Nowhere to Ride - Cowboys, Dogs, Passion and Intrigue - Andrew Grey

Nowhere To Ride just released this morning.  Its my latest western and has the things I really love.  Sexy cowboys of course, horses, a pack of amazing mutts, passion, and a touch of intrigue.  What more could you want?

 

 

Unjustly accused of a crime, Ky Archer is trying to keep his ranch together, with fierce tenacity and minimal help. With his nefarious accuser the lead wolf at the door, Ky is resolved to do whatever he has to in order to keep the final link with his family intact.

Brodie Tyler is down on his luck--way down. Down enough to camp with his baby sister in a tent to get away from relatives he’d hoped would help him. His parents are gone and he's got nowhere to go, but he’s determined to keep his sister safe with him, no matter what.

Ky finds Brodie and Emily on his property and takes them in out of the storm… literally. Neither expects the heat that ignites between them to be as hot as the western sun. The men find they fit together well, both at work and in the bedroom. They also find they have a common enemy who tries to tear them apart. Working together, they might discover that each holds the key for the other’s desire.

 

Purchase a copy:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09516R6NK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

 

Brodie figured it was best if he just kept quiet. Since arriving a few days ago, it hadn’t taken him long to learn that his family wasn’t particularly well liked, and they had a reach that scared the hell out of him.

“If Jake Tyler was your cousin, would you advertise?” he asked, hoping to deflect the question. Once the storm was over and Emily had had a chance to rest, the two of them would get back on the road and he’d figure out what he was going to do next. One thing was for sure: he needed to get as far away from Jacob and his greedy, grabby wife as he possibly could.

Emily at least had stopped fussing and was filling her belly. Brodie had done his best to see to it that she had enough to eat. He’d used what little money he had to get her food. It had been simple fare for the last few days, but he’d done what he could. And now that she had eaten, Emily leaned against him and closed her eyes, holding her sippy cup.

“Do you want to put her down so she can rest?” Ky asked. “Poor little thing is just worn out.”

“In a minute, if that’s okay,” Brodie answered, and dug into his pasta, the hunger of the past few days taking him by surprise. He had to slow himself down or he’d eat too fast and make himself sick. At least that’s what his mother used to say.

“Go ahead and eat. I made plenty,” Ky said as he dished out some fruit.

Brodie continued eating, glancing at Ky when he thought the other man wasn’t looking. Ky was a strong man; that was plain by the way his shirt clinched his arms. He also had really broad shoulders and big brown eyes that peered out from under black hair that had grown long and flopped into his face sometimes. Brodie took another bite and couldn’t help looking again. Ky’s skin seemed almost as weathered as the fence posts he and Emily had passed in the car. But as harsh and angular as his face was, there was something kind in his eyes, and that had been the only reason he had done what Ky had said and come here. Storm or not, he had almost turned the other way at the main road and just kept going.

Emily slept as Brodie ate all he could. He didn’t know when he was going to eat again, so he wanted to make the most of it. The others had already finished, and Brodie sat back, cradling Emily against him and letting himself relax for a few minutes anyway. “Thank you,” he told Ky, knowing his mama would be looking down and very upset if he forgot his manners.

“If you want, you can lay her down on the sofa in the living room. There’s a blanket in there, and she’ll be okay.”

Brodie carried her in, and Emily rolled onto her side just as soon as he spread the hand-crocheted blanket over her. One of the three dogs jumped up onto the sofa and lay down near the end, while the two larger ones stayed on the floor. It seemed they were intent on watching over his sister.

“She’ll be okay. Misty will watch over her. And it seems the others have decided to hold a vigil as well.” Ky gently patted each one. “They’re all good dogs and won’t hurt her.”

Preorder Tending Tyler!

 

✨Preorder Tending Tyler now!✨

 

An insta-family/found family romance set (mostly) on a ranch in Texas, featuring a steady, hunky rancher and an overwhelmed city boy. 

If you enjoyed Keeping Promises, you'll love Tending Tyler!

Bartender, Tyler McKeehan, feels like his whole life is on hold. All he does is work and sleep, because he just doesn’t know how to move on with his day to day after the shocking loss of his best friend. When he meets Matt at Les’s Bar where he works in New York, though, he thinks he might have found someone who can nudge him out of his rut. The cowboy seems to live on fast forward, but at the same time, this kind, generous man makes Tyler feel wanted and safe.

Ranch owner, Matthew Whitehead, is just in New York for a visit. But when he runs into Tyler at Les’s Bar, he can tell right away that Tyler is special. Matt’s family thinks he makes snap decisions, and they worry about him, but he knows what he wants, and even after just a few days, he’s willing to fight to keep Tyler in his life. When Matt has to head back to Texas, he tells Tyler to come visit him and meet his kids. Soon.

Tyler doesn’t know if he can just pick up and go to Texas, but he misses Matt’s affection and calming presence, so when life gets too overwhelming, he makes the call. Between Matt’s huge, boisterous family, his children, his busy ranch, and the vast differences between New York City and Texas, Tyler wonders if he should go back to his old life every day. Matt is determined to keep Tyler right where he is, but can they overcome the odds against them and make a new life together?

https://books2read.com/tendingtyler

Jocks, Geeks, and Love - Oh My

Heavy Lifting is now available for your reading pleasure.  Some time ago I was going to the gym every day.  I can't any more because getting older really stinks,  but that's another story.  When I was going to the gym, I was around a number of really hot and built guys and became friends with most of the people at the gym.  It was great.  And when I sat down to start this story, I decided that I wanted one of those guys as a main character because well... who wouldn't.  And being a geek at heart, I paired him with the skinny kid who always got shoved in the locker.  I guess I really love an opposites attract kind of story.  

Would-be journalist Reg Applewhite is a slight, geeky guy who knows from high school experience that he’s the perfect size to be shoved into a locker. He writes for his sister’s fashion and gossip blogs and is very understandably reluctant when assigned to cover a local bodybuilding competition for material.

Jack Ponte is a physical god, with a perfect body, poise, and intense eyes. But it’s his grace that captures Reg’s attention, and when Reg asks for an interview, Jack agrees. After all, he’s looking for a life after bodybuilding, and Reg’s blogs offer a chance at something less fleeting.

During the interview, they discover mutual interests in fashion and video games that lead to friendship and deeper feelings neither expects. Reg finds it hard to believe that a god-man like Jack would see anything in him, and Jack is just as shocked when Reg seems to see beyond his looks to the person inside. But there is a price to pay for everything, and Jack draws the kind of unwanted attention that could threaten to pull them apart… or worse. Together they need to figure out a way to lift each other up and push through the challenges.

Purchase a copy:   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091BCV4J8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Excerpt:  

“Nope. No fashion trip. God, it’s about as far away from that as possible. I’m covering a bodybuilding contest this Saturday. Some guy who is going to be there has reportedly been seen with Monica Graham.”

“You’re kidding. What’s his name?”

Reg didn’t have time to look up the details in his notes. “Something Ponte.” The last name was all he could remember.

“Jack Ponte?” Marti asked, barely able to contain himself.

Let the gushfest begin!

“Yeah. That’s him. Why?” Reg put the phone on speaker and set it on the passenger seat, then started the engine and getting out of the parking spot before the meter ran out and he got a ticket.

“Because according to the pictures on the web, that guy is drop-dead gorgeous. Jack’s got a face that would stop traffic, and eyes….” He was probably fanning himself; Marti had a tendency to do that. “And that body. He could bench press me any time he wanted to.”

“Good lord.”

“I just texted you links. You need to take a look at this man. If he’s going to be there, holy cow.” Marti let out a hoot. “I just found some pictures of him on stage, and let me tell you, there is no doubt. This guy is all man, from head to toe and all the important bits in between. Whoa, mama.”

Reg pulled up to a light, but Marti was still talking a mile a minute.

“I want to go with you. How many passes did Isabelle give you?”

“I’m not sure. I just took what she handed me, too shocked by the whole thing to really give them much thought.” Now he was back to that damned locker room thing, and he could smell the inside of that metal box, with the socks that had probably not been washed for a decade.

“Then check. Because I’m going too. I want to see if this guy is like his pictures. And if he is, well, maybe I can separate him from the other beefcake and see if he might be up for a good, long ride.”

Reg sighed. “If I have an extra pass, and if you come with me, you will not be making passes at the contestants. You’ll have to behave yourself and leave your flaming asshole at home. I’m supposed to be working, so if you come along, then you’ll be working too. So keep it in your pants and let me get home so I can figure out how I’m going to handle this. Besides, the guy was seen with a reality star—a girl—so it isn’t likely that the particular beefcake you’re drooling over enough to short out your computer would be interested in someone like us.”

“Ah-ha… like us. So you are interested in seeing what’s up with this guy.”

Reg should have picked his words more carefully, and he ground his teeth for a second. “Just because someone is hot and all doesn’t mean that I’m going off on some flight of complete fantasy about him. Control your hormones, or so help me, I’ll go alone.”

“So I am going?” Marti pressed, and Reg grabbed what his sister had given him when he stopped at a light.

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing)  He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Page

Dreamspinner Press

Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

Goodreads

Twitter @andrewgreybooks

Website 

Tuesday Teaser: A Barlow Lens

 

A Barlow Lens is a story told in two timelines. This teaser is from the present.

Amazon US ~|~ Amazon UK

Wyatt turned when he heard movement behind him, expecting to see Lily had returned. It wasn’t Lily, and the person who now confronted him caused him to square his shoulders, straighten his spine, and sidestep so he was between the newcomer and Val. “Kevin,” Wyatt said. It was an effort to keep his tone cordial.

“Wyatt,” Kevin replied, voice tight. His gaze slid almost at once to Val, who’d turned away from the telescopes, taken a few steps toward them, and froze.

“This is Kevin Fells,” Wyatt said, turning far enough to look at Val. “Vladimir Mihalic, my fiancé.”

Val stepped forward, held out his hand, and shot Wyatt a curious look. Clearly he caught the fact Wyatt introduced him as Vladimir not Val. He smiled at Kevin.

Kevin looked Val up and down, shrugged, and walked to the bar. He snatched a glass from the table and a bottle of whiskey from the bar. He poured more than a shot’s worth into the glass and downed it, then poured another one. Wyatt resisted the urge to shake his head. Kevin had already smelled of booze when he came in, and his eyes were bloodshot.

“So, my brother is barely cold in his grave and you get yourself a brand new boy toy.” Kevin’s voice was so cold Wyatt had to make a conscious effort not to shudder.

The smile slid off Val’s face. His arm dropped to his side. It took Wyatt a few seconds to recover and react. Closing the distance between them fast enough that Kevin wouldn’t have time to back away, Wyatt grabbed Kevin by one arm and pulled them together. He used a hard enough grip and jerked down with enough pressure Kevin gasped.

“You never even came to Jack’s funeral, and I’ll wager you don’t even know where his grave is,” Wyatt said in a low voice. “Don’t talk to me like I’m the one who did anything wrong. I’m the person who took care of him right to the end.”

“Hey, hey, don’t.” Val had one arm between them, pushing back against Wyatt’s chest. “It’s not worth it.”

Wyatt ignored Val. When Kevin tried yanking free, Wyatt tightened his hold. “Don’t you ever talk to him”—he dipped his head at Val—“like that again. Better not forget I know a helluva lot about you that Lily doesn’t, and I’m sure you never want her finding those facts out.” He let go of Kevin, giving him a shove, and stepped back at the same time.

“You can’t threaten me,” Kevin snarled.

“Funny, I think I just did,” Wyatt snapped back. “And that’s not a threat; it’s a promise.”

Amazon US ~|~ Amazon UK

Tuesday Teaser

 My Tuesday Teaser today is from Strays, a scifi/romance.

More people were rushing at the shore from the vans, having shed their assault uniforms. Pierre let go and Daniel reached the water slapping on the shore as the diver surfaced, Kyle dangling from his arms, coughing and sputtering.

When his feet touched on the sand, Kyle stumbled away from the diver and at Daniel. Someone was shouting for blankets and dry clothes. Someone else was calling for one of the vans to be brought closer.

Grabbing Kyle’s arm, Daniel started yanking on his jacket and sweatshirt, pulling them off. “You need this stuff off now.”

“H-her-re, in fr-fr-front of every-bo-o-dy?” Kyle grinned but let Daniel tug his clothes off.

“Shut it! What the hell stupid thing were you thinking?” He looked around. “I need blankets over here now!”

Kyle’s teeth were chattering and the second he was stripped from the waist up, he wrapped both arms around his chest, hugging himself. His abs sucked inward, giving a concave look to his form, curving up in a smooth line to his expanding and contracting chest.

Pierre rushed up, Daniel’s gear slung over one arm. He must have gone back and retrieved it once Kyle was out of the water and Daniel in no danger of going in after him. “This kid of yours is a real trooper, Dan.”

“He’s not my—” Daniel turned to snap at him, but looked back and saw Kyle’s face. All of his anger flooding out of him, replaced by relief and a surge of pride. Daniel put his hand on the back of Kyle’s neck. “He sure is.” Giving Kyle’s neck a squeeze, he nodded at him. “You did good.”

Kyle grinned like a loon. Digging in his pocket, he pulled his hand out and extended it, palm up. “I- I- I- g-g-g-got-t it-t,” Kyle announced between the chattering of his teeth.

Strays is available on Amazon and is in Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon US ~|~ Amazon UK

These are a Few of my Favorite Words

Hi-it's Mia Kerick here with a hopefully funny (and at least, quirky) post. It's my last week as GRRC's FEBRUARY FEATURED AUTHOR and I wanted to leave you with some food for thought...

A gay romance author’s favorite (and most avoided) words and terms.

 

I’m a word-sensitive person. My first realization of this came with awkward squirming and heavy facial sweating in seventh grade Health and Family Living (sex ed) class when Mr. Bert employed certain rather necessary words (puberty, menstruation, ejaculate, breasts) that I…uh, had a problem with. 

Worse was speaking such words aloud in a prepubescent public discussion of the birds and the bees. Singing these words was out of the question. Unfortunately, my middle school guitar teacher, Mr. Lindemann—in all his long-haired, hipster glory—insisted upon teaching me to strum along to “singable” songs. “Rock-a My Soul in the ____ of Abraham! Rock-a My Soul in the ____ of Abraham!” Bosom was on my no-no word list. Guitar lessons ended almost before they began.

 

Severe word-sensitivity scarred twelve-year-old Mia.

 

 

From there, the situation only got worse. By the time I was in high school, my word-sensitivity had blossomed into a full-fledged phobia. Nugget, tender, bulbous, moist (okay, I just cringed), ooze, putrid. You get the picture. Maybe it was the sound of a certain word or its shape in my mouth. Maybe it was the image conjured in my mind. These words just didn’t work for me. Oh, they didn’t work for high school-you, either? Maybe I wasn’t so unique, but let’s not disregard that I had a problem—it was a challenge to order chicken strips at fast food restaurants because both nuggets and tenders, especially moist ones, were forbidden from my language!

Interesting on-topic fact: one of my daughters shared my teenage aversion to certain words. She kept a notebook, in which she listed a collection of words that grossed her out. Gross. That’s another word I avoid like COVID-19.

Poor Tyler Gross…a nice boy with a sophomore year crush on me. He didn’t stand a chance. 

(FYI: ALL liquid-y words fall into the “most avoided” category. Dripping, soggy, juicy, damp. Blech.)

 

On the bright side, in adulthood my persistent word-sensitivity has produced some benefits. 

 

There are words and terms that make my romance writer’s soul sing. I probably should have led with this, huh? And where better to start than with coming undone? I can’t get enough of a character coming undone in response to the words or deeds of their beloved. Zippers and buttons and tiny little hooks coming undone ain’t so bad, either.

 

I’m majorly into unbridled* emotions in romance. I’ll take unrestrained, too, in a pinch. These words let me know the character is passionate. Maybe even wildly so. 

 

I’m partial to taut things. Muscles, cheeks (facial and …um, not facial). And other stuff. Hehehe.

 

In comparative descriptive terms, I’m cool with “like a gladiator.” I’ve watched Spartacus; I know what gladiators look like beneath their armor. 

 

I’m equally cool with “like a highlander.”

Outlander TV series. Jamie Fraser. Kilt. YUM. Enough said.

 

The word collide thrills me. So many things can collide in romance novels. Gazes, hearts, lips (hopefully not teeth), sometimes fists… and even lives. That last part was profound.

 

Other verbs that stir me: plunder and tumble. No explanation required. 

But quiver—nope, not so much.

 

Two-word terms that cause spine shivers: “fix you” (many would disagree, reminding me that you shouldn’t want to change the one you love, but it still makes the list) and “tortured hero.” Mmmmm. Variations on “perfect imperfections”is good, too. Thank you, John Legend.

 

And I can’t leave out broken. I write dark romance—almost all of my main characters are broken in one way or another.Damaged is an essential tool of the trade as well.

 

I’m not much into the wink, as far as gesture-words go. So short and clipped and precise. 

But a shrug…bring it on. A shrug is just so complicated—the word, in itself, sounds cryptic, and it indicates that a character can’t commit his unbridled* (see above) passion to the verbal realm. And that’s just plain hot.

 

First, only, forever, and mine. Yes, please…

And even better: You. Are. Mine.  Did you hear me sigh?

 

As an avid romance reader, maybe you endure the highs and lows of word-sensitivity. (Shrug.) Maybe not. Let me know in the comments section. I’m all ears. (Not literally.)

 

 

My post is like an opposite mullet haircut. Party up front and business on the back end. Okay, now for the business part of my post.

 

I have a new release on March 3^rd. Dead Sea is YA Coming of Age Gay Romance. It will make you think and wonder if only… and remember in that way YA books are known to do. It’s fiction in the truest sense—two characters meet their adult selves under some difficult circumstances. But it is also romance, which I wish Amazon.com would understand. I think I need to look at the categories again... LOL

 

 

 

Here’s the link and the blurb:Dead Sea

Standalone Coming of Age Stories

Kyle is a swaggering bully; Lenny strives to be invisible. 
Kyle has been left alone in the world; Lenny is the world’s biggest loner. 
When Kyle saves Lenny from drowning, their lives will never be the same.

After a brutal encounter with school bullies, Lenny swims out into the ocean, determined to let the current whisk him away. Next thing he knows the meanest kid in town is pulling him from the waves, promising to be his Dead Sea, and to never let him sink.

All Kyle wants is to get out of beach cleanup, is that too much to ask? So he goes for a swim, only to come upon the most epic “nobody” in the senior class drowning in a riptide. Lenny’s haunted gaze grips him, and Kyle makes the impulsive decision to save his life or die trying. And through this ordeal, Kyle and Lenny are transformed.

Kyle’s heroic act sets him on the straight and narrow, and he opens his heart to the young man he dragged from the ocean. Lenny changes too but is still unable to reveal the truth of his pain. While drowning in a sea of secrets, the reformed bully and wary victim fall in love. But staying afloat in the Dead Sea is not as simple as it seems.


Trigger Warning: Unsuccessful attempt to die by suicide of main character and further discussion of death by suicide

 

And it is on KU or is only $2.99

 

I’ve loved being GRRC’s featured author. I hope you downloaded The Red Sheet, which is another great example of YA Coming of Age Romance that gives you characters to root for while offering you food for thought. 

<3 Mia

 

 

Winter Duet Release by Anne Barwell

 

Winter Duet, book 2 of my WWII Echoes Rising series is now available for on Amazon and in KU for the first time.

 

·         WWII

·         Action/Drama

·         Spies

·         Diverse Characters

·         Found Family

·         #mmromance

 

Who do you trust when no one is who they seem?

 

Germany 1944

 

Fleeing German physicist Dr Kristopher Lehrer and his lover, Resistance fighter Michel, are caught up in an Allied bombing campaign.  Separated from Michel after discovering an injured RAF pilot in the Black Forest, and pursued by the SS for the information he carries, Kristopher is frantic to reunite, unaware that Michel has been recruited by the Allies for a rescue mission.

 

Time is running out. The Gestapo is closing in. How can they decide who to trust, when the dagger pointed at Kristopher’s back could be wielded by a friend? 

 

Author’s note: This is the third edition of Winter Duet. The first and second editions were released by another publishing house.  This story has been re-edited, and uses UK spelling to reflect its setting.

Buy Link