Crime & Mystery

RECENT RELEASE BOOK BLAST: “Boomerang Street” by Garrick Jones

RECENT RELEASE BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Boomerang Street

Author and Cover Artist: Garrick Jones

Publisher: GRJ Press

Release Date: September 15, 2026

Genre: LGBT Historical/Crime Thriller

Themes: Political Thriller; Action Thriller; Rags to Riches

Heat Rating: 5 flames  

Length: 135 000 words/389 pages (paperback version)

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

Goodreads

Buy links

Amazon  US  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  Bookshop Org  |  Kobo

Blurb 

“ … it started off by finding a few floaters in the harbour, but that caused a huge amount of attention in the press. It’s only a theory that they’re linked, but we’ve found six men, almost skeletons, in the past seven months dumped in all sorts of places, all with the same ligature marks and signs of abuse on their backs.”

1932, Sydney, Australia, in the height of the Great Depression, Joe Ing, one man among the two-thirds of Australian men out of work, will do anything to put food on the table for his family.

A casual job as a waiter at a private party leads to more opportunities, some of which push his limits and lead him into dangerous waters. The disappearance of his best friend, selling his body in the darkened streets of the city, precipitates a train of events that cause a change in his circumstance; both for better and for worse.

In Depression-era Sydney, jobless Joe Ing will do anything to feed his family. A waiter’s shift at a private party opens doors to risky work, dangerous secrets and a city’s underworld. Then, when his best friend vanishes, Joe is pulled into events that may save him—or destroy him.

Excerpt 

“Over here,” the man said, moving to the end cubicle and standing inside it, holding the door open.

“Bit risky,” Joe said, even though he’d already walked across the tiled floor. His penis led him, not his head.

The man chuckled, then moved to one side to allow Joe to go into the cubicle with him. He closed the door.

“Stand on the seat if anyone comes in,” Joe whispered.

“I know what to do,” came the reply, accompanied by a look of amusement and a very cheeky smile. “What do you like?”

Joe shrugged noncommittally, smiling back.

He enjoyed it far more than usual, the man’s head resting on Joe’s shoulder and breathing into the crook of his neck while they worked each other’s cocks. It felt good to have an arm around his back, the smell of the man’s brilliantine in his nose … besides, he was one good-looking coot and he certainly knew what to do, squatting down at the last minute to encourage Joe to spurt into his opened mouth. Joe couldn’t help himself: he arched his back as he was about to spoof and ran his hand behind the man’s neck, giving him the go-ahead to swallow his spunk. He throbbed out four spurts into the man’s mouth, the man looking up into his eyes as he did so.

“Fuck, that was lovely,” the man whispered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Not half,” Joe said with a grin. “Your turn now?”

Joe pulled him to his feet and undid his top trouser button. The man’s strides fell down to his shoes. It wasn’t something Joe did often, but he liked this bloke for some unknown reason and wanted to see whether he had golden hair on his legs; he was a sucker for red-blonds. Joe pulled the man’s underwear down, crouching down as he did so, the man’s cock inches from Joe’s face. It was truly impressive, standing out stiffly from his body, the foreskin stretched back along the shaft, his penis long and sleek and fat. The pale thicket of blond pubic hair was a surprise—Joe had imagined something darker or redder, but he was very aroused by what he saw, even though he’d just let go into the man’s mouth. He felt the familiar temptation, that as-yet unfulfilled desire to run his lips over the head of the man’s cock and then take it in his mouth, wondering yet again for the umpteenth time what it might feel and taste like.

As he squatted, his cock was still hard, throbbing, bouncing on the top of the waistband of his underpants. He spat in his hand, then started off slow, twisting his hand around the man’s shaft, gradually increasing speed. It wasn’t long before Joe noticed the grip and release in the man’s thighs; things were getting close.

Before he could get to his feet, the man groaned softly and spurted onto the wall over Joe’s shoulder, grasping the back of Joe’s neck, then panting softly until his orgasm subsided.

“Thank you,” he whispered, a moment or two later, looking down at Joe.

“No—thank you.”

Joe played with the man’s cock until it softened, something he rarely did, but he really liked the shape, size and feel of this bloke’s penis: it was a knockout. It felt so good in his hand that he was reluctant to let go of it. Even flaccid it was semi-turgid, full of blood and heavy in his hand. It was the manifested form of the fantasy cock that he thought about when he squirted onto his belly in bed at night. Damn, he thought: given half the chance, he could play with it for hours.

When he eventually stood, encouraged by the man’s hand on his shoulder, it was impossible to ignore the fact that he was still hard and he was oozing a bit.

“Want more?” the man asked, smiling and then running his hand around Joe’s erection.

Joe nodded, shrugged again nervously, then watched as the red-blond settled on the toilet seat and then sucked a second load out of him.

Back at the bar, Joe scored the encounter as up there with the best he could remember, and for a moment was tempted to change his mind and accept the offer the man had made to meet up again. He’d vacillated, but hadn’t acted on his second thoughts; it would have been a first had he done so. Instead, as they’d left the gents’, he’d just patted the man on the back and shaken his hand, leaving him to return to the bar with a traditional “Catchyalaydah,” a farewell that in Aussie slang meant something like “See you again perhaps, but don’t hold your breath”.

