Review: Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Many things brought Cannon Malloy west from Atlanta. Cannon wanted to put his past behind him, including ex boyfriends and the trauma that went along with them. Cannon most importantly want to find out what it meant to finally live his life as an out gay man after years of living in the closet. But that initial step out of his self deception didn’t mean Cannon felt comfortable as a gay man until now. With help from his flamboyant neighbor at Mountain Shadows and some well applied eye liner, Cannon is ready to try once more to connect with the handsome Finn Lorensson. With a newfound sense of self-appreciation and confidence he approaches Finn’s cabin with more than lust on the mind to make up for their last unhappy encounter and repair some of the damage he caused.

But professor Finn has plenty of problems of his own, one especially that arose around a malicious student and his impact on Cannon. Finn’s unsure of how to proceed, with the student and the newly confident Cannon. Both require his immediate attention and how he handles them both might mean the end of his tenure as a professor and any chance of happiness he might find with Cannon.

Cannon finally seems over his own brand of cold feet when it comes to Finn and relationships. But how long that will last and what Finn will do about it is anyone’s guess.

Of all the interconnected Pulp Friction 2014 series, Lee Brazil’s seems the most introspective of the four. With all the others, while the characters are undergoing emotional upheavals and personal problems, they are also being impacted by outside forces and obstacles. But Cannon and Finn are grappling, almost solely, with Cannon’s past and its effect on each other and the possibility of a relationship. Cannon Malloy is the fulcrum of In From the Cold. He is the pivotal element on which most of the plot threads rest or emanate from. A character displaced after the events in Atlanta (Pulp Friction 2013), Cannon was an ambivalent character, deeply closeted, married and the cause of much pain to the main character Chance. He ran from Atlanta to Flagstaff, unable to operate due to the events that occurred in Atlanta and is floundering in his role as a professor. From a dislikable personality to one clearly in need of compassion and understanding, Brazil has moved Cannon through his journey in cautious, fearful steps to this point. It’s been realistic and painful.

Reacting to Cannon is professor Finn Lorensson, a confident, handsome man. Cannon, however, is strewing Finn’s life with stumbling blocks and obstacles in Finn’s pursuit of the skittish Cannon, the last one of which might have lasting consequences for all. I love how Brazil has taken this self assured mountain of a man and added cracks and fractures to a strong personality that seemed unbreakable. It’s a lovely, believable transformation, especially with love as the impetus behind it. With the exception of the disgruntled student who feels entitled to take what he wants, all the movement and changes made have been done so because of internal arguments and decisions, changes of attitudes and self worth. It’s an internalized and introspective storyline and its very intimacy is conveyed through thoughtful inner monologues and bouts of painful fretting on the characters part.

The other characters and plots exist in Lee Brazil’s series but sometimes it feels as though we see or feel them at the very perimeter of Finn and Cannon’s lives. Such an inward facing story structure has been a wonderful way to relate to both difficult characters and their fragile steps towards each other. But I expect that is about to change.

Cold Feet and the other three stories are at the midway point in the series and changes are about to fall on all the people involved. I expect Finn and Cannon to change their direction, and move outward to embrace the other characters and the tumultuous events occurring at Mountain Shadows. I can’t wait to see how the author folds these two back into the main story thread that flows through all the series and the evil that has clearly visited the woods around them. I love these characters, the series and the entire Pulp Friction 2014 grouping. It’s compelling, gorgeously depicted and as wide ranging as the mountains themselves, and I can’t get enough of their lives and their stories.

I highly recommend this story and series (all of them) to you. However, you must start back at the beginning to understand the scope of the stories and the characters involved. I have listed all the series for you below. Don’t miss out one a single one of them…..

Cover art by Laura Harner. Love these covers, perfect branding and great models.

Buy Links: <a href=”Cold Feet: Pulp Friction 2014 (In From the Cold Book 3) ” title=”Cold Feet At Amazon”> Amazon ARe

Book Details:

ebook
Published June 1st 2014 by Lime Time Press
edition languageEnglish
seriesIn From the Cold #3, Pulp Friction 2014 #10

The Pulp Friction 2014 series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters, events and plot:

Round One:

Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1)by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by TA Webb

Round Two:

Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by TA Webb

Round Three:

Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blow Hard (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four: to be released

Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4) by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold (In From the Cold #4) by Lee Brazil
Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4) by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) by T.A. Webb

Round Five: to be released

Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) by Laura Harner
Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) by Havan Fellows
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb

Sixth Book Series Finale Written by all the Authors
charactersFinn Lorensso

Review: Diego (Endangered Fae #2) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Diego Sandoval’s life changed utterly the day he rescued an ailing Fae under the Brooklyn Bridge. From dumped lover and struggling author, Diego’s life is now filled with the love of Finn, his Pookie lover and the book Finn inspired has gotten Diego a league of fans and followers. Now relocated to a remote area of Montana, life is good but change is in the wind once more….

A misunderstanding between Finn and Diego shatters their happy lives when in a fit of jealous rage, Diego’s uncontrolled power rips a hole in the Veil which seals his universe away from the Otherworld. The Otherworld is the place where all Fae fled in the face of humankind proliferation and despoiling of the Earth. Pulled unwittingly into the Otherworld, Diego must learn how to use his powers, find Finn and make their way back home.

But so many obstacles stand in their way, including a mysterious disease that is slowly killing all the Fae, a disease that all Fae are sure Diego can cure. And if that is not enough to contend with, then the appearance of the US Army with its own assumptions might be the biggest problem of all….

When a book and characters are able to pull me into their story to the point that I forget the time and other things I need to be doing then I know that the author has accomplished their mission as a craftsman of tales, a first rate storyteller that would be welcomed at any fire or table around. That’s how I felt about Diego (Endangered Fae #2) when I finally put down the Kindle and looked at the clock. I couldn’t believe how late it was or how absorbed I had been in Diego, the second book in the Endangered Fae series by Angel Martinez. I loved the first story, but this one built on that and became so much better….

This is a complex story with numerous characters, locations and worlds involved. Once again, Martinez pulls from a number of mythologies to build her two universes and multitude of Fae species. Diego follows months, perhaps a year, after the events of Finn. They have moved into a cabin in the wilds of Montana, and Diego has become a successful author based on his first published story about a fictionalized Finn. But a state of happiness is an unknown territory for both man and Fae and Martinez is wise to include the points of view of both Diego and Finn here to highlight their feelings and insecurities about their relationship and each other.

Finn, while long lived or even immortal, has not had a happy history with relationships, especially his last one which ended in his dismemberment and his lover’s torture and burning. And lurking underneath a traumatic history with love or because of it, is a case of poor self image and enough insecuritiesto fill a canyon. He wants to be worthy of Diego, but is not sure exactly how to accomplish that. He fears that Diego will abandon him even as Diego tries to reinforce the depth of his own feelings towards the Fae. Diego too has a bad history of romance behind him. Two insecure new lovers must balance their new relationship with the needs of each other, different species included. That’s a heavy task that Martinez has placed in front of her two main characters and that is only the beginning as well as the foundation for most of their issues. A stable, loving relationship is so new to both that neither understands how to communicate their fears or feel secure enough in their love for each other to question the firmness of the foundation upon which they base their feelings. That an impressive fracture to overcome for any new couple, let alone a human and a Fae. Plus both have a history with Diego’s prior self, Taliesin and the power that Diego has yet to harness. More issues still for the couple. I mean Martinez has these two on such shaky emotional ground (believably so) that its a wonder each gets out of the bed they are so fond of.

But an emotional jealous rage shatters a barrier raised by a Fae Queen and both are drawn into an ancient feud that has dire consequences for all. Here Martinez delves deep into Fae mythology and comes up with some astonishing characters. From Dana to Balor, ancient enemies with a common sorrow between them, and Lugh, half kin, ex lover and soldier, such amazing characters of immense gravitas and magic await the reader on the other side of the Veil. And none of them even remotely come across as human. This element of the story is incredibly compelling and magnetic in its pull. I loved Martinez’ ability to continue with her relationship dynamics between Finn and Diego while building on Finn’s history and complex relationships with others in the Otherworld. This will just add to the problems they face, trust me.

One aspect of this story will be the arrival (I won’t say where) of a top secret US Army detachment. Their impact upon our beloved characters and story isn’t for the squeamish. While Martinez is not as graphic as she might have been, my imagination supplied far too many details on top of the ones the author already delivered. Vivid, traumatic, scary….just what you might expect from such an encounter. The detachment fills much the same role as the Wendig0 did for the first story. It shakes everything up, provides a enemy to thwart, and makes the ending of the story that much more satisfactory for all everyone went through to get to the resolution. Not a easy element to read but so worthwhile once you get to the other side. Don’t flinch…move smartly forward. Trust me, its worth it.

So many wonders to be found here in this story and series. I loved the Fae, all of them, and the Otherworld. I loved that Diego’s cultural identity is as important as Finn’s Fae one, a lovely touch that adds spice to the Endangered Fae melting pot of a series. I absolutely fell in love over and over again with character after character, no matter the species and how much fun is that?

I am getting ready for the third book in the series, Semper Fae (great title). It deals with the romance between a soldier who plays a major role in this story and another great chacracter found here too. No spoilers as yet. It won’t be out for several months. Until then, get started on this series. Start with Finn, and then go on to Diego. I will meet you back here for Semper Fae.

Consider Diego (and Finn) definite recommendations from ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords. Such happy findings….I can’t wait to see where Angel Martinez takes us all next….

Cover art by Winterheart Designs. Nice cover, love the models standing in for both characters.

Buy Links: MLR Press Diego: Endangered Fae Series ” title=”Amazon buy link”> Amazon ARe

Book Details:

book, 3rd, 296 pages
Published June 6th 2014 by MLR Press (first published September 16th 2010)
original titleDiego
ISBN 1608209342 (ISBN13: 9781608209347)
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=AM_DIEGO
seriesEndangered Fae #2
charactersDanu, Finn Shannon, Diego Sandoval, Lugh, Balor
settingMontana (United States)
Otherworld ,Tearman Island

Books in the series include:

Finn (Endangered Fae #1)
Finn’s Christmas (Endangered Fae #1.5) (note: this was folded into Finn as the last chapter in the latest edition)
Diego (Endangered Fae #2)
Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3)

In The Spotlight: An Interview with Amy Lane on The Granby Knitting Series (Giveaway)

The Granby Knitting Series

by Amy Lane

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

One of my favorite series just got a long awaited update with the release of Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair by Amy Lane. It’s a story I waited to read for over 2 years. And I loved it. To celebrate its release and the new printed series collection, Granby Knitting Menagerie by Amy Lane and Dreamspinner Press, I invited Amy to stop by for an interview about the series, its characters, and perhaps, even its future.

Contest: To celebrate the release of Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair and the Granby Knitting Printed Collection, we have 2 prizes to giveaway to some lucky commentators. From Amy Lane…an e-book copy of Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair, OR a random skein of yarn from Amy’s stash! I can hear you knitters salivating already! And from me a paperback copy of The Granby Knitter’s Menagerie.

You must be over the age of 18 to enter and from the continental US or Canada. Make sure you leave your email address in the comment where you can be reached should you be chosen. Contest ends 6/26 at midnight.

Introduction to the Granby cast of characters (via DSP series blurb):

Welcome to Granby, Colorado, a small town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains where it snows eight months out of the year and knitting is a mashup of art form, necessity, and religion. Here you will meet:

* Rance “Craw” Crawford, owner of the local alpaca farm and fiber mill, who courts tenderfoot Ben McCutcheon with awkwardness and the most lovingly handcrafted knitted garments known to man.

* Jeremy Stillson (also known as Jeremy Bunny), ex-con and ex-grifter, who comes to work for Craw and learns the secrets to being honest are in both the yarn he learns to use and in Aiden Rhodes, his young co-worker, who has a very direct way of dealing with life and seducing Jeremy.

* Stanley Schulz, yarn buyer and Craw’s ex-lover, who discovers the joys of knitting alone—and then discovers the joys of knitting for Johnny, a delivery driver with a shady past. Join this menagerie of knitters as they craft to keep their toes toasty and their hearts warm.

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

You’ve met the people, now meet their creator, Amy Lane!

Now on to our interview with Amy Lane….

STRW: Does the Granby Mill really exist? Why Colorado?

Amy Lane: About five years ago (okay, *exactly* five years ago) Mate and I went on a 20th anniversary vacation to Colorado. Why Colorado? Because our timeshare went there. There is NO other reason– I kid you not. While I was there, of COURSE I went looking for yarn– and it turned out that there, at the end of what looked like a long country road (but what started out as a little suburban road) was an alpaca and sheep farm/mill. They had a little shop (I took no pictures!) but the yarn was… lovely. I haven’t knit any of it up– not even five years later–because I can’t stand the thought of not making something lovely enough to do it justice. Here is the blogpost I wrote back then– and I did manage to get some pictures of the alpacas 🙂 http://writerslane.blogspot.com/2009/…

STRW: How did a series/story about wool, knitting and such a diverse group of characters come about? What was your inspiration for this series?

Amy Lane: As for the characters? Well, Rance came from Granby itself. The people there were nice– friendly, kind– but not exactly chatty. Granby really *is* in a bowl valley. There is a sense of isolation there– of intense community. It was lovely, but we obviously did not fit in. So that made me wonder… what would Rance Crawford do with a tenderfoot? Well, mostly worship him from afar, actually!

STRW: I love the patterns you incorporate into your stories. How do you choose which ones to use. Pattern or storyline? Which comes first?

Amy Lane: I actually write the story first, and then decide which of the projects the characters talk about can make something simple enough and interesting enough to work! With Jeremy, the half-mittens are some of my all-time favorite projects. So easy, and so useful. Every writer I know wants a pair!

STRW: Jeremy Bunny. He’s my favorite. Why was what happened to him so necessary? How did such a wounded, beautiful man happen and become such an important part of this series?

Amy Lane: Jeremy Bunny… wow. See, I wrote two sentences about him in the first story– I said he was an ex-con that Craw found panhandling on the streets of Boulder, and that he wanted to go straight. And I implied sort of a chemistry between him and Aiden. The rest of it… I had to make an ex-con/ex-conman who was redeemable. Oddly enough, working with kids sort of gave me the way to do this. I worked with a number of young people who HAD been arrested–and the thing that caught me most often about these kids was the things they didn’t know about life. Some of them were so VERY innocent about the things we take for granted– things like food, or clothes that fit, or how people could be kind with no underlying motive. It sounds cliched–but very often, they just didn’t know. It’s this core of innocence in the center of all these really questionable “life skills” that drove Jeremy for me. LIke Aiden said, emotionally, he was the same age as Aiden– just coming into adulthood. But in the meantime, he’d accrued a sort of horrific karmic backlog. It was nice and all that he’d reformed–but that part of his life cut a swath through innocent people. That’s why, for me, it was so important that he protect Stanley. Stanley was innocent, and Jeremy had some dirt on his hands. That fact that he would do this gives us the last puzzle piece of redemption. He’d more than earned it.

