Allison Cassatta's Blog, page 4

Celebrate with Me

Come celebrate with me. Lynn and The Novel Approach selected Relationships 101 as a 2013 Top Pick. I'm so honored and thankful, and I want to share my joy with you guys. I'll give away 3 copies because three has always been a great number for me.
Click on the graphic below to learn about the authors. Find new reads and new friends! You won't regret it. There are some amazing talents on this list.

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Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season! I know for a lot of people, this year has been very, very hard and you can't wait to get it over with. In a lot of ways, I'm right there with you. I've already put in an order to the gods to make 2014 awesome. Here's hoping they'll listen.

To show my appreciation for all the support and the readership over 2013, I'm going to give away five ebooks from my backlist. Each winner will get to choose which book they want. Five winners will be chosen.

Again, have a wonderful and safe holiday season. See ya in 2014!

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Ethan Stone

#Q {text-align: left; line-height:150%; font-style:italic;} #A {text-align: left; margin-left: 2em;} #Close {text-align: center; font-style:italic;} #Para {text-align: left; text-indent: 25px;} It is my pleasure to introduce Ethan Stone, author of Damaged
Ethan Stone
Tell us a little bit about how Damaged came to life. What inspired the story? Damaged is part two in the Uniformity series. It and the first book, Compromised, feature a maximum security prison in Nevada. I used to work at a maximum security prison in Nevada. I have plenty of story ideas from my time at prison. Who is your favorite character and what makes them so memorable to you? I can't choose just one! Zane goes from a selfish prick to an honorable and loving man. Brett overcomes his past and accepts who and what he is. Writing Brett was fun because of his odd clothing and ugly ties. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you decide to write? That question implies I had a choice about writing! I've always wanted to write. As a young kid I wrote stories about mutated elves, adventurous kids and multi-colored aliens. I worked as a journalist for several years but it wasn't for me. Being able to write and publish the shit in my head is awesome. Any advice for aspiring authors? Write. Edit. Re-write. Have people--not just friends--read your stuff. Listen to other people even if you don't take their advice, at least listen. Don't give up. If you get rejected, re-write and try again.
May the Force Be With You
You can follow Ethan Stone at www.ethanjstone.com, on Tumblr, on Facebook. WIN THE BOOK NOW!
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Damaged
From Totally Bound

Blurb:
Correctional Officer Zane Davis didn't think commitment was in the cards but when he meets Brett Emerson everything that once seemed impossible is now all he can think about. Correctional Officer Zane Davis thought being bi-sexual and afraid of commitment meant he was destined to be alone until he meets someone who changes everything. There is an instant attraction when Zane meets Brett Emerson on the job. The fact that Brett is engaged to a woman doesn't dampen Zane's attraction. Brett and Zane become friends as they also work to uncover corruption at the prison. The friendship deepens and turns to romance, but will Zane survive the danger he puts himself in when he finds out how far up the corruption goes?

REVIEW: "Final Destiny" by Jeff Erno

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 
     One of my favorite discussions/debates is what happens to us when we die? What’s afterlife? Jeff Erno’s book “Final Destiny” from Ai Press puts a creative and original spin on a very Christian view of the Afterlife. But here’s the great thing—he didn’t leave out those of us who subscribe to “alternative” religions out. It showed us that we do, very much, design our “heavens” by the life we live. Though, heaven may not be a place of pearly gates and long-awaited reunions… but you might just meet a famous star or two. 

     Read the blurb for yourself: Damien and Christian are best friends with VERY different destinies. One faces eternal bliss while the other is headed straight to hell. Damien has a lot going for him. A recent college graduate, he’s landed the perfect job and has already purchased his first home. What he doesn’t have is someone to share his success with. When his best childhood friend Christian pays him a visit, Damien discovers Christian is headed into the ministry. He’s going to be a missionary to Brazil. Before leaving Christian wants to say goodbye to Damien and try to convince him to turn his life over to God. Christian fears that Damien’s hedonistic homosexual lifestyle can lead his friend to one tragic destination: hell. The two go out for breakfast together and engage in a heated debate. Still upset, Damien pulls out in front of a semi-truck and both of them are hurled into eternity. What happens next? Only the devil knows…

     Once I picked this book up and started reading it, there was absolutely no putting it down. Thank the gods it was a fast read, because I would’ve lost days over this book. It made me laugh LOUDLY quite a few times. My favorite was Jerry Falwell. You’ll just have to read the book to get the joke. You can find Final Destiny and other titles by Jeff Erno at: http://www.jefferno.com/final-destiny.php
Buy Final Destiny from Amazon

November RAD

The Sweet Spot M/M Reader Appreciation Day
When: Saturday, November 16th from 8 am - 8 pm ESTWhere: The Sweet Spot Yahoo Group(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheSweetSpotMM)
The following authors have generously donated these books or other prizes:
Allison Cassatta - ebook copy of PATIENT PRIVILEGE Diana Castilleja - ebook copy of winner's choice from backlist (DeRicci or Castilleja) Angel Martinez - ebook copy of RARELY PURE AND NEVER SIMPLE Tyler Robbins - ebook copy of winner's choice from backlist Evelise Archer - ebook copy of SEBASTIAN AND HIS WOODSMEN Lisabet Sarai - ebook copy of QUARANTINE Willa Okati - ebook copy of winner's choice of my backlist at either Loose Id or Totally Bound Lex Valentine - ebook copy of SUNDAY’S CHILD Leigh Ellwood - ebook of winner's choice of backlist MM title Missy Welsh - ebook copy of ISHERWOOD Harper Fox - Kindle or PDF copy of ONCE UPON A HAUNTED MOOR Vicktor Alexander - ebook copy of RAISING SHAWNA P.D. Singer - ebook copy of SPOKES S.Dora - ebook copy of winner's choice of 1 book in the CALLING THE SHOTS series Jambrea Jo Jones - ebook copy of winner's choice from backlist Sloan Parker - ebook copy of MORE THAN JUST A GOOD BOOK S.J. Frost - ebook copy of winner's choice from backlist 

AJ Llewellyn

#Q {text-align: left; line-height:150%; font-style:italic;} #A {text-align: left; margin-left: 2em;} #Close {text-align: center; font-style:italic;} #Para {text-align: left; text-indent: 25px;} It is my pleasure to introduce AJ Llewellyn, author of Honeybone books 1 and 2
AJ Llewellyn
Tell us a little bit about how Honeybone came to life. What inspired the story? I have always loved police procedurals and I met a US Marshal in Honolulu with whom I spent a great deal of time. He shared his insights into his profession and some of his worst experiences. These influenced the creation of Honeybone greatly. I adore both the real man and the fictional one. I was touched to know how many men and women in law enforcement always have one case that they were unable to solve that still affects them. This is the base for the entire series. The serial killer that got away... Who is your favorite character and what makes them so memorable to you? I have so many characters I love,but I do adore Dean Honeybone, a man who is deeply affected by his work and his commitment to protecting children. The US Marshals Service has a long history of taking care of our nation's children. Four US Marshals accompanied little Ruby Bridges - the first African American child to be integrated into a white school - every single day, protecting her from the vile things adults did to her. They were heroes! Tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you decide to write? I grew up writing and reading voraciously. Writing was my outlet for grief after my mother died when I was six. We weren't allowed to talk about her, so I wrote about her. I wrote my first book when I was 8. It featured my twin obsessions, death and horses. Everybody died at the end, including the horses! Any advice for aspiring authors? Just do it. Get off the Internet, a huge time-sucker, and WRITE something every day.
Writing is a vocation. There is no such thing as waiting for inspiration. It is a vocation that somebody once said is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. I must be mighty stinky by now!
You can follow AJ Llewellyn at www.ajllewellyn.com, on Twitter, Facebook and Pintrest. WIN THE BOOK NOW!
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Honeybone Books 1 and 2
From Amber Allure, released 2013-09-05

Blurb:
Previously available only in electronic format, these two stories of Gay Erotic Romance have now been combined for a paperback edition! Included are the tales...

Honeybone, Book 1: Honeybone Murder, mayhem, hot man-love...and madness. It's all in a day's work for US Federal Marshal Dean Honeybone... Honeybone is accompanying extradited child killer Richard Stance to Australia when their plane crashes off the northeast coast of the island continent. The only survivors of the packed flight are Honeybone and four-year-old Kaia Pendleton, whom Dean rescues during the crash. As Dean and Kaia recuperate in a Queensland hospital, questions swirl about what caused the accident...and what happened to Stance's body, the only one not recovered from the wreckage. Unable to return to work due to his injuries and plagued by raging headaches and violent nightmares, Honeybone must rest. Convinced that Stance survived and is free to kill again, he's reluctant to take the gift of a week-long dream vacation at Wilson Island, a remote, luxury resort where only ten guests at a time are allowed to visit. Honeybone gives in, pondering the prospect of rekindling his relationship with Rongo Davis, an Australian Security Intelligence operative. But then he meets Jean-Luc Sebastien, a French chef, and discovers the possibility of a different sort of life. Yet all the while, death and danger are as close as the next barrier reef...

Honeybone, Book 2: Creed US Marshal Dean Honeybone will always protect those he loves...even from himself... Dean Honeybone has made great progress in his recovery from a plane crash in Queensland, Australia. Now in New Orleans with his lover, French chef Jean-Luc Sebastien, Honeybone is scheduled to get back to work, except he starts receiving nasty notes and phone calls. The sender claims to be watching him. The sender also claims to be Richard Stance, the vicious extradited child killer Honeybone was accompanying on the plane to Australia when it crashed. Unwilling to put his lover at risk, Honeybone wants to send Jean-Luc out of the country to safety, and returns to work on a Louisiana murder case. Jean-Luc, however, unwilling to run, stays in New Orleans, putting a strain on the men's relationship. Meanwhile, Kaia Pendleton, the little girl Dean rescued in the crash, wants to visit Dean and Jean-Luc as promised. But with the crazy letters and phone calls escalating, Honeybone fears the killer's prophecy of fulfilling his creed.

Win This is Love!

Released September 2013 Dreamspinner Press EDITIONS: eBook LENGTH: Novella GENRE: M/M, Contemporary 
Anderson “Andy” Hartley Jr. lives the life of a playboy with Daddy’s money, but without love. If his father finds out Andy’s gay, the game’s over. So he restricts his sex life to the pool house and seems content until he meets the gorgeous new groundskeeper, who just might turn his life upside-down.

Merrick “Maverick” Washington is African-American, an ex-SEAL, and recently released from prison after his false conviction was overturned. Working for a rich white dude who looks down his nose at him is one more blow to his spirit. But any job is a step toward self-sufficiency, and Maverick’s not willing to risk that for a spoiled brat. Then Andy tugs at more than Maverick’s body, and he’s starting to wonder how things would shake out if they both overcame their fears and let their worlds collide.

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Jeff Erno

#HTML8 {display: none;} #Q {text-align: left; line-height:150%; font-style:italic;} #A {text-align: left; margin-left: 2em;} #Close {text-align: center; font-style:italic;} #Para {text-align: left; text-indent: 25px;} It is my pleasure to introduce Jeff Erno, author of The Left-Hand Path
Jeff Erno
Tell us a little bit about how The Left Hand Path came to life. What inspired the story? The basic concept of The Left-Hand Path is similar to a movie I saw back in 2005, but the story line and ending are quite different. When I attended the GRL Retreat in New Orleans, I was reminded of that movie which was set on a New Orleans plantation. It got me thinking about a gay-themed story that included Hoodoo and witchcraft. I soaked up so much inspiration from that New Orleans trip and initially focused on a different series of erotic stories set in a New Orleans bar. By the time I got around to starting LHP, much of my original idea had evolved. I was actually surprised by how it turned out. Who is your favorite character and what makes them so memorable to you? The main character is Will, and he's my favorite. I liked being inside his head simply because he's genuinely a good guy. He's the type of person who always looks for the good in others, and he's perhaps a bit too trusting. Will has always wanted to be a nurse and is enrolled in a program to get his degree. He works as a home care provider to put himself through school. When he stumbles upon an opportunity to make a lot of money caring for an elderly stroke patient, it seems too good to be true. He also embarks upon a relationship with his patient's nephew, a successful attorney who is hotter than...uh...a pistol. As it turns out, much of what he first believed about the situation proves untrue and he finds himself trapped in a spooky web of deceit. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you decide to write? I began writing at a time in my life (late twenties) when I was facing lots of challenges. I was caring for my mom after she'd had a debilitating stroke and for my gram who had Alzheimer's. I started writing as an escape. It was something I could do while remaining at home because my family needed 24/7 care. Around the time they passed, my father also died as well as a couple really close friends. And my seven year relationship with my partner ended. I was devastated, despondent, and depressed, and I poured all of these emotions into my stories, never for a moment believing I was really an author. I never envisioned being published. It wasn't until 2009 that I published my first novel. Any advice for aspiring authors? You know, I've had to answer this question before in other interviews, and I'm not sure how to do it without sounding like a know-it-all. The truth of the matter is that there are plenty of authors far more qualified to offer advice. I'm always second-guessing myself. Two years ago I decided to quit my day job and focus primarily upon my writing. There are times I think this was a mistake, that I should have waited another year or two. On the other hand, had I waited, I wouldn't now have 25 published books and still wouldn't feel like I was in a position to write full time. I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. That might be right for some aspiring authors. For others, it is unthinkable.
The only reason it's been possible for me to continue writing is that there are people who've bought my books. I can't begin to express how grateful I am. Every time I'm contacted by a reader, it humbles me and touches my heart. I only hope I can continue to write the kind of stories that readers enjoy.
You can follow Jeff Erno on www.jefferno.com, on Twitter, on Facebook. You can also visit True Colorz or Goodreads. WIN THE BOOK NOW!
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The Left-Hand Path
From Dreamspinner Press, released 2013-10-30

Blurb:
William Austin has always wanted to be a nurse, though he’s no longer sure the gratification is worth the pain of losing a patient. For now, he’s a nursing student and works two jobs—barista and private nurse. Will meets Blaine Coventry at the coffee shop, and when the altruistic young attorney offers him a job caring for his Uncle Elliot, Will accepts. Will finds that Elliot’s stroke has left him unable to walk or talk, and Elliot's husband, James, says the goal is to keep Elliot comfortable until he passes. But Will starts rehabilitation, and his patient soon begins to make progress. When James resists, Will realizes something isn’t right, and investigates. Then he discovers a chilling secret that threatens to forever change Will's life... or perhaps end it..

REVIEW: "Settling The Score" by Eden Winters

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 
BLURB: Closeted mechanic Joey Nichols' life is good. His boyfriend landed a major Hollywood role, and is well on the way to superstardom. Joey's bags are packed and soon he'll leave small town Georgia and join the man of his dreams in California, to live out, proud, and together. Days before his planned departure, his lover outs Joey during a televised interview and announces that they've broken up, leaving Joey to face the bigotry of the locals alone.

 Bestselling author Troy Steele knows all about having life turned upside down by the media. Now a recluse, Troy shuns all the trappings that come with writing books made into blockbuster movies. He spends his time exacting revenge on a former flame via his novels and hiding out in rural South Carolina, watching celebrity gossip shows. Joey's fifteen minutes of fame bear an eerie similarity to the plot of Troy's latest work in progress. What if Joey could be transformed into everything the fickle ex wanted, as Troy is writing for his fictional hero, and secretly wishes for himself? Once polished, could a diamond-in-the-rough good ole boy confront his ex, then walk away, pride intact? These are Troy's questions, and he's counting on Joey for answers.

MY REVIEW: I wanted to wait a few days before writing this review, because I had a feeling Joey and Troy were the kind of characters who would stick with me, and I was absolutely right. I could go back and read that book again right now. I found myself pulling for those two even before the real fireworks started. They were both hurt in the same kind of way. They both needed someone to pull them out of the sludge and give them something to look forward too. They were both absolutely memorable and lovable. But the love didn't stop with the MCs. The supporting cast came to life for me. The family was real. The haters were real. I was lost in the world she created I vocalized the things I felt. My husband would look at me and he would ask what I was awwwwing or what I was laughing at.

 Beyond that, Eden's writing style is EXACTLY what I love. She leaves the right amount to imagination, but gives the kind of detail a reader needs to be fully seated in the world she's creating. I could smell the grease in the garage and hear the clanking of tools. There was a scene where they were walking, and I could hear all the creatures you hear in southern wooded areas. It was amazing. This book has garnered Eden so much respect and admiration from me. I think I can honestly situate her high on my favorite authors list.

Now, excuse me while I make a mad dash to buy all the other books she has out...

Buy Settling The Score from Amazon

FREE READ - Smoke Break

As a thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review my work, or a thank you for giving it a try if you've never read it before, I'm offering you a fun and free short story. It's not poignant or angsty, but light and entertaining. Download it as many times as you like and pass it around to your friends.

BLURB:   The daily grind is a bit of a bore for computer geek Charlie, but his job takes a more than interesting twist when he finds Daryl, the hot-bodied window washer, hanging just outside his office window.

CLICK THE HOT GUY TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Then please, please, please go to Goodreads and review it! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18718918-smoke-break
Thanks for everything!