Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Alpha Shaman (Bad Oak Boys #2) — by Erin M. Leaf

~Amazon BESTSELLER~

Gay Romance, Shifters, Paranormal, Erotic Romance
Word Count: 56,260
Heat Level: 4
Published By: Evernight Publishing
ISBN: 9781772336511
pages: 163

buy links: EvernightAmazon – AReBookStrand

The world isn’t ready for a rock star werewolf, but Josh Oakley can’t stop biology. When his brother sends sexy wolf shaman Gerwulf to help him, instinct is too mild a word for how he feels. Gerwulf calls to his animal in a way that defies logic.
Gerwulf knows Josh is his mate the moment they meet, but he doesn’t like guys and he doesn’t intend to bond with anyone. He’ll help the musician control his wolf, but getting too close isn’t his intention. Besides, he wouldn’t know what to do with a man in his bed.
Of course, shifters can’t dodge fate—a crisis forces Josh and Gerwulf to accept their connection just in time to save Forst Pack from an old enemy. When biology ties them together beyond even a mating bond, will they be able to move past their fear and into a future that holds more than they ever expected?
***MPREG Romance***

Story Excerpt:
Josh needed to taste Gerwulf, right the fuck now. He’d gone from confusion over his intense attraction to this wolf and straight into need. It felt right to desire this man. It felt like that unattainable connection he’d been searching for, all through the years of writing love songs and fucking random men and women on the road. “I’m going to kiss you, Gerwulf. You don’t get to say no.” His wolf growled, wanting him to get on with it. Mate.

Gerwulf stared at him, eyes dark as old whiskey. “You shouldn’t be doing this, especially not now. Your instinct to shift is confusing your libido.” He reached out and grabbed Josh’s arms, pressing his fingers into his skin as if he was afraid Josh was going to take off.

Confusing me? As if. I’m not the one hanging on for dear life. This guy is mine, even if he doesn’t realize it yet. Josh let himself enjoy the pain of the Shaman’s grip. He hadn’t expected to feel attraction like this, ever. Hell, he hadn’t expected to shift into a wolf either, but the moment Gerwulf showed up at his door, his desire for both things had grown stronger and stronger. “Your hands tell me a different story, Gerwulf.” He moved in and pressed his aching cock right into the Shaman’s hip. The man was built solid. Josh ground against him, desperate to feel a response.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Gerwulf said, voice cracking on the last word. His fingers flexed on Josh’s biceps. A minute tremble told Josh the Shaman wasn’t as unaffected as he tried to appear. Instead of pushing him away, Gerwulf pulled him closer.

Josh smiled, all teeth. “I’m going to shift, I promise you, but you need to let me in first.” He inhaled, savoring the warm spice scent that drifted from Gerwulf’s skin. “You smell fucking fantastic.” He leaned in and put his lips on Gerwulf’s neck. God, he wanted to bite him. Was this what it had been like for his brother? Maybe being a wolf wouldn’t be so bad.

Gerwulf trembled and dug his fingers into Josh’s arms. “I’m a Shaman. I’ll be Forst Pack’s Alpha-Shaman someday. Your wolf recognizes my power. That’s all this is.”

My cock recognizes your extreme sexiness. Josh laughed, going along with Gerwulf’s delusion that he was doing this because of some paranormal status woo-woo. “Yeah, whatever.”

Gerwulf opened his legs slightly, slotting them together more closely. “You don’t understand what’s happening.” He sounded disturbed.

Josh forced himself to lean back. He wanted to take a bite out of this man, God help him, but he didn’t want to hurt him. “You’ve never been with a guy before, have you?”

“What?” Gerwulf’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “How did you know that?” He moved his hands to Josh’s wrists, trapping his arms against his flanks, as if that would hold him off. “Not that it matters. That’s not what this is about.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not as scary as you think.” Josh leaned in again, nosing along Gerwulf’s jaw. He took his time. This particular moment would never happen again. “We have the same plumbing. The same needs.” He wanted their first kiss to be explosive. He shoved down the niggling worry in his mind that told him he’d forgotten something extremely important. His wolf was happy. His dick was happy. Gerwulf wasn’t pulling away. What could be wrong? He’d deal with the shifting problem later. “It doesn’t have to mean anything, Gerwulf. It’s not like we’re getting married.”

“You have no idea what kind of fire you’re playing with,” Gerwulf said, hips jerking slightly. His erection, still trapped in his pants, slid across Josh’s nude cock, making them both moan.

“You’re playing with the same flame, Shaman,” Josh said, once he’d gotten control of his voice back. His dick had never before been so hard just from light foreplay.

Gerwulf flushed. “Nothing about this is normal.”

Josh groaned. “You’re sexy and hot. This is perfectly normal. You may not have fucked a man before, but I have. I’m bi and totally fine with it.” He paused. “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. I don’t want to scare you off.”

“For Christ’s sake.” Gerwulf let out an explosive breath. “This has everything to do with you being a wolf, Josh. Listen to me.” He shook Josh slightly. “I’m an Alpha-Shaman. You’re a Beta. Our wolves are confusing power and status with sex.”

Josh blinked, trying to force his arousal-soaked brain to function. “You think I want you because you’re a Shaman?” He chuckled. “No.”
“Yes,” Gerwulf insisted.

His mouth says one thing, but his body says another. Josh wrestled with himself. He would not force Gerwulf to do anything he truly didn’t want to do, despite what he’d said. But I want one good kiss before I step away.

“Fuck this.” He leaned in and kissed Gerwulf. Immediately, the Shaman opened his mouth, letting Josh’s tongue inside. “Christ, you taste like the forest,” Josh said, shuddering. He suckled Gerwulf’s bottom lip, then dove in again. “I can’t get enough of you.” His mind felt white-hot and crazy, with his wolf howling and growling. His cock was so stiff it hurt. He wanted to take Gerwulf up against the wall. He wanted to bite him and mark him and not look back.

Author Details:
Erin M. Leaf is a romance novel devotee, the steamier the better, with a specialty in edgy erotic tension. She also writes romance as Marie E. Blossom.
Twitter: @erinmleaf


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Erin M. Leaf
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Coldhearted Concept by Whitley Gray

Coldhearted Concept, Book 2 in the Concept Series
By Whitley Gray

BLURB:
Detective Beck Stryker has a lot to juggle: his long-distance relationship with FBI profiler Zach Littman, the family issues of cop widow Marybeth Halliday and her two boys, and the ups and downs of being out and proud. To top it off, Beck must work with his closeted ex-lover Van on the case of a skeleton discovered in the woods.
FBI profiler Dr. Zach Littman has been working on an exit strategy for months. Every time he’s on the brink of resigning, Minneapolis Unit Director Sands comes up with “one more case,” one that only Zach can manage. It’s a situation that frustrates Beck. Zach has promised he’ll leave the FBI and profiling behind—as soon as his Colorado medical license comes through. It may be easier said than done. Zach has reservations about uprooting his life and moving to Denver.
A killer leaves a grisly invitation insisting Zach participate in a deadly game, the rules of which are known only to the psychopath. It’s clear he won’t stop until he’s taken out Zach. It’s a race against time for Beck and Zach to capture the killer before the psychopath finds Zach and declares Game Over


EXCERPT:
The girl lay on a centrally positioned steel table, face white as a shroud. She looked nothing like the young woman who had sat on the porch that day. Elmo and the autopsy tech stood next to her. The assistant was male, slightly built, with inky hair pulled back in a ponytail. His dark gaze met Beck’s and darted away.
A mask hid the lower half of Elmo’s face. “Evening, Detective.”
Beck stopped a yard away. It was still close enough for him to see the dead stare of dull gray-blue eyes, the gaping chest wound where the sternum should be, and the multiple stab wounds—some running vertical, some horizontal, some diagonal.
Murder seemed more heinous in this antiseptic atmosphere, the dead laid bare to reveal their secrets. Get it over with and get out of here. “What did you find?”
“The heart is missing. It’s not just chopped out. It’s excised, like the killer had some sort of medical knowledge. It’s a precision job.”
Jesus. Was the Follower a physician?
The diener glanced at Quick, then at Beck.
Should they be talking in front of the tech? The more people who knew, the more likely the case would spring informational leaks.
As if reading Beck’s mind, Quick said, “Please get the inventory forms, Mr. Fox.”
The tech turned and exited.
“And the second finding?” Beck wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this.
Elmo frowned. “It’s more disturbing.”
Beck’s gut clenched. More messages to Zach?
Elmo gestured with a gloved hand. “I did the autopsies on three of Xavier Darling’s victims.”
This couldn’t lead anywhere good.
Elmo’s expression softened. “I know you didn’t work those cases. But you should know—the technique used to remove the heart is similar.”
Beck battled the surge of panic that welled in his chest. Similar. Were they dealing with a Darling wannabe?

Whitley Gray -- Official Author Website

Stronger, Better, Faster, More by Carlin Grant & Katey Hawthorne

blurb:
When he gets super-endurance powers out of nowhere, being a culinary student and kids’ soccer coach isn’t enough for Beau Warren--he has to be a superhero too. A sweet, hardworking trans man from a close knit family, it’s important to Beau to use his new abilities to stand up for people who can’t protect themselves. When he runs into a speedster at a fire rescue, he doesn’t expect it to be his high school crush, Vel Chandrasekhar. Turns out Vel got superspeed when Beau go his endurance, so they decide to make their single supe act into a duo.

With their immediate attraction and superpowered libidos, it’s not long before Beau and Vel are roommates-with-benefits. That’s the idea, anyhow, if only Beau can keep from falling back into his old crush hard, since Vel’s self-esteem issues have left him skittish about relationships. Just when things are at boiling point between them, though, their search for their own superhero origin story leads them and their families into mortal danger. The only way to survive the truth is to depend on each other--and admit they’re a lot more than friends.
 


excerpt:
“Yeah, they’re good kids,” Beau said, leaning in to show pictures of his soccer team to her on the phone. His accent had gotten thicker as time went on, dropping all his g’s, even an unironic ain’t slipping in here and there.

Which, to be frank, was starting to drive Vel crazy. In a good way—or a way that would’ve been good if they hadn’t been surrounded by church ladies at a crowded picnic. Usually Beau suppressed the accent…except in bed.

“That one there, Ella, she’s just about as shy as she can be. Took her forever to actually go after the ball, because she didn’t want to take it from anyone. Near about drove me crazy, because she’s fast. I think she could go to school for it if she keeps up. That or track.”

Was it getting hotter out here? Maybe it was the barbecue. Or maybe it was Vel’s sudden urge to cross his legs. Which he did. God, this was so wildly inappropriate, but he couldn’t help it. He had associations with that accent.

Beau gave Vel a passing glance over his phone, then quickly did a double-take. A sly grin crept up on his face after a moment of dawning realization. “How you doin’ over there, Vel? All right? We leavin’ you out of the conversation?”

“Nah, I’m—I’m good.” Vel coughed and shot a you-dick look at Beau. Didn’t last long, though. He loved it when dude was a little shit—ugh, not helping. “Just, you know. Attentive listening and all.”

Beau chuckled, looking more than a little bit smug. “All right, then. You just let me know if I can do anything for you, now. Get you some more food or something.”

“Or something.” Vel tried to look exasperated. And crossed his legs a little tighter. Oh God, this guy was gonna get it…which was exactly what Beau wanted, but still.

Beau grinned, then made a show of checking his watch. “Damn, look at the time. We’ve gotta be getting some food to Davy if we want to get home before too late.” He leaned in to gently kiss the woman’s white hair. “It was good to see you, Aunt Nora. I’ll try and come back real soon, okay?”

About ten minutes later, they’d filled up a container with food and said their good-byes to the sweet old ladies, plus about a hundred other people who wanted to fawn over Beau. Thankfully, the problem in Vel’s pants dissipated about as quickly as it had come on, so he managed to smile and not look totally distracted. Even when he was standing behind Beau. Trying not to look at that fine ass. Inappropriate, inappropriate!

Problem was, everything about Beau made Vel feel…inappropriate. This was a bad place for it, though. A bad place to be affectionate, a bad place to look at him like that. Not just because it was weird, but because it could lead to an ass-kicking, possibly involving a cane, when it came to light that there was no boyfriend thing happening here.

And there couldn’t be. Because reasons. Reasons of Vel being a huge fuck-up and Beau being a sweet, delicate flower, okay? Sex and friendship.

Lots of both. Like, lots.

Which was totally why, when they got around the corner toward the parking lot, Vel spun and backed Beau against the nearest wall. “You fucking brat!” Vel grinned hugely before laying a big kiss on him. Tease him in the middle of a church picnic, huh?

Beau laughed into Vel’s mouth, his hand going into Vel’s hair. “Damn right.” He let his head drop back against the wall, his arm heavy around Vel’s shoulders. “I think you like it,” he said and spread his knees wide enough for Vel to lean in between them.

Vel fitted his hips into Beau’s, wedging between his legs so he could feel just how much Vel liked it. The quick-boner thing could be a drawback, but sometimes it was kinda nice. He bit at Beau’s bottom lip. “What am I gonna do with you? You and this dirty Southern-boy mouth of yours?” Seriously, though, that accent…why was it even hot? Fuck.

Beau groaned at the bite and rocked very slightly against Vel’s hips, eyes closed on an exhale. “Pretty sure I can think of something we can do with my mouth.” His words were barely more than a breath against Vel’s lips before he kissed him, openmouthed and dirty.

Only to freeze at the sound of a throat being cleared behind them.

“Aunt Nora,” Beau said, his voice horrified as he turned about eight shades of red. Vel had to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing outright as Beau stuttered, “I-uh. This is, uh…”

“You left your phone on the table.” She sounded entirely too amused.

Vel pushed off the wall, still biting his lip, and sort of wedged himself behind Beau. It was either that or adjust his obvious erection right in front of a sweet elderly lady. He met her gaze, though, and gave a little shrug and a what-can-you-do kind of grin.

“I-oh. Uh. Thanks, that’s— I need that, yeah. Thanks.” Beau took the few steps to Aunt Nora like they were painful, then took the phone and slipped it into his ass pocket. “Thanks.”

“Of course, dear.” She gave them both a pointed look. “Now, I think you two ought to head home.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Beau said immediately and then just looked more embarrassed for it. “Thank you.”

Vel was outright smirking by then. “Nice meeting you, ma’am.”

Beau hightailed it to the car, practically dragging Vel with him. Once they were in, he carefully set his food on the dash and slowly lowered his forehead to the steering wheel. “Oh my God.” His face was a bright, violent red.

Vel, of course, couldn’t stop giggling. “Oh my God, ofcourse the sweet church lady caught us at it! Day complete!”

“Nooo,” Beau whined, though he was starting to laugh too. “This is terrible. She’s known me since I was wearing diapers.”

He dropped his head back against the rest and looked at Vel for a long moment. Slowly his blush faded away, and he grinned. “I was having fun before that, though.” His drawl was back. “Want me to finish?”
 
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Katey Hawthorne
Superpowered Love
http://www.kateyhawthorne.com
kate@kateyhawthorne.com

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Last Easy Day by Whitley Gray


The Last Easy Day

Blurb
The day Lieutenant Kurt Crandall entered Navy SEAL training, the last person he expected to encounter was the guy who seduced him two nights ago. Enlisted man JJ Hunt is blond, built, and proficient at every task…and strictly off limits. Despite the risk, Kurt can’t resist JJ’s invitation for a covert fling. Days short of graduation JJ drops out due to grievous injury, only to show up eight years later assigned to the SEAL team under Kurt’s command. It doesn’t take long for the Lieutenant Commander and his new Chief to disregard regulations and succumb to temptation. A suspicious teammate tries to stir up trouble, but trouble is relative when a mission goes wrong, leaving a life hanging in the balance.

Excerpt

Eight years ago, 1400, Mid-December, BUD/S training, NAB Coronado California
Kurt stumbled and fell to one knee on the beach. Two hours on the obstacle course and a grueling run, followed by hours in the surf with his boat crew had sapped his strength. Soaked and shivering, his legs felt more like spaghetti than flesh and bone, and despite the cold he’d sweated out twice what he’d taken in. Sand had gotten in every crack and crevice, rubbing him raw. His head throbbed in time to his heartbeat.
“Get up Crandall, you pussy!” Master Chief Stillwater’s scream had all the subtlety of gunfire. “Why am I seeing you on the goddamned ground again?”
The harsh words bounced around inside Kurt’s skull. Exertion had left his muscles burning, shaking with the effort of putting one foot in front of the other. He lurched to his feet.
Behind Stillwater, Kurt’s team waited on the sand. Like the other four, JJ was soaked to the skin and smeared with sand and sweat, but Kurt could still make out the sympathy in that pale blue gaze. Sympathy…and maybe a hint of something else. Don’t look at me like that, JJ, You’ll screw us both. 
They’d gotten to know each other since that first encounter in the men’s room.
Josiah Joplin Hunt had left Kurt high and dry at Molly’s due to running into a friend in the parking lot. He came from a family of SEALs: father, brother, cousin. His sister had married a SEAL. There was heavy expectation JJ would follow the family tradition. JJ had enlisted in the navy right out of high school and had spent three years on a ship. Now he’d taken on BUD/S and had a shot at a trident. Maybe a better shot than Kurt had, at this point.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Crandall?” The instructor’s gaze probed him, seeing everything and finding him wanting. 
“T-tired. S-s-sir.”
“Tired? You’re a motherfucking officer. How can you lead a team if you can’t stay on your fucking feet? You think the fucking enemy is going to wait for you to fucking rest, Crandall?”
“No. Chief.” Kurt swayed, broadened his stance. He was in serious danger of falling on his face. And won’t that impress the Chief. Before BUD/S, he hadn’t believed the stories of physical extremes and mental exhaustion. Now those rumors seemed like fairytales. BUD/S was hell on wheels, beyond the endurance of the human body. 
Stillwater gave him a narrow-eyed glare. “You think they’re handing out tridents to men too tired to stay upright, Lieutenant?”
“No, Master Chief.”
“You think a man too tired to haul his sorry carcass onto shore deserves to be a SEAL?” Stillwater had gone back to yelling. “You think you get to be too tired to carry your injured buddy out of the jungle with bullets flying?”
“No.” Kurt forced his legs to quit trembling. “No, sir.” 
“No. The SEALs don’t want that man. A SEAL has the mental fortitude to reach past physical exhaustion and operate on sheer will.”
“I can do that, Chief.” 
They’d started out with a class of one hundred; after six weeks the class was down to thirty. Seventy percent of the class has DOR’ed—dropped on request. For some, DOR represented the admission of failure; for others it meant salvation from a grueling journey that had evolved from optimism to despair.
Right now, Kurt didn’t feel too optimistic.
“BUD/S is too much for you. In fact, I think you’re one of those guys who couldn’t handle enlisted boot camp.”
“I can handle this, Instructor Stillwater.”
“I don’t think you’ve got what it takes to be a SEAL.”
Kurt’s stomach clenched. Shit. He wanted this with every fiber of his being. He’d always wanted it. There was no plan B. “I do have what it takes, Chief. I do.”
Stillwater scowled and crossed his arms. “Then get off your fucking lilywhite ass, get on your feet, and start proving to me you fucking can, Lieutenant.”
“Hoo-yah.”

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