Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

A Stella Review: Defenseless by AJ Rose

RATING 5+ out of 5 stars

defenseless-by-aj-rose
Kyle Decker knew dating Jesse McGovern would change his life. Young and in love, and with the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, the world is theirs to conquer.

But their victorious Pride celebration ends in a savage attack, brutally demonstrating they’re far from equal. Instead of wedding planning, Jesse and Kyle face an arduous recovery and a shattered sense of their place in the world, their once-promising future suddenly something to survive.

While Jesse struggles with a permanent injury and its emotional aftermath, Kyle’s single-minded focus on Jesse’s recovery is the only thing keeping his demons at bay…for now. What was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love is now full of lies and resentment.

With their dreams tattered and forever changed, trusting anyone—even each other—is daunting. So how can they have faith in twelve strangers on a jury? They’ve already learned the hard way it only takes a moment to become truly defenseless.

Surprisingly Defenseless was my first book by A.J. Rose, I own some books by this author but I was a little scared to try them (don’t ask me why). When I read the blurb of her new release, I was soon curious, I lately read a story who treated an abuse like the one Jesse and Kyle suffered and I was interested in seeing how a new to me author would deal with the same theme.

Although anything I will say in my review will do no justice to the awesomeness the story actually is, I’m going to try and put my thoughts into words.

Defenseless is a powerful book, very emotional and well written. It’s a little long to my liking with its over 400 pages but not once I was bored, even through the various scenes that took place in the law court, the author was great at keeping my attention and making me cringe for a second time when the MCs retold what happened. I replayed that night with them and it was painful as the first time. That  night that changed Jesse and Kyle lives forever, from that moment they needed to learn to be together again, to trust and help each other, but first of all they had to learn how to let their own minds recover from a horrible violence. Their journey is not an easy one, overcome fears and hidden rage while feeling defenseless, although a huge group of incredible people is around them, ready to shield and support them from the outer world.

IMO that special element that made the book great was how A.J. Rose was able to approach and show us the MCs difficult changes from every angle and from every emotion. She told us everything (every little detail of the assault) with a delicacy and a respect hard to find in other stories like this one. It surprised me so much I had to put her among my favorite authors.

Don’t think for a moment Defenseless is an oppressive and dark story, because it isn’t. There is so much pain of course, but the light  all the characters have inside themselves brightened my reading.

I feel to recommend Defenseless to everyone, it’s an amazing story, don’t miss the opportunity of meeting these guys.

I like the cover art by Elizabeth Mackey Graphic Design, it’s well done and fitting. Perfect for the story.

Sales Links

6f71e-all2bromance2bbutton

7104e-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, First Edition, 438 pages
Published September 13th 2016 by The Grim Writer Press
ASINB01LBLVTCO
Edition Language English

A VVivacious Review: The Alpha’s Revenge by Shane Keleher

 
Rating: 2.5 Stars out of 5

the-alphas-revengeJustin meets Parker one night in a bar and is instantly intrigued. Little does Justin know that that night marks the end of normalcy for him, for come tomorrow he will faced by the fact that werewolves are real and he is one of them.
 
Parker’s family is a family of hunters so he knows that the thing that attacked Justin is actually a werewolf but he finds it hard to tell Justin the truth because Justin is turning out to be more than a one night stand for him.
 
This is the first romance book I have ever read that would have been much better for me had it had less romance and more focus on the story. In hindsight this story would have worked out better if it didn’t have the romance tag attached to it because I personally could not get behind Justin and Parker. They seemed forced, it was almost as if you could feel the presence of a third entity directing the events in this story.
 
This story has two journeys one is the journey of Parker and Justin and the other is Justin’s journey as a werewolf.
 
I loved Justin’s character and I really liked how he handles the rapidly changing status quo of his life, as much of the story is from Justin’s point of view you really get to dig deep into his character. Also since you are mostly in Justin’s head it makes the werewolf aspects of this story much more interesting. The story of Justin being turned into a werewolf and how he comes to terms with his new identity is the best part of this book and I loved it.
 
In most werewolf romances that I have read werewolves are not the traditional monsters they are considered to be. So for me reading a story in which werewolves are monsters was a change and I liked how the author handled that facet of this book. Also I loved werewolf Branson, I was really impressed with his character and he was one character I wanted to know more about, also I loved the interactions between Justin and Branson. They shared an interesting dynamic that I would have loved to see explored more.
 
