A Lila Review: One Bullet by Casey Wolfe

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

When Ethan Brant was shot, he found himself dealing with severe PTSD and unable to do his job as a police officer any longer. With the aid of Detective Shawn Greyson, the man who saved his life, Ethan not only finds himself again but discovers love as well.

Shawn’s life growing up was less than ideal, however, he overcame that to become who he is today. That doesn’t mean he isn’t missing something in his life. What Shawn hadn’t realized, upon first meeting, was that Ethan could give him all that and more.

One bullet changed both their lives.

One Bullet is a nice character exploration, not only of the main characters but those in their world. Everyone has a reason or a connection, and how they treat or react to each other enhances this study.

As a character driven story, there’s no mystery or build up that the story tries to reach. We get to see different situations that added to the protagonists’ characters and relationship. That first event that brought them together is the catalyst to understanding how a single moment in time can reshape someone’s life.

I liked Shawn and Ethan and how their relationship moved from strangers to friends, and then to lovers. They have great relationships with their siblings and best friends. Their parents are polar opposites, but very realistic.

I do need to mention that some of the scenes blocks seem arbitrary and the changes in POV, for a paragraph or two, were not always necessary. Also, there are several scenes that could have been removed to dive further into others. I think there’s a degree of separation between the characters and the readers. As if we were looking at them instead of experiencing the story.

Overall, if you are looking for a quick read with interesting characters, UST, and low to no angst, this is your story. It has a nice sense of place too.

The cover by Natasha Snow is captivating and goes well with the story. The smoking bullet is the reason the protagonist got together in the first place.

Sale Links: NineStar | Amazon | Kobo

ebook, 153 pages
Published: March 27, 2017, by NineStar Press
ISBN: 9781945952814
Edition Language: English

Amy Lane on Writing, Personal Experience, the Saber Dance and her latest release ‘Bonfires’ (guest post)

Bonfires by Amy Lane
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Purchase Links

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Amy Lane here today talking about one of my recently highly recommended stories, Bonfires. Welcome, Amy.

✒︎

Saber Dance

By Amy Lane

When I was a kid, one year my dad made less than $1500 for the entire year. Yes, you read that right, we’re not missing a zero—or two. Yeah, sure, it was the seventies, and they didn’t drug test the poor people before giving out food stamps, and we lived in a dump for $75 a month, but you got to admit, that’s cutting things a bit close.

My dad was smart though—at the time he was in school to become a respiratory therapist (because Work-Fare WORKS, dammit!) and he made his scant living at a pick-n-pull, but he knew how to stretch out a dollar. We planted a garden, because seeds were cheap, and he haunted the feed stores for fertilized eggs. A hammer, some nails, a lightbulb, and BANG! Baby chickens—and whether they were roosters or hens, one way or another those critters would feed us for a year. (One year it was roosters—twenty-three out of twenty-five of them. My dad called all of his friends over to become a chicken-killing assembly line, and we had a hell of a barbecue, but that’s another story.)

So livestock, I’ve had it. As well as cats, for most of my life. And the thing with feeding the chickens (or the sheep or cats or dogs for that matter) is that there are feedbags left over. A long time ago, you used to be able to get some of the feed—or rice for that matter—in heavy duty cloth bags, but mostly they came in paper.

All of those layers of paper, with all of those leftover grains of food.

You what likes leftover grains of food?

Mice. Mice like leftover grains of food.

I remember—more than once—the chicken coop or feedbag pile getting infested with mice, and the orgy of destruction that followed.

There is nothing as entertaining as a cat chasing mice, especially one who has not become completely domesticated and still has a strong stream of jaguar running through its veins. The thing is, cats are insanely well-crafted killing machines. Everything from curved claws to sharp teeth to lashing tail plays some part in the feline Saber Dance that is a cat getting down to business.

I know some people out there—people who have possibly never had to walk into a darkened chicken coop to collect eggs and try not to freak out at the scurry of little feet as they scuttle through the hay—feel terrible for the furry little rodents, and I do see their side. I mean, my kids have kept mice and rats as pets, and on a one-on-one basis they can be amiable little creatures with adorable beady eyes and twitching whiskers.

They can also be cannibalistic nightmares who overrun chicken coops, devour crops (remember, those were dinner!) and scurry over your sandal-clad foot when you least expect them. And my heroes, the floofy kitties, were effectively getting rid of the little grain-stealing criminals.

I was a fan! Hell—on the day of the Massive Rooster Roast, half the adults who were supposed to be plucking and gutting chickens were in the chicken coop watching Squinter, my cat, do his thing, because that animal was amazing. If you’ve never seen a cat going after a mouse with one paw while he’s got one under the other paw and a third in his mouth, you are missing a cat’s reason for being.

So the scene from Bonfires in which Larx is throwing the feedbags onto the burn pile, and the cats are eliminating the fleeing mice—that’s drawn from my memories as a child. I remember how necessary clearing out the garden was, how the feedbags (in Larx’s case, it was cat food) often harbored more than feed, and how the family cats actually shook off their mantles of sloth and somnolence and for once earned their keep.

