Love is All, Volume 6 by Gabbi Grey, et al. (Spotlight and excerpt)

 

Love is All

Volume 6

by

Gabbi Grey, BL Maxwell, Chantal Mer & Susan Scott Shelley, Connor Peterson, Nic Starr, Sean Michael, Lee Blair, Xio Axelrod, RJ Scott & V.L. Locey, and Piper Malone

Synopsis

The sixth edition of LOVE IS ALL features ten brand new stories from bestselling and award-winning authors, including BL Maxwell, Chantal Mer & Susan Scott Shelley, Connor Peterson, Gabbi Grey, Nic Starr, Sean Michael, Lee Blair, Xio Axelrod, RJ Scott & V.L. Locey, and Piper Malone. They celebrate the universal human right that is to love and be loved.

All proceeds will go to three organizations that support and defend LGBTQIA+ rights: the Unity Coalition, Out Memphis, and Lucie's Place.

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

 

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Excerpt – Big Sky Boyfriend by Gabbi Grey

The day Tate McCready walked back into my life was just an ordinary Friday. And I was doing the same thing as I’d done pretty much every day since he left years ago—surveying my pumpkin field to make sure things were growing properly.

A few things had changed. I’d finally bought the greenhouses I wanted, and I was growing organic bok choy.

Years.

Fifteen years. One hundred and eighty months. Seven hundred and eighty weeks. Five thousand, four hundred and seventy-five days.

Give or take.

He’d left on the last Sunday in August—headed to the big city of Toronto to attend an undergraduate business program.

I’d stayed behind to attend the University of the Fraser Valley for agriculture.

We’d been eighteen. So goddamned young. I could barely remember that boy now.

But I’d never forget the grief he’d suffered. The nights he’d lain awake. The promised letter that’d never come.

So what the hell was Tate doing here now? On my land? At one of the busiest times in my year? Those pumpkins would be ready to be picked soon—just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving and, of course, Halloween.

Seeing Tate nearly stole my breath.

I fingered the inhaler in my pocket.

He advanced toward me with slow, measured steps.

I’d never seen him move so deliberately. He was a mover. A strider. A man who hustled with great speed.

We’d joked he moved at the speed of a hare while I moved at the speed of a tortoise.

I was very much a slow, steady, and measured man. Had always been—would always be.

“Hello, Wyatt.”

Links 

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The Charities

https://www.unitycoalition.org/ is a Latinx and indigenous organization in Florida that organizes and supports several LGBTQ+ arts, leadership, and awareness programs across Florida, including the Miami Gay Chorus and the “Saber es Poder” campaign for HIV education and testing.

https://www.outmemphis.org/ offers direct aid and support programs to queer and trans people in Tennessee. Regular events at the center’s main facility include free HIV testing, trans ID workshops and financial aid for name changes, community meals, and peer support and social groups for both teens and adults. The organization also runs The Metamorphosis Project, a program providing emergency support and transitional housing to unhoused LGBTQ+ youth.

and http://www.luciesplace.org/ named for Lucie Marie Hamilton, a young trans woman who died in 2009 — is a nonprofit in Arkansas that provides services to unhoused LGBTQ+ young adults, including transitioning resources and grocery and rental assistance. The group also runs a drop-in center with shower facilities and a community closet for all members who have completed an intake form.

 

Bios

 

Gabbi Grey

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Xio Axelrod

Xio Axelrod is a USA Today bestselling author of different flavours of contemporary romance. She also writes what she likes to call strange, twisted tales. Xio grew up in the music industry and began recording at a young age. When she isn’t writing stories, she can be found in the studio, writing songs, or performing on international stages (under a different, no-so-secret name). She lives in Philadelphia with one full-time husband and several part-time cats.

RJ Scott

RJ Scott is a USA TODAY bestselling author of over 140 romance and suspense novels. From bodyguards to hockey stars, princes to millionaires, cowboys to military, she believes that love is love and every man deserves their own happy ending.

