Bitter Springs by Laura Stone Tour & Giveaway !!

Bitter Springs

Laura Stone

Release Date: December 3, 2015

Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Collen M. Good
Pages or Words: 302 pages
Categories: Fiction, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Romance, Western/Cowboy

Goodreads

Excerpt:
The day before the wedding, a visitor arrived at Vista Verde an entire week early. Renaldo, ready to wash up and eat dinner after a long, hard day—his side ached from roping cattle as a part of Paloma's training, his hands were full of bits of raw hemp from the stock lassos, and one of the calves had kicked him high on the thigh—walked back from the barn using his hat to slap at the dust on his chest and thighs. He noticed a tall, striking young black man standing at the door to their home speaking with their father. They didn't see many black men this far from civilization—with the Civil War ending so recently, many were staying close to where they'd been forced to live, were heading far out west where there were more opportunities to make a new life or were going north seeking less hostile society. Who he could be?
He was about as tall as Renaldo, maybe an inch or two more, broad-shouldered and whip-thin, dressed in well-worn, simple clothes. He had a close-cropped beard, but instead of hiding the shape of his jaw, it accented its sharpness. His light eyes, almost luminescent even at this distance and glowing like amber, were ringed with thick lashes, nearly to the point of being girlish, but there was nothing feminine about the man. With his lean but strong-looking chest, muscular arms and curved backside, he managed to carry himself with a confident air while standing idly; his body was still, but in a way that made Renaldo think of a raptor sitting on an abutment, watching and waiting.
“Oh, here he is,” Estebán said, motioning for Renaldo to join them, saying, “Señor Burnett, allow me to introduce to you my son, Renaldo.”
This? This was the legendary mesteñero, Henry Burnett? He couldn't be much older than Renaldo, who realized his jaw had dropped. He closed his mouth quickly and moved toward them as if drawn like metal shavings to a magnet.
Burnett, however, looked amused, as the edge of his mouth quirked up. “Pleased to meet you,” he said, his voice deep and husky.
Renaldo couldn't look away, shocked that his expectations couldn't have been more wrong. This was a vibrant young man. But... this was the man he would be alone with on the prairie for months? His stomach twisted at that thought, and at how unexpected it all was, causing his heart to race and face flush. Yes, it was unexpected. That Burnett had come so much sooner than they'd expected had to be why Renaldo couldn't find his voice and felt so upended.
“Mijo,” his father said sharply.
Renaldo shook himself slightly, and then nodded, saying, “Señor Burnett, it's very good to meet you, finally. Please forgive my shock, as I don't believe we expected you so soon.”
Burnett laughed, a rolling, melodious sound, and replied, “Well, then just imagine my shock when I come here all the way from Nacogdoches expecting one Valle man, only to find him gone and you in his place.” He smiled. “Your padre seems to think you're a better match, so that works for me.”That smile, bright teeth framed by full lips, eyes crinkled at the corners, helped lessen some of Renaldo's shock and, if he was being honest, some of the worry that he carried about spending a lot of time with a hard, taciturn man Renaldo knew he would be unable to please. At the realization that this was who he would be with on the plains, just the two of them with no one else for weeks on end, Renaldo became excited, finally looking forward to this task. A young man with an infectious grin wouldn't be such a chore to be stuck with after all.

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Meet the author:
Laura Stone is a born and bred Texan, but don't hold that against her. She's a former comedian, actress and Master Gardener, and currently keeps busy as a media blogger, ghostwriter and novelist when not busy raising her three children. They're not fully raised, but then, neither is she.
She lives in Texas as proof that it's not completely populated by hard-line right-wingers. And because that's where the good tamales are. Her first novel, The Bones of You, was published by Interlude Press in 2014 and was named a finalist for two Foreword Reviews IndieFab Book of the Year Award. Laura Stone at Laura-Stone.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/9LauraStone
Where to find the author: Twitter ~ Facebook

Q & A with Laura Stone
1 Let’s start out by getting to know you. Tell us 4 things about yourself that are not in your bio.
First off, thank you so much for having me! Four things, hmm? I know how to tie most knots with one hand, my youngest sister is a Special Olympian Gold Medalist, I have over 150 first cousins, and I loathe iced tea. 

2. If you could go anywhere, all expenses paid, where would you go?
Hands down, without a doubt: New Zealand. First off, one of my dearest friends is an Aucklander, and I only get to see her every few years when she comes to the States. Also: I hear it's lousy with booze, chocolate and hobbits. What's not to love?

3. List three books you have recently read and would recommend.
This is probably cheating to say since we have the same publisher, but SMALL WONDERS by Courtney Lux is an amazing and refreshing M/M novel, unlike most I've read. I'm a big sf nerd. WOOL is amazing, and when you throw an apocalyptic dystopia in there, I'm super happy. And is anyone out there not familiar with the un-freaking-believable CAPTIVE PRINCE trilogy by C.S. Pacat? Because it's hot, it's smart, it's sexy, and it's hot. Did I say hot? Because it is. What's not to love about a sword-and-sandals world where everyone is bisexual? Because I love everything about it.

4. What do you always order in a favorite restaurant?
I don't usually repeat orders, because I love trying new things. I genuinely love to tell the waiter and sommelier to bring me what they would order/drink if they were dining tonight. And you should try anything twice—who knows, you may have had a chef with an off night.

5. What do you hope to accomplish in the next 12 months?
World dominance. Or teaching my kids how to change the toilet paper roll without me hounding them. I'm good with either.

6. What do you like to read?
I'm a reader of multiple genres, honestly. I really love well-written erotica that's dripping with emotions and feelings. I'm an sf reader who also loves space opera (I go back and re-read Joan D. Vinge's Snow and Summer Queen trilogy every few years). Contemporary romance, nonfiction... Basically if you can capture my attention and put me there with you in the story, I'll read it. 

7. What do you look when choosing a book to read?
Story telling. That's great that some people can craft beautiful sentences, but I'm looking for beautiful worlds to fall into. 

8. What do you need someone to invent right away?
Cellulite-melting wine. 

9. What does the word "romantic" mean to you?
My heart racing, my breath catching, tenderness and generosity, passion and desire and nothing held back.

10. Can you share something about your works in progress?
I have a novella (about 30K) coming out late Spring, a story that means a lot to me, personally. It follows two LDS missionaries as they serve missions in Barcelona. They discover they have feelings for one another and try to reconcile their growing desire and love for one another with the tenants of their faith. It's a short story I wrote a few years ago for a friend who had gone through something similar, and finally feel like it's ready to find a wider audience.

 

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