Review: Firestorm (Fighting Fire #1) by Laura Harner

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

After a wildland fire put Scott McGregor on the disabled list and ended his career as a firefighter, Scott had to start his life anew. While in the hospital, an old emergency contact number saw the reentry into his life of Robby Hammond, a former college lover of his. Together they see Scott settled into his new home and life as owner of the Mountain Shadows Campgrounds. Comprised of a number of rental cabins as well as a bed and breakfast, Mountain Shadows is full of challenges, not the least of which is having Robby Hammond back in his life again.

Finding Scott again after all these years is hard enough for Robby but then to see Scott alone and in pain in that burn unit, well, that was enough for Robby to do the unthinkable and uproot his own life. Leaving San Francisco is hard but taking a job as a law enforcement ranger part time is even harder. Robby, like Scott, has to adjust to a new town, Flagstaff, and a new residence too. What is not new to either man is the white hot attraction that sparks back to life the moment they see each other again.

But what forced them to separate the first time around remains between them causing them both unlimited hurt. Still the flames of love and passion continue to rise. Where there is smoke, there is sure to be fire…sooner or later.

The Pulp Friction authors have started the adventure once more! Firestorm (Fighting Fire#1) is the first in Laura Harner’s series for the Pulp Friction 2014 interconnected storyline and its off to a terrific start. Comprised off just six chapters, Harner dumps the reader immediately into Scott’s new life as he travels with Robby from the burn unit in Albuquerque where he was recently discharged to the Mountain Shadows campground where he is to begin his new life. We learn bits and pieces of Scott (and Robby’s past) as they travel the road up the mountain uncertain of exactly what his new property looks like.

I love riding along with the characters as they prepare to start this new chapter in their lives. It brings us face to face with all the uncertainty and stress of the unknown ahead of Scott. The property was bought sight unseen and Scott has no idea of what lies ahead of him. Harner gives us a man on the precipice of a monumental life change and this character is reeling with the stress of the changes he has gone through while still trying to recover from the burns of the fire. It makes Scott both someone we can empathize with and relate to, complete with limp and scarring, emotional and physical.

Packed on top of all the drastic changes in his life, the reentry of Robby Hammond adds one more tumultuous layer to the situation Scott faces. Harner is crafty in only doling out bits and pieces of Scott and Robby’s past relationship as they travel together to get Scott settled in at the campground lodge that is to be Scott’s home. We see that they loved each other and that the physical and emotional attraction to each other is still very present. But other than that? Nothing until a shocker that arrives at the very end of this first story that both explains so much while still leaving us with loads of questions to be answered.

In Firestorm, Laura Harner is setting the stage for the rest of her series and the first inklings of the interconnected characters and relationships from the other authors. I love the tone and pace of the story as well as the depth of characterization and surprising elements she is building into the relationships and storylines. What a great setting too. The wildness of the habitat just outside the door is aspect of the story that brings challenges of its own to all the people present as well as acting almost like an additional character as well. I got to the end and immediately wanted more. So will you. Consider this story, this series and in fact, the entire Pulp Friction 2014 group highly recommended.

Cover art by Laura Harner. Cover is great, perfect for the character and story within.

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 62 pages
Published January 14th 2014 by Hot Corner Press
ASINB00HV33EGG
edition languageEnglish
seriesFighting Fire
Buy links Amazon, ARe
One of the Pulp Friction 2014 Series

From the Pulp Friction Group: The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends. The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth. Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1) by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Where the Wind Blows: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by Tom Webb

Review: Cold Snap (In From the Cold #1) by Lee Brazil

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When Dagfinnr Lorensson, professor of literature, comes across a freezing Dr. Cannon Malloy in the staff parking lot, it’s not the first time the two men have met, but only one of them remembers. Cannon Malloy has just arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona, fleeing the traumatizing events and deadly stalker of the last summer in Atlanta. Cannon is to take over the neurosurgery clinic at the university. Somehow Cannon thought putting a large distance between himself and his friends in Atlanta (Chances Are series) would help him get past the events that have left his hands shaking and himself fearful almost all of the time.

Now Cannon stands shivering next to his 66 Shelby, painfully aware that clearly neither his beloved car or himself was prepared for the winter weather that occurs in Flagstaff and the mountainous regions that surround it. Dagfinnr rescues Cannon and takes him to a local hotel where Finn is staying until the roads are safe to travel home. The night at the inn ends in explosive sex.

But Cannon is a man living in fear and even the smallest emotional advances send him running out into the night, seeking the refuge of his new rental cabin on Mountain Shadows. It’s not until Cannon runs into trouble again on the snow packed mountain road that he realizes his rescuer from work is also his new neighbor. With winter storms and proximity working to throw them together, will Finn find a way past Cannon’s shields and his fear? And will Cannon find the strength to stop running and let someone inside all the barriers he has raised against love?

