Rhys Everly's Blog, page 3

Vino & Veritas: The last 5 entries are OUT now

,Stronghold

A second chance at love? Or a second chance to ruin everything?

When Skyler spots the new bartender at Vino and Veritas, his body responds before the guy even turns around. But when he does, it takes only a heartbeat for recognition to set in and for sparks to fly. Judson’s been gone for ten years, but he’s the man Skyler never forgot. Or forgave.

The last place Judson wants to be is back home in Burlington, living with family. Not so long ago he was a world-class chef with the lifestyle to prove it. Now he’s serving drinks and flying under the radar until he can get the hell out again. But when his childhood best friend reenters his life, looking finer than any entree at a five-star restaurant, he wonders if it’s time to update his menu of life choices.

Working through past wounds with Skyler won’t be easy, though, especially with family obligations--and the occasional dairy cow--interfering. When their loyalty is tested, will their newly built stronghold be sturdy enough to withstand the storm?

Stronghold is a sweet and sexy Vino & Veritas romance with some creative use of maple syrup.

,Limelight

Save the bees, ride a rock star.

Formerly famous . . . and planning to keep it that way.

After my band kicked me out, I ran away to Vermont, changed my name, and kept my head down. So far, it’s working and nobody knows who I am. Or who I was. Until I see geeky poet Caleb stumbling through his first open mic night and I can’t help rescuing him. He’s as sweet as the honey my bees make and sexy enough to make me rethink so many things. But

I can’t tell him my secret, or I’ll lose the anonymous life I worked so hard to build.

Everyone warns me he’s too good to be true.

I can’t believe a gorgeous, successful winemaker like Tag is into shy, geeky little accountant me. But he helps me blossom and believe in my talent, and works his way into my heart and my bed… not necessarily in that order. I’m falling for a man for the first time, and now I know what the missing number in my equation has always been.

When lies are revealed, though, someone’s going to get stung . . .

,Unforgettable

One night with Reeve Hale wasn’t enough. I knew it when I kissed him, I knew it when I slept with him, and I was certain of it when I walked out of his motel room the very next day.

So when the shy, gorgeous man is introduced as our newest employee at Vino and Veritas, I can’t help but conjure up all the ridiculous ways to convince him to repeat that unforgettable night. Like asking him to be my fake boyfriend at my sister’s upcoming wedding.

Only, I didn’t expect him to say yes.

Playing pretend shouldn’t feel this real. Especially when Reeve is planning on leaving Vermont after the summer.

We agreed to one night. We negotiated a fake relationship. But I’m the one who broke our terms. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love and he was never supposed to be so unforgettable.

,Showstopper

I swore I wouldn’t do this again. Mix sports, school, and sex. But right now the only thing standing between me and the NHL is six feet of frenemy packed into a pair of formfitting jeans that have me thinking all kinds of things I shouldn’t. Mostly how to get him out of them.

I don’t just want Kolby. I need him. Because I’ve got to pass this theater class--yeah, I said theater--if I’m going to keep my spot on the team. When tutoring sessions turn into dates-not-dates over Shipley Cider at Vino and Veritas, I realize it’s going to be harder than I thought to keep my hands on my stick and off of Kolby. Worse, I think I might be falling for him. But I’m not ready for that. I want to keep this thing between us on the down low for now.

But Kolby hates secrets. Especially his own . . .

,Undone

My new roommate has the worst taste in men.

I mean, Murph’s special. He’s funny and flamboyant and full of life.

While I’m straight, even I can tell these guys aren’t good enough for him.

I had to yell at one date, toss another one out the door, and throw a beer in another’s face.

Kind of embarrassing, really. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.

I ask my sister what’s wrong with me and she says I’m jealous.

Jealous? Please. Me?

Come on.

Only thing is, I hate the thought of Murph kissing any guy. Ever.

Except, maybe ... me?

Undone is a contemporary m/m romance about a dreamy insurance agent that might not be as straight as he thinks, an adorable bartender who adds sparkle wherever he goes, and maybe one or two jokes about swords.

Love to Binge? Here are 5 things to watch on Disney+

I'm a serial binger. I love love love binge watching and since reading is usually my pre-bed activity, I love watching TV while on my lunch break or in the evening after I switch off for the day.

