| Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Lovelorn kangaroo shifter Hamish Mulherne, drummer for the mega-hit rock band Hunter’s Moon, waited years for the band’s jaguar shifter bassist to notice him. Instead, she’s just gotten married and is in a thriving poly relationship. How is Hamish supposed to compete with that? But with everyone else in the band mated and revoltingly happy, he needs somebody. Since he can’t expect true love to strike twice, he signs up with Supernatural Selection. Because what the hell.
When Zeke Oz was placed at Supernatural Selection through the Sheol work-release program, he thought he was the luckiest demon alive. But when he seems responsible for several massive matchmaking errors, he’s put on notice: find the perfect match for Hamish, or get booted back to Sheol for good. The only catch? He has to do it without the agency’s matchmaking spells, and Hamish simply will not engage.
But Zeke starts to believe that the reason all of Hamish’s dates fizzle is because nobody in the database is good enough for him. And Hamish realizes that his perfect match might be the cute demon who’s trying so hard to make him happy.
This series has been so great and I love how it was tied up, I’m probably going to have to go back and read the Fae out of Water series because I liked these characters so much and if the author ever makes another series references these characters it will be on my tbr immediately. Hamish has resigned himself to a life without love and just hopes to find some companionship with the help of Supernatural Selection and against all odds gets registered. Poor Zeke, he’s just trying to escape Sheol and the hell he lives there but seems to have just traded it for another with the restrictions put on him.
I loved that we got to see the couples from the previous books in this one and how great everything was for them even though everyone thought they were mistakes. The twist of how everything was getting mixed up was interesting but I was so glad to see the culprit get what he deserved along with Zeke being able to break free from the prison his life was.
I felt for Zeke from the beginning, all the way from the bullying from the AI and the bullying from his Sheol master, he is just trying to survive and be able to stay in the upper world. Hamish took a little to connect with but that was mostly because he was lying to himself about being able to find love but he quickly grabs onto the idea when he realizes that Zeke would be the perfect one for him. I was so happy for these two to find a happily ever after, especially Zeke as we have seem how much he was struggling in the first two books.
Cover art by LC Chase is great and I love the visual of Zeke with Hamish’s drums and how it is similar to the others in the series.
Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon | B&N
Book Details: ebook, 320 pages Published: February 25, 2019 by Riptide Publishing ISBN: 978-1-62649-858-7 Edition Language: English Series: Supernatural Selection #3
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Category: Books
After decades of unrequited love, this kangaroo will jump at the chance for a date. Any date.If You Love Fantasy Don’t Miss The Book Tour for Apple Boy (The Quiet Work #1) by Isobel Starling
REVIEW TOUR
Book Title: Apple Boy (The Quiet Work #1)
Author: Isobel Starling
Publisher: Decent Fellows Press
Cover Artist: Valentine Pascadian (Lennel)
Genre/s: Fantasy, M/M Romance
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length:103 600 words/ 556 pages
Release Date: February 15, 2019
Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited
Blurb
After a traumatic event, Winter Aeling finds himself destitute and penniless in the backwater town of Mallowick. He needs to travel to the city of Serein and impart grave news that will bring war to the Empire, but without a horse, money, and with not a soul willing to help him, he has no choice but to line up with the common folk seeking paid work on the harvest.
As wagons roll into the market square and farmers choose day laborers, Winter is singled out for abuse by a brute of a farmer. The only man who stands up for him is the farmer’s beguiling son, Adam, and on locking eyes with the swarthy young man Winter feels the immediate spark of attraction.
Winter soon realizes there is a reason he has been drawn to Blackdown Farm. The farmer possesses a precious item that was stolen long ago from Winter’s family, and he determines to retrieve it. He also cannot take his eyes off the farmer’s son, and as the young man opens up Winter can’t help wondering if Adam is just kind or his kind!
About the Author
Isobel Starling spent most of her twenty-year professional career making art in Ireland. She relocated to the UK and, faced with the dreaded artist’s creative block, Isobel started to write and found she loved writing more than making art.
Isobel is currently working on her nineteenth book.
“As You Wish” (Shatterproof Bond#1) narrated by Gary Furlong won the Audiobook Reviewer Award for Romance 2018. It is the first M/M Romance audiobook to win a mainstream audiobook award.
Author Links
REVIEW TOUR SCHEDULE
Review Tour – A Body In A Bathhouse (A Mitch O’Reilly Mystery) by Brad Shreve (excerpt and giveaway)
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
Length: 65,000 words approx.
Cover Design: UmeWorks
Blurb
On the verge of bankruptcy, private investigator, Mitch O’Reilly takes any gig that comes his way, while running his Eye Spy Supply shop in a forgotten Los Angeles strip mall. After two tours in Afghanistan, Mitch’s life amounts to operating his store, coping with his fun-loving sister, Josie, and scoring with anonymous men he meets online. That changes when he gets a break. A beloved comedy scriptwriter is murdered at a bathhouse, and Mitch is hired to prove the innocence of the club custodian. Adapting from a two-bit gumshoe to a high-profile sleuth proves more challenging than he expected.
