A Free Dreamer Review: My Magical Palace by Kunal Mukherjee

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 ★★★★★

Haunted by dreams of an unforgettable loss, Rahul, a young man of thirty living in San Francisco, suddenly becomes secretive and withdraws from his partner Andrew. When Andrew discovers that Rahul is still interviewing girls sent by his parents for an arranged marriage, he gives Rahul an ultimatum-stop living a lie, or give up their relationship. In response, Rahul tells Andrew a story. About a boy who lived in a palace. A boy named Rahul. Set in San Francisco today and in India in the early 1970s, My Magical Palace is a sensitive tale about a boy’s coming of age, and the many hurdles he must cross to heal and find himself.

I’ve been fascinated by India ever since I got my hands on an old copy of “Kim” by Rudyard Kipling when I was nine or ten. So when I read the blurb of “My Magical Palace”, I just had to have it.

First of all, this is not a love story. It’s a coming of age story, with just a tiny hint of romance. Of course there’s the first love and Rahul is in a relationship when he starts telling his story, but those are just two of many important details about Rahul’s story.

Rahul, a young man who grew up in India and now lives with his boyfriend in America. He isn’t out to his parents, so when they once again send him a woman that they think would make a great wife, he asks Andrew to leave the apartment for the evening. Andrew is understandably pissed and threatens to dump Rahul, if he doesn’t come out to his parents right now. So Rahul starts telling the story of the year that changed his life. How he slowly turned from the little boy who was afraid to go upstairs, because his older sister told him there were ghosts at the top of the stairs, to the mature teenager, who has to keep his sexuality hidden and who has lost so many things in such a short time that it changed him forever.

I absolutely loved every single second of this book. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I’d seen the palace with my own eyes. It sounds like such a beautiful place. The author managed to describe everything in great detail, without it ever getting boring or feeling like an info-dump.

The Indian setting was incredibly well written. If you aren’t very familiar with the Indian culture, you’ll be hitting Google a lot. The author doesn’t bother to explain things like food or clothes and even though I didn’t know a lot of those things, I loved that. Explanations like that tend to pull me out of a story and I don’t mind if I don’t just what they’re eating. The author grew up in Hyderabad and it’s obvious that he really knows what he’s writing about from personal experience and not just from research.

I was so engrossed in Rahul’s world that I felt a bit of a culture shock every time I was forced to surface from his story and found myself in cold, monotonous Europe.

Rahul was immediately likeable. It was very easy to relate to him, even though his life is nothing like my own. I felt strongly for pretty much every somewhat important character in this book. I was at times deliriously happy, utterly depressed, incredibly pressured and absolutely terrified. Once or twice I was even close to tears.

The plot was addicting and unpredictable. I wasn’t sure whether Rahul and Andrew would actually manage to rescue their relationship till the very last chapter. Rahul’s childhood was full of unexpected twists and turns and it never once got boring.

But “My Magical Palace” is so much more than just a deeply enjoyable novel. It has taught me a lot about the life of gay men in India. I’ve read plenty of books about women in India, but this is the first one with a gay protagonist. It was very educating, but it never felt like the author was trying to force me to learn something.

I do have one very tiny niggle, however. Everybody gets their resolution in the end. Everybody but Rani. We never learn what happened to the grown up Rani. I would’ve loved to know if she managed to escape the strict expectations her family and tradition put on her.

Long story short, “My Magical Palace” is a hidden gem that deserves a huge audience. Read it and I’m sure you’ll agree with me.

And now I want a story about Rahul’s neighbour Colonel Uncle and his Italian lover. Colonel Uncle was my favourite character and his story needs to be told.

Cover: I love the cover. The bottom half shows Rahul’s childhood home, the Indian palace, and the top half shows the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rahul’s home as an adult.

Sales Links: Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 236 pages
Published November 17th 2013 by Kunal Mukherjee, Inc. (first published 2012)
ASINB00GQOM2RS
edition languageEnglish
literary awardsBest Indian debut Writer December 2012 by The Tales Pensieve (2012)

A BJ Review: Heart (Spotless #4) by Bailey Bradford

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Rolly has waited ten years to claim his mate. Now the wait is over, and he’s coming home. When he first met Erdwin, the boy was still a child. Rolly felt nothing but compassion for him back then, but Erdwin came of age five years ago, and Rolly’s stayed out of his life in order to give Erdwin time to experience life.

Erdwin never fit right in his skin. He didn’t like what he saw in the mirror. It didn’t match how he felt inside. As a shifter, he was stuck with the body he had. Surgery wasn’t an option for him. But Erdwin found a way to accept himself—by embracing the part of herself that felt like her true nature. She struggled with it, but with her family’s support, she became Edie, the young lady she was meant to be. She stopped worrying about her parts, and concentrated on her heart.

