Junk (The Bristol Collection #1) Josephine Myles

Junk (The Bristol Collection #1) Josephine Myles

Letting go is the first step to healing…or bringing it all crashing down.

When an avalanche of books cuts off access to his living room, university librarian Jasper Richardson can no longer ignore the truth. His ever-growing piles of books, magazines and newspapers can no longer be classified as a “collection”. It’s a hoard, and he needs professional help.

Professional clutter clearer and counselor Lewis Miller thinks he’s seen it all, but even he has to admit he’s shocked. Not so much by the state of Jasper’s house, but by the level of attraction he still feels for the sexy bookworm he remembers from school.

What a shame that Lewis’s ethical code forbids relationships with clients. As Jasper makes slow but steady progress, though, the magnetic pull between them is so strong even Lewis is having trouble convincing himself it’s a temporary emotional attachment arising from the therapeutic process.

Jasper longs to prove to Lewis that this is the real deal. But first he’ll have to lay bare the root of his hoarding problem…and reveal the dark secret hidden behind his walls of books.

Product Warnings

Contains a level-headed counselor with a secret addiction, a bespectacled geek with a sweet tooth, a killer “to-be-read” pile, embarrassing parents, a van called Alice, and deliciously British slang.

Review 5/5

You only have to look inside my house to know that given the right push either me or hubby could become hoarders. We would have a clean house but it would be full to bursting with *stuff*. Thankfully I still have that edge that means I get satisfaction from hiring a skip when we move to throw stuff away - but I recall at one time, before children, I bought twelve silhouette books a month and had an entire wardrobe full of five years worth of romance novels.

That may not sound much... but it wasn't as if I read them again... I just liked them sitting there - like me having them made a statement about who I was *I read romance*.

With the birth of baby 1, they all went, I had something that identified me more - being a mother - and also we had a very small house! Still, the urge to collect is strong in me!

I've also watched hoarder programmes in the UK. We had a very famous case called Mr Treebus (well that is how I remember it sounded - not sure if that was how it was spelt!). His house was a death trap and a health hazard. And only a couple of years back someone in our town died and lay undiscovered for a few weeks. I always watched these programmes and got the sense that the cases were hopeless.

Not so with Jasper who has a reason for what he does and that reason unfolds gently throughout the book. He doesn't have pets, his kitchen is described as clean, it's just the books are overwhelming him... I loved Jasper, I adored that he loved his books, and I felt no weirdness about Lewis and him getting together (unlike a 1 star I saw for this book on Goodreads). I just think I missed out on one thing. I'm British and I hardly know anyone quirky or with the kind of Britishness that exists in the Miller house... I'm clearly too sheltered... ROFL

This is a five star read and I recommend it heartily. It's a long satisfying read but I would have loved to see an epilogue. Oh and if the author is listening I demand Mas's book now...

Amazon (US) | Samhain | Amazon (UK)

* * * * *

Add: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Trebus

The Barman & The SEAL

The Barman & The SEAL

Cover art by Meredith Russell

The Book

A Navy SEAL with PTSD and a Barman starting a new life. Maybe they can find love in Ellery.

Travis Baranski, Navy SEAL, is the first veteran to attend the Ellery Mountain Veteran Center. He is having a hard time coming to terms with what he had seen and what he has done. When he has a very public meltdown in Ellery stores it is Avery Gideon who steps up to the plate and helps him.

Avery Gideon, a man cut off from his family for being gay, runs the only bar in town - The Alibi - and listens to many a person's problems whilst trying to forget his own.

He sees something in the wounded warrior who needs a friend and very soon finds himself falling in love with Travis.

Nothing will deter him from helping Travis, or from making Travis see he's still capable of loving Avery in return.

"....Hands down The Barman and The Seal by RJ Scott is my favorite book in the Ellery Mountain series. Well, I did really love Jaime and Ian’s book but this one just squeaks ahead...."

"....I really can’t tell you how much I love this series and the development of each and every character, and I can’t tell you how much I love the support that shines through the pages as we continue to discover more love in Ellery...."


PLEASE NOTE

Originally published with Pride Publishing, this title has been re-released with Love Lane Books. There is new cover art and the manuscript has been re-edited but the story remains the same.

If you already bought this book, simply email a copy of your receipt, on or after 3rd September, to rjscott.team@gmail.com and we will send you a free replacement with the new cover art.

Ellery Mountain Series

Book 1 - The Fireman and the Cop
Book 2 - The Teacher and the Soldier
Book 3 - The Carpenter and the Actor
Book 4 - The Doctor and the Bad Boy
Book 5 - The Paramedic and the Writer
Book 6 - The Barman and the SEAL
Book 7 - The Agent and the Model

Buy Links - eBook

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes

Buy Links - Print Book

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

Reviews

MM Good Book Reviews - 4/5 - Ah hell, this has to be my favorite Ellery Mountain book so far with both Travis and Avery being incredible characters tugging at your heartstrings as their story unfolds. Avery is wonderful, so patient, and loving and he is the perfect man for Travis. Travis is a man torn by suffering, but he is incredible with his understanding of his own limitations but doesn’t let them rule him. Their relationship is slow but oh so powerful and the love they develop is especially strong because of the time they take as Travis begins to heal. While they fall in love, we see how well the Veteran Center is doing, we catch up with the characters from previous stories, and we see how Mikey is recovering from the brutal attack in The Paramedic and the Writer.

GoodReads reader 4.5/5 - "...the romance was beautiful. Travis get the anchor he needs in a partner. Avery is everything he needs him to be. And as with any good romance Travis is just want Avery never knew he needed..." (I shared this as it touched me... thank you Tina)

Multi-Tasking Momma 4/5 - "....Compared to the first five Ellery Mountain books, this was probably the darkest and most emotional. There were times when it was quite hard to digest what Travis had to go through. However, I see this as the beginning of the turn in this arc, when the Center finally gets to help those who need it most and plays a larger role. This means we will be getting more serious and complicated characters where in the beginning, we got the ordinary guys who had some problems but nothing as bad as those who will come into or out of the Center

This is a great sixth book for the series and I am glad to be following it...."

Click cover to enlarge
MM Good Book Reviews - 4/5 - "....I really can’t tell you how much I love this series and the development of each and every character, and I can’t tell you how much I love the support that shines through the pages as we continue to discover more love in Ellery, but we also see a touch of bigotry coming through from the ignorant which makes you grit your teeth.

I recommend this to those who love damaged men pushing through their demons, support and love, a slow romance, incredible characters and a great ending that has you wanting Mikey’s story in The Agent and the Model...."

Mrs Condit & Friends Read Books - 4.5/5 - "....Hands down The Barman and The Seal by RJ Scott is my favorite book in the Ellery Mountain series. Well, I did really love Jaime and Ian’s book but this one just squeaks ahead...."

Rainbow Book Reviews - "....Avery and Travis were an odd pair to me. I couldn't quite see how it would work between them, but as I got to know them, they won me over. It was good to visit Ellery Mountain again and see the residents there I've grown to know and love, each adding their special flavor to the mix. At the rate their Friday night get-together is growing, they're going to need a bigger place to meet. It's all good though, a place where friendship reigns and fun is had by all. Thanks, R.J., for again tackling the PTSD issue and, as always, giving us hope and a happy ending...."

Because two men are better than one - 4/5 - "....The Ellery Mountain series is dear to my heart and this addition to the series didn’t let me down!

I was totally drawn into the story from the very first pages and found the beginning very emotional. It was so descriptive that I could feel the pain being experienced by Travis. This introduction to Travis provided insight into the experiences that had impacted Travis and resulted in him coming to Ellery Mountain to heal...."

Joyfully Jay - 5/5 - "....This was an emotional read for me.  I genuinely fell head long into this story and it was truly due to the way in which R.J. Scott so carefully crafted these two men into living, breathing people....  ....The author really took the time to focus just on these two men and draw out their story slowly, allowing us to see what was going on in their hearts and minds...."

