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

Blog/Website |
Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter Sign-
up

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter
Giveaway for a chance to win

one of twenty ebook
copies of Morphosis.

a
Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

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.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website |
Facebook | Twitter

Instagram | Newsletter Sign-
up

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter
Giveaway for a chance to win

one of 5 ebook copies of Changing His Tune (Road to
Rocktoberfest)

a
Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions