Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Lisa Henry here today with her most recent release, Adulting 101. Welcome, Lisa.
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Hi, and welcome to the blog tour to celebrate the release of Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry. I’m visiting some of my favourite blogs around the place to talk about writing Adulting 101, some of my influences and inspiration, and even sharing an excerpt or two! Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a prize!
Blurb
The struggle is real.
Nick Stahlnecker is eighteen and not ready to grow up yet. He has a summer job, a case of existential panic, and a hopeless crush on the unattainable Jai Hazenbrook. Except how do you know that your coworker’s unattainable unless you ask to blow him in the porta-potty?
That’s probably not what Dad meant when he said Nick should act more like an adult.
Twenty-five-year-old Jai is back in his hometown of Franklin, Ohio, just long enough to earn the money to get the hell out again. His long-term goal of seeing more of the world is worth the short-term pain of living in his mother’s basement, but only barely.
Meeting Nick doesn’t fit in with Jai’s plans at all, but, as Jai soon learns, you don’t have to travel halfway around the world to have the adventure of a lifetime.
This is not a summer romance. This is a summer friendship-with-benefits. It’s got pizza with disgusting toppings, Netflix and chill, and accidental exhibitionism. That’s all. There are no feelings here. None. Shut up.
You can find out more about Adulting 101 at Riptide.
About Lisa Henry
Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.
Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.
She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.
She shares her house with too many cats, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.
Each comment on this blog tour enters you for a chance to win a $20 Riptide credit and an ebook of your choice from my back catalogue. You’ll also win a super secret cute little gift that’s very close to my (and Nick’s) heart! Entries close August 20, and contest is not restricted to US residents. Remember to leave your email address in the comments so I can contact you if you win!
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Mann Ramblings here today to talk about writing, influences and the latest release Priest & Pariahs!
Family Influences by Mann Ramblings
I suppose it’s not really a surprise when you start plotting out a story and constructing your characters, you delve deeper than their physical characteristics. (Not that it’s not important, but we’re going beyond the superficial.) It’s not enough to know what they look like. If you want your protagonist to be more complex and genuine to your readers, there has to be more.
I usually start with their backstory. A character’s history is key to how they became the person they are. What influenced them? What motivated them? For Priest & Pariahs, I wanted a common theme between my three main characters, and without contriving some narrative link to tie them together, I found something universal regardless of their backgrounds. I chose family.
Whether we want to or not, our families affect our perception of the world, even if they were missing from it altogether. They shape our interactions with others and direct us. Whether through defiance of their authority, being a product of their values, or reacting to their actions, we rarely escape their influence.
I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate. I was in my twenties when I came out and the thought of losing people close to me was a very real terror. My family accepted me without incident, and even the ones I braced for and rehearsed for harsh opposition were unaffected by the news. (They even asked where my boyfriend was. How awkward!) They’ve accepted my bold and often inappropriate sense of humor, and when writing M/M romance became more than an offline hobby, they still saw nothing shameful about me. One of my aunts, who is quite conservative and religious, found out about my first book, and wanted a copy. Not because she wanted to read it, (the sexual content was WAY outside of her comfort zone) but because she wanted it sitting on her mantle to show how proud she was of me. I can’t say how much I adore her.
It’s this kind of support I’ve received that keeps me writing. Knowing that while my family might not be prepared to read my work, they’ve never stopped seeing my talents and believing in them. I guess that would be my family influence.
Synopsis – Priest and Pariahs
Ship Logs of the Santa Claus, Book Three
Costa McQuillen is a Pariah, a para-human with tech empathic abilities who has escaped from Earth, where being para-human is illegal—and marks him for extermination. Arrogant and standoffish, Costa is unable to trust anyone, but is willing to risk everyone’s safety to reach the planet Omoikane. His best solution: gaining passage on board the Santa Claus.
Arbor Kittering, the crew’s newest coding tech, is a medical oddity. With the technologies available to prevent birth defects, Arbor’s status as a dwarf brings the kind of attention he could happily do without. Having spent a short time in prison for data hacking and falsifying government files doesn’t help. The Santa Claus is his last chance at a new start, if he can decipher the strange malfunctions plaguing the ship.
