Dangerous Attraction by Oliver Takely

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Dangerous Attraction

Author: Oliver Takely

Publisher: MM Romance Press

Cover Artist: Emily’s World of Design

Release Date:  November 20, 2024

Tense/POV: Third person, present tense, dual POV

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance

Tropes: Workplace romance, found family, bisexual representation, slow burn

Themes: Rebuilding trust in love for both MCs, body positivity

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: 61 000 words

It is book two in the Soho Knights series. It sets up book three, but there’s no cliffhanger for the couple.

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What if Fatal Attraction was gay and Glenn Close was a sassy twink?

Blurb

In the dark streets of Soho, London, where the nightlife pulses with energy and hidden dangers, Langdon is striving to carve out a life of his own. Having endured a tough childhood, marked by a mother who never valued him, he has found solace in the company of his four best friends, who feel like brothers. Although he thrives working in a bar, Langdon is haunted by his past, feeling like a dirty secret to the men he dates.

When Eric's world crumbles after a disastrous wedding, he loses both his home and job, forcing him to seek refuge with his brother. It’s here that he encounters Langdon, and an undeniable connection sparks between them. As their chemistry ignites, they begin to explore a love that feels both thrilling and terrifying.

But their growing bond faces a sinister threat. Someone is determined to tear them apart, willing to go to any lengths, including violence, to ensure they never find happiness together. As Langdon and Eric navigate the complexities of their relationship and confront the demons of their pasts, they must also fight to protect one another from a force that seeks to destroy them.

In “Dangerous Attraction,” love becomes a battleground where trust is tested, and survival is at stake. Will Langdon and Eric find the strength to overcome the shadows that haunt them, or will they pay the ultimate price for their desire to be together?

Excerpt 

Langdon was putting the bottles into a case when he heard a loud crash. It made him jump, causing him to smash his head on the low ceiling of the room. He was dazed for a second before he turned and headed toward the commotion, worried he’d stacked the crates wrong and they’d fallen. What he found was the hottest guy he’d ever seen in his life, sprawled on his back with bottles rolling around him. The guy had bright ginger hair, dazzling blue eyes, and a beard which was just long enough for Langdon to run his fingers through as he rocked him to sleep after fucking the guy into oblivion. Okay, maybe it had been too long since he’d had a redhead: Langdon’s kryptonite.

“Are you okay?”

“I think so.” The guy groaned and made to get up. Langdon held out his hand, which the redhead took. He was wearing a tight T-shirt. There was nothing larger than a medium here – deliberately, knowing Joey. Langdon was the exception, as a medium wouldn’t cover one bicep. It was snug on the guy and hugged his belly. Another big turn on for Langdon. He might have a muscular physique himself, but he liked his men to have proper bodies. Langdon imagined running his tongue all over the guy’s soft belly, then snapped out of it when he realised he was still holding the stranger’s hand. Stranger? What was a stranger doing in their cellar? Then it dawned on Langdon; he was fantasising about his boss’s younger brother. Well, that was inappropriate.

Langdon yanked Eric up, a bit too hard. He crashed into Langdon and then didn’t move. In fact, Langdon felt Eric’s hands gently caress his pecs. He raised an eyebrow and Eric stepped back, going bright red. On his pale skin, it was a beautiful flush. Langdon wondered what else he could do to make Eric turn that colour, and how far down it went. Langdon needed to stop those thoughts. He was aware Eric was bisexual because Joey had mentioned it before, but he’d just been about to get married. The last thing he needed was Langdon creeping on him. Given there was now a sensible distance between them, Langdon offered his hand again.

“I’m Langdon. You must be Eric? Your brother asked me to sort you out.”

“What?” spluttered Eric.

Langdon’s face felt like he’d just looked into an active volcano, but then he couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Sorry, what I mean is . . .” He doubled over, laughing again.

Eric smiled, looking mildly amused, but didn’t seem to find the faux pas as funny as Langdon did. 

“Joey asked me to help you get settled, so you’ll be working with me tonight.”

“Lucky me!”

