Z. Allora on Writing, Future Stories and her latest release The Librarian’s Rake (excerpt and giveaways)

The Librarian’s Rake by Z. Allora
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska

Available for Purchase at Dreamspinner Press 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Allora Z. here today on her tour for The Librarian’s Rake.  Welcome, Allora.

✒︎

 

Greetings! Thank you, Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for the opportunity to share information about my new book The Librarian’s Rake with your readers.                  

To celebrate the release of The Librarian’s Rake I’ll be giving away 3 e-books of Secured and Free, (Book #2 of Entwined Dreams) and a $20 gift card to Dreamspinner Press. Details below.

 ~Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Allora Z ~

  • What’s the wildest scene you’ve imagined and did it make it into a story?

Um… yeah. Every single time. It started in With Wings my very first novel. I wrote a shared Fleshlight scene… and well from then on, every book I can point to something rather wild the characters engage in.

I think sexual exploration is part of character development and sheds light on the relationship the couple, triad or foursome has. Though we should keep in mind, one character’s wildness is another’s vanilla dream. In The Librarian’s Rake, my librarian is super uptight about sex and can’t imagine trying new things… so for him to have sex in the library is beyond his most wicked fantasies. Here’s a bit of his yumminess.

Excerpt from The Librarian’s Rake:

Phillip slid back a few inches, then thrust forward. “You’re so fucking hot. Getting fucked among your books. So dirty.”

“Oh, God!” It was. Filthy. And he loved being bent over in between two bookshelves while Phillip… took him.

“We’re in the romance section.” Phillip started reading titles as he edged his way in and out. “The Duke’s Ruse. Untamed Heart. The Librarian’s Rake. Hey, I bet that’s not about garden tools. Mmmm, I’ll be your rake.”

  • Ever drunk written a chapter and then read it the next day and still been happy with it?  Trust me there’s a whole world of us drunk writers dying to know.

I’ve never written drunk but while jetlagged. LOL My lack of sleep and the disorientation of travel puts me in an altered state. So, if I write when jetlagged it feels like someone else wrote the words. Though I learned writing sex scenes while jetlagged puts me in the mood for a bit of exercise (nudge, nudge, wink, wink >>> FYI: sex is good to fight jetlag) but those scenes usually need to be rewritten because they are usually super choppy.

  • With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain?  To get away?  To move past?  To wide our knowledge?  Why do you write?

I write (& publish) to promote equality and acceptance. I believe with every page we turn in LBGTQIA romance our understanding of gender, orientation, love, and humanity increase. I try to explore the edges and variations within any label that makes its way into my story. I want to emphasize the unique beauty in all of us and remind everyone there’s not just one way of expressing/experiencing something. I want to give information and understanding through my characters and plots which can translate into acceptance beyond the pages of a romance.

And I will admit there are times I also write to escape the terror and misery our world forces on us. We’ve enough sadness which is why my email is Z.AlloraHappyEndings@gmail.com. In my writing, there will always be a happily ever after and usually quite a few happy endings getting there.

  • What’s next for you as a writer?

I’m hoping to share more of my overseas experiences. More sexy zombies, some hot rockers, possibly a couple contemporary novellas, and definitely some more BDSM.

The Librarian’s Rake Blurb

Opposites might attract, but is acting on that attraction wise?

Librarian Tristan Cooper can’t steer clear of sexy, motorcycle-riding bad boy Phillip—the man is hot—but Phillip is bound to and quiet, bookish Tristan boring, like all Tristan’s boyfriends. Tristan yearns to explore his wild side, the part of himself he’s only allowed into his fantasies, and maybe rakish Phillip is just what he needs to feel free.

Sexperienced hairdresser Phillip is more of a believer in happy endings than happily ever after. Experience has taught him not to hope for more— until he meets sweet, vulnerable Tristan, who seems genuinely interested in his heart. But Phillip can’t trust enough to see himself as a man Tristan might want for more than a night.

With the help of a pair of matchmaking grandfathers, Tristan and Phillip might and the courage to step beyond their comfort zones and discover what has been missing from their lives….

Buy Link:

http://bit.ly/2eNdnSq

To enter the giveaway tell us what you want to read or write next. Winners will be contacted Nov 8th.

Hugs, Z. Allora

BIO:

Z. Allora believes in happily ever after for everyone. She met her own true love through the personals and has traveled to over thirty countries with him. She’s lived in Singapore, Israel and China. Now back home to the USA she’s an active member of PFLAG and a strong supporter of those on the rainbow in her community. She wants to promote understanding and acceptance through her actions and words. Writing rainbow romance allows her the opportunity to open hearts and change minds.

To contact Z. Allora:

E-mail: Z.AlloraHappyEndings@gmail.com

FACEBOOK:   Z Allora Allora

BOOK BLAST – Blackbird Fly Home (Doyle Global Securities #1) by Kendel Duncan (excerpt)

 

Title: Blackbird Fly Home

(Doyle Global Securities #1)

Author: Kendel Duncan

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: September 19 2017

Cover Design: Dare Press Editing

Photographer: Dan Skinner

Blurb

Sometimes life will surprise you

Sometimes it will disappoint you

Sometimes it will kick you in the balls

Sometimes it will make you so happy you feel like you can fly

And sometimes, just sometimes, it will do all of those things.

The kick in the balls, both literally and figuratively, happened to Noah Pierce a long time ago. Ten years to be exact, when, to cap off a brutal and horrendous four-year relationship with the man who claimed to love him, that man buried a butcher knife in his side. It was the final wound in a seemingly endless cycle of bruises, cuts, breaks, sprains and other things that sent him to the hospital. He thought he was going to die. But when he opened his eyes in that ER room and saw a stranger with kind yet determined eyes looking back at him and with his boyfriend nowhere in sight, Noah knew that life was going to change for him. And it did.

For ten years he was stronger, he was better, he was……hollow.

He didn’t realize that last part until he saw one man. One pair of haunting blue eyes beside the very man who had ruined Noah all those years ago. One pair of frightened eyes. One pair of hollow, hopeless eyes that Noah couldn’t have walked away from if he tried…..because someone else hadn’t walked away from him all those years ago.

Noah didn’t realize it at the time, but by saving Jesse Miller from the clutches of his ex, he was going to learn to fly….

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Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Goodreads

Excerpt

Excerpt: “Fuck,” Noah whispered as he tucked back farther into the shadows and rubbed his hand over his face, as if he could scrub those memories away with a swipe of his hand. Like that was ever going to happen.

He should walk away. He should just fucking walk away. Walk out of this club and leave Jacob Knight behind, like he’d done ten years ago.

But he couldn’t.

Because Morgan hadn’t.

And because he knew this kid, with those blue eyes that were so striking you could see them even in the dim lights of the club, would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Hey there. How are you doing? I heard the Op you did was a little intense,” Morgan said when he answered the call.

Fucking Caleb.

Noah squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Yeah that Op had been intense. He hadn’t been expecting that. It was supposed to be easy: pose as an escort, get fucked by the mark – Cole Gillette and place the listening device. Easy in, get laid, easy out. No problem, right? But then he’d felt Cole’s turmoil, his pain, his….the way he was so haunted by the man that he’d stared at on his TV screen while he’d fucked Noah, the man whose name Cole had called when he came in the condom in Noah’s ass: Kelly. Yeah, it’d been intense.

He chose to ignore Morgan’s comments, even though he knew the man would want to revisit them later. Time was of the essence here.

“I need your help,” he said, getting straight to the point.

He heard Morgan suck in a breath, “Anything Noah, tell me what you need.”

“I’m at Brubakers right now.”

“Brubakers, the club? Yeah, I know it. Are you drunk? Did something happen?”

“He’s here, Morgan.”

Dead silence answered him for at least half a minute. Noah had no doubt that Morgan would know exactly who Noah was talking about without saying the man’s name.

After a mumbled curse, “Has he seen you?”

“No.”

“Get out, Noah. Leave by the back door if you have to but get the fuck out.”

“I can’t.”

“What? Why not?”

“He’s got someone with him, Morgan and he looks, fuck, he looks just like me,” he said, the last word coming out like a choked sob.

“You mean like a twin?”

“No, I mean like a shell, like a robot, like a dead man walking. He can’t be more than twenty-five, Morg. I can’t leave him here with him. I have to help him.”

There was a quietly growled curse from Morgan and then, “Okay, I’m on my way. But do not do anything until I get there is that understood?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“If he sees you, do not confront him. Just run. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do not engage in any way, do you hear me?”

“Yes, Morgan, I’ve got it,” Noah said with an eyeroll. Like he’d ever disobey any order or request from Morgan. He and Morgan both knew that. The idea of it almost made him snort out a laugh.

“I’ll call you when I’m in my car. I should be there in about fifteen.”

“Okay, and Morgan?”

“Yeah?”

“Hurry.”

The call ended and Noah continued to watch the young man for a few minutes.

When someone tapped him on the shoulder, he gasped and jumped in his seat.

“Relax, I’m a friend of Morgan’s. I’m Jake Brubaker, this is my place. He just called me. When he asks for my help, I don’t question, I just say yes. What do you need?” he said as he gave Noah’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Noah opened his mouth to say nothing but then he noticed that some of the servers were walking around with Brubakers ball caps on.

“Do you have any more of those hats?”

“Absolutely,” he said as he turned towards the bar, “Hey Amy, can you hand me a hat, please?”

The young woman ducked down behind the bar and then stuck her arm out to Jake, who grabbed the hat and handed it over to Noah.

“Anything else?”

“I don’t know yet. I might need a place to hide out for a bit.”

“My office is yours. It’s got an electronic lock on it,” he said then he told Noah the code to open it. He looked back at Noah with a raised eyebrow as he waited.

“Can you up the alcohol content on the drinks you send to that table?” Noah said as he lifted his chin towards Jacob’s table.

Jake looked over his shoulder, “Done.”

“He’s a lawyer. This could get….messy.”

Jake snorted a laugh, “Please, I was a prosecutor for ten years. I used to eat assholes like him for breakfast. Don’t worry about me or my place.”

Noah nodded to him as he pulled the hat down low over his head, “Thanks.”

“If you need anything else, just holler. I’m always around.”

Noah nodded to him again and then watched as Jake leaned over the bar to say something to the bartender and then she added more booze to the tray of drinks on the bar in front of her. One of the servers picked it up and brought it over to Jacob’s table. As they were handed out, he saw the young man next to Jacob lean in and whisper something into his ear. He watched as Jacob started to stand with him but then the other men at the table laughed and said something to Jacob that made him frown and Noah knew that they were giving him shit about not letting his boyfriend go to the bathroom by himself. He knew it because Jacob had done the same thing to him.

After listening to the other men teasing him, Jacob turned to his young man and placed his hand on his cheek. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the young man’s ear and Noah knew that he was giving him explicit instructions to not make eye contact with anyone, not speak to anyone, to go in and piss, wash his hands and return to the table without haste. Hell, even though it had been a decade, he could almost hear Jacob’s deep voice in his own ear whispering those same commands to him and a sick feeling shivered through his body like a snake.

Fuck.

This was his chance, this was going to be his only chance. It was now or fucking never.

He didn’t turn his head, just let his eyes track the young man as he made his way through the crowd and to the darkened hall that led to the restrooms. Then Noah’s eyes swung back to find that Jacob was doing the same thing, his eyes glued to that dark hall like a hawk.

Fucking hell. He couldn’t slip down there now or Jacob would see him for sure. How the fuck was he going to do this? He was beginning to worry that he’d have to come up with another plan.

Until….

Luther stepped in front of Jacob and blocked his view.

“I brought backup. Go,” Morgan said as he stepped up to Noah’s table and turned to watch his husband engaging Jacob and the other men at the table in conversation.

Noah knew that Luther would keep those men occupied for a while because even though Luther Santiago was no longer in his old line of work as a mob boss, he was still a highly respected, and feared, man who could command the attention of any room that he stepped into. And he currently held the rapt attention of those six men in that booth.

Noah slid out of his corner and ducked around the wall into the dark hallway and down into the men’s restroom.

He still wasn’t sure what he was going to say when he pushed the door open and saw the young man at the urinal but he knew he had to choose the right words or the young man would be lost. Forever.

He silently closed the door behind him and took a deep breath, “I used to be you,” he said quietly.

The man’s head whipped around and the terror in his eyes broke Noah’s heart. “What?” he whispered.

“I used to be you and he nearly killed me.”

The man’s eyes went wide and Noah could see not only the fear in them but also a thousand questions. But he knew the man wouldn’t ask him a single one of them, though, because that was how Jacob had trained him. Noah knew this because Jacob had trained him the same way.

“I, I’m not supposed to talk to anyone,” he mumbled as he quickly zipped up and moved over to the sink.

“What’s your name?” Noah said as he stepped closer to the man who was mumbling to himself as he washed his hands. As Noah got closer he realized that the man was counting how many times he rubbed the soap over his hands, like Jacob had burned it into his brain that if he didn’t wash long enough he wasn’t clean. Fucking bastard.

“J-J-J-Jesse,” the kid mumbled as he resumed his counting.

Noah stepped up to Jesse’s back and reached over to close his hands over Jesse’s, causing Jesse to hiss in a breath, “Broken ribs, three broken wrists, five concussions, two broken arms, two broken ankles, and a punctured lung from when he stabbed me with a butcher knife.”

“He, he doesn’t really hit me,” he whispered.

That surprised Noah for a brief second but then he realized…. “No, but he does other things that make you feel hopeless, helpless, humiliated.”

“I, I, I m-m-make him angry. I’m bad.”

“No, Jesse. I never did anything wrong and neither did you. You don’t have to live like this. I can help you. Let me help you, please.”

Jesse’s tear-filled eyes looked at Noah in the mirror, “How?”

“Come with me, right now. I’ll take you someplace safe where he’ll never find you, I promise.”

Tears spilled over onto Jesse’s cheeks as he looked down and ran his fingers over his forearm, “Yes he will, he’ll always find me.”

As Noah’s eyes darted down to Jesse’s arm, realization hit him like a freight train, “Fucking hell, Jesse, did he put a tracking device in your arm?”

Jesse silently nodded his head.

 

 

Blackbird Teaser7

About the Author

Kendel Duncan is the pen name for author Dara Nelson. Both her Healing Hearts series (Dara Nelson) and The Black Ops Heroes series (Kendel Duncan) garner such praise as: “Ah-mazing!”, “It’s a keeper!” and “One of the best books I’ve read”

A long-time reader of the romance genre, Dara (Kendel) writes tear-jerking, sigh-inducing romance and heart-pounding, exciting erotic fiction and lives with her husband on a small farm near Tacoma, WA. You can reach her on Facebook at either of her author pages listed below

Some of her favorite authors include Riley Hart, Ella Frank, Devon McCormack, Aimee Nicole Walker, Sloane Kennedy, Dan Skinner and too many more to name.

Social Media Links

Facebook Author pages Kendel Duncan and Dara Nelson Books

Amazon Author pages – Dara Nelson and Kendel Duncan

Blog Site – Love Unchained Book Reviews

 

BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

BLACKBIRD FLY HOME SCHEDULE

October 26

Bookaholic & Kindle REVIEW

Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author REVIEW

Megan’s Media Melange REVIEW

Tangents and Tissues

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

MM Good Book Reviews

October 27

Zipper Rippers

My Fiction Nook

We Three Queens

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Stories That Make You Smile

October 28

Bayou Book Junkie REVIEW

Gay Book Reviews

A Book Lover’s Dream Book Blog REVIEW

MJ’s Book Blog and Reviews

Lily G Blunt

 

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A Stella Review :​ Eggplant Highlights and Mustard Yellow Jeans by Sarah Hadley Brook

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

Seth Robinson manages a local kitchen boutique and has had a crush on a customer who frequents the shop. Though too shy to start up a conversation about anything other than kitchen appliances or the newest cooking gadget, Seth still hopes to catch the other’s eye. Seth has a tendency to change his hair color a lot, and when he gets purple highlights, it finally sparks a conversation between the two men.

Chris Berger runs a catering business in Bellflower and loves visiting Karlee’s Kitchen Essentials, where he can chat with the cute manager. He has a unique way of looking at the world and colors and is intrigued by Seth’s highlights.

Unfortunately, when they manage to get together, they’re both dealing with major upheavals in their lives. Will they be strong enough to work together to find their happily ever after?

This story is the first I read by the author and I have to say I was pleasurably surprised by the writing style, I found myself soon into the characters’ lives and the reading flew so easily it was a joy to be at the ending part and feel so satisfied. Sure what caught my eyes was the title and the blurb, and then the author delivered a very well done story, I’ll be interested in reading more by her.

Yes, there was little development in the plot, and yes, maybe I was able to know a lot about the main characters and their past, but what I learnt was enough to deeply let me enjoy their love. And it was enough to me to become a fan of Seth and Chris, and to hope Seth would put some trust in his and Chris feelings. They were cute together and alone, especially Seth with his shyness. Add to them the lovely Karlee, Seth best friend and boss. She was a bonus and give the all story more reality and smiles.

I want to recommend this new novella if you are looking for a quick, light and heartwarming story, this could definetelly be for you.

The cover art by Written Ink Designs is simple and well done, it fits the plot. I like it.

Sales Links:  JMS Books LLC | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 94 pages

Published September 30th 2017 by JMS Books LLC

ASIN B075Q5NG2R

Edition Language English

An Alisa Review: Dish of the Day by Clare London

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

Three men together. Diverse tastes … one common love.

 

Richie Morton’s sunk all his hopes and savings into a new restaurant in South London promoting British ingredients and recipes. Yet on opening night, it all seems to be heading for disaster. Lost ingredients, manic chefs, no sign of the customers … he’s in despair. And where are his best friends Craig and Ben, who’ve been helping him set up the new venture? The least they could offer is moral support.

 

When they do eventually step in, though, they offer support of a very different kind. They tell Richie some home truths — that he pushes himself too much, and must learn to share and trust his life with others. With them, specifically. And then, when Richie’s still unconvinced, they decide to let actions speak for their love instead. They’ll help him relax and dish up a caring, sexy, and far more intimate menu.

 

This was an interesting way to have an intervention.  Richie has pushed away almost all of his friends’ offers to help him.  They have both had enough of Richie trying to keep them at arm’s length and have an interesting way of showing him.

 

Richie is so absolutely confused by his friends’ antics when they finally show up on what he believes is opening night.  I loved that Ben and Craig care about Richie enough to do something drastic to prove it.  I could feel Richie’s confusion about what was going on but how great it was once he started to understand what was going on.  Their years of friendship have given them a pretty solid base to build on.

 

The cover art by Written Ink Designs is nice and gives a great visual of Richie’s intervention.

 

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 55 pages

Published: September 16, 2017 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634864381

Edition Language: English

Julia Talbot on Historic Mining Hotels and her release ‘To Hell You Ride’ (guest post)

To Hell You Ride by Julia Talbot
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: Reese Dante

Buy Link:  Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Julia Talbot on her tour for her latest release To Hell You Ride. Welcome, Julia.

Hey y’all!

I’m Julia Talbot, and I’m talking about To Hell You Ride today, which is a historical I wrote a while back and Dreamspinner is putting it back out for me. I love this book, y’all. I do. I love historicals, and I love the wild west, and this book is all about hard rock mining in Colorado’s San Juan mountains.

Clancy, one of the main characters in the book, is enamored of fancy hotels. The late 1800 saw a boom in places like Colorado and New Mexico with grand hotels. Each little mining town seemed to have one, and they all had their own character. I’m kind of obsessed with old hotels myself, so here are my top five.

5. The Hotel Boulderado in Boulder, Colorado. Great staircase. OMG haunted. Seriously. There’s this hallway back to an annex they built to have more rooms… Something awful must have happened there. You get physically ill. Creepy!

4. The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. This one would be higher on the list if they had any kind of air conditioning! So hot in July. Just sayin’. However, it is the inspiration for the Shining, and it plays the Shining 24/7 on the TV, so I can live with it. Super architecture and an amazing view from the porch.

3. The Strater in Durango, CO. So pretty. Just a lovely hotel with antique decorated rooms. Call ahead and make sure the elevator is working. Be sure to sit in the lobby for a while and watch for the man in the tailcoat and top hat. He has no idea he’s dead.

2. The Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs CO—Don’t stay here. Stay at the Hot Springs Lodge. But! Go have a drink on the outdoor patio. Check out the amazing lobby, and if you can, the ballroom. Theodore Roosevelt stayed here. It’s very cool.

1. The New Sheridan Hotel in Telluride. Such a neat old building in the historic district. You have to see the bar! The woodwork is amazing. The backdrop of the San Juans ain’t bad, either.

Thanks for reading, y’all!

XXOO

Julia Talbot

Blurb

Big Roy is a hard-rock miner with a not-so-secret love for the theater, so when he hears a new troupe of actors are coming to the Telluride Opera House to put on a Shakespeare play, he saddles his mule and makes the trek into town to see it. The play doesn’t disappoint, but the beautiful lead actor, Edward Clancy, certainly does. Clancy is rude and arrogant, and Roy figures he’d never have a chance with such a man. He’s wrong, because Clancy needs some entertainment himself, being stuck in a hellish mining town for the long, snowy winter. Come spring, though, Clancy knows he’s going to want to move on, and he thinks Roy will be easy to forget. Then tragedy hits, and Clancy has to rethink his entire life. Can these two strike gold?

Second Edition

First Edition Published by SCREWDRIVER An imprint of Torquere Press, January 2007.

About the Author

Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Dreamspinner Press and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. Find her on the web at www.juliatalbot.com

https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthor

https://twitter.com/juliatalbot

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Release Blitz for Anna Martin’s Whiskey Kisses (giveaway)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 19,000 words
 
Blurb

In a small town about an hours’ drive outside Dublin, there’s a whiskey distillery. 


Jim has worked in the distillery as its business manager since he returned to his home town after getting his degree. Whiskey is a slow business and rural life is quiet, but Jim takes it in his stride. That is, until the handsome and mysterious Mr Aiden Rooney moves into a room above the local pub and sets off a flurry of gossip.


Aiden’s an artist, and his devil-may-care attitude is a revelation to Jim. But he still lives in a small town in rural Ireland, and he’s not even sure if he wants to be out and proud. The choices they make could change everything, if only Jim dares to follow his heart.

 

Author Bio

Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the south west of England and now lives in Bristol. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English Literature at university before turning her hand as a professional writer.

Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, Anna is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theatre (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), visiting friends who live in other countries, Marvel Comics, learning new things, and Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk.

Although her most recent work is in the LGBT Adult Fiction genre, in the past Anna has worked on a variety of different projects including short stories, drabbles, flash fiction, fan fiction, plays for both children and adults, and poetry. She has written novels in the Teen/ Young Adult genre, Romance, and Fantasy novels.

Anna is, by her own admission, almost unhealthily obsessed with books. The library she has amassed is both large and diverse; “My favourite books,” she says, “are The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.” She also several well-read copies of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park books and re-reads the Harry Potter novels with almost startling regularity.

Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, pre-reading and creative ass-kicking provided by her closest friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept any responsibility for anything Anna has written.

 

http://www.facebook.com/annamartinfiction
http://www.pinterest.com/annamartinficti/
http://instagram.com/missannamartin
http://www.twitter.com/missannamartin

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A MelanieM Review: Jackalopes & Woofen-Poofs (Offbeat Crimes #5) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Hoax animals and a consulting vampire on the prowl—Jason never thought having a cop boyfriend would be this hard.

All Animal Control Officer Jason Shen ever wanted was a quiet life of rescuing lost kittens and helping animals in need. Having a paranormal cop boyfriend guarantees an end to the quiet part. What at first seems a random encounter with jackalopes in the park might be more than chance and when State Paranormal sends a handsome, charming vampire to consult with the Seventy-Seventh, he finds his relationship with Alex on shaky ground.

Officer Alex Wolf hoped his humaning skills were improving but now he can’t unravel the strange politics at State Paranormal or why Jason’s family seems to hate him. There’s no time to puzzle things out either. Bizarre animals are loose in the city, Jason’s acting strange, and is the vampire captain from State flirting with him? Wolf’s going to have to keep his head in the game if he’s going to have any chance of putting the pieces together and keeping the city safe from the strange critters terrorizing its streets.

You know I’m running out of adjectives here.  I’m going to have to start to resort to the sort of thing like making up words to go along with the made up animals like the Jackalope here and the Woofen-Poofs, among others.  Angel Martinez’s minds a fantabulous place.  Scary, mind-blowing definitely but one I always want to visit with.  Here we return to that hard-working Precinct the 77th and its Paranormal Unit.  Animals are popping up all over and attacking people, animals that don’t exist in nature…like jackalopes.  There’s only one squad to do the investigating.  And since one of their own was on the scene of the first attack, that should help..right?

Officer Wolf is one of many great characters here.  An actual wolf cursed to be human, he’s dealing with his boyfriend’s unfriendly family, a new case he doesn’t understand, and a new vampire supervisor who’s confusing him. Jason Shen isn’t happy with any of those elements either.  The author is juggling one of the weirdest supernatural romances around (believably so), making us understand a wolf trying to understand human while being a wolf, and continuing an overall series arc that keeps getting more series all the time while maintaining its humorous elements.  And blowing our mind with her creativity while doing it.

Nothing like loving falling down the rabbit’s hole.

Once more the characters are outstanding, here we are dealing with an established couple having “normal” couple issues but with a supernatural twist, along with a case that has implications far beyond just the ones it seems to present.  Angel Martinez never does things simply narratively speaking. Jackalopes & Woofen-Poofs (Offbeat Crimes #5) and all the other stories in this series showcase that on a high worbly way! So there!

I’m addicted.  I admit it.  But these definitely aren’t stand alone stories.  You need to go to the first stories and start building your foundation knowledge of the beings/people/couples and overall series arc.  Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on a book once you’ve started.

Cover art by Posh Gosh works for the story elements.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 225 pages
Published October 3rd 2017 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781786516367
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Offbeat Crimes #5
setting Pennsylvania (United States)

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Highballer (World of Love) by Ava Hayden

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

What happens when the man is as tempting as the money?

Remy Delacour’s family doesn’t believe in mainstream medicine, and when Remy’s boyfriend reveals that Remy is majoring in nursing, they cut him off. He has to find money to finish his education—fast. And he is so done with boyfriends.

Levi Aronson met the guy of his dreams and followed him to Australia. He knew the chances for a lasting romance were slim—and boy, was he right. Now he’s back in Canada, a year behind in his university program, and short of funds. He needs money, not another man.

Tree planting is a way to make a lot of money fast, but it’s one of the hardest jobs in the world. When Levi, an experienced planter, sees pretty, sloe-eyed Remy, Levi is certain he’ll never last.

They’ll have to pry Remy’s shovel from his cold, stiff fingers, because he won’t quit—or let anything take his eyes off the prize. When a storm brings Remy and Levi together, each finds the other a distraction from the big goal. But can anything develop between two men who have sworn off relationships?

I’m coming to love this author and her stories.  They always contain characters that feel so grounded in reality and yet unusual enough to make me think I’ve never come across anyone like them before in a romance.  That certainly happens here in Highballer, one of Dreamspinner Press’ World of Love romances.

There is so much to recommend about this story!  Hayden absolutely brings alive the “seasonal society” of tree planters that most of the world’s population may not even be aware of.  You may see all those commercials of vast acres of trees, dense commercial forests…but have you ever given thought as to how they get there?  Who plants them?  You won’t after this story.  Hayden makes the “best worst job in the world”  vivid and compelling, awful and amazing all at once.  This element alone is reason to buy this book.

But silviculture aside, you have the fascinating characters of Remy Delacour and Levi Aronson.  Remy Delacour and his family from Pax Eden could take up their own book here.  Remy is estranged from his family, not because he’s gay but because he’s a nursing student and finally got his vaccinations (something his family is violently against along with organized medicine).  They are pro Health Freedom and he’s come out as an RN.  Everything about Remy is endearing, how I adore this character.  But I love Levi as well.  Levi has his issues to work through.  They also stem from his family, his father in this case and poor treatment from an ex boyfriend.  Combined it’s caused Levi to raise some mighty high walls and come armed with some equally high judgements.

Hayden makes these men real and then puts then in situations you believe in so you watch the slow friendship form or friendships in Remy’s case as he’s the “new kid” amongst a crew of people who’ve worked together.  Everyone here feels like someone you’ve met before, there is an authenticity about them that rings true.  And at the end of the story, you’ll be as sad to leave them as you were saying goodbye to people you camped with or became close to over a summer.  At least that’s how it felt to me.  I wanted them back again.  You’ll also learn what the term “highballer” means.  And have watched a wonderful love story blossom and grow.

I absolutely recommend Highballer (World of Love) by Ava Hayden. I’ll be re-reading to see what elements I missed the first time around.  And then I’ll be waiting to see what this talented author is coming up with next.  I wouldn’t mind if she sends us back to the treeline…

Cover Artist: Jennifer Vance.  This cover is perfect for the characters and setting.  Loved it.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 138 pages
Expected publication: October 25th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634774024
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Alisa Release Day Review: The Librarian’s Rake by Z Allora

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Opposites might attract, but is acting on that attraction wise?

 

Librarian Tristan Cooper can’t steer clear of sexy, motorcycle-riding bad boy Phillip—the man is hot—but Phillip is bound to find quiet, bookish Tristan boring, like all Tristan’s boyfriends. Tristan yearns to explore his wild side, the part of himself he’s only allowed into his fantasies, and maybe rakish Phillip is just what he needs to feel free.

 

Sexperienced hairdresser Phillip is more of a believer in happy endings than happily ever afters. Experience has taught him not to hope for more—until he meets sweet, vulnerable Tristan, who seems genuinely interested in his heart. But Phillip can’t trust enough to see himself as a man Tristan might want for more than a night.

 

With the help of a pair of matchmaking grandfathers, Tristan and Phillip might find the courage to step beyond their comfort zones and discover what has been missing from their lives….

 

I really enjoyed this story.  Phillip definitely does his best to not let emotions get into his sex in order to guard his heart.  Tristan has never really had a great relationship or great sex and hopes that Phillip will help him learn to be more adventurous.  Both of these men just need a little push from those around them to open up to some new things.

 

Phillip has been trying to convince himself that he is happy with everything in his life but Tristan causes him to re-think how he has viewed sex and relationships.  Tristan decides to bide his time when it comes to Phillip, he knows what they have is special he just needs to come to terms with it.  I felt for Phillip and how he hurt himself while trying to protect himself from the pain of rejection.  I can’t say that he is quite the rake that Tristan thought he was.  However, when Phillip decides to admit his feelings he jumps in with both feet.

 

Cover art by Anna Sikorska is great and I love the visual of the two characters together.

 

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 123 pages

Published: October 25, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-63533-886-7

Edition Language: English

Check Out ‘Myths, Moons & Mayhem’ (Gay Paranormal Menage and MMM Erotic Romance anthology

Myths, Moons, and Mayhem:

Paranormal Gay Ménage and Erotic Romance

Cover artist is Torrance Sené

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Dale Cameron Lowry here today to  talk about his novel, Myths, Moons, and Mayhem.  Welcome, Dale.

 

Why Three Men Are Better Than Two

by Dale Cameron Lowry

My new paranormal erotica anthology Myths, Moons, and Mayhem began its life over a Facebook chat last winter. I was talking with Sexy Little Pages publisher Anna Sky, who said it would be fun to release a Halloween anthology of gay ménage erotica with that title—because the book’s initials and the abbreviation for gay ménage are both MMM. Cute, right?

I love a good play on words. I called my MMM erotic romance novelette set around Pacific Rim National Park Reserve Pacific Rimming, for crying out loud. So of course I pounced at the idea. I told Anna I’d edit Myths, Moons, and Mayhem if Sexy Little Pages published it.

The project was a-go!

Of course, it wasn’t just the project’s title that caught my interest. I simply love the dynamics of three-person relationships. As a writer and a reader, having three people in a romantic or erotic relationship means I get to explore more characters at a deep level. I get to learn about their personalities and how their moods, desires, and quirks affect their partners.

When I started pulling this anthology together, I looked for stories that had strong, interesting characters at their core—men I could root for. The stories also needed an erotic element, but it wasn’t enough to throw in a sex scene or two. The eroticism needed to be essential to the story, both an outgrowth of what the characters had gone through and a prelude to what would happen next.

As a result, the heart of each story in Myths, Moons, and Mayhem is a relationship—erotic, romantic, or both—among three men. Just like there are many ways to be a couple, there are also many ways to explore love and desire within a threesome. Each person in the relationship brings different strengths (and sometimes weaknesses) to the table. The writers of Myths, Moons, and Mayhem excel at showing the different permutations these relationships can take.

For example, in Morgan Elektra’s story for Myths, Moons, and Mayhem, “The Endless Knot,” the fiery romance between a vampire and a werewolf has almost burned itself to the ground. They’re both stubborn, controlling, and unwilling to give. But the introduction of a third person who is their polar opposite in many ways, and a mere human to boot, helps provide a buffer. They learn to relate to each other in a new light. As a couple, they never worked, but when they become part of a triad, everything clicks into place.

In other tales, the established couple is doing just fine, both members confident and comfortable in their relationship. That feeling of security enables them to expand the circle of their love, whether that love takes the form of erotic friendship or something deeper. Desire can also build in the background, as three characters confront a bigger problem together.

For me, the stories in Myths, Moons, and Mayhem strike the perfect balance between awe-inspiring magic, compelling relationships, and sexy characters a reader can fall in love with. I hope you enjoy reading this collection as much as I do!

About Myths, Moons, and Mayhem

Myths, moons, and mayhem make the perfect threesome—and so do the men in this anthology.

Enjoy nine erotic stories of paranormal ménages a trois fueled by lust and magic, where mystical forces collide with the everyday world and even monsters have their own demons to conquer.

A werewolf gets a lust-fueled lesson on fitting in with the pack, a professor unlocks ancient secrets and two men’s hearts, and a pair of supernaturals find themselves at the erotic mercy of a remarkable human. Ghosts, fairies, aliens, and mere mortals test the boundaries of their desires, creating magic of their own.

Editor Dale Cameron Lowry brings you tales by favorite authors such as Rob Rosen and Clare London, as well as by newcomers to the genre. The paranormal lust and polymythic beings of Myths, Moons & Mayhem will spark your fantasies and fuel your bonfires.

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the paranormal gay ménage anthology Myths, Moons & Mayhem, editor Dale Cameron Lowry and Sexy Little Pages are giving away trick-or-treat baskets filled with delectable paranormal, scif-fi, and ménage ebooks (epub or mobi) for your reading pleasure.

Enter to win here.

About Dale Cameron Lowry

Dale Cameron Lowry’s number one goal in life is getting the cat to stop eating dish towels; number two is to write things that bring people joy. Dale is the author of Falling Hard: Stories of Men in Love and a contributor to more than a dozen anthologies. Find out more at dalecameronlowry.com.

Exclusive Excerpt From “Squatchin’” by Greg Kosebjorn in Myths, Moons, and Mayhem

About “Squatchin’”: Boyfriends and Bigfoot hunters Jason and Dan get more than they bargained for when they set out on an overnight camping trip to trail the legendary beast.

“Shush!” Jason pressed a finger to Dan’s lips.

“What?”

“Did you hear that?” Jason whispered.

“Hear what?”

Jason pointed toward the outside of the tent. “Something’s out there.”

“I didn’t hear anything.”

But then he did. Branches crackling and leaves rustling. Something was out there, all right. Something moving through the woods. Something big. And it was moving closer to the camp.

Dan sat up, alarmed. “You think it’s a bear?”

“Don’t know. Just sit still and be quiet.”

The movement continued to draw closer until it stopped right outside the tent. Dan’s heart pounded furiously in his chest. All he could think about was how he’d heard that a grizzly bear would kill you outright, but black bears would eat a man while he was still alive.

The creature moved in front of the fire, casting its shadow onto the walls of the tent. Something walking upright on two legs. Something too small to be a bear, yet tall and bulky with a humanlike head.

“Oh, my God,” Jason whispered. “I think… I think it’s a Sasquatch.”

Dan looked from Jason to the shadow moving across the tent wall. “No fucking way.”

Jason dug into his pack. “My flashlight! Where’s my flashlight?”

The shadow paused. Dan’s stomach clenched as he realized the creature was moving toward the tent. “Um… Jason?”

They sat, transfixed, as the footsteps stopped just outside the tent. There was a slight rustle, and then the zipper began to whisk whisked down the tent flap.

Dan’s bladder felt as though it would give way any second. “Oh, fuck, Jason. Oh, fuck!” He backed as far into the tent as he could, all too aware they were both naked and vulnerable. The tent flooded with light.

About Greg Kosebjorn

Greg Kosebjorn is a happily partnered bear living in the Pacific Northwest. When he’s not writing or listening to music, he can usually be found hiking some of Washington’s scenic mountain trails or hanging out in his local coffee shop. You can follow him on his not-safe-for work Twitter.