Favorite Writing Snacks by TJ Nichols – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes TJ Nichols who is celebrating the recent release of Lucifer’s Litigator.

Favorite Writing Snacks

Writing snack are important—the brain and fingers need energy to the words fly onto the page, or at least that’s the theory anyway.

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll see I post plenty of pictures of food, tea and my laptop.

My favorite writing snacks (not in any order because it changes depending on the day) are:

• Herbal tea. I love the smell of coffee but not the taste (and regular tea isn’t very exciting) Give me peppermint, or ginger or rooibos loaded with cinnamon and orange.

• Dark chocolate. Plain, mint, orange it doesn’t matter as long as its 70% or more. I like my chocolate like my soul, dark and bitter ?

• Chocolate brownies. You can’t go past a good brownie (bad ones are so very disappointing). I realize everyone defines a good brownie differently, but to me a good one is squishy not cakey and has chocolate and nuts in it and no icing.

• Lemon tart. Lemon tart is one of my favorites, but it’s more of a ‘I’m calling this lunch’ than a snack.

• Hot chocolate—for when the words need a bit more encouragement, it’s been a long week and it’s only Tuesday or just because there is a craving that needs satisfying.
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To save his soul, he’ll have to fix his one regret—the love that got away.

The summer between the end of school and the start of what came next was full of sun, surf, and sex. For Will McLeod, that meant Tom, his first male lover. He knew the romance had an expiration date and would end when Tom joined the Army, but that didn’t stop Will from falling in love.

Tired of being looked down upon for being poor, Will became a lawyer—but not just any lawyer. He litigates for the gods as they gamble with the lives of those desperate enough to make deals. His job is to make sure they don’t slip free. He has more money than he knows what to do with, but he’s fast running out of soul.

Twenty-five years haven’t dimmed the candle Will holds for Tom, and when they meet again, he has a chance to put things right. Back then, Tom wasn’t ready to fight for them. Now the decorated soldier is willing to get his hands dirty, but will he be a match for the forces trying to keep them apart?

About the Author: TJ Nichols is an avid runner and martial arts enthusiast who first started writing as child. Many years later while working as a civil designer, TJ decided to pick up a pen and start writing again. Having grown up reading thrillers and fantasy novels, it’s no surprise that mixing danger and magic comes so easily. Writing urban fantasy allows TJ to bring magic to the every day. TJ is the author of the Studies in Demonology series and the Mytho urban fantasy series.

With one cat acting as a supervisor, TJ has gone from designing roads to building worlds and wouldn’t have it any other way. After traveling all over the world TJ now lives in Perth, Western Australia.

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Top Five Cooking Shows by Andrew Grey – Guest Blog


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Andrew Grey who is celebrating the recent release of his newest book Twice Baked.

Top Five Cooking Shows
Dominic and I love cooking shoes. We watch them together all the time. So I thought I woudl share with you my top 5 cooking shows.

1) Top Chef – This one goes without saying and is the top of the heap as far as I’m concerned.

2) Chopped – Dominic loves this show and watches all the time. We can pretty much guess who will be chopped.

3) The Great British Baking Show – They are so wonderful to each other. I will say I miss Mary Berry and don’t like the other new people much.

4) The Christmas Baking Championship – Dominic loves these baking shows on the Food Network. He tells them everything they’re doing wrong.

5) Guy’s Grocery Games – This is just fun and with all the running around they have to do.
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When the pickiest eater in America is tapped to judge a cooking competition along with his chef ex-boyfriend, will it be a recipe for a second chance… or disaster?

Luke Walker’s humor about foods he can’t stand made him an internet celebrity and his blog, The Pickiest Eater in America, a huge hit. He plans to bring that same lighthearted comedy to the show—but he won’t be the only host.

Meyer Thibodeaux might be a famous chef, but he’s solemn, uptight, and closeted. He’s also Luke’s ex. As different as they are, the sparks between Luke and Meyer never really went out, and as they work together, each begins to see the other in a new light, and the passion between them reignites, hot as ever. But secrets, gossip, and rumors on the set could sour their reunion.

About the Author: Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

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Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Dreamspinner Press.

 

His Fairy Prince by JS Harker – Spotlight


Long and Short Reviews welcomes JS Harker who is celebrating the recent release of her newest book His Fairy Prince.

A trick of fairy magic becomes a romantic treat.

Halloween is fantasy-loving college senior Greg’s favorite holiday, and he’s thrilled to explore a spooky puzzle—even if his friends prefer slashers over witchcraft. Luckily the gorgeous and otherworldly Alaric wants to sneak time alone with him. Unluckily Greg’s sworn off hookups. Still reeling from an intoxicating kiss, Greg opens a secret door…

…and steps through a portal to the enchanted realm Alaric is destined to rule.

Stranded with the alluring Greg, Alaric sets off across his kingdom with the man who might be the consort he’s always wanted. It won’t be easy—Alaric’s ex, the Lord of Spiders, wants to reunite with Alaric—but if Greg and Alaric succeed, they’ll find what they’ve always wanted: a place to belong.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Once Greg and Alaric stood in the garden, the door shut behind them. Greg jumped at the sound, and his slightly numb legs gave out as he spun. He was heading for a crash on the ground.

Alaric swept an arm around him and held him close. How did Alaric manage to smell like bottled sex? A subtle hint of having just finished before it became a noxious sex odor, with a bit of cinnamon mixed in. Added to that was the leather of his jacket. And Alaric was all muscle wrapped in black, tight clothing. He held Greg like they were on the cover of a romance novel, and he could keep holding him that way until the sun came up.

