Free (DRM-free) Secrets & Ink [Gay Hollywood Romantic Suspense w/ Murder Mystery]

[ATDrake]

Secrets and Ink by Lou Harper is her standalone-looking m/m contemporary romantic suspense with strong murder mystery elements, set in Hollywood and starring an ex-hustler cursed to become a gourmet grocery store worker by a meter-maid and an LAPD detective who didn't curse him but gets involved with him romantically and then professionally when the dead bodies start turning up, free courtesy of publisher Samhain and All Romance eBooks as their Christmas Countdown Giveaway selection for December 18th.

This has a medium 3 out of 5 flames on the heat index over at All Romance eBooks and customer reviews praise the inclusion of the murder mystery subplot, which they say is interesting and well done, with a followable whodunnit with reasonable Clues™ (actually, some of the reviews were complaining about too much mystery and not enough romance-y-ness and sexyfuntimes, so YMMV).

Currently free, just until shortly before midnight CST on the 19th @ All Romance eBooks (DRM-free choice of formats available worldwide; if you want more than one format, you'll have to go through the checkout again). If you happened to miss it, yesterday's 4-flame f/m multicultural werebear shapeshifter fairy tale-based contemporary paranormal erotic romance is still free for a limited time: Bear's Gold

In addition to today's Xmas Countdown Giveaway freebie, author Harper offers no fewer than 4 m/m free shorts/novellas of varying heat levels: a flame-less (this probably means just not rated yet instead of no sex whatsoever) paranormal tie-in to an existing vampire series: Late Night Snack, another flameless tie-in to a different paranormal series involving a necromancer and his witch boyfriend: Dead Man and the Lustful Spirit, a 2-flame paranormal short, Tomfoolery, and a 5-flame contemporary erotic short: Seduction.

If you happen to enjoy these and would like to read more of the author's writing, she has a number of books listed on her author page out from Samhain, as well as a few self-published titles, all of which should be eligible for ARE's standard Buy 10 Get 1 Free offer and periodic rebate sales, which you might want to sample to see if there's anything you'd like to wishlist.

And this has been the selected 3rd (non-repeat) free ebook thread of the day.

A little by default, but frankly, anything that involves someone being successfully cursed by a meter maid which isn't a urban fantasy story where the meter maid happens to have special paranormal powers to begin with, sounds kind of awesome in potentia anyway. <-- I guess this is the closest thing we have to an "a wizard did it" smiley?

Enjoy!

Description
When Karma writes you a ticket, pay up or else…

If life was like the movies, Jem Mitchell’s wouldn’t be such a mess. In LA’s glittering world of dreams, he works an unglamorous job at a gourmet grocery store. His past is so deep and dark, the details are lost even to him. All he knows is he was once cursed by a meter maid, and ever since, his love life has sucked.

When Detective Nick Davies becomes a regular at the store, Jem dares to hope he’s un-hexed at last. He should have known that sex with a remarkably normal guy, devoid of weird fetishes and fatal personality flaws, was too good to be true.

During a post-encounter cuddle, Nick recognizes the tattoo on Jem’s back—and remembers him as a young hustler he arrested nine years past.

As Jem’s memories come crashing back, he flees from Nick, but fate contrives to keep pushing them back together. And when Jem’s old partner in crime is found murdered, the stakes are raised for life, for love, and a dangerous drama with no guarantee of a Hollywood ending.

Warning: Stars a mild-mannered store clerk with a shady past, a hunky cop whose passion in the bedroom is as big as his passion for justice, and celebrity sightings you won’t see on TMZ.

[stormcloude]

Thank you!

KA Mitchell's Bad Company is also free at ARe at the moment:

Description
Some things are sweeter than revenge.

“I need a boyfriend.”

Hearing those words from the mouth of his very straight ex-friend is enough to make columnist and editor Nate Gray choke on his Corona. It’s been thirteen years since Kellan Brooks’s father crushed Nate’s family on his climb to wealth and power. Even longer since he entrusted Kellan with the confession that he might be gay—only to have his best friend out and humiliate him to their entire high school. The last thing Nate expects is Kellan begging for his help.

Breaking off his engagement to a senator’s daughter was the last straw for Kellan’s CEO father. Frustrated at being cut off, his father’s stinging words—that he wishes Kellan had never been born—still ringing in his ears, Kellan turns to Nate. In a move worthy of a corporate raider, Kellan plans the ultimate revenge. Come out as the boyfriend of the man his homophobic father betrayed.

Convincing Nate to play along isn’t easy. It’s even harder to figure out why the lie feels so close to the truth.

Warning: Contains old friends, old enemies, a dramatic cat rescue, soft drink references and a lot of teasing before the steamy sex. Readers are cautioned against drinking any beverage while reading to avoid accidental snorting or spraying of said beverages.


It has a five-star reader rating and four-flames heat index.