BLOG TOUR: End Of The Line by A.G. Meiers (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q&A with Author)

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: End of the Line

Author: AG Meiers

Publisher: Painted Hearts Publishing

Release Date: July 7, 2022

Genres: Contemporary M/M Romance Suspense – Two men falling in love while budging bullets and chasing bad guys.

Tropes: Mistaken identity / opposites attract / lone wolf meets stubborn pretty boy / age gap / found family

Themes: Falling in love / chasing bad guys / overcoming trust issues / finding balance and letting go of other people’s expectations

Length: 77 672 words

Heat Rating: 4 flames

It is a standalone book and is the first in the series to be published. It does not end on a cliffhanger. Suspense and Romance is complete, but there’s a 2nd book with a new couple and a continuation of the suspense plot.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Opposites Attract…T R O U B L E…

Blurb

Jake Devlin knows trouble when he sees it and he wants no part of it. His quiet, peaceful life is a hard-fought dream. And the man who stumbles through the backdoor of Jake’s bar—beaten to hell—he is trouble with a capital T. The last thing Jake needs is to get involved with the sexy and secretive stranger. He definitely shouldn’t offer him a place to stay. But…he does…

Murder and mayhem follow Detective Miguel Conway. One minute he’s working a case, and the next, his cover is blown and he barely escapes with his life. Con didn’t expect Jake to offer help when he needs it most. And he definitely wasn’t prepared to fall for the grumpy ex-Marine. But…he does…

Attraction sparks as the two men are thrown together to figure out who wants to keep Con quiet and why. Well, at least Con is trying to solve his case. Jake is mainly trying to protect the young, impulsive cop. Midnight stakeouts, a celebrity wedding, and passion-filled nights—can Jake and Con find the balance between taking risks and keeping safe? And turn attraction into happily ever after?

But none of that matters if they fail to get the target off Con’s back…

Series: End of the Line, Book 1 in the award-winning Jake’s Bar series, is a steamy, M/M romantic suspense featuring a rainbow-colored bar full of quirky characters, and all the romance you can handle. It’s a place where you can always find support (and a cold beer) when life spins out of control. So, download today, and get ready to fall in love with Jake’s Bar.

Excerpt

A gay bar. Thank you, Jesus. A fucking gay bar. Loud and proud. Con’s kind of place, but none of Murphy’s men would be caught dead in here. Con’s body hurt all over, but they hadn’t found him. He’d given his pursuers the slip and was out of the rain.

About an hour ago—close to two in the morning—Jake had flipped the lights on and kicked everybody out. People barely dared to finish their drinks when the big, bulky man with his booming voice told them to go the fuck home. Con would be surprised if any of them would come back. Damn, Jake was something else. Con had a thing for guys who took charge and thinking of it sent sparks down his spine.

Jake had offered Con to call it a night as soon as the last guest had left the place. Clearly, he hadn’t missed that Con was moving slower and slower as the night progressed. And fuck, his ribs hurt something fierce. Still, he had declined Jake’s offer to leave right away. The bar owner had raised an eyebrow, but much to his relief, Jake had started to put the chairs up himself while Con got a broom. And every time he tried to do anything but sweep, Jake had thundered at him to stay out of the way.

“Are you trying to dig a hole with that broom? I think that corner is clean enough,” Jake said quietly from across the room, his tall frame propped against the bar—arms crossed—watching. Jake’s calm focus sent chills over Con’s body as he forced himself to relax with a few more long inhales and exhales. His overtired brain fired some images of being at the receiving end of Jake’s laser sharp attention under different circumstance—with a whole lot less distance between them, and fewer clothes. Jake was hot in an angry, pissed-off way. Square. Solid. A force to be reckoned with.

Loud tapping of Jake’s fingers onto the bar brought Con back from his wayward thoughts. For a moment, the impatient rhythm was the only sound, then Jake let out a huff of air and said, “Listen, I’m not sure how to ask this, but—do you have anywhere to go tonight?”

“Yes, of course, I—” Con’s answer had been a reflex, but he actually had no idea how to end this sentence.

“You can stay here if you have nowhere safe to go.”

Nowhere safe. How did he know? Con’s heart skipped a beat and then started to race again in his chest. His eyes shot over to the front door. How the fuck did he know?

“Hey, calm down.” Jake pushed himself up from the counter and walked a few steps closer but then stopped again. “You have no defensive wounds. And, well, you’re a big dude, so I wonder what happened to you tonight.”

Three against one. I never had a chance.

“It’s fine. You’re safe. Is it okay if I touch you?” Jake was suddenly by his side, his voice soft. Gently, a hand came down on his shoulder. “It’s okay. Why don’t you just stay on my couch tonight?”

The warmth of Jake’s hand seeped through his skin. Con gritted his jaw to steel himself against the sudden need to lean in. Any other time, he’d have given Jake crap for treating him like a wounded animal, but his beat-up body was starting to give in on him. “That would be great,” he managed through clenched teeth.

Q&A with A.G. Meiers

Tell us a bit about yourself as an author. Here is one of my favorite questions. Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?

I used to have a plan… for all and everything in life!

But the last two year haven’t been very kind to people like me. Even best laid plans have become irrelevant, ‘taking every day as it comes’ is survival. So, my approach to writing has changed a little. These days writing is my solace—my escape. I’m simply diving into a story and let it steal me a way for a while. I admit at times that lead me to some slightly wonky twists and turns, but just like in life I just go with it.

How did you come up with the idea for END OF THE LINE?

Incidentally, the very first scene was the first scene I wrote was the opening scene: Con running in the rain trying to escape…

Keep moving. Con’s feet pounded on the pavement. Sweat ran down his body. Blood rushed in his ears. Every time he stopped to catch his breath, tires squealed on the wet asphalt, or an engine accelerated in the dark. They were still right on his tail. Despite looping twists and turns through deserted streets, he couldn’t shake them. He’d barely gotten away in the first place and escaped with nothing but the clothes on his back.

I started out focused on my plot: Why is he running? Who is he running from? And mostly, Who is on the other side of a door opening when he hits a dead end?

Got it. But do tell us a little more about the romance?

Opposites attract…T R O U B L E!

END OF THE LINE is an opposites attract romance with a heady heap of suspense, because what could me more fun than two guys falling in love while dodging bullets and chasing villains.

Jake is a lone wolf. He’s guarded and keeps his past and his secrets close to his chest. Con is impulsive, emotional and has something to prove to the world; he’s a firestorm racing through the defensive walls around Jake’s heart. But of course, opposites don’t only ‘attract’ they also create a lot of tension.

Jake and Con are extremely different. They don’t instantly understand each other motivations. There’s a need for intense vulnerability and a lot of give and take. And that’s beside the fact that they’re trying to solve a police corruption case. Con’s life is in danger and he doesn’t know who he can trust. Until they have figured out who is behind it all, Con has a target on his back.

And Jake’s Bar does it exist IRL? It sounds like an awesome place.

No, sorry, it’s all made up. I admit I had a ton of fun writing all the bar scenes. Jake’s Bar is special place. It’s a safe haven—free of judgement and hate. A place to find support when life spins out of control.

I’ve been writing romantic suspense for a while, but I didn’t even know I needed to write a story about a bar as my central location until I started with END OF THE LINE, and now I can’t stop. It’s like a writer’s dream. It’s like people-watching at the mall or a busy airport—only better—because as the author, I’ve a license to invent backstories for every single person walking through the door. It’s not daydreaming! No, it’s what I’m supposed to do: WRITING. So, I admit I’m pretty addicted to this series.

It was crazy fun to fill Jake’s Bar with characters: There’s Sheldon, waiter and social media whiz kid, who is looking for true love and is bubbling over with kindness. And then Jazz, non-binary bartender, who keeps them all in line. Jake is fiercely protective of his staff and has zero tolerance for hate of any kind.

Once I started writing about it. I simply couldn’t stop. The next story, CROSSING THE LINE, is already on pre-order and comes out in the next few weeks.

About the Author

Eighteen years ago, AG Meiers came to the US for adventure and stayed for love. Currently, she lives in New England with her husband and two awesome kids—balancing work, friends and family, and writing.

When she has some free time, her favorite thing to do is travel and visit new places. Her past trips have already brought her to a variety of countries on four continents. She never passes up an opportunity to experience different cultures, diverse people and amazing locations.

Even though she has been dreaming up stories all her life, she has only recently started to write them down and share them with the world. As a writer she loves to put her characters through a lot of challenges, conflict and heartbreak, before she allows them to find their happy-ever-after.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Instagram