Author Name: Julie Lynn Hayes
Book Name: Bad Dogs and Drag Queens
Series: Rose and Thorne Book: One
Release Date: May 25, 2016
Pages or Words: 50,000 words
Categories: Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, Romance
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
The author is donating 10% of the royalties from this book to No Kid Hungry. Visit nokidhungry.org for more information about this organization.
Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for.
Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?
Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue
Excerpt:
“Remind me again whose stupid idea this lipstick was,” I huffed under my breath. Without thinking, I licked my lips. They felt greasy, and tasted even worse. I forced myself not to grimace, afraid it might crack the foundation I’d slathered on my face.
“Mine, you sexy beast,” came the smart-ass reply in my ear. “I think you got purty lips, mmhmmm.”
“Fuck you,” I growled. “You should be doing this, not me, and you know it. I did it last time.” And the time before that. And the time before that. Wait, did I detect a pattern here?
“What I know is you look better in a skirt than I do. And you look damn good out of it too.”
My cheeks filled with heat at Ethan’s words. Luckily the darkness hid a multitude of sins, my embarrassment being the least of them. Hopefully, no one else was listening—I knew I’d never hear the end of it. Just what I needed—to be the object of ridicule of the Roanoke PD.
Buy the book:
https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7762 https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-baddogsanddragqueens-2035486-145.html
Review
What do I say about this book? I loved it from the first word. Vinnie and Ethan are hilarious. Although the book deals with serious issues it's told from Vinnie's POV and Vinnie is a funny guy. Filled with his sarcastic humour and quirky personality the book jogs alongside him on a series of (mis)adventures. That's not to say the book is a comedy, far from it.
Somehow, Vinnie always seems to be in the right place at the right time which is partly by design (he is and FBI agent after all) and partly by accident. I mean who bargained on the dog?
The book begins with Vinnie and Ethan on a mission to catch a mugger who has been eluding the local police force. After the success of the mission they're asked to stay on to deal with a more sinister problem. Someone is attacking drag queens at a local gay bar. Is it homophobic? A personal grudge? A more sinister trend? Vinnie and Ethen are on the case.
Vinnie in a dress is a joy to behold, and he's a killer in those heels, even though it's often his own feet that get slayed.
I adored this book. It's exciting, colourful, well written and humourous. When I usually read dark and angsty this was an absolute breath of fresh air. I simply loved it. It's a five star all the way.
Character Interview
1) What or who is the
greatest love of your life?
That
would be my partner, Ethan Thorne. The only man I’ve ever or will ever love.
2) What is your favourite
journey?
Any
journey I take with Ethan. We go everywhere together. Well, mostly everywhere.
Occasionally, he goes to visit his family. But other than that, we’re always
together.
3) What is your most
marked characteristic?
Ethan
says I have spirit. Of course, he also says I have a big mouth. Is that a
characteristic? I’ll combine those and
say maybe I have a tendency to speak first and think after?
4) When and where were
you the happiest?
That’s
easy. Right here and now, and every moment of the last five years. Ever since I
figured out I was in love with Ethan, and he with me.
5) What is it that you
most dislike?
I
hate people who hate. People who look at us like we’re not even as good as the
dirt under their feet. The ones who judge us and don’t even know us.
6) What is your greatest
fear?
I’m
afraid of losing Ethan. I’m afraid he’ll
wake up one day and wonder what he ever saw in me, and this beautiful life we
have will be gone, nothing but a dream, a memory.
7) What is your greatest
extravagance?
It’s
not exactly mine, but I let him do it, for me, so I guess that counts. I let
Ethan spend a lot of money on the dresses I have to wear for work. Yes, they’re
for work. Wigs too. They aren’t cheap. I’d never spend that kind of money on
myself, but Ethan loves to do it, and it pleases him, so allow him to do it.
8) What is your greatest
regret?
I’m
sorry that my mom never got to meet Ethan. I know she would have loved him, and
she’d have been very happy for us. He would have loved her too.
9) Which talent would you
most like to have?
Any
talent would be nice. I mean I think I’m a good cop, but I can’t sing, I dance
okay, I don’t play an instrument. I don’t write or paint. I just don’t consider
myself as talented like that.
10) Where would you like
to live?
Anywhere
Ethan is. Where doesn’t really matter, as long as we’re together.
11) What do you regard as
the lowest depth of misery?
Jerks
like Detective Muldoon who have no heart or soul, and are so blinded by their
own prejudices they can’t see people for who they are, they just hate.
12) What is the quality
you most like in a man?
Honesty
13) What is the quality you
most like in a woman?
Compassion
14) What is the trait you
most deplore in yourself?
I
might be something of a hothead at times, but hey, when you have both Italian and Spanish blood, it comes
with the territory
15) What is the trait you
most deplore in others?
People
who hate for no reason
16) What do you most value
in your friends?
Their
love and support
17) Who is your favourite
hero of fiction?
I
think that might be Robin Hood, because of the way he took from the fat cats
and gave it to those people who had
little or nothing
18) Whose are your heroes
in real life?
Ethan
is my hero. He’s brave and strong and loyal, and he’d do anything to help
someone. He’s caring and compassionate and very intelligent....
Yeah,
I don’t know what he sees in me either lol
19) Which living person do
you most admire?
Again,
that would be Ethan Thorne.
.
20) What do you consider
the most overrated virtue?
Maybe
turning the other cheek? I don’t believe in giving someone the chance to
hurt you again, not if you can do
something about it
21) On what occasions do
you lie?
If
you want to be technical, my whole job consists of lying, since I’m pretending
to be someone I’m not.
22) Which words or phrases
do you most overuse?
I
have no idea. Does “Fuck me, Ethan?”
count? You know that can be taken two ways. Sometimes it’s me getting annoyed
with him, but sometimes it’s me telling him what I need.
You
asked.
23) If you could change
one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I
would do something so people don’t think I look so girly. I mean, it’s great
when I’m undercover that no one questions when I’m dressed like a woman. At the
same time, hey, I’m a guy here. I’d like to be seen as masculine too.
24) What are your
favourite names?
Ethan.
I don’t have any nicknames for him, but he does like to call me baby or sweetie
or honey, and I like that. Troy sometimes calls me bambino lol
25) If you were to die and
come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Can
I come back as part of Ethan’s body? No? Damn. I don’t know. I don’t see it
happening, to be honest. But if it did, I’d like to be the person who ends up
with whoever Ethan is in his next life.
26) What is your motto?
I
don’t think I have one, but I’ll try to think of one, just for you.
How
about “Always love, Ethan, until the end of time?” Does that work?
Thanks
for letting me visit you here today, Nephy! You’re good people
Meet the author:
Julie Lynn Hayes first began publishing short stories and poetry in the 1990’s, when it was a different ballgame altogether, and Ebooks hadn’t been dreamed of yet. That changed in 2010 with the acceptance of her first romance novel.
She’s come a long way since that first book appeared, and is finding the journey a very educational one. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and her cat Ramesses. She often writes of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms, and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. Her great challenge is to be told something can’t be done—she feels compelled to do it.
When she isn’t writing, she enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, needlepoint and knitting, and she loves to cook, spending time watching the Food Network. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian. Her family thinks she’s a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all.
Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, eXtasy Books, and Wayward Ink Press.
Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.hayes.7
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorjulielhayes
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ShelleyRunyon
Blog: http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com
Goodreads Link: : http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes
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Thanks for having me here today, Nephy!
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