Christi Snow's Blog, page 5

It's release day for WHEN LOVE SURPRISES....

This is a standalone male/male romantic suspense novel, although it is part of the overall When the Mission Ends series. Story Description Raised in a religious household, being gay was never an option for Steven, but when an injury left him incapacitated, he was forced to face those urges that he’s been able to ignore for the last thirty-eight years of his life...Lost...Three months ago, Major Steven Hardesty’s life sat on the precipice of perfection. Now he’s trying to come back from a life-threatening injury and a devastating romantic loss all while trying to figure out what he’s going to do after separating from the Air Force.Alone...Billy Starr never planned on running his family ranch by himself. He was supposed to be doing it with his sister, Whitney. But when she died in a freak accident, it sent his life in a tailspin of despair and alcohol.Healing...Steven and Billy were friends. Billy offered the ranch as a good, private place where Steven could recover, but as their friendship deepened, so did other feelings. Is it possible that a love affair between the two of them could heal them both? Or break them even more?
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Steven watched Billy’s ass as he followed him through the house. Sometime in the afternoon, Billy had showered and slipped into some old jeans that cupped his muscular butt in the most delicious way. How awesome would it be to watch those glutes flex when Billy was naked? Steven inwardly cursed himself.  That wasn’t resisting his attraction to Billy. He couldn’t allow his thoughts to even go there.He didn’t divert his gaze fast enough, because Billy turned and caught him checking out his ass. Steven winced. “Um, sorry,” he mumbled.Billy just let loose with a good-natured laugh. “Hey, if you want to objectify me, I’m okay with that.”Steven groaned. “But that’s the problem. It sends both of us the wrong signal. You’re a good friend, Billy. I don’t want to blow that.”“Listen.” Billy turned and grabbed him gently by the shoulder. “We are good friends. We’re also guys. That means that we can separate sex from intimacy and feelings and shit. Come on. Come sit down. Get some pizza, and then, I have something I want to propose to you, keeping the separate feelings in mind.”With that kind of lead-in, Steven didn’t think he’d actually be able to eat, but then he took a single bite of the melt-in-your-mouth-good pizza. Any nerves that had been building up dissipated with the desire to inhale the wonderful, decadent pizza.Neither spoke until they’d each eaten three slices of pizza. Finally, Billy looked up from his plate and met Steven’s gaze intently. Steven wiped his hands on his napkin, suddenly losing his interest in the pie. “You mentioned a proposal?” he asked past the lump in his throat.“Yeah. I heard what you said yesterday, and as awful as that perspective is, I can understand and respect your point of view. But I think you’re selling yourself short. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re attracted to men, right?”Steven nodded, his dick growing half-hard at the turn of the conversation. He had no idea where Billy was taking this, but his junk seemed to have an idea.Billy laid both hands on the table. “And if I’m reading what you said correctly, you’ve never explored that attraction, right?”Steven shook his head.  Billy lifted a hand. “Just hear what I have to say first, okay?”Steven’s nodded a little more slowly this time.“I’ll admit that as a gay man, the idea of you never having experienced the pleasure that can be found in a man’s body—with a man—physically hurts me. I get why you don’t want to go there, but I’m offering a way for you to experience sex safely. We’re out here in the middle of nowhere, completely alone. I’m proposing that you use me, enjoy me, explore me. Even if you never have sex with a man again, I want you to make the decision to forgo that option completely with knowledge and maybe a few memories to fuel your fantasies later in life.” Oh, god, was Billy actually proposing that he’d be available for a pity-fuck? Steven inwardly cringed. His stomach churned with mortification and disgust...for himself, that he’d brought the two of them to this point.Billy shook his head with a self-effacing chuckle. “I’m making this sound like it will be a sacrifice on my part, but that’s not at all how I’m looking at this idea. I’ve never planned on building a life like you want—finding a long-term partner for the rest of my life. As a result, I realize I’m going to spend most of my life alone. “I’m thinking that this arrangement will work for me, too... It will provide some sweet memories for my spank bank to live on later in life. I’ll always be able to look back at those really hot-as-fuck weeks with my friend, Steven.” Billy gave him a wicked smile that heated Steven’s groin. “Because there is one thing that I’m sure of...the sex between us would be fucking hot.”And just like that, Steven was fully hard. His chest felt tight, but that had very little to do with his injury and everything to do with the hot images of what Billy proposed barraging his brain.

