A MelanieM Review: Danced Close (Portland Heat #6) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Portland, Oregon, is one of the hottest cities in America. Just ask all the hard-working men sweating it up behind the counters of the restaurants, boutiques, and cafés all over town …

Newly clean and sober, Todd’s taken a shine to his job at Portland’s most talked about bakery. It’s not just the delicious desserts they sell, but the tasty treats who keep walking through the door. That certainly includes Kendall Rose, a wedding planner with eyes the color of brown sugar and skin to match. Todd doesn’t try to hide his attraction to Kendall’s elegant confidence and unique style, even as he worries about exposing the secrets of his past.

For Kendall, the attention is just part of the anything-goes Portland he’s grown to love. But he’s still looking for that special someone who will embrace all of him—including his gender fluidity. So he takes a chance and asks Todd to be his partner in a dance class leading to a fundraiser. When the music starts and he takes Todd in his arms, Kendall is shocked at how good it feels. Turns out taking the lead for once isn’t a mistake. In fact, it might be time to take the next step and follow his heart …

Ever read a book that made you want to do a little singing and a swaying? For me that’s Danced Close by Annabeth Albert, the sixth book in her warmhearted, and lovely series Portland Heat. I’m a fan, both of this author and series (let’s get that out of the way) so I look forward to seeing what Albert will bring to enliven up an already quirky, surprising series. We start off back at the Bakery owned by Vic (couple Vic and Robin) from Baked Fresh (Portland Heat, #2). Vic’s employee is Todd, who had rough times in his past where he turned to drugs. Now clean, he’s learning about baking and staying sober. Its a constrained life until the stylish and outgoing genderfluid Kendall Rose enters the bakery and his life.

Now one of the things I have always loved about Annabeth Albert’s writing and characters is that she loves to defy peoples expectations. You might look at that blurb above and carry some expectation about each character with you into the story. Fine, great. Than enjoy Albert turning those expectations right on their proverbial heads as she reveals lovely unexpected layers and backgrounds to Todd and Kendall. Its a dance not only on the ballroom floor but of relationship dynamics that sometimes make you sigh, sometimes smile, and don’t be surprised if even you can imagine the dancing and here yourself singing in your head.

With all that, there’s still a goodly amount of heartache, discarding of old wounds and healing to be done before these two can move forward together. Still sighing here.

I throughly enjoyed the journey to happiness for both Kendall and Todd. I loved their give and take with each other. And of course, Portland always keeping it strange. What on earth is Annabeth Albert going to do next?

Cover art absolutely works.

Sales Links

Book Details:

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: March 14th 2017 by Lyrical Shine
ASINB01HA426NM
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPortland Heat #6

A MelanieM Review: Necessary Medicine by M.K. York

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

With intelligence and humor, debut male/male author M.K. York delivers an emotionally charged slow-burn romance set in a prestigious Bay Area teaching hospital

In the high-intensity world of hospital residency programs, there’s no room for romance. So it’s a good thing for first-year surgical resident Neil Carmona that his crush on the gorgeous cardiologist Eli Newcombe is sheer fantasy. Not only is the sexy doctor Neil’s superior, he’s also recently divorced.

As Neil’s skill as a surgeon grows, so does his friendship with Eli, and his silent, hopeless longing for more. It isn’t until Neil’s final year that Eli at last admits his own deepest desires. But Neil’s joy is short-lived: Eli has no intention of pursuing a relationship. Their positions in the hospital would make it unethical, even if he was emotionally ready for someone new.

Wounded and furious, Neil is determined to forget about Eli once and for all. But when a near-tragedy strikes, a new question arises: Is a life without love—without Neil—a greater risk than laying his heart on the line?

Well, I just adored Necessary Medicine by M.K. York, probably because it hit so close to home as a close family relative lived with us during his residency here. During that time period I got an up close look at his hours, his total exhaustion and the dedication it took to get him through those years (and all those rotations). York knows that world intimately and brought it back to me so vividly I almost got on the phone to relive it with my cousin again. Almost!

First-year surgical resident Neil Carmona felt so believable in every way. From his fumbling through the different rotations, to his trying to find some semblance of ties to other people to ground him, I understood this man completely and loved him. And when transplant surgeon extraordinaire appeared during one of his lectures, I could see the crush coming his way. Neil’s world is an insular one and York does a fine job of describing its pressures and incredible around the clock adrenaline rush of procedures, stress, and Expectations that bombard residents so that we can see why he wants to reach out to someone he’s attracted to so badly even though it might be the worst idea ever.

Eli Newcombe is more of an enigma, at least at first. Its when we meet up with him a second time that we get to know the man behind the reputation and realize that perhaps that, beyond the chemistry these two have, there just might be a future.

This is a slow burn sort of relationship that’s has its foundation in the reality of a teaching hospital. York gives us not only Neil and Eli but Neil’s mentor (and Eli’s friend), other residents and Neil’s small circle of friends and the insular world of surgery and the transplant field. I think this book is a marvel, and I found so many things about it fascinating. Yes, I did remember my cousin’s similar stories from his internship and they pretty much measured up to the ones here. I wonder who York has been talking to.

However, if you’re not a fan of things like tv medicine show dramas with ensemble casts and romances, this book might not be your thing. But it was absolutely mine. As I said I adored it. I so hope M.K. York write more like this as the author has found a fan in me.

Cover art works but I’m not a fan of reds like this in cover art. I find it offputting.

Pre Order – Sales Links

Carina Press

Other links to come

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 251 pages
Expected publication: April 24th 2017 by Carina Press
Original TitleNecessary Medicine
ASINB01MYM441N
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Caryn Review: Too Soon For Love by Kimberly Gardner

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I love reading books that contain a grieving character, and I think it’s my favorite subset of the hurt/comfort trope. I guess I like the idea that it is possible to move past what can seem initially to be permanently devastating pain, and these stories always make me full of hope. I also like stories that have MCs with disabilities, especially when those MCs learn to thrive despite the disability. So this book really hit a lot of buttons for me, and I enjoyed it.

The book opened as Michael Stricker was attending the funeral for Phillip DiMartino, his partner of 12 years. Phillip suffered a devastating stroke, which left him comatose for a time (which was not specified, but I got the impression it was a week or two) before he died. During that time he was in a nursing home, but also had a private caregiver, Alan Stuart, who came to admire Michael and his devotion to Phillip as he died, and developed a rapport of sorts with Michael. The funeral was difficult for Michael not only because he lost his husband, but also because Phillip’s family was smothering him with their concern – Michael was blind, and hadn’t lived alone for years, and they didn’t think he could function independently. When the family became particularly overbearing, Alan stepped in and rescued him.

From that moment, the two men became friends. And though Alan was very attracted to Michael, he knew it was inappropriate to initiate a relationship so soon after Phillip’s death, and tried just to be a friend. When he inadvertently discovered evidence of Phillip’s infidelity, he didn’t know what to do with that information – tell Michael and cause him pain, or hide it and hope that he never found out? Alan was falling hard for Michael, which made that decision especially difficult.

I thought the portrayals of Phillip – through Michael’s remembrances, flashbacks, his family’s memories, his other lover’s recollections – were really well done, and I found myself alternately liking Phillip, despising him, being suspicious of him and eventually forgiving him. I would like to say more about this, but really can’t without giving away major spoilers! These little snippets of Phillip were revealed very slowly as Michael dealt with his grief over weeks and months, during which time Alan only fell more in love with him.

The romance between these two men was a mixture of quickly developing physical attraction, with a slower burn of the emotional bond. Michael had to regain his independence – which introduced some really great side characters – and Alan had to learn to respect and promote it. Their HEA didn’t come without false starts, steps backward, little betrayals, and even though this is a romance, and the HEA is expected, there were still moments when I thought it wouldn’t happen. I actually like that, because it makes the story seem all that more real to me!