Paranormal Romance Guild - 5/5 - "....This story might be my new favorite of the Ellery Mountain series. As Avery and Travis slowly get to know each other and help each other through some difficult situations, they fall in love.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone. I will be checking out what else this writer has out there...."

The Jeep Diva - 5/5 - "....Ms. Scott delivered poignant drama through her writing and sensational story telling. Travis represented the countless men and women who are thrust into war, viewing unimaginable horrors and then returned to their homes expected to go on and pick up with life as if nothing happened. Ms. Scott offered no platitudes as she traversed Travis’s life through his hardships, especially his emotional state. She did not make light of his plight nor attempted to simplify his hardships by quantifying them in a story. What she did do was tell the tale of a man who suffered in war and how through self-determination, friendships, family, hard work and love a brighter future could be on the horizon....

Excerpt

The cold was biting. The cutting wind carried ice and snow high up in the Salang Pass three thousand metres up in the Afghan Mountains northwest of the capital Kabul. Normally his captors covered him—they would tell him in their broken English they weren’t completely lost to conventions of how to look after prisoners. But tonight was different. From the vantage point in the centre of the camp, two feet off the ground in the small metal and wood cage, he could see them drinking and the campfire that warmed them was the only light in this small unsheltered area. Tents flapped in the wind and the raucous laughter was enough for him to know they’d probably stumble to their tents in drunken stupor. The SEAL wasn’t important. He called for help. No one heard him or brought over the tarpaulin that was his only protection against the night.

He had curled over seven of his ten fingers when the sun rose this morning. Yesterday it had been six fingers to count the passing of time. Seven days in this place and the infections in his leg and arm were nothing to the rattling cough that had his chest squeezing in pain and his back in spasms. He shifted to find comfort and ended up twisted like a pretzel in the five-foot cube with his back to the worst of the snow. His cold weather gear, including his boots, had long ago been shared out to the rebels and he was left in combat pants, a tee and his thin under-jacket. Sneakers finished off the protection for his skin. He was fucked and he knew it. Even if someone got him out, even if any of his team had survived, he was broken in half by this place.

The pain in his back increased and he heard the inhuman whimper that left his mouth. He needed antibiotics and pain meds. Little by little his humanity was being stripped from him. He was dying—an hour at a time the ice was burning his skin and he curled his hands and feet so he wouldn’t lose them to frostbite.

Feebly he rocked in the cage, hoping the whole thing would topple on its side. Then if it crashed to the floor at least someone could possibly cover him from the snow and ice. A lethargy stole over him. He should be trying to get out, but there was no point. He’d seen the explosion, seen the mountain fall, crushing the team—he was lucky he’d been covering their six and his only open injury was the evil laceration from his knee to his ankle that now oozed pus and hurt like a bitch. All his equipment gone. Any hope gone.

He was sweating and bile rose in him, but his stomach was empty. He didn’t fight the retching or the pain—if he concentrated hard enough on home, on the hills and valleys of Virginia, then he could at least escape in his mind. He stretched his legs and the extremities of the cage held him solid. Pinned.

He cried…

Then he woke up in a bed thousands of miles away. He couldn’t see the stars through the bars of a cage, or feel icy wind bite into his skin. He was safe.

* * * *

"Hey," Daniel said from the stove. Travis almost turned on his heel and left the kitchen. It was three a.m.—no one was supposed to be up. Especially not Daniel with his sensitive observations, his no-nonsense assessments and his damn understanding green-eyed gaze.

"Hey," Travis said in reply. He felt like shit. The dream of being back in that place, with the pain—and the crying—had wrenched him from sleep. Again. He couldn’t remember the last full night of sleep he’d had.

"You want hot chocolate?" Daniel asked. He shook the tin of chocolate powder in front of his face and smiled. "I can’t promise cream and marshmallows like Luke uses, but I can mix hot water and powder."

Travis debated. Saying yes meant Daniel and he would probably have to talk. Travis didn’t want to talk. His throat was still clogged with tears and his head and shoulders ached with tension. Damned sleeping pills weren’t even working if the terror in his head could drag him so sharply out of sleep. Sickness rolled in his stomach as the thought of chocolate hit his mind. Can’t even drink fucking hot chocolate. For fuck’s sake.

"I just came in for some water," Travis lied. "Need to take some pain pills." Why did he do that? Why did he even talk let alone elaborate. Yes, he could get water in his own room, but he could have got away with no more talking if Daniel had just accepted his excuse. But no—idiot—he had to go and mention pain. Daniel made that patented frowning face of his then nodded. The frown was so quick it was blink and you miss it, and though Travis may well be a fucked-up, washed-up ex-SEAL, he still had the ability to read expressions in a millisecond.

"Cool" was all Daniel said. He didn’t push on the pain meds or the fact Travis was awake or that he probably looked like shit. He was soaked through with sweat and he knew from looking in the mirror that his face had a gaunt, haunted look. Five weeks he’d been here in the middle of freaking nowhere at this place and every single night he’d had these dreams. Afghanistan would never leave him—the scars on his body and in his mind a permanent reminder.

Pathetic. You cry like a freaking girl.

He crossed to the sink, pulled down a glass and filled it with water. Then quietly and with a soft goodnight he left the kitchen and made his way back to his room. A hot drink would have relaxed him maybe. His mom had this way of adding cinnamon to hot chocolate and he needed that connection. He’d talked himself out of his room on the promise of finding god damned cinnamon.

Freak. 



Friday Interview - Erika Pike

Friday Interview - Erika Pike

Thank you for having me over, RJ.

I recently republished my College Fun and Gays series and I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase the awesome new covers (by Zathyn Priest!), and my latest release: Cold Hands. The series was re-edited by Douglas Black and is now available as individual stories and a two-part anthology (cheaper!).

*****

First I’m going to answer some interesting questions:

How do you keep your stories "organized"? I mean, remembering side characters, visuals, background stories, connections...
A lot of the scenes are from my daydreams, so most of it plays like a movie in my head. The characters are very much alive to me, but I do keep a short file on vital information for the series books, like do they have siblings and such.

RJ Scott - Dealing with reviews

RJ Scott - Dealing with reviews



Before you read this, I must say something. I am the luckiest author in that people review my new releases. I don't have to ask for reviews and for that I am eternally grateful.

There is some discussion as to the etiquette as to how to deal with reviews. Becky over at Mrs Condit reviews pointed out that when they post reviews as authors we should share those reviews. She's right, we do need to share them. Unless I am having a bad day/week/month I attempt to retweet, repost, and add reviews to my book pages.

Is this your first review? Go pimp that sucker EVERYWHERE! Thank the reviewer, thank the publisher, thank your Gran. Show how happy you are because your enthusiasm will be infectious.

Is this your fifth review on the same book? *repeat enthusiasm from the first, second, third and fourth review*

Is this your hundredth review? Ditto

I worry that when I share a review it seems like I am forcing them down reader's throats. I'm British and we don't do well at the whole *THIS IS ME I AM FAB* kind of thing. Although I'm not doing too bad at it!

I love the reviews and i am sharing the love. I love every single review I receive - even the negative ones. I try and learn from what is said, or what I can read between the lines. I've learnt that whilst I know my guys have a HEA, that the actual words to convince readers of this aren't actually in the book. I've learnt when and where to use tropes and how sparingly they should be used. I have learnt to show and not tell. I have learnt about needed editing. It's endless how much reviews have helped me as an author. And I don't just mean review groups like the ones I have images of on this page - I mean the friends who read and comment, and the lovely reviews I get on Goodreads (to balance the 1s!)

So for every reviewer who takes the time to read an RJ Scott book, and then spends ages writing an informed and helpful review, I thank you. All of you. Smooches.

Other posts on this subject:

Finishing your book
Random thoughts on reviews, writing and Lord of the Rings...
What the f**k does RJ Scott know anyway?
A sample of recent reviews...
My comments on Reviews - also my review of Coming Home - MJ O'Shea

Examples of review pages...

Mrs Condit Reads Books




RJ Scott - a sample of recent reviews...

RJ Scott - a sample of recent reviews...

