A MelanieM Review: The Red Heart by Isabelle Rowan

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Daniel Evans is a man in search of himself, a better, drug free self and heads into the outback to see if he can find him. Pierced, and goth, complete with black eyeliner and nail polish, Daniel also has a trunk-load of demons to vanquish or at least come to grips with. He’s on the road to Uluru with his twin brother’s car and no real plans. Until he runs into Sam Collins, ex-Army vet still dealing with the repercussions of the wars he has fought.

Sam needs the isolation and quiet that the red dirt of the Northern Territory affords him and he lives by the odd jobs he hires out for from station to station. When ex soldier meets goth on the run, the expected explosion never happens. Instead two damaged men find the other half of their heart in the red desert and rocks of Uluru.

The Red Heart is perfect Isabelle Rowan. A quiet story full of magic, strength and endurance, it surrounds itself in the elemental power of the Northern Territory desert and the ancient stones of Uluru, previously known as Ayer’s Rock. With this setting as a foundation, Rowan brings into emotional clarity two damaged men in search of peace and an end to their anguish. One, Sam suffers from PTSD and the memories or flashbacks that haunt both his days and nights. Daniel is a drug addict just out of rehab and looking at the mess he’s made of his life. He also happens to have a mirror image that underlines the poor choices he has made. Daniel has a twin brother whose live took a happier, drug free path and the pain of that knowledge only adds on to Daniel’s guilt and confusion.

Rowan’s characterizations come across as completely believable poignant human beings, as does all the people in this short story. Whether it’s the tourists Sam and Daniel find at Uluru or the workers at the Station that accept Daniel, although not without a good amount of kidding that never falls into bullying or spite. The station felt alive, busy and dusty from the red dirt all around them. But it’s the desert and the ancient formations that Daniel and Sam hike through that give this story its magical power and elemental sense of timelessness. Through Rowan’s vivid descriptions you can feel the pull of the rocks, the vibrations that flutter through the soul that forever changes Sam and Daniel.

What final part of this story grabbed at me? The fact that nothing was magically solved or that each man’s problems were eradicated. No, Daniel and Sam still had issues to deal with, including once an addict always an addict for Daniel. But they would be dealing with their realities together. That made this story and this couple real, and wonderful, and meaningful.

I love this story and highly recommend both the author and The Red Heart!

Cover Artist Anne Cain does a great job with the landscape. I just wish that the model was a little leaner, someone who looks as though they had hit the end of the road.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 114 pages
Published March 13th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 12th 2013)
ISBN139781623805500
edition languageEnglish
seriesUnder the Southern Cross

Down Under Author: Isabelle Rowan

Meet Isabelle Rowan!

Isabelle Rowan is the author of A Note in the Margin, Twelve Days, and many other books listed below.

To get to know Isabelle Rowan a little better, the author agreed to an interview. Look for the interview below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.

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By day I teach English and Media in a suburban High School, but whenever I manage to find I spare minute I fill it with writing.

Although I wrote a lot as a teenager academia ate my brain and stifled my urge to write fiction. The odd poem here or a very short story there until a midlife crisis made me pick up my pencil again. Several years of blogging encouraged me to try my hand at longer fiction and my vampire short was picked up by Dreamspinner Press for their Desire Beyond Death anthology.

Although I write mainly mm romance I am also a member of the Australian Writers of Horror Association.

I’m also co-director (with Matthew Lang) of the Queermance Festival. Please have a look at our website and maybe join us! http://www.queermance.com.au

Contacts/Follow at :

Twitter: @Aussie_Izzy
Goodreads: Isabelle Rowan
Website & blog: http://www.isabellerowan.com
Facebook: Isabelle Rowan
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Isabelle Rowan Books:

A Note in the Margin: Rainbow Awards (Elisa Rolle) – Runner up, Best Contemporary Romance (2009) – Best debut novel (2009)

Blurb:

John McCann, a man who judges life by the tally of an accounts ledger, has a supreme goal in life: To achieve, live, and enjoy the rarified executive lifestyle. But he’s encountered one problem: The migraines are going to continue to get worse unless you make some major changes in your lifestyle. What you need is a ‘sea change’… Perhaps buy a nice little business in the country, settle down, something easier to occupy your time…

While John knows the doctor is right, he just can’t resign from the job he’s fought so hard for. He decides the sacrifice of taking a year’s leave of absence won’t interfere too much with his plans, and so he finds himself running Margins, a cozy little bookstore, with the help of the former owner’s son, Jamie. John expects to put in his year, get his stress under control, and then get back to business.

What John doesn’t expect is how Margins and its denizens draw him in, particularly the quiet, disheveled man who takes refuge in the old leather chair in the second-hand book section. John’s plans for an unattached year of simple business crumble when he meets David and is forced to reevaluate life, love and what he really wants from both. John and David are forced to come to terms with their pasts as they struggle to determine what possible future they might build together.

Book Details:

ebook, 276 pages
Published March 2009 by Dreamspinner Press
original titleA Note in the Margin
ISBN139781935192664
edition languageEnglish
seriesA Note in the Margin #1
charactersJohn McCann, David Robinson
settingAustralia

Ink : Rainbow Awards (Elisa Rolle) – Honorable Mention, Paranormal Romance. (2012)
Snowman – released mid year (2015)
Novellas:
Twelve Days (A Note in the Margins Story)
The Road to Byron
The Red Heart – our review follows today.
Anthologies:
Under the Southern Cross

Genre(s): Contemporary, paranormal

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Contests and Giveaways:

1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you, Isabelle Rowan) is an ebook of A Note in the Margin. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2. Down Under Scavenger Hunt – find the Hunt “word or phrase” in bold green . Collect all the words from each author and submit the list in writing no later than midnight on February 1st. Make sure you include an email address where you can be reached. Prizes will be given to 5 people selected, from 1st place to 5th! Happy Hunting.

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A Chat with Isabelle Rowan

What books as a child has the most impact on you?

Stories have always been part of my life. My parents either read to me at night or made up stories. The Wind in the Willows was always my favourite and I honestly believe it still resonates with me in so many ways – I think I was a mole personality (shy and not very brave) wanting to be Toad (adventurous and fearless). By primary school it was The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings. Similar themes that I’ve carried over into my own writing – step up, take the risk to be brave and it might just work out. Ha ha, see, I’m still saying might instead of will, but I’m getting there.

Actually The Wind in the Willows plays a role in Twelve Days (Book 2 in the A Note in the Margins series) and this continues into the book I’m writing now – WIP title – Jamie’s Notes.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Wow, there is no one answer to this question, unless it’s everywhere – sights, sounds and smells! Ink came from my favourite tattoo parlor on Chapel Street. While I was being inked it struck me that the small purple room would be exquisite torture for a vampire. The heady smells of blood and adrenaline. Whereas, A Note in the Margin came from an indulgent night spent in a posh hotel in Melbourne and seeing a homeless man bed down on cardboard in a doorway. I didn’t sleep that night. The Red Heart’s genesis was a conversation with my high school students about the concept of home and country. Many of them are refugees and come from backgrounds I can’t even begin to imagine, so it was amazing to hear them talk country and belonging. Hopefully I captured a little of that essence in the central Australian landscape.

Favorite book/story you have read as an adult?

Poppy Z Brite wrote a vampire novel called ‘Lost Souls’ that I’ve reread so many times that I’ve had to buy at least four copies of the paperback (I still have them all). Her character Ghost stays with me. He is an ethereal character who, although human, seems to exist between worlds. He is a true innocent and for some reason that struck a chord for me.

Do you have a certain regimen that you follow as a writer?

Write whenever I can steal some time. I teach high school so that can be hard. Those who know me or my tweets will know that I usually escape to cafes to write – not with wifi. I have the attention span of an insect so don’t need distractions! Somehow, the steady hum of voices, music and coffee machines soothes me to write. I have a release in June, Snowman, that involves cafes and baristas as well as mountains, dogs and horses!

How do you think books written from authors in Australia or New Zealand differ in style, language, and culture?

Hmm, ask some of my poor frustrated editors! I didn’t realise that there were that many differences until I was told I have very Australian sentence structure. Seriously, I didn’t know there was such a thing! But I do know that we have what a good friend from the US calls Aussie-isms. Other than that I think you’d have to ask a non-Aussie because I can’t necessarily spot the difference – too close to it I guess.

If you were a tour guide, what would you like a visitor to see and what impression would you want them to take away with them when they leave?

I was toying with the beautiful Dandenong Ranges (1 & 2), or my local beaches, but I think the sights and sounds of Melbourne would have to win out. Tourists often head to Sydney and Uluru leaving Melbourne for ‘next time’, but it is an amazing city. So, I would base my tour around Art and coffee culture! We have galleries galore as well as wonderful street art. We could take a tram ride around the city or perhaps up to Lygon Street(3) or down to St Kilda(4). Many café stops would be needed as well as sampling delicious cakes and chocolate. So kick back with an espresso and try to decide how to fit in all the theatre, music, and history Melbourne has to offer.

What are your current projects?

Snowman is just about to start its editing cycle and that should be released in June.
I’m almost half-way through Jamie’s Note (working title only).
I have a zombie YA novel in the works.
I’ve also started musing on a steampunk novel.

Down Under Day 21: Welcome, Isabelle Rowan, and our AUS/NZ Facts of the Day

Welcome, Isabelle Rowan!

Isabelle Rowan’s book, A Note in the Margin, was my first introduction to Australia by way of a M/M author. This novel is Australian with every bit of its heart and mind. From the Australian Christmas to the venues in and around Melbourne, I learned as I read, wept and cried tears of joy. It’s still one of my all time favorite stories to rec. So please stop by Isabelle Rowan’s page, learn about all her stories, and about the author herself! And guess what Isabelle Rowan is giving away for her contest! Yep, A Note in the Margin.

And because she is from Melbourne, that’s where our Australia fact of the day looks in on:

Australia Fact of the Day – City of Melbourne!

Interesting & Fun Facts About Melbourne:

Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria, Australia.
Melbourne is located in south-east Australia.
A person from Melbourne is called a Melburnian.
‘The Story of the Ned Kelly Gang’, made in Melbourne in 1906, recognized as the first feature film of the world, running to five reels.
About 90 tons of dog poo is left on the streets of Melbourne every day.
According to the RSPCA, Melbourne is the “Fox Capital” of the western world, with 6-23 foxes every square kilometer in the metropolitan area.
Before Melbourne came to be known as the ‘City of Melbourn’e, it was called Batmania, Bearbrass, Bearport, Bareheap and Bearbury. (I personally love Bearbrass or Bareheap!)
Melbourne’s famous beer, Foster’s Lager, was actually produced by two Americans. – See more at:
Luna Park, in Melbourne’s bayside suburb of St Kilda, is the oldest amusement park in the world under private management.
Melbourne had the first gay and lesbian radio station in the world.
The expression ‘call girl’ that is used for a prostitute, was invented in Melbourne. – See more at Melbourne Lifestyles

New Zealand Fact of the Day

New Zealand is made up of two primary isles, North Isle and South Isle, with further outlying isles known as the Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Isle, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands. The largest city in New Zealand is Auckland.

Original Maori name for New Zealand: Aotearoa
Original Maori name for Auckland: Tamaki Makaurau

New Zealand has over 4.5 million inhabitants, of which 1/3 lives in Auckland. Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world and is also known as “the city of sails”. It has more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world.

A Sammy Review: Unfortunate Son (Sons #1) by Shae Connor

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

After being dishonorably discharged from the military and disowned by his family, Evan Day turns to the world of porn. For Trevor Hardball, Evan’s porn persona, everything comes easily. He can focus himself, knows the way around a good scene… things as Evan aren’t so easy. He’s still dealing with the scars war left internally, not to mention to pain of losing his family, lover, and job all at once.

One night, Riley literally falls into his lap. He’s not Evan’s typical type, but somehow he just intrigues Evan, and after a night of steamy sex, Evan can’t seem to get him off his mind. But life is full of surprises, including his mom reaching back out to him, and Riley’s cold exterior after a hot night…

Their paths may have been different, but they’d ended up much in the same place: isolated, so alone in so many ways, and yet here, together, sharing desire and intimacy.

When I read the blurb for this, I was pretty excited. With porn stars, military, and a loss that’s sure to be gut wrenching, what’s not to love? It should’ve hit all the right buttons, but I’m afraid it was pretty much a complete miss for me.

There was quite a bit of “honey” and other little phrases that just became overused very quickly. It even had me rolling my eyes when a third character started to use them too. It was just… too much. That takes me to another point, which is that I don’t think the characters had enough of their own personality. They all seemed to come from the same template with some slight changes, but I didn’t feel like they were different. For me, it was at times like reading different versions of the same person.

On top of that, the book tries to tackle a lot of issues. Evan had nightmares, sometimes has some conflict between himself as Trevor and Evan, lost his lover and his brother, was disowned by his family (who are now trying to win him back), then you have his best friends in a large part of the story, and then we take Riley who also has family issues and who knows what else – we don’t really get to know, as we hear very little about Riley as a person. I understand that people in general have a lot of stuff happen in their life (to put it mildly), but this was just too much for the author to try to tackle.

I was also very uncomfortable toward the end when there was a BDSM scene that went very wrong, and we knew it would from the very start… but Evan still went into it. We never do find out what happens with that – or Riley’s family.

Having so many issues in one book made it easy to forget to resolve things, or to resolve them too quickly. Besides just the two things I mentioned above, the issue with Evan’s family is fixed super nice and neatly, but then the issue of his nightmares and all the other issues in his life are not paid much attention to.

All of these things got to me, but I think that even if those were all resolved, I would still have a problem in that I did not connect with the characters, and I certainly did not connect with their relationship. I honestly felt more connection in Evan’s porn scene with Adam than I did between Riley and Evan, which made me quite dissatisfied.

That being said, I think the author has potential. The writing wasn’t terrible, and she certainly doesn’t lack for ideas. It’s just a matter of knowing when and how to use them, and making sure that everything is actually treated with the time and respect it needs. If that can’t happen, it probably shouldn’t be in the story at all.

The cover art by Paul Richmond unfortunately did nothing to add flare to the book. I’ve seen Paul do a lot of really great work and praised it, but this isn’t necessarily one of those. Sure, it’s fine, but it’s pretty bland. There’s nothing particularly special about it, and as someone pointed out, it appears that the flag, if considering the height of the model and the way the flag is positioned, is likely touching the ground, something seen as taboo in normal society – so having a model who is meant to depict an ex-marine hold a flag that could be touching the ground is a bit unsettling. To put it simply, I’ve seen Paul do far better.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: January 12th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
original titleUnfortunate Son
ISBN139781632165312
edition languageEnglish
seriesSons #1

A Stella Review: A Bond of Three by K.C. Wells

Rating: 3,5 out of 5 stars

I was really curious about this book and so happy when I scored the ARC. But it disappointed me a little.
Let’s start from the beginning. The blurb tells you everything you need to know, but I honestly thought I was going to read a different story, in some ways I thought it would have been more troubling. Instead what I found was a really sweet book.

Set in the kingdom of Teruna where young boys and girls are forced to leave their family and join the Seruan, becoming the lower caste, Prince Tanish and Seruan Feyar are together for seven years. It’s love at first sight but it needs to be a secret. When the fear of an attack from an enemy kingdom brought the King to look for an alliance with the neighbor King of Vancor, the wedding between Tanish and the Prince of Vancor, Sorran, seems the only way to join two kingdoms and be ready to face a war.

The young Sorran is sweet and innocent and he needs someone to teach him the art of love. Guess who’s chosen as a teacher? Our Feyar. Both Tanish and Feyar can’t oppose to the king’s order but they are resolute in their dislike of the young one. But Sorran is hard to resist and as Fate would have it, love will become the bond that will tie the three of them forever.

I loved how the author presents the three MCs. They’re so young but so firm in their decisions and their love. Each one of them is the perfect one for the other ones. Especially I loved Sorran, cause he will be the one to show Feyar and Tanish the path to a new era full of equality and justice.

Now, why the disappointment? I honestly was waiting for something to happen. But everything went pretty smooth. I’m not saying the book is boring. On the contrary, it is enjoyable, really sweet and things happened. But I was waiting for something more, especially for a fantasy book where pretty much everything is allowed. Just a little more action or drama.

I want to add that the characters and every scene are described very well. KC is a master in her writing. I like her style, her fluency and easiness in every sentence. I was so glad she chose to use an alternate POV between the three men , it was perfect way to understand every shade of their feelings.

I can honestly say I preferred her contemporary books. But if you are looking for a light read with a lot of sweetness, some hot sex and some magical aspects, you can’t miss A Bond Of Three.

Cover Design Alexander Tsopanakis,Cover Photo R.J. Sebastian

The cover fits the three MCs perfectly and the models aren’t bad at all. If you have read anything by Miss Wells I think you’re already used to see some beauty on her covers. This one is no exception.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon to come Buy It here

Book Details

ebook, 264 pages
Expected publication: January 19th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632166838
edition languageEnglish

Down Under Author: L. J. Harris

Meet L.J. Harris

L.J. Harris is the author of Heart of Glass and other story listed below.

To get to know L. J. Harris a little better, the author agreed to an interview. Look for the interview below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.

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L. J. HARRIS is a mother of teenage twin boys who she loves with all her heart. Her family is her life, her soul, and the very reason she gets out of bed every day. Coming a close second to her family is her writing.

She only just discovered a passion for writing in the past five or so years. She’d always written little poems in birthday cards for family members, but that was as far as her writing aspirations went…until she decided to write poems and give them to family members as homemade gifts.

It was then a spark was lit, and ever since, she hasn’t been unable to switch off the urge to write.

After a close family member fell ill, she began questioning what she wanted and searching for answers. Unable to sleep one night, she sat up and typed out her feelings on the laptop. Her husband read what she’d written and encouraged her to write more. It was then she knew she wanted to share her thoughts with others. She began with writing what she knew–her life story, but couldn’t get into it. Instead, she decided to write about something not based on fact, but fiction, and wrote a dream sequence which she showed to her family. They encouraged her to expand on it, and she hasn’t stopped since.

L.J. Harris discovered that as much as enduring pain, loss, betrayal, or any other negative thing in our lives can be devastating, if she hadn’t experienced them for herself, she not only wouldn’t have found some lifelong friends, she doubts she would have been able to write the feelings of anguish and loss that some of her characters have had to endure.

L.J. has been previously published and has shared several online stories and looks forward to continuing to share her work.

Contacts/Follow at :
Twitter: @LJHarrisAuthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/heartofdark0858/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6506545.L_J_Harris
Blog: https://theworldofljharris.blogspot.com.au
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/heartofdarkess
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LJHarrisAuthor?ref=hl author page

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Out now:

Heart of Glass (Bottom Drawer Publications)

This story was originally included in the SECOND CHANCES Anthology released in August 2012 and has been individually released to celebrate BDP’s anniversary.

Days after arriving in Australia for a working holiday, Zack Doherty is blindsided by the connection he instantly feels to Heath Connors, but circumstances don’t work in their favour. Zack is uncharacteristically forward in pushing Heath to accept a date when fate gives him a second opportunity.

Heath has only recently had the courage to admit his true self, walking away from his marriage and a good job when he could no longer lie to himself. The attraction he feels for a stranger that fleetingly crossed his path confirms he made the right choice.

Will Zack be the one to mend Heath’s heart of glass?

Kindle Edition, 203 pages
Published August 31st 2012 by Bottom Drawer Publications
ASINB0094AEQK2
edition languageEnglish

Just Like Pulling Teeth (Bollocks Anthology from Wayward Ink Press)

A trip to the dentist has never been so… interesting…
Kindle Edition, 54 pages
Published November 7th 2014 by Wayward Ink Press
ASINB00OJ31N2I
edition languageEnglish

Genre(s):

m/m romance/erotica

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Contests and Giveaways:

1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you, L.J. Harris) is an eBook copy the reader’s choice of either my e-book Just Like Pulling Teeth or Heart of Glass via amazon. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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When did you start writing?

Five years ago.

Were you a reader as a child?

Yes.

What books as a child has the most impact on you?

My favourite was a pop up Wizard of Oz book. Also loved Disney stories such as Pinocchio and Cinderella.
Did that impression carry over into adulthood when you started writing?

I worked in a library for 11 years so that fed my addiction.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

People watching. Situations I find myself in can also often trigger an idea. And when I get writers block the shower is my place from which to draw inspiration.

Favorite genres to write in and why?

Love a good love story! I’ve always been a fan of reading the story of how two people meet.
Title or characters or plot? Which comes first?

Characters 90 percent of the time.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written?

That’s like choosing one child over another. All my characters have different aspects I love about them.

Favorite quote (doesn’t matter the source):

“Friends are the family you wish you had.”

Favorite book/story you have read as an adult:

Too many to name.

Do you have a certain regimen that you follow as a writer?

Not at all. I’m a ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ kinda girl.

What inspired you to write your first book?

As stated in my bio, a close member of my family fell ill. My father was my inspiration, my rock, and as a talented musician himself, the one person who understood me. He passed 2 years ago, and I miss him every day. He and my husband were the ones who inspired me to write my first sentence, and I haven’t looked back since.

Do you have a specific writing style?

See above (fly by the seat of my pants). I find that until I start to write a character, and peel back the layers little by little, only then will plot points make themselves known.

What’s the hardest part of writing your books? Writers block! They need to make a pill…

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your first book?

Oh God yes! Mostly tweaking bits and pieces, nothing major.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor or has the biggest influence on you?

It’s impossible to choose one, but a group of people including M B Feeney, R E Hargrave, Kaye P Hallows and my co-author in a story that is close to my heart P Austin are among the endless number of people who have encouraged, inspired and made me feel as though I belong in the world of the author.

What book are you reading now?

Kaye P Hallows ‘Take my Chances’.

How do you think books written from authors in Australia or New Zealand differ in style, language, and culture?

Well the spelling and slang is often something readers from countries outside Aus/NZ have to contend with. The unique settings these countries provide also make for a nice change in backdrop, language, characters and scenes, the whole shebang.

My first impression of AUS/NZ was from stories and novels like Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds or Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice as well as from movies like The Man from Snowy River, The Dish, Rabbit Proof Fence, Strictly Ballroom, and yes, Crocodile Dundee! There are so many out there. What is your favorite AUS/NZ stories and favorite Australian/New Zealand movies?

Anything by N R Walker (Red Dirt Heart series is my fave) or Renae Kaye (Safe in His Arms and The Shearing Gun are fab!).. I have read everything he’s written and it’s all fantastic. Movies: The Lord of the Rings series (and Hobbit) for NZ, and Strictly Ballroom is my fave Aussie film.

If you were a tour guide, what would you like a visitor to see and what impression would you want them to take away with them when they leave?

I haven’t travelled so long I couldn’t say, but I guess the Great Barrier Reef would be a great start, followed by going to Crystal Creek rainforest retreat on the mid-north coast of NSW. Hubs and I went on our honeymoon there.

What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

I haven’t travelled much, but do go between home and the coast to see family on a regular basis.

What are your current projects?
His Personal Assistant, my new m/m novel.

What’s next up for you?
Finishing up HPA early 2015 and publishing, then working on whichever of my partially done documents inspires me.

Q: Is there any genre you love to read but wouldn’t tackle yourself?

Most definitely. Anything kinky – yes I am naughty and I love to read it (but it has to have a good plotline too) but would be terrified to write it.

Down Under Day 20: Meet L.J. Harris and our AUS/NZ Facts of the Day

Welcome, L. J. Harris!

Our featured author today is L. J. Harris, who resides in Australia. Please stop by her author page that follows for her interview, books, bio and giveaway! And don’t forget to search out today’s Down Under Scavenger Hunt word. As we are winding down our Down Under Author Showcase, what new authors and books have you discovered? What new facts have you learned about Australia and New Zealand? Drop us a line and let us know!

Here are our Down Under Facts of the Day for Australia and New Zealand

Australia Fact of the Day

The Big Dry
Australia has the lowest precipitation of any of the world’s inhabited continents. (Antarctica gets less.) 70 percent of Australia gets less than 500 mm (20 inches) of rainfall per year.

Australia’s Desert Country

One third of Australia’s land is desert. Australia has 10 deserts of which the largest is the Great Victoria Desert, covering just under 5 percent of the country. Ironically, the Great Victoria Desert is not located in Victoria but is in Western Australia and South Australia. The Great Victoria Desert covers 348,750 square kilometres which makes it around one and a half times bigger than the UK or slightly smaller than Montana.

New Zealand Fact of the Day

New Zealand is part of the Pacific Rim of Fire. Mount Ruapehu, situated in the middle of North Island, is the most active volcano on mainland.

The highest rainfall in a year in New Zealand was a drenching 18.4 meters (60 feet) in 1997-1998 at Cropp River on the west of the South Island.

Get Wild with Draven St. James’ Wolf’s Sacrifice (Pack of Light) book tour and contest

Book Name: Wolf’s Sacrifice (Pack of Light)
Book two in a series. This title can be read as a standalone.
Author Name: Draven St. James

Author Bio:

Draven St. James is a born and raised Oregonian. She has traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill her books. Her ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where she finds her peace.

Where to find Draven:

Facebook
Facebook Author Page
Website
Twitter
Email: Dravenstjames@gmail.com

Publisher: Loose Id
Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs

Sales Links:

Blurb:

Sean Maddox has one basic goal: to protect the Northwest Pack. That priority helps him stay grounded—until the day the pack rescues Liam. Suddenly Sean is finding any excuse to be around the sweet, blind shifter. But trying to focus his thoughts on keeping Liam safe and not exploring the whole laundry list of carnal fantasies he’s been having is anything but grounding. It doesn’t help that Sean’s wolf makes it damn clear it believes Liam belongs to him.

From the first deep breath of Sean Maddox’s intoxicating scent, all Liam wants to do is strip naked for the sexy beta and let the wolf claim him. Hiding away his desires seems like the best plan, given after a lifetime in captivity Liam is just learning what it means to be free. What does he know about being a mate? More to the point, would Sean even want him if he knew the truth?

As Sean and Liam struggle with their growing craving for each other an old enemy steps out of the shadows. With secrets lurking and fate twisting two worlds together a sacrifice must be made, but can the two mates live with the consequences?

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal

Excerpt:

“You don’t have to stay here with me,” Liam murmured.

Sean twisted the cap off Liam’s root beer and pressed the condensation-slick bottle to Liam’s hand until his slender fingers curled around it.

“I know,” he responded, studying a drop of moisture slipping off the bottle to make a damp trail along Liam’s hand.

“Guarding me?” After propping the bottle between his thighs, Liam licked the drop that had traveled to the pulsing blue vein of his wrist.

“I can be around you without being part of your protective detail.” Sean swallowed past his suddenly parched throat. The man had no idea how seductive his innocent movements were.

Liam reached out until his hand was on Sean’s thigh. “Just giving you a hard time.”

You have no idea.

Pages or Words: 50,700 words

Tour Dates: January 20th, 2015

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Amanda C. Stone, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, Love Bytes, Sinfully Sexy, Full Moon Dreaming, Christy Loves 2 Read, The Blogger Girls, Charley Descoteaux, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Fallen Angel Reviews, Cate Ashwood, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, My Fiction Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, Jade Crystal, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Andrew Q. Gordon

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A MelanieM Review: Bayou des Enfants (Rougaroux Social Club #4) by Lynn Lorenz

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

A year has passed since Scott Dupree took Ted Canedo as his mate and assumed leadership of the St. Jerome pack. They’ve moved in together into Scott’s house near the bayou, Ted’s private detective business is slowly getting off the ground as is Ted’s career as an artist. Scott’s police department is solidly behind Scott so what could go wrong?

That would be Scott’s mother, Darlene Dupree. She’s not happy because she wants grandkids and she wants them now. As she usually does, Maman, (as Scott and Ted call her) takes matters into her own hands. A little spell or two in the middle of the night next to the bayou and Maman’s magic sets events in motion that has profound ramifications for all in the bayou.

What happens when two boys are suddenly in need of a home and parents? Especially when Ted isn’t even sure kids are something he wants? It’s chaos when change is forced upon everyone with just one accident. Ted and Scott have a chance to become not just partners but parents and a family, if only they and everyone else can agree!

I have loved this series from Lynn Lorenz from the first story, Bayou Dreams (Rougaroux Social Club, #1). It was a clever tweak by Lorenz that had Scott’s wolf being attracted to Ted before Scott was. And throughout the story we watched as Ted tried to overcome his fear of involvement with a man who had been “straight” as well as Scott trying to adjust his ideas of sexuality to the needs of his wolf which soon becomes the needs of the man. Plus there was the whole “and I’m a werewolf” thing to adjust to as well as a magical spell throwing Mama to contend with. I fell in love with every bit of characterization and plot that Lorenz threw at me and then some. And I have followed the series gleefully ever since, through three stories to arrive here at what is possibly the last story in the series, Bayou des Enfants.

Maman has been a strong character in every story and usually the impetus for events and relationship explosions that happen along the way. See, Maman wants what she wants and uses magic to do it but her spells never go as planned, veering off onto another unexpected wild path to the end she wants and asked for. I adore Maman and her raggedly black cat, she is straight out of the bayou, with a complicated religious outlook and dialog that rises right out of the swampy waters near her home. One thing Maman has always wanted was first for Scott to get married (check, although not the way she planned) and now she wants grandchildren. And yes, that doesn’t occur the way she wants either. It never does.

