Showing posts with label DSP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DSP. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Review Tour: Digging Deep by Jay Hogan #Review #Giveaway




Length: 340 pages

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Design: Kanaxa

Blurb

A Digging Deep Story

Drake Park has a complicated life. As a gay male midwife, he’s used to raising eyebrows. Add Crohn’s disease and things get interesting—or not, considering the sad state of his love life. Experience has taught Drake that most men are fair-weather sailors when it comes to handling his condition—gone for dust when things get rough. Staying healthy is a full-time job without adding in any heartbreak, so a little loneliness is a small price to pay. If he says it often enough he might even believe it. One thing for sure, the cop who arrested him isn’t about to change that.

Caleb Ashton does not have a complicated life. A senior detective with the Whangarei Police Department, he likes his job and is good at it. He works hard and plays hard, happy to enjoy as many men as he can while he’s still young enough—or at least he was. These days he feels adrift for the first time in his life, and the only thing sparking his interest—a certain prickly young midwife.

But can Drake find enough faith to risk opening his heart again? And does Caleb have what it takes to cope with the challenges Drake’s condition presents?

Review

I must say that this story not only brought tons of laughable moments, it also shined light on a condition that for some can be a daily struggle to live with while others can be in remission with hardy any flare ups if their bodies are able to handle the medications. In Jay Hogan’s Digging Deep the author gives a lot of information with Crohn's disease.

Nothing can be worse during a protest than it being hotter than Hades and then all of a sudden needing a bathroom as soon as possible. That is where Drake Park finds himself on what turns out to be one of the worst days of his life. Getting arrested while having a Crohn's flare up in the bathroom in the Whangarei Council Chambers was not high on his to-do list! Certainly, having his wrist strung up and face planted up against the wall after exiting the bathroom stall from Officer D*ckhead just wasn’t making his mood any better. What was this Officer’s problem, he was using the dang toilet, the questions he was asking were way out of the norm. Then to be put in the back of his car and left alone in the waiting room for a long time without the use of the bathroom was going to make his condition even worse! By the time he was able to leave the Officer even had the nerve to ask him out for coffee, please hot or not Drake wasn’t even going down that rabbit hole!

Detective Caleb Aston feels completely horrible about the whole incident with Drake. He had only been doing his job and Drake’s name had been on his list but how could he forget about his Crohns and leave him alone for that long. What was it about that picky dude that captured his attention? Caleb was never into chasing men, so why did Drake’s brush off bother him so much? With the advice of his best friend Daniel or Carme while in drag makes him realize just how old hook ups are becoming and maybe subconsciously, he really wants a meaningful relationship.

But try as he might Drake’s refusal to go out with him and just makes him try harder. Caleb is fighting for something he has never had before while Drake is trying hard not to let his heart be broken again by a partner that can’t handle the reality of what comes with dating a person with Crohns.

This was definitely a masterpiece and a beautiful story of two men coming together against the odds they set up going into the relationship.

 






Jay Hogan is a New Zealand author writing in m/m romance, romantic suspense and fantasy. She has travelled extensively and has lived in quite a few countries. She has a BA degree in Nursing and in Theology, and in another life, she was an Intensive Care Nurse, Counselor, and a Lecturer.

She is a cat aficionado especially of Maine Coons, and an avid dog lover (but don’t tell the cat). She loves to cook- pretty damn good, loves to sing - pretty damn average, and as for loving full-time writing -absolutely… depending of course on the day, the word count, the deadline, how obliging her characters are, the ambient temperature in the Western Sahara, whether Jupiter is rising, the size of the ozone hole over New Zealand and how much coffee she’s had.

She has complex boys telling stories in her head that demand attention and a considerable number of words to go with them. Their journeys are never straightforward and even surprise Jay. She does her best to plot things out ahead of time but those pesky characters seem to have a mind of their own. Go figure.