The New Wolf

MM Good Book Reviews - "... Ah this story is like a breath of fresh air, so different from the typical shifter stories that you come across. A dangerous lone wolf seems determined to decimate the wolves of Black Creek and Connor and Josh get dragged into the danger by accident, which causes a strain in their relationship as Josh tries to accept what has happened. 

Connor is the poor soul who stumbles on the town secret and his situation is beautifully described, Josh's reaction is one of the best I have ever seen and I was so thankful that he didn't just throw himself into Connor's arms but held back to process what he had learned. ..."

Mrs Condit Reads Books 4/5 - RJ’s writing style is straightforward, eloquent, and concise. I love how she takes the same old shifter premise and gives it new life with a fresh and original twist. After a heartbreaking death and a near tragedy, the story does have a HEA ending. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, and I’m definitely looking forward to the next one in the trilogy. If you’re looking for a shifter tale that is anything but ordinary, this is the book for you.

LC Chase

LC Chase

Love me some LC Chase...

Pickup Men

5/5 and a recommended read...

Amazon.com
It takes a pissed-off Brahma bull named Shockwave to show rodeo pickup man Marty Fairgrave the cold hard truth about champion bull rider Tripp Colby: Tripp will never leave the safety of his closet or acknowledge Marty in public. Sometimes loving someone just isn’t enough, and after a year of hiding what they are, Marty finally sees the light—and it’s no longer shining on Tripp.

Tripp Colby would do anything for Marty. Well . . . almost. He’s never loved anyone before, and isn’t quite sure how to handle it now. But he knows Marty is his everything, and in order to win him back, Tripp will have to overcome his darkest fears and step into the light.

But no matter Tripp’s intentions, the cost might be too high and the effort too late for these two cowboys to ride off into the sunset.

Long Tall Drink

5/5 and a recommended read...
Amazon.com

Fourth generation rancher, Ray Ford has lived a lie for nearly forty years. Having seen what can happen to an openly gay cowboy in small town America, and not willing to risk his ranch Ford Creek's legendary reputation, he keeps that part of himself tightly locked down. Everything changes one Sunday morning when Ray, out of character, picks up a handsome hitchhiker looking for work. Hiring the enigmatic cowboy stretches the bounds of Ray's control and, suddenly, he finds himself asking just what he'd be willing to risk for a chance at true love.

Travis Morgan learned a hard lesson early in his life -- love is conditional. Even though he's a world-class horse trainer in high demand, he lives the life of a drifter, moving from ranch to ranch like the wind. He'll play when the opportunity arises, but he won't invest himself emotionally. But when he takes on the job training horses at Ford Creek Ranch, the stoic rancher with the sexy five o'clock shadow just might change all that -- if Travis can take the risk and stick around long enough to find out.

Riding with Heaven

4/5

Amazon.com


When his flight home for his brother’s birthday is canceled due to a Category 5 hurricane on the Eastern seaboard, art major Evan McGrath places an ad on Craigslist for a rideshare from Colorado to South Carolina. He hadn’t expected an immediate reply, nor had he expected to fall head-over-heels for the handsome and mysterious driver, Lucas Briscoe.

As the miles disappear behind them Evan grows more and more attracted to the enigmatic Lucas, and the desire is mutual. The only problem is that a serial killer dubbed “The Domino Slasher” has just escaped a federal prison transfer, and funny little coincidences keep pointing toward Lucas – who looks like Heaven incarnate, but who could be the Devil in disguise.

RJ Scott - New releases 23 August

RJ Scott - New releases 23 August

Chase The Sun 
(Sapphire Cay 3) written with Meredith Russell

Out from Love Lane Books

More information & Buy Links >>

In Chase the Sun, Scott Antonelli is about to get the shock of his life. Six years ago, Adam Ross broke his heart and it was the trigger that set Scott off travelling around the world. For the last few years he has worked at Sapphire Cay with Dylan. On a simple supply run to Marsh Harbour, he is left reeling, as he comes face to face with his first love. Can he trust Adam this time round?

Adam Ross was an idiot. Looking for quick and easy cash, he got himself mixed up in the wrong crowd and paid the price - three years in prison and he lost the one person who had ever meant anything to him - Scott. Adam has done his best, tried to turn his life around and is in the Bahamas looking for a second chance. Finding Scott was the easy part. Getting him to trust him again, could be harder than he ever imagined.
The Paramedic and the Writer 
(Book Five in the Ellery Mountain series)

Available at TEB and third parties.

More information and Buy Links >>

Paramedic Jamie Llewellyn rescues accused murderer John Doe from a crash and his life will never be the same again.

Paramedic Jamie Llewellyn moves to Ellery to start a new life away from the city. He’s happy being attached to the hospital and working for his friend Liam Wolfe—even if he has to keep coming up with excuses to miss the Friday meet-ups. He has peace and he can finally make a difference in a community that needs him.

When he and Max rescue a John Doe from a crashed car balanced on the edge of a ravine, John opens his startling violet eyes and suddenly Jamie is falling hard. If only John didn’t have a gun and could remember why he’d shot the passenger in the car. Then maybe passion could change into something else…Love.
The Case Of The Dragon's Dilemma 
(End Street 3) written with Amber Kell

Available to buy and read from Total E-Bound

More information & Buy Links >>

Dragons, battles, a deal Sam may come to regret, and a Siren attack, leave Sam and Bob in danger, and Mikhail finding a mate.
Bob and Sam take their kind-of-adopted-now vampire daughter, Mal to look round new schools.

Mikhail is left to babysit the last remaining rescued child whilst they are away. When Sirens appear to steal her away he is left facing the attack alone until a mysterious hero comes to his aid.

Ryujin, or Jin to his friends, is a dragon shifter and his role as Captain of the Dragon Guard puts him in direct conflict with Mikhail. The minute he sees Mikhail he knows what he wants. Now if he can only get Mikhail to see the same.

Friday Interview - Kay Berrisford

Friday Interview - Kay Berrisford

Hi RJ! Thanks for inviting me along. So excited to be here!

*****

How do you manage to come up with such detailed backgrounds, not just the characters, but the worlds too?

I love world building. It’s probably my favourite part of writing. Though most of my stories are set in our world—either in the present or in the past—all of them have some kind of fantasy and paranormal elements, so I often spend way too long imagining the exact cultures that my characters live in before I start writing. I make notes, pass ages daydreaming, and even draw maps and design castles. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nerd!

It’s not all about make-believe. One of the challenges when you’re heading off into magical realms is “keeping it real”, as it were, rendering these places and the characters who live there believable. I often draw on pre-existing myths and legends, and it’s important to get these things right, as well as paying attention to the accuracy of historical settings. Lord of the Forest, Bound to the Beast, and Bound for the Forest, are my three standalone m/m romances, interlinked by my fantasy version of the English Greenwood, in which all are set. The main characters include some familiar names. Bound to the Beast (and the sequel, Locking Horns) is my take on the story of Herne the Hunter, and Lord of the Forest is my version of the Robin Hood legend.

Meredith Russell - William's Heart

Meredith Russell - William's Heart

Love Lane Books is proud to be the publisher for Meredith Russell's short story William's Heart.

The Book

William's Heart by Meredith Russell (LLMR001)

Jude is confident, happy, and views his world through the lens of a camera.

Brody is a writer, haunted and searching for inspiration in Stratford-upon-Avon.

In Jude, Brody finds something his heart longed for—strength, acceptance, and the love and warmth of a man.

Buy Links

Love Lane Books | All Romance E BooksAmazon (UK)Amazon (US)
Excerpt 

Chapter 1

"Nana, come and see!" The young child tugged at the sleeve of her grandmother's coat and shifted impatiently from one foot to the other. She waved toward the river, excited to see two large swans standing at the water's edge. One of the swans stood to its full height and spread its wings out wide. The elegant bird let out a throaty noise as it flapped its wings, causing a plume of soft, white feathers to fall away and float to the ground.

Jude Jennings pointed his Nikon camera at the girl and digitally captured the moment. The young girl was wide-eyed in awe of the oversized birds, and he admired her innocent fascination. Briefly, he dipped the camera and smiled. The world was a magical place when viewed through the eyes of a child.

Friday Interview - Sue Holston

Friday Interview - Sue Holston

Interview with Sue Holston

How do you manage to come up with such detailed backgrounds, not just the characters, but the worlds too?

For our new book, Facing the Music, Sue and I drew from our experiences visiting Los Angeles. We both had been to the Hotel Café, where our rock band kicks off their U.S. tour and wanted to add that into the plot. Plus, I grew up with a father who worked at a radio station for over thirty years until he retired, so I’ve meet a lot of interesting musicians over the years and always wanted to write about a dysfunctional band on the verge of breaking up.

What are some of your plans for future books, plot lines etc...

Sue and I are brainstorming for our next book which might/might not be a sequel to Facing the Music. While my other writing partner, Eleanor Bruce and I are already writing the sequel to our recent werewolf book, The Moon’s Dirty Light (eXtasy Books). We had such fun poking fun at all the tropes in paranormal m/m books that we are eagerly trying to tackle a few more this time like: arranged/forced marriage, pretend boyfriends, werewolves vs. vampires and perhaps even mpreg! (Although I am going to have to talk Eleanor into that one as she’s not a fan of arse babies. *g*)

The Heart Of Texas (Texas #1)

The Heart Of Texas (Texas #1)



The Book


Riley Hayes, the playboy of the Hayes family, is a young man who seems to have it all: money, a career he loves, and his pick of beautiful women. His father, CEO of HayesOil, passes control of the corporation to his two sons; but a stipulation is attached to Riley's portion. Concerned about Riley's lack of maturity, his father requires that Riley 'marry and stay married for one year to someone he loves'.

Angered by the requirement, Riley seeks a means of fulfilling his father's stipulation. Blackmailing Jack Campbell into marrying him "for love" suits Riley's purpose. There is no mention in his father's documents that the marriage had to be with a woman and Jack Campbell is the son of Riley Senior's arch rival. Win win.
Number 1 Best Seller
Amazon October 2017

Riley marries Jack and abruptly his entire world is turned inside out. Riley hadn't counted on the fact that Jack Campbell, quiet and unassuming rancher, is a force of nature in his own right.

This is a story of murder, deceit, the struggle for power, lust and love, the sprawling life of a rancher and the whirlwind existence of a playboy. But under and through it all, as Riley learns over the months, this is a tale about family and everything that that word means.
  • Cover Art by Meredith Russell
  • Edited by Sue Adams
  • Audio narrated by Sean Crisden
  • ISBN: 978-1-78564-051-3
  • Published by Love Lane Books Ltd

The Texas Series


Book 1 - The Heart of Texas
Book 2 - Texas Winter
Book 3 - Texas Heat
Book 4 - Texas Family
Book 5 - Texas Christmas
Book 6 - Texas Fall
Book 7 - Texas Wedding
Book 8 - Texas Gift

Buy Links

Buy Links - Print Book



Buy Links - Audio


Amazon US | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (AUS) | Amazon (DE) |  Audible US | Audible UK |


Reviews


On the list of reader's gay favourites 2012, on Jessewave's review site.

Rated 5/5 Ravens at Black Raven Review - The Heart of Texas is a gripping love story and RJ Scott quickly ensnares the reader with this complex family saga. Riley Hayes and Jack Campbell’s marriage of convenience has far reaching consequences as long buried family secrets are revealed and a rich and powerful dynasty topples. Ms. Scott excels at creating perfectly imperfect characters that are realistic and sympathetic.

RJ Scott - Long books vs short books

RJ Scott - Long books vs short books

Some things to take into consideration as you read this:

  • I am 22000 words into Big Sky, my first book in a series set around Crooked Tree Ranch in Montana. I am aiming to write around 60,000 on each of the books. 
  • Heart Of Texas was a 90,000 word book, Oracle 60 or so, recently my Ellery Books have been 35ish.
  • I have just skim read the last five chapters in a 110,000 words book (and a lot before as well) because I hate not finishing what I started.
  • I was left feeling angsty and frustrated at the book I'd read. Was I not clever enough to remember all the character names? I could see the story line telegraphed but is that because I am an author so that is what I do?

So today I posted on Facebook that I was struggling with a book I gave the reasons as, too wordy, paranormal suddenly in what I thought was GFY book. This was a sequel book and book one I enjoyed with provisos. Book 2 rambled... and the drama I wanted just got lost...

When I write a shorter book I have some reviewers and readers say they wanted it to be longer, to expand character, or because they enjoyed it. Then I also have readers tell me, that with their busy lives they want something where they can read it in an evening.

So I am writing Montana 1, and instead of the books I have been writing recently I am expanding the story and aiming for 60,000 plus. As I am writing it I realise I am 11,000 words in before they meet, I'm at 22,000 and they are just getting to know each other...

Is this too slow?

What do you prefer? Longer books? Shorter books? Does it depend on the author? Do you always finish books or do you ever DNF (Did Not Finish). How does not finishing a book make you feel?

Friday Interview - Iyana Jenna

Friday Interview - Iyana Jenna

Art for promotional purposes only
RJ, thank you so much for the chance to visit your blog! And thank you for the questions. They are all so intriguing but only three? Hmm, let’s see. :D

What made you decide to start writing? What was your personal "kick-off"?
The one that made me go madly in love with writing is Frodo Baggins. My love to him made me want to read and write anything about him. Yup, they were fanfics. I never passed a day without writing at least 500 words. I had tried writing before but without inspiration I just couldn’t go far.

Do you ever compare yourself to other authors and feel like you're lacking and if so how do you overcome that feeling of being not good enough?
This is my absolute problem. I guess from the seven deadly sins, the one I suffer most is envy. It’s like my middle name, being envious, especially during my fanfic writing years when I wasn’t quite secure yet with myself and my writing. I was never good enough. I might still feel the same now, but I try not to overthink it. I just keep telling myself that everyone is created different. One might be good in writing but they lack in others. It’s also useless wasting time thinking about others’ writing. I’d rather spend it to improve myself.

RJ Scott - The Great Train Robbery

RJ Scott - The Great Train Robbery

Headlines
History in my back yard...

~*~
Police are re-creating the original call log of their investigations into the Great Train Robbery.

They are tweeting the call log live, starting just after 3am on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/ThamesVP

~*~

Just after 3am on Thursday 8th August 1963 a gang of professional thieves made history when they held up the Glasgow to London Travelling Post Office train and seized a record breaking haul of £2.6 million (just over £50 million in today’s money).

The bridge
I wasn't born until four years after the great train robbery but it's like I grew up with the fallout from the event for most of my teens. Some of the guys who were involved fled to Spain and so on and I recall news articles when they were finally brought to justice. I watched the film Buster, with Phil Collins, there was something vaguely glamorous about the whole thing. Of course I didn't know much about the reality of it.

I asked hubby today, 'they hit a guy *coshed him* but they didn't kill... the poor guy never really recovered but the uproar gripped a nation. Why was it SUCH a big story?'

RJ Scott - News, Montana 1, End Street 3, Holidays, Dr Who, Cover Art, Twitter, Dates for Diary

RJ Scott - News, Montana 1, End Street 3, Holidays, Dr Who, Cover Art, Twitter, Dates for Diary

Dates for the diary

  • The New Wolf was released at eXtasy Books 1 August
  • 9 August - pre-order date for The Curse Of The Dragon's Dilemma at TEB
  • 16 August - pre-order date for The Barman And The Seal (Ellery 6) at TEB
  • 23 August - VIP *buy and read* for Dragon's Dilemma
  • 23 August - Third party release for The Paramedic And The Writer
The New Wolf

The New Wolf was released 1 August. This is book 1 in a trilogy. Book 2 is by Stephani Hecht and is out 15 August, Book 3 is by Amber Kell and is out 1 September. The trilogy is to celebrate our panel at Gay Rom Lit in October!

| eXtasy Books |

Blurb

After a hate crime leaves one of them near dead, Veterinarian, Josh Nolan and Cop, Connor Vincent are starting a new life in Black Creek, a remote town on the edge of the Adirondack State Park, Vermont.

