The Romance Reviews

Friday 20 July 2012

Welcome Freddy MacKay!


Hello everyone! I’m Freddy MacKay, and Anna has been kind enough to host me today.

My book, Incubation: Finding Peace 2, will be released tomorrow.



*dances*

I am so excited. This story has been a long time in the making and it’s nice to see it come to fruition.

And since this is the second book of the series, I thought I should give you some background info from the books as well as have the guys answer some questions and hold a little contest–a copy of Incubation being the prize. *smiles*

The Finding Peace series starts with the book, Beginning Again: Finding Peace 1.



It is based in the fictional college town Capstone Ridge. The characters that the books focus on are students attending Capstone Ridge University. The year starts with David McCourt, Bobby Daniels, Christopher Weib and Austin Johnson all sharing a quad at the school in Carrington Dormitory. Bobby, Chris and Austin are childhood friends while David is odd man out. And he prefers it that way. David’s life has already been full of ups and downs and he kind of wants to go through college life unnoticed.

Bobby has others plans. He is used to getting along with everyone and doesn’t like seeing David isolate himself. Especially because he sees how kind David truly is, the one thing the others have trouble seeing. He talks Chris and Austin into helping him, and the three of them, along with David’s professor, Junnosuke Ito, and his TA, Jon Sawicki, he pull David back into life.

Along the way they also become friends with Jackson Black, Becca Thomson, and Eddie Tomohisa. Jackson is the confused cowboy. Becca’s the lone girl while Eddie is the self-confident cop.

And all of them have to come together when David gets hurt.

The second book, my release this weekend, picks up where Beginning Again leaves off. The makeshift family surrounding David, wanting to support him and help him, and most of all protect him. The problem is David had only just started opening up and he has secrets they don’t know about. And those secrets threaten the life they try to build for him.

David is trying hard to deal with the attack, accept his new family and not disappoint everyone. Bobby just wants him better but is feeling pushed aside. Austin is becoming a little tyrant while his best friend, Chris, is getting quiet. Jun just wants to protect David, and is still struggling with his demons from his college years. And Jackson is still confused, trying to figure out what he can and cannot accept.

I would say we see more of David, Jackson and Jun in this book than the first, but we still get other character viewpoints as well.  In addition, we finally get to meet the infamous Neil Cook–the university president and former friend of Jun–from the last book.

Here’s the blurb for Incubation
Short Blurb

David McCourt settles into his new family, one surrounding and protecting him. He should open up and let go of his past. But even with everyone cheering for his recovery, David feels too close to the edge of losing everything.


Long Blurb

David McCourt's makeshift family moves in together and forms a protective cocoon around him. But they don't know David's whole story and he finds the constant noise a distraction instead of a help.

Bobby, Chris, and Austin want to help David however possible—but he needs to open up.

Jackson crossed a line he never thought he would. He wants to take a chance with David, even if his dreams of a normal life are firmly rooted with Alyssa.

The group has the makings of a rag tag family, but secrets—old and new—threaten their fragile bond. The community takes sides and David ends up where he doesn't want to be: the center of everything.

Content Advisories: This has references to rape or near rape, and has MF and MM scenes.



How to Find Freddy

http://www.facebook.com/freddy.m.mackay

For my FREE flash fiction pieces, if you would like a taste, you can go to: http://freddymackaysshorts.blogspot.com


Interview Questions for the Finding Peace friends:

Hi everyone,

Welcome to David, Bobby, Chris, Austin, Becca, Jon, Jackson and Eddie. Thanks for coming in and answering some questions for us. These questions are for anybody so jump on in when you want to answer!

1.     What do you like about people?

*Becca raises her hand* I like how sexually repressed and PC people are.
*guys look at her*
*Becca glares back* What?
*Austin clears his throat* Well, I mean… *Looks at the guys* What’s that supposed to mean?
Becca: Think about all the reactions I get from people. I mean, when I took my shirt off at David’s birthday party, y’all looked like you’d shit a brick.
Eddie: Just let her win guys.
*boys nod*

2.     What was your family like?

*David winces*
*Bobby frowns, jumps in* My parents are really supportive. They volunteer a lot, too, and always took me along when they did. So they instilled early on that we should help those less fortunate than us. They never told me I couldn’t be what I wanted to be either.
Austin: Yeah, Bobby parents are a lot of fun. They took us on camping trips and to the amusement parks. My parents are the nerdy kind of people, so they didn’t like doing that kind of stuff. Mom and dad aren’t the outdoorsy type of people. We did museums and zoos. They were always happy to let Mr and Mrs Daniels take me anywhere. Plus my parents had five of us. I think they were just glad to get any of us out of the house.
Jon: My parents were older when they had mean and more concerned with their Ivy League careers, so while they had high expectations of me I was also left to my own devices a lot. I literally could be gone for a week and they wouldn’t have noticed as long as my teachers didn’t call and my report cards came back with As.
Eddie: Really?
*Jon nods*
Chris: I wish my parents would leave me alone that much.
Jackson: Overinvolved?
Chris: Yes. To the nth degree really. I’m pretty sure they have every aspect of my life planned out. I just hope they don’t find out about my major?
David: What about your major? You’re biology right?
*Chris nods* But they think I majored in business administration.
*Austin laughs*  The shit will hit the fan when they find out, too.

3.     What's the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you? What's the worst thing you've done to one of your siblings?

David: I’m an only child. My… closest friend… once accepted a blind date on my behalf and then drug me to the met up spot and ditched me.
Bobby: I wish I saw your face when that happened.
David: I didn’t speak with them for three days afterwards.
Bobby: I bet. I’m an only child, too, but my family is really close and I have my younger cousins around all the time. One time I fell asleep babysitting Chelsea and Katie and they shaved my arms and eyebrows.
*everyone laughs*
Austin:  You should have seen it! The guys at school teased him for days!
*Bobby grimaces* Yeah, but it was all in good fun. I got them back. I took the battery out of their DSs, and I did tell their mom, and they weren’t able to play them for months. My Aunt told them they had to save the money up to buy new ones. *laughs*
Chris: My brother Mark once convinced me an animal was going to attack us.
Austin: I remember that!
Chris: Yup. We were sleeping out on a trampoline with some friends and he set it up so the trampoline would push up in random spots and set up speakers so we would hear growling.
Austin: Yeah, and we had an entire plan on how to jump from the trampoline and get into the house as fast as possible so we wouldn’t get eaten!
*Chris smiles* We got him back.
Austin: We did. We posted all his baby bathtub photos on Facebook with captions. He still gets teased about the ‘poop pic’
*David leans over to Bobby* Do I want to know?
*Bobby shakes his head* Not at all.

4.     What is your favorite game?

David, Bobby, Austin and Chris: Final Fantasy VII.
David: And in fighting games it’s SoulCalibur for me.
Jackson: Bareback Riding.
Eddie: What?
Jackson: Rodeo event.
Eddie: Oh, uh, yeah, that makes sense.
Jackson: Why? What did you think it was?
Eddie: Nothing.

5.     What is your fondest, childhood memory?

Becca: Space Camp!!!
*Pained expressions on everyone*
Jon: Were there any explosions? Did everyone survive?
*Becca flips Jon off* No, and yes.
Jon: Are you sure?
Becca: Body casts don’t count.

6.     What is your worst childhood memory?

Chris: Austin getting lost.
Bobby: Yeah, he scared the crap out of us.
David: What happened?
Chris: We were at one of the state parks, staying at a cabin, and we had gone for a hike. One minute Austin was right behind us, the next, he was gone. He saw something that caught his eye and went after it. He was gone for 24 hours.
Austin: Shitty 24 hours too. I was lucky Bobby’s parents insisted on us each carrying a pack because I would have been thirsty and starving, not just cold and cranky.
Bobby: Yeah, I thought my parents were going to have a heart attack.
Austin: When did my parents show up?
Bobby: The next day, a few hours before we found you. I would say I’m surprised that they let you go camping with us again.
Austin: I’m not. They have five kids. I think they feel losing one every once in while is normal.

7.     What is something you had to learn that you hated?

Chris and Austin: The polyatomic ions for chemistry.
*David laughs* But you did learn them.
Chris: Thanks to you.
*David dips his head*

8.     Who is your closest friend? Describe them and how you relate to them.

Bobby: David. He’s kind, honest and cares a lot about people.
David: Really?
Bobby: Yes.
*David shifts in his chair* Thanks Bobby. Me too.
Chris: Austin. He’s fiercely loyal, confident, stands-up for himself and what he believes in, intelligent and is very lean and muscular.
*guys laugh*
Austin: You sound like you’re describing a girlfriend Chris.
Chris: No.
Jon: Well, then, why don’t we get this interview done?
Everyone: Sure.

9.     Okay, last question: What's your favorite animal?
Becca: Iguanas
Jackson: Quarter Horses
Jon: Sea Otters
Austin: Women
Chris: American Shorthairs
Bobby: Australian Cattle Dogs
Eddie: Anything that cleans up after itself
David: Wolves



Okay, well, that’s all for today!

One last bit – a contest for a copy of Incubation.

If you want the chance to win one, answer the question and leave your email below.

Question: What was the hardest class you ever took? (doesn’t matter when)

Saturday 7 July 2012

Out of the (Werewolf) Closet

Out of the (Werewolf) Closet, book 3 in the Watchtower Series, is now available for per-order (HERE).

Waking up collared to his worst enemy wasn't the most horrific thing that happened to Rick: waking up to an impending forced marriage was. And as if this wasn't bad enough, he couldn't deny that underneath all the anger, he was actually attracted to Tom, King of bloody everything and enemy to his people since the dawn of days.And yet, Tom's bumbling efforts to get closer to him, his puppy dog eyes and surprising honesty are slowly winning him over. But travelling to the cursed land where no one outside Tom's Clan had set foot on in centuries was only the start of their adventure.
Betrayal from within and his promise to Aidan to investigate the ancient magic of the Watchtowers, make Rick's life more than just interesting but even in his wildest dreams, he couldn't have anticipated where his search would lead him.
CONTENT ADVISORY: This title contains elements of dubious consent.