Category: Fantasy

A MelanieM Review: The Merman and the Barbarian Pirate by Kay Berrisford

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

The merman and the Pirate coverRaef’s mother brought him up on tales of true love and humans when he was young.  Now grown, Raef, a lonely merman, spends his days watching the dashing Lord Haverford from afar and dreaming of romance.  The current chief of their tribe forbids any contact with humans but Raef refuses to give up his romantic dreams and spends his time watching for his prince. When Haverford is robbed by a pirate, Raef vows to reclaim the stolen goods, hoping his victory will buy him the happiness he yearns for with Haverford.

Jon Kemp is not your ordinary pirate, something Raef finds out when he steals aboard Jon’s ship in an attempt to recover Haverford’s stolen goods. But what happens next is surprising to all and leads the young merman on an epic quest to right wrongs and find true love…for merman and pirate, whether they want it or not.

Truly, this is a tale that should start off “Once upon a time, there was a lonely merman who longed for love” because this story, The Merman and the Barbarian Pirate by Kay Berrisford has all the hallmarks and qualities of the classic fairy tale.  Stories of mer folk, especially gorgeous mermen abound these days and each offers its own take on the mer folk lore and myth.

Rafe in The Merman and the Barbarian Pirate harks back to the littlest mermaid, that timeless story whether it be Hans Christian Andersen’ original fairy tale or Disney’s version.  Here as the story opens we find the young Rafe listening to tales of love from his lovelorn mother.  They enchant him and fill the babe with visions of a forever love and humans, dreams that increase their hold on him the older he becomes.  Those bedtime stories gain increasing value when his mother dies, leaving Rafe is alone in a tribe turned restrictive and cold by a new chief with his own pain and agenda.

I loved that Berrisford captured the spell woven by Rafe’s mother at that young age and the loneliness felt by the older Raef who is unable to let go his romantic yearnings.  This fits so beautifully into the fairy tale trope, from the lyrical quality of the narrative to the “casual adult cruelty” that drives Rafe to break the rules and strike out for love.

You have the beautiful prince observed from afar, someone surely worthy of love or so Rafe thinks with only his stories to go by.  Pirates or Kluggites as they are called by the mer folk are horrible things, to be avoided at all costs.  So when one appears to have stolen something from the beauteous prince, Rafe thinks he must not only get it back but feels he has an avenue made to approach his prince and find true love.  Rafe’s naivete is both charming and typical of the fairy tale hero, who are usually sort of clueless about the realities of the world around them.  Again, Kay Berrisford is sticking to the rules of the classic tales, albeit with a LGBTQ twist or two or four.

The romance is light, fun and frothy.  The adventure they set out on is fraught with peril,  an adorable merman as well as virtuous maidens who need saving (including one that is more than capable of saving herself), cannons firing on the high seas, and more scary rescues and escapes to satisfy those readers who require that in their tales of pirates and love.  I had such fun reading this story.  It was enjoyable quick read and wonderful entertainment.

The only issue that brought it down for me was one that could have been left out all together.  In a fairy tale, I don’t need any mer folk natural history lessons or rational for species.  In fairy tales, they just are.  However, Berresford felt the need to include her take on why they can shift into human form and then back again.  It involves procreation and, quite frankly, makes no sense what so ever.  Look at all the mammals living in the seas.  They certainly don’t need legs to further their species, they do just fine as they are with the appendages they have.  That much detail just doesn’t work in something so lighthearted. Yet, Berrisford returns to this again and again.  And the more she does so, the more illogical her “mer folk biology” created for this story appears.  At certain points in the story, I spent more time mentally poking holes in her world building than I did focused on the story.  Not something an author wants to hear.

But, that aside (and buried deep under the conch shells where it belongs), this is a lovely, lighthearted fantasy escape.  Rafe is a joy and Jon, a charmer who steals the heart of a young merman and readers alike.  The secondary females characters are strong, layered people with surprises of their own for the readers.  I loved them too.

If you are in the mood for a lovely, frothy, fairy tale romance, then Kay Berresford’s The Merman and the Barbarian Pirate is just the story for you.

 Cover Artist Julie Wright.  What a gorgeous cover.  It drew me in with its lush design and wonderful characters. Loved it.

