Category: 5 star Rating

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Creature (Bureau #3) by Kim Fielding

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

This was an incredibly touching story about a “creature” given life after death. John, as he named himself, is quite sentient and though his limbs don’t cooperate, his heart doesn’t beat, and he needs no food or water, he still seems human.

Early in the story when he was still in captivity, as he crawled back into his corner at night after having basked in the joy of a small ray of sunlight that came through his cell window during the day, he captured my heart and never let go. Oh my gosh, Kim Fielding gets me every time. No matter what genre, she always manages to hit my feels and shake some tears loose. At that point in the story, I was hooked and there was no putting the book down until I finished it.

Harry is a young man, who’s down on his luck in the early 1950s and wants to work for the Bureau of Trans-Species Affairs but has failed to get in. He is, however, a candidate for a special project. There’s a man who’s apparently experimenting with bringing bodies back to life, and Harry is assigned to lure him into a trap set by the Bureau. All he has to do is use his own creature—provided by the Bureau—a zombie-like monster they have in a cell in their headquarters. If he can get the man to admit to his experiments, and/or to show where those experiments are taking place, Harry will be offered a permanent position with the Bureau.

The story is like a modern version of Frankenstein’s monster. But it takes a major turn from the original by giving a gentle young man like Harry custody of a very loveable creature. John is completely different in personality from the original monster, and by the end of the story, it’s John who is able to articulate the difference between himself and the monster described in the Frankenstein novel.

One of my favorite themes was used in this story—slow burn romance—one that developed between John, a being who had started as not much more than a skin-over-bones sentient zombie, and Harry, who was a good guy who only wanted to do the right thing for both his boss and the creature he was coming to care for. I thought the way the author allowed for the creature’s physical and mental development to change a little each day as John took care of him was incredibly creative. By the time Harry and John were ready to meet with their target, John appeared to be less creature and more human, except for the scars that showed where he was cobbled together.

There’s plenty of action and exciting drama when the meeting finally takes place and the conclusion was much more interesting than I anticipated. Is it possible for Harry and John to find happiness together? Only Kim Fielding can make me root for a “creature” to get his HEA. And only by reading the story will readers find out for sure. I highly recommend this story. Though third in a series, it can easily stand alone. Plus, one more bonus: all proceed benefit Doctors Without Borders.

~~~

The attractive cover features a man sitting curled in on himself, with only the top of his head and arms and legs showing, and all are covered by scars created as the body was sewn together. Very creative and perfect for this story!

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 101 pages
Expected publication: May 7th 2018
ASINB07BZWY2MB
SeriesBureau #3

Book Release Tour and Giveaway for Contraband Hearts (Porthkennack #10) by Alex Beecroft

Contraband Hearts (Porthkennack #10) by  Alex Beecroft
Riptide Publishing

Cover Art:

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Alex Beecroft’s latest novel Contraband Hearts, one of our  recommended story.  Check it out and don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

 

♦︎

About Contraband Hearts

 

His future depends on bringing the smuggler to justice. His heart demands to join him.

 

Customs officer Peregrine Dean is sent by his patron to investigate rumors of corruption in the Porthkennack customs house. There he is tasked by the local magistrate to bring down the villainous Tomas Quick, a smuggler with fingers in every pie in town. Fired with zeal and ambition, and struck to the core by his first glimpse of Tomas, Perry determines to stop at nothing until he has succeeded.

 

Tomas Quick is an honest thief—a criminal regarded by the town as their local Robin Hood. He’s also an arrogant man who relishes the challenge posed by someone as determined and intelligent as Perry. Both of them come to enjoy their cat-and-mouse rivalry a little too much.

 

But the eighteenth century is a perilous time for someone like Perry: a black man in England. Two have already disappeared from the wrecks of ships. Tomas and Perry must forsake their competition and learn to trust each other if they are to rescue them, or Perry may become the third victim.

 

NOTE: All profits from the sales of this book are donated to Black Trans Advocacy.

 

About Porthkennack

 

Welcome to Porthkennack, a charming Cornish seaside town with a long and sometimes sinister history. Legend says King Arthur’s Black Knight built the fort on the headland here, and it’s a certainty that the town was founded on the proceeds of smuggling, piracy on the high seas, and the deliberate wrecking of cargo ships on the rocky shore. Nowadays it draws in the tourists with sunshine and surfing, but locals know that the ghosts of its Gothic past are never far below the surface.

 

This collaborative story world is brought to you by five award-winning, best-selling British LGBTQ romance authors: Alex Beecroft, Joanna Chambers, Charlie Cochrane, Garrett Leigh, and JL Merrow. Follow Porthkennack and its inhabitants through the centuries and through the full rainbow spectrum with historical and contemporary stand-alone titles.

About Alex Beecroft

 

Alex Beecroft is an English author best known for historical fiction, notably Age of Sail, featuring gay characters and romantic storylines. Her novels and shorter works include paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary fiction.

 

Beecroft won Linden Bay Romance’s (now Samhain Publishing) Starlight Writing Competition in 2007 with her first novel, Captain’s Surrender, making it her first published book. On the subject of writing gay romance, Beecroft has appeared in the Charleston City Paper, LA Weekly, the New Haven Advocate, the Baltimore City Paper, and The Other Paper. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association of the UK and an occasional reviewer for the blog Speak Its Name, which highlights historical gay fiction.

 

Alex was born in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and grew up in the wild countryside of the English Peak District. She lives with her husband and two children in a little village near Cambridge and tries to avoid being mistaken for a tourist.

 

Alex is only intermittently present in the real world. She has led a Saxon shield wall into battle, toiled as a Georgian kitchen maid, and recently taken up an 800-year-old form of English folk dance, but she still hasn’t learned to operate a mobile phone.

 

She is represented by Louise Fury of the L. Perkins Literary Agency.

 

Connect with Alex:

Giveaway

 

To celebrate the release of Contraband Hearts, Alex is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card and an ebook from her backlist, your choice! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 5, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

A MelanieM Review: Masc (Femme #2) by Marshall Thornton

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Lionel and Dog are back in this follow-up to the Lambda finalist, Femme. Almost six months have passed and, after taking an online quiz, Lionel believes their relationship is doomed because they have nothing in common. To save their future together, the pair joins a gay bowling league and discovers that Lionel is an excellent, if somewhat eccentric, bowler.

Meanwhile, Dog gets profiled in a work newsletter. He’s excited that he’s out at work, but doesn’t immediately realize that by fawning over Dog’s masculine nature the writer was also putting down all femme guys. Lionel takes it personally, which leads the to a crisis in their relationship. Attempting to make it up to Lionel, Dog makes a grand gesture—which backfires spectacularly.

Will the two manage to put things right? And will a night in jail, a morning of drag bingo, an afternoon of day drinking, and a month of moping make things better or worse?

I just loved Femme, the first story that introduced us to Lionel and Dog, and their road to love and a relationship.  I wish I just had this one to sail right into.  If Lionel is the femme of Femme, than Dog is the masc of MASC.  It’s so fitting that we now get Dog’s perspective in Masc (Femme #2) by Marshall Thornton as we pick up the timeline where Femme left off.

Well, we still get Lionel’s too.  Happily, Marshall Thornton gives his readers this story from both Lionel and Dog’s points of view.  But the focus is on Dog, the idea of a masculine “gay”,  how that definition impacts Dog and others around him, including his relationship with the femme Lionel.

There are so many things about not only MASC but this series that stay with me.

Thornton has created a cast of characters, starting with Lionel and Dog that I have taken to heart.  I fell in love with Lionel first, then Dog.  Here Dog’s vulnerability really stands out.  I keep thinking about Dog/Doug the person…yes, he seems somewhat naive in some respects, but I know people like that.  That earnestness, need to want to help or fix things is “real” and believable.  Which makes what comes later in the story even more heartbreaking.   Because the author uses something that occurs in real life and applies it to Dog.  And it’s not only extremely timely, it’s also upsetting and disturbing because the reactions are ones I’m sure others in his circumstances are receiving as well.

Trust this author to take this series and story and include such serious elements such as child abandonment (Lionel), parental loss, male gender roles, physical abuse, and sexual harassment into a story that includes sparkling dialog, glittering humor, heartwarming romance and love.  That includes Dog’s entire family and Lionel’s family of friends…both of which collide when Lionel joins Dog’s bowling team with surprising results.

The only thing that keeps this from a five star rating (which it will get anyway because I will round up) is that it’s not a standalone story.  MASC needs Femme to lean on just as Dog needs Lionel as his support.  Not that their communication issues get resolved until later in the story. That also feels very real in a new couple.   No,  much of who these two are and how they came together rests in the first story (a must read anyway in my eyes).

I intend to go back and read them one right after the other for my pure enjoyment.  Hopefully, this is not the last of Lionel and Dog.  But even if it is, I’m so thrilled to have made their acquaintance.  I want to go bowling with them, play bingo with them, and just spend more time with them.  It’s time well spent in laughter, love, and maybe a few sniffles too.  That’s life and this story is full of it.  And characters  who you will never want to let go.

Yes, I highly recommend them both.

Cover art: Marshall Thornton.  Love the bowling shoes!  Yes, they also make me think of the other pair not pictured!

Sales Links: Universal Buy Link

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 217 pages
Published April 28th 2018 by Kenmore Books
ASINB07BWWB5PW
Edition Language English
Series Femme #2

Femme 

Masc

A Stella Review: Alaska (Sawyer’s Ferry #1) by Cate Ashwood

RATING 5 out of 5 stars

Nobody says no to a Prescott.

Not even one of their own.

Holden:
Living up to expectations had never been easy, but when I went after something, I got it. Success. Money. Victory. I was standing on the doorstep to having it all. There was only one thing standing in my way.

Gage:
Power and prosperity are overrated. Especially when they come at a price. When enough became enough, I walked away. Nothing had ever tempted me to look back, until one day the past showed up in my backyard.

I’m not so sure I can walk away a second time.

Finally a book that truly satisfied me and left my heart full. I’m so happy Cate Ashwood wrote Alaska, she did an amazing work and missed nothing. A perfectly written book, with well defined characters, a good plot, clear and real chemistry and love between the MCs, hot sex scenes, a dreamy ending. And so much more. What else could I request?

Gage and Holden conquered my heart from the beginning, I was caught into their minds and was so curious to know how they were going to get their HEA, I couldn’t put my Kindle down. Maybe for the first time I’m glad the blurb told me pretty much nothing, that’s why I’m not going to reveal nothing in this review. Just know it will be almost impossible to be disappointed by the story, it’s funny, sweet and sexy, an easy read, with just a tiny bit of drama. I loved Alaska, every words and every characters. I can’t wait for the next book and the next couple to love.

With this first installment in the new Sawyer’s Ferry series, the author gave me everything I want to find in a story. It was a huge success and I can’t stop myself from recommending it to all of you. I think I’m going to reread it right this second.

The cover art by the same author is lovely, I can see Gage in the model even if his face is eyes are cut off.

SALE LINKS:  Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 183 pages

Published April 22nd 2018 by Cate Ashwood

ASIN B07CKMRZ1J

Edition Language English

Blog Tour for Squared Away (Out of Uniform #5) by Annabeth Albert (excerpt and giveaway)

 

When a SEAL medic inherits three young children, he must battle to keep the family together and keep his long-held feelings for the man challenging him for custody at bay.

Squared Away

Series: Out of Uniform #5

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date (Print & Ebook): April 16. Print, ebook, and audio all available.

Length (Print & Ebook): 80,000 words

Subgenre: m/m military romance

Includes: military romance, insta-family, hurt/comfort, angst, interracial, heroes-with-kids, gay romance, demisexual/gray ace hero, first time, loss, reunion, forced proximity

Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ptQhFH

Paperback: http://amzn.to/2ptc00A

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Squared-Away-Audiobook/B07BGJ3FRF

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/squared-away/id1326105516?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/squared-away-1

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/squared-away-annabeth-albert/1127659238?ean=9781335980809

Carina Press: https://www.carinapress.com/shop/books/9781335980809_squared-away.html

Synopsis:

In the wake of tragedy, SEAL Mark Whitley rushed stateside to act as guardian to his sister’s three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to someone else—someone Mark remembers as a too young, too hot, wild party boy. Even after six years, Mark can’t shake the memory of his close encounter with Isaiah James, or face up to what it says about his own sexuality.

Isaiah’s totally over the crush that made him proposition Mark all those years ago. In fact, he’s done with crushing on the wrong men altogether. For now, he’s throwing himself into proving he’s the best person to care for his cousin’s kids. But there’s no denying there’s something sexy about a big, tough military man with a baby in his arms.

As the legal details get sorted out, their long-buried attraction resurfaces, leading to intimate evenings after the kids are tucked in. A forever future is within reach for all of them, if only Mark can find the courage he needs to trust Isaiah with his secrets—and his heart.

What Annabeth Albert has to say about this book in her Out of Uniform series:

“I wanted to write a book about the nature of family and how loss and tragedy can shape family, mold it into something stronger, force growth and change. I’m enormously proud of SQUARED AWAY as a result because how I fell in love with this little family.”

“When Wizard first appeared in ON POINT as a secondary character, I was intrigued by him, but it wasn’t until I let myself get into his head that I really saw how complicated he was. I feel honored and privileged to have been able to tell his story.”

“No book gets written in a vacuum and this one is no different. I owe a huge debt on this book to my sensitivity readers who really encouraged me to dig deep.”

Praise for the series:

“Albert delivers a solid hurt/comfort story…” RT Book Reviews on SQUARED AWAY

“Mark and Isaiah’s budding relationship happens with sensitivity and steamy moments…” RT Book Reviews on SQUARED AWAY

“Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series is a unique look at SEALs’ lives, showing us the insides of their hearts and homes and the love that drives them.” ~Layla Reyne, author of the Agents Irish and Whisky series.  

“Sexy, sweet and heartfelt, Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series is a fresh take on Navy SEALs that will delight and entertain romance readers.” ~Layla Reyne, author of the Agents Irish and Whisky series.  

 Excerpts:

“I take it that’s a yes?”

“It’s always going to be a yes for more kissing.” Isaiah scooted closer. They’d done the massage and goodnight kiss routine a few more times, but he was careful to not press for it, to let it be Mark’s idea.

Mark gave him a fast but still electric kiss. “I was thinking about this when I was helping you outside earlier. It’s crazy how much I like touching and kissing you.”

“I love touching you too.” Isaiah trailed his fingers down Mark’s cheek. “You haven’t had that before?”

“Not really. I’ve had a lot of kisses that felt like getting my earlobe chewed by a cat or trying to kiss a salmon. Not awful but not ‘can’t wait to do it again’ either. Had some kisses I liked, but right as I was getting comfortable, the other person would try to take it to the next level. And that was always a disaster.”

“Even with your friend? The other medic?”

Mark shrugged and looked away. “He got huffy when I didn’t want to get naked after a few kisses. Called me a closet case.”

“I’m sorry.” Isaiah patted his leg, not sure what else to say. “You’re a great guy. You deserve all the good kisses—no fish or earlobe chewing allowed. And you deserve to go at your own pace. Always.”

“I feel guilty. Like I should be doing something more for you…”

“Hey now. I’m getting amazing kisses from a hot-as-fuck guy who also likes to massage me until I’m a pile of limp lettuce. Trust me. I’m not getting a shabby deal here. At all.” If anything, Isaiah felt guilty for how very much he was enjoying all this. “And add in yard work help and cleaning? Man, you’d be a lot of people’s idea of a dream date.”

“Good.” Mark leaned in for another, softer kiss. “Because I really like doing this.”

“Me too.” Isaiah tried to calm the thumping of his heart. Careful, he warned himself even as his long-comatose hope monster hefted itself up and did a dance. He couldn’t afford to go falling for Mark again, yet with each kiss, each tentative touch, he could feel his grip on his resolve weakening.

About Annabeth Albert:

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.  The #OutOfUniform series joins her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ  romance #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat and #PerfectHarmony series. To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: www.annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter.  In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two active children.

