| Rating: 4 stars out of 5
I didn’t think it’d turn out this way: my life story in a nutshell. Life, Karma, whatever—it was testing me. Pushing me to the limit of what I could endure and beyond.
But in the steaming pile my life had become, I felt it. The spark. Like my soul met its counterparts, or whatever the corny saying was. I didn’t think it was possible. For a closeted guy, falling for not one but two men was never going to be easy, but I couldn’t deny its truth. Mace and Rick were….
Then I had to leave. My sister needed me. Having a baby alone was out of the question and I couldn’t wait to be an uncle. But going to stay with her in Florida meant leaving them. New Zealand and the USA couldn’t be further apart.
I’m not a saint. I’ve screwed up more times than I can count. But I was trying to redeem myself. Gracie, my niece, needed me to be a better man. If only there was a way I could have both—men to love and a family close by.
This is my truth, and this is all I need.
This was my first story by this author and I was not disappointed. Caden is feeling lost after everything with his snowboarding career imploded and after his sister’s death he now feels like the whole world is on his shoulders. What he needs is some support but he gets so much more and finally his father mentally comes back.
Mace has never been with another man but can’t deny his feelings towards Rick and Caden and there is no way he will let Caden push them away. Rick has to reconcile how he has always felt about relationships but once he does that there is no holding him back.
Oh man, I felt for all of these characters. Caden doesn’t feel he’s good enough and while he doesn’t want to hurt anyone he is struggling to find the right solution to make everything right. Rick is ready to take them all home with him but it’s hard waiting forall the paperwork to be completed. Mace can be more level headed and though struggles at the beginning isn’t willing to let either man go. All of these men complement each other perfectly and there love is clear. I was glad the Caden’s dad finally came back to earth when his son needed him most though I feel he hurt Caden a lot when he checked out after his mom’s and then more after his sister’s death. I look forward to reading more stories from this author.
I love the cover art by Soxsational Cover Art, it’s such a great picture of Caden and Gracie.
Sales Link: Amazon
Book Details: ebook, 205 pages Published: February 9, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-925853-09-4 Edition Language: English Series: My Truth #1
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Category: Contemporary fiction
Cover Reveal for Murder At Oakschott Hall by Jim Austen (giveaway)
Pre-Order Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
Cover Design: Reese Dante
Length: 50,000 words approx.
Blurb
They have eyes for each other. But someone is eyeing them for murder. An erotic gay romance mystery.
In the Junior students’ dormitory at Oakschott Hall, a heavy gaslight falls from the ceiling, crushing the head of a student sleeping beneath it. Was it simply a tragic accident? To avoid publicity, the Headmaster asks Colin Revell, a young Oxford University graduate and former Oakschott student, to quietly investigate.
While interviewing the faculty and staff, Colin meets Max Lambourne, a handsome don who was wounded and gassed in WWI. When Colin tries to help Max overcome his trauma and depression, the two men fall in love and begin an erotic affair.
But when another student dies—diving at night into an empty swimming pool—murder is suspected. Students and faculty all come under suspicion, and rumors proliferate when Scotland Yard intervenes. Meanwhile, during all this confusion and wild theories, the murderer sees Colin and Max as threats. Unbeknownst to the two lovers, their lives are now in danger.
Author Bio
Born in 1984, Jim Austen grew up in Murphy, Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas-Austin with a degree in communications and journalism. He works as a news producer for a station in Rhode Island.
Jim lives south of Boston with his wife and two children. A bisexual husband, he ‘came out’ to his wife 10 years ago after the birth of their second child. “My marriage and my gay life,” he says, “have each given me moments of great joy. However, it is a myth to believe a bisexual husband has the best of both worlds.”
Murder at Oakschott Hall is his first M/M romance novel. Jim is currently working on a novel about a bisexual married man called The Unfinished Husband.
