Well, I hope you all had a safe holiday--I have to admit, I've been somewhat of a crabby pants about all of the personal fireworks in our area. *shakes old woman fist at the sky* YOU DAMNED KIDS ARE SCARING MY DOGS! I also have to apologize for missing June's Kermit Flail--in full confession, here, I seriously was cruising by on COVID time--I just spaced that there's a thing I do at the beginning of the month!
I mean, let's face it--this year has been WEIRD--and scary, and we all need some fluffy escapism, particularly those of us who are staying close to home! I mean, we're going to the beach--but it's the empty one up north, where mostly we just want to walk our dogs and sit at the harbor looking out at the sunset--and reading. Reading really is the one thing that can take us away from all of this.
And if you're looking for escapist reads--boy, this Kermit Flail lineup has SOME OF THE BEST!
Let's see what's coming out!
The first book on my roster is an anthology from some amazing authors--it was submitted to me by R.L. Merrill who's AWESOME--but it also features Riley Hart and Xio Axelrod and generally, it's not to be missed. All proceeds go to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute--and that's a lovely cause too.
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Seven bestselling and award-winning authors bring you brand new stories celebrating love is love! All proceeds from the sale of the anthology will be donated to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which protects and defends the rights of Black Transgender people.
Featuring:
Custard and Kisses by Sophia Soames
Falling Faster by Susan Scott Shelley
Pole Kisses by Wendy Gold
Hands Off by Connor Peterson
I Want, More by R.L. Merrill
The Start of Something New by Megan Hart
To Build a Home by Xio Axelrod
Buy Here
This next book is by the bright and sparkly Tara Lain, bless her--she's the queen of happy escapism and HEA, and this book looks adorable! Small dog books are something of a favorite of mine--go figure!
by Tara Lain
Opposites attracting, billionaires getting kidnapped, a Papillon who’s smarter than you are, and near-death at a dog show….
Jericho Jones is giving up on social life. What social life? Six-foot-five and packed with muscles he barely earned, Jericho looks like an alpha top, when he’s actually a gentle bottom who teaches first grade and lives with his hypochondriac mother. When Jericho’s friends, Finn and Em, suggest he accompany Finn to a dog show as the handler for their Papillon, Batshit, he decides, while he might be the world’s least likely Papillon prancer, he’d be grateful for a new experience and a few days away from Mama.
Jericho’s prepared to take dog handling seriously, but he’s not prepared for the pure lust he feels for wealthy dog owner, Brees Apollonia, a guy totally out of Jericho’s league. But Brees’s family issues make Jericho’s look tame – his father wants to marry him to the daughter of a prospective business partner. When Brees starts being followed by unknown guys, he thinks his father’s trying to scare him and uses it as an excuse to be “protected” by big, hunky Jericho. But pretend gets way out of control, and suddenly the only thing between Brees and possible death is a smart dog with big ears, three intrepid women, and gentle wimp, Jericho Jones.
And we really are in luck--besides the fluffy and adorable Tara Lain, we have the happy and sparkly E.J. Russell! (As her tag line proclaims, "Reality optional!") This looks like the Tempest, but so very very happy and gay--escapism doesn't get any better than E.J. Russell!
By E.J. Russell
Royal dukes from rival countries, shipwrecked on a deserted island. The grudge match of the century—or a love story of super-heroic proportions?
Sander Fiala, Duke of Roses, is fourth in line to the South Abarran throne, even though his rogue power earned him the nickname “The Monster of Roses” and got him banished from the Castle. But right before he’s about to set off on his annual birthday sailing trip, the Queen asks him to meet with the notoriously volatile North Abarran Duke of Arles.
Tarik Jaso, Duke of Arles, expects the worst from people because—let’s face it—people are the worst. His superpower bombards him with any and all electronic transmissions, which…yeah, people suck. So when he’s attacked and wakes up in the cabin of a stranded boat, he knows he’s royally screwed. Because the man looming over him—the man he’d gone toe-to-toe with right before the attack—is the infamous Monster of Roses.
Tarik is positive the Monster is behind his kidnapping. Sander is sure the whole thing is Tarik’s fault. As they work toward rescue, Tarik realizes that the disturbingly hot Sander is no monster, and Sander discovers that Tarik’s temper masks a caring soul wrapped in a cantankerous (though undeniably sexy) body.
For their burgeoning connection to endure, they’ll have to duke it out with political factions, dark conspiracies, and centuries of traditions that keep them on opposite sides of the border.
But first? They have to get off this damn island.
Duking It Out is a 46,000-word M/M enemies to lovers, opposites attract, superhero rom-com, featuring Only One Bed, a grumpy duke who should know better than to jump to conclusions, a self-doubting duke who’s good with his hands (heh), gossipy seagulls, competent assistants, a guaranteed HEA, and (unfortunately) capes.
Amazon/KU
And while you're escaping, how about a free escape? Next up we have a celebrity chef--this is a re-titled, re-covered book from L.E. Franks--but it's free on Kindle Unlimited right now, and very much worth the taste!
by LE Franks
After one teensy mistake, instead of searing the perfect steak or seasoning a mouth-watering sauce, Christian is on a plane out of town. The lure of redemption has Chris fleeing to the Pacific Northwest with the promise of a possible career-saving job. But if the decrepit Portland restaurant he’s been hired to redeem fails, then so will he. Being ridiculed as the washed-up boy toy of a celebrity chef would be a fate worse than death.
Andy doesn’t have good taste. In fact, he doesn’t taste anything at all. While making an arrest, Andy manages to collar the most mouthwatering of men. He’s irresistibly drawn to the appetizing chef. But Christian finds Andy’s liberal use of ketchup hard to swallow, and until Andy can clear him of any lingering suspicion, Christian will remain forbidden fruit.
Christian feels as if he’s jumped from the frying pan into the fire. His tasty morsel of a cop isn’t falling for his cooking charms, and the well-below 5-star establishment he’s trying to save is more mess than Michelin. Will the sour taste of Andy’s rejection be what finally destroys Christian’s hope for a new life?
Please note: This edition features a new cover with no additional content, so no need to purchase if you’ve already read Christian and Andy’s story! If this is your first time meeting them you’ll find Tasty AF is a slow burn, opposites attract romance, that features a disgraced gourmet chef and the impatient cop who hungers for him. Previous edition Can This Be Real was published by another publisher in 2014.
Handsome shy alpha males? Yes please--I'll jump right on that ship and sail away. SQUEEEEE!!! (Handsome and shy is my candy!)
by Sue Brown
What kind of courage does it take to travel two thousand miles just to say hello to a man who doesn’t know you exist? At thirty years old and never been kissed, Walker is about to find out.
After a rocky start to his life in the agency, newly trained operative Walker takes the biggest chance of his life before his first mission. He returns to J.T.’s Bar to bare his virgin soul to a handsome former operative he’s only seen once.
Since Mark left the agency, he’s spent years nursing an unrequited crush on a former co-worker. He’s left with the realization he’s facing middle-age alone. Except here’s this shy, huge man from the agency waiting to talk to him in J.T.’s Bar.
The last thing they need to hear is someone is killing Mark’s former team. Against his wishes, the agency insists Mark goes into hiding and Walker is assigned the task of getting him to a safe house. Can a rookie operative like Walker protect Mark long enough to get him to safety—and eventually into his arms?
If you like action and adventure gay romance with shy hot guys and loving that can heal all broken hearts, you’ll love Alpha Protect.
And while we're escaping into books, how about a trip to Pooch Planet! I mean... pooch planet!!! CHIWEENIE SHIFTERS!! How much more delicious can out of town get?
by M.M. Wilde
What’s a pooch to do when he falls in love with a gargoyle?
On Pooch Planet, Chiweenie shifter Benji has been tasked with helping to guard Small Breed Village. A murderous beast has invaded the local forest, and for the first time in the dog shifter realm, they’re in fear for their lives from a mysterious killer. Benji is feisty and tough, but he’s also on the verge of his first heat. Talk about bad timing!
Gargoyle Antoine heads the military police division of the G-Force Federation. He’s been tracking a vicious alien from Hades Galaxy that’s been terrorizing several worlds under the protection of the Federation. If the fearsome predator eats its way through the inhabitants of Pooch Planet before Antoine can save them, he will have failed as both a guardian and gargoyle.
When Antoine lands on the remote world, he meets an adorable little shifter who captivates him. Even though he’s been promised a gargoyle mate he’s never met back on Old Earth, something about Benji calls to Antoine’s stone heart. Antoine finds himself in quite the predicament—one he never could’ve anticipated when he accepted his mission.
