Monthly Archives: September 2013

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Playing Ball anthology by Shae Connor, Kate McMurray, Marguerite Labbe, & Kerry Freeman [CONTEST CLOSED]

45 Comments

Congrats to Judi P, who won Fall Hard by JL Merrow! Fall Hard is being released today by Samhain Publishing.

Many thanks to Kate McMurray for donating an ebook copy of the forthcoming m/m anthology, Playing Ball, for a lucky commenter to win! Playing Ball will be released on September 25 by Dreamspinner Press.

Baseball – America’s favorite pastime 0 provides a field wide open for romance. A Home Field Advantage may not help when Toby must choose between the team he’s loved all his life and the man he could love for the rest of it. In 1927, Skip hides his sexuality to protect his career until he meets One Man to Remember. Ruben and Alan fell victim to a Wild Pitch, leaving them struggling with heartache and guilt, and now they’ve met again. And on One Last Road Trip, Jake retires and leaves baseball behind, hoping to reconnect with Mikko and get a second chance at love.

Home Field Advantage by Shae Connor
Toby MacMillan, grandson of Atlanta Braves owner Ray MacMillan, lives for baseball and loves his team. When he meets new team member Caleb Browning, an innocent welcome-to-the-big-leagues dinner leads to a not-so-innocent night together. Toby quickly calls things off, afraid of the ramifications of their tryst, but the two men develop a friendship that soon becomes more. After Caleb takes a fastball to the head, their budding romance hits the news – and Toby’s grandfather hits the roof. When Ray MacMillan demands Toby deny the relationship, Toby must choose between the team he’s loved all his life and the man he could love for the rest of it.

One Man to Remember by Kate McMurray
It’s 1927, and in New York City, Babe Ruth and the Yankees’ unstoppable batting lineup, Murderers’ Row, is all anyone can talk about. Across town, the Giants’ rookie infielder Skip Littlefield racks up hits, creating a streak to rival the Babe’s. Worried his secrets could get out, he avoids the spotlight, but he catches the attention of lauded sports reporter Walter Selby, a notorious dandy whose sexuality is an open secret. Skip reluctantly agrees to an interview, and mutual attraction is sparked. Skip can only hope the more charismatic stars will draw attention away from his romance with Walt. Otherwise, his career and everything he loves is at stake.

Wild Pitch by Marguerite Labbe
Ruben Martell fell in love with Alan Hartner during their years playing baseball. They stepped over the foul line once, but the encounter left them struggling with heartache and guilt, turning away from each other to focus on their families. Now retired from the majors, they run a batting cage together and coach rival Little League teams as they juggle fatherhood and being single again. Though Ruben has never given up hope that Alan might look at him as more than a friend, Alan seems determined to keep things the way they’ve always been. But long-buried feelings and desires have a way of resurfacing, and Ruben can’t wait forever.

One Last Road Trip by Kerry Freeman
With the last game of his Major League Baseball career behind him, Jake Wilson hits the road. Years have passed, but he never got over the romance he shared with Mikko Niemi back in college. Finally, he’s ready to do something about it. He starts with some crucial visits to his ex-wife in New Mexico, his son in Oklahoma, and his daughter in Tennessee. But his true destination is Mikko’s home in Georgia, where he’s hoping to get a second chance at love.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment below stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, September 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 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!

*waiting for the big kitty to get annoyed and leave* -Mayhem

*trying to ignore May, but getting annoyed that she jumped up beside him* -Chaos

For a front view of this shot, check out today’s other post.

Condo Living

Misadventures in Home Improvement: #$*)@!%# grout sealer

13 Comments

Congrats to Tracy, who won Black Hurricane (Boston Boys #3) by Erica Pike!

Congrats to PaParanormalFan, who won Waiting for a Spark by Lillian Francis!

I know, I know – you’re here for a new edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography. Alas, there isn’t one – home “improvement” devoured my weekend, including the Friday I took off.

It all started a few weeks ago, when, flush on the heels of my great tub caulking triumph, I realized that the grout in the shower needed sealing and decided I could certainly do that myself. Since there were multiple grout colors in the shower, I decided I’d use a colored grout sealer. The colored caulk (Pearl Gray) I’d used was a slightly too dark shade of grey, so I went with the lighter shade – Silver.

No one warned me that, like knitting, there’s a tendency to start a home improvement project and, upon realizing it doesn’t quite look as you’d hoped, carry on thinking that of course it will look better when it’s all done. *cue ominous music*

Picture the shower below with very pale grey (erm, silver, whatever) grout. It looked even worse than you’re imagining.

So I spent last weekend and this past Friday removing the silver grout sealer as best I could, using a micro abrasive (to not damage the stone and grout) and plastic grout brushes. I wore six grout brushes to nubs – sanded grout definitely takes its toll. Friday evening I cleaned up and prepped.

Saturday I started sealing grout again. This time I used “Natural Gray” (from a different store – oh, that I’d seen this before ever laying eyes on the accursed Silver) and an actual grout applicator instead of a toothbrush. The directions said to work in small sections and remove excess grout sealer from the tile before it dried. What that turned out to mean was seal one side of a six-inch tile, clean up the edges with little pieces of paper towel, seal another side, etc. Don’t even get me started on the corners – you can’t really tell in that picture, but the corners are made from six vertical rows of one-half inch by two inch tiles. I think each corner took over three hours.

The whole thing took nine hours on Saturday and ten hours on Sunday. Why, yes, my entire body does ache, particularly my wrists and shoulders. Throughout this (and the grout sealer removal and the initial silver grout sealer application…), I had to keep the glass shower doors closed to keep out the cats. Chaos would periodically come sit on the toilet and meow crabbily at me every time I moved. Saturday evening, he sat there for over an hour, meowing his Siamesesque meow nonstop. Oh yeah. That’s what my nerves needed! (Also, it got pretty toasty warm in there for hours with the doors closed. Ugh.)

At least there wasn’t any cleanup to do after finishing, since I had to do it as I went along. And the Natural Gray looks great – great enough that I’ll probably need to seal the non-shower bathroom tile at some point. Not anytime soon, mind you!

Until Wednesday evening, it’s sponge baths and washing my hair in the kitchen sink. *sigh*

“I am still suspicious that there’s a naughty boy hiding somewhere up there. Perhaps behind the bathroom door in that picture.” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link

Linkity has weather whiplash

8 Comments

Congrats to Tracy, who won Black Hurricane (Boston Boys #3) by Erica Pike!

Congrats to PaParanormalFan, who won Waiting for a Spark by Lillian Francis!

Contest(s)

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Learn, Make

Cookity

Drinkity

Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update

  • I am reading an actual paper book! It’s about hockey statistics. 😀

*continues bath interrupted in yesterday’s post*

*blinks drowsily*

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Ali’s Intuition (Family of Misfits #2) by K-Lee Klein [CONTEST CLOSED]

59 Comments

Many thanks to K-Lee Klein for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m paranormal romance, Ali’s Intuition (Family of Misfits #2), for a lucky commenter to win! Ali’s Intuition will be released on September 20 by MLR Press.

If the rough and tumble man at Ali’s door is supposed to be his fate-ordained mate, then he has to wonder what in the Goddess’ name Fate was thinking.

Ali has always dreamed of his spirit mate, someone classy, intelligent and romantic, but the man who faints in his doorway is anything but. Kalo is loud and pushy, with hair more suited to a caveman and manners to match – all wrapped up in one big package of you’ve got to be kidding me. Besides, Ali has responsibilities as mama bear to his den of shifters and that’s where he needs to be.

For Kalo, being rejected by his spirit mate won’t be life-threatening. But there’s something about Ali that intrigues him and touches his soul. He’s ready to offer his already-engaged heart with no strings attached, for a chance to change Ali’s mind.

Other Books

About K-Lee

K-Lee Klein has lived in one part of Western Canada or another for her entire life. She’s a doting mother of three now-grown kids and has had characters and plots running around her head for as long as she can remember. Though she’s fairly new at throwing her original fiction out into the web universe, she hopes to substitute her passion for writing beautiful, emotional men for her previous jobs as a hockey manager/coach, school band volunteer and overall chauffeur.

For now she lives with an overly-patient husband who totally does not get her thing for gay men, two spoiled but wonderful sons (who don’t get it either), two also spoiled but beautiful cats, many phone calls with her daughter who has already left the nest, and an abundance of fabulous gay men, large and small, bouncing off the walls of her skull, competing for their turns to tell their stories.

You can find out more about K-Lee at her blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Thursday, September 19.
  • 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!

“Go away. I’m busy.” -Chaos

*blinks drowsily* -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: A Daring Ride (The Bullriders #2) by Andrew Grey [CONTEST CLOSED]

57 Comments

Many thanks to Andrew Grey for donating an ebook copy of his forthcoming western m/m romance, A Daring Ride (The Bullriders #2), for a lucky commenter to win! A Daring Ride will be released by Dreamspinner Press on September 19.

Simon “Frizz” Frizzell sneaks away to the rodeo on weekends, and it’s not until after he wins a buckle that he tells his parents about his bull-riding. He knows they won’t approve of his choice of sport, but his parents own a Christian bookstore, and he couldn’t possibly tell them the whole truth: he’s gay. And so are some of his rodeo friends, like Dante and Ryan, and Jacky – a young man he wishes could have been more than a one-night stand. When Simon sets his sights on his dreams, he finds work with Dante and Ryan, and bumps into Jacky on the job.

Jacky Douglas is a rodeo fanatic, plain and simple. He loves the ride, and he loves the cowboys. He fell hard for Frizz when they met, and theirs was a one-night stand made in heaven. When they meet again, Jacky thinks it’s a stroke of luck. Frizz takes some convincing, but once he’s on board, they begin a relationship. The fledgling romance faces a challenge when news of it travels all the way to the one place Frizz doesn’t want it to go: his parents’ bookstore.

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, Wednesday, September 18.
  • 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!

“….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Dead in the Desert (LA Paranormal #3) by Lou Harper [CONTEST CLOSED]

70 Comments

Many thanks to Lou Harper for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming paranormal m/m romantic suspense, Dead in the Desert (LA Paranormal #3), for a lucky commenter to win! Dead in the Desert will be released on September 13 by Harper Books.

Jon Cooper used to think he wanted a life free of complications, but that was before he got involved with his roommate, Leander. Jon knows that the only thing he can’t lose is what he doesn’t have, but where does that leave him?

Leander Thorne, on the other hand, is an easygoing bookworm, with an addiction to books and cooking shows, and a soft spot for Jon, despite Jon’s grumpiness. He also happens to be a psychic specializing in finding lost pets and – more recently – lost people. He’s good at it. Too good if you ask Jon,

Unsolved crimes, missing people and bodies buried in the Mojave Desert make Jon’s and Leander’s lives anything but uncomplicated. Jon is forced to dig into his soul and find a way to let go of his past if he wants to keep Leander.

Excerpt (scroll down)

Other Books

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, Thursday, September 19.
  • 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!

“It really is exhausting being this beautiful.” -Mayhem

Covers, Reading

Misadventures in Stock Photography: Part the 170th (Prison Stripes Guy)

16 Comments

Welcome to another edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography! Today we’ll be meeting Prison Stripes Guy – thanks to Mary Calmes for the name and for finding some of the covers! Nichole found some of these covers, too – thanks!

, after

, feeling

but willing to settle for a drink of

and embrace the

of a

instead, Prison Stripes Guy sat

in his

chair, pleased that this time the

hadn’t

him into any of their dastardly schemes, the last of which had left him

down a treacherous slope for his life.

I have no idea, either.

“Two weeks without naughty boys! I was hoping you had it out of your system, Mom.” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link

Erm, this might be another one of those weeks you should have a snack before commencing to linkity

10 Comments

Congrats to Marie W, who won Different by Kim Dare!

Congrats to Ilona, who won This Little Whatever by Nicole Forcine! This Little Whatever is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Congrats to Sarah M and Deanna B, who won Learning Curve (Life Lessons #4) by Kaje Harper! Learning Curve is being released today by MLR Press.

Contest(s)

Bookity

Ebookity

Do, Think, Make, Learn

Cookity

Gluten Free

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

  • Toxicity… (Hover your cursor for additional text.)