Connect with Annabeth:

Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Group | Newsletter | Instagram | Website

Giveaway: win 1 of 2 ecopies of any back catalog book by Annabeth Albert:

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Direct Giveaway Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/88d45f0353/

Sean Kennedy on Writing, Characters and his new release The Obstruction of Emma Goldsworthy (Get Out #3)

The Obstruction of Emma Goldsworthy (Get Out #3) by 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Kennedy here talking about writing, characters, and his latest release in his Get Out series, The Obstruction of Emma Goldsworthy.  Welcome, Sean.

♦︎

~ Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Sean Kennedy ~

  • How much of yourself goes into a character?

I think there’s a little bit of me in every character, even the ‘bad’ ones!  You can’t help but write what you know.  I think Emma, at the point of time we meet her in the book, is a ittle uncertain of herself and her abilities, and is comparing herself to those around her who seem to be enjoying more success.  Emma’s only twenty, so I hope she grows out of that.  I think I’m too old so I’ve lost all hope for me!

  • Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write?  

I tend to write contemporary, but when I did write a historical novel I found the research to be one of the most enjoyable parts.  I like finding out things, even if I never used them in the book.  But I do research for all of my books, just so I can give them a little flavour.  Emma lives in Canberra, which is a city I’ve only been to once.  I had to try and find out where she would go for a coffee or a beer, what suburb she would live in, and all those kinds of things.  Sometimes you take liberties but most of the time I try to be accurate.

  • Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

I wasn’t a romance reader per se, but I did love the classics.  I’ve always been a huge Jane Austen fan so I would say they were the closest thing to romance I read.  I can’t really count Wuthering Heights in that as Heathcliff and Cathy are two of the worst people in the world and destroyed everybody they knew.

  • Do you like HFN or HEA?

I like either.  As long as they’re together in the end!  Even if it’s uncertain, I’ll make up in my head that it’s the real thing and they will live the rest of their lives together anyway.

  • Who do you think is your major influence as a writer?  

I always think I sound like such a wanker when I answer this question.  I’d have to go with my top three favourite writers.  Margaret Atwood is an expert world builder and social commentator.  Tim Winton and Stephen King are so incisive when it comes to characters and their interactions with each other.  And hell, I can’t go without Jane Austen who just does everything in one package.

  • Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why?

Tigers and Devils.  I truly feel like Simon is part of me.  Even now, he still pops into my head and tells me what’s going on with him.  When I go back to Melbourne I expect to see him turning the corner and inviting me for a coffee.

  • What’s next for you as an author?

There’s the fourth and final book in the GetOut series, which focuses on Will Deanes and his troubled friendship with Micah Johnson.  And there will be the fourth Tigers and Devils book, which is currently in edit mode.

 

  •  If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

The southwest town of Albany is one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I would like a house overlooking King George Sound, where I could watch out for whales in winter, while enjoying a cup of coffee and sitting at my laptop.  That would be bliss.

BUY:  https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/the-obstruction-of-emma-goldsworthy-by-sean-kennedy-535-b

About The Obstruction of Emma Goldsworthy

Measuring up to her friend Micah Johnson’s success is an uphill battle for Emma Goldsworthy, but it’s one she’s determined to win. She works hard to stay on task and excel in her hockey program at the Australian Institute of Sport, but her mettle is tested when her ex-girlfriend returns from studying abroad… with a new American girlfriend by her side. Apparently she’s come out of the closet, something she wasn’t willing to do for Emma. Still, Emma has moved on from her ex—despite what those around her want to believe. Besides, there’s someone else on Emma’s mind—a girl she met once in passing and can’t stop pining for… even though Emma doesn’t know her real name, or even what she looks like beneath her costume.

About the Author

Sean Kennedy lives in Perth, Western Australia, but his heart still belongs to his hometown Melbourne—which is also the home of Simon Murray and Declan Tyler from his series Tigers and Devils. A disciple of cult leader David Lynch, Sean is glad he lived long enough to see the revival of Twin Peaks in 2017.

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/sean__kennedy

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sean.kennedy.58511