June is Pride and Audiobook month, which is a perfect marriage in my humble opinion. There is no shortage of sales, deals and giveaways this month across the book community to celebrate. For my part I’ve reduced the price on Survivor, book 1 in the Survivor trilogy; and Lover, book 2 in the Survivor trilogy for the entire month. I’m also donating part of my profits to Resource Center Dallas, a local non-profit that caters to LGBTQ at risk youth, specializing in HIV/AIDs awareness.

I thought I’d start by sharing one of my favorite books, that I’ve both read and listened to, that’s all about having Pride inside. All the Colors of Love by Jessica Freely is one of my favorite YA LGBTQ stories.

Synopsis… It sucks being the son of a super villain. At home, Harry spends half of his time getting medical treatments and the other half tied up in his father’s underwater lair. It was different when his mother was alive, but she disappeared when Harry was six. He can’t seem to stay out of trouble at school, and his new roommate, Antonin, thinks he’s a spaz, but somehow Harry has to find a way to stop his father’s evil plans.

Antonin Karganilla wants to become a comic book artist, but other than that, being gay is the most normal thing about him. His uncle is an aquatic plant man, his aunt is a molecular biologist back from the dead, and his mom is an overprotective pain in the butt. Antonin’s in boarding school and it’s starting to look like he and this Harry kid might have a lot in common…and that means a whole new set of problems.

My review… The description of this story is a little bit misleading, or I misunderstood. I was expecting a darker type of Sky High (the high school for super hero’s kids, disney movie) with a gay twist. What I got instead was definitely dark in some places, but also an uplifting story about a young man trying to find his way in life, separate from his evil father, equating everything he feels to colors. 

Harry’s mom left when he was six years old, supposedly on a trip with his father, but she never returned. His life from that day on was the content of nightmares. He had already been a medical gunie pig of sorts, enduring ‘life saving’ injections and now abuse across the board; physical, mental and verbal, all at the hands of his father. Harry bounces from school to school as he lashes out at everyone and everything that isn’t his father, wishing that it were, resulting in nothing but trouble. He’s just been dumped off at his latest school with the threat of being locked under the sink for the rest of his natural life if he steps so much as one toe out of line.

Antonin is a model student, graphic artist and openly gay. And now he is Harry’s new rommate. Antonin comes from a loving, overprotective and slightly psychotic family. He’s very talented with his comic book with the writing and the art, he’s also very inqustive by nature. Harry see’s him as nosy and dorkish at the start, but when Antonin steps up to some bully’s in defense of Harry, the two become friends. Antonin accepts Harry as his friend and trusts him to spite his shady past, the two grow closer with each passing day. Harry seriously fights the attraction, but not for the reasons one would think. He see’s being gay as wrong but he is in no way hateful or hurtful to Antonin because of his sexuality. He just doesn’t understand how he himself could be bad at one more thing, his father has his psyche so twisted by this point.

Harry accompanies Antonin home for the Christmas break even knowing that his father agreeing to him going will come at a price, a price Harry isn’t sure he can pay. He tries very hard not to grow attached to Antonin, to develop feelings he know’s will be returned. It scares him, to be loved unconditionally, it’s not something he comprehends. As Harry and Antonin navagate their way through family dramas, love, loss, betrayal and more abuse; Harry learns that love is a valid emotion, one that comes in many colors.

This really was an amazing story that defined the grey area between ‘children learn what they live’ and ‘we are our own destiny’. Harry’s father is a cruel bastard who doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Antonin’s mother is overprotective and overbearing to a fault, which cause some of the same personality conflicts between them that we see between Harry and his father. The two of them could become very dangerous people given the circumstances of their lives until now. But together, they can become something wonderful, something more.

Narrated by the best, Paul Morey, I don’t think there is anyone better at voicing those subtle nuances and changes in tones when going from one character and/or emotion to another as well as Morey.

There is one scene in the story that skirts the boundaries of YA and NA, it is passionate but appropriate. It’s all about a love and awareness between Harry and Antonin. The simulated rape scene is more graphic in nature to be honest, but nothing ever goes quite over the line of young adult and adult. As I said, there is a darkness to this story, but overall it’s very engrossing with the slightly sci-fi aspect. I’d definitely recommend this audio book, it has a little bit of everything and progresses so smoothly, your day will fly by.

All the Colors of Love Buy links: Audible | Amazon Audio  This title is also available directly from Harmony Ink in association with Dreamspinner Press.

I’m going to offer a Love Bytes exclusive giveaway that will run through the end of June (I’ll chose a winner via random.org on July 1st) Leave a comment at the end of this post and share one of your favorite reads or listens because who doesn’t need recommendations for their TBR list? Remember to leave your contact information when you comment so I can notify the winner of and eBook of their choice that is either a Dreamspinner Author/Read or a book from my backlist. A second winner will be chosen to receive a FREE audiobook that is either a Dreamspinner Author/Audio or a book from my backlist.

Remember, you can grab the Survivor stories at a discounted price through the end of the month!

Survivor 

Taylor Langford’s world is torn apart when he is only thirteen years old—his parents killed, leaving him alone and orphaned. With no living relatives, he’d certainly be another statistic if not for the intervention of the policeman who found Taylor in the crawl space where his mother hid him that fateful night. Despite the tragedy and resulting anguish in his life, Taylor knows how lucky he is.

Frank Moore is a rookie with the Dallas Police Department when he and his partner answer a call in Devonshire, one of the city’s more affluent neighborhoods. They think the young boy in various pictures throughout the home has been kidnapped until they find him, shaken but alive. Officer Moore recognizes the pain in the kid’s eyes, having lost his own mother to cancer when he was just a boy. He steps in, making sure Taylor is placed with a loving foster family. Over the years, Frank becomes a permanent fixture in Taylor’s life.

A decade later, the case remains unsolved and the once gangly, uncertain teenager is now a college graduate who knows exactly what he wants. He’s coming home to the man that helped mold and shape his life, the man he’s loved for as long as he can remember, Frank Moore. But Taylor isn’t the only person returning to Dallas, and while Frank is distracted by his own conflicting feelings and the new bond growing between the two, the past creeps up on them, determined to finish what was started ten years earlier.

A note from the author… I hope you enjoy Frank and Taylor’s story. It’s been a long road to get them settled, but I’m happy with where this story has taken them. When I started this book, the intent was to write a stand-alone story, but that has changed. Characters continually evolve throughout the writing process, and there are several characters in the book that want to tell their story. I’ve grown especially fond of Rory and I can’t wait to write his book, which will take us back to when he first joined the Bureau, and continue on to his happy ever after.

Please be advised: This is a May/December romance, and as in life, there are sexual situations that take place prior to the main characters finding their way to one another. This is not gratuitous; it is meant to show character growth and self-realization. There is absolutely no cheating.

 Survivor buy links… Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2w3Nx46 Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2w6YUs8 Amazon DE: https://goo.gl/PuJttx Amazon AU: https://goo.gl/gMbnvK Amazon CA: https://goo.gl/JTKgjj B&N: https://goo.gl/SBfp99 Payhip: https://payhip.com/b/hJYB Kobo: https://goo.gl/ta7JNt Playster – https://goo.gl/FMtfrc iTunes: https://goo.gl/v2vam9 Smashwords: https://goo.gl/F7ErD7

Also available in Audiobook format: Audible: https://goo.gl/Kvb3CR Amazon Audio: http://amzn.to/2GytjnE iTunes: https://goo.gl/kRJQid

Lover – A Survivor story 

Life has not always been kind to Shannon Dupree. On the outside he’s carefree and fun loving, but when it comes to his past he’s evasive and secretive. Running away from emotionally bereft parents at just fifteen, Shannon escapes life with them but steps into the waiting arms of the devil.

Rory Landers is a rising star at the Bureau. His personal life, however, is nothing to write home about. He hopes to take his limited relationship with Frank Moore to the next level when they finally solve the Langford murder case, but that doesn’t turn out as planned. On the plus side, he meets free-spirited college senior Shannon Dupree.

Rand Davis finds himself fortysomething and single when his partner of more than a decade is unfaithful. Taking over the Cold Case Squad frees up some of his time, and Rand welcomes newfound friendships within the Langford-Moore family circle. He thinks relationships are not in the cards for him until he meets an agent with an attitude and a vivacious blond that make him want so much more.

Past, present, pain, and suffering collide, ushering in the possibility of a life and love worth fighting for. Although their personalities couldn’t be more different, their three hearts beat the same. Shannon, Rory, and Rand learn the definition of love, commitment, and strength and if they allow themselves, the trio will find all that and more—in each other.

Lover buy links: Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2F2SZHd Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2HfXjEV Amazon DE: https://goo.gl/b7ZzUg Amazon AU:  https://goo.gl/WoqJLU Amazon CA: https://goo.gl/LnDeGV B&N: https://goo.gl/TgEqh9 Smashwords – https://goo.gl/HHqNTe Payhip – https://payhip.com/b/U3vO Kobo – https://goo.gl/8nXMrP Playster – https://goo.gl/vFcySN iTunes – https://goo.gl/BGntkP

TM Smith \ Author bio and links:

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant, she now calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good book, or ticking away on her next novel.

Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, she is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because, seriously people, Love is Love!

Website: www.authortmsmith.com Blog: www.ttcbooksandmore.com Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTMSmith Facebook All Cocks series: https://www.facebook.com/AllCocksStories Twitter – https://twitter.com/TTCBooksandmore GoodReads: https://goo.gl/XQugse Pinterest: https://goo.gl/cq9R9t Youtube: https://goo.gl/Rpq5gX Amazon: http://amzn.to/1muE5AA Smashwords: https://goo.gl/iyiBz9 B&N: https://goo.gl/dWauDA Kobo: https://goo.gl/jS8Ygx iTunes: https://goo.gl/vrLfOl Audible: https://goo.gl/7Iu4Zf Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2syj3Ij Amazon AU: https://goo.gl/0sCPxq Amazon DE: https://goo.gl/fhBB9c Payhip: https://payhip.com/authortmsmith