Alaric was a prince of a magical kingdom that had secret doors. Greg was a Level 1 character at best. No way did he get to score with the Level 20 awesome Alaric was. Greg ought to push Alaric away and stop liking being in his arms so much. He didn’t need to drop his whole celibacy plan because Alaric was royalty.

Or because Alaric smiled at him like he was someone interesting. Or because the moonlight shone on his raven- black hair and gleamed o his leather jacket. Or because they t together so perfectly.

Greg wanted a kiss.

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Alaric grinned like he somehow knew about the mental war raging in Greg’s head and helped him stand upright. A cold wind sliced through Greg’s hoodie. He shoved his hands in his pocket because he wasn’t going to cower into Alaric’s arms and sneak a bit of warmth.

“We should get going before they find an excuse to eat us,” Greg said.

“They’d never eat me,” Alaric replied cockily.

Greg smirked. “Right. Like they aren’t dying for the chance to make royal jelly. You’re definitely the tastier of the two of us.”

“I don’t know,” Alaric said softly with a lusty gaze. “I’ve had a taste of you. Just enough to whet my appetite.” And just like that, Greg was getting hard again. He wasn’t going to give in. Teasing Alaric would have to be as much fun as kissing him. Okay, he couldn’t convince himself of that, but he wasn’t going to fall for pretty words and smiles. Not again. He held his head high as he walked past Alaric, painfully aware he was a few inches shorter— just how he liked to be with his partners.

“Stay hungry,” Greg said as he headed for the gate.

He didn’t look back, but he swore he could feel the lustful heat in Alaric’s gaze kick up another few notches. His cheeks burned despite his efforts to quash the growing lust building in him.

About the Author: JS Harker loves stories. She was one of those kids who always had a book in her hands and spent many hours adventuring with her siblings. These days she wanders into her imaginary worlds and conjures up tales of magic, passion, and happily-ever-afters. She currently lives in the part of the Midwest that makes Tatooine look interesting by comparison (not that she’s ever obsessively thought about becoming a Jedi or anything).

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A Fictional Version of the NHL by Elyse Springer – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Elyse Springer who is celebrating the recent release of her newest book Suckerpunch, the first book in her Hockey Gods and Monsters series.

A Fictional Version of the NHL

Welcome to the blog tour for Suckerpunch, the first book in a new paranormal sports romance series where vampires and other creatures secretly play hockey in the NHL… and fall in love, of course!

When I started writing this novel in 2017, there was no hockey team announced for Seattle. I didn’t want to write a novel set on an already established team, though… NHL franchises have wonderfully complex histories and loyal fans, and it felt disingenuous to take that rich detail and shape it into my book. So I created the Seattle Cascades, a blank slate team that I could build from the ground up.

The Cascades have a roster, management, even a logo! They feel like a real NHL team to me because I was able to create an entire identity, even details that didn’t make it into the book (but might make it into a short story…).

Of course, there’s more than one team in a league, and more than one fictional team in a league set in a fictional version of the NHL.

The Atlanta Kingfishers: for those who are new to hockey, there used to be an NHL team in Atlanta called the Thrashers. A thrasher and a kingfisher are both birds, so I wanted to create a tie to the original team. The Kingfishers will play a much bigger role in the second Hockey Gods and Monsters book.

And because I am nothing if not a procrastinator, instead of working on Book 2 I sat down and created two other NHL teams to serve as bases for future HG&M books—the Houston Cosmos, and the Kansas City Foxes.

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I hope you enjoy reading about the Seattle Cascades and all of the other teams that will appear in future novels… and check out the real Seattle NHL team (still unnamed… fingers crossed they don’t choose “Cascades”!!) when they start playing in 2021.

A rookie goalie with a secret and a handsome yet hotheaded defenseman clash in the locker room and on the ice—but their shared desire to make the playoffs might help them move from enemies to lovers.

When the goalie for the Seattle Cascades hockey team is injured while drunk driving and Alex Fanning is recruited to take his place, Alex thinks his dream has come true. But to hold on to his hopes, he must keep his vampire heritage secret as the sport moves to ban Paranormals. The sexy but infuriating defenseman Sasha Petrov won’t make that easy. The injured goalie was his best friend, and he resents Alex’s presence—maybe even enough to use his bloodline against him.

Tensions mount, but the realization that there’s more to their feelings than animosity hits both men like a punch to the gut. Alex and Sasha’s newfound friendship promises passion, but a shocking betrayal could cost them all the ground they’ve gained.

About the Author:Elyse is an author and world-traveler, whose unique life experiences have helped to shape the stories that she wants to tell. She writes romances with LGBTQIA+ characters and relationships, and believes that every person deserves a Happily Ever After. When she’s not staring futilely at her computer screen, Elyse spends her time adding stamps to her passport, catching up on her terrifying TBR list, and learning to be a better adult.

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Top Five Lesser-Known European Cities I Love by Kim Fielding – Guest Blog and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Kim Fielding who is celebrating today’s release of Drawing the Prince. Comment here with your favorite lesser-known place. One lucky commenter will win ebook copies of The Spy’s Love Song and Redesigning Landry Bishop, plus a $10 Amazon gift certificate!

*****

Hi! I’m Kim Fielding, here to celebrate the release of Drawing the Prince. In this book, Cal, an artist from a small town in Nebraska, meets Teo, who’s the son of the king of a tiny country in central Europe. I thought it would be fun to mark my new release by listing the Top Five Lesser-Known European Cities I Love. Not that I don’t also love Paris, London, Munich, Barcelona, and many others. But sometimes the smaller places can hold a special place in our hearts.

