Giveaway & Guest post ‘Warning: This Book is Cursed!’ by Abigail Roux

We’re very pleased and honored to welcome back author Abigail Roux at Rarely Dusty Books. Last time she was here for a Ty & Zane interview that Sharon had with her, this time she’s here to talk about her newest book The Gravedigger’s Brawl, which releases today. Happy Release Day, Abi! The stage is yours. :)

Welcome to The Gravedigger’s Brawl virtual book tour! Thank you for helping me celebrate the release of the most haunted book I’ve ever worked on. Over the course of the next few days I’ll be giving away prizes to help you get through the reading experiences, namely bundles of sage to cleanse your electronics after you download a cursed book! In addition, every stop along this tour is a chance to win $10 in store credit to Riptide Publishing as part of their first anniversary celebration! To enter to win one of the prizes, just leave a comment here and make sure you include your e-mail address. The giveaway deadline is Sunday, Oct 21 at 11:59pm. Many thanks to Rarely Dusty Books for helping me get this spooky Riptide Publishing virtual book tour under way!

Belated Happy Gay Friday

I kinda miss them sometimes: Deniz & Roman

I know it’s Saturday, and I forgot to post yesterday... Sorry! Actually, Leontine and Larissa are the ones to blame for my being so late with the HGF post, hahaha. ;) They were here last night and I tried to trick them into writing the post for me, but they didn’t budge. *sulk*giggle*snort*

Sharon’s Review: Stars & Stripes by Abigail Roux

Abigail Roux

Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run #6)

Riptide Publishing, August 13, 2012 | 292 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:

Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have managed the impossible: a few months of peace and quiet. After nearly a year of personal and professional turmoil, they're living together conflict-free, work is going smoothly, and they're both happy, healthy, and home every night before dark. But anyone who knows them knows that can’t possibly last.

Happy Gay Friday & The Sh*t Hit the Fan

I sweet HGF picture this week, because... what a week! *sigh*
With a post title like that you probably think I’m referring to the latest brouhaha in our little part of the internet world, but I’m not. I don’t feel the slightest inclination to give you my 2 cents about the stoptheGRbullies debacle that hit my rss reader and twitter timeline this week, because I hate how the discussions about issues like this always get so completely and utterly simplified, no matter how nuanced or well-worded some comments are, there’s always someone who finds a way to simplify such comments and the complete discussion/issue at hand. And like it or not, most of the times these issues aren’t that black and white at all. So, I try to stay away from them as far as I can.

And the winners are…

A huge thank you to all who stopped by and left a comment on the Abigail Roux interview, it was such a joy and honor to have Abigail here on the blog. And kudos to Sharon for making it happen! :)

Five lucky commenters have won one of the prizes. Random.org picked these names out of 49 entries:

Sharon meets author Abigail Roux (and asks her everything about FBI agents and lovers Ty & Zane)

We’re very honored and happy to have Abigail Roux as our guest today here at Rarely Dusty Books. Our reviewer Sharon met this fabulous author of the Cut & Run series (among others) nearly two weeks ago and got the chance to ask her all of her, and your, questions about one of the most fascinating gay couples ever created in m/m romance: Ty and Zane. To celebrate this special occasion with our readers both Sharon and I have a gift for a few lucky commenters on this post. And I must say that Sharon’s giveaway gifts are the cutest I’ve ever seen! Read more about them at the end of this (very, very long) post. Let’s first give the stage to Sharon and Abigail!

Sharon & Abigail at Panera Bread

Happy Gay Friday & Some Random Stuff

First, for those who are curious about Sharon’s interview with Abigail Roux from last Friday: Sharon already sent it to me and it is scheduled to be posted coming Wednesday! Abigail told lots of interesting things about her work and Ty & Zane from the Cut & Run series.
Also, Sharon came up with the cutest idea for giveaway prizes and she did get Abigail to sign them. :)

Sharon’s Review: Armed & Dangerous by Abigail Roux

Abigail Roux

Armed & Dangerous (Cut & Run #5)

Dreamspinner Press, May 18, 2012 | 330 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Cut & Run Series Book 5 - Sequel to Divide & Conquer

Left alone in Baltimore after his unpredictable lover bails, Special Agent Zane Garrett takes his frustration out on everything in his path until he is ordered to Chicago to back up an undercover operative. When he gets there, though, he finds himself face to face with his wayward partner, Special Agent Ty Grady. They have to deal with the uncertainty lingering between them while they work to retrieve their intended mark, a retired hit man and CIA wet-works operative named Julian Cross.

What would you like to ask Abigail Roux about Ty & Zane?

Our reviewer Sharon recently found out that she lives only about 10 minutes away from author Abigail Roux (you know, from the Cut & Run series, among other amazing books)! Isn’t that just fan-freaking-tastic!?