Giveaway
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A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Concatenation (Lost in Translation #1) by Catherine Lievens
Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5
Dorran finds a dead body in his new apartment building. Turns out the lead detective on the case is his ex-boyfriend Eli whom he hasn’t seen since high school, more than ten years ago. The dead guy turns out to be John, the person Dorran bought the apartment from. John’s uncle Francis had owned the apartment before he died–not too long ago either. As Dorran is cleaning out Francis’ belongings so he can move in, he starts to feel a kinship with Francis. Suddenly things are out of place and he feels like he’s being touched, but no one is there. Then, there are his neighbors, all gossips and in everyone’s business. While they may not tell the police investigating John’s death everything, they seem to want to tell Dorran. As Dorran gets dragged into the case through no fault of his own while trying to do the right thing, his own curiosity gets engaged. Eli warns him to stay out of it as it’s police business. They also have their own personal issues that need to be resolved if Eli is going to keep coming around.
This story has a lot going for it, but it didn’t quite come together for me. I felt removed from the characters and not emotionally invested in their second chance romance. There is some contradictory information as Dorran thinks about Eli and their history. The reader is told Dorran loved Eli, but his thoughts about the Eli he knew aren’t very flattering. The reader is also told Eli runs from confrontation and his problems. Yet Dorran is the one who left Eli because he wouldn’t come out. Eli keeps saying he forgives Dorran, but Eli is still bitter about this even though he admitted it was his own fault. Dorran is still beating himself up over his decision. I think this conflict as a plot point could have been better written. There is also some repetition.
The neighbors are all somewhat interesting. There could have been more done to make them be creepy, invasive, and meddling in a way the audience could treat them all with suspicion. They are all supposed to be suspects. There was a murder in the building, possibly two, and yet this is not atmospheric at all. The reader is told Dorran is upset at finding the body, having nightmares, and feels uncomfortable as the neighbors all want to talk about it. The guy is having stuff move around in his apartment! Yet, I didn’t feel that fear at all. In fact, he decides having a ghost is just fine and no big deal. I did guess who was responsible for John’s death, but the details of why are revealed only at the end. This story didn’t grab my attention or emotions as much as I had hoped it would.
The cover art is by Angela Waters. I’m not sure this conveys anything about the story. It has a noirish quality in the background and this is a who-done-it. This is not how I pictured these guys.
Sales Links: Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 168 pages
Published June 1st 2018 by eXtasy Books Inc
ISBN 1487419724 (ISBN13: 9781487419721)
Series Lost in Translation #1
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Milo (Finding Home #2) by Lily Morton
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Milo and his author, Lily Morton, delivered me right to the door of a very satisfying, feel-good Happy Ever After. No disappointment knocking on my door, for sure.
The prologue tells us Milo’s story in a nutshell. He’s in an abusive relationship, at first emotional, and now physical, which brings out the stutter that he’s worked years to overcome. Feeling unworthy, painfully inadequate, and most definitely awkward, he’s about to be abused yet again by his domineering artist lover when his brother’s best friend Niall shows up to rescue him and literally carry him away to a new life. That new life is at Chi an Mor, the beautiful ancient estate owned by Silas, the sweet man whom we first met in Oz.
Five years later, the story opens to show us Milo has adapted to his new life as an art restoration expert in Silas’s employ and is best friend to Silas’s husband, Oz. Pause for a moment here—Oz and Silas are exactly as I’d hope they’d be at this point in time. Parents of a beautiful 7-month-old girl, Cora is the love of their lives. I was thrilled to have this glimpse of their future because Oz remains one of my all-time favorites. So when the couple has to rush off to London to help Oz’s mom, who better to watch Cora than Milo? Well, add Niall to that because the heat in the mansion has failed and as estate manager, he lives nearby so offers his home to Milo and Cora. Not because Niall has the hots for Milo. Oh, no. Certainly not. {smirks}
The author took the time to make each of these men very real. Their backstory—individually and together—and the interactions with one another were spot-on. Each was different and yet so complementary to one another it’s a wonder there aren’t bookends or salt and pepper shakers in their image. The beauty of this story is in the details that allow us to get to really know each man. Niall’s past relationship with Gideon, Milo’s brother, causes some upset for all three men as it becomes known. But accepting Niall’s maturity and his devotion to Milo is fairly easy in the long run as deeds speak louder than words. The author’s writing style and unique sense of humor carry us forward so quickly I was shocked when I reached the end. I wanted more. I need more, and I certainly hope more will come with Gideon finding his own love at the hand of Lily Morton in the near future.
The scenes involving the group who went on the ski trip were priceless. Milo’s quiet acceptance of the quirky group was taken in stride “when to anyone else this would have had more disaster written over it than getting a ticket on the Titanic.” Witnessing Niall’s realization that he’s no longer interested in hookups and is far past scoffing at those who claim love is wonderful was delightful to behold. “Emotion fills me all of a sudden, like I’ve inhaled happiness helium.” Need I say more? Lily Morton is highly talented and Milo and Niall reap the benefit of that talent.
When I open one of this author’s books, I know I’m in for a treat. I highly recommend this story and the one before because this can be read as a standalone but it’s so much better after reading Oz. Reading it alone would be like having an ice cream sundae without the sprinkles and cherry on top.
The cover by Natasha Snow features a close-up of a handsome young man, long hair blowing in the breeze. Done in a purple tone, the cover grabbed my attention immediately.
Sales Links: Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 280 pages
Published February 15th 2019
ASINB07NN13TCW
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Finding Home #2
Characters Niall Fawcett, Milo Ramsay
An Alisa Release Day Review: Skin and Bone (Digging Up Bones #2) by TA Moore
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Cloister Witte and his K-9 partner, Bourneville, find the lost and bring them home.
But the job doesn’t always end there.
Janet Morrow, a young trans woman, lies in a coma after wandering away from her car during a storm. But just because Cloister found the young tourist doesn’t mean she’s home. What brought her to Plenty, California… and who didn’t want her to leave?
With the help of Special Agent Javi Merlo, who continues to deny his growing feelings for the rough-edged deputy, Cloister unearths a ten-year-old conspiracy of silence that taps into Plenty’s history of corruption.
Janet Morrow’s old secrets aren’t the only ones coming to light. Javi has tried to put his past behind him, but some people seem determined to pull his skeletons out of the closet. His dark history with a senior agent in Phoenix complicates not just the investigation but his relationship with Cloister.
And since when has he cared about that?
I enjoyed the banter of these MCs just as much as I did in Bone to Pick. Cloister just wants to bring people home and find those who are lost, he finds much more trouble this time. Javi is struggling with his feelings towards Cloister and continued issued with his job.
Cloister continues to struggle with nightmares and everything from his past, while it makes him a good deputy it hurts to see him struggling. I love his connection to Bourneville and how dedicated they both are to each other. I still have trouble with Javi and I can’t quite figure out why everyone he is working with has it out to get him.
I still like Cloister and could easily connect with him, he doesn’t want to make anyone feel responsible for him and though he like Javi isn’t going to push him. Seeing some of the story trough Javi’s eyes we are able to see that he cares for Cloister no matter how much he doesn’t want that complication. Most of this story was focused on the mystery and finding out who Janet Morrow is and why she was attacked though we get glimpses of Cloister and Javi together. It looks as if there will be more books featuring these two and I look forward to them.
The cover art by Bree Archer is great and I love it. It’s similar in style to the first book but not a copy which is always nice.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N
Book Details:
ebook, 240 pages
Published: February 26, 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-940-6
Edition Language: English
Series: Digging Up Bones #2
Emory Schneider on Characters, Contemporary Writing and their new release ‘The Truth Beyond the Bitterness (World of Love)’ ~ author guest blog
The Truth Beyond the Bitterness (World of Love) by Emory Schneider
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Emory Schneider on tour today for their new novel, The Truth Beyond the Bitterness. Welcome, Emory.
✒︎
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interviews Emory Schneider
Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?
I like both. I am always ready to do research and broaden my knowledge and I enjoy creating worlds for my stories, too.
Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?
I’m a big dreamer and I wish every love story would have HEA. Life doesn’t work that way, and that’s why so many people enjoy happy endings.
Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?
I didn’t read many romance books until I was sixteen or seventeen but haven’t stopped since then.
How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?
I live in the Czech Republic, so it is complicated and expensive to purchase any physical books by authors out of the Europian Union since I would have to pay duty on them and VAT twice. Therefore I prefer to buy ebooks. I do own a bookshelf full of books, love to hold them in my hands and sniff the pages, but ebook format makes books available for more people around the globe.
If you write contemporary romance, is there such a thing as making a main character too “real”? Do you think you can bring too many faults into a character that eventually it becomes too flawed to become a love interest?
That can happen. It might be an opportunity for the character to learn about their mistakes and change themselves. Of course, that requires a lot of time and the story would become boring, but I believe there is a way to handle it. I’m not so sure I would ever be able to write it, though. Also, it highly depends on the protagonist – if they are willing to support their love interest and wait for their transformation.
What traits do you find the most interesting in someone? Do you write them into your characters?
This is a hard question. I find every trait somewhat interesting. The most challenging thing is to combine them so the character is interesting and readers see them in the way I want.
Have you ever put a story away, thinking it just didn’t work? Then years/months/whatever later inspiration struck and you loved it? Is there a title we would recognize if that happened?
About two years ago I started writing a fantasy story and I got stuck six chapters in. Everything seemed wrong about it. I decided to put it away and worked on The Truth Beyond the Bitterness. There were two reasons for why the first story didn’t work – worldbuilding and confidence. When I got the deal for my novella, it boosted me to get back to the previous story.
With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain? To get away? To move past? To wide our knowledge? Why do you write?
First of all, I write so my head doesn’t explode. I use it as a chance to také a break from everyday life, but in the same time, I feel other people might find it interesting to experience how someone from central Europe looks at the world. I mean I like to read stories from all around the world.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am writing a fantasy novel right now. I hope I finish the story before the end of this year.
About the Author
Emory Schneider was born in Děčín, the Czech Republic, as the fourth of five children and later moved to the western part of the country to find a job. They ended up working as a brazer in Pilsen—yes, the home of the beer. Emory spent a lot of their childhood discussing possible scenarios for cartoon and manga series they watched with their brother and pretending they were a knight or a spy. Their love of books and stories in general motivated them to learn English, although they had nearly failed the subject for two years.
During their teenage years, they started to make up M/M romance stories, but it took them several years to put any of them on paper. When not working or writing, Emory tries to fight their laziness and burn some calories they probably gained from staring at chocolate bars at the shopping mall or drinking some of the Coke they bought for their husband.
You can contact me at:
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2DUKjY4
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2NY5vRH
Website: http://bit.ly/2OzZ0nw
The Truth Beyond the Bitterness
Can love erase a lifetime of fear and bitterness? Kuba flees the oppressive influence of his strict Catholic family as soon as he graduates high school. In the big city of Pilsen, Czech Republic, he can get a fresh start. Although he is fairly content sharing a flat with his coworker and filling it with books, he knows he’s destined to be alone unless he can come out of the closet. But he just isn’t ready to bare his soul to the world.
When he meets his roommate’s friend Emil, he begins to reconsider. Is a chance at romance with the gorgeous man—and fellow bibliophile— incentive enough for Kuba to face his demons?
World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.
Available for purchase at: http://bit.ly/2ze9AaY
A VVivacious Release Day Review: Helix by Anna Martin
Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
This is a very interesting novel. Also, I think I might have rated this one less than it deserved.James’ truck breaks down and the guy who comes to tow his truck is Dylan. They are both attracted to each other and it is the perfect meet-cute if you ask me. Steve hooks up with Mark and they try to give it a go. Unknowingly, Steve is Dylan’s adopted father and Mark is James’ father and when the truth comes out it, everything comes to a head and with so many feelings mixed in they are going to be quite a few hurts to soothe when the dust settles.
This book is told from the alternating perspectives of James and Steve.
James and Dylan definitely stole the show from me. I feel like they were much more open regarding their relationship even if they didn’t go into specifics. Though Dylan did play it close to the chest for a while, I feel like that given his upbringing that was more because he wanted to protect himself than anything else.
I never did get where Steve and Mark are going with there relationship. Since we never do get Mark’s perspective it is hard to say where things are with regards to him but with Steve, you can tell that he has fallen hard but he is playing it coy in front of his friends and his son.
I really like the parent-child relationships in this one. Especially Steve and Dylan who are like the coolest father-son duo ever. I don’t care what Steve claims in the book he is a cool dad. I especially loved the fact that for Steve Dylan’s security and stability came over all else.
This book was one in which I really got to compare romances. A romance with younger protagonists who are still having their first experiences with love and another with older guys with responsibilities. There is just something about young love, about the innocence at the age that can’t be recaptured again. And personally, the fact that Mark and Steve are so prominently fathers and the fact we do get James’ perspective just made Mark and Steve very real parents. I realise I have read books where the MCs have kids but the fact that we never get the kids perspective in such a way that makes the MC a parental figure makes me ignore that label. Because truthfully I couldn’t ignore that label for these two. These two are super kinky but something about the fact that they are father-figures really made me cringe. I must confess that I am way closer to James and Dylan’s age than Steve and Mark’s and also I am not a parent so I can’t look at things the way Steve and Mark do. I can’t reconcile with Mark and Steve the parents with these kinky individuals. I truly understand James’ desire to ignore the fact his father might have sex at all. I never want to think about that either.
I realise that people who are parents would truly gain more from this book because they can identify with both sides of the fence but unfortunately I can truly only identify with one.
Also, there also remains the fact that the first thing that Mark focuses on when he realises Dylan is Steve’s son is his issues. I haven’t forgiven him for that. I know he did apologize but the fact that we don’t see it play out given our two narrators means there is something in me that needs closure regarding this issue. And since I can’t in all capacity forgive Mark I wonder how Steve can which just makes their relationship that much more complicated for me.
The fact that they are parents automatically puts them on a pedestal for me and I expect more but Mark and Steve truly have nothing figured out with regards to their relationship.
I would have definitely wanted more Frances but I get that the choice of narrators prevented that to an extent.
James and Dylan are the stars of this story for me. They are so cute. I love them so much. There are the snuggliest, cuddliest and squidgiest couple ever. I so totally want another epilogue like that epilogue.
This story blew my mind, it made me realise new things about me. I feel like people who can see themselves as kids under parental authority and who can see themselves as parental authority would gain much more from this story. Despite all that this story is still pretty amazing.
Cover Art by Garrett Leigh. I love the cover. It has a really fresh look and all that blue just reminds me of beaches and a cover that reminds me of beaches and water can never be bad.
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner
Book Details:
ebook, 1st edition, 200 pages
Expected publication: February 26th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 139781640808904
Edition Language English
Expected publication: February 26th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 139781640808904
Edition Language English
Cooper West on Thoughts about Beauty and her new novel ‘Mixed Signals’ (author guest blog)
Mixed Signals by Cooper West
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design
Buy links
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- DSP: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/mixed-signals-by-cooper-west-10258-b
- ‘Zon: https://smile.amazon.com/Mixed-Signals-Cooper-West/dp/1640802754/
- GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=1xZ8DwAAQBAJ
- iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mixed-signals/id1444805201
- B&N/Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mixed-signals-cooper-west/1105958813
- Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mixed-signals-31
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Cooper West here today talking about her new novel Mixed Signals. Welcome, Cooper.
✒︎
When Beauty is a Mixed Signal
By Cooper West (2/18/2019)
Is there such a thing as “too beautiful”?
