Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Daydreaming! Reviewing LGBTQIA Books, all formats ! Binge Watching A World of Romance
Those of us who celebrate the US Independence Day and those of us abroad are taking the day off to spend it with our families and vacation and such. We hope that everyone has a happy, safe, and awesome day and weekend. Happy Reading and wonderful stories!
Melanie, Barb the Zany Old Lady, Sammy, Stella, Paul, Mika, BJ and Aurora!
We have more than a few covers that just stunned us this month. Look for that post later today!
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
An absolutely wonderful audiobook, this one kept me riveted to my iPhone until I finished. The story, the humor, the angst, the voice of the narrator—all combined to make this one A+ in my book.
Sheriff Lance Beaufort is the principal law enforcement officer in the small town of Mad Creek, California, a sleepy little town that also happens to be predominately populated by dog shifters. These “quickened” dogs have gained the ability to become human, some in this generation, but others are born that way, the children and grandchildren of dogs who’ve been quickened. Descended from quickened Border collies on both sides of his family line, Lance is the best guardian the town could have as he takes his job very seriously and never lets personal issues interfere with his mission.
So it’s no surprise that he’s suspicious when a young man shows up who seems to be without resources and smelling of marijuana. Tim Weston is there to grow a new hybrid rose for a woman who owns a property on the edge of town. In exchange for Tim’s skills as a horticulturist, Tim can live there rent-free for six months. While he’s trying to get the hybrid roses to grow, he’s also planting a variety of vegetables that he plans to sell at farmer’s markets in the summer, an endeavor which he hopes will generate enough money to support himself and to begin to pay rent on the property when the six months is up.
But Sheriff Lance doesn’t take his word for the fact that he’s renting the property. Suspicious should be his middle name, so he shifts into his Border collie persona and goes to check out the grounds for himself. Unfortunately, as he’s leaving, Tim’s pickup truck hits him, and he’s forced to go along with the charade of being a dog under Tim’s care for a while. He then finds that Tim isn’t quite what he thought he was. He’s not a pot-smoking loser trying to get rich by planting marijuana in the fields, instead, he’s a sweet young man, who is only trying to make ends meet, and he seems to be very much in need of someone to snuggle. Lance decides he’ll be that man—um, dog—at least until he can get to the bottom of things.
Tim thought he was getting away from all his troubles when he came to Mad Creek. His former boss had taken out patents on the vegetable and flower hybrids that Tim generated, keeping everything in his own name and pocketing all the profits. And as if that’s not bad enough, his father was physically abusive when he was a child so Tim has no home at all. Of course he welcomes the dog into his life, a dog he names Chance.
Naturally, nothing goes according to plan for either man. When Tim’s greenhouse is destroyed by someone who thinks he’s in competition with their own pot-growing operation, and the true story of Lance’s deception comes out, Tim feels totally abandoned and betrayed all over again. Will Lance be able to overcome his foolish mistakes to make Tim believe that they are mates and that Lance loves him with all his heart? Or will the troublemakers lurking in Tim’s past revisit his life and cause even more havoc than before?
Ack! I loved this story! I have been a devout fan of Eli Easton ever since I first read The Lion and the Crow, a story she created for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group in 2012. There is nothing that she’s written that I don’t like, but this one really touched my heart. The canine element, with their big blue soulful eyes, and the humor throughout the story sold me on this one. There were times I laughed out loud as I was listening to the audiobook. Narrator Matthew Shaw did an outstanding job. His narration was fast-paced, and the timing of the humorous parts of the story was spot-on, yet the narrative for the sadder, lonelier times was equally compelling. When he emulated the hopeless, soulful howl which Lance let out when he thought he had lost Tim for good, it brought tears to my eyes.
I can’t recommend this story highly enough, and I’m excited beyond measure to find out that this is the beginning of a series. The next story is a must buy for me. Bring it on, Eli Easton—I want more of these quickened dogs and their human sides, as soon as possible, please. If you like shifter stories and sweet romance, this is the book for you. And don’t hesitate to pick up the audiobook version. It’s bound to add more to the story than you would get from reading it alone.
The bright and cheerful cover art depicts a beautiful black border collie, leashed, and sitting next to his master as they pause to pose. It’s exactly as I’d imagine Chance would look, and though Tim’s face isn’t shown in the picture, it’s evident by his posture that the dog is sitting next to his owner.
Sales Links: Audible | Amazon | 
Audiobook Details:
Audible Audio, 6 pages
Published March 19th 2015 by Pinkerton Road (first published February 28th 2015)
original titleHowl at the Moon
ASINB00UVVHOTI
edition languageEnglish
seriesHowl at the Moon #1
charactersLance Beaufort, Tim West
As more and more audiobooks are released, we thought it would be interesting to see how an author looks at their books when narrated and get the perspective from the narrator as well. Two sides of the same story!
Here is Eli Easton and the narrator of her novel, How To Howl At the Moon, Matthew Shaw! And don’t forget to enter the contest for a audiobook of your own, How To Howl At the Moon by Eli Easton.
“How to Howl at the Moon” is the first audio book I’ve self-published. To narrate the book, I turned to an amazingly talented actor I’ve worked with before on other projects, Matthew Shaw.
I loved hearing Matthew read my story. Such an amazing treat. I decided to interview Matthew to see what his side of the experience was like.
Eli: Is this your first time narrating and audio book? What other types of voce-over work have you done?
Matthew: Yes! It’s my first one. I’ve done some commercials and intros for family projects.
Eli: Who are some of your heroes when it comes to audio book narrators?
Matthew: Jim Dale is amazing! He narrated the entire Harry Potter series, keeping each character consistent and his performance was spot on. He felt the characters he was reading, so it helped create the world and make it real. Even characters that had two lines in the entire 7 book series were consistent. He received two Grammy awards for his performance.
That’s really the challenge: taking a book you’re just reading aloud and turning it into a performance.
Eli: Was “How to Howl at the Moon” your first time reading a m/m romance? What would you tell other newbies who asked what it’s like?
Matthew: Yes, it was! In fact, it was my first romance novel I read ever. I didn’t know what to expect, and Eli helped talk me through what are some of the common story arcs in romance novels to help build the context. It’s actually quite a fun genre. I really felt for the characters, either wanting them to succeed, or the bad guys to get their comeuppance. It’s a great book and I really would recommend it to anyone interested in the romance genre.
When people asked what it was like, I would tell them , that the characters were very three dimensional, and the story takes you on a journey of understanding and getting to know them better as the main characters get to know themselves, as well.
The fact that this story was a dog shape-shifter tale (or tail?) Made the story super fun to read, too.
Eli: What was your favorite part of the story?
Matthew: I liked the humor so much because it was unexpected! There was so much more fun than I anticipated. Any time lance and his mom were talking together, I was grinning from ear to ear, and there is a chapter involving a shape shifting undercover sheriff getting an unwanted bath that made me chuckle a few times and had to redo the recording.
Without giving too much of the story away, there was some real action and romance that were equally entertaining. A shootout in particular had me on the edge of my seat. I recorded more than was on my schedule that night, simply because I wanted to know what was going to happen next!
Eli: What was the biggest challenge in doing the narration?
Matthew: I think the hardest challenge was a technical one: if I got tongue tied on a particular line, I would just keep making the same mistake! I sometimes had to record past it and come back just to get the wrong way out of my head.
Also, some of the characters with smaller parts were a challenge to voice. You try to give them a unique character voice so it doesn’t just sound like you’re talking to yourself. If they don’t have a lot of lines, it’s tough to keep it consistent. Again… Makes you appreciate Jim Dale!
Eli: Was it difficult to read the sex scenes?
Matthew: Surprisingly, no! Before reading the book, I thought that would be the hardest part. I guess I, as a reader want these scenes to happen because it’s what the story is building toward, so maybe it was just a type of relief. Plus, it helped me the way he story was written to get to get into the heads of the characters before these scenes. When you know where they are coming from, it’s easier to put yourself in their shoes in the context of the story. Eli gives you a lot to work with!
Eli: Will you be doing more m/m romance audio books? Other types of books?
Matthew: I’d love to, especially books in this series and other books by Eli Easton. I’m open to others in the m/m genre, as well. It’s rewarding to find the voice of each character and help paint a picture with tone and performance.
Thanks to Matthew for being so gracious to interview. I hope you’ll enjoy the “How to Howl At The Moon” audio as much as I did! – Eli Easton
5 hrs 52 mins – narrated by Matthew Shaw (a ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords 5 star audio book)
Sheriff Lance Beaufort is not going to let trouble into his town, no sir. Tucked away in the California mountains, Mad Creek has secrets to keep, like the fact that half the town consists of “quickened”—dogs who have gained the ability to become human. Descended on both sides from Border Collies, Lance is as alert a guardian as they come.
Tim Weston is looking for a safe haven. After learning that his boss patented all of Tim’s work on vegetable hybrids in his own name, Tim quit his old job. A client offers him use of her cabin in Mad Creek, and Tim sees a chance for a new start. But the shy gardener has a way of fumbling and sounding like a liar around strangers, particularly gorgeous alpha men like Sheriff Beaufort.
Lance’s hackles are definitely raised by the lanky young stranger. He’s concerned about marijuana growers moving into Mad Creek, and he’s not satisfied with the boy’s story. Lance decides a bit of undercover work is called for. When Tim hits a beautiful black collie with his car and adopts the dog, its love at first sight for both Tim and Lance’s inner dog. Pretending to be a pet is about to get Sheriff Beaufort in very hot water.
Eli Easton is giving away one audiobook of “How To Howl At The Moon”. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Leave a comment with your email address where you can be reached if chosen.
Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a game designer, an organic farmer, an avid hiker, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author.
As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.
Her website in www.elieaston.com
Twitter: EliEaston
Goodreads Author Page
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/timelapse-white-house-beaming-rainbow-photo-053113143.html?soc_src=copy
Whew! What a day it was yesterday! My Twitter and FB blew up with happiness and excitement as soon as SCOTUS came out with their historic ruling. Even the White House got into the act with a new look! The White House was lit rainbow colors on Friday, June 26, in celebration of the Supreme Court ruling that allows same-sex marriage across the US. The 14 states in which such marriages remained illegal, in the South and Midwest, must now lift their bans. The court’s 5-4 ruling (hell yeah!) is the culmination of decades of campaigning by gay-rights activists. Yesterday, the hopes, dreams, and wishes came true for so many across the nation and we celebrated in our hearts, if not in the streets…dancing with joy! And the media went crazy too!
People changed with pictures to reflect this historic ruling and fireworks and incredible memes were everywhere. Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi made the happiest of vids for Vine, (really don’t miss out on that one), George Takei, and it just kept coming in heartstopping wave after wave…and yes, the tears flowed copiously.
This is truly a Gay Pride Month to end all Pride Months! 2015! A toast and a cheer for Equality for All. Now finally is can just be Marriage-not gay marriage or straight marriage…just marriage. Hell to the Yes!
Need New Audio Books to Listen To? Check out the latest audiobooks from Lexi Alexander, Alpha Trine and Striker from The Valespian Pact series. Don’t forget to enter the contest waiting for you at the end of the post. Happy Listening!
Cover Artist: Aisha Akeju
Genre: Sci-Fi/Gay/Poly
ISBN: 9781620042434
Available in both ebook and print and audiobook
Audio Purchase Links: Available at iTunes and Audible
Book/Ebook Purchase Links: Less Than Three Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Bookstrand –
The sole survivor on a science vessel adrift in deep space, Zeus was adopted by the Emperor and Empress of the Mar’Sani, though he is both human and blind, and seen by most as unfit to join the royal family. Though they were able to repair his vision, Zeus does not trust his eyes and the nobles of his parents’ court refuse to ever trust a frail human. Dargon Kal-Turak, along with his symbiote and lover Alpha, command one of the most dangerous ships in the stars. Narrowly escaping a trap, they dock in a space port to make repairs, but find that the Psionics hunting them are closing in fast. In desperation they kidnap the port Master Mechanic, unaware that the man they’ve brought on board is more than he seems, and will bring far more upheaval to their ship, their lives, and the stars than any of them could have imagined.
Alpha Trine was the winner of 2014 Rainbow Awards.
Audio Purchase Links: Available at iTunes and Audible
The peaceful respite for which Zeus and his intended, Dargon and Alpha, had been hoping is shattered when Zeus is unexpectedly drawn to the Waters of Poseidon and told that the safety they’ve been promised is a trap. But the Fal’Amoric aren’t the only important cargo on the Oethra 7, and countless others are depending on the success of their mission. If Zeus hopes to break the silent siege on Valespia and protect those most precious to him, he will need not just powerful allies but the fortitude to survive overwhelming odds.
Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.
You can find the author at the following sites:
Web site: http://www.lexiander.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1
Blog: http://lexiander.blogspot.com/
E-mail: lexi.ander.author@gmail.com
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521302.Lexi_Ander
The author has organized some wonderful prize packages to be won. Use the Link provided to enter. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by Lexi Alexander.
Prize Package #1
5 Best friends, 4 Vicious brothers, 3 STD tests, 2 Guys in love, 1 Car bombing & nowhere to run
Follow the burgeoning love of two teens during the worst year of their lives. Irish-born Declan David de Quirke II is the son of two ambassadors, one Irish and one American. He is ‘out’ to his parents but to no one else. French-born Jean Isidore de Sauveterre is also the son of two ambassadors, one Catalan and one Parisian. His four half brothers have been told to cure him of his homosexuality. Both teens have lost a parent in a London car bombing.
5 Weeks of hell, 4 Attempts on their lives, 3 Law enforcement agencies, 2 Dead high school seniors, 1 Jealous friend & a love that won’t be denied
Declan and Isidore meet at the beginning of their senior year at a private academy in the United States. Declan is immediately smitten with Isidore and becomes his knight in shining armor. Isidore wants to keep what is left of his sanity and needs Declan’s love to do it. One is beaten, one is drugged, one is nearly raped, one has been raped. They are harassed by professors and police, and have fights at school, but none of it compares to running for their lives. When the headmaster’s popular son attempts suicide and someone tries to assassinate Declan’s mother, they are thrown headlong into chaos, betrayal, conspiracy, allegations of sexual coercion, even murder. And one of them carries a secret that may get them killed.
5 New family members, 4 BFF’s, 3 Countries, 2 Extraordinary Psychologists, 1 Courageous Mother & a new beginning for two young men in love
About Guarding Morgan, the first in the Sanctuary series by RJ Scott:
Morgan Drake witnesses a murder in an alleyway. He is the only person who can give evidence in prosecuting the cop responsible for the crime. When the FBI safe house where he’s being held is compromised, he follows the instructions of his agent in charge and runs.
Nik Valentinov works for Sanctuary, a foundation that offers witness protection when FBI security is questionable. When Morgan’s handler sends him to Nik for safety, neither Morgan nor Nik could imagine that two weeks alone in a cabin in the woods could start something more. Something way more than just trying to keep Morgan alive. Something that makes their heart race more than danger…… Love.
Sanctuary Series (a Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Rec’d Series):
RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.
As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.
With over seventy titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.
Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.
Contact/follow RJ Scott at:
After a wonderful lunch with some of my DC Metro M/M group friends yesterday at The Daily Grill in Bethesda (and getting my first sunburn of the season on my arms), it’s time to concentrate on the yard today before the rains head back in tomorrow. So it’s short and sweet today.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
![SilenceoftheStars[The]AUDSM](https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/silenceofthestarstheaudsm.jpg)
Everett Blake is a successful concert violinist who holds a teaching position at Olcott School for talented young musicians in Manhattan and occasionally accepts a short stint with a local symphony since performing is a part of his life he truly loves. He’s recently been cast off by his long term partner, Pierre, a French Chef who landed his own cooking show. A perfectionist, Pierre never failed to let Everett know he wasn’t quite good enough.
Now, four months later, Everett has his own apartment in Manhattan and has hired a local contractor to remodel his kitchen. Sandy Sullivan is the principal contractor for the company in that area and when he arrives on Everett’s doorstep, the mutual attraction is immediately evident.
Sandy is sexy, fun, and an enjoyable companion as Everett discovers over drinks one night. He’s an Army vet who served multiple tours overseas but was injured in Afghanistan when a car bomb exploded and was medically discharged. Unknown to Everett, Sandy suffers from PTSD, the true reason he left the Army. His close friend was killed when that bomb exploded, and though he only suffers occasional flashbacks now, he does still suffer from vivid and frightening nightmares.
When he and Everett eventually have sex, Sandy always finds a reason to leave afterwards, making Everett think that perhaps Sandy isn’t looking for a relationship. Everett, handsome, wealthy and educated, has always chosen to be in a relationship with a man before having sex, and he thought that’s what he and Sandy had started so he’s disappointed each time Sandy goes. When Sandy finally does stay over one night, Everett learns why Sandy always leaves when Everett wakes Sandy in the middles of a nightmare and finds himself thrown to the floor.
Eventually, Sandy decides to seek the help of a psychologist who specializes in PTSD because he’s starting to care for Everett, and he realizes his PTSD and related nightmares are affecting their budding relationship. Sandy’s goal in life has always been to have a large, happy family in a nice home with a wonderful life partner, or husband now that same sex marriage is possible. However, he now believes it’s too late for him, and he faces a struggle to work through his PTSD issues and his thoughts and feelings about his life plans. In the meantime, he and Everett are growing closer and Everett surprises Sandy by standing up for him when they go to meet Everett’s snobby parents. But it’s the little things that Everett does for him, the quiet and strong support he shows in many ways, that eventually helps Sandy more than anything else.
This is a wonderful story about love and relationships, a hurt-comfort story in which both men learn and grow due to being with each other. Everett is not without his own revelations in this story as he re-examines his feelings about love and family and commitment. The narrator, Michael Ferraioulo, does an excellent job in vocalizations of the characters as well as in the overall narration. He has one of those voices that is a pleasure to listen to, and I found that I carried my iPhone around with me all day so that I could listen to this story no matter what I was doing—just like being unable to put down a good book.
Though it is second in a series, there’s no need to read the first one, but I have to admit that now that I’ve met a few characters from that story, I’ll likely go back and read (or listen to) that one too.
Cover by Aaron Anderson depicts a head shot of a man on a solid white background with the title and a music score superimposed over his face. This is a nice way to depict the importance of music in the life of MC Everett while picturing a man who I assume is MC Sandy.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press Audio Book iTunes Audible
Book Details:
Narrator Michael Ferraiuolo
Length 7 hours and 0 minutes
Categories:AudiobooksKate McMurrayStars that Tremble and Silence of the Stars by Kate McMurray
Book Type Audiobook
Other Formats: eBook, Paperback
How I love it when the reviewers here bring new authors and books to my attention and yours. Stella brought us the Neon White series by Wulf Francu Godgluck, as well as other authors. Now BJ is reading and loving the stories of Lia Black (several of which will be reviewed this week) as well as James Lear’s The Hardest Thing. PaulB loves the paranormal genre and has a whole slew of new authors he’s reading, 
including Andrew J. Parker’s Werecat series. Barb loves audio books, contemporary romance, perhaps with a little kink as well as all things foodie while Mika reaches out for new authors with each new book request. Sammy’s books range far and wide as you will have noticed by her book reviews. Did you read Sammy’s review of The Song of the Lonesome Cowboy by Lynn Kelling last week? And Aurora, our YA reviewer? Aurora just finished a YA series by James Erich which will be running every Saturday this month and the next! Do we have the books for you, in every possible genre? Why, yes we do!
Now for Something New: Also you’ll occasionally notice a One Book – 2 Review posting, a sort of Double Dipping on our part. We are a diverse group so it’s not unusual for one reviewer to love something about a story that another reviewer doesn’t see or visa versa. This week, Yes by Brad Boney gets double the attention, double the reviews. The week after next, BA Tortuga’s Ever The Same is in the 2 review spotlight. Will Mika and I agree to disagree? Stay tuned! lol Still trying out names as to what to call this new feature. If you have any ideas, please let us know.
In the Familiar, Wonderful and Excited to See Them Back Category! What else am I excited about? The Pulp Friction gang’s New Orleans series (did you catch my review of The Devil’s Bedpost?) and the fact that Catherine A Noon and Rachel Wilder have finally written a sequel, Emerald Keep, to their story Emerald Fire, which I loved. That’s been 3 years coming.
Old Favorite Series and New Stories! And finally what else has me over the moon? A.J. Thomas’ has 2 stories out in his Least Likely Partnership series, which I adore. That would be Holding Out for a Fairy Tale and The Intersection of Purgatory and Paradise. If you are reading, AJ, more I want more!!!! Chris Owen and Tory Temple has a new book out (a combined Bareback and Firefighters), well…now I’m into April and getting ahead of myself. And yes, loads more coming including the last in Abigail Roux’ Cut & Run series…stay with us and chime in with the books you are most looking forward to reading!
Buy It Here
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 