Against The Grain (THIRDS series book #5) by @CharlieCochet | ARC Review, Exclusive Playlist & Giveaway

As the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta’s Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash’s skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash’s secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what’s in his heart.

Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he’s ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn’t the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.

Release Date: August 3^rd

Purchase Links: Dreamspinner | ARe | Goodreads 

Tams 5 Star review *****

Ash Keeler and Cael Maddock have been partners and best friends for years, but lately, the mechanics of their relationship is shifting. Cael has been in love with Ash for almost as long as they've been friends, but he's kept those feelings buried, believing his partner to be straight. When Cael's life was threatened on their last mission, he decided not to go down without a fight and admitted his true feelings to Ash. And as luck would have it, the feelings seemed to be mutual. But now Ash is pulling away and closing himself off again. Cael realizes he may forever be pining for a man that is incapable of returning the love, but if he has to wait forever, he will.

Ash is determined to keep Cael out of harm’s way and admitting his feelings for his partner means Ash's enemies could use his love for Cael against him, possibly hurt the Cheetah shifter. That's not all of it though; Ash doesn't know how to handle his constantly changing emotions or how to deal with possible backlash from admitting he is gay. Not to mention the Supervisor over their current case seems to have secrets of her own, secrets that could get them all killed. 

When Ash, Sloane and Hobbs are kidnapped in a hi-jacking gone wrong and Calvin is critically injured; Cael, Dex and the team will stop at nothing, risk everything to ensure the men they love are found. But there is still a danger to Cael, a threat from his past is somehow woven into the twisted mess they are trying to resolve and even if they find their missing team members and bring them home, will Ash and Cael ultimately loose one another regardless? 

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Ash completely out of his element. He is large and in charge and used to being in control in every aspect of his life. But love is this psychotic, insane mix of emotions that you have to bend and flow with, you can't control it, so Ash is having a little trouble with that aspect. It's a constant push and pull between him and Cael, two steps forward, three steps back. And as frustrated as Cael is with it, he actually tells Ash at one point he's so crazy stupid in love with him that he will probably continue to put up with the pain it causes him every time Ash pulls away indefinitely.

There is so much more going on under the surface though, Ash and Cael's relationship drama is just the tip of the sword. The team is starting to wonder who is on the take and who they can trust. Calvin and Hobbs are having issues where those two usually have an unwavering confidence. Then there is the issue with Sloane looing control of his animal, more than once. To say their attention is stretched is an understatement, as they try to prioritize the decision is taken out of their hands with the hi-jacking and subsequent kidnapping.

I love this series and I love that with every question that is answered, another arises. Lots of potential for so many scenarios to play themselves out in the upcoming stories in this series. Personally, I'm anxiously awaiting Calvin and Hobbs story. I can't wait to see how they navigate the rough relationship waters that both Ash and Sloane have succumbed to. If you enjoy deeply intricate plot lines, well woven story lines and kick ass characters with real world problems then this is a must read for you. Lest I forget to mention the oh so sexy collection of alpha males that like to flare their nostrils and pretend they are in charge while their better half has them by the balls. In a fun, sweaty, sexy sort of way. 

Against the Grain (THIRDS, Book #5)

Playlist: 

{click on the Playlist link to be routed to Spotify for this exclusive playlist!}

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.

Website: http://www.charliecochet.com

Blog: http://www.charliecochet.com/blog

E-mail: charlie@charliecochet.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charliecochet

Twitter: @charliecochet

Tumblr: http://www.charliecochet.tumblr.com

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/charliecochet
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CharlieCochet
THIRDS HQ: http://www.thirdshq.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blue Steel Chain by @Alex_Beecroft virtual tour | Spotlight, Excerpt & COMMENT Giveaway { Riptide Publishing/ @RiptideBooks }

At sixteen, Aidan Swift was swept off his feet by a rich older man who promised to take care of him for the rest of his life. But eight years later, his sugar daddy has turned from a prince into a beast. Trapped and terrified, Aidan snatches an hour’s respite at the Trowchester Museum.

Local archaeologist James Huntley is in a failing long distance relationship with a rock star, and Aidan—nervous, bruised, and clearly in need of a champion—brings out all his white knight tendencies. When everything falls apart for Aidan, James saves him from certain death . . . and discovers a skeleton of another boy who wasn’t so lucky.

As Aidan recovers, James falls desperately in love. But though Aidan acts like an adoring boyfriend, he doesn’t seem to feel any sexual attraction at all. Meanwhile there are two angry exes on the horizon, one coming after them with the press and the other with a butcher’s knife. To be together, Aidan and James must conquer death, sex, and everyone’s preconceptions about the right way to love—even their own.

Available from Riptide Publishing on July 27.

Excerpt... 

Chapter One

Aidan got a little lost on the top floor. He’d been drifting slowly from cabinet to cabinet, reading the handwritten labels that were giving him increasing glimpses into the world of the Bronze Age Beaker people, when he came to an empty display and then a second. He raised his head cautiously to discover he was halfway down a gallery that petered out into unused cases.

Grim February light drifted dank through all the tall windows of the museum’s third floor and lit a scene that was obviously not meant for the public’s eyes. Here, among empty display cases, plastic trays full of dirty-looking broken pots and rusted blobs of green metal lay scattered on the floor.

Someone was moving among them, hunched like a bear over berries, muttering to himself as he gazed down.

Aidan froze, ducking his head between his shoulders. Oh God, he wasn’t supposed to be here, was he? Muffling his breath, he eased back behind the last full case and concentrated on breathing silent and slow. The man hadn’t noticed him come in. If he was careful and quiet he might not be noticed leaving.

“Oh, where did I put them . . .?”

The stranger half rose from his crouch, peering at the ground all around him. Aidan stood very still and his ear tightened, anticipating a smack. He rubbed it as he told himself not to be so stupid. He was in a public museum; he had done nothing wrong. The man would stand up and see him, and if he was angry he would still only dare shout, which would not be so bad.

Except Aidan didn’t want to be shouted at. He had come here to get away from all that, to be left in peace, to be left alone . . .

The man was now kneeling in front of a crate full of paper towels, unwrapping something small. If Aidan leaned forward just an inch, he could look down on the man’s bent head. Caramel-coloured hair that stood up by itself in spikes—Aidan might have thought the man dressed it that way had he not been wearing those clothes. No one who went to the trouble of spiking their hair with product would then come out of the house wearing pale-tan corduroy trousers and a Christmas jumper underneath a blue corduroy jacket.

He was a smallish man, Aidan saw with some relief. Not short, but slender—the figure of someone who didn’t eat much but who also did very little exercise. Wire-framed glasses were hooked into his collar. There was a smudge of ink on the knuckle of his right index finger and a matching one on his ear. Even as Aidan watched he lifted both hands and pushed his fingers into his hair, dragging that knuckle over his cheekbone and the top of his ear, explaining the smudge.

Aidan smiled and felt himself uncurl a little inside. He didn’t come out of hiding, but his breath came easier and his shoulders unclenched. The psychosomatic stinging of his ear gave way to one last rub and disappeared.

Sitting back on his heels, Christmas Jumper Man drew an index card out of his top pocket, patting himself all over before he came up with a leaky pen. A rootle around the trays brought up a clipboard, on which he positioned the card. He uncapped his pen and looked up into the distance outside the windows, perhaps towards Wednesday Keep, perhaps ten thousand years into the past.

The new angle brought his face into Aidan’s view, and Aidan liked it. It was a gentle face with a puzzled, intellectual look and something boyish about the smoothness of its angles. Objectively handsome, the colour of his eyes and hair were harmonious with each other. Aidan would have liked to sculpt it, probably in wood to do justice to the impression that there was life going on under the surface of it.

His fingers clenched and ached, and he cut that thought off. He had been given so much, it was only right that he give up a great deal in return. And after all, his art . . . well, it was a bit pretentious claiming it was art at all. Piers was right—his hobbies just got in the way.

Christmas Jumper Man had wrestled inspiration out of the distant hills. He took a deep breath, pressed his pen to the paper, and looked down. His eyes and his forehead crinkled as he raised his free hand to the bridge of his nose as if to push up his glasses. “What did I . . .?” he asked himself, patting his pockets down again, following it by sighing and getting up to look in the crates that surrounded him.

His back was turned. Aidan could have made a getaway. Could have at least got halfway down the gallery so when the man noticed him it would be too late for his distant anger to strike. But he was feeling brave, and he wanted to be useful, and he knew exactly how he could help.

“They’re tucked in your collar.”

Christmas Jumper Man startled and recoiled, almost losing his balance as he stepped back.

Oh . . . hell. Aidan was always doing this. Always pushing himself where he wasn’t wanted, as if to compensate for all the occasions where he wasn’t to be found where he should be. Was that wrong? Had he just done something terribly wrong?

Aidan braced himself. He had done something wrong. He had shocked the man, frightened him maybe, when he thought he was alone, and now he was looking up and seeing a looming tattooed figure, and he would strike out to try to get it away from him. Aidan hunched in anticipation, raising his hands to hover by his face.

But the stranger had pressed a theatrical hand to his throat, felt his glasses there, and was chuckling. “Oh,” he said and smiled up at Aidan sideways in a combination of rueful and embarrassed. “I knew they were there. I knew it. I put them there so I wouldn’t lose them. I just forgot that was what I’d done, and . . .”

There was a microgram or two of anger to the twist of his smile. Aidan didn’t feel it was directed at him. Still, he didn’t like it.

Alex Beecroft is an English author best known for historical fiction, notably Age of Sail, featuring gay characters and romantic storylines. Her novels and shorter works include paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary fiction.

Beecroft won Linden Bay Romance’s (now Samhain Publishing) Starlight Writing Competition in 2007 with her first novel, Captain’s Surrender, making it her first published book. On the subject of writing gay romance, Beecroft has appeared in the Charleston City Paper, LA Weekly, the New Haven Advocate, the Baltimore City Paper, and The Other Paper. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association of the UK and an occasional reviewer for the blog Speak Its Name, which highlights historical gay fiction.

Alex was born in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and grew up in the wild countryside of the English Peak District. She lives with her husband and two children in a little village near Cambridge and tries to avoid being mistaken for a tourist.

Alex is only intermittently present in the real world. She has led a Saxon shield wall into battle, toiled as a Georgian kitchen maid, and recently taken up an 800-year-old form of English folk dance, but she still hasn’t learned to operate a mobile phone.

She is represented by Louise Fury of the L. Perkins Literary Agency.

Connect with Alex:

·Website: alexbeecroft.com

·Blog: alexbeecroft.com/blog

·Facebook: facebook.com/AlexBeecroftAuthor

·Twitter: @Alex_Beecroft

·Goodreads: goodreads.com/Alex_Beecroft

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a signed paperback from Alex Beecroft's backlist. (Any title which has a paperback edition, excluding Blue Steel Chain.) Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 25. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to add your email so we can contact you if you win!  

Re-Release BLITZ | Fated series by Author Delisa Lynn

~ ~ ~ ~ RE-RELEASE BLITZ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Title: Fated

Author: Delisa Lynn

Series: Embracing Series

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Release Date: July 28

 

 #Fated an #EmbracingSeries novel !!

 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ SYNOPSIS ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Zander Kelley has always had his eyes set on the one girl he had known all of his life, Audrey Ridge. She gave him feeling he never thought possible. Knowing she didn't want a relationship, he did what he did best...he used other girls as a vice to try and keep her out of his head. But there were always those times that she would creep back in without anything he could do about it. Leaving home and heading to NYU was his escape route. He thought if being away from her wasn't enough, working, attending classes, and sleeping with all the wrongs girls would be. A year later the girl he has been trying to forget walks back into his life by enrolling at NYU and becoming his new roommate. Everything was smooth sailing until one night he almost put their friendship on the line by baring it all to her. Would telling her how he truly felt ruin their friendship forever or would it bring these two together once and for all? Audrey Ridge has been in love with Zander Kelley since she was a teenager. Thinking she was nothing more than his friend she started dating someone else. When her relationship took a turn, she found herself escaping to NYU after graduation. Finding her roommate was going to be none other than Zander Kelley himself, she was thrilled! But one drunken night changed everything. Secrets she kept from Zander may just ruin her chance of ever being with him. When a tragic event brings Zander back into her life years later, she finds her feelings for him have never changed. Can their love conquer everything they have been through and bring them to the life that is fated for them or will the amount of time passed cause them to miss their chance again? 

 

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~ ~ ~ ~ Add To Goodreads ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

FATED

 

~ ~ ~ ~ Buy Link ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

AMAZON

 

 

 

 

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~ ~ ~ ~ TEASERS ~ ~ ~ ~

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~ ~ ~ ~ OTHER BOOKS IN SERIES ~ ~ ~ ~

 #Treasured #Salvaged #Fated

 

Treasured Book One 
Amazon US ►http://amzn.to/1PkttRq
Amazon UK ►http://amzn.to/1e2xJ7a

Salvaged Book Two
Amazon US ► http://amzn.to/1K7is29
Amazon UK ►http://amzn.to/1L30jAc
Destined Book Three
Amazon US ► http://amzn.to/1BleDUl
Amazon UK ► http://amzn.to/1QCwWv7

 

 

 

 

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~ ~ ~ ~ AUTHOR BIO ~ ~ ~ ~

 

 

 

 

Delisa Lynn grew up in Columbus Ohio, she is currently residing in Western New York with her husband and fur daughter Sophie. During the day she works as a Medical Assistant and at night, she types away on her laptop, allowing her characters to escape her mind. Pink is her favorite color, and she loves anything animal print. She loves traveling, shopping and baking. When Delisa isn’t working or writing you can catch her snuggled up with her kindle reading about her newest book boyfriend.

 

 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ AUTHOR CONTACT INFO ~ ~ ~ ~

 

WEBSITE

 

FACEBOOK

 

TWITTER or @authordelisalyn 

 

E-MAIL - authordelisalynn@gmail.com

 

 

 

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~ ~ ~ ~ HOSTED BY ~ ~ ~ ~

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Rainbow Con Tampa follow up with a Prize Bags Giveaway

I'm back from my trip to Tampa for Rainbow Con 2015 and it was definitely a Walk On The Wild Side! I got to reconnect with a ton of great authors and friends I haven't seen in a while, and meet even more new people to add to my friends list. 

I arrived on Wednesday and headed straight for the bar, of course, it was a 2 hour flight and I was parched. Within an hour I'd met Jamie Lynn Miller and Gareth Owens and invited them to join us. That evening we took our first trip of several out into Tampa for a Magic Mike XXL research field trip, or at least that is what Leta Blake named it. There were ten of us and it was so much fun.

{left to right/bottom to top... Morticia Knight, TM Smith (moi), Jamie Lynn Miller, Rory Ni Colieain, Leta Blake, WT Prater, AE Via, Nicole Dennis, Sara York and Gareth Owens.} 

The next day the fun began so we got up early to register and set up our tables. The day was full of panels, book signing and meeting even more people! 

Greg Meir and his hubs Scott Burkett, owner of GGR Review. 

Great guys let me say. Scott sought me out in the dealers room and as I stuck my hand out to shake his I was embraced in a hug instead. We sat on a great panel together and then he and Greg came to support me for a panel that turned into a fiasco, so it was nice to have them and Jamie there for moral support while I looked like a deer caught in the headlights! 

Matt Ortiz (he is such a bear!) and his ever so patient husband, Tim Marsh.

Matt is such a character. We've been facebook friends for several years now, but this was our first time meeting face to face. He's a BIG boy and at one point he picked me up off my tiny feet and gave me a big ole bear hug! I couldn't resist wrapping my arms around his neck and legs around his waist. 

His husband Tim was just a breath of fresh air. So nice and friendly and taking Matt's stories about little things he does that drive his husband insane in stride. I can't wait to hang out with these two again in the future.

This gal here was SO much fun! Miss Sloan Johnson.

Cards against Humanity, dinner with the drunks, dragging someone we won't mention out of the men's room at the bar (first, you know who you are, second, it was a she!) and a brief moment of mutual fondling when we received a bit of unwanted attention at the bar. Ah, memories! 

My friend, editor and fellow reviewer, Zane Kage (Hope Vincent).

Let me just say, Gay for Pay would be a sloppy mess of typos, misspelled or missplaced words, run on sentences, out of context sentences... you get my meaning. She literally poured over it more than once, helping me make it the masterpiece it now is. I just adore this woman! So much fun and don't let that shy smile fool you, she is far from shy or reserved. Can't wait to see you in New York next year Hope! 

But it wasn't all work and no play, there were some fun times at the nightly events (Dinner and a Drag show, Masquerade ball, multiple trips to Ybor City, a very late night that ended at 4 in the morning at a tattoo parlor.)

Myself with Morticia Knight, Viktor Alexander and AE Via.

Me and WT Prater, we were being naughty.

It wasn't all work and no play, that much is for sure. But there was some work while I was there. I sold a ton of books and got to meet more readers and fans of my books. Someone even asked when the next Opposites book was coming out, they were anxious to see what happens after that ending in Appearances. I sat on  some great panels, my favorite being 'What Authors want from Bloggers' with Scott Burkett of GGR Review. As always though, I never really felt like it was work. It was more of a family reunion, getting to hang with old friends and meeting new ones. Talking, visiting, embracing those that are loyal to the LGBT community. So much fun I was sad to leave. 

I did, however, manage to snag a ton of fun stuff while I was there so I thought I'd do a giveaway.

What I have are 3 goodie bags full of swag from various Authors that were in attendance at Rainbow Con. There is only one requirement to enter this giveaway, you had to have NOT attended the Con to enter. If you were there, you had the opportunity to grab your own goodies, this giveaway is for those that missed out on all the fun. 

Just leave a comment below and tell me which prize bag you'd like to win, or say you'd be happy with any of the 3. Be sure to leave your email with your comment or I won't be able to contact you if you win. This is a US only giveaway, sorry all my international friends, I'd have to sell a kidney to pay for shipping, and with all the drinking I did in Tampa I really need to hold on to both of mine. 

Prize Bag #1 

{this bag includes bookmarks, rack cards, fantastic and unique jewelry for a couple different authors unique to their books and much more. It will come with a cool bag that has been signed by over a dozen different Authors from the Con}

Prize Bag #2

{this is the Rainbow Con bag that was handed out at registration stuffed full of random swag included hand sanitizer, rubber bracelets, more unique jewelry, pens, bookmarks and more.}

Prize Bag #3

{this bag holds pens, rubber bracelts, buttons, condoms, bookmarks and a lovely Brenda Cothern koozie along with some more book themed jewelry.}

Remember, leave a comment and let me know which of the 3 prize packs you'd like or all 3 along with your email so I can contact you when the contest ends on 8-1-15. 

Good luck everyone, and thanks for stopping by! 

Billy (A Southern Thing book #4) Audio Review, Interview & Giveaway {TTC AOTM}

~ July 2015 | Author of The Month ~ 

Sara York | 'A Southern Thing' series

{featuring Jason Frazier, narrator for the series}

This month I'm doing the AOTM feature a little different, I'm featuring the Author of the series as well as the narrator. Each week I will share my review for another book in the series with you, along with both an Author and Narrator Interview Q&A. Sara York and Jason Frazier were kind enough to answer a series of questions for me, so each week I will post several questions with their answers. You'll have to check back each week to see the next series of questions and answers as well as the new review for that week. 

There is also a great giveaway from the Author this month including a Signed paperback copy of Pray the Gay Away, book 1 in the series. And for audible fans, I'm giving away an audible copy of book 1 as well. So sit back and enjoy week 4 of July's AOTM, Sara York and her 'A Southern Thing' series! 

