Showing posts with label Christmas 2016. Show all posts

New Release - Holiday House Swap by Sarah Madison - Exclusive Excerpt

The Book

 Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | AllRomance | Dreamspinner | KOBO 

Reclusive writer Noah Kinley is facing a dilemma: how to confess to the world he’s really the author of a bestselling romance series. For years, his friend Julie has been the face of his brand, but she wants her life back now. Fast running out of ideas for his popular series, Noah wants to break out into other genres. Not that he’s writing much of anything at the moment anyway, thanks to paralyzing writer’s block. With his publisher breathing down his neck for the next installment, he hopes a change of scene will get his writer’s juices flowing again. Desperate enough to try anything, during the holidays Noah swaps his isolated cabin in the woods for a gentrified horse farm.

USAF Major Connor Harrison has chosen forced retirement over facing charges for an unauthorized mission to rescue a buddy from behind enemy lines. No one expects him home for the holidays, and he certainly didn’t anticipate finding a stranger in his house, much less Noah Kinley with his acid tongue and a wry sense of humor that pierces all of Connor’s defenses.

Both men need to figure out what the next chapter in their lives will be—and whether it will include each other.

Excerpt

“Kinley. You gonna get up or what?”

Noah had a moment of extreme disorientation as he tried to recall how the guy with the sexy drawl happened to be standing in his room. It came to him all at once: the decision to leave the cabin, the intense drive from the airport, and then meeting the owner of the house, who turned out to be a Captain America freak when everyone knew Iron Man was the coolest superhero. The pounding headache suggested perhaps finishing off the second bottle of wine hadn’t been wise, considering how seldom he drank. Only then did he realize the worst.

“If you’d rather not go to the barn, that’s cool.” Harrison spoke in that oh-so-causal manner that by this time in their short acquaintance meant this was really kind of a big deal to him.

“It’s not that,” Noah croaked, wincing at his sore throat. “I’m sick.”

“Holy shit, you weren’t joking when you said you were coming down with something. You okay? You sound terrible.” Concern was written clearly on Harrison’s face as he stepped closer to Noah’s bed.

Damn if he wasn’t wearing cream-colored breeches and tall boots too. No burgundy jacket, however, to complete the Beau Brummell look from Noah’s fantasy the night before.

“I don’t own a burgundy jacket. Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not making much sense.”

“I can’t be sick.” Noah groaned. He hadn’t meant to say anything about the Regency clothing out loud. “No, no, no. This isn’t fair. I never get sick! The one time I leave the cabin in years and I catch a cold? This is so not fair.” He shivered and hunkered down under the blankets. “It’s freezing in here. Can you turn up the heat or something?”

Harrison placed the back of his hand on Noah’s brow. “Jeezus. You’re burning up. Wait here. I’m going to get a thermometer.”

Not Harrison, though. Connor. You couldn’t drink a man’s wine and stay up half the night arguing the finer points of science fiction, or picture the hottie dressed in Regency costuming, and still call him by his last name. Connor. Such a sexy name. It suited him.

Noah must have dozed off again, because he started when Connor touched him on the shoulder. “Here. Put this in your mouth.”

Noah opened his mouth obediently, thinking surely there had to be a sexual innuendo in there somewhere, if he could only think of it. He closed his lips on the digital thermometer.

Connor snorted suddenly, making Noah look up at him.

“What?” Noah mumbled around the thermometer.

“Do you always say whatever’s on your mind when you’re running a fever?” Connor’s smile made Noah feel accepted in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. Fortunately the beeping of the thermometer kept him from having to answer. “One-oh-three degrees. That’s pretty hot, Kinley.”

Author Bio

Sarah Madison is a writer with a little dog, a large dog, an even bigger horse, too many cats, and a very patient boyfriend. An amateur photographer and a former competitor in the horse sport known as eventing, when she's not out hiking with the dogs or down at the stables, she's at the laptop working on her next story. When she’s in the middle of a chapter, she relies on the smoke detector to tell her dinner is ready. She writes because it’s cheaper than therapy.

Sarah Madison was a finalist in the 2013, 2015, and 2016 Rainbow Awards. The Boys of Summer won Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards. The Sixth Sense series was voted 2nd place in the 2014 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards for Best M/M Mystery series, and 3rd place in the 2105 PGR Reviewer’s Choice Awards for Best M/M Paranormal/Urban Fantasy series.

If you want to make her day, e-mail her and tell you how much you like her stories.
Website: http://www.sarahmadisonfiction.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Madison/e/B004K9QY5C/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1471196589&sr=1-2-ent
Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/searchresults?q=Sarah+Madison
E-mail: akasarahmadison@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Madison-Author/106445646104338
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMadisonFic


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Guest Post from Liam Livings

Merry Christmas to RJ and all her readers!

I love a Christmas film – the cheesier and more sentimental the better. Here are some of my favourites.

The Family Stone – I love the concept of Sarah Jessica Parker being thrown into a really liberal family with her less liberal views. It makes for comedy awkward gold. Plus, the chemistry between her and her boyfriend is so obviously wrong that it’s inevitable what happens in the end. Plus, Diane Keaton and a really cute gay couple. And tears and laughter. What more can you ask of a Christmas film?

I adore Love Actually too. I know it’s not Richard Curtis’s best film in many people’s opinions, but for me, it’s perfect. It combines so many linked narratives. It has plenty of very emotional moments – Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant are amazing. Plus Martine McCutcheon as the tea lady at the Prime Minister’s residence is so far fetched and OTT that I can’t but love it I’m afraid. Sorrynotsorry.

