Blog Tour for Bones of Belief (The Chronicles of Darius #13) by Jess Thomas (excerpt)

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Bones of Belief (The Chronicles of Darius, Book 13)

Author: Jess Thomas

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Jess Thomas

Genre/s: M/M Romance

Length: 111,215 words/645 pages

Release Date: March 1, 2018

Goodreads

Blurb

The Jewel has many protectors and a large family, but it still isn’t complete. Trend, a white wizard, is in limbo and can be seen only by Vega, Enif, and Darius. Dorian, one of the newest clan members, can only hear him and none of them are able to tell anyone else about him. Darius knows he needs Trend to help complete the family and fulfill his destiny. He desperately wants to have him home, but there is a major problem, Hippson’s timeline. Meanwhile, Trend’s mate, Grendolin, has searched everywhere he knows in order to find him, including some very dark places, with no luck, but he never lost hope, never lost his belief that he will be with his true mate one way or another.

Can Darius beat the timeline? Must he follow the wishes of those in power who think they know better?

Darius’s quest of self-discovery continues as his talents grow to astounding proportions. Even the mighty Hippson and Bunthar don’t know what to make of Darius’s abilities or what the dreaded timeline holds for the Jewel, his mate, and the rest of the clan.

Become part of Darius’s clan and share his continuing journey in Bones of Belief.

Excerpt

For so long, I’d seen myself looking like a gray and leathery alien. In fact, I’ve seen myself looking like this since I was nineteen when I was part of a distant nightmare simply called The Pits. There, Cold Ones lived alongside dark wizards and all manner of evil things that destroyed planets for their own needs. Cold Ones enjoyed destroying anyone with strength and just for the sake of killing generally.

Although the Eiravian people were more advanced, they had sent me to a time on Earth when we lived and died by the sword, where gladiators and slaves had the misfortune to be simply entertainment. My appearance had drifted away to the point that I didn’t know it anymore. Now I tended to look at my appearance as I walked down the hall, the man who walked in the mirror’s reflection wasn’t someone I knew. It had been a long, long time since I’d seen who I really am. I was skinny, but the muscles and weight were coming back on, and the peach skin of my brothers and sisters had replaced the gray skin. My leathery appearance had disappeared in my reflection. The only thing that seemed the same was my blue eyes that appeared to glow power and a large scruffy beard.

Sometimes as I was walking down the hallway, I’d step backward and then forward, to actually see if my appearance stayed the same in the mirrors. The spell was breaking, and we would soon celebrate Finnal’s birthday. I always asked him what he wanted, and he’d always reply he got what he wanted. Therefore, this year I was going to give him what he asked for…me.

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK

About the Author

Author Bio: Jess Thomas was born in the mid-west and she has a natural love for nature and animals. A gentle creature born to loving parents who believed in seeing the world for all its beauty, she learned the imperfections in life were something to be treasured and seen as a learning experience. An artist from an early age, she went to art school where she got a degree in drawing and painting, photography, and in Art Education. In 2009 she laid down her paintbrush and she picked up writing and channeling her creative energy in a fresh direction. A new writer, she pours sensitivity and her love of the world she has created into her emotions and the characters who live there.

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Blog/Website

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A MelanieM Review: Flamecaller by Caitlin Ricci

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

When the emperor has his father killed, it’s the breaking point for Haruo, who sets out from the island of dragon shifters where he lives in search of revenge. The tournament being held to marry off the emperor’s son seems a perfect opportunity—what better way to get close to the father than through the son, after all.

Three things drew me to this story. That incredible cover, the author, and that synopsis. I have read Caitlin Ricci’s stories before and enjoyed them. That fact, combined with the intriguing plot, had me eagerly starting into chapter one.

Sigh.

What I found was more along the lines of an author’s outline for a novella than an actual story that was complete with fleshed out characters, relationships that had some depth to them, back histories that went beyond the shallow, and a foundation that made some sense.

This surprised me considering the author, which is why Flamecaller seems more like an outline of a story than an actual one. The potential here is marvelous, especially with regard to the emperor’s son. But do we get any of the necessary background on him to make sense of his actions or subsequent feelings? No. Does the author give the readers any understanding of how certain important plot elements as I will call them (no spoilers) run genetically through family lines? No. Nothing. She just throws facts out there and leaves them unsupported and whole sections of her story moorless. That goes for the whole island is crying thing as well and Haruo’s family. See statement above.

I won’t even get started on that ending which is preposterous no matter how fairy tale-ish this story became.

No, my hope is that sometime in the future, this gets pulled back, and properly rewritten into the novel it’s crying out to be. Unless you are a hardcore Caitlin Ricci fan, I’d wait and see if that happens to read this story imo.

Cover Art :Michelle Seaver. This cover is absolutely gorgeous as well as pertinent to the story. It’s one of the things that drew me to read the blurb. Love it.

Sales Links: Less Than Three Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 45 pages
Published March 14th 2018 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781684311965
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The Little Library by Kim Fielding

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

I loved this story about Elliott, a young college professor who was badly deceived and used by his lover and mentor and now struggles to fight his way back to the career path of his choice. And Simon, who was injured on the job and is now fighting his way back to his career path as well—and if it can’t be as a cop, as he was before, at least he hopes to find something that fits. He most definitely doesn’t want to work with his parents in their restaurant, not only because that’s not his chosen vocation, but also because he can’t meet their high personal expectations for him—that he’ll find a nice, preferably Assyrian, young woman, settle down, and raise babies for them.

What I liked most is that these two guys seemed to be pretty normal—the kind of guys you might meet in your neighborhood, or on the job, or even have as a family member. They are gay, but they’re not atypical—neither are porn stars, or con men, or werewolves—they’re a college professor and a cop. Granted, the college professor spends a lot of time immersed in his books when he’s not teaching one of the online community college courses he’s now reduced to overseeing. He lost his highly regarded, research-oriented position with a university when his lover and mentor was discovered to be embezzling and he was inadvertently caught up in the backlash. Now, he’s searching to get back into a tenure-track position and idling away his free time by shopping for more books to feed his book-buying (and reading) addiction. He tries to “behave” and exercise willpower, as many addicts would do, but it’s not until he decides to try something he’s seen elsewhere that his life takes on new purpose, and as a side benefit, he meets a pretty sexy guy with a bum knee.

The solution? He builds a “little library” a small set of enclosed book shelves on a post in his yard. Rearranging the furniture in his home so he can spy on the people stopping by gives him pause, but he does it anyway, and he’s rewarded with making new friends. Among them a little girl and her mom and that sexy guy with the bum knee that he’s seen as he’s been out running. That guy is Simon, and the two form an immediate friendship that leads to a very slow-burn relationship. I appreciated the way the author set this relationship up—no hurry to the bedroom, no over-the-moon heartthrobs—just a slow, gentle exploration of each other, starting with kisses and leading slowly to more.

And as they grow closer, it’s evident that Simon’s closet is not where Elliott wants to be. He was very hurt by his former lover and he won’t be hidden again. But Simon’s family feelings on homosexuality and strong cultural and religious beliefs don’t allow for room to negotiate and he desperately fears losing his parents if he comes out. In the meantime, Elliott is still searching for a university where he can settle in to research and get his career back on track, and it’s starting to look like that might happen in Nebraska.

Again, the author does not make the solution magical. These guys have to work for all they have both together and individually. It’s just not simple. It’s real. And I loved them. For me, the hallmark of a well-written book with endearing characters who face and overcome difficult life situations is when I can not only remember the story days later, but I can also recall their names. This one is a winner—proven by the above standards several days after I finished the story. And it’s going on my list of best of 2018. Well-written, with a host of amazing secondary characters, two outstanding main characters, and a variety of interesting experiences, added to slow burn, which is one of my favorite themes, I can easily highly recommend this one to lovers of MM romance. If you like it slow and you like your characters to be people you’d like to get to know, by all means choose this story.

~~~

The very attractive, colorful cover by LC Chase depicts the torso of a man holding an open book while standing at a “little library.” It’s one of the reasons—beside the fact that I love this author—that I chose this book.

Sales Links:

Amazon | Smashwords

Book Details:

self published by the Kindle Edition, 1 edition
Published March 26th 2018 by Kim Fielding
Original TitleThe Little Library
ASINB07BJL6NMB
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Caryn Release Day Review: The Architect and the Castle of Glass by Jade Mere

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It’s been a while since I’ve read fantasy, and this book definitely lives up to the genre. The universe created is a little bit middle east, a little bit steampunk, a little bit of magic in a world just entering an industrial age. The cast includes a spoiled but genius aristocrat, his eccentric brother who sees things not of this world, a reclusive and secretive prince and his insane mother, and the man who calls himself brother to the prince. It’s long (as a fantasy book should be), and this is the first in a series, but it does end with closure of the initial story arc, and no cliffhanger (thank God, because those drive me crazy!)

The protagonist of the story, Takhi, starts out as an arrogant, selfish, entitled jerk. He’s the son of the ambassador, wealthy, aristocratic, given all the things wealthy men can give to their children. The only thing he wants, though, is to be a famous architect. His country is peaceful and meditative, and has been essentially sealed off from the largest and most modern country, Vatalokit, and that is the only place Takhi feels his genius will be appreciated. So he runs away, convinced that the only reason he is not already renowned as the greatest architect is because his country is backwards and resists innovation. Although I knew that he was going to be humbled and come out a better man – because that’s how fantasy works and this book follows the formula – I have to admit the process took so long I almost gave up on him. Truthfully, that’s probably more realistic, but I kept getting angry at him until the end of the book for being so conceited and self-absorbed, and because it led him into quite a few TSTL (too stupid to live) situations.

Takhi was recruited to serve as architect for the prince of Vatalokit, to convert his castle into a weapon. The castle itself is almost like another character – it is made of obsidian, dark, brooding, and strangely alive (Howl’s Moving Castle kept coming to my mind, but really it is nothing like that!). People who stay in it too long tend to go a little crazy. At the castle, Takhi met Rye – a man the prince rescued from the slums and who is now the closest thing the prince has to family. Takhi didn’t know why the prince wanted such a weapon, and didn’t believe the flimsy reasons the prince gave, but he thought only of making a name for himself, and was going to do that however he could.

The entire book was really well written, steadily paced with a natural plot evolution. I got irritated at Takhi many times and wanted to skip past the consequences of his stupidity, but it was worth it in the end to hang in there. The romance aspect of the story is almost peripheral, with only hints of interest from Rye and Takhi, and they are not together until the very end of the book. There was more written interaction between Takhi and his twin brother Sorjian, who actually became my favorite character. The reveal of the secrets of the castle, and the prince’s plotting, was abrupt and the only really jarring exception to the plot progression, and left several threads hanging, but I think those will be taken up in the next books in the series, and I’m looking forward to reading them!

Cover art by the author is typical of a fantasy book, pretty, and probably why I kept picturing Howl’s Moving Castle every time I thought of it….

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 230 pages
Expected publication: March 27th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781640802629
Edition LanguageEnglish

KIM FIELDING on Modesto, Story Locations, and her new release ‘The Little Library’ (guest blog)

The Little Library by Kim Fielding

Release Date: March 27, 2018
Cover art: L.C. Chase

Buy links:

Amazon | Smashwords

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Kim Fielding here today talking about her latest release The Little Library. Welcome, Kim.

✒︎

Hi! I’m Kim Fielding and I’m very excited to announce the release of my newest novel, The Little Library! Set in California’s Central Valley, this story stars a guy with a slightly obsession with books. What’s not love about that, right?

I live in California. I’ve lived here for 25 years, but my husband is a native and my daughters are something like 5^th generation Californians on his side. Thanks to movies and TV, people all over the world have at least some vague impressions about this state. Hollywood. Surfers. San Francisco. Redwoods. Death Valley. And all of those things really are here, of course. But California is a big state—its land mass is greater than that of Japan or Paraguay and only a little smaller than Sweden or Morocco—and there are parts of it that even most Californians aren’t familiar with.

I live in one of those parts: the San Joaquin Valley. In case you’re not a geography whiz, this is part of the Central Valley, lying flat and hot between the Sierra Nevadas and the coast ranges. About 4 million people live here, and there are a few larger cities (e.g., Fresno and Bakersfield), but most of the valley is rural. My new book, The Little Library, takes place here, in Modesto.

So what’s this area like? Well, we’re a couple of hours from beaches and redwoods. Celebrities are few and far between (although notable Modestans include Jeremy Renner, George Lucas, and James Marsters). Our winters tend to be cool and foggy, while our summers are oven-hot and bone-dry. People here tend to be more politically conservative than in the Bay Area. Housing prices are reasonable by California standards.

This is a heavy-duty agricultural area. We grow almost all of the country’s almonds and a whole lot of grapes (Gallo Winery is headquartered in Modesto). We have tomatoes, melons, feed corn, chickens, and dairy cattle. My subdivision, in a town about a half hour south of Modesto, sits on what used to be a bean field. Ours is a climate that allows backyards to sustain orange and apple trees, and rosemary and oregano become large shrubs.

This isn’t the most beautiful part of California, and it’s certainly not the most glamorous. People pass through here on the way to other places—Yosemite, Sacramento, LA—and few people would put the San Joaquin Valley at the top of their vacation wish lists. Still, I believe that almost every place on the planet has at least some charms, and interesting people live everywhere. Even in Modesto.

My decision to set The Little Library in Modesto was a deliberate one. Like their hometown, my protagonists—a failed academic and an ex-cop—aren’t flashy. Neither of them is wealthy, and they don’t look like they’ve stepped off a fashion runway. But they’re dealing with some universal issues. Fear of failure. Family conflicts. Uncertainty about their future. And, of course, the search for love.

Do you live somewhere nobody knows about? Or maybe you live somewhere famous but outsiders have misconceptions about your area. Please share in the comments!

***

About The Little Library

Elliott Thompson was once a historian with a promising academic future, but his involvement in a scandal meant a lost job, public shame, and a ruined love life. He took shelter in his rural California hometown, where he teaches online classes, hoards books, and despairs of his future.

Simon Odisho has lost a job as well—to a bullet that sidelined his career in law enforcement. While his shattered knee recovers, he rethinks his job prospects and searches for the courage to come out to his close-knit but conservative extended family.

In an attempt to manage his overflowing book collection, Elliott builds a miniature neighborhood library in his front yard. The project puts him in touch with his neighbors—for better and worse—and introduces him to handsome, charming Simon. While romance blooms quickly between them, Elliott’s not willing to live in the closet, and his best career prospects might take him far away. His books have plenty to tell him about history, but they give him no clues about a future with Simon.

***

About the Author

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Follow Kim:

Website: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/KFieldingWrites

Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Email: Kim@KFieldingWrites.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bau3S9

A complete list of Kim’s books: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/kim-fieldings-books/

A Highly Recommended Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words story. Find our review here.

Blog Tour – The Rescuer by Eric Huffbind (excerpt and giveaway)

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: The Rescuer (2nd Edition)

Author: Eric Huffbind

Publisher: Self Published

Cover Artist: Jennifer Craig

Genre/s: Contemporary Gay Male Romance.

Length: 59,000 words/212 paperback pages

Goodreads

Blurb

Christopher’s striking green eyes and handsome good looks didn’t buy him happiness, but he learned to survive off of them to maintain his expensive lifestyle. Now, after he has nearly destroyed himself, he’s in the fight for his life…

A Contemporary Gay Male Romance – Newly Released 2nd Edition

When Christopher Parker checks himself into the Watermeadow Rehabilitation Center, he was frightened for his future and what was to become of him. Haunted from his past, he knows that he has to take this step in his recovery or face his likely death as the alternative. He never expected to find his social worker, Jason Calhoun, incredibly attractive. Christopher dreams of finding a man to love and who will treat him with decency. Although Jason does fit the bill, he knows that this relationship is strictly professional. Completely out of reach for a failure like himself.

Jason, who is a hopeless romantic, is in the endless pursuit of Prince Charming. Always unlucky in love but finds solace in the care of his patients. He loves being needed and having patients that depend on him. Jason comes to realize that the guys he dates always need to be rescued, much like his patients. A strategy that he’s learning is a poor choice.

Jason discovers that Christopher has become tangled up with a famed billionaire. As a billionaire, he can afford anything he wants, which seems to include even the ability to buy true love. Suddenly, he fears that everything he has worked so hard for, both romance and career, is being threatened by his new nemesis.

If you enjoy stories that pull you in and have you caring about the characters and what happens to them, then this is the book for you. It promises to have you laughing, crying, & smiling!

Buy Links

Queer Romance Ink https://www.queeromanceink.com/book/the-rescuer/

Excerpt

Feeling a set of lips gently pressing on his forehead, Christopher woke up to someone kissing him. He found a strange man gazing down on him; his eyes weren’t quite in focus yet.

“How are you feeling?” asked the stranger.

Christopher suddenly sprang up from the bed recognizing in a split second whose voice it was. “Sam! What the fuck are you doing here?” Eyes now focusing at one-hundred percent.

“I was just checking in on you. I wanted to know how you were feeling? Can’t a friend pay a visit?”

It was Samuel Barron or “Sam” as his cohorts called him. He was a powerful CEO of one of the nation’s top five-hundred corporations, namely Viatone. They were makers of pharmaceuticals. In the years Christopher had known Sam, Viatone had grown to a five-hundred-billion-dollar company.

