S.E.X. Spotlight & Giveaway~ Emjay Haze

Home is Where You Are Media Pack

Author: Emjay Haze

Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Release Date: 1/26/18

Genre: m/m contemporary romance

Pages: 95

Part of the States of Love Series by DreamSpinner Press

Available for pre-sale

DreamSpinnerPress: 

Amazon: 

Home is Where You are

Blurb: For a chance at a future filled with love, he’ll have to face a painful past.

Eric, recently dumped by his boyfriend, is summoned home after his dad suffers a stroke. His family farm in rural Vermont holds memories he’d rather forget, but he—with his degree in agricultural business—is needed to clear up a predicament with the bank. In trying to forget the bad, Eric has also lost sight of the good: green meadows dotted with grass-fed dairy cows and the sugar maples that once produced the area’s finest maple syrup. With Eric’s help, they will again.

A captivating farmhand named Phil tempts Eric to give the countryside another chance, but before they can consider being together, Eric must move past more than his feelings for his ex-boyfriend—he’ll need to stand up to the ghosts that sent him running from the farm in the first place….

Excerpt

Something felt off. Drew’s car wasn’t in the driveway, yet the door was unlocked and the lights were on. Had they been broken into? Eric had only been gone a couple of hours at the gym. Eric carefully walked into their spacious living room and noticed two boxes, filled with Drew’s books, sitting on the floor next to the leather sofa.“What the...?” Not a break-in. Maybe a breakout?

“Hey, you’re back.” A man about Eric’s age, with a slight build and shock of blond hair, emerged out of his kitchen holding a bottle of beer from Eric’s refrigerator. The guy startled when he looked at Eric, like he was expecting someone else. Drew.

Eric glared at the intruder. “Who the hell are you?”

“Uh, um.” The guy looked around the room, shifting his feet. He seemed to come together as he walked over and reached out his hand. “I’m Sean. You must be Drew’s roommate.”

Roommate? That’s what Drew told him? Eric folded his arms and glared at the pixie, feeling a little better that he was making this guy squirm. “What’s going on, and who are you to Drew?” The guy shrank back. “Oh—

” Eric stared him down, enjoying his obvious discomfort.

“Babe!” A shout came from the front entrance, as the late afternoon sunlight flooded the room from the open door. Eric and Sean remained in their standoff as Drew bounded into the room. Since Drew never referred to Eric as “babe,” he must be talking to the twink.

“Oh, hey, Eric. So I have great news.” He brings a guy into their apartment, leaves him alone to do God knows what, and offers no explanation, but has great news?

This ought to be good.

“You know that promotion I was trying to get?” Drew was the golden boy at the bank where they worked in downtown Burlington. He’d been groomed for management, and Eric knew it was only a matter of time before Drew was made bank manager. He was tall, good-looking, and smart. He also had a sharp tongue and always knew exactly what to say in a room full of executives. Eric envied that about him. “I wasn’t going to say anything until Monday morning when it’s official, but...”

Eric blinked. “Did you get it?” What did that have to do with what was going on here?

“I’m moving to New York,” he announced.

What?

 “They’ve made me account executive for the main branch. I’ll transfer my accounts to you over

the next couple of weeks.”

“I didn’t know you applied for a transfer.” How long had this been in the works, and when was he planning to tell Eric? That still didn’t explain why he was leaving the apartment now. He knew Eric would be gone.

“You know I’ve always loved the city.”

Yeah, our city. Okay, Burlington, Vermont wasn’t bustling like New York, but it had a spectacular view of the mountains. Their apartment was minutes from historic Church Street Mall and overlooked Lake Champlain. Eric loved looking out their massive picture window. Sometimes he swore he could see the mysterious legend, Champ, who had supposedly lived in the lake for thousands of years, diving under the water.

Drew moved away from Eric and stood next to Sean, who curled into him. Eric seethed. They looked too comfortable for this to be a new thing.

Eric folded his arms and frowned. “This seems really sudden.”

Drew shrugged. “Hey, babe?” He addressed the uncomfortable-looking twink again, who looked up at him with adoring eyes like a puppy whose owner just came home after a long day. Eric expected his tongue to hang out and an invisible tail to begin wagging. “Wait outside for me?”

“So who is that?” Eric asked once Sean was out of ear range.

“Sean.” Drew stood with his arms folded. He clearly didn’t want to explain the guy. Eric rolled his eyes.

“And who is he to you?”

“Eric, let’s not do this.” Drew sighed as though irritated by the questioning.

“Do what? Are you breaking up with me?”

“We’re not boyfriends.” Then what were they? They’d been sleeping together for the past year. But that’s all they did. Humiliation seeped into his gut as he realized the truth. Their relationship was a sham.

“And you and that guy are?” Eric felt his face warm. What the fuck. This day sucked.

  

Giveaway:

I have a rafflecopter giveaway of 3 e-copies of Home is Where you Are, and a Grand prize of the e-book and a gift pack of Vermont maple syrup and maple candy.

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Hi Evelise,

Thank you so much for having me.

1. Is there a genre you haven’t written in that you would love to write?

I used to love to read spy novels and my favorite author was Robert Ludlum.  His books were so intelligent and interesting. I think it would be a lot of fun to write a book like that.  I can’t promise the main character wouldn’t be a gay man, but the story wouldn’t really be about that, it would just be a part of him.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I think I always wanted to be a writer, but didn’t really know how to start. I took a novel writing workshop from writer’s digest probably thirty years ago, before I had kids and really knew nothing.  I learned so much from writing fanfiction and then getting a degree in creative writing that

3. Do you have any pets? If you could choose any pet you want, fictional or real, what would you choose?

I have a year-old, seventy-five-pound mutt named Max who’s the love of my life, lol. A cat named Tux, who stays outside most of the time because of Max, a gecko and tank full of tropical ocean fish. I used to be totally a cat person, but our last dog Toby, biggest sweetheart ever, and Max have worn me down.

4. Who is your favorite character in a book/story you have written and why?

I can’t answer that. It’s like picking your favorite child. I love all of my guys equally 😊.

However, there are some minor characters that I absolutely loved writing. In this story, there was Darla, the bartender, and Donny. They’re both really cool and I could definitely be friends with them. In my book scheduled to come out later this year, After Hours, Andrea is my favorite besides my boys Alex and Nick.  She’s a hoot and I enjoyed writing her a lot. She’s feisty and has a great sense of humor.

5. What’s your writing process like? Are you a plotter, a pantser, or both?

I’m definitely a pantser. I try making a general outline, but don’t usually get very far, because I don’t know where the story is going yet. I’ve gotten better, but I really just like writing and seeing where stuff will go. I love when my characters surprise me.

6. Why did you decide to write Gay Romance?

About 9 years ago, I started reading fanfiction based off a celeb, and it was all m/m stories. I fell in love with the genre and wrote fanfic myself for years when I decided to get one of my stories published. I’ve been writing gay romance ever since.

7. What are you currently working on? What can we expect from you in the future?

I have a three-book series I’m working on right now, called After Hours.  The first is in editing and I’m currently writing the second one. 

8. If you were stranded on a desert island, besides food and water, what could you not live without?

My phone and laptop, definitely.  I need both, lol.  I spend way too much time on my phone playing games, but the laptop is an extension of me. It’s where I write.

9. How do you come up with ideas for your stories?

Usually driving in the car, lol. There’s one road that’s near my house and it’s tree-lined.  Not sure if that’s why, but that seems to be where ideas just pop into my head and I’ll think, that would be a great story. I have to quickly write them down, though, or I’ll forget them.

10. Out of any characters you've written, who are you most like?

I don’t think I’m like any of my characters, lol.  But, I think traits that either I am like, or I wish I was like, pop into some of my characters, especially the secondary ones.

11. What's the biggest challenge you face when writing?

Getting started. Focusing. I get easily distracted. My phone’s sitting right there open to my favorite game, email’s open on my desktop, etc.  Sometimes, I close all my browsers and put the phone away so I can concentrate.  Once I get going though, it’s on.

Author Bio:

Emjay Haze is a Pennsylvania girl living in a Virginia world, growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs and moving to Northern Virginia to follow her now husband of twenty-plus years. She has two kids in college, a year-old puppy named Max, a black-and-white cat named Tux, a gecko named Rex, a yellow tang called Reggie, and we hear the eels are coming this week.

The family pastime is baseball, specifically the Nationals. She’s also a huge Redskins fans and loves classic rock. Emjay graduated with a degree in Creative Writing in 2015 after realizing it was the only thing she really wanted to do.

She has a wide and diverse work history in the fields of travel, hotel management, high-tech communications, web development, real estate, and the nonprofit health care industry where she has held positions such as travel agent, hotel concierge, web programmer, Realtor, account manager, and many, many others, giving her a varied and unique set of experiences that she draws upon in her stories and characters.

Emjay fell in love with the m/m romance genre after discovering the world of fanfiction several years ago and hasn’t looked back. Her family keeps asking when she’ll write something they can read, but she’s still having too much fun with her boys. Her goal is to broaden the minds of those who might not normally pick up a gay romance because it’s more about the person than the sexuality. She’ll take you on a roller-coaster journey, but you’ll always get a happy ending.

Website: www.mjhauthor.com/emjayhaze

Twitter: @emjayhaze

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emjayhaze

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14254769.Emjay_Haze

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2018 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

S.E.X. Review~ What the Cat Dragged In by B.A. Tortuga

A Sanctuary Novel

Don’t people know that cats and dogs don’t mix?

Connor Ragbone finds things. Sometimes it’s gold, sometimes jewels, sometimes people. Set in his hippie ways, he never thought he’d find a pack, but with Sam and Gus and their goofy shifter family, he fits right in. Then he finds Brock.

Shifter Brock Herman is undercover alone, working to break up a poaching ring. The last thing he needs is for Connor to wreck his sting. And now the crazy bobcat just won’t go away!

The poachers lead Brock and Connor on a merry chase all over Western Colorado looking for shifter bears, but it’s a lost pup who brings them back to Nevada and the pack Sam and Gus are building. That’s when Brock has to decide whether he still travels alone or if Connor and his crazy family are where his heart belongs.

This follow-up to Just Like Cats and Dogs is a feel-good shifter romance novel where cats and dogs prove they can be way more than the enemies nature has made them.

Just Like Cats and Dogs by BA Tortuga was on my top twenty list of shifter books and book two in the Sanctuary series- What the Cat Dragged In has now been placed there as well.

Connor and Brock were as yummy as Sam and Gus in book one. Connor found things- his instincts and feelings allowed him to roam, rescue, and sometimes bring home- this time he found his mate.

Brock assisted the Fish & Game Department and a few shifter bears in dealing with illegal bear poaching. Together Connor and Brock tore up the poachers and unfortunately themselves.

Ms. Tortuga has a way with her writing- very distinctive and fulfilling- her character development gave depth to all persons involved and made them come to life off the pages.

Sexy men gave way to sexy scenes scorching the e-reader and placing a smile on my face.

All the characters entwined thus accentuating the world building of the series. The addition of new babies, the bears, and the hint of a third book captured my attention and left me wanting for more.

What the Cat Dragged In was charming, funny, and sexy- adding credence to Ms. Tortuga's ability to write a captivating tale.

Definite S.E.X.

A five handcuff review

Dreamspinner Press Buy Link

Amazon Buy Link

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2017 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

S.E.X. Review~ The Perils of Intimacy by Rick R. Reed

Jimmy and Mark make an adorable couple. Jimmy’s kindness (and clean-cut cuteness) radiates out of him like light. Mark, although a bit older, complements Jimmy with his humor and his openness to love.

But between them, a dark secret lurks, one that has the power to destroy.

See, when Mark believes he's meeting Jimmy for the first time in the diner where he works, he's wrong.

Mark has no recollection of their original encounter because the wholesome Jimmy of today couldn’t be more different than he was two years ago. Back then, Jimmy sported multiple piercings, had long bleached dreadlocks, facial hair, and was painfully skinny. And he was a meth addict. The drug transformed him into a different person—a lying, conniving thief who robbed Mark blind during their one-night stand.

Mark doesn’t associate the memory of a hookup gone horribly wrong with this fresh-faced, smiling twenty-something… but Jimmy knows. As they begin a dance of love and attraction, will Jimmy be brave enough to reveal the truth? And if he does, will Mark be able to forgive him? Can he see Jimmy for the man he is now and not the addict he was? The answers will depend on whether true love holds enough light to shine through the darkness of past mistakes.

Reading The Perils of Intimacy by Rick R. Reed left me with mixed emotions. Jimmy and Marc's story was complicated and although the story ended with an HEA, an underlying sense of forebode and despair permeated the pages. 

Jimmy's past drug addiction defined his life and although clean and sober for two years his daily struggle emanated through the story. Mr. Reed's characterization through Jimmy's eyes was well written.

I never felt as if I connected with either man and the word flow caused a disjointedness which left it difficult for me to follow along.

Having said that, the love, struggle and friendships was apparent. A tad bit spiritual, The Perils of Intimacy was a good read.

Sexy and Sizzling 

A four handcuff review 

DSP Buy Link    Amazon Buy Link

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2017 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

S.E.X. Review~ Fair Catch by Leigh Carman

Two men.

One night of passion.

They never expected to see each other again.

They were wrong.

Tobias Bennett is a quiet and unassuming man who teaches yoga and enjoys parkour. Though he is proud to be gay, an abusive relationship with a domineering man has left Tobias wary of romance, and he keeps to himself in his tidy Los Angeles apartment.

Pro football player Sullivan Archer is Tobias’s complete opposite: loud, brash, fond of the spotlight… and deep in the closet. When a hamstring injury sends Van to Tobias as part of his therapy, neither of them is expecting to come face-to-face with his one-night stand. Now they’re stuck together throughout Van’s healing process, and the close proximity will force them to deal with some hard truths. For Tobias, it’s realizing his hookup is a celebrity. For Van, it means accepting that he likes Tobias more than he wanted. They’ll both have to acknowledge that if they choose to pursue a relationship, their lives will change in big ways.


*The Players of LA Series are standalones, but characters from each book to appear in subsequent novels. It is recommended to read in order to maximize the reading experience*

Prologue

Do you believe in love at first sight? No? Thank fuck. Neither do I.

—Sullivan Archer, wide receiver for the LA Wild Cats

  

Van and Toby meet

Toby

I turn to leave the narrow hall and at the exact same time, the door marked “office” flies open and a handsome man steps out. He’s bigger than me, tall and burly, with auburn hair and a ginger beard. The black T-shirt pulling tight across his impressive chest displays the bar’s provocative logo.

“Excuse me.” I drop my gaze and try to make myself as small as possible as I move to duck around him.

“Wait.” The big man grabs my wrist, and my heart leaps into my throat.

Oh God. He sees my hard-on.

My adrenal gland kicks into high gear, flooding my veins with anxiety and embarrassment. Heart pounding, I spin around and yank out of the man’s hold as I attempt to control the tightness in my chest. The guy holds up his hands to show he isn’t trying to pull any shit with me. “Sorry, buddy. Didn’t mean to startle you. I was just wondering if I could talk to you for a second in the office.” He nods toward the door.

With a huff, I cross my arms over my chest, then uncross them and scratch my head, unsure what to do with my hands. “Why on earth would I go in there with you? I don’t know you.” Plus, I might be athletic and in good shape, but I’m the opposite of huge. This guy has a half a foot and at least forty pounds on me.

The man grins, his navy-blue eyes sparkling. He holds out a one of his giant mitts. “Griff Freeman. I own this club.”

I eye his hand warily, but end up shaking it despite the overwhelming urge to flee. “Toby Bennett.” We drop hands, and because I’m an idiot, I can’t help but explain myself. “I haven’t done anything wrong.” He’s not bringing me into the office to kick me out because I overheard sex in the bathroom, is he? They don’t do that, do they?

Griff laughs. “No. You haven’t. But what I want to discuss is a sensitive matter. You’d be doing me a huge favor if you’d just duck into my office for a quick second.”

Sensitive? Now I’m on high alert, my muscles drawing as tight as a bow. I take a step back.

“A favor? What kind of favor?”

“Trust me, kid. You’ll probably end up thanking me,” Griff says, grinning.

Griff holds open the office door and awaits my decision.

It feels like this is a crossroads of sorts in my life. I can continue hiding, letting my past run my life, or I can take a chance and throw caution to the wind. What the hell do I have to lose? For the first time in my life, I don’t overthink my decision. Instead, I walk through that damn door with my head held high….

And my jaw drops open when I look around inside.

Van

From my position across the room, I take in the lean, attractive man who walks through the door. Griff did well. Very, very well. He brought me the exact one I wanted. The one I pointed out near the bar. This guy is exactly my type.

If I had to guess, from the wary look in his eyes, I’d say the young man is about my age though he looks significantly younger due to his small frame and full lips. He’s several inches under six feet, but well toned without being overly huge. His dark, almost black hair flops down over his brows, and his skin is pale and smooth, without a single blemish or spot on it. But what really draws me in, what I couldn’t see in the camera feed in the dark club, are crystal blue eyes so light they remind me of the massive glaciers in Alaska. Only this man’s eyes aren’t icy and cold, they’re warm and inviting and… very frightened?

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Griff says from behind the beautiful man.

“What?” The blue-eyed beauty spins around, gaping as Griff takes off. Once the door shuts, he slowly turns back to me, his face a mask of worry and suspicion. Damn, it wasn’t my intention to freak the guy out.

“Have a seat.” I point at the black leather and chrome chair next to mine, both placed opposite Griff’s incredibly tidy desk—the neat freak—and throw him a wink. The man doesn’t move. In fact, he looks as if he’s about to bolt. I can’t have that. I’m too intrigued to let this one go without at least getting him to talk to me.

I stand up and his eyes nearly bug out of his head. Okay, so I’m big. Really big. Six-foot-six, two hundred and ten pounds—I know I can be intimidating under certain circumstances, and it serves me well. Except right now I’m trying to be a regular guy. Unfortunately, the much smaller man Griff brought in isn’t exactly receptive to whatever vibes I’m putting out.

I don’t understand why this guy is so skittish. Most people are either shocked speechless when they meet me or gush a never-ending line of embarrassing praise.

Is it possible he doesn’t recognize me?

Nope. No way. Everyone in LA recognizes me. Hell, everyone everywhere recognizes me. Which is precisely my problem. More so since the team won the playoffs last week, giving the Wild Cats their first Super Bowl appearance in eighteen years.

“I-I should go,” my guest stammers. “I think there’s been a mistake.” His voice is as beautiful as the man himself, breathy and soft, but clearly masculine.

If he won’t come to me, I’ll go to him. I walk across the room and as I get nearer, he flattens his body against the door. His skin is so flawless and pale, I can see his pulse fluttering at his throat. From this close, it’s apparent the man is quite a bit shorter than I originally thought. Maybe almost a foot less than my own six-foot-six. Griff knows I like my men small and fit, but this one… there are no words. He’s positively breathtaking.

“What’s your name, gorgeous?” I should wait for permission, wait to see if he’s receptive to my advances, but I can’t help myself. I reach out and skim the back of my knuckles across the perfect skin of his throat, stopping to feel the beat of his heart beneath my fingertips before removing my hand.

“I-I’m Toby.”

“Toby. You’re….” I struggle to come up with the proper words to describe his beauty only to find I’m speechless. I move closer and hear Toby’s breath hitch. “Hey, I’m Van.”

Toby blinks those big blue eyes, showing off the thick black lashes that frame them. I rake my gaze down Toby’s perfect, lithe body and spot the substantial bulge in his so-tight-they-should-be-illegal jeans. It seems Toby isn’t exactly as averse to hooking up with me as he wants me to believe. Or maybe he’s turned on by the thrill of the unknown. Taking another chance, I close the distance and press my hips against his, letting Toby feel how turned on I am. Our erections grind together, and Toby groans. His eyelids grow heavy and flutter shut.

“Why me?” Toby asks, his voice raspy with lust. “You’re….” He opens his eyes and motions at my body as if that one gesture says it all. “Why not go out in the club and take your pick?”

I’m shocked. Toby really doesn’t recognize me. Doesn’t know why I can’t waltz out to the middle of the dance floor in a gay bar and pick up a man. My brows scrunch together, and I put my hands on either side of his perfect face, skimming my thumbs across the smooth skin. “I did take my pick, Toby. I chose you.”

Toby blushes and gasps, parting those perfect, red lips. Unable to wait a second longer, I lower my head and take my first taste of this gorgeous specimen. Sweet alcohol and something purely Toby bursts across my tongue. I sigh as he melts against me. Fucking perfect. Toby is definitely going to be one to remember.

Fair Catch by Leigh Carman brought a one-time encounter between Van and Toby full circle when they met again and began to forge a relationship. While the premise of the book was wonderful, it fell short of the mark. For me, it started with the very first scene between Van and Toby. I found Van condescending and entitled, and unfortunately, he never grew on me.

Toby was hot, cold, indifferent, bullied- never one emotion long enough for me to connect with him either.

I found some of the scenes overplayed and not realistic and stunted. Although this is my first book by Leigh Carman, I would like to read more from this author (maybe it was simply my lack of connection to the characters.

Frisky but Nothing to Kinky

A three handcuff review

Dreamspinner Press Buy Link
Amazon Buy Link

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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2017 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.