Meet Me in St Louis – Judy Garland, the song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a musical film, need I say more? Plus, it’s featured in the first Sex and the City Movie, so that’s a double score in my book.

Elf – Will Farrell’s wide-eyed innocence is enough to thaw the most icy of anti-Christmas hearts. It’s such a great fun ride of a film.

What made me write this Christmas novella?

Sometimes when you’re stuck in a situation the best thing you can do is change your environment. I wanted to put two men in unfamiliar surroundings and see what might happen.

Obviously, because I’m a romantic at heart and I love a happy ever after, it’s going to end well, but I can promise you there are plenty of bumps in the road before the men reach their happy Christmas and beyond.

Since I’ve been published in 2013 I’ve written a Christmas story. I love how this time of year can bring out the best in people. How it brings families together and how it’s a great excuse to switch off from work, embrace the cold of winter and stay inside and eat your body weight in food.

Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and New Year and that you have plenty of time to enjoy new Christmas films, songs and books, as well as some old favourites.

Liam Livings xx

The Book

A house exchange between two single men leads to a romantic new life for both of them.

Oliver and Kyle live thousands of miles apart, but each needs a break from his current life and love. Enter the Cloud B&B website, a wonderful new way to exchange homes for the holiday. They both muster their courage, and decide to visit another continent for Christmas.

In the UK, Oliver has been pining after his neighbour for far too long, living his comfortable but quiet life in a town in the New Forest. When his crush moves on in the worst possible way, Oliver is seduced by the chance to stay in fun-loving, sunny Miami.

In Miami, Kyle is a club owning workaholic, who suddenly discovers the man he lives with has been unfaithful. Yet again. As consolation, Kyle is tempted to see first hand the picturebook charm of the New Forest in winter.

Both of them find not just a new setting but a new romance. Oliver makes a big effort to shed his inhibitions and meets a musician, Mark, who plays in the Florida bars, and who may be just as cautious and polite as Oliver in making the first move.

And while Kyle’s trying to come to terms with England’s very different culture—and food!—he’s charmed by Oliver’s best friend Edward, who’s bold and sexy, but secretive.

Will Oliver take the leap of faith and encourage a lover who can and will give the commitment he deserves? And will Kyle find a man who can be loyal and also offer Kyle the family life he needs?

But perhaps more importantly—when Christmas is over, can a new life survive?

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 

About Liam

Liam Livings lives where east London ends and becomes Essex. He shares his house with his boyfriend and cat. He enjoys baking, cooking, classic cars and socialising with friends. He escapes from real life with a guilty pleasure book, cries at a sad, funny and camp film – and he’s been known to watch an awful lot of Gilmore Girls in the name of writing ‘research’.

One evening, flicking through the channels, he stumbled across the film, Saving Private Ryan, and it took twenty minutes of not seeing Goldie Hawn in an army uniform, before he realised it wasn’t actually the film, Private Benjamin.

He has written since he was a teenager, started writing with the hope of publication in 2011. His writing focuses on friendships, British humour, romance with plenty of sparkle.

When he’s not writing fiction he runs a manuscript appraisal service, provides marketing support to authors & publishers and ghostwrites other people’s books.

Twitter @LiamLivings
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/liam.livings
Blog http://www.liamlivings.com/blog


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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 12 Charlie Cochet



And last but not certainly not least, I'd like to introduce the fabulous Charlie Cochet...

Hello, all! Thank you so much for joining me here today, and a big thank you to RJ for having me! This year Dreamspinner Press will be releasing the fifth book in my North Pole City Tales series, Disarming Donner. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the series, it centers around the Rein Dear, Mayor Kringle’s handsome and dashing Christmas elves who fly around the world on Christmas Eve in their biplanes delivering Christmas joy.

Throughout the series, we follow several of the Rein Dear as they fall in love, from the Captain of the Rein Dear Squadron, Rudy Rein Dear, and the imposing Jack Frost, to the sassy Vixen and his timid Toy Soldier Army Lieutenant, Vale Frost. This year we have Donner, a posh, sensible Rein Dear who catches the eye of Calder, a Dockalfar. Calder is nothing what Donner expects from a dark elf, and soon his life is turned upside down, and he is not happy about it.

Writing this world has been so much fun, from coming up with elf curses like “plum pudding!” to each of the Rein Dear with their distinct looks and personalities. I get to immerse myself in the scents and sounds of the holidays every time I step back to North Pole City with its twinkling fairy lights and jingling bells. What’s your favorite part of the holiday season?

Leave your comment below for a chance to win a Rein Dear goody bag! Open internationally.

Love,

Charlie

Disarming Donner Blurb

As a beloved Rein Dear and Christmas elf for Mayor Kringle, Donner prides himself on his flawless reputation, good sense, and wise decisions. Donner never does anything until he’s thought it through properly. He’s certainly not one to get flustered, infuriated, or fall prey to romantic nonsense. At least not until the most unlikely of elves begins chipping away at Donner’s defenses.

Calder is a Dockalfar—a dark elf. He’s wicked, untrustworthy, and armed with lethal magic. At least that’s what everyone thinks. It’s easy for them to believe the worst and mistrust him before they’ve even spoken to him, but Calder is out to prove that he’s more than his Dockalfar blood, especially to a certain Rein Dear who has caught his eye. But it will take more than sweet words for Donner to admit what’s in his heart.