Maybe he’d regret it, but it was too late to do anything about it now. Joe’s attitude to the blokes he liked and what he did with them was odd. He didn’t understand it himself.

About the Author 

From the outback to the opera.

After a thirty-year career as a professional opera singer, performing as a soloist in opera houses and in concert halls all over the world, I took up a position as lecturer in music in Australia in 1999, at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, which is now part of CQ University.

Brought up in Australia, between the bush and the beaches of the Eastern suburbs, I retired in 2015 and now live in the tropics, writing, gardening, and finally finding time to enjoy life and to re-establish a connection with who I am after a very busy career on the stage and as an academic.

Author Links

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Continue ReadingRECENT RELEASE BOOK BLAST: “Boomerang Street” by Garrick Jones

NEW RELEASE: “The Dark Before Dawn” by Thom Collins

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Dark Before Dawn

Author: Thom Collins 

Publisher: Entwined Publishing

Cover Artist: Kelly Martin

Release Date: July 7, 2026

Tense/POV: Third person

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, Mystery/suspense/thriller

Tropes: Friends to lovers, cop, stalker

Length: 68 500 words

Heat Rating: 4 flames

It is a standalone story that is part of a wider series 

(book four in the Basic Instincts series) 

and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads 

Buy Links

Universal Link   |  First For Romance 

A brutal killer. An unwitting witness. A cop caught in the middle of a deadly pursuit.

Blurb

A brutal killer. An unwitting witness. A cop caught in the middle of a deadly pursuit.

Jude Kalvert is glad to be back in his home city and playing gigs around his favourite bars. Blyham is a dangerous place, and things seem only to have got worse in the time he’s been away. It’s not safe to be out alone at night, but when Jude runs into an old school friend after one of his shows, things don’t appear so bad after all.

Danyal Nadir has changed a lot since they knew each other. He’s a cop for one thing, newly appointed to act as liaison between the police and the LGBTQ+ community. And he’s come a long way from the shy, bullied kid Jude remembers from school. The adult Danyal is strong, confident and very attractive. Both men jump at the chance to get reacquainted.

But that first night is not as safe as it appears. Jude discovers that he’s one of the last people to have seen a murder victim alive. Soon the killer has Jude and Danyal in his sights. On the run and desperate, there’s no limit to what he’ll do. As their friendship turns to passion, their new beginning could be the end of them.

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence, gore and murder, as well as homophobia and racial slurs.

Excerpt 

The police officer was incredibly good looking. He appeared mixed race, maybe of South Asian heritage with a strong, stubbled jaw and cleft chin. The body beneath the dark uniform was finely shaped. He could almost be a stripper in a cop costume rather than the real thing.

But Jude knew better than to be distracted by a hot guy and maintained his guard.

The cops’ eyes narrowed as he came nearer.

“Jude?” he asked. “Jude Kalvert?” His accent was a blend of light Scottish with a strong inflection of North East England. “Jude Kalvert? It is you, right?”

There was something familiar that Jude couldn’t quite place. Maybe they had met on a cruise sometime. He saw hundreds of new faces each week, and it wasn’t always easy to remember them.

“Yes,” he said. The man seemed friendly enough, but he was still wary of the uniform.

The serious cop face was transformed by a beautiful smile. “I thought I recognised you. It’s Danyal Nadir. I don’t know if you remember me. We were at school together.”

Jude had hated school. As the only openly gay kid in his year, the school years had been a misery of bullying, slurs and abuse. He hadn’t kept in touch with a single pupil from those days. Whenever anyone reached out to him on social media, he rejected the friend request. Twelve years since he last sat in a classroom, the trauma was still too raw.

Danyal Nadir. That name did ring a bell though.

He dug into his memory. Yes. A skinny kid who had transferred into his class when he had been around ten years old. They had never been friends but had bonded in a strange way because they were tormented by many of the same bullies. Jude for his odd looks, interest in theatre and later for his open sexuality. Danyal, for his mixed heritage- his mother was white-Scottish and his father Indian- and what was considered a strange accent. 

Jesus, that school was a fucking cesspit. He prickled at the memory.

“Oh my God,” Jude said. He had to work hard to see anything of that timid kid in this strapping policeman. And yet it was there. In his eyes. And in the rare time he’d seen Danyal smile at school – the smile was the same. “You’ve changed so much.”

And you’re gorgeous.

A shy chuckle and Danyal’s eyes looked Jude over too, taking him all in. “So have you, but somehow I recognised you. When I saw you get out of the car, I was almost certain it was you.”

Jude felt a warmth spread over his face. Danyal was making him nervous. Not in the intimidating cop way he’d initially expected, but in the hot and bothered want-to-get-into-his-pants way. But no chance. This was Danyal Nadir. The wee kid from Blyham High.

“I didn’t know you became a police officer.” Stupid comment. There was no reason he would. They hadn’t seen each other in years.

“It’s been a decade now. How about you? What are you up to?”

“I’m a singer. Just finished a gig tonight. I’m about to get some food before heading home.” Old acquaintance or not, he was not about to admit to his plan of visiting The Viaduct.

Danyal checked his watch. “Mind if I join you for ten minutes? I’m due a break and I’m parched.”

It was Jude’s turn to smile widely. “I’d love it. I’m just heading around the corner.”

About the Author 

Thom Collins is the author of the Jagged Shores series and the Anthem Trilogy as well as numerous standalone novels and novellas. 

His latest series Basic Instincts launched in spring 2025 with the novel Now Comes the Dark.

Thom has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age, but in 2013 he realized cruising is the best way to see the world.

Check out his website for news updates and a free ebook The Night.

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Continue ReadingNEW RELEASE: “The Dark Before Dawn” by Thom Collins

BOOK BLAST: “The Road to Pienza” by Garrick Jones

BOOK BLAST – RECENT RELEASE

Book Title: The Road to Pienza (The Road to Montepulciano #2)

Author and Cover Artist: Garrick Jones

Publisher: GRJ Press

Release Date: November 6, 2025

Genre: Crime Thriller

Themes: Historical fiction; Crime Fiction; Political Thriller; Action Thriller

Heat Rating:  5 flames

Length:  117 000 words/348 pages

It is part of a series, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy links

Amazon US  |  Amazon AU   |  Amazon UK  |  B&N

The action-packed sequel to the best-selling thriller, The Road to Montepulciano

Blurb The action-packed sequel to the best-selling thriller, The Road to Montepulciano On the night of the ninth of June 1944, four days after the Allied liberation of Rome, four nuns are murdered in a railway carriage at the Vatican City railway station. Sixteen years later, returning to Tuscany after a gruelling book signing tour of Australia, Damson O’Reilly finds his partner, Giancarlo (no longer a detective but now a well-known and successful lawyer) engrossed in a slander case between Italy’s screen heartthrob, Mario Celestino, and a high-profile, fascist industrialist, Giovanni Scavola. The case uncovers buried secrets, secrets that bring to light the involvement of both men in the WW2 crime and which lead to kidnapping, torture and murder, culminating in a dramatic, bloody outcome that will rock the Italian nation to its core. Excerpt By the time I finished my turn in the bathroom, Kendall was naked, sitting up on top of the bed covers, so I perched on the edge of the mattress next to his knee and lit a cigarette. “Come closer,” he said. By now, I recognised that look in his eye. He ran his hand over my thigh and cupped my balls. I leaned back and moved my knees apart while he gently massaged my chest and stomach, his hand finally coming to rest, encircling the base of my by-now hard cock. “I like this,” he said, jiggling it a little. “What about the rest of me?” “Oh, yeah, that’s all right, too.” His accompanying cheeky wink made me grin. “What you said earlier … I’m the only man who’s ever fucked you?” “Yep.” “Why me?” “As I said, I like this.” He squeezed harder, milking my erection, then leaned over and licked the shiny drop of fluid from the eye of my cock with the tip of his tongue. “I’ve always liked looking at big ones, but yours is the first I’ve ever wanted inside me.” “Kendall—” He laughed, interrupting what I was going to say. “I’m not out to make trouble with you and Giancarlo. I really like him too. What we did in the hotel room in Sydney … I want more of that, and not just watching either.” “Where on earth does this come from? You’ve always seemed rather standoffish to me, especially when it comes to talking about sex.” “I dunno, Damson. Something just clicked between us that first night in Adelaide when I pretended to be drunk and asked you to suck me off.” “You returned the favour, as I remember.” “That’s right, and yours was the first cock I ever had in my mouth, and the first time I’d ever swallowed or even tasted spunk.” “I’m confused.” “I’m aware that I always skirt around my history—my sexual history, that is. You know that I’ve always been into sex with older women. Not sure why—I don’t remember my own mother, I was far too small when she died, so it can’t be that. Fooled around a bit in my teens with lads my own age; that happens at an all-boys’ boarding school. But then, when I joined up, I became fixated on what men had between their legs, especially the big ones, like yours. There was someone for a while, but all we did was swap tongues while we pulled each other off.” “You’ve never seemed to want to swap tongues with me,” I said, by this time my legs wide apart and my erection almost purple because he’d been squeezing the base so tightly. “Can we just be friends, Damson? I don’t want anything more than you as a close mate in my life. Of course, I still want to do this with you—and Giancarlo if that’s on the cards—but I’m not looking for a love affair. Is that all right with you?” I closed my eyes for a moment. “That depends.” “Depends on what?” I wrapped one hand around the back of his neck and pulled him towards me. I guessed the kissing part of what he’d done with his army mate was something he really liked, because before I knew it, I was almost choking on his tongue after he’d nearly sucked mine out of my head. I pushed him onto his back on the bed. The kissing became more languid, sensuous, exploring. He guided my hand down to his balls, then raised his hips. I massaged the rim of his arsehole with my fingers. “Aw, fuck,” he moaned into my mouth. Damned if he wasn’t one of the best kissers I’d ever met. He didn’t even flinch a little bit as I eased my saliva-wetted dick into his body.

About the Author 

From the outback to the opera.

After a thirty-year career as a professional opera singer, performing as a soloist in opera houses and in concert halls all over the world, I took up a position as lecturer in music in Australia in 1999, at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, which is now part of CQ University.

