Strictly Professional by Iyana Jenna (@IyanaJenna)

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Hi! Thank you for having me on your blog. I hope you and your readers are going to enjoy what I have here. This short story was released previously as a part of an anthology, Just Desserts. When it was no longer out there, Evernight adopted it. I’m so thankful for them. This is an MM sweet short story with the stress on the sweet. ^_^

Strictly Professional
Published By: Evernight Publishing
Published: March 23, 2016
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Word Count: 10,500

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Strictly ProfessionalBlurb

As the only senior graphic designer at Downey Handbags, Zane Kotsky expected to become the head of the creative art department when the company planned to expand its business. His hope crashed when it turned out that the company wanted someone from outside to be the manager. Knowing that, Zane planned to leave the place at once, but that was before he met the man who would become his boss, Joachim Wessling.

This is a previously published work. It has been revised and edited for Evernight Publishing.

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Excerpt

“Downey must be very lucky to have you.”

The kid—because that was what he was to Joachim, a kid—stared at him a bit too long.

“Watch the road.”

Zane snickered, and switched his attention back to the traffic ahead. “Lucky. Yeah, I’d call it lucky they decided not to kick me out after denying me what should have been mine by right.”

Joachim hadn’t expected to hear those words. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

Zane sucked in a harsh breath.

“God, I’m sorry. That was totally uncalled for. Forget what I said, okay? And enjoy your stay here. People at Downey are the best, or I wouldn’t have lasted this long.”

Joachim frowned. Honestly, he didn’t know this would be the case. When they’d invited him to join the company, there was no talk that someone else might be qualified to be the head of the art department. In fact, he was under the impression that there hadn’t been an art department before, only a small division under a larger unit.

“You know, I can always talk to Mr. Downey and set things straight.” Joachim had never before seen an expression change from slight panic to utter horror.

“No,” Zane practically shouted. “You can’t tell him that. You have to promise you’ll never talk to Mr. Downey about the things I said. I’ll be happy to work under you. Work together with you. It was just a spur-of-the-moment outburst. Promise me, please?”

Joachim tried to think past the words work under you, and Zane’s pleas didn’t help the matter. He took a deep breath and gazed ahead.

“Okay, I promise not to say anything, though I’d prefer it if we’re all open and honest and don’t hide things from each other.”

“I’ve been open and honest with you.”

“Yeah, and I bet you regret it.”

*****

Buy Links:  

Evernight :: Amazon US :: Amazon UK :: Amazon Australia :: Amazon Canada

All Romance Ebooks :: Bookstrand :: Barnes & Noble

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Iyana’s Links

Facebook :: Twitter :: Amazon :: Goodreads :: All Romance Ebooks

Elodie Parkes Talks About Her Heart in Chains Heroes (@elodieparkes)

Heart in ChainsI so enjoyed writing ‘Heart in Chains’. I’d just written, MM romance, ‘A Forever Kind of Thing’ for an Encompass Ink anthology to be released later this year and I was still in MM story writing mode.

Connor and Jay my heroes just gelled in my mind immediately as I considered the kind of adventure Connor might have on vacation in an exotic place such as Indonesia. Jay is a mysterious character, tough, driven, but on the verge of changing his dangerous life when he meets Connor. Connor is still getting over a relationship break up, but it’s been long enough and he’s tired of being single. His former boyfriend’s betrayal stays with him, but as soon as he sees Jay, attraction is seeded in his heart.

These two characters are dear to me. Tenderness lies beneath Jay’s composed and tough exterior and courage lies beneath Connor’s sexual vulnerability. I think both will surprise you as you read their story.

*****

Blurb:

When Connor Douglas takes a tropical island holiday, he hopes to leave heartbreak behind. Little does he know the extent of the danger and sexual temptation that awaits him.

Long after Jay Levesque has closed down his operations on the very same tropical island, the memory of Connor haunts him.

Warm nights and scorching sex has someone’s heart in chains.

