A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Hexhunter (Hexworld #4) by Jordan L. Hawk

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Detective Bill Quigley first met Isaac, the mastiff familiar, the night Isaac was rescued from the witch who kidnapped and tormented him to force his magic for illegal uses. He’s head over heels for the quiet young man who works for MWP (Metropolitan Witch Police) but Isaac doesn’t seem to return his regard. In fact, Isaac seems quiet and withdrawn most of the time; definitely not someone who’d appreciate Bill’s advances. So when Sionn, the owl familiar who works with Isaac, asks Bill out, he accepts and it seems to be with Isaac’s blessing.

But Isaac does indeed like Bill—he just feels inadequate and worries that his magic is tarnished after what happened. Plus, the witch Isaac’s familiar is attracted to doesn’t want him, and Isaac knows Bill only has a little magic and likely wouldn’t be interested in someone with damaged magic like his.

There’s plenty of time for a slow-burn attraction in this story, and that’s what happens. Just when it seems Bill might settle for Sionn in an effort to forget Isaac, an attempt is made on their lives and Isaac and Bill are thrown together in painful circumstances. They can’t deny their attraction after that and that day begins a slow return of Isaac’s confidence and starts their journey to a lasting relationship. Along the way there’s plenty of adventure and a dastardly scheme involving kidnapping children and experimenting with hexes to tailor the form the adult familiar takes so that the wealthy witches can have what they want. Add to that, a surprise in the form of Bill’s half brother and the story has so much to offer that readers, like me, will get lost in the pleasure of this author’s highly creative and imaginative mysteries.

I am looking forward to much more in this wonderful hex world and most definitely I’m hoping Sionn gets his own book. That little owl has a lot to offer! I highly recommend this story and this series to readers of paranormal and mystery MM romance.

The cover by Jordan L. Hawk is done in a style similar to others in the series: above the title a profile of a man matching the description of MC Bill Quigley and below the title is the shadow of a mastiff, which represents MC familiar, Isaac, and it’s set against the background of an old street map of New York City. Very creative and attractive.

Sales Links:

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 244 pages
Expected publication: February 8th 2019
ASIN B07MM5SL79
Edition Language English
Series Hexworld #4

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Eye of the Beholder by MD Grimm

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5

Is it better to risk it all… or never know what could have been?

After surviving an abusive childhood, Vulcan remade himself upon arriving in Los Angeles, California. He became a blacksmith for the paranormal community and strives to earn the respect of the vampire covens and werewolf packs that call LA home. He also prevents the pain of loss by keeping everyone at arm’s length.

But he never planned on meeting a former Roman soldier by the name of Marcus Cassius Vespillo. Something sparks between them and turns into a friendship he never considered possible. He can’t deny his intense attraction to the intelligent, courteous, ancient vampire. And it scares him.

Though Vulcan is wary of seeking more with Cassius, an attack leaves him at death’s door and forces him to reexamine his priorities. But Cassius has his own secret, one that promises tragedy and loss. And if that wasn’t enough, a slayer arrives in the States, one with a bloody connection to Cassius… and Vulcan himself.

Rarely, if almost never have I had my attitude towards a book and its author hijacked as early as it was in Eye of the Beholder by MD Grimm. I was definitely looking forward to this story as it contained many elements that grab my attention, the possibility of a new take on vampires and vampire lore, a ancient Roman vampire, a blacksmith, and a slayer. That gives me ancient history,mythology, metalsmithing with a connection to the supernatural, and more. How wonderful.

Even the forward from the author held promise. Grimm has been at this work for years, revising it, re-editing…it’s this author’s only vampire story. So again, high hopes.

The came the opening sentence of the first paragraph of the Prologue. Oh that sentence.

DAIN eyed me as I drove his 1950’s Mustang through the streets of Los Angeles, the nightlife in full swing around us.

Now I’m sure there are some of you, puzzled, thinking “what’s wrong with that?

But there’s also a ton of you smacking your heads, going “hell, no” the author did not just write that about the iconic American car.

