Thursday, July 30, 2015

Audio Book Blast: Knight of Ocean Avenue by Tara Lain

“Knight Of Ocean Avenue” By Tara Lain Audio Book Blast July 30, 2015 HTML CODE



Knight Of Ocean Avenue
By Tara Lain


Blurb: 
How can you be twenty-five and not know you’re gay? Billy Ballew runs from that question. A high school dropout, barely able to read until he taught himself, Billy’s life is driven by his need to help support his parents as a construction worker, put his sisters through college, coach his Little League team, and not think about being a three-time loser in the engagement department. Being terrified of taking tests keeps Billy from getting the contractor's license he so desires, and fear of his mother's judgement blinds Billy to what could make him truly happy.

Then, in preparation for his sister’s big wedding, Billy meets Shaz—Chase Phillips—a rising star, celebrity stylist who defines the word gay. To Shaz, Billy embodies everything he’s ever wanted—stalwart, honest, brave—but even if Billy turns out to be gay, he could never endure the censure he’d get for being with a queen like Shaz. How can two men with so little in common find a way to be together? Can the Stylist of the Year end up with the Knight of Ocean Avenue?



Available for purchase at 

         




Paperback from Dreamspinner 






Excerpt



“Okay, I need to ask, and I have nothing on it so don’t get defensive.”
Billy squinched his nose. “That’s not the best way to keep a guy from getting defensive.”
Shaz grinned. “I know. Not subtle, but seriously, why haven’t you taken the contractor’s license test?”
Shit. Defensive.
Shaz held up a hand. “I assume it has something to do with your reading ability, but I thought Clancy and Yerby and all those others on your bookshelves overcame that issue.”
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
“You read well enough to take the test? Because if not, I’ll bet they’ll let someone read it to you.”
“I can read.” He put down his fork.
Shaz leaned over and picked up the fork. “Come on, darling, this is Shazzy Wazzy. I am no threat at all to you.” He scooped some mashed potatoes and flew them like a plane toward Billy’s mouth.
For a second, Billy compressed his lips. Jesus, the guy was impossible to resist. He burst out laughing. The first time he’d ever laughed at this subject. “I’m afraid to take tests. I panic.” His heart beat fast just thinking of it. He snapped the potatoes off the fork and chewed.
Shaz put a hand on his arm, which made him feel calm and excited at the same time. “How do you know?”
“Know what?”
“That you panic when you take tests?”
Billy frowned. “I’ve blown every test I tried to take since the eighth grade. It got so bad I had to drop out of high school. I could have tested out, but I couldn’t take the test, and I never got my GED because I—”
“Couldn’t take the test. My God, that’s awful.”
The frown got deeper. “Like I said, I’m too dumb to take tests.”
Shaz leaned over until all he could see was that pretty face. “This has nothing to do with dumb. Does it?”
Billy stared at his almost empty plate.
“Does it?”
He shook his head.
“What does it have to do with? Who made you afraid?”
“What?”
“I said who made you afraid. Someone did.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you’re a strong, capable man who isn’t afraid to take the whole damned world on his shoulders. There’s no reason for you to be afraid of anything unless someone told you there was.”
He nodded slowly. His heart hammered so hard it felt like his chest would explode. “I got beat up a lot in grade school because I was small and couldn’t read.” He shrugged. “I know. Hard to believe, right? Behemoth that I am. Anyway, my eighth grade English teacher was the worst, I guess. I could barely read, and she gave us test after test. I couldn’t read the books and I couldn’t read the test.” His pulse hammered in his ears. Like he was back there in that god-awful room. “She constantly told me how dumb I was and made sure the whole class knew it. I didn’t grow until I was sixteen. I was still a little runt then and got beat up every day while they called me stupid.” Shit, tears pushed out of his eyes. This was not good. “I have to stop talking about this. I have to go.”
“No, Billy, I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He threw some on the table. Maybe a hundred dollars. Then he ran for the door.
“Billy!”
The cool evening air hit him like a bucket of water in the face. Where the hell was he going? He’d driven his truck. It was full of furniture, and Shaz had no way to get home. Billy Ballew did not leave a friend behind.
He stared down the sidewalk. That bench looked inviting. Staggering a little, he walked to it and sat. Just breathe. That’s why he never talked about this subject. Never even thought about it if he could avoid it. If he could just forget it, things would be better.
“Billy.”
He looked up at Shaz, who stood on the steps of the restaurant. The man walked toward him with that graceful saunter of his. “You didn’t go. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you left me here to rot.”
He managed to cock half a smile. “Too dry in California to rot.”
“Wither and blow away, then.” Shaz sat next to him. “I truly am sorry. I didn’t mean to open wounds. I have too many of my own to be picking at yours.” He held out his hand with a palm full of money. “You dropped something.”
“I want to pay for dinner.”
“Nope.”
“The champagne.”
“Nope. The least I can do after spoiling your meal is pay for it.”
“But—”

“Never argue with a queen, darling. We always win.”



About the Author


Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. 
She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!


You can find Tara at

               










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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Breaking (Fall or Break #2) by Barbara Elsborg


Archer Hart is on the move before the man he’s just killed is found. When a bullet whizzes past his ear, he realizes hunter is now hunted. So much for his retirement plans. Someone wants him dead and all he can do is keep running.

Downed by a hit and run driver, barrister Conrad Black is certain the ‘accident’ was deliberate but he has no proof or support. In recovery, struggling to work out of partial paralysis, he has plenty of time to wonder who regrets not striking him harder. At this point, running anywhere is a distant dream.

The confidence, determination and stamina of two alphas males will mean little if neither is willing to bend—seize the love offered—and work together to understand why they’re suddenly both marked men. Not easy for either when Archer has broken the law in the worst possible way and Conrad is the law.




This was my first book by this author, but I promise it will not be my last.  This book is detrimental to your health.  Conrad and Archer are the not-so-perfect couple, two highly controlling Alpha males, one a stone cold killer and the other a stone cold defense barrister/lawyer.  Their wit and banter was so amusing, I found myself highlighting a lot of their smartass comments to each other.
“What happened to you?” Archer asked. “A shift into hyper-drive took me by surprise.”{Conrad}  “Your flux capacitor need adjusting?”{Archer}
“I’ll be too tired to fuck,” Conrad snapped. “All you have to do is stick your arse in the air.” {Archer} “In your dreams.”{Conrad}


“How are you feeling?” Archer asked.  “Like some sadistic fucker has made me walk up and down a beach. Twice.”{Conrad}
“Damn that dog.”{Archer}

“All the better for fucking you. Why don’t you bend over, put your hands on the table and think of England.” {Conrad}
The very first sex scene is like something out of a Chuck Norris movie, head banging, arms in strong holds and evil~ious SEX.

This is a mind twisting, sit of your pants story, with more twist and turns in it than a rollercoaster.  The biggest WTH? Comes about 65%, this will have you shaking your head and wondering how could that have happened.  I went into this book not knowing what to expect, but I was never expecting the two characters that Ms. Elsborg gave me,  they were perfect, the storyline was phenomenal enjoyed each and every page.  Looking forward to reading the first book in this series and a few others by this author.


Monday, July 27, 2015

Blue Steel Chain (Trowchester Blues #3) by Alex Beecroft

At sixteen, Aidan Swift was swept off his feet by a rich older man who promised to take care of him for the rest of his life. But eight years later, his sugar daddy has turned from a prince into a beast. Trapped and terrified, Aidan snatches an hour’s respite at the Trowchester Museum.

Local archaeologist James Summers is in a failing long distance relationship with a rock star, and Aidan—nervous, bruised, and clearly in need of a champion—brings out all his white knight tendencies. When everything falls apart for Aidan, James saves him from certain death . . . and discovers a skeleton of another boy who wasn’t so lucky.

As Aidan recovers, James falls desperately in love. But though Aidan acts like an adoring boyfriend, he doesn’t seem to feel any sexual attraction at all. Meanwhile there are two angry exes on the horizon, one coming after them with the press and the other with a butcher’s knife. To be together, Aidan and James must conquer death, sex, and everyone’s preconceptions about the right way to love—even their own.



Well. this was a first,  my first asexual main character.  Back in my day we just called it conceited, but oh well we'll stick with asexual.  I really did not warm up to either characters in this book,  the story line was good, the writing and flow was good, I think just Aidan's attitude maybe put me off.  Some abuse scenes maybe a trigger for some readers, be advised

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Bare for You (Outback Skies #3) by Lexxie Couper



Not all cowboys ride horses.

Jeremy Craig is on the cusp of being named the deputy prime minister of Australia. Which means he’s got to play his cards right and stay deep in the closet. Australia is a lot of things, but there’s no way the country is ready for a gay prime minister. So far, it’s been an easy ruse to maintain. Until he meets Ryan Taylor. Then all bets are off.

Ryan is sick of the Brokeback Mountain jokes. For starters, he’s an Australian stockman, not an American cowboy. For another, he spends most of his working days alone in a helicopter, not on the back of a horse. As Wallaby Ridge’s only contract heli-musterer, he gets to escape any small-town scorn high in the sky. He’s happy up there. Lonely, but happy. Who needs passion and wild sexual pleasure in their life when they have the boundless skies of the Outback, right?

Then Jeremy Craig climbs into his chopper…

Warning: This book may change your opinion of politicians. It also contains scorching, no-holds-barred passion between two alpha men, one with a Ryan Gosling fetish and the other with a secret deeper than the ocean. Yes, it’s that complicated.





 This  is a short story about an up and coming politician and a cowboy set in the Outback.  This story is fast moving and both characters, Jeremy and Ryan are very likable.  Jeremy the Minister of Arts is gay and buried in the closet,  Ryan is a out and proud cowboy from the bush.  Can their relationship be enough so that Jeremy can face his fears and come out?  When the offers come to become deputy prime minister of Australia, will Ryan be a one night stand, or is Jeremy ready to go the distance?

Really enjoyed the writing style, my first book by this author.

**ARC courtesy of Samhain Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**