A MelanieM Review: King (Executioners #3) by J.M. Dabney

Rating:  4.25 stars out of 5

Andrew King’s life wasn’t what he’d expected it to be. At thirty he was a single dad who drove his rig to make ends meet and played in his band Executioners on the weekends. King saw himself being a husband again one day because that’s what was expected. When Melanie had gotten pregnant, their parents had given them one choice—they’d stuck it out a year. At twenty-eight, he became a single dad when Melanie went off to college. He loved his son more than anything, and they’d quickly fell into a life of just the two of them, well, not just the two of them there was Lincoln too. His ex-wife was still his best friend. They all co-parented Mal, it was natural and right.

Lincoln Church lived for his nephew and his teaching job. While King, his ex-brother-in-law, worked driving a truck. As a result, Mal ended up living with him most of the time. It was the closest Linc would ever come to being a dad. The only bleak spot in his life was his feelings for King which he thought would never be reciprocated. It wasn’t so bad because he still had King and Mal in his life and that meant the world to him.

A stupid accident and a broken leg sidelined King, keeping him off the road. When King needed help, Lincoln rushed in, and King couldn’t deny his attraction or love for Lincoln. Would one kiss ruin the weird, little family they’d created?

Out of all the books in all of the connected series, the main characters in King are probably the most little known elements when we first meet them.  In every other story, from the Twirled World Ink group through Brawlers and now the Executioners, the main players are known entities because we’ve encountered them multiple times in just about everyone else’s stories.   Powers, Georgia has become an intimate, familiar destination full of people I’ve come to know and love.  Reading a story in any series feels like a homecoming.  Which is why King is such a standout amongst them all.

Turns out intentionally so.  I interviewed J.M. Dabney for my Author Spotlight not too long about and this is what  the author had to say about the character and book:

The Executioners have two more books, King who you see a little of in the course of the series. Unconsciously, I believe I kept him a bit more sequestered for the fact I wanted a bit more mystery with him. Readers see him as a player, but I also highlight his love for his son. It the dichotomy of what allow the readers to see and what is actually happening behind the scenes. Hinting at what is to come, but hopefully surprising them when they finally to read the book.

I think Dabney accomplished exactly  what she intended here.  King presented himself as a character I was eager to get to know and what emerged was a story of sweetness and love, both romantic and familial.

After the complexities and angst of Ghost and Joker (which remain my favorite stories and two of my best of 2017), King arrives as almost a light-hearted complement to the others, demonstrating that not everything in Powers has a dark side.   Here it’s more of lack of communication and a dose of fear over losing what each man does have of the other in their lives.  Dabney makes us understand King’s fear as well as Lincoln’s, just as she always does, with her ability to get under their skin and into their minds and hearts.

And it’s not just King and Lincoln but Melanie (and the rest of the gang that shows up here) that arrive as fully developed characters, believable and compelling by their very nature.  I flew through this story, enjoying the relationship dynamics, the hot sex and of course, the happy path to love and HEA.

Up next?  Why that would be Sin & Saint (Executioners #4) and their man the Sheriff.  What a ride that’s going to be.  I can hardly wait. Until that arrives, grab up King (Executioners #3) by J.M. Dabney for a wonderful, warmhearted romance. I highly recommend this story and series.  For all the interconnected series, check out the list below.

Cover art by Winterheart Design .  I’m so in love with these covers.  They match the men perfectly with just that right touch of grittiness and believability.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 123 pages
Published November 21st 2017 by Hostile Whispers Press, LLC
ASINB077PMMBLL
Series Executioners

  • Executioners – third series

An Alisa Advent Release Day Review: A Gift of Family by Tami Veldura

Rating:  3 stars out of 5
Scott Burke has always desired a big family, but as a divorced single dad, all he has is his young daughter, Lexi. He pours himself into raising her, half-convinced he’ll never find what he’s looking for. When Brennan Price strolls into Scott’s life, he’d better have enough patience for both Lexi and Scott if he intends to stick around.
Brennan has a huge family and a successful career, but no one to call his own. Wooing Scott and his daughter is right up his alley, though, and he steps up to the challenge to prove he’s enough for both of them. His attraction to Scott is immediate, but he recognizes a family man when he sees one and hatches a plan to win Lexi over. Her handsome father is sure to follow….
This was an okay story.  I liked how Brennan wanted to woo both Scott and Lexi and his patience.  Their connection felt a bit forced and quick for Scott being a man that is supposedly cautious about bringing someone into their life he falls a but fast.  I thought Brennan seemed cute but didn’t feel as if I got the chance to know him.  For all their cautiousness and shyness the D/S feeling in the bedroom didn’t work for me, it was like they flipped a switch and it didn’t seem right for the characters.
Cover art by Paul Richmond.  This is the series cover for all the Stocking Stuffer Advent stories for 2017 and as such has nothing to do with the actual story.
Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 32 pages
Published: December 23, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Slip (Recovery #2) by BA Tortuga

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Love is a fragile thing, and it can slip through your fingers if you don’t hold on tight….

When Zack Jung’s AA sponsor and friend commits suicide, he’s desperate to hold it together, and there’s only one place he can turn. He calls Josh and Kris, and they take him back to their ranch outside Santa Fe.

A cowboy to the bone, Cimarron Duran cherishes his orderly life and routine. He likes his neighbors, Kris and Josh, but he has less than no interest in the hipster personal trainer who comes to stay with them—or at least, he plans to fight his interest in favor of his solitary life and his art.

But some things are as inevitable as the weather, and when Zack and Cimarron finally come together, they find they don’t want to let go. It won’t be easy, though, for two men with pasts like theirs to forge a happy future together.

When it comes to  writing men fighting their demons, B.A. Tortuga is immediately that author whose characters come off as people leveled by life, wounded, and so believable that I expect to hear them cough and laugh and sometimes curse soundly right off the page or in my case my Kindle.  Her stories… their stories are gritty, full of passion and fire, and yes, pain.

None of that is more true that Slip, the second in B.A. Tortuga’s Recovery series.  The meaning of the title of the story isn’t clear until the very end.  Oh but the getting there.  The author takes us and her characters, Cimarron and Zack on quite the journey in Slip.  It’s a revelation really because through her scenes with these hurting, damaged men we get to almost taste the rain, feel the biting cold, revel in the wildness of a primal dance, and feel the tug of not only passion but the healing nature of love that occurs over time through the relationship between Zack and Cimmaron.

From the amazing intimacy of the conversations that make us feel as though we’re standing in the room listening to something wonderful unfold to the flow of the narrative that seems as natural as the setting that surrounds the men themselves, we feel a part of this couple and their journey towards love and a home together.  I became heavily invested in their future and their happiness because they felt so real.

There’s also the frank treatment of substance abuse here.  How does a person live with the fact that he’s an alcoholic? How does one live with an alcoholic?  The manner in which it’s folded into the story is perfect as well as realistic.

In short, I can’t rave enough about this story.  From the superb characterizations to a romance that will ignite your senses to a love story that you’ll tuck into your heart…Slip is a story to remember.  You don’t have to have read the first one in the series but it helps to give you a better knowledge of the people you meet here in this story.  I highly recommend them all.

Cover art by Maria Fanning. Love the cover.  Incorporates the right elements and does a nice job with the characters.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 246 pages
Expected publication: December 22nd 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781635338027
Edition Language English
Series Recovery #2

B.G. Thomas on Writing, Names and his latest novel ‘Getting His Man (Getting His Man #1)’ (guest post)

Getting His Man (Getting His Man #1) by B.G. Thomas
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Bree Archer

BUY LINKS: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Amazon UK

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host B.G. Thomas here today to talk about many things including his latest release, Getting His Man.  Welcome, Ben.

✒︎

Hello Constant Readers!

My name, for those of you who don’t know me, is BG Thomas. But I prefer to be called Ben.

I wish I had gone with my first name when I started in this wonderful business, but it was a time where interviewers for jobs frequently Googled prospective employees, and I didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. And sadly, if they saw that you wrote gay romance, they immediately jumped to the wrong idea and concluded that you wrote porn.

Geeze! One of my best friends introduced me to a group of his friends by telling them I wrote porn that made you cry and smile and…etc. I pulled him aside and asked him why he did that. “If I wrote heterosexual romances would you have told people I wrote porn?” He shamefaced told me no, and that he was sorry. But the kicker is—he is gay!