I didn’t really like the couple of Justin and Parker as it never made much sense to me. Their initial attraction seemed forced and the fact that I found the sex scenes in this book extremely boring didn’t help matters afterwards. I don’t know what it was about the sex scenes in this book but they just seemed so dry, they read like a laundry list of steps to be followed during the course of sex. So yeah for me this couple just didn’t work.
 
Also the fact that we only get Parker’s POV a few times in the beginning made me feel a little distanced from his character. Since the story actually involves both of Parker’s older brothers’, Colin and Max, as well the fact that we don’t get to see their relationship from Parker’s POV kind of hinders the story. I for one really wanted to understand his relationship with his brothers better because that particular aspect of this story is like a bag of worms just threatening the well-being of this story.
 
Overall I feel this book would have worked out better as an adventure-verging-on-a-thriller story then it did as the romance it was forced to be.
 
Cover Art by Ginny Glass. I liked the cover, it sets the tone for the book quite well.
Sales Links
6f71e-all2bromance2bbutton7104e-waxcreative-amazon-kindle
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 181 pages
Published September 8th 2016 by Loose Id LLC (first published February 2nd 2014)
ASINB01LVZXHB8
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Reading the Signs by Keira Andrews

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

reading-the-signs-by-keira-andrewsPitcher Nico Agresta is desperate to live up to his family’s baseball legacy. Since he was a teenager crushing on his big brother’s teammate, he’s known he can’t act on his desires. His father made it clear there should be no queers on the field, but if Nico can win Rookie of the Year like his dad and brother did, maybe he can prove he’s worthy after all.

At 34, veteran catcher Jake Fitzgerald just wants to finish out his contract and retire. His team doesn’t have a prayer of making the playoffs, but who needs the stress? Jake lost his passion for the game—and life—after driving away the man he loved, and he swore he’d never risk his heart again.

Then he’s traded to a team that wants a vet behind the plate to tame their new star pitcher. Jake is shocked to find the gangly kid he once knew has grown into a gorgeous young man. But tightly wound Nico is having trouble controlling his temper in his quest for perfection, and Jake needs to teach him patience and restraint on the mound.

When their push and pull explodes into the bedroom, Nico and Jake will both learn how much they’ll risk for love.

As my Nats head into the playoffs, this was the perfect story to settle into…romance, baseball and a chance to see this game I love yet again through another’s eyes. Keira Andrews did not disappoint me.

Vet catcher Jake Fitzgerald is burned out.  Fitz is ready to leave the game.  Then he’s traded and what was to become the end of his career instead becomes a game changer.  The team’s new star pitcher?  A troubled hothead, Nico Agresta, someone Fitz new before.   I loved how Andrews tumbles the reader not only into the game and the team but the lives of the main characters all at once.

We get a feel for the new team dynamics, the feel of the playhouse, the management, Jake’s history and Nico’s too.

A reader doesn’t have to know, understand or particularly love baseball (although its a huge plus) to adore this story.  Andrews spells it out enough in the story for those new to the sport to understand what’s going on.  If you’ve played any sport, you can understand the pressure these athletes are under to perform.  More so, if they are coming from a tradition bound family like Nico.  The depths of character are  built up within the story, a element I really appreciated as I watched the characters grow.

The bdsm element here is one that makes sense.  Its also very sexy.  At first I have to admit, I was started and had to think about the relationship, and where and between who it was taking place.  Maybe in other  hands I might not have “bought” it, but Andrews made her case for it and I connected with both MCs and their love for each other.

This story is all about passion.   Passion for each other,  passion for America’s sport, the game of baseball, passion for family.  Keira Andrews takes two separate men, one burned out, one in trouble and brings them together in Reading the Signs…a story I can absolutely recommend because of the emotion, the connection I felt towards them both…and the game I love.  Its all there.  I couldn’t ask for more.

Cover art. I love this cover.  Its  tremendous.  One of my best of the year.