Priest, the Santa Claus’ Head Pilot, is a bit of a scoundrel. Perpetually single, Priest is attracted to Costa for his exotic looks, and to Arbor for his unique qualities. In truth, he’d like to have both, but it’s clear such a thing isn’t in the cards. Now Priest needs to make a choice, before it’s too late.
Excerpt
“WHAT THE FUCK is this, Priest?” Arbor shouted.
Mac watched as his newest employee scrambled out of his Mess Hall chair and stalked towards the Santa Claus’ head pilot. When they sat down to dinner, Mac noticed an edge of discomfort running through Arbor, but Mac had put it off to being the new guy. Now he knew there was something specific bothering him. The sudden vitriol pouring off Arbor made Mac get up and follow him, if only to avoid another public incident with Priest.
Arbor thrust his personal datapad into Priest’s line of sight. “You want to tell me what this looks like?”
The raised eyebrows and thin smirk on Priest’s face spoke volumes. “It looks like Mr. Wiggles.”
“Mr. Wiggles?” Mac said. Craning his head over Arbor, he reached over and turned the screen by turning Arbor’s wrist. “Oh cute! You have a sock monkey! Is this picture in Engineering? Why…?” Mac’s expression deadpanned as he realized what was happening. “Oh, wait… there’s a ransom note attached. Shit.” Frowning, Mac turned on Priest. “You didn’t.”
Arbor didn’t wait for a response. “The message said, ‘Come to Engineering or you’ll never see Mr. Wiggles alive again.’ Then I went to where the holo showed, but he wasn’t there. Then I got another com that sent me somewhere else.” Arbor jammed a finger into Priest’s chest. “Where is he?”
Priest’s mouth went tight to contain his laughter. “I have no idea.”
Arbor’s jaw tightened and his whole body quaked in rage. “Bullshit! You’re the only one who’s been in my room, so it has to be you!” A few snickers could be heard from other dining crew members. It was clear multiple people were already involved and watching this new scene.
“Arbor, it’s a prank.” Mac placed his hand on Arbor’s shoulder in a vain hope to calm him down. “Every so often the crew snatches a personal effect and they pass it around from one person to the next. They send an encrypted ransom note to make the owner run around. It’s kind of an initiation of sorts.”
“Has it ever happened to you?”
Priest snorted. “He’s the captain’s boy. We like our nuts where they are, thank you very much.”
“Why would you do that to me?”
Buy Links
Don’t miss the discounted release prices on all retailer sites!
Start with Books One and Two of Ship Logs of the Santa Claus!
The Luxorian Fugitive
Sergeant Liam Jacks is the security chief of transport vessel, The Santa Claus. He travels the planetary cluster with Marc Danverse, his best friend and captain, seeking to escape his tortured past and find some peace of mind.
Having been through a civil war together, Danverse and Liam are close. Maybe too close….
All that changes when mysterious stranger, Hadrian Jamison, an escaped Adonirati, books passage to Alpha Centauri. Can he be trusted? Can the stories of his past be believed?
As Liam’s fascination with Hadrian grows, jealousy threatens to tear apart his friendship with Danverse.
When Hadrian’s owner shows up, Liam is forced to go against orders in order to launch a rescue mission to save him.
The ensuing conflict may be more than any of them expected.
The trials and tribulations of the crew and passengers of interplanetary transport vessel, The Santa Claus continues in A Cook’s Tale.
After a horrific breakup, Erron Murfin is bitter, homeless, and friendless. When the cook’s position on the Santa Claus presents itself, Erron decides to escape his current circumstances and join the crew. On board he reconnects with family friend Gamin Wells, whose own secrets and issues begin to surface upon Erron’s arrival. The least of which is the reason the pair haven’t laid eyes on one another in over twelve years.
As Erron settles into his new duties, the men on board take an interest in their newest crew member. Among those intrigued by Erron are polyamorous couple, Barrus and James. Despite Erron’s cautious nature, he’s drawn into a triad relationship with the pair.
But there’s something about Gamin…
Is Erron too damaged to confront his own feelings?
Will his past prevent him from finding what he needs?
Like many gay men, when Mann Ramblings grew up, there weren’t any heroes he could relate to. The world held him back while he tried futilely to hide the real person inside. So much has changed since those hollow days. He finally found his voice, the voice that says it’s all right to revel in the so-called inappropriate joys, laughs, and loves that storm inside a man’s head. It took a long time to find that courage and now that it’s here, he plans to use it well.
While spending years more focused on visual arts, he never let go of his innate passion for storytelling—he wanted to write and draw comic books when he grew up. Once he discovered M/M fiction, a whole new world opened with new possibilities. Why couldn’t you have fantastic and dynamic tales with an M/M cast? He started reading the online tales of authors like, Night Tempest, Rob Colton, and Alicia Nordwell, which only fueled within him the need to create. Eventually he found GayAuthors.org, and with a little coercive nudge from Night Tempest, started sharing his tales with an unexpected level of positive response. That experience and support gave him the courage to cross his fingers and aim for the world of M/M publishing.
Born and raised in Michigan, Mann Ramblings continues to type away, wishing it was practical to use a noisy, old fashioned keyboard that clacks with each strike, if only to annoy his loving partner and spoiled miniature dachshund.
August Heat is the name of a short story by W. F. Harvey, penned in 1910. It tells the tale of two men, previously unknown to each other who find out through slim connections that one will be murdered by the other. It ends with the character Withencroft writing the day’s events as Atkinson sharpens some tools: “It is after eleven now. I shall be gone in less than an hour. But the heat is stifling. It is enough to send a man mad.”
Ah, yes, the wonderful August heat! Whether you are the characters of Harvey’s August Heat, or August Heat (Commissario Montalbano #10)byAndrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli(Translator) or the families, cowboys and ex soldiers in BA Tortuga’s story, Real World, where the Texas heat is as real as the men and situations she writes about in her Love is Blind series, the searing heat of the summer acts like a main character of its own in novels and real life all over the world. This series is rapidly becoming a favorite series of mine. But that no surprise as I include that author as a favorite writer to rec as well.
We have a number of release day reviews this week, as well as audiobook reviews and regular reviews too. If you love fantasy, be sure to check out Blaine D. Arden’s Forester Trilogy which is ending with Full Circle: Forester Triad Act Three (Tales of the Forest, #3) and can be found complete in A Triad in Three Acts which will also be reviewed this week. Plus you won’t want to miss its stunning covers. Ali is reviewing a book that she thinks will be in her top 10, will it be in yours? Check it out. Plus I have Christian Baines back with his long awaited sequel to The Beast Without, The Orchard of Flesh (Arcadia Trust #2) by Christian Baines. I have a author interview and giveaway. Don’t miss that either. What a week we have in store.
Plus this will be our last week for our old look. Next week, a new look, a contest to welcome in something entirely different. Stay inside, away from the heat, unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere where its winter and cold. Grab up some books to read either way. Be here with us all week! Leave your comments, we love hearing from you. Now for this week’s schedule.
This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, August 14:
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Things Are Heating Up All Around Us
Monday, August 15:
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Marriage of Inconvenience by MJ O’Shea
A VVivacious Release Day Review: Coin of the Realm by Michael Murphy
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Real World by BA Tortuga
An Alisa Audiobook Review: Hell on Wheels by ZA Maxfield
Tuesday, August 16:
In the Spotlight: Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry (Riptide Tour and Giveaway)
Blog Tour, Giveaway and Author Interview – Priest and Pariahs by Mann Ramblings
Dreamspinner Author Guest Post and Book Tour: B.A. Tortuga and the Real World
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Flying Fish by Sedonia Guillone
Wednesday, August 17:
Series Recap Tour – Blood Moon Alliance by SA Welsh
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Relative Best by Pat Henshaw
A Paul B Review: Psychic Says by JJ Black
An Alisa Review: Softpaw by Osiris Brackhaus
Thursday, August 18:
New cover reveal: Jamie Deacon ‘Caught Inside’ (cover reveal and giveaway)
In Our Spotlight: Lilah Suzanne ‘Burning Tracks’ (excerpt and giveaway)
Release Blitz & Review Tour – Blaine D. Arden – Full Circle
A MelanieM Review: A Triad In Three Acts by Blaine D. Arden
A Free Dreamer Review: The Cop and the Drifter by Christiane France
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Moment of Truth by Karen Stivali
Friday, August 19:
In the Spotlight: The Orchard of Flesh (Arcadia Trust #2) by Christian Baines(author interview/giveaway)
In the Review Spotlight: Sarah Madison’s Fool’s Gold
A MelanieM Review: Fool’s Gold by Sarah Madison
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Turning the Page by Andrew Grey
A MelanieM Review: The Orchard of Flesh (Arcadia Trust #2) by Christian Baines
Saturday, August 20:
An Alisa Review:Behind the Uniform Anthology
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Hexbreaker by Jordan L. Hawk
Nearly three years ago, North Star was released book by book. Now you can get the entire series as a bundle!
In the summer of 2012, I was in a tizzy to get a story down that would become my North Star trilogy. I was afraid if I didn’t get it down as fast as possible, I would lose everything. Sometimes I woke in the middle of the night and went to my keyboard and wrote for hours. Other times I sat at the lake, my laptop battery charring my thigh more than the sun at my back, and type away as fast as my fingers would fly.
The story came to me in a strangely inspired way and I knew it couldn’t be told in just one book. It had to be three, even if the story was always intended to be read together.
Spark was released at the beginning of September 2013, with Fusion and Flare following in November and then January. That’s really close together for a series, so I was lucky Dreamspinner Press released them one right after the other. People have had to wait years between George R.R. Martin or J.K. Rowling books.
And now North Star is in a bundle! *cheers wildly*
The story arc spanning all three books is how Hugo and Kevin figure out how they can be together and stay together despite all the odds. And they face many obstacles over the years, starting with Kevin’s father in high school. Lucky for them, they get a second chance at love in their thirties, years after they drifted apart in college.
As authors, we take risks when we put out a series. There is always reader drift and I know not everyone will pick up subsequent books. I’m guilty of that myself. I move on to another book or series and by the time the next book comes out, I’m not around to see the release announcment or my interests have changed. That’s why I’m really excited about this bundle. I can’t wait to see how new readers will react to all three books together.
Just a few weeks ago I followed along as a reader picked up Spark and commented on Twitter as she read. She immediately picked up Fusion and then moved on to Flare and read them all in a few days. She loved the series, recommending it to all her followers, and I teared up with each of her tweets. What she loved about the stories is what I loved so much about Hugo and Kevin, their genuine love and devotion for each other and their family.
When I set out to write North Star, my intention was to tell a realistic story about a complex family that fought for each other, challenged each other, and lifted each other up. Some of what they are up against completely sucks, just like some of the crap we have to deal with in our own lives. Now you can enjoy the ride to three happy ever afters in a matter of days!
In high school, Hugo and Kevin discover they are perfect for each other. Sadly they fell in love years too early to make a solid commitment, and college and other relationships got in the way. Fifteen years later they meet again, and all those old feelings are rekindled. Second chances at such perfect love don’t happen every day. Hugo and Kevin immediately know they’re meant to be, but figuring out a way to combine their divergent lives without rocking their well-established boats is the challenge. If that’s even possible. Perhaps their love is worth upending the worlds they know.
Falling in love again is easy. Fitting into each other’s complicated lives isn’t.
Hugo and Kevin were best friends and secret lovers in high school, but a chance meeting years later proves that the spark that drew them together before is still there. In Spark, Hugo and Kevin must try to put together a relationship while overcoming the obstacles of coming out, divorce, and children. In Fusion, an unexpected illness may tear apart all they’ve been building. And in Flare, though they’ve finally settled together happily, outside forces are working hard to upset their family.
Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.
Posy is a Jill of all trades and master of the drill and paintbrush. She’s married to a partner who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep during her writing frenzies. Her daughter, a budding author and cinematographer, helps her come up with character names. For fun, Posy enjoys crafting, geocaching, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make regular life more interesting.
To Fight His Heart by Alec Nortan Publisher:NineStar Press Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Release Date: Aug. 8, 2016
Purchase Links:
NineStar Press:
COUPON CODE: Get 20% off preorder on NineStar Press website with coupon code “preorder”
* (Good until release day)
Book Blurb
The only way for Matt to be with Jordan is to put his life back on tracks. And if it requires physical injuries, Matt is ready to pay that price. One price he isn’t ready to pay, though, is other people’s mistakes. And as his past catches up with him, a lot of such people are ganging up on him, including cops.
Category: Romance Genre: Contemporary Sex Content: Non-explicit
Pairing: MM Orientation: Gay Identity: Cis Length: Novelette
Words: 22000 Pages: 73
Excerpt
Stupid phone. Jordan told me to call him two weeks ago. Two weeks and I haven’t mustered the courage to call. How can I tell him I want him back in my life, but I have to rebuild my life first? How can I ask him to put his life on hold until then, when I don’t know if it will take days, months, or years?
I put down the phone and go to get my bike. Even if I change everything else in my life, I still need to get some exercise.
Thirty minutes later, I reach my destination. It’s a closed-down factory not far from the docks. The fence has a hole in it, right where my contact told me. I go through it and hide my bike behind a bush. The door is unlocked, as I’d expected. I enter and hear voices. And funny noises. I walk down the hall to the right, as instructed, and emerge in a wide warehouse space. Machines are rusting everywhere. Small ones are scattered around seemingly haphazardly, some no bigger than a small table and others the size of a car. The biggest ones, the size of small houses, are neatly aligned, occupying a whole side of the place. Some of the casings are missing, probably eaten by rust, revealing wheels and chains crisscrossing inside the beasts. A web of gangways had been built around and above them, probably to help maintain them. These are now rusting away, with some parts missing.
Standing on top of the nearest machine, a boy, who looks barely sixteen, sits gazing down at me.
He whistles and the place becomes quiet. From behind the machines, a dozen people appear. There are four girls, and two of the guys look to be older than me, though not by much. Most of them are wearing cargo pants and hoodies; a few have on shorts and T-shirts. The only thing missing is guns. With them, they would look like a gang.
A girl walks over to me. She’s short, with brown hair tied in a ponytail. She’s wearing a dirty white skintight top and a cap. “Matt?”
I nod. “Gaby, I suppose?”
We shake hands. She turns to the group. “This is Matt, the guy I told you about.”
A boy comes forward and scrutinizes me.
He turns to Gaby. “Are you sure he won’t cause us any problems?”
I can’t help smiling at the rebuke.
Gaby keeps a straight face. “He’s the one who busted those dirty cops three years ago. Trust me, he won’t be a problem.”
This wipes the smile off my face. I’d rather leave that feat in the past. However, it gets me a few awed stares from the others around us.
“Too bad he didn’t get rid of the clean ones, too,” the kid grumbles, walking back a few steps.
“Did you take me in because of that?” I ask Gaby.
She shakes her head. “No. Don’t worry about it. But the cops don’t appreciate what we do. They can sometimes cause us trouble. I told you about it. If you don’t like it, you can go away.”
I stifle a snort. “Trust me, I’ve done worse!”
Author Bio
Alec Nortan is a French social services worker. Though he learned English at school, he chooses this language to write in. His works are gay-related fictions, varying from young adult, science fiction or fantasy adventure, to romance.
In tropical climes there are certain times of day When all the citizens retire To tear their clothes off and perspire It’s one of those rules that the greatest fools obey Because the sun is much too sultry And one must avoid its ultra violet ray
The native grieve when the white Men leave their huts, because They’re obviously definitely nuts! Mad dogs and Englishmen Go out in the midday sun…*
Mad dogs and Englishmen,written by Noel Coward and also later sung by Joe Cocker, summed up some of what the ancients already knew. The hot summer skies could drive you batty. It drove the lions and other predators out of the high mountains looking for water and food, telling the local populace that just by looking up at the night sky and the constellations looking down upon them that it was time to pen up their livestock or bring them down out of their highland pastures. Or if you were honest like Jane Austen, you wrote this:
“What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.”