The texture of the light, the sharpness of the air in the fall, and the gladiatorial drama of life and death enacted on the stage of the fall bonfire all inspired a tremendous anticipation in my chest.

Like falling in love when you’re pushing fifty, it’s a timeless spectacle that feels brand new.

About Bonfires

Ten years ago Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron George lost his wife and moved to Colton, hoping growing up in a small town would be better for his children. He’s gotten to know his community, including Mr. Larkin, the bouncy, funny science teacher. But when Larx is dragged unwillingly into administration, he stops coaching the track team and starts running alone. Aaron—who thought life began and ended with his kids—is distracted by a glistening chest and a principal running on a dangerous road.

Larx has been living for his kids too—and for his students at Colton High. He’s not ready to be charmed by Aaron, but when they start running together, he comes to appreciate the deputy’s steadiness, humor, and complete understanding of Larx’s priorities. Children first, job second, his own interests a sad last.

It only takes one kiss for two men approaching fifty to start acting like teenagers in love, even amid all the responsibilities they shoulder. Then an act of violence puts their burgeoning relationship on hold. The adult responsibilities they’ve embraced are now instrumental in keeping their town from exploding. When things come to a head, they realize their newly forged family might be what keeps the world from spinning out of control.

About the Author

Amy Lane exists happily with her noisy family in a crumbling suburban crapmansion, and equally happily with the surprisingly demanding voices who live in her head.

She loves cats, movies, yarn, pretty colors, pretty men, shiny things, and Twu Wuv, and despises house cleaning, low fat granola bars, and vainglorious prickweenies.

She can be found at her computer, dodging housework, or simultaneously reading, watching television, and knitting, because she likes to freak people out by proving it can be done.

Connect with Amy:

Website: greenshill.com

Blog: writerslane.blogspot.com

Twitter: @amymaclane

Facebook group: Amy Lane Anonymous

Goodreads: goodreads.com/amymaclane

Stops on the blog tour:

March 17 – MM Good Book Reviews

March 24 – Divine Magazine

March 27 – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

March 27 – The Novel Approach

March 28 – Alpha Book Reviews

March 29 – Love Bytes

March 30 – Gay Book Reviews

March 31 – My Fiction Nook

Riptide Tour and Giveaway: Strays (Urban Soul #2) by Garrett Leigh

Strays (Urban Soul #2) by Garrett Leigh
Riptide Publishing
Cover by: G.D. Leigh

Read an Excerpt/Purchase it Here at Riptide Publishing

About Strays

Work, sleep, work, repeat. Nero’s lonely life suits him just fine until his best friend, Cass, asks him to take on a new apprentice—a beautiful young man who’s never set foot in a professional kitchen. Despite his irritation and his lifelong ability to shut the world out, Nero is mesmerised by the vibrant stray, especially when he learns what drove him to seek sanctuary on Nero’s battered old couch.

Lenny Mitchell is living under a cloud of fear. Pursued by a stalker, he has nowhere left to run until Nero offers him a port in a storm—a job at the hottest restaurant in Shepherd’s Bush. Kitchen life proves heady and addictive, and it’s not long before he finds himself falling hard and fast for the man who has taken him in.

Fast-forward a month and neither man can imagine life without the other, but one thing stands in their way: a lifetime of horrors Nero can’t bring himself to share with Lenny. Or can he? For the first time ever, happiness is there for the taking, and Nero must learn to embrace it before fate steps in and rips it away.

Now available from Riptide Publishing.

About Garrett Leigh

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Social media:
Website: http://garrettleigh.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighbooks
Cover art enquiries: blackjazzdesign@gmail.com

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Strays, one lucky winner will receive $25 in Riptide Publishing credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 1, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Its Superheroes Raised by Wolves Time! Rob Rosen on ‘Fierce’, his latest release + Giveaway

Fierce by Rob Rosen
JMS Books LLC

Available for Purchase at

JMS Books LLC | Amazon | Goodreads

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Rob Rosen back today to talk about his latest novel, Fierce! Welcome, Rob!

✒︎

Hello, I’m Rob Rosen. I’ve written romantic-comedy novels about zombies and werewolves, vampires and any number of assorted bad-ass drag queens, but for my 11^th novel, Fierce, I decided to touch on the superhero genre, only with a decidedly different twist. Lucas, my novel’s hero, has major super powers, powers that he wants to use to do good in the world. He’s tall and handsome, and has one hell of an awesome crime-fighting costume. On the surface of things, he’s your standard superhero. This book veers into newer territory in that Lucas must face the realities of actual life, that to do good you sometimes have to do bad, that to put the criminal away, you might have to hurt people, even innocent people. Life is not black and white; crime-fighting isn’t either. What if you have to kill the bad guy? What if you have to put someone you know in jail? What if your powers were actually meant do evil things? Tack on trying to protect the world and your family at the same time, all while going to college, leaving home for the first time, trying to find love as you try and find yourself, and Fierce, I hope, really does sail the genre into uncharted superhero waters.

