Category: Contemporary fiction

Book Spotlight: Young at Heart by Kay Ellis (author interview and giveaway included)

STRW In The Spotlight Header

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Kay Ellis has a new release for all to check out!  It’s Young At Heart, a M/M contemporary romance.  As part of the release celebration, we have a giveaway contest for all to enter.  Check out all the book and author details below and enter to  win!

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Title: Young at Heart by Kay Ellis
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing
M/M Contemporary Romance novella

Now a Q & A with Kay  Ellis….

Q.I love the title, the song comes immediately into mind.  Do you listen to music as you write?

I think I had the title before the song came out so they copied me! I don’t tend to have music on while I write. More likely the television. I’m amazed at my ability to keep track of programs while barely glancing toward the tv!

Q.Ff so, what did you listen to as you wrote Young at Heart?

If I had been listening to music it would have been Adam Lambert, Garth Brooks, Bon Jovi or John Barrowman. Eclectic mix but they’re my regular choice of listening in the car.

Q.Were you a prolific reader as a child?

Most definitely. My mum says she doesn’t remember me learning to read. I just could. I remember going back to school after the summer holidays when I was in my early teens. The English teacher told the class to put up their hands if they had read one book in the holidays. Then two, three, four… She stopped at seven and asked me why I hadn’t put my hand up at all. I told her she hadn’t got to my number yet. For the record, it was thirteen!

Q.What childhood authors or/books made the greatest impact on you as a writer?

I think I probably always read above my age group so I don’t recall a particular childrens’ author I liked. I loved Louisa Alcott and The Little Women series though. I was a bit of a tomboy like Jo.

Q.What or who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

I hate to say it but I read Fifty Shades of Grey, and although I have always written stories from an early age, it was that book that gave me the confidence to write what I wanted to write and not be embarrassed or ashamed of writing sex scenes. A television programme ran a competition to find a new ‘racey’ author and I thought “I can do that.” I finished in the top three which gave me a bit of belief in myself and my writing.

Q There is a large age difference between the men in the relationship and that can be tricky to write.  Why include that element into your story?

My answer to that has to be – they are what they are! It’s hard to explain but usually my characters come in to my head fully formed before I ever get a word on the page.

Q.What was the inspiration behind making them generations apart in age and status?

Truth be told, Young At Heart started out as a relationship between a older woman and a younger man. It was basically flipping the whole rich man, innocent young woman which every one else seemed to be writing. I was told by a publisher my work was more sorted to a niche market and as I had just had a short story accepted by a m/m publisher I decided that must be my ‘niche’ and I changed the older character to a man.

Q. I know from past blogs and conversations, that readers (and some authors) have problems with switching a het romance over to a M/M romance without that being the original pairing to begin with. How do you respond to that?

I don’t have an issue with making the switch from HET to M/M. People are people. Gay, straight, black, white – we are all faced with the same problems. And it wasn’t simply that I went through and changed she to he, I changed some parts that didn’t work in the same way between two men. And Devon was one of my first gay characters from years ago. I never wrote his story but he was always a rich, older man in a relationship with someone much younger. I also think matching Jesse with Devon made Jesse a stronger character.

Q.  What’s next for Kay Ellis?

What’s next is whatever is finished first! I can have half a dozen different works in progress at anyone time and I always write which ever characters are shouting loudest in my head at the time. But the main two at the moment are the third book in my Evolin series and a kind of post-apocalyse tale of a mercenary sent out to kill a man who he ends up falling for once he finds him.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Devon Alexander is a wealthy successful businessman. The world is his oyster. In his work life he is decisive and in control.

His private life is another matter.

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There, he doesn’t know if he’s coming or going in his on-off relationship with Jesse Young, an unemployed aspiring model half his age.

Can Devon and Jesse overcome the obstacles and outside influences standing in their way? Can they leave behind their own fear and mistrust? Or will they be their own worst enemies?

Genre: LGBTQ, MM, romance, gay romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Devon pulled down his shirt and straightened his tie before bending to retrieve his underwear and trousers. Once dressed, he lifted his hands to his head, checking his hair. Vain, maybe, but he had an image to protect. All the while, he covertly watched Jesse tuck his rather impressive manhood into tight white boxer briefs and zip up the fly of his jeans. Jesse 
glanced up to catch Devon watching and a smug smile spread across his handsome face.

