Monday, June 19, 2017

Cover Reveal: Letting Go by Morningstar Ashley #Excerpt #Giveaway










Author: Morningstar Ashley
Self-Published
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Release Day: July 14, 2017


Synopsis

Years ago, before tragedy struck, Alex made a child’s promise to always protect and care for his little sister, Evie. Then piece by piece, all the good in his life was taken away until Alex was left alone as guardian to his much younger sister. Suffering and loss scarred Alex, causing him to withdraw from the world. Struggling with anxiety and trust issues, Alex attempts to help Evie heal from their shared traumatic past, but each day is harder than the last. To make matters worse, Alex’s best friend, Ben, is pushing him to get out of his rut, confronting him with the fact that what Alex thinks is contentment is just stagnation and fear. The last thing he needs is for an old acquaintance to reappear in his life, making him feel things he hadn’t dealt with in years. 

The executive of the marketing department at graphic design firm Vivid, Kelley has his life together. While not perfect, he’s happy with his career and his three best friends. A chance encounter with Alex, the guy he was once attracted to, is icing on the cake. Fighting through Alex’s defenses to find the breathtaking man underneath will be hard, but Kelley is up to the challenge. Kelley believes that the things most worth fighting for never come easy. 

To accept all that Kelley is offering means Alex must drop his barriers. Kelley will need to keep trying and prove that Alex can trust him, even when grief and anxiety try to pull him back.







Excerpt

Paper Plate

“Do you need any help with anything? I feel kind of lazy just sitting on your couch not doing anything.”
Evie answered before he could tell him no. “Sure can you help me set out the plates and silverware?”
“Absolutely, not a problem.” Kelley replied as he rose from the couch to help her.
Alex wondered how one person can be so happy all the time. “Evie did you wash your hands? You know you can’t set the table until you do.”
Once she washed her hands Evie went to grab the plates from the cabinet at the same time telling Kelley where the silverware was. “No, Kelley! The other drawer to the left of that one.” Evie was giggling so much over the playing around with Kelley. She obviously knew he was just being funny when he couldn’t find the correct drawer with the silverware in it since he seemed to be purposely bypassing the drawer she tried directing him to.
“This one, Evie?” And every time he was ask that question it would set her off into laughing once again. She had already had the plates on the table with the cups they normally use by the time Kelley had given up on their game to place the silverware on the table. But as soon as he had turned to place them he just stared at the table with the forks and knives in his hand.
“Kelley? What’s wrong?” Evie asked him.
“Those are paper plates.” Kelley’s simple reply confused Alex even more. Had the man never seen a paper plate before?
“Umm yes?” Evie replied clearly as confused as much as Alex was.
“Kelley, haven’t you ever seen a paper plate before?” Alex asked him.
He looked up at Alex from his stare down with the plates. “Yeah I’ve seen them but at parties or barbeques or picnics. Not on someone’s dining room table for dinner.”
“We use them since there’s only two of us. It saves on me having to run the dishwasher.”
“But all the waste Alex. Oh, my god you have plastic cups too!”
Evie was now sitting in her seat at the table laughing at Kelley, which Alex really wanted to do right then too because he was just so flabbergasted over paper products.
“Dude are you freaking over paper plates?” Evie asked trying her best to hide her smile.
“Yes. I am actually. There’s only two of you, couldn’t you just wash the two plates by hand? I mean Alex the waste!”
“I could but I hate doing the dishes as is so this is easier and plus think about the water I’m saving.”
“For two extra plates? I just can’t. Are you really telling me you use them for dinner every night?” Kelley was looking at him with complete horror on his face.
“Yeah and lunch and snacks and when we eat leftovers. They’re very handy.” Alex couldn’t believe he was having fun with him. He was still nervous about Kelley being here, in his place, but he was feeling a bit less itchy about it.
“Wait! You put them in the microwave? You heat up food on the paper palate?”
“Yes? Why wouldn’t we?” Alex had to admit this was turning into one of the strangest conversations he has had in a long while. And usually those only happened with Ben.
“Doesn’t the plate get soggy? And knives! How can knives not cut right through them? All I can see is those old commercials when people are out at a picnic, where normal people use paper plates by the way, and the guy it sitting there with the plate in his lap trying to cut up his food and the knife goes right through.”
“You are over thinking this Kelley. It’s just a plate and since we use a table we don’t need to worry about that happening. Plus, I buy the good ones.” The whole time this conversation was happening Evie seemed to be enjoying herself by giggling at Kelley’s absolute panic over paper plates.
“Okay. Just stop. This is hurting my brain.”
At that statement, Alex, did laugh right out loud then quickly covered his mouth with his hand to try and stop it. But his laugh broke the staring contest Kelley was having with the table and his head snapped up to glare at Alex. But it was too much and soon they were all laughing over the ridiculous conversation they had just had.




