In Our New Release Spotlight: Quarry (The Vampire Guard #2) by Elizabeth Noble (author interview and special excerpt)

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Quarry (The Vampire Guard #2) by Elizabeth Noble
D
SP Publications

Available for Purchase at

DSP Publications

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 and Google Play

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Elizabeth Noble here today. Welcome, Elizabeth. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your latest novel.

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Thank you for having me on your blog today! I loved the questions you sent.

Are you a planner or a pantzer when writing a story? And why?

The short answer to the first question is yes. I do a bit of a combination and my story planning is something akin to chaos. Honestly, sometimes I don’t know how I pull it all together to create a book. I know there are authors who have detailed outlines for every chapter.

I’m not one of them.

Generally, I start out with a few scene ideas that turns into a plot. Then I’ll complete a rough story synopsis and general outline for the book as a whole. My outlines or story overviews are mostly a few lines of this, that, and something else that needs to happen somewhere begin Chapter 1 and The End. I take those few scene ideas and write a story around them. No one is more surprised than I am at how I interconnect those scenes. It’s a discovery and journey I love taking with each and every book.

As to the second question, the why…I really have no idea. I’ve accepted that’s simply the way my mind works. I’ve tried various method of detailed outlines or mind maps and they turn into a log jam every time.

How early in your life did you begin writing?

Honestly? Before I could write. I remember when I was very little making up and telling stories to anyone and everyone who’d listen. I think at that time in my life I was a constant chatterer and probably drove those around me nuts. I lived with my grandparents and though I have siblings I spent very little of my life with them. So, in essence, I grew up an only child. My grandparents, particularly my grandfather, loved books and encouraged my storytelling. I think they were happy when I learned how to write, however. I was always gifted with pads of paper and pencils!

Were you an early reader or were you read to and what childhood books had an impact on you as a child that you remember to this day and why?

I don’t remember being read to, but I’m sure I was. I do remember reading books even before I started school, and I remember my grandmother teaching me to read. She used to get frustrated when I was in early grade school and only brought home books on birds and wildlife from the library instead of storybooks.

The books I loved the most as a child were ones like Black Beauty, King of the Wind, Call of the Wild and Lassie. After those I loved books by Jules Verne and read all of them.

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Blurb

The members of the Vampire Guard—Jonas Forge, spy and soldier turned cop; computer hacker extraordinaire Blair Turner; Declan, thief, con man, and ex-pirate; and medical examiner and werewolf Dr. Lucas Coate—face a dangerous and elusive enemy.

And this time, it’s personal.

Over the course of three hundred years, a man has touched each of their lives in ways they are only just realizing. When a hunt for a psychotic killer in the present resurrects memories and clues from the past, they discover how they have been affected and are bound by the existence of a ruthless vampire criminal. Now, while preventing a heist at a high-tech art show and thwarting several large-scale explosions, the team must employ their unique blend of science and supernatural abilities to put an end to the machinations of the man toying with their lives.

This time, he won’t slip through their fingers.

This time, it’s more than a case. It’s a hunt, and Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas won’t stop until they’ve captured their quarry.

Excerpt (this was one of those scenes that lead to the rest of the book):

Jonas laid his hand on Declan’s shoulder for a few beats. “It’s okay.” He settled on the ground beside Blair and pulled him close. “You’ll be fine.”

Blair reached over and ran two fingers down Jonas’s cheek. “You’ll do okay without me.”

Jonas sighed and shook his head. He shifted his weight so he squatted as much as possible behind Blair instead of beside him and slipped his hands under Blair’s arms.

“Ready?” Declan asked. Jonas nodded.

“We can do this,” Lucas said. He, along with Ori and Kai, positioned themselves with Declan at various points along the chunk of concrete pinning and trapping Blair. Even with all four of them, it was a strain lifting what had at one time been a wall. They got it up far enough so Jonas could haul Blair out.

Blair shouted through clenched teeth and shuddered. He reached around and gripped Jonas’s shirt with one hand. Shifting him carefully, Jonas hefted Blair up and held him in his arms.

“I don’t want you to die,” Blair whispered. He rested his head on Jonas’s shoulder and ran his fingertips over Jonas’s cheek again. “Declan promised he’d take care of you.”

Jonas raised his eyebrows and sighed. Declan pinched the bridge of his nose for a few seconds and said, “He’s lost a lot of blood.”