Sale Links

7104e-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

 

 

 

Book Details:

ebook, 293 pages
Published September 22nd 2016 by KA Books
ISBN139781988260082
Edition LanguageEnglish

Skate into Love with Changing on the Fly- M/M Hockey Charity Anthology Tour (excerpts and giveaway)

bt_banner

AboutTheBook

cotf_cover_2016TITLE: Changing On The Fly – M/M Hockey Charity Anthology

AUTHOR: Avon Gale, V.L. Locey, Cherylanne Corneille, Mary Smith, Heather Lire, Samantha Wayland

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

COVER ARTIST: Jen Needles

LENGTH: 368 Pages

RELEASE DATE: October 12, 2016

BLURB: Changing on the Fly is a celebration of romance, featuring six M/M stories about hockey players falling in love on – and off – the ice. All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to a charity that supports inclusiveness in athletics.

The anthology will be available starting in October, 2016, for a limited time only.

It includes the following stories:

Even Strength by Cherylanne Corneille

Next Season by Avon Gale

Going Home by Heather Lire

On Broadway by V.L. Locey

The Brother and the Retired Player by Mary Smith

Take a Shot by Samantha Wayland

Excerpt

V.L. Locey’s On Broadway:

 

“You’re about as far from being just a guy as I am from being able to play “Rocket Man” on harmonica.”

“Is that the song your mom named you after?” I fell back to the bed, feet dangling to the floor and hands clasped behind my head.

“Good guess.” He appeared behind me after a moment. I tipped my head back to look at him. His green eyes were darker now, smoky jade and hot with desire. “You’re really sexy in a Toby McGuire Spider-Man kind of way.”

“I don’t have any superpowers,” I replied as he leaned over and placed his hands on either side of my head.

“Not true,” Rocket whispered before covering my mouth with his. My eyes drifted shut as my fingers knotted up the bedding. His mouth was hot and wet, his tongue skilled, his taste a subtle blend of Korean buffet. “You’re Riley Zeally,” he murmured between nibbling kisses that made my heart pump faster, “the face of professional hockey.”

I reached up from the duvet to push my fingers into his hair. “I want you,” I panted between his short, maddening sweeps of my mouth.

 

Samantha Wayland’s Take a Shot:

 

“There already is someone who loves to spend time with you, who loves hockey and your friends and their ridiculous pranks. Who gets that you have to travel and that you’re tired!”

Tim blinked, appearing utterly bewildered. “Who?”

“Me, you asshole! Me.”

Tim threw his hands in the air. “What about you?”

“I appreciate you exactly as you are. I love our life. Our friends. You. Even the super fucking irritating things, because apparently there is something wrong with me. I love that you can’t hide what you’re feeling, almost ever. And that you say what you’re thinking, even when I can’t do the same. I like living with you, a fucking neat-freak nudist, and working with you, and there’s never been a time, not once, that I was tired of being around you. You’re gorgeous and you’re kind and you’re the best person I know. So shut up about there not being someone who can appreciate everything about you. There already is. And unfortunately for you, it’s me.”

 

Heather Lire’s Going Home

 

“What the fuck, man?” Blake growled at Dex.

“What?” he asked, innocently. Too innocently. “I was just making conversation with an old friend from high school. One who helped both of us graduate.”

If he’d known when he started this trip down memory lane that he’d be running into the person who’d had a staring roll in the epic disaster that had been his last night in town, he’d never have started it. Micah had also held a staring roll in every single one of his sexual fantasies back then as well.

“Fuck you, Dex.”

“Think about it like this…this is a new start for both of us. A chance to fix the things in our lives that we fucked up. Me with my career and you with Micah.”

 

Cherylanne Corneille’s Even Strength

 

He took a few laps around their end of the rink to loosen his legs. On his fourth pass around the net, he picked up a stray puck and carried it on his stick before shooting it into the net. Boone bumped his shoulder and nodded toward the glass as they rounded their end of the rink again.

What the hell? He glanced in the direction his teammate indicated. Two men around his age wearing New York’s jerseys held up a brightly colored sign that said simply, “Thank you, Nate.” He puzzled on the meaning until he made another lap. One of them also held a small rainbow flag.

 

Mary Smith’s The Brother and the Retired Player

 

Our lips touch, and the spark is struck. He pulls me closer and grips my hips. I can feel his hardness already, and my dick twitches at the contact. Our kiss intensifies as our tongues touch. I hold him closer, and the light scruff of his pale beard tickles me. I never want to leave this spot, but finally, I pull back.

 

Avon Gale’s Next Season

 

Nick stopped as Sparrow went to get into his Escalade, which he’d somehow remote started the second they got out of the building. Nick drove a 2002 Ford Focus and was lucky if it started when the key was in the ignition.

“So, uh,” Nick said, not wanting to just walk off but still as uncertain as he’d been in the locker room about what to say. “See you in Philly, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Sparrow muttered, yanking the door to his luxury SUV open with too much force. “See you in Philly, kid.”

Nick managed to get his own car door open, grabbed his ice scraper, and turned the car on so he could blast the heat. He watched Sparrow drive away, leaving tire tracks in the snow.

BuyLinks

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Smashwords

Kobo Store

Barnes & Noble

Add to Goodreads

AuthorBio

 

V.L. Locey

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

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.

Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/

 

Avon Gale

 

Avon Gale was once the mayor on Foursquare of Jazzercise and Lollicup, which should tell you all you need to know about her as a person. She likes road trips, rock concerts, drinking Kentucky bourbon and yelling at hockey. She’s a displaced southerner living in a liberal midwestern college town, and she never gets tired of people and their stories — either real or the ones she makes up in her head.

Website: https://www.avongalewrites.com/

 

Cherylanne Corneille

 

Cherylanne Corneille has been writing almost as long as she has loved the game of hockey, so it was inevitable that she would eventually combine two of her favorite pastimes into one hobby. She will watch almost any game but prefers to cheer on the Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Tyler Seguin.

When not writing or watching hockey, she enjoys running and has completed 18 half marathons.  She also loves Stars Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Captain America.

Cherylanne lives in Central Florida with her cat, who was almost called Puck or Hanifin but sometimes answers to the name Phasma.

Website: https://cacorneille.wordpress.com/

 

Heather Lire

 

Heather has traveled all over the world, speaks several languages, collects romance books like they’re going out of style, and has multiple book boyfriends. Ok, she hasn’t been all over the world, except in her mind. She does however speak multiple languages and collect romance books. Her long-suffering husband and sons roll their eyes at all her book boyfriends. When she’s not busy on her next novel she can be found in her classroom where teaches one of those many languages, at one of her sons many sporting events or on twitter talking about what else, romance books.

Website: http://heatherlire.com/

 

Samantha Wayland

 

Samantha Wayland has three great loves in life; her family, writing books, and hockey. She is often found apologizing to the first for how much time and attention is taken up by the latter two, but they forgive her because they are awesome and she clearly doesn’t deserve them.

Sam lives with her family—of both the two and four-legged variety—outside of Boston. When she’s not locked away in her home office, she can generally be found tucked in the corner of the local Thai place with other socially-starved authors and an adult beverage. Her favorite things include mango martinis, tiny Chihuahuas with big attitude problems, and the Oxford comma.

Website: http://www.samanthawayland.com/

 

Mary Smith

Best Selling Author, Mary Smith, has been coming up with stories her whole life. She has written A HOCKEY TUTOR and THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BEARS SERIES along with numerous other titles, as well as co-authored THE PENALTY KILL TRILOGY, OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN SERIES, and THE NINTH INNINGS SERIES with Lindsay Paige. When not busy writing or rooting for the Chicago Blackhawks you can find her with her nose stuck in her Kindle.

Website: http://www.authormarysmith.com/

RafflecopterGiveaway

Winner’s Prize: $20 Amazon GC

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TourSchedule

October 10: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

October 11: Joyfully Jay

October 12: MM Good Book Reviews

October 13: Gay Book Reviews

October 14: Open Skye Book Reviews

October 17: RJ Scott

October 18: Diverse Reader :: Bayou Book Junkie

October 19: BFD Book Blog

October 20: MM Book Escape

October 21: Molly Lolly: Reader, Reviewer, Lover of Words :: Alpha Book Club

 

In the Spotlight with Pansies (Spires Universe) by Alexis Hall (giveaway)

pansies_600x900

Pansies (Spires Universe) by Alexis Hall
Riptide Publishing
Cover art by Simoné

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

About Pansies

Alfie Bell is . . . fine. He’s got a six-figure salary, a penthouse in Canary Wharf, the car he swore he’d buy when he was eighteen, and a bunch of fancy London friends.