“Shit, did we even lock the door?” Devon asked suddenly, trying to remember if there had been time to turn the key in between Jesse walking into the office and them ending up sprawled half-naked across the desk. Emily, his personal assistant, was terribly efficient, but she was a shy, quiet girl and he hardly dared think what effect it would have on her if she saw 
Jesse in all his glory. “What if Emily had come in?”

“She wouldn’t have,” Jesse said confidently.

“Really? What makes you so sure?”

“I told her not to.”

Devon narrowed his eyes, not sure he liked the thought of Jesse giving orders to his staff. The last thing he needed was Jesse getting ideas above his station. Devon would be a laughingstock if his much-younger boyfriend started throwing his weight around like he was the one in charge.

“What did you say to her exactly?”

“I told her not to come in because I was going to fuck you hard over your desk,” Jesse replied with a smirk.
“I sincerely hope that’s meant to be a joke.”

Jesse looked at him, assessing his change of mood. There was a sudden gleam in Jesse’s velvet-brown eyes and Devon smothered a sigh, knowing he was about to be lied to. Such were the consequences of taking a man twenty years his junior as a lover. Jesse was Young in name and young in nature. Fortunately for both of them, his good looks and sexual prowess 
generally outweighed his immaturity.

“Of course it was a joke,” Jesse said, flashing his most disarming smile, the one that made women and quite a lot of men melt whenever they saw it. “You know I wouldn’t do anything like that, Dev.”

Dev. Nobody had ever called Devon that before Jesse. In the press and business life, he was Devon Alexander. To family and friends, plain old Devon. Only Jesse got away with calling him by the abbreviated form. Privately, he quite liked it when Jesse called him Dev, although recently he had come to realise the shortened version of his name was used most 
when Jesse either wanted something or was trying to wheedle his way into Devon’s good books after doing something wrong.

Sales Links:

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Giveaway

Prizes: 1 x $20 WIP Gift Card and 1 x ebook copy of Young at Heart.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by Eyes On Books Promotions.

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STRW Author Bio and Contacts

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Kay Ellis lives in rural Oxfordshire in the UK, where sheís mum to two beautiful daughters. From an early age, she has written stories, with a sole readership of one ñ her mum, Sylvia. In 2013, someone suggested Kay enter a competition on national television to find a new ëracey readsí author. Much to Kayís surprise, she made it to the final three, and although she didnít win, the high praise received for her work gave her the confidence to start submitting to publishers.

When not writing, Kay enjoys reading, eating out and the theatre.

Social links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.ellis.79274

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KayEllisAuthor

A MelanieM Review: Melting Into You (Give Me a Taste #5) by Cassandra Carr

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Melting Into YOu coverSeth Mason’s life as a macaroni and cheese food truck owner in Austin, Texas, is pretty good.  His food truck is popular, business is good enough to consider branching out and the program he helped start to deliver left over restaurant food to the hungry has take off.  One of the stops Seth’s makes at the end of the day is to the Austin City Mission.  There Seth meets the one person who just might complete his life, Ben, the new case manager at the shelter.

Ben’s just moved to Austin from Connecticut to take a job as a case manager at the Austin City Mission, the first time he’s left home and family.  He has a new apartment, long hours and not much else.  Until he meets the hot food truck owner delivering the left over food of the day.

The attraction between them is instantaneous and hot. And both Seth and Ben are looking for something permanent and lasting.   As they grow closer, both must decide if they have the necessary ingredients for lasting love, or if the relationship will go up in smoke.

Melting Into You by Cassandra Carr was a very cute and sweet story, full of promising elements, not all of which came to fruition.  The very best part of this story resides in Seth Mason and his food truck,  which sells hot macaroni in all variations. This is where Cassandra Carr and this story excels.  Seth, his love for cooking, his passion for his life and food truck, complete with recipes, adorable employees, and home kitchen all come across in vivid descriptions, nuanced character portraits and authentic references to the Austin food scene. Particularly the life of a food truck operator in general.  Seth was real, his food offerings came across as mouthwatering and irresistible.  I wanted a Mr. Romance (macaroni and seafood selection) just like everyone else standing in line in section of this story…it felt that real.

Unfortunately, the other elements don’t rise up to the same thoroughness and depth of characterization.  Ben, naive and starting out in his first job, remains throughout the story a bit of a puzzle.  There really is no depth to his character or to their relationship which is along the lines of Hello-I love you. And the city mission where he works is given short shrift when compared to the well-researched descriptions of the food truck/food service industry.  Really, Carr should have continued to concentrate on the food trucks because the complex problems and issues that come with a city shelter are so varied and numerous that this story had not the length to do it justice or was described too superficially for it to be a powerful element here.  That shallowness was really highlighted by an event that happens toward the end of the story.  It felt as though it came out of  nowhere as the author never bothered to lay any foundation for such an event.  It felt out of place, and frankly just created because the  author needed a sense of drama.

Melting Into You is part of a series but the only story of that series I have read.  I think it works as a stand alone and as a quick sweet romance.  Based on the recipes alone I am going to be checking into the other books in this series which was written by multiple authors (see note below). I will let you know what I find.

Cover artist Scott Carpenter cover actually works because it’s just sweet, simple and only the addition of the food truck saves it from being generic.

Sales Links:    Fated Desires Publishing    All Romance (ARe)        Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 104 pages
Expected publication: March 31st 2015
ISBN139781623221997
seriesGive Me a Taste #5, Savor #1

Give Me a Taste series

5 works, 5 primary works, 5 authors

The Give Me a Taste Line is a delectable line where the main plot is centered on food and everything that comes with it. We’re serving up authentic and delicious ideas and plots where the heat is not only in the kitchen but out of it. Our characters are immersed in foods and the mouthwatering plots make us want to dig in.

A Mika Review: This Other Country (More Heat Than the Sun #4) by John Wiltshire

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

This Other CountryNikolas is the sanest, straightest, person he knows, so can anyone tell him, why he’s on a gay therapy course?

Nikolas Mikkelsen could make a very long list of unpleasant things he’s endured in his life. Then order it from ‘nearly killed me’ to ‘extremely horrific and don’t want to do again’. And what did it say about his forty-five years that being hit by a tsunami would be a considerable way down this list? But nothing, not torture, imprisonment, nor starvation has prepared him for what he now has to endure for Ben Rider’s sake-attendance on a residential, gay therapy course. At least he has a new contender for the top spot on his ‘my awful life’ list.

This Other Country starts off right where The Bridge of Silver Wings ends. Right from the start, I was worried. I mean I wasn’t use to this side of either guys. My heart was beating fast because of all the ideas that were running through my mind based on what I was reading. After a while, I was relieved. No worries from me now on, because I know John Wiltshire would never break my heart like that. I thoroughly enjoyed the circumstances pertaining to Nikolas and Ben ending up in couple’s therapy. Never worry, folks, this is the same vulnerable, difficult, and loving Nik and Ben we are used to. This installment lacked the natural disasters, and attempted assassinations but it never digressed from it’s usual level of emotions and dedicated plot.

I found myself at times sitting back and thinking of all the things that Nikolas has done over the last 8 years and I wouldn’t change a thing. This road that they have found themselves on is their destiny and journey. No matter how things turned out for the better or worst this Ben and Nikolas are the only ones that matter. This book we got a lot of “I’m not gay” responses. I didn’t know how I felt like that, and because I’m not a gay man I can’t say what I should feel like. I can say I liked how each one’s reasoning. Maybe they aren’t gay but for each other. Either way I loved that instead of the action we had to actually deal with “real life” things like how they are perceived. It was a scary reaction for both but I was confident enough that they would come out winning on some accounts.

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I love guiltless Nikolas but damn I wanted cut throat Nikolas out in an instance involving Kate, I can’t talk about the deed but it shows the amount of growth he had by not putting her head on a spike. I was so angry and blood thirsty because of her betrayal that I expected actions to be taken. What do we know; Nikolas has turned over a new leaf.

Wiltshire continues to impress me with his growth of Ben. Just when we think Ben has lost his marbles literally he does the unexpected. I was smiling through tears at that point because it took a lot for him to do that. This goes to show that Ben is still that pure angel in my mind. While this one is somber than the last 3 it might have been the most impactful to me. The message of accepting one’s voice is bright and powerful in itself. I really do enjoy reading these books, and can’t wait to see what John Wiltshire has in store for us next.

Cover Art by Deanna Jamroz. Definitely goes hand in hand with the battling of others and yourself. I truly do like these covers.

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

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 22nd 2014 by MLR Press (first published November 21st 2014)
edition languageEnglish
seriesMore Heat Than the Sun #

More Heat Than The Sun Series in the order they were written and should be read:

The Ides of March are Upon Us and This Week’s Schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

“Beware the Ides of March!”

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March 15 is the Ides of March!  Most people think of Julius Caesar who was famously warned by a soothsayer “Beware the ides of March!”.  And we all know how  that turned out!  But before Caesar so unfortunately helped make it famous, March 15-the Ides of March- was just another day on the calendar! It all actually started much  earlier in Roman history, long before Caesar.  Romulus (the supposed founder of Rome) is also said to have  invented the Roman calendar.  The Ides of March was just another way of saying March 15 (no hint of foreboding was linked to it at the time).

The calendar went something like this- Ides of March http://www.infoplease.com/spot/ides1.html#ixzz3UNnMrzj1:

 The Roman calendar organized its months around three days, each of which served as a reference point for counting the other days:

Kalends (1st day of the month)
Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months)
Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months)
The remaining, unnamed days of the month were identified by counting backwards from the Kalends, Nones, or the Ides. For example, March 3 would be V Nones—5 days before the Nones (the Roman method of counting days was inclusive; in other words, the Nones would be counted as one of the 5 days).

Days in March
March 1: Kalends;
March 2: VI Nones;
March 3: V Nones;
March 4: IV Nones;
March 5: III Nones;
March 6: Pridie Nones (Latin for “on the day before”);
March 7: Nones;
March 15: Ides
Used in the first Roman calendar as well as in the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C.E.) the confusing system of Kalends, Nones, and Ides continued to be used to varying degrees throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.

There were also some religious festivals also associated with this time, including the festival of Anna Perenna, sister to the tragic Carthaginian queen Dido.  Dido was immortalized in Ovid’s masterpiece “Metamorphosis” as well as from Virgil’s Aeneid.  Look them up when you have some time.

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Anyhow, all anyone remembers is that when they hear its the Ides of March, someone will invariably say”  Beware the Ides of March”…and now you know why!

For a few  more facts, neat and weird see the link below.

The Smithsonian has a link where they listed 10 events of import that happened on March 15.  While I agree most are calamitous (acts of war, major weather events), I’m not quite sure that the cancellation of the Ed Sullivan show on March 15 1971 should be listed among their ranks. It must have, at least to the person who made the list.

Go here to check out the complete list.

Now for our

Schedule This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, March 15 (Ides of March)

Mini History Lesson and This Week’s Schedule

Monday, March 16:

  • Tricia Owens ‘Master of No One Book Spotlight and Contest
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Winter’s Wolf (Tales of the Harker Pack #3) by Tara Lain
  • A MelanieM Review: Melting Into You by Cassandra Carr
  • A Mika Review: This Other Country (More Heat Than the Sun #4) by John Wiltshire

Tuesday, March 17:

  • Kay Ellis’ tour for Young at Heart (author interview and contest)
  • In the Book Spotlight: Lisa Oliver – Fighting Fangs (excerpt and contest)
  • A Stella Review: Here for You by Skylar M. Cates
  • A Paul B Review: Broken Bridges by Cheyenne Meadows

Wednesday, March 18:

  • Jaycee Edward and Helena Stone’s Strangers in the Night Excerpt Tour
  • A Stella Review: Bratty Angel by Chris T. Kat
  • A MelanieM Review: Midnight Run by Bailey Bradford
  • A Stella Review: Moment of Truth (Moments in Time #2) by Karen Stivali
  • A MelanieM Review:  Kian’s Hunter by RJ Scott

Thursday, March 19:

  • A BJ Review: Chyna Doll (Horizons 4) by Mickie B. Ashling
  • A MelanieM Review: The Curse on the Mountain by Missouri Dalton
  • A Stella Review: Loving the Astrophysicist (Astrophysicist #1 & 2) by T.N. Tarrant
  • A Stella Review: The Belgian Chocolate Remedy by Julie Lynn Hayes

Friday, March 20:

  • Cover Reveal Time for Shira Anthony’s  ‘Blood and Ghosts’ (contest)
  • Book Blast: Going to the Chapel: Don’t Ask by J.J. Massa
  • Release Day for the Encore Anthology – All About the Music and Love (contest)
  • Misfits by Garrett Leigh Book Spotlight and contest
  • A Stella Review: Guns ‘N Boys: Homicidal Instinct by K.A. Merikan

Saturday, March 21:

  • Time to Cowboy Up with Bailey Bradford’s Belt Buckles and Cowboy Boots!
  • A MelanieM Review: Eoin’s Destiny (The Fire Trilogy #3) by R.J. Scott

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sammy Review: Falling (Fall or Break #1) by Barbara Elsborg

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

“I’m well aware I should just accept the things I can’t change. I know the mantra—live one day at a time, enjoy one moment at a time, accept hardships as the way to peace, accept the world for what it is. But I don’t believe in God.”

“You don’t need to believe in God, you need to believe in yourself. There’s another line in the Serenity Prayer about having the courage to change things that you can. It’s not just about acceptance.” Malachi inched his fingers closer. “Start the rest of your life right now.”

Falling coverNeither Malachi nor Harper have necessarily had it easy. Life, for each of them, is a series of missteps and stumbles. Ten years ago, Harper managed to not only stumble, but crash. Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and serving time that wasn’t his to serve, the world outside looks to be a jaded place, not an easy release from the literal and figurative bars he’d been living behind for years.

Malachi, on the other hand, has escaped a prison of his own. Out of a long-term relationship defined by control, he’s lost his job and is left with no money. He has a roof over his head, but even that is suffocating.

One happenstance meeting doesn’t bring them together, but a second one does. Their connection is instant and strong, but is it strong enough to withstand a world so stacked against them and a guilty conviction that is burned within Harper’s skin?

He’d spent so many years swamped by waves of bleakness that he’d grown to accept them as part of him. He’d been in a prison of his own making as a boy, and barely escaped it as a man before he’d lost his freedom again. The only thing imprisoning him now was the past. It was up to him to put it behind him and let the man in his arms be his future.

I’m a picky reader at times, but I can honestly say that from the very start, this book had me and it never let me go, not once. I had to take a long break in reading, and when I came back, it hadn’t let up at all. I was captivated and enticed and I loved every second of it.

The novel itself isn’t a light, fun story. It has a lot of heavy subject matter that doesn’t quite sit right in the pit of your stomach, and that’s part of what I liked so much about it. The author put the characters in places others would be too afraid to. She made both characters wrecked but able to stand. They weren’t weak, they were damaged and beautiful.

It’s funny, though, because this is one of the first books I’ve read, at least in a long time, where there was laughter during sex, and I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed that until here. It was as if their intimate connection and the release that came with it was truly an escape from the shadows surrounding them. I truly enjoyed it. Not to mention each scene was steamy and lovely and though there were plenty, I never got bored of them.

The mystery element of this was also pretty good. Typically I figure it out within the first fifty percent, and then I spend the rest of the book just waiting for the characters to open their eyes. In this one, I found out about the same time the characters did. I had an inkling, but I had many of those, so it was nice to still be waiting toward the end, as opposed to having a “well now you get it” moment.

I also have to say that it takes a special author to take a character, build them to be disliked, and then make you feel for them, to the point where you want them to have their own story. This is how I am with Conrad. I want to read his story, I want to learn to feel with him.

This story has many good points, and it has left me ready to seek out more by this author.

I enjoy the cover art by Kanaxa. I think the dark shade of it fits the mood of the story and I appreciate the use of texture. What I’m not so sure of is the choice of fonts. For the title, I get that the L’s are meant to simulate the act of falling, but instead all I can think of is the symbols for the world trade centers. Whoops.

Sales Links:  Samhain Publishing      Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 335 pages
Expected publication: March 24th 2015 by Samhain Publishing
original titleFalling, available for preorder prior to 3/24
ASINB00Q33IKYG
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.barbaraelsborg.com/book/falling/
seriesFall or Break #1

In the Spotlight: Release Day for One Snowy Night by Louise Lyons

STRW In The Spotlight Header

 One Snowy Night by Louise Lyons
Publisher:  Wayward Ink Publishing
Release Date:  March 13, 2015

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 Spring may almost be here but we are bringing all of you one more winter’s tale.  It’s Release Day for Louise Lyon’s One Snowy Night!  Check out the synopsis and excerpt below.

Title: One Snowy Night
Author: Louise Lyons
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing 

Sales Links:   Amazon US    Amazon UK       Amazon AU   WIP      All Romance (ARe)    B&N

 

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STRW Author BookSynopsis

About One Snowy Night….

Main character, Keith Brambles, is an up and coming British singer. He has had one disastrous first date after another, finding most men are only interested because of who he is. After yet another failed meeting, he sets off for home, driving too fast for the conditions. He loses control of his car in the snow and finds himself stranded – with no mobile phone signal and an outfit completely unsuitable for braving the freezing conditions.

Just as Keith has begun to think he’s destined to spend a night in his car, possibly suffering from hypothermia, a potential rescuer arrives, but Keith wonders whether he might have more to fear from the man, than the weather.

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“You’re Kent Brambles,” his rescuer said; a statement rather than a question.

Shit. “Uh…yes. Keith, actually. Kent’s just my…um…my…”

“Stage name?” The man grinned, but then grimaced a little.

“Yeah. I’m guessing my…uh…my music isn’t your cup of tea,” Keith said nervously.

“I’m into my rock and roll.” He smiled again and extended a large hand. “Mike Talbot.”

Surprised, Keith swapped hands with the cup of coffee, and slid his small, frozen hand into Mike’s big warm one. Mike gripped it firmly and gave it a brief shake, then let go.

“So what are you doing out here, driving in these conditions?” Mike asked.

“I…um…I went to meet a friend in Lincoln. It wasn’t snowing when I set off,” Keith replied.

“A friend? You mean a date?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s he doing letting you drive home in this shit? Couldn’t you stay over?” Mike’s brows furrowed, and Keith’s eyes widened. Appearances certainly could be deceptive. White Van Man, big, bearded, and apparently tattooed, didn’t seem to care that Keith was gay. Keith silently reprimanded himself for stereotyping his rescuer.

“Well…he…um…” He paused and shrugged. “It was a first date. He was only interested because of who I am.”

“That must be a pain in the ass. Do you get that a lot?” asked Mike.

“More often than not.”

“Maybe you’re looking in the wrong place, or for the wrong type of guy. You should try one who’s not into your music, and you might have better luck.” Mike grinned and winked.

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About Louise Lyons

Louise Lyons comes from a family of writers. Her mother has a number of poems published in poetry anthologies, her aunt wrote poems for the Church, and her grandmother sparked her inspiration with tales of fantasy. Louise first ventured into writing short stories at the grand old age of eight, mostly about little girls and ponies. She branched into romance in her teens, and MM romance a few years later, but none of her work saw the light of day until she discovered Fan Fiction in her late twenties.

Posting stories based on some of her favorite movies, provoked a surprisingly positive response from readers. This gave Louise the confidence to submit some of her work to publishers, and made her take her writing “hobby” more seriously.

Louise lives in the UK, about an hour north of London, with a mad Dobermann, and a collection of tropical fish and tarantulas. She works in the insurance industry by day, and spends every spare minute writing. She is a keen horse-rider, and loves to run long distance. Some of her best writing inspiration comes to her, when her feet are pounding the open road. She often races into the house afterward, and grabs pen and paper to make notes.

Louise has always been a bit of a tomboy, and one of her other great loves is cars and motorcycles. Her car and bike are her pride and joy, and she loves to exhibit the car at shows, and take off for long days out on the bike, with no one for company but herself.

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Social media links
Website: http://louiselyonsauthor.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louiselyonsauthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/louiselyons013

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A Mika Review: The Bridge of Silver Wings (More Heat Than the Sun #3) by John Wiltshire

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The Bridge of Silver Wings coverNikolas and Ben discover that bonds aren’t forged with blood or scars but in the hearts of men strong enough to love. 

Ben discovers the truth of the adage, ‘be careful what you wish for’. Nikolas has exorcised his demons, but when they end up stranded in Russia, the monster inside needs to be let loose. Siberia in winter isn’t a place for good men. There is nothing Nikolas won’t do to keep Ben alive. 

Home again, Nikolas then faces an enemy he can’t defeat: Ben Rider himself. Discovering a new family, Ben realizes he’s been living too long in the shadows cast by Nikolas’s all-consuming love. For the first time, life apart from Nikolas is possible. Is Nikolas strong enough to let Ben go?

Talk about unexpected events. I could never in a billion freaking years imagine going through the things that Sir Nikolas and Ben went through. I know for sure I wouldn’t have the sanity, resilience or even strength to see the light at the end or put my faith in one person so much. We pick up book three right after the events of Conscious Decisions of the Heart, and the couple are,  literally, off on an adventure in this book. Terrified would be might one word description of the first half of the book. Who goes through things like this? It’s been a good month since reading this, and I wondering what the other people’s family thinks happened, I mean I guess the plane could make sense but where is all the freaking PTSD from that situation. I didn’t see a way for them to survive, and in all this darkness Nikolas persevered and became the dark angel with the brightest shining I’ve ever seen. Certain circumstances, he literally put his life on the line. He is such an amazing character who is so intense, and closed off but has this way about him that just draws you in. I love John Wiltshire for that, I’m all about the damaged hero and he just made my top ten list.

Wiltshire puts them in situations where they are confronted with the possibility that a tomorrow isn’t a promise to me, and in situations like these; these two guys always do something that turn my insides to mush. It might not be the healthiest or sanest ways but it’s why I love them. It was a scene in this book where Nik basically had to put his foot down and didn’t really care about Ben’s feelings. That was one of my favorite quotes ever in this entire book.

“I love you enough to hit you until you get on that thing. Do not make me do it, because this is hurting me more than you.- Nikolas”

Wiltshire takes his readers on a vivid journey and reading it is like watching it unfold right in front of you. These emotions that he seems to bring out of you are gut-wrenching, I cried off and on during the last 45%. He’s able to have two strong men with sordid past and have them fall so deeply in love with each other that no amount of distance or strife will keep them away. This book definitely became my favorite out the series so far. Second half had me not really liking Ben, but as usual he comes out victorious. I wasn’t mad for the reason most people would be, I was mad because I understand him needing to feel like he can stand on his two feet and needing the space to do it. I was mad at the circumstances surrounding certain situations, but it’s my fault really because I doubted Ben and it’s not something we made need to do. While as Nikolas is this dark angel with a vengeful way about himself; Ben is the total opposite. He’s this bright shining beacon who has the most endearing conscience around. I mean he cares for everyone’s well being. His heart is one of the reasons why many adore him, and only Nikolas has him.

Cover Art by Deana Jamoz. This cover is everything that happened in the book. Being in the darkness but fighting your way out until you reach the light. I love it.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 290 pages
Published August 22nd 2014 by MLR Press (first published August 21st 2014)
ISBN13MLR1020140285
edition languageEnglish
seriesMore Heat Than the Sun #3

More Heat Than The Sun Series (should be read in order to understand the relationships and events)

  • Love is a Stranger (More Heat Than the Sun #1)
  • Conscious Decisions of the Heart (More Heat Than the Sun, #2)
  • The Bridge of Silver Wings (More Heat Than the Sun, #3)
  • This Other Country (More Heat Than the Sun, #4)
  • The Bruise-Black Sky (More Heat Than the Sun, #5)

A MelanieM Review: In Darkest Peru by Louise Lyons

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5

In Darkest Peru coverRhys White’s life has take a sharp tumble.  His boyfriend of 5 years has dumped him and his employer just told him that her services are no longer needed. And although Rhys is sure that he can find another job as a computer programmer all his interviews to date have gotten him nothing.

Oddly enough it’s a stuffed animal given to Rhys as a gift that prompts Rhys to do something extraordinary and out of character for him. He buys a plane ticket to Peru.

Rhys’ adventure in Peru starts out well enough, but then disaster strikes. All of his belongings are stolen. Everything is gone—passport, wallet, phone, clothing, the lot.

Stranded in Cuzco, not too far from the famous Machu Picchu, Rhys tries to find someone to help him. He’s about to give up, when a sexy Brazilian named Rafael, comes to his rescue

I was excited to read In Darkest Peru by Louise Lyons for several reasons. One –  Lyons is a new author to me and I always enjoy finding new writers.  And secondly, the location, Peru, specifically Cuzco and the Inca Trail which is also a huge hook for me.  Unfortunately this book fell far short of my expectations.

The opening pages revealed that the author started off her story on a creative and endearing platform of an idea.  Are you familiar with Paddington Bear?  That wondrous bear of the enormous red hat and blue coat?  No?  Well, his story, a favorite childhood book for many (A Bear Called Paddington) starts out with a small bear who was a stowaway, traveling from “Darkest Peru” to the United Kingdom.  It seems that Rhys’ boyfriend had gifted him with a stuffed Paddington Bear whose gaze prompts Rhys to go off on an adventure of his own after being dumped.  And much like Paddington, Rhys might have just as well had a sign around his neck that reads “Please look after this boy.  Thank you,”  to borrow Paddington’s line.

See?  Right there, Lyons had me.  Rhys was a sympathetic believable human being and I wanted to know more about his story.  So far so good.  But then Rhys landed in Peru, that magical, inspiring land of the Incas and Rhys’s journey and story start to head off course.

If an author is going to use any exotic or foreign location as a setting for their story, then they need to make that place come alive…people, places, culture.  Make us believe that their characters are actually walking the land, and listening to the language and eating the local food.  But here?  Take away the names and the fact that the story states that Rhys flies to Peru, takes various transport here and there, you could relocate this story to Manchester or Liverpool or Kansas and it would give us as much local flavor.  Rhys visits a museum in Cuzco that he said he always wanted to see but other than the name we never find out why.  He flies over the famous  Nazca Lines in a plane and notes he’s disappointed it was over so fast.  Well, so are we because there’s no description of the Nazca Lines or what he sees or is feeling high above them.   That lack.. of physical descriptions, emotions, feelings and thoughts…its everywhere here. What descriptions to be had here are slight in length, shallow in layers, and altogether lacking in any believable content and authenticity. Rhys continually “tells” us where he is going and that maybe he is sweaty but not much else.  A few sentences that felt like plodding paragraphs and the famed Inca trail is done with.   What a wasted opportunity for Rhys and the reader to make Rhys feel a part of the ancient and mystical trail and great adventure it represents.

Basically, its all forgotten when Rhys gets robbed and rescued by another hiker, a man from Brazil who wants to be a guide.  But do we get any indication why (his name is already escapes me) wants to be a guide?  Does he bring any emotion or knowledge really of the trail and conditions they hike?  Nope, not to be found here either.  Let’s just say that much sex ensues and leave it at that.  Really the only reason it feels that Peru and the Inca Trail were used as settings as all was to enable Lyons to use that great idea at the beginning with the stuffed bear.

Now some will say “well, how about the romance?”  What romance?  There is no HEA or  HFN.  No, this is a vacation hookup story, albeit one that gives the main character a little bit more of a backbone that when he started.  The best thing about this story? That bit about the stuffed bear and Paddington’s connection to Peru. I only wish this story had lived up to that inventive and wonderful concept.

So if you are expecting love or romance, this story will leave you absolutely irritated at the lack thereof.  If you are expecting vivid descriptions and a feel for the country and ancient history, you won’t get that either.  If you want a book that makes Peru and its history and people come alive, pick up Ariel Tachna’s The Path.  It’s exemplary and you will feel you are walking those ancient arduous trails to a shining conclusion with its characters.  And if you want an endearing tale of adventure, look no further than A Bear Called Paddington.  Now’s there’s an adventure for you!

Not so here so I definitely recommend that you give this story a pass.  I will try another story from this author and see what promise I may find there.

 

Cover art by Jay’s Covers by Design.  Beautiful cover, one of my favorites this month.  I only wish the book had lived up to it.

Sales Links:  Wayward Ink Publishing     All Romance (ARe)    Amazon      Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 51 pages
Published February 13th 2015 by Wayward Ink Publishing
ASINB00SSCKT58
edition languageEnglish