Friday, February 26, 2016

Finicky Friday - Ice Cream Bread


Hey everyone, I thought it would be cool to post some recipes I had found online. I'm going to *try* to do some of these beforehand, but I'm sure there'll be times I won't. I'm going to call this Finicky Friday. :)





Yield: About 16 Dip Cups

For Dip:
1 pint (2 cups) Melted Ice Cream (You can use any ice cream! Low-fat & dairy-free ice cream do not work as well)
1 1/4 cup Self Rising Flour

Optional:
1/4 cup Rainbow Sprinkles
1/4 cup Chocolate Chips


Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F/ 175˚C.
2. Combine melted ice cream and self rising flour. Mix until well combined
3. Add any additional sprinkles, chocolate chips, or goodies to the batter.
4. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with a non-stick spray.
5. Pour batter into a loaf pan (dimensions: 6"Wx11"Dx2.88"H ) and spread evenly.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes. (Baking times and temperatures may vary from oven to oven)
6. Allow to cool fully before cutting.
7. Enjoy the easiest bread ever!

For Bread:

1 pint (2 cups) Melted Ice Cream (You can use any ice cream! Low­fat & dairy­ free ice

cream do not work well)

1 1/4 cup Self Rising Flour

Optional:

1/4 cup Rainbow Sprinkles

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 ̊F/ 175 ̊C.

2. Combine melted ice cream and self rising flour. Mix until well combined

3. Add any additional sprinkles, chocolate chips, or goodies to the batter.

4. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with a non­stick spray.

5. Pour batter into a loaf pan (dimensions: 6"Wx11"Dx2.88"H ) and spread evenly.

6. Bake for 35­40 minutes. (Baking times and temperatures may vary from oven to oven)

7. Allow to cool fully before cutting.

8. Enjoy the easiest bread ever!





Tuesday, February 23, 2016

25% off at Dreamspinner - Feb 23-26!



Dreamspinner is having a 25% off on everything from Feb 23-26. That means all my books are marked down: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/ma-church

WHOOT!

Friday, February 19, 2016

His Favorite Color Is Blood: Coffin Nails MC(Sex & Mayhem #8) by K.A. Merikan - Review





His Favorite Color Is Blood: Coffin Nails MC(Sex & Mayhem #8)
by K.A. Merikan


5 stars

First off let me say I’m a fan of these two ladies. What I like so much about them is their ability to dip into the darker side of things without turning me off. I’ve read all the books in this series, and this was the one I’d been waiting on.
Before I go any farther, let me say this—read the warning in the blurb. Don’t skim over it, and don’t ignore it because it tells you exactly what you’re getting into. This is dark. This is bloody. It’s even scary, psychologically speaking. If you’re looking for fluff, this most certainly is not it.
You’ve been warned. o.0


So, Grim is my favorite in this series. He’s twisted, he’s dark, and if he was ever tested, I’d say he was most likely a psychopath. He’s not actually part of the Coffin Nails MC, but the biker gang does call on him to do ‘jobs’. Grim’s a killer… and he enjoys it. And just when you think there’s no redeeming quality to him, we find out that he enjoys the kills, but only when they’re justified. The book has the title it does for a reason LOL.
And Grim’s sexual preference is a little out of the ordinary too. Of course, lol. It’s a fetish I’ve heard of before, but haven’t delved deeply into. But that fetish plays a very important role in the book, for both Grim and Misha.


While I found Grim fascinating, Misha is the one who tugged at my heartstrings. He’s broken, and when I say broken, I mean completely broken. What was done to him would destroy most people… it was utterly horrifying, and I actually had trouble reading that section. (Again, this is where I point out you’d better know what you’re getting into with this book, because it isn’t all chocolate covered roses.)
Grim wants someone to love. Misha wants somebody to look past his physical ailments. These two have a long road in front of them dealing with their separate issues and with each other. There were times I wanted to smack Grim upside the head, but I had to keep reminding myself his outlook was a different from most peoples.

This is a hard, dark story that involves two people twisted by tragedy who do find love… and love comes in all shapes and forms. 

ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Buy Link: Amazon
~M

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Pride Promotions presents Dragon Dreams & Fairy Wings by Bailey Bradford and a giveaway



Author Name: Bailey Bradford 
Book Name: Dragon Dreams & Fairy Wings
Series: Fire & Flutter
Book: One 
Release Date: February 18 at Rainbow Ninja Press, February 25 elsewhere

Blurb: 
What happens when a fairy loses his wings-- and his memory? 
Griff was born a Love fairy, but he never quite fit in. He didn't want to be part of a harem, at least...he didn'tthink he wanted that. What with his wings gone and his memory damaged, he can't be certain of what he feltin the past. All he does know is, he wants his wings back. Without them, he's grounded. 
Blaze is a dragon shifter who tends to stick his foot in his mouth...and some other parts in other places...whenhe really shouldn't. His brother is the king, and his sister-in-law Bonny is scary. Blaze's last screw-up got himgrounded, unable to shift into his dragon form. His punishment seems harsh to him, but there's no escaping it. 
Then the Love fairies come to the castle to work on forming an alliance. Blaze has about had it with guardingthe horny beings, and he's disappointed that they don't stay small and cute. He almost commits a majorfaux-pas when he swats at something buzzing him, and it turns out to be a fairy on a dragonfly. 
And from that snarky meeting, something wonderful, and dangerous, will come. 

Pages or Words:58,600 words
Categories:Erotica, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance, Shifters (Dragon)

Excerpt:
Blaze was disappointed as all Hades. The fairies weren’t little all the time. They were tiny when they came in, but quickly morphed to regular sized beings, if not taller than most of the dragons when the dragons were in the two-legged form.
And holy dragon balls, Blaze did not know why anyone would want a harem! Okay, well, there was the sex, and lots of it, probably, but so far there’d been more bickering and outright fighting than anything sexy! He’d had to break up six altercations, and the fairies had only been in their accommodations for an hour!
This was going to be a long, suck-ass assignment.
The fairies sure were beautiful, though. Granted, he hadn’t seen each and every one of them. He’d seen the king, and some of the harem members. Every one of them was gorgeous, delicate-featured, lithe, and limber—that last one might not be true, but he was going to go with it, because… hot! Bendy fairies… Blaze adjusted his cock before it could pop up and embarrass him. He wondered if maybe, because they were Love fairies, they had special powers of attraction and such. He’d been fighting down boners ever since he’d been brought out to meet the Love fairy king, Artaxis.
Not that Artaxis even gave him a cursory glimpse. Blaze didn’t blame him. Artaxis was beautiful, like all the fairies Blaze had seen so far, and Blaze was… Well, there was nothing delicate about a dragon’s features, that was for sure. And lithe might apply to some of the other dragons in differing warrens, but not in any Blaze knew of.
With Blaze’s shocking orange hair and bronze skin… and freckles, another thing that was a burden to bear. How many times when he’d been a child had he been teased about having shit splatters on his face? Was it any wonder at all that he hated his human form? At least his scales made the freckles unnoticeable for the most part when he was a dragon. And Blaze was forever scarred from being told his freckles were caused by watching other creatures using the dragon dumping grounds. That was also the cause for styes in the eyes, according to old dragons’ tales.
Blaze had never in his life had a sty, and he’d maybe, sorta accidentally, seen an orc once in the dumping grounds. If anything was going to give someone a sty, that should have done it.
Blaze smacked himself on the forehead. Why did his mind spin around to such stupid thoughts?
Well, it’d curbed his arousal. He hoped the fairies weren’t going to hang around long. He didn’t need the struggle with his dick, and he sure didn’t need the blow to his ego—so far, none of the fairies had acknowledged him or even looked at him unless he was breaking up a fight involving them. Even then, he didn’t think he registered as more than a big, lumbering weirdo.
He watched a dozen fairies walk toward the baths. They were so pale and pretty, and that long hair was amazing. Then he realized something wonderful. They were naked!
It was wonderful because there were so many gorgeous naked fairies. Yet it was horrible, too, because he was never going to have blood anywhere else but in his cock again unless he got some sort of control over his libido. When the fairies’ hair swung just right, he saw glimpses of nicely rounded buttocks.
Blaze groaned and closed his eyes. He couldn’t look. He’d end up taking his shaft out right there and jacking himself to completion, and he didn’t have to think about it to know that wouldn’t go over well with Fyre or Bonny.
He had to leave the hall next to the harem rooms, where he’d been standing, waiting for the next fight to break out. Blaze couldn’t wait for more naked fairies to come out. He’d lose it and yeah, end up being grounded for a century.
It was easy to slip away, outside, into the heat of the sunlight. Blaze bit his lip until it hurt bad enough to kill his arousal. He was really going to have to get it together—if he could just figure out what it was.
A strange sound reached his ears. It was a fluttering, buzzing sound. He turned his head and frowned when he saw a gold-gilded dragonfly buzzing toward the entrance of the secondary palace where the fairies were staying.
Contrary to popular belief, dragons didn’t look at dragonflies as cute little relatives. They looked at them as bugs.
Blaze raised a hand to swat it away when it was within reach.




Buy the book:
 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BK0GKWU 

Early release 18th Feb

General release 25th Feb

Meet the author:
These things always give me fits. Basically, I am an author of erotic romance. Besides being an author, I am a mother, a grandmother, a wife, and a combination of many other things that make my life joyous day in and day out. Unless someone swipes my coffee. Then it gets pretty ugly quickly.

Where to find the author: 
Twitter: @BaileyBFun4Me

Publisher: Rainbow Ninja Press
Cover Artist:Beany Sparks

Tour Dates& Stops:February 18, 2016

Rafflecopter Prize: PDF copy of ‘Dragon Dreams & Fairy Wings’ by Bailey Bradford
Rafflecopter Code:

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Winner of the LGBT Valentine's Day Blog Hop



I want to thank everybody who took part in the hop! I hope y'all had a fun time. :)



The Grand prize: $30 gift card was won by Julie


My winner was: Maea 



~I've sent a email to the winner.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Pride Promotions presents Overtime by T.S. McKinney and a giveaway



Author Name: T.S. McKinney

Book Name:  Overtime

Release Date: February 11, 2016

Blurb:

Jagger Jameson could be the poster child for a nasty childhood campaign but he refused to allow it to dictate his future.  At an early stage, he learned to shut down all emotions and focus solely on survival.  As it turned out, survival came in the form of a basketball scholarship with the University of Kentucky Wildcats.  As the rest of the team around him focuses on having a good time and building friendships, Jagger worries only about using his talent to help him escape the life that was dealt to him.  Everything is going smoothly until somebody from his past makes a reappearance and with just the mention of a name, Jagger finds himself struggling to maintain his cool façade.
Colton Montgomery’s wealth allowed him the opportunity to have about anything in the world he could desire…except the only thing he’d ever really wanted – Jagger Jameson.  When the opportunity to try and tame his Wildcat comes his way, Colton gladly accepts the challenge.
Pages or Words:105,000 words

Categories:Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt:

Sure, it had been less than twenty-four hours since he’d come face to face with Colton Montgomery for the first time in four years, but he’d managed to think of nothing but Colton Montgomery every moment he was awake.  He thought of the way Colton’s emerald eyes had looked at him so intently that he felt like the man could dig into his soul, see all his secrets, know all the things he didn’t want people to know.  Dick had described it as ‘dude, Colton Montgomery just spent the last thirty minutes eye-fucking you’ and then summed it up with ‘and he wants to fuck you’ – typical Dick.
He’d thought he was prepared, thought he’d managed to build up an immunity against the rich prick that had stunned him years ago, but the second he’d walked through the door and saw him, every protective barrier he’d worked so hard to build over the years disintegrated with one lusty smirk from Colton.  Fuck, he was in so much trouble.  Riley knew….
One look in Riley’s eyes and Jagger didn’t have the first doubt that Riley knew he was attracted to Colton – hungry for Colton.  His captain had given him a sympathetic look.  It was as if he had somehow figured out that Jagger had always had the hots for a boy way out of his league and now, fucking now, when he didn’t need any distractions, that boy decided it would be fun to tease the poor kid – make him think he was wanted for something other than…hell, what was he good for if it wasn’t going to be sex?  He’d never given himself to another man.  Actually, Colton was the only man he’d ever looked at with those thoughts dancing around in his head.  He’d fucked a handful of women over the years and enjoyed it…just enough to get the job done.  There had never been the first doubt in his mind about his sexuality until Colton-fucking-Montgomery’s ten words.   Fuck!
The basketball hit him square in the chest, bouncing away and damn near knocking the breath out of him.  “Shit, sorry, Riley.  I was going over some plays in my head.  I’m good, I swear.”  Thank the fuck they were just in warm-ups before the championship game.  “We Will Rock You” was blasting over the speakers because that song never got old when it came to championship games, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.  Championship games were always a bundle of excitement – add a Cinderella story into it, and the people and media ate it up.  Shit, even half the state of Kentucky kinda hoped Florida Gulf would win or at least make a good showing.
What the fuck did they know?  They didn’t have any idea what was on the line…how their winning might damn well destroy him.  Sure, it was all fun and games for Colton Montgomery, but it was his fucking self-esteem, pride, and sanity up on the auction block.
“Get your head out of your ass, Jag.  I’m going to need you at one hundred percent tonight if we plan on winning this game.”  His hands flung around the arena.  “The entire crowd is either openly pulling for Florida Gulf or secretly hoping they win.  I feel like we’re up against everybody in this fucking arena and my fucking point guard has his head shoved all the way up his own fucking ass!”  Yeah, his tirade ended with a scream.  That was Riley for you.  He hated to lose.  Well…correction; he didn’t like losing but if everybody played their damndest, he could take it.  When they lost because one or more of them ‘had their head up their fucking asses’, he completely lost it.
He was already losing it.
“My head isn’t up my ass, Riley.  I’m good.  When the whistle blows, I’m going to shove this ball all the way up Colton Montgomery’s arrogant fucking ass.”  He gave Riley a fist bump, hoping that was a normal action.  He’d seen others on the team doing it….
“I hope so, Jag.  If not, I’m afraid he’s planning on shoving something else up yours.” Riley crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Jagger, waiting for a reaction…any reaction.  He wasn’t disappointed.  Well, he was disappointed because he was fucking certain that without their point guard playing top notch, they were damn well going to get beat, but, on the other hand, some life in the kid’s eyes was something to see.  Finally….
“There’s no need to be gross, man.  I’m ready.  Colton Montgomery will not score the first point tonight, mark my words.”
Riley rolled his eyes.  “I don’t necessarily think its gross, but I don’t think it’s what you’ve got penciled into that fucking life-plan that you’ve had since day-fucking-one.”  He shoved another basketball against Jagger’s chest.  “I’ll hold you to that promise of him not scoring any points, Jag…just don’t let him do the same to you.”
The warning buzzer sounded before Jagger could respond (and question the ‘not necessarily gross’ statement) and the crowd went absolutely nuts.  This was it.  Championship game – it would look awesome on any resume he sent out.  If they won…no, when they won, he could probably pick which accounting firm in Kentucky he wanted to work with.  It all came down to this night.
Even after he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do it, his eyes drifted to the other end of the court and immediately found his adversary.  Colton Montgomery, in all his fucking, glorious, arrogant, rich beauty was staring right back, a confident smile curving his lush lips.  He offered a wave and a wink.  Jagger flipped him off and headed to his bench.






Meet the author:

TS McKinney lives in East Tennessee with her high school sweetheart/husband and all the countless dogs she picks up from deserted country roads.  Her professional career has been in business but her heart has always belonged to the fantasy world found in books.  Creating wicked worlds where one can meet the perfect hero – and then do anything to him that you want – has been a hobby that has brought her plenty of hours of fun and naughty entertainment.

When not working, reading, or writing, she loves to spend time with her family and forcing them (because they don’t really have another choice) to allow her to redecorate their houses…and listen to her naughty…sometimes sadistic stories.



Where to find the author:




Publisher: Dark Hollows Press

Cover Artist:Eden Connors

Tour Dates & Stops:

Rafflecopter Prize: 5 = $10 Amazon gift cards

Rafflecopter Code:



Friday, February 12, 2016

LGBT Valentine's Day Blog Hop from Feb 12-15

Welcome to the LGBT Valentine's Day blog hop!

We're celebrating the messy, inspiring, frustrating, healing thing that is love with a great big giveaway.



We have some great prizes for you this year:

$30 Amazon Gift Card

Winner's choice of any ebook by Lynley Wayne

Winner's choice of any book in Jessie G's Sizzling Miami or Devils Pride Series

Winner's choice of any ebook by by Stephen del Mar

eBook copy of Lights Out Valentine by Neil Plakcy

eBook copy of The Harvest: Taken by M.A. Church

eBook copy of A Knight to Remember by Anne Barwell

eBook copy of Gray and Harrison by Tracey Steinbach

eBook copy of The Way Life Turns by April Kelley & Bronwyn Heeley

eBook copy of Rustic Melody by Nic Starr

eBook copy of 6 Days to Valentine by LE Franks

eBook copy of Brotherly Love: A Dirty Dames Anthology (Stepbrother Romance) by Verity James & Cassie Donoghue

eBook copy of Rhythm and Blue by DP Denman


Hop by the other blogs for more chances to enter!


Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The Last Dire Wolf By Kelex - Guest Post


It's my pleasure to welcome Kelex to my blog! If you pay any sort of attention to the books I shelve on GR, then you probably know I found this author last year and have been reading everything she puts out lol. :)  And yes, The Last Dire Wolf is one I've read and rated 5 stars.
~M




The Last Dire Wolf
Bloodline, Book One
By Kelex

Their love is taboo. The crossing of wolven bloodlines is forbidden. Yet Eirik, supreme alpha and king of the wolves, is tired of hiding his love for Gunnar. The last of his kind, he’s cursed to be without a mate during his long life. He refuses his destiny and seeks solace with one of those closest to him.

King’s guard Gunnar knew he could never expect to stand at the king’s side when he let the man take him to bed, no matter how much he began to crave it over the decades. He’d given his life to be a member of the elite warriors, not a king’s consort, but he can’t stop wishing the king could be his.

Moments before Eirik can change the laws governing their world, an old enemy comes bearing a unique gift. Perhaps Eirik’s not the last of his kind after all.


BUY HERE



“You know as well as I do that wolves are not immortal. He’s lived a long, long life and now his soul has… grown thin. I’ve never met one as old as he is and doubt I will again.”

It wasn’t the answer Eirik wanted. “How much longer do we have with him?”

The doctor shook his head. “It could be days… maybe weeks. I couldn’t say.”

It wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. His hands fisted at his side as he struggled to control his emotions.

“You can go,” Eirik whispered, his voice raw.

The doctor left quickly. Eirik wanted to scream. He wanted to howl his frustrations, but he had too many eyes watching him.

He was supposed to be regal.

Unemotional.

Fuck them all!

Eirik punched the wall, his fist breaking through one of the painted cement blocks. It shattered around his hand, leaving his fist bloodied. There was no pain, not greater than the one he already felt. He stared at the hole he’d left in the wall, knowing it was just like the hole growing inside him.

“Your Majesty?” Gunnar said, his voice low and filled with worry.
Eirik met Gunnar’s stare. He said nothing, just brushed past the man and went back into Uffe’s room.

The elder wolf slept.

Eirik walked back to the side of the bed and sat down. He took Uffe’s hand in his.

Something had changed.

“Uffe?” he asked, panic filling him. He shook the man’s shoulder carefully. “Uffe?” he cried, louder this time. He kept on shaking, but Uffe never awoke.

“No,” he whispered, unready to say goodbye.

Sorrow twisted his face as he sank to his knees beside the bed, Uffe’s hand still captured between his. Hot tears fell down his face as he held on for as long as he could. When there was nothing left inside him, he rose on shaking legs and placed a last kiss on Uffe’s forehead. Wiping away the tears, he collected himself as best he could.

“I want his funeral tonight,” he said to the room. He knew several of the hospital staff stood at the door, ready to prepare the body. And likely ready to share gossip about the king losing his control. “I won’t have him sitting in the morgue. Tonight.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” two of the staff members said in unison.

After grabbing the leather file, he exited the room.

He felt Gunnar fall into step behind him in the hospital corridor. The small facility was wolf-owned and operated. No humans could ever find out what they were, so they’d created the world they needed on their own. He moved his hand to the side, slapping Gunnar in the chest with the file.

“Take this and have Damien review Uffe’s notes.”

Gunnar took the folder and never lost a step. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I want him to conduct a search for other dire wolves immediately.”

“Of course, sire.”

Eirik stopped before the elevator and punched the button, harder than he needed to. Frustration filled every ounce of his body. There was nothing he could do to stop from losing Uffe. The best wolven doctors, the best of hospital care… none of it was enough.

He was now the last.

Uffe had saved him, for what? For a legacy of being the last of his bloodline? To only parlay the eventual end of his kind for another few thousand years? What had he accomplished to leave a mark—a mark for an entire race of wolves?

Nothing.

Nothing he’d done would ever be enough. The dire wolves would go out with a whimper.

The elevator arrived and he stepped inside, Gunnar on his heels. The doors wouldn’t close fast enough.

As soon as they were alone, Eirik dragged Gunnar into his arms and pressed his lips to his lover’s. Gunnar yielded easily, his mouth soft under Eirik’s. He dragged in a breath, drawing in Gunnar’s masculine scent.

He needed this touch… this taste. He needed to feel alive after witnessing the slow drift of death. He needed Gunnar to fill that hole widening inside him.

Eirik backed away and stared into Gunnar’s handsome face. “Tonight. Come to me. After the funeral… I don’t want to be alone.”

Gunnar cupped one side of Eirik’s face. “As if I’d let you be alone tonight.”