As if Mitch didn’t have enough to deal with, charismatic bathhouse operator, Trent Nakos, enters his life. After a heartbreaking past, the manager is the definition of a man the brooding P.I. actively avoids.
Following leads from sprawling mansions to sketchy hoods is demanding but becomes more troublesome when deadly threats jeopardize the biggest opportunity of his career.
Excerpt
“This case will be good for both of us,” Eve said. “If we get my client off, we look like heroes. If we don’t, he’s just another Mexican in prison who’ll be forgotten.”
“You’re one cold-hearted bitch.”
“Just honest, Mitch.”
Attorney Eve Aiken and I had worked together twice before. Once, I took pictures of a drug-abusing father in a custody battle. The second case involved a Pomeranian and suspicious bite marks.
“He’s probably an illegal. That’ll make it harder for us.” She pulled her gray suit jacket off, revealing a low-cut, black shell top. The skin above her breasts and down her arms was rough, wrinkled, and splotchy, making her look far beyond her fifty years. “I’ll give you the quick and dirty.”
I cocked my head and smirked. “Quick and dirty is the way I like it.”
She glared. “You probably know about the murder at that gay bathhouse yesterday.”
“It may surprise you to know there is no gay underground to disseminate information.”
“Don’t you watch the news?”
Before I could answer, a bell on the main door handle jingled. I rolled my desk chair to see the front of my store, Eye Spy Supplies. My twin sister, Josie, was showing up for work an hour late.
My desk, tucked in the corner of the cramped storeroom, is one of those heavy-as-hell, gray metal types the government used for decades after World War II. I placed my arm back on it, bumping a pile of paperwork to the floor where it mingled with more papers sorted in no particular order.
Eve scowled as she combed my shabby storeroom office with its dimmed fluorescent lighting and dark wood paneling. Stacked boxes slanted, ready to fall at any moment. A stool next to the desk barely balanced a mountain of bills on top, all stamped “past due.” I casually took a book off my desk and placed it on the pile. I had opened the store to be my own boss and get out of detective work. My plan was failing miserably. I still didn’t make enough from the store to stop being a private investigator, and I didn’t make enough as an investigator to close the store.
“You were saying?” I urged Eve on.
“A man was killed yesterday morning at the Club Silver Lake bathhouse,” she said. “Familiar with it?”
Familiar? It had been almost five years since I’d been inside, but I would never shake the lure of sheer self-indulgence that consumed my life after I left the army.
“I’ve heard of it. What happened?”
“A man by the name of Victor Verboom had his throat slashed while in a steam room. They have a suspect in custody—Ernesto Torres, a jilted lover who swears he didn’t do it. I’m defending him. That’s why I need your help.”
“Given your feelings towards ‘the gays,’ it’s surprising you took the case.”
“I work with you, don’t I? Anyway, it doesn’t matter which way the wind blows, as long as the cash is green.” She slid forward on my turquoise thrift-store couch and leaned toward me.
“They found Verboom’s body at 3:00 a.m. Apparently, he has a huge house in the hills, but he was known to sleep at the bathhouse several nights a week. Can you imagine
I could but didn’t say so. “What’s his story?”
“He was a staff writer for some TV comedy I don’t watch. It’s in the file.” She opened a manila folder that was in her lap. “Let’s see, it’s a show called Don’t do That! You ever see it?”
“I don’t watch much TV, but I can’t imagine you watching sitcoms. Is it even possible for you to crack a smile?”
Eve’s lips turned down, and she furrowed her brow. In an attempt to lean back, she forgot she was seated too far forward, which caused her to slump on the couch flailing her raised hands. Grunting and clearly embarrassed, she scooched up in her seat and straightened her gray, stained skirt. I was forced to grit my teeth and look away to maintain self-control.
She brushed aside a strand of her thin, black hair and crossed her arms. “Do you want this job, O’Reilly?”
“I’ll quit with the witty banter.”
“Witty? Don’t flatter yourself.”
About The Author
After growing up in Michigan and North Carolina, Brad Shreve criss-crossed the country while working in the hotel industry. In addition to working in hotels as a bellman, front desk clerk, and reservation call center director, he’s managed coffee houses, waited tables, sold potato chips off a truck and even hocked pre-burial funeral plans.
He credits Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak for developing his interest in art and storytelling. He’d spend hours on the floor sketching and painting and writing stories. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George gave him his first inklings that he’d like to be a novelist someday.
In addition to perpetually thinking of how to kill people, he’s a proud dad, a beach bum, and coffee house squatter.
He currently lives in the Los Angeles South Bay with his husband, Maurice.
