In Our Spotlight: Andrew Q. Gordon on his latest release, Purpose (guest post and giveaway)

Purpose by Andrew Q Gordon
Publisher: DSP Publications
Release Date: October 6th

Edition: Second (Re-written, re-edited, new cover)
Goodreads
Genre: Paranormal, Gay Fiction

We are happy to have Andrew Q. Gordon here today to talk about his latest novel, Purpose. Welcome, Andrew. Tell us a little about the inspiration behind the story and the characters.

Vengeance. Revenge. Vigilante justice. None of these are especially positive words, especially not to law enforcement officers. But think of all the anti-hero heroes; Batman, Wolverine, for those older like me, the Walking Tall movies [The Originals from the 70’s or the Rock’s remake in 2004, or Charles Bronson in the “Death Wish” movies. (for those who don’t know these, click the links). Everyone loves the bad guy who is taking down the real bad guys. It’s a very Machiavellian approach where the ends justify the means.

“Thanks. There is more than a bit of that in Purpose. William Morgan is the human host to the spirit of vengeance. He deals out ‘justice’ to those who have killed an innocent person. And while the innocent victims are avenged, Will kills a lot of people. Regardless of how we feel about the original crime, how many of us would really sanction killing the killer? Maybe a few, maybe more, but that is probably not the position most of us would take in polite company. Why? Because civilized society is built on laws that don’t allow us to take the law into our own hands. And yet…

Among the themes I’ve tried to weave into Purpose, is whether or not the law is willing to turn a blind eye to these events. Certainly Commissioner Gordon didn’t exactly object to what Batman did. Same in Death Wish. There seems to be this tendency among the top brass—at least in movies and comic books—to look the other way and secretly applaud the ‘bad guy protagonist’ for doing what law enforcement couldn’t.

I can’t say if that is truly the view of those in charge, but from my twenty plus years working with law enforcement officers I can say it is certainly an unspoken feeling among the rank and file frustrated by what they perceive as the lack of consequences. That said, I don’t think they would turn a blind eye to someone who killed another, even if it were in retaliation. I’ve never met anyone who would welcome a full on vigilante in the community.

In Purpose there are two different law enforcement characters. Detective Daniel Griffin is a homicide detective who firmly believes in upholding the law. Will is a vigilante, at times Det. Griffin calls him the devil. Dealing with Will, however, upends his world. Will offers him the chance to always get the right person. But Griffin isn’t quite able to reconcile the good with the cost. One of the journeys in the book is Griffin’s as Will forces him to question his beliefs.

The other is Agent Barrington. His worldview is clear: Will is bad and must be caught. He has no interest in dealing with the devil. Where Griffin quickly realizes he has no chance of catching Will, Barrington takes a different approach. His methods, however, demonstrate how similar he and Will are—or not.

As the three interact, decisions are made, perceptions change and motives are revealed. The cover reflects the duality of the entire situation and hopefully that is reflected in the story.

Enjoy— Andrew

Blurb

2nd Edition

Forty years ago the Spirit of Vengeance—a Purpose—took William Morgan as its host, demanding he avenge the innocent by killing the guilty. Since then Will has retreated behind Gar, a façade he uses to avoid dealing with what he’s become. Cold, impassive, and devoid of emotion, Gar goes about his life alone—until his tidy, orderly world is upended when he meets Ryan, a broken young man cast out by his family. Spurred to action for reasons he can’t understand, Gar saves Ryan from death and finds himself confronted by his humanity.

Spending time with Ryan helps Will claw out from under Gar’s shadow. He recognizes Ryan is the key to his reclaiming his humanity and facing his past. As Will struggles to control the Purpose, Ryan challenges him to rethink everything he knew about himself and the spirit that possesses him. In the process, he pushes Will to do something he hasn’t done in decades: care.

1st Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, June 2013.

Buy Links: DSP Publications |Amazon | Omnilit | Barnes & Noble

Video Trailer:

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Giveaway

Click on the Rafflecopter Link or Enter on the RC below for a chance to win one of the following. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and tour organizer.

First Prize: $25 Giftcard to Dreamspinner Press
Second Prize: Autographed Paperback copy of Purpose

The tour organizer will select a winner from entries received as of close of business 21 October. Be sure to leave a thoughtful comment on each stop on the tour for additional chances to win.

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General Excerpt

He turned where he saw the others disappear and understood why they had stopped: dead-end alley. Ryan stood with his back to the brick wall, wide-eyed and pale. Gar noted the uncontrollable shake in Ryan’s body as the four jackals slowly inched closer. White knuckles surrounded the small bag he’d carried off the train.

The one closest to Ryan inched closer. “You know what time it is.”

“Police!” Gar didn’t wait for them to react to his command. He tightened his leg muscles and moved the moment everyone turned toward the front of the alley. Using the split second before they could focus on him, he leaped over them, twisting in the process.

The space between them and Ryan wasn’t much, but he managed to avoid contact with the kid, landing a foot to the left. He reached into his coat and removed a collapsible metal baton with his right hand and a pair of brass knuckles with the left.