Out December 21 2016

Pre-order:  Dreamspinner

Author Bio:

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

If you’d like to connect with Charlie, just drop her an email at charlie(at)charliecochet(dot)com, or find her on: Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, and Google Plus.

Check out Charlie’s website at: www.charliecochet.com


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My Christmas & Winter Stories

"It's the most wonderful time of the year" and I LOVE it! There's something special about Christmas stories and as you can see, I also love writing them :)

In no particular order here they are:

The Christmas Throwaway

The Christmas Throwaway, was my first Christmas themed book. Written as a short story for someone who was poorly in J2 fan fiction, I extended it from two thousand short words to over forty and so Ben and Zach were created.

The book, a story of a young man thrown out of his house at Christmas for being gay, did really surprisingly well. It was All Romance's best selling book of 2010 and also spent a lot of time in the top 300 of all romance novels on Amazon. It's now available in Audio and has been translated into Spanish, Italian,  French and now German. I love this little book that could so much.


The Road To Frosty Hollow

I love the concept of a road trip, particularly when you fall in love on that journey. Add in two men who have known each other a very long time and this is a story written with Meredith Russell that ticks all the boxes for a Christmas Romance.

Jesse's Christmas

This was my second Christmas themed book and spent some time with an old publisher before I was lucky enough to get it back.  As soon as I got it back I doubled it in size!
The story of someone who doesn't really like Christmas landing in a town that won an award for best Christmas Town made me smile the entire time I was writing it.

I couldn't fail to love Gabriel who showed Jesse what Christmas could be about and how it is possible to love again.




Snow & Secrets

One of my favourite storylines in a romance book at Christmas is the idea of a snowy cabin, enforced isolation, and two men falling in love.  

Snow, secrets, some danger, one hot tub, Christmas decorations, and family.

New York Christmas

Awwww, my boys in New York.  I loved writing this book.

It started life as a J2 fanfiction twelve days of Christmas type short story.

When I rewrote it I wanted to keep that idea of the days before Christmas, although of course the book starts just before Thanksgiving and ends in the New Year.

There is also a free short story following on, available at Amber Kell's blog here





Snow In Montana 

My newest Christmas book, the fourth story in the Montana series is a look at Justin and Adam, alongside a whole new romance between a B list actor and a Sheriff. 

I love Christmas movies, and this novel is set against the March backdrop for filming *Snow In Montana* starring The King Of Christmas (TM) Jordan Darby. Meeting Ryan Carter, the local sheriff, is way too tempting for Jordan. How long can he stay in the closet? 

Angel In A Book Shop

The story of an angel and a man set in a book shop. I mean, how could I not enjoy writing this, it had a bookshop, a man with wings, and an angsty sad hero. Win/Win.

It was based loosely on a short I wrote for Dreamspinner way back in 2010 (a bit, not much really, it was supposed to but it kind of grew like topsy and became something else).

The short story I had written was my first ever accepted work for publishing and it HAD to be extended and become something else.



Texas Christmas

Writing the Texas series was a labour of love, and I had to put in a Christmas story for Jack, Riley, and their extended family.

There is of course drama with the Campbell-Hayes, including a terrifying car trip home with the Christmas Tree. Add in the boy's new family and this ends up being a very interesting Christmas for them all.

The Case Of The Sinful Santa

End Street Detective Agency Book 4, written with Amber Kell

How could we not explore the idea of a Klaus family in this series of books featuring vampires, demons, angels, dragons and one kind of human, along with a cast of many other paranormals?

In this book we explored what it must be like born into the Klaus family but not wanting to be a Santa... And and of course, we introduced our very own Angel just to shake things up.

Christmas in the Sun

The Sapphire Cay series comes to an end with book 6.

I have loved writing this series with my very close friend Meredith Russell and we had to give the boys a Christmas book in 2013.

We bought back a wedding planner with OCD decorating tendencies and his sexy Marine, Lucas and Dylan and a stray dog, and gave all of our boys a Christmas Day they wouldn't forget.

The Journal Of Sanctuary One

(Sanctuary book 6)

Jake and Sean, with their love/hate relationship stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere for Christmas. Of course the Bullen storyline features but mostly this is me ticking ALL of my Christmas boxes.

Two men, a cabin, stranded, anger, hate, love, sex and gratuitous use of a running machine. Sighs. I loved writing this book.

Deefur and the Mistletoe Incident

A free short story Christmas gift

This was part of a huge Christmas Anthology that I pulled together in 2013 featuring some 25 new authors. It is the sequel to Deefur The Dog, featuring a Manny, a widower, a sweet child, and of course a Great Dane called Deefur.

This year it is being published with it's own cover and wont cost you a penny!

Texas Winter (Texas #2)


The book that was never supposed to be written...  Did you know The Heart Of Texas was supposed to be a stand alone? ROFL... I couldn't leave it though and so Texas winter was born.

Snow doesn't fall a lot in Texas but this story centers around a freak one-day snowfall. Add in a daughter Riley didn't know he had and the Campbell-Hayes have their first real Christmas.

The Party - A blog story from six authors

Written in 2012... Henry and Jack had thought nothing could ever drive them apart. They were wrong. Three months have passed since Jack had walked out of the home they shared, and Henry had been too stupid to take back the hurtful things he'd said.

Both assured by their respective parents that the other would not be present at Henry's mother's annual Christmas gathering, they attend. Finding they have been duped into seeing each other, Henry realizes that this may be his only chance to try and make things right. But will he be able to convince Jack to come home?