STRW: I loved that Angora rabbits and alpacas are represented along with sheep in the creation of yarns. As a knitter I gobbled up these stories as well as a lover of romance. What’s your favorite yarn to knit with?

Amy Lane: I’m a sucker for basic wool with a touch of luxury fiber in it– and I am a color way *slut*! The color way truly depends on what mood I am in that day– or eve THAT HOUR that day. All the pretty colors– I want to knit them all.

STRW: Is the series truly over?

Amy Lane: No! I have a plan for Eli and the Naked Alpaca Hats Band 🙂

STRW: *still cheering over the news* Do you have a favorite character in this series and why?

Amy Lane: LOL– I’m a bad mommy, because I think I just sort of outed my favorite character by writing him a whole other book. Jeremy–hands down, he’s my favorite. I know a couple of people got upset that he was so much older than Aiden, but I know, by the end of the story, most of them realized that Aiden was the dominant one, the protector, and the old soul in that relationship. I loved that– loved that reversal, and loved Jeremy’s tentative sweetness. Yes. He’s my favorite, but Aiden was a close second. But it’s a hard fight– grumpy Craw, flamboyant Stanley, gentle Ben, suave Johnny– I really did love them all.

And it’s been my pleasure to answer the questions– thanks for asking them 🙂

Cover art by Catt Ford who created all those incredible covers in the series. I have included all of them as well.

Books in the series in the order they were written and should be read:

The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters (Granby Knitting, # 1)
Super Sock Man
How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Granby Knitting, #3)
Knitter in His Natural Habitat (Granby Knitting, #4)
Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair (Granby Knitting #5)

Book Details:
Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press Amazon

The Granby Knitting Menagerie by Amy Lane Paperback: Buy links above.

ebook, 244 pages, A Granby Knitting Novel

Published May 2nd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 1st 2014)
ISBN 1627988742 (ISBN13: 9781627988742)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
seriesKnitting #5

(Catt Ford, I love your covers.) Here is another to drool over…..

Author Bio:

Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at http://www.greenshill.com or http://www.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.

You can follow Amy Lane via:

Website
Twitter
Blog
Goodreads Author Page

On the Trail of Crown & Cross with Abigail Roux and her Sidewinders (contest)

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Abigail Roux’s Sidewinders

Are Back in Cross & Crown!

It’s that time! Nick O’Flaherty and his boyfriend and recon partner, Kelly Abbott, in an action packed adventure full of twists and turns and gunfire and perhaps, some even more surprising old acquaintances that need their help. Abigail Roux has done it again in bringing this fantastic duo to life and love in this latest Sidewinder story, Cross & Crown. To help celebrate, the author and Riptide Publishing has a huge contest in store for all as well as a scene cut from the novel.

Enjoy the scene and don’t foreget to enter to win the $100 certificate from Riptide Publishing….

Contest: Win $100 Gift Certificate from Riptide Publishing. Visit this link for contest details and to enter to win. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Entries close at midnight, Eastern Time, on June 21 , and winners will be announced on June 23rd. Contest is valid worldwide.

Rafflecopter Link for contest:

Cross & Crown (Sidewinder #2) Blurb and Cut Scene:

Blurb:

When Nick O’Flaherty arrives at the scene of a double homicide to find he has a witness to the crime, he thinks it’s his lucky day. But when he realizes his witness is suffering from amnesia and can’t even remember his own name, Nick wishes he’d gone with his gut and put in for vacation time.

Then Nick’s boyfriend and former Recon teammate, Kelly Abbott, joins him in Boston, and Nick finds his hands a little too full as the case and his personal life collide. The witness he’s dubbed “JD” is being tailed by Julian Cross, a retired CIA hitman. To complicate matters further, JD forms an attachment to Nick that Nick struggles not to respond to as they search for the key to JD’s identity.

Trying to determine whether JD is friend or foe as they investigate the crime puts them on the trail of a much older mystery. When multiple attempts are made on their lives, Nick is forced to turn to old enemies and new allies to solve a centuries-old crime before he and Kelly get added to the history books.

You can order Cross & Crown directly from Riptide.

Cut scene from the book:

Nick was silent as he looked out on the moonlit fields. They were peaceful now, but it seemed there were echoes of gunfire and cannon blasting, bayonets clashing, men and horses screaming in fear and pain.

“It doesn’t really matter why, or how history writes it down,” Nick said. “The only thing that matters is that every man out there believed in what he was doing. He was standing on this ground, willing to take a bullet fired by his brother, to protect something he thought was worth dying for. That country. That king. That ideal. That land back home. That flag. That man leading him. That man standing beside him.” Nick’s voice filled with emotion and he lowered his head. “The burden of death and bravery in places like this is heavy. I’ve always been able to feel it. Someone should feel it.”

Even if Kelly hadn’t already felt the power of this place, it came through clearly in Nick’s voice. It was holy ground, in its own way, bearing the gravity of the past up in what were now wild green pastures dotted with stone and tourists. The agony of it. The struggle. And Nick believed the same as those men, felt it down to his bones. Call it patriotism. Heroism. Integrity. Honor. That indefinable something that had driven so many men to die for something they felt more important than life also lived inside Nick. It had lived inside their team. And if what he believed in was threatened, he’d do the same as they had done; die defending it.

Kelly’s chest constricted as he looked at Nick’s profile in the moonlight. He had never believed that men like this still existed, not until he’d met Sidewinder.

Nick’s breath billowed in front of him in the cold. His eyes were taking in the battlefield, seeing things Kelly couldn’t see, remembering things Kelly had lived with him. Kelly swallowed hard and set one hand lightly on Nick’s shoulder. He couldn’t think of anything to say, so he didn’t speak at all.

Author Bio:

Abigail Roux was born and raised in North Carolina. A past volleyball star who specializes in sarcasm and painful historical accuracy, she currently spends her time coaching high school volleyball and investigating the mysteries of single motherhood. Any spare time is spent living and dying with every Atlanta Braves and Carolina Panthers game of the year.

Abigail has a daughter, Little Roux, who is the light of her life, a boxer, four rescued cats who play an ongoing live-action variation of Call of Duty throughout the house, a certifiable extended family down the road, and a cast of thousands in her head.
Connect with Abi:

Website
Facebook
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads author page or
email Abi at abiroux@gmail.com

Book Details:

ebook, 225 pages
Published June 9th 2014 by Riptide Publishing (first published June 7th 2014)
original titleCross & Crown
ISBN139781626491335
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/cross-and-crown
seriesSidewinder #2
Cover art by L.C. Chase

Books in the Sidewinder Series to date in the order they should be read:

Shock & Awe (Sidewinder, #1)
Cross & Crown (Sidewinder, #2)

In the Spotlight: David Pratt, author of Looking After Joey (Contest)

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

In the Author Spotlight:

Meet David Pratt!

I recently read a story called Looking After Joey and immediately had to get to know the author behind this marvelous novel. So I invited David Pratt to ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords today to talk about Looking After Joey, his inspirations, his muse, his favorite porn stars and whatever else came to mind. What a great interview it turned out to be. Here is a photograph of David Pratt at a reading. Copies of the cover and model Nicholas Gorham can be found at the end of the interview. Don’t miss out on those!

Contest: David has brought with him a copy of Looking After Joey to giveaway. To enter to win, leave a comment and an email address where you can be reached. Contest ends June 18th at midnight. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

STRW:. How did this idea (Looking After Joey) come to you?

David Pratt: Part One, “Calvin Gets Sucked In” comes from a short story I wrote. But I forget where the idea for that came from. Once I had it, though, it seemed natural to wonder, what if Joey took Calvin up on his offer and came into this world? I thought, that’s not a story. That’s a novel! A novel about what really matters to us — and what doesn’t. A novel that could be very funny. Half the stuff Joey encounters inspires existential wonder or panic. The other half inspires flat-out mockery! Some things inspire both.

STRW: Is there a porn star out there you would like to see step out of a video?

David Pratt: I love watching Peto Coast. You can look for his videos on ice-gay.com. Now, I’m not sure about him stepping out of the TV. He is an extremely aggressive top. I can bottom, for sure, but he might be too much in person. In the Goofy Kid category, I like Paul Canon of Broke Straight Boys. I like Gino and Chase on Spanking Central, and I like this guy Kenny who’s on Sean Cody.He could step out of the TV for me! As could some of the guys from the Fraternity X website. But really, I did most of my porn watching in the 1980s, so I fondly remember Rod Garreto, Eric Manchester and Ted Cox from that era. I’d love it if Garreto stepped out of the TV! He was my fave.

STRW:. The Native American character was a terrific element, where did he come from and will we see him again in another story?

David Pratt: In the original short story, he was a joke, because of his name. In the book he acquires dimension because he reappears and we find out what he thinks of the “real world.” The decision he made shocked even me. I, of course, have experienced times when all arrows pointed to something in my work, but rarely does a character take a significant action that totally takes me by surprise. But Jake did, and I had to go with it. His presence signals a change for the other four. They can no longer think their world is all about wine bars and video nights. In the second half of the book there is an undoing of the cozy world of the first half. Everyone is growing up and moving on. Jake makes them think about who they are and what they are doing. Will we see Jake again? You never know. The whole gang of “Joey” characters could be revisited. I mean, tell me you don’t want to hear from Stuart again. In moderation, of course. And Desmond, hmmmm?

STRW:. That porn world was hysterical with all the elements most people see in a typical porn DVD, the delivery guys, the pizza, the gym etc. Do you think you will revisit this world and a certain character in it again?

David Pratt: Like Calvin, I learned two things about porn: 1.) it is rich with possibilities; and 2.) you run through those possibilities pretty quickly. Stuff starts to repeat. Which is kind of the point, isn’t it? There is just one character from that world that I’d be curious to follow up with. But I am not saying which one. I suppose I don’t want to be held to it. And writers never give away what they are thinking about that has yet to be written down. Or they shouldn’t.

STRW: . I found the pathos and angst surprising and it added layers of dimension that really made this story work. Had you planned on that happening or did the story take an unexpected direction once you started writing?

David Pratt: There was more pathos and angst in the original story, though there was comedy, too. In the novel, Calvin and Peachy effectively become parents, so there has to be angst and pathos! Parents know, it’s a joyful but dangerous world out there. And it all starts with Calvin being lonely. His relationship with Joey springs out of loneliness and lack of confidence. For Joey there is angst and pathos in being introduced to time and the suggestion, which at first he barely understands, of death. That was just there. I had to include it. Think how completely different this world is from the world presented in porn.

Calvin compares Joey to an immigrant. The opera singer Teresa Stratas tells how, when her family emigrated to Canada from Greece, her father could not adjust. He sat and stared at the wall all day. Vietnamese dancer/choreographer Ea Sola freaked out when she came to France as a very young woman; her first performances consisted of standing still staring in the street, basically having a breakdown. Her audiences thought it was art; to her it was just what she did. My partner emigrated from Brazil. When he first came here, coincidentally, he delivered pizza. One day he stopped in the middle of the street in the rain and for a long moment couldn’t go on. This kind of paralyzing moment happens to Joey a couple of times. He’s immobilized by fear when he notices his fingernails growing — even after he’s cut them once! He can’t look at pictures of Calvin as a child. I think there is also a natural pathos as well as humor in, for example, Joey seeing what disabled people or people of different ethnicities look like. This is a rough world! But Calvin and Peachy and Doug teach Joey that there is love in it, and loyalty. And these defy time.

STRW: Do you have a favorite genre and a least favorite one? And why?

David Pratt: I tend to like “literary” fiction (see my New England background, below), but I have become open to anything. I never thought I’d go for erotica, until I encountered Erastes, Dale Chase and Ellis Carrington. I did not pay much attention to paranormal or fantasy until I read Felice Picano’s “Tales from a Distant Planet.” I had no interest in “spiritual” fiction until I stumbled on Cathryn McIntyre’s weird memoir/fiction mash-up “Honor in Concord.”

STRW:. What author or story has influenced your writing the most?

David Pratt: As a child I loved the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. They’re a direct influence on “Joey.” Chelsea is the Hundred Acre Wood. Calvin is Pooh, Joey is Piglet, and Peachy is Rabbit—or he’s Owl on speed! The House at Pooh Corner has one of the great endings ever: “Promise you won’t forget me, ever. Not even when I’m a hundred.” That could be the ending of “Joey,” too. In terms of the off-the-wall, what-the-hell feel of the book, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was probably an influence. I read everything by him when I was sixteen, though today I am not so interested. And as I come from New England, there’s all that transcendence and all that symbolism, though not so focused on the natural world. Emily Dickinson heard a fly buzz. Calvin hears a taxi. Melville had his white whale. Calvin and Peachy have Bunce van den Troell!

Finally, some more images are attached. Reading photo at Hotel Monteleone, credit it J. Stephen Young. All other photos,(c) 2014 Eva Mueller. Joey cover design, Adrian Nicholas, (c) 2014 Wilde City Press. Bob cover design, Peachy Boy Design and Distillery, (c) 2010 Chelsea Station Editions.

Thanks again so much for the great review and for your interest and the blogging opportunity. Let me know anything else you need.

Best,
David

STRW: Thanks, David, for stopping by for such a wonderful interview and for generously donating a copy of Looking After Joey to give away.

Book: Looking After Joey by David Pratt

Blurb:

From the author of Bob the Book comes a funny, fast-paced, touching tale of love, laughter, family of choice and fabulousness!

Wouldn’t it be great if a character from a porn movie stepped right out of your TV, into your life? Well, be careful what you wish for. Because that’s how Calvin and Peachy end up looking after Joey. Then Peachy decides to make Joey the center of in a social-climbing scheme that will take them all from Chelsea to Park Avenue to Fire Island and will entangle a rogues’ gallery of eccentric Manhattanites, including portly, perspiring publicist Bunce van den Troell; theatrical investor Sir Desmond Norma; studly thespian Clive Tidwell-Smidgin; and evil lubricant king Fred Pflester and his mysterious nephew, Jeffrey. Tender, wise, witty and utterly deranged, Looking After Joey will make you wish you, too, had a porn character sitting at your kitchen table, pointing at the toast and asking, “What’s this called again?”

Details: ebook, 255 pages
Published April 2nd 2014 by Wilde City Press

Highly Recommended by ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords

Buy Links: Wilde City Amazon ARe

Contest: Leave a comment, your email address where you can be reached below. Contests ends 6/18 at midnight.

All photo credits are Eva Mueller. The cover model is Nicholas Gorham.

Photograph and book covers are credited to the following:

Reading photo at Hotel Monteleone, credit it J. Stephen Young. All other photos,(c) 2014 Eva Mueller. Joey cover design, Adrian Nicholas, (c) 2014 Wilde City Press. Bob cover design, Peachy Boy Design and Distillery, (c) 2010 Chelsea Station Editions.

Review: Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair (Knitting #5) by Amy Lane

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Just when Aiden Rhodes is sure that he has his Jeremy Bunny ready to settle down and commit to a relationship with him instead of always being ready to “rabbit’ away, Jeremy’s past arrives to shatter everything. After Jeremy endured a horrific near death beating by a mobster, he faces multiple surgeries on his way to recovery, a recovery that will still leave Jeremy with physical scarring he will carry for life.

All in the tightly close group of people around Jeremy have been affected by this horrendous event. Aiden is facing his own anger at Jeremy’s actions and he needs time to work through all the thoughts and emotions that this brutal beating has created. Aiden needs space but with Jeremy in the hospital and needing Aiden, that is the last thing he is likely to have. Jeremy is afraid that his scarred face and body will mean that he is unlovable and unwanted. Craw and Ben are keeping the mill going without their friends but only just. And Ariadne lies in the hospital bed next to Jeremy with complications to her pregnancy and worries of her own. Even as everyone is giving as much of themselves to help support Jeremy’s surgeries and recovery, they are in need in equal amounts of support themselves.

But the answer for this overly stressed and worn thin group comes in the tiny form of Ariadne’s baby girl who needs them all in her own time of need. To help Ariadne and her baby, Jeremy pulls himself together and starts to move forward in his relationship with Aiden and his friendship for everyone around him, including Ariadne’s little blackbird. And Aiden sees a Jeremy he had always hoped to find….a man who has stopped running from love and commitment and is ready for all Aiden has to offer….a future together.

I am going to start this review with a personal note to Amy Lane.

Amy Lane, Amy Lane……I have been waiting for you to fix Jeremy Bunny since you left me (and Jeremy) wrecked at the end of Knitter in His Natural Habitat (Knitting #4) two years ago. When I finished that story I felt I had been run through Craw’s temperamental woolen mill drums myself until my heart was flattened and my stomach was in knots. I love your stories and this series but that was one review I didn’t want to write because I was so upset at the end. But now I can finally say, without compunction, that you did Jeremy Bunny right in Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair. And you made the torturous events that occurred in the fourth book feel as though they had to happen for the growth and maturity that Jeremy gains here throughout your story. I didn’t think that was possible but it did and it felt true. So, thanks. Now I can reread that book again with my tredpidation pushed aside and my love for these characters up front and secure in their futures together. Brava!

Now back to the originally scheduled review.

When discussing a book about endings, I think its appropriate that a summary of the series and the first story is in order. The first book in the series is called The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters (Granby Knitting, # 1) and truthfully it wasn’t even a series yet. It was a story in Dreamspinner’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas collection. It featured a romance between a burly monosyllabic knitter and a newly arrived self employed young man who moves in next to his alpaca ranch. Rance Crawford ” is an alpaca rancher, fiber mill owner, and self-proclaimed grumpy bastard” in Amy Lane’s words. And he was grumpy perfection. Lane paired him up with Ben McCutcheon, a sweet Easterner who inherits the house next to the ranch. It was a slow, sometime frustrating and always amusing light hearted romance filled with the author’s love of all things knitting and love of yarn. It had an endearing cover and a wonderful ending.

That first story was quick to capture the hearts of readers along with all the other memorable characters that Amy Lane created to work at Craw’s mill and yarn shop, helping to dye and create designer yarn that people would scramble to own and knit with. We met a young Aiden Rhodes, a teenager on the way to adulthood and a genius with dyes and wool. Living in the barn in a small room was Jeremy Stillson, an enigmatic skittish young man of indeterminable years. Oddly young and old at the same time, Jeremy was clearly haunted by a past and childhood that only one person knew about. He talked too much, loved the company of the animals and was as skittish as a wild bunny, ready to “rabbit” away at the first sign of approaching danger or even commitment. His vulnerability touched the readers, myself included, deeply. We took Jeremy Bunny to heart then and never let him go. Neither did Aiden Rhodes, a wolf with surprising darkness inside and a love for his Jeremy. Just as important was Ariadne, the sharp faced, thin young woman who runs the mill’s shop and teaches Jeremy to knit. We all fell in love with Ariadne too. Leaving this group of people behind in that first story was hard not only for us but for Amy Lane as well. And so the Knitting series, also known as the Granby Knitting series was born.

Four books followed, the full list is posted at the bottom of the review. Lane would take up Aiden and Jeremy’s story in How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Knitting #3). Between those indescribably adorable covers and their marvelously quirky titles, this was a series that was attracting attention for more than just the stories within, there was also the knitting patterns featured in each book, with instructions included at the end. How I love those too! Did I say I was a avid knitter? This series just reached out and pulled me in. Any idea of maintaing any sort of emotional distance was thrown out the window from the get go. Objectivity, thy name is some other reviewer when this series is involved.

Anyhow, How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Knitting #3) is Jeremy’s story. We find out why Jeremy is the way he is and how he came to Granby and Craw’s Alpaca ranch. It is also the beginning of romance between Jeremy and Aiden, hints of which were only floating around the narrative in the first book. And it is here that the darkness and depth found in the Knitting series is revealed. Yes, there are still some amusing scenes and joy. But the pain of the past and Jeremy’s fragile emotional center is revealed as is the explanation behind his situation and behavior. The angsts and gravity of the story brings a “realness” to these characters, with all their flaws, intelligence and loyalty to each other. If you weren’t in love before, you were by the end of this story.

Then came Knitter in His Natural Habitat (Granby Knitting, #4) and the revelatory style and genius of Amy Lane came together in an emotional rollercoaster of a story. I loved it, hated it, and cried buckets of tears before it was over. It was two romances in one. Lane continued to follow the growth in Aiden and Jeremy’s relationship while also introducing another major romance that included secondary characters from previous stories. That would be flamboyantly gay Stanley, who managed a fabulous craft store in Boulder and Johnny, a dark horse of a delivery man with secrets of his own. Like some intricately woven specialty yarn, Lane spun a tale of revenge, love and a past that refused to stay hidden. It was mesmerizing and Lane skillfully built up a atmosphere of danger and suspense that exploded in an emotional ending that left us all shattered.

This story was released two years ago in 2012 and my memories of it today are as fresh as if I had just finished the story yesterday. That fact just demonstrates what an incredible writer Amy Lane is and the power present in all her stories. Light and fluffy? I don’t think so. I don’t think she can do that. Lane’s stories always take twists and turns that will puzzle and shock you. They might leave you reeling in pain from the events and situations her characters find themselves in as well as the loss that can run like a river of angst through her stories. But never will you be able to remain objective because she has breathed life, in all its complexity, into her people and you start treating them and their stories as if they were your own.

Anyway, back to Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair (Knitting #5). I have waited 2 long years for this story and it was beyond marvelous. The title, in part, comes from that haunting Beatles song “Blackbird” that goes “Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly…” Are you humming it yet? There is more than one blackbird here in this story and yet by the end, they have all learned to fly or will be able to do so. So many people are in all types of need here. Emotional, financial, you name it and this tight circle of friends requires it. But how Amy Lane resolves each and everyone’s situation is believable, warmhearted and totally satisfying. I finished it at 3am and promptly went and started it all over again. I mean, really, people, I had waited two years for this to happen. It wasn’t going to be over that quickly.

This review could have been finished in a few concise sentences. It would go something like this. Here is my cliff notes version:

I wanted this. I read this. I love this. I whole heartedly recommend it to all who need romance, great story telling, and knitters in love in their lives. There are bunnies galore, and mittens and knitting patterns. And characters you will never forget. Amy Lane does it again.”

But what fun is that?

Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair is a book I will return to often. The resolution to Jeremy’s story and his and Aiden love affair has staying power. So do all the other romances found within this series. These people, these characters have become old friends and I will want to revisit them from time to time. If you are new to this series, start with the first story and work your way through the novels and the gamut of emotions Amy Lane will put you through. It is worth it. Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair is one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Best of 2014. And don’t miss out on that terrific Chain Mail Scarf pattern so important to the story and whose instructions are included at the end. I am already planning what yarn to use.

Cover art by Catt Ford who created all those incredible covers in the series. I have included all of them as well.

Books in the series in the order they were written and should be read:

Book Details:
Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press ARe Amazon

Also available The Granby Knitting Menagerie by Amy Lane Paperback: Buy it here at DSP

ebook, 244 pages, A Granby Knitting Novel

Published May 2nd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 1st 2014)
ISBN 1627988742 (ISBN13: 9781627988742)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
seriesKnitting #5

Covers to love in reverse order:

ScatteredThoughts May Summary of Reviews and Best Covers of the Month

May 2014 Book Review Summary

for ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords

*Key: S seriesC contemporary

F-fantasy
SF-science fiction
PN-paranormal
SP-supernatural
H-historical
HR-horror
N-Nonfiction
YA-young adult

Rating Scale: 1 to 5, 5 stars is outstanding

What an incredible month. May was chock full of fantastic stories and outstanding covers. Oh, that every month was as full of riches as this one. There are standalones from new authors like Chase Potter, JK Hogan and Leona Carver. Saugatuck Summer, intense contemporary fiction from Amelia C. Gormley, is a must read. Plus Hostile Ground, a terrific team novel by Aleksandr Voinov and L.A.. Witt, that I hope will become a series. If you love to laugh and cry just a little, John Inman and David Pratt are well represented here with Spirit and Looking After Joey respectively. And many of my favorite series saw new releases this month. SA McAuley’s Borders War series got a new story, so did Shira Anthony’s Mermen of Ea and the Pulp Friction 2014 group of authors keeps us entertained and glued to our seats with new releases all around.

There is plenty here for everyone, no matter what your favorite genres are. Check them out, see what you missed, and add to your TBR pile!
5 Star Rating:

Daylight Again by SE Jakes C,S
Powerless by SA McAuley SF, S
Saugatuck Summer by Amelia C. Gormley, C

4 to 4.75 Star Rating:

Backburn by Laura Harner (4.75) C, S, PF 2014
Forever is Now by K. Vale (4) C, S
Hostile Ground by Aleksandr Voinov, LA Witt (4.75) C
Knight of Fire by S.J. Frost (4.25) F, S
I Survived Seattle by J.K. Hogan, (4) C, S
Into the Wind by Shira Anthony (4.75) F, S
Looking After Joey by David Pratt (4.25) F,
Love Comes Home by Andrew Grey (4), C, S
Moving Earth by TA Webb (4.5) C, S, PF 2014
No Ocean Too Deep by Leona Carver (4.5) F, S
One Night by RJ Scott, C (4), C
Spirit by John Inman (4.5 stars) C
Stealing the Wind by Shira Anthony (4.5) F, S
The Race for Second by Chase Potter (4.75) C
3 to 3.75 Star Rating:

Clipped by Devon McCormack (3) SN, S
Double Takes by K.Vale (3.5) C, S

2 to 2.75 Star Rating:

None
Best Covers of April 2014:

Photographic Covers:
Daylight Again, Cover by L.C. Chase
Hostile Ground, Cover by L.C. Chase
Looking After Joey, cover by Wilde City Press

Non Photographic Covers:
Clipped, Wilde City Press
No Oceans Too Deep, Cover by Tanya Rehulak
Saugatuck Summer, Cover by L.C. Chase
Spirit, Cover by Reese Dante
Stealing the Wind, cover art by Anne Cain
Into the Wind, cover by Anne Cain

Review: Saugatuck Summer (Saugatuck #1) by Amelia C. Gormley

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Topher Carlisle likes to think of himself as fabulous. Topher knows he looks fabulous, now only if he felt that way on the inside. He is turning twenty one and stands on the precipice of adulthood with life changing decisions rising up around him. Gay, gorgeous and of mixed race, Topher’s upbringing has been anything but normal. Or happy. Or safe. His mother is a drug dependent alcoholic whose mental health issues threatened his health and his sanity growing up. His other relatives are little better, giving him support on their terms, which were both emotionally and physically abusive. And while most people only see a flamboyantly gay, intelligent and perhaps superficial young man, the inner Topher is the one who continues to battle with his depression and thoughts of worthlessness.

Supporting himself through college on a swimming scholarship, Topher’s education might be cut short if he can’t get in condition to compete for the team in the fall and earn the money he needs for board. Luckily for Topher, his BFF, Mo is bringing him with her to the family beach house on Lake Michigan. A summer of swimming and, hopefully, part time work, should just do the trick if Topher can stick with the program, but that is something he rarely does. And something totally unexpected and disasterous happens….his bestfriend’s father is handsome, closeted…and it turns out, available for an affair. An affair that ruins everyones lives before the summer is over.

Now homeless, friendless and desperate Topher needs help in the worst way. And it comes in the shape of a artist named Jace who asks to paint his portrait and sees beyond the facade Topher has erected to protect himself from further pain. And he just might be the answer to this young gay man’s prayers…if only Topher will give him a chance and let him in.

What? Don’t recognize the book by the synopsis above? Not even close to the blurb you read that starts out “Hi, I’m Topher Carlisle: twenty-one, pretty, and fabulous”? Not surprising because that light, somewhat comedic summary has little in common with the dark, heartrending story that is Saugatuck Summer. Just like you, I was expecting a sort of coming of age story featuring one of those fabulous characters who burbles on in an almost stream of consciouness, missing an editor gate sort of inner monologue. You know light, kind of frothy, with hints of angst here and there. That is not, as I said, Saugatuck Summer. What I got was darker, deeper, and totally involving featuring a mess of a main character who is not instantly likable. All of which is much, much better than anything I had originally anticipated.

Instead of light romance, Gormley gives us Christopher “Topher” Carlisle, a chronic depressive who is half black, gay, and on the cusp of turning twenty one. A traumatic event sent him into a downward spiral last year in college, turning him into a black hole of depression and making him unable to attend classes or stay in shape to swim. We meet Topher as the summer starts. His bestfriend, Mo, has invited Topher to stay with her and her family at the summer vacation home on Lake Michigan free of charge. There Topher can swim himself back into shape and get a part-time job to help pay college expenses in the fall. Sounds great, right? And it would be for anyone but Topher who is also self destructive and possesses of poor self image. He is, as they say, his own worst enemy and proves it over and over again to himself to be certain.

Gormley establishes that the reasons why Topher acts the way he does are grounded in his abusive past which continues to haunt him as he cannot bring himself to cut all ties to his mother and his family. The author doesn’t dump all the horror that is Topher’s family on the reader at once which is probably a good thing because the ghastly mess that is Topher’s family and upbringing is made more effective when it is revealed in segments of painful revelations as Topher relives scenes from his childhood and other memories that refuse to stay buried. Topher himself is aware of his self destructive tendencies. He is the product of years of therapy and doctor ordered medications that help with the depression. But as the cause of most of his pain is only a phone call away, a complete breakdown is a possibility in any given stressful situation. Over and over again, Gormley’s Topher will bring us to tears even as we want to give him a shake in frustration over his actions. We get it and him. It will take a while to accept Topher as he is such a deeply flawed young man but when you do (and you will if you give him a chance), then his journey out of the darkness and into a reality where he just might find happiness is one you will wholly invest yourself in. You will love this young man and every step he takes, forward and back, are ones that you will take together.

Ah, yes, the cheating. I know that for some of you, just the mention of cheating will have you crossing this off your TBR list. And that the man who cheats is not only married but Topher’s best friend’s father might send the rest of you running for the proverbial door. To all of you, please put that issue aside and read this story. Brandon, the father, has his own demons to fight and he also is a flawed, impulsive human being. Brandon knows that this affair will end badly but like Topher, he can’t help himself. Again, Gormley provides a solid and realistic rationale for both men’s actions. You don’t have to like what they are doing, just understand that each man, or almost man in Topher’s case, has so many dark skeletons in their closet that it makes this jump into bed almost a given. Everyone here is so authentically human, painfully so that no matter how awful their actions seems, you still end up empathizing with everyone who gets pulled into this mess. And that includes the two main participants.

Gormley does an outstanding job with all her characters here. Mo, the best friend betrayed by both her father and Topher, is a portrait of loyalty and heartbreak. A married couple, Robin (an art gallery owner) and Geoff, his partner and tattoo artist, who turn out to be the grounded gay couple who helps save Topher by providing a framework of knowledge and friendship that Topher has never had before. And finally Jace, the artist who sees deeply into the troubled Topher and still wants to pursue a relationship. Each and every one is a stunner of a character. And their importance to this story and Topher is beautifully rendered in scenes that will make you laugh and cry and want to be a part of that village that starts to raise Topher up out of the hole made by his upbringing and family.

Is this an easy book to read? No, not really. But it is a wonderful one. It will pull you in, involve you emotionally and mentally. It will tear you up as you watch Topher breaking on the shoals of his illness and family history. And finally it will move you to tears and happiness as Topher finds his way to love and a future. Thankfully, Amelia C. Gormley realizes that there will never be an easy resolution to someone with Topher’s illnesses and past, only better ways to handle them with the right therapy and a balanced doctor proscribed plan of medication. So the ending is marvelously conceived and wonderfully realistic. I loved it as I did Topher and everyone else found within the covers of Saugatuck Summer.

Saugatuck Summer is a book not to be missed. It will be one to be remembered. And Saugatuck Summer will be on my Best of 2014 list at the end of the year.

Cover artist is LC Chase. That cover is beautifully deceptive. You only think it shows a lovely peaceful beach scene but look at the gathering storm clouds and the portent is clear. Just an amazing cover, one of the best of the year.

Of Special Note: Be sure to check out the Saugatuck Summer soundtrack by singer/songwriter Casey Stratton . This soundtrack is the soundtrack for Topher’s life. Stratton’s music and lyrics are found throughout the story, linking events, memories and happenings together in a seamless strand of melody. I found a new musician to love with this story. Visit his website. I think you will find the same.

Book Details:

ebook, 363 pages
Published May 19th 2014 by Riptide Publishing (first published May 17th 2014)
original titleSaugatuck Summer
ISBN139781626491168
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://riptidepublishing.com/
seriesSaugatuck #1

Buy Links: Riptide Publishing Amazon ARe

Author Spotlight: Writing with Humor by John Inman (contest)

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Author Spotlight: John Inman On Writing with Humor

The stories of John Inman are a true favorite of mine. I think of John Inman and his stories and immediately I start to smile. He has the ability to convey the emotions and thoughts of real people with startling issues in his stories through humor, frankness, and acceptance. Interspersed, of course, by the occasional moments of angst.

“Laughing through our tears” is probably a phrase most readers would associate with this author, whether it is through his books, Shy, Hobbled, or the recently released Spirit. I invited John to talk a little about how he combines the authenticity of every day problems and real life difficulties with humor. John has brought a copy of his latest release, Spirit, to give away. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address where you can be contacted. The contest ends June 4 at midnight.

Writing with Humor by John Inman

I was recently asked how and why I temper the impact of real issues with humor.

Well now, there’s a question and a half, huh?

Questions about why I write the way I do always go flapping over my head like distraught pigeons, because I honestly never know how to answer them. My motives are a mystery even to me. They always have been.

I do know there are times when I’m trying to delve into serious issues in a story and it’s an uphill battle for me to not start cracking jokes or going for a laugh. I’m talking about my writing here. In real life I’m much too shy to shoot for a belly laugh from anybody. I’m the guy sitting in the corner behind the potted palm slurping down cocktails to calm his frazzled nerves and trying to be inconspicuous. On paper, however, I’m fearless.

I honestly had not thought about it before, but behind every one of my comedies — SHY, HOBBLED, SPIRIT, LOVING HECTOR, SERENADING STANLEY — (I’m leaving out PAULIE because the only serious aspect to that story was the fact that everybody wanted to get laid, and I mean seriously.) Taking those other stories in order, the serious issues are Social Anxiety, Murder and Kidnapping, just plain Murder, Physical Abuse, and with STANLEY, an apartment building full of crazy people and the MC’s Inferiority Complex.

✍
Even my serious novels have a good deal of comedy interwoven into the story. Take A HARD WINTER RAIN, for instance. With all the people being violently mowed down left and right, that one simply cried out for mood lighteners. So I gave them to the reader through the gallows humor of two homicide detectives chasing down a serial killer. JASPER’S MOUNTAIN, too, had its lighter moments. How could there not be an underlying comedic tone when the main character had three dogs, two cats, a couple of baby pigs, and a shitload of alligator lizards infesting his mountain retreat?

✍
I think even in the most serious story lines, there is a need to lighten the mood now and then. I realize I go a little overboard with my humor sometimes, but still it serves a purpose. I know when I’m reading a long, sad, morose tale of abuse or angst or heartbreak, I require an occasional chuckle just so I won’t set the book aside periodically and toddle off to the bedroom to blow my brains out.

When I was a high school kid back in Indiana about a thousand years ago, I remember my English Lit teacher giving us an assignment to write a story about ancient Rome. Growing up in Switz City, Indiana, with a population of 212 people, and with only one stoplight, one feed store, one tiny market where the clerk doled out change from a cigar box, and about a gazillion churches, I had, of course, never been to Rome in my life, ancient or otherwise, and unless I was sorely mistaken, I was pretty sure none of the other kids had been there either.

So instead of writing a story about something I knew absolutely nothing about, I wrote a commercial. A commercial like you might have seen had ancient Rome been bombarded with endless hours of mindless television shows like we are. (Yes, even as a kid I hated TV.) Remember Cal Worthington and his dog Spot (who was actually a tiger) hawking used cars all over TV? That’s the type of guy I based my commercial on. Only Cal wasn’t Cal anymore. He was Calicus. And he didn’t sell cars, he sold chariots. Calicus stood there in his lot full of used chariots, his toga flapping around his pale skinny legs, touting the wonderfulness of his inventory in a loud booming voice, while his bigass pet elephant, Spot, followed him around like a Corgi.

I fully expected to get an F on the assignment, but strangely enough Mrs. Donahue (who I always thought hated my guts) –see? I was paranoid even then — well, Mrs. Donahue gave me an A+ and asked that I read my creation in front of the class, which I refused to do because I was just too damn shy. My best friend at the time, Linda Strietelmeier, of brave German stock, took pity on me and offered to read my story to the class in my stead.

✍
I still remember the kids laughing at my silly commercial as Linda stood at the podium reading it out loud. Even sourpuss Mrs. Donahue cracked a smile or two. I sat there looking down at my lap, blushing up a storm, and loving every fucking minute of it. Looking back now, I do believe that day was the beginning of my need to write comedy.

It isn’t a pretty story, I know. But it is my own. And as true as the day is long.

So in answer to the question, how and why do I temper the impact of real issues with humor, the answer is — I have no choice. It’s just what I do, what I am, how I write. There is no big mystery to it. I’m just doing what I enjoy doing. And in truth, I think the answer to the question is pretty simple.

✍
Not only am I simply wired that way, but maybe even more to the point is the fact that I’m doing it because that’s the kind of writing I like to read.

And what better reason is there than that?

Author Bio:

John has been writing fiction for as long as he can remember. Born on a small farm in Indiana, he now resides in San Diego, California where he spends his time gardening, pampering his pets, hiking and biking the trails and canyons of San Diego, and of course, writing. He and his partner share a passion for theater, books, film, and the continuing fight for marriage equality. If you would like to know more about John, check out his website at—-

Follow John Inman at:

If you are unfamiliar with John Inman and his stories, I have listed a few,ok a lot of my personal favorites below. Check them out and prepare to start laughing. It’s the only way to go. Those marvelous covers are by artist Paul Richmond except for Spirit whose wonderful cover was done by Reese Dante.

Review: Powerless (The Borders War #3) by S.A. McAuley

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

He was built to be invincible.

Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan return to the States, their mission to assassinate the remaining Committee members unfinished. Why? The President of the Revolution is in need of their services to protect the Revolution’s most important proponent for freedom, the President himself. But all is not stable within the Revolution’s leadership and factions within are looking to supplant the President with another.

When the unthinkable happens and headquarters is breached, relationships, friendships even old rivals are torn asunder. In the wake of the devastation, Merq faces the ultimate of challenges and decisions forced on him by the very people he trusted. Armise, Simion and Neveed. And each with a different and explosive impact on Merq and his future with the Revolution.

When everything and everyone around Merq is falling apart or disappearing, it is only one man, Armise Darcan, that he wants at his side. But Fate or something worse has other plans in store for Merq and Armise. Events are coming that neither man may survive, with or without each other. What happens when the invincible turn out to be anything but invincible?

Powerful, intense and emotionally scorching….these are the words I would use to describe Powerless, the third story in the Borders War series by S.A. McAuley. The complexity of and relationship between these two genetically modified warriors is only exceeded by the intrigue and deceit that McAuley has built into her elaborately layered plot. And it all happens on a world that has been defiled, corrupted by three hundred years of war that has turned its seas into acid and its air into toxic clouds. The author’s powerful world building elements are delivered in slivers of descriptions throughout the stories, that compiled, present a stunning atmosphere of bleakness and despair in which these men live and operate.

With each story, S.A. McAuley offers up more of Merq and Armise’s back history. In Powerless. we enter the story in February, Year 2539 Singapore—The Outposts. Merq Grayson is 15 and in the middle of Lim2—Limitation Elimination training needed to become a Peacekeeper. The trials aren’t just arduous, they are deadly and only the strongest will survive. And although Merq is a teenager in years, he is far older mentally and emotionally. Already he is being stripped of his feelings and his humanity and he is aware of it happening. Powerful stuff indeed because as we watch Merq’s younger self push himself to his physical limits we also see him internalize and hide his conflicting emotions. And as we read we are already aware of what that boy ultimately becomes…an almost invincible dehumanized soldier for the Revolution.

All of McAuley characters are such densely layered constructs, believable and flawed, even with all their genmod strengths and abilities. They don’t know what they are capable of and neither does the reader. It’s a gripping process of continual shocks and revelation that flows through all the stories, especially this one. What new discoveries are uncovered concerning their genmods? What new insights into their pasts will surface with each treacherous twist and turn of McAuley’s intricate plot? Will they be able to keep enough humanity to save each other and the rest of the world? Stellar questions all even as McAuley miserly doles out clues to the answers.

Merq Grayson is such a compelling and contradictory personality. Although he appears so tough, almost superhuman in the first two stories, Powerless, starts the process of breaking him down into a person who is questioning everything about his life and his role in the Revolution. It’s painful and realistic. And the scenes of Merq shattering (emotionally as well as physically) are so vivid that McAuley makes his pain and fall almost visceral in its impact.

Armise Darcan is Merq’s equal in every way and he has to be to hold his own as a character and believable partner to such a warrior as Merq. Armise has had as interesting an upbringing as Merq, although in different ways. Both are genetically modified and yet Armise has held on to more of his humanity and ability to love than Merq. How and why that is possible is also slowly coming to the surface in these stories too.

There will be no excerpts here as even the smallest paragraph might point to spoilers. McAuley’s narrative is as paired down as the men themselves. At times as stark as the landscape, it is fast paced and explosive as the Borders War reignite with horrible implications for the people we have come to know and the world population that still exists. Some aspects of this story are absolutely chilling and the dread they conjure up for Merq and Armise as well as the future for all nations will be hard to dispel.

Some readers will ask if this is a romance and I am not sure how to answer them. The connection and feelings between Merq and Armise are almost cellular in their need for each other. Love, yes, but at a level and intensity that speaks of blood and loss not flowers and hearts. Romance can’t exist in this world and it doesn’t. But a hard fought for love? Even if they can’t say the word or even know if they trust each other? That you will find here at the core of this story and within the men themselves. The only thing powerless about this book is the title.

One Breath, One Bullet (Borders War #1) and Dominant Predator (Borders War #2) were on my Best of 2013 list. Now I add Powerless to this year’s list too. This is an amazing series. And with each new story, S.A. McAuley’s plot and her plans for Merq and Armise intensify and become more convoluted. McAuley plans five books for this series. The fourth book, Falling One by One (Borders War #4), will be out later this year. I, for one, can’t wait to see how where this talented author will take this series and these incredible characters next.

Cover art by Posh Gosh. Strong cover, although I would wish for a little more of a science fiction feel to it.

Books in the Borders War series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the men and the universe building:

One Breathe, One Bullet (Borders War #1)
Dominant Predator (The Borders War, #2)
Powerless (The Borders War #3)
Falling One by One (The Borders War #4) to be released later on this year
Fifth Book as yet unnamed.

Book Details:

ebook, 185 pages
Published March 28th 2014 by Totally Bound
ISBN139780857156839
edition languageEnglish
seriesThe Borders War #3

Buy Links: Totally Bound Publications Amazon ARe

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: