Wrap-Up Wednesday | July

It’s Wrap-Up Wednesday time, and I don’t have much to report. I’ve read about 20 MF aliens romances (don’t judge! 😆 I was in the mood), and then I’ve been drowning in edits and didn’t feel like reading after having spent the day reading my own words. So…

I have a few, precious few, titles this month.

Cat-astrophe by Liv Rider

I can’t remember when I picked this one up, but it’s short and sweet. Low heat with a mage and a lion shifter, and a disappearing kitty. Cute. (And I just saw it’s free)

Cat astropheMatthew is working on a spell when his cat wants his attention. The accidentally enchanted cat disappears — and re-appears in Matthew’s hot new neighbor’s apartment.

Lion shifter Ethan is happy to meet the kitty welcoming committee. Even if the cat’s cute owner is being kinda weird about why the cat keeps turning up in Ethan’s apartment…

Embarrassed by the accident, Matthew is desperate to make a good impression on Ethan, but how can he do that when his cat is busy cuddling up to Ethan instead?

https://books2read.com/Cat-Astophe

Reluctant Rockstar by Frances Fox

I got an ARC of this one, it’ll be out on August 1st – the perks of having author friends 😁 It’s a story about a world-famous rockstar who’d rather stay at home tending to his garden than go on tour. Who doesn’t like a story with aubergines?!

Reluctant RockstarA tired rock star and a judgemental gardener…what could possibly go wrong?
The Purple Lizards are a rock world phenomenon, but lead singer Martin’s tired of his rock-and-roll persona. He’d rather be at home with his garden. When he gets home from tour he finds his gardener has had a heart attack and Simon, his grandson, is helping him out. Simon’s different to Fred. He talks, for a start. Martin and Fred have a perfectly functional friendship based on long silences and discussions about heritage vegetables. Simon talks about personal things as well. It makes Martin prickly.
Simon’s at a bit of a loss. He stepped up to help his grandfather whilst he was in hospital despite his misgivings about the absent Martin. But Fred clearly likes him, which is unusual. Fred prefers plants to people. That he actively likes a rock star who used to smash up hotel rooms is really strange. Simon’s reserving judgement. Apparently the band have a break in their tour coming up. He’ll see whether he can work for the man once he’s spent some time with him.
A tired rock star and a judgemental gardener…what could possibly go wrong?

https://books2read.com/ReluctantRockstar

Not His Kiss to Take by Finn Marlowe

This is the reread of the month, so you can hop on over to Holly’s and read what I wrote there. Doctors kink. Not my thing. At all. And yet… Dr Pervy Pants has a special place in my heart LOL

Not His Kiss to take

A single kiss could change both their lives forever, but it’s not his kiss to take…

Dr. Evan Harrison has become a recluse, a prisoner inside his own house, felled in his prime by a migraine headache without end. All he’d ever wanted was to be a doctor, and now he’s nothing – until chance delivers a beaten and battered Jamie into his care. Fourteen years his junior, gorgeous, mouthy, stubborn and completely and unquestionably straight. Maybe. Or maybe not…

Jamie doesn’t know what hit him, other than there were three of them, and that he’s broken and in pain and he doesn’t know the identity of the kind stranger with the cold stethoscope and warm eyes taking care of him. And he sure as hell doesn’t know why he likes his bossiness or finds him sexy….

Chance may have brought them together, but a shared attraction keeps them together long after Jamie’s bruises have faded. As Evan enjoys the longest pain-free stretch he’s known in two years, they begin to explore their attraction, the caresses of a kind Jamie’s never known. But even as Evan revels in his young lover’s first, tentative touches, the guilt is never far from mind. Jamie’s never looked at another man romantically and Evan’s never looked at anything but. And Jamie won’t kiss him. That would be…gay.

Evan wants Jamie’s kiss more than he’s ever wanted anything before in his life, but it’s not his kiss to take, its Jamie’s to give. Evan knows wanting Jamie is wrong, their relationship unethical, a relationship forbidden with just cause. He swore an oath to do no harm. And it’s not only his oaths that are going to get broken–he’s never given his heart away before.

 

#WhatToReadWednesday | My Favourite Gay Romances…that I’ve written

It says #WhatToReadWednesday on my to-do today, and my mind is completely blank. I feel like I’m recommending the same books over and over again, so today I’ll do a self-centred post and recommend my own books. Fun, right? 😆

The thing is, there is a sale over at Smashwords, in case you’ve missed it, and most of my books are 50% off throughout July, so if you’ve missed something…

It’s hard to pick favourites among my own books because every story has something that intrigues me or I wouldn’t have written it in the first place, but some are dearer to me than others, even though it often depends on what kind of day we’re on 😁

But I thought I’d do an Ofelia favourite and a Holly favourite in different subgenres.

Contemporary

Contemporary isn’t my favourite genre. I write it when an idea pops up, but most often they don’t LOL When something starts taking form in my mind, there are magic and monsters. But I have quite a few contemporary stories. Most of them are Ofelia books, but I have a few as Holly too.

A favourite of Ofelia’s is #PictaBook. We have a librarian with anxiety issues, a murderous cat, and a hot carpenter. Lots of fun.

My pick of Holly’s will have to be… The Dragon Next Door. It’s a fun grumpy/sunshine story and I love Adrian.

pictabook (small)

Jules Rose leads a quiet life working as a librarian. He’s happy to spend his spare time reading books and talking to his homicidal cat. What more could he wish for? But when his cozy Friday night is shattered by a friend request on his book community app, politeness gives him little choice but to accept. Jules doesn’t want to talk to anyone, but he can’t be rude. Besides, if he had to talk about something, books is the topic he’d pick.Phoenix Ford is dyslexic and avoids everything that has to do with the written word, but when the colleague he’s trying to impress calls him stupid, he decides to convince the other man, he’s mistaken. All he needs is the right book to make him look smart, a perfect balance between intelligent and short. And who better to ask for help than a guy who loves books so much, he labeled one boner-worthy on a book app?When Jules finds out Phoenix never has read a book from start to finish, he’s on a mission. He will find the right book, the book that will make Phoenix fall in love — with reading. Phoenix’s plan might have been to listen to the book Jules picked for him to impress his colleague, but that was before he got to know him. Talking about books is a sure way to Jules’ heart, but is it enough for him to agree to go on a date?

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

thedragonnextdoor

Adrian Green’s new next-door neighbor isn’t really a dragon, but he does snarl an awful lot. The first time Adrian saw Lorcan Walsh, he knew he needed Adrian’s help. Lorcan has a fractured leg and an empty apartment. Luckily, Adrian doesn’t mind helping him fill his lair with gems, and Doris’s second-hand shop has everything a dragon could possibly want. The problem is, Lorcan doesn’t seem to want his apartment decorated, and sneaking presents past a grumpy dragon isn’t easy. All Adrian wants is to cheer Lorcan up, but when Lorcan’s ex appears at the door, Adrian fears not even vintage coffee cups will get them their fairy-tale ending. What if the way to a dragon’s heart isn’t lined with treasures?

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

Paranormal

This is much harder. I have many paranormal stories and it all depends on what you’re in the mood for. Most of them are fated mates, interspecies couples, but I have some that aren’t.

Of Ofelia’s stories, I think I’ll go with… ugh, it’s hard to pick. Part of me wants to go with Soul Eater, but I think I’ll go with Elevator Pitch. It’s short and cute. A bat shifter and a bear shifter are trapped in a lift during a blackout.

As for Holly, it’s an impossible task to pick one! But I’m gonna with A Vampire Chew Toy. It has hurt-comfort, found family, not to mention lots of M&Ms and everyone needs some chocolate in their lives!

elevator pitch

Bjorn Ritter only wants one thing — to live his life away from nosey, demanding bears. That’s easier said than done when you’re the son of the female running the Bayside Bear Community. Cecil Baxter might be a bat, but he grew up away from shifter communities and he’s doing his best to continue to keep his distance. Shifters aren’t an accepting bunch and Cecil has never fit the norm. Already facing a dreaded meeting with his mother, the last thing Bjorn needs is a stranger using his elevator to escape a pack of werewolves. And Cecil, whose day just seems to be getting worse and worse, could really do without the added stress of finding himself trapped in an elevator with a huge bear shifter. Still, what could go wrong in three minutes?

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

avampirechewtoy

Devin Jace lives in a huge mansion together with six other people, five of them turn furry, and one needs to drink blood to survive. Sometimes, he suspects it’s all a dream. Four years ago, he had no idea supernatural beings existed. It wasn’t until he was snatched off the street and forced to live as a blood slave he realized vampires are real and don’t sparkle. Three years ago, Mars O’Ceallaigh was part of the team who saved a badly scarred and severely traumatized Devin. As the only vampire on the team, he got to work undercover. To keep up the facade, he tasted Devin’s blood. Not a day has gone by since without him thinking about it, both the taste of the blood and Devin. But he wants Devin to be happy, and since he knows vampires are his worst nightmare, he does his best to keep out of his way. When the team learns Devin’s captor has escaped prison, Mars is convinced he will come for Devin. Devin might fear Mars, but there is someone he fears more, so when Mars swears to keep him safe, Devin trusts him. Mars more than enjoys being by Devin’s side at all times, but will spending every minute of every day with him be enough to keep him safe?

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

Sci-Fi

Ah, fun and games, fun and games 😆 I don’t write a lot of alien romances, but I probably could spend all my time doing that and not grow bored. Here I’m gonna go with It Doesn’t Translate for Ofelia, and There Will Be Aliens for Holly. They have a few similarities – fated mates, communication problems, tails LOL. 

It Doesn't Translate

Noir Kioko had only ever seen one human before his undercover work brought him to the diner at the Luna Terminal, and that was at a distance. Humans are rare, most of them disappear without a trace, and he hopes hanging around the restaurant will give him a lead on the smuggling ring he’s investigating. There was no way he could’ve known the human would turn out to be his mate, and no way he can let it show without putting his mate in danger and possibly jeopardising his mission. Max Welch is the proud owner of the only restaurant within a light year’s distance. He left Earth four years ago to create a better life for himself, but he hadn’t considered the possibility of scary alien pirates making his restaurant their favourite hangout spot. As a measly human there isn’t much he can do about it, but as one of the pirates starts coming by almost every day he has to come up with something before he loses all his customers. That the giant cat man is rather nice to look at changes nothing. When rumours of another human arriving at the space station start to circulate, Noir’s species trafficking infiltrate and observe only mission may need a revamp. But will Noir be able to protect his mate and another one of his rare species?

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

therewillbealiens - small

Carlo Russo is having the worst day. Not only has he lost his job, caught his boyfriend cheating, and had one too many shots with his best friend Grace, now he’s seeing aliens too. Big, black, tail-equipped aliens. After a futile struggle, he and Grace find themselves on a spaceship leaving Earth. Zenon Scoreceds Qhainqons doesn’t know what it is about the earthling male. Their mission is to bring back ten females in hopes of them being able to provide their planet with children, but he wants the male. What he’s going to do with the male, he doesn’t know, but he’s claiming him as his payment for going on the mission. Carlo doesn’t approve of kidnapping, but the aliens aren’t too bad, and once the language chip is installed, he finds it entertaining to talk to them. Zen in particular. They’re standoffish and never show any emotion, but Carlo has no problem cuddling up next to Zen at night. All Zenon wants is to spend time with Carlo, but it’s his job to get them all home in one piece. Will he be able to keep Carlo safe from all the dangers lurking along the trip? He has to because Carlo is his, and he’s not letting him go.

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

Post-Apocalyptic

Hmm… I think I’ll go with The Maddest of Men for Ofelia since everyone loves a living lie detector, right? These guys are on the wrong side of the law.

Then I think I’ll say A Drop of Moonshine. Those guys aren’t following the laws either, but it’s an adventure LOL And who doesn’t love a slobbering dog?

The Maddest of Men

To prove his loyalty to Cham, Grayham is willing to do anything, and he does. He helps Cham run his empire by finding out the truth by any possible means. It’s not as hard as it may seem, all he has to do is ask the right questions, and his internal polygraph will tell him if someone is lying or not. And when they lie—well he deals with that too. Life as an executioner can get quite lonely, not that Grayham plans on doing anything about it. It would kill him to have to off a lover. Creed is a retrieving agent on a mission. He is to infiltrate one of Carona’s drug organisations to get to the inquisitor. Rumour states the man with the fiery red curls has supernatural powers; it also says anyone coming close to him disappears. Creed has no idea how he’s going to make it out alive or why his supervisor sent him in without backup. But, when an opening to work as a waiter at one of the drug lord’s parties presents itself Creed sets to work. In a world where people compensate for the years of bombings and starvation with clinic-bought physical perfection a man with crooked teeth and mismatching eyes stands out. Grayham notices the waiter watching him straight away. If he’s there to harm Cham, he’ll deal with it. Creed knows he must get his hands on the inquisitor so when he is invited to the man’s flat he agrees to come even though he knows it might be the last thing he’ll ever do.

