FRIEND FRIDAY: The Myth of the Magic Peen #gayromance #FriendlyFriday @NoraFromBHR

Today’s visitor to the blog is Nora Phoenix to talk about the magic peen. Who doesn’t want to read about the magic peen? LOL Plus there’s an excerpt from her book No Filter. It sounds fabulous!
So over to Nora…

The Myth of the Magic Peen

Reviewers call it the magic peen: stories where sex seems to fix anything and everything. Insert peen into slot, albeit M or F, and voila: everything is healed.
In real life, it doesn’t work that way, of course, and as an avid reader I can certainly understand why readers get frustrated with the magic peen. I’ve encountered stories myself where sex seemed to be a little too magical in terms of healing powers, both mentally as physically. One extreme example I came across in an M/F romance was where a guy who had been shot twice in the abdomen had a rather explosive round of sex within twenty-four hours. Painful, I’d think.
Knowing that, it was a bit of a risk to deliberately use sex as a coping and healing mechanism in my first MM romance, No Filter. Noah, one of the main characters, is a veteran who lost a leg, and he’s coping with his pain—both emotional and physical—through sex.
In reality, sex does actually help with pain. Research has shown that the endorphins our bodies release when we experience pleasure—and one may hope sex is pleasurable—change our experience of pain, much like opiates like morphine would. Orgasms especially release a big amount of endorphins into our bodies that can help lessen the pain for hours.
That being said, sex doesn’t just release endorphins, but also dopamine. And dopamine is a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that makes us hella happy…but is also hella addictive. In that sense, using sex as pain management is dangerous, because you’d need to keep doing it (maybe even increasing it) to get the same result.
The magic peen is not quite a myth, then, though it’s certainly not able to fix anything and everything. And no amount of sex can make a gunshot wound go away, just so we’re clear. But coping with emotional pain and phantom pain after losing a limb? Certainly realistic, if somewhat unusual, perhaps.

Blurb

Indy will do anything to prevent his mobster ex from finding him. Their last encounter left Indy recovering for months in the hospital, and ever since he’s become an expert at hiding in plain sight. Determined to stay under the radar, he takes on a new identity and moves from place to place. His life has no room for friendships, let alone love, so he keeps his heart firmly closed. After all, he has nothing to offer but a damaged body and a broken soul. Plus, he’s so done with men. Until he meets the man who breaks through all his defenses.
Former Army Medic Noah came back damaged from his last tour—in more than one way. Between supporting his best friend-with-benefits Josh who’s struggling with PTSD, dealing with his own issues, and the stress of his job as a physician assistant, rebuilding his life seems impossible. There’s little time for what Noah needs, let alone for what he wants. When he meets Indy, Noah discovers what he wants more than anything: for Indy to stay. But how will a relationship with Indy work when Noah needs Josh as well?
Indy never expected the strong, confident Noah to be as damaged and broken as himself. But what will happen if he starts letting Noah in? Indy knows he should run to protect Noah and Josh.
Noah needs Indy to stay more than anything. But will what little he has to offer be enough to make Indy trust him and stay?
(No Filter is the first book in the No Shame Series and not a stand-alone novel. Book two, No Limits, has just been released. There will be four books in this series that features a touch of kink and unconventional relationships. Please note the various trigger warnings)

Excerpt

Dressed in a T-shirt and flannel PJ bottoms, Indy made his way downstairs. Autumn had started, setting the trees in the yard on fire in an explosion of red, orange, and yellow, and bringing cold nights, but downstairs it was comfortably warm. Noah was reading the paper in his usual spot, but Josh was nowhere to be seen.
“Morning,” Indy said, always a bit shy at first when it was only him and Noah.
“Hey. How are you feeling?” Noah never failed to ask Indy this, and it wasn’t just a polite question.
“Good. Haven’t my felt my ribs in two days, so I’m officially pain free.”
Indy grabbed a bowl from the cabinet.
“Perfect. We’ll cut off your cast today. I didn’t think you’d want to do an official hospital visit for that, right?”
Indy shook his head, carefully cutting a banana on a cutting board with one hand and putting it in the bowl. He took yogurt from the fridge. “Not if I can avoid it.”
“Well, you’re lucky you have a highly skilled medical professional at your disposal, who’s willing to do a house visit.”
Indy grinned as he sprinkled crunchy granola on top of his yogurt. “Don’t know about the highly skilled part, but at least he’s free.”
“That hurt.” A smile tugged at the corners of Noah’s mouth. “My price just went up.”
“Double times nothing is still nothing, you do realize that?” Indy took a bite of his breakfast. He loved these verbal matches with Noah almost as much as not having to worry about what to eat for breakfast every day.
“Who says it was free to begin with? I only offered my skilled services, never said they were free.”
“So what’s your price?” Indy asked, expecting Noah to launch another joke.
“I want you for the entire day,” Noah said.
Indy frowned, quickly chewing to empty his mouth. “What do you mean?”
Noah reached out and circled Indy’s good wrist with his right hand, gently pulled until Indy was standing between his legs. “It’s my day off, and Josh has some special therapy session, so he’s gone all day. I want to spend the entire day with you, and you have to do exactly what I tell you.”

Buy Link 

You can find No Filter here: http://mybook.to/NoFilter

About the Author

When she was a little tot, Nora’s mom got a library subscription for her. That, as they say, was that, and a lifelong love for books was born. Nora never stopped reading and doesn’t exaggerate when she says she devours books, rather than plain reads them. She started writing stories as soon as she could hold a pen, and wrote her first full book as a teen (on a typewriter!). It took her waaaay too long to follow her dream to become a romance author.
Nora writes M/M romance, because hello, sexy boys, and likes her men flawed, strong, and a tad broken. She appreciates a little kink but insists on a happy ever after.
Come hang out with Nora in her Facebook group Nora’s Nook where she shares previews, sneak peeks, freebies, and much more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norasnook/
To stay up-to-date with new releases from Nora sign up for Nora’s newsletter here: http://www.noraphoenix.com/newsletter/
You can also stalk her on Twitter: @NoraFromBHR

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