Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

New Release Blitz for Bank Run (Expanding Horizon #2) by Alli Reshi (excerpt and giveaway)

Title:  Bank Run

Series: Expanding Horizon, Book Two

Author: Alli Reshi

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: April 2, 2018

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 19400

Genre: Science Fiction, LGBT, science fiction, disability/PTSD/post-traumatic stress, military, hurt/comfort, interracial/intercultural, crime, HFN

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Synopsis

Mark Noland doesn’t know how he always ends up in these situations. All he wants is a few quiet days on Rescon with his new boyfriend Gavnson. But he’s just finished a job, and the rest of his team wants their pay.

A simple trip to the bank shouldn’t be much trouble, and then it’s back to peace and quiet. What could possibly go wrong? The answer to this is apparently robbery, kidnapping, and a foot chase across town. A run to the bank takes on a whole new meaning when you also have to thwart the bad guys.

A simple crime unravels to something much more. Amidst the chaos, Mark and Gavnson not only end up with new friends, but a renewed focus on Gavnson’s ongoing PTSD issues—once they finally have a moment to themselves.

*Bank Run is the second installment in the Expanding Horizons series and is best read after book one, Oops, Caught.

Excerpt

Bank Run
Alli Reshi © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One
Fire and metal shrapnel rained down, pinging off the roof of my small fighter ship.

“Everian Gavnson— The second Squadron is surrounded by the enemy. They are also advancing against the third. What are your orders?” Caspian Dal’s voice came crackling over the damaged coms line.

“Fourth squadron— Provide support for the second. Come in from the enemy’s right, and you can break up that dogfight. My men with me. We’re going to come in from the low left across the gorge. We can bottleneck the enemy there and stop their advance,” I called the orders across the channels.

A resounding “Yes, sir!” was the answer as the other fighter ships split off in their new assignments.

I angled my ship across the sky, leading the first squadron toward the swarm of ships. Blue mixed with white, though the blue was slowly overtaking the other. The infiltration of Zux pilots was taking its toll on my men. The battle for Rescon had already cost us so much. Our objective was to stop them in the skies so they couldn’t get to Rescon’s surface. Swooping under the belly of a few blue Zux ships, I opened fire on them, ripping through the metal and breezing by the ships as they crashed. The added forces were pushing back the opposition.

“Sir, your six!” the warning whined on the line. Reacting before glancing over, I angled my ship away from the oncoming attack. When I did look, I realized no amount of quick maneuvering would save me. A ship from higher up had collided with those below it, dragging and catching them as the tangled mess of metal fell from directly above me toward my ship.

Pushing the thrusters hard, I moved as far away from the trajectory as I could. I wouldn’t clear the area in time, but if I could minimize the damage, I could make an emergency landing. The wreckage struck the side of my ship, tearing the wing clean off. One of the engines ignited in the impact. Fire spread across the windshield. All I could see was fire. The fire. Fire everywhere—burning, trapping, killing.

I bolted awake, off-balance, and confined. I fought against the restraint, pushing and tugging until I felt cold air against my skin. Then, something was on my shoulder holding me. Pushing me back. I lashed out an arm against it.

“Gav, Gav hold still. Calm down. You’re all right; breathe, Gav. Can you hear me?” a voice said. Mark’s voice. The initial panic slowly faded from my mind. It was Mark’s hand on my shoulder. The sheets from my bed were tangled around my legs. Taking a deep breath, I reached a hand to Mark’s, suddenly realizing how shaky my own was against his steady one.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, clearing my throat.

“You sure? You’re trembling. Was it that dream again? You wanna talk about it?” Mark asked, leaning toward me. I shrugged off his hand, pulling away.

“No. Everything is all right, Mark. I’m going to take a shower. You can go back to sleep now.” I pushed off the blankets and forced myself to walk steadily to the adjoining bathroom.

After locking the door behind me, I turned on the shower and sat on the tile floor in the far corner of the room, my back against the wall. Curling in on myself, I was no longer able to fight the shaking of my body. My vision blurred, and I couldn’t focus on any one thing around me. All my senses screamed that everything was too much, too loud, too everything. Hopefully, the sound of the water muffled any sobs that escaped. My chest hurt from phantom pains and how hard it was to breathe. It was as though my lungs had forgotten how to, or not wanting to, would rather stop and close in on themselves.

Worst of all, I could feel the fire burning on my arm, searing through flesh. The cold wall behind me did little to help. The war was over, yet I couldn’t escape it, dogged by fire and failure in my sleep.

I don’t know how long it was before I could focus again and the shivers stopped. The burning on my arm had lost intensity, fading rapidly as I focused on taking deep gulping breaths, even though it stung. Mark hadn’t come knocking at the door, so it couldn’t have been that long.

Stripping off my sweat-dampened clothes, I finally stepped under the freezing spray of water. I found that I much preferred cold showers after the war and the hospital. I also refused to own another sponge of any sort, throwing them and any kind of liquid soap out in favor of bars and rough towels if necessary.

It had been about a month since Mark and I had agreed to start this relationship. Even with the time we spent apart for our respective careers, it was working out well. Better than I could have hoped. My off-planet missions were few, as I preferred to stay close to home. There was more than enough to keep me busy here with Stella Corps, while Mark chose any jobs across the quadrant that caught his fancy. Being that Mark’s starship was his home, when he wasn’t out on a job, he spent most of his time with me at my home. His team didn’t seem to mind the extra time spent on Rescon either.

Having Mark with me was a welcome change from the silence that permeated the building without him to fill it with laughter and conversation, however it didn’t stop the nightmares. I always felt guilty for waking him; it was unfair to him after all the help he gave me. Especially on nights like last night when he came in late, tired from a job, and well-deserving of some rest. He didn’t need me waking him up over something I should have long gotten over. In truth, I had been lucky; I knew that.

I had come home when so many hadn’t. I only had scars where so many had lost limbs. It was pathetic to still be holding onto fears when the danger had long passed.

I quickly finished my shower and turned off the water, not wanting Mark to worry and come investigating.

Drying off, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. Dark hair plastered against my forehead. A once perfect complexion was now littered with appalling scars. Thankfully, the ones on my face were hardly noticeable if you didn’t know to look. The rest of me had not been as fortunate.

The burn marks were far more distinct over my left side. Trailing from my neck to almost my hip in patchy grooves, they also took up most of my arm and spread across my chest. I turned away from the mirror, tying the towel around my waist.

I should have the mirror removed the next chance I had—a sentiment I always had after a shower, but never managed to go through with. It was too easy to indulge in the shame of what my image now was. In any case, Mark would question it, and that was something I would rather avoid. I paused at the door, listening for any noise coming from the outer room.

Hearing nothing meant Mark must have either left the room or gone back to sleep. I cautiously opened the door, and the sun’s morning light filtering in through the window showed an empty room. Faint voices floated in from the direction of the kitchen.

I dressed quickly, worried that Mark might walk into the room before I was ready. A long-sleeved thin shirt hid the worst of the scars and simple pants covered the few on my legs. Having not yet let Mark see all of my scars, I was careful to always be clothed around him. Mark had said that he wouldn’t mind seeing them, but I was not ready to show more of myself to him. I still worried about his reaction. After combing my hair into something respectable, I walked toward the voices, steeling myself to greet the added guests.

“I’m just saying you don’t even know his first name, man. I’m not complaining about not having to listen to you talk about your sex life all’o the time now. But you sure ’bout this, boss? Relationships ain’t one-night stands—you gotta be serious here. Gotta be able to trust a person.”

I recognized Ken’s voice without having to turn the corner and paused in the shadows. I shouldn’t have to eavesdrop in my own house, yet I wanted to hear the honest conversation that wouldn’t happen with me there. Wanted to know what his teammates thought of me, though it did not appear to be a conversation in my favor.

“Dude, are you still harping on this?” Mark huffed. “Ken, let it go. The name thing is cultural, okay? Lots of Resconians don’t say it until they’re married. It’s like a super personal thing, and I can respect that. Stuff like this takes time, you know. Ain’t like I’m laying all my secrets out on the table either. You gotta build the trust slowly, and I trust him to tell me when he’s ready.” I could imagine the scowl he had as he crossed his arms.

Considering that Mark was more given to casual and informal mannerisms, I had been surprised at how easily he had adapted when I explained why Resconians only used surnames. It was an old social norm that revealing a given name was the truest form of trust and love. It gave me a small thrill to call Mark by his name privately—knowing it was his preference as well as a sign of his trust. I found it endearing how he mixed his habit for nicknames yet considered my preference. Still, our relationship was far too new to tell him my given name, or call him by his while in company.

“I believe what our esteemed mechanic is trying to say, is that we worry about you. You’re not only our boss; you’re our friend as well. As a friend, we want you to be in a healthy relationship. Given your previous lovers, this is a drastic change.” The higher-pitched voice chiming in told me that Tamaroa was here too.

“I know it’s different,” Mark said, his voice strained. “It’s weird for me sometimes, too, you know. Coming back to the same place all the time. And missing him. Lonely is something I’m used to having an instant fix for, but I can’t do that anymore because Gavnson matters. I want it to work with him. So, let me figure it out myself and drop it, all right?”

Knowing he missed me when he was away—same as I missed him—was an odd comfort. And it was reassuring that he would defend me, even though I sometimes thought his coworkers might have a more accurate opinion of me. After a few moments of silence, it was obvious they had dropped the topic. I might as well greet my guests properly.

Rounding the corner to enter the kitchen, I saw Ken and Tamaroa at the table, while Mark was standing by the stove, making something in a pan. Rescon had more than its fair share of interspecies travelers. But that still didn’t take away the strangeness of having others at my table.

I was so often alone in this room that the brightness of the fox’s dark blue fur and the woman’s rich orange skin would take some getting used to.

“You didn’t tell me your team would be visiting this morning, Noland,” I said, not wanting to sound accusing, but a warning would have been nice.

“Sorry, I didn’t know either, and some people don’t know what manners are. So, they invite themselves anywhere.” Mark sighed and gave Ken a pointed look. He momentarily abandoned breakfast to come to my side and give me a hug. His warmth was a welcome balm to my unsettled nerves. “Are you feeling better now? Is it okay for them to be here? I can kick them out if you want, no problem,” Mark whispered and then kissed my cheek.

He had no concern with showing affection any time he wanted. For the most part, I liked the attention too much to scold him for it when there were others around.

“No, it’s fine; I don’t mind,” I said quietly, giving him a one-armed hug in return before letting him go back to the stove. “It’s a pleasure to see you as always, Tamaroa, Ken.” I greeted the two as I sat at the table across from them so I could watch Mark.

“Sorry for the intrusion,” Tamaroa responded, brushing back her hair, a dark red against her skin. “Ken can be quite demanding when he wants something. Mark never said, but how did everything turn out on your end with our last joint effort? Was there any information missing?” It was easy to forget that Mark’s well-spoken navigator was also a highly trained assassin.

“No, you both did admirably,” I said. “As far as our technicians have found, nothing was leaked and all the files were still intact. Thanks to all your efforts, you prevented the potential exposure of a number of secret operatives.” I had assumed Mark would have told them about the successful conclusion of our mission long ago, but this at least gave me the chance to thank them in person.

“I imagine Stella would have just as many enemies as allies, and any information about your movements could go for a high price.” Tamaroa’s tone was far too light for a matter that could have been life or death to many officers. Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t expect differently from a woman in her profession.

“Unfortunately, yes,” I said. “Since Mark is always very vague about his work, I don’t suppose you’d be willing to make a few things clearer?” I could feel Mark’s eyes on me, and even though we’d both agreed that sometimes there were parts of our jobs we couldn’t talk about, it didn’t always stop professional curiosity. Tamaroa’s only response was a small smile that said I would not be getting any answers from her.

“All right, enough chitchat,” Ken huffed, his tail thumping against the leg of his chair. “I want Mr. Domestic over there to hand over our share of the pay from the last job. I ain’t looking to spend the day with no Stella officer in a stuffy house. Just ’cause you’ve turned sweet on the military sort, don’t mean I have. I got shit to do.” Ken had not warmed up to me nearly as much as Tamaroa had. Mark reassured me this was friendlier than Ken got with most.

“Hey, that Stella officer is my boyfriend, and I like his company. So, shut your muzzle. Besides, we just got here, and I’m sorry, but some of us like to sleep. Banks don’t even open until, like, nine anyways—so hold your tail.” Mark slid what was in the pan onto a waiting plate. Ah, he was making those fluffy flat breads he called pancakes. Terran food was odd.

I don’t think I had seen him cook anything that didn’t require some breed of fowl eggs. And he was always complaining they weren’t the same as chicken eggs, whatever those were. Mark had tried to describe chickens to me once, and for as much as I recognized that fauna was different across the galaxy, small flightless birds were not something I could easily conceptualize.

I knew that some planets domesticated their fowl, but the fear of them had been ingrained in me since childhood. It wasn’t an ungrounded fear, as the Ioxerous birds were as large as the average man and viciously carnivorous. They were the smallest breed of bird on Rescon. Thankfully, the mountains were the only place you would find them. These differences had led Mark and me to a have a few circular discussions about the merits of domestication of fowl.

Mark insisted on cooking, going so far as to favor old-fashioned methods of manually making the food, instead of letting the automatic kitchen equipment prepare the dishes for him. I had no love for cooking, so I left him to his strange cuisine.

“Oh, I’m sure you and pretty boy did plenty of sleeping. Then again, you were awful quick to open that door, and all rumpled too,” Ken said, winking at Mark. I tensed at the unknowing reminder that I had awakened Mark this morning. Even though he was still tired from his last mission, he hadn’t said anything about it. Yet, I could see the weariness as he moved about. It appeared I was nothing more than a bother.

“Okay, you’re done. Out. We discussed this— No suggestive or lewd comments that make Gav uncomfortable. So, out now. Before I skin you, and we’ll have a side of fox to go with breakfast.” Mark waved the spatula at Ken, whose fur bristled in offense.

“I think we’ve stayed long enough.” Tamaroa stood. “Enjoy your morning, Mark, and a pleasure to see you again, Gavnson. We’ll be on our way now.” She grabbed Ken by his scruff and lifted the four-foot Vanaska fox easily, ignoring his demands to be put down as they left the house. Mark chuckled at the antics.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Alli has always had a love for just about any story she can get her hands on. Be it from books, TV, or even video games—if there’s a good story, she will love it. Given that, it’s easy to see how Alli moved on to making stories of her own.

Raised in a small Colorado town, Alli also has a love of the outdoors and enjoys hiking. Nowadays she lives in a bigger city and fits in just fine there too, liking how close and comfy everything is. Often at home with her two cats, Alli is never far from her computer whether for work or for play. She believes the truth is a multifaceted thing and always works to write the world, and subsequently the truth of the world, as she sees it.

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A Free Read Alert from Jay Northcote ~ International Transgender Day of Visibility and Starting from Scratch

Free read alert

International Transgender Day of Visibility: Why Visibility Matters (and a free read from me this weekend)

Posted on March 31, 2018by

Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility. It is a day for celebrating transgender people, raising awareness, and showing support for the trans community.

