Category: Book Reviews

Review: The Rusted Sword by R.D. Hero

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Rusted Sword coverAfter ten years of marriage, Lord Raleigh’s union to the vicious fighter Prince Moshe has become mired in endless arguments, uncertainty, and finally separate chambers.  A love once hot as the fire is now becoming cold and Raleigh is afraid for their future.  A proud man, Raleigh is now beset by pain from old injuries, unable to wield his swords as he once did, the same swordwork that captured the heart and passions of his husband Moshe.

After yet another argument ruins the moment between them, Raleigh learns that Moshe has accepted an invitation to participate in a winter sword fighting tournament.  It will take place in the castle on order from the king, a ruler overly fond of Moshe from Raleigh’s perspective.  Fearing that Moshe will away rather than return to the small holdings deep in the mountains, Raleigh chooses to accept as well.  Raleigh believes might be his last chance to win back Moshe’s love.  But can a man bound by pride and age find it in himself to win one more battle?  That of the only thing he wants….Moshe’s love.

The Rusted Sword by R.D. Hero is a well written short story that encapsulates the problems of one couple’s marriage.  That the couple is located in a fantasy world of snowbound keeps and a kingdom where swordplay and tournaments go hand in hand doesn’t alter the fact that most couples issues stem from the same problems.  A lack of attention to each other, a shutting down of communication and a walling away of self from your partner.  Those relationship truths exist no matter the genre or couple or even universe.

Raleigh (cousin to the King) was once a heralded swordsman.  He was famous for winning battles and tournements and by his talents, he won the heart of Moshe, a prince sent to the King from another country as hostage/good faith.  A playmate and friend of both the King and Raleigh as children, Raleigh loved him from the start and pursued him relentlessly once they were grown.  It’s been 10 years since Raleigh won Moshe’s heart and they were married and their marriage is now cold , filled with self imposed loneliness and pain.  The author makes us feel every bit of Raleigh’s years.  His aching knee, his age, and his fears that being less than what he once was has cost him Moshe’s love.  That it’s Raleigh’s pride that is also pushing Moshe away is apparent to the reader although not Raleigh himself.  Hero makes us hurt for both men even as we are exasperated by Raleigh’s actions.  It is a poignant picture Hero paints of a union in trouble, realistic in the pained dialog and long awkward silences.

An invitation acts as the impetus for a change in the relationship.  A trip, a tournament and an old friend’s actions brings about a sea change.  How that happens and the world building by Hero are some of the real joys of this short story. I thought everything here was so well done from the characterizations to the plot to the visualizations of the halls and trappings themselves.   While I wish I had a little more of the history between Raleigh and his cousin, it still came across as a  complete story instead of an interlude pulled from a much larger tale.

The Rusted Sword was a first story for me by R. D. Hero but it won’t be the last.  It’s tiny gems like this one that surprise me and makes me seek out more from an author.  That will happen here.  Love fantasy and short stories too?  Grab this one up, its just the thing for you.

Nice cover art, not sure who the artist is.

Buy Links:  Less Than Three Press               All Romance (ARe)    to come                Amazon  to come

Book Details:

ebook, 14,000 words, approx. 31 pages
Expected publication: August 27th 2014 by Less Than Three Press LLC
original titleThe Rusted Sword
ISBN139781620044049
edition languageEnglish

Does Size Matter? Find Out with Sean Michael on his Size Matters Book Tour (contest)

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Prolific author and fan favorite Sean Michael is back with another release…Size Matters!  Sean is talking about a day in his life, the new story and a contest from Totally Bound too!  Don’t miss out on any of it!

Contest:  To celebrate the launch of What’s his Passion? Totally Bound Publishing are giving away a bundle of great prizes. Enter for your chance to win here at Totally Bound! 

A Day in the Life of Sean Michael

So it was suggested that a good blog topic might be a day in the life of Sean Michael. Truly, though, a day in the life of any of my characters would be more interesting. I write, you know? Especially in the summer – I don’t like the weather, so I hibernate indoors, and I write.

Now Trey, he also spends most of his days writing, but he also has his dog, has coffee at Earthscape Java, his local coffeeshop. He talks to his assistant, sometimes hashing out plot points or clearing up details that he just doesn’t know as a blind author. Then he meets Lucien and suddenly his days become very exciting.

Lucien is a people person and his days include a myriad of little things that come with running the gym, although he is very good at delegation and gets to concentrate on what he truly enjoys – being a personal trainer. Oh, and if he can get a few hours of reading in, too, he’s a happy guy. Then he meets Trey and again, things become more exciting and suddenly he’s making uh, interesting purchases to bring to Trey.

I imagine most folks, real or fictional, have routines that they follow day to day, and I and my characters are, for the most part, the same way. It’s when something unusual happens, like meeting the man of your dreams, that days become atypical and exciting.

Sean Michael
smut fixes everything
http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

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sizematters_800Blurb for Size Matters:

Trey is a natural submissive, but no one wants to take on a blind man. When Trey and Lucien hit it off, it could be the answer to Trey’s prayers.

When Lucien meets his favorite author at a book signing, he’s surprised to discover the man is not only blind, but much younger than he’d expected. He’s even more surprised to discover that Trey shares a passion of his—BDSM.

Trey loves his life as a horror mystery writer, but it is a lonely one. Immediately drawn to Lucien, he’s surprised and intrigued when Lucien ferrets out his interests in certain aspects of BDSM right from the start.

Is Lucien exactly who Trey’s been waiting for, or is it too good to be true?

 

 

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Buy Size Matters here at Totally Bound:

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Author Bio: Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organising his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channelling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago”.

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Totally Bound Author link for Sean Michael.     Totally Bound Logo

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Book Blast: Down On The Other Street by Jennifer Cie (contest)

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Book Blast: From Jennifer Cie

a collection of stories “Down On The Other Street”

 

 

Book Title: Down On The Other Street
Author Name: Jennifer Cie
Author Bio: Jennifer Cie is a Tennessee native who loves taking aimless road trips, taste testing whiskey and low grade tequila—for science, and writing about social issues in everyday life. Self-proclaimed writer of “two cups of morning coffee” length books, Cie is the author of the fictional work Memphis Rain, creative non-fiction memoir Burn It, and the upcoming collection of short stories entitled Down On The Other Street.

When she is not getting lost driving across state lines, you can find her rambling about book formatting, poor life decisions, and everything in between on her blog: http://www.journeytopaperback.com.

Author Links:
Twitter: @JenniferCie1
Cover Artist: Najla Qambers
Publisher: Self-published

 

 

DownOnTheOtherStreenV1-Brighter.v2Blurb:

Long winded, unemployed, and timid, on the first date Brendan Bloom is already in love. Comfortably arched over his body, Ryan contemplates murder. Cold, necklace gleaming against the pale tint of her collarbone, the passenger could have mercy. Not a little black book, but a faded love letter out from under the sheets. Some romances ignite on sight, others flare at the base of waterless tubs soaked in agitation. Rooted in the South, this collection of short stories delivers five electric confessions of love, sexuality, and identity across time.

Excerpt:

““You’re not asking someone studied—you know? I guess the rough kind of good. Like when you floss your teeth till your gums bleed. Hurts a bit, but the taste and feel are good to you.”

My first “real” talk came from you in 1992. I was fourteen sitting on the edge of my father’s leather recliner watching you cut the edges off a peanut butter sandwich. You didn’t have any tattoos back then. You had on this red sweater with blue stripes swishing through it. That pesky string of acne was still running down your right cheek when you offered me half of the sandwich.

“Anna. Why do you want to know about sex—from me?”

I wanted to tell you that the walls in my house had grown thin. Even with the stretches of screeching cars passing by and gargled whispers from the Mississippi River outside, I could hear everything tiptoeing inside. The high pitched turned guttural shrieks the women in my brother’s magazines evoked. The sound of the calluses on his hands attacking flesh like rubberized sandpaper; then, the wheezing attack followed by a hushed “guuu-ah” and tissues sopping up warm ooze. The late-night lullaby to my summers had changed, and I wanted to know the words.”

–Excerpt from Intellectuals Are Fools


JC600x600BannerGTour Dates/Stops:
7/14: Prism Book Alliance, LeAnn’s Book Reviews
7/15: My Fiction Nook, Iyana Jenna, Love Bytes
7/16: MM Good Book Reviews, Kimi-Chan
7/17: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Fallen Angel Reviews
7/18: Amanda C. Stone, Michael Mandrake

 

Contest:  Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy when the book comes out.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

In the Author Spotlight: Chatting with Angel Martinez on Writing, Endangered Fae and Much More! (contest)

spotlight on booksDiego Endangered Fae coverFinn_432(1) coverSemper Fae cover

ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Sits Down with

Angel Martinez to chat about  her Endangered Fae series, writing, and 

much more!

 

 

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I fell in love with Angel Martinez and her Endangered Fae series from my first introduction to Finn, the Fae in question, and his lover Diego in Finn (Endangered Fae#1).  A first interview with the author followed, as did the second book, Diego (Endangered Fae #2).  By now I was captured up in the universe Martinez had built for her series and the characters involved.  So  when I heard the third  novel was coming out, I knew that a second interview was needed to learn more about the author and the series as it evolves.

Contest: Angel Martinez has brought along a copy of  Finn (Endangered Fae #1) to give away.  To enter to win an eBook copy of Finn, leave a comment below, along with an email address where you can be contacted.  In addition, STRW is offering up a eBook copy of Semper Fae as a prize as well.  Two Endangered Fae books, two winners! You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest ends midnight EDT on July 25th.

 

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍Now on to my interview with Angel Martinez:
STRW:  Endangered Fae combines a number of mythologies. Native American, Irish…what prompted that combination and which ones to choose from?

Angel Martinez: Myth and folklore are passions of mine, from when I was very young. Part of that probably stems from the leftover bits of the old ways in my mother’s and grandmother’s kitchen wisdom, (Stir that in one direction! You’ll upset the kitchen spirits!) and partly from a fascination with fairytales that morphed into something more.

The Irish/British Isles mythology stems right from the pooka himself, who is a mostly Irish spirit. In the second book on, Finn’s associations extend to more of the creatures of that myth/folklore region since those would be the people he knew. Later on, the world expands further as we travel further, so we run into creatures of Arabian myth as well.

The Algonquian mythology was also a matter of geography. Finn and Diego travel to Nova Scotia, so what they met there needed to be local as well.

STRW:  The Fae continue to fascinate and they appear in many forms from the elegant “human” type to the alien and frightening “Good folk” in the old tradition. Which appeals to you?

Angel Martinez: I actually like both, and pookas, while they can appear as handsome humans, are more “good folk” than Tolkien elvish. For the purposes of romance, the fae I’ve chosen throughout the series as love interests are ones who are more humanoid and beautiful, but our heroes encounter many different types along the way, some lovely, but some alien and strange.

STRW:  Did or do you have a muse for this series? If so, what was it? Or who?

Angel Martinez:  I don’t often have muses, but Finn insisted on taking the job. He’s more real to me some days than the people in my neighborhood (and often more sensible.) Authors often talk about characters communicating with them or demanding things. It often seems a silly conceit, but Finn’s been beside me, whispering in my ear, for many years now.

STRW:  You write in a number of genres. Do you feel that is important for you as a writer to continue to do so? Do you have a favorite?

Angel Martinez:   I think it’s important for an author to have a recognizable milieu. You pick up Anne Rice, you’re pretty sure what you’re going to get. While I’ve done a couple of short contemporary pieces, I concentrate on Science Fiction and Fantasy because that’s what I love, as a reader and as a writer. I’ve set myself up so that readers (I hope) will see the name and make that instant connection (Oh, yes! She writers SFF.)

Mind you, I’m adamant about the fact that Science Fiction and Fantasy are *not* the same thing. There are distinct differences that shouldn’t be muddied if you want a believable story and when I write, I feel that they use different parts of my brain. SF uses that more rational side of the brain, even when I’m writing SF humor, and Fantasy uses that more fanciful, surreal side of the brain. (SF = plan, build, measure Fantasy = wheeee!)

I do write both adult SF and all ages (under my given name) as well, though I don’t really consider those different genres, just different focuses of story arc.

STRW:   How long have you been writing?

Angel Martinez:  Writers get asked this a lot. Most of us will tell you we’ve been telling stories all our lives, whether we wrote them down or not. I’ve written stories from the time I could write, but didn’t finish my first novel (that will never see the light of day) until the late 1990’s. My first published work was picked up in 2006 and my first gay romance published in 2007. So I’ve been around the block a few times 😉

STRW:. How long does it take you to research a story? Have you ever traveled for your research or folded your experiences into a story?

Angel Martinez:  It depends what I’m trying to do. If the subject matter is something I have a lot of experience with and a lot of source material lying around, research might take a couple of days. If it’s something I’m struggling with, it could take weeks to hammer out the basic points (as in a new interstellar spaceship propulsion method.)

I wish I had the money to travel just for research. That would be lovely. But I do often use places I’ve been in stories: New York, Nova Scotia, Los Angeles, Wilmington. I sometimes do rough sketches of things I see to get the details right later. All of us pick bits and pieces of our experience out of our brains and use them for our stories, whether it’s conscious or not.

STRW:   What’s next in the series?

Angel Martinez:  Semper Fae, the third Endangered Fae book, just released from MLR Press on 7/11/14. That one’s Zack’s story, for all my readers whoSemper Fae cover said the Marine needed his own story. But never fear, Diego and Finn (especially Diego) play a huge part in the plot still.

After that, I’ve just finished No Fae Is An Island, in which we have Diego and Finn traveling farther than ever and getting into just as much trouble as usual, and some new characters, one of whom we’ve met in Semper Fae, get to be the heroes.

Here’s a sneak peek blurb for No Fae Is An Island:

“Three years ago, Danu banished Diego for a time from the human world. Three years and three days doesn’t seem that long to be away from home but time among the wild fae can change a man and the human world returns the favor by changing while he’s away. Human governments haven’t all had humane reactions to magic users. There’s a vampire on Tearmann Island’s security force. A curious selkie’s followed him home. So much to do to keep the world safe…but Diego’s no longer sure he has the right to interfere.

Theo Aguilar started his vampire life on the wrong side of the law. He’s killed and knows how dangerous he can be if he doesn’t stay in control every moment of every day. But the fae took him in and Prince Lugh has given him a position of trust. He owes them more than gratitude, so when Diego and Finn are arrested on a diplomatic mission far from home, he knows his duty. He’s striking out on his own to rescue them, a lone vigilante once again, though this time for the good guys. The only glitch? The selkie, Limpet, can’t seem to understand the alone part.”

STRW: Do you write one story at a time or have several at different stages at one time?

Angel Martinez:  Ideally, I have one at a time. I’m not one of those writers who can switch back and forth from one story to another. But I do, sometimes, start a story and then have to set it aside for another deadline. At one point this year, I had three stories started and had to work on a fourth. We’re now down to one at the edit stage, one started and set aside and one that needs immediate attention.

STRW:   Finally, why do you write?

Angel Martinez:  *tortured, dramatic sob* Because I must! Seriously, though,I enjoy it. It’s what I love best. And if you find something you love, why would you do anything else?

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Thank you, Angel Martinez, for stopping by and sitting in the Author’s Spotlight chair for a moment.  I can’t wait to read the next two stories in the Endangered Fae series.

For those of you new to the series and, perhaps, the author as well, be sure to leave a comment below and be entered to win an eBook copy of Finn (Endangered Fae #1) from Angel Martinez and a second winner will be chosen to win a eBook copy of Semper Fae from ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords.  Happy Reading!

Stories in the Endangered Fae series are to date:

Finn (Endangered Fae #1)
Diego (Endangered Fae #2)
Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3) released 7/11 (5 stars review to follow!)
No Fae Is An Island (Endangered Fae #4) to be released

Author Bio:

Angel Martinez currently lives part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head. She has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.

Angel’s alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction – Sandra Stixrude.

You can contact//follow Angel Martinez at:

Review: Noble Metals by L.A. Witt

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

NobleMetals_500x750When  Robert Belton and his brothers left home  to make their fortune in the Klondike gold fields, they never imagined where their gold fever and poor judgement would take them.  Amid betrayals and gambling debts, only Robert is left to survive in Seattle and he does so by becoming a prostitute.  Robert hopes to save enough money to make it over the Chilkoot Trail into the Yukon and join the hunt for gold.

Dr. John Fauth is on sabbatical from his teaching post at the university in Chicago.  Dr. Fauth carries a precious machine with him to Seattle, one he developed and built himself.  With it, John hopes to find the platinum deposits he needs to further his experiments.  But first he needs to hire someone to help him make the journey into the Yukon, for where there is gold, there is also platinum.

When the only room available in Seattle happens to come with an attractive young man attached to it, John hires Robert for the evening and finds more than he expected.  In the morning, he offers Robert a job.  One man cannot haul the equipment needed for mining by himself, so when John offers Robert a job to join him on the trail going north, Robert eagerly accepts.

Even in ordinary conditions, the gold trail into the Yukon and Canada is fraught with dangers.  But John’s machine and the purpose for which it was built is drawing predators of its own.   The long nights, tough journey, and common enemies bring John and Robert together in passion and friendship.  As the danger mounts, both must decide what is more important to them…noble metals or love.

L.A. Witt takes a gripping period in history and gives it a steampunk twist in Noble Metals.  Just the mention of gold rush brings all manner of images and references to mind.  A huge human migration built on greed, adventure, and the hope of a quick fortune to be made saw towns and small cities spring up around the locations near to the mines or close to the heads of the trails into the gold fields.  Those towns quickly filled with  the unfortunate, the desperate, the opportunists, dreamers, the predators that fed on them, and everything in between.  L.A. Witt brings that Seattle to life here in Noble Metals.

Seattle is the center of the mining explosion.  A port bringing in supplies, hardened men and the unwary, people are arriving by boat, horse and carriage and airship if you have the money to afford it.  Yes, airship as in blimp.  For in this universe, its the blimp or zeppelin or airship that is the highest mode of transportation.  Electricity is still largely undiscovered with Edison, Tesla, and Fruth in the race to develop semi conductor technology.  Until that happens, everything mechanical runs on steam.

I love the ingenious twists and inventions that L.A. Witt brought into her Steampunk Gold Rush.  The Golden Staircase, the fifteen hundred steps carved into the ice from Chilkoot’s base to its peak, a treacherous ice stairway that all and their provisions had to climb if they wanted to reach Dawson City and the Yukon.  Vivid descriptions of the biting cold, sliding mechs, and a slow climb upwards in pain, fortitude, and numbness makes this trail feel like the hell it would have been to all those that attempted it.  Right down to the cannibalized structures of abandoned, broken down machinery that littered the landscape around the Golden Staircase, Witt’s scenes immediately bring to mind the litter and dead bodies left on Mt. Everest, making the connection to each climb clear.

Ah, the mechs.  Steam powered, eight legged, mechanical beasts of burden.  What a great contraption for L.A. Witt to invent for her story!  A new fangled piece of equipment used to convey supplies needed by the miners to dig for gold, they are a quixotic wonder.  Here is L.A. Witt’s description of the beasts:

“…mech, a spidery brass machine that would carry the ton or more of gear over the rugged terrain…I watched an empty mech limp past us. The valves on the front-mounted engine coughed little puffs of steam out the top, and the whole thing rattled as one leg landed badly with every step. I couldn’t tell if the leg was bent or if one of its joints was damaged, but something was definitely wrong.”

Amazingly, lives depended on such a strange walking machine.  And the fight to get it to function and walk properly is as nearly entertaining and fraught with peril as is the rest of Robert and John’s journey.  I really loved those mechs and could picture them quite clearly in my mind as I read.

Then there is the romance between Robert and John.  It found them endearing and their relationship moving.  While unequal in social status, John recognizes a kindred mind in Robert’s.  John values Robert’s intelligence and honesty as much as Robert’s good looks.  They bond over books, and the cold solitude of their tent along the trail on the slow journey to Dawson City.  Nary a case of instant love in sight, I loved how slowly their feelings for each other grew. Not only do they question their feelings for each other but what future, if any, was possible for them.  Great job by the author on making this element feel as real as the situation they find themselves in.

The story is told from Robert’s point of view but John’s side of the story is inserted here as well via journal entries in the diary John is keeping.  I loved seeing Robert and the trail from John’s perspective.  It also widened our view of the universe the author created by getting glimpses of John’s life in Chicago and the world in general.

My only wish was that the journey had gone further and the story continued on longer.  I’ll say no more.  But the world that L.A. Witt build with its tent city at the border, filled with miners, mechs and run efficiently by the North West Mounties (instead of the Royal Canadian Mounties today), along with the rough and tough city of Seattle made me want more of the stories of the people passing through and what if any fortunes they found along the way.

I love Nobel Metals and highly recommend it to all lovers of steampunk, m/m romance and adventure.

Cover art by April Lee.  Love this cover, perfection in every way and one of the best of the year.

Buy Links for Noble Metals:               Riptide Publishing                     ARe (All Romance)                Amazon      Noble Metals

 

Bool Details:

ebook, 1st Edtion
Published January 2nd 2012 by Carnal Passions
ISBN139781926996752
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.loriawitt.com/Books_by_L.html#nobleanchor

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published by a different press; it has since been edited extensively and expanded by over 10,000 words.)

Review: Running Wild (Havoc #1) by S.E. Jakes

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

RunningWild_400x600Sean Rush is a mess and he knows it.  Born from a union between a sociopathic killer and a mother hooked on drugs and sex, Sean escaped his violent home life with his two best friends and their mutual love of cars.  Too bad that included stealing cars and street racing them.  Hauled before a judge atfter being caught, Sean and his friends chose the Army over jail and went to war.  But that just piled more bad issues on top of a heap of bone deep problems Sean carries within him.

Now out of the Army, Sean’s energies are looking for an outlet and finds it at Bertha’s, a Havoc MC hangout.  Trouble finds Sean in the form of Ryker, a Havoc Motorcycle Club lieutenant, a bad boy among bad boys.  A gorgeous hot man, Ryker represents everything Sean wants and should stay away from.  And not only does Sean want Ryker but Ryker wants him as well.  Bad enough to break into Sean’s apartment night after night for 8 months for the best sex of Sean’s life.  The problem is that Sean is starting to want more from Ryker and Sean doesn’t do relationships even if Ryker does.  This leaves Sean feeling scared, edgy and more stressed out than ever.

Then his best friend Noah calls. Noah’s in bad trouble and needs Sean’s help to steal an expensive car to save Noah’s hide.  Things go from bad to disastrous almost immediately.  It’s Ryker who saves Sean but that act puts the Havoc MC and Ryker in danger.  Cracks and crevices are appearing everywhere on the road ahead for Sean and happiness, including a relationship and love with Ryker.  But first Sean has to save Noah, outrun the thugs after them, steal a few cars and maybe, just maybe save himself along the way.

Just the name S.E. Jakes is enough for me to buy a book.  Jake’s stable of bruised, and damaged men always make for a memorable read and absorbing tale as her characters fight for love and a future for themselves and their lovers.  You can count on their journey being a hard one, full of illegalities, covert operations and bloody fights.  Running Wild, the first in Jakes new Havoc series,  falls definitely along those standards for an S.E. Jakes action romance, starting with her main character and story narrator, Sean Rush.

What a perfect name for a character on the run from his past, his pain, and his desires.  Sean is in a rush to get somewhere if only he knew where he was going.  Sean’s is a voice of a man in constant pain and confusion.  He fights against his impulses to steal and the adrenaline rush it provides. He fights against a need for love and stability, falling back on his old friends whose decision making processes are no better than his.  Really, Sean is just one pretty mess of a man in need of help and more. The choice of making Sean Rush the “voice” of her story is a risky one.  If you love Sean or can at least commiserate with  a man haunted by his abusive background and how it impacted his teenage/adult years, then you are going to love this story.  On the flip side, if you find that unapologetic thieves that keep making the same mistake over and over unappealing, then Running Wild will make you want to run the other way.

Much like Sean, I think it will be a love him or leave him attitude here for all readers.  For me, I remain a little ambivalent about the character of Sean.  Every part of Sean’s life is a sinkhole of problems.  A father in jail for murder,  guilt and PTSD over his Army experiences, a compulsion to steal that lies close to the surface, and a loyalty to a few who keep pulling him back into the world of thugs and car thefts.  Sean is a realistically crafted character that you will want to shake  some sense into at least every five minutes or  so. He is that person you care about but are not sure you want to let him into your home.  A little of him goes a long way and when he is the narrator of the story that becomes an impossibility.  What saves Sean and the reader is the arrival of Ryker, a Havoc Motorcycle Club lieutenant who falls hard for Sean perhaps to the club’s detriment and his own.

Ryker is tender, brutal, and unwaveringly loyal to a club that took him in and raised him.  Ryker made the story for me and he made Sean palatable.  I have to admit that I would have loved viewing this story through Ryker’s eyes instead of Sean’s.  Both came from turbulent, abusive backgrounds.  Ryker was saved and Sean was not.  That fact dictated the manner in which each boy developed, again another  realistic plot choice from Jakes.  But Sean’s voice is so out of control, so wild that he needs Ryker to rein him in narratively speaking and we don’t get enough of that control here.  But what we get of Ryker, the Havoc MC family and his tenuous relationship with Sean smoothes out the clatter enough to make this a really enjoyable story.

Noah is a terrific side character as is Sweet, Casey, Jethro and others.  Many, many others as there are two motorcycle clubs in town to deal with here. The love and rush of stealing and racing cars comes across perfectly.  I totally got the appreciation of a finely crafted machine and the need to take it to its limits on the road (I am a fan of Top Gear British Edition after all). That element is telegraphed in scenes and descriptions that pulls in the reader and makes them understand the nature of Sean and Noah’s obsession with cars.  Loved that about Running Wild!

Aside from Noah, I think my other real issue with Running Wild is that S.E. Jakes had a huge list of elements she wanted to include in this story in order to set the stage for her series.  By trying to tie in numerous plot points, multiple complications from the characters pasts, side storylines that vied for top billing with the main plot…after a while it just felt a tad too ambitious and a little overwhelming for this story and characters.  They have a lot thrown at them while already dealing with a plethora of pain and problems that would drown a superhero.  At one point, I wanted to wave a flag to slow the action down and sort out the who, what and where.  No matter, S.E. Jakes pulls it all together at the end for a resounding ending with a touch of the supernatural thrown in.  I did say there were a ton of elements here didn’t I?  That includes a supernatural or haunted hill  with a mind of its own.

So. Running Wild and the Havoc MC series.  Do I recommend it?  Yes.  It’s exciting, fast paced, and gripping.  It may drive you a little nuts at times as will Sean.  But stick with the story, finish the race with them and enjoy the outcome and the winner’s lap.  See what I did there?  Blame Top Gear!

Aside from Ryker and Sean,  there are a number of characters I want to see get their HEA or at least HFN.  So I will be waiting for the next Havoc story to arrive, along with new installments from the other S.E. Jakes series I am hooked on.  If bad boys on bikes and sexy, angsty tales of love are your thing, grab up a copy of Running Wild and start reading.  Let me know what you think of Sean and Ryker.   Happy Trails!

Cover art by L.C. Chase.  Love the cover and the motorcycle.  Feel the need for a little Steppenwolf coming on…”like smoke and lightnin’,Heavy metal thunder,Racing in the wind, And the feeling that I’m under…”*

*Read more: Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Buy Links:          Riptide Publishing                 All Romance (ARe)              Amazon               Running Wild

 

Book Details:

ebook, 280 pages
Published June 28th 2014 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626491533
urlhttp://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/running-wild
seriesHavoc #1

Book Blast/Contest: On Tour with S.A. McAuley and her release “Damaged Package”

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S.A. McAuley is Back with Sexy Men and Their Damaged Pasts!

Can Romance Be Far Behind?

Check Out “Damaged Package” by S.A. McAuley Today!

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S.A. McAuley, author of the Borders War series and more, is back toting sexy, damaged men on the road to romance.  Check out the excerpt below and find the link to enter to win an eBook copy of “Damaged Package” for your own.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter to win.

Book Title: Damaged PackageDamagedPkgBanner
Author Name: S.A. McAuley
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh
Publisher: Self-Published

Author Bio: I sleep little, read a lot. Happiest in a foreign country. Twitchy when not mentally in motion. My name is Sam, not Sammy, definitely not Samantha. I’m a pretty dark/cynical/jaded person, but I hide that darkness well behind my obsession(s) for shiny objects. I’m the macabre wrapped in irresistible bubble wrap and a glittery pink bow, I suppose.

Author Links:
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/authorsamcauley
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/samcauleywrites/app_10026589669034,
GoodReads – http://www.goodreads.com/authorsamcauley
Instagram – http://instagram.com/authorsamcauley
Newsletter: https://www.facebook.com/samcauleywrites/app_1002658966903
Tumblr – http://authorquestionmark.tumblr.com/
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/AuthorSAMcAuley

 

Blurb:

DamagedPackage_800

 

Forced into early retirement from his career as a SWAT officer for the city of Detroit, James Deacon knew that when he failed it would be a fall of epic proportions. He’s been living life by the tips of his fingers for over twenty years, and his new gig organizing a group of misfit military types into a functioning team—including his reluctant ex-fiancée—won’t return him to stable ground anytime soon.

Trevor Barrow has been on the move for the last seven years—hitting the road when relationships became too real or too much work. He’s home now, working in the hazardous world of bike messengers in the Motor City, and the only one of his eight siblings who knows he’s returned is his sister Cat. It’s not as if reconnecting with them matters anyway, because it’s likely he’ll be gone again soon.

Both men are lugging some heavy baggage, but when they chance upon each other in a dive bar it’s hard to deny their flaws are more like symbiotic quirks. Trevor’s backpedaling instincts and Deacon’s dance-dance party past may just be intersecting at a time when things are about to get explosive in Detroit.

 

 

Excerpt:

Deacon paid for their last-round of drinks and they stood at the bar as the lights clicked on. He reached out and swept back a lock of Trav’s fringe, letting his fingers linger against Trav’s sweat-slick skin.

“You gotta let me take you home,” Deacon said.

Trav scoffed and took a drink of his beer. “Worst pick up line ever.”

“I thought the worst was saying that I’d never seen you at Honest John’s before?”

“Yeah. You’re pretty bad all around.”

But instead of feeding Trav another line, Deacon made the conscious decision to give an honest reply. “Dating’s just not my scene.”

Trav tipped his head and studied him. “You know what? I don’t know if I’m supposed to believe you and be reeled in by how unconventional you are, or if this is all a game for you.”

He shrugged. Already he knew there was little he could do to sway Trav either way—Trav was perceptive. “I’ll give you time to decide that for yourself. In the mean time, though, I’m serious. Let me at least ride with you in the cab back to your place. I don’t live far from you and it will make me feel better to know you’re safe.”

“I ride a bike in downtown Detroit for a living, James. Pretty sure I can handle myself.”

Deacon’s lips curled into a smile at both Trav’s use of his first name and his brash confidence. “I’m positive you can.”

“Well, then… What? That doesn’t…” Trav pursed his lips together in a thin line and left the remains of his trailing thoughts unsaid. Trav took another swig from his beer, emptying the cup and setting it on the bar. “Whatever. Yeah, you can take me home. But I’m not inviting you up. Got it?”

Deacon would take it. He held out his hand and waited for Trav to decide it was okay to take this one small step. When Trav’s fingers curled around his after only a heartbeat of hesitation, Deacon worked through the lingering crowd to the front door, unable to wipe the triumphant smile from his face.
The ride back into the city didn’t take as long as it had to get out to Ferndale. The city became a ghost town after a certain time of night. And they’d passed that threshold hours ago. They rode in silence, with hands still touching if not intertwined, and when they pulled up to the Park Shelton, Deacon paid the cabbie and got out with Trav.

It took a moment for Trav to realize what had just happened. He watched the cab drive away, glared at Deacon, back down the road, then put his hands on his hips. “Whoa. Whatcha doing getting out of the cab? I distinctly remember not inviting you up.”

“Huh,” was all Deacon said as he pointed at the cab disappearing around a corner. “But there goes my ride.”

“I’m not a first date slut.”

Deacon groaned playfully, but his heart skipped a happy beat to hear Trav considered this a date, too. “You’re not going to make me count out dates or something like that, are you?”

Trav’s fingers drummed against hips as he seemed to be considering his options. Yet barely restraining a smile at the same time. “Just for that response? Maybe.”

Deacon dropped to his knees on the sidewalk, and raised his clasped hands to the heavens, pleading to Trav in an overly loud voice, “Please, Trevor Barrow! What do I have to do for you to let me up to your apartment, Trevor Barrow? I just want to watch the History Channel or maybe So You Think You Can Dance, Trevor Barrow. I promise I have nothing lewd or lascivious—”

A group of female college students walking by giggled at his display, providing a running commentary as they eyed the scene unfolding on the sidewalk. “Dude, Trevor Barrow, you should let him up.” Then, “He’s cute. He can come back to my place.”

Deacon couldn’t have planned his public begging session better.

Trav blushed and laughed out loud. “Alright. Off your knees.”

“At least for now!” one of the girls yelled as they turned the corner.

Trav sighed, offered his hand and pulled Deacon up toward the front entrance of his apartment building. “You’re going to give me a reputation, Deacon.”
“I earn every reputation I give.”

Deacon smirked and held the door open for Trav once he’d swiped his key card.

“Where did the tears suddenly disappear to? The histrionics?”

He shrugged. “I got my way.”

Trav stopped in the doorway and looked up at Deacon wide-eyed. “Holy shit. You really are certifiable.”

Deacon ran his finger along Trav’s jawline, wanting nothing more than to kiss Trav. But whether Trav wanted to believe it or not, what happened between them next was up to Trav. “Cat’s completely right. She just should have waited for you to find that out on your own.”

Trav shook his head, his voice laden with sarcasm, but his stunning eyes crinkled at the corners in silent laughter, “Yeah, like that would’ve taken me long.”


DamagedPkgBadgeTour Dates: 7/14/14

Tour Stops: MM Good Book Reviews, Parker Williams, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Havan Fellows, Prism Book Alliance, Nephylim, Velvet Panic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Fallen Angel Reviews, My Fiction Nook, The Hat Party, Sinfully Sexy, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Amanda C. Stone, Love Bytes, Smoocher’s Voice, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Full Moon Dreaming, Pants Off Review, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Iyana Jenna, Emotion in Motion, Kimi-Chan

 

Buy Link:  S.A. McAuley website   Amazon    ARe

Rafflecopter Prize: Signed paperback of Damaged Package (contest open internationally)

Rafflecopter Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More Winner Announcements and the Week Ahead at ScatteredThoughts

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Books, reading clipart 090

 

It’s the 13th already?  How the time just flies by, it will be August before we know it and there is still so much I have to do.  And that’s inside, outside and at my desk.  Trying different things on the blog, so if you see bits appear and then disappear, you know I am tinkering, albeit in my Scatteredway.

❖And I have a question for you all.  How important is it for you to have a review blog with one reviewer or multiple reviewers?  When a review blog has more than one reviewer, do you remember the individual reviewers name or just the review?  This inquiring mind wants to know….thanks.

I have several winner announcements to make.  The winners of the following contests are (all have been notified):

  • Of Madeleine Ribbon’s “Faire Protector“Contest:  the winner is JeanReads2
  • Of Mina MacLeod’s Swords,Sorcery and Sundry Contest:  the winner is felinewyvern
  • Of B.A. Tortuga’s Wolf Run:  the winner is JillP
  • Of Eden Winter’s Diversion Tour:  the winner is Karen R.
  • Of Havan Fellows’ Hidden Needs  Tour:  the winner is Allison H.
  • Eric Thompson’s “Absolute” Book Tour & contest:  the winner is Serena

More to come.  Congratulations to all the winners.  Thank you to everyone who left comments and participated.  You rock my world!  RJ Scott’s contest is still open so don’t forget to drop by and leave a comment to be entered into her terrific giveaway.

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I have been reading lots of new authors, to me at any rate.  Rory Ni Coiliean, Lou Sylvre, and Charley Descoteaux in advance of some upcoming book tours and I can’t wait to share some of their stories with you.   I am also reading the next in Kendall McKenna’s Strength of the Pack series, Strength the Mate, and its blowing me away.  Look for my review this Saturday.

What can’t I share?  Riptide has made me promise not to talk about Aleksandr Voinov’s final story in the Scorpion series, A Taste For Poison.  But do I love this story? Yes.  Do I love this character and series?  Absolutely.  Not a romance by any means but that’s fine.  That term doesn’t work for a story as brutal at times as this has been.   But it is so outstanding that  I would more readers would find it and spread the word.  I am also reading, viewing, whatever you do with a photograph non fiction book, a book of photographs taken of different drag queens called, appropriately dr.a.g. (bookthefilm edition).  The pictures by various photographers are glorious as are the drag performers inside. I can’t wait to share my review of that with you as well.

But enough of what’s still in progress, here is the week I have planned for you all this week:

Monday, July 14:

  • On Tour with SE Jakes and her latest release Running Wild (contest)
  • Book Blast with SA McAuley and “Damaged Package” Tour and Contest

Tuesday, July 15:

  • T.A. Chase’s Mountains to Climb “What’s His Passion?” Imprint Book Tour/Contest
  • Audio Book Tour:  Tara Lain’s The Pack or the Panther Tour/Contest
  • Review:  Running Wild by SE Jakes

Wednesday, July 16:

  • On Tour with L.A. Witt and Noble Metals, a Steampunk Romance (contest)
  • Review:  Noble Metals by L.A. Witt

Thursday, July 17:

  • In the Author Spotlight:  Angel Martinez and her Endangered Fae series (contest)
  • Book Blast:  Jennifer Cie’s Down On The Other Street Story Collection (contest)

Friday, July 18:

  • Diana DeRicci’s “Not Quite Broken” Book Blast and Contest
  • Does Size Matter?  Find out with Sean Michael’s Size Matters Book Tour/Contest

Saturday, July 19:

  • Review:  Strength of the Mate by Kendall McKenna

 

I want to leave you all with two summer cocktails to drink if you are watching the World Soccer Cup in Brazil or just hanging out.  Whether your teams lost or in the finals, here are two drinks for you:

sangriafloraSangria Flora

Created by St. Germain

1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc or Dry White Wine
1 cup St-Germain
2 Fresh Peaches
5-6 Fresh Strawberries
6 Fresh Raspberries
1 bunch Fresh Grapes

Stir ingredients in a pitcher or carafe. Soak for approximately 15 minutes (or longer if desired). Serve in an ice-filled glass, then telephone your physician and regale him with stories of your exemplary fruit consumption. Serve with St-Germain spoon-straws to enjoy the fruit while drinking

 

 

MangoCarnivaleSVEDKA Mango Carnivale
Created by SVEDKA

1 ½ oz. SVEDKA Mango Pineapple
½ oz. SVEDKA Vanilla
½ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup
8-10 Mint Leaves
3-4 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

Combine mint leaves, simple syrup and fresh lime juice in a Collins glass. Add crushed ice and swizzle. Fill three quarters of the glass with more crushed ice and add SVEDKA Mango Pineapple and SVEDKA Vanilla-then swizzle again. Top with crushed ice and then float a layer of bitters on top. Garnish with mint sprigs.