Cold Snap is another terrific start to what looks to be a gripping and emotion packed series. Unexpectedly Lee Brazil has brought Cannon Malloy, a problematic character if ever there was one, over from the original Pulp Friction 2013 group series. Now a main character, Cannon Malloy is someone the reader is certain to feel ambivalent about. He was the closeted man who hurt Chance so deeply in the Chances Are series. His return into Chance’s life sparks all sorts of upheavals in the core relationships of the Pulp Friction 2013 group of friends. He disappears towards the end of that storyline after some horrific events. It now appears that he ran off to Arizona in hopes of starting a new life as an out gay man for the first time in his life. This process starts to transform a self involved personality into someone the reader can start to relate to and empathize with by slowly revealing the frailties behind the self centered appearance.

And to help in this process hopefully is Dagfinnr Loresson, professor of English literature, neighboring renter at the cabins at Mountain Shadows (the location for the Pulp Friction 2014 series), and apparently a man searching for love and a little kink with Cannon Malloy. As this is just the first story in the series, Brazil is laying the groundwork necessary for the complicated relationship that is sure to follow. Here it would help to have read the previous Pulp Friction series or at least the Chances Are series, although not completely necessary as the author starts to work bits and pieces from Cannon’s past into the current storyline.

Towards the end of the last series, Cannon was starting to explore the world of bdsm sexuality and it did not go well for a number of reasons. But all those unanswered questions and unresolved feelings are still there under all the barriers Cannon has erected to protect himself from physical and emotional harm. And Finn recognizes that in Cannon he might have meet the man to match his own desires and kink. The drama and, I expect, the fun, will be in watching the author brings these two disparate personalities together into a rewarding relationship.

There are also mysteries that start to emerge and I expect elements from Cannon’s past to figure into the plot as well. I have always found it hard to believe that Brazil can pack so much story into only 56 pages. The characters are so vivid and real that they threaten to burst out of the page and the location feels as alive as the tall trees that surround the cabins and main lodge. My only complaint is, that like an addictive snack, you finish one and then immediately want to reach out for the next. That’s the way I feel about Cold Snap and all the rest of the Pulp Friction 2014 series.

The anticipation has settled in. My curiosity is engaged and the suspense is building. I am already in love with the series and all the characters, wounded, quirky, dominate, and complex, that are showing up one by one at Mountain Shadows. There are so many elements to be found here, love, romance, kinky sex, wounded men, and mystery, that there is something for everyone. I definitely consider this highly recommended!

Cover art by Laura Harner is terrific and perfect for the man and story inside.

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 56 pages

Published January 30th 2014 by Lime Time Press

ASIN B00I5SWYZS

edition language English

series In From the Cold, Pulp Friction 2014

One of the Pulp Friction 2014 Series

From the Pulp Friction Group: The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends. The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth. Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1) by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Where the Wind Blows: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by Tom Webb

Review: Riding Tall (The Fall #2) by Kate Sherwood

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Joe Sutton and Scott Mackenzie are trying to adjust to the new romance in their lives and it isn’t going especially well. Mackenzie is still trying to prove himself after years spent as his ex boyfriend’s “arm candy”. Now Mackenzie’s former modeling career is starting to thrive when all he had hoped for was to revive it enough to pay his bills and subsidize his new business with the church he is remodeling.

But reentering his old life as a model brings back all the high life and fast action Mackenzie was once used to. City life, late nights, booze, drugs and pretty boys all around. Soon Mackenzie finds that he must decide between the life he had and the life he has now. Life with Joe on the ranch could be everything he every hoped for if only he can convince himself and Joe that it will work.

Joe too is slowly drowning in family problems and uncertainties about Mackenzie’s life as a model, their commitment to each other, and his own ability to give everyone what they need, including love and support. With his brother Will consumed with his new fiance and his construction business, it’s not only his sisters and special needs nephew that Joe is responsible for. He has a working ranch, with only his younger sister now to help him with the chores and animals. Plus he has just assumed guardianship for the two girls who used to live next door, orphaned when their drunken parents set fire to their house. Then a traumatic event adds one more to the mix. Before Joe realizes it, he is everyones support but his own. And Mackenzie’s. Consumed by his responsibilies, weighed down by trying to manage all his own. Can Joe reach out for help to Mackenzie? Will he and Mac save not only their relationship but the family as well?

The first story in the series, The Fall, was a story I just loved from the very first word. The characters pulled at my heart and the author’s ability to mix the gravity of real life along with it’s light-hearted joys made it one of my favorites so far this year. So you can imagine my happiness when I saw that the sequel had been released. With great anticipation I picked it up and settled down to see how Joe and Mackenzie had fared thus far in adjusting to their new romance and Mackenzie’s resumption of his modeling career. What I found in Riding Tall was both well written and resoundingly disheartening.

Kate Sherwood has the ability to put characters and family dynamics on the page that feel so authentic that you would swear you know these people. And after spending an entire book with them (The Fall) I had come to feel quite fond of them all. So perhaps if I can use this analogy of a visit to a close friends house to describe how I felt about Riding Tall, it might make it all easier to understand.

Picture that old friends of yours, complete with large family with includes siblings, children of varying ages, including several with special needs, has invited you to spend the weekend or possibly even an evening with them. You arrive happy to see all and hopeful for a terrific evening getting reacquainted. It starts off promisingly. You get caught up and there are smiles all around. But as the evening wears on, the tensions between your friends appears, conversations get strained, and you start to notice how exhausted and overburdened everyone appears. The kids start to get tired, whining and bad behavior surfaces, and the room starts to get smaller. Soon everyone has forgotten your presence, so caught up in their own issues, stress and unhappiness. You are unable to help as no help is being accepted. Arguments grow from soft to loud, leaving you squirming on the sofa. Before long you find yourself edging towards the door and freedom. At the very last minute, one of the couple stands up, reminds their partner how much they love them, and pulls it all together. Calm and happiness is reestablished. Now you are thrilled for them but the door still feels like the best possible choice at the moment because you feel as exhausted and stressed out by the evening as they were.

For me, that’s Riding Tall.

Sherwood’s excellence with her dialog, relationship dynamics, and characterization make everything that occurs here not only realistic but incredibly plausible. For almost 80 percent of this story, Joe is drowning under his own guilt, martyr complex and assumed responsibilities for, well, everyone and everything. He is exhausted, he has no time for Mackenzie when he is in town and he knows he is failing on every front but doesn’t know how to change the situation he is in. For Mackenzie, its time to grow up and realize where his priorities lie, with his career or with Joe and the family. So many adjustments for not only the couple but everyone around them. I am telling you no one is happy here. And with very good reason. Every situation each member of the family finds themselves in is one you will be able to relate to. Teenagers with emotional problems acting out at school, a young child with autism overwhelmed by changes in his life and living quarters, people moving away and moving on. You name it and its happening to Joe, Mackenzie, and their extended family.

The children in this series will haunt you with their issues. Particularly disheartening is the scene where a child’s damaged brain is acting as a recorder, spewing out all the vile things her abusive father had said to her and her sisters. It’s authentic and quite shocking, especially in its impact on Joe. Joe’s reactions to the hate-filled vicious phrases pouring out of that innocent injured child’s mouth is everything you would expect from a compassionate adult and Joe in particular. The medical issues here and the emotional and physical repercussions that come with having this child move onto the ranch are handled with sensitivity and responsibility. There will need to be constant supervision, therapists of every type, and the long term prognosis is uncertain.There are no easy band aids, no instant fixes for this large and complicated family. Just realistic scenarios where different problems and issues arise.

Even that happy go lucky, goofy goldendoodle, Griffin, that I adored, changes into a sober working service dog by the end of the story. It is an unrelenting parade of family problems, romance miscommunications and arguments when they are communicating. No real love scenes, as even the characters acknowledge, because they don’t have the time, the kids are always around, their schedules don’t mesh, and they are exhausted. Bad stuff upon bad stuff is piled on until the characters are buried in a quagmire of too many responsibilities, guilt, and resources. For 80 percent of the story.

Had the author been able to inject even some moments of levity, a realistic scene of hopefulness and temporary cheer, into the proceedings, than it all would have become so much more palatable. Instead we almost reach the end before Mackenzie makes a choice and makes a loving and practical plan. I did so love the ending. It made complete sense, pulled most of the story threads together in a satisfying resolution. It is still a HFN, other characters essential to the family have large problems looming ahead. The special needs children remain just that, children who come with their own sets of challenges and joys. The same holds for the traumatized sisters that used to live next door but are now Joe’s responsibility as well. Oh, and Mackenzie’s dysfunctional family makes an appearance too.

I start inching towards the door again just remembering it all.

I foresee more stories in the series and, yes, I will read all those as well. You don’t give up on those you care for after a particularly stressful and strained visit. You just hope the next is a bit better for all. That is the expectations I will carry with me as I await the next installment. You might find you feel differently about this story than I do. Maybe your threshold for complicated family dynamics is higher than mine. Either way, the decision is yours to make. I will be sticking with the series and its marvelous author. Tell me what you think

Cover artist is Leah Kaye Suttle. Again I found the cover to be a little to generic. Mackenzie doesn’t even like horses or ride.

Books in The Fall series include:

The Fall
Riding Tall (The Fall #2)

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages

Published February 3rd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published February 2nd 2014)

ISBN 1627984100 (ISBN13: 9781627984102)

edition language English

series The Fall #2

Guest Authors, Contests and The Week Ahead in Reviews

While March is deciding whether to be winter or spring, new books are popping up like crocuses, just waiting to be discovered and read. I have a wonderful group of authors and stories waiting for you this week along with a number of book giveaways and author contests for everyone to enter.

Monday will start off with the sequel to The Fall, a novel by Kate Sherwood. Tuesday is a 2 book review day with of some of the Pulp Friction 2014 stories. This year’s series is very different in tone and characters from last years, but just as absorbing. A new author for me, E.E. Ottoman, is visiting on Wednesday to talk about E.E.’s release, Song of the Spring Moon Waning, a story I think everyone should read. A copy of that book will be given away as part of E.E. Ottoman’s guest blog. Thursday is the return of those marvelous group of authors whose stories comprise the Pulp Friction 2014 series. Laura Harner, Lee Brazil, Havan Fellows and Tom Webb will be stopping by to talk about this year’s series and will give away a $25 gift card from All Romance eBooks! Friday Heidi Belleau and Amelia C. Gormley continue on their book tour with To The Very Last Inch, The Professor’s Rule #5 (contest also). And finally, ScatteredThoughts is finishing up the week with another new author for me, Liz Boreno. Liz Boreno will be here talking about her Angel series, Angel’s Hero (The Angel #1) and Angel’s Truth (The Angel#2), reviews of which will follow. And there will be a book giveaway to go with her spotlight guest blog as well.

