Tag Archives: Meredith Russell

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Follow The Sun (Stories from Sapphire Cay #1) by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell [CONTEST CLOSED]

83 Comments

Congrats to Melanie M, who won Theory of Attraction by Cleon Lee!

Many thanks to RJ Scott for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Follow The Sun (Stories from Sapphire Cay #1) (written with Meredith Russell), for a lucky commenter to win! Follow The Sun will be released on October 20 by Love Lane Books.

The first in a series of books filled with romance and drama on Sapphire Cay in the Bahamas.

Lucas Madison is in the Bahamas for his sister’s wedding on the beautiful and idyllic island of Sapphire Cay.

He has the weight of the world on his shoulders. With the stress of his job, the loss of his friend, and faced with his own medical crisis, Lucas arrives on the white sands of Sapphire Cay gray and exhausted. His only thought is to see his sister married and happy.

Dylan Gray is a free-spirited traveler who literally follows the sun. Never settling in one place for long, he earns his way from state to state and continent to continent. But there’s something about Sapphire Cay that draws him back over and over. A feeling of home.

When these two men meet, both have decisions to make and directions to choose. And maybe together, they can make the right ones and follow not only the sun, but also their hearts.

This is the story of Lucas and Dylan, set against the stunning landscape of Sapphire Cay.

About RJ

RJ Scott lives in the Chiltern hills just outside London, England. She loves reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror; however, her first real love will always be the world of romance. Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a hint of happily ever after.

She is published with Silver Publishing an-d Dreamspinner Press and was nominated in the Love Romance Cafe Awards of 2010 as Best GLBTQ Author, for Best Gay Paranormal / Horror (Oracle) and as Best Paranormal Author. Oracle was also nominated for Best Gay Paranormal / Horror 2010 in Elisa Rolle’s Rainbow Awards and was awarded an Honorable Mention (5th). RJ’s contemporary romance, The Christmas Throwaway, remained at number one on Amazon and at All Romance over Christmas and into the New Year. She cannot believe how lucky 2010 was for her and her foray into the world of MM writing.

RJ writes across all the genres, but if pushed she says she enjoys writing contemporary romance over the rest. Her newest release, Back Home, has already received favourable reviews on the Silver site and on Goodreads.

You can find out more about RJ and her books at her website, on Facebook, and via Twitter.

About Meredith

Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.

You can find out more about Meredith on Facebook.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, October 19.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“I’m not looking at you until you make a lap, Mom. You should be prepared at all times!” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Lounge about with linkity

12 Comments

Congrats to DebraG, who won Choices by Em Woods! Choices is being released today by Breathless Press.

I am sooooo far behind on my email. Be patient with me. It’s been a rough week. 🙂

Contest

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

Cookity

Drinkity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

  • How to kill an introvert… (Thanks?!, Jeanne!) (At least Jeanne’s an introvert, so I don’t think I’m in danger from her…)

Teh Cute

Reading Update
By His Rules by JA Rock. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a recent theater grad who’s sort of at loose ends and spends his free time playing the perfect sub for an assortment of doms… until he makes something of a miscalculation and things go awry. JA Rock’s now on my autobuy list.
Pressure Head by JL Merrow. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a plumber with a touch of psychic ability that allows him to find secrets and lost things. When he’s called out to help the police find a body, he runs into one of the guys who bullied him in high school – a guy he’d found attractive despite that…
Finders, Keepers by Chris Quinton. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense a covert recovery agent for an insurance company who isn’t able to keep his emotional distance from the guy he’s gotten close to for a job, even knowing that things won’t end well. The ending seemed a bit rushed, alas, but otherwise this totally sucked me in.
Hearts of England by RJ Scott, Meredith Russell, Chris Quinton, Lisa Worrall, Sue Brown, & SA Meade. ebook anthology. arc. Very good m/m romance anthology in which all of the stories are set in England. Unusually for me with an anthology, I found every story to be solidly written and enjoyable, with not a one I ended up skipping.
Maybe This Time by Shawn Lane. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about two guys living with their grandmothers, just down the hall from each other, who find they have more in common (including a shared past) than one would expect.
In the Blink of an Eye by Kim Dare. ebook short. arc. Steamy short m/m encounter between two guys at their company Christmas party.
Broken Silence (Broken Trilogy #2) by Jade Buchanan. ebook. Good m/m romance about a deeply closeted bar owner in a small northern Ontario town who just can’t stop himself from hooking up with the new nurse. Lots of homophobic comments and jokes, and “I’m not gay” talk from the bartender. 🙁
Red + Blue (Opposites Attract #1) by AB Gayle. ebook. Good m/m romance about an actuary intern who finds himself very attracted to his deeply closeted boss as they slowly gets to know each other at work. I probably would’ve rated this higher had the actuary not purportedly been from Minnesota – the inaccuracies in dialect and geography were grating. If your familiarity with Minnesota is via Fargo, you shouldn’t have this problem…
Pop Goes the Weasel by Stephen Osborne. ebook. Ok m/m story about a college student who manages to get himself into scads of over-the-top trouble pretty much all the time. While I do enjoy some madcap m/m romances, such as those by LB Gregg, this just felt as if the author was trying too hard.
Autism All-Stars: How We Use Our Autism and Asperger Traits to Shine in Life by Jose Santomauro. Ok collection of personal success stories from people with autism spectrum disorders. I found the introduction by Tony Attwood to be the most useful part of the book, particularly this: “In the typical brain, there is a preference for noticing and analyzing social information – for example, to prioritize the information contained in someone’s facial expression rather than the shape of his ears. In autism, the brain notices, and finds interesting and informative, other aspects of experience. My simple definition of autism is that the person has found something more interesting in life than socializing.” And also, “It is inevitable that the child who has autism will at some stage recognize that he or she is different from other children. A constructive response to this realization is to observe people in order to analyze their behaviour and motives, or to become an expert mimic in order to be accepted and included.”

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Hearts of England anthology by RJ Scott, Meredith Russell, Chris Quinton, Lisa Worrall, Sue Brown, & SA Meade [CONTEST CLOSED]

82 Comments

Congrats to Suze, who won Domestic Relations by K-Lee Klein! Domestic Relations is being released today by Less Than Three Press.

Congrats to Andrea and LC, who won Steamroller by Mary Calmes! Steamroller is being released by Dreamspinner Press today.

Many thanks to RJ Scott for donating an ebook copy of the forthcoming m/m romance anthology, Hearts of England, for a lucky commenter to win! Hearts of England will be released by Silver Publishing on September 15.

From the wilds of the Brontes’ bleak moors, to soft summer nights in Stratford upon Avon, and chance meetings in a cosy tea shop, join us for a delightful journey through the romances of England.

Six stories full of desire, of men loving men, written by English authors known for their passionate tales of love, lust, and rekindling romances.

The Cameraman’s Tale – Chris Quinton
Mark is a researcher for a paranormal reality TV show. A cameraman on the show encountered a ghost and needs his help. Mark must break the cycle of injury and death before filming begins, or others will be at risk. Featuring Mark and Jack from the story: The Psychic’s Tale.

By Design – Lisa Worrall
Robbie Cooper gets more than he bargains for when Shane Donald walks into his shop, photograph in hand, asking Robbie to tattoo the likeness on his skin. There’s something about the photograph and the way Shane talks about the man in the picture that ignites a spark deep inside Robbie, and he longs to know more. But will he like what he hears, and will he be able to control his instant attraction to his client?

Child of Storm – RJ Scott
Ben Hyland is excited to be showing Cory Vasilyev Yorkshire. Cory scouts locations for film studios and needs the right inspiration for a new film version of Wuthering Heights. Problem is Ben wants to share his passion for the story and for the wild moors but Cory just wants to go home. Until he doesn’t.

A Good Feeling – S.A. Meade
Jamie never expected to meet the love of his life in a tea shop. He never expected his lover, Connor, to be an Army Officer about to return to Afghanistan for one last deployment. After twelve short weeks together, Jamie has to face uncertainty and worry. Worry that Connor may not make it back alive, uncertainty that Connor will want him to be at the base, waiting, when he returns. Will the good feelings he always had about their future together survive their separation?

This Morning – Sue Brown
When Neil takes his son to school he doesn’t expect Alex to tell him that he doesn’t want to go to South Africa on a year-long trip with him and his husband. Neil has to make a choice between his son and his husband. He only hopes that Baz understands his son must come first, otherwise he faces the prospect of his love walking out of his life forever.

William’s Heart – Meredith Russell
Jude is confident, happy, and views his world through the lens of a camera. Brody is a writer. Haunted, and searching for inspiration in Stratford-upon-Avon. In Jude, Brody finds something his heart has longed for—acceptance for who he is.

Excerpt (scroll down and select tab)

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, September 14.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

*testing kitty mind control powers of cuteness and intensity* -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity lurches along

17 Comments

Congrats to SusieQ, who won Battle of Hearts by Valentina Heart! Battle of Hearts will be released on April 14 by Silver Publishing.

