A Perfect Love!

So y'all I'm super excited to announce the first of my new features that I will be unveiling here at The Guy's Side. This one is called A Perfect Love! Now for those of you who are wondering what on Earth this could be about, well I'll tell ya. Its about all those books who's couples aren't the "norm" and by that I mean any definition of the word queer, interracial, a large age difference, really anything that isn't the norm like I said. Here you'll find those books and those authors who write these books and couples.

So without further ado my very first showcased author and series (that's right, you're getting both this time!) is...Annabeth Albert and her Portland Heat Series! Keep on reading for an interview with Annabeth and a giveaway for one of her Portland Heat novels!*M/M romance novels mature content*

Portland Heat is a series of short novels that take almost no time to read but for as short as they are, they manage to pack a punch! Each one of the currently released novels was just as good as the next and had me wanting more. What made this series be my debut option for this segment? Well its a M/M romance series and the couples more than fit this feature. I don't know which couple is my favorite.

 
The Book: Served Hot (Portland Heat #1)
The Couple: Robby & David
Why: What makes these two have that factor; well Robby is half-Asian and you guessed it these two are gay. That isn't what makes their relationship perfect though. What I believe made this work so well is that these two have been attracted to each other and Robby is one of the most patient men, I've ever read about when it comes to waiting for David. They have a love that despite the ghosts of David's past; it ultimately brings them closer.

The Book: Baked Fresh (Portland Heat #2)

The Couple: Vic and Robin
Why: Alright I love these two and what they brought to the table, so to speak. With a 10 year age difference between these boys and the rocky past each man has on his shoulders, it's hard to see a relationship actually blooming. What is beautiful about this relationship is that it was originally intended to not end up as a full blown relationship. When it did I was happy because they are a balancing act for each other, Vic as a rock that Robin needs and Robin as the confidence that Vic is need of with all of his changes over the last few years. They comfort each other and are there through the good times and the hard times and that's what love is about, being there for your partner when you need to be and sticking it out because in the end love is worth it.

                                                   

The Book: Delivered Fast (Portland Heat #3)
The Couple: Lance and Chris
Why: Age difference is a huge thing here, with Lance at 22 and Chris clocks in at 35, and Chris isn't fond of the idea. He's also a gruff kind of man but he does mean well. This starts out as a relationship as a friends with benefits kind of deal, with nothing more supposed to happen but love has a mind of its own. As the novel progresses all Chris wants is for Lance to be happy and he doesn't think its possible for Lance to be happy with him because of their ages. Eventually he begins to see that age is just a number and love is what really matters in this case. Same with Lance he wanted to change his plans for love but realizes that he shouldn't have to because they have one of the strongest loves around.

Interview: 

1) Who was the hardest character to write about? 
In the Portland Heat series, each was difficult in their own way. Robin's painful backstory was challenging to my emotions for sure, but the black moment between Chris and Lance was also a scene that gutted me. 

2) Why did you choose to write M/M romance?
I didn't really set out to write M/M as a conscious decision. I had been reading a lot of m/m and then I got the idea for a book I HAD to write and it happened to star two guys. That book became TREBLE MAKER and from there my muse kept bringing me more and more LGBT stories. I think that I truly believe that love is love and that you have to write the book of your heart no matter who or what the subject matter. When you write what you love, it shows. And when you open your heart, you learn truths about yourself you never thought possible. 

3) What do you do about negative receptions about your books and decision to write them? 
I ignore them. I'm writing for the readers who love the books and for myself--I'm writing the books of my heart, the books my soul demands I write. I can't let the negative energy in. 

4) Favorite book and what are you currently reading? 
I just finished Leta Blake's TRAINING COMPLEX--it's the perfect follow-up to TRAINING SEASON. I have way too many favorites to list them all! But Marie Sexton's PROMISES was my first m/m book and the one I re-read the most. 