You can find Jay at:
https://www.facebook.com/JayHoganAuthor
https://twitter.com/jayhoganauthor
jayhoganauthor@gmail.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions


Saturday, November 24, 2018

About Me and What's To Come: JS Harker~ Guest Post





We have a genre full of amazing authors. There's not a day that passes we don't have a new release by someone. It can get away from us. Every Saturday until the end of the year Diverse Reader will have a guest post with an author in the LGBT genre that will talk about themselves, and an upcoming book... and maybe what's to come in 2019.

Our first author is JS Harker! It's so wonderful to have them here so check it out.





Hey there, I'm JS--or Jace--Harker. This year's been a crazy one for me because I got to start my writing journey with a publisher. My first book Soul Bond released in July and Tit For Tat releases this December 18th!

It's post-Thanksgiving, so y'all ready for Christmas stories now? Tit For Tat is a holiday story (admittedly more focused on the time of year than Christmas itself). Derek works at the mall's toy store and has a crush on one of the guys working at Santa's Workshop. He's awkward and a bit shy, but he makes an effort to introduce himself to the hot guy--only to find out that said hot guy is really a Winter Fairy. It's definitely the sweetest story I've ever written and I can't wait for people to have a chance to meet Derek and Flynn!

A little more on me: I love writing stories with paranormal elements. The world's just more fun when there are magic spells and mythical creatures changing up a character's day to day routine. Magic-based stories have always had my interest. I don't really remember watching Star Wars for the first time--it's just always been there for me--and currently can't wait for the next issue of Hex Wives or the Sandman Universe. Constantine showing up in Legends of Tomorrow this season is the best thing that has ever happened on that show (other than maybe Ava/Sara).

In the upcoming year, I'm hoping to have more books published--and definitely aiming to finish quite a few. I'm working on a few projects at the moment--including a Halloween themed story I'm super excited about and a romance centering on two paranormal investigators.

What books are you looking forward to that are due out this year? Any big goals in the works?



Cold has never been so hot.
College sophomore Derek is busy working over his holiday break—but his shifts at the toy store are no hardship if they mean more opportunity to dream about the sexy new guy working as an elf in Santa’s Workshop. When his mother gifts him a bag of cookies, Derek regifts them to Flynn as an excuse to get to know him. Flynn has presents to offer as well, and soon they’re dating, with Derek finding out his comfort zone is bigger than he imagined.
But Flynn is hiding a secret—he’s really a winter fairy whose magic is bound to the season. He can't stay in the mortal realm, and Derek doesn't want to lose contact with his family. Can they find a way to hold on to each other when the snow and sugar plums melt away?




Links for the author and their books












Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Blog Tour: The Eye and the Arm by Andrew Q Gordon #Excerpt #Giveaway


ABOUT THE BOOK


Title: The Eye And The Arm
Series: Champion of the Gods #2
Author: Andrew Q. Gordon
Length: 99,775 words/296 Pages
Release Date: April 14, 2015
Blurb: Champion of the Gods: Book Two
After defeating Meglar at Belsport, Farrell returns to Haven to recover from his injuries, but Khron, the god of war, has other ideas. He gives Farrell a new mission: free the survivors of the ancient dwarf realm of Trellham from their three-thousand-year banishment. To fulfill Khron's near impossible task, Farrell will need the help of his distance ancestor, the legendary wizard Kel. But Kel has been dead for a thousand years.
Farrell finds information hinting that Kel is alive, so he moves his search to Dumbarten, Kel's birthplace. To reach Dumbarten unannounced, Farrell and Miceral disguise themselves as mercenaries on board a merchant vessel. Their journey is disrupted when pirates attack their ship. While attempting to subdue the attack, Farrell is struck down by one of Meglar’s minions.
Unconscious and trapped in his own mind, Farrell's only chance for survival rests with Miceral and the peregrine king Rothdin entering his thoughts and helping him sort fact from illusion. To reach Farrell, they will need to rely on an untested spell from one of Kel's spellbooks. If they succeed, Miceral can guide Farrell home safely. If not, Farrell will destroy not only himself, but Miceral, Rothdin, and everyone around him.