Disney+ has recently become my go-to channel as I love all things Disney and Marvel and I've been enjoying some of their shows. A lot.

So here's 5 shows/movies to binge on Disney+

Luca

It's the sweetest animated film I've seen in a long time, and while I know the two main characters in this film are meant to be BFFs there are so many LGBT undertones to their relationship and that of those around them, that it's a must-watch. I laughed, I cried, I cooed. I loved every single moment.

Wandavision

Talking about crying, this is one show to watch even if you don't care for superheroes. This show literally broke me. I'm still collecting all my pieces off the floor. But it's so so so worth it.

Monsters At Work

If you've read Beau Pair, you know I love Monsters Inc. It's literally one of my absolute favorite movies in the whole-wide world. Well, not only you can watch Monsters Inc. on there, but you can also watch their new animated show which is so much fun. And the animation is on the same level as the movies so it's a joy to watch. I laughed a lot and the child in me was super happy. Especially after such a heart-wrecker like Wandavision.

Mary Poppins Returns

I love Emily Blunt and I love Mary Poppins and I recently sat down and rewatched this movie. It's so exquisite. It's so cute and an instant classic. You must watch this.

Love, Victor

Okay, I still haven't watched the movie Love, Simon, but I watched the first season of Love, Victor and it's OMGOHMYGOSHOOOOMY good. I loved it. And everything about it. And season 2 is now available and I can't wait to tuck in.

And there's so many more goodies I haven't managed to get to yet.

If you're jealous and want some of that, you can 6 months free Disney+ when you sign up to Amazon Music using the link below.

And yes, it's an affiliate link so I get a cut of that, but it's 6 Months FREE. 6 Months. I would so jump at that if I could. But you can.

Date with a Book - Rogue Affair

Right, it's been a little while since our last date with a book.

Life got in the way, but now it's time for another deep-dive into another one of my books.

This month I've chosen Rogue Affair, and the making of a bully redemption romance.

If you've read the book, you must know that the story was inspired by the Netflix show, Sex Education.

In it, there's a high school bully who comes to realize SPOILER! (or not, . It's quite obvious from the start) that his bully behavior is due to his own issues of acceptance.

Now I know bullies have a bad rep, and I have had my fair share of bullies in the past, so I knew writing about such a guy wasn't exactly going to be easy.

In fact it was a hard choice to make.

I know bully romances in MF are quite the trend, but a) I found the books I read quite irritating and b) the dynamics of bullying are different in a MM relationship.

But I'm not here to discuss why bully romance is popular, if it's wrong, or why it's a touchy subject. That's for others to debate and I honestly have no interest in it.

However, the only thing I will say was how hard I found to relate to active bullies. Meaning characters who are bullies throughout the story.

Now I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance as much as the next guy, but I couldn't find it in me to write a bully, at least not a 21-year-old one, and definitely not in the world of Cedarwood Beach. If the book was meant to be a YA where there's a lot more opportunity for self-discovery and acceptance that would be a different story. But personally, I find adult bullies don't deserve a spotlight.

So all these ideas informed what Rogue Affair was going to be about. An ex-bully and his victim who happen to get tangled in each other's life after years apart.

On developing these characters (Nathan, the victim, and Hudson, the ex-bully) I tried to find the connections that would make their lives implode into each other's and one of the ways I accomplished that was by making them life-long friends, until Nathan came out during high school and when things took a turn in both their lives. That detail was important to give someone as opinionated as Nathan a chance to pause, instead of walking away from Hudson when he seeks his help. In a way, Rogue Affair is a second chance romance. And only by giving them that past connection, would a guy like Nathan decide to help someone who had hurt them in the past.

Another detail I implemented quite early on, was the hookup chat. In fact, the chatting and messaging part of the book was meant for another book in the series, the upcoming fifth and last book in Cedarwood Beach, ,Royal Fling. But I found it much more fitting in here. A chance for the characters to connect beyond what's scarred them in the past.

I don't remember at what point I decided that Hudson needs to be hated by everyone in town, but exploring that side, the less sweet side of small towns, where everyone knows everyone, was an interesting concept. I hadn't had a chance to fully delve into the rumor mill in the previous books, so I found it an great challenge to bring forth in this story that's all about appearances and deep truths.

