Category: Fantasy

A VVivacious Review: Love Spell by Mia Kerick

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

Miss Harvest Moon, Chance César has a crush on The Harvest Moon Pumpkin Carving King, Jasper Donahue and he is going to make Jasper fall in love with him with the help of his bestie, Emily Benson, Today’s Lady Online Magazine’s Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You and a love spell (or two) to boot!

Chance is very into following the list, though it was kind of distressing to see what Chance’s allegiance to the list was doing to Jasper and the worst part is we don’t even get Jasper’s POV so yeah, I could feel his distress across Chance’s POV. It was painfully obvious that all these tactics made Chance seem like he was running hot and cold and all the mixed signals would mess with anyone’s head. Personally, all I wanted was for Chance to be himself.

I didn’t like Emily’s character. The only thing I would have wanted from her was two things – one, to tell Chance that he needs to be honest in his dealings with Jasper because what is the point of Jasper falling in love with someone who is not even real and two, that he didn’t need to figure out if he was a boy or girl or both or neither he could be anything he wanted to be and he didn’t need a box, he could just be uniquely Chance and that could be his box if he so desired and since, she did neither, I don’t even know why she existed. She doesn’t even contribute much to the plot and felt very much like an unnecessary character. I am pretty conflicted about her, I wonder if I should excuse her on the grounds of immaturity or the fact that she is just a teenager with no life experience but somehow, I can’t absolve her even with those considerations into place. Simultaneously, I also realise that we actually don’t know anything about her which brings me back to my first point, what was her contribution to the story, it felt like she was a character because someone was ticking off a list which said a female best friend was mandatory to a YA novel featuring a gay guy.

Though I couldn’t get behind Emily’s character I still ended up liking Chance probably because it was easy to see his foibles for what they were and somehow, it’s easy to lose perspective when your own feelings are hanging in the balance and I can somewhat excuse him especially as we see him learn the lesson he needed to learn. I really feel for Chance and being in his head it was really easy to like him because I could see where he was coming from. I really wanted to give him a hug every time he gets conflicted about his gender identity. I really connected with him even though I don’t know how many times I was shaking my head as he went along with things on the list.

I guess my best character in this book has to be Jasper. He was amazing and I loved him truly, I almost think I love him more than Chance. Getting to know Jasper was the real treat of this book and I literally can’t think of one single thing about him that I didn’t like (okay, in hindsight, I can think of one).

I had issues with the book and somehow, I really wanted to shake Chance up and tell him to forget the list and just be himself but despite the list and how much I was dreading the complications of the list the whole time it was in effect, I still found this an interesting read once I got into Chance’s head space. I feel like the ending changed things for me because during the whole list debacle I was like I am going to rate it like two stars or something but then we got to the end and we see Chance learn from his mistakes, learn that he can be himself, uniquely Chance and that significantly redeemed the book in my mind to some extent. I guess what I want to say, is that this book is not a painful read, it wasn’t ever a problem where I had to convince myself to finish the book just because I had to review it, in fact, it was the opposite. I finished it pretty quickly and there was something about this book that had me turning the pages even though I couldn’t stop myself from shaking my head at the words.

Cover Art by Natasha Snow. I love the cover, especially the background which has a kind of magical feel to it.

Sales Link  Amazon   |: Nine Star Press

Book Details:

ebook, 43,300 words

Expected Publication: 2nd edition, August 27, 2018 by Nine Star Press

ISBN: 978-1-949340-50-1

Edition Language: English

Free M/M Short Story Downloads at Instrafreebie! Only A shorttime!

 

 

FREE m/m romance instafreebie downloads until September 4th! Jumped on and read quite a few of the stories already and they are wonderful. Lol! There’s Bru Baker, Lucy Lennox, Susi Hawke, RG Alexander, Silvia Violet, just to name a few! Go get ’em!

 

So many highlights here! New free stories from Marie Sexton, J.M. Dabney, Annabeth Albert, A.M. Arthur, Charlie Cochet’s Four Kings Security Series short story Ante Up, K.M. Neuhold, and much more.  I’ll be reviewing some of the ones I’ve read too.  It’s also a great way to get on these author’s mailing lists for upcoming announcements for new releases.

The free downloads will continue only until September 4th.  So download away.

 

Here is the Link to the Instafreebie website:

https://claims.instafreebie.com/gg/oryl0wCduHLFHJCRZy20

A Free Dreamer Review: Incubus Honeymoon (Arcana Imperii #1) by August Li

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

As the so-called magical creatures go, I’m low on the hierarchy, and my powers aren’t much good to human mages. I’m a lover, not a fighter, through and through. I’m also selfish, lazy, and easily bored. But I’m damned good at what I do.

Too bad that won’t get my arse out of this sling.

Do one—granted, uncharacteristic—good deed, and now I’m held hostage to an arrogant faerie prince, trying to track down the one who summoned him while dodging gangbangers, gun runners, and Nazis. Add the powerful mage guilds scrambling to gather firepower for some doomsday event they’re sure is around the corner, and my cushy life of leisure might be nothing but a memory. On top of that, something’s compelling me to change on my most fundamental level. I’m not sure what I’ve got myself mixed up in, but nothing will ever be the same.

Bloody hell.

===

Featuring a new twist on urban fantasy combined with fast-paced action and intrigue, the Arcana Imperii series books are standalone adventures, each completely accessible to new readers.

I probably wouldn’t have picked up “Incubus Honeymoon” if it hadn’t been published by DSP. The title kind of leads you to expect lots of sex and not much of a plot. But since this is a DSP title, I knew there would be mostly plot and little to no romance in it. And that’s exactly what I got. This is, first and foremost, a fantasy novel that also has some elements of romance and sex in it.

The blurb promises “a new twist on urban fantasy”. That’s almost an understatement, if you ask me. While the elements the story is made up of aren’t exactly new, the combination of said elements was what made this book truly unique.

We have three very different protagonists in this story. Blossom is your typical Fey of the old stories: a ruthless bastards who only ever does what suits him best. Then there’s Dante, a normal human who knows nothing about magic but who’d do everything to keep his little sister safe and happy. And finally we have Inky, an incubus and the only one of the trio who has something resembling a human conscience. I don’t think I actually liked either Blossom or Dante, but that was fine. I definitely understood Dante’s motivations and Blossom is Fey and Fey are always jerks.

The plot itself is truly breathtaking. There’s so much action and drama and so many hidden layers, it was really hard to put the book down. This is an urban fantasy setting and the author does a brilliant job of combining the fantasy elements with current events. Climate change, Trump, terrorism and nationalism were cleverly interwoven with the magic of the story. That’s one of the things that really stood out to me and me absolutely love this book.

As I’ve mentioned above, there really isn’t much of a romance to be found. There’s an established couple that becomes quite important but their love is not a main focus at any time. There are a few semi-explicit sex scenes and a few more off-screen, which makes sense, considering Inky is an incubus. But again, the sex was not a focus point.

Oh, and there were cats. I love cats and well-written cat characters are always a huge bonus for me.

This was shaping up to be a 5-star-read for me. But there were just too many POVs throughout the story. Sometimes it actually got a little confusing because of that. Ultimately, that’s the thing that made me knock off half a star.

“Incubus Honeymoon” is the first part of a new series by this author and it shows. While the story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, the plot quite clearly isn’t fully resolved. And I’m really looking forward to what happens next.

I can’t believe this is my first book by August Li. He’s obviously a brilliant author and I’ll need to check out his other works.

I think this book will appeal to all fans of urban fantasy. It’s definitely an interesting new twist on well-known fantasy elements. Read it, I’m sure you’ll like it.

The cover by Blake Dorner is perfect. Inky looks exactly like I’d imagined him and he has his super cute cat with him.

Sales Links:  DSP Publications | Amazon

Book details:

ebook, 274 pages

Published July 17th 2018 by DSP Publications

Release Blitz and Giveaway for Heavens Aground (Treble and the Lost Boys #2) by G.R. Lyons

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 100,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Designs by Dana
 
Treble and the Lost Boys Series
 
Book #1 – Ice On Fire – Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Blurb
 

Ryley Skye can’t take anything seriously. Not the murder scenes he investigates, nor the fact that he’s cheating on his boyfriend. Not the bloody nightmares he gets every other night, and especially not Vic’s ridiculous theory that Ryley might be a mage.


Magic? Him? There’s just no way.


When Vic decides he’s had enough of Ryley’s cheating and breaks things off, it couldn’t come at a worse time. They’ve just been handed a case that will require them to work closely together, whether they like it or not. But Ryley plays along. He has to. He can’t afford any kind of confrontation. Things happen when he gets angry or aroused. Weird things. Bad things. He has to stay bottled up and in control at all times.