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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 11 Posy Roberts



Today I have Posy Roberts stopping by, welcome Posy...

RJ, thanks for inviting me to this wonderful celebration.

I love the magic of the holiday season so much that I got married December twenty-ninth. It made for a very different sort of holiday that was low key in the run up to the ceremony. I wanted to draw on that experience, but not from the point of view of the person getting married.

In Analog to Digital, Ethan and Toby are spending their first holiday with Ethan’s family during one of these very weird Christmases because Ethan’s sister is renewing her vows. He’s Bah Humbug about her stealing the magic of the holiday, so he’s tried to temper his expectations for his trip home. It doesn’t work out so well for him. He becomes nostalgic for Christmases past, when surrounded by memories in his childhood home, and that makes him wonder about the Christmases yet to come for Toby and him.

But the holiday turns into something far more magical than Ethan ever expected. This is a feel-good, contemporary romance that will leave you grinning from ear to ear.

Merry Christmas!

P.S. I’m giving away a copy of one of my ebooks, winner’s choice. Leave a comment telling me about your holiday expectations that were blown out of the water or what you most look forward to.

The Book

All Ethan wants for Christmas, and the rest of his life, is Toby.

For years, Ethan and Toby have said they’ll never marry, despite Ethan’s secret wishes. So leaving sunny California for snowy Minnesota to witness his sister’s vow renewal is not how he wants to spend his Christmas Eve. It’s the second time she’ll say “I do” in less than a year, when Ethan saying those words to Toby even once is hopeless.

In the run-up to the ceremony, Toby seems to avoid Ethan, and doubts grow in his absence. Ethan can’t help noticing Toby spends more time with Ethan’s family than with him. Little does Ethan know, Toby has desires of his own. But if Toby doesn’t find a way to reveal them, Ethan could leave for home without him.




About the Author

Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.

Posy is a Jill of all trades and master of the drill and paintbrush. She’s married to a partner who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep during her writing frenzies. Her daughter, a budding author and cinematographer, helps her come up with character names. For fun, Posy enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make regular life more interesting.




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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 10 Alex Jane



Welcome and a very merry Christmas to Alex Jane...

’Tis the Season is a story of two people who think their happy ever after has passed them by, only to find it after all in each other—under slightly unusual circumstances.

I really wanted to write a story that had the feeling of a Christmas miracle making everything magically better, but also explore the fact that life is not that straight-forward, and actually sometimes miracles need a little work, as well as luck. But that they’re worth waiting for.

I’m a sucker for a Festive love story, and I couldn’t help work in a few references to two of my favorite Christmas movies into the story. One is pretty obvious, double bonus points if you can spot the other, but I’d really like to know…which romantic Christmas movie would you love to see remade as an MM love story? Leave an answer below for the chance to win one of my ebooks including the new Alpha's Homestead book out end of December.

The Book

Aaron has spent the past ten months alone. When he meets a sad, yet strangely familiar man on a cold Halloween night, he impulsively invites him home. But the intimate connection they share lasts only until morning. Aaron wakes up alone—wracked with guilt and devastated to have lost his chance.

Or so he thinks.

Thanksgiving brings Aaron another shot at happiness, but letting go of an old love and accepting a new one isn’t as easy as everyone keeps telling him. And by the time Christmas Eve rolls around, it becomes clear that Aaron’s not the only one struggling to let himself love again.

Christmas miracles are all well and good, but it’s going to take more than the Holiday Spirit for Aaron to get his happy ever after.

A story of grief, sadness, and letting it go; and finding love when you least expect it.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

About the Author

Wannabe novelist with an even more implausible job in real-life, Alex finally got around to writing down the stories she had spent most of her life crafting in her head, under the shadow of a significant birthday.

With only a one-eyed dog and a horrifyingly muddled music collection to help her along, her stories focus on finding love and keeping it. And if her characters have to go through Hell to get there…she’s okay with that.

Alex lives, works, and is probably writing right now in Brighton, UK.

She’s currently a member of the RNA.

www.alexjane.info/
www.facebook.com/AlexJaneWrites
www.twitter.com/AlexJaneWrites/
www.instagram.com/AlexJaneWrites/
www.goodreads.com/author/show/14981369.Alex_Jane
www.amazon.com/Alex-Jane/e/B01GUK6QNS


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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 9 Amy Lane



It's day 9 of my 12 days of Christmas and today I'd like to introduce you to Amy Lane, welcome Amy! 

So, my Christmas story this year is about the changes that can be wrought on the life of an uptight lawyer with the addition of one very small, very adorable dog.

Now, I just did an entire blog tour about the damned dogs—I figured since they were the ones who had inspired the story, it was only fair to exploit their lives for my commercial gain. (That and who doesn’t want to write an extended love letter to their most steadfast companions, right?) The dogs, quite frankly are laying at my feet, safe and adorable in their little ugly Christmas sweaters, exhausted from all the exposure, so I’m only going to write a little teeny bit about dogs and Christmas.

You MUST buy your dog something for Christmas—or the winter themed holiday of your choice.

No, it’s not a law or anything—but I’m saying. Adorable sweaters for the cold weather? Yes. Do that. A brand new dog bed that is maybe only a little more enticing than the sweater you left on the couch? Sure, it’s acceptable. Their favorite kibble? Some canned food? Why not. Knock yourself out.

No, I’m not getting kickback from PetSmart—I mean, I. Wish.