For some more background, here’s a little blurb for you:

Lucas has a typical life — apart from being abandoned as a baby, raised by wolves, and having super powers. Still, inside, he feels like two people, both vying for control of himself. He’s a superhero and a nerdy college freshman. He’s both feral and tame. He wants to do good in the world and, at the same time, he wants to do nothing. And most of all, he wants to find his birth parents.

In this comedic tale of romance, mystery, and adventure, our hero is joined by his hunky boyfriend, his acerbic boss, an uptight college science professor, and his ex-boyfriend/once crime-fighting partner — not to mention a whole pack of wolves — to help foil his nemesis and uncover the secrets of his past to save his future.

If you find the above intriguing, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of the book, which is available in all e-formats and as a paperback.

Oh, and if you need some further persuading, here’s a little bit of the very beginning of Fierce:

“Help!”

I know, strange way to start a story, me screaming at you like that, but they say you need to grab the reader’s attention right off the bat. Help! I figured would do just that. Plus, you know, help was just what I needed. I mean, I was locked in a cage, my life in jeopardy of being snuffed out—which was par for the course, but still. In any case, help! seemed right on up there with the greats: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; Call me Ishmael; Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret. And I only needed four little letters to get my point across. Take that, Judy Blume!

Anyway, back to that aforementioned help I was shouting for. No, it wasn’t my best moment, to be certain, what with me being a superhero and all. Fierce. That’s my name; pleased to meet you. Though I’m guessing you’ve probably already heard of me, me being famous and all. And yes, that’s me blowing my own horn. Louis Armstrong should blow a horn so well, in fact.

All that being said, and in case you’ve been living under a rock and have yet to hear of my, you know, greatness, here’s my story in a nutshell:

As a baby, I was raised by wolves in the mountainous wilds of Montana.

I have super powers. Like, seriously super.

I catch bad guys for a living. For free! Minus, of course, the well-merited and desperately sought-after publicity.

But, you ask, raised by wolves? Come on now, Fierce, really? Does that actually happen? Wolves eat babies, don’t they? I mean dingoes do—or so I’ve heard, a la one Miss Meryl Streep—so it stands to reason that wolves do, too. Though not these wolves. These were tame wolves. Well, tameish. They were zoo wolves, hand-raised by humans. Except, they escaped during a freak storm, back to the wilds from whence their ancestors came, never to be seen again.

I saw them right off the bat, though. Well, sawish. I mean, I was a baby at the time, my eyesight not what it is today—which is freakishly strong, by the way. And yes, toot, toot, my horn doth bloweth, yet again. Gabriel in the heavens up above turns green with envy at my tooting abilities. Oh, and in case you hadn’t already surmised it, superhero, at least in my case, equates to super ego. Freud missed out big time on the likes of yours truly.

But I digress. Back to the wolves.

Best I could figure it—seeing as, again, I was just a baby at the time—the initial wolf pack consisted of ten wolves that once inhabited a small zoo on the outskirts of Billings, Montana. One fateful day, a tornado hit. A big one. Huge even! Dorothy would’ve shit her panties it was so friggin’ massive. Anyway, from what I’ve read, the storm struck quite suddenly, too suddenly for the folks at the zoo to be able to corral all the animals beforehand, so, when the fencing to the wolves’ enclosure twisted and uprooted, out they sped. The zoo figured they died in the storm, except, well, duh, they didn’t. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be hearing this account right now, right? Then help! would’ve been lost to the cosmos. A truly sad thought, I know.

Now then, wolves, it should be noted, are wily and smart creatures, so the first thing they did was run. Free at last, free at last! In other words, once the storm broke, they found themselves as far away from humans as they could get. Eventually, they wound up along the outskirts of Granite Peak, which is the highest natural point in all of Montana, the tenth highest state highpoint in the nation. Granite Peak is also the second most difficult state highpoint to climb because of the generally poor weather and equally poor delineated pathways. Montana being so sparsely populated to begin with, the wolves could easily escape and literally never again be spotted. Which is just what they did, until, ultimately, they were spotted by the tiny likes of me. Fate! Or, you know, simply pure dumb luck. Depends on if your glass is half full, I suppose.

Enjoy!

Rob Rosen

http://www.therobrosen.com

About Fierce

Giveaway

Rob Rosen is giving away a eBook copy of Fierce to one lucky reader. Leave your email address along with a comment for Rob below. A reader will be chosen at random by Rob and voila! The ebook will be yours! Of course, you must be 18 years of age or older.

Release Blitz: Release on March 21th ‘The Necromancer’s Dance’ by S J Himes (Audiobook) and Narrated by Joel Leslie

NDrelease

Title: The Necromancer’s Dance
Author: S J Himes
Series: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #1
Narrated by: Joel Leslie
Length: 8 Hours 8 minutes
Release Date: 21st March 2017
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, MM Romance

28486344

BLURB

In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new. Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother’s boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again pulled back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family’s death.

Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire’s attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.

Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead?

Death stalks the streets of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill….and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.

MATURE CONTENT Contains graphic violence, male/male sexual contact, a cranky necromancer, a sexy Irish vampire, and a pesky demon.

Purchase: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

EXCERPT

Angel was ranked as a sorcerer. The unfathomable infinite maelstrom of magic that gathered beyond this world in a brilliant sea of light and shadows, swirling and singing… Angel could use it. He was able reach out, through the veil, and touch the infinite. And even within the three tiers of magic users, witch, wizard, and sorcerer, there were rankings. All based on the personal strength of their individual abilities, and their affinities.

Angel’s affinity was for death, and he was a necromancer.

Not just death in its literal meaning; but all that lead to death and dying, and everything touched by mortality. Spirits, ghosts, poltergeists, all kinds of undead, the dying, illness, disease, poisons, and mortal injuries, and a whole mess of really nasty creatures and conditions. Anything on the other side of the veil and anything rushing towards death was within Angel’s affinity, in reach of his talents. Angel got along great with demons and vampires, when they weren’t trying to kill him. Nothing makes a vamp more nervous than a necromancer. The smart ones, at least.

About the Author

I’m a self-employed writer who stresses out about the silliest things, like whether or not I got my dog the best kind of snack and the fact my kindle battery tends to die when I’m at the best part in a book. I write mainly gay romance, erotica, and urban fantasy, with ocasional forays into contemporary and paranormal. I love a book heavy on plot and character evolution, and throw in some magic, and that’s perfection. My current series are: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer, Bred For Love (as Revella Hawthorne), and The Wolfkin Saga. My last two novels in the Beacon Hill Sorcerer won 3rd Place in the Gay Fantasy category for the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

I live in New Orleans, where the personalities are big and loud and so are the bugs! New Orleans is rich in cultural history, and the flavor and music of the City is impossible to hide. Before that, I lived all over the United States: Tampa, Western Massachusetts, Indianapolis, and on and on…. I’m a nomad, and I’ve yet to find a place that calls to me strongly enough to become home. My faithful travel companions are my dog Micah, the numerous voices in my head who insist they all get put on paper, and the wind at my back.

Wild Unpredictable Love Goes Marching Out. This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Wild Unpredictable Love Goes Marching Out

Yes, its the final week of March, that wild, unpredictable crazy month that’s echoed the rollercoaster that is romance for so many. Ups and downs, wild turns and topsy turvy motions that has your stomach churning. Yes, love and romance can be like that in life and certainly in our stories. From love that finds a foothold when all hope was lost to that stunning man always out of reach suddenly turning back around to look your way to the tiger prince and the warrior mage, perhaps even more so the wonderful nerdy geeks that capture our hearts with their hesitant ways, we never know what some of our favorite books will bring us.

Last week I reviewed Amy Lane’s Bonfires, a 5 star story that continues to stay with me. This week, Amy Lane is here to talk about it. That story was full of unpredictable twists and turns, typical of that author. On Saturday, April 1, I’m reviewing a book that certainly no April Fool’s Joke, Bru Baker’s Tall, Dark, and Deported, one of Dreamspinner Press’s Dreamspun Desires titles. Its heartwarming, sweet and surprising. Stella has one she’s reviewing that’s on my TBR list, John Inman’s story My Dragon My Knight. Check out that review along with me. Plus there’s that amazing Tal Bauer series The Executive Office that has another book out. We have back to back reviews on it this week as well along with Alex Beecroft’s new supernatural series. So many wonderful rollercoaster stories to get hooked on going into April. What’s on your TBR list this week? Did it make it onto ours? Let us know!

Plus this is the last week to enter into our giveaway. Go over your favorites, throw us your lists! With all these great books coming out, I’m sure you can use that gift certificate!

Wild, Unpredictable Love Giveaway!

Does love make us different? Should it vary wildly from person to person, species to species? Or is love so deeply essential and elemental that is transcends all boundaries? What’s unpredictable to you? In couples and in romance. Let me know what you think and your favorite books that make your point! The random reader chosen will receive a $10 gift certificate from Dreamspinner Press. Giveaway ends March 29th at midnight.

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, March 26:

DSP GUEST POST Cy Blanca on A Teacher and a Poet
Wild Unpredictable Love Goes Marching Out
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, March 27:

Rob Rosen blog post on Fierce + Giveaway
Riptide Tour and Giveaway: Strays by Garrett Leigh
DSP GUEST POST Amy Lane on Bonfires
Release Blitz March 27th *The Necromancer’s Dance by S J Himes (Audiobook)
A Free Dreamer Review: Strays by Garrett Leigh
A Lila Review: One Bullet by Casey Wolfe
An Ali Review: One Bullet by Casey Wolfe

Tuesday, March 28:

DSP GUEST POST Ken Bachtold on A Company of Players
Release Blitz – Bronze Star by AE Wasp
Release Day Blitz: Enemy Within by Tal Bauer
Review Tour – Helena Stone’s Patience
A MelanieM Review: Patience by Helena Stone
A VVivacious Review: An Officer’s Submission (Cuffs, Collars, and Love #3) by Christa Tomlinson

Wednesday, March 29:

RIPTIDE TOUR Angels of Istanbul by Alex Beecroft
Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings, Book 4 by Joe Cosentino (interview with a character)
BLOG TOUR One Bullet by Casey Wolfe
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Counting Down by Kelly Jensen
A VVivacious Review: The Poison Within (Inspector Skaer #1) by Kasia Bacon
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Rainbow Sprinkles by Anna Martin

Thursday, March 30:

Blog Tour Spritzer – A Sparkling Gay Romance by Jon McDonald
Release Blitz – Dirty Games by Barbara Elsborg
Release Blitz & Review Tour – Goodnight My Angel by Sue Brown
A MelanieM Review: Sons of Devils (Arising #1) by Alex Beecroft
A VVivacious Review: Fierce by Rob Rosen
An Alisa Review: Nightsong by A. M. Leibowitz

Friday, March 31:

Cover Reveal for Take a Chance by Megs Pritchard
A DSP GUEST POST Karen Bovenmyer
Release Blitz & Review Tour – Annabelle Jacobs’ Bitten By Design
A Lila Review: Enemy Within (The Executive Office #3) by Tal Bauer
A Paul B Review: Enemy Within (The Executive Office #3) by Tal Bauer
A Stella Release Day Review: My Dragon My Knight by John Inman

Saturday, April 1

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Tall, Dark, and Deported by Bru Baker

Cy Blanca on Writing, First Books and the release ‘A Teacher and a Poet (States of Love)’ by Cy Blanca

A Teacher and a Poet (States of Love) by Cy Blanca
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

Available for Purchase at

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Cy Blanca here today. Welcome, Cy! Please tell us all about yourself and your first story.

✒︎

Hi there, everybody. My name’s Cy Blanca, and I’m so honored that Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words allowed me to share a little bit of myself with all their wonderful readers. A Teacher and a Poet is my first attempt at getting something published, and as such I’m a complete noob when it comes to this sort of thing. (This is my first blog tour ever for my first ever published story!) So bear with me… and don’t judge too hard!

To make it easy on everybody I decided I’d answer some questions. Left to my own devices I could go on tangents that lead me from my story to facts I’ve learned about South Korea to recipes for different types of bread. But hopefully I answer well enough that you all get to know me at least a little bit. Of course, if you want to know more about me, you can follow my links down the rabbit hole and see where you end up!

So without any more stalling, here we go!

How much of yourself goes into a character?

As far as this story, both of the characters are 100 percent me, not gonna lie. Both Curt and Antony represent different aspects of myself, and those aspects are just augmented. There’s no real secret when it comes to how I framed my characters in this story. When writing A Teacher and a Poet, I sort of couldn’t help but put myself in every aspect of it—from the characters to the setting.

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

No matter the genre, I think research is integral to creating a world and characters that people can believe and become invested in. Even worlds that are wholly imagined have some aspect of research in terms of what things are plausible and how the boundaries can be pushed or even broken. Even when we strive for complete originality or an organic creative experience, there’s always a certain amount of control to the chaos. It’s just how the universe works.

I enjoy research to a point—I’ve always been inquisitive, so just finding out new things is always fun for me. Having a frame to work within serves as a launching point, from which a story and its characters and environments can actually come to life. Even within a certain set of parameters, human experiences are always different and always spontaneous.

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

I think no matter how hard we try, the things we grew up with influence everything we do, the things we think and say. It’s unavoidable. Even when you want to go in a totally different direction, you’re relying on what you’ve learned to decide to completely avoid going down an expected path. For A Teacher and a Poet, particularly, aspects of my childhood are all over this story—after all, the setting is my actual primary school. Kinda couldn’t avoid putting the things I’ve read and experienced in the story. Especially when it comes to what I’ve read growing up; narratives, writing styles, characters have all molded my writing. I fell in love with words at a very early age, so different combinations of them, different ways to make words make music…. It’s all a product of what I’ve read and continue to read.

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it? You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

I’ve got like five stories that I’ve had to just put aside. The story I’ve been working on for three years, for instance, was curbed for over six months at one point because I knew the ending before I knew the story leading up to it, and I was really just too afraid to write the ending because of how emotional it was. Honestly… I put it down because of the ending! (Still working on that one, by the way… whoops…!)

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

I think in some ways we all like happy endings because no matter how cynical we all are, we all want things to work out. Even if it’s not necessarily “happily ever after,” people like things to be in order at the conclusion of a journey. Even if it’s only happy in the moment—which I tend to favor more because it rings a little truer to me—in that moment the characters have found what they’re looking for. In the end, that’s all we can hope for, isn’t it? To be happy in the here and now? We can plan for happiness in the future, sure. But we don’t live in the future. We’re living in this second, this moment. May as well create some happiness while we’re breathing and being right now, right?

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

I never read them as a teenager because my idea of the romance genre was the grocery store romances my grandmother used to read. They looked boring to me. Then everything changed when I read Amy Lane’s Sidecar. Two words: Mind. Blasted! I had no earthly idea romances could be written that way, that romances were being written that way! It was an eye-opening experience, one that shaped my reading as an adult.

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?

This is a tough one. Stevie Wonder? I think, yes. He’s the major influence for most things in my life. His understanding of the world, his ability to make words fit around each other…. In A Teacher and a Poet it’s obvious, at least to me, how much music plays a role in how I write. I have to be listening to music to be able to do most things. So, yes, Stevie Wonder is probably my biggest influence as a writer… as a creative mind, if I’m being honest.

How do you feel about the eBook format and where do you see it going?

I think eBook is definitely here to stay. As much as it pains me to think this, physical books are slowly becoming a relic, a novelty for those who’ve always loved the feel of words in their hands. In terms of my feelings on eBook format, I’m totally all for it. At first, as with most who grew up reading books, I was a little resistant. But why? I think any vehicle that allows you to carry as many books and stories as you possibly can is a good thing. The only limit to the amount of books you can have on your person at one time is how much digital space you have… and considering the size of most eBooks (a standard eBook, between 200-350 pages, on a Kindle won’t take up more than 3-5 MB of space; even less on a generic e-reader), the possibilities are endless!

Do you have a favorite among your own stories? And why?

Well, as this is my first one being published, this one…? HaHa. But honestly, I’ve put so much work and emotion into the one I’ve been writing for the past few years, that one might preemptively be my favorite.

What’s next for you as an author?

Hopefully more published things? I’ve got words all over the place, and they’re doing no good just sitting in my head or in Dropbox. I’m never not writing, in one way or another. So hopefully A Teacher and a Poet is the first in several stories I get to share with people.

Thank you again to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. I’m so stoked that I get to reach out and talk to your readers! (Even more so because y’all were so kind to me and let me turn this in a little late… ::coughcough::)

About A Teacher and a Poet (States of Love)

Shawnee County, Kansas, might not be the most accepting place for a gay couple, but boyfriends Antony James and Curtis Ramírez have made it their home. Both of them work at Pauline Central Primary School, and while Antony is content teaching, Curt would rather pursue his passion: poetry. He plans to resign, but he doesn’t get the chance.

Working together has its risks, and when a student witnesses Antony and Curt sneaking a kiss in the workroom, they’re reprimanded. The school board’s punishment is mild, but some members of the community aren’t willing to let the indiscretion go. That small mistake could cost Antony and Curt their home—or it could remind them that home is in the heart, and as long as they stay strong in their love, they’ll always have a place to belong.

A MelanieM Review: Twilight (Dance with the Devil #7) by Megan Derr

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

More than seventy years have passed since Neirin du Lac was banished from the dragon clans he called home. Though he misses them, he and his dragon Troyes have built a happy life with his lover Barra, and their friends Devlin and Midnight. It is a not a life he would ever trade, not even for a chance to return to the clans.

Then the very last person he ever expected to see again comes begging for help: Prince Avalon Pendragon, ruler of the clans, a man Neirin once called friend, once wished to call lover. When Avalon tells him why he needs Neirin’s help, it’s not a request he can refuse, nor can his friends refuse to help him.

But the people bold enough to steal from the clans are not to be trifled with, and in the midst of fighting for their lives Neirin also finds himself caught between the man he loves now and the man he never truly left behind…

Twilight is one of those books where I yearned for hardbacks or paperbacks of all those stories I had stored in my Kindle of the Dance with the Devil series by Megan Derr. I adore this series. A mere whisper of another story has me gearing up in anticipation and curiosity because I never know where it will go and who will pop up next. Dance with the Devil is rich in layers, vast in scope, more a universe full of interlocking series where the characters and worlds sort of bleed into one another and time (and the most wondrous author) can play havoc with your memory! Its exactly the sort of book where I want to get all the previous stories together and spread them out around me as references as I read the one I’m currently absorbed in. Damn you, Kindle! Never have I missed bookmarks or dog-earred pages more. How I miss tossing books around looking for a particular character or pertinent magic thread by flipping actual pages! Sigh.

I had just finished reading and reviewing Shield of the Dragon (Dance with the Devil #6) which brought up a major question that this book answers…backwards of course. The events in the Shield of the Dragon happen after Twilight (just go with the magical flow) so I was thrilled beyond measure to get my answers here. Another character who shows up in a major role here without a consort? Well, those of us addicted to this series know who and what’s in store for him. We’ve read his story. But that’ s not essential to Twilight, its just another giddy, book grabbing element that will send devoted Dance with the Devil readers zooming back to that story (and the reason I need all those books scattered on the bed around me).

Twilight again swirls around the abduction of a very special dragon and a call of help from Prince Pendragon, ruler of all the clans. The man Pendragon needs assistance from? Neirin du Lac and his dragon Troyes, a man nearly whipped to death and banished forever from the clan and kingdom. Neirin is now happily living with his lover the elf wolf, Barra and their friends, the Mad Duke (and witch) Devlin and the draugr Midnight. Each couple has had their stories told in previous books but its not entirely necessary to have read them as their pasts together is recounted here for the new reader. For us fans, yep…back to their stories not because its necessary but because its a pleasure we seek.

Anyhow, it seems that hearing from the Prince stirs up old romantic crushes in Neirin, ones that threaten his current relationship as well as bring up all those old bitterness he thought he had buried from being banished. Now both come crashing back in the form of the Prince. In addition, it pulls in his protective friends, Devlin and Midnight to aid in not only the quest to find the dragon but to see their friends safely home and still together. Magic swirls, both good and evil, there are huge battles, enormous surprises and yes, hot sex, dragon and otherwise. So be prepared for not just M/M, but menage and more.

The only elements here that may confuse the new reader is the aspects of the dragons. These aren’t dragon shifters but dragons who take the form of men in order to better interact with their humans. But they are always dragons. Dragons who are the “weapons” to be wielded by the knights who are the dragons “shield”. That’s the bond between dragon and warrior that’s often tarnished, warped or worse and that Pendragon is trying to reestablish and that readers new to the dragon part of this series may not get immediately. The dragons act as dragons not as men. As I said this is a story that has so much to it, and that includes the mythology the author herself has built into it over a number of tales.

I loved this story. I felt that the way it worked out suited everyone and that Derr worked her way up to it in a manner that let us think about it and adjust to it along with all the characters. And now I need to read Shield of the Dragon again. Laughing…it never stops. The Wheel moves on.

If you love Megan Derr and all her incredible creations. This is for you. If you love fantasy, supernatural and just the shear high flying imagination this series represents…Dance with the Devil and Twilight is for you. Pick them all up and have the times of your life. That’s not a typo!

Cover art by Natasha Snow is dark, green and perfect for the story.

Sales Links

Less Than Three Press

Amazon link to come

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: April 5th 2017 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781684310005
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesDance with the Devil #7

Dance with the Devil series

10 works, 7 primary works

A series about a dangerous paranormal world ruled by the elite, where all too often the lesser paranormals get lost in the fighting. These stories revolve around the people who look out for the forgotten, overlooked, and abused.

Stories are best read in sequence, though they are not in chronological order. If you prefer to read them chronologically Not in the order they are released:

Midnight
Twilight
Dance with the Devil
Dance in the Dark
Sword of the King
Shield of the Dragon
Dance Only for Me

And the short stories in between can be read at any time.

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Bonfires by Amy Lane

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Bonfires is one of those Amy Lane books that’s bigger than any review any reader could possibly write about it. It encompasses so many huge elements and hits so many big emotional targets that when it comes to pulling it all together in one review I find it escapes me. It doesn’t help that you go willingly into this story knowing there’s an aspect of it that’s going to tear you apart in Amy Lane’s “shred your heart” way. You do it knowing something worthwhile will come out of it, as it does here.

Bonfires is not simply a romance any more than starting a fire is about putting two twigs together and expecting a spark. No, Bonfires is about how families are built, how foundations are laid for people to come together to become a strong cohesive unit, powerful enough to withstand some of life’s worst blows, public condemnation and more. First you get these two men who have already had long relationships that led to having families and children. The men are real, grounded in their lives and ages. You get them and understand them immediately.

Then you get the amazing, believable, (and not so amazing) kids on both sides. Yes, just as in life, not all the offspring are sweetness and light. That’s always a relief to see that bit of reality hit the pages even if its not so welcome for the couple. There’s no instant meshing of families. Things take time, talking, and work. There’s actual adulting here. There’s two houses, schedules, and how and if to come out to your various working environments and staff. Complicated? You bet and absolutely absorbing. Why? Because we care about these men and children. We gotten to know them intimately. At school and at their workplaces. So when deeply concerning things are happening at the school to people, adult and teens we are intensely concerned about, we care about that too.

Along with Aaron and Larx trying to figure things out for themselves and their kids, there’s another storyline unfolding that’s of equal importance and intertwined with Aaron and Larx. Its the element with the tragic repercussions that reverberate throughout the community and the two men’s burgeoning relationship. All things elements, all these pieces of tinder that add up to Amy Lane’s powerful Bonfire….and there’s more. Of course, there’s always more…

When I said its about families. I mean families of all types. Its also the flip side of families…those that do irreparable damage to their young and their community. And its about the larger families found within the various social communities. Here Amy Lane’s knowledge of the school system comes in handy with the interplay with the Board of Directors, the various school teachers and factions within the education system. It all rings very true.

