After Midnight: A Fallen Fairytales Dark M/M Romance by Blake Allwood

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Book Title: After Midnight: A Fallen Fairytales Dark M/M Romance

Author and Publisher: Blake Allwood

Cover Artist: Samrat Acharjee

Release Date: January 26, 2024

Genre: Dark M/M Romance

Tropes: Fairytale Retelling, Hurt/Comfort

Themes: Self-discovery

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 91 585 words/332 pages

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

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In the shadows of Denver's comedy scene, a bartender named Dominique becomes the unexpected star of his own twisted Cinderella tale. Is love strong enough to save him from his wicked stepmother?

Blurb

After Midnight is an enchanting tale that reimagines the classic Cinderella story as a dark and passionate gay romance. In this modern retelling, Dillon, a talented and aspiring comedian, finds himself drawn to Dominique, a sexy bartender at the local comedy club.

Dominique, whose unfortunate life mimics the story of Cinderella, selflessly cares for his younger stepsisters while facing a treacherous stepmother.

Amidst the glittering lights of the comedy club, Dominique and Dillon’s love slowly grows as they overcome the challenges created by a willful and selfish adversary.

After Midnight is a captivating journey of resilience and the power of love; but is love enough to save Dominique when his hateful stepmother tries to end him once and for all?

Fallen Fairytales is a dark M/M romance, multi-author series. Each book may be read as a standalone, but why not load up your Kindle, kick back, and enjoy sexy men, shenanigans, and deliciously dark fairytale retellings.


Content warning: This is a dark romance, and readers sensitive to certain content should make note of the following triggers: racism, homophobia, child neglect, kidnapping, false allegations, lawsuits, embarrassment, loss of parent, grief and loss, manipulation by a parent figure, MC close to death.

Excerpt 

Ashton Pipkin was hilarious, even though I had to Google most of his nineteen eighties references that went right over my head. The early crowd seemed to get his jokes, though. I knew I’d be lucky if I could get a third of the laughs he did, but I sure wasn’t gonna let that put me off.

I listened to him for several minutes before he stopped abruptly. “Hey, kid. I didn’t give you permission to listen to my set. What are you doing, trying to steal my material?”

I glanced around the room, not knowing who he was talking to. When I looked back to the stage, Ashton was standing with his hands on his hips, staring directly at me. “Yeah, I’m talking to you. What’s your angle?”

“Sorry, sir,” I said, sitting up straighter in my seat. “I just wanted to listen to your set. I didn’t mean any harm by it.”

He put his hand up. “You shouldn’t be watching another performer rehearse without their permission. By now, you should know that basic etiquette. So, I’m gonna ask you again. Are you trying to steal material from me?”

“No, of course not.” I tried to sound smooth even though his accusation took me by surprise. Inside, I was mortified. “I’m still finding my feet performing for the older crowd and I wanted to get in the mood.” My lame justification sounded pathetic even to my ears.

The older man cocked an eyebrow, not unlike my Papa K did when he suspected I was lying to him.

“In the mood, you say? Hey, barman,” he called out toward the bar. “Please come here a moment.”

The bartender must’ve finished shelving some more bottles first because it took a few moments before I heard him walking toward us. “This kid is telling me he’s sitting in on my rehearsal so he can ‘get in the mood,’” Ashton said, using air quotes. “Do you think that’s a load of garbage, or am I way off my game tonight?”

“Hmm, well, let’s see,” the man said in a sinfully deep voice that, honest to God, sent shivers down my spine. 

I looked up and caught him scanning me up and down. I could feel my face growing warm from his intense perusal. When our eyes met, the corners of his mouth turned up into a cheeky grin.

“What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever said?” he asked me.

I sputtered, my mind going blank. He had the most piercing green eyes, accented by his rich dark skin tone, and his attention never wavered from me. I’m not sure if it was his question or having a man this good-looking raking his gaze over my body, but I was officially flustered. 

When I didn’t answer, he asked, “Do you find Mr. Pipkin funny?”  The man’s cheeky grin was still in place, now accompanied by adorable as hell dimples. I’d always been a sucker for dimples. My mouth felt as dry as the Sahara and I swallowed thickly.

“I, um… I don’t know,” I said stupidly, my entire body flashing hot.

“How do you not know? Haven’t you seen him perform before?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” I stuttered, unsure where this was going.