READY TO READ MORE??
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Also...There is more info about the two main characters as well as another exclusive excerpt from the book that you can find in this blog post...HERE.

***Surprise RELEASE*** Welcome to Aspenridge, Colorado...

I've been keeping a secret. Most of you already knew I was 1/2 of KB Jacobs, but no one knew who the other half was. Well, it's no longer a secret. We're exposing her identity by re-releasing all our original books AND bringing out two more before the end of 2018. 
So, let me introduce you to Sarah Nego...
Sarah Nego had the great fortune to win 5th place at a regional writing competition back in the 8th grade. This naturally propelled her to get a degree in public relations. Neither of which makes her qualified to write books. Nevertheless...she persisted.
She lives in Texas with her husband, two mini humans (which she grew herself), and a rotating supply of identical goldfish (which she did not grow herself). Sometimes she sings and dances onstage, because why not.

Sarah writes books without steamy scenes under the name Sarah Negovetich. You can find out more about her and all her books at SarahNegovetich.com. 


And now let me introduce you to our world...

Aspenridge Colorado is a (fictional) old mining town set in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It was founded in the 1850's when gold was discovered in the Aspen River. 
Set at 9750 feet elevation, it's a year-round outdoor playground with an average high temperature of 70* in the summer and an average low temperature of 0* in the winter.
Summer brings hiking, camping in the forest as well as kayaking down the river. Aspen Lake features an old-fashioned vibe with its historical grandstand (where bands will play on summer nights), classic playground equipment like seesaws and merry-go-rounds as well as paddle boats for rent on the lake.
In the winter, all the activity centers around The Edge the base for the Ski Aspenridge Mountain, which is the home for several world-class ski and snowboarding competitions. The Edge also has a high-ropes course, one of the worlds largest slides, and outdoor putt-putt in the summer.
But Aspenridge isn't all about play. Featuring a four-year liberal arts college, the town is a destination for a few thousand young minds who attend Goldmont College every year.
Many of those students like to visit Em-Dash, the local bookstore. The store's book club is particularly notable because it coincidentally occurs at the same time that the fire station across the street has scheduled to wash their fire trucks every week. 
No, really...it's totally coincidental. You know, just because the firefighters in Aspenridge are cut like Greek Gods has nothing to do with it. Really. No, seriously...
It's all innocent. In Aspenridge, we protect all our young minds. They don't need the distractions that come from carnal lust like that (ahem...even if it does provide some excellent creative fodder for a certain New Adult romance author duo). 

There are many other eclectic and fun businesses to visit in Aspenridge. I won't bore you with a listing of all of them, but be assured the town will provide us with YEARS of excellent stories to come. We already have the next several series plotted out, so we hope you love our little mountain town as much as we do. 
The heroes are sexy, the heroines feisty, and we hope their stories promise keep you up long past your bedtime.
But the best place to start learning about this incredible small town is in Smooth, the first book in the Naked Brews series.*gasp* Wait a minute...I forgot to tell you about the most important business to know about right now...Naked Brews.  Naked Brews is a craft brewery located in Aspenridge, Colorado. It was started twenty years ago by Pat O'Brien. What began as a hobby in Pat's garage turned into a hometown success story with the brewery and pub now run by his daughter, Lake O'Brien.
Well...kind of a success story. Everyone agrees...they do make excellent beer. It's just that Lake never planned on taking over the company this early. The sudden death of her father has made it so things are a little rocky around the Naked Brews...but that's a tale for the series. You know you want to hear more, right?
Well, Smooth released TODAY!!
Description: LakeThe plan had always been finish college, move back to Colorado, and run Naked Brews with her dad. That plan fell apart when Lake's dad died and his ex-wife, AKA the absent maternal figure, inherited the brewery. Now Lake will have to convince her perfectionist mom not to sell the place, sweet talk the bank into a loan she has no credit for, and figure out how to turn the failing brewery into a success. No problem.
WalshThe job should be simple. Pretend to be his millionaire best friend, buy a failing brewery, and honor their fallen brother-in-arms. But simple went down the drain the minute he met the sassy new brewery manager. Now he's stuck between a loud-mouth sarcasm factory and her mom. He'd prefer to be trapped between Lake and a soft bed, but he swore he wouldn't sleep with the brewery owner. Though technically she doesn't own the brewery...
Naked BrewsThey both want to buy the same brewery and ignore the chemistry brewing between them. What could possibly go wrong?
This book was previously published as Deliciously Smooth by KB Jacobs (a pseudonym used by Sarah Nego and Christi Snow).
Purchase Links:
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(which for some reason has my name as Christi Christi) KOBO
iBooks *****
eeks...I forgot. 
Want to get to know Walsh and Lake before spending money? 
We have a freebie prequel novella, Unprepared, that you can get... HERE .

