Here’s Reading You ~ An Author’s POV (Part IV) and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Here’s Reading You ~ An Author’s POV (Part IV)

Today, we are going to finish up our authors perspective on writing and publishing eBooks with two authors familiar to readers here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. Elin Gregory, author of wonderful M/M historical novels and Joe Cosentino, author of the Cozzi Cove and Nicky and Noah Mysteries among others. They kindly consented to answering our questions about writing, writing eBooks and publishing.

Reflecting back, while many authors see the eBook format as one that’s here to stay, other points of view vary widely. Here are two more to add to our picture of the eBook as it matures into an established book format and method of getting one’s story heard and out to readers world wide.

Elin Gregory

✍From Elin Gregory, author of On a Lee Shore, A Taste Of Copper, and many more:

As an author, what has your experience been publishing ebooks? Especially self published ebooks? Did you start off that way? Was a traditional publishing house not the answer? Or if it was, why?

I’ve been writing fiction for as long as I can remember but very much took on board the message that proper books were written by ‘posh folk’. Impressions that you form as a child can be very difficult to shake off as an adult so, although I wrote many novels, it was always as a cheap form of amusement rather than with any intent. In my thirties I did show a friend what I had written. She was a deeply thoughtful and serious reader and a rollicking Regency romance with a bisexual hero really wasn’t her thing. Her reaction was so negative that I went back into the writing closet. It wasn’t until the rise of the internet and online writing fora that I tried sharing things again, to a much better response, and a friend who was a published author encouraged me to try ebooks. This was in the early 2000s before ebooks were widely available and I didn’t follow it up at the time. I wish I had.

How has the ebook industry changed since you started publishing? How do you view these changes?

It hasn’t actually changed that much other than fewer publishers, more opportunities to self publish and OMG huge numbers of authors. The consequence of this is that I think it’s getting harder to be published by one of the ebook houses – which isn’t bad. As a reader I appreciate feeling that publishers are striving for excellence. But as an author, whether with a little house or as a self pubber, it’s very hard to be ‘seen’ when there are hundreds of new books each month.

Have you as an author benefited, are indifferent, or has it made your job more difficult to get your books out there?

I’ve benefitted in that I don’t believe I’d have ever been picked up by an agent. The competition is FIERCE. So ebooks have given me a terrific opportunity to share my work. The difficulty is in writing books that don’t properly fit the main categories so never really being sure how to describe them. Tagging them M/M won’t work because M/M is, in many readers’ minds, synonymous with erotic romance. They aren’t really romance, lacking that focus on the relationship. I can’t describe them as gay fiction because that, to me, specifically refers to books written by gay authors. I can’t call them LGBT+ fiction because they mostly only cover the G. Tagging is really important in order to allow readers to find you.

What things would you change if you were starting over?

I wish I had been braver and had submitted the short novel I finished in 2005. It might have sunk without a trace but people might have liked it. Who knows?

If I was starting now – probably not much. I don’t think I have the steely core of self esteem you need to be a successful self publisher/self promoter. When ones natural style is to say “Oh by the way, there’s this book I wrote … no, forget it. You probably wouldn’t like it” you’re not going to sell much.

What has been your biggest challenge? And biggest victory as an author – other than publishing that is? Is it see your genre expand?

Biggest challenge – LOL marketing! Biggest victory – ummmm, not sure. I’ve had a few lovely reviews and when you’ve been doing something for well over 50 years and someone thanks you for it, oh, how the heart lifts!

But expanding the genre is happening and it’s FANTASTIC. I can buy books that are genre first now – sci fi, thriller, historical, kitchen sink drama and all the rest – with amazing, complex characters and deeply interwoven plots. Books to really sink my teeth into by authors I just want to cheer, authors I aspire to emulate! More choice has to be a good thing.

Where do you see ebooks and yourself in the future?

I think we will carry on a pleasant low key association, like the type of friend you might not see for a couple of years but the relationship picks up where you left off. I would like to publish a bit more frequently but one does what one can and if nobody wants it – well markets change. No point worrying about it until it happens. I’ll be writing anyway.

Joe Cosentino

✍From Joe Cosentino, author of the Nicky and Noah Mysteries, the Cozzi Cove series, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland, and many more

From being touted as the death of the printed format to the savior of reading to everything in between. As an author, what has your experience been publishing ebooks? Especially self-published ebooks? Did you start off that way? Was a traditional publishing house not the answer? Or if it was, why?

As an actor and playwright, I did the happy dance on my desk when Dreamspinner Press agreed to publish my novella adaptation of my one-act play, AN INFATUATION, loosely based on my high school years and high school reunion. That inspired me to write another novella, A SHOOTING STAR, loosely based on my years as a theatre major in college. The staff at Dreamspinner Press was amazing. I received a main editor, four assistant editors, a cover artist, and a publicity manager. The head of the company, Elizabeth North, answered my emails quickly, cordially, and completely. We even shared a hilarious late-night email exchange about my funny Italian family. The two novellas started out as e-books. They did so well that Dreamspinner Press gave me my own paperback anthology of the two novellas, which just recently won a Rainbow Award Honorable Mention. We are now planning an audiobook for those. We are also planning audiobooks for my other two novellas: THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND (my gay take on my favorite fairytales like Cinderella, Pinocchio, Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, and The Snow Queen) and A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (my romantic novella set on the gorgeous and magical island of Capri, Italy), both being performed by the amazing and versatile actor Joel Leslie and releasing in November and December respectively. In addition to the things I have already mentioned, the benefit of having a publisher is the assurance that your books are getting out into the market, and that you are part of a family of authors who support you. I’ve met so many generous authors who have given me advice, featured me on their blogs, and read my books. The advantage of publishing an e-book is the lower price and easy availability, though some readers prefer the paperback and/or audiobook. I assume the e-books are less expensive to publish, though print on demand has greatly reduced the cost and need for bookstore returns for publishers of paperbacks.

