Blog Tour Stop including Review & Giveaway – The Way Things Are by AJ Thomas

TWTARC

Book Name: The Way Things Are

Series? No

Release Date: January 30, 2015

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24236482-the-way-things-are

Author Name: A.J. Thomas

Author Bio:

A.J. Thomas writes romantic suspense. She’s earned a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from the University of Montana and worked in a half-dozen different jobs, from law enforcement officer to librarian, before settling down. Life as a military spouse has tossed her around the country so many times she doesn’t know how to answer when people ask her where she’s from, but she delights in living as a perpetual tourist, visiting new places and discovering amazing things.

Her time is divided between taking care of her three young children, experimenting with cooking and baking projects that rarely explode these days, and embarrassing her husband with dirty jokes. When she’s not writing, she hikes, gardens, researches every random idea that comes into her head, and develops complicated philosophical arguments about why a clean house is highly overrated. Her work has won multiple awards, including the 2013 AMB Ovation Award for Best LGBT Inter-racial Romance, and the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Contemporary Fiction.

 

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008224932949

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AJ.Thomas.Romance

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJThomasRomance

Other: http://www.ajthomasromance.blogspot.com/

 

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Bree Archer

SMWayThingsAre[The]FS

Blurb(s):

A night of drunken confusion at nineteen resulted in Patrick Connelly fathering a child. Determined to be there for his son, Patrick walked away from a sport he loved and forever hid his sexuality. After Patrick’s brutal divorce and a vicious hate crime, his son, Jay, has become obsessed with graffiti. Hoping for a fresh start, Patrick moves Jay to his childhood home in Seattle. Within two weeks, Jay is arrested again. On his way to pick Jay up, Patrick stops an assault, then finds himself in handcuffs too. Thinking things canʼt get any worse, heʼs confronted by the sexiest man heʼs ever seen—his sonʼs new probation officer, Ken Atkins.

The hardest part of Kenʼs job is working with difficult parents, and the undeniably handsome Patrick Connelly is going to be a difficult parent. A chance encounter and steamy hookup with Patrick leave Ken blindsided. As they work together to try to keep Jay on the right path, the passion between them proves impossible to resist. When the assault Patrick prevented comes back to haunt them and Jay gets into trouble again, Ken must convince Patrick that ensuring his sonʼs happiness doesnʼt have to mean sacrificing his own.

Categories: Contemporary, Erotic (light), Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

TWTA600x600Banner

Excerpt:

Ken shook his head, the motion making his entire body sway again. “I can’t believe you,” he said in disgust. “You have a child home alone right now, who needs an actual fucking role model in his life and actual supervision, and you’re here.” He gestured around at the dusty office. “I would have figured you’d be a bit old and butch for most of the clientele at this place.”

Patrick opened his mouth to deny that he was there selling himself, then stopped. “I’m not that old. And I am an employee of Corbin’s Attic.”

Ken chuckled. “You work for the club?”

“Yes. I had a shirt, but some vicious little drama queen insisted I dance with him, and he wouldn’t take no for answer.”

“You should have called one of the bouncers. They’re serious guys.”

“Uh….” Patrick scratched the back of his head. “I am pretty sure none of the other bouncers here would have come to my rescue.”

Other bouncers?”

“Yeah. Which reminds me, I need to steal another shirt.” The security T-shirts were in a small, tumbling stack on top of boxes in the corner, next to five bigger stacks of black aprons and towels. He sorted through the T-shirts to find his size, then held it up so Ken could see the stenciled yellow “SECURITY” on the back.

“You’re a bouncer?”

“Just until I get my first check from the Port. And until Jay gets in trouble again and has to pay another fine. And maybe until the owner finds someone else to use as eye candy when he wants to make the guy who refuses to go out with him jealous.”

Ken choked. “That was the owner? The blonde guy you were wrapped around out there?”

“That was Corbin Hollis, yes. Which is why none of the other guys would dare help me. He’s my best friend. He’s letting me pick up some hours here because I’m broke.”

Ken looked at him again, just for a moment, before he dropped his gaze to the floor. “I should let you get back to work, then.”

Patrick caught Ken as he stumbled toward the door. “Hang on, now. I told you why I was here. Shouldn’t you be fair?”

“No,” Ken said. “I shouldn’t be here at all. Not if one of my parents works here, that’s for damn sure.” Patrick wrapped his arms around Ken’s waist and tried to hold him steady while Ken squirmed. When he slumped back against Patrick’s chest, the hard cock straining against the denim of Ken’s jeans made Patrick freeze and nearly drop him.

Pages or Words: 252 pages

TWTABanner300x250

 

Christina’s Review:

The Way Things AreThe Way Things Are by A.J. Thomas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

wow…this story

i’ll get the basics out of the way first – the writing was really good. the story pretty much gripped me from the beginning and didn’t let go. the character development was great…and there is definitely room for follow up books. i loved most of the supporting cast – corbin (although it could be argued he is almost an MC), mary anne, malcolm, brandon, jeremy, david, katie, mark (am i missing anyone??)…

so patrick and jay…patrick is a selfless, amazing father (although i disagree with him about his son’s need for therapy) . he loves his kid and puts him above all else. he has always tried to protect him and keep him safe. he blames himself for what happened to him and has lived with that guilt for a while. he handles him really well – and is a great role model for him. he’s never really had a relationship with a man even though he’s known he is gay for a long time. ken is his first…and he doesn’t feel worthy of the respect and affection ken throws his way. they decide to wait to have any kind of relationship until ken is no longer in charge of jay’s rehabilitation. even though jay keeps getting in trouble he is a great kid. he’s actually found a harmless outlet for his emotions, he just needs to find the right medium. he’s just as adorable as his dad and i can only imagine how easy it is to fall in love with both of them.

ken is really good at his job and the best thing that could have happened to jay and patrick. ken had a terrible childhood and became a great man in spite of it. he lacks self-esteem and is surprised he caught the attention of such a hot man. the chemistry instant and banter between pat and ken is too cute…

“You do something like this. You make me feel….” He shook his head, but he was still smiling.

“Too much?” Ken asked seriously.

Patrick scratched the back of his head. “I don’t think so. I’m not even sure how to react. You make me feel all gooey.”

A.J. Thomas (2015-01-16T00:00:00+00:00). The Way Things Are (Kindle Locations 3009-3011). Dreamspinner Press. Kindle Edition.

i’m not gonna lie, that made me melt a little bit. i love that they, for the most part, were open and honest with each other. while the book could be done here and be totally great, i would love to see more from them and i think there is potential for more amazing books with these characters.

View all my reviews

TWTABadge


Tour Dates: January 30, 2015

 

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, Molly Lolly, MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, My Fiction Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Havan Fellows, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Cate Ashwood, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Lee Brazil, Velvet Panic, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Iyana Jenna, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

 

Sales Links:

Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5993

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewaythingsare-1601099-149.html

 

Rafflecopter Prize: An e-book copy

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Blog Tour Stop including Review & Giveaway – The Way Things Are by AJ Thomas

  1. Sherry S. says:

    Congratulations on your new book. It sounds really good.