Losing It by Christine d’Abo (A Ringside Romance story) virtual tour | Spotlight, Excerpt & #giveaway @RiptideBooks @Christine_dAbo

Hello, my name is Christine d’Abo and I’m so happy to be here today.

All things, no matter how good and loved, must eventually come to an end. When I originally planned to write my Ringside Romance series, it was only going to be three books. But then my lovely Justin came into being and there was no way I could leave this world without giving him his happy ending. So here we are, at the final stop on the journey, with both excitement and a few tears.

Justin’s character was my way of showing myself that every character can be his or her own hero. That we don’t have to be slaves to our circumstances, that given the right motivation and support from those who love us, we can move past our own negativity and become someone more.

Justin thought the person to help him was Grady.

That was because he hadn’t met Finn yet.

By helping Finn find his voice, Justin realizes that there’s more to life, more to himself, than he’d ever realized. I hope you’ll join me for LOSING IT, the final tale in the world of the Ringside Gym, where even the most unlikely of heroes can find his happily ever after.

Finn Miller doesn’t do social. He works his IT job from home as often as he can to avoid people. If it weren’t for his weekly training sessions at Ringside Gym, he might never leave his apartment. And he only does that because of Leo, the gym member he’s in love with. When Finn gets talked into attending a speed dating fund-raiser at the gym, his greatest wish is to have the courage to try to say something—anything—to Leo.

Justin McCormick has spent most of his adult life being used, whether playing a corporate heavy, or acting as guard dog for his ward. So when he leaves Vancouver for a fresh start in Toronto, he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself.

The moment Justin sees Finn at a speed dating event, he knows there’s no way he’ll make it without a little help, so he offers to coach Finn on the art of conversation. What he doesn’t count on is his unexpected attraction to this shy boxer, or his fear that if Finn gets his way, Justin might lose out on his best chance at love.

Buy links: Riptide | Amazon

Excerpt...

Justin McCormick flexed his fingers as he stood outside of Ringside Gym. God, this was a terrible idea, but for the first time in his adult life, he was at a complete loss for what else to do. He had no job, his savings were getting dangerously low, and he’d burned more than a few professional bridges over the years while doing his former employer’s bidding. That made getting out of this particular mess difficult.

Plus, he was wearing glasses for the first time in years. He hated glasses.

He hadn’t anticipated needing to start over at this stage in his life. Everything had been going the way he’d wanted; he’d achieved each of his goals in order. And yet . . .

Like vapor, his career and personal life had vanished in a puff of smoke.

The warm air was unusual for this early in April in Toronto, or so the taxi driver had said on the way through traffic. Justin hadn’t bothered to respond, not particularly caring about the current state of meteorological affairs. The nice weather wasn’t going to make it any easier for him to get a job with a sufficient income to allow him to live in Toronto in the manner that he’d been previously accustomed to. His résumé—which would be the envy of most—hadn’t gotten him much, but as far as he could tell, it was his reputation rather than his experience that was holding him back.

The main thing he’d spent a decade cultivating was now a liability.

Ironic.

The sidewalk was full of people of all sorts, many of whom were dressed for work, probably rushing off to some important meeting or other. Justin averted his eyes as a man, who appeared to be homeless, started to come toward him. He could feel the other man’s gaze on him as he got close, but instead of engaging, Justin stepped toward the window and began to read a notice of a new kickboxing class.

The smell of body odor washed over Justin as the man moved to stand beside him. “Excuse me. Do you have any change?”

“No.” Justin didn’t bother to mask his gruff nature, and kept his gaze fixed on the poster.

The man nodded and passed Justin. “That’s okay. You have a great day.”

Justin turned his head and watched him ask a passing woman the same thing. She stepped around him, throwing him a dirty look as she went by. The man waved at her and took up a post a few feet from the gym entrance. Justin did his best to ignore him, but the longer he stood there, the louder his conscience started to yell at him.

Instead he reached into his pocket and took out the three toonies he’d been saving for a coffee. He walked over and held them out. “Here.”

“You found some change after all.” The man smiled and put it into his pocket. “Thank you.”

Justin narrowed his gaze. “I can take it back if you want?”

“It’s all good. Much appreciated.” He’d moved a few steps away when Justin heard him mutter. “Asshole.”

Justin ignored him and went back to the gym door, because what else could he do? He was an asshole, though he’d been trying harder in recent months to cull those behaviors. A fresh start, and all that shit. Except that now he was standing in front of the place where his former charge Grady now worked, skulking about like he’d been accused of doing so many times in the past.

This had been a horrible idea. They’d parted on decent terms, but Grady wouldn’t want him around now that he’d gotten his own life on track. So, Justin took a breath, turned, and slowly walked past the gym. This wasn’t what he needed, to reconnect with Grady and try to rekindle a friendship. No, he needed to find a job and a place to live.

To read this excerpt in it's entirety, head over to Riptide Publishing

About Ringside Romance

Deep in the heart of Toronto lies Ringside Gym. Once a safe haven for troubled teens, Ringside has gone derelict, a forgotten memory of past days. Until a group of friends set out to do what they can to bring life back to the ring and create a new home for LGBT youths.

But when their lives threaten to pull down their dreams, each man must turn to others to help make it a reality. Winners take all—but there are no losers in love.

Check out the Ringside Romance universe!

A romance novelist and short story writer, Christine has over thirty publications to her name. She loves to exercise and stops writing just long enough to keep her body in motion too. When she’s not pretending to be a ninja in her basement, she’s most likely spending time with her family and two dogs.

You can visit Christine at her website www.christinedabo.com, and chat with her on Facebook and Twitter. Want to keep up with Christine’s new releases? Sign up for her newsletter and receive a free book!

Riptide giveaway... To celebrate the release of Losing It, one lucky winner will receive a $25 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 24, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

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