PROMO: {SURPRISE SALE & AUDIBLE RELEASE} Dissident by Cecilia London

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“I will always be with you…”

Rising Democratic star Caroline Gerard hasn’t had an easy year. After losing her husband, she is raising two small children alone while trying to navigate the tricky and sometimes shallow halls on Capitol Hill. A string of nasty speeches has her scrambling to apologize to any number of candidates, including newly elected Republican Jack McIntyre. Falling in love again is the last thing on her mind.
Jack McIntyre might have a reputation as a playboy, but he has his sights set solely on his new colleague. Can he break through Caroline’s grief and capture her heart?

Told mostly in flashback and set against a chilling fascist backdrop, Dissident is a rollercoaster ride of political intrigue, passionate contemporary romance, and undying love.

 For readers 18+. Ends in a cliffhanger. The first part in a six book saga.

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Cecilia London is the pen name of a native Illinoisan currently living in San Antonio, Texas. She's filled several roles over the course of her adult life - licensed attorney, wrangler of small children, and obsessed baseball fan, among others. An extroverted introvert with a serious social media addiction, she is the author of The Bellator Saga, an epic, genre-crossing romance series. You can catch all of her quirky updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or at her website.

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...Just so you know, I FLOVE this series!!! What better time to meet Jack and Caroline, right??? Enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

REVIEW: Wound Tight (Made in Jersey, Book 4) by Tessa Bailey

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Blurb

A sexy new M/M romance from New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey

When CEO Renner Bastion walks into a room, everyone keeps their distance. Well, everyone but the sarcastic, tattooed, Boston-bred security guard whose presence has kept Renner in New Jersey longer than intended. As if the unwanted attraction isn’t unsettling enough, Renner finds out his protector isn’t as unavailable as originally thought.

Milo Bautista just came out to his wealthy, ultra-confident boss, a man he secretly respects and admires…in more ways than he’ll admit. Worldly, experienced Renner would never look in his direction, let alone share some of that confidence he wears like a cloak, so Milo has set his sights on someone else to be his first.

Until Renner offers him private lessons in seduction...

Review

RATING:

If I could put this succinctly, it would be this...

Tessa + M/M =

This is Tessa we're talking after all, who in my book, is the queen of dirty talk. Mix in M/M and what you get is this. Simply delicious and panty-melting! Yes, I went there! Like I said, you're talking about a woman who has mastered the art of the dirty talk.

If you're a fan of this series like me, you'd have met Renner briefly by the second book. I haven't gotten to the third yet but I believe he had a slightly bigger role there. No matter, this is a standalone, you'll be fine.

Renner is the boss and Milo is the employee. Milo has a long way to go learning and understanding his sexual identity. Renner has the experience. What started out as a shaky agreement between these two turned into a yummy story of learning one's self and trusting one's own feelings.

Renner has quite a gruff exterior but there's a reason for that. And somehow, whether Milo knew why or not, he managed to see through that anyway. Milo is so quick-witted, he cracks me up with his thoughts. I love the way he called Renner out on his sh!t and the way he tried to take care of Renner, it's adorable. And Renner, I love how he was so unsettled by Milo. Milo was like a bull in Renner's china store, so to speak. HAH! Renner has these doubts that he hides well but oh boy, when he takes charge, HOT DANG!!!

For a Brazen read, this is one of the hottest I've read! Actually, this is one of the hottest I've read, period! And for realz, beyond the heat factor, you get a story of self-discovery, of tender emotions, of friendship, and of love. 

I've been with this series right from the beginning, and to see it conclude like this, it's like going out with a bang! I will miss this series, for sure. O wait, I still have to read Duke's story, so maybe not quite yet for me at least, yay! Oh, which also means then that I can re-read this just to convince myself I've read in sequence! Pffft, as if I need an excuse to re-read this *g*

Check out the rest of the series!

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Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

REVIEW: Glass Tidings by Amy Jo Cousins

Amazon || Smashwords || Publisher

Blurb

Eddie Rodrigues doesn’t stay in one place long enough to get attached. The only time he broke that rule, things went south fast. Now he’s on the road again, with barely enough cash in his pocket to hop a bus south after his (sort-of-stolen) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Midwest, USA.

He’s fine. He’ll manage. Until he watches that girl get hit by a car and left to die.

Local shop owner Grayson Croft isn’t in the habit of doing people any favors. But even a recluse can’t avoid everyone in a town as small as Clear Lake. And when the cop who played Juliet to your Romeo in the high school play asks you to put up her key witness for the night, you say yes.

Now Gray’s got a grouchy glass artist stomping around his big, empty house, and it turns out that he . . . maybe . . . kind of . . . likes the company.

But Eddie Rodrigues never sticks around.

Unless a Christmas shop owner who hates the season can show an orphan what it means to have family for the holidays.

 

Review

RATING:

Confession #7 of a bookhoarder and bookblogger: I tend to request/receive ARCs from authors whose previous books I own but haven't read. (I know, I know... SMH) 

PRO: Obviously there's a reason why I bought their books so it makes me quite excited to start the ARC and when I do end up liking it, I'm doubly excited to get to the author's backlist, if/when I get to it
CON: If I don't end up liking the ARC, then I'm stuck with all those books I've paid for which I won't likely end up reading (and sadly, Amazon Canada has no lending feature)

There is a method to my madness, buried in there somewhere... I think...

Lucky for me, for a first Amy Jo read for me, this is quite a treat! Amy, whose older books I own but haven't read, fortunately, gave me a nice holiday story that has some meat to it. YAY!!!

When I requested this, knowing it's a holiday read, I thought I was gonna get an easy light read that's all gonna be just gooey right for the holidays. It was an easy read but I got so much more out of it.

Eddie was just passing town until he inadvertently became a witness to a crime. Gray just happened to be friend of the town cop who inadvertently had to act as temporary host to Eddie until his friend sorted things out. Neither one wanting to be at the position they found themselves in, but they didn't have a choice. Ok, yes they did, but as good people, they understood there was only one right choice.

Begrudgingly, they started their temporary arrangement. And I guess it's what they both needed. As they get to learn more about each other, it seems there's an attraction there. And they actually like each other, whether they admit it or not. But they're at different stages in their lives. How do you reconcile that?

Eddie and Gray's interactions have such a delicious bite to them. Their individual sense of humor is nuanced that it produced interesting dialogues. Their individual pasts shaped the kind of men they are, and I understood the fears behind their concerns. How their feelings grew felt honest. It was sweet to see how these two seemingly opposite personalities complemented each other in a way they needed.

For an easy read, the characters are quite layered. The story moved naturally and nothing felt disingenuous. For a holiday read, it's heartwarming beyond the usual holiday fanfare. It's got depth that didn't weigh down the holiday spirit, but rather, it enhanced the feelings that a holiday read is meant to evoke. My only wish was that this was a tad longer. I know I would have been even happier if each of their pasts was explored more which would have provided more complexity to their emotions, but I get it. Then, it may have been too heavy a read for the holidays. 

Regardless, I'm glad I got the opportunity to read this. Now, I can look more forward to Amy Jo's other books in my TBR.

Now if only I could multitask books...

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

BLOG TOUR: A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole

Amazon US

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Amazon CA

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Kobo

iBooks

To most people, princes, princesses, counts and dukes are found only in the pages of the most famous of fairytales. Crowns, priceless jewels and gilded thrones belong only in childhood dreams.

But for some, these frivolous fancies are truth.
For some, they are real life.
On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, people have always treated me as someone special. All because of my ancestral name and legacy. All because of a connection I share to our home country’s most important family of all.
I am Caresa Acardi, the Duchessa di Parma. A blue blood of Italy. I was born to marry well. And now the marriage date is set.
I am to marry into House Savona. The family that would have been the royals had Italy not abolished the monarchy in 1946. But to the aristocrats of my home, the abolition means nothing at all.
The Savonas still hold power where it counts most.
In our tight-knit world of money, status and masked balls, they are everything and more.
And I am soon to become one of them.
I am soon to become Prince Zeno Savona’s wife…
… or at least I was, until I met Achille.
And everything changed.

REVIEW

RATING:

This is a love story… le sigh…

Let me say now that I’m a huge Tillie fan. Interestingly enough, I’ve only read her dark romance. So this is almost like meeting a new Tillie for me, how about that! And I’ve come to the conclusion that I love this side of Tillie just as much.

This is the stuff of romance, the stuff of star-crossed lovers, and the stuff of everything tender and sweet and touching that you look for in a love story. Caresa was already betrothed by the time she met Achille. As they spent more time together, they both realize that they’re more connected than they want to admit. They’re passionate about the same things. And despite Caresa’s situation, they fell in love nonetheless… le sigh… The heart wants what the heart wants after all…

While I felt it moved slow in the beginning, in time I realize it contributed nicely to the build up. In time, I got to witness how they slowly became part of each others’ lives and how they became to matter more and more to each other. And the world that Tillie built in my head, the details she gave me about everything, it all added to the experience.

Caresa inhabits a different stratum of society that most of us only get to read in Hello! magazine. It’s the ultimate lifestyle of the rich and famous, or I should say the real story behind the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Regardless, I think Tillie managed to “humanize” her so that I understood her hopes, desires and worries. And to get Achille the way she got him and to care for the business the way she did show me a woman who’s got the awareness bigger than herself. And before you crucify her for anything, know that everything makes sense, and everything’s in its place. At least it was for me…

Now, as much as I liked Caresa, what really sealed the deal for me is Achille (surprise, surprise!). Every time I think of him, my heart gets this squishy sensation. I could just hug him forever. Outside of the vineyard, he just had his father then he didn’t. It was a lonely existence but something that felt acceptable to him until he met Caresa.  And as you get to know him more, you realize he has more challenges than what you see on the surface. His wants and needs cannot be anymore simple, but it’s the kind of simple that anyone can easily desire because really, at the end of the day, when you remove the trappings of life, it’s these simple needs that truly count. I felt delight as he felt it, I cried when he cried, and my heart swelled as he expressed his love. Oh Achille…

What I also love about this is the setting that Tillie made come alive in my head. Not that it takes much for me, considering how in love I am with the country (who isn’t, right?). As it is, it’s a place that I can keep revisiting… le sigh…

As if I need more reason to love Tillie… le sigh…

 

Caresa

As my papa’s G5 began its descent, I looked out of the window beside me and waited for the plane to break through the clouds. I held my breath, body tense, then suddenly the burnt-orange remnants of daylight flooded the plane, bathing the interior with a soft, golden glow. I inhaled deeply. Italia.
Fields and fields of green and yellow created a patchwork quilt below, rolling hills and crystal-blue lakes stretching as far the eye could see. I smiled as a sense of warmth ran through me.
It was the most beautiful place on earth.
Sitting back in my wide cream leather chair, I closed my eyes and tried to prepare myself for what was coming. I was flying to Florence airport, from where I would be swiftly taken to the Palazzo Savona estate just outside of the city.
I would meet Prince Zeno.
I had met him twice before—once when I was four, of which I had no memory, and again when I was ten. The interaction we’d had as children had been brief. If I was being honest, I had found Zeno to be arrogant and rude. He had been thirteen at the time and not at all interested in meeting a ten-year-old girl from America.
Neither of us had known at the time that that our betrothal had been agreed upon two years prior. It turned out that the trip my papa had taken to Umbria when I was eight was to secure a forever-bond between the Savonas and the Acardis. King Santo and my father had planned for their only children to marry. They were already joined in business; Zeno’s arranged marriage to me would also strengthen both families’ place in society.
I thought back on my New York farewell of nine hours ago and sighed. My parents had driven me to the private hangar and said their goodbyes. My mama cried—her only child was leaving her for a new life. My papa, although sad to see me go, beamed at me with the utmost pride. He had held me close and whispered, “I have never been more proud of you than I am right now, Caresa. Savona Wines’ stock has plummeted since Santo’s death. This union will reassure all the shareholders that our business is still strong. That we are still a stable company with Zeno at the helm.”
I had given him a tight smile and boarded the plane with a promise that they would see me before the wedding. And that had been that.
I was to marry Zeno, and I hadn’t protested even once. I imagined to most modern-day women living in New York, the process of arranged marriages sounded positively medieval, even barbaric. For a blue blood, it was simply a part of life.
King Santo Savona died two months ago. The shareholders of his many Italian vineyards, the stakeholders in Savona Wines, had expected his son, Zeno, to immediately step up and take charge. Instead, Zeno had plunged himself into the party scene even harder than before—and that was quite a feat. Within weeks my papa had flown out to Umbria to see what could be done.
The answer: our imminent union.

One winner gets a Signed Copy of A Veil of Vines + Limited-Edition The Future Mrs. Marchesi T-Shirt

Enter HERE

Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.

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Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

REVIEW: Hard Compromise (Compromise Me, Book 2) by Samanthe Beck

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Blurb

Laurie Peterson assumes her impulsive one-night stand with sinfully sexy Sheriff Ethan Booker is the biggest surprise of the year…until her bakery burns down while she’s basking in the afterglow. It looks like her dreams are up in smoke, but then Ethan proposes a deal too tempting to resist.

Ethan has no intention of settling for a one-night stand with Laurie. Nor does he want anything to do with the women his wealthy family wants him to meet. Not when he’s waited ten years for his chance to make his move. His deal might have strings—and Laurie may not know the stakes—but nothing will stop this sexy cop from staking a real claim on her body and her heart.

Review

RATING:

Outside of this Samanthe book, I've only read Compromising Her Position, the first stand-alone book in this series. With that book, I knew she will be one of those authors I can return to for my Brazen reads. So here I am again, and yup, Samanthe is definitely a repeater for me☺

Not that this has to do with anything, but I just thought I’d mention it. If you’ve read the first book, you’d have met Laurie briefly. Call me slow, I actually didn’t put 2 and 2 together until almost halfway thru that this is the same Laurie. HAH! I forgot, ok? The friend who I thought showed spunk now gets her own story, yay!

Laurie and Booker’s first meeting occurred when Laurie was just 16. It was brief but memorable enough for both that a promise, sort of, was uttered inadvertently. Fast forward 10 years later, from that first meeting, intent was then delivered.

Booker is just too delish for words! With the dirty-talkin’ mouth of his, he def knows how to set me Laurie on fire. He’s so protective of Laurie and just really down-to-earth when it comes to his values. Laurie, has a lot of sharp edges due to her upbringing. Can’t really blame the gal now, can ya? And she did her best to be more aware of her triggers. But she’s a good person.

While this is not necessarily a new story and while I totally didn't get the pull from that one meeting 10 years ago which set them on this path, I was more than ok with it. I really liked this, and by this, I mean primarily Booker hehe... Laurie and Booker together done Brazen way with Samanthe signature means SMOKIN'!!! I'll leave it at that*g*

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

RELEASE BLITZ: All in Fear by KJ Charles, Roan Parrish, JA Rock, Steve Berman, Avon Gale & Kris Ripper

Want something a bit different for the holidays? Horror has never looked this enticing! New release, All in Fear, is a gorgeous collection of horror tales from some of the hottest names in queer fiction. Be prepared to be titillated...and terrified.

All in Fear

By KJ Charles, Roan Parrish, J.A. Rock, 

Steve Berman, Avon Gale, and Kris Ripper

Horror wears many faces, and its masks can be tantalizing. Some of the top names in queer fiction come together to spin their own versions of horror. Worlds rife with dark beauty and mystery, the familiar becoming terrible, creatures ethereal and alluring—and all bearing the gleam of love. Does hope lie along these grim passages or only doom? It will become clear. All in time—and all in fear.


Company by Roan Parrish

Nick Levy’s family is falling apart and he has no friends, but at least he can escape into the world of his favorite comic book series, The Face of the Vampire. Naturally, when the vampire in question shows up one day, Nick is enthralled. After all, what could be better than his own personal fantasy made real? Except that Nick isn’t exactly sure whether Michel is real or not. And when the arrival of a new boy in school promises romance, Nick sees a side of Michel he never could have imagined. This Michel is cruel, jealous . . . and he’ll do anything to keep Nick for himself.

Love Me True by Kris Ripper
Palmer's life is as good as it gets. Well, okay, so he hates his mind-numbing office job. But he's found a hot, smart, incredibly kinky guy. The sex is explosive. The power play is off the hook. And if he gets his way, Jon will soon be his husband.

When Palmer asks, Jon says yes. For the first time ever, Palmer thinks things might be really good. Sure, bad things happen in the world—to other people. But this is all he needs: Jon at the end of the day, in their bed, arms around him.

How could he have possibly been so stupid?

The Price of Meat by KJ Charles

Johanna Oakley will do anything to save her beloved Arabella from the cruelty of Mr Fogg’s madhouse—but ‘anything’ turns out to be more than she bargained for when she finds herself working for a man suspected of worse than murder. As Johanna is plunged from the horror of Sawney Reynard’s barber shop into the foul, lawless labyrinth at the heart of London, can she or anyone get out alive?

His Mouth Will Taste of Chernobyl by Steve Berman

Joining Zeta Psi isn’t Steve’s dream, it’s his dad’s. Nevertheless his dad’s gift of the mysterious Bailey flask gets Steve an in to the frat house, and maybe his best shot at being accepted on campus. But the flask’s silver sheen may only be lighting his way into the darkness at the heart of the frat—and the darkness he’s learning is within himself. Steve wants to choose who he is, but choices are dropping like flies as he learns the true mystery of the Bailey flask. How does he give back a gift that’s also a curse?

Legion: A Love Story by Avon Gale

STAFF SERGEANT JASON ESSEX, YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING ORDERS FROM THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS:

REPORT TO: CAIN INSTITUTE [ADDRESS REDACTED]

ACTIVE DUTY COMMITMENT: GUARD AN ENTITY CURRENTLY HELD IN AN ENCLOSURE AT THE CAIN INSTITUTE. RECORD DAILY MEASUREMENTS. KEEP ANY AND ALL PERSONS FROM ENTERING OR LEAVING THE FACILITY. ENSURE THE ENTITY REMAINS COMPLETELY INCARCERATED. OBSERVE THE ENTITY WITHOUT ENGAGING.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS: THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN FULL ISOLATION. PLEASE BE ADVISED.

Beauties by J.A. Rock

When Dr. Lester Usole attends an event at AI developer Carnificiality, he’s introduced to Beauties: artificial beings designed to provide tailored sexual experiences for their human owners. Lester isn’t interested in sex—but he is fascinated by Ira, a Beauty too violent to be sold.

Lester convinces Carnificiality to give Ira to him. Lester has always wanted the chance to work with an adult AI, and around Lester, Ira isn’t violent. He’s strangely innocent, uncannily perceptive, and his company does much to ease Lester’s loneliness. Except something’s not quite right: Ira roams at night, even when Lester’s sure he’s locked Ira’s door.

Soon Lester is certain of only one thing: Ira has a secret. Something that will link their pasts and change the course of their future—if Lester is willing to face what’s on the inside.

Learn more on Goodreads.

Order it now: Publisher’s Site | Amazon | B&N | ARe | Apple | Kobo

“An engaging anthology of queer fiction filled with monsters, mysteries, and menace.” — Kirkus Reviews

About the Authors:

Steve Berman

Steve Berman loves to tell stories that are both queer and weird. He was a Zeta Psi back in his college days at and remembers being hazed. He survived and graduated and even earned a Masters Degree in Liberal Studies. He has written and sold over a hundred articles, essays, and short stories. His YA novel, Vintage, was a finalist for the Andre Norton Award.

Website: www.steveberman.com


KJ Charles

KJ Charles is a writer and freelance editor. She lives in London with her husband, two kids, and a cat with murder management issues. KJ writes mostly historical romance, mostly queer, often with fantasy or horror in there.

Find her on Twitter @kj_charles, pick up book info and free reads on her website at kjcharleswriter.com, get the infrequent newsletter at kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter, or join her Facebook group, KJ Charles Chat, for sneak peeks and exclusives.


Avon Gale

Avon Gale wrote her first story at the age of seven, about a “Space Hat” hanging on a rack and waiting for that special person to come along and purchase it — even if it was a bit weirder than the other, more normal hats. Like all of Avon’s characters, the space hat did get its happily ever after — though she’s pretty sure it was with a unicorn. She likes to think her vocabulary has improved since then, but the theme of quirky people waiting for their perfect match is still one of her favorites.

Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert and will never say no to candy.

At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.

Connect with Avon:

Website: www.avongalewrites.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/avongalewrites
Twitter: @avongalewrites
Sign up for Avon’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bOXXp9
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/14237686.Avon_Gale


Roan Parrish

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.

When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Sign up for her Newsletter to receive updates about new releases, works-in-progress, and bonus materials like sneak peeks and extra scenes! eepurl.com/bmJUbr

Website: www.roanparrish.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/roanparrish

Twitter: @RoanParrish
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ARoanParrish
Instagram: www.instagram.com/roanparrish


Kris Ripper

Kris Ripper lives in the great state of California and hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kris shares a converted garage with a little kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Kris is genderqueer and prefers the z-based pronouns because they’re freaking sweet. Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.

Links:
The site: krisripper.com

The Facebook group: Ripper's Irregulars: https://www.facebook.com/groups/405062456366636/
The Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SmutTasticKris


J.A. Rock

J.A. Rock is the author or coauthor of over twenty LGBTQ romance, suspense, and horror novels, as well as an occasional contributor to HuffPo Queer Voices. J.A. has received Lambda Literary and INDIEFAB Award nominations for Minotaur, and The Subs Club received the 2016 National Leather Association-International Pauline Reage Novel Award. J.A. lives in Chicago with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Website: www.jarockauthor.comhttp://www.jarockauthor.com/
Blog: http://jarockauthor.blogspot.comhttp://jarockauthor.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jarockauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ja.rock.39

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie