Category: Contemporary fiction

A Stella Review: No Matter What (Sex & Mayhem #4) by K.A. Merikan

Rating:  4.25 stars out of 5

 

— A gentle heart has no place in an outlaw’s chest —



No Matter What coverGhost. Not a member of the Coffin Nails MC. Not a doctor anymore. Not gay.
Luca. Bent, not broken. Will not let go of Ghost. No matter what.

Ghost finds out the hard way that people you meet online aren’t always who they seem to be. When he met ‘Zara’ five years ago, they became inseparable. She’s been with him through the rough and the smooth. He’s been there for her when her abusive boyfriend had her in tears.

She is The One, and despite all his friends considering him crazy, Ghost is about to propose.

But ‘Zara’ turns out to be Luca, and Luca is most definitely a guy. Yet Luca is the same person with big dark eyes, so desperate to be saved that Ghost can’t help but fall head first.

Luca’s so-called boyfriend is not just abusive. He is a Sicilian drug lord, a man dangerous and ruthless. If Ghost is to ever save the person who wreaked havoc on his heart, he has to make a deal with the Coffin Nails MC. But being a member is a destiny he’s always tried to avoid. And when a life of violence becomes too much to bear, he might be the one needing Luca to catch him when he falls.

 

Ghost: I think I’ve fallen in love with you. Please don’t be angry…

Zara:…Angry? Wow, I’m just… I’ve had feelings for you for a while now.

Ghost: I just didn’t want you to feel like it’s the only reason I stick around. I’m not a creep.

Zara: I know you’re not 😉 You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met.

Zara: I love you too…

First of all please read the warning. It’s important you know what you’re going to read. Kat and Agnes don’t write easy books. There’s one scene in particular in this one where I truly wondered for a minute why I was even bothering myself with KA’s books knowing there could be some really “hard to take” parts. I should have known since I’m a huge fan. My hesitation lasted just the length of the scene.

No Matter What is the fourth book in the Sex & Mayhem series and the sweetest one I read by these authors, considering it’s my eighth and considering the setting and the dark plot with a couple of heavy scenes. It was definitely unexpected but so welcome. It was interesting cause I’m used to KA’s dark and hard worlds and now I know they can write something a little different.

It was strange at the start looking at Ghost, grown up in the club, not wanting to live that life and searching for a way out. But falling in love with Luca will bring Ghost to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the club to save and protect his lover.

I loved how there was not so much fussing about Zara being a man, Luca. Apart from the obvious initial shock, Ghost slowly realizes he loves Luca and tries to act on it, cause they already were in love for five years. They supported each other in their dark times, when Ghost loses his medical license or when he was shot in Syria, or when Luca saw suicide as the only solutions to all his problems.

There were great second characters, but my favorite couple in this series is Tooth and Lucky and I met them again in No Matter What. I wanted to kill Tooth, he really is a better person with Lucky, here he was (almost always) a fucker!
About the choice of lightly mixing this series with the Guns n’ Boys one, I appreciated it, don’t expect Dom or Seth in it, but someone I was so hoping to be killed here but nope, I have to meet him again soon.

I particularly loved the ending, I wasn’t so sure I could have this kind of HEA. It will be impossible cause I’m aware these girls have a busy writing time coming (we readers are really happy of it, of course), still I’d so love to know more about them, even in a little story, living their deserved happy ending.

I can’t recommend this book or this series or other ones by KA Merikan enough. When I first started reading their books, I was sure they weren’t for me. Well I was so wrong, I was caught in their amazing words’ web. Give them a try!

Cover art by Natasha Snow. Short version, there isn’t a cover made by Natasha I don’t love.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe)   –  Amazon    Buy It Here

BOOK DETAILS

Published April 25th 2015 by Acerbi & Villani ltd.
Kindle Edition, 307 pages
ASIN B00WHBI318
Edition Language English

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

Themes:Outlaw motorcycle club, criminal activity, hurt/comfort, abuse, catfishing, independence, sexual orientation issues, mafia, PTSD

WARNING: Adult content. Explicit gay sex, strong language, violence, potentially triggering sexual abuse scenes. Reader discretion advised.

Sex & Mayhem series
Road Of No Return #1
The Devil’s Ride #2
Stripped Raw-Coffin Nails MC California #3 (MF book)
No Matter What #4

 

Its Release Day for The Summer House (An English House Story #1) by RJ Scott (excerpt and giveaway)

–English 1 the summer house jpg

The Summer House
An English House Story #1
Release date: 29th May 2015

Buylinks: RJ Scott Blogspot

About The Summer House…

Ashby Sebastian Sterling-Haynes has had a lot of boyfriends, but he’s never found the one.

The only person he can form an attachment to is his fourteen year old niece, and even that is in jeopardy when babysitting her cat goes all kinds of wrong.

Veterinarian, Connor Lawson is much happier working with animals than with people. He has deliberately returned home and to the Summer House he recalled from childhood holidays for peace and quiet and the chance to heal from wounds no one would ever see.

When his next door neighbor comes into the practice with a cat that has been in a fight he hides in his office because this Ashby guy is all kinds of dangerous. Too hot, too rich, too titled, and way too sexy for his own good.

Can two men who refuse to believe in love ever learn that love is the easy part of the journey to forever?

 

Excerpt:

A horrible, furious, screeching scream broke Ash’s silence and startled him from his introspection. Quickly pocketing the snake and the knife, he levered himself to stand. Jogging off the pins and needles from sitting in one place too long, he mourned the loss of the peace he’d found carving. The screaming yowling sound stopped abruptly, and Ash stopped walking, trying to get a handle on where it had come from.

Then a soft mewling sound coming from the shed caught his attention. Cautiously he approached the building and opened the door, a streak of orange fleeing the scene so fast that Ash stumbled back in shock. Pivoting on his toes, he caught sight of a huge ginger cat disappearing over the wall, and he heard the most pitiful sound. Peering through the gloom of the dusty interior, he couldn’t see anything but he could hear the noise, a heavy breathing, a low mewling, pathetic, needy, scared. Taking out his cell, he used it to locate the noise and found Tux, laid flat on his side and making a noise that sounded like a purr but was more of a vibration of his whole body.

“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me.” Less than a day in charge, and he’d already failed in keeping Stephanie’s cat safe. Wearing only board shorts and a T left him nothing to wrap around Tux.

“Should I even be moving you?” Looking around, he located some sacks and carefully used the material to pick up the injured cat. Instinctively he cradled the tiny body against his chest. At least Tux stopped mewling. Only after he stumbled out into daylight did he see the blood.

And only then did he start to run.

-About RJ Scott-

RJ Scott

RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.

With over seventy titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

Follow/Find the author here:

rj@rjscott.co.uk
https://www.rjscott.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/Rjscott_author
https://www.facebook.com/author.rjscott
https://www.librarything.com/author/scottrj
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/rjscott (some NSFW (not safe for work) photos)
https://www.pinterest.com/rjscottauthor/

Giveaway

Competition to win $15 Amazon/Are giftcard, closes 12th June at 00:01 GMT (London).  Must be 18 years of age or older here in the US.  Prizes and link provided by the author.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Mia Kerwick Talks Trans and Gender Fluid Characters and her book Love Spells (interview, and contest)

 Photo

 Love Spell by Mia Kerick
Release Date: June 1, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing
Cover Artist: Louis C. Harris

Buy Link:  Amazon

Mia Kerick Talks Writing Trans and Gender Fluid Characters…Our Interview With Mia Kerick

• Do you consider your character Chance gender fluid or transgender?

The way I think of it, Chance is gender fluid, which means that his gender identity falls under the trans* umbrella. So, in some respects, Chance is both (trans* and gender fluid). If you are asking yourself, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE TRANS* UMBRELLA? I will offer you several explanations.

I found the following explanation and image on TransAustin: A space to foster development of the transgender, genderqueer, and gender nonconforming community of Austin. Here is how TransAustin defines The Trans* Umbrella: “The Trans* Umbrella is a term used to refer to the range and diversity of gender variance. The words “transgender” and “trans*” are all-encompassing terms that refer to a broad spectrum of identities and expressions.”

ItsPronouncedMetroSexual.com (IPS), another online organization that supports the reality and correctness of nontraditional gender identities, defines trans* as “an umbrella term that refers to all of the identities within the gender identity spectrum.” Sam Killerman of IPS created the graphic below to illustrate what his group means by the term trans*.

And I found this simple image on the blog Disrupting Dinner Parties, which speaks very clearly to me:

But what really matters is the way that Chance thinks of his gender identity, right? And this topic is a great source of agitation for him throughout the entire novel. In fact, it has been a source of distress for him over the course of the better part of his life. You see, labeling an aspect of yourself that is this individual and distinct from one person to the next—and in Chance’s case constantly changing—is not a simple task. He sees himself in many of the terms in the graphic below, and he struggles to find one ideal term to fully identify with. Interestingly, Chance is never actually successful in finding the perfectly appropriate term for his gender identity; he does not realize “the trans* umbrella” even exists in a formal sense. Instead, over the course of the story, Chance learns more and more about himself as a person—he very gradually accepts that he likes some things that are considered too feminine for a boy, but that he also likes being male. And without finding the perfect label for “who or what he is”, Chance pushes through his emotional hardship and manages to find meaning and acceptance in his life with friends and romance.

• Transgender or gender fluid?  What prompted your decision to make this the focus of your character and story?

You have heard that children learn what they live, I’m sure. But more truly, all people learn what they live. The aspects of life with which we are familiar become “normal” (I dislike that word but you know what I’m getting at) to us. For example, if you see lots of people whose faces have been dyed to resemble the stars and stripes of an American flag, then red, white, and blue skin will eventually become, in your mind, commonplace. Picture this… at the grocery store—half of the shoppers sport patriotic faces. On television—red and white stripes on the cute guy in the car chase scene, whose nose is incidentally a solid navy blue. In romance novels, you can’t help but be reminded of Betsy Ross when you’re reading the physical description of the romantic lead character.

My point, however, is less patriotic than it is merely encouraging of open-mindedness. The more we see anything the more “normal” it becomes in our eyes. For kids who are struggling with gender issues, they need to see their likenesses in books. The message “YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN YOUR STRUGGLE” is truly quite comforting. And for those who are not struggling with gender issues, they need to see characters who are. They need to read about boys who feel like girls sometimes, and girls who are certain they were born with the wrong body. All kids and people need to become familiar with those who are unlike them in terms of gender identity. This is the only way we can get past all of the alienation and isolation and depression and suicide. And we can finally find acceptance.

• Transgender people are in the news recently, from Bruce Jenner to the Washington Post article on Asexuality. All of which has sparked a lot of discussions over sexuality, acceptance and equal rights.  How big a part do you think literature plays in the LGBTQIA community gaining acceptance?

I guess I went into this subject in question number two, but I will elaborate. Literature MUST open people’s eyes. As a writer, I am inspired when I see Bruce Jenner bare all in front of the harsh American and worldwide public. He is opening eyes by sharing the most intimate details of himself. In my eyes he is a hero, as I am certain that it will cost him a large measure of pain. And I can do no less in my literature. There doesn’t have to be a super-preachy theme—the story doesn’t need to be a moral wrapped up as a story. Just by creating characters who are “different” –ones who love differently, in that they love the same sex or both sexes or neither sex, and ones who identify differently than what is traditional in terms of gender, and ones who decide to change their sex from male to female or female to male, we are all together creating a very different “new normal”. Which is true acceptance of all varieties of people.
. Or does it play a part?

Yes!! I won’t say I feel a responsibility to open people’s eyes, but I really am inspired to do so.

Q This doesn’t look YA but would you consider writing a YA or New Adult novel?

Love Spell is true Young Adult literature. In the unique, snarky voice of a seventeen-year-old a story is told of self-questioning in regard to vital contemporary issues. The main character experiences peer pressure and parental woes, and he dares to try some rather risky behaviors for the very first time. To teens, the main character is relatable in terms of his language and the way he sees popular culture and the world, as he struggles to find his unique place. I would, however, definitely consider writing a New Adult or Adult novel on this same topic.

  What prompts you to write a certain story?  Where do you get your inspiration or story prompts from?

Inspiration comes most often from pop music, but I am also inspired by events in the news, actors and movies, or even a concept I come up with for a character. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow was very inspirational to me as I wrote Love Spell. Chance César and Jack Sparrow share some characteristics.

7.  What’s next for Mia Kerick?

I have put aside a very dramatic, not nearly as humorous as Love Spell, YA novel. I wrote fifty thousand words, found it to be a very heavy and emotional topic, put it aside, wrote a novella inspired by The Beatles, and am now promoting Love Spell. But I will get back to my partially finished book soon. And I look forward to it. Lanny and Trevor need their HEA.

 

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Strutting his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug orange tuxedo as this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon feels so very right to Chance César, and yet he knows it should feel so very wrong.
As far back as he can remember, Chance has been “caught between genders.” (It’s quite a touchy subject; so don’t ask him about it.)  However, he does not question his sexual orientation. Chance has no doubt about his gayness—he is very much out of the closet at his rural New Hampshire high school, where the other students avoid the kid they refer to as “girl-boy.”
But at the local Harvest Moon Festival, when Chance, the Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue, the Pumpkin Carving King, sparks fly. So Chance sets out, with the help of his BFF, Emily, to make “Jazz” Donahue his man.
An article in an online women’s magazine, Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You (with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure), becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.
Quirky, comical, definitely flamboyant, and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.

Pages or Words: 44,300 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Not to say that I kept my phone basically right beneath my chin for the next four days, but I kept my phone basically right beneath my chin for the next four days. Yes, I was oh-so-pathetically waiting for his call, which I am aware fully explains the need for the phrase “get a life.” But Jazz hadn’t been at school on the Thursday or Friday after he had called and cancelled our playdate, and now it’s Sunday night, and I still haven’t heard from him. And although I’m frustrated that all of my elaborate plans to make him fall head over heels in love with moi have apparently tanked, I’m also growing genuinely concerned.
That’s when my cell phone, which I placed on my chest before I lay down on my now “love-spell-pink” wrapped mattress, starts singing Express Yourself.
“Yo.” I don’t check the number. It’s Emmy—who else would it be?
“Hi, Chance.” The deep voice is so not Emmy’s.
Yaaassss!!! This is what ninety-nine percent of my insides shout. One percent says quietly, “It’s about frigging time you called, asshole.”
But my voice is calm. “Jasper,” I say blandly. In my opinion, he hasn’t earned the right to be called Jazz any longer.
“Um, sorry, no. It’s Jazz.”
I try not to roll my eyes even though I know he won’t see, but it’s an epic fail. “Whatever.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch for a couple days. My mom’s been real sick. I was lookin’ after her, gettin’ her to the doctor, goin’ to the pharmacy, bringing JoJo back and forth to school, and stuff.”
Oh.
“Mom caught JoJo’s strep throat and had to go to the ER because she couldn’t even swallow.” He stops talking for a second and then clears his voice. “Alls she could do was spit into a rag whenever she needed to swallow.”
Well, that’s definitely TMI, but I get the fucker-nelly revolting picture. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault, dude.”
And then there’s silence.
“Gonna take JoJo to the library after school tomorrow. But first I gotta stop by the cable company and pay up or we’re gonna lose our TV and internet at home. They already warned us like twice.”
“Want me to pick up Yolo at school and take her to the library?” I’m so freaking pissed off at him. Why am I offering to save his ass again?
“That’s cool of you to offer, but there’s a bus she can take to the library from her school. Could ya be waiting for her at the library, in case I get held up?”
“Of course.” I’m a Class A sucker.
“You’re such a cool pal.” Ugh—so not what I’m going for.
“Thanks.”
“I’m not gonna be at lunch tomorrow seein’ as I’ll probably be collecting my makeup work. So, I’ll see ya at the library. ‘Kay?”
I don’t say kkkk cuz it’s not even slightly cool. “Sure. The libes after school, it is.”
“Thank you, bro,” Jazz offers.
One more silence, and then I say, “Later.”
I have research to do.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, CoolDudes Publishing, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Stop by Mia’s Blog with questions or comments, or simply share what’s on your mind. Find Mia on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.
Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick?fref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MiaKerick
Pinterest: http://www,pinterest.com/miakerick/

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25Amazon Gift Certificate. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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A Stella Review: Cliff’s Edge (Willow Springs Ranch #7) by Laura Harner

Rating:  3.75 stars out of 5

Cliff's Edge coverNavy SEALs Cliff “Snides” Snyder and Ryan “Rhino” Matthews have been moving comfortably in each other’s worlds for two decades. Best friends since attending BUDs twenty years earlier, and despite playing for different teams, they’re often accused of acting like an old married couple—much to their amusement.

Assigned to shore duty for his final tour before retirement and without Ryan to anchor him, Cliff’s restlessness leads him to a local club and hands-on research that leaves him in a compromising position and a witness to murder—signaling the abrupt end of his Navy career. Needing a place to lay low and lick his wounds, Cliff visits his old friends at the Willow Springs Ranch while he considers making cowboy his new job title.

After six long months on deployment, Rhino returns to San Diego—only to discover Cliff’s gone dark and the unlikely words ‘poor judgment’ hanging in the air. Despite the offer of a prestigious assignment, Ryan opts to track down his best friend first and finds him at the WSR…along with more questions than he ever expected. With the most coveted orders for a SEAL dangling, twenty years of service under his belt, and Cliff determined to move on without him, decisions must be made.

Ryan is certain he has the perfect solution going forward, but Cliff knows he must face the fallout of his actions alone—and the one thing he’s determined to do is protect Ryan from making the biggest mistake of his career—even if it costs Cliff everything. You know what they say—the only easy day was yesterday.

Cliff’s Edge is the seventh book in the Willow Springs Ranch series. I read the first two and something else by Laura Harner. She is a great author, I like her writing style and let me say she writes hot sex scenes. This book was good too. Every book in the series can be easily read as a standalone, so pick whichever you want and give it a try. Remember the first one, Ty Hard is free at major online retailers. I can say I particularly enjoyed this last one.

I’m a fan of friends to lovers and gay for you stories so I soon jumped into this one. Ryan and Cliff were great and hot together, but it took too much for them to see in their heart. Twenty years, what a waste of time!

“Are we having a bromance?” Ryan blurted.
“A bromance?” Cliff laughed, and Ryan’s eyes narrowed. Oh boy, never laugh at a drunk who thinks he’s making an important point.
“Yeah, a bromance. Where two guys hang out all the time, like the same shit, would probably fuck each other if they were both gay—or if one of them was female.”
Fighting off more laughter, Cliff nodded. “Sure, you can call it that. Come on, princess, let’s get you to bed.”

It was a solid book to me, quick but well developed. There was an actual story, a mystery to solve and some important life decisions to take. I particularly liked the writing, it let the reading flow smoothly.

There were a couple of things that bugged me a little. First of all the accurate use of military acronyms forced me to use Google a little too much for my taste, sometimes diverting my attention from the story. But it was my fault, my ignorance.
Then in some scenes Ryan was disconcerting: first when he was still thinking he was straight after their first hot encounter and then once realized he was bisexual, he was too easy in exploring his new acceptance with Cliff. Sometimes he confused me.

Luckly once they cleared the air everything went well, hot, sweet and romantic.

Rhino’s hand fisted in Cliff’s hair and he pulled hard enough to force his head around to meet his gaze. He knew if it had been light enough in the room he’d see the gold flecks blazing in the hazel eyes.
“Tell yourself any lie you want to, Cliff, if you think it will make you feel better. Just remember, I know you as well as you know me…maybe better. You might run, but you’ll never be able to hide. I’ll just drag your ass back. To me.”
His lips closed over Cliff’s, mashing them so hard their teeth bumped.

“You’re never going to be alone as long as I’m alive.” […]“I love you, Cliff. As my friend. As my lover. As my forever.”

What I would have like to know more was the unexplored bdsm aspect, maybe to just have a short scene to see how they will behave. More in the next book, please? Even if I want Draco’s story.

Cover art by Laura Harner. It fit very well the style of all the covers in the series.

Sales Links:   All Romance (ARe)   –   Amazon     Buy It Here

Book Details:

Published April 22nd 2015 by Hot Corner Press
ebook, 115 pages
ISBN13 9781941841013
Edition Language English
Willow Springs Ranch series #7

Willow Springs Ranch Series:

Come meet the men of Willow Springs Ranch in northwest Arizona. Life isn’t always easy, but these men know the value of friendship and hard work…and will touch your heart along the way.

  • Ty Hard (Willow Springs Ranch, #1)
  • Hold Tight (Willow Springs Ranch, #2)
  • Taking Chance (Willow Springs Ranch, #3)
  • Ty’d Down (Willow Springs Ranch #3.5)
  • Hanging Chad (Willow Springs Ranch #4)
  • Park’s Lot (Willow Springs Ranch #5)
  • Whit’s End (Willow Springs Ranch #6)
  • Cliff’s Edge (Willow Springs Ranch, #7)

 

A MelanieM Review Repeat: Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Two guys, a train, and lots of steam.

Blowing Off Steam coverSam Chancellor has been in love with the steam engine Old Bess since he was six years old. Well, maybe not literally, but even when he’s lost everything else in his life, he’s always had her. But now her place in his heart has been unexpectedly challenged. Her new driver, Ryan Saunders, is the embodiment of all Sam’s fantasies.

Ryan has written off Sam as just another geeky trainspotter—until the moment Ryan sees him without his usual shapeless hoodie, and realizes that for a nerd, Sam’s pretty built.

When Ryan overlooks Sam’s awkwardness long enough to suggest a hook-up, Sam seizes the opportunity—and Ryan—with both very eager hands. Finding common ground in their shared love of Bess, their time together is better than Sam ever dared dream.

But there’s a reason Ryan never talks about his past. And when Ryan’s job is threatened, Sam’s well-meaning intervention puts both Ryan and Bess in deadly danger.

It was that train on the cover that was the initial draw for me.  I’ve always been a “train” lover.  My grandfather worked for Pullman and I had free rides (at age 5 on) on the Silver Comet or Silver Meteor from Long Island to Miami growing up (something that would never be allowed today at the age I travelled by myself) to go see my grandparents.  I can still feel those Pullman wool blankets pulled warmly around me and feel the comforting sway and rumbling as the train rolled its way south.  Now comes a story about two very different young men brought together by their love for trains, especially for Bessie, or more accurately Elizabeth of Shrewsbury to give that old steam locomotive its formal name.  And from the first paragraph, I was lost in this world of trains, small villages in England and two young men on their way to a relationship and love.

What an amazing story….even if you aren’t in thrall to trains as I am you will love this book. Joy Lynn Fielding brings this joy of trains, trainspotting, and Ryan and Sam alive to such a degree that I felt I walked along side of them in town or rumbling along on the rails with Sam, Ryan and Bessie every step of the way.

Honestly, I don’t know if any element stands out more than the others from this narrative, all are so well done.  The characters are layered, beautifully defined  and, even more, I felt as though I had never met them before on a page in any novel.  Sam starts off as a naif.  Sam is tall, prone to wearing shapeless clothes and hoodies, living alone in the house bequeathed to him by his uncle.  His outlook on life and people is full of innocence, goodheartedness, and simplicity. Sam comes across as though he is someone who has been sheltered from the harder elements of life, which he sort of has.

I’m sure you are thinking…”well, I’ve read characters like Sam before”.  But that’s such a small part of who Sam actually is.  This character is one that continually surprises you with his depth and grace.  And that certainly goes for his impact upon Ryan Saunders, a more jaded, world weary young man who has found his passion finally in life….as the engineer for Bessie as he calls her.   Ryan has raised walls of steel, appropriate for someone who spends his days inside a “steel horse”, around himself for protection.  Outwardly he projects the hard facade he’s created over the years, mostly due to his upbringing, his father’s attitude towards his son and Ryan’s past excesses as a wild, partying youth.  But inside?  Something else has started to grow and it started with Bessie. Ryan stumbled by accident into his current profession but now she’s everything to him.

Oh, Bessie or Bess or Elizabeth of Shrewsbury.  What ever the name she is called she shines as a major character in her own right.  Bessie rumbles her way into your heart just as clearly as she does to Sam and Ryan.  Fielding either has a passion for trains, and knows her stuff or her research is so thorough and deep that it flows easily into every part of her story, making Bessie sings as she steams her way through the plot and into our minds and consciousness.  The trains are pulled into their “sheds” at night, pull up next to the platforms, walk about the footboards. There are rail enthusiasts’ message boards and train schedules and, oh, when Sam gets  started on various explanations as to how Bessie or any type of train works, well, those conversation not only feel believable but you will find yourself grinning with fondness as Sam’s passion spills forth in wave after verbal wave to the bemusement of whatever soul he is talking too.  I could hear Sam, I could see Ryan driving Bessie…Fielding makes it all so real and immediate in every scene that you don’t want to put the book down.

Here is the first time Sam ever steps inside of Bessie, courtesy of an invite from Ryan…

With a quick glance at Ryan to make sure he really was allowed, he crossed over to her and reached up to press a hand against her gleaming metal side.

“Hi, Bess,” he said. His voice was supposed to be too low for Ryan to hear him, but it was filled with such love and warmth that he was glad he could hear it. Just yesterday Ryan would have laughed himself sick at the idea of a trainspotter wanting to talk to a train, but now he saw what it meant to Sam, he no longer felt the urge to laugh. Especially not when he remembered the way he always slapped her in greeting and farewell and most days said something to her as he did so. He gave them a moment together, then climbed up onto the footplate.

“You want to come up?” he asked.

It was the stupidest question ever asked, he realised, as Sam scrambled up after him, his face alight and eager. Gazing at the array of controls in front of him, Sam grinned until Ryan’s face ached in sympathy. He couldn’t seem to stop touching Bessie, his long, sensitive fingers caressing every part of her. Somewhere in the back of his mind when he’d invited Sam to see Bessie, Ryan had  thought about pushing him up against her and fucking him, because he was pretty sure Sam would be halfway to coming just from being so close to Bessie. But once he saw the delight in Sam’s face as he looked around, those thoughts faded from his mind, especially when Sam wanted to know how she was to drive. Not just the nuts and bolts of it, but how it felt.

How did he know deep inside that she was ready to start moving? Yes, there were all the gauges, but was there something more? As Sam hung on his every word, warmth stirred inside Ryan at being the recipient of such open, genuine admiration. He couldn’t remember ever being admired for anything except having a rich father or a good body, and the respect with which Sam seemed to regard him felt like spring sunshine after a long, hard winter.

He told Sam how she was a bit crabby first thing in the mornings, how sometimes her gauges said she was ready to go, but she still juddered as the wheels bit and held. And he told him something he’d never mentioned to another soul—the way she downright sulked when the carriages were first coupled to her, despite having more than enough power to pull them. It meant he had to nurse her those first few hundred yards until she got over it and seemed content to puff away happily. Finally, they left the cab and after one final, slow, walk around her, Sam turned to Ryan. “Thank you,” he said, and the depth of feeling in his voice was like nothing Ryan had ever heard before.

 Oh, all the emotions and thoughts flowing from those two men standing inside the locomotive they both love.  And its just the beginning of the journey for them both to something quite remarkable.  There is no case of instant love here.  A quiet crush rolls into the walls erected by long time anonymous hookups but that connection only starts to work to pull them together when other outside forces make Ryan look behind the nebbish exterior that Sam projects to the glowing human being inside.  As that happens we get to meet even more wonderfully quirky and believable characters, like Mrs. Verity, a old friend of Sam’s and his Uncle Ken, Mabel the spider who lives inside Sam’s shower to Ryan’s dismay and so many others.  The town of Cardale is an authentic an element as all the rest here.

But its through Sam’s love of trains, his passion as a trainspotter (what we call train buffs here in the US) and Ryan’s love for his profession as a driver of Bessie that raises this story above the vast sea of romances out there.  Trains are a symbolic image for so many things, journeys, sex, power, you name it and you can probably find a passage some place where trains are used as a metaphor or embodiment of an idea.   They are romance, and mysterious, and have an allure that has never quite faded.  That power is present here in Blowing Off Steam.  Its in the descriptions of the trains, of the emotions they engender and the love people feel for them deeply on so many levels.

Here is Sam at the beginning of the novel running to catch a glimpse of a train….

“Gotta go—the London express is due!”

He didn’t quite run, but his heart was still pounding fit to burst by the time he emerged onto the sunlit platform and made his way up the steep flight of stairs onto the footbridge that crossed the tracks. He’d need to avoid the ticket office for the next few days, till she’d got another victim in her crosshairs.

In the meantime, he hadn’t been lying—the London train was due in three minutes’ time. He walked across the bridge until he was standing over the middle of the track down which it would come. And he stood and waited.

He heard it before he saw it. When it became visible in the clear air of early morning, it looked like some mythical dragon with sun glinting on its metal hide as it wound through the countryside and rounded the long curve into the station. He grabbed at the handrail on the bridge as the train thundered down the track towards him. Although he knew it had slowed for safety reasons, it was moving with such force, such power, that it seemed it was coming at him like a cannonball. It swept beneath him, and the deafening sound it made and the smell of diesel left hanging in the air after it had passed were the most perfect things in the world. Its speed and noise had the footbridge trembling slightly, and he knew how it felt—there was something about that much power that left him weak-kneed and gasping.

Blowing Off Steam will make you feel the power of those moments too.  I love this story.  It brought back so many happy memories and made me want to go grab a ticket and ride the rails once more. Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding also made me feel as though I had never encountered another  romance story like hers  The men, Sam and Ryan and their path towards romance feels like new territory, an uncharted journey towards love that I hadn’t read before.  It sparkled with joy, it overflowed with texture and love and authenticity.  It’s a book I will pick up again and again because I love it so and will need a trip back to this universe and couple….and Bessie of course.   Blowing Off Steam is highly recommended and I expect to find it among my Best of 2015 at the end of the year.

I will leave you with a Youtube of Steam Engines underway….

Cover art by Syneca is as great as the story behind it.  Love it.

Sales Links:  Samhain Publishing     All Romance (ARe)      Amazon</p> Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 184 pages
Expected publication: May 26th 2015 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ASINB00VNK4J7G
edition languageEnglish

Take a Heartwarming Ride to Romance with Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding (excerpt and giveaway)

Blowing Off Steam cover

Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 5 Star Reads – Find Our Review Here

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Cover Artist: Syneca

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Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) –  Amazon 

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Two guys, a train, and lots of steam.

Sam Chancellor has been in love with the steam engine Old Bess since he was six years old. Well, maybe not literally, but even when he’s lost everything else in his life, he’s always had her. But now her place in his heart has been unexpectedly challenged. Her new driver, Ryan Saunders, is the embodiment of all Sam’s fantasies.

Ryan has written off Sam as just another geeky trainspotter—until the moment Ryan sees him without his usual shapeless hoodie and realizes that, for a nerd, Sam’s pretty built.

When Ryan overlooks Sam’s awkwardness long enough to suggest a hook-up, Sam seizes the opportunity—and Ryan—with both very eager hands. Finding common ground in their shared love of Bess, their time together is better than Sam ever dared dream.

But there’s a reason Ryan never talks about his past. And when Ryan’s job is threatened, Sam’s well-meaning intervention puts both Ryan and Bess in deadly danger.

Warning: Contains train geekery, bed-hogging, a hero with no experience and another with plenty to spare, and a spider called Mabel.

Pages or Words: 66,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding

“You’re kind of built for a nerd, aren’t you?” Ryan said. “I guess trainspotting’s a more active hobby than I’d thought.”

Sam should have walked away because this guy was insufferable. Except there was humour gleaming in those eyes as well as something else. Something that if he wasn’t entirely losing his mind was actual, sexual interest.

In him, Sam Chancellor.

“It’s all that running alongside the engines to get the numbers down,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.

To his amazement, Ryan laughed. A true laugh that caused his eyes to crinkle at the corners. It made him even more gorgeous than he already was.

“Ryan Saunders,” he said. “I drive old Bessie.”

“Bessie?” Sam was horrified at the heresy. “She’s Bess. She’s always been Bess.”

“Given I’m the one whose hands have been over every inch of her, I guess she’s allowing me intimacies the general public doesn’t get,” Ryan said.

The low seductive voice and the thought of Ryan’s hands stroking over him the way they did over Bess meant Sam was getting hard. He clutched his satchel in front of him like some sort of shield, except that wasn’t helping at all because it was pressed against his dick and, God above, he was about to get a hard-on, here and now, right in front of Ryan Saunders.

“You haven’t told me your name,” Ryan said.

“Sam,” he choked out. “Sam Chancellor, and I have to go.”

He put his head down and fled.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About the author:

Joy Lynn Fielding lives in a small English market town, where she indulges her passions for vintage aircraft, horse-riding and gardening (though not all at the same time).

Joy has a tendency to wax lyrical about the fascinating facts she discovers during her research for books. Thankfully she has a very patient Labrador who has a gift for looking interested in what she’s saying while he waits for the food to arrive.

Where to find the author:

Email: joy.fielding01@gmail.com
Blog: http://www.joyfielding.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joylynn.fielding

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Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.  Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon gift card
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

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In the Book Spotlight: From the Ashes (Smoke and Mirrors #2) by Lillian T. MacGowan (excerpt and giveaway)

LM_FtA

From the Ashes (Smoke and Mirrors #2) by Lillian T. MacGowan
Should NOT be read as a standalone
Release Date: May 5, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: Kalen O’Donnell

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Sales Links:  Amazon – Loose id – All Romance (ARe)

 

STRW Author BookSynopsis

After a rough start to their relationship, Deck and Naim are living together and living well—except they’re not. The fire at the clinic and those behind it are still a specter in the background of their lives, soon to come to the forefront. Someone is stalking them, and as the acts grow increasingly violent and threatening, the boys make an unsettling discovery that turns Naim’s world inside out.

They’re sorely tried and tested, and even with the support of the neighborhood and Deck’s firefighting crew, people get hurt. Deck has to decide how much hurt he’s willing to take on for the sake of Naim, and Naim has to decide once and for all what sort of man he wants to be—all while navigating a terrifying world of crime, violence and depravity.

Pages or Words: 381 pages

Categories: Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“What…the unholy…”

“Fuck?” Naim finished Jen’s statement for her as her voice trailed off. They stood wide-eyed and slack-jawed, staring at Jen’s husband, who leaned, sullen and glowering, against the ambulance while a young girl snapped photos and pleaded with him to try to smile. Or at least emote. He was wearing a hazmat jumpsuit, unzipped with the top half hanging down his shirtless back, and holding a gas mask, his hair a wild mess as though he’d just taken the mask off.

Hearing Jen’s voice, he looked up at them, cringed, and groaned. “Fuck. You called them, you fucktarded bag of ass?” Keller shouted up toward the ladder truck while the girl clicked away, hoping for some good, angry “passion” shots.

“Naim!” Deck called down from the cherry picker, looking anxious but glad to see him.

“Oh God,” Keller groaned, falling back against the ambulance and dropping the mask.

“Oh God.” Jen stared at her husband.

“Oh God.” Naim looked up to the cherry picker, eyes widening, where Deck was grinning awkwardly, wearing nothing but bunker trousers with one suspender over his unscarred side, and a helmet.

Naim shifted, horrified at his sudden, Pavlovian state of arousal. He reached for Jen’s hand. She squeezed.

“What…what…” Jen stammered, tearing her eyes from her husband long enough to jump, startled by the big black smiley face plastered across Peyton’s bright yellow butt as he climbed off the hose bed.

“Thank God you guys are here,” Deck called out, unlatching the cherry picker.

“No!” Naim panicked, squeezing Jen’s hand tighter and pointing at Deck. “You stay there!” This was bad. He was never coming back to the firehouse again. Ever.

Jen snorted.

“Fuck.” Fucking cherry picker. “No. Get out of there.” Naim squeezed his eyes shut. “But don’t…don’t come down here!” He turned and buried his face in Jen’s shoulder, groaning. She cuddled him and whimpered quietly.

“Why are they doing this to us?” she asked Naim.

He pulled his face out of her shoulder. “What the fuck is going on?”

“They’re making a fucking calendar. Well, more like a date book.” Freya wandered up to them, fully clothed, a shit-eating grin on her face, and her braids a messy, rumpled disaster. She was covered in green glitter, and there seemed to be some on her teeth.

“Oh, but you’ve got clothes on?” Naim growled.

“What… Why…” Jen glanced at Freya, then back at Keller, who was glowering harder at the camera. The photographer asked him to turn around, and he snarled. She snapped away. “Why are… What happened to your hair?” Jen asked Freya, a little breathless.

“Are you kidding?” Freya still had the shit-eating grin, and Spellacy popped up from where he’d been relaxing on the hose bed; he wore a pair of bright green shorts printed with pints of Guinness, and his turnout coat had green glitter all over it.

“Hey. What are you two doing here?” he asked.

“Oh God.” Jen sounded like she wanted to cry.

“Can I come down now?” Deck yelled from the ladder.

Naim refused to look at him. “No. Not until you…give…put…put something on.”

“He can’t. He’s next,” Freya explained, grinning harder.

“Next?” Naim whimpered again.

“Naim, please? I really gotta talk to you!”

“Get a turnout coat!”

“Hey, what are you two doing here?” Liebgott saw them as he strolled out of the kitchen, munching on a cupcake.

“Liebgott.” Jen managed to glare and whine at the same time. “Why is my husband half-naked, having his picture taken against an ambulance? Why is everyone half-naked?”

Liebgott rubbed his neck and glanced with a guilty expression over to the ladder truck where Deck was yelling at Spellacy to give him his turnout coat. Naim heard bells jingle somewhere.

“Well. See—”

“It wasn’t my idea. I didn’t even know about it!” Deck got a face full of green glitter as he caught Spellacy’s coat.

“We, uh, we thought it would help raise some money.” Liebgott looked to Naim sheepishly. “To help rebuild the clinic.”

“Wh…” Naim blinked. “Can I sit down? Is anyone else in the kitchen?”

“Peyton, but come on. I’ll boot him out.”

Naim tugged on Jen’s hand as he dragged her away from the sight of her husband. “Jen.”

“Shut up.” She tripped a little. “You’re in this with me.” They heard Freya cackle.

Deck was right behind them, trotting into the kitchen as Naim plunked down into a chair, still refusing to look at him. This was insane, but he really had no business being surprised.

“I swear to God, I had no idea, love. This is not my fault,” Deck exclaimed.

“That’s true, Naim. I’m not sure why he’s so bent out of shape about it, but we didn’t want to tell you until the money came in, so we kept it from Deck until the last possible minute.” Liebgott took a seat at the opposite end of the table while Deck danced nervously next to Naim, and Jen peeked from the door.

“I… What…” Naim squinted at the table, then reached for a cupcake, wondering if he was turning into a stress eater.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About Lillian T. MacGowan:

You can usually find Lily MacGowan reading, knitting herself into the sofa, or writing. Lily has been a carpenter, a circus aerialist, a Sunset Strip club kid and a corporate mogul, but she gave all that up to teach middle school on the east coast and is happier than ever. Lily’s hobbies include food, household renovations and avoiding laundry. She’s a huge fan of comfy jammies and happily ever after.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: @LilyMacGowan
Tumblr – http://ltmacgowan.tumblr.com/

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘From the Ashes’ by Lillian T. MacGowan. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and Prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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A MelanieM Review: Delivered Fast (Portland Heat, #3)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

DeliveredFast2Portland, Oregon, aka Hotlandia, where the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are ready to serve everything piping hot, fresh, and ready to go—like the hard-working, hard-bodied men behind the counters—with no reservations…

Sure, Chris O’Neal has problems. His restaurant is still co-owned by his ex. His flannel-and-tattoos style is making him accidentally trendy. He can’t remember the last time he went out and had fun. But he’s not lonely, he’s driven. And the hot bakery delivery boy is not his problem, no matter how sweet his buns.

Chris is old enough to know Lance Degrassi’s sculpted good looks and clever double entendres spell nothing but trouble. Lance is still in college—he should be hitting the clubs and the books, chasing guys his own age, not pursuing some gruff motorcycle-riding workaholic. Especially when he’ll be leaving for grad school in a few months. But Lance keeps hanging around, lending a hand, charming Chris to distraction. Maybe some steaming hot no-strings indulgence won’t hurt.

Then again, maybe it will…

After finishing Baked Fresh, the 2nd book in the Portland Heat series, I was curious to see if  Annabeth Albert could maintain the light and lively tone and endearing characters that have been a staple of her other stories in this series, stories I absolutely enjoyed.  In Delivered Fast, the author answers that question with a “Hell yes!”.

I fell hard for the bald, courteous baker Vic in Baked Fresh.   I also fell in love with his large, boisterous family that supported him.  So I was thrilled to find out that one of the main characters, Lance Degrassi, is Vic’s cousin, and while he is certainly a lovely, vital person on his own, Albert has, not surprisingly, imbued him with many of the believable and ingratiating characteristics that made Vic so deeply lovable and memorable.  Lance is full of life, intelligent and he knows what he wants.  That would be the tatted, bearded, flannel-wearing chef,  Chris O’Neal.  Problem is that life and his ex have left Chris wounded and walled off from new relationships.

One of the things I so admire about Albert’s stories is that while they have an easy flow to them that makes them a quick read, her characters are complicated men getting through life as honestly and responsibly as possible.  In fact, Chris is bemused that while preoccupied in his self isolation, his personal (and unchanging) style of tats, beard, and flannel has become hip, making him and his restaurant the hippest (or is that hipster) things around. I think many people will be able to connect with Chris whose trust was broken by someone he loved and still has to work with as they are connected through the two restaurants they still own together.  He’s has an authentic feel in every way, from his conversations (or lack of) to his brusk manner with all around him.  Yep, I adored him.

Change arrives in the form of Lance, vivacious, aware, intelligent Lance.  He’s sexy and sparkling, and that attracts Chris no matter how hard he tries to ignore it.  What follows is a realistic journey towards a loving and giving relationship for both Chris and Lance.  At times frustrating, rewarding, sexy and painful, I loved this slow take towards a deeply moving and supportive relationship.   It may be a case of instant attraction but actual love is something that arrives slowly here, achieved in baby steps and maybe one final leap of faith.  I’m telling you that Annabeth Albert and her Portland Heat series has me completely and throughly hooked.

I have been reading these out of order, and that works just fine.  Characters from the other stories pop up but know who they are isn’t central to your understanding and enjoyment of the story you are reading at the moment.  Although, having just said that Albert gave those of us who loved Baked Fresh, a surprise peak into Vic and Robin’s current relationship status.  Loved that too!

Love contemporary M/M romance?  Need a new series or characters to fall in love with?  Pick up Delivered Fast from Annabeth Albert, then go on to read the rest.  I hope there are more stories coming in this Portland Heat series, I am ready for more…more complicated wonderful men in search of love in Portland.  I highly recommend this story as well as the rest.

Cover art by Fiona Jayde is light and fresh, perfect for the story within.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) – Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 128 pages
Expected publication: May 26th 2015 by Kensington
original titleDelivered Fast
ISBN 1601833946 (ISBN13: 9781601833945)
edition languageEnglish
seriesPortland Heat

Books  in the Portland Heat Series are connected by location, and loosely by characters, All can be read as standalone stories.