The Twisted Oak by Sarah Hadley Brook

The Twisted Oak

by Sarah Hadley Brook

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GENRE: LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance

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BLURB:

Wade Dwyer's life is turned upside down when his father dies and he learns he must marry or he and his siblings will lose the ranch. One last jab of the knife from his father. On top of that, his father's only friend knows about the stipulation and is determined to own the property by any means necessary.

He's facing the very real possibility of being the reason his family loses their home when his brother's best friend, Lance Matthews, offers to walk down the aisle with him. A faux marriage to the man he's loved for years is a torture he isn't sure he can endure.

Can he keep the ranch ... and the man of his dreams, too?

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Excerpt :

“This is nice,” Wade said as he moved closer to the pictures. Lots of family photos, some of his graduation. It was like a timeline of Lance’s life. When his eyes fell on one photo, he stopped, leaning in. It was a picture of Wade, Casey, and Lance on the sofa, playing video games. Probably one of the many nights Lance spent there as a teenager. But Lance wasn’t watching the game. He was staring at Wade.

“I remember that night,” Lance whispered, suddenly by Wade’s side.

“Brings back memories,” Wade admitted. “Who took the picture?”

Lance blushed. “Landon had been bugging us to let him join in on the video games, so I handed him my phone and let him play something on there so he’d leave us alone.”

“Ahh, the little brother bribe. I know it well,” Wade said, grinning.

Lance laughed. “Well, he must have been bored, because when I got the phone back, there were a lot of new pictures. He took some of his room, the barn, the horses, and this one of us playing video games.”

Wade’s chest tightened. “You kept this one…why?” There was nothing really remarkable about the picture. Other than Lance staring at him. But that could have been anything. He could have said something funny or they could have been talking.

Lance’s cheeks pinked. “I just liked the picture.”

He cocked his head and stood in front of Lance. “No reason?”

The man took a step back, and suddenly they were in the same position in which they’d found themselves this morning in the hallway. Lance looked into his eyes and Wade’s heart did a somersault. Lance’s eyes were dark with desire.

“Tell me,” Wade ordered. “Tell me why you kept the picture, Lance. Why were you looking at me instead of the game? Were we talking?”

Lance shook his head. “No,” he breathed out, his voice shaky. “God, I remember like it was yesterday, though. Casey and I were playing a game and you came in and joined us. When you sat next to me…I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t even breathe.” He looked to the side.

Wade cupped his chin and tilted his head to face him. “Why? Tell me, Lance.”

Lance licked his lips. “Because I was crazy about you, Wade. And I was scared of my feelings.”

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Hello and welcome to my blog! Can you tell me a little about yourself, and how you became an author?

Hi Jennifer. Thanks so much for having me! A little about me… I’m a mother of two amazing young men, a grandmother of a wonderful toddler, and a cat mom to two furry babies.

For as long as I remember, I’ve wanted to be a writer, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that I finally started writing in earnest. I started writing short stories and posting them for review and when I felt I was ready to give it a real go, I submitted one to a publisher. When I received an email telling me they’d accepted my story, I jumped out of my chair and yelled. Probably not the best reaction, since I was in an office setting at my day job!

From there, I just kept writing!

What is your book about?

My book is an MM western romance with a faux marriage, a family fighting for their ranch, and lots of love.

Wade Dwyer has been in love with his brother’s best friend for years, but an incident from his teen years has caused him to avoid Lance by all means. When he finds out his father has put a condition in his will, Wade is devastated—until Lance steps in and offers to be his groom.

How is Wade supposed to focus on catching the man responsible for the attacks on his ranch when he’s sharing his bed with the man of his dreams? He doesn’t have time for feeling. No matter how much Lance tempts him.

Who is your hero? Is he based on someone in real life?

The hero is Wade Dwyer, the middle of the three Dwyer men. He’s quiet, slightly introverted, and fiercely loyal to his family. He’s definitely the tall, brooding type!

I didn’t actually base him on anyone that I know, but now that I think about it, he reminds me of a guy from my high school! Whew, that was too long ago to admit!

What are your favorite times for writing? Morning? Evening?

I am definitely a morning person. I wake up at 5:30 every morning and that’s when I try to get some writing in before I head off to my day job. I write anytime during the weekend, though. Anytime I can grab a few hours. 

Who are your favorite authors? Did they influence your writing, and if so, how?

I love Julie Garwood and Nora Roberts. When it comes to romance, they always hit it out of the park. But I also love find new authors. I read mystery, romance, sci-fi, historical, political—I’m open to most anything. I’m not sure any particular author influenced me, other than inspiring me to keep learning and keep writing. There are so many great authors out there!

Did you have a favorite book as a child? Did it influence your choice to become an author?

Little Women was hands down my favorite when I was young. I loved Jo and wanted to be just like her. That book definitely pushed me toward wanting to be an author. Although, reading The Box Car Children inspired me when I was even younger. I loved those stories and created stories in my mind for my dolls to act out. I also wrote little paper books for my dolls.

Reading takes us places we might never go and I will always be a voracious reader. 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, and best of luck for your book, it sounds wonderful!

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the non-profit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures up in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have co-starred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity to live. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.

Website: www.sarahhadleybrookwrites.com

Email: contact@sarahhadleybrookwrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahhadleybrook

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/SHadleyBrook/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SarahHadleyBrook

Instagram: @sarah_hadley_brook_author

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/?s=sarah+hadley+brook&search_type=book_search

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Sarah Hadley Brook will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host

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