Category: Book Reviews

In Our Contemporary Spotlight: LE Franks’ ‘Six Days to Valentine’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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6 Days to Valentine (Yes #1) by LE Franks
Release Date: January, 2014

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Cover Artist: Adrian Nicholas

Blurb

In Nick’s perfect world, Valentine’s Day would be struck from the calendar.

Nick’s dreams of a Happily Ever After were shredded long ago and the last thing he and his customers need is a bunch of happy loving couples rubbing it in their faces.

Bouncer Fat Boy Newman is willing to bet he knows Nick’s heart better than he does. He has just six days to change Nick’s mind about romance and the holiday and the perfect man to do it.

Too bad it’s not him.

Too bad Nick’s not going down without a fight.

Too bad he cheats.

 

Pages or Words: 24,000 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

I looked again at the stunned blond sprawled at my feet. From this angle, he might be considered cute, certainly the butt in his jeans was worth exploring further, but for some reason, it was his cap that caught my eye. I could see part of a logo from one of those Texas schools—the one with the horns. Reaching down, I hooked it with my finger. I held it up so I could see it clearly, though it was hard to mistake the long white horns stretching across the front of the orangey wool.

Hmm, old-style baseball cap. I peered inside and checked out the underside of the brim, looking for his name. Someone had signed it in black ink, but it was worn and smeared in places, making it barely legible. Given the fading and the stains on the sweatband, it hadn’t been new in a very long time. Certainly not when this guy was in school.

“My hat. Please.” A soft drawl and a hand moving into my line of sight distracted me. It’s possible, though unlikely, that I missed him waving up at me; I’d had quite a late night, after all. I think, instead, that my brain froze the second he pushed himself into the cobra pose and looked deep into my eyes.

I hadn’t gotten much sleep after leaving the bar in the early hours of the morning. I’d walked around the neighborhood, halfway hoping I’d get rolled by a drunk or knifed in an alley. It was a thoroughly depressing failure. I was still there, still intact, and still feeling guilty as hell, all of which pissed me off to no end. Even worse, everyone I’d seen since entering the bar had congratulated me on my win, while FatBoy was doing a spectacular job of avoiding me.

I sat still, considering the blue depths, the straight nose, the plump pink lips, the strawberry locks curling over his ears. Then FatBoy finally decided to make an appearance, jerking the man up by his pits and dangling him in front of me like a rag doll.

Surprising as the maneuver was, it did have the added benefit of shaking his limbs out so I could get a nice long look at the whole…package.

“Ever hear of picking up after yourself?” FatBoy growled his exaggerated drawl at me. I guess that answered the question of whether or not FatBoy was still mad.

“Yeah…no…” I muttered, thinking about the wrongness of the whole thing and absently fondling the cow head on the front of the hat, forgetting what I’d been asked just a moment before.

“What the hell?” the blond jerked away from our bouncer, grabbing his hat and inadvertently catching my pinky in the adjustable strap.

“Yow!” Fuck that hurt. I shoved my finger in my mouth, sucking furiously where part of the nail was now missing.

“Shit, sorry, man. You just…” The blond trailed off as he fixed his attention on the hand now shoved between my lips. You’d think he’d never seen a man suck on anything before.

I might have answered him, but I’d hopped off my stool and was now too busy brushing bar floor debris off the front of his well-formed chest. My hand slid down the front of him until fingers gripped my wrist tightly just as I was getting to the fun parts, freezing my hand in place at his waist.

“My name’s Cameron.” It was a perfectly reasonable answer to an obvious question that I hadn’t asked. He removed my hand from his body before stepping out of my personal space to sit. I wanted to follow, but in a rare show of restraint, I chose leaning against the bar two stools down.

God, I need a drink. And a bed. And a man. And a way to go back through time.

Hell—two out of four ain’t bad. Well, more likely one out of four, which sucked, and my night was going to get worse…

When Rachel came in, she was going to skin me and make rainbow boots out of my hide. The story was already making the rounds, and my act of treachery, while still hidden, was lying like a dead skunk, stinking up the air between FatBoy and me.

I was waiting for inspiration to strike, gifting me with the perfect pickup line—the dazzler that would have my tongue in Cameron’s mouth and his beautiful golden body pressed up against the wall in the supply room with enough time before I had to officially clock in for work.

Apparently not. All I was hearing from the celestial chorus was the sound of crickets. I went with the old standby and introduced myself. “I’m Nick.”

I must have been grinning like an idiot. I could feel my cheeks begin to ache, and my palms developed an unexpected dampness. Rubbing them hastily against my soft denims, I reached across to him and held out my hand.

“Call me Cam.” He smiled. Sweet Jesus, it was a beauty of a smile, and I felt my cock begin to fill. Dammit. The lunch bartender chose that moment to lean over and smirk at me.

