Seeds of Love: A Romance Charity Anthology to Benefit Ukraine (spotlight) ADULT titles

 

Seeds of Love

A romance charity anthology to benefit Ukraine

ADULT titles

by

Amber Garr, Amy Thorn, Barb Shuler, Brooke Summers, Cassidy London, Cyndi Faria, D.M. Davis, Dakota Willink, DD Lorenzo, Denise Wells, E.H. Lyon, Emery LeeAnn, Erica Himy, Fei Marie Perez, Gabbi Black, Gabbi Grey, Hannah Blake, Heather G Harris, Jenna Lynn, JS Mercier, KA Graham, Kaje Harper, Kelly Kelsey, Lane Bellemore, LC Taylor, Liz Durano, LJ Evans, Lux Miller, Mel Walker, Miranda Grant, M Guida, Pandora Snow, Persephone Autumn, Raisa Greywood, Ramsey Savage, Shelly Hixson, Sophia Henry, Stella Moore, Syd Ryan, Tara Conrad, Tiffany Carby, Vi Summers, Vivian Murdoch, Willow Fox, Yolanda Olson

 

 

You can help us make a difference.

SEEDS OF LOVE is a romance anthology to benefit Ukraine. This collection of short romance stories is not available anywhere else. 100% of the royalties will be donated to United Help Ukraine, a charitable organization dedicated to helping the Ukrainian people affected by Russia’s invasion. They are a grassroots, entirely volunteer-based organization that provides aid to wounded Ukrainian warriors, assistance to their families, and support to internally displaced people.

This anthology features 48 authors. The stories include various sub-genres of contemporary romance, paranormal romance, dark romance, and romantic comedy.

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Links:

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The Lightkeeper’s Love Affair

by

Gabbi Grey

 

Ben

I just graduated. I should be out celebrating. Instead, a storm's coming and I've got no place sleep except the backseat of my car. At least I have my beloved beagle with me, but seriously, how is this my life?

Isaac

After a horrific week, I hate being unable to retreat to my island sanctuary. Perhaps sharing my hotel room with a stranger in distress and his dog will take my mind off things. Afterward, we'll separate and never meet again. Right?

*A 10k lighthearted gay romance with forced proximity, a loner, a future school-teacher, and Buddy, the adorable beagle.

Excerpt:

 

The hotel desk clerk held my gaze with a level look, her hazel eyes scrutinizing me.

Buddy rubbed against my leg.

I did mental gymnastics. “Does that come with food?”

“Complimentary breakfast buffet.” She patted her platinum-blonde hair in its elegant chignon.

Ugh, too similar to my mother. None of the scenarios in my mind appealed. The storm that’d been threatening my entire trip up from Nanaimo had finally materialized—part of the reason my poor beagle was cowering by my legs.

So a return trip back to the ferry was out. And likely the ferry back to Vancouver would be canceled due to the high winds anyway. Authorities were threatening to close the highways.

My friend Marcie was never going to make it down here.

Damn woman.

This’d been her idea. Graduation celebration in Tofino. Winter surfing before we started our teaching careers in January. Who the hell surfed in early December? In the middle of storm season on Vancouver Island? My best friend, apparently. With whom I was supposed to be sharing the room. Sharing the expense. Eighteen months of teacher’s college had me completely tapped out.

I laid my head on the counter, revelling in the cool of the granite.

Links:

Amazon US

Kobo

Barnes and Noble

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Bio – 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.

 

Personal links:

Website

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Facebook page

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Facebook (personal)

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Out of the Blue

by

Kaje Harper

When my high school boyfriend ghosted me, right before senior year, I was afraid for him. I pictured everything from prison to gay conversion camp. But eventually, as his silence persisted, I moved on. Married my best friend, had a great kid together, got divorced. Life happened. Then one day, there he was. Garrett Ingram— red hair, blue eyes, gentle hands, helping out a stray cat as the veterinarian he’d always hoped he’d be. And when our eyes met, nine years felt like no time at all.

- A second-chances, single father, gay romance.

Excerpt:



In the alley ahead, a man crouched over a cage with Lily inside. Ben hurtled at him, ignoring my shouted “Wait!” and thumped the man’s back with his small fists. “Let her go! That’s my cat!”

I dashed to scoop him up, hauling his flailing outrage away from the stranger. “Sorry! Ben, stop.” I set him down out of punching range.

“Your cat?” the guy asked.

“Not really. She’s a stray. We just feed her…” The man glanced up at me and I took in red curls and intense blue eyes and a freckled nose, and a rush of deep familiarity— “Garrett?”

His eyes widened. “Nate? Seriously?”

Ben kicked me. “Daddy, he’s stealing Lily!”

Garrett focused on my son. “I’m not stealing the cat. I’m taking care of him. I’m a veterinarian.”

I couldn’t help interrupting. “You did it!” He’d always been brilliant, even when we were both chafing against our crappy school and the jerks and bullies that populated it. At least one of us escaped.

A smile curved his full lips and creased the corners of his eyes. “Yep.” He turned back to Ben. “This little guy’s been living pretty rough—”



“She’s a girl,” Ben said with heavy disdain. “Dad said so.”

Links:

Amazon US

Kobo

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Bio – Kaje Harper

I get asked about my name a lot. It's not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers.

I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.

I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – forty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)

My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.

Website

Facebook

Facebook Group: Kaje's Conversation Corner

Goodreads author page 

Or follow me on BookBub

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Toronto Tryst

by

Gabbi Black

Silver is the traditional way to celebrate a twenty-fifth anniversary. But Jody Thompson has a unique surprise for her husband on their special evening. Hopefully, it will be something he’ll never forget and a wonderful way to keep their passion red-hot.

 

This is a 5k word BDSM-light romance short story with a surprise that will delight.

Excerpt

When the cab pulled into their circular driveway, her husband tapped his card and, undoubtedly, again left a hefty tip.

She waited until he came around her side, and alighted when he held open the door.

They waved to the driver and ascended the three steps to the front door.

Phillipe had his keys at the ready, but she placed her hand on his to stop him. “You can always say no.”

He cocked his head and licked his lips.

She expected him to say something—to demand to know what was going on—but he gave her a brief nod and unlocked their door.

 

Links:

Amazon US

Kobo

Barnes and Noble

 

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Gabbi Black bio:

 

Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre. From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned early in the morning in her home in beautiful British Columbia while her trusty ChinPoo dog and her cantankerous Himalayan cat keep her company. She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey.

 

Website:   Website

Newsletter sign-up:  Newsletter sign-up

Bookbub:  Bookbub

Instagram:  Instagram

Facebook (page): Facebook (page)

Pinterest:  Pinterest

Twitter:  Twitter

 

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My review: 

I've only had a chance to read Kaje Harper's lovely second-chance gay romance Out of the Blue (who could resist that sweet kid, and a veterinarian, yum), Gabbi Grey's fascinating gay romance The Lightkeeper's Love Affair (I love stories that give a glimpse of secondary characters from other tales in a series), and Gabbi Black's sizzling erotic romance Toronto Twist (nice way to celebrate an anniversary!) , but all were delicious, and I can't wait to read the rest of the stories in this anthology.

 

 

 

Fighting Chances (Charity Anthology w/multiple authors) ADULT titles

I'm a little late posting this, but a lovely anthology of gay male romance stories was put together to benefit the children of Alcoy, Philippines. Find out more information here.

Fighting Chances: MM Enemies to Lovers Anthology

(authors' names below)

ADULT titles

An opportunity to put his hands around his enemy's... neck.

What can a man do when the spark of hate ignites the fire of passion? Can desire bridge the gap between two men on opposite sides of a fence? A kitchen aisle? What about a war?

Can love heal years of resentment and little hurts? Can it make a man recognize the humanity in another? And is the line between hate and love really all that thin?

In these 10 stories by well-loved M/M authors united by a common cause, you can find men in conflict with each other and with themselves... ready to give love a fighting chance.

 

All profits to be donated PROJECT CHILDREN ALCOY, a small volunteer-run project which provides healthy meals and school supplies to kindergarteners and children in Alcoy, Philippines.

·       Don’t Mean a Thing – Riley Ashby

·       Going Down – Corie Rosling

·       Nerve – Emily Alter

·       Frustration and Fireworks – J.D. Light

·       Saving the Dragon – Alicia Graybill

·       Hooked by the Bell – Tanya Chris

·       The Wedding Party – E.M. Leya

·       Turning Over a New Leaf – Kat Cassidy

·       Six Months – BL Maxwell

·       The Dawn Singer – K.K. Pieza

Excerpt:



“Turning Over a New Leaf” - An enemies to lovers romance featuring a die-hard environmentalist and a wood-cutter.



“Really committed to those single word responses, huh?” Miles snipped, irrationally annoyed. It was honestly hard to believe that this was the same guy from yesterday afternoon. “You know, even most apes are smart enough to form rudimentary sign language sentences in a lab setting.”

Logan flashed him a hand gesture that wasn’t exactly sign language, but was pretty hard to misinterpret. 

Miles was mesmerized by the display of Logan’s sure, corded muscles working beneath the tight thermal shirt, and the way the moonlight glinted off the waves of his hair, shiny and coppery as a new penny. And the sounds he made—those booming grunts of exertion were primal and carnal and deeply unfair.

