Today I am so pleased to welcome DJ Jamison to Joyfully Jay. DJ has come to talk to us about her latest release, Buyer’s Remorse. She has also brought along an exclusive giveaway. Please join me in giving DJ a big welcome!

Writing a romantic mystery can be tricky. Some readers will say, there’s not enough mystery. Other will say, there’s not enough romance. I did my best to blend the two in Buyer’s Remorse, with strong elements of each. Today I’ve brought an excerpt that mixes a little of both, as well. You’ll see the beginnings of Miguel and Lee’s chemistry — strong from the very beginning, because they’re seeing each other again after three years, but neither has forgotten their attraction. And this excerpt is also an early scene that serves as a catalyst for the mystery that will play out.

I hope you enjoy!

Excerpt

MIGUEL

My heart skipped when Lee smiled at me. I’d seen him a few days ago, but my nervous system still reacted in surprise to that man being back in my world.

“Morning,” I said as I approached.

He’d dressed in dark jeans and a gray hoodie. When I’d first met him, he’d worn a lot of skinny jeans and button-down fitted shirts. Sort of a preppy look, really. Both times I’d seen him since he’d returned, he’d dressed a lot more casually. My gaze lingered on him, searching out the similarities and the differences. His chest, more filled out than his wiry frame of three years ago, and his hair, still long on top and fluttering in a breeze. His lips were fuller than I remembered, and as I looked at him, they slowly curved into a smile.

Lee waved toward the building. “So, can I see?”

Busted. I tore my eyes from him to focus on the building. “That’s why we’re here.”

Lee followed me to the door, and my skin tingled as if it could feel his presence behind me. I fumbled my card, and I mistyped the key code twice when trying to open the lockbox on the door. I laughed as I punched in the numbers again. “Sorry, you’ve got me all frazzled. I know I saw you the other day, but part of me still can’t believe you’re really here.”

“Sorry not sorry,” he murmured as I finally got the box open and successfully inserted the key into the lock. “Part of me likes that I affect you that much.”

I froze for a second, pulse quickening, before dismissing his flirtation as harmless fun, same as it’d always been.

I felt absurdly proud of myself as I opened the door. Using a key is an everyday skill, Mig. Get a grip.

I wasn’t shy, never had been. I enjoyed flirting with a sexy man when I came across one, and Lee was one of the sexiest I’d had the pleasure to meet. But … that was before I embarked on my stay-single plan. Now, I was off-balance, unsure how to act around a guy who fired up my senses if I wasn’t going to flirt and hook up.

I settled for focusing on the job. I was here to show him a building, not my dick size. Clearing my throat, I gestured to the room at large. “I’m sure you remember the place, but have a look around. I’ll answer any questions I can.”

While Lee prowled the room and asked me the occasional question about square footage, storage, and more about why Kay Forester had shut down the place (she’d found traveling more appealing than making my favorite roast beef/cream cheese/roasted bell pepper sandwich, sadly), I skimmed the property disclosure on file to be sure I didn’t forget to tell him anything. Glancing up, I noticed he’d gone into the kitchen.

“How’s the kitchen look?” I called.

He didn’t answer.

I approached the door, pushing it open. “Lee? Something wrong?”

“That was not in the property description,” he said in an odd tone of voice. Sort of strangled.

I stepped up behind him, looking over his shoulder to see what he meant. Then jerked back in shock, stumbling into the stainless-steel cabinets behind me. “Jesus! Is that … is she …?”

Swallowing hard against nausea, I stared at a young woman lying on the floor. My gaze darted to her, then away, then back. No matter how many times I looked at her, though, the sight didn’t make sense to my brain. I couldn’t really focus on what I was seeing because it was just so … wrong.

“Dead,” Lee confirmed.

Bile rose in my throat as the smell overpowered me. She was rotting already. She didn’t look decomposed, but she’d been here long enough to smell, which meant—

I ran from the room.

Blurb

Will love persevere when the truth comes out?

LEE

I changed my name, but I can’t change what I did. My brothers died, and I spent three years in witness protection. Returning to Fields, where I once hid out, feels right. Seeing Miguel again feels even better. But when a dead body interrupts my tour of a building for sale, my start isn’t as fresh as I’d like.

MIGUEL

I’ve been trying to curb my habit of leaping into bad relationships, but when Lee comes back to town, he’s hard to resist. Kids are dying, and life’s too short to shy away from a good thing. But will Lee’s mysterious past come back to bite me?

Between police questioning and trials of trust, it’s far from smooth sailing. If we don’t figure out who’s selling synthetic drugs and convince the police Lee is not their man, we may all have a severe case of buyer’s remorse.

Buyer’s Remorse is approximately 80,000 words. While it can standalone, it includes backstory that links back to Full Disclosure, Book 1 of the series.

Buy link

Bio

DJ Jamison is the author of more than a twenty m/m romances, including the Hearts and Health series. She writes a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual, with a focus on telling love stories that are more about common ground than lust at first sight. DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love. DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that, and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors’ books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, two fish, one snake, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.

DJ is active on social media and loves to connects with readers! You can keep up with her here:

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/djandcompany
• Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/dj-jamison
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14205328.D_J_Jamison
• Newsletter: www.tinyurl.com/DJandCompany

Giveaway

To enter for a chance to win an ebook copy of Full Disclosure, the first book in the Real Estate Relations series, comment with your favorite mystery character or series — on TV or in books! Three people will be drawn to win a copy of Full Disclosure.
DJ will give three lucky winners an ebook copy of Full Disclosure, Book 1 in the series. The contest closes on Wednesday, September 26th 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.
• All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
• By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
• 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.