Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Blog Tour: Apocalypse Alley by Don Allmon ~ Guest Post #Giveaway




Author: Don Allmon
Title: Apocalypse Alley
Series: Blue Unicorn #2
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: Simone
Publication Date: February 26, 2018
Length: 201 pages

About Apocalypse Alley

Home from a six-month assignment to war-torn East Asia, genetically engineered supersoldier Noah "Comet" Wu just wants to kick back, share a beer, and talk shit with his best friend, JT. But JT's home has been shot up like a war zone, and his friend has gone missing.

Comet's only lead is a smart-mouthed criminal he finds amid the mess. His name's Buzz Howdy. He's a con man and a hacker and deserves to be in jail. Or in handcuffs, at least. The only thing the two have in common is JT. Unless you count the steamy glances they're sneaking at one another. They have those in common too. But that just makes Comet all the more wary.


Despite their mutual distrust, they'll have to work together to rescue JT before a cyborg assassin gets to him first. Racing down a miserable stretch of road called Apocalypse Alley, they must dodge radioactive spiders, a killer Buick, and rampaging cannibals. They also try to dodge each other. That last bit doesn't work out so well.


Buy Links



Hello, all! I’m Don Allmon and this week I’ll be touring the web to promote my new book, APOCALYPSE ALLEY, the second in the Blue Unicorn series.

If you’re looking for fast-paced cyberpunk/fantasy romance – Terminator 2 meets Fury Road with two sexy guys and a dragon – this is your jam.

Join in the fun by leaving a comment which enters you to win a Riptide gift card!






Cyberpunk Pinocchio
Back before I signed the contract with Riptide for the Blue Unicorn series, the editor suggested Book 2 be about a couple other than JT and Austin. I said, “No problem!” more enthusiastically than I should have because I had no effing idea who Book 2 would be about if not about my orc and elf.
A week of panic later I sat in a bar with a writer friend (much more accomplished than I) and laid out the problem: “I can do Buzz plus someone, but who and what? He can’t be human or an orc or an elf.”
“Dragon,” she said.
“Too all-powerful.” (And dragons are assholes, and not sexy ones. Sorry, dragon-shifter fans, but no.)
“Satyr.”
“Sexy. Too pastoral.” (Though I filed that idea away for later, and someday I’ll tell you about Benjamin the satyr who is hot af.)
“Cyborg,” my friend said.
“That’s the villain.” (This is why my writer friends don’t talk to me much. I ask for help and then say no to everything they suggest.)
“Frankenstein.” (She meant the monster, not the doctor.)
“That’s just a biological cyborg,” I complained. (See what I mean?)
But that idea stuck in my head and I slept on it and showered with it (all my good ideas come in the shower when I can’t write them down). And eventually I thought the chain of thoughts that you’ll find in Chapter 6:
Comet, rebuilt, was some kind of Frankenstein’s monster.

Except Victor Frankenstein had never loved his creation, and Buzz had no doubt that Duke loved Comet deeply.

A different story, then: Pinocchio.
I identify with the story of Pinocchio in so many ways. When I was a young man trying to work out who I was, Pinocchio’s misplaced desire to become a “real boy” made a powerful metaphor. Lampwick was so many of the wrong guys I found myself attracted to (Oh, Pleasure Island!!!). And now that I’m older, Geppetto’s desire for a son is far more understandable.
And though Pinocchio is all magic and fairy-wishes, its subject (like Frankenstein) is cyberpunk. At the risk of swinging way too academic, Pinocchio is about bodies as a technology of identity. (I’ll just leave that here for y’all to mess with.) Pinocchio is Spielberg/Kubrick’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence except with an ending that doesn’t break your heart.

I admit APOCALYPSE ALLEY doesn’t delve too deep into the Pinocchio metaphor or my thoughts on it (that’s why it’s here). I’d rather write about crashing cars and having sex. But if you’re wondering where Comet came from, there you have it: a talk with a friend who’s convinced I never listen to her suggestions, and a 78-year-old Disney flick. 





About Blue Unicorn

JT is an orc on the way up. He’s got his own boutique robotics shop, high-end clientele, and deep-pocketed investors. He’s even mentoring an orc teen who reminds him a bit too much of himself back in the day.

Then Austin shows up, and the elf’s got the same hard body and silver tongue as he did two years ago when they used to be friends and might have been more. He’s also got a stolen car to bribe JT to saying yes to one last scheme: stealing the virtual intelligence called Blue Unicorn.

Soon JT’s up to his tusks in trouble, and it ain’t just zombies and Chinese triads threatening to tear his new life apart. Austin wants a second chance with JT—this time as more than just a friend—and even the Blue Unicorn is trying to play matchmaker.








About Don Allmon

In his night job, Don Allmon writes science fiction, fantasy, and romance. In his day job, he’s an IT drone. He holds a master of arts in English literature from the University of Kansas and wrote his thesis on the influence of royal hunting culture on medieval werewolf stories. He’s a fan of role-playing games, both video and tabletop. He has lived all over from New York to San Francisco, but currently lives on the prairies of Kansas with many animals.

Connect with Don:






Giveaway


To celebrate the release of Apocalypse Alley, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on March 3, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info! 

Release Blitz: Bitten by the Alpha by Annabelle Jacobs #Giveaway




Length: 76,000 words

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

Regent's Park Pack Series

Book #2 - Bitten By Design
Book #3 - Bitten By Desire

Blurb

Gareth’s heart is set on Cam, but Cam’s heart broke a long time ago.

As alpha of the Regent’s Park Pack, Cam’s focus is always centred on its members—his personal life pushed aside after the death of his wife. Now that his pack has merged with the Primrose Hill shifters, he can't afford any distractions.

Gareth’s been in love with his alpha for years, but his position as beta complicates matters. Added to the fact Cam still mourns his late wife, Gareth knows his feelings will never be reciprocated, so he buries them deep.

With the two packs already struggling to unite under one alpha, they get a surprise addition—one who causes more tension within the ranks. Under such strain, long-kept secrets are forced into the open. Gareth and Cam must deal with the aftermath, while also keeping the pack’s best interests at heart.


About The Author

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it - fighting enemies and adversity - but they always find love in the end.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website: www.annabellejacobs.com
Email: ajacobsfiction@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction

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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Random Review: For The Love Of Samuel by RP Andrews #Review #Giveaway





Author: RP Andrews
Title: For The Love of Samuel
Self Published
Publication Date: November 4, 2017
Length: 156 pages

Reviewed by Truus


Synopsis

New Yorker and aging gay man Billy Veleber who abhors growing old has lost Mitch, his former meth head lover, to his habit, and Gus, the older man in his life and mentor, to despair, when he is confronted with the chance to become 21 all over again, through the magical prowess of the dog tag of a long dead Civil War soldier, Samuel Evans. Young again, Billy abandons Manhattan for Fort Lauderdale where he meets Dare, the love of his life, whose clever quick rich venture first bonds them, then threatens to end their idyllic lives together forever. Billy also faces the reality of having to tell Dare the truth about himself.









Review

This story touched me so much... I don't know if I can give it credit with my review.

Sarcasm drooled from the ceiling, a lot of it. A caustic view of the world, a big mouth with a vulnerable heart, that's what I faced in this read. Also very surprising was the magic used in an unbelievably way and ...damn....the magic felt so real. There was also the hard reality of life.

I watch my diet, hit the gym three times a week,” I lie, “and dye my hair. For YOU?”

I just found this a masterful response and reflected a strong vision. Brusque of course but heh you only can admit it's damn real!

The story starts at the Civil War in a hospital, the soldier, Samuel, is almost down, dying and he gives his dog tag to the man who holds his hand...Walt Whitman!
The tag has some power in it you wouldn't believe.

We switch to Billy and his life in the here and now. A lot of shit happens to him. The moment he gets the dog tag in his hand his whole world turns around 360 degrees. The message was: I'll give it to you “Someone with love in their life. Someone like you.” Only Billy wonders....love...real love...did I have it already or will it come?

An intelligent wild story with sweat, sex, and a lot of furry bodies, high erotic at times, some unexplained magic, even some romance, and love. Tough guys big dirty mouth, leather vests, furry butts, and chests goshhh I loved it all.

It was at times so honest funny I giggled more than once.... it was educating at times... what you can do with T... I'm such a baby

The different views worked so well! Open and honest, raw and broad... The back and forth were very enlightening.

“And instead of becoming their savior, you end up being their victim.”

There were a lot of US brands I put behind because I didn't understand them, I stopped googling, I hope I didn't miss some important ones.


When Billy starts his job as bar-back and he meets Dare I witnessed something so amazing... Billy in ecstasy real fucking ecstasy because of Dare.... <3 

"Thank you, Tad, thank you Samuel, and most of all, thank you, Walt. I hope you’re in heaven having every young guy you ever lusted after in your life —twice!"

A well-written story, I loved the sometimes (all the time) crude inappropriate language. This journey was fascinating and above entertaining. 

So many feelings in this story. Through all the tough talk it was emotional I cried more than once. I loved this amazing story very much!!

Karma is a bitch and did a good job!




Giveaway

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contest ends tomorrow!
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Monday, February 26, 2018

Blog Tour: Found by Annabella Michaels #Review #Giveaway




Author- Annabella Michaels
Title- Found: Hamilton's Heroes Series Book 1
Genre- MM Romance

Release date- February 23





Cover artist- Jay Aheer of Simply Defined Art



Blurb
​As a former U.S.A.F. Pararescueman, Jeremy O’Brien is used to following orders, no questions asked. So, when Micah, his boss at Hamilton Security, asks him to take on a special case, he readily accepts. Micah’s instructions are simple, find the man in the picture and bring him back to Chicago.
​Seven years ago, Zane Wilkinson left the hospital against doctor’s orders, only to suffer a final, devastating blow that left him with no choice but to leave the only place he’d called home. Feeling heartbroken and empty, Zane moved from town to town just trying to survive, while never letting anyone get too close.
​In a chance encounter, Jeremy finds himself crossing paths with a man who fits Zane’s description. His instincts tell him that he’s on to something, but Micah warns him that he needs to be absolutely sure. Jeremy sets a plan in motion that will allow him to get closer to the man he believes to be Zane. However, the closer he gets, the more he likes the man and begins to question why he was sent to find him.

Will Jeremy be able to follow through with his orders without becoming too attached? Or will he realize that in his search for Zane, he’s found so much more than he bargained for?


Exclusively on Amazon:







Review

Well well well! Let's talk about this book! I read all of Annabella Michaels' Souls of Chicago series and was super eager for book one in her new series Hamilton's Heroes, Found. The reason being, the way the last book in her series ended. 

To make something clear, you do not have to have read Uniting the Souls or any of the Souls of Chicago books to read Found. Annabella Michaels writes it in a way that you aren't left feeling like you missed something.

Found is the story of Zane. To anyone who read Uniting the Souls you know who that is. To those who haven't, well you're in for a treat. I have been dying for this book. I practically stalked the author waiting for it. Now understand something, and I feel it's worth mentioning. There are some tough patches in this book to read. Physical abuse, not off page. It's in flashbacks. So do heed that warning. The author does warn readers in advance which I commend. And while it was hard to read it was powerful, emotional, and gripping.


Jeremy is the other MC in this book and can I just say, I wasn't sure the author would be able to write another half for Zane who was worthy... I was wrong. Jeremy is perfect for him. He has his own sadness but nothing like Zane's and who Zane needs in his life is someone like Jeremy. He's so fabulous I adored him from beginning to end.

I can't wait to see which guy gets the next story but I can say this author wrote a beautiful story with amazing emotional suspense. Definitely read this!





About the Author 

I am married to my high school sweetheart who let’s face it, is a saint for putting up with me all of these years. Together we have been blessed with the chance to raise two amazing human beings and so far, we haven’t screwed it up; I’ll let you know for sure later. I love watching movies, cooking, going to the beach and spending time with my family and best friends. I am an obsessive reader who is a complete sucker for a good love story but loves to feel a broad range of emotions throughout a book. I think real life is hard enough and so my books offer twists and turns, but always with a happy ending.

Social Media links
Twitter – Twitter




Giveaway

Two people will win copies of Found
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Contest will end March 5th
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Random Review: Just Like Honey by Ajax Bell #Review #Giveaway



Author: Ajax Bell
Title: Just Like Honey
A Queen City Boys Book
Publisher: Jugum Press
Publication Date: December 15, 2017
Length: 354 pages

Reviewed by Truus


Synopsis

Can He Paint His Muse into 36 Views of Seattle?

Artist Ryan Ikeda’s domestic bliss shatters after an invitation to join a career-launching gallery show in 1990s Seattle. His artistic uncertainty and secret desires, dangerous as turpentine and flame, threaten to torch his bond with Ben, his handsome boyfriend and muse.

Suddenly, instability rocks every aspect of Ryan’s life: his grandmother’s sinking health, his friends moving on to new jobs, even his apartment is endangered. Worst of all, Ben’s work demands more time away from home, the overload of changes jeopardizing the stability of their open relationship.

Ryan’s long-time friends advise him to jump headlong in to the colorful Seattle art scene. However, Ryan’s deep examination of his creative needs outline new demands for his life with Ben. Striving for both balance and success, Ryan faces the greatest risks of his personal and professional life.

Just Like Honey peeks inside working artists’ studios, cruises the 1990s Seattle bar scene, and eavesdrops on artists gossiping about their competitors at hot gallery shows, while Ryan and Ben explore the communication and tenderness required for a deep, open relationship.






Review

The difficulties of a relationship are the main story here but there is so much more.... art, culture, friends, and families.

Their relationship isn't going well... more of a nose dive. No space or time to spend together, desperately trying to stick together but more of a feeling that they were slowly drifting apart. 
They always had an open relationship, room for a third but somehow Ryan wants Ben to be his submissive but he’s so afraid to open up. Bad and traumatic memories stop him, and
there is a lot of flirting with other men. The threesome(s) were splendidly done; very sensual, steamy, intense and the afterglow when they were with just the two of them....sigh.

They have different views on life especially with Ryan's art making it hard. They communicate laboriously...They have to find a way to compromise or else it will never work and are destined to be apart.

The pressure is almost not bearable for Ryan, he has to expose his art and he is so not ready. Never enough, never exposing exactly what he wants to expose.

Seeing Ryan work with his art was just breathtaking I could visualize every stroke. How he wandered through his mind and how he visualized his muse.
His art is almost a bliss and a curse.

The heartbreaking moment when Ryan comes to terms with his anxieties about his artistic qualities, hearing an immense important fact from a big name in the art world. I sniffed some tears away because I felt his walls crumble.

The growth of both men in this relationship is wonderfully done!
Ben flaying Ryan bit by bit, necessary and required because if he didn’t he would stay closed.
Ryan’s need to dominate Ben in a way Ben will never leave him is somewhat desperate.
By assuming things instead of communicating, they both make the wrong decisions. Even if it's because they want the other to be happy. 

When they are finally on the same track it's just breathtaking, heavily emotional and intense. The switch in Ryan was illuminating and liberating you could feel it on every page.
Ryan has a wonderful personality and Ben ahhh Ben with his unconditional love for Ryan. Both men are outstanding in this story! Together in the bedroom was almost art, intense and emotional. I devoured every move, touch, and command.

This is an amazingly written story with a lot of details described: lots of art, streets, buildings, parks, fashion. There are many friends, exes, and family members in this story and everyone has a purpose, with all the different cultures beautiful fused together.

The road in this story is wide and there are many turns but they all lead to the main path. Ryan and Ben beside each other on their journey.


It was a hard but constructive road and I loved every inch!!







Giveaway

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Contest ends February 28th



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Blog Tour: Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker #Review #Excerpt #Giveaway



SECOND WIND
AIMEE NICOLE WALKER
M/M ROMANCE
RELEASE DATE: 02.14.18


COVER DESIGN: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: WANDER AGUIAR


BLURB

Second wind: a new strength or energy to continue something that is an effort. After an amicable divorce, Lincoln Huxley is ready to embrace the sexuality he repressed for more than two decades. Rush Holden is no longer willing to settle for closeted men or those who don’t share his dreams of marriage and fatherhood. A chance encounter on a lakeside pier is the second wind they both need. Or will it just be a painful reminder of all they had lost?

Second chance: an opportunity to try something again that failed one time. Rush and Lincoln have shared a lot of firsts—friendship, young love, and heartbreak. Cruel reality forced the two men to choose paths that took their lives in different directions. Twenty-six years later, they get a second chance to fall in love with each all over again. Can it really be that simple, or will the same issues ruin their happiness a second time?

Happily ever after: to live happily for the rest of one’s life. Rush and Lincoln know that love and life can’t be defined by words alone. Patience, commitment, and the determination to do whatever it takes will be the only way the two men achieve their happily ever after.


Second Wind is a funny, sexy, and endearing standalone romance novel about love, loss, and rediscovery. It contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults 18 and older.






Review

It's stories like this that I really love. The bone deep love that lasts forever. Linc and Rush loved each other since they were kids. But, when half of your whole can't accept themselves for who they are and lets fear dictate their fate it drives a wedge between what should be and what will be.

This story is told in present day with flashbacks from their childhood and high school years. It's in those flashbacks that you feel your heart ache so very much. While I was sad for Linc, it was Rush that broke me. I admired him both as a young guy and a grown man. Everything he was. It tore me apart to see what he went through but I was happy to see that he made a great life for himself.

Linc also made a great life that was so different from Rush's but great nonetheless. I was so intrigued reading this book and wondering where the author was going to take this. So often I said to myself, "How in the world is she going to make these two connect again?" Never underestimate this author. Aimee Nicole Walker gave Linc and Rush a gorgeous, happy, at times heartbreaking, very sexy story.

I recommend this very much. So well written.






EXCERPT

I suddenly felt an invisible pull to go to the pier and ride the damn thing. No, Rush wouldn’t be with me in person, but the memory of him would be. I walked the short distance and bought tickets for the Centennial Wheel. The pier was packed with families and friends just looking to have a good time and enjoy the beautiful June weather before the serious humidity hit later in the month.

I felt a little silly as I approached the long line by myself, but I passed the time by texting Phee and checking my email. The line had suddenly stopped advancing, and I wondered if the ride broke down or something. Then I heard the chatter about newlyweds posing for photos with the grand Ferris wheel in the background.

“Look how handsome the grooms look,” someone said.

“It so good that people don’t have to hide any longer,” another person added.

I stepped out of line to see for myself, and my heart thudded to a stop in my chest before it raced with recognition. It wasn’t the grooms that held me spellbound; it was the photographer. I’d know that stance anywhere because I sure as hell had seen it enough times growing up. The camera he held in his hand was a lot different and more expensive than the ones he used to own, but the way he stood and cradled it like a rare treasure was all the same. Rush! But how was this possible? My mind had to be playing tricks on me. This moment was nothing but a fantasy brought on by all the trips down memory lane I’d made the past twenty-four hours. I would wake up to find that I fell asleep in the hotel room instead of walking to the pier.

There was no way in hell that Rush, my Rush, was a few hundred feet away from me. It had to be someone who resembled him. The photographer turned around and smiled at something his assistant said to him. I started walking toward him without stopping to think if I should. For the first time in more than twenty-six years, my world felt right. My Rush.


It felt like I’d caught my second wind.


I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees. I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever- after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/2GwKeX7 




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