I would have rated the book higher, but found the changes of POV between Michael and Alan to be to abrupt and frequent and made the flow of the book choppy. There were also multiple times the author referred to Michael’s actions or thoughts as if he was a sighted person – in the first pages of the book, Michael mentioned “seeing him now” in regards to Alan. Every time that happened, I noticed it and it bugged me. There were some great secondary characters, but some of their stories were completely superfluous, and just left me irritated because there was no resolution to those problems, and it would have been better if they’d never been mentioned in the first place.

Cover art by Natasha Snow was only OK.

Sales Links

Loose id

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 315 pages
Published January 17th 2017 by Loose Id (first published February 15th 2011)
Original TitleTo Soon For Love
ISBN139781682522929
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Caryn Review: How the Other Half Lives (London Lads #2) by Clare London

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This was a cute, quick, funny read, perfect for an hour of pure, angst-free entertainment!

Martin Harrison is an uptight, obsessive neat freak who has trouble tolerating disorder in any part of his life – or in other people’s – who is perfectly happy with his regimented, solitary life. His best friend Ethan nagged him to at least try to interact more with people, so Martin promised to get involved with the flat-sitting scheme his apartment set up (which was the first thing he thought of) to get Ethan off his back.

Russ McNeely is a free lancing chef/food critic with an admitted authority problem. He’s enthusiastic and creative, but flighty and forgetful and has no idea why his best friend Don gets upset that he still hasn’t unpacked after living in his apartment for 6 months. He’s OK with his cluttered, chaotic apartment, messy clothes, and lack of a social life, but he agrees to sign up for the apartment’s flat-sitting scheme as a way to meet some new people.

So of course these two are assigned to each other, and both are horrified to see how the other one lives, so they start making little changes in the other apartment that gradually lead to changes in themselves as well. I loved the difference in their voices as they talked to their friends – Martin was ever so posh and snooty, Russ was emotional and earthy. By the time they finally met each other, romance was clearly inevitable.

The meddling best friends were awesome, the descriptions of the completely opposite ways the men saw the same things were hilarious, and of course the way they finally met was just adorable. Finished off by an over-the-top, wildly successful collaboration that let the two men ride off into the sunset while their best friends applauded from the sidelines.

Normally a book I’d give 3 stars, but this gets another half star for sheer cuteness! And for the very clever introductions to each chapter.

Cover art by Valerie Tibbs doesn’t exactly indicate that this is a comedy, but it’s OK.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 65 pages
Published February 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press (first published February 5th 2011)
ISBN 1635333156 (ISBN13: 9781635333152)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesLondon Lads #2

A Free Dreamer Review: Foxes by Suki Fleet

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When Dashiel’s body is found dumped on an East London wasteland, his best friend Danny sets out to find the killer. But Danny finds interaction difficult and must keep his world small in order to survive. By day he lives in an abandoned swimming pool and fixes electrical devices to trade for supplies, but by night, alone, he hunts sharks—a reckless search for dangerous men who prey on the vulnerable.

A chance meeting with an American boy selling himself on the streets throws this lonely existence into disarray. Micky is troubled, fragile, and Danny feels a desperate need to protect him—from what, he doesn’t know. As Danny discovers more about Micky, he realizes that what Micky needs saving from is the one thing Danny can’t help him fight against.

To save Micky, Danny must risk expanding his world and face something that scares him more than any shark ever could: trusting he will be accepted for who he is. If a freezing winter on the streets, a sadistic doctor, and three thousand miles don’t tear them apart first, that is.

I’ve been a fan of Suki Fleet’s writing for a long time, so I just had to have this book. I had high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed.

The tone is achingly bittersweet. There’s the bitter reality of Danny’s life in an abandoned swimming pool, desperately lonely after the death of his best friend. He’s dead set on finding Dashiel’s killer and protect other boys and girls like him. So Danny follows dangerous men all over London, alone, at night, without telling anybody. He also writes descriptions of every street walker he meets during his search. One night, he meets Micky and his carefully arranged world spins into chaos.

That’s when the sweetness starts seeping in. Because the love story is absolutely beautiful. I was often torn between wanting to grin like a loon and wanting to cry my eyes out.

I loved that Suki Fleet didn’t turn this into an angst-ridden cinderfella story. There’s no easy solution at hand, no rich lover who rescues the poor rent boy. Micky and Danny both have next to nothing. Both have issues aside from being poor that can’t be solved with a sudden influx of money. Still, the beautiful love story was a great counterpoint, keeping just the right balance of sad and happy. The result was an incredibly addicting story that I just couldn’t put down. I just sort of fell into the story and it didn’t let me go till the end.

Both MCs proved to be very likeable. They’re unique and well developed. They have their quirks and troubles and simply felt very much alive. Suki Fleet created an intense connection between me and Danny and Micky. They have depth and aren’t just cardboard cut-outs. Suki Fleet’s character building is simply beyond words.

Foxes were a bit of a recurring theme throughout the story. A little detail that endeared the story even more to me.

The writing style is quietly poetic and fits the mood of the story perfectly. Suki Fleet can conjure an incredibly dense atmosphere with very few words. It’s an incredible gift. I could practically see the streets of London before me and feel the bitterly cold rains on my skin.

By now, you’re probably wondering why I only gave this story 4.5 stars. There’s an easy answer to that: I didn’t like the ending.

Now, to be fair, I’m very picky about my endings and I’m often dissatisfied. In this case, the HEA felt forced and a little rushed. It was jarring after the slow quietness of the rest. It didn’t really fit the otherwise so realistic story either. Honestly, I’d have been perfectly happy with a HFN or even a tragic ending. But I’m weird like that.

“Foxes” is a quietly poetic story, without much excitement, that is still incredibly addicting with its bittersweet love story. Suki Fleet is one of the most talented writers out there and she deserves more readers. So, go read this. And everything else she’s written. She’s amazing.

The cover by AngstyG shows two things at once. At the top, you can see the silhouettes of two men walking toward the sunset. On the bottom are two silhouetted naked figures, one leaning down to the other, as if they’re about to kiss. I love the cover, it portrays the same sense of quiet bittersweet as the story itself.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book details:

ebook, 274 pages
Published February 8th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634769211
Edition LanguageEnglish

Release Blitz and Giveaway: Clare London ‘s How The Other Half Lives

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner

Length: 20,000 words

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover: Tibbs Design

Blurb

Compulsively neat freak meets chaotic slob: can their living space survive the conflict?

Martin Harrison keeps himself to himself and his Central London flat as neat as a new pin. Maybe he should loosen up and enjoy more of a social life, but in his mind, that’s tantamount to opening the floodgates to emotional chaos. He agrees, however, to join the flat-sitting scheme in his building and look after another tenant’s flat in exchange for a similar watch over his when he’s travelling for his work.

A floor away in the same building, Russ McNeely is happy with his life as a freelance cook and a self-confessed domestic slob. He also joins the flat-sitting scheme, both to be neighbourly and to help keep his flat in order, as Russ also travels for his work.

For a while, the very dissimilar men never meet. Martin is horrified at the mess at Russ’s flat, while Russ finds Martin’s minimalist style creepy. But in a spirit of generosity, each of them starts to help the other out by rearranging things in their own inimitable way.

Until the day a hiccup in the schedule brings them face-to-face at last.

February 15 – Hearts on Fire Reviews, The Way She Reads, The Novel Approach, Books Laid Bare Boys, Urban Smoothie Read
February 17 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly
February 20 – Sarandipity, Kai Taylor
February 22 – Making It Happen, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews
February 24 – Dog-Eared Daydreams
March 3 – Badass Bloggettes
March 6 – Bayou Book Junkie, Book Lovers 4Ever

Author Bio

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

Website: http://www.clarelondon.com

Blog: http://clarelondon.livejournal.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/clarelondon
Facebook chat: https://www.facebook.com/groups/clarelondoncalling/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/clare_london
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/clarelondon
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/clarelondon

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An Alisa Audiobook Review: Behr Facts (Foothills Pride #3) by Pat Henshaw and David Ross (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Big, burly CEO Abe Behr is dismayed to discover someone—possibly a family member—is stealing from Behr Construction, which primarily employs Behr relatives. Abe takes the unprecedented step of hiring an outsider, likable CPA Jeff Mason, to go over the books and help find the culprit. They are drawn to each other as they talk to workers, including Abe’s two younger brothers and their shifty cousin.

Since he has sacrificed romance all his life to build the business, Abe’s surprised by his feelings for the handsome Jeff. He’s even more shocked when they are confronted by bigotry in the Sierra Nevada foothills community, which is being inundated by gays moving from the San Francisco area. As he and Jeff get closer, Abe must come to grips with coming out to a family and community that aren’t very tolerant. Fortunately, being the head Behr helps him find his footing and grab onto love when it bites him.

This is a nice continuation in this series. Abe has pretty much considered himself asexual as he has never found someone who has really awakened his attraction before. He is surprised when he realizes that he is definitely attracted to Jeff and doesn’t know what to do about it, it gets harder when he realizes he is in love.

We see this story from Abe’s point of view giving us a good view of his thoughts and feelings and how he is quite oblivious to many things going on around him. I love seeing Abe stand his ground against the naysayers in his family and community when he realizes that there is a problem. I had a bit of confusion with a few of the secondary characters actions and things they were saying at one point and then completely contradicting it a little bit later. It didn’t take away from the story, but just left a little niggle in the back of my head trying to figure out what was going on a bit.

David Ross once again did a wonderful job narrating this story. I was able to connect with the characters through his he showed the characters’ emotions in his reading of the story. He accurately portrayed Abe’s confusion of his feelings and what actions to take.

Cover art by AngstyG is great and gives us a great visual of the characters and follows the pattern for the series.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 2hrs 59min
Published January 5, 2017 (ebook first published October 28, 2015)
Edition Language: English

Series: A Foothills Pride Story

A Lila Audiobook Review: Hanging The Stars (Half Moon Bay #2) by Rhys Ford and Greg Tremblay (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Angel Daniels grew up hard, one step ahead of the law and always looking over his shoulder. A grifter’s son, he’d learned every con and trick in the book but ached for a normal life. Once out on his own, Angel returns to Half Moon Bay where he once found…and then lost…love.

Now, Angel’s life is a frantic mess of schedules and chaos. Between running his bakery and raising his troubled eleven-year-old half-brother, Roman, Angel has a hectic but happy life. Then West Harris returns to Half Moon Bay and threatens to break Angel all over again by taking away the only home he and Rome ever had.

When they were young, Angel taught West how to love and laugh but when Angel moved on, West locked his heart up and threw away the key. Older and hardened, West returns to Half Moon and finds himself face-to-face with the man he’d lost. Now, West is torn between killing Angel or holding him tight.

But rekindling their passionate relationship is jeopardized as someone wants one or both of them dead, and as the terrifying danger mounts, neither man knows if the menace will bring them together or forever tear them apart.

Hanging the Stars is a beautiful second chance story. I have a soft spot for young couples that get an opportunity to reconnect and this story doesn’t disappoint. The connection between Angel and West still runs through them after a decade apart. What they had made a difference in the men they became and what they wanted for their future.

The story starts strong and directly into the action. We get adrenaline filled scenes that set the path for the characters to see each other again. There are small coincidences that make their first encounter even more meaningful. Having them get together without trouble or misunderstandings worked for the story.

Each main character has a very defined backstory that intertwines with the other. They have family and friends in common, but at the same time, they have a separate story that’s only theirs. And that’s what makes their story special. A lot is going on against them, but they are ready to face everything together.

All the twist and turns are fast-paced and keep the reader trying to flip the pages faster. Well, in this case for the audio to hurry up. But this also is the reason I didn’t give the story a higher rating. It was easy to miss an important element with all the information coming our way.

Overall, this is an interesting addition to the story. We get to see Lang, Deacon, and Zig again. Plus, I love Roman and his relationship with Angel. I hope the author give us more stories in this series because there are several characters with a lot of potential for love.

Greg Tremblay did a good job giving life to the characters and making them unique. Especially the young ones.

The cover by Reece Notley is nice but a bit generic. Plus, the model’s picture has been used in several stories recently.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner | iTunes | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Greg Tremblay

Length: 7 hours 41 minutes

Published: January 12, 2017 (Audio Edition) by Dreamspinner Press

ASIN: B01N9PZE6V

Edition Language: English

Series: Half Moon Bay

Book #1: Fish Stick Fridays

Book #2: Hanging the Stars

DSP GUEST POST: Remmy Duchene and BLMorticia on Wounded Pride (author interview)

Wounded Pride (Wounded #2) by Remmy Duchene and BLMorticia
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Available for Purchase from

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Remmy Duchene and BL Morticia here today talking about writing, books and their latest story Wounded Pride. Welcome, Remmy and BL!

~Our Interview with Remmy Duchene and BLMorticia~

How much of yourself goes into a character?

RD: Well, ethics and morals, I try to put most of my own in my good guys. Renford isn’t at all like me. He’s brave, loves working out, funny – hell the only time I’m funny is by accident and I’m always stunned someone laughs lol. Most times, I put my attitude in a character, give him a bit of my temper to handle things he needs to handle. But sometimes I base characters off people I’ve met.

BL: I agree. I also base characters off people I know. Brian isn’t really like me. He has an air of confidence I don’t possess. His vulnerability might be attributed to me though. The sexy piece of ass he is, yeah that’s all him and no, I don’t know anyone like that.

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

RD: I don’t think so. If I based all my characters off my own experiences they will all be the same, I think. I try to create experiences for my characters, sort of like making them have their own thing going on rather than putting my bad luck on them. No one deserves that lol.

BL: I have used a few of my experiences, not in Wounded Pride though. It could be as simple as having an agreement with a significant other. And it will be the stupidest thing. Yes, I’ve done that before. I love that term Gary Stu. I’ll have to use that. lol

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

RD: When using a location/culture that is real, I think as a writer I am limited to the special kind of crazy I would like to instill in certain stories. Especially with cultures–I believe, since I am an outsider I have to be careful not to offend anyone. That isn’t what I want to do with my writing. I enjoy researching cultures in general–one of the reason I write predominantly interracial/multicultural stories. I LOVE making up my own words because then you can write anything you want as long as it jive and is consistent. But for Wounded Pride I think I was limited to the kind of crazy we could bring. This story takes place in New York, mostly, so there are certain things about that microcosm that we cannot change.

BL: I also love doing research. I also write a lot of interracial but, I have to saw, not to the extent of Remmy. Not that I haven’t wanted to. I love learning about different cultures and nationalities of people. For Pride, I did a little research on the Lakota tribe. I wanted to make Brian real and not a stereotype.

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

RD: Kinda. As a child and teenager, even now, I will read almost anything. From science fiction to erotica, if it has words I will take a look. Well, I wasn’t reading erotica as a kid but I picked up my first romance novel at eight years old and I haven’t looked back. But that was because being from a 3rd world country and living in the middle of nowhere, things to read weren’t plentiful so you read what you can get.

BL: I read romance when I was young and yes, that has carried on into adulthood. I don’t read very much outside of romance, but I’m looking to change that.

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it? You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

RD: A few times. And it’s for completely different reasons for me because as a female writing MM. Case in point, recently I started on a ‘secret story’ and I’ve had to put it aside so many times because from the first chapter, I started sobbing. There is a lot of hardship that one main character has been through and that is still on the horizon and it’s just heart wrenching. As a human being, it pains me to have to put a ‘person’ through the hell I know I must to have the story come out right.

BL: Not with Pride, but I did put it aside because I didn’t know what to do next. I recently wrote a trans romance and my anxieties about writing a new character got to me. I’m still nervous, but I managed to finish the story and I hope to have someone trans to read it for me before release.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

RD: As long as there is happy in there I am happy lol. Honestly, as a reader and a writer in the same body, I find myself reading a book and then thinking “was that ending appropriate for the story?” and “was that ending necessary?” I’m a nerd, I know. Look, happily ever afters are a little hard to write especially when it’s a short story and it has to move so fast to get to the end within a set number of words. So happily for now will do. Other times, you just NEED that happily ever after.

BL: Lately I’ve been writing more happy for now because true HEA, to me, have to be long as hell. For me, either one works as long as the characters are satisfied.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

RD: Yes. I am a sucker for romance. Sometimes I want the harder stuff but most times I love a little of the old, corny stuff too. As a teenager, I devoured every romance novel in my high school library (I am not kidding). After I graduated I went back to visit the the school and stopped off in the library. When I was introduced to the new generation of Library Club members one girl was like “omg! You! You’ve read every romance novel in this place!”

BL: I did. I read some of my grandma’s Harlequins when I was younger. They were very vanilla. When I was a teen or young adult, I graduated to more “erotic” works. Anne Rice, Fern Michaels, Jackie Collins. The stuff my grandma would have a fit about if she knew.

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?

RD: Growing up, I loved spinning words. Whether it was for lyrics for a song or poetry. I always love the feeling of creating and since I wasn’t remotely good at anything else. Now, I am heavily influenced by the people around me. The people I ‘meet’ who read other stuff I’ve written.

BL: Growing up, I had no influences as far as writing, but when I got older I looked to Anne Rice as Zane as major influences. When I started writing erotica and or fanfiction, I wanted my books to be just as racy as Zane’s. Lol I don’t think I’ve achieved that yet.

How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

RD: Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. I mean I LOVE the feel of a paperback in my hands. Being able to turn the pages, smelling that book smell. I read e formats on my tablet and this is when a book is not in paperback format. I would love it if we could keep both but after seeing one of Canada’s largest music stores shut down because no one is buying CDs anymore – I hold out no hope.

BL: I do love paperbacks, but the Kindle is such a godsend. I have a young one, so I can’t really keep the racy paperbacks in my house and I have a small place too so, space is limited. As far as where it’s going, I believe people will always buy paperbacks regardless of how many e-readers are sold. Many people prefer it.

How do you choose your covers? (curious on my part)

RD: So far, I have been very lucky with my cover artists. For Wounded Pride BL and I sat down and discussed the men to be on the cover. Since it’s a second story to Wounded Hearts the colours etc were already picked. So this cover was just to change the backgrounds and the model. Usually, for me, I fill out the cover art form and for me, if when I open the cover my first reaction is “YES YES YES!” Then that’s my cover. If I have to sit and think about it – or close the file, go away and come back, then it’s not my cover. I usually give the cover artist a little bit of a free range to be creative. I find this gives them the chance to come up with something impressive.

BL: I have also been lucky. The Wounded Pride cover model was easy for me. I have used that model many times and I’m not ashamed! Lol I think LC did a great job on both Wounded Covers. As far as my others, I also give artists free reign. I try not to be difficult because I know their time is precious. Most of the time, all the pope who have worked on my covers have gotten them exactly right.

What’s next for you as an author?

RD: Surprisingly, a lot. I have a couple of stories being translated in different languages with Dreamspinner – French, Italian and German so far. BL and I wrote Wounded Hearts together and that is now in French and Italian! How awesome is that! My story Piece of Me is coming soon and the third book in my intoXication series was recently accepted and coming soon! So there is plenty that I’m excited about.

BL: I’ve just released the second books in both my Hardy and Day series and Hirah Blaze collections. I’m taking a break for now and focusing on newsletter promotion.

About Wounded Pride (Wounded #2)

Renford Kline is straight… right? He got over his experimentation in college and moved on. Then how does he explain his blush-inducing fantasies about Brian Daystar? Fantasies he’s having when he should be focused on his career move from attorney to professor. When Brian comes to New York, Renford knows he’s in trouble. Everything about Brian attracts him—from his tight body to his beautiful, dark hair—but Renford is straight… right?

Brian Daystar needs a break. He’s been working nonstop to turn his Montana ranch into a safe haven for at-risk youth—so much so that he can’t even bring himself to care when he finds out his partner, country star Corey, is cheating on him. Their relationship has been over for a long time, but it might take his feelings for Renford to make Brian accept it.

Both men have decisions to make. Renford must come to terms with who he truly is, and Brian is going to have to decide if he will shun his happiness or embrace it.

✒︎Want to know more about the Authors? Contact them at their links below:

Remmy Duchene – https://remmyduchene.wix.com/remmyduchene

https://twitter.com/remmyduchene

https://remmyduchene.blogspot.com

https://www.instagram.com/manluvlikeaboss

BLMorticia aka Sharita Lira – http://thelitriad.com/

http://blmorticia.wordpress.com

https://twitter.com/AuthorSharitaL

http://instagram.com/sharitalira/

A Stella Release Day Review: Dating in Retrospect by Lila Leigh Hunter

RATING 3,75 out of 5 stars

Giving the commencement speech at his alma mater doesn’t fit Clay Keller’s meticulous schedule. As Chief Executive Officer of Travel Mogul—the largest travel connoisseur company on the West Coast—he has no time to get back in touch with his country roots. He left fifteen years ago without a second look, but a medical scare makes him change his mind about the speech and brings him face-to-face with his only regret.

Time always moves slower in Southeastern Iowa, and Aaron Grant loves it. He’s added solar farms to the Grant Lanes portfolio and has been teaching at the local university for a decade. The last thing he needs is to have his tenure application compromised by the return of his ex-boyfriend. If he had known who the commencement speaker would be, he would never have volunteered to be the administration liaison.

A proposal—to date for a year—will help them discover that time changes a person, even when everything else stays the same.

Clay has spent the last fifteen years in LA, he is now back to the town he grew up, the town he left so many years before to follow his dreams away from Iowa and away from Aaron, the boyfriend he left behind and now wants to reconquer.

I have to admit I had some problems with Dating in Retrospect. I read Tow Trucks & New Year’s Kisses a couple of months ago and liked it a lot, so I was very happy to have this new release on my Kindle. I think my big issues was with the MCs. I loathed Clay since the first time I saw him, he had the nerve to pretend fifteen years hadn’t passed, he acted like it was yesterday he and Aaron were together. The way he approached his ex-boyfriend was unbelievable, I truly wanted to slap him on the face and I didn’t understand why Aaron didn’t do it.

Then, going on with the reading, I started to love the story a lot. All the dates the couple found time for were very sweet and let me know them better. I followed them in the renewing of the love and desire they had for each other. I quite liked them both and I was able to see Clay from another point of view and I understand his attitude better. Plus the second characters were lovable too, especially Aaron’s dad, he was really a great man, the father all of us should have.

I’m a huge fan of “second chance at love” stories and adult characters. Although with some difficulties, I quite enjoyed Dating in Retrospect and can’t wait to read more by the author.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is adorable and well done. It caught my attention even before I read the blurb.

Sales Links

BOOK DETAILS

ebook, 107 pages

Expected publication: February 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN 1635333059 (ISBN13: 9781635333053)

Edition Language English

State of Love series

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Wounded Pride (Wounded #2) by Remmy Duchene and BLMorticia Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

~Our Interview with Remmy Duchene and BLMorticia~

About Wounded Pride (Wounded #2)

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Wounded Pride (Wounded #2) by Remmy Duchene and BLMorticia
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase