Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

A VVivacious Review: Death of a Bachelor by M.A. Hinkle

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

When Era dies she leaves Damon without a wife and Cathal without his best friend. Now, these two people who have never really abided by each other find themselves lost in their grief with no one other than each other for company. As Cathal tries to get Damon to live, there is a brand new feeling that starts to take birth in both their hearts.

I loved Cathal since the moment we see him in a bar, scribbling equations on a napkin and that is saying something because that is the very first scene we see him in. This character had my number from the get-go. When I was deciding if I wanted to review this book or not I read an excerpt from this book which contained prologues one and two and ever since I got that peek into this story I was dying to read it, I checked my mail every day to see if this book had arrived. I was just so intrigued. I instantly connected with both main characters and I found the premise to be very fascinating and I just wanted to read it. Thankfully this book lived up to my rather exalted standards.

This story does have Era die off-page and this is not a spoiler because you will know this fact by the time you start the first chapter or already know it if you read the blurb. Now Era is Damon’s wife and this story starts a few days after her death and I feel like some people might think that Damon moves on a bit too quickly. I feel like this might be an issue, it wasn’t for me but even I realise that some people might think it’s too soon for Damon to be in or start another romantic relationship. Era features in exactly two scenes, so most of my impression of Era is based on what Cathal and Damon say of or about her and the impression I have of her and Damon’s relationship isn’t great so I was somewhat relieved that he moved on. I feel her death is handled very well in the course of the book but I might be biased since I didn’t quite take to Era but this book is very respectful in dealing with her and her death.

So, now with that out of the way, I can gush about this book.

I started reading it at around midnight and I just couldn’t stop. I read till I had finished reading every last word and I loved all of it except that little stunt that Cathal pulls that prolonged the end of this story because it so wasn’t necessary but I have got to respect that he needed some time to get rid of bad habits. Leaving that one minor critique aside, I truly loved this book. This is a slow, slow burn romance and that first kiss between Damon and Cathal is so amazing, I fell head over heels for Damon. These two have such a smouldering chemistry together,  it just permeated every scene these two had together, and the banter these two shared was what had me turning page after page.

Cathal, Damon and Felix are just amazing together all their scenes felt so warm and cuddly like snuggling in on a cold winter day. These three feel like family, I am 100% sure that I would have assumed Cathal and Damon were in a relationship had I ever encountered them together during the course of this book because there was just something about them that screamed, these two were meant to be together.

Felix is amazing. I loved him so hard and I am excited that we might be getting his story indirectly at least because I loved that kid.

Damon was a hard character for me to gauge personally. We see him at a time when even breathing seems to be difficult for him and he is a character with very different motivations than any I have ever encountered before. I don’t know if I really know who Damon is but nevertheless I liked him. He was different but he felt intensely huggable like a teddy bear and I really hope we get to see more of him at happier times. Basically I need more epilogues like that one, those two are just so cute, my heart can’t bear it.

I am in love with this story and it’s amazing characters especially Cathal, Damon and Felix who are like a built-in family unit. I don’t know if this is the author’s debut novel or not but while researching this author I found only this book so I think it is and if this is any standard to go by I am going to enjoy reading more but this author.

Cover art by Natasha Snow. That cover is scrumptious. I want to take a bite out of that pastry.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press |  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: October 29th 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781949909098
Edition Language English

A MelanieM Review: Rend (Riven #2) by Roan Parrish

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

After a whirlwind romance, a man with a painful past learns to trust the musician who makes him believe in happy endings.

Matt Argento knows what it feels like to be alone. After a childhood of abandonment, he never imagined someone might love him—much less someone like Rhys Nyland, who has the voice of an angel, the looks of a god, and the worship of his fans.

Matt and Rhys come from different worlds, but when they meet, their chemistry is incendiary. Their romance is unexpected, intense, and forever—at least, that’s what their vows promise. Suddenly, Matt finds himself living a life he never thought possible: safe and secure in the arms of a man who feels like home. But when Rhys leaves to go on tour for his new album, Matt finds himself haunted by the ghosts of his past.

When Rhys returns, he finds Matt twisted by doubt. But Rhys loves Matt fiercely, and he’ll go to hell and back to triumph over Matt’s fears. After secrets are revealed and desires are confessed, Rhys and Matt must learn to trust each other if they’re going to make it. That means they have to fall in love all over again—and this time, it really will be forever.