5. Opatija, Croatia. This town is located on the Croatian coast, right near where the triangular region of Istria joins the rest of the country. During the Hapsburg era in the 19th century, Opatija was a resort town where royalty and other rich people came to relax and sail. Today it’s much quieter, but you can still have coffee and dessert on a hotel terrace, looking out at the Adriatic. There’s also a really nice, lengthy promenade along the water.

4. Graz, Austria. Graz is a university town about two and a half hours south of Vienna. The old part of the city is lined with cafés, there’s a funicular up to a castle on a hill, a really cool armory museum, a glockenspiel that gives a show three times a day, and a contemporary art museum that I think looks a little like a giant stomach made of glass. There’s also a manmade island in a river, which houses one of my favorite European cafés.

3. Porto, Portugal. Porto is, of course, the home of port wines. But it’s also a charming city with beautiful tile-fronted buildings. You can sail on the Douro River in a rabelo (a traditional flat-bottomed port-cargo boat), tour some cool old churches, shop for art, or catch a concert at the Casa da Musica, which is a fantastic modern building. I found the locals laid-back and very friendly.

2. Ghent, Belgium. Ghent is also a university town with a long history. It’s a fantastic place to simply wander, maybe stopping now and then to drink some beer or eat some good food (it’s the vegetarian capital of Europe!) or simply sit by the water. I love the old guildhalls, and the castle dates back to 1180. St. Bavo’s Cathedral is renowned for the Ghent Altarpiece, a huge work that’s artistically significant. Ghent is also home to a recent fierce battle between competing sellers of nose-shaped candies. And the Marriott on the waterfront? It used to be a brothel.

1. Trieste, Italy. Trieste is located in the easternmost part of northern Italy. Because it’s at the top of the Adriatic, its port was once one of the most significant in Europe. Today it’s the home of Illy coffee. There are Roman ruins, a couple of castles, and a huge square along the waterfront. Because it’s so close to the border, Yugoslavians came to Trieste during the communist years to do a lot of their shopping. Trieste is also interesting because of its cultural diversity. While it’s now part of Italy, a lot of its residents have Slavic or Germanic roots. It’s especially significant to me because my grandfather was born there; he immigrated to the US about a hundred years ago, when he was a boy.

A Stars from Peril Novel
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Small-town boy Cal Walters doesn’t know whether he owes his phenomenal success as an artist to talent or to his connections to famous people. Doubt leaves him secluded—until a lost bet lands him on yet another blind date. But this one is different.

To Teofilo Vabriga-Kastav, playboy prince of the tiny nation of Porvunia and passionate art lover, Cal’s paintings are as intriguing as Cal himself. When Teo invites Cal to his country for an art competition, a whirlwind romance sweeps them up. But it can’t last—loyalties and obligations bind them to lives that are worlds apart.

Cal and Teo might’ve found their perfect complements in each other, but to hold on to their happiness, they’ll have to get creative.

About the Author: Kim Fielding is the bestselling, award-winning author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

Having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls California home. She lives there with her family and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

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The Captain and The Theatrical by Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Catherine Curzon who is visiting with us to celebrate the recent release of The Captain and the Theatrical, the third book in the Captivating Captains series.

The Captain and the Theatrical

Thank you so much for inviting me along to tell you a little bit about The Captain and the Theatrical, the latest novel in the Captivating Captains series. This Regency romcom is co-written with Eleonor Harkstead and like all the Captivating Captains books, it’s a completely standalone novel that just so happens to feature a rather fabulous captain!

The Captain and the Theatrical is set in the aftermath of Waterloo and it’s a Regency romance like no other. It has all the ingredients you might expect, from ambitious mothers and flighty girls to a swoonsome hero and his soul mate, but in this case, the soul mate who looks so fine in an empire line gown just happens to be Amadeo Orsini, his male best friend! Orsini has made his name in the guise of the exotic and beautiful La Cosima, one of the most celebrated actresses in Europe. When Captain Pendleton faces an arranged marriage, he needs a fiancée and quick. Who better than La Cosima, whose grace and charm easily convince Pen’s family that she’s all woman. But will the course of true love run smoothly for the Captain and the theatrical?

Though Orsini (and Cosima!) and Pen are fictional, life in the LGBTQ+ community in the long 18th century was far from plain sailing and sodomy was a capital offence that saw men sent to the gallows. One man who didn’t face that fate, however, was the marvellous Princess Seraphina, who appears to be the first drag queen in England!

Seraphina, aka John Cooper, was out and proud. She strutted her glamorous stuff around Georgian London in the company of her entourage, all of whom were never seen in anything but the most flamboyant female regalia. Cooper earned his living as a servant and a molly (homosexual prostitute) and in his alter ego of Seraphina, he lit up the town. Although La Cosima does all she can to hide the truth of her identity and gender to protect her career and her lover, Seraphina made no secret of the fact that she identified as male under the make up and gowns and she created a stir wherever she went. Unfortunately for Seraphina, an unscrupulous fellow named Tom Gordon attempted a spot of blackmail in 1732, but it proved to be a big mistake!

Gordon stole clothes from Seraphina and, when she threatened him with the law, told her that she’d end up on trial for sodomy if she dared to make a fuss. Bring it on, said Seraphina. She took Tom to court for the theft but when she took the stand it was in her male garb, perhaps to spare the judge some blushes.

