Release Blitz, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway:
Blackbird by Mia Kerick
IF I FELL Series, Book 2
Sequel to Hide Your Love Away
Timmy and Cole’s angsty love story continues…
Last year, in Timmy Hale’s junior year at Edgewater University, he set his romantic sights on Colton “Cole” Ledger—a burly and sometimes over-protective dormitory maintenance man. Cole soon had it bad for sleek and snarky Timmy too, and—despite a bumpy road (a frenzied stalker and an uncooperative son)—before year’s end they’d found love. Now, in Timmy’s senior year, the couple has left the dormitory behind. Cole is back to running his own custom construction company, and they’ve turned an antique Victorian home into a love nest. For a while, life is good.
But insta-love comes at a cost, and for Timmy and Cole it’s steep. Cole’s doubts haunt him: he’s almost certain he’s too old for Timmy, and that he’s pushing him into a life he’ll eventually resent, keeping him from spreading his newfound wings and taking flight toward his best future. Acting on his fears, Cole pressures Timmy to accept an internship in Manhattan—far from the home they’ve built together. He means well, but Timmy feels like a baby bird kicked out of the nest too soon.
Tensions rise until fear, resentment, and desire draw Timmy and Cole into explosive conflict. When the dust settles, will Timmy wing away like a young blackbird, or return to nest with Cole in their happy garden home?
For maximum enjoyment, read Blackbird after reading Hide Your Love Away.
Stay tuned for Book 3 in the IF I FELL Series, Come Together, coming in January, 2022.
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Timmy
My new client, Jared Dexter, doesn’t hesitate to engage me. He reaches out and grasps my hair, letting it slide between his fingers like sand. “Your hair would look stunning in magenta.” His eyes shine as he studies me, and I hate myself for feeling pleased. I’ve always been a sucker for male approval. Much more so now, since Cole kicked me out.
Still, I’m out of my element. Despite the paw on my head, I manage to swing my side bangs into my face. Knowing that only my lips will form a smile, it’s best to hide the wariness in my eyes. My gaze will betray my intimidation at being touched so intimately by a man who’s not Cole. Yeah, hiding is my best bet.
“I’m sure it would.” I dig deep to find the feigned arrogance I depended upon for so many years. And I don’t ask him to take his hand from my hair.
“Let me dye this magenta and you can be a model in my next campaign,” he suggests, tightening his hold. “To the tune of a large bonus.”
“I’m more of a behind the scenes dude.” I close my eyes. Just for a second.
“I respect that.” He finally releases me, and I step back with a sigh of relief. “But it’s a shame, Timmy. You’re a true beauty—I could use a face like yours.”
“I suck down the remainder of my beer. “I’ll show you my value on the other side of the camera, I swear. I can even help plan the shoots.”
“It’s already evident that you have vision, and we really do need to talk. Somewhere quiet, though. Not here.”
He’s looking at me like I’m a bottle of Arctic Blitz Gatorade and he’s a dry-mouthed midfielder after a long soccer match. The dude wants something I’ve got. “I’m sure that can be arranged. I mean, I work for you.”
Jared smiles. “Quite true, indeed. I’ll be in touch. What are you drinking?”
“Just beer.”
“They make a splendid Pimm’s cup here. But I think tonight we’ll do Boilermakers—kind of an American/UK combo.”
“A combo?”
“The UK version of a Boilermaker is a cocktail—half mild beer and half brown ale. But we’ll do shots of whiskey with the UK Boilermaker chaser.”
“Sounds like a recipe for disaster,” I observe.
“Or a recipe for as much fun as you can have with your pants on.” More grinning. And was that a wink?
Catch-up on the series with
Book 1: Hide Your Love Away
IF I FELL Series, Book 1
Too young.
Too damaged.
Too close to Cole’s enormous secret for comfort.
Rough and tumble Edgewater University maintenance man Colton Ledger should keep his distance from the sleek and snarky college junior who has caught his attention. After all, Timmy is half his age, not to mention that Cole has a secret life he can’t afford to reveal. So why is he compelled to undermine the young man’s cocky game and lure him into his private life?
As the product of an unwanted late-life pregnancy, Timmy Hale has been emotionally shattered by a loveless upbringing. After years of desperate attempts to garner attention from his apathetic parents fail, young adult Timmy changes course. He hides his feelings of vulnerability behind meaningless sex, endless partying, and a big, bad attitude. Until Cole comes along…
When trouble finds Timmy in the form of a dangerous and relentless stalker, Cole must decide if Timmy is worth the risk of coming clean about the confidence he’s obliged to keep, as Timmy weighs the potential havoc falling in love could wreak on his heart.
Hide Your Love Away is Book One in the IF I FELL Series.
Age Gap, Hurt/Comfort, Keeping Secrets, Opposites Attract Adult Contemporary MM Romance.
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To celebrate the release of Blackbird, Mia is giving away a $10 Amazon Voucher!
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Award-winning gay romance author and mother of four, Mia Kerick, knows that a satisfying romance novel is riddled with challenges. For true love to prevail, the leading men are going to have to put in some effort. But the HEA is oh-so rewarding.
From Jane Eyre’s Mr. Rochester to Brokeback Mountain’s Ennis and Jack, Mia has a great affinity for the tortured hero in literature. Her contemporary gay romance focuses on such steamy tropes as hurt/comfort, forbidden love, and enemies/friends to lovers. She firmly believes that sometimes you have to break his heart to save him. In Kerick’s books, the course of true love truly never does run smooth.
Mia’s books have been featured in Kirkus Reviews magazine. They have won a 2019 IPPY GOLD award for Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction, a 2018 YA GOLD MOONBEAM Children’s Book Award, a YA Readers’ Favorite Award, several Gold Rainbow Awards in YA and adult categories, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, a YA Indie Fab Award, a First Place Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, a First Place Story Monsters Purple Dragonfly Award, and more. Mia cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.
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great excerpt