One step right, and he completely covered Ryan’s shaking form. Not risking a glance back, he kept his eyes on the startled thieves in front of him.

“Stay behind me, Ryan.”

A muffled grunt, barely audible, told Gar the kid heard him. He dropped the police officer illusion, staring calmly at his prey. Assessing his adversaries, he ignored the hint of a thought that said they were not the guilty. Too late for that—they would have been had he not stopped them.

“I know what time it is,” he hissed, tossing the slang for street robberies back in their face. “Time for vengeance to collect its fee.”

In the recent past, Gar had taken to finding a way to take out the guilty without doing it himself. This time he couldn’t risk it; Ryan was too close. One of them had a gun. He could smell it now.

He definitely didn’t have time to make it look like an accident.

Spinning on his left foot, he kicked the kid with the gun so hard his skullcap flew off when his head hit the wall. Allowing his movement to carry him around, he brought the metal baton down on the arm of a robber with a knife. Metal on flesh and bone was no contest. Gar saw Ryan flinch when the kid let out a scream of agony and fell to the ground.

At least he would live, Gar noted. The first kid was probably dead already. The other two were rooted in place, stunned into inaction. Two seconds ago, they were about to rob a defenseless kid. Now they were being taken apart. Before they could run away, Gar lashed out.

Using the palm of his left hand, he struck the one closest to him. Even using the inner part of his hand, he heard the brass knuckles crack the kid’s sternum when he connected. The last kid finally moved and made it three steps before Gar swept his feet out from under him with the baton.

The face looking up in terror was that of a kid, a juvenile. They were all kids. Reaching toward the teen’s head, he heard movement behind him.

“Gar.” Ryan’s timid, urgent tone caused him to turn. “Don’t kill him.”

“I won’t.” His voice was a cold hiss. Instead, he touched the sweaty forehead, inserting confused thoughts. He quickly repeated the process with the others. The first kid still lived, but probably not for long. The other two, he left sobbing out their pain.

“Come on.” He grabbed Ryan’s left arm. “We need to go.”

Ryan resisted the pull, but Gar was prepared for this. “Either you come with me or I leave you to explain this.”

Author Bio

Andrew Q. Gordon wrote his first story back when yellow legal pads, ball point pens were common and a Smith Corona correctable typewriter was considered high tech. Adapting to the times, he now writes with a shiny new MacBook that he sets on the same desk as his manual typewriter and vintage adding machine.

Long a fan of super heroes, wizards and sports, Andrew’s works include high fantasy, paranormal spirits, magic as well as contemporary fiction. He is still trying to find the perfect story that will include all his favorites under one cover.

He currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his husband, their young daughter and dog. In addition to dodging some very self-important D.C. ‘insiders’, Andrew uses his commute to catch up on his reading. When not working or writing, he enjoys soccer, high fantasy, baseball and occasionally sleeping.

THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE: “http://andrewqgordon.com/”
FACEBOOK: “https://www.facebook.com/dominic.andrews.7568”

Tour Schedule

6 Oct – Elin Gregory
6 Oct – Jessie G Books
7 Oct – Divine Magazine
8 Oct – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
9 Oct – Hearts on Fire Reviews
9 Oct – MM Good Book Reviews
10 Oct – Author Susan Mac Nicol
10 Oct – Wake Up Your Wild Side
11 Oct – The Purple Rose Tea House
12 Oct – Love Bytes Reviews
12 Oct – Queer SciFi
13 Oct – World of Diversity Fiction
14 Oct – Prism Book Alliance
15 Oct – Diverse Reader
16 Oct – Loving Without Limits
17 Oct – Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
18 Oct – BFD Book Blog
18 Oct – Wicked Faeries Tales and Reviews
19 Oct – Molly Lolly
20 Oct – Drops of Ink

A Paul B Review: Shades of Power (Arcane Magic #1) by Beany Sparks

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Ethan White is a rarity. He’s a male witch. He hides his abilities from the world by working in the apothecary that he owns. When his sister shows up asking for a love potion, Ethan puts his guards up. Even his familiar, a black cat named Beema, does not trust Destiny. Two weeks later, both get a premonition that something terrible is going to happen and escape through a magic tunnel underneath Ethan’s shop just before it blows up. Knowing his sister has something to do with the attack, he makes his way to the land of faeries to take shelter.

Grayson is the alpha of a three-man wolf shifter pack. He brings his pack to the land of faeries because of a prophecy stating that they are the key to bringing down those that are using black magic. When he consults with the queen as to what she might know about the prophecy, a guard comes in carrying a young man who has passed out. Grayson goes to the young man and proclaims that he is his mate. The Queen proclaims that the fae are now involved, as the young man Ethan, is her nephew.

As Ethan and Grayson along with Grayson’s betas Adam and Russell try to figure out the mystery of the prophecy, members of the Dark Coven are mounting an attack on the fae palace in hopes of fulfilling the prophecy themselves. Several spies are sent by Raven Darkh to kill Ethan, as she believes he is most likely the other person capable to complete the task of creating the Shades of Power. The five members of Grayson’s pack (as Ethan and Beema are now part of it) must defend the fae palace against the forces of dark magic threatening to take it over.