Sam was a bit more than just a CEO of a huge corporation. At one time, he was one of the nation’s most eligible bachelors—a gorgeous hunk of a man to feast your eyes upon, despite his advancing years. His looks held up like a fine bottle of wine. Women all over the country would swoon over every magazine photo, television news spot, and social media post. And it wasn’t just the women. Every gay man’s dick would jump into action each time they saw an image of this man; Christopher had been among that crowd.

Mr. Barron exuded pure charisma everywhere he went and in everything he touched. He’d been one of the nation’s most eligible bachelors. However, that status changed five years ago, when he married Patsy Rossmiller.

“You’re no friend!” Christopher shouted back in his most snide and angry voice. “And you’re not welcome here, you motherfucking son-of-a-bitch! Get the fuck out of my room! Better yet, get the hell out of my life!” He made no attempt to hide his feelings. Clearly, he was overwhelmed with upset; downright hostile and belligerent.

“Sweetheart, I’ve been worried sick about you,” Sam said.

“I’m not your sweetheart. Not now—not ever,” Christopher shouted with increasing volume. “You’re not worried about me—you selfish asshole. You’re concerned about your reputation. What would this country think of you if they knew the truth? The country—hell, what would the world think if they found out. That’s all you care about. That’s all you ever cared about.”

“Look, you’re not the only one who’s in a position of power, and you know it!” The bastard CEO snarled back.

That was one comment Christopher did not want to hear, and it was the last straw. He couldn’t take the presence of this man, not a single second more. He burst into tears yet again all the while he screamed as loud as he could.

“Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!” Over and over, he yelled with increasing intensity. In no time at all, the third-floor staff came racing into Christopher’s room; including Jason. Nurse Judy immediately saw the presence of Sam Barron, as did everyone else. She didn’t have the slightest idea what was upsetting her patient to result in such a tumultuous reaction. Looking directly at the unwanted visitor, she calmly said, “Mr. Barron, I think you had better leave.”

It wasn’t as if she or anyone needed to be introduced to this man. Who wouldn’t recognize him? Sam Barron’s notoriety spread everywhere, particularly in the healthcare community. But what the fuck is this man doing in Christopher Parker’s room at Watermeadow of all places was crawling through Jason’s head. He just couldn’t understand what their connection would be.

Mr. Barron knew he was outnumbered, so he nodded graciously and left as instructed. Christopher shouted after him, “And don’t come back—ever! I never want to see you again!”

He now dissolved into a puddle of tears. Eying Jason from across the room, Christopher ran over and flung his arms around the man, weeping uncontrollably; desperately needing to be in the arms of a friend. And although his new case manager wasn’t precisely a friend, he somehow knew he wouldn’t be rejected. His weight, having grabbed Jason so suddenly, pulled them both tumbling to the floor.

Trying to calm him down with a soft, “shhhhhh, listen to me, if you don’t want Mr. Barron coming back again, I can have him barred from the facility, at least while you’re staying with us.” The loud sobbing continued on Jason’s shoulder. “Would you like that?”

Christopher replied in a faint whisper, “Yes, please.”

Holding onto him tightly, he delivered a telling nod over to Judy. It was evident Christopher was overpowered with anger and anxiety that even the Ativan couldn’t assist with. In a complete state of bewilderment, she indicated she would call security at once, preventing the return of this apparent nemesis. Jason was also just as bewildered as he looked over towards her. Despite Sam Barron’s status in this world, he’d be damned if the man would interfere with a patient’s recovery. He was a tremendous advocate where his patients were concerned. “You just cry as much as you need to.”

Christopher tightened his grip around him even more while continuing to soak Jason’s dress shirt with tears. But Jason didn’t mind being clutched so tightly. It made him feel whole inside; that his life had meaning and purpose. It’s what he was good at—being there for others when they needed him. He treasured being needed; he always did.

After ten minutes of constant sobbing, Christopher finally calmed down. The ongoing sniveling had quelled. Jason eased him off the floor and back into bed. “Lie down and rest for a while. Are you feeling better now?” He received a nod back that indicated a positive answer. So, Jason brought Christopher’s feet up onto the bed and pulled the blanket across him. In his experience, a huge crying jag was exhausting.

Jason shut off the lights in the room and closed the door as he exited. He had a stack of paperwork sitting in his office, which needed his attention. One thing was certain in his mind, there weren’t going to be any elves coming around to take care of it for him.

About the Author

Eric Huffbind is a man of many talents. He is a hopeless romantic, licensed registered nurse, has been a travel agent, and the eternal social butterfly. Among his passionate interests are history, genealogy, romance, and travel. Like so many other individuals, he has a long bucket list. On the list, to no surprise, was writing a novel. So this, his debut novel, is a lifetime of raw emotions: be it love, happiness, sadness, tears, joy, anxiety, fear, disappointment, or achievement.

Although, the story in The Rescuer, focuses on the romantic relationship of two gay men, regardless of your sexual orientation, this novel is meant to rekindle the true spirit of romance and love in your heart. If Mr. Huffbind’s story moves you through an array of emotions, and it touches your romantic spirit, please share the book with a friend.

Mr. Huffbind was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and has remained in southwest Ohio for his entire life. His current residence is in West Chester Township, Ohio. He shares his life with his husband, an autistic son, and his beautiful Pomeranian.

Social Media Links

Giveaway

Enter Eric’s Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win one of the following prizes:

$25 Amazon Gift Card

$15 Amazon Gift Card

$10 Amazon Gift Card

One of 5 FREE Ebook Copies of THE RESCUER

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Book Blast – Love Worth Fighting For (Healing Hearts #3) by Dara Nelson (excerpt)

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Love Worth Fighting For (Healing Hearts #3)

Author: Dara Nelson

Publisher: Dare Press

Cover Artist: Dara Nelson/Dan Skinner

Genre/s: Gay (MM) romance

Length: 68256 words/236 pages

Release Date: February 27, 2018

It is a standalone book.

Blurb

Love.
They had it.
It was right there within their grasp.
Beautiful, blinding, passionate, perfect.
Or was it?
What do you do when your world suddenly and inexplicably falls apart?
How do you cope when everything you thought was good and strong and right…..suddenly isn’t?
How do you come to terms with an end that you never saw coming, a blow from your blindside that crushes your very existence?
How do you let go of the other half of your heart?
For Giovanni Romero, a man of confidence, a man who has always known what he wanted and went after it, you don’t.
You dig in with everything you have, reach deeper to find even more, and you fight.
You fight for what you believe in.
You fight for what you want.
You fight even though you don’t know why you’re fighting in the first place
You fight for love.
Who knew what that meant. It was different for everyone. Truth was, even Tommy had no idea what he truly needed to break free from his fears.
But Gio knew, of course he knew. And once he was able to show Tommy, would the man run screaming from the room or would a whole new world open up at their feet like the golden brick road to Oz.
Restraining benches, sex swings and blindfolds, oh my…

This is an adult M/M romance intended for readers over 18.

Buy Links – Available on KU

Goodreads

Excerpt

Gio swirled the amber liquid in his glass as he stared out of his floor to ceiling windows at the twinkling lights from the Seattle skyline below. This place was supposed to be his sanctuary, his window to the beautiful world below. Instead, tonight it felt like his prison, like he was a captive in his own castle. He reached up with one hand and angrily yanked at his bowtie to loosen it then he unbuttoned the first few buttons on his shirt. As his hand dropped back down it brushed over the lump in his inner breast pocket. He felt the tears immediately form in his eyes as he reached shaking fingers inside and pulled out the velvet box. He worked it open with one hand, the other still firmly clasping the glass with the whiskey in it because he knew how badly he needed it. He drained the rest of the fluid as he stared down at the silver and black bands with the diamonds glinting in the moonlight.

Then he hauled his arm back and sent his empty glass flying towards the far wall where it smashed into a hundred pieces as he shouted out “FUCK!” into his empty room.

Empty.

That was an eerily accurate thought right now because he did feel empty. His heart was shattered and his entire soul felt devoid of everything.

The problem was that he didn’t know why.

Why did he have to feel like this? Why did he have to go from being happier than he’d ever been to…..this?

He hadn’t done anything wrong as far as he knew but maybe he had? He tried to wrack his brain to think of something, anything that would explain why his entire world had crashed down around his feet.

Was it something he said?

Was it something he did?

He didn’t know, he just didn’t know.

Because the one person who could tell him had left. He’d run. And he wasn’t speaking to Gio.

He wouldn’t answer his calls.

He ignored his texts.

Tommy’s silence was like a knife piercing Gio’s dying heart over and over and over again. Tommy, his beautiful, fierce strong Tiger, had buried his claws in Gio’s chest and squeezed.

He slid his hand into his other pocket and pulled his phone out to….what? Torture his eviscerated heart some more by reading the text again? Apparently so, since he found his thumb sliding over the screen to wake it up and he stared down at it yet again, even though those words were already burned into his brain:

Tiger: I’m sorry, I just can’t do this anymore. Don’t call, don’t text, just let me go, please.

What the fuck did that even mean?

How did they go from laughing and enjoying themselves at Tony’s VIP celebration and wedding to this? All in a matter of a few hours.

His hand squeezed his phone as a sob broke free and he came really close to throwing the damn thing against the wall to join the broken glass.

But he couldn’t.

Because he needed his phone.

He needed it to fight, to fight for his man, to fight for their love, to fight for his life, to fight for….them.

He had no other choice.

If he didn’t, he didn’t think he’d survive.

He brought up his contacts and scrolled through as his heart hammered in his chest.

He knew he was grasping at straws here.

And he also knew that it was almost three in the morning.

But this couldn’t wait.

He pressed to dial and brought it up to his ear.

“’Lo?” a tired sounding voice said from the other end.

“I, it’s Gio. I need your help.”

About the Author

I was born and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California but have made my home in the Pacific Northwest for the last two decades. My husband & I live on a small farm surrounded by chickens, goats, rabbits, a turkey, 5 dogs and a cat, in the shadow of stunning Mt Rainier.

With my grown children and grandchildren nearby, my life is always busy, happy and full of laughter.

I am an active Blogger, having created Love Unchained Book Reviews out of my love for all things MM books.

Owner of Dare Press – Offering quality, affordable services for indie authors, including:

Editing, Publishing, Book Cover Design

NY Literary Magazine Best Story Award 2017 Nominee

When I’m not on the phone with my best friend (which is at least once every day) – I am an avid, addicted reader. It is my passion, my escape, my joy

And I am most definitely a writer. The characters in my head are constantly demanding that their story be told.

But above all that – I am a human being. My passion for people is unparalleled, my firm belief in Love is Love unwavering, my hope that all can be accepted, undying. I do not write because I want to, I do it because I have to. I write because these voices, these beautiful men, have chosen me to tell their stories – and how damn lucky am I for that?

As an author, I write under both my name and a pen name, with total transparency and honesty:

Dara Nelson is the author of the wildly popular ‘Healing Hearts’ series (Love in the Aftermath, Love After Chaos, Love Worth Fighting For – and more to come soon)

“5 stars Amazing!!”

“Highly recommended”

“This is not your average romance story. It is so much more. A book that touched my heart.”

“OMG!!! This was probably one of the best books I’ve ever read.”

“This is the first time I’ve read anything from Dara Nelson, but it won’t be the last. I need more of her writing!”

Under the pen name Kendel Duncan:

Author of the popular & critically acclaimed ‘Black Ops Heroes’ series and the new top-selling ‘Doyle Global Securities’ series

“I can’t recommend Kendel Duncan or Black Ops Heroes ENOUGH!!!! OMG, everyone who likes strong vulnerable men will love these stories!!!”

“I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND THIS AMAZING SERIES!!!!!”

“I love how you keep the story going and keep all the characters interesting. Can’t wait for the next book!”

“The emotions are so raw and just I don’t have the right words to express how amazing the books are. You have to read them to understand. I can’t wait for the next installment!!”

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A MelanieM Review : The Left Hand of Calvus (Warriors of Rome #1) by Ann Gallagher

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Former gladiator Saevius is certain fortune’s smiling on him when a Pompeiian politician buys him to be his bodyguard. But then his new master, Laurea Calvus, orders Saevius to discover the gladiator with whom his wife is having an affair. In order to do that, Saevius must return to the arena, training alongside the very men on whom he’s spying. Worse, he’s now under the command of Drusus, a notoriously cruel—and yet strangely intriguing—lanista.

But Saevius’s ruse is the least of his worries. There’s more to the affair than a wife humiliating her prominent husband, and now Saevius is part of a dangerous game between dangerous men. He isn’t the only gladiator out to expose the Lady Verina’s transgressions, and her husband wants more than just the guilty man’s name.

When Saevius learns the truth about the affair, he’s left with no choice but to betray one of his masters: one he’s come to fear, one he’s come to respect, and both of whom could have him killed without repercussion. For the first time in his life, the most dangerous place for this gladiator isn’t the arena.

In The Left Hand Of Calvus Ann Gallagher has recreated the ancient city of Pompeii, complete with corrupt politicians, cheating wives, and the desperate, hard and often short lives of gladiators and the ludus. Gladiator Saevius’ fate changes when he’s sold as a bodyguard to Pompeiian Politician Laurea Calvus. Thinking himself free of the fighting, it turns out that his new master, wants a spy within the ludus of the famed and infamous lanista Drusus. To fulfill his master’s orders, it’s back into the arena as a gladiator that Saevius must go.

I loved how vividly alive Pompeii feels here, from the overcrowding, poverty, and stench that arises in the poor section of the city to the behavior of the powerful at every level of society and its impact on others (political, social, and even economic). It gives the story such a wonderfully rich foundation as well as framework for the story and characters.

It also gives most readers an additional point of reference because we are well aware of what awaits the citizens of Pompeii in the future adding a layer of urgency and poignancy.

For me it’s less a romance and more a wonderful piece of historical fiction that happens to have an element of romance in it (if you are looking for sex you won’t find it here). Much of the story revolves around a central mystery and two characters both pulling at Saevius for his loyalty and control. One is the politician that owns him and the other is the lanista Drusus who in a manner also “owns” him as Saevius fights for him in his ludus. The more the gladiator finds out, the more confused he (and the reader) become because nothing is as it seems.

The author builds the suspense, there are many agonizing moments as Saevius often teeters on the brink of discovery. And there is one masterful plot twist at the end that worked perfectly within the storyline and was still a stunner for the reader and the character.

My only slight hesitation here in giving this story five stars was that I wanted to see a little more development in the relationship between Saevius and Drusus. I think that needed a little more time and depth. However, all the other relationships, characters, and dynamics here were so well done that I read straight through until the story was complete.

Cover art: LA Witt. I liked the cover but I seems very old fashioned, more like a college cover.

Sales Link: Universal Book Links

Book Details:

This title is part of the Warriors of Rome collection.

ebook, 175 pages
Published November 5th 2012 by Riptide Publishing (first published November 3rd 2012)
Original TitleThe Left Hand of Calvus
ISBN 193755161X (ISBN13: 9781937551612)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/left-hand-calvus
SeriesWarriors of Rome #1
CharactersDrusus, Saivius settingPompeii (Italy)
Italy

Literary AwardsRainbow Award for Best Transgender Novel (2013)

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Bone to Pick by T.A. Moore and Michael Fell (Narrator)

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

This is a highly enjoyable, very-difficult-to-solve mystery adventure. Both MCs have issues with relationships so though they don’t want romance, they do have sexual chemistry and they act on it. Plus, there’s a dog—a police dog named Bo—who stole the show, as far as I’m concerned.

Children have gone missing over the past ten years, not often enough or apparently connected enough for anyone to link them until the recent disappearance of a ten-year-old boy. FBI agent Javi Merlo is assigned to the case and he’s not particularly happy about working with a dog and his cop handler. But that’s too bad because not only does Cloister Witte have plenty of experience with his dog, he also has personal experience with the disappearance of his own brother many years ago—a brother who was never found. But he’s dedicated and committed to his task and won’t stop until he finds the boy—dead or alive.

Javi doesn’t trust Cloister, though, and continually pushes him away from the case, but Cloister plods along following his own leads and his two-plus-two investigation style eventually leads to four. This isn’t a typical romance, and in fact, it ends with the case solved and with the men in bed, but not in love, so it’s a HFN at best. But it honestly doesn’t matter because the mystery itself is so good. It’s exciting and fast-paced with just the right amount of snarky ’tude from both MCs. And, of course, the dog is the hero at the end of the story so the dog lover in me was quite happy.

The narrator was new to me and he did a very good job with the voices, which were definitely different and easy to pick out. On the other hand, I hated the voice he gave to the mother of the missing boy—I wanted to smack her so bad. She was entitled and bitchy and nasty and the voice he gave her fit her personality like a glove. So yes, he did a good job—enough to evoke a lot of emotion from me, so that’s a win in my book.

I highly recommend this audiobook version to those who enjoy an interesting whodunit topped off with two sexy law enforcement MCs and a dog named Bo.

Cover art: Anne Cain. Love the cover. Interesting and it pulls your eye into the character and details.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Length: 9 hrs

Audible Audio
Published February 22nd 2018 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published August 14th 2017)
Original TitleBone to PicksettingSan Diego, California (United States)
California (United States)

A VVivacious Review: You’re My Everything by Lily G Blunt

Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5

This is an anthology featuring the following stories:-

1. Happy Anniversary, Jasper

Rating: 3.75 Stars out of 5

Nathan is about to celebrate his tenth anniversary with Jasper as he waits for him, he reminisces all the moments that made them a couple.

Wow! This story was a surprise. It read like a biography of a couple hitting all the points that made them who they are but that twist at the ending blew me away. The beginning of the story especially the teenage years come off as a little immature maybe in an effort to emulate teenage but I felt that the voice should have been more mature considering that this was a grown-up looking back at his teenage years not an actual scene from that period so the maturity that comes with age should have come across.

The story doesn’t have a strong beginning but the ending more than makes up for it.

2. Over the Rainbow

Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Dorian has just started teaching under the guidance of his mentor Mark who he can’t help finding sexy as hell. Will they ever find their way to each other?

This was a particularly long story and it is a slice of life fiction so that means that this story more than had its share of ups and downs. But overall I really liked Dorian’s character and I loved his story. Also, you can really sense the delicious chemistry that exists between Dorian and Mark. So, on the whole it was a very satisfying read, seeing these two end up together.

3. Opposites Attract

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

Andreas and Chris have been in a relationship for over three years but as time passes Chris’ adventurous persona seems to clash with Andreas’ fear of heights. As they both contemplate their future together, will they be able to get past this hurdle?

I always love established couple romances and that was a plus in favour of this story. Also, the story’s beginning is all fiery passion which somewhat clashes with the steady and calm pace that the rest of the story adopts. The dilemma is a case of differences clashing and both feeling insecure in their relationship with the other, nothing which a good conversation wouldn’t solve. So the conflict comes in the way of nature’s tempestuousness. Overall it was a solid read but since the tone and length of the story was very similar to the previous one, this one suffered a little bit because reading two similarly paced stories one after the other was a tad boring.

4. Service with a Smile

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

This story appears fifth in the ARC though its listed fourth on the contents page and the story listed after this one appears fourth in the book.

Terry is on a mission and the sales assistant he is eyeing is in for a pounding…

This is a short hot read and God! Is it hot in here… Wow! Terry and Ash blew my head off. This was a really hot and satisfying scene and even though the reveal (I don’t know if I should call it that, but would do you call unveiling the truth after the story tries to misguide you to a different conclusion if not a reveal, hmmm… I guess story progression) at the end was very predictable but all in all a short steamy quick fantastic read.

5.You Can’t Stop Loving Someone Just Like That

Rating: 2 Stars out of 5

Corey has been in love with his best friend, Jack for years but he knows his love will never be reciprocated. Over the summer before college, Corey meets Pierre and they both fall in love with each other. But, what will Corey do when Jack says he loves Corey, too?

I didn’t understand the point of this story. The title seems to completely contradict the protagonist’s actions and feelings. Also, there is cheating involved. I don’t mind reading about cheating but I really don’t get cheating on someone you love with someone you used to love, I mean you successfully jeopardized two relationships and got absolutely nothing in return except heartache either way. Also, I don’t get how the author is using the words “You Can’t Stop Loving Someone Just Like That” in context of a three-week old relationship, the words would have made more since if applied to Jack & Corey instead of Corey & Pierre. I feel like this story is supposed to be giving me a message but as far as I am concerned the message just doesn’t seem to have been delivered.

6.Without You

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Jasper has been separated from his lover for five long years and he prays that today on the day of their anniversary he might see his friend… lover, again?

I am not going to comment much on the plot of this story because the plot has a very nice twist to it and even though you start off confused, the story steadily starts to make sense. It is a really nice story though I can’t say much if I plan to avoid spoilers but this story is a really good read.

On the whole, I enjoyed this anthology, my particular favourites being the first and the last story.

Cover Art by Jay Aheer. I liked the cover.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1, 172 pages
Expected publication: March 29th 2018 by Lily G Blunt
ASINB07BH3X6JZ
Edition Language English

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The Little Library by Kim Fielding

Release Date: March 27, 2018 Cover art: L.C. Chase

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About The Little Library

About the Author

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Release Date: March 27, 2018
Cover art: L.C. Chase