore.

“Thanks.”

“So you’re gonna fix things, huh?” Scott continued.

“I apologized, yeah. And he said he wanted to be friends again.”

“What’re you gonna do about that?”

“Geez, Dad, ask an easier question,” Micah retorted.

Scott laughed. “And here Asa thinks our only kid is Beau.”

“You’ve got an entire team of kids,” Micah pointed out.

“Plus one more.” Scott’s voice was warm.

And while Micah had known he wouldn’t lose Scott’s friendship—or Asa’s respect—when he left Miami, it felt good to hear it, too.

Clearing his throat, Micah tried to change the subject. “What do you mean, what am I gonna do about it? We’re friends.”

“Friends spend time with each other, Micah. You gonna invite him over? Meet him out for a drink? How about what you’re gonna tell him? He’s going to want to know why you left Miami.”

“I don’t know. Some of those, I guess.” Micah could admit he hadn’t thought that far. He’d been pretty stuck on just getting the apology out—and hoping Beck listened to it.

“You should tell him.” Scott’s voice was knowing.

“About what happened with Sebastian? Hell no.”

He knew how he’d feel if Beck told him about some guy he’d been attracted to. Because it had happened more than once, and Micah had hated it every single time, even though he’d refused to do anything about it.

“You can’t just talk to me, no matter how much it warms my heart to know you don’t think I’m some old, washed-up, uncool dude,” Scott teased.

“Fine, fine, I’ll talk to him about some of it.” Not about Sebastian, and why we didn’t get along. That’s way too far.

“Invite him over for a beer,” Scott suggested, “and then when he’s there, get close on the couch—”

“Enough!” Micah yelped. He stood and started pacing. How had being just friends with Beck been so easy before and now felt impossible? “You’re supposed to be helping me be his friend.”

“Come on, Rose, we both know that’s not what you really want.”

“It’s all I’m gonna get.”

“It’s all you’re gonna get if you don’t make it clear you’re crazy about him.”

“Maybe I’m not.” He knew how stubborn he sounded.

Scott scoffed. “Don’t lie to me. Especially not when it’s so freaking obvious. You’re absolutely head over heels for that guy. Don’t do either of you the disservice of pretending otherwise.”

“He probably doesn’t—”

But Micah didn’t get the rest of it out.

“You’re never gonna know if you don’t say anything. But, that said,” Scott said with a chuckle, “maybe try to be friends for a little while first. Get used to each other again.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“You keep calling me that like I’m gonna hate it, and so far, not so much,” Scott teased.

About the Author 

A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She has published over forty novels and novellas.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |   BookBub

Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up


Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a$20 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Hosted by Gay Book Promotions









FGMAMTC

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents




Dionysus in Wisconsin by E. H. Lupton Book Blast

 


BOOK BLAST

Book Title:  Dionysus in Wisconsin (Wisconsin Gothic, Book 1)

Author: E. H. Lupton

Publisher: Winnowing Fan Press

Cover Artist: E. H. Lupton

Release Date: May 26, 2023

Genres: Urban fantasy/historical M/M romance

Tropes: Living Aphrodisiac, Turning into a God, Offing the Offspring, In Love with the Mark, Occult Detective, Don't Go in the Woods, Prophesies Rhyme, Killing the God, A+ Parenting, Metamorphoses

Themes: self-acceptance, overcoming family history, mystical library communion

Heat Rating: 3–3.5 flames 

Length: 78 000 words/ 350 pages in paperback

The story ends with a lovely HEA.

Book 2 is due in early 2024.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  

Bookshop.org  |  Kobo Plus 

Blurb 

A graduate student and an archivist work together to fight a god.

Fall, 1969. Ulysses Lenkov should be working on his dissertation. Instead, he's developing an unlucrative sideline in helping ghosts and hapless magic users. But when his clients start leaving town suddenly—or turning up dead—he starts to worry there's something afoot that’s worse than an unavenged death or incipient insanity. His investigation begins with the last word on everyone's lips before they vanish: the mysterious Dionysus.

Sam Sterling is an archivist who recently moved back to Madison to be closer to the family he's not too sure he likes. But his peaceful days of teaching library students, creating finding aids, and community theater come to an end when the magnetic, mistrustful Ulysses turns up with a warning. There's a god coming, and it looks like it's coming for Sam.

Soon the two are helping each other through demon attacks, discovering the unsavory history of Sam's family, and falling in love as they race to find a solution. But as the year draws to a close, they'll face a deadly showdown as they try to save Sam—and the city itself.

Excerpt 

“What did you want with it, anyway? There’s nothing of value in there. Just books. I would have let you look at any of them if you’d asked.”

