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End of the Line (Jake's Bar Book 1) MM Romantic Suspense by AG Meiers ➱ New Release Tour with Giveaway
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.
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.
Author Interview
AUTHOR NAME: AG Meiers
Introduce yourself and your writing
I’m the classic case of “pretending to be an adult while actually still hanging out with my imaginary friends”. I’ve been dreaming up stories all my life, but only recently have I actually started to write them down and share them with the world.
As an author I love to put my characters through a lot of challenges, before I allow them to find their happy-ever-after, so ‘opposite attracts’ and ‘enemies to lovers’ is my jam. Oh, and I mostly write romantic suspense, two guys thrown together on a quest for justice… that’s probably my favorite thing to write these days.
Most days my personal life is a whirlwind of activity. I’m balancing a full-time job, family and friends with being an author and there are never enough hours in a day, but luckily I’m married to an awesome guy, who is my rock whenever it gets too crazy.
Tell us about your new book: End of the Line. Is it plot or character-driven?
It’s a romantic suspense so it’s the best of both worlds.
The plot for End of the Line is a fast-moving suspense with a few twists and turns. Vice Detective Miguel Conway is in trouble. One second he is undercover, the next he is made and beaten up in the basement of a seedy club. He makes a lucky escape, but with nothing but the clothes on his back and the nagging suspicion that his partner is the reason why his cover was blown.
Con has nobody he can trust. He can’t believe his luck when a door in the dead-end alley opens, and in a case of mistaken identity, the gorgeous but grouchy Jake offers him a job as a barback for the night.
The story is a fast-moving suspense plot, but my romance is character-driven. I actually had my two main characters in my head before I had any of my storyline complete.
So, tell us more about your two main characters!
Jake Devlin grew up with enough violence and rage to last a lifetime. His bar is Jake’s hard-fought dream: A quiet place for a cold beer at the end of the day. Jake has no patience for hate and/or prejudice, and he’s fiercely protective of his staff and his patrons. But he doesn’t like change… not one bit. So, when out-and-loud, colorful and diverse invades his monochrome world, Jake’s life is turned upside down.
And it gets even more crazy when Con stumbled through the back door…
Con grew up with a silver spoon trying to choke him. When Con made detective, his family staged an intervention instead of a celebration. Con has an Alaska-sized chip on his shoulder as he tries to prove to the world that he’s more than a rich, pretty boy.
Their romance is all about opposites attract. Jake is a lone wolf. He is guarded. He keeps his past and his secrets close to his chest. Con is impulsive, emotional and has something to prove. Con is like a firestorm racing through the defensive walls and barriers of Jake’s heart.
Did you have a favorite character while writing End of the Line?
No, I truly like them both the same, but I admit writing Con was harder, because your typical vice detective is older, gruff and jaded, but Con isn’t… he’s a little volatile, maybe too expressive, and he has something to prove—partly to his overbearing family and mostly to himself. It was tricky to find the right balance for him to be emotional and ‘hate it’ at the same time.
But, I also equip Con with some solid communication skills… if you like your heroes to have an adult conservation every now and then, besides sizzling hot attraction, you’ll like End of the Line.
Did you learn anything from writing your recent book? What was it?
Massachusetts doesn’t have a happy-hour. Happy hour ended here in 1984, when legislators, seeking to reduce drunk driving, passed a law banning bars and restaurants from offering free or reduced-price alcoholic beverages. I’m living here for twenty years and I didn’t know that!!
Ha! And as I’m writing this. I realize I still probably have it wrong in my book, because my imaginary bar has a few promotions. On Thursday’s Jake’s Bar has specials like any cocktail starting with the letter “D” are two dollars off…
You said in the intro your life is a whirlwind of activity. How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
“Where do you find the time to write?” That’s usually the first thing I get asked when I tell people I’m an author. And the answer is usually “between always and never”. Like most of us I’m pulled into many directions. I have a day job, a family, friends and a lot of things to get done every day.
The beautiful thing about crafting a story is you don’t necessarily have to sit in front of your computer and type away at least not all the time. A lot of writing actually happens in my head while I do a million other things.
My favorite time to actually get words on paper is in the morning when the house is still quiet (yup, got a lot of pics of the sun rising in my social media) and then I’m lucky I’m married to a pretty awesome guy who is super supportive. My family helps me out a lot to find time to write.
What was the most valuable piece of advice you’ve had as a writer?
“Don’t compare yourself with others. There’s always somebody who writes faster, sells more and in general is more successful. It’s okay to figure out your own way in your own time. In the end, it will make you unique and a whole lot happier.”
It’s not always easy to follow it, because duh, I’m human, but I’m trying!!
What are you working on at present? Would you like to share a snippet?
I’m working on the second Jake’s Bar book coming out later this summer: Crossing the Line.
Broken Trust doesn’t give Second Chances…
Holden Wright had it all—and lost it.
Brent Northwood has it all—except the man he loves.
The two men forge a volatile truce to stay one step ahead of danger, but is it enough to mend the broken trust between them?
Here’s a snippet:
“Makes sense to take advantage of a nice, peaceful night,” Jake said with a happy sigh and started to wipe down a few trays stacked at the corner of the bar. Business had been slower lately, but Jake was almost cheerful about it. He was the only bar owner Holden knew who got into a pissy mood when his place was packed with people. Jake loved peace and quiet, and most nights, JD’s Bar was anything but.
Jake stopped abruptly and squinted into the dimly lit taproom. “What’s the damn fixer doing here?”
“The damn fixer?” Holden smirked. Of course, he knew who Jake was talking about. The man never missed anything going on in his bar, even if Brent Northwood was hiding in the dark.
“Don’t mess with me, Wright. You know who I mean. The guy in the fancy suit lurking in the corner over there,” Jake said with a scowl on his face.
“Northwood?” It was petty, but Holden took some perverse pleasure in the fact that Jake didn’t like Brent.
“Yeah, Brent fucking Northwood. What’s he doing at my bar? I swear, if he’s here to mess with Con again, I’m gonna kick his uptight ass.”
“You know Con can take care of himself, right?” Holden said. Jake’s boyfriend, Miguel Conway, was the youngest son of the influential Santiago-Conway family. Con’s mother was a state senator, and the entire clan was rich as fuck, hence the fancy birthday party Holden was trying to forget about.
Brent must have noticed they were talking about him. He downed his drink and walked over to the counter. “Holden.” He nodded before shifting his gaze to Jake. “Devlin. It’s good to see you again.”
“Con isn’t here.” Jake growled.
“I’m actually here for Holden.”
“Yeah, no, I don’t think so,” Holden scoffed.
Our Thoughts
I was on the same page with Con on who we believed the leak was...
Not saying anything more about that
IMO the relationship and the suspense were well interwoven
Jake and Con were opposites yet alike in so many ways that they fit - perfectly
I enjoyed that there really weren't a lot of games between them and they developed naturally
Everything happens pretty quick and if you blink (aware it's a book but hopefully you get the gest) you will miss the hints and little innuendos that made this such an edge of your seat, laugh out loud, OMG, Ahhhh, romantic suspense
Great supporting characters
I love Jazz and can't wait for their story
Sheldon needs a daddy; that kid is all over the place
Brent needs to stop being a minion
Not sure I trust a certain bigoted IA guy
And a hundred more thoughts
Solid lead into book two which I'm excited for.
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.
Join us on the #NewRelease Tour with #Giveaway#endoftheline #jakesbar #mmromance #suspense #agegap #agmeiersFacebook @gaybookpromotions Instagram @gaybookpromotions @agmeiersTwitter @gaybookpromo
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