Category: Book Reviews

Review Tour and Giveaway for Annabelle Jacobs’ Bitten By The Alpha (Regent’s Park Pack #4)

 

Universal Buy Link
 
Length: 76,000 words
 
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
 
Regent’s Park Pack Series
 
Book #1 – Bitten By Mistake
Book #2 – Bitten By Design
Book #3 – Bitten By Desire
 
Blurb
 

Gareth’s heart is set on Cam, but Cam’s heart broke a long time ago.


As alpha of the Regent’s Park Pack, Cam’s focus is always centred on its members—his personal life pushed aside after the death of his wife. Now that his pack has merged with the Primrose Hill shifters, he can’t afford any distractions.


Gareth’s been in love with his alpha for years, but his position as beta complicates matters. Added to the fact Cam still mourns his late wife, Gareth knows his feelings will never be reciprocated, so he buries them deep.


With the two packs already struggling to unite under one alpha, they get a surprise addition—one who causes more tension within the ranks. Under such strain, long-kept secrets are forced into the open. Gareth and Cam must deal with the aftermath, while also keeping the pack’s best interests at heart.

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




February 27 – Mikku-chan, Gay Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Deseos del anochecer
March 3 – Making It Happen, Love Bites & Silk Ties, Diverse Reader
March 5 – Sexy Erotic Xciting, V’s Reads
March 7 – Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings
March 9 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Gay Media Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews
March 14 – Valerie Ullmer, Book Lovers 4Ever
March 16 – Sinfully MM Book Reviews, Dog-Eared Daydreams, Bayou Book Junkie, A Book Lover’s Dream Book Blog

About The Author
 

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it – fighting enemies and adversity – but they always find love in the end.



Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website: www.annabellejacobs.com
Email: ajacobsfiction@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction

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Release Blitz: Art by Adonis by Kris Sawyer (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Art by Adonis

Author: Kris Sawyer

Publisher: Self-published

Cover Artist: Sidney Lowell

Genre/s: Gay Romance, Contemporary

Length: 45000 words approx/ 210 pages

It is a standalone story.

Blurb

When a man takes an unexpected turn and ends up where he isn’t supposed to be, his fate will bring him back to his own path. But when it happens to two people at the same time, their fates will interlink and their paths ultimately entwine.

Aidan Ross, artist extraordinaire meets Rick Mahoney when the man comes for an interview, except he is at the wrong one. Aidan wants him to be the inspiration for his next paintings so badly that he makes a tempting offer. But soon he realizes that he has a decision to make. Aidan can’t be certain whether it’s only the artist in him who is allured by Rick’s charming looks or if there is more than that.

When an unexpected job proposal is made, Rick has his own concerns, the main one being the fact he is in a wheelchair. Why would a renowned artist like Adonis want to paint him? But he is in dire need of a job and he finds it hard to say no to a handsome man like Aidan Ross.

Art by Adonis is a journey of two men, imperfect in their own way yet so perfect for each other.

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US  

Amazon UK 

Goodreads   

Excerpt

The models came and went. They auditioned, shared their portfolios and answered some of the questions Aidan asked. Some did impress him quite a lot, but somewhere his mind still compared them with the guy he’d bumped into earlier leaving him inexplicably with utter disappointment.

When the last guy had left, he watched as Kim’s head appeared through the half-open door. Kimberly Hobbs had worked for him for the past two years as his personal secretary. Ever since the beginning, they had bonded so well Kim knew exactly what Aidan wanted and it almost always got done before he could even tell her. She was in her mid-thirties and a mother of two, but she looked younger than his twenty seven years. Her blood red lipstick and brown hair tied up in a tight bun was the usual signature style she flaunted every single day.

“Do you know a Mr. Pattinson? I never saw him in any of your appointments, so I thought I’d ask.”

“Pattinson?” Aidan racked his brain to put any familiar face to that name but nothing came up. “No, why?”

“There’s a guy here. He says his name is Rick Mahoney and that Mr. Pattinson sent him for the interview.”

Aidan had no clue who Rick Mahoney was or a Mr. Pattinson for that matter. None of the names rang any bells. He made a hand gesture signaling Kim to let him in. “I might as well meet him and see if I can remember anything.” He told her and waited.