Ulysses took a deliberate step closer, and Sam found himself retreating until he fetched up against the metal of the door. “Would you have, though? If I’d come to you and said I needed to investigate why the spirit of the stacks seems interested in you?” Ulysses took another step forward. They were standing far closer than people generally did, and it was both thrilling and terrifying. “Because a lot of people might find a request like that peculiar.”

Sam’s mouth went dry. They were practically chest to chest now. “I—Yes!” he said, and tried to pull himself up to his full height. “I don’t know what any of that means.”

Ulysses nodded. “Then this is going to be weird for you,” he muttered, voice rough and practically in Sam’s ear, and grabbed him. He opened the lock and pushed Sam through the door before he could protest.

On his desk were a white candle and a small, heart-shaped piece of blond wood that held a pencil in a vertical position. Beneath it was a sheet of typing paper, blank except for a cursive letter D in the center of the page. “What’s all this?”

“The inconclusive results of last night’s experiments,” Ulysses said. He grappled with the chair for a moment and then shoved it out into the corridor, shutting the cage’s door between it and them. There was just barely enough room for both of them standing up. This was going to be hideously embarrassing if anyone came along and caught them.

Ulysses, heedless, was lighting the candle with a Zippo. “The building seemed to have something to say to you in the elevator. Maybe it just needs more time to build up to a real psychic discharge, but we can’t wait that long.” He grinned again, eyes wide. “So I thought I’d bring it what it wants, and see if that helps.”

“You—what exactly do you do, Mr. Lenkov?”

“I’m a human lightning rod.” He reached up and grasped Sam very gently by the chin, turning his face to the candle. “Look. Be silent and breathe. Think about the flame.”

The other man’s taut body was pressed right up against Sam’s back, his left arm wrapped around Sam’s waist, and the candle flame was definitely not where Sam’s thoughts were heading. His face still tingled where he’d been touched. “Lenkov,” he said uneasily, “Ulysses. Are you okay? Are you—”

“No drugs, if that’s what you’re trying so delicately to ask. I never touch the stuff. Now hush.”

For some reason he wasn’t entirely clear on, Sam hushed. The man’s tone of voice seemed to demand compliance. At first all he could feel was the rush of blood through his veins, most of it headed southward. But after a while, his head started to clear. He could feel Ulysses breathing behind him and the movement of air through the study cages, smell the paper and Ulysses’s piney cologne and the slightly acrid candle. It wasn’t that his body stopped responding with arousal, but rather that for what felt like a few increasingly long moments he was conscious of all of it, and the linoleum beneath his feet, the rush of water through the pipes of the building. The loud clicks as the motion sensors turned the lights out, one row at a time. Still they stood in their tiny puddle of candle light.

Then, suddenly, the temperature dropped. Sam opened his eyes wide, afraid to say anything lest he break the spell, but also more generally terrified. He twisted slightly, but Ulysses’s grip was unforgiving. The other man leaned forward, murmuring something almost inaudible in a calming tone, and Sam gave up. Whatever was going to happen, he’d have a front-row seat for it. His breath hissed out, steaming.

Ulysses reached out and grabbed Sam’s right hand with his. “Using your left hand,” he whispered, “touch the planchette. Whenever you’re ready.”

Sam wanted to ask how he’d know when he was ready, but as their skin connected he felt a tension building in the room. It reminded him, abruptly, of the churning green clouds before a thunderstorm. The tension was in him, too, somehow, like anxiety but not quite, a nauseating squirming thing hiding there behind his breastbone. He closed his eyes and let it build for another minute, until it reached a level he couldn’t stand anymore.

He touched the planchette and felt it jerk to life as something ran through Ulysses and through him and somehow grounded itself in the paper. It was a little like the peculiar relief offered by a sneeze or an orgasm or taking off a pair of painful shoes, and a little like a static shock turned up to eleven. He might have shouted.

A moment later, Ulysses reached around him and pinched out the candle flame. Sam leaned dumbly against the wall, trying to catch his breath, and Ulysses turned on the overhead light, swung the door open, and carefully pushed Sam down into the chair.

“Sorry about that,” Ulysses said, sounding entirely unaffected. He picked up the page from beneath the planchette and frowned at it. Sam looked at the little stylus, which gave a desultory wriggle and was still.

About the Author

E.H. Lupton (she/they) lives in Madison, WI with her family. She is the author of the novella The Joy of Fishes (Battered Suitcase Press, 2013/2015). Her poems have been published in a number of journals, including Paranoid TreePoet Lore300 Days of Sun, and House of Zolo's Journal of Speculative Literature. She is also one half of the duo behind the hit podcast Ask a Medievalist. In her free time, she enjoys running long distances and art.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |   Instagram  |   Newsletter Sign-up

Mastodon

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win 

one of five ebook versions in exchange for signing up for the author's newsletter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions









FGMAMTC

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents