A Stella Review: Drive Your Truck by Julia Talbot

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Home on compassionate leave for his brother’s funeral, Navy SEAL Garrison Matthews needs to blow off a lot of stress and grief before he returns to active duty. In honor of his brother, he takes Bettie, the brothers’ souped-up vintage truck, out for a spin. A bit of an adrenaline junkie, Garrison has no problem finding trouble. This time trouble’s named Walt, and he happens to be Garrison’s sister-in-law’s brother.  Neither man expects their fun to amount to anything else, but after an injury sends Garrison home for good, he turns to Walt, hoping to start a new life. Walt is a closeted sheriff’s deputy, and while he adores Garrison, he isn’t sure he’s ready to come out… or for such a big commitment. Being fresh out of the service isn’t easy on Garrison either. To find their happy ending, Walt and Garrison must overcome their trust issues and get ready to settle down together

Drive Your Truck is pretty simple story, not too angsty but unfortunately to me not sweet at all. Reading the blurb, I liked the premises of it, so I was enthusiastic when I started reading it. Sadly some things didn’t work for me.

Gar and Walt hooking up on the wake for Gar’s brother was the first thing I didn’t like in this book. I’d be so pained to losing my brother, I honestly couldn’t think about sex. I didn’t see the act as a way to forget for just a moment a deep grief. It came to me as a shallow scene.

And going on in the story, this feeling of levity is a steady point in the book. I couldn’t feel emotions, between Gar and Walt, neither in the second characters. The author made me wait till the end to see Gar and Walt really into each other, making plans for a future together. I’d have liked to have that kind of emotions from the start. Moreover, I didn’t appreciate the author’s choice at the end of the book. Spoiler- click here to view.

I’m still wondering about the title. Ok, Gar and Brandon bought a cherry red 1966 Ford pickup when Gar was seventeen. They called it Bettie and Brandon fixed it whenever he could. The author showed us some scenes where Gar took Bettie for a ride while looking for adrenaline and a way to ease the stress. Still I don’t think the title fits the story. Maybe I missed something.

I have a word for this book: craving. Drive Your Truck left me craving for more. More background about the characters, more moments between Gar and Walt, more scenes with the second characters, more sweetness, more hot sex and more courage.

It seems I didn’t enjoy this book, it isn’t true. I gave it three stars because I liked the story, but it didn’t live up my expectations. I heard great things about Julia Talbot. I think I simply chose the wrong book to start reading her works. I’ll definitely check her books, I’m sure I’ll find the one to love.

Cover Artist Brooke Albrecht.
The cover was eye catching to me, absolutely well done, it fits the title but as I said earlier, in my opinion not the story

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

Book Details:

ebook, 130 pages
Expected publication: January 28th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632163981
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.juliatalbot.com

Lights, Camera, Cupid! Back To Bluewater Bay on Valentine’s Day (contest)

Its Valentine’s Day at Bluewater Bay!

Thanks for joining us on this tour! Check out the great Valentine’s Day stories from Bluewater Bay and comment to win a Valentine’s gift basket sent to you or a Valentine!

Lights, Camera, Cupid! (A Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day Anthology)

Cupid is visiting Bluewater Bay, and he’s leaving chaos in his wake.

Nothing’s been the same in this sleepy little logging town since Hollywood came to shoot the hit TV show Wolf’s Landing—especially Valentine’s Day.

In L.A. Witt’s Just Another Day, beloved actors Levi Pritchard and Carter Samuels have an announcement for their fans, while in Z.A. Maxfield’s I’ll Be There, actor Spencer Kepler and his boyfriend Nash Holly brave a blizzard and a fan convention to spend their first February the 14th together.

Of course, it’s not just TV stars celebrating the day. In Anne Tenino’s Helping Hand, an aspiring artist eager to escape Bluewater Bay decides he just might have a reason to stay: lust-inspiring logger Gabriel Savage. In S.E. Jakes’s No Easy Way, a local teacher reconnects with an old lover working security on the film set. And in Amy Lane’s Nascha, a Bluewater Bay elder recalls how his own unconventional family used to celebrate the holiday.

Real life may be nothing like TV, but when Cupid comes to town, there’s plenty of romance and drama to go around.

Sales Link: Buy It here at Riptide Publishing.
About Bluewater Bay

Welcome to Bluewater Bay! This quiet little logging town on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula has been stagnating for decades, on the verge of ghost town status. Until a television crew moves in to film Wolf’s Landing, a soon-to-be cult hit based on the wildly successful shifter novels penned by local author Hunter Easton.

Wolf’s Landing’s success spawns everything from merchandise to movie talks, and Bluewater Bay explodes into a mecca for fans and tourists alike. The locals still aren’t quite sure what to make of all this—the town is rejuvenated, but at what cost? And the Hollywood-based production crew is out of their element in this small, mossy seaside locale. Needless to say, sparks fly.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by ten award-winning, best-selling LGBTQ romance authors: L.A. Witt, L.B. Gregg, Z.A. Maxfield, Aleksandr Voinov, Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz, Anne Tenino, Amy Lane, SE Jakes, and G.B. Gordon. Each contemporary novel stands alone, but all are built around the town and the people of Bluewater Bay and the Wolf’s Landing media empire.

Contest/Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a Valentine’s gift basket sent to you or a Valentine! We’ll send anywhere local delivery is available (and offer a $40 store credit in the event that delivery is not available in your country.) The winner will pick the type of basket they want (either fruit, flowers, or candy/snacks) and we’ll send your basket out!

In Our Book Spotlight: A New Man by P. D. Singer (book tour and contest)

A New Man by P. D. Singer
Release Date: February 9, 2015
Goodreads Link

***********************

P.D. Singer Bio:

P.D. Singer lives in Colorado with her slightly bemused husband, two rowdy teenage boys, and thirty pounds of cats. She’s a big believer in research, first-hand if possible, so the reader can be quite certain Pam has skied down a mountain face-first, been stepped on by rodeo horses, acquired a potato burn or two, and will never, ever, write a novel that includes sky-diving.  When not writing, playing her fiddle, or skiing, she can be found with a book in hand.

Contact/Follow P.D. Singer at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pd.singer.9
Facebook Author Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PD_Singer
Blog: http://PDSinger.com

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press

About A New Man…

Senior year of college is for studying, partying, and having fun before getting serious about life. Instead, Chad’s days are filled with headaches and exhaustion, and his fencing skills are getting worse with practice, not better. Then there’s his nonexistent love life, full of girls he’s shunted to the friend zone. Is he asexual? Gay?  Grad student Warren Douglas could be out clubbing, but his roommate is better company, even without kisses. He’s torn up watching Chad suffer, gobbling ibuprofen and coming home early on Friday nights. If Chad weren’t straight, Warren would keep him up past midnight. They’re great as friends.

Benefits might answer Chad’s questions.  A brief encounter with lab rats reveals Chad’s illness—he needs surgery, STAT, and can’t rely on his dysfunctional parents for medical decisions. Warren’s both trustworthy and likely to get overruled—unless they’re married. “You can throw me back later,” Warren says, and he may throw himself back after his husband turns out moody and hard to get along with, no matter how much fun his new sex drive is. Surgery turns Chad into a new man, all right…  …but Warren fell in love with the old one.

Categories: Contemporary

A New Man Excerpt:

On his feet now, Chad looked a little shaky. For a silent moment he stood, though it wasn’t clear whether he was forcing his body to behave or thinking.

“Uh. You’re a scientist…” Why did Chad make that sound like a question? Unless it was part of his medicine head. “I need some data.”

Oh. Oh!

Warren didn’t flinch or pull away when Chad leaned in. Both his hands rested on Warren’s upper arms, which didn’t keep him from lurching forward so fast Warren thought he’d get hit in the face. But no, he stopped short and came in slow for the last inch. Eyes open and questioning, he met Warren’s mouth in a smooth, gentle kiss. Lips not quite parted, he brushed against Warren, searching, not demanding.

What had gotten into him? Warren kissed back, not too startled to respond in kind, adding nothing that might frighten Chad away. He wouldn’t lift his arms, he wouldn’t offer tongue, but he would meet Chad’s mouth for as long as he was offered it. He had to tip his face up slightly and fight to stay in place when he wanted nothing more than to step forward into Chad’s arms, to plaster himself against that inviting chest, and thrust his tongue into the depths of Chad’s mouth.

Chad’s eyes were blue drowning to black, his pupils dilated widely. Questions, but not fear, dwelled behind his irises, questions that Warren wanted to answer for him. Yes, you like this, yes, you want more, yes, you want it with me. Yes.

Pages or Words: 276 pages

Tour Dates: February 9, 2015

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, Bike Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Kimi-Chan, Inked Rainbow Reads, Prism Book Alliance, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Kristy’s Brain Food, Cate Ashwood, Fallen Angel Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Queer Town Abbey, MM Good Book Reviews, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Inked Rainbow Reads, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Kristy’s Brain Food, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Nic Starr, Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Nephylim, Multitasking Mommas, Elin Gregory

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: 1 copy of ‘A New Man’ plus one copy from P.D. Singer’s backlist. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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Need An Anthology to Love? Well, Love is a Mess Has the Stories for You! (contest)

Time to Focus on Anthologies!