When Rolly, a powerful shaman, moves back home to the pack, Edie is transfixed. He makes her nervous—and arouses her. But what would a man like him think of a woman liker her? Edie’s about to find out, and she will have to be stronger than ever to help fight off a threat to her pack, to her mate, and to her family.

I chose this book because of the trans* element among shifters and the kinky tags, hoping that although it was part of a series that I would still be able to enjoy it as a standalone. I based this hope on the fact the main characters did not appear to be love interests in any of the prior books. However, I could tell very early on that my experience of the story would have been different had I read the other books. It was obvious that I’d missed a lot of the background story by skipping ahead. That that was my bad and has no doubt tainted my view of the story. Please understand that before reading my review.

This is my first story by the author, so I had no idea of what to expect. The first third of this book read slow and a bit tedious for me. Erdwin, now Edie, was prim and proper, hesitant and insecure, wanting acceptance but scared to show her true self to get it. Rolly was strong, self-sacrificing and noble. Neither were capturing my attention when apart, so it took me a while to get into the story. Once the two characters were finally united, both of them changed dramatically. Like almost a one-eighty.

Edie went from shy virgin to on fire aggressor within minutes, which was quite jarring. But I wrote it off as a shifter mates thing and read on. Then Rolly nearly right off mentions enjoying pain and the BDSM elements jumped in out of seemingly nowhere (may have been mentioned in another story, not sure?). The fisting scene also seemed to come out of nowhere and was unsettling to me. Because, well, the guy had been abstaining for fifteen years and this happened after he’d only with someone again just a few times. I had to remind myself again that they were shifters in order to accept that and move on.

The dynamic between the couple was not the usual and that part was refreshing. Rolly was older, larger, more experienced, a super powerful shaman and a wolf, yet he mostly a submissive bottom who enjoyed pain. Edie was smaller, MTF and she morphs from being very unsure of herself and just wanting to be accepted for who she is into a person secure with her physical equipment and willing and eager to take control. Once they’re together, it’s Rolly who often came across as insecure and in need of assurance from Edie. While I did find the dynamic of the relationship refreshing; the changes in did still came across as abrupt for me.

Besides the relationship, there is a more complex plot revolving around mysterious events that threaten the pack. As the story wore on, there were so many characters that I couldn’t always keep them straight, but again that was likely partly due to trying to read the story out of order.

I found the dialogue often felt stilted to me, or well, not natural sounding anyway. And the transitions from scene to scene didn’t always read smooth, in fact, sometimes they were quite abrupt. For example, most of the sex scenes are either interrupted or immediately followed by sudden crisis.

Overall, I recommend reading this book in order within the series rather than as a first book as I did. I firmly believe that had I done that, how I perceived the book would be somewhat different. So I can only rate based on what I read, but it will probably not be the same as the book experienced read in order.

The cover is quite lovely and drags my eyes to it. Definite eye candy. However, given that the trans* element among shifters is so unique and what drew me to the story, I think it could have been even better if it showed Erwdin/Edie.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 154 pages
Published August 18th 2015 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781784307257
edition languageEnglish

seriesSpotless #4

A MelanieM Review: A Solitary Man by Aisling Mancy and Shira Anthony

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 ★★★★★

Sparks fly when Chance meets tall, sexy Xav at a Wilmington bar and they have the hottest one-nighter of their lives. But Chance doesn’t do repeats, Xav seems detached, and they go their separate ways without a word. Later, when closeted Assistant District Attorney C. Evan “Chance” Fairchild meets Dare’s Landing’s newest deputy sheriff, Xavier “Xav” Constantine, Evan isn’t only wary. He’s irritated as hell.

Xavier is a former FBI agent turned deputy sheriff who is hot on the trail of a South American child prostitution ring. Evan is fighting to put an end to rampant cocaine trafficking and chafing under the thumb of an election-hungry boss. When someone tries to kill the eleven-year-old witness who holds the key to both their investigations, they’re forced to work together as they put their lives on the line to protect him. As Chance and Xav collide in the heat of a sweltering North Carolina summer, dodging bullets and chasing bad guys isn’t the only action going on.

A Solitary Man by Aisling Mancy and Shira Anthony tackles one of the most heartrending and horrific subjects imaginable, that of child trafficking and child abuse and does so with depth, heart, and compassion. At times, a story so difficult to read that I often found myself in tears having to put my Kindle down, these authors have combined their talents to bring forth a story so powerful and timely that I’m shocked they haven’t combined their forces before now.

The vehicle of advocacy for these abused and often murdered children is a intense story, starting with one driven man, Xavier “Xav” Constantine. A FBI agent working the child prostitution rings, an undercover job gone horrifically wrong sees Xav resign, following a sickening trail of lost children to North Carolina and a Deputy Sheriff’s job. Already present in the small town of Dare’s Landing is closeted Assistant District Attorney C. Evan “Chance” Fairchild, a man so haunted by his own past that its imprisoned him in his present.

