Today we say welcome to author Chris Scully , who joins us today here on Love Bytes on the Dreamspinner blog tour for new release “Happy”.
Welcome Chris 🙂

Hello! I’m Chris Scully. Welcome to the blog tour for my new novella, Happy, from Dreamspinner Press. Join me at various tour stops, where I’ll be sharing some guest posts, excerpts and more. Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway to win a gift certificate and ebook of your choice. Thanks for stopping by and joining me on the tour! And a very special thanks to my hosts today.

As in many Mediterranean cultures, food is a big part of Greek life. In Happy, Peter Georgiou has a love/hate relationship with the restaurant his parents created, mostly because it ties him to them when he’s struggling to define himself and what he wants for his own life.

I love Greek food. Fortunately I live near GreekTown in Toronto so I can indulge my taste buds. If you haven’t tried Greek-style lamb, you don’t know what you’re missing. I thought I’d share this easy recipe, which is the kleftiko Peter’s dad, Kosta, loves so much. It has the added bonus of being a one-pot meal. I just made this for Easter dinner and it turned out great.

 

Arni Kleftiko (slow cooked lamb) – serves 6

1 small leg of lamb, bone in, cut into serving pieces, or 6 shoulder lamb chops, or 6 lamb shanks

1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced or 28 oz can good quality plum tomatoes, drained and diced

10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1 1⁄2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

1 1⁄2 tablespoons minced fresh spearmint or 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried spearmint, crumbled

5 medium size potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely sliced

1 cup red wine

1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F.

This dish is best prepared in a large clay pot, or covered casserole that can go in the oven. A roasting pan covered with aluminum foil works too. The point is this dish needs to be tightly covered. If preparing individual chops, you can also wrap these envelope-style in parchment. Basically what you want to do is have as little liquid escape during cooking as possible.

Combine together all ingredients and toss. Nestle the meat near the top. Season with salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon for added flavour. Cover pot tightly with lid or aluminum foil.

Braise, in the oven, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. The meat should fall off the bone.

*I baked uncovered for the last 15 minutes.

Happy

By Chris Scully

Published by Dreamspinner Press

Growing up Greek-Canadian, Peter Georgiou always knew his duty was to his family, for whom twenty-first century rules don’t apply. In his early thirties, Peter still lives at home, dates who his parents tell him to, and works at the family restaurant. But watching his two best friends find happiness in each other’s arms has made him worry over his destiny.

When Louie Papadakis returns home to nurse his broken heart and start a new life, he can’t believe his sister is dating his high school crush, Peter. There’s a sadness behind Peter’s eyes that draws him in, and a chemistry he wishes he could ignore. After his closeted ex broke his heart, Louie is afraid to fall in love again, especially with a man who’s keeping secrets.

As Peter finds himself drawn to Louie in unexpected ways, old and new worlds collide. Then a family crisis forces Peter’s hand, and he must decide if he’s willing to sacrifice his happiness for family duty.

Buy Links

Available March 30, 2016

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

ARe

“Are you happy?”

It was a simple question. Should have been a simple answer. So why was it still rattling around in Peter’s head an hour after Adam had asked it? And why did his insides squirm uncomfortably every time he thought about it? Of course he was happy. Wasn’t he?

He rinsed his hands under the bathroom faucet and chanced a final glance in the mirror. The man staring back at him certainly didn’t look happy.

You’re a sad fucking case these days, Peter Georgiou, he thought tiredly, taking in the dark circles beneath his eyes and the retreating hairline that even the closest shave couldn’t disguise. His lungs grew tight, and he quickly averted his eyes before he looked too deeply and saw something he’d rather not see.

Peter cupped his hands beneath the water, letting it spill through his fingers before bending to splash his overheated face. He struggled to recall a time when he hadn’t felt this weight on his chest, but if it had ever existed, it must have been long ago. Before he knew what expectations were. What had happened to the boy who was going to get away and see the world? Be his own man?

He straightened and flicked his wet fingers at the mirror, shattering his reflection with droplets. With a sigh he reached for the nearby hand towel to dry it off. His image blurred for a second and then crystalized again as the water evaporated. He made a face and then looked away. Ugh. He shouldn’t have had that last beer. He was a gloomy drunk to begin with, but tonight he was more morose than usual.

When had it all started to go wrong? With his dad’s heart attack? When Elena ended their engagement? Or was it before that, even?

The sounds of laughter filtered up to the second floor through the floorboards of the old house. The party was winding down, but a few stragglers still hung on in the living room, having moved inside after darkness settled in and brought the mosquitos with it. Peter wondered if he could slip out without anyone noticing. Then he remembered he had no way to get home without Julian, unless he called a cab.

He was reaching for the door handle when voices drifted through the open window, too low to hear the words but loud enough for him to recognize the speakers. Curious, Peter crept to the window and squinted into the shadows. The bathroom overlooked the narrow backyard, and sound drifted easily. Through the fluttering streamers and paper bells stretching over the deck, two familiar figures moved about below, illuminated by the glow from the kitchen.

Adam hopped up to perch on the deck railing, facing the house as Joe filled a garbage bag with the litter from earlier in the evening. After a mumbled comment, Joe set down his bag and moved to stand between Adam’s splayed knees, his back turned toward Peter, his hands seeking out Adam’s hips. As Peter watched from his secret vantage point, Adam wrapped his arms around Joe’s neck and leaned down to kiss him.

It was slow and tender, and Peter’s stomach hollowed.

His best friends rarely displayed this side of their relationship in public. They’d always been affectionate with each other—Joe was a chronic hugger—even when they were only friends, so once they’d gone beyond that, not much had changed. Unless you happened to notice the way they looked at each other, or the way they finished each other’s sentences, or how one would know what the other wanted without him saying a word.

Peter did his best not to notice.

There was enough light from the house to see Joe’s hand slide up Adam’s pale thigh and under the leg of his shorts. Peter’s breath hitched. His groin filled with a slow heat.

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CHRIS SCULLY lives in Toronto, Canada. She grew up spinning romantic stories in her head and always dreamed of one day being a writer even though life had other plans. Her characters have accompanied her through career turns as a librarian and an IT professional, until finally, to escape the tedium of a corporate day job, she took a chance and began putting her daydreams down on paper.

Tired of the same old boy-meets-girl stories, she’s found a home in gay romance and strives to give her characters the happy endings they deserve. She divides her time between a mundane 9-5 cubicle job and a much more interesting fantasy life. When she’s not working or writing (which isn’t often these days) she loves puttering in the garden and traveling. She is an avid reader and tries to bring pieces of other genres and styles to her stories. While her head is crammed full of all the things she’d like to try writing, her focus is always on the characters first. She describes her characters as authentic, ordinary people—the kind of guy you might meet on the street, or the one who might be your best friend.

Although keeping up with social media is still a struggle given her schedule, she does love to hear from readers.

Connect with Chris:

Website: chrisscullyblog.wordpress.com

Facebook: facebook.com/chris.scully.author

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6152322.Chris_Scully

Email: cscully@bell.net

March 24: MM Good Book Reviews

March 28: Open Skye Book Reviews

March 29: Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

March 30: Hearts on Fire

March 30: Divine Magazine

March 31: Love Bytes

March 31: The Novel Approach

April 1: Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words