As a result, there were so many layers to this book that started to come about after I started writing it that it became an overwhelming experience, but also a beautiful one at that. Finding out who the characters were, the experiences that shaped them, and allowing them to grow and transform... It was definitely the most cathartic HEA I've written to this day.

So, if you haven't read Rogue Affair yet, or are afraid to read a book about bullies being redeemed, maybe this background of how the book came about, the thought processes that went into creating it, will change your mind and you'll give it a chance.

Especially since it introduces Charlie, who's the main character of ,Storm Bound, coming out later in June.

You can click here and grab the book on Amazon/read on KindleUnlimited:

,https://readerlinks.com/l/1720643

If you've read Rogue Affair, how about a re-read? Have you put up your review on Amazon?

Storm Bound - Cover Reveal

Storm Bound is half written and I'm aiming to finish it by the end of April. I know it's not coming out until the end of June, but you guys have been waiting so patiently for this book, I thought you deserve the cover reveal pretty early.

And also let's be honest. I can't sit on this any longer. Simply the truth.

Here it is! Charlie Karagiannis. The third brother of the big Greek-American family who decides to move back to Cedarwood Beach for 6 months to look after his grandmother and make sure she behaves.

What he doesn't expect to find is the perfect man (and submissive) in the eyes of his new boss, Dr. Kravitz, a major geek. Just like Charlie.

That's right.

This book contains 2 adorable geeks, a doctor/nurse pairing, a dom/sub relationship, and all the shenanigans you can expect from a small town.

If that sounds like your jam, you can pre-order your copy here: ,https://readerlinks.com/l/1720649

#affiliatelink

Blake & the Beast Exclusive Teaser

“How did you do it?” he asked. “I won’t hurt you. I’m not going to threaten you. I just want to know how.”

I swallowed the saliva stuck in my throat and tried to quench the wild thoughts in my head, which now had me with my hands tied up to the ceiling and completely naked, Beast fucking me from behind, his hands wrapped around my face and mouth shutting me up and making sure I didn’t make a peep.

“I’ve already said,” I whispered. “If you won’t believe me, why should I waste any more breath?”

His hand shot up from his side, and he grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me closer to his face until our foreheads were almost touching.

“Do you think this is a joke? Do you realize what you’ve done?” he snarled.

I had no idea what the hell Jag was talking about. This guy was intimidating with or without his beast form.

And what the hell was wrong with me that I was now picturing me pinned against the wall and going to town on his thick manhood?

“It’s not,” I mumbled.

He took a deep breath, and as he exhaled, his body shivered. Mine did, too.

“Are you sure you’re not fae?” he asked.

My lips parted, but instead of answering his question, they locked with his lips in a wet, sloppy kiss, taking me completely by surprise.

What was going on? And why was I enjoying it? Was this what Stockholm syndrome was? Was I falling for my captor?

His tongue intertwined with mine, only making the fog in my head hazier and the fantasies steamier. Not to mention my dick and hole were clenching at the trail of goosebumps his kiss and touch left on me.

His other hand grabbed the other side of my face, and even if I had the power or strength to stop it, I wouldn’t.

I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in the moment until Beast snatched the chair he was sitting on and flung it across the room. He towered over me, our mouths still linked, only now I could feel his hard dick pressing on my ribs.

“What… are… you… doing to me,” he mumbled until he put his hand on my chest and pulled his mouth away from mine.

“I’m not—” I started when I felt the pull.

I didn’t know what it was, but where his hand met my chest felt like a claw ripping through my insides.

“Stop it,” I screamed at him, and he looked as much in pain as I was.

He pushed away from me with a growl, and my chair tipped back for a moment, but still stayed upright as Beast stumbled back into the shadows.

He growled and roared and then stepped into the light looking beastly once again.

“What the—” I said at the same time as him.

Blake & the Beast comes out with the Fables Retold anthology on April 26.

You can pre-order it here:

,https://readerlinks.com/l/1765801

#affiliatelink

Magic Emporium - Books 10-12

The final set of books in the Magic Emporium series are now out!

Magic Emporium is a shared element series.