– Jane Austen
But if you look further, our poetry and books are full of lyrics and rhymes where the summer night air is forever perfumed and full of song (its crickets and cicadas, damnit, laughing) and romance is waiting for lovers everywhere. The fact that you were sweating away is somehow forgotten. I sort of love that, since I’m sitting in my air-conditioned room writing this. Plus, yes, I know, they didn’t know what air conditioning was. They used fans or what have you. It was still hot, they napped. Hot is hot. Dry heat included. Don’t get me started on Delta Dawn heat.
So before I start in on this week’s schedule I’ll leave you with two contrasting views of summer. Not that the first author couldn’t write some startling views of humankind, but here he’s in a kinder frame of mind. Then there’s Henry Rollins.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” – William Shakespeare
“The streets lie, the sidewalks lie, everything lies You can try and read it but you’re gonna get it wrong…all wrong The summer evenings burn and melt and the nights glitter but you’re gonna get it wrong And it’s gonna sink its teeth into your flesh and pull you to the bottom.” – Henry Rollins
Why bring them up? On August 9th, its National Book Lovers Day. From William Shakespeare to Henry Rollins, and Jane Austen to Walt Whitman. And in M/M fiction, from Ethan Stone to Devon Rhodes, to Amy Lane and Rick R. Rick and so many more. To any author you have ever loved and read and reread. Grab up an extra book or two, or three or four. I know I’m going for that new Harry Potter story too. So many books. Plus did you know that Rhys Ford has a new one coming out? Shhh. More about that later. In the meantime, here is our schedule this week. We have so many release day reviews, I’m sure you will find books to add to you TBR pile. Check them all out.
Plus we are still looking for reviewers. Send us a email at scatteredthoughtsandroguewords@gmail.com if you want to review for our blog.
This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, August 7:
Those Hot August Days and Nights
This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Monday, August 8:
Starting New Blog by SC Wynne – Riptide Publishing Tour and Giveaway
Confessions by Ethan Stone – author Guest Blog and Dreamspinner Tour
An Alisa Release Day Review: Confessions by Ethan Stone
A Paul B Review: Crash (Demon Elite 1) by April Kelley
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Starting New by SC Wynne
Tuesday, August 9 – National Book Lovers Day:
Nash Summer’s Poison Tongue Book Release Author Blog
An Alisa Release Day Review: One Step Forward by Tia Fielding
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Stranger in Black by Devon Rhodes
A Paul B Review: Wolf (Demon Elite 2) by April Kelley
Wednesday, August 10:
Nine Star Press Blog Tour – To Fight His Heart by Alex Nortan
An Ali Release Day Review: Poison Tongue by Nash Summers
A Paul B Review: Cosmo (Demon Elite 3) by April Kelley
An Alisa Release Day Review: Running Hot by Yolande Kleinn
A MelanieM Review: Blind Date by Kay Doherty
Thursday, August 11:
Posy Roberts’ North Star Anthology Blog Tour
A MelanieM Release Day Review: North Star Anthology by Posy Roberts
An Alisa Review: Safe with You by Catherine Lievens
A Paul B Review: Tanner and Shade (Demon Elite 4) by April Kelley
An Ali Release Day Review: Spindrift by Amy Rae Durreson
Friday, August 12:
Ash by April Kelley – Blog Tour and Giveaway
Review Tour & Release Blitz – Catherine Lievens – Safe With You
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Expanded Hearts by Logan Meredith
A Paul B Review: Ash (Demon Elite 5) by April Kelley
After her girlfriend leaves her for an ex, Kelly takes off with her mustang, Shoni, and as many of her things as she can pack into her truck. The flip of a coin has her going west along I-70 from her home in Missouri, sending her toward Colorado. While driving through Dove Creek, she gets a flat tire on her trailer. She has a spare, but in his panic, Shoni manages to jerk the trailer enough to damage the wheel.
Her salvation comes in the form of sexy mechanic, Brigid, who owns a shop nearby. With a few days to wait for the wheel, the two get to know each other. A bit of fun isn’t all Brigid wants from her, but Kelly isn’t ready to jump into anything new so soon after her break up, and when Brigid offers her a job, Kelly doesn’t want to tie her life to someone so completely again.
Kelly is in need of some stability, and that’s exactly what Brigid is offering her. If she’s willing to take a chance on letting another woman into her life again, Brigid might be just who she needs.
Roadside Rescue was my first Caitlin Ricci work I read, plus it was the first FF story I tried. And I have to say it was a success.
Kelly is travelling with his mustang gelding, Shoni with no idea where to go. She just wants to leave Missouri behind and she has no intention to be back. Until her truck stops in Dove Creek, population 291, where Brigid, a beautiful mechanic, lives. The attraction between the two women is clear from the first sight.But after a bad break up with a cheating exgirlfriend, it is too soon to Kelly to be involved with someone and trust that person, right? Still, Brigid is a force of nature and pretty impossible to resist.
Roadside Rescue is very short, just 35 pages, but really well done. I liked the writing, easy to read and the characters were enough developed and with enough background, just to make the reader enjoy the story. And the little sex scene was the icing on the cake. It was sexy and lovely and real too. I liked it a lot and I’ll surely read more by Caitlin Ricci, maybe another FF.
The cover art by Natasha Snow is well done, great colors and the artist is a favorite of mine.
Sales Links
BOOK DETAILS
ebook, 35 pages Publication Date June 27th 2016 by NineStar Press
Oliver and Samuel’s relationship is fairy-tale perfect. They share a gorgeous house in Antwerp, go out with their friends every weekend, and count down the days to their dream wedding. But their happy ending is shattered one late night, and just like that, Ollie is left bereft and alone.
The months that follow are long and dark, but slowly Ollie emerges from his grief. He even braves the waters of online dating, though deep down he doesn’t believe he can find that connection again. He doesn’t think to look for love right in front of him: his bisexual friend Thomas, the gentle giant with a kind heart and sad eyes who’s wanted him all along.
When Thomas suddenly discovers he has a son who needs him, he’s ill prepared. Ollie opens up his house—Sam’s house—and lets them in. Ollie doesn’t know what scares him more: the responsibility of caring for a baby, or the way Thomas is steadily winning his heart. It will take all the courage he has to discover whether or not fairy tales can happen for real.
Usually a blurb is a taste of what happens in the book at the beginning, but this blurb seemed a bit misleading as it pretty much tells about the whole entire book. For instance, Thomas’s son does appear until well past the halfway point in the story, perhaps only in the last third it seemed.
The first third of the story was a total tearjerker, so very, desperately sad and hard to listen to. I felt so awful for Ollie and for Samuel. The aftermath of his death I felt was handled well as far as the grieving process, but I found it interesting that he had no real interest in seeing justice served on the man who had killed his fiancé.
In the second third of the story, I began to feel bad for Thomas as well. I also found myself wondered what it had been about Ollie that had him fall in love when he first met him on what he’d thought was a date, so deeply that it lasted all those years. Thomas was an interesting character, and I especially liked that he was unabashedly bisexual. Although I did connect with him and feel for him, I felt his history and backstory was a bit sketchy. And his messing around with everyone, and I do mean everyone… even a friend, and then hooking up with a guy on a trip even though he still obviously was not over Ollie rather bothered me as well.
Aside from the moments of joy at the beginning, there was mostly angst, pain and grieving, loss and unrequited love, and problems coming from right and left for the first full two thirds of this story. Not only for Ollie (and Sam), but also Thomas, as well as their friend Chloe. Also I felt awful for Peter, the nice vet who Ollie hooked up with and used as his first sex with another man (ever) after Sam’s death. He seemed such a sweet guy, and he obviously cared. When little Milo arrived on the scene, things begin to lighten up just a bit, but even then, it was interspersed with yet more problems, drama, and angst.
Despite that, I enjoyed this audiobook. The writing was good, and I felt that the narrator did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life, making me feel their individuality and emotions. It was also easy to listen to and understand, which is not always true when there are accents. The narration was consistent, sounded authentic to the area, was easy to listen to and held my attention. I would be glad to pick up other audios narrated by Craig Beck.
I liked the cover by Lou Harper, although the guy with the darker hair who is Thomas doesn’t seem to be larger than the other guy as described in the book.
King Zeir had it all, a prosperous kingdom, a fated mate and the love of his people. But when his mate dies he goes half mad with grief and transforms into his dragon form. Unable to get past his sorrow, he pines for the love he never fully knew.
Colton Lanx has known nothing but travel. His parents flew from planet to planet, never settling down. Becoming a navigator was an easy choice to make until an error by his captain forced him down to the planet Dragait.
Two men joined by destiny have to overcome their past if they wish to build a future together.
Author Bio
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.
When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life, he told her to go have fun.
During those seconds she isn’t writing, she remembers she has children who humor her with games of “what if” and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author name—two things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.
Despite her husband’s insistence she doesn’t drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.
She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.
Sam Enderson is a human detective who inherits a building from where his Uncle used to run a detective agency. He finds himself working for paranormal creatures despite his resolve to stick with humans only. To supplement his income as a new PI Sam rents out rooms in the large house.
Bob is a vampire and turns up on Sam’s doorstep to rent a room. Sparks fly and Sam is attracted to the vampire despite himself.
Sam is cursed by a witch, and has two cases landing on his desk. Werewolves, annoying ghosts and a grumpy gargoyle are enough to drive Sam mad. But somehow in amongst all of this he has to find a missing fae and a missing shifter child.
The Case of the Wicked Wolf
Naiads, humans, sirens and a challenge for Alpha make up the intricate story in the race to rescue the missing children.
Sam and Bob have more than just the case of one lost child to handle. Not only is Shelby Hartman missing, but other paranormal children have disappeared. The race to rescue the children is hampered by naiads, humans, sirens and a challenge for Alpha.
Hartman Hunter is desperate to find his daughter. He turns to the demon Danjal Naamah for help. The problem is that Danjal is the only person Hartman has ever lovedóthe man he let go for the sake of the packÖ
“…With stories that are written by more than one author, there are sometimes gaps in the flow of the writing. There are none here. The writing flows smoothly and seamlessly I wouldn’t be able to tell you who wrote what. The world describe within the story was easily imagined as where the characters….”
Author Bios
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.
When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life, he told her to go have fun.
During those seconds she isn’t writing, she remembers she has children who humor her with games of “what if” and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author nameótwo things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.
Despite her husband’s insistence she doesn’t drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.
She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.
RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.
RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.
The last time she had a weekís break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldnít defeat.
Sergeant Liam Jacks is the security chief of transport vessel, The Santa Claus. He travels the planetary cluster with Marc Danverse, his best friend and captain, seeking to escape his tortured past and find some peace of mind.
The trials and tribulations of the crew and passengers of interplanetary transport vessel, The Santa Claus continues in A Cook’s Tale.
Things Are Heating Up All Around Us
Nearly three years ago, North Star was released book by book. Now you can get the entire series as a bundle!
Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.
This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
After her girlfriend leaves her for an ex, Kelly takes off with her mustang, Shoni, and as many of her things as she can pack into her truck. The flip of a coin has her going west along I-70 from her home in Missouri, sending her toward Colorado. While driving through Dove Creek, she gets a flat tire on her trailer. She has a spare, but in his panic, Shoni manages to jerk the trailer enough to damage the wheel.
Oliver and Samuel’s relationship is fairy-tale perfect. They share a gorgeous house in Antwerp, go out with their friends every weekend, and count down the days to their dream wedding. But their happy ending is shattered one late night, and just like that, Ollie is left bereft and alone.