EXCERPT 



After they cleaned up, Farrell created a dock out of green energy. He sat on the edge, removed his boots, and dangled his feet in the swift-flowing water.
“That water has to be ice cold.” Miceral sat behind him and hugged Farrell to his chest. “Why are you doing that?”
“Sure it’s cold, but after having my feet stuck in those boots all day, it feels wonderful. Even if I can’t do it for long.”
Leaning back, he enjoyed all the sensations of the day. Miceral kissed the top of his head and rested his cheek on Farrell’s hair. If he didn’t know better, Farrell would suspect the Six had conspired to make this day perfect just for him.
He stared at the water rushing over his now tingling feet. Reluctantly he pulled them onto the dock. After all the effort Miceral put into planning the perfect day, he hated what he needed to do next. He found a towel in his endless pocket and quietly dried himself. Instead of asking his partner to move back, he extended the dock another three feet and stretched his legs.
While the sun warmed his feet, he considered his words. “I’m not sure if this will ruin our day, but I finished reading Kel’s book.”
“Why would that upset me?”
He twisted until he faced Miceral. “I… we need to leave Haven.”
Miceral blinked but otherwise didn’t react. “Why?”
He took a deep breath and glanced at Nerti, who along with Klissmor had moved closer to the makeshift jetty. She gave him the barest of nods. “Two reasons. First, Kel’s book is clear. He collected items at the behest of the Six that They intend for me to have. I need to get them, and they are scattered around the world.”
“Do you know what he left you?”
“No.” He swallowed. “I don’t even know exactly where he left things.”
Miceral’s expression told Farrell he didn’t like what he heard. “Why would he do that? The book was meant for you. Why not just tell you?”
“He didn’t say, but I think it’s a test to ensure his heir is a powerful enough wizard.”
Miceral shook his head and stared at the water. After several long moments, he looked at Farrell. “What’s the other reason?”
“I need to speak to Kel.” He stared into Miceral’s blue eyes and fought the urge to turn away.
“How? Kel died two thousand years ago.”
“Kel’s still alive.” Farrell nodded several times. “He is. On a page near the end, he explains that he found a way to suspend his life functions to extend his life. There’s a small circle on the page. If it’s red, his efforts failed. If it’s green, he’s alive. The dot is green.”
Miceral’s jaw clenched and relaxed a couple of times before he looked over Farrell’s shoulder to Klissmor and Nerti. “Comments from either of you?”
“Farrell and I discussed this yesterday. I don’t entirely approve, but Klissmor and I believe it is Lenore’s wish that Farrell find Kel. For that reason we support his decision.”
Farrell watched as Miceral struggled with the news. He wanted to reach over and grab his hand, rub his back, anything to ease the tension, but he knew better. Miceral needed to work through it—without Farrell’s help.
“Do you at least know where we should go first?”
“Dumbarten, Kel’s birth place.” His smile quickly faded as he pressed on with what he needed to tell Miceral. “The first problem, however, will be getting there. I don’t know anywhere in Dumbarten that isn’t sealed off magically. So even if I had point of reference, I can’t open a Door.”
“How do you intend to get there?”
Before he could answer, Nerti did it for him, voicing the reason for her reluctance.
“By ship.”

BUY LINKS




 


TOUR SCHEDULE

April 15: Anne Barwell
April 16: Cate Ashwood


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Q. Gordon wrote his first story back when yellow legal pads, ball point pens were common and a Smith Corona correctable typewriter was considered high tech. Adapting with technology, he now takes his MacBook somewhere quiet when he wants to write.

He currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his partner of eighteen years, their young daughter and dog.  In addition to dodging some very self-important D.C. ‘insiders’, Andrew uses his commute to catch up on his reading. When not working or writing, he enjoys soccer, high fantasy, baseball and seeing how much coffee he can drink in a day and not get the shakes.

Follow Andrew:

On Facebook: FB Author Page
On Twitter: @andrewqgordon
Or just email him: andrewqgordon@gmail.com


GIVEAWAY
FIVE Winners will win one e-copy of ANY book* each from DSP Publication’s backlist.
*Giveaway is of any currently released DSPP book, which excludes the books that are on pre-order and “The Eye And The Arm”.




a Rafflecopter giveaway