Amazon link

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My review:

4 out of 5 stars




Fighting Chances is an entertaining combination of "enemies to lovers" adult gay romance stories that showcase the writing talents of ten talented authors. The fact that the proceeds are being donated to a worthy cause is just icing on the cake.

I particularly enjoyed the hijinks in Tanya Chris' "Hooked by the Bell," as two men continue the bitter feud between their families over a strip of land that separates their respective properties...until they rediscover there are more important things to have in common. A particularly hilarious (to me) scene takes place in their childhood treehouse that is NOT soundproof, lol. 

Kat Cassidy's "Turning Over a New Leaf" gives a new perspective on the fight between fellers (who cut down trees) and environmentalists who go to extremes to protect nature and I felt a connection to both main characters immediately and will definitely be looking for other works by this author as well.

Corie Rosling's "Going Down" taught me that omegas can be pretty feisty, lol, and I enjoyed the lesson on what can be done with shrink wrap.

BL Maxwell's "Six Months" made me hungry, although I wanted to smack one of the main characters (always good when they resonate enough with you to make you annoyed, I guess, lol). A slow burn romance.


Some of the stories in the anthology are not for the faint of heart, so make sure to read the warnings that accompany descriptions. I read an ARC, so I am hopeful that the story that had quite a few errors has been revised. Overall, the book was engaging, (mostly) easy to read, and covers a wide spectrum of gay romance.



 A copy of this story was provided for review

Shades of Pink anthology (with a guest post by Gill Taber)

It is my pleasure to promote this worthy cause and to host a guest post from author Gill Taber. 

What, When, Where, and How
by Gill Taber

As you will no doubt have seen around my blog, I am promo-ing the Shades of Pink charity anthology, and will continue to do so throughout October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness  month, if you didn't know. As part of the promo for the book, authors are sharing posts, interviews and all manner of articles to raise awareness of the charity and the anthology. I was asked to provide something and I couldn't think of a thing to say. I don't often do erotica these days so I didn't have anything to say on that front. Instead I decided to write an FAQ about being a writer and this is it.

Please follow the link to check out the anthology page and donate if you can to receive your copy.

1 - Why did you choose to be a writer?

Because I couldn't not be! I have always written. I realised the power of stories at a very young age,being a voracious and precocious reader. I read everything I could get my hands on, and still do, and this seems to be a common theme for most writers. Writers are readers; I think you have to read to know how to write because the authors who appeal to you shape your thoughts on how to write well, although it is vital to establish your style and not be an imitation of someone else. Why write like someone else when you can be an absolute original? Yes, there are inevitably going to be comparisons to other writers if you write in the same genre, but that doesn't mean you have to be a copy, or jump on the popular bandwagon. Know what you can write and work with that, rather than try and fit in with whatever is in vogue. You'll write a better tale that way.

Sorry, wandered off point there; I write because I am a writer, mind, body and soul.

2 - How do you find inspiration for your stories?

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Seriously, I think all writers can walk out of their front door and see half a dozen story ideas before they get to the end of their road. I discussed the idea of people watching the other day, because garbage collection day is a mine of ideas for me; you can tell so much about your neighbours from their recycling bins and those thoughts can spark stories instantly. I get ideas in the middle of conversations - which is why writers should always carry notebooks because you will forget the idea! - and they often crop up when I pass people in animated conversation on the street. Watch people, they are endlessly fascinating and the simplest actions can lead you to tangential story ideas. 

With the internet comes a proliferation of sites which offer prompts for writers. The quality varies from site to site and often from prompt to prompt, but I consider a bad prompt a challenge, finding a way to turn it into something interesting. There are also books of prompts which can be useful on those 'My brain is empty!' days. Try asking friends for ideas as they often see the world differently and may have an idea you have never considered. 

But in all honesty, my constantly whirling brain is the biggest inspiration, especially when it sees or hears something and takes off running... I rarely know where to!

3 - How do you write?

I put letters in a line and make words! No, seriously, I loathe being asked this question because I don't think how anyone writes is important; making sure you write is.

If you must know, my writing process works like this:

I get the idea (see previous question), I sit at my computer, stick my fingers to the keyboard and let the words come until the story is finished.

Yep, that's it. I don't do plans, character backgrounds or anything else at all. I just write the story. I don't know where the story is going to go, who the participants are, or anything else until the words come up on the screen.

I know this is going to sound terrible, but I have no idea about verbs, adverbs or any of those words. I learned them at school but I don't remember which applies to what any more. I know the words, what they mean and how to use them; that's all I need. My memory has better things to do than worry about a word label, to be honest. A story should come from your gut, from your emotions, without a load of baggage weighing it down with unnecessary 'rules'. As long as you understand how to use the words, the story will make sense.

That's how I write, from head to screen with nothing in between. It may not be your way, and that's just fine. We have to find our own writing style.

4 - Who are your favourite authors?

Anyone who knows me will tell you my favourite author instantly - Stephen King. I have read all of his books to-date and his writing amazes me. Actually, let me qualify that; his writing amazes me still, but he is losing his inspiration lately, I think. He can still write up a storm, but the substance is fading as the years pass. 'Under the Dome' was a prime example of this; it was chock full of characters and possibilities, but it was ultimately a weak idea and that led to a sub-par book. 

However, he is still the best writer I have ever encountered. His ability to write people is unparallelled. He gets inside the heads of his characters and helps his reader to understand them on a level I have encountered in no other author. His people are real, even when in the most unreal situations. He makes it possible to believe the impossible in a way no other author has ever been able to do for me. He also thinks sideways, taking stories where you least expect them to go, and I love that.  For all he is losing his touch (in my opinion) I will always love Mr King for everything he has taught me about how to write a tale that captures and holds the reader in a world they can believe.

I read everything, but other favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Piers Anthony, Anne Rice, Tolkien and Enid Blyton!

5 - Why did you contribute to the Shades of Pink anthology? 

I think I came across the Shades of Pink site via Facebook in 2013. I liked the idea of contributing a spicy number to a book being used to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research and submitted a piece. When the chance came up to repeat the process I was happy to jump on and help. I used to write a lot of erotic fiction, but I fell out of love with it so writing a sexy story has become a bit of a novelty for me, and that made the experience a little more fun. For me the piece is about the story, not about the sex, so the sex does tend to take a back seat (usually a quick flash - so to speak - at the end) which allows me to tell the important bit, the story, fully. I'd love to think the anthology will raise well over the $10,000 mark this year and have every faith in the wonderful and faithful readers out there.

6 - What's your next project and where can we read it?

I'm currently writing a wide variety of short stories. After a very long (a whole year!) bout of writers block it is fabulous to be able to create again. I have a marvelous 'followership' over at WordPress and anyone wishing to read tales which are a little dark, often contain at least one death and are full of people who come from all walks of life and across all ages can visit any time and find a welcome - Mojowritin. 

I'm also working on a fantasy series, filled with wizards, fairies, pixies, gnomes, trolls and mortals, set in the fictional village of Green Lake. I love the world of fae and fantasy so this is a pet project of mine which I hope to expand to a book one day. 

I'd like to finish with my thanks to everyone who has contributed to the Shades of Pink anthology and to all those who are promo-ing like crazy. Good luck and may the words be with you, you wonderful people!

Bright Blessings

Gill Taber




As you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last year, the first Shades of Pink event raised over $10,000 through more than 1300 donations!

For our second year, 22 authors have allied for 1 cause: fundraising for research. Their gift to everyone who makes a donation? A romance anthology (ebook) titled Shades of Pink (volume 2), totaling almost 150.000 words / about 400 pages as a PDF.

The suggested donation is $5. Funds are raised via Stayclassy.org and all proceeds go directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Readers can also donate to the charity organization of their choice (with a focus on breast cancer) and email their receipt to receive their copy of the anthology in either PDF, ePub or mobi (kindle).

Who: Catherine Bowman, Mitzi Calderone, Vivien Dean, JJ and TA Ellis, Sabrina Garie, Nina Day Gerard, T. Hammond, Susan Harris, Laura Hunsaker, Kallysten, Amara Lebel, Alicia J. Love, Deelylah Mullin, C. Deanne Rowe, Cynthia Sax, DJ Shaw, Alice Stark, Ashley Suzanne, Gill Taber, Natasza Waters, Zoe York, Angela Yseult

When: Now through November 15th.

What: 22 short stories, including…
4 paranormal, 1 sci-fi, 11 contemporary, 1 historical, 2 military, 3 BDSM, 2 YA (some stories have more than one genre)
3 spicy (ménage or kink), 7 sexy (explicit sex scenes), 12 sweet (no sex)
A couple of vampires, about three dozen humans including soldiers, geeks, teachers, librarians, writers, survivors, bosses, rock stars, teens, mages, wives, husbands and fiancés, 1 succubus, 1 genie, a few aliens, some werewolves and other shifters.
Pink, pink and more pink, including tattoos, plenty of flowers, precious stones, jewelry, a bookmark, a drawing, ropes, lingerie, a car, a bag, a vase, various clothes, an anteater and a squirrel.

Where: Kallysten’s blog
Here you’ll find links to teasers for the stories, interviews of the authors and blog posts during all of October, a FAQ, and of course the link where you can donate and help this worthy cause. 


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