I truly had to think about the formatting of this story and the author’s expectations for it’s promise when writing this review because I think it was a huge factor in how I ended up feeling about the characters and this novel.  You see, in  Rend (Riven #2) by Roan Parrish the story opens right as the two men meet, jump immediately into a  relationship and then the first chapter proceeds when they are already married.  Boom.  It’s a done deal.  The reader has no time to relate to the men, establish a connection to each one, let alone be  able to evaluate any chemistry or depth of relationship.

I believe that was intentional.  Because the marriage and relationship as we slowly find out isn’t based on reality.  Matt hasn’t been truthful about his background and deep emotional issues with Rhys.  Nor has Rhys dug deep beneath the surface with  Matty. It’s a marriage based on wishes, dreams, and smoke. And lots of sex and love.  But that’s oddly insubstantial here because it has no honest foundation.

There is no honest communication between the lovers and, really the reader and Matty too.  We know he is truly a troubled and haunted individual who needs professional help.  Which, horrifyingly no one suggests he gets until 84 percent into the story.  Abandonment issues and the foster care system have done a number on him mentally, emotionally, and that carries over to physically.  We see those results…oh him, his marriage, and his partner who he doesn’t talk to until 80 percent into the story.   Which is when we learn enough about them to start connecting with them all as Rhys and Matty haul together the pieces of their lives, marriage and uncover who they are together….honestly.

Up until then?  Matty remains something of an enigma to all around him and us.  Not a good thing.  He has a close friend, Grim, in Florida.  We don’t see or really hear him to gain any insight into Matty himself until the end of the story, another element lost.

So I understood that the format was to slowly reveal who Matty truly was to Rhys and even himself as he came to grips with his past.  But it came at the loss, at least for this reader, of any connection to their relationship, a sense of questioning why no one got this man the help he so obviously needed earlier on, and just a sense that had we been able to see more of the real Rhys and Matty we see at the end at other parts in the story, this   wouldn’t have felt like such cold read than the romance it ended up being.

I did love Theo and Caleb from Riven, the first story.  Plus Max.  As I said, I think the format kept me from getting to know the characters until too late in the story.  I did learn to love them then and their very HEA.  That’s a terrific ending

There’s another story  in this series on the horizon   and  I know I will have to see who that’s about.  If you are a fan of this series, you no  doubt have already picked up and read this story.  It works as a standalone too.

Cover art is ok but doesn’t really speak to me considering the bleak storyline and its complexity.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st edition, 303 pages
Expected publication: November 27th 2018 by Loveswept
Original Title Rend
ISBN13 9781524799335
Edition Language English
Series Riven #2

Review Tour – Fling (A Nothing Serious Novel) by Baylin Crow (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Buy Link
 
Length: 275 pages approx.
 
Cover Design: Baylin Crow
 
Blurb
 

Our time together has an expiration date.


HAYDEN: I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love him.
The only guy I’ve ever wanted sees me as nothing more than the kid next door and his younger sister’s best friend. But when Dean comes home after college graduation, things are different. I’ve grown up, and the way his golden-brown gaze scorches a path over my body tells me he’s noticed. When he makes me an offer I should refuse, I’m caught between my feelings for him and logic screaming that this idea is doomed to end in heartbreak.


DEAN: I’m not interested in anything serious but I need to have him.
I plan on spending a few months at home relaxing before beginning my dream internship. What I don’t count on is my little sister’s best friend sending me for a loop. He should be off-limits, but the pull I feel toward him is too strong to ignore. When I come up with a solution to spend the summer together in secret, I’m sure I have it all figured out. I just need to work him out of my system.


It’s supposed to be free of complications…a fling. By the end of summer, it’s anything but simple.



October 17 – My Book Filled Life, October 19 – Making It Happen, October 24 – Megan’s Media Melange, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, October 26 – Mirrigold, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Lillian Francis, BooksLaidBareBoys

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ review here.

 
Excerpt
 

I must have drifted off because I woke up dry mouthed and thirsty. After removing Reese’s arm from where it lay on my chest, I slipped my glasses on and climbed off the bed. My steps were light as I slipped from her room and padded downstairs to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filling it with filtered water from the refrigerator dispenser.


The cool liquid slid down my parched throat as I downed every drop before refilling it. The second disappeared just as quickly and I set the empty glass in the sink. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I turned to go back upstairs. As I passed through the large foyer, a sound caught my attention and I froze. Keys jingled. Then the lock on the front door clicked once more and the door swung open revealing Dean with a large gym bag slung over his shoulder. He wasn’t supposed to be home until the next day and judging by his wide-eyed stare, he wasn’t expecting to run into me either.