“So, if you’ve seen him perform, did you think he was funny?”

I shrugged, feeling embarrassed but trying to play it cool. “I didn’t really get most of his jokes,” I admitted. When I chanced a glance toward the stage, Ashton’s scowl signaled that he’d grown significantly more agitated. Dammit, I was clearly saying all the wrong things and making a fool of myself in front of him and a seriously hot barman.

“Why didn’t you get his jokes?” the guy asked, sounding curious. I took a moment to gather my thoughts and regain control of myself. 

“I think I’m too young to understand the old pop culture references,” I replied honestly, feeling a little more confident now. If they wanted my honest opinion, I’d give it. 

The man looked up at Ashton and shrugged. “I think you’re safe. He doesn’t seem to be old enough to get your humor.” His grin was now a full-on smile and I adored it.

Ashton was grinning now too. “And I suppose you do?”

The man shrugged. “Oh, I know quite a few old people who make me watch old TV shows. I would call them classics, but I’m not that rude.”

Ashton snorted a laugh. “Old and classic, is it?” he asked, and I suddenly realized with great relief that the conversation was no longer about me. “You know I can tell Miss Rita you called her old, and she’ll rip you a new one.”

“Miss Rita adores me,” the handsome man said with a laugh, then gave me a playful wink before he strolled back toward the bar. I couldn’t help my eyes following him as he left. It wasn’t my fault they trailed down his backside and came to rest on his very well-filled pair of pants.

“That may be,” Ashton called after him, “but if you call a prideful woman old, you might not be adored much longer.”

He shrugged but kept the huge smile on his face as he resumed his work behind the bar.

About the Author 

Blake Allwood was born in west TN, then moved to Kansas City MO after attending college in Lamoni, Iowa. He met his husband in 1995 and they officially married in 2015, once gay marriage was legalized. In 2017, he and his husband sold their home, purchased an RV and began traveling the country with their two dogs. Their travels provide the inspiration and settings for many of his novels.

Typically, Blake can be found relaxing in the RV or by the fire with his laptop and their Jack Russell Terrier, Buddy, curled up between his legs demanding attention. Denver, their Siberian Husky mix is often asleep at his feet or playing tug of war with Blake’s husband.

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Crushed Ice by Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Crushed Ice

Author: Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Release Date: February 6, 2023

Genre: Contemporary MM Sports Romance

Tropes: Friends to lovers, teammates to lovers, rookie/veteran, age gap, workaholic/slacker

Themes:  Coming of age, learning to accept and ask for help, self-acceptance, independence, pressure on professional athletes, injury, romantic comedy

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 99 844 words/ 302 pages

This is a part of the Hockey Ever After series, but all the books in the series can be read as standalones. 

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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Defensemen can score too.

Blurb

When Liam Belanger gets a professional tryout with the Miami Caimans, he’s hoping to land a roster spot that’ll keep him from bussing tables. If he can make the team and score a tryout in bed with Russ Lyons, the veteran defenseman who’s appointed himself Liam’s mentor, that would be the icing on the sweet hockey cake.

Living life by a strict set of rules has worked out well for Russ. He has a great career, great friends, and a great family, even if they do keep setting him up with hometown honey traps. But he can’t stop time, and now, despite all his planning, he’s looking at his last year with the Caimans before the uncertainty of free agency. Maybe that’s why he finds sunny, free-spirited Liam so attractive. 

He’s still not going to sleep with his rookie.

Probably.

Liam starts the season in the minors, but it’s not long before he gets a shot at the Big Show. His year is shaping up to be a dream come true—even before Russ picks up on Liam’s passes and proves defensemen can score too. 

Excerpt 

The last time they ran through the set play, Yeti dumped Liam on his ass. Baller and Jonesy hooted with laughter as Liam’s gloves and stick went yard-saling over the ice.

Typical way to welcome a new defenseman. Russ snowed to a stop next to his temporary partner. “How you doing down there?”

Liam muttered a handful of French-Canadian expletives. He reached up with a bare hand and Russ hauled him to a sitting position. “I feel like I got hit by a truck.”

“Yeti’ll do that to you. You good?”

Liam shook his head. “I’m good.” He got to his feet. “Jesus. How much does he weigh?”

“Significantly more when he’s moving that fast.” Russ clapped Liam’s shoulder as they skated off to let the next groups practice. They were done for now, so he had time to give Liam a little more feedback. “That’s something you’ll have to get used to.”

“What?” Liam pulled himself up on the half boards.

“Checking.” When Liam looked at him, Russ elaborated, “You flinch.”

Liam’s mouth dropped open. “I do not!”

“Twenty bucks says the video review shows otherwise.” Russ had seen it before with guys who came up through the college system, which focused on speed over hits, since they wanted their players to keep their brains unscrambled long enough to graduate. “It’s fine. You’re not the first. You’re going to have to work on it, though.”

“Not a lot of guys in college are Yeti-sized.” Liam’s mouth twisted into a wry smile, but he seemed genuinely upset, like the root of the problem bothered him.

Russ snorted. “Not a lot of guys in the NHL are either. Or outside of it.” Yeti was six foot nine and built like a linebacker. “Are you trying to bulk up for the season?”

“Was that a hint?” Liam grabbed his water bottle from the bench and waggled it. The joker was still there, but Russ was pretty sure he meant the question. “Think I should fill one of these with Ensure or something?”

God. “That’s one way to make sure no one ever steals your drink.”

“Seriously, though.” Liam put the bottle down. There was a smudge of blue at the corner of his mouth. “Do you think I’m too skinny?”

Russ must’ve given him a look that broadcast his thoughts, because Liam rolled his eyes and amended, still more than half serious, “For hockey. I’m not asking you to compliment my figure. I know I’m hot.”

“I think you’re a kid.” At that age Russ could’ve eaten his body weight in M&M’s and barely gained a pound. “Putting on weight at your age when you burn calories like we do isn’t easy. But you could work with the trainers on some exercises that’ll help you stay upright when someone his size hits you. Or when you hit them.”

Liam made a sad noise. “I always used to think those videos were funny. You know, tiny forward tries to check an absolute monster like Mikhail Kipriyanov, then ends up on his ass.”

“You’re going to be one of those videos,” Russ assured him. Maybe he shouldn’t inflate the kid’s hopes, but if he did his time in the AHL, he’d make it. It wouldn’t take long.

Liam straightened his shoulders like that was a great compliment. “I’m going to be one of those videos.” He shook his head and more of his usual humor returned. “I’m not even tiny. Just tiny compared to him.” He looked sideways at Russ and his voice dropped and took on a suggestive tone. “And you. You’re big. What do you eat?”

Russ glanced over and found Liam watching him with trouble written all over his face.

Surely he couldn’t be serious. He didn’t even know Russ was gay.

Which meant he was being a little shit. Russ shouldn’t encourage him, but he couldn’t let him get away with thinking he had the last word either. “Anything within range.”

This kid’s sass was going to cost him so much money if he officially joined the team. He hopped off the boards again and leaned close enough to put himself directly into Russ’s space. “Sounds like you have a pretty healthy appetite.”

Good grief. Russ had to laugh, because there was no way Liam was trying to pick him up with a game that bad. “Do these lines really work for you?”

Undaunted, Liam grinned and cocked his hip so his ass stuck out. “Don’t usually need ’em.”

Between Liam’s body, the slight dimple in his cheek, and the unruly curls, Russ could see why, but he wasn’t going to pump his tires. “Well, kid, welcome to the Big Show. Get used to putting in another level of effort.”

Then he skated off to the next drill before Liam could decide he should start putting in that effort now.

About the Authors

Ashlyn Kane likes to think she can do it all, but her follow-through often proves her undoing. Her house is as full of half-finished projects as her writing folder. With the help of her ADHD meds, she gets by. 

An early reader and talker, Ashlyn has always had a flair for language and storytelling. As an eight-year-old, she attended her first writers’ workshop. As a teenager, she won an amateur poetry competition. As an adult, she received a starred review in Publishers Weekly for her novel Fake Dating the Prince. There were quite a few years in the middle there, but who’s counting? 

Her hobbies include DIY home decor, container gardening (no pulling weeds), music, and spending time with her enormous chocolate lapdog. She is the fortunate wife of a wonderful man, the daughter of two sets of great parents, and the proud older sister/sister-in-law of the world’s biggest nerds.

Morgan James is a clueless (older) millennial who’s still trying to figure out what they’ll be when they grow up and enjoying the journey to get there. Now, with a couple of degrees, a few stints in Europe, and more than one false start to a career, they eagerly wait to see what’s next. James started writing fiction before they could spell and wrote their first (unpublished) novel in middle school. They haven’t stopped writing since. Geek, artist, archer, and fanatic, Morgan tends to pass their free hours with in imaginary worlds and people on pages and screens—it’s an addiction. As is their love of coffee and tea. They live in Canada with their massive collection of unread books, where they are the personal servant of too many four-legged creatures.

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D.B. and Me by Rob Rosen #giveaway

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Book Title: D.B. and Me

Publisher: JMS Books

Cover Artist: Rob Rosen

Release Date: January 20, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance, true crime, suspense, mystery

Tropes: Age gap, first love

Themes: First time love, second chances, reconciliation

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length:  57 000 words

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

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Buy Links

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In the gripping tale of D.B. and Me, the enigmatic hijacker, D.B. Cooper, parachutes into the unknown with $200,000 in ransom money, but little does he know that his daring escape is just the beginning of an unforeseen journey filled with mystery, suspense, and steamy romance.

Blurb

In the gripping tale of D.B. and Me, the enigmatic hijacker, D.B. Cooper, parachutes into the unknown with $200,000 in ransom money, but little does he know that his daring escape is just the beginning of an unforeseen journey filled with mystery, suspense, and steamy romance.

D.B., now Tim, finds himself along the banks of the Columbia River attempting to fade into the shadows. However, fate has other plans when he encounters Adam, a charismatic stranger who’s also in hiding. The air becomes charged with anticipation as the two men become entangled in a mysterious dance, each harboring secrets that could shatter the fragile equilibrium they've quickly established.

Tim's initial plans to vanish into the vast expanse of Canada are abruptly put on hold as the magnetic pull of Adam draws him into a world where passion and danger collide. As their connection deepens while they wander through the snow-covered forests of the Pacific Northwest, so does the labyrinth of unanswered questions surrounding their pasts. The suspense thickens with every stolen glance, every shared secret, as Tim and Adam navigate a love affair shadowed by the lingering echoes of several daring crimes, all against the backdrop of the Vietnam War.

As the story unfolds, readers are taken on a heart-pounding journey through a landscape of intrigue, where the line between right and wrong blurs, and the boundaries of love are tested. Will Tim's past catch up with him, will Adam’s, or will they find a way to rewrite the narrative that destiny has penned for them?

D.B. and Me is a riveting exploration of love in the face of danger, a tale where passion and suspense interweave, leaving readers breathless and eagerly turning each page to unravel the secrets hidden within the folds of this captivating romance. Will Tim find redemption or be swallowed by the sadness of his past? And what about Adam and his troubled family and the ever-nagging reminders of a horrible war that still plague him? Dive into the depths of mystery and desire in this thrilling novel that will keep you on the edge until the very end.

Excerpt 

I could hear the door kick in, could hear the rush of them as they swarmed the house. “Move,” I whispered to him.

“Move?”

I grabbed his hand again. This time when we crawled, we didn’t have a choice. If they came with dogs, we were screwed. For now, we had a fighting chance. It was dark as pitch beneath the house, but there was only one way to go: away.

A minute went by, two. No one was following us. The sounds of the police began to fade, though I could still hear them inside the house. Sounded like they were searching for something. The pounding in my chest continued. “Where are we Adam?” I heard from behind me.

I stopped crawling. “Better question, are the police here for you or for me?”

There was the slightest of pauses. “Why you?” he whispered.

“Why you?” I whispered back.

He chuckled. All in all, not perfect timing. “I sure do know how to pick ‘em.”

I kept crawling. “To be fair, I found you.”

“To be fair,” he replied, “I chose to stay.” He sighed. “It was the old man in the store. Had to be.”

We came to the end of the road. Or at least the end of the tunnel. I’d say we were about five hundred feet or so away from the house and deeper in the woods. The tunnel was maybe two feet high and three feet wide. There were clothes stashed there, a couple of jackets, some money, bullets. This was my emergency tunnel. This was clearly my emergency. Or his. Either way, we were now both being chased.

I handed him the clothes in the dark. We got dressed and I pocketed the cash in my wallet, my wallet in my pants. I handed him his wallet. I shoved the gun in the backpack. We again listened for the police. By then, all I could hear was our heavy breathing.

“So,” he said.

“So?”

He tapped my shoulder. “You know how you asked me if I ever had a boyfriend?”

I grinned. The tunnel smelled like earth, but I could still detect the slightest scent of Tim. “You think now is a good time to revisit that conversation?”

I could hear him moving around behind me. I could hear the backpack scraping the tunnel’s walls. I heard it hit the ground. I heard him rummaging around inside it just before I saw another beam of light. Thankfully, it was his, a flashlight lit for me to see, the light now illuminating our dirtied, sweaty faces.

“You look like shit,” I said.

“I don’t feel a hell of a lot better,” he replied. “Will you be my boyfriend, Adam?”

I laughed as quietly as was possible. “I think this might be your oddest segue yet, Tim,” I told him. “The police are chasing one of us. We’re in a tunnel in the woods in the middle of the night. This is not what I would consider a romantic setting.”

He shook his head. He reached up and wiped the matted hair from my face. “Yeah, but will you be my boyfriend, just the same?”

I sighed. “Tim,” I said. “I’d have sex you right now if you asked me. I’d do anything you asked me, in fact. Ours, I would say, does not seem like a healthy relationship. So, yeah, that’s a yes.” I blinked. “There a reason for all this?”

He nodded. “I need to show you something, but I wanted to make sure it was safe to show you.”

“And,” I said, “you figured it would be safer if we were boyfriends?”

His nod turned shrug. “Sounded better in my head, but yes.” He leaned in, kissed me, kissed me again. “Plus,” he said, still panting from our recent exertion, “if I were to die, say in the next few minutes or so, at least I had that. With you.”

“I don’t think we’re going to die in the next few minutes,” I told him. “If they had found the tunnel, we would’ve known about it already. Pretty well hidden. You gotta know exactly where to look.”

“Or listen,” he said. “Because that does explain the groaning I’d so recently heard when I sat in that chair you moved out of the way before we ducked and covered.”

“Old house,” I said. “Groans everywhere. Besides, why even look for a hidden tunnel in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Seems to me, it’s not the first thought that would come to mind.” Which is why I built it in the first place. Apart from the obvious reason: escape.

“Still.”

It was my turn to lean in and kiss him, then kiss him again. Too bad the tunnel was so narrow, or I could’ve seriously had some fun him. Instead, I said, “Okay, point taken. In any case, for now, we are still alive and newly minted boyfriends, so, care to show me whatever it was you were going to show me?”

“Why are the police chasing you, Adam?”

“I killed a man,” I told him after the briefest of pauses. Felt good to tell him. Felt good to say it out loud. My belly unknotted, if only by a hair.

“You killed seventeen men,” he replied. 

I shook my head. “I killed the eighteenth after those. And here. In the United States, I mean. And why are the police chasing you?”

With his free hand, he reached inside the backpack. When the hand reemerged, it was clenched around a thick stack of bills. I peeked inside the backpack, and all I saw was green. The forest around us quaked in apparent envy. 

“I hijacked a plane,” he said.

About the Author 

Multi-award-winning and best-selling author/editor/anthologist Rob Rosen is the author of Sparkle: The Queerest Book You'll Ever Love, Divas Las Vegas, Hot Lava, Southern Fried, Queerwolf, Vamp, Queens of the Apocalypse, Creature Comfort, Fate, Midlife Crisis, Fierce, And God Belched, Mary, Queen of Scotch, Ted of the d'Urbervilles, Sort of Dead, Genie in a Vodka Bottle, Bobby Ray Breaks the Universe, and D.B. and Me. His short stories have appeared in more than 200 anthologies. You can read some of his best ones in Short Spurts, Short Spurts 2, and Short Spurts 3. He is also the editor of Lust in Time: Erotic Romance Through the Ages, Men of the Manor, Best Gay Erotica 2015 and Best Gay Erotica of the Year, Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

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Touched by Destiny (Arcane Havoc #1) by Jessamyn Kingley

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Touched by Destiny (Arcane Havoc #1)

Author and Publisher: Jessamyn Kingley

Cover Artist: LJ Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations

Release Date: February 8, 2024

Genres: MM Paranormal Romance

Tropes: Fated mates

Themes: Love, resolving the past

Heat Rating:  3 flames     

Length:  97 000 words

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

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Without risk, finding a soulmate is impossible. 

But Gabriel and Eric quickly discover that the first step was the easiest.

Blurb

Gabriel Wolfebrier believes his honor is forever tarnished. For the first fifteen years of his resurrected life, he did whatever his necromancer told him. They were friends. Family. So, Gabriel asked no questions as he helped bury dead sorcerers he was told were enemies. Too late, Gabriel learns he’s been duped. But somehow, he is offered a second chance.

Born with the mark of a skull on his hand, Eric Marwood has special talents. Unlike other necromancers, he can speak to the dead and help them find their way home. He is dedicated to two things—nurturing his skills and dreaming of a life with Gabriel. But not everyone reveres his gifts, and destiny-touched men and women like him are hunted. 

The Marwoods consider Gabriel one of their own, but his past is a heavy burden he cannot forget. Which is why it annoys him each time he notices how beautiful Eric is or how much fun they have together aiding ghosts. 

Sex is the only way to find a soulmate in their world, and Eric is determined to seduce Gabriel. As for Gabriel, he is desperate to ignore his own urges. Life has a funny way of changing in an instant, and neither man truly knows what the future holds.

Excerpt 

Eager to be with Gabriel, Eric snatched the cookies he’d shoved in a plastic bag and closed his eyes. His hand tingled as he called to his magic and focused his energy on the silver crystal he’d given Gabriel. Sorcery flowed through him, along with the floaty feeling that accompanied teleportation. 

Moments later, his naked toes were no longer on plush carpet. Cool tiles replaced the soft threads. Eric grinned as his gaze landed on a blond inspirit dressed casually in jeans and a white T-shirt stretched deliciously over his thick muscles. Although Eric was pleased to be with Gabriel, he wondered what to do. 

Should he run up and grab a kiss? Or keep it cool with a wave or a cheery hello? His smile fell as he tensed with indecision. 

“What’s wrong?” Gabriel asked, concern alight in his vibrant green gaze.

“Am I the only one feeling awkward right now?”

“No, we’re new to this; it’s bound to feel strange.”

“It’s weird to know someone your entire life and suddenly not know how to greet them.”

Gabriel took a step closer to him. Like Eric, his feet were naked. “Go with your first instinct.”

Lips curving again, Eric closed the distance between them. He sank a hand into Gabriel’s hair and their mouths met. Gabriel’s palms landed on Eric’s hips, but he didn’t embrace him. Their tongues met without urgency, and Eric relaxed into the lazy caress. Unlike during their previous kisses, he savored Gabriel’s enticing taste and filled his senses with his musky scent without feeling an immediate desire to strip off his underwear.

Desire was there, but sweetness tempered it. Eric sighed as a wave of happiness bubbled through him. As much as Eric had loved those frantic encounters in the hotel room, he wanted to know if they could be more than two sweaty bodies seeking fulfillment.

“What’s that sigh for?” Gabriel asked huskily, nibbling along Eric’s jaw to the tender skin of his earlobe. 

Unwilling to lay the raptures of his needy heart upon Gabriel’s shoulders so soon in their relationship, Eric chose a different truth to confess. “You’re a great kisser.”

“I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

Eric chuckled and pulled away so he didn’t give in to the urge to cling to Gabriel the entire night. They had a friendship to build. Although Eric had known Gabriel forever, their chats while he worked or at meals weren’t the same as laying a foundation for being soulmates.

“I doubt that,” Eric replied. “I haven’t had much practice.”

“You’ve kissed more than one pretty boy.”

“And how many pretty boys are in your past?”

Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly and stole the bag of cookies from Eric’s grasp. “A gentleman doesn’t count.”

With a roll of his eyes, Eric rose to brush his lips against Gabriel’s, then surveyed his surroundings. It was the first time he’d been at Gabriel’s house, and he was shocked to find it completely devoid of personality. In fact, there was little in it, and everything was white or beige. 

The walls lacked art or any other décor. A long couch was anchored in the living area and faced a large screen television. On one end of the sofa was a single end table with an unremarkable lamp perched on it. No rug covered the white tiles that flowed throughout the open space. 

At the kitchen island there was a single bar stool, and the smooth countertops were bare except for a coffee maker tucked next to the stainless-steel fridge. If Eric didn’t know Gabriel lived there, he would’ve assumed the place was unoccupied.

Since his mother insisted on kindness and using his manners, Eric wracked his brain for some compliment to give Gabriel about his home. 

“Your place is nice,” Eric finally commented.

About the Author

Jessamyn Kingley has published over forty titles and refuses to pick a favorite among them. With an extraordinary passion for her characters, Jessamyn eagerly crafts new tales and avidly re-reads them whenever her schedule allows. Jessamyn shares a home in Nevada with her husband and their three spoiled cats. When she is not writing or adding new ideas to her thick stack of beloved notebooks, she is gaming with family and friends.

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Game On by Amy Aislin #giveaway

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Game On

Author and Publisher: Amy Aislin

Cover Artist: LC Chase

Release Date: January 30, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M hockey romance

Tropes: Roommates, forced proximity, hockey, slow burn

Themes: taking risks, trusting yourself

Length: 69 000 words / 275 pages

Heat Rating:  3 flames

 It’s book three in the Vancouver Orcas trilogy, but can be read on its own.

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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Blurb

When he broke off his engagement to his team captain's brother the day before their wedding, Jamie Jamieson swore he'd never get involved with anyone associated with a teammate again. Getting traded to the Orcas is a chance at a fresh start, but one glance at his new housemate, and Jamie knows he's in way over his head. 

Dorian is his new coach's cousin. And his team's social media coordinator. And his housemate. 

It's the trifecta of bad ideas.

Dorian Shore doesn't do hockey. He's lived by that rule for years, ever since a season playing as a kid left him with emotional scars. But his new housemate—a big, buff, beautiful athlete who gets under his skin—makes him seriously consider doing a hockey player.

It’s not a good idea.

They live together.

They work together.

When the sparks between them ignite, will it be game on or game over?

Start the trilogy with Game Plan (Vancouver Orcas 1) 

for only $0.99 until February 4

Excerpt 

It was Jamie’s own bad luck that Dorian looked like a walking, talking version of his every wet dream. He was tall—more or less Jamie’s own height of six two—and slender but toned, with a pointed chin and a small nose. His skin was winter pale, several shades lighter than Jamie’s more naturally tan tones, and it contrasted sharply with the two days’ worth of stubble on his jaw and upper lip and the rich brown hair that looked thick enough for Jamie to grab onto.

Gulp.

“Where’s the rest of your stuff?” Dorian peered around him. “Still in the car?”

“Nah, this is it,” Jamie said, forcing his mind back on track. “I’ll head back to Charlotte at the end of the season for the rest of it and have it shipped to a storage unit so I don’t clutter up your home.” Assuming Jamie hadn’t found a place to live by then.

“You don’t have to do that. I’ve got the space. We can store your stuff in the basement.”

“I thought you were putting Jamieson in the basement,” Coach piped in, arms crossed over his chest. With his height, thick beard, and broad shoulders, it made him look imposing as fuck.

“There’s no bed down there,” Dorian said.

“You could’ve gotten one.”

“Uh, I’d really rather have a bedroom than a basement,” Jamie interjected, picturing a lone bed among exposed pipes, insulation, and spiders. The stuff a kid’s nightmares were made of.

“Oh, it’s finished,” Dorian said, waving a hand. “There are three bedrooms down there, as well as a full kitchen and a separate entrance.”

Three bedrooms? In the basement?

“Exactly,” Coach said. “Had you put a bed in one of the rooms, Jamieson would’ve had his own apartment.”

Dorian crossed his arms over his chest, matching Coach’s posture, and glared, his eyes going all fiery. “Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose? You’re the one who said you didn’t want him in a sterile apartment. Trust me, my basement is very fucking sterile.”

Jamie had just come from a team where he’d been treated like a pariah after his breakup with the team captain’s brother, and now he had two men arguing over what would make him most comfortable.

He didn’t quite swallow a laugh. His aborted chuckle drew the gaze of both men.

Rolling his eyes, Dorian huffed a breath. “You’re right. We’re being stupid.”

Now Jamie laughed outright. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Your face said it all.”

Well. That was probably true.

About the Author 

Amy’s lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she’s read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she’s been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn’t at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada’s largest environmental non-profit.

An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram, or sign up for her infrequent newsletter.

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