BOOK DETAILS
LOVE AT LAKE CLYDE, BOOK 1
Book Title: King of the Mountain
Author and Publisher: Aiden Ainslie
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Length: 106 000 words/ 386 pages
Release Date: July 11, 2021
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Tropes: Gay awakening; rich sports star meets poor student
Themes: Coming out; competitive cycling; overcoming adversity; perseverance; HEA
It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.
The books are standalone but the reader would benefit from reading them in sequence to fully appreciate the setting and supporting characters of Clydesdale, a fictitious town in the California Sierra mountains.
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Blurb
American cycling sensation and heartthrob Clifford Du Frey is riding the wave of success. Brand Du Frey is a multi-million-dollar business, and during the Tour de France, Clifford is mobbed by fans wherever he goes. The superstar must focus on winning the Tour de France and maintaining his fan base.
But Clifford has a secret. He has fallen hard for Gabe O’Reilly – the dreamy art student from San Francisco whom he met on a summer’s day in Paris.
Can Clifford and Gabe’s budding relationship withstand the media storm and other forces arraigned against them? Can the grit and determination that propelled Clifford to the top of his sport help him break out to find true love and happiness?
You will root for Clifford and Gabe as they take you on a steaming hot ride through France and all the way back to their native California.
LOVE AT LAKE CLYDE, BOOK 2
Book Title: Master of the Wild
Author and Publisher: Aiden Ainslie
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Length: 88 500 words/ 364 pages
Release Date: January 27, 2022
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance
Tropes: Opposites attract; roommates to lovers; protect your bruised heart by never falling in love again; rich guy poor guy; proving oneself in a strange environment
Themes: Fairy tales; clash of city and country; wilderness challenge; meddling townsfolk; HEA.
It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.
The books are standalone but the reader would benefit from reading them in sequence to fully appreciate the setting and supporting characters of Clydesdale, a fictitious town in the California Sierra mountains.
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Blurb
IT whiz, Conner O’Reilly, moves from London to California to lick his wounds and recover after the break-up of a bad relationship. He is determined to find a job and start a new life. The last thing he needs is another romantic entanglement.
But Conner hasn’t bargained on meeting Ewan Driscoll. Wild, tattooed, gorgeous, messed-up Ewan, who has more baggage than a freight train.
Will Conner be sensible and get his life back on track, or will his heart lead him into the wilderness?
Excerpt from “Master of the Wild”
CONNER
Over the next few days, Ewan slept a lot and listened to music on his iPhone. I enjoyed cooking for him and playing house in his cabin. Despite its starkness, or maybe because of it, the little cottage was very calming – partially due to the complete absence of city noise. I spent hours on the porch, reading or watching the activities peculiar to this place – boats sailing across the lake, squirrels foraging and birds circling above the pines.
Ewan was a remarkably easy patient, though he was adamant about his privacy in the bathroom. On Tuesday, I conceded that he needed a proper wash, so I found an old plastic chair in the garage and placed it in the shower. Ewan used his crutches to hobble off to the bathroom.
I called, “Don’t lock the door – I don’t want to have to break it down when I come and scrape you off the floor.”
“Ha, ha,” he said as the door closed behind him.
I changed his linens, cleared away the breakfast dishes, and kept listening. Fifteen minutes later, I looked at my watch. What on earth was he doing in there? It was awfully quiet.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash and Ewan’s voice, “Fuuuuck!”
I sprinted to the bathroom.
Ewan stood, razor in hand, looking down at the old washbasin, which was hanging from the wall at a crazy angle. He was stark naked. I swallowed and willed myself to look at his face, although the image of his wet, glistening body would be forever imprinted on my mind.
He growled, “Fuckin’ basin came off the wall when I leaned on it to shave.”
I took the razor from his hand and said, “You’ve cut yourself.” Blood was oozing from a gash on his cheekbone and mixing with the white shaving foam.
“It’s nothing,” he said, wrapping a towel around his waist.
“I’m the nurse. I’ll be the judge of that.”
He snorted but allowed me to help him to a stool by the kitchen sink. I cleaned the cut, ran hot water into the sink, and told him that I was going to finish the shaving job for him.
Ewan protested, “I’m perfectly capable…”
“Will you cut it out!” I said. “There’s no mirror you can use. That gash is pretty deep and I don’t want Doc Tyler to find you looking like Edward Scissorhands has been at you. Now hold still.”
Ewan didn’t say another word as I set about shaving him, but the thing I hadn’t bargained on was the effect his proximity would have on me. The perfect contours of his face filled my vision, and the fresh smell of his shampoo enveloped us in a private cocoon. I had to stop myself from brushing the wet hair from his forehead. To be so close – my hand touching his cheek, his jaw. He obediently stretched his neck so that the razor could glide down towards that perfect clavicle bone. I used my free hand to stroke the skin as I went along – just to make sure that I was shaving him perfectly. Ewan barely breathed, but I could feel his eyes locked on my face all the time.
The gash had started to bleed again, and I said, “I’d better put a plaster on that.”
“A what?”
“A plaster.” I rolled my eyes, “I guess you call them band-aids.”
I went to find my sponge bag and rummaged around in it. Where were those damn plasters? In frustration, I tipped the bag upside down onto the kitchen counter. Ewan raised an eyebrow as mosquito repellant, cold meds, a tube of antibiotic, Clarityne, ibuprofen, sleeping tablets, and a host of other medicines spilled onto the counter.
“You sure like to be prepared,” he commented.
I gave the bag another shake, and a few band-aids fluttered onto the counter, together with a brightly colored packet of tutti-frutti flavored condoms.
A smile curled at the corners of Ewan’s mouth as my own face heated up.
“Not a word,” I warned, holding up the razor menacingly.
Ewan put on a poker face, but I could see his chest shaking with the effort to keep in his laughter.
I applied the band-aid and scooped everything else back into the sponge bag. Then I finished shaving a spot under the jawline that I had missed.
Ewan asked all innocently, “What’s your favorite color?”
I looked into his eyes and blurted, “Green.”
Finally, I took a clean dishcloth, rinsed it under the hot tap, and wiped his face and neck.
“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I said.
He nodded and thanked me. Then, after a pause, he said, “Oh, by the way, what’s your favorite fruit flavor?”
I whacked him across the chest with the wet towel, and we both burst out laughing.
Aiden Ainslie lives in the Diablo foothills, east of San Francisco. When he is not writing or listening to audiobooks, he likes to cycle and hike. During those solitary pursuits, he dreams up the characters and plots for his MM Romance novels.
Aiden and his family have two dogs that keep him busy and he also enjoys zipping around town on his motor scooter, drinking coffee at the local coffee shops, and watching people to get inspiration for his writing.
According to Aiden, “Setting and mood are critical parts of a romantic story, hence I am always taking pictures of romantic settings to be used in future novels”.
Author Links
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win
a $10 Amazon Gift Card