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What is visibility and why does it matter?

Visibility is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as: The state of being seen.

I’m speaking from a deeply personal perspective when I say that visibility and representation is enormously important. As a child of the 1970s, I grew up in the day before the Internet and social media. As a child, teen, and young adult I never saw anyone like me represented in the media.

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Therefore despite knowing as a child that I didn’t feel like a girl, I didn’t understand that this was something other people felt. I didn’t know there was a word for what I was, and I didn’t know that there was anything I could do about it. The only transgender representation I ever saw in the media was of trans women. Therefore it never occurred to me that it was possible for someone to be FTM (female to male) transgender.

It wasn’t until I ‘saw’ a male transgender character in a fanfiction story that I finally started to make sense of the underlying feeling of unease and wrongness that had been my constant companion throughout my life.

Visibility matters, because it helps transgender people work out who they are, and know that they are not alone. And of course visibility also helps cisgender people to understand trans people better, and know how to be good allies.

Visibility isn’t just about individuals

Visibility isn’t all about individual trans people sharing their stories. Advocates are important and do a huge amount for raising awareness. But it’s important to remember that many trans people don’t want to be visible in that way. They may value their privacy and not wish disclose their history, or they may not live in a place or a situation where it would be safe for them to do so.

Visibility is also about positive representations in the media, in art, in books, in movies, and TV shows. In the queer romance genre, we’re seeing a huge increase in the number of books featuring transgender characters, this is a wonderful thing. Keep them coming!

If you would like to know more about trans issues this link is a good starting point:

https://www.glaad.org/transgender/transfaq

If you’re questioning your own gender, you are not alone. Reach out, there are lots of people who will be willing to listen and help you find the resources and information that you need.

If you’d like to read a story with a transgender main character, my book, Starting from Scratch is free to download at Amazon this weekend. It’s part of a linked series but it can be read as a standalone because there are new main characters in each story.

startingfromscratch

 

Starting over isn’t easy, but Ben is ready to live his life as the man he was always meant to be.

Ben is transgender and back at university after hormone treatment and chest surgery. His new housemates have no idea about his history and Ben would prefer to keep it that way. He’s starting from scratch and his life is finally on track, except in the romance department. The idea of dating guys as a guy is exhilarating but terrifying, because if Ben wants a boyfriend he’ll have to disclose his secret.

Sid is drawn to Ben from the moment they meet. He normally gets what he wants—in the short term at least. Ben’s guarded at first, and Sid’s not used to guys rejecting his advances. He eventually charms his way through Ben’s defences and helps Ben on his journey of sexual awakening.

It doesn’t matter to Sid that Ben is trans. He’s attracted to the whole person, and isn’t worried about what is—or isn’t—in Ben’s pants. They’re good together, and both of them are falling hard and fast, but Ben’s insecurities keep getting in the way. If Sid can convince Ben he’s committed, will Ben finally be able to put his heart on the line?

Although this book is part of the Housemates series, it has new main characters, a satisfying happy ending, and can be read as a standalone.

Length: 57,000 words approx.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y3YVY82

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y3YVY82

http://mybook.to/SFS_JayN

A MelanieM Review: The Dragon’s Legacy by Robin White

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Valgaforis wants to be left in peace. And if he must be bothered, he would prefer goblins to humans. But these humans come searching for something that sounds like it just might help him figure out what happened to the rest of his kind. He can tolerate some bothersome humans for a little while to answer that burning question.

Things just seem to keep going wrong for Alessio. While on the hunt for the regalia of his bloodline, which will finally secure him the throne, he stumbles across Erik, who’s somehow already discovered the dragon cave Alessio seeks. Erik, a native of the Northland, offers to help, and Alessio gratefully accepts, despite the unexpected complications added to his already difficult journey.

Along the way they encounter spirits, hobs, a river bride, and even trolls. In fact, the only thing they don’t seem to encounter is the dragon Alessio expected to find when they finally reach their destination…

The storyline and the characters of The Dragon’s Legacy by Robin White show promise.  I just can’t resist a dragon or dragon shifter story.  And this sounded like a wonderful fantasy tale.   I think it could be as all the elements are here just waiting to be enlarged into the fantasy saga it hopes to be.

With any story, especially a fantasy one, you need a solid foundation of world building to rest it on and this one lacks that.  You get bits and pieces of the culture and the reason why Alessio and group is off on his mission but you have gaping holes in his history and in Valgaforis’ as well.  Those are never answered either by the end of the story to the reader’s dissatisfaction.  You need to pull all the threads together, answer at least the important questions in the readers minds to make the story a cohesive whole in order for any book to be an enjoyable reading experience.

I appreciated little touches here and there.  The fact that the dragon joined in on the quest with no one any the wiser was a cute aspect to the story, over too soon for my tastes.   And I liked the whole dragon’s sword bit but that should have been explored more as it was a huge part of the storyline.