Langdon flushed again. Was Eric flirting with him? He shook that thought out of his head. Eric was Joey’s brother, so he was family, and therefore off limits.

About the Author 

Oliver Takely is a passionate MM romance author who revels in dark, edgy stories featuring complex, flawed characters. With years of writing experience and a creative day job, Oliver Takely is also an avid reader of MM romance, consuming 300 books in 2023. His favourite trope is enemies to lovers, but is also a sucker for a feel-good Christmas romance.

Originally from the north, Oliver now resides in the south of England with his husband and their beloved fur baby, who is treated like a princess, living their own happily-ever-after straight out of a romance novel. When not writing or reading, he enjoys holidays and indulging in lots of good food, because who doesn’t love a delicious combination?

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Show No Mercy by Thom Collins

NEW RELEASE

Book Title:  Show No Mercy

Author and Publisher: Thom Collins

Cover Artist: Kelly A Martin

Release Date: November 14, 2024

Tense/POV: Third person/past tense

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, paranormal thriller

Tropes: Dark romantic suspense, instant attraction

Heat Rating:  4 flames   

Length: 38 000 words/160 pages

It’s a one-off standalone story. No cliffhanger.

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A chance encounter brought them together, but in a world of danger, it might not be for long.

Blurb

When a blind date ends in disaster, Hector is about to swear off dating for good, until he sees a handsome face across a bar and changes his mind. A drink with a troubled man called Callum leads to something far more meaningful. Hector offers Callum the chance to off load his problems.

But when they’re attacked by two men carrying knives, Hector is plunged into a dangerous world of vengeance and retaliation. His decision to stand by Callum puts his life at risk in ways he could never have imagined. Is he prepared to lose everything for a man he barely knows?

Excerpt 

They made it to Hector's apartment without any further incident. He turned on the lights and held the door for Callum before locking it behind him. Callum's hand, where he gripped his injured arm, was red with blood. Hector showed him to the bathroom before going to retrieve his first aid kit.

“How does it feel?” he asked, pulling on a pair of rubber gloves.

“It's beginning to throb, but I think the worst of the bleeding has stopped.”

Hector ran warm water into the sink and poured in two cups of antiseptic liquid. “Take off your T-shirt,” he said, soaking cotton balls in the sink. “I'll give you one of mine, once we clean this up and make sure it's no longer bleeding.”

Callum sat on the edge of the bath and removed his T-shirt. He winced and gave a sharp intake of breath. Hector suspected his injury was more painful than he was letting on. He flinched again when Hector applied the soaked cotton balls to his wound.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’ll be gentle as I can.” 

“It's fine,” Callum said. “Just do what you have to.”

The cut was about an inch and a half long. “I don't think it's gone deep,” he said. “You've been lucky.”

“I'm sure Jon-Boy was aiming for something more severe.”

“We have to report this to the police.”

Callum shook his head. “That will be a waste of time.”

“They'll be searching for you anyway. I'm sure the staff at the bar will have called it in. Especially when Jon-Boy pulled a knife on the premises. There must have been a dozen or more witnesses.”

Callum didn't reply, and Hector didn't push it. He would try again in a while. They had a duty to report what had happened. Hector wasn't about to let those thugs get away with what they had done.

Once he had cleaned the wound, Hector patted it dry then applied a fresh medical cloth and bandaged it. “I don't think it's deep enough for you to need stitches, but you'll have to keep an eye on it. You might need to visit your doctor.”

“You've done a great job. Thank you.”

Hector went to his bedroom and rummaged in a drawer. Callum was thicker-built he was, but he found a T-shirt that was too big for him and should fit Callum fine. It was only when he returned to the bathroom that he noticed the rest of Callum’s body. He was incredibly fit with a flat stomach and firm, well developed pecs. His torso was smooth and hairless—he must have shaved it. Hector tried not to stare at his perfect physique as he handed over the T-shirt.

“Come through to the kitchen,” he said. “I'll get you some painkillers.”

Hector was about to offer him a strong drink, then remembered that would not be a good idea while he had an open wound. The bleeding had stopped but it would not be worth the risk of it restarting. He got two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with water from the filter unit in his refrigerator. When Callum came into the room wearing Hector’s T-shirt, he handed him the glass and a blister pack of Ibuprofen.

“Take two. They should help soon enough.”

Callum nodded and gave a weak smile as he popped the pills from their packet. The T-shirt fitted him far better than it ever had Hector. The cotton spread tight across his impressive chest and shoulders. The small nubs of his nipples stood erect. Hector was again startled by how beautiful he was and told himself to stop looking. Callum was in trouble, and this was definitely not the time.

About the Author 

Thom Collins is the author of the Jagged Shores series and the Anthem Trilogy as well as numerous standalone novels and novellas. 

His new series Basic Instincts launches in spring 2025 with the novel Now Comes the Dark.

Thom has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age, but in 2013 he realized cruising is the best way to see the world.

Check out his website for news updates and a free ebook The Night

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Beyond the Stix by CJ Barlowe

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Beyond the Stix

Author and Publisher: CJ Barlowe

Cover Artist: Jo Clemens

Release Date: November 12, 2024

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, Dark, Romantic Suspense

Tropes: Domestic abuse

Trigger Warning: on page death, on page ref to cancer

Heat Rating: 5 flames   

Length: 59 163 words/230 pages

It’s a part of a series but can be read as a standalone. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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Blurb

Shocking news comes to Connor Wild, the drummer for Warrior Black, while they are in the middle of recording their next album. But the loss of his father brings forth terrible memories Connor had along ago buried and leads him straight to the nightmare he wants to forget. Only saving grace is the bodyguard, who can make his body thrum, and helps him to forget the past.

Bodyguard John Brand has been with Warrior Black since their rise to fame, after their appearance at last year’s Rocktoberfest in Black Rock, Nevada. His choice to stay as protection is solely for the drummer, who he can’t get out of his head. John wants more, but Connor refuses to see them no less than a hookup.

Can John beat away the dark demons from Connor’s past? Will Connor risk it all and expose the dark truth to John? Can Connor move on and give John a chance for love?

Connor would have to go Beyond the Stix to see how true love can heal old wounds.

About the Author

Award-winning author CJ Warrant was born overseas as an Army brat and raised in a vibrant Korean-Italian household. She sees life as a journey—filled with both light and dark, good and bad. Embracing each experience, she channels these moments into stories where life’s complexities shine through.

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Armed and Ready for Love by Dann Hazel

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Armed and Ready for Love

Author: Dann Hazel

Publisher: Original Press

Cover Artist: Josh Fippen

Release Date: November 6, 2024

Tense/POV: third person, past tense, single POV

Genres: Dark MM historical romance

Tropes: Small town romance, second chance, hurt/comfort

Themes: Coming out, forgiveness

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 91 509 words/ 332 pages

This is the first book in the series, Aphrodite in Disguise, but may be read as a standalone.

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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We all live obsessed by our fiery passions. And yet, we remain so far from satisfaction.

Blurb

Jonathan Wren survives growing up in the South amid extreme homophobia and the ravages of a pandemic. When he meets a charismatic young man in a gay bathhouse, he falls in love, despite his best friend’s warning that looking for love in a bathhouse is a fool’s game.

Several years pass after realizing his friend was right. True love remains as elusive in Jonathan’s life as snow in Miami. 

Until he meets Ryan during a trip to Savannah. 

But even then, there are obstacles in his way.

Jonathan struggles with his own self-loathing, partially brought on by Andre Fast’s rejection of him. Andre was a childhood friend who, after gaining fame and fortune, delivers condemnation and hatred toward gay men.

Jonathan wonders how he can ever attain his “happily ever after.”

Armed and Ready for Love is a dark gay romance, a story of the sadness of love lost, the betrayal of old friends, the torment of obsession and the frustrations of searching for the right man.

Excerpt 

Tommy was tall. Thin but muscular. Not, he said when Jon shamelessly commented on his physique, from consciously bulking up, but because he enjoyed yardwork, sailing, swimming and biking. Like Jon, Tommy remained in his hometown to attend college—he was a junior at the College of Charleston—and while he didn’t live at home, as Jon did, he visited his parents frequently. 

“I’m an only child. And they’re doting parents, for sure. There’s something of a co-dependency in that dynamic, I’ll admit.”

He wore round, wire-framed glasses, a big turn-on, as Jonathan was increasingly attracted to the intellectual type. He noticed a sexy twinkle in Tommy’s playful eyes. 

Jonathan continued to sip his third gin and tonic while Tommy enjoyed a glass of Pinot Grigio. 

“Who was that guy with you when I walked in?” Tommy’s feigned nonchalance was not especially effective at concealing his suspicion.

“He’s a friend of mine. From college.”

“Close friends?”

Jonathan smirked. “I don’t know exactly what you mean by that.”

“Sorry,” Tommy said. “I have a tendency to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Let me put it this way. We’re close, but not intimate.”

Predictably, the two of them wound up in Jonathan’s room. Right away, Jon began crawling all over Tommy with pent-up desire.

“Hold on, cowboy!” Tommy said with a friendly laugh. He placed his glasses on the table next to the condoms. “I’m flattered. Truly I am. But how about we take it slow? Maybe it has something to do with my being from genteel Charleston, but I’m an incurable romantic. I don’t want to jump your bones before we’ve barely said hello.”

Jonathan wanted to say, sarcastically: But you stumbled into a gay bathhouse. But Jon felt such harshness would probably offend him. 

The tension settled into comfort as the men talked, this time about dreams and goals and the progress they’d made in coming out. “Mom and Dad don’t know,” Tommy admitted. “Whose parents do? But I’ve never told them I was straight, either. I think they suspect I’m gay because they never ask about girlfriends anymore. That’s a relief, but I feel like a stranger to them. Still, I do believe they love me—and would continue to love me, even if I laid it all out for them. But why risk it?” He shrugged, then leaned into a common rationalization among closeted gay men. “My sex life is my own business.”

Jonathan nodded with perfect understanding. 

“What about your parents, Jonathan?”

Jonathan chuckled glumly. “No one in my family knows. I’m as big a wimp as they come. After hearing Mom tell the story of my father’s Navy experience with a gay man in New Orleans, I knew to keep my mouth shut.”

Tommy’s face lit up. He snuggled even closer in the small bed. “Do tell!”

About the Author

Dann Hazel has been writing both fiction and nonfiction for more than twenty years.

Besides writing romance, he has taught high school English and journalism, college psychology and human sexuality, directed federal grants and worked as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital. His fiction genre interests include thrillers, horror, literary and gay romance. He has published the Some Like It Haute Gay Romance Series, including Room for Dessert, My Own Private Biscuit and Lonely Diner.

Nonfiction works include Witness: Gay and Lesbian Clergy Report from the Front and Moving On: The Gay Man’s Guide for Coping When a Relationship Ends.

Dann’s personal interests include reading and writing, cinema, jogging, Broadway, keeping abreast of current events and travel.

Currently, Dann lives in Central Florida with his husband, Josh, and their American Eskimo canine, Flurry.

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The Unquiet House by Ellie Thomas

NEW RELEASE 

Book Title: The Unquiet House (Regency Paranormal, Book 2)

Author: Ellie Thomas

Publisher: JMS Books

Cover Artist: in-house with publisher

Release Date: October 26, 2024

Tense/POV: Third person, past tense, single POV

Genres: MM Historical Paranormal

Tropes: Hurt/Comfort, Opposites Attract, Friends to Lovers

Themes: Haunting, ghosts, romantic suspense, peril

Heat Rating: 3 flames    

Length: 17 520 words

It is not a standalone story.

It is book 2 in my Regency Paranormal series. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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In Regency England, Sam and Christian come across a ghostly disturbance at a country house. 

Can their combined skills resolve the problem before someone, including themselves, gets seriously hurt?

Blurb

After barely surviving their terrifying encounter with the spectre of the hooded monk during the previous autumn, Christian Maxwell and Sam Gillespie have consolidated their romantic relationship and are starting to gain a reputation for dealing with the unknown.