Title: Love Is A Mess (a Supposed Crimes anthology)
Release Date: January 3, 2015

Author Names/Stories:

Viral Valentine by L. M. Perrin
When a Valentine’s Day prank goes badly, Paige’s guilt won’t let her watch the victim walk away without a proper apology.
Date Blind by Geonn Cannon
A woman discovers the worst possible blind date scenario when her date turns out to be someone who bullied her in high school.
The Politician and the Pilot by Amber Kinsey
A politician and a pilot make a steamy connection on Valentine’s Day.
Bar Tryst by Rachael Orman
After her roommate blackmailed her into going to an Anti-Valentine’s day party, Vanessa decided to make the best of it especially when the bartender shared that she was looking to have a good time too.
Quarter Life: Energy Feed by Adrian J. Smith
With strange creatures in her path, Faye is determined to get the information she wants no matter the cost.
Property of Cupid by Eva Lefoy
Will an ancient Greek god give up half his powers to love a mere human? Or will Cupid loose his golden arrow, letting Jeremy fall in love with another man?
Private Dance by A. M. Leibowitz
With Alex’s sexy boyfriend, Phin, gone for three weeks, there’s only one option: let his best friend’s kids lead him on a treasure hunt through town to find his Valentine’s gift waiting for him to unwrap.
The Last Mitzvah by Michael DuPuy
One man seeks salvation over love, death, and ice cream.

About the authors:

A. M. Leibowitz is a spouse, parent, feminist, and book-lover falling somewhere on the Geek-Nerd Spectrum. She keeps warm through the long, cold western New York winters by writing romantic plot twists and happy-for-now endings. In between noveling and editing, she blogs coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, and her family at amleibowitz.com.

Adrian J. Smith, aka AJ, loves to write women, and specifically women who are strong, independent and fall in love with other women. She claims bisexuality but is probably closer to omnisexual. She’s a go with the flow type of person. She loves writing urban fantasy and creatures and powers of all different kinds. She also loves writing women in uniform, because let’s face it, a woman in uniform has an irresistible draw. Most of her stories have a romantic element, but if you want action, drama, plot with a hint of romance, she’s the author for you. Find her at adrianjsmith.wordpress.com.

Amber Kinsey is a part-time federal employee, full-time geek, and occasional writer. She lives in a suburb of Nashville, TN with her three cats: one is the light of her life; the other two are just little stinkers.

Eva Lefoy writes and reads all kinds of romance, and is a certified Trekkie. She’s also terribly addicted to chocolate, tea, and hiking. One of these days, she’ll figure out the meaning of life, quit her job, and go travel the galaxy. Until then, she’s writing down all her dirty thoughts for the sake of future explorers. You can find her blog at writery.wordpress.com.

Geonn Cannon is the author of On the Air, Gemini, World on Fire, The Following Sea, Tilting at Windmills, Only Flame and Air, Confused by Shadows, Chasing Dragons, What Matter Wounds?, Silence Out Loud, the Riley Parra series, Railroad Spine, Gunfire Echoes, the Underdogs series, Girls Don’t Hit, and The Rise and Fall of Radiation Canary. He also wrote an official tie-in novel for Stargate SG-1 titled “Two Roads” and contributed a Stargate Atlantis story to the “Far Horizons” anthology. An archive of free stories can be found at geonncannon.com. When he’s not writing, he’s asleep.

L. M. Perrin is an English major who writes fiction to break up the monotony of analyzing novels. She lives in Leelanau County, also known as Michigan’s pinky finger, with her dog and the occasional stray cat, and in her opinion there is nothing wrong with spending a night binging on Netflix and pizza. This is her first published piece.

Michael DuPuy, while not investigating epistemological dead ends, cultivates a greater understanding of the folly of man most often by recreating as many of such folly’s as possible through no intent of his own. Michael turned to writing as a method of perhaps extending his sanity and to justify his coffee consumption. If anything this tactic has backfired.

Rachael Orman: Mother by day. Writer by night. I spend a majority of my day with my children and reading while my nights are filled with the sound of the keyboard as I work on my next work.   I have written in F/F, F/F/M, F/F/F and then of course F/M genres…. So, beware, I do not always have the most ‘traditional’ scenes. And one day I will venture into M/M, just have to find the time.   I love to try new things and learn from every piece of work I write. I’ll write just about anything once to learn from it. I’ve even ventured out of my normal erotica genre into Monster Erotica. Doubt you’ll find me writing anything not erotic as you can barely get me to even read something out of that category, but then again, you never know what I might try next.

About the Publisher:
Supposed Crimes, LLC publishes fiction and poetry primarily featuring lesbian characters and themes. The focus is on genre fiction–Westerns, Science Fiction, Horror, Action–rather than just romance. That’s how we set ourselves apart from our competitors. Our characters happen to love women and kick ass.

“Supposed crimes” refers to the idea that homosexuality is outlawed, and that our authors are being subversive by writing. As times change this becomes more tongue-in-cheek, but can still apply broadly to our culture. Christians writing lesbians and men writing lesbians are also subversive ideas in this industry, and we promote people bending the rules.

Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC
Cover Artist: C.E. Case
Categories: LGBT fiction, Romance, Gay Romance, Lesbian Romance
Pages or Words: 35,000 words, 119 pages
Tour Dates: February 9, 2015

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Rebecca Cohen Writes, MM Good Book Reviews, Fallen Angel Reviews, Molly Lolly, Kristy’s Brain Food, BFD Book Blog, Cate Ashwood, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Velvet Panic, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Carly’s Book Reviews

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Love Is A Mess’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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More Winner Announcements and this Week’s Schedule

We have more winners to be announced from our Down Under Author Showcase:

Authors Winners

Penny Brandon Julie Small
Pelaam H.B.
Renae Kaye Michael Thompson
N. R. Walker Lesi Koho
L.J. Harris Serena
Michelle Rae Ashley
Isabelle Rowan Jen F
Lily Velden Alaina
Maggie Mitchell   Sula Holland
Ellen Cross   Paul Wright
RJ Jones Sula Holland
Nic Starr Roger Grace
Bette Browne Michael Thompson
Cecil Wilde   Gigi
Wayward Ink Publications ardent ereader,Amanda Raifsnider, Dawn Mayhew

This Week’s Schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, February 8:

Cover Reveal for Con Riley’s True Brit!
More Winner Announcements and This Week’s Schedule

Monday, February 9:

Love is a Mess Anthology Book Tour
Lights Camera Cupid – Bluewater Bay Anthology Book tour and contest
A Stella Review: Drive Your Truck by Julia Talbot
A Sammy Review: Take the Long Way Home by J. A. Rock
P.D. Singer’s A New Man Book Tour and Contest

Tuesday, February 10:

AM Arthur’s The Truth As He Knows It Book Tour and Contest
A Stella Review: Neon White 3 by Wulf Francu Godgluck
A PaulB Review: The Vampire’s Geek (Wolves of Stone Ridge #26) by Charlie Richards
A MelanieM Review: Chance to be King by Sue Brown

Wednesday, February 11:

Cover reveal ‘Everything Changes’ from Melanie Hansen
Pat Henshaw ‘What’s In A Name’ Book Tour and Contest
A PaulB Review: Spearmint Warning by John Amory
A Stella Review: The Biker’s Pup by Sean Michael
AF Henley’s Road Trip – Blog Tour & Giveaway

Thursday, February 12:

Rare by Garrett Leight Audiobook Tour and contest
Series Banner Reveal:Storming Love: Blizzard from MLR Press
A MelanieM Review: The Truth As He Sees It by A.M. Arthur
A Sammy Review: The Way Things Are by A.J. Thomas
A Stella Review: Wrong Number, Right Guy by Mia Watts

Friday, February 13:

Journey to England for Trowchester Blues by Alex Beecroft (tour and contest)
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Take Heart by Willa Okati
A MelanieM Review: Shadows and Ashes PF2014 Finale Novel
A Mika Review: The Lion and the Crow by Eli Easton
A Stella Review: A Fighting Man by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

Saturday, February 14, Happy Valentine’s Day:

A MelanieM Review: Conscious Decisions of the Heart by John Wiltshire

Its Cover Reveal Time for Con Riley’s True Brit (contest)

What Will The Cover Be?

Book Name: True Brit by Con Riley

Con Riley Bio:

Con Riley lives on the wild and rugged Devonshire coast, with her head in the clouds, and her feet in the Atlantic Ocean.
Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time. Love, loss, and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that makes them live and breathe.
When not people watching, or wrangling her own boy band of teen sons, she spends time staring at the sea from her kitchen window. If you see her, don’t disturb her—she’s probably thinking up new plots.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/con.riley.1
Facebook Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/con_riley

Publisher: Figment Ink Ltd
True Brit by Author Con Riley
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon Smashwords

About True Brit:

Winning the United Kingdom’s favorite singing contest is a challenge for half-Afghani Pasha Trueman. He doesn’t have the best voice, but success would be life-changing. His strategy is simple—he’ll make the British public love him.

Ex-soldier Ed Britten has a different agenda. Winning means he’ll keep a promise made after a deadly Afghan ambush. His voice is his weapon, but he leaves his heart unguarded.

Ed and Pasha’s discovery that the contest isn’t a fair fight calls for creative tactics. Staging a fake love story could bring victory, only there’s more at stake than the prestigious first prize. If winning means surrendering each other, they could both end up losing.

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt:

Ed and Pahsa discover that winning the Brit Pop! contest will take more than singing their hearts out. In this excerpt, Ed discusses a new plan of attack with Pasha:

Ed put down his mug and stepped much closer. The toes of his boots touched the tips of Pasha’s scruffy knock-off Converse trainers. “Is that really what you think we need to do all of the time from now on? Be affectionate whenever there might be a camera or people around? Verbally, I mean. And act like we’re….”

“In love?”

Did Pasha usually sound so breathless? Ed tilted his head to one side and tracked the quick flick of Pasha’s tongue wetting his lower lip.

“That’s…” Pasha hesitated, “that’s exactly what I think we should do. And I don’t think verbal affection on its own will cut it either. We should… we should probably touch. A lot. But naturally, you know? As if we have a hard time keeping our hands off each other.”

“Like this?” Ed reached for the half-full mug Pasha clutched to his chest and made sure both his hands covered Pasha’s for an extended moment as he slowly took it from him.

“Yeah.”

“And like this?” Ed pushed the strands of hair covering Pasha’s eyes to one side. “Hi.”

This time Pasha slowly smiled instead of answering.

“And what about if we hold hands?” Ed awkwardly threaded his fingers through Pasha’s. “Is that too much, do you think?”

Pasha shook his head. “No.” He cleared his throat. “No, that’s exactly what I meant by natural.” He tugged his fingers away and wiped his palms on his trousers as if they were sweaty. “You’re taking to this much faster than I thought you would.”

There wasn’t much Ed wouldn’t do to get to the finals.

Pages or Words: 62,000 words

Tour Dates: February 8, 2015

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, SA McAuley, Love Bytes, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, Christy Loves 2 Read, BFD Book Blog, Amanda C. Stone, The Hat Party, Molly Lolly, Charley Descoteaux, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Fallen Angel Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, The Hat Party, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Multitasking Mommas, My Fiction Nook, MM Good Book Reviews, Smoocher’s Voice, Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, The Hat Party, Nephylim, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Andrew Q. Gordon, Cate Ashwood, Dawn’s Reading Nook

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Choice of book from Con’s backlist, plus a copy of True Brit. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter Code:

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It’s Cold Outside! Need Some Storming Love? Meet Seth and Casey From RJ Scott!

Storming Lose: Seth and Casey by RJ Scott

**************************

Seth Wild is a fire fighter who has lost everything. Nearly dying in a building collapse, he is scared and angry and chases away the only good thing in his life—school teacher Casey McGuire.

When a sudden and violent snow storm hits their town he receives a message Casey and ten kids are trapped in an education center with no way out. There is no one else who can help, he’s the last fire fighter in town with his bum leg and his icy heart.

He doesn’t hesitate. He always promised he would be Casey’s hero, but will he ever again be Casey’s love?

Buy Links RJ Scott

About RJ Scott

RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.

With over seventy titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

Contact/Follow RJ Scott at:

rj@rjscott.co.uk
www.rjscott.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/Rjscott_author
www.facebook.com/author.rjscott
www.librarything.com/author/scottrj
www.tumblr.com/blog/rjscott (some NSFW (not safe for work) photos)
www.pinterest.com/rjscottauthor/

Excerpt from Seth and Casey…

He pushed the door shut against the howling wind and snow and stamped off his feet coming face to face with a terrified looking probie.

“We have school kids and a teacher trapped up at Shorefields,” Seth snapped out. Probie blinked at him. He recalled the guy’s name was Evan or Eben or something. And it seemed like Evan/Eben was in complete panic mode and meltdown. He glanced worriedly from side to side, like some kind of divine intervention was going to answer Seth’s statement.

“There’s no one here,” Evan/Eben said.

Seth waited for a second then exasperated that there wasn’t more of an immediate reaction he pushed past Evan/Eben and into the main area. Both trucks gone.

“I said, they’re not here, ladder one didn’t come back in from the interstate, and engine two went out to Middleton Springs. There’s been a building collapse. It’s just me.”

Seth rounded on the guy and was so close he could see the panic in blue eyes.

“Get on to other stations and call this in—“

“I can’t. Sir, we have nothing. No comms, no Internet, nothing.”

“Give me a sitrep. What’s your name? Evan? Eben?” Seth ordered.

The probie blinked at him then visibly pulled himself together. He was new since Seth had been put on leave. He’d had training, but this was probably his first real situation.

“Evan sir, Evan Pritchard. Uhmmm… Both engines out, reports of major incidents, last said the storm has taken out power. I’m alone here…” He paused. “And sir, I’m not sure what to do.”

Seth considered what he’d been told. Ten kids, Casey, Shorefields, trapped in the bus, which meant they had maybe managed to get away from Shorefields itself and had no way of getting back. He doubted they were set for extreme weather.

“Okay. I want you here. You’re not to leave and you’re to keep your eyes on comms, see if we can get more intel. I need supplies in a bag from the kitchen, water, energy bars.”

“What are you going to do?”

Seth looked directly at him. Evan needed to know where he was going. “There’s a bus load of kids trapped up at Shorefields and I’m going to help. I’m taking the Land Rover.”

He didn’t leave room for discussion, simply presented the facts a done deal. He should wait for a team, for backup, but there was nothing stopping him from getting to Jamie and the kids. And Casey.

“Yes, sir.”

They split, Seth checking the truck he was going to use, a modified vehicle capable of getting through most of the shit life could throw at it. It was equipped with most of the things he could need. Then as an afterthought, he grabbed coats from the supply room. He knew the kids would be dressed warm. After all, the whole day had been a winter experience in a beautiful place.

He was supposed to be there with Casey. He’d said he was staying at home. Time is not right to start thinking I’ve fucked up.

Contest: Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A MelanieM Review: No Boundaries (Phoenix, Inc. #1) by S.E. Jakes

Rating: 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 stars out of 5

When your past closes in, running isn’t always an option.

Cole Jacobs left behind his old life on the streets to make a name for himself rebuilding high-end vintage cars and bikes. That life had almost cost him his soul, even now Cole’s not sure that he can heal the damage done by selling himself to stay alive. He’s just happy to be out of the lifestyle and have a job he does well and enjoys. But Cole’s feeling of safety and contentment is short lived when he’s slipped a piece of paper at work that threatens him and all he has worked for.

A stalker has come to town looking for Cole and now he has found him. And Cole doesn’t know where to turn for help.

Ex soldier, ex CIA agent Marcus Lowry now works for Phoenix, Inc. Investigations. The owners are ex agents like himself and the cases are normally quick and easy. Plus they don’t give him the nightmares his days as a CIA operative did. Until Marcus is given Cole’s case and Cole as a client. Cole pushes many of his issues of trust and betrayal as well as raising feelings of attraction and possibly love that Marcus has tamped down.

Cole sees in Marcus the same type of man that used to buy him on the street and the clashes of temperaments and emotions come quick and fast, as fast as their lust for each other.

Then the first attempt on Cole’s life almost kills them both and its time for all the secrets to come out and issues to be dealt with if Marcus is to stop a killer as well trained as himself.

I love SE Jakes and her pantheon of hardcore, damaged, sometimes lethal men. No Boundaries is the first in her new series, Phoenix, Inc, a private investigative service run by three lovers, Styx, Law and Paulo whose story is told in SE Jakes’ Men of Honor series.

No Boundaries introduces us to Marcus Lowry, a new agent and ex CIA op. Marcus is a bundle of issues, including PSTD. He has nightmares over his last tour, his usually spot on ability to detect those lying to him or cons isn’t working and the stress is burning him out. So his bosses figure what he needs is to take on Cole Jacobs, another damaged man, as a client, who just might kickstart Marcus back to life.

Law, Styx and Paulo know Cole as the mechanic who fixes their bikes and cars but Styx also recognizes in Cole someone who carries the same pain and scars as two of them. Jakes writes damaged men especially well. It doesn’t seem to matter what age her characters are or what injury has been done to them, each of them (whether its 24 years old Cole or seasoned vet 35 year old Marcus) comes off as a real, albeit troubled, person.

Law, Styx, and Paulo also come across as fully realized, although it certainly helps to know their backstory as I do. For this series to completely work as a standalone series (outside of the Men of Honor, Hell or High Water and other interrelated series), more of their history needs to be included for the reader coming in without any prior knowledge.

Cole and Marcus’ shift into a relationship is hot, fast, and always on shaky ground. Each man has so many secrets and issues that make a firm foundation for any relationship close to impossible or believable. Both spend an inordinate amount of time either running or wanting to run away as much as they want to run towards each other. Their heated arguments go hand in hand (snicker) with their sexual hookups. I bought into their relationship completely…up until the end. That was the only segment that didn’t feel real considering everything that went before.