Website/Newsletter Sign Up: www.bradshreve.com
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bradshreve
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradshreveauthor
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In Need of More Loving? Check Out the Blog Tour for A Broken Promise (Loving Again #3) by Mel Gough (excerpt)
LOVING AGAIN SERIES BLOG TOUR
January 25, 2019 – A World Apart
February 22, 2019 – A New Life
March 22, 2019 – A Broken Promise
NEW RELEASE – BOOK 3
Book Title: A Broken Promise (Loving Again Series, Book 3)
Author: Mel Gough
Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: Black Jazz Design
Genre/s: Contemporary romance
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 127 print pages
Release Date: March 22, 2019
Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited
Blurb
Ben and Donnie are happier than they’ve ever been. Zac’s adoption went off without a hitch, their new home is tranquil and the perfect place to build their future.
But Donnie can never catch a break. An old affliction flares up again and as a result his physical condition is more precarious than ever. Helen is nervous about the environment to which Ben subjects their daughter, and Ben struggles to keep everything ticking over.
Then he meets Paul, an enigmatic, handsome journalist who is more than a little interested in Ben. In equal measures flattered and disturbed by the attention, Ben finds himself on the brink of a decision that might shatter the happiness he’s worked so hard to achieve
Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
How could they have so much stuff?
When Donnie and Ben had moved into the duplex just over six months ago there had been ten boxes, eight of which had been Ben’s. Donnie had had a ruthless clear-out of his and Floyd’s little house, and had thrown away most of his meagre possessions.
Of course, adding a baby—toddler now—to the mix meant a lot more stuff, and it all needed packing up.
Still, fifteen boxes in the bedroom alone seemed excessive.
Ben straightened and wiped his brow. He surveyed the result of three hours’ hard labor. Only a small suitcase remained open, with a couple of changes of clothes for each of them. The living room and kitchen were equally crammed with boxes, though they’d held back packing the crockery so far. The kitchen was chaotic enough with all of their different dietary requirements without having to hunt around for plates to eat from, too.
The new house, a find of Arthur’s just like their condo had been, was less than a mile from the apartment. Ben and Donnie had both come to love Ormewood with its quiet, leafy streets. The small bungalow had two bedrooms, which they’d badly need. The smaller one was going to be the nursery, with a second bed for Laura. Unlike the condo, the house wasn’t freshly decorated, but the road it stood on was quiet, and they would have a large yard at the front and back, where flower and vegetable beds had already been in good use.
The front door banged shut. “Evening,” Ben called, but there was no response. He put down the parcel tape and scissors and went into the hall.
Donnie stood by the front door gripping the doorknob hard, his head lowered. His breath came in painful-sounding gasps. Zac, who stood by Donnie’s side, looked around. The confusion on his round face cleared as he spotted Ben. “Pa!” He came running, and Ben picked him up. Fear churned his gut at the sight of Donnie’s bent-over form.
Hoisting Zac onto his hip, he asked, “What’s the matter?” In response, Donnie lifted his head and Ben’s question was answered at once. His face was white as chalk. “Whoa,” Ben exclaimed. “You look terrible.”
“Some kids got the stomach flu, and… shit…” With a low moan, Donnie staggered past Ben into the bathroom and shut the door.
“Dadda?” Zac asked tentatively.
Ben stroked his back. “I think Dadda’s not feeling so good. We gotta be nice, all right?”
Zac nodded, looking scared.
Ben hugged him. “It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered into the little boy’s dark curls, as much to reassure himself as Zac.
Donnie reemerged a long few minutes later, seemingly on the verge of passing out, his face ashen and sweaty. Ben hurriedly stood Zac on his feet and took Donnie by the elbow, his own heart hammering. “C’mere.” Donnie leaned his head against Ben’s neck, breaths ragged, his forehead burning. They stood still for a moment until Donnie began to shiver. “Let’s get you horizontal,” Ben murmured. Zac trailed them into the bedroom.
Ben struggled getting Donnie out of his shoes and pants. He had sweated through his shirt so Ben got a fresh T-shirt from the open suitcase. Great timing.As if moving wasn’t stressful enough already.
“Here, stretch out.” Ben pulled the blankets back. Donnie curled up, shuddering, his hands pressed hard to his stomach.
“You sure it’s just flu?” Ben asked, dread twisting his insides.
Donnie buried his face in the pillow. “What else?” His voice was tense and despondent.
“Could be your pancreas again?” Ben swallowed, dismayed at the thought. He sat on the edge of the bed and put a hand on Donnie’s neck, which was clammy and hot.
“Daycare kids’re sick,” Donnie insisted. “I just picked up their virus¾”
“Even if that’s true,” Ben interrupted. “We need to get you looked at, have your T-cells checked¾” He broke off as Donnie groaned and struggled to sit up.
Ben helped him to his feet, but Donnie pulled away. “Can manage.”
To distract himself and give Donnie some space, Ben went into the kitchen to locate a basin in one of the boxes. He was on his way back to the bedroom when Donnie reappeared, looking even whiter than before. Ben took him into his arms and Donnie clung on hard.
“Feeling any better?”
“Not really.” The hands went back to Donnie’s belly. Fear gripped Ben like an icy fist, but he said nothing.
Zac had somehow managed to climb into their bed. He looked at them with a serious expression on his little round face. “Dadda,” he said and stretched his arms out.
Donnie stopped dead. “He’ll get sick, Ben.”
“If he’s going to catch this it’s already happened,” Ben said. “But I’ll call Arthur, ask him if he can take Zac until you’re over the worst. I can’t look after you both, not with the move, as well.”
Donnie’s face creased. “I don’t like it when he’s away,” he whispered. “But you’re right. I’m real sorry, Ben.”
“It’s okay.” Ben hugged him and kissed his temple. “For now, give bub a cuddle. You need it.” He helped Donnie back into bed, and Donnie pulled Zac close, curling around him with a whimper. Ben watched them a moment. Donnie shivered and shifted around. With a sigh, Ben went to find his phone which he last remembered seeing in the chaotic living room.
When he returned to the bedroom Donnie had fallen asleep. Zac was stroking his face, but when he saw Ben, he started to wriggle free. Ben extracted him with care. Donnie sighed and turned over without waking. Ben put Zac in his cot, then, phone pressed to his ear, he started to pack a bag for Zac’s visit to Arthur.
About the Author
Mel was born in Germany, where she spent the first twenty-six years of her life (with a one-year stint in Los Angeles). She has always been fascinated by cultures and human interaction, and got a Masters in Social Anthropology. After finishing university she moved to London, where she has now lived for ten years.
If you were to ask her parents what Mel enjoyed the most since the age of six, they would undoubtedly say “Reading!” She would take fifteen books on a three-week beach holiday, and then read all her mom’s books once she’d devoured her own midway through week two.
Back home in her mom’s attic there’s a box full of journals with stories Mel wrote when she was in her early teens. None of the stories are finished, or any good. She has told herself bedtime stories as far back as she can remember.
In her day job, Mel works as PA and office manager. No other city is quite like London, and Mel loves her city. The hustle and bustle still amaze and thrill her even after all these years. When not reading, writing or going to the theater, Mel spends her time with her long-time boyfriend, discussing science or poking fun at each other.
Author Links
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE FOR
A BROKEN PROMISE
A Stella Review: Brush Strokes by E.S. Karlquist
RATING 4,5 out of 5 stars
Todd Navarro is halfway through college, trying to juggle his art studies with extra hours at work and finding time for his friends. Things aren’t exactly easier with the feud going on between the gallery he works at and the one next door. Or the fact that his dad just doesn’t seem to understand that art can be more than just a hobby—not everyone can be an accountant, dad! So when his best friend Mela invites him to a frat party, he only accepts because he needs a breather from everything regarding his future. So, really, he doesn’t expect to meet Daniel Berger, who might just be his future. Well, until he finds out that Daniel has a lot more to do with the future of the gallery than Todd would have ever guessed.
Brush Strokes is the first book by this new author and I already can say I can’t wait for more from her. I picked this title cause the blurb sounded really interesting and I am always looking out for new authors. That said, as soon as I started reading the story, I became desperate since I’m not a fan at all of the use of the present tense. Maybe cause my English is still a work in progress but I usually prefer the past, it simply makes the reading easier to me. So I was scared this novel was going to be a pain to finish. Instead, after the first pages, I was so engrossed with Todd’s life I totally forgot about the verbal form and felt fully comfortable with the writing. A wonderful writing style, detailed and clear, easy and full. Plus despite there was only Todd’s POV, it was perfect that way. I didn’t need to read Daniel’s thoughts, it was clear who he was, what he wanted, his fears, everything about him conquered me. Actually, both Daniel and Todd were lovely characters, so young but mature at the same time. Brush Strokes is not a YA story, it’s about two young men that instead of being careless and free, decided to be real and fight for their futures.
Because of some initial miscommunications, they became first friends. The attraction was strong, still, Todd was so sure Daniel didn’t feel the same, that he took his role as friend very seriously.
Nothing happened between them till the end, although a lot happened in their lives, there was a gallery to save, a relationship between brothers to mend, even a bunny to cuddle. And a lot of innocent sleepovers. Plus some truly amazing second characters, like Todd’s parents, Mela and Jesse, and the little kids.
I want to highly recommend this new release by E.S. Karlquist, I will surely reread it in the near future.
The cover art by CB Messer is cute, different and it fits the story, well done.
SALE LINKS Interlude Press | Amazon
BOOK DETAILS
Kindle Edition, 230 pages
Published March 12th 2019 by Interlude Press
ASIN B072HKT4WQ
Edition Language English
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review :Kennard’s Story (Cronin’s Key #4) by N.R. Walker
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
What a delight! A chance to see Kennard with his newly found lifemate, Stas. Kennard is the youthful-looking, handsome vampire who rules the coven in London. He’s also the vampire who despaired so much about never having found his mate after over 500 years that he was more than willing to help Alec and Cronin in their battle against Genghis Khan in book three. And it was there he first set eyes on the big, gruff 800-year-old Russian, Stas.
The first chapters are full of Kennard’s and Stas’s nonstop sexual adventures. After all, they waited hundreds of years to meet, so they have to make up for lost time. But the author injected enough warmth and humor to make it more romantic than erotic, and my heart was engaged quickly.
In this adventure, Alec and Cronin, Jodis and Eiji, and Kennard with Stas set off to protect humankind from the vampire who is supposedly locked in a tomb in India. The adventure actually leads them all over Asia and to a location deep in the sea where they encounter none other than—oops, I don’t want to say. Spoiler zone. And readers will appreciate the surprise as much as I did, I think.
This author does research—lots and lots of research and the books are full of facts, both well-known and minutia most of us wouldn’t know. But it’s interesting and mixed with enough adventure to keep me on my toes. Constantly. In fact, I hate to stop for real life activities because I want to know—I need to know what is going to happen next. The characters are as memorable as any I’ve read and came to life within the first pages of revisiting them. Kennard and Stas and their relationship was heartwarming and loving and they struck just the perfect balance together. Who knew I’d fall in love with a 500-year-old who, in turn, loved an 800-year-old? Only NR Walker could infuse so much energy and life into this grand adventure, not to mention the surprise twists using historical persons who I previously thought were boring.
I highly recommend this book—in fact, this series—to all lovers of MM romance packed with action, adventure and a dash of world history.
The colorful cover features a handsome young blond man, representing Kennard, standing against a temple wall. There’s also a bright green lawn with a path leading to a series of gates. The overall effect is representative of the essence of the story and the colors certainly make it attention-getting.
Sales Links: Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 156 pages
Published January 26th 2019 by Amazon Digital Services
ASINB 07N5G1ZVP
Edition Language English
Series Cronin’s Key
An Alisa Review How Not to Sin (Lovestrong #2) by Susan Hawke
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
One regular guy who happens to be a preacher…
Reverend Dr. Gabe Samson doesn’t think he’s better than any of the people in his church, so please don’t put him on a pedestal. While he’s never hidden the fact that he identifies as bisexual, he’s never acted on it either. Gabe isn’t happy to learn that the sole reason he was hired to pastor the LGBT-friendly church was that the ruling elders wanted a safe poster child for inclusivity—in other words, they wanted the rainbow flag without letting it fly.
Plus one easygoing, new age kinda guy…
Seth Thomas owns Holistic Healing, a metaphysical shop and yoga studio. He’s never really been a relationship kinda guy, but only because he hasn’t met the right man yet. Seth is laid back and goes with the flow. When fate drops a hot preacher in his lap, why wouldn’t he accept the gift?
Equals a pair of men who click from the start.
The two men find it almost too easy to get together, especially Gabe, who is fully embracing his bi side for the first time. Nothing in life is simple though. While Gabe and Seth are busy falling in love, they face an anti-gay hate group, a divided church, and a ruling elder who is hell-bent on sowing discord. Between Gabe’s patient wisdom and Seth’s snark, the pair fight the growing drama with the strongest weapons in their arsenal: love and humor.
I am enjoying this series. Gabe is such a great guy and wants to protect his congregation from the hate he is getting from certain elders. Seth is very open and will do anything for those he cares about and won’t let some bigots keep him down.
I liked both of these characters and getting to see their points of view helps to understand them. I couldn’t help but feel that the book was focused on the anti-gay issue more than anything else and felt that it took a bit away from the story of Gabe and Seth as they just kinda clicked together and that was it. I loved their love and openness to others and how they are willing to help all that would need it. But the way everything was forgotten after the one really homophobic guy was gone rubbed me the wrong way because I don’t think that thinking among the other members would have just disappeared.
The cover art by Ana J Phoenix is nice and the is a nice visual of Seth.
Sales Link: Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 228 pages
Publication: February 19, 2019
Edition Language: English
Series: Lovestrong #2
Felicitas Ivey on Knitting, Surprises and her new story ‘I’m Not Who You Think I Am’ (author guest blog)
I’m Not Who You Think I Am by Felicitas Ivey
Harmony Ink Press, Paperback by Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: Tiferet Designs
Published March 19th 2019
Sales Links: Harmony Ink Press | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Whenever I start these types of posts, I spend time debating what I’m going to write. Mainly because I don’t know what to say, because I don’t know how much of my personal life I want to write about. My bio covers the basics of my life, mostly, and I don’t want to overshare on the Internet. Basically I have a day job, I have three cats, and I have hobbies.
So this is going to be about one of the hobby obsessions in my life~Fiber. Yarn and not the other kind from food. From a casual scan on Facebook and at conferences, shows that I’m not the only author who has this obsession. Yarn and authors, go together like cats and authors.
I knit in my spare time, mostly so I don’t fall asleep the rare times I’m watching television or a movie, when my cats let me. I’m not ant television, it’s just I really don’t have time for it. Knitting’s also useful on long trips, because I’m a bad passenger on highways and it keeps me distracted. I’ve been knitting since I was in high school and have collected a lot of yarn over the decades with my hobby. Some of it was bought on an impulse, some for projects which never got knit and some of it is left over from long ago projects. Unfortunately, I’ve outgrown most of the early knitting project or they’ve fallen apart because of wear.
I’m a yarn hoarder. I have far too much of the stuff, bought in binges when I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I have my stash stored in odd containers scattered around my home, in spare rooms and underneath my sofa. I have truly embraced the notion of the person with the most yarn wins. The hoard has gotten so bad, I have a spreadsheet, broken down by fiber type, noting the location of every skein and ball. That’s about the only organized part of my life. But if I didn’t have that, I would lose track of what I have. I’m proud that I’ve even separated the storage containers by fiber also. I also really don’t have to hide my stash, because I live alone, but it does keep the cats out of it. I’m lucky to have a large enough living space to indulge in the passion I have for fiber, the wonderful color and feel of all sorts of textures of fiber, from delicate lace to a hearty bulky yarn used to make rugs and toys.
I prefer natural fiber, mainly because I’m not knitting for anyone else but myself most of the time. I’ve looked for yarn wherever I can, dragging my traveling companion off the beaten path to find yarn shops in New England and beyond. Sometimes I buy the wrong things because I didn’t bring the correct pattern book with me. Most of these types of splurges were before tablets and smart phones made looking up patterns so easy.
I’ve also collected a number of knitting books over the years also. They are a snapshot of the changing fashions in fibers and styles over the last couple of decades. Unfortunately there are a number of books which I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to use because the yarns listed no longer exist and I can’t find any information on them to figure out yardage for the sweaters. “Beastly Knits” by Lalla Ward is the one that frustrates me the most, because it has a lot of interesting sweaters in it. I haven’t had the ambition over the years to try and figure out what I could do in the way of substitutions, since everything is given in ounces/grams and not yards. I still like the book, I mainly bought it because I am a big Dr. Who fan and the author was a companion and later a Time Lady with the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker.
My most recent project has been knitting a sweater out of Marino wool, which I’ve hand dyed on my own. Dyeing has been something I’ve been dabbling in on and off for a couple of years. I’m lucky that I have access to stores in your area which I can buy the higher end dyes for these projects. The dye didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, but the colors are still nice.
Dyeing is fun and I do most of my dyeing in old crock pots. They are useful for me because I do individual skeins. The main issue I have is keeping the my cats away from the pots, but a sniff or two of the dye and they wander off to nap.
I had bought the above mentioned sweater project with me on vacation, not doing a test swatch to see if I had the correct sized needles to get the right gage, so my sweater doesn’t end up fitting me. I’d skipped that once and it didn’t end well for me. Hours of work and the sweater didn’t fit me. That was one of the reasons I switched to less form fitting projects, like shawls.
I needed to get different knitting needles than what I brought with me and wandered into a Michaels and found what I needed and then discovered a wonderful sight!
It seems that Pantone the color company and Caron a yarn producer, have gotten together to package five colors together, in different shades and the yarn tag looks like a paint strip. I haven’t used the skeins I’ve bought yet, but I do have a project in mind for it. And was very proud of the fact I waited to have a project in mind, before I gave into the squees of joy I had when I first saw the yarn
Blurb
Mykayla’s parents’ marriage is in trouble, but they’re working on it. Unfortunately for Mykayla, that means she’s getting shipped off to Boston to spend her summer with Uncle Yushua while they work out their issues. Mykayla has issues of her own—like her confusion about her sexuality, or apparent lack of it—that she’d like to explore alongside her best friend, Xiu. The situation at her uncle’s house is weird to say the least. There’s something off about his coworkers—aside from the fact that they won’t go away.
Things go from strange to stranger when a supernatural being shows up to protect Mykayla from someone he calls the Shadow Pharaoh. Sutekhgen is a sorcerer who never made it to the afterlife, with a huge Seth beast as a companion… and the mistaken assumption that Mykayla is the reincarnation of his lost romantic partner.
She doesn’t know what’s worse: being caught in a metaphysical conflict between ancient gods, or being stuck with a pushy jerk who doesn’t know the meaning of personal boundaries.
About the Author
Felicitas is a frazzled help-desk tech at a university in Boston who wishes people wouldn’t argue with her when she’s troubleshooting what’s wrong with their computer. She lives with three cats who wish she would pay more attention to them, and not sit at a computer pounding on the keyboard. They get back at her by hogging most of the bed at night and demanding her attention during the rare times she watches TV or movies. She’s protected by her guardian stuffed Minotaur, Angenor, who was given to her by her other husband, Mark. Angenor travels everywhere with her, because Felicitas’s family doesn’t think she should travel by her lonesome. They worry she gets distracted and lost too easily. Felicitas doesn’t think of it a getting lost, more like having an adventure with a frustrated GPS.
Felicitas knits and hoards yarn, firmly believing the one with the most yarn wins. She also is sitting on hordes of books, which threaten to take over her house, even with e-books.
Felicitas writes urban fantasy, steampunk, and horror of a Lovecraftian nature, with monsters beyond space and time that think that humans are the tastiest things in the multiverse. Occasionally there’s a romance or two involved in her writing, with a happily-ever-after.
Website: www.Felicitasivey.com
Facebook: felicitasivey
Twitter: @felicitasive
Check Out the Book Blast for An Extra Alpha (Pine Wood Falls #2) by Sarah Havan (excerpt)
BOOK BLAST
Book Title: An Extra Alpha: An Mpreg Romance, Pine Wood Falls Book 2
Author: Sarah Havan
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre/s: e.g. Contemporary M/M Romance, Mpreg romance
Trope/s: e.g. threesome
Themes: e.g. self-acceptance, trust
Heat Rating: 4-5 flames
Length: 72 000 words/ 365 pages
The story is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone
Tagline
They didn’t realize they could both get him pregnant.
Blurb
Thomas escaped his ex and has settled in at Pine Wood Falls. He found himself a nice job, has a cute little house, and his twins are now five months old. The last thing he wants or expects is to go into heat again so soon. He tries to fight the urge but can’t hold off any longer.
Campbell catches the scent of his fated omega. He finally found the one and can’t wait to start a family. So he goes to one of Pine Wood Falls get togethers to do what nature wants of him, what he wants–to mate with his fated one, but the situation gets turned on its head when there’s another alpha there that wants his omega.
All Griffin wants is a good time. He doesn’t believe he’s fated for anyone, that’s all in the past. He just wants his needs met, but another alpha stands in his way. Luckily, they all come to an agreement. The three of them together.
They don’t think they can both get the young omega pregnant. Thomas doesn’t think he’s fated for either of them, but when he ends up pregnant with quads, they all have some things to work out.
Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
Chapter One
Campbell
My time for a family had finally come. For days, the scent of my fated omega lingered in my nose. A smell so sweet and intoxicating. He was on the verge of going into heat, and now there he was, right across from me in the very place I first picked up his scent — The Pine Wood Falls Welcome Center.
“Can I help you with something, sir?” he asked. I took in a sharp breath as he looked up at me with his amazing green eyes. He swiped a strand of his light-blond hair out of his face and stood up, shuffling some papers on his desk. I had about a good foot on the omega in height. He was small and precious, and even though he didn’t know it yet, my future.
“I’m supposed to meet with Mr. Jones.”
“Okay, I’ll let him know you’re here.” His eyes then darted around the office. “Mr. Jones usually meets with everyone out in the dayroom.”
“All right. I’m Campbell. Campbell Vallejo,” I said, holding my hand out for a shake.
“Thomas,” he said, shaking my hand. He gasped when our palms met. Neither of us pulled our hands away.
“Nice to meet you, Thomas.” I gave him a smile, and his cheeks flushed bright pink.
He nodded and glanced down.
“Campbell, good to see you.” Mr. Jones walked into the small office and clapped me on the back. Thomas let go of my hand and dropped his arms to his sides.
“Hello, Mr. Jones.” Mr. Jones was a tall, attractive man with dark brown skin and a happy smile. His omega passed away years ago, so he now focused all of his attention on Pine Wood Falls. The very community his family started.
“I see you’ve met Thomas.”
“Sure have.”
“He’s our newest hire. Pine Wood Falls is growing, and we needed someone to help things run smoothly. He’s going to be a great administrative assistant.”
“Just start?” I asked.
“No, it’s been a couple months. I’m just not very good at my job, I guess.” Thomas’ face fell, and he fiddled with a file folder he picked up and held in front of his pants.
“I should reword that. You are a great administrative assistant.” Mr. Jones smiled and put his hands on his hips.
“Thanks,” Thomas whispered.
“Thomas,” Mr. Jones said.
He glanced up.
“You are. Now, Campbell, let’s go out to the dayroom and have our strategy meeting.” Mr. Jones led me out from the office, through the foyer, and to a table in the corner of the dayroom. He waved at a chair for me to sit in.
“I don’t think I’ve seen Thomas around before. Is he new to the community?” I glanced over my shoulder, hoping he’d be standing there. One omega knitted in the corner with a couple of baby carriers at their feet, and an alpha/omega couple sat on the back couch, but no Thomas.
“Newish. He showed up here about five months ago on the verge of having his babies, and we took him in. He’s been a little wary of others, so he doesn’t venture out much. Up until about a month ago, he worked from home.”
“And his alpha?” I asked because if he already had children perhaps somehow my senses were off. Maybe I was just smelling the part of him that was about to go into heat and not the part that would be mine.
“Gone, and we’re glad of that, bad news, but I shouldn’t talk too much about the poor boy. I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate it.”
“Of course.”
Mr. Jones and I got down to work. He wanted to use my skills as a creative director at an advertising firm to help reach alphas and omegas who are new to Pine Wood Falls or hadn’t found their way there yet.
“I can make up some nice informational booklets for those who just arrive.” As with any new project, my mind whirled with tons of ideas.
“And for those who have just found out.”
“Of course, I can do that.”
“Some come to our meet and greets, but it would be nice to give them something they can take home and read, and some don’t want to talk to others yet.” Mr. Jones said.
“I could imagine if you just found out you had the alpha or omega wolf gene, it would be a lot to process.”
“Yes, it is a lot, but we’ve been lucky to have you here since you were born.”
“And I love it here and would never leave.” I did go away to college, but returned to live, working in the city not too far away. My dream was to find my fated omega and live the life I only hoped for. I lost family when I was younger and raised by a widowed omega.
“Now how much is your going rate?” Mr. Jones clasped his hands together on the table in front of him and gave me a smile.
“I’m not going to charge you. It’ll be my way of giving back.” That was how Pine Wood Falls kept going after so many years. We all did our part.
“That’s so kind. Now, what do you know about websites?”
“You want to take us public?” We were proud of who we were but knew the reality, how the general population would more than likely react negatively to a group of people with wolf genes and how a large portion of them, the ones with the omega gene, were intersex who can carry and give birth to children. Slowly, men (not all omegas identified as men, but many did) having children was becoming socially recognized, but most the omegas didn’t like the attention that it brought. We mainly wanted to keep our way of life quiet.
“No, but I wish there was some way for people who look online for information to have a way to reach us or to learn more, but without having a site saying what we are. And that sounds pretty impossible.”
“Would a site with an email and phone number do?” I asked.
“But how would they know they found the right thing?” Mr. Jones waved to a young couple that had walked in. One of them being a very pregnant omega.
“Keywords. People search by keywords, so if someone searched up male and pregnant, your site would come up, but it wouldn’t have to say any of that on the site itself.”
Mr. Jones smiled. “That sounds perfect.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
“Thank you so much, Campbell.”
“No problem. You and Pine Wood Falls have done so much for me. It’s about time I gave back.”
“You donate plenty.”
“It’s about more than money. Anybody who has it can donate it.”
“You’ve contributed so much to the community. You just don’t realize it.”
“Thanks, and I’ll get started on this all as soon as I get home.” As I left, I took in a deep breath, the scent of Thomas lingering in my nose, making me so hard.
About the Author
Sarah Havan grew up in the Midwest and still actually lives there. She has an appreciation for having all four seasons. She writes all kinds of romance, but most recently has focused on gay romance in her writing.
She is also the author of Falling Into Trust, One Night Alone, and the Pine Wood Falls series.
Author Links
BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE
A Jeri Review: Clean Break (Farm College #2) by Erin McLellan
Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
I really enjoyed this book.Travis and Connor had a sort of hook up a year ago that ended quickly because of a misunderstanding. Neither man could really forget the other. And then they were put together as class partners in Entomology 101. The attraction on both sides is definitely still there.
I really loved both guys. Travis and his openness about being gay and what he wants out of life and Connor, shy, quiet, bisexual with OCD and anxiety. They just fit so well together and they really shouldn’t have. Travis wants to be a lawyer and help people seeking asylum. Connor is set to take over his family’s farm and various business interests. Very different life goals.
A couple of points I want to share about why I really liked this book. Travis is black, he mentions being “black and gay from Texas”, but his race never comes up between Travis and Connor or even with any of their family or friends. It is a total non-issue.
The author taking the time to explain how OCD and anxiety can and usually are related, they ebb and flow, and that some things that people consider OCD is really just a personality trait. Like being tidy. I appreciate little things like that.
This ended up being a bit of a slow burn because of the boundaries Travis put on their relationship that wasn’t a relationship. But their after class activities were super hot and definitely a unique thing I’d not read in another book.
And then, ugh, the tears toward the end of the book. Legit crying while reading. But totally worth it for the ending.
Great follow up to the first in the series, that doesn’t need to be read but was really good as well. I do wish the cover model more closely resembled the Travis described in the book. But it certainly isn’t a big issue at all.
Cover art is gorgeous and makes you want to grab up and read the story.
Sales Links: Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 1st edition
Published March 19th 2019 by Erin McLellan
ISBN1 39781732173439
Edition Language English
Series Farm College :
Published March 19th 2019 by Erin McLellan
ISBN1 39781732173439
Edition Language English
Series Farm College :
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 