Gordon told the court that Seraphina had mugged him that night, stealing his clothes and a ring. Seraphina countered that Gordon had tried to force his attentions on her. Witnesses appeared for the defence who told the court that Seraphina would have no cause to rob Tom Gordon and that she was considerably better off than he. Besides, with a wardrobe full of glamorous gowns, what need could she possibly have to steal Tom Gordon’s scruffy old clothes?

In the end, the court found Princess Seraphina not guilty of the charges against her and she sallied forth from court as an innocent gal. This is the last we see of her in the historical record, a tantalising glimpse of another side of life in Georgian England. The Captain and the Theatrical offers readers another glimpse into that world, and a Regency romance unlike any other.

When Captain Pendleton needs an emergency fiancée, who better to turn to than his male best friend? After all, for Amadeo Orsini, life’s one long, happy drag!

Captain Ambrose “Pen” Pendleton might have distinguished himself on the battlefield at Waterloo but since he’s come home to civvy street, he’s struggled to make his mark.

Pen dreams of becoming a playwright but his ambitious father has other ideas, including a trophy wife and a new job in America. If he’s to stand a hope of staying in England and pursuing his dream, Pen needs to find a fiancée fast.
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Amadeo Orsini never made it as a leading man, but as a leading lady he’s the toast of the continental stage. Now Cosima is about to face her most challenging role yet, that of Captain Pendleton’s secret amour.

With the help of a talking theatrical parrot who never forgets his lines, Orsini throws on his best frock, slaps on the rouge and sets out to save Pen from the clutches of Miss Harriet Tarbottom and her scheming parents.

As friendship turns into love, will the captain be able to write a happy ending for himself and Orsini before the curtain falls?

Reader advisory: This book includes mention of PTSD.

About the Authors: Catherine Curzon is a royal historian who writes on all matters of 18th century. Her work has been featured on many platforms and Catherine has also spoken at various venues including the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, and Dr Johnson’s House.

Catherine holds a Master’s degree in Film and when not dodging the furies of the guillotine, writes fiction set deep in the underbelly of Georgian London.

She lives in Yorkshire atop a ludicrously steep hill.

Eleanor Harkstead likes to dash about in nineteenth-century costume, in bonnet or cravat as the mood takes her. She can occasionally be found wandering old graveyards. Eleanor is very fond of chocolate, wine, tweed waistcoats and nice pens. Her large collection of vintage hats would rival Hedda Hopper’s.

Originally from the south-east of England, Eleanor now lives somewhere in the Midlands with a large ginger cat who resembles a Viking.

Website | Curzon Twitter | Harkstead Twitter

Buy the book at Pride Publishing and other online venues.

Top 5 Embarrassing Situations by Evie Drae – Guest Post and Giveaway


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Evie Drae who is celebrating today’s release of Beauregard and The Beast, the first book in her Once Upon a Vegas Night series. Click on the banner at the end of the post for a chance to win a personalized signed copy of Beauregard and the Beast, a $100 Amazon Gift Card, and an assortment of author swag! The RUNNER-UP will receive a personalized signed copy of Beauregard and the Beast and an assortment of author swag!

Top 5 Embarrassing Situations
In Beauregard and the Beast, Bo is a bit of a klutzy human. Unfortunately for him, I tend to project at least one or two of my own traits onto my characters, and I happen to be an accident-prone hot mess. Want proof? Read on.

• For several years, I was a teaching assistant in the anatomy department at The Ohio State University. Part of my duties included running a cadaver-based lab where we provided demonstrations with real human cadavers. One day, while I was stretching across the body to point out a fully intact brachial plexus, a student who was trying to see over my shoulder tripped and knocked into me. Rather than simply stumbling and catching myself as I’m sure most would have done, I managed to fall headfirst into the open chest cavity. My hair got caught on one of the ribs and it took several minutes to get me unstuck.

• When I was in college, I went out of my way to walk by my crush’s fraternity house during a home football game when I knew him and his buddies would be watching the game on the giant projector screen outside. I called out to him but instead of turning to see me waving all nonchalant as I’d planned, he saw me trip over my own two feet, smack my face into a no parking sign, right myself, stumble a second time, and finally fall headfirst into the ground. I wound up with a broken elbow, two black eyes, and a plethora of stitches. I did get a date out of it, sooo… a win in the end?

• My high school had a spiral staircase that led from the second floor open-concept loft hallway down into the main common area/cafeteria. When I was a freshman, I managed to trip and fall down those stairs during one of our block breaks—which meant the entire school was out of class and milling around. Not only did I fall almost the entire way down the stairs and break a few bones, but I also managed to take some of my fellow students with me.

• Later that same year—yeah, my freshman year was brutal—I found myself in another mortifying predicament. I was on stage waiting to receive my varsity letter for track and was standing by one of the tables they had set up to lay out the letters and certificates they were handing out. For some reason, they had the helium-filled balloons tied to the tablecloth instead of the table itself. One of those balloons was a bit deflated and hovering near the floor. Don’t ask me how—to this day, even with video evidence, no one can quite tell how I managed it—but that sad little balloon found itself between my legs. When I went to walk to the center of the stage to get my letter, the balloon came with me… as did the tablecloth, letters, and alphabetized certificates. Which of course meant the humiliation continued as they struggled for the rest of the ceremony to find the right certificate to hand to the correct party.

• Far be it from me to leave even my biggest days untouched by my disaster magnet. On my wedding day, as I was walking up the aisle toward my now-husband, I tripped and attempted to catch myself by increasing my forward momentum as I flailed my arms wildly through the air. All that managed to accomplish was to accelerate my fall. I landed at my husband’s feet, and yet again, I wound up with video evidence of my shame. As well as a large audience of my closest friends and family who will never—ever—let me live that down.

So, now that you’ve been privy to my top five most embarrassing moments, perhaps you’ll understand why I occasionally subject my characters to the curse that is my epic klutz-dom. After all, I’d be remiss not to use the endless litany of fodder my daily existence provides for fun and humiliating scenes.

His greatest prize can’t be won in the octagon.

Champion MMA fighter Adam Littrell needs no distractions as he prepares for the fight that will determine whether he retires. But when he opens the door of his swanky Las Vegas home to his new personal assistant, Bo Wilkins, staying focused becomes a struggle.

Aware of Adam’s surly reputation, Bo doesn’t expect to like his new employer, let alone fall for him. But Bo is pleasantly surprised when a shared love of books leads them to study for their GEDs together and plan for a life after their current careers. Adam won’t be able to fight forever, and Bo wants a relationship on equal footing.

But just as their relationship is getting off the ground, the sister Bo raised needs his help, and he drops everything. With Adam’s final match looming and Bo in a different city, reuniting will be the real challenge.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The smell of fresh laundry mixed with strong cleaning chemicals assaulted Adam’s senses the moment he walked through the garage door after his morning training. He scrunched his nose in protest. The clean linen smell was pleasant, but what the hell kind of biochemical warfare was Bo waging on his home? The pungent scent of corrosive bleach and all manner of other caustic solutions burned his nostrils and left his head spinning.

He headed for the laundry room to drop off his gym bag and found Bo on his hands and knees in the hallway, scrubbing at the stone tile flooring.

This has led to a wide array of complications- as the FDA will not be able to screen the imports to ensure safety. buy viagra in usa This is why they are keen onto trying out dildos so viagra online canada that they get maximum pleasure in bed. Free email marketing is far from the pollution of town, you’ll be able to empty your bowel satisfactorily. c) Soak viagra cheap india few raisins in a cup of hot water. To accomplish this you must use smooth muscle relaxants, which allow the better dilation of the capillary lakes in the penis letting devensec.com cipla tadalafil more blood flow. “Fuckin’ hell, Bo, you’re gonna asphyxiate from all these fumes.” Adam tossed his bag down the hall in the general direction of the laundry room. “Why don’t you take a break? We can grab lunch somewhere and hit the grocery while we’re out.”

Bo sat back on his haunches and swiped a wrist over his brow. “I’m almost done here any—” His eyes bugged, and he scurried to his feet, the sponge dropping from his hand. “Holy crap on a cracker, what the heck happened to you?”

Adam froze when Bo’s soapy fingertips grazed his jaw. A jolt of electricity fired under his skin at the connection. He followed the tingling path of Bo’s touch with his own fingers, marveling at the intensity of the impression that brief contact left behind.

“Did you get jumped?” Bo’s brows pinched, his lips turning down at the corners. “Did you call the police? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

A laugh bubbled up Adam’s throat at the unexpected barrage of questions and the look of genuine concern twisting Bo’s face. When was the last time anyone cared he’d been hurt? Hell, unless they bordered on life-threatening, even he failed to notice his injuries more often than not. So was the life of a mixed martial arts fighter. Sparring was the best way to train, and sparring equaled wounds. Rarely as intense as those suffered at an official fight, but colorful and bloody nonetheless.

“I’m fine. Just a few scratches.” Adam tried to grin, but the act tugged at his already split lip and fresh blood trickled down his chin.

Bo gasped and clamped a hand over Adam’s wrist. “That’s more than a scratch. Where’s your first aid kit?”

“First aid kit?” Adam cocked a brow. He didn’t keep anything like that at home. If his injuries required mending, Eddie, his coach, would tend to him after he hit the showers. Today, the damage was minimal, so he’d left without patching up.

Gaping, Bo shook his head. “Don’t tell me you get beat up for a living and don’t keep basic first aid supplies around the house.”

Adam knuckled the blood off his chin and shrugged. “It’s a split lip. I’ll be fine.”

“A split lip, a black eye, and a gashed eyebrow. That is not fine.” Bo scowled and dropped Adam’s wrist with an adorable little huff. “I’m adding medical supplies to the grocery list. If you’re going to come home looking like roadkill on a regular basis, I’m going to need some necessities. In the meantime, will you at least let me put some ice on that eye?”

About the Author Evie Drae is a registered nurse by day and an award-winning male/male romance writer by night. She has won first place in seven Romance Writers of America® (RWA®) competitions, including the prestigious title “Best of the Best” in the 2018 Golden Opportunity Contest. She is a double finalist in the 2019 Golden Heart®, in both the Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense categories, and finished as a second-place runner-up in four additional RWA contests. As an added perk, she landed the fabulous literary agent Eva Scalzo from Speilburg Literary following a dual win in two separate categories of the 2018 Heart to Heart contest.

One of Evie’s favorite things to do is encourage her fellow writers. To that end, she started the #writeLGBTQ and #promoLGBTQ hashtags on Twitter to support and promote LGBTQ+ authors and allies while providing a safe space to connect and grow as a community. She is married to the love of her life, is the mother of three wonderful fur babies, and runs almost entirely on coffee and good vibes.

Evie loves to link up with fellow writers and readers. You can reach her directly at EvieDrae@gmail.com or find her on her social media accounts listed below. Twitter is where she’s most active but be sure to check out her blog too. She focuses on reviews for LGBTQ+ authors and allies with the occasional quirky advice/recommendation post just to toss things up.

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Buy the book at Amazon, Kobo, Google Play, Barnes and Noble, or Dreamspinner Press.

When You Absolutely Have to Write a Song – Guest Blog


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Amy Lane who is celebrating the recent release of Paint It Black, the second book in the Behind the Stain series.

When You Absolutely Have to Write a Song

So, by the terms of acceptable use policy, we’re not allowed to copy song lyrics down for our stories. The exceptions are for titles and chapter titles (hence all the chapter titles in Beneath the Stain) and a few words of chorus (so “Jeremy spoke in class today,” for Talker’s Redemption.)

And that’s good—we don’t want to steal from other authors, and pretty much our entire community believes in giving credit where credit is due.

But it’s also hard, because if I want the perfect song to express my characters’ feelings in a rock and roll epic romance, I have to go write my own.

I have nothing against writing poetry—as an angsty teen, I wrote lots. Much of it was about unicorns—1-2-3 CRINGE! The first short story I wrote was an epic poem, in doggerel.

My shame, it still burns.

When I applied to the creative writing program I made up two poems to put in the poetry section, and cringed, hoping for the best. I got accepted into the MA for fiction, but not for poetry, and I was relieved.

Oh dear God, let me not be responsible for poetry.

But with Beneath the Stain, I was writing rock stars. I had to write lyrics—I had to write them. The story wouldn’t make sense without them. I’d wrote them for Mackey, taking a special effort to make the first lyric a little juvenile, a little junky, because Mackey was seventeen when he wrote that and I remembered my first forays into poetry. But after that, I had to pony up.

I’ve read lyrics, repeatedly, and some of them look like regular poetry—Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Damien Jurado, Matty Schulz can tell some serious stories with their lyrics. The rawer, more visceral songs still tell a story—but sometimes it’s a very simple one. There is lots of repetition, lots of places where the music covers the rhythm and the rhyme is shot to hell for much the same reason. One of my favorite songs, “Shelter”, by the Rolling Stones, has lines and lines of lyrics that read “oooh-oooh-oooh” and “It’s just a shout away”. “Louis-Louis” by the Kingston Trio is really a bunch of drunk guys singing about how it’s time to go. The music and the delivery make those songs—the lyrics are the least important part.

I didn’t have a band to back me up, so I had to depend on the words. I did my best.

Some good soul on GoodReads was adamant that it was not good enough. Several lovely people have been kind enough to tell me that the songs helped make the book.

When I had to do the same thing in Paint it Black, I’d given myself a slightly cushier setup, if I say so myself.

For one thing, Blake and Cheever had college degrees–they got to write slightly more sophisticated lyrics than Mackey did at seventeen. For another, I’d made it plain that Blake’s style was a little more acoustic, a little less hard-core rock-show. That meant that the lyrics could be longer, and they could be less music intensive—we were getting into James Taylor/Carole King/Bob Dylan territory here, and, well, more words works for me.

Here viagra side effects appalachianmagazine.com is a simple explanation of both of drugs that will surely help you to make your sexual intercourse last longer and satisfied. The loss of erectile capacity can lead to a profound effect order cialis pills on a man’s ability to perform sexually. super levitra Penile Exercise Penile exercises help increase blood supply to the tissues. The probes one uses should have a rounded tip and a cheap buy viagra smooth surface such as a dildo, drumstick or specialized prostate massage probes. And Cheever was an artist—his poetry was going to be very visual, and very metaphorical, and baby we were on a roll now.

Sort of. I was still a reluctant poet, I admit. One of the songs that Blake wrote for his first solo album was about his unrequited crush on his best friend—and it’s referenced often. I’ll never forget my reaction to the editor’s note on the side.

“Can we see the lyrics to this song so we know what it says?”

I looked at that note and thought of the other lyrics I’d written, and how uncomfortable I was writing poetry for an audience (now that I knew how bad it had been when I was a kid), and sobbed, “Nooooooooooo!”

But it’s in there—I wrote it, because she was right. It needed to be.

But it wasn’t easy. Give me a sex scene any day.

My only hope is that the poetry was sexy and added to the book. Because if I ever get another note in my edit that says, “Hey, you have to write a poem to prompt here—GO!” I might write an entire song that looks like, “Nooooo-oooooooooo-oooooooooooo….”

Everybody thinks Mackey Sanders’s Outbreak Monkey is the last coming of Rock ’n’ Roll Jesus, but Cheever Sanders can’t wait to make a name for himself where nobody expects him to fill his famous brothers’ shoes. He’s tired of living in their shadow.

Blake Manning has been one of Outbreak Monkey’s lead guitarists for ten years. He got this gig on luck and love, not talent. So hearing that Cheever is blowing through Outbreak Monkey’s hard-earned money in an epic stretch of partying pisses him off.

Blake shows up at Cheever’s nonstop orgy to enforce some rules, but instead of a jaded punk, he finds a lost boy as talented at painting as Mackey is at song-making, and terrified to let anybody see the real him. Childhood abuse and a suicide attempt left Cheever on the edge of survival—a place Blake knows all too well.

Both men have to make peace with being second banana in the public eye. Can they find the magic of coming absolute first with each other?

About the Author: Amy Lane lives in a crumbling crapmansion with a couple of growing children, a passel of furbabies, and a bemused spouse. She’s been nominated for a RITA twice, has won honorable mention for an Indiefab, and has a couple of Rainbow Awards to her name. She also has too damned much yarn, a penchant for action-adventure movies, and a need to know that somewhere in all the pain is a story of Wuv, Twu Wuv, which she continues to believe in to this day! She writes fantasy, urban fantasy, and gay romance–and if you accidentally make eye contact, she’ll bore you to tears with why those three genres go together. She’ll also tell you that sacrifices, large and small, are worth the urge to write.

Website | Beneath the Stain Free Extras

Buy the book at Amazon or Dreamspinner Press.

Joy Can Save a Soul by Gene Gant – Guest Blog


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Gene Gant who is celebrating the recent release of Golden Like Summer.

Joy can save a soul.

We live in a disturbing age. Waves of nationalism and populism are sweeping across Europe. A murderous North Korean dictator routinely plays with nuclear weapons. The Middle East is a cauldron of tension. Climate change is accelerating unchecked. The United States is more polarized than ever, with a near-daily stoking of racial animosity adding fuel to the fire. Our president routinely lies to us while alienating the country’s allies and cozying up to the strongman leader of one of our greatest adversaries. Oh, and there’s been yet another mass shooting in an American city.

It’s enough to make you seriously consider locking yourself and your family in the house and never coming out again.
But living in fear isn’t the answer. I do what I can to bring about change in the things that worry me, by voting, notifying elected representatives about my concerns, volunteering, and joining or donating to organizations that dedicate themselves to improving the lives of people everywhere. Doing this gives me comfort and makes it easier for me to sleep at night.

What brings me even greater comfort is finding little moments of joy in each of my days. Reminiscing with a family member or good friend. Surprising my nieces and nephews with a trip to the ice cream shop. Snuggling on the sofa to watch a favorite TV show. Swimming on a hot afternoon in the cool, crystal waters of my friend’s pool. Playing online Scrabble. Treating my neighbor to a movie. Getting lost in a wonderful book. Those simple things not only make life tolerable in these troubling times, they lift my spirit and give me happiness.

In many of my novels, the main characters face difficult, daunting situations. This is true of my latest book, Golden Like Summer. The thirteen-year-old protagonist here, Joey, takes refuge from his troubles in small pleasures. While he has to navigate circumstances that would overwhelm many adults, he always strives to find some tiny enjoyment to ease him through. I suppose there’s a tiny part of myself in Joey.

Writing is another activity that brings me joy. It focuses my mind, allowing me to forget the dark events going on in the rest of the world. Sometimes it even helps me to make sense of the senseless things people do to each other. I grapple with my worries and frustrations by throwing them on the page, stirring them up and seeing how they sort themselves out. That’s a definite stress reliever for me.

If nothing else I sincerely hope readers, after finishing Golden Like Summer, will take to heart its message of finding joy in adversity and soothing the soul. Some may find comfort in leaning on a supportive shoulder. For others, it could be prayer. Every one of us needs a way to cope. Along with all the bad, there is a lot of good in the world today. After we’ve done everything we can to deal with the bad, we just have to focus on the good.

Thanks for reading.
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When he escapes the abusive man he calls Pa, Joey thinks his nightmare is over. Instead, a new one begins.

The police don’t buy Joey’s story about the six-year-old boy he saved from Pa during his escape . Suddenly he’s being accused of a crime, threatened, and shown firsthand how the criminal justice system treats a black teen with no resources.

After making another escape, Joey gives himself a new name, Alan, and starts a new life living in an abandoned house. Then he meets Desi, another homeless boy.

Though their mutual attraction grows into deeper feelings, Alan’s ordeal has left him afraid of physical love. Still, he’s determined to save Desi from the older teen who’s pimping him out. But in confronting the pimp, Alan and Desi may find themselves in trouble with the law again, a situation that could forever tear them apart.

About the Author: Gene Gant lives in a quiet rural area outside Memphis, Tennessee. He enjoys good movies, good books, and good times with family and friends. He is currently working on his next novel.

Goodread | Amazon Author Page

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Top Five Books / Book Series Of All Time by Chris T. Kat – Guest Blog and Giveaway


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Chris T. Kat who is celebrating the upcoming release of her newest book Nemesis. Leave a comment or ask the author a question to win your choice of a book from her backlist.

Top Five Books / Book Series Of All Time

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today! Dreamspinner Press will release my new m/m shapeshifter novella, Nemesis, Alpha Unit One: Book Two, on August 16th.

Like most authors, I’m also a reader. As much as I like reading physical books—don’t you just love the smell of an actual book in your hands?—I’m really happy someone invented e-books and e-readers. I can take my e-reader with me everywhere, and I don’t have to worry about carrying enough books with me, or find space for them! This happened to me on one vacation, and it was terrible. Five days before the end of our vacation, I ran out of books. That’s not an experience I want to repeat!

As much as I enjoy reading new books, there are books that I’ve dubbed my comfort reads, which means I can read them over and over again. So, in no particular order, here are some of them:

5. Josh Lanyon’s The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks. I’ve got this as an e-book, paperback, and audiobook, and I read or listen to it at least once every year. I don’t know what it is that always gets to me, whether it’s the whole atmosphere, the mystery, or the relationship between the two main characters, but this is a story I’ve been re-reading for years now. On a sidenote: I was also extremely happy about the sequel. 😉

4. The Investigating Love series by LM Somerton, which consists of three books: Rasputin’s Kiss, Evil’s Embrace, and Tarot’s Touch. I love the relationship between Connor and Alex and totally adore Connor. I love how he’s such a good cop but at the same time shy and innocent. It’s a combination I find irresistible.

