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NEW RELEASE: “Blackmailer’s Delight” by David Lawrence. $25.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Included!

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Blackmailer’s
Delight

Author: David
Lawrence

Publisher: Broadbound
Publishing

Cover Artist:
L1graphics

Release Date: February 13,
2024

Genre: Historical M/M Romantic Comedy

Tropes: Forbidden love

Themes: Understanding that you are not alone in your
experiences

Heat Rating: 3
flames

Length: 81 300 words/282
pages

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

Goodreads

Buy Links –
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Three men. Two blackmail
notes. One slight misunderstanding.

Blurb

Every new romance has its ups and downs…
Its bumps in the road…
Its blackmail notes…

A misunderstanding ties the fates of three men
together in this heartfelt, sensual, and uproarious romantic puzzle. Blackmailer’s Delight is a
tale of lives tossed into the air, then reassembled in some rather unexpected
ways.

England 1795
London gentleman Daniel Thornton has just
dumped his philandering lover Clarence. He moves to Grantham to care for his ailing uncle
and nurse a broken heart. The move he hopes will be a fresh start – a place to discover
himself and perhaps a new way of seeing the world.

Luke Morley is a draper’s son struggling to accept
his sexuality. He has withdrawn into a world of fantasy, but with the arrival of Mr. Thronton
this private world is shattered. Grantham’s most eligible bachelor is everything Luke has ever
dreamed of. After months of silent admiration, he determines to introduce
himself.

Re-enter Clarence, who arrives to win back his old
lover. When Daniel rejects him again, he is not about to take it lying down…

A blackmail note appears – a demand that Daniel
marry one of Luke’s sisters. A demand that he fulfill Luke’s sexual desires.

Daniel saw young Mr. Morley leave the note on his
mantle.

The note is from Luke.

Excerpt

March 1795

A revolution in France. Food shortages at home. And now a
damned tax on wig powder.

“This world is going to hell,” said Daniel Thornton to his
lover, Clarence, one morning over toast and marmalade. “What is the name of that local sect
I was telling you of the other morning? The one predicting the end of the world in the year
1800?”

“What?” said the younger man, who had been gazing out
the first-floor window of their Westminster townhouse. “Haven’t they all gone to
America?”

“It was in the paper last week. I distinctly recall telling you
about it.”

“Oh, you know I don’t listen to anything you say at the
breakfast table.”

“Don’t you?”

“I’m slow to rise, Danny. Once I am awake, I must plan my
day; I cannot attend to your little newspaper articles.”

Daniel observed his companion for a moment – perhaps
the longest moment of his life. This was the end, of course. Not of the world, but for them.
For six weeks he had been expecting this, cynic that he was. They were both cynics – and,
apart from the sex, he supposed Clarence’s pessimism had been his primary attraction. They
saw the world identically. They liked to laugh at things like sects predicting the end of the
world in five years. Or they had. If Clarence couldn’t be bothered to listen to him at the
breakfast table, if they hadn’t even this anymore, after the misery this man was putting him
through, there really was nothing for them.

He eyed the orange juice Clarence was sipping lazily. Should
he?”

They weren’t sleeping together anymore. And this,
incredibly, before he had understood why, had actually bonded him to this man. Clarence
had made no excuses: “It’s the way of all things, isn’t it? We are simply two old men grown
comfortable with each other,” though this was absurd as Clarence was just twenty-six. No
man likes being rejected in bed, but Clarence had won him by appearing to join him in their
common plight – wasn’t it just the way of this miserable world?

“What?” he said, lowering his orange juice to glance over
his shoulder. Daniel hadn’t spoken – Clarence must have heard the memory of his words
ringing in his companion’s head. Narcissists only listened to hear the echo of their own
words.

About the Author

I am the author of two queer
historical novels – ‘Hugh: A Hero without a Novel’ and ‘Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon’. As a
writer, I love taking a deep dive into the social norms and historical events of 18th century
England, told with humour and whimsy, while presenting what I hope are compelling and
unique coming-of-age tales.

A native of the American
Southwest, I have spent much of my life in Great Britain, France, and Finland. I now live in
the American Northwest – Helena, Montana – with my Finnish partner.
By day I love hiking under the Big Sky of my
beautiful adopted state.
By night, however, I prefer wandering the byways
of 18th century London…

Social Media Links

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Continue ReadingNEW RELEASE: “Blackmailer’s Delight” by David Lawrence. $25.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Included!

RECENT RELEASE: “Be Not Afraid” by AJ Saxsma.

RECENT RELEASE

Book Title: Be Not
Afraid

Author and Publisher: AJ
Saxsma

Cover Artist: Andrew
Howard

Release Date: January 23,
2024

Genre: LGBTQ Literary

Themes: Coming out, accepting what we cannot change

Length: 120 000 words/431
pages

Heat Rating: 2 flames

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

Goodreads

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Can you love yourself
enough? Are you capable of it?

Blurb

Step into the small & intriguing Midwestern town of
Larton where Lloyd Wood struggles daily with reviving his failing restaurant while refusing to
relinquish any control, even in his family life. When a business guru arrives and promises to
set the restaurant right, Lloyd is tempted by the promise of a miraculous
turnaround.

Toby, Lloyd’s son, seeks conformity compulsively. Each day,

he audits and buries his true self deeper, yearning to fade into obscurity, anonymity. His
desperation leads him to a program that vows to obliterate his authentic self, setting Toby on
an unintended and riveting path of self-discovery.

Meanwhile, Dawn, Lloyd’s wife, finds solace in a new
church where love is not just a sentiment but a commodity. Lost in her family’s shadow, she
embraces a new identity amidst her new church family whose intentions seem questionable
at best.

As the Wood family strives to escape their own truths, the
chasms they create around themselves deepen and, one by one, threaten to swallow the
people they care about most.

‘Be Not Afraid’ explores identity, family dynamics, the
destructive paradox of denial & with a distinct strength in voice questions our capacity
to accept what we cannot change…or can we?

Excerpt

TOBY AND DAWN WAITED in the doctor’s office. She’d
picked him up from Jonah’s that morning, and he had been quiet in the car and at the house,
and then quiet again to the doctor’s office in town.

The sign above the reception window read Dr. E.M. Gille,
MD.

‘How you feeling, hon?’ Dawn said. She had a magazine in
her lap, and she was rubbing Toby’s back. ‘How’s your stomach? Want to describe it to
me?’

‘No.’

‘If you describe it to me, it’ll be easier to tell the
doctor.’

‘It’s fine right now,’ Toby said. He was watching the TV on a
stand tucked in the corner. The news was on. Another eyewitness had seen an angel outside
town.”

“A nurse came into the waiting room. She was in pink
smocks and stood on thick soles. She said, ‘Toby Wood.’

Both Toby and Dawn followed the nurse to an exam room,
which she knocked on before allowing entry.

She examined Toby and made him describe the
pain.

‘It just hurts sometimes.’

She stunk like cigarettes.

The nurse said the doctor will be right in.

Toby sat on the examination table. The sanitary paper
crinkled no matter how he moved or how he settled.

He and Dawn waited for the doctor.

‘Does it hurt now?’ Dawn said.

‘No, Mom.’

They waited, and sometime later, a knock announced the
doctor. He was clean shaven with close-cropped hair white as bedsheets. His brows were
thick and bushy. His skin was cream and pink and aged. He wore a button-up and tie under
his white coat. His teeth and eyes were bright.

‘Heya, Toby,’ he said. He didn’t look at Toby when he said it;
he was reading Toby’s chart. He sat and scooted his stool close. ‘You’re having stomach
pain.’

It wasn’t a question; it was a statement the doctor read
aloud.

Toby quietly confirmed.

The doctor pressed with his fingers into Toby’s stomach and
tested areas and asked if that hurt.

Toby said it did not.

‘Pain comes and goes. It’s not that bad.’

‘Out of ten, what would you say?’

‘A two, one and a half. It’s really not that bad.’

‘A two? One and a half?’

‘Tell the doctor when it hurts, hon.’

‘It comes and goes, Mom.’

‘Do you take any pain relievers?’

‘No,’ Toby said.

‘No, he doesn’t,’ Dawn said too.

‘Okay,’ the doctor said. He made notes.

‘He doesn’t always come to me when it hurts. I don’t know
what to do, I don’t know what it is.’

The doctor’s tone was soft. ‘Well. Sometimes our bodies
respond physically to factors within our environment, anxiety, stress, all these can stew in
the body and hollow us out,’ the doctor said to Dawn.

She nodded intently.

‘Are you studying too hard? Maybe big tests coming up?
Staying up too late with the video games?’

‘I study too hard,’ Toby said. He said it very quickly, almost
before the doctor had finished speaking. ‘That must be it, the stress of studying,’ Toby said.

‘Still.’ The doctor rolled the stool close to Dawn. He
continued, ‘A boy his age should not have recurring stomach pain. I’d like to send him for
testing.’

‘That’s what I said, I didn’t like the frequency of it. Didn’t I
say, Toby?’ Dawn said.

‘Testing?’ Toby said.

‘I’d like to rule some things out.’

‘It’s not that bad, really. It’s only sometimes,’ Toby
said.

Dawn said whatever test was fine and she agreed, and she
asked if it could, maybe, be this or could be that, or, she said, she didn’t really know,
Doctor.

‘Could I have you step out for a minute, Mrs.
Wood?’

Dawn stepped out, and the doctor shut the door. The
doctor had Toby come off the exam table and sit in a chair, and the doctor rolled over on the
rolly stool.

He did not speak right away. He was deep in thought, and
then he said, ‘Is there anything you have not told your mom, anything you’re worried about
that, maybe, you can’t tell mom or dad? Stress is not good for the body. If you’ve kept
something to yourself, I won’t say a word to your mom or your dad if you’d like to share it
with me. Do you have something you’d like to tell me that you can’t tell them?’

Toby was quiet a very long time. ‘I’m just studying too
hard.’

The doctor nodded and waited for more from Toby.

There was no more.

‘Well. Then. Take study breaks, okay? Allow yourself time to
relax. Time to be. But I do want to run some tests. Whatever is triggering the pain, we’ll find
it out. Okay? I promise, son, we will unearth with absolute certainty what is causing this
physical reaction. Even if it takes a while, we’ll uncover the root of it. I can promise that.
Okay?’

The doctor went from the room and scheduled Toby’s lab
tests with his mother and the receptionist.

Toby sat in the room.

Alone.

He was listening to the doctor’s words over and
again.

We’ll find it out. Okay?

I can promise that.

His stomach hurt.

About the Author

AJ Saxsma, born in Illinois in
1987, is a queer writer. He lives in Los Angeles with his husky. His literary work has earned
awards from Almond Press UK and has been published in several genre magazines. As a
screenwriter, his work has been an official selection for the Independent Horror Film
Awards, Hollywood Screen Film Festival, Los Angeles Cinefest, and Los Angeles Horror
Competition. He’s also written the narrative scripts for four video game projects produced by
Oculus for the Oculus VR system.

Social Media Links

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up

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Continue ReadingRECENT RELEASE: “Be Not Afraid” by AJ Saxsma.

NEW RELEASE: “The Locket’s Tale” by RJ Peterson.

NEW RELEASE

Book Title:
The Locket’s Tale

Author and Publisher:
RJ Peterson

Cover Artist: Ron Perry Graphic Design

Release Date: February 21, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M
Romance

Tropes: Older guys, small town

Themes: Just a hint of magic

Heat Rating: 3.5 flames
(there are only a couple of sex scenes, but they are
quite detailed)

Length: 22 600
words

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

Goodreads

Buy Links –
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Sometimes love is just
lying there, waiting to be found.

Blurb

When Miles Wickford happens upon a locket one day

during his morning walk, little did he realize how his life would change.

Elias Grafton is frantic when his beloved locket is taken
from his antique shop. He fears it may be lost forever.

Miles is intrigued by the power the locket possesses but
can’t in good conscience keep what doesn’t belong to him. Although it can’t hurt to try it
once or twice, can it?

A locket brings these two men together. And fate, or the
locket’s magic, leads to so much more.

Sometimes love is just lying there, waiting to be
found.

A Locket’s Tale is a small town MM romance featuring
older guys, a lost locket, and just a hint of magic.

Excerpt

It was an ordinary day, much like every other in my life. I
awoke at seven without an alarm, my body tuned to the rhythms of my life. After a quick
shower, followed by coffee and a bagel, I set off on my morning ritual five-mile walk through
my neighborhood and around Milford Pond before returning home.

I was a freelance editor, and this was how I started each
day. It helped clear my mind. A brain reset, if you will, before delving into the next
manuscript.

I sometimes varied my route slightly, just for a bit of variety
in my otherwise oh-so-similar days, and this Friday was such a day. On my return home, I
turned right on Folsom Street, which would take me by a small park, complete with a
playground for the neighborhood children.

The park was empty at this hour, children already in school
this sunny but cool October morning. As I ambled down the sidewalk, I heard a dog barking
in the distance as something caught my eye on the pavement ahead of me. A ray of sunlight
reflected on its surface. A coin perhaps.

But as I approached, its form became more distinct.
Is that something on a chain? I stopped mere inches away and bent to retrieve it. A silver locket
in the shape of a book. And yes, a matching chain. Curious. I looked around but saw no one
who might have dropped it.

I examined the locket, noting the fine filigree work on the
front surrounding an oval gem—lapis lazuli was my first thought—where one might expect
to find a photo. Instead, the oval contained a cabochon of what appeared to be lapis lazuli. I
opened it, hoping to find something that might help to identify it or the owner and was
surprised to see words delicately engraved upon what looked like pages.

Despite my squinting, I couldn’t quite make out the words,
so I closed the locket and placed it in the front pocket of my jeans. I’d employ the help of a
magnifying glass to decipher the message once I returned home. And so I set off to complete
my journey, wondering what secrets this jewelry might hold.

* * *

Entering the back door of my Craftsman home, I shrugged
off my jacket and hung it on the peg just inside the kitchen entry. I filled my favorite Yeti
tumbler with ice and water, then proceeded to my office to begin the day’s work. But first, a
closer look at the locket.

Pulling it from my pocket, I placed it on the desk blotter and
grabbed a magnifying glass from the top drawer. I examined the front and back, but again,
found no distinguishing marks, so I opened it to study the message engraved inside.

Place this locket about
your neck,

Then close your eyes
and think

Upon a book that you
adore

And let the story
sink

Into your brain. Now
make a wish

And you will find,
indeed,

You’re in said story for a
day

Or more or less. Take
heed!

“Hmmm, that’s interesting,” I said aloud to the empty
room. “But it still doesn’t tell me who this trinket may belong to.” I shrugged, glancing at the
small digital clock on my desk only to see it was later than I realized. “I’ll give this more
thought later.” I opened the project management app on my iMac. “But now I really need to
get to work.”

About the Author

R.J. Peterson is a retired
graphic designer. An avid reader—preferably while sipping a vodka martini or bourbon on
the rocks—he’s had a long and varied career, including library page, car wash attendant,
travel agent, and graphic designer in the marijuana industry. In addition, he worked in the
banking industry for twenty-five years. He loves to travel and has been on 55+ cruises. When
not on a cruise, he and his husband live in New England.

He never planned to be a
writer, but a fateful day in January, 2021 changed it all. He woke with a story stuck in his
head and started typing. The more he types, the more ideas he gets.

Social Media Links

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Continue ReadingNEW RELEASE: “The Locket’s Tale” by RJ Peterson.

RECENT RELEASE: “After Midnight” by Blake Allwood.

RECENT RELEASE

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.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links –
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link |
Amazon US | Amazon UK

 

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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Continue ReadingRECENT RELEASE: “After Midnight” by Blake Allwood.

BOOK BLAST: “Runway Dreams” by T.K. Ambers. Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Included!

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Runway Dreams: Prideful Vengeance

Author: T.K
Ambers

Publisher: Star Spirit
Adventures

Cover Artist:
Getcovers

Release Date: December 18,
2023

Genre: Murder Mystery with MM Romance

Tropes: Connect the Deaths, Never Suicide, & Everyone’s a
suspect.

Themes: Forgiveness, Family, Relationships, & Music.

Heat Rating: 3
flames

Length: 78 671 words/ 275
pages

It’s part of a series, but this
book focuses on Alex and Matthew and can be read as a standalone.

Goodreads

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Music, murder, and
Pride, oh, my!

Blurb

To Alex Crimson, California means fun in the sun, but when
his favorite new LGBTQ+ pop idol goes missing, California marks the start of a deadly

nightmare.

As the disappearances continue, Alex fears the trail is
moving toward Tulsa. Could the killer be someone he knows? Thinking things can’t get any
worse, he unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a friend’s volatile family
dispute.

Join the cast of Runway Dreams in this dark and
humorous murder mystery as they work to catch a serial killer, and avoid becoming the
victims of a friend’s lunatic brothers.

Excerpt

Alex saw Matthew coming up the aisle, and a pain gripped
his chest, sucking the air out of his lungs. Every hair on his body rose as he evaluated the
grim look on Matthew’s face.

“May I speak to you outside for a moment?” Matthew
whispered.

“Sure,” he replied. Somehow, he picked up his feet and
follow Matthew away from his guest’s prying eyes. “What’s going on?” he asked, forcing the
words out.

“Hector’s not here, Alex. We’ve checked the club, as well as
your house and his. He’s nowhere to be found.”

“Did you find any notes?” asked Alex.

“No.” Matthew could tell from the look on his friend’s face
that he was scared out of his mind. “Listen, I don’t want to think Hector would abandon you,
but this might simply be a case of wedding day nerves.”

Alex shook his head. “Simple. Is that what you think this is?
Nothing about this is simple, Matthew. We have one hundred guests sitting outside waiting
to witness our vows. We’ve spent a fortune on flowers, food, and cake. This is supposed to
be a happy reprieve from the depravity we’ve been pulled into over the past years,” said
Alex, his voice slowly rising, “and you’re telling me the man I’m in love with and due to
marry, this very day, has vanished just like his cousin, who turned up dead a day later! He
could be the killer’s next victim!”

Matthew raised his hand and said, “Calm down. I know it’s
easy to go into panic mode, but you mustn’t allow yourself to entertain the worst. We have
absolutely no information to go on except that he was supposed to marry you, and he didn’t
show up. I know it’s a terrible situation, no matter which way you view it, but we’ve got to
remain calm until we know what we’re dealing with. Maybe he’s stuck in traffic
somewhere?”

“Nooo!” shrieked Alex, his cheeks flushed as anger flashed
in his eyes. “This is unacceptable!” Dropping his head into his hands, his lip began to quiver.
“This is too much. Too freaking much. It’s bad enough I had to wear this cake-like makeup to
cover my heinous green and yellow eye, but now there won’t even be a wedding. I don’t
really care what you say, but go tell our guests they can enjoy some wine and canapes on
me. I don’t know what else to do.” The fight had been knocked out of him. “Send Hector’s
parents over. I’m sure they’ll want an explanation.” Matthew patted him on the back. “I’ll be
fine.” Pausing, he let out another deep sigh and added, “I hope.”

“I’m so sorry, Alex,” said Matthew. Turning away, he walked
back into the tent, noticing that Maddie had arrived and taken her seat, late as predicted.
Approaching Alex’s sisters, he said, “Ladies, I need you to keep calm, as I don’t want to scare
the guests, but Hector’s not here. I’ll deal with the guests if you’ll go console Alex.”

“Oh, no,” said Bell. “Do we know anything about what’s
happened to Hector?”

“No,” replied Matt. “I’m praying its cold feet or something
ridiculous slowing his arrival. You know how dramatic he can be. Anyway, I’m off to address
the guests. Wish me luck.”

“Okay, good luck,” said Bernie. “We’ll go take care of
Alex.”

Moving on, Matthew walked up to the microphone and
tapped on it. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m afraid there will be no wedding today due to
unforeseen circumstances that must be dealt with. Alex and Hector will get back to you as
soon as they know when the wedding will take place. In the meantime, help yourselves to a
glass of sparkling wine and some canapes before you go. Thank you, and best wishes to you
all.” Turning off the microphone, he waved Hector’s parents to follow and headed back to
where the siblings were furiously discussing every possible scenario Hector might have
gotten into.

“What if he was in a car wreck and he’s in the hospital?”
asked Bell. “That isn’t far from what happened to me when Martin had me run off the
road.”

“I doubt it,” said Matthew, “but I’ll notify Thompson and
Wells and have the local hospitals checked immediately.”

As the siblings continued their discussion, Hector’s parents
walked over to them. “What’s happened?” asked Hector’s mother. “Where’s my son?” She
used all her strength to squeeze her husband’s hand.

“We’re not sure,” replied Matthew, “but I know Thompson
and Wells won’t stop looking until they find him.”

About the Author

T.K. Ambers is the award-
winning author of Runway Dreams A Pricey Affair. Her novel has been recognized in four
award competitions and took second place in the Pencraft Awards, Women’s Fiction
category.

Her love of reading and
writing spans several genres, but she loves comedy, thrillers, and paranormal. Most of her
work contains a comedic element.

She lives in New Richmond,
Wisconsin, with her husband and two cats, Bellatrix and Kit. She would spend her perfect
day lakeside, where she would swim, play games, and then wind down with a bonfire,
s’mores, and stories told by family and friends.

T.K. has a love for nature,
travel, photography, concerts, off-roading, and hiking (preferably to waterfalls). She also
holds a special place in her heart for her father’s band, 40 Fingers. She enjoys dancing to
their music.

She lives by the belief that life
is short and every day is its own adventure and should be treated as such.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook

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RELEASE BLITZ: “D.B. and Me” by Rob Rosen.

RECENT RELEASE BLITZ

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.

Goodreads

Buy Links

JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

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.

Social Media Links

Facebook | JMS Books | Goodreads

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NEW RELEASE: “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.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

B&N |
Apple | Google | Kobo

 

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.

 

Author Links

Blog/Website |
Facebook Group | Facebook Profile

Twitter |
Newsletter sign-up | BookBub

 

 

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Continue ReadingNEW RELEASE: “Crushed Ice” by Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James

NEW RELEASE: “Skin and Bones” by Sophia Soames

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: SKIN and
BONES (London Love)

Author and Publisher: Sophia
Soames

Cover Artist: Christina
Stern

Release Date: January 31,
2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Hurt/Comfort, Grumpy/Sunshine

Themes: Eating disorder, domestic violence, hotel setting.

Heat Rating: 3
flames

Length: 92 000 words

SKIN AND BONES is best enjoyed if read after
TASTE.

It does not end on a
cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal
Link | Amazon
US | Amazon UK

Blurb

Hugo Burrows has life under control.

He’s got a decent job, a long-term relationship and
a flat in Canary Wharf.

It’s all under control. It’s just becoming a little
problematic trying to hold everything together. Keeping the bruises on his skin hidden away.
A smile plastered on his face. Controlling the calories he allows his body to consume. And
now his boss is on his back with too many questions, and the grumpy French head chef
keeps staring at him like he’s a freak or something.


Everything is under control. It has to
be.

Ben Desjardins may be the Head Chef at the Clouds
Hotel but he definitely hasn’t got anything under control. His relationship with his best
friend is crumbling and simply turning up for work seems to automatically cause never
ending chaotic disasters. Yet there is something about the new concierge that has crawled
straight under his prickly skin.

Ben doesn’t need more complications in his life.
The last thing he needs is to inconveniently, and reluctantly… fall in love.

SKIN AND BONES is best enjoyed if read after
TASTE.

Reader Advisory. This book
contains the following topics: Eating disorders, OCD, domestic violence and sexual assault.
Please look after yourself and take care if these topics could upset you.

Excerpt

So, the new concierge, his name was Hugo, and he was tall and
skinny—far too skinny if you asked me—with a head full of bouncy blonde curls, thick, dark
eyebrows over deep-set eyes, sharp cheekbones and plump, puffy lips. He seemed like a
nice bloke, stood up for himself. Finn moaned about him, saying something about the guy
being great at his job but an untidy bugger. The floor around his desk was always a disaster
zone of scrunched-up pieces of paper and torn-up leaflets. Finn wasn’t wrong. I could see
stuff on the floor from where I was, while Hugo gave directions to some guests, arms flailing,
his phone miraculously still pinched between his cheek and his shoulder. He smiled at
something. I smiled too. He had that kind of smile.

Dropping my cigarette on the ground, I squashed out the
embers with my shoe. So sue me. I was French. Had grown up there, then moved to England
with my mum in my teens and had to adapt to being Ben instead of Benjamin after my
arsehole dad kicked us out. I didn’t take shit from anyone.

It hadn’t been bad. Just…my life hadn’t become quite what I’d
expected.

I strode back through the lobby with confidence, smiling
politely at our maître d’hôtel, who pursed their lips at me. Yeah, I was a dick. I had tomato
juice down my front, and my apron was covered in cooking fat. I looked a state and shouldn’t
be anywhere near paying guests. I knew it. Mabel knew it. I actually liked them. A lot. Today,
our super-efficient restaurant leader rocked a shocking-pink dress and sky-high heels with a
face full of make-up. Some days, they presented as a stunning bloke, other days, like today,
they wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of a women’s fashion magazine, and they knew
it too.

“Looking good, Mabs.”

“Oh shut it, Ben.” They grinned and blushed while giving me a
full head-to-toe inspection. “You really need to go change, babes. Honestly, you’ll give Mark
a heart attack.”

“You mean I look that good?” I laughed, enjoying another of
Mabel’s many smirks.

“You look like shit, babes. How are you ever going to get laid
when you walk around looking like someone has dragged you face down through the walk-in
fridge?”

“Bah,” I huffed and left them to it. I washed my hands and
ripped off my apron, dropping it in the laundry chute and grabbing a fresh one from the
shelf before glancing over the line. All under control. Nobody panicking.

“Watch the liquid,” I commented to one of the trainees as they
flipped a tray of mushrooms into a serving dish and splattered juice all over the hot plate.
Yeah. Newbies. They had to learn, usually the hard way, and there wasn’t much I could do
other than show them how to do it the right way, remind them to watch the bloody timings,
let them make mistakes and hope they didn’t kill themselves in the process.

I looked down at my own battered hands. I had too many scars
to count. Cuts, burns. My hands had survived years of being battered on the rugby pitch,
which was nothing compared to getting fingers stuck in blenders and close encounters with
sharp knives.

I blamed my mum, getting me into cooking when my hand-eye
coordination had been blasted to hell. I had to concentrate, not be stressed, keep focused
for my mind to function the way it was supposed to, not that it ever did, and this was a
working kitchen. My entire shift was always one huge, stress-induced, disaster-prone
trial.

“You all right?” Mark appeared next to me in his immaculate
suit, his hair up in a tidy man-bun and eyebrows tightly knitted. Arms crossed, he surveyed
our little world. Him and me, we were brothers, partners in crime, a duo of idiots who
should have known better, but we worked well together, and there was nowhere else I
would rather work than here with him by my side.

“All good,” I said, mirroring his pose.

“The boys out there,” he said conspiratorially. “They’re placing
bets on who can get a hook-up with Hugo. There’s good money involved.”

“Hell.” I sighed, rolled my eyes harder than Mabel. “He gay
then?”

“I went over and asked him. He just laughed, so yeah. Between
you and me, he lives with his long-term boyfriend down in Canary Wharf, so I think all the
boys are barking up a dead tree, but I’m not going to tell them. Are you?”

“Nah.” I laughed. I wasn’t. As long as they did their job and
made my food look good, I wasn’t getting involved with anything. And anyway, this Hugo?
None of my business.

Rolling up my sleeves, I plonked my arse down by my little
office set-up and logged into the laptop. I had orders to sign off, menus to plan, things to do.
A life to live. Mark shook his head and disappeared back out to the restaurant.

This Hugo? God help him.

About the Author

Sophia Soames should be old
enough to know better but has barely grown up. She has been known to fangirl over TV
shows, has fallen in and out of love with more popstars than she dares to remember, and
has a ridiculously high-flying (un-)glamourous real-life job.

Her long-suffering husband
just laughs at her antics. Their children are feral. The dogs are too.

She lives in a creaky old
house in rural London, although her heart is still in her native Scandinavia.

Discovering that the stories in
her head make sense when written down has been part of the most hilarious midlife crisis
ever, and she hopes it may long continue.

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