VL Locey

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, Dr. Who, Torchwood, belly laughs, yoga, reading and writing lusty tales, walking, 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, and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.

When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, fresh cup of java in hand.

Chantal Mer

Chantal Mer is an author and optimist. Her stories explore relationships and what it means to be family. When she’s not writing about strong women, strong men, and strong love, she can be found walking her adorable dog, volunteering at her kids’ school (in the library, of course), teaching at the local university, and reading.

Chantal lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, kids, Toffee the Wonder Dog, and vicious cat, Gracie.

Susan Scott Shelley

USA Today bestselling author Susan Scott Shelley writes stories with heat and heart, where love always wins. Her romances give readers lighthearted and emotionally satisfying escapes into happily ever after. In addition to crafting stories, she is also a professional voiceover artist and enjoys lending her voice to a wide range of projects.

She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and is an avid fan of her hometown sports teams. Her favorite things include running (honestly, it's more like jogging), sports (especially hockey), hard rock (but will listen to anything from heavy metal to show tunes), and writing about people from all walks of life finding their special someone.

Lee Blair

Lee Blair is a queer author from Oregon who writes low angst, funny, M/M contemporary romance. She's constantly amused by the antics of her two ginger cats, considers daydreaming about future trips to Scotland a part-time job, and is obsessed with Schitt's Creek to an alarming degree.

Sean Michael

Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Connor Peterson

Connor Peterson is a USA Today bestselling author of LGBTQ+ urban fantasy and dark, paranormal romance, local to the Philadelphia, PA area. The madman behind Deathspell and Temptation in Neon, Connor has also contributed to the story cycle Red Phone Box - published by Ghostwoods Books - and the anthology Nocturnal Embers - published by Crimson Melodies Publishing. He is also an active participant in the Philadelphia writing community, and volunteers as a municipal liaison for National Novel Writing Month.

Nic Starr

Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!

When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family–an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters–and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.

Piper Malone

Piper Malone is an award-winning author of sweet and sexy romance.

Dog lover. Reader. Foodie. Coffee, please.

BL Maxwell

BL Maxwell grew up in a small town listening to her grandfather spin tales about his childhood. Later she became an avid reader and after a certain vampire series she became obsessed with fanfiction. She soon discovered Slash fanfiction and later discovered the MM genre and was hooked.

Many years later, she decided to take the plunge and write down some of the stories that seem to run through her head late at night when she’s trying to sleep.

BL Maxwell writes MM Paranormal, Contemporary, Thriller, and Paranormal Fantasy.

 

 

Seduced by the Game (charity anthology) by Toni Aleo and friends, (spotlight, GIVEAWAY, review)

Enter to Win

$10.00 Amazon eGift Card

It’s time to drop the gloves and fight! 

Support the Fight against cancer that is. 

This anthology of 8 brand new novellas is hot enough to melt the ice these players skate on. Featuring stories from popular New York Times & USA Today, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble bestselling authors, including Toni Aleo, Cassandra Carr, Cindy Carr, Jami Davenport, Catherine Gayle, Jaymee Jacobs, V.L. Locey, Bianca Sommerland, and Nikki Worrell.

TANGLED IN THE LACES

By New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author – Toni Aleo

In Tangled in the Laces, Karson King is on the fast track to the pros and Lacey Martin is coming back from a hard fight against cancer and is terrified of him but their love is too much to ignore. Will Karson prove that he will protect her heart at all costs, or will he leave Lacey to pick up the pieces of her life once again?


HOOKING HANNAH

By Cassandra Carr and Cindy Carr

When Hannah attends an all-star game, she doesn't expect a hockey player of all people to turn her world upside down. Her sister is married to a player and Hannah never wanted that life. But Scott could change everything. For Scott's part, he has to know the woman who stirred his blood with just a look, and once he does, he realizes he wants Hannah to be his forever. Now to convince her...


CRASHING THE BOARDS (Seattle Sockeyes 1.5)

By Jami Davenport

Professional party crasher, Izzy Maxwell, needs the cooperation of reluctant party guest Cooper Black, the team captain of Seattle’s new hockey team, but Cooper can’t get past his anger over the team’s relocation to Seattle. Can Izzy melt Cooper’s frozen heart or will this party crash along with her fledgling business?


TAKING A SHOT (Portland Storm 2.5)

By Catherine Gayle

Katie Weber has had a crush on Jamie Babcock for almost two years, since he joined her father’s hockey team, the Portland Storm as an eighteen-year-old rookie. When cancer takes her health, her hair, and even her friends, she can’t bear to go to senior prom…until Jamie intervenes.


A VALUABLE TRADE

By Jaymee Jacobs

Bryan's life gets turned upside down when he gets traded to the Dallas Comets, and things get even messier when he meets Georgiana, the Director of Team Services. He's got a lot of work to do to prove his worth to his new team, but Georgiana's sure he'll prove to be a valuable trade.


HEIR APPARENT

By V.L. Locey

Superstar Cam Evans is fighting to climb out of a slump that`s growing worse with each day of living in denial. Fresh from the minors, Jacobi Neal is hungry for this chance to play back-up for the legendary goalie. Can two men battle each other, their inner demons, and the sizzling attraction building between them?


BLIND PASS (The Dartmouth Cobras 0.5)

By Bianca Sommerland

Nothing could stop Tim Rowe, the assistant coach of the Dartmouth Cobras, from falling in love with Madeline, but love alone can’t satisfy every need. Sometimes, to reach the goal, you have to take the chance with a . . . Blind Pass.


CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN (Prequel to Scorpions Series)

By Nikki Worrell

Keith Lambert is the captain of the Flyers—until he’s not. To everyone’s shock, he’s traded to the San Diego Scorpions. As if that’s not bad enough, Phoebe, his girlfriend of two years, decides she doesn’t love him enough to follow.

All alone in a new town, Keith is drawn to Kelly, his take out delivery girl. When she shows up at ice girl tryouts, he’s lost. She’s all he can see. Can he convince her to forget her past and take a chance on him or is he destined to be alone in a new town a little bit longer?

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Nikki Worrell:

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V.L. Locey:

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Cassandra Carr:

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Cindy Carr:

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My review:

Seduced by the Game - A Charity Anthology is a collection of eight delicious contemporary romance stories that center around the sport of hockey.  Most of these authors are new to me, and I can only groan, because my TBR mountain has exponentially increased, now that I have found some new favorites!
 

Tangled In the Laces by Toni Aleo centers on Karson King, whose attraction to his teammate’s sister, Lacey Martin, is complicated by not only her family members but also by her own scars, emotional and physical.  Karson is not easily daunted, on or off the ice, and must convince Lacey that he sees her as the strong warrior she is, whose femininity is not defined by her physical form.

This poignant story is a wonderful tribute to those who have had their lives forever altered by the grim specter of breast cancer, and provides a deliciously romantic tale that whets one’s appetite for a continuation, that, unfortunately, remains to be published!    This is a great introduction to several characters, but be forewarned, it does not have an ideal ending!  I will be drumming my fingers impatiently until next year!
 

Hooking Hannah by the daughter and mother team of Cassandra and Cindy Carr, tells the story of Scott Richards, who becomes intrigued by the sister-in-law of one of his opponents, Hannah.  The problem is, she doesn’t like hockey players.  Their sizzling attraction to each other surprises them both, but an unexpected injury makes them take a good look at whether they truly want a relationship or not.

A great combination of sensuality and romance, as well as a glimpse of some of the dangers of this exciting and physically challenging sport.  There are several charismatic players seen briefly and a delicious introduction to the sexy hero and his heroine and one can only hope that there are many more stories about these players and their loves.
 

Crashing the Boards  is part of the ‘Seattle Sockeyes’ series by Jami Davenport and follows captain Cooper Black as he and his team get abruptly relocated to a new city and saddled with a new coaching staff.  Professional party crasher Isabella Maxwell and her sisters have their work cut out for them to make the glum teammates start to feel comfortable about their new situation.

 A sizzling tale that gives a different perspective on all that is involved when a team is relocated plus introduces an unusual vocation.  Great chemistry between the main characters and a nice teaser to get one interested in reading more about Cooper and Izzy (and her sisters, not to mention the rest of the team!).
 

Taking a Shot by Catherine Gayle is part of the ‘Portland Storm’ series and is an emotional and touching tale about a young woman’s courageous fight against leukemia, and the support that she gets from her family and the entire team that her dad plays with.  Jamie (Babs) Babcock has been attracted to Katie Weber for a while, but knows that he will have to overcome her father’s objections...and finds a perfect excuse to spend time with her when prom draws near.

Wow, this is definitely a story that should be read while holding on to multiple tissues.  The poignancy of the situation combined with the realistic look at the struggles that have to be overcome, both by the person suffering from the disease and friends and family, makes this a very impressive tale.  It was interesting to also be presented with the perspective from both sides, as perceived rejection is not necessarily the reason that one becomes isolated, but rather the feeling of inadequacy or lack of knowing what to do can make friends withdraw.  Definitely a thought-provoking and beautiful story and I will be looking for additional tales by this author.


A Valuable Trade by Jaymee Jacobs follows Bryan Comstock through the upheaval in his life as he relocates to the new city following his trade to their hockey team.  Georgiana Pierson, Director of Team Services, tries to make everyone on the team comfortable and smooth their way, but her unexpected reaction to Bryan threatens to change both of their lives, significantly.

This is an enjoyable short sexy story that gives another glimpse into the business of the sport as well as its impact upon various members.  Great chemistry and a great start, hopefully there will be more to come.
 

Heir Apparent by V.L. Lacey centers on Jacobi Neal as he joins the team as backup for  his idol, Cameron (Cam) Evans.  His hero worship is complicated by his attraction to the older man who is understandably threatened by the fact that not only is his place on the team inevitably drawing to an end, but he is also being forced to face some truths about himself that he would rather not acknowledge.

This sizzling m/m tale presents a complex tale that explores the challenges faced by gay players who are still finding their comfort zone in the sport.  There is a poignant conflict between Jacobi’s attraction to someone who openly desires him and someone who hasn’t faced his own sexuality, not to mention the age differential that is complicated even more by the competition between the outgoing former hero and the incoming player trying to make a name for himself.  A lot of emotion in a compact story.
 

Blind Pass by Bianca Sommerland is the prequel to the ‘Dartmouth Cobras’ series and details the rocky path of romance traveled by Assistant Coach Tim Rowe and flight attendant Madeline, who have to work out how Madeline’s experience with her rambunctious brothers will color her interaction with the team, and more importantly, how their respective roles in the D/s lifestyle will affect any relationship they enter into.

This story blends compassion and eroticism as it provides a glimpse into the backgrounds of several of the key players on this team.  There is a bit of adjustment required while the characters become comfortable with each other, and the BDSM elements seemed a little forced but that is undoubtedly due to the limitations of trying to cram so much into a novella.  The story definitely whets one’s appetite to learn more about the various members of the team and I hope to read additional tales in the series.
 

Captain, My Captain by Nikki Worrell follows Keith Lambert as he takes up his duties with a new team as well as deals with the remarkable developments in his personal life.  Drama ensues until he figures out what he really wants.

This is not quite my kind of story even though it is probably reflective of reality.  Things were a little inconsistent and I was a little puzzled about the motivations behind one character’s actions, since I didn’t think that she was likely to be a puck bunny, despite her behavior, and I thought Keith was a little too obtuse, since some of the drama that ensued was predictable.  I really appreciated the glossary of terms which were very useful for a person who doesn’t have a lot of familiarity with the sport and I enjoyed the additional peek into the world of hockey.

A copy of this collection of fascinating stories was provided to me for review.