Which means all stories are standalone, but share one element, that of Marden's Magic Emporium which appears to those in dire need, wherever they are (no matter the universe, time, or space).

Click on each cover to go to Amazon.

Please note this post contains affiliate links.

Happy reading,

Rhys x

Date with a Book - Wayward Love

For my second date with a book, I've chosen Wayward Love.

Wayward Love is the second book in the Cedarwood Beach series and it features Andy, the eldest of the Karagiannis family, and widowed father of three, and Kyle, his son's best friend.

Wayward Love proved challenging to write for a couple of reasons.

It was the second book in a series and those are always the hardest to write in my opinion.

It featured a difficult trope to do justice (best friend's dad) without being cheesy or cringy. (Hopefully I succeeded.)

I was writing in the beginning of the pandemic while still adjusting to all the lockdown time and trying to get myself on a schedule.

And it featured a subplot that was important to the book.

The last point was actually a big one. Indeed after writing 10 or so thousand words on the book, I had to start from scratch.

I 'd written a good few chapters when I realized that the subplot had taken over the romance and I needed to fix it. Stat.

The subplot, if you haven't read Wayward Love, is Andy's failing business, his bar, which is slipping under his very hands under tons of debt since the loss of his wife.

I was passionate about this part of his story when I was plotting and came up with everything that brings Andy and Kyle together through their unlikely partnership.

I've spent most of my adult life in and out of bars/pubs. I've worked the minimum wage waiting jobs, all the way into management, so I know everything pretty much inside out. I also know how hard it is to save a failing business, so I was excited to use all my knowledge and spruce up Andy's life via Kyle's help.

(sidenote: Kyle comes into Andy's bar to help out as part of his business degree, but ends up taking over. Kinda.)

But as fun as all of that was to write, God was it boring and monotonous.

Don't get me wrong, having Kyle, a character full of sunshine, fix everything that way I would, was a blast to write, but it didn't exactly scream hot, swoon-worthy romance.

So, start from scratch I did and the book became better for it of course.

Once I was on track and really focused on the romance and how Kyle was actually fixing Andy's scars and not just his business, everything fell into place.

Also, Andy's bisexual awakening was so beautiful to explore. It was like peeling all of his layers off like an onion (thankfully without as many tears) and giving him back a sense of normality, but also love. Accepting himself, his love for someone else. Accepting the fact that he's allowed to be happy even after losing his wife.

On the other hand, writing Kyle's sunny disposition, his freedom of expression, his fearlessness was a beast of its own. If you've met me, you might know I'm not the smiliest person in the world. I'm full of sarcasm, bitch faces, and a little bit of crazy so a ray of sunshine I am not. But through Kyle I learned to bring that side of me up in the surface a bit more. And what do you know? I 'm now full of sarcasm, bitch face and a tiny bit of sunshine. Oh and a hella lot of crazy. A year-long lockdown will do that to you, I guess.

Also, I'd like to point out that without Wayward Love, we wouldn't have Gordon. And without Gordon, we wouldn't have ,Beau Pair. In fact, Kyle (and Nathan, Andy's son) were going to be based in Virginia Beach for their studies, or Newport News. See, New Harlow, the town they study in, hadn't been created when I wrote ,Fresh Start. But for the purpose of the second book, I created a city that I could make my own, and of course I had to set some more stories in there.

So yeah, Wayward Love might have taken me much longer than I'd wanted, it might have been a struggle in the beginning, but without it, I wouldn't be the writer I am today and of course the book that followed, ,Rogue Affair, but we'll talk about Book 3 on another date.

That's it for our date. If you're intrigued and would like to check out Wayward Love, you can click here and grab the book on Amazon/read on KindleUnlimited:

,https://readerlinks.com/l/1720642

If you've read Wayward Love, what was your favorite part? What was your favorite scene? Has it been some time since you read it? Maybe, a reread is due. *Nudge, nudge.*

An Insatiable Teaser - Vino & Veritas

If you've been online in the last couple of weeks, you might have seen the cover reveal of the next round of Vino & Veritas books, including mine, Insatiable.

Well, if you haven't, don't worry, I've got them all here for you, but also I've got a teaser from my book to whet your appetite for my silver fox and his grumpy sugarmaker coming in May.