*****

Read a teaser:

Darkness was falling as Jay arrived back with another man. They carried a tray each and the other man carried a stool. The other man left, but Jay smiled at Connor as he waited by the bed. Jay flipped a switch on the wall by the door and lit the place. Light streamed downward from the little white coolie-hat shade.

“Come, let’s eat.” He indicated the chair and sat on the stool himself.

Connor dragged his chain as he went to the table. He sat and took the cover off the plate of food. It looked good and the fish was already cut up, which was great since there was no knife, only a fork by his plate. He didn’t expect to be hungry, but after tasting the food, he ate almost all of it before he put down his fork and gave a sigh.

Jay ate slowly. When Connor stopped eating so did he and he placed his fork on the tray.

“It’s good to see you eat. Kiku, the man who brought the food with me, is going to bring coffee. Tell me about yourself.”

Connor turned to face Jay. He felt better after eating. “I don’t get it. Why do you want to know? Why are you being kind?”

Jay frowned. “There’s no need not to be kind. Humor me. Tell me a little about yourself.”

Connor shrugged. “I’m a marine biologist. I’m on vacation. I needed something completely different in my life for a time. These islands seemed like a good idea, far away, warm, beautiful, and …” He stopped talking. What’s the point in this?

Jay pushed his dark hair back from his forehead and folded his arms. He smiled.

“Far away. From what, Connor? A love affair gone wrong I think.”

Connor looked down at the remains of his food in confusion. Did he really want to tell his captor about his heartbreak?

“Not that it’s anything to do with you, but yes … I guess.”

Before Connor could react or even know what was happening, Jay reached out a hand and slipped it around Connor’s head. He swooped on Connor’s mouth and kissed him.

The kiss was so unexpected and yet so delicious, Connor closed his eyes and let it happen. He drifted in the soft merge of Jay’s lips on his. The lingering pressure and the way Jay brought his other hand up to caress the back of Connor’s neck was addictive. Connor leaned into the embrace. His cock hardened. Tingles from the circle of Jay’s fingertips on his neck spread down his spine and made his ass feel melted. Thoughts left him. The only thing that mattered right then was the kiss, and he lifted his hands to hold Jay’s muscled shoulders and kiss him in return.

It was Jay who drew away from the kiss.

Connor leaned back in his chair then, shocked at his response.

Copyright Elodie Parkes 2016, Encompass Ink, All Rights Reserved

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BUY the BOOK

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Chains-Elodie-Parkes-ebook/dp/B01EKOTRVE

http://a-fwd.com/asin=B01EKOTRVE

*****

About Elodie:

I’m a writer who is in love with happy endings, currently based in southern UK.

I love: music, art, flowers, trees, the ocean. I work with antiques by day and words by night. Like a vampire, darkness is my friend, that’s when the silence is only broken by an occasional hoot of owls in the woodlands opposite my home, and I write.

Find Elodie online: Blog  Facebook  FB  Twitter  Tsu  Google +  G+  Pinterest  Blog 2  Tumblr  ManicReaders  Amazon

Parker’s Profile by L.D. Blakeley (@LDBlakeley)

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Thanks so much for having me on your blog today to talk about Parker’s Profile! I can’t wait for everyone to meet Parker and Lane as I’ve become quite fond of them since the day they sprang to life.

The boys first appeared to me last December when a certain viral video was making the rounds. You know the one I’m talking about. The one where the impossibly beautiful Brock O’Hurn teaches the ridiculously adorable Zach Kornfeld how to be sexy? Yep, that video. And because it’s the way my brain works, my first thought was, “oh, what if it were two slightly different men in that situation?” And thus sprang forth my story idea.

And, while I did envision Zach and Brock initially, it didn’t take long before Parker and Lane were two fully-formed characters with their own ideas about how their story needed to be told. So I listened. And I hope you enjoy.

ParkersProfile-evernightpublishing-JayAheer2016-smallpreviewParker’s Profile by L.D. Blakeley
Available: April 4, 2016
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-77233-795-2

Parker Knowles needs a date. No, really. If he can’t find one by Valentine’s Day, he’s agreed to let his sister fix him up. And quite frankly, he’d rather chew off his own arm than go out with someone of his sister’s choosing.