Mancy and Anthony takes these two disparate, intense men and gives them a raw, gritty feel to make them vividly, fully alive. One is already willingly shouldering the yoke of advocacy for these missing, abused and most likely murdered children to the extent that nothing else really exists for him. Sex is quick and meaningless, relationships nonexistent. The other? Hiding behind his own nightmares and denials. And what huge denials they are. Because of their careful crafting of these characters, these men, instead of judging them , we really understand the fear, the anger, whatever emotion they may be feeling and the foundation from which each man is coming from, even without the full history.

Their relationship is slow to come and perhaps this really isn’t a romance novel, nor should it be considering the content and subject matter. Its definitely not the main thread here in the narrative. So if that’s the book you are looking for, a total romance, than this is probably not the novel for you. Like everything else about A Solitary Man, their strides towards each other is hard work, fraught with missed steps, miscommunications, and fear. That they are able to go forward in the end is both courageous and rewarding. That alone is reason to read this story, even if the romance isn’t the main storyline.

Its the abused children here that will tear at your heart. Just as they should. There are descriptions here that gave me nightmares and I think that the authors were most likely less graphic and monstrous than they could have been, given the actual knowledge they have of the subject matter*. That such scenes are also written with tenderness, compassion but with accuracy doesn’t lighten the emotional impact, but instead makes it all the more powerful, because you know that the children represented in the story are but a fraction of the children impacted worldwide. Here they are given names and faces and their fates make it all too real.

To get to the missing children there is a number of investigations that are full of heartbreaking clues, pulse-thumping, action-packed, white-knuckle scenes and dialog. The authors balance the mystery of combined investigations, then the suspense of a race against time for a combined rescue that was a true page turner, a thriller in the best sense of the word.

A Solitary Man is such a powerful book. An advocate for abused children, a suspense thriller, a crime novel and yes, a romance story, and the authors handled it all beautifully. Does one element come across with a little more power and precision? Perhaps, but with that emotional engine driving this story, it makes A Solitary Man by Aisling Mancy and Shira Anthony a book to remember and perhaps one of the best of the year. I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Reese Dante is perfect in tone and design for the character in the story.

*Making a Difference in the Lives of Children by Shira Anthony & Aisling Mancy

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 1st, 304 pages
Published November 6th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1623807271 (ISBN13: 9781623807276)
edition languageEnglish

Making a Difference in the Lives of Children by Shira Anthony & Aisling Mancy, Authors of A Solitary Man (guest blog, giveaway)

A Solitary Man by Aisling Mancy and Shira Anthony

Making a Difference in the Lives of Children

Thank you Melanie and Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting the A Solitary Man book tour! Aisling and I are so excited to finally see our labor of love in print. Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of the post for a chance to enter the tour giveaway!

For this, the final stop on the A Solitary Man book tour, I want to discuss the important subject matter of the book. A Solitary Man was born of many conversations that Aisling and I shared about something very near and dear to our hearts: keeping children safe. Both of us have professional connections to the struggle to prevent child abuse and neglect, and continue to be vocal advocates for children, each in our own way.

For me, that advocacy comes from a very personal place: I’m an abuse survivor. I share that fact only because it’s important to understand that chances are you know more than one survivor of child abuse. It could be a relative, a friend, a colleague, or a child in your son or daughter’s class at school. The statistics are truly frightening. The National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (NAASCA) estimates that:

· There are over 42 million survivors of sexual abuse in America.

· Somewhere between 2/3 and ninety percent of sexual abuse victims never come forward

· 293,000 children and youth are estimated to be at risk of exploitation

· 100,000 children are prostituted annually.

· 90% of those abused children are abused by someone they know, love or trust

· 20% of child sexual abuse victims are under the age of 8. Most never tell, and some don’t recall the abuse.

· One in 7 children who are regular Internet users receive sexual solicitations online.

· 800,000 children are reported missing every year in the U.S. or 2,000 every day

· An estimated 200,000 are abducted by family members; 58,000 by non family members, the primary motive for which is sexual.

Now that I have your attention, you may be asking, “What can I do about it?” The simple answer is, “More than you know.” First, get involved. Report suspected abuse or neglect to the authorities. Most states have mandatory reporting requirements and shield the reporter’s name from discovery. Don’t hesitate and don’t wait. A child’s life may depend on your speaking up.

What else can you do? Talk to your own children about abuse. As I child, I remember feeling that something was wrong with how my neighbor was treating me, but I didn’t understand and wasn’t sure what to do about it. It took me nearly a year to tell my parents about the abuse. When I did, they believed me, and that was a huge relief. As an adult and a parent, I spoke to my children about abuse. I told them to come to me if they ever felt uncomfortable about something an adult, teen, or anyone did or said to them. You, as a parent, know how much your children can understand. The point is to make it clear to them that you are not only there to listen to them at any time, but want to hear immediately if they are uncomfortable with anything. Even very young children understand that concept.