Whew! What a packed and wonderful week in store! All those great authors and contests too. Don’t miss out, stay with me all week long. Now off to whack some bushes just to feel all gardenery and such….

********************************************************************************

Monday, March 10: Riding Tall by Kate Sherwood
Tuesday, March 11: Firestorm by Laura Harner, Cold Snap by Lee Brazil
Wed., March 12: E.E. Ottoman Author Spotlight and Contest
Thursday, March 13: Pulp Friction 2014 Authors & Series Spotlight/Contest
Friday, March 14: To The Very Last Inch Book Tour/Contest w/ Heidi Belleau & Amelia C. Gormley
Saturday, March 15: Take Flight with Liz Boreno, Author Spotlight, Contest
Review: Angel’s Hero by Liz Boreno

Review: Know Not Why by Hannah Johnson

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Howie’s social life is suffering, along with everything else not going on in his life. Howie’s back home, living with his mom. He hopes his support will help her adjust after the car accident that caused the death of his dad. But leaving school and his hopes behind has left a fierce void in his life. He lacks a girl friend, a job, even just a motivation to get out of bed every day. So when the idea comes to him that he can find girls by getting a job in a craft store full of girl employees then he acts on it. Sounds great, right? But getting a job at Artie Kraft’s Arts ‘N Crafts doesn’t work out quite the way Howie thought it would.

Sure there are some cute girls working at Artie Kraft’s Craft store, but neither is what he expected. Sure Kristy, blonde, bubbly, adorable Kristy, seems perfect, But she is oblivious to Howie’s charms, more friend than date. And Cora? Wild, tiny, super pierced, fierce force of nature Cora? No, not to any stretch of Howie’s imagination would that work. And then there is his boss, store owner Arthur Kraft. Arthur just confounds Howie. Howie is only a few years younger than Arthur but Arthur seems so much older in outlook and actions. Arthur just rubs Howie the wrong way, sure the guy is cute and all. He is kind and knowledgeable and very gay. So why is the very straight Howie spending all his time thinking about Arthur?

Who knew that a small time craft store could cause such an upheaval in Howie’s life? Everything starts to change whether Howie is prepared or not, including himself.

I had been hearing good things about this self published story by Hannah Johnson but I was unprepared for how much I really liked it. Before I knew it, I was heart deep in the lives of Howie, his friends Amber and Mitch, as well as Arthur Kraft, and all the employees of Artie Kraft’s Arts ‘N Crafts. Johnson’s narrative is witty, light hearted and topical. The dialog of the characters just snaps with the verve and idiomatic phrases of youth. What fun, what joy in characters and a story well told! Oh how I enjoyed that.

Know Not Why is told from the point of view of 22-year old Howie, English Lit major at a community college. Howie is an intelligent, somewhat sarcastic young man. A verbal acrobat who is bitter over his current situation, Howie makes an amusing, snappish narrator. His is a voice that overflows with current cultural references from indy movies to popular songs, throwing in lines, plots and authors most likely found among the syllabuses for English Literature majors at college. Think about a narration along the lines of Ferris Bueller, and you can begin to get a feel for the type of flow you will find in Know Not Why.

But Howie is not the charming, immensely likable Ferris Bueller, not by a long shot. One he is older and his living situation is far more serious than Ferris’. A tragic car accident has cost him his father and his mother is still mourning the loss even as she supports them through a new terrific career as a romance writer and teacher at the same community college Howie now reluctantly attends. He has a wonderful relationship with her, the same goes with his best friend Amber. But as a young man desperate to connect with the opposite sex, he comes across as a little sketchy in his approach and lack of understanding to women outside his small circle.

One of the elements I appreciated about Johnson’s characters as well as story development is that we go from a superficial understanding of Howie where he is almost a smarmy, self centered sort of individual to a deeper, more layered character that evolves as more and more details about his situation and past history surface. And the revelations about Howie keep pace with the growth of the character as working at the craft store and its employees have a marked affect upon his life.

All the characters that Johnson has created here are well crafted and thought out. Where certain people, Kristy and Mitchell come to mind, could have been so stereotypical in their personalities, these characters come across as layered, and realistic, although it may take a while before the reader realizes it. Kristy is such an effervescent, naive personality that disliking this character would be the equivalent of kicking kittens. No matter how much one might be inclined to disparage even the very idea of a Kristy, the character wins you over with unexpected depths and charm of this person. I can say much the same for all the characters found here. Superficially they all appear to be one thing, yet as the story develops, so does the superficiality disolve from each one to reveal the well rounded persona that has existed there all along. Even minor characters like a Heather Grimsby achieves authenticity by the end of the story.

Know Not Why charts the personal and emotional growth of not just Howie, but many of the secondary characters around him. In a realistic fashion, the events that happen take place over a year’s time. And the emotional upheavals that happen to each character here are those that naturally occur as relationships change and evolve. Life is about change, whether you want it to or not. And whether you are ready for the change to occur or not. Mothers move past grief and get ready for a new love. Friends and your relationship with them will never remain in stasis no matter how much you want things to stay the same. Howie has to deal with all that and more, including his sexuality and love for another man. Its funny, howlingly so at times, irritating, and so slow in acceptance you could swear you saw a turtle doing laps around Howie as he ponders his attraction towards men in general and one in particular.

And that brings me to the two elements that some readers will find exasperating. The first is Howie’s narration. Its long, self involved (at least to start off), constantly rambling, and assured of its own relevancy and intelligence. So much so that how you relate to Howie and his personality will reflect in how you feel about this story. If you love a main character’s almost non stop gamboling storytelling format as well as a well defined realistic personal growth, I think than you will love Howie and his story. If you lack the patience to deal with this sort of personality and long, rambling style to the point of what may seem self indulgence, than you might be quick to give this a pass. It’s all in how you relate to Howie. Love him, love the story.

Secondly, for me at least, there is the length. I think that it could have been edited downwards, making the story more concise and sharp in tone and format. In my opinion, Howie rambles on a little too long as the same things are gone over several times in the narrative when, in my opinion, just once would have sufficed. I understand the author’s need to give full voice to Howie, but wish her inner editor (and perhaps her outer one as well) would have let her cut away some of the excess verbiage to let the many gems found here shine more brightly.

I found Know Not Why by Hannah Johnson so enjoyable that I am now off to seek out what others stories she may have written. I certainly look for more from this terrific author and definitely recommend Know Not Why to y0u all. It’s a fun, enjoyable read full of characters and dialog that just sparkle.

Hannah Johnson can be found at http://alaskanandromeda.blogspot.com

Charmingly simple cover, with its yarn heart. Loved it.

Book Details:

ebook, 317 pages

Published April 23rd 2012 by Smashwords

original title Know Not Why: A Novel

ISBN13 97814

Go Every Inch of The Way with Heidi Belleau & Amelia C. Gormley onThe Professor’s Rule #4 Tour and Book Contest

Hi! We’re Heidi Belleau and Amelia C. Gormley, and we’re here to let you know that our kinky series The Professor’s Rule is coming to an end. The last two novelettes–Every Inch of the Way and To the Very Last Inch–are out now from Riptide Publishing, and to celebrate, we’re touring the web with a contest and a free bonus short. You’ll have to follow the whole tour to read the short in its entirety, but since every comment you make along the tour gets you an entry in our contest, there’s plenty of reasons to tag along.
If you haven’t yet heard of The Professor’s Rule, here’s a quick crash course (see what we did there?)

School is back in session.

When undergrad student James Sheridan set out to seduce his way into a better grade, he had no idea what he was signing on for. Professor Evander Carson wasn’t about to trade a good grade for sexual favors, but he was definitely willing to tutor his wayward pupil in far more than history.
By the end of their tumultuous relationship, James not only excelled academically, his sexual horizons had expanded to include pleasures—and agonies—the likes of which he’d never dreamed. But enough was more than enough, and James fled from his Professor, unsure of where his limits lay or if he had the wherewithal to set boundaries.

Two years later, a chance misdial puts James back in contact with his former instructor and brings all his old cravings back in force, leaving him yearning to kneel once again at his Professor’s feet. But James has a new life now, with new sexual and romantic prospects—most notably the charming menswear salesman Satish Malhotra. Still, the pull to return to Professor Carson is a powerful thing. Can James give in to it without giving up his newfound confidence and budding romance?

The complete collection is on sale now for 40% off, and if you’d like to try before you buy, Giving an Inch (The Professor’s Rule #1) is free wherever ebooks are sold!

About Every Inch of the Way and To the Very Last Inch

In Every Inch of the Way, Satish Malhotra is in over his head. What appeared to be the hookup of his dreams turned out to be another man’s kinky sex game, and thus ended his relationship with sweet, submissive James Sheridan before it’d hardly begun.
Or so he thought. Being used in someone else’s domination/submission play should have been a deal breaker, yet James—bruises, boyfriend, and all—is too compelling to let walk away. But James has needs Satish isn’t sure he can fulfill, and it seems his mysterious Professor isn’t willing to share.
Can Satish keep James happy in bed and in life, or will James be forced to choose between his dominant and his burgeoning vanilla romance with Satish?

Book Details: 45 pages, word count: 11,200
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62649-127-4

*******************************************************************************

In To the Very Last Inch . . . Just days after their scorching reunion, Professor Evander Carson has kicked his one-time pupil James Sheridan to the curb—and tried to sabotage James’s new relationship with Satish Malhotra. Something isn’t right here, but James isn’t sure he should bother trying to figure out what. Carson isn’t good for him and will never change. He needs to accept that and move on.
Satish knows something is up, too, but he thinks the relationship between Carson and James is worth saving. To do the right thing, Satish will have to make James and Carson confront the secrets they’ve hidden for years and help them to overcome the pain and mistrust they’ve caused.
But if Satish succeeds, where will that leave him and his intensifying romance with James? Will the three of them be able to find the right balance, or will James be forced to choose between the pain and submission he craves with Carson, and the sweet, vanilla stability he’s found with Satish?