But first things first, here's the cover!

And here's the teaser:

“And? Have you found the object of your ‘affection’ yet?” Harrison asks. “Current company excluded, of course.”

I shrug and turn around, taking in the bookshop, but someone outside catches my attention, coming out of a restaurant across the street.

Brody Mercier. I’d love to see him sprawled out in my bed, hanging onto my lips as if they are sweeter than maple, and have him shout out my name as I take him six ways to Sunday, effectively turning that frown upside down.

“I think I have,” I say, looking back at my friend with a smirk.

Harrison checks over his shoulder for who I’d been looking at, then turns back to me in horror.

“Oh God. No. Leave the poor man alone. He’s got enough to deal with without you chasing after him,” he says.

I take another sip of my coffee—delicious, by the way—and sit back on the stool.

“The way I see it, he’s got a bad case of the sadsies and could use a…smile,” I say. Or a dick in his mouth. Same difference.

“You’re an idiot.”

Harrison shakes his head, and Oz grimaces.

“What? You think you can get him? Good luck with that. That man has been in a rut for three months now,” he says.

“Is that a challenge?” I say, addressing both of them.

Harrison rolls his eyes and sips his coffee.

“Do you ever not…um…think with your dick?” Oz asks.

“Probably not,” I say.

“I know you’ve had a lot of ‘adventures,’ but Brody Mercier isn’t the type to fall under your spell. He almost got married for crying out loud,” Oz says.

“All the more reason to have some fun and rebound. Hard,” I say. “Hey! That could be the title of my next book. Hard Rebound with the Sugarmaker.”

“I still don’t think Brody is a guy who will want a quickie in the restroom or a BJ behind the bushes.”

“Maybe not at first.”

“Maybe not ever,” Oz counters.

“Wanna bet on it?” I ask, the cogs already turning in my head.

I love nothing if not a challenge, and from the sound—and look of it—Brody Mercier may just be exactly what I need to get me out of my own rut. And we can both have fun in the process. And a bestseller at the end of it.

That’ll show those bloody critics.

“Bet on it?” Oz asks, hesitantly.

“Yeah. Bet. You say I can’t get him, and I’m telling you that I can have him in my bed by the end of the month, if not the week.”

“Gosh, I knew you based your stories on real life, but I didn’t realize all you think about is sex. When was the last time you went without sex for longer than a week?” Oz asks, leaning forward, a hand under his chin, brown eyes staring right at mine.

“A week? Jeez. Does anyone go through such torture?” I ask.

Harrison lets out a surprised wow next to me, but both Oz and I ignore him.

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll bet you can’t get him into bed, and if you lose…” Oz scratches his chin and purses his lips before he speaks again. “If you lose, you can’t have sex for three months.”

A knot forms in my throat, and I start coughing on the coffee dregs still in my mouth.

“What the hell? Three months? That’s plain torture.”

Oz stands up straight again and shrugs.

“Well, if you’re scared—”

“I’m not scared,” I say before he can even finish. “Why would I be? I can get him like that.” I click my fingers, and the snap seems to give me back my confidence.

Getting guys in my bed is what I do. I never fail. The guy to resist me hasn’t been born yet. And Brody Mercier is no exception. He may be a challenge, but he’ll be begging for my cock before long.

“If you say so,” Oz smirks. “But if you lose, you go celibate. Three months.”

“Fine. I lose, I go celibate.” A shudder passes over my entire body at the mere suggestion. “But if you lose, I get your respect for my skills and charm.”

Oz raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms.

“That’s it? That’s all you want from me? Respect? I thought you were going to ask for something naughtier. You, Mr. Graves, surprise me. And…” He reaches for my hand and we shake on it. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Like what you just read? You can pre-order your copy here: ,https://readerlinks.com/l/1762463

And here's the rest of the pretties which you can snatch here: https://amzn.to/3fxkAq1

Magic & Wine

So many goodies have come out since we last spoke. And here's your chance to grab them all.

Let's start with the new entries in the Magic Emporium Series!

And if small town, community, and all the tropes is your jam you want to check out the Vino & Veritas series by Sarina Bowen's Heart Eyes Press.