FREE books in the September is for Readers Giveaway!!!

Hey everyone! Are you ready to start cozying up with some good books this Fall??
Me too. That's why I joined this Freebie blast. The book I'm giving away is Operation: Endgame. I'm assuming you all have already read it, so I realize that's not incentive for you to join in the fun. No, I joined this one so you all could see and grab... all the OTHER AUTHOR'S FREE BOOKS! 

There are some amazing ones here.So, how do you get them?Follow this link to OMGReads... GO HERE FOR FREE BOOKS! Then just pick your preferred reading platform and snatch which ones sound good to you. Easy-peasy.
I hope you enjoy your new books!!Oh...and hurry. This is happening for ONLY ONE DAY!!!

Don't doubt your ability to fly...

Friday Five...Let's Talk about WHEN LOVE SURPRISES

Basic information about the book in case you missed it...Cover Designer: AM Design StudiosPhotographer: Paul Henry SerresModels: Nicholas and Leonardo Bayne (real-life husbands) This is a standalone male/male romantic suspense novel, although it is part of the overall When the Mission Ends series. Story Description Raised in a religious household, being gay was never an option for Steven, but when an injury left him incapacitated, he was forced to face those urges that he’s been able to ignore for the last thirty-eight years of his life...Lost...Three months ago, Major Steven Hardesty’s life sat on the precipice of perfection. Now he’s trying to come back from a life-threatening injury and a devastating romantic loss all while trying to figure out what he’s going to do after separating from the Air Force.Alone...Billy Starr never planned on running his family ranch by himself. He was supposed to be doing it with his sister, Whitney. But when she died in a freak accident, it sent his life in a tailspin of despair and alcohol.Healing...Steven and Billy were friends. Billy offered the ranch as a good, private place where Steven could recover, but as their friendship deepened, so did other feelings. Is it possible that a love affair between the two of them could heal them both? Or break them even more?
Preorder Information Releasing September 14th (although the print book is already available...shh, don't tell anyone) Amazon Barnes & Noble  iBooks KOBO  

Who is Steven?
Both of these characters were introduced in When Love Comes Back. 
Steven was Felicia's (the heroine) very serious (about to propose serious) boyfriend in that book. Obviously, they didn't work out. For one thing, Felicia never got over her first love, but secondly because Steven has never been completely honest about exactly who he is.
See, Steven's dad is a VERY famous, VERY conservative, VERY outspoken evangelist who has made a platform of denouncing the LGBTQA community. As his only son, Steven never had a chance to explore his sexuality. He was raised with one option for his life, and one option only. Anything else was not acceptable for the son of Reverend Hardesty.
It's honestly a complicated mess and it's even more messed up in Steven's head. But Steven has a lot of other stuff going on besides his confused sexuality. He's also recovering from a life-threatening gunshot wound and is in the process of separating from the Air Force. There are lots of changes happening in his life and he needs a friend like Billy to help get him through.
Before anything else, these two guys are friends...good friends just there to support one another.

Who is Billy? Billy was also introduced in When Love Comes Back. He was Felicia's best friend.
He owns and runs a ranch in Southwestern New Mexico that he inherited from his family. He's had a lot of losses in his life. First, he lost his first love in college and then his sister...both to separate car accidents. Those losses have left their marks on him and he didn't cope real well when they first happened. 
But now, he's a recovering alcoholic with more than a decade sober. He's learned not to get too close to people because it hurts too much when they disappear. But he's getting too old to play the constant hook-up game and is lonely running the ranch by himself. While he can't see himself ever falling in love again, he wants someone to spend his time with. 
When Steven needs a place to recover, Billy doesn't think twice about it. It would be nice to have his friend there...and I think you can probably see where this is going. It is a romance...
Why is this book m/m?Quite simply...because that's where the characters took me. 
I readily admit that I don't have a whole lot of control over my characters and when Steven was introduced in When Love Comes Back, I had NO IDEA the secrets he hid. It wasn't until about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through that book that he began to give me hints about his real story and where his book would go. 
And I get it. I realize that a lot of you read either m/f or m/m and don't like it when the two mix. I'm not a big fan of mixed series either (I know...can you believe that with as much as my series jump between the genres?), but the fact of the matter is...my characters feel as if they're real life and real life has a mix of all sexual orientations, so I go with it. 
But rest assured, I don't want you to ever feel like you're missing something by not reading one or the other. Of course, I'd like for you to want to read ALL of my books, but I get it. They aren't all going to be for everyone. As a result, I always try to write my books with enough explanation about previous events so that they stand alone. I never want you to be confused or lost. 
I get it. I'm a reader, too. And there is NOTHING worse than trying to remember or not know details from the last book in a series. With every book I write, I try to make sure that isn't an issue.
Regardless, I'm hoping you all will be intrigued enough with these two guys that you'll want to read their story. 
It's a true friends to lovers story and I absolutely adore those...easily my most favorite trope.
Excerpt...
Chapter OnePanic ripped through Steven’s chest. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. He was going to suffocate.“Hang on, big guy. Help’s coming, but you have to calm down.” Hands held him down. Couldn’t the man with the kind voice understand? Steven was going to die without air.He arched his back, and blinding, searing pain tore through his chest. “Shh. Oh, fuck. Listen to me, Steven. It’s Billy. You know me. You were shot. I know it has to hurt like fucking hell and you’re scared, but the more you thrash around, the worse you’re making it. Concentrate on my voice. You have a tube down your throat. That’s what’s scaring you, but trust the machine. Relax and you’ll realize it’s doing all the work for you.”Steven tried. He tried to stop the panic. Tried to still his rioting body. Tried to listen to the voice talking him down.“That’s right. You’re doing it. You’ve got this.” It was quiet for a moment as the weight holding him down shifted. A callused hand caressed his face, soothing him. He tried to open his eyes. He needed to know what was going on, but with the pain and the weakness in his body...“Where the hell is the fucking nurse?” the man asked. “What good are all these alarms if no one comes and checks them?”He suddenly realized he knew that voice. Billy. Yeah, he knew that voice. It was nice. He let the sound of it lull him, and he relaxed, letting the inky black suck him back under.

GOODREADS LINK
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I hope everyone has a fun weekend planned. It's a three-day one here in the States...whoohoo, an extra day sleeping in with no alarm!Enjoy it.smiles,Christi

Throwback Thursday...When Love Intrudes

When I first wrote the When the Mission Ends series, it was supposed to just be the initial three books about the Robertson siblings, but as I wrote those books, other characters came forward and said they needed an HEA, too.
That's where the second three books come from. The When Love...part of the series. All the heroes in those books are also at the end of their careers, their mission. When Love Intrudes is the book that crossed over the two trilogies with Brian, the beleaguered police detective from the original three books. 

Excerpt
Brian bolted up out of bed at the cacophonous screech of the fire alarm. He flew out of his room to Toni’s. Empty. Bounding down the stairs in the morning light, he grabbed the fire extinguisher out of the hall closet as he ran toward the plume of smoke billowing out of the kitchen. There he found mass chaos.Sam bounced around below the fire alarm barking at it. Toni stood in front of the sink, fanning the smoke away from some sort of dish smoldering there. Nathan sat on a barstool overlooking the kitchen, rolling with laughter.Since there didn’t appear to be any actual flames or danger of the house burning down around them, Brian grabbed the still-barking Sam by the collar and pulled him toward the door to put him out in the yard. That at least gave them one little tiny shred of sanity back in the kitchen.Toni still hadn’t noticed him as she dealt with the pan, so he grabbed a chair to stand on to reach up to the alarm. Finally, he popped the battery out of it. Blessed silence. He ran his hand through his hair and looked down from his perch to find both Toni and Nathan openly gaping him. Instantly, he became self-conscious of the fact he had nothing on but a thin pair of knit sleep pants.“Damn, Alpha,” Nathan’s eyes widened as he gulped. “You need to go without clothes more often. Who knew what was hiding under those tacky suits?”Toni just nodded along with Nathan’s perusal. Embarrassed, he’d never been subjected to this kind of blatant ogling. He resisted the urge to cover his chest with his hands as he jumped down from the chair. Yes, he worked out, but he wasn’t cover material. He rolled his eyes at both of them. “You both need to have your eyes checked.”Toni cleared her throat. “No, I have to agree with Nathan on this one. You’re hot. Damn, look at your abs and wow,” she swallowed hard before continuing, her eyes roaming over his body, leaving pure heat in her wake. “When did you get the tattoo? I heartily approve.” Smiling at him like a cat with a mouse in its sights, her eyes traced the lines of his sleeve tattoo up his arm and across his chest. “Can we have a no clothes rule in the house?”He choked in disbelief.

Toni Vincent’s last relationship ended with violence. Since then, she’s decided she’s better off without men. But when she finds her young seventeen year old neighbor, Nathan, unconscious and beaten, this is one man she can’t abandon. But helping Nathan means trusting Detective Brian Barnes, another man who hurt her in the past. It’s something she’s just not sure she can do.

Detective Brian Barnes has seen one too many criminals beat the system. He’s burned out and regretting a lot about his life. At the top of that list is how he dealt with Toni Vincent when he was wounded. At the time, he couldn't stand to look at himself, much less have someone he failed care for him. Now she needs his help and he refuses to fail her again. But keeping her alive requires keeping his heart out of it. Something not easy to do when trapped in a romantic mountain retreat, even if it is the safest place for Toni and her unexpected charge.

With danger around every corner, it’s hard to know who can be trusted, especially for three people who have been burned before. But they may just find the best family is the one not tied together by blood.
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Self care... do it.

Cover Reveal...When Love Surprises

I am so in love with this cover. It captures Billy and Steven perfectly.Cover Designer: AM Design StudiosPhotographer: Paul Henry SerresModels: Nicholas and Leonardo Bayne (real-life husbands)
This is a standalone male/male romantic suspense novel, although it is part of the overall When the Mission Ends series. Story Description Raised in a religious household, being gay was never an option for Steven, but when an injury left him incapacitated, he was forced to face those urges that he’s been able to ignore for the last thirty-eight years of his life...
Lost...
Three months ago, Major Steven Hardesty’s life sat on the precipice of perfection. Now he’s trying to come back from a life-threatening injury and a devastating romantic loss all while trying to figure out what he’s going to do after separating from the Air Force.
Alone...
Billy Starr never planned on running his family ranch by himself. He was supposed to be doing it with his sister, Whitney. But when she died in a freak accident, it sent his life in a tailspin of despair and alcohol.
Healing...
Steven and Billy were friends. Billy offered the ranch as a good, private place where Steven could recover, but as their friendship deepened, so did other feelings. Is it possible that a love affair between the two of them could heal them both? Or break them even more?
GOODREADS LINK
Preorder Information Releasing September 14th (This book will be available for preorder and I will update links here as they go live. They should all go live this weekend.) Amazon Barnes & Noble  iBooks
KOBO
Next week, I will share Five things about this book in my Friday Five, so stay tuned...
Have a great weekend, everyone!smiles,Christi

Throwback Thursday: Operation Endurance

The following excerpt was from Operation Endurance, the third book in the original When the Mission Ends trilogy that ended the Robertson family part of the saga. I knew from the very start that Chris had a difficult story, but I didn't realize until I started writing it just how messed up Julie was, too. 
Hands down, Operation Endurance was the hardest book I've ever written. I literally sobbed all the way through writing it. Both Chris and Julie were just so broken...but it made their HEA all that much sweeter. There have never been two characters more deserving of a happily ever after. I love them still.I may have to see if I can find some time over the next few months to revisit them...and all the Robertsons, just so we can catch up with where they're at now. Excerpt:
When he got back, Colton was standing there knocking again. “Her car’s still here.”Chris tried to get her key in the lock, but his hands were still too shaky from the night before. Colton took the key out of his hand. “I got it.” He quickly disengaged all the locks, but when he went to open the door, the chain was still holding the door closed.“Julie,” Chris called through the gap, but she didn’t respond.The brothers exchanged worried glances. “We have to get in there. She’s been really sick, Colton.”Colton stepped back and examined the door. “Okay, I think I can kick it in. Let me get some shoes on first though.” He ran back into Chris’s house while Chris leaned his head against the door, trying to see anything inside her house. He couldn’t see her. Why wasn’t she answering the door? With the chain engaged, she had to be in there, but the idea that she was too sick to even get to the door sent a chill of fear down Chris’s spine. She had to be okay.Suddenly, Colton tugged on his shoulder. “Stand back, so I can do this.” It took two kicks, but finally the wood on the door jamb splintered and Chris rushed into her house.Swinging his head to spot her, he frantically searched through her rooms, heading toward her bedroom. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted her bare legs on the floor on the other side of her bed. She was crumpled on the floor like she’d simply collapsed. He slid to her side, feeling for a pulse. It was there, but so weak. Her skin was flaming hot, but dry to the touch. Without even checking he could hear her breath rattling in her lungs. “Colton,” he yelled back toward the living room, “I found her. Go grab the keys to my truck. We have to get her to the emergency room.”“I’m on it,” Colton called as he ran back out of the house.Chris leaned down over Julie. “Julie, Butterfly, can you hear me? We’re gonna take you to the ER.” He gingerly reached under her and picked her up, but there wasn’t any sign of consciousness from her at all. His own pulse pounded in his ears as panic threatened to overwhelm him. She had to be okay. He pulled her tightly to his chest willing her to be okay.He strode out the front door and Colton was there with a handful of wallets, keys, and shoes.Colton’s eyes darted to Julie’s pale still form in Chris’s arms before he ran in front of Chris to open the passenger door of the truck for him.As Chris settled into the truck seat, he studied her translucent skin. She had a grey cast to her pallor, which scared him to death. Cradled in his arms, she felt and looked way too fragile to him. He brushed her hair off her forehead and brushed a kiss across it. She was so damn hot. Her fever was way too high.Colton started the truck, but they weren’t moving fast enough. “Hurry, Colt.”“I know, but it won’t do her any good if we get in a wreck on the way.”
Chris pulled her to his chest. This may be the last time he got to hold her like this. Panic surged through him. “Hang on, Butterfly. Just hang on. We’re gonna be there soon. You just have to hang on. You can’t leave me. I need you. Please, hang on, Julie.”
They had a single night of passion before he deployed on a risky mission.18 hours on a mission gone very wrong was all it took to shatter all their hopes and dreams.The Hero:He survived 6 months of captivity and torture, kept alive by dreams of her.The Heroine:She thought he was dead and moved on only to have her world fall apart once again.
Two people who have been hurt more than any two people should ever have to suffer. Can they find redemption and healing with each other or will another threat shatter what’s left of them?
A tortured hero.A grieving heroine.A serial rapist who won’t give up.

Warning: This book features graphic sexual violence which some readers could find disturbing. 

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Today vs. Tomorrow...