Sales Links:  Less Than Three Press      All Romance (ARe)      amazon      buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Published July 30th 2014 by Less Than Three Press (first published July 29th 2014)
original titleThe Merman and the Barbarian Pirate
ISBN139781620043981
edition languageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Darach’s Cariad (The Fire Trilogy #2) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Darach's Cariad coverWhere once there were three who were as close as brothers, now there is only one who remains in the land.  Darach Gravenor is a keeper of blue Fire. He is alone in his world because one of them, Eoin, died consumed by his amber fire.  Kian, the second of them has fled to Earth, forever out of reach. All Darach can think of is to follow Kian to the Other World now that Darach is older and able to rescue his friend.  But to accomplish this impossible mission, Darach needs help and from the one people he has always been told were horrors unto themselves and banned from his city.  But Darach knows that a Cariad has crept into their city and been captured.  Now all he has to do is rescue the Cariad and get him to help Darach travel to the Other World.

Ceithin Morgan’s brother Trystan was a wielder of the amber fire, and that was reason alone for someone to kidnap and kill  his beloved brother.  Ceithin seeks answers and revenge upon those who killed Trystan,  answers he believes he can find within the forbidden city.  Ceithin is a member of the Cariad, a nomadic tribe still connected to the old magic.  Captured and tortured for his  power, the last thing he expects is to be rescued by Darach.

Both men are on a mission to find theirs to their lost brothers.  Unexpectedly, their journey and missions find themselves bound them to each other in a way neither could have predicted.  Then they come upon some shocking information, and the search that will bring them both to the Other World and Kian.  Soon it’s not just one world but two worlds that need saving….

Darach’s Cariad is the second story in The Fire Trilogy by RJ Scott.  Scott continues to build her universe and complicated mythology needed for her Fire lore and trilogy structure.  There are three fire powers. Green fire which has the qualities of nature, nuture, and protection.  Blue Fire which gives its user the power over water, and finally Gold or Amber Fire, the rarest, most powerful of them all.  Amber fire is used to rule.  But those born with amber fire are few and they have a tendency to disappear shortly after coming into their powers, a mystery that acts as another primary plot thread throughout all the stories.

I loved the world building here.  We start back on Earth (the Other World) with Regan and Kian from the first story in the trilogy, Kian’s Hunter.  Immediately we know that things and Kian’s health have gotten worse.  For those readers not familiar with the first story, this chapter provides enough information on their story and a tantalizing glimpse into the relationship between Regan and Kian.  From there we are transported back to the City, the ruling Council, and the dungeons with its one despairing occupant.  I loved all the various storylines, layered one on top of the other, and soon, to flow into one central plot that will pull all three books together, along with their characters.

Scott skillfully builds her larger trilogy leitmotif, first in small clues and facts scattered throughout the first part of the story, then gathering momentum as the characters themselves start to pool all their knowledge to arrive at a horrific and shocking revelation.  It helps immensely that we are drawn to the complex characters as much as the characters are mesmerized by each other.  Darach is a wonderful combination of youthful confidence and need.  We get his measure and strength immediately and love him for it.  Ceithin Morgan on the other hand is full of arrogance and pain, a member of the Cariad, a gypsy like clan that are the keepers of the old magic and gateway to the Other World.  The Cariad are as fascinating a tribe as all the other engrossing elements that Scott has created here.  The fire of attraction that ignites between them is hot and sexy and layered over with uncertainty.

There is so much information as to the world building and lore that it can sometimes confuse a reader unfamiliar with Kian’s Hunter, but never once will a little confusion make you want to put this story down.  No, instead, once you have reached the end of this story, the only frustration will be at not having the final story to delve into.  This trilogy is addicting and with the resolution just out of reach by the end of Darach’s Cariad, the reader will be left grasping at the clues and revelations that point to a rich, explosive final story.  Don’t be surprised to find yourself heading back to the first story, Kian’s Hunter and begin the journey all over again while you wait for the final book to arrive.

If you are a lover of fantasy and romance, if the idea of different worlds or realms connected to each other by magical portals grab your imagination, this is the series for you.  You can read Darach’s Cariad out of order but the trilogy is far richer if read in the order they were written.  This is definitely a fantasy must read for all.

Cover artist: Meredith Russell.  The fantasy element is minimal, with just a trace of fire at his hands.  I could wish for a little more of the fantastical worlds that Scott has built for us.

Sales Links:  Love Lane Books    All Romance (ARe)       amazon                 buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 133 pages
Published November 7th 2014 by Love Lane Books (first published January 1st 2011)
edition languageEnglish
url http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/new-cover-art-fire-trilogy.html
seriesThe Fire Trilogy #2

Books in The Fire Trilogy in the order they were written and should be read:

Kian’s Hunter (Fire, #1)
Darach (The Fire Trilogy #2)
Eoin (The Fire Trilogy #3)

 

The stories were previously published at Silver Publishing, but have been revised prior to their re release.

He’s Hot, He’s Sexy, He’s The Alpha King by Vicktor Alexander (book tour and contest)

TAKBanner300x250

Book Name: The Alpha King
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Vicktor Alexander

I am thrilled to have Vicktor Alexander here in the author’s chair to talk about this intriquing new series from the inspiration to main story  elements.

Q.  The Alpha King  has a rather unique premise behind it, a sort of gay wolf shifters in space element.  Where did you get the inspiration for the concept?

Viktor: It’s really weird, honestly. With my books I live in a constant state of “What if?” And I found myself going, “What if the Earth was sentient and turned on humans because we were killing each other? Because of our hatred for each other? Our racism? Our inability to take care of her? What if there actually was life out there on other planets and they tried to warn us and we didn’t listen? And then, what if by they time they finally did, most of the human race had been killed off by Earth herself?” By that point my brain had already created this entire world, this entire series, and then I realized that humans wouldn’t be able to live on these other planets because of our lungs so we would have to breed with them and create new species, the humanoids, but then, because I’m a “what if” person, I wondered, what if there was one particular family whose genetic makeup gave them the ability to bring back the pure human race again? What would happen? Who would try to prevent that? And how would that happen? And The Alpha King was born. A book filled with shifters of all kinds, humanoids, scifi, monarchy, intrigue, angst, and lots of hot man sex.

Q.  The Alpha King rests on a plot narrative that meant your world building had to incorporate a wealth of information and back history.  From a dying world to prophesies to a planet of wolf shifters…that’s a lot of elements and back history to create and then fold into your story?  What or where did you draw from to create this foundation for your story?

Viktor: I think some of it came from Star Trek, LOL. I’m a HUGE Trekkie, fan. Some of it came from the dogma that my biological family used to spout at me, but I sort of flipped it on its head. Some of it came from just reality. The whole global warming thing. And I was extremely distressed when I heard a story about a transwoman being attacked in a McDonald’s bathroom and it was recorded. When I talked to a coworker about it, she said she understood and agreed with it! I was so brokenhearted about it and wondered if I was the only person. Then I wondered if the Earth were alive if it got tired of all the bullshit that we humans did to each other. So it was pretty much a number of different places that I drew from to get the world building. After that it was just a matter of sitting down and taking it planet by planet and creating languages, laws, history, etc. I’m so much of a history and sci-fi nerd that I wanted to make sure that it all worked together before I started writing.

Q.  Why science fiction?

Viktor: Because I’m a nerd? LOL. I like blending different genres together. And I didn’t want to just have the shifters on Earth. The entire premise of the series lay on humans being rescued by shifters from other planets, that was a science fiction element. Blame it on my Trekkieness. “To seek out new worlds and new civilizations…”

Q.  …and then why take wolf shifters, which I automatically think of as an “earth” oriented supernatural being, into space?

Viktor: Because I was always the kid who colored outside of the lines. I don’t like it when someone tells me that something has to be this way. I create the parameters, I create the lines and the boundaries. I am the Dom. My whole thing with writing has always been a “who said?” when people tell me I have to write something a particular way. “But vampires can’t walk in the daylight!” Who said? “But shifters have to be on Earth!” Who said? I write what my characters tell me to write and then when I cross some proverbial line that people say is there or I’m not in the box that people expect me to be in, I shrug and point at myself. I’m a multi-ethnic, transgender, gay male who is Messianic Jewish, a veteran of the United States Army, and a lot of other things. Nothing about me says “in the box.” Nothing about screams that I stay inside the lines. I spend my life pushing people’s boundaries because they want me to, I’m going to do it in my writing as well. LOL.

Q.  This book contains bdsm or elements of bdsm.  From the note included, it explains, rather succinctly, a little about the bdsm lifestyle plus a warning for those not in the lifestyle not to try this out without a trained professional.  Why do you feel that is so important?  Do you feel that your representation of aspects of the bdsm lifestyle come across as accurate?

Viktor: Well, seeing as how I was trained as a Dom for over a year and I have been in the BDSM Lifestyle for over 13 years now, I would say, pretty confidently that my representation of the Lifestyle is accurate. LOL. And yes, I do think that the warning at the beginning of the book is needed. Too often there are books that are published with aspects of the BDSM Lifestyle contained within them that do not contain a note of caution, and while most readers are not reading the book for anything other than entertainment, there may be some that decide to try out the actions or the scene within the story with someone who is not trained and may get hurt. Not only because they are not trained, but sometimes because the book that is published is written by someone who has not done any research into the Lifestyle, or it is written by someone who is not in the Lifestyle themselves. This worries me as a Dom, as an author, and as a caring individual. Not only does this put a mark on the BDSM/Kink community, but on the writing community as well. We put warnings at the front of books for anal sex, double penetration, and even humorous ones about virgins, or too stupid to live characters, but when a book contains BDSM, which prides itself on Safe, Sane, and Consensual, we have numerous books out there that do not hold any warning whatsoever. This, to me, is unacceptable, and I’ve had a number of readers and even other authors, who have emailed and private messaged me and asked me what I thought about different books, authors, and the lack of warnings in books, and because of that, I knew that I had to make sure that this warning was stated plainly in the front of this book. Thankfully, the other owners of Rooster & Pig Publishing, Inc. agreed with me.

Q.  With such an elaborate world building, do you plan more stories in this universe or a sequel to The Alpha King?

Viktor: Oh, absolutely! There are 5 other books planned for the Passion’s Hero series: The Beta Prince, The Epsilon Elder, The Gamma Guard, The Vermithian Consort, The Strawxigian Spy. And then there are 15 books planned for a spin-off series which follows the children born of the Passion’s Hero series in a series entitled: Love’s Savior.

Q.  Were you a prolific reader as a child? Was there one book or author who impacted you as a child whose influence has continued today?

Viktor: LOL. Yes I was. I was reading by the time I was 4 and by the time I was 10 I was reading William Shakespeare with comprehension. I would have to say that Langston Hughes and the book Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein were probably the biggest impacts on my childhood, after William Shakespeare, of course (I know, I know. I cheated.)
.
Q.  What’s next for Vicktor Alexander?

Viktor:  I’m finishing up The Servant Duchess Of Whitcomb which is the sequel to Groom Of Convenience which released from Dreamspinner Press on October 17th. Then I’ll be working on a short story for MLR Press. Then finishing up Daddy’s Boy for Rooster & Pig Publishing, Inc. Then there’s the next book in the Mistake’s series for Totally Bound Publishing Wonderful Mistake, and then there’s the Truth or Dare Anthology which will be self-published. But of course, I’m saying all of this and my muse may decide to change his mind and rearrange all of it as soon as I finish the short story for MLR. LOL.
Thanks so much for having me! –  -Vicktor Alexander

Part of a series?: Yes. This is book one in the Passion’s Hero series and subsequent books should be read in order.

Author Bio:

Vicktor “Vic” Alexander wrote his first story at the age of ten and hasn’t stopped writing since. He loves reading about anything and everything and is a proud member of the little known U.N. group (Undercover Nerds) because while he lives, eats, breathes, and sleeps sports, he also breathes history and science fiction and grew up a Trekkie. But don’t ask him about Dungeons & Dragons, because he has no idea how to play that game.

When it comes to writing he loves everything from paranormal to contemporary to fantasy to historical and is known not only for being the Epilogue King but also for writing stories that cross lines and boundaries that he doesn’t know are there.

Vic is a proud father of two daughters one of whom watches over him from Heaven with his deceased partner Christopher. Vic is a proud trans* and gay man, and when he is not writing, he is hanging out with his friends, or being distracted by videos of John Barrowman, Scott Hoying, and Shemar Moore. Vicktor has published numerous bestselling novels and has a WIP list that makes him exhausted just thinking about. He knows that he will be still be writing about hot men falling in love with each other, long after he is living in an assisted living facility, flirting with the hot, male nurses.

Author Contact: http://www.twitter.com/VVeeB

Publisher: Rooster & Pig PublishingThe Alpha King Cover Photo
Cover Artist: Vicktor Alexander

Sales Links:  Amazon UK  Amazon   ARe    Rooster & Pig Publishing

The Alpha King Blurb:

Centuries after the destruction of Earth, destiny is being fulfilled and plans are in motion to restore not only the Earth, but mankind, to its former glory. One family is fated to bring about this amazing destiny. One man puts it all in motion, the day he crashes on to the wolf-planet of Tumaro and met his mate. 

Talon Versuthion always knew that some kind of way, life was going to screw him over. His parents died when he was just a boy and he can’t remember a thing about them. He was adopted by a great family only to have them tell him that he is a Vermithian, one of the most despised humanoid species. Even worse than that? He has no idea that a prophecy was made about his family, one that mentions that someone from the Versuthion family will bring back a pure human race. And there are people out there who will stop at nothing to make sure that never happens. No matter what.

While on a delivery for the GPA with his adopted sister Josie, however, Tal’s space shuttle crashes onto Tumaro, the notorious wolf-shifter planet. Tal is lucky to be alive, though Josie can’t be found. He is desperate to find her, but destiny steps in and history is changed forever. Because the Alpha King of the planet, Blazell Roughshire, is Talon’s mate. And before the two men can even settle into their new relationship they must deal with conspiracy, murder, kidnapping and a centuries old plot to completely eradicate the human race. Will Blaze be able to keep his mate safe from those who would see him dead? Is Tal truly the only one left from his family who can fulfill this centuries old prophecy? And can Tal, who has made it a point to never fall in love with anyone, open his heart and let Blaze be Passion’s hero?

Warning: This book contains references to abuse, rape, torture, and violence. It also 
contains hot sex between a young man with an affinity for celebrities that may sound familiar to 
you and his hot possessive Alpha mate. This is a R&P Whips & Chains novel which means the 
story contains BDSM elements. BDSM is a Lifestyle and while certain elements of it are not 
dangerous, please do not engage in any part of the BDSM Lifestyle without a trained 
professional on-hand.(This is a re-edited, re-published novel. The publisher has been changed. 
Over 22,500 words have been added to the original)

Categories: Alternate Universe, BDSM, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction

The Alpha King Excerpt:

“Where the hell are my clothes? More than that. Where the hell is my sister?” Talon yelled, pulling the bedcovers up to his chin.

Blazell laughed heartily, not at all deterred by his mate’s little freak-out. “Your clothes 
were destroyed in your accident, my love. I took the liberty of removing the hospital gown you 
wore when I brought you here to our bedroom,” he stated with amusement.

“Our bedroom?” Talon questioned in a small, hesitant voice, quivering with fear and shock.

“Yes, love, our bedroom. Where we will sleep and make love, more so the latter than the 
former.” He didn’t know how to respond about the man’s sister. He hadn’t heard anything about there being anyone else found at the crash. He would fully admit he was being rather selfish at the moment and only wanted to focus on his mate’s well-being and Talon’s sudden appearance in his life. Once they were fully bonded, Blazell would look into Talon’s missing sister. Blazell knew that made him an asshole, but, at the moment, he couldn’t bring himself and his wolf to feel ashamed.

Talon shook his head in bewilderment. “But you don’t even know me, and I certainly don’t know you!”

“My soul knows yours, my heart embraces yours, and my life and I were made for you as 
yours was made for me. I know you in the deepest parts of me, even though my mind may not,”Blazell declared. “You were made for me,” he said as he placed his hands on either side of his 
mate’s face, his thumbs delicately caressing Talon’s cheeks. “As I was made for you.”

Words/Pages: 92,505 words, 258 pages

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

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A MelanieM Review: Chestnuts Roasting Anthology (Mischief Corner Anthologies #5) by Mischief Corner Books

Rating: 4.75 (rounded up to 5) stars out of 5 

ChestnutsRoasting10x15Christmas means different things to everyone, but most often it’s all about pulling loved ones close and brightening the gloom. The fire’s crackling. The snow is piling up outside, even if it’s only in your dreams. Time to snuggle up with some cocoa and some stories carefully crafted by the Mischief Corner Crew to warm hearts and cockles.

Mischief Corner Books is comprised of four authors, Toni Griffin, Angel Martinez, Freddy MacKay and Silvia Violet who met on a Tennessee Mountain top and (in their own words) “…and decided since we probably were too easily distracted to rule the world that we’d settle for causing a bit of mayhem instead.

” That’s how Mischief Corner Books was born.

In this holiday anthologies, their four different perspectives has never had a better showcase for their talents.  It’s a heartwarming collection that veers from bear shape shifters to contemporary romance then on to the supernatural and back again.  Chestnuts Roasting  gets the flow and placing of the selections just right, an issue I find most anthologies have a hard time perfecting.  This is such a strong collection that while I had my absolute favorites, I loved them all.  So will you.

The first story from Toni Griffin, Wreath of Fire: Smokey Mountains Bears 2, concerns a young bear shifter still trying to recover from years of family abuse, a forlorn young man, one in need of hope and love.  The second story is A Christmas Cactus for the General By Angel Martinez.  Talk about totally unexpected and wonderfully quirky.  It’s told from an alien’s pov, and  yes, its a wonderful holiday story.  Next up?  Holly Jolly By Silvia Violet, that’s the “bah humbug” tale of the bunch.  You know you need one and Silvia Violet delivers her Scrooge into the holiday spirit via romance and coffee!  Oh, but its that last story that  will bring out the tears, the hankies, and the scores of music you want to listen to at this time of year. Chestnuts Roasting ends as it should, on reflections of love and family, of life and death,  and perhaps something more. The last and utterly memorable tale is Snow on Spirit Bridge By Freddy MacKay.  Never has blowing my nose and weeping away made me so happy.

Here are the stories in the order they appear in the book with a few comments by me.

1.  Wreath of Fire: Smokey Mountains Bears 2 – Toni Griffin
Michael’s trying to start a new life away from his abusive father, but he’s drifting and not sure what he wants. When he accidentally starts a kitchen fire, the hot new fireman who comes to the rescue is not only another bear shifter. He’s Michael’s mate. Michael desperately needs to get his act together and figure out what he wants if he has any hope of claiming the bear fated to be his.

A heartwarming story that captures the pain of a young man feeling like an outsider at the holidays.  Everything he attempts goes off course until Michael is almost ready to give up.  Then another outsider arrives to how him the way home.  I loved Griffin’s group or sleuth of bear shifters, such a welcoming family.  It makes Michael’s background and family history even more poignant.  A lovely introduction to this marvelous anthology.

You can read this story as a stand alone, or if you would like, you can read about the first Smokey Mountains Bears in A Bear in the Woods

2. A Christmas Cactus for the General – Angel Martinez
Exiled to Earth for perhaps the worst failure in Irasolan history, General Teer must assimilate or die. Earth is too warm, too wet, too foreign, but he does the best he can even though human males are loud, childish louts whom he can’t imitate successfully. When a grieving seaplane pilot strikes up a strange and uneasy friendship with him, he finds he may have been too quick to judge human males. They are strange to look at, but perhaps not as unbearable as he thought.

Angel Martinez is a favorite author of mine.  Her ability to weave mythology and folklore into her contemporary stories is beyond amazing.  Here Angel Martinez explores the idea of humans and American culture as seen through the eyes of an exiled alien.  The character of Teer is a wonder.  He never thinks or reacts like a human being at any point in the story, his alien persective is kept intact as he tries to understand and adapt to his strange new world that is his home.  But if Teer is a true alien, than the man that falls into a friendship with Teer and then love, Bruce, is almost as much or more of an outsider from the people in the town they both live in.  Snarly, rude, perpetually brusk and alone, Bruce also stays on the outskirts of community.  His alienation is by choice while Teer’s was forced.  This story is full of humor, pathos, and romance of an unlikely yet wondrous sort.  And yes, this is one of my favorites although I loved them all.

3. Holly Jolly – Silvia Violet
I’m not gay. I just notice men sometimes. Everybody does, right? I notice Dane a lot, like every time I’m near him, but just because I think he’s an attractive man that doesn’t mean I like him, does it?

Holly Jolly is a cute, contemporary holiday romp with a heart.  Every holiday collection needs a “Scrooge” type character and Tom the narrator fills the bill nicely.  Only later do we find out the source of Tom’s harsh outlook and then everything about Tom snaps into place and he becomes more than just a formulaic persona.  In fact, Tom’s past and actions make him not only admirable but courageous.  Totally worthy of a hunky Dane who works at The Coffee Bean.  I really enjoyed the layers the author added to Tom, Dane, and even Tom’s best friend Shelley.

And the idea of putting Holly Jolly in between the alien Teer of  A Christmas Cactus for the General and the wildly enchanting and mystical characters of Snow on Spirit Bridge By Freddy MacKay gives the reader a little break from the angst and pain that both stories contain.  Great job of placement all the way through this collection.

4.  Snow on Spirit Bridge By Freddy MacKay

Alone in Japan, Finni is struggling against the constant distrust, avoidance, and xenophobia he experiences every day. He misses home. He misses his family. Nightmares come all too frequently because of the stress, and well, Christmas is just not Christmas in Japan. Not how he understands it.
Distressed by how miserable Finni is, his roommate, Mamoru, offers to be Finni’s family for Christmas. Little does he know how much one agreement would change everything between them, because both of them kept secrets neither ever dreamed were true.

Oh, this story.  I can’t even begin to describe all the astonishing facets and elements that appear in Snow On Spirit Bridge.  On first glance what appears to be a contemporary holiday story of a lonely, homesick exchange student, Finni, one who happens to be huge, blond haired and blue-eyed, traipsing through the streets of Japan on the eve of Christmas.  Again we have an outsider’s perspective on a different culture. This time the setting is Japan with the Japanese peoples wariness and sometimes dislike of outsiders playing a huge part in Finni’s sense of isolation.  But as the snow swirls around him and his sadness deepens something magical and unbelievable happens.  MacKay combines several mythologies into her story and it works perfectly.  Snow on Spirit Bridge addresses great pain and loss for several characters.  And the last chapter will leave you smiling even as you weep your way through a box of tissues.  A marvel of love, holiday cheer and the vastness of possibilities that just might exist make this my favorite story of the collection just as I expect it will end up as yours.  This should have been the last story in any collection.  And as the last story here, it works to make this one of the more memorable anthologies of this or any other season of the year.

I adored Chestnuts Roasting and absolutely recommend it for your Holiday reading pleasure.  But the authors and their stories are so good, it makes wonderful reading at any time of the year.  Pick it up today!

Cover artist Catherine Dair cover is lovely and brings the warmth of the holidays in its design.

Sales Links:   Mischief Corner Books     All Romance (ARe)          amazon                buy it here

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: November 27th 2014 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139781311874092

A PaulB Review: Ciro (Shivers ) by Remmy Duchene

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Ciro coverCursed by Hera at birth, Ciro Pyktis must try to keep his brothers from wrecking havoc on the world. Things become complicated when he meets his mate, architect Carter Olabasu. Can this son of Zeus stop his hellion brothers while keeping his lover safe?

Ciro Pyktis, son of Zeus and the goddess of the Storm Winds, along with his brothers are cursed by their step mother Hera. As Ciro is the first born, his mother and the Olympians have tasked him to try to keep his brothers in line. When his brother Gala causes a storm and refused to back down, Ciro must take his life. To try to forget the fight with his brother, Ciro decides to head to a bar to unwind.

Carter Olabasu’s relationship with his brother Kofi has been strained since Carter came out to him. Trying to patch things up with his brother, Kofi suggests the two go out to dinner and a party at the Firewall, a popular straight club. There he is approached by Ciro, who offers to buy him a drink. Before things progress much further, Kofi comes looking for Carter. Ciro mistakes him for Carter’s boyfriend and takes off.  But the instant attraction between them sets off events that  will change everything for them both.

Ciro is the first book  of the Shivers series by Remmy Duchene. I enjoyed how Ms. Duchene has actually added to story of the Olympians by including a new branch in the mix. Also terrific? How the author included several lesser known children of the Olympians to the known pantheon of the main twelve gods. It is difficult to add something to two millennia of storytelling but the author should be commended for her accomplishment.

I also liked how the idea of mates was mixed into the mythology. As most know, the gods just went after whomever they wanted. The idea of predestined love is a nice addition to this mythology and I enjoyed the author’s twist to the Greek gods.

This is a great start to a new series and am looking forward to seeing where Ms. Duchene will go in future books.  I highly recommend reading this story.

The cover art by Posh Gosh depicts Carter and Ciro looking down on a storm raging over a Grecian arch. It draws you in and is well done.

Sales Links:  Totally Bound Books    All Romance eBooks(ARe)    amazonUS   Ciro
Book Details
:

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously released by another publisher. It has been revised and re-edited for release with Totally Bound Publishing
Ebook, 151 pages
Published: October 31, 2014 by Totally Bound
ISBN: 978-1-78430-259-7
Edition Language: English