Things have changed enough that today I wouldn’t be concerned with a possible employer Googling me. Heck! I don’t care who knows what I do. And if they think I write porn, I don’t care. Except that if you are buying my new book, Getting His Man, or any of my books, for the sex, you’re going to be disappointed. Not that I don’t write good sex. I think I write hot sex. But it is also sweet, and doesn’t come into the story until the very right moment!

Here are some questions that Scattered Thoughts and Rouge Words asked me to answer. I hope you enjoy…!

STaRW: How much of yourself goes into a character?

Ben: Well, it depends on the character. Some yes, some no. For instance, in my new book, there is a lot of me in Artie. In fact, the whole part where he gets arrested for drug dealing could very well have happened to me. My first roommate was quite the druggie and blasted his music and when you walked into the apartment building, you could often smell the pot smoke downstairs. I was scared to death I would get arrested. I used the scenario and how I would have reacted if I actually would have gotten in trouble with the law. Then with the other character in the book, August, well I am no fearless bounty hunter! LOL! August is more of a dream man hero, or even the kind of man I wish I could be.

STaRW: Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it?  You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

Ben: Oh yes! Most of my novels take me two to four months to write. Winter Heart took me over a year. The main character, Wyatt, was very much a reflection of me and what I went through with an emotionally and mentally abusive ex-spouse. It kept bringing up so much hurt and pain I had to set it aside. But it was also cathartic and helped me work through it all, and heal as well!

STaRW: Do you like to write HFN or HEA? And why?

Ben: Again, it depends on the book. But I can tell you as the writer, pretty much any story I end with for a HFN? It is a HEA! The book just doesn’t go on long enough for the reader to know that for sure. That is why my characters are bound to show up in other books so readers can see that the lovers from one book are still happily together weeks, months, and even years later!  🙂

STaRW: Ever drunk written a chapter and then read it the next day and still been happy with it?  Trust me there’s a whole world of us drunk writers dying to know.

Ben: LOL! Would you believe it if I said, again, that it depends on the scene/book? See I have written scenes where my character got drunk or stoned or whatever and I got pretty darned tipsy to feel what they were feeling and wrote it from that angle. In another story was sort of a paranormal experience they were having. The “drunk” state helped me write the scene with that “feeling.” And I was surprised (and happy) how very little editing I had to do. And as some famous person once said, “Write drunk, edit sober!”

STaRW: If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

Ben: A beach house. OMGosh yes! With lots of glass. And a big deck. I am a water baby and that connection to the sea would be unbelievable. A house that is not crammed up against the next house. Not a mile away mind you! Oh no. I am way too social an animal for that. I like people. So I’d want the ability to have privacy, but also to have coffee with a neighbor. And I wouldn’t mind if I had lots of gay neighbors. The commonality would be wonderful and a constant influence and inspiration.

 STaRW: With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain?  To get away?  To move past?  To widen our knowledge?  Why do you write?

Ben: Yes. That is exactly what I do and why.

 STaRW: What’s next for you as a writer?

Ben: In several of my novels some of my characters have gone to a vegan restaurant called Café Namasté. I am finally writing the story about the man who owns that place. I am learning a lot. And it is going to be a book that explains, lets you get away, to move past and to widen your knowledge. And it is going to make you laugh and cry too. And get all gushy inside. And maybe turn you on too!

And there! I hope you liked my answers. Now here is the cover blurb of my new book!

GETTING HIS MAN

A love story worthy of an old movie… with a new twist.

Artie needs a hero, a man like those he’s always revered in Golden Age films. His drug-dealing jerk of a roommate got him arrested, and since his savior isn’t likely to sweep in and save the day, Artie calls a bail bondsman.

August has always imagined himself a hero from a black-and-white movie, but he’s never found a man willing to let him play that role—at least not until he gets the call from Artie.

Both of their dreams might come true, but not before August must use his skills as a bounty hunter as well as a bondsman. Artie is on the run for his life, and August must protect him and help him clear his name. Only then can they both finally get their man.

And hey, after you’re done reading it, I would love to hear what you think!

Love, Namasté, and Happy Holidays!

BG “Ben” Thomas

About the Author

B.G. Thomas lives in Kansas City with his husband of more than a decade and their fabulous dogs Sarah Jane and Oliver. He is blessed to have a lovely daughter as well as many extraordinary friends. He has a great passion for life.

B.G. loves romance, comedies, fantasy, science fiction, and even horror—as far as he is concerned, as long as the stories are character driven and entertaining, it doesn’t matter the genre. He has gone to literature conventions his entire adult life where he’s been lucky enough to meet many of his favorite writers. He has made up stories since he was a child; it is where he finds his joy.

In the nineties, he wrote for gay adult magazines but stopped because the editors wanted all sex without plot. “The sex is never as important as the characters,” he says. “Who cares what they are doing if we don’t care about them?” Excited about the growing male/male romance market, he began writing again. He submitted a novella and was thrilled when it was accepted in four days. Since then the romantic tales have poured out of him. “It’s like I’m somehow making up for a lifetime’s worth of story-telling!”

In 2015 he made an entry every day in his blog “365 Days of Silver,” where he found something every day to be grateful for. You can find it right here: https://365daysofsilver.wordpress.com/

“Leap, and the net will appear” is his personal philosophy and his message. “It is never too late,” he testifies. “Pursue your dreams. They will come true!”

Website/blog: bthomaswriter.wordpress.com

Cover Reveal for Bases Loaded by Sean Michael (guest post and cover reveal)

Bases Loaded by Sean Michael
Dreamspinner Press

Buy links: Dreamspinner Press eBook | Paperback  

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michael here today revealing his cover for his re-release of Bases Loaded. Welcome, Sean.

✒︎

Thank you to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting the cover reveal for Bases Loaded.

As always, when I have a re-release of an older book, I welcome getting another set of edits on the book, but most of all I appreciate getting a new cover. And I’m very happy with this new cover for the book.

This book was a part of all the ‘going for the gold’ sports books that I wrote a bunch of years back, but this one was different from the others. There was no coach, instead the love story is between a baseball player and his lover and it happens off-season. They have to survive the things life throws at them.

The irony of having this be off-season is that I am a huge baseball fan from back when I was in a teenager, avidly following the Montreal Expos, keeping track of stats, listening on the radio to the games that weren’t televised, keeping a scrapbook of all the clippings from the newspaper. And with all that knowledge locked in my head, so I wouldn’t need to research that aspect of the book, I basically didn’t need it.

Ah well, I still love baseball, though without a home team here in Ottawa, I don’t follow it like I used to.

Hopefully you like the new cover for Bases Loaded as much as I do and I hope you decide to give the book a try and that you think it’s a homerun!

Sean Michael

smut fixes everything

Blurb:

Can they survive the off-season and keep from striking out?

Baseball player Brett must get rehabilitation for his shoulder if he wants another season in the Major League. He and his partner, Benj, take off to the boonies to stay with physical therapist Ralph, a tough-talking, routine-setting guy, and Jean, Ralph’s Cajun lover, who cooks as well as he loves.

Brett and Ralph butt heads from the beginning. Ralph wants Brett to be more in touch with his feelings; Brett wants Ralph to give him his therapy and leave him alone. Benj and Jean get along far better, with Jean showing Benj around the kitchen and reassuring him when things with Brett get strained.

Before Ralph can even begin to work on Brett’s shoulder, though, Brett faces an even more difficult physical challenge, one that does more than threaten his career. He and Benj have to work through some tough issues, making decisions that will affect the rest of their lives together. Their gradual friendship with Ralph and Jean helps them through the bad times, but even that might not be enough to pull them through.

About the Author

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/

TWITTER: seanmichael09

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/seanmichaelpics/

BOOK TOUR – In Blood and Pain by Aldrea Alien (excerpt and giveaway)

BLOG TOUR

 

Book Title: In Pain and Blood (Spellster Series Book 1)

Author: Aldrea Alien

Publisher: Thardrandian Publications

Cover Artist: Aldrea Alien

Genre/s: Epic Fantasy M/M Romance

Length:  309000 words/740 pages

It’s a standalone story and first in a series of standalones.

Goodreads Link

Buy Links ~ Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK 

Blurb

It wasn’t meant to be like this.

Dylan’s life in the spellster tower has everything he should want: magical knowledge, safety from the King’s Hounds and frequent clandestine affairs with women. All at the cost of his freedom. So when the chance to leave the tower—even as a leashed weapon for the King’s Army—arises, he seizes it.

When his first scouting mission goes awry, Dylan is left alone in a hostile world with the tower a distant beacon of safety. Only the flirtatious Tracker, an elven man whose very presence awakens Dylan’s long-repressed desire, can help him return to his old life before the crown discovers his unleashed status.

But the risk of being branded a deserter may be the least of his concerns as whispers of an armed presence in the North threatens his home. Dylan must rely on Tracker to protect him even as everything he thought he knew begins to unravel around them.

 

Excerpt

The dagger was the first thing he saw. Curved and sharp. In the lantern-light peeking out from the street, the blade bore an insidious purple sheen.

Barely daring to breathe, he followed the blade down to the bronze hand and onwards to the elven man glaring up at him. “If you’re after money. I have none.”

The elf’s sharp eyes, in a shade that reminded Dylan of rich honey, narrowed. “Money?” The man sneered. “My dear spellster, do I look like I need your paltry coin?” He spoke with the vaguely similar smooth accent of his old roommate, Sulin. The words tumbled off his tongue much like rock down a hill, catching occasionally on a soft trill or hiss. Only those from Wintervale spoke in such a way.

“I don’t—” The man knew he was a spellster? That could become problematic if he also knew of a hound in the area. Dylan lifted his hands, careful to ensure his palms remained facing away from the elf. As well as sharing a similarity in accents as his old roommate, the man was quite tall for an elf. Not quite as much as Sulin, but the top of the man’s head easily reached the base of Dylan’s neck. “Look, I really don’t want to hurt you.”

The dagger flashed up with barely a twitch from the elf, the flat of the blade tapping Dylan on the lips. “No more talking. I have been looking all over this village for the spellster everyone says is here and now I have you.” The point returned to his throat. “Now lower your hands. I am sure it has occurred to you that attacking me will do you no good. You would be dead well before I.”

His gaze dropped to take in the man’s armour. Hard to tell in the watery light, but it looked well-made and leather. Not a common thief, then. A mercenary, perhaps? Something about the style nagged at him. He’d seen it before, as far back as the tower. Not on the guardians, but— The hound. Fetcher might have been human and a woman, but she’d worn the exact same armour. “You’re a hound,” he breathed, amazed he could say a word when it felt like his heart had relocated to his throat.

The man’s full lips twisted into a humourless smile. “How very astute of you. At least you are not entirely without your wits.”

“You have to help me.” Was it not a hound’s job to bring spellsters to the tower? Just like they’d done with Sulin and Launtil and countless others who’d been born outside the walls. And this elf would know the quickest route. “I need to get back to the tower.”

“So you admit you left.”

“Well, yes, but I was—” The minute change in the blade’s pressure against his throat stilled his tongue. The hounds will hunt you. His guardian’s words echoed in his ears. Safe in the tower, safe with a neck banded in metal, but venture outside without being leashed? Practically a death sentence. Any spellster rumoured to have fled the tower weren’t heard from again.

“The crown does not exactly take kindly to runaways.”

 

 

About the Author

Mother. Animal Lover. Vampire. Fangirl.

Aldrea Alien is a New Zealand author of romantic speculative fiction of varying heat levels. She grew up on a small farm out the back blocks of a place known as Wainuiomata alongside a menagerie of animals, who are all convinced they’re just as human as the next person (especially the cats). She spent a great deal of her childhood riding horses, whilst the rest of her time was consumed with reading every fantasy book she could get her hands on and concocting ideas about a little planet known as Thardrandia. This would prove to be the start of The Rogue King Saga as, come her twelfth year, she discovered there was a book inside her.
​
Aldrea now lives in Upper Hutt, on yet another small farm with a less hectic, but still egotistical, group of animals (cats will be cats). She self-published the first of The Rogue King Saga in 2014. One thing she hasn’t yet found is an off switch to give her an ounce of peace from the characters plaguing her mind, a list that grows bigger every year with all of them clamouring for her to tell their story first. It’s a lot of people for one head.

Social Media Links

Blog

Website

Facebook Author Page

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

GIVEAWAY

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win one of two prizes:

One prize: 1 x $5 Amazon Gift Card. 1 x Pair of character-inspired scented candles. 1 x Map poster. 1 x Bookmark.

Two other prizes: 1 x Map poster. 1 x Bookmark.

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BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

December 15

Men & Men Midnight Cafe   GUEST POST

Nerdy Dirty and Flirty  REVIEW

 Hoards Jumble   GUEST POST

  Millsy Loves Books  

 Tangents and Tissues 

  Queer Sci-fi  

December 16  

Stories That Make You Smile    GUEST POST

 MJ’s Book Blog and Reviews   

December 17

Gay Book Reviews

December 18

Lily G Blunt

December 19   

Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author   

  We Three Queens   REVIEW

  Love Unchained Book Reviews 

December 20  

Zipper Rippers   GUEST POST

December 21

Drops of Ink  GUEST POST

Squirrel Talk   GUEST POST

 MM Good Book Reviews   REVIEW

December 22

 Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words   REVIEW

Dawn’s Reading Nook   REVIEW

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews  GUEST POST

December 23  

The Novel Approach  GUEST POST

 

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway for Lost In Time by A.L. Lester

 

Add to Goodreads


Pre-order: JMS Books


Cover Design: JM Snyder


Publisher: JMS Books


Length: 54,000 words approx.


The Gate (a FREE short story introducing the characters from Lost In Time) out December 23.
Amazon US | Amazon US | JMS Books


Blurb

Lew’s life is pleasantly boring until his friend Mira messes with magic she doesn’t understand. While searching for her, he is pulled back in time to 1919 by a catastrophic magical accident. As he tries to navigate a strange time and find his friend in the smoky music clubs of Soho, the last thing he needs is D etective Alec Carter suspecting him of murder.

London in 1919 is cold, wet, and tired from four years of war. Alec is back in the Metropolitan Police after slogging out his army service on the Western Front. Falling for a suspect in a gruesome murder case is not on his agenda, however attractive he finds the other man.

They are both floundering and out of their depth, struggling to come to terms with feelings they didn’t ask for and didn’t expect. Both have secrets that could get them arrested or killed. In the middle of a murder investigation that involves wild magic, mysterious creatures, and illegal sexual desire, who is safe to trust?

Author Bio

A. L. Lester likes to read. Her favorite books are post-apocalyptic dystopian romances full of suspense, but a cornflake packet will do there’s nothing else available. The gender of the characters she likes to read (and write) is pretty irrelevant so long as they are strong, interesting people on a journey of some kind.

She has a chaotic family life and small children, and she has become the person in the village who looks after the random animals people find in the road. She is interested in permaculture gardening and anything to do with books, reading, technology and history. She lives in a small village in rural Somerset and is seriously allergic to both rabbits and Minecraft



Website: http://www.allester.co.uk/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ALLester_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALLesterAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allesterauthor/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/A.-L.-Lester/e/B01MZ6R1QR/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/allester

Giveaway

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A MelanieM Review: Old Christmas Magic by Kassandra Lea

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Drew McLean has had a run of bad luck and it’s dampened his Christmas spirit. But the last thing he expects to find for the holiday is a demon.

While strolling in the late-night snow, Drew hears screeching tires and a sad scene is awaits him around the corner. A man kneels beside a dog hit by a car, distraught and broken.

The man is Artem, a demon sent to find a pure soul. Drew matches that description to a T. The problem is Artem’s never really been good at the demon gig.

Will a little Christmas magic help them both find what they’re looking for?

I found Old Christmas Magic by Kassandra Lea surprisingly moving.  The story of a demon who doesn’t wish to actually be a demon and is tormented because of his actions that betray his feelings is poignant and one that amazingly works as a holiday story. Sent to earth for one final mission to prove himself, Artem is distraught, knowing he doesn’t fit in anywhere. The author makes Artem someone we connect with emotionally as we see him suffer over the plight of the dog, his feelings about Drew who helps them both and Christmas the time of the story.

The characters are well done, the events flow to help you understand Artem’s plight, his growth and joy at discovering Christmas and the relationship being built between himself and Drew.

My only issue is at the end.  The author strove for the HEA and included an insta love element when really none was necessary or believable.  Leaving Drew and Artem at starting a relationship, finding each other at Christmas, having Artem learn that he did have a place somewhere after all, well, that would have been perfect.  Sometimes a HFN is all that’s called for.   A HEA turned this story from a potentially great story into a nice one.

Still, Old Christmas Magic is a different take on the holiday fare with a demon finding his Christmas magic when he had none at all. Lovely.

Cover art is different.  Artem is all broken and battered, definitely not wearing a golden mask.  But the car and the street is a element from the story and its eye catching, that’s true.

Sales Links:  JMS Books | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published December 2nd 2017 by JMS Books LLC
ISBN13
9781634865524

A VVivacious Review: Tournament of Champions (Daniel and Ryan #10) by Tamryn Eradani

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Daniel and Ryan meet each other’s sisters and Ryan convinces Daniel to participate in their company’s Jeopardy tournament as Daniel realises that their relationship is no longer just between the two of them.

I loved this story. It was so uniquely different from all the other books in this series. This book in the series has no conflict between Daniel and Ryan but the story still manages to grow and we get to see a whole new side of Daniel and Ryan’s relationship.

I loved this story a lot. I especially loved the scene where we get to meet Daniel’s sister Ashley and Ryan’s sisters Rebecca and Kara because despite the fact that these three are characters that have not been developed over time these three still managed to hold their own against Daniel and Ryan. That entire scene is exceptionally well done and I can’t wait for Daniel and Ryan to meet each other’s parents.

On the whole, this story made me so happy. I don’t think I remember a sex scene between Daniel and Ryan that wasn’t a scene so that was very nice and unique, to see Daniel lose control in a whole new way and just God it blew me.

This story really made me realize not only how far these two have come but also how far they will go.

I am a little worried that this might be the last book in the series and I have completely missed the memo because for the first time since I have begun reading this series the excerpt at the end was of another series by Tamryn Eradani.

If this is the end, it was incredibly well done. Through all the ups and downs of this series, though the ups far outnumber the downs I have really begun to understand these two characters and along with them, I have fallen in love with the relationship they have created.

If this is the end, thanks for an incredible series and if not, I still can’t wait for the next one.

Cover Art by Natasha Snow is amazing as always.

Sales Links: NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 20th 2017 by NineStar Press
ISBN13 9781947904286
Edition Language English

A Kai Advent Release Day Review: The Last Gift by Chrissy Munder

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

College student Nick Reed works late shift at a convenience store and dreams of graduation, a job he can be proud of, and finding the man of his dreams.

But the man of his dreams is about to find him.

A change in his lab hours forces Nick to swap shifts with a coworker. But no one prepared Nick for Mr. 5:25—Aaron Hampton—a beefy blond who’s Nick’s perfect guy, but professionally and socially out of Nick’s reach. Soon Aaron becomes the highlight of Nick’s workday, and when the overly focused lawyer needs Nick’s help with holiday gifts, Nick is eager to spend time with Aaron.

They become friends, share book recommendations, and are surprised to find themselves at the same charity run. But is that all? When Aaron learns Nick is heading back to his old shift, will he find the courage to ask for one last, very special gift?

Loved this short story guys! Just loved it!

This was a new author for me, so I wasn’t sure what expect of it, but was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this short story. It was fluid, sweet and well written.

I loved the characters and was evolved in the plot as soon as I started reading it. You know those short stories where you really want a sequel so you can see your characters again? This novella was that for me. I was so in love with the characters that I really would love more about them.

Nick and Aaron were great! They felt real and adorable.  I connected with both and enjoyed myself cheering for them to change their friendship for something more (and theattraction was so clear between them). But I also liked they started it as friends and that the connection they developed after they met each other was gradual. It was adorable to read.

This was one of my favorite Christmas story in the Dreamspinner Advent Anthology this year. And if you are looking for an adorable, interesting, sweet and short Christmas reading, I really recommend this one.

​Sales Links

Dreamspinner | Amazon:

Book Details:​
Ebook: 51 pages
P

ublication: December 01st, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press.