Internet phenom, Lane Steadman, has offered to show Parker the art of the perfect selfie. After all, an outstanding dating profile is useless without a topnotch photo, right?

Can love really be found on the Internet? Or is a real-world connection closer to Parker than he thinks?

EXCERPT:

“What we need to do is get you wet.”

“Pardon?” Parker squawked.

“Yeah. Aside from that video Seth posted, my most popular pics are the ones at the beach or in a pool,” Lane explained.

There’s a shocker, Parker thought.

“I smelled chlorine in the lobby. I’m assuming there’s a pool in your building?” the other man continued.

“Yeah, there is, but…”

“Perfect.” Lane hopped up and slid his phone into his back pocket, giving Parker both the means and opportunity to ogle. And ogle, he did.

Until he realized Lane meant to take pictures of him in a bathing suit, and all ogling ground to a screeching halt. Oh, hell no

“I’m not sure if it’s such a good idea,” was what he actually said.

“What’s not a good idea?” With perfect timing, Seth strolled into the living room and handed them both a beer.

“Me posing in a pool.” Parker searched for a reason that wasn’t I don’t want to pop a boner near Lane that I can’t hide in a bathing suit.

“Maybe being in the pool will relax you,” Lane added. “Because I don’t think the beer is doing the trick.”

Parker knew the gorgeous man was trying to be helpful. Reluctantly, he nodded.

“Fine. Can I grab my trunks first?”

“Unless you’d prefer to be naked.” Lane winked and Parker felt his kneecaps liquefy.

He knew Lane hadn’t intended to come across as flirtatious. Unfortunately, his brain was having a tough time comprehending that. Pull yourself together, you drooling idiot. This guy is doing you a favor. The least you can do is behave like a sane, rational adult.

Too bad his id was projecting horny, teenage boy.

Pushing aside his inappropriate and misplaced lust, Parker headed into his bedroom and quickly changed his clothes, swapping out boxer briefs for swim trunks. He could do this.

As he headed back into the living room, he grabbed the security swipe card off the key rack by the door. “Okay, let’s get it over with.”

Lane and Seth followed behind Parker and kept up a constant chatter as the three of them rode the elevator to the lobby. Parker waved a quick hello to a neighbor as they exited and made their way toward the pool. When he heard voices coming from the direction of their final destination, however, he started to have second (and possibly third and fourth) thoughts.

“There’s people in there.” He faltered outside the glass doors that led to the pool. “Maybe this isn’t such a good—”

“Nope.” Seth grabbed the swipe card from Parker. “You’re not bailing on this.”

“M’not bailing. Just … can we do it when there’s nobody around?” He was prepared to start begging when the two older gentlemen who had been swimming laps, climbed out of the pool and started gathering up their belongings.

Seth had already unlocked the door and was holding it open for Parker and Lane to join him on the deck of the now-empty pool. “C’mon, stud. Let’s take some pictures.”

“Oh God.” Parker cringed at Seth’s choice of words. As they made their way around the perimeter of the pool, he looked to Lane, who had his phone out and looked keen to get started.

“Should I just…”

“Strip, baby.” Lane’s eyes crinkled in mirth as his mouth curved into a wicked grin.

“I hate you both,” Parker muttered as he fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.

Parker's Profile


WHERE TO BUY:

Amazon | ARe | Barnes & Noble | BookStrand | Evernight Publishing | iTunes | Kobo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

L.D. Blakeley is a pragmatist with a romantic soul & a dirty mind who’s a fan of horror movies, hot sex, and happily ever afters. Easily distracted by shiny things, L.D. is a slightly neurotic, highly ambitious dreamer who enjoys dabbling in photography & pretending she can carry a tune.

In another life, L.D. was a newspaper reporter, an entertainment & music writer, travel writer, website content editor, and a marketing shill. Now she prefers to spend her time writing hot, steamy fiction (with a healthy dose of romance) about intriguing, sexy men.

Although she dreams of living some place isolated with an endless supply of wine and an infinite number of titles on her eReader, she currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and their rock star cat.

Find L.D. online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Kindle Countdown Deals for Love on Location and Brit Boys: With Toys! #sale #ku #kindleunlimited

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that from today until the 7th March, both Love on Location and Brit Boys: With Toys are on Kindle Countdown sale on Amazon UK and Amazon US. This means you can grab them for a bargain price – but be quick!

Also, both books are drawing towards the end of their 90 day exclusivity period with Amazon, which means they won’t be available to read as part of Kindle Unlimited for much longer. So if you have a subscription, it’s a good idea to read these books very soon, before they disappear from the programme.

Here’s a reminder of what they’re all about:

Love on Location

When Theo Samuels heads off to film on location in the village of Stoneydale, he’s expecting drama to take place on camera, not off. But when he meets gorgeous local lad, Eddie Henderson, he struggles to ignore his attraction. A relationship between the two of them would be utterly impractical, yet they’re drawn together nonetheless. Can they overcome the seemingly endless hurdles between them? Or is their fling destined to remain as just that?

Note: Love on Location has been previously released as part of the Brit Boys: On Boys boxed set.

Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Brit Boys: With Toys

From coast to coast and city to country Brit boys enjoy playing with each other and their toys. Not any old toys, though; guitars, rope, plugs and Moleskine journals all prove to be enormous fun. Throw in a shop that’s wall to wall with kinky ideas, a journalist on the lookout for the next big thing, and Dominants who insist on obedience and there’s sure to be something to cater for everyone’s taste.

Whether it’s a quickie or a slow indulgence, Brit boys know how to hit the spot and they aim to please every time. So take a ride, fly high, come enjoy these sexy boys and their toys.

Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

And please, once you’re done reading, consider leaving a review on Amazon. They really help with future sales 🙂

Happy Reading!
Lucy x

Saturday Spankings #88 – …spanking was high on both of their sexual preference lists. #SatSpanks

Saturday Spankings-467x200Hi everyone,

It’s time for another Saturday Spankings, which is where authors post eight-ish sentences of a spanking on their blogs. Here’s another snippet from my story, Doctor’s Orders, which appears in the Brit Boys: With Toys boxed set. You can buy from Amazon or read it as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription. The snippet follows on directly from last week’s. Enjoy! I’ll probably be switching to something else next time. I’m away next week, so won’t be posting, but the week after that I should have something new for you.

Brit Boys: With Toys“Mmm… nice,” Blake commented. Aaron heard the smile in his voice. Not surprising, really, considering that a good old-fashioned spanking was high on both of their sexual preference lists. Toys, yes. Paddles, crops, whips, yes. Bondage, hell yes. But the eroticism of naked palm against bare bottom was completely irresistible, and impossible to beat.

After a second or two, Blake laid a slap on Aaron’s other arse cheek.

I hope you enjoyed that snippet! You can buy the book here. And then see the below list to hop to the other authors taking part…

My Sexy Saturday #103 – “Come on, Theo,” he muttered to himself. “You can do this.” #MySexySaturday

My Sexy Saturday

Welcome back to My Sexy Saturday! This is where writers post either 7 words, 7 sentences or 7 paragraphs from their published work or work in progress. Here’s another snippet from my M/M erotic romance novella, Love on Location, which just released as a standalone title (it’s also available in the Brit Boys: On Boys boxed set). I hope you enjoy it! This will probably be the last snippet I’ll share from this. I’m away next week, so won’t be posting, but the week after that I’ll likely switch to something new.

Love on LocationSlumping onto a bench, Theo reminded himself of his parents’ wholehearted support and belief. That, and the fact he’d graduated from RADA with a first. Following that, he’d gone from strength to strength.
“Come on, Theo,” he muttered to himself. “You can do this. It’s just another role. A role you can play. Can be.”

Buy your copy of Love on Location here, or read it as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription: https://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/love-on-location/

Add to Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28373646-love-on-location

Please use the list below to head on over to the other blogs participating in My Sexy Saturday, and don’t forget to leave us all comments, we love ’em!

Happy Reading,

Lucy x