Josh is taking over his grandfather's practice and Connor settles into working as one of only four of the sheriff's office covering the area.

When Connor pieces together a whole list of unsolved crimes going back fifty years he puts his life, and that of his partners, in danger.

An attack, a bite, and suddenly everything becomes frighteningly clear. Black Creek is where a new wolf has to find a whole different way to look at his life.

Chase The Sun with Meredith Russell

Chase The Sun with Meredith Russell

Cover Art by BitterGrace

The Book

Six years ago, Adam broke Scott's heart, but now he's back in Scott's life and Scott is rightly suspicious.

Is it a case of second chances? Or will history repeat itself?

In Chase the Sun, Scott Antonelli is about to get the shock of his life. Six years ago, Adam Ross broke his heart and it was the trigger that set Scott off travelling around the world. For the last few years he has worked at Sapphire Cay with Dylan. On a simple supply run to Marsh Harbour, he is left reeling, as he comes face to face with his first love. Can he trust Adam this time round?

Adam Ross was an idiot. Looking for quick and easy cash, he got himself mixed up in the wrong crowd and paid the price - three years in prison and he lost the one person who had ever meant anything to him - Scott. Adam has done his best, tried to turn his life around and is in the Bahamas looking for a second chance. Finding Scott was the easy part. Getting him to trust him again, could be harder than he ever imagined.

"....I continue to be amazed at how two authors can write a story and I can never tell who wrote what. RJ Scott and Meredith Russell write together seamlessly and I always enjoy the books they collaborate on...."

The Sapphire Cay series

Book 1 - Follow The Sun
Book 2 - Under The Sun
Book 3 - Chase The Sun
Book 4 - Christmas In The Sun
Book 5 - Capture The Sun
Book 6 - Forever In The Sun

Buy Links - eBook

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) |  Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes

Sapphire Cay Vol 1 (incorporating Follow The Sun, Under The Sun & Chase The Sun)

Buy Links - Print Book

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

Reviews

Mrs Condit & Friends Read Book - 4/5 - "....I  continue to be amazed at how two authors can write a story and I can never tell who wrote what. RJ Scott and Meredith Russell write together seamlessly and I always enjoy the books they collaborate on.  I adored Chase the Sun, its gentle and sweet, but angsty as well, a perfect way to spend a few hours. I can’t wait to read more in this series...."
Click cover to enlarge

Paranormal Romance Guild - 4/5 - "....This was a good installment into an enjoyable beach read. I have not had to regulate my blood pressure once during this series. The authors just helped me relax and unwind. This is reading with no stress! I felt satisfied after each book. Everything happened for a reason and things are as they should be. I would definitely read these authors again...."

MM Good Book Reviews - 3.5/5 - "....Yes, it is safe to say that the writing in this book is very good, and while the theme in itself is not light, the way it was written made it easy to read, easy to like, and didn’t add any heaviness or steal the escapism purpose from the read...."

Excerpt

Chapter 1

“You get Dominiq’s list?” Dylan asked as he walked with Scott and Lucas toward the Lady Liberty.

“Yep.” Pulling out Dominiq’s shopping list from the back pocket of his cargo shorts, Scott Antonelli then waved it in the air. “I’d be in a heap of trouble if I forget anything,” he added. Despite the cook’s laid-back Bahamian charm, Dominiq could have a temper on him if anyone dared mess with his ingredients and menu.

The three of them walked to the end of the pier and stopped beside the boat. Scott shifted uncomfortably as Lucas slid his hand in Dylan’s. He didn’t have a problem with public affection, far from it, it was just there had been a time he and Dylan had, well, they didn’t, but he’d thought maybe they could have had something. In fact, he was the first man to get Scott interested in anything more than a quick fuck since…

Not going there.

He distracted himself from the twinge of remembrance of things he shouldn’t think about and the ever-present jealousy in his chest. He had nothing against Lucas. Lucas was damn adorable most of the time and a godsend the rest. The man was good for Dylan. Dylan was a competent boss, but he didn’t have the head for figures Lucas did. He wondered how Lucas put up with the state of the shared office. If you knew the men like he did and really looked, you could easily find Lucas’s personal space in the room—neat shelves on the far wall stacked with labeled file boxes, a bulletin board propped up and covered in receipts and a constantly updated to-do list.

Scott met Lucas’s eyes and then looked at Dylan. Both men stared at him expectantly. “What?” he asked. The two men grinned.

“Everything okay?” Lucas asked. “You seem a little distracted.”

He wasn’t so much distracted as he had itchy feet. Maybe. There was something stirring inside him, and he wasn’t really sure what it was. He hadn’t left the Bahamas or the East Coast in nearly three years. Everyone around him seemed to be settling down and pairing off. Dylan had found Lucas, and then four months ago their prissy-pants wedding planner had found his hot and sweaty dream guy too. And then there had been a dozen or so weddings, several honeymoons, and more vacationing couples than Scott cared to think about. It was enough to turn anyone’s stomach, all that mushy romance crap. Plus all the longing looks and wandering hands and kissing. Gah, the kissing. What he needed was a good fuck. A night of dirty sex and a morning of forgotten names. That would cure him of all these unwanted emotions. He’d learned his lesson a long time ago. He’d fallen hard for someone and learned the hard way that love was for suckers.

“Scott?” Dylan pressed.

He glanced between the two men. Okay, maybe not suckers. Not if you found the right person. Someone you could trust to love you back just as hard.

“Sorry,” Scott said. “When’s Dominiq need all this stuff by?” They had no major events for the next month, and currently the only guests on the island were some rich couple from San Antonio. A stopover in Marsh Harbor might do him some good.

“I can check, but I don’t think there’s anything urgent.” Dylan narrowed his eyes and reached out, resting a hand on Scott’s shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”

Scott laughed. Dylan was around the same age as him yet in the last couple of years he had turned into some father figure. Well, more like an older and wiser brother. “I’m fine. If it’s okay with you, I won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“Of course it is,” Lucas insisted. Scott smiled. The couple wasn’t quite at the finish-each-other’s-sentences stage, but always seemed to think the same on any decision.

“Thanks.” Scott slipped Dominiq’s list back into his pocket and checked he had his wallet. “I’ll call if there’s a problem with anything.” Their supplier at Marsh Harbor had only ever let them down once. Dominiq had not been happy to find there would be no dragon fruit for his so-named dragon fruit cocktail.

He jumped onboard and waited as Dylan untied the line and threw it onto the deck.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Dylan said.

Scott started the engine and slid on his sunglasses.

“And don’t go gorging yourself on those fudge sundaes again.”

Scott raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at Dylan from over the frames of his shades. Who had told Dylan about Scott’s addiction to the cold stuff? It could only be one person—the only one who had experienced Scott falling face first into a sundae as if it were his last-ever dessert. Jamie. It had to be the ex-Marine who had blurted the facts.

“Jeez, if you can’t trust a Marine, who can you trust?” Then he had a horrible thought. Dominiq took the health of all his friends very seriously, and horrors of horrors, what if he knew and decided to put Scott on a diet? An automatic reflex had him sucking in his tummy. “Does Dominiq know?”

Dylan shook his head. “But you should watch yourself. If he catches you eating that processed crap again—”

“Yeah, yeah.” He had been scolded once before for daring to eat something not made from the freshest of meat and vegetables. Apparently, burgers, fries, and fudge sundaes were not a food group in themselves and did not cover the required vitamins, minerals, and all that other healthy-balance stuff Dominiq believed in heart and soul.

Deciding what happened at Marsh Harbor stayed at Marsh Harbor, he added a fudge sundae to his mental to-do list. Checking one more time that he had everything, Scott steered away from the pier. He glanced over his shoulder to see Lucas waving and Dylan leaning into his lover. He wasn’t normally a guy to get jealous, but he was scarily close to turning Hulk-green. A bar, a drink, and a guy should settle his mood and get these feelings out his system. At least until the next time.

Pushing his sunglasses higher, he then swept his hand back through his dark hair and focused on the landmass in front of him. He had made the trip to Marsh Harbor more times than he cared to remember, but something felt different this time and he wasn’t exactly sure why. His morning had been the same as always. He had joined everyone else for breakfast, chatted, laughed, and been given his list of jobs for the day. His first job had been to clean the filter on the pool and test the chemical levels, then he had the hinges on the launderette door to lift, and before heading on his run to Marsh Harbor, he had started the work of replanting the east garden.

Not exactly what he had in mind when he had left Ithaca six years ago, but he had come to accept not everyone got to pick their path—not everyone was destined to get the happy ending they wanted and planned for. Sometimes the direction a person’s life went in was his own fault and sometimes it was somebody else’s. For Scott it was a bit of both. He’d had his eyes opened and it had been the push he had needed to get out of there. Okay, so maybe his folks had thought it more like he was running away, but that wasn’t really it. He’d set his sights on something that had been nothing more than a pipedream. His heart and trust had been broken, and he’d wanted to find a way to fix them. To play out the ultimate cliché of finding himself and a new path. And maybe stop everything from hurting so damn much.

Steering the boat, Scott put the coast line on his port side. He hated it when he got like this. He was Scott Antonelli, free-spirited, easygoing, and fun. Lucas was right. He had been distracted this last week. Maybe it was time to move on for a little while. He could head back to Thailand, Malaysia, or Singapore. His time working at the Singapore Botanic Gardens had been one of the most rewarding of his life so far. He actually was able to use his degree and yet still learn new techniques and discover plants so colorful and exotic, he almost considered them to be alien and from another world.

Singapore.

Leaving was a good idea. He glanced back at Sapphire Cay. Maybe.



Marsh Harbor was busy, teeming with traders and tourists and captains of any seafaring vessels available. The Bahamian tourist trade was big business, and Scott was slap in the middle of the chaos.

“I’ll collect it in the morning,” Scott said and handed over the list of foodstuffs to the only stall holder Dominiq trusted in the harbor. “That okay?”

The man behind the stall read over the list and nodded. “No problem,” he agreed and slipped the list in his shirt pocket. His smile was all teeth and friendly.

Scott knew everything would be ready for him to collect. The man was an old friend of Dominiq’s—Claude, Scott remembered. “Thanks,” he said and handed Claude half the money he had been given as a deposit.

“See you in the morning,” Claude said. Then he turned to serve another customer.

“Yeah,” Scott said, putting his wallet away. He zipped up his pocket and pulled his green T-shirt down over his ass. He checked the time. Still a little early to start drinking alone. Besides, he wasn’t looking to get legless. He just wanted to relax with a couple of beers and some polite conversation. He’d be okay with that. First, he needed to get himself a room, shower, maybe buy himself a decent shirt.

Putting on his shades, he turned on his heel to head for the nearest guest house.

“Sorry,” he said when he bumped shoulders with someone.

“Scott.”

The heat of familiarity spread through Scott’s chest when he heard his name. Slowly, he turned around, fearing he might be right. Could it really be…?

“Adam.” The man’s name was all Scott managed as he stared into the eyes of his former lover. Adam Ross. It really was him. The only person Scott had ever loved, the same person who had ripped out Scott’s heart and stamped it into the ground. Scott blinked twice to check he wasn’t imagining things.

Images flashed in his head. Making love, kissing, smiles, betrayal, cops, crime…every single day of their six months together coalesced into one solid wall of fury.

“Hey,” Adam said. His mouth curved into a smile and Scott saw red.

Curling his hand into a fist, Scott lashed out, laying a blow to Adam’s jaw. The punch was enough to knock Adam backward and off his feet, and he landed on his ass with a painful grunt.

That felt good. Scott shook away the throb of pain from the contact with Adam’s face and squeezed his hand open and shut a few times.

“Jesus, Scott,” Adam said as he rubbed at his cheek. “What the hell?”

“What the hell?” Scott looked down at Adam and shook his head. “What the hell?” Pinching the bridge of his nose, he backed away and looked around at the curious faces of the market crowds.

Great.

“You missed me then?” Adam said cautiously. He sat forward and held out his hand.

Scott considered Adam’s hand for a moment. He could feel people’s eyes on him, judging him and his actions.

Shit.

Hesitating, he chewed on his lip. This was some massive joke. He’d knocked Adam to the ground, and Adam should stay on the damn ground. Eventually, Adam got the hint that Scott wasn’t helping him up, and he scrambled to stand on his own. As Adam dusted down the back of his light-colored pants and composed himself, Scott took the opportunity to look the man over. It seemed in six years not a lot had changed. Adam’s eyes still shone all golden brown when he smiled, his jaw was covered in shaped scruff, and his hair stuck up in soft spikes. He looked slimmer, skinnier even, older, but he had the familiar youthful charm in and around his eyes.

Damn, he looks good.

Emotions Scott had buried a long time ago threatened to reemerge—a mixture of hate, love, and regret. Right now, he hated the fact Adam could reawaken that desire, that love, those feelings Scott hadn’t had for anyone since him. Not like this. Not the same as he’d felt for Adam. Sure he had said the words to a couple of guys, but there was never anything real behind them. Nothing that meant the relationships would last longer than a couple of months, just enough before the itchy feet kicked in and Scott continued with his traveling.

“What are you doing here?” Scott asked angrily, stepping back to put a little more distance between them.

Adam briefly smiled before he ducked his head and eyed the ground. He seemed nervous. “To the point as always. I missed that.”

Scott folded his arms across his broad chest. “Seriously? Do you want me to hit you again?” Yes, he was hostile, but Adam deserved it. Scott still remembered that morning—the cops, the shouting, Adam with one leg out the window.

Adam raised his hands in self-defense. “Not necessary.”

For a few seconds Scott just stared. His initial temper had subsided and now sat curled inside him, ready for more fighting. He’d finished with Adam. He didn’t need Adam. I loved him so much.

Calmly, Scott again asked, “Why are you here?” What wicked trick was Fate trying to play on him? Of all the places in the world, Adam was here. Why? How? He narrowed his eyes and looked Adam up and down. He didn’t believe in coincidences.

“A guy can’t go on vacation?” Adam stretched his neck as he rubbed his jaw again. “That hurt, you know. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“You’d be surprised. I’m not the same person from six years ago.”

Adam nodded. “Do you want to get a drink?”

Scott huffed a laugh. “You’re kidding, right?” So maybe a moment ago he was ready to have a few beers, but now he just wanted to collect Dominiq’s ingredients, sort out the liquor order, and get back to Sapphire Cay. He grimaced as he curled his hand into a fist. And get some ice for his damn hand.

Adam worried his lower lip with a tooth. He looked both wary and hopeful. “Thought we could catch up.”

“Catch up? With what? Your time behind bars? My time forgetting you?”

“Scott, please—”

“How long were you in?” Scott ignored Adam’s soft plea.

Adam stiffened. “Three years.” He met Scott’s eyes before shying away.

The last time Scott had seen Adam, he was being bundled into the back of a cop car. Despite how he had felt about Adam, he hadn’t even been able to bring himself to go to court. He didn’t want to see Adam. As far he had been concerned the young man he’d fallen so hard for was a liar and a criminal and he didn’t want or need to hear exactly what Adam was guilty of. He read about the case online but he never checked the sentencing.

“So, why are you here?” Scott pressed.

Adam lifted his gaze and had an earnest expression on his face that Scott didn’t believe for one minute. “I told you. A vacation.”

“And that’s it?”

Adam shrugged. “I have some business to deal with first, but yeah, that’s it.”

“Business?” Scott shook his head. “What this time?” He tried to imagine how bad things might be this time around. “You here to steal from the tourists?” The Bahamas suffered from crime as much as anywhere else. Smuggling was the biggest problem in the Bahamas, what with the many uninhabited islands. Exotic animals? Drugs? People?

“I’ve changed, Scott,” Adam sounded sad and more than a little resigned. Was he looking for sympathy? Scott huffed a sarcastic laugh. What did Adam expect?

“You do remember what happened in Ithaca, right? Your business brought the cops to our door.”