This question came to my mind years and years ago, when I made the accidental acquaintance of a truly astoundingly beautiful woman. By any measure of traditional beauty, she scored a 100%. Why she wasn’t a model, I’ll never know, but what I did come to know about her was that she was creative, intelligent, witty, a great dancer…
…and almost pathologically insecure.
It opened my eyes to the unique and often overlooked problems that people who possess exceptionally good looks have to deal with. For my friend, her astonishing features meant that she was in a constant state of being objectified and used by everyone around her. Men wanted her as eye candy and a status symbol; women wanted to be associated with her, or wanted to hate her for what she had that they felt they lacked. She believed that most people who tried to connect with her could not be trusted, and not without reason. On top of that, she was fully aware that her looks were transitory, that someday she would age out of the “beautiful young woman” category that she felt (incorrectly) was her only real social advantage, and that terrified her.
For someone whom I at first thought “had it all,” she was a person I eventually came to feel sorry for. What good is having it all if you are always alone and wary of everyone around you?
Years later, I decided to write that into a character, and that character is Frank (Francis) Sheldon in my new book Mixed Signals.
(Full disclosure: it’s not a new book, it’s a second edition, but instead of being a super short novella it is now a long and plotty book full of intrigue and, of course, romance!)
Frank is that guy: rich, privileged, gorgeous, popular. He’s got everything most of us think any guy would be thrilled to have.
And yet…
My goal with Frank was to show that sometimes, a charmed life might be privileged but not easy. Frank got washed out of the US Air Force under the old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that ended so many careers of LGBTQ+ service members. He doesn’t particularly want to inherit all the responsibility and drudgery of his father’s corporate empire, nor does he want to go into politics like his older sister. He’s constantly preyed upon by people who are out for his looks and his money, and he finds it hard to trust anyone completely. He spent years carefully living in the closet only to be outed and have his career goals destroyed in one fell swoop.
He’s a lucky guy, is Frank, but he’s the only one who doesn’t think that’s true.
Well, he was until he met Benjamin.
Benjamin is not quite the everyday-Joe character, as he’s a bit of a brilliant computer nerd and a brat. He shares some of the insecurities most of us would identify with, I think (or maybe just me!): not spectacularly handsome, not spectacularly wealthy, and not spectacularly noticeable at all. Unlike Frank, Benjamin’s life has been marred by tragedy after tragedy as well as financial frustrations. He got a free ride for his doctorate but he also had to raise his younger sister after the deaths of their parents. My goal with Benjamin was to make him the one we can all relate to, despite his IQ and social klutziness.
Frank’s expectation is that he can pretty much seduce whomever he wants without working for it while also not having to commit to a relationship with someone he doesn’t trust. But, in a nutshell: Benjamin is not impressed!!! Frank is used to people seeing the surface-value aspect of his life — handsome! Rich! Envied! — and not seeing him as a person. Benjamin, though, pretty much only sees Frank as a person, and not only that, but as a person he is not particularly interested in (or is he?).
It was fun to write his story because I enjoy turning tropes upside down. This could have easily become a “billionaire daddy” romance because technically, yes, Frank’s family are billionaires and he can drop millions of dollars on a hobby without thinking much about it. While I have nothing against billionaire daddy stories, I wanted to show how that kind of advantage in life can work against a person in unexpected ways. I hope you enjoy the twists and turns Frank and Benjamin go through on their way to true love!
Blurb:
Devastatingly handsome pilot Frank Sheldon is doing his best to avoid his inheritance of money, charm, and good looks by rebuilding his life on his own terms after being discharged from the Air Force just before the repeal of DADT. When he unexpectedly meets the eccentric geek Benjamin Kaplan, sparks don’t quite fly, despite Benjamin’s obvious interest. Frank is not one to back down from a challenge, but what does any of that have to do with his sister’s campaign for governor, or the muckraking political website attacking her opponent, who just happens to be Frank’s unlamented, very closeted, ex-boyfriend? It’s hard to fall in love when all you are getting is mixed signals!
About the Author
Busting out of the fanfiction scene in 2012 with the publication of her first original full-length book, Dawn in the Orchard, Cooper West writes stories that capture the heart and imagination. She is now known for her bestselling book The Protector, set in her unique Guardsman’verse of weredogs and bonded pairs, and plans to continue to release more books in that series but also enjoys writing modern, quirky contemporary romance stories.
She’s still a fangirl at heart, with an everlasting crush on Chris Evans and an ever-rotating list of OTPs. Bisexual and raised in a queer household, Cooper has been writing “slash” since she was a teenager and did not understand much about biology. She’s learned a lot since then! *wink wink nudge nudge*
social media info
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- Website: https://cooper-west.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cooper_west
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcooperwest/
FB banner cover (attached to email)
New Release Blitz and Giveaway for Helix by Anna Martin
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner
Length: 61,000 words approx.
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Blurb
When high school student James has trouble with his truck, Dylan, who is studying to be a mechanic, comes to the rescue. James thinks he hides his immediate attraction well, but is happy to be wrong when Dylan asks for his number. Since James is new to romance, they take things slowly, and because Dylan is in college, James keeps the budding relationship secret from his overprotective dad.
Across town, Mark, a teacher and single father to James and his sister, Frankie, meets Steve at a bar for what both believe will be a quick hookup. Mark doesn’t see any reason to tell his kids about Steve or press Steve for details about Steve’s adopted son…. It’s just sex between them. Isn’t it?
Two very different love stories grow side by side, each hidden from the other. But all of that changes at a family barbecue, when Mark decides it’s time for his kids to meet Steve and for him to meet James’s boyfriend, who none of them realize is Steve’s son, Dylan. The inevitable explosion means the two couples have some explaining to do to soothe the hurt feelings of their families—and lovers.
Author Bio
Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the southwest of England and now lives in the Bristol, a city that embraces her love for the arts. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.
Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, Anna is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theater (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), going to visit friends in other countries, and reading anything thatís put under her nose.
Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, prereading, and creative ass kicking provided by her best friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept responsibility for anything Anna has written.
https://www.annamartin-fiction.com/
http://www.facebook.com/annamartinfiction
http://www.pinterest.com/annamartinficti/
http://instagram.com/missannamartin
http://www.twitter.com/missannamartin
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A VVivacious Review: Snowed In: Nen and Anani by Nell Iris
Rating: 2 Stars out of 5
“Anani and Nen are residents of Elemiis where love between two men is forbidden. The Vasilissa banishes her son, the Vasilieu, Anani from her kingdom which leads to a Terrible Snow Rotation as Anani’s powers spiral out of control.When after fifteen rotations they are re-united it leads to a snow storm and Nen and Anani are stuck together in close quarters but where will they find themselves and their relationship when the storm breaks.”
The story had a very rich background and exquisite world building. The author creates quite a bit of a world which I would have loved to stay in more. The characters had quite a rich back story which didn’t come much in use in this short story. I expected to find more details focusing on the elements and their transfer especially considering how unique Anani’s birth is as the only male child born ever to be borne by a Vasilissa. At one point in the story I was sure we would get more about Anani’s powers when Nen comments about Anani’s power feeling like more than what anybody thought they would be. Also, this world would have contributed more to a longer story where there could be some focus on the powers the Vasilissa and her children have.
There are quite a few loose ends in this story because it really feels like the story wanted to tackle more than it could owing to the length of the story.
The whole story is a build-up to the coming together of Nen and Anani. The whole scene of them having sex should have been the highlight of the story instead it was a scene completely missing from the story with the story just picking up after the fact. So the build up ultimately amounts to nothing.
This book had good bones but it wasn’t very well fleshed out.
Cover Art by Written Ink Designs. The cover is the standard across all Snowed In titles but considering the setting of this story it doesn’t fit very well.
Sales Links: JMS Books LLC | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 1st edition, 73 pages
Published February 16th 2019 by JMS Books, LLC
ISBN 139781634867993
Published February 16th 2019 by JMS Books, LLC
ISBN 139781634867993
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 