5) Can you tell us a little about what you're currently working on? 
I just finished Brady's book, KNIT TIGHT, about a barista and a male knitter who triumph over difficult family situations to find lasting happiness. Right now, I'm writing Perfect Harmony book 3 about a Country Singer and a male gogo dancer and it's so much fun. 

6) Where did you find the inspiration to write the Portland Heat books? 
Robby and David came to after I saw a prompt on the GRNW conference thread in 2013 asking for shorts involving common Northwest themes. The story then grew from a tiny short to a whole series involving everything I love about my region. 

7) Which of the couples so far is your favorite? I have to say I can't choose.  
 Whichever couple I'm currently writing is always the favorite. With Portland Heat, I love different characters for different reasons. Vic's struggle with his weight is near to my heart, while Chris and his cranky demeanor and heart of gold were incredibly fun to write, and Robby and David came along at a point when I really needed them in my life. I just finished Brady's book, and he too rapidly became a favorite. 

8) Has social media helped with the promotion of your books?  
I love connecting with my readers. It totally makes my day when someone reaches out and says they enjoyed the books! 

Giveaway: Annabeth was also amazing enough to do a giveaway for one of her Portland Heat novels!

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Sword Blitz Time! - Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

So I am participating in the Xpresso Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours! Check out below for information about Amy Bai, her book Sword, an excerpt, interview and 2 giveaways! That's right 2!

Book & Author Details:

Sword by Amy Bai
Publication date: February 10th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Sword shall guide the hands of men . . .
For over a thousand years the kingdom of Lardan has been at peace: isolated from the world, safe from the wars of its neighbors, slowly forgetting the wild and deadly magic of its origins. Now the deepest truths of the past and the darkest predictions for the future survive only in the verses of nursery rhymes.
For over a thousand years, some of Lardan’s fractious provinces have been biding their time.
Kyali Corwynall is the daughter of the Lord General, a child of one of the royal Houses, and the court’s only sword-wielding girl. She has known for all of her sixteen years what the future holds for her–politics and duty, the management of a House, and protecting her best friend, the princess and presumed heir to the throne. But one day an old nursery rhyme begins to come true, an ancient magic wakes, and the future changes for everyone. In the space of a single night her entire life unravels into violence and chaos. Now Kyali must find a way to master the magic her people have left behind, or watch her world–and her closest friends–fall to a war older than the kingdom itself.

Excerpt: 

The next branch took her unawares and caught her full in the face. It stung, and she stopped. A hand to her nose came back bloodied. The realization that she was being a fool came to her somehow out of the sight of her own blood. Here she was, running from nothing, in the middle of—

Oh, damn.

In her preoccupation, she had been a very great fool indeed.

The trees parted just in front of her. Two men were gaping at her from where they sat on the ground near a smothered firepit.

Outlaws. And she was completely alone here.

For a brief instant, not even a whisper of wind marred the perfect silence, and then one man gave a wild shout, leaping to his feet. The other lunged at her from where he knelt, a flash of metal in his hands. She felt the shock of whatever it was as it grated off her vest.

Her sword came free of its sheath and cut his feet out from under him. His scream was terrible. The rest seemed to happen as if at some distance—the arc of blood following the sweep of steel, the bewildered agony on the man’s face as she drove her sword through him. It was far too easy.

Her own ragged panting brought her back to herself.

Kyali backed up a step and then another, and moaned in what she first thought was horror and then realized was pain. At her side, her blood leaked out. A great deal of it was already soaking the leather armor.

A very great deal of it.

Not so easy after all, it seemed.

The second man held an old dagger. The pain, when she let fall her sword and tried to release the side buckle of her vest, loosened her knees. She dropped to the ground. The locket around her neck leapt up and swung. She stared fixedly at the Corwynall dragon engraved on it as she worked at the armor’s catches, hissing through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain, which was rising rapidly past endurance.

The buckle came undone. Her fingers found the wound at once, and she drew in a ragged gasp and shrieked at the feel of her hand against it. Unable to do anything else, Kyali pressed both hands against the outpouring of blood, rolling onto her back.

The peaceful trees grew shadowed, then faded altogether into a strangely gold-flecked dark.

Interview: 

1) What is your novel about?

Sword is a coming of age high fantasy about a girl pretty much at odds with everything, including and especially herself. It's set in a fictional kingdom called Lardan, one with a long history of magic and war, and a population so complacent they've forgotten that either one ever applied to them. They learn differently when history begins to repeat itself: there's an uprising, the kingdom is thrown into civil war, and the royal family, of which my main character Kyali is a satellite member, is murdered. Kyali, her brother, and the princess are forced into exile with a small army of refugees. Kyali was badly hurt during the uprising, and comes out of that a changed person; unfortunately for her she's now the only person with the training to command what is left of the army, and her friends need her. 

Sword is her story, how she learns to deal with what happened to her without shutting out the people she loves, and with the responsibilities she has to shoulder now that the older generation is dead and the kingdom is overrun. It's about loyalty and love, fate and family and politics. It's also violent, occasionally sarcastic, and unabashedly sappy. 

2) What inspired you to write the story?

I had a very sullen young woman with a battered old sword and no patience kicking my frontal lobe. As motivators go, it was a pretty good one.

--Ok, so that's a little dramatic, but really not too far from the truth (except the part about the frontal lobe, of course). Kyali Corwynall started out as a patchwork of some of my favorite characters from books like Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown, and Patricia McKillip's Cygnet, going all the way back to Barbara Helen Berger's Gwinna, which I read when I was seven. My brain is like cosmic flypaper: the stuff I like (or hate) sticks, accumulates, eventually acquires a gravitational field, and before I know it light's bending around it and I'm up at 3 am mainlining coffee and my keyboard's broken. Sword was like that. One day I had scattered pieces, and the next I had a character with layers, flaws, goals, scars, and a complicated history. Stories always start that way for me, no matter how cool my premise may be (or how cool I may think it is, anyway) --my characters inspire and drive it, start to finish.

3) Since your novel is medieval-influenced, can you tell us a bit about your researching journey?

Wow. How I'd love to give you a list of planned, organized steps I took. It would make me feel so much smarter!

But no. I stumbled into the research for Sword much like I did the story itself. I think my research began the moment I realized I had no idea how heavy a sword really was, or how hard it might be to wear armor and, you know, walk at the same time. I remember thinking writing fantasy would be easy (yes, feel free to laugh at me). It didn't take long before I realized it was very, very obvious when I didn't know what I was talking about. So I went from looking up Irish baby names online to running to the library after work to find the Focloir Scoile or The Book of the Sword. I eventually learned to restrain myself, because research can be a wonderful excuse for not writing when you're stuck-- but overall, it was great fun.

4) What's your best revision tip?

Remember basic dramatic structure when you're reading your draft(s). It definitely doesn't always apply, and definitely shouldn't always apply, but I've found it can be a great lens: I can look at the whole story, each subplot and character arc, each chapter, and each scene with that structure in mind, and I'll always find something to tweak. Or mangle. Or outright kill.

...Revision is a slightly violent process for me. 

 

Goodreads: Sword

Where to Purchase:

Amazon: Amazon

B&N: B&N

AUTHOR BIO:

Amy Bai has been, by order of neither chronology nor preference, a barista, a numbers-cruncher, a paper-pusher, and a farmhand. She likes thunderstorms, the enthusiasm of dogs, tall boots and long jackets, cinnamon basil, margaritas, and being surprised by the weirdness of her fellow humans. She lives in New England with her guitar-playing Russian husband and two very goofy sheepdogs.

Author links:

http://www.amy-bai.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Amy.Bai

https://twitter.com/Inkjade

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9841180.Amy_Bai

GIVEAWAY TIME:
Both giveaways are international so everyone feel free to enter! 

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Angel Killer - Release Date Blitz and a Giveaway!

We are super excited to celebrate the release of Lisa Voisin's THE ANGEL KILLER, the second book in The Watcher Saga, with an awesome excerpt from the book and a giveaway!

And if you haven't yet heard about this exciting series, there's also some information on the first book, THE WATCHER, along with its book trailer, a bit further down in this post.

First up, here's some information about THE ANGEL KILLER.

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THE ANGEL KILLER

Title & Series: THE ANGEL KILLER (The Watcher Saga #2)
Author: Lisa Voisin
Release date: January 5, 2015
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Pages: 286
Formats: Paperback

Description

Now that she’s found him again, all Mia Crawford wants is some downtime with her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael. But the call of duty keeps him away—from school and from her—with more demons to smite than ever.

When Michael is mortally wounded by a cursed sword, Mia must perform an ancient blood ritual to save him. But the spell exacts a price. Haunted by visions of war, torture, and despair, Mia discovers the world is in more danger than she ever imagined. Behind the scenes, an evil adversary pulls all the strings.

After redemption, there’s Hell to pay.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | AMAZON CA | GOODREADS

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About Lisa Voisin

A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.

Lisa is also a technical writer, a meditation teacher, and the leader of the Young Writer’s Club, a local writing group for teens in her home town. A self-proclaimed coffee lover, she can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!

Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.

WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | MAILING LIST

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The Excerpt

I found Michael waiting on the stone path outside his basement suite. He greeted me with a brush of his lips, lacing his fingers through mine, and led me into a large back yard, bordered by evergreens. The center of the soft, moist grass featured a rocky pond, complete with a trickling stone fountain and two Adirondack chairs. Though the yard was well kept, leaves from a giant maple lay strewn about like reddish-brown confetti, glistening with raindrops in the late afternoon sun.

Michael tugged off his old, gray hoodie and slung it over one of the chairs. Underneath was the white tank top he normally wore flying. Goose bumps raced along the length of his bare arms. Turning to face me, he shook out his shoulders, the muscles rolling as he gave them a shrug.

“Ready?” he asked.

“For?”

“Combat training.” He stretched an arm across his chest and cracked his neck as though he were warming up. Was he expecting a workout?

“Combat training? Don’t you think that sounds a bit intense?” I swallowed. My voice sounded tight and high. “Violent, even?”

“What did you expect? Origami?” Stretching his other arm now, he cocked an eyebrow at me. “You wanted me to teach you, right?”

“No—yes.” I cleared my throat. “I mean no, I didn’t expect origami and yes, I want to learn.”

“Good.” He smiled. Was he enjoying my awkwardness? I tuned into his energy, attempting to get a feeling off him, but hit a wall. Was he blocking me? His expression became neutral too.

Above our heads, flyers hovered at the edges of the sigils that surrounded the yard, circling a constant threat, like giant vultures. I motioned to the sky. “Can’t they see us?”

“Not really. They can’t see or hear anything inside the protected space.” Changing the subject, he turned to me and winked. “Ready for your origami lesson? I thought we’d start with escapes.”

I folded my arms across my chest. The idea of fighting Michael felt like a joke—a David and Goliath joke. “Escapes?”

“Yeah. We’re gonna start with the basics. Teach you how to get out of that stranglehold the soldier demon had you in yesterday.” His feet shoulder-width apart, he motioned for me to come closer. “But we can’t do it if you’re all the way over there.”

I took a hesitant step toward him. Though I’d asked for this, the reality of it sounded painful. “Combat training,” I muttered disdainfully.

“I won’t hurt you.”

“I know,” I said, but I wasn’t so sure.

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The Giveaway

The release day blast includes an awesome giveaway to ONE WINNER for a print copy of THE WATCHER (US/CA/UK) OR THE ANGEL KILLER (US/CA/UK) AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below...

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About The Watcher

Series: The Watcher Saga #1
Release date: March 4, 2013
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Pages: 556
Formats: Paperback, eBook

DESCRIPTION

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.

Can he face her without falling again?
Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.
When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.
In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both? Ancient history is only the beginning.

AMAZON | AMAZON CA | INDIEBOUND | KOBO | CHAPTERS/INDIGO | GOODREADS

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The Trailer