How has the ebook industry changed since you started publishing? How do you view these changes? Have you as an author benefited, are indifferent, or has it made your job more difficult to get your books out there?

Though I have eleven published novels and four more written and being released over the next several months, I’ve only been writing novels for two years. As my mother says, “Don’t you have anything better to do than write novels?” Hm. I wonder if Stephen King’s mother asked him that. In any case, during the short time I’ve been writing, the only change I’ve seen is the increased number of readers in all venues. Some swear by ebooks. Others want to hold the paperbook in their hands. And the rest want to hear the book performed by a skilled narrator while they exercise, drive, or rest. The more formats available for a book, the easier it is to promote.

What things would you change if you were starting over?

I wouldn’t worry so much about whether or not my books would be published. I’ve been lucky enough to find the right publisher for each of my series. For example, Lethe Press publishes my comedy mystery series, the Nicky and Noah mystery novels, loosely based on my life as a college theatre professor (though thankfully nobody has been murdered at my college). DRAMA QUEEN (Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Poll winner of Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Novel of 2015) is available as an ebook, paperback, and audiobook performed by the amazing Michael Gilboe. DRAMA MUSCLE (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention) is available as an ebook and paperback. An audiobook is in the works. DRAMA CRUISE releases in ebook and paperback on December 1. Steve Berman of Lethe Press sees the value in offering his customers ebooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks. He also enjoys humor and a good mystery with a surprise ending.

What has been your biggest challenge? And biggest victory as an author – other than publishing that is? Is it to see your genre expand?

My biggest challenge has been working as a college professor/department head while I write and help promote so many books. My biggest victory is receiving so many wonderful messages from readers who tell me my books made them laugh, cry, feel romantic, and see their lives differently. For example, I created the Jana Lane mystery novels with straight leading characters and gay supporting characters, and found many straight people loving the gay characters as their favorites, and claiming that thanks to those books their positions changed on equality. The series about an ex-child star making a comeback while she solves murder mysteries on sets is published by The Wild Rose Press in ebooks and paperbacks: PAPER DOLL, PORCELAIN DOLL, SATIN DOLL, CHINA DOLL, and RAG DOLL which releases on November 13. Since the series takes place in the 1980’s, the beginnings of AIDS is featured in the novels, and also Jana’s best friend and agent are gay and partnered. The series attracts a different readership to my other novels. I am delighted to expand in that way. I also love shocking the readers each time with the surprise endings.

Where do you see ebooks and yourself in the future?

I think ebooks are here to stay. However, I also believe paperbacks and audiobooks aren’t going anywhere, as I’ve witnessed many readers who continue to prefer them. As for me. I spent part of the summer writing teleplays of some of my books. I think they would all make terrific television series, especially my Cozzi Cove series published by NineStar Press as ebooks and paperbacks: COZZI COVE: BOUNCING BACK, (Divine Magazine Honorable Mention and TBR Pile Book of the Month), COZZI COVE: MOVING FORWARD, and COZZI COVE: STEPPING OUT which releases in January. The stories of ex-football player Cal Cozzi and his guest bungalows in a gay resort on a gorgeous cove on the New Jersey Shore is ripe for television. Hear that producers. Make me an offer!

Looking back over all our wonderful authors interviews, I begin to see certain similarities stand out. All expect the eBook format to continue, as well as all forms of printed formats and audiobooks. Most wish they had been braver, started to write or publish sooner. Wish they had listened more to their own voices instead of perhaps someone else telling them that what they were writing wasn’t what would sell or that the public wanted to read.

Its been wonderful to have all these authors opinions for the last two weeks. My thanks to Parker Williams (Of Love and Corn Dogs), Wulf Francu Godgluck (Tooth, Claw, and Horn Chronicles), and Jay Northcote (Housemates, Nothing Serious ), Elin Gregory, and Joe Cosentino for appearing in this series. Your participation has been invaluable.

Have you learned something from our authors? Still have a question or two to ask? We have a giveaway for our readers below. Leave a comment or question to be entered.

And Happy Halloween and Samhain everyone!

We will be switching things up for November as we start to roll into the holiday seasons. We will get back to our publishers at a later date. Thanksgiving is coming here in the States. Hmmm…what will be our topic next? Only a wild turkey might tell….