Kim moved aside and held the door open for Rick. “Mr. Mahoney, my boss will see you now.”

A familiar face came into view as Rick entered, wheeling his chair inside the room and Kim closed the door to give them some privacy. Aidan couldn’t help the grin that appeared on his face. Of course, he’d recognized this man. Not because he knew who Mr. Pattinson was – but Rick was the same guy he’d met earlier that day. “Hey, you’re the guy on the wrong floor.” He said it as a matter of fact. “Didn’t think we’d meet again so soon.” It was a pleasant surprise.

Rick seemed surprised too and a bit intimidated. “I’m sorry, Mr. Gilbert. I didn’t realize it was you who I ran into earlier.”

“Gilbert?” Aidan laughed. “I’m not Mr Gilbert. My name’s Aidan Ross and I’m an artist. I was interviewing male models here for my next set of paintings. I’m guessing you are here for that too?”

“No, no, no…” The color had drained from Rick’s face. “I’m not a model. I think I must have come to the wrong interview.” Aidan tried to concentrate on the words as Rick rambled on but his nervousness amused him more. He’s so cute. “Mr. Pattinson is the hotel manager and I came here for the bookkeeper’s job at the hotel. He told me I’d be interviewed by Mr. Gilbert on the tenth floor. I came here looking for him and I saw this lady talking to one guy about his interview. I assumed she was talking about Mr. Gilbert’s interview, so I asked and she brought me here to see you.” Ha! What are the odds? “I’m really sorry for the confusion, Mr. Ross. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Aidan waved his hand dismissively and smiled. “No bother at all!”

Rick shook his head, refusing to look Aidan in the eye. “I’m sure you’ve loads of errands to run. I’ll get out of your way.”

“Hey, wait!” Aidan called out as Rick was about to turn, the suddenness astounded him. Aidan chuckled. “Don’t you think it’s amazing?”

“What?”

“That we meet again so soon.” Aidan replied with the excitement he felt within him. “I mean I’ve wanted to see you again so badly. I knew it was totally impossible for us to run into each other again. And yet, here you are. I still can’t believe it!”

Rick furrowed his brows. “Why did you want to see me again?” He asked.

“Because I like you.” He said without any hesitation.

“Huh?”

“Yes, I love the way you look. You are a specimen of male beauty in its rarest form.” Aidan grinned.

Rick’s face flushed. “That’s enough.”

“Look, I’m an artist and I don’t want to see such beauty going unnoticed. I want to paint you. I want to put you on my canvas and show it to the world.” He realized he was leaning over the desk too much and sat up straightening the slim tie he wore. “So will you let me? Draw you?”

About the Author

Kris Sawyer is the pseudonym of Sid Love, who has written several books in the M/M Romance genre but with the Alpha’s Warlock series, he intends to introduce a new world of supernatural beings that will intrigue the readers.

Sawyer grew up in one of busiest cities in the world, Mumbai, listening to the excerpts of Indian epics from his father every night. He is a Potter-head and loves a good mystery in the books he reads.

Alpha’s Warlock is Sawyer’s dream project that he’s been working on forever!

Social Media Links

Facebook  

Twitter 

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win one of  5 ebook from the author’s backlist.

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A MelanieM Review: Hard to Let Go (Haven’s Cove #1) by Jaclyn Quinn

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

 

Owen Richards lives a quiet life in his small hometown of Haven’s Cove. He has a rewarding life consisting of three very supportive—not to mention feisty—women, and a successful bakery that he owns and absolutely loves. Yet, Owen can’t seem to shake this emptiness inside or the intense feeling that something is missing. A sudden encounter with a man from his past, one he despises, turns his entire world upside down. When Owen finds himself attracted to that sexy man, he questions everything, including his sanity. After all, only an incredibly disturbed person would find that he can’t stop thinking about his high school bully.

Brody Walker never expected to return to Haven’s Cove. He’s made a life for himself in Boston, where he can truly be the person he was always meant to be. But an unexpected call has Brody facing all the demons he’d left behind so long ago. Now, he’s faced with not only a difficult goodbye, but one long overdue apology to a man who is no longer that lanky kid from high school. The challenge is to convince the guy he’s changed—and also prove he’s worth taking a chance on.

When passions ignite truths are exposed, changing the beliefs these men have held on to for years. Faced with the knowledge that things aren’t always what they seem, will they choose to hold on to the incredible thing they’ve found…or is it easier to give in to the fear and let go?

I love it when I discover a new author and start a new series all while reading a book I enjoyed thoroughly.  That just happened with Hard to Let Go (Haven’s Cove #1) by Jaclyn Quinn.   Quinn has created a small town filled with lovely atmosphere and local flavor, enough to have started pulling home it’s young people who left for college and returned to start businesses and buy homes. Of course, other things, sadder,  more angst driven events have brought them home as well.

For Brody Walker who hoped never to set foot in Haven’s Cover again, it’s to spend time with his dying mother and to hopefully find some closer for himself on his traumatic youth and childhood.  He also needs to face his own past and guilt over deeds done.  It’s a journey he’s not sure he can face.  The author switches pov, putting us into the emotional turmoil and mental anguish that is Brody upon his return to Haven’s Cove.  We feel an immediate connection to this character and his life is spread out before us like a map, showing us exactly a line from the childhood abuse to his behavior throughout his life.  He’s a poignant and powerful figure.

Owen Richards has close ties to Brody.  How close we find out almost upon Brody’s return to town.  It’ impact upon Owen’s life pushes it out of the stagnant level it was in, especially concerning his relationship with his best friend/boyfriend Jonas into one of uncertainty, excitement and action.

I just loved all the characters here including the ones that I hope Quinn is setting up for future stories including Jonas and Gabe (not as a couple but separately).  Each is looking for someone different and Gabe, Brody’s best friend, already has someone in mind, whether they want it or not.

The abuse here is brought up in memories or flashbacks but packs an emotional punch as it should.  My only sorrow is that the father was never made to pay for his crimes, especially as he confessed in front of a witness.  Although I’m not sure what the law says about the statute of limitations.

That being my only element of irritation, I loved everything else about this story, from the characters to the universe the author is building in Haven’s Cove to the depth of the storylines.  It has everything you would want and more.  I highly recommend  Hard to Let Go and can’t wait for the next in the series to be released.

Cover by Cate Ashwood Designs. I just love this cover.  Its both the characters and Haven’s Cove tied up together. Perfect.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 254 pages
Published February 18th 2018
Original TitleHard to Let Go
ASINB079WTSJWD
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHaven’s Cove #1

An Ali Review: Closer by F.E. Feeley Jr.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Maplewood, Vermont is a picturesque town filled with unique shops, unique homes, and a quaint familiarity all centered around a lake with an unusual history.

Legends, old as well as Urban, float around like the mist that hovers above the lake at break of dawn.

But they’re just stories, right?

Hayden Moore’s life was destroyed when his husband, Malcolm, was murdered. Giving up his job as an assistant district attorney in Boston, Hayden moved to the little burg of Maplewood to recover.

A new life.

A fresh start.

However, something underneath the water is stirring. Something rotten. A deadly secret wakes underneath the black waters of Lake Veronica so disturbing it haunts the nightmares of the local residents.

It’s coming closer… 
I recently toured The Stanley hotel (from Stephen King’s the Shining) and it was so creepy and filled with awesome ghost stories.  So I came home just itching to read spooky, scary tales and I’m happy to say this one fit the bill.  I was just a few pages into it before I was pondering whether I should be reading with the lights off or not.
Hayden is looking for a fresh start after the death of his husband.  He’s hoping for a quiet and peaceful life.  Unfortunately for him the idyllic town is far from peaceful.  Hayden meets Tommy and the two of them, as well as a small band of characters, begin trying to figure what is going on in their town and around the lake.
It’s a bit hard to talk about this book without spoilers.  This is a paranormal mystery and I think it could be considered a horror story as well.  It also focuses on the characters relationships with each other, both as friendships and as romances.
The author has a unique writing style and it fits well with the overall plot.  I’ve read other books by this author and this one seemed to be written a bit differently.  Maybe that was due to how the point of view was handled.  (or it could be because I’m remembering wrong).
I really enjoyed this and I thought it was super unique.  I’m always looking for stuff that’s different and I thought this fit the bill well.  It was a story I would definitely recommend.
Cover:  I absolutely love the cover.  I think it does a fantastic job setting the mood and overall feel for this book.
Book Details:
ebook, 380 pages
Published March 1st 2018 by Beaten Track Publishing
ISBN139781786451873
Edition LanguageEnglish