Bonus Excerpt

Sexy Times

Pushing him back on the couch Kelley straddled Alex’s body, using his weight to hold the squirmy man in place, Kelley put his hands on Alex’s abs, fingers at his sides as his possessed Alex’s.
 Shoving Alex’s shirt up as Alex lifted to give enough room for Kelley to pull the shirt off, dropping it to the floor. Attacking his nipples with teeth and tongue making Alex whimper and moan. Fuck! Hearing those sounds just turned him inside out. Turning the heat between up to lava level. 
Moving back up to his neck Kelley sucked, tasted as he reached down with one hand greedily rubbing Alex’s dick through his pants. Running his hand up and down giving him the same of the pressure that Kelley’s throbbing cock was begging for.
“Oh, God.” Alex groaned with a rough edge to his voice as he arched his neck giving Kelley even more room to explore and mark. He wanted his mark on this man. Wanted everyone to see that he was Kelley’s. Fearing that with all the pain locked inside Alex he would never truly be his.
“Your shirt. Take off your shirt. I need to feel your skin.”
Kelley did exactly that.
He flattened Alex to the couch again, pressing their chest together once again, Alex had spread his thighs, Kelley slotted himself right there. Their groins meet and slide together. And holy fucking hell did that feel good. The pressure of Alex’s steel length against his rock hard cock sending relief and pleasure throughout his body.
Alex scratched his nails down his back making him growl. He had his legs bracketing Kelley’s body holding him in place. Like he would be so fucking stupid as to move.
He can feel Alex’s heart jackhammering through his chest. Their breaths panting out between kisses and moans.
What had started out slow had built and built until Kelley wanted to say fuck it and rip Alex’s clothes off to get at every inch of his skin. To have their bodies, slippery from sweat, sliding together.
And just like that Kelley knew exactly what he was going to do. Oh, sweet jesus the thought alone sending lust hurtling to his aching balls, making him want to shoot.
He was going to drive Alex to the brink over and over. Making him forget anything and everything except the need that would be coursing through his body. The need Kelley would put there. Have Alex begging and pleading Kelley to let him come.
Within minutes they lay back on the couch completely naked, kneeling between Alex’s thighs once again. All of Alex’s gorgeous fucking skin on display. His cock seemingly begging for attention, the crown purple and leaking pre-come onto his stomach. Kelley mouth waters with the thought of sliding it between his lips. But not yet.
Unable to stop himself he slipped his hands, fingers spread wide, to his ankles, over his thighs, across his chest. Gliding with the lightest touch around Alex’s erect nipples, back down his arms. Over and over he did this, needing to get his fill of this beautiful man. No one should have this effect on another person. He sat there with a naked Alex in front of him in awe of every lean muscle that pushed up to meet his hands, every scar his traced.
“Kelley,” Alex bites out as his body trembled under Kelley’s gentle touches.
“Yeah, baby. You need something?”
“Fuck. Don’t be an ass. You know want I want.”
Kelley sank back down on top of him. Licking a path up his collarbone to his throat and then their mouths meet stifling any more words that Alex was going to say. Their cocks align perfectly, and Kelley begins to thrust his cock against Alex’s as their kisses turn desperate and needy.
Kelley pulled away, and before Alex could utter a protest, he moved, swallowing his cock to the back of his throat. Letting his saliva pool in his mouth, needing all the wetness he could get for the slide of their cocks. With every groan that Alex had let out Kelley’s cock would twitch and throb tightening to epic proportions.
Each time he could feel Alex getting close Kelley would back off. Time and time again bringing him to the brink before pulling his mouth and hand away. Alex would whimper and wiggle, unable to lay still. He was so out of it that he words were reduced to grunts and groans.
When Kelley was satisfied that he had sufficiently teased Alex, he pulled off his cock with a pop. Using the spit that was now covering his hand, he coated his own cock with it before laying on top of Alex, lining their cocks up.
His body fitting tightly to Alex’s. Wrapping one arm around Alex’s shoulders, holding as close to him as he could, both needing the closeness this position gave them. Kelley began thrusting his cock against Alex’s.
“I’ve got you, baby. Just feel.”
Profanities had started to spill from Alex’s mouth. Kelley’s whole body was so overwhelmed by the slide and friction of their cocks he felt like he could’ve blown his load at any moment, hoping that Alex was feeling even a silver of what he was.
Alex had begun to counter thrust, writhing his tight body under Kelley. His head was tipped back, the muscles of his neck corded and straining.
“That’s it, baby. Let go.”









Kelley lifted his right hand as he spoke softly trailing just his fingertip over his bottom lip, down his neck to his chest, passing over his nipple with a little circle, then down further grabbing his hip. Alex could feel a moan wanting to escape but he couldn’t let it. Letting it out gave too much away. 

“I won’t push you. I know something is holding you back, Alex, but I will not walk away. I will not give up on giving us both what we want. I am a patient man.” He leaned in then bringing his mouth to Alex’s ear. “But I will get my mouth and hands on every inch of you.”





About Morningstar Ashley

Morningstar Ashley is a transplant from the Yankee-controlled territory of New York, and now finds herself in the heartland of cowboys and longhorns—Texas. Armed with her imagination, wit, and trusty sidekicks in the form of her two crazy kids, devoted dorky husband, big lap dog, and rambunctious cats, Morningstar spends her time reading the books she loves, crafting her own characters, and arguing the merits of hot chocolate over the bitter brew known as coffee. (Hot chocolate wins, FYI.) Morningstar loves graphic design, so much so she returned to school for a degree and regularly tromps her exams and maintains a stellar GPA that occasionally leaves her confounded and pleased. She can while away the hours on new designs, and perfection isn’t too much to hope for when it comes to her art. Her ideal career would be full time artist and author, and so far, she hasn’t come up against anything to stop her on her journey. A fierce and devoted friend, Morningstar tries her best to always be kind, always be learning, and always improving. Giving up isn’t an option, and her greatest talent may be in her ability to convince others not to give up, either. After a lifetime of trying to get people to realize her first name wasn’t Ashley, Morningstar decided the best way to settle the debate was to put her name on a book cover. An avid reader and fiction reviewer for the blog and site Diverse Reader, Morningstar harbored a dream to one day join the ranks of her heroes, and she sweeps into the contemporary gay romance genre with her debut novel, LETTING GO. With plans to conquer gay, lesbian and LGBTQA+ romance, Morningstar has her gaze set on the horizon, her determination her own guiding star.

Links








Giveaway

Grand Prize: $10.00 Amazon GC & ebook of Letting Go
Two runner's up: ebook of Letting Go

Contest will end on 
June 26th

Winners will be emailed.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

26 comments:

  1. Congrats!!!! I love the cover and the gif!!!! Can't wait to read it!

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  2. Congratulations Ladies on both a wonderful new design and a fabulous looking and sounding book. This posts wins them all!

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  3. Hurray!!!! Sounds wonderful and I am so happy for you!!!

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  4. Looks fab! Can't wait to read! :)

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  5. Congrats! Love the cover and excerpt!

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  6. Congratulations on your upcoming release Morningstar love the cover and I can't wait to read it.

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  7. Cover is great and sounds like a book my sister would enjoy reading. I look and get them many books.

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  8. The cover reflects the blurb very much! The guy looking over the veranda/terrace is like Alex looking out for his sister Evie & for unfortunate events that are waiting to tear them apart. The fade design can be attributed to the losses he & his sister had experienced. Overall, the cover is truly incredible! <3

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  9. The cover is gorgeous! I'm beyond excited about this book. Wish you the best with your writing career!

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  10. Love the cover! Sounds awesome

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  11. Sounds like a great story, Nice cover too.

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  12. Loved the cover and the excerpts! It sounds really good!

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  13. Gorgeous cover!!! Can't wait <3 <3 Congratulations Morningstar!!

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  14. Great cover, can't wait to read it 😀

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  15. Looks and sounds fabulous, Morningstar! Can't wait to read it <3

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  16. Congratulations Girlie! Gorgeous cover! Can't wait to read it!

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  17. Congrats Morningstar. Way to go. I love the cover. Jay Aheer did it again. Can't wait to read it.

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  18. Congratulations on the upcoming book! Sounds awesome. Gorgeous cover.

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  19. Congrats on the release & a great cover!

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  20. WHOA!! Another reader/reviewer becoming an author! That is awesome!! Congratulations for the upcoming release Morningstar :)

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  21. Congrats on the debut book! Love the cover and the bio pics =)

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  22. Before I read the blurb, I thought how the man on the cover looks very pensive. After reading how much Alex carries on his shoulders, the blurb and cover fit beautifully. Best of luck on the release of Letting Go!

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  23. Beautiful cover! Congratulations, Ashley

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  24. Congrats on your forthcoming debut. It sounds right up my street. So excited to read it.
    Love the cover. It pulls you in right away cos you immediately want to know what he's looking at and what he's thinking about.

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  25. Lovely cover, Ashley. Thank you for having a guy with clothes on the cover. He's a breath of fresh air. Congratulations and much success to you!
    taina1959 @ yahoo . com

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