Giveaway

Elin Gregory is giving away a eBook copy (pdf format) of her M/M historical novel, A Taste of Copper, as well as our own giveaway of $10 of Dreamspinner gift certificates to 4 lucky readers. To win, leave a comment and an email address where you can be reached on how reading eBooks has impacted you. Could be the amount of books you buy, what type of books, where you buy them. Anything. Winners will get to choose their prize, first come first served. Contest ends November 8th at midnight. Must be 18 years of age or older.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, October 30:

Here’s Reading You ~ An Author’s POV (Part IV)
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
A Paul Review: The Wolves of Daos 5 by Rebecca James

Monday, October 31 (Happy Halloween – Happy Samhain):

In the Spotlight: The Queer and the Restless by Kris Ripper (Riptide Publishing Tour/Giveaway)
Alisa Release Day Review: Spell Cat (The Aloysius Tales #1) by Tara Lain
A Caryn Review: Faded Into You by Remmy Duchene
A Lila Audiobook Review Running Wild by SE Jakes and Narrated by Dorian Bane
A Stella Review: Coffee Boy by Austin Chant

Tuesday, November 1:

Quinn Anderson on the Challenges of Writing and her latest release, Hotline (Riptide tour/giveaway)
Release Blitz & Review Tour – Romancing The Wrong Twin – Clare London
A MelanieM Review: Romancing The Wrong Twin by Clare London
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Pansies by Alexis Hall
An Alisa Review: Crashing Waves by CJ Baty

Wednesday, November 2:

L. Rockwood Talks Dark Fantasy and “Defiant Revival” (Author Guest Blog/Book Release)
Tara’s “Spell Cat” Book Blast and Review (linked to the post)
A Melanie Releases Day Review: After the Sunset (Timing #2) by Mary Calmes
A Paul Review: Julio’s Wolf (Werewolves of Manhattan #6) by A.C. Katt
Alisa Release Day Review: Private Dances by BA Tortuga

Thursday, November 3:

Summer Season from Series Recap Tour – Treading The Boards Series – Rebecca Cohen
In the Spotlight: Posy Roberts on her latest release Stroke of Luck (author guest post, excerpt )
A Melanie Release Day Review: Summer Season by Rebecca Cohen
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Love on Location by Lucy Felthouse and Joel Leslie (Narrator)
A Lila Audiobook Review: The Senator’s Secret by K.C. Wells and John Solo (Narrator)
An Alisa Audiobook Review: Lights, Camera, Cupid, the Bluewater Bay Anthology

Friday, November 4:

Cover Reveal for Nobody’s Home by Dev Bentham
Honeymoon Their Way by Morticia Knight Blog Tour and Giveaway
Black Snow by EAB (Dreamspinner Author Guest Post)
A Lila Review: Twice in a Lifetime by Shawn Lane
A Stella Release Day Review: Mapping the Forest by Brandon Witt

Saturday, November 5:

A Melanie PreRelease Review:Hanging The Stars (Half Moon Bay #2) by Rhys Ford
A Melanie Review: Death Mask by Lexi Ander

~About This Sunday’s Contributing Authors~

About Elin Gregory:

Elin Gregory lives in South Wales and has been making stuff up since 1958. Writing has always had to take second place to work and family but now the kids are grown up it’s possible she might finish one of the many novels on her hard drive and actually DO something useful with it.

Historical subjects predominate. She has written about ancient Greek sculptors, 18th century seafarers but also about modern men who change shape at will and how echoes of the past can be heard in the present. Heroes tend to be hard as nails but capable of tenderness when circumstances allow.

There are always new works on the go and she is currently editing a novel about spies in the 1920s, finishing one set in 6th century AD England and contemplating one about the Second World War. Any excuse to buy more books!

You can reach Elin at:

Website: http://elingregory.com/
Twitter: ElinGregory

About Joe Cosentino:

Joe Cosentino – Joe Cosentino’s books and plays

www.joecosentino.weebly.com

Bestselling author Joe Cosentino won Divine Magazine’s awards for best mystery novel, best humorous novel, and best contemporary novel of 2015.

Amazon Bestselling author Joe Cosentino’s books were voted Favorite LGBT Mystery Novel, Favorite LGBT Humorous Novel, Favorite LGBT Contemporary Novel, and Second Favorite LGBT Romance Novel in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Poll. Many of his books have won Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions, and one was voted TBR Pile Book of the Month. Joe wrote In My Heart: An Infatuation, A Shooting Star, A Home for the Holidays, and the Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press); Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, and Drama Cruise Nicky and Noah mysteries (Lethe Press); Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, and Rag Doll Jana Lane mysteries (The Wild Rose Press); andCozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, and Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out Cozzi Cove beach novels. He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, Charles Keating, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. Joe was voted 2^nd Place for Best LGBT Author of the Year in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards for 2015. http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com

A MelanieM Review: Shield of the Dragon (Dance with the Devil #6) by Megan Derr

Ratings: 4.5 stars out of 5

shield-of-the-dragon If the aftermath of destroying two powerful syndicates and joining league with the last person he expected, all Ken wants is a chance to catch his breath, and maybe regain the attention of the man who said he wanted Ken as more than just a Steward but now seems to have lost interest. But every other day bring a new crop of people wanting to kill them, and it’s only a matter of time before they succeed.

All Amr wants is time—time to move his clan and settle them into their new home, time with the dragon he never thought he’d own, and most of all he wants time for his Steward, to see the man rest and recover and stop getting himself almost killed every week. He wouldn’t mind a chance to rekindle their fragile relationship either.