Billy

Book 4 of A Southern Thing

Billy Miller never thought he’d be someone’s hero. Jack had saved him when he was seven, and Dianne had encouraged him to always be true to himself. But when Billy meets Sawyer Fredericks, the game changes. Simple is no longer simple, and one plus one doesn’t equal two. 

Sawyer has spent the last few years working hard to get ahead, and now it seems like his life is on track. Then Billy walks in and Sawyer realizes that plans sometimes change. The chemistry is good, and the emotions out of this world, but more than just Jack and Andrew are working to keep them apart. 

Once it seem like they have it all together, fate comes in to take everything away. Surviving takes more than just hanging tough, for Billy, it’s a life altering decision. 

Grab your copy of Billy from Amazon or Audible. 

Billy Miller made it through high school pretending to be someone he’s not. Fear kept Billy in the closet, so to speak, but now he’s moving to New York to live with his brother and brother in law and start college. If he can be himself anywhere, it’s New York, right? Excited and anxious to start the next phase of his life, Billy embraces college, his acting class, and being able to wear mascara and lip gloss in public without being beaten to a bloody pulp.

Sawyer Fredericks didn’t intend to get involved with anyone. His life is complicated. He has secrets and can’t afford to drag someone into the chaos when he can’t even tell them the truth. But Billy catches his eye the very first day and soon friendly smiles, conversations during classes and quiet lunches on campus turn into something more. Sawyer knows he shouldn’t pursue a relationship, but he’s enamored with Billy’s vibrancy from the start. When Billy learns Sawyers secret, will he turn away? Or embrace the man he’s falling hard for.

I was sitting in for York’s reading at GRL 2015 when she got up on stage and started talking about what she was going to read, that the character was never supposed to have a story, but he was persistent. I immediately knew she was talking about Billy and I literally squealed. I think people were starring. But seriously, who didn’t fall in love with this character in the first book in this series when he said, “I don’t think God made me right.”? And then everything that Jack endured to protect Billy’s innocence? He’s always been my favorite character in this series and I’m so happy York decided to write his story, and Crisden agreed to give him a voice. 

There are a lot of highs and lows in this story, definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. As Billy starts to slowly reveal more and more of his true nature, he worries how he will be perceived not only by Sawyer, but by his peers as well. But Billy is one tough cookie and he proves that more than once. Andrew and Jack are having issues of their own as well. Not only are they looking into adopting, but they aren’t exactly pleased with Billy’s choice in boyfriends. Billy realizes the gravity of what Jack did all those years ago to protect him, and that Jack is still just trying to protect him, but above all he wants his brother’s trust. 

I knew going into this it wasn’t going to be all sunshine and roses. That wouldn’t ring true in relation to the series or the characters. Billy has to do a lot of growing up and continue to conquer fears and hurdle obstacles to find his happy ever after. And then, right when he and Sawyer think they’ve gotten everything they want. Well, it’s not quite that easy. Relationships are hard work. As hard as you think they are, you wind up wishing they were that easy. Billy and Sawyer continually grow as the story progresses, as do Jack and Andrew.

Sean Crisden took over to narrate Billy’s story, and while I questioned that decision at first, I have to say now I think it was brilliant. While Billy is an important part of the world York created four books ago, he is his own person and deserves his own voice separate from everyone else. That is exactly what Crisden did. The thing I love most about Crisden’s narration skills is how he can put so much emotion into his words. The conversations that Billy and Sawyer have as their relationship is slowly progressing could have been lost on me, or glossed over in print, but to have Crisden giving each character such precise tones, inflections and nuances really brought them to life for me.

Dramatic, emotional, passionate, fun… these are just a few words that describe this story. If you’ve been a fan of the series from the start, you know it’s not going to be an easy road for Billy. But the writing just grabs you and you become invested in the characters and will weather any storm with them while you wait to see where they will land when the dust settles. Obviously I recommend this book, this series. And while you could walk into Billy’s life without having travelled through Jack and Andrew’s stories, you will miss a lot of the back story, so I suggest started at the beginning if you haven’t. 

Writing is Sara York's life. The stories fight to get out, often leaving her working on four or five books at once. She can't help but write. Along with her writing addiction she has a coffee addiction. Some nights, the only reason she stops writing and goes to sleep is for the fresh brewed coffee in the morning. Sara enjoys writing twisted tales of passion, anger, and love with a good healthy dose of lust thrown in for fun.

Author links: website | facebook | twitter 

This weeks Q&A with Author Sara York...

What is your routine when writing? Playlist, being outside, going to the local coffee shop?

I have to have coffee, or something else to drink to write. I try not to set too many requirements to get to writing since some times I don’t have much time to actually write. My family has always come first so they distract me all the time with questions and random thoughts. If I turn my music on, it gets me into the mood fast, so if I’m really distracted I’ll play music and shut everyone else out.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I’ve written a few. I think I was at around 70ish last count. I’m not really sure of the exact number. My favorite is Not That Type of Guy. It’s not just the story, but how deep I went into the character. I do have more than one in the favorites category. Anything with Lane and Gresh gets a high vote, and Jack and Andrew are special too. My first published book Murder Stalks has a special place too. It’s kind of hard to choose with so many I really like.

Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?

I hear from at least one reader a week in regards to the A Southern Thing series. It’s touched so many people. Some times those letters are hard to read, but I’m happy that guys and girls are comfortable with who they are.

What’s next for Sara York?

I have a few books in the cue. Bonded 2 is my next big book, then I have a new Texas series that will be out in December. There are a few other books mixed in, but those are the main things.

Sara: Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed the interview.

Tams: Me too Sara, me too! 

I'm sad that my Q&A with Sara has come to an end, but now I get to post my Q&A with the narrator for Billy, Mr. Sean Crisden! 

Bio:
Sean Crisden is a multitalented actor and a two-time AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator who has recorded audiobooks in almost every genre, from science fiction to romance. He has also voiced characters in numerous video games, such as the award-winning ShadowGun, and appeared in many commercials and films, including The Last Airbender. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sean now resides in Phoenix, Arizona. 

> Hi Sean, and thank you for agreeing to stop by and answer a few questions for me today. I have to tell you, I am such a fan of your work, I jumped for joy when Sara told me you were going to be voicing our beloved Billy! So, let's start with what brought you to the business of Narrating in the first place?I was a wealthy playboy/cowboy/bad-boy who was hurt so many times that I knew I could never love again, until I met... Oh wait, we're talking about me and not a character. Ooooh. Well, as the legend goes I was in corporate middle management by day and a rock band by night.  I happened to be offered an opportunity to do some casual voice work in between and it was like getting a delightful slap in the face. My creative soul was withering in the confines of the office and  the very idea that somebody would be foolish enough to pay me to tell stories or make funny voices all day seemed like a dream gig to me.  I tend to be quite ambitious and driven for things that I want, so like a tenacious lil' foo foo dog I set my sights, bit in and held on for dear life. For some reason folks seem to like what I do and I'm just as happy as a clam that's...happy.

> How do you manage to capture the essence of the characters you read? I've listened to a lot of your audios and I'm always amazed by how you manage to convey exactly what the author envisioned for the characters. Do you read the books prior to voicing? Audiobook narration, particularly character driven stories, is about acting. It also entails being able to fit comfortably in the role of storyteller. Matching the tone of the writing, let alone the feel and color of each character is a bit of work.  I used to read every single book, sometimes twice, take notes and sit to digest everything. Now that I'm nearing my 200th audiobook my session schedule stays packed and with time and efficiency as a concern I have a wonderful assistant who preps books for me. She reads, summarizes each chapter and the story arcs as well as gives full character descriptions (not to mention researches any pesky pronunciations). It's wonderful as I get a custom "Cliff's Notes" version of the story which I read and then dive in. Then I'm effectively well armed to tell the story in and let the characters come to life as intended.  Aside form the technical aspects of narration and prep, it certainly takes a bit of "magic factor X" to really make it work. Is that something that is quantifiable? Do I even know what it is? I ain't tellin'.