I must admit when I heard about that I was slightly jealous. And what’s even making me see more green of envy is that Abigail agreed to meet up with Sharon for coffee! And while they’re at it, Sharon is going to interview her. Awesome, isn’t it!?

I’m sure Sharon has plenty of questions to ask her, given that she’s such a huge fan of Ty and Zane, but she also wants to give you the chance to ask anything you want to know.

So, we would love it if you put your questions for Abigail in a comment below, or send us an email at rarelydustybooks [at] gmail [dot] com with your questions.

We hope to hear from you!
~

Sharon’s Review: Divide & Conquer by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

Divide & Conquer (Cut & Run #4)

Dreamspinner Press, October 14, 2011 | 313 pages

Authors’ website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Baltimore, Maryland, is a city in alarming distress. Rising violence is fanning the flames of public outrage, and all law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are catching blame. Thus the FBI’s latest ideas to improve public relations: a municipal softball league and workshops for community leaders. But the new commitments just mean more time Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have to spend apart when they’re happily exploring how to be more than by-the-book partners.

Happy Gay Friday & Backblurbs in ebooks

It’s been hot the past few days here in the Netherlands and we had some bad thunderstorms in the evenings. And horror of all horrors, we lost our internet connection during one of those. I nearly had a panic attack, lol! Because the bad thing is that you don’t know how long the internet loss will go on until it’s finally over.

That night I realized how much I’ve come to depend on being able to look something up on the internet. Since I wasn’t able to hop some blogs or get on twitter, tumblr or pinterest anyway, I decided to read for a while. But I happened to be inbetween books.

Joint Review: Fish & Chips by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Fish & Chips (Cut & Run, #3)

Dreamspinner Press, December 6, 2010

Authors’ website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are back on the job, settled into a personal and professional relationship built on fierce protectiveness and blistering passion. Now they're assigned to impersonate two members of an international smuggling ring-an out-and-proud married couple-on a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. As their boss says, surely they'd rather kiss each other than be shot at, and he has no idea how right he is. Portraying the wealthy criminals requires a particular change in attitude from Ty and Zane while dealing with the frustrating waiting game of their assignment. As it begins to affect how they treat each other in private, Ty and Zane realize there's more to being partners than watching each other's backs, and when the case takes an unexpected turn and threatens Ty's life, Ty and Zane will have to navigate seas of white lies and stormy secrets, including some of their own.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Agents, FBI, Action, Cruise, Uncercover as Married Couple

~~~~~
Sharon’s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 out of 3
~~~~~

Janna’s Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2.5 out of 3
~~~~~

Discussed by SharonS. and Janna:

What is it about this series that appeals to you?

Janna:
I think it’s the mix of action, hot alpha heroes and suspense that’s so appealing to me. Ty and Zane, the two male leads, are such complex characters as well. They are growing on me more and more with each book. I just love their raw, physical magnetism and their fierce attraction to each other. But now that their relationship starts to develop into something more emotional too, it’s getting even better.

Sharon:

I think you said it best with “raw, physical magnetism”. With the first book I was drawn in by the throwing together of two alpha males and watching the fireworks both emotionally and physically. Both men have spent their whole lives living up to someone else’s expectations. M/M stories bring out vulnerability in alpha characters like nothing else. With each book we get to experience all the facets of the relationship as it slowly builds. These characters are pure genius.

Happy Gay Friday & Some Randomness

Friday can never come too soon! I’m always glad when another week has dragged itself along and turns into a Friday again. :) This week’s Happy Gay Friday post is going to be a mildly chaotic one I’m afraid, or at the very best very random.


1.
First, I don’t know WTH is up with my previous post. Its RSS feed doesn’t seem to work (it’s not visible in Google Reader or blog rolls) and the comments don’t show up while they do appear in my email inbox. Weird! It might have something to do with the table thing I used…

2.

For you who know Lis, my friend and one of the reviewers here, you’ll be happy to know that she’s safe. I’m not sure if you knew, but she left the Netherlands last December to seek adventure down under. She’s hopping from one farm to the next place to earn her living and at the moment she’s in Queensland where the rivers are flooding. It’s really bad, as you can see in these pictures.
Lis’s village is evacuated and she’s been helping evacuating animals and people. Isn’t she a heroine? :) My romantic senses are going overdrive ever since I knew she’s been helping out on this farm where she lives with a recently divorced man and his kids. And now that they’ve been evacuated they're all staying in a small mobile home together. How intimate! ;)
But seriously, let’s pray the flood situation won’t get worse.

3.
I’m a bit dazed about the fact that I’ve only read one book this past week. Not even a few short stories or novellas sneaked in, nope, just the one book. That’s pretty unusual for me.
But I must add that it was a truly good one, so that makes up for the minimum reading time that I was granted. It was the third book in the Cut & Run series by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux: Fish & Chips.

Sharon and I are going to review it together very soonish. Be aware of lots of gushing from us because we both love, love, love Ty & Zane, we can’t help it. :)

4.
Next week we have a guest author making her first appearance at Rarely Dusty Books. It’s the lovely Ellis Carrington who will be here talking about Romancing the Monster. I had the pleasure of meeting her in New Orleans last October and I’m honored that she agreed to come over to RDB for some fun. She’ll be giving away a copy of her soon to be released novella Immortal Valentine so be sure to check back in on Monday for a chance to win the book.

In the meantime you can have some fun with the soap… ehh… Gaytime Drama she and fellow authors like Damon Suede and Poppy Dennison are writing for the M/M Romance group at Goodreads here. (you must be a member of the group I think).

5.
This week it finally got a bit colder in our little country. It’s freezing for a couple of days now and today we also got some decent snow. It’s still beautifully virginal although it’s not really much yet, as you can see in this picture taken from my warm and snow-free kitchen. :)

6.
You all know the blog Coffee and Porn in the Morning, right? It’s run by Marie Sexton and Heidi Cullinan and these ladies had a Birthday Bash last month with free stories which I happened to stumble upon. I happily spread the joy of free pretties (even if I’m always too late for the party ;)) so here are the links to the ones I’ve found:
Dirty Laundry, by Heidi Cullinan | Seven Years, by Lynn Flewelling | Chapter Five and the Axe-Wielding Maniac, by Marie Sexton | How much for the whole night? by RJ Scott | Pole Star, by Josephine Myles | A New Reality, by Andrea Speed | The Beginning of the End, by Ethan Stone | The Drifter’s Song, by Z.A. Maxfield | Not a Whore, by Jaime Samms | 9:05, by KC Burn | Interlude, by SA Meade | Tomfoolery, by Lou Harper | When the Sea and the Sky Turn to Blood, by Amy Lane | Method Acting, by Clare London | Too High a Price, by JP Barnaby.

So, this should be enough randomness for one day I think. :)

Happy Gay Friday!

~

Sharon’s Review: Sticks & Stones by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux
Sticks & Stones (Cut & Run #2)
Dreamspinner Press, January 25, 2010

Links: Abigail Roux’s website | Madeleine Urban’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Six months after nearly losing their lives to a serial killer in New York City, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are suffering through something almost as frightening: the monotony of desk duty. When they're ordered to take a vacation for the good of everyone's sanity, Ty bites the bullet and takes Zane home with him to West Virginia, hoping the peace and quiet of the mountains will give them the chance to explore the explosive attraction they've so far been unable to reconcile with their professional partnership.
Ty and Zane, along with Ty's father and brother, head up into the Appalachian mountains for a nice, relaxing hike deep into the woods... where no one will hear them scream. They find themselves facing danger from all directions: unpredictable weather, the unrelenting mountains, wild animals, fellow hikers with nothing to lose, and the most terrifying challenge of all. Each other.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Agents, FBI, Action, West Virginia, Mountains

~~~~~
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3
~~~~~

Reviewed by SharonS.:

Sticks & Stones has been out for a while and there are 968 ratings and 130 reviews of it on Goodreads. There isn’t much I can say about it that hasn’t been said already, but I am working my way through this fabulous series and maybe I can convince you to check it out if you haven’t read it yet.

This book picks up right after the traumatic events of book #1: Cut & Run. The first book was all about the action and suspense of the clever story line as well as the fiery passion that flares between Zane Garrett and Ty Grady. We learned a little about both men’s pasts, but the focus was on who they are now and the case they had to solve.

In book #2 Zane is still recovering emotionally from the last case and is forced to take a vacation. Ty invites him to tag along on his visit to his parents in the mountains. They are both struggling with the unfamiliar and somewhat unwanted feelings that are developing between them. Their relationship has been more of a physical one up to this point, but things are beginning to change. Though, Ty seems to be dealing with it better than Zane. What I loved most about this book is we got to learn about Ty’s past and how it made him into who he is today. We meet his strong and loving mother, his hard to please father and his funny and caring brother. Of course their relaxing camping trip turns into more of a bad horror movie when they run across some treasure hunters willing to kill to protect their secret.

Ty and Zane are forced to confront some of their fears and feelings for each other and there were some truly tender moments for these emotionally guarded men. My heart goes out to Ty as we learn he has never been in love before and is scared. He thinks Zane will never be able to return those feelings because he still loves his late wife. Lucky for Ty, his brother helps him deal with things. Zane on the other hand doesn’t have someone to confide in, even though he does start to open up to Ty’s brother too. Zane is just flat out terrified to love again after losing his wife. He has turned that part of himself off and I just hope he can find the courage to open himself up to what Ty is offering. I have a feeling I will be needing some hankies before this series is over.

The story ends with a happy for now ending as Ty cautiously reaches out to Zane. I can’t get enough of these two men! I am waiting for the first “I love you”. I have a feeling it will be Ty saying it and I can’t even imagine Zane’s reaction. I already have the next book Fish & Chips and can’t wait to find out!

If you haven’t read this series yet, you are missing out on a fabulous love story that will capture your heart as you watch it slowly develop. I can’t wait to read the next book(s) in the series.

The series so far:
#1 Cut & Run
#2 Sticks & Stones
#3 Fish & Chips
#4 Divide & Conquer
~

Sharon’s Review: Cut and Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux
Cut and Run
Dreamspinner Press, September 29, 2008

Links: Authors’ website | Buy book here

Backblurb:
A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case.
Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He's cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he's paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it's hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliché: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer.
Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer's knife.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Contemporary, Thriller, FBI, Serial killer, Action


~~~~~
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3
~~~~~

Reviewed by SharonS.:


You don’t need to read this review. I can sum everything I am going to say in 3 words: READ THIS BOOK! I don’t think Janna is going to let me get away with just saying that (true as it may be) so I will ramble on with the occasional fangirl moments…

This story is 100% clever mystery thriller and 100% broken and tortured alpha male romance. The authors achieved the perfect balance. While I could guess who the serial killer was right off the bat; it was the method of their madness that kept me guessing till the end. They came up with a very clever motive for the killer. There is a lot of action and I found myself rolling my eyes at just how much of a beating these guys take, but like any action movie you just roll with it and enjoy the ride (pun intended ) There is some really good rough/tender sex between these two.

You know how some characters stay with you even after you finish the book? Ty and Zane are etched in my heart. Cut and Run is the first book in this series and the fourth book Divide and Conquer has just released. According to the authors there will be 9 total books. I can’t wait to watch Ty and Zane’s tumultuous relationship develop and, I am sure, fall apart once or twice before it is all over. I have no doubt I will be sobbing and squeeing all the way. I just hope the authors have pity on us and give them the HEA we will want.

I don’t want to talk about plot because this is a serial killer mystery and both men have very screwed up pasts that keep popping up to add a new twist. I would hate to spoil anything. I think no matter what sub-genre of m/m you like, you will enjoy this book. Lucky me, I have the next three already cued up on my kindle. These two men are hard and crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside and they are both fighting hard not to fall in love.

I have read one other book by these two authors, Warriors Cross, and was wowed by it too (here is my Goodreads review of that & here is Janna’s High Five, Low Five review of it).

The series so far:
#1 Cut & Run
#2 Sticks & Stones
#3 Fish & Chips
#4 Divide & Conquer
~

Happy Gay Friday, Getting ready for New Orleans & October releases I don’t want to miss

Only 5 days left and then Leontine and I will be leaving for New Orleans! We're going to the GayRomLit conference (from October 13-16) and will spend some extra time in the city before meeting with everyone else. I can't tell you how much I look forward to it! 
But how does one prepare for the heat of New Orleans? I really don't know… All I know is that I'm traveling light. :)

I actually can't believe tomorrow is October already. With a bit of luck life is going to be nice and quiet again for me by the end of October, which means more time to read and blog I hope. I'm running way behind on all the new book releases and it seems impossible to catch up any time soon, especially with all the upcoming pretties that I don't want to miss. Look at the long, long list (which is really only a selection of the new releases I want next month)!

	Life Over Limb (EMS Heat #11) by Stephani Hecht Release Date: October 1
	Fall Into the Sun by Val Kovalin Release Date: October 1
	The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter Release Date: October 1
	Devotedly His by Shawn Lane Release Date: October 2
	Mummy Dearest by Josh Lanyon Release Date: October 4
	Men Out of Uniform by Maya Banks Release Date: October 4
	RSVP by Kim Dare Release Date: October 9
	Across the East River Bridge by Kate McMurray Release Date: October 11
	Talker's Graduation by Amy Lane Release Date: October 12
	Divide & Conquer Cut & Run Series Book Four - Sequel to Fish & Chips by Madeleine Urban Release Date: October 14
	The Zero Knot by K.Z. Snow Release Date: October 14
	With a Kiss by Kim Dare Release Date: October 19
	Nexus by Mary Calmes Release Date: October 26
	Once a Marine by Cat Grant Release Date: October 30
	More Than Anything by Shawn Lane Release Date: October 30
	Eternal Embrace by Jennifer Turner Release Date: October 31

It's an awful lot, isn't it? :)

Happy Gay Friday! 

~