I’m so excited to have you here reading today! If it’s your first time, welcome, and if you’re returning, welcome back 🙂

My weekly Quirky Questions slots have grown and expanded, and in an attempt to reduce my workload, I’m moving them from the newsletter to solely here on the blog.

If you’ve come to this link through my newsletter – don’t panic! Once a month, I’ll drop all the links, plus I always share on social media when a new segment is live, or you can always bookmark the page and enjoy your author interviews with a coffee 🙂 Thank you for understanding!

This week I have exciting news, a cover reveal, blurb, and preorder link for Elliot and Thaddeus, plus all the beautiful covers from the upcoming MM Class of 22/23 giveaway, which goes live on the 5th of June – not long now!

In addition, I’m interviewing two authors I’ve read and enjoyed so much – I hope you’ll enjoy them too. So without further adieu, let’s get into the good stuff

BLOOD CURSES, SHADOW MONSTERS, A DEMON DOG, AND FATED MATES… WHO WILL COME OUT ON TOP?

#shifters #bloodcurse #magic #hollyoliver #mmromance #mmromanceauthor #loveislove #comingsoon #paranormalromance #fatedmates

Elliot and Thaddeus
Fated Fantasies #3

Elliot Greystone was having an ordinary, boring day when his life was forever changed in one terrifying and confusing moment. With the Array in his corner, Elliot clings to the hope that they can find answers, and maybe even a cure. But when he starts being affected by the blood curse that has bound him, he runs the risk of losing himself before any answers can be found, and the clock is ticking.

Can he rid himself of the curse before it’s too late?

Thaddeus is deep in the jungle, on a mission for Helena as usual, when he gets a call that will change the course of his life forever. He and his honey badger fight off a monster they’ve never encountered before and head home, where they find the real danger lies in wait.

Can Thaddeus use his skills to save the man he loves?

Join Elliot, Thaddeus and the Array as they search for answers, battle against themselves and realize there are darker forces at play.

COMING SOON, MM CLASS OF 22/23, DOWNLOAD ALL OF THESE BOOKS FOR FREE

 THE LINK WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM THE 5TH-18TH OF JUNE, SO WATCH THIS SPACE!

A.E MADSEN, BECCA JACKSON, BL JONES, CHLOE ARCHER, EVIE MCGLYNN, FELICITY SNOW, GIGI RIVERS, KIT BARRIE, KOTA QUINN, MADALYN GEORGE, MORGAN LYSAND, RORY MAXWELL, RS MACKENZIE, AND ME!

Katherine McIntyre is a feisty chick with a big attitude despite her short stature. She writes stories featuring snarky women, ragtag crews, and men with bad attitudes—high chance for a passionate speech thrown into the mix. As an eternal geek and tomboy who’s always stepped to her own beat, she’s made it her mission to write stories that represent the broad spectrum of people out there. Easily distracted by cats and sugar.

Katherine’s Quirky Questions

 Holly: Were you a reader as a child? What was your favorite book/author?

Katherine McIntyre: YES. I was shy and read HEAVILY, escaping into countless fantasy worlds. My favorites as a kid were Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles, Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness Quartet, Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, aaaaaand the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede…look, I can’t just pick one! I had a ton of others I enjoyed, but these I tended to reread frequently.

Holly: Which scene in this book was the most fun to write?

Katherine McIntyre: This is early on, so it’s not super spoilery, but I had the scene of the rope class at Whipped in my head for a long, long time before I ever started the book. One of the things I wanted to do early on was the expectation flip—Jasper going in thinking he’s a sub and discovering he’s a Dom, and vice versa, Matt thinking he’s a Dom and realizing he’s a sub. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful books that showcase how being a sub can help with processing trauma, but I really wanted one out there that showed how being a Dom, getting a chance to take control can actually help process trauma too! ALSO, I was incredibly excited to introduce Whipped, as it’s going to be the focus of my spinoff series, Leather and Lattes.

Holly: What’s your drink of choice?

Katherine McIntyre: Coffee! Always coffee. I drink regular brew every day, but I will say I adore going to coffee shops too. I worked at them for a decade, and so I adore a simple well-made cappuccino or latte.

Holly: If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?

Katherine McIntyre: So, Charisma Check is the last book in the series, which means no more sequels. But, there is a holiday novel coming later this year called Merry Critmas—which also includes a holiday D&D session! And then next year is going to launch a spinoff series set in San Francisco. We’re shifting gears to the kink café, Whipped! What that means? Plenty of hurt/comfort and found family feels, just like the Dungeons and Dating series—but just add a lot more kink….and depending on the book, some sharing too! It’s a found family that fucks together! If you liked the glimpse of Meg you got in Charisma Check, you’re in for a treat, because the crew at Whipped is so much fun.

Holly: What will I always find in your fridge?

Katherine McIntyre: Cheese? I always have cheese.

Holly: What pets are currently on your keyboard, and what are their names? Pictures?

Katherine McIntyre: We have four cats! Chrono, Trigger, Cross (Squish), and Smol/Sandal! The cats that are keyboard lurkers are Trigger and Smol, our super friendly boys!

Holly: What is the most meaningful thing a reader has said to you?

Katherine McIntyre: My most meaningful comments from readers all came from my Dungeons and Dating series, to be honest. Writing a mixed queer series was something I was unanimously told not to do, but I’m a bit of a rebel anyway. I think writing a series that reflected all different members of the queer community led to some of the most meaningful interactions for me. I had a few readers reach out who were thrilled to see characters like them in fiction—whether it was the first time they’d seen a non-binary lead in a romance with Mase or my butch bi chick with Tabby. I wanted a series out there that represented my personal experience in the queer community, where we’re not neatly placed in boxes or categories, and I’m so thrilled that there were people out there who resonated with that too.

Never fall for the straight guy—Jasper knows better. At least until his straight guy crush starts crushing back…

Jasper Tanaka has made an art form out of avoiding commitment. Which is why his crush on a nearby café owner, Matt, has been perfect—the guy is straight, vanilla, and far too sweet—everything that puts him out of Jasper’s reach.

Matt Reed’s always been unlucky in love, never enough for his partners. And when his most recent girlfriend dumps him, he decides to take a chance on something new—a rope class. Lucky for him, Jasper’s there, and their time together sparks an attraction that both surprises and captivates Matt.

When a developer’s offer threatens to shut Tabletop Tavern down, Jasper’s grasping for any distraction possible—and Matt offers the perfect one. Except the intense feelings between become far too real, and if Matt decides this was just a curiosity, Jasper won’t survive the loss of the one guy he’s let in and the only home he’s ever known.

Katherine’s Follow Me Links:

Facebook Reader Group: 
Facebook Page:

or

Twitter: @PixieRants
TikTok: @kmcintyremt
Instagram: @authorkmcintyre/

Scarlet writes heart-felt, passionate, soulmates m/m romance. Her characters are real and flawed. She deals with dark themes unflinchingly and takes her heroes on a voyage of self-discovery to love.
You will get trauma. You will get heartbreak. You will get a HEA. Always.

Scarlet’s Quirky Questions

Holly: If you could be an animal for a day what would it be and why?

Scarlet Blackwell: I would be a cat! They are magnificent creatures and those lucky enough to have a pampered home have great lives. Also, all that sleeping you get to do.

Holly: If you had to write yourself a warning label what would it say?

Scarlet Blackwell: Sarcastic, cynical and big-mouthed. Approach with caution.

Holly: What’s your favorite underappreciated novel, yours, or someone else’s.

Scarlet Blackwell: My favourite underappreciated novel of mine is Beached Hearts. It’s a romance set in Ireland between a local cop and an American marine biologist who’s come to autopsy a washed up whale. I loved this book, but unfortunately, other people didn’t.

Holly: What’s your writing process like?

Scarlet Blackwell: Chaotic! I start with a vague idea, attempt to brainstorm, then write it chapter by chapter, stopping as I run out of ideas. If I’m lucky, I have the end in my mind when I start, but not usually. I can’t manage to work on one project at a time and usually have multiple books on the go in various stages of writing, editing and publishing. I also have copious notebooks and notes.

Holly: What one book have you written that you think best shows off your writing style? Why?

Scarlet Blackwell: I wrote a book called I Am Fallen a while ago, which is currently only available in Italian. It’s my favourite book of mine, but it’s vastly different from anything I’ve written before. I believe it showcases my range as a writer and it’s guaranteed to make you cry.

Holly: What comes first for you, plot, or characters?

Scarlet Blackwell: Plot. The story starts life as “a guy meets another guy, then…”

Holly: What’s your favorite thing to do to relax?

Scarlet Blackwell: Reading, hands down. I can escape to another world for a while.

Holly: Explain your book terribly in a few words. (For example two men meet and hate each other, until they don’t)

Scarlet Blackwell: Shy cop gives rent boy money for sex. Some terrible things happen and people get killed. Much awfulness occurs. I somehow put it all back together in the end.

Holly: Tell me three reasons I should buy this book today!

Scarlet Blackwell: It will make you feel.  It will plunge you into the depths of heartbreak and despair, only to lift you up to the sweetest ending. It contains all the m/m heat and spice you need.

Blurb

The man I see in the mirror now wears nice suits and has an expensive haircut. I like to think he doesn’t look like a whore, but then I never study his eyes too closely. I can’t bear to.
Morgan Martin is a high class rent boy with a dark past. No kissing on the mouth is his cardinal rule and he sticks to it.
Logan Madden is his new client, a man with touch and trust issues, bringing his own past traumas to a bed that’s soon awash with guilt and memories as well as explosive passion.
And he’s a cop.
Against his better judgment, Morgan takes him on. Things soon become complicated. Rules are made to be broken and soon the two of them are falling deep into something neither of them can control.
I want to ask him to be something he was never supposed to be.
Morgan isn’t free to be with anyone. He’s in thrall to the gangster who runs Moonlight Cove, the man who hurts him and beats him, and demands his utter loyalty. Keeping this from Logan becomes harder and harder until all their lives are shattered by fall out no one could have predicted.

Possible Spoilers:
Themes: hurt/comfort, angst, crime
Genre: Dark, gritty contemporary crime romance
Warnings: Violence and strong language. Sexual scenes. See front of book or author’s social media for more.

Teaser

It’s Tuesday night. I’m sitting in the bar of the Seaview hotel in Moonlight Cove. It’s an upmarket place, expensive, but I know the manager, Michael, and he lets me rent a room by the hour. For favors obviously. I think he’s half in love with me and I try not to encourage him, but what can a man do?

Tonight, I’m meeting a man named Logan. He found me via my website as most people do these days, now I’ve reinvented myself as high-class after years of hanging around on street corners as the lowest kind of rent boy. My website is tasteful—no naked shots or anything as crass as cock size or prices.

I’m not choosy about being with men or women. The women are harder to please than the men. I always seem to get the ones who can’t come during penetrative sex. Maybe that’s why they visit me, seeing as my oral skills are legendary. I’ve never sent a woman home without an orgasm and I’ve had ladies crying in gratitude on their way out the door because they’ve never come in their lives before. That’s quite a satisfying part of the job I can tell you.

As for men, well, I like men. I like to get fucked by men, but men are selfish creatures not looking to please the guy they just paid to get them off. And why should they? It’s all about them after all. I’m there to provide the service.

Logan sounded nervous and hesitant on the phone yesterday. At my most professional, I took charge of the situation, telling him I would meet him in the bar at this hotel. I told him we would have a drink, and then go up to the room if that was okay with him. He agreed and then I ran through a list of prices and asked him what he wanted.

He was silent for a long time and then finally he said, in the lowest voice, “I don’t know.”

I formed a mental image of him. Either a married guy in his thirties, or a very young virgin with no sexual experience at all, trying to come to terms with the fact he was gay. He didn’t sound that young though. Either way, it sounded like a nice easy night for me. Nothing to place too much pressure on me.

“That’s okay,” I reassured him. “Is it likely to be anything not on that list?”

“No.”

“All right. Then we’ll discuss it in further detail when we meet. What’s your name by the way?”

“Logan.”

“Okay, Logan, I’ll see you on Tuesday. Looking forward to it.”

I’m sitting at the bar with a vodka, eyeing the door, when a man walks into the room and my glance turns to a stare. Holy fuck. He’s maybe in his late thirties and tall, perhaps six feet two, and all muscle, his biceps straining the smart black shirt he wears. His black hair is pushed back from his pale face with styling products and gleams under the lights. He’s handsome as all holy hell and I can’t take my eyes off him. Neither can some of the other patrons in the bar.

 He pauses and looks around for a moment, and it feels like my heart jumps into my mouth. I really can’t be so lucky, can I?

Then his gaze focuses on me and he starts to walk toward me and, oh my God, my cock actually twitches. No, surely not? Oh my God, yes! Fucking yes!

I swallow, wipe my damp palms on my pants and smile as he reaches me. “Logan?” I try not to stare, try not to let him see how hot I find him.

He nods. His smile is tight, his teeth kept prisoner behind his lips. He holds out a hand. It’s larger than mine and I feel the power of his body in his handshake. I feel arousal too. My cock starts to harden. Fuck.

He slides onto the stool next to me and stares straight ahead, rather than looking at me.

“What can I get you?” I ask.

“Jack and Coke.”

“Same again for me.” I gesture to the barkeep with my empty glass. He nods. He’s used to seeing me sitting here with different people every day. He never comments. He starts to pour me another vodka.

My client’s body is held so stiffly in his seat he must be hurting. The tension radiating from him in palpable.

“Have you come far tonight?” I don’t particularly like the small talk. I don’t want to find out about my client’s life because they will then become real to me and I’d rather they weren’t. I have to keep something of myself apart from this job.

“Laguna,” he says without looking at me.

“Not too far then.”

The barkeep places our drinks in front of us. Both of us take a gulp at the same time.

“What do you do for a living?” I don’t give a fuck what he does. I want him upstairs in that room and I want to earn my money and go home. However, with him looking the way he does, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be too much of a chore. Maybe this talking is a nice form of foreplay.

He glances at me then and his eyes are an odd color, like honey, with tinges of green and amber, fringed with dense lashes. They change color when he turns his head to the light. God, he’s absolutely beautiful. Why the hell does a man like him need to come to a man like me? This kind of client comes once in a lifetime, no pun intended.

“I can’t really tell you that,” he says.

Alarm bells go off in my mind. “If you’re in any kind of law enforcement, you need to turn around and walk back out of here.” My tone is sharp. “I haven’t entered into any sort of contract with you and I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Logan gives a sigh. He folds his hands together on the bar, his knuckles white. “Okay, I’m a cop.” I slide from the stool. He reaches out, grips my wrist. “Don’t. I’m not here to arrest you. When we go up to the room, you can check I’m not wearing a wire and I’m not carrying my badge or my gun.”

I heave a breath, still poised to flee. “This is fucked up.” I grab my drink and down half of it. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

He swallows and turns to look forward again, watching me in the mirror behind the bar.

Realizing he’s not going to answer, I try again. “How can I trust you?” But even as I say the words, I’m thinking of Logan in uniform. To say I have a fetish is an understatement. I’ve been arrested for soliciting a couple of times, and honestly, they were the hottest moments of my life, to be handcuffed and manhandled by a cop. My eyes have probably gone glassy at the memory. I’ve never fucked a cop and I’ve always wanted to.

“How can I trust you?” he replies and our eyes meet. “It works both ways.”

“What’s your full name?”

“Logan Madden.”

“And that’s your real name? Logan Madden?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re on the force in Laguna Beach?”

“Yes. There. I’m not much of a threat to you now, am I? You could ruin me. Sit down.”

I slide back onto my stool and look at him skeptically. I wonder why he would want to give me so much information. But I feel reassured by his honesty. Sometimes my trouble is I trust people too well. Which is usually when I end up getting really hurt in my line of work. This nervous and apparently shy man could probably snap me in half like a twig. I’m an idiot for even still thinking of seeing this through. Am I really going to go up to that room with him?

I finish my drink and the alcohol swarms through my veins. Too strong and too much. I like to drink, I can’t lie, but I usually restrict it before work. It isn’t professional to attempt to please someone when drunk. However, on the times I only have to lie there and provide a hole, the alcohol is quite welcome. He’s finishing his drink a little slower than me. The silence between us is awkward. Am I going to do it? Yes, I fucking am. I want him and I’m going to get paid for the privilege.

“Shall we?”

He nods and downs the rest of his drink in one. We slide together from our stools and he follows me out of the bar.

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NEW IN MM ROMANCE THIS WEEK!

THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS PREGNANCY
BY EDIE MONTE (AKA EDIE MONTREUX)

Not all monsters are under the bed. The good ones are in it.
Human Punky Bell thinks he’s stopping by his parents’ house for his birth certificate. Instead, he’s tossed into a windowless van with a smexy stranger and hurtled to another dimension where the van becomes a dire weasel, and his abductor is a lizard/human hybrid.
Punky soon discovers he’s not so human after all. He’s a kobold omega.
Kobold alpha Lark has waited for his mate for a year, but he never expected to meet him on a changeling recovery mission. Now that he’s seen Punky, he can’t stop thinking about him. It’s too bad the strongest alpha wants Punky for himself.
With more than their mating future at stake, it’s up to Punky and Lark to challenge their mortal enemy and save their kind.

The Monster at the End of This Pregnancy is a knotty M/M Mpreg romance featuring an omega who isn’t as human as he thinks, an alpha with the future of his kind resting on his shoulders, a jerk trying to separate fated mates, grumpy/sunshine snark, eggpreg spice, nesting, true love, fated mates, adorable babies, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

If you’re interested in a teaser from Elliot and Thaddeus or any of my other books for that matter you’ll find them all in the BOOKS section of the website 🙂 

I’m so excited to be planning my 1-year publiversary and am hard at work on both the next Fated Fantasies and a short for an anthology I’m participating in coming out in July – so stay tuned, thanks for being part of my incredible journey.

I hope to see you all here again next week, and until then…

Find a Spark of Magic Every day