Love and Other Hot Beverages by Laurie Loft Virtual tour | Spotlight, Excerpt & #giveaway @RiptideBooks @Laurie_Loft

I’m Laurie Loft, author of Love and Other Hot Beverages. Welcome to my blog tour, and thanks for being here! I’m excited to give out super cool prizes to two people who make thoughtful comments to any of my blog posts: one French press (an item which features prominently in my novel), and a $15.00 Starbucks gift card. Either way, you’ll enjoy plenty of hot beverages!

There’ll be seven posts in which I’ll discuss my book as well as unrelated items. Comment, and we can get to know each other a little better.

After a rough breakup, Todd Addison wants time alone to grieve. While still dreaming of winning back his ex’s love, he moves across the country and finds work with a construction company. The last thing he needs is the cute office boy developing a crush on him, especially since he’s back in the closet.

Sebastián Nye can’t help feeling sorry for the obviously brokenhearted Todd. Though rebuffed repeatedly, Sebby chisels away at Todd’s resistance, determined to help him forget—a task potentially beyond anyone’s capabilities. He never meant to fall for the poor guy, but he does. Hard.

Desperate to hold on to Todd, Sebby hatches a sneaky plot guaranteed to end Todd's heartbreak—if Todd doesn't bail and ruin everything. Just when things can’t get more complicated, Todd’s ex wants him back. And Sebby’s abusive ex is just waiting to catch Sebby alone. Todd and Sebby must decide what’s worth fighting for, what’s worth sacrifice, and what’s worth compromise, or their relationship will begin and end with a broken heart.

Buy links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Excerpt...

Todd entered the mobile office, his stomach full of spring rolls, his head full of nagging voices. The window air conditioning unit hummed, and a chill settled on his skin. A boilermaker stood hunched over Sebby’s desk, grimacing while Sebby pointed with a pen. Sebby looked up. “Those forms are on the table, Todd.” He gestured. “Leonard, do you want privacy? Should I tell Todd to come back?”

“No, it’s not a big deal.”

Todd seated himself at the table, setting aside his hard hat and goggles, and bent his head over the forms. Nearby were two pens and two sharpened pencils. Emergency Notification. Todd listed his brother first and his mother second. Physician. Todd hadn’t tried to find one since he’d moved. He left it blank. His pen tapped, and he listened with half an ear to Leonard and Sebby.

“I’m short right now. Can’t you take out less now and even it up at the end of the year?”

“No, we have to take out the court-ordered amount. I’m sorry, Lenny.”

Todd glanced over to see Sebby patting Leonard’s hand, and hid a smile behind his papers. The way Sebby mothered the men on the crew was endearing.

Eventually Leonard agreed that Sebby was doing his best. Sebby followed him to the door and shut it behind him before returning to stand behind Todd and slide his arms around him, leaning his cheek on Todd’s head.

Todd put a hand on Sebby’s forearm where it rested on his chest. “I gotta finish these papers.”

“I’ll just stand here while you do that.” He squeezed Todd. “I don’t want to go out tonight.”

“No?”

“I want us to stay in. So we can talk. You can’t talk at a movie. Or snuggle.” He nuzzled Todd’s hair, and Todd was comforted, but he couldn’t help thinking that it probably smelled like the inside of a helmet. “Come straight to my place. Do you like baths?”

Confused at the change of subject, Todd stammered. “Do I what?”

“Some manly men refuse to take baths; it must always be a shower. But you may have noticed my beautiful claw-foot tub, and you can soak in it, and I have fizzy bath balls.”

“Bath balls?”

“You drop them in the water and they go foosh and they make you tingle all over.” He ran his fingers up and down Todd’s chest. Todd fidgeted and bit his lip.

“You’re telling me I smell bad.”

Sebby nuzzled again into Todd’s hair and then his neck, and spoke with his lips just below Todd’s ear. “I’m telling you I want you to come straight to my place, not go home first. And have a nice, relaxing bath, and I’ll even join you, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, that would most definitely be okay.”

* * * * * * *

The afternoon crawled by, but the day was over at last. Just to remove his hat and feel the breeze ruffling his damp hair was bliss. Todd climbed into his truck and cranked the air, aiming all the vents at his face. Leaning back and closing his eyes, he pulled his shirt up to let air pass over his itchy skin, feeling achy and so grimy and slimy that he was considering the possibility of heading home for a pre-bath shower, when a knock on his door startled him. There stood Sebby with a knowing smile. Todd opened the door, and Sebby shoved a handful of folded papers at him.

“You forgot to take your copies. Do you forget things you’re supposed to do, Todd?”

Todd accepted the papers. “Ah. N-o . . .”

“Good. Then drive slow so I can have a few minutes to get things ready.” He rapped his knuckles on the door and walked away, and Todd watched him go, noting the roll of his hips and the bounce of his hair at the back of his neck. I’ve got it bad. The thought scared him a little.

Laurie Loft lives in Iowa, endeavoring to write stories to give you that rush. Her husband, cat, and dogs kindly tolerate this odd activity. Her first M/M novel came about because of a minor character in a straight romance who just took over and demanded his own book. Laurie enjoys NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and other forms of writerly torture. She finds inspiration in her NaNo friends and her fellow Riptide authors. When not writing or working at her mysterious day job, she can often be found screaming at tangled cross stitch threads.

Connect with Laurie:

• Website
• Blog
• Twitter: @Laurie_Loft

Two ways to win!!

Riptide giveaway... To celebrate the release of Love and Other Hot Beverages, one lucky winner will receive a $15 Starbucks gift card and a French press from Laurie! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 8, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

TTC giveaway... Every comment on the blog is entered into a monthly giftcard giveaway. So don't forget to leave a comment that includes your contact info and you could win not once, but twice!!