Teh Cute

Reading Update

  • Look! Over there! Up in the sky! Is that a… hockey fic? 😉

I checked. Not dead! 🙂 (That’s Mayhem, in case you can’t tell.)

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Fall Hard by JL Merrow [CONTEST CLOSED]

88 Comments

Many thanks to JL Merrow for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Fall Hard, for a lucky commenter to win! Fall Hard will be released on September 17 by Samhain Publishing.

Some memories are better off lost in the mist…

Eight months ago, British academic Paul Ansell lost his lover – and all the memories of their time together – in an accident at Iceland’s Gullfoss Falls. Returning to the misty island country to resume his study of the bloodthirsty Viking Egil Skallagrimsson is tough as he struggles to pull his life back together.

First, there’s his colleague, Mags, who treats him like glass, and summer student Alex, who peppers him with discomforting questions. Then there’s Icelandic jet-boat driver Viggo, a tattooed, modern-day Viking who won’t say much about how they know each other, leaving Paul to wonder if their volcanic attraction is fueled by a desire to make a fresh start, or desperation to forget the past.

As more fragments of his lost memories fall into place, Paul is unsure if he can trust himself, much less anyone around him. And he begins to suspect his accident was nothing of the kind.

Warning: Contains a modern-day Viking whose boat has V8 engines for oars, and a harsh land of hot springs and hotter passions that won’t forgive any false steps.

Excerpt (scroll down and select tab)

Other Books

About JL

JL Merrow is that rare beast: an English person who refuses to drink tea.  Having grown up by the seaside, she also loathes fish and chips.  She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again.  Her one regret is that she never mastered the ability of punting one-handed whilst holding a glass of champagne. She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporaries and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour. You can find out more about JL at her website, blog, Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, September 16.
  • 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!

“…zzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem

“What?” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Waiting for a Spark by Lillian Francis [CONTEST CLOSED]

51 Comments

Many thanks to Lillian Francis for donating an ebook copy of her recently released m/m romance, Waiting for a Spark, for a lucky commenter to win! Waiting for a Spark was previously published in the Lashings of Sauce anthology.

Jerome’s life is humdrum, mundane even. Every day he catches the bus to work, listens to his best friend, Nav, rant on about the latest crisis in his life and tries to stop his attention from wandering to the gorgeous guy at the back of the bus too often. After all it would be embarrassing to get caught staring.

Friday morning had been no different. Except that the object of his blatant attention was definitely making eye contact, his Asian best friend had involved the entire bus in a racist rant against the East Europeans and Jerome appeared to have been struck dumb.

Now two days later Jerome’s run out of milk and all the local shops are shut except for the Polskie Delikatesy. Jerome’s hanging about on the pavement, studying adverts in the window which appear to be made up of far too many Zs & Ks, and wondering if he could do without milk for the evening. Stepping through the door brings Jerome face to face with the realisation that racism isn’t just about rants and rallies, but is inherent in thoughts and deeds, things said, or even in silence. That being a target for other people’s prejudice because of his sexuality, doesn’t mean he’s immune from false and pre-conceived notions. If he can come to terms with that and accept that everyone – even a gay liberal trainee journalist – might be just a little bit racist, then maybe, just maybe, he could be going home with more than a pint of milk.

Excerpt (scroll down)

Also by Lillian

About Lillian

An avid reader, Lillian Francis was always determined she wanted to write, but a ‘proper’ job and raising a family distracted her for over a decade. Over the years and thanks to the charms of the Internet, Lillian realized she’d been writing at least one of her characters in the wrong gender. Ever since, she’s been happily letting her ‘boys’ run her writing life.

Lillian now divides her time between family, a job and the numerous men in her head all clamouring for ‘their’ story to be told.

Lillian lives in an imposing castle on a wind-swept desolate moor or in an elaborate ‘shack’ on the edge of a beach somewhere depending on her mood, with the heroes of her stories either chained up in the dungeon or wandering the shack serving drinks in nothing but skimpy barista aprons.

In reality, she would love to own a camper van and to live by the sea. You can find out more about Lillian and her books on her blog, Goodreads author page, and Twitter.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, September 13.
  • 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 wonder how long I’ll have to stay on Mom’s knee-support bolster before she’ll throw one of my furry mice for me?” -Mayhem