Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway:
Room For Dessert by Dann Hazel
Some Like It Haute, Book 1
In this “tasteful” HEA gay romance, not all of the action occurs in the best restaurants!
For almost ten years, Sebastian and Matt lived happily together as romantic partners.
Then, Bobby enters the picture and Matt’s infidelity tears Sebastian’s world apart. For a long time, Sebastian has no appetite for a second course of romance.
That is, until Aladdin casts his unexpected spell during drinks at a tapas and cocktails bar.
Sebastian hadn’t bargained for how sweet a second round of love could be!
Then, something happens. A tragedy which sends Matt back into Sebastian’s life, begging for a second chance.
Hungry for love, Sebastian faces an impossible choice. Should he pick Matt, the man who betrayed him?
Or Aladdin, the troubled man whose family roils in a scathing public scandal?
Tropes: Second Chance Romance, Coming Out, Foodies and Chefs
Trigger Warning: One chapter in this novel focuses on a parent’s suicide.
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As an armchair gourmand, Sebastian always considered that first encounter with Matt the delicious appetizer of their ten-year relationship. Unfortunately, in much less time than Sebastian felt it should, their relationship lost much of its spice.
Matt, the true gourmand in their cozy dyad, worked as a sous chef at the Capriccio Grill at the Peabody Hotel Orlando. But food and sex weren’t his only interests. He enjoyed a side gig as a model for the local television and virtual markets.
Indeed, Matt did look like a model. An intriguing come-fuck-me smile remained perpetually etched on his inviting face. People must have thought him to be one of the most genial men around. (And some, Sebastian discovered much later, thought he was among the easiest.) He kept his auburn hair trimmed short and neat—the epitome of a clean-cut All-American boy, though he was undeniably anything but. Because his complexion was fair, attributable to a Nordic gene in his bloodline, he kept his facial hair trimmed, but with the perpetual sexy stubble of a five o’clock shadow.
It was only a matter of time, Sebastian was convinced, that Matt would begin to appear in nationally distributed glossy magazines.
***
But Sebastian had already noticed that, even this early in the day, his mother looked exhausted from her dancing effort. Even her breathing seemed more labored than usual, when compared to previous times she’d become part of the show. And sweat was beading up on her forehead.
Silently, he chalked up his mother’s fatigue to a possible lousy sleep the night before. Now that his mother had grown “older,” she often complained of waking several times a night, usually to pee or to calm down because of a disturbing dream. Occasionally, joint pain was the culprit. “I’m not letting age slow me down, damn it,” she pledged. “A big problem with decline in a person’s older years has more to do with sitting on your ass instead of too much exercise.”
Meanwhile, the show continued to heat up. The performance numbers included Cher’s “Believe,” the Village People’s “YMCA” and Donna Summer’s “On the Radio.” Anyone could easily see that Vera was enjoying the performance. Her pleasure was enhanced by the attention their table received from several drag performers who remembered her. Yet when she was invited once again to the front of the restaurant to shake your booty, girl, she demurred. Most songs on the playlist hailed from Vera’s youth, when disco was all the rage; it made sense that the music would resonate with her. Sebastian couldn’t recall a single time when she’d refused an opportunity to camp it up in front of the Sunday Brunch crowd.
The last song of the morning was a Gaga piece entitled “Highway Unicorn.” The outrageous drag queen known as Ebony Tide performed as Lady Gaga, with the rest of the drag ensemble serving as backup dancers canvassing the restaurant for the final tip opportunity of the day. When the din of the dining room settled, Vera placed her napkin beside her plate. “Are you ready to go, Sebastian?”
Okay. This is different.
Usually, his mother insisted on lingering for an additional cocktail before returning home. Today, they hadn’t even taken advantage of the free mimosa.
Of even more concern? The fact that she left her brunch only half-eaten. Vera finished only half of one egg Benedict. She barely touched the house-made hash browns, which she loved. At least, Sebastian thought, she nibbled her fresh fruit.
On the way to the municipal garage, where Sebastian had parked his classic, fire-engine red Mustang, a proud, sturdy, metal seducer of traffic cops out to set a record in collecting fines, he noticed that Vera wasn’t walking with much perk in her step.
“Are you okay, Mom? You seem about a quart low on energy today. Usually, you can outperform even me.”
“I’m fine, Sebastian. I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather for the past couple of days.” She shrugged. “It’s just my allergies, I’m sure. No need to worry. Your mother is a tough old broad, you know.”
To celebrate the release of Room for Dessert, Dann is giving away a signed paperback copy of the release (US and Canada Only) & an e-copy for an International Winner.
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About the Author
Dann Hazel has been writing both fiction and nonfiction for more than twenty years. Besides writing, he has taught English on the high school level and psychology on the college level. He has also directed grants and worked as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital. His fiction genre interests include thrillers, horror and gay romance.
Personal interests include reading and writing, cinema, running, Broadway, keeping up with current events and travel.
Dann lives in Central Florida with his husband, Josh, and their American Eskimo dog, Flurry.
Connect with Dann:
www.dannhazel.com
https://www.facebook.com/OriginalPressPublishing/
https://www.instagram.com/dann.hazel/
