Category: Book Reviews

Alex Whitehall on Family, and the new fantasy release Magic Runs Deep (author guest blog and giveaway)

Magic Runs Deep by Alex Whitehall

Riptide Publishing

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Alex Whitehall today on tour for Magic Runs Deep, one of our happily recommended stories. Welcome, Alex.

✒︎

 

Hello, everybody! I’m Alex Whitehall, and I’m here today touring for my fantasy novel Magic Runs Deep, which is about one man’s search to find himself—and true freedom—after a long imprisonment, and the path to trust that he follows along the way.

Family is an important part of every life—no matter what form it takes—and a lot can be gleaned from looking at family structure. In Magic Runs Deep, we see the family interactions of two very different characters, from the brother to the king to a man who comes from a large family that is strongly tied together. The Elrid, king’s brother, only has one immediately family member left, and the bond between the brothers is strong, but it also has molded Elrid into a man who is self-reliant, and who, although he loves his brother, struggles to truly understand the extent that Veier, who comes from a close-knit community with an extended family, relies on and misses his family over the course of the book.

Over the course of the book, we see Elrid and his brother interact, and the playful banter makes it obvious they care for each other—even if they get frustrated with each other as all siblings do—but both men seem to stand alone, isolated from one another. Some of this is, of course, due to the role they play on the page and what Veier can see happening, but most of it is the culture and world they were raised in.

Meanwhile, Veier comes from a large family, who he thinks of often. He mentions being raised by his uncles and mother, recalls his siblings fondly, and while his father was often absent because of duty, there was always plenty of love to go around, leaving Veier fulfilled. Elrid speaks rarely of his family, since it’s not central to his life, while Veier thinks about his family constantly, and not just because it reminds him of home.

To learn more about Veier’s family and to see if he gets to return home, you’ll have to check out Magic Runs Deep. Meanwhile, what does family mean to you?

 

About Magic Runs Deep

 

For the last five years, Veier has been chained to a king’s throne in his bear form. When a neighboring kingdom overthrows the crown, Veier’s imprisonment ends, but true freedom is not so easily earned. With blood on his hands, he needs someone with patience, strength, and trust to help him become the person he was before and prove to the invaders that he isn’t the monstrous king’s loyal pet.

 

Elrid, the invading king’s brother and a powerful mage, is everything Veier despises. He’s also the only thing between Veier and execution, because he thinks he can help Veier change from an aggressive bear shifter into a reasonable man. While the pair have a rough start, with long talks and mutual leaps of faith, they begin to care for each other.

 

However, the closer Veier gets to his freedom, the closer he is to losing Elrid. He must find balance in his heart and his life if he wishes to truly claim the freedom he’s been given—and the man he loves.

 

About Alex Whitehall

 

If there are two types of people in the world, Alex Whitehall probably isn’t one of them, despite being a person. Their favorite pastimes include reading, horseback riding, sleeping, watching geek-tastic television, knitting, eating, and running. And wasting time on the internet. And spending glorious evenings laughing with friends.

 

While Alex prefers sleeping over doing anything else (except maybe eating), sometimes they emerge from the cave to be social and to hunt for food at the local market. They can be found blogging, reading, and tending after their aloe plants.

 

Connect with Alex:

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Magic Runs Deep, Alex is giving away an ecopy of Second Skin! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 14, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

New Release Blitz for Big Man by Matthew J. Metzger (excerpt and giveaway)

Title:  Big Man

Author: Matthew J. Metzger

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: April 9, 2018

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 58100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, contemporary, YA, coming-of-age, bisexual, trans, high school, sports/martial arts, depression/grieving, #ownvoices

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Max Farrier wanted to follow in the family footsteps and join the Navy once, but he’s better off focusing on just surviving his last year of school and going to work in Aunt Donna’s shop once it’s over.

After an incident at school puts Max in the hospital, Aunt Donna’s had enough. She signs him up for private lessons at a Muay Thai gym. Boxing—she says—will change everything.

But it’s not boxing that starts to poke holes in Max’s stupor—it’s his sparring partner. Cian is fifty percent mouth, fifty percent attitude, and isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with a bully in the street. Cian takes what he wants, and doesn’t let anyone stand in his way—not even himself.

Excerpt

Big Man
Matthew J. Metzger © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Prologue
This was how everything started—on a Friday afternoon, at the very end of school, three days into the summer term and in the middle of an unreasonable, unseasonable heatwave. It had been a Friday like any other until Tom Fallowfield stuck his boot in.

Literally.

It went a bit like this, to Max’s admittedly patchy memory of the entire incident.

At three thirty-one, the bell rang, and he was dismissed out of his maths class. Friday was a notorious day for people being bored and at a loose end, so Max had (as was his habit) hurried off to his locker to try to get out of school before anyone caught up to him.

At three thirty-six, Max reached his locker. His fingers fumbled with the lock in a hurry, the metal loose in his grip because it was so ridiculously hot. Sweat was dampening the hair at his temples.

At three thirty-eight, his fingers slipped on the waxy cover of his geography textbook and sent the whole pile tumbling to the floor.

And at three thirty-eight and a half, a dirty Adidas trainer pressed down on said textbook just as Max reached for it.

That was kind of when Max knew he was a bit fucked.

“All right, Fatso?”

He didn’t have to look up. The trainer narrowed it down to one of two people who would stomp on the textbook he was trying to pick up, and the deep, drawling voice—like some villain out of a film—narrowed it down to one. Jazz Coles. And Jazz Coles was bad news.

Max swallowed convulsively and gathered the rest of his things to his chest protectively. He staggered back to his feet and turned to shove them all back in his locker. His hands were shaking. There was sweat breaking out on the backs of his thighs and under his arms, pooling in the joints and fleshy bits.

“Oi. You gone deaf, Fatso? All that grease clogged your ears?”

“M’just in a hurry, Jazz,” he mumbled.

“You what?”

“I said I’m just in a hurry,” he said a bit louder and squashed his other books into the locker haphazardly. The corridor was slowly emptying, and the emptier it got, the faster his heart was beating.

“You’re fucking rude, you are. You ought to look at someone when he’s talking to you. You want Tom to teach you some manners? Tom’s good with manners.”

“Sorry,” Max mumbled, turning hastily before the threat could be carried out. The metal of his locker bit uncomfortably into his back, pressing grooves into his skin, and he could feel his shirt beginning to stick to him. “I’m in a rush, that’s all.”

All three of them were there. Jazz Coles, Aidan Hooper, and Tom Fallowfield. Fallowfield was in Max’s year, the other two the year above. They went to some football club or something together—Max wasn’t sure. All he knew was that Jazz was the clever one, with the orders and the insults, while Aidan was the sidekick who screeched like a hyena and kept them supplied in fags and weed on a regular basis from his older brother’s grow. And Tom…

Tom was the dangerous one. When the insults stopped, Tom started. And nobody wanted Tom to start anything.

“Not got time to talk to us, then?” Jazz drawled. “Why’s that? You busy?”

“I—yes. Yes, just busy, that’s all, busy weekend…”

“Busy doing what? Got a new girlfriend?”

Tom snorted. Aidan cackled and said, “Eurgh, Jazz, man, I’ll bring up my lunch.”

“Imagine that sweaty sack of lard slithering and grunting on some poor girl. You’d crush her, wouldn’t you, Farrier?”

Max’s face heated up, and his hair stuck to his scalp. He could faintly smell his own underarms, and the metal gluing shirt to back was beginning to heat up too, at Jazz’s cool, slow delivery.

“Fatso Farrier, the flat-fucker. ’Cause that’s what she’d be once you were done. Best stick to boys, yeah? Let your boyfriend fuck you, then nobody’ll suffocate.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend.”

“Would you like one?”

“I—no, I, uh—”

“Just as well,” Jazz continued blithely. “Nobody has a drowning-in-folds fetish. So if it’s not a girlfriend or a boyfriend with some sick kinks, why’re you too busy to talk to us?”

The corridor was empty. Max started to panic.

“Answer me, Farrier!”

“I—just—plans, you know, plans…”

“What plans? Sale on at Greggs?” Jazz asked. “New bakery opened up? Or is Mummy taking pity on her lonely little wobblebottom, and baked you a chocolate cake?”

Aidan gave a whooping cackle, and Jazz kicked the forgotten geography book towards Max. It skittered across the dusty floor, hitting Max’s shoe with a dull thump.

“Best not leave that here,” Jazz said. Hands in his pockets, pale face regarding him through narrowed blue eyes, he looked calculating—and Max couldn’t figure out what he was calculating. “Oi! Fatso! Pick it up, then.”

“Thank you,” Max mumbled, hoping it would buy him a bit of a reprieve from…whatever Jazz was planning, and stooped to pick it up. His fingers scrabbled uselessly on the plastic cover, wet with anxiety.

“Thank you?” Jazz echoed. “Very polite, Fatso. Might want to make it sound fucking sincere next time.”

“Here, Jazz, fancy a game?”

That deep rumble was the only warning Max got before Tom’s boot—because of course Tom, totally mad, sadistic Tom Fallowfield, wore boots to school on a regular basis—connected with the side of his head.

Hard.

Max would have liked to say that pain exploded in his head, that he saw visions of God or heard the heavenly choir, that it was like dropping into a Tim Burton movie.

Actually, he just heard a massive bang.

And then he woke up in the back of an ambulance and knew he was in deep shit.

That was how it started.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Matthew J. Metzger is an ace, trans author posing as a functional human being in the wilds of Yorkshire, England. Although mainly a writer of contemporary, working-class romance, he also strays into fantasy when the mood strikes. Whatever the genre, the focus is inevitably on queer characters and their relationships, be they familial, platonic, sexual, or romantic.

When not crunching numbers at his day job, or writing books by night, Matthew can be found tweeting from the gym, being used as a pillow by his cat, or trying to keep his website in some semblance of order.

Website | Twitter

Giveaway

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A Jeri Review Retro Review Tour : Out Of Focus by L .A. Witt

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I enjoy a good menage/throuple/MMM story. And while this one was good, it wasn’t great.

Two Doms in a long term relationship bring in a third on occasion to satisfy their various needs. And when Ryan and Dante are both immediately drawn to Jordan, they decide to feel him out for a reaction. And they get the reaction that they want.
It feels like this could have been book 2 in a series. I wanted to see more of Ryan and Dante navigating their way through a complicated relationship while also bringing in a third when they needed and wanted. Doing that in this book would have made it ridiculously long. But I want their story- the one before Jordan came into the picture.
And I just didn’t feel the emotion from these guys. I always felt like one of them was on the outside looking in. Both in the sex scenes and the romance. There were a few scenes with either just Jordan and Dante or just Jordan and Ryan. And while that wasn’t against their rules they set up, it didn’t seem genuine. I wanted all three guys together all of them time.
The BDSM element was just ok for me. It really seemed to mostly be orgasm denial/ edging. The two Doms both had different needs and wants. That is a lot for one sub to take.
So…it was good. Definitely not great. The lack of emotion being the biggest issue for me.
Sales Link: Universal Buy Link
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 2nd edition, 366 pages
Published March 14th 2017 (first published August 2nd 2011)
ASINB06XKXYVJR
Edition LanguageEnglish
CharactersRyan “Angel” Morgan, Dante James, Jordan Steele

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen

 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

 

How do I put what this book meant to me into words? I can’t find terms to describe this outstanding work. Phenomenal, Heartbreaking, Touching, Realistic, Emotional, Hopeful? All of these, yet none can do the job on its own.

The book is in two segments: before and after.  Before Trevor’s son, Riley, is killed in action in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and After as Trevor starts the painful process of trying to survive without his reason to live. I’m still reeling as I write this. That section was so emotional for me that tears are still leaking, and those who know me know that I don’t let those suckers loose easily. 

My son was in a similar situation, IRL, the year before Riley shipped out.  My parent trigger was pulled over and over again throughout this realistically told story.  The rare calls that only came during the night, which was their daytime.  Going off grid on patrol somewhere top secret.  The IEDs and constant danger from snipers and suicide bombers.  All that and more.  It was a very painfully emotional year for me and as I read Riley’s story and Trevor’s reactions, I was right there with them as my heart beat too fast, or I felt lightheaded, frightened, and finally, sobbing.  Honestly, I don’t know how a parent can survive the loss of a child, but if there are words to describe the hell that is having your child in a situation like Riley was in, Ms. Hansen surely found them.  Kudos for such an outstanding and sensitive portrayal of that time period. 

And the after?  Trevor was so broken it didn’t seem likely he could put one foot in front of the other.  The stages of grief are clearly portrayed. The breakup with Carl, the slowly developing friendship with Jesse, Riley’s BFF and battle buddy, and their long and very slow burn that develops into so much more—all inevitable as readers could tell by the time it happened. The beauty is in the journey we take with Trevor and Jesse along the way as they revisit their memories of Riley: the child, the friend, the soldier.  And, as with the main characters, the secondary characters are well-developed and have their own issues and impact from their time in Afghanistan, most notably PTSD. The author doesn’t gloss over any of it.  Each issue is addressed, some more in-depth than others, all of it making for an emotional read. 

Riley isn’t a fleeting character either. Though he dies in this story, his memory is kept alive throughout the book, in part during Trevor’s stages of grief, but in part through his annual visits to Arlington National Cemetery, where Riley is buried alongside other soldiers who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.  There is a romance in here.  Honest there is, but the couple’s story is wrapped up in so much other emotion that needs to be addressed, the romance is almost secondary.  Jesse and Trevor together were beautiful, though they didn’t come together as a couple until the latter part of the book.  And when they did, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.  There is so much emotional depth to this story that I’m back to saying what I did at the beginning of this review: there are no words that can do it justice. 

Topping my Best of 2018 list, this book deserves to be read.  Grab the tissue box, find a quiet place where your sobbing will not bother others, and just read.  Read until your heart breaks and heals itself, because it will heal, and by the end of the story, joy is in store for all those who finish.  Joy and a sense of peace and accomplishment and the knowledge that you’ve just read something very special.  Needless to say, I very highly recommend this story to all lovers of MM romance, angst, age gap, hurt-comfort, and deep feels on all stages of life’s spectrum. 

~~~

The somewhat bland-colored cover features a rear view of two men gazing into one another’s eyes.  Neither appears to be younger than the other so it doesn’t quite represent the characters and isn’t appealing. 

Sales Links: Carina Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 451 pages
Expected publication: March 26th 2018 by Carina Press
ISBN139781488097058
Edition LanguageEnglish

Retro Review Tour – Out Of Focus by L.A. Witt (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Universal Buy Link
 
Length: 100,000 words
 
Blurb



For the last twelve years, Ryan “Angel” Morgan and Dante James have been partners in every sense of the word. They’re lovers, they run a successful photography business together, and couldn’t be happier. The only problem? They’re both dominants who crave submission. Solution? Bring in submissives for sizzling hot threeway action.


When Jordan Steele hires the photographers from his sister’s wedding to shoot some promo pictures of his stallions, the sparks fly. There’s something about them, something that’s anything but vanilla, and he wants a taste of it. He’s inexperienced, but curious, and Angel and Dante are more than happy to show him the ropes.


Jordan is exactly what they need and they’re exactly what he needs, but when emotions come into play, he may be more than they bargained for. After all, the one thing Angel and Dante can’t give each other is submission. If one of them can get love and submission from Jordan, will the other be pushed out of the picture?

 
Excerpt
 

I slid my hand onto Angel’s knee under the table. As he often did, he’d been tapping his foot against the chair leg, but he stilled beneath my hand.


“You get a look at the brother of the bride?” I asked.


He whistled, sliding his hand over mine. “Oh God, yes. I got several looks at him.”


“You and me both.” I shook my head. “That man is liquid distraction.”


“No shit.” He ran his thumb back and forth along my wrist. “Imagine how I felt, trying to focus on the bride when I had that standing there being all gorgeous and entirely too dressed.”


“Too dressed?” I glanced in Jordan’s direction, then turned back to Angel. “He’s in a tux.”


“I know.” He shrugged. “He should be naked in our bed.”


I chuckled. “Pity he’s already got someone.”


“Seriously?” Angel released a sharp huff of breath. “The good ones always do, don’t they? It’s a crime, I’m telling you.” He clicked his tongue. “And his other half probably doesn’t share, either.”


“I don’t know; I didn’t ask. He was pissed enough that I interrupted their little lover’s quarrel.”


He blinked. “You did?”


“Well, I didn’t have much choice.” I turned my hand over under his. “I needed Jordan’s help with something.”


“Yeah,” he said, lacing our fingers together, “I’ll just bet you did.”


“Okay, so I didn’t.” I shrugged. “But things were getting a little heated between them, so…”


“Eh, I’d have done the same.”


That much was true. We had our subtle ways of separating people when tensions got too close to a breaking point. Situations like that, particularly with the way alcohol and grudges made frequent appearances at weddings, could too easily erupt into a screaming match or a fistfight. So, we’d long ago devised ways to casually intervene. Moderately intrusive? Yeah, probably. But if it kept a wedding from turning into a brawl—and that had been known to happen—then it was worth a little social faux pas.


The bride and groom were making the rounds, saying hello to guests while Troy’s and Phoebe’s cameras flashed. Normally I wouldn’t leave assistants to cover anything without at least one of us shooting as well, but these two kids were damned good. They were going to be some serious competition for us when they were out on their own. Assuming Troy ever got a decent pair of shoes, anyway.


So, we didn’t worry about them while they trailed the newlyweds and we took a break. Ah, it was good to be the boss.


As dinner wound down, the cake cutting and such were coming up. Almost time to get back to work. While I did a quick battery check and changed out my memory card, fabric rustled behind me.


“Enjoying yourselves?” Jennifer asked.


“Absolutely.” I started to turn around. “This food is—” The words stopped in my throat. That wasn’t the groom standing next to her.


She gestured at him, as if I hadn’t noticed his presence. “This is my brother, Jordan.”


I smiled. “Oh yes, we’ve met.”


“We haven’t.” Angel stood and extended his hand. “Ryan Morgan.”


Jordan shook his hand. “I—it’s…” He paused, moistening his lips as a hint of pink appeared on his cheeks. “It’s nice to meet you.”


To her brother, Jennifer said, “I need to go pretend to like my in-laws, so I’ll leave you alone with them.”


He chuckled. “Okay, thanks.” She picked up her skirt and headed back toward some of the other tables. After she’d gone, Jordan said, “I, uh, my sister said you guys do pretty much any kind of photography?”


I’m dreaming. I’m totally dreaming. Oh God, please tell me he wants—


I cleared my throat. “What did you have in mind?”


“I breed and train horses,” he said. “And I’m campaigning a couple of stallions this year. I need a few more up-to-date photos for my website and some ads.” He raised his eyebrows. “Is that something you guys would be interested in doing?”


“Well, we’re always happy to help someone flaunt a stud,” Angel deadpanned.


Jordan blushed even more, dropping his gaze as he muffled a cough of laughter. “Right. Well. I haven’t had great luck with my last couple of photographers, so I’m very much in the market for someone new.” He paused, the color in his cheeks deepening slightly. “A new photographer, I mean.”


“Can you handle two?” Angel asked.


If the poor man’s cheeks got any redder…


“I’m sure we can help.” I shot Angel a glare, and he widened his eyes as if to say “What?” I rolled mine and looked at Jordan again. “We haven’t done any equestrian work in a few years, but show us some examples of what you have in mind and we should be able to give you what you want.”


A shy smile played at his lips. “Good. Then—”


His teeth snapped together as his significant other materialized and put a hand on his shoulder. Jordan’s hackles went up, his eyes narrowed, and judging by the way his cheek rippled, he must have been tightly clenching his jaw. The two men exchanged the coldest glare I’d seen at a wedding since the last time we put divorced parents into one picture, and the hand on his shoulder lifted away.


Then Jordan shook himself back to life and made a sharp gesture his companion. “Sorry, I’m being rude. This is Eli. My—”


“Just Eli is fine.” He didn’t offer a handshake or any other greeting, and neither of us made any attempt to do so either. Awkward silence descended, and I had a feeling Jordan was once again seconds away from lashing out at his…just Eli.


“Anyway, you were saying?” I asked Jordan. “About your photos?”


“Right.” Jordan cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’d like to sit down and discuss what I’m pricing, scheduling, all of that.”


“When would be a good time?” I asked. “If you’d like, you can come by the studio, and we’ll sort out the specifics.”


He nodded. “I can do that. During the week would be best. My weekends are usually shot.”


Angel pointed at his camera. “So are ours.”


Jordan laughed. “Yeah, I guess they would be.”


“Would Monday be good for you?” I turned to Angel. “We’re there all day this Monday, aren’t we?”


He nodded. “All in-studio shoots that day. Last one’s at four thirty, and we’re usually there until six or seven.”


“Why don’t I swing in around five, then?” Jordan asked.


“Five works,” I said.


Angel pulled out his wallet and took out a card. “That’s the address. Just give us a call if anything changes.” Jordan took the card, but jumped like Angel had shocked him. Knowing Angel, he’d made sure their fingers brushed, and Jordan’s blood pressure was probably all over the place now.


Jordan recovered quickly though, sliding the card in his back pocket as he said, “Will do.”


Eli shifted beside him. “Good, now why don’t we go grab a couple of drinks?”


“Okay, okay.” Jordan exhaled and added a muttered, “Like you need another fucking drink.”


“Hmm?” Eli asked.


“Nothing.” Jordan looked at us. “I’ll see you guys on Monday. Thanks.”


“Not a problem,” I said. “See you then.”


We watched the happy couple wander toward the bar with a good arm’s length of frosty distance between them.


“You know,” Angel said, “I take back what I said earlier about it being a crime that a man like that is taken.”


“Oh?”


“Yeah.” He turned back toward the table and picked up his glass. “It’s a crime a man like that is taken by a douche bag like that.”

April 9 – Mirrigold, Mainely Stories, SLLY, Dreams & Screams Bookaholics, The Way She Reads, My Book Filled Life
April 10 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BooksLaidBareBoys
April 11 – Books To Get Lost In, Momma Says: To Read or Not To Read, Two Chicks Obsessed
Apirl 12 – RAM PA Group, Drops Of Ink, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Queerly Reads, Blazing Zane Book Blog, MM Good Book Reviews
April 13 – Thorns & Ink, Twinsie Talk, Mean Girls Luv Books, MJ’s Book Blog & Reviews, Book Review By Virginia Lee

 

 

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…


Website: http://www.gallagherwitt.com
E-mail: gallagherwitt@gmail.com
Twitter: @GallagherWitt
Blog: http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com

Giveaway

Cover Reveal for Creature: A Bureau Story (The Bureau Book 3) by Kim Fielding

Creature: A Bureau Story (The Bureau Book 3) by Kim Fielding

 

Kim Fielding is about to release book three in her “Bureau” series, and we have the over reveal for you here! The book comes out on May 7th, and can be read as a stand alone. You can preorder it now!

About the Book:

Alone in a cell and lacking memories of his past, John has no idea who—or what—he is.

Alone on the streets of 1950s Los Angeles, Harry has far too many memories of his painful past and feels simply resignation in facing his empty future.

When Harry is given a chance to achieve his only dream—to become an agent with the Bureau of Trans-Species Affairs—all he has to do is prove his worth. Yet nothing has ever come easy for him. Now he must offer himself and John as bait, enticing a man who wants to conquer death. But first he and John must learn what distinguishes a monster from a man—and what a monster truly wants.

Preorder “Creature” Now From Amazon

About Kim

Kim Fielding is the bestselling, award-winning author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Author Website: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/KFieldingWrites/

Author Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KFieldingWrites

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4105707.Kim_Fielding

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/kim-fielding/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kim-Fielding/e/B006FN2T78/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1521954454&sr=8-1

 

Cover Reveal for Ice On Fire (Treble and the Lost Boys #1) by G.R. Lyons (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Universal Buy Link
 
Add to Goodreads
 
Length: 100k words approx.
 
Cover Design: Designs By Dana
 

Blurb


Zac Cinder is on the verge of making his dream come true. His punk rock band, Inferno, might have a shot at an audition for a record deal. Fame and fortune would mean he could finally help his parents. They’d raised eight kids in a loving household while barely scraping by, so Zac is determined to give back in any way he can.


Keeping Inferno together, though, means keeping his biggest secret. His bigoted bandmates would drop him in an instant if they found out Zac was gay.


Then he meets Adrian Frost, and Zac can’t resist the shy man. Adrian gives up everything to be with Zac, but Zac can’t bring himself to do the same. He doesn’t want to lose Adrian, but he can’t give up Inferno, either. Not when he’s so close to realizing his dream.


When one cruel decision rips Adrian from his life, Zac will have to decide if ambition is worth the price of the greatest happiness he’s ever known.


(Note: This story takes place in a fictional world, the same as in the Shifting Isles Series. There are multiple gods, different names for the days of the week, etc. A glossary is included.)


WARNING: Contains scenes of self-harm that may be disturbing for some readers. 

 

Author Bio


While daylighting as office manager for the family auto repair business, G.R. Lyons can often be found working on one of multiple manuscripts or desperately trying to keep up with the TBR pile.


Anarcho-capitalist, quietly ‘out’ trans guy, former belly dancer, coffee guzzler, highly-sensitive introvert, CrossFit enthusiast, and lover of m/m romantic fiction.


Email: grlyons@grlyonsauthor.com
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Cover Reveal and Giveaway for On The Ice (Stick Side #1) by Amy Aislin

 

 
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Cover Design: Lee Hyat Designs
 
Length: 87,500 words approx.
 
Blurb
 

For college sophomore Mitch Greyson, determination and persistence are the name of the game if he wants to make it as a professional hockey player. A busy schedule of practices, games, classes, homework, two part-time jobs—and now, working with a tutor to help him pass the class he’s failing so that he can keep his scholarship—shouldn’t leave him with enough time to flirt with the NHL player in town. But that doesn’t stop him.

Placed on the injured reserve list until his broken arm heals, NHL defenseman Alex Dean is using the time off to be with his ailing grandfather and get a head start on the book he’s been commissioned to write. He doesn’t expect to get roped into a tutoring gig, especially not for cocky, smart-ass Mitch.

But Alex soon discovers that there’s more to Mitch than meets the eye…and he really likes what he sees. Only Alex doesn’t dare risk his NHL career by coming out, and a relationship between them would jeopardize Mitch’s chances with the organization too.

It looks impossible. Then again, the best things usually do…

On the Ice is an m/m contemporary romance featuring a flirty college hockey player who meets his match in a demisexual NHL player.

Amy started writing on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class was forced to stay inside for recess. Tales of adventures with her classmates quickly morphed into tales of adventures with the characters in her head. Based in the suburbs of Toronto, Amy is a marketer/fundraiser at a large environmental non-profit in Toronto by day, and a writer by night. Book enthusiast, animal lover and (very) amateur photographer, her interests are many and varied, including travelling, astronomy, ecology, and baking. She binge watches too much anime, and loves musical theater, Julie Andrews, the Backstreet Boys, and her hometown of Oakville, Ontario.

Website: http://amyaislin.com
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A MelanieM Review: Nobody’s Prince Charming (Road to Blissville #3) by Aimee Nicole Walker

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

 

Fire and ice. Oil and water. Vodka and decisions. That’s what Darren McCoy and Wren Davison are: two opposites that shouldn’t mix well. Dare believes in fairy tales, true love, and happily ever after. Wren believes in fast cars, freedom, and no-strings sex. What can these two men possibly have in common? A magnetic pull strong enough to obliterate logic and reason.

For more than a year, Dare and Wren have worked together at the Curl Up and Dye Salon. Dare has pursued the mysterious, brooding man, and Wren has resisted his provocative charm. Then one day, something happens that allows the men to see each other in a new light. Wren learns that Dare hides a heavy heart behind his brilliant smile. Dare realizes that beneath Wren’s gruff exterior beats the heart of a prince.

Passions ignite once the men stop fighting their attraction, but will it be enough to overcome their differences? Is Wren the prince that Dare is looking for? Can Dare teach Wren that true love does exist?

Nobody’s Prince charming is a modern-day fairy tale where some princes ride Harleys, and castle walls are built to scale. It is the third book in the Road to Blissville series but can be read as a standalone book. This book contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults eighteen and over.

Nobody’s Prince Charming is the first story that I read in Aimee Nicole Walker’s Road to Blissville series and it looks as though I’m going to have to remedy that because I found this story  charming and heartwarming.  Everything I look for in a contemporary romance.   It’s the third i the series but works perfectly as a standalone.  It’s not necessary to have read the others to have any backstory here.

This is also a lighthearted story in that there’s very little angst or deep drama in the situations that occur there.  Serious ones, yes, but none with the all-encompassing gritty, dark realism found in other stories.  I love those too, mind you.  But it’s nice to have warm and light, with a good smattering of fun and laughter (that’s where Grandpa and euchre games figures in) for good measure.

No, this is a sweet, wonderful opposites attract romance.  I fell in love with the characters, main and secondary alike.  Aimee Nicole Walker has created a delightful small town and filled it with characters you love to spend time with.  It’s a joy to watch them meet, sizzle with attraction, and then fall slowly in love.  Yes, I definitely have to seek out those other stories.

In the meantime, I recommend you pick up and read Nobody’s Prince Charming (Road to Blissville #3) by Aimee Nicole Walker.  I think you will agree with Dare that Wren is exactly what he and the reader needs.

Cover art: Jay Aheer.  Love that cover. So hot and works for the story and character.

Sales Links:

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2GEVRiv

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2E7iyq1

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 238 pages
Published March 21st 2018 by Chasing Rainbows Press LLC
Original TitleNobody’s Prince Charming
ASINB07C8KQGW6
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesRoad to Blissville #3

A Jeri Release Day Review: Once Burned (Anchor Point #6) by LA Witt

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
This was, by far, my favorite of the series so far. I’ve liked and wanted Diego’s story since we met him in Dalton’s book. Finally, we got it.
By design or not, the Anchor Point books rely heavily on Naval policies and politics. While interesting, sometimes I felt that all of it bogged the story down some. I mean, I still read and enjoyed them, but it got to be a bit much.
In this story, though, it wasn’t so much the politics of the Navy, but how easily the Navy can screw someone who served. And it brought to light a HUGE issue in the military. Green card holders who serve but then can easily lose their jobs AND their status- becoming another undocumented immigrant in a country that they once fought for.
Ok, moving on……
Mark is nearly divorced after a pretty disastrous marriage. He got slam orders to move to Anchor Point, after he was surprisingly made Captain. His first night out he meets Diego. The bartender who hates the Navy and won’t date military. But he ends up bending his rules for Mark.
One night becomes many. A casual hook up becomes an undefined relationship. And we finally get Diego’s story about why he hates the Navy. And it breaks my heart. Because it happens. We just don’t hear about it.
I really enjoyed reading about an “older” couple. Older meaning pushing 40 instead of the romance norm of mid 20’s. Older guys need love too! And Diego and Mark were awesome together. I loved that Diego was still friends with Dalton and that Mark became friends with his ex wife. There weren’t a ton of side characters- but they played an important role.
The ending (the epilogue really) was a bit neat and tidy for me, but overall a really good book.
Cover art by LC Chase was perfect and in keeping with the series.
Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 289 pages
Expected publication: April 9th 2018 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 1626497486 (ISBN13: 9781626497481)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesAnchor Point #6