Featured Guest: E. Davies ~ Guest Post #Giveaway

We are so happy to have author E. Davies on the blog today. It's been a long time since Ed has visited us and we are so happy they're here! Check out the post and the awesome giveaway at the end.

Hello, Diverse Readers! Thank you to Mere for having me around the blog today. I’ve been quiet online lately, so it’s good to get out and about… Wait, this counts as social interaction, right? ;)

I’m Ed, and I started writing MM romance as E. Davies in 2013. Since then I’ve written over forty novels, which seems hard to believe now. I recently added up my published books and found out that I’ve passed three million words!

Four years ago this week, I hit publish on what would go on to become my best-known book, Buzz. This first book in the Riley Brothers series is a quirky, small-town romance about an adorable art curator and an injured hockey player turned beekeeper. Five more books followed (Clang, Swish, Crunch, Slam, and Grind—all onomatopoeia reflecting what sports are featured in the book), each following a different brother or best friend.

The Riley Brothers was, at the time, quite a different series for me to write. Unlike most of my books, which were set in larger cities in America, I set this series in a small town I know fairly well in New Brunswick, Canada. Rather than the standalone books I’d been writing before then, I wrote a group of guys creating their own found family like I never had before. Buying houses next door to each other and knocking down the fences between their backyards turned out to be symbolic of the family they created together over the course of the series!

This series marked a milestone in my own writing and how personal I allowed it to get. Those who know me can spot quite a bit of my personality throughout the series—it was like I suddenly found my voice! As I did, I took more liberties to show the world as I experience it. I introduced a nonbinary side character who uses they/them pronouns, which was hard to find late 2015. I even wrote my first trans main character—James, in the sixth and final book, Grind.

Since this series, I’ve written several more found families in other series: Significant Brothers, Hidden Creek, F-Word, Hart’s Bay, and more. But I keep returning to the Riley Brothers as the moment I leaned into writing feel-good, low-angst romances without shame, without calling them “guilty pleasures”, because everyone deserves happy endings!

In these guys, I found my voice and my calling, and I’ll forever hold them in my heart. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to look back at the series several years later, having gone through huge personal changes in this span of time, and see myself figuring out who I am through these books. The story I thought was settled had only just begun!

But the Riley Brothers’ stories aren’t quite over. For years, people have asked if there are plans for a follow-up story about the guys’ lives. I’ve always said the time wasn’t right. I wasn’t even sure why, I just knew it wasn’t happening! And then, a few months ago, I visited the real-life Fredericton again. It suddenly clicked into place: what Cam and Noah are doing now, and why the time wasn’t right to catch up with them until now.

I immediately wrote two short bonus stories— “Boo”, following Cam and Noah’s new family on Halloween, and “Jingle”, where the guys all get together for Christmas to talk about the course their lives are taking. A lot of growth has come about for all, but some things never change. I cried my way through typing The End all over again, haha! And since it’s been such a joy to revisit these stories as Michael Pauley records the audio, I had to get him to do the bonus stories, too.

Which is why I’m so thrilled to launch the Riley Brothers collection! For the first time, this collection gathers up all six novels plus these two new exclusive stories. It’s available in both ebook and audio—over 1500 pages long in ebook, and over 38 hours in audio! Sharing the Riley Brothers for the first time with new readers and revisiting them with long-time readers has been such a pleasure.

Which brings me to the giveaway I have for you today: two people will win an ebook copy of your choice of my books AND a US or UK code for the Riley Brothers collection on Audible!

Since 2013, E. Davies has crafted feel-good stories of men in love--stories that are brimming with hope, found families, and realistic guys next door getting their modern fairytale endings. As for hobbies: rescuing bees, dancing badly, traipsing through meadows, and studying photos of cute guys for research totally count, right?

Want free short stories and new release alerts? Join the newsletter here: edaviesbooks.com/subscribe

Many E. Davies books are now available in audio! Find all available Audible titles here: edaviesbooks.com/audiobooks

Join the Facebook group to share your fave parts and cute bee photos: facebook.com/groups/edavies

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Release Day Promotional Post: Flaunt by E. Davies #Review #Giveaway

Author: E. Davies
Book: Flaunt
Self Published
Publication date: January 31, 2017
Length: 300 pages


Reviewed by Meredith


Synopsis

“He's waiting for me to ask, and I'm afraid.”

“I'm just one more gay guy here.”

Moving to the suburbs of L.A. was supposed to give Nic Montero a fresh start. After escaping his family, coming out as a gay trans man, and excelling in computer programming out of desperation to get financially stable or die, everything should be easy. But joining gay culture now, post-transition, feels impossible... until he runs into the force of nature that is Kyle. Everything Nic isn't, Kyle embodies. Green hair, garters and cut-off shorts, sports jerseys, and all, brash Kyle is the most gorgeous man he's ever laid eyes on, and he pulls Nic headlong into the center of his world. If only Nic felt like enough for a man like Kyle.

“One-night stands are my only option.”

Loud, loving, and too much for most men to handle, Kyle Everett catches eyes and occasionally scorn... even at his job at the local HIV charity, Plus. His days and nights are spent at work, his precious spare moments spent with his son, Kevin, when it's his turn to co-parent, or his best friend, drag queen River. He only has money or time for cheap flings, but the lanky otter who walks into his life makes Kyle want to hold him for longer than a night. He knows what it's like for Nic to be without a family, but he isn't brave enough to let this man into his life... until his charity is targeted by bigots, and Nic's there for him.

“I'll stay with you if you're brave enough to be you.”

Nic spent his twenties avoiding family and even his own femininity, but his yearning is impossible to ignore. Kyle's used to flying solo, but Nic offers him safety and fills gaps in his life he never realized existed and now can't stand. Living in close proximity, they can't run from their attraction, but they're each used to being rejected, with the emotional scars to prove it. Can two men who feel like they're not enough and too much find something just right?

Purchase on Amazon

Review

This is an opposites attracts story. Quiet, shy, somewhat nervous Nic Montero meets loud, proud, not at all shy Kyle Everett. When we meet both men each is harboring a secret. We know very quickly into the story that Nic is transgender and he fears telling anyone, especially Kyle.

Kyle is so wonderful. He's a great father. He really adores his son. His "out there" attitude is so much the polar opposite of Nic's. But my grandmother once said, "People with the deepest secrets are like magicians. They rely on the fanfare to distract you from the truth." That's Kyle. And getting to Kyle's secrets took a lot longer.

I admired both of these characters and love how they were written. They had an instant attraction to each other. But a somewhat slow burn in many ways. Kyle's attitude toward Nic's confession was beyond words awesome. I pretty much knew it would be just by seeing how Kyle handles all things.

E. Davies' writing is really wonderful. Terrific characters with incredible depth and emotion. He managed to work in some mystery and drama to really amp up this love story... and a love story it is. The amount of research and understanding that the author must have done made this book shine and there was a high level of respect for it. With Nic having gone through transition surgery we learn a lot about the whole process. I found it to be incredible as I didn't know as much as I thought I did. So, props to the author.

This is a very enjoyable and touching story.

About the Author

E. Davies was proficient in real estate ad shorthand (the old-fashioned newspaper kind) by the age of nine. Growing up moving constantly taught him what people have in common, the ways relationships are formed, and the dangers of “miscellaneous” boxes.

As a teen, he tore through a stack of found romance novels, wishing someone had written similar for M/M, though he could never find anything at Chapters or the library. Just after graduating university in 2013, semi-out and clutching his English B.A. for dear life, he stumbled on an Amazon M/M short story. It was a whole new... phrase he dares not repeat for fear of lawyers. It shone and shimmered splendidly, though.

After failing forty times to avoid crafting happily-ever-after endings for steamy short stories, he plunged into romance novels and hasn't looked back. As a young gay author whose formative gay fictional role models were characters punished for their sexuality, Ed prefers his stories lightly dramatic, full of optimism and hope.

Now out and proud, he writes full-time, goes on long nature walks, tries to fill his passport, drinks piña coladas on the beach, flees from cute guys, coos over fuzzy animals (especially bees), and is liable to tilt his head and click his tongue if you don't use your turn signal.

To find out when E. Davies has a new release, you can subscribe to his newsletter at edaviesbooks.com/subscribe, like his Facebook page at facebook.com/edaviesbooks, or visit his website at edaviesbooks.com.

Giveaway

Enter the rafflecopter below to win either a paperback or ebook copy of Flaunt!

Contest will end on February 7th!

Thank you!

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Cover Reveal: Flaunt by E. Davies!!!!!!!!

Title: Flaunt

Author: E. Davies
Cover artist: Resplendent Media
Release date: January 31, 2017
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33844763-flaunt

 Synopsis

 

“He's waiting for me to ask, and I'm afraid.”

“I'm just one more gay guy here.” Moving to the suburbs of L.A. was supposed to give Nic Montero a fresh start. After escaping his family, coming out as a gay trans man, and excelling in computer programming out of desperation to get financially stable or die, everything should be easy. But joining gay culture now, post-transition, feels impossible... until he runs into the force of nature that is Kyle. Everything Nic isn't, Kyle embodies. Green hair, garters and cut-off shorts, sports jerseys, and all, brash Kyle is the most gorgeous man he's ever laid eyes on, and he pulls Nic headlong into the center of his world. If only Nic felt like enough for a man like Kyle. “One-night stands are my only option.” Loud, loving, and too much for most men to handle, Kyle Everett catches eyes and occasionally scorn... even at his job at the local HIV charity, Plus. His days and nights are spent at work, his precious spare moments spent with his son, Kevin, when it's his turn to co-parent, or his best friend, drag queen River. He only has money or time for cheap flings, but the lanky otter who walks into his life makes Kyle want to hold him for longer than a night. He knows what it's like for Nic to be without a family, but he isn't brave enough to let this man into his life... until his charity is targeted by bigots, and Nic's there for him. “I'll stay with you if you're brave enough to be you.” Nic spent his twenties avoiding family and even his own femininity, but his yearning is impossible to ignore. Kyle's used to flying solo, but Nic offers him safety and fills gaps in his life he never realized existed and now can't stand. Living in close proximity, they can't run from their attraction, but they're each used to being rejected, with the emotional scars to prove it. Can two men who feel like they're not enough and too much find something just right? Flaunt is a steamy, stand-alone gay romance novel with a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.

About the Author

E. Davies was proficient in real estate ad shorthand (the old-fashioned newspaper kind) by the age of nine. Growing up moving constantly taught him what people have in common, the ways relationships are formed, and the dangers of “miscellaneous” boxes.

As a teen, he tore through a stack of found romance novels, wishing someone had written similar for M/M, though he could never find anything at Chapters or the library. Just after graduating university in 2013, semi-out and clutching his English B.A. for dear life, he stumbled on an Amazon M/M short story. It was a whole new... phrase he dares not repeat for fear of lawyers. It shone and shimmered splendidly, though.

After failing forty times to avoid crafting happily-ever-after endings for steamy short stories, he plunged into romance novels and hasn't looked back. As a young gay author whose formative gay fictional role models were characters punished for their sexuality, Ed prefers his stories lightly dramatic, full of optimism and hope.

Now out and proud, he writes full-time, goes on long nature walks, tries to fill his passport, drinks piña coladas on the beach, flees from cute guys, coos over fuzzy animals (especially bees), and is liable to tilt his head and click his tongue if you don't use your turn signal.

To find out when E. Davies has a new release, you can subscribe to his newsletter at edaviesbooks.com/subscribe, like his Facebook page at facebook.com/edaviesbooks, or visit his website at edaviesbooks.com