Many thanks to Amy Lane for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Forever Promised (Promises #4), for a lucky commenter to win! Forever Promised will be released by Dreamspinner Press on June 28.

Crick has been home from Iraq for five years, Jeff and Collin are finally married, and Shane and Mikhail are quietly making lives better for the dispossessed teenagers who come their way. Everything is right in Deacon’s world, but nothing ever stays the same.

When Deacon’s best friends, Jon and Amy, answer the call of an opportunity in Washington, DC, Deacon figures that’s life. You love people, and they leave you, and you survive. Even Benny, Crick’s little sister, is close to grown and ready to start her own future. But Benny loves Deacon, and she owes him – she may move beyond The Pulpit and Levee Oaks one day, but not without leaving something of herself behind. And so she offers Deacon and Crick an amazing gift… and a terrifying decision.

Benny’s offer forces Deacon and Crick to dredge up every past mistake and offer of redemption. And not just the two of them – everybody is forced to examine the chances they’ve been given and the promises they’ve made. In a real family, a child is a promise, and to the men and women of Promise Rock, keeping that promise will change their lives forever.

Other Books

About Amy

Amy Lane knits, mothers four children, and writes like she’s got a slave-driver with a whip and a cattle-prod standing behind her chair. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, a really gassy dog, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at her blog and her website, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.

Contest Rules

• To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Thursday, June 27.
• By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
• If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
• Winners will be selected by random number.
• You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
• Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
• If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
• If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
• This contest is open worldwide!

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“You’re just jealous because you don’t have a cool place to hang out like I do.” -Mayhem

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Don’t forget to enter the contest for Reach for the Moon (Alejo & Bobby) by Val Kovalin! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Stop by and enter the contest for The Match Before Christmas (2nd Ed) by Eden Winters! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Then enter the contest for Damned if You Do: The Complete Collection by JL Merrow! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Make sure you enter the contest for Locking Horns (The Greenwood) by Kay Berrisford! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 24.

Go enter the contest for Dead Man and the Restless Spirits by Lou Harper! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 24.

Definitely enter the contest for Whipped Cream by Andrew Grey! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, June 25.

Many thanks to Andrew Grey for donating an ebook copy of his forthcoming m/m romance, Whipped Cream, for a lucky commenter to win! Whipped Cream will be released by Dreamspinner Press on June 26.

Former model Brent Phillips now works the other side of the camera. He makes his money on senior portraits but wants to create an art exhibition. His only problems are lack of a central image and a three-week deadline.

Enter Brent’s friends, who resolve to discover the perfect model for his project. They find him in Tristan Greer, a college student who left home after coming out and is trying to make ends meet.

Though initially reluctant, Tristan agrees to work with Brent to capture the image Brent wants – a gay version of Herb Alpert’s Whipped Cream album photo. It turns out the camera loves Tristan, and the photographer may as well.

Other Books

• Complete list

About Andrew

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania. You can find out more about Andrew and his books at his website and his blog.

Contest Rules

• To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, June 25.
• By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
• If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
• Winners will be selected by random number.
• You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
• Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
• If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
• If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
• This contest is open worldwide!

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“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Usually when he’s sitting next to me on the couch in such a human pose, he’s biting his toenails. Sleeping is definitely better!

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Don’t forget to enter the contest for Reach for the Moon (Alejo & Bobby) by Val Kovalin! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Stop by and enter the contest for The Match Before Christmas (2nd Ed) by Eden Winters! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Then enter the contest for Damned if You Do: The Complete Collection by JL Merrow! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Make sure you enter the contest for Locking Horns (The Greenwood) by Kay Berrisford! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 24.

Go enter the contest for Dead Man and the Restless Spirits by Lou Harper! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 24.

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Don’t forget to enter the contest for Reach for the Moon (Alejo & Bobby) by Val Kovalin! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Stop by and enter the contest for The Match Before Christmas (2nd Ed) by Eden Winters! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Then enter the contest for Damned if You Do: The Complete Collection by JL Merrow! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Make sure you enter the contest for Locking Horns (The Greenwood) by Kay Berrisford! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 24.

Go enter the contest for Dead Man and the Restless Spirits by Lou Harper! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 24.

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The Misadventures vacation continues!

“Whoa. The big kitty said there weren’t any naughty boys last week, but I didn’t believe him because, duh, big kitty.” -Mayhem

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Don’t forget to enter the contest for Reach for the Moon (Alejo & Bobby) by Val Kovalin! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Stop by and enter the contest for The Match Before Christmas (2nd Ed) by Eden Winters! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Then enter the contest for Damned if You Do: The Complete Collection by JL Merrow! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Make sure you enter the contest for Locking Horns (The Greenwood) by Kay Berrisford! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 24.

Go enter the contest for Dead Man and the Restless Spirits by Lou Harper! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 24.

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Congrats to Jess1, who won A Shot at Forgiveness by Cardeno C!

Congrats to Azure J, who won Masochist’s Choice (Sun, Sea and Submission #5) by Kim Dare!

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Randonymity

• Chiang Mai Thai in Uptown Minneapolis has this amazing green sauce that comes with the grilled chicken Chiang Mai style. Everyone I know who’s had it agrees it’s completely delicious and addictive, and we all hoard our leftover bits of the sauce to use at home. All I can tell you is that it has garlic, some sort of spicy green chile (I’m guessing a type of spicy green Thai chile), and something that makes it a bit sticky when spilled (sugar? lime juice?). It smells like the spicy essence of greenness. YUM.

Contests

• Blodeuedd’s giving away a copy of Tainted Angel by Anne Cleeland. Closes June 16. US & Canada.

• Blodeudd’s also giving away a copy of A Lady and Her Magic (Regency Faery #1) by Tammy Falkner. Closes June 19. US & Canada.

Bookity

• New releases and more: Fiction Vixen (UF/romance), Rarely Dusty Books (m/m romance), and AAR (romance).

• Book and publishing news from Dear Author.

• Neil Gaiman on why fiction is dangerous.

• Why Becky Black thinks Amazon Worlds is bad for pretty much everyone other than Amazon.

• Charlie Cochet on overcoming writer’s block.

• How to get the most out of your local library.

• “Parents who own bookshelves raise kids who do better in school“. Wait, there are people who don’t own bookshelves?! O.O

• “Alpha, Beta, Gamma, or the ABG’s of romance heroes“.

• Apparently the news of the NSA’s surveillance has done wonders for sales of George Orwell’s 1984.

• Why some people feel guilty about not finishing books.

• Did you see the Maurice Sendak-themed Google doodle?

Ebookity

• iOS reading apps.

• Apparently one-third of American consumers now own tablets.

Think, Make, Do, Learn

• 22 interesting things about the Stanley Cup.

• It’s not every day a new human body part is discovered.

• Caffeine withdrawal has been classified as a mental health disorder.

• Astronaut Chris Hadfield is retiring.

• What things would be like on Earth without the sun.

• How the myth of lemmings running over cliffs got started.

• IKEA’s going to start making dollhouse furniture – at least it’s fully assembled!

Cookity

• S’Mores pudding cake.

• Strawberry shortcake cupcakes.

• Salted caramel chocolate cake. (via The Kitchn)

• Strawberry rhubarb fool.

• Chocolate and hazelnut praline gelato.

• No bake triple chocolate brownies.

• Yibin “kindling” noodles.

• Warm potato and asparagus salad with herb and garlic caper dressing. (via The Kitchn)

• White chicken enchiladas. (via The Kitchn)

• Roasted shrimp tacos with mango-avocado salsa.

• Tabbouleh with quinoa, bulgur, or cracked wheat.

Gluten Free

• No bake pie and bar recipes.

• Shrimp and rainbow quinoa en papillote. (via The Kitchn)

• Vegetarian meatballs with red lentils and mushrooms.

Drinkity

• Boozy cherry soda.

• Campari mojito.

Crafty

• Lightsaber knitting needles…

• Make a wire heart ring. (via CRAFT)

Cool

• Recycled bike parts chandeliers under an overpass in Texas. (Thanks, Jase!)

• Inverted LEGO rollercoaster.

• Behind-the-scenes pictures from famous films.

• Geeky paper snowflakes.

• Star Wars wedding photos.

• Patrick Stewart’s Facebook page.

• Yes, it would be. (Make sure you hover your cursor over the comic for additional text.)

• DTBBF.

• Hockey hugs!

Cool or Wha…?

• Underwater hockey. (via Puck Daddy)

• Stanley Cup Final beard watch.

• Geeky bras.

• Harry Potter alphabet.

Wha…?

• Stan Lee cologne.

• LEGO Segway.

LOL

• The intersection of Cake Wrecks and The Princess Bride.

• Password humor.

• Pretty sure Chaos approves of this statement.

• Probably this one, too.

Teh Cute

• Tiger and baby! Kitten! Kittens! Kittens! Kittens! Tiger and baby! Cat! Baby otters! Kitten! Kittens! Baby penguins! Kittens! Kitten! Baby snow leopard! Pudu and baby! Kitten!

Reading Update
Unperfect Souls (Connor Grey #4) by Mark Del Franco. Shit hits the fan in Boston as Connor’s mysterious dark power continues to be mysterious.

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“Something’s up. I don’t know what it is, but I know I don’t like it. Other than the great boxes that Mom brings home, that is!” -Mayhem

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Today is a two-contest day! Go enter the contest for Locking Horns (The Greenwood) by Kay Berrisford!

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Many thanks to Lou Harper for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming paranormal m/m romance, Dead Man and the Restless Spirits, for a lucky commenter to win! Dead Man and the Restless Spirits will be released on June 25 by Harper Books.

Hi there. I’m Murmur, guest cat for the day. You can call me Murry, but only if you feed me tuna first. That’s basic etiquette when interacting with felines.

I’m here because if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Humans have their uses, and we cats are good at making them do our bidding, but they tend to be clumsy. Just try to make them do something more complex than cleaning out the litter box or filling your bowl with food, and they’ll mess it up.

Take Bran, for example. He thinks he’s the boss, but in truth I’m his guardian. It’s my job to keep him out of major trouble and help him when he needs it, even if he doesn’t think he does. Humans not only lack the grace and agility that’s natural to us, but they can be incredibly pig-headed. Once they set their mind on something, no matter how misguided, no argument will convince them otherwise. It’s the job of cool cats, like yours truly, to fix the situation using our subtle skills of manipulation.

You see, a youthful mishap made Bran swear off relationships for good. Even when the skinny guy moved in next door and started hitting on Bran, the dimwit pretended not to notice. And Denton was his type too  – we cats have a sixth sense for these things. Alas, no amount of nagging or occult intervention could change the status quo. It was time for feline subterfuge.

Sometimes the best plans are the simplest. I need the two of them to meet face-to-face, to get into each other’s private space, to talk, and to touch. I knew if I managed that there would be a spark. So I made a leap from our balcony to Denton’s fire escape. The rest is history.

But I ramble. I came to recommend you Dead Man and the Restless Spirits. It does a decent job at recounting the events, even if I can’t help thinking it would’ve been better told from the point of view of the cat. Humans – what can you expect?

PS. I’m not portly! It’s all fur.

Dying sucks hairy monkey balls, even when you’re not the stiff.

Denton Mills has a secret: he can see dead people. Or rather, how they died. It’s quite a drag in a city like Chicago, teeming with the echoes of the no-longer living. Rather than whine about it, Denton has learned to live with his troublesome talent. His adaptability comes in handy when he meets his enigmatic new neighbor.

Bran Maurell catches Denton’s eye right away, but unfortunately Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious is as standoffish as he is alluring. However, after an unexpected introduction from Bran’s cat brings the two men together, Denton discovers they have a mutual interest in the spirit world. Herbalist by day, Bran moonlights as a witch, performing house cleansings for a fee.

From Bran, Denton learns that his knack for interacting with the dead qualifies him as a necromancer. It makes good business sense for them to team up and rid Chicago of its pesky spirits one grateful client at a time. Amongst ghostly adventures the attraction between the men is impossible to ignore. They seem like perfect partners – unless Bran’s not-so-little secret comes between them.

Warning: Men loving men, ghosts with attitudes, and a portly feline with hidden talents.
Note: Denton also plays a small but important role in Spirit Sanguine.

Excerpt

Other Books

• Dead in L.A. (L.A. Paranormal 1 & 2)
• Spirit Sanguine
• Between Friends
• Academic Pursuits
• Tomfoolery (free read)
• Complete list

About Lou

Under a prickly, cynical surface Lou Harper is an incorrigible romantic. Her love affair with the written word started at a tender age. There was never a time when stories weren’t romping around in her head. She is currently embroiled in a ruinous romance with adjectives. In her free time Lou stalks deviant words and feral narratives.

Lou’s favorite animal is the hedgehog. She likes nature, books, movies, photography, and good food. She has a temper and mood swings.

Lou has misspent most of her life in parts of Europe and the US, but is now firmly settled in Los Angeles and worships the sun. However, she thinks the ocean smells funny. Lou is a loner, a misfit, and a happy drunk. You can find out more about Lou and her books at her website, her blog, and Goodreads.

Contest Rules

• To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT,Monday, June 24.
• By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
• If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
• Winners will be selected by random number.
• You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
• Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
• If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
• If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
• This contest is open worldwide!

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“Why is there another black kitty up there in this post?!” -Chaos
*judging* -Mayhem

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Don’t forget to enter the contest for Reach for the Moon (Alejo & Bobby) by Val Kovalin! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Stop by and enter the contest for The Match Before Christmas (2nd Ed) by Eden Winters! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.

Make sure you enter the contest for Damned if You Do: The Complete Collection by JL Merrow! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, June 21.