Don’t have kids? Or want to do more? Be an advocate for an abused or neglected child through your state’s CASA or GAL program. My state, North Carolina (where A Solitary Man is set), has a fabulous Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program where lay people (non-lawyers) advocate for the rights of abused and neglected children in court. It’s a great way to help kids who need someone to speak for them or help them to speak about what they need. You can find more information about programs like North Carolina’s on the CASA website.

There’s an amazing video that brings this all home. It’s not long, but it has a powerful message:

A Solitary Man is fiction, but it’s based on real life events which occur regularly all around us. In wealthy neighborhoods, in poor neighborhoods. In cities, in the more rural parts of states. The fictional children of Dare’s Landing have their champions, Xav Constantine and Chance Fairchild. It’s up to all of us to make sure that real children have theirs. Step up and make a difference in the life of a child! You’ll be so glad you did. –Shira (and Aisling)

Now at Dreamspinner Press, ARe, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

Add A Solitary Man to Your Goodreads and Booklikes Shelves

Like A Solitary Man on Facebook

Thursday, October 29th Aisling is at The Novel Approach Reviews
A Brief and Frank Discussion of A Solitary Man

Friday, October 30th Aisling is at Jo & Isa Love Books
A Few Notes Behind the Music Playlist

Wednesday, November 4th Aisling is at Bike Book Reviews
Writing Supporting Characters

Thursday , November 5th

Aisling is at Joyfully Jay Reviews
One of the Biggest Benefits of Co-Writing

Shira is at Prism Book Alliance
Entertainment With a Message

Friday, November 6th RELEASE DAY CELEBRATION!

Yarning to Write Kermit Flail with lovely Amy Lane!

Aisling is at Divine Magazine
More Notes Behind the Music Playlist
Shira is at The Novel Approach Reviews
Southernisms!

Aisling is on Dreampsinner’s Blog

As Authors and Readers, We Bring Awareness to the World

Saturday, November 7th Aisling is at Love Bytes Reviews

Sunday, November 8th

Shira is at My Fiction Nook

LIVE FACEBOOK CHAT with Shira & Aisling 2-5pm EST

Monday, November 9th Aisling is at My Fiction Nook

Tuesday, November 10th Shira is at Bike Book Reviews

Wednesday, November 11th Shira is at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

TWEET, COMMENT, AND VISIT A SOLITARY MAN’S FACEBOOK PAGE
TO BE ENTERED TO WIN A TOTE BAG,
SIGNED BOOKS FROM SHIRA & AISLING,
AND SWAG!

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A Stella Review: Flyboy’s First Misadventure (Flyboy’s Misadventures Book 1) by Havan Fellows

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Secrets? Oh yeah, Dean Wades has a doozy. When he goes up, he doesn’t necessarily come back down. Okay, that’s not true. Dean’s a master at falling, it’s the landing that could use improvement—a lot of improvement. After thirteen years of attempting to conquer this gravity defying mystery, he can no longer live with not knowing what he is anymore. So he heads cross-country to see the two people who just might be able to give him the answers he seeks…his folks.

Easygoing Gavin Trevor is always willing to help his family, even when they have ulterior motives…like forcing him to make up with his annoying older brother. When a simple task at his parent’s house puts him in a position of danger, he’ll need a lot more than luck to avoid a serious injury—he’ll need his very own superhero.

And the fates collide, well sort of. It may not be love at first sight—Gavin was unconscious in Dean’s arms for their initial introduction…but perhaps these two men can make it a relationship at first flight?

A threat against Gavin’s family throws a wrench in their plans, and while Dean gladly offers his amateur talent to help the mission, Gavin doesn’t want to put his rescuer’s life in jeopardy by risking exposure of the greatest secret ever.

This proves to be a rescue adventure for the books. Or is that a rescue misadventure?

Flyboy’s First Misadventure was a lovely read, a great addition to this new series. I found Havan’s writing easy and really great. I need to check out more by this author, because honestly this one was a winner.

Gavin is a tattoo artist apprentice, struggling to be accepted by his military family and always fighting with his brother. One day while helping his parents in some houseworks involving a ladder, he literally falls into Dean’s arms.

Dean is a cute superhero, he can fly (well not exactly fly, more like jump high in the air, flutter a little and then face-plant in the dirty ground!) and has an amazing best friend in Tia. They are on a trip to see Dean’s folks to come out of his hero closet and maybe learn more about his talent.

I saw the sparkles between my MCs from the start and it was a crescendo in the story, with a lot of funny moments, some sweet ones and an unexpected rescue mission, until I wasn’t sure anymore who was the real superhero. It’s a story that has a lot of potential and it needs a sequel or two. I’m so glad Havan has more to come. This was just the start.