Then he meets Asher Arden, and indulges in what he thinks is a little rebound fling. But when Ryley loses control and puts Asher’s life at risk, he realizes two things: He loves Asher more than anything else in the world…


And Vic just might have been right all along.


(Note: This story takes place in a fictional world, the same as in the Shifting Isles Series. There are multiple gods, different names for the days of the week, etc. A glossary is included.)

 
 

August 24 – Gay Book Reviews, OMG Reads, August 29 – Drops of Ink, Cupcakes & Bookshelves, August 31 – Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, RAM PA Group, September 3 – Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Book Review By Virginia Lee


Author Bio


While daylighting as office manager for the family auto repair business, G.R. Lyons can often be found working on one of multiple manuscripts or desperately trying to keep up with the TBR pile.


Anarcho-capitalist, quietly ‘out’ trans guy, former belly dancer, coffee guzzler, highly-sensitive introvert, CrossFit enthusiast, and lover of m/m romantic fiction.


Email: grlyons@grlyonsauthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/grlyonsauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/grlyonsauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/grlyonsauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/doumteksonata/
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/author/grlyons

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A VVivacious Review: Of Princes False and True by Eric Alan Westfall

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

At a Tennis Match, Danilo saves a child from Prince Henry’s wrath and his fists, pummeling royalty in the process and as the law says the punishment to striking a member of the Royal Family is nothing less than death itself. Not wanting to punish an innocent the Good King Hiram gives Danilo a chance, he has fourteen days to find the words that will let him live. Fourteen days at the end of which, Danilo either lives or dies.

This book is an adventure Danilo sets on to find the words that will let him live. It is a journey that leads him to Diety Lane, to an old man and to the very truth of his existence.

I loved this book. It was just delightful. All things considered this made for a very interesting read that had me hooked and that writing… oh! What can I say about that writing?

I’m in love with the writing of this book. I started reading this book and found myself laughing and smiling at the way things were described and I was enjoying myself so much that I was completely surprised. You pick up a book that you think you might enjoy and sometimes you enjoy the book more than you ever thought possible and it was so surprising, that it caught me completely off guard. This book is written in a very unique style. It is basically the story of a story within a story and the story encompassing our main story features the writing hand that is penning down this story, so you can see the author change the storylines, take pauses and make decisions which was a very interesting way of presenting this particular story. You would think that being reminded that the characters in this story are merely words on a page would make you less interested in their fates but it had an almost opposite effect. It’s like knowing that it is a story makes you even more invested and I guess that in one line sums up why people read.

Also, I love the world the author envisages. I loved the concept of Diety Lane and I’m completely taken with the concept of the Kitchen. It was the single bright spot on a lane besmirched. I loved this world and was particularly excited about the shaecul and what that could mean for the storyline, though yeah, we didn’t quite go there. Overall, I’m just very taken with this world and the plot and the characters.

The characters are quite a colorful lot, what with Hiram the King and Roger, Danilo, Ivyn, Jonar, Anatol and all the Royal Guards, and I mean it, the guards were so amazing. Also, Kilvar the assassin left quite the impression.

I am a bit on the fence with Henry because while he is just words on a page he is a pretty unscrupulous group of words at that and I never quite understood his sudden redemption. Changing one facet of how the plot plays out doesn’t absolve a character of the traits he previously possessed. Though this is a point of contention, Henry is a very small part of the book and some of his anger could be justified, emphasis on some, I get why he felt like an imposter at the castle but not his bad reputation and I definitely can’t forgive his actions and I’m definitely on the fence about his happy ending. Redemption is a good thing but it has to be earned, it can’t be granted at the turn of a phrase.

There are still things I find myself wanting to know about this world. There was just some gorgeous worldbuilding and I would love to see more of how it works.

I quite enjoyed this story. It happens to be a retelling of a fairy tale but since I haven’t read the original I can’t quite offer comparison though if the retelling is anything to go by the original should be a hoot.

Cover Art by Karrie Jax. I liked the cover, it fits the medieval quality of the story and I especially love how the text highlights the image of the two boys.

Sales Links:

Queeromanceink

Amazon | Indigo | Angus & Robertson | Kobo | Universal Buy Link

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 225 pages
Published August 8th 2018 by Eric Alan Westfall
Edition LanguageEnglish

Beau Schemery On Writing, Art and his new release, The 7th of Victorica (Gadgets and Shadows #2

The 7th of Victorica (Gadgets and Shadows #2) by Beau Schemery
Harmony Ink Press

Cover Art:Beau Schemery

Sales Link:  Harmony Ink Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Beau Schemery here today talking about writing, art, covers, and his new release, The 7th of Victorica (Gadgets and Shadows #2) from Harmony Ink Press.  Welcome, Beau, and thank you for also bringing all these great illustrations.

~ Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Beau Schemery ~

How much of yourself goes into a character? It varies from character to character. There has to be some of oneself in every character as we’re the ones writing them. And then there are characters like Jack Midnight, who might just be entities unto themselves.

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write?  Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures? I’m definitely more of a fantasy writer but with The 7th of London and now the sequel, The 7th of Victorica, research has played a major role in both. Even though they’re set in an alternate history, it’s not that far off and I wanted them both to feel genuine.

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing? I read mostly horror, sci-fi, and fantasy as a child/teen/adult. It definitely influences my writing. I have yet to write pure horror, though there are some elements that sneak into the stories once in a while. The shambling underground terrors from the first book for instance.

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it?  You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?  Not really. For the most part I start with a book and follow through. Though I have recently revisited and revised some older work that I’ve recently reacquired the rights to. The only exception in the sequel to my only contemporary novel. I started it but kind of lost interest in it. I may revisit it one day.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why? I like whatever the story calls for. I’ve migrated away from standard romance with my young adult books, so I don’t feel as much pressure for a HEA ending anymore.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult? Not as a teenager but as an adult. But as I migrate away from writing it, I also migrate away from reading it.

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer?  Now and growing up? Growing up, I’d have to say Stephen King was my biggest influence. I’ve read nearly everything he’s written and I admire the hell out of him. Now my biggest influences are probably Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, and Gus Li. I wouldn’t be half the writer I am today if it wasn’t for Gus.

How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going? I’m a traditionalist when it comes to books I love. I want them in my hands. I want to turn their pages. That being said, I have nothing at all against ebooks and own quite a few myself. It’s a great way to try out new authors and it’s not going anywhere as a format. It’s the direction our society is moving in. I’m fine with that.

How do you choose your covers?  (curious on my part) Well, with the four books that I’ve published non-pseudonym, I’ve done all the covers myself. I’m a traditionalist in a sense that I’m not a big fan of photo/shopped covers. I much prefer illustration. Although I’ve seen successful and unsuccessful examples of both. It just seems that when a photo/shopped cover fails, it fails spectacularly.

Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why? The 7th of London might be my favorite. I’m really proud of what I did in that book. Not just the story but the characters as well. It was also the first book published under my real name and that feels like an accomplishment somehow.

If you write contemporary romance, is there such a thing as making a main character too “real”?  Do you think you can bring too many faults into a character that eventually it becomes too flawed to become a love interest? As I said above, I’ve only written one and a bit of contemporary romance but I can answer this question. Like with all writing, I think it depends on the author. Some authors can make a truly compelling contemporary with great characters and some I think, How many times can these guys get coffee and have the same conversation? But- I’m biased. I would rather read about a guy punching a dragon in the mouth over two guys getting coffee.

 What traits do you find the most interesting in someone? Do you write them into your characters? That’s a hard question. I appreciate so many different things about so many different people. But yes, of course, I try to incorporate those traits into characters. Even some I don’t find interesting because there are only interesting people in the world.

Have you ever put a story away, thinking it just didn’t work?  Then years/months/whatever later inspiration struck and you loved it?  Is there a title we would recognize if that happened? I sort of answered this above. One so far. I did have one story I submitted for a short story collection and it didn’t get accepted but the editor asked me to turn it into a full length book and resubmit. So I’ve been recently taking a second look at that.

 Have you ever had an issue in RL and worked it through by writing it out in a story?  Maybe how you thought you’d feel in a situation? This is a funny one. Because this is how I got published originally. I had an unrequited romantic situation at work one day and I came home and told my writing partner about it. He said I should write it out but change the ending so that the stranger and I hook up at the end. Then when I’d finished it, he submitted it for publication without my knowledge. It was accepted and that’s how I started writing romance.

What’s the wildest scene you’ve imagined and did it make it into a story? Sev’s revenge scene from the first book. I wrote it. I loved it. Then while re-reading it for submission, I second guessed myself, thinking it was a little too graphic for a young adult novel. My writing partner said to leave it in. If it was too much the editor would suggest taking it out. The editor never did.

 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. Some of my best chapters have been drunk chapters.

 If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why? Wherever there is wine and inspiration. The beach would be awesome.

 With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain?  To get away?  To move past?  To widen our knowledge?  Why do you write? I write so I can have something fun to read that hopefully other people will find enjoyment in as well. Plus the people in my brain want out.

 What’s next for you as a writer? The third and final installment of Seven’s story has been started. I’m revisiting a short story that is a Steampunk Fairy Tale and another that’s a sci-fi/comedy/romance. The first will be a YA novel and the second will probably be an adult novel published under my pseudonym. Then it will be the next installment of my YA fantasy/comedy series The Verses of Vrelenden. I’ve got some epic stuff planned for those boys.

 

Blurb:

After freeing Queen Victoria from the evil plans of the wizard Fairgate and reuniting London once again, Seven, still contending with the ghost of a previous enemy, is called on to turn his unique brand of problem solving to the colony across the pond, Victorica. The former free states of America have a cancer growing within: slavery, perpetrated and protected by the Confederacy of the South. A wealthy group of Southern landowners and businessmen have seized power in Victorica, and rumors are flying about assembling an army and threatening war.

When Seven and his lover, Silas Kettlebent, are sent to investigate, they find the cancer runs deeper than anticipated and may be even more malignant than they’d first thought. With a ragtag team of slaves, criminals, politicians, and Abraham Lincoln, Sev and Silas must find a way to avert a civil war and, as far as Sev is concerned, free the colonies and citizens of Victorica as well.

But Sev’s indiscriminate use of magic he doesn’t quite understand has awakened another’s ire and stoked a thirst for revenge over the events in London.

 

About the Author

 

 Beau Schemery and his robot sidekick quietly fight crime and mediocrity in northcentral Pennsylvania. Beau is attempting to complete six lifetimes in one: he’s been a comic writer/illustrator, an actor and a playwright, as well as an amateur cook and costume-maker. He enjoys sewing, reading, and playing the Xbox when he isn’t crafting exciting worlds for the characters in his brain. Beau is currently a vegetarian and hopes to grow up to be a time-traveling squirrel. He would dearly love to meet a dragon and is reasonably sure that Batman could pretty much beat anybody in a fight.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beau.schemery?ref=br_rs

Twitter: @hedbonstudios

Instagram & Tumblr: hedbonstudios

Blog Tour for Of Princes False and True” by Eric Alan Westfall (exclusive excerpt and giveaway)

Of Princes False and True

Eric Alan Westfall has a new MM Historical Fantasy book out:

A tennis match? Starting a war between the Duchy of Avann and the Kingdom of the Westlands?

Only in a fairy tale.

When Prince Henry hurts a young ball boy who told him Danilo’s ball was inside the line, Danilo’s response is automatic. Punch the prince’s face, pick him up left-handed, and break the royal jaw. Unfortunately, there’s another “automatic” at work: a death sentence for whoever strikes royalty.

King Hiram can’t—won’t—change the rule of law to rule of royal whim. But he grants the Heir of Avann fifteen days to find words that will allow Danilo to live.

In those fifteen days: Magick. The gods, goddesses and gender-fluid deities on Deity Lane. Kilvar, the assassin. A purse which opens in a bank vault. A mysterious old man. The Lady of All. The Magickal Hand writing, rewriting. A fairy tale within a fairy tale. A huge horse called Brute. And at the end…perhaps the right words and a most unexpected love. Plus a deity-supplied dinner with just the right amount of garlic.

All royalties will go to a local LGBT organization.

Queeromanceink

Amazon | Indigo | Angus & Robertson | Kobo | Universal Buy Link

Giveaway

Eric is giving away two backlist eBook titles to one lucky winner with this tour. Enter via Rafflecopter:

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OF PRINCES FALSE AND TRUE

BLOG TOUR EXCERPT

(Exclusive Excerpt)

Danilo, and his bodyguards Jonar and Ivyn, are in Deity Lane searching for words. In this god’s temple, they’ve worked their way up the chain of command to third priest from the top.

From Chapter 5

To Danilo’s surprise, the man was thin to the point of emaciation. In Danilo’s travels, most priests at this level had long since become accustomed to the finest of everything, including food and wines, and even more important, an abundance of it all, no matter what the deity’s worshippers or the country were experiencing. All was soon explained, though not formally. The man had no time for these finer things. Nor did he so much as look at Jonar and Ivyn. He was concerned only with the basest of things, the most basic of things: money.

He obviously couldn’t read from a price list for priest services rendered, as there’d never been a request such as Danilo’s, so he was making it up as he went along. He explained the complexities of the rituals which would have to be devised, the need for certain things not readily obtained, so if the lord would care to come back the next day, or perhaps the day after that? “The lord” wouldn’t.

The priest wasn’t certain…he couldn’t be sure it would be possible…

They were at an impasse, unless a price could be agreed on.

Danilo pulled out the wallet, laid it on the desk, patted it affectionately. He assumed, with more than a reasonable degree of certainty, everyone with any concern about money in the capital had heard of the flat wallet he carried, which magickly produced an abundance of gold coins at need.

The priest’s eyes confirmed his knowledge of the wallet.

The First Ducal Bank kept on hand a vast amount of currency from other nations, with the greatest amount being the Empire’s crowns. They kept one-, five-, ten-, twenty-, fifty- and hundred-crown coins on hand. A note to the Bank last night led to his container being filled with hundreds. Danilo knew the comparative value of currency; knew the vast amount of things a hundred crowns could buy in the Westlands. He pulled two out and set them down, side by side.

The priest obviously knew what they would buy as well. He didn’t reach for them. Danilo wondered whether he was aware his finger twitched, moved a tiny increment toward the money before being pulled back.

Danilo pulled out a third hundred, put it down. Waited. As in any negotiation which reached a settlement one side paid more than it wanted to pay, the other side accepted less than it thought it should have received. Danilo was on the paying side of the table. He knew Grandser would give him as much money as he wanted or needed, the proverbial duke’s ransom, but he’d be damned if he’d be cheated.

Part of him told himself he was a damned fool to take the chance. What if this deity had the words and he was too cheap to pay the price? Pull out another coin…two…three, that side of him demanded. The other side, the stubborn side—though Jonar would have insisted it was over ninety percent and not a mere “side”—counseled waiting.

Waiting won.

A thin hand reached out, stacked the coins and pulled them to his side of the table. “If you will follow me?”

Danilo thought how very odd it was, a complex ritual requiring a day or more of preparation, could begin so soon after coin was collected.

Before entering the disrobing chamber, beyond which the deity demanded—or so his servants said—the bodyguards not go, Danilo paused, and asked to speak to the money priest again. It was the only reasonable way to identify him, as he had never offered his name. With some trepidation the holy man was sent for.

Danilo asked for a private word…well, a private word in the presence of Jonar and Ivyn.

“You do know the king has sentenced me to death if I cannot come up with words to change his mind, do you not?”

“I do.”

“I don’t know King Hiram well, but he has a reputation for believing…quite strongly…in the rule of law, does he not?”

“He does. But my lord, where is this going?”

“Patience, sir. I am almost to my point.”

“I have two questions which do not require an answer, and then my point. First, what do you think the king’s reaction would be to any mortal, holy or not, who interfered with his justice by taking my life before he hears my words? Second, what do you think the Thirty-Eight would do to a deity which allowed interference with the king’s justice if I were to die here?”

The priest gulped and looked relieved he was not required to say anything.

Danilo smiled one of the smiles he’d learned from watching Grandser administering justice, or dealing with scoundrels large and small. It was not a pleasant smile. “I’m sorry, but I do have two more questions, and of these two, the first requires no answer. If I were to die during this ritual, who do you think would be the first to die at the blades of Jonar and Ivyn, and not with any degree of speed. Of course, those they had to kill or maim getting to him wouldn’t be included in the count.”

The priest became as white as…Danilo couldn’t think of a proper comparison…and shuddered. “My last question, holy one. I will be safe during this ritual, will I not.”

“Oh, yes, my lord! Indeed, my lord!”

“Then Jonar and Ivyn will wait here for me, and this is where I will return when the ritual is done.”

“Yes, my lord. Of course, my lord.” Danilo wondered if the priest bowed so low to his own deity, but thought not. The deity probably didn’t threaten him with a most horrible death very often.

Jonar and Ivyn, unhappy, but already knowing this was likely to happen, remained silent as Danilo went into the disrobing chamber.

Author Bio

Eric is a Midwesterner, and as Lady Glenhaven might say, “His first sea voyage was with Noah.” He started reading at five with one of the Andrew Lang books (he thinks it was The Blue Fairy Book) and has been a science fiction/fantasy addict ever since. Most of his writing is in those (MM) genres.

The exceptions are his Another England (alternate history) series:  The Rake, The Rogue and the Roué(Regency novel), Mr. Felcher’s Grand Emporium, or, The Adventures of a Pair of Spares in the Fine Art of Gentlemanly Portraiture(Victorian), with no way out(Regency) coming out a month after Of Princes.

Two more fairy tales are in progress:  3 Boars & A Wolf Walk Into A Bar(Eric is sure you can figure this one out), and The Truth About Them Damn Goats(of the gruff variety).

Now all he has to do is find the time to write the incomplete stuff! (The real world can be a real pain!)

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/Eric-Alan-Westfall-1045476662268838/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/eawestfall43

 

A Free Dreamer Review: Bones and Bourbon by Dorian Graves

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Half-huldra Retz Gallows is having an awful day. First, he wakes up in the middle of driving to who-knows-where with an angry unicorn head in his passenger seat. This is almost normal, thanks to a lifetime of sharing a body with Nalem, a bone-controlling spirit with a penchant for wicked schemes and body-stealing joyrides. It’s probably a bad idea to ask what else could go wrong.

Jarrod Gallows left home with plans to rescue his little brother from possession. Instead, he got saddled with a dead-end job as a paranormal investigator, a Faerie curse, and a daredevil boyfriend who might be from another world. At least he’s got a new job—except why is his brother Retz here and why does this sudden reunion feel more like a bane than a blessing?

This day’s going to get worse for the Gallows brothers before it gets better. To survive, they’ll have to escape the forces controlling them, as well as the wrath of carnivorous unicorns, otherworldly realms, and even their own parents. Only time will tell if they’ll make it out alive…or sober.

I’ll be honest, “Bones and Bourbon” had me sold after the first paragraph of the blurb. That sounded so weird and crazy, I knew I just had to read it. And the book definitely delivered.

First of all, this is not a romance. Jarrod is in a relationship with a very interesting young man with a penchant for crazy ideas but that’s really not the focus of the plot at all. Rather, “Bones and Bourbon” is a wild Urban Fantasy with a protagonist who happens to be in a relationship.

The world building was excellent. I have a thing for myths and fairy tales of any kind. I’ve never heard of huldra (and some of the other creatures) before but there are actual myths about them. It was so fascinating. The author does a great job of describing their individual oddities. I’ve never met a character who’s literally only skin and bones. No blood, no internal organs, no nothing. And Jarrod has a cow tail, which is all kinds of weird and awesome at the same time. There were so many different creatures from all sorts of different cultures and I’ve heard about maybe half of them. Dorian Graves definitely deserves extra credit for creativity and uniqueness.

Nalem is probably one of the most interesting people I’ve met in a book in a very long time. His abilities are intriguing and also pretty creepy. We really don’t know anything about him and that makes him all the more fascinating.

All four of our protagonists are actually really interesting. And likable, with the exception of Nalem. Though even he has his moments. Oh, and they take “daddy issues” to a whole new level.

I’m Austrian, born and raised, so it added another layer of awesomeness that our protagonists were named after Austrian places. Retz is a tiny village I’ve never heard of before, even though it’s actually not that for from where I live. I’m always thrilled when authors remember little Austria exists.

The whole story was an incredibly wild ride of insanity and blood and violence. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Or unicorn fans. Because they’re actually vengeful bastards and extremely hard to kill. Which is all kinds of awesome, if you ask me. I think I’ve found my inner unicorn thanks to this book! And the best thing about this? This is only the first part in what promises to be a truly amazing series!

If you’re on the hunt for something a very different fantasy novel, and don’t mind dark and twisted stories that can get pretty gory and a little gross, then this is the book for you.  “Blood and Bones” will very likely make it under the top five books of 2018 for me. I’m not easily impressed, but this book did it. I can’t believe it only has less than 300 pages.

I’m not sure if I like the cover by Natasha Snow. It’s a bit generic, tbh.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 268 pages
Published April 23rd 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781948608527
Edition LanguageEnglish