RELEASE TOUR, EXCERPT, GIVEAWAY & REVIEW - Burn That Bridge by JR Gray

 

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Burn That Bridge
By J.R. Gray

Turns out trading a spot on the cheerleading squad for a fresh fade and all-new pronouns was more of a recipe for disaster than happiness. Coming out as trans in rural Alabama, where football rules and cheer is life, might have been the worst way to start my senior year.

There are no safety nets for people like me in places like this.

But sometimes, hope shows itself in the most unexpected places. New friends help us survive —and maybe— thrive. But falling for Sebastian was not part of the plan.

Embracing my identity put my happiness at odds with my safety. I’m terrified. Terrified to be me. Terrified to be happy. Terrified to love him.

Welcome to senior year.

Try to make it out alive.

Universal Link

Goodreads

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Burn that Bridge is an amazing young adult read. Everything about this JR Gray tale is simply fabulous. 

Damn! I love this book. 

It's a coming of age story that follows DJ, a newly trans teen boy, and his boyfriend Sebastian. There's a lot going on throughout, but the emotions are always front and center. 

This book has it all. Bullying, friendship issues, transphobia, homophobia, rich versus poor, and so much more. 

I appreciate that Sebastian's sexuality is never an issue to him. He was attracted to DJ before he transitioned, and he has no problem accepting his attraction to DJ as a boy. As he states, he's simply attracted to DJ the person.

I adore how everything develops between these two, including the way they deal with adversity. This is a story of survival in a cruel world. Their connection is strong, but their devotion to each other is even stronger.

Everything is fantastically developed, with the storyline riveting, compelling, and easy to follow. The writing is raw and authentic, touching on extremely poignant issues. 

It ends with a happy for now for this group of friends, with college in their future. 

Burn That Bridge is a must read for anyone looking for the story of a transgender teen. JR Gray's writing is raw and honest in this impressive tale.

 

 

Release Blitz Excerpt:

There was a light to this boy I’d never experienced before. His soul was brightness. I envied him. I wanted to comb my fingers through him and feel like he felt if only for an instant. 

He drummed on his thigh, lost in his Fall Out Boy, which was such a strange band for him to be into. They were like thirty-five, but he owned it. He’d put all their albums on shuffle. Some stuff I knew, and others were made before I was old enough to care about music, and his dedication showed. He started to belt out every song in a slightly off-key tune that endeared him in my heart. 

“How many people see this side of you?” 

He looked over at me, his cheeks turning a little pink. “Just Emery, and now you.” He shrugged it off like it wasn’t that big a deal, but in the world I’d fallen from, it was. “My group of friends doesn’t care about cool.” 

“Everyone cares in the group I was in.” 

“It shows.” 

I couldn’t make eye contact. “You mean since none of them will talk to me anymore?”

“Why do they care what you look like? You’re still the same person, right?” 

“It’s more than that.” 

“Is it?” 

I turned back towards him, waiting for an explanation. 

“You changed the outside and a name. And you didn’t really change it that much. You decided to go by your initials. If that’s all it takes to scare people off, they are the problem.” 

“It’s not that simple.” 

“I think it is. You were…” He trailed off. 

“I was?” I prompted. 

He shook his head. “Just rambling. It should be, and is, that simple.” 

“I was lying to them. I deceived every single person for the last year.” This was so much heavier than I wanted the night to be. I didn’t want everything to be colored by my transition. I wanted to be as light as Sebastian felt.

“I think we all have parts of us we aren’t ready to share with the rest of the world. That doesn’t make you a liar.” He rolled to his side to face me. 

“This isn’t a little thing.” 

“I think you’re making excuses for shitty behavior.” 

I couldn’t look at him again, but I could feel his eyes, unwavering. “They don’t know any better.” 

“It’s time to learn.” He skimmed his fingers over my forearm, and there were real damn sparks in the wake of his touch.

I put my hand over the place he’d been like I could hold the feeling there, preserve it in some way. 

He was my rainbow. A prism projecting color into this dreary existence. The little bit of light shining through the rain, and maybe that was all I needed to go on. 

Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of Burn That Bridge, J.R. Gray is giving away a signed copy of Burn That Bridge (US Winner) & an e-copy for an international winner!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57195/?

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Gray is a cynical Chicago native, who drinks coffee all day, barely sleeps, and is a little too fashion obsessed. He writes realistic and damaged characters because everyone deserves a happily ever after.


Contact J.R. Gray:
https://www.patreon.com/join/Graybooks/
https://twitter.com/theoriginalgray
twitter.com/booksbygray
facebook.com/Booksbygray
booksbygray.tumblr.com
https://www.pinterest.com/JRGrayBooks/
www.JRGrayBooks.com
https://www.instagram.com/hipsterwriter/

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RELEASE BLITZ, EXCERPT, GIVEAWAY & REVIEW - Burn that Bridge by JR Gray

 

Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Burn That Bridge
By J.R. Gray

Turns out trading a spot on the cheerleading squad for a fresh fade and all-new pronouns was more of a recipe for disaster than happiness. Coming out as trans in rural Alabama, where football rules and cheer is life, might have been the worst way to start my senior year.

There are no safety nets for people like me in places like this.

But sometimes, hope shows itself in the most unexpected places. New friends help us survive —and maybe— thrive. But falling for Sebastian was not part of the plan.

Embracing my identity put my happiness at odds with my safety. I’m terrified. Terrified to be me. Terrified to be happy. Terrified to love him.

Welcome to senior year.

Try to make it out alive.

Universal Link

Goodreads

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Burn that Bridge is an amazing young adult read. Everything about this JR Gray tale is simply fabulous. 

Damn! I love this book. 

It's a coming of age story that follows DJ, a newly trans teen boy, and his boyfriend Sebastian. There's a lot going on throughout, but the emotions are always front and center. 

This book has it all. Bullying, friendship issues, transphobia, homophobia, rich versus poor, and so much more. 

I appreciate that Sebastian's sexuality is never an issue to him. He was attracted to DJ before he transitioned, and he has no problem accepting his attraction to DJ as a boy. As he states, he's simply attracted to DJ the person.

I adore how everything develops between these two, including the way they deal with adversity. This is a story of survival in a cruel world. Their connection is strong, but their devotion to each other is even stronger.

Everything is fantastically developed, with the storyline riveting, compelling, and easy to follow. The writing is raw and authentic, touching on extremely poignant issues. 

It ends with a happy for now for this group of friends, with college in their future. 

Burn That Bridge is a must read for anyone looking for the story of a transgender teen. JR Gray's writing is raw and honest in this impressive tale. 

 

There was a light to this boy I’d never experienced before. His soul was brightness. I envied him. I wanted to comb my fingers through him and feel like he felt if only for an instant. 

He drummed on his thigh, lost in his Fall Out Boy, which was such a strange band for him to be into. They were like thirty-five, but he owned it. He’d put all their albums on shuffle. Some stuff I knew, and others were made before I was old enough to care about music, and his dedication showed. He started to belt out every song in a slightly off-key tune that endeared him in my heart. 

“How many people see this side of you?” 

He looked over at me, his cheeks turning a little pink. “Just Emery, and now you.” He shrugged it off like it wasn’t that big a deal, but in the world I’d fallen from, it was. “My group of friends doesn’t care about cool.” 

“Everyone cares in the group I was in.” 

“It shows.” 

I couldn’t make eye contact. “You mean since none of them will talk to me anymore?”

“Why do they care what you look like? You’re still the same person, right?” 

“It’s more than that.” 

“Is it?” 

I turned back towards him, waiting for an explanation. 

“You changed the outside and a name. And you didn’t really change it that much. You decided to go by your initials. If that’s all it takes to scare people off, they are the problem.” 

“It’s not that simple.” 

“I think it is. You were…” He trailed off. 

“I was?” I prompted. 

He shook his head. “Just rambling. It should be, and is, that simple.” 

“I was lying to them. I deceived every single person for the last year.” This was so much heavier than I wanted the night to be. I didn’t want everything to be colored by my transition. I wanted to be as light as Sebastian felt.

“I think we all have parts of us we aren’t ready to share with the rest of the world. That doesn’t make you a liar.” He rolled to his side to face me. 

“This isn’t a little thing.” 

“I think you’re making excuses for shitty behavior.” 

I couldn’t look at him again, but I could feel his eyes, unwavering. “They don’t know any better.” 

“It’s time to learn.” He skimmed his fingers over my forearm, and there were real damn sparks in the wake of his touch.

I put my hand over the place he’d been like I could hold the feeling there, preserve it in some way. 

He was my rainbow. A prism projecting color into this dreary existence. The little bit of light shining through the rain, and maybe that was all I needed to go on. 

Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of Burn That Bridge, J.R. Gray is giving away a signed copy of Burn That Bridge (US Winner) & an e-copy for an international winner!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57195/?

---

______________________________________________

Gray is a cynical Chicago native, who drinks coffee all day, barely sleeps, and is a little too fashion obsessed. He writes realistic and damaged characters because everyone deserves a happily ever after.

Contact J.R. Gray:
https://www.patreon.com/join/Graybooks/
https://twitter.com/theoriginalgray
twitter.com/booksbygray
facebook.com/Booksbygray
booksbygray.tumblr.com
https://www.pinterest.com/JRGrayBooks/
www.JRGrayBooks.com
https://www.instagram.com/hipsterwriter/

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Trust in Me (The Lodge #3) by Quinn Ward

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

He desperately wants someone to care for him. Does he dare share his secret with the ideal man?

Sam is terrified of his own success. He may have set up a dream playroom at The Lodge for Daddies and their littles to play, but as a trans man, he struggles to believe anyone would want him as their boy. And though he feels an immediate connection with a handsome high school principal, he can’t stand the thought of being rejected.

Theron has spent his life focused on his career instead of himself. But now that he’s older, he’s missing that special someone to take care of. And the sexy college student who set up the playroom seems perfect – even if there are hurdles to overcome.

As the chemistry between them becomes white-hot, Sam’s reluctant to introduce his new lover to his family, dreading they’ll be angry about the age difference and their dynamic. And while Theron falls hard for the beautiful young man, he worries he’s too old to give his sweet boy a real future.

Can Sam and Theron overcome their fears to embrace the love they both deserve?

Trust in Me is the scorching third and final book in The Lodge series set in the kinky town of Annandale. If you like blistering bedroom scenes, tender relationships, and happy endings, then you’ll adore Quinn Ward’s spicy story.

Buy Trust in Me to settle down with pleasure today!

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Good god, every single moment of Quinn Ward's Trust in Me is freaking amazing! This is an absolute gem for any fans of age play. 

This is the first time I have read about a transgender little, which added to the intrigue. Omg, the special little ways in which Theron makes Sammy feel special is spectacular. I love it all. 

Poor Sam is full of insecurities about his body. He's a boy, but struggles with his anatomy and his desires. I love the way Theron treasures him, yes, absolutely treasures him, and makes him know he's special. 

This story is full of tender moments that will melt your heart, as Theron builds up Sam's confidence while allowing him to be who he is. And seeing Sammy in his little space is fantastic.

Told in alternating 1st person pov, every single thought and feeling jumps off the pages. 

There are many little touches that melts my heart, as Theron gives Sammy training pants, children silverware, and special toys. But by far, my favorite moment is Theron's dismissal of the term "junk," instead calling it his "treasure." A totally heart melting moment. 

Overall, Trust in Me is a mesmerizing read. This Quinn Ward gem is a must for my re-read list. 

Once a Girl, Always a Boy: A Family Memoir of a Transgender Journey by Jo Ivester

Amazon Link 
Goodreads Link

Blurb

Jeremy Ivester is a transgender man. Thirty years ago, his parents welcomed him into the world as what they thought was their daughter. As a child, he preferred the toys and games our society views as masculine. He kept his hair short and wore boys’ clothing. They called him a tomboy. That’s what he called himself.

By high school, when he showed no interest in flirting, his parents thought he might be lesbian. At twenty, he wondered if he was asexual. At twenty-three, he surgically removed his breasts. A year later, he began taking the hormones that would lower his voice and give him a beard—and he announced his new name and pronouns.

Once a Girl, Always a Boy is Jeremy’s journey from childhood through coming out as transgender and eventually emerging as an advocate for the transgender community. This is not only Jeremy’s story but also that of his family, told from multiple perspectives—those of the siblings who struggled to understand the brother they once saw as a sister, and of the parents who ultimately joined him in the battle against discrimination. This is a story of acceptance in a world not quite ready to accept.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Once a Girl, Always a Boy is a marvelous family memoir of a transgender journey, written by Jo Ivester. 

This story is an important one. Honest and heart-felt, this look back at Jeremy's journey, told by many standpoints, is wonderfully done. The reader follows Jeremy from his childhood to his 20's. 

Jeremy was a tomboy for sure, but it was always more than that. Personally, I love the way his mother related to Jeremy's young years. Of course, this understanding leads to confusion later as Jeremy struggles to understand and explain his true feelings. And, damn, learning more about the journey of Jo herself, is amazing. 

The author includes an informative look into the emotions, as well as work and legal struggles involved with changing one's gender legally. It's enlightening, not only for the way Jeremy's plights are explored, but also for the way his parents and siblings each explain their feelings. 

I love, love, love this book and hope everyone has a chance to read it. And yes, tears were shed.

Once a Girl, Always a Boy is a book everyone should read. Too many people struggle with understanding why people transition, and this memoir will definitely help people to gain a better understanding. And of course, understanding leads to changing attitudes. I am a firm believer that stories have the power to create change, and this is one such story. 

RELEASE BLITZ - Coffee (A Cup of John #2) by Matthew J Metzger

Title: Coffee

Series: A Cup of John, Book Two

Author: Matthew J. Metzger

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: August 19. 2019

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 69100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, contemporary, British, trans, gay, queer, age gap, established couple, size difference, blue collar, disability, ableism, death and grieving, family issues, dirty talk, wedding, ownvoices

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

When Chris’s stepfather passes away and leaves Chris a house and a wedding ring, it seems like the perfect opportunity to take the next step in his relationship with John.

So, they’re both in for a nasty shock when Chris’s mother is vehemently opposed to the idea. Despite three years of history to prove otherwise, she insists that John is only a temporary feature in Chris’s life, and a man like him can’t be expected to stay with someone like Chris in the long run.

Can Chris persuade her that she’s wrong in time for the wedding—or will there be an empty space in the photographs?

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Matthew J Metzger's Coffee, is a stunning romance. It's a beautiful writing style, and even more stunning tone, which sucked me in immediately and kept me hooked throughout. It's definitely a slow and detailed story, which is something I don't always love. But, it's wonderful.  

Coffee's a tender story of family, and finding that one who loves you as you are. It includes a great look into the life of a transgender man who's accepted and in love. It's about a man with epilepsy who's able to deal with his seizures, instead of letting them stop him. 

It's a story about a man with some life changing disabilities. Not only is Chris transgender, he lives with seizures, which also caused him to loss his sight and have brain damage. This is why their story includes some large family issues full of distrust, grief, and guilt. It's a tough read at times, and left me heart-broken. 

John's a man who's large and struggles with the safety of his partners. I adore the way this is handled, with care and heart.

Best of all though, is that despite Chris's disabilities, the sense of humor is always present. That John can constantly joke about Chris's issues is amazing. Their love is strong, full of respect, and they push each other to do better. They are a phenomenal couple.

Coffee's a remarkable story, with thought provoking issues, and a memorable love story. It's truly amazing as we follow John and Chris through their engagement and wedding plans.

Excerpt

Coffee
Matthew J. Metzger © 2019
All Rights Reserved

Rather appropriately for the occasion, it had been raining all day.

Chris took in a deep lungful of smoke and exhaled it smoothly into the chilly afternoon. The memorial garden was blissful after the hustle and bustle of the funeral. The air was open and soothingly cool, not like the stuffy heat of the chapel. He could breathe again. He could gather the shards of grief around himself and try to put them back together, without having to think about his mother’s sobbing at his side, or the favourite song that had been played for Jack’s last journey, a song now stained with sadness.

The gentle patter of raindrops on the umbrella calmed him, and the far-off chirping of some irate bird provided a gentle counterpoint. Life slowed. From farther off, the chattering of friends and relations had finally died away, and Chris stubbed out the remains of the cigarette as he heard the crunch of gravel.

He’d never been here before, but the footsteps coming down the path were as familiar as his own. Thunderously heavy, an immense weight crushing each step into the ground even as the pace was slow and steady. That slight stress on one step, followed by lightness on the other. That dodgy knee from the rugby accident last year had left its mark in the form of a subtle limp and a tiny scar like a fish hook that made its owner go all shivery when Chris kissed it. Even the speed with which each step followed the other was familiar, like the tower of a body might collapse if the feet were spread too far apart. The hands that clasped Chris’s shoulders were as big as spades, and only one person in his life was tall enough to kiss the crown of his head without the use of a box to stand on.

Chris leaned back into the wall of a man who had arrived and lifted the umbrella to let him into the shelter.

“Your mum’s gone home with Lauren.”

The relief was bittersweet. Mum and Lauren had always gotten along, despite one being Dad’s ex-wife and one being Dad’s girlfriend. Lauren would look after her—even if it was Chris’s job. Even if he was supposed to.

“You did great.”

Chris swallowed thickly. “I think it’s just sunk in.”

It hadn’t been real. It had taken so long that it had never quite felt real until this moment.

Jack had died a long, slow, terrible death. Weeks in the hospice. Chris would never forget the gargling way his stepfather had breathed near the end, or the clammy coolness of his skin. The way Mum had cried, soft little sniffles at the corner of the bed on that final day. The gaps between the gurgles, until finally there had been nothing but the eeriest silence. The shaking in his fingertips was over.

Everything was over. The smell of cigar smoke on the tenth of March, the one day of the year Jack lit up. The shuffle of his slippers. The whirr of that deathtrap of a stairlift. The croaking way he’d chuckled, a noise that in a bigger man would have been a belly laugh. The little huff he let out when Mum was in one of her moods, followed up hastily with “Yes, dear, of course…” And Chris had never seen it, but he’d known Jack had flashed him little smirks across the table at such moments, conspiratorial understandings between the two men who were most subject to her fussing and flapping, the two men who loved her most. Gone.

“Jack’s gone.”

“I know.” The words were soft but firm. The hands on his shoulders rubbed down to his elbows and then back up in a long, smooth stroke. “But so is the pain and the suffering. He’s not hurting anymore. And if he was right, then he gets to see his daughter again now.”

Chris coughed a shaky laugh. It bubbled out of his ribs like water overflowing. “No such thing as heaven.”

“You never know.”

Chris sighed and leaned his head back. He closed his eyes and hummed as a kiss was pressed into his temple.

“I should go and see Mum,” he said.

But his chest ached. His ribs felt like they were going to cave in, and a red-hot pain followed the scar, as if he’d been wrapped in metal wire, melting against his skin. He hurt.

“I want to go home.”

The hands pulled. He was turned by the shoulders and drawn into a rain-damp embrace. The arms around his back made the pain worse, but Chris clung and burrowed into the embrace anyway. The kiss on the top of his head slotted two of the jagged edges together and sealed them shut again. The grief ebbed a fraction.

“Come on, then. Let’s go home.”

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Matthew J. Metzger is an ace, trans author posing as a functional human being in the wilds of Yorkshire, England. Although mainly a writer of contemporary, working-class romance, he also strays into fantasy when the mood strikes. Whatever the genre, the focus is inevitably on queer characters and their relationships, be they familial, platonic, sexual, or romantic.

When not crunching numbers at his day job, or writing books by night, Matthew can be found tweeting from the gym, being used as a pillow by his cat, or trying to keep his website in some semblance of order.

Website | Twitter

Giveaway

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