Russell J. Sanders on the Titanic, Tex-Mex, and his new release ‘Titanic Summer’ (guest blog)

Titanic Summer by Russell J. Sanders
Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Buy Links: Harmony Ink Press |  Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Russell J. Sanders here  today talking about his latest story Titanic Summers. Welcome, Russell.

♦︎

Titanic Summer: A Li’l Travel, a Li’l Politics, and a Lotta Enchiladas

By Russell Sanders

The best hobbies are those that give you joy, engage your mind, and lead you on a quest. You lose yourself in the research, the acquiring, the sheer happiness of just sitting and staring at your treasures. Oh, how I’ve experienced all that! I can spend hours at the piano, playing and singing for only me. I can peruse cookbooks, looking at variations of a single recipe just to decide how I, the amateur chef, will compose a delicacy. I can lose myself in the vast internet, planning an exotic trip—booking those flights to Bali, choosing the seats for that Broadway show, reading all about the museum in Boston so I’ll savor every moment, drooling over the thought of the Mexican food I’ve found in Bar Harbor of all places. And I can never flip the TV remote past a documentary on the Titanic, that magnificent ship that sank on its maiden voyage.

The story of the Titanic has everything: mystery, majesty, the rich and famous, the downtrodden seeking new lives in a new land, the hubris of designers and ship line magnates declaring the ship unsinkable, and it has Molly Brown, the unsinkable wannabe society dame from Colorado, filthy rich and not afraid to spend it! The tale of the Titanic has everything, and I can’t get enough. Books, movies, TV, exhibits…I’ve read ‘em all, seen ‘em all, visited ‘em all.

So fresh off a pilgrimage to the Titanic graves and the Titanic museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, ten years ago, I began another journey. I wanted my next novel to feature that Titanic experience in some way.

I write novels intended primarily for teen readers. My ego and my desire want them to be far much more, great works that everyone wants and needs and has to read. So pick up a copy of Titanic Summer. You won’t be disappointed even if you’re sixty-five and still a teen at heart. But I digress. I knew that most teens would not be all that excited about the ship that hit the iceberg. But what if a teen’s dad was? And what if Dad took his son on his pilgrimage? And what if teen got into the whole Titanic thing because he loved his dad?

Ah! Now that’s what stories are made of. With little more than that, I began writing. And writing. And writing. Ten years later, ten zillion revisions later, Titanic Summer became what it is today. The book that Harmony Ink Press decided to take a chance on. Oh—I forgot. Add another revision to it all because even after Harmony Ink accepted the manuscript (and yes, that was only after I did a further revision for them,) the editing process began and that first edit was like re-writing the whole novel. I have never worked so hard on an edit in my life. But it was worth it. Titanic Summer is now as magnificent as the ship it rode in on. Yeah, I know—that’s for the readers to decide. If an author can’t use a little hyperbole, who can?

Somewhere in all those revisions, teen Jake became gay, and in real life, Houston city council passed an equal rights ordinance. That bit of history was ultimately defeated by the voters, and I, a devastated Houston gay man, realized that any poor teenage Houstonian gay would be profoundly affected by it all. And another layer was added to Jake’s story.

Titanic Summer is a travelogue. Readers—I’m talkin’ to you out there because you just gotta read this book!—will journey from Houston to Philadelphia to Boston to Portland, Maine, to Halifax, and back to Philly and Houston. There are lots of sights to be seen.