Jonas leaned to the side and stared down at the dark puddle under the chunk of concrete. “I see.”

Blair gasped a few times and touched Jonas’s face again. “Don’t die. You don’t have to die if I do.”

“I have no plans on dying, and you’re not going to either. Not today anyway,” Jonas said softly.

“Normal folks die from blood loss. You vamps are cool. All you do is become delirious.” Lucas patted Jonas’s arm. “Get him on the stretcher so I can see what we need to do.”

Once Blair was on the stretcher, Lucas ripped the material covering his leg. Bones stuck out in places they shouldn’t have, and his leg bent sideways right below his knee.

Lucas reached up and put his hand on the side of Blair’s neck. “The good news is, you’re a vampire, and this will be healed in a week or two. The bad news is, you’re a vampire, and there isn’t a lot I can do about painkillers.”

Blair licked his lips and nodded. “Quick. Do it quick.”

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About the Author

Elizabeth Noble lives by the adage “I can’t not write”. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t make up stories and eventually she learned how to write them down. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage.  Using a real love of scifi and urban fantasy highlighted by twisty plots she crafts stories taking place in a slightly altered version of our world.

When she’s not chronicling the adventures of her many characters Elizabeth is a veterinary nurse living in her native Cleveland, Ohio. She shares her little brick house with an adorable canine princess and her tabby cat side-kick. Elizabeth is a fan of baseball, basketball (go Cavs and Indians!) and gardening. She can often be found working in her ‘outside office’ listening to classic rock and plotting her next novel waiting for it to be dark enough to gaze at the stars.

Elizabeth received several amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received honorable mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Her novel Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the 2015 Rainbow Awards in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

Please visit Elizabeth Noble at:

Visit The Vampire Guard:

  • The Vampire Guard website: http://bit.ly/232TyHH
  • Email members of The Vampire Guard:  jr.vampx@gmail.com

Other links:

Release Blitz & Review Tour for Anna Martin’s The Impossible Boy (giveaway)

The Impossible Boy – Anna Martin

 
Publisher: Dreamspinner
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh
 
Length: 67,000 words
 
Blurb

This is not your average love story.

Ben Easton is not your average romantic hero. He’s a tattooed, badass, wannabe rock star, working in a perfectly horrible dive bar in Camden Town. His life is good, and he’s totally unprepared for how one man will turn it upside down.

Stan isn’t your average heroine. As a gender-fluid man, he proudly wears his blond hair long, his heels sky-high, and his make-up perfectly executed. A fashion industry prodigy, Stan is in London after stints working in Italy and New York City, and he quickly falls for Ben’s devil-may-care attitude and the warm, soft heart Ben hides behind it.

Beneath the perfect, elegant exterior, Stan has plenty of scars from teenage battles with anorexia. And it only takes the slightest slip for his demons to rush back in while Ben’s away touring with his band. With the band on the brink of a breakthrough, Ben is forced to find a way to balance the opportunity of a lifetime with caring for his beautiful boyfriend.

 
 
January 21 – Urban Smoothie Read
January 23 – Bonkers About Books
February 1 – Romantic Fanatic
February 3 – Bayou Book Junkie
 
Author Bio

Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the south west of England and now lives in Bristol. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English Literature at university before turning her hand as a professional writer.

Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, Anna is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theatre (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), visiting friends who live in other countries, Marvel Comics, learning new things, and Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk.

Although her most recent work is in the LGBT Adult Fiction genre, in the past Anna has worked on a variety of different projects including short stories, drabbles, flash fiction, fan fiction, plays for both children and adults, and poetry. She has written novels in the Teen/ Young Adult genre, Romance, and Fantasy novels.

Anna is, by her own admission, almost unhealthily obsessed with books. The library she has amassed is both large and diverse; “My favourite books,” she says, “are The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.” She also several well-read copies of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park books and re-reads the Harry Potter novels with almost startling regularity.

Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, pre-reading and creative ass-kicking provided by her closest friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept any responsibility for anything Anna has written.

 

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A MelanieM Release Day Review: Cemeteries by Moonlight (States of Love) by Hunter Frost

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

cemeteriesbymoonlightfs_v1When a serious bout of writer’s block threatens to delay mystery author Drew Daniels’s newest book, his aunt offers her New Orleans apartment in the heart of the French Quarter as a writing retreat. She neglects to mention that it’s occupied by the enigmatic and sexy Finn Murphy, a cemetery tour guide with a penchant for Victorian attire and a Cajun accent.

A body discovered in an open crypt forces reclusive Drew to deal with Finn’s eccentric group of friends and his underlying attraction to the hot Cajun—despite warnings about Finn’s violent past. Drew might write this stuff, but he’s never had to solve a real-life murder. With a deadline looming and a killer on the loose, this retreat is proving to be anything but helpful for Drew’s novel. Drew can only hope he won’t end up a tragic tale for the Ghostly Legends & Lore, Inc. haunted tour.

Dreamspinner Press has a wonderful thing going with these new series (World of Love, States of Love, Perchance to Dream) its started featuring different authors and an umbrella theme.   Here in Cemeteries by Moonlight (States of Love) by Hunter Frost  its the States of Love series (a favorite of mine) and a new author, Hunter Frost.  Hunter Frost is down in New Orleans and Louisiana for a tale of romance, mystery and yes, murder.  All wrapped up in 108 pages.  I have to admit I fell under this author’s spell quite easily.

Frost has a love for this lush, historic city and it oozes out of her tale, Cemeteries by Moonlight.  Full of New Orleans places, and details, yet the story never feels like its encumbered by the City’s own past, more supported and embraced by it.  Drew Daniels is certainly in need of it as he has writer’s block.  He’s an interesting character, with a disability (Tourettes) I have only seen one other time in a M/M story.  Its handled perfectly here, and you accept it and Drew as a complete whole as you should.  Drew is so well drawn that he comes complete with a father you wish to get to know better as well as a home town of Baltimore.  He’s the real deal.  More of a shadow figure?  Finn Murphy.  I loved Finn, but parts of Finn remain nebulous all the way to the end.  This was either due to the lack of length or perhaps Frost is  intending to add on a sequel (my personal hope for this story).  There were still so many questions in my mind about Finn and his history.

There is of course, a mystery or two that plays out here, a killer on the loose, and a relationship that’s evolving.  Frost twines them all together using the streets and history of New Orleans and just the right hint of the paranormal to spice things up.

I loved the identity of the killer, made perfect sense.  I just wished for a little more investigation, more phone calls from dad (a police connection), more aha! moments.  This story really deserves them, its so good.

I hope that the author revisits this world and couple again.  Why leave it at one mystery to solve?  Why not more?  I think Drew and Finn have something here…lets investigate it!

Cover art by AngstyG is perfection.  This artist nails it every time.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

ebook, 108 pages
Expected publication: January 18th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635332435 (ISBN13: 9781635332438)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesStates of Love settingLouisiana (United States)

A Stella Release Day Review: Permanent Ink by Jaime Samms

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

permanent-inkPermanent Ink by Jaime Samms, released by Dreamspinner Press, is a second edition, I haven’t read the first one so I’m not sure how much or if it was revisited. I usually like what the author writes so I was really curious about this new to me novella. Plus “opposite attracts” is a trope I truly love in my books.

I found Permanent Ink to be a good story. The characters were well developed considering the length of the novella, just sixty pages. I particularly liked the secondary characters, Angel and Jack, the little scenes with Angel’s mum. All of them were what friends and family are supposed to be, the love they shared is pure and strong.

There were a couple of things that kept me from rating the story more than 3.25 stars. First of all I would have preferred to have Dwayne POV too. Eric’s one wasn’t enough. I struggled understanding what was going on in Dwayne mind and his POV would have helped me a lot. For example to actually see the desire they seemed to have for each other. In fact apart from the sexual parts, did they like each other? Did they want to be together? I had no idea what they were feeling. A couple of”I love you” spoken in the epilogue didn’t satisfy me at all. I wanted more from the MCs and sadly I didn’t get it.

That said, Permanent Ink is a good story, well written from one of my favorite authors. It just misses the fire that make me really love a book.

The cover art by AngstyG is awesome, it caught my attention and together to the author name, brought me to be interested in the story, I wasn’t even interested in the blurb.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 63 pages
Expected publication: January 18th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press (first published February 1st 2011)
ISBN 1634777794 (ISBN13: 9781634777797)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A VVivacious Release Day Review: In Your Court (World of Love) by Reece Pine

 
Rating – 1 Star out of 5
 
in-your-court-by-reece-pineRegan a.k.a Ray is in Ho Chi Minh City (a.ka. Saigon), Vietnam as a volunteer basketball coach at the Ho Chi Minh Central Crane School for a week. But this week is also Ray’s goodbye to a sport he has loved for too long but is now unable to play because of his crippling back ache.  So for one week he is going to play through the pain and when the week ends he plans to curl up and pay for it.  He has everything worked out but what he didn’t take into account was falling in love, unfortunately a distance as large as the Pacific Ocean isn’t going to be easy to ignore.
 
Have you read the blurb for this story? If you haven’t, read it, it is painfully accurate and also 80% of the story.
 
The book is written in a lingo which as the book is written entirely from Ray’s perspective translates into I have no idea why Ray thinks and talks like this.
 
This story is extremely disjointed and vague. It is so vague that  having read it I still have no idea what Xin does for a living, why or how Ray was in Saigon and also who both these characters actually are. I mean yes the story does inform us about these things but if you stop and think about it you will be completely befuddled. Let’s take Xin’s job for example he tells us in many words that he is a glorified translator but later on we find out that he matches companies with tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities, makes connections, talks to a lot of people and since he speaks multiple languages he translates for his father, but in all this mess of words I still don’t know in any concrete sense what it was Xin does for a job and how that translated in him being in Vietnam coincidentally on the first day of Ray’s stay there. Also if volunteers other than Ray had been there in Crane School, why the hell did they need a translator for Ray when they had managed without one before?
 
Basically the story seems to make no sense. Things seem to happen just because they are planned to happen that way and the strings calling the shots are not so invisible. I couldn’t for the life of me understand Ray’s motivations or what he wanted from life and that is despite being in his head all the time so it was almost impossible to get a grasp on Xin, he might has well have been an alien.  Also while Ray’s condition is one of the only things in this book that is spelt out, while the science made sense, I had no idea how the disease translated to Ray and his life.
 
One of the aspects of this book was the culture shock. The author talks about the differences in culture but the problem was that at no point in the story did the differences seem to end at no point in the story was there the realization that we are all just people no matter how different, in fact the differences just seemed to be building on till they became almost insurmountable.
 
The first half of the story which is the part in Crane School adds absolutely nothing to the story. The story actually doesn’t start till Ray’s obligations with the school are over so technically Ray and Xin fall in love over 3 days, the worst part is I would have accepted it if it was written in a convincing matter but yeah that never happened.
 
I just can’t understand why Xin and Ray fell in love. They have nothing together that would equate a good relationship and they have no chemistry. The first sex scene in this story is around the 60% mark and it was the slowest sex scene in history, the scene spans 10 plus pages and was just so boring, why, just why was this so long and so detailed. Unfortunately the subsequent sex scenes were no improvement.
 
One of the reasons I picked up this book was that I thought this book would focus more on the relationship between Xin and Ray and would centre around their decision to stay together despite odds and I was hoping we would get to see them take a leap of fate as they rearrange their lives around being together but that was a pitiful 5% of this book and the answer was a yes without any thought, planning, knowledge or understanding.
 
If you ask me just skip this book the only pleasure I got from this book was when I was pounding my frustration into this review. The characters are vague, they story makes no sense and the blurb reveals all there is to know.
 
Cover Art by Garrett Leigh. I liked the cover but the guy on the cover fits no description of Xin’s and I’m pretty sure that is not supposed to be Ray.
Sales Links
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Book Details:
ebook, 120 pages
Expected publication: January 18th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635332249 (ISBN13: 9781635332247)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesWorld of Love settingVietnam

A Caryn Release Day Review: The Mighty Have Fallen by Bonnie Dee

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

the-mighty-have-fallenThe book opens up with Trevor Rowland quoting the Bible (because I am a nerd, I looked it up, Samuel 1:25, KJV) “How are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle!” referring to himself.  He had been a wealthy, celebrated stage actor when he suffered a stroke that left him completely blind.  To add insult to injury, while he was still in rehabilitation his boyfriend ran away after emptying their bank accounts, and Trevor found that he had been swindling him all along.  Trevor is feeling pretty low – he used to have it all, and now he’s disabled, poor, and feeling like an ass for not recognizing that his boyfriend was so shallow and dishonest. He is depressed, angry, bored, scared, and frustrated.

The same page introduces Jack Burrows, a blue-collar East Ender who moved in with Trevor one month ago mostly to split the rent, but partly to help Trevor out with household chores.  He is almost annoyingly optimistic and cheery, and has decided it is his mission to get Trevor to find meaning in his new life.  He does so by suggesting that Trevor look into doing voice-overs, and amateur drag queen performance.  Which Trevor immediately does and his attitude and his life turn around almost instantly.

So at this point, I was already sitting back and considering the story very detachedly, because it felt forced and awkward.  The reader is dropped into the story literally at the moment that Trevor is transforming his life, so the backstory is all told instead of shown and I wasn’t convinced.  I also did not feel the realities of losing one’s sight as an adult was portrayed very realistically – Trevor usually acted like a sighted person, so when the cane actually was mentioned it seemed intrusive.  I recently read Running Blind, by Kim Fielding and Venona Keyes, and that portrayal of a man who lost his sight (also from a stroke, imagine that) was much more credible.  Then there was the insta-love aspect – I really hate insta-love because I think it is a cop-out so an author can avoid plot and characterization – although I know that is not unusual for this author.  I was dubious about the whole business of Trevor doing a drag show, despite the extensive monologues about how it equated with his previous career and why the music he chose to lip-sync was so meaningful.  Jack’s character was too perfect, and though the accent did help to bring his voice to life for me, it slipped frequently (for an amazing example of the accent done well, and the contrast between posh and uncultured voices, read Glitterland by Alexis Hall)

When I realized that I was comparing this book to others just to see how it fell short, I knew it was going to be a miss for me.  The conflict before the happy ending was the usual misunderstanding blown out of proportion – so overused – and the drag show, which should have been a pinnacle of the story, was unimpressive.

Cover art by Bree Archer is nice but way too dramatic for this story.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

ebook, 112 pages
Expected publication: January 18th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635332370 (ISBN13: 9781635332377)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Kim Fielding on Rocky Horror and her release Love is Heartless (Love Can’t Series #2) (guest post and giveaway)

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Love is Heartless (Love Can’t Series #2) by Kim Fielding

Dreamspinner Press
Cover art by Brooke Albrecht

Available for Purchase at

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Kim Fielding here today.  Welcome, Kim!

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Kim Fielding on Rocky Horror!

It’s just a jump to the left….

When I was in high school—back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth—my friends and I used to go to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was playing at the Clinton Street Theater in Southeast Portland (where it began playing in 1978 and still shows every Saturday night!), which was way across town from our suburb. But we’d pile into vehicles and make our way across the city. Sometimes we dressed up (that’s me, far left, as Janet). Sometimes after the movie we’d go to Carrow’s for coffee and cinnamon rolls.rocky

What was the appeal of Rocky Horror? Well, participation was fun. I still remember all the lyrics and callbacks. Rocky himself was awfully sexy in his little gold Speedos, and Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter was perfection. And of course it was cool to stay out really late. More than that, though, I think the film spoke to those of who were… different. The crowd at the Clinton Street wasn’t made up of the cool kids—the jocks and the preppies and the cheerleaders. Sitting in the audience were boys who liked to wear girls’ clothes, people of all shapes and sizes and eccentricities. At Rocky, nobody shunned us for being weird. We’d stand out in the cold, waiting for the theater to let us in, and for that time we were colleagues. For suburban teens in the early eighties, Rocky was subversive.

Life went on. I grew up, moved away, found my own place in the world. But Rocky still has a place in my heart. So when a local theater had a midnight showing this summer—outdoors—I took my 16-year-old daughter. We sang along and tossed playing cards and had a wonderful time. The venue was sold out, some of the audience members ancient like me but many of them younger, and it was a blast. Rocky still speaks to the eccentric, I think.

In my newest book, Love Is Heartless, Colin takes Nevin on an impromptu date to Rocky. At the Clinton Street Theater, in fact.  Colin loves musical theatre anyway, so he’s a fan from way back. But Nevin had a hardscrabble childhood and an adulthood without much whimsy, so this will be his first time.

Are you a Rocky fa-an? Which character is your favorite?

Blurb

Small but mighty—that could be Detective Nevin Ng’s motto. Now a dedicated member of the Portland Police Bureau, he didn’t let a tough start in life stop him from protecting those in need. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, and he doesn’t do relationships. Until he responds to the severe beating of a senior citizen and meets the victim’s wealthy, bow-tied landlord.

Property manager and developer Colin Westwood grew up with all the things Nevin never had, like plenty of money and a supportive, loving family. Too supportive, perhaps, since his childhood illness has left his parents unwilling to admit he’s a strong, grown man. Colin does do relationships, but they never work out. Now he’s thinking maybe he won’t just go with the flow. Maybe it’s time to try something more exciting. But being a witness to a terrible crime—or two—was more than he bargained for.

Despite their differences, Colin and Nevin discover that the sparks fly when they’re together. But sparks are short-lived, dampened by the advent of brutal crimes, and Colin and Nevin have seemingly little in common. The question is whether they have the heart to build something lasting.

Buy links:

Dreamspinner Press

Find Kim!

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KFieldingWrites/

Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Author bio:

Kim Fielding is the bestselling 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.

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A Lila Review: Revolutionary Temptation by Silvia Violet

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

revolutionary-temptation1777 New York City

The American colonists are fighting for their independence, but the battlefield is not the only place to wage war. When General Washington’s head of intelligence asks Captain Jack West to spy on the British in New York, Jack agrees, despite reservations about this ungentlemanly pursuit.

Jack’s contact in the city recruits bookshop owner Elias Ashfield, an impeccably dressed sensualist who flaunts his desire for both men and women and seeks a place in high society. Jack longs for a simple life guided by clear principles. Eli is a risk-taker who knows how to get what he wants. And he wants Jack in his bed.

Events in Jack’s past have made him fearful of acting on his secret craving for a man’s touch, but Eli intrigues Jack as much as he infuriates him. As Jack and Eli search for the information the rebel army needs, they realize there’s more between them than mere lust. But finding a way to be together may prove more difficult than defeating the British Empire.

Revolutionary Temptation is the first LGBTQ+ story I read taking place during the American Revolution. It was interesting to see the mix of fictional characters interacting with historical ones. The author did an excellent job placing the story, and getting the reader into its historical frame.

The book does start slow, but it’s necessary. We get to see Jack and Eli individually and interacting with Mrs. Sullivan–who acts as a third main character. And that, I think, is where my issue with the story starts. This book is a two in one–a romance & a literary fiction story.

I wish we got more of the fiction element than the romance, though. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Jack, Eli, and their love. I simply wanted that it to merge better with the overall arc. Sometimes, I expected to know more about their work for the rebels, just to have it interrupted by the romance; and vice-versa.

The emotions and intrigues in this story run high. There’s plenty of smexy scenes and page-turning moments. The amount of detail is up-to-par and most secondary and supporting characters had a point and a story to be part of the book. I’m looking forward to more about Eli’s, Jack’s, and Constance’s adventures. The author has a great fictional world to work with.

I’m sure it was hard to find models to fit the period and Jack’s & Eli’s characteristics, but Meredith Russell did a good job adjusting the cover to fit the story.

Sale Links: Smashwords | Amazon | Payhip 

ebook, 254 pages
Published: January 17, 2017, Silvia Violet Books
ASIN: B01N2ZPANE
Edition Language: English

An Alisa Review: Hanukkah Gifts by Jacob Cheyenne

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

7c869-hanukkah_gifts_400x600Twenty-five-year-old TV producer Jared Greenfield loves his big city life — job, friends, and shopping — but even with all the fun of big city life, he feels a longing for something, or someone, more. Then, on the very first night of Hanukkah, he spots a handsome, sweaty basketball player at the Jewish Community Center.

 

Tall, dark, and Orthodox, the young and athletic Shai Goodhart strikes up an easy friendship with Jared, only to discover Jared has very little appreciation for his own Jewish heritage and religion. Determined to enlighten this “Bad Jew,” Shai invites him over for a family Hanukkah celebration.

 

Then Jared discovers Shai’s deepest secret and the biggest threat to his future. Over the eight days of Hanukkah, deep emotions pull them closer and closer together. Can they ever reach across the divide of their shared culture and fall in love?

 

This was a nice short story.  Jared has always identified as Jewish, but doesn’t necessarily follow the religious laws as many more observant Jews do.  When Shai invites Jared to his family’s Hanukkah celebration he gets a better glimpse of his heritage and is intrigued by not only his religion but also of Shai.

 

Jared can’t seem to help but fall in love with the innocent Shai, however their interactions don’t always leave him feeling so wonderful with Shai’s wavering.  I understood Shai’s reluctance to leave his family’s grasp as it is all that he is know, but I could just see and feel how Jared’s heart broke every time things were looking up for them and Shai would just retreat back.  The only thing I didn’t like is that Shai never really made the decision for himself to completely be with Jared, but only after his family kicked him out did he suddenly decide that he could be out and proud with his love.  I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t quite have the warm and fuzzy feeling I was hoping for in the end.

 

The cover art gives a nice visual of Jared and the traditional Jewish dreidel.

 

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 87 pages

Published: December 24, 2016 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634862967

Edition Language: English

Blog Tour – Max, Brad, and Maisie Mystery Series by L.G. Fabbo-Gonnella (guest post, excerpt and giveaway)

Max, Brad, and Maisie Mystery Series by L.G. Fabbo-Gonnella Banner

Do I Really Write the Books by L.G. Fabbo-Gonnella

I want to express a hugely sincere thanks to the host of this blog site for asking me to do a guest post for the readers today. I’m touched and honored by this gift to me. I am on record as saying blogs like this are critical to authors. To be asked to contribute…truly gobsmacked.

So hello all, my name is L.G. Fabbo-Gonnella. I am the author of Max, Brad & Maisie mystery series. In case you did not notice THAT was a shameless personal plug * wink*.

My post today is about my weird idea that, on some level, I merely transcribe what my characters tell me to put down on the computer screen.

Let me begin this post by emphasizing that this is my personal view of myself as an author. I’m sure every writer had his or her own thoughts in this area. All are equally justifiable. Okay that should short-circuit dissenters ☺. So onwards we go.

I have said to many friends that I do not write my two mystery series {Mark Julian Vampire PI being the other one} but rather, “just take good notes when they start talking”.  I know this personal concept may be the subject for a psychiatrist’s couch but for now it’s a guest posting.

Let me attempt to explain:

When I write a mystery book, I visualize the inhabitants in each story as fully formed people. I mentally create the scenes they are in, their interactions between each other and the dialogues that occur between them. My focus is so intense a semi-reality takes hold in my brain. They come alive in that brief flicking time frame. So I write … taking notes as I refer to it. As I type, I don’t truly observe the computer screen or what I’m pounding out on the keyboard. I’m mentally fixated on getting down their unfolding drama.

I will freely admit that there are times the plot goes off in directions I never initial contemplated. Yet, somehow, in those mental  “writing zones”, the characters seem to inform me that such a literary detour is both natural and critical to the case I am writing or, let me employ the word transcribing in keeping with my post’s theme.

As I end this post let me quickly assure you I never confuse my reality with the ones found in my books. My point here is that, for me, in order to write what I hope is a fun book; I mentally create a fictional reality in my head. After that occurs, on some level in this author process, I’m not thinking per se but just typing away as these awesome character creations have at it. In the end I believe the end product is a rattling good yarn. Don’t believe me? Well get one of my mystery books and personally check it out but, be careful. You might become so engrossed in reading them that you find that you too are dragged into their reality. If it happens, please take detailed notes on what is going on there and quickly send your scribbling to me. It may very well make the next book. OR, simply drop me a hello. I love emails and reply, honest.

My email is l.g.fabbo-gonnella@gmail.com

My Facebook page is @ ““The Mystery Writings of L.G. Fabbo-Gonnella”

 

Max, Brad, and Maisie is a gay mystery series by author L.G. Fabbo-Gonnela. Read on to discover the three books in the series and find out more about the author! There’s also a giveaway and you are all encouraged to enter!

Murder In The String of G

Max, Brad, and Maisie Mystery Series, Book One

Maisie was an irrepressible burlesque queen of the fifties who was a star in the Cassandra Theater. She was killed in what was initially ruled to be an accidental trip and fall down a spiral staircase. In fact, she knows it was a murder but, why was she killed and why the later cover-up? Unfortunately, however, what can a ghost to do about it? And so, her shade haunts the theater hoping to find someone to help her.

It turns out to be a long wait. In two thousand and six two young wanta-be actors arrive at the newly restored Cassandra Theater to audition for a play. One is Max, who is gay, and the other is his roommate Brad, who is straight. For reasons unknown at first, Maisie finds she can connect with them both and seeks their help in proving she was murdered and who did it. After initial hesitations, the boys agree to help her solve her killing. The book follows the pair as they stumble towards finding answers while dodging a hired gun, a serial killer of young men and, for Brad, Maisie’s tendency to “fondle his rump” at inopportune times.

Excerpt

Murder in the String of G

The Cassandra Theater, New York City circa 1959:

The tall statuesque blonde stood in front of the grimy scratched mirror. “Geez you think they put in some decent bulbs in the lamps,” she groused as she squinted to see herself in the theater’s poorly lit dressing room. She gazed about the dingy enclosure with its washed out wallpaper and grimy ceiling. “Better days huh,” she muttered in disgust as she returned her eyes at her reflected image.

“Okay Maisie” she sharply said as she took in her naked form. “So tomorrow you are thirty-eight so what does it matter.” She let her blue eyes focus on her two large breasts that somehow, in defiance of gravity and the laws of physics, still thrust straight out from her full figured five foot ten inch frame. “Well at least you two haven’t sagged yet,” she said with a throaty laugh as she touched her breasts. “I think I’ve still a good three to four years left in burlesque.” She pivoted slightly to take in her firm tight rump. “Yep the old chaise still has a few miles to go on the meter too.”

She faced the mirror, gave her image a knowing wink, and then quickly began to dress shivering in the chilly air of the unheated and dingy room. As Maisie slipped into her undergarments she took in her shabby surroundings with its dirt encrusted small windows and cracked wall coverings.

“Well you’ve come a long way huh girl and all of it down,” she said before sighing as she noticed a large wet stain on the ceiling. The sight of the well-used furniture and generally run down fixtures of her dressing room always depressed her. This was a far cry from the lavish places where she had worked in the past.

Murder In The String of G

Buy links:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7SOOKM/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A7SOOKM/

Murder in the Squared Circle

Max, Brad, and Maisie Mystery Series, Book Two

Maisie’s favorite young pro-wrestler, Stan DaMann, is arrested for allegedly murdering his hated rival. Maisie is convinced of Stan’s innocence. Determined to find the real killer she convinces the hapless Max and Brad into posing as a new wrestling tag team. Out of their depth, they find themselves involved a murky world of underground sex bouts while facing off against two brothers who think vice may be nice but incest is best. As Max and Brad’s wrestling début approaches our trio is eager to find the killer before the killer finds them. Max has another problem in the form of a good-looking Australian wrestler named Liam. Could Max be falling for a guy who might turn out to be that killer?

Murder in the Squared Circle

Buy Links

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EC0ZY0A/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EC0ZY0A/

Murder in Noir

Max, Brad, and Maisie Mystery Series, Book Three

It seems as if Max and Brad’s dreams of a career in acting have finally arrived. The duo have been cast in the Broadway revival of that forties noir classic “Blood Fell onto my Window Pane”. Even more exciting, the production has movie stars Barrett Conover and his Italian wife Europa making their Broadway début. Max has had a huge crush on the husband ever since he saw the actor in the classic gay film “Going Tops for a Bottom”. As for Brad, he has been a fan of Europa ever since he saw her in the French classic comedy “Buxom Babes for Balzac.”

The play also has a rather lurid past. During its first run in 1948, two members of the company were victims in an unsolved murder. Maisie soon convinces the boys it would be fun to try and solve the decades old crime. What starts as a lark however, suddenly takes a unexpected turn as evidence of a blackmail scheme is revealed. Events soon turn deadly when the trio seeks to uncover who is being blackmailed and, critically, who is behind it. Hidden scandals, an attempted rape and murders both old and new are now part of the script for a, “Murder in Noir”

Murder in Noir

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUSMEKM/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EUSMEKM/

Giveaway

Prizes: 1 bundle of Murder in the String of G + Murder in the Squared Circle, and 1 copy of Murder in the String of G

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About the author

L.G.Fabbo-Gonnella is a resident of NYC. He has often said Manhattan is the underlying unspoken character in many of his books. “I guess its a love affair that I have with her,” he once said. “I could live here forever and yet still find magical things about her that I never knew existed.

When not seeking out interesting new locales for his books he can be found dinning with friends and enjoying all the city he adores has to offer.

Though he has not yet met the supernatural denizens of NYC, he does hope too one day. And yes, there is a “letter Lounge” albeit under a different name.

He can be reached at L.G.Fabbo.Gonnella@gmail.co
Facebook: https://facebook.com/Mystery-writings-of-LG-Fabbo-Gonnella
Website: http://fabbo-gonnella.blogspot.com