The only other issue I had here, outside of the unrealistic ending, was what happened with the stalker. I loved the tension and suspense that SE Jakes brought to the whole stalking situation. She easily made her case that this person posed a deadly threat to them all, and she kept us on our toes as we waited for the stalker to make the next move, one that was always unanticipated. Until the end. Then the story rushes to a quick resolution and then onward to an ending that felt more tacked on then part of the story I just read. Had this ended more as a HFN, that would have been more in character than the HEA it seemed to be. Some readers will be overjoyed at this ending and wondering what I am going on about, but these damaged men can’t be smoothed out that easily and remain authentic, at least to me.

Those issues aside, this is one hot, sexy story. And its full of hardcore, experienced men who have had more than their share of pain, regret, and loss. When they find the one or ones that fulfill them, you can help but get on board and share in the joy, love, and yes, lots of hot sex. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and see what happens next. I do know that it will be explosive, sexy and full of compelling men. That’ll keep me coming back for more and more and more.

Cover Artist Angelique Anderson. The cover is hot, although that torso is more in keeping with Marcus then Cole.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 187 pages
Published November 4th 2014 by Samhain Publishing
original titleNo Boundaries
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.sejakes.com/books/no-boundaries/
seriesPhoenix, Inc. #1
charactersCloe Jacobs, Marcus Lowry

A MelanieM Review: The Bucket List by R.J. Scott

Rating 4 stars out of 5

Popular soap actor Mark Wesley, 33, is shocked when an assistant brings him a note from someone he hasn’t thought about in years. It’s from the younger brother of his childhood best friend and he has come to find Mark to deliver some devastating news. News that makes Mark realize he has never dealt with his past and now he will never have a chance to make things right.

Jason Craig is grieving over the loss of his beloved older brother, Andrew. Now Jason is on a mission to carry out all of Andrew’s last wishes, those Andrew wrote on his Bucket List. It includes delivering a letter to his childhood friend, Mark Wesley, now a star in Hollywood. But what was supposed to be a brief meeting turns into something more.

Mark is in the closet, in his personal life and in his job, but the attraction he feels towards Jason is unexpected and powerful. So is the grief he feels at hearing that the man he thought of as his brother, Andrew, has died. Mark decides to help Jason finish Andrew’s Bucket list and the process brings them together in a way they never expected. Along the way Mark must decide whether to stay in the closet or move forward a new future with Jason.

The Bucket List by RJ Scott is one of those sweet, lovely stories you will be keep thinking about days after you finished it. Something about this story just resonates with you. It’s not just the main characters, although they were layered and believable. And it’s not just the present dilemma they find themselves dealing with…no, it’s their past, the memories, and the grief that R.J. Scott’s narrative delivers in such a way that it makes a powerful impression, rendering Mark, Jason, and Andrew’s family’s sorrow and regret both real and immediate.

What would you put on your Bucket List? Who would you reach out to after death? Those questions are just a few of the thoughts engendered by this thoughtful, sweet story. I love how Mark and Jason work through some of their issues, with each other, their present and past, while working their way day Andrew’s wish list. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself grabbing for a tissue or two or three throughout this story. Because The Bucket List will pull a whole host of emotions and thoughts from each reader as they proceed through this story, regret, joy, sorry, and laughter. It’s all there, along with love.

On a GR note said it was “originally a short unfinished blog story, readers of RJ’s blog insisted the story be expanded and finished and she listened to them.” Even with the added length, I wish it had been longer. These two went on quite a journey and I would love to see more of their lives after they returned.

I absolutely recommend The Bucket List by RJ Scott. It heartwarming and thoughtful. Its sweet, deep, and lovely. Once more, R.J. Scott delivers a story for all readers to pickup and love. Grab it up today!

Cover Artist Meredith Russell. I liked it but wish for something more.

Sales Links: Love Lane Books All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

134 pages
Published January 28th 2015 by Love Lane Books Limited (first published January 26th 2015)
original titleThe Bucket List
edition languageEnglish
url http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

A BJ Review: Payback by John Inman

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

On the night of their fourth wedding anniversary, Tyler and Spence share a special evening before going out to take their dog for a walk in the park where a deadly gay bashing attack changes their life forever.

One reason I wanted to read this book was because it’s set in San Diego, where I lived for many years. Found myself in the mood to revisit, and the book didn’t disappoint in that respect. The trolley, the park, breweries, Coronado Bridge vistas and so many more little details had my imagination firmly planted back in my old stomping grounds.

The story begins with a steamy hot, yet also sweetly romantic scene between a couple so real I felt as if I could’ve known when I lived in the area. As Spence and Tyler celebrate their anniversary by exchanging specially made rings, their dog interrupts with a need to go out and they set off on a walk in the park. What comes next strikes with crushing, chest-constricting suddenness, shattering the almost idyllic happiness we’d just shared with them into fragmented ruins. It’s gut wrenching, heartrending, have-lots-of-tissues-handy reading for several chapters.

In the aftermath of the attack, Tyler is unconscious for a month and wakes to find himself alone in the world. Husband dead, dog missing, and apparently he has no family. After speaking with a police detective, Chris, and learning that they have no real leads on the attack, Tyler’s grief is rapidly overshadowed by intense anger that morphs into a desperate need for vengeance.

A short bout of agoraphobia, which he overcomes on his own in a matter of days, Tyler goes out and buys an illegal gun. His desire to own a gun didn’t surprise me much. Protection would be high on my list after such an attack. But why an illegal gun, unless he already had plans of how he was going to use it?

Up until then, the story was a tearjerker, but working for me. That shifted when Tyler gives in to his rage and goes out riding the trolley at night in bad parts of town carrying his illegal gun and ends up committing murder for which he feels no guilt. In fact, the murder seems to ease the rage inside him and make him feel better for a while. The only remorse comes some time later and is related to fear that his actions may have messed up the relationship between Chris, the detective assigned to his case, and himself.

Chris saw Tyler when he was brought in on the night of the attack, and reveals later that he fell in love from the first. As the story weaves on, Chris starts to creep me out. His sappiness and obsession with Tyler rubs me all wrong. Even more when clues began to make it clear to him that Tyler committed murder, and he chooses to ignore it. Later he goes further when he helps Tyler cover up the first murder in conjunction with another killing. Chris and Tyler actually discuss the cover up scheme while watching the man bleed to death.

Five months after the attack, and Chris has fallen for the grieving Tyler so deeply that he’s willing to go completely against his sworn duty. Five months and Tyler is so deeply in love with Chris that the detective has replaced Spence in Tyler’s thoughts and dreams.

The night of the cover up, Chris and Tyler make love for the first time–in the same bed that he and Spence had used to make sweet love the night of Spence’s death. They even use the same sexual position. Chris and Tyler declare their forever love, but it just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t hot or romantic. In fact, it broke my heart. Five short months and Spence, who the author made me love in that first scene, seems to be erased so completely.

On another note, I share my life with several dogs, so I usually enjoy doggie characters in my books. Franklin, Spence and Tyler’s dog, had the makings of a wonderful animal character initially. Unfortunately, it felt like he was a prop used to move things forward and then be forgotten when convenient. Near the end, he’d been repeatedly kicked with heavy boots while trying the help Tyler. He’s dripping urine on the floor, which makes me think possible kidney damage. Yet Tyler and Chris never take him to the vet to be checked out. My dog lover’s heart was left worried about him.

If some background on Chris and Tyler had been offered, it might have helped to understand them better. However, there’s only the barest hint of background on Tyler and next to none on Chris. This leaves me with many questions—one being why Chris fell for Tyler so hard and instantly when seeing him in the hospital.

The book’s rather reminiscent of a popular movie in which a woman goes vigilante after a similar attack scenario, except Tyler isn’t a vigilante. Rather it came across to me as if he just needed to take his anger out on someone. The idea that going out and looking for someone to hurt, even a bad person, in order to assuage rage over injustice done to you just wasn’t something I found ok.

Cover Artist: Maria Fanning
The cover perfectly captures the essence of this book including the setting (San Diego trolley instantly recognizable for me), the blood and violence, as well as the love. The couple walking with their dog in the park at the bottom, small, almost transparently dreamy as if they’re just a memory makes me tear up each time I look at it after having read the story.
Sales LInks: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon buy it here
Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: February 2nd 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632166289
edition languageEnglish
url http://johninmanauthor.com

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Its Valentine’s Day at Bluewater Bay!

Lights, Camera, Cupid! (A Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day Anthology)

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P.D. Singer Bio:

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About A New Man…

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Time to Focus on Anthologies!

Title: Love Is A Mess (a Supposed Crimes anthology) Release Date: January 3, 2015

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This Week’s Schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, February 8:

Monday, February 9:

Tuesday, February 10:

Wednesday, February 11:

Thursday, February 12:

Friday, February 13:

Saturday, February 14, Happy Valentine’s Day:

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What Will The Cover Be?

Book Name: True Brit by Con Riley

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Storming Lose: Seth and Casey by RJ Scott

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Excerpt from Seth and Casey…

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When your past closes in, running isn’t always an option.

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Title: Love Is A Mess (a Supposed Crimes anthology)
Release Date: January 3, 2015