Today I am so pleased to welcome Morticia Knight to Joyfully Jay. Morticia has come to talk to us about her release, Rocked Hard. She has also brought along an exclusive excerpt and a great giveaway. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Hey everyone! I’m so glad to be here today and I want to give Jay a big thank you for giving me the chance to share with you my new release, Rocked Hard, which is very dear to my heart.

I’ve been writing and publishing for *mumble* years, but prior to that, I was in the music industry. I witnessed first-hand the machinations in Hollywood, the struggles to make it, the disillusionment once you pierce the veil—it tends to suck the joy out of why you’re there in the first place. The music. It’s supposed to be all about the music, except as in all business ventures, it isn’t. Money is what makes the world go ‘round, and that’s never more obvious than when it involves the entertainment industry. So much of what I went through, or witnessed, is shared in Bryan and Aubrey’s love story.

However, there’s more to Rocked Hard than that. It’s, at the core, a romance with a hard-won HEA. Aubrey is the rock god who left the industry after he’d had enough of the bullshit and is now making a comeback on his terms. This time, it’s about the music and nothing else. Bryan, the younger fanboy who used to worship Aubrey and his band, is a rock music journalist who finds himself snagging the job as Aubrey’s memoirist. Only Bryan ends up discovering there was more to his hero worship than just Aubrey’s music. The more time he spends around Aubrey, the more he questions his sexuality.

Excerpt

Here’s an excerpt from after Bryan returns to the hotel after a long day interviewing Aubrey then being blindsided by an unexpected kiss:

Bryan went through the motions of unpacking. He wouldn’t be staying in LA for long, just a few days at the most. I think. His original plan had only revolved around whether Aubrey might be interested in having him do the memoir and discovering if they vibed well together. Oh, we vibed, all right. If the tonguing Aubrey had given him wasn’t a signal they got along fine, he couldn’t imagine what would be.

He shoved the last ball of socks into the hotel room dresser drawer then slammed it shut. After dropping on the bed, he let himself fall back, covering his eyes with one arm. Fathoming how he could’ve allowed such a thing to happen, allowing a potential client to kiss him, was beyond any logic he could conjure up. Had Aubrey been a woman, would he have been so unprofessional?

What the fuck is wrong with me?

But that kiss…

Bryan rolled over, burying his face in the arms he’d folded under his head as if he could hide from the truth.

Which is?

Nothing would ever be the same. As he’d feared, a line had been crossed that couldn’t be uncrossed.

But…is that so bad?

He wasn’t sure what he was asking himself. Was it bad he’d behaved unprofessionally or bad that he’d kissed a man?

Bryan frowned, shame filling him at the errant thought. The only questionable thing he’d done was blur the lines of professionalism. Regardless of what he thought about him being intimate with a man, nothing about it was bad or wrong.

Just confusing.

With a sigh, he forced himself to sit up. The room Aubrey’s people had booked for him was a business suite. Clean, sterile and efficient. A few half-hearted attempts had been made to add homey touches that included a fake potted palm in the corner next to the fake armoire that was actually an entertainment center. The walls contained framed prints of vaguely impressionistic renderings of what he assumed were generic European cities. Pastel colored cafes with matching pastel colored patrons with no faces graced each picture.

Bryan narrowed his eyes at the mini-bar next to the would-be armoire. Hmm. If he was very lucky, some top shelf Scotch would be waiting for him in teeny bottles he could chug one after the other.

Yeah. That’s real mature. He shrugged. Oh well. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been behaving like a complete idiot all day. Why end his champion streak?

Right as he’d been about to push off the bed to investigate the booze possibilities, his cell chimed. He froze. Do I want it to be Aubrey or not to be Aubrey? Bryan snatched up his phone and let out a groan. Mom. Not that he didn’t love her to pieces, but damn. He wanted to cocoon for the rest of the night, not try to keep from revealing that his mind was in complete turmoil.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, sweetie. I hope I’m not interrupting your meeting with Aubrey King.”

Bryan rubbed his forehead. Jesus. Right out of the gate his name comes up. “No, not at all. I’m at the hotel.”

