I’d like to say this month’s #WhatToReadWednesday post was about gay romance books with poets because it’s Poetry And The Creative Mind Day today, and it’s a day ‘to honor the bright minds of poetry and their craft.’ (directly stolen from Nationaltoday.com) I got all excited when I saw it and thought I’d do a post about it. I have Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! (It’s always the first title to pop up in my mind when someone says poet) and Think of England, because Daniel da Silva is one of my favourite characters.
And that’s it.
I spent a few minutes trying to remember another poet and drawing a blank. Granted my mind isn’t cooperating today, but still. I can’t have a #WhatToReadWednesday post with only two books. Or I could, but… I’ll throw in a few writers too.
Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! by Claire Davis and Al Stewart
I love this! I’ve been babbling about it so many times, but it’s awesome and you should read it!
First love – coming of age – family – acceptance
When Charlie was eight years old, his mum bought him a microscope for his birthday. Since then, he’s known how he wants to spend his life. There have been trials, and challenges, but now – finally – the day is here for him to start college with his lifelong friend Anthony Pace.
Anthony is a red-haired force of nature. He writes poetry about their enemies and eagerly participates in all Charlie’s science experiments without understanding a word. Every morning, he waits at the end of their street so they can get the bus together.
But things are changing.
Families are important, and complex. Charlie’s mum hasn’t been well, and his relationship with Anthony begins to shine like a different star in the sky.
Can everything come together in this explosion of physics and chemicals that Charlie calls life? Will Anthony Pace ever share his poems with the world, and can the Chihuahua, Princess Arabella, ever learn to stop licking?
https://books2read.com/AnthonyPace
Think of England by K.J. Charles
Another story I recommend time and time again. Historical mystery with my favourite poet, Daniel da Silva.
Lie back and think of England…
England, 1904. Two years ago, Captain Archie Curtis lost his friends, fingers, and future to a terrible military accident. Alone, purposeless and angry, Curtis is determined to discover if he and his comrades were the victims of fate, or of sabotage.
Curtis’s search takes him to an isolated, ultra-modern country house, where he meets and instantly clashes with fellow guest Daniel da Silva. Effete, decadent, foreign, and all-too-obviously queer, the sophisticated poet is everything the straightforward British officer fears and distrusts.
As events unfold, Curtis realizes that Daniel has his own secret intentions. And there’s something else they share—a mounting sexual tension that leaves Curtis reeling.
As the house party’s elegant facade cracks to reveal treachery, blackmail and murder, Curtis finds himself needing clever, dark-eyed Daniel as he has never needed a man before…
https://books2read.com/ThinkofEngland
The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings by Lily Morton
I love this! Evil ghosts and Levi of course who is a cartoonist.
Levi Black is at a crossroads. After suffering a loss and breaking up a long-term relationship, he’s looking for a change. When he receives the news he’s inherited a house in York, he seizes the opportunity to begin a new chapter in his life.
However, when he gets there, he finds a house that has never kept its occupants for very long. Either through death or disinclination, no one stays there, and after a few days of living in the place, Levi can understand why. Strange noises can be heard at all hours of the day and night, and disturbing and scary things begin to happen to him. He never believed in ghosts before, but when events take a sinister turn, he knows he must look for help. He finds it in the unlikely form of the blue-haired leader of a ghost tour.
Blue Billings is edgy, beautiful, and lost. Utterly lost. He conceals so many secrets that some days it’s a miracle he remembers his own name. He knows that he should ignore Levi because he threatens the tenuous grip Blue has on survival. But there’s something about the kind-eyed man that draws Blue to him. Something that demands he stay and fight for him when he would normally run in the opposite direction.
As the two men investigate the shocking truth behind Levi’s house, they also discover a deep connection that defies the short length of time they’ve known each other. But when events escalate and his life is on the line, Levi has to wonder if it was wise to trust the Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings.
https://books2read.com/TheMysteriousAndAmazingBlueBillings
Josh Lanyon
Josh Lanyon has a lot of writers in her stories. My favourite Lanyon story is Winter, and it’s listed as a ‘profession – writer’, but I don’t remember any of them being a writer. Maybe I was too focused on the ghost LOL. But She has a lot of writers, so check those out if you’re in the mood.
Since Alan died, Flynn isn’t eating, isn’t sleeping, and isn’t spending a lot of time looking in mirrors. But maybe he should pay a little more attention — because something in that 18th Century mirror is looking at him…
Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, Scrabble champion and guy-with-worst-luck-in-the-world-when-it-comes-to-dating, inherits a failing bookstore, a falling-down mansion, and…murder in the quaint seaside village of Pirate’s Cove on Buck Island, Rhode Island.
One sunny morning Los Angeles bookseller and aspiring mystery author Adrien English opens his front door to murder. His old high school buddy (and employee) has been found stabbed to death in a back alley following a loud and very public argument with Adrien the previous evening.
Quill Me Now by Jordan Castillo Price
Writing with magic powers. Not my favourite JCP story, but it’s not bad 😊
What if the words you wrote came true?
Spellcraft isn’t exactly a respectable business, but it does pay the bills. At least, it should. Unfortunately, Dixon Penn failed his Spellcraft initiation. Instead of working in his family’s shop, he’s stuck delivering takeout orders in his uncle’s beat-up Buick.
Winning a Valentine’s Day contest at the largest greeting card company in the tri-state area would be just the thing to get his life back on track—but something at Precious Greetings just doesn’t add up. And despite numerous warnings to quit pestering them about his contest entry, he just can’t stop himself from coming back again and again.
It doesn’t hurt that the head of security is such a hottie. If Dixon had any common sense, he’d be scared of the big, mysterious, tattooed Russian.
To be fair, no one ever accused him of being too smart….
https://books2read.com/Quill-Me-Now
Chapter Five and the Axe-Wielding Maniac by Marie Sexton
Short and funny… and I think free, at least when I grabbed it.
Author Joshua Franklin Hill has a bad case of writer’s block. When an axe-wielding maniac knocks on his front door and asks to dig up his living room floor, he figures his Monday from hell is complete.
But an axe-wielding maniac may be just what Josh needs.
https://books2read.com/ChapterFive
The Truth About Riley by Henrietta Clarke
I read this when it was brand new, which I now realise is some years ago… erm ten. Maybe it’s time for a reread. Riley is a writer and a translator.
Riley Aylworth’s life has been completely devoid of intimate contact since a fire three years ago left him with horrific facial scarring, so when he finds an ad for a phone sex service, he decides to give it a call. Except that the number is not a phone sex service—it’s the revenge Cameron Kirkwood’s ex-boyfriend took on the uptight advertising executive after Cam forgot their anniversary and accidentally put him in the hospital. Needless to say, after thirty-nine disturbing calls seeking phone sex, Cameron is at the end of his tether and yells at his fortieth caller. What he doesn’t expect is for Riley to hit redial and yell right back.
The argument helps both Cameron and Riley vent about their issues, and when they’ve calmed down, they decide to exchange numbers and talk again. From this decision springs a friendship that, over time, grows into a gentle romance—all over the phone, because Riley is too scared to meet Cam in person. Showing a potential boyfriend his disfigured face is the fastest way to get rejected, right? Even a month of scorching hot phone sex can’t change his mind, no matter how hard Cam tries to persuade him that with their phone chemistry, the sex would be so much better in person.
Meanwhile, Cam is haunted by the scarred blond he seems to be seeing everywhere, and Riley can’t get the handsome brunet who always seems happy to see him out of his mind. It’s a shock to both men to realise that the guy they’re falling for over the phone is also the man who brightens their day with just a smile; but it’s one thing to let a stranger smile at you and quite another to let him close enough to see into your soul. If Riley can’t break down the walls in his mind and believe that Cameron loves him in spite of his scars, their relationship may be doomed before they’ve even had a chance to kiss.
I couldn’t find any links to this, I’m afraid.
The Coil by L.A. Gilbert
Another story it’s been ages since I read. I remember something making me uncomfortable about this one, but I just saw it’s tagged BDSM, so that might have been it 😆
Sandwich-maker Mattie Green has one goal: escape San Diego, move to New York, and attend art school. But to make this a reality, he needs to get his GED—not easy, since he can’t read or write. Until he can, he’s stuck working at the diner and selling himself on the side.
Mattie’s legitimate job isn’t without perks. Every day the quiet, sophisticated Simon Castle comes by to work on his latest book. Mattie wants more than to pour Simon’s coffee and make his lunch, but he’s sure Simon is out of his league—until suddenly he’s not.
Simon Castle’s life is complicated, built around his career and a son who requires a lot of time and attention. It’s not a life well-suited to the inclusion of even a part-time prostitute, so he resolves to keep his relationship with Mattie casual. However, the longer he knows Mattie, the deeper his feelings become. The idea of him with another man tortures Simon, but he can’t ask Mattie to be his alone and jeopardize Mattie’s hopes for New York—no matter how much he wants Mattie to stay.
https://books2read.com/TheCoil
One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn and M.J. O’Shea
This is on my list of books to reread. I opened Plan B by S.J.D. Peterson about a week ago, thinking I was gonna read this one. For some reason I got them mixed up. It’s the flamboyant main character, but I soon realised it wasn’t the story I thought it was. So I’m gonna read this sometime soon.
Daddy just took on a whole new meaning…
Rue Murray likes guys — hot guys, younger guys, older guys, all sorts.
So why did he have a one night stand with a lady? He’s kind of impulsive. Just ask his best friend, Dusty. His impulsivity can get him into trouble — trouble like an oopsie baby on the way that Rue is about zero percent ready for.
Rue is overwhelmed, but he won’t give Alice up. What he needs is a nanny, and he’s running out of options. He’s on the verge of a breakdown when he remembers his reclusive neighbor, Erik. Erik is a sci-fi novelist with anxiety issues to spare. He doesn’t like people in general, and he likes babies even less. But cash is cash and with his royalties circling the drain… he needs it.
He’s Rue’s saving grace.
Rue and Erik are as different as two people can be, and Alice is the unlikeliest of babies, but sometimes about a million wrongs can mix together to make something that feels very, very right.
https://books2read.com/One-Small-Thing
ePistols at Dawn by Z.A. Maxfield
Here we have an author and a reporter. I should reread this too because I only remember snippets 😊
Choose your weapons.
Jae-sun Fields is pissed. Someone has taken the seminal coming-out, coming-of-age novel Doorways and satirized it. He’s determined to use his Internet skills and his job as a tabloid reporter to out the author as the fraud and no-talent hack he’s sure she is.
Kelly Kendall likes his anonymity and, except for his houseboy, factotum and all-around slut, Will, he craves solitude. There’s also that crippling case of OCD that makes it virtually impossible for him to leave the house. He’s hidden his authorship of Doorways behind layers of secrets and several years’ worth of lies – until he loses a bet.
Satirizing his own work, as far as he can see, is his own damned prerogative. Except now he has an online stalker, one who always seems several steps ahead of him in their online duel for information.
A chance meeting reveals more than hidden identities – it exposes a mutual magnetic attraction that can’t be denied. And pushes the stakes that much higher, into a zone that could get way too personal.
Warning: This book contains large Korean men; Will, the houseboy, factotum, and all-around slut; hot sexy manlove including oral sex, and serious ass play. (Jae’s note to self: OCD + socks + mouth = BAD.)
https://books2read.com/ePistolAtDawn
Vincent’s Thanksgiving Date by R. Cooper
Yeah, now we’re reaching the holiday stories. I always tell myself I should read more R. Cooper. I don’t know what’s stopping me. I’ve enjoyed every story I’ve read by them.
Socially anxious Vincent has resigned himself to spending Thanksgiving alone this year, just him, the parade, and some pie. The last thing he expects is Cory, the handsome neighbor he’s been daydreaming about, to knock on his door with a holiday crisis of his own. Vincent would love to help him, but he’s afraid that the more time Cory spends with him, the sooner Vincent’s anxiety will drive him away.
What he doesn’t realize is that Cory finds Vincent’s gentle ways adorable and has been waiting for a chance to talk with him. Cory also firmly believes that a day like Thanksgiving should be spent with the people you want to be around–and he wants to be around Vincent. If that means pretending to need help in order to coax Vincent from his apartment, then Cory is willing to do it. The only potential hitch in the plan is Vincent himself. Can Vincent gather the courage to go after what he wants? Or will he spend his Thanksgiving exactly as he planned, with only a pumpkin pie for company?
https://books2read.com/VincentsThanksgivingDate
Mr Frosty Pants by Leta Blake
I’ll end this list with a Christmas story, sorry. Maybe you can do a Christmas in July thing. It’ll be July before you know it 😆
Frosty former friends get a steamy second chance in this Christmas gay romance!
Can true love warm his frozen heart?
When Casey Stevens went away to college four years ago, he ghosted on his straight best friend, Joel Vreeland. He hoped time and distance would lessen the unrequited affection he felt, but all it did was make him miss Joel more. Home for the holidays, Casey hopes they might find a way to be friends again. But Joel’s frosty reception reminds Casey of just how hard he had to fight to be Joel’s friend in the first place. It’s going to take a Christmas miracle to get past that cool façade again.
Joel isn’t as straight as Casey believes, and his years of pining for Casey have left him hurting and alone, caring for his abusive father and struggling to get by. Unable to trust anyone except his rescue dog—and with no reason to believe Casey is interested in him for more than a holiday fling—Joel’s icy heart might shatter before it can thaw.
Can Casey and Joel’s love overcome mistrust, parental rejection, class differences, and four long years apart?
Mr. Frosty Pants is a stand-alone, Christmas gay romance by Leta Blake featuring a virgin hero, childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and romantically steamy scenes.
A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case.
Once upon a time if you told doctors you heard voices,
Weber Yates’s dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.
Once, Richard chose family obligation over romance. When new love comes knocking, will he have the courage to answer?
John McCann, a man who judges life by the tally of an accounts ledger, has a supreme goal in life: To achieve, live, and enjoy the rarified executive lifestyle. But he’s encountered one problem: The migraines are going to continue to get worse unless you make some major changes in your lifestyle. What you need is a ‘sea change’… Perhaps buy a nice little business in the country, settle down, something easier to occupy your time…
Quinton Mann is CIA through and through. Mark Vincent is WBIS for life. There is no way they could end up as anything other than adversaries–and yet, Quinn takes Mark out to dinner on his birthday–the one no one is supposed to know about–and gives him one hell of a present in the restaurant’s restroom. Mark, not to be outdone, has decided to escalate this game, because it has to be a game, right? There’s no way it can be anything else.
A drifter since his teens, Jimmy Dorsett has no home and no hope. What he does have is a duffel bag, a lot of stories, and a junker car. Then one cold desert night he picks up a hitchhiker and ends up with something more: a letter from a dying man to the son he hasn’t seen in years.
Tom; shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night, wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days, a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?
Special Agent Jason West is seconded from the FBI Art Crime Team to temporarily partner with disgraced, legendary “manhunter” Sam Kennedy when it appears that Kennedy’s most famous case, the capture and conviction of a serial killer known as The Huntsman, may actually have been a disastrous failure.
Writer of queer, paranormal, historical, romantic suspense, mostly. Lives in the South West of England with Mr AL, two children, a terrifying cat, some poultry. Likes gardening but doesn’t really have time or energy. Not musical. Doesn’t much like telly. Non-binary. Chronically disabled. Has tedious fits.
Ofelia Grand 