This is an excellent start to a new series by Beany Sparks. She has combined shifters and magic and added a touch of palace intrigue to spice things up. I felt for Ethan. First his sister seems intent on doing him harm. Then as he begins to unravel the mystery of prophecy, he learns all is not as it seems in the fae palace. The only thing holding him together is his familiar Beema, his mate Grayson and the two betas of Grayson’s pack. One does have to watch out for Beema. The cat is not all what he seems. Ms. Sparks perfectly sets up the next book in the series with the ending of this one. It seems that the problems with Ethan’s sister was just the opening salvo against him.

The cover art by the author is simply stunning. It shows our blond hair, blue-eyed Ethan staring out with Grayson’s wolf watching out behind him. In the background a winter castle that I am sure will be featured in future books in the series.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 117 pages
Published September 21st 2015 by Rainbow Ninja Press
edition languageEnglish
seriesArcane Magic #1

A Stella Review: BASE INSTINCTS by Larissa Ione

Rating: 2. 5 stars out of 5

As a Seminus demon, Raze’s life literally depends on having sex with females. The problem is that he doesn’t desire females, and it’s physically impossible for him to be with males. Thankfully, he and his best friend, Fayle, have an arrangement that keeps him alive . . . if lonely. He finds some solace in his work as a medic at Thirst, a vampire club known for its rough clientele. But his carefully structured world turns upside down when he meets a mysterious male who makes him want what he can never have.  Slake is an assassin used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Raze. But he also wants to earn back the soul he sold when he was a much different demon. All he has to do is capture a runaway succubus named Fayle and hand her over to her family. What he doesn’t count on is being caught himself by a web of lies—and his attraction to Raze.  Raze and Slake must navigate a dangerous world to be together. But as Fayle’s jealousy of their relationship turns deadly, they find themselves embroiled in a battle not only for their love, but their lives and souls.

I have no idea how many times I started Base Instincts by Larissa Ione. Probably three or four. It simply was a disappointment to me. Maybe it was my fault cause I haven’t read the Demonica series first, but I heard so many good things about the author that I was super curious about this new m/m installment. I could appreciate the world building, the plot or the characters but my problem was that all of these fell short and was so freaking boring it was unbearable.

I forced myself to go on the reading hoping it will become better, engaging or at least likeable but nothing. I’m really sorry cause I had a lot of expectations for this story. Moreover I could feel no chemistry between MCs, apart from the sex scenes there was nothing else between them. The relationship wasn’t well developed, on the contrary, the way the author decided to solve Slake’s problem (his need to have sex only with females) was too simple and a little ridiculous to me, the easier way instead on working on something else, something stronger. No I didn’t like it at all.

At the end it was your average paranormal story, but I’ve read better books I rated three stars, so I couldn’t give Base Instincts more than 2,5. To me, a strictly m/m reader, this book was a failed attempt made by the author to gain a different market from her usual and at the same time she made a couple of choices in the plot just so she could please her m/f fans. I honestly don’t feel like to recommend it but if you’re a fan of the Demonica series maybe you should try it.

The cover art by Jay Aheer is the only well done thing of the book, no suprise cause I’m seeing a lot of Jay’s works later and I’m liking them more and more.

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

BOOK DETAILS
ebook, 150 pages
Published September 12th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
IBSN 1626493081
Edition Language English

Kate Pearce’s Tribute Series Returns with the Retribution Release Tour and Contest

Retribution (Tribute, #2) by Kate Pearce
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Buy it here at Riptide Publishing

Blurb

Cheated out of his exit from the Tribute program, Kai Mexr is forced to return as a trainer for one more year. His trainee, Aled Price, is an idealistic Mitan patriot who Kai struggles not to loathe on sight, and who seems up for any challenge Kai sets him. As Aled learns to give up control and endure the program’s worst, Kai is drawn into an intense sexual game that leaves him wanting more.

But then Aled must fulfill his duty as Tribute. He must endure the Ungrich—or die.

When Aled returns, it takes Kai’s ruthless presence to pull his trainee back from the brink of madness. Surviving the Ungrich makes Aled doubt his blind allegiance to his planet—and to everything else he’d never thought to question. But with Kai at his side, Aled finds a new cause to believe in. And with the help of master trainer Akran and his partner Anna Lee, Aled and Kai forge unbreakable allegiances of blood, sex, and love that could save the entire planet from the Ungrich for good.

About The Author

About Kate Pearce

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born into a large family of girls in England, and spent much of her childhood living very happily in a dream world. Despite being told that she really needed to “get with the program,” she graduated from the University College of Wales with an honors degree in history. A move to the USA finally allowed her to fulfill her dreams and sit down and write her first romance novel. Along with being a voracious reader, Kate loves walking on the beach and climbing live volcanoes in her new home in Hawaii.

Kate is a member of RWA and is published by Kensington Aphrodisia, Cleis Press, Carina Press, and Virgin Black Lace/Cheek.