Titanic Summer is also another kind of journey. A sixteen-year-old boy who knows he’s gay and doesn’t want to accept it. He doesn’t care if anyone else in the world is gay, but he doesn’t want to have anything to do with it for himself. Not because he doesn’t want to be gay; he just doesn’t want anyone to know about him. It’s a roller coaster ride for Jake, folks. Step right up and see the kid try to take the next rise and sudden dip—whoosh! Will he live to ride again, or will he end up tossing his cookies, vowing never to get on that Texas Hurricane again?

Titanic Summer is Tex-Mex. Oh, it is Tex-Mex. Believe me, if you don’t finish this wanting some nachos, some enchiladas, some chips, some salsa, some guac, then you seriously are not a Houstonian. But we can make you one real fast. Dive in, the water’s fine (make that a Margarita; that is, if you’re legal—we don’t advocate underage drinking, y’all.) Search Yelp and find the nearest Tex Mex near you, jump on your pony, and head out to the feeding trough. And better yet, if there’s a Chuy’s near you, that’s the place to go. If you’re a novice, start with the Panchos. Then graduate to the Classic Tex Mex enchiladas. After that, you’re good to go. Do like me. Find you some Mexican food wherever you travel. It might turn out to be great (Jakarta, Indonesia) or might turn out to be rather strange (Rome, Italy) but it’s always an adventure. And if you’re not craving chips and salsa after reading Titanic Summer, I’ve not done my job. By the way, I am NOT a paid spokesperson for Chuy’s Restaurants. But if I got a little rebate from each time I’ve eaten there, I’d be a wealthy man.

So there you have it—the lowdown on Titanic Summer. Part Canada, part New England, part Houston, and all heart. And Tex-Mex. Don’t forget the Tex-Mex.

Blurb—Titanic Summer

It’s 2015, and teenage Jake Hardy is hiding something. During a summer trip to the Titanic Mecca of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jake’s father makes a confession, and though Jake feels upset and confused, he also wants to be understanding. But he feels deceived—much like he’s deceiving those he cares about. Jake is gay, just not ready to tell the world.

Jake and his father are far from alone in their secrets, as Jake discovers back in Texas, where the fight for and against the Equal Rights Ordinance rages. He’s surprised to learn how much the outcome will affect his friends, and he’s torn between standing with them and the wishes of his religious fanatic mother. Being true to himself won’t be easy or painless, and it will come with sacrifices—and rewards.

About the Author

Russell J. Sanders is a lifelong devotee of the theater. He’s a singer, actor, and director, winning awards for his acting roles and shows he has directed. As a teacher, he has taught theater arts to hundreds of students, plus he’s also taught literature and writing to thousands of others. Russell has also traveled the world, visiting Indonesia, Japan, India, Canada, the Caribbean, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Florence, and Venice—and almost all the US states. His friends think he’s crazy, but wherever he goes, he seeks out Mexican restaurants. The Mexican food in Tokyo was great, he says; in Rome, not so good. Texans cut their teeth on barbecue and Mexican food. Russell’s love for enchiladas led him on a quest to try them wherever he can find them, and he has found them in some very out-of-the-way places. And good or bad, he’s delighted to sample his favorite food. Most importantly, Russell is an out-and-proud gay man, living in Houston with his husband, a relatively recent marriage but a relationship that started twenty years ago. He hopes that his novels inspire confidence and instill pride in his young gay fans, and he also hopes others learn from his work, as well.

Website: www.russelljsanders.weebly.com   

Facebook: www.facebook.com/russell.sanders.14

Visit my website: www.russelljsanders.weebly.com

Follow me on Facebook at Russell J. Sanders, author: https://www.facebook.com/Russell-J-Sanders-author-514666448554674/

Follow me on Twitter: @russelljsanders

Visit my author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Sanders/e/B00AVXOY80/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

View my about me page:  https://about.me/russell.sanders

View my book trailers:  (all book trailers use free use public domain images and music)

Thirteen Therapists: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH-zdafR2c8&feature=youtu.be

Special Effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrVphGxgXqc&feature=youtu.be

The Book of Ethan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6IBm1CBINg

Colors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkLr2TTpcI

All You Need Is Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsQUwQUoUzs&feature=youtu.be

Titanic Summer: https://youtu.be/tVqWvlOP-PQ

Audiobook Blitz and Giveaway for Leaning Into the Fall (Leaning Into Stories #2 ) by Lane Hayes and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Title:  Leaning Into the Fall

Series: Leaning Into Stories, #2

Author: Lane Hayes

Publisher:  Self-Published

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Genre: Romance, Erotica, Bisexual, humor, San Francisco, May to December romance

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Nick Jorgensen is a quirky genius. He’s made a fortune in the competitive high tech field with his quick mind and attention to detail. He believes in hard work and trusting his gut. And he believes in karma. It’s the only thing that makes sense. People are difficult, but numbers never lie. In the disastrous wake of a broken engagement to an investor’s daughter, Nick is more certain than ever he isn’t relationship material.

Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself. However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.

Listen to an audio excerpt & purchase at Audible

 Meet the Author

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in an almost empty nest.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Meet the Narrator

Nick is an award winning narrator with a fan following for his work in fiction, specifically in the romance genre. His performances in two of Amy Lane’s books, Beneath the Stain and Christmas Kitsch, made him the recipient of Sinfully M/M Book Review’s Narrator of the Year – 2015. When he’s not in the booth, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, Jessica, and kids, (aka their beagle Frank and cat Stella), drumming in his cover band, exploring rural back roads with his wife on his motorcycle, or being enthralled in a tabletop role playing game with his friends. 

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A MelanieM Review: The Calling by MD Neu

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Being a nobody isn’t Duncan Alexander’s life goal, but it’s worked for him. He has a nondescript job, a few good friends, and overall he’s content. That’s until one fateful trip to San Jose, California, where he is “Called” to meet the mysterious Juliet de Exter. Juliet is a beautiful, wealthy, powerful Immortal who is undertaking The Calling—a search for a human to join her world of Immortals. Inexplicably, Duncan’s calling is more dangerous than any of the Immortals, even Juliet, ever thought it would be.

There is more to this nobody, this only child of long-deceased parents, than anyone thought. When Duncan experiences uncontrollable dreams of people he doesn’t know and places he hasn’t been, Juliet and the other Immortals worry. Soon, his visions point to a coven of long-dead witches. The dreams also lead Duncan to his one true love. How will Duncan navigate a forbidden romance with an outcast Immortal? How will he and the others keep the balance between the Light and Dark, survive vicious attacks, and keep the humans from learning who they truly are? More importantly, who is this implacable foe Duncan keeps seeing in his dreams?

I first found M.D. Neu through his fantastic Halloween horror tale The Reunion.  That was an amazing well written short story that haunted me long after I  finished it.  So when I saw The Calling I knew even without reading the blurb it was a novel I needed to read based on the author alone.  I wasn’t disappointed.

Duncan Alexander seems to be nobody special until he’s ‘called’ to San Jose to meet Juliet de Exter and  change his life forever. And from that moment on, into a lush and richly woven story , Duncan and the readers jump into a world that smells of  vanilla and roses, blood and mystery, pain and love. We do so with energy and some trepidation.  

I love how  M.D. Neu builds not only his characters, allowing us to see them grow, adding on their history while letting us see the true depths to their inner qualities, their honor, courage, steadfastness, loyalty, intelligence and more as the story quickens. But also adding to his world building and mythology.  It’s as though he’s constantly assembling his world view throughout the tale. And that makes The Calling even more intricate and magical because the beginning narrative structure and universe is so beguiling to begin with.

It starts with the Immortals, now divided into two factions of LIght and Dark, but not necessarily as you would imagine of Good and Evil.  No, instead it’s more of order and chaos.  Rules versus a lack of rules but then again not always.  So many shadows here between the two factions.  The Immortals are of course vampires but even the vampires here don’t follow some of the expected “vampire norms”.  Neu has created his own vampire mythology and its as complicated and bound in ritual as you would imagine given the nature of Duncan’s calling.

Nor are the vampires the only beings with magic.  There are witches as well, an enemy with a need for revenge.

And there is romance as well.  Although to be honest.  The romance does feel at times like a lesser storyline than the one about the mystery of Duncan’s importance and the war that’s being waged all around them.

But what kept me absolutely glued to this story was the incredible plot, the cast of characters (oh how I love Victor), the suspense and the action.  I couldn’t put this book down.  I was in agony along with all of them, through every battle, through every loss, and then at that ending!  Well, I can see that Neu is setting us up for a series and I couldn’t be more pleased.

For those that like to be warned about het sex, yes, there is some.  It comes as part of the ritual turning.  Yes, Duncan is gay but it’s as thought it’s just a part of who he is and not central to this story.   And yes, this is a M/M romance but I still don’t feel that’s the main focus here either.  The Calling is a powerfully engaging suspenseful supernatural story.    One I highly recommend along with its author who has now become a must read author for me.  Check out The Reunion and The Calling.  And I think you’ll agree.

Cover art: Natasha Snow is  haunting and lovely.  Just like the book.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published January 1st 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781947904798
Edition LanguageEnglish

 

 

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:Winter Cowboy (Whisper Ridge, Wyoming #1) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This story is quite dark and depressing and there’s no romance to it until the latter part of the book so readers should be prepared to wait for the love and also be prepared for a lot of heartbreak and pain from past mistakes.  To be honest, the setup took so long and was so depressing, I was tempted to stop reading.  But I love RJ Scott’s work so I knew it would be worth the wait and I kept going.

Micah is summoned by the sister he hasn’t seen in nearly ten years when she’s finally able to get a call out for help from the compound of the cult where’s she’s been held and abused. Arriving just in time to see her shoot her husband, an insane cult leader, Micah grabs her and her five-year-old son, Laurie, and they get out with only the clothes on their backs.  And though he hasn’t been home in nine years, he heads to the ranch he inherited from his father, all while making plans to set up whatever he needs to secure his sister’s future.  He’d left the area after he took his boyfriend Daniel’s car on a joyride with his two best friends and was involved in an accident that killed one boy and left the other without a leg.  The one who lost his leg is Daniel’s brother, and in his grief and pain, Daniel pushed Micah away and made him promise never to return home. 

After spending a year in prison for reckless driving and manslaughter, Micah has been working as a professional trainer on a horse farm, sending his wages home to his aunt and uncle for upkeep on the family ranch.  So when he comes back with a very pregnant Rachel and little undernourished and emotionally abused Laurie, he not only expects trouble, he gets it. 

There’s quite a bit of backstory on what happened to Rachel in the cult but there’s even more about what happened to Micah and why he and Daniel can’t be together again.  To make matters worse, Daniel is suffering PTSD from an incident at the hospital where he was the ER physician when a former patient’s family member took hostages and killed Daniel’s coworker.  All of this trauma for Daniel comes out in anger toward Micah, and even in physical violence a few times. 

To be honest, Daniel wasn’t a likeable character, even toward the end of the story when he finally took his counseling to heart and learned how to look at the past differently.  Micah was also a bit of a bundle of nerves, with his protector hero complex, always worried about his sister and the consequences of someone finding out what happened. Fully prepared to take the blame, he wallowed in angst and dark thoughts for most of the book. 

If the last fourth of the story didn’t move toward positive action when it did, I’d likely have given this a lower rating because, as I said, it was dark and depressing and there was a lot about their backstory, none of which was pleasant.  The author was able to tie all the loose ends together, however, and finally brush off the old romance and give it new life, making it one I can look back on and say I liked. 

Secondary characters were many and varied and I especially enjoyed little Laurie. He won my heart from the first time he appeared in the story and never relinquished it at all.  I also found the sheriff to be intriguing, as well as Daniel’s brother Chris, the young man who lost a pro sports career when he lost his leg.  I hope both of these characters get their own stories—together or individually with different love interests. 

I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy a book with plenty of angst-filled moments, as well as hurt-comfort and redemption. 

~~~

The cover by Meredith Russell is a close-up photo of a man with short, light hair. I assume it’s Micah.  To be honest, the light sepia tone is quite bland so I don’t find the cover appealing at all.

Sales Links:   Amazon |  Universal Buy Link

Book Details:

ebook
Published February 28th 2018 by RJ Scott (first published February 25th 2018)
Original TitleWinter Cowboy
ISBN139781785641114
SeriesWhisper Ridge, Wyoming #1