Sound of Us (Us #2): Cover, Blurb and Release Date

The sequel to last month's HERE FOR US is coming soon to Amazon and Kindle Unlimited! Releasing April 21, 2017, the triad is back as Cris, Jake and Charles navigate what it means to be in a three-way relationship. I'll have pre-order links when it goes live.

Jake Bowden didn’t expect to be settling into a strong, loving relationship with another guy at only twenty-three years old—never mind with two. His chemistry with Cris is as strong as ever, while things with Charles are more like a simmer than a heavy boil. Charles says he’s perfectly content to go at Jake’s pace, but Jake isn’t sure slow is what he wants anymore. And when Jake wants something, he isn’t shy about going after it.

Cris Sable is head-over-heels in love with the two men in his life, and he’s vowed to do everything he can to protect the fragile, three-way relationship they’re cultivating—even if it means lying about his past. A dark past that resurfaces in an unexpected way and forces Cris to make the difficult choice between shielding Jake and Charles from it, or trusting them enough to help him face it head-on.

Charles Greenwood had forgotten what it felt like to be loved, until a feisty go-go boy and an ex-porn star fell into his bed, and then stole his heart away. He loves both men equally, but differently, slowly stoking the fire of the chemistry he shares with Jake, while passionately pursuing Cris—both in and out of bed. Their lives are entwining in the very best way…until Cris starts to pull away, distancing himself from the loving support of their triad. And after Cris disappears one night on a drunken bender, Charles vows to do whatever it takes to prove to Cris that he can trust them with anything—mind, body and spirit.

Three separate hearts will finally beat as one.

Note: This is the continuation of an m/m/m romance begun in Here For Us and is best read in order to fully enjoy the character and story development. The book also contains mild BDSM elements, including spanking.

Cover and Blurb Reveal: Fractured Hymns

It's almost here! 

Fractured Hymns is a book that is near and dear to my heart. I began writing it almost three years ago, not long after completing another novel called Foundation of Trust, the fifth Cost of Repairs novel. A minor character named Ethaniel appears in FoT, and while he was basically there to serve as a plot device, he started to poke at me. Why does he live so far from home? Why does he tell people his niece Sarah is his daughter? What’s his story?

Well, I began his story, got about 100 pages into it, and then hit a blank. I left my two heroes sitting in a cold garage, mid-conversation, for almost two years, before finally completing it in September 2015. I finally gave my beautiful, broken Ethaniel and his shy, stuttering hero Angel their happily ever after, and I’m excited to show you guys the gorgeous cover by Lyn Taylor, as well as the blurb. The publication date is tentatively set for October 24, and I hope to have pre-order links soon.

Still firmly in the closet at the age of thirty, Ethaniel Shockley is content leading a solitary—if lonely—life working on a construction crew with fellow military vets. After a tragic worksite accident leaves two of his friends dead, Ethaniel returns to his family home to recuperate from a spiral leg fracture and severe Post Concussive Syndrome. He may be lucky to be alive, but he hates the independence he’s lost.

 Matthew “Angel” Garrett has worked at Shockley Stables for three years, content to muck stalls and polish saddles, and to be as unnoticeable as possible. Except for weekly church outings, he avoids going into town so he doesn’t see The Look. The Look that says “I know you went to prison for killing a man.”

A chance conversation with Ethaniel gives Angel hope that maybe he can have a friendship with the gorgeous Shockley sibling he’s crushed on for years. But the more time they spend indulging in their shared love of music, the clearer it becomes that they both want more. Ethaniel sees a kindred spirit in Angel, whose soul is just as fractured from his time in prison as Ethaniel’s is from war. But Angel has another, deeper secret that haunts him—one he’s positive will destroy this new song with Ethaniel before it’s even written.

New Off Beat Series Covers

As a whole, the Off Beat series has been a bit of a departure for me. It was the first series I developed with an editor's input, and it was a nerve-wracking foray into something I'm not terribly familiar: rock stars. But once we'd brainstormed the concept, Body Rocks came alive in my mind very quickly. Dominic and Trey's romance was a lot of fun to write, and yes, it comes with my trademark #evilauthor angst. 

The other departure was in the cover art. The bare-chested, abs-for-days cover models aren't what my readers are used to seeing on my book covers, but it seemed to fit for what we were doing. Or did it?

The cover for Steady Stroke came out a few months ago, with a similar feel to it, and after listening to feedback from myself, and from readers, Swerve decided to go with another approach. To soften the covers and make them better a part of my author brand. So the old Steady Stroke cover has been replaced with something I love a whole lot more. The models really portray Lincoln and Emmett as I see them in my head.

And finally, the cover for Hot Licks, my promised menage romance. The model is abs-for-days, but there is a confidence there that very much reminds me of Van Holt, one of the heroes of this novel. I just need to make sure I write that leather jacket into the story....

What do you think?

Cover Reveal and Teaser: The Heart As He Hears It

Newsletter subscribers have already seen the beauty that is the cover for The Heart As He Hears It (Perspectives #3), and now it's your turn. Lyn Taylor continues to give me the best covers!

I'm not going to post the blurb, because apparently what I sent subscribers isn't the final copy, and this time I'm waiting to make sure the right one goes out to the world.

Instead, I'll post a teaser from the book, so you guys can still get to know Jon, Isaac, and a fluffy gray kitten named Bear.

Enjoy!

Once Isaac had finished his snack and washed his dishes, Jon asked, “Do you want to feed Bear a little more?”

He turned in the process of drying the plate. “You said three times a day.”

“Going forward. We don’t when she’s eaten last, so a few more times today can’t hurt. And the vet might tell you something different.”

Isaac fumbled the plate, catching it before it could fall. “The vet.” Jon had never actually seen someone go pale until that moment. “Right.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Jon scooped Bear up as he stood. “If you want, I can find a vet and take her in for a checkup. I’m not going to force you to leave the house, Isaac, I promise.”

His skin didn’t pink up any, but Isaac looked less likely to vomit at any moment.

Way to go, asshole.

Jon stopped an arm’s reach away, Bear cuddled to his chest. “I’m sorry I keep saying things like that.”

Isaac shook his head side to side. “It’s not your fault I can’t act like a normal person. I can’t even take the trash down to the curb without having a panic attack. Sometimes I wish I was different, but since I’ve lived alone, this is all I know.”

Hope dangled on the end of that final statement, and Jon latched on to it. “I’m the first person to say fuck normal. There’s no such thing. All we have is reality, and sometimes reality really, really sucks. And sometimes it’s really, really scary. But we don’t have to accept limitations. It’s okay to push against them and try to be happy.”

“But pushing means getting hurt.”

“Sometimes it does. Human beings are amazingly resilient creatures, especially when we’re fighting for something we want.”

Isaac’s eyes glittered, damp with tears. “What do you fight for, Jon?”

Jon’s heart beat harder. Something thick settled in his throat, and he had to swallow hard several times to dislodge it.

He excelled at donning the persona of Boomer Black and dazzling his fans, whether on film or social media. He even found that persona bleeding into his private life, giving him the courage to say and do certain things. Like picking on Gabe for having what Jon had stopped dreaming of—a loving relationship with a genuinely kind, gentle man who’d rather die than hurt him. Jon had enough issues to sink a battleship, and he had a feeling Isaac’s could sink a dozen more. But Jon also trusted that he could be honest with Isaac and not fear being made fun of for his words.

Even if they were kind of cheesy.

“I fight for the hope that today will be better than yesterday,” Jon said. “And I fight for the hope that tomorrow will be better than today.”

“I don’t know how to hope for those things.” Isaac sounded so small, so lost.

Jon mentally flailed, going for instinct and hoping he didn’t fuck it up. “It’s not as hard if you have someone to help you. Let me help you.”

Isaac’s dark gaze flickered down to Bear, then back up to meet Jon’s. The raw emotion in Isaac’s wet eyes made Jon’s insides somersault. Instinct said to hug him, hold him until it got better, but any movement like that could scare Isaac away. Jon didn’t ever want to scare him. He wanted, more than anything in his life, to see Isaac break away from the fear holding him prisoner inside of his own home. He wanted to see Isaac outside, smiling into the sunshine.

He wanted Isaac to be free.

“I’m so scared all the time,” Isaac said in a fractured voice so soft Jon almost missed it.

“You don’t have to be.”

“I want to believe you.”

“And that’s a good start. You have to want to try. When I was at my lowest point, I got better because I wanted to. I didn’t want the person who hurt me to win. Getting my life back meant he lost.”

Isaac rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes. It left them damp and red, but somehow more clear. He reached for Bear, and Jon handed her over. Their fingers brushed together for an instant, and the connection slammed into Jon’s balls. Isaac glanced up, openly startled. He cradled Bear in his hands. She nosed his thumb, then licked it.

“I don’t want my father to win,” Isaac said.

Jon’s heart kicked. “He doesn’t have to. You don’t have to let him win.”

Determination burned in Isaac’s gaze. He stood straighter, shoulders back, jaw set. The change made him look years older, in charge. Nobody’s victim. “I’m still terrified.”

“That’s okay. We can work on that. Baby steps, all right? No rush.”

“All right.” He wilted a bit. “But no more today. I can’t handle anything else.”

Jon smiled. “It’s cool. Like I said, baby steps. I think Bear is enough adventure for anyone.” His shredded hands agreed with him. “I’ll find her a vet, and I’ll message you when I’ll stop by and get her for her appointment.”

“Thank you, Jon.”

“It’s what friends are for.”

Isaac tilted his head to one side. “I haven’t had a friend in a long time.”

“You have one now.”

The World As He Sees It Cover and Blurb Reveal

Tristan's book is coming! I'm probably as excited about this book as you guys are, and I hope you love the cover. I adore the handwritten notes at the bottom, and Gabe is just.... *thud*

Abs for days.

Love knows no limits…but fear could keep them from seeing it.

 Perspectives, Book 2

 Gabe lives a double life. As Gabriel Henson, he works multiple jobs to support his remorseless, alcoholic mother. As Tony Ryder, he does internet porn for extra cash and regular safe sex without complications.

 Yet when he encounters a scared young man freaking out in a night club, he’s compelled to reach out. Ever since then, the memory of that young man has haunted him.

 Tristan Lavelle lives his life thirty minutes at a time. After a traumatic brain injury three years ago, he gets through his day recording his life in spiral notebooks and sticky note reminders.

 A month after Tristan’s embarrassingly public meltdown, another chance meeting with Gabe sparks a warm, emotionally fulfilling email relationship. Both men crave more, but fear of the next step stands between them.
 

Until Tristan gets the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial that could improve his memory—if the side effects don’t kill him. But for Tristan, the possibility of a real life with Gabe is worth any risk…

Warning: Contains two damaged but lovable heroes, secret-keeping friends with good intentions, and an abundance of inappropriate food innuendo.


Official release date is October 20, 2015. I'll have pre-order links when they exist.

Cover Reveal: Taking A Chance (Restoration #3)

Facebook Fans got an early look last night, and today I'm posting the cover for the third and final book in the Restoration trilogy, Taking A Chance.

This is Elliott's book, and I have to say, Elliott took me on quite a ride. From his first appearance in Getting It Right, to his moments in Finding Their Way, Elliott's journey to an HEA hasn't been an easy one. But it was so worth it, and this book cover more than does justice to Elliott and Augustus's love story. I love it so much.

I hope you love it too. 

And feel free to share it!

Cover Reveal: Finding Their Way (Restoration #2)

Yet another lovely job by the folks at Carina Press. I love the continuity between the Restoration covers, and the purple is very eye-catching. Plus, tattoos! 

FINDING THEIR WAY (Restoration #2)

Thanks to an abusive father and a string of bad relationships, Riley McCage learned the hard way that people are not kind without a reason. Now, after landing a job at popular gay bar Pot O Gold, Riley is on the right track—until the night Boxer finds him drunk and drugged in the back room of an exclusive sex party.

Donald "Boxer" Boxwood wasn’t looking for anything beyond some casual kink until he peeled Riley off the floor and gave him a safe place to stay. But there's something compelling about the guy crashing on his couch, and the two forge an instant friendship that eases into unmistakable attraction. Despite Riley's hesitancy, Boxer knows one thing to be true: he needs Riley in his life.

Riley risked everything to run away and build a new life for himself, and his secrets aren't something he'd ever wish upon his kind, gentle new friend. But when the past comes to call, he'll have no choice but to put his trust in Boxer…and believe people can change enough to deserve a second chance.

Release Date: July 20, 2015
Pre-order from Amazon
Goodreads

New Belonging Covers!

Because the folks at Carina Press are amazing souls who listen to their authors' feedback, there have been a few changes with the Belonging Series.

NO SUCH THING and MAYBE THIS TIME have been blessed with gorgeous new covers!

*squee*

Yes, the original covers are nice. They have a New Adult feel to them. However, they never made me sit up and go YES! Not the way the new covers do. And even better, they match the style of FOLLOW YOU HOME's cover, which gives the trilogy a cohesive look. And I love that they now feel like they're part of a series.

These covers will start showing up across all outlets over the next two weeks, but you can get your first look here!

First up is MAYBE THIS TIME.

This one is a lot of fun. I like the sexiness of the two models (and let's face it, Donner and Ezra are hawt together!). And the club scene at the bottom is very representative of Pot O Gold, the place they first meet and spend several scenes in.

Like?

Okay, so my favorite!

I just love, love, love this next one.

Here's the new cover for NO SUCH THING:

THE BOOKS! Books are a huge part of Jaime's life, and I adore them. I also love the cuteness of the two models. There is a sense of carefree joy there. And Alessandro actually looks like he could be from South America! Win!


Here's the series together:

So what do you think?

Cover Reveal: Getting It Right (Restoration #1)

So I've mentioned on Twitter than I have both the brand-spanking new cover for GETTING IT RIGHT (Restoration #1), as well as two brand new, beautiful covers for NO SUCH THING and MAYBE THIS TIME.

The reason for new NST and MTT covers is that Carina wanted to rebrand the Belonging series. We wanted to give the trilogy a uniform look, so the new covers are in the style of STAND BY YOU. And I adore them. Absolutely freaking adore them. Especially NST.

And since I have three new covers to show off, I figured why do it all at once? I don't want to overwhelm everyone with all the pretty, so I'll do it over the next few days.

First up is GETTING IT RIGHT. For those of you who don't know, this is Tag's book. We met him in both MTT and SBY, and readers have been asking if he'll get his own book. And yes, he is. GIR begins a brand new trilogy, called Restoration, that is connected to Belonging but can certainly be read as a standalone. Restoration will follow an older group of friends, still in Wilmington, as the things they believed true about themselves and their lives get torn down and rebuilt.

There is no official blurb yet, so I'll leave you with a few fun tidbits:

*Tag goes my James in this one, because that's his given name.
*His hero is a detective.
*Pot O Gold is featured several times.
*Familiar faces reappear.
*There is a murder mystery.

ENJOY!

GETTING IT RIGHT releases March 16, 2015.

Pre-Order from Amazon.

Cover Art: The Truth As He Knows It

I am practically running in circles, I am so in love with this cover. It is everything I wanted and more, and I adore it. It's sexy, it's symbolic, and the guys are stunningly perfect for Shane and Noel. This beautiful book is the one that made my editor ugly cry. It releases February 10, 2015. I'll add pre-order links when there are some.

Lies are the chains that keep you weighed down at rock bottom.

Perspectives, Book 1

Officer Noel Carlson isn’t out to anyone in small-town Stratton, Pennsylvania, only to distant friends and family, so a relationship is out of the question. That doesn’t stop him from wanting one, though.

When a night-shift call brings him face to thonged butt with a hired stripper whose girl-party gig went terribly wrong, Noel takes pity on the guy and lets him go. But he can’t get the encounter out of his mind.

Shane has big-time debts to repay, especially to the brother who sacrificed nearly everything for him. His two jobs, in a deli and as a stripper, leave him no time for a social life. But a non-date of hot sex and takeout food with Noel? He can squeeze that in.

The bond they form is stronger than either expected or wanted. Especially since the step Shane’s about to take to put his brother—and his soul—back in the black isn’t quite legal. And he never calculated just how much his determination to make things right will cost him in the end.

Warning: This book contains a closeted cop who’s looking for love, an indebted stripper who doesn’t believe he’s worthy, and a tasteful abundance of dirty guy sex. Also contains references to past physical abuse some readers may find disturbing.

Author’s Note: Perspectives is a spin-off from my Cost of Repairs series, featuring familiar settings and a few brand-new characters.

Cover Art: Stand By You (Belonging #3)

And we have cover art for STAND BY YOU (formerly referred to as Follow You Home), which is the third book in the Belonging series. Yes, for those who were hoping, this is Romy and Brendan's story. I can't wait for October, so you can see these two find their way to each other.

Three months after his rescue from an abusive boyfriend, twenty-two-year-old Romy Myers has landed his first legitimate job—bussing tables at his friend's new coffee shop. The job has brought him some stability after years of abuse have left him feeling damaged and broken. He's working hard on his panic and social anxiety, and those things are often tempered by the big, burly presence of Brendan Walker.

From the moment ex-football player Brendan helped rescue Romy from his ex's abuse, he's wanted to protect him. And he does, from a distance, with joking text messages, a new gym routine to toughen him up and a genuine friendship. So far it's been easy—but Brendan's feelings aren't just friendly anymore…

When an argument spirals out of control, a hot and heavy make-out session causes Romy's friendship with supposedly straight Brendan to reach a new level. The last thing Romy wants is to fall for another guy who could potentially shatter him, but Brendan also wakes up a part of him he thought had been destroyed by violence—his heart.

And it's available to reviewers on Netgalley!

You can also pre-order on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Two Cover Reveals, A Blurb, and New Books Contracted!

All kinds of exciting things have been happening these last few weeks.

First, Joyfully Jay was wonderful enough to host a cover reveal for FOUNDATION OF TRUST (Cost of Repairs #5). You can see the cover and read the blurb here. I'm sure of you have been eager to find out who David's hero is going to be. This one releases October 21st from Samhain!

I also have book news! I've been sitting on this one for a while, but now that the contracts are back I can make it official. I've sold two more books to my editor at Carina Press. The first book (Title is To Be Determined) is the third book in my current New Adult series (NO SUCH THING, MAYBE THIS TIME) and will likely end that series as a trilogy. This one is Romy's book, and if ever a character of mine deserved an HEA, it's Romy. This book will release from Carina (wait for it) on October 20 (I'll have a very busy October with books releasing back to back).

The second book is the start of new trilogy that is a spin-off of the first. Some characters and locations will overlap a bit, but it will star a pretty brand-new cast and skew slightly older in terms of character ages. This one is also untitled and will probably release sometime early 2015. More news as it develops.

And last, but not least, I have a cover for UNDERSTANDING JEREMY, which is the sequel to last year's UNEARTHING COLE. It's told from Jeremy's POV this time and....well, I'll just let you see the cover and read the blurb. I love that they used the same model for Jeremy from the first cover!

No one in Jeremy Collins's life ever stays. His parents, sister, and wife are all dead. Now he has taken Cole Alston into his home to help him recover from years of abuse at the hands of his ex. Jeremy hopes Cole, who he loves, will stick around, but after eight years of Cole not being allowed to make his own choices, Jeremy doesn't think he has the right to ask. As Jeremy keeps his concerns and desires to himself, his best friend Bethann calls on him for a huge favor—claim he's the father of her baby so she isn't ostracized in their small town for sleeping with a married man. However doing so would be tantamount to denying his relationship with Cole. Rumors fly before Jeremy can explain to Cole that he said no, and suddenly the whole town is in his business. Rather than reassure Cole, Jeremy's explanations have the opposite effect. Something is going on in Cole's mind that Jeremy doesn't know about, and in order to get Cole to talk, Jeremy will need to confront his own deepest fear.

UNDERSTANDING JEREMY releases in July from Dreamspinner Press. (And I apologize for the highlighted background on the blurb. Blogger is being stupid and keeps insisting on a white background for only half of the text, so I instead of beating my head on the keyboard I went with this.)