Connect with Kate:

Website: “http://www.katepearce.com/”
Newsletter: “http://bit.ly/1ASL0nK“
Blog: “http://www.katepearce.com/blog/”
Twitter: “https://twitter.com/kate4queen“
Facebook: “https://www.facebook.com/kate.pearce.792?v=wall“
Pintrest: “http://pinterest.com/kate4queen“

Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card! Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 10. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to leave your email or a way to contact you if you win! Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Tribute Series

Few of the people on Planet Mitan know that their future rests on very precarious foundations. A terrifying species holds the Mitans in thrall, and only a yearly tribute—part conscripts, part volunteers—secures the fragile peace with the sinister Ungrich. Nobody knows exactly what the alien creatures want with the Mitans, but the Mitan military and the few survivors of the underground ordeal have developed a training program. It’s brutal, even horrific, but effective.

Commander Rehz Akran is determined that his trainees, willing or otherwise, will learn everything necessary to survive as Tributes. If he can’t force them through training, no one can, and he’s prepared to use every filthy, dirty trick in his arsenal to secure complete obedience . . . and the survival of his species.

– See more at Riptide Publishing’s Tribute page

Its Menage a Five Time with Take Your Pick by Missy Welsh (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

Take Your Pick by Missy Welsh
Release Date: October 9, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Missy Welsh
Cover Artist: Thorny Sterling

Buy the book: Amazon | All Romance eBooks

Today, I’m very lucky to be interviewing Missy Welsh author of Take Your Pick.

Hi, Missy. Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hello! Thanks so much for hosting me today. I’m not too complicated, addicted to carbs, and I need an app on my phone to yell at me so I work through my to-do list. Sometimes I’m pink and frilly, but mostly I’m denim and bare feet. I’ve worked in membership management, IT, customer service, and marketing, but it’s writing fiction that I truly love.

Take Your Pick is about Peter Kim and his 5 housemates exploring their sexualities in the name of ultimate friendship. See, Pete’s in love with all of them and it’s become a secret he can’t contain any longer. After he’s found out, he’s both thrilled and wary about his housemates’ decision to spend a day with him doing whatever he wants, including sex. Pete’s going to learn a lot about each of them as well as himself by the end of this story.

1) What’s the best line you ever wrote?

By Missy Welsh. Honestly, that’s just about the best thing any writer can write, regardless of what we’re writing. It’s a moment of pride and accomplishment. I did this! Best line ever.

2) Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what kind?

Yes, but not always. If I really need to concentrate, most often I’ll listen to a white noise machine or a fan; just so it’s not silent. Other times, I’ll listen to the Top 40 type of music. When I’m going through edits, I’ll often listen to classical music, either orchestral or piano.

3) If your book were made into a movie, what actors would you like to see star?

Well, Take Your Pick would be straight to video and available by subscription only, so I’m going to need a Korean twink, two young Italian studs, a blond with a big grin, a stern-looking dude, and a brunet with awesome muscle definition. I’m afraid I’m not so familiar with porn actors’ names as I am with their…faces. Feel free to cast in the comments!

4) What genres do you write in?

I consider M/M Romance the genre, with sci-fi, paranormal, and contemporary being the subgenres I write in. I’d like to get more into suspense and possibly fantasy in the future.

5) Where and when do you prefer to write?

I’ve discovered that I write best in the morning. Even if it’s just for a few minutes or an hour, my mind’s wide open in the early hours. Sometimes even before the sun comes up! (And I am not a morning person in any other way.) I work on my laptop, but only occasionally do I sit in a chair to write; I’m usually at my little desk in my bedroom.

Thanks for having me here today!

Blurb

Peter Kim has been in love with his five best friends since junior high. Now attending college, they share a house, but none of them know how Pete really feels.

Until the five of them come home early to find Pete masturbating while watching a video of them all on vacation near a river last summer.

Devastated and embarrassed, Pete is sure they’ll kick him out come morning. Accepting him as the only gay one among them is one thing, but knowing he lusts after them? All of them? They couldn’t possibly accept that.
But when Pete wakes up the next morning, he’s shocked to discover his housemates have a proposition for him. He’ll choose one of them each day, and they promise to do whatever he wants—including sex—for a full twelve hours.

And, yeah, they’re serious.

Pages or Words: 20,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, New Adult

Excerpt

I watched them pile into the behemoth Devon’s mom had loaned for tonight’s trip up to Cleveland. They all looked good in their club clothes. Nothing flashy or too tight, but I’d spread some fashion sense around and they’d believed me every time. Not a single girl would be able to resist my boys.
Of course, there would be plenty of boys who’d be unable to resist them either.
Just like me.

I waved as they drove off, equal parts relieved and lonely. I didn’t want to let them go without me, but I had been wound way too tight lately. I had on one other piece of clothing—the tightest pair of briefs I owned—just to help mask the boner I kept springing every time I’d been near them for the past three days.
Something had to give, and it was going to happen in a gush of orgasmic heat all over my fist.

About The Author

Meet Missy Welsh:
Missy Welsh stares into space a lot, has conversations with cats, takes notes while people-watching, records conversations (not the ones with cats), named her laptop Norbert and her phone Pushkin, has backups of her backups’ backups, faints at the sight of a misused semi-colon, and will often ask socially unacceptable questions of strangers.
Basically, she’s a writer.

Where to find Missy Welsh:
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/175mi7V
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1EiCGVk
Missy Welsh Book News (email list), http://bit.ly/1coHgOY
All Romance eBooks Author Page, http://bit.ly/1VanTjS
Amazon Author Page, http://amzn.to/P6ilxR

 Tour Dates & Stops:

5-Oct The Jena Wade: http://www.thejenawade.com/blog/book-blast-take-your-pick-missy-welch

Hearts on Fire: http://heartsonfirereviews.com/missy-welsh-take-your-pick-interview-excerpt-and-giveaway/

BFD Book Blog: http://bfdbookblog.net/2015/10/blog-tour-stop-including-excerpt-author-interview-giveaway-take-your-pick-by-missy-welsh/

Rainbow Gold Reviews: https://rainbowgoldreviews.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/take-your-pick-by-missy-welsh-lgbt-blogtour-giveaway/

6-Oct Tara Lain, Divine Magazine, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

7-Oct Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Ogitchida Book Blog,

Bayou Book Junkie

8-Oct Because Two Men Are Better Than One, MM Good Book Reviews, Prism Book Alliance

9-Oct Kimi-Chan, My Fiction Nook, Love Bytes, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: One of three copies of ‘Take Your Pick’ by Missy Welsh. 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 Paranormal Spotlight on Valerie Brundage ‘Another Creature’ (excerpt and giveaway)

Another Creature by Valerie Brundage
Release Date: October 7, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

Buy the book: Torquere Books

Blurb

Whispers in the dark and soft, wet touches in Luanne’s dreams suggest she is not as alone in her seaside cottage as she’d thought.

Who will win the key to Luanne’s broken heart: her on-again, off-again lover, Karen, or the tentacled creature haunting her dreams?

Pages or Words: 10,400 words
Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Lesbian Romance, Paranormal

Excerpt (NSFW)

Instantly Karen suspected something was amiss. The heat and the beads of sweat around Luanne’s cheeks, the wet on her neck below her ears. All betrayed Luanne’s discomfiture.

Karen walked around. Looked around.

“Can I…?” She headed towards the kitchen. Luanne heard her stir the coffee, clink a cup on the counter.

“Coffee?” Sugar spoon. Fridge door. Luanne leaned over and glanced at Karen in time to see her finish pouring milk. Return to the fridge, clink, clink.

Every sound had texture. Luanne looked around, could not see.

A wisp, a black shadow. The trail of a memory like a dream receding even as she tried to grab onto it, make it tangible.

Karen returned to the room, her hand empty. Luanne felt drunk. She thought of asking, “Where’s your drink?” but decided the words would come out slurred and Karen would know, so she said nothing.

Must be over 18 to continue reading–click here

Meet the Author

Valerie began writing three months after her divorce, realizing two surprising dreams within a few months. It was more than her imagination that was being held back, and she’s enjoying writing about those dark sexy urges as much as acting on them. She’s currently working on a book based loosely on her promiscuous years before she got married.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: @valeriedreaming
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10909501
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/valeriebrundage

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, My Fiction Nook, Charley Descoteaux, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Inked Rainbow Reads, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Velvet Panic, Havan Fellows, Nephy Hart

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Another Creature’ by Valerie Brundage. 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 Free Dreamer Review: Strength To Let Go (Tales of the Werewolf Tribes #1) by Alina Popescu

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

After being abandoned by his mates, Shiki Kirishima, beta of the Dragons of the Fang werewolf tribe, returns to his home in Tokyo.

Crippled by grief, Shiki decides to end it all by going into the territory of the Siberian Killers tribe and challenging them to a battle to the death.

His death.

Ganzorig, beta of the Siberian Killers, however, sees the potentially disastrous consequences of having Shiki die in battle.

Instead, he saves him.

Having suffered loss himself, Ganz takes it upon himself to help Shiki deal with his pain.

Blake, Shiki’s best friend since childhood, is as determined to show him there is life after a wolf’s ultimate loss.

Could there also be something ‘more’ for them after friendship? I was looking forward to this so very much. Shifters in Tokyo? Abandoned by his mates? That sounded like it could be truly amazing. Sadly, it truly wasn’t.

I had a lot of issues with this book. First of all: Shiki. I did not like him the least bit. He was whiny, annoying and stupid. Yes, he was dumped by his mates, which simply doesn’t happen in werewolf culture. Yes, I know that hurts. But he has two toddlers that need looking after. And what does Shiki do? Well, the sensible thing of course. NOT. Instead of taking care of his children and slowly patching up his life, he leaves his children in the care of his brother and his mates and goes off to kill himself.

Of course since he’s Japanese, he can’t just hang himself or something equally simple. No, he’s determined to go down like a true samurai. Never mind that it’s the 21st century. He’s still determined to kill innocent werewolves who never hurt him, only to make his death “honourable”. But then Ganz swoops in to save the day. Of course he’s not angry at Shiki for killing men from his tribe. Instead, he takes it upon himself to make sure Shiki stays alive. So of course Shiki is pissed. But it’s okay, they become best friends and fuck buddies after a while. Because while Shiki is apparently still crushed and suicidal, his libido works perfectly fine.

Oh yeah, and then the best friend shows up. Shiki’s been hiding from the world for two months and keeps hiding with said best friend for several more months. All this time, he doesn’t once call his children. Or talk about them. Or somehow maybe miss them. No, he’s busy throwing himself a pity party and generally making an ass of himself.

Then there was the non-existent world building. We learn that there are several werewolf tribes all over the world. There’s Fae too, and they have their own world. And of course we have humans as well. I still don’t know if humans know about those supernatural beings or not, whether the werewolves suppress the humans or vice versa, and I’m still wondering if there are other beings as well. If you can’t be bothered to do any world building, then don’t write fantasy! And it’s no excuse that this is a romance novel, first and foremost. I need at least some very basic world building to be able to enjoy a fantasy setting. And the author didn’t do any of that. . It was maddening.

One of the reasons why I wanted to read this book so badly was the setting. I love reading about Japan. But the setting was utterly generic. It was mentioned that it’s set in Tokyo, but it didn’t feel like it. It might as well have been set in an unnamed city in America. Aside from his ridiculous notions about an honourable suicide, Shiki wasn’t very Japanese either. He constantly makes reference along the lines of “feeling like a stuffed Thanksgiving turkey”. Celebrating Thanksgiving with a turkey is such a very North-American thing, it was very jarring to hear it from a Japanese. And it’s not like Shiki grew up in the USA either.

The plot was sadly lacking as well. Nothing much happens, other than Shiki whining and Shiki fucking. There are no details, no explanations, for anything. We never learn why Shiki’s mates left him and their children. We never learn who killed Shiki’s parents. We never learn why Blake was sent to Japan to learn how to fight. We never learn where Shiki grew up and why he was separated from his siblings.

The sex scenes were nice enough the first few times. Then they got kind of boring and repetitive and finally they became annoying. The sex was never hot. Actually, it sounded rather painful. With descriptions like “my now reddened and sensitive head”, it sounded like Shiki should have that looked at by a doctor. All those swollen, red, sensitive cocks eventually made me roll my eyes.

And let’s not even talk about how Shiki kept coming up with ridiculous pet names like “Blakey” and how everybody loved him and forgave him and pitied him.

To sum it up, I really didn’t like this book. I hated Shiki, the setting was generic, there was no world building and the sex was badly written. Add to that a few too many typos and you have yourself one very annoyed and disappointed reader. Not going to continue this series and will stay far, far away from this author in the future.

Cover art by Jay’s Covers by Design. The cover is very pretty. It shows Shiki forlornly staring off into nothingness. The colours match beautifully and the Japanese character looks great too.

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

Book Details:

eBook,Published June 24th 2015 by Wayward Ink Publishing

original title Strength To Let Go

ASIN B010EJQU8C

edition language English

series Tales of the Werewolf Tribes #1

A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Pura Vida by Sara Alva ~ Audiobook narrated by Joseph Northton

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Simon arrives in Costa Rica to spend the summer with his family as his parents seal the deal on a real estate deal while taking the time to enjoy their family. Simon is free to hook up since his college boyfriend has asked for an open relationship so that each can go their own way for the summer. In other words, he isn’t interested in making a commitment to Simon, and Simon is pretty disgusted just thinking about what that lack of commitment means.

He runs into a young man named Juan late one night while walking on the beach. Actually, he literally runs headfirst into a sea turtle making her way to shore to lay her eggs and scares her off. This, in turn, brings Juan out of his cover to berate Simon for being so clumsy and stupid and careless of the nature on the island. Intrigued, Simon learns more about both Juan and the sea turtles, and when the tension between the two heats up, they decide to slake their sexual appetites with each other.

Though Simon and Juan get close over their weeks together, Simon knows that he’s destined to leave and go back to school, and he doesn’t see how he and Juan can create something long term. The plight of the sea turtles and the intrigue surrounding Juan as they fight to keep the eggs from being stolen by poachers bring the two young men even closer. But when Simon’s parents decide to leave the area before their originally planned departure, Simon has to face the fact that he and Juan may never see each other again.

This was a sweet, young adult M/M romance. It was fairly short and not overly detailed, but considering its length, the author managed to convey two very interesting characters and work in the plight of an endangered species. Adding an epilogue at the end to bring readers up-to-date on the status of both young men the next year was just the perfect icing on the cake. Narrator Joseph Northton was good, with clear pronunciation, and good vocalizations for both characters.

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet young adult romance that would be perfect for an afternoon on the beach or in front of a cozy winter fire.

~~~
Cover art is a split screen with a photo of young man swimming or lying in the sand in the upper panel and a sea turtle in the sand in the lower frame, with the title of the story across the center. The artwork is a faded out gray-and-white and looks somewhat like a faded old photo. Though it does symbolize the story, I found the coloring unappealing.

No Sales Links – free here at the Goodreads M/M Romance Don’t Read in the Closet Event

Book Details:

ebook, 92 pages
Published July 25th 2013 by M/M Romance Group @ goodreads
edition languageEnglish
seriesDon’t Read in the Closet Events settingCosta Rica

Coffee Sip and Book Break with Roping Him In (Reining Him In #2) by Jena Wade

Roping Him In (Reining Him In #2) by Jena Wade
Release Date: September 29, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: Mina Carter

Buy the book: Loose ID | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Kobo

Blurb

Lucas and Jason have been roping partners for five years and this year, together, they are going to win it all. Nothing is going to stop them. Their attraction to each other and fear of being outed keeps them from pursing their dreams.

One night of passion puts a road block in Jason’s plans to win the title. A title he desperately needed.

Lucas never dreamed Jason would still want to ride with him after their night together. They could compete together, but rules needed to be set to protect his heart. Then again, rules were meant to be broken.

Excerpt

LUCAS STOOD COMPLETELY still, intent on making good on his challenge. With every fiber of his being, he wanted to run and hide from what he’d said. After five years of thinking about kissing Jason, it was hard to believe he’d said it out loud.

Arousal flared in Jason’s eyes, and Lucas heart rate sped up. Holy shit. This is actually going to happen.

He parted his lips in anticipation.

Moving faster than a stubborn calf from a lasso, Jason wrapped his arms around Lucas’s shoulders and pulled him close. “You asked for it.”

Damn right he had. He’d wanted to ask for years.

Jason’s lips descended on his. The world stood still. Fireworks flashed behind Lucas’s eyes. It was just like in his dreams. Only better.

For a moment, Lucas lost himself in the kiss. He delved nto Jason’s warm, welcoming mouth and moaned. Nothing in the world should taste this good. Jason was pure ambrosia. Desire like he’d never known before, or even thought possible, fired within him.

With each passing second the kiss got deeper and faster. Lucas pulled at Jason’s shirt, intent on touching the bare skin underneath. Jason didn’t resist, which only spurred Lucas forward.

He ground his hips against Jason’s and shoved the two of them against his truck.

Jason pushed at his shoulders, and Lucas whimpered as the kiss broke.

“Holy shit. That was amazing. Better than I expected.” Jason reached down and adjusted himself through his jeans.

Lucas nearly groaned. He wanted to touch Jason’s hard cock.

“I think we ought to take this back to the hotel,” Jason said.

Blood rushed to Lucas’s cock. Was this for real? Was Jason serious? Or was he teasing him? Jason had never been the most serious person, but he wasn’t cruel.

The look in Jason’s eyes said yes, he was very serious.

Pages or Words: 29,000 words
Categories: Bisexual, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Western/Cowboy

About the Author

Jena lives in Michigan with her husband, two dogs, and one brand new baby boy. By day she works as a web developer and at night she writes. She was born and raised on a farm and spends most of her free time outdoors, playing in the garden or tending to her landscaping.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejenawade
Blog: www.thejenawade.com/blog/

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Rainbow Gold Reviews, My Fiction Nook, MM Good Book Reviews, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Bayou Book Junkie, Divine Magazine, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Havan Fellows, BFD Book Blog, Inked Rainbow Reads, Happily Ever Chapter, Jessie G. Books, Reviews by Jessewave, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Three Books Over The Rainbow, QUEERcentric Books, Dawn’s Reading Nook

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Roping Him In. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Prize and links provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Its Face Off Time! Check in Here for Lexi Ander’s Special Guest Post for Sumeria’s Sons#5 (guest post, special excerpt and contest)

Dragon’s Eye (Sumeria’s Sons #5) by Lexi Ander
Release Date: October 7, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: LT3 Press
Cover Artist: London Burden

Buy the book: Less Than Three Press

Face-off: Marduk verses Ashur

I’m not a fan of Marduk. In the Sumeria’s Sons, he has been set up to be one of the villains because he is the one who holds the lock to the chains shackling the children of Tiamat. To me, Marduk is like a strutting peacock full of his own importance. He doesn’t go out and perform his own heroic deeds but steals them from both Enlil and Enki. As one of the lesser gods, Marduk’s background is pretty sketchy (non-existent) until he’s proclaimed the patron god of Babylon. The creation myth, Enuma Elish, which includes the battle against Tiamat (or as it’s called in Sumeria’s Sons, the Igigi War) was written to tell the story of Marduk’s heroic deeds, propaganda for the era and ruling civilization. The text was modified from an older epic replacing Enlil with Marduk as slayer of Tiamat.

Through the subjugation of the Tiamat’s children, Marduk used magic to transform them into protective charms used at the doorways to palaces, temples, and sometimes bedrooms. The only real threat to Marduk in his reigning era was the Assyrian god Assur (Ashur). As the supreme deity of Assyria, his popularity threatened Babylon and Marduk. Responding to that popularity, during the reign of Hammurabi (the king best known for the Hammurabi Code, the earliest surviving codes of law in recorded history) Marduk was elevated to the level of supreme god. He even took on Tiamat’s symbol of the snake-dragon.

Historically, the God Assur’s origin was much like that of Marduk, rising from obscurity. First becoming the equivalent of Sumeria’s Enlil and absorbing both Enlil’s consort and children. Then later after Assyria conquered Babylon, Assur became associated with Anshar, Sumeria’s sky god. Anshar’s name literally means “whole heaven” elevating Assur to the head of the Babylon pantheon. As such, Assur took the place of Marduk in the creation myth, slaying Tiamat and becoming king of the gods.

The author in me loved the competition between Marduk and Assur, but I also nitpicked what I wanted for the god’s history for Sumeria’s Sons. Anshar is and elder god called the skypivot, the God of the Horizon of Heaven and balanced by his consort Kishar the earthpivot, Goddess of the Horizon of the Earth. Together they make up the celestial poles and that balance coincides with the Twin Flames theme of Sumeria’s Sons. I used that animosity between them in the plot that further drew that line between good guy/bad guy between him and Marduk.

There is also a something else that I used after coming to understand the competition between the two cultures. These two gods derived their power from their worshippers. The more popular and widespread the god, the more powerful they became and I made that a physical manifestation in the series. I coupled that with the Marduk’s prophecy. Oh yes, he had his own prophecy stating that one day he would return and bring salvation to Babylon and wreak a terrible revenge. He-he. How could I leave that alone?

A huge thank you for allowing me to be a guest on the blog today! Throughout the blog tour for Dragon’s Eye, I hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look at the gods and mythos, and how they play a part in Sumeria’s Sons. For a visual representation, please visit my Pinterest page. (https://www.pinterest.com/lexiander1/sumeria-sons-inspirations/) During the tour I discuss the Sumerian pantheon, about who and what the Gods/Goddess are, and how I use them. Make sure you stop by the other blogs to get a complete look at the Gods and Goddess the Lycan’s follow.

Also, Less Than Three Press is running a special sale on Sumeria’s Sons from September 23^rd through October 7^th (dates inclusive).

Twin Flames is $0.99.

Amazon () LT3 Press ()

25% off Songs of the Earth

Amazon () LT3 Press ()

25% off Dreams of the Forgotten

Amazon | LT3 Press

25% off Surrounded by Crimson

Amazon |LT3 Press

Thank you for stopping by and reading!

Blurb

In the wake of birth and betrayal, Ushna takes the God Ashur to Tristan in a last desperate bid to save Tristan’s life—and is helpless to do anything but watch as Ashur instead buries him in a grave. Though he has no desire to go on living, having now lost Brian and Tristan, Ushna has no choice. Not only do their children need him, the mysterious Simurgh has come out of hiding and forces him to continue on—for there is much to do and little time to do it, especially with treachery and danger closing in on them from every side.

Pages or Words: 98,000 words
Categories: Fantasy, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Exclusive Excerpt #9

Prowling through the trees, I dared not use the new path that had been created with all the recent foot traffic. Sticking to the deepest shadows until the storage shed came into view, I crouched down, waiting and watching. Occasionally I scented the wind to make sure no one was around before I moved from the gloom. The darker patch of soil called to me. After so long, the dirt no longer appeared freshly turned and the fall leaves blanketed the area, partially hiding the spot where Ashur had placed Tristan. Even if snow covered the ground, I’d know the exact spot.

Dropping the bag to the side, I moved around the outer edge. Here the scent of magic was so sharp I sneezed several times. Ashur’s energy still lingered, faint with the passing of time, but that wasn’t what caught my attention. There was the trace of another’s power, heavy and bitter, and the scent clung to the back of my tongue. The soil hadn’t been physically disturbed but the magic permeated the ground.

Panic clawed at me. Why was someone casting spells over Tristan—unless, like me, they knew he was merely resting? I began to dig, the softened soil flying behind me as I envisioned discovering a dozen terrible things.

The embroidered hem of the red tunic Tristan had worn that day was revealed. After I changed back to my human form, I hastily put on my clothes. I hadn’t worn shoes or socks when I slipped away from Nathan’s and now the frosty ground quickly chilled my feet, but I didn’t care. Climbing down into the hole, I gingerly brushed the dirt away from material until I came to the edge where Tristan’s body should’ve been.

I didn’t understand; where was Tristan?

About The Author

Meet Lexi Ander
Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.

Where to find Lexi Ander:

Web site: http://www.lexiander.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1
Blog: http://lexiander.blogspot.com/
E-mail: lexi.ander.author@gmail.com

Contest

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize:
• Prize offered: Prize offered: $20 Amazon Gift card, $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Dragon’s Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
• $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Dragon’s Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
• hard copy of Dragon’s Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
• e-book copy of Dragon’s Eye
• e-book copy of Dragon’s Eye

Must be 18 years of age or older. Link and prizes provided by the author, and Pride Promotions.

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