For this reason, they receive an invitation to Haverford House in Wiltshire during the spring of 1817. The owners of the historic haunted manor house, Mr. and Mrs. Huxley, are being afflicted by a series of inexplicable incidents.

With his sensitivity to atmosphere, Christian is immediately alerted to danger. Yet, despite their best efforts, neither he nor Sam can discern the cause, although their search brings them closer as a couple and as a team. As sinister events develop, can our devoted duo unmask the culprit without putting themselves in danger?

Excerpt

Christian regarded the stolid group of middle-aged people surrounding Sam, the second vicar, with a darker shade to his complexion from the Caribbean sun. Sam had already struck up an animated conversation with the colonel’s lady. His face, shaded by candlelight into fascinating planes and hollows, was alight with interest. Christian was so distracted that he lost the thread of Mrs. Huxley’s discourse.

“You’ve met my husband, of course.” Christian dragged his attention away from Sam to regard his host. “And near to him is Ernest Bell, a distant relative of mine. It’s very good of him to support us in our endeavours since our son Gordon returned to university after the Christmas vacation. Of course, Ernest’s very fond of the place. He was a regular visitor in my Cousin Grenville’s day.”

Christian placed Mr. Bell in his early thirties, somewhat younger than the Huxleys. There was little or no family resemblance to the fair and even-featured Mrs. Huxley. The man was dark haired and had a strong craggy face. He seemed completely at ease, conversing easily as though taking his cue from his hosts.

As the meal commenced, Mrs. Huxley was monopolised by the gentleman on her other side, allowing Christian to absorb the surrounding ambience. The candlelight flattered the diners and the ready supply of wine increased the merry flow of conversation.

The food is excellent, Christian thought, nibbling on a chicken leg. The dishes were removed by a small number of well-trained staff. The Huxleys clearly hadn’t stinted on the domestic sphere of their enterprise.

“Have you come far?”

A gruff male voice broke into Christian’s preoccupations.

“Not at all. Only the other side of the county,” he replied.

“We hail from Suffolk.”

Unprompted, the gentleman leaned over the lady sitting between them and launched into a treatise on the historic sights of that region. Thankfully, he required little in the way of a response. Without having to pay much attention, Christian simply interjected the occasional, “Oh really? How interesting.”

In such congenial surroundings, Christian almost forgot that he and Sam weren’t invited to enjoy the convivial atmosphere.

When the hair rose on the back of Christian’s neck, at first, he assumed it was due to a stray draught, understandable in such an ancient and large space. Rather than easing, the sensation intensified and Christian felt his shoulders tense, as if braced for attack.

He felt a sudden burst of malice like a silent cackle of mocking laughter.

Again, he couldn’t place the source of ill-intent until a footman leaned between Christian and Mrs. Huxley to place a covered salver on the table.

As the servant reached across to lift the lid, Christian hissed, “Don’t!”

His voice was low, but his urgency transmitted to his hostess and the footman, who hesitated in mid-action.

Mrs. Huxley threw a startled glance towards Christian. However, her voice was calm as she said, “Take it away, please, Simon.”

The young server obeyed without question. Mrs. Huxley murmured, “Excuse me.” She accompanied the footman from the room without attracting any attention.

Christian’s collar felt constricting and the candlelight too bright for his strained nerves. He took a sip of wine to steady himself before he glanced around the table.

There was no discernible change in the level of chatter and general merriment. Christian attempted to focus in vain. He could no longer sense the slightest whiff of the ill-feeling that had vanished like a puff of smoke in a strong breeze.

He jumped at the light touch on his shoulder.

“May I borrow you for a moment?” Mrs. Huxley asked.

Christian turned to see that his hostess was pale, her eyes wide with alarm.

“Yes, of course.”

He rose to follow her, unnoticed except by Mr. Huxley, briefly hesitating in mid-comment, and Sam, who quickly looked up before resuming his discourse.

Christian followed the lady into the service region of the house. In a pantry, the silver salver sat alone on a shelf, guarded by the footman.

“I thought you ought to see this for yourself.”