She chuckled. “Oh, good. I thought I’d waited long enough to call. Couldn’t help it. I’m so excited for you! So go on, what happened?”

“Uh…” We made out, it was very hot, I think I’m attracted to men and I’m pretty sure he wants to have sex with me. “Really well. The contracts are with Monica, and after my lawyer looks them over, they’ll fax them over for me to sign.”

His mother squealed. “That’s wonderful! Congrats, I know how badly you wanted this.” She chuckled. “My goodness, that was fast.”

Bryan held in a snort. Tell me about it. “It was, but we really clicked.” He rolled his eyes to the ceiling. I gotta end this conversation. Can’t deal. “Listen, Mom? Can I give you a call tomorrow? I’m pretty wrecked right now. Jet lag and all that.”

“Of course, sweetie. You get some rest and we can talk then.”

After they’d said their goodbyes, Bryan went back to eyeing the mini-fridge. He decided that booze wasn’t the answer, and neither was avoiding his feelings about what had happened between him and Aubrey. He’d already decided to move forward with the memoir so pretending as if they’d never shared a kiss wouldn’t work. It flew in the face of his personal commitment to honesty. Which brought him back to what had been nagging at him since he’d left Aubrey standing in his driveway, waving after him, his shoulders slumped, his features radiating what Bryan had interpreted as pain and loss.

Not exactly the picture of a sex-hungry beast.

No, what Bryan kept circling back to was how much he’d enjoyed the kiss, how Aubrey’s taste, his heat, his smell, had sparked something to life in Bryan he’d never known existed. A connection born of desire, but also understanding. The possibility he could have what he’d always fantasized about with a partner.

Blurb

Can the touch of a rock god last forever?

Legendary alt rock singer, Aubrey King, is making a comeback after many years out of the spotlight. Rumors of his sexuality have always dogged him, and while he’s never come out publicly, his reasons for leaving the industry had nothing to do with his fear of discovery. What matters to him is the music. That’s his truth, and so far, his only real love. He aches to find someone to share his life with, but his propensity to fall fast and hard—along with chasing men he knows can never be his—has left him all alone.

Rock journalist Bryan Gallagher was first turned on to rock music at the age of twelve when he became obsessed with Aubrey’s band, Falling in Stereo. His friends, and even girlfriends, would sometimes tease him that he was hot for Aubrey. But it was all about the music and nothing else—at least that’s what he’s always told himself. When he’s approached about helping Aubrey write his memoir, it’s not only a dream assignment, but an exciting opportunity to work closely with his idol.

When Bryan meets Aubrey, the electric heat between them is unnerving. He’s further confused by how intense Aubrey’s attraction toward him is and how deeply they connect over their shared obsession of music. While Bryan struggles with uncertainty regarding his own sexuality, he also has to navigate through the perils of working with a lover and keeping their relationship a secret.

But Bryan’s biggest struggle of all might be determining whether declarations of true love from a rock star can ever be trusted.

Buy links:

• Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2umyFhz
• Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2mepwTD
• Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/2NgvXkT
• Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2uwlOZu
• Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2LkjoV6
• B&N: https://bit.ly/2MyK4oZ
• Kobo: https://bit.ly/2KUHCnM
• iTunes: https://apple.co/2MPtfml
• Pride: https://bit.ly/2Ks92Fa

Bio

Author Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after. If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little hearts desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share—her adventures as a published author began in 2011. Since then, she’s been fortunate enough to have several books on bestseller lists along with titles receiving recognition in the Rainbow Book Awards, Divine Magazine and Love Romance Café.

Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the North Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men, she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.

Morticia’s Social links:

• Website/blog: http://www.morticiaknight.com/
• Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2q2I2Do
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorticiaKnight
• Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authormorticiaknight/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormorticiaknight/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/morticiaknight/
• Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/MorticiaKnight

Giveaway

Comment on the blog with the name of your favorite rock band of all time. One winner will receive a Rock ‘n’ Roll Romance swag pack. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Tuesday, August 28th at 11:59 pm ET.

• By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
• If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
• Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
• Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
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• Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
• Void where prohibited by law.