He Owns My Heart
Evie Drae
(Owned Heart, Body, & Soul #1)
Publication date: August 11th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
2019 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist in Contemporary Romance
2018 Romance Writers of America® Heart-to-Heart 1st Place Winner in Erotic Romance
2018 Romance Writers of America® Gateway to the Best 2nd Place Winner in Single Title/Contemporary Series
Only true love can free a captive heart.
Landon Jenks, retired four-time Golden Glove-winning shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, is lonely, heartbroken, and in desperate need of simple human contact. Trapped in the sticky fine print of an ironclad contract that forbids him from revealing his very-much-single status until the season finale of his reality show airs, he calls an elite male escort service that caters to the rich and wretched.
Accustomed to servicing his often less than savory clients at more upscale locales, twenty-six-year-old Toby Carmichael is surprised when his handler sends him to a run-down motel off I-55. But “surprise” doesn’t come close to describing the shock that rocks his system when a delightful stuttering mess covered in tattoos and nearly ten years his senior stumbles into the room—and right into his heart.
For the first time since Toby was forced into the life of prostitution, a kiss sparks a desire that has nothing to do with money and everything to do with genuine chemistry and the faintest beginnings of something so much more. But Toby’s dark past and troubled present make it impossible to see a future with Landon. And when the truth comes to light, a horrified and helpless Landon is determined to save Toby at all costs.
Content Warnings: Discussion of childhood verbal abuse by an adult survivor, homophobia from a close family member, discussion of previous self-harm/cutting behaviors by an adult survivor, prostitution with dubious consent (all interactions between the main characters have full consent and there are no on-page depictions of dub-con situations), consensual and experimental Domination/submission play between mostly-novice characters, mild violence between a main character and antagonist, and human trafficking associated with illegal drugs (nothing explicit on-page, only discussions related to and psychological/mental ramifications of addressed in moderate detail).
Author Bio:
Evie Drae is a registered nurse by day and an award-winning male/male romance writer by night. She has won first place in seven Romance Writers of America® (RWA®) competitions, including the prestigious title “Best of the Best” in the 2018 Golden Opportunity Contest. She is a double finalist in the 2019 Golden Heart®, in both the Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense categories, and finished as a second-place runner-up in four additional RWA contests.
One of Evie’s favorite things to do is encourage her fellow writers. To that end, she started the #writeLGBTQ and #promoLGBTQ hashtags on Twitter to support and promote LGBTQ+ authors and allies while providing a safe space to connect and grow as a community. She is married to the love of her life, is the mother of three wonderful fur babies, and runs almost entirely on coffee and good vibes.
Evie loves to link up with fellow writers and readers. You can reach her directly at EvieDrae@gmail.com or find her on her social media accounts listed below. Twitter is where she’s most active but be sure to check out her blog too. She focuses on reviews for LGBTQ+ authors and allies with the occasional quirky advice/recommendation post just to toss things up.
INTERVIEW
- What is on your nightstand?
As much as I love reading physical books, I’ve transitioned almost entirely to ebooks for ease and convenience. Therefore, there aren’t any books on my nightstand. Instead, there’s nothing but a simple lamp, an Alexa, and the charging cable for my phone so I can read late into the night without it going dead after a full day of often doing the same.
- What author would you totally fan?
There are so many authors out there who I absolutely stan the ever-loving crap out of, but I’ll go ahead and say C.S. Pacat—author of the Captive Prince trilogy—would likely be my favorite author who I haven’t had the extreme good fortune of getting to know via the Twitter #writingcommunity or other authorly “gatherings,” such as writing conferences, etc. Therefore, the simple fact that she remains an unknown keeps her at that “untouchable” level that lends well to a good stan. 😊
- What makes you cringe?
Sadly, the things that make me cringe when reading tend to be the things I’m most guilty of in my own early drafts, pre-editing. Because I’ve trained my brain to watch out for certain writerly craft faux pas, I’m especially attuned to them, and thus when I run across them when pleasure reading, I can’t help but cringe.
- Do you obsessively plot out each point or just go with the flow?
I used to be a “pantser” and would simply go wherever the story took me. However, I’ve learned over the years that having some semblance of an idea of where my story is going saves an untold amount of editing and re-writing down the road. Therefore, with each story I complete, I lean a little further toward the plotter side of things. I haven’t reached “obsessive” status yet—not by a long shot—but I’m definitely getting there.
- Is there a word you love to use?
This is a tough one. There is a whole slew of words I overuse, but not necessarily because I love to use them. More so because they’re easy and keep things moving during the first draft slog rather than because they’re pretty or fun or hold any special meaning. However, there are a few words I can think of that almost always find their way into my writing, even though they might not be the standard fare. Of those, I think kaleidoscopic might be my favorite. I love the way it pops as it rolls off the tongue, and the vibrant images it so effortlessly brings to mind.
GIVEAWAY!
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What a sexy book cover! A sports romance is one of my favorite readS!
love the cover
i love the book cover
Congratulations on the book.
sounds good!
How long was the writing process?
Sounds like a very interesting story. Love the cover.
Thanks for being on the tour! 🙂
Sounds like a wonderful read!
Great pic of Evie – she looks decidedly naughty!
Congrats on the new release and your RWA awards!
Nice book cover and the book sounds interesting.
Sounds interesting!
I love the cover, especially with the roses. The tattoo is interesting.
I am always interested in learning about books that I may want to read.
Enjoyed your interview. Love that cover
This isn’t my usual Genre, but I have to admit I’m intrigued.
I like the cover. It makes me want to read it.
Sounds like a great read.
sounds good..nice cover
Wow! This one sounds perfect for me!
Your book sounds very intriguing and a much needed book. Good luck on your new release!
Congratulations
Very romantic cover