The children that arrive at Scott and Ted’s home feel so real. They are hurt, grieving, and troubled, well, at least one is troubled and more than a “handful” as they say. Lorenz makes these children so believable and vulnerable that the reader becomes invested in their safety and future almost immediately. Also just as authentic is the community’s reactions to a gay couple wanting children and the CPS involvement in everything that occurs. While there was not be as much action as in the past stories here, the emotional adjustments that have to go on and the shifting of attitudes that must take place come so cautiously and slow that the suspense is enough to pull us in and keep our attention firmly focused on the people and events happening.

Did I love the ending? Absolutely. I have been meaning to ask Lynn Lorenz if this is it for St. Jerome, Ted, Scott, Maman and all the rest. I hope not. I want many more tales to come just as surely Maman has more spells to cast to shake up any community. Here’s hoping for more Rougaroux Bayou stories in the future.

If you are new to this series, they really should be read in the order they were written. Otherwise some of the people, events and relationship developments must not make sense. I highly recommend this series to all lovers of romance, wolf shifters, and the bayou setting of Louisiana!

Cover Artist April Martinez has done a good job in branding the series with her covers, they belong together as a group. I just wished the setting had a little larger place somewhere in the design. It just doesn’t convey much about the story inside.

Sales Links: Loose id LLC All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy it here

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 25th 2014 by Loose Id (first published November 24th 2014)
original titleBayou des Enfants
edition languageEnglish
seriesRougaroux Social Club #4

Rougaroux Social Club Series in the order they were written and should be read:

Bayou Dreams (Rougaroux Social Club, #1)
Bayou’s End (Rougaroux Social Club, #2)
Bayou Loup (Rougaroux Social Club, #3)
Bayou des Enfants (Rougaroux Social Club, #4)

A Mika Review: The Harvest: Taken (The Harvest #1) by M.A. Church

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

We are not alone. In the year 2050 mankind’s never-ending quest for proof life exists in the universe is answered—in the form of massive space ships that appear without warning above the capitals of all major nations. The name of their planet is Tah’Nar—and is dying. The United States sets up a lottery system, and each young man between the ages of twenty-three and twenty-eight is assigned a number. Once a year, for the next five years, numbers will be drawn and a new set of one thousand males will be collected. The media coined the expression ‘The Harvest’ for when the Tah’Narian’s collect these young men.   Captain Keyno Landium Shou is a Tah’Narian starship captain who has been granted the right to take a mate, any mate, he wants during the last harvest on Earth. Dale was seventeen when the aliens first appeared. His parents assumed he’d be safe since the final collection would be done before he turned twenty-three. He didn’t fall within the guidelines established, so they took for granted he had nothing to fear.  They were wrong.

This book had ridiculousness all over it, and I loved every second of it. C’mon, it had me at mpreg. Something I’ve been enjoying more and more. M.A. Church is a new author to me, and while I constantly rolled my eyes at the silly notions to things that happened in the book I really enjoyed it. Honestly, I felt like this was a mf book the entire time. It was silly, but I liked it for a first time mpreg story. Dale wasn’t supposed to be in the lottery for Humans take for The Harvest. He basically was kidnapped illegally. He went from being pissed off to protective in 96 hours to Keyno the alien that had him Taken.

It was a big production between these two, but again I love it. I loved it for it’s sugary sweetness that was in the book. Dale didn’t have to wait long for some since of familiarity, on the ship was his best friend Chad that got Harvested the previous year, you would think Dale would have been happy but of course he thought Chad was crazy for thinking Space was his home. Well after their “talk” about what was expected Dale had a change of heart. From here on out it was sugary sweetness. Keyno was a sweetheart who has wanted Dale since meeting Chad last year. I actually liked the aliens here.

Of course Dale wouldn’t be Dale without the problems he presented in the beginning, because of his health he had to be Double Dosed so his body could adhere to the changes of the pregnancy. I found myself laughing and smiling throughout the book. I definitely read it because of the smut, and sugary sweetness involved in the story. Also the King’s Husband pulled at my heart strings. What do you know Dale made quite the impression on these aliens. I would recommend to lovers of fantasy, mpreg, sugary sweet smut readers.

Cover Artist Lou Harper had a perfect picture of Dale after his slight alteration. I liked it, he even got use to it. It was fitting for the story.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, Smashwords, 195 pages
Published October 1st 2014 by M.A. Church (first published October 30th 2013)
ISBN139781626330252
edition languageEnglish
url
seriesThe Harvest #1

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Meet L.J. Harris

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