About the Authors

Amelia C. Gormley may seem like anyone else. But the truth is she sings in the shower, dances doing laundry, and writes blisteringly hot m/m erotic romance while her son is at school. When she’s not writing in her Pacific Northwest home, Amelia single-handedly juggles her husband, her son, their home, and the obstacles of life by turning into an everyday superhero. And that, she supposes, is just like anyone else.
Her self-published novel-in-three-parts, Impulse (Inertia, Book One; Acceleration, Book Two; and Velocity, Book Three) can be found at most major online book retailers, and be sure to check Riptide for her latest releases, including her Highland historical, The Laird’s Forbidden Lover, the The Professor’s Rule series of erotic novelettes (co-written with Heidi Belleau), the post-apocalyptic romance, Strain, and her upcoming, New Adult contemporary, Saugatuck Summer, available for pre-order now.

You can contact Amelia on

Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
BookLikes
Tumblr or
contact her by email using the form on the About page at http://ameliacgormley.com/

Heidi Belleau was born and raised in small town New Brunswick, Canada. She now lives in the rugged oil-patch frontier of Northern BC with her husband, an Irish ex-pat whose long work hours in the trades leave her plenty of quiet time to write. She has a degree in history from Simon Fraser University with a concentration in British and Irish studies; much of her work centered on popular culture, oral folklore, and sexuality, but she was known to perplex her professors with papers on the historical roots of modern romance novel tropes. (Ask her about Highlanders!) Her writing reflects everything she loves: diverse casts of characters, a sense of history and place, equal parts witty and filthy dialogue, the occasional mythological twist, and most of all, love—in all its weird and wonderful forms.

She also writes queer-flavoured M/F as Heloise Belleau.

Chat with her on Twitter using the handle @HeidiBelleau.
Browse her website at HeidiBelleau.com or HeloiseBelleau.com.
Check out her books on Goodreads.
Follow her Facebook and Tumblr accounts.
Or contact her using good old-fashioned email.
Or contact her using good old-fashioned email: heidi.heloise.belleau@gmail.com

Contest

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February 2014 Summary of Reviews and Best Covers of the Month

February 2014 Review Summary

*Key:
S series
C contemporary
F-fantasy
SF-science fiction
PN-paranormal
SP-supernatural
H-historical
HR-horror
N-Nonfiction
YA-young adult

Rating Scale: 1 to 5, 5 stars is outstanding

*****************************************************************
5 Star Rating:

Be My Valentine, Bobby Bryson by Geoffrey Knight C, short story
Lying With Scorpions by Aleksandr Voinov, S, SF
Of Last Resort by Megan Derr, S, F

4 to 4.75 Star Rating:

Battle of Will by Sasha L. Miller (4.5) F, S
Bloody Love Spats by Valentina Heart (4.25) S, SP
Ghosts of Bourbon Street by Rowen Speedwell (4) SP
Kept Tears by Jana Denardo (4), F
It’s All Geek To Me by J.L. Merrow (4.25) C
It’s Only Make Believe by Havan Fellows (4.25) C
Reviewing Life by Lara Brukz (4), S, C
Second Star to the Right by A.F. Henley (4.25) C
Strain by Amelia C. Gormley (4) S, SF
Succulent Dark by D. J. Manley (4.25), S, SP
The Experiment by Alicia Nordwell (4), S, SF
Where You Lead by Mary Calmes (4), C

3 to 3.75 Star Rating:

Cupcakes by Sean Michael (3.5) C
Jasper’s Mountain by John Inman (3.75), C
Pretty Poison by Kari Gregg (3.75) SP
The Prince and the Practitioner by Christian Baines, (3) HR, SP

2 to 2.75 Star Rating:

Nightfall by Jenna Byrnes (2.75) S, SP

1 to 1.75 Rating: None

Best Covers of February 2014

*******************************************************************************

Bloody Love Spats, Cover artist Maria Fanning
Ghosts of Bourbon Street, cover artist Jared Rackler
It’s All Geek To Me, cover art by LC Chase
Jasper’s Mountain, cover art by Reese Dante
Pretty Poison, cover art by Lou Harper
Kept Tears, cover by Paul Richmond
The Experiment, cover art by Christine Griffin
Where You Lead, cover art by Reese Dante

Review: Jasper’s Mountain by John Inman

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Jasper Stone has few needs. A writer, Jasper loves his solitude and quiet, something he gets plenty of on his ninety acre ranch, high on the side of the Juniper Mountains. Living alone in his rustic cabin, Jasper’s only companions are the animal menagerie the kind hearted author has managed to accumulate since his arrival. While all his dogs and cats keep Jasper from being alone, they don’t always keep him from being lonely. Then Jasper finds a young man with a fever hiding in his chicken coop and everything changes.

When small-time thief Timmy Harwell carjacks a Cadillac, he tumbles into something much more dangerous than just stealing a car. That outrageously outfitted Cadillac belongs to Miguel Garcia, aka El Poco, a Tijuana drug dealer, known for his ruthless manner and killer reputation. And it’s not just the drug dealer’s favorite car that Timmy has stolen, no, its the $100,000 he finds in the trunk as well. Soon, Timmy is on the run, trying to put as much distance between him and El Poco as possible.

But a storm forces Timmy to hide out on Jasper’s ranch until he falls ill from exposure. Jasper finds Timmy and nurses him back to health, becoming fond of the young man during his recovery. But Timmy recognizes that Jasper is everything he is not. Jasper is kind, and honest, valuing trust and the truth above all. So Timmy hides who he is and what he has done behind lie after lie. When the past and El Poco catches up to Timmy on Jasper’s mountain, Timmy realizes its not just himself he has placed in danger but Jasper too, a man he has come to love and admire. When it all comes down to making a choice, will Timmy choose survival? Or will he decide honesty and Jasper is the only choice his heart desires?

I first found John Inman through a series of novels with a comedic bent to their plots and characters. And although each contained a serious element or two in the narrative, they were generally light hearted fare that left you smiling or perhaps even guffawing long after you had finished reading them. So I found myself surprised by the gravity of Jasper’s Mountain, a novel with a few endearing scenes to lighten a storyline of unusual seriousness by this author of humorous tales.

The characters that John Inman creates have always been people that felt authentic. Their personalities, character traits and relationship issues seeming more those of your neighbors than of created personas. That holds true here for Jasper Stone and Timmy Hartwell. Jasper, especially, resonated with me. Jasper is 32 years old, and more fond of animals than he is of people. Animals have never let him down the way people have. And Jasper’s mistrust of people combined with his awkwardness and dislike of society have caused him to retreat to his mountain sanctuary and the company of animals. Further isolating this man is his chosen profession of writing, something he is only moderately successful at. Jasper sells enough manuscripts to sustain himself and his pets but not for anything more. Everything about Jasper feels real, if not relatable.

Timmy Hartwell also comes across as a believable young thief. Stealing is a way of life Timmy just fell into, driven by a desire never to be poor again after a childhood spent in foster care. A lack of discipline, no impulse control and a flexible morality made life as a thief an easy occupation. If Timmy saw it and wanted it, well, then he stole it. And thought about the consequences later. Even Timmy admitted to himself that he probably wasn’t very smart about his life choices, just went with the flow of events and easy choices. Only the choice of hiding spots causes a change in outlook, not a desire to go straight. Another beautifully layered portrait from John Inman of a young confused human being with a life of bad choices behind him and more of the same in his future.

As with all Inman novels, the animal characters that pop up haphazardly about the story are as vivid and realistic as the people around them. Whether it is Harry and Harriet, pigs destined never to be bacon, Guatemala and Fiji, the cats with appetites for alligator lizards and the comforts of home, or Bobber, Jumper, and Lola, the dogs of indeterminate breeding that Jasper adopts, all the animals have larger than life personalities that support and enhance the people they are attached to. In this instance, the menagerie that Jasper has accumulated makes Jasper’s decision to help and then house another, albeit human, stray feel authentic to the character and situation. Jasper collects animals in need, what’s one more? The problem arises in that Timmy is a liar and a thief, someone Jasper cannot count on, unlike the unwavering love and loyalty of his animal family. It’s a great plot idea, but does it make a great romance?

As I stated before, Jasper’s Mountain is a departure from the typical lighthearted story I expect from this author. And that more serious aspect runs through the entire narrative. The biggest issue between the characters also becomes the biggest issue, in my opinion, between the readers relating to and believing in a romance between Jasper and Timmy. Timmy consistently lies to Jasper throughout the story. Over his background, over the events that lead him to Jasper’s ranch, over the peril he places Jasper in, and well, everything about the situation Timmy has created. Timmy is not just in the well, he’s in the Carlsbad Cavern of bad places, so deep and perilous is the position he has created for himself and Jasper. And the more he lies he tells Jasper, the more distance Timmy puts between himself and the reader’s emotional involvement in his future. I am not sure that Inman recognized the extent that the dishonesty of Timmy’s character would decrease the attachment one would feel towards Timmy. It also keeps the reader from investing in their romance. Even towards the end, Timmy is not honest about the head games he has been playing. We understand his desperation, the acts he commits in order to survive. John Inman has made Timmy a thoroughly believable little thief. I’m just not sure how much a reader will like him. That may depend on how much empathy you are able to extend towards Timmy and his situation.

The authenticity of Inman’s scenario extends to the story’s resolution as well. It’s not a HEA or even a HFN. More like a gritty probability that hope and the right decision will make a future possible. I liked that the author remained committed to a more likely ending than creating one that discounted all the events and characters that went before. For me, it was the only way this story could end and stay plausible. Love and hope sometimes has to be enough. John Inman understands that as well.

If you are looking for a lighthearted romance, then this is probably not the story for you. But Jasper’s Mountain has so much to offer. Its well written, believable, and full of layered characters that will hold your attention from start to finish. And no matter how I felt about Jasper and Timmy as a couple, I never stopped reading, not once. Pick it up and decide for yourself.

Cover artist Reese Dante gave Jasper’s Mountain a beautiful, memorable cover. One of the best of the year.

Book Details:

ebook, 204 pages

Published August 16th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press (first published August 15th 2013)

ISBN 1627980733 (ISBN13: 9781627980739)

edition language English

url http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Author Details:

Email john492@att.net
Facebook
Website

Review: Where You Lead by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Chicago-based ATF agent Peter Lomax’s past relationships never seemed to work out. Ex boyfriends had issues with his possessiveness as well as his job. Then Peter meets Carver Fleming at a friends party and everything changes. Artist and gallery owner, Carver doesn’t mind that Peter is possessive. It is a quality that Carver understands quite well as he feels the same. Nor is he bothered by the fact that law enforcement is far from his artistic world. From the beginning Peter and Carver recognize that they are perfect for each other and soon settle in to a committed relationship.

But six months into the relationship, Carver gets a call from home that changes everything. Carver’s mother has had a stroke and he is needed home to help his father cope with his mother’s changed condition. Unbeknownst to Peter, Carver agrees to return home, knowing such a move would not be temporary but permanent. From Chicago to Colt, Carver’s small hometown in Kentucky is a drastic change and he realizes that not telling Peter about his plans will cause major problems between them.

Carver doesn’t want to lose Peter. He knows that Peter’s friends and career are based in Chicago and that Peter won’t want to leave a city he loves. So Carver plans for the two of them to visit his parents at Christmas, hoping the visit and his surprise plans will get Peter to agree to come with Carver when he moves to Colt permanently. Carver is hoping that the charm of his hometown and his loving family will win Peter over. Can love triumph over the hurt Peter feels at being left out of Carver’s plans? And can a man with no family attachments of his own find one to love in Carver’s? At Christmas, anything is possible as Peter and Carver are about to find out.

A trademark of all of Mary Calmes’ stories is that she always populates them with genuinely likable people. Her characters are guaranteed to endear themselves to the reader almost immediately from the moment they appear on the page, and our affections for them only deepen as the story progresses. It is one of the elements that make Mary Calmes a must read author for me and so many others. Where You Lead is another such short story from this prolific author.

While Calmes does not provide too much back history on Peter and Carver, both men still manage to resonate with the readers. Peter had not had a satisfactory long term relationship and neither has Carver, although for different reasons. They come complete with relationship issues anyone would recognize. And when Peter and Carver meet, the connection between them snaps into place with lusty enthusiasm that continues throughout the story.

The story begins in Chicago at an art gallery opening to benefit the fallen agents fund. Peter is there with his ATF partner Elliot and his wife. The dialogue between Peter and Elliot feels appropriately affectionate and boyishly juvenile, just what you would expect of old friends. With just a few sentences, Calmes delivers a working partnership that feels real and honest. I wish we could have seen a little more of Peter’s life with the ATF and Elliot. As his profession is such a large part of who Peter is as a person, additional background or scenes of his work would have fleshed this part of the character out for me.

As the location switches to Carver’s home in Colt and the situation with his mother, the plot develops further to include not just romantic love but that of family as well. This for me is where the story really came to life. I loved Carver’s parents. His mother is such a strong character, especially as she deals with not only a stroke but the onset of dementia, possibly from Alzheimer’s. It’s such a loving and painful portrait of a woman who realizes she is losing herself and the effects on those she loves. Carver’s father is another fully realized persona and the dynamics of the father-son relationship feel authentic and grounded in reality of two such opposite personalities.

Where You Lead is only 68 pages long, and you will want the story to continue once the end is reached. I felt as though a evening with friends had ended before I was ready for it to be over. I would have loved for a little more exposition, maybe a epilogue to furnish a little more resolution to a heartwarming story. It was never in doubt as to what Peter would do. So the only real angst here is the family as it faces the reality of his mother’s heartrending future. That they will do it with love and each other’s support is a gift that they will give each other, another certainty that Calmes shares with her readers.

This story was released at Christmas but can be read at any time of the year. Its message of love and family reaches beyond any holiday celebration. I love this author and definitely recommend this story for all lovers of contemporary romance.

Cover art by Reese Dante. This cover is exquisite. One of the best of the year.

Book Details:

ebook, 68 pages
Published December 25th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press (first published December 24th 2013)
ISBN 1627984763 (ISBN13: 9781627984768)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.marycalmesauthor.com/

A Touch of Spring, a Ray of Sunshine and the Week Ahead in Review

It’s 60 degrees here today. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and thoughts of Spring are crowding into my mind. I know that February still has to run its course. And March can and most likely will be blustery and cold. And yet, and yet. All this warmth and sunshine is playing games with my head, luring me out to garden centers bare of plants and hardware stores still packed full of snow shovels and sand for the driveway.

There I linger not over the snowblowers and mittens, but the seed packets and starting trays. The small portable greenhouses and adjustable hoes for tilling around established plants in the gardens. New feeders and birdbaths beckon, and then even more until I have to flee before I find myself laden down with purchases at the counter.

Instead I am heading off to lunch with our DC Metro Romance Group of authors, publishers, bloggers and readers. We postponed it already once this month due to snow. I can’t wait to hear how every one is handling this long winter. New books, new conferences, time to get caught up.

Here is the week ahead….Its almost March and I hear my gardens calling.

Monday, Feb. 24: The Experiment by Alicia Nordwell

Tuesday, Feb. 25: Where You Lead by Mary Calmes

Wed., Feb. 26: Jasper’s Mountain by John Inman

Thurs., Feb. 27: The Prince and the Practitioner by Christian Baines

Friday, Feb. 28: February 2014 Summary of Reviews, Best Covers of the Month

Sat., March 1: Hunter By Blood by Robin White

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