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

a drop of moonshine

In a world where the government controls everything, and every citizen is given one government-approved kill, Sid Barker is doing his best to keep his head down and not get noticed. At some point, he must have failed. Being a potato farmer doesn’t generate enough income, and Sid is making moonshine on the side to keep himself fed, but one day a liquidation agent shows up at his farm, not to kill him, but to blackmail him into giving away his moonshine for free. Thorn Hull is a liquidation agent. Every time someone hands in an application to have someone terminated, he or one of the other agents has to perform the kill. It’s a well-paying job, but no money in the world can fill the void in Thorn. He regrets ever becoming an agent, but no one has ever quit the agency and lived to tell the tale. One night in a bar, Thorn runs into Sid, who’s far from the dirty little kid he’d been the last time Thorn had seen him. Sid remembers Thorn from his childhood and asks him to help him talk sense into the agent who’s blackmailing him. Things soon escalate, and Sid and Thorn find themselves on the run from the liquidation agency. How will they be able to deal with the blackmailer at the same time as they’re on the run from the government’s trained killers?

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

Horror

I don’t have anything as Holly that I would categorise as horror. There are some pretty graphic books, but not horror. I’ll still mention The Snowflake though because it doesn’t get nearly enough love 🤣 I mean who says serial killers don’t have emotions? They can fall in love too, and if they happen to turn a bit stalkerish, it’s not their fault.

I love this story! It’s bloody and dark, but I’ll still claim it’s a romance 😁

thesnowflakeNothing inspires art like love. Theophile Lekas has spent the last seventeen years trying to build a name for himself as an ice sculptor. Ice is his world, but he lives for Dylan Mincer. But loving from afar isn’t enough, and if Theo wants to win Dylan’s heart, he’ll need to sweep him off his feet. And what better way to do it than with a sculpture that will leave Dylan breathless and the world in no doubt of Theo’s genius? After an argument leads to murder, Theo is hit with true inspiration. And he has the perfect block to begin his project. For Dylan, Theo will create his masterpiece. And it will be as unique as a snowflake Great art requires the perfect muse.

Smashwords (50% off throughout July)

Guest Post | Meeting Lucky by Nell Iris

The lovely Nell Iris is finally back on the blog! 🥳 She’s here to talk about her most recent release, Meeting Lucky. Keep on reading to learn more!


Hi everyone, hi Ofelia! It’s me. Nell. It’s been a minute since I was here last, and I’ve missed you. Have you missed me? I’m here to talk about my new release, Meeting Lucky, but first I want to thank my lovely hostess for inviting me. Thank you, Ofelia, you’re the best. 😘

My publisher, JMS Books, turns 13 years this July, and in preparation for the celebrations, they sent out an in-house submission call some months back, called Lucky 13, where their existing authors were invited to write a book with the word “luck” in some form in the title. I wanted in, of course, and Meeting Lucky is the result.

Lucky, whose real name is Lukas, got his nickname after surviving a motorcycle accident. He broke several bones, including his neck, and the doctors didn’t expect him to survive, but when he defied their predictions, Lucky’s brother started calling him a lucky bastard, and the name kind of stuck. 

Lucky’s character is actually inspired by a friend of mine. We used to be quite close, but when I moved to Malaysia back in 2012 we drifted apart, something that can happen when you live half a world apart. Even after I moved back to Sweden, we mostly text each other occasionally these days, and when I sent him a hey you, long time no see, how are you? text a couple years ago, and he replied good, good, my bones are healing, accompanied by X-ray photos of his new Robocop physique—his words, not mine—I almost fell off my chair.

It wasn’t like his accident inspired me to write the story, but when the idea for Meeting Lucky came to me, and I wanted Lucky to be a sunshine-y character who was happy and positive despite having gone through so much, my friend came to mind, who despite the serious accident, had a positive outlook on life. 

So Björn’s reaction when he learns about Lucky’s past in the excerpt below, perfectly mirrors my own when my friend told me about his. You broke your goddamned neck?

Meeting Lucky Ofelia

Meeting Lucky

It must be a stroke. Or a heart attack. Because it can’t be love at first sight.

One brief moment in a crowded hotel lobby is all it takes. A stranger’s gaze meeting Björn’s is a lightning strike, a game changer, bad for his heart and his sanity. And when the stranger, Lucky, starts flirting with him, he’s in real trouble.

Björn erected walls around his heart a long time ago, but Lucky is passionate and determined. Will Lucky’s sunshine be able to thaw the ice in Björn’s heart? Will meeting Lucky give Björn the fairytale happily ever after he never knew he wanted?

M/M Contemporary / 10379 words 

Buy links: 

JMS Books :: Amazon :: Books2Read

Meeting Lucky

About Nell

Nell Iris is a romantic at heart who believes everyone deserves a happy ending. She’s a bonafide bookworm (learned to read long before she started school), wouldn’t dream of going anywhere without something to read (not even the ladies’ room), loves music (and singing along at the top of her voice but she’s no Celine Dion), and is a real Star Trek nerd (Make it so). She loves words, bullet journals, poetry, wine, coffee-flavored kisses, and fika (a Swedish cultural thing involving coffee and pastry!)

Nell believes passionately in equality for all regardless of race, gender or sexuality, and wants to make the world a better, less hateful, place.

Nell is a bisexual Swedish woman married to the love of her life, a proud mama of a grown daughter, and is approaching 50 faster than she’d like. She lives in the south of Sweden where she spends her days thinking up stories about people falling in love. After dreaming about being a writer for most of her life, she finally was in a place where she could pursue her dream and released her first book in 2017.

Nell Iris writes gay romance, prefers sweet over angsty, short over long, and quirky characters over alpha males.

Find Nell on social media:

Newsletter :: Webpage/blog :: Twitter :: Facebook Page :: Facebook Profile :: Goodreads :: Bookbub

Excerpt: 

I huff and shake off the memory, turning my focus back to Lucky, biting my tongue because he’s on his way to my table. Carrying his champagne and a glass that looks identical to mine. 

My eyes are glued to him as he approaches, taking in his chest, his narrow waist, his hips, then his legs. I scowl at the limp and want to wrap my hands around his right thigh, push my warmth into him and soothe and steady him. 

“Hey,” he says and sets the glass of red wine on the table in front of me. “The bartender said this was your drink of choice.”

“What did you do to your leg?” I blurt. “Did you hurt yourself?”

He pulls out the chair across from mine and sits. “No. Well, yeah. I did. But it was a long time ago.”

I fight the urge to crawl under the table and make sure he’s all right. “You weren’t limping this morning.”

He grins, takes a sip from his bubbly, and ignores my statement. “I decided I wanted to join you.”

His confidence should piss me off. Anyone who takes for granted I want their company usually makes me angry, but not him. 

“I’m Lukas, by the way,” he says and lets his eyes rove over me, making no effort to hide the blatant looking.

“Your brother called you Lucky.” 

He raises one eyebrow. “You pay attention.”

I dip my chin once. 

“It’s true that everyone calls me Lucky—it’s all Christian’s fault. My brother. He started calling me a lucky bastard, and it stuck. But I want you to call me Lukas.”

His intense focus heats my face. “Why? What’s special about me?”

“I don’t know yet. But I hope to find out.” 

“Why did your brother call you that? Lucky bastard?”

He moves out his right leg from underneath the table into my field of vision. “Because twelve years ago today, I was in an accident. I rode with my boyfriend on his bike. I know, I know, we were stupid, it was too early in the season, and he hit a spot of black ice and crashed. He barely got a scratch, it was a miracle really, but I broke my leg,—” he slides his palm over the still-shaking thigh, “my arm, a bunch of ribs…and my neck. I wasn’t supposed to survive, but my siblings say I live to prove people wrong, and breaking my neck was no different. But my leg still aches if I walk too much. Or if it’s cold outside.” 

His neck? He broke his goddamned neck?

Without taking my eyes off his thigh, I swallow a substantial gulp of wine from the new glass, then rub my face with a shaky hand before I let it fall to the table. After a deep breath, I meet his gaze. “Did you just say you broke your neck, or am I having red wine-induced auditory hallucinations?” 

He laughs. “No hallucinations.”

“How can you laugh at such a thing?”

“Because when people tell you you’re gonna die, and then you don’t, you carpe the fuck out of the diem.”

“I don’t think I’ve carped a diem in my whole life.”

“Then it’s time to start.”

“How do you suggest I do that?”

He grins. “You allow me to flirt with you. Live a little. I’ve never seen anyone as tightly buttoned up as you. I want to ruffle your feathers.”

“My feathers are unrufflable.” 

That makes him snort. “Are you sure about that?” He looks pointedly at my still trembling hand. 

I lift it and look at it, ticking off the symptoms in my head. Unsteady hands, a racing heart, warmth spreading in my stomach, blurting whatever comes to mind. It must be a stroke. It can’t be anything else. “I’m positive,” I croak, convincing nobody.

“What’s your name?” His voice is deep. Smooth. Giving me goosebumps. 

“B-Björn.” Now I’m stuttering, too? 

“Hello, Björn. It’s very nice to meet you.” He holds out his hand and I don’t hesitate to take it.