At the end of Bonfires, when you finish the last sentence and reflect back on all those lives and people that Amy Lane created and you spent time with, the tears shed, the hearts that broke and got pieced back together again, the families made into one…I still think back over this incredible story and realize there’s so much more that I never addressed or could even begin to. Its as though she crammed a series into one book and no one noticed. What I do think you should do is read this book. Its one for thinking about, thinking about families and love and all the astonishing things it takes to get that right. If we’re lucky and work hard. When making my Best of 2017 List, Bonfires will be on it. That’s my recommendation.

Cover Artist: Anne Cain. Works for the story, although I’m not sure I’m that crazy about it. Don’t exactly know why.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 280 pages
Expected publication: March 24th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press, LLC
Original TitleBonfires
ISBN 1635333415 (ISBN13: 9781635333411)
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Review: Here for Us (Us #1) by A.M. Arthur

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Cris Sable doesn’t walk into popular gay bar Big Dick’s expecting to find more than a casual hookup, so he’s surprised by his instant attraction and intense chemistry with go-go dancer Jake. Jake’s sexy as hell and a firecracker in bed. The sparks between them are undeniable, and what starts as a hookup evolves into something deeper, possibly permanent—until Jake dumps Cris flat on his ass for no good reason.

Angry and confused, Cris finds comfort with his longtime friend and employer Charles “Chet” Greenwood. Cris’s emotional state stirs up Charles’s long-buried feelings for Cris. Feelings he’s denied for eight years, because Cris is his employee and therefore off limits—not to mention two decades younger than Charles. Cris admits he has feelings for Charles, too, but he’s still getting over Jake and both men agree nothing can happen between them while Charles is still Cris’s boss.

Jake Bowden knows he doesn’t have anything to offer a guy. He’s a go-go dancer with no degree and no real career aspirations. He’s also used to everyone who loves him leaving, so it makes sense to cut Cris loose before things get too serious. Cris is kind, passionate and totally deserves a guy like Charles—wealthy, owns a home, successful businessman. Jake can’t compete so why bother? They’re better off together. But when Jake has a serious personal crisis, Cris and Charles unite to pull him back together, and the three men discover it’s possible—maybe even inevitable—to fall in love with more than one person at a time.

I generally enjoy this author’s stories but this one didn’t really work for me. I had a very difficult time connecting to any of the three main characters. I especially struggled with Cris. Nothing he did or felt made any sense to me. He had been in love with Charles for years but then when there’s a chance for their relationship he hesitates over a guy he had a one night stand with. I had a hard time buying his reasoning for this and it made the entire Cris/Jake thing seem like unrealistic insta-love to me.

This is a spin off series in a way of the author’s Perspective’s series and while you don’t need to read that to read this, you will see all of those couples in this book. That dynamic was overwhelming. There were six of them and a bunch of them had two names each because one was there porn name and one their real name. They’re referred to as both depending on who’s talking to them and Cris has two names and Chet has two names and gah……..it felt like there were 100 side characters.

These guys as a group had a ridiculous amount of problems. It was never ending and it just felt over the top to me. It took away any emotional impact I might have felt. Instead of being concerned about them I found myself rolling my eyes. Another thing that continuously made me roll my eyes was the fact that they non-stop referred to Chet as “grandpa” or the “old man”. Mind you he was 48 years old not 84. I know it’s a petty complaint but it really annoyed me.

The note at the back indicates that the next book in the series will continue to be about these three men so maybe their relationship dynamics will be more deeply looked at in that. For now though this just felt too hard for me to believe or buy into.

Cover: I think the cover is average. There is nothing wrong with it but it does not stand out in any way.

Sales Links

Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 332 pages

Published March 17th 2017 by Briggs-King Books

ASIN B06X156VN3

Edition Language English

Series Us #1

Share this:

Bonfires by Amy Lane Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Purchase Links

About Bonfires

About the Author

Share this:

Strays (Urban Soul #2) by Garrett Leigh Riptide Publishing Cover by: G.D. Leigh

Giveaway

Share this:

Fierce by Rob Rosen JMS Books LLC

Available for Purchase at

JMS Books LLC | Amazon | Goodreads

About Fierce

Giveaway

Share this:

Share this:

Wild Unpredictable Love Goes Marching Out

Plus this is the last week to enter into our giveaway. Go over your favorites, throw us your lists! With all these great books coming out, I’m sure you can use that gift certificate!

Wild, Unpredictable Love Giveaway!

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, March 26:

Monday, March 27:

Tuesday, March 28:

Wednesday, March 29:

Thursday, March 30:

Friday, March 31:

Saturday, April 1

Share this:

A Teacher and a Poet (States of Love) by Cy Blanca Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

Available for Purchase at

About A Teacher and a Poet (States of Love)

Share this:

Dance with the Devil series

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Bonfires by Amy Lane
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Strays (Urban Soul #2) by Garrett Leigh
Riptide Publishing
Cover by: G.D. Leigh

Fierce by Rob Rosen
JMS Books LLC

A Teacher and a Poet (States of Love) by Cy Blanca
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht