Allison Cassatta's Blog

I wanted to do something special for the re-release of Three Little Words, so in addition to having 4 chances to win an eBook from my backlist, I'm also giving you a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Who doesn't like money, right?

To win the gift card, simply click the button to tweet the messages. You can do this once every day and every tweet gets you an entry, same with the books. And please, don't forget to check out the book...

AMAZON - http://amzn.to/2azgDfH
DREAMSPINNER - https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/three-little-words-by-allison-cassatta-7378-b
BARNES & NOBLE - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/three-little-words-allison-cassatta/1115091878?ean=2940157063047
ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS - https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-threelittlewords-2085030-149.html



Without further ado, free stuff...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit each blog for a chance to win a previously released DSP title. 
MM Good Book Reviews - August 19thOpen Skye Book Reviews - August 25th (Check back for link.)Kimi-chan Experience - August 26th (Check back for link.)Dreamspinner Press Blog - August 29th (Check back for link.)Love Bytes - September 9th (Check back for link.)


The following titles are available for Giveaway. No exceptions will be made.

1.Patient Privilege
2.We Found Love
3.Dream 'til Monday
4.Beast
5.Teaching Professor Grayson
6.Dear Diary ~ Book 1
7.Dear Diary: Pride ~ Book 2
8.Dear Diary: Relationships 101 ~ Book 3
9.Kissing Is Easy...
10.Sin & Seduction ~ Book One
11.Lies & Seduction ~ Book Two
12.The Final Seduction ~ Book Three
13.This is Love

Read With Me...I've decided to do something new on my blog where I take the book I'm currently reading, talk about it and the author for a moment, then offer up a free copy to one lucky winner. My hope is you'll find a great new book and possibly make new friends in the process. Either way, it's my honor to present these authors and titles, and I hope you enjoy the contest.

Lovers, Losers, and You by Skylar M. Cates
Blurb...
How can you lose one dream and still find another?

Owen King is a lonely history teacher who wants to be braver. So when Owen learns about the deceased brother he never met, he breaks free of his safety net and risks answers. Despite his loving, adopted family, Owen wonders if there are missing pieces inside of him. Visiting the seaside town of Ocean Vista, where his brother lived and died, will be no vacation.

Andrew Teagan wants to be a winner. After being dumped by his last boyfriend, Andrew is through letting others dictate his life. To prove that dreams are possible, he’s going after his ambitions full force. Having signed on for a cooking reality show, Andrew’s ready to make his small café into a sizzling success.

When Andrew aids Owen on the beach, what starts off as an act of kindness turns into a hot temptation. But can a sweet budding romance survive when the time comes for Owen to leave town? Both men must learn to trust each other if their love will conquer the miles between them.

Skylar M. Cates...
Before I read, There For You, when someone mentioned the name Skylar Cates to me, I immediately associated it with that super sweet lady who always posts people's release dates on Facebook. I finally met her in person and she was even more charming, an absolute sweetheart, and so much fun. She sat and talked with me for a while despite the craziness of being at a convention, and never once did she turn a cold shoulder to me. Skylar is one of those rare gems with a kind heart and a good soul, the kind of person you really want to hang on. I'm glad I finally got to meet her.

Here For You (Book one in this series)...
I sat in on Skylar's reading of Here For You, and I immediately rushed out and bought the last copy Dreamspinner had. I. Loved. That. Book. I loved all the boys and all their little issues. I gasped and sniffled and sat on the edge of my seat. I was sooooooo excited when she told me book two in this series had finally come out, and I have it in my hot little hands right now. I can't wait to see what kind of mess these boys get into this time.

The author has been kind enough to offer a copy for your reading pleasure!

Visit Skylar M. Cates to learn about other titles!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read With Me...I've decided to do something new on my blog where I take the book I'm currently reading, talk about it and the author for a moment, then offer up a free copy to one lucky winner. My hope is you'll find a great new book and possibly make new friends in the process. Either way, it's my honor to present these authors and titles, and I hope you enjoy the contest.

MISPLACED AFFECTION by WADE KELLY
Blurb...
Clichés are overrated and loving the boy next door may not be as genuine as the love Flynn sacrifices along the way.

Knowing he’s gay and acting on it were two separate notions to Flynn Brewer until he’d met Keith, his first boyfriend, in high school. Before then, being gay wasn’t as real as the pain of living day-to-day. Flynn’s fear of coming out to his religious best friend Zach in their conservative community destroyed his relationship Keith, but Flynn rationalized his avoidance and bottled up the truth until it was regrettably too late.

Zachary Mitchell was the perfect son and role model as far as the outside world could tell. Active in his church while attending college, Zach had a personality that could sell anything, do anything, or be anything. Except, he couldn’t sell the truth to himself. Just when he was ready to reveal his internal conflict to Flynn and expose the darkness lurking in his heart, and in his “perfect” family, Zach met a girl and got sucked deeper into his chasm of deception.

Caught in a living Newton’s Cradle of his own design, Flynn must choose between idealistic childhood fantasy, or a tempestuous passion that could ignite the air he breathes.  

Wade Kelly...
I first met Wade face-to-face at RainbowCon 2015, and I have to say she came across as a sincere, genuinely kind person with a contagious laugh and a magnetic smile. Her enthusiasm about her books totally sold me on giving one a try. Of course, I asked for the most emotion-packed, gut-wrenching story she had. And that brings me to...

Misplaced Affection...
I fell in love after the first sentence. "She loves him." Sounds simple enough. But knowing this is an MM book, add in the title, and you have the makings for a super intense read. By chapter four, I was ready to call into work and lock myself away in a quite room until I finished. That's saying a WHOLE lot for the author's talent, because I'm a hard reader to captivate on that level.

The author has been kind enough to offer a copy for your reading pleasure!

Visit Wade Kelly to learn about other titles!




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Get all my Dreamspinner titles for 35% off, now until the 14th!



For more information, visit http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/Auth...

NEW FROM DREAMSPINNER PRESS! EDITIONS: eBook, print
LENGTH: Novel
GENRE: M/M, Contemporary
COVER ART: Allison Cassatta

It’s no surprise Riley Connors is dealing with issues. He was kidnapped as a young boy, and his parents abandoned him after his newsworthy return. He bounced from foster home to facility and back. Now an adult, ghosts from his past continue to haunt him. After a suicide attempt, he is locked away in Hartfield so that people can make him tune in to emotions he has tried to bury.

Hunter Morgan had the kind of love that spans ages. But the stress of college and adulthood became too much to handle, and the love of Hunter’s life turned to drugs. After he overdoses, Hunter finds himself soaring out of control on the same miserable path. His brother finds him and calls an ambulance, and the sister Hunter would rather not have calls it a suicide attempt, landing Hunter in Hartfield.

Finding love isn’t easy, but it can happen under the most dire circumstances. Together Hunter and Riley may be able to grow from their pain. But they will need to learn to live for themselves, letting love come second.
BUY IT NOW! ♥ Dreamspinner Press ♥ ♥ Amazon ♥ ♥ Barnes and Noble ♥ ♥ All Romance Ebooks ♥

Win an Audiobook or eBook copy of Beast by Tracey Michael and Allison Cassatta, released 2014 from Dreamspinner Press!
Ara Costas has it all--riches, power, and the kind of beauty that attracts all the right people. He's flying high and loves his life, until a serious car accident leaves him horribly scarred. Ara becomes an angry recluse, hiding away in his Chicago high-rise apartment, running his multimillion-dollar business from behind a computer screen.
Ilias Adams is a quiet farm boy who keeps his nose buried in books. A great education and stellar resume land him a job as Ara's assistant and liaison to the board of directors. Little did he know when he signed up for this dream job that he'd end up working for the world's moodiest, most uptight boss.
Ilias is scared of Ara at times, but he recognizes the challenge he faces when he meets Ara and sees the reason for the man's anger. Ara is guarded and suspicious, since he can't believe anyone can bear to look at him. Despite all this, Ilias is determined to turn the beast into a beauty again, at least on the inside, and tear down the walls Ara has so carefully constructed around him.
For more information, visit http://www.allisoncassatta.com/beast.html

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NEW FROM DREAMSPINNER PRESS!
Christian Grayson is a professor of sociology who comes from a close-knit Southern family steeped in values and tradition. He left Tennessee using education as his excuse for escape, when he truthfully only wanted the freedom to be who he truly was. But at age forty, he’s still in the closet and still adheres to the morals his father, a Southern Baptist minister, raised him with. This includes saving himself for Mr. Right.

CJ Hata has been under Christian's wing since his freshman year. A genius, pure and simple, he's a senior now and no longer needs to report to Professor G, but he still seeks his teacher out occasionally for a friendly chat.

When Christian accidentally outs himself to CJ while pouring his heart out about his dying father, CJ feels totally out of his element. He convinces himself to put forth his best effort because the man he’s been crushing on for four years needs a friend. In the meantime, everyone around CJ is stumbling out of the closet, but the one person he really wants to come out has barricaded himself in with the bible and his family's expectations.
BUY IT NOW! ♥ Dreamspinner Press ♥ ♥ Amazon ♥ ♥ Barnes and Noble ♥ ♥ All Romance Ebooks ♥

NEW FROM DREAMSPINNER PRESS!
Dr. Erik Daniels knows how it feels to lose everything. His addiction to alcohol cost him his fiancé and his private practice, but he finally managed to regain control over his life and become a successful substance abuse counselor. He helps people regardless of their ability to pay. It isn't the dream life he had in San Francisco, but at least he has something to be proud of. Everything seems to be getting back on the right track until he meets Angel, a heroin-addicted male prostitute. 
Erik not only sees a lot of himself in Angel but a great deal of potential as well. He's willing to sacrifice a lot to get Angel on the right path—but it will come at a cost to his carefully rebuilt career. 
BUY IT NOW!♥ Dreamspinner Press ♥♥ Amazon ♥♥ Barnes and Noble ♥♥ All Romance Ebooks ♥
While you're here, register to win free Amazon money from me!
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Blog Tour for Through the Years
Thanks Allison, for hosting me today.
Today, I want to let my character, Gene, talk instead of me for a change.“I loved Edward from almost the moment I saw him. I had driven to Maryland to go to college at an Art Institute, and my beat up Chevy chose that moment to die. Edward and his three friends (they called themselves the “Four Muskateers” helped me unload my car and get everything settled in my dorm room.
After that, they invited me to sit with them for dinner and there seemed to be room for a fifth musketeer. We went everywhere together. I loved them all like brothers almost right away. I was an only child in a loveless family. My folks had married because mom was pregnant with me and they stayed together for me, but they fought all the time. They grew to hate each other and I vowed never to be in that kind of relationship.
Whether it was me trying to avoid that fate, or if I just had an unusually low libido, I didn’t know for sure, but I had never been sexually attracted to anyone. And wasn’t even to Edward at first. But, as we got closer and closer, I started having dreams about him. Dreams you really shouldn’t have about your straight male friend.
So, I never said anything.
And I was really glad I hadn’t when I found out how homophobic Edwards family was. He was too, it seemed. He said loudly, whenever possible, that it was wrong. But, at least he wasn’t physically hateful like some on campus were.
So yeah, I never said anything. And never planned to.
But, we got drunk right before he graduated, and I kissed him.
He freaked. I mean really, really freaked. He yelled and stomped out, and except for the graduation ceremony itself, I didn’t see him again before he fled the state.
I mean, who does that? It was one stupid, drunken kiss.
And it nearly ruined my life.”
Comment below to be entered into the raffle.
Here’s how the raffle works:
I’ve listed the tour stops below and have given either the link to the blog in general or to my post specifically. Feel free to stop by as many as you want. For each stop that you comment on, you will receive one entry to the giveaway. I’ll check all the stops numerous times throughout the tour and will draw five winners on Thanksgiving Day, so even if you come in late to the tour, you can go back through the list and comment on past stops.
I’m giving away five prizes. 1) a signed paperback copy of Through the Years; 2 and 3) electronic copies of Through the Years, 4) your choice of either a signed paperback copy or an audiobook of Living Again (the audiobook won’t be available until December), and 5) an electronic copy of Haunted.
Blog Tour Stops for Through the Years Blog Stop Date Blog Owner Blog Address 1 October 6 Anne Barwell http://annebarwell.wordpress.com 2 October 7 Grace Duncan http://www.grace-duncan.com/ 3 October 8 Jessica Skye Davies http://jessicaskyedavies.blogspot.com 4 October 9 Shira Anthony http://www.shiraanthony.com/?p=4032 5 October 10 Emma Tett http://emmy-j.blogspot.co.uk 6 October 11 Kim Fielding http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/please-welcome-brynn-stein/ 7 October 12 Bike Books Reviews bikebookreviews.blogspot.com 8 October 13 Tempest O’Riley http://tempesteoriley.com  9 October 14 Sean Michael http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca/ 10 October 15 Allison Cassatta Allisoncassatta.blogspot.com 11 October 16 Jana Denardo http://jana-denardo.livejournal.com/ 12 October 17 Louise Lyons http://louiselyonsauthor.wordpress.com 13 October 18 PD Singer http://pdsinger.com 14 October 20 Shae Connor http://shaeconnorwrites.com 15 October 21 Suki Fleet http://sukifleet.wordpress.com 16 October 27 Charlie Cochet http://purpleroseteahouse.charliecochet.com 17 October 28 Elizabeth Noble http://www.elizabeth-noble.com/my-blog 18 October 29 Tara Lain http://taralain.com 19 October 31 Sophie Bonaste http://sophiebonaste.blogspot.com 20 November 4 Kit Moss http://kitmossreviews.blogspot.com 21 November 10 Lane Hayes lanehayes.wordpress.com 22 November 13 Mike Rupured http://rupured.com
Thanks again Allison, for letting me stop by today.


http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5539
Blurb for Through the Years
Edward and Gene were instantly drawn to each other when they met at college in Maryland. Fast friends, they developed a "closer than brothers" relationship. But then Edward began to feel more for Gene. In 1967, those kind of feelings would not be tolerated. Not even by Edward himself.

Gene always thought he was asexual. He had never been attracted to anyone... until he met Edward. He dreamed of Edward as more than a friend throughout college, but he knew Edward would not welcome that kind of attention. So Gene wasn't surprised when Edward reacted badly to a drunken kiss just before Edward's graduation. He was surprised when Edward moved to Florida and had little to do with him for years afterward.

When fate finally brings them back together, Edward is married and has a little girl. Gene gladly accepts the role of "Uncle Gene," happy to have Edward in his life in any capacity. Together, they face all the trials and tribulations life throws at them, including the death of Edward's wife, and as each grows and matures, their life views change. The relationship they've secretly wanted all along is closer than ever, and if Edward can break free from his homophobic upbringing and admit his feelings for Gene, there might still be a chance for them to share their lives in the way they both desire.

A Bittersweet Dreams title: It's an unfortunate truth: love doesn't always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.

Brynn Stein has always loved to write. Fan fiction, original fiction, whatever. While Brynn wrote in numerous genres – everything from mystery, to contemporary, to supernatural – she had always tended toward strong male characters. And then she discovered ‘slash’, male/male romance, and all those strong male characters were finally allowed to express their love for one another. It seems that there are always at least two characters clamoring to tell Brynn their story.Brynn lives in Virginia with one of her two two-legged children, and two four-legged ones. Her supportive family encourages her writing and provides a sounding board for fledgling stories. When she isn’t writing, Brynn teaches children with special needs. In free time, when such a thing exists, she reads anything she can get her hands on, and haunts bookstores. She draws and paints, and enjoys the outdoors—especially if she can get to the beach—and is always thinking about her next story.
Please feel free to contact Brynn at any of the following:
https://twitter.com/BrynnStein
http://brynnstein2.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/

orbrynnstein2@gmail.com

#Q {text-align: left; line-height:150%; font-style:italic;} #A {text-align: left; margin-left: 2em;} #Close {text-align: center; font-style:italic;} #Para {text-align: left; text-indent: 25px;} It is my pleasure to introduce Edmond Manning, author of A Taste of Honey
Edmond Manning
Tell us a little bit about how A Taste of Honey came to life. What inspired the story? I was on a business trip in Flordia, swimming in the hotel's outdoor pool. I was delighted to be outside, because it was 20 below zero back home. I watched the steam rise from the night pool, perfectly aqua-colored water lit-up from below. So gorgeous, so magical! I swam the pool and contemplated entering a story in Dreamspinner's bear anthology. I really wanted to do something fun, but I couldn't come up with a great idea. As I bobbed in the water, feeling like a merman, I realized I could write a fairy tale. A wonderful, silly, word-dancing, bubblicious, aqua-colored fairy tale that felt as fresh and freeing as swimming in a Florida pool in February. My inspiration to create a fairy tale came from that luxurious night swim, alone in the pool. Who is your favorite character and what makes them so memorable to you? In my story, my favorite character is the Great White Bear, a legend in the Chicago bear community for his classic, 'cool' demeanor, his huge, bulging crotch, and general air of mystery. Who does he date? What's his type? I like him. He's like a legend in my brain, that alpha type whom everyone desires but nobody will dare pursue him because he's so out of everyone's league. He's the Moby Dick of people. Which is why he's nicknamed the Great White Bear. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you decide to write? Oh, I've been writing since I was eight years old. I wrote some crazy-ass stories back then, usually about my intense dream life at night (I've always dreamt a lot). But I have to say, I wrote for decades without appreciating the gift of writing, the beauty of crafting words. I read a million books and always appreciated good writing, but the idea that I could write something good enough to be published seemed a very distant idea. Something other people accomplished, but not me. I evaluated my own writing as high-end mediocre and while I had seen some awful books in print, I loved books too much to put something out in the world that wasn’t my personal best.
And I could never seem to master the comma. I figured as a writer, you had to master the comma, right? Before you were ready?
One day I realized I was simply never going to master the comma. I'm simply bad at, those. *shrug* But maybe I could be better at writing anyway? Maybe I could make more authentic, heart-felt stories. I completely changed my writing style to one that felt right for the character’s voice. Suddenly, I was writing stories I loved and believed in with all my heart. Any advice for aspiring authors? There are many perspectives. You'll meet a successful published author who says, "Do it this way. I did it this way and it worked for me." Yeah, it did work for her or him, but that doesn't mean it will work for you. Get advice from a bunch of different authors and realize that all of them are telling the absolute truth...but you do not have to follow their advice. Do what’s right for you. Figure it out. Closing remarks... There are many perspectives. You'll meet a successful published author who says, "Do it this way. I did it this way and it worked for me." Yeah, it did work for her or him, but that doesn't mean it will work for you. Get advice from a bunch of different authors and realize that all of them are telling the absolute truth...but you do not have to follow their advice. Do what’s right for you. Figure it out.
You can visit Edmond Manning at Facebook.
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A Taste of Honey

Blurb:
In the mood to try something sweet? How about a collection of stories about bears and the special men in their lives? Guys don't have to be in their twenties, perfectly sculpted, and hairless to be hot. Bears are real men with real bodies--and that doesn't always mean a perfect six-pack or an immaculately smooth chest. With bears, it can mean more man to love. The men in this anthology are chubs, cubs, grizzlies, pandas, polar bears, and more--all looking for a connection. and beneath their burly physiques are hearts of gold. Explore the bear scene and beyond with these big, hairy guys and the men who find them irresistibly sexy.