Thank you so much for hosting me here on Sparkling Reviews as part of my blog tour for the release of my novel, YA novel, Owl. I’m really proud of this book and excited to share it.

The most challenging part of writing Owl was that one of the two main characters, Gabriel, is a shifter who is trapped in his owl form for a good chunk of the story. How to show his growing friendship with a human, when he can’t speak? I decided to tell the story from the owl’s point of view. That way, I could show what he was thinking and sometimes what he would have said if he could have. It helps that Gabriel is a very witty guy and has no trouble poking fun at himself. He ended up setting the tone for the book. And that makes things feel even darker and more dramatic when everything finally begins to unravel and life gets grim.

The excerpt is from early on in the novel when Gabriel and his human friend Vin are just getting to know each other. They are out in Vin’s kayak—Vin is paddling, obviously, and Gabriel is perched on the bow.

Blurb:

Gabriel made a decision to help a friend, and it cost him. He’s been exiled from his clan, trapped in his owl form, living in a swamp, and slowly losing his humanity. If not for Vincent, Gabriel would have no chance of regaining what he lost.

Vincent is popular and successful, but no one knows the real him, who is gay and would rather become a musician than a lawyer… no one but the owl living in the hollow tree. As Vincent shares his secrets, he not only unburdens his heart, but stirs Gabriel’s. In each other they have a chance to heal… to live.

Unless Gabriel’s grandfather has his way.

Buy links:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Owl-M-Raiya-ebook/dp/B07Z7FD9XC/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=M.raiya+owl&qid=1574270027&sr=8-1

Dreamspinner Press: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/searchresults?q=m.+raiya+owl

Harmony Ink Press:  https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/owl-by-m-raiya-635-b

Excerpt:

 “It’s really pretty back here.” Vin paddled us into a deep cove beside the headland with the cottage. The mouth was narrow, but it opened into a wide, shallow expanse of water with a small crescent beach at the back. It was utterly private. The water was so still and clear we could see the sandy bottom as we floated over it. There were a few clams, their dark shells standing upright on the bottom as they fed. A couple small perch swam under us, startled at our shadow, and took off.

I saw a little painted turtle and pointed it out with one wing. We watched it in silence. The cove was mesmerizing. We floated in the liquid glass for a long time, and then Vin paddled us up to the beach and landed.

“Time for a break,” he said, and hopped out.

I flew over the beach a little way and landed on a piece of driftwood. He pulled the kayak out of the water and brought his waterproof bag over to me, then smiled a little sheepishly and headed to the back of the beach. I had the same thing in mind, so I flew off to some pines and took care of my messy stuff. I saw a trail below me that led, I assumed, to the cottage on the headland. I spotted a frog in some seaweed washing at the edge of the water and in a second, he was in my gullet. I’d gotten up part way through the night and hunted awhile. The two moles I’d caught were long gone, but I was used to being hungry, and I didn’t want to leave Vin on our day together. I flew back to the driftwood, shaking water from my feathers.

Vin rejoined me in a minute, spread the towel on the sand, and sat down on it with a sigh, leaning on the log next to me and stretching his long legs out. I watched him bury his feet in the sand. I used to like to do that.

“I brought some food,” he said, digging around in his bag. “Can you eat roast beef?”

I probably shouldn’t, but I moved closer eagerly as he took out a little, soft-sided cooler big enough for a couple sandwiches. In a plastic baggie, he’d packed some plain roast beef. And potato chips. I couldn’t resist. He broke off some meat and held it out to me. I took it gently from his fingers. It was delicious.

“I love it when you squeeze your eyes up like that,” he said.

It was from the glare on the water, I firmly told myself, and straightened my wings. Dignified owl at all times, that was me.

“I hope it’s not affecting you, not being nocturnal,” he said, feeding me another bite. “I meant what I said last night, about making sure your needs are being met.”

Oh, they were. Roast beef bliss underway.

Vin laughed, opened one of his colas, and took a long drink. I hopped over to the bag of chips and opened it with a talon. A few spilled on the sand. I looked at Vin guiltily, but he just laughed. I picked up a chip, hop-flapped back to the log, and then, on impulse, offered it to him.

He bent and took it with his lips.

I gave a soft, happy hoot. He laughed too, and fed me another piece of meat.

Gabriel is a barred owl, and this is a photo of one that I was lucky enough to take near our camp in Vermont recently. Who can resist eyes like that? Not Vin, for sure. He’ll risk anything to help Gabriel become human again, but the time will come when they’ll look back on their time on the beach as the last few moments of peace before life gets even more complicated.

And here’s their kayak on the beach. (Okay, it’s really my kayak. Same difference.)

Photos are by M. Raiya

Author Bio:

Raiya is a Vermonter and splits her time between a home in the mountains and a camp on a lake, writing full time when she’s not taking long walks with her dog, swimming, kayaking, or birding, always with a camera in hand. M. Raiya’s novel Depth of Return won first place in the 2017 Rainbow Awards in the Gay Paranormal Romance category, and her novel Another Healing was a finalist in the 2015 Rainbow Awards.

Social Media links:

Website: http://mraiya.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mraiya.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/raiya_m

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.raiya.author/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4190439.M_Raiya

Sign up for newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/dEa1lT

Thanks for reading!

Hello, I’m Sandine Tomas and I’m pleased to have the opportunity to tell you about my new holiday novel, Santa’s Last Gift, by giving you an exclusive excerpt. Plus, there’s an opportunity to win a free e-book copy at the end!

The holidays mean different things to different people. To my character, Sebastian and Matthew they represent a time to reconnect and appreciate the family they have both come to love.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Cheryl took up the conversation. “There is a holiday event in town for New Year’s Eve. It’s not sponsored by Waterford….” She tossed a narrowed gaze at her daughter. “It’s a dance and silent auction for charity.” She looked at Matt. “Matt’s sculpture and figurines bring in the most money, of course.” She smiled at Chance. “Our resident princess calls it our ‘New Year’s Eve Ball’.”

Pushing her empty plate away with a low groan, Stephanie patted her inflated stomach. “Ugh. That was too good.” She returned to the topic. “It started three years ago. I told you we created that committee, remember?”

Baz tipped his head to the side, considering, “The Chamber of Commerce charity group?”

“Yep,” Stephanie said, popping the P.

“Steph thought up the dance idea,” Cheryl offered.

“Where do you hold it?”

“The Elk Lodge donates their space.”

Baz arched a brow, lips in a moue.

Matt nodded. “I know, you’re remembering that old wood building not looking like much. But we light the place up, and Ma can do wonders with inexpensive tulle fabric we get in bulk.” Matt grinned. “I bet you got your party skills from her.”

Blushing, Cheryl dipped her head. “I don’t know about that.”

“Don’t get bashful. You make it magical.”

He turned to Baz, forcing his tapping foot still with an internal scold. “We usually all go together. You’ll come, right?”

Bug-eyed, Baz dropped the bread he’d been holding. “What?”

“Of course he’ll be there,” Steph assured, before turning to Baz. “I mean it’s New Year’s Eve. You’ll love it.”

“I don’t dance.”

Steph was having none of that and rolled her eyes. “As long as you don’t judge us too harshly, Mr. Event Planer. Because, let me tell you, we’ve more than held our own. We’ve come up with a new theme each year and try to one-up ourselves.” Steph’s voice got animated. “We hired a new caterer this year and booked a live band instead of a DJ. I’ve been using social media. If we turn it into a must-go-to-event, if we raise the bar, then we’ll attract more donors and not only townsfolk.”

“All the money we raise goes to Holiday Helpers. They provide food for the needy all year round. Matt’s been helping them out for years.”

Face warming, Matt felt all eyes on him. He fought the stammer in his voice. “Nobody should be hungry ever. But around the holidays… well, it’s worse somehow.”

The intensity of Baz’s gaze caught Matt’s breath. “Guess I’m going to a ball.”

Giveaway Offer

What do the holidays mean to you? Tell me in the comments and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a free e-book copy of Santa’s Last Gift! Please provide contact information.

Santa’s Last Gift Blurb

The greatest gift might be what they already have.

After years away building his career, event planner Sebastian Chesnut returns to his small hometown of Fir Falls to reconnect with his mother, sister, and young nieces before his job takes him to London.

He doesn’t expect to find his high school boyfriend, Matty, has become a virtual member of Seb’s family. Back then, Matty only offered a casual relationship, but Seb fell hard, and history is soon repeating itself. Seb’s afraid to hope for a second chance, no matter how much they’ve grown and despite the family they share. Instead, he focuses on creating a last perfect holiday, which won’t be easy with his sister’s ex planning to take the girls over Christmas.

Seb and Matty might not know what to do about their feelings for each other, but one thing’s for sure—it won’t be Christmas without the kids. Can these star-crossed lovers pull off a holiday miracle?

Sandine Tomas Bio

Sandine Tomas grew up an unapologetic bookworm, making friends with characters from the ancient past to the farthest reaches of the universe. Her career as a marketing writer has given her insight into the divergence between what a person thinks they want and what they truly need. Relationships are at the heart of her writing, and she enjoys creating characters who become so real that their stories beg to be told. Writing allows her to explore people and ideas from all sides, spinning a notion around like a gem until its facets glisten.

Twisting the old adage about writing what you know into writing what you feel, Sandine doesn’t shy away from raw emotions, turbulent circumstances, and above all, deep passions, fueled by humor, honesty, and trust. She enjoys instilling her characters with the flaws, courage, and idiosyncrasies that brings them to life.

Sandine lives in New York with her husband, daughters and a Golden Retriever puppy named Noodle. An unabashed TV and film enthusiast, she happily binge watches her favorites until her eyes glaze over. Her other guilty pleasures include attending fandom conventions, sleeping in on weekends, and recharging solo by holing up with a caramel macchiato and an amazing book.

If you’d like to chat, reach out to her on Twitter @SandineTomas or on her website https://sandinetomas.wordpress.com.

Contact Info

Website: http://sandinetomas.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SandineTomas

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sandinetomas

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandine.tomas

Email: sandinetomas@gmail.com

Santa’s Last Gift Buy Links:

Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/santas-last-gift-by-sandine-tomas-11320-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YVNFZT3

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/2K8kMeD

 

Fall Through Spring

 Dane

 When we meet Mason Hayes, we realize right off he’s sort of a dork. He’s like a perpetually horny Fred MacMurray with a runaway mouth. But one of Mason’s redeeming features is his devotion to his brother, Dane.

Dane, we learn in book two, has bipolar, and we see—mostly off page—a depression spiral that throws Mason’s entire life into an uproar, and we root for Mason to not only make his romance work, but to get his little brother back. When Dane is whole and well, he’s a funny, warm, fiercely loyal part of Mason’s life.

I knew that seeing this character from a closer point of view—from the POV of the guy who wouldn’t get out of bed for a month, from the POV of the guy who loved him and kicked his ass out anyway—was going to be rough.

“Mental illness is the suck,” Dane’s love interest says at the beginning. “I’m sorry you have to deal with that. But I’m glad you’re here to game with me tonight.”

And that pretty much sums up how Clay and Mason has to deal with Dane—one up, and one down at a time.

Clay’s experience is mine—people I love dearly have been hurt by imperfect brain chemistry, and it’s our job to love those people through the highs and the lows, and know that the person we care about truly does balance out to a lovely human being in the middle. Upswings are exhausting, and downswings are worse—but as long as the person we love is in there, underneath the balance of medication and human being, the results of unconditional love are unconditionally worth it.

Dane has been grappling with his illness for years—his parents have helped him since his diagnosis, and his brother has taken on that role since he moved away from home. Falling in love hasn’t been on his agenda since his stay in the psych ward, when he originally balanced his medication, because he knows the seductiveness of putting his happiness in the hands of the wrong kind of person.

When Clay puts off their relationship because he’s the right kind of person, Dane is frustrated at first, and then hurt—but when Clay’s devotion sees the test of time through Dane’s absolute worst, Dane comes out on the other side with a fragile confidence. Anybody who can see him through the worst of what his illness has to offer is someone who, just might, come through for him as a lover and not just a friend.

Dane is just like Clay—a twined rosebush of good and bad, with enough thorns on the branches to make it impossible to sort them out.

Dane’s romance was never going to be easy. I know people wanted to see him fall in love—he’s funny and charming, and can be a laugh riot when he’s on an upswing. But just like Carpenter, if we’re going to love Dane, we need to love all of him—and know that the hard parts are worth it, because the person we’re loving is, at his soul, an amazing companion with a good heart.

I loved writing him—and I thought Carpenter was a good match. I hope people adore him like I did.

Blurb

 A Winter Ball Novel

As far as Clay Carpenter is concerned, his abusive relationship with food is the best thing he’s got going. When a good friend starts kicking his ass into gear, Clay is forced to reexamine everything he learned about food and love—and that’s right when he meets troubled graduate student, Dane Hayes.

Dane Hayes doesn’t do the whole monogamy thing, but the minute he meets Clay Carpenter, he’s doing the friend thing in spades. The snarky, scruffy bastard not only gets Dane’s wacky sense of humor, he also accepts the things Dane can’t control—like the bipolar disorder Dane has been trying to manage for the past six years.

Dane is hoping for more than friendship, and Clay is looking at him with longing that isn’t platonic. They’re both positive they’re bad at relationships, but with the help of forbidden desserts and new medication regimens, they prove outstanding at being with each other. But can they turn their friendship into the love neither of them has dared to hope for?

 Bio–

Amy Lane lives in a crumbling crapmansion with a couple of growing children, a passel of furbabies, and a bemused spouse. Two of her books have received a RITA nomination, she’s won honorable mention for an Indiefab, and has a couple of Rainbow Awards to her name. She also has too damned much yarn, a penchant for action-adventure movies, and a need to know that somewhere in all the pain is a story of Wuv, Twu Wuv, which she continues to believe in to this day! She writes fantasy, urban fantasy, and gay romance–and if you accidentally make eye contact, she’ll bore you to tears with why those three genres go together. She’ll also tell you that sacrifices, large and small, are worth the urge to write.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y5FBXDB/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2

Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/fall-through-spring-by-amy-lane-11443-b

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/mt/book/fall-through-spring/id1477239218

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fall-through-spring

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fall-through-spring-amy-lane/1133688923?ean=9781644057605

 

Be sure to check out the new page “Holiday Reads” where I am posting reviews for stories that are all about the holidays! Enjoy!

I just posted 23!! reviews there. Be sure to take a look.

Horned Winged Blessed

Blurb: Follow Joan on her adventure of discovery, as she learns the hard way that her post-apocalyptic utopia isn’t always full of rainbows and Merlot.

Yes, she lives on the nicer side of the settlement, as the daughter of the Mother Founder. But after a life-threatening attack on her home, she soon realises that many out there are against the Silver Party regime.

Horned Winged Blessed is the story of one girl fighting against a tyrannous government, elected to power amidst the unending chaos of World War III. Heavily enriched in their pagan values, the Silver Party are to thank for pulling Broken Britain up from the brink of a depression, but at what cost?

Will Joan decide to take down the Silver Party from the inside…

…or will she go on to fight alongside the rebel faction that allures her so intensely?

Excerpt:

“He said that you represent them… the enemy. There’s something about you, and I see it too.” She has no idea how right she is in this exact moment. It’s almost frightening.

“Maybe I don’t want all that though, did anyone ever consider that?”

“We don’t always get to choose what we stand for, Luna. I didn’t. I’m here, fighting this fight because I have to be.”

“You have to be?” I’m confused. What is she saying? “For Matthew?”

“No, not him. He means the world to me, that’s no secret. But no. Not him. Luna, look at me.” I submit and do as she says. We put our wine glasses to the side. “I didn’t go through what I did in the previous world to live as a stupid, suppressed ‘Blessed one’. No way. And neither did any of my other sisters. Do you understand me? I’m a woman. Not a trans woman. Not anything else. A woman. The minute I’m defined as a subcategory is the minute my identity stops being up to me. I haven’t fought to become who I am – and was always meant to be – just to have it dictated to me by a bunch of crazies.”

Suddenly she stands up, and walks over to my kitchen surface. One drawer after another, she searches for something. The wine is on the table, so it can’t be that. Then, she pauses when she finds whatever it is she’s looking for. A small dagger, given to me by a guy I could’ve fallen for, once upon a time. It stands for everything she stands for. For me, it’s a symbol of what could’ve been. A night’s warmth. A fleeting memory.

Amazon

About E L Croucher

E L Croucher is a young author, living in London. She started writing over two years, with her first novel The Butterfly on Fire, which she published on Amazon. Alongside her career as a writer, she works as a Japanese translator and interpreter for a well-known Japanese gaming company, after studying Japanese at university and living in Tokyo, Japan.
Her latest novel, Horned Winged Blessed is an ironic look into a world in which gender roles are swapped, and minorities are forced into labels that they did not choose. With a mix of feminist views and a pro-LGBTQ+ stance, E L Croucher writes to further her dream of a world free from prejudice, hate-crimes and bullying.

Follow her story on her website or find her on social media:

http://ELCroucher.com

@emi13230

 

 

Check out these new reviews on our pages:

97 Orchard – a 5 Sparkler review by Teresa under Non-Fiction

Blood of an Exile – a 4 Sparkler review by Teresa under Fantasy

Lost Souls – a 3 Sparkler review by Vicky under LGBTQ Teen

 

Forensic photographer, Dena Williams, has spent her life trained to see what others cannot. Vampire, Dimitri Kovac, has waited every Christmas for a miracle that does not come. In the Oregon wilderness, during a snowstorm, these two destined souls collide. Dena’s only hope of survival rests in a vampire with the heart of a poet. Dimitri only has five days to win a skeptical woman’s heart. As the Christmas tree lights burn brightly and the snow continues to fall, will Dena succumb to a vampire’s charms? With so little time, can Dimitri win her love?

Amazon

 

About Kristal Dawn Harris

First, let me say thanks to Vicky at Sparkling Reviews for allowing me to guest post her blog to honor the release of my sixth BJ Vinson mystery novel, The Voxlightner Scandal. So thanks, Vicky, and thanks to Dreamspinner Press for publishing the work.

The novel’s blurb probably gives you a pretty good preview of the book:

No good deed goes unpunished, as investigator B. J. Vinson is about to discover.

Writer John Pierce Belhaven was murdered before he could reveal the name of another killer—one connected to the biggest scandal to rock Albuquerque in years. Two of the city’s most prominent citizens—Barron Voxlightner and Dr. Walther Stabler—vanished in 2004, along with fifty million dollars looted from Voxlightner Precious Metals Recovery Corp. It only makes sense that poking into that disappearance cost Belhaven his life.

But BJ isn’t so sure.

He’s agreed to help novice detective Roy Guerra reopen the old case—which the wealthy and influential Voxlightner family doesn’t want dredged up. But Belhaven was part of their family, and that connection could’ve led to his murder. Or did the sixty-year-old author die because of a sordid sexual affair?

I’ve selected a passage in Chapter 3 of the book to excerpt here. Following the murder of a local author named John Pierce Belhaven, BJ (our protagonist) and his partner Paul Barton, together with Detective Roy Guerra of the Albuquerque Police Department, have just finished interviewing Sarah Thackerson, Belhaven’s secretary and mistress. Now they go to the backyard of the Belhaven house to interview Spenser Spears, his lawn boy and reputed “bimbob.” Let’s see how it goes.

*****

Belhaven’s secretary and researcher returned to her work as the three of us went outside to confront a hard-bodied young man with a small birthmark. Already handsome, the strawberry imperfection on his left cheek rendered him sensual as well. Here was the lawn boy, except Spencer Spears was no boy. He was a man in his midtwenties… and knew it. Masculine grace rippled across his shoulders as he cut the motor, ran a hand through thick hair as dark as roasted coffee beans, and regarded us warily.

“Spencer Spears?” I asked.

He nodded. “That’s me.”

“Yard and garden look great.”

“You the water police?” He referred to water restrictions imposed by the city fathers for the duration of the drought. I shook my head and smiled at his joke.

“What are your responsibilities here?” I asked.

He looked around the large backyard. “Everything outside the house is mine. I landscape, mow, mulch, fertilize, and trim. I also repair things inside the house. Electrical, mechanical, masonry, that kind of thing. I’m pretty handy.”

“Do you live on the premises?” Roy asked.

Spencer shook his head, setting dark curls to dancing. “Nope. Have my own pad. But there’s a room in a little building out back where I sometimes rest my head when something keeps me here late. My place is down by CNM. Just off Morris on Lagrima.”

“Is this your sole place of employment?” I asked.

“Mostly. I go to school there. Central New Mexico, that is. I’ve got the GI Bill, but Mr. B.’s gig—plus a few other customers—keep me solvent.”

“What branch were you in?”

“Army. Rangers,” Spence said.

“How long did you serve?”

“Enlisted right out of high school and saw service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Decided that was enough. Time to start working on my education.” A smile played at the corners of his broad mouth. “The kind I could talk about.”

Maybe a blunt question might shake him. “Where were you on the night Pierce Belhaven died?”

“Wednesday’s a school day. Like I said I usually work on Thursdays. Thursdays and Mondays unless Mr. B. called me in for some special job.”

“Happen often?” Roy asked.

“Enough. This neighborhood was built in the fifties and sixties, so the houses take some TLC. Anyway on that Wednesday, I had two classes, went to my place and did homework, wrote a theme… at least got it started. I went malling for a while until beer o’clock, then met some guys at the Hogshead Tavern up on Montgomery.”

“I’m not up on the local slang,” I said. “What time is beer o’clock?”

“Got there about eight. We closed the place down at two.”

“Witnesses, I assume,” Roy said.

“Yeah,” Spencer answered. “Sometimes two, sometimes three. They came and went.”

“But you stayed.”

“Same table all night… except for pit stops. The Hog has the best craft beer in the state.”

“What was your and Belhaven’s relationship,” I asked.

He didn’t even blink. “Employee… employer. Friends. Sometimes even companions when he let his hair down and acted human instead of like a Voxlightner. They’re in a world of their own, you know.”

Recognizing a ploy, I pressed on. “Define companions.”

“Buddies. We’d hoist a glass or two. I’d sit and listen to him go maudlin when he overdid it. Put him to bed once in a while. Next day we were employee-employer again.”

“So he left you two hundred fifty grand for putting him to bed a couple of times?”

Spencer regarded me through milk-chocolate eyes. “Okay. Far be it for me to sully a dead man’s reputation, but he asked a little more from time to time.”

“Define more.”

He looked down his frame and spread his hands. “All of me sometimes.”

“Just to be clear, are you saying you were his lover?” Roy asked, his voice rising.

Spencer’s charming grin appeared again. “Don’t have an aneurism, man. No big deal. I already told you about it. But just on Thursdays and Mondays.”

“For five years?” I asked.

Spencer nodded. “Yeah. He picked me up in a bar—the Hogshead, as a matter of fact—and we fit so well together he wanted to meet again. We did, and it became a permanent thing. Why not? His wife was dead by then, his son wouldn’t talk to him, and his daughter lived in Grants with a husband Pierce couldn’t stand. The guy was entitled to some companionship, wasn’t he?”

I could see Roy was bursting to introduce Sarah Thackerson into the conversation. I preferred he didn’t at this point, but he was in charge.

“What about Ms. Thackerson?” he asked, his cheeks somewhat flushed.

“What about her? Oh. I see what you mean. She was his beard, I think the term is.”

“Are you saying she didn’t go to bed with him?”

“Sure she did. But I was the one who meant something to Pierce. She was merely his thing on the side.” He frowned. “Of course, he left her $250,000 too, so….”

We waited, but he didn’t pursue the matter further, although I could see from his eyes he was reevaluating the situation. After a brief grimace he smiled. “If he was playing around with Sarah, that’s all it was, playing around. Ours was the relationship that counted. Might sound strange to some ears, but Pierce loved me.”

“And you? Did you love him?” I asked.

“I was fond of him, and he knew it. I never tried to smoke him, and he appreciated that. Think he liked having a straight guy respond to him. Lots of gays do, I guess.” Spencer frowned. “Didn’t have any idea he was about to get the cosmic dope slap. Bummer.”

Paul must have heard my mental caution because he kept his mouth shut, although I saw his lips twitch.

“Anyway,” Spencer went on, “we had a good relationship. It satisfied both our needs.”

Paul broke his silence. “His emotional and your financial, I gather.”

Spencer smiled pleasantly at him. “Aren’t most unions based on economics? Husband works and feeds the kids, wife takes care of husband and family.”

Paul’s look turned dark, so I stepped in to avoid a confrontation. “That might be the way it worked in the last century, but not so much anymore. It’s more of a partnership.”

Spencer spread his hands. “That’s what I’m saying. Our partnership took care of everybody’s needs. The fact he loved me and I was fond of him was a plus, right?”

Paul and I left Roy to collect Spencer’s alibi witnesses and returned to the office.

*****

My publisher insists I furnish bio information for these things. My life is so uninteresting, I’m using the bio from my prior blog: I’m an Okie born and raised who rambled around Germany while in the US Army and Denver and Albuquerque while in the business world. A tubercular child, I grew up in the library of my small hometown rather than on the sports fields. So what else should I do but write?  I was a paint artist for a while—oils and still life mostly—but that didn’t scratch my creative itch like writing did. I put away the brushes and took up the pen… well, the computer. Finding myself widowed in 2009, I flirted with moving back to Texas where most of my family has resettled, but the pull of New Mexico proved too strong. Here is where I choose to be and here… I will remain.

I welcome contact by my readers, and the following are some personal links:

Website: dontravis.com

Email: dontravis21@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/donald.travis982

Here are buy links for The Voxlightner Scandal:

Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-voxlightner-scandal-by-don-travis-11285-b

DSP Publications: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/the-voxlightner-scandal-by-don-travis-537-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Voxlightner-Scandal-Vinson-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B07VL33P99

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-voxlightner-scandal-don-travis/1132632844?ean=9781640809260

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/the-voxlightner-scandal/id1473985039?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=H3ilDwAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-voxlightner-scandal

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4AxPDo

Let me close with another expression of gratitude to Vicky for hosting this guest post. Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE LOST SOULS

The Grim Life: Book Three

Teenage grim reapers Max and Kody are already dealing with being dead… and now they’re expected to save the world.

With the help of their guardian angel, Slade, and each other, Max and Kody have finally discovered the destiny God planned for them—help the lost souls languishing in purgatory back to heaven. But they’re still growing into their roles. Kody, the Healer, struggles to understand the power born of his empathy, and Max’s abilities as Protector suffer because of longing for his best friend… along with Slade’s dire prediction that Max will lose Kody. So many are depending on them, and they’ll have to summon all the love and faith inside them to face a mass school shooting and bring love and hope to those who need it most.

NOW AVAILABLE!

Amazon│ Harmony Ink│ Nook │ Dreamspinner │Google│ Kobo

Special offer for a limited time:

The Grim Life: FREE and The Wounded Heart: only $.99

Enjoy this sweet excerpt exclusive for Sparkling Reviews!

EXCERPT:

“I love you, Kody,” I whispered.

Laying my hand on his chest, I conjured the light over his heart. Once more that sparkling glow emanated from my fingers, creeping and crawling out across Kody’s chest like a warm, glowing blanket. The more I gave to him, the more I loved him, the easier it all became. The power within me was almost as effortless to use as it was to love Kody.

Under my hand, Kody stirred.

I kept giving him my light, wrapping his heart figuratively and literally in a safe cocoon, filling him with my love. I could feel his body absorbing it, siphoning it all inside him. And just like the last time, the more he took, the stronger I felt.

“Kody?” I questioned.

“Hmmm?”

My stomach leaped. “You okay?” I said excitedly.

Those brilliant blue eyes opened, his face alight with my aura glowing over his heart. “Max,” he said happily. “You’re here.”

I let out a trembling cry. “Yes, of course I’m here.”

There was clarity in his eyes, no sign of pain or weakness. Raising his head slightly, he looked down at my hand where the light illuminated his chest. “How are you doing that? It feels… different than before.”

“I don’t know,” I said honestly.

“That’s good,” he said, dropping his head back heavily. “We always let our heads get in the way, don’t we?”

Bursting with a sudden need to touch him, I threw my arms around him and kissed him for all I was worth.

He responded at once, kissing me back and pulling me close.

The light I had created didn’t need my hands. It swelled between our chests, bright and luminescent.

I pulled back, breathless, and gazed at Kody. The aura brightened his face, and he looked so peaceful. I’d never truly seen him look so beautiful. Sure, he let his guard down and looked all sleepy and content after we made love. That I had once believed was my favorite way to see him.

But this?

This was truly breathtaking.

I caressed his face. “Are you really okay?”

His face scrunched, and he shifted me until I was lying between his thighs and on top of him. He stroked my back and smiled at me. “Yeah, surprisingly I feel perfectly fine. Actually, I feel good.”

“You scared me,” I said in a tiny voice.

“I kinda scared myself,” he admitted.

I kissed him again. “You’re really okay? You’re not keeping anything from me?”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “No, I don’t wanna do that ever again, Max. Honestly, I feel great. Like I finally know exactly what we’re meant to do. And that we can do it.”

“Yeah, you were awesome,” I agreed. I still couldn’t wrap my head around how amazing and brave Kody had been today. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

We kissed again and the world slipped away.

THE LOST SOULS now available!

Amazon│ Harmony Ink│ Nook │ Dreamspinner │Google│ Kobo

Special offer for a limited time:

The Grim Life: FREE and The Wounded Heart: only $.99

K.D. Worth has always considered herself to have the heart of a teenager with an old soul. When not talking to the characters living in her head, she loves to hang out at her favorite townie bar, then go dancing and partying with her husband and friends. There is always music playing in her home, and if it’s too loud, you’re too old! On the flip side, K.D. enjoys spending time in her vegetable garden, canning the food she grows, and making homemade jams and jellies. She also is known to crochet washcloths and blankets for her closest friends and smiles when they tease her for her “grandmotherly” ways. These two different sides to her personality create a layered tapestry of life experience that brings depth and believability to the characters she writes. She loves to hear from her fans almost as much as she loves her cocker spaniels. You can find her on online here: Facebook │Twitter │Bookbub 

For Vicky’s review of Lost Souls, go here

 

Title: Heartward

Series: Standalone

Genre:  M/M Contemporary Romance/ Gay Romance/ LGTBQA

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: Nov 12 2019

Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print (1st Edition)

Blurb/Synopsis:

He doesn’t know that home is where his heart will be….

Firefighter Tyler Banik has seen his share of adventure while working disaster relief with the Red Cross. But now that he’s adopted Abey, he’s ready to leave the danger behind and put down roots. That means returning to his hometown—where the last thing he anticipates is falling for his high school nemesis.

Alan Pettaprin isn’t the boy he used to be.  As a business owner and council member, he’s working hard to improve life in Scottville for everyone. Nobody is more surprised than Alan when Tyler returns, but he’s glad. For him, it’s a chance to set things right. Little does he guess he and Tyler will find the missing pieces of themselves in each other. Old rivalries are left in the ashes, passion burns bright, and the possibility for a future together stretches in front of them….

But not everyone in town is glad to see Tyler return….

Book Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

DreamSpinner Press

Excerpt:

A soft poke on the shoulder woke him, followed by another. Then a giggle and footsteps on the floor. Tyler kept his eyes closed, listening for another giggle and waiting for a pounce. When it came, Tyler held Abey as he tugged him up onto the bed, to much laughter. It had taken months to hear that expression of joy, and it rang in Tyler’s ears as the most wonderful sound on earth.

“I heard you,” his mother said as she cracked the door open.

Abey immediately stilled, grew silent, and then buried his face in the covers.

“That’s your grandma. She’s really nice. I promise.” Tyler held Abey closer and waited for him to lift his face out of the blankets. “It’s okay.” He sat up and lifted Abey along with him. He went right to him, burying his face in Tyler’s neck.

“I’m making you something to eat,” his mom said quietly.

“Thanks. I’m going to get him cleaned up, and then we’ll be out.” He held Abey tightly and grabbed some of their stuff. He had gotten used to doing a lot of tasks one-handed, and once his mom had gone and closed the door, Abey let Tyler put him down. Tyler grabbed some fresh clothes and things, then headed to the bathroom with Abey.

Tyler got Abey washed up and helped him dress. Abey wanted to do it himself, which took three times as long, but Tyler could be patient and was relieved that Abey was acting a little more like a normal three-year-old. “Are you hungry?”

Abey nodded.

“Grandma is making us something to eat.” Tyler knelt down right in front of him. “Your grandma is very nice, and she is going to love you a lot. I promise.” God, he wished he knew if Abey understood him at all. Most of the time, he talked but thought all of it went right over Abey’s head. Not that he could blame him. This entire situation was difficult for both of them, but all the change for Abey had to be overwhelming his young mind.

Abey hugged him around the neck, and Tyler lifted him up. Few things in the world were as rewarding as those hugs. He carried Abey out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom, where Tyler changed quickly and took Abey into the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing)  He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

I spent some of my childhood in the country and I thought I would give you my top 5 reasons for loving horses

1) Power – there is something about the power encased in these animals that are also quite fragile.
2) Romance – There is something very special about riding a horse with someone you love.
3) Personality – Horses are unique. They act differently and they have personalities all their own
4) Intelligence – These animals seem to see everything and it gets reflected back at you in those huge brown eyes
5) Miracles – When I was a teenager, I get to witness the miracle that is the birth of a colt. It left a permanent impression on me.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Page

Dreamspinner Press

Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

Goodreads

Twitter @andrewgreybooks

Website

For Other Works by Andrew Grey

(Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works)