“Hi,” I squeaked, while frozen in place.


He stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft snick before re-locking it. “If it wasn’t for the glasses and dark hair, I wouldn’t even recognize you.” He kept his voice low. I’d finally hit a major growth spurt over the last year and had put on enough weight that I didn’t resemble a beanpole. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night, Hayden?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion.


“Sleeping. I got up for a glass of water.” He paused and his lips flattened into a thin line so I hurried on. “I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.”


“I decided to go ahead and make the drive and got a flat for my trouble. Otherwise, I would have been here earlier.” He said with a tired sigh. “It’s good and weird to see you.” His gaze scanned the length of my body and chills raced over my skin.


When I couldn’t find my voice, he adjusted the strap on his shoulder. “I’m beat so I’m going to head to bed. I’ll grab the rest of my things tomorrow.”


I nodded and followed behind him up the stairs. Halfway up, he glanced over his shoulder with a frown but kept going. “Aren’t you headed in the wrong direction?”


“No, I’m staying the night.” Didn’t I already say that? When I paused outside Reese’s room, Dean’s eyes narrowed to slits.


“You’re staying in Reese’s room? I mean, I always thought you two would end up together.”


Why would he think that? Reese had to have told him I came out earlier this year. “We’re not.”


If he heard me, he didn’t acknowledge what I said. “Does Mom know you’re having sleepovers though? Like in the same room?” He didn’t let me respond. Again. “And I’m assuming in the same bed.”


I couldn’t wrap my head around why he was worried. Dean continued his whispered rant, and without thinking, I stepped into his personal space and slapped my hand over his mouth.


The impulsive action seemed to startle us both. His eyes grew wide and he froze.


I couldn’t believe I’d just done that, but he wouldn’t listen. I held eye contact. “Shh.”


Dean didn’t remove my hand, and I wasn’t sure he’d let me finish if I moved it so I kept it there. “Reese and I aren’t together. I’m gay.” He cocked his head and seemed to study me. How could he not know? “She didn’t tell you?”


When he shook his head, I became aware of his soft lips against my palm. His breaths tickled the sensitive flesh and I realized my gaze had locked onto that connection. Clearing my throat, I ripped my hand away.


As I waited for his reaction, I pushed my glasses up my nose in a nervous tic I wished I could kick.


Dean’s gaze roamed the length of my body, making my breathing race in and out of my lungs. His gaze seemed to caress my skin causing butterflies to take flight in my stomach while long, tan fingers rubbed his squared chin. And unless I was imagining things, his pupils had dilated. “How did I not know?”


It was the same question I’d been asking myself. Their mom knew, so why hadn’t Reese told him? “I only came out this year and I don’t advertise it. But I don’t hide it either.”


Having no idea what he’d think, I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin while repressing the desire to flee into Reese’s room.


“Calm down, I get it.” Dean held his hands up in surrender. Just as he opened his mouth to continue, a loud chime cut into our whispered conversation.


“Shit.” He scrambled to pull the phone from his pocket and silenced it. His gaze shot from one end of the hallway to the other as if searching for any sign of someone being woken up. Glancing down at the screen, he scowled.


“What’s wrong?” I asked, my arms loosening and falling to my sides.


Dean’s gaze held mine, pausing long enough that I thought he wouldn’t answer my question.


He stood straight so I mimicked his posture. “Someone I used to date.” He grimaced as if the word left a sour taste in his mouth that rivaled the pit developing in my stomach. I didn’t want to hear this. “Well not date exactly. His name was Brady.” He cocked a brow with a shameless grin.


His words took a minute to process and even when it registered, my shock held me mute. Unfortunately it didn’t hinder my jaw from dropping.


“Oh.” Brilliant response, Hayden.


“Oh?” He snickered. “I guess my baby sister didn’t divulge my sordid secret either? Well, it seems we’ve both had a big year. Honestly, I wasn’t positive I was bi until a few years ago, but it turns out I have a thing for both.” He shrugged, pressed the side button on his phone, and then stuffed it back in his pocket. “This guy, he’s a clinger. I told him I wasn’t looking for anything serious, but I guess he refuses to accept it.”


Offering a weak smile, I attempted to hide the disappointment weighing me down. The blasé way he spoke about hookups made my chest ache. Dean hadn’t changed at all. Not that I’d expected him to or had a right to wish it. “The downside of playing the field,” I managed to make it sound like a joke.
He chuckled. “I guess. Well, I’m going to go…” He hitched his thumb over his back toward his room and turned to go. Rooted to the spot, I stared long after his door closed behind him.

Bios are challenging. I don’t have a clue how to write about myself. Fictional characters, sure! Me? Not so much. Lol. It’s the reason my author bio stayed practically blank until after I finished my second novel.


Who am I? Well, I live in Texas where the heat and I don’t get along. One day I hope to call Northeast USA home. I’m a wife and mother of 2 ridiculously cute kids. I have 2 dogs and 1 cat, the latter of which is a spoiled brat, but she’s my spoiled brat. ❤


I fell in love with writing during elementary school with my first “bare book”. And only within the last few years have I been able to try my hand at it as a career (which I have high hopes for btw!).


Spending the day under a fluffy blanket reading or writing away on my laptop with a mountain of coffee is my idea of time well spent. I get to live so many lives through books that I consider myself genuinely lucky to call myself an avid reader.


That’s me in a nutshell. I hope I’m finding my place among like-minded people. ❤❤❤ And I hope you’ll enjoy reading the stories I write.

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Release Blitz and Giveaway for An Erie Collection by V.L. Locey

 

Buy Links: 
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Blurb
 

You can now have all four of the MM Lake Erie pack novellas in this one reasonably priced collection! Included in the set are the previously released novellas An Erie Halloween, An Erie Operetta, and An Erie Garden Party. To round off this whimsical and romantic shifter set is a brand-new novella, An Erie Uprising!


It’s been one wonderfully romantic year since skunk shifter Templeton Reed met Mikel Lupei, the alpha wolf of the Lake Erie pack. During that year, the two men fell in love and worked side-by-side to solve some tricky murder mysteries. They also opened up Lupei Manor, Mikel’s familial home, to other LGBTQ mystical beings in the Erie area. Sadly, being gay in the supernatural world Templeton and Mikel live in can be a death sentence.


During the past year, the magical world has slowly been coming unraveled. Civil unrest now runs rampant through the community as the lesser breeds revolt against the hateful dictates of the Elder Counsel. The uprising will surely touch every person residing in the magical world beside Lady Erie. Will the flames of unrest and war consume everything and everyone Templeton and Mikel hold dear as well?

 

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who, Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, two Jersey steers and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.


When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

Giveaway

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Blog Tour Pisces for Hooks Taurus (Signs of Love #4) by Anyta Sunday (excerpt and giveaway)

 

 

Pisces Hooks Taurus by Anyta Sunday

Series: Signs of Love #4

Publisher: Anyta Sunday (self published)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): October 16, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): 69000 words / 285 pages

Order now: https://www.anytasunday.com/#pisces-hooks-taurus

Book synopsis:

It’s a time for searching, and a time for finding, Pisces: keep casting your line and you will hook what you’re looking for.

Zane has it all planned out: land the perfect Meet Cute, fall in love, and live happily ever after.

Should be simple enough if he put his mind to it. A little creativity and some thinking outside of the box, and voila, he’d be married to the woman of his dreams.

It would be perfect.

And it would be before his visa ran out.

But why are his feelings running wild now that the pressure’s on? Why is his picture-perfect plan turning into a muddled mess of morphed metaphors he can’t make sense of anymore?

Just as well he’s met an English professor to help. And even though their first meet is anything but cute, this down-to-earth teacher may just be the realist Zane needs to ground him and give him a shot at love after all.

Don’t cast your line too wide, Pisces. Your perfect catch may already have bitten.

~ – ~ – ~

Pisces Hooks Taurus (Signs of Love #4) is an MM opposites-attract romantic comedy featuring an unapologetic romantic and a broken realist.

More wit, banter and bad puns – and even more heart-stopping slow burn!

Can be read as a standalone.

Tropes: friends-to-lovers, slow burn, will-they-or-won’t-they

Genre: New Adult, light-hearted contemporary gay romance

Exclusive Blog Tour Excerpts:

Excerpt :

When they finished eating, Zane and Beckett entered a kitchen littered with a weekend’s worth of dishes. The room smelled like spoiled banana. Beckett grumbled Leah’s name, and Zane turned on the water.

Leah would have left this until tomorrow? “I’ll wash, you dry?”

Beckett first took out the trash and opened the windows. Fresh air cleansed the room as they worked.

Zane daydreamed about the story he was outlining and startled when Beckett cried, “What are you doing?”

Zane looked into the sink. “Scrubbing this clean?”

“With a wire scrubbing brush? That’s a very expensive nonstick pan.”

He frowned. “And I want to clean it.”

“Good Lord. Have you never washed dishes before?”

“I am literally doing what I’ve done every other night since moving in with you.”

Beckett paled. “You’ve scrubbed this pan with that before?”

“What do you expect me to do? Lick it clean?”

“Use a washcloth.”

“Do you know how disgusting those are? Like, two hundred thousand times dirtier than the toilet seat.”

Beckett paused, tone shifting. “Which is why you only use it for the dining table?”

“Exactly.”

“Please use the dishcloth on my pan.”

Zane dropped the metal scrubbing brush and thumped around passive-aggressively as he found a clean dishcloth.

Beckett nodded. “Thank you.”

That little thank-you grated Zane the wrong way. He sullenly scrubbed the pan and put it on the drying rack. He plunked the next pot into the water, splashing bubbles onto his face, neck, and shirt.

He sighed. Served him right.

Beckett set down the plate he’d dried and turned Zane around. With his dishtowel, he dabbed the bubbles off Zane’s chin and neck.

Their eyes locked, and Zane felt the frustration bleed from him. “You missed a spot,” he said, and shifted Beckett’s hands to Zane’s shirt.

Beckett shook his head and dabbed him some more.

“Our first fight.”

Beckett’s hands stilled.

“It’s a milestone, Becky. We have to celebrate.”

“Celebrate fighting?”

“Celebrate making up.”

“Will this be a thing every time we’re annoyed with each other?”

Zane smirked. “I hope so. I’m sure some fights will take longer to get over, but that’s cool. The celebration is always in proportion to the effort needed to make up.”

Beckett resumed drying the dishes. “Two hundred thousand times dirtier?”

Zane nodded. Disgusting but true.

Beckett frowned. “Maybe just use your hand?”

“I don’t know,” Zane teased. “The things my hand does might make the pan dirtier.”

Beckett dropped his very nice, expensive pan. He caught it against his thighs and stowed it in the cupboard.

The ticklish glare Beckett sent him made the rest of the cleaning fly by.

When they were done, Zane threw himself on the armchair. “Now we celebrate.”

Beckett tossed the dish towel into the laundry room. “How?”

“After you start that laundry, I’ll let you talk about books, Becky.”

Beckett’s laughter trickled down the hall. A few minutes later, he returned with Pride and Prejudice. He cracked open the first page, and pacing before him, all grace and proper pronunciation, Beckett read aloud.

About Anyta Sunday:

HEART-STOPPING SLOW BURN

A bit about me: I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.

My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, and Thai.

Connect with Anyta:

Author website: http://www.anytasunday.com/

Author newsletter signup: http://www.anytasunday.com/newsletter-free-e-book/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anytasundaybooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anytasunday

Instagram: https://instagram.com/anytasunday

Giveaway: Win an e-book set of 3 Signs of Love books: Leo Loves Aries, Scorpio Hates Virgo, and Gemini Keeps Capricorn or, reader’s choice of any back catalog e-book by Anyta Sunday!

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A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Expeditions, Estimation, and Other Dangerous Pastimes (Claimings #4) by Lyn Gala

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

This is the fourth book in the Claimings series with an overarching plot, so these should be read in order. There are also alien words used without context, which you would need to be aware of beforehand. This is the continuation of Liam and Ondry’s journey aboard the Rownt ship Calti, to seek trade with the Imshee.

One of the things I like about this series, like all good science fiction, is viewing the absurdities of humanity, when trying to explain them to an alien race. I always enjoy the discussions of linguistics and psychology. The fact that this happens after a rousing bout of alien sex, made me laugh. Quite a lot of this book made me laugh and appeals to my dry sense of humor, although be warned the depictions of sex and biological functions are a bit graphic and crude. Anyway, if you have been following this series and like those linguistics discussions, those are increased in this book due to Zach and Liam both being in the linguist field, them both learning from each other aboard ship, and meeting a new alien species.

In the last book, Zach came aboard as a palteia to a Grandmother who is now his chilta. The nearest translation in English to palteia seems to be submissive (although these relationships are not sexual in Rownt culture.) A chilta would have the “dom” role of protecting and helping a palteia, who are a highly regarded in Rownt culture. This opportunity gives the Rownt a way to learn about humanity without all of that burden remaining on Liam. It’s also intriguing to see a higher ranked human than Liam, but someone with less experience with the Rownt, navigate the complexities of the society, culture, and language. The change in dynamics is a way to show us Liam’s place in the world, in both cultures.

The author shows Liam and Ondry established in their relationship of mutual trust and love. Liam’s confidence has grown and as Liam has become more Rownt in his thinking, Ondry has also become more human in his. Ondry has also gotten even more overprotective the more he reads human medical texts. If fact, the whole reason for this book is fear of human physiology and aging–Ondry wanting Liam’s lifespan to be more compatible with his and for Liam to be less breakable. I love how Liam asserts himself to be an equal partner in decisions that affect their lives and status in a way he never would have earlier in the series. But while Liam seems more confident, in some ways Ondry seems less so.

There is a bit of repetition in Ondry’s thoughts and on the obsession with palteia throughout the book, but that is a minor niggle. Overall, this is a good contribution to the series, although not my favorite. The Cy, a race that traded with the Rownt thousands of years ago, are mentioned as how they learned folded space technology. I do hope this goes somewhere in a story, whether set in the past or the present. Of course, the Imshee contact with humans is a frightening prospect. I understand why Liam would want what the Imshee offer as he will live out the rest of his life with Ondry; I am unsure of why Zach would consent when he has a five year contract, especially since if he were to go back to Earth, I would expect the military to experiment on him. I would be happy for the author to pick any of these plot bunnies that she seeded in this story.

The cover artist is Anna Sikorska. It’s in keeping with the series in style and color palette and I think represents the story well.

Sales Links:  Amazon link coming
Book Details:
ebook, Patreon edition
Expected publication: October 23rd 2018
Edition Language English
URLhttp://www.patreon.com/lyngala
Series Claimings #4

New Releases Tour for Shadow Voice (Blackwood Pack #5) by Mary Rundle (excerpt and giveaway)

Shadow Voice

Mary Rundle has a new MM paranormal mpreg book out: Shadow Voice.

The Blackwood Pack saga continues…

This is part of an on-going series and reading the previous titles is advised. Readers of the past books will enjoy meeting old friends once more as the pack does what it does best ̶ caring for each other.

Slate, one of the last Dire Wolves, has carved out a life which suits him fine—plenty of traveling to exotic locations and an abundance of one night stands to handle his needs. While he’s happy for his brother, who has found his Fated Mate, Slate isn’t interested in finding his—at least not for a long time. That is, until his body betrays him. Seeking his mother’s help—who is an Oracle—Slate pays a visit to the Blackwood Pack where he finds the Fates have once again, messed with his life.

Dakota, the chef for the Blackwood Pack, fell in love with cooking as a young child and ultimately the kitchen became a place of refuge for him. Suffering with a ‘curse’ through much of his childhood, he relied heavily on his mother’s help to deal with it. After the massacre of his mother and siblings by their greedy uncle, Dakota barely survives, but finally forges a life for himself, content to stay home and take care of the people he loves.

About the Series:

Blackwood Pack

Join the journey of the Blackwood Pack, seven brothers who are gay wolf shifters in search of their fated mates – stories about love at first sight with twists and turns, angst and humor, romance and adventure. Each book has two main characters who meet, fall in love, mate and achieve an HEA but the stories also chronicle the continuing saga of the Blackwood Pack. The series is best appreciated by reading the books in order.

A long-hidden secret, rejection of a mate, acceptance of rare gifts, and a brutal kidnapping are just some of the obstacles Dakota and Slate must battle together to save their relationship. As the pack rallies around them, both must learn to trust the other before they can find the happiness that the Fates have ordained for them…

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon UK | QueeRomance Ink | Goodreads

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Excerpt

Meme - Shadow Voice

Slate ran down the hall, scenting his mate’s cum, determined to find him. Fuck! I don’t even know his name.Down the stairs he went, into the great room, then to the front door. Nearly tearing it off its hinges, Slate stepped out on the porch and saw the torn clothes scattered about. Just as he was about to shift and follow his mate, his father took hold of his arm and using his Alpha voice, forced Slate to stop.

“Dad, let go…my mate ran off and I have to find him!”

“Son, your mother wants to speak to you first.”

Slate fought his wolf, finally gaining control and, as the tension left his body, he slumped against the house. He stared into the woods, hoping to see his mate and when that didn’t happen, he shifted his gaze to his father. “Why did he run off? I thought a mate would rather die than abandon the one the Fates had chosen. I don’t understand it. Why didn’t he like me?”

“Slate, your mate is safe. Talk to your mother. She can help you.” Maximus gently pushed his son into the house to see his mother.

Exhausted, Slate walked to his parents’ suite. He was numb, unable to comprehend what happened and how it went wrong. Never expecting to find his mate so soon after the onset of his first toirchigh, he was confused at his need—the overpowering drive to claim his mate. All Slate knew as he entered the sitting room was that somehow he had fucked up badly. Even his wolf knew it as he keened for his mate.

The man who walked in was in pain, that much Oracle could see. But it was going to get worse before it got better. How much worse depended on her son and what he decided to do. Taking his hand, Oracle led Slate over to a chair, pushed him down in it, then sat beside him. Holding his hand, she began. “Sweetie, tell me what happened.”

Sitting next to Oracle, Slate, remembered all the times during his childhood when his mother was there for him, comforting him when he fell, and chasing the demons in his nightmares away. Drawing in her sweet scent, he confided that he’d found his mate but had been rejected. Rubbing his heart, Slate hated even saying those words, because it made the pain there more intense, so much so, he was sure it was breaking in half. Finally, when he admitted he didn’t even know his mate’s name, the tears began to flow.

Oracle put her arms around her son, gently rubbing his back as he cried. She could feel the sadness enveloping Slate, but she had no quick fixes to make it better for him. Only he could do that and she wondered, for the thousandth time, why her youngest son always had to travel such a hard road in his life. Together they sat, one trying to find the strength to continue, the other giving love and support.

When the tears had finally stopped, Slate took stock of himself, trying to find the hidden well of strength he always seemed to have. Wiping the remnants of his tears away, he looked at his mother. “Mom, I fucked up big time but I don’t know what I did wrong or how to make it right.”

“Let’s see if we can sort it out, okay, sweetie?”

“I’d appreciate it.”

“What are your intentions? Do you want him?”

Slate thought it over and much to his surprise—considering his feelings just a few hours ago—said, “Yes, I do, but I don’t even know who he is.”

“His name is Dakota and he is Jackson’s brother.”

Dakota…Dakota…oh I know him.“He’s the chef, right? Colton told me about his cooking when we were in Mexico.”

“Yes, he is and he loves it. Right now, he is teaching Theo.”

“Maybe I can share some of my recipes with him. Colton said Dakota is always looking for new recipes.”

“That might be a good way for you to get to know him.”

“Good idea, Mom,” Slate exclaimed, but then his face fell. “But first I have to find him and see if he wants me. He ran away from me. What did I do wrong?”

“May I give you some advice?”

“Sure. As you can see, I need all the help I can get.”

“Before you claim Dakota, take some time to know him and let him learn about you, Slate. His story is the key to who he is and will help you understand why he ran.”

“Okay,” Slate said, “I promise I’ll talk to my mate before throwing him down and biting him.”

“That would be a good thing to do sweetie,” Oracle said, smiling gently. “One other thing. I must talk to Dakota before you claim him to explain the gift the Fates have for him.”

“I understand, but first I have to find my mate, Mom, and I’ll bring him back here so you can tell him what you need to.” Slate stood, extending his hand to his mother and helped her up. “I don’t think we’ll make it back for lunch, so will you make my excuses to Jackson?”

“You can do that after you tell him Dakota is your Fated Mate.”

Author Bio

The first book I ever wrote was Dire Warning in 2017 and, much to my delight, it became an Amazon Best Seller. Readers loved it and I was on my way to chronicling the Blackwood Pack, seven brothers who are gay wolf shifters in search of their fated mates– stories about love at first sight with twists and turns, angst and humor, romance and adventure and, of course, happy endings.

Now, five books later, Shadow Voice, another Best Seller, has just been released to critical acclaim. I love the M/M paranormal genre because it gives my imagination a lot of territory in which to roam. My mind can really run wild and come up with some amazing stuff when it doesn’t have to stay inside the box.

My readers tell me they feel like they’re a member of the pack as the stories unfold. As if they’re right there in the middle of the action. Others tell me it’s like watching a fast-paced movie. My writing style pulls no punches– readers love it and are always clamoring for the next book.

Stories come to me as if they were being channeled by my characters, all of whom I love (except for a few villains). They are eager to recount their lives, loves and adventures and are not inhibited when it comes to revealing steamy details.

I currently live in the Northeast and love the beautiful change of seasons, my husband, and our quirky calico cat, though not necessarily in that order. I’m always happy to hear from my readers throughmy website or on Facebook!

Author Website: www.maryrundle.com

Author Facebook (Personal): www.facebook.com/maryrundle69

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/mar

LOGO - Other Worlds Ink

Book Blast – Omega Challenge (Pine Creek Lake Den #4) by Quinn Michaels (excerpt)

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Omega Challenge

Series: Pine Creek Lake Den,  Book 4

Author: Quinn Michaels

Publisher: Global Grafx Press

Cover Artist: Pebbles Davis

Genre/s: Genre/s: gay romance, MMM, menage, omegaverse, mpreg, paranormal, wereshifters

 Length: 35,920 words

Release Date: September 26, 2018          

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Link to chapters and all platforms

Blurb

One is forsworn. One is forsaken. One will pay.

Noah and Luther are in love. The problem, Luther is a beta, Noah is an omega, and their mating is forbidden. Worse, if Noah can’t find an acceptable alpha in the next three days, he will have no choice but to mate with Raymond, an alpha he despises.

Then Arthur arrives, and everything falls apart.

Arthur is an alpha with a secret. He and his mother were betrayed, and both wear the mark of it. Now, Arthur will stop at nothing to make the alpha who cursed them pay. Now, with revenge in his teeth, Arthur’s own body betrays him. Twice. Will Arthur sacrifice love and happiness for vengeance? Or will he choose another path?

Find out in Omega Challenge an action-packed Omegaverse romance. This is a short book set prior to the events of the other three books of the Pine Creek Lake series.

If you love shifters, mmm menage, alpha, omega, and beta dynamics, adventure, magic, and a touch of mpreg, grab Omega Challenge now!

Excerpt

The rock was red and rust-brown with fallen blood when the stranger approached.

He was large, blonde with a scruffy beard and a patch over his left eye. His right eye was gray. He wore a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, riding shirt and dungarees. Even from a distance, even through the smell of blood, this alpha’s scent was powerful. Noah felt something inside of him stir, like a vibrating banjo string only he could hear. To his embarrassment, his cock thickened.

Noah quickly averted his gaze. He took a gulp from a glass of lemonade he had been holding, and then, still feeling thirsty, he drank the last of it down.

Luther grazed his fingers over Noah’s neck, a seemingly absent touch, but one that grounded Noah. He didn’t dare look at the beta. His face was hot. He loved Luther, and this sudden attraction was a betrayal of the promises he’d made himself.

If only the alpha would leave. But no, he took his place in line behind another pair of alphas preparing to shed their blood and enter the Cluiche.

The stranger had a scar running from his hairline down his temple and beneath the eyepatch to the center of his cheek. Noah’s sight flashed. He saw a young, female omega wolf snapping her teeth. The edges of her muzzle were splattered with blood.

Noah blinked. In his moon vision, the alpha’s scar was a shimmering silver line.

Noah swallowed, wishing he had more lemonade.

The alpha approached the rock. “This is where I bleed for the challenge?”

Horace was quiet, and Noah scented fear on him.

Fear?

“Yes,” Noah said. The vision was beginning to fade, thankfully, but he couldn’t push away his attraction.

In one fluid motion, the stranger swiped a silver dagger over his palm. Squeezing his hand tight, he let three drops fall on to the stone. “I am Arthur, son of Marion,” he said, giving his family line and no pack affiliation.

A mutt.

Odd considering his youth and obvious physical strength. A small pack would have wanted an alpha and accepted him unless he had some deeper problem of disposition or character. Or maybe he was entering the Cluiche with the intention of proving himself so that he might join one of the packs here?  

The stranger, Arthur turned to leave.

Horace said, “Wait.”

The stranger turned back around. He cocked his head. “Yes?”

“Show us your eye. Under the patch.”

Horace didn’t have the sight. He hadn’t seen the scar shimmer, had he?

“The Cluiche is open to all,” Arthur said. “Pack or no.”

Noah leaned towards Horace and whispered, “He’s right. There’s no reason to embarrass him this way.”

Horace said, “Show us your eye, mutt.”

Arthur reached up and, taking the patch in a tight, almost white-knuckled grip, yanked it down. Where Noah had expected to see a hollow space, scarred and sewn over, the eye was amber. A wolf’s eye with the pupil rimmed in red and a line of white through the center, following the path of his scar.

Noah’s breath caught. Around him, the others went silent.

About the Author

Pennsylvania native, Quinn Michaels loves fantasy, werewolves and M/M mpreg romance! Her goal is to write action-packed adventures of romance, self-discovery, and second chances, all served up with a hefty helping of sweet, sexy Omegas and hot, determined Alphas who will do anything to cherish, love, and protect them. She is ecstatic to share her characters and worlds, and she hopes you enjoy them (and the sexy times!)

Her books are available on Kindle, via Gumroad directly, and also on Nook, iBooks, Kobo & Google Play.

Author Links

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