If you’re looking for some light book, easy, fun and believable in its not real world, you have to give a chance to this one. I’m glad I did cause I enjoyed it a lot.

Flyboy’s First Misadventure is part of the Story Orgy Collection: Superhero. Four authors, Lee Brazil, Havan Fellows, Em Woods and Hank Edwards will show us some new heros to love. I can’t wait to read the next stories.

Cover art by Startled Monkeys Media. The cover caught my attention first, it’s colorful and funny. I soon liked it and wanted to know more about the story. Well done.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 107 pages
Published October 12th 2015 by Appleton Publishing Avenue
ASINB015WXHX9U
edition languageEnglish

Coffee Sip and Book Break for ‘Duce’ by Kai Tyler (excerpt and giveaway)

Duce ( World’s End #2) by Kai Tyler
Release Date: October 19, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Kai Tyler
Cover Artist: Love Bites and Silk

Blurb

Parties and orgies… those are the things Carlos Carmichael wants to do. It’s the only way he knows to deal with his life as the son of a notorious cartel boss. He’ll get whatever he wants by any means necessary.

Until he tangles with a man who plays by totally different rules.

Dante Orsino has been raised in the old ways of honor, loyalty and respect of the business. His role as mafia underboss is more than just a job. It also makes him an heir to one of the biggest families in the Southern Territories.

When Carlos meets Dante and plays a silly game, their weekend tryst sparks a deadly cartel war.

For Dante there’s no other life except—the life. And he wants Carlos in his. But in the New World, a gay man is a dead man. Can he find a way to keep everything he loves and stay alive?

In a new world gone mad, even the good guys are bad. Welcome to the World’s End series.

Content warning: This book contains scenes of violence and sex between men.

Excerpt

Carlos’s POV

“Your first time folding clothes.”

I’d been admiring him so much I’d forgotten everything else. His words made me look at my handiwork and my cheeks heated. How did he know it was my first time?

“I-I’m sorry if it’s not up to your standard.” I felt inadequate and silly that I couldn’t fold my own clothes well.

“You did a good job.”

“I did?” Warmth spread across my chest at his approving words.

“Yes, you did. Come here.”

I didn’t need a second invitation. I hurried to him.

Placing both hands on either side of my face, he stared at me for a minute, the expression in his eyes completely unreadable. Then he jammed his hands into my hair, tugged my head back, and lowered his lips to mine.

I melted against him. In contrast to the hardness of his body, his lips were soft. Full and soft. His tongue explored my mouth. Hungry. Seeking. Savouring. I groaned, grabbing onto his bare back and rubbing my cock against him.

He broke the kiss. Nuzzled my chin, my neck. Bristles scoured my skin. Callused hand wrapped around my dick. I gasped for air, leaked pre-cum like a tap. A thumb swiped and he spread the moisture, using it as lubricant as he jacked me.

Pages or Words: 51204 words; Paperback: 234 pages
Categories: Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Thriller

Buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | All Romance (ARe) | Smashwords

Meet the Author

Although I’m new to writing MM Romance, I’ve been a reader and lover of the genre for many years. I love writing about gangsters with heart, good men who do bad things to survive in a crazy world. Men who love as fiercely as they fight.

When I’m not helping other authors promote their works, you might find me in a coffee shop, day dreaming about how the cute couple in the corner fell in love. You can also find me online ogling images of hot men, which I do share btw. J

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaiTylerAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaitylerauthor
Google+: https://goo.gl/BruHYS
Tumbler (NSFW): https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kaitylerbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14160269.Kai_Tyler
Blog: http://www.fortheloveofmen.co.uk/
Website: http://www.kaityler.com/

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Jessie G. Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, Happily Ever Chapter, KathyMac Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Louise Lyons, MM Good Book Reviews, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Velvet Panic, Mikky’s World of Books, Charley Descoteaux

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Paypal Cash Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Zombies are Here in DC Juris’s ‘Bad Moon Rising’ (excerpt and contest)

Bad Moon Rising by DC Juris
Release Date: November 11, 2015

Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Blurb

Bryce never expected to find himself smack in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and he certainly never expected to meet the man of his dreams along the way. But there’s more than zombies in the way of his happily ever after. Richard comes with baggage, in the form of his on again, off again bipolar lover Cole, who is off his meds and descending into his own mental hell at an alarming rate. Will the three men be able to work out their romantic feelings? Oh yeah…and then there’s that little issue of the zombies…

Previously published by Breathless Press.

Excerpt

“Stay down!”

“What’s going on?” I whispered.

“Looters,” Cole revealed. “They’re going up and down the street, searching cars.”

Well, at least they wouldn’t steal it, since we had the keys, and the chances of them sticking around to do any real damage to it seemed pretty slim, too. All we had to do was wait it out, and they’d go away.