Yes M.D. Grimm did.

To to un informed out there, the iconic American Mustang, the one that sings the 1960’s. didn’t roll off the assembly line until 1964. Now this story is heavy on historical facts. Its two main characters have their foundations based heavily on the element that the connection between them starts as a love/appreciation of ancient history, and all things pertaining to different eras. And the ability to get those things right! Oh the irony. Vulcan is a history nerd, he researches everything! Weaponry, swords in particular. So it’s perfectly understandable for him to be drawn to the embodiment of living history himself, albeit a vampire. A real Roman soldier Marcus Cassius Vespillo. And this book is full of “facts” about Japanese swords, when the Mongols first met the Samurai, because part of the courtship of Vulcan is Marcus sharing his life and history with him. Things that can be “googled”.

You see this may be a supernatural story about vampires and werewolves and such, but the foundation is based on a real world history. And after that unbelievable blooper, I mean first sentence of the first paragraph? I lost trust in the author and editor’s ability to get things right. Boom, gone in an instant. That meant that as I was set up to check and double check every single fact that came my way in the story, forget about enjoying any narrative here, nope I had taken over the job of research assistant. Because if they can’t get something as easy as when the Mustangs first came out, then I have no idea what they will do with ancient Japanese swords. Honestly made my head hurt.

Then came the holes in the narrative.

Yes I did go back to that eventually. The slayers are hunting the supernaturals, of course and any humans who “traffic” with them. The slayers are a very determined bunch. But the vampires have lived for hundreds, or in Marcus’ case, thousand years. So that is quite a lot of experience in dealing with this sort of situation, plus the military expertise, etc. Yet, their answer to the slayers offence is a defense a toddler could have designed. Honestly, none of it made any sense. It seemed more like tons of threats and very little else.

Then there is the romance between Marcus and Vulcan which again brought up mixed feelings. Vulcan is small in height, Marcus is tall. But Vulcan is a blacksmith, that’s especially tough on a b body and creates a certain muscle set. Yet he’s often swooped up into the arms of the vampire and carried. The dynamics here tilt one way then another. Especially a ending that seemed to be a turnabout of everything Vulcan’s character wasn’t in the beginning. A total changeover and not really from growth but from a “vampiric necessity” to stave off dementia.

Oh, I don’t know. Maybe if that first sentence hadn’t been such an utter fail …. but it is more like quote from Benjamin Franklin:

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

For the want of accuracy, a reader was lost from the very beginning. Then the story was lost. For me at least. I will certainly read other M.D. Grimm stories and hope for a better outcome.

Cover art: Tiferet Designs. I like the cover, the models have just enough of the features to be the characters, although Vulcan is smaller in stature than Marcus.. Still nice job.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press| Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st edition, 153 pages
Expected publication: February 8th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781644051238
Edition Language English

An Ali Review : The Other Book by Roe Horvat

Rating:4 out of 5 stars

It was supposed to be just sex… Famous last words.

Tyler doesn’t overthink pleasure and avoids complications. He knows it might be stupid to get involved with his closeted boss, but the temptation is too great. At first, the cold and beautiful Joel Sandstrom seems to loathe Tyler’s guts.

Except one late night at the office, his reasons become clear…and his control breaks.

Every time they touch, Joel’s stony face comes alive, harsh lines smooth out, and for a minute, he looks serene. Happy, even. Just sex – dirty, intense, spectacular sex.

During their covert encounters, Tyler discovers the power he has over the lonesome man, and it’s a heady feeling. What if he could set Joel free and give him peace of mind? When Tyler realizes how much Joel needs him, he doesn’t regret breaking his own rules.

Holy cold showers Batman, this book was scorching hot!!

This was a seriously hot, erotic story about two guys who work together and can’t stand each other. They also can’t stop having kinky sex with each other. As the story goes on they admit their feelings and they decide to try a relationship that includes more than sex.

