'Nother Sip of Gin by @Rhys_Ford #NEWRELEASE #BLOGTOUR

 Never thought I’d be back on the road with these guys again but … here we are. And nothing makes me happier than to take to the pages with the Sinner Boys all over again. ’Nother Sip of Gin came from a friend asking me if I’d ever consider pulling together some of the blog spots I’d done into a book they could read on their Kindle. I’ve held that possibility in my head for a while and then I got the time and space to pull not only the foundational stories I’d already shared but a few brand new stories I’ve always wanted to explore, short bits of emotions and life moments I’ve enjoyed pulling together. I’ve included long stories like Hair of the Dog and a few others because well, they were fun to write in the past but also provided a solid base for so much of the Sinners lore.

 

For this blog tour I wanted to take a bit of time to talk about five lyric snippets and how they connect to the characters as well as the meaning behind a few of them. It was great to go through the anthology and once again visit with the guys. I’ll be writing a novella about Connor and Forest in the near future so this trip down memory lane has been a great revisit with old friends, reacquainting me with their voices, quibbles, and most of all, their lives.

 

Giveaway!

And as usual, there is a giveaway! Please enter to win a $20 gift certificate to the etailer of your choice and be sure to hit up every blog stop to enter every giveaway! Never say no to books. *grins* Just leave a comment with your email address to be entered!

 

 

Gypsy roses, and a white daisy crown

Waltzing in circles, We all fall down

Spin a thread, make it of gold

Weave us a family, brash, loud and bold

Let me sing to them in the darkness

Let me sing to them in the light

Let us sing together under the moon

Let us sing to keep back the night

When the road comes a’calling

Let me remember where I’ve been

‘Cause once our song is over

We’ll want to come back again

Don’t sell your soul to the Devil

Take a nickel for every sin

Lift your voices so we can hear you

And dance with Crossroads Gin

¾     Shouting Down the Moon

A significant moment in the series comes about when Miki, Damie, Rafe, and Forest form Crossroads Gin. Technically, in most series, that formation would mean the end of the story but with the Sinners Boys, there was a little bit further to go. When I wrote Absinthe of Malice, it was meant to be a transitional book where the readers were able to see the band members actually as musicians and to experience the trials and tribulations of what it was like for them to be on the road. I felt it was necessary not only for the reader but for the band to basically start from the ground up again, even though they had a lot of experience and success. It was not only a bonding journey but also one of self-discovery.

 In AoM, there were quite a few threads that needed to be woven through the book. I wanted to address Miki’s relationship with Brigid, Damien and Kane, and most of all, Rafe’s continuing struggle with sobriety. The key storylines in Absinthe were to show things weren’t magically cured because the band was finally together. While a lot of issues have been resolved in the prior books, it still would be unrealistic to assume everything would be perfect because there were a lot of things that had been addressed. One of those things was Miki’s anger towards Damien’s death and his feeling of being abandoned.

Even though we know Damien didn’t actually die and none of that was within his control, Miki had once again been cut adrift from the only thing that anchored him — Sinners Gin. One of the things to remember when reading the series is that Miki had never truly been alone during his developmental years. He depended upon Damien, Johnny, and Dave to provide him with a backstop for his life whenever it went kind of crazy and following the accident, there was nothing solid beneath Miki to keep him steady. Kane’s arrival in Miki’s life was a good counterpoint to Miki’s relationship with Damien and it forced him to construct a relationship outside of the commonality of music, something he’d never done before. The push pull of learning how Kane thought and felt as well as discovering how to communicate to someone without shared base pushed Miki’s limits. Damien wasn’t there to give him any social shortcuts and Miki had to be invested in creating his involvement and engagement with Kane.

 When Damien reemerged, Miki actually gained a bit about footing but still hadn’t quite addressed how he felt following the accident. He was able to do that in AoM or at least was able to recognize those discussions had to happen. Considering where he was on page 1 of Sinners Gin to the end of AoM, Miki has gained a lot of ground as far as how to communicate and how to be open. A lot of this has to do with not just his relationship with Kane but also developing his relationships with the rest of the band, including the shift of his relationship with Damien. Miki is more of Damie’s equal now and Damien is more than willing to accept that change because he recognizes it as growth for Sinjun.

 This song in a way represents Miki at the crossroads himself. He is built up a support structure that is pretty solid and now has faith that he’s loved. This marks the end of part of his journey to heal the wounds he’s carried inside of him but it also signifies the beginning of a time where he needs to look at those scars and accept that while there still may be darkness and pain inside of him, there’s also a lot of light and joy to balance that out.

 He just needs to reach out and embrace it.

 

 

’Nother Sip of Gin by Rhys Ford

A Sinners Gin Anthology

 For Crossroads Gin rock stars Miki, Damien, Rafe, and Forest, life is a Möbius strip of music, mayhem, and murder. Through it all, the sweet, hot moments between tours with lovers, friends, and family keep them sane, healthy, and happy. This Sinners collection features short stories spanning the entire series, from before the first note to after the lights go out.

BUY LINKS: 

Purchase ’Nother Sip of Gin at Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/nother-sip-of-gin-by-rhys-ford-11738-b

 Also at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nother-Sip-Gin-Sinners-Anthology-ebook/dp/B08DWM53J9/

 

And other fine online book retailers.

 

 

About Rhys Ford

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist with her Murder and Mayhem novels. She is also a 2017 Gold and Silver Medal winner in the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards for her novels Ink and Shadows and Hanging the Stars. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

 

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Harley, a grey tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled alley cat who isn’t sure living inside is a step up the social ladder as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

 

Rhys can be found at the following locations:

Blog: www.rhysford.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhys.ford.author
Facebook Group: Coffee, Cats, and Murder: https://www.facebook.com/groups/635660536617002/

Twitter: @Rhys_Ford

Back in Black @Rhys_Ford #REVIEW #RELEASEDAY

Back in Black, Rhys Ford, Dreamspinner Press
McGinnis Investigations #1
There are eight million stories in the City of Angels but only one man can stumble upon the body of a former client while being chased by a pair of Dobermans and a deranged psycho dressed as a sheep.

That man is Cole McGinnis.

Since his last life-threatening case years ago, McGinnis has married the love of his life, Jae-Min Kim, consulted for the LAPD, and investigated cases as a private detective for hire. Yet nothing could have prepared him for the shocking discovery of a dead, grandmotherly woman at his feet and the cascade of murders that follows, even if he should have been used to it by now.

Now he’s back in the dark world of murder and intrigue where every bullet appears to have his name on it and every answer he digs up seems to only create more questions. Hired by the dead woman’s husband, McGinnis has to figure out who is behind the crime spree. As if the twisted case of a murdered grandmother isn’t complicated enough, Death is knocking on his door, and each time it opens, Death is wearing a new face, leaving McGinnis to wonder who he can actually trust.

Review:

Cole, Jae and the rest of the gang are back!

Some time has passed since we last visited with Cole and he is a married man, a consultant with the LAPD and an uncle, so you would think that he would have settled down and become more responsible....you would be wrong. 

I was very excited for this next chapter when I heard about it several months ago and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed. High octane and full throttle are just a few words to describe this book. Ford takes us back to the beginning all while keeping us firmly planted in the present, beautifully weaving characters from another series into this world seamlessly. 

While I love the mystery and crime of the story, my favorite parts are the personal connections and the glimpses of home and family that we get. This author could teach a master class on balance in story telling. 

If you were a fan of the original series you will love this reboot. I for one can't wait to see where Cole takes us next!

Back in Black by @Rhys_Ford

Hello! And thank you for joining the Back in Black Blog Tour! My name is Rhys Ford and I will be your guide through this serialized short story featuring Cole McGinnis and his trip to the altar. Hit each blog stop for the next bit of the story AND as a special bonus, Greg Tremblay has narrated each “slice of cake” on this wedding tour! 

As some of you know, Cole McGinnis is a former LAPD detective who found love again in a romance suspense series called the Cole McGinnis Mysteries or as I call it, the Dirty Series. It is there he meets and falls in love with Kim Jae-Min, a Korean photographer with a few secrets of his own and a tiny black cat with an attitude. I left Cole and Jae in quite a happy place five years ago in Los Angeles with a promise to come back and “reboot” Cole’s life in a mystery series. 

(You can find the first series here at Dreamspinner Press, including a special free bonus collection of shorts in both ebook and audiobook format) 

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/cole-mcginnis-mysteries-6335-s


If you’ve already met Cole, well then I am happy to announce he’s back and well, while things are a little bit different… and he’s a hair older… his life is still as insanely jam-packed with action and more than few mysteries to figure out. All of the old gang is back along with a few new faces and I hope you all enjoy Back in Black as much as I enjoyed writing it.

And as if Cole wasn’t fun enough to write, Greg Tremblay is back as Cole McGinnis in the upcoming audiobook which is supposed to be out on Feb 13th! If you aren’t a part of my Facebook group or follow me on social media, please be sure to find me to learn about any future stuff. Because 2020 is going to be a hell of a lot of fun.

***WINNER*** Annette P***

Giveaway!

As always, there is a giveaway! Please comment with your email and follow this blog to enter to win a $25 Gift Certificate to the online store of your choice!















Nothing Else Matters: Part Five

Audio Snippet Link: https://rhysford.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/pt5_bib_wedding.mp3

“That’s a lot of coin for a bit of mirrors and plastic.” Bobby’s grumbling hadn’t stopped since I’d begged the shop owner to open up for a few minutes so I could pick up the special order I’d placed nearly two months ago. “I mean, how many cameras does the guy need? And why didn’t he get it for himself? You’re swimming in money.”

There was no explaining the distinction between equipment to Dawson. He found things he liked and stuck with them, changing up only when something caught his eye and needs. It was something he and Ichi shared. Their love of loud, teeth-rattling motorcycles and hedonism drew them together. They loved to push themselves to the edge of things, thrilling in the free-fall of an uncontrolled roller coaster drop and laughing maniacally when they survived the experience to come out the other side. I hadn’t seen it in the beginning, blinded more by the confusion of two people I held in my heart as brothers hooking up and then marrying.

All told, it was a perplexing time until I took a really good hard look at who they were and what they meant to one another.

And damn it, the bastards fit.

“Because Jae won’t spend any money he didn’t earn on his photography equipment. It’s a thing for him and I don’t push.” Like comprehending how Bobby and Ichi worked, it’d taken me a bit to understand why Jae refused to splurge and buy anything he wanted, even as I encouraged him to do so. It wasn’t pride, per se but a dignity. He wanted to carve his own path into any mountain standing in his way and the best thing I could do for him was to respect that. “It’s his, dude. But special occasions mean I can sneak a few things into his kit bag and since our wedding happens to hit just as this stuff dropped into the market, I can excuse it as a present.”

“Yeah, maybe he’ll do the same and get you a Kevlar vest,” Bobby chortled, laughing harder when I flipped him off. “Or pajamas. That’s something you need. Bullet-proof jammies. The kind with the feet on them.”

“I can’t believe Ichi fell in love with you.” It was a common refrain, usually one I reserved for when I didn’t have a comeback. “Someone must have dropped him on his head or something. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“He married me because we…” Bobby trailed off, his knuckles going white as he gripped the truck’s steering wheel. His gaze softened, staring out over a sea of bumper-to-bumper cars wending their way through the freeway’s afternoon traffic. “First time I got married, I thought I was doing the right thing, you know? Marrying a woman would make a man out of me. I’d forget how much I wanted to bury myself into some twinkling eyed pretty boy and live the American dream, complete with the kid, a dog and that white picket fence. I made everyone around me miserable. Hell, I was a miserable asshole myself and that twinkling eyed pretty boy just became more alluring because I couldn’t have him. So I cheated… on my wife, on myself, hell on every bit of my life until I broke everything I had.

“This time around, I wasn’t looking for a happily ever after. You know me, Princess. Last thing I wanted was to wake up next to the same guy for the rest of my life and then, bam!” He smacked the dashboard, a hard solid thwack with his flattened hand. “There was Ichiro, daring me to be better. Daring me to be someone he’d take home and keep. All of a sudden, it seemed like life was too damned short and every minute I spent without him was like liquid gold slipping out from between my fingers. That’s how you know when you’re in love, kid. When in the middle of a freaking argument about a couch, you realize it doesn’t really matter if the damned thing is brown leather or black suede, you just want to have the damned couch so you can sit on it together and not waste any of those minutes you’ve been given.”

“Notice the couch is brown leather, though,” I remarked, pointedly ignoring the misty gleam in his eyes.

“Yeah well, he pointed out that it’s easier to wipe off after a long night,” Bobby said with a leer. “And if there’s one thing I really love about your baby brother, it’s that he’s practical as hell.” 

                                                         Back in Black

McGinnis Investigations #1
There are eight million stories in the City of Angels but only one man can stumble upon the body of a former client while being chased by a pair of Dobermans and a deranged psycho dressed as a sheep.

That man is Cole McGinnis.

Since his last life-threatening case years ago, McGinnis has married the love of his life, Jae-Min Kim, consulted for the LAPD, and investigated cases as a private detective for hire. Yet nothing could have prepared him for the shocking discovery of a dead, grandmotherly woman at his feet and the cascade of murders that follows, even if he should have been used to it by now.

Now he’s back in the dark world of murder and intrigue where every bullet appears to have his name on it and every answer he digs up seems to only create more questions. Hired by the dead woman’s husband, McGinnis has to figure out who is behind the crime spree. As if the twisted case of a murdered grandmother isn’t complicated enough, Death is knocking on his door, and each time it opens, Death is wearing a new face, leaving McGinnis to wonder who he can actually trust.


Purchase Back in Black at Dreamspinner, Amazon (Globally) and other online book stores:

Dreamspinner Press (https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/back-in-black-by-rhys-ford-11514-b)

Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Back-Black-McGinnis-Investigations-Book-ebook/dp/B07YZLRMPG)

Back in Black Audiobook can be preordered here: https://www.amazon.com/Back-Black-McGinnis-Investigations-Book-ebook/dp/B07YZLRMPG





About Rhys Ford

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist with her Murder and Mayhem novels. She is also a 2017 Gold and Silver Medal winner in the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards for her novels Ink and Shadows and Hanging the Stars. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Harley, a grey tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled alley cat who isn’t sure living inside is a step up the social ladder as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

Rhys can be found at the following locations:
Blog: www.rhysford.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhys.ford.author
Facebook Group: Coffee, Cats, and Murder: https://www.facebook.com/groups/635660536617002/
Twitter: @Rhys_Ford


For more information and to keep track of his upcoming releases, visit Greg Tremblay at: https://gregtremblay.com/

Paws for Murder by Scarlett English

Paws for Murder, Scarlett English
The Barking Mad Mysteries #1
Welcome to Adlebury where village life can be downright deadly.

Veterinarian Petronella Knight seems to have it all. A job she loves, good friends, and patients who adore her. But when she gets into an argument with dog breeder Gladys Harrington, and she finds the woman dead, she also finds herself accused of murder.

Ella will need all her friends, including the new and very handsome American policeman, and all her sharpest sleuthing skills to figure out who murdered the dog breeder before another dead body pops up.

Paws for Murder contains one enthusiastic amateur detective with a penchant for rescuing animals, a guard duck called George, a large amount of homemade gooseberry wine, and a very confused American who has never met an English village quite like this one.

You’d be Barking Mad to pass this one by.

The first book in this new series was so much fun to read. I have really become addicted to cozy mysteries in the last couple of years and this new series will be added to my must buy list. 

I am not one of those people that goes into a mystery trying to figure it out before I get to the end, I like to go where the author is trying to lead me and just enjoy the ride. I like the quirky characters and the situations that arise.

The author does a wonderful job introducing the characters and the town in this first installment, so by the end they feel like old friends. 

AMAZON

Love in 24 Frames, @cs_poe @dreamspinners #ADVENT

Love in 24 Frames

Declan Groves is a CPA in New York City. His adult life is dictated by routine and borderline monotony. The need to express himself, in ways his career and crippling shyness have never allowed, leads Declan to becoming an amateur stop-motion filmmaker.

The one problem is that Declan is also in love with the Wandering Artist Studios receptionist Shota Watanabe. Shota has always had a smile and engaging comment ready for Declan, but even if it is more than casual politeness, Declan hasn’t been able to get out more than a tongue-tied sentence at a time. And a man like Shota surely has no intention of waiting forever.

So when an unexpected change to Declan’s daily schedule throws the two together outside of the studio, it might be the catalyst needed to explore what’s unspoken between them. But if they’re to have a future, Declan needs to find a way to tell Shota how he truly feels.

Buy Links
| Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads | 

About the Author
C.S. Poe is a Lambda Literary and two-time EPIC award finalist, and a FAPA award-winning author of gay mystery, romance, and paranormal books.

She is a reluctant mover and has called many places home in her lifetime. C.S. has lived in New York City, Key West, and Ibaraki, Japan, to name a few. She misses the cleanliness, convenience, and limited-edition gachapon of Japan, but she was never very good at riding bikes to get around.

She has an affinity for all things cute and colorful and a major weakness for toys. C.S. is an avid fan of coffee, reading, and cats. She’s rescued two cats—Milo and Kasper do their best on a daily basis to distract her from work.

C.S. is a member of the International Thriller Writers organization.

Her debut novel, The Mystery of Nevermore, was published by DSP Publications, 2016.


Social Media Links

| Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Blog | Goodreads | BookBub | Newsletter |

| C.S. Poe’s Curious & Mysterious |

Hello

Hi, I'm Tyra and I like to read. This isn't going to be a typical review site because I am only going to write about books I enjoy. I am here to promote books and authors and recommend the books that I love. I read a bit of everything in the romance genre, I read a few other things as well but the majority of what I read is some form of romance.

I started reading pretty young because it was the only way my grandfather could get me to be still. Once I realized all the different worlds that were out there, that I could visit from my backyard, I was off and running. I started with Trixie Belden and quickly moved to books like The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia, basically anything with a dragon or a wizard or both. Soon after that I discovered Danielle Steel, Judith Krantz, Jackie Collins and Anne Rice. I don't remember a time when books were not a part of my life and I love to share the books I enjoy with friends...they don't call me the book pimp for nothing.

So that's what this blog is going to be, me sharing the books I love and want other people to know about. I want this to be a place of positive sharing of books, cover reveals, blog tours and a few contests. 

The first contest is for followers. You get 1 entry by following my blog and then if you get a friend to follow me and comment your name, they get an entry and you get one too.

 What are you going to win? How about a Kindle and some cool swag?

Photo by Jeff Siepman on Unsplash