Dolly stood and paced to the door, walking back and forth in front of it like she was on guard duty.

On the street, yelling broke out, and gunshots echoed in the night.

Richard cursed.

Our visitors had apparently been discovered. Shouts of run and look out descended into just inarticulate screaming and then the unthinkable: Dolly started barking.

Cole lunged for her, but the damage had already been done. The people outside started banging on our door, pleading to be let in.

“What do we do?” I looked to Richard, who was shaking his head.

“Nothing.”

“But if we don’t let them in, they’ll be infected,” I argued. Those were people outside — we had to help them. What if the roles were reversed? What if that had been me outside?

“And if we do let them in, we’ll be infected.” He reached for one of our backpacks and started shoving things inside. “We can’t stay here. Cole, shut that damned mutt up!”

“I’m trying!” Cole struggled with Dolly, trying to get her calmed down and quiet.

Richard threw a bag at me, hitting me square in the chest and bringing me back to reality. “Pack light. We’ll be walking.”

“The car–“

“Is compromised. We’ll never get near it. Hurry up. Cole!”

Cole scrambled back to us, dragging Dolly behind him.

Outside the shouting and banging intensified. Someone must’ve gotten smart, because a brick came careening through an exposed part of the door glass near the top. It sailed through the air, barely missing Richard’s head.

“Time to go!” Richard shoved Cole toward the back door. “Bryce, help me with the boards!”

I grabbed up a discarded hammer and handed it over to him while I fished in my bag for the crowbar I’d brought. We struggled with the boards, hacking and pulling. Richard’s face turned red with his exertion, and the warmth of my own efforts spread out from my arm muscles, making my chest tight and painful.

“Hurry up, guys!” Cole shouted.

I glanced back at the front door. The newcomers — two beefy men and a scraggly haired woman — had managed to get several of the boards free and were shouting at us. Behind them, I could see the horde moving closer. The woman let out a scream and disappeared from sight. The men didn’t even look back for her — they just kept on coming.

“Bryce!” Richard had gotten enough of the boards cleared for us to get through. I jumped out after him as he pulled Cole through. We ran along the back alley, Cole carrying a still-barking Dolly.

“Shut her up! She’s going to give us away!” Richard smacked at Dolly’s muzzle as he ran.

That seemed to stifle her for a few minutes, and we made it down the alley and through two more without chase. At last Richard stopped, heaving for air, and leaned against the wall of a building. I didn’t want to stop. My nerves on fire with adrenaline and fear, I ran past him.

“Bryce!”

I ignored him. Fight or flight had kicked in. I wasn’t much to look at size-wise — I had no hope of fighting off a crowd of hungry zombies, so flight it was. I had to get away from there. Like a rat in a maze, I kept running through alleys and streets I didn’t know and couldn’t really see, until I stepped square into a hole and stumbled. I put my arms out and tried to catch myself, but only succeeded in falling on my wrist, wrenching it back against my arm. I couldn’t keep from crying out, but even the momentary pain didn’t stop me.

I surged to my feet again, but I must’ve injured my left ankle in the fall as well, because it wouldn’t support my weight and I fell back down. Undaunted, I crawled for my life. Footsteps grew nearer and nearer. They’d catch me, but I’d be damned if they’d catch me easily.

“Bryce! Stop!”

I rolled over under the power of someone else. At any other time, I probably would’ve registered that the person was Richard. But right then, I didn’t recognize him. He knew my name, kept yelling it over and over — that much I realized — but it made no difference to me. I fought him as hard as I could, and at last, he simply pinned my wrists and collapsed on top of me.

He stopped yelling, instead resorted to just whispering my name in my ear again and again in a monotonous tone that finally managed to bore into my brain and made me stop struggling.

Richard pulled back and looked down at me. “I’m getting up, okay?”

I nodded. Still feeling skittish though, I tried experimentally to wrest one of my wrists out of his grip.

“Easy,” he cooed. “You’re not in danger.”

“Not yet,” Cole chimed in from behind him.

“You’re not helping,” Richard snapped at him.

Pages or Words: 31,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Horror, M/M Romance, Romance, Thriller

Buy the book: Torquere Books

Meet the author:

Romance author, sic-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer, reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we’re talking about DC Juris. She’s a cupcake making, football watching, rubber duck collecting, drag show loving, full of fabulous with a Capital F kinda gal. She’s also an Ordained Minister and an amateur photographer. She lives in Upstate NY with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair watching “Star Trek” and “Supernatural” repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er… research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::

Where to find the author:

Blog: http://www.dcjuris.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielchristianjuris
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dcjuris
Periscope: @dcjuris
Instagram: @dcjuris

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Inked Rainbow Reads, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, BFD Book Blog, MM Good Book Reviews, Ogitchida Book Blog, Bonkers About Books, The Hat Party, V’s Reads, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Kimi-Chan, Jessie G. Books, Open Skye Book Reviews

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Bad Moon Rising’ by DC Juris. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Its Release Day for Flesh Market by Kate Lowell (excerpt and contest)

Author Name: Kate Lowell

Book Name: Flesh Market

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Blurb:

Special Agent Leo Gale is up a creek. A year and a half of deep cover is about to go up in flames. He needs help – something, someone to salvage the operation and save the lives of untold numbers of trafficked teenagers.

But he wasn’t expecting the partner they sent, or his own gut-punch of a response to the man.

Julian worked hard for that FBI Honors Internship. It was supposed to be a foot in the door. He’d never expected it to catapult him into the middle of a major undercover operation. Yet here he is, sleeping on a filthy mattress and using every trick in the book to avoid torture—and worse. He’s never felt so scared, or so alive, in his entire life, and he’s not sure if it’s the danger, or Leo, that’s making his heart race.

There’s no time to think about it, though. The operation is heating up, and Leo and Julian are running out of time and options. As choices become more difficult, they must find a way to take the traffickers down, or risk becoming just another set of organs for sale.

Pages or Words: 75,000 words (pre-edits).

Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Thriller

Excerpt:

Inside the bathroom, DeGraff peered behind the door and moved an OUT OF SERVICE FOR CLEANING sign from the back to the front.

Julian was at the sink at the far end of the room, staring into the mirror with water dripping off his face. DeGraff stepped into one of the stalls, and Leo went to wash his hands at one of the other sinks. Julian glanced up at him, then tore off some paper towel and wiped his face dry. He tossed the towel in the overflowing garbage can and slunk past Leo with all the angsty self-consciousness of a hormonal teenager.

Leo wished he had time to appreciate the performance, but he had a job to do. As Julian passed him, Leo spun and grabbed him from behind, pinning Julian’s arms to his side and covering his mouth. Julian made a startled noise, muffled by Leo’s hand, and began to thrash. He kicked Leo painfully in the shin, but by then DeGraff was out of the stall and had jabbed his syringe into Julian’s shoulder. Leo fought the young man down to the floor while DeGraff stood watch by the bathroom door. Five tense minutes later, Julian was completely spaced out, limp as a rag in Leo’s arms.

Buy the book: Amazon

Meet the author:

Kate lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. She has one horse now, who still has medical issues, and three cats, all of which still have mental issues. She still refuses to get a dog, because who knows what would be wrong with it?

Kate loves to read and write. She also likes playing with computers and is going back to school to do a programming degree, just for giggles. Or the opportunity to take over the world. (Oh, who are we kidding? Think of all the work that would mean.) She also likes pictures of pretty men and keeps many of them on her computer. (The pictures, not the men.) She would dearly love a cabana boy to mow her lawn and maybe rub her shoulders after a long day of making men fall in love with each other, then cackling evilly and raining frustration and danger on them.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008313548018

Twitter: @Kate_Lowell

Website: www.katelowell.com

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27273838-flesh-market

Publisher: Loose ID

Cover Artist: April Martinez

Tour Dates & Stops:

10-Nov: Release Day Book Blast!

Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Decadent Delights, Nephy Hart, Andrew Q. Gordon, BFD Book Blog, MM Good Book Reviews, KathyMac Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Gay Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Bonkers About Books, Charley Descoteaux, Sassygirl Books, Chris McHart, The Day Before You Came, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Moonbeams Over Atlanta, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Nautical Star Books, Alpha Book Club, Iyana Jenna

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A MelanieM Review: Under the Gun: King of Hearts Five by Havan Fellows (Pulp Friction 2015: Altered States Book 18)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In a world where supernatural creatures openly exist, who can blame them for coalescing in one of the most fascinating and erotic places on earth? Welcome to New Orleans.

A sex demon no longer interested in feeding just for the necessity of it.

Laurant is secure enough in his demonhood to admit to the few flaws he has, such as mouthing off to the wrong people and ignoring warnings from his dear old dad…but he isn’t quite ready to fess-up to his latest self-revelation. He doesn’t want to feed from any other person or supernatural but the mystery man who is no longer a mystery. Unfortunately, it seems there are other people who want Gun for themselves, and Laurant might not be strong enough to keep him.

They say you can never go home…what they didn’t mention was that trying might be the death of you…

Gun finally knows who and what he is…now he needs to find out why. He’s been commuting between New Orleans and his hometown in Maine for the past couple of months in search of answers, and all he’s found out is that half the population is afraid of him and the other half wants him dead. He longs for the simpler times in life when all he had to worry about was beating off an incubus’s advances and who had the king of hearts to complete his flush. Now he’s fighting against human police and supernatural creatures alike…and the winner takes all.

Gun needs to come to terms with who he was to figure out who he is. Laurant needs to decide if he will stand beside whichever Gun prevails.

May the real Gun please stand up.

Under the Gun by Havan Fellows gives the mysterious Gun and the irrepressible Laurant the answers they have been searching for from the moment they met in a story that’s full of surprises and just as many heart-felt moments. Book five is always the deciding story. How is it all going to shake out for our heroes? Are they going to get their HEA? And in this series who is going to feel the pain, feel the blood run?

Gun with his stolen memories and Laurant with his longing hidden behind his sexy walls are perfect for each other. But there are enemies, unknown and familiar to contend with as well as their own fears before any sort of happiness is to be had.

Havan Fellows has made us care for these two powerful and widely disparate characters, especially Laurant, I have such a wide space in my heart for Laurant, for all his age, power, and bravado, there is a courage to him and loyalty to his character that shines through every scene. Laurant glows on the page and how he would enjoy that were he real. Gun too has grown through each story until his strength is more than a match for Laurant’s power, and not just magically speaking. Intellectually as well as passionately, Laurant and Gun are perfection and nothing demonstrates that better than this story.

Under the Gun has no one fine moment, it has a multitude of them. From the heat of the bedroom (or wherever Gun and Laurant happen to be) to the sheer terror of the final showdown, Fellow’s descriptions pull us into the actions and emotions of the immediate scenes. I had no idea who had survived, or who was lost and I was heartbroken…until I turned the page. I was there so throughly invested with this couple and their relationship that the story was over before I could blink. And then because I loved it so I started over reading it again.

If you’ve been following this series, be prepared for a treat. Its sexy, its scary, and its a slam bang of a fine ride. Don’t miss out on a word of it. I highly recommend it and all of the previous stories. Grab it up today.

Love the cover. Great job.

Sales Link: All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published October 31st 2015 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139781941841372

Pulp Friction 2015

Welcome to the Pulp Friction world…though you can certainly read the King of Hearts series by itself, the other three series greatly enriches your reading enjoyment. But beware, the supernaturals in our world want to show you much more than just a good time…

About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Drawing Dead ~ Blind Stud ~ The Devil’s Bedpost ~ Diamonds and Dust

Round Two:
Dead Blind ~ Stud Player ~ Up the Ante ~ Diamond Draw

Round Three:
Dead Button ~ Blind Man’s Bluff ~ Devil’s Playground ~ Diamond Edge

Round Four:
Dead Man’s Hand ~ Blind Hearts ~ High Stakes ~ Diamond Flush

Round Five:
Dead Money ~ Under the Gun ~ Devil’s Due ~ Diamonds Down and Dirty

A Mika Review: Will & Patrick Meet the Family (Wake Up Married #2) by Leta Blake and Alice Griffiths

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Meeting the family is challenging for every new couple. But for Will and Patrick, the awkward family moments only grow more hilarious—and painful—when they must hide the truth of their predicament from the people they care about most.

Throw in the sexual tension flaring between them, uncomfortable run ins with Will’s all-too-recent ex-boyfriend, an overprotective mobster father, and a mafia spy tailing them around Healing, South Dakota, and you’ve got a recipe for madcap laughs and surprisingly heartwarming feels.

I enjoyed this installment a lot. Patrick is hilarious. I loved that both guys are opening up more. We get to see a different side to each one of them. We also got to see Will’s mom. Ha, I loved the initial meeting at the house. Of course all Patrick cared about was his stomach? This man eats a lot. I like that he cares about Will and make sure his sugar never drops. For a person who was against this from the beginning he sure is doing a good job. Patrick’s snarky comments about the residents of Healing are wonderful as well as the fact that that everywhere he went the man made a enemy out of himself.

This was a funny book. I definitely could see them growing together; they were very complimentary of each other. Outside of the whole mob situation, I like how the authors have this authenticity about Will & Patrick. Neither is perfect, they both have huge issues with their childhood. I was happy to see them open up to each other. I can’t wait for the next installment.

Cover Art by Dar Albert @ Wicked Smart Designs. I liked this cover, the horses were consistent with Will’s childhood. I really like the graphics of this series.

Sales Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 10th 2015 by Leta Blake Books
ISBN139781626227460
edition languageEnglish
seriesWake Up Married #2

Wake Up Married Series:

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A Solitary Man by Aisling Mancy and Shira Anthony

Making a Difference in the Lives of Children

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Duce ( World’s End #2) by Kai Tyler Release Date: October 19, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Kai Tyler Cover Artist: Love Bites and Silk

Giveaway

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Bad Moon Rising by DC Juris Release Date: November 11, 2015

Publisher: Torquere Press Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Giveaway

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Duce ( World’s End #2) by Kai Tyler
Release Date: October 19, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Kai Tyler
Cover Artist: Love Bites and Silk

Bad Moon Rising by DC Juris
Release Date: November 11, 2015

Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris