Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/Aleksandr Voinov/L. A. Witt blog tour for the latest installment in the Bluewater Bay series, Lone Wolf!
Contest: Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of one eBook off each of our backlists (excluding Lone Wolf) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 28th, and winners will be announced on December 29th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.
LONE WOLF Blurb:
Hunter Easton is screwed. Fans, producers, and his agent are all chomping at the bit for the next book in his wildly popular Wolf’s Landing series, but he’s got epic writer’s block and is way behind deadline. Then he reads The World Tree, a fanfic novel by his online friend “Lone Wolf.” It isn’t just a great story—it’s exactly what the series needs.
Kevin Hussain is thrilled when “Wolf Hunter” wants to meet up after reading The World Tree. When Wolf Hunter turns out to be Hunter Easton himself, Kevin is starstruck. When Hunter tells him he wants to add The World Tree to Wolf’s Landing, Kevin is sure he’s being pranked. And when their online chemistry carries over—big time—into real life, Kevin is convinced it’s all too good to be true.
The problem is . . . it might be. The book deal, the sex, the money—everything is amazing. But fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Kevin is left wondering if Hunter really loves him, or just loves his book.
Book Details:
Buy It Here!A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Highly Recommended Read
Author: Aleksandr VoinovL.A. Witt
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62649-239-4
eBook release: Dec 22, 2014
eBook Formats: pdf, mobi, html, epub
Print ISBN: 978-1-62649-240-0
Print release: Dec 22, 2014
Word count: 96,000, Page count: 358
Type: Standalone
Cover by: L.C. Chase
This title is part of the Bluewater Bay universe.
Author Bios:
EPIC Award winner and Lambda Award finalist Aleksandr Voinov is an emigrant German author living near London, where he works as a financial editor. His genres range from science fiction and fantasy to thriller, historical, contemporary, thriller, and erotica. His books were/are published by Random House Germany, Samhain Publishing, Riptide Publishing and others.
If he isn’t writing, he studies sports massage, explores historical sites, and meets other writers. He single-handedly sustains three London bookstores with his ever-changing research projects. His current interests include special forces operations during World War II, the history of chess, european magical traditions, and how to destroy the world and plunge it into a nuclear winter without having the benefit of nuclear weapons.
L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer currently living in the glamorous and ultra-futuristic metropolis of Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a disembodied penguin brain that communicates with her telepathically. In addition to writing smut and disturbing the locals, L.A. is said to be working with the US government to perfect a genetic modification that will allow humans to survive indefinitely on Corn Pops and beef jerky.
This is all a cover, though, as her primary leisure activity is hunting down her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who is also said to be lurking somewhere in Omaha.
L.A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).
It’s that time of the year for the Best of Lists. Here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words its the books that have stuck with us, made us laugh, made us cry, made us think and dream.
Mika’s Best of 2014!
I had two favorite books of the year! But after those, I have listed, in no particular order, the other memorable books that I couldn’t put down.
Winnowing down my list of Best Books is always a near impossible project. To me it always feels like trying to leave a book shop during a particularly wonderful sale. My arms are full to overflowing with books, with ones toppling off the pile here and there as I totter over to the sales counter. My impulse is to go back and get more because all are books I loved and need to have near me. Sigh. And this year makes it particularly hard. So many great books came out this year, terrific short stories,, fabulous endings to series I love…..so this is as close as I got…check it all out below:
Fight or fuck, that was the decree of the Empress, and the way of life for her gladiators.
Lucan is an Unnamed – a slave with little skill, belonging to a house that is falling more by the day, until it finally crumbles. It is then that he becomes property of House Vulpinius, the Slaver-Priests. He is literally marked and claimed, bound by an Ebon that is rumored to only be broken by the truest of loves.
Little does he know that he’s part of a bigger plan, one in which he will become a puppet. Ignorant, he relishes being trained by Hektor Actaeon, primus palus and most favored by even the empress herself. Between blood, gore, battle, and love, their story winds together in an inseparable way.
But Lucan is simply a pawn in this game, and even his survival is not guaranteed.
“Pain is temporary,” Hektor’s words rang in the back of his mind. “Glory will resound through the ages.”
I simply cannot hide the fact that I have a thing for historical stories that involve warriors, particularly gladiators. There’s something so enchanting about the grotesque nature of their fights and the sheer violence that dictates their culture. So, of course, I was pumped for Slave Eternal.
The story is far from historically accurate, and the author acknowledges that in the beginning, mentioning that she takes liberties. With the basis of a gladiators life she creates a culture that is quite intriguing – and hot. Even the most evil of characters drew me in and made me engaged in their stories.
Unfortunately, it had some downfalls. For one, the editor missed a few things. For example, at one point during a Claim, the name of the one to be claimed is incorrect – it switches to a past character instead of the one it should be. Granted, it switches right back, but at the moment it takes you out of the story. Also, there were some typos peppered in, but nothing I couldn’t overlook. I think the thing that will lead most people to roll their eyes is the choice of words, most often during sex. I wish I could just tell authors that they do not need to crack open the thesaurus to find more words for cock or dick. Those are just fine, thank you. Furthermore, you do not have to embellish every description. It didn’t annoy me as much as I know it will annoy others, but sometimes I just wanted to say “for the love of God, you can just call it a cock. It doesn’t have to be a pole or man flesh.”
I’m also not a big fan of the blurb because it gives away some really great parts of the plot, and some of my favorite elements. Lover pinned against lover in a battle to the death? Talk about tension. If she had kept it a surprise, it would’ve had so much more impact. It’s still a very interesting plot line, especially when you throw in just a dash of dark magic to make everything all that more interesting. It wasn’t enough that I felt like it dominated the book, but it had a backdrop as to what made certain characters act the way they did at times. It just would’ve been better served, again, if the author didn’t make everything come out in the blurb.
Still, did this story quench my gladiator thirst? That it did! I would certainly read more of this series, and I hope we get to see Alession, the evil bastard that he is, get a taste of his own medicine. Or love. I’m cool with either.
The cover art by Fiona Jayde Media speaks to the story. With a coliseum in the background, it sets the stage for much of the story. My only point of contention is that the hairstyle is borderline mullet, but beyond that, it’s a nice cover for a pretty good story.
The holidays are upon and so are the holiday story collections. Comfort and Joy Anthology is brimming over with tales from Josh Lanyon, Joanna Chambers, L.B. Gregg, and Harper Fox. Within the covers these authors bring tidings of joy, sorrow, humor, hope, and of course, comfort in extraordinary measure.
Readers must have been very good this year because never have our stockings been so full of marvelous collections of stories about Christmas and the holidays. In my top 3 anthologies, resting easily is Comfort and Joy from four outstanding authors, each story with its own twist and tone to make it both heart wrenching as well as memorable.
What makes this anthology (as with all top three) so wonderful and heartwarming? Depth for one thing, depth in emotion, characterization and tone. Complexity in the plots and layering. Also poignancy, a little reflection and sadness that comes to all at this time of the year as well as the wish to be a better person, for yourself and for others. These stories remind me more of Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and less Deck The Halls. Yes, the latter is lovely, lighthearted and whimsical but the truth in the meaning behind these holidays, our expectations and our memories go far deeper and that’s the feeling and dimension these stories bring. They remind us that comfort is needed along with the joy, and that hope can follow on the heels of sadness and despair.
Rest and Be Thankful by Joanna Chambers:
Two stormy hearts find peace when feuding neighbors in the Scottish Highlands are trapped by a blizzard.
Things aren’t going well for Cam McMorrow since he moved to Inverbechie. His business is failing, his cottage is falling apart and following his very public argument with café owner Rob Armstrong, he’s become a social outcast.
