IRL Week Winners

Howdy folks we have winners. Thanks a bunch for taking part and commenting, and making IRL truly a spectacular week. To the wonderful authors who donated books, it's about to be chosen ^_^







You can keep checking this post to see the winners and the books they have chosen. Will be updating this post until all the books are gone.

• Jason- The Saturnalia Effect by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane
•  Jayhjay- Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee
• Antane Armstrong- Drawn Together by Z.A Maxfield
• Judi- Wanting by M.L Rhodes
• Lisa- Breakfast at Tiffany's by Lynn Lorenz
• Katherine- Yakuza Pride by H.J brues
• Adriana- No Good Deed by Lynn Lorenz

Thats it folks! We have all our winners and join me again when I host another giveaway!!!

Interracial Love Week Wrap-Up

Another successful theme week is coming to an end. I had the greatest time doing this, and I am on a hunt for the next fantabulous theme to do. I love reading your comments, and appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts on each book. It makes my heart feel super happy.

Though interracial week is over, there is still time to win some of the great books reviewed this past week. IRL Giveaway contest runs until 12:01 March 20th. So you still have lots of time to get your win on.

In this post I am talking about my fave IR romances, I might have mentioned them before, and readers favourites.

Books/Short Stories Reviewed for IRL Week:

1. Harm Reduction by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane
2. Whitetail Rock by Anne Tenino
3. Breaking Point by K.Piet & S.L Armstrong
4. Wanting by M.L Rhodes
5. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Lynn Lorenz
6. Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee
7. Cheek to Cheek by Chris Owen

Also check out the guest post by Lynn Lorenz called 'Variety is the Spice of Life' and 'Its Not Just Black & White' by yours truly.

My Fave and Your Fave IRL M/M romances:

1. Drawn Together by Z.A Maxfield
2. The Flesh Series by Ethan Stone
3. Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford (have to read this one)
4. No Souvenirs by K.A Mitchell
5. The Pharaoh's Concubine by Z.A Maxfield
6. Yakuza Pride by H.J Brues (Apart of the IRL Giveaway)
7. No Good Deed by Lynn Lorenz (Apart of the IRL Giveaway)
8. ePistols at Dawn by Z.A Maxfield
9. Tech Support by Jet Mykles
10. Mexican Heat by Laura Baumbach and Josh Lanyon
11. Breakfast at Tiffany`s by Lynn Lorenz (Apart of the IRL Giveaway)
12. Without Reservations by J.L Langley
13. Boats in the Night by Josephine Myles (I do believe this one is interracial and its awesome)

There aren't as many M/M interracial romances as I would like there to be, but you can still find some good ones to read. I will have to do this IR week again next year (if its meant to be) because it was super awesome. so authors get your writing cap on and gimme some IR love. It has been a blast, and thank you guys again for commenting and being apart of this. Means the world to me, I am truly grateful and humbled ^_^.

Thanks a million again to the wonderful authors, and the those who tweeted and got the word out IRL Week. Its all greatly appreciated. So once again I would like to thank:

• Heidi Belleau
• Violetta Vane
• Storm Moon Press
• Lynn Lorenz
• Bonnie Dee
• M.L Rhodes

Thanks for making it a truly spectacular week!

IRL Week: Cheek to Cheek by Chris Owen

Cheek to Cheek (911 #2) by Chris Owen
Torquere Press

Novella: 121pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Blurb:
If you loved Chris Owen's firefighters in 911, you'll love Cheek to Cheek! Firefighters Will and Mallory meet at a quiet gay bar, and they're both willing to keep things anonymous and impersonal. Mal has issues with his soon to be ex, and Will isn't willing to push. That plan works out fine until they discover that they'll be working at the same fire station, where Will is set to replace injured firefighter Drew.

Their agreement to keep their relationship easy and no-pressure, just a physical thing, soon go out the window. Everything in their lives seems to become a test, from old loves to meddling family, to the brave men they risk their lives with. The one thing that seems to make sense is the dance they share, both literal and figurative. Can Will and Mal find a way to reconcile the life they think they want with the need they have to be together, or will the dance be over before it really begins?

The appearance of much-loved characters from the popular 911 is an added bonus for Chris Owen fans.

Review:
It comes to this, I really either like a Chris Owen book or it’s just ‘Meh’. This one falls right smack in the middle. I really liked the story and the pacing, but something wasn’t all there for me. Usually it’s the too much sex issue I find in the books I read by the author. The sex became apart of this story, instead of being too much in the story (if that makes sense).

Mallory is finally a single man, after him and his girlfriend of many years decide to call it quits. Mallory hasn’t been with a man in years, being bi-sexual and all, so hanging at a gay bar he hopes to find a quick hook-up. Then he meets Will, and a night of mind-blowing sex is just what the doctor ordered for both men.

Awkwardness walks in, when Will starts working at the same fire station where Mallory works. Talk about serendipity. It was supposed to be one night, but having Will in close approximation is doing all sorts of crazy things to Mal’s body. Seems one night won’t be enough for him.

Its hard trying to fight your feelings when you feel strongly for a person, and Mal is desperately trying to keep Will in the ‘fuck buddy’ zone. However, they have so much in common, like dancing, and the sex is spine melting. How can a man fight all of that? He cant, he just can’t.

As I said, I liked this one. I loved that the author found a place for Mal’s ex-girlfriend and made her likable in her pain that Mal found someone. I liked Mal and Will together; they had some incredible sexy moments. There were no issues with Will being black, and Mal being white. It was just white noise, and I really liked that. Race should not be an issue when it comes to love.

I loved the dancing! Imagine two very sexy manly men working it out on the dance floor (yep, it’s super sexy).

3 1/2 Pants Off

IRL Week: Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee

Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee
Loose-Id

Novella: 139pages

Rating: 4 out of 5

Blurb:
When Simon walks into Jay's bar for a drink, he never expects to find himself having an afternoon quickie in the back room. Although he's very attracted to the blond, blue-eyed bartender, he's never experienced a real relationship with another man and isn't ready for the commitment that it would entail. 

Jay is ready for Mr. Right, and when he meets hot, hunky Simon, he believes he's found his match. But convincing the reserved man that their brief encounter could evolve into something more will take all his considerable persuasive skills. Jay is blue collar, Irish-American. Simon is an African American from a society family. Can two men from such different backgrounds find common ground? Undeniable magnetism draws them together, but only love can keep them that way. 

Review:
I am a fan of the opposites attract, and Simon and Jay couldn’t be more opposite. Simon the upstanding African-American with his society family and his job in advertising. Jay the Irish-American bartender, from the Surbs, and the only thing upstanding about him is when he’s hard (oh, snap I just went there).

When Simon walks into Jay’s bar after a meeting with a client, he’s just looking to unwind with a drink. What he never expects is the flirty bartender, and the instant attraction. Seems alcohol won’t be the only stress relief for Simon, when Jay takes him to the back and swallows him whole. It was supposed to be a one-time hook up, but Simon can’t get blue eyed Jay out of his mind. Simon isn’t looking for a relationship, but he can’t deny attraction for Jay, so he calls him knowing that his life is about to change.

In the beginning, it’s just casual hook-ups but Jay finds himself falling for Simon, but Simon is so deeply closeted that him and the boogieman hang out. Jay came out to his family and everyone a long time ago, not everyone was on par with his orientation but he was not gonna hide. He’s unsure if he can hide for Simon, but knows that the weight would be lighter if Simon accepts who he is.

It becomes a battle of wills, Jay trying to point the positive in coming clean, and Simon pointing out he could lose everything if he does. The guys do start a beautiful relationship and it would have been a smooth book, but family drama from both side of the spectrum provides the right amount of angst.

There is also a bit of racial issues, with Jay’s family being Irish-American. His brother doesn’t quite accept that he’s gay, but also brought home his black boyfriend. Shit became real in that part of the book, and I wanted Simon to be a bit more vocal about being called the N-word. I’m just saying, when you past that boundary, bitch deserves a smack down.

Overall, I really liked this book. Jay and Simon were super sweet, it’s a romance and if you like romance? Then you will like this book. The writing is great, I really do enjoy the author’s writing style, and as a fan of her historicals it won’t be the last time I pick up some Bonnie Dee.

4 Pants Off

*Remember you can win this title in the IRL Week Giveaway*

IRL Week Guest Post: Variety is the Spice of Life by Lynn Lorenz

I am so happy, to have the wonderful Lynn Lorenz today on the blog. I asked her to share some thoughts on interracial love, and she graciously accpeted.

So help me welcome Lynn Lorenz to Pants Off!

Variety is the spice of life!

I remember when I was a young teen growing up in New Orleans in the late 60’s and early 70’s, my entire life seemed filled with boys of all sorts, but few of them were Caucasian, or “white” as we used to say. I attended a primarily “black” high school and my neighborhood, like most in New Orleans, had people of all races, religions, and economics. 

I never let any of that narrow my fishing grounds. How could it? All those youths, running the streets, playing touch football on our beaten up lawn, or roller skating in the cemetery, only gave fuel to my youthful hormone-driven imagination.

At the time, my father would probably have killed me if he’d known, but I dated hot Hispanic guys (we had a kick-ass soccer team when no one knew what soccer was). I dated dark and dangerous African American guys. I dated mixed boys with lovely green eyes and skin like caramel. What I never dated was “white guys.” That came much later in my life. 

In college, my tasted turned to foreign men – Arabs, Greeks, Turks, Asians – if he had dark skin and dark eyes – I was there! My friends called my apartment the U.N. and I was the goodwill ambassador.

So writing about interracial romance, well, that’s a sure thing for me. Natural. Been there. Done that. Got the hat and the T-shirt.

To date, I’ve written several IR romances and will probably do more. I love them. I see these couples everywhere – on TV, at the store, at restaurants, and at parties. Love, it seems, knows no bounds, no color, and no religion. The heart wants what the heart wants.

And that’s true in my books. My first IR was It Takes a Hero, about an Iraq vet – one leg amputated below the knee – who falls for his African American physical therapist. Then I wrote No Good Deed, about a bisexual 5th generation Chinese American police officer in a small town in Texas who falls for a gay Caucasian guy who’s been emotionally damaged by a previous lover. 

My love of Asian men once again came through in My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, when Simon, a young Korean man meets Charles, a Caucasian wine seller with dreams of being a cowboy. Cute Asian guys in eyeliner? Yummy! 

In Breakfast At Tiffany’s, I wrote about Hurricane Katrina survivors, Scott, a Caucasian red neck kid, and Tony, an inner city African American, who find each other amid the damaged city and try to make a new life together. 

I know these books won’t be my last IR romances. I still have characters I’d like to mix it up with and untold combinations of men!! The mind boggles at the possibilities, just like the myriad possibilities in real life and love. 

And although I happily settled down with what I like to call “the whitest guy I know”, I still find men, with all their differences, basically the same. All of them are sexy and interesting. And fodder for my fevered imagination as I channel my youth in my writings. 

I can’t wait to mix it up again. I hope you can’t either. And if you’ve never ventured into IR romance, try it. You might find that you’re looking at men in a whole new light, whether you’re Caucasian, Asian, African American, Hispanic, Arabic, or Polynesian. 

Cross the street with me and other writers. We’ll take you there. 

You can also find Lynn

website... http://lynnlorenz.com
twitter … http://twitter.com/LynnLorenz
facebook …. Lynn Lorenz

* Remember you can win 2 books by Lynn Lorenz in the IRL Week Giveaway*

IRL Week: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Lynn Lorenz

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Lynn Lorenz
Amber Allure

Novella: 101pages

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Blurb:
Scott came to New Orleans the summer he fled the bigotry of a rural Louisiana town. Tony was born and raised in the City that Care Forgot and lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. Now, Scott lives in a homeless shelter and has a job at Tiffany’s Waffles ’n’ Wings, a 24-hour restaurant on the edge of the French Quarter, while Tony is squatting in an abandoned house.

When Tony, desperate for cash, decides to rob someone, along comes Scott. But in the dark alleyway, the younger man stirs something long dormant in Tony. He rescues Scott from being beaten by another thief, then grabs the money for himself and runs. Ashamed of his actions, however, Tony decides to return the money. He follows Scott to work, and the two fragile souls begin a tenuous relationship.

The men fill in what each is missing and what each desires in the other. Scott leaves the shelter to try living with Tony, finding a place to belong and someone who cares for him, and Tony, who has something to prove to himself, longs to be a better man for Scott.

Together, the two kindred spirits try to create a life together in a city on the edge of a comeback...

 
Review:
I am deeply in love with story. From what I have read of Lynn Lorenz, her characters are always so realistic. Its situations that any person could be going through. The struggle, the desperation, and the guilt that comes with feeling like you didn’t do enough. All that and more was apart of this story, and the romance just pushed it to a completely awesome kinda level.

Scott lives on the streets, and he’s had his fair share of tough times, experiences that no young person should have. Scott is strong though, and he tries to make it in a city destroyed but not ruined. The streets of New Orleans are dangerous, but there is a fierce pride in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Scott is living in a shelter he has a job, and he’s saving his money. So you see life isn’t keeping him down.

Tony lost everything in Katrina, his family and all the things he loved. He carries strong guilt, because he survived and his family did not. So why should he have anything. He’s done many things to make some money, and now he’s about to resort to robbery.

Scott and Tony meet for the first time, when a man jumps Scott to take his money. It is the very thing Tony was about to do, but changes his mind at the last minute. He comes to Scotts rescue, but hunger and surviving has him taking Scott’s money anyways. During the little crime gone badly, Scott and Tony are very aware of each other.

The chemistry between Scott and Tony is explosive, the contrast of their description electrifies. They pull you in, even though the relationship moves quickly, but ‘why the hell not’ they deserve all the happiness because they have been through so much.

The writing is amazing! Its like I was transported to streets of New Orleans, I could taste the food in my mouth and feel the chill on the deserted streets that Scott walked. I want to pack my bags and take a trip, it’s a place I’ve always been in love with, and Lynn makes me love it even more.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a love story, and it will make your heart feel super happy. I fell in love with Scott and Tony and you can too. I wish it were longer so I could have had more time basking in the awesomeness.

4 1/2 Pants Off

*Remember you can win this title from the IRL Week Giveaway*

IRL Week: Wanting by M L. Rhodes

Wanting by M L. Rhodes
Amber Allure

Short Novella: 64pages

Rating: 4 out of 5

Blurb:
It started with one kiss. Which led to another. And another. And then to a mind-blowing night of intimacy Jeremy Reynolds can’t forget. He can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous, smart, compassionate man who tilted his world. Can’t stop seeing warm, sexy eyes gazing at him with breath-stealing intensity.

Jeremy tries to tell himself to let the incident go, move on, and chalk it up to a life experience. After all, what transpired between him and his best friend and roommate, Ben Cross, can never happen again. Ben is gay, and Jeremy...isn’t. At least he’s never thought he was before. But now he’s torn and confused and not sure what the night with Ben meant—for either of them. Already stressed about final exams before the holidays and his difficult family situation, Jeremy doesn’t know how to deal with the conflicting feelings he’s having. And the one person he’s always been able to talk to about everything, and who’s always been there for him, is the very person he’s been avoiding for the past week because he doesn’t know how to face him after waking up in his bed.

Afraid he might have already screwed up his and Ben’s friendship beyond repair, Jeremy is haunted even more by the backlash he could face if he admits to Ben, or even to himself, how much the night they spent together really meant to him.

And how much he still wants Ben even now...

Review:
This is a sweet love story, wrapped in sexy and then packaged in hellaciously hot. This one had me feeling rainbows and sunshine, and provided enough stormy clouds for me to truly appreciate the rainbow and sunshine.

After a drunken night, Jeremy hooks up with his best friend Ben, and he doesn’t know how to move on from it. He can’t get over the way Ben made him feel, but he’s not gay right? The thoughts of their night of passion have him going a bit crazy, and he’s finding it hard to focus. However with all his struggling feelings, he wants his best friend back, but he doesn’t know how to move forward from the night that they had sex.

Jeremy also has struggles with his family, and being from strong southern roots, he fears the retaliation of his family if he gets involved with a man and not just any man a black man. So the fears are strong, but he’s realizing that the feelings he has for Ben are stronger.

Ben is… I am in love with this blue-eyed choco-caramel. He’s always been in love with Jeremy, but he could accept that his best friend wasn’t into guys; until the night, they hook up. Now he fears he might have influenced Jeremy somehow and carries that guilt. Yet, he is willing to take scraps if that’s all Jeremy can offer him.

This was just such a sweet story, with two beautiful characters. I can see Ben so clearly in my mind, those blue eyes just hypnotic as shit. I once had a blue eyed black friend in junior high, and I was willing to rip my clothes off for him ^_~. So Jeremy never stood a chance when it came to Ben.

This novella made my heart feel super happy, and I obsessed with Ben. I realized that this is not first character by M.L that had me losing my pants, I am also quite taken with Dane from Bring The Heat. She writes these vividly hot characters, that you cannot help falling in love with. Wanting, had me wanting more. I really enjoyed reading this one.

SideNote- I love their roommate Al. He is funny and sweet and I just can’t wait to read his book.

4 Pants Off

IRL Week: Breaking Point by K.Piet & S L Armstrong

Breaking Point by K. Piet & S L Armstrong
Storm Moon Press

Short Story: 11pages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Blurb:
After a long day, Malachi has the perfect plan for relieving stress with his lover, Phinn. Pushing limits has never been more of a turn on. 









Short Review:
When it comes to writing awesmazing BDSM, Ms Piet & Armstrong knows how to write them. This little story comes in at only 11 pages, and its 11 pages of hot sexy pain filled fun.

The story is set up in a sexy interlude between Malachi and Phinn an already established couple. BDSM games aren’t new them, and it used in a way to make their sex life spicy. However, with the stress of everyday work and worries facing life in a recession. Both men haven’t had the time do a hard-core scene. Well the stress is too high, and Malachi comes up with a way to for him and his lover to relieve some stress, and man if it isn’t some kinky play.

A little cock & ball torture O_O, and Malachi had Phinn panting and squirming like he’s got ants in his pants. During all this, I found myself wanting to know more about MalachI this black man with the dreads and his white boy lover Phinn. How they came to be lovers, and what other spectacular kink do they get up to?

Every time I read something done by these amazing authors, I come to conclusion that there is nothing I won’t read if it’s written well. They keep busting out this high class BDSM and have made me see it in a completely new light. I am respective and excited in my pants all at the same time. I love kink.

This story is free, so if you like your kink and want something short and hardcore. Then this story is for you. I am hoping the authors write more of Phinn and Malachi, I haven’t had my fill of them. The ending is sweet, and you are left with the connection between the lovers and you know they both got what they wanted out of their scene.

Its free so go check it out!

3 1/2 Pants Off

*You can download the story from the publisher Storm Moon Press or at ARe*

IRL Week: Whitetail Rock by Anne Tenino

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

IRL Week: Harm Reduction by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane

Harm Reduction by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane
Storm Moon Press

Short Story: 17pages

Rating: 4 out of 5

Blurb:
It's 1992 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and Magic Johnson has just gone public about being HIV+. Out of the news but right at the frontlines, Julio Torres works the streets and the parks, doing everything he can to keep more people from dying. He meets a young hustler named Linley who doesn't stand a chance. But no matter how hopeless, Julio never gives up trying to do the right thing.

It's 2012 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and there's a Whole Foods around the corner selling organic flowers for Valentine's Day. The city has changed, and so has the world, but Julio is still holding on to his past. He's moved on with his life, taken up new causes, but he just can't let Linley's memory go.

Review:
Sometimes you read something great, only to realize its only 17 fecking pages. It seems it always the shorter stories that leave a big impact and Harm Reduction was one of them. It gives you realism in those seventeen pages, because somewhere in the world, someone could be living and feeling exactly what is in this story.

We meet Julio, who’s playing ball with his foster son in a park. Its cold out, and his son is wondering why they keep coming back to the same whole park to play, when they could play a game indoors. The story is told through the past and present, when Julio worked as Outreach worker in the early nineties, and where he meets a young prostitute Linley who affected him like no other.

As an Outreach worker Julio is there giving out clean needles and trying to help those who are willing to take it. He isn’t the bossy kind, stuffing ‘the world will be a better place if you come with me’, he’s giving them an option to get better but the work will come from them. Linley has him affected, wanting to do the unthinkable, maybe bring him home and bed him. Julio knows though, that sometimes the thing you want the most is the very thing you need to do an Olympic sprint from.

I expect great things from Heidi and Violetta; these two know how to throw down. I really liked Julio, he does something that saves lives, and he’s seen what life on the streets can do to someone yet he isn’t jaded. He makes me wanna smile and believe. I wanted him to get his happy romance loving, and because this was released for Valentines Day, you get your candy-coated hearts (but with a side of keeping it real, ya heard).

I really enjoyed this one, a small story worthy of novel praises.

4 Pants Off

*This is a free short, available on the Storm Moon Press website, Smashwords and ARe. Keeping with theme week, its also an interracial love thang*

IRL Week Giveaways!!

I have Prizes, awesmazing Prizes. I think this will be the first time I have given away so many books in one giveaway. I Like It!! So because theres a good amount of books, I am doing it in one post, so you dont have to go all over commenting and trying to find what books are up for grabs. Its a one stop shop up here on Pants Off.

I would like to say, thanks to all the amazing authors who have donated books. Thanks for putting up with my craziness ^_^. And folks, make sure to read all the rules before entering (there isn't much) and follow them. You can read them at the end of the post, like always.

So Get Ready For Prizes That Causes Pants Losing...

No Good Deed ( I love No Good Deed) & Breakfast at Tiffany's by Lynn Lorenz

They say no good deed goes unpunished. Two men are about to find out if that old saying is true...

Captain Daniel Chan works for the Riceland Police Department. It’s a small town in Texas and he’s the only Chinese American on the force. He considers himself bisexual, but when he meets Mark Montgomery, a gay man, he falls hard. But being with Mark means he’ll ha...moreThey say no good deed goes unpunished. Two men are about to find out if that old saying is true...

Captain Daniel Chan works for the Riceland Police Department. It’s a small town in Texas and he’s the only Chinese American on the force. He considers himself bisexual, but when he meets Mark Montgomery, a gay man, he falls hard. But being with Mark means he’ll have to commit to being gay. Mark won’t have it any other way.

Mark’s a man with a terrible past and he’s in hiding from it and the man who tried to kill him so long ago. When he meets Dan, it’s a chance at healing old wounds and finding a new life. But it also means exposure, and that’s something Mark’s avoided for years. When he’s thrust onto center stage after a shooting, he turns to Dan for protection.

But even in a small town, things can get complicated. Political maneuvering, shady real estate deals, and men’s ambitions all collide, catching Dan and Mark in the middle. Will the forces they encounter destroy them and their newfound love, or will it bind them together?

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Scott came to New Orleans the summer he fled the bigotry of a rural Louisiana town. Tony was born and raised in the City that Care Forgot and lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. Now, Scott lives in a homeless shelter and has a job at Tiffany’s Waffles ’n’ Wings, a 24-hour restaurant on the edge of the French Quarter, while Tony is squatting in an abandoned house.

When Tony, desperate for cash, decides to rob someone, along comes Scott. But in the dark alleyway, the younger man stirs something long dormant in Tony. He rescues Scott from being beaten by another thief, then grabs the money for himself and runs. Ashamed of his actions, however, Tony decides to return the money. He follows Scott to work, and the two fragile souls begin a tenuous relationship.

The men fill in what each is missing and what each desires in the other. Scott leaves the shelter to try living with Tony, finding a place to belong and someone who cares for him, and Tony, who has something to prove to himself, longs to be a better man for Scott.

Together, the two kindred spirits try to create a life together in a city on the edge of a comeback... 

The Saturnalia Effect by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane
Troy Khoury is serving a life sentence in Westgate prison for a robbery gone wrong. He just wants to keep his head down and do his time, but he runs afoul of an old-timer named Franchetti. Franchetti offers Troy a simple choice: kill fellow inmate Daniel Amato by Christmas in exchange for protection, or be tortured and raped to death by Franchetti's heavy, Pliers. Troy's no killer, though, and Daniel is as gentle and calm as can be. But a prison is a small place, and time is running out. Troy must decide how much he's willing to sacrifice before the choice is taken from him. 

Yakuza Pride by H J Brues (Kindle Copy)
When yakuza underboss Shigure Matsunaga meets Kenneth Harris at a boring social event, he’s surprised to find himself attracted to the blond gaijin with the mismatched eyes. Shigure is even more pleased when he discovers Ken not only speaks Japanese fluently, but is fluent in Japan's ways, even the more violent of the martial arts. Ken’s expertise at kendo is not his most striking quality—it’s the passion beneath his quiet, almost fragile exterior that ignites Shigure's lust, and the two come together as explosively as they spar.

Shigure is a dangerous man in a dangerous position. He’s been trying to keep the peace with the Daito-kai—Shigure's hated rivals—but the danger on the streets is escalating, threatening those Shigure most wants to protect. He may claim to love his gaijin, but before he can keep Ken safe, Shigure will have to overcome hostility from his people, a hidden enemy, and, the most insidious opponent of all, his own hard-won pride.

Drawn Together by Z.A Maxfield (the book that started it all for me)
Rory might just be a simple southern boy from St. Antoine's Parish Louisiana, but he knows what he wants. He's been in love with the girl of his dreams, reclusive and mysterious artist Ran Yamane, since junior high school. And now he has the chance to meet her. He's going to chuck everything and travel 1,500 miles to Anime Expo in Long Beach to tell her, and no one and nothing is going to stand in his way. Ran Yamane is not a girl, but he gets that a lot. People come to him with teddy bears and chocolates and disappointment by the truckload. He's trusted fans in the past and been tragically wrong. So when he meets Rory he's understandably wary, but resigned. What he's not prepared for is his magnetic attraction to the young man, Rory's apparent willingness to overlook his gender, and the fact that their lives are both thrown into chaos when his number one fan (and psycho stalker) shows up to get revenge. *My Treat*

Wanting by M L Rhodes
It started with one kiss. Which led to another. And another. And then to a mind-blowing night of intimacy Jeremy Reynolds can’t forget. He can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous, smart, compassionate man who tilted his world. Can’t stop seeing warm, sexy eyes gazing at him with breath-stealing intensity.

Jeremy tries to tell himself to let the incident go, move on, and chalk it up to a life experience. After all, what transpired between him and his best friend and roommate, Ben Cross, can never happen again. Ben is gay, and Jeremy...isn’t. At least he’s never thought he was before. But now he’s torn and confused and not sure what the night with Ben meant—for either of them. Already stressed about final exams before the holidays and his difficult family situation, Jeremy doesn’t know how to deal with the conflicting feelings he’s having. And the one person he’s always been able to talk to about everything, and who’s always been there for him, is the very person he’s been avoiding for the past week because he doesn’t know how to face him after waking up in his bed.

Afraid he might have already screwed up his and Ben’s friendship beyond repair, Jeremy is haunted even more by the backlash he could face if he admits to Ben, or even to himself, how much the night they spent together really meant to him.

And how much he still wants Ben even now...

Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee
When Simon walks into Jay's bar for a drink, he never expects to find himself having an afternoon quickie in the back room. Although he's very attracted to the blond, blue-eyed bartender, he's never experienced a real relationship with another man and isn't ready for the commitment that it would entail. Jay is ready for Mr. Right, and when he meets hot, hunky Simon, he believes he's found his match. But convincing the reserved man that their brief encounter could evolve into something more will take all his considerable persuasive skills. Jay is blue collar, Irish-American. Simon is an African American from a society family. Can two men from such different backgrounds find common ground? Undeniable magnetism draws them together, but only love can keep them that way. [Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.

The Deets...

So the prizes are fantabulous and makes me wanna go *squee*. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment, and provide your email details in Rafflecopter Box and follow the instructions for extra entries.

- Giveaway runs until 12:01am EST, Tuesday March 20th
- No comment NO Entry! I will be checking because its unfair to someone who actually commented.
- First winner picked will be able to pick from the books above, and the second winner will be able to pick from the remaining books and so on and so forth. Till they are all GONE!
- Winner has 24HRS to reply to my email or another will be chosen. So get back to me as quickly as you can.
- By chance if the last winner to choose has already read the remaining book. They will be able to pick a book of their choice (cus I am awesome).

*That`s it folks. Have fun and good luck! Thanks again to all the wonderful authors, you have made this truly spectacular* 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

IRL Week: It's Not Just Black & White

I was born in Jamaica, so most of my cultural experience came from there until I was around eleven years old. You might be thinking ‘Jamaica cultural’ I assure you it is. It’s a small island with so many flavours its crazy. We had East Indians, Chinese, and sometimes our next-door neighbours the Cubans would pop in for a visit. Plus it’s like tourist central, so believe me when I say ‘I saw it all’.

My family had this stretch of beach that got really busy in the summer with tourist, and I might have been the annoying kid, because I was always on the beach hanging and playing with them. My family thought I was annoying but when their vacations were up and they brought me gifts. It told a different story. I loved being on the beach, and I would say that "I liked all the colors". I was young, but seeing all those people was wondrous and seeing them all together made me happy. I loved it.

I can’t even bring to describe what I am, but I am a mix of many things and I don’t really think it matters. I was so used different races being together, that it was no big deal. It was when I came to Canada that the fantastic bubble I lived was blown. In this country of diversity, I got my first taste of *Sometimes Race Keeps You Apart* Fast forward 5 years of being in Canada, and a boy who I was totally in love with *LOVE*. He made me smile, and everything just felt right when I saw him. I believe he felt the same about me, and could never figure out why we weren’t together. I found out in the worst way possible.

It’s so clear in my mind that day, me walking to my locker and happening to hear a conversation between the boy I loved and one of his closest friends. It went a little something like this...

Friend “So Darien huh?”
My Crush “Yeh dude”
Friend “But she’s black dude. Not that black but still…”
My Crush: Silence… “Yeh I know”
Friend “Think about it Dude”

I wanted to die, and I had never faced any form of prejudice when it came to my race, at least not to my face. It hurt worst than anything, and it affected me so much. Lets just say the boy I loved never asked me out, and I always knew why. I was the black girl deeply in love with the white boy ‘shame on fucking me’. I still loved him though still love him. I realized then that race keeps people apart and no matter the evolution of the times it still keeps people apart and it sucks ass.

A close friend of mine lost the man she loves because she could not deal with the hate from his family. Because their very Middle Eastern son fell in love with a black girl. Or friends who can’t date the boy/girl they like because their parents would kill them for dating outside their race. I can’t bring myself to accept it or understand it, because in my mind it makes no sense.

So when I read it in books, it makes my heart feel super happy, because the world isn’t just black and white and I think the world needs to accept that. I dealt with my share of racial issues, having a Filipino boyfriend for many years and having two beautiful boys. It was rough stretch with his family for a while, and I doubt most of them have accepted that he had kids with a black girl. My kid’s father he’s something else, no one was going to stop whom he loved and no one was going to stop me from loving him.

I got the looks, and I see the looks other interracial couples get, but it’s a beautiful thing. I don’t know their story and most might not have dealt with the hardship, and some might have; which just makes me love it more. I know we have the right to like whom we want, but we shouldn’t avoid/not like someone because of ethnicity.

So interracial week is a celebration of the beauty that is interracial love. My parents are a product of interracial love, and I am from my parents and I am not 'wrong'. My kids are not 'wrong', the millions of biracial kids and interracial couples aren’t 'wrong' because love is love. I am so color blind it hurts and I refuse to stick to my own kind (whatever the fuck that means).

So ‘Hell Yeh’ to the diversity that can be found in books. A hell yeh, to the books I read this week that have such wonderful multiculturalism and to the books I’ve read before with the same. The world isn’t just black and white, or shades of grey; it’s a kaleidoscope of awesomeness. So feel the freaking love.

What's Happening This Week: INTERRACIAL LOVE WEEK!

It's that time folks, and I am so excited finally to be having my first theme week for 2012. Last year is was BDSM and this years it's all about the interracial love \YAY/. It's gonna be a big week with big prizes and awesmazing books, plus its a celebration of interracial love both fictional and real. My kids are from an interracial relationship, most of my family is and so its something I have always been around and seen. As I got older I realized not everyone is OK with people of different racial background being together. I was once told to stay to my own kind, though I'm "not that black' I was still black O_O. I know fucked up right? but it often happens.

But this post is about whats happening this week, and all the sexy beautiful man love between races that I will reviewing and giving away this week. So here's whats causing a pants losing this weeks folks.

Monday- I will be doing a post called 'It's Not Just Black & White'. Where I am sharing some of my experiences (some of them suck so bad) on interracial love and what it means to me.

I will be unleashing the Prize Giveaway Bonanza (maybe I am making it sound way too big). I think it big, so it's BIG!! It's not the Quantity it's the Quality!

A review for Harm Reduction by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane. I loved th is short, so very sweet.

Review for Whitetail Rock by Anne Tenino. This story was just awesomeness!

Tuesday- A short review for Breaking Point by K.Piet & S L Armstrong. Kris and Saundra appeal to my pervy nature.

Review for Wanting by M L Rhodes. Another awesome story with a blow job scene that made me wish for a penis (seriously).


Wednesday- A post from Lynn Lorenz called 'Variety is the Spice of Life'. You are going to love reading this post.

Review for Breakfast at Tiffany's by Lynn Lorenz.

Thursday- Review for Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee.


Friday- Review for Cheek to Cheek by Chris Owen. This one has dancing and sexy man loving (yum).

Saturday- I'm making a list of my IR Recs, books I think everyone needs to read just because I love them.

*My red and blue pants met, and have celebrated their colorful love. They both realized that they were both just pants and their color didn't mean a thing ^_~*

I think everyone can see how sexy beautiful this pic is!

Happy Interracial Love Week

Interracial Love Week Update!

Only two days left until Interracial Love Week and I am just bursting at the seams with excitement. I also couldn't hold in some of the giveaways that you could win. Let me just tell you now, they are *TERRIFIC* I decided to give a little sneak peak of the awesome things to come, and because of all that awesomeness, I will be crazy busy for the next two days. Writing reviews, setting up posts. Did I mention that the giveaways will get their own post *squee* it's just that type of big. So for you my readers here's a little peak of some of the books you could win.

EXCLUSIVE

I Think the cover says it all. This could be yours.

  

This one could also be yours O_O *say what!*

Yep, this one too! Mind Blown

Are you excited yet? This is just a little sneak, there is a lot more prizes to be had thanks to the generousity of some great authors and me ^_~. Sunday I will post the official timeline of whats to come, just wanted you excited in your pants for the next two days.

So be here folks, and lets celebrate the diversity and love that can be found in M/M books and in the world.