Inked Caffeine by Monique Duclos [Tour with Excerpt]

I was just your typical Starbucks barista without an interesting bone in my body.

Welcome to one of the April 14th stops on the blog tour for Inked Caffeine by Monique Duclos with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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About the Book

Melrose and Vine
Inked Caffeine Book One
by Monique Duclos

Published 9 August 2021
Tellwell Talent

Genre: LGBTQIA+ Romantic Suspense
Page Count: 255
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I was just your typical Starbucks barista without an interesting bone in my body. I liked to keep my head down and do my best to cruise through life uninterrupted, although my bright red hair made it almost impossible. Things took an interesting turn when I met Jimmy, an artist from the tattoo parlour down the street. Living and working in Hollywood, California, I met a lot of intriguing characters, but no one as intriguing as him. He brought a new light to my life that I didn’t know I had, let alone one that I needed.

My past wasn’t a great one, but I got out and made a new life for myself. And now, it felt like my future was looking better with Jimmy in it. I felt like life was finally worth living, until… everywhere you looked, something was on fire. The screaming was enough to make you go deaf and the scent of blood made you gag. My body was screaming in pain and I couldn’t stop choking on all the smoke in the air. My lungs felt tight, and when I looked up, I couldn’t decide if it was snowing or raining ashes. People were firing guns chaotically and I had never run so fast in my entire life. Jimmy jumped up to the roof of a parked car and I was quick to follow, bending over to catch my breath.

“Now where?” I panted.

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Excerpt

We walked up Highland Avenue a few blocks until we got to a bar called No Other Place and I forced a laugh.

“No Other Place? They’re sitting high on their high horse,” I mumbled.

“No, seriously. They’re the best. We only ever go to this place,” Jimmy said with a straight face and my face fell.

“Oh,” I mumbled, but then he started to laugh.

“Ha, yeah. And get thrown out almost every time!” One of the girls laughed, tossing her cigarette butt behind her.

I stared at the back of her head with wide eyes before quickly staring at Jimmy. “We’re gonna get kicked out?” I asked quietly.

He laughed and loosely wrapped his arm over my shoulder. I tensed.

“Don’t worry,” he replied quietly.

Everyone finished their cigarettes and tossed them outside, then all walked in single file, instantly heading for the bar. It was dark inside since there were no windows and the lights were dimmed. There was a DJ on a small stage playing loud techno music and it was already making my head hurt. The ceiling was decorated with twinkle lights which kind of gave it a magical touch, but the drunk girls stumbling around quickly ruined it.

“We don’t need to show ID?” I asked, following close by. Was that not a common thing when entering a bar or club? I had never done this before and only assumed that was the norm.

“Nah. We know the guys here. They’re cool. We’re here so often anyways,” Jimmy explained.

“They don’t know me,” I added.

“Yeah, but you’re with us. We got Caleb’s younger brother in once. Plus, we go out for so many smoke breaks anyways, it got annoying having to show our ID every single time.”

“Oh . . . cool!” I grinned. He laughed and brought me up to the bar.

“So. What’cha drinking?” he asked, smiling. “It’s on me.”

About the Author

Monique lives in Southern Ontario with her high school sweetheart and her two lop eared rabbits. When she’s not writing, she’s getting tattoos, dyeing her hair, or travelling. She is an avid concert-goer and has way too many houseplants.

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Giveaway Alert!

Monique Duclos will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.