Diamond wants a life that feels worth living. The one he left behind wasn’t all that great, but it beat waking up to the nasty results of a curse that should have killed him and working as a hitman for the Cambry Syndicate. Then he goes to fetch someone for his boss, and gets dragged even deeper into the strange paranormal world he’s still learning to call home.

Note: contains poly

Another story in one of Megan Derr’s Dance with the Devil series is always cause for rejoicing. Its a huge universe of stories she’s built, full of worlds and characters and their mates. They are intertwined of course, sometimes loosely, or sometimes the threads that hold them together are tight, knotty, a balled up mess of relationships and politics and genetics. Dragon genetics. But whatever the story, its always compelling. The plots and world building so weirdly captivating and the couples a mesmerizing blend of beings that sometimes has you blinking in disbelief and delight at the same time.

Some of the couples even bleed (literally) into each others novels, as they do here. For those who are loving followers of the series…I won’t spoil the surprise, just be prepared to see a couple from a previous novel play a major role here. It also sent me running to read their story all over again. Truly, this is a series that keeps on giving from one story to the next. It keeps reigniting your interest in all the past novels you’ve already read as well as launching your imagination anew for the next book to come.

I haven’t even gotten to Shield of the Dragon (Dance with the Devil #6) yet. If you haven’t read the other stories that included the Dragons and the Dragon shifters in the Dance with the Devils series, you can still read this novel. Derr does a wonderful job of explaining the culture, the genetic history just enough to engage a new reader’s imagination and connect them immediately to the story. Those of us who have been with the series all along, well, its a lovely quick refresher course. But as always, its the characters who pull us into the drama and the plot lines here.

As with any Derr story there are layered story threads running parallel to each other, intertwining throughout the novel. One is the tale of Amr who is moving his clan during a time of upheaval. Amr has been claimed by a dragon that’s the key to power and therefore much sought after. His own life is in just as much turmoil as he seeks the companionship of Ken, his Steward. Ken, a person of action instead of words is confused by the one person he wants and now thinks has rejected him. And still their clan must be settled into hostile territory and their dragons kept safe. Little do they know of the plans being hatched against them.

Diamond is an unusual hitman/thug for the Cambry Syndicate. Who and what he is makes him all the more deadly to everyone around him..and it brings him no peace. His latest mission is about to change everything. For himself, for the Syndicate, for all he knows. In Diamond, Derr has created another memorable character. A cursed being, done in by his own brother, with more of his history waiting to be revealed later in the plot, the revelations that flow from this character’s plot thread are extraordinary. From his lover to those that he meets, Diamond is the key of the Shield of the Dragon in so many ways. Derr has layered him in such a way that its a delight to watch him grow and change, especially when one event occurs.

Ken is probably as close as they come to being Diamond’s twin. And when the plot works in tandem, their threads twisting together, the book explodes with power.

One thing that should be mentioned is that the dragons are able to shift into human form, while remaining dragons in thought. Part of the bonding process is sex and it continues to be part of their relationship. So there is sex, not only between couples but between their dragons and the couples, as neither can be excluded from the others relationship, naturally. This includes female dragons too. So don’t be surprised to have a M/M/M/M/F/M…I think I left a M out of there somewhere… pairing at the end. But it all felt very natural given the relationships between each other and the couples. Really with the dragons, its all about who they choose.

By the time the novel comes to its HFN conclusion I was so deep into this world once more that I was shocked to see it was time to leave again. Hate it when that happens. Derr always does it to me. I’m never ready. And of course, seeing that other couple again made me ready to pull out their story for round 2.

I loved this story. If you are a fan of Megan Derr, you probably have already grabbed this up. You don’t need my recommendation. But for everyone else, if you love fantasy, dragons, dragon shifters, outstanding world building and all of the above, here’s a series to sink your teeth into. Very sharp teeth! And a book you will love. You can start here or go back to the beginning. I have listed them all at the bottom of the review. I’ll be waiting for the next to arrive. Meet me here.

Cover art is dark and is hard to make out but helps brand the series.

Sales Links

Less Than Three Press

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 197 pages
Published September 12th 2016
ASINB01LZG7V02
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Dance with the Devil – add to your Goodreads shelf:

Dance with the Devil (Dance with the Devil, #1)
The Glass Coffin (Dance with the Dev #2
Dance in the Dark (Dance with the Devil, #3)
Midnight (Dance with the Devil, #3)
Dance Only for Me (Dance with the Devil, #4)
Risk it All (Dance with the Devil #4.5)
Sword of the King (Dance with the Devil, #5)
Shield of the Dragon (Dance with the Devil #6)
Twilight (Dance with the Devil #7)

A MelanieM Review: Too Many Cases by Julia Rancourt

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

too-many-cases Jo is a man of multiple worlds. He was born in the mundane world, but while working as a private detective, he inadvertently chased his quarry into Otheropolis, a parallel world filled with magic. Deciding to stay, Jo is joined by Simone Of Hecate, his partner in more ways than one, and resumes his private detective work in his strange new home.

But when his private life in the mundane world comes under assault, on top of three new cases, and multiple attempts on his life, Jo starts to wonder if maybe mundane was better than magical after all.

Too Many Cases was a neat little story by Julia Rancourt. Full of a delicious setting called Otheropolis that joined with our mundane parellel world, its main character is a detective called Jo trying to fit in in a world where he feels more at home than he ever did in the world where he was born. And there the clues start falling immediately for your first twist in the story. That of gender. Its wonderful and I loved Jo even more for it being unexpected. Jo has some of his own obstacles to overcome in this story as well as mysteries to solve. Jo is joined by his partner Simone of Hecate, a witch.

I was expecting this to be a M/M story, its not. I mistook Simone for Simon (face palm). I’m going to leave the pairing off. It’s a LGBTQIA story, there’s no sex, well little sex with heat to it. and it revolves around the mysteries which I really enjoyed. But yes gender does come into it and I like the way the author handled it for our main character and for the story.

What I did want was more of Otheropolis. The concepts that Rancourt lays down for her world are intrequeing. I want to know how the families rule, more on the weather and how its all laid out. It sounds fascinating and all this story did was wet my taste for more.

Looking for something a little different? With mysteries and main characters to grab at your interest and perhaps your heart too? Give Too Many Cases by Julia Rancourt a try.

Cover art was interesting and I liked it, just like the book.

Sales Links

Less Than Three Press

Book Details:

Kindle Edition
Published October 10th 2016 by Less Than Three Press, LLC
ASINB01MCS3F95
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Lila Review: A Sip Of Rio by Teodora Kostova

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

a-sip-of-rio-by-teodora-kostova Liam Young has a problem – he’s booked a romantic holiday to Rio de Janeiro months ago, but when he breaks up with his boyfriend, all his plans fall apart. Not only is his dream holiday slipping through his fingers, but Liam is tired of getting his heart broken.

Blaine Reed has a solution that can save Liam’s plans. Recently divorced, Blaine needs a break, and a couple of stress-free weeks in Rio with a sexy guy like Liam sound like heaven.

Liam and Blaine hit it off right from the start, becoming good friends even before they’ve left London. Despite their efforts to ignore the simmering attraction between them, it boils over when they end up sharing a room in one of the most romantic cities in the world.

Being together in Rio is easy, and it’s exactly what Liam needs – no feelings, no drama, nobody getting hurt.

Until someone does.

When the holiday bubble bursts, it’s up to them to find a way to be together outside of Rio’s seductive magic.

A Sip of Rio is a travel log story with two lovely main characters. The way they met and how their friendship started set the tone for the rest of the story. Liam and Blane had great chemistry from the very beginning and their love story felt easy and dynamic.

The author did an excellent job making the settings an integral part of the story. It was interesting to see Brazil through their eyes and how small details like height played a role. They enjoyed their time together and met interesting characters too. There were funny moments mixed with serious conversations, but the overall story was sexy, low angst, and easy to read.

My main issue with the story was the pacing. It started strong and interesting, but when the characters arrived in Brazil time slowed down. As soon as they left, time sped up again and we get a rushed ending.

The solution to their relationship problems and how they will get together, in the end, didn’t ring true to me. It was too much of a fairy tale for a story that did great showing the reader a contemporary setting. Also, I think that the wrong MC asked for forgiveness. Perhaps in the reverse, it would have had a stronger ending.

The cover goes with the feel of Brazil. The models seem a bit generic, but overall it represents the heart of the story.

Sale Links: Kindle Unlimited

ebook, 151 pages
Published: Oct 6, 2016, Kindle Unlimited
ISBN: B01M10UDTY
Edition Language: English

An Alisa Review: Of Paws and Pet Rocks by J.D. Walker

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

of-paws-and-pet-rocks-by-jd-walker Barry Dunning is a pet stylist and a gentle soul. Animals love him and he adores them. And while he would love to have a dog or cat of his own, the lease on his tiny studio apartment doesn’t allow pets. So, he paints miniature cats and dogs on rocks, instead.

Hurt by an ex-boyfriend, Barry doesn’t date. But his sister Trixie is always pestering him to get back out there, though he doesn’t think anyone would want him or his baggage.

Not so. Sheldon Svenson, the owner of the animal shelter where Barry volunteers on weekends is attracted to Barry and asks him out on a date. Barry — for once taking his sister’s advice — accepts.

Dinner ends in disaster, but Sheldon, undaunted, pursues Barry and asks for another chance. Will Barry decide to risk losing his heart?

This was a wonderful short sweet story. Barry has basically been surviving since his ex left him high and dry three years ago, feeling like he doesn’t deserve a nice guy and that no one should have to deal with his problems. Sheldon has carried a torch for Barry since they first met and since he is now unattached he is willing to take the plunge.

Barry continues to tell himself and others that he is happy with his life, but we can see how much he is hurting from the beginning of the story. His sister and her husband are hilarious and a great source of support for him, no matter how much he tries to deny it. Even though this story is told from Barry’s point of view you can see how much Sheldon really cares for him and is willing to wait until he is ready.

The cover art is wonderful and gave me a great visual for Barry interacting with the animals.

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 39 pages

Published: March 30, 2016 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634860680

Edition Language: English

A Stella Release Day Review: Murmuration by TJ Klune

RATING 2,75 out of 5 stars

murmuration In the small mountain town of Amorea, it’s stretching toward autumn of 1954. The memories of a world at war are fading in the face of a prosperous future. Doors are left unlocked at night, and neighbors are always there to give each other a helping hand.

The people here know certain things as fact:

Amorea is the best little town there is.

The only good Commie is a dead Commie.

The Women’s Club of Amorea runs the town with an immaculately gloved fist.

And bookstore owner Mike Frazier loves that boy down at the diner, Sean Mellgard. Why they haven’t gotten their acts together is anybody’s guess. It may be the world’s longest courtship, but no one can deny the way they look at each other.

Slow and steady wins the race, or so they say.

But something’s wrong with Mike. He hears voices in his house late at night. There are shadows crawling along the walls, and great clouds of birds overhead that only he can see.

Something’s happening in Amorea. And Mike will do whatever he can to keep the man he loves.

My review on Murmuration by TJ Klune will be brief. You want the truth? I don’t have a lot to say. I could have given it 5 stars because in a way it deserves the highest rating but I can’t and I’ll try to explain why without spoiling it. Basically I’m not sure what to make of the plot. I found the relationship between Mike and Sean sweet and cute. I liked the story. I found it mysterious, it intrigued me since I read the blurb and it kept my interest through a long part of it. I had no idea what was going to happen, where the author was going to take the MCs, but I wasn’t worried because I knew I would have an HEA.

I liked the writing, it’s easy and great and brought me to Amorea and its sceneries and habitants. It brought me on a balcony, it brought me on a sterile room. I appreciate the author’s talent, his invention, he loves words and he knows how to use them to create unique and awesome sentences. I have to give it to TJ. The book is amazingly written and well done, really really well done. Unexpected as everything TJ writes. I’m blown away but still not in a good way.

That said I can’t give it 3 stars. The problem is I’m so disappointed and angry. This story was hard to take to me and I can’t overcome the bitter taste if left on my heart. I could have so loved Murmuration but TJ ruined everything. He destroyed what I loved, who I loved, all the people I met in Amorea, in the last part of the book. And to me is unecceptable. And the ending? That was supposed to be a HEA? It wasn’t.

The cover art by Reese Dante is amazing, one of the best covers I saw this year.

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BOOK DETAILS

ebook, 324 pages

Publication date October 28th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN 1634774558 (ISBN13: 9781634774550)

Edition Language English

Love Urban Fantasy? Hank Fielder Shares Inspiration and More Behind ‘Make Someone Happy’! (Author Guest Blog)

Make Someone Happy by Hank Fielder
Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 26, 2016
Cover artist: Paul Richmond

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Where do you normally draw your inspiration for a book from? A memory, a myth, a place or journey, or something far more personal?

Hank Fielder: Hi everyone! I’m privileged to be talking to you today about my new book, called “Make Someone Happy.” Inspiration is a great topic to start out with. I love that inspiration can be drawn from anywhere — from memories, personal experiences, from other stories, from dreams, from places and journeys. Even from thin air.

For my new novella, called “Make Someone Happy,” I started getting the idea based on a place: a modest little day spa. A friend gave me a gift certificate for a massage. I was excited and nervous at the same time. After all, someone you don’t know is rubbing you all over, in a good way! It’s not sexual, but it’s pretty intimate.

I started thinking, what if two massage therapists working together started to feel more than simple friendship for one another? What if one was experienced and self-assured? That’s Andre. What if the other guy was new to the job, not as good at it yet — and secretly falling hard for his friend and co-worker? This is Joe, the main character. I decided it would be fun to throw in a little magic and help our inexperienced hero Joe with a magic wish: to have a magic touch. The massage he gives Andre leads them both on a journey of intimacy, passion and desire — and trouble.

Magic can lead to unforeseen consequences, in love and in fortune. At the center of the story is the love shared between Joe and Andre, and the test of true love is the story’s main conflict.

Contemporary, supernatural, fantasy, or science fiction narratives or something else? Does any genre draw you more than another when writing it or reading it and why does it do so?

HF: It’s great that MM romance offers a chance to explore so many different genres. I’d always wanted to write an urban fantasy. I knew I wanted to try a light touch in a fantasy story of genuine passion, with real stakes involved.

In “Make Someone Happy,” Joe is skeptical about magic; he’s never thought about it much. But when a beautiful “good” witch, who happens to be giving up white magic because of its unforeseen consequences, offers Joe a single wish, he plays along. He’s done the witch a great favor — he rescued her kitten, named Angel. We’re off and running.

I’ve tried to keep the story urban, contemporary and real, with real life problems. And that’s what I love about urban fantasy. If the story works, it opens our eyes to the “real” magic all around us. The miracles of falling in love, of crisp autumn nights, of the deep bonds we can share with another person — that puts the sparkle in your day. Or put another way, playing with the urban fantasy genre is simply another way of enjoying the fun of story itself, of entering a magical world.

Can an author have favorites among their characters and do you have them?

HF: I think so, yes. Even baddies can be reader favorites, right? Who doesn’t “like” Dracula, for example? So timelessly wrought, so impeccably evil. Or the Wicked Witch of the West. We don’t want her to win, but we have a blast rooting against a worthy antagonist.

But I like my good guys best. I can’t help but like Joe Wells, the hero of “Make Someone Happy.” Andre is gorgeous and kind, but Joe is such an everyday guy, keeping his spirits up even when he thinks he’s going to lose his job; even when he wonders how he’s going to win the love of Andre. I relate to his struggles, and his joys.

Nick Davanger from my novel “Emerald Idol” is another favorite of mine. (Well, you asked!) He faces up to his demons and triumphs.

How early in your life did you begin writing?

HF: I used to draw heaps of primitive little comic strips when I was a kid. I actually hear of lots of adult authors who started this way. I tried to write seriously when I was in school and I just kept at it. I’m always reading and can barely remember when I wasn’t. Anyone reading this knows the love of which I speak.

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?

HF: We always had a lot of books and I took to fairy tales like an ugly duckling to water. Hans Christian Andersen, Roald Dahl and Charles Dickens wrote the kinds of stories I and millions of others remember so fondly. I see no reason to stop reading them now or ever, even if I’m lucky and live to be 100. Who could forget James and his giant peach, or the Snow Queen, or the Little Match Girl? These storytellers are the giants I look up to.

Anything else you’d like to say about “Make Someone Happy”?

Just that I hope readers will enjoy it and find a little magic in a simple urban tale. And that they laugh at the funny parts!

About Make Someone Happy

Massage therapist Joe Wells is in a little over his head with his first job at the posh Magic Touch Sports Spa. He’s also secretly falling for his friendly, sexy coworker, the top-notch masseur Andre Swift. All the clients clamor for Andre, and so far none have taken to Joe.

On the verge of being fired, Joe saves the life of a mysterious kitten belonging to a white witch, who grants him a wish: a magic touch that could save his job and maybe even win him Andre’s love and respect. As Joe’s stock at the spa rises to crazy and barely manageable levels of success, demand for Andre’s services drops off. Will Joe lose Andre to an out-of-control spell? Or worse—Andre’s love might prove to be only a result of the magic, just like Joe’s sudden talent.

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About the Author ~ Hank Fielder

Hank Fielder is from Wisconsin and has lived in London and California. A passionate devotee of soulful romantic music, he has worked a variety of jobs, but his favorite occupation is storyteller. He counts his blessings every night before bed. His published books and stories include MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY, EMERALD IDOL, WHEN WE PICKED APPLES LAST AUTUMN, and CHRISTMAS IN THE JOINT

> Visit him online at http://www.authorhankfielder.blogspot.com and on Twitter at @HankFielder http://www.twitter.com/HankFielder.

Ali Release Review: Touchdown (Game Day Book 1) by T.S. McKinney

Rating: 1.5-2 out of 5 stars

Alexander Bryant has lived his entire life making everyone else happy. After meeting Lincoln, will he have the courage to finally do what makes him happy?

Alexander – I like to imagine myself a rebel – an ass-kicker that takes what he wants regardless of what others think. I make my own path and flip off the people who don’t agree. I laugh in the face of conflict. Nobody tells me what to do.

In reality, everything about me is a lie – past, present, and future. The Bryant name requires certain things and all my decisions are based on those requirements. I like football, but the family name demands I love it. I want to be an artist, but the family name demands I be a lawyer. The family demands I fall in love with a nice girl, but I’m falling for, well, the opposite of nice AND girl. I’m a coward and a liar.

Lincoln – I like to imagine myself a loner – a cold heartless bastard that takes what he wants. I lived the biggest part of my life with parents that were ashamed of me for more reasons that one could begin to count, so I trust no one.

I have a low tolerance for bullshit and hate liars.

So why did I go and fall in love with the biggest liar of them all?

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me for a lot of different reasons. I had issues right from the beginning because one of the first scenes is Alexander being pulled up onto the stage at a BDSM club and not wanting to go. He was uncomfortable, had been drinking and didn’t know the Dom doing the scene (our other MC Lincoln). What kind of decent Dom would do this? After this Lincoln sends Alexander’s friends away (Who leaves their friend with a total stranger like this?) and then Alexander wakes up naked in Lincoln’s bed the next morning. That is the beginning of their “relationship”. Nothing that happened in this first part of the story made any sense to me. I couldn’t get my head around who would do these things. I didn’t find it either sexy or romantic. It was more “Run from the controlling psycho while you still can”.

I didn’t care for Lincoln at all. He was pushy and did not come across as a Dom, just a controlling guy who wanted his way. There were no discussions of what Alexander was comfortable with or wanted. Alexander was supposed to be a straight guy but there was no real discussion of that and he jumped from never having sex with a guy or being in a BDSM situation to full on scenes. None of it seemed realistic to me. If not unrealistic then at least very unsafe. I didn’t feel that either character was well developed at all. All they really do is have sex and it bothers me when authors just throw in a bunch of sex and expect that I will equate that with emotional development.

A lot of the book was poorly edited and it contained my biggest book pet peeve ever. Guys referring to each other as “pussies” every time they have an emotion or feeling. I can’t stand seeing my gender used as a slander (& in such a crude way). If it had just happened once or twice I would have overlooked it but it happened almost 30x. Also, despite having had previous satisfying relationships with women, Alexander decides he’s “gay” for Lincoln. I’m not fond of bisexuality being dismissed and overlooked as a plot device.

Honestly I would have do not finished this book had I have not been reading it for a review. I didn’t not care for the characters and I found the plot very unrealistic. The writing style did not appeal to me and I had personal issues with a few things as mentioned. This book unfortunately was not a win for me.

Cover: I love the cover. I think it’s fantastic and it’s what drew me to the book in the first place.

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 217 pages
Published September 7th 2016 by Dark Hollows Press LLC
ASINB01LT3OB92
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesGame Day #1

A Free Dreamer Review: 18% Gray (Task Force Iota #1) by Anne Tenino

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

18-gray-by-anne-tenino In a future where the United States has split along party lines, Agent Matt Tennimore’s job is to get people out of the Confederated Red States, whether they’re captured special ops agents from his own country or gay CRS citizens who’ve petitioned for asylum. He never expected to have to retrieve his high school crush, aka the guy who ostracized him for being gay.
Rescuing James Ayala isn’t going to be easy: he’s crawling with tracking nanos and has a cybernetic brain implant that’s granted him psychic power he isn’t sure how to control. That’s the good news. The bad? The implant is compromising James’s mental stability.
So they’re on the run, avoiding surveillance by AI aircraft and hiding from enemy militia. Then James confesses he tormented Matt in high school because James wanted him. Matt can’t resist the temptation James offers, but he wants so much more than sex, assuming they ever make it home alive. Is James really a good bet when he’s got a ticking time bomb in his brain and there’s the question of how much he’s actually changed?

I was really looking forward to this book. I’ve wanted to read it for years, so my expectations were of course especially high. Unfortunately, “18% Gray” ultimately didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The idea that the USA will split into conservative and liberal parts in the distant future is not something I’ve come across before. I think that’s actually somewhat realistic, though a bit more historical background as to why and how exactly that happened would have been nice.

James’ brain is essentially a ticking time bomb. The implant in his brain is acting up and giving him weird new abilities he seems to have no real control over. That part was utterly intriguing and very well written.

Matt is a badass mercenary guy who’s still hurt because James called him a fag once in high school. Too bad he now has to go and rescue James. I’m usually not too fond of the enemies-to-lovers trope but it worked here. There wasn’t a huge gulf separating the two of them, so I was much more inclined to believe they were able to overcome the hurt feelings of the past. Still, I never quite felt any real chemistry between the two of them.

What bothered me the most was the amount of sex in this book. Or maybe not exactly the amount but the moments when they chose to have sex. James and Matt are running for their lives and yet there’s a time for a quickie? Even though the enemy is hot on their heels? Even though the enemy could easily discover them if they make too much noise? They were never able to keep their hands off each other, no matter how dangerous the situation. That just seemed incredibly unrealistic and really spoiled the suspense for me.

Most of the time it felt a bit as if the plot had to take a backseat, just so the two of them could either have sex or sink into relationship angst. It was just over the top.

The supporting characters were very clichéd and sometimes pretty annoying.

Overall, I still liked some parts of the story and mostly felt entertained. There is room for improvement, though. I probably won’t read the next part of the series, even if the next couple promises to be exciting as well.

Long story short: If you like steamy romance between two badass military boys with a dash of dystopia, then this is the book for you.

If, however, you’re looking for dystopia with serious world building and a realistic romance, then keep looking.

Cover: The cover by Anne Cain shows our two heroes with a desolate landscape in the background. It fits the story and the shirtless eye-candy is also very nice to look at.

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Book details:

ebook, 280 pages
Published August 1st 2011 by Dreamspinner Press (first published July 31st 2011)
Original Title18% Gray
ISBN 1613720793 (ISBN13: 9781613720790)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesTask Force Iota #1 settingIdaho (United States)
Oregon (United States)

An Alisa Review: Open Omega and His Bitter Bear (Pariah Pack #4) by Susan Laine

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

open-omega-and-his-bitter-bean As an omega, Woody Fry balances the unity of his wolf pack and serves as a gardener and healer. He’s an outspoken and optimistic twink who always supports his family and is ever ready to take a leap of faith. An unexpected intrusion into the wolf territory on an autumn’s day brings Woody face to face with a sullen, young coywolf and an equally morose, hostile bear in his prime.

Brown bear Lyss Arthur doesn’t trust anyone, preferring to keep to himself and radiating an air of rage. When the two opposites realize they’re mates, all bets are off. But Lyss isn’t on the market for a mate, so Woody has his work cut out.

Soon the wolf pack learns that the bear and coywolf are on the lam. They’re pursued by a lethal enemy who’ll stop at nothing to get them back. Protecting the bear and his teenage ward might prove deadly for everyone concerned.

Woody is absolutely adorable and so optimistic it’s like a breath of fresh air. Despite the bad things that have happened in his life he looks for the good in others and situations. Lyss is grumbly bear who doesn’t feel as though he can see any good in anything anymore.

In this story we can see how much Woody would like to push Lyss, but knows it’s best to wait. Lyss has trouble seeing how things can get better until it comes down to a confrontation and Woody’s pack stands up for him and the coywolf showing him that they are welcome and loved. I was rooting for these two the whole time even if Lyss did make a few stupid mistakes and had to be slapped upside the head with the truth for him to see it.

The cover art is very nice and gives a good visual for the characters.

Sales Links: Siren Publishing

Book Details:

ebook, 126 pages

Published: September 7, 2016 by Siren Publishing

Edition Language: English

Series: Pariah Pack #4