Mrs. Huxley nodded to the footman, who lifted the lid without ceremony. Instead of the expected delicacy, on the gleaming silver platter lay a dead rat with a candied cherry in its mouth.

About the Author  

Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader, especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical gay romance.

Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas.

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Persistence of Memory by J.M. Snyder

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Book Title: Persistence of Memory

Author: J.M. Snyder

Publisher: JMS Books LLC

Narrator: Nick Johnson

Release Date: September 25, 2024

Tense/POV: first person, present tense, single.

Genres: MM Dystopian Romance

Tropes: amnesia 

Themes: love despite everything

Heat Rating: 1 flame      

Length:  2 hours and 28 minutes

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

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Blurb 

Five years ago Joah was culled—kidnapped by the government to be trained as a soldier. In the process, they erased his memory, destroying his past, his dreams, everything but his name. Armed with that alone, Joah escapes from the facility in search of someone to help him recall the man he used to be.

That person is Tobin, Joah’s husband, who never gave up hope of finding him again. He refuses to believe that the strength of his love alone won’t be enough to bring back Joah’s memories of their shared lives, and he’s determined to bring back the man beneath the soldier, the man he knows has to love him.

But an alarm in the chip blocking Joah’s memories was triggered at his escape, and if it isn’t removed soon, it will shriek his life away. Removing it won’t bring back his past, and may destroy the present that Tobin has tried so hard to build between them. How can the love they once shared possibly survive?

About the Author  

J.M. Snyder is a multi-published author of gay erotic romance who started writing fanfic (specifically, boyband slash). She has worked with several different e-publishers, including Amber Allure Press and Torquere Press, and had short stories published in anthologies by Alyson Books, Cleis Press, eXcessica, and Lethe Press.

In 2010, she started JMS Books LLC to promote and publish her own work as well as that of other authors she enjoys.

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Asher and the Prince: The Apex Blade by Evan J. Corbin

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Asher and the Prince:  The Apex Blade

Author: Evan J. Corbin

Publisher: Atonement Book, LLC

Cover Artist: The Book Cover Whisperer: OpenBookDesign.biz

Release Date: October 28, 2024

Tense/POV: Past/third person

Genres: MM Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Young Adult

Tropes: Enemies to lovers

Themes: Unintended consequences for emergent technologies, coming out 

Heat Rating: 2 flames      

Length:   79,000 words/ 332 pages

It is the first book of a series.  It does not end on a cliffhanger.  

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Asher and the Prince: The Apex Blade is a thrilling blend of medieval fantasy, LGBTQ romance, and science fiction, where a forgotten past may be the key to salvation. 

Blurb

Asher Snow is no ordinary peasant. Seventeen-year-old Asher’s sharp mind and selfless devotion to others have always set him apart in a kingdom where survival hinges on luck and cunning. When he crosses paths with a powerful witch, Asher seizes the chance to make a wish—only to be dismayed by the witch’s condition that it be a selfish wish. But to avert a looming war, Asher must play a dangerous game.

Feigning love for the kingdom’s handsome prince, Asher persuades the witch to grant his seemingly selfish desire for the prince’s love, believing it to be the key to preventing a war. But as he weaves his web of deceit, Asher is entangled in a perilous journey where power, betrayal, and forbidden love collide. As political tensions rise and the threat of war looms on the horizon, Asher must decide if his risks will lead to his salvation—or his undoing.

Asher and the Prince: The Apex Blade is a thrilling blend of medieval fantasy, LGBTQ romance, and science fiction, where a forgotten past may be the key to salvation. Will Asher’s daring gambit secure his future—or set in motion a fate darker than he ever imagined?

Excerpt 

Asher Snow closed his eyes, cupped the dice in his hands, and rattled them together. He could visualize the cards. Seven high cards and nine low had been played. He held one of the two remaining low cards in his hand. He calculated the probability. The numbers implored him to pass on the bet, but he disregarded logic. Logic took too long for jackpots. It was a night to take risks. He held his breath and tossed the dice on the table. Double windens. His face burnt crimson as the dice came to rest on the table in their most dreaded configuration. With the deftness of an expert thief, Shafer appropriated Asher's last chips, sliding them across the board. 

“Betting all your chips at once is a bold move,” Shafer told him. “Big reward if you’re lucky. Quick game if you’re not.”

Asher knew Shafer was right, but he had been counting on luck. More than that, it was what he had paid for. He retraced his steps: He bathed the night before, eating only roots for dinner. As if there was a choice. He took care to let the charm only touch cloth, never flesh. The charmed coin was in his left pocket with the dragon tail against his thigh, just as the witch instructed. He spun three times before going inside the tavern, drawing the most quizzical stares of onlookers. The witch, with no apparent regard for how ridiculous the ritual was, assured him that this was necessary to power the charm. 

Asher’s stomach knotted. His humiliation was a further indignity wrought upon him after purchasing the lucky charm with half his share of last season’s profits. The other half of his profits now sat neatly stacked under Shafer’s nose. Asher scowled as Shafer’s meaty hand cupped the chips close to his chest. He recalled the carnival witch’s face, her eyes alluring with the hue of a winter moon, smirking at him through the throng of fairgoers whose fingers were slick with fat from roast pheasant dripping through the trenchers. Feeling an uncanny recognition from the stranger, he pushed past stalls and vendors hawking their wares, surrendering himself to her trap—a trap so devious that its snare remained obscured until he considered it now. If there was any enchantment, it was only to part him with the coin he spent to procure the charm. Asher resolved to find her again that very night—to confront her and demand his coin back before his parents noticed his missing contribution to the month’s expenses.

Rosen leaned back in his chair, resting his arms behind his head. “Let the young one learn the hard way. Bold moves may impress the ladies when they work, but temperance and discipline win the game.”

Shafer grunted. “Asher wouldn’t have an interest in impressing the ladies. But at least there aren’t any young lads here tonight who may judge him foolhardy.”

Asher was still taking a measure of Rosen, the newest addition to the Wednesday night boxtin game, forming an impression with the deliberation of a painter toward his new subject. Three of the last four times Rosen held high cards, he tilted his bulbous nose up, looking down toward his hand. Just as often, Rosen would signify a deck of low cards by scratching what remained of his hair under his diplomatic cap, a patchwork of burgundy and amber mosaics that mirrored Barbshire’s royal crest. To Asher, the Crown’s uniform illustrated the necessity of the oft-repeated warning to avoid slaying the messenger.

About the Author  

Evan is a member of the LGBTQ community who fancies himself as a playboy socialite, living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Between work and lucid moments of sobriety, he writes a little.  His debut novel is a light-hearted work that still manages to confront religious hypocrisy and contemporary LGBTQ struggles to balance their loss of culture with new-found civil rights.

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The Dragon King's Assassin by Amy Sumida

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The Dragon King's Assassin

Author: Amy Sumida

Publisher: Imaginary Worlds INC

Cover Artist: Amy Sumida

Release Date: June 24, 2022

Genres: MM Fantasy, Paranormal, Shifters

Tropes: Enemies to lovers

Themes: Fated mates

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: 349 pages

It's the first book in The Dragons of Serai Series. Each book features a new couple. 

 It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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My life changed the day I tried to take his.

Blurb 

Mhavenna is a glorious city but, like every city on the face of Serai, it's run by Dragons. As a human, I'm on the lowest rung of the racial ladder here, as far from an illustrious Dragon as I could be, and I've made my peace with that. I don't like Dragons much, but like or dislike has nothing to do with my work. So when my broker offered me the task of killing the Dragon King, I took it. It was the sort of kill that could make an assassin's career, and I was certain that I had the skills for it.

I was wrong, nearly dead wrong.

The King caught me before I could finish the job, but instead of killing me, he made me his. I'm now the Dragon King's assassin. A warning and a weapon. A way for him to bypass his own laws without personally breaking them. But that's not all. He's tasked me with guarding him against future attacks. Who better to stop an assassin than another assassin? And who better to find the one who hired us? If only the King didn't have a body that made me salivate, a face that made my knees weak, and a pair of teal eyes that made me whimper. If only he didn't stare at me with those stunning eyes as if I could be more than property to him. Maybe then I could do my job, find the person who wants him dead, and save my own life. But I don't believe in miracles.

Excerpt 

 Once I reached the terrace, I freed my wrists and crawled over the railing to land on the soles of my soft leather boots, quiet as a cat. Despite the windows to either side of the balcony remaining dark, I dropped to my belly and slithered to the solid doors. Pressing my ear to the crack between the double doors, I heard the soft sounds of even breathing and smiled. I carefully rose into a crouch and pulled the lock-picking tools out of my vest.

A few seconds later, I was opening one of the balcony doors and slipping around it. I shut it just as quickly and quietly, blocking out the moonlight to give me more shadows to hide in, then stood pressed against the wall while my eyes adjusted. I was only a human, after all. I didn't have the night vision of the other races of Racul.

When the bed came into focus, the dark mound of the sleeping king atop it, I removed my weapon. As it was with all my tools, the metal of the slim tube was blackened without gloss. It was a simple device, one that many assassins preferred for its precision, speed, and silent execution. Execution being the keyword. The problem was, it was a weapon that required proximity to your target. The barrel had to be pressed against the victim's head—anywhere on the head, but I tried to go for the base, somewhere under the chin or at the top of the spine in back—and then the pointed rod within the tube could be released. Death was instantaneous, even for an immortal Dragon. Immortal, they may be, but not invulnerable.

Did I care that killing King Tarocvar Verres would throw the entire Kingdom of Racul into chaos? That although there was some satisfaction in taking the life of one of those elitist assholes—the head elitist asshole—another Dragon would inevitably take his place. Did it bother me that this man had done some good for the kingdom and his replacement might fuck things up?

Nah. I'm an asshole too.

I crept up to the enormous bed, heading for the side he was closest to—the left. My left. The King slept on his side, curled up like a baby. Not that his position made him any less intimidating. Even asleep, the Dragon King exuded power that sent shivers down my spine. I'd studied him long enough to know his body nearly as intimately as a lover, had spent many nights watching him bathe, dress, and fuck.

I could bring an image of the King's body to mind in a second—a very detailed image of bulging muscles and golden-brown skin. Of long hair as black as midnight that gleamed crimson in the light, glittering teal eyes so bright that they seemed to glow, and a jaw that could crush rocks. But I'd never been this close to him. So close that I could smell the spice of his skin and see the cleft in his chin—a little dent, as if he had indeed tried to crush rocks with it. Damn, he was handsome. Fucking breathtaking. What a shame.

Just as I leaned forward to set the weapon beneath the royal cleft chin, those stunning eyes shot open and focused on me. The King knocked away my weapon before locking his strong hand around my throat.

A deep rumble vibrated through the air between us. “Hello, little mouse. Have you come to play?”

About the Author 

Amy Sumida is the Internationally Acclaimed author of the Award-Winning Godhunter Series, the fantasy paranormal Twilight Court Series, the Beyond the Godhunter Series, the music-oriented paranormal Spellsinger Series, the superhero Spectra Series, the Gay Fantasy Romance Soul Stone Series, the Gay Paranormal Romance Tales of the Beneath Series, the Gay Fantasy Romance Dragons of Serai Series, the Gay Why Choose Romance Wraith Lords Series, and several short stories. Her books have been translated into several languages, have won numerous awards, and are bestsellers. She believes in empowering people through her writing as well as providing everyone with a great escape from reality. Her stories are full of strong main characters paired with hot gods, shapeshifters, vampires, dragons, fairies, gargoyles... pretty much any type of supernatural, breathtakingly gorgeous man you can think of. Because why have normal when you could have paranormal?

Born and raised in Hawaii, Amy made a perilous journey across the ocean with six cats to settle in the beautiful state of Oregon which reminds her a lot of Hawaii but without the cockroaches or evil sand. When she isn't trying to type fast enough to keep up with the voices in her head while ignoring the kitties trying to sabotage her with cuteness, she enjoys painting on canvases, walls, and anything else that will sit still long enough for the paint to dry. She's fueled by tea, inspired by music, and spends most of her time lost in imaginary worlds.

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