Contemporary MM Romance

Buy Links

Audible US | Audible UK

Two conflicted military men. A longing for happiness. One
Lonely Diner, where people often search for a recipe for love. (The food is good there,
too.)

Blurb

Two conflicted military men. A longing for happiness. One Lonely Diner, where
people often search for a recipe for love. (The food is good there, too.)

One man plays it straight. Another grieves over a lost best friend with
benefits.

Everyone thought they were meant for each other. Lance, an Air Force
computer engineer, and Ryan, a former submariner in the Navy and now a military college
professor, are gay men blinded by the painful wounds of their past decisions. Both men are
ready for love. But because of their pasts, they’ve slammed the brakes on their desires.

Now thirty years old, a younger Ryan Ball decides he can be happy only by
conforming to social expectations. So what does he do? He decides he must have a wife and
kids. Though he acknowledges that he can never be straight, he is convinced that with effort,
determination, alcohol and erectile dysfunction meds, he can play the necessary roles.

Vikki, Ryan’s girlfriend in high school and now his wife, begs to differ.

At thirty-one, Lance Dingle falls for his best friend and roommate, Randy, a stunt
pilot who agrees to a friends-with-benefits arrangement. From Lance’s perspective, there’s a
spark in their arrangement that Randy denies. Then, tragedy strikes. Lance finds himself
alone and lonely, living with memories of Randy and an ever-expanding list of “what-might-
have-beens.” Finally forcing himself into the dating scene, Lance discovers that Mr. Right is
more elusive than he ever imagined.

Then, Callie Yenti, transwoman, drag performer extraordinaire and
entrepreneur, enters the picture. She owns the popular Lonely Diner and possesses an
uncanny insight into the workings of the heart.

Even the complicated hearts of her two hard-headed friends, Lance and
Ryan.

An HEA gay romance.

Trigger Warning: This novel includes scenes from a sexual assault
and a PTSD episode.

Excerpt

It was at this point—this question—that Ryan slammed
both hands flat against the table. He heard Diamond’s short scream and grimaced. He
lowered his voice. “Okay. Fine. The two of you want the truth? The whole truth? You’ll have
it, then.”

He could imagine what Vikki would say. She would never
have advised handling his parents the way he intended now.

Ryan inhaled deeply. “For years now, I have denied a big
part of who I am. In my denial, I asked Vikki to make a sacrifice—a sacrifice of which she was
unaware for years—while I sorted my shit out. A fool’s way of avoiding the truth. It took a
stint in the Navy but finally, I did. I sorted everything out and realized I am gay. There. I said
it. And I said it without fear or shame.”

“Oh, dear God!” Mr. Ball’s voice boomed, echoing against
the walls of the dining room. “What kind of farce do you have in store for us next? That
you’ve fallen in love with a sailor, and with him, you intend to live happily ever after?” A
pause. Then: “Gay!” He spat out the word. “Another fad. Another trend. It’s not real. I’ve
known men who thought they were homosexuals, then after years of lying to themselves
passed, I discovered they were happily married with children.”

“How many people have you told?” Mrs. Ball demanded.
“To what degree have you brought shame to this family?” And then, after a thought: “And
what about Vikki? Can you say with certainty that you’re really Diamond’s father? After all,
you’ve been at sea for months at a time.”

“Wait just a minute!” Ryan’s voice exploded. “First, I must
say that your assertion is offensive—both to me and, I’m sure, to Vikki. Just because I’m gay
doesn’t mean I can’t perform sexually with a woman.” He turned to his father. “Which
probably is part of the reason why your gay acquaintances were able to pull the wool over
your eyes so successfully. Being gay is more than just sex, you know.”

Mr. Ball glared at his son. “I am so fearful of what will
happen to this country when your generation takes the reins.”

“Just—stop it! Just shut the fuck up! Both of you. I’m tired
of it. Tired of the bullshit.”

The expression on both parents’ faces confirmed the fact
that their son had never spoken to them using this tone, these words.

Ryan lowered his voice to a subtle whisper. “What Vikki and
I are dealing with? Well, it’s our concern. No one else’s.”

Then, a voice. Vikki’s voice. Coming from the doorway.
Diamond, still absorbed in her coloring activity in the family room.

“Please understand. Both of you. I was able to handle your
son’s honesty. Was I deeply hurt when I discovered the truth? Yes. Of course. And I’m sure
you bear some hurt of your own. But you should not weaponize that hurt into anger against
your son. It’s important that you try to do what Ryan and I did. It took some effort, but it was
worth it. With open communication and a willingness to be accessible to one another, we
began to work things out. I know there are still challenges ahead of us, especially with our
little girl. That’s uncharted territory, to be sure. But Diamond is loved. By both of us. We will
still be a family, even when Ryan is in Florida and I’m here, in Virginia. We want both of you
to be a part of our family. But that’s not going to happen if the two of you can‘t see your way
forward to cultivate a little understanding.”

To avoid escalating the situation even more, what Vikki and
Ryan did not say was that Mr. and Mrs. Ball would never see their grandchild again if they
could not surmount their anger, doubt and resentment.

About the Author

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

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

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

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

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

Social Media Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Instagram

SERIES TOUR: “Blood and Bonds” by S.J. Coles

Post author:Eric Huffbind
Post published:February 28, 2024
Post category:Gay Book Promotions Series Tour
Post comments:0 Comments

SERIES TOUR

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Bleed In The
Night (Blood and Bonds #2)

Author: S. J.
Coles

Publisher: Pride
Publishing

Release Date: February 27,
2024

Genre: Paranormal/Vampire/Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Enemies to
Lovers/BDSM

Themes: Overcoming demons/identity

Length: 55 711 words/223
pages

Heat Rating: 4
flames

It is Book 2 in the ‘Blood and
Bonds’ series.

This book ends on a series
cliffhanger, but with a HFN for the couple in the story.

Buy Links

Universal Link

It’s not just fear keeping
Tyler up at night…and that’s what frightens him.

Blurb

Tyler Lomax met Lucien, supposedly the oldest haemophile
in existence, on a dark night in the depths of winter. Tyler was protesting against Baron

Emory Von Magnusson taking possession of a human child. He thought he’d been doing the
right thing—fighting against evil, against fear.

Lucien had almost killed him for it. Now it’s months later,
and Tyler hasn’t slept since. Tyler wants Lucien found. When the authorities fail him, he feels
forced to take matters into his own hands.

Tyler’s contact ‘Damon’ doesn’t call himself a ‘vampire
hunter’, but that is exactly what Tyler intends to pay him to be. What Tyler doesn’t bank on
is having Lucien at his mercy, forcing him to confront what’s really consuming him.

Tyler will not only have to face what he is feeling but finally
open his mind to a perspective other than his own. He just has to pray that opening up to
Lucien won’t bleed him dry before he realizes the truth.

Excerpt

Summer was at its height. York hadn’t felt a breath of wind
or a drop of rain in weeks. Even at night, the air was still and heavy, like it was choked by a
storm waiting to break.

But the weather wasn’t the reason Tyler couldn’t
sleep.

It had been the same every night for weeks. As soon as he
switched the light off, he was back on Askham Moor. Hands stronger than iron crushed his
body. Adrenaline coursed through his veins like venom. The smell of his own urine was sharp
in his nostrils.

He could hear his own voice bleeding out of him, freezing
and dying in the cold night air: “Let me fucking go,” he cried. “Let me go now, or I swear
I’ll…”

The grip on him tightened. Fingernails sharp as glass shards
pricked his flesh.

“Be still.” The voice was as smooth as an oil spill. It poured
into his ear and down his nerves, stretching them to the point of snapping. The hot, fragrant
breath against his skin made his traitorous body shake.

“This is assault. I’ll have you arrested, I swear.”

“This is what happens when weak men pretend they are
strong.” The creature tightened his grip in Tyler’s hair and pulled his head back, exposing his
neck. “Do you still think you are strong?”

Tyler fought air into his lungs, staring at the stars that had
started to wheel overhead. “Who…who are you?”

“I am Lucien,” murmured the voice. “Whether you live
another fifty seconds or another fifty years, you will never forget that name.”

Tyler threw his pillow across the room. It knocked a hi-fi
speaker flying. It crashed to the floor with the sickening sound of splintering wood. He sat on
the edge of his bed with his head in his hands, breathing hard, until the red mist swirling
before his eyes faded.

He checked his phone. Three-o-one a.m. He threw it at the
wall, shoved back the sheets and paced the flat until, finally, the sun began to rise, and he
dared open the curtains.

By the time he was nearing Fulford Road Police Station an
hour later, he was finishing his fourth coffee, and his body felt like it was strung through with
hot wire. There was a bitter, metallic taste in his mouth. His heart skittered in his
chest.

He swore and swerved to avoid an ambulance bombing the
other way down the narrow street…then another. He pulled over and climbed out of the car,
shaking as the sirens faded away. Silence descended. He took a steadying breath and made
for the police station on foot.

It wasn’t yet six a.m., but when he arrived, the entrance
was swarming with activity. Another ambulance was pulled up onto the curb. Paramedics
were hoisting up a stretcher on which sprawled an unconscious form. There was blood
everywhere—on the man’s face, clothes, matting his hair. The ambulance screamed off after
the others.

Tyler stood staring for a moment before shaking himself
and striding into the police station.

“DI Walker,” he barked at the harried-looking desk officer.
She held up a finger and continued her conversation on the phone. “Oi, lady. I said I want to
see Walker. Now.”

“One sec,” she said into the phone then gave Tyler a hard
look. “Please, sir. Take a seat.”

“I won’t take a bloody seat. Get Walker out here.
Now.”

The woman’s face tightened. “DI Walker is engaged. If you
want to leave your number, I will be sure he contacts you. Yes, I’m still here,” she spoke again
into the phone. “We need extra techs to go over the CCTV as soon as possible. Yes. Scene
photographers, too—”

Tyler reached over and cut the woman’s call. “I said I want
Walker…now.”

She held his glare without blinking. “And I said he’s busy,
sir.”

“Mr. Lomax.” Tyler turned. A tall man stood in the doorway.
His brown hair was disheveled, like he’d been running his hands through it, but the hard
amber of his eyes was as unyielding as stone. “You’re up early.”

“Finally,” Tyler said, folding his arms. “I came for an update
on my case.”

The detective studied him for a moment. “This way, Mr.
Lomax,” he said, stepping back and holding open the door.

Tyler strode through, muttering under his breath. Walker
took them to an interview room and shutting them in.

“You’re avoiding me,” Tyler said.

“Why would I avoid such pleasant company as yours?”
Walker replied, standing with his hands in his pockets. There were shadows under his eyes
and spots of blood on his collar.

“I’m serious,” Tyler said, lifting his gaze from the stain. “You
don’t think I’m serious? Because I can show you just how serious I am, if that’s what you
want.”

BOOK 1

Book Title: Touch in the
Night

Author: S. J.
Coles

Publisher: Pride
Publishing

Release Date: November 7,
2023

Genre: Paranormal M/M Romance

Tropes: Vampire, BDSM, Single Dad, Billionaire

Themes: Self-worth, self-acceptance, overcoming prejudice

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 85 673 words/344
pages

It is Book 1 in the ‘Blood and
Bonds’ Series. Books 2 & 3 due for release in 2024

This book does not end on a
cliffhanger

Buy Links –
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Publisher | Universal
Link

Jesse Truelove never felt a
part of his own family. But can a vampire really give him a new one?

Blurb

With a criminal record, no steady job and a penchant for
kink, Jesse Truelove has spent most of his life feeling like an outsider. He tells himself it
doesn’t bother him, that he never needed human connections anyway.

Now the Undying Baron, Emory Von Magnusson, a
vampire—or, to use the modern term, ‘haemophile’—has reclaimed his ancestral home
north of Jesse’s hometown, and the human population isn’t sure how to react. Jesse knows a
thing or two about what it’s like to be misjudged, so he keeps an open mind. But when a
bungled break-in at Emory’s home brings them face-to-face, Jesse finds it’s much more than
his mind that’s stimulated.

However, building a relationship with an undead blood-
drinker was never going to be straightforward, especially when that undead blood-drinker
reveals he wants a family.

About the Author

S.J. Coles is a Romance writer originally from Shropshire, UK.
She has been writing stories for as long as she has been able to read them. Her biggest
passion is exploring narratives through character relationships.

She finds writing
LGBT/paranormal romance provides many unique and fulfilling opportunities to explore
many (often neglected or under-represented) aspects of human experience, expectation,
emotion and sexuality.

Among her biggest influences
are LGBT Romance authors K J Charles and Josh Lanyon and Vampire Chronicles author Anne
Rice.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter

Instagram | Pride
Publishing

NEW RELEASE: “The Long Journey to You” by Vincent Traughber Meis

Post author:Eric Huffbind
Post published:February 26, 2024
Post category:Gay Book Promotions Kindle Unlimited New Release
Post comments:2 Comments

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Long
Journey to You

Author: Vincent Traughber
Meis

Publisher: Spectrum
Books

Cover Artist: Vincent Meis
and Andrew May

Release Date: February 17,
2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance, Literary Fiction

Tropes: Age-gap relationship, friends to lovers

Themes: Survival, overcoming tragedy

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 97 000 words/350
pages

It can be read as a
standalone, but the protagonist also appears in my novel, The Mayor of Oak Street (ages 12-
21). The main story of this book takes place 40 years later and we find out what happened to
him in flashbacks.

It does not end on a
cliffhanger.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Nathan’s traumatic past
challenges but cannot stop the arc that brings him to Mateo.

Blurb

Nathan doesn’t know how to stop dwelling on the failures
and tragedies that have plagued him since he was a twenty-one-year-old happily in the arms
of the handsome young doctor he had pined for since he was twelve. Many years later after
the latest tragedy, who could mend Nathan’s heart? If not a handsome young doctor, would
an ER nurse do? After a chance meeting with Mateo, a lot of Nathan’s reminiscing is now
devoted to how that encounter made him feel. Will he seize the day or continue wallowing
in the past, having lunch with his best girlfriend from high school, and writing
poetry?

Excerpt

“Are you okay?” he asked in a slight Spanish accent. His
questioning eyes moved directly to the stain on my T-shirt where the juicy tomato from my
lunch had squirted. Looking like blood?

I became acutely aware of my attire: baggy sweats that may
have had other stains, a baseball cap with a tattered rim, and faded crocs. He wore neat
magenta scrubs that matched the color of his full shiny lips. His nametag said Mateo.

The scenario must have been embarrassingly clear to him. I
had wandered off from one of the many senior facilities that dotted the landscape of the
neighborhood. If I exaggerated the confusion that I, in fact, frequently felt, he might take my
arm, walk me back to the facility, put me in a bath, gently wash my back, and tuck me into
bed. The more I looked into his onyx eyes, the more I wanted him to do just that.

“I mean, you looked a little lost…and sad.”

“Don’t worry, Mateo.” His eyebrows separated and
bounced at the sound of his name. Then he smiled and touched his nametag, realizing how I
knew it. “I’m lost in a memory is all.” I chuckled. “I suppose I do fit a profile.”

“You’re okay, then?”

“Yep.”

“My bad. I didn’t mean to profile you. I have experience
with that, and it’s no fun.”

I imagined that he was doubly profiled, first for the color of
his skin and then a second time when people caught a hint of his accent.

“No harm done. I appreciate your concern.”

“It’s kind of my job. Sometimes it is difficult to switch out of
that mode when I leave work.” He lowered his eyes, making me realize I must have been
staring intently. How could I have not? He was an amalgam of all the men I had been
attracted to my entire life: Mediterranean, Black, Latino, shorter than me, rectangular solid
frame, soulful eyes, thick hair. But with an added twist. A dusting of freckles graced his
cheekbones and the bridge of his nose.

In a thoughtful gesture, he stared at the sidewalk and raised
his hand to his chin, rubbing his index finger over his left cheek, revealing another physical
trait that rang my buzzer: little tufts of black hair between his major and minor knuckles, a
tiny forest to let my tongue wander through.

Thank God, he couldn’t read my thoughts. Or could
he?

“I should let you get on your way,” he mumbled, still not
looking at me. He stared at the smashed apricots on the ground with, I imagined, quite a
different take than mine.

I wasn’t ready to let him go just yet.

“Do you work in one of these facilities I might have escaped
from?”

“Now, look, I didn’t mean…” He took a step back in what
appeared to be a desire to flee.

“I’m teasing. I haven’t seen you around the
neighborhood.”

He tapped his nametag and twisted his neck to look at it.
“Kaiser. It says right here. Kaiser Permanente.”

“I have trouble reading fine print.” I let out a small laugh,
but he didn’t join me.

He took another step back. “Just moved here less than a
year ago.”

I guessed he was mid-thirties, and with his Spanish accent
and African features, maybe Puerto Rican? Cuban? I imagined he lived with a wife and
multiple niños. They spent Saturdays having barbecues in the park and Sundays from dawn to
dusk at church events. He looked far too sweet to be anything but a family man. Now I was
profiling.

“From?” I asked.

He let out a protracted sigh, as if the conversation had
gotten way more involved than he had intended. His forehead crinkled again, hesitating to
give me an answer.

“The city. Getting too crazy over there.”

Then he raised his head and his eyes met mine with the
twinkle of a forest elf. Perhaps he wasn’t annoyed with me after all. Perhaps I had been
wrong about sizing him up, though my conclusion that he was a family man was much easier
to handle. Yet, he wore no ring.

About the Author

Vincent Traughber Meis is a
fiction writer, a world traveler, and a former ESL community college teacher. When he’s not
traveling, he divides his time between writing and working in the garden. Most of the
characters in his novels and short stories come from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum and are
racially and ethnically diverse. He has published eight novels: Eddie’s Desert Rose,
Tio Jorge, Down in Cuba, Deluge, Four Calling Burds and
The Mayor of Oak Street, First Born Sons, and
Colton’s Terrible Wonderful Year.
Tio Jorge, Down in Cuba, and Deluge
have all won Rainbow Awards.
The Mayor of Oak Street and First Born Sons
have won Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice
Awards. His short stories have appeared in several collections both in print and online, and
have reached finalist status in several short story contests. A collection of short stories,
Far from Home, was published in October 2021. He
lives with his husband in San Leandro, California and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website |
Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter
Giveaway for a chance to win

one of four 4 ebook
copies of The Mayor of Oak Street.

a
Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Post author:Eric Huffbind
Post published:February 20, 2024
Post category:Gay Book Promotions New Release
Post comments:0 Comments

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.

Buy Links –
Available in Kindle Unlimited

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

Blog/Website |
Facebook Group | Newsletter Sign-
up | Linktree

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

Post author:Eric Huffbind
Post published:February 15, 2024
Post category:Book Blast Gay Book Promotions
Post comments:0 Comments

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.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

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.

Post author:Eric Huffbind
Post published:February 14, 2024
Post category:Gay Book Promotions New Release
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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.

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

Post author:Eric Huffbind
Post published:February 8, 2024
Post category:Gay Book Promotions Kindle Unlimited New Release
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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.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

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

NEW RELEASE: “Skin and Bones” by Sophia Soames

Post author:Eric Huffbind
Post published:February 1, 2024
Post category:Gay Book Promotions Kindle Unlimited New Release
Post comments:0 Comments

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.

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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