Cam needs to get away from his troubles and when his sister buys him a ticket to the biggest Hogmanay party in Glasgow, he can’t leave Inverbechie quick enough. But when events conspire to strand him in the middle of nowhere in a snowstorm, not only is he liable to miss the party, he’ll also have to ask his nemesis, Rob, for help.
The synopsis doesn’t do this beautiful short story justice. At its heart is Cam McMorrow, a man who is his own worst enemy. It’s his wonderful childhood memories and his inherited cottage from his grandparents that moved Cam to return to Inverbechie to start up his tourist based Adventure business. But nothing has gone as expected. The seasonal fluctuations and the accompanying loss of income has put everything he has worked so hard for at risk and the depression and anger he feels has resulted in some poor choices made with the local folk. But even though we (and Cam) recognize his part in the bad situation he finds himself in, we can’t help but sympathize and love him. And it’s not all his fault, there have been some exceedingly poor judgement calls on parts of the local townspeople as well. Cam is in the depths of despair when we meet him. It his journey out to something better, more hopeful that is the wealth of this story. I hope Joanna Chambers will revisit this Cam, Rob, and Inverbechie. All three deserve a bigger story and a true HEA.
Out by Harper Fox
Can a stranger unlock the courage and passion in a young man’s captive heart?
It’s Christmas at Edinburgh’s magnificent Barlinney Hotel, and chief housekeeper Cosmo Grant is in charge of the festivities. He’s already got his hands full when handsome Ren Vaudrey checks in.
It soon turns out that Ren is an undercover cop. Cosmo wants to help him, but unless he can do it within the Barlinney’s walls, Cosmo is stuck. A victim of crippling agoraphobia, he’s been a prisoner in this gilded cage for over a year. Cosmo gathers all his courage to do the right thing by Ren and Sam—and as a glittering Christmas Eve descends on the city, finds himself confronting his very darkest fears.
If anyone had told me that an outstanding Christmas story centered around a traumatized, agoraphobic young man living in an expensive, first class hotel, I might have scoffed…aloud. Except that it’s Harper Fox telling the tale, bringing to life Cosmo Grant, a vulnerable, warm hearted and superbly efficient chief housekeeper at Edinburgh’s Barlinney Hotel. It was Cosmo’s bad luck to be held hostage during a robbery gone bad and the trauma has left Cosmo extremely agoraphobic, unable to leave the Barlinney at any cost. Within its gorgeous confines, Cosmo works, eats, lives…marginally, his fear keeping him inside where he is terrorized by the hotel’s toady of a manager. Then in sweeps police inspector Ren Vaudrey undercover and Cosmo’s life starts to enlarge once more. There is a mystery, crooks galore, and romance.
I love Harper Fox and everything her pen touches turns to gold and in this case, to red and green with a tang of pine and something floral that Cosmo has fixed for the lobby. Could I tell Harper Fox wrote this story? Why, yes I could.
Waiting for Winter by LB Gregg:
Some mistakes are worth repeating.
Luke always thought he and Winter were the perfect couple—until the day Winter announced he was taking a new job and they were uprooting and headed for Germany. No discussion. No debate. For the first time in his life, Winter miscalculated. Badly. Now Luke is trying his best to move on with his life, but Winter is back in town and he’s set on digging their relationship out of the deep freeze.
A wealth of assumptions and misunderstandings can derail even the most loving relationships as Luke and Winter find out. Now its the holidays and a time for reconciliation and second chances. I love how L.B. Gregg writes relationships! They feel so real, that when something goes wrong between the people involved, the reader feels just as unsettled and sad as the couple. In Waiting for Winter, Gregg portrays the relationship that was like an artist uses negative space in a painting, its defined by what Luke and Winter no longer have, whether its the joys of their intertwined families, houses and experiences. That Winter and their “coupleness” is missed is accentuated by the places and people Luke visits, all of whom knew them as a couple. We pine for the loss of Winter and hope that this reunion will take. I loved the ending, that was perfect.
Baby, It’s Cold by Josh Lanyon:
Or maybe it’s the flu. Breaking up is hard to do — especially around the holidays.
Talk about Kitchen Nightmares! TV Chef Rocky and Foodie blogger Jesse have been pals forever, so it should have been the most natural thing in the world to move their relationship to the next level. Instead, it turned out to be a disaster. But Christmas is the season of love, and someone’s cooking up a sweet surprise…
From sadness and comfort to happiness and celebration, it’s fitting that this anthology end with heartfelt humor and joy which it does with Baby, It’s Cold by Josh Lanyon. Two old friends, chef Rocky and food blogger Jesse have tried in the past to have a relationship but it didn’t work out. Now Jesse figures a blizzard and a surprise dinner is just the way to find out if he and Rocky can salvage not only their friendship but perhaps try again for something more. What could go wrong?
Considering it’s Josh Lanyon at the helm, just about everything, from misunderstandings, kitchen disasters, and a unexpected visitor, Rocky and Jesse have many obstacles in their path before they can move forward to a future together they both want. I love the dialog and the past histories Lanyon has detailed for both main characters are as fascinating as they are. There is always a certain tartness about a Josh Lanyon story, a little wryness to go with the sweet, a little savory for balance and that keeps the characters and their situations feeling believable and human without being saccharine. Yes, our history often dictates our present behavior, whether we want it to or not. Lanyon gets that and folds it into his people and their relationships. So that when the pop of the champagne cork sounds the arrival of a happy ending, we and Rocky and Jesse have earned it. Just a wonderful tale, I loved it.
Love holiday stories? Are these authors on your automatic buy list? No matter the reason, pick up this anthology and have yourself a merry little Christmas, or Chanukah, or whatever holiday you may celebrate. These are stories to read no matter the season. Comfort and Joy is on Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2014 List! And now I will leave you with the incomparable Judy Garland singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas!
Cover Art by Johanna Ollila. Cover is nice if a little bland, a little too generic for my tastes.
For years, Beck Lund has taken care of his volatile boyfriend, Brady, always putting Brady’s needs above his own and walking on eggshells to keep the peace. After Brady overdoses on heroin, his death devastates Beck. Thankfully, Beck’s best friend, Timothy Kallis, finds him the help he needs. Beck slowly starts to recover and moves in with Timothy to get back on his feet, but he’s oblivious that Timothy is secretly nursing romantic affection for him. Beck focuses on his own healing for the first time in his life. After months of challenging his codependent tendencies and learning how to stand up for himself, Beck finally starts to trust his gut and hopes to one-day love again. Timothy is patient throughout, taking care of Beck in ways no one ever has. But if Beck can’t recognize Timothy’s affection for him, it might be too late for them to move beyond friendship.
I loved this book. Wow, I am thoroughly impressed with this book. Posy Roberts definitely brings the emotions out of you. I love her Northern Spark series too. That was such an realistic fiction series, and I truly adored it. This book was such an easy read as it was the right pace for me. Not too fast, or slow but just right It was easy to fall in love with Timothy. He was this perfect guy. I mean he did not once push boundaries, he was there for Beck, he did not judge him.
Beck was such an amazing guy. How did he put up with being in a relationship for 11 years and it all being about the other guy? I applaud his strength, his will, and his heart. This book touched on a lot about grief, guilt, and death. The beginning of the story was hard to read since it was from Beck’s point of view, it was everything he had to endure. I could not imagine being in love, or dedicating myself for so long to one person who is not in love with you first. I mean it is almost like Beck having to sacrifice him in order to be in a relationship. Throughout all grief he endured was Timothy standing in the background willing to help, listen or just be a friend to Beck.
I would recommend this book to anyone. I truly loved it, I found myself crying at some parts but it was elation for Beck mostly. He had to learn how to be about Beck. He should growth from the beginning towards the end. Why 4.5 stars instead of 5? I loved it for sure, but I did feel like I need an epilogue at the ending. While I was happy with ending, I just didn’t want it to end, but it is classic Posy for her to cut it off. Crosses fingers we at least get a novella about these two.
Cover Artist: Maria Fanning did a lovely job, poignant and perfect.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) amazon Buy It Here Book Details:
eBook, pages
to be Published December 24, 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632164667
Edition Language: English
Book Name: My Mate, Jack Goodreads Link: My Mate Jack Author Name: Garrett Leigh
Author Bio:
Rainbow Award winner Garrett Leigh is a British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Black Jazz Press. Her protagonists will always always be tortured, crippled, broken, and deeply flawed. Throw in a tale of enduring true love, some stubbly facial hair, and a bunch of tattoos, and you’ve got yourself a Garrett special.
When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible. That, and dreaming up new ways to torture her characters. Garrett believes in happy endings; she just likes to make her boys work for it.
Garrett also works as a freelance cover artist for various publishing houses and independent authors under the pseudonym G.D. Leigh. For cover art info, please visit blackjazzpress.com
Will Barter’s been in love with his best mate Jack for as long as he can remember. They’ve shared everything: love, life, laughs, even Will’s first kiss. But Jack’s straight, and Will’s long-buried infatuation means nothing until their last summer together draws to a close.
Then one night, everything changes, but with Will bound for university in Leeds, and Jack for his dream DJ job in Ibiza, there’s no time to explore their blurred lines. Before long all that’s left are secrets, lies, and misunderstandings.
In the months that follow, anger and hurt overshadow fifteen years of friendship, and Will must dig deep to remember Jack is his mate… his best mate, and nothing matters more than that, right?
Jack laughed. He lay back on Will’s bed and folded his arms behind his head, all dark eyes and shaggy hair. “You’re such a dreamer. No wonder you don’t notice any blokes. I was saying we could practice kissing if you want. You know, so you’re not nervous next time the bottle lands on you.”
This time Will couldn’t stop the beer going down the wrong way. He coughed. “Next time? What are you going to do? Out me to the whole school by snogging my face off? I’d rather smooch the girls.”
“Liar.” But Jack looked sheepish all the same. “Okay, maybe we shouldn’t mess around in front of other people, but I still reckon you should try your techniques out on me. Ginny says I’m the best kisser in the whole school, and she should know.” Jack swooned and pitched into a fit of weed-fueled giggles.
Will dove at him and pushed him off the other side of the bed. “It’s not funny, arsehole. I’m the only gay in the whole bloody town. I’m going to die a virgin at this rate.”
Jack hit the floor with a thump. He lay there a moment, still laughing, then hauled himself back onto the bed. “Chill out, mate. No one said anything about bonking.”
Will tried to grin. Chill out. Yeah, right. Jack had been taking the piss since that stupid bloody bottle had put the idea of them kissing in his daft head. “You’re not funny.”
Jack sobered and stared with an expression Will couldn’t decipher. “I wasn’t joking, at least not about the kissing part. We’re friends, right? Ginny and Meg snog all the time.”
He had a point. The girls were always messing around with each other, and Will had often watched them and maligned the fact that girls had it easy… from his point of view, at least. They could do whatever they wanted and no one cared. It would be a different story if Will jumped on Jack in the middle of the park. Snogged his face off and squeezed his arse.
So why not do it here? No one will ever know.
Pages or Words: 104 pages
Tour Dates: December 23, 2014
Tour Stops:
Parker Williams, Velvet Panic, Havan Fellows, Lee Brazil, Bayou Book Junkie, Love Bytes, EE Montgomery, 3 Chicks After Dark, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Carly’s Book Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Sinfully Sexy, Fallen Angel Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook, MM Good Book Reviews, Up All Night, Read All Day, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings
Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book Copy of ‘My Mate, Jack’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided to enter and for all additional contest details.
Book Name: Shifting Gears – Shifting Paradigm Book Two Author Name: Tina Blenke
Author Bio:
Tina is a retired Air Force brat and has lived in several states as well as a handful of countries. She has always had a soft spot for literature and is a voracious reader. When she isn’t writing, she can be found cuddled up with a good book. Though Tina adores a thrilling novel with sappy lovesick heroes, she is terrified of things that go bump in the night. This makes for quite a complicated relationship with zombies, something that she just can’t get enough of.
Justin has graduated high school and feels the pull to find his destined mate away from the sanctuary of his Shifter family. He makes the decision to leave the sacred Pack Lands to enter the world of the Changeless humans. Only one other Shifter has ever left the sacred homelands searching for his mate and Justin is hopeful that he’ll be just as successful but the threat of violence against Shifters is ever threatening as conflict escalates.
Connor has worked hard to make a name for himself. He is an influential member of society with contacts with the business and political leaders of Whitewater. He owns and manages a successful nightclub that is soon branching off into additional prospects that will open even more red carpet opportunities for him. Everything is falling into place for him financially but he has no one with whom to share his accomplishments.
Justin makes the decision to move to the city and meets his mate when Connor hits him with his car. Connor’s initial reaction is to push Justin away because of his young age but the draw to the young Shifter is too much for Connor to resist. Justin struggles with finding his own way and fights for the chance to prove himself to Connor.
Justin is faced with making the right decisions so he doesn’t push Connor away while fighting with his own wolf to maintain control of his mind and his body. He fights with his own self-doubt in the hopes of proving to Connor that he doesn’t need the man’s success he only needs the man.
The hospital room was easy enough to find once Jason let the central desk know who he was looking for. At the end of the long white hall was a bay of rooms, set in a circular pattern around the nurses’ station and Justin’s room was on the far right.
Glass doors allowed Jason to see into the room and see his cousin’s smiling face talking to a doctor in a long white lab coat. The room was filled with a half dozen vases filled with colorful flowers ranging from wild flowers to orchids and even roses. Odd considering Justin only knew Jason and Eric in the city and Justin’s family hadn’t been contacted about the accident.
Justin beamed when Jason entered the room holding his own bouquet of daisies and a get well card purchased from the downstairs gift shop. Justin lay propped upright with his left leg in a cast and elevated on a stack of pillows. An IV was hooked to his arm and a few scratches covered his forearms and left cheek but other than that he looked good. The benefits of youth had been on his side when the accident occurred.
Pages or Words: 93 pages, 19,009 words
Tour Dates: December 23, 2014
Tour Stops:
Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Molly Lolly, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Bayou Book Junkie, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, BFD Book Blog, MM Good Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Crystal’s Many Reviewers, Carly’s Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Queer Town Abbey, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Fallen Angel Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon
Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Shifting Gears’. Use the link below for all additional contest details and the entry form. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Talon Versuthion cannot catch a break. His parents die when he was young. During a transport mission with his adoptive sister, they crash into Tumaro, a planet of wolf shifters. Upon regaining consciousness after the crash, his sister is missing and he comes face to face with Blazell, the king of Tumaro. To make matters worse for Talon, the king claims they are mates, something Talon never wanted.
Growing up, Blazell and Buck, princes of Tamuro, a member of the Galaxy Peace Allegiance, hear of an ancient prophecy that a member of the Versuthion family will bring about the reemergence of the humanoid race. Buck is kidnapped and tortured for information about the location of this family. Blazell, the older brother, blames himself for not protecting Buck. After his father dies and Blazell becomes king, he makes a vow to find the missing Versuthion family.
Talon Versuthion’s parents were murdered. Later adopted by an Edifican couple, he grows up with his Edifican sister who is also adopted. Just getting by in life, Talon takes a job as an intergalactic cargo transporter with his sister. One day, they take off for Strawxig, a planet of snake shifters. As they begin their approach to the planet, their shuttle is blown off course by a space storm. They are sent thousands of light years off course and crash land into Tamuro.
The Alpha King Blazell arrives just as the male regains consciousness and declares that the man is his mate. Talon, upon hearing thus slips back into the dark. Blazell then goes about the process of making Talon his consort and vows to find the other members of his family. Talon meanwhile must adjust to life as the spouse of the King of Tumaro. With the help of his sister and Blazell’s assistant, Talon must navigate the court and those who seek to overthrow both him as consort and Blazell as king.
This is the first book in Vicktor Alexander’s Passion’s Hero series. One of the most important things a writer must do when writing science fiction is to build his world. The author does an excellent job of this. To start his book, he provides readers with what he calls a “cheat sheet.” In it, he describes the various planets and the people, plants and animals that abound on them. He also defines some terms which come up later in the book. I found this to be very helpful while reading.
The author also elaborates on the wolf shifter culture as he sees it. As with most shifter books, you find your alphas, betas, omegas and elders. He also includes other ranks of wolves and sets out the various functions of those ranks. On top of this, he adds royalty to the wolf hierarchy. Thus, we have Alpha Kings, Alpha Princes (the next in line to the throne) and Beta Princes which is essentially the Spare Heir.
While there is the usual instant attraction that is involved in shifter mate romances, the author shows that this is a real relationship where the couple gets upset at each other, doubts in the mind of the non shifter about the relationship and the need to please your mate. Also, Talon bristles every time he is addressed by his royal title as he sees it as antiquated.
I would highly recommend this engaging first book in Passion’s Hero series and I look forward to its follow-ups.
The cover art by the author depicts Blazell and Talon in the foreground with a landscape of the area around the castle of Tumaro.
Sales Links: Rooster & PigAll Romance (ARe)amazonbuy it here with us Book Details:
Ebook, 285 pages
ISBN: 9780692325610
Edition: English
Published November 30, 2014 by Rooster & Pig Published, 2nd edition
Series: Passion’s Hero
The Alpha King (Passion’s Hero #1)
Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/Lauren Gallagher blog tour for Razor Wire!
Contest: Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (as L.A. Witt or Lauren Gallagher; excludes Razor Wire) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 28th, and winners will be announced on December 29th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.
RAZOR WIRE Blurb:
Two women. One terrible crime. Zero allies.
After being raped by a superior officer, MA3 Kim Lockhoff wants to leave the whole thing in the past. A cop herself, she knows all too well that it’s her word—and slutty reputation—against that of a respected Navy officer.
MA2 Reese Marion, a tough cop hiding her own trauma behind a hard-as-nails exterior, has no patience for pretty little princesses who use their cleavage to win favor with the guys. But when Reese is partnered with Kim, she slowly realizes that reputations can lie. Kim is whip-smart, ambitious—and scared. The man who attacked her won’t let anything damage his career, least of all Kim . . . or the baby she’s carrying as a result.
Isolated on Okinawa, thousands of miles away from home, the two women lean hard on each other. But when Kim confides in Reese, she unwittingly puts her new lover—and both of their careers—in the line of fire. Now her attacker just might have the leverage he needs to keep her quiet for good. Razor Wire is available December 22nd from Riptide Publishing.
Book Details:
Author: Lauren Gallagher
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62649-187-8
eBook release: Dec 22, 2014
eBook Formats: pdf, mobi, html, epub
Print ISBN: 978-1-62649-188-5
Print release: Dec 22, 2014
Word count: 52,900,Page count: 215
Type: Standalone
Cover by: L.C. Chase
– See more at: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/razor-wire#sthash.y1fztIC5.dpuf
Lauren Gallagher is an abnormal romance writer currently living in the wilds of Omaha, Nebraska. She and her husband, along with a coyote-iguana hybrid and two and a half cats, are thought to be in hiding from the Polynesian Mafia and a debt collector in search of a fine for an overdue book from the Library of Alexandria. Lauren continues to skillfully, if somewhat clumsily, elude them, but continues to have run-ins with her arch nemesis, M/M erotic romance author L. A. Witt. The implementation of Operation: I Don’t Think So is expected to resolve that problem soon enough.
Lauren’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).
LONE WOLF Blurb:
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