Hi and welcome to my Audio Book Blast! Knight of Ocean Avenue is now in audio and people are loving it. Be sure to enter to win a GC on the Rafflecopter below.
Knight Of Ocean Avenue
By Tara Lain
Blurb:
How can you be twenty-five and not know you’re gay? Billy Ballew runs from that question. A high school dropout, barely able to read until he taught himself, Billy’s life is driven by his need to help support his parents as a construction worker, put his sisters through college, coach his Little League team, and not think about being a three-time loser in the engagement department. Being terrified of taking tests keeps Billy from getting the contractor’s license he so desires, and fear of his mother’s judgement blinds Billy to what could make him truly happy.
Then, in preparation for his sister’s big wedding, Billy meets Shaz—Chase Phillips—a rising star, celebrity stylist who defines the word gay. To Shaz, Billy embodies everything he’s ever wanted—stalwart, honest, brave—but even if Billy turns out to be gay, he could never endure the censure he’d get for being with a queen like Shaz. How can two men with so little in common find a way to be together? Can the Stylist of the Year end up with the Knight of Ocean Avenue?
Available for purchase at
Paperback from Dreamspinner
Excerpt
“Okay, I need to ask, and I have nothing on it so don’t get defensive.”
Billy squinched his nose. “That’s not the best way to keep a guy from getting defensive.”
Shaz grinned. “I know. Not subtle, but seriously, why haven’t you taken the contractor’s license test?”
Shit. Defensive.
Shaz held up a hand. “I assume it has something to do with your reading ability, but I thought Clancy and Yerby and all those others on your bookshelves overcame that issue.”
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
“You read well enough to take the test? Because if not, I’ll bet they’ll let someone read it to you.”
“I can read.” He put down his fork.
Shaz leaned over and picked up the fork. “Come on, darling, this is Shazzy Wazzy. I am no threat at all to you.” He scooped some mashed potatoes and flew them like a plane toward Billy’s mouth.
For a second, Billy compressed his lips. Jesus, the guy was impossible to resist. He burst out laughing. The first time he’d ever laughed at this subject. “I’m afraid to take tests. I panic.” His heart beat fast just thinking of it. He snapped the potatoes off the fork and chewed.
Shaz put a hand on his arm, which made him feel calm and excited at the same time. “How do you know?”
“Know what?”
“That you panic when you take tests?”
Billy frowned. “I’ve blown every test I tried to take since the eighth grade. It got so bad I had to drop out of high school. I could have tested out, but I couldn’t take the test, and I never got my GED because I—”
“Couldn’t take the test. My God, that’s awful.”
The frown got deeper. “Like I said, I’m too dumb to take tests.”
Shaz leaned over until all he could see was that pretty face. “This has nothing to do with dumb. Does it?”
Billy stared at his almost empty plate.
“Does it?”
He shook his head.
“What does it have to do with? Who made you afraid?”
“What?”
“I said who made you afraid. Someone did.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you’re a strong, capable man who isn’t afraid to take the whole damned world on his shoulders. There’s no reason for you to be afraid of anything unless someone told you there was.”
He nodded slowly. His heart hammered so hard it felt like his chest would explode. “I got beat up a lot in grade school because I was small and couldn’t read.” He shrugged. “I know. Hard to believe, right? Behemoth that I am. Anyway, my eighth grade English teacher was the worst, I guess. I could barely read, and she gave us test after test. I couldn’t read the books and I couldn’t read the test.” His pulse hammered in his ears. Like he was back there in that god-awful room. “She constantly told me how dumb I was and made sure the whole class knew it. I didn’t grow until I was sixteen. I was still a little runt then and got beat up every day while they called me stupid.” Shit, tears pushed out of his eyes. This was not good. “I have to stop talking about this. I have to go.”
“No, Billy, I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He threw some on the table. Maybe a hundred dollars. Then he ran for the door.
“Billy!”
The cool evening air hit him like a bucket of water in the face. Where the hell was he going? He’d driven his truck. It was full of furniture, and Shaz had no way to get home. Billy Ballew did not leave a friend behind.
He stared down the sidewalk. That bench looked inviting. Staggering a little, he walked to it and sat. Just breathe. That’s why he never talked about this subject. Never even thought about it if he could avoid it. If he could just forget it, things would be better.
“Billy.”
He looked up at Shaz, who stood on the steps of the restaurant. The man walked toward him with that graceful saunter of his. “You didn’t go. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you left me here to rot.”
He managed to cock half a smile. “Too dry in California to rot.”
“Wither and blow away, then.” Shaz sat next to him. “I truly am sorry. I didn’t mean to open wounds. I have too many of my own to be picking at yours.” He held out his hand with a palm full of money. “You dropped something.”
“I want to pay for dinner.”
“Nope.”
“The champagne.”
“Nope. The least I can do after spoiling your meal is pay for it.”
“But—”
“Never argue with a queen, darling. We always win.”
About the Author
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her bestselling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.
She lives with her soulmate husband and her soulmate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
You can find Tara at
Giveaway
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Love the audio excerpt chosen, it was was a nice mixture of both main characters ☺ I love audio books for the car, way better than the radio Thanks Tara
Hi Maria — I’m so glad you liked it. Me too. I think K.C. does a wonderful job. I’m hoping he’ll do the entire series. ; )
love the cover it’s gorgeous and the excerpt was wonderful. i look forward to reading the rest of the book. 🙂
tammy ramey
[email protected]
Hope you like it Tammy!! : )
loved this book (reviews on GR and Amazon) and I adore audiobooks!
I don’t have much experience with audio books, but it sounds like fun to listen to a good book, especially if your traveling.
I love the blurb and excerpt <3 Poor Billy. That teacher should not have been able to treat him like that. Shaz is there to comfort him though. They seem like such a good pair and I really got attached to Billy and his feelings. Love. Love. Love.
Thank you, Amber. I love these guys too! : )
I loved Knight of Ocean Avenue so much I already bought the audio and am half way through listening to it. I absolutely adore the narration style as it adds an extra dimension to an already wonderful story.
Thank you so much, Ilona. I think KC does a great job on the narration. : )
I already had Knight of Ocean Avenue on my TBR list – it sounds great! I am not a big audio fan, though. Much prefer to read than listen.
Hi Jen — I know what you mean. I like imagining the voices in my head. But i am going to try loading books on an ipod for my morning walks!
So awesome. So excited!!
Loved the book now have to get the audio!
I’ve enjoyed all of Tara’s books but I’ve never listened to an audio book.
I love the blurb. And the excerpt is great. But what I like most is the cover. Just delicious!
Hi Susana — The fabulous Reese Dante designed the cover. ; )
I don’t have the right stuff for audible books and even if I did I much prefer to read then listen to a book.
I like reading best too, Roger. : )
I love audios, I listen to them @ work. People think I’m listening to music on my iPod, but I’m really feeding my addiction while I’m earning my paycheck. Win-win!
I like audio books, fun for putting in my headphones at the grocery store & zoning out!
I loved Knight! Can’t wait for Ru’s story. I’ve just started listening to some audiobooks.
I have not read book 1 but I have read book 2 and it was awesome. I would love to listen to an audio book of Billy and Shaz. However nothing takes the place of reading the story and hearing it in your own head first.