There is a story about Joel’s controlling and abusive father as well as Tyler helping Joel experience parts of his sexuality he has not been open to in the past because he’s closeted (daddy issues). The plot was pretty good and held its own with the sex scenes. There were a lot of sex scenes though. Way more than half the book. Which is not a complaint, just the reason I would categorize this as erotica. Really well written erotica.

I haven’t read this author yet so I had no idea what the writing would be like. I picked up from other reviewers that this is outside the other’s norm but I am intrigued enough to try some of his other stuff.

Cover: The cover is just average in my opinion. It is not bad but it does not stand out from many other books.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Book Details:

ebook
Published January 30th 2019 by Beaten Track Publishing
Original TitleThe Other Book
ISBN139781786453044
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttps://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/theotherbook

Characters and J.M. Dabney! Check out the Blog Tour for Gage (Trenton Security #3) by JM Dabney (excerpt and Guest blog)

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GAGE

TRENTON SECURITY BOOK 3

J.M. DABNEY

M/M ROMANCE/SUSPENSE

RELEASE DATE: 01.29.19

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host once again JM Dabney here to talk about the latest release in the Trenton Security series, Gage. Welcome, JM!

Characters and J.M. Dabney

You have a penchant towards bad boys and damaged men in creating your characters, but also there’s a spectrum of souls that run a gamut of personalities and individuals. From those who regard themselves as “normal looking’, trans, older, younger, hulking, or slight, is there any character personality or type you wouldn’t consider for one of your novels? Or romances?

I don’t know if there’s a type that I wouldn’t include in my stories. Yes, I do lean more towards so-called damaged characters, but we’re all damaged in a way. Some trauma no matter how small leaves a mark. When I start a project, I don’t really have a picture of the characters, I build them from page one. From their backstories I let character development naturally progress. Out of the almost 30 stories I’ve created over the last five or six years, I’ve never said I won’t write a character who is this or that. With all that said, I won’t write someone who’s bigoted in any way. As someone who is body positive and believes in diversity in all genres, to romanticize the bigot is a detriment to the genre. Yes, it makes for a good story, the villain becoming the hero, but there is a point when someone is beyond redemption and I won’t write a victim of bigotry falling for their abuser/bully as if they had simply needed to see the error of their ways. I’m too realistic to believe that love conquers all.

Most of your stories show two types of families: those you are born into and those that are formed from those you gather around you. Was that an intentional choice?

This is a great question. For me, personal experience I have no close ties to my biological family. Familial love is supposed to be unconditional and we all know that has proven to be impossible. To see the statistic of LGBTQI+ youth being disowned. Love always comes with some condition. It’s the sad reality of life. I’ve found that bonds formed with friends, through shared personal struggles or just acceptance. Blood doesn’t make a family. Sharing a name doesn’t make a family. Love and acceptance can bring people together in a bond stronger and more intense than simply sharing DNA. Chosen family is just that, you choose these people, strangers that shouldn’t have any bond at all. Yet they show up to embrace and support for no other reason than a mutual love and respect. And with my stories I want to show that you can create this beautiful extended family – a safe space of kindred spirits.

For many of these characters, normal for them is something entirely different and hard won. In fact “normalcy’ is a questionable term in every aspect of their lives. Again, is that something you wanted to factor in?

Normalcy is such a weird concept. I think every one of my characters is normal for them. A lot of my characters deal with mental health issues. What’s normal for one is completely off for another. When writing my characters I try to keep the reaction as natural as possible. And with mental illness, they process things differently. I don’t factor in if it is so-called normal or not, it’s just something the character deals with. Yes, by the end of a book, I give them their HEA, but non-traditional relationships are as healthy as what society deems appropriate. I don’t know if I consciously started using the struggle for normalcy as a part of the story or character development. Each processes their quest for a HEA in different ways. I like the fact that I make my characters evaluate the expectations place upon them, either they adapt or they don’t. I find acceptance overrides the expectation of normalcy.

Trenton Security is the fourth in a group of connected series that i just love. Is this the end, or will it keep going?

