Cover Reveal: Lane Hayes & The Wrong Man #mmromance #coverart #pridepromotions

Cover Reveal: 

The Wrong Man

Lane Hayes

Successful owner of an upscale boutique in fabulous West Hollywood, Brandon Good swears by his personal edict to “live in the present.” After a bad break-up, he agrees to dog sit to keep his mind off his ex. Never did he expect the dog to belong a man from his past, the only man to ever truly break his heart.

When Jake Westley relocates to join the WeHo fire department, the last thing he anticipates is reuniting with his secret high school love. Thrilled with the prospect of reconnecting with Bran, Jake feels no guilt in using his charming old dog as an unwitting matchmaker. As they rekindle their friendship, it becomes clear the intense attraction they once felt is stronger than ever. But as hard as they try to leave the past behind, painful memories resurface. Bran will have to confront his fears and consider the possibility that the man he swore was absolutely the wrong one might be perfect after all.

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt:

Again, I questioned my sanity. Something was odd in my world for sure. My heart was beating double time when he finally turned onto my street. A quick escape was my best bet. I had my fingers wrapped around the car door handle and was ready to rip my

other hand from his grasp when he slowed down. He must have sensed my intent to bolt, because he held on to me until I was forced to give him a “what the fuck?” look.

“Let me walk you to your door.”

“Jake, let’s not do this. Please. I really don’t want this evening to get any weirder than it already has been. Thank you for tonight. For dinner and pretending to—”

“Hey, nothing is weird here. It’s dark, and I’m walking you to your door—”

“I’m a big boy. I’ve got this.” I detached my hand from his grip and opened the door.

“Thanks again.”

When I reached the sidewalk, he was waiting for me. The man obviously was hard of hearing.

“You are stubborn.” I gave him my best evil eye before I trudged up the path ahead of him.

“Me? You’re the difficult one. I’m trying to be nice—”

“You don’t have to prove you’re nice to me. I get it. That doesn’t mean—suit yourself.”

“Humor me.”

I fished my key from my pocket as I approached the well-lit front porch.

“Here I am, safe and sound. No need for worry,” I said flippantly as I turned to Jake.

“You ca—”

I swallowed my words. He was closer than I expected. Much closer. I felt the warmth from his body but wasn’t prepared for the hunger I saw in his eyes. I licked my bottom lip nervously. I knew what was going to happen, and though I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, I wasn’t going to stop him. He bent slightly and brushed his nose against mine. I felt his breath on my lips as I waited for him to close the distance between us. Neither of us moved. He smelled delicious, that intoxicating combination of soap and a hint of musky cologne I’d noticed the morning he hugged me in my kitchen. I could have happily buried my nose in his shirt or in the curve where his neck met his shoulders. I closed my eyes and leaned in the tiniest bit closer, expecting him to take over. He still didn’t move.

“Aren’t you going to ki—”

And then he pounced. He crashed his mouth over mine and snaked his arms around my waist, fusing our bodies together. His hands traveled up and down my back while he licked a sensual line across the seam of my lips, requesting entry. I heard myself moan as his tongue danced and collided with mine in a lustful assault. I arched into him instinctively. Jake lowered his hands to my ass, drawing me in tightly as he thrust his hips forward. The friction was hot, and his demanding kisses had my head reeling. This was nothing like our frantic make-out sessions years ago.

Just as that errant thought surfaced to remind me whom I was grinding against like a teenager on my front porch, Jake turned his full attention to my mouth. I was painfully hard, but he was right. We shouldn’t be doing any of this. But I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I bit at his jaw and then licked my way to his ear, flicking the lobe gently with my tongue until I felt his teeth at my neck. I made a strangled sound and went limp in his arms. He was overpowering in a subtle, almost unexpected way. I was two seconds away from ripping his shirt when a car went down my street blaring hip-hop music at an obscene volume. I pulled away and rested my forehead against his shoulder. We stood quietly catching our breath for a moment.

Then Jake pressed a soft kiss on my cheek and stepped away. “Good night, Bran. Thank you for… well, just thank you. I’ll see you soon.”

I stared after him like an idiot, watching him open his door and start the SUV. I heard the familiar hum of distant traffic and smelled the fragrant sweet star jasmine from my neighbor’s garden. Everything looked and seemed to be in place, but something was different.

Parker Williams, My Fiction Nook, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Amanda C. Stone, Inked Rainbow Reads, Molly Lolly, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Fallen Angel Reviews, Cate Ashwood, Havan Fellows, The Hat Party, The Blogger Girls, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Love Bytes, Lee Brazil, Kristy's Brain Food, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Up All Night, Read All Day, Christy Loves 2 Read, Hearts on Fire, Charley Descoteaux, MM Good Book Reviews, Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings, 3 Chicks After Dark

Sales Links:

eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6000

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6001 

Rafflecopter Prize: $10 Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7125719.Lane_Hayes

Author Name: Lane Hayes

Author Bio: Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to a well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles both be men! Lane discovered the M/M genre a fews ago and was instantly hooked. Her first novel was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and her third received an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards. She loves travel, chocolate, and wine (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and the coolest yellow lab ever in an almost empty nest.

Where you can find Lane:

Website: https://lanehayes.wordpress.com/

Facebook: LaneHayesauthor

Twitter: @LaneHayes3

E-mail: mailto:lanehayes@ymail.com

Amazon Freebie! #deal #free #mmromance #pulpfriction

Hey all! Just wanted to let you know that Chances Are - the very first Pulp Friction book ever - is on sale ... well FREE... this weekend at Amazon! 

Hurry and get yours now, sale ends January 11th. 

Chances Are

His Grandma always said he'd come to no good. Chances Are, she's right. 

Meet Aaron "Chance" Dumont:

"I'm Chance, this is my place. You want me; this is where you can find me."

The problem with that, of course, was that it wasn't my name. My name was actually Aaron Dumont.

I picked up the name Chance as a kid when my grandma kept telling me "Chances are you'll come to no good, just like your pa." She had said it so often, it just kind of stuck. I've been Chance ever since. When she passed away and left me the remains of her estate, I sold everything but a few special items then invested it all in a nest egg for a rainy day.

I figured that's what she'd intended it for anyway. She'd said as soon as I joined the police force back in the eighties. "Chances are you'll come to no good there. It's a dangerous job and you're an accident waiting to happen."

She was right too.

Crawl in Bed With Jake Davis And a Good Book: Protector of the Alpha #mmromance #paranormal #mustread

Crawling Into Bed With Jake Davis

And a Good Book: Protector of the Alpha

Important things first, are these sheets silk or cotton?

I miss silk sheets. I’d love to see Zak stretched out on them, completely naked, waiting for me to…wait. One sec. (Jake furrows his brow, then sighs.) Zak said I’m not allowed to tell you any of that. Sometimes having your mate being able to read your thoughts is pretty sucky. Our sheets are made from a fibrous material we grow in the enclave. They’re not exactly uncomfortable, but they sure as hell aren’t silk.

What are you wearing? I don’t wear much around the enclave in case I need to shift quickly. When we first got here, I was a little uncomfortable about it, but the people are used to nudity. It’s actually kind of hot to see some—sigh, Zak says I can’t talk about that either. *Whispers* I’ll draw you a picture later.

What are we snacking on in bed while we read tonight?

Cyndil, one of our servants—god, can you believe we have servants?—made up something she called crudités. I don’t know what that means, but they’re some pretty kickass veggies and dip.

If I open this nightstand drawer, what will I find? Casey made me some special salve to use on Zak’s—Oh for gods sake, Zak, if you were going to keep interrupting me, you should have just done the interview yourself.

Do you roll up in the blankets like a burrito, or kick the covers off during the night?

I’m Zak’s blanket. I hold him close all night.

Can I put my cold feet on your calves to warm them up?

That depends. Do you want our Alpha to command me to eviscerate you? I mean he probably wouldn’t—oh. Yeah, he says he would.

 Cover Art by Laura Harner

What are we reading?

Protector of the Alpha by Parker Williams

Adopted at an early age by a wealthy family, Jake Davis has always seemed to have an easy life. Even in college he was blessed with good grades and an apparently clear path to a pro football career. Good thing his best friend keeps hanging around to keep his head from getting too swollen.

Zakiya Incekara has always been...odd. Being fluent in six languages and having a flair for international cooking should open the world to him, but those skills leave him isolated.

When Jake sees Zak for the first time, with water beading down his slender form, something inside him shifts, and it hungers for Zak. To have him. To claim him. And Jake knows that whatever it is, it won’t be denied.

When they are approached by a man who claims knowledge of a secret past they share, Jake and Zak are thrust into a world they would never have believed existed. The forests of Alaska might seem an odd place to find your destiny, but these men will meet the challenges head on, as they learn that sometimes you have to make sacrifices to be Protector of the Alpha.

Please include purchase links and web links where readers can find you.

All Romance, Amazon, Smashwords

PROLOGUE

Tendrils of fog clung to Steven Lawrence as he ran. A soup so thick, he would have thought he was in London, instead of the streets of Englewood, Illinois. He ran as though the hounds of hell were on his trail, certain he wasn’t far off with that belief. He’d barely escaped from the stranger who had tried to drag him into the alleyway. Only luck, and the fact he was able to shed his jacket and take off, saved him at all.

The man laughed and set out after Steve, whispering harshly, “Run, little pig. I enjoy the hunt.”

Steve had tried shouting, but no one in this neighborhood would get involved, especially this late at night. If he hadn’t needed a job so badly, he’d be safe and warm at home with his family.

Each footfall caused a splash on the rain-soaked street. Louder still was his panted breath and whispered entreaties for safety. He cursed himself for being so out of shape. He ached from the exertion, muscles he hadn’t used in years screaming for oxygen. Desperate to find a way out, to keep the man from finding him, Steven scurried into an alleyway behind a restaurant. He found a disgusting dumpster overflowing with garbage and vermin that he hoped he could hide behind. Ducking behind it did little good as the patter of his assailant’s steps on the wet pavement continued at their maddeningly slow pace. He was being hunted. He couldn’t call it anything else.

No matter where he went, he could hear the man still approaching, stalking him. He’d catch a glimpse every now and again of the wicked grin on the man’s shadow-darkened face. Steve wondered if he could confront the man directly, but decided escape offered a better chance of survival. Though Steve wasn’t built, he could hold his own. His stalker outweighed him by at least fifty pounds and towered over his near six-foot frame. He couldn’t put this man off. If he hadn’t left the goddamn gun at home, maybe...there was no time for self-recrimination. He’d make sure that everywhere he went from now on, that snub-nosed .38 went with him.

Steve heard the bells toll eleven p.m. and rushed toward the old church, its stone façade weathered by the elements. A lapsed Christian, he could almost appreciate the irony of hiding out in a church. Still, it offered sanctuary. He made a mad dash for it, grateful to find the doors unlocked.

The inside was much like the outside. The stained glass windows were thick with a buildup of grime, allowing no light into the church. Dust covered the altars. Obviously the building had seen better days. He rushed forward and dropped to his knees, then began babbling any prayer that came to mind.

“Bless me father, for I have sinned. I've not been to church since I was a wee lad, but I pray thee to have mercy on me this night.”

A damp breeze ghosted over Steven’s skin as the door opened, and his heart began to thud painfully against his chest. There would be no answer to his prayers. Still, he tried. He begged to be saved, for more time, arguing that at twenty- one, he had not yet lived. He apologized for all his wrongs. Then, as the shadow fell across the altar and he knew his time was done, he glanced at his wedding ring and prayed once more for his family, for his wife and their twin boys. That they would grow up strong. That she would move on and find love with someone who earned it. He prayed—

Large hands wrapped around his throat, lifting him off the floor like a rag doll. The pressure choked off all but grunts as his lungs screamed for air. Hot, fetid breath hissed against his ear. He tried to kick, gouge at the man. Something— anything—that would give him another chance to run. It was to no avail. The body was like granite, and Steven’s blows were useless against it.

“Please,” he begged, his voice choked. “I have a family.”

A low, guttural laugh was his reply. In that moment, Steven accepted his situation and hung limply from his captor’s arms.

“It was a good chase,” said the raspy voice that had dogged him since earlier in the night. “One of the finest. You are not one of those I seek. Still, I won and claim my prize.”

Steve’s ring was torn from his hand, ripping off the finger at the knuckle, but the pain paled in comparison to the hand that was crushing his throat. “I’ll not make you suffer, though. You have given me good sport this night, but the hunt must continue. And don’t worry, I promise I’ll take care of your family. You’ll see them again very soon. It’s taken us years to track you all down, but I will ensure none of you mongrels survive. The purity of the enclave will be preserved.”

The hand tightened again. Steve’s spine screamed as his head was pulled back. Intense pain radiated through his body as sharp edges drove into his throat. Then he felt nothing more than warmth rolling down his chest. He could hear the gurgle from where his larynx used to be and an odd roughness against his skin, lapping at the wound.

Then Steven Lawrence shuddered as the blackness fell over him, knowing the leering face of his attacker would be the last thing he would ever see. 

Cover Reveal: Jess Buffet's Always Been You #mmromance #coverreveal

Book Name: Always Been You

Book one of a series

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24207365-always-been-you

Author Name: Jess Buffett

Cover Artist: Jess Buffett

Blurb(s):

After recovering from a shooting that took the lives of his best friends, Seth Hall returns to his hometown for the first time in eleven years with his two children in tow. Intent on setting up a happy, stable life for them, he vows not to allow his past to intervene with their future. That is until Jared, the boy who had broken his heart all those years ago, returns to his life a full grown man who knows exactly what he wants...Seth.

Jared Stewart thought he had lost his only chance to be with Seth after a series of misunderstandings and mistakes. When Seth finally comes home and back into Jared’s life, Jared vows to do anything it takes to keep him there. However, while Jared and Seth grow closer, they discover that not everyone is so happy for them.

Will they be finally able to make a life for themselves together? Or will they be torn apart again, by people they thought they could trust?

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

Seth was practically screaming in the other man’s face by this point. He couldn’t believe the guys nerve. Out the corner of his eye Sal made an appearance, but hesitated in the doorway, obviously unsure as to whether or not he should interrupt.

Lightning fast, Jared grabbed his wrist, using it to pull a struggling Seth closer until they were flat up against each other. He leaned in close to Seth, whispering into his ear. "Let's get a few things straight. I have never felt sorry for you. I did not choose a school far away from you until you told me to. Everything we discussed stayed between us, and I would never have freaked over kissing you. And I'll be damned if I let you run away from me again."

Seth’s eyes widened at the same time Jared crushed their lips together, searing him right down to his toes. Jared's arms became steel bands, and they held him tight. Dear god! He did not see this coming.

Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Always Been You’ and a $10 Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Dates: January 7^th, 2015

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Molly Lolly, BFD Book Blog, Inked Rainbow Reads, Bayou Book Junkie, Hearts on Fire, Carly’s Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Cate Ashwood, Love Bytes, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Kristy's Brain Food, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Sinfully Sexy, Iyana Jenna, Elin Gregory, Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon, Velvet Panic, 3 Chicks After Dark

Wake Up Your Wild Side, Lee Brazil, Queer Town Abbey, Foxylutely Book Reviews

Author Bio:

Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She is a mum of two, married to her high school sweetheart. 

Jess is a hopeless romantic who is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance with a happy ending—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door. 

A caffeine addict who shamefully can’t make a decent cup of coffee to save her life, Jess believes in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up.

Where you can find Jess:

Twitter

Facebook Author Page

Friend on Facebook

Spider? What Spider? #funny #jk

Sweet Free Read For January: Because You're You #mmromance #free #giveaway #allromanceebooks

Starting the New Year Off Right! 

This month I'm offering readers the opportunity to download 

Because You're You

Free from All Romance Ebooks. 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Early 2011, it all began with a letter and a picture in the Goodreads M/M Romance Group.

Dear Author,
My marriage ended badly but I have no regrets as I now have a wonderful son. I wonder what's next for me, though, and if I'll ever find true love?
Sincerely,
A Reader

And from those two sentences a story was born. 

This is that story. 

Devyn Strake's tattoos and piercings are sexy as hell, but what really attracts Sully Moore's attention is his new neighbor's tender care of his infant son.

Devyn shouldn't let his attraction for his handsome neighbor distract him. He's in trouble, and he has to make baby Kail his chief priority.

How does a good cop find love with a bad boy in trouble?

**Please note: This is a newly edited version of a previously released short story.
EXCERPT

Furious, Devyn Starke stalked up the overgrown path to Kayla’s apartment. It was his weekend to have Kail. Devyn was stuck with this stupid visitation agreement, Wednesday nights and every other weekend, alternate holidays. He should have had full custody, but instead, the judge had decreed that a boy of eight months needed his mother more than his father. Bullshit. Kail needed him as much as he needed Kail.

2C. He hadn’t been here before, but, surely Kayla could afford better on the amount of child support and spousal support he’d been required to pay?

He knocked politely on the door, a sharp rap. A noise from inside drifted through an open screen window. It only took a moment to recognize the sound as the pathetic cries of a baby. He pounded his fists on the grubby door, calling out, “Kayla! It’s Devyn. I came to get Kail for the weekend.” There was no response, no sound from within but the continued cries. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Kayla had claimed he’d threatened her, asked the judge for a restraining order. The judge had eyed him up and down, noting every piercing and tattoo, and the order had been granted. His expensive lawyer and his dad by his side in his Armani suit had counted for nothing. He looked like a thug, therefore, he was a thug.

Then again, Kayla was supposed to bring Kail to him for his visits at a prearranged public place. He’d waited at the McDonald’s for over an hour past the time they were to be there. When he couldn’t reach Kayla on her cell phone, he’d given in to the anger and headed over here. She could have all the money he could get his hands on, but Kayla wasn’t keeping him from his son anymore.

He could hear Kail’s frantic cries from inside the apartment, but other than that, there was no sign of anyone being home. It was his weekend to have Kail, and Kayla was fucking nuts if she thought she was going to get away with not bringing him to the meeting place again. Restraining order be thrice-damned.

Pain ripped through him as his son’s cries grew louder on the other side of that door. He looked around frantically. Either Kayla had gotten a lot more tolerant than she used to be or she wasn’t in there. If she was, she was passed out. He had to get to Kail. The manager’s office had an out to lunch sign on the door. No help from that quarter. No one else seemed to care about the noise he made or the noise his son made.

Devyn bent forward to peer in the window, hoping to catch sight of Kayla or Kail through the window. He couldn’t see Kayla, but he saw Kail right away. The little boy stood clutching grimly at the bars of the playpen, screaming and crying, face red with exertion. Tears had etched shiny tracks down his face, and he was nude except for a bulky-looking diaper.

Desperate to get to Kail, he pulled from his pocket the Swiss Army knife his dad had given him for his fourteenth birthday. The window to the left of the door was raised just a bit. Kneeling down, he used the sharp blade of the knife to cut the screen away from the frame. Peeling the screen back he raised the window, talking as soothingly as he could to Kail. “Daddy’s coming, big boy. No need to cry. Daddy’s here.”

When Kail turned to the window and caught sight of his daddy climbing through, his shrieks subsided to sobs. The tear-drenched dark eyes ripped another hole in Devyn’s heart. Fuck. He landed on the floor under the window, knocking a withered plant over on the way down.

Without Kail’s cries, the apartment was eerily silent. Kayla wasn’t here. Devyn rose shakily and hurried to the playpen. Kail reached out to grab him, striving to climb out on his own. “Shh…I got you.” He pulled the squirming little body close, grimacing as hot liquid seeped through the soggy diaper and wet his own T-shirt. He wrinkled his nose at the scent of piss. Poor tyke hadn’t been changed in a while.

He searched the dingy room for diapers and wipes, relieved to find them and a diaper bag on the floor by the battered sofa.

On the way over to the sofa, the sticky tapes on the side of the current diaper caved to pressure and it fell off to land with a sickening plop on the floor. He left it there. Bitch could clean it up when she got back. He set Kail down on the sofa, and held him in place with one hand while he knelt next to the sofa. He patted blindly with one hand, reaching for the wipes and a diaper.

A sudden sharp prick of pain in his finger and he glanced down in disbelief. No freaking way. The thin glint of metal caught his eye. Way. A needle. His gaze zoomed to the grungy coffee table and took in the other paraphernalia there. Shit. Fuck it. He whipped his T-shirt off over his head and wrapped it around his son. Fuck this shit.

Grabbing the diaper bag, he hoisted Kail into his arms and headed for the door. He clutched his little man to him with one arm, heart aching at the baby’s desperate grip on his neck, and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. A few quick zoomed in shots of the drug stuff, a few wide angle shots of the whole room, and he was on his way. If Kayla walked through the entry while he was on his way out, he’d mow the bitch down.

Bad enough to leave the little man alone in the apartment for god knows how long, but to be using again?

He slammed the door on his way out, not caring who saw him as he cuddled his son in his arms and headed to his car. He fumbled his cell phone and hit speed dial. “Dad? I’m coming over. Bringing Kail. We need to talk. Call the lawyer.”

New! First Time in Paperback: The Park at Sunrise #mmromance #sexy #smellthepages

The Park at Sunrise

 by Lee Brazil

Now in Paperback

Limited # of Autographed copies can be purchased direct from author for the low price of $6.00
(includes shipping and handling)     

Also available through Amazon and Createspace for 7.99 plus shipping and handling. 

First they were three, now there are two. Can Jason and Morgan make a relationship work without Paul? 

For years the three of them had been inseparable, first as friends, then lovers. It's been ten years since they parted for what was supposed to be a year apart to pursue their dreams. This isn't the reunion they planned then. It's nine years too late for one thing, and they are one man short for another.

In the years since Paul's death, Morgan hasn't exactly been waiting for Jason to reach out to him. He's been too busy trying to forget, to move on. Until Jason sends the right message. Is the painting just an excuse to see his ex again?

EXCERPT

The park at sunrise. How many nights had we ended up here? Coffee from the all-night truck stop in Jamestown in hand, steam rising as we walked, searching for that most exclusive private spot where we could see but not be seen. The bench that was sheltered by just the right number of trees, with the best view of the pond and the flagpoles and the sunrise.

Nights of parties, concerts, hanging out, or working had all ended in this spot. When the fun was done, we sobered up as the sun rose here. When we were exhausted from working those double shifts and pulling all-nighters, the sunrise reminded us why we worked so hard. When we were flying high on concert-induced endorphins, it spun wild dreams in our heads that spilled from our mouths in raucous harmony. The three of us, wrapped in one blanket, sipping from one bottle, from one cup, contemplated that sunrise. In snow and rain and heat and cold we huddled here. For four years, this place colored our lives in ways we couldn't imagine.

The bench we'd claimed as ours drew me onward. My feet recognized the path, if my mind did not. In the inside pocket of my too-thin-for-the-Colorado-cold-but just-right-for-California black leather jacket, the crinkle of paper jabbed at my soul. As much as anything else, it was why I was here.

When I found it, the bench was still the same with its old, wrought-iron rails and splintery wooden slats. I stopped. Progressing from here would be harder. The cold seeped through the inadequate leather soles of my knee-high black boots, chilling my feet. Once I'd known how to dress for the cold. Once cold hadn't mattered. I'd had their warmth to keep me warm. For years I'd had a vision, locked in my head. This bench, this park, the sun rising in the background. The first flakes of falling snow drifting down. On the bench, two men whose heads turned as I approached, who jumped to their feet with open arms and welcoming smiles. The first time we met here, the last time we met here.

Today, I had a memory. A sunrise that would start soon. I forced myself forward, placed one booted foot on the seat and hoisted myself into the familiar position, buttocks perched on the topmost slat of the bench. Splinters prickled against the seat of my 501s, but the first changing light as the sun made its appearance caught my gaze. Since the last time I'd sat here, the last time we'd been together, I hadn't sat through many sunrises. I'd observed a lot of sunsets on the Pacific coast, but the sunrise had become a time of regret.

As I leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees and prop my chin in my hands, the crinkle of the envelope in my pocket and the crunch of dead leaves on the grass behind me competed for my attention. I drew the envelope from my inner pocket as the footsteps approached. I knew who it was. Had realized he would be here, though how he had known I would be was anyone's guess. It appeared to me that I hardly knew what I was doing, catching that plane, leaving behind friends and commitments. Me. Mr. Responsible. Reliable. Dependable. Had I even called in and told the principal I wouldn't be there for the last week of classes? I couldn't recall. He'd figure it out when the Calc I kids showed up for the key to the classroom, no doubt.

The sudden drag of a wool cap being tugged down over my long hair startled me. It shouldn't have. I should have predicted he'd be in this "taking care of Morgan" mode. At twenty two it had been endearing; at thirty two it pissed me off. Deep, calming breaths kept the anger manageable. Come here, do what needed to be done, get on the next plane back to California, back to emotional stability.

"I see you're dressed for the weather as always, Morgan." Jason's voice was husky, hesitant.

A pair of black knit gloves landing in my lap tipped me over that edge from making a snide remark to throwing an uncalled-for hissy fit.

My jaw clenched tightly. Screw breathing deeply. I yanked the cap from my head, pulling long strands of black hair from the band at my neck, and winced at the tiny pain. I flung the cap to the ground in front of us and looked up the black denim-clad legs to the black pea coat and beyond. My mouth opened to swear, but no sound came out. The hissy fit drained away to something else entirely. My pulse still raced, but for an entirely different reason.

How fair was that? How fucking fair was it that after ten years apart, my hair showed silvery streaks and my face showed my age, but Jason was still the slender, boyish youth of years gone by? Yeah, he'd shaved the dirty blond dreadlocks. Those wire-rim glasses were new, but he appeared as youthful and vibrant, untouched by life, alive as he had when we'd all parted years ago to make those sunrise dreams reality. His black jeans had the telltale smudges of paint, and I'd be willing to bet that underneath those leather driving gloves lurked more paint.

This wasn't the reunion we planned then. It was nine years too late, for one thing. We were one man short, for another.

The bench creaked as he perched next to me on the top slat, and instinctively I grabbed his knee to anchor both of us so we wouldn't topple backward. His hand covered mine before I could jerk it away, and he refused to relinquish it when I tugged. I gave in with ill grace. Jason’s touch stirred physical responses that I’d rather not experience.

"I sent you an invitation to my gallery opening last year."

"I got it."

"You couldn't make it." No judgment. Levelheaded, easygoing, that was Jason. I didn't even understand how he knew to send the damn invitation to the school in the first place. For all I knew, he still lived with his parents and painted in that fucking unheated studio over their garage.

I handed him the envelope. The envelope that had brought me here, as he had known it would, when nothing else could. "I want to buy it."

He shook his head. "It's not for sale. That's not why I sent it to you."

Heat pooled at the back of my neck, and the tiny, irritating noise of my own teeth grinding warned of a potential headache in the offing. I turned, made eye contact for the first time. "Then why? Why send it? Fuck, why paint it? How the hell could you even stand to paint that picture? It kills me that you could have done that, like it doesn't mean fucking anything to you." By the time I spit out the last words, my voice had risen enough to scare off the waterfowl in the pond.

The expression on his face was one I'd never noticed before. I thought I had all their expressions memorized, his and Paul's. Oh, Christ. "Paul." The name slipped out, the memories in. I dropped my head to my knees again, breaking eye contact. I had to create mental distance since physical wasn't possible. I was empty, raw. My stomach tightened and my eyes burned.

"Morgan, it means everything to me. It's all I have. That painting, it's the heart and soul of who I am, who you are, who Paul was." The hand clutching mine drew away, and I nearly protested as cold took its place. Then I felt him fussing. I rolled my eyes as he loosened the band from my hair and combed his fingers through it before gathering it back into a neater ponytail, smoothing the hairs pulled loose by the wool cap. It felt too good to be cared for like that again. I jerked upright and away.

"Damn it, Jason, I don't want to go there. We can't recapture the past! You are not my mother. You are not Paul." I narrowed my eyes and gave him the look that intimidated school board members and recalcitrant football players alike. "Why did you send it if you won't sell me the painting?"

"Were you here? May twenty-sixth, two thousand one? Because I was."

I stared at him. My anger was fading, heart rate returning to normal. The heat from earlier was replaced by a chill that had nothing to do with the low temperature. Surely he was kidding. "Why? Why did you bother? Paul was dead by then. You had to know I wouldn't come."

"No, I didn't. See, somehow, I never thought it was all about you and Paul. Somehow, I thought it was all about you, me, and Paul. I guess I naively believed that without Paul, you and I would need each other even more."

I couldn't speak, but the shock must have shown on my face. With an impatient sigh, Jason jumped from the bench. I automatically steadied myself, swaying slightly as the bench protested the sudden movement.

He tossed the photo from the envelope into my lap. "I have it crated and ready to ship. Pick it up at my parents' house any time. I won't be there."

I didn't look up. I didn't speak. I listened to his footsteps, muffled now by the snow that had fallen on the crunching leaves. As the colors changed and faded from the morning sky, I stared at the photo of the painting that had brought me here. Three men on a bench in a park at sunrise, three heads pressed together, three hands clasped. If one of the images was a little blurry, I couldn't tell if that was the artist's intent, the tears in my eyes, or the snow that fell on the photo.

ISBN-13: 978-1505678796
ISBN-10: 150567879X
Also available through Amazon and Createspace

Friday Five: Books, Music...All the Good Things in Life #authorshavelives? #rockon

Spent yesterday writing to the rocking rhythms of one of the 80's Ladies of rock...

Joan Jett. 

I wanted her hair. 

But she said all the things I wanted to say to my first boyfriend...only better. 

So my Five Favorite Joan Jett songs?

Crimson and Clover 

Bad Reputation

Hate Myself for Loving You

I Love Rock n Roll

You Don't Know What You've Got 

Top Five Books on my TBR this week?

The Half of Us - Cardeno C 

Deuce Coop 2 - Laura Harner 

(Yeah- you won't find this one out for a few months, but ooh whee it is hot!)

Pitch - Will/Parker

( I forget what he wrote the book under) 

Candy Man - Amy Lane 

Heaven Sent - Jet Mykles 

(Yes. I read it already. But it is SO worth the reread!)

And now... Five lines from my current WIP: Syracuse (Centurion #3)

His hands stroked over Sal as they would a lover, sensual and pleasing, promising passion to follow.

Sal nearly purred under the soothing touches as they massaged his sore muscles, bringing relief to cramping thighs and calves strained from the hours of unaccustomed walking. Such tender care he had never known, not since he'd left his mother's side.

Life as the centurion's catamite… even if he was no equal but a slave, would have its compensations. His lonely home had not fed these needs, soothed these wants the way the centurion's touch did.

Happy New Year! "Just Because the Sun is Shining" #giveaway #mmromance #are

Attention everyone! *blushes* Just wanted to let you all know that I have managed to get rafflecopter to choose the giveaway winner. HB is the winner of a $10 ARE gift card. I've sent you an email, H.B.! 
Thanks to everyone else who stopped by and participated! 

Happy New Year Friends! In honor of the year, I'm going to do a "Just Because the Sun Is Shining Giveaway" this weekend. *
(In all fairness, contest will run from Jan. 2 to Jan. 9 to give all interested parties time to enter)

“Not knowing when the dawn will come

I open every door.” 

― Emily Dickinson

PRIZE: $10 All Romance Gift Card 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember, there are three ways to enter! 

Cover Reveal: The Adventures of Cole and Perry by Amanda C Stone #mmromance #giveaway

The Adventures of Cole and Perry

 Amanda C. Stone

Release Date: Mid-January

Blurb(s):

It all started when Cole met Perry in a bar. Over three years they had some exciting adventures, and misadventures. The six stories included in this book are all about their journey from bar to wedding.
The Anniversary
Another cancellation of plans by his boyfriend forces Cole out to the neighborhood bar. Not long after arriving he meets Perry. Even as exciting as Perry is, he's unsure how the night will end.
The Fight
Cole and Perry are struggling to make time for each other and constantly at each other’s throats. A fight to the death will decide who is right or wrong in their arguments. But Cole really doesn't want to shoot Perry.
The Threesome
Deciding they want to spice up things in the bedroom, Perry wants to have a one-time threesome. Cole's nervous and doesn't want to ask any of their friends to join them. Perry finds the perfect solution.
The House
After two and a half years together, Cole and Perry want to buy a house. Once they find the perfect house, they get to spend their first morning together in their new space. Perry will have to help Cole decide which room is his favorite.
The Baby
Both Cole and Perry are exhausted. Taking care of a three month old is hard when she's up all night and is always hungry. If only they could find where they put the bottle warmer.

The Wedding
Cole is ready to make his commitment to Perry life-long. After careful planning, they created the perfect event. What could possibly go wrong? If only Cole didn't ask the same question.

Excerpt:

“Cole. I have a surprise for you. I want you to close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them.”

Cole looked up from his magazine at the doorway Perry’s voice drifted in from. He put the magazine on his nightstand and closed his eyes.

“They’re closed,” he called out. He wasn’t sure where Perry was in their apartment, but he sounded close.

Rustling and a strange squeaking noise reached his ears. Cole furrowed his brows trying to figure out what Perry was up to and what he was hearing.

“Okay. Go ahead and open your eyes.”

Cole popped his eyes open. He closed them and then re-opened them again. Nope, he still was seeing what was in front of him.

“Perry. Why is there--?”

Perry cut him off before Cole could finish his thought.

“So, we had talked about fantasies and things like that. I told you this was mine. So I’d like to introduce you to Freddy. Freddy, I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Cole.”

Cole smiled at how nervous Perry was. His boyfriend was adorable trying to be brave with his ideas.

“Nice to meet you, um, Freddy. Perry, where did you meet Freddy?”

Perry had a small smile on his face that showed Cole he appreciated he was alright with what was happening.

“Online. I found Freddy on some website. Can’t remember the name now.”

Cole was stunned. His boyfriend didn’t go to those types of websites for any reason. Just meant Perry wanted to have the threesome and was willing to do it without asking one of their friends. Cole was so happy Perry had found a way to have his fantasy.

BUY LINK: 

Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy upon publication

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Random Facts About Amanda

Favorite type of dessert?

Any of them as long as they’re sweet.

What’s the most embarrassing gift you ever received?

Wedding night attire. Which doesn’t sound embarrassing until you learn that it was gifted by my MOM! How many shades of red can one face get? Too many to count.

Find out more of Amanda's deepest, darkest secrets, strangest quirks...or random weirdness. Follow the tour.
Tour Dates: January 1, 2015

 

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Havan Fellows, Lee Brazil, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Love Bytes, Velvet Panic, Inked Rainbow Reads, 3 Chicks After Dark, Decadent Delights, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Molly Lolly, BFD Book Blog, Amanda C. Stone, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Charley Descoteaux, Hearts on Fire, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Fallen Angel Reviews, My Fiction Nook, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, MM Good Book Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings, Christy Loves To Read, Cate Ashwood

Author Name: Amanda C. Stone

Author Bio:

Armed with her Batman notebook, fourth grade Amanda C. Stone was ready to start writing stories about unicorns, family members, and her imaginary friends Pink Amanda and Blue Amanda. Today, Amanda is armed with a new notebook, along with a laptop, and a never ending supply of caffeine. Her stories are about all kinds of things, but the most important aspect is people falling in love.

Where to find the author:

Website: http://www.amandastonebooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandastonebooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandastonebks
Newsletter Signup: http://eepurl.com/ZF60L
Email: amandastonebooks@gmail.com