“That wasn’t my fault,” Adam claimed instantly. He held up a hand to forestall Scott’s talking. “It was a misunderstanding. I didn’t do what the cops said I did.”

“So you were innocent and they put you away for three years for absolutely no reason. I forgot, everyone in prison is innocent.” Scott looked around. Were they really doing this in the middle of the street? People weren’t stopping and staring—no one cared the two men were talking loudly in the street.

Scott forged ahead. “You made your choice when you stole that first car. You got involved with all that crap and those men. You got me involved. I had the cops going through my stuff, our stuff. Do you know how that made me feel?”

Fuck. He couldn’t do this. Turning around, he shouted to Claude, “Claude, I’ll be back in an hour for everything. That a problem?”

Claude looked surprised but shook his head. “One hour.”

“I have to go.” Scott looked at Adam. “Enjoy your vacation,” he said and made to leave.

“I’m sorry,” Adam called after him. Scott stopped and closed his eyes. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if he really hated Adam. Even after six years, there was still a place reserved for only Adam in his heart. “Please, Scott, I truly am sorry. You were never supposed to get involved.”

Slowly, Scott turned around. “You don’t get it, do you? I loved you. Just being with you involved me in what you were doing. I could have lost everything I’d worked for. I trusted you and you lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie. I just—”

“Didn’t tell me the truth,” Scott finished for him.

Adam shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too, sorry I ever met you,” Scott snapped. Then he eyed the red patch on Adam’s jaw where he had hit him. “I’m not sorry I hit you.”

“I deserved it,” Adam said softly. He touched the darkening skin with the fingers of one hand.

Scott couldn’t stand here any longer. He couldn’t bear to be in the proximity of the man he’d lost his heart to. He would hit him again or kiss him or throttle him or hug him. He had to go.

“Goodbye, Adam,” he said finally. He continued to walk away.

“I’m staying at the Pelican Landing,” Adam shouted. “Room four-oh-eight.”

Scott didn’t stop this time. He couldn’t. Refusing to look back, he headed for the liquor store. Singapore suddenly seemed a hell of a good idea just about now.





Chapter 2



Lucas frowned at Scott as he walked up to him. “You’re back?”

Scott shrugged as Lucas stated the obvious. He had only just docked a few minutes before and he needed a beer. He’d hoped the bar would be empty but apparently, Lucas and Dylan had the same idea for early evening alcohol and were standing on either side of the Tiki bar, chatting.

“Yeah. Change of plan,” Scott said as he slid onto the stool beside Lucas and rested his arms on the edge of the wooden surface. It was a little after six and the sun sat low in the sky, casting a warm orange glow over the pool area.

Dylan and Lucas both stared at him, and it was Lucas who finally broke the silence. “Want a cocktail? Dylan’s making us Apple Mojitos.”

Scott watched Dylan mix the first drink. It looked disgusting. Evidently, his face showed the doubt he had at going anywhere near the bright green drink.

“They’re good,” Lucas assured him.

“Sure,” Scott said. “Why not?” He’d get to the beer later.

Lucas grinned. “So, how was Marsh Harbor?”

I ran into my ex who spent three of the last six years in prison.

“Same old.” He glanced at Lucas, who gave him a curious look. “I haven’t unloaded Liberty yet.”

Dylan slid a drink toward Lucas.

Scott continued, “Was hoping for a hand.”

He smirked as Dylan pulled the drink back toward himself, away from Lucas.

“Hey,” Lucas half whined.

“After we help Scott,” Dylan insisted.

Lucas mumbled something Scott didn’t quite make out, but it definitely involved both Scott and Dylan being asses.

“Fine,” Lucas said and jumped down from his stool. “Well, come on,” he chivied them to work. “I have cocktails to sip beside the pool. Let’s get to it.”

Dylan laughed and fell in behind his fiancé, followed quickly by Scott. The couple held hands as they made their way down to the beach and the pier. Scott pushed his hands in his pockets and smiled as Dylan playfully shoved Lucas forward across the sand. He had only ever felt that at ease with one person. One man. His head and his heart were engaged in a war over Adam about what was and what could have been—what still could be.

How could he even think about giving the man a second chance?

Because you loved him, you big idiot. Because when you saw him your instinct was to hold him close and never let him go. Because even now grabs your heart.

Lucas cried out and Scott stopped, watching the two men run across the sand. Dylan chased Lucas toward the pier, trying to capture him around his waist, only to miss and fall face first in the sand.

He thought on Adam and Ithaca, on Dylan and Lucas and Sapphire Cay, and then on Singapore and moving forward. With a sigh, he started walking again. He needed to work stuff out. What had happened today was a wakeup call. The decision to face any or all of it head on wasn’t as easy as he thought. In fact, it was damn hard.

After Liberty was unloaded and everything was in the kitchen, it was finally drink time. One Mojito turned into two. The drink numbed the edges and gave him a buzz where his mind was imagining everything was possible. He chased them with beer but when he asked for whisky, Dylan placed a hand over his and stopped him from helping himself.

“What’s wrong?” Dylan asked gently.

“Nothing,” Scott said. No one needed to know that he was probably in shock. All he needed to do was take the edge off with the alcohol, and life would just go back to normal.

Dylan began talking, but he was talking to Lucas, not to Scott. “…the most I’ve ever seen him drink is two beers…”

His friend’s voice sounded distant and there was buzzing in his head that made it difficult to concentrate. Scott blinked and looked from Dylan to Lucas then down to his empty glass. They were talking about him as if he wasn’t there, saying he was drunk…or something.

“’M’fine,” he said. He deliberately sounded out each vowel in his head but what came out was a slur. “’M’not’fine,” he corrected. “’M’drunk.”

“What happened when you were mainland?” someone asked. He thought it was Dylan, but he wouldn’t bet his life on it.

“‘S’Adam,” he said. At least the sound of the words in his head were right even if it didn’t come out as careful speech.

“Adam who?” Lucas asked. Scott looked over at him, but Lucas wasn’t directing the question to him, he was looking at Dylan for the answer. Hell, Dylan didn’t know anything about Adam. Why would Scott go mouthing off about someone that screwed with his head and left him feeling angry and lost?

“I don’t know anything about an Adam,” Dylan answered.

“I’m going in to get coffee for us all,” Lucas said quickly. “I’ll be back in five.”

Dylan came around Scott’s side and encouraged Scott to sit on the sand with his back against the wooden bar. He pressed a glass of water into Scott’s hand.

“Drink this, it’ll dilute the alcohol some.”

Scott did as he was told then, and before he felt time pass, Lucas was back and he handed Scott hot black coffee. As it scalded a path down his throat, Scott winced. He was losing the lovely mellow everything-is-fine feeling and was on the way to feeling queasy. He imagined the coffee finding the alcohol in his stomach and threatening it not to come back up. He hoped to hell the alcohol was going to listen.

Lucas sat on his right, Dylan on his left, and he waited for one of them to start talking. They were going to ask him all kinds of deep penetrating questions that he had no answer to.

“You want to talk?” Lucas asked gently. “I can go if you want to talk to Dylan on your own?”

“Dylan’s my best friend,” Scott said brokenly. “You love him.” He knew he wasn’t making sense. He was coming down from the alcohol high and things looked bleak. “I love that you love him and he loves you,” he added with a hiccup.

Scott and Dylan had been close for years, ever since Thailand, and Dylan knew all of Scott’s secrets bar one. Adam. Scott could understand why Lucas suggested Scott talk to Dylan alone, but he assumed Dylan would talk to Lucas later anyway. May as well get it all out in one go. He sipped more coffee and for a long while they sat in silence in a row. Finally, he felt able to speak.

“I was in the last year of college, sitting through finals, working at the botanical gardens for my experience,” Scott started. He closed his eyes then moved until he could draw up his knees and rest his head on them. He wondered if the two men would be able to hear him as he mumbled into his legs, then dismissed the worry. He needed to hide when he told this story and they would just have to listen hard.

“I met this guy when I was in my final year at Ithaca. Young, only nineteen, and he was the life and soul of the party. We just clicked in bed. He only had to take his shirt off and I had him pinned to the mattress or a sofa or up against a wall.” He groaned as he realized how much information was probably too much. Neither Lucas nor Dylan commented. “His name was Adam.”

“He was a sophomore then,” Lucas summarized.

Scott snorted. “Hell no. He wasn’t in college. Not that he couldn’t, he was so damn clever, but he didn’t have money…you know what it’s like. He worked in Ithaca. I met him at a party, we were together six months.” Nausea rolled in his stomach, and he concentrated on his breathing to quell the need to be sick. “We got to the point…” He paused. “No, I got to the point where I thought we could see where the future took us.” He stopped and lifted his face to the evening breeze. The scent of the sea was as familiar as every other night and it grounded him. “I even thought I was in love with him.”

I was in love with him. He was part of me. My future.

Lucas rubbed small circles on his back. “What happened?” he asked.

Scott snorted. “Well, the future didn’t happen. That’s for sure,” he added. “I knew in my bones that there was something not right, but I really, genuinely had fallen in love and I ignored all the signs.”

“Was he cheating on you?” This time Dylan asked the question. Scott wished he could say he knew for certain that Adam hadn’t cheated on him. That he trusted Adam. But when the cops came and took him, Scott lost the last little piece of trust he had. Instead of answering Dylan’s question, he forged ahead with explanation.

He sighed heavily. “I don’t know what to tell you. We woke up one morning and there were cops at the door, and when I let them in, Adam was halfway out the window. They arrested him for stealing cars and selling the parts, and I found out today he was given a three-year prison sentence.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Dylan offered. He slung his arm over Scott’s shoulder and Scott wasn’t ashamed to lean in for the comfort.

“You didn’t know what he was doing?” Lucas asked.

Trust Lucas to be the one who asked the question that mattered.

“I’d love to tell you, hand on heart, that I didn’t know,” Scott said. “But I was always suspicious. He’d come to my place late, go out early, sometimes he’d just be lying around playing video games for days. He told me he had a legitimate business that he ran alongside flipping burgers, and that he was going places. At first, I was proud that my nineteen-year-old boyfriend had made himself money and thought that one day he would use it to go to college or… I don’t know.” Scott shrugged. “Hell, the sex was awesome.”

“So you said,” Lucas said dryly.

Dylan took his turn to ask a question that Scott struggled with. “What stopped you from finding out more? What is he doing here? Has he tracked you down? Did you ask him what he was doing?”

So many questions Scott wished he had answers to. “I don’t know. We had six months, Dylan, that was all. Just half a year of off-the-charts sex and me in my own head imagining a future based on that alone. We weren’t much beyond the fucking-every-moment-we-got stage. I’d only allowed myself that single morning to say anything out loud that was anywhere close to commitment.”

Scott remembered it clearly.



“How would you like to come traveling with me?” Scott blurted out. Adam wasn’t the type for post-sex talking; he was more the head-under-the-quilt-and-snoring type. Adam turned on his side to face Scott and gave another wide yawn.

“Traveling where?” Adam asked curiously as he stretched.

“Like how some European students travel after they have their degrees. I think it sounds kinda cool. Singapore, maybe, Australia? I was thinking of starting in Thailand or something like that? We could work our way around.” Scott wished he sounded more confident in what he was saying. He and Adam were different worlds really, and he didn’t expect Adam to say yes immediately.

“I have a life here,” Adam said softly.

“It wouldn’t be for long.”

“How long?” Adam asked.

“Most students go for a year. Do some growing up, see the world, find themselves.”

Adam snorted a laugh and rolled onto his back. Reaching sideways, he gripped Scott’s now-flaccid cock. “I can help you find yourself, baby.” He smirked.

“I mean it,” Scott insisted. “Take a year out, work our way around the world, well, a bit of it at least, then come back and find somewhere to settle down or something.” The last he added casually, as if he didn’t care what Adam said next.

“Settle down?” Adam sounded momentarily wistful. Then he ruined the effect by laughing. “That sounds far too permanent.”

“I know you’re only nineteen…” Scott started. He wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence though.

“Nineteen with a place of my own I pay rent on and income from a good job.”

“Doing what exactly?” Scott insisted. He swallowed. “You have way more money than just flipping burgers. What is your other business?”

Adam rolled off the bed on his side and pulled on his jeans. “Jesus, Scott. I’m not staying if you’re going all bad cop on me.”

“Why would you say that?” Scott snapped.

“Fuck you, Scott. I don’t have to share anything with you.”

“I worry about you, Adam.”

Adam pulled his T-shirt over his head and scrubbed at his stubbled face with his hands, then pushed them through his spiky, messed hair. He had temper flashing in his eyes. “Don’t worry about me, Brains, I’m doing just fine.”

“You don’t seem to have anyone. Friends? Family. I’ve never met anyone. You have money lying around here. I’m not stupid, Adam.”

“I never said you were, but this is my life and I don’t need you getting involved.”

A knock at the door echoed through the small apartment. Someone was pounding the door. Wait. Not pounding. Pushing something at the door.

Adam was scared, his brown eyes wide with sudden fear. He looked terrified and crossed to the window, glancing out at the fire escape.

“Adam, what’s wrong?”

Adam didn’t answer. He pulled at the catch holding the window shut and tried to lever it upward. He even had a foot out on the sill when the door flew open with force and suddenly everything went to hell. Cops, five, six, two with guns drawn, and Adam was dragged back from the window. One of them was stating Adam’s Miranda rights and when Scott could hear over the noise all he picked up was that Adam was being arrested. What for? What did Adam do?

When cuffs clicked around Adam’s wrists he didn’t struggle. He simply stood absolutely still and refused to meet Scott’s eyes. The cops turned to Adam. They were talking at him, something about car theft, parts, cash, laundering, and a cop being shot. Adam was going down and Scott had to stay here and think himself lucky he’d stayed out of it all.

Confusion and noise, then suddenly nothing except the promise that Scott would be called in for questioning if needed.

Standing in his room in shock, Scott could only think one thing.

How could he ever think to love someone he could never really know?



Scott pulled himself back to the here and now. “Adam told me he did extra stuff. That is how he explained it—stuff—finding things people needed and selling them on. I would see rolls of notes sometimes, and I knew something wasn’t right. “

“But you never knew what?” Dylan asked carefully.

“Car parts he said. I asked him what kind of car parts? Where did he get them? Why did his customers pay him in cash? All he said was that his customers were rich. I was stupid. Blinded by what I thought was love.”

The three men sat quietly for a few minutes, and in that time enough memories whirled inside Scott’s head that he couldn’t stop the flood of embarrassment that made him groan.

Dylan snapped his fingers. “Wait. Rewind. He was in prison, and he’s out, so do you think he is in Marsh Harbor specifically looking for you?”

Scott shuffled uncomfortably on the hardening sand under his butt. “He didn’t say and I didn’t ask him.”

“Then what exactly did you talk about then?”

“Less talking, more punching,” Scott admitted.

“Jeez,” Dylan murmured. Scott glanced at Dylan, whose eyebrows were raised in surprise at the statement. Scott was the last person to get angry, let alone allow temper to have a physical manifestation, and Dylan knew that.

“So, both of you, tell me. What the hell do I do now?”

“Is he still at Marsh Harbor?”

“He said he was. He gave me his room number at the Pelican Landing.”

“That’s a pit,” Dylan said. “Cheap by-the-hour type of bookings.”

“Stealing cars can’t pay well then,” Lucas pointed out.

“He says he’s done with that,” Scott immediately defended. Then he groaned again and hid his face against Dylan’s T-shirt. What was he doing? Defending someone he’d spent so little time with and who he didn’t really know. The same boy who’d nearly got Scott arrested.

“You know what you need to do,” Dylan started. “You need to sleep on it, and in the morning, you need to get yourself to the Pelican Landing and you need to punch him again.” The last he added with a smile obvious in his voice.

“Or you could talk,” Lucas said. “Get this all off your chest. See what he wants. Then come back home and drink some more mojitos.”