3. There’s another Josh Lanyon series called Holmes and Moriarity that I really enjoy. Like with most of Lanyon’s characters, I needed some time to warm up to them, but after a while I fell in love with Christopher Holmes. The books are very humorous, which is always a big win for me.

2. I’m also a big fan of A.E. Via’s Nothing Special series. I don’t like all the books in the series the same, but I do re-reads of the first book, called Nothing Special. I enjoy the interaction between God and Day, and I especially like the sassiness of Day.

1. Last one for today: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series by SJ Himes. This series consists of three books so far, and I’ve re-read the first one several times. I like the whole world-building in this entire series as well as the characters within. Simeon, the vampire, is the right fit for Angel, the necromancer, but to be honest, I mostly read the books for Angel. I love his snark and attitude. 

That’s my favorite list for today. Of course I’m always open for suggestions, so if anyone has any book recommendations for me, go for it!

Nicky Reed may have won the battle regarding baby shifters working as policemen, but he’s not so sure about the war. His mate and superior officer, Sam Black, is still overprotective with a capital O. As a result, Nicky sometimes finds himself repressing some of Tiny’s—his snow leopard cub other half’s—natural urges. Which leads to frustration on Nicky’s part.

With a new drug called Nemesis killing in record numbers, Alpha Unit One must find out who’s behind this horrible narcotic and get it off the streets—a tall enough order without press accusations that baby shifters are to blame for the team’s lack of success.

Their investigation into Nemesis leads Nicky and Sam and the rest of the team into unexpected waters. Will the stress rip the squad apart? The baby shifters may find themselves unable to perform the job they love: protecting the people of New York City. And Nicky may be in over his head—in more ways than one.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Where did you hide it? I shrieked. I couldn’t help myself. This couldn’t be asked in a normal tone of voice—not anymore. Where the hell did she put it?

You’re obsessed with that freaking ball, you know that? Connor prowled along Annie’s back in his shifted form as a polar fox kit, his white fur a stark contrast to her orange-and-black stripes. He seemed so very small in comparison to Annie, and it didn’t help one bit that a pregnant Annie was an even bigger Annie than normal.

Where is it? If I’d been in my human from, my lower lip probably would’ve wobbled. Although maybe not, because in my human form, I wouldn’t lose it about my most favorite ball—ever.

It has to be here somewhere, Annie replied in a startlingly soothing voice. She only used that tone when she played with Connor and me in our baby-shifter forms. We’d dubbed it her mother-voice, which she hated. Of course we liked to tease her mercilessly with that. But… but not now. Now I needed to find my ball!

You kicked it away, I muttered, you go and find it. I want it back!
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“Having trouble with the kids, darling?” Jake, Annie’s human mate, crouched low and petted her head, grinning. Annie gave him a withering stare that would’ve sent anyone else fleeing, but not Jake.

Connor proceeded to walk back and forth on Annie’s back, sometimes jumping and barking. Very funny. Why was no one helping me find my ball? It was bright red and fit perfectly in my mouth. Didn’t they see how important it was to find it?

I plunked my butt dejectedly on the floor and tried to control the urge to cry. Lunch break was supposed to be fun, not the end of the world. Which it was. At least for Tiny—my name for my snow-leopard-baby-shifter form—who very much ran the show at the moment.

A big hand lifted me up in the air, and Roland’s mangled face came into view. While strangers still shied away from him and I still caught the others sometimes throwing pitying looks at him, I had no qualms. When he held me close, I reached out with my paws and pressed them against his cheek. He smiled, and I gave the tip of his nose a swift lick.

“Ugh.”

That certainly wasn’t the reaction I’d hoped for. He liked me doing this. Sometimes. I think. Or not?

My ears drooped and my whiskers trembled as I stared at him. Roland settled me against his chest and repeated, “Ugh.” Not aimed at me, then.

Curious, I turned my head, and sure enough, Annie had shifted back into human form and was now assaulting… uh, kissing… Jake. I mirrored Roland’s “ugh” with a protesting mewl. Jake’s hands were tangled in Annie’s long reddish braid while she held him as closely as possible to her body.

Connor shook himself as he too shifted back to human, causing his white-blond hair to fly around wildly. “Please,” he groaned. “Get a room. We’re supposed to be tough cops, not some lovey-dovey… I don’t know whats.”

Jake freed himself from Annie. “If you can be a tough cop and a baby shifter, I don’t see why I can’t be a tough cop and a lovey-dovey something or other.”

I gazed back at Connor, waiting for a witty reply, but none came.

Turning my attention back to Roland, I wondered why he had picked me up in the first place. Which reminded me—my ball!

A cry escaped my mouth—it was supposed to be a growl, but try growling when you’re a snow leopard cub—and I climbed up on Roland’s shoulder for a better vantage point.

“There’s no need to cry, kiddo. I saw that ball go underneath Sam’s desk.”

I bunched my muscles to jump to the ground, but Roland closed both hands around my middle and stopped my forward momentum. Irritated, I wriggled in his hands. Let me down!

Before Roland had a chance to say anything, the office door banged open, revealing a wild-eyed Sam. My Sam, to be precise.

About the Author Chris T. Kat stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between teaching, taking care of her family, reading, and sometimes writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as romance, paranormal, and suspense. She also buys way too many fabrics and spends a ridiculous amount of time behind her sewing machine.

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Buy the book at Dreamspinner Press or Amazon.