Book Name: Moment of Truth
Series? Moments in Time
If yes, what number? Book two. Best read in order.
Release Date: March 4, 2015
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24236086-moment-of-truth
Author Name: Karen Stivali
Author Bio:
Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She’s also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. She writes novels about love…like real life, only hotter.
Karen’s lifelong fascination with people has led her to careers ranging from hand-drawn animator, to party planner, to marriage and family counselor, but writing has always been her passion. Karen enjoys nothing more than following her characters on their journey toward love. Whether the couples are m/f or m/m, it’s guaranteed that Karen’s novels are filled with food, friendship, love, and smoking hot sex—all the best things in life.
When Karen isn’t writing (and often when she is), she can be found on Twitter attempting witty banter and detailing the antics of her fruit-loving cat, BadKitteh. She loves to hear from readers (and other writers), so don’t hesitate to contact/follow/like her at the links below.
Why m/m romance?
Last June, when I signed the Dreamspinner contract for the Moments In Time series, everyone I know asked me what the series was about, and some of them were surprised by my answer. It’s a m/m New Adult series about two college roommates who fall in love. It took some people a second to hear what I said and that pause was usually followed by “Wait, did you say male male?” Once I’d answer “yes” the conversation would get interesting. Some people were delighted, others not so much and a few were just surprised. Why? Because for the past three years I’ve been publishing m/f contemporary romance.
The people who were excited just wanted to know how fast they could get their hands on a copy. The ones who weren’t pleased tactfully told me they’d just wait until I wrote another m/f book. The ones who were surprised had the most questions, until we talked a little longer.
Anyone who’s familiar with any of my books knows that there are themes I always gravitate toward. The majority of my stories are friends to lovers tales, because I love the added depth and complications that come about when friends start thinking of each other as more than friends. All of my books are contemporary romances that follow the characters on their journey as they fall in love—-there’s nothing I enjoy more than writing sexual tension, first kisses, first times people say “I love you”—sigh.
Another important aspect to my novels are the secondary characters. I like to know everything about my characters and watch as they bounce their thoughts and fears off their closest confidantes. In several of my stories the secondary characters have been LGBT. I don’t mean the stereotypical flamboyant gay BFF who swoops in and gives the heroine great advice and swoops out just as fast. I mean fully developed LGBT characters who have lives and relationships of their own. In one book (MEANT TO BE) the hero’s close friend is a lesbian co-worker who’s married and she and her wife help him see how long term relationships work. In the same book the heroine has an older gay male friend who’s mentored her. In another novel (soon to be released as LONDON CALLING) the hero’s best friend from childhood is gay and in the process of adopting a baby with his partner, but he still has time to talk some sense into my hero before he makes the biggest mistake of his life and loses the heroine forever.
When I write I hear the characters in my head telling me their stories. I listen, then I write down what they’ve said. I’ve always written LGBT characters, but in the past their stories weren’t the main storylines in the books. I was actually in the middle of working on a m/f novel when Collin, the point of view character from MOMENT OF IMPACT, started chattering in my head. I tried to just take notes on what he was saying—I was on deadline with the other project—but he was talking so much and so insistently I wound up taking a break from the deadline project and writing Collin’s words. I thought it would just be a short story but by the time I stopped writing, it was a novella. Even though the novella has a happy ending, I knew there was more left to happen to Collin and Tanner. So I planned out the other two stories in their trilogy. Then I finished my deadline project.
Writing m/m romance isn’t something I woke up one morning and decided to do. I write about people. More specifically I write about people falling in love. Anything beyond that is just the details. The perk of writing m/m romance? My heroes are always my favorite characters—and in m/m stories I get to have two of them! What more could I ask?
Where to find the author:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenstivali
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenstivali
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karenstivali/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5170527.Karen_Stivali
Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/KarenStivali
Blog: http://karenstivali.com
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska
Blurb(s):
Collin expected to spend another summer fixing cars and working at the college pizzeria. Instead, he’s living in a beach house on Fire Island, waiting tables at a hip seaside restaurant and, for the first time since he and Tanner got together, they can publicly be known as boyfriends. Being “out” takes some getting used to, but with the help of new and old friends, Collin is happier than he ever imagined. And more in love. But newfound freedom brings unexpected challenges, and when friends get flirty, old insecurities arise. Moments of doubt and jealousy threaten their happiness, and Collin and Tanner must confront the truth or risk losing it all.
Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance
Excerpt:
His smile twitched as he started up the next staircase. The last one. The one that led to our room and nowhere else. My hearth hammered hard and fast, and not from stair climbing. I needed to touch Tanner, soon, or every part of my body from my brain to my balls was going to simultaneously combust.
Tanner pushed our door open with exaggerated care and stepped inside. Jesus, is he trying to make me crazy? All I want is to….
My back slammed against the wall, and before I could complete my thought, Tanner’s mouth was on mine. The kiss was savage, tongue hot and heavy against mine, cock hot and heavy against mine. Even through our shorts, I could feel how ready he was. My head swam.
Desperate for more, I grabbed on to him, rolling us toward the door and kicking it shut. Tanner let out a grunt as I pressed him against the hard wood. Could anyone hear us? I didn’t care. I just needed this. Tanner. Now.
As soon as I shoved his T-shirt up his ribs, he yanked it off and tossed it aside. Warm smooth skin greeted my fingertips, filling my nose with his scent. God, I missed this. My mouth returned to his, tongues dueling as my hands fumbled with his fly. I couldn’t stop rubbing against him enough to get the zipper down. Tanner grabbed my ass, crushing his cock alongside mine, humping against me with enough intensity I had to force myself not to come.
I didn’t want that. Not yet. Not standing against the door when that crazy big bed was only feet away. As if he read my mind, Tanner shoved me backward, taking advantage of the moment our bodies parted to strip off his shorts. I tugged off my shirt, and before I could launch it across the room, Tanner had my shorts undone and down. Kicking them away put me off-balance, and Tanner steadied me with one hand clutching the back of my neck and the other wrapped around my cock.
Whimpers echoed through the room. My whimpers. His thumb slicked over my swollen head, round and round in circles that left me dizzy and panting.
“Let’s try out the bed.” Tanner’s voice was low and thick. I’d have said yes to anything he asked with that voice.
I couldn’t actually say a word, so I nodded and pulled us down onto the mattress. Holy Jesus. Soft cool sheets, warm hard body, wet velvety tongue. Heaven. Fire Island was heaven.
Pages or Words: 150 pages
Christina’s Review:
Moment of Truth by Karen Stivali
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
i liked this story as well as the first one but i didn’t like the reason for the angst in this story. i thought the flirting by maggie and amy were over the top and i really didn’t like it. maggie was an overall skeezy character.
i do like that tanner and collin became closer and finally told each other what they need to feel better about their relationship. i’m glad they dealt more with being out in public after hiding in book 1. they both seem a bit too mature for newly 21 year old college boys but that’s not totally unbelievable. collin is still a bit shy in public and not good with expressing his feelings which tanner sets him straight on. and while tanner has a flirtatious personality, i don’t like how much he overly flirts with some of the girls in this story only adding to collin’s insecurity. collin is so wrapped up in tanner and lacks enough self esteem that he can’t see what’s around him and that causes problems.
the blurb for book 3 scares me a little bit. i’m hoping that these guys get their HEA in it.
Tour Dates & Stops:
4-Mar
5-Mar
The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat
6-Mar
9-Mar
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
10-Mar
Sales Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Stivali/e/B005KWSFGO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_2
AmazonUK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Karen-Stivali/e/B005KWSFGO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-stivali?store=allproducts&keyword=karen+stivali
All Romance E-books: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-momentofimpact-1700287-340.html
Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/karen-stivali
Moment of Impact
Book 1
Blurb:
Outside Collin Fitzpatrick’s dorm room is a dangerous place. Beyond his door the students of his small, conservative college think he’s straight, as does his Catholic family who’d disown him if they learned the truth. Inside, he’s safe with his incredibly sexy roommate Tanner D’Amico. Their room makes a perfect place to hide away and fall in love. The moment they cross the line from roommates to lovers, Collin becomes caught between their heavenly passionate encounters and the hellish reality that someone might find out and destroy everything. Tanner’s not used to being so confined, and wants to show the world how much he loves Collin. But Collin’s not sure he’s ready for the impact stepping outside will make.
Sales Link:
http://tinyurl.com/kukt5ug
Links to our Reviews:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1157293781?book_show_action=false
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1149547297?book_show_action=false&page=1
Rafflecopter Prize: $20 gift card