Twirled World Ink was supposed to be the end, fast forward to Trenton, and I’m still finding voices popping up. Pure will be coming out in a few months and that’ll be the end of the Trenton Security series. Powers County Series will start next. It’s about a group of transplant. Grace and Alex, both found in Little’s book get their story first. Unlike with the other connected series, Powers will have five books. At this point Powers County will be The End of the Powers Universe, but I have been toying with the idea of the Next Generation affectionately known as the Hellions. So, we’ll see how everything works out, but there’s definitely one more series after Trenton.

Thank you for allowing me to ramble on a bit.

BLURB

The forbidden is the sweetest lure.

Trenton Security’s Public Relations go-to was Hayden Gage. He loved his job, and it kept him distracted from the demons haunting his nightmares. His past wasn’t up for discussion, and Hayden wouldn’t allow it to intrude on his future. Yet, that was easier said than done when his best friend came to him desperate for help, and it put him right on the path to his one weakness.

Young didn’t equal lost.

Derrick Thorpe lived in the shadow of his father’s mistakes. Although he was adopted by Linus Trenton, he wanted to prove that he wasn’t like his biological father. When he was asked to go undercover to help at Trenton Security, it put him in close quarters with Gage. Being Gage’s was only an act, but when lines blur, what happens when the operation ends?

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EXCERPT

Dishes rattled, and the low murmuring of conversations filled the interior as the lunch rush started to slow down at Heidi’s Diner. Typically, Gage ate alone before returning to the office, but today, he hadn’t turned out to be so lucky.

“How about I buy you dinner, Gage,” the confident young man across the table from him asked.

He stared at the boy as if he’d lost his mind. He slowly closed his laptop and calmly leaned back in the booth. The first time he’d seen Derrick Thorpe the kid was skin and bones, skittish from years of abuse by Derrick’s homophobic and racist father, the former Sheriff of Powers County, Georgia. The last time he’d allowed himself to be in the same space with Derrick, he had graduated from college. His boss, Linus, adopted Derrick and his toddler brother after the death of their father and, well, the mother hadn’t fought Linus when the man demanded she sign over custody.

Today Derrick was a man in his mid-twenties, and even with the pale blond stubble, he was still as pretty as the last time he’d seen him which had occurred Christmas a year ago. He’d made his excuses and went to stay with friends for the holiday. Fighting any of the Crews to get out of a family function always turned into a lost cause, and he’d found it easier to escape.

Gage forced a chuckle and a good-natured smile at the eager boy in front of him, but he felt neither of those actions. Because his greatest hell sat across from him and there was no way he’d ever allow the boy close to him.

“Not going to happen, kid.”

“Why not?” Derrick looked offended.

He wasn’t fucking around with some boy with Daddy issues. No matter how much he wanted to find out what his handprint looked like on the boy’s ass. Derrick wasn’t for him. Age difference aside, with Derrick’s history, he wouldn’t let the young man find out how interested he was.

“Go find someone your own age, Derrick.”

“What’s this got to do with age? I’m an adult, and I think I’m old enough to know what I want.”

He felt the muscles in his jaw clench. He didn’t like telling people no twice. When he made a decision, it was final. This little boy was asking for a spanking. A vision of Derrick over his knee came to mind, and he banished it as quickly as it appeared. This was getting out of hand. That’s why he’d avoided anything that had to do with seeing Derrick.

“And I said it wasn’t happening. I don’t like to repeat myself, Derrick.”

Derrick’s chin lowered to rest on his chest. There was a deep breath, and then Derrick looked up, his dark brown eyes shimmered with indignation.

“Yes, sir,” Derrick pushed the words through clenched teeth.

About the Author

J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes mainly LGBT romance and fiction. She lives with a constant diverse cast of characters in her head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. she lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure she does them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and she makes sure her characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more she wants from telling her stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.

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Goodreads Author Page

Review Tour and Giveaway for The Other Book by Roe Horvat

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Length: 42,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Roe Horvat

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Blurb

It was supposed to be just sex… Famous last words.

Except one late night at the office, his reasons become clear…and his control breaks.

Every time they touch, Joel’s stony face comes alive, harsh lines smooth out, and for a minute, he looks serene. Happy, even. Just sex – dirty, intense, spectacular sex.

Jan 30 – The Way She Reads, Boulevard des Passions, Diverse Reader, Gay Book Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed, Feb 1 – Sanaa’s Book Blog, Cupcakes And Bookshelves, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, What’s Amy Reading?, Kimmers Erotic Book Banter, Mikku-chan, Xtreme Delusions, Feb 4 – Book Corner Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Mainely Stories, Love Unchained Book Reviews, Feb 6 – Making It Happen, Feb 8 – Mirrigold, Valerie Ullmer, Lillian Francis, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wicked Reads

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review here. We highly recommend it!

Author Bio

Queer fiction author Roe Horvat was born in the post-communist wasteland of former Czechoslovakia. Equipped with a dark sense of sarcasm, Roe traveled Europe and finally settled in Sweden. He came out as transgender in 2017 and has been fabulous since. He loves Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, bad action movies, stand-up comedy, pale ale, and daiquiri, with equal passion. When not hiding in the studio doing graphics, he can be found trolling cafés in Gothenburg, writing, and people-watching.

More about the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roe.horvat.98
Twitter: @roehorvat
Website: roehorvat.com
Publisher: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/?n1=authors&id=107

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Release Blitz and Giveaway for Forgive Me Father by TL Travis

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Length: 55,000 words approx.

Cover – Model: Kegan R. Ward | Photographer: Eric McKinney | Design: Mayhem Designs

Series

Greyson Fox – Amazon US | Amazon UK – Currently only 99c/99p

Blurb

Shunned and cast aside by his faith and family, Jamie is left to do whatever it takes to survive.

He comes across a group of kids in the same predicament, braving the streets of Seattle due to circumstances beyond their control. Lost souls who’ve slipped through the cracks of the broken systems society forced them into. Yet they still offer what little they have to him, including their home.

As time moves on, darkness surrounds him and when one of their own fall’s victim to the streets, Jamie wonders if there’s anything left worth living for. When his savior appears out of nowhere, he finds it hard to believe its real because he knows he’s not worth loving.

This is Jamie’s story from the #1 Amazon Bestselling book, Greyson Fox.

Potential triggers:
Sexual and physical abuse by church and family members, cheating, drug usage, prostitution and thoughts of suicide. Flashbacks of the abuse are present throughout this book. These are the opinions of the characters and in no way reflect the author.

About The Author

TL Travis is the author of The Sebastian Chronicles along with numerous other erotic novelettes (and many more in the works), The Elders Trilogy – an erotic paranormal (Vampire) romance novel series and many non-fiction articles.

In her spare time she likes to fish, enjoy all the Pacific Northwest has to offer, spin spicy erotic webs for readers to enjoy, and rescue any 4 legged lost souls she comes across. Since her children are grown and have flown the coop, she’s taken to spoiling her two deaf white boxers even more so than they were before.

To view TL Travis literary and photography works please visit her website at www.tltravis.com TL Travis can also be followed on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tltravisauthor
Or via twitter at http://www.twitter.com/tltravis1

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A Caryn Review: No Fae is an Island (Endangered Fae #4) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Yes, this series just keeps getting better, and this is my favorite story so far. These characters, and the world they live in, are all just so engaging, despite being lifted from various world mythologies. There may be some spoilers for Semper Fae in this review, but I will try to keep them minimal…

At the end of the last book, Diego had been banished from the human world for 3 years and 3 days, and he spent that time with the wild fae, picking up knowledge and wisdom wherever he could, but he was also trying to forgive himself for all the chaos and pain he unwittingly caused while he was spellbound. He wasn’t the one who cast the spell, so shouldn’t have tried to shoulder all the responsibility for the repercussions, but, well, that’s just who Diego was. He still hadn’t come to peace with his role in the violence when the 3 years were up and he had to return – and for Diego, there was never the option to just walk away. But he knew that he was too broken to resume leadership of the Fae Collective, thus leaving Zach, who had become the de facto interim Consul, to continue in that role. Diego was still an important political figure though, and he felt he could best contribute to the general good of the world by acting as a diplomatic liaison. In the 3 years of his banishment, tensions between the growing number of magic users and regular humans had escalated, and the Fae Collective had taken on the role of international mediator, and occasionally launched covert rescue operations when situations were especially dangerous.

When three Canadian students with magical ability were taken captive in the nation of Shere’alej (very reminiscent of Saudi Arabia, to me), Diego and Finn took a small contingent of guards to meet with the prince and negotiate their release. When the meeting turned into an ambush, Diego and Finn were taken, shackled in iron (for Finn) and lead (for Diego) to nullify their magical abilities, and imprisoned at a hidden, remote facility, and their guard sent back to Tearmann island. With their magic out of reach, Diego and Finn had only their wits to use to escape. Fortunately, one of their guard was Theo Aguilar, the vampire that had briefly served as Diego’s lieutenant while Diego was out of control – and Theo was determined to rescue them no matter what.

Theo was a conflicted soul who thought he had become basically evil after being changed to a vampire and rejected by his religious family. His soul, however, was moral, honorable, and kind, but he couldn’t seem to see past how others were frightened and suspicious of him because of his vampire nature. I think Ms. Martinez did an amazing job of describing his inner conflict and how it informed his choices. He had a constant need to prove himself – to others, but also to himself. The one person who truly saw through his prickly facade was the selkie Limpet. Limpet was an innocent, curious, at times almost childishly naive, but also brave and devoted. At first that devotion was focused on Diego and Finn, but he quickly transferred that dedication to Theo, despite Theo’s intense efforts to dissuade him. Limpet’s sincerity and affection ended up being the perfect antidote to Theo’s abhorrence of who he had become.

The story progressed in two concurrent arcs – Theo and Limpet developing first a friendship, and then a romance as they searched for Diego and Finn, as well as Diego and Finn’s efforts to break out of the prison and bring all the prisoners with them to safety. I found this book to be much easier to follow than Semper Fae, with a smaller cast of characters and a tighter scope and plot line, as well as a clear ending (although there is definitely room for further sequels!). In addition to an engaging narrative, with relatable characters and plenty of character development, the pacing of this book was so much better than the others in the series, and it was a great read. I am impressed with how the series is progressing, and looking forward to more…

Cover art by Emmy@studioenp remains consistent with the others in the series. To me, the model represents Theo, although I guess it could also be Limpet, and the hawk flying over the desert sand dunes was perfect for the plot line.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 281 pages
Published January 15th 2019 by Pride Publishing (first published September 5th 2014)
ISBN 139781786517029
Edition Language English
Series Endangered Fae #4

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Ruff Trouble by Sharon Maria Bidwell

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This is a new to me author. These stories were published previously, I believe separately, so this is a complete trilogy. The first story is Hounding The Beat. Chantelle and her police colleague Bobby, are supernaturals or supes. They keep it secret that they are romantic partners so they won’t be transferred away from each other at work. As canine shifters, they can smell the emotions of others. Sam, Bobby’s former human police partner, was injured in the line of duty and is now desk bound. It’s Chantelle who wants them to “make up” as she realizes Sam is in love with Bobby and she has caused the distance between them. Neither Sam, nor Bobby, knows the other is bisexual. Chantelle encourages their relationship, and once Bobby is honest with himself about Sam, he and Chantelle set out to seduce Sam together. Sam is moody, has low self esteem, and is disbelieving of them wanting to share what they have with him. Trusting Sam with their secret will change all their lives.

I liked all three of these characters, helped by having all three points of view. It does move from care to love quite quickly, but it’s always clear that while Chantelle and Sam are attracted to each other, Bobby is the glue that holds them together, the one they both love best. This is erotic romance, so there is one sex scene after another. Since Bobby is the Alpha canine shifter, there is some knotting involved but all the sex is while they are all in human form.

Mistletoe and Wine is the second story. In order to resolve having three police officers involved with each other in the same precinct, Sam and Chantelle have quit and opened a bar/restuarant together. They have moved away from London to a place better suited to their canine impulses to run in the woods. Bobby is now a country cop. Here the sex gets more intimate. This includes all possible combinations (m/f, m/f/m, m/m/f, m/m) as they work to be a triad and pack. There is quite a bit of violence in this due to a criminal with a grudge.

Paws for Thought is the third story. When they go back to London for a ceremony to honor their old Sarge, Chantelle gets kidnapped. This is also somewhat violent as Sam and Bobby try to find her before something happens to her, and before the police do. Decisions made in the last story and during Chantelle’s captivity prompt changes in their future. I’m trying not to spoil what plot there actually is; I think fans of Kate Douglas’s Wolf Tales series should like this, although this has a bit more depth. The scenes are steamy hot and the care and comfort is clear. The connection between the characters is forged through consent, compromise, and agreement. Although the three plots are simple and obvious, each one serves to move the romantic relationship further along. For erotic romance, I would recommend this. I would say it might be best to read them one story at a time, with breaks, so you can enjoy all the sexy scenes without them getting to be too much.

Cover Design: Written Ink Designs with the image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License. I am assuming the couple is Sam and Chantelle, with the wolf as Bobby in the foreground. I would guess this is meant to represent the first story, as Sam is in uniform, and leaves the police force by the end. I have to say, this cover is a little more sweet than the carnal nature displayed repeatedly in this book.

Sales Links: JMS Books LLC | Amazon

Book Details:

Published January 12th 2019 by JMS Books LLC
Kindle Edition, 248 pages
Author(s): Sharon Maria Bidwell (Goodreads Author)
ASIN: B07M6M6BBR

A Lila Audio Review: A Fool and His Manny (The Mannies #4) by Amy Lane and Kenneth Obi (Narrator)

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Seeing the truth and falling in love.
Dustin Robbins-Grayson was a surly adolescent when Quinlan Gregory started the nanny gig. After a rocky start, he grew into Quinlan’s friend and confidant—and a damned sexy man.
At twenty-one, Dusty sees how Quinlan sacrificed his own life and desires to care for Dusty’s family. He’s ready to claim Quinlan—he’s never met a kinder, more capable, more lovable man. Or a lonelier one. Quinlan has spent his life as the stranger on the edge of the photograph, but Dusty wants Quinlan to be the center of his world. First he has to convince Quinlan he’s an adult, their love is real, and Quinlan can be more than a friend and caregiver. Can he show Quin that he deserves to be both a man and a lover, and that in Dusty’s eyes, he’s never been “just the manny?”

A Fool and his Manny is an all encompassing book. It brings the previous story lines into one. Reminding the reader of all the unique characters in the series over the years. I have no idea how the author can keep with the events in such a large expanse of time.

Quinlan and Dusty are great together. It’s easy to see how their relationship evolved over the years. At times, I had trouble believing the age difference between the main characters. They both felt pretty young after they started their relationship. As if Quinlan has stopped growing up to wait for Dusty.

This is a slow burn, very detailed story. Each tidbit of information plays a part later on, including things from other books. We get to see how the family grows and how Quinlan and Dusty are wrapped in their own little world.

Having everyone and their families show up in this book only added to that sense of family. And the author hinted to the new generation of characters taking over the series.

Overall, this is a sweet, happy book. With real life events and many coincidences. It keeps the reader engaged even when some parts are a bit slow.

Kenneth Obi is the third narrator for this series and he did an excellent job bringing the characters we love to life. It’s easy to get back into the family and the little quirks that enhanced each character.

Another quote cover by Bree Archer. It gives the reader a little peek on Quinlan.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner | iTunes | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Kenneth Obi
Length: 6 hours 18 minutes
Published: December 6, 2018 (Audio Edition) by Dreamspinner Press
ASIN: B07L4X236Y
Edition Language: English

Series: The Mannies
Book #1: The Virgin Manny
Book #2: Manny Get Your Guy
Book #3: Stand by your Manny
Book #4: A Fool and his Manny

M.D. Grimm on the Evolution of the Story the new release Eye of the Beholder (guest blog)

Eye of the Beholder by M.D. Grimm

Dreamspinner Press
Release date: February 8^th, 2019

Cover Artist: Tiferet Design
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Hello everyone! My name is M.D. Grimm and I shall be your host today. Just want to say a quick thanks to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for allowing me to visit with you all today.

To celebrate “Eye of the Beholder,” I wanted to talk a little about the evolution of the story. It is my first and probably only vampire story I will write. I enjoy vampires at times but I’m not obsessed with them like some people are. However, this story has been on the backburner for years and after four or five complete rewrites I decided I wanted to fix it up and finally release it.

It is a story near and dear to my heart. It’s been with me for a very long time, and I have a special affection for Vulcan, the main character. He is a wonderful bundle of contradictions—between being bold and shy, and wanting to connect with others but terrified of loss. His character has certainly seen the most evolution from the first draft to the last and I couldn’t be prouder. He is an amazingly self-assured young man but also painfully insecure when it comes to intimacy. It was imperative that he not be classically/stereotypically handsome. In my opinion, he’s adorable, but he doesn’t see himself that way. What I find most attractive about him is his intelligence and creative flare. He’d be a fun guy to get a beer and hang out with.

As a counterpoint to Vulcan, there is the Roman vampire Cassius and he was a hoot to write. This was certainly one of those times where the story might never have been published if I kept digging into Ancient Rome and putting in details about his previous lives. It was fascinating to think of a man who grew up during the time of the emperors in Rome and then continued to live through a significant amount of human history. What would he have seen? Who would he have met? Vulcan’s fascination with Cassius was partly my own. His questions were those I’d want to ask such a man myself.

Cassius as a character didn’t evolve much. I pretty much knew him and how he would react to Vulcan and the world around him. He is certainly someone who can roll with the punches and isn’t really fazed by most things. Then Vulcan pops into his life and shakes things up. He brings a little sun into Cassius’s perpetual darkness, so of course the old vampire would take an interest.

Of course there are slayers involved because where you have vampires, you have those who want to kill them. However, I also added another little crisis to my world—an insidious threat that proves there is a price for nigh immortality. It was a concept that grew with time and only fully formed during the last big rewrite.

I enjoyed fleshing out the world of the vampires and occasional werewolf in Los Angeles, California. They pass as eccentric humans and what better place for such strangeness to exist? It was imperative that I keep the essentials of vampire lore but, of course, add a new twist or two of my own. I didn’t want it to be the same ol’ same ol’ that inhabit the majority of vampire stories. Whether I succeeded or not will be up to you. I’m not one who easily does standalones so this was good muscle flex in writing a fully realized story in a single book.

I hope you agree! If you do, feel free to visit my website for more at www.mdgrimmwrites.com and make sure to subscribe to my newsletter for all the deets on future projects!

That’s it for me. Enjoy the rest of your day!

May dragons guard your dreams,

M.D. Grimm

Blurb:

Is it better to risk it all… or never know what could have been?

About the Author

M.D. Grimm decided to become an author in the second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things, actually, but not that!). Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood she’d need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!). After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English (let’s be honest: useless degree, what else was she going to do with it?), she started on her writing career and couldn’t be happier. Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain (or else what’s the point?), finding their soul mate in the process.

Visit “M.D. Grimm” at Facebook and Goodreads.

Email: mdgrimm29@yahoo.com

Website: www.mdgrimmwrites.com

Make sure to subscribe to her monthly newsletter!

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Eye of the Beholder by M.D. Grimm

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