Monthly Archives: July 2013

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: King Mai (The Lost and Founds #2) by Edmond Manning [CONTEST CLOSED]

36 Comments

Congrats to angelina, who won by Kate McMurray! What There Is is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Many thanks to Edmond Manning for donating an ebook copy of his recently released m/m novel, King Mai (The Lost and Founds #2), for a lucky commenter to win!

Adopted from Thailand and never one to fit in with the local bubbas, life has been rough around the edges for Mai Kearns, even before he came out of the closet. Now, almost ten years past the torture of high school, Mai still can’t catch a break: he and his parents stand to lose their beloved farm.

How will a “King Weekend” help change Mai’s fate? What has narrator Vin Vanbly been up to for the four weeks he’s been sneaking around Mai’s hometown? At the urging of a ransom note from ‘The Lost Kings,’ Mai embarks on an impossible treasure hunt chasing mystic poetry, Fibonacci Hopscotch, ancient prophecy, the letter ‘x,’ and a confounding, penguin-marching army.

The stakes are high: if Mai fails, the Lost Kings will permanently claim him as their own. Finding the treasure may unlock the secret to saving his family farm. But can this angry farmer risk opening his broken heart before the weekend is over? Mai Kearns has 40 hours to get very, very curious in this second installment of The Lost and Founds.

Excerpt (scroll down)

Also by Edmond

About Edmond

Edmond Manning has always been fascinated by fiction: how ordinary words could be sculpted into heartfelt emotions, how heartfelt emotions could leave an imprint inside you stronger than the real world. Mr. Manning never felt worthy to seek publication until recently, when he accidentally stumbled into his own writer’s voice that fit perfectly, like his favorite skull-print, fuzzy jammies. He finally realized that he didn’t have to write like Charles Dickens or Armistead Maupin, two author heroes, and that perhaps his own fiction was juuuuuuust right, because it was his true voice, so he looked around the scrappy word kingdom that he created for himself and shouted, “I’M HOME!” He is now a writer.

In addition to fiction, Edmond enjoys writing nonfiction on his blog. When not writing, he can be found either picking raspberries in the back yard or eating panang curry in an overstuffed chair upstairs, reading comic books.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, August 9.
  • 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!

“Woe is me, that there isn’t a kitty bed right here so I don’t have to nap on the hard floor!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Love Comes in Darkness by Andrew Grey [CONTEST CLOSED]

80 Comments

Many thanks to Andrew Grey for donating an ebook copy of his forthcoming m/m romance, Love Comes in Darkness, for a lucky commenter to win! Love Comes in Darkness will be released by Dreamspinner Press on August 9.

Howard Justinian has always had to fight for his freedom. Because he was born blind, everyone is always trying to shelter him, but he’s determined to live his life on his own terms.

When an argument with his boyfriend over that hard-won self-reliance leaves Howard stranded by the side of the road, assistance arrives in the form of Gordy Jarrett. Gordy is a missionary’s son, so helping others is second nature – and he does it in such an unassuming manner that Howard can’t say no.

Life is barely back on track when Howard receives shocking news: his sister died, leaving him her daughter to care for. Howard now faces his greatest challenge yet: for Sophia’s safety, he’ll need to accept help, but will he learn to accept it from Gordy, the one man who will not curb his independence?

Other Books

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, Monday, August 8.
  • 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!

“This is a good sunbeam.” -Chaos & Mayhem

Randonymity

Misadventures Vacation, Week 8

9 Comments

The Misadventures vacation continues! Things should be back to normal next Monday.

I’ll be in training classes for work all week, which is going to make for a looooong week for me. Especially with juggling car repairs in a completely different suburb. How’s everyone else doing? 🙂

“I’ve got my eye on you, Mom. Don’t try to sneak any naughty boys past me or anything!” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link

Linkity for a summer in the city

10 Comments

Randonymity

  • Next week I have training for work from 9 am – 6:30 pm, Monday – Friday. That’s going to be tough for someone who’s used to working 6:30 am – 3:30 pm. And it’s definitely going to have a negative impact on linkity. Brace yourselves.
  • Especially since my car is making a horrific noise – a noise so horrific that people turn to gawk if I drive by. Rear brakes? Bearings? It sounds expensive, whatever it is. I have the car parked until I can drop it off at the dealer Monday morning and get a loaner – hopefully in time to make it in to training…

Contests

Bookity

  • Jenre, Tam, and Kassa share some of their favorites books from when they started reading m/m romance.

Think, Do, Make, Learn

Cookity

Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

  • My Little Blackhawk is a tumblr of the Blackhawks as ponies. As if you couldn’t guess from the name. 😉

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update

“You’re not marking up my paws with your nasty marker, no way, no how. I’m keeping an eye on you.” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: The Blooming Marvellous anthology by Josephine Myles [CONTEST CLOSED]

43 Comments

Many thanks to Josephine Myles for donating an ebook copy of her recently released anthology, Blooming Marvellous, for a lucky commenter to win!

What do a graffiti artist, a nerdy virgin, a lunar cop, a handsome devil, a sexy boater, a disgraced aristocrat and a misbehaving valet all have in common? Bestselling gay romance author Josephine Myles, of course! In this collection of nine short stories you’ll find all these characters coming together (quite literally sometimes).

The collection mingles contemporary erotica with a hint of a happy future with historical, paranormal and futuristic kinky romance. There are even a couple of stories that are sweet romance. One thing you can be sure of, though: the blokes in these stories will always get their man!

Buckle up for Jo’s British sense of humour and fun, and don’t be surprised if there’s sex in the potting shed, because with Jo, anything can happen.

Warning: written in splendidly British English.

NB – All these stories have been previously published:
“Blooming Marvellous” – Tea and Crumpet anthology (UK MATT, 2011)
“River Rat” – Sexy Sailors anthology (Cleis Prress, 2012)
“The Devil Went Down to Swindon” – Mine anthology (Torquere Press, 2010)
“Passive Resistance” – Like That Spark anthology (Circlet Press, 2010)
“The Frog Prince” – The Handsome Prince anthology (Cleis Press, 2011)
“Dragon Dance” – Lashings of Sauce anthology (UK MAT, 2012)
Demon du Jour, Three Wishes and Tea for Two are all available on Jo’s website.

Other Books by Jo

About Jo

Eccentric Englishwoman, absent-minded mother, proud bisexual, shameless tea-addict, serial textile craft hobbyist, iconoclastic logophile and writer of homoerotic romance – Josephine Myles is all these things at once. She has held down more different jobs than any sane person ever should, and is fundamentally rebellious, preferring the overgrown yet enticing path rather than the wide and obvious one.

Jo once spent two years living on a slowly decaying narrowboat, and was determined that she would one day use the experience as fodder for a novel. It may have taken a few years, but she got there in the end. She usually does.

She lives in rural Somerset, in the West Country of England, with her husband and four year old daughter. Currently self-employed, she gave up a career teaching English Literature to look after her daughter, who has Down’s Syndrome. When she isn’t working, writing or spending time with friends and family, she bakes cakes and attempts to finish off some of the textile projects she has started, with varying degrees of success. She can occasionally be spotted wearing her creations, as no one else will.

In her short stories Jo is particularly interested in exploring how characters react in the heat of the moment, and what they reveal about their deepest desires and insecurities. She most enjoys writing contemporary tales about unconventional men overcoming their fears through love, but ventures into sci-fi and paranormal when her muse insists. He can be a right difficult bastard at times.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, August 2.
  • 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!

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem

*prowling new territory* -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Freeman (2nd ed) by Clare London [CONTEST CLOSED]

41 Comments

Congrats to Lisa H, who won Left on St. Truth-be-Well by Amy Lane! Left on St. Truth-be-Well is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Many thanks to Clare London for donating an ebook copy of her freshly rereleased romantic suspense, Freeman (2nd ed), for a lucky commenter to win!

Freeman’s return to the city is quiet, without fuss. Another client: another case. He’ll source what they need and be on his way. But he’s been missed by more people than he thought: his ex-wife, his ex-lover, and his ex-business partner. And at least one of them wants him the hell gone again.

Freeman – private, controlled – just does his job. But when he strikes up an unusual friendship with the young runaway Kit, trouble comes looking for both men, ready to expose secrets that can destroy their fragile trust. Yet, for Kit, Freeman’s more than ready for the challenge.

Excerpt

Other Books by Clare

About Clare

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

You can also visit Clare at her blog, on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, GoodReads, and the GLBT Wiki.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, August 2.
  • 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!

I know the feeling, unknown tagger. Believe me.

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: What There Is by Kate McMurray [CONTEST CLOSED]

54 Comments

Many thanks to Kate McMurray for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, What There Is, for a lucky commenter to win! What There Is will be released on July 31 by Dreamspinner Press.

Former professional baseball player Justin Piersol needs a new life after a career-ending injury, and his job as a high school baseball coach isn’t exactly fulfilling. Still, things are looking up: he finds the perfect room in an apartment in Brooklyn with Mark, who writes a popular column on sports statistics.

Mark is nerdy and socially awkward and intensely shy, and he immediately develops a terrible crush on Justin, who barely seems to notice him. As they get to know each other, Justin admits he misses playing baseball, that coaching doesn’t scratch the itch. Mark confesses he thought he’d be married by now, that he wants a serious relationship. So they make a pact: Justin will help Mark find a man, and Mark will help Justin find something he loves more than baseball.

They put their plan into action… and then life gets complicated. Mark meets a nice guy named Dave, and Justin is suddenly crazy with jealousy. Justin realizes he wants to let go of the past and focus on the present, but as Mark and Dave become an item, Justin fears he’s too late.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books by Kate

About Kate

Kate McMurray is a nonfiction editor by day. Among other things, Kate is crafty (mostly knitting and sewing, but she also wields power tools), she plays the violin, she has an English degree, and she is maybe a little obsessed with baseball. She lives in Brooklyn, NY. You can find out more about Kate at her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment below stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, July 30.
  • 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 luck and counterintuitive espionage 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.)
  • Winner 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!

*blank* -Chaos

Randonymity

Misadventures Vacation, Week 7

5 Comments

The Misadventures vacation continues! Should I resume next week, or go for an even eight weeks? Tune in next week to see what I decide! Since I’m suddenly going to a week of training for work next week… 🙂

Unpacked. Most things have been put away, although it’s likely quite a few things will be shifted about.

“Go away – can’t you see I’m busy basking here?” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity has no idea where these heaps of things came from, nor any idea where they should go

13 Comments

Congrats to Fehu, who won Parting Shot (A Matter of Time #7) by Mary Calmes! Parting Shot is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Congrats to Max T, who won Fanning the Flames (The Match Before Christmas #2) (2nd ed) by Eden Winters!

Randonymity

  • Oh, unpacking, how I do hate thee.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

Cookity

Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
One Coffee With (Sigrid Harald #1) by Margaret Maron. I can’t figure out why I liked this mystery so much the first time I read it roughly 10 years ago. It has not aged well.

Plus hockey fics. Of course. 🙂

“Whatcha doing, big kitty?” -Mayhem

“Being all manly. Go away, May!” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Left on St. Truth-be-Well by Amy Lane [CONTEST CLOSED]

82 Comments

Many thanks to Amy Lane for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Left on St. Truth-be-Well, for a lucky commenter to win! Left on St. Truth-be-Well will be released by Dreamspinner Press on July 24.

Carson O’Shaughnessy has one task: track down his boss’s flighty nephew, Stassy, and return the kid to Chicago. Then Carson can go back to waiting tables and being productively bitter about his life. He didn’t count on finding a dead body in Stassy’s bed, and he certainly didn’t count on the guy in the flip-flops and cutoffs at the local cafe helping him get to the bottom of the crime.

But Dale Arden is no ordinary surfing burnout – he’s actually a pretty sharp guy with a seductive voice and a bossy streak wider than the Florida panhandle. When he decides to boss Carson right into his bed, Carson realizes Stassy’s not the only one who’s been lost. Carson likes to think he’s got his life all figured out, that sex with guys is your basic broom-closet transaction; he may just have to revise his priorities, because nobody plans on taking a left at St. Truth-be-Well and finding love at the Bates Parrot Hotel.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

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, Tuersday, July 23.
  • 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!

Can you find Chaos in this picture? 🙂