But the evil that has invaded Pooch Planet might make the decision for him if he can’t rescue his sweet Chiweenie…
Author’s Note: Pooch Planet is Book Four in the multi-author G-Force Federation mpreg, sci-fi series. Each book in the series can be read in any order. Join the G-Force Federation gargoyle warriors as they embark on their mission to protect and serve the Federation and possibly find their fated mates. If you like adorable shifters, hunky gargoyles and sci-fi action with lots of fluffy feels, then take a trip to Pooch Planet!
And if we're talking about summer escapes, who does them better than our talented Irish Lass, Kate McMurray, who is giving us a taste of the Olympics we DIDN'T get during the summer in her new book, Stick the Landing.
by Kate McMurray
Jake Mirakovitch might be the best gymnast in the world, but there’s one big problem: he chokes in international competition. The least successful of a family of world-class gymnasts, he has struggled to shake off nerves in the past. This time he’s determined to bring home the gold no matter what.
Retired figure skater Topher Caldwell wants a job as a commentator for the American network that covers the Olympics, and at the Summer Olympics in Madrid, he has a chance to prove himself with a few live features. He can’t afford to stumble.
Olympic victories eluded Topher, so he knows about tripping when it really counts. When he interviews Jake, the two bond over the weight of all that pressure. The flamboyant reporter attracts the kind of attention Jake—stuck in a glass closet—doesn’t want, but Jake can’t stay away. Topher doesn’t want to jeopardize his potential new job, and fooling around with a high-profile athlete seems like a surefire way to do just that. Yet Topher can’t stay away either…
Buy Here
This next one wasn't a submission (as most of my Flails are!) but a plea from Barbie Pomales, who works so very hard for me jand I adore her. She said, "PLEASE Flail this--it's amazing!" And, well, I'll do anything for Barbie--so this one's Barbie's Rec--and she's so passionate about it, I might make Barbie's Rec a Flail thing!
by Arden O'Keefe
“Coffee” is what he orders and Ed goes out of his way to make him feel special. But the redheaded nerd—okay, a cute nerd, probably cutest he’s seen in his life—just leaves with his books, leaving even the muffin-on-the-house completely untouched. The mystery surrounding this guy gets the best of Ed and when he finds a book left behind by this customer, he can’t help follow the trail to see him just one more time. Even if it is to get a name.
Dean Harrett has somehow misplaced the one thing that was supposed to help him out of his current problems—and that thing is not a cheesy, romance novel. What matters to him the most is what he’s kept in the book—the perfect plan that can make or break his future. And that book has gone now. Only if he can remember where he’s last seen that book…
Of course! The café, where that annoying barista just wouldn’t leave him alone so he had to leave.
But now Dean has to get back there and look for himself before anyone can lay their hands on it. He doesn’t even want to think about the worst-case scenario of someone finding out what he is up to. But this only means he will have to face the annoying, but handsome barista again. Ugh!
And Amy's New Release...
Okay-- I admit it. I miss paranormal. This book is the first of a new urban fantasy series--light and sweet with a cup of magic, a pinch of sexy sweetness, and just a soupçon of darkness for spice-- The Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club is about what happens when a spell for your hearts desire goes terribly terribly wrong...
Welcome to the first book--
by Amy Lane
When a coven of hedge witches casts a spell for their hearts’ desires, the world turns upside down.
Bartholomew Baker is afraid to hope for his heart’s true desire—the gregarious woodworker who sells his wares next to Bartholomew at the local craft fairs—so he writes the spell for his baking business to thrive and allow him to quit his office job. He’d rather pour his energy into emotionally gratifying pastry! But the magic won’t allow him to lie, even to himself, and the spellcasting has unexpected consequences.
For two years Lachlan has been flirting with Bartholomew, but the shy baker with the beautiful gray eyes runs away whenever their conversation turns personal. He’s about to give up hope… and then Bartholomew rushes into a convention in the midst of a spellcasting disaster of epic proportions.
Suddenly everybody wants a taste of Bartholomew’s baked goods—and Bartholomew himself. Lachlan gladly jumps on for the ride, enduring rioting crowds and supernatural birds for a chance with Bartholomew. Can Bartholomew overcome the shyness that has kept him from giving his heart to Lachlan?
So there you go--I know most of us are stuck close to home--or stuck close to a summer rental--for this year, but I hope you enjoy these options to escape into fantasy, even if it's just for the span of a book.
Kermit Flail-- YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!
2 comments:
Thank you for having me!! And for adding monumentally to my TBR pile. Hugs.
Thank you sooooo much for the fantastic Flail! Hugs!
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