It’s rough, though, going back to South Shields now that they all know he’s a fully paid-up pansy. It’s the last place he’s expecting to pull. But Fen’s gorgeous, with his pink-tipped hair and hipster glasses, full of the sort of courage Alfie’s never had. It should be a one-night thing, but Alfie hasn’t met anyone like Fen before.

Except he has. At school, when Alfie was everything he was supposed to be, and Fen was the stubborn little gay boy who wouldn’t keep his head down. And now it’s a proper mess: Fen might have slept with Alfie, but he’ll probably never forgive him, and Fen’s got all this other stuff going on anyway, with his mam and her flower shop and the life he left down south.

Alfie just wants to make it right. But how can he, when all they’ve got in common is the nowhere town they both ran away from.

Available from Riptide Publishing: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/pansies

About Alexis Hall

Alexis Hall was born in the early 1980s and still thinks the 21st century is the future. To this day, he feels cheated that he lived through a fin de siècle but inexplicably failed to drink a single glass of absinthe, dance with a single courtesan, or stay in a single garret.

He did the Oxbridge thing sometime in the 2000s and failed to learn anything of substance. He has had many jobs, including ice cream maker, fortune teller, lab technician, and professional gambler. He was fired from most of them.

He can neither cook nor sing, but he can handle a 17th century smallsword, punts from the proper end, and knows how to hotwire a car.

He lives in southeast England, with no cats and no children, and fully intends to keep it that way.

Connect with Alexis:


Website: quicunquevult.com
Blog: quicunquevult.com/blog
Twitter: @quicunquevult
Goodreads: goodreads.com/alexishall

pansies_tourbanner

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Pansies, one lucky winner will receive their choice of 3 ebooks from Alexis Hall’s backlist. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 15, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

A Lila Review: Bitter Legacy by Dal Maclean

Disclaimer: if promiscuity, open relationships, or perceived cheating are deal breakers for you, this isn’t your book. 

Rating: 5+ stars out of 5

bitter-legacy-by-dal-macleanLondon.

Detective Sergeant James Henderson’s remarkable gut instincts have put him on a three-year fast track to becoming an inspector. But the advancement of his career has come at a cost. Gay, posh and eager to prove himself in the Metropolitan Police, James has allowed himself few chances for romance.

But when the murder of barrister Maria Curzon-Whyte lands in his lap, all that changes. His investigation leads him to a circle of irresistibly charming men. And though he knows better, James finds himself enticed into their company.

Soon his desire for photographer Ben Morgan challenges him to find a way into the other man’s lifestyle of one-night stands and carefree promiscuity. At the same time, his single murder case multiplies into a cruel pattern of violence and depravity.

But as the bodies pile up and shocking secrets come to light, James finds both his tumultuous private life and coveted career threatened by a bitter legacy.

Bitter Legacy is a bloody brilliant debut book. See the Britishism? I had to set the tone because not many authors can pull it off. For once, some try to play it down to make the story more accessible for worldwide audiences. Others only have research to go by, but Dal Maclean makes the reader travel with her characters. We are with them for the full ride even when the story is narrated in its entirely from James’s POV.

Needless to say, the settings, language, meals, and everything in-between engages the reader from the very beginning. Yes, the Oxford comma was necessary in the previous sentence. All these serves as the perfect background for a well-presented story, filled with police procedures and investigations. Perhaps my only complaint in this regards would be Scrivenor’s authenticity. It was hard to follow when he spoke more than two or three sentences at a time, but by the end of the story, I was used to him and his brogue.

Now to the characters. Everyone, from Ben’s lovers to the murder victims had a layered background. There were no flat or unnecessary characters, and each one of them provided a clue to solve the overall mystery. The cultural diversity was refreshing, and it displayed London’s diversification. Family ties, friendships, and acquaintanceship played a central role.

As a narrator, Jamie is a complicated character. He had an entirely different life before starting to work as a Detective Sergeant. We see how those aspects influenced the way he conducted the investigations and how he related to others. For some, Jamie can be considered weak or malleable. There were many moments in which I wanted to shout, don’t do it or don’t give in. But in reality, his strength comes from the way he gave everything he had for others. And we couldn’t discard his physical attributes and intelligence.

Ben isn’t a traditional main character. Even when the story is mostly about Jamie’s life and work, his relationship with Ben colors the readers’ view of the events being investigated, and Jamie’s self-worth. Their relationship goes beyond the physical; it’s complicated and intrinsic to the central mystery. The author did an excellent job keeping the reader from figuring out if they love or hate him. The more we learn about him, the more we understand his actions. Even so, I wanted the final outcome to be different. I think a bittersweet ending could have worked better than the HEA.

The antagonist is one of the friendliest I had seen in a long time. I wanted this person to play a bigger role throughout the story instead of just showing here and there, but in the end, it worked. I had hope for redemption, but sometimes we have to let go of our darlings. And figuring out who/whom had the bitter legacy was a welcome surprise.

I expected this story to be a psychological thriller but not to this extent. The way the murders and the characters are weaved together show a complexity many authors try to evade. This book works because every plot line presented was equally important to the overall idea. The number of sex encounters in the story is as important as the amount of time Jamie spent working the case and as necessary as its full cast.

To figure out the case, the reader has to pay attention to every detail no matter how small or insignificant it appears. The story does start slow, but as soon as it picks up, it’s hard to put down. I’m a fast reader, but this book made me want to read faster. I wanted to know what would happen next. Plus, I wanted to know if my guesses were correct.

And yes, you guessed it—I’m leaving the stories specifics out of my review. Anything I say could be considered a spoiler. I did add the disclaimer at the top, but those topics are part of the blurb. This is not an MM Romance or a police procedural novel, it both and none; perhaps a literary fiction hybrid.

Overall, this is one goes under my best reads for 2016.  I don’t do re-reads, but this is a story I’d not mind listening to if it becomes available in audiobook. The complexity of the plot lines and the characters are worth re-exploring. I highly recommend this book; it’s definitely an ace. See, I did it again. 🙂

I can’t wait for another book from this author. I’m a fan of her style.

The cover is eye-catching, but hard to relate to the story. The man in it is Jamie, but the colors don’t translate as police lights. It makes me think of a sci-fi cover.

Sale Links: Blind Eye Books | Amazon | Barnes & Nobles

Book Details:

ebook, 350 pages
Published: Oct 4, 2016, Blind Eye Books
ISBN: 9781935560432
Edition Language: English

Book Blitz for The Wolves of Daos 5 by Rebecca James (Excerpt and Giveaway)

The Wolves of Daos 5 Banner

Title: The Wolves of Daos 5

Series: Wolves of Daos 5 1

Author: Rebecca James

Publisher: Rebecca James

Cover Artist: Brandyjo Newton

Release Date: September 24, 2016

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 195

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, mpreg, shifter, paranormal,

Add to Goodreads

Cover-The-Wolves-of-Daos-5

Synopsis

Michael has wrestled with anxiety his entire life, and finding out he’s half-werewolf doesn’t help matters. When bond-mate, Quinn, takes Michael to the werewolf colony, Michael finds more surprises in store for him, and some may be more than he can handle.

Excerpt

Looking over his shoulder as they walked, Michael saw that the milling crowd that had been gathering at the palace gates now filed in behind them, as though they’d been waiting for Quinn and Michael’s arrival in order to be admitted. Looking ahead, a vast courtyard lay before them with pruned hedges and extensive gardens that had been cut back in preparation for the coming winter. Michael’s heart picked up when he spotted what appeared to be several huge lizards lounging in the inner courtyard near the front of the palace where he and Quinn were not, thankfully, headed.
“Komodo dragons?” Michael asked.
“What? Oh, yes. We brought them here from Indonesia. Very effective deterrents to trespassers.”
“I’ll bet.” Michael stared at the frightening creatures.
“This way,” Quinn said, setting off toward the side, passing through an archway and along an ivy-covered wall where two guards led three chained and naked men headed for a door leading away from the main part of the stone structure. Quinn propelled Michael toward a larger iron door at the far end of the narrow lane. Michael couldn’t help but stare at the men. Were they slaves? They certainly appeared to be, with their dirty appearance and hands and feet manacled and the long chain connecting them one to the other.
“Prisoners,” Quinn said, as though answering Michael’s unasked question. Sometimes he really did seem to read Michael’s mind. “Escor. Scum.”
The corridor leading to the door was narrow and crowded. Quinn wrapped his arm around Michael’s waist and maneuvered them through, while Michael continued to stare at the prisoners. He’d never seen anyone like them; completely hairless, lacking even eyebrows and lashes, with long, slim feet and oddly-shaped heads. Two large werewolves wearing red tangas and brandishing curved sticks urged the prisoners along. As Quinn and Michael passed the line of men, one looked directly at Michael, his silver eyes with dark, vertical pupils reminding Michael of a snake. Michael thought they must be contact lenses—he’d seen some that gave a similar effect. As Michael returned the gaze, quick as lightning, the man’s tongue darted out, thin and forked, touching Michael on the arm at the same time that Atlas yelled and pulled Michael backward until his shoulder hit the opposite wall. Quinn threw himself at the prisoner, his hands around the man’s thick throat.

Purchase

Rebecca James | Amazon | Smashwords | ARe

Wolves of Daos 5 Square

Meet the Author

logo

Rebecca James writes m/m and m/m/m romance in the contemporary, paranormal, and sci-fi genres. Writing has been her passion since childhood, but it wasn’t until recently that she got up the courage to publish. She lives in the southern United States with her husband and three children.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail

 

Giveaway

One lucky winner will get an ebook of their choice from Rebecca’s backlist

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Blog Button 2

Save

Save

Save

Save

Release Day Tour and Giveaway: Surviving Elite High: The Next Generation by John Ames

facebook_timeline_3

AboutTheBook

1400x2100TITLE: Surviving Elite High: The Next Generation

AUTHOR: John H. Ames

COVER ARTIST: Louca Matheo

LENGTH: 74,908 words

RELEASE DATE: October 7, 2016

BLURB: Surviving Elite High fans, the wait is over! More romance, drama and mystery are unfolding at Elite High before the back-to-school bell has even rung!

Seventeen year old, blond-hair, blue-eyed and adorable Robbie Carroll, orphaned at a young age and mysteriously never adopted, has finally found his dream family. Nick Hawking and John Ames, now married, wealthy, and powerful, make Robbie their son, defying the young man’s past- one that Robbie himself has no memory of- that has scared all other prospective parents away. Now, Robbie has great parents and a hot brother, Nicky and beautiful sister, Lily, who take him into their midst and make him part of their tight circle of friends who all go to Elite High.

One of those friends is Tim Mercer, a gorgeous football player at Elite High. Tim’s dark looks and simmering eyes capture Robbie’s heart at first sight. But Robbie can’t be sure that Tim feels the same way, or even if he’s gay too. Moreover, even if Tim is available, there are some people around him who don’t want Robbie to get close to him, and will go to ANY lengths to keep him away. Why? What do they want with Tim? What is the secret that Tim is harboring? And who is that strange man in Robbie’s visions, who haunts his life and his dreams? Find out here!

Excerpt

Robbie looked away, no doubt his cheeks were bright red. The door swung open again and Allison stepped inside with two teens that appeared his age. The girl on Allison’s left was beautiful, too beautiful to even describe. Her long golden blonde hair hung over her shoulders and her eyes were like two crystal blue diamonds that shone brighter than the stars. She was the spitting image of her father, Nick, but what took his breath away was the guy standing on Allison’s right. He was a few inches taller than him and drop dead gorgeous. He had tanned skin that seemed to glow, the perfect body hidden behind his tight clothes, light brown hair that waved from side to side, and the purest hazel eyes that Robbie had ever seen. They were simply too mesmerizing to be real.

“There you are!” John approached them, placing an arm around them, and gently pushed them forward. “Robbie, this is Lily and Nicky.”

BuyLinks

Amazon US

Amazon UK

AuthorBio

Juan H. Alvarado was born in El Salvador C.A. He currently lives in Belize and began writing in 2008. He posted some of his work on an internet website, and after receiving positive feedback, he completed several full-length novels under his pen name, John Henry Ames. His first completed novel is Surviving Elite High. The story chronicles the life of a gay sixteen-year-old boy as he makes his way through life as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies. His passions are writing, reading and spending time with the ones he loves.

||  Website & Blog  ||  Facebook  ||  Twitter  ||  Goodreads  ||