But I am talking from experience. If you have kids, and they see the dogs didn’t get anything for holiday, they’ll be crushed. They thought the dogs were human, and you’ve just kicked their cherished assumptions in the teeth. If you just have the dogs, well, you have a chance to give something to somebody, and that will make you happy.

And if you have parents, even if you thought your mother hated the dog you grew up with, she will ask you, “And what did you get your fur babies?” in that voice that assumes if you didn’t get the dog anything, you have failed as a human being.

So there you go.

One commenter will win ANY of my Christmas titles-- so If I Must, Christmas with Danny Fit, Winter Courtship of Fur Bearing Critters, Going Up, Candy Man, Winter Ball, Bells of Times Square, Christmas Kitsch, or Freckles.

The Book

Carter Embree has always hoped to be rescued from his productive, tragically boring, and (slightly) ethically compromised life. But when an urchin at a grocery store shoves a bundle of fluff into his hands, Carter goes from rescuee to rescuer—and he needs a little help.

Sandy Corrigan, the vet tech who helps ease Carter into the world of dog ownership, first assumes that Carter is a crazy-pants client who just needs to relax. But as Sandy gets a glimpse into the funny, kind, sexy man under Carter’s mild-mannered exterior, he sees that with a little care and feeding, Carter might be Super-Pet Owner—and decent boyfriend material to boot.

But Carter needs to see himself as a hero first. As he says good-bye to his pristine house and hello to carpet treatments and dog walkers, he finds that there really is more to himself than a researching drudge without a backbone. A Carter Embree can rate a Sandy Corrigan. He can be supportive, he can be a hero, he can be a man who stands up for his principles!

He can be the owner of a small dog.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Riptide 
About the Author

Amy Lane exists happily with her noisy family in a crumbling suburban crapmansion, and equally happily with the surprisingly demanding voices who live in her head.

She loves cats, movies, yarn, pretty colors, pretty men, shiny things, and Twu Wuv, and despises house cleaning, low fat granola bars, and vainglorious prickweenies.

She can be found at her computer, dodging housework, or simultaneously reading, watching television, and knitting, because she likes to freak people out by proving it can be done.

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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 8 Garrett Leigh



On Day 8 I have Garrett Leigh visiting, take it away Garrett...

 Hey! And thank you, RJ, for having me on your wonderful blog.

I wish I had a Christmas book to pimp, but, alas, I don’t, because it’s usually around this time of year that I get a plot bunny for one, and by then, it’s too late. And don’t even think about telling me to write it now for next year, because this is also the time of year when I don’t have time for unscheduled bunny madness!!

Perhaps 2017 will be the year I decide I really can bring myself to write a Christmas book in July, but I doubt it. So, for now, I’ll have to be content in designing cover art for all the authors who are far more organised than me!

Merry Christmas,

Garrett

PS: I’m also giving away an ebook from my Heated Beat series—My Mate Jack, or Lucky Man. YOU decide.

The Book

My Mate Jack

Will Barter’s been in love with his best mate Jack for as long as he can remember. They’ve shared everything: love, life, laughs, even Will’s first kiss. But Jack’s straight, and Will’s long-buried infatuation means nothing until their last summer together draws to a close.

Then one night, everything changes, but with Will bound for university in Leeds, and Jack for his dream DJ job in Ibiza, there’s no time to explore their blurred lines. Before long all that’s left are secrets, lies, and misunderstandings.

In the months that follow, anger and hurt overshadow fifteen years of friendship, and Will must dig deep to remember Jack is his mate… his best mate, and nothing matters more than that, right?

Lucky Man

As a diehard music fan, a dirty, smoky gig is Vice Squad Detective Danny Jones’s idea of heaven. While watching one of the most popular bands in Northern England, the sight of gorgeous rock star Finn McGovern changes his life forever.

Beneath the tattoos and leather jacket, Finn is kind and sweet, but when he confesses a dark secret to Danny, it tests their fledgling bond. Danny digs deep to accept Finn, but before long, a terrifying trail of death threatens to tear them apart before they’ve even got started.

A monster is killing prostitutes on Danny’s patch, and when a dead girl turns up too close to home, Danny discovers a heartbreaking link between the girl and his bright new life with Finn, a life he’ll do anything to protect.

Buy Links

My Mate Jack: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner
Lucky Man: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner
Heated Beat Collection Paperback: Dreamspinner 

Author Bio

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett's debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits is a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com and co-owns the specialist stock photography company M O O N Stock Photography.


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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 7 RJ Scott



I love Christmas. For me my excitement for Christmas starts as soon as Autumn happens. The minute you get that smoky bonfire scent in the air, the leaves turn to gold and red, and the evenings draw in, I am in seventh heaven!

There is that whole low level of excitement that buzzes through me, and I try to capture that in my Christmas stories. Probably the best capturing on how I feel is in The Christmas Throwaway and in New York Christmas. Both heavily feature snow.

We don't really get that much snow in the UK :( If your image of the UK is like The Holiday with the cottage in the snow then you'd be disappointed. The last time we had really good snow down near London was 2010 (and yes, you can't be a Brit unless you can remember these weather type things!). Scotland and northern England will get better snow, as does North Wales. Down south we may get a couple of days, but it never stays. There is nothing like taking that first step on fresh snow, and the look of the landscape and houses with everything softened by white.

Which is probably why my new Montana book, whilst not a Christmas book, definitely has one hell of a lot of snow.