> What was it like for you to step into this series three books in? Any hesitation or concerns? It's always tricky to take the reigns of a series somewhere in the middle.  As a rule I do my best not to listen to any of the previous narration. I want to approach the characters and the world from a fresh perspective that is distinctly Sean Crisden. It's no secret by now how I like to weave a narrated story and the colors and hues that I like to use to paint the characters within the lines of the author's intent.  I don't necessarily want to be influenced by the previous narrator(s) but there is always the concern of maintaining some level of continuity for the listeners. Of course, if you hire me you know that Crisden stank is going to now be all over it so that can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on preference and if I have recently taken a shower.

> Are you a reader? If so, who is your favorite author or genre of books?Surprisingly (or maybe not) I read very infrequently for pleasure these days. Most of my time is spent in the booth narrating or voicing other projects. I get my fix for diving into a wonderful story through the narration actually. don't think for a second that I'm not enjoying the story just as much as the listener while I'm actually narrating. There's a feeling of detachment that happens during the sessions where I can pretty much sit back and listen while my gums are flappin'.  

My fav author is a tough one and I suppose it would really depend on my mood. For genres, I read a good amount of non-fiction as I love to supplement my knowledge on various topics. I'm an easy sucker for well written fantasy, sci-fi and horror however. I obviously get my fill (pun intended) of romance and erotica through my narration so admittedly those titles are seldom selected for pleasure reading. 

> What do you do in your spare time when not locked up in a sound booth bringing life to so many great characters? Somehow I find the time to play guitar, train in Wing Chun kung fu and Krav Maga, hit the gym and play a fair amount of video games. I know, I'm like a big kid. I recently returned to an early hobby of mine which is writing, which has me excited. I'm working on some shorts as well as a novel so it pleases me immensely to have my own material to narrate in the near future.  That's sort of full lifecycle production right there! Granted, I'm curious what people will think about the stories that come out of my own brain-parts. I have been known to be...a weirdo.

> What's next for you? In addition to narration, I always have a slew of video games and commercials in my queue as well as good ol' eLearning modules.  I'm from Philadelphia, have now lived in Phoenix for the past 5 years and now I'm in the middle of a move to San Diego in a few weeks. That should keep me busy for bit. Of course, I plan on narrating for a good while. It's such an enjoyable process and it keeps me out of trouble, right? I mean, what harm could come from steamy romance and dashing adventure? 

> Where can fans find out more about your works, upcoming releases and perhaps, any CONS you'll be attending. There's always my website which is www.seancrisden.com. There is a blog there called The Creative Well which I post to from time to time. I must admit I've been a bit er...remiss in keeping it up to date. I should remedy that.  Likewise I love interacting with fans on Facebook. Don't worry, I don't bite...unless you want me to.

> Thank you for sharing with us Sean, can't wait to dive into my next Crisden voiced audio book! Until next time.... 
Sean: It has been my pleasure! Any chance I get to crawl out of the booth and see the light of day is always welcome.

Tams: *twists Crisden's arm behind his back and shoves him back into the booth. I NEED THAT NEXT AUDIO BOOK, LIKE NOW!* Wait, what... 

Sean Crisden
The Voice of Reason
(267) 872-0760
crisden@seancrisden.com
www.seancrisden.com
Represented by The Leighton Agency

follow me on Twitter:http://twitter.com/seancrisden

See what I’ve been up to recently:
Winner of two AudioFile Earphones Awards
Narrator of over 180 audiobooks
Primary voice talent and session director for the hit games "ShadowGun", "Kingdom Rush" and others
The voice of "Magnus" for Sony's weekly "PlayStation Home Virtual Item Showcase"
Narrator of the series "The Amateurs" on The Sportsman Channel

So, we are at the end of July and the end of our time with Sara York. Never fear, she is hard at work on that next book/series that will capture our hearts and leave us breathless; much like Jack, Andrew and dear, sweet Billy! I can't thank Sara York, Jason Frazier and Sean Crisden enough for agreeing to answer my questions and giving us all more insight into the writing and narrating that really brings the books we love to life! 

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