“Soooo, Niiiiiick…who’s your friennnnd?” Christine made a decent margarita and a top-notch Bloody Mary of her own special recipe, but her gaydar was broken. Anyone could tell that this sweet angel of the south was 100% boy meat.

“Ma’am! Cameron Fielding at your service.”

I was stunned as I watched my morsel of seraphic delectability stand and doff his cap, and felt a shiver run up my spine. It seemed to be in a race with the tightening of my jeans and the galloping of my heart, and I had a sudden irrational urge to pull him closer and sniff his hair. And maybe touch it.

What the hell?

 

Buy the book:

Wilde City Press | ARe |Barnes & Noble | Amazon

 

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Meet the Author

LE Franks lives in the SF Bay area and writes M/M Romance in a unique mix of humor and drama with enough suspense to produce fast paced stories filled with emotion and passion and featuring characters that are quirky and complicated and sometimes a little bit dark. LE Franks is a best selling author and finalist for 2013 & 2014 Rainbow Awards. Her books are available through her publishers at MLR Press, Dreamspinner Press and Wilde City Press and Pride Publishing and online bookstores.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops: February 12, 2016

Parker Williams, Posy Roberts, Bayou Book Junkie, TTC Books and More, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, A.M. Leibowitz, Divine Magazine, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Bonkers About Books, Alpha Book Club, Mikky’s World of Books, The Jena Wade, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Sassygirl Books, Man2ManTastic, BFD Book Blog, Attention is Arbitrary, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, Rainbow Gold Reviews

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: eBook copy of ‘6 Days to Valentine’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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A MelanieM Review: Strength of the Rising Sun (The Borders War #5) by S.A. McAuley

Rating: 5 stars out of 5     ★★★★★

Strength of the Rising SunMerq’s always known there’s only one way Armise and he can end.

The Opposition is losing—both the war and the fight for citizen support—and the Revolution’s victory appears certain. Despite that success, Merq knows his leaders won’t let two of their greatest assets simply walk away. But with Armise fighting for his life, getting out becomes Merq’s primary objective.

Almost two decades of selfishness can’t be alleviated with one right decision, and Merq is faced with the reality of how deeply he has wounded Armise in ways that cannot be seen from the outside. Merq’s world has been upended more times than he can count and he’s always survived, but life without Armise is no longer an option. He just has to prove that to Armise.

Merq believes there are few who are strong enough to challenge them when they stand together. But when the secret Armise has been protecting Merq from is revealed, the truth has consequences neither of them can prepare for.

Reader Advisory: This book contains graphic violence, mention of torture and genetic experimentation.

I admit I approached each Borders War book with more than a bit of trepidation and sense of anticipation.  I would be hard pressed to remember a series that has more twisted layers, more betrayals and anguished losses than this one.  The Borders War series has  involved no less than a worldwide conflagration of countries, environments and humanity that has played out over five novels through the perspective of two warriors and the band of people around them.  Not always on the same side, certainly not at the beginning, or even numerous times (even in the same book) when no one knew what side each man was on, even themselves.

If this sounds confusing, in anyone else’s hands but S.A. McAuley this series and this relationship could have been a muddy mess, instead it became one of magnificent passion, love and commitment to each other in the face of obstacles (realistic ones within this world building) that should have killed them.  And often came close.

In the beginning, One Breath One Bullet (The Borders War #1), Merq Grayson was a high-ranking officer (sniper) for the Continental States.  His enemy was the Dark Ops officer from the People’s Republic of Singapore, Armise Darcan.  These  two had met over countless battle fields and covert operations, sometimes killing those close to the other man, and even coming close to killing each other, often inflicting near fatal wounds.  But there was something more there as well.  A building passion and undeniable connection between them that neither could understand or repress for very long.

McAuley builds this confusing, angry and often violent relationship through 20 years, five books and around some shocking, often personally shattering revelations to both men.  Its hard to describe just how magnetic these men and their lives become.  Sometimes so raw and wounded, you think their  pain will never stop. That is especially true here.  Sometimes the feelings flow cold and distant, than back strong and raging.  Through vivid descriptions and dialog that pulls you into the scenes, you become a part of Merq and Armise’s world and that often leaves you feeling as pain-filled and battered as they are.

Loss of humanity, scientific experimentation (willing and not) on soldiers, the ramifications of genetic/chemical warfare on the world environment…its all addressed here in some form, as a nuanced plot thread or a direct blow to the heart by the author.  Hard to be prepared for that.

But The Borders War is a magnificent series and it deserves its equal in a final story. It gets it in Strength of the Rising Sun.  This story was the equivalent of running through a narrative mine field, you just didn’t know it at the beginning.  Just when you thought the story was getting ready to settle down, another revelation would occur,  then another shattering scene, one so devastating in its impact that it took my breathe away.  I can’t even begin to give you even a smidgen of details or plot.  It wouldn’t make sense. You have to read the story and the ones before it. And when the ending came, well,  I cried buckets of tears for the men, but also of relief that the tension and agony of the narrative was gone.  You are so involved, you couldn’t pull  out of the story, even if you had wanted you.  You, Merq, and Armise to the end.  And what a ending it was.

I have no idea how S. A.McAuley will top this.  Not a clue.

So.  Love science fiction and enemy to lovers story?  Well, this is so much more.  It sexy, violent, passionate, layered, complex and agonizing on the heart at best.  But its one I  wouldn’t want you to pass up.  One of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2016.

Cover art by Posh Gosh shows a certain eventful scene in the story.  It might not work as well as a cover before you read the story but its perfect afterwards.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing  | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 198 pages
Published January 26th 2016 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781784309954
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series The Borders War :

The world has only recently emerged from a three hundred year war which saw half of the world’s population wiped out and the rise of five superpowers. Despite the hundreds of millions who died, the Borders War was nearly bloodless because of the sonicrifle—weaponized sound waves, tuned to their highest frequency, and harnessed to kill.

Merq Grayson has known only war. He is a skilled Peacemaker, soldier, and sniper. And it is his destiny to right the wrong created by his grandfather six generations removed—the man who invented the sonicbullet.

Armise Darcan is his enemy. A sniper and Dark Ops officer who fought for the People’s Republic of Singapore in the Borders War, Armise may be the only person on the planet strong enough to keep Merq from completing his mission.

Their loyalties are to conflicting countries and diverging agendas, and despite the very real threat to their lives if they’re discovered, Merq and Armise keep finding their way into each other’s beds. It is a drive which Merq is sure will kill him one day.

But how much time either of them has is questionable. As Opposition is pitted against Revolution, the Borders War reignites, and Merq and Armise have to decide where, and with whom, their real loyalties lie.

Links to MelanieM reviews:

 

An Ali Review: Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2) by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton, Iggy Toma (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Second Hand audiobookPaul Hannon moved to Tucker Springs for his girlfriend, but she’s left him with a house he can’t afford and a pantry full of useless gadgets. All Paul wants is to get back to normal, even if he’s not sure what that is anymore. When he wanders into Tucker Pawn for a gift to win her back, he meets El Rozal, pawn shop owner and all-around cynic.

El Rozal doesn’t do relationships, especially not with clueless straight boys still pining for their ex. El may make his living dealing in castoffs, but that doesn’t apply to men. Still, when Paul starts clearing out his old life, pawning kitchen equipment he never wanted in the first place, El is drawn to Paul in spite of himself.

Paul and El have nothing in common except a past full of disappointments. There’s no reason to believe the two of them could fit, but in El’s line of work, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. When it comes to love, El and Paul may learn that secondhand doesn’t mean second best. 
 
This was an average story. Nothing really wrong with it but nothing that made it stand out either. Paul has gone through a bad break up and while looking for a gift for his ex-girlfriend he meets Eli. The two men become friends and while Eli realizes immediately that he has feelings for Paul, Paul just cruises along cluelessly. Paul bordered on getting on my nerves with his cluelessness. At other times though I felt for him and I thought the internal discussions/fears/etc he has over his sexuality were probably pretty realistic. Eli I liked throughout the entire story.  I didn’t really feel the emotional attraction between the two men.  It just felt like they were friends unless they were in the bedroom.  The bedroom scenes though were great.  The chemistry just jumped off the pages.  Unfortunately hot sex scenes isn’t enough to carry an entire book for me.  I needed more relationship development.  Again, I didn’t love this book but I didn’t dislike it either.  

The narration by Iggy Toma was just ok.  Overall I did not really care for the narrator.  He did a wide range of voices and did them all differently which is a plus.  I didn’t like some of the voices though.  This is probably a matter of taste.  While it didn’t work for me it might for others.  I suggest listening to a sample of the audio first.
 
Cover art by L.C. Chase. I like the cover.  I think it is a good representation of the main characters and their story.
Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon
Audiobook Details:
Audible Audio
Published January 22nd 2016 by Audible (first published September 1st 2012)
Original TitleSecond Hand
SeriesTucker Springs #2 settingColorado (United States)

A BJ Review: Dancer of Death (SPECTR 2, #2) by Jordan L. Hawk

Rating:  4.75 stars out of 5

Dancer of DeathRevenge. Murder. Ballet?

Vampire spirit Gray wants to hunt demons. Unfortunately, the foolish mortals at SPECTR have put his host, Caleb, their lover John, and their partner Zahira on desk duty. Gray longs to leave Charleston with John, but if they flee, SPECTR will make them the hunted.

A series of paranormal murders returns the team to the field, at least temporarily. Ballerinas are being murdered by a vila, a demon that kills with dance. If they can’t stop the deadly attacks in time, one of Zahira’s friends may become the next victim.

And while they track the demon, an unknown entity has begun to track Gray.

First, I hadn’t read the blurb before I read the story and that last line was interesting, as I guess I hadn’t realized that the scent Gray ran across for the second time in this book was tracking him. Interesting development for sure especially since Gray contends the thing he smells is not food… ie. not a demon.

High on the gore factor and we get some POV from the bad guy in this one. It reminds me a lot of book #4 from the first series, Eater of Lives, in both those factors. Excellent pacing that kept me on the edge of my set. Wonderful emotional parts as well as sizzling sexy bits.

Plenty twists and turns in the developing relationship between the threesome, that makes it ever more complex. I adored how this is being explored. Caleb has a bit of a problem with communication with John in this one, a fact that Gray rightly questions. I find myself wondering how Deacon will fit into this overall, as something about him tells me he’s more integral than the surface seems to show—of course, I could be wrong.

The more we get to know of Zahira, the more I’m loving her as a partner for these guys. One scene with her and Gray was so touching. Loved that to pieces. Karl the transman is also very intriguing, and I find myself hoping we will get to read more about him as well.

Overall, aside from a bit of the adverb usage that drew me out of the story somewhat, this was an excellent installment of the series that I enjoyed even more than I did Mocker of Ravens. I’m very eager for the next installment, and hope it comes out soon.

Beautiful cover but a bit surprised since for the first time in the series (1 or 2) it focuses on a representation of the baddie rather than showing Caleb/Gray or John.

Sales Links:  ARe | Amazon


Book Details:  

ebook
Expected publication: February 16th 2016 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139781941230176
Series SPECTR 2 #2

A Paul B Review: Golden Son (Tidal Crest #2) by Jeff Erno

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Golden SonThere is but one heir to the throne, one Golden Son.

At thirty-two, Ari loves his life in small town northern Michigan, running his aquatic pet store, but he’s always yearned to visit a coastal state. Inexplicably, he’s felt a connection with the ocean his entire life, and when his cousin Todd calls to ask him to be his best man at his California ocean-side wedding, Ari jumps at the chance for a much needed vacation. When he arrives in San Diego, however, he makes some discoveries about himself and finds love in the process. He also finds himself embroiled in a disturbing murder mystery that he ultimately helps to unravel.

Golden Son picks up about two weeks after the end of Deep Dive ends.  Sam and Prince Percy are wrapping up their honeymoon and facing the fact that they must return to reality.  Meanwhile, their friends Todd and Amy are preparing for their own wedding.  Todd calls his best friend Ari, who lives in Northern Michigan.  Ari, who has always had an attraction to the sea, decides it is about time he visits the ocean and accepts Todd’s invitation to be his best man.  Todd wonders once Ari has fulfilled his lifelong dream if he will return to his home on Lake Michigan.

As Sam and Percy visit the castle in the underwater city of Palaemon, an assassin tries to kill Percy’s father, the king.  His life is spared when one of his bodyguards jumps in front of the bullet, killing him.  Unbeknownst to anyone, the crown that determines the next ruler of merpeople was stolen during the confusion of the assassination attempt.  It also causes the royal family to return to their home on the California mainland for their protection until this mystery is solved.

Richard arrives on shore near Todd and Amy’s beachfront home.  Armand, the guard that was killed was his best friend and lover.  He goes to Todd’s place to grieve his loss as both his and his lover’s families are celebrating the sacrifice that Armand in protection of their king.  However, when he reaches the shore, he finds Ari.  He feels pull to Ari that is stronger than the one he had with Armand.  While Ari feels the attraction too, he realizes that Richard is hurting and gives him space to grieve.  The two must deal with their budding attraction while helping those around them figure out the reason Armand lost his life.

Jeff Erno has built upon his mer world with the second book in his Tidal Crest series.  The concept of three distinct classes of mermen sets up conflict within the species.   This allows expansion of the series as the three classes of mermen live in different parts of the oceans.  Overall, I thought this was a stronger book than the first.   It has strong soap opera plots to it to help the story move along.  I was a little put off on how quickly Richard got over his lover Armand and began to take up with Ari as these are not fate mates that most shifter books have.  But otherwise the story was quite enjoyable.

The cover art by Angela Waters shows a shirtless merman with his golden tail.  It fits the description of the title and book well.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books | ARe | Amazon

Book Details

ebook, 111 pages
Published February 1st 2016 by eXtasy Books
ISBN139781487406219
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Tidal Crest

  • Deep Dive (Tidal Crest #1)
  • Golden Son (Tidal Crest #2)