Then I had to add in another of my favourite things - cheesy, schmaltzy, sentimental Christmas made-for-TV movies. Some are appalling - trying very hard to be perfect by including all the right elements but not quite making it right. But, every so often you find a TV movie that just ticks all the boxes. I noticed that there were several actors that seemed to appear in a lot of Christmas movies, and so, Jordan Darby's character was born. He 'is' the King Of Christmas.

I hope you are having a good season so far, and if you celebrate then, Happy Christmas.

HUGS XXX

For your chance to win a copy of Crooked Tree Ranch (Montana #1) leave a comment with your snow story.

Cover by Meredith Russell 
The Book

An actor in the closet, a sheriff in love, and memories that won’t stay hidden.

 Jordan Darby is known as the King of Christmas. The star of eight made-for-TV Christmas movies, the leading man who always gets his girl. Filming at Crooked Tree Ranch in Montana, in the ice and snow, Jordan is fighting to make a go of his new company and dealing with fears of exposure over one huge secret. After all, who the hell would buy into him being a romantic straight lead if rumors about him being gay were proven to be true?

Sheriff Ryan Carter is advising on the new movie being made at Crooked Tree. He hoped this would be one day of work and nothing more. Until, that is, he meets the hero. But while Jordan is sexy, he’s also very much stuck in the closet—everything that Ryan doesn’t need in his life. And then lust becomes part of the equation, and Ryan’s quiet life is thrown into turmoil.

Their story unfolds against the chaos that overtakes the ranch, with Adam regaining memories that terrify him and make him look at Justin differently, and Justin leaving the ranch to make things right. Only through trusting in love and friendship can Justin and Adam learn to look to the future instead of letting the past destroy everything. But will they ever see clearly enough to do that?

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Montana Series
Book 1 - Crooked Tree Ranch
Book 2 - The Rancher's Son
Book 3 - A Cowboy's Home


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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 6 Jay Northcote



Today's special guest is Jay Northcote, take it away Jay...

Hi

Thank you, RJ, for welcoming me to your blog today to talk a little about my Christmas story, A Family for Christmas.

My previous two Christmas books (Cold Feet and What Happens at Christmas) both had the characters alone together for Christmas, cut off from their friends and families by snow—which actually rarely happens in the UK, but it’s called fiction for a reason! So, this year I wanted to do something different. I decided to go completely the opposite way and write a story centred around a big family gathering.

The family in question belong to Rudy, who has more than his fair share of siblings, aunts, parents and grandparents. In contrast, Zac was brought up in foster care and has no family of his own to go home to. When Zac agrees to spend Christmas with Rudy and his family, the warmth and love surrounding him over the Christmas period help to break down the walls around his heart. He ends up falling for Rudy’s crazy, chaotic family almost as much as he falls for Rudy himself.

I’m giving away a copy of one of my ebooks (winner’s choice). In order to enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post.

Cover by Garrett Leigh
The Book

Zac never had a family of his own, but Rudy has enough to share.

Shy, inexperienced Rudy has a crush on Zac from the moment his new colleague walks through the door. On an office night out before Christmas, Rudy finds the courage to make a move, and they form a tentative bond. When he discovers Zac will be alone at Christmas, he invites Zac to come home with him.

Zac prefers to keep people at arm’s length. Yet when Rudy offers him a family Christmas it’s impossible to resist. With no parents of his own, Zac is pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by Rudy’s. The only drawback is that everyone assumes they’re a couple. Unwilling to disappoint Rudy’s mum and make Christmas awkward, they decide not to deny it.

It’s not a chore for Zac to pose as Rudy’s boyfriend, but the pretence makes him want things that scare him—things like a real relationship with Rudy. Zac’s suffered enough rejection in his life already and is afraid to risk his heart. If he can get over his past rejection and let Rudy inside his armour, he might get more for Christmas than he ever imagined.

Buy Links:  Amazon US | Amazon UK

NB. This book will be exclusive to Amazon for the first 90 days, after that it will be available at all major retailers.

Author Bio

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.

Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.

www.jaynorthcote.com
Twitter
Facebook profile
Facebook Author Page
Newsletter
Jay’s books

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Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 5 - Amy Jo Cousins



On day 5 of The 12 Days of Christmas we have Amy Jo Cousins stopping by, welcome Amy...

 Can a Grinch show an orphan the importance of family during the holidays? In Glass Tidings, two deeply lonely men in denial of their desire for connection come together at home and at work for one holiday season, and find themselves hesitantly bonding not only with each other but with friends both old and new. (Geekery also abounds, with Renaissance faires and old school science fiction all playing a part.) I have an abiding fondness for holiday crankypants, from Scrooge to the Grinch to Doris Walker from Miracle on 34th Street.

Which is your favorite: the grouchy holiday Grinch, or the enthusiastic celebrator? Comment on the post with your answer for the chance to win an ebook from my backlist :) 

The Book

Eddie Rodrigues doesn’t stay in one place long enough to get attached. The only time he broke that rule, things went south fast. Now he’s on the road again, with barely enough cash in his pocket to hop a bus to Texas after his (sort-of-stolen) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Midwest, USA.

He’s fine. He’ll manage. Until he watches that girl get hit by a car and left to die.

Local shop owner Grayson Croft isn’t in the habit of doing people any favors. But even a recluse can’t avoid everyone in a town as small as Clear Lake. And when the cop who played Juliet to your Romeo in the high school play asks you to put up her key witness for the night, you say yes.

Now Gray’s got a grouchy glass artist stomping around his big, empty house, and it turns out that he . . . maybe . . . kind of . . . likes the company.

But Eddie Rodrigues never sticks around.

Unless a Christmas shop owner who hates the season can show an orphan what it means to have family for the holidays.


Author Bio

Amy Jo Cousins writes contemporary romance and erotica about smart people finding their own best kind of smexy. She lives in Chicago with her son, where she tweets too much, sometimes runs really far, and waits for the Cubs to win the World Series again.

Website: amyjocousins.com/
Blog: amyjocousins.com/blog/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmyJoCousins/
Twitter: @_AJCousins
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/amyjocousins/

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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 5 Vicky Locey



For our first of two guests today we have VL Locey...

 I’d like to thank RJ for having me over to visit today. It’s so wonderful to spend holiday time with friends and family. An important part of this season for me is holiday music. Music has always held a special place in my life, and in my stories. While I don’t generally work with music in the background, songs can play important roles in my work. Also, I think you can get a real taste for a character by the music they enjoy. Today I have a playlist to share with you with some songs that I feel really capture Adam and Cason, the leading men in Holly & Hockey Boots. I hope you enjoy the tunes and have a happy holiday season!
https://open.spotify.com/user/vllocey/playlist/5HNMp8XDJIKFnimkvFQaFz

V.L.

VL is giving away a backlist title of one of her hockey books to one lucky commenter. 
 

The Book

Minor league goalie Adam Seiger is a nice guy. He’s kind, cute, and a little quirky (but show me a goalie who isn’t) and he loves to interact with fans. During a meet and greet after a game Adam meets Cason Reyes, a hard-working young man with stunning amber eyes and a smile as sweet as a candy cane. Desperate to see Cason again, Adam does something more than a little naughty.

To add insult to the egg nog, it appears that one little white lie may end Adam’s chance of having a merry Christmas with a new boyfriend. Will he end up with nothing but a lump of coal in his stocking, instead of the man who owns his heart?

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | KOBO | B&N | iTunes





The Author

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.

Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey
Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/vllocey/
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey
My blog- http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/



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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 4 TJ Masters



On the fourth day of Christmas we have TJ Masters stopping by....

Two days before Christmas, widower Steven drives to the North of England to meet his estranged son, Andy, hoping for a reconciliation. Steven rejected his son when, as a nineteen-year-old student, Andy came out to his parents. Andy now enjoys a happy and fulfilling relationship with Peter, who initiates contact with Steven by forwarding an almost childlike letter to Santa, in which Andy asks for a father who loves him.

Andy isn’t quick to forgive his father, but the bad weather conspires to strand them all together over the holidays. Father and son experience a steep learning curve, not helped by Steven’s realization that his son’s lover is older than he is. But proximity and familiarity have a way of breaking down barriers, and if all three men can work together in the spirit of cooperation, this Christmas might be one that changes their lives forever.

Out December 14 

Buy Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Do you have a reconciliation story to share? Maybe even a tale of some family member going the extra mile to show their acceptance of a GLBT relation? Leave a comment for your chance to win an Amazon Gift Card. 

Author Bio

After a long career in school teaching T.J. decided to use his passion for books, learning and the sharing of knowledge and to start writing. T.J. believes that he has many stories to tell, books to write and a head full of characters that he wants everyone to meet. T.J. Masters is the pen name of retired school teacher Tim O'Rahilly who lives in semi-rural Hertfordshire, England with Ian, his Civil Partner of thirty-four years. Following early retirement T.J. decided to do something about his long held desire to write and get published. With a passion for books, learning and the sharing of knowledge. T.J. woke up to the knowledge that he had stories to tell, books to write and less than half a lifetime left to do it in. The author describes what he does as "writing passionately about passionate men". In fact T.J's books are inhabited by a wide variety of real characters in believable settings. As a man with wide ranging interests, T.J’s readers will not be in his books long without meeting fascinating characters, tasty food, great music and geeky science.








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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 3 Eli Easton



It's Eli Easton today, writer of many of my favourite Christmas books (you can find them here), welcome Eli...

Merry Christmas to RJ and her readers!

I have to admit I’m a sucker for Hallmark Christmas movies and all things smoopy when it comes to the holiday season. I also adore Christmas romance books. One of my favorites is RJ’s “The Christmas Throwaway” in ebook and audiobook. That one makes a return for me each year along with my favorite Amy Lane, “Turkey in the Snow”.

I also write an annual Christmas book. In this year’s story, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”, there are two hot librarian MCs, a small Midwestern town, a guy’s crush on his mysterious and brooding boss, Walt Whitman quotes in bed, a Christmas Surprise Box, and hot times in the stacks.

Have a lovely holiday season and enjoy your favorite Christmas romances, old and new.

Eli Easton

For the chance to win ebook or audiobook edition of Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles, leave a comment below.

The Book

Toby Kincaid loves being the junior librarian in his hometown of Sandy Lake, Ohio. He spends his days surrounded by books and chatting with the library patrons. He especially adores the head librarian, Mr. Miggles, who is kind, witty, knowledgeable about everything, and hopelessly addicted to Christmas. Sean Miggles is also pretty cute—especially for an older guy who wears ties and suit pants every day.

But Sean keeps himself at a distance, and there’s a sadness about him that Toby can’t figure out. When Sean is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he gives up without a fight. Toby realizes that he alone can save the library—and their head librarian.

Toby will need to uncover the darkness in Sean’s past and prove to him that he deserves a second chance at life and at love too. And while Christmas miracles are being handed out, maybe Toby will get his own dearest wish—to love and be loved by Mr. Miggles.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Author Bio

Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, an organic farmer, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happy these days writing love stories as a m/m romance author.

As an avid reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in rural Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, two cows, pot belly pig, and cat.

Her website is www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com
Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008994061782


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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 2 Clare London



Welcome and Merry Christmas to Clare London...


Hi

I’d like to offer a $20 / £15 voucher at Amazon or All Romance ebooks.

Could there be more different men than a gruff bear of a mountaineer and a quiet, graceful and creative playwright? Romancing the Wrong Twin takes the Opposites Attract theme and torments poor Aidan and Dominic with it until their whole lives are mixed up – and the only hope of rescue is to find the path forward together!

Excerpt

 “How many times have you been to Nepal?” Aidan was particularly fascinated with H-G’s recent climbs. “I’d love to see that part of the world. How did it feel to be thousands of meters above sea level?”

“Eight point two,” H-G murmured.

“To take pictures of that as a beautiful, forever memory of the climb? To see the whole country laid out below you,” Aidan continued excitedly, “rather than be down on the ground with everyone else?”

H-G looked bemused, and Aidan wondered if he’d said something wrong, but H-G answered his question. “It’s brilliant. Almost indescribable. The scene is magical—if I believed in that stuff. To see the two snowcapped subsidiary peaks, the knife-edge ridges stretching across the range. It’s the closest I’ve ever got to spirituality.” H-G’s gaze searched Aidan’s face. He still looked confused.

“It must feel almost like you never wanted to come back down.”

“Exactly like that,” H-G said so softly that Aidan barely heard it.

Silence fell for a long moment.

Aidan stared back at H-G, seeking the truth behind the man’s words. It was there, in H-G’s bright eyes and suspiciously damp lashes, in the momentary disappearance of his habitual scowl, and in the catch of his breath, for his broad chest was barely moving. Aidan’s own chest twisted uncomfortably and his heartbeat sped up.

“But that wasn’t going to happen.” H-G broke the spell with a more familiar gruff comment. “Got a call from the bloody bank. Amazing they can track you down in the middle of the bloody Himalayas, isn’t it? The trip had run out of money, and I was summoned home to renegotiate the loan. Had to borrow most of the fare home from a mate. And so—” He lifted his free hand in a gesture of frustration, brushing right across Aidan’s hip on its way. “—here I am today.”

So the question is…

What’s the mountain that Dominic Hartington-George needs funds to climb in his next expedition?

The Book

How tangled can a romantic web get?

When gruff mountaineer Dominic Hartington-George seeks sponsorship for his latest expedition, his London PA insists on a more media-friendly profile—like dating celebrity supermodel Zeb Z.

Zeb can’t make the date, so he asks his identical twin, Aidan, to stand in for just one evening. Aidan, a struggling playwright, shuns the limelight to the extent people don’t even know Zeb has a sibling, but he reluctantly agrees.

When the deception has to continue beyond the first date, Aidan fights to keep up the pretense. Dominic likes his sassy, intelligent companion, and Aidan starts falling for the forthright explorer. But how long can Aidan’s conscience cope as confusion abounds? Will coming clean as “the other twin” destroy the trust they’ve built?

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner | B&N | KOBO | iTunes

Author Bio

Clare London took her pen name from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant.

She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic, and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter three stage and plenty of other projects in mind... she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

Clare loves to hear from readers, and you can contact her here:

Website: http://www.clarelondon.com
E-mail: clarelondon11@yahoo.co.uk
Blog: www.clarelondon.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarelondon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clare_london
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/clarelondon
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/clarelondon/
Google+ : https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ClareLondon/posts


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Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 1 Annabelle Jacobs



Kicking off our 12 Days of Christmas is Annabelle Jacobs, welcome Annabelle...

Thanks RJ for having me on your blog today to chat about my Christmas story, A Christmas Kiss.

A few years ago, well more like thirteen, I went to Wales over the New Year with my sister and her family. We stayed in a beautiful lodge near Snowdonia National Park and the surrounding countryside was stunning, especially when it snowed. We used to put all our booze outside the door to chill, since it was that cold, and watch through the big picture windows as the snow fell blanketing everything in white.

When I sat down to write my christmas story this year, for some reason, that holiday memory stuck in my head, and so that’s where a lot of the story takes place.

If you’d like to win a copy of one of my ebooks, leave a comment in answer to this question…. When do you decorate for Christmas? (I have everything up by December 1st without fail :) )

The Book

Keeping secrets from your best friend isn’t right, but it’s easier than admitting you’ve fallen in love with him.

Sharing a late-night kiss with his best friend, Alex, is Riley’s dream come true. Waking up to discover Alex was too drunk to remember anything is more like a nightmare. Scared the truth could destroy their friendship, Riley keeps quiet and pretends nothing happened.

Alex can’t shake the feeling that he said or did something stupid on their group’s drunken weekend away—why else would Riley be avoiding him? Although the explanation he finally gets sounds plausible, Riley’s still acting strange, and trying to figure out why that is unearths emotions Alex has worked hard to bury.

Riley knows not telling Alex how he feels is probably selfish, but he wants one last normal Christmas before he has to come clean and face the potential fallout.

He should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.

Buy Links


About the Author

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website – www.annabellejacobs.com
Email – ajacobsfiction@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction



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