Contest

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Make, Do, Learn

Cookity

Gluten-Free

Drinkity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Magic Mansion by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about two magicians who briefly connect during auditions for a reality television show about magicians in which they both end up as participants (along with ten others). Who will take home the glory… and the $250,000 prize? Wonderfully written and with bonus points for a completely unique story concept!
The Art of Words by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell. ebook arc. Very good m/m romance about an artist with severe dyslexia that he keeps hidden. When his work attracts a wealthy, handsome sponsor, it seems too good to be true…
If Only by sadtomato. free online. Very good *braces self* Edward/Jacob slash. I can’t believe I typed that! LOL. But really, it’s just a story about a gay guy and his straight roommate/best friend… with a crazy number of “outtake” chapters at the end, including an alternate ending that made me sniffle a bit.
Little Boy Dead (Boystown #0) by Marshall Thornton. free ebook. Very good gay mystery prequel to the Nick Nowak Boystown series in which we get to meet a younger, less cynical Nick working as security for a film festival and just starting his new life as a private investigator. (Also, that is a scary belly button.)
The Long Con by Lori Toland. ebook. Good m/m romantic suspense about a British agent who tracks a stolen Faberge egg to New York City, where he’s mistaken for a prostitute and uses that to his investigative advantage. This book had a somewhat over-the-top old-school romance feel to it; while that’s not usually my forte, it mostly worked here and I got sucked into the story.
Ice Blues (Donald Strachey #3) by Richard Stevenson. Good gay mystery that starts with Don going to pick up his car (towed in a snow emergency, the bane of all northern folk) and finding a dead, frozen body in it…
Third Man Out (Donald Strachey #4) by Richard Stevenson. ebook. Good gay mystery in which Don is asked to protect a guy who forcibly outs prominent gay people and who fears his life is in danger as a result. (In the ebook edition I read, none of the acronyms were capitalized. Argh.)
Shock to the System (Donald Strachey #5) by Richard Stevenson. ebook. Good gay mystery in which Don tries to figure why a guy who’d dropped out of an ex-gay program ended up dead. (Had the same acronym issue as the previous book. And… aren’t these covers heinous?)
Chain of Fools (Donald Strachey #6) by Richard Stevenson. ebook. Good gay mystery in which Done investigates what may be one part of a family turning against another over selling the family’s award-winning newspaper to pay off debts. (No acronym issues! Yay!)
Learning from Isaac by Dev Bentham. ebook. Good m/m romance about a college professor who’s mutually attracted to one of his students (a senior), but they agree not to act on that attraction until after graduation. And then the professor runs into the student in a most unexpected place…
Reluctant Mate 2 by Eden Cole. ebook short. Meh short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who, aided by a drug that makes it seem as if he’s a shifter, vows to hunt down the wolf shifters who killed his brother.

Every time I see this sign in my neighborhood, it gives me the giggles, so I had to get a (somewhat enhanced) photo of it:

“You’re too close, Mom!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: The Art of Words by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell [CONTEST CLOSED]

67 Comments

Many thanks to RJ Scott for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, The Art of Words (written with Meredith Russell), for a lucky commenter to win! The Art of Words will be released by Silver Publishing on April 14.

Tom offers Blu his dream of a gallery show. Though an attraction exists, their worlds collide because Blu speaks through paint and brushes and Tom’s life is filled with words and paperwork. Though opposites attract, these differences might push them apart.

After years of following his activist parents, artist Blu Taylor finally found somewhere to call home.

He sees art in the world around him yet is never truly part of it. There’s a line that keeps him just on the outside of everything and everyone except his best friend.

Thomas Harrington has everything – the money, the car, and the designer suits. But something is missing from a seemingly perfect life, lost when his mother fell ill.

After attending a local art show, Blu is contacted by Tom and offered his dream – a chance to show at a gallery.

Though there is a growing attraction between the men, their worlds couldn’t be more apart. Blu speaks through paint and brushes, and Tom’s life is filled with words and paperwork.

Though opposites attract, these differences might push them apart.

Excerpt (scroll down and select tab)

Other Books by RJ

About RJ

RJ Scott lives in the Chiltern hills just outside London, England. She loves reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror; however, her first real love will always be the world of romance. Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a hint of happily ever after.

She is published with Silver Publishing an-d Dreamspinner Press and was nominated in the Love Romance Cafe Awards of 2010 as Best GLBTQ Author, for Best Gay Paranormal / Horror (Oracle) and as Best Paranormal Author. Oracle was also nominated for Best Gay Paranormal / Horror 2010 in Elisa Rolle’s Rainbow Awards and was awarded an Honorable Mention (5th). RJ’s contemporary romance, The Christmas Throwaway, remained at number one on Amazon and at All Romance over Christmas and into the New Year. She cannot believe how lucky 2010 was for her and her foray into the world of MM writing.

RJ writes across all the genres, but if pushed she says she enjoys writing contemporary romance over the rest. Her newest release, Back Home, has already received favourable reviews on the Silver site and on Goodreads.

You can find out more about RJ and her books at her website, on Facebook, and via Twitter.

About Meredith

Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.

You can find out more about Meredith on Facebook.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, April 20.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“Do you mind?! Some of us are trying to bathe our bits here!” -Chaos