But the biggest loss here is that of character development.  Each character lacked depth and that “realiness” that comes with a layered personality and time given over to making us believe in them as a person/beings.  Same goes for the relationships here.  All have that shallowness about them that feels one dimensional.  It lets you appreciate some of the nicer points of the story but removes you from any emotional contact or connection to anyone within the story.

This is the first story I’ve read by Robin White and I would certainly read others, based on the promise this one displays.

Cover art: Aisha Akuju:  The cover art is stunning with the dragon’s hoard.  Love it.

Sales Links: Less Than Three Press

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: May 30th 2018 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781684312610
Edition LanguageEnglish
Other Editions
None found

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Leaning Into the Look (Leaning Into #6) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

I’ve found my favorite, by far, in this series and I want to go back—right now—and read it all over again!

Miles? Ah, Miles, how I love you so. A gregarious, flamboyant, redhead whose favorite color is pink and who likes to wear lacy underwear, he’s the king of mall shopping and he’s Eric’s personal assistant. And now? He’s the man who captures Grant’s heart.

Grant Kostas is a real estate mogul. Put in charge of the San Francisco branch of his controlling father’s empire, he’s about to land a huge contract for his leasing firm but his father comes sweeping in to make sure he does it right. And, to make sure he at least dates a Greek man if he can’t find a woman to make him happy. Mama comes along to cook for him, decorate, and reorganize his apartment. And he can’t wait for them to leave! Grant is actually a really nice guy who has social anxiety and who formerly had bulimia and when he first came out and escaped from his family he was a highly sought underwear model. He’s also a people pleaser, at least where his family and friends are concerned, so he finds himself offering to share his apartment with the gregarious Miles after he’s had no luck helping Miles find a place in the Castro that suits him.

Each man is very into the other, though neither wants to admit it, and they form a pact that they will never let their relationship go as far as falling in love. It’s to be sex and friendship only. Of course, that doesn’t work out and they do indeed fall in love. It’s so much fun along the way that, as I said before, I’d go back and read their story again. There are definitely some very hot sex scenes but there are also so many poignantly sweet moments, and moments where they are just enjoying San Francisco and all it has to offer a young gay man looking for adventure.

There are, of course, complications that mainly come in the form of interference from Grant’s father, including a “fake” boyfriend who happens to be an artist (Greek) working on Grant’s latest project. Grant doesn’t even like the man, yet he lets his father think they are dating. Imagine the complexity of what happens when Papa and Mama show up and both the real and the fake boyfriend are present. It’s time for Grant to grow up and take back his own life, and in the process, face facts with Miles. Miles needs to know he deserves to be loved wholeheartedly—manties and all. Thankfully, our guys get their HEA after a hard-won battle.

If you love this series, by all means pick this up. It can be read as a standalone, however, there are recurring secondary characters so it may be confusing to just start here at book six. In any event, IMHO, this is the best of the series so it definitely needs to be read and enjoyed by as many MM romance lovers as possible. Very highly recommended!

~~~

Cover art by Reese Dante follows the same theme as others in the series: featuring a lean, young man’s torso, in this case with business dress shirt open down the front, set against a background scene of San Francisco Bay. It’s easy to link it to the rest of the series, and it’s certainly eye-catching.

Sales Link:

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2DSuOKZ

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2G32N9x

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 267 pages
Published March 21st 2018 by Lane Hayes
Original TitleLeaning Into the Look
ASINB07BMHZV3C
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesLeaning Into #6

A MelanieM Review: Dragon Magic by Megan Derr

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Four strangers. A shared moment long forgotten. A bond forged in desperation.

On the first day of the Festival of Counting, the beginning of the royal census that takes place every ten years, the royal city is filled to overflowing. Everyone is happy, excited, and proud to be counted amongst those who live in the glorious kingdom of Orhanis.

Then a demon strikes, killing thousands in mere seconds and leveling the city. As the royal castle burns, only four men remain to drive the demon away—and in their desperation, accidentally bind themselves together in a legendary Oath, unable to part ways until they find and kill the demon once and for all.

Mahzan, the King’s Jester, an orphan who clawed his way to the top and hides a fearsome magic… Sule, the notorious North Captain, who sacrificed everything to live as a strong, capable, highly respected man… Cemal, a priest who traveled the continent bent on revenge and now lives lost… and Binhadi, the mercurial shadow mage with a dark history and bloody ties to the throne…

Four men used to standing apart, standing alone, who must learn to stand together if they hope to save themselves and all of Orhanis.

When it comes to fantasy, Megan Derr is  one of my go to authors.  I love her marvelous ability to transport me out of the mundane and into realms where dragons soar,  wounded mage’s seek reparation and love, and unique bands of warriors go forth on sagas that have continued to live on in my heart and mind long past those words…The End in book after book.

In Dragon Magic Megan Derr brings together another unusual band of mages.  This time, they will form not only a working relationship but a romantic one between the four of them.  Not something of a norm in her stories. Or in the stories I normally read because I haven’t found many authors that make a  polyamorous relationship work within a storyline to my tastes.  Here, among four strong mages, who fight the bonds between them from the beginning, watching the emotional ties form, along with the lust and love feels natural.  It helps that they can “feel” each others thoughts and emotions, so the instinctual walls  others erect start breaking down or are broken between the four of them from the start, laying their “secrets” out before the others.

Derr switches the story back and forth between the emotional vulnerability and revelations that is happening between the four as they become a true “family” and the perilous state they find themselves in while searching out the demons and those responsible for the destruction of the Capitol.  I expected to “like” one of the characters more than the rest, maybe Mahzan or Sule, but each mages here is a little broken each in their own way.  Each strong as well.  Turned out I loved them equally.  Semal and Binahdi  no less than Mahzan and Sule.  What great characters all.

The only thing that kept this from a 5 stars story was the odd little out of timeline break at the end.  I understand why the author did it but it still felt jarring.  And honestly asked more questions than it answered.  I didn’t need it.  And in my opinion the story didn’t either.  But that’s just me.

Either way, if you are a lover of high fantasy, Megan Derr or both,  Dragon Magic is a book you won’t want to miss.  And yes, once again she has created some wonderful demons for our mages to fight against.  Can’t miss out on those either!  Put this and this wonderful band of mages on your TBR list today!  I highly recommend it!

Cover art:Phillip Lloyd Simpson.  It’s colorful.  Don’t know that it’s my favorite of Megan Derr’s covers.

Sales Links:  Less Than Three Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: March 28th 2018 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781684312016
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Alisa Review: Promises Part 4 by A.E. Via

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

Men found him attractive, interesting even. He was like a fascinating experiment gone wrong that men liked to investigate. He’d get a date – or two, if he was lucky – but it wasn’t long before Brian’s darkness showed, and the men were running from him.

Brian King was honorably discharged from the United States Navy five years ago. He’d left with the highest honors a man can receive in his country, but he’d paid the ultimate price to earn them. He was considered one of the best; an Intelligence Officer in a Joint Special Operations Delta team that’d been a twelve-man wrecking crew. They’d thought they were invincible… until they weren’t. Brian was the only member that survived the ambush. He survived ten months of pain, of torture, only to emerge on the other side a warrior. A POW survivor. He’d returned home with all his limbs, his right mind, and with his only brother Ford, at his side. But, one thing had been lost, maybe for good… his voice.

Now, being a bounty hunter is Brian’s only means to satisfy his need to calculate, track, and capture. His only outlet to the stress caused by his silence. He was good at what he did. But, all work and no play for a forty-four year old man was taking its toll. Brian wasn’t a faulty experiment. He missed companionship, he missed communicating. So, when he met Sway Hamilton – in the most unconventional means – he’d been surprised at his special way of understanding Brian’s every look… and touch.

Sway grew up in the rough part of ATL, trailing behind his twin brother Stanton and his best friend, Dana. He and his brother had a bond only twins could understand. So when Stanton’s life was taken during their sophomore year in college, Sway didn’t think he’d ever recover. He finally finished school, got his masters in nursing, worked hard, and focused on taking care of his mother. However, Sway knew there was more to life than heartache, and caring for others. There had to be. But he didn’t know what any of those things were until he met a dark hunter that blew his mind… and the intense man had never uttered a single word.

Brian and Sway can feel the powerful connection between them. It was there from the start—but both of them have battled with loss and anguish for so long, neither understand that love can ease all of it. Do they have the courage to battle through it together? Sway has to learn to trust in love, and Brian has to believe that Sway will always understand him even if he never speaks again.

Sway held him tight around his neck, “I don’t need you to talk Brian. I can hear you just fine,” Sway whispered softly, kissing his throat.

I have been waiting for this book since I read Part 3 and was so excited to see when this one was coming out and it was even more than I was hoping for.  Brian has been suffering silently while watching his brother and bosses find love while he keeps having men run from him.  Brian knows how to track and intimidate and is one of the best Duke has.  Sway has dedicated his life to taking care of others and still hurting from his brother’s death years ago.

Both of these men have scars, some visible and some not.  Brian has to learn to trust and not doubt everything, he also needs the support of someone not his brother or co-worker.  Sway needs someone to take care of him while supporting him and accepting his family into the mix too,

I loved Brian, while he is big and intimidating he is terribly sweet with the right person.  I could just feel his pain and loneliness but you could also see his doubt and how he tried to hold himself back when he thought he would be hurt.  You could see that he had given up on ever speaking again but continues his therapy and quite unexpectedly make big progress.   Sway has kept his feelings and heart locked up for a long time but I could see how Brian quickly got under his skin.  These two are so perfect for each other and I loved watching them navigate through their relationship.  I loved that Duke is hiring some new guys which means that this series will get to continue. Yay!

The cover art by Jay Aheer is just as great as the last and continues to follow the style of the series.

Sales Links: Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 392 pages

Published: March 9, 2018 by Via Star Wings Books
Edition Language: English

Series: Bounty Hunters #4

Let Me In by Luna David Release Blitz (excerpt)

 Let Me In RDB Banner

LET ME IN

LUNA DAVID

M/M EROTIC ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 03.30.18

Let Me In Cover 

 

Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley @Five Star Graphic Designs

SYNOPSIS

Twenty-year-old Liam Cavanagh works three dead-end-jobs to take care of his family. He’s been the sole breadwinner since he was fifteen and yearns for a life of his own. Forced to grow up too fast, he carries the burdens of responsibilities that shouldn’t be his, and it’s slowly destroying him. The more he tries to control, the more out of control he feels.

When he gets a hit on a personal ad he placed on The Boys Club app, he shrugs it off as impossible. With nearly 600 miles between him and “Boston Daddy” he knew the odds were against them. Until Boston Daddy’s current boy convinces him otherwise and persuades Liam to take on the role of Daddy’s new boy.

Saying forty-year-old entrepreneur Cash Moreau is having a bad week is an understatement. The man he’s been with for years leaves him for a new job, his own company is in crisis, and to top it all off, a young stranger shows up on his doorstep with all his worldly possessions, claiming to be his new boy. Liam wants a Daddy to depend on, and Cash refuses to believe he’s what’s best for Liam.

Despite their powerful connection, Cash finally pushes Liam away, and the beautiful boy who stole his heart disappears. Soon, Cash realizes what he’s let slip through his fingers. The elusive thing he’s been searching for is Liam, it’s only ever been Liam, and suddenly Cash will move heaven and earth to find what he’s lost. Will he find his boy in time to make things right, or is it too late to let him in?

Let-Me-In-Teaser-#1

Let-Me-In-Teaser-#2

Rule #1

Rule #2

EXCERPT

Liam bounced in his arms, reminding him that he was still holding onto him. He chuckled at Liam’s excitement and sucked in a breath when he felt the boy’s tongue lick up his neck to his ear, biting his earlobe before whispering naughtily, “Will you take me upstairs and show me how much Daddy wants his little boy’s tight, virgin ass? I think we’ve prepped enough over the last several days. Please, Daddy?”

He ended that last bit with another bite, and Cash could hardly keep himself from taking the boy right there in the kitchen. He smacked his boy on the ass then tossed him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, making his way through the house and up the stairs, his hand gripping the boy’s ass and sliding between his legs to tease.

He was lucky they were no longer on the stairs when Liam’s hands ghosted their way under Cash’s waistband and into his boxer briefs, massaging his ass and dipping into his cleft. Fuck, his boy was full of surprises. If he’d been on the stairs, he might have missed his footing and sent them both toppling. He growled, and all the boy did was laugh and continue to play.

He landed a hard smack on Liam’s ass just before he got to his bedroom, and the boy said, “Mmm, more, Daddy.”

The boy wanted more? He’d get more. Cash flipped him back off his shoulder, holding him steady when he placed him on his feet. Liam’s face was red with excitement and, Cash chuckled at the thought, gravity. When Liam went to take off his tie, Cash pushed his hands away and slowly, painstakingly unknotted it and slid it through the shirt collar. From there, he slowly undid his buttons and continued to undress Liam like he was unwrapping the most beautiful package.

When Liam was undressed, Cash sat on a cushioned, armless chair and pulled him onto his lap. The boy’s back was to his chest, Cash’s legs spreading Liam’s wide on the outside of his. He whispered, “Reach down and touch the floor.”

Liam gasped but did has he was told, his ass up in the air, his knees back on either side of Cash’s hips. Cash wedged his shoulders between the boy’s legs, spreading Liam wide open. He looked down at his boy’s gorgeous round ass cheeks on display. He trailed his finger down Liam’s cleft and pressed on his rosy pucker. He leaned down, pulling Liam’s hips up to meet him, and licked that tiny hole several times, surprising his boy and eliciting a groan.

“If you come, boy, we won’t be fucking tonight. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good boy.” Pulling back, he delivered a hard slap to Liam’s left cheek.

Before he could even ask, Liam said, “One, thank you, Daddy.”

He smacked him three more times in quick succession. “Two, three, four. Thank you, Daddy.”

Goddamn, did his boy know the rules inside and out. He hadn’t known until the second day Liam had been there that the lists of rules he’d had in the contract had long since been memorized. He was slowly figuring out what he thought had been some late-night chats with Tommy had actually been more like daily, hour long conversations, covering everything from their daily lives to the protocols he expected. Liam already knew exactly how to be his boy. Every time he thought he’d have to teach him something, the boy already knew.

He was so damn eager, so willing to give of himself, that Cash was humbled. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve two such perfect boys, but it was more than he deserved in a lifetime. And minute by minute, hour by hour, Liam was wiggling his way into Cash’s heart, one charming, sweet, and innocent smile at a time.

When he tried to get stern with the boy, Liam was so affable and agreeable, his grin would bring on Cash’s smile and his sweet, “Yes, Daddy,” would melt Cash’s resolve. All he wanted to do was please him. There were no challenges like there had been with Tommy. He wasn’t a doormat, not by a long shot. They’d had several heated debates on multiple subjects, but when it came time for him to please his Daddy, he was always on his best behavior.

One thing was for sure, the boy loved his spankings, and they’d discovered, much to his and Liam’s chagrin, the boy could come, quite unexpectedly, from spanking alone. He continued to lay into the boy and was nearly done. Three more and Liam was whimpering, his response slow and his control nearly gone. “Eighteen… Nineteen… Twenty… Th-thank you, Daddy.”

He rubbed his sweet boy’s rosy cheeks, knowing when he finally took him, the burn from his well spanked ass would only increase his pleasure. “You took that so well, Liam. Daddy’s so proud of you.”

Cash pulled him up and wrapped his arms around his chest, sliding his hand down to play with his hard, little cock and balls. Liam reached back, wrapped his arms behind Cash’s neck, and held on, thrusting his hips into Cash’s hand. He leaned his head back next to Cash’s and whispered, “Please, Daddy. You’re going to make me come. I need your cock inside me, splitting me open.”

Jesus, his boy had a mouth on him. All sweetness and light then bam, dirty talking Liam appeared, and Cash loved it. Liam always turned red when he did it, and it was nearly always in a whisper, so Cash wasn’t sure the boy would be able to talk dirty any louder than that, which amused him no end. He was half shy innocent, half dirty vixen, and Cash simply couldn’t get enough.

He tugged one more time on Liam’s pretty cock and asked, “Do you want me to wear a condom? I’m happy to do so for as long as you want if you’re not comfortable yet.”

Liam whimpered and shook his head. Glancing sideways at him, Liam leaned in, too embarrassed to say it out loud, and whispered, “Please, Daddy. I want you to breed me.”

Luna David Logo

Luna David is a true romantic at heart who was fortunate enough to find and marry her soul mate. Most of the time she considers herself lucky to have been blessed with having twins, but they’re giving her a run for her money. She’s a stay at home mom and an author, so when she’s not begging her little monsters to behave, you’ll most likely find her writing.

She loves anything book, coffee or dark chocolate related and can’t think of a better way to pass the time than to combine all three. She reads romance novels voraciously and while she prefers contemporary romantic suspense with strong Alpha males finding their soul mates, she’s a sucker for any romantic story, regardless of genre.

She created the Custos Securities Series because she loves to write what she loves to read. Her books feature strong dominant males and the men they would die protecting. Toss in some BDSM and kink and you’ve got her Catharsis Novel Series and The Boys Club Series. She loves nothing more than making her readers feel a wide range of emotions with her words. And she hopes you enjoy her stories. Happy Reading!

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AMAZON AUTHOR

Release Blitz – Rended Hearts by Riza Curtis (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Universal Buy Links
 
Length: 35,000 words approx.
 
Blurb
 

After a life on the run, witch Gabriel just wants to enjoy having a home. He’s perfectly happy pottering around his garden and using magic to quietly help people. Then the Alpha of the local wolf pack is attacked by a member of the local coven, and everything changes. There’s no love lost between the witch and the wolves, but Gabriel saves the life of the Alpha in an attempt to keep the peace.


Simon finds his mate in the witch that saves his life, but the coven is coming for Gabriel, and they don’t care who gets in their way…

Excerpt



“That’s better.” Simon couldn’t help his own smile after seeing Gabriel’s joy. His face was flushed pink from laughing, and he looked radiant in the soft light of the clinic.


“What is?”


Simon took a chance and moved closer. Gabriel’s eyes widened as he startled, but he didn’t seem alarmed. “Seeing you smile.”


Gabriel flushed a deeper red, a hint of confusion displayed on his face.


Simon took another step closer so that he was face-to-face with a flustered Gabriel. He brought his hand up to gently touch the side of the Gabriel’s face. His skin was softer than Simon had thought possible.


“Are you—” Gabriel broke off the sentence and moved back. Simon dropped his hand immediately. He didn’t want to make Gabriel uncomfortable.


Gabriel glanced at Simon and took a hesitant breath. Simon tried to look reassuring.


“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you’re flirting with me? Why?”


Simon chuckled. Gabriel was adorable. “Because I like you.”


Gabriel frowned before glancing away. He didn’t seem satisfied with the answer.


“But wolves have mates,” he interjected.


Simon’s eyes widened momentarily. He hadn’t thought Gabriel would know about mates, but maybe this would be a good thing—maybe Gabriel would be more receptive, more understanding about the situation.


“Why do you think I am flirting with you?” Simon asked, dropping his voice to no louder than a whisper, soft and alluring.


Gabriel inhaled sharply, and his eyes widened. “Surely not?”


Simon didn’t know if that was positive or negative, but he couldn’t take it back now. He nodded, moving closer and crowding Gabriel against the wall.


“Don’t you feel it too?” he asked. “My mate?”

 
Author Bio
 

Riza began writing stories at a young age to the a?n?n?o?y?a?n?c?e? delight of anyone she could b?u?l?l?y? persuade to read them. Now somewhat older, if not wiser, things haven’t really changed.


Riza lives in England where they enjoy adding extra letters to words, tea, and discussing the weather (it’s always raining). She has a FdSci in Manufacturing Engineering and is currently working towards her BEng. When she’s not writing, studying or doing her day job, Riza is obsessed with target archery and enjoys shooting barebow.

 

www.rizacurtis.com
Twitter: @rizacurtis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riza.curtis.author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/rizacurtis

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