Brought up in Australia, between the bush and the beaches of the Eastern suburbs, I retired in 2015 and now live in the tropics, writing, gardening, and finally finding time to enjoy life and to re-establish a connection with who I am after a very busy career on the stage and as an academic.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Pinterest  |  Newsletter Sign-up

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Continue ReadingBOOK BLAST: “The Road to Pienza” by Garrick Jones

NEW RELEASE: “The Teacher Inside Me” by Anthony Auswat.

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Teacher Inside Me

Author and Publisher: Anthony Auswat

Cover Artist: Anne Channarong

Release Date: June 11, 2025

Tense/POV: first person, present tense, single POV

Genres: MM Dark Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Queer Psychological Thriller, Taboo, Coming-of-Age

Tropes: Student/teacher, forbidden love, power imbalance, age gap, first love, coming out

Themes: Obsession, power and control, desire vs. morality, reputation and ruin, queer identity, boundaries, masculinity

Heat Rating: 4 flames     

Length: 71 000 words/322 pages

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

Goodreads

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Universal Link

A forbidden student-teacher obsession. 

A queer coming-of-age thriller. 

A story that lingers like a bruise you can’t stop touching.

Blurb

Liam is just trying to finish high school and keep his secrets to himself. Mr. Hilton, his English teacher, is everything Liam shouldn’t want—straight, married, and way off-limits—but possibly…interested. What starts as an innocent crush blurs into something more real, more intense, and more dangerous than either of them can control.

Because some lines should not be crossed. Some lessons can’t be unlearned. And some desires come at a terrible price.

The Teacher Inside Me is an emotionally charged LGBTQ+ psychological thriller about longing, power, and the darkness within us all.

Originally racking up 2.6 million reads by a global audience on Wattpad before it was banned, this newly revised and completely uncensored edition invites you back into the shadows—rawer, deeper, and more haunting than ever.

This is the book they tried to bury—but The Teacher Inside Me is too disruptive to ever disappear.

Excerpt 

I can’t believe he’s wearing that cologne again. Today of all days. A test day. A day when we get handed an exam with a series of questions about the Anton Chekhov play, The Seagull. A day when we have to scribble answers in the form of short essays to prove not only that we read the play from beginning to end but also that we thought about it deeply. First line: “Why do you always wear black?” Last line: “The fact is, he’s shot himself.” And everything in between.

I’m sitting in the front of the classroom, dead center, because we all were randomly assigned seats at the beginning of the school year and I guess I happened to be unlucky. Never before have I willingly chosen to be this far up front, an open target for questions posed, stripped of the privilege of blending in. But in this class, I don’t mind all that much because it means I get to be close to Mr. Hilton, closer than any other student.

I can smell him from here, and it’s making me swoon. I know it’s an old-fashioned word, “swoon,” but that’s the best way to describe how I’m feeling. How am I going to make it through this test? The scent—his scent—has managed to crawl far up my nose. And that may sound like a complaint. But it’s not.

I’ve always been sensitive to smells. And when the smell is wafting from a man I find extremely attractive, a man in his early thirties who seems simultaneously young and mature, a man whose rugged stubble covers a boyish face, a man whose wavy dark brown hair is short enough to be considered clean-cut but long enough for someone like his wife to run her fingers through, a man whose slim blue jeans and red dress shirt reveal the contours of his fit body, a man who doesn’t belong in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles teaching English but does belong in between the pages of a men’s fashion magazine . . . well . . .

The room is spinning a little, the way it does when I sometimes get up out of bed too fast. A comforting warmth fills my entire head and melts down onto my shoulders and the rest of my body. My heart: is it beating faster? My stomach: is it tightening up? Down further: what?

To put it simply: his cologne is driving me crazy. Like I want to leap out of my chair, pin him against the chalkboard, and ram my tongue down his mouth so deep and so long that I could tell exactly what he had for breakfast. Gross, I know. But these are my thoughts. And if I can’t be honest in my thoughts, then life would suck even more than it does now. I mean, I can’t be honest in my words and actions. And that’s one of the reasons I can’t wait to graduate. To get out of this city, Point Liberty, where I was born and where I don’t want to die. I want to move to a place where nobody knows me and I can finally be myself.

About the Author 

Anthony Auswat is the author of hot and dangerous gay thrillers, including The Teacher Inside Me and Hunter’s Hidden Camera—which collectively racked up more than three million reads on Wattpad before being banned. He lives in Los Angeles, where he writes under a pen name to protect the guilty, hide from his bosses, and get away with murder.

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Continue ReadingNEW RELEASE: “The Teacher Inside Me” by Anthony Auswat.

NEW RELEASE: “The 39 Steps: A Contemporary Reimagining” by L M Somerton

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The 39 Steps: A Contemporary Reimagining

Author: L M Somerton

Publisher: Totally Entwined

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Cover Artist: Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Tense/POV: third person, present tense

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Tropes: Peril, self-sacrifice, accidental hero 

Themes: Saving the world

Heat Rating:  4 flames     

Length: 50 955 words

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

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

First for Romance   |  Pride Publishing

Uncover the conspiracy, outrun the enemy, and trust no one—survival is the ultimate test.

Blurb

Oberon Wycherley never thought his dull London life could take a deadly turn—until a frantic neighbour, American journalist Art Carew, claims to have uncovered an international conspiracy. A Greek industrialist is marked for assassination by a shadowy cabal called the Black Stone and that’s only the beginning.

When Carew is found dead in his flat, Oberon finds himself the prime suspect—and the only one who can stop the plot. Fleeing to the rugged Scottish Highlands, Oberon must decipher Carew’s cryptic notebook while dodging assassins and evading the police. Along the way, he forms an unlikely partnership with the enigmatic Syd Whatten, a man whose charm is matched only by his secrets.

As the Black Stone’s sinister plan accelerates, Oberon and Syd race against time to unmask the conspirators. From explosive escapes to a high-stakes standoff on a storm-battered coastline, every step brings them closer to the truth—and deeper into danger.

Will they foil the plot in time? Or will Oberon become another casualty of a deadly game?

A gripping blend of espionage, danger, and unexpected alliances, The 39 Steps will leave you breathless to the last page.

Excerpt 

“I’m gonna go sit in the corner and browse my phone like a normal human.” Oberon paid for his drinks and the wine he’d be taking home with him then took his glass and snagged a table in the corner next to the window. His job meant keeping an eye on the news so he could justify a bit of doom-scrolling as work. The media sites were full of the usual rubbish about the royals, D-list celebrities and the cost of living. Oberon browsed anything he could find that was remotely related to mining and mining companies. There was a particularly interesting piece about deep seabed mining for polymetallic nodules. Potato-sized lumps containing copper, cobalt, nickel and manganese…hmm, all crucial to battery manufacture. The mention of potato was enough to make his stomach rumble. He took his glass back to the bar, said goodbye to Marley, who handed him a bag containing his bottles of wine, then headed for home.

The rain had stopped, leaving a fine, clear evening. Everything smelled freshly washed. As Oberon walked back to his flat near Portland Place, the crowds surged around him, busy and chattering, snapping pictures of anything and everything. He envied their easy-going camaraderie and excitement even if he didn’t understand the attraction of countless selfies. The shop assistants, office workers in sharp suits, street cleaners and buskers all had things to do and places to be. He gave a few pound coins to a homeless guy hunched in a tatty sleeping bag in a closed-down shop doorway because he saw him yawn; he was a fellow-sufferer. At Oxford Circus, Oberon looked up at the sky and made a vow. I’ll give this place another week and if nothing exciting happens, I’ll stick a pin in a map and buy a one-way flight.

His short-term home was on the first floor of a newish block behind Langham Place. He was flat-sitting for a friend who’d taken a six-month engineering contract in Brazil and the rent he was charging Oberon was peanuts compared to the going rate in the area. The building was upmarket enough to merit a security desk in the entrance hall, along with mailboxes and a well-maintained noticeboard. The lobby smelled of lemons.

His friend had a cleaner who came in three times a week and though Oberon didn’t make enough mess to justify it, he didn’t want to take the woman’s income. Magdalena traded light duties for baking, leaving him Polish sweets and pastries that did nothing for his waistline. There was a lift, which Oberon rejected in favour of the stairs, thinking of those pastries.

He was fitting his key into the lock when another man made his way up the stairs. He moved quietly and his sudden appearance made Oberon start. He was slim, with a short reddish-brown beard, orange-streaked hair and washed-out grey eyes. He was half a head shorter than Oberon’s six feet one.

“You’re my upstairs neighbour, aren’t you?” Oberon recognised him as the occupant of a flat on the next floor. They’d exchanged hellos once or twice in passing but nothing more.

“I am, Mr. Wycherley. I’ve been hanging around waiting for you,” the man said. “Can I come in for a minute?” He seemed to be making an effort to steady his voice, and he reached for Oberon’s arm but didn’t touch him. “My name is Art Carew. I won’t take up much of your time.”

Oberon didn’t feel he could refuse. He got his door open and motioned Art in. No sooner was Art over the threshold than he made a dash for the kitchen, where he peered out of the window before coming back.

“Is the door locked?” he asked, not waiting for a response before fastening the security chain in place himself. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m taking advantage, but you look like the kind of man who might understand. I’m in trouble and I need a favour. It won’t cost you anything.”

Oberon debated throwing him out there and then but he was bored and the man was intriguing, if a bit odd. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll listen. Can I get you a drink?” He looks like he needs one.

“That would be kind and very welcome.”

There was a tray of decanters and glasses on a table next to the couch. Oberon poured his visitor a generous neat whisky. Art downed it in one. “Another?”

“Thank you but no. I should keep a clear head, but that one helped steady the nerves.”

“My landlord appreciates a single malt. Take a seat. I’ll just be a minute.” Oberon carried his wine through to the kitchen then took off his jacket before returning to the living room. “So, tell me what’s going on.”

“Yeah, I should, shouldn’t I?” Art said. “I’m a bit shaken up and not thinking straight. You see, I’m dead.”

About the Author 

Lucinda lives in a small village in the English countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, cows and sheep. She started writing to fill time between jobs and is now firmly and unashamedly addicted.

She loves the English weather, especially the rain, and adores a thunderstorm. She loves good food, warm company and a crackling fire. She’s fascinated by the psychology of relationships, especially between men, and her stories contain some subtle (and some not so subtle) leanings towards BDSM.

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Continue ReadingNEW RELEASE: “The 39 Steps: A Contemporary Reimagining” by L M Somerton

RECENT RELEASE: “Force Majeure: A Pain and Pleasure Story” by Elizabeth Noble. $10.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Included!

RECENT RELEASE

Book Title: Force Majeure: A Pain and Pleasure Story

Author: Elizabeth Noble

Publisher: Howling Corgi Press

Cover Artist: TL Bland

Release Date: March 18, 2025

Pairing: MM and MMM

Tense/POV: third person, past tense, alternating POV

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, BDSM, Menage, Mystery/suspense

Tropes: Established couple, threesome, lover turned stalker, D/s lifestyle, kidnapped, protector

Themes: Forgiveness and redemption, spicy marriage, loyalty, perseverance 

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 26 000 words/110 pages

It is a standalone story. 

It is a continuation of a series of shorter stories, the Pain and Pleasure series. 

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads 

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited  

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |   Amazon  UK 

One simple act could change your life.

Blurb

One simple act could change your life.

Ian Groden and Taren Murdoch have a good life. Their marriage is solid, and their Dom/sub lifestyle makes for an amazing and extra spicy sex life. Meeting with another man, Kevin, on occasion adds another level of excitement to their marriage.

For Ian, the only thing better than one Dom is two!

Taren loves watching Ian being dominated by Kevin. Ian craves complete submission to Taren when they’re alone again.

Problems arise when Kevin decides he doesn’t want to remain the casual third man. He puts in motion a plan to drive a wedge through Taren and Ian’s relationship, forcing them to fight for each other and their marriage. Can they put their life back together and regain what could be lost?

Excerpt 

Taren Murdoch was kind, soft-spoken, and incredibly capable, with broad shoulders and a quick smile. He’d stayed with Ian until his parents arrived, despite Ian’s protests that it wasn’t necessary. Not wanting to let on how frightened he’d been waiting in the cold and dark for help to arrive, Ian tried to brush off the experience. Taren would have none of it and stayed with Ian for the hours it took his parents to make their way to the hospital.

Taren made Ian feel safe. He was darn nice on the eyes, too. They’d started dating not long after and had been married for nearly eight years. Ian loved Taren, heart and soul. Never once did Ian doubt Taren felt the same way.

“You know it’s your choice. You’re in control of this situation. I’m happy either way. Kevin is…a nice distraction from reality. But I love you. I married you. No one, and I mean no one, comes before that.” Taren swept up both cards and tore them up. “It’s great to help you experience something I was able to, but Christ, Ian, if this is going to cause you so much anxiety, I’ll tell him never to contact us again.”

“It’s not making me anxious,” Ian retorted. 

Taren laughed and cocked his head to one side. “Boy, please!”

As when he was on the phone, Taren uttering the word, boy, immediately sent Ian into sub role.

Ian’s gaze dropped to the floor, and he studied his toes. “I’ve laid out some choices for you, Sir.”

“Do you want dinner first?”

Ian shook his head. “No, Sir.” 

If Taren wanted to eat first, Ian was obligated by their Dom/sub agreement to accommodate his wishes. For Taren, Ian’s needs always came first. Ian had such admiration and respect for Taren in part because he was an amazing protector. Taren always seemed to know exactly what to do for Ian in any circumstance.

“Did you prep, or should I do that?”

“I prepped, Sir, but if you want to inspect for yourself,” Ian offered.

Taren smiled softly. “No need. I was simply checking, boy. Go wait for me at the cross.”

Ian nodded. He wouldn’t speak unless asked a question. Hurrying to their bedroom, Ian stood on the low platform holding the cross. He hung his wrists over the ‘arms’ of the cross and leaned his forehead against the longer vertical piece.

A few minutes later he heard Taren enter the bedroom. Ian turned his head far enough to watch as Taren shed his work clothes and pulled on a pair of lightweight, black linen pants.

Taren sat on the bed and sorted through the toys and equipment Ian had laid out. Ian had to shift his weight and turn his head the other way when Taren moved to their storage area. Taren added a wooden paddle, wrist and ankle restraints, and plastic nipple clamps. All those items joined Ian’s picks on the bed. Taren cleared his throat, and Ian turned back to the cross, leaning his forehead against it and standing straighter.

The first thing Taren did was fit the hood over Ian’s head, sinking him into darkness. The hood was made of thick rubber with openings for his mouth and nostrils. Ian’s sight was completely blacked out, and his hearing was dampened, everything but the loudest noises were muffled. He’d have little or no warning for Taren’s actions. 

Taren pulled gently on the rubber, making sure it was positioned properly. He used two fingers under the hood to make sure Ian’s skin wasn’t pinched or his hair pulled. The purpose of the hood was sensory deprivation, not discomfort or pain.

Ian shuddered and gasped when the nipple clamps were snapped into place. Next, Taren crisscrossed the leather straps of Ian’s harness across his chest and back and buckled it securely. The wide, leather wrist and ankle cuffs were positioned and tightened into place. 

The only way Ian knew Taren had moved away was the loss of heat from his body against Ian’s back. He felt Taren return, then jumped when Taren used his hands over Ian’s to have him curl his fingers around the cross and hold on. The vibration against Ian’s back when Taren chuckled added to his overall mood of expectation. Taren ran one hand over Ian’s back before reaching around to put pressure on his belly, getting him to take a step back and extend his arms. He gripped Ian’s hips and pulled back, positioning him, so Ian’s legs were slightly spread, and his ass jutted out.

Ian took a few deep breaths, bracing himself for what he knew was coming next.

About the Author

Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE lives by the adage “I can’t not write.” She doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t make up stories and eventually she learned how to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M fiction. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural.

When she’s not chronicling the adventures of her many characters, Elizabeth is a veterinary nurse living in her native Cleveland, Ohio. She has three grown children and now happily shares her little, brick house with two spunky Cardigan Welsh Corgis and their feline sidekicks. Elizabeth is a fan of baseball, basketball (go Cavs and Guardians) and gardening. She can often be found working in her ‘outside office’ listening to classic rock and plotting her next novel waiting for it to be dark enough to gaze at the stars.

 Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards. Code Name Jack Rabbit and The Vampire Guard series placed third in The Paranormal Romance Guild 2022 Reviewer Awards in the LGBT/ROMANCE/ACTION ADVENTURE/MILITARY individual book and series categories.

Author Links

Blog/Website  | QueeRomance Ink  | Liminal Fiction

Facebook  |   Facebook Author page  |  BlueSky 

Newsletter sign-up  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest

BookBub  |  JMS page  |  Amazon

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Continue ReadingRECENT RELEASE: “Force Majeure: A Pain and Pleasure Story” by Elizabeth Noble. $10.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Included!

NEW RELEASE: “Nothing but the Night” by Thom Collins. Rafflecopter Giveaway Included!

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Nothing but the Night (Basic Instincts Book 2)

Author: Thom Collins

Publisher: Entwined Publishing

Cover Artist: Kelly Martin

Release Date: April 8, 2025

POV/Tense: third person/past tense

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, mystery/suspense/thriller

Tropes: detective, murder mystery, crime, erotic romance, suspense 

Themes: family, secrets, sex work

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: 64 958 words/253 pages

It is a standalone story that is part of a wider series. 

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Universal Buy Link

Be careful what you look for in the night.

Blurb

Three months after the death of his brother, Marc Glass faces a whole new dilemma. A tabloid journalist has made a connection between Theo and a prominent politician. Theo’s death might not be all it seems. Marc knew all about his brother’s secret sex work, but it’s a scandal that would destroy his family, who have already suffered enough.

Private Detective Jason Durham might be the answer. Marc enlists Jason’s agency to look into Theo’s unsolved murder. The police investigation is dead, but if they can solve the case on their own, they could head off the potentially damaging story. Marc isn’t sure who he can trust with the details of Theo’s life, but Jason seems like the man.

As secrets are uncovered, Marc and Jason must fight their attraction to each other, but when their prime witness is murdered, they are suddenly caught in a web of mystery and increasing danger.

As the nights grow darker, will either of them make it until morning?

Excerpt

Marc saw him fully for the first time and was startled. At forty-four, it had been a long time since he’d been instantly affected by the physical appearance of a man, but Jason was stunning. It was his large, expressive eyes that first drew him in. They were a pale shade, somewhere between green and blue, and they gave a boyish quality to his masculine face. His dark-blond hair was swept to the right, short at the back and sides with a little length on top. He had a well-trimmed beard, brown and seasoned with flecks of grey. His mouth was wide. Marc had the most insane urge to kiss it. When he smiled, he revealed a small gap between his two front teeth, which only made him even sexier.

The body beneath his clothes was fit. More athletic than muscled, and there was an almost military bearing about his posture, with his shoulders back and his chest held proudly.

Jason sat and leaned across the file on his desk, looking at the notes, granting Marc a peek down the open neck of his shirt, and a tantalising hint of chest hair.

Get hold of yourself. Remember the reason you are here.

“So, this is about your brother?” Jason said, reading the file. Marc had given the briefest summary of his case to Olivia when he’d called to make the appointment yesterday.

“Yes, but it’s probably not what you’re thinking. My brother isn’t missing or anything like what you’re used to dealing with.”

Jason looked at him with wide, reassuring eyes. “There’s no such thing as a usual case in this business. Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what the problem is.”

Marc sighed. The beginning. He didn’t even know where that was. “Theo died in December. Down on the waterfront by the Vermont Hotel? You probably heard about it. He was killed by a car as he crossed the road in front of the hotel. Some of the witnesses say the car drove straight at him, but the police were never convinced.”

Jason pushed the file to one side. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Yes, I remember it. There must have been CCTV coverage. There are cameras all along the waterfront. And at the hotel too.”

“There are, but it’s inconclusive whether the car changed course to hit him or not. The resolution of the images isn’t great. I must have watched it a million times and even I can’t decide on what I’m seeing.”

“I take it the driver was never caught. Do you want me to investigate further? See if I can track them down?”

Marc shook his head. “That’s not why I’m here. It’s more…complicated than that. The car was discovered burned out a few miles away. It was stolen and they never found the driver. Have you heard of Nadine Smythe? The journalist.”

Was that a tiny twitch at the corner of Jason’s mouth?

Jason nodded. “Of course. Blyham’s finest.” There was no mistaking the sarcasm in his tone.

“She came to visit me yesterday. She’s conducting her own investigation into Theo’s death… Theo’s murder.”

About the Author 

Thom Collins is the author of the Jagged Shores series and the Anthem Trilogy as well as numerous standalone novels and novellas. 

His new series Basic Instincts launches in spring 2025 with the novel Now Comes the Dark.

Thom has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age, but in 2013 he realized cruising is the best way to see the world.

Check out his website for news updates and a free ebook The Night.

Social Media Links

Website  |    BlueSky

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |   Newsletter Sign-up   

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of 5 ebook copies of the series so far:

Now Comes the Dark

Nothing But the Night

Night Crimes (a standalone short story prequel)

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Continue ReadingNEW RELEASE: “Nothing but the Night” by Thom Collins. Rafflecopter Giveaway Included!

NEW RELEASE: “Now Comes the Dark” by Thom Collins

 

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Now Comes the Dark

Author: Thom Collins

Publisher: Pride Publishing / Entwined Publishing

Cover Artist: Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Release Date: February 11, 2025

Pairing: Contemporary Dark MM Romance

Tense/POV: Third person

Genres: Thriller/Mystery/Suspense

Tropes: Instant lust, serial killer, community

Themes: Erotic thriller

Heat Rating:  4 flames  

Length: 63 000 words

It is the first book in a new series, but works as a complete standalone

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Universal Link |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Two strangers fuelled by desire, and a killer consumed with lust.


Blurb

Roman Ballentyne is forced to make some changes. The city he loves is no longer safe. Tensions are high as a psychotic killer preys upon the LGBTQ community. Five men have been murdered in the last year. Every encounter is a risk. Anyone could be next. The Viaduct was once the shame of Blyham, an illicit club filled with private booths and dark rooms, sleazy in the extreme. Now it offers a secure space to hook up when it’s too dangerous to take a stranger home.

Mallon Garnier catches Roman’s eye. He’s moody and mature and the hottest man in the club, but as Mallon pairs up with someone else, Roman thinks he’s missed his chance. When Roman is the victim of a hate crime at the end of the night, Mallon is his saviour, taking on his attackers with savage efficiency. Their attraction is immediate and intense. Roman knows it’s wrong to go home with a stranger, but what harm can there be from the man who saved him?

The encounter is the start of an intense and passionate affair. But as the murders continue, Roman learns Mallon is keeping a deep secret, and the killer is closer than he thinks.

Excerpt 

Roman stared at the man who had saved him as they drove away. He tried to speak, but there were no words. His throat was paralysed.

“Come on,” the stranger said. “Before their egos get the better of them and they circle around for another shot.”

“The police,” Roman gasped at last. “You called the police.”

“No. I didn’t have time. And it turns out, I didn’t need them.” He took a gentle grip of Roman’s arm and led him back down the road. “Come on. The New Inn will still be open. We need to get off the streets for now.”

The man walked fast. Roman had trouble keeping up with him and couldn’t stop from looking over his shoulder to see if his attackers were following. The road was clear.

“Thank you,” he said at last. Now that the shock of the ordeal was sinking in, he felt a growing weakness all through his body. I could have died there. At best he’d have faced a trip to the hospital to fix several broken bones. Those men had been serious, and though he hadn’t paid attention to all the hate crimes that had occurred in Blyham, he knew how badly beaten the survivors had been. And five men hadn’t been lucky at all.

“Mallon,” the man said. “My name is Mallon. I couldn’t stand by and watch them get away with that.”

“Thank you,” he repeated. “I’m Roman. How…how did you do that? There were three of them. That could easily have ended differently.”

“Boxing. Boot camps. I’ve been a fighter since I was a boy.”

The New Inn was fifty yards ahead. Roman saw a group of customers outside, and relief rushed through him. People. His kind of people. They were safe—for now, at least.

He glanced at Mallon as they walked. His gaze was fixed in front. A man with purpose and determination. His expression was deadly serious, his jaw taut.

The New Inn was the most traditional of the bars in the village, with old wooden floors and dark wood panelling. The long, original bar led through to a more recent extension and conservatory with a beer garden. The DJ played a selection of songs from the 1970s and ’80s, while the clientele of older gays stood around chatting. The bar area was packed. Mallon guided Roman through the crowd to the near-empty beer garden. Efficient heaters kept the night chill at bay.

“Stay here,” Mallon said, releasing his arm once Roman was seated. “What do you want to drink?”

“Vodka. Diet Coke.”

Mallon nodded and left him.

Roman wrapped his arms around himself and shivered, despite the warmth. Fuck. He’d never experienced anything as frightening in his entire life. Like any gay man, he was used to homophobia, but the abuse he’d experienced in the past had always been verbal—name calling and hateful comments. This was the first time he’d been threatened with physical danger. And if Mallon hadn’t turned up when he did? Roman shuddered and his heart raced again.

About the Author 

Thom Collins is the author of the Jagged Shores series and the Anthem Trilogy as well as numerous standalone novels and novellas. 

His new series Basic Instincts launches in spring 2025 with the novel Now Comes the Dark.

Thom has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age, but in 2013 he realized cruising is the best way to see the world.

Check out his website for news updates and a free ebook The Night

Social Media Links

Website  |    BlueSky

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |   Newsletter Sign-up   

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win 

one of 5 ebook copies of Now Comes the Dark and